I couldn’t believe it, I didn’t want to believe it. But you don’t get to choose your reality, so this had happened. I was a wanted mare. I knew then how Polaris had felt moments before. I had so many thought whirling around inside my head, none of them could get out in any coherent way. Eventually, I was able to collect myself enough to speak actual words.
“How…who…when…I don’t understand! How could they possible have gotten news up here about the murders?”
“I don’t know, but when I was flying over the city, I could see police everywhere. They’ve really got it out for you.” Gemini was right. This definitely complicated things. But we just had to play with the cards we were dealt.
“Polaris, are you alright?” She looked over to Polaris, who was still stammering behind me, but regained her composure when Gemini called out to her. “Oh, yes. Yes I’m fine. Just a little flustered. I never thought things could get this serious.”
The quivering in her voice indicated that she still wasn’t entirely over our situation, and I didn’t blame her. Although, I could guarantee that I was more worried than she was. I was the one the ERI was looking for, after all. If I was responsible for getting these two involved, I should at least make an effort to see my plan through.
“I’m sorry it’s come to this, but we still need to get into Wonderbolt Academy, and find White Lightning.”
“That’d be a lot easier if the entire police force wasn’t looking for you.” Gemini interjected.
“That’s true, but my duplicate looks just like me, so they’ll be looking for her too. But we can work together. She’s all on her own.”
I had hoped that fact would get their spirits back up, but Gemini still gave me a skeptical look. “So what? Being on her own, she’s got two less ponies to worry about. We needed a whole blimp, who knows what she could use to get up here if she wanted to.”
Her response caught me completely off guard. From the moment I met the two sisters, they’d been nothing but supportive and helpful. Even when their own safety was in jeopardy, they never thought twice to help me. I could understand why Gemini was concerned, but not why she was becoming confrontational.
“Gemini, please. We can’t give up on Lightning now.”
“I’m sorry, but I just can’t justify doing this anymore, not when you’re putting me and my sister in danger. Do you know what they do to ponies who harbor murders?”
I didn’t even think. She had just compared me a being of pure evil, who I was trying to stop! “Have you forgotten everything?! That was my duplicate, not me!”
“Do you think that the ERI are going to believe that for a second? We don’t have a chance at stopping her.”
I had to stop this, maybe her sister could get some sense into her. “Polaris, you’re still with me, right?”
The entire time I’d known Polaris, she always seemed knowledgeable and caring, like the perfect mother. Now, she was a fidgeting wreck. The thousand yard stare she had when I spoke to her indicated that she wasn’t entirely with us.
Her mind came back, but I wish it hadn’t. “I don’t know. Gemini does have a point.”
“But Lightning…the spell…my duplicate’s trying to become a god!” I shouted out, in an almost childish way. I couldn’t help it. Nothing else seemed to be working, and I couldn’t let them abandon me now.
“I’m sorry, but we just can’t help you anymore.” With that, the two of them departed; Gemini out he window, and Polaris out the door. They took everything with them, the luggage, the money, and my hope.
What was I to do? Not only was I wanted for murders that I didn’t commit, but I didn’t have a penny to my tarnished name. I thought I knew despair before, when I thought my duplicate had gotten away. This was infinitely worse. Not only was I powerless to do anything, but now there were forces actively trying to stop me anyway. At least my duplicate hadn’t made it up here.
“Poor Stardust. All alone in this big, bad world.”
My hopelessness turned to fear. I didn’t know where that voice had come from, it seemed like it was in my head. But it was a voice I couldn’t forget.
It was her.
“You know, you’re not alone in being alone. And yet, you are alone. So very alone.”
“How did you get here? There’s still a storm down there!”
“That didn’t stop you, did it?”
She was crazy before, but now I felt like she was just being cruel. Taunting me while at my most vulnerable? What kind of pony does that? “Well, good job at sabotaging your own plan! The whole ERI is after you for murder!”
“Like I give a buck. They’re after you, remember? Why else would I have told all of Cloudsdale about it?”
I almost felt the shock physically knock me off my feet. My ears must have been tricking me. “You told them!?”
“Of course.”
“That’s stupid! Why would you do that!?”
“No real reason, just for fun. It’ll make it that much more sweet when I finally get to use that spell. This almost feels like a game now, don’t you think? And the best part is, we’re neck and neck!”
I couldn’t even speak. Anger and sorrow were competing for my attention, but I eventually fell back on sadness, and just collapsing on the floor, bathed in a puddle of my own tears. I couldn’t believe that I had created something so evil. Polaris wasn’t even there to comfort me this time.
