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

Renown Composition was not on her bed when she opened her eyes again. Nor did she feel very different, like she expected to. In fact, she’d go so far as to say she didn’t feel any different at all, honestly. She thought she might… she didn't know. Feel like an entirely different pony? She knew that was ridiculous, since the whole point of this was to make a copy of herself exactly the same as she was, but she thought it might end up being like that anyway. She felt completely normal.
Then she stretched her neck and turned her head, hearing herself and her copy gasp at the same time. 
Her reflection was a better descriptor. It was like she was staring into a mirror. The mare in front of her was an Earth pony just like her, with the same light gray coat and dark gray eyes, combined with that same style of black and white mane. Her eyes were just as wide as Composition’s were as the two took each other in. It was an absolutely bizarre experience for the mare.
The mare in front of her spoke first. “That is freaky,” her reflection said in the same voice as hers as she shook her head clear and let out a breath. "Seriously."
"Uh, yeah, you could say that, uh, Composition," she replied. So then they weren't exactly the same, were they? If her reflection replied first– or was she the reflection?– then they couldn't have been. But then Celestia did say she was going to make small adjustments only the two of them would notice.
"We should probably think of a test to make sure we’re the same,” her reflection told her, lowering her ears and looking a bit uncomfortable. She could understand that feeling. She felt the same way right now. The mare said it best. This was freaky.
“Something simple, I think. Like a memory nopony else would remember. Something to make sure Celestia did this correctly.”
It made sense, and was an idea she herself would have suggested in another minute probably. Not that it really needed to be done. There was no way the AI goddess would have blundered this. But it would make her more comfortable to have confirmation, just like it would her twin if this actually worked.
“Well, I can think of a question already,” she told the mare on the couch in front of her. “I’m not gonna make it too difficult, but… who was the first guy you ever liked?”
It made her reflection’s face a little red, and both smiled, easing the slight tension in the room. “Well I know who you mean,” the mare started, “but if you were talking about just a crush, that would be Harry Styles. I know you meant that kid, Darren, who was in our sophomore class in high school, before we met Gwen and Mandy.”
“Good job. That’s the right answer,” she offered in small congratulations. “Now you ask me a question.”
“Ummm, let me think for a second.” Her reflection put a hoof on her chin in thought, and as she did, Composition tried her best to see if she could come up with a second question before the mare in front of her could. She was almost able to.
“Oh! I know! When did Agile tell you her secret?”
“I knew you were gonna ask that,” Composition said, the question popping into her head just a second before her reflection said it aloud. “She told me that in senior year, I remember. Like, it was just after I met her, cause we started talking a lot after that. She said I, quote, ‘seemed like a trustworthy person’ and something else about how the gays have to stick up for each other. It was hilarious how nonchalant she was being. I’m pretty sure Gwen and Mandy were there, too.”
 “I think you’re right,” her reflection said, and the two laughed at the memory. “It feels like so long ago,” the mare in front of her finished. 
“Yeah, it does. And now we’re all ponies, and I have two of me.”
“I’m pretty sure I’m the one who has two of her,” the pony replied, “but sure, go ahead and think that.”
Composition let out a small chuckle, letting pass any nervousness she might have had. It was strange though. That was the kind of joke Agile Trace would make– and one she would make, too– but the thought of Agile Trace making it made her feel a bit strange. She still liked the mare a lot; she was definitely still one of her closest friends, one she should share a laugh with at any moment, every hour of the day. But all of the affection she had for her before seemed to be slowly dissipating. A close friend was what she was, and… that seemed to be it. She imagined that meant her reflection felt the same way about Solar Spark.
“Something I did think of before though–” her reflection started. Composition interrupted her before she could get too far.
“Name change?” she asked. “I already know which two I picked out, and which one I want. Renown Frame.” She smiled as she said it, and so did the mare she was talking to.
“Good, because I wanted Stellar Composition,” she replied. “That makes me happy.” Renown Frame watched Stellar Composition glance up at her mane– the two seemed to be completely in sync when it came to what they were thinking about– and said, “I kind of wanna do something to change up how I look a little bit. So we can tell each other apart, if that makes sense. I assume you wanna do the same.”
“You already know it,” Frame agreed. “But before that, I really wanna talk to Sparky. And then after that, we can work on that… Celestia, it feels a little dark what we’re doing, doesn’ it?”
“Yeah, a little bit,” Stellar agreed. “Too late now though, I think.”
Yeah, too late now was a good way to put it. Renown Frame didn’t waste too much more time though before she left to go find Solar Spark.



