//------------------------------// // Chapter 22 // Story: Twilight's Twinlight // by Autum Breeze //------------------------------// Chapter 22 ___________________________________________________________ The portal opens, dropping us back in Cloudsdale and I shoot forward, magical scythe forming around my right foreleg and slash it forward. It passing through the unsuspecting Starlight, who wears a look of shock for a moment, before her eyes roll into the back of her head and her magic stops, her body no longer glowing and she plummets down. Nodding to Twilight, we zip down, myself lighting my horn for a mass teleport the moment we’re close to the prone form of Starlight that’s flapping through the air like a rag-doll. When the light of magic fades from around us, we’re in a frozen wasteland. Starlight flops to the ground, still. We wait for several moments, the winds of the north howling around us being the only sound. Eventually, she slowly opens her eyes and looks up at us blearily. After a few seconds, she jumps up and glares, before her eyes widen in horror and she looks up at her horn. “M-my magic! It’s not working!” she looks to me in both anger and fear. “What did you do to my magic?!” “It’ll come back,” I say coolly. “I merely severed your horn’s link to your magic for a short while. It should return to normal in an hour or so.” She just stares at me. “How and when would you have learned to do a spell like that?” I glare at her. “I remembered it thanks to you, Starlight Glimmer.” She cocks her head, before noticing where we are and looks around, before returning to looking at us. “Where are we?!” “We are where the Crystal Empire will return in several years’ time,” I say, pointing to the wooden train platform about a mile away that has a few ponies inside it, but whom are unaware of us. Starlight blinks, very confused, before glaring at me. “And just why did you bring me here, of all the places in Equestria?” I continue to look at her with a neutral expression. “Here you risk the least about of damage to the timeline. I refuse to let you create more.” She cocks her head again. “More? More what?” “We know why you made your village, Starlight,” Twilight steps forward, her face softening, if only a little. “We know about Sunburst.” Starlight’s eyes widen, before she snarls. “You don’t know anything!” “Actually, we know more than you do,” I say flatly. “You created your village because you lost contact with Sunburst and you blamed it on the fact he got his Cutie Mark, which was also why you never made any other friends in Sire’s Hollow.” Her mouth drops at the mention of the name. “However, it was not Sunburst’s Cutie Mark that made it impossible to contact him,” I continue, taking a step forward, causing the unicorn to back away. “He intentionally did not return to Sire’s Hollow and refused to make contact with it again, not because of you, but his own mother.” Starlight’s face goes blank. “What?” she asks, her voice deadpanned. “Sunburst flunked out of Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns,” Twilight comes to my side. “He got so depressed about it, he couldn’t figure out where to go in life after that. His mother thought she was helping him by trying to plan out the rest of his life for him, but he didn’t like her unintentionally dictating every single thing in his life.” “So, he left Canterlot but didn’t return to Sire’s Hollow, making sure never to let anypony know where he was going to ensure his mother couldn’t find him,” I say, sighing. “Thus, he unintentionally isolated you without realizing it.” Starlight just stares at us, before glaring. “No! You don’t know what I went through! It had to be his Cutie Mark! It…” She trails off, her face blanking, it obvious her brain is catching up to whatever she was planning to say and making her realize it would sound ridiculous. Twilight looks kindly to her. “Starlight, you’re right! I don’t know what you went through! But I do know you can’t do this! I’ve seen where this leads, and so have you!” Starlight just glares. “No, I haven’t! Both times I was stuck in the past because you took the scroll with you! Who knows what’ll really happen?” I step towards her. She tries to back away, but I hold Starlight in my magic. She looks into my eyes with fear. “Wh-what are you going to do to me!” I look firmly at her, keeping eye contact for several seconds. “I’m showing you what I saw. What happened when you first messed with the timeline!” I place my horn to her head. At once, Starlight’s eyes go white as I show her very brief glimpses of the war timeline. I let her watch for about a minute, before ending the spell and letting her drop to the ground. Spike looks to me in surprise. “Where’d you learn how t’ do that?” “A little trick Luna taught me before we came back from the last timeline,” I answer, before looking to Starlight. She’s laying on the ground, her eyes wide. “But… But, I don’t understand!” She looks to me, tears of frustration in her eyes. “Why did that happen?! Why would stopping the Rainboom cause that?” Twilight sighs. “We’ve seen it a several times! Things don’t turn out well in Equestria without my friends!” Starlight snarls. “Ugh! What’s so special about your friends?! How can a group of ponies that are so different be so important?!” “Have you seriously not paid attention to the events of the last year?” I ask, honestly curious. “You do realize it was Twilight and her friends that stopped Nightmare Moon, thus freeing Luna, stopped Discord, helped stop the Changelings’ invasion of Canterlot, helped save the Crystal Empire, reformed Discord, saved Equestria from the Plundervines and stopped Tirek from draining every living creature of their magic, don’t you?” Starlight just stares at me, before deadpanning. “You’re kidding, right?” Spike shakes his head. “Nope. Without my mom making her special Cutie Mark bond with her friends, Equestria would pretty much have been doomed.” Starlight blink, before cocking an eyebrow. “Wait, “Mom”?” Twilight nods, leaning down and nuzzling Spike. “The day of the Rainboom is when I hatched Spike with my magic. Without the Rainboom… he never would’ve hatched.” “Meaning you would essentially be stopping someone from being born,” I say through gritted teeth, before taking a breath to calm myself. “Does that seem fair to you, Starlight? Taking a mother from her child seems fair to you?” “I… no, I never would want…” She looks between us again, before glaring. “But why them? Why does being so different make their friendship so important?!” Twilight smiles. “The differences between me and my friends are the very things that make our friendship strong!” Starlight looks down forlornly, tears streaming down her face. “I thought Sunburst and I were the same. But we turned out different, and it tore our