Thoughts fly through Eternal Twilight's head. A little sigh escapes her lips as she gently allows her horn to glow. Princess Twilight doing so in tandem. A pinkish hue'd magic mixed with the white/transparent magic around the tall alcorn's horn. A bright flash of light springs out, coating the area with a soft but gentle feeling as Eternal looks around the various books lining the walls of the small building she appeared in. Everything outside the building is just a pure white void, a deep nothingness, except the little library built into a tree she finds herself in.
"Hey." Says a voice from above. The smaller Twilight walked down the stairs with tea cups and a kettle in her magic. "I made some tea, but uh. I don't know if it's gonna be any good. We haven't exactly practiced making tea in a few centuries now." She mumbles a little as she sets a small table in the middle of the room of the library.
Eternal silently watches Twilight. "This is. Uh." She rubs her head a little.
Twilight sighs a little. "Dunno, I can't remember either. It's the last refuge for what's left of our mind, though." She sits down and sips the tea, gagging a little before putting some lemon in it. "Yep. That. That really sucked." She sighs and slumps.
Eternal sits down, not even bothering with the tea. Wincing a little at the memory of how horrible the taste is. "Why are you here? I could have sworn I destroyed you." She says with a raised eyebrow. "We don't need your idealism or optimism anymore. There's nothing left for us."
Twilight shrugs. "Aside from our daughters, country, future, friends we made. Do I haveeee to go on?" She says with a bit of snark, Twilight giving her taller half a cheeky wink. "We have a lot around for us. It was just. Hard. To see past everything when Discord threw us to the wayside." She says with a small sigh.
Eternal twitches. "HE didn't even hear us out. Much less try to understand anything. However, what do you expect? Discord is one of the only memories we have… left?" She mumbles as if she just realized something for the first time.
"Why, right?" Twilight says silently. "Why are we forgetting all this stuff? I've been trying to figure that out, too." She mumbles as she levitates a familiar book nearby. Eternal getting a little excited.
"Predictions and Prophesies!" She says with a smile. "That's the book that. That." She rubs her head.
Twilight shakes her head. "Just. Relax, alright? It starts to hurt if you think about it too hard. Sides, the book is empty anyways." She says as she flips through the pages at a rapid rate. Each one is blank. "All of these books were full, too. After all, we read every single one at least three times!"
Eternal rubs her chin and giggles to herself. "Ahhh, Rookie numbers." She says, almost with a half-cracked smile. "How many times have we read Ages and Eternities to the fillies? Six hundred?"
Twilight giggles. "Six hundred and twenty-eight times. They love hearing about their old home, even if they don't remember it too well anymore. They moved away at such a young age, so any reminder of that land of Alicorns just makes them giggle." Twilight happily smiles, feeling more comfortable.
Eternal snickers. "We haven't read that to them in ages." She mumbles to herself. A thought passed through her head.
"Isn't this a little weird? We're basically talking with ourselves here. I mean, we're the same person." Eternal says with a tap of her chin. Twilight shrugging.
"I dunno. We weren't always split like this. You were just a persona I used when I needed to be cool, intimidating, or when I was fighting an assassin." She sighs, the pair rubbing their left shoulders. The Princess has a large scar sitting on that shoulder, while Eternal's body does not. "Got rid of the scar finally, though. That's always a bonus." Twilight says to Eternal with a half nod.
Eternal and Twilight sit together in silence. Twilight breaking it first. "I. I know you don't want me around." She says with a little droop. "Life. It's so much easier when you ignore all the little things and pain that happen as time passes. There's so little of who we used to be left at this point that we're both scared."
The atmosphere becomes sullen and grey. The two alicorns are unable to look at each other. "I'm sorry that I couldn't protect us," Twilight says after a moment. "Whatever this magic is or disease. Whatever is causing all this stuff to happen? It's beyond me. Heck, I hardly understand our own magic at this point!"
Eternal mumbles, "What have you been doing this whole time then? We were one and the same. Twilight, you designed most of the theory that I use today! Why did you disappear?!" She grumbles, "Why were we split like this? I. I don't know how to handle this stuff. I've lost so many friends, so many people. Why would anyone do this to themselves?!"
Eternal smashes her hoof on the table, which resists the impact without any struggle. Twilight looked silently before smiling a little bit. "You know why. It's why you blame me even. Losing someone it's a special type of pain that never goes away. It fades and gets dull, but there will be moments when it comes back in the future. As for where I've been. I don't know, I don't remember."
