A lavender magic aura enveloped the front door of Golden Oaks and pushed in the doorlock, opening the door itself a moment later. In walked the new group of eight people, the newest member of which was carried by Twilight on her back, freeing her to use her magic on the door. The yellow creature which Aza had roped into itself back at the colorful block temple had fainted soon after waking up to see Twilight staring down at it. The group decided to wait for it to wake up again before letting it know what was happening.
“I hope Frank can cure himself,” Twilight said, stepping into the room’s center and turning to face everyone else. “Thanks for agreeing to vote him out, you guys.”
“Eh, he wanted it,” Ryuk said with a shrug.
“I’m sure he’ll be fine, Twilight,” Celestia said, smiling kindly. “Right now, though, we need to focus on our own safety.”
“I agree,” Yugi said. “We still need to take care of that other worm monster too.”
Everyone instinctively turned to Sandy, but the squirrel was too busy staring down at the floor with a sad expression to notice them. Everyone figured she was still reeling over Frank’s departure, since the two of them had grown rather close over the past day, and so decided to leave her alone.
“We should rest for now,” Samus said. She then pointed to the yellow creature still in Twilight’s grasp. “Should we entrust care of it to you, Twilight?”
The lavender unicorn nodded. “Leave it to me,” she said. Twilight then thought for a moment and turned to James. “We’re getting a little overcrowded here, it seems; sorry if you still wanted my bed.”
James said nothing for a few moments as he regarded her. Eventually he smiled and shook his head.
“It’s okay, Twilight,” he replied. “I understand this is your house, so far be it from me to mooch any more off of you. Besides,” he glanced to the yellow creature, “whatever that thing is, they need the accommodations more than I do right now.”
Twilight smiled in response before saying “Thanks” and turning toward the stairs. She only took a few steps before memory kicked in and she turned back to Sandy.
“Hey, Sandy, you coming?” she asked the squirrel.
Finally, Sandy snapped from her trance and she returned Twilight’s gaze. “Uh, sure,” she weakly muttered, and followed Twilight up the stairs.
“I’ll be going as well,” Samus declared, and briskly walked out the door. “Good night.”
“Me too,” Yugi added as he followed Samus. James was quick to follow behind himself, grumbling a bit about finding a house with a more suitable bed.
Ryuk was about to leave as well when Celestia stopped him with a hoof on his shoulder. The Shinigami turned to regard her.
“Is something wrong?” he asked, confused.
Celestia didn’t respond right away, instead charging up her horn and summoning the box containing the remaining Elements of Harmony; Laughter and Generosity. She levitated the Element of Laughter out of the box and presented it to Ryuk, who now looked more surprised than confused.
“Uh . . . thanks?” Ryuk said, scratching his head.
“I’m sure this comes as a complete surprise to you, Ryuk,” Celestia replied, smiling kindly. “However, and this is something which I’ve observed about you ever since we first met today, I believe you’re fully capable of wielding the Element of Laughter. Of course, it’s your choice and your choice alone, and I’ll respect it no matter what.”
Ryuk stared intently at her for a few moments, then at the necklace floating before him for the same amount of time. Finally, he shrugged and grabbed it out of the air. Celestia watched, a wide smile split across her features, as Ryuk clasped the Element around his neck. After a second it glowed brightly like all the others, signalling its acceptance of the Shinigami as its new bearer.
“Huh,” Ryuk said with a tilt of his head, “part of me thought that was going to hurt.”
Celestia did her best to hold back a giggle.
“So, what should I do now that I’m wearing this thing?” Ryuk asked her.
“For now, just help us overcome Aza’s challenges,” Celestia replied, still smiling. “Which reminds me, where’s that, uh, Death Note was it?”
“That’s right,” Ryuk replied with a nod. “You aren’t thinking of using it, are you? Because I know for a fact it won’t work here.”
Celestia shook her head. “Even with a complete set of Element Bearers, we need every last scrap of aid we can acquire.” She levelled a serious gaze at him. “Even if it doesn’t work right now, we have no idea what usefulness it may hold in the future, so it would be wise to keep it readily available at all times.”
Ryuk took a moment to mull over Celestia’s words before replying with, “I guess that makes sense.” He turned to the door. “I’ll go get it.”
“Thank you,” Celestia replied, watching him exit the library. Her ears then flicked in response to the sound of hoofsteps, and she turned to see Twilight descending the stairs, a wry expression on her face. “I take it you heard everything?”
The lavender unicorn nodded. “And saw everything.” She reached the landing and began approaching Celestia. “I’ll admit, Ryuk never struck me as a potential Bearer of Laughter.”
