The Light in the darkness
Canterlot was busy, it always was but with the sudden loss of their Princess' Student, who was a big part of Equestria, already was lost to this plane due to unforeseen and unknown illness, Canterlot had calmed down while their Princess' grieved. That is until this happened, the sun was setting on the sky as Ponies everywhere were either packing up or setting up to their jobs, it was always magical to see the sun and moon move across the sky but tonight it looked more so, the moon had glided across the sky up to where it usually sits. The stars however had other plans, many stopped and saw how the stars were creeping over the horizon after a couple minute though they began their ascent following the moon, everypony sighed in relief that today was not the day an impending doom would happen.
That, however, did not last long, those who decided to watch the stars make their trip all the way saw something so odd, so out of place, it horrified them. Next thing they knew they are looking to the tower that held their night Princess, well now you could barely call it a tower, more of a smoldering big piece of blue flame that is breaking apart. Many ponies screamed, many rushed about for the new impending doom and then there was the Ponies who flocked to the gates of their Princess' palace.
Clearing the dust
Clearing the dust
Luna lay there in a daze, it was a wonderful dream but something is poking her back, I must have slept with the chocolates again, I am going to get addicted to chocolate just as my sister is to cake, It was one of the best dreams, somehow Twilight had come hurtling directly at her in a big blue ball of fire but she looked a lot more like an alicorn now, except she was made of the stars herself.
Luna got up from where she was half asleep, then she felt an itch in her nose, suddenly what was left of the roof was now also dust as the alicorn had sneezed hard enough to do so, she blinked and rubbed her eyes. The she turned around and saw a pony as large as herself and Celestia sat, waiting for her to wake, smiling that gleaming smile full of twinkling little pink and purple dots, suddenly her eyes went wide as she recalled what had happened, That wasn't a dream!!!, Luna couldn't move, couldn't look away and couldn't breathe, lucky for her alicorns didn't really need to breathe.
The Lavender star clad Pony moved closer to Luna and pecked her on the cheek, shaking her of her stupor, "Y-you dare touch me after nearly killing me, w-who are you," more than being angry and accusing the pony in front of her it was to check whether or not this mare, no this was no mere mare she was much more than that, she was made of the stellar that adorned the sky.
The stellar pony nodded to her, then she began to speak, her voice was calm and collected with the tone of a thousand lifetimes of knowledge, "It is we Luna, we hadst waited quite a long time to return to thee," this made Luna deadpan, right there and then she broke down trying to comprehend what had happened, though the mare just got close to her and hugged her.
"TIIIIIAAAAAA!!!!!" she boomed in the Traditional Canterlot voice, once again for good charm, no screw that, "SUUUUNNNNYYYYYBOOOOOTTTOOOOMMM!!! GET YOUR FLANK HERE NOW!!!" she screamed, it didn't bother the mare that dangled from her neck who was seeming to vibrate slightly with a hum much like a heart beat.
The tower was in pieces, literally on its last leg, this however blew the leg apart and melted it down, of course the one who did it teleported every sentient being apart from those at a certain point from the tower before doing so, "NO ONE CALLS ME THAT!!" no more tower, Luna and the mare sat in the now glass room a few flights down.
Luna blew the piece of baby blue mane out of her face, as she looked over to the mare and smiled, it was a perplexed smile, she was happy, confused, delusional, hungry and her personal favorite afraid, she was loving that she was afraid, that meant this was real but it meant that she didn't want to ever let this mare go ever again, she would never ever let, "Twilight," go again, Twilight looked up and smiled leaning further into the hug.
"Twilight? do not make folly of her name for what you just said Luna," a very angry Alicorn made her way through the steam coming off the newly made glass, "you are not just going to the moon! I will make you the new moon as I will reshape it to the size of you butto-" then she went silent as her eyes laid upon this... this, miracle, it was indeed Twilight Sparkle but she looked so... different, she was as tall as herself. Her body adorned stars, no it was made of stars, much like an Ursa Major was but she was pink and purple, she was back, the little filly who she had let down not once but twice was back, no more will she let them down, not Twilight nor Luna.
