//------------------------------// // The Zenith[SR] // Story: Shifting Priorities // by FaelaArts //------------------------------// (I would advise ensuring you've read the [R] chapters) After arriving in Canterlot, heading to the library, and finally Luna being killed, Twilight1 just didn’t understand what had gone wrong. Another Twilight(2); covered in soot, had appeared and now she was being accused of not being herself. And worst of all, it was Rainbow dash that didn’t believe her. She began to tear up as the others began glaring her down, and the betrayal on their faces was evident. Suddenly Dash leapt into her face, getting too close for comfort and breathing right into Twilight1’s face. “Alright faker; why did you murder the princess, and how?” Twilight1’s view was completely encompassed by the mare’s face. Tears in her eyes, she opened her mouth to reply when another head appeared in her limited vision. “And don’t you tell us that you are our dear Twilight1, she would never have jumped to those conclusions without thinking it over logically.” Twilight1 sighed in frustration and pointed to the Twilight2. “If I’m not the real Twilight, then how did the ‘real’ Twilight come back to life?” Rainbow Dash stepped back and looked to the other three, and they all shrugged. They didn’t know either, but Twilight2 stepped forward and spoke, mimicking Twilight1’s ‘speaking knowledge’ tone. Twilight2 was held back as she tried to step forward, and she grunted but let them hold her down. “If I may speak; I believe what Skid used on me was some form of spell that turns me into ash, and resurrects me similar to a phoenix spell In one of the books in the library.” her voice trailed off, and they all gazed at Twilight1. Twilight1 growled in frustration and replied, her voice growing in volume. “I am TWILIGHT” the others still held sceptic looks, which turned to awe as a bright flash came from behind her. “We shall see” came a familiar voice, and her four friends bowed while Twilight1 and Twilight2 strained to catch a glimpse of their mentor, Celestia, as she appeared out of a beam of light. Twilight1 could see she was tired from jumping such a long distance, but she still held an awe inspiring presence and she nodded to the guards. “Release them” her soft and commanding voice spoke of no excuses, and the guards obeyed. Twilight1 turned and smiled at her mentor, tears forming in her eyes. She didn’t notice Twilight2 do the same. “Oh Celestia apparently I was killed-And came out of ash but-I am now Skid’s body and-another me has been taking my place and-Fire from a candle that killed-Luna was murdered!” The glanced to each other and glared before turning their gazes to the princess. The princess gazed at both of them and her horn gently glowed before gently touching each of their horns and stepping back. “There is something I never told you Twilight, something that no one who had taken your form would know.” Twilight1 gazed at her mentor hopefully, and glanced to the phony that had been covered in ash. “I placed a small spell on the real Twilight shortly before she left for Ponyville, so that if anyone tried to imitate her I would know the instant our horns met.” Twilight1 felt her heart thud in joy, Celestia was going to look at the other pony and- “You might be able to lie very well to yourself and to others, but you and I both know the truth.” Twilight1 felt Celestia’s gaze bore into her, and sweat beaded on her face. Why was she sweating, she had nothing to hide she was Twilight! Wasn’t she? “But I am Twilight!” Celestia shook her head, and dread coated Twilight1’s hearts-heart. Wait why was there two thuds, since when did she have two hearts? And why could she fell the suspicious feelings of those behind her and- “Die” spoke Skid, his horn glowing with the kill spell as he leapt toward Celestia and tried to take her down with him. Celestia had been waiting for it, and their spells met, purple and yellow sparks flying as an aura of magic enveloped them. Skid used all the magic he had stolen from Twilight, and all the love he had stored from those around him to power his spell, sweat beading and his eyes closing as he desperately fought for domination. He strained to open one eye, and he smiled, he was wining and Celestia could sense it. Just a bit closer and- “Nooo!” Suddenly a purple light connected with the magic flow, bringing power to Celestia and causing him to stutter momentarily. Twilight had joined her magic, weak after he had drained it all, with Celestia’s, he smiled and continued in full force. He strained and pulled and pushed and finally he began to claw back the ground he had lost, Twilight’s magic stuttering to a halt and fading as she collapsed from magic strain. Skid was once again just inches away from wining, he opened his eyes to watch