Celestia smiled cheekily. “Perhaps we should take that to mean your sense of humor is rather flat?”
Twilight stopped suddenly in her tracks and looked to Celestia with a slight blush in her cheeks. Celestia only laughed and continued with, “Worry not, Twilight; you’re perfect just the way you are.”
“Er, thanks princess,” Twilight said sheepishly while scuffing her hoof. “Anyway, Sandy’s gone to bed and the new creature is resting in this Equestria’s Spike’s basket, so we’re alone until Ryuk gets back.”
“Indeed,” Celestia replied with a nod. “What should we do until then?”
Twilight tilted her head in confusion. “You’re asking me?”
“Of course,” Celestia replied. “After all, this is your home, which makes me your guest and you the host.”
“Oh! Well . . .” Twilight trailed off as she lost herself in thought of what she and the princess could do to kill time. After a few moments of silent contemplation, she turned to Celestia and said, “I know we already talked about this, princess, but how about we compare notes on our lives back home? We might find something that confirms whether or not we’re from the same Equestria if we do.”
Celestia mulled over Twilight’s suggestion for a few seconds before nodding in agreement. “Alright, let’s do it.”
Nodding herself, Twilight went to fetch some parchment and quills.
C’mon Doctor, where are you? You’ve gotta settle down in some universe sometime.
. . . Nope.
. . . Not there.
. . . Or there.
*sigh* This is too boring, time to mess with the guinea pigs.
“Okay,” Twilight said while using her magic to scribble some words onto her parchment, “I can confirm that I was accepted into your school after successfully hatching Spike from his egg.”
Celestia nodded and scribbled some words onto her own parchment. “And I can confirm that I accepted you after quelling your magic surge and undoing all the effects it caused.”
Twilight blushed a little as she continued with, “Right, and that’s when I recei-”
”I see you’re still hung up on that identity crisis thing between the two of you,” Aza interrupted, briefly startling the two mares. ”Is it really worth mulling over, anyway?” I mean, you’re both familiar enough with each other that it shouldn’t matter whether or not you’re both from the same Equestria.”
Twilight and Celestia looked up with furrowed gazes. “The only reason we’re hung up on it is because of your refusal to reveal the truth to us,” Twilight replied, a hint of frustrated anger in her tone.
“And it does matter whether we’re from the same Equestria,” Celestia continued. “All of what we’ve experienced and learned here has changed us to an enormous degree, Aza. To return home without someone to confide in would leave one or both of us vulnerable to go mad with the knowledge we’ve accrued during our stay here.”
“Not knowing much of anything about the psychology of corporeal entities, I’ll take your word on that,” Aza replied. ”However, and by no means am I claiming to know you two this intimately, maybe you two don’t want to return home?”
Celestia and Twilight could only stare blankly at the ceiling in response, too dumbstruck to say anything.
”Allow me to elaborate,” Aza continued. ”If my memory serves me well, and I have no reason to doubt that it does, you gave Twilight permission to extensively study the Elements of Harmony upon returning home, right Celestia?”
The solar alicorn slowly nodded. “Yes, I remember that from earlier, but what does that have to do with our desire to return home?”
”Quite a lot, actually,” Aza replied. ”And here’s somepony who can help you realize just what I mean.”
Immediately, a figure began materializing in front of the two mares. They watched with interest as it took on a definitive shape which they were all too familiar with; an Equestrian pegasus mare. She was sleeping with her head rested in her hooves, and her red mane was suffering from a severe bedhead. Her coat was white like Celestia’s, though with a slight creamy tint to it. What was of particular interest to Twilight and Celestia, however, was the mare’s Cutie Mark; a circle with an angular seven pointed star inside. It was quite unlike anything either mare would’ve expected to see on a pegasus.
”Just so you know,” Aza spoke up, drawing the two mare’s attention away from the pegasus, “she’s only a temporary addition to the group, so don’t bother telling her anything about what’s going on.”
“Who is she?” Celestia asked.
”Well now,” Aza replied with a hint of cheekiness, “that’s for her to tell you, isn’t it?”
Celestia and Twilight glanced back down at the pegasus mare. Her chest rose and fell rhythmically with her breaths, and a contented smile stretched across her muzzle. She looked to be enjoying a peaceful slumber, to which both mares were hesitant to wake her from.
”Well, I’ll leave you three to chat for now,” Aza said. ”Ciao!”
Twilight and Celestia stared at the sleeping mare for another few moments before Celestia finally sighed and said, “Well, we might as well gleam some information from her.” She began to approach the sleeping mare.
