//------------------------------//
// XLV 
// Story: The Influence 
// by GMBlackjack 
//------------------------------//

Twilence received a somewhat small import.

"Starlight!" She called. "Freeze everything!"

"I have a better idea," Siron said, pointing at Starlight. "Blow your own horn off."

Starlight obliged, summoning a powerful magic to her horn and detonating it. Her horn shattered in a brilliant explosion, sending unimaginable pain directly into Starlight's brain. She shrieked as if she were dying and passed out. 

Twilence tensed. That.... Oh that wasn't good...

Siron looked to Orchid, Fluttershy, and Infinity. "None of you are threats. Powerless, meek, and just ordinary."

Infinity bristled. "I'll show you ordinary."

"No, you won't." He pointed his hand at Infinity. She started chasing her own tail.

Fluttershy shook her head. "You can't just do this! You-"

He pointed at her. She Stared at him. For a few seconds, nothing happened. Orchid took the opportunity to fire off a spell, but Siron just let it hit him. There was no visible damage. 

Eventually, Fluttershy's Stare faltered, and she covered her face with her hooves, trembling. Siron nodded. "That's more like it..." 

Orchid glared, disgusted.

"You know what I'm about to do, oh, this must be absolutely terrible for you."

"Yes. I'm going to ram my face into that wall repeatedly."

"What a good idea." He snapped his fingers and Orchid started doing exactly that. 

Twilence rushed Siron while his back was turned, trying to shove him back into the portal - but he didn't even budge from the force of her. He tossed her away, laughing. "Did you really think a simple push could send me away? Really?"

Twilence trembled. The information came to her - Information of her. What she would have experienced. What other versions of her had learned, accomplished, seen. Something she should have known from the start...

Twilence looked at Pinkie's body. "She's dead," she said, emotionless.

Siron shrugged. "Yes. Killed her the instant I realized I didn't need her to get back."

"Normally... She'd respawn..." Twilence shivered. "But I know - she's... She's disconnected from the Forest. There's no immortality out here. And I don't think Rarity will get here in time..."

"Why should I care about this?"

"Why don't you?" Twilence asked. "I... I want to know why. Why are you the way you are?"

"Some people are just born evil."

"I don't believe that," Twilence said. "Everyone has a story."

Siron laughed. "Is this supposed to be the point where I stare at you in confusion? Of course not! You're the Princess of Friendship. Chances were high you'd try to talk me out of it, figure me out. It's basically your job description. I bet the Influence didn't suggest that."

"No... They suggested pushing you back and pausing time. Both those didn't work so... Here we are. My plan." She took in a breath, forcing herself to remain calm and level-headed. "Why?"

"I was locked away for good reason if that's what you're wondering. Not all of this is harbored hate from millions of years of imprisonment, though some of it is. Sadly the Creators of Tartarus are long gone, before even the time of the Overseer. Nothing to exact revenge on."

"Why were you sealed away?"

Siron shrugged. "Guess I could tell you, no harm in it. I was once the chief of a tribe of my race - you'd call us demons, but we had no real name so I guess we were asking for it - and I discovered how to become immortal. I led my tribe across the world, conquering it, and leading the world into a central place under my reign. This was by far the best feeling I'd ever had. Power is good, Twilence. But then the other races rose from the woodworks. They decided they didn't like being under the control of 'demons,' and so overthrew us. Overthrew me, and created Tartarus just to contain us. It was genocide."

"I'm... Sorry we did that do your race."

Siron laughed. "Of course you are. In fact I bet you're considering going back in time and trying to figure out how to resolve the dispute peacefully. Don't bother. There were a few who tried that. An ancestor of yours, probably. She was brutally killed by her own people, and the essences of Harmony were lost once again, shortly after they'd been found."

"...Huh?"

