Chapter 3: A Goddess in Student's Clothing
Floating.
The thought, just a single word, a simple concept, seemed to float towards her as if from a great distance. It felt slippery, almost sliding away from her as quickly and suddenly as it had come. With great desperation she wrapped herself around the thought, holding on with all the effort she could muster. She made it her anchor. Everything felt so fluid, but that thought... it was a tangible sensation. Truth.
She reached out into the void, and found other thoughts there. Whispered words, ghostly memories, all of them were random and fragmented. With considerable effort, she pulled these phantom images towards her, attaching them to the floating anchor she had created. What was once a single point of consciousness had become a small island, and continued to grow outward.
As the island collected more mass, she became stronger. Each successive fragment she pulled into herself added to the ease with which she grabbed the next one.
The island of thought began to organize itself. It felt natural, as if all the different fragments had once been whole. Moving around and fitting together, memories, emotions, and thoughts were taking shape.
With a sudden burst of clarity, a complete consciousness finally emerged from the scattered pieces. The island was a bright star, its light cutting through the ocean of oblivion.
Eos. Yes, her name was Eos! Princess Eos of Equestria, guardian of knowledge and Goddess of the dawn sky. Her last memory had been of peaceful sleep, then... a tearing feeling, followed by fear and cold. As if her very soul had been torn from her body and flung into the depths of the immaterial to be lost. She had heard laughter. Cruel, evil laughter. If she still had a body, she would shudder at the memory.
That felt like it had happened months ago. Or, perhaps only a few minutes. There was no measure of time in this void.
Time! She was running out of time! She could feel herself fading again, falling apart and becoming lost in the roiling sea of oblivion. She needed to find land, she had to find safety before the void took her once again!
Searching with renewed desperation, Eos reached out into the darkness, feeling for something to take hold of.
Eternities later, she found a... crack. Yes, that was the best way to describe it. Some kind of open seam in the void, closing even as she beheld it. As soon as her mind touched the opening, she felt herself wrenched forward.
Eos did not fight the pull. She could feel so much warmth there; it was the shelter she had been looking for.
Light! So much light! It was blinding, coming at her from everywhere, every direction. It was as if she'd been pulled into the very center of the sun itself. It was more than the difference between Night and Day. It was rather, the difference between life and death itself.
Now she was rushing towards a specific spot in this nova. A little empty place, a black spot on the otherwise perfect expanse of blinding light. She felt herself filling this place, her light making the universe complete. A home, empty before, now hers.
All at once Eos had lungs. She took a gasping, shuddering breath, feeling a crushing weight lifting from her pained body. Even now, after so much, she felt the inevitable rush of unconsciousness surround her mind. She had no strength left to fight it, and so the Princess let the weightlessness of sleep take her.
Alive. She was alive.
But so very, very tired.
~~~~~~
“Thaumic fields are built upon the principle of fractal recursion,” the princess repeated with confidence. Fractal theory was, of course, one of her favorite fields of magic study. “A proper magical aura is built through the stacking of successively more microscopic layers of arcane power. The delicate harmonics of this system are integral to high-energy spell casting, and no substance has proven more effective at aligning such fractal systems as crystalline structures.” She hovered a deep purple crystal in her magical grasp, spinning it gently. Rays of light played across its surface with dazzling beauty. At last she placed the crystal on a table in front of her, and continued. “The development of more flawless spell crystals will soon become the most significant source of future advancement in magic and technology. Finalizing our trade agreements with the Crystal Empire and establishing a commodity chain should be our top priority over the next decade. The University’s researchers are already reporting some very interesting findings, we could very well have a new scientific golden age on our hooves.”
Eos stood at the end of an almost infinitely long table, its far side too distant to see. Along the entire length of the table were gathered ponies of varied tribe, gender, and age, each one listening to her with rapt attention. The Princess gazed into each attentive pair of eyes in turn as she looked across the ancient table. She tried her best to recall a name for each and every one of their many faces. Any good teacher should be able to remember all of their students, she told herself. Each important soul deserved to be remembered. It was the very least she could do for them.
As the Princess considered this, an aching pain in her neck began to grow in intensity. She shrugged her regalia in an attempt to dispel the feeling, scowling in frustration as she did so. This was important; there was no time for idle distractions! Eos continued onward. “The dragons are also very interested in any potential commodities that the Crystal Empire will have to offer them. I…” There was that accursed pain again! Eos tried to shake her head and continue with the matter at hand, but found herself having a harder time finding the words. “Spike has told me of their desire to establish a lasting trade partnership between the Empire and the territories, with requests to us for assistance on the matter. I propose a project to expand our railroad systems, to support the increased volume of trade goods. Now from there, if we can… if only…”
Eos tried to shake her head and continue with the matter at hoof, but the words slid away from her. They danced at the edge of her mind, just out of reach. Now she could see the assembled ponies looking at her with faces of worry and concern. They needed her to continue, wanted to see that she was alright. She owed it to them to know what to say. Why wouldn't the words come to her?
