//------------------------------//
// Days 336 - 363 - What's Past Is Prologue 
// Story: Winds of the Past 
// by Fantasia 
//------------------------------//


Day 336


"This whole incident really has left Canterlot defenseless, hasn't it?" Cadance asked as she accompanied a maintenance mare down the dilapidated street, into the tunnels beneath the city.

The reflective walls of the cave's interior shone brilliantly, as the lone sounds of water droplets dripping from the stalactite above filled the cavernous void.

"Though all of our minds are still a little hazy, we remember that the intruder's appearance was a surprise to all of us, choosing to attack us when our guard was at its lowest. But never to fear, Princess Cadenza. We will be back to full strength, as will the city. Hopefully by the week's end."

Cadance nodded. "So, what is this place anyway?" She glanced about in amazement. "Princess Celestia never mentioned a place this big existing beneath Canterlot..."

"It's a system of cave routes mentioned briefly in the historical records of the city, long ago used by jewel thieves—mostly all but forgotten about nowadays."

Cadance nodded absentmindedly, her gaze lingering on her surroundings. "It's so spacious down here... A pony could forever be lost down here..."

"T-that's an eerie thought to have, Princess," replied the worker pony with a nod, smiling nervously.

"Yes... Say, why do you think Celestia's never considered these caves as a prison?"

"Locking ponies away down here sounds a little cruel and unusual, wouldn't you say?"

The worker pony was met with silence, and after a moment, turned curiously towards the Princess of Love.

She was met with a menacing glare.

"I am cruel and unusual."

"Princess—?!" She stumbled backwards in fear.

"Not princess—queen." A green flame flickered in her eyes.

"What—?" Before she could utter another word, the identity thief sapped the love from her heart, leaving the weakened pony lightheaded, and her forelegs wobbling.

She stumbled, as one of her hooves went over a ledge, and her body slipped, tumbling into a steep pit.

The dirt settled around her, and she gazed up wearily, her body withered.

"Good luck finding your way out," Cadance's impostor sneered, green flames engulfing her own body.

The same maintenance pony walked out from from the hole in the street, immediately being spotted by some of her fellow workers. Some ran over to her, almost swarming her.

"There you are, Quick Fix! The princess, wasn't she with you?" one of them asked.

"Neither of the princesses were ever with me," Quick snapped, taking the others aback.

"I-it's just that we need to speak to her about the road construction, and... some of us swore they saw her with you—"

"Yeah, well... you imagined it. Princess Cadenza, whom I take it is the one you're looking for, is with Celestia in the castle. Now if you're done bugging me—" She cocked her gaze over her shoulder, to the street behind her. "Work on raising this street and sealing up the cave underneath. We don't need anypony getting trapped down there."

"Uh, y-yes Ma'am."

Quick watched as they scurried past her: some to the castle, some to repair the aforementioned damage.

She giggled behind closed lips, a hoof over them. The ponies here are so susceptible to trickery, I love it.

Her pupils flashed green for a brief second. What an intriguing young pony this Twilight Sparkle is... I can't wait to see what else this city has in store...





The last thing I remember... was falling amongst the debris of a crumbling cliffside.

The wind wooshed around me... and the flames from my burning limb lapped at the air before my eyes as they slowly fell shut.

I'm sorry, Rainbow, I had thought. My smile saddened, my gaze staring up weakly towards the sun. It looks like... I won't be saving our world after all...

I had made peace with the fact that I was dying, and that there was nothing more I could do to prevent it.

It was inevitable, and if you had asked me... I deserved it. This whole time, I've been nothing more than a harbinger of doom, being manipulated by villain after villain, even after being brought to this reality... this timeline.

Yes... I had thought, I should just take comfort in knowing that, in my final hour, I was able to conquer my darkness for good... and save this reality from being enslaved.

As I was about to close my eyes for good... the silhouette of a pony appeared before me from out of the sun, small at first, but approaching quickly.

Rainbow Dash...?

The figure grew closer, and as a result, larger. So much so, that I could make out its features.

I reached out my hoof, ready for her to escort me to the afterlife, when its features changed in an instant, becoming darker, and warped... it's appearance becoming increasingly monstrous.

My heart leapt out of my chest at the sight, and I instinctively shut my eyes tight.

And that was when everything went dark for me.





Where am...?

Twilight's doppelganger groggily opened her eyes, staring up into an endless, blue void.

A dense fog rolled past, and slightly over her body as she lay floating on a watery surface.

Am I... dead?

No, a voice spoke back to her, seemingly from somewhere nearby. Not dead, just... teetering on the edge.

What...!

She sat up straight, looking around herself mystified.

From the corporeal fog, formed a perfect image of her beloved.

Rainbow Dash...

Right now, the phantom went on to explain, you're asleep, but on the verge of death as well, so... your mind is sort of in this transitional state, lingering between this world and the next.

I see, so... I-is that why you're here now in front of me, Rainbow Dash? She looked towards her inquisitively.

The phantom softly shook her head. The spirit of your loved one is not here, I'm afraid.

Oh... Her ears flopped as her gaze fell disparagingly. Then...

She peered back warily up at the ghostly image of her friend. Are you...?

I'm what you know to be true, embodied within the image of that who is most loyal to you.

Twilight's face took on a look of cynicism. So... what? You're my rationale, having come to reason with me? Like you said: we are inside my own head, after all.

That is one way of looking at it, I suppose... The spirit clarified, I'm here to try and convince you—

Rrgh... Convince me of what!? Twilight stomped her hoof as her anger soared. To choose life instead? Everypony I ever knew or loved is gone! My world is... i-is never coming back! And... and do you not remember what I did to the ponies of this world?! All the strife, a-and heartache, a-and for what! She looked away sorrowfully, her hoof clutching her trembling foreleg. No, I...

She shook her head, sniffling slightly. I deserve to die.

A long silence filled the space between herself and her rational self.

I know you don't believe that, Twilight. You swore you'd find a way to save your friends, and undo the pain of the past, so... are you really willing to give up now, after fighting back against the evil you alongside this reality's version of yourself?

That was...! Her rational self gave her pause, falling quiet. To help her... She shook her head, getting back to the point of contention. I-it doesn't matter anyway! I'm dying right now because I was forcibly separated from my darker half, so... there is no choosing between life and death! No... Me choosing to fight... was merely my last good deed before leaving this world...

But you are not dead yet... are you? You still cling to this mortal coil... which can only mean...

Her eyes slowly widened, her heart sinking in realization.

Traces of my rogue emotions remain within me, she murmured. Sustaining me... and keeping me alive...

You can feel her presence, looming all around us, and growing ever closer... She will try to separate us, so I must have your answer, Twilight! her rationale urged.

M-my answer? she stammered, shaking her head incredulously. H-hold up! Why is a part of her still within me? I-I thought she had attempted to transfer all of her essence into my other self—!

Until you made the effort to try and seal her within your other self's mind, that's true. She must have become aware to what it was you were attempting to do, and thus left a trace of herself within you, to hopefully one day reawaken that part of her that still slumbers.

So... she plans on using me as a mail carrier, to drop her right off as my other self's doorstep...

She wants to use you to reunite with the rest of her, so that she may possess your other half, yes...

And just when I think I've finally buried the past... it comes back to haunt me... So, am I just supposed to... what? Up and leave Equestria? Journey to the furthest corners of the globe, and hide away?

Don't think of it as hiding. You wish to restore my reality, and bring back Rainbow, your friends... Spike. You lost control of the Elements of Harmony, but maybe there's other ways to traverse the dimensional barriers. Magic is all around us, Twilight, and who knows what other types of magic are out there, just waiting to be discovered.

Twilight peered away. It's a fool's errand, she murmured.

You won't know that, until you set forth, and seek all there is to see. I can feel it... The shadow's presence, it grows nearer! Twilight, if you do not regain consciousness soon, your other half's lingering presence will absolve your will, and erase me, your ability to reason!

Well, what are you doing outside of me?

I am not 'outside of you,' Twilight. You are the embodiment of Twilight's emotions, and me the embodiment of her logic and reasoning. Logic and emotions have always remained separate, but if your rogue emotions gain control of you, then she'll use you to destroy—!

There you are!

A dark, equine figure rose up of the mist, covered completely in a dripping, inky substance... The figure lunged at Twilight just as she elicited a terrified shriek, stumbling backwards.

It latched onto her foreleg, and the ink began to spread, slowly but steadily inching its way along her foreleg.

Twilight grunted, pulling at her foreleg as she struggled to break free.

That was some trick you pulled, other me! her evil half applauded mockingly. But you're not getting rid of me that easily.

Twilight, you have to resist her! I know it's easy for me to say, but... you have to keep calm, and not give in to your fears, your anger! That will only make it so that this other you can more easily control you! I know this because I am the rational side of you, that has come to reason with you—!

Shut it, 'rationale', her rogue emotions growled out in a threating tone. After I've gained control of her, I'm coming after you next!

I... I... Twilight's eyes squeezed shut as the inknorance now encompassed half of her own body.

You must fight it, Twilight, her rational self encouraged... only for her pleas to fall on deaf ears.

She's too emotional right now... but perhaps some of my wisdom will bring her to her senses...!

She moved hurriedly, reaching out and taking hold of Twilight's hoof in her own, and upon holding hooves, a warmth encompassed the remaining half of Twilight's body.

The light caused the rogue half of Twilight to wince, steering her head away from the glaring light.

You... meddlesome...!

Twilight's rational self veered closer to her emotional self's face, whispering, Wake up, Twilight.

Twilight let out a breathless gasp as her eyes were forced open by a powerful, shimmering light, and as the void she found herself in began to fade, so did the voices of her other cognitive selves.

Instead she found herself welcomed by the presence of new voices, seemingly coming from all around her...






Day 337


"Princess...! C-come quick, she's... she's coming to!"

Mm... wha...?

"Please... give her space, everypony."

Voices murmured to her left and to her right, fading from her subconscious as they grew quieter... until she heard the sound of some far off doors closing from somewhere behind her.

Her eyes opened groggily. Mmrgh... Where am I...?

"Twilight?" a voice greeted her concernedly.

Twilight's double's eyes snapped open, her heart thumping sickeningly in her chest as she rigidly turned her head to greet the face of her old mentor.

Ce... Cel-lest-tia...?

"How're you feeling?"

H-how am I...? She couldn't formulate the words... she could only stare back at the older pony with a petrified stare, as her breath froze in her throat.

Celestia smiled softly. "I can see that you're afraid. Well I promise you Twilight, that you are safe and sound. You're in the castle infirmary right now."

The castle...? she repeated in thought. "W-what a-am I doing in your castle!?" Her voice returned to her, taking the princess before her aback.

Her breaths were deep, and shaky... a dire look in her eyes.

She fumed as she attempted to sit up, only to find her forehooves shackled... and stared back at Celestia incredulously.

"Just a precaution," Celestia explained, feigning a sheepish smile. "I wasn't sure who you'd be—" Twilight's eyes widened, the alicorn's words giving her pause. "—when you came to."

The younger alicorn's gaze faltered, the anger she felt right then fleeting from her system. She bit the corner of her lip, peering away in uncertainty.

"Why am I here?"

Celestia's ears perked up as her face took on a look of surprise. "You mean you do not remember?"

Twilight solemnly shook her head.

"Some construction ponies found you, hidden among some rubble at the base of the mountain. You had lurched to life, giving them quite the fright, and had apparently spoke in a somewhat delirious tone... mentioning me by name before falling unconscious once more."

Hmph... I did, huh?

"So they informed me of the situation, recognizing you as one of my students... and I took you into my care. You've been here for a couple days now, slowly being nursed back to health by my staff here."

Twilight nodded slowly, taking in the information. "...And they all assume I'm... my other...?"

"As far as everypony, save for myself and a certain other know... your darkness succeeded in scrubbing the memories of Rainbow Dash, and by extension, everypony and every moment tied to her from the minds of everypony here in Canterlot... That included you, so..."

"I see... so then... I failed to..." Twilight bit her lip, gazing down disparagingly.

"You tried your best, Twilight... that's all you could do."

"With all due respect, Princess... No, i-it wasn't."

Before Celestia could get another word in edgewise, Twilight continued.

"You, ah... m-mentioned a certain other... k-knows my true identity...?"

"That would be me!" a cheerful voice chimed in. Twilight jumped slightly at the startling sound.

A pony—a young mare—showed her face as she came up beside her. Twilight's eyes themselves widened, recognizing her from all those years ago, before she had left for Ponyville...

"I'm Moon Dancer," the pony greeted.

Twilight's breath froze in the back of her throat. M-Moon Dancer...?

"You might remember me as that pony in iron armor from the other nigh—"

"Y-your name's actually Moon Dancer?"

Moon Dancer leaned her head back. She raised her brow in surprise, unsure of what to say.

"Erm... y-yes?"

She adjusted her glasses, remaining no less confused.

"W-why? Do you recognize that name, or...?"

Twilight shook her head, explaining, "I just... remember being acquaintances with a filly named Moon Dancer—w-when I attended school. We... hung out every now and then, but... I never really..."

She drifted off, breathing in, then out ruggedly. "She looked a lot like you..." she confessed, in a solemn whisper.

Moon Dancer and Celestia both stared back at her, at a loss for words.

"I never even got to reconcile with you..." continued Twilight.

A long moment passed between the trio in silence.

