//------------------------------// // "Can things ever...." // Story: Nightmare in The Mirror // by Ardent Wing //------------------------------// I fear I have made no official study in the area, Starswirl did plenty of that himself. However I can state my opinion on Starswirl’s theories about the subject. I see destiny not as a path, predetermined and waiting for the pony to tread on it. I see destiny as time itself. The events that one goes through in their lives are part of the great length of time, and as such, are relatively unchanging. That is why we created the notion of destiny, to explain why we cannot change time. However, if one actually DID want to change time, the most obvious solution would be to latch onto a fixed point along the time stream and to alter that event. Altering said fixed point would then likely dramatically change the world around the point. Yet, even with that possibility it would require a great amount of power and the caster of the spell would have to have a direct relation to the event they are changing. It’s possible, but inefficient. I do, however, find great interest in my old friend’s notions of alternate worlds. This idea changes much about my theory of Destiny. So, propose a hypothetical world in which destiny IS an outside influencing factor, as opposed to an intrinsic part of time. In such a world, if the destiny of some-pony here were to exist there, attached to the same pony, but opposite, would the pony change? I like this suggestion that destiny may only effect events, as opposed to everything. Perhaps Starswirl is onto something. I mean, technically if the events in a life changed, but not the life itself, it’s certainly possible that they would possess similar traits to our here-world counterparts. It’s a beautiful model, I just wonder if Starswirl will finish it. He was never one to stick to things he could not fix with a spell. -Clover the Clever, on the published works of Starswirl the Bearded Twilight traveled down the short side hallway that lead from her reading room to a larger hallway, which itself lead straight to the Anti-Chamber, which was directly at the end of said hallway. Twilight had picked the spot for her chamber perfectly, making sure it was in one of the most secure rooms in the castle. Well, by secure she meant that if the room were to explode it would do no structural damage to the building, apart from a large hole. Though it would never come to that, as the magic of the mirror portal never existed in a state that would explode. She was merely being precautious, a thing that had helped her often in the past before. She was walking slower now, with spike walking along beside her. She was excited to see how this would turn out, or maybe she was scared. She had been devising and preparing everything for this experiment for months, and she really needed this to turn out her way. Of course, she knew that there was no real need to be nervous, the calculations she had done were perfect. It was a fact of nature, the magic of the portal simply HAD to be complicated, and there was no question about it. Then why was she still walking slowly? Try as she might, Twilight could not remove the feeling of something terrible happening. Despite having all of the evidence at hoof to support her, she felt like it would not go just right. It had happened before… Oh, she was just being silly! Of course it would work, it had to. As Rainbow Dash had told her, “Confidence is the key to success!” Or, perhaps she had said, “Overconfidence is the key to success!” Twilight could not remember. As of late she had been making many, relatively minor errors in her memory. It was probably just the restlessness from running this experiment. Twilight needed to do this quickly, only then could she rest. Twilight reached the end of the hallway and turned the corner, sating at the floor as she walked. The door to the Anti-Chamber stood directly at the end of the hall, which is why Twilight didn’t care to look where she was going. She may be lost in thought, but she was relatively sure that she could navigate to the end of a hallway without error. That was her mistake. Before she could even take two steps down the last, short hallway to the chamber she found herself shoved back by some incredible force. This cannonball, as she could only describe it with her eyes closed, collided and carried Twilight to the ground with it. There was a moment of sheer breathlessness, in which Twilight lacked comprehension of what was going on. The first thing that returned to her senses was a voice she recognized. “Oh, Twilight! How could you leave without telling me? Do you not trust me? How could you not trust me? I even threw you a Twilight is the most trusting friend ever party, and now you do this! Why would you not tell me you were going, I could at least have thrown you a going away party! I-“ Pinkie Pie, who was a combination of sad and angry to any who could see her, was stopped by Twilight’s hoof raising up to block her mouth and stop her speaking. Twilight rose to her hooves and looked at Pinkie, who happened to be joined by her other friends behind her. Apple Jack and Fluttershy were walking towards Twilight and Pinkie, while Rainbow Dash and Rarity stood just