//------------------------------// // 61 The One With All // Story: Continuity Disrupted // by Doug Graves //------------------------------// August 17th, 1000 Domina Solaria Twilight Sparkle wakes up early in the morning without the use of coffee. Well, that’s a first. It almost sounds like the start of a bad joke. Almost. Most mornings she is practically useless without at least two cups. Worse than useless, as she randomly stumbles around, levitating everything in sight and a couple things that aren’t, until Spike passes her a mug. Or she finds herself in a booth at Sugarcube Corner sipping something hot and steamy, with no recollection of how she got there except that Pinkie Pie is winking suggestively. Twilight glances to her left. At some point during the night Applejack kicked off the sheet, leaving a small pile clustered on top of and next to her. No wonder she woke up feeling so hot and sweaty. The earth pony is softly snoring, breath occasionally pushing up the dusty old Stetson askew atop her head. Twilight smiles at the sight, just taking it in. Is she dreaming of anything, or is it the dreamless sleep Twilight had? To her right lays Rarity, snuggled up next to her even closer than when Twilight takes Smarty Pants to bed with her. Probably the other reason she is sweatier than she likes. Rarity has dragged a few of the excess sheets over, swaddling herself like a newborn foal. Only the light whisper of her breath, barely disturbing the cloth. A content smile spread across her lips like the morning sun is starting to spread through the cracks of the window shutters. Hmm, if she is going to do this more often, she should get some higher quality sheets. Does Barnyard Bargains sell those? Or is she better off going to the Sofa store? They seem a little more upscale, though likely nothing compares to the boutiques in Canterlot. Would she be better off ordering something? Well, she can ask Rarity, surely the mare knows about that kind of thing. Ooh, what kind of sheets does Rarity sleep on? Twilight’s horn lights, a raspberry glow surrounding the sheets around her head. Strange. They didn’t mess around too much last night, did they? Twilight giggles as the events of yesterday rush back to her. You have to giggle at the ghosties, really, or she would never have forgiven herself for what she nearly did. But, no sense in dwelling on the past when there’s a bright future to look forward to! Carefully, so not to disturb her sleeping companions, Twilight extricates herself from the bed. She pauses two steps from the stairs; oddly enough, she feels no need for her normal caffeine fix. Instead of the kitchen, her first destination is the bathroom, a quick cleansing spell removing the dirt and grime and sweat from yesterday and that night. Though, she has to admit, nothing beats the feel of a sturdy brush stroking her sides, teasing out the tangles from her coat and mane. Though Rarity and Applejack had waxed about how Doug could feel, and maybe she can attest to that a little. But, here, at this moment, she’ll stick with the brush. She frowns again at the glow around her brush. She can’t convince herself any more that it was just a trick of the light, or her tired eyes messing with her. Her magic aura is no longer her normal soft pink. Instead, there is a bluish tinge turning the entirety a similar shade to that of her cutie mark, and the streak in her hair. Did… did Rarity do that? She was using color spells earlier with Trixie. Did she somehow change the color of her magical aura? Twilight shakes her head. They hadn’t been experimenting like that. Intentionally or otherwise. Instead, she has a feeling of dread welling up from her core. That she knows why it happened, why her aura had changed color. Could… was it from when she literally sucked Rarity’s very essence out of her? Her brush clatters to the floor as Twilight lets loose a single sob. How could she have done such an act? Just to save herself? Rarity was her best friend! What kind of monster could do that, and then sleep like Princess Luna afterwards? A solitary tear, as lonely as she is, falls unbidden to the floor, impacting next to the brush, leaving a slightly discolored stain on the wood. Her gaze slowly travels from the brush to the mirror, her own disheveled mane and coat staring back at her. She spares a swift glance to the bed, though the two sleeping forms beginning to stir catches her next sob in her throat. They had stayed. They hadn’t condemned her, like she knew she deserved. Cast her out into the lightning storm, unprotected from the wild energy raging outside. And she would have let them, she would have deserved every strike. If only to stop her from ever hurting them again. And they should have, she was, no, is a monster, undeserving of the forgiveness and love they displayed, fit only to be cast out and rejected. They had stayed. Her eyes trace over Applejack’s mostly still body. Just slight hoof movements, none purposeful enough to be conscious. Although, she is occasionally nuzzling to the side, where Twilight had been sleeping, the barest hint of a frown when her muzzle fails to find anything. Then she drifts back, her frown replaced by a smile, as if she is remembering what it was like to have Twilight by her side, and knowing full well that it will be true again soon enough. Rarity is harder to make out, the sheets occasionally shifting and allowing