friendship apart!” Twilight steps closer. “So try again! Make new friends! And if something that you can’t control happens that changes things, work through it together! That’s what friendship is! Besides, it’s not just my friendships that are important to Equestria!” She nods to me and I teleport us back to Cloudsdale, myself keeping Starlight aloft with my magic and indicate to a group of Pegasus foals playing together. “Everypony’s are! When yours ended, it led us here. But just imagine all the others that are out there waiting for you if you just give them a chance!” Starlight looks down, before looking to us with pleading eyes. “How do I know they won’t all end the same way?” Twilight looks to me and I look to Starlight. “I guess it’s up to you to make sure they don’t.” Twilight holds out a hoof. Starlight looks hesitantly at it, the sound of whooshing causing her to glance around and see the race happening. Starlight stares for a few moments, before closing her eyes and taking the offered hoof. Seconds later, a loud boom goes off and the Rainboom fills the sky. Almost at once, the portal opens and starts pulling us in. We all hold each other as we’re whisked from the past, never to return there. ___________________________________________________________ We all fly out of the portal, smashing into the hard crystal floor of the castle. Shaking my head, I look up to see Star Swirl’s spell lifted into the air by the portal. Magical seeps out from The Map, though nothing seems to have changed and the scroll is lifted into the portal, which closes with a flash, magical energy flowing past us and out into the world. Spike quickly bends down, kissing the floor. “One Castle of Friendship – check!” The door opens, revealing our friends. “What in Equestria was that?!” Rarity asks, clearly meaning the magical energy that just dispersed. “Is everypony okay?” Fluttershy asks. Pinkie Pie squeals. “Can you do it again?” Spike looks to us. “One group of amazing friends – check!” Twilight smiles down at him. “Yeah, Spike. It looks like we’re home!” “Uh...” We look to Applejack, who has her eyes focused on the fourth member of our team, “what’s she doin’ here?” Twilight and I look to each other, myself deciding to answer. “Actually, it’s kind of a long story.” We all spend the next couple minutes discussing what we’re going to do with Starlight… as well as myself making a mental not to make sure Dash’s ego doesn’t get any bigger now she knows the fate of Equestria depended on her Rainboom all those years ago. Applejack brings up a valid point that, if Starlight is so powerful, can we really just send her on her way? However, this is something Twilight and I had somewhat gone over before leaving the last altered timeline, we just needed to get the others input to see if it was the best idea. From what we’ve heard… Twilight looks to me and I nod, her nodding back, before looking to the rest of our friends. “Actually, I kind of have something else in mind.” Spike nods, hopping down from his throne and opens the door, beckoning Starlight in. She walks in and stands before us all, bowing. “I know there’s no excuse for what I did, but I want you all to know that I’m ready for whatever punishment you think is fair.” Twilight looks to me, getting a nod, before looking to Starlight. “I’ve been thinking a lot about how badly Equestria fared without just one group of friends. Because even when one friendship dies, the results can be disastrous.” Starlight sighs, eye downcast. “I know first-hoof how true that can be.” Twilight gets up, walks over and lifts Starlight’s chin. “And that’s why I’ve asked you here. If you’re willing to learn, I’m willing to teach you what I know.” I nod, indicating to the others, all of whom are looking on with approval. “You’ll have the power to make Equestria an even better place.” Starlight looks down uncertainly, before asking in a hushed tone, “ How do I start?” Twilight just smiles. “Starting is easy! All you have to do is make a friend!” She indicates to us all as we gather around them. “And you’ve got eight of them right here.” We all come together for a group hug. Starlight melts into it, but after a few moments, makes us pull apart. She looks around at all of us, before casting her eyes down again. “After everything I put you all through, you’re really willing to be my friends?” She looks to me in particular. “You, especially?” I close my eyes, before giving a small warm smile. “Your actions led to horrible things, Starlight, but Twilight, Spike and I were able to help those timelines. Besides,” I look to her with gratitude, “if not for putting us through all that, I may never have learned the truth.” That causes Starlight and the others to look at me in confusion. They look to Twilight for answers, but her expression has become anxious. “Ken?” she asks, her voice suddenly very strained. “Can I… not have to focus on this for a while?” I give a light chuckle. “Okay, Twilight. I’ll leave you and the others to help Starlight get settled in and started. You can handle our family situation later.” Applejack cocks an eyebrow. “Family situation?” I giggle, before winking at her. “You’ll all find out soon enough.” With that, I teleport away, leaving Spike to try keeping Twilight calm and focused on Starlight again. ___________________________________________________________ “Sister?” Luna asks, looking to her older sister in surprise as the two meet up within the Canterlot Royal Gardens. “Why did you call me here?” Celestia blinks. “I didn’t call you here. You called me… didn’t you?” “No,” they both whirl around as I step out from behind the hedges, my expression neutral. “I called you both here.” At once, the two’s faces pale. “You know, I think I have some dignitaries to discuss some trade routes with!” Celestia says hurriedly. “And I need to prepare the evenings’ lavender for tonight!” Luna says just as fast. They move to leave, but slam, somewhat comically, into the magic wall I’d just erected in front of the path leading out. They both get up, shaking their heads and lighting their horns for a quick teleport getaway. “The first princess of Equestria.” They both freeze, their horns' magic dissipating. Slowly, the two taller ponies turn around, their faces mixed between horrified and confused. I meet their gazes with a sad, but warm smile. “I’m sorry I didn’t know. My memories are far more broken than you could’ve guessed.” The two both stare at me for several long minutes, not sure how to react. I close my eyes and walk into the garden, the two hurrying after me. I stop in front of the tall statue with the title “The first princess of Equestria” underneath it. We stand in front of it in silence, myself looking over the Alicorn mare, tall and strong, with her hair lank and her head turned to her