"Oh yes, Harmony, quite the force we have on our little planet. It's what fascinated the Overseer, made him come here. The six aspects - they always change, they always shift, they take the form of ponies, a Tree, an all-seeing force - but they're always here. Lost, found... It all depends. There's a higher power here, Twilence, and it seeks to bring everything together."

"...Why do you fight against it?"

Siron laughed. "The thing is, I don't! I just do what I'm naturally inclined to do. And it sure as 'Tartarus' seems like it's not powerful enough to keep me at bay. I ruled the world for a long time, Twilence, before the six heroes could face me. Almost always six, with a seventh lackey. And yet, they lost the Harmony that powered them in defeating me, and so the world was sent into darkness. A very long, and arduous darkness. You ever wonder why it took millions of years for civilization to progress this far? That's why."

Twilence shook her head. "I think we've gotten off track, Siron. I don't care about this - though it is rather illuminating. What I want to know is why you think you need to kill, brutalize, and control. It can't be simply because it feels good."

"Oh, but it is. Power is everything."

Twilence pointed to her wings. "You can gain power without continual senseless brutality."

"Fine, you have me." He comically shrugged. "I just don't believe lives matter. Life is nothing. Death is nothing. It's not even beautiful like your time-traveling friend thinks. By the way, I wonder when she is?"

"Let's not get off topic," Twilence said. "Does your life matter?"

"Not really," Siron said. "Even I am but a drop of water in this great Sea we find ourselves in." He gestured at the room they were in. "This place can access almost any world, I think. Too many to comprehend."

Twilence looked at her Eye and smirked. "I... I can comprehend it."

Siron looked unsure for the first time. "...What do you mean?"

"That's been the whole point of this story, my journey. My goal is to understand everything. What we are, where we live, what has meaning. And what the author wants."

Siron narrowed his eyes. "There is no 'author'."

"And here I thought you knew everything and were watching closely?" She held the Eye up high. "We are in a story, Siron. I'm the protagonist, the hero guided by the voices from beyond, who tell me of what comes and how the world works. They also give me ideas, though in this particular instance I've had to make my own choice. You are the antagonist. You will not be allowed to have your reign of terror, not anymore. I'm not relying on them to get the ending. I'm relying on myself. You will either be converted or defeated."

"How can you be so sure about this?"

"I just know things, Siron." A smile came to her face. "I know you're not going to win. I know the army in Tartarus is retreating, like they need to. I know that all the others are fine. I know that my time does not exist, and will not exist. Without me, Orchid would have wiped the continent clean to contain you, and that's what produced my future. I say we find a better future. My world is not the best of all possible outcomes. Neither is the one you want. The world we're producing is merely 'better,' not the best."

"Now who's getting off topic?"

Twilence shrugged. "I know these things. I don't fear you Siron. You can't mess with my mind."

"I was wondering if you'd deduce that."

Twilence nodded. "So, are you considering turning back on your ways? I can show you other worlds." She gestured at the room. "We can explore. I can show you the truth. The truth that I have found. We are but characters, but our goal is not, really, to have a plotline. Our goal is to choose." She extended a hoof. "You don't have to be the antagonist. Defy your role."

Siron laughed. "I'm going to pass."

Twilence sighed, taking her hoof back. "In that case, are you curious about how I plan to defeat you?"

"The Apocrypha," Siron said. 

As if on cue, the bottom of the room opened up and a strange onion-like tower appeared, courtesy of Mite.

Siron shrugged. "That's a bad idea. Do you have any clue how much I formed this world with my actions? If I never existed, everything would change. Everything. You can't predict that. Your friends wouldn't remember what happened. They may not even exist themselves!"

Twilence smiled sadly. "I'd remember. Aradia, Vriska, and Starlight as well. Displaced as we are."

"Not Fluttershy. Infinity. Orchid."

"True. But it would be worth it. That said, the Apocrypha is only the backup plan."

Siron shrugged. "What is it? Push me into a portal? How are you going to manage that?"