Reconcile? Moon Dancer pondered, sharing a brief, confused look with Celestia.

Moon Dancer, huh? I've heard that name before. Never cared enough to come visit her though. What makes you think your Twilight will be any different?

Moon Dancer snapped out of her reverie, turning back to the downtrodden pony, and garnishing a sympathetic smile up at her. "I'm sure she held nothing against you, Twilight."

Twilight barely nodded however, cuing her to try something else.

"So you, ah... really knew my doppelganger, huh—?"

"Why do you still remember me?" Twilight all of a sudden asked, cutting to the chase and taking the other two aback.

Her brow furled. "Celestia mentioned that you and her are the only two who have any memory of me, so... why you?"

Moon Dancer blinked, dumbfounded. "O-oh, uhm... w-well..."

She averted her gaze anxiously. "I just s-so happened to be wearing armor when that inky stuff showed up."

Celestia intervened, adding, "Moon Dancer was incredibly fortunate. The inknorance was spreading far too quickly however. Too quickly for me to save anypony else I'm afraid, had I even been able..."

Celestia hung her head as she lamented the thought... giving Twilight pause.

"Celestia enlisted my aid in your recovery," continued Moon Dancer. "After learning of my skills at robotics and utilizing magitek. She, uhm... wanted me to build you a new foreleg."

Twilight's brow furrowed. "A... new...?"

She looked down warily at her body, taking a closer look at her forelegs... when the sight of her right foreleg caused her heart to skip.

A feint metallic sheen shone beneath the thin layer of artificial, plum-colored fur, and to the unsuspecting onlooker, it looked like any other part of her body.

Looking a little more closely however, revealed screws, a ventilation port, and several panel covers to what she had to guess were concealing wires and other circuitry.

"Pret-ty complex circuitry," Moon Dancer proudly explained, noting where the other Twilight's attention seemed to be held. "It was, um... quite the challenge, truth be told. Your otherworldly magic signature aside... your body for whatever reasons kept altering in and out of a corporeal state, as if becoming smoke itself. Princess Celestia said it reminded her of, um..."

"An umbrum," Twilight was quick to explain, with a sigh of indifference. "I'm... part umbrum."

She turned her attention away from the two, in favor of her new prosthetic.

Poetic justice... she mused.

"Well that... certainly clears things up," Celestia remarked. "I knew I had sensed some of Sombra's darkness within you, but could not be certain as to what it was exactly. Now though, I see... Your body underwent a transformation when you grafted that crystal horn upon your head... Is that right?"

"I only wanted to help my friends," expressed Twilight, in a soft murmur, "I didn't mean to turn myself into this...! This..."

Didn't you though? a voice taunted from deep within her subconscious.

Twilight's eyes widened, startled by the mocking voice.

You... she slowly realized.

I thought you wanted to become an umbrum, so that you could snuff out every last one of those wretched changelings?

Twilight's heart thumped sickeningly against the inside of her chest. She swallowed hard, her breaths growing shorter as guilt quickly wracked her mind.

I... T-that's not...! She desperately shook her head. I... I only wanted to utilize his magic, not—!

"Twilight?"

Huh? Twilight turned with a scared look in her eyes, towards the sound of her name being called.

There she was met concerned looks from both Celestia and Moon Dancer.

"...Are you okay, Twilight?" Celestia proceeded to ask.

I... She tore her gaze away, peering down at her lap. "Why did you save me?"

Both Moon Dancer and Celestia reacted in kind to her question, staring back at her dumbstruck, before then looking at each other.

"Whatever do you mean, Twilight?" asked Celestia.

"I mean that I'm not worth saving. I get taking me to a secure location like this... but you should have just... put an end to me, a-after everything I did, everypony I hurt..."

"That wasn't you, Twilight," beckoned Celestia. "This other you... She was the one who waged war on my kingdom... not you."

"Yes, but...!" Twilight groaned in frustration, gritting her teeth. "She's still conscious, inside my head!"

Silence set in between the three of them.

"...What?" Celestia finally managed to ask, in a deathly serious tone.

Twilight sighed, starting over.

"You recall how I sealed my other half within your Twilight's psyche, Princess? I thought I had sealed her so deep away that she'd never pose a threat, but... I now know that a part of her escaped... once again taking refuge within me."

"...So what you're telling me..."

"Is that there's a risk of the other me manipulating me again, and using me to reawaken the part of her that slumbers? Yeah, I... I'm afraid so."

"W-well, isn't there a way we could just seal away that part of her too?" asked Moon Dancer.

"Not unless you know somepony who can wield the Elements of Harmony," Twilight's doppelganger solemnly replied. "If you wait for Twilight and her friends, you'd be putting me in direct contact with her."

"Isn't there another way, that doesn't involve the Elements of Harmony...?"

"This evil me has already bonded itself to half of my emotions. If you seal her away, it could very well leave me braindead, which... might not be so bad actually..."

"Twilight..." Moon Dancer murmured.

"Not that the other me would ever actually allow that to happen," she went on to explain. "Like, if I were to consider suicide for example..." Both Celestia and Moon Dancer's expression swiftly turned panicked as Twilight's doppelganger ignited a nearby scalpel, floating it over to her neck.

A swirling, dark smoke encompassed her left foreleg, immobilizing her movements in an instant.

Celestia and Moon Dancer silently stared back at her, each of them taken aback by everything they just witnessed.

"W-warn us next time you're about to do something like that," Moon Dancer was the first to reply, letting out a breath of relief.

"And maybe don't feign such extremes... okay?" Celestia agreed, removing the scalpel from her grip, and floating it away.

"I told you we should've put a tennis ball on her horn," whispered Moon Dancer to Celestia, leaning closer. "Those things seriously work wonders..."

Celestia rolled her eyes.

"Sorry, guys," Twilight's doppelganger confessed, the darkness swirling around her foreleg swiftly dissipating. "I know that was drastic, but I needed to demonstrate that she still has a hold over actions that are linked with negative thoughts and emotions."

"Well... what if there was a way to suppress those emotions?"

Huh?

Both Twilight's doppelganger and Celestia turned to look at Moon Dancer inquisitively.





"And that should do it."

Moon Dancer pulled her scrutinizing gaze back, as she finished the final tweaks to the other Twilight's foreleg.

"Sertraline..." Twilight's doppelganger deadpanned. "Really, Moon Dancer? You're going to put me on anti-depressants?"

"Hey, crazier things have worked. Plus, it's... worked pretty well for myself for some years now, so..."

Moon? Twilight cocked her head at the other mare in pensive silence.

"A-anyway! I've programmed it to release a small dose into your system every twenty-four hours. The supply we've equipped you with should last you at least a few months."

"If you don't find your way home by then, then do not hesitate to write to me, and I'll hurry to your location," Celestia chimed in.

Twilight's doppelganger nodded, the princess's words doing little to put her mind at ease.

"I'm still unsure about all of this... Do you really think I'll be able to find a way to restore my Earth from the brink of destruction?"

"That I do not know, Twilight. But I do know that in my youth, myself and Star Swirl the Bearded traversed the land, and in our travels, discovered a series of dimensional weak spots. Areas where the walls between our world and others were weaker. So, maybe there's one out there that you cannot pass through, that could very well be the one that once lead to your world."

Twilight's ears perked up in interest as Celestia handed her a scroll of parchment. "Here. This is a map detailing Equestria, the oceans, and every portal Star Swirl and I documented on our travels. I can journey briefly into the portals located on our continent, but... I cannot spare more than a day or two at the most. It would take me far too long to explore the seas and neighboring lands..."

"So that's where I come in..." Twilight's double sighed with a slight nod in understanding. "I'm guessing it's also because you want me as far from the mainland as I can get, huh?"

"Twilight, that..."

"No, no, it's fine. I get it. It's going to be different, that's for sure. Traveling outside Equestria's borders..."

"There's... one last thing I'd like to pass on to you, before you take your leave."

Twilight's head cocked, as she looked up at her otherworldly mentor inquisitively. "Y-yeah...?"

"If you do indeed find a portal that leads to your world, and you cannot pass through... then you'll be needing this." Celestia conjured up a second scroll, levitating it down for her student's double to accept. "This is a time spell that Star Swirl himself wrote."

"Y-yeah, it's... from the wing of the archives that was named after him, isn't it?"

"That's right. I didn't know you knew about it. Then again, I suppose your world seems to have been set farther into our future. Your Celestia must have taught you about it already."

"Uh... something like that," agreed Twilight's double. "So why are you entrusting this to me? Did you already forget that I host a villain inside my head?"

"So does my sister... and yet, when she inevitably returns, and Nightmare Moon is sealed within her once more, I will welcome her back with open hooves, and house no ill will towards her. So consider this... a show of trust. This spell is far too dangerous to keep here in Equestria anyway. No matter how secure I thought the archives may have been, The Grand Galloping Gala proved how naïve I truly was."

Twilight smiled softly, lowering her gaze as her voice quieted. "I don't know what to say, Celestia. Thank you..."

"Just be sure to—"

Twilight ran forward, taking Celestia aback as the smaller pony leaned up, wrapping her forelegs around the princess's withers in a heartfelt embrace.

Twilight... Celestia smiled warmly, wrapping a single foreleg around her in return.

"S-sorry about that," Twilight apologized suddenly, stepping back with a sorry smile. She rubbed her eyes, sniffling. "I-I don't know what came over me."

"Don't be," Celestia assured her. "I'm just sorry I cannot be of more help to you..."

Twilight nodded pensively, before turning to face Moon Dancer.

Moon Dancer herself smiled nervously. "Are you gonna hug me now?" she joked.

Twilight snorted, shaking her head. "Not if you don't want me to. I do wish to thank you too though, for everything..."

"Oh... y-yeah no, uh... n-no problem," she stammered out in response, a bashful blush adorning her cheeks as she gazed away.

"Promise me this though, Twilight," Celestia spoke up, continuing from where she left off. "Promise me that you'll memorize this spell, and once you've memorized it well... you'll destroy it."

"D-destroy it...?"

"I've memorized its contents as well, so it won't truly be lost... but I realize now how vulnerable Equestria is, and how... easy it would be for a pony to get their hooves on a spell like this, altering our history... Time is not something that should be played with, after all... but in your case, Twilight... I'll make an exception."

"I-I won't let you down, Princess." Twilight's double bowed before her, bearing a grateful smile. "Right, well..." she continued with a sigh, standing tall once more. "Guess it's about time I got going then, huh."

"Won't you be needing a ship ticket?"

Twilight blinked, dumbfounded. "Oh, uh... right."

"And hey!" Moon Dancer chimed in. "You looking like a slightly darker version of our Twilight might garner a bit of attention and unwanted questions. If you're gonna head out, people might mistake you for her."

Hm? She turned towards the unicorn, the thought having never occurred to her. "I mean, I guess..."

"You know what would be perfect? A sweatshirt. Our Twilight got one for her Rainbow Dash too, and she totes adored it."

Before she could get a word in edgewise, Moon Dancer let out an elated gasp.

"I bet green would look great on you! I've got someplace I need to be anyway, but I'll be sure to pick you out something nice!"

Oh boy, Twilight's doppelganger thought, forming a slight humored smile at her otherworldly old friend's enthusiasm.





Moon Dancer sat beside Rainbow Dash's bedside at the hospital, slouched as her eyelids grew heavy from her hard day's work.

Her mind drifted back to a few nights ago, to the day she had brought Rainbow to the hospital.

"Her name's Rainbow Dash," she explained to the doctor that would be overseeing her friend's recovery. "She's... been living here with some friends and I for the past year, and... when the... calamity happened, she ah, hit her head." The doctor raised an eyebrow, and at that, she further explained, "I-it was a chunk of drywall. Fell out of nowhere and—" She slapped her front hooves together. "Bam. Out cold, just like that."

Moon Dancer adjusted her glasses, and smiled nervously. "It really was the darnedest thing."

"Mhm..." He nodded wearily, asking, "And these cuts?"

"Uhm..."

"The calamity?" he surmised.

"Yes! Uh, y-yes," Moon Dancer hastily agreed. "The calamity."

"And dare I ask what the two of you were doing?"

"Being heroes?" She laughed nervously, cuing the doctor to glance down at her skeptically.

"Right, well..." He sighed and gazed back to his clipboard. "I'm not sure I can condone that, but at least you're both alright."

Moon Dancer averted her eyes, murmuring, "Physically, anyway... U-uhm..." She hesitantly gazed up at the doctor pony, scuffing a hoof back and forth. "She will be okay, won't she?"

"Well, her body indeed sustained quite extensive damage, judging from the lacerations on her side and chest, but fortunately they seemed to have already been healed by somepony else."

"Yeah, that was uh... a-a friend's doing."

"Well, your friend is a very gifted healer, seeing as how the area in and around her wounds seems to have healed remarkably."

Moon Dancer chuckled awkwardly. "Y-yeah..."

"Anyway, her brain scans seem relatively normal, and no damage was done to her skull or spinal cord. It's too soon to tell, but her thoughts may be a little jumbled when she comes to, and she might be sleepier than usual. Other than that, however... it would seem she's very lucky."

You have no idea... Moon Dancer gazed back in Rainbow's direction with a slight smile. "I'd, um, l-like to stay here until she wakes up, if that's alright."

"It is, but only until she wakes up. After that, you can visit, but we will have to ask you to wait outside."

