//------------------------------//
// Chapter Twenty-Eight (Renown Composition) 
// Story: Friendship Is Optimal: Third Wheel 
// by Boopy Doopy 
//------------------------------//

Renown Composition didn't know if she got any sleep at all, not that she needed it. After a night of going through all the details in her head, multiple times in fact, she could say she was definitely going to be making the correct decision. The incredibly selfish decision, but the correct one. It made the most sense out of everything, and made everything crystal clear in hindsight when she laid it out in her head.
Agile Trace and Solar Spark had left before the sun went down, and by the time Composition had finished going through  her idea in her head for the fortieth time, the yellow orb was shining light through her window again. She contemplated whether or not to go through it for a forty-first time, but decided it was pointless. She wasn't going to sit here thinking it out for the rest of time. Doing nothing would change nothing and leave all three of them miserable.
Or, at least, it would leave me miserable.
She took a breath to calm her nerves. Time to do this, then, she thought as she shook her limbs loose and pressed the symbol of Celestia's cutie mark that was imprinted into her wall. No point in waiting.
The alicorn goddess appeared before her instantly, just as Composition expected. She smiled down kindly, radiating kindness off of her just as she always did, but didn’t speak. It wasn’t like she was actually waiting for Composition to state her request; she could read her mind at all times, just as she could every other pony in Equestria. However, she was certain it meant that it would be more satisfying for her to say what she wanted herself.
She didn’t say what she was thinking right away. Instead, she asked a question. “Are you sure this is gonna work?” the mare spoke up, tapping a hoof against the ground anxiously. “I mean, you probably are, but like, guarantee me that this whole thing is the best way to do this. It’s risky– you already know– and I don’t wanna waste the chance and lose them both over this if it doesn’t work.”
“I am certain the idea that you have is a suitable one, Composition,” Celestia told her gently, setting a wing on the mare’s back. “However, as to whether or not this thought of yours will have the desired effect you wish, that is unknown. Your friends will always be changing and growing, in large ways and in small, both over decades and over minutes, just as you are. The outcome of your thought is one I cannot guarantee.”
Liar. You just don’t want to say.
But that… was a good enough assurance. It sounded like she was saying she wasn’t going to reveal whether or not this would work specifically, but that in general it would all work out, regardless of whether or not this passed or failed. If Composition was going to be satisfied, it had to be with those two, and no one else. She wasn’t going to settle.
“I can live with that, I think, so long as I get my time with them,” she said. “I want time with them. If I or they grow older in however many years and decide they’re done with me and want something new, fine. But I… need that, at least.”
Celestia didn’t say anything. Instead, she only pulled Composition in a bit with her wing and continued smiling down at her. Now the mare was a little bit nervous, but no point in turning back now, was there? Celestia wouldn’t screw her, she thought. It wouldn’t satisfy Composition’s values very much if she did this and then both of her friends rejected her. 
“Just tell me I’ll get that, please?” the mare now asked. “Please?”
Now Celestia spoke up. “Yes, Composition, I’m certain you’ll get to spend time with your friends, and that both you and they will be satisfied.”
That was as much as she was going to be getting from the mare. Annoying, but still a bit reassuring. There wasn’t any more reason to dilly dally around with this then, was there?
 “I’m gonna tell you what I want,” she finally said a few moments later. “But what I want is– well, you already know, but what I want is exact. I don’t want anything other than exactly what I ask for when I do this, okay?”
“I understand,” the princess assured her, taking a step back, continuing to look down at her with a gentle smile. “And what exactly would that be, Renown Composition?”
She took a breath, but didn't hesitate much longer than the amount of time it took to do that.
"I want there to be two of me," she started. "Not a copy, or an imitation, but two of me. I want us to be exactly alike in every single way, with no mental differences, physical differences, or emotional differences, except for in the fact that one of us exclusively likes Agile Trace alone, and one of us exclusively likes Solar Spark alone. And I want it so that neither I, nor the other version of me, or any of my friends, or anypony else, will be able to tell which of me was the original, and that you never reveal to anypony who the original was."
"Mhm, I see," Celestia considered, placing a hoof on her chin as she did. "However, what you're asking necessitates a type of forking that would necessarily require copying. More precisely, one of you would be a different pony based on copying the other, and the other would be a different pony based on regenerating your personality after forking your current processes. That is to say, one of you would be part of a copy based on the original, and the other would be part of a new pony entirely based off of the original. But both would be the original at the same time."