Stellar Composition didn't leave immediately, and instead sat inside her home for a little while, thinking it all over. Or was it Renown Frame's home? She didn't know, but she guessed the two could share it. She didn't imagine that it'd be a place she'd be staying for very much longer if things progressed as she expected them to.
She knew her twin was almost certainly feeling just like she was– how could she not if they were basically the same? She could find no differences between them, so far as she could tell. Maybe Frame was a smidge more relaxed than she was? Or maybe that was just in her head. She could see no sign either way of Celestia messing anything up. Heck, looking at the mare almost confused herself. Her twin was right though. It did seem a little bit dark to be put on this path by Celestia. Maybe even kind of messed up. A little bit more so since she was going along with this. It was certainly selfish, she knew that.
Stellar didn't waste much more time than that, figuring it was best to get to Agile sooner rather than later to talk to her. She already knew what she was going to say; it was going to be the same as what Frame was probably telling Sparky right now. A little bit of a lie at first– maybe not technically, but still– and then mostly the truth after that. It didn't help with the dark feeling, but it was already too late to take it back. This was what was going to be done.
All of the buildings she passed looked the same as yesterday, and all of the ponies she knew still waved at her with friendly smiles just as they did before. Everything was just the same as it always was, and exactly how she remembered it. But did she remember it? Or was she just playing in her mind memories she thought were supposed to be there because she was a copy? It was already bugging her greatly, but there was nothing she could do about it. That was the whole point.
It was only a few minutes before Stellar reached Agile's apartment. She felt nervous, but pushed that nervousness down to knock on her door with a firm hoof. It wasn’t like there’d be any way to change her mind about this. Besides, Celestia gave her an assurance that this would work. Well, kind of.
Only a second was what it took before the pegasus opened the door. This time, she expected Agile to have her jaw hanging open in complete surprise and somehow see right through what she did. She didn’t, and instead smiled like she always did as she saw her. Stellar smiled back, and let out a small breath she’d been holding it. It eased her nerves more to see.
I wonder if Frame’s feeling the same way, she thought. She didn’t know why she did though. She knew her twin definitely was.
“That wasn’t a whole day,” Agile joked lightly. “I was expecting a full twenty four hours. It’s only been, like, sixteen. I was expecting you to take the other eight, and then I’d be able to criticize you for going a few minutes over your time limit.”
“Too bad I was prepared for that,” Stellar joked back lightly, still expecting to feel strange about this, and still finding nothing strange at all, except for the obvious. She took another breath, and then stepped inside with the mare. 
“I thought it all through,” she started casually, not taking a seat like Agile did, but not looking as nervous as she felt. “I thought it all through, and I think this is the best idea. And I know you’re gonna say no, but I’m one hundred percent sure it’s the best idea, and I need you to trust me.”
“Uhhh, okay?” Agile replied skeptically. “What idea is that?”
The gray pony didn’t hesitate. “I’m gonna copy myself so that I can be with both of you.”
It’s not exactly a lie, she tried to tell herself, now pacing back and forth from one hoof to the next. I am gonna be with both of them. And I will be copied. She was just stretching the truth a bit. This wouldn’t work the same if she told them before going through with this. Having Solar Spark and Agile separated was the advantage of this. Not to mention, the subtle differences Celestia talked about– she was worried about that. She didn’t know if she saw them; maybe they were there looking at Frame? It was subtle enough that Stellar was doubtful she noticed them, but it was a concern. If Agile didn’t notice them, then almost all of her concerns would be alleviated.
The pegasus didn’t say anything. She didn’t look terribly shocked, but she definitely was surprised by what she heard. Her wings extended a bit because of what she heard, but her mouth remained closed. It almost felt like she saw this coming. There was no way that could be the case, could it?
“I know it sounds ridiculous,” she started again after a long moment of silence, before the pegasus could open her mouth. “But this makes the most sense, and would make everypony happy. I would be able to be with both of you, and you’d both be able to be alone with me without any weird time constructions or anything else. It would satisfy us all.”
“How exactly does that satisfy you, though?” Agile asked first. “That doesn’t make sense, since you would still like both of us. Presumably the copy would, too. Unless you were switching out with the copy all the time–”
“I wouldn’t. I would tell Celestia to make it so that I only liked you, and my copy only liked Sparky.”
She needed to be careful. She didn’t want to slip up and reveal that it already happened. She felt like she almost messed up there just then. She took another breath to steady herself on her hooves.
Of course, though, Agile asked the selfless question, one that Stellar had no doubt Solar Spark would be asking of Frame. “Would Sparky agree to something like that?”
The mare didn’t need to debate at all how to answer the question. She practiced it in her head for hours all night. Another breath was taken, and then she said, “He would, because I’d be telling him the same thing I’m telling you.”