Moon Dancer nodded slowly, trotting up to the pegasus's bedside.

"On the bright side, we shouldn't have to keep her long. She should be ready to return home within a week's time."

If only she still had a home here in Canterlot, Moon Dancer mused solemnly, as the memory came to an end.





Moon Dancer unwound on her family's couch after yet another day of paying Rainbow's room in the hospital a visit.

She breathed out contently, closing her eyelids as she allowed her eyes a brief rest.

"Moon?"

Mom? Moon Dancer's eyes blinked open at the sound of her mother's voice, and she turned attentively towards the hallway door entrance, the sound of the front door clicking shut.

"You're home from the infirmary already?"

"Uh... y-yeah, sure am. There were less patients today, so..." She turned nervously back on ahead, falling quiet.

"Urgh, that gala really was an absolute disaster, wasn't it? Worst part is, neither me nor your father seem to have any recollection as to why..."

A panicked pang ran across her heart as she turned back around, looking at her mother worriedly. "You still don't remember...?"

"Hm? No, I'm afraid not. Why," she asked. "Do you?"

Moon Dancer raised her brow, momentarily taken aback. "N-no, I uh... don't remember a thing," she replied as she turned back ahead, slouching further into the sofa. Her voice lowered to a murmur, her pupils darting back and forth anxiously.

"Hm, that's a shame. Well, keep your chin up, Sweetie; I'm sure they'll return to us all eventually."

"Uh-huh," Moon murmured under her breath.

"I suppose it wasn't all a disaster, however, because Princess Celestia finally recognized your hard work, and has even enlisted you to assist her. You may even earn enough to afford a place of your own! Whose worthy of bragging rights now, Mrs. Velvet? Looks like Twilight Sparkle isn't the princess's only protégé."

Moon Dancer grimaced at her mother's words.

Please stop comparing me to her...

"I was worried too, between your aversion to social gatherings, or that doctor's silly assertion that you were suffering from anxiety... or depression! Not to mention not wanting to keep up appearances. I mean, you still have yet to pick out a new pair of glasses—"

"I'm going to get some fresh air," Moon Dancer said in a hurry, cutting her mom off as she sat up from the couch suddenly.

"O-oh, um... okay." Her mom cocked her head as she watched her youngest daughter move hurriedly towards their home's entrance. "Oh, but before you go... you haven't spoken to Morning Roast today at all, have you? I only ask because she apparently wanted to speak with you."

"Morning needs to talk to me?" Moon Dancer's breath caught in the back of her throat, and she looked over her shoulder nervously. "A-about what?"

"She didn't mention," her mom replied with a shrug of her shoulders. "I don't know why she simply couldn't wait for you here... I mean, where else would she think you were?"

Moon's heart skipped.

"I gotta go," she informed in a hurried tone, before turning back towards the door, and leaving out the house, closing the door behind her before her mother could get a word in edgewise.

Moon Dancer took off down the street, biting her lip as her anxiety worsened.

Don't tell me... that she found it?





She arrived at the entrance to Celestia's school in a frenzy. She pushed the door open, and headed deeper inside, hurrying through the halls on her way towards her lab.

After a few agonizingly long moments, she reached her lab's entrance... and stopped, the sight of something giving her pause.

Not her sister, but... a sticky note, stuck to the door.


Heading back home for the foreseeable future.



- Starlight Glimmer


Starlight's... headed back home? Moon Dancer wondered, bemused by the note. She could've let me know in person... I mean, we've been studying together for months after all...

Putting the dreary reminder aside for the time being, she drew her attention back to her lab's entrance, where she saw the door was slightly ajar, light filtering in through the crack.

She swallowed hard, fearing the worst as she nervously pushed the door open wide.

There, she was met with the disapproving sight of her sister, seated by the nearest lab table.

Her heart sunk immediately.

Oh shoot.

"What is all of this?" Morning Roast demanded.

Moon Dancer cursed herself mentally.

I knew I shouldn't have left all my equipment out in plain sight...

She shook the thought from her head, stepping down the stairs into the lab.

"H-hello to you too, Sis," she greeted with a nervous smile. "What's what?"

"Don't feign ignorance, Moon. You know what I'm referring to."

She carelessly lifted one of sister's compact, armored saddles as an example, spurring Moon to reach out suddenly, exclaiming, "C-careful! That tech's delicate!"

She froze, her sister raising an auspicious eyebrow in response.

"Er... I-I meant that it looks delicate. I don't actually know who made—"

"Stop lying, Moon. I know this is the space Celestia allowed you to use for your research... but really, Moon? This is the fruit of your labor? Superpowered suits, and steel-plated armor?"

Moon Dancer remained taken aback, before gazing away, feeling her pulse quicken.

"Celestia thought it was cool..." she murmured.

"That isn't the point, Moon. You've been putting yourself at risk this whole time, potentially hurting yourself, or worse—!"

"I know what I'm doing," Moon Dancer murmured bitterly.

"Yeah, and what if you find yourself in over your head, or up against a threat more powerful than you or your toys can handle?"

Moon Dancer remained silent for a couple moments, before deciding to change the topic.

"How did you find out about all this anyway?" she asked.

"My memory of the gala's still hazy, but I remember being concerned about you, and even after a few days passed, I couldn't shake the feeling... So I asked around, and I was eventually lead here, to your lab. Looks like I was right to be concerned. You were involved in whatever went down during the gala, weren't you?"

"I..." Moon Dancer's expression turned pleadingly towards her sister. "Please don't tell Mom or Dad about this..."

"I won't," Morning Roast replied after a moment, diverting her own gaze. "But, only if you put a stop to all of this," she added in a murmur.

Moon's eyes widened.

"What...? You... can't be serious—!"

"I already spoke to the princess about this too," her sister continued, apathetic to her distress, "and I told her how concerned I was for your safety... She agreed on finding a safer alternative—"

"N-no!" Moon Dancer exclaimed, stomping her hoof in stubborn refusal. "Y-you can't! You... Equestria n-needs a hero, and... and doing this, it... i-it makes me feel alive!"

"That's because it's a high you're riding... but I don't believe it's a healthy outlet for you, Moon. Especially with your mental and emotional state, the last thing you need is vigilantism on your shoulders."

Moon Dancer paused, growing pensive.

"Seriously? You're using those as an excuse?" Her eyes swiftly narrowed as her anger piqued. "That's low, Sis."

"I'm doing this for your own good, Moon. If you don't stop this... I will tell Mom and Dad, and they'll react much worse than me right now."

Moon Dancer remained silent, glowering back at her older sister.

"I'm doing this out of love for you, Moon. I don't care if this sours our relationship... I can't stand by while you risk your life." After a moment, she added, "Why can't you just devote yourself to your studies... and be more like your classmates from back in the day?"

Moon Dancer's heart thumped sickeningly, her eyes slowly widening.

"After all, it's not like you see any of them playing hero, right?"

Celestia believes Rainbow and me... have already been chosen by them.

"Whose worthy of bragging rights now, Mrs. Velvet? Looks like Twilight Sparkle isn't the princess's only protégé."

Morning Roast cocked her head worryingly at her sister's silence. "Moon...?"

"Get out!"

Moon's outburst rattled her sister, leaving her in stunned silence.

"O-oh..." Morning's ears flopped, her gaze saddening. "O-okay. If... that's what you want..." She nodded solemnly, turning towards the door. Hanging her head, she glanced back sorrowfully towards her younger sister.

I really am sorry, Moon... I hope someday... you'll be able to forgive me...

She exited out the lab, leaving her younger sister behind, alone... anger bubbling just beneath the surface as her sister's words played out over and over again in her head.

"I already spoke to the princess about this too, and I told her how concerned I was for your safety... so she agreed on finding a safer alternative."






Day 338


"How could you?!"

Celestia flinched at Moon Dancer's teary outburst, her student's voice breaking.

"I devoted years of my life to that research... a-and becoming somepony who could protect others! And you strip it all away just because of something my sister said?!"

"Moon Dancer, I..." Celestia grimaced, her ears flopping guiltily. "I couldn't just ignore your sister's concerns!"

"You could have told her how capable I am!"

"That wouldn't make her worry any less. Take it from me... an older sister myself."

Moon Dancer hesitated, letting out a huff.

"Furthermore, I am not so sure you are capable, Moon Dancer."

Huh? The young pony's chest tightened, looking up at her mentor bewilderingly.

"When we were in the woods the other day... you could have been seriously injured had I not been there."

"B-but I wasn't!" Moon Dancer protested. "Why didn't you mention any of this to me before, while I was working with you to help the other Twilight?"

"Because I hoped to show you another way that you could utilize your gifts for the benefit of others... and in turn, you helped the other Twilight. You managed to be helpful while finding a practical application for your research, and all without bringing any harm to yourself or others."

Moon Dancer grit her teeth.

"Y-you hypocrite!"

Celestia blinked, staring down at the younger unicorn, dumbfounded.

"I know... a-all about how Twilight is chosen, and... and how you have all these huge plans for her and Rainbow to... to became heroes!"

Celestia remained dumbstruck, her lips slowly parting. "You know...?"

Moon Dancer gave a slight nod in response, looking off bitterly.

"I bet Twilight's parents don't have a clue either, do they?"

Celestia peered away. "They do not," she confessed.

"What a surprise. Oh, but I'm guessing if I told them, and they came pleading to you, you'd stay true to your resolve, wouldn't you?"

"Moon Dancer, I... The Elements are essential. They have the potential to bring true harmony to the world; and whether or not her parents agree with my decision, it unfortunately cannot be helped. I need Twilight to become the Element of Magic."

"Okay, well... what about me? D-don't I have what's necessary to embody one of these elements?"

"Before, I would have suggested magic, but as you already know... Twilight is fulfilling that role."

Again, somepony's comparing the two of us... Moon Dancer fumed silently. Telling me how much more capable Twilight is than me...

"I am sorry, Moon Dancer, but the Elements of Harmony are the heroes Equestria needs... and so long as I can help it, I will not have any other ponies needlessly endangering themselves. Is that clear?"

"Whatever," grumbled Moon Dancer in response. "But, if you're going to rip my dream away from me... at least compensate me for helping you this past week. At least give me that, or is Twilight the only student of yours that gets to get paid, and live comfortably on her own?"

"...Very well."

Moon Dancer gave a slight nod of acknowledgement, before turning for the exit without another word.

"Moon Dancer," Celestia called out after her. "I truly am sorry. I never intended on ripping your dream away from you, but you must understand... I merely wish to respect your sister's wishes. I will also reiterate that I have many jobs available to you here, where we could put your expertise to good use! Please," she urged. "Consider my offer."

"...Sure," the young unicorn murmured with a halfhearted sigh, refusing to even glance behind her. "Whatever." She resumed her own pace towards the bedroom door.

"W-will you at the very least be by tomorrow, to see the other Twilight off?"

Moon Dancer's hoof froze as it reached for the door handle, caught off guard by the sudden reminder.

"...I will," she replied after a moment of contemplation. "But make no mistake." She looked back over her shoulder at Celestia, bearing a teary and bitter glare. "I'm doing this for her," she stated plainly. "Not for you."






Day 339


Twilight's double looked herself over in Celestia's own bedroom mirror, as she modeled the sweatshirt Moon Dancer had picked out for her.

Brown, baggy sleeves, and a forest-green body and hood... she couldn't help but agree with Moon Dancer's sentiment from the other day.

The color indeed suited her.

She adjusted the rustic satchel strapped across her chest, containing her map and time spell, along with her cruise ticket and a few other basic necessities, then turned to face Moon Dancer.

"Looks like I'm all set to leave."

"Looks like it," Moon Dancer agreed, forming a halfhearted smile back at her.

"Hey..." Twilight's doppelganger furrowed her brow in concern, reaching out a hoof. "You okay? You've seemed sort of distracted since coming here."

Moon Dancer looked back at the other Twilight in surprise.

"J-just peachy," she replied, a little less than convincingly.

"Okay?" Twilight tilted her head curiously, before shrugging it off and garnishing a reassuring smile. "Hey... well, you know, whatever's bothering you... just remember that you still have friends you can turn to for support."

"Yeah," scoffed Moon Dancer. "If only two of those friends weren't still comatose..."she added under her breath. She averted her eyes for a moment, when remembering Twilight's double was standing before her, and scrambled to assure her.

"S-sorry. I didn't mean to remind you, o-or insinuate—!"

"N-no, no, it... I-it's okay, Moon Dancer," Twilight's doppelganger was quick to respond, before falling silent, her confident smile disappearing from her face. "Unfortunately, I... can't promise you that they'll remember you, or even each other, but... those bonds aren't so easily erased, regardless of what my more villainous self thinks. So, even if you do forget one another... your bonds will make it so that you'll meet again, and reignite the friendships you all hold with one another."

A thought spurred in Moon Dancer's head upon hearing Twilight's words. Reignite friendships, huh...

"And who knows? Maybe one day the inknorance will fade on its own... or I'll make it back to my own world in time to complete the Shield of Wisdom spell, restoring everything here that was lost."

"Yeah," Moon Dancer agreed with a halfhearted chuckle, "may-be."

"Well then," Celestia said as she cut in, stepping forward. Moon Dancer tensed, and swiftly veered her gaze away. "Is there anything more you need, or wish to say before you set off?"

Is there anything...? Twilight's doppelganger blinked, caught off guard by the question as she swiftly fell into thought.