Celestia smashed into both mares with a smile as wide as Pinkie's and tears of the finest kind, her beloved student was back, her sister had no need to grieve any longer, all of the problems that seem to last over these last coupe months seem to wash away not that she was back and was... wait, what is she?, "Twilight," Celestia asked, making Twilight turn her head but not all the way, as if she was still finding her, "Twilight, where have you been?"
"Thine question is but a blip in the footnote of history, many a millennium has past and I would have no words for what I have seen, it didst take quite some time to get back to the present state and was't the one true hardest thing to retain most of my personality, though now I am sure itst will be but a boon for welcome home, we shall celebrate with cake, shall we not, I have not had this for so long it hadst been in my dreams for too long a time," Celestia throughout the whole entirety of Twilight’s little speech had her mouth opening and closing, as is Luna, she broke down.
The guards of the Castle
Current captain of Canterlot, ex right hoof of the last captain was now currently trying to calm an ever growing crowd, "Please, calm down, the Princess' are safe," he shouted to the crowd, then turning to another guard he whispered, "They aren't taking this well, its down to what happened to Princess Celestia when she lost Twilight I'm sure but we need to find out how to calm them down," he said.
"Everypony please remain calm, Princess Luna is an immortal, there is no wound that could be of any harm to her," One or two ponies had heard him but when the next sound boomed they all stopped dead quite.
One random mare near the front of the crown went, "sunnybottom?"
Next thing they know is an large Alicorn with flaming red hair had busted from her own balcony, teleported a rather large amount of ponies to the court yard a good distance away from where any loose rocks would fall and went on to demolish the last of the tower, the Alicorn who was residing in that tower had just fallen straight down and it looked like she had a new color scheme of Pink and purple in her mane.
Next came silence, no one would speak, then the guards moved out, they moved up through the castle to the nearest exit that could still be used, what they saw, no surprise had most of them dumbfounded too, there sat a pony shaped Ursa Minor in a pink and purple body rattling on about many assorted deserts, sweets and cakes without stopping for air, next to said Ursa sat the Princess' who at the moment seemed to have turned to stone, both with their mouths moving up and down mechanically.
Then said Ursa turned to the entering crowd and waved, "I met you great, great, great grandfather, Tinker, feel lucky you never got his teeth Mr. Cog"
"Do you know this mare Private?" Glint asked his guard who furiously shook his head.
"Oh and itst be the nicest of occasions to meet thee again sir Glint," Twilight said with a nod of her head.
Glint scrunched his nose, "How do you know my name, thing!" he glared at the stellar speckled mare.
"Thine eyes must be as blind as mine twas if you didst not recognize me," Twilight began to look over her body, "Oh, it seems I had forgotten this in my time trans-versing time," Twilight said as she began to glow, fur began to grow upon her legs as she concentrated, it crept up her legs, over the barrel and up to the head and tail making her hair grow again, although it retained most of the stars this time.
"T-twilight?"
"We once went by that title yes, that wouldst be be I," Twilight replied.
"But you.."
"Died, yes, but as my tutor had told me, the physical is but an illusion, it is what the mind retains as a view or a glimpse into what we want to see, now I wish to feat on the delicacies if you excuse me," Twilight began to walk through the guards as her body drifted around their armor, "now if I remember correctly it twould be this way," she said as she was moving away happily humming.
Glint shook himself from surprise and barked his orders, "Follow her, don't leave her side, make sure no one harms it, well at least try to," he then turned to the delirious Alicorns and moved to them, he went to Celestia and whispered in her ear, "I heard the chef personally made a nine hoof high cake with your name on it," her ear flicked slightly, now for the whammy, "it would be the best cake yet, but I lied, there is no cake," Special words to get the Sun Princess out of any stupor.