"If only..." Something stung her eyes. The sun itself seemed to stare into her, from somewhere up above. It felt unfamiliar, warm and motherly but alien. The table faded, the ponies decaying into nothing but dust in the radiance of the sun. The dust swept across her vision until only desolate sand remained.
“If only I just had a little more time.”
Princess Eos groaned in her half-conscious state, feeling the discomfort of a fitful night’s sleep forcing its way to the forefront of her mind. Her spine and neck felt terrible, like she’d been sleeping on an old spring mattress all night.
She struggled to sit up, eyelids shut tight against the invasive sunlight. I cannot believe that the bed already needs more clouds, Eos thought. She would need to request a fresh order of Cumulus from the Cloudsdale Weather Factory. Strange that a new shipment would be required so soon, though, given that she replenished the bed just last month. Magically-enhanced cloudstuff was supposed to last much longer than this.
Stars above, my neck is killing me! Once the Princess had pulled herself into a sitting position against the back of the bed, she rolled her neck in a satisfyingly painful circle. Listening to the crack-crack-cracking of her bones, she sighed in cathartic relief.
Satisfied, Eos gazed with dreary eyes around her bedchamber, only for her jaw to drop right onto her lap in a most un-princess-like display of incredulity.
Before Eos’ eyes were not the familiar walls of her bedchambers. The smooth stone, the many tapestries and paintings, the oak wardrobes and desk were all gone. In their place was some kind of reading nook, though a very odd one. All across the walls were rows of meticulously cleaned and orderly books. Beyond that, yet more tomes were scattered in piles all across the floor.
That wasn’t the odd part, however. What really caught her attention was that the entire room was made out of... carved wood?
This is most certainly not my room.
A resigned sigh escaped her lips. It must be a cruel joke, she thought. “This is what I get for taking an early night’s rest for once,” she muttered. Looking down, she realized that she really had been sleeping on a physical mattress, with a blue constellation blanket tucked around her.
Eos heard a noise from somewhere down below. There was the sound of a closing cupboard door, and then the clatter of something upon a wooden table. Others, Eos thought.
Without a second thought, she moved to get off the bed. Throwing the covers away from her, Eos tried to roll over and land in a low crouch, only to misjudge the distance and land painfully on her side with a loud thud. Hissing under her breath from the pain, the Princess picked herself up. While waiting for the hurt to subside, she considered the current state of affairs.
There was something wrong here, something big. She felt strange, like her body didn’t quite fit the way it was supposed to. Before anything else, she had to get a look at herself.
Gathering her magic with a grimace, the Princess began to cast a mirror spell. A personal invention of hers, it was designed to turn a flat plane of air into a flawless reflector of light, perfect for use as a portable mirror. Pointing her horn at a spot just in front of her, Eos listened to the familiar sound of magic as the air before her shimmered and realigned itself.
The conjured mirror coalesced for a moment, its glossy surface giving a view of a confused lavender unicorn. Before Eos could make more than a cursory glance at the image in front of her however, her horn gave a painful twinge. The mirror began to flicker before breaking apart, the view fading into nothingness.
Eos collapsed, her clumsy hooves rubbing her temples as a throbbing headache pounded her horn. That spell seemed to have taken far more out of her than it should have. Could there have been a spell-limiter on her horn? She couldn’t feel one, but perception-altering spells were possible.
Eos scanned the room more carefully. Need a mirror, a real mirror… there! Against the far wall, her eyes found a homely dresser and mirror. Without the aid of her magic, it would have to suffice.
The Princess picked herself up, wobbling slightly before finding her center of gravity. She took a single tentative step, before running into her first obstacle.
Scattered across the floor of this place were many rolls of parchment and heavy books, apparently heaped wherever there had been space at the time. Some of the stacks towered dangerously high, where they tottered on the edge of falling down. Just looking at them made Eos reflexively hold her breath, not wanting a gentle breeze to send the towers tumbling to the floor. She’d have to take extra care not to knock anything over. When this is all over, the pony that left these books just sitting here will be getting some choice words from me, that’s for sure.
As the mare took her first tentative steps, Eos noted how unwieldy her legs felt. They seemed too short; the unfamiliar length of her stride made each step a stumble. She noted with dismay that her clumsy hoofs made an uncomfortable amount of noise on the hard wooden floor. No doubt the others down below could hear Eos’ fumbling. What if they came up and found her?
And for that matter, what could possibly be going on in the first place? She had retired to the calm and comfort of her personal bedchambers last night, only to awaken in an entirely unfamiliar location this morning. Even more distressing, her body felt as if it was several sizes too small, and she couldn’t seem to find her wings at all. The only logical possibility, Eos surmised, was that she was under the influence of some sort of disorientation spell. Those sorts of malicious mind-altering spells were strictly outlawed of course, but what would a kidnapper care?
Then again, she thought, I could be dreaming. Yes, some kind of extremely vivid lucid dream. so focused was she on the stacks of books, a small gemstone on the floor went unnoticed right up until the moment she stepped on it. Struggling to hold back a hiss of pain from the sharp sensation, Eos rescinded her earlier consideration. Lucid dreaming would have to be taken off the list, at least for the time being.