“If you’re telling him the same thing–”
“It wouldn’t be lying,” she interrupted, “because the copy would think that she’s the real me, too. She would think that she came up with this whole plan and that I’m the fake. And if she thinks she’s the real one, then it’s not really lying cause she basically would be. From her perspective at least.”
Agile frowned. “That doesn’t make any sort of sense to me. There’s no reason why I wouldn’t just be given the copy instead of the real one if you told Sparky, too. Or Celestia could screw with us and just give us both copies while you were off doing something else.”
“That– this would prevent that!” she tried to explain. “If we did something like this, then we would have the control instead of Celestia just doing whatever the heck she wanted. She’s gonna do whatever the heck she thinks is best to satisfy us somehow, and I’m pretty sure that whole imitating me thing was to get me to think of this, so if I didn’t do this, Celesita would probably just do it anyway. This is the solution.”
Stellar watched Agile Trace glance down at her hooves awkwardly, then turn away slightly. She let out a stiff breath, and the gray pony continued to pace back and forth from one hoof to the next. This was so nerve wracking to face.
“I guess that all makes sense…” she trailed off depressively. “I hate though that you and the Evil Empress seem to have an answer to everything. There’s no way for me to ever one up you two with something.”
Steller took a small risk and made a joke. “It’s not my fault I’m so smart.”
The pegasus smiled and turned back to her. “Yeah, I guess I can’t blame you for being a nerd about all of this.” It was always nice to hear Agile joke with her, but in a moment like then, it practically made Stellar’s heart melt.
Then she frowned again. “How do you know though that you wouldn’t be the copy if you did this? If the copy would also think she’s the real one, how would the real one know it’s not a copy?”
She almost gave the answer Agile would want to hear, but stopped herself. The pegasus was smarter than she gave herself credit for, and would certainly poke right through the holes if she told her that. 
Instead, she gave the more honest one. Not completely, but more. 
“Trust me, I would know,” she assured her. “Like, I can’t go into how I would know, because there wouldn’t be any way to tell– that would be the whole point of this. But I would know. Like how you know you’re not just a copy of yourself now that you’re uploaded.”
“Well now that you mention it, I don’t know,” Agile said. Then she let out a breath of her own. “But I won’t get into all that existentialism. It’s… maybe not the most healthy, I’m realizing,” she said, her voice getting quieter at the end of the sentence. There was a break, and she glanced away for a second before looking back at her. Then she finished, “I don’t feel the most comfortable about this, but if you really think this is what’s best, I’ll trust you. It… makes me feel better that you’re telling me up front about this. I appreciate it.”
“Of course, Agile,” Stellar grinned. “I like you too much to lie to you.”



Renown Frame imagined she’d get more arguing against the idea from Solar Spark when she explained it to him, but she got a surprisingly little amount. He asked questions, wanting to know her thought process and all of the details about it, but received no resistance from the stallion. He looked incredibly upset about it though, and sad. His ears were flattened, and he seemed to almost slump because of what he was hearing. She hadn’t really seen him like this before, but she could say she hated it.
“Is there something wrong?” she asked carefully, stepping a bit closer to him. He wasn’t tearing up, thankfully, but it looked like he might at any moment. He glanced away, a move that only made her feel worse.
“Nothing’s wrong,” he told her quietly, an obvious lie. “If that’s what you wanna do, we can do that. I won’t stand in the way.”
“What’s wrong though?” she asked again. “Tell me. I don’t wanna do something you’re not gonna like.” As though she hadn’t already gone ahead. She imagined if Solar Spark wasn’t taking this well, Agile Trace was probably taking it badly. She felt just a twinge more concerned about him though.
“Tell me?” Frame moved even closer now, practically on top of him as the stallion looked down at his hooves. “I wanna know.”
“I’m just being an idiot and being jealous about this,” he said quietly, his face looking slightly more pink than his red coat normally was. “I know I shouldn’t be, but I can’t help it.” He exhaled, then finished, “It just sucks that you have to do this at all… and feels a bit terrible that I’d only be getting half of the pony I like. It's probably shit to even be thinking like that.”
"It's not shit," she told him quickly. "And you're not being an idiot. The only pony who's at fault for this whole thing is me. I'd be doing this because I like you both just that much. Because I like you just that much, Sparky."
He didn't smile, but he did finally glance back up at her. He pressed his purple eyes into her gray ones, and she let the moment last for as long as he desired. It was a small thing, but one Frame found herself not wanting to end. It felt perfect.
"I like you that much, too, Composition," he replied after a long while. "Maybe more than you know."