"You LIED!?! That was my cake," she said quickly bolting to the kitchen after Twilight, this pulled Luna to her senses.
Shooting right behind her sister, "Twilight!," she called as she ran.
In the kitchen
The chef was having a good day before his little visitor had came around, baking the Princess' cake's was one of his joys but when another unicorn as big as Celestia walked into the room asking in what seemed to be very old pony tone wanting cake then having big blobs as twinkling pink protrude from said mare what devoured all the cake in the room almost instantly made him scared so it was justifiable that he held her at knife point.
"I am afraid that thine utensil's do nothing for our pallet, we find that steel tasted bland," she moved through the knife as it passed through her neck, moving to the reserves of Princess Celestia.
Said Princess had followed a tad bit late, she saw her chef Creme' stood watching the open door of the reserve in Awe, something had kept his attention snapped thoroughly because he didn't even turn when she pushed past him, what she now saw she had realized what he was looking at.
Twilight was laid on her back sprawled out as she belched from eating all the food in the reserve, Celestia moved in now a little wary from her strange actions, "Twilight? Are you alright"
"Quite Tia, very much so," that sounded very familiar to Celestia so far but Twilight never called her Tia, "So hadst you gotton over sunneybottom? or are you still sore with what I came up with all those years ago?"
"Now I'm really confused"
"As am I sister," Luna said as she just heard what Twilight said.
Celestia walked forward, "Galactica? is that you?"
Twilight giggled, "Oh by kalgors beard I have not heard that name for two millenniums, you were cute foals"
Luna, even more confused, "but aren't you Twilight," she asked with worry that she mistook this mare for Twilight.
Twilight rolled over and sat up with anther belch, "Pardon our rudeness it has been a while and my constellations are rather rugged when it comes to cake, as for your question dear Lulu, yes I am and no I am not, confusing no?"
"Quite?" Luna said, "Care to explain?"
"All in due time, first I think we best qualm your nation of ponies, they are getting quite high rate," Twilight suggested.
The meaning of life and everything, book one ore rather life one
After calming down the nation, rather a daunting task when you have to explain that the reasoning would be told at another date later down the line but there were more matters to attend to such as her student becoming the one who raised her and then becoming, well they don't know yet but they are soon going to find out.
Twilight and her two Alicorns had sat in Celestia's room due to the latter in questions room now was sadly being cleaned up from the court yard, "My story will confuse you, you may have had large lives but on the whole of existence so far you have had very little, normal ponies much less and other worldly beast would vary, the thing I need you to understand is that we... I am Twilight Sparkle," The mares voice did resemble her students but it was distant and wise now, it will be very hard to accept what is going to be the future, "I myself am here to warn you of something that will happen in the not too far future, as for this body and Twilight Sparkle soon she will be the only inhabitant again but do not expect her to be coddled, she will still retain all the knowledge we have gathered"
Luna spoke up next, "So you're not using the royal we but the actual we?"
Twilight sighed, "Thus is the problem it is very confusing, here is the simple version, I have lived an uncountable amount of lives that repeat throughout many worlds that are the same equivalent of this one, they call this the parallel space, I have decided that this world is the best to retain all my knowledge for what has to come, before I get into that though let me explain these worlds," Twilight said.
Twilight looked upwards as if she could see the universe itself, "The first question that pops to mind when thine eyes came upon my being was it not what I was, it is as I look, I am as much the universe as the Universe is I, strange but true, on every Parallel world I am born from a tragedy that is about to happen to get the body ready for whatever it has to do, but doing so kills the body so we may communicate with each other but now there is no need for that ability sadly but that will change if we win"
She let the Alicorns process the simple information before she carried on, "As you know I could explain every last detail of how I move between worlds and what-not but the answer is really simple, I do not, when my counterpart is born onto a world they are sent to the start, The start literally, they watch the world being born and watch how the life around them evolves, they take notes of the minute details of all the subjects they see and when it comes time to guide the chosen few we raise the first to guide their kind into a new age where they can fight against the evil, that my sweet children was you two," Twilight gave a motherly smile, "Though I am afraid it was not Twilight who was conscious for the most part at that specific time, later when you were older she came into it and her feeling overrode most we have for you Luna," she said to Luna who blushed.