But if I’m not simply dreaming, who could be responsible for this? The question held distressing implications. A royal foalnapping? Her mind immediately jumped to the possibility of a griffon plot, but no, they wouldn’t dare. Still, she filed the thought away for later just in case. Better not to eliminate any possible culprits quite yet. But if not the Griffons, who else? The Dragons?
That can’t be it either. Diplomatic relations with the Dragon clans have been stellar this last century. Spike reports no ill will from any of the other Elders. With vital trade agreements involving the Crystal Empire on the line, rash aggression against Equestria would be laughably foalish. Even the most aggressive of the Elders would have to be suicidal to draw Spike’s ire at such a critical time.
Eos also had to consider why she had been left unguarded and unrestrained. If somepony had gone to the lengths of capturing and incapacitating her, certainly they wouldn’t simply leave her alone like this! The logical conclusion, then, would be that she hadn’t been abducted at all. But if so, the question of why all this was happening remained frustratingly unanswered.
She allowed a quiet grunt to escape her mouth. It just makes no sense! There’s no logical scenario that fits this picture!
Occupied as she was with her thoughts, eyes all but glued to the ground as she watched for more pesky obstacles, Eos did not notice the approaching dresser until her horn found it for her. The Princess of Equestria raised her head with a groan of pain, only to gaze with confusion at the face in front of her.
A frazzled head of lavender hair hung down across the face in the mirror. Her face. From beneath the chaotic mane stared a pair of purple eyes. Poking out of her bedmane was a horn several times too short to be her own. At first she feared it had been broken off, which would certainly have explained her apparent lack of magic from earlier, but upon closer inspection it was rounded and perfectly healthy looking.
What took her longer to pin down was the altered curvature of her snout. It was rounded, like a young mare’s, not pointed as was normal for alicorns such as herself.
She took a step back and turned herself a little to the side, the better to get a look at her wings. Or her lack of wings, as the case was. From that angle, even more distinct changes were easy to spot. She realized now why she’d had such trouble walking.
She had shrunk. Yes, that was the only word for it. Her legs were short and stubby things, a fraction of their normal length just like her horn. She looked just like a regular unicorn now. She looked… mortal. Even her mane was short, cropped straight above her brow. It did not wave behind her, or reflect the sky.
“My ethereal mane, gone. But this means-” Eos’ eyes widened. “This means I am no longer in control of the sky!”
The princess’ head snapped to the room’s single window, from which golden sunlight seeped through soft yellow curtains. Grasping wildly with her erratic magic, she tore them open with a forceful grunt. Though it burned her eyes to gaze towards the sun, she was relieved to see that it was rising just fine. Her failsafes must have activated properly.
She let a sigh of relief escape from her mouth. Well, at least I won’t have to deal with a civilian panic, Eos mused. Now, it was just a simple matter of taking back control.
Extending her magical consciousness, Princess Eos reached out and attempted to reestablish her connection with the glowing sun. With nothing but her old failsafes guiding it, it should have been easy. But instead of welcoming her magic like an old friend, the sun seemed slippery and uncaring. Alarmed, she pushed harder, but it shirked her link a second time just the same. Eos gasped as her connection was abruptly severed.
What trickery is this?! In the physical world, her hopeful countenance turned to that of a worried frown. It feels as if the sun belongs to another!
If somepony (or dragon, or gryphon…) had managed to break her failsafes and take control of the sky, this situation was dire indeed. But how? To do such a thing, they would have had to overpower her magic…
Now the princess of dawn turned away from the sun to her inner magic. As she felt inside for her power, Eos was immediately disturbed by what she found. Where there should have been the sun and moon and stars, there was nothing. Where there should have been the ocean of her magic, there was nothing. All of a sudden, the immense emptiness seemed to drown her, her heart falling into a dark place where only despair remained.
Gone… all gone. Somewhere in the distance she felt the hard wooden floor as she fell back on her rump, eyes gazing out the window into the sky but seeing naught but a sea of starless void. Even without the sun and sky, there should have been something there. But to have nothing left? She hadn’t felt this powerless in… in a long time.
Eos heard more sounds from down below, louder this time. She shook her head and took a few calming breaths. It wouldn’t do to let fear get in the way of action in this situation. The most important thing was calm prioritization of goals. To that end, Eos drew up a mental checklist. Time to take stock.
Okay, first, my current status. I’m in an unknown location, surrounded by unknown ponies or other beings. Also, it would seem that I’m missing both my alicorn magic and body. I’m very likely to be mortal, which restricts me to an eighty-year time limit, give or take. Whatever was going on could probably be resolved in that amount of time, but it was always a good habit to be thorough. Any memories of how I got here are missing-in-action as well, which is very unfortunate. Best case scenario, I’m just delirious after one too many nights spent awake working. I felt pain earlier, so this can’t be a normal dream, but… maybe I hit my head, and I’m in a coma until the wound heals?
Eos almost laughed at the absurdity of the idea. Spike would be livid! She could just imagine his scolding tone when she woke up.
“Eos, do you realize what I had to go through while you were taking an extended vacation? Hosting court for a week! Half a dozen diplomatic meetings! Not even enough time for a single afternoon nap!”