left, a warm, sad smile on her face, her flank barren of any Cutie Mark. She looks near identical to the one I saw in that foggy place before I gained my few memories back. “How…?” Luna pauses, gulping loudly and taking a deep breath. “How are you… here? You are still here, but then the statue should not be. How has this happened?” I stare up at the stone eyes of my past self, filled with sad happiness, before lowering my head. “I do not know, Lulu.” “Well, I do!” There’s a flash following the cheery voice and a familiar mismatched being appears, sitting on the back of the statue. He leans forward, resting his chin on his hands. “And I’d be more than happy to finally show you, now that the pony’s out of the bag.” Celestia frowns. “Isn’t the saying “now that the cat’s out of the bag”?” Discord waves his hand, dismissing her words. “Oh, semantics, semantics.” He folds her arms. “Do you want to know the truth or not?” The three of us look to each other for several long moments, before nodding, looking to Discord and nodding again. At once, his expression softens. “Very well. As a certain Ghost of Hearth’s Warming Past said, let’s take a trip down memory lane and see just what the past has to say.” He snaps his talons and the world goes white. ___________________________________________________________ There’s a flash of light and a lavender mare falls from the sky, screaming as she lands with a flop in a bush. “Ow, ow, ow, ow, OW!” she cries out, pulling herself from the bush, covered in Sting Bush Seed Pods. She spends several minutes using her magic to pull them off, saying a small “Ow” every time. Once she’s free of all the Sting Bush Seed Pods, she looks around, before seeming very confused. “What in Equestria am I doing here?” she asks, cocking her head and scanning the area. “Wasn’t I just in Princess Luna’s study? How’d I get out here? And where’s all the snow? Wasn’t it winter a few seconds ago? I didn’t use a Teleporting Spell.” She cocks her head to the side. “Did I?” She takes in her surrounding more. It’s an open field, not too many trees. A fair few shrubs, but nothing else. She scratches her head. “Where in Equestria am I? Twilight? Spike? Mom? Dad? Anypony? Hello?” She walks off, calling out for anypony. The four of us watch, three of us stunned. “That’s… that’s me?” I ask, looking to Discord, who nods. “How come she didn’t see us?” He just rolls his eyes… no, he literally takes out his eyes and rolls them on the ground, them rolling up a rock and landing back in his head. “Surely Twilight told you about the time she and I first fought, back when I was still a villain? It’s the same as when I showed her the past. We are observers, nothing more.” Luna looks to the now fading form of my past self, before looking to Discord. “But… that didn’t happen. Her dialogue implies she just cast the spell I left for her in my room, but we know that she did not go back in time, for Twilight found her shortly after the spell was cast.” Discord sighs. “This is what happens when Star Swirl helps write a unique spell only Princess Ken could cast.” He looks to the both of them. “I’m guessing you had a hard time deciphering the spell?” The two sisters look to each other, then back to the Lord of Chaos, Celestia answering. “Well, yes. His horn writing never was very clear.” “I’ll admit, while I recognized the words as Old Ponish, it was hard to read them.” I say, blushing. Discord nods. “Well, Ken can be excused as she’d only read the spell itself, not the explanations for what it does.” He teleports a black board with diagrams I can’t understand all jumbled together. “And this is helpful how, exactly?” I ask. “I’m not Twilight. This all looks like gobbledygook to me.” Discord nods. “Allow me to explain. Celestia and Luna and the readers” he winks at you, “have been under the impression, despite all the hints, that the spell was meant to send Ken back in time.” I look to the other Alicorns, both of who seem as confused as I am, though I’m more wondering what he means by “readers” and why he turned his head to the side and winked at nothing in particular. “And that’s… not what happened?” “Oh, no, it is,” Discord says, spinning the board, causing it to vanish. “Though it is only half true. Ken did not physically go back in time. Allow me to demonstrate.” He snaps his talons and the scenery has changed to Luna’s study, myself standing in front of the tome from that night, my eyes squinted as the past me tries to read the words. “For myself… to be seen… who I am, I… leave this behind, to… serve the plan?” As soon as my past self says it, her eyes shine white, her horn flaring with magic, a portal much like the one created whenever Starlight’s altered version of Star Swirl’s Time Travel Spell was used appearing above her head. We all watch as a massive surge of magic explodes from her horn, flying into the portal. For at least half a minute this goes on, my past self’s white eyes wide, her mouth open in what seems like a silent scream, before it all suddenly stops, the portal closes and she flops to the floor, unmoving. Discord snaps his fingers and we’re back in the clearing. “That’s what happened?” Celestia asks, stunned. “But… But we thought the spell would send her right to the past, not a surge of her magic,” Luna looks at Discord sceptically. “How could sending magic into a time portal for a mere thirty seconds have been long enough for Mo…?” She glances at me and I give her a warm smile, nodding. Luna takes a deep breath, before returning her gaze to Discord, her voice firm. “How could a mere thirty seconds have been enough to sustain Mother in the past for over a hundred years?” Discord shakes his head, tutting. “Honestly, Luna. With you visiting the Dream Realm every night, I thought you of all ponies would understand, at least.” I frown, rubbing my chin with a hoof. “Wait. Do we need to be thinking in fifth dimensions?” Party horns blare and confetti explodes around us, Discord putting a flower sash around my neck. “She’s got it! Give the princess a prize!” Celestia and Luna look to each other, then back to us, the former speaking, “We still don’t get it.” Discord sighs, before teleporting a Twilight Mane Wig onto his head and holding up his finger in a lecturing manor. “You see, time is a fickle thing, my dear KK. It does not conform around us as much as we must conform to it. Time bends in many different directions. So, what was merely thirty seconds in one point in time was well over a hundred sometime else.” Celestia looks from Discord to me, then back again. “I still don’t get it.” Discord pouts, folding his arms. “Well, I didn’t bring you with me just to constantly explain the ins and outs of time travel mechanics. Now, let’s continue with the history lesson.” ___________________________________________________________ We see the other version of me huddled among a group of unicorns, a ragged brown coat around her, hiding her wings. They’re all sitting outside a wooden hut of some kind, a fire burning in the circle they’d all formed. “This new land of Equestria is amazing,” a white unicorn mare says, sounding tired, but happy. “I still don’t see why we need to share the land with those blasted Earth Ponies and pegasi,” a brown stallion says, snorting. “Or why we have to sleep in wooden huts.” “From what we’ve heard, we’re better off that way,” a red mare says, glaring at the stallion. “It was only by working together, unicorns, Earth Ponies and pegasi, that our leaders were able to dispel the Windigoes.” “I agree with Bright Sight,” the other me says, nodding. “Working together is a far better idea than bickering among each other. And we’re not the only ones living in huts. Everypony’s in the same boat here. Cities take a long time to build. They don’t just spring up overnight.” I look to Discord. “Did nopony ask about my wings?” He smirks. “None yet knew. But…” A suddenly roar from not too far off cuts through the ease of the night. Everypony leaps up, their heads looking left and right. A stomping sound rings out, before something comes out from the darkness, into the fire’s light. It’s a hydra, and it looks damn hungry. Everypony scrambles, trying to avoid the massive beast. “MAMA!” My past self skids to a stop and looks behind her. A young black coated filly is running as fast as her little legs will take her, but the beast is closing in extremely fast. My past self narrows her eyes and throws off her cloak and flaring her wings. She ignores the stunned looks of those who were passing her and launches herself into the air, aiming for the filly. She reaches her and scoops up the filly, just missing the snapping jaws by seconds. The filly hugs onto her, before looking to her wings in bewilderment. My past self looks back, glaring at the hydra, firing a rapid number of spells at its four sets of eyes. Its four heads scream in pain, thumping around, no clue where it’s going anymore. “Everypony, move it!” she yells, shooting through air, scanning for the filly’s mother. We watch until the unicorns and other me are out of sight, before all turning back to Discord. “Equestria’s settlement wasn’t nearly as simple as those Hearth’s Warming Eve plays suggest,” he says, looking with disapproval at the still flailing hydra. “There was another who wished to claim the land for his own. Thus, began the Monster Wars.” He snaps his talons and suddenly we’re on a battle field. Looking around, I’m uncomfortably reminded of the first altered timeline Twilight, Spike and I ended up in. There are creatures of all the races, Diamond Dogs, griffons, hippogriffs, dragons and ponies alike, wagging war against, for lack of a better term, monsters. I see hydras, Cocktrices, Chimeras and other things, some so horrifically terrifying that they honestly defy description. “Rah!” We turn to see my past self, blood covering her right leg and wings, lunging forward, magical blades on her forelimbs. She slices into a chimera, saving a red griffon who stares wide eyed, almost losing his grip on the writhing mass of rock reptile beneath him. Past me snarls, slashing through the beast, causing its three heads to roar in pain, before collapsing to the ground. “Enough, pony!” Past me whirls around as a figured shrouded in black lunges at her, what look like ram horns glowing with a dark magic. She glares at he, blocking the magical blasts it fires from its horns by using her weapons. “Now, Gusty!” she yells. At once, a black shadow of a pony with a curved unicorn horn and a wispy tail shoots between the two, grabbing something from around the thing with ram horns, pulling it off his neck. “NO!” he yells, but the pony turns to face him, followed by a flash of yellow light. “RAH!” past me yells, her horn flaring, blasting the creature with everything she had towards the light. ___________________________________________________________ We’re in a throne room that looks… very familiar, if still not finished. “Canterlot Castle?” Luna looks to Discord. “Why are we here?” He merely points. We follow the direction to see the past version of me. She’s sitting atop the throne, draped in a purple and gold cloak. Standing before her are many ponies and other creatures. At the head of the group are three ponies I recognize from the books on Hearth’s Warming Twilight read to me while I was so weak from the spell I’d cast that night. A mare with an attire that looks styled after pudding whom shares Pinkie Pie’s colours, a strong black Pegasus stallion wearing golden armour and a unicorn mare with a blueish-purple coat, wearing a crown and a purple and silver cloak. Chancellor Pudding Head, Commander Hurricane and Princess Platinum. They and every creature bows before the past version of me. “In these trying times, you were the light that kept all going,” Hurricane says, his head low in respect. “You fought with honour and courage.” “In these new times, where all ponies are united as one tribe and all creatures are bound by the fights they joined in, it is only fitting a pony who holds traits of all three tribes and united all creatures to battle should rule,” the chancellor says. Princess Platinum gets up and turns around, looking at all those gathered. “All hail, Princess Ken, the first Princess of Equestria!” “Hail, Princess Ken! Hail Princess Ken!” all those present cheer. As the cheers continue, we look to Discord. He smiles. “Now, here’s something I know you two will remember,” he looks pointedly at Celestia and Luna as he says this, snapping his fingers. ___________________________________________________________ My past self is walking through a field, watching the three tribes working together to harvest what I’m guessing is the year’s crops. Joining them are a handful of others, some Diamond Dogs here, a griffon or two there. She sighs sadly and I notice how none of the unicorns are using their magic. “This cannot go on,” she murmurs, bitting her lip. “At this rate, there will be no unicorns able to cast magic within a month.” I blink, looking to Discord with confusion. “What is she talking about?” Discord doesn’t get to answer as the cries of two young voices rings out. The past me looks around, before her eyes fall on a trio of unicorn stallions who seem to have cornered two fillies against the bottom side of a cliff. She heads down quickly, landing between them and the fillies. “Just what do you think you’re doing?” she demands. They all falter at the sight of her, but the leader, a tall brown stallion with a bucket for a Cutie Mark, steps forward. “We’re taking these brats to Canterlot so they can be used for the sun and moon!” My past