"Yes I was a mother to you both but that was as Galactica, when we noticed back in our worlds that this one is our best chance we grabbed our towels and came through to this world to join our newly born counterpart, and it is with great regret I say that our worlds are lost to the sands of time, our noticeable bodies on the other worlds are also gone also, Finally the threat we must warn you of, Twilight knows what it is but she cannot... No more like she will not tell you anything due to it being able to change history, even if she is the one to protect it," her demeanor became all the more serious as she spoke of the next part, "Due to the amount of time you have as I said, it is only a minute blip in existence, you will have a mere two years to ready Equestria for the coming tragedy, hopefully not all ponies will die in its wake,"
Celestia shook her head not believing what was being said, "You say you warn us to protect us of what is coming but then you say you hope not all ponies die from the evil's wake, that is to say we can't do anything?" Celestia asked.
With slight Trepidation Twilight nodded, "I am afraid so, in every universe the evil has eaten the constellation and planets that inhabit them, all sentient life from all planets in this universe will not last agains't this without our last line of defense, we are waging this very war on the multi-verse in the hand of Twilight Sparkle, she is a very talented mare, the most actually as of yet and ever will, she has a small chance of keeping you two alive to reverse the effect's in the other worlds and this one, as long as the evil cannot consume one universe in it entirety it breaks its laws and reverses its process, placing all Universe back with inhabitants all sentient and below will be returned, the evil I cannot tell you about though, this is something you two must find out when it comes as Twilight will not tell you and you must not pry this information away from her, we have seen this happen in other ways and it already ended with the death of those verse'”
Both Alicorns looked at each other, worry clear on their faces but eventually they nodded and agreed, this has to work and for it too work they will not disturb Twilight from her duty, Luna and Celestia moved forward as Celestia talked, "Mother, it was so good to hear you again, I would have never of guessed that you would have been Twilight, even now it seems very strange..."
"Yes Twilight is your mother, but not by blood and that was quite a while ago, Twilight loves you both dearly and in a weird way she thinks of you Celestia as her mother and you Luna as her lover, a strange family it is but a happy one nonetheless," Galactica walked forward for the last time in this world, her wary thoughts finally able to lay at rest, she placed a hoof on both Alicorns, both were smaller than her, at her motherly touch neither could hold their tears as they cried like foals saying goodbye to their mother, "I love you both very much, know that, Celestia, Luna, it is time I joined my brothers and sisters in the void, look after Twilight for us, she is very special to all of existence," they both nodded, once they did they heard their mothers last words, "Goodbye my daughters, I will see you again," When she did Twilight collapsed to the ground.
The fur dissipated and her constellation riddled body became a blotch on the floor, slowly it made a shape, a sleeping Twilight Sparkle, just a little smaller than Luna but the most noticeable thing was not her star shining hair, it was a pair of wings, wings that looked like windows to the universe, far off stars and planets drifted past upon her wings, the wing itself wasn't made of feathers but had more of a look that the changelings possessed, more insect like, still very beautiful. Both Alicorns stood in wonder as the smaller sleeping form of Twilight moved slightly as she breathed, Luna used her magic and moved her onto her back, Celestia followed her through to her chamber where all three curled up on Celestia's bed around Twilight.
Twilight mumbled slightly as her eyelids scrunched, then she got comfortable and warm and slept soundly, all three drifted off into the hold of sleep.
A certain Princess had just found out what had happened, its hard ruling two countries
In the candle light of the royal spare room a certain pink Alicorn toils the day away signing documents in the place of her aunt, her small pair of glass' began slipping off her nose as her head was slowly nodding from exhaustion, she had been supporting her auntie for a few weeks. Understandable when you had just lost the closest thing you had to a daughter, though she herself was in grief from the loss she could not detour from her her duties but for now she thought it best for rest for tonight, that was until she heard the explosion making her fall backwards off the chair she sat.