The poor dragon. Well, he could handle himself. She just hoped he didn’t fret too much about her. Or, if she wasn’t dreaming, the princess hoped he didn’t tear the kingdom apart too much looking for her. The collateral damage might get expensive.
… right. Enough daydreaming.
Her newly minted mental checklist once again rose up in her mind. Best to go by the assumption that everything I’m experiencing is real. So, first order of business is answering the ‘W’s: Who, what, and where.
Everything else, even the sun and moon, would have to wait until after.
The princess took one last glance at the image in the mirror. She wished she hadn’t. Instead of the calm countenance of a being that had seen the turning of ages and the fall of tyrants, Eos saw the uncertain expression of a mare consumed by fear of the unknown. This was not her. This was not the Princess of the Dawn.
She hardened her nerves and looked on with renewed determination. Whatever strange situation she was in, she’d approach it as a Princess, not a frightened little filly. She turned away from the mirror; it did not reflect her any more.
~~~~~~
A few moments later found Eos carefully walking across another room, after having made it down a flight of stairs from the bedroom she’d awoken in. She stuck to the walls, where the darkness was thicker. A few weak shafts of morning sunlight pierced the middle of the room, illuminating little motes of dust curling through the air. The walls Eos clung to were covered in book-laden shelves.
It all felt so serene. There was no tension in the air, nor the electric charge of adrenaline. None except for her own jumbled emotions, at least. If anything, the place breathed with life and gentle comfort.
All at once, the smell of this place entered her lungs, and Eos immediately recognized the familiar aroma: books and worn parchment, with a hint of dust. The smell of Elysium itself, as far as Eos was concerned. Such a beautiful scent could only be found in one place.
A library.
Well, at least there may be time to do some reading after all of this, the Princess thought as her hooves carried her forward. Across the room was another doorway from which morning light poured forth. Leaning against the shadows, Eos peeked around the edge to spy into this new place, ears swiveling at the sounds of movement from somewhere beyond. After a quick glance in search of other ponies, she brought her head back into the shadows. She blinked.
Then peeked again. And again after that. Each time, Eos held her stare longer, attempting to puzzle out what her eyes insisted they were seeing. One last time she looked, but this time she didn’t look away.
She knew this room. This wasn’t just any old library; this was a very specific library located in a very specific place, lived in by a very particular pair of students.
This is the Golden Oaks public library, in Ponyville! How did I not recognize the architecture before? It all seemed so obvious in retrospect. The carved wooden interior, the living spaces on the upper level… where else could it be?
The princess stepped slowly into the main study room and foyer, gazing this way and that as her eyes were drawn to different bookshelves. Tomes of knowledge for just about every subject sat upon these walls, teasing her with their enticing titles. Advanced Spells for the Advanced Spellcaster, The Night Sky: Beauty Transcendent, A Brief History of Equestria; on and on the books read.
Where her eyes roamed, her hooves carried her. Gently tracing her hoof across an encyclopedia’s binding, the princess let out a long sigh. She’d been so busy these last few years, wouldn’t it be nice to just take a day off and sit down with a fun little story? Some light reading sounded like just the thing to help absolve all that stress.
Eos was just beginning to look through a cluster of fiction novels when she spotted it. A desk sat by one of the windows, upon which she idly noted there was an inkwell and ample parchment. However, it wasn’t the desk that caught her attention. No, it was the picture frame on top. A picture, she saw as she came closer, of six happy mares.
No, it can’t be…
She’d seen this picture many times before: Eos’ two students, Sunny Skies and Midnight Star, sitting among the new friends they had made in Ponyville. A copy of this very picture sat on Eos’ own desk back in Canterlot.
Except this picture did not have Sunny or Midnight in it. Instead, the five Ponyvillian mares were gathered around… Princess Eos. But not herself, really. This mare looked as Eos appeared now, standing in the library where Sunny and Midnight were unusually absent.
I… what? She stood motionless, trying to take it all in. The picture, her body, the out-of-her-control sun. What else could it be but a crazed hallucination?
From across the room a cheery voice suddenly spoke, “Oh, hey Twilight!”
“Bwah!” Eos nearly jumped out of her skin at the voice, turning to face the intruder with her horn already glowing. Even in that split second, the Princess of Dawn was already berating herself. How long had she just been standing there staring, mouth agape? The best paralysis spell she could muster was moments away from completion when Eos got a look at the source of the voice, and for the umpteenth time that day she found herself at a loss.
A baby dragon? Standing inside another doorway was a dragon wearing a pink apron. Despite his upright bipedal stance, his head still only came up to her chest. So young, she thought. This one can’t be more than fifteen years old!
The young dragonling held up his hands in a placating gesture, chuckling as he did so. “Woah there, Twi! Sorry to startle you. Just wanted to let you know I’ve got some hash browns ready for you in the kitchen.” His scales were a similar purple to the princess’ own fur, with green spines and eyes to match. But that little pink apron! He had to have been just about the least threatening thing that the princess had expected to greet her. And what was this about breakfast?