behind them, in front of the door to the Anti-Chamber. Why in the hoof was everypony here? “Pinkie, what are you doing here? What are all of you doing here?” Twilight asked. “Well, I was talkin’ to Pinkie bout’ how you were havin me and Big Macintosh move the mirror portal around in the castle. Pinkie got the notion in her head that you were up’n leavin to the other world, and she gathered all of us here to ask you just why you’d be doin’ that.” Apple Jack explained. “I’m not going anywhere girls, why would you think that?” “Well it is undeniable that on most occasions that you have interacted with the mirror, it has lead you to travel through it to that other world.” Rarity stated. “I suppose that’s true, but you must have known that if I was leaving I would tell you.” Twilight responded. Her statement seemed to soothe Pinkie, but Rainbow was not totally satisfied by her words. She flew up to Twilight, hovering just above the ground, to ask her a question. “So, if you weren’t leaving, then just what were you doing with the mirror?” “Long story short, I’m running an experiment on the magic in the mirror to find out just how it may work in travelling to other worlds.” Twilight explained. “Why couldn’t you tell me that version of your explanation?” Spike asked, slightly annoyed. He had had to sit through that entire explanation when she could have just told him that? “Spike, you are my assistant, and that means that in order to work the experiment properly you must be fully equipped with all of the knowledge that I possess on the topic, only then can you work at optimal capacity.” “Sure, or maybe you just felt making it seem like the reading room actually did something.” Spike mumbled. “What was that, Spike?” “Just glad that you keep me in the loop.” Rainbow Dash looked from Spike back to Twilight. “But why didn’t you keep US in the loop?” “I’m sorry Rainbow; I’ve been so caught up with running this experiment that I haven’t really been communicating with anyone. I’ve even been ignoring the mail, I never do that! I just wanted to get this over with; I didn’t realize that you might wonder what I was doing.” It was true, she usually thought of these things, but her anxiousness to complete the experiment had lead Twilight to this state of tiredness. The toll that it had taken had been invisible until now, just when what she had been calculating was about to be proven. “Well, in any case, we’d be overjoyed to assist you with this experiment.” Rarity stated. “Yeah, we sure could use something to do right now, what say we help you Twilight?” Apple Jack added. “ We could give you moral support. I can even throw a ‘ I just ran the coolest experiment ever’ after party! I think I have a cake large enough to write that on.” Pinkie chimed in, excited. “Are you sure that you want to help, I can probably just run it with Spike and achieve the same level of success.” Twilight said, unsure of whether she actually WANTED them to see her run the experiment. It might not – No! There is no room for doubt. Overconfidence is key! “We would never leave a friend to do this alone, especially when this is so important to you.” Fluttershy said. There was no arguing with them. Or, at least, Twilight did not want to argue with them. What mattered most right now was that she got in that chamber and proved her theory. The work had taken what it could from her and she wanted the stress to be over with. It was so odd… not the experiment, but this whole day. She was worrying about an experiment that was sure to succeed. In fact, she was worrying TOO much. Something was wrong with that, she should not care nearly as much about this as she did, and yet… She did. She cared so much about this succeeding; it felt both horrible and wonderful at the same time. The walls of her castle were perfect. “Of course, if you want to observe the experiment by my side, then I welcome you. Nothing could make me happier than doing this with my friends. Spike, I need you to go back to storage and grab a few more scientific protector goggles for the others, and leave the beaker behind.” Spike stared at Twilight for a moment, then he sighed and began to run back down the hallway the way he had come with Twilight. Why could Twilight never bring everything she needed at one time? *** Twilight walked through the door to the Anti-Chamber wearing her protective goggles, her friends entered behind her, wearing similar protective gear. Twilight, however, was also wearing a heavy apron, designed to protect her from any possibly dangerous power that may radiate throughout the room while performing the experiment. The others would be standing a short distance away, so they were not likely to receive direct exposure to dangerous magic, though that wouldn’t matter if the room exploded- Which it wouldn’t! After entering the room Twilight walked directly to her equipment, while her friends stopped to stare at having entered what looked like a new world itself. The room was pitch black, so much so that the ponies could not actually tell if there were actual dimensions to the room. What light there was came from brightly glowing purple runes that surrounded the equipment as well as surrounded what one could only assume was the perimeter of the room, though