Cadence stared at the door leading into her room for a few seconds, noticing that the guards didn't come in meant something really bad had happened, I hope auntie Celestia and Luna are okay, Obviously they would be no matter what, so she began picking herself up from the floor. She brushed herself off and opened her door, nopony at all, they had probably ran to the explosion, even if this was worrying she did not show it on her face but she did in fact run as fast as she could outside to see what happened. When she got outside there was a few ponies here and there at the gate, apparently there was a crowd wanting to see what happened but one of the guards told her that her auntie had eased the situation and then asked why she couldn't have heard what Princess Luna had shouted.
Now with the knowledge that everypony was okay and what had happened on the outside it was time for answers, specifically answers for why now there is a large amount of materials and money are going to be needed to rebuild a tower but she was not angry, just frustrated.
She made her way up Celestia's spires, up the stair's all the way to the very top where the royal chambers were, then began her way to the room, three hoof left, two... one, then she craned the door open. Cadence collapsed to the floor, a disheveled mess, tears stormed out in brigades, snot burst open as she began to ball out into the night waking the three inhabitants of the room. Then she felt arms rap around her, lavender arms, those sweet sweet little arms of her dearest sister, and she lent into the embrace.
"Cadence, whats the matter, what happened to you? Has somepony hurt you?" Twilight asked pulling away from the hug, making Cadence cry even more when she saw Twilight's face.
Cadence mumbled words as Celestia and Luna walked up slowly to them, "I-I-Is it r-really you, T-twilig... but how can, whatever your back and I'm not letting you go," Cadence grabbed hold and held tight as she looked to her aunties who were smiling and nodding in confirmation that, yes this was the true Twilight sparkle.
"Wait, weren't we on Caesus Island a minute ago?" Twilight asked turning around but still not looking up, "What happened, last I remember was hugging you in our voids, Void?" she seemed to question herself, she had memories not what weren't her own, "What is... Princess I am in trouble, no we are in trouble, where is Galactica and Kalgor?" this made Cadence very edgy, Twilight wasn't making any sense to her but her Aunties looked calm and collected.
Celestia moved forward placing a hoof on Twilight's shoulder that seemed to sparkle purple dust on touch, "She has sadly left this world to join the others in the void"
"So that’s it... I'm the last star child," Twilight winced in pain, it wasn't physical but her form was sparking energy ripples from the sadness that her race was now near extinction, "Why? Why did you leave my side Galactica, Kalgor," Twilight whimpered, confusing Cadence even more..
Cadence stood up, "What is happening, I don't understand whats happening," Cadence asked, though all she got was a saddened smile from Luna and Celestia, finally Twilight got up and moved next to the balcony, everypony in the room watched her as she sat down and looked up, there it was again, it looked like she was seeing the universe again.
Twilight turned her head slightly and looked at Cadence with her two milky grey eyes, "I will tell you what happened to me soon Cadence, not now though I wish to sleep, I have started to look through the memories I have been given, I shall be back within two days," this confused everypony as Twilight stood up and turned to face the sky, at that instance she returned to her celestial form and dissipated to the winds drifting into the skies above.
"Care to explain why my little sister just dissolved in front of my eyes just as we got her back?" Cadence asked, both the other Alicorns sighed warily, Luna moved to the balcony and sat in wait as Celestia motioned Cadence to her table. Celestia over the next hour told her about Twilight, what had happened to her mind and body and who she was in relation to them both, "So Twilight is like my Grandma and my sister all wrapped in one?" Cadence was very confused.