self cocks an eyebrow, before glaring. “Why? You know we only have young adults and fully grown ponies do that. And they volunteer. We do not force other unicorns to give up their magic.” “Those two are worthless!” another of them, a grey one says, glaring at the fillies behind her. “They lost their parents because they were stupid enough to go wandering around in the areas the monsters are suspected to hide away and now they’re just common thieves. Let them lose their magic. It would serve them right!” Past me glares daggers at the trio and they back away. “Leave, now, or I’ll make sure all three of you give up yours tonight! Now, get out of my sight!” The three blanch and hightail it out of there. Past me takes several moments to calm down, before she turns around, smiling at the two fillies. They were unicorns, the slightly older one with a white coat, pink mane and the younger a blue mane slightly darker in colour than her coat. The two look to her in worry, but she smiles warmly at them. “What are your names, little ones?” The young sister hides behind her big sister, who looks at the taller mare both with fear and determination. “Ce-Celestial Light, Your Majesty.” She indicates to the other filly. “This is my little sister, Moon Dream.” The area phases and now we’re looking as the past me is leading the two fillies through Canterlot Castle, both looking around, mouths open in wonder. “Is… is it weally alwight that we’we hewe?” Moon Dream asks as Past Ken stops in front of a door and knocks. She looks to the filly and smiles. “Of course. I couldn’t bear if those mean stallions did something to you that you didn’t want after I left.” She pauses, frowning at the door. “Oh, for goodness sake. Star Swirl?” She opens the door, only for the sound of an explosion to go off, smoking pouring out. She puts her wings over the fillies, the three of them coughing as the smoke slowly moves away. “Girls, be careful now,” she says, pushing the door open further. “Star Swirl?” “Confound it all,” a deep male voice says from within. “Still no result.” The grey bearded stallion waves a hoof in front of him, revealing several destroyed vials of some kind. He continues to wave his hoof, before noticing myself. “Ah, Princess. My apologies, I didn’t hear you… knock…” He catches sight of the two fillies. “And who are these little ones?” “Moon Dream and her big sister Celestial Light,” past me says, nudging the two. “I’m going to be looking after them for a while.” She scowls. “Some stallions were trying to abduct them so they would be forced to raise and lower the sun and moon.” He scowls too, nodding. “Heartless welts. It takes skill to do so, and they wanted to force foals to do it?” “Speaking of,” she asks, looking anxiously at him, “do you think you’ll be able to raise the moon tonight?” He sighs, but nods. “It is indeed taxing, Your Highness, but I can do it.” “I wish you’d let me help,” past me says, seeming earnestly annoyed and worried in equal measure. “I’m certain, as an Alicorn, I have more than enough magic.” He shakes his head. “You are the ruler of Equestria. We cannot risk you losing your magic permanently. For now, we work with what we have.” “And what we have will run out soon,” she states firmly. “Star Swirl, we have maybe a month before you will be the only adult unicorn able to cast spells at all and we both know that.” He shakes his head. “It is late, Your Highness. We’ll discuss this further in the morning. For now, I have to get back to work.” The past me sighs, seeming to realize this stubborn old stallion won’t change his mind. The scene suddenly changes again, this time becoming a bedroom. Laying atop a large four poster bed is my past self, the little fillies snuggled against her. I can’t help smiling. They remind me so much of… wait a minute. Their names. I’ve heard them before. I said them before. I look to Discord, wide eyed and he nods. “This is when it happens,” I look to Celestia, who’s eyes are wide. “When what happens?” I cock my head. She doesn’t answer, just keeps watching. I follow her gaze. Celestial Light… or, whom I now realize is a young Celestia, stirs, sitting up and yawning. She looks around at the dimly lit room, looking confused. She then turns her eyes to the open window, where it is clear the sun hasn’t risen yet. She frowns, getting out of the bed, hopping down to the floor and walking to the balcony. She looks out over the horizon, her eyes narrowed. “Why isn’t the sun up, yet?” She pouts. “Lazy unicorns, not raising the sun when they’re supposed to. If the princess finds out, they’ll be in big trouble.” I look to Celestia, an eyebrow raised. She blushes furiously. “In my defence, I was a little filly with no idea how the method of raising the sun and moon was so taxes on the unicorns.” I roll my eyes, smiling, before returning my attention to her younger self as she closes her eyes, her horn lighting with its golden aura. We watch as the sun slowly rising above the horizon, before it’s sitting in the sky, the day officially having begun. “Hmm? Who rose the sun early?” my past self sits up in bed, rubbing her eyes, little Moon Dream, aka, Luna, sitting up too, yawning in the most adorable way. “They were being lazy, so I did it for them,” little Celestia says firmly, huffing. Past me opens her eyes, frowning in confusion and looks to the filly. “What do you mean you did it… for them? Celestial Light, your flank!” “Huh?” the little filly cocks her head in confusion, before looking to her flank, her eyes widening at the sun emblazoned on it. She squeals with joy so loud my ears splay back. “IT GOT MY CUTIE MARK! I GOT MY CUTIE MARK!” “Yay!” little Luna hops down and the two fillies dance around excitedly. “Big sis got hew Cootie Mawk! Big sis got hew Cootie Mawk!” Past me is just staring at the fillies, mouth agape. I can see she’s connecting the dots. Celestia’s Cutie Mark on a filly who’s name contains the word Celestia and who raised the sun all on her own with no backlash, a little sister name Moon Dream, when Luna is another word for moon and Luna watches over others' dreams? I look to Discord, who just smiles at me. “Yep. This was the day you became Celestia and Luna’s mother. It’s also the day they both got their Cutie Marks.” He snaps his fingers and the scene changes to very late afternoon. The sun is just heading down the horizon, little Celestia’s horn glowing, her chest puffed out in pride. “I still cannot believe it,” Star Swirl says, standing behind past me and the two sisters, looking from the lowering sun to the white unicorn, every creature behind seeming just as stunned. “A filly able to raise and lower the sun all on her own, with no backlash to her magic whatsoever. Extraordinary.” “I have a feeling she’s not the only one with a gift,” past me says, leaning