"Nope!" she replied after a couple moments with a confident smile.

Celestia returned the smile. "Then I bid you farewell, Twilight, and I wish you safety on your travels. I sincerely do hope that you find your way home, and back to your friends."

"Thank you, Princess... Oh, and thanks for letting me stay here the past couple of days too!" She raised her hood up over her head as she gathered her bearings, and turned for the bedroom door. She waved them goodbye as she turned around fully, letting out a deep breath as she opened the door.

And as she closed the door behind her, she once more became steeped in thought.

Was there anything I wanted to tell them? Yeah, I mean of course there was! Like the truth about their reality, for starters. But if I did that, then... then it would only serve to disrupt their sense of self... their sense of being.

As Twilight's doppelganger exited the castle grounds, stepping hoof into the bright, sun-filled streets of another summer morning in Canterlot, she looked onwards with an air of confidence.

Even if these ponies are just some... byproduct of another reality... A strong wind blew through her hair and hood, giving her pause on her way to the docks; and in that moment, felt its cool touch. She looked around herself, taking in all the sights and sounds, and smiled, turning her gaze towards the sun, feeling the warmth on her face.

This world is as real as any other... she mused in her brief moment of reprieve; and these ponies deserve to live believing that they are exactly that... Real.






Day 341


Twilight's double leaned up over the railing of her cruise ship as she stood up on her hind legs. A steady breeze rustled the bangs of her mane from under her hood, as the salty ocean air filled her nostrils.

Below her, the ocean waves flowed in a calm motion as the ship's horn bellowed out deeply into clear, blue skies.

She breathed in deeply, holding her breath for a long moment before letting it all out.

I never intended to live. My flesh should've been burned away, my body buried beneath piles of rocks and rubble... and yet, the darkness—whatever of it is left, is sustaining me. It doesn't want to die either. It wants to reunite with the rest of it, whatever of it is slumbering, locked away inside my other's subconscious... It's grown so fond of my mind... my magic... but it wants a fresher, stronger body.

She looked ahead confidently, into the wild, blue yonder. So long as we're never reunited, that'll never happen.

At the same time, the sky darkened above her, drawing her curiosity.

Clouds...? she wondered, beginning to look upwards, when the sounds of some frightened passengers captured her attention.

"Pirates!" one of them exclaimed.

Pirates? Twilight's double repeated dubiously in thought, her ears perking up.

Ropes descended from the sky onto the ship's deck, near to where she stood, and before she knew it, dark figures rode the ropes down until landing on the ship's deck.

Other passengers scrambled back just as the tall, upright and seemingly bird-like creatures brandished swords above their heads.

Twilight's heart sunk, and in a panic, activated her magic.

She reappeared before the trio of... parrot pirates, and conjured her shield, standing defensively before the other passengers.

"Go, get out of here!" she exclaimed to the ponies stood behind her, before redirecting her focus towards the so-called pirates with a glare.

"Leave these poor ponies alone, you fiends!" she demanded in a daunting tone, her horn brimming with magic. "I won't ask you again."

"Fiends...?" one of the supposed pirates muttered.

"Is she seriously going to fight us...?"

"Yeah, I mean we usually never encounter such resistance... Should, should we fight back, or—?"

"Time's up," Twilight's double growled out, ready to blast the three of them from the deck and into the waters below, when another voice grabbed her attention.

"Heads up, boys!"

The pirates, along with Twilight, turned their attentions above them, in time to see a fourth bipedal parrot descend from one of the ropes that extended from the stationary airship floating above.

Her cohorts stumbled back as she landed triumphantly before Twilight.

The pirate cracked a smirk, tilting her hat up from above her eyes as they bore down at the pony.

"Well, what do we have here? A well-meaning ne'er-do-well?"

"Something like that..." Twilight stood her ground, watching who seemed to be their captain with a weary expression. "I'm not about to let you and your gang of cronies hurt these—!"

"Hurt them?" the pirate captain replied incredulously. "You have the wrong idea, little pony. My crew and I don't endanger innocents, and, for those who oppose us, well... you'd be the first."

"Yeah, well... I'll also be the last if you don't return to your air... pirate ship... thing t-this instant!"

"Sorry, but no can do. See, me and my mates, we're in dire need of supplies, and we no longer have a home to return to exactly, after we were forced to flee, so our ship has become our new home away from home. Don't worry," she added, "we'll only take what we need to survive; and surely you ponies can spare us a thing or two."

"That depends on why you guys were forced to flee in the first place. You're... what, wanted fugitives?"

"Survivors, actually. Our homeland was attacked by a power-crazed tyrant," the pirate captain confessed, giving Twilight's doppelganger pause. "Oh, but of course you ponies don't know a thing about that, living in your idyllic kingdom full of sunshine and rainbows."

Twilight averted her eyes guiltily, her body beginning to ease up.

"We all lost something in the carnage," the captain continued, placing emphasis on her pegleg made of emerald as she stepped forward. "But these losses have only brought us closer together, and made us stronger... and more determined than ever to fight for our freedom."

"I... I get it." Twilight relented with a small nod of acceptance as she dispersed her shield. "I'm a survivor too, actually." She raised her right foreleg, letting her baggy sleeve fall, and revealing her prosthetic to the pirates. The metallic gleam was faintly visible from beneath the shadow of the airship. "My life has honestly been anything but idyllic."

The pirates remained silent as Twilight's double lowered her sleeve back down around her foreleg.

"A-anyway, I'm not the captain of the ship, so I don't really care if you help yourselves to any of the supplies here on board, so long as you leave some for the ponies, and you leave them all unharmed. The captain though, or the crew... they on the other hoof..."

"Hmph. Looks like you're a lot more understanding than I initially thought. Don't worry, we fearsome pirates know a thing or two about intimidation tactics. We make a few threats and they'll go running. We don't really have any interest in hurting others."

With that, she turned to her crew, exclaiming, "Lix, Boyle, Mullet! You know what to do. Let's plunder ourselves some loot, and if anyone tries to stop you, scare 'em good."

Her crewmates pumped their swords into the air above their heads as they unanimously exclaimed, "Aye, Captain!"

She grinned as her men took off, before then turning her attention back towards the pony brave enough to confront her.

"So, what's your story anyway?"

"A long one," Twilight's doppelganger replied. "So, you guys really live on that airship, huh? Why not just settle somewhere else?"

"I don't think we'd be welcomed anywhere, to be honest... Besides, we've grown accustomed to this kind of lifestyle. It may not be the most noble, but it's liberating, and exciting. We come across all kinds of treasures, and make all kinds of discoveries on our travels."

All kinds of discoveries, huh... Twilight's double considered the pirate captain's words, before reaching into her satchel with her magic, and pulling out the map Celestia had given her. She opened it for the captain to see, pointing to the red xes dotting the nearby islands.

"Will you by any chance be stopping at any of these islands?"

"We go wherever the Storm King isn't, and these waters seem safe, so why not? We go wherever adventure lies."

Storm King? Twilight's doppelganger pondered the name briefly before filing the thought away. "C-can I come with you guys?"

The pirate captain blinked, taken aback with a dumbfounded look on her face. "Ex... E-excuse me?"

Twilight backpedaled, explaining herself more clearly. "I-I was heading out to these islands, and maybe even beyond them in search of something too. I don't seek adventure, or riches... but what I'm searching for is more important to me than any treasure... and, plus..." Her cheeks flushed red as she smiled sheepishly. "I'm... fairly certain the ponies on board won't be too pleased with me basically allowing you guys to plunder this ship, when I otherwise could have stopped you."

"Hmph. It's true," the captain supposed. "They might very well throw you in the brig for that. Are you really sure though that a little pony like yourself wants to rough it with a bunch of fierce, thieving outlaws like ourselves?"

"I've endured a lot more than you think. I think I can be a big help to you, i-if you'll have me."

"Well, you've got guts, I'll give you that. Maybe it's the fact that you're missing a piece of yourself, or maybe it's the way you stood up to both me and my men, but... I feel for you, little pony; and you're right about being useful to us. So I'll allow it... but if you even think about mutinying, the boys and I won't hesitate to throw you overboard. Savvy?"

Twilight's double gulped, nodding her head in response. "Y-yes, Ma'am."

"It's Captain, little pony. Captain Celaeno."

"Uh... D-duly noted, Captain. B-but I have a name too, and it's not 'little pony'. My name's...!"

She fell silent, glancing down at her prosthetic foreleg, biting her lip in contemplation. My name's Twilight, but... am I really still worthy of that name, after everything I've done? After everything I've been through...? Not to mention I probably shouldn't be telling pirates my true identity... I've changed so much already, and now that I'm living in this new reality, and about to set off with a band of thieving pirates... perhaps it's time I invented... a new identity for myself.

With that in mind, she lifted her gaze, meeting Captain Celaeno's expectant gaze.

"Well...?" the pirate captain asked.

"You can just go ahead and call me Cy-Twi," Twilight's doppelganger replied with a confident smile.

"Cy-Twi? Is that supposed to be some sort of codename? Is it because you don't trust us pirates? Hmph, smart mare."

"Captain Celaeno!" her men called out to her, as they came up beside her, carrying burlap sacks over their shoulders.

"Boys! Back already?"

"Sure am, Capt'n," Mullet replied. "We grabbed as much as we could, while abiding by the young missus' order to leave some for the ponies on board."

"Now that's what I like to hear! Great work, all of you. Now then, let's shove off! Oh, but before we do... Men, say hello to our newest recruit."

She motioned to Cy-Twi, leaving the trio of male pirates at a loss for words.

"Uh... Capt'n? Are you serious?" Lix whispered.

"Yeah, I mean... we barely even know her," Boyle added.

"Well, it turns out we have some things in common, and she's wanting to visit the surrounding islands, so I invited her to tag along. No worries," Celaeno added in a whisper, cupping her beak with a talon, "I already told her that if she tries anything, we'll throw her overboard."

Boyle smiled back at her with a silent look of understanding.

"Alright then! Lads, and ladies..." Celaeno beamed down at Cy-Twi, and motioned her forward.

As they were talking, the pirates' airship, once present in the skies above, had flown closer to the ocean for the crew to board, the remaining crew aboard the airship having extended a plank for them to use.

Cy-Twi herself swallowed hard, gripping her satchel strap anxiously. For my friends, she thought, as she took her first step forward.

Celaeno tilted her hat up as she turned her gaze towards the endless, blue horizon, and grinned excitedly.

"Let's set sail!"






Day 359


Moon Dancer watched over the sleeping pegasus with heavy eyelids as yet another day passed with no change in Rainbow's condition. Maybe she could stay with me for the time being, but... Oh, nopony outside of Celestia and myself even remember who she is... I have to be here for her, when she wakes...

Moon Dancer stifled a yawn. Poor thing... Her own fiancée more than likely doesn't even remember her... Maybe if she saw Rainbow again, that would trigger a memory or two, but... does Rainbow even remember Twilight? The doctor said her thoughts may be a little jumbled. Oh, what if she doesn't—?

"Moon?"

Moon Dancer jumped in startlement, her head jerking up from the hoof it rested on. "Wha—?"

She paused, and visibly settled down, seeing that it was only her friends. "W-what are you girls doing here?"

"We're here to see you, silly," Twinkleshine said. "We know you've been cooped up in here for the past couple weeks. We didn't know why, but... we figured you could use some company. Maybe we could leave for a bit, hang out..."

Moon Dancer's surprised faded, being replaced instead with a warm smile. "I appreciate that, but... I'm not leaving until Rainbow comes to."

"Who's Rainbow?" they asked simultaneously.

Moon Dancer threw her head back, slapping a hoof against her forehead. "Right, I..." She turned apologetically towards them. "You girls don't know her, but... we were friends for a long while, and still hopefully are! She just... She got injured when disaster struck during the gala."

"That's a shame," Lemon Hearts said woefully, her ears drooping.

"Is she the reason you've opened up so much?" Minuette asked after a moment. Moon Dancer looked over at her, a little taken aback. "I mean, no offense, it's just... the Moon Dancer I know wouldn't be spending weeks in a hospital, let alone days, with a friend to look after no less."

"Uh, y-yeah, yeah, she's uh..." Moon Dancer sheepishly scratched the back of her head. "She's one of the reasons."

Twinkleshine nodded absentmindedly, continuing to stare down at the rainbow-maned mare. "She has such a pretty mane..." She looked over her shoulder, back at Moon Dancer. "I hope she gets better soon."

"Mhm!" the others agreed.

"However," Twinkleshine continued, drawing out the word, "she's also sound asleep, so... Please, Moon. Go home, get some sleep. I mean, Rainbow isn't going anywhere."

Moon Dancer considered it, biting her lip in thought before shaking her head. "I really should be here when she comes to. To help her adjust, and explain to her what happened."

"Ah, she'll piece it together on her own," Minuette said in a dismissive tone, ever the worry-free pony.

Moon Dancer however, wasn't so convinced.

"Maybe," she murmured, averting her eyes.

"And hey!" Lemon hearts chimed in. "We could surprise her with a party—a little get together, you know? In the castle courtyard!"

Moon Dancer simply blinked, and stared back at her, thinking over the idea. Her lips parted, and she was about to reply when Lemon added with a smile, "Don't worry. We'll tell everypony it was your idea."