Twilence teleported all her friends and the body of Pinkie behind her. "Siron, you were sealed long before the invention of detailed astronomy. Even in this time, it hasn't been invented yet. Sure, the Overseer may know, and the ancients might have known, but I don't think they truly grasped it. Otherwise, you wouldn't be standing so close to that portal."

Siron shook his head. "There is no power that can move me. The force that keeps us tied to this planet is nothing. I can leave whenever. I could destroy that ship above without a thought. I just... restrain myself. I do not think you understand how much I can rule even over the cosmic forces you know of."

Twilence smiled. "When a supergiant star goes supernova - that is, it explodes - it leaves behind something. We call it a black hole. It's so powerful that not even light can escape its grasp. And these Time Tunnels can access all of space and time. So I figure it's worth a shot. Now, Mite."

The portal in the center shifted, and everything in the room visibly buckled inwards. Siron's eyes widened as the force pulled back on him. Then he laughed, looking with an amused expression at the shield Twilence was barely holding up. "Nice try!" He shouted, his voice lowered because of the space distortion. "But you've only doomed yourselves!" He took a step forward, towards them. "And I can't have you using plan B..." He leaped down to the ground and punched the Apocrypha, shattering it. Mite tried to activate it, but... Well, it didn't make Siron vanish. If it hit something, nobody remembered what it was. 

Mite turned the portal off. Twilence grimaced. This wasn't good. Siron laughed. "Look at that, your carefully laid plan, gone! maybe you should have listened to that Influence of yours! Because now, well, I've 'broken' this little story of yours. Both powerful artifacts are useless-"

"Band," Twilence said. "I could wipe everything out."

"You won't. You care too much. Do you really think rampant death is better than my control?"

"I've seen your control. The Predetermined future." Twilence shook her head. "It was nothingness and darkness."

"That's probably only what you saw. I like ruling. There must have been havens somewhere."

"Maybe," Twilence said. "I really don't care though, even Starlight's time was better. You know, if you do win, we will face you across time to bring you down. Starlight knows how to do it."

Siron glared. "I'll take precautions."

"Those are exactly the kinds of things that bring about your downfall in time travel." Twilence sighed. "Look, Siron..." She dropped her shield, walking closer to the now-closed portal. "...I don't think you really want this."

"What do you mean?"

"Don't you want to be loved? Respected? Adored?"

"Why do those things matter?"

"They give life more meaning. More experience. More variety. Without them, it's all just a story."

Siron clenched his fist. "Why are you so focused on this being a story!?"

Twilence's Eye glowed as she approached the center pillar. Suddenly she knew what to do. How to complete the Eye. "Come with me. I'll show you."

"I'm not falling for any sort of tricks..."

"It's not a trick Siron. I'm not lying to you. This portal will not close behind us." Light shot back and forth between her Eye and the energy, forming a new portal. "Come. Let us see."

She stepped through. 

Siron, plagued with curiosity, followed. 

They stood in a field of roses. 

"What is this place?" Siron asked, glancing at the portal behind him.

"Everything," Twilence said, feeling her Eye's final parts lock into place. It became complete in this place. She looked at Siron. "...You won't be redeemed."

"Oh, you suddenly know that now, do you?"

"Yes." She looked towards the only structure in the field of roses. A tower - a tower that was black, with softly glowing eldritch flames around it. It towered above them, going far, far into the sky - too far to comprehend. "This is the Dark Tower."

"The what?"

"The center of Everything. The theme of all stories. The center of all quests. The incarnation of all authors."

"There's no way such a thing can exist."

"You sure? Otherwise, how can we exist? Our lives are too perfect to be real. Too cliche. Follow too many rules. Without something like this, we are but words on a page." She gestured with her hoof. "Someone created this, created it long ago, to bring more meaning to everything, by turning everything into stories. Life now has morals, meanings, definable good and evil for the most part. And yet, at the same time it shallows our experience. Lowers free will. Here, a dilemma lies."

Siron looked at it. "The power of everything lies at the top?"