down and nuzzling little Luna. “You… you weally tink I can do it?” she asks, looking in my past self’s eyes with uncertainty. “I doubt it,” little Celestia says smugly. “I bet she messes up and — OW!” she puts her hooves over her head, having just received a whap upside the head from past me’s wing. I look to Celestia again, an eyebrow raised and she wilts a little. “That smugness was never a good thing, Tia. I do hope you’ve grown out of it since the last eleven hundred years.” Luna scoffs, nudging her sister playfully. “Hardly. I would not have ended up on the moon for a thousand of those years if she had.” Celestia looks down in shame, but Luna hugs her with a wing. “Tia, don’t be so mean to your sister,” past me says sternly to little Celestia, drawing out attention again, before looking to little Luna with a warm, encouraging smile. “Don’t worry, Lulu. I know you can do it.” The blue filly giggles at the name, before her anxious expression returns. She steps forward, lighting her little horn. She grunts, gritting her teeth. After a few minutes, the moon slowly rising over the horizon, before settling in the sky. “Lulu, that’s brilliant,” past me says, pulling the filly into a hug. Little Luna laughs excitedly, looking down at the crescent moon Cutie Mark on her flank, before hugging my past self again. Little Celestia pouts, annoyed, before she’s pulled into the hug too, the three laughing and cheering. “You two are going to do amazing things for Equestria! I just know it,” past me says, smiling warmly down at the two. I wipe a few tears from my eyes as I watch the exchange, before movement from the right catches my attention and I look. Star Swirl is rubbing his chin, frowning. He then walks off, muttering something I can’t distinguish. I cock an eyebrow. What was that all about? ___________________________________________________________ Star Swirl is in his study, grinning as he lowers a scroll on his desk… before frowning at another. “What are you doing, Star Swirl?” He jumps, before turning around to see the other me, who’s giving him quite the questioning, if annoyed look. And why’s her mane seem frazzled? “Oh, Princess,” he says, sounding relieved. “It’s just you.” “What are you working on?” she asks, her eyes narrowed. “Might it explain why you aren’t helping me handle Luna and Celestia? Alicorn fillies are not exactly easy to handle on one’s own, you know?” He pauses, before sighing and showing me a scroll that looks burned. “Apologies, Your Highness. After I saw you daughters transform into Alicorns amist all the cheers from your subjects, I wanted to try and figure out if it is possible for one to transform without some great deed of magic. You have not revealed what turned you into an Alicorn all those centuries ago.” She cocks an eyebrow. “Centuries?” He gives her a slight frown. “Please, do not pretend, Princess. I am fully aware you had already been living secretly among us unicorns before I was even born. I am well into my forties and you have barely aged a day, growing taller, if nothing else. Other Alicorns are likely the same, so I wished to make it possible should another pony arise whom our world cannot do without. Celestia and Luna are primes examples. They are rare, ponies who can raise and lower the sun and moon without issue. We cannot afford to lose them. I feel we were lucky they turned into Alicorns when they did. We may not be so lucky, the next time.” She gives him a disapproving frown. “Still, those two are rambunctious. The guard cannot handle them on their own. As they're magic instructor, you intimidate, possibly more so than myself when they misbehave and I catch them in the act.” He nods, looking down. I notice two more scrolls. I frown, one seeming a little familiar. “What’s this scroll?” my past self asks as I’m looking. “Hmm?” he looks at it, before waving a hoof. “Oh, that was just my first attempt at Alicorn tranformation. But, no matter what I tried, I couldn’t get it right.” “Have you cast it yet?” she asks. He shakes his head. “It would be too dangerous. There are things about it I just have not been able to get right. If it were cast now, I don’t know what would happen.” She looks to the other scroll and blinks, before nodding. “I see you were able to finish this spell. He nods, before shaking his head again. “My personal attempts at time travel spells was inconclusive. Only a week back and only for a minute at best. Hardly an accomplishment. This one, however,” he looks it over, impressed, “once the you of your past casts it, they will be sent back to our time.” He looks to her. “Are you sure you want this?” She nods. “I have to go back to the past. After Luna and Celestia, it is clear I needed to be here for them to become the rulers of Equestria’s future.” Her face saddens. “I miss my sister and family very deeply, but if I do not do this, Equestria’s fate could be ended before it even began and I would rather live centuries without them than them never get the chance to live at all.” She sighs heavily. “Even if it is without me.” He cocks an eyebrow, glancing at the scroll, but shrugs and nods, putting the parchment in a book. “I hear you joined a group of ponies to fight Sirens several days ago?” past me asks as the two leave the study. He nods, rubbing his beard. “Indeed. Quite the formidable foes. However, they are now trapped in a world without magic. They will be powerless there.” I can’t help rolling my eyes. Yeah. Harmless. That’s the word. ___________________________________________________________ The Castle of the Two Sisters. A group of ponies are standing before my past self, who is looking most upset. One is massive cyan Earth Pony stallion who’s size eclipses even Big Mac, his hair and clothing reminding me of Vikings, oddly enough, who… is holding a shovel for some reason. Another is a wizened greyish-blue unicorn mare wearing what kinda reminds me of the top half of the outfits from Sailor Moon. Her horn is curved, but it’s her mane and tail, coloured a mangy greyish-green, that grabs my attention. It’s wavy, like Celestia and Luna’s. Who is this mare? Next is a pinkish Pegasus mare wearing… are those Egyptian clothing? Huh? Since when does Equestria have an Egypt? Beside her is another Pegasus, this one wearing grey armour of those I’d seen throughout these flashback, the Royal Legion, essentially what the Royal Guards were back in those times. … Okay, remembering this stuff vaguely is really weird with the titbits that crop up clearly with just the right nudges. The last of the unknown group is a blue Earth Pony mare with some kind of mask… that reminds me a bit of those worn by plague doctors. Okay, that’s not exactly encouraging without some clarification and I get the feeling Discord is intentionally not going to give me that