“Mom what happened? Did the spell backfire?”
Starshine was staring in horror at the scene before her. Everything was gone. Everything. Twilight’s voice was calm if not unfeeling. “No Starshine. I did not cast a spell. No, what I did was I cast a miracle.”
Her daughter ruffled her wings in confusion. “But isn’t magic, magic? I mean a spell is a spell right?”
Wrapping her wing around her daughter as the scene rewound to when Twilight stood in front of Pinkie about to cure her, Twilight explained. “It’s easy to think all magic is the same however, there are major differences between magical types.”
“Really?”
Laughing, the Ruler of Equestria continued. “Very much so. Take, for example, the magic of Equestrian equines. The Earthponies have a natural affinity to the land; they can hear the soil, and it’s requests for water. The crops they grow whisper to them, allowing them to hear what they require. The relationship between the Earthponies and the land is a magic that cannot be replicated by the Pegasi or Unicorns.”
“Oh, wow. I never thought about that.”
“Whereas the Earthponies have a kinship with the land, the Pegasi tame the beast known as weather. They can hear the mood swings of the sky. When it is sad, they gather the clouds to let it rain. When angered, the lightning is spread across the sky. The wind whispers it’s secrets to them. It’s quite fascinating to hear Rainbow explain it, however, no other race can do what they do.”
“What about the unicorns, mom?”
“Blessed with what is known as the tinker’s mind, the unicorns create new ways to live. Everything from something simple like wooden doors, to the power of illumination in the lanterns of the town at night. All were designed by the unicorns. They can see ways to use things that the others cannot. While it’s true unicorns use what Equestrians refer to as magic, it’s not really all that magical. You see, the Earthponies and the Pegasi are blessed with physical strength whereas the unicorn simply aren’t. Instead, they can move things by levitation. Or can arrive places quickly by teleportation. And that Starshine is my point.”
Her daughter thought for a moment before brightening. She understood. “They are doing what is possible just using another means to do it!”
“You got it. Well done. Now however, when it comes to miracles, that magical logic changes dramatically. A miracle-”
The scene before them began to play once more in slow motion as Twilight explained. “Is when the impossible is forced into existence. The alicorn’s gift is to hear the cry of magic itself; the harmony in Equestria. As a Celestial, the magic of the divine flows in yours and my veins. To force an impossibility disrupts the flow of Harmonic Magic.”
Her mother’s tone, while gentle seemed to indicate an ominous forthcoming. “Mom. What’s Harmonic Magic?”
Instead of a reply, Twilight gestured at the scene before them. Starshine’s ears pinned back against her neck. Her hackles standing straight up, as she stood trembling at the entire scene of what Twilight did, played out in slow motion. “Y-You didn’t! Mom tell me you didn’t!”
Her mother’s answer was uncharacteristically cold, making Starshine shiver. “Oh, I did it, Starshine. After all, all that mattered was I saved my friend. The method of which I used didn’t matter, isn’t that what you said, Starshine?”
***
“Fluttershy, how dare you? Unhand me; you ruffian!”
“You are getting a timeout, missy.”
Cozy Glow blinked. Rubbing her aching back with a hoof she shakily got up. “What happened? My entire body feels like an ant colony chewed me up and spat me out.”
An orange hoof appeared before her eyes. The familiar home-styled accent made her feel warm all over. “All right young’un, up ya go. Rarity has a habit of being a bad sport when she loses. Leave her ta Fluttershy...You an’ I have a lot to discuss Sugarcube.”
“Wait a minute Applejack! What’s going on? Why am I-”
That same orange hoof was now pressing a revolver square against her muzzle and Cozy Glow saw a dangerous glint in the normally warm Earthpony’s eyes. “Not another word. Just get up and follow. We don’t want to be here when Fluttershy talks to Rar. It ain’t gonna be pretty an’ I don’t like violence. Understood?”
Nodding and keeping her muzzle shut as she shook in fear, Cozy Glow stood up. In a flash the revolver was back in the holster, and Applejack had taken off. Glancing down as she was jerked off balance, Cozy Glow noticed a rope tied around her neck and was being dragged. “C’mon! Hurry up! I ain’t waitin’!”
Behind her Cozy Glow heard a truly sinister voice say “Oh Rarity; you’ve been such a bad sport. That’s alright, Mama will gladly teach you some manners.”
Scrambling to her feet, Cozy Glow spread her wings and took off. Catching up to AJ she cried out. “What in the name of Hazel is going on?”
Halting, AJ laughed and said. “Just another successful meeting of the Sinners of Equestria, Sugarcube.”
“But why, why do you do these things, why would you intentionally hurt each other?”
“It’s in our nature. Or rather it’s the half of our nature we do our best to move on from.”
With tears in her eyes, as Applejack undid the rope, Cozy Glow screamed. “Weren’t you redeemed?”
“We were.”
“Then why-”
“Because redemption isn’t reformation, Cozy Glow. Just 'cause we earned forgiveness fer our sins, don’t mean that half of us vanishes. Unfortunately, we currently have no path as well.”
Staring at Applejack in confusion, Cozy Glow ruffled her feathers. There was something strangely despairing about AJ’s tone. Still she had to understand. “No path? What exactly do you mean, Applejack?”
Behind the two, Rarity could be heard screaming off in the distance as Applejack responded; eyes hardened. “Many lifetimes ago, Twilight used a form of magic known as divine magic to perform what many would call a miracle. In order to save Pinkie from an unknown and rather contagious disease, Twi accidently removed us six. Cozy Glow, we currently have no fate or destiny; we can never die, but we can never actually advance in life either.”
“But the stories I read about-”
Scuffing a hoof, Applejack whispered. “Altered, th' events are true enough but the methods of our redemption were changed by Twi. Twilight’s greatest sin, Cozy Glow, was she tinkered with the books of our lives. She literally changed th' universe.”
“What? How is that-”
“It was agreed upon in advance. We trusted and still do trust her. She managed to save Pinkie, after all an' if Pinkie never got sick then she wouldn’t perish. Simple right?”
“So to save a friend, Twilight-”
“Yeah. She committed high treason against the heavens and Tartarus themselves and with our help altered the very existence of Equestria. Faust grew angry and in a unanimous decision, her and Hazel banished us, sending us to a Equestria where we could manually undo everything Twi changed. Each of our souls was branded with our only redeeming features; the Elements of Harmony. My honesty, etc. For hundreds of thousands of lifetimes, we have met here to discuss and rebuild what we have lost; every moment, every memory. The purest of intentions, paved the way for our eternal damnation.”