//------------------------------// // Back in Black // Story: Weirder Science // by Ironthread //------------------------------// The three alicorns sat around Luna’s tea table, the still-warm teapot pouring out fresh glasses for all from within Celestia’s telekinetic grip. “You will be a princess now, as with Cadence before you.” Luna said, lifting her cup to her lips. THE PRINCESS OF WHAT, EXACTLY? Celestia and Luna looked at each other. They had a short debate carried out through a series of sharp looks, which culminated in a glare from Luna that all but screamed You’re her bucking mentor, tell her already! Celestia looked back at her student and said simply, “Death.” WHY? WHERE DID THIS COME FROM? WHY DO I SOUND LIKE THIS ALL OF A SUDDEN? WHY DO I LOOK LIKE THIS ALL OF A SUDDEN? Twilight indicated her new size and her coat, now a much deeper purple. “The voice is something we have never encountered before, but every new alicorn is a learning experience for all of us. The domain of death… well, I should think it’s fairly obvious. You are, right now, possibly the only creature in existence who has come back after thoroughly, truly dying. We immortals have cheated on occasion, but your death was real, and yet you survive. So, naturally, your alicornhood is awarded in accordance with that.” Celestia was trying to project an air of confidence, but she was probably just as shaken as Twilight, and had a suspicion her sister was as well. “Perhaps,” Luna added, “it might be advisable to speak with Cadence about her experience, and take some time to adjust.” CADENCE! AND MY BROTHER! OH, HOW ARE THEY GOING TO REACT? HOW ARE MY FRIENDS GOING TO REACT? “Do take your time with reacquainting yourself with them - it has been a little over 5 years now. You will not -” Celestia said with a look, cutting off what she was sure would be Twilight’s next question, “- be expected to take up a position of rulership like cadence until you think you are ready. In any case, your… particular domain of princesshood does not lend itself readily to a single seat of power. With time, I am sure we will find a place for you.” I DON’T THINK I WANT ANY PLACE BUT WHAT I HAD BEFORE. “That is not an impossibility, but you may find that your new station will necessitate some… changes.” Luna did not want to be too negative at this point, but looking at Twilight, feeling her new aura - she felt something powerful, and asked herself a question: What in all the universe can outlive death itself? And she did not have an answer. Light Bloom and Fast Hooves were lying in their respective beds. “Light? You asleep?” “No.” There was a pause. Then, more pause. Then, finally, “What the buck even happened down there?” Fast Hooves asked. “I told you what happened, I just don’t know what it means. She said she was Twilight Sparkle, but I don’t know if that’s even poss-” There came a knocking at the door. The two occupants of the room looked at each other for a moment, then Light Bloom finally got up, lit her horn, and opened the door. Outside stood a dark figure, its presence overpowering to both their magical senses. UM… HI. I WANTED TO SAY THANKS. Light Bloom and Fast Hooves were very clever ponies. To be such is pretty much a requirement for admittance into Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. They certainly had different personalities but they both knew quite a lot, especially between the two of them, so it was a rare moment to find both of them speechless. This was a very rare moment indeed. UH, PERHAPS I SHOULD GO BACK A BIT. HELLO, MY NAME IS TWILIGHT SPARKLE, YOU HELPED ME COME BACK TO LIFE, AND I’D LIKE TO FORMALLY THANK YOU FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE. “You’re Twilight Sparkle?” Fast Hooves finally managed. I HAVE EXPERIENCED SOME CHANGES TO MY APPEARANCE RECENTLY. IT APPEARS THAT BEING THE FIRST PONY TO SURVIVE DEATH IS GROUNDS FOR PROMOTION TO AN ALICORN. THE ALICORN OF DEATH, AS IT HAPPENS. “So, what, you’re princess of death now? What does that job entail?” I HAVE NO IDEA. AND UNTIL I FIGURE IT OUT, IT WOULD BE GREAT IF YOU COULD KEEP ALL THIS ON THE DOWN LOW. “Of course!” Exclaimed Light Bloom, giving a pointed look to her roommate and ushering Twilight into the room. Twilight, forgetting her new size, nearly gouged a mark in the doorframe with her horn. “But, um, why are you here, in that case?” Light Bloom continued. YOU WERE BRAVE, YOU GAVE MY SUSPICIOUS TC A CHANCE, AND YOU WERE CLEVER ENOUGH TO MAKE MY MAD SPELL WORK. FOR THAT I AM FOREVER GRATEFUL, SINCE IT DID, YOU KNOW, SAVE MY LIFE. “Oh! I mean, it wasn’t all that, really. Your spell was incredible, I’ve never seen anything like it.” Light Bloom