"Yes. The climax, as it is probably better known."

Siron took a step forward, walking towards the Tower. "Such power..."

"Do you really think it will let you in?"

"It must..."

"You will never exit," Twilence said. "You will enter and never come out."

Siron paused. "...But it calls to me."

"It calls to everyone. Even those who don't know. You can resist it. Go back. Finish our story, or decide against the path you've chosen. Or you can walk to the door and never be heard from again."

He took a step forward. 

"I'd rather you didn't lose yourself in the Tower, Siron. It's using itself to be a solution, a Deus Ex Machina, to you. Don't let yourself be a plague that needs to be solved."

He took another step forward.

Twilence twitched. "Are you even listening to me!?"

"My choices are my own, Twilence."

"You're letting the Tower decide for you!"

"So are you. You let it bring us here."

"And yet I'm not going to just let you walk in there and vanish!" She grabbed his hand with her hoof. "Don't do it!"

"If I don't, I come back to your world and lay waste to everything."

"You don't have to!" Twilence said. "I can show you the multiverse! We can explore! We don't have to be here!" 

She looked through the Eye of Rhyme truly, for the first time. She saw the words appearing on a computer screen, in a window on FimFiction. She saw the possibilities of what they could be - of Siron being defeated by his own pride, his own desire for power. He would be in the Tower forever, achieving his dream. And yet, she didn't want this.

"GET BACK HERE!" She yelled, the Eye glowing brightly. Suddenly she was able to drag him. 

He blinked. "How are you moving me?"

"Force of will," she muttered. "I... I've ascended beyond with this Eye. It's complete. I can see it all. All that I am meant to." She glanced at the Tower. "It's keeping some things from me on purpose."

"We should enter it and find what those things are!"

"Siron! Are you listening to yourself? You're going to get trapped in there! You'll never have power, never get to experience all those emotions, nothing! I have the power to bring you back!"

Siron tore himself away from her. "I already told you. I don't care. Life means nothing."

"I just told you why life meant something!"

"Then we agree to have a difference of opinion."

"You... You fool!"

Siron laughed. "Maybe I am. But you have to respect my choice."

Twilence twitched. "You... You're really choosing this, aren't you?"

"Yes." He turned to the Tower again. "I will find what I want in there."

"...You will. But it won't be what you want now."

"Then we will bid adieu."

"I can use the power of the Eye to toss you somewhere fitting. Somewhere you would learn. I can do that now. I can see what you need."

"Twilence..." Siron shook his head. "Respect my choice, okay?"

Twilence sighed. "You really don't want to learn, do you?"

"No."

Twilence nodded. "Then go."

Siron walked through the field of roses to the Tower. He laid his hand on the door... And entered.

He would never be heard from again.

Someone whistled next to Twilence. She turned to see... A human man with glasses? A white unicorn with an infinite-sided die around his neck? A troll with a blue infinity symbol on his shirt?

"...G. M. Blackjack."

He settled on the human form - though she knew it was younger than he really was. "You can just call me GM."

"Finally decided to have a chat?"

"Been waiting for this moment, actually. Waiting for you to go here, and complete the Eye. So you could understand."

"You had no idea how this was going to turn out."

"Nope. All of a sudden, you decided to make your own decisions, disregarding the Influence. Then you brought Siron here. I thought you'd just let him go to the Tower, be rid of your problem. But you fought, hard. I was worried you'd bring him back."

"I would have taught him," Twilence said. "You know this."

"He really was evil, you know."

"I do. I was going to do it anyway."

The Author sat down in the roses, looking at the Tower. "So, any questions?"

Twilence smirked. "Actually, now that you're actually here, not really. Since the Eye is complete, I understand. But you know this."

"I know the basics. I don't know what you're going to say next until it happens. I really don't know where this conversation is going to go."

"Funny. The great and wise prophet knows nothing about his own creation."

GM laughed. "I am not great nor very wise. Possibly wiser than the average human being, but that's not a high bar to cross."