"I..." I suppose it would be a nice opportunity to reintroduce Twilight to Rainbow, if they can only convince her to tag along. Moon Dancer smiled at the thought. "Only if you invite Twilight Sparkle—a-and Spike too!"

"Oh, we... didn't know you were friends with those two," remarked Twinkleshine, sharing surprised looks with Lemon and Minuette. "We bumped into them a couple times over the past year, I... think. Anyway! Sure, if you'd like us to invite them, we will."

"Thank you." Moon Dancer sat up, blinking away the grogginess from her eyes before stepping down from her chair. "So... I guess then, if you'll excuse me, I'll be heading home to get a proper day of rest, because after all—" She turned to them with an elated smile, a couple steps away from exiting the room. "—I have a party to organize!"






Day 362


Is this how it feels to love somepony? thought Twilight, as she lay in the dark, moonlit grass with her newly-made friend, using said friend's belly as a pillow.

Twilight pointed up at the sky. "That's the Ursa Major, reminiscent of the ursas we have here in Equestria." Her hoof lowered, resting it against her chest as her voice grew quiet. "To think those things actually exist..."

"Aw come on, Twi." Her friend rolled her eyes, smirking at the serious tone of Twilight's voice. "I mean, they're just bears."

Her friend's voice sounded like it was coming from far away, like it was being stifled by an invisible wall built between them.

"Just bears?" Twilight rolled over onto her stomach, looking her friend directly in the eyes, and doing her best to sound scary.

Her friend's visage remained cloaked in a dark veil, her features impossible to make out.

"Imagine a celestial, all-powerful creature. Fifty feet tall, and ravenous, with enormous fangs and eyes that bare right into your soul—!"

"Yeah, I uh, can imagine..."

Twilight paused, then merely nodded, smiling sheepishly while uttering a quick "Sorry," before turning back over to resume her stargazing.

"These things don't live around here, do they?" her friend questioned.

Twilight shook her head. "Most ursas live in the Everfree Forest," she explained, recalling what she could from the book she read about them. "It's a really, really, really, big forest south of here, and..."

"And?"

"That's all I know..." Twilight's admitted, timidly. "Sorry, I haven't exactly done much research on that particular forest."

"It's cool, Twi," her friend assured her. "From the sounds of it, neither of us will be paying this forest a visit anyway."

Twilight's eyelids dropped halfway. "I'd still like to learn more about it," she muttered.

Her friend chuckled faintly in response, seemingly fading along with the wind. "Whatever you say."

The two silently continued to lie in the grassy field for moments longer, only the faraway sounds of the city and chirping crickets filling the night air and reminding Twilight of just how late it was getting. "We really should head home," Twilight suggested. "I can only imagine how late it is."

She waited, expecting to hear her friend's answer, only to be greeted with the same, nightlife sounds.

She sat up, letting out a breathless gasp as she looked behind her... to find herself alone.

Her lips parted softly in bewilderment, as she stared at the grassy spot for a few, long moments in contemplation, before turning her attention towards the city itself.

The city, along with her surroundings seemed to have darkened while her back was turned, with the moon and stars now barely visible in the night sky.

This is way past my curfew! Why was I out here this late again...? I was with somepony, wasn't I? But, who...? She brought a hoof to her chin as she gave the questions some thought.

As she continued looking around, she picked up another voice. Faint, but unmistakable, and seemingly coming from right beside her.

"Twilight?"

She turned to face the disembodied voice with a questioning stare.

"Spike...?"

Her eyes blinked open, and she found herself lying in bed in a cold sweat, and breathing shakily as she looked around at her surroundings, slowly gathering her bearings.

She blinked her eyes, clearing the grogginess from them.

"Twilight," the familiar-sounding voice spoke up again; "y-you're awake!"

Twilight turned her head to the left curiously, following the source of the voice to her bedside where Spike stood looking up at her with a relieved look on his face.

Her brow furrowed in confusion.

"Awake...?"





"Whhhhaaaaaaatt?"

The outburst shook the tower to its very core.

Twilight breathed out faster and faster, running around her room, and around Spike, the poor dragon doing his best to calm her down.

Her hooves frantic and practically dancing back and forth, she levitated the calendar on her wall before her eyes. "What do you mean a whole year has gone by?!" Her hoof trailed up her cheek, raking through her mane. "Oh, I barely remember any of it! How does something like that happen?!"

She spun around to face Spike, seething and exhaling an angry snort.

"Er..." He gulped, tentatively raising a clawed hand and bracing for the worst. "To... to be fair... H-how many ponies really remember everything that happened the year before? I mean, when you look back on a year, how much of it do you really even remember? It all sort of feels like a blur when you try to remember everything, r-right?"

"Hmph." Twilight straightened up. "This is different, Spike," she noted matter-of-factly, gazing away. "I don't even remember yesterday..."

"Well... that's probably because you were asleep," Spike stated plainly.

"Asleep?" Twilight looked back at him and scoffed. "I was asleep the whole day, Spike?"

"Try weeks," Spike replied, Twilight simmering down immediately and staring down at him completely flabbergasted. He sighed, noting her dumbstruck expression, before explaining, 'There was this... horrible storm a month or so ago. Freak lightning and thunder, winds, buildings and streets demolished, trees in the forest caught fire, and the ground around there crumbled away..."

Twilight's ears flopped, and she looked away, anxiously rubbing the back of her neck.

"That, t-that's horrible," she uttered. "No... nopony got hurt, did they?"

Spike shook his head. "Everypony was at the castle for the Grand Galloping Gala. Princess Celestia was there, so she managed to keep them all safe."

"Except me, huh?" She shrunk back a little, giving him a sheepish smile. "I would never go to the Gala, a-and you said..."

"I said you were out—comatose—f-for weeks. You got pretty banged up, I... The Princess said you'd make a full recovery, but I..." Spike clutched his arm and gazed downwards, Twilight looking past his body language.

"Wait wait wait." She held up one of her hooves, beckoning him to slow down. "Princess Celestia was looking after me?"

Twilight bit her tongue before throwing her head back and letting out a disbelieving groan.

"W-what?" Spike asked. "What's wrong?"

"What's wrong is that the Princess of Equestria gave up time out of her busy schedule to look after me!"

"Well... you are one of her subjects, and a personal, close friend of—"

"Can you not use that word please? Thank you." Twilight breathed out, feeling her irritation, bubbling under her skin, start to settle.

"Well," he hesitantly spoke up, "You and her did grow closer over the past several months, so..."

"Did we?" Twilight's brow crinkled and her ears lowered. "I don't remember us growing closer... Are you sure, Spike?"

"I... remember her visiting you, a-and vice versa. What I don't remember are the reasons why, but..." He looked apologetically back at the unicorn as she bore the same searching look in her eyes. "She did mention that we're on vacation though, and have been for the past year or so, so..."

"Vacation?" Twilight repeated disbelievingly in a soft murmur.

Spike looked up at her worryingly. "Twilight?"

"Oh no, no no no no, this is not good!" She began trotting in place once more as her fears worsened, and her pupils darted around anxiously. "I've been on vacation this whole time? I must be so behind on my studies! Oh Spike, please tell me Princess Celestia at least dropped off the books she otherwise would have had me study!"

"Oh, uh... well, now that you mention it..."

Twilight perked up, staring down at him intently. "Yes?"

"Princess Celestia did say something about how she recognized a couple books upstairs, and wondered if you had read them or not... She seemed surprised at how dusty they had become."

Dusty? Twilight's heart sunk, and without another word, moved quickly towards the stairs.

"H-hey," remarked Spike as she passed by him. "Where are you...?"

"Sorry, Spike," replied Twilight, her gaze fixed firmly ahead. "But I've got some reading I need to catch up on!"





Twilight's awake...?

Celestia fell back onto her haunches, stunned by the words on the piece of paper suspended before her. A feeling of sheer relief washed over her, reading Spike's message over and over again within her head.

A smile tugged at her lips, and she rested a hoof over her worried heart.

Oh, what a relief...! Although, it would seem her memories truly have not returned, as we had previously feared...

She stood back up with a dreary sigh, rolling Spike's note up in her aura.

Well, the important thing is that she's awake, and seemingly the same as... as before she met Rainbow...

She fell silent, as the reminder sunk in.

A whole year of progress gone... She's no doubt afraid to socialize... to make friends even...

She looked up with teary eyes in determination.

I mustn't allow that to come to pass.






Day 363


Rainbow Dash stirred from underneath her hospital bed's covers. Her eyelids winced as she let out a few soft grunts and murmurs under her breath as she slept.

"Nngh... Tw... Twi...!"

Slowly, her eyes opened to the blank interior of the hospital room... her ears being greeted by the sounds of birds and bustling commotion just outside her room's open window.

The curtains flittered in the cool breeze that filtered in, gently cooling her flushed face. Slight trickles of sweat trailed down her face as she lay motionless, taking in her surroundings.

This feels like a hospital, she thought. But, why I am hospitalized? Oh crud... I didn't crash again, d-did I?

Fear swelled in the pit of her stomach as she considered the thought. I hope I didn't cause anypony any serious trouble...

She mulled over the thought as she sat up carefully, looking herself over.

Doesn't look like I sustained any injuries... Man... She sighed, softly shaking her head. How long have I been out...? Urgh, my memory's so hazy... I can't even remember what happened to me in the first place...

Her gaze returned to the open window opposite her, her attention lingering on the world outside.

That looks like Canterlot, but... what the heck am I doing here? Like, why am I not in Ponyville...? She groaned, flopping back onto her bed, and staring up hopelessly at the ceiling with half-lidded eyes.

Mrgh, so many questions... The last thing I really remember is losing my temper with Fluttershy... but now I can't even seem to remember why... It's like... whatever I was feeling before just... vanished. Urgh... Rainbow pursed her lips as she deadpanned. I'm such a mess.

She lay awake for a while before the door to her room eventually opened, followed by a cheery male voice.

"Well, looks who's awake," the voice greeted her. Rainbow herself sat up to see a male stallion entered halfway through her room's doorway.

Awake? she repeated in her head. "Er, h-how long have I been asleep for?" she asked him as he walked up beside her bed.

"Well, I do believe it's been roughly a month since you were first brought here."

A... a-a month...? Rainbow paled, feeling her heart sink.

"How're you feeling?" the doctor carried on in a caring tone, oblivious to the distressed look on her face. "Truth be told, you had me worried after the first couple weeks, because there was still no change in your condition. Your vitals and brain scans all returned normal... Honestly, we really weren't entirely sure what was ailing you, so we could only really wait for you to regain consciousness." He smiled meekly, scratching the back of his head.

"I don't understood," Rainbow confessed after a long moment in a defeated tone. She gazed down hopelessly at her bed covers. "What am I doing here? In Canterlot? Why am I not in a hospital in Ponyville? And for that matter... why am I in a hospital in the first place?"

"Ponyville?" the male doctor repeated in a surprised tone of voice. "I'm sorry, but the friend of yours that brought you here... She says you've been living here in Canterlot for the past year or so."

Rainbow's heart pounded sickeningly against her chest at the doctor's words as her gaze drifted, and her breaths grew uneven... feeling as though her whole body had gone numb all of a sudden. It felt so unreal... A whole year...? she repeated over again in her head. How... how h-has an entire year gone by, and... and I can't remember a s-single...!

Her ears perked up, and her attention shakily returned to the doctor as he resumed speaking.

"We checked your public records. You actually checked in at another hospital here in the city last year, and it seems you indeed have been living here since around the same time. You've been working as a weather mare, isn't that correct?"

"I... I-I dunno," came Rainbow's uncertain, and quiet response, hanging her head in doubt. "I can't even seem to recall yesterday..."

"Hm..." The doctor gave a slight nod, peering off solemnly. "This is what I was worried about..."

"The friend," Rainbow said, speaking back up. "Was it a mare? A-and did she have a yellow coat, a-and pink mane?"

The doctor thought about it briefly, before solemnly shaking his head. "I'm afraid not, no." At that, Rainbow's gaze returned to the bedding. "Her name was... Oh, what was it again...? She only mentioned it once, and it was when she first brought you here..."

"I, I see..." Rainbow murmured dejectedly, barely nodding. A long moment passed in silence before she mustered the courage to speak up again, this time asking, "Doc... D-did I lose my memories or something?" Not a moment went by after asking her question, before her expression swiftly turned panicked, struck by a second worrying thought. "Don't tell me I partied too hard, and blacked out—! Er, repeatedly." She fell silent, questioning the possibility. "For an entire year, and... yeah, on second thought, probably not—"

"Ah-hem." The doctor cut in, clearing his throat. "Apparently you sustained quite the injuries from the month prior. I believe your repressed memories may be tied to the trauma your body endured."

Rainbow gazed up at him curiously. "Trauma...?"

"Sometimes," the doctor continued, "when an individual receives such severe physical trauma... the memories tied to the incident are repressed."

"Oookay...? But, was that incident tied to the rest of the year, or...?" Rainbow peered away sadly, as her voice lowered to that of a murmur. "I can't seem to remember anything since leaving Ponyville..."

"Hmm... well, I'm not equipped to help with that. What I do know is that your physical injuries have mostly all healed. As for your memory..." He smiled, setting a hoof upon her shoulder. "Perhaps I can refer you to a psychotherapist."

Rainbow however, remained in deep thought, paying the doctor's words little mind.

I don't even remember why I left, or why I was so angry... but I know I left Fluttershy hanging for a whole year! I gotta get back home, apologize to her, a-and for being gone for so long!