said, while Fast Hooves tried her best to subtly scream stop trying to decline a gift from the Alicorn of bucking Death! IT MOST CERTAINLY WAS, BUT I UNDERSTAND THE INSTINCT TO DOWNPLAY SUCH THINGS. A FEW YEARS AGO I WOULD BE PROFUSELY INSISTING THAT SPELL WAS OVERCOMPLICATED AND POORLY OPTIMIZED. Fast Hooves was curious now, having only seen Light Bloom’s hastily scribbled notes on the topic, and butted in. “Um, this all sounds fascinating, but what exactly was this spell we’re talking about?” It was at this point that the original goal of the conversation was all but lost, and the three present spent much of the rest of the night discussing spellforms and optimizations, picking apart what exactly Twilight had done and theorizing all kinds of improvements. When they all finally remembered they had things to do the next morning, they bid farewell, tired but excited and with the promise to continue correspondence. The loudspeaker at the station announced through popping static that the next train to Appleoosa by way of Ponyville would be departing in twelve minutes. In the shadows of an alley outside, hidden by a inverted Want-It-Need-It spell she liked to call Notice-Me-Not, Twilight stood with Celestia, talking things over. “I’ve sent letters ahead to your friends explaining the situation, so they should be ready when you get there. I asked them to keep things discreet for now, but there’s only so much you can do with Pinkie Pie. How are you doing?” I’M ALRIGHT. I - Twilight cleared her throat. “I’m starting to get a handle on the voice and everything, but it’s slow going. It’s like trying to learn a whole new kind of magic! I think -” “That’s good, but you need to get on board that train.” Celestia cut her off before she could go off on another Twilight ramble again. “Have a safe trip. And Twilight?” She said as her pupil turned to leave. “We’re here for you, always remember that.” Twilight, having paused at the last comment, turned back and gave her mentor a hug that lasted for a good few seconds before breaking off. “I know.” She then pulled up the hood of her cloak and set off into the train station. Then she adjusted her hood again. “Buck, how does Celestia manage this mane? It just never stops moving!” Twilight sat on the train uncomfortably, despite having made this trip many times before. Her spell was holding firm, allowing her to appear as ordinary as any other train rider despite being several feet taller and having an ethereally flowing mane and tail peeking out from under her cloak. But residents of Ponyville and other towns like it are so damnably friendly, Twilight observed, that even when they thought you were just another train rider they wanted to make conversation. “Is this your first time headed out to the sticks? You seem awful nervous.” A kind-eyed older mare observed from the seat next to her. “Don’t worry, folks out there are nice. A bit obsessed with apples sometimes, but nice.” “It’s just been a while since I’ve been out there is all. A lot has changed since then.” “Oh, I know how that goes. I was young and fresh the last time I visited, and now look at me.” She chuckled slightly. “I figured I’d better go now if I want to see it before I kick the bucket.” Twilight looked at the mare, and destiny laid itself out before her eyes. She had seen this before, with the guards in the palace and others besides Celestia and Luna, but this time it was more obvious, and she concentrated on it, trying to feel out what it wanted to show her. Slowly it became clear, the threads converging to a single point and a moment that she knew she would be present for. OH I’M SURE YOU’LL BE AROUND FOR A WHILE YET. ON AN UNRELATED NOTE, MAYBE STAY AWAY FROM ANY HOT AIR BALLOONS FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE? Twilight was surprised at the state of her voice - apparently channeling her newfound abilities made it harder to suppress her vocal irregularities. “Hm, perhaps they are a bit risky at my age. I think -” The mare was cut off by the train pulling into Ponyville station, and when she turned to ask if this was her fellow passenger’s stop, she was surprised to see that the strange cloaked pony had already left. There was, of course, a party - Pinkie Pie was involved. The banner over the five mares’ (and one dragon’s) heads read “We-All-Thought-You-Were-Dead-But-It-Turns-Out-You-Weren’t Party!”, which Twilight briefly considered pointing out was slightly inaccurate1 but thought better of it, and anyways found it rather difficult to speak shortly after she had closed the door to Golden Oaks on account of the crushing hug she received from her friends. 