Eos leveled her horn at the newcomer. “Explain yourself, dragon!” She could feel the phantom limbs where her wings ought to be, trying to flare out in a threatening stance. To her confusion, he seemed entirely nonplussed at her aggressive reaction.
Tiny claw scratching the back of his head, he said, “Well, I was going to make mashed potatoes, but, uhh… well I sorta sneezed and they caught on fire. Heh.”
“Wha- bu-, no! I wasn’t talking about the food!” Eos huffed. She took a step closer, and gave him a stare that could melt scales. “I woke up this morning, uncomfortable, confused, and in a strange bed in a strange room in a library many miles away from where I went to sleep. Then, I discover that not only am I in an unfamiliar place, but also in an unfamiliar mortal body. Then, after all of that, the first other soul I stumble upon is a juvenile dragon. Who offers me breakfast, of all things! No threats, no questions, no answers. Breakfast!” By now she had approached close enough for even her diminished form to tower above him.
“Uhh, Twilight, are you okay? You’re talking sort of funny.” The dragon cocked his head to the side. “Were you up all night reading or something? Fall out of bed and rattle your brain? I heard some banging upstairs a little while ago.”
The Princess halted at the unknown name. ‘Twilight’? Did the dragon mistake her for somepony else? Was that why his reaction to her had been so odd? Eos realized how close she had come to him in her fit, and took a step back. Her new companion seemed content to stand there and watch, folding his little arms and waiting for a response.
With a more calm voice, she responded, “No, dragon. If I’m being honest, I don’t think I’m alright.” The young drake had been nothing but nice so far, maybe he could help her. She took a deep breath, and winced at her behavior.“I should apologize for before. As I said, I believe my mental faculties are well intact. Memory notwithstanding, ahem.” Eos cleared her throat, giving the dragon a slight grin. “However, I seem to be a minor bit lost.”
“Lost? You really don’t know where you are?”
“Actually, I do know where I am. The circumstances of my arrival are the part I’m puzzling out.” She stroked her chin with a hoof. “Before that though, something else has occured to me that I’d like to know, if you are able. Where is Sunny Skies?”
~~~~~~
Spike felt confused. He’d seen a lot of epic breakdowns from his big sister, but this had to take the cake. “Sunny Skies? I don’t think I’ve ever heard that name before, Twilight.”
She became visibly distraught at this. “What do you mean? She lives here, along with her sister Midnight Star. This has been their residence for the better part of two years while they carry out their studies.” Something seemed to occur to her. “And why do you keep calling me by that name?”
Has she finally lost it? “Uhh, Twilight, last time I checked it was us who lived here. Y’know, you must have jostled your brain pretty hard to forget your own name.”
Twilight scoffed at him. “I most certainly did not hit my head, and I definitely do not live here! Nor is my name Twilight! I am Princess Eos of Equestria!” She tossed her frazzled hair back and held her head high in what appeared to be an entirely subconscious pose. Spike couldn’t help but laugh at the image of his bed-headed sister trying to emulate royalty.
Chuckling, he said, “Just because Shining’s marriage into royalty made you a noble by law, doesn’t mean you get to change your name. I still think we should stop by Ponyville Medical later today, just in case.” Grabbing a quill from the nearest desk, he scribbled a little note for himself.
Twilight looked unamused, but seemed to give up and let the matter slide. “In any case, back to the issue. If you don’t know who Sunny is, what are you doing here? Libraries are of course a public place of knowledge, but I highly doubt that my students would appreciate you going through their food! Are you a friend of theirs?”
This was getting ridiculous, Spike thought. “Umm, Equestria to Twilight, I’m Spike. Y’know, your assistant? I get that you hit your head and can’t remember us moving here or something, but I would have figured you’d at least be able to recognize me.”
“What?!” His sister exclaimed, as something seemed to finally click inside her clearly deranged mind. “No, no no no no. There is only one Spike, and he is not a child!”
Spike crossed his arms and said, “Well, a second ago you said you were some kind of Princess, so I guess we both must be crazy.”
“I… you…” Looking for something to say, her eyes wandered over to a picture sitting on the writing desk. What is so entrancing about this picture? Spike wondered, as an expression of deep concentration appeared on Twilight’s face. Finally her eyes widened with recognition, the kind she always got after realizing the solution to a difficult problem. But this eureka was mixed with a sort of fear, too. With apprehension, Eos spoke slowly, “This place. This is Ponyville’s Golden Oaks library, correct?”
“Yeah?”
“And the date, this is the year 1503 after the founding of Equestria?”
“Of course.”
Twilight began to pace, speaking as much to herself as to him anymore, “And the name, ‘Twilight’; a word for the bridge between night and day. It’s the natural counterpart to dawn, beginning of day following night. What else could such perfect symmetry mean?” She muttered something about ‘hyperspherical leylines’ and other such nonsense which the young dragon had learned by now to simply tune out. “Spike, I think I know what’s going on. It’s crazy, radical to even believe something like this is possible. But if I’m right, it’ll mean brand new discoveries of how we understand reality itself!”