the end, and saw Celestia’s determined expression, just as she got distracted from something to his side. He grinned and pushed his magic, the distraction causing him to get so close he could taste victory. Five, four, three, two, one, and- “Tzzt” his mouth fizzled, the magic backlash causing his mouth to make static-y sounds as a secondary force caused him to lose connection to the magic. A dark blue spell had been fired at his stomach, knocking him away a few yards and causing the magic that was clashing to snap. He didn’t see Celestia take a few gasps and a single beat of sweat roll down her face as she gazed to her soot covered sister. “Sorry I’m late” was all Skid caught, his head falling back and his eyes fluttering closed. As magical sparks rippled across his body from the backlash, his form wavered before parts of the purple unicorn he was disguised as faded, revealing the bare skin that was holding his organs into the shape of a pony. They were visible through the thin membrane, even as the magic faded and the skin returned to the purple it had been before. Twilight stood over Skid, and looked down at herself. Skid had disguised as her so well, he even stayed disguised while unconscious. “My question is, why didn’t he kill me?” she asked her mentor. Celestia and Luna walked over, Luna dusting herself off before joining them. “That is something you will have to ask him my student. Guards, take this imposter to a jail cell. We will decide his punishment later. First we have the matter of Ponyville being under changeling control to deal with. Twilight sighed in exhaustion, and Celestia put a wing around her student. “Go rest Twilight Sparkle, tomorrow we take back Ponyville.” It didn’t take long for Shining Armour, Cadence, Celestia, Luna, and the Elements of Harmony to rid Ponyville of changelings. This time they ensured they all got blasted in the direction of the home. After cleaning up the mess made, the six elements returned to their everyday lives, except for Twilight. She would often be caught gazing to the sky with a frown on her face, as if seeming to have a problem she couldn’t solve. It wasn’t until a certain baby dragon forced her to talk, that her confusion came to air. “I’m sorry Spike; it’s just got me so confused. If Skid really wanted to take over Equestria, why didn’t he kill me and Luna, and instead used that phoenix spell?” Spike considered the conundrum, and replied simply that Twilight should ask him. After another day of pondering, Twilight finally decided that was the only way to put this matter to rest. After taking a train to Canterlot, she met quickly with the princesses and they all spent some time together before Twilight headed to her actual destination, the Jail cell. Inside stood a pony that looked exactly like her, except it had bad hair, and it looked thinner too. There was a plate of food in the corner, untouched and accompanied by many other plates. The guard showed her to the cell, and after some persuading let her enter it, locking the door behind her with a loud clang before he walked away on Twilight's orders. The pony didn’t move, still gazing at the floor, still holding a vacant gaze. “Skid, talk to me please” the pony didn’t move, and Twilight felt slightly guilty, but she wasn’t sure why. “Skid please, tell my why you used the phoenix spell and you didn’t try to kill me.” Twilight took a step forward, hoping that he would reply, blink, anything. As she got closer, her hope faded, he didn’t even move an inch, the only sign he was even alive was the shallow breathing that came from his mouth, and the slow movement of the chest. “How did you even find out about that Phoenix spell? I lost that book to the shelves ages ago” Twilight paused, standing beside the empty form in front of her. She carefully reached out and attempted to place a hoof on the form in front of her. Before she had time to react the eyes came ablaze, her hoof was knocked away and she was pushed against the wall, a leg blocking her windpipe and very angry eyes gazing at her. “Don’t, EVER, touch me.” Twilight gasped for breath, and she tried to call for the guard just as she started to black out. Falling to the ground a moment later, she gasped for breath for a few moments and when she finally recovered the pony was back where it had been, eyes glazed over. Twilight backed away, and called for the guard and retreated from the pony that looked exactly like her. One week later, Twilight tried again. After being locked in the room once more, this time keeping the guard outside, she gazed to the vacant pony and sighed. (S)he looked even worse today, his fur was dull and faded, and he seemed to be only skin and bones. “Skid, please don’t do this to yourself.” Twilight wasn’t surprised when she got no reaction from the pony, and sighed before