"No, although she raised us she isn't related in blood As you I and Luna aren’t either but it is true that she first lived her life, died, re-birthed as her sentient Celestial life form and then came through history to raise us Alicorns, she is our mother but more than that, that was Galactica, this is Twilight, my beloved student and Luna's other half," Cadence looked shocked, not from the whole mother daughter situation but from Luna, she had an inclination a year ago about who she loved but that was way off, it was Twilight.
Then the three began their long wait for the prodigal daughter to return to her castle, technically this was her castle and she was queen, as Twilight was the one who started Canterlot and after so many years she left to let Luna and Celestia rule as one. That subject though would be sorted when Twilight came back though... Now it was time to wait and sort preparations for her arrival.
A few days later
Luna did not move from Celestia's balcony, the only movement she did in the past few days was use her magic to raise and lower the moon. Celestia had begun doing her paperwork again, as the days passed they sent invitations out to the many ponies who were related to Twilight, they needed to be here as she got back, it was drawing near the time, on the second day during the Twilight of the suns decent and the moons rise she would be back.
Many of the ponies arrived, Twilight's parents, her friends from Ponyville, Spike had come along but he did not look healthy it was really worrisome to Celestia but Fluttershy just shook her head at the ruler to stop her from interfering. Once everypony was here, they moved further into the castle, and into an open sky dome room where Celestia took the stand to explain why they were here. She explained what had happened nights before, many looked disgusted at what they thought was a cruel prank the Princess was doing, Even Pinkie Pie shouted out for her to stop sullying the image of her friend but Celestia took it all in and asked them to wait for sunset.
Although most were very hurt at the idea of the Princes' saying this they held onto the little hope they were right, then came sunset, the moon rose into the sky and at the very peak of its climb white light shone into the dome but there was no Twilight, minutes passed as Twilight's parents couldn't last any longer, Velvet began to cry losing hope. That's when a small speckle of pink floated past her eyes making her blink, all around the room, pink, purple and White swirled around in the dome before they flung together in a swirling motion next to the stand where Celestia was.
Now stood the star child, a mass of purple stars that swirled in the shape of a pony, it smiled at the ponies as it began to take form of its disguise, it grew its lovely lavender fur, streaked hair, muzzle and tail, and finally those beautiful milky eyes that seemed to see everything in front of them, "Hello everypony, It is so nice to see you again," Twilight said as calm as she could, eliciting whimpers from the crowd of ponies who followed her movements, she first bowed to Princess Celestia and then moved to where Luna was and hugged her, "I am back, I won't be going anywhere anymore," she released the hug and walked down to the starstruck ponies in front of the alter. She saw her parents faces, as they began to well up on tears, then they bolted forward grabbing her in a vise grip of love.
Once she broke the embrace she moved over to her friends, her movements were now very graceful and light, every one of her friends were crying but would not move, then she felt something touch her fur, Looking down she found two beautiful green eyes staring back at her, "Hello Spike, I think we need to feed you some more huh," she gently nudged his stomach, "You look a little thin," the dragon burst into tears and grabbed her leg as the rest of her friends rushed forward and also hugged their friend.
"We thought we lost ye' fer'ever darlin' we're so sorry for what we did," Applejack cried out between sniffles and snot that ran down her face.
Rarity did not care for all the grubby mess, in fact she did only one thing a one thing only, "Twilight, oh Twilight, don't ever go away like that again, we are sorry, please don't do that again to us, we will never leave you again"
Twilight enjoyed the embrace but then moved back slightly, "I am sorry girls but I still won't be coming back, I will have to find the true bearer to the Element of Magic, once I have we can be together again, I promise," the room went cold, confused faces everywhere, even Celestia was solid until the crack in her voice let out.
"What do you mean true bearer? you are the element of magic, we know that," Twilight just shook her head.
"You should know by now that what I am is not of this plane of existence but a medium, I could power the tiara because of my abilities but that does not mean I am the bearer, within these next two years, I will find and train them, then we will be ready, but first we must make the races of ponies whole again, I think we shall start with the Flutterpony race."
"Flutterpony?" Celestia said, "What?"