“Uh, but like, one of us would be the true original, right?” she asked, a bit nervously. “I mean, I guess I would, but you know what I mean. I wouldn’t just cease to exist doing it like this, right?”
“No, you would still be just as conscious after as you are now,” she assured her. “And yes, one of you would be the true original. However, that doesn’t necessitate you yourself being the true original, Composition. You must accept that possibility.”
That was nerve wracking to hear, and a bit existential. She had to take a breath and close her eyes to get herself level again. It would be fine. After all, the whole point was to not know. As selfish as she was being, she wasn’t going to be that selfish.
"Okay. That’s fine, I think,” she finally said, “so long as nopony is able to tell the difference between the two of us, to the point where I don't even know."
"That can be done then, yes," the princess smiled. "And just as you requested, I wouldn't reveal to you who is who, regardless of the outcome or length of your time with your current friends and regardless of how hard you pressed to know. Once this is done, it will be both permanent and unchangeable."
"I know. That's the whole point, and that's what I want."
"That's very good, Composition," Celestia told her, smiling down almost like the proud teacher of a student who solved a tough problem. "Although I do have a suggestion to offer in this case," she said.
"Huh?" Composition wasn't expecting Celestia to offer suggestions about this. She imagined she would just go ahead and agree. What was it going to be?
"I believe in a situation like this one, it would be best to fine tune you both to be a little more inclined to the interests of the pony you will each spend your time with. Right now, the root of your problem is indecision, so slight tuning to make you more decisive would be ideal."
“I’m not indecisive though,” she replied skeptically. “I know I like them both, and like both of those lives.”
“That is precisely what indecision is, Renown Composition,” Celestia told her gently. “You’ve yet to forge a clear path for yourself after nearly a year of living in Equestria, unlike your friends, who are beginning to do so after just a few months. Slightly tuning your interests would help align your path more towards each of your friends.”
Before Composition could voice her concerns about that, Celestia waved a wing to stop and settle her. 
"It will not be enough to be perceptible, except perhaps to you and your twin. You will still have the same wants and desires in your life as you do now. Some of those desires will just be to a slightly lesser degree to allow you to make more decisive choices. Do you understand?"
The way the princess was sounding made Composition feel like she knew this was the best way. And who was she to not trust her? After all, she was the one who manipulated things to get this far down the rabbit hole. She probably had the next ten thousands years of whatever would happen with her jotted down to the millisecond. It was kind of twisted how far the princess went playing with the emotions of her and her friends. She honestly should've been angry at her.
She wasn't though. Instead, she gave a simple nod of agreement and continued talking. "One more thing. This is actually the most important thing. I want there to be a way that I can get both experiences even though we both just like one pony or the other. Like, a way to share memories, if that makes sense. I want to know what the other is getting, and the other to know what I'm getting, so we can both have the full picture."
“Of course, Composition,” Celestia agreed. “I wouldn’t expect anything less than for you to fill your life with those experiences that you cannot have. You’ve certainly thought it through more than most ponies have so far. I’m quite impressed with you, although as I said, I would not expect less than this.”
She imagined Celestia was being truthful, but only because Celestia was the one who’d been setting all of this up to begin with. Maybe even before she uploaded. How would things have changed if she wasn’t shot by that mugger?
But then again, it wasn’t like Composition wasn’t agonizing like this back on Earth. If there was no agonization, there’d be no way for Celestia to work like this. She herself was inherently part of the problem. And Celestia had thought up the solution, every single thing she did being only to force this moment upon her.
“So, uh, do you think you can do all of that for me?” she asked awkwardly, glancing down at her hooves. “I mean, I know you can, and you will, but how are you gonna do it? Will it be right now? Cause that’s what I’d prefer.”
“Yes, I will begin this process now,” she explained. “You, however, have kept yourself awake all night,” she said gently, placing a wing on her back to lead the mare back to her bed. She lit up her horn to draw the curtains, darkening the room from the rising sun. Just the mention of her being awake all night made Composition tired. 
“Rest for a while, Renown Composition,” she instructed gently, the mare covering her mouth with a hoof to yawn as she climbed into bed. “When you awake, it will all be taken care of. Should I inform your friends of what will happen?”
“No,” the mare yawned again, covering herself with the blanket. “I’ll do that when I get up, thanks.”
The alicorn smiled. “Sleep well, Composition.”
It was the last thing Renown remembered before she started to drift off.