Ocellus awoke in a cold sweat in her bed. She looked around frantically. She was back in her dormitory at the School of Friendship. Outside, the sun was shining bright in the sky. She thought that it had to be past morning, but she had no idea what had happened. The last thing she remembered was the museum falling apart, Silverstream slipping after using a strange form of telekinesis, and then….
It all came flooding back. All the pain, all the grief…everything. She had failed to save Silverstream. She had let one of her best friends die. The friend that always brought joy to her and the rest of the group. Silverstream was dead. And it was all her fault.
“SILVERSTREAM!!!!!!!!” Ocellus screamed, all the pain pouring out upon remembering all the events of the previous day. Tears clouded her vision as the reality fully set in. She shouldn’t have helped Silver break open the glass display case. What was she thinking?! That cursed mirror caused the literal destruction of Canterlot. Soon it would be all over the news, the School of Friendship would be sued by Queen Novo and the hippogriff kingdom, most likely shut down. Equestria would go to war as it had almost did when she and her friends first ran away. But more importantly, she would have to live with the failure of losing someone she loved for the rest of her life.
Something stirred above her. It was Smolder, who had been sleeping in the bunk bed right on top of hers. Smolder peered down at the distraught changeling with tired eyes and an expression which sent the message that she did not like being woken up at 7:00 AM.
“Dammit, Ocellus.” The orange dragon murmured through tired breaths, “It’s 7 AM…Go back to sleep. School doesn’t start until 8:30.”
“S-Smolder…” Ocellus said in a shaky voice, “S-s-s-Silverstream i-is d-dead…I d-didn’t save her…I-I couldn’t…”
“Who?” Smolder inquired.
Her response immediately caught Ocellus off guard. What did she mean ‘Who?’ Silverstream was their friend. No. Not was. Is. How could Smolder not recognize the name of one of their best friends?!
“What do you mean ‘Who?!’” Ocellus asked her suspiciously, “She’s one of our friends! Wake up, Smolder!”
“Are you sure you’re feeling alright?” Smolder looked confused, “Last I checked, we don’t have a Silverstream. You could be referring to Graystripe, but remember, he returned home to his old school last summer after that nasty General Seaspray guy said that this school was a "bad influence." The nerve of that guy!!”
This was becoming more and more unnerving. Why couldn’t Smolder remember Silverstream? Who was this Graystripe? Was this some sort of alternate timeline where Silverstream didn’t exist? No. It couldn’t be true. Smolder was in denial.
“Smolder,” Ocellus told her, “I know you’re trying to convince yourself Silverstream didn’t exist because of the events of the field trip yesterday. I know. I miss her too.”
“What field trip?!” Smolder demanded, “Ocellus, you’re really weirding me out right now. Who in Ember’s name is this Silverstream?!”
“One of our friends!!” Ocellus shouted, “How do you not remember Silverstream after everything we all went through together?!! This is one of our friends!! Or…was. But I refuse to believe she actually died, I-“
“Ocellus!!” Smolder cut her off. “There is no Silverstream!! You probably had a really bad nightmare and Princess Luna forgot to come in and tell you it was all just a dream!! Let me sleep, damn you!”
Ocellus stopped talking immediately, put off by Smolder’s sudden use of swearing. She had never heard her friend curse before, and it was weird. But that wasn’t important. She had to find out what was going on. Pushing the covers off, she climbed out of bed as Smolder rolled back towards the wall, trying to go back to sleep.
“Dudes,” came Sandbar’s voice. The door opened and Sandbar came in, along with Yona and Gallus, “Some of us have to sleep. What’s going on?”
Ocellus faced her friends. “Gallus, Yona, Sandbar….do you remember a hippogriff named Silverstream?” She desperately hoped that the answer from her friends would be yes.
Unfortunately, the trio shook their heads. Ocellus couldn’t believe this. What was going on? How come no one could remember Silverstream? At this point, she knew it wasn’t just Smolder pretending for the sake of it. She really didn’t remember Silverstream. None of the others did or could.
This didn’t make sense. No. They were lying. They had to be. It was all too much for her to take in. Half of her life had been just altered overnight and she could not convince them. There was no way for her to. They wouldn’t believe her.
“Ocellus?” Gallus asked her, “Are you okay? You look like you’ve just seen a ghost.” She couldn’t tell him what she was feeling. He wouldn’t understand any of it. Fighting the onslaught of fresh tears, she bolted out of her room and down the hallway, ignoring the shouts of her friends.