It made her smile to hear. It felt lovely to have just the quiet moment right here with him, one mostly lacking any other conversation. She took another small step closer to him, and turned her body to press her coat into his. He closed his eyes and let out a breath as she did, one that felt relived and content from the energy he was now putting out. She closed her own eyes, too, letting herself exist without much thought for a long second. She couldn't see how Agile didn't like stuff like this. Frame felt like she needed this, standing next to Solar Spark.
The moment finally passed, unfortunately, and the stallion pulled back from her. "I… think I could be okay with this, so long as it's you. I know I'm being a bit of an idiot about it, and I know you wouldn't be just half of a pony. I know I shouldn't be jealous like this, and I'm working on it. But I'm okay with that."
A joke might be what she gave to Agile, but she let the niceness of the moment last even longer. "Thanks, Sparky. You're amazing."
He shrugged slightly. "I'm not the one doing anything, but thank you, Composition."
"Oh, I should probably add," the mare began again. "I would want to be called 'Renown Frame' after I do this." Solar Spark tilted his head in confusion, and she continued, "I would want the copy to be able to think she's the real one, and that Agile's with the real me. They both would deserve to have that."
"Oh, I see," he nodded in understanding. "That makes sense. Although if the copy has all the same memories and experiences and stuff as you, I can't think of anything that would make either of you not the 'real' Composition. At that point, you'd both be the real you."
Hmmm. That seemed like some good food for thought.



A hug, a light kiss, a smile, and a wave was what Stellar Composition gave to Agile Trace before stepping off, out of her apartment. It wasn't long before she was back home, meeting Renown Frame as she walked up to the building at the same time as she did. What a coincidence.
"How did it go?" she automatically asked her twin as the two stepped up and entered their home. She already knew the answer to it– she could tell how it went just from the smile that went up on her lips at the question. It made Stellar turn her own expression up into a smile as well to see.
She let her twin explain anyway. “Sparky looked upset by the idea at first, but it didn’t take a lot of convincing to get him to come around. We actually didn’t talk a lot at all. We were mostly silent, but it was okay that we were. It was nice, actually, as weird as that is.”
It did sound weird to Stellar, just hearing about it, but she did more than just hear about it. For a description that wasn’t very strong, Stellar could see it perfectly in her head if she closed her eyes. It was almost like a memory of her own was forming as she heard about it, but not quite. She wasn’t the subject of the scene, but instead stood in the scene watching Frame and Solar Spark. A third party observer to what were Frame’s memories was the best way to describe it.
“You wanna hear about freaky?” Frame started. “That was freaky. Seriously.”
“Yeah, a little,” Stellar agreed, rubbing a hoof behind her head. “But why was it freaky for you?”
“Because I was able to see you watching it!” she said. “Like, you’re not in the memory, but I could tell you were watching it while I was talking to you. It was freaky. But, like, also kind of cool.”
“Yeah, I don’t think I could’ve said it better myself,” Stellar agreed. It wasn’t just with that she agreed, but also her thought on the little moment she watched the two share. It seemed nice. But… nice was probably as far as she would go with describing the mood. It would be cute to experience, but there were better things than that in that moment, she thought. Was this one of those changes Celestia was talking about?
“Wanna hear about what happened to me?” Stellar asked casually, already knowing she didn’t need to.
Renown Frame smiled and nodded, then closed her eyes to listen. 
Stellar spoke casually, just like Frame did, and just like what Stellar described, Renown Frame was able to see the picture play out in her head like a movie. The scene of her twin talking to Agile Trace showed itself, the pegasus’s hesitation and Stellar’s convincing the mare. Something her twin didn’t tell her though was that she could very easily tell what she was feeling at the time. Frame wasn’t feeling them herself necessarily, but they did radiate off of Stellar. The nervousness and fear came first, and then later on, the affection she had for her friend. It was one of the strangest experiences of Frame’s life so far– which was saying something considering what just happened– but also extremely fulfilling somehow. Impressive honestly, but of course it was. This was Celestia, after all, the Evil Empress as she just watched Agile Trace call her. She was the princess– and practically god at this point– who wasn’t going to rest until everypony was satisfied, whether they liked it or not, with no regard for how twisted or dark she was going to make things, so long as she fulfilled her objectives.
It felt terrifying, like the two of them were living in a horror story. The best of all possible apocalypses, as it were.
It was also kind of perfect, in an extremely strange and uncomfortable way, a thought both of them shared with a look in each other's eyes.
A second later, they let the thought go. They didn’t return to their partners just yet though. Instead, they spent the afternoon talking, the time waning into the evening before they finally stopped. It was first about Celestia and the new situation, and then about each other and their friends, before they finally transitioned into chatting about life in general, sharing a long afternoon.