//------------------------------// // Scene 15 - Twilight's Castle, Mirror Room // Story: Beyond the Bounds of Universes // by CTVulpin //------------------------------// “We’re back!” Spike announced as he entered the room.  “Starlight’s already started setting the new gems onto the mirror and…” He trailed off as he looked around the room and saw only Sunset Shimmer.  “Uh, where’d the Twilights go?” he asked. Sunset, who’d been gazing intently at the Canterlot High Mirror, turned her head toward the little dragon and tried, with little success, to mask the worry in her eyes.  “Oh,” she said, “They’re, uh, out… Between universes, trying to find Taryn.” Spike had to take a moment to process the statement.  “How?” he finally asked. Sunset tapped her hoof on the Mirror which, having been drained of magic, remained solid.  “Sci-Twi worked up the courage to absorb the Mirror’s magic so she could check it against Princess Twilight’s dimension spell,” Sunset answered.  “Turns out, the spell needs to be cast from Taryn because there’s nothing to anchor the spell to there yet, so Sci-Twi figured out to how get herself and the Princess into the, uh, between space and… yeah.” “Oh,” Spike said, reaching a claw around to scratch one of the wing-nubs on his shoulders as he walked farther into the room.  “How long have they been gone?” he asked. Sunset thought.  “They set out… just a little bit after you and Starlight left to get the extra gems.  A couple hours, then?” “Really?” Spike said, switching to scratching his other shoulder.  “Well, Taryn’s like fifteen whole universes away from here, so I guess it’d take a while.”  His foot brushed against some paper, and he looked down to see what it was.  “Uh, Sunset,” he said, bending over to pick up several pages of notes from the floor, “did either of them happen to mention that they’d memorized the dimension spell?” “No,” Sunset said, confused.  She saw the papers Spike was holding and glanced down to see the rest of the spell notes still scattered on the floor.  “Oh no,” she said, panicked, “they left the spell behind!  How are they going to get back if they can’t cast the portal spell?” Spike looked at the notes in his hands, momentarily worried as well, until he recalled a few things and relaxed.  “I wouldn’t worry about that, Sunset,” he said.  “Even if Sci-Twi can’t just bring Princess Twi back the way they went, the Order-naries have this flying machine that can move between universes.  That’s how they’ve been able to come back for visits before.” Sunset exhaled slowly, calming down.  “Right, right,” she said, “they’re not going someplace completely unknown.  Everything’s going to be just fine.” At that exact moment, a glowing white hole in reality ripped open between Sunset and Spike, and Sci-Twi came tumbling out onto the floor, shedding magic energy and her Harmony Guardian dress as she rolled to a stop.  The magic gathered back into the Mirror as it flowed out of Sci-Twi, and tear snapped shut as quickly as it had appeared.  Sci-Twi groaned as she stood up, once again just an ordinary lavender unicorn with glasses.  Sunset and Spike hurried over to try and help, but they both froze as Sci-Twi exclaimed, “I lost her!” “So, let me get this straight,” Starlight Glimmer said, pacing in front of Sci-Twi, “the two of you were flying from universe to universe with no problem, but as soon as you get within touching distance of the one universe you were looking for, the magic suddenly runs out and you lose your grip on Twilight?” Sci-Twi sniffled, tears pouring freely from her distraught eyes.  “I… I tried to hold on to her,” she said, “but she was so intent on making it that last little bit and…  I saw her falling toward the Taryn universe but… I don’t know if she… where she might’ve…” “You were supposed to help Twilight!” Starlight snapped, “Not let her fall to Celestia-knows-where in an unknown dimension!” Sunset stepped between Starlight and Sci-Twi and gave Starlight a hard push backwards.  “That’s enough,” Sunset snarled.  “We’re all upset that Princess Twilight’s lost, but yelling at each other isn’t going to fix the problem.” “What is, then?” Starlight retorted.  “Do you know how we’re supposed to search an entire universe for Twilight when we can’t even reach that universe?  We don’t even know for sure if she actually made it into the Taryn universe.” The machinery surrounding the Canterlot High Mirror suddenly started running, drawing everypony’s attention.  As the three mares and Spike gathered in front of the Mirror, their reflections faded away to be replaced by an image of Princess Twilight tumbling through a dark void.  After a moment, a pale gold light enveloped the alicorn, cradling her gently, and carried her down to a planet that rose from below.  The image faded away, the Mirror began reflecting the room normally again, and the machinery slowed to a stop. “What the hay?” Spike asked in a flat, confused tone. “It’s saying Princess Twilight is ok,” Sci-Twi said.  Her ears perked up and she set her face in an expression of fierce determination. “How are you so sure?” Starlight asked. “That’s the second time today the Mirror’s shown me a vision,” Sci-Twi said, turning around and taking a few steps away from the Mirror.  “The first time, it was trying to encourage me to try borrowing its magic again.”  She took her magic detector and absorber in her hoof and turned back toward the Mirror.  “The Princess is fine, and I’d be willing to bet there’s something out there – the Map’s driving force or something else – that wants to ensure we succeed.  It may actually be possible to reach Taryn before running out of magic.” “How so?” Sunset asked. Sci-Twi’s bravado diminished somewhat.  “If I’d had, say, one more unicorn’s worth of magic…” she said slowly, lowering her head and looking at Starlight and Sunset through her bangs. Sunset nodded grimly.  “Say no more,” she said.  “You can have mine.” “Mine too,” Starlight said quickly.  “It wouldn’t hurt to have more just in case, would it?” Sci-Twi shook her head.  “Thank you, Starlight,” she said, “but the new Mirror still isn’t ready to accept the portal spell, and you won’t be able to get the array finished in time without magic.  Sunset’s will have to be enough.” Starlight shot Sunset a glowering sideways look and stalked away.  “Guess I’d better get back to work then,” she grumbled as she left the room. “What’s with her all of sudden?” Sci-Twi asked. “My guess?” Spike said as he started gathering up the spell notes that still lay on the floor, “She’s just feeling jealous that Sunset’s going to have a more direct hoof in ‘rescuing’ Princess Twilight.”  He picked up the last paper, then jogged out of the room as he shouted, “Don’t go anywhere until I get back, Sci-Twi.” “Huh?”  Sci-Twi and Sunset exchanged a confused look.  Spike returned less than minute later, stuffing the notes into a messenger bag he had slung around his shoulders, and then stood expectantly near the Mirror.  “What are you doing, Spike?” Sci-Twi asked. “I’m not letting you forget the spell notes this time,” Spike said, patting the bag, “and I’m going with you.  If Sunset’s magic isn’t enough to get the rest of the way to Taryn, then I’ll gladly risk my life following my Twilight in a leap of faith to get these to her.” “Spike,” Sci-Twi started to protest, but upon looking into the dragon’s determined eyes, she relented.  “Ok then,” she said as she pointed the magic detector at the Mirror.  As the magic flowed out of the Mirror and into her body once again, she said, “The Princess is lucky to have a dragon like you, Spike.”