“Are you sure, princess?” Twilight asked concerned. “What if she’s hostile?”
Celestia flashed her student a sly smile. “Rest assured, my faithful student, that I’m prepared for such a possibility.”
“If you say so,” Twilight replied as she watched Celestia use a hoof to gently nudge the sleeping mare.
She let out a soft grunt and shifted her head a bit. Celestia gently nudged her again, to which the mare’s eyes slowly cracked open, revealing them to be of a bluish color. Taking a moment to rub the sleep from her eyes, the pegasus slowly stood up on all fours and stretched, to which the sound of cracking joints could be heard.
“Hello, miss,” Celestia said kindly. “Who might you be?”
The mare arched a confused brow while stretching and opened her eyes fully. Immediately, they widened in shock and surprise upon seeing Twilight and Celestia staring expectantly at her. She began stuttering while pointing a shaky hoof at them, to which Twilight tilted her head in confusion.
Is that a good or a bad sign? she asked herself.
“Is something wrong, miss?” Celestia asked as the mare continued stuttering. “If so, please don’t hesitate to-”
“Celestia?” the mare croaked, interrupting the solar alicorn. She must have realized this, as she quickly clasped a hoof over her mouth. Her eyes widened in what was clearly fear.
Celestia refrained from rolling her eyes at the display, having long since grown tired of ponies thinking any little mistake on their part would incur her wrath. She adopted her most serene smile and spoke. “There’s no need to be afraid, miss; we will not hurt you.”
The mare lowered her hoof. Her eyes stared in apparent fascination at both the other two mares, shifting back and forth between them, taking in every little detail of their appearances that she could. This greatly heightened both Twilight and Celestia’s curiosity of the pegasus, as nopony had ever reacted to their company like she was right now.
Twilight cleared her throat. “Miss?” she said, to which the pegasus turned her attention back to her. “Could you state your name, please?”
The seemed to hesitate for a few seconds before saying, “Of course”, and looking at both of them straight on with an expression that clearly conveyed how much she was trying to hide her timidness behind a mask of stoicness, and failing rather humorously in Celestia’s opinion. “My name is Star Fall, or Fallen Star in your tongue.”
Celestia arched a brow. “‘Your tongue’?” she inquired.
Star Fall’s mask fell away, being replaced with a sense of panic as she swiveled her head around the room, as if only just now realizing she wasn’t where she was prior to being roped into Aza by the sadistic universe.
“Where am I?” she asked suddenly, returning her attention to Twilight and Celestia.
Twilight frowned. She was still torn over whether to reveal the situation to this mare, Star Fall, or attempt to fabricate a lie and hope that Aza did intend on returning her home after a short while. Having to decide right then was especially nerve-wracking, helped none by Star Fall’s expectant gaze.
“You’re in a dream,” Celestia replied just as suddenly. Twilight turned to her in shock, and likely would’ve spoke out against her mentor’s statement if not for the authoritative glance she cast her way.
“A . . . dream?” Star Fall said, uncertain. She took a moment to scrutinize her surroundings some more before resettling her gaze on the two mares in front of her. “Everything feels very real.”
Celestia nodded. “My sister has told me that’s the typical response ponies give upon being told they're dreaming.”
Star Fall tapped her chin in thought. "It does make the most sense, I suppose," she mused. After a few moments she slumped over and sighed, a frown splitting her features.
“Why the sad face, Star Fall?” Celestia asked with a tilt of her head.
“You two mean so much to me,” the pegasus replied, looking up at them with a wistful smile, “and I’ve thought a lot about what I’d say to you two, given the chance.”
“Really now?” Celestia inquired. “Well, dream or not, we’re right here and willing to listen.” She turned to her student. “Aren’t we Twilight?”
“Y-yeah,” Twilight stuttered. Her gaze instinctively shifted to the door, then to the stairs before resettling on Star Fall. “I’m very interested in hearing what you have to say.”
Celestia nodded and turned back to Star Fall. “We’re ready when you are,” she said, settling down to listen.
Star Fall nodded, and turned to Twilight. “Well, the first thing I should say is that it's a thousand years after your time, Twilight. So much has changed, including the language, which is what I meant by ‘your tongue’.”
Twilight’s eyes widened in shock while Celestia spoke. “The highlights should do just fine.” She gave the pegasus a warm smile. “Take your time, we will wait.”
Star Fall sighed, hanging her head. "Okay. Okay. The most important thing is probably the Schism."
"Ominous," Celestia commented. "Tell us about it."