“Now now, don’t cry Dusty. Look out the window. I guarantee you’ll feel better.”
Why not? It’s not like I had anything more to lose. I did as she said, but then thought my eyes were playing tricks.
There she was, leaning against the railing, staring back at me with the most disgustingly smug look I’d ever seen in my life. I decided this was it. I could get her, and take us both over the railing, at least then, neither of us could do anymore harm.
I welled up magic in my horn, which in a rage took no time at all, and teleported over to her, and as I came out of the spell, I charged at her with all the speed my legs could muster. I hadn’t gotten over the fact that I would die yet. There would be plenty of time for that during the fall to the ground.
But instead of feeling an impact, I simply phased through her, and sailed off over the railing. It was a trick.
“I win.”
There wasn’t any point in feeling sad then. It wouldn't do any good. I was going to plummet miles to my death, and there was nothing anypony could do about about it.
Falling seemed to slow time. I’d heard that your life flashes before your eyes right before you die, but that’s bunk. All could see was the back to my first day at the academy, and how my life had simply degraded into chaos. At least now, my duplicate would get what she wanted, and I wouldn’t have to wait long to see White Lightning again. Everypony wins.
However, I felt something slam into my body, knocking what breath I had left clean out of me. I thought I’d been hit by a passing bird, but when I finally opened my eyes, I thought my duplicate was playing tricks on me again.
“Gotcha!”
I saw a pony with a brilliant white mane on a sky blue coat, wrapped up elegantly in a Wonderbolt uniform. Her magenta eyes focused intently ahead, only paying attention to what was immediately in front of her. I wasn’t hallucinating; it was White Lightning.
We touched down on another cloud, but I wasn’t sure how to feel just then. I was so certain of my own death, I was almost mad that it didn’t happen. Thankfully, happiness washed it away as I embraced White Lightning with all might, something I had never done before.
“Thank Celestia you’re still OK! Thank you so much!”
At first she seemed a little freaked out. I guess she hadn’t immediately realized that it was me. When she did, she actually seemed frightened.
“Dusty? Wh-What are you doing here! Don’t you know the police are looking for you?!” She shouted, but in a whisper. I was thankful she didn’t immediately want to turn me in, but I was also worried about explaining the situation to her.
“Lightning, please, hear me out. That wasn’t actually me. you have to believe me.”
“I want to, but they have a drawing of the pony who did it, and it’s you!”
With a sigh, I braced myself for the inevitable reaction that would follow my explanation. “I know, that’ s because I made a copy of myself.”
Lightning didn’t disappoint. She actually tried to clean out her ears, to make sure I had actually said ‘my duplicate did it’. “Come again? You made a copy of yourself?”
“Yes. I wasn’t supposed to, but I got so lonely at the academy, I just wanted a friend.”
“Didn’t you get my letter? I’m still your friend, aren’t I?”
“Yes, but you weren’t there with me. I got into research, so I didn’t have any pony else to be around.”
Lightning seemed more calm now, but I could tell she was still very much confused. “I’m so sorry. But how how did you make a copy of your self? That doesn’t even sound possible.”
“Do you really want me to explain it?”
She chuckled then. I guessed I’d accidentally been funny. “Knowing you, probably not. I guess I have to take your word for it, just like always.”
It did my heart good to hear her say those words. I shouldn't have been so pessimistic, but I’d honestly thought that Lightning would try and turn me in since I was a wanted mare. It’s good to know I still have some true friends.
“C’mon. We need to find a place for you to stay. I think I might know somepony who can help. Follow me.” She began to fly away, and I was about to follow her on hoof, but then I realized where I was. Walking literally would not have gotten me anywhere.
“Ahem.”
She looked back over her shoulder, blushing as she realized that, in any meaningful sense, I was immobile. Apparently being in Cloudsdale had made her forget that are three types of ponies in Equestria. “Oh, heh heh. Sorry.”
She lifted me up from under my shoulders, which was as comfortable as I could get, and flew off into the pure white architecture of the city.
“You know, you were the one about to fall to your death, and yet you were glad to see that I was ok. Why was that?”
It was a small thing, but I realized I hadn’t told Lightning exactly why I was there, or why I was concerned for her safety. Even after these many months, she could still read me like a book. “Well, it’s complicated.”
“Tell me everything. For once I want to actually hear you explain something to me.”
That time, I chuckled. We knew each other too well.