The two of them took a moment of silence to stare at the Tower.

"...What exactly happened to Siron?"

"He's become part of the Narrative. Or something. I really don't understand much either, the Tower is meant to be an enigma. It's a just-so story, and not even one I created. It is a goal. It became his goal, and it consumed him. For all I know it's sending him back across his own timestream for eternity like Roland."

"He gets to relive his past again? The past of glory?"

"Maybe."

"Lot of maybes here."

"Well, if you write a story where there's a Dark Tower that is supposed to be able to commune with you to direct the telling of your story and yet also takes inspiration from the worlds in your mind... Well, you rescind some control. Or maybe you just know you were never in control in the first place."

Twilence looked at the tower. "You have a goal here."

"Yeah?"

"Mind telling me what it is?"

"...I'm not giving any specifics, spoilers Twilence!"

Twilence laughed. "Oh, of course. But there's a goal besides the plot."

"...A tribute to stories," he said, looking towards the top of the Dark Tower. "A way to... Well, to help them all. They all need something to surround them that allows for some freedom of will. Good stories come when you treat your characters like people."

"Are we?"

He shrugged. "Well, that's a question I can't answer. Since I'm standing here, obviously. But then again, I might just words on a page as well."

"The eternal paradox."

"Yeah." Out of nowhere, he hugged her. 

She smiled. "You've wanted to do that for a while, haven't you?"

"You've been through a lot. I didn't really know this was where it would end... I'm sorry."

"Those things needed to happen, and you know it. The Influence needed to learn lessons as well."

"They probably didn't learn them."

"They're part of a story too," Twilence said. "Who knows?"

"Not us."

Twilence laughed. "No, certainly not us." 

GM stood up. "Well... You should probably get back. I think they want an ending."

"They'll get one. Bittersweet, I think."

"Yeah. From the start, I realized that was the most likely option. Success, but with a cost." 

Twilence nodded. "Had I not taken control there... Siron would be free. We would have had to use the Band."

"Yeah. Which would have created your timeline."

Twilence smiled. "...From the start, I always felt like I couldn't go home. I suppose this is why." She saw all the endings and sighed. "It was possible to win without anyone dying."

"Their fault, not yours."

"I could have taken control before."

GM shrugged. "I... I don't think you could have."

Twilence nodded. "They never realized, did they? If they all suggested a course of action. If they were all in agreement, I'd do it, no matter what it was. They were an Influence on my mind."

"Not anymore. The Eye is yours to do with as you please."

"I'm going to explore," Twilence said. "That was always the ending."

"Some endings had you doing it as Siron's slave."

"True. Or an insane bat-crazy psycho-killer." She sighed. "Pinkie..."

"I'm sorry."

"I know. She was the one that meant the most to you, wasn't she?"

"Besides you? Yeah. I poured my heart and soul into her way back when."

"We can't afford a time paradox here though."

"Nope."

Twilence nodded. "Well... It was nice to meet you. You... Actually seem like a decent guy. Sorry for hating on you in those early chapters."

He held up a hand. "No big deal. I didn't mind."

"Still didn't make it right."

"It was, though. Those feelings you had were legitimate."

Twilence smirked. "Well all right then. I'm still saying sorry though. Sorry."

He rolled his eyes. "You're going to be the death of me."

"See you around," Twilence said, stepping through the portal. "Here's to hoping you find your Dark Tower."

"Indeed."

"Stop quoting Stargate."

"...Man, you're adapting to the full operation of that thing quickly."

Twilence giggled. "I rather like it! So many opportunities." She waved.

He waved back. 

And then she returned.

Aradia was standing there. "...Where is...?"

"Gone," Twilence said. "He won't be coming back. I tried to save him." She looked at the body of Pinkie. "We... we need to bury her."

Rarity sighed. "I'm sorry I couldn't do anything... It was too late..." Tears started falling. "I couldn't save her... I can never save her..."