1. Rumors of her death had been entirely correct. It was rumors of its permanence that had been greatly exaggerated. Assorted “Oh, darling, it’s been so long!” and “We missed you, sugarcube.” and “ohmygoshohmygosh you’re BACK!” came from the huddle, all parties involved on the verge of tears - including Twilight, whose anxiety about this moment was coming out all at once. When the mass of ponies finally came apart, the catching up began, and there was quite a lot of it to do - five years worth, as it happened. Twilight knew none of her friends would really appreciate the technical details of what she had done to save herself, so she was mostly content to just listen. Rainbow Dash had, in the wake of Twilight’s death, thrown herself into training for a position with the Wonderbolts, using exercise to work away her feelings. It paid off, though given her standing in the kingdom and her performances beforehand, especially at the Best Young Fliers competition, she needn’t have bothered to wait so long before applying. She was accepted almost immediately and proceeded to rocket through the ranks as she did everything else. Rarity had experienced quite some success in the last few years, and (as she confided in Twilight out of earshot of the rest of the party) had tipped a few upper-class ponies off about the high quality of Apple family products; Rarity knew that even though Applejack was her friend, she would never take a handout from anypony - but if a few nobles just happened to hear about zap apple jam, however, “Well that’s just how things go, isn’t it?” Rarity said in a whisper, a satisfied grin on her face. Applejack, in a similarly clandestine moment, had her own part to say - “Ah know it was her, o’ course, but ah can’t exactly undo it now, and anyways, she’s just tryin’ to help. Plus, it’s not like it’s been bad for business - we’d never sold out our entire harvest before a few years ago, but now we’re considering buyin’ a few more acres to keep up wit’ demand!” Fluttershy was still living in the countryside with her animals, though now she occasionally got a rather discordant visitor - he was freed in the chaos of the Experimental Division explosion and was quite delighted to find that the elements were missing a member - but Fluttershy, as ever, turned out to be just the mare for the job. Pinkie Pie continued to be the resident party pony of ponyville, but now occasionally got hired to plan for Canterlot events ever since Rarity brought her on to organize one of the most rip-roaring opening nights to any fashion show the nobility had ever seen. Pinkie, of course, completely forgot about this in favor of excitedly explaining to Twilight all the recent developments in town, including the birth of the Cake twins and the fact that Dinky Doo got her cutie mark a few months ago. Spike took over maintaining the library in the wake of Twilights passing, growing much more mature for it - enough so that his form had developed into that of an adolescent dragon, and a recent growth spurt, the latest of several over the last few years, meant he stood about a head above the ponies around town now - he still had not gotten used to ducking when going through doors, unfortunately - “It’s a good thing dragonhide is tough, or I’d have a lot more bruises.” He said with a chuckle, rubbing his forehead. It was only well into the afternoon, when everyone else was winding down their talk of the last few years, that Twilight remembered her Notice-Me-Not enchantment was still going - normally she would have been quite conscious of the drain on her internal mana reserves, but her magical capabilities had increased so dramatically since ascending that she could barely notice the loss compared to her newly enlarged capacity. She gave a slight sigh, knowing that as much as she would like things to return to the way they were before her untimely demise (and as much as she had been trying with this whole secrecy business), she would have to reveal herself eventually; for now, perhaps not to the whole of Equestria, but at the very least to her friends. “Girls, Spike, I just remembered something you’ll probably want to know about.” And then, at once, she dispelled her enchantment and flung off her cloak, revealing to now-clear eyes her new appearance. Most of the room was silent with shock. Rainbow Dash squeed at the idea of a new flying partner, Pinkie Pie began a long gasp, clearly leading up to an incoherent barrage of excitement, and Rarity couldn’t decide whether to faint from astonishment or from excitement. She decided on the latter, and the last thought before she fell strategically into Spike’s arms was Just think of all the dresses I could design for a form like that!