Heading towards the main building, she saw all the other students heading down the main corridors towards their classes. School would begin soon. She caught up to Soaring Virtue, a pegasus mare with a green coat and purple mane and tail.
“Hey, hey!” Ocellus asked her, “Soaring Virtue, do you remember Silverstream? She’s one of our classmates?”
Soaring Virtue shook her head, “Sorry, Ocellus. I don’t know a Silverstream. Then again, I’m not very social anyway.” She flew off.
Ocellus tried the stallion in front of her. “Do you know where Silverstream is?”
“No.” The stallion told her firmly, “And get out of my face, bookworm.” He shoved her aside, knocking her off balance in midair.
Recovering, she tried others, praying that at least one of them would say yes, and that she was not insane for remembering someone who to them didn’t exist.
“Do you know Silverstream?”
“No.”
“Do you remember what happened to Silverstream yesterday?”
“Who?”
“Please, do you know Silverstream?”
“No.”
“Do you know Silverstream?”
“No.”
“No.”
“No.”
“Who the hay is that?”
“No.”
“No.”
“Sorry, Ocellus. Um, try the counselor’s office or something.”
Ocellus was having no luck after no luck and it was scary. The concept of one of her best friends being all a fabrication in her head was completely foreign and alien to her. She knew Silverstream. It was both strange and disturbing that one day, everyone all of a sudden forgot about the pink hippogriff.
There was only one pony left to talk to before she would have to talk to her teachers about her apparent hallucinations. She spotted Citrine Spark with her friends walking in the direction of Professor Maud Pie’s Stoneology class. The three were collectively known as the School Trio.
“Citrine Spark!!” Ocellus called out to her, “Can we talk for a moment?”
The School Trio didn’t seem to hear her. They just kept on walking and chatting. Ocellus facehoofed and ran over towards them.
“Hey!” Ocellus called again.
The School Trio stopped. All three ponies turned towards her. Citrine Spark saw her and said: “Oh hi, Ocellus! I was just telling my friends here how I met this stallion, he really likes me, or at least I think he likes me, I like him anyway, and I-“ She cleared her throat, “Sorry, definitely off topic. You were saying?”
‘Here goes nothing.’ Ocellus thought. She took a deep breath, “Citrine….do you remember…” she trailed off. She couldn’t bring herself to finish the sentence. So many other ponies had told her no.
Citrine looked at her curiously. “Remember what?”
Ocellus sighed. “The train ride….on the way to the museum. This hippogriff named Silverstream sat next to you.” Citrine looked puzzled. Ocellus pressed on, “She confided in you about what happened over the weekend. You shared your past with her. You two formed a close bond over being rejected by those you cared about?”
Citrine just stared at her, puzzled and confused. That was when Ocellus figured that it was over. She was insane. Silverstream didn’t exist and their adventures were all a fabrication. But just as she was about to give in to despair, Citrine’s expression changed.
The puzzled expression gradually morphed into shock, and then to sadness. “I told her that it didn’t matter what others thought of her…” she responded softly. She gasped. “She saved my life on the train!”
Ocellus’s heart leapt. “Yeah! Then what?”
“But I shouldn’t remember this.” Citrine shook her head vigorously, “We haven’t gone on a field trip since the coronation!”
“I knew it!” Ocellus exclaimed. She felt so relieved. Somepony actually remembered Silverstream! She wasn’t crazy after all! “Citrine, somehow…I don’t know how…someone has altered everyone’s memories! After Silverstream die….after Silverstream fell…I awoke this morning with everyone having forgotten the whole thing like it never happened!”
“Who’s Silverstream?” Peppermint Goldylinks asked.
“I’ll explain to you girls later.” Citrine told them. They nodded. Right as the conversation was about to continue, the bell for class rang. More time must’ve passed than they had thought.
——————————————————————————————————————————————————
“Alright, y’all!” Friendship Counselor Apple Bloom announced to the class, “Headmare Starlight has secured a tour of the Canterlot Museum of Cultural History! Your vice Headstallion Sunburst has agreed to head the field trip!”
Ocellus gasped. This was the exact same announcement that happened the previous day. The field trip was beginning all over again. It was no wonder that none of her friends remembered the field trip.
Her classmates started talking amongst themselves again. However, it felt empty this time without Silverstream’s usual exuberant energy, chatting about how much she wanted to learn about pony history. It didn’t matter this time, though. She had a second chance. This time, she would not let any of her friends die.