it still gave little hint to the eye as to how the room had actually looked. There was little else in the room, save for some beaker holders, as well as what looked like a very large adjustable lens, and the mirror; standing at the maybe-far end of the room. This was the portal that had transported Twilight to that other world. A strange object for a strange place. While four of Twilight’s friends stood unaffected from entering the room, one did not. Rarity stumbled slightly, shaking what might have seemed like the cobwebs of sleep from her head. “Woah, I’m sorry to impose Twilight, but what pray tell, is this sensation I am feeling?” Twilight looked up from some papers she had left sitting on the large lens to answer Rarity. “Sorry, I forgot to mention how the chamber worked when I explained my experiment to you. The Anti-Chamber creates a negated wall of zero magic around the perimeter. Technically speaking, the wall itself does not exist, but magic cannot exist inside it either. When you passed through the wall, your matter stayed unaffected, but for a moment you were sapped of all magic within you. Your magic should return once we leave, but it can have a strange feeling to many ponies, especially unicorns. I’ve just gotten used to it from being here for a week.” “Well, that is certainly comforting to hear. Proceed then with what you were doing.” Rarity said, motioning with her hoof for Twilight to continue. Yet before Twilight could precede any further, Rainbow Dash walked over to her lens and interrupted her by staring through it at her friend. “So, what exactly did you say that this gizmo does?” “It’s called a Render, Rainbow. It analyzes magical stains and allows me to tell the basic weaving of a spell.” It was one of the many optical inventions that Clovenhoof had assisted in the creation of. Rainbow continued to stare at Twilight, confused. Twilight sighed, knowing that she would have to explain herself more. “Think of an enchantment, or a permanent magical spell, as a weaving, like a net. That way the spell will maintain itself without the need for a caster to hold the spell themselves. The more complicated the spell, the greater task it performs. If the magic in the mirror is the source of its power, then the magic will be complicated, because it is performing a task involving the use entering the tweaked realities of other worlds within the same spatial dimension. In that case, the magic of the mirror would look all jumbled up in the Render. Simple magic looks relatively strait. If my theory is correct, the magic in the mirror is complicated, because it travels to another world, simple magic, according to Starswirl, is what is needed to travel into THIS world. However, I need to prove that the Canterlot High mirror is complicated magic, or else Starswirl is wrong.” “Why would that prove him wrong, Twilight?” Apple Jack asked. “If the magic is simple, it means that it is the physical portal that creates the bridge between two worlds. In that case, it may mean that the Canterlot High world is in another dimension, which means that magic, complex or simple, cannot access such places with a spell alone. That means that regardless of the spells I have prepared, nothing can be accomplished without the proper object to cast a spell on. That could, at the very best, throw me off for months trying to figure out what the object and spell is. Basically, simple magic means the portal does the work, and a simple spell cannot permit travel to other into THIS world, and complicated means the opposite.” “Twilight, why do you keep emphasizing THIS world, as opposed to other worlds?” Rarity inquired. “That is what Starswirl was attempting to do, I don’t know if he succeeded, as he was very secretive of his work into this matter. That is why I must re-run the experiment in the same way that I believe he would have, to find the answer. If I can succeed, I may be able to peer into slightly different, mostly same worlds as ours. Isn't that exciting!” “Kind of, but if they’re only slightly different from our world, then isn’t that just a bit boring. Why not go see new things, instead of the same thing someplace else?” Rainbow stated. “The point is that I CAN do it, and that would mark an achievement in pony magic that has never been proven to have been accomplished. At worst, I’m saying that Starswirl was right.” “Okay Twilight, so what say we run this experiment an’ find out the truth for sure?” Apple Jack said. “Alright, Spike, will you take this-“ Twilight said, pulling a small crystal out from the pocket of the apron and holding it out to him “- and place it in the high energy beaker on the stand. This crystal will bounce the focused magic on the beaker into the lens, which will bend the magic into coherence for the few moments that it needs to sear the design onto this flash paper placed on the lens. The design that burns onto the paper will reveal if the magic is simple or complicated.” “Okay Twilight, it’s all done.” Spike stated after adjusting the beaker at the marked height on the beaker holder. Twilight positioned herself above the lens, hooves grasping the sides in preparation to adjust the lens as needed. “Okay, then one last thing needs to be done, I need you to take the chalk