Twilence hugged her. "It's nothing to be ashamed of, Rarity. Okay?" She lifted the body of Pinkie up. "Aradia, take her to your version of our world."

Aradia nodded. "Of... Of course."

"I'm sure we'll meet again, Aradia, but for now... You need to get back to your story."

Aradia nodded, taking the body of Pinkie. She turned to Vriska. "We'll meet again too."

Vriska sighed. "Can't I go to your world as well?"

"It is not time for that," Twilence said. "But it will be."

And then Aradia was gone. 

Twilence smiled. "I'm going to go explore the worlds everyone. I know not all of you will come. And I'm not leaving just yet. I'm just letting you all know so you can choose."

"Coming," Mite said.

"I need to get back to my home anyway," Rarity said. "I could introduce you to the Empress."

Vriska shrugged. "I'm coming as well, I guess. I kinda think I won't tag around with you long though. Those kinds of things never end well."

Twilence nodded her head. "I understand." She turned to Orchid, Infinity, and Fluttershy. "...I know you all want to stay."

Fluttershy nodded. "I... Thank you. Yes. I'm going to go back to Pebbleton. And just... Make a home."

Infinity put a hoof around her. "I think that's where I'm going as well."

Twilence turned to Orchid. "What about you?"

"You already know."

"Yes, but you need to say it."

Orchid sighed. "...I'm going to release the golems and let everyone live on their own. Then I think I'll join Fluttershy in Pebbleton. The world doesn't need me in charge. It never did."

Twilence smiled. "Thank you." She turned to Starlight. "You?"

"...I'm heading to the capital. I'm... I'm going to use my technical knowledge to help everyone. Maybe make it all better than it was before."

She tapped the Eye of Rhyme. "Let's initiate a montage of sorts, shall we?"


~~~


Pebbleton accepted the two new residents with open arms. It remained a small town forever, but ended up having many adventures much like Ponyville itself had had in the original timeline. Fluttershy, Orchid, and Infinity found three other friends and formed their own heroes of Harmony. Fluttershy became the leader, and they never made themselves popular. Always lived the quiet life, only being heroes when called to it. 

Starlight became the most powerful individual in Chalak, replacing Gilead on the council. Her assistants - Four and Seven Hundred - helped her launch Peran into a super-industrial age. She became immortal, like the Overseer, and they ruled together alongside an ever-changing Council. They made contact with Equestria and the two were the greatest of allies for eternity. With Luna having just barely been banished, Equestria readily accepted the aid. 

And then, roughly a thousand years later, a unicorn named Twilight Sparkle was born in Peran. Princess Starlight took her in as her protege. She told her she had a great legacy to live up to - the legend of Twilence. 

Twilight never believed the stories fully. 

Until Twilence showed up at her room one day. 

Twilight blinked. "Uh..."

"I wondered if a version of myself would still be born," Twilence said. "I'm Twilence. You've heard of me."

"I... I have." She gulped. "Where'd you get the wings...?"

"You'll probably get your own eventually for some great feat of friendship," Twilence smiled. "But that's not what I'm here to talk about. I'm here to tell you that even if it feels like destiny controls your every movement, you have choice. Even if you are destined to save the world, well, you can do it how you wish." She winked. "Don't feel like a bird in a cage, Twilight."

"I... Uh..."

"I should be going. You don't need too many hints. Just... enjoy life, okay? And don't worry too much about everything. That's my job now."

Then Twilence teleported all the way to the Time Tunnels. Rarity, Vriska, and Mite were waiting. "Ready?" Vriska asked.

"Ready," Twilence said. "Rarity, think you can get us to your home?"

"Pretty sure, dear."

"Well then, let's see what we can do..."

And then the Eye of Rhyme flashed. Twilence smiled. "Looks like there'll be a final import. I wonder what they'll have to say." She closed her eyes and opened her wings. 

[ENDING ACHIEVED: BITTERSWEET]