——————————————————————————————————————————————————
The Friendship Express headed towards Canterlot at top speed, going through tunnels and passing through mountains. The train ride was estimated to be about 15 minutes long. While everycreature else looked out the windows at the passing countryside or read books, Ocellus sat next to Citrine Spark, through some photos of the whole group together that she had packed in her saddlebag before leaving.
“We can show these to our classmates.” Ocellus told her, “As soon as they see these photos, they’ll have no doubt in their minds that I’m telling the truth.”
“I like that one the best!” Citrine pointed with her right hoof at one of the photos sitting atop the tray. This was of Silverstream and the others piled on top of each other, trying to get a good view as Ocellus read them a book. Silverstream was peeking on top of Yona.
Ocellus smiled wistfully, “Yeah. That one’s definitely the best.”
“So…you and Silverstream are pretty close, right?” Citrine Spark asked her, “Like really REALLY close?”
“What?! No!” Ocellus blushed from embarrassment, “We’re just very close. I do have a crush on Smolder though. I don’t know if she reciprocates my feelings or not. Can you and your friends please not gossip about it?” She said the part about Smolder a little quieter as the dragon was sitting with Gallus in the row right across from her.
“Don’t worry,” Citrine assured her, “Your secret’s safe with me. It’s what friends do, isn’t it? Twilight taught us as much when she was Headmare.”
Ocellus nodded. “Since the coronation….Silverstream and I have only grown closer. I-I can’t describe it. It’s like…we know each other from somewhere. Of course I love the others too, but she and I….I feel this strong urge to protect her sometimes. I don’t know if it’s because we changelings can feel love, or if it’s something else, but you just…you just know.”
Citrine nodded back in understanding. “My dad is one of the greatest lawyers in Fillydelphia. He’s so busy all the time, but we…we still make the time for each other. He encouraged me to hang out with Berry and Peppermint because he felt that I needed others to be there for me when he wasn’t. I’m grateful for that, even though they totally just abandoned me on this train for the SECOND TIME, technically. If we weren’t in some sort of inverted time loop, I’d chew them out big time!”
Ocellus smiled again. “You remind me of Silverstream.”
Citrine smirked, “Oh yeah? Talkative, chatty, and overall very hyperactive?”
Ocellus nodded to all three. “Hopeful.” She sighed deeply, “How do I stop…more of my friends from dying this time?”
“Just don’t let anyone near that stupid wormhole mirror.” Citrine told her, “You might want to keep a close eye on me, just FYI. I was pretty tempted last time.”
Just then, the train broke sharply and Ocellus barely stopped Citrine from falling by grabbing on to her waist with her hooves. Citrine saw this. “Thanks, Ocellus…Sorry that I’m in constant danger all the time. First Silverstream, then you.”
“Don’t mention it.” Ocellus told her, “This is what friends do. You’re pretty cool.”
“Thanks. That…means a lot to me. Now if only the conductor would say-“ Citrine was interrupted by a loud, booming:
“CURSE YOU, SHEEP!!!”
——————————————————————————————————————————————————
“And so, when Starswirl the Bearded banished the Sirens from Equestria,” Sunburst spoke, walking the class through the Canterlot Museum of Cultural History, “He wanted to make sure the Sirens would never return to this land again. So, he created the 30 Moons-3 Days cyclical system in order to trap them there forever. He created an enchanted mirror, which he would watch constantly. The real mirror is stored within Princess Twilight’s old castle, but the magical prototype is stored right there!” He pointed towards a glass display case, which housed a purple mirror that looked similar to the one Twilight used in her quest for the Element of Magic.
The students all went ‘oo’ and ‘awe,’ staring at the mirror. Ocellus carefully treaded away from it. She did not want to mess with it. As the class headed through the exhibits, she felt a twinge of sadness, looking out to the place where Silverstream had fallen. She missed her friend dearly. If only she could see her again. So far, no one had gone towards the mirror and that was good.
Or so she thought.
When the exhibit was over, Sunburst took role call. “Alright! Is everyone here? Raise your hooves, claws, or whatever.” Immediately, all the students raised their hooves or whatever they had, including Ocellus. Everyone seemed to be present.
Except Citrine Spark.
Ocellus was the first to realize this. “Citrine’s not here…” Quick as a flash, she ran in the direction towards the mirror exhibit, ignoring everyone calling out to her, just in time to see Citrine breaking through the display case with the Staff of Sacanas.
