As the shockwave died down, I saw the ground between us start to collapse spiraling in on itself like water circling a drain. I felt myself being pulled forward slowly and dug my hooves in to halt my approach. I looked over at my opposite and saw her stumbling, her horn sparking and leaking mana. Her eyes were wide open with shock and pain.
“What…what’s happening?” she stammered.
I looked at the strange vortex and sighed. “Your horn kept spells active even when not actively channeling mana,” I hypothesized. “Including the one that kept us tethered. I think that the world is trying to right what you’ve wrenched out of place.”
Ghostly shapes began to form around us, each another me. They all slowly grew more solid as my dark reflection grew more alarmed. One by one, they rushed her and phased through her, becoming more distinct on their exit from her. I felt a momentary pang of sorrow at each anguished cry that came from her as a specter pulled something from her.
“I’m not sure that you can ever truly right what you’ve done,” I whispered as she collapsed, panting. “But you should at least have the chance. Return home, Starlight Glimmer, and try to move on.”
She looked at me, pain still clouding her eyes. “I can’t,” she gritted. “Returning home isn’t an option. Not without my horn.”
I smiled, reaching up to touch the pendant around my neck. It still had a little mana, and I had an idea.
“I can help her,” a voice said to the side. I turned and saw the stallion version of me step forward. “I’m familiar with the dimensional travel spell she used. I’ll need help, but I think I can return us all to our home dimensions.” He smiled sadly at me. “I can’t help you with your timeline, though.”
I nodded. “I’m fine with it,” I assured the specter. “I’ll get used to how things really are in this new Equestria eventually.”
He moved closer to me and merged with me and I felt an alien presence within my mind. My horn blazed, mint green and midnight blue intermingled as he cast a spell. One by one, the spirits of my other selves were pulled slowly into the vortex, then the physical alternate me was lifted in the magic aura.
The stallion’s spirit stepped forward and they both disappeared into the closing dimensional rip. As it closed, I sighed, sagging with fatigue suddenly. I made my way to the cutie map, hoping to use its residual magic to return me to where I had come from.
I climbed up to the surface and began casting the same spell I had several minutes ago, sending mana into the table and I closed my eyes.
“Starlight?” a voice said.
I opened them to see Princess Twilight and Sunset standing before me in the cavern where the rip into Limbo had existed.
“Hi, Twilight, Sunset,” I panted exhaustedly.
“Spike told us what was going on,” Sunset said. “And looking back, it was clear where our actions had been influenced.”
“Is Echo coming back?” Twilight asked.
I shook my head. “She should be back in her home dimension,” I said. “Missing the last few inches of her horn for the foreseeable future. Hopefully in that time she’ll…” I shuddered, muscles seizing up.
“Starlight?” Twilight asked, apprehension on her face.
I staggered backwards, collapsing against one of the pillars. “I don’t know…” I retched, dry heaving as my head swam.
Sunset stepped forward to help only to be thrust away be some unseen force. “What in…?”
I tried to stand, muscles spasming and vertigo taking my bearings. I collapsed, world spinning. I heard Sunset and Twilight crying out in concern, but I heard other voices, too.
”Heart rate is spiking,”
“Push an amp of D-40, her sugar’s crashing!”
“Seizure! She seizing!”
The world was turning white at the edges as I looked at the regal forms of two of my good friends. I felt life flowing out of me and I smiled. At least I’d see Sunburst again, and Trixie.
I smiled.
“Goodbye,” I whispered as my eyes slid closed.
Doctors rushed back and forth as I looked on. I heard hooves rushing forward and I turned to see Sunset racing towards me.
“Twilight,” she panted. “Is she ok?”
“I don’t know,” I said as I looked in through the window. “She’s had four seizures in the last few hours. Doctors don’t want to say anything unless she regains consciousness.”
We watched as the doctors stabilized our friend and stepped away slowly. After getting permission, we stepped in and sat by the bed, looking at the Unicorn, paler than we were used to seeing and a bandage wrapped around her head.
“Starlight,” I whispered. “I hope you’re ok.”
A groan sounded from her, and she cracked her eyes open.
“Hello,” she whispered, her voice hurt.
“Starlight!” I cried, echoed a moment later by Sunset. “I thought we’d lost you!”
“Why?” she slurred, looking back and forth. “Did I go somewhere?”
“Very nearly,” Sunset said, stepping forward and smiling, tears in her eyes.
Starlight blinked.
“Where are your wings?” she asked.
“My…wings?” Sunset parroted.
Anything else that might have been said was interrupted by a rushing form of an azure mare that shoved her way past us to hug the bedridden Starlight.
Starlight looked more shocked than we did.
“Trixie?”
“You’re all right,” the showmare kept whispering. “Thank Celestia, you’re all right.”
Starlight met my eyes and with a sheepish look, asked me the oddest question I have ever been asked in recent memory.
“Um,” she whispered over her best friends repeated sighs of relief. “What year is it?”