"Well, in the meantime," he continued. "Just focus on getting bedrest and taking it easy, okay? Take it one step at a time, and I'm positive your memories will return in due time."

He smiled reassuringly, before turning, opening the door before stepping outside, and shutting it softly behind him.

I don't have time for that! I ran away from my problems, my family... and I up and left those who only tried to help me! She stood up from her bed, disgusted with herself. I don't know what happened to me this past year, but whatever happened, it was a wakeup call. I'm such an awful friend for leaving 'Shy hanging for so long... but from this moment onwards, I swear... I'm never abandoning my friends like that ever again!

With her mind made up, she crouched forward, spreading her wings wide, before taking off towards the open window... the curtains whipping about wildly from the residual gust of wind.

Though, as she soared over the rooftops and tall spires of Canterlot, she couldn't shake a nagging feeling weighing heavily on her mind.

Why does it feel... like I'm doing just that...?





Once upon a time, in the magical land of Equestria, there were two regal sisters who ruled together and created harmony for all the land. To do this, the eldest used her unicorn powers to raise the sun at dawn; the younger brought out the moon to begin the night. Thus, the two sisters maintained balance for their kingdom and their subjects, all the different types of ponies.

But as time went on, the younger sister became resentful. The ponies relished and played in the day her elder sister brought forth, but shunned and slept through her beautiful night. One fateful day, the younger unicorn refused to lower the moon to make way for the dawn. The elder sister tried to reason with her, but the bitterness in the young one's heart had transformed her into a wicked mare of darkness: Nightmare Moon.

She vowed that she would shroud the land in eternal night. Reluctantly, the elder sister harnessed the most powerful magic known to ponydom: the Elements of Harmony. Using the magic of the Elements of Harmony, she defeated her younger sister, and banished her permanently in the moon. The elder sister took on responsibility for both sun and moon... and harmony has been maintained in Equestria for generations since.

Twilight paused, looking down at the page with a scrutinizing gaze, furrowing her brow in thought. Hmm... Elements of Harmony, she thought curiously, turning her gaze up towards the sky, and the clouds above. The silhouette of a pegasus passed by overhead, briefly capturing her attention.

I know I've heard of those before... but where?





Twilight walked leisurely on her way back to her home, when she found herself stopped in her tracks by three familiar faces.

Old classmates of hers, if she recalled correctly.

"There you are, Twilight!" Twinkleshine exclaimed in delight. "Moon Dancer is having a little get-together in the west castle courtyard. You wanna come?"

Twilight stared back in silence, before glancing away nervously. "Oh, sorry, girls... I've got a lot of studying to catch up on." She grinned apologetically as an awkward silence set in, and unsure of what more to say, ran off... leaving her classmates watching in confusion as she left.

Twinkleshine sighed, turning to her friends in concern. "Does that pony do anything except study?" She frowned, turning around fully, along with Minuette and Lemon Hearts. "I think she's more interested in books than friends."

"Makes you wonder what Moon Dancer was thinking, inviting her..." Lemon added in solemnly. "I mean, if she were really Moon's friend, then... she wouldn't have ran off like that without a second thought... right? Like, we talked to Spike about it, and he seemed cool with the idea..."

Minuette shrugged, biting her lip as her ears flopped, and she looked between her two friends in uncertainty.

"So..." she began hesitantly, anxiously rubbing her foreleg. "What do we tell Moon Dancer?"





Celestia's ears became alert, and she turned to see her advisor Kibitz, standing in her room's doorway, seemingly distressed over... something.

"Princess!" he began, bowing his head before her. "Beg your pardon for the intrusion, but you said if there was an update regarding a certain patient...!"

Celestia's heart skipped, and she gave him her full attention, urging him to continue as her own feelings suddenly worsened.

"Y-yes...?"

"Er, well... i-it's just... The staff there sent a letter, notifying me that the young miss is nowhere to be found!"

"W-what do you mean, nowhere to be found?"

"Exactly that. One moment she was in bed, and the next, gone!"

"She didn't escape out a window, did she? I thought I had requested not to leave her in a room with one."

"Yes, well... It would seem that that simply was not doable," replied Kibitz. "I am sorry, Princess... but we currently have no clue as to her whereabouts. So... what do you suggest? Should we send out a search party?"

"That... won't be necessary, Kibitz," Celestia told him, after thinking it over. "I think I may know where it is she flew off to..."

"Princess?"

She's either returned home... she thought. Or, she's returning to her home away from home... Before she could ponder any further, several green flames appeared suddenly, lapping at the air before her, and resulting in a scroll that proceeded to fall harmlessly to the floor below.

"A letter?" Kibitz questioned. "Those green flames could only indicate...!"

"It's from Twilight," remarked Celestia, sharing the same thought. Her gaze narrowed in on the seal on the parchment. She levitated the scroll in her aura, bringing it closer to her... her chest growing heavier. So, either she's writing to tell me that Rainbow has returned to her... or more realistically...

Her gaze saddened as she began opening the letter. She's writing to inform me about... a particular prophecy...





"Make sure to tell Twilight to... stop reading those dusty old books."

Those were the words Twilight's otherworldly doppelganger had spoken to her, all those nights ago.

Advice from a future yet to be written? Celestia pondered. Had I, in her reality... given her that same advice?

Well, it wasn't particularly bad advice, she supposed, and... it sounded like something she would have said.

Celestia sighed, mulling over to do as she stood at her bedroom desk, overlooking the letter her pupil had sent to her, moments prior.

There were quite a few crossed-out words and scribbles, but she managed to get the gist of it.

Nightmare Moon was returning... and her student was dead set on making sure it didn't happen.

I'm guessing she finally got around to reading those books I lent her all those months ago... She smiled, snorting in slight amusement at the thought. I was thinking maybe I should have been more direct... but I had wanted to teach her a different way, and have her build her relationships instead. Having her fret over a villain's impending return surely wouldn't have done her any good, and yet... I gave them to her anyway because... because I still needed her to know of the future, and the Elements... After what the other her told me though... Was I wrong to have ever given them to her in the first place? Even when I tasked them with exploring the Everfree, it ended with them learning the truth about Nightmare Moon and their destinies, and look what happened because of it. They must have been so worried... and I decided the best course of action would be to throw a gala. I thought having more guards employed would be enough... It's no wonder the darkness within the other Twilight hated those of us in power so deeply... The more I trivialize these threats... the worse things are going to get.

She breathed out deeply, looking up from her desk as she took a moment to reflect.

If I tell Twilight to find the Elements, then she'll most certainly ignore everypony else around her... but if I tell her to help out with the Summer Sun preparations, then she'll begrudgingly do so, all the while thinking that I've gone crazy, and still end up trying to stop Nightmare Moon regardless.

She walked to the glass doors leading to her balcony, looking out them with a contemplative expression. No... I must place my faith in the other Twilight's words. She'd know herself better than even myself... and if she believes that's what her other self needs, then so be it. And if Rainbow Dash truly has returned to Ponyville, then... that only furthers my decision. Those two belong together—not only because of their connection to the Elements—but because of their love for one another. They may not remember it, but perhaps meeting again may stir those forgotten feelings. After all, memories and feelings are never truly forgotten—they merely remain buried... waiting to be rediscovered.

She turned away from the outside world with her mind made up.

They'll fall in love again, I'm sure of it. I only wish that I could intervene, and remind them of the feelings they hold for one another myself... but that would be forcing the issue, and would they even believe me for that matter? I can't just simply force them to fall in love again...

It was that thought that made her a little apprehensive, as she levitated a quill over her piece of parchment, laid out on the desk before her.

Regardless, my time in Equestria grows shorter as Nightmare Moon's return draws ever nearer. It won't be long until she returns, and inevitably gets her revenge on me. So I must make the most of the time I have left, and chose my words carefully, even if... she ends up resenting me because of it.

With a heavy heart, she began writing.


My dearest, most faithful student Twilight...







? ? ?



Heading back home for the foreseeable future.



- Starlight Glimmer


Starlight peered up at the hastily-written message that she had scribbled onto a sticky note, and stuck to the door leading to hers and Moon Dancer's lab.

She turned without a second thought, saddlebags in tow and staff slung over her shoulder.

She made her way out the front doors of the school, closing them behind her before carrying on her way. All the while memories began surfacing, as she hurried through the late night streets alone on her way to the train station.

Memories of everything that had led to this very moment.

"Enough!" a voice bellowed across her thoughts. "You've gone too far this time, Starlight!"

A blindingly-strong light grew in intensity from the top of the horn of the alicorn she faced off against.

Twilight Sparkle.

Miss Goody Four-Shoes. Miss Perfect.

'Our differences are what make us special,' Sparkle.

Starlight scowled, though her gaze remained squinted as she looked up at the insufferable princess in all of her pompous glory.

She hovered opposite the mare, suspended within her own aura of magic, over an unoccupied stretch of runway in the Cloudsdale training field.

"I've tried to be patient with you, Starlight... but no more! When you risk the life of one of my best friends—a young filly no less...! That's where I draw the line!"

The orb of magic continued to expand from the tip of her horn.

Starlight raised her brow. "What're you—?"

The culmination of magic erupted, rippling forward and filling the surrounding area with a pure white light.

Nngh... What... is...?

Starlight's eyelids softly began to fall shut, feeling as though the magic itself was being drained from her body.

The light soon faded, and she warily opened her eyes... only to find herself rapidly approaching the ground.

She hastily explained herself to the train conductor, before then boarding the last train headed northbound.

Her destination? As far as the tracks would take her.

She grabbed an empty seat, sitting close to the window as she rested her cheek against the glass... staring out at nothing in particular.

The whistle soon sounded, and before long the train began chugging along.

And as the sounds filled her ears... her mind once again drifted off, once more recalling the past...

She sucked in a sharp breath through clenched teeth, sitting rigidly on the runway, carefully rubbing her sore flank with a hoof.

"Rrgh... what did you do!?"

Starlight glowered up at Twilight, who met her embittered stare with one of her own.

"You've not only attempted to alter history, but nearly gravely hurt one of my closest friends. For that... I've relieved you of your magic for the time being."

"Relieved me of...?" Starlight's heart skipped... the alicorn's words slowly sinking in.

"G-give it back!" she exclaimed in a desperate plea.

Twilight shook her head.

"That isn't how the spell works," she explained. "Your magic will return to you eventually... but in the meantime, this will allow me to detain you... and will hopefully serve as a reminder to think twice before using your magic to hurt others."

"Rrgh..." Starlight glowered up at the hovering princess, and her little dragon assistant that sat upon her back with a scornful glare.

Not since those three witches... have I been forced to use such drastic measures, thought Twilight, solemnly. I feel like I nearly exhausted my magic... but if it means keeping Rainbow Dash safe, then...

"Twilight," beckoned Spike, grabbing her attention. "Twilight, look! It's gonna happen!"

"Hm? What's that, Spike?" she asked as she swiveled her head to look where he was pointing.

There, in the far off distance, came a thunderous boom, followed by a ring of expanding colors.

And from those colors shot forth a rainbow-striped streak that tore through the sky.

Twilight looked on with a relieved expression and wary smile. "Looks like history is saved..."

"Y-you fool!" cried Starlight, grabbing both their attention. "You have to give my magic back this instant!"

"Uh-huh..." Twilight replied, a little skeptically. "And why's—?"

"B-because if you don't, then I won't be able to connect with the spell I used to bring us both here! I... I won't be able to able to return to our time—!"

As if on cue, the portal to the present opened in the sky above them both.

Twilight winced, feeling the tremendous pull of the portal drawing both herself and Spike in.

A short distance away, a rainbow streak zoomed closer and closer... the little filly responsible catching a brief glimpse of the whole ordeal... and the winged unicom who hovered before her.

"Ngh... Starlight! G-grab my hoof!"

She reached out, Starlight hurriedly mirroring the gesture... when, all of a sudden, everything went quiet. The portal, and Twilight herself, disappeared in the blink of an eye... leaving her alone on the runway.

Starlight stared up breathlessly at the clear blue sky, and the spot where the portal had been... feeling her chest begin to grow heavier with each passing moment.

Her breaths became increasingly shallow, and shaky... overcome with so many different thoughts and emotions that she didn't know what to think.

Overhead, a rainbow streaked on by, bringing with it a joyous laughter that filled the air.

"Ye-aa-ahh! This is so awesome!"

Starlight didn't bat an eye... as she instead only continued to stare in wide-eyed disbelief.

"I'm trapped in the past," she muttered to herself. A sick feeling grew in the pit of her stomach... her mind dizzying.

"I'm trapped... i-in the past..."





"Mmrgh... Come on..."

Starlight let out a frustrated grunt as she focused on her horn for the umpteenth time... only to drop her shoulders in dismay when not even a single spark chose to ignite.

"D-darn it! Not even a shimmer..."

Starlight hid away behind some bleachers, not far from her initial skirmish with the Princess of Friendship herself.

The morning had come and gone, and now the young pegasi were preparing to head home for the day.

Starlight idly watched from where she stood, keeping her distance and being sure to stay hidden.

She had held out hope somewhat, that the Princess of Friendship would have reenacted the spell, traveling back through time in order to bring her back from this waking nightmare.

Starlight snorted. What a foolish thought.

She herself no longer existed in the past linked to the spell, since she, Rainbow, and everypony else had already begun to move forward.