“CITRINE, DON’T!!!” Ocellus screamed out at her. But it was too late. The museum shook as dark energy swirled around the mirror. The ceiling was torn off and walls started crumbling, falling into a gathering, swirling vortex.
Citrine was snapped out of her trance. “Oh hi, Ocellus! I just heard these sweet melodic voices beckoning me towards the mirror! Where’d it go?”
“There’s no time to explain!” Ocellus said, “We have to get out of here, now!!” Citrine ran towards her and together, they bolted out of the crumbling exhibit. Outside, the ground was crumbling as several purple vortexes opened in the sky. It was happening all over again. The accident that had killed Silverstream.
Sunburst and the class reached the outside to find houses being ripped off their foundations, sucked into the massive black hole that was forming in the sky. Ponies screamed, trying to run away, all of them falling into the cosmic holes that had opened in the ground.
“Stay with me, class!!” Sunburst shouted. His horn emitting a bright yellow the color of the sun, he blasted at the vortexes, trying to close them. But it was no use. The magic simply went through the portals. Maniacal yells and dark laughter filled the air.
Ocellus felt a wave of nausea come over her. ‘Not again. Not again. Not again. Not again. Not again. Not again. Not again. Not again.’ She thought as panic encased her entire being.
All of a sudden, one of the windows to Canterlot Castle bursted open and Princess Twilight Sparkle flew out of it, horn at the ready, blasting at the increasing number of vortexes.
“Twilight!” Sunburst shouted.
Princess Twilight turned briefly, looking down at him, her expression full of rage and fury. “WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!!!”
“It’s not his fault!!” Citrine Spark called up to her, “I’m so sorry! I was in a trance and I broke the exhibition mirror by accident!!!”
Princess Twilight nodded quickly in understanding, “It will take some time, but I can keep it at bay!!” With a loud yell, she blasted a torrent of pink magic at one of the vortexes. One of them closed, but another opened, sucking in an entire row of houses and shops with screaming unicorns inside.
Ocellus suddenly felt the stairs crumbling beneath her hooves. She gave a cry of alarm as a piece gave way, flying up as fast as she could.
“Ocellus, what do we do?!” Sunburst asked.
Ocellus took several shaky breaths, feeling the weight of the class’s safety on her shoulders. “Everycreature, RUN!!!!! The train station!!!”
At that instant, everycreature stampeded through the crumbling city at lightning speed, some trampling each other in the mad rush to get to the train. Ocellus tried to lead them, but the panic and fear she felt overcame her sense of rationale. She faltered mid-run. Suddenly, the ground gave way where Citrine was and she slipped, hanging on for dear life.
“NO!!!” Ocellus howled, rushing to help her newfound friend. She would not let her die. Not her too.
“OCELLUS!!” Citrine screamed as one hoof slipped.
“Citrine!!” Ocellus shouted at her. “Come to me!! JUMP!!!!!”
“If I let go, I’ll FALL!!” Citrine cried, “I DON’T WANT TO DIE!!!”
“No you won’t!!” Ocellus told her reassuringly, “I’ll protect you, I promise!! JUST JUMP!!!!”
Closing her eyes, Citrine obeyed, making a massive leap out of the vortex and slamming into Ocellus. Both of them fell onto the grass, which was rapidly crumbling beneath them. Ocellus looked at Citrine, alive, but shaken to the core. It didn’t matter. She had done it. She had saved one of her friends.
Meanwhile, Princess Twilight was blasting at the vortexes, screaming with godlike fury as she did so, tears of exhaustion and anger pouring out of her big lavender eyes. Despite her fatigue, she kept fighting, a stronger desire to protect her former students and friends overcoming any possible desire to quit.
Ocellus and Citrine rejoined the others, who had just reached the train station. The train was just about to leave, many evacuees already on it. With immense strength, Sunburst forced open the doors with his hooves, all of the students falling inside, including Ocellus and Citrine Spark.
As the doors closed (on Sunburst’s tail) and the train started moving again, Ocellus and the others rushed to find seats wherever they could. Ocellus and Citrine Spark found empty seats next to the windows on the caboose. As Ocellus held the sobbing Citrine Spark in her hooves, she realized at once she had avenged Silverstream’s supposed death. She had saved one of her newfound friends from the exact same fate.
As the sight of the collapsing Canterlot fell away from view, both Citrine and Ocellus collapsed from exhaustion, no longer having the energy to stay awake anymore.