just to screw with me. “Is there truly no other way?” she asks Star Swirl, her voice almost pleading as she looks among the six gathered ponies. He sighs, shaking his head. “I am afraid not, Your Majesty. You saw him for yourself. That beast is too powerful and must be stopped. Taking him into exile with us is the best course of action we have.” “The girls will be devastated,” she closes her eyes forlornly. “Princess, I ask that you not tell them,” he says firmly. “Rambunctious as they have become in their youth, they would no doubt try to find a while to save us, but you cannot do so without releasing our enemy as well.” He puts a hoof over his chest. “My fellow Pillars and I are willing to make the sacrifice.” My past self looks at him, her eyes pleading, before she closes them again, sighing heavily. “I understand.” She looks to him with worry. “But, with you all gone, who will keep the Everfree Forest from going out of control?” He smiles. “Fear not, Princess. We have left behind a seed, imbued with a piece of each of us. It will grow and keep the Everfree under control.” She blinks, before frowning in curiosity. “Where did you plant it?” He chuckles. “Why, at the back of that cave underneath the castle. A perfect hiding place, would you not agree?” My eyes widen at the same time as my past self’s, both of us murmuring, “The Tree of Harmony.” “Hmm?” Star Swirl asks, leaning a little closer. “Pardon me, Your Highness, but I didn’t catch that.” She blinks, taken aback, before shaking her head and sighing. “It’s nothing. Farewell, dear friend. I only wish we had more time.” He nods, bows, then hurries out of the room, joining the others as they leave the castle and head through the Everfree. “That was the day Star Swirl vanished,” Celestia says, her eyes wide. “We always wondered what happened and why you never sent search parties out for him,” Luna looks to me accusingly. “It’s because you knew he was going off with the rest of the Pillars to fight… whatever it is that had to deal with.” “Hey, you two are hardly in the right to lecture me, right now, are you?” I cock an eyebrow at Luna, making her wilt a little. “You just saw it, he asked me to keep you in the dark so you would not try to save him, unintentionally releasing whatever it is they were going to find, too.” “Mother… is right, Luna,” Celestia sighs, looking forelornly as the scnery starts changing again. “We have held information from Twilight for her own good. We cannot blame our own mother for doing the same for us.” Luna looks like she wants to argue, but pauses, thinks it over, before she sighs, nodding gloomily. ___________________________________________________________ “Hey! What do you think you’re doing?” an Earth Pony guard yells, chasing after a grey unicorn stallion with a tornado for a Cutie Mark. Discord pauses, before chuckling nervously. “Oh… right. This is my part. I’m…” he rubs the back of his neck. “I’m not exactly proud of this part.” “Huh?” the three of us look to him, then each other and shrug, before returning to watching the past play out. The unicorn runs down a hall, before lighting his horn and pullking down a suit of armour, tripping the guard. “Ha ha!” he jeers back… in a very familiar voice. “Can’t catch me, you old mud slinger! Now, I’ll— oof!” He topples backwards. Rubbing his head, he looks up, his eyes widening. Standing before him is my past self, slightly taller than when Star Swirl and the rest of the Pillars of Light left… and she looks pissed as fuck. “I am only going to give you one final warning, Discord,” she says coldly. “WHAT?” the three of us look to Discord, then back to the pony, then him. He rubs his neck again. “Yeah. It might just be easier to watch than try explaining it.” We look back as the unicorn gets up, glaring at my past self. “Clover is a fool not to take me on as his apprentice!” he snarls. “With Star Swirl still missing after all this time, he is the top wizard in Equestria now! I am more than worthy of his teachings!” Past me just continues to give him the cold stare. “And you think that gives you right to steal from my daughters' castle? I had it built here in Everfree so they could avoid traitorous welts like yourself.” “I’ll show you!” he yells, pulling a scroll the sack over his bag. “I’ll show you all! Once I cast this spell Star Swirl didn’t have the guts for, you’ll all see how great I am.” The past me looks at the scroll, her eyes widening. “No! That spell is unfinished!” He lights his horn, casting the spell. At once, the scroll glows, before a light shoots from it, slamming into him. He screams in agnoy, his body starting to contort and twist, a portal opening up behind him and sucking the both of them in. “You fool, Discord!” My past selfs screams as she’s pulled in. “What have you done?!” The portal closes with a pop. The guard from earlier comes around the corner and pauses, looking around in confusion. “Didn’t I hear the princess’ voice?” A sound light an explosion is followed by my past self appearing in a flash of light, slamming into the nearby wall, going right through it. The guard hurries over, his eyes widening at the sight of her, as do my own. She’s much taller now. She’s got to be at least as tall as Celestia is now and her mane and tail are ethereal. “I’m… home at last,” she says, sounding close to sobbing, her voice beyond weak and she passes out. ___________________________________________________________ We all turn to Discord as the world fades away, all three of us giving disapproving stares. “Okay, yes, I realize now how bad it was to try Star Swirl’s first Alicorn spell without knowing I needed to actually have an understanding of friendship for it to work,” he says, before putting his hands on his hips. “But how was I supposed to know it would cause me to literally become an embodiment of chaos? Besides,” he folds his arm, “I’m pretty sure we can all agree it was for the best in the end.” We all roll our eyes. “Anything else you want us to see?” I ask, trying to get us back on topic. He opens his eyes, blinking, before his expression sags slightly. “Only one, Ken. Your last one.” I blink, before he snaps his fingers. The scenery around as forms… and my mouth opens wide with horror. We’re standing just outside Canterlot… and it is in ruins. Buildings are broken and crumbling, fires are burning and ponies and many other creatures’ bodies are scattered all over the place, many of them looking as if they’ve been mummified. “Wha… what is this?!” I yell, looking to the other three… but feel my gut fall at their expressions. Luna and Celestia have tears in their eyes, while Discord is not meeting my eyes, looking mournful. “I’m sorry, my daughters.” My voice draws my attention and I turn to see my other self standing, armour like she’d worn during the