This present moment would no longer be the one Twilight would find herself in because time was continuously in flux. Even if the Princess of Friendship somehow recovered her strength, and made the trek back... Starlight would be nowhere to be found, because she existed now, not then... and there was just no way Twilight could be certain when she existed... within this vast sea of time.

The same could be said for Starlight herself, since the future she remembered was no longer that same future, as it too, was moving forward... effectively leaving her in the dust.

No, she was a mare lost in time, with no future or home to return to.

Families flocked to greet their kids, and take them home from their long day of school.

One of those kids being the rainbow brat herself, Starlight noted.

The reason she was trapped here...

Her curiosity morphed into an auspicious glare.

Those must be her parents... Hmph, even as a filly, her life just seemed so peachy...

She continued to watch even as the trio flew off together.

The audacity of that Twilight Sparkle... to claim that I had put her friend's life at risk... Sure, I had shot at her... but I had never meant to seriously injure her! Just to... prevent her from pulling off the sonic rainboom...

The evening soon came, and with it, Starlight's resolve.

If she was to be trapped in the past, then so be it.

She'd make the most of this alternate history—without Twilight and her meddlesome friends to get in her way.

She'd make it hers.

But first she'd need to begin her plan anew, and not to mention... make it to the Cloudsdale docks in one piece, without slipping through the clouds.

As she trudged through the evening, sunlit streets, moving tentatively with each step, she kept her head low... her anger festering just below the surface.

"Oh my, are... are you alright?"

Starlight stopped in her tracks, startled by the sudden voice.

She lifted her gaze instantly, coming face-to-face with a blue-coated pegasus mare, sporting a short, orange mane... and bearing a look of concern.

Her heart skipped, and her eyes widened, recognizing the mare from earlier. She's...!

Starlight grit her teeth. That... brat's mother...!

"I'm sorry to bother you, I just... couldn't help but notice your horn. It just looked to be leaking magic, forming... almost what looks like a sort of, well... storm cloud."

Leaking...? thought Starlight, dumbfounded. That can't be. My magic was taken away. There's no way it's returned already, unless... She lifted a hoof to her horn, then brought it before her eyes, drawing some of the mysterious, red substance along with it.

Her eyes immediately widened.

It's anger.

She gulped, feeling her body tense and grow increasingly rigid as a chill ran down her spine.

Anger was what was seeping out of her... and bubbling rapidly to the surface.

She let out a startled breath at the concerned tone of the pegasus mare, once more speaking to her.

"Come to think of it... I don't believe I've ever seen you around here before. It's not often that we get unicorns up here. Are you visiting somepony? Are you lost?" The older pony smiled kindly, extending a hoof. "Perhaps I can—"

Starlight scrambled backwards in a panic, frantically exclaiming, "D-don't come any closer!"

The other pony stopped where she stood, however remaining no less confused, and concerned for this distressed stranger.

A part of her urged her to just respect the strange pony's wishes, and carry on. It was getting late enough as it was, and Rainbow was no doubt growing impatient...

Another part of her however, urged her to think differently, reminding her that she'd be beside herself to not try and help.

"It could be the elevation that's causing your magic to act up. Why don't I show you towards the local clinic?"

"N-no! No-no, t-that's alright. P-please, just... leave me be!" Starlight bit her lip, her heart beating faster and faster. Because if you don't, she thought in dread; I can't guarantee what this emotional outpour will do if you don't...

Still she persisted... much to Starlight's ire.

"Are you here with somepony? Do you have anywhere to go?"

Starlight shut her eyes, bringing a hoof to her head.

Shut up, shut up, shut up!

Her emotional energy warbled, contorting in and out of shape.

"I can't begin to help you if I don't even know your name. Please... won't you at least tell me tha—"

Starlight clenched her teeth, blinking her eyes open to reveal a fierce red light.

"Stop talking!"

The other pony let out a breathless gasp, and then... nothing.

Starlight simmered down slowly, softly breathing in and out. She glowered for a moment longer, before her eyes returned to normal, and she was able to realize what exactly had caused Rainbow Dash's mother to go quiet.

Her anger diminished almost instantly, finding herself now overcome with guilt, denial... and an overwhelming sense of sadness...

Her magic had plunged itself deep into the older mare's chest like a knife, having acted entirely on its own accord.

The pegasus's eyelids slowly began to fall shut, her forelegs and hind legs buckling as they too, began to give out, and all the while her eyes never lost their longing gleam, yearning for an explanation.

N-no...!

Starlight wasted no time rushing up beside her, catching her as she stumbled forward, and helping to lie her down.

A knot formed in the back of her throat as her eyes grew heavier.

No no no no no, no! This isn't happening... this, this i-isn't...!

She kept the mare's head elevated, holding her other hoof over the gaping wound.

The older pony's breaths grew shorter, and more shallow, her lungs gasping for air.

Her lung must've been punctured... This isn't good. Without my magic to help re-expand it here and now, or to even so much as levitate her, I... Her face paled. She has minutes, at best...

"R... Rain..."

Starlight's teary gaze opened wide, and she looked down attentively at the older mare, picking up on her shallow utterances that she wheezed out.

"D-don't strain yourself!" urged Starlight, however her words went unheard as the mare's eyes turned upward, towards the sky.

Her eyelids lowered slightly as her eyes began glazing over.

"I... I-I'm s-sorry... Rai... n... B-bow... P-please," she whispered, as the light in her eyes continued to fade. "Stay s-strong without— me..."

Her eyelids closed completely as her breaths grew fainter and fainter, leaving Starlight breathless, as she stared down at the mare in her hooves in stunned silence.

After a moment of hesitation, Starlight mustered the courage to check the mare's pulse, and as she did so, gulped, feeling a cold shiver run through her body.

She instinctively drew both her hooves back, dropping the mare's head onto the cold, hard pavement as she scrambled back in fear.

Darn it, Twilight... L-look at what you've made me do...!

Her heart racing faster and faster, her gaze darted around anxiously before she brought herself to hightail it out of sight... leaving the older mare's body to eventually be discovered by patrolling authorities.





Okay, Starlight... you can do this.

Starlight breathed in, then out deeply, psyching herself up mentally. Just knock on the door, and introduce yourself as your younger self's aunt. Nothing strange about that!

She knocked a few hesitant times on the front door, then waited... sighing internally as the thought stewed in her head. Who am I kidding? There's at least a hundred things strange about—

Before her thought could finish, the door opened to reveal a refined, purple-coated and green haired stallion, about the same age as she was currently.

Dad... she thought, momentarily taken aback by the sight of him. Snapping back to reality, she swiftly asked, "M-mister Firelight?"

"Er, yes?" he greeted in a puzzled tone. "Hello, what can I...?"

His voice drifted, his eyes widening at the sight of the mare that stood just opposite him. She bore an almost anxious, sheepish-looking expression, but what really caught his eye... was just how much she reminded him of his daughter.

"Do I... know you?" he asked, tilting his head curiously.

Starlight stiffened at the question, forcing a grin to her face. "N-nope!" she swiftly denied, pupils darting to the left, then right. "No, you, uh... A-allow me to introduce myself. I'm Starlight's aunt!"

She held out her hoof, maintaining her cheery demeanor. "My n-name's Kite Flyer!"

"Er... Kite... Flyer...? That's funny..." His brow crinkled as he tentatively shook her hoof. "Limelight never mentioned having a sister..."

"Y-yeah, well... Mo— M-my sister kept a lot of things to herself, didn't she?"

Firelight gave a hearty sigh. "That she did..." he mused in agreement. "Regardless, it's very nice to meet you, Kite. What brings you all this way?"

"O-oh, well, uh... I-I've come to see Starlight actually."

"Starlight?" he questioned. "Whatever for?"

Before Starlight could explain herself, her father added, "Well, whatever the reason, I don't really think she's in the mood for visitors. Not since that friend of hers up and left recently..."

Starlight tensed, feigning ignorance. "Friend?" she inquired.

"Yeah, a young colt," Firelight explained. "Got his cutie mark, and not long after, moved with his family to Canterlot without a single notice. Starlight was devastated..."

Starlight grimaced at the somber reminder, placing the thought aside as she forced an elated smile to her face.

"Well that's precisely why I'm here!"

"Huh?" Firelight blinked, staring back at her in confusion.

"The school actually reached out to me, Starlight's closest relative, to ask if I could help them get in contact with her," she went on to explain. "Now I'm realizing it must have been because this friend of Starlight's talked about how gifted she was, and the school took interest."

"Um... okay...?" Firelight nodded along, however remaining no less confused. "But, even so... I don't understand why you didn't just write to me, and why you instead came all this way."

"O-oh, well..." Starlight fell silent as her mind struggled to come up with an excuse, and fast. "Because... I thought this would be easier in person..." she confessed, adding a dreary tone to her voice.

"Easier...?" Firelight questioned.

Starlight sighed. "Is it alright if we grab a seat, and talk about this inside instead? This may take a while to explain..."





"You want Starlight to come live with you?"

"O-only temporarily," Starlight assured, as she sat on one of the two sofas on either side of a coffee table in the home's living room, her father sitting opposite her. "Only so that she may attend school, and... and be given a chance to be with her friend again... When she won't be living on campus with her classmates, she'd be able to come stay with me! It would be her home away from home, so to speak."

"I see..." Firelight nodded his head slightly as he listened along.

"I thought this way would be easier than having the two of you pack up and move to Canterlot, find a new place to live, and adjust to a whole new way of life. This way, I could even accompany Starlight so that she could still come see you on days she doesn't have school. That, and school up there starts pretty soon, so even if you did move... her classes will already have started by then."

Firelight looked off in contemplation, and from Starlight's point-of-view, was seemingly mulling over... something.

He caught her puzzled expression from out of the corner of his eye, and turned to face her fully, smiling apologetically.

"I-I'm sorry. This is just a lot to take in..." he explained.

Starlight returned the smile. "I understand. This whole situation is very sudden and weird, I know. Not to mention that Starlight is still just a filly... but please, Firelight... think about what's best for her."

"I do!" Firelight insisted. "I-I always do, I just..." His voice softened, his gaze averting as he reminisced. "Ever since her mother left... and that Sunburst kid... Life's just been hard for her, you know? I want to provide her the best life I possibly can, but... I'm not so sure I'm ready to let her go off on her own yet either..."

Really, Dad? Starlight scoffed in thought. After leaving me by myself all those times...?

She forced the bitter reminder aside, maintaining her cheery demeanor.

"Starlight's a growing filly, you know. Some independence and a change of scenery may be exactly what she needs."

"Well... I suppose you're not wrong about that," Firelight admitted. "You're not wrong about me not wishing to move from Sire's Hollow either. I have so much love for this old town, and I was hoping Starlight would find her purpose here as well..."

"Is that what she wants though? She can't be a child forever, Firelight. Sooner or later, she's gonna have to leave home."

"Can it not be later...?" he asked, a little teary-eyed as he met her gaze. Starlight stared back at him, a little taken aback. She was about to reply, when her dad snorted, smiling softly. "No no, I... I'm sorry. You... y-you're right. If she truly did get accepted into magic school, then... then it's her decision, not mine."

Starlight forced an appreciative smile to her lips.

"Thank you. I know this isn't an easy choice to make... And l-like I said before, we'll come visit!"

Firelight gave a slight nod of his head in acknowledgement. "Just promise me that if she agrees to go with you, that you'll keep her safe."

"Well, yeah," Starlight replied. "O-of course I—!"

"And!" Firelight continued. "That you'll keep her on the straight and narrow. She's... very emotional, especially as of late... and she can have a habit of... blowing things out of proportion."

Starlight's eye twitched, feeling a sudden twinge of anger, bubbling just beneath the surface of her skin.

"She needs a good role model, and somepony to help guide her in the right direction. If you can be that pony, then..." Her father sighed, before nodding in her direction. "I'll leave her in your hooves."

Starlight rolled her eyes mentally. "Thank you, Firelight; I promise I'll do my best. Now, uh... where is Starlight?"

"In her room. She may not hear you though, since she's always blaring that music of hers."

It's not just music, Starlight grumbled internally, as she hopped down from the sofa. "So, where is her room?"

"Down the hall, last room on the right. It'll be the one with all those edgy signs on it. Like, keep out or I'll vaporize you. Oh, my daughter and her dark sense of humor."

It wasn't a joke, she mused, before replying with a quick "Thank you," and turning in the direction of her old bedroom. She reached the door after a few, short moments, and after breathing out to steady her nerves, made a series of loud knocks against the door.

Music came from the other side of the door, and continued blaring even after she knocked.

Starlight leaned in closer against the door, apprehensively calling out to her younger self, "Starlight? Honey, this is your aunt. Can you please open up the door for me?"

She waited a long moment, only to be met with the same sounds of heavy metal music.

Her eyes narrowed.

Open the door, you little brat!

She breathed in deeply, taking a step back as she gathered her composure.

"Starlight—?"

"Go away," her younger self's muffled voice grumbled back at her, giving her pause.

Well, at least she responded, Starlight thought, before continuing. "Starlight, it's your aunt. Can you please let me in? I've got something to tell—"

"I don't have an aunt," came her younger self's response.

"Yes you do, and I'm sorry I'm only just now showing up out of the blue! It's just, I live all the way up in Canterlot, and between work and my other obligations, I—!"