Eternal glares. "Then what's the point?! Why would anyone want to do this to themselves?! We're an alicorn now. Our friends would never have lived as long as us. We would have to watch EVERY single one of the-."
Twilight gives her larger self a tight hug. Keeping her close to her. The smaller alicorn knows herself well and does not want that line of thinking to come out. "I know." She mumbles, "I know. But you know what's supposed to help with that?"
Twilight mumbles, "The memories. All those good memories." She whispers. "But they're all gone. So all we have left is all that pain, all the hurt." She continues to say. "I can sorta handle it. Maybe. Probably not, though. We can't just lash out at everyone else for it! This isn't who we are! We fix problems! We don't create them!"
Eternal sniffles a little. "Why? Why do we have to fix all these problems, though? Why do things keep happening to us? Sure, we get some breaks, but even then, SOMETHING always happens to us or our friends. Why do we have to be the pony that fixes everything? Why couldn't we just… have a normal life." She mumbles. "Why are we so important?"
Twilight's ears fold downwards. "I don't know." The smaller pony says, the pair staying in silence in the library. Neither of them had a good answer. Neither of them had a good idea. Both Twilights knew that they had a choice. They could complete the pacification spell and free themselves. They would never have to worry about troubles again.
But they would never regain what they'd lost.
Alternatively, they could fight back. As they have been doing. Working against the despair together. They could recover their memories, the good and the bad. But they'd still be stuck in this eternal hell of being the 'hero.'
Eternal and Twilight sit together on the small bed upstairs. "I really hate this."
"Me too."
Luna and Celestia find themselves in front of an old, worn hut built into a tree. The tree itself is a tar black, with ooze around the roots. Rain Shine smiles as she approaches the eerie hovel. "Welcome to the local healer's hut. Just don't touch the ooze." She says with a motion of her hoof as a giant air bubble in the ooze pops, releasing steam upwards that causes a little butterfly to suddenly fall unconscious.
Luna shudders. "That smells awful." She waves her hoof in front of her face. Celestia sniffed the air and gagged as well. They still push forward, though, the pair waiting behind Rain Shine as she knocks on the door.
"Zera! We have two patients out here!" She shouts as a reasonably tall female zebra opens the door. Her mane was black and white, with dreadlocks running down the side. She would look down at Rain Shine before looking up at the two alicorns.
"Hello there, Rain Shine. I can already tell that these two alicorns are on the decline. Come in so I can examine." Zera quickly moves inside the hut. Zera sighed a little. "Better. Now I don't have to rhyme." She says as the group enters the cabin.
Zera would sit on a chair and grab a small pipe, taking a puff of it as she looked at Celestia and Luna. "So. I see you two are hurt. Did the guy or gal that did this to you get their just desserts?"
Celestia and Luna look at each other, confused. "Pardon me?" Celestia says after a moment. Zera sighed a bit and exhaled her smoke. A puff of the fragrant incense floated up into the air and out the window.
"Did. You. Win?" Zera says with a wave of her hoof, accentuating each word.
Celestia and Luna both look down and shake their heads. "No. We didn't even get to fight. It was a t-"
Zera stands up. "Got it. Wasn't a battle injury, then we can begin the surgery." She says as she digs through the drawers. "Warrior injuries are important. Fixing them would be abhorrent." She mumbles. "Since these were unfairly gained, they will not be retained."
Celestia whispers, "Didn't she say she'd stop rhyming?"
Rain Shine giggles. "She does it by habit. You'll hear her breaking it from time to time. Either way, she's still the best healer this side of Equestria." The small Kirin smiles and tilts her head.
The two sisters look worried as Zera begins preparing the examination table, the zebra double-patting the table. "Come. It is time for the fun."
The two sisters walk over to the table, sitting down as Zera examines them. Feeling their body with her hoof. Using powder on them and generally testing out every facet of them. She even stretches their wings and pokes their horns after around half an hour. Zera sighs. "Well, I have good news: your illness will be simple to lose. A cure of the simplest order." She nods.
Celestia and Luna sit there waiting before they realize that she isn't going to complete that rhyming scheme. "Oh, erm." Says Luna. "So how do we fix it then?" She tilts her head.
Zera smiles. "It is very simple, my friend. A bath in a mana pool and your illness will end. Three days of relaxing and one sleep will bring the results you seek." Zera says as she pulls out a giant cauldron. Grabbing several potions from the nearby rack and pouring them into the cast iron object.
Luna gulps. "Three days?! We don't have that long!" She says with a worried noise. "There has to be another way!" Celestia nods before saying next.
