//------------------------------// // Broken Mirrors // Story: More than just a DJ // by NightmareTRXY32 //------------------------------// Not only did she have to deal with a new Princess as a love interest, now both of them were having to combat the rise of a new political power. Apparently, there was a new unicorn in some no name village north of Canterlot that was espousing an ideology that the princesses were taking issue with. Something about all ponies being equal and ridding themselves of the pain of a life beset by Special Talents. Since they wanted to keep this out of the ears of the general public, for now, they decided to send Twilight, Vinyl, and Twilight's friends to see if they could shut this pony up. When they arrived, they told Twilight's friends to wait for them near the entrance to the Train tracks. They all decided it was the best thing to do, that way if they were caught the others could still make a break for it. As the two of them drew closely Twilight started to get a headache. Along the flashes of images in her mind. Of her and friends. And of Starlight's village. But what was odder was that Vinyl wasn't in any of them. As if she wasn't even supposed to be here. She could also feel the residual traces of both her magic and that of another pony's. What was going here she thought to herself. Then she noticed that her horn was glowing faintly. It wasn't enough to alert anypony to where they were, but it was enough that she realized that it was reacting to a magic she was all too familiar with. The magic that belonged to the Tree of Harmony. Something about this place was giving Twilight the creeps. It felt as if she had been here before, and if had felt like her friends had been with her at the time. But that couldn't be right, could it? The more they observed the town from the cliff they were on, the more that feeling continued to creep into her mind. It felt like everything as of late was wrong, like this isn't the way it should be. Like the timeline had been altered. She turned to see Vinyl staring at her, concern glistening in those Crimson irises of hers. "What's up Twi?", Vinyl asked as they continued to watch Starlight's village without being noticed. "Something occurred to me, It feels like I've been here before,", The way she said that filled both her and Vinyl with dread. there was no other word she could use to describe it. "How is that even possible,", Vinyl said, even she started to get that chill down her spine now. "It's like somepony manipulated the timeline for their own personal gain,", and Twilight was sure now who that somepony could have been. "Do you think that's why Celestia sent us out here?", The way Vinyl poised that question caused Twilight to scratch her mane for a moment. Celestia never seemed like the kind of pony that would hide something from her. Or could it be that she had never really thought of that because of how attached she was to Celestia? She decided to cut the trip short so to speak. They entered the village, spoke with Starlight, and then all abruptly left. As Starlight decided to escort them back to the town limits, Twilight turned to her, looked her in the eye and said something that sent a chill down the mare's spine. No pony had ever left Starlight Glimmer with this kind of feeling before. "If you try to steal the cutie mark of anypony i know... I will kill you Starlight.", The way Twilight said that last part was chilling, to say the least. Starlight knew who Twilight was, she knew that she was always espousing the ideals of friendship and harmony. But to hear the Princess of Friendship say that she'd kill her if she harmed any of Twilight's friends was enough to give her pause. "Let that be a warning, IF I have to return here it won't end nicely for you,", Twilight said as she started walking back to wasteland, out of nowhere she stopped and turned to Starlight one last time," also, Princess Celestia won't be as forgiving either if you keep this up,", and with that she walked away. Starlight Glimmer stood there for the longest time, even after they had all left. She couldn't stop thinking about what Twilight had said. As she stood there, she felt a pain, a terrible pain, building in her mind. With that came a flash, and she found herself standing on clouds. She turned around to come face to face with herself. Her mane was a different style, more elegant, but it was still her, so to speak. "What's going on?", she said, confused about it all. "I pulled you here from your timeline, Starlight, because I needed to tell you something,", Her Alternate self-looked a little older then she was now, but what more was that she had a sad look in her eyes. "Did it not go as planned?", she asked her other self, to which the gaze that she received back was filled with condemnation. "In the timeline I'm from Starlight, I reconnected with Sunburst,", Her older self-smiled a little at that. "Sun... Sunburst." Starlight stammered. "Yes, but's not why I'm here,", Her other self-continued,"When I traveled back in time to get revenge against Twilight i created multiple alternate realities, many of which ive gone to and witnessed the aftermath." Future Starlight sunk her face into her left hoof, almost crying as she did. "All the pain and misery I created because I wanted everypony to be the same was stupid and utterly foolish. Did you know that in one reality the Changeling Queen Chrysalis took over Equestria after deceiving everypony into thinking she was Princess Cadence? Only to outright kill Princess Luna and throw those that saw through her plan too late into Prison?" She stared at her alternate with a cold unrepentant sadness. "If it all worked out why did you bring me here?", she felt that confusion again. "We brought you here,", another voice spoke. She turned to see an older and also more powerful Twilight Sparkle. In a flash of light, the three of them were back in Alternate Starlight's timeline. Not only that they were in Canterlot. In the palace no less. The other Twilight apparently was much better at Teleportation then one in her timeline. It was kind of odd seeing two Twilight Sparkles, and of course, standing next to the future/alternate version of herself. "Ah Twilight, I assume these are the guests you mentioned in the scroll that you and Vinyl sent me earlier,", Celestia said with interest. "Yes, they had appeared shortly after Vinyl and I had begun the return trip to Ponyville,", This alternate Twilight felt... intimated by her other self. Twilight prime as she had decided to call herself there was a foot or two taller, and a few years older than her alternate self. "May I proceed?", Twilight Prime asked her other self. "Of course,", Twilight spoke. "Princess Celestia, In the time that my friend and I are from she, Starlight Glimmer, tried to use Starswirl's advanced Time travel Spell to go back and prevent the Sonic Rainboom from happening. My Starlight saw the error of her ways and became not only my student but a good friend to me and others,", Twilight paused for a moment. "When I look into the eyes of this one," motioning to the Alternate Starlight Glimmer," I don't see her possibly changing her ways like the one I know did." She bowed to the Princess after she stopped her presentation. "I am glad that in another timeline you welcomed friendship into your heart Starlight Glimmer,", Celestia spoke, staring right at Starlight Prime," It's good to know that Twilight has followed my hoofsteps and taken on a student of her own.", Celestia turned back to the other Starlight Glimmer in front of her," That Said, Starlight Glimmer, I Celestia, Princess of the Sun and ruling monarch of this land, I hereby sentence you to serve no more than life in Prison." As she said those words their two visitors disappeared in flash of white light. Celestia chuckled to herself in her mind. "Oh Twilight,", she thought," You never cease to amaze me, my dear."