"Over eight hundred years ago, uh, my time," Star Fall began, "there was a catastrophe. It destroyed civilization, knocked us into a dark age, and divided Equestria permanently. We call it the Schism. It began with ponies fighting each other over, well, over you." She gave the princess a sheepish smile. "You and your sister had very different ideas on how Equestria was to be governed. Some supported you and the monarchy you had created, while others supported Luna and her ideas of democracy. It was peaceful at first, and you both kept it that way. But, well, you had to leave, and it got bad."
"Leave?" Celestia asked. "Why would I abandon my little ponies in such a state?" Twilight nodded her agreement with the question, her attention fastened on Star Fall, who shifted nervously under her gaze.
"There was an enemy coming," Star Fall explained. "A Goddess, like you, who had to be stopped, but you couldn't be in the world to do it. You and Luna merged with your cosmic bodies, the sun and moon, and watched for her coming.” She adorned a somber expression. “In Equestria, leaving only fanned the flames of the argument. It wasn't long before ponies took up arms and began fighting each other, both claiming their side had divine blessing. They spent decades fighting each other, and they dragged all the other races of the world into it. Griffins sided with the monarchists, Changelings with the rebels, and with their help the fighting became more brutal than ever."
"That's terrible!" Twilight gasped. "It's just so . . . senseless! Why would they do that to each other?"
"Ponies will fight for ideology," Star Fall said. "And kill for religion."
"I’ve never claimed to be a god, demanding obedience and worship," Celestia said, furrowing her brows a tad. "I would not approve of such a religion in my name.”
"Honestly? I don't think you had a choice," Star Fall said. "Especially not after you were gone. Ponies chose to believe in you. I believe in you. For most of us that belief is . . . it's a beautiful thing. Uplifting.” She sighed in exasperation. “But sometimes it can be twisted, and I think that's what happened during the Schism. Religion and politics just got so tangled together that nopony could separate them."
"I see," Celestia said, smoothing her expression back to serenity. "But we've wandered from your story. Please continue."
"Okay.” Star Fall took a moment to breathe deep before continuing. “The fighting between the two sides rose to incredible levels of violence. Magic and technology beyond anything before or since was unleashed, wiping cities and entire regions off the map. Every peace treaty was just a moment to catch their breath before each side was at each other’s throats again. It was only after forty years of fighting on and off, two generations of near-constant warfare that the Destroyer first appeared."
"Was this the enemy I left to confront?" Celestia asked.
Star Fall nodded. "The Shadowed Alicorn: Nightmare Umbra. She was a distant figure at first, appearing in the skies over battlefields. Then entire companies of soldiers would vanish when she appeared. The stories say she was terrifying. I met her once, when she was at her weakest, and trust me when I say that word fails to convey just how much fear she inspires.” Star Fall shuddered just from thinking about her run-in with the evil alicorn. “She was invincible, and both sides thought she was working for the other. It was because of her that both sides decided they had to completely wipe out the other, and quickly, or be overrun themselves.”
By this point, Twilight’s stomach had twisted itself into several knots. Hearing all of what Star Fall was saying had Twilight tempted to rush upstairs to her bedroom and lock the door. Only the knowledge that things would very likely get complicated if she did so kept her rooted where she sat next to Celestia as Star Fall continued her tale.
"They gathered all of their armies and faced each other in the Everfree regions. Before they could sound the first charge, however, Umbra appeared between them. She told them how their war gave her strength, and how this fight would give her the power to conquer the entire world. The generals didn't believe her. They ordered the attack, but both sides targeted her first.”
“They didn’t stand a chance, did they?” Celestia asked.
Star Fall shook her head. "She laid waste to the armies sent against her, none of which could even make so much as a scratch on her person. She gained power from the violence and struck out at the world. She sundered the earth, changing the face of Equestria forever. She smote the skies, and pegasus control over the weather was broken. She touched all living things, holding their hearts with her power, and nearly killed the entire world."
Twilight was now on the verge of crying. Celestia, while still maintaining a neutral expression, also struggled to hold back a few tears. “Please, go on,” she urged Star Fall.
"You saved us," the pegasus said. "You and Luna came together in the skies. The sun and moon combined their light, pouring their power down to cage the Destroyer. You struck her down and took her power. You couldn't keep holding it yourselves, though, so you needed a way to contain it. That’s when you reached out to the world and took the magic that infused it, then wrapped that magic around Umbra's power so that it could never return to her. The power spread out between the two clashing armies, stretching all across Equestria and halfway across the world, becoming what we call the Everstorm. It rages even now, a nearly uncrossable barrier dividing the nightlands and the sunlands from each other."
