The Prompt: Choose one of the following:
Choice is an illusion.
or
Choice is an illusion.
This was the last prompt from the founder of the legacy prompts. Beginning of the end, I suppose.
As grand and sparkly as Twilight Sparkle's castle was, it did lack some of the refinement and luxury of Canterlot Castle. Princess Twilight say comfortably enough on the little plush cushions that Rarity had chosen to decorate this study with, but she knew they were nowhere near the quality that her guest was accustomed to. Still, she also knew that Princess Celestia wouldn't have been upset to have this visit while sitting in the dirt at Sweet Apple Acres.
Even so, Twilight found herself squirming a bit on her cushion, trying to get more comfortable.
Princess Celestia's voice was calm and measured. "The cushions are lovely, Twilight. Thank you for inviting me to your castle for tea."
"Of course, Princess. And... thank you." Twilight didn't voice what she was thanking the older alicorn for, but she seemed to understand anyway.
A moment passed, before Princess Celestia set her teacup down with just the quietest 'tink' against the table. "What is it that you want to ask me, Princess?"
Twilight Sparkle found herself blushing. She fought it back as best she could; there was no reason to be ashamed that the Princess knew it wasn't purely a social visit. "Well... I..." Twilight paused, took a breath, and then let it out before continuing. "Princess Celestia, do you remember, just before the incident with Tirek-"
Princess Celestia's brow knitted slightly at the memory. Twilight continued, but more carefully.
"It's not about the fight, Princess. I'm just curious about... well, your visions of the future."
The tension left the Princess immediately, and Twilight found herself calming at the sight as well. Princess Celestia smiled down to her former student, and spoke with the same calm elegance Twilight had come to expect. "Of course, Princess Twilight. What do you want to know?"
Twilight smiled as well. "Well, the vision you described of Tirek sounded like it was happening at the same time. But you do get visions of the future, don't you? How do those work?"
Princess Celestia looked down into her tea, and then sipped at it before setting the cup aside again. "I often get visions, so to speak, of the future, yes. They nearly always come true."
"Nearly always?" Twilight felt her magic rising through her horn, she wished she had a scroll and quill to write this down. "So the future is set? You can't change how things happen?"
Celestia smiled down at Twilight, and something about the look seemed a little strange. "Usually. Nearly every pony in Equestria reacts as they do in the vision, and trying to avoid the result almost never works."
Twilight hesitated, and then tried to force some confidence into her question. "You keep saying 'nearly', and 'usually'. There are exceptions?"
"You, Twilight Sparkle."
Twilight froze. After a moment, Princess Celestia gave a quiet giggle, and Twilight blushed and calmed herself. "Me? I'm the exception?"
Celestia leaned in and nuzzled Twilight affectionately, and Twilight settled down, trying to stay calm. Princess Celestia straightened up again and smiled. "Yes, Twilight. One of two. I cannot predict Discord, either." Celestia's hoof tapped Twilight's wing to silence the next question. "No, you are not the same as Discord. But there is something special about you, Twilight. I did not predict your magical release that brought about your cutie mark, for instance, and..."
Princess Celestia's voice trailed off at the end, and she paused before speaking. "Before I sent you to Ponyville the first time, I saw my sister's reign. You had been... hurt, trying to protect me. You had changed minor things about the visions in the past, but that was the first time I tried to change the prediction entirely."
Twilight stared up at Celestia. "I... your visions showed her winning? But you told me you knew I could do it!"
"I did. I believed in you, Twilight, more than I believed in prophecy. You did win, as I knew you would. You are the only pony that can affect the future like this, Twilight. No matter what I try to do, everypony else always leads to the same future."
Twilight looked down at the floor, her eyes darting left and right as she thought over everything. "So... everypony else's future is set? They don't make choices, or have free will?"
Celestia's quiet chuckle dissipated the tension as it always did. "They make choices, Princess Twilight. It's only that their choices are always the same as I've seen. Yours are not. You have wondered why you and your friends are so important to Equestria. Now you know, or at least you know a bit more."
"Just Discord and me? Does he know about this?"
Celestia's smile changed slightly. "I believe he knows, Twilight. Discord can see even better than I, and yet you continually surprise him. I believe that's why he is so... fixated on you."
Twilight sighed, laying down on her little cushion, implications and questions swimming through her mind.
The quiet 'tink' of Celestia's empty cup being set down brought Twilight out of her oppressive mood. Celestia smiled at her. "Now, I believe your friends are planning to surprise us by inviting us to lunch."
Twilight smiled, and stood up from her cushion, the sound of hoofsteps in the hallway outside confirming what Celestia had said. "... Is everything going to go well?"
Celestia stood as well, and started toward the door before Twilight's friends could find them. "Who can say?"