Monster Wars cast aside, near a cliff, stepping away from the prone forms of a Luna and Celestia that look more like their current selves, unconscious. She quickly casts a spell, creating a shield around the two, before turning. She’s facing off against… what the heck even is that… thing? Best I can describe is a giant ball of flames with a sneering face. “Okay then,” my past self says, taking a deep breath. “I think I know what to do.” She looks to the flaming thing before her, her wings spread, her expression… wistful? “Let me ask you a question.” “Hmm?” I glance away back to the prone forms of my daughters to see past Luna is awake. She looks around, before noticing the shield. She turns and sees my past self facing off against that… whatever it is. She cries out, her words unheard through the barrel. She starts banging on the shield and blasting it with spells, but it doesn’t falter. Sobbing from my right makes me look to see Celestia holding Luna, who is crying into her sister’s chest. “It… isn’t the best memory for her,” Discord says, being sure not to meet anypony’s eyes. “Do you know what it’s like to be a god?” I turn my attention back to my past self, who’s staring back at that thing with no fear at all. “To be feared. To have generations devote themselves to you? To have the very ground you walk on to be praised? To feel the love and hope of an entire nation placed upon your shoulders?” She lifts a helmet, before casting it aside to join the rest of her discarded armour. “My little ponies like to think I’m a god,” she closing her eyes, gritting her teeth, “but I’m not. I’m just a mare, trying her hardest to keep them all safe. But you…” She opens her eyes, glaring, sweeping a foreleg around at all the devastation and death spread out everywhere. “You’re just a parasite eating out of jealousy and envy and longing for the lives of others!” Tears well in her eyes. “I love my ponies dearly, but you feed on them! On the memory of love and loss. And birth and death! And joy and sorrow!” She squares up, her body glowing with a brighter light. “So, come on, then. Take mine. Take my memories,” she growls. “But I hope you’ve got a big appetite, because I have lived a long life and I have seen a few things. “I walked away from the great Monster War. I marked the passing of the old era.” She closes her eyes, pain in her face. “I was shown the birth of the universe and I watched as time ran out, moment by moment, until nothing remained. No time. No space. Just me.” Her eyes are still closed as tendrils of magic start seeping out of her and into the maw of the thing before her, surging in, it greedily taking what she offered. “I walked in a universe where the laws of physics were devised by the mind of a mad man. I’ve watched countries freeze and cities burn. I’ve seen things you wouldn’t believe.” She closes her eyes. “I have lost things you will never understand. Futures that never got lived. Days that should have been that never were. Passed on to me. Whole futures that never happened. There are billions and millions of unlived days for every day I’ve lived. An infinity. All the days that never came.” She opens her eyes, a fierce determination in then. “And I know things. Secrets that must never be told. Knowledge that must never be spoken. Knowledge that will make parasites like you blaze. So come on, then.” Suddenly, the beast slows down. It keeps eating but… it seems like it’s trying to stop. My past self raises an eyebrow. “Hmm? Well, come on then. Eat up.” She tilts her head as it moans. “Are you full? She chuckles, smirking. “I’d expect so, because there’s quite a difference, isn’t there, between what was and what should have been. There’s an awful lot of one, but there’s an infinity of the other. And infinity’s too much, even for your appetite. And I’ve two of them!” I stare, wide eyed. Wait, that was her plan. This beast feeds… oh, my word, that’s brilliant! Horrifying, but brilliant. “Now,” my past self grins, “it’s time to take your fill and finish your meal! You started this, so now, let’s end it. Take it! Take it all, you monster! Have it! You. Have it. ALL!” Her last scream is punctured by a storm of magic exploding from her, surging up towards the beast and forcing its way into its mouth. Its expression shows it doesn’t want more, but it just keeps coming and coming. As the torrent continues to enter it, the beast starts turning black. It starts as small splotches dotted here and there, but they quickly start spreading, until its whole body is nothing but a black mass. A few minutes later, the energy stops flowing from my past self. The beasty hovers in the air for several moments, before it blows, scattering like ashes to the wind. My past self is breathing heavily. As I watch, I notice her body is… it’s turning to stone! “Mother!” she turns as the past Luna runs towards her, the magical barrier having faded. My past self just smiles sadly at her as her face is covered in rock, her expression frozen forever. “No!” past Luna yells, reaching her just as the last bit of flesh is covered in stone. She looks at the statue in horror, tears pouring down her face, before she bends down, slamming her hooves into the ground. “No! Mother! Mother, please, no! No, no, no-ooo-ho-ho-hoooo! Mama!” She looks to the heavens, her face etched with pain. “MAMA!” ___________________________________________________________ The world fades away, until the four of us are standing in the Canterlot Gardens once again, standing before my past self’s…. my statue. Luna is practically bawling, Celestia trying to comfort her sister. Stepping forward, I pull the two of them into a strong hug, them both returning it in kind. “I… I b-blamed Celestia for your death!” my little Moon Dream sobs, her tears soaking my coat as she hugs my smaller frame. “I-I convinced myself that… that she had to have known a way. I… After we defeated Discord, I started seeing everything she did as trying to hinder me because you were gone!” “And I was no better!” Celestia quietly sobs. “I tried to ignore what had happened. Pretend you had just gone away or something… and, in doing so, ignored Luna, making her feel worthless, leading to Nightmare Moon.” We all remain silent for a time, just holding each other. After what feels like hours, I look over to Discord. “Would you mind giving Twilight a message for me, Discord?” I ask, sniffling. He looks down in shame. “After everything, it’s the least I can do, Your Highness.” I sniffle again. “Tell Twilight, I plan on spending the next couple days and nights with my daughters. We… we need time to catch up, ya know?” He nods, snapping his talons and disappearing, leaving me holding my daughters, letting them release over a thousand years’ worth of sorrow. Sorrow only the three of us can ever understand.