her to catch a glimpse of the white unicorn. She stirs much less than Applejack, though it is difficult to discern with the cover. What is going through her mind? Thoughts of last night, or is her sleep as quiet as Applejack’s? Only for Twilight’s mind to evoke the rush she had gotten from the mare. The exhilarating, madly intoxicating rush, that she would ki- But that was the Old Twilight. No longer are her priorities just the pure acquisition of knowledge, of power, of control. New Twilight has a new perspective on life. They had stayed. Not just anypony would have stayed. Would have forgiven her, even before she asked. Forgiven her even before she was done ravaging them for all they were worth. Would stick with her again. And again. Best Friends Forever. How could she not want to stay with them? To make them as happy as they make her, to stay by their side, to show them that she too can be the best she can be? And, when she isn’t, for them to help her get back up on her hooves, just as she would help them with their struggles and difficulties? What better way to be as involved as possible in their lives, and the lives those most important to them? If the price to pay was mating with Doug to secure that, then so be it. There are worse fates. Probably. Giddy with excitement, Twilight levitates her brush, quickly bringing her coat to a luscious shine. Twilight prances to the closed window, throwing the shutters open and sticking her whole body through to gaze outside. The morning in Ponyville shimmers under the dawning sun, the haze from yesterday’s storm completely cleared out. Not a single cloud in the sky, many of the ponies beginning to go about their morning activities with a spring in their step. And, oddly enough, in time with each other. No way is she letting this morning in Ponyville go to waste! Twilight races back inside, horn shining as she rips the sheets off of Rarity. The unicorn startles at first, slumping back down as Twilight dances out of the room. It is time to get up, she knows for absolute certain, and a fine day like today is no time to be sleeping in! The front door slams open as Twilight steps outside, raising a hoof in greeting to the town, the morning sun, to everypony in sight! Because everything is certainly fine! Twilight continues down the main street, though to where exactly she doesn’t quite know. A little early for Spike to arrive on the train, and she did want to find out about those sheets. A slightly grumpy Rarity and far too chipper Applejack join in, eyes watching the pegasi above as they swoop around, clearing the last remnants of storm from the sky. In strange synchrony. Well, it is Ponyville, after all. Applejack and Rarity trot along, hooves in step with each other and the rest of town, following Twilight as she makes her way into the heart of Ponyville. Twilight’s gaze can’t stay in one place for more than a second, taking in all the wonderful friends and acquaintances she has made. And all the ones she hasn’t! There’s Rainbow, en route to her office! Along with Fast Clip and Whiplash, the pegasi trading notes on how things went last night and then clearing up the lightning storm early this morning, just in time for the beautiful sunrise. Rainbow notices her, a wave and smirk on her muzzle that says, ‘I have big news!’ Twilight returns an even larger wave that says, ‘So do I! And mine’s bigger!’ Though when Rainbow returns a second wave that says, ‘I seriously doubt that!’ Twilight can’t help but chuckle and continue on. And there’s Davenport, the Sofa clerk waiting outside his shop for any early morning customers. Not exactly the most popular destination this time of day, but he waves at her nonetheless with a cheery, “Mornin’, kid!” Twilight nods back as she enters the store, quickly locating the highest quality sheets they have in stock. Davenport raises an eyebrow at the two mares following Twilight, though he doesn’t say anything as all three test the sheets on one of the comfier beds on display. Twilight rests next to Applejack and Rarity - somehow, her Ponyville’s best gentle sheets feel even better when they are just laying still, happily relaxing next to each other. They lay blissfully, no words or remarks or looks exchanged, just a quiet contentment. Even Rarity seems to be waking up, at least enough to give a hearty smile, though she probably wants to fall back asleep on the luxurious sheets. Satisfied, Twilight quickly bounces back up, promising to pay when Davenport delivers the sheets plus her normal order of quills to the library later that day and thanking the clerk for his assistance. How could things ever go wrong on a day like this? Twilight feels like shouting from the rooftops just how happy she is to be in Ponyville, surrounded by her friends. Even if things didn’t go the way she planned, and today she doesn’t think anything can go wrong, she would have them by her side! She glances to her sides, her two friends keeping pace with her and all smiles. Surrounded by dozens of other ponies, prancing in time with each other as they go about their daily routine. This morning, here in Ponyville? The landscape shimmering in the morning heat, the sun shining brightly, the absolute certainty she has that everything is certainly- Twilight takes a deep breath, as if daring the universe to send anything it could at her. -Fine. Now this is a routine she could get used to!