"Twilight? Care to share with the class?” Spike quipped, snapping his sister out of her pacing. She turned to him with those eyes of hers, rich pools of emotion deeper than he ever remember them looking.
"I don't know whether to be giddy or terrified. I believe that somehow, this is not my home universe. You and I live different lives, this world has a different history.
“I always wondered about the possibility of alternate realities, but the ability to explore such hypotheses has forever been beyond us. The forces required to peer beyond the veil of reality are impossible to fathom; to actually have been transported across this divide? I never could have prepared myself for something like this…”
At this point Spike really wasn’t sure what to think. The crazed visage he thought he’d seen before had now been replaced by something much more calm and calculating. Alternate universe Twilight Sparkle huh? Who knows? He shrugged mentally, it’s not that much wilder than some of the other stuff we’ve dealt with. In any case, this craziness could wait until after breakfast. Spike said, “Look, I know you’re kinda dealing with some world-shattering revelations here, but…” he motioned towards the kitchen, “maybe you’d like to puzzle it out over a plate of hash browns? Y’know, before they get cold?”
“But alternate reality! I need to-” Her stomach rumbled. Twilight seemed to look at her belly as if it had betrayed her. It may have been his imagination, but there seemed to be the briefest of internal wars play out across her face, before she seemed to deflate just a little. Defeated, the hungry mare cleared her throat and addressed Spike in a more even tone. “I would love to share a meal. Thank you. Perhaps some good food and time to think is exactly what I need.”
~~~~~~
Eos pondered everything that she had witnessed so far during this momentous morning. Since meeting the dragon boy who called himself Spike, the Princess had mostly come to terms with the explanation. It made sense, at least given what information she had so far. Sure, there was still the possibility that she was under some kind of elaborate illusion or hallucination spell designed to keep her incapacitated, but there really didn’t seem to be any options besides to just go with it for now.
They had moved to the dining room. As much as Eos hated to sit around doing something so mundane as eating while an entire parallel reality surrounded her, she couldn’t help but enjoy sampling the food Spike had prepared. It was a simple meal, far less elaborate than what the royal chefs always made for her. The hash browns and scrambled eggs were made with love, she could easily tell.
Eos had mostly gotten the hang of her magic now, too. It was still very unnerving to dip into her inner power and not find the vast well of energy she was accustomed to. Especially distressing was the lack of a connection to the celestial bodies. For almost as long as she could remember, the sky had been a part of her, a little presence in the back of her mind that reassured her of her control. Now, that presence was gone. She felt empty and isolated without it.
Then there was the matter of Spike. He was just a baby, not even in his main growth phase yet. It was… odd, trying to project the image of Spike she knew onto this child. It actually brought back memories of long ago, the years after the end of Discord’s reign when she had hatched Spike from an egg rejected from its clan.
Eos wondered briefly if this Spike had been a rejected egg as well, perhaps even hatched by this world’s analogue of herself? An even wilder thought crossed her mind. What if this Spike was from the very same egg, laying unhatched for over a thousand years until Twilight hatched it? Now that would truly be something interesting.
She realized that she had been staring at him intensely for the last couple minutes now. He was sitting at the opposite side of the table, eating his own plate of gemstones in uncomfortable silence while his eyes looked anywhere except at her.
She let out a slight cough, then looked back down at her plate.
And of course, there was also ‘herself’ to think about. Or rather, her other self. Twilight Sparkle was apparently her name in this world. It seemed pretty obvious from the pictures Eos had seen that Twilight occupied Sunny’s role here. That would most likely make Sunny the Princess, and her sister Midnight… Eos paused and exhaled slowly. So much is already shared between our worlds, must my mistakes be as well? She would need to find a history book at some point. There were still many things to discover. I am so sorry, Sunny. I can only hope you have suffered less than I have this past millennia.
Spike gave a slight ahem, carefully striking up a conversation in much the same way a pony creeps across a field of sleeping Timberwolves. “So, you’re not giving up on the Princess thing?”
With a sigh, Eos answered, “No. I’m sorry Spike, but it seems that you’ll be stuck with me for a few days while I devise a way home. I have some ideas, but I’ll have to find the materials and research to explore my hypotheses. I take it you still use your dragonfire to communicate across long distances?”
“Monsters and invasions and crazy magic, why not alternate universes?” The dragon shrugged in acceptance, and that was that. “My dragonfire is at your service! Umm, Princess.” He added with a snicker.
Some things just never change. He’s definitely Spike. “Excellent. I’ll defer to your experience regarding who to contact for acquiring the materials I need. It strikes me as laughably improbable that I’d be able to find the same scholarly texts in this world, but perhaps with some searching hopefully there will be analogues to the works I want. I’ll write you a list, then we can get started.”
The two companions finished eating, and moved back into the main library room. Eos began by writing a list of authors and textbooks which she wanted to look into. Her young but eager assistant then went through the library, grabbing what matching books he could find and keeping a tally of the ones he couldn’t. After just half an hour, the Princess had a modest stack of books ready for reading. It was actually rather peculiar just how many the dragon had been able to find.
