//------------------------------// // How many questions? // Story: Unavailing // by FaelaArts //------------------------------// It is always difficult to tell a Changeling from the original. Changelings copy the person completely, some even believe they take the memories of the pony they copy. “It can’t be a changeling then, it wasn’t an exact copy. But who is she then…” Twilight had quickly lost track of time amongst the books, and had yet to notice Spike had decided to take a nap while she was distracted. “There had gotta be a book here somewhere that will help me…” Twilight was having trouble determining what to search for. There were very few books on Alicorns and how they came to be, none on doppelgangers that weren’t Changelings, and nothing on finding your double. “Need a hand finding something?” Twilight glanced around her, looking for the voice only to realise it was coming from the other side of the shelf. “Actually, I would love some help. Are you the custodian?” Twilight suspected it was the case, but it would be polite to ask anyhow. “Yeah, so what is it you’re looking for?” Twilight heard the mare walking toward the edge of the row, and followed on her side. They would meet at the end. “Well mainly about doppelgangers. I’ve checked the Changeling books but I don’t think that is what I’m dealing with, as it wasn’t an exact duplicate.” Twilight turned the corner, and blinked as the mare turned the corner and met her eyes. “Well we have one book that might help you, but it is very old. Follow me and I will fetch it for you.” Twilight watched as the purple Alicorn, the very one she had been trying to find information about, turned and headed toward the sectioned off bit of the archive. It was a place even she had been forbidden from. Following the mare meekly, Twilight tried to gather her thoughts past the point that it was her, and shook her head rapidly. Her confusion was evident, and the words of the princess echoed in her mind. Her doppelganger was the new custodian? “Why are you here? What’s your connection to the princess? Why did you send that bomb? What is it you want? Who are you?” Questions began spilling from her mouth, all of which the mare typically ignored, or for the most part. “Did it never occur to you I have a life of my own? I need to earn a living myself after all.” Twilight saw her open the door and levitate a book outside of the room before placing the protection seal on it once more. She had always wondered why it was so strong, and had always assumed it was the princess that had locked it. The mare placed the book on the table with a loud thump. “Why are you able to open the door? How do you know the princesses, answer me!” Twilight stomped the ground, frustrated and annoyed the mare that kept popping up in her life, and had tried to kill her, wouldn’t give her any answers. The mare turned, and regarded her, she flinched and took a step back. “I will make you a deal, Twilight. Each time you survive an attempt against your life, I will answer one question. Since you a have already survived one, ask one question and I will answer.” Twilight frowned, her mind going blank, emotions awhirl. She wanted to get answers, but the mare also suggested there would be more attempts on her life, which was not good. It was so frustrating, the mare was not even holding a threatening stance and Twilight could feel how powerful she was. Twilight had her first question already, but by asking it she agreed to the system and wouldn’t be able to ask all the questions she wanted. She sighed, she really had no choice. “I will keep my first question simple then. Who are you?” Twilight wanted this answered first and foremost. It would give her something to grasp on this mare. The mare paused to look out a nearby window, and chuckled. “I don’t really have a name, however I once pretended to be a great mare that came far before your time. However that is not me, and I guess I should give you something to call me by, if only in scorn.” Twilight watched the mare ponder this, wondering just who this mare was. And why did she not have a name? “Just call me Void, it’ll do.” The mare turned back to gaze at Twilight, who felt insanely frustrated. She had been hoping for more information than just a name. She would have to think of better questions. She picked up the book, and glared at the mare. “You can be as cryptic as you like, but I will find out who you are one way or another.” Twilight turned and stomped away, joining Spike at a table. The mare returned to work, sorting through all the old books and catching a page here or there of one she was reading. Twilight ignored this, and instead focused on the book she had been given. “Reincarnation…Really…” Her scepticism was vapid, and she almost considered tossing the book away. However, she glanced toward the mare, Void, and frowned. The fact the mare had grabbed it from the sealed area that she had never been in before, and the fact she had given it to Twilight in the first place, pricked at her mind. Sighing, she opened the first page and began to read. “There are tales of mares and colts who have lived very long, way past the normal lifespan of a pony. Such ponies, commonly Alicorns, have often seen these but rarely commented on them. Even now, I barely have a scrap of the details they would know about this. I will try to make it as simple as I can, but please forgive me if I got off on a linguistic tangent. “Reincarnation’s are basically you, but a second you. They are born shortly after you die, however in certain cases where a pony lives longer than normal, there is a chance their reincarnation will be born while they are still alive, even though it is rare. “They normally differ in appearance, however in cases of strong bloodlines, such as someone with a strong magical or spiritual connection, it is possible for complete reincarnation’s to occur. I do not have any way to test the rarity of this, but I will assume it is fairly rare. The bloodline would gradually grow weaker with time, theoretically. And a weaker bloodline means less traits would be passed on. “When I say bloodline, I do not mean familial, it is unlikely they will be born to the same family. However, unlikely does not mean impossible. I have one possible occurrence of this happening, but no real proof, as they share some traits but not all. “There are also rumour that ponies that live ‘longer than they are supposed to’ can throw of the next reincarnation. This is my theory as to why it is possible to have two reincarnations alive at the same point. My theory is the longer the first one lives, the longer the time will be throw off. For example, someone who would be the reincarnation of someone like an Alicorn, who are granted long lifespan, could very well appear decades, even centuries, into the future.” Twilight closed the book and gave a sigh, rubbing her temples. As much as she wanted to call this rubbish, there was living proof sitting in the same room as her. She wondered how long her ancestor had been alive for, she didn’t look very old. Twilight was sure she was a lot older than she looked, but by how much?