sitting down on the cold hard floor. It hurt her to see Skid like this, to see herself like this. “Pinkie Pie still thinks you’re going to come back one day” she spoke absentmindedly, filling the silence between them. She smiled to herself, looking away from him and toward the roof as she remembered her week. “She seems to have it in her head that you can’t change back, and she thinks two Twilights could only be a good thing. You’ll probably change back eventually when the spell wears off but you know how-“Twilight jumped in shock as a low, cracked voice spoke, cutting her sentence short. She blinked trying to get the sentence, and frowning when it was too faint to hear. She pricked her ears and listened closer, asking him to repeat it. “I can’t change back.” Twilight turned her gaze on him, growing wide eyes as she saw his normally glazed eyes held a melancholy sadness inside them. “What do you mean, surely the spell would-“once again she stopped the instant he started speaking, his eyes never moving from the ground. “The spell was made to be permanent, once casted you can never turn back into a full changeling.” Twilight gazed to him and realised what that meant. He was doomed to be her for the rest of his life. “But then why keep the original host alive?” Skid’s eyes rose slightly to meet hers as he replied. “They don’t.” Twilight opened her mouth to ask more, but she saw his eyes return to the floor and glaze over and knew he wouldn’t say more today and stood up and left. Twilight couldn’t help but feel sorry for Skid, to never return to being himself, and yet never able to be Twilight either. As she left, she didn’t notice a weary gaze follow her from the limited view of his sitting position. Another week passed, and Twilight failed to return. Pinkie Pie had called an emergency party, and she had to cancel her one day trip to Canterlot. The very next week, she walked into the jail and the smell hit her. Worried Skid had passed away while she had been gone, she felt audible relief as she saw him still breathing, though his condition was arguably worse. “Skid, please eat something, you’re wasting away.” As usual she received no answer. She pulled the least rotten tray forward and placed it in his line of sight, he blinked once. “Please, for old times’ sake don’t starve yourself.” Twilight knew she should be angry as Skid, but she hated to see him like this. She blinked as his gaze turned to her. “You…still care for me…” It wasn’t a question, it was a statement. Twilight remembered changelings could feel and feed off emotions, and realised she had been caught out. She lowered her head and gazed away. “You could have killed me, but you didn’t. Why Skid, when it caused your entire plan to fail?” Skid’s reply was long in coming, she had already given up on getting a reply when he finally answered. “My orders were to get rid of you and the princesses so Chrysalis could take over, killing you was optional. When I transferred your memories and soul into my own body, I realised there was a way to save you. So after taking what I needed, I returned you to your body, and used the Phoenix spell I learned from a book with the magic I stole from you.” Twilight turned her gaze to Skid, and her confusion doubled. “But why save me?” Skid’s gaze returned to the floor, and he pushed the plate away. “That’s my business.” Twilight frowned, and sighed. He wasn’t going to answer her. She turned to walk away when he spoke again. “But would I save it again, the answer is no.” Twilight flinched at the pure malice contained in those words. Twilight realised she had ruined Skids life. She had cost him his family, his friends, and his job too. “Skid I’m truly s-“Twilight felt his hard words as he cut her off reverberate through her. “Go away; I’m just a vile changeling. I should have drained your essence entirely when I had the chance.” Twilight turned and walked away, something had changed inside Skid. He was more, harsh and vengeful then the Skid she knew. If he ever got out, she knew without him saying she would be his first target. She wouldn’t visit Skid again, it was best she leave him be lest he try to attack her even with the guard nearby. Skid watched her go and stood up, stretching gently before walking over to the food and levitating it into his mouth. Twilight Sparkle would pay dearly for interrupting his dual with Celestia. But first, he had a job to complete, and no stupid emotions would get in the way of it this time. Chrysalis was counting on him to utterly destroy Celestia, and it was time he stopped acting like a pony and acted more like a changeling. “I will complete my job, my duty for my queen. And no pony will stand in our way. Isn’t that right Brute?” In the corner of the room, a shadow could be seen, holding a phial of some sort. “Yes, my brother.”