I assumed I would get lucky with a few, she thought, but this is bizarre! Same authors, almost identical titles, it’s almost as if nothing is different at all! How could this be? She supposed that out of an infinite number of worlds, she had simply found herself in one that was remarkably similar. Still, the real question was why? There had to be a reason for something like this. She had to see the extent of what had changed, and then maybe she’d find a pattern.
This gave her an idea. Extending her magic, the Princess opened the library’s window. With blinds pulled apart, rays of golden sunlight flowed into the room. Eos once again took a look at the sun which had eluded her magic so well earlier that day.
Peering at the sun was surreal. She could feel the heat gently warming her fur, and even in this body her mental senses were trained on the sun's heart.
It was not her sun. That much was absolutely certain. It felt different. Warmer, like her older student's smile. It felt less adventurous though, a little less driven. It was simply content to... be. This was not a sun that drove analytical minds to study the intricacies of magic. It was a sun that inspired poets and artists to create beauty.
It was carefree. It was… Sunny.
Spike returned from grabbing the latest tome for her. Setting it down on the growing stack, he said, “I think that’s the last of what we have in the library. I’ll put in a request with the Canterlot Archives for the rest. In the meantime, I think you should start thinking about what to tell your friends.”
“My… friends?”
A shockingly pink pony with a poofy mane shoved her head in through the open window with a broad smile etched on her face. "Good morning, Twilight!"
2 years, 5 months, 14 days. Never too late, right guys?
Still finished the update before Half-Life 3.
Alright, so, yeah! Here we get to see a glimpse into how the other side is handling things. Establish Eos' character a bit. Don't worry, we'll be back to Twilight in Chapter Four! Which won't take two years to write, promise! For more info, check out the Update Follow-Up Blog Post.
I'd like to extend a sincere thank-you to jtfroh and Daemon of Decay, both of whom have given me many words of encouragement over these past two years to pick up this story again. Daemon also helped with proofreading, so that the chapter isn't quite as messy as it used to be!
Next, this story now has an awesome piece of fanart! This is by 1110Soulite:
Thank you all for reading, and please leave a comment! I love reading them, and all feedback/criticism is appreciated.
Twilight became an alicorn Princess in the show before my story was updated.
Discord was brought back and reformed before my story was updated.
Twilight traveled to an alternate universe before my story was updated.
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And after so many years waiting, and months helping August get his work done, it's finally alive! It's ALIVE! Muahahahahaha!
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Better reread from the beginning
Bravo. Makes me happy to have this on my favorite list still. Happily waiting for your next foray into this story. Heck maybe this will encourage me to get my own chapter three out.
derp
I think what seems like problems won't really, all these events could easily happen BEFORE Discord's reformation
When I saw this fic in my updated stories list I assumed that I'd made some sort of mistake and was looking at someone else's recently added fics or something. =D
Not in any way unhappy to be proven wrong!
I was actually just thinking last night about a situation with Celestia being suddenly and unexpectedly dumped into mortal form and having to deal with learning to mortal, so this is doubly awesome for me.
Hoping to see more soon!
5454147
WHEN THERE'S NO MORE ROOM IN HELL, THE DEAD WILL RISE TO WRITE MLP FANFICTION ONCE AGAIN!
5609684
Counter-poke!
6042518
Yeah, this story takes place a small amount of time after the S3 premier (Crystal Empire's return) but before any other S3 episodes.
6042454
Thank you!
I've already started on the next chapter. I don't want to jinx myself, but I'm pretty sure it won't take 2.5 years.
6042547
I bet a lot of people will be doing double-takes the next couple days.
What most amazes me though, is that this entire two year hiatus, people still fav'd this fic a few times a week! Who keeps finding this old thing?! Where were they finding it?
~It 'tis a mystery~
Awesome! Seeing from Eos' perspective is a doubly-unexpected treat.
Also. The Pink One has arrived. Fear her.
Would Celestia notice someone trying to take control of the sun? If so, maybe Celestia would come investigate as to who and why.
And would Eos even be able to move the sun in her current form?
IT LIVES!
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
It's certainly been a long time, but it's nice to see more of this story again.
Wow, two and a half years... Back then, I was halfway done with my final year of high school. Now, I've seen the dawn of my second decade, and preparing to make my first actual game console purchase. I feel old.
HAGAFAGHAHARGLAGBHL oh hey, yer alive!
(authors of unupdated fics are to be presumed dead unless proven innocent in a court of lawls)
*Gives you a hug*
Welcome back~
never too late...
welcome back...
Wow, this is, like, the third old, presumed dead story to come out of the woodwork and update in the past few weeks!
Nice to see so many old stories coming back :)
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And where's my credit, Abcron? Huh?
6042552
Hey, I just postulate that my poke was at the proper time to actually instigate something. Glad to see this fic back.
Mad Max had a new movie before your story updated.
To be fair, they were kind of working on it for a while. They probably won't be Witnessing in your fic, I hope.
What am I saying? Eos is gonna come back to find Twilight freaked the heck out.
Yay! I just discovered this fic a few days ago and it updates! Thanks for sharing! I love it so far.