"So after all that you still didn't come together?" Twilight asked, incredulous. "You all nearly died because you didn't stop fighting!"
"It wasn't that easy," Star Fall replied solemnly. "The Storm separated us, and the aftereffects of Umbra's binding devastated everyone. All the old hierarchies and cities were laid to waste. The entire world fell into chaos. There were no more monarchists and rebels, because there were no more governments at all. So many had died and so much magic was lost that everything fell apart. No one knew what was going on outside whatever little community they managed to scrape together. Enormous storms raged across the land, and pegasi couldn't stop them. Droughts, famine and disease were everywhere, and no unicorn or earth pony could do anything about it.”
The pegasus took another deep breath before continuing. "It took hundreds of years for the world to settle down and civilization to come back. By that time all we had left were scraps and legends from the Schism and the times before. Only one thing held us together: our Goddesses. In the north we worship Celestia first, while in the south they worship Luna first. So the two sides became the sunlands and the nightlands, respectively. Then the Solar Kingdom managed to unite the many lesser kingdoms and cities of the sunlands under one ruler, and the city-states of the nightlands formed an alliance they called the United Lunar Republics. Equestria has the same political and religious divide as before, but it’s held apart by the constant reminder of what happened last time."
There was silence for a long moment as Celestia and Twilight absorbed this information. Finally, Twilight spoke. "Why didn't they use the Elements of Harmony on Nightmare Umbra?"
"We didn't know about them," Star Fall answered. "In fact, no one did until very recently. Rainbow Dash and Applejack, your friends, have suddenly appeared in my time and no one knows why. Dash told me about the Elements, but that was the first I had ever heard of them. The only tangible proof of their existence that I’ve found is Harmony Theory.”
“Harmony Theory?” Twilight said.
“A book that you wrote, er, will write, Twilight,” Star Fall answered. “I found it in the possession of a crook named Max Cash and we, that being me and my superiors as well as your friends, believe he’s using the book’s information to acquire and corrupt the Elements for whatever plans he has in his twisted mind.”
While Star Fall shuddered at the thought of Max Cash, Twilight’s attention was fixated on what Star Fall had said about how she’d written this ‘Harmony Theory’ book that still existed after the apocalypse. It reminded her of the conversation she had with Celestia the day before, the one that Aza had spoke of just before roping in Star Fall.
-----
"Much about the Elements of Harmony is shrouded in mystery, Twilight, suffice to say they can easily change bearers when desired, so long as the person embodies the required trait enough to be accepted. Perhaps, when we return home, you can research the Elements a bit more thoroughly than what's been attempted already."
-----
“Hey, Fallen Star?” Twilight said to the white pegasus.
Star Fall looked to her with a nervous grin. “Yes, Twilight?”
“The way you’re talking about Harmony Theory makes it sound like the book was written as a collection of all my future research on the Elements.” She tilted her head curiously. “Is that true?”
“We aren’t entirely confident, but that’s what all the evidence we have is pointing towards,” Star Fall replied. She scowled and lightly stomped her hoof. “I had the damn book in my grasp, but Max Cash got it back before I could read anything of value!”
“Did you manage to read any of it at all?” Twilight asked, her tone oozing with curiosity.
Star Fall slumped over again. “Just one passage at the end." She looked back to Twilight and Celestia with a nervous expression. “It read as follows; ‘Nothing can stand against the Elements. Not even my faith. I’m sorry, Princess. I’m so sorry.’”
“Well, that’s . . . concerning,” Celestia commented with a grimace. Twilight, on the other hoof, was staring blankly at nothing, her eyes shrunk to pinpricks and jaw threatening to come unhinged from her mouth.
“I agree,” Star Fall said, her mouth’s corners lifting into a smile. “But don't worry, everything will-”
The white pegasus was interrupted as something materialized little more than a scant few inches from her hooves. It had a blue cylindrical base and a dome top with rods sticking out in all directions, from which a bright light emitted.
Before anypony could think to guess what it was, the dome part suddenly rose into the air and burst into a cloud of gas. The gas had the effect of putting Star Fall back to sleep, and she collapsed to the floor with her legs splayed out around her. She vanished a moment later, presumably having been sent back home.
”Don’t want to let her know this isn't a dream, now do we?” Aza quipped. ”I hope you’ve both learned something from this special encounter. Good night!”
Silence reigned for a few more moments before the door opened and Ryuk walked in, his Death Note clutched firmly in his clawed hand. He noticed the two mares gaping at the floor in front of them, to which he tilted his head in confusion.
“Did I miss something?” he asked.