"Normally, I'd be all for a relaxing day, but my sister is correct. We need to get back to Canterlot as soon as possible." Celestia winces a little.
Luna sighs. "Sister. I think we only have one option at this point. Zera, is it possible to make a potion to let one of us cast magic for a little bit? Even just for like five minutes?"
Zera rubs her chin. "If you sit in the mana pool, you should be able to. But it will damage your body. Afterward, your magic will not be as hardy." The two sisters look confused for a moment before Zera sighs.
"Whoever does it will have their magic permanently weakened. A lot. This is why I avoid rhyming." She says simply. "You'll probably struggle to levitate stuff for a few years. You might EVENTUALLY get back to your original strength, but it'll take a long time.
Luna widens her eyes and bites her bottom lip. But, it was her idea, so she began to say.
"Then I-"
"I'll do it then," Celestia says with a step forward. Luna looked at her big sister with confusion and worry.
"Celestia? But you don't even want to do this! I should be the one doing it." Luna says with a worried tone. Celestia leaned down and smiled.
"Just because I don't want to do it doesn't mean it isn't the correct choice. Your magic. It's everything to you, Luna. I do not mind being the weaker sister if it means protecting what you care about." She then gives Luna a hug. "Rain Shine, Zera. Take the mana pool outside to Discord's statue. We have a Lord of Chaos to free. Luna and I will join you after we talk a little."
Rain Shine tries to say something. But refrains as she nods. "Of course. Zera, help me out, please?" She tilts her head as she and the zebra carry the large pot outside. Leaving the two inside the hut.
Luna looks up at Celestia. "I don't want you to do this. This is my idea anyway!" She says angrily. Luna tearing up. "I don't want you to hurt yourself like this!"
Celestia sighs and kneels down. Hugging Luna. "Luna. I'm your big sister. I trust you and." She hesitates a moment. "I really want to do this. I know how much your magic matters to you. Especially your time with Mom and all the lessons she's given you." She sighs a little. "And well. I don't want to ever hurt you again, Luna." She mumbles quietly.
Luna perks up and looks at Celestia. "Wha? Celestia, that was years ago! It's okay!-"
Celestia yells out. "No, it isn't!" She says with a wince. I hurt you! I greatly, deeply hurt you, Luna. You almost died because of me! Heck, a part of me WANTED that to happen!" She grimaces. "Every single night, I still have nightmares about it! Now I have a chance to ensure I'm never a threat to you again!" Celestia says with a sigh.
Luna hugs Celestia closely. "So that's why you never let me into your dreams. It's not cuz you have a boyfriend or something. Sis, why didn't you say anything?" She says quietly. "I never blamed you for what happened. It was hard on you." She taps her hooves together a little bit.
Celestia sighs. "No. It was all my fault. It was a total temper tantrum. One that almost destroyed a country and you. Mom always said my chance to redeem myself would come. And this is it." She smiles. "So, sis, please. Let me handle it. I want to do this. I know it's naive and probably silly to you and everyone else." She choked up for a moment. Stumbling over her own words.
"But this is something that I know I have to do. So please just let me be your big sister." Celestia then embraces Luna tightly, just wanting a moment with her sister.
Luna is washed over by Celestia's emotions and her own. No longer angry, the small alicorn just hugs Celestia back, leaning in and holding tightly. "Okay, sis. Guess you won't be stuffing me in bubbles anymore." She giggles a little bit. Trying to lighten the mood.
Celestia just snickers a bit. "I'm sure I'll figure it out again. I have always been ahead of you in magic when I put my mind to it~." She teases back before sighing, sitting down, and looking out the open door. "After this is over, let's go on vacation with mom. Leave everything behind to the regent and just. Have some fun."
Luna tilts her head, approaching Celestia and sitting next to her. "I thought we were gonna send Mom home." She mumbles, "If we had let her go earlier, this probably wouldn't have happened."
Celestia jerked in place. Talking about sending Mom home always sets her off. Tears begin to drop uncontrollably as Celestia starts to think of the future. "I know. I know it's selfish, but." She looks over to Luna, who leans into Celestia's side. They've had this conversation many times, no doubt. "I don't want this to end either. I know that she has to go back eventually and that I'll be the teacher in the future! But... I don't want a student. I want Mom! I don't want her to go!"
Luna keeps her composure. Thinking about the future like this always made her sad, too. "Neither do I." Is all Luna says. Hiding the singular tear that drops from her eye.