The music stopped, and soon the bedroom door knob turned, and the door itself creaked open to reveal her younger self, the light from the hallway partially lighting up her features that otherwise were hidden by her bedroom's dark interior.

"You live in Canterlot?" her younger self asked simply.

"Er..." Starlight simply nodded, rendered momentarily speechless by the physical presence of her younger self before her. "Y-your father told me all about how your friend's family went and moved to Canterlot without you." She forced a comforting smile to her face as she extended a hoof down to her younger self. "How would you like to see him again?"





The next day...

"So this is Canterlot..." Starlight's younger self murmured in awe of her surroundings. "It's so... big, a-and regal-looking..."

"Uh-huh," Starlight replied with a barely-enthused nod. This whole city reeks with an air of unicorn superiority, she thought. Makes me wonder if I'm doing the right thing, bringing my filly self here. Though, if I don't... then history will just repeat itself over and over again, unless I alter the course of my life here and now. And, at the very least... I can give her the life that I was robbed of—

"Aunt Kite...?" her younger self spoke up, pulling her from her thoughts. "Where will we be living?"

"O-oh, um... i-in a tower!" she hastily exclaimed.

Her filly self looked up at her skeptically, furrowing her brow. "A... tower?"

"Mhm! On the outskirts of the city! I'll show you after we get you registered at the school."

She continued guiding her younger self in the direction of Celestia's School For Gifted Unicorns, all the while thinking, Based on what I dug up on Twilight's past in the previous timeline, she spent most of her time, post-graduation, running errands and studying in one of these towers. Prior to that, the tower had no resident. From what I learned, these towers are only available to Celestia's most prized protégés... and Celestia almost never takes on protégés. So, if I'm correct—and I'm rarely ever wrong—Twilight's tower should be vacant for the next ten years or so.

As the two arrived at the doors to the school, Starlight let out a breath before turning to face her younger self. "I'll just be a sec," she informed. "Just wait here while I go get you all signed up, okay?"

"Shouldn't I come with you?" her younger self asked. "From what you told me, I thought they'd really want to meet me..."

"Er... T-there'll be plenty of time for that during your entrance exam!" Starlight replied, patting her younger self's head assuredly. "Besides, we'll mostly be going over just a bunch of boring, old paperwork anyway. Why don't you take a walk around in the meantime, familiarize yourself with the shops and local cuisine?" Starlight glanced up and let out a breathless gasp as a lightbulb went off above her head. "Hey, I just saw a filly around your age enter that store over there! Why not go over and introduce yourself? She's probably a student here as well, and if not, well... hay, it never hurt to meet the locals and maybe make a friend of two. Just remember..." Starlight leaned in closer to her younger self, whispering in a stern tone, "No showboating... alright?"

Her filly self rolled her eyes. "Yes, Aunt Kite," she murmured in response.

"Good! Now, if you'll excuse me..."

Starlight turned, entering the school and closing the door behind her.

Steadying her nerves, she carried on, finding her way to the principal's office, eventually reaching it within a matter of moments.

She swallowed hard, before knocking on the door. She then swiftly reached a hoof into the satchel slung across her chest, clutching its contents tightly.

After a moment, she heard noise coming from within the office, followed by the distinct sounds of hoofsteps.

"Hello?" the principal said, as she opened the door to greet Starlight. "How can I help y—?"

Starlight whipped her hoof, whisking a clump of magic dust directly into the principal's face, causing the mare to stumble backwards, momentarily stunned.

"What in the...?"

Her words trailed off, as her eyes glazed over, and she found herself unaware of everything but the mare standing before her.

Starlight snorted, forming a smirk. A little susceptibility powder, and just like that, you're under my control for the next hour. Who even needs unicorn magic, when there's countless magic shops across Equestria, each with their own supply of magical ingredients!

She shook any residual powder from her hoof as she proceeded to address the principal directly.

"Can you hear me?" she asked.

"Yes..." came the principal's dazed response.

"Good. Now then, I need you to register a new student for me..."





Starlight's filly self looked up at the storefront before her, raising an eyebrow. A magic shop, huh?

Shouldering her nerves, she made her way inside.

She glanced around with passing interest as she nonchalantly made her way up to the blue-coated filly with wavy, white hair. Her attention seemed drawn to some magician paraphilia, and tools of the trade.

She idly walked up beside the browsing filly, pretending to browse the shelves herself as she managed to pique the filly's interest.

"I don't think I've seen you before," the blue-coated filly began, turning to face Starlight giddily. "You're a fan of magic too?"

"Uh..." Starlight's filly self remained at a loss for a moment, taken aback by her fellow filly's enthusiasm. "S-sure am! I, uh... actually just moved here with my aunt... My name's Starlight."

"Trixie," the blue-coated filly replied. "So that explains why I haven't seen you around. Are you attending Celestia's school?"

"Mhm. That's why I moved here actually. I got in through a special recommendation."

"Oh?" Trixie's intrigue piqued tenfold. "So you must be pretty powerful then."

"I wasn't always... but I've been studying a lot," Starlight explained, before falling quiet, slipping into thought. Makes me wonder why Sunburst recommended me in the first place... I know Aunt Kite told me not to pry, to not embarrass him, but... he was always so much better at magic than me... Ah well. She mentally shrugged, tuning back in to the sound of Trixie's voice. I'm not about to question being able to see him again!

"...Of course, we still need to pass the entrance exam, but that should be a cakewalk for great and powerful ponies like ourselves!"

Starlight cocked her head, bemused. "Er... great and powerful...?" She deadpanned as Trixie rambled on, oblivious to the look on her face. She barely knows me...

"And even if I don't pass..." continued Trixie. "I won't be deterred. I'm determined to become the greatest magician Equestria's ever known, and one up my dad even."

"Um, your dad...?"

Trixie paused, remembering the filly opposite her, and grew pensive. "Never mind," she murmured, averting her eyes. "He's just... never home, and always out performing in Las Pegasus or wherever. So I want to prove that I can be just as good of a magician as he is, and loyal to my friends and family at the same time. Maybe even support my mom, y'know?"

Starlight stared back at Trixie in awe, before forming a lukewarm smile. "My mom left a while back, and... my dad's never really around either, but... I don't want to use my talents to surpass anyone! My aunt says not to do that."

"But our differences are what make us unique, Starlight, and ponies like us are meant for great things!"

Starlight bit her lip, apprehensive. "It's just... I've seen firsthoof how... cutie marks and special talents can leave others feeling left behind, and forgotten..."

"Yeah, well..." Trixie rolled her eyes. "We don't have to be like that. We can either be like our parents... or we can chose to be ourselves. Hay, it's like I said: I plan on helping my mom with my talent. So what do you plan on doing with your talent, Starlight?"

"I..." Starlight gazed back at Trixie with a dumbstruck expression. Her gaze drifted as her voice grew softer. "I've never really thought about it. I was so angry for the longest time, I..."

She fell silent for a moment as Trixie stared back at her inquisitively, awaiting her answer.

"I guess if there's one thing..."

Starlight breathed out before meeting Trixie's gaze, confident in her decision.

"I just want to make some friends."

Trixie's face lit up in response.

"Well, hey, that's perfect! I mean, you've already done that!" She grinned, giving Starlight a playful tap on the shoulder. "Say, why don't I show you around. You've still got some time to kill, right?"

Starlight stared back at the other filly, before her face broke out into a wide grin.

"You betcha!"





Nine years later...

"Oh? You're researching Starswirl the Bearded?"

Starlight looked up from the book she was studying, perturbed by whomever dared to disturb her research.

She peered over her shoulder, only to be greeted with the inquisitive face of an onlooking mare with glasses, and a long, red mane with purple highlights.

Starlight stared back at her dryly. "Can I help you?"

At the sound of her irritable tone, the stranger backed up, averting her eyes nervously. "S-sorry," she apologized profusely. "I j-just noticed the pictures on your book's pages and it got me curious... a-and I'm trying to make a habit out of being more sociable, and..." She breathed out, falling silent for a moment. "You know, just forget I said anything. Sorry for bothering you."

What is with this mare? thought Starlight curiously. She reached out to the stranger just as she began to turn. "Hey, hold on a minute."

Hm?

The stranger looked back at her, adjusting her glasses as she did so.

"Yes...?"

"You're interested in Starswirl?"

"O-oh, um... sorta. We learned a lot about him in history class, back in magic school."

Magic school? thought Starlight. Huh. Wonder if she went to school with this world's version of me... Then again, considering she hasn't said I look familiar, probably not...

"So, uh, why are you researching him?" the stranger asked, disturbing Starlight's thoughts.

"It's just been ages since I learned about him myself, so I'm refreshing my memory," explained Starlight, turning back towards the books' contents. "Specifically, in regards to his magical artifacts."

"Oh?" The red-maned mare's interest piqued. "Are you an enthusiast... or perhaps you're into designing prop replicas?"

Starlight deadpanned. "Er, not exactly. I hope to replicate this ancient technology so that I can make a serious change in the world. A change that will benefit all ponykind."

"Well that's vague, but intriguing," the other mare remarked, nevertheless taking a seat beside Starlight. "I'm a bit of an engineer myself. I hope to someday use my own inventions to benefit ponykind too."

"Oh?" replied Starlight. "You're an inventor?"

The stranger's face blushed, and she glanced away, chuckling sheepishly. "Sorta... I-I do have a lab though, where I conduct my research!" She once more met Starlight's inquisitive gaze as she pushed past her nerves, and smiled. "The name's Moon Dancer, by the way."

Starlight snorted, smiling herself at the mare's own anxious nature, mentally rolling her eyes as she extended a hoof for her to shake.

"Starlight," she said, as Moon Dancer took the hint and shook her hoof. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Moon Dancer. Think you could tell me more about this lab of yours?"





The night of the gala...

Starlight blasted another guard out of her way, escaping out the back castle entrance, and taking a moment to strip her body of her formal wear.

Of course this all happens tonight of all nights, Starlight grumbled internally, as she broke into a mad dash from the castle grounds into the main thoroughfare of Canterlot.

Why did I let Moon Dancer talk me into going...? It's not like I even care about that loser... Rrgh, whatever. It's no use mulling over it now. I just need to make it back to the lab before those idiots cause any more—!

She elicited a startled gasp as a loud crash shook the very ground she stood on, her heart nearly escaping her chest as she looked around in a frenzy.

What in the...?

She waited with baited breath, when more bangs and crashes rang out across the city.

I need to hurry.

She turned, and carried on in the direction of Celestia's school, eventually reaching its doors and wasted no time forcing her way in.

She propped a foreleg against the nearest wall as she took a moment to catch her breath.

I am so not used to running that much, she grumbled in thought. Or maybe I'm just getting older... Either way...

She turned her attention towards the inner halls of the school. I need to keep moving.

Reaching the lab, she hurried over and gathered her belongings into her saddlebags as the overhead lights rattled, and bits of the ceiling crumbled as another loud explosion echoed far off in the distance.

She breathed out, steadying her nerves. "And that should do it... Now then..."

She levitated the saddlebags onto her back, before reluctantly turning back towards the exit. I just need to make a break for it.

As she headed towards the entrance of the school, she stopped briefly to attach a note to the lab door. There, she thought, before continuing on her way, when she was struck with another worrying thought.

Will the trains even be operational because of all the chaos happening outside? Maybe they're waiting for evacuees... Well there's no harm in checking... The sooner I can leave, the better. I'm certainly not trying my luck at scaling the mountain roads...

She opened the school's doors, and stepped outside, looking around hurriedly before making a break for it.

Just a little further, she thought. I just need to make it to the trains—!

Her eyes caught a glimpse of something, and she gasped, ducking behind the nearest building. She placed a hoof over her hammering heart, and waiting for several, long moments to hear if any of them had noticed her.

That was the princesses... she realized in awe, mustering her courage as she looked back around the corner. And Twilight, and... that Rainbow nuisance too... facing off against... Her brow crinkled in curiosity. Is that crystal?

The air picked up in ferocity, culminating around the crystal-clad pony, before the crystals then exploded outwards, lightning rippling across the street.

Starlight shielded her eyes from the fierce conditions, and even through her obscured vision, saw the culprit's true identity, and her heart dropped.

Even from behind, her identity was unmistakable, and if the expressions of the others were any indication...

Another Twilight...?





Starlight opened her eyes once more to the same landscape that greeted her from outside her train window, her expressionless gaze staring out at nothing in particular.

That other Twilight... the one Moon and this world's Twilight and Rainbow were fighting... She was responsible for everything that happened that night... My Twilight's bottomless stupidity left me forsaken in this new reality... No doubt that other Twilight's same stupidity resulted in her becoming the tyrant I witnessed that night... Hmph, it's almost as if Goody Four-Shoes Sparkle and her friends aren't as smart as they think they are. Labeling me a villain, only for her to show up as one... Hay, if nothing else... I know now, more than ever, to stay true to my ideals, and see my dream through to the end. The emergence of this other Twilight opens up an entire realm of possibilities. Before I thought there were only my home universe, and this splintered, alternate history... but now I see that our world is just a small part of something bigger—a realm of infinite possibilities.

A smirk adorned Starlight's lips as she turned away from the window, leaning her head back and resting her eyes.

Infinite possibilities... she mused. A world where Twilight isn't the one who's right, and I'm not the one who's wrong... Because after all, if it can be dreamt, then... it can become reality.