HOLEY SHIT. Seeing this being updated gives me hope for equestria total war....
who am I kidding, he dropped off the face of the earth
I think I might have updated once before you updated ...
So love this can not wait for more
Awesome.
Woah! That's a long time...
Thanks Merlos for sending me here =D
...
...
...It lives...
...
*touch*
...
he hehe hehehehehaHaHaHAHAHAHAHAAAAH!
*fave*
This was probably the last story I ever expected to see an update to.
...
This should be interesting.
EOS? WHAT IS THIS MADNESS?!
It's like.. It's like a pre-se-quel to https://www.fimfiction.net/story/24152/for-want-of-a-dawn !
OH MMMM GEEEEZ!
I... I'm blown. Away.
Mirrors. Glimpse to future of what she'll be like and ho ruthlessly meticulous she is. I don't know how to process these words! It's too awesome!
HALF-LIFE 3 CONFIRMED!
Ciroton would squee if he read this. He should!
UPDATE:
oi60.tinypic.com/52g8kl.jpg
OMFG! IT PRACTICALLY IS! I'm in love. Love this chapter. This is best chapter ever.
img.pandawhale.com/post-26111-kristen-wiig-fangirl-crying-gi-GYbW.gif
UPDATE2:
NO! I RAN OUT OF WORDS! I NEED MORE WORDS!
I, I just started to love fanfiction anew, again, and now I ran out of words to read in this chapter!
I pray, thee. Let it not be more years till the next chapter. You brilliant writer you. I can't believe you gave us a renewed treasure after all this time. And such a fabulous return!
I haven't gushed like this in YEARS! Thank you for having such persistent and loyal friends to bug you. I can't thank you enough for this chapter, and Eos being ADORKABLY menancing in his bedmane regal pose? ANOTHER!
To end it where you did with a window full of pink, I feel a slave to this fiction now.
I stayed up extra late after spotting this strange thing I figured was a fimfic error, only to find this truly was updated. What is it with old incomplete fics being revived? Is this the third coming of Twilight?
Need more of your awesome. Never leave us! At least not until you've finished this!
Oh dear. I, uh... oh this is embarrassing. I can't remember this story... .-.
Time to re-read it.
*Sees this story on favorites list.*
It's always nice to see a story rise from the grave...!
I too, had largely forgotten this once, save only that it was on my update list. (I have read A LOT of pony fanfic since the last update!) but that was just a good excuse to read it once more.
I had long given this up for lost, but it is REBORN!
Somehow!
I only found it through the "what's hot" list on the side!
Time to re-add this to my tracking bookshelf!
It is STILL ALIVE
vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/half-life/images/2/2f/Still_Alive_science.png/revision/latest?cb=20120621210525&path-prefix=en
Holy crap it's back. :3
You're back!
Well, anyway, you might want to delete/modify the very last section of chapter 2, given the fact that Eos waking up is shown here, and it is nothing like how you introduced it last chapter.
I actually remember this. Strange considering that there are stories I read last week I don't remember!
WHAT IS THIS MADNESS?!
Nice to see this story isn't down the drain!
I swear I was thinking of this story just last month, and suddenly it updates!
After Re-reading I've Found Myself Wondering How The Foundation Of Equestria With Princess Eos Happened.
Oh man, its so great to see this fic back underway. It was such a neat idea and we're all excited to see this again on the move. Not that we're pushing or anything like that, we wouldn't want to rush an author with their work or make them feel like an angry mob if we aren't given more *standing next to surplus of pitchforks and yet to be burning torches.*
Hot diggedy damn, I don't think I've ever seen such a lengthy hiatus!
Good to see you're still alive, I quite liked, and still like, this story.
derpicdn.net/img/view/2013/12/15/497714__safe_solo_smile_upvotes+galore_magic_shining+armor_grin_king+sombra_armor_fangs.jpeg
"Hello, Eos... did you miss me?"
Stories like this are the only reason I even poke my head in the fandom anymore.
Somehow I know, in another universe, one Twilight Sparkle is suddenly in the body of a Princess Eos, very confused as to what the hell is going on.
This is wonderful. I especially love Princess Eos' wordiness. Mwahaha!
Thank you for working so hard to share us this adorable and beautiful chapter. You are just amazing!!
PS: That fan-made drawing of Princess Eos as Twilight... psssst... She looks like Maud.
Bwahaha,
Hay, I know I've done the same thing with a lot of my FanFictions.
I'm just glad it's alive.
Glad that we meet Eos' character and how she interacts in the world.
I hope we get to see what's going to happen next.
I loved this idea and story and wanted to do something with it but I've been too busy and afraid too
You're back!
6044760
Did you even read the other 2 chapters?
6045381 I did, I was trying to be funny...
So I spent the past day or so trying to remember which story this was, and eventually just gave up and re-read it. I remember it now, but wow, it has been AGES. Super-excited to see this story being a real thing again! And I enjoyed the hell out of this chapter, even if you hated writing it, lol. Was hoping to see a bit more from Eos's perspective before heading back to Twilight's, but I'll happily read wherever you take the perspective.
I really like this take of alicorn Twilight
continue please