//------------------------------// // Filling the Void // Story: The Book of Lies // by Standard Namespace //------------------------------// What did nothing feel like? It stretched on forever without bound or measure. There was no light, no darkness, just an awareness of intrusion. Twilight Sparkle was, as far as she could tell, alone. I only feel like I'm falling because there's no ground beneath my hooves. I wonder if the others... She stilled her mind. In an instant, she felt the presence of the other Elements of Harmony, and despaired at the vast and terrible distance separating them. She bit her lip and focused. There were others inside here, close to one of the Elements – a cluster incomprehensibly far away, a cloud of souls surrounding a central sun. Celestia? She felt a surge of hope. Her concentration broke. She reminisced, and was immediately caught up in a moment of reverie. With no other sensations, the feeling of recollection was overpowering. Oh, sure, I passed the entrance exam – but they said I wasn’t ready to go to the School for Gifted Unicorns full-time. I was the youngest candidate to ever succeed! So I had to continue going to school with the other fillies and colts. After school, Mother would pick me up and take me to the advanced courses. It was all so exciting and new, and the professors were thrilled to have a chance to privately tutor me. The other colts and fillies teased me mercilessly. They were already a loud, unruly rabble, but once they figured out what I did instead of playing on the playground every afternoon, their behavior became even more insufferable. Lucky for me I was good at mind-reading. I could even make suggestions, and ponies would follow them unconsciously! My professor joked that I’d soon master “Want-It-Need-It”, one of the most dangerous spells known to ponykind. Every day, as I sat through watching my poor teacher try to maintain order, I felt increasingly sorry for her. She was such a dear! She reminded me so much of Cheerilee... One day, I decided to make them behave. It was so easy! They barely noticed the subtle nudges I gave them to be quiet, stand in line, not squabble and gossip and fight... My teacher noticed the difference, but she wasn’t happy; it terrified her. Soon, the Princess herself came to my school. We talked for a long time, and she asked me if I was unhappy. I told her how frustrated I was with school, and she nodded. She was so understanding! The very next day, I began studying full time— “Wait a minute.” Twilight Sparkle imagined she was talking. There was no air to carry her voice, no sound in her ears. It was a simple mental exercise, a means to ground herself. “That’s not how it was. I... I started studying full time from the very beginning. I would have loved to spend more time with Mom and Dad; I was so scared when I started. I didn’t know about Magic Kindergarten...” Twilight stilled her mind, stifled the narrative running through her consciousness. “What’s going on? Where did that come from?” --------- It was the best party ever! There were balloons and streamers and party hats and everypony was having fun, playing games and dancing, and they were all there! Everypony! Pinkie Pie smiled and bounced to the table with the refreshments. The table was filled with pies and cake and candy and... Pinkie Pie had the feeling she had forgotten something important. She checked the table again. No, there were plenty of snacks. She checked the room. Everybody was talking and laughing and mingling – even Princess Celestia was there. Pinkie Pie had definitely forgotten something important. I should go up to her and say “Hi!” and make sure she's having fun, because it sure feels funny in here, like – Cupcakes! There was a tray of freshly baked cupcakes on the table – without frosting or sprinkles or any decorations at all! Pinkie bounced over to the tray of cooling cupcakes. Fortunately, somepony had thought to stock the table with tubs of frosting and sprinkles and a spatula. Pinkie had an idea – she would make extra-special cupcakes decorated especially for whoever wanted one! Custom cupcakes for every customer! Soon ponies were standing in line to get cupcakes. The first one, a large, taciturn stallion, was a carpenter. The decoration was easy – a hammer and nails. The next one, a unicorn who looked down his muzzle at anything around him, was a tailor. That was another easy one – a pincushion, pins, and a measuring tape. This was fun, and even that snooty unicorn smiled when he took his cupcake. The next one was a tweedy old earth pony with bags under his eyes. “What do you do?” “I'm a professor of mathematics at the School for Gifted Unicorns. I teach advanced set theory and topology.” Pinkie paused for a beat. “Ohh kee dokie.” What would she put on his cupcake, math symbols? If so, which ones? “Don't worry, I have an idea,” he said, breaking the awkward moment. “Take a cupcake and the sharpest knife you have...” He wanted her to slice his cupcake up – but the slices were so complicated! They looked funny, too, kind of cloudy and with no distinct edges. Sometimes he would turn the cupcake a little and have her make another slice. “So you teach at the School for Gifted Unicorns? Where's your horn?” “Not all the teachers are unicorns. Celestia, in her infinite wisdom, wants the little ones to learn to respect the abilities of the other races. There! We're done!” Before them were four ragged slices of cupcake, and the eensy-weensiest crumb Pinkie had ever seen. While the other ponies had initially been impatient, soon they gathered around in a half-circle to see. “Now... watch this.” The professor took two slices, twisted and shoved them around, and slid them together – into a whole cupcake! Pinkie Pie eyed the cupcake suspiciously. “Wait a minute – there are two slices left!” The professor carefully manipulated the other two pieces – into a second cupcake. Pinkie Pie pouted. “You're some kind of stage magician, aren't you?” “Nothing so interesting, dear. Now, frost those two cupcakes, maybe with two contrasting colors, and I'll put them back together into a single cupcake – minus the central point, of course...” “That doesn't work! You can't just make one cupcake into two by cutting it!” Pinkie felt funny. “In the real world, no. But this isn't a cupcake – it's an idea of a cupcake.” The professor came in close and whispered into Pinkie's ear. “I think something strange is afoot, and I think you can help.” Pinkie again had the feeling she was forgetting something. The professor gestured to the base of her neck. “I've seen that lovely necklace somewhere before. I think it was the ceremony after Discord was banished.” Pinkie fixed the professor in her big blue eyes and nodded. “It's an Element of Harmony. The Element of Laughter.” The professor nodded sagely. “I think you should take a break and go talk to the Princess.” Pinkie Pie smiled. “I think you're right.” Pinkie Pie bounced across the room, dodging party guests. “Princess?” Why wasn't she moving? She was so much pinker than usual, too. Was she not feeling well? Celestia responded, groggily, “My wings are so pretty. Are you a Princess, too?” Pinkie looked up into the Princess' eyes, and saw a tiny spark of awareness. The room fell away. Pinkie Pie was bathed in light, terribly bright and hot. It burned on her back. The Princess spoke again, her voice melodious and gentle and bone-rattlingly loud. “Whatever you do, Pinkie Pie – keep your eyes closed and don't turn around.” Pinkie was terrified, and whimpered. “You don't see things the same way your friends do. You can find them and help them – and they can help you.” Pinkie's voice was shaky. “Princess... you're scaring me...” “Courage, Pinkie Pie. Bring them to me, and we'll all find a way back home. I'm counting on you.” The Princesses' voice was tender. Pinkie bit her lip. “...I'm gonna need help. Is Princess Luna–” “She is... busy. Do what you can, Pinkie Pie. Go now.” The world fell away. --------- The sunset wasn't red anymore, and the sky was no longer blue, but a bejeweled black. Frost crunched beneath the black alicorn's hooves, and her feline teal eyes scanned the razor-sharp horizon. It takes two to lead a herd. One all wish to follow, and one to chase stragglers back to the group. The cold wasn't so bad once the atmosphere froze. Nightmare Moon smiled a sinister smile. We got them all. O Sister! How we pray your stratagem is blessed with success!