out of my pocket and walk over to the mirror. When I say, draw a vertical strait line through the rune that looks like a circle with a V inside it. Stand back everypony, this might get bright.” Or, possibly explosive. Twilight’s friends all backed into their respective end of the room, the whole scene looked quite sinister with the purple glow. All focus was now on Spike and the mirror. Twilight did a quick glance, ensuring that everyone was in their proper place before looking a back at the mirror, with the little purple and green dragon standing just in front of the rune that he was to cross out. She took one last deep breath. It was time. “Now Spike, cross it out!” Twilight ordered. Spike did as he was ordered, drawing the line through the circular rune. The instant he drew the line he was thrown out of the way by what seemed like a gale force wind as a thick beam of purple-pink light shot out of the portal and across the room, into the beaker. When the beam hit the crystal, it bounced out three times its size going in. the light was surrounding Twilight and the Render, who were silhouetted in the light from the beam. Ever so slowly she adjusted the lens against the continuous blast from the portal, her limbs feeling like they weighed thousands of pounds. “TWILIGHT!” her friends shouted, moving to assist her. “Stay back! Back! Do not get close to the light, I am protected!” She screamed at them over the blasting wail as huge amounts of magic poured through the portal. After what seemed like an eternity, the lens began to move. Slowly it slid into place as she moved it, keeping her eyes as squinted as she could within her goggles; just enough for her to see how the light was pouring through the lens. Her world had turned into a swirling purple light while she stared through the lens, and the sound of the magic was getting louder and louder. She did not have much time. Several eternities later, the lens slid into the ideal place, and with a sudden jerk Twilight was now bathed in a white light that was pouring through the lens. This was what she needed, the paper would burn now. “Spike! Put your claw on the triangle rune on the floor by the door! Spike!” Twilight screamed for her assistant, but the magic flow did not stop. The sound was getting louder, the lights brighter, and her protective apron was getting warmer. “Spike! The door!” She screamed at the top of her lungs. Still, the magic continued. Twilight was beginning to feel very hot now. This was very bad. Too much magic coming out meant… This needed to end before a hole really was all that remained. “FOR THE LOVE OF CELESTIA! SOMEPONY PUT THEIR HOOF ON THAT TRIANGLE BY THE DOOR!” Twilight roared with all the might, and air, that her body could manage. Finally, somepony heard her, and with a flash the beam suddenly stopped blasting out of the portal. The nullify rune had worked! Yet, why did the sound from the energy remain? Twilight had just enough time to say “Oh Dear” when a large explosion of energy burst through the portal with a thunderous crash, tossing her and her friends against the walls of the Anti-Chamber. Afterwards, it was quiet, until a coughing group of seven rose from their places lying on the floor of the room. Twilight rose first, and despite feeling winded, felt somewhat joyful. The chamber had successfully contained the explosion, deleting itself and removing all the rampant magic that had burst from the portal. It was a final fail-safe, and she was glad that it had protected both her friends and the portal from being destroyed. “Is everyone okay?” Twilight looked at her friends, seeing them clearly in the daylight that shone through the window of the small room the chamber had been in. they looked bedraggled, their manes and coats looking like they had been dragged through a hurricane, which, to be fair, had kind of happened. Spike was helping Fluttershy stand, while Rainbow helped Pinkie and the others. With all assured that her friends were safe, Twilight ran to the Render, seeking to find the marks on the paper. She did not know why she did it, but something inside her simply NEEDED to know what had happened, what her answer was. “*cough* Whooeeh! That was a doozy! So, will somepony explain what in the hay just happened!” Apple Jack asked. “Ooh, Twilight! Did you figure out what it was you were looking for?” Pinkie said very quickly, desperately searching for the confetti that she had sworn she brought with her in case of cause for celebration. She had sworn she brought it with her! “Yeah, I sure hope THAT was worth it.” Rainbow Dash said as she pulled off her protective goggles. “What is it Twilight?” Fluttershy asked as she looked at her friend. The other ponies mimicked her, turning to see how the experiment had turned out. Twilight looked back at them, and her expression said it all. *** “This isn’t possible… there was just no way that I could be wrong! My calculations were as exact as exact can be!” “There was no way for you to know that it could turn out that way, darling.” Rarity comforted. The entire group was sitting on the floor of the throne room now. Everyone was trying to comfort Twilight, who was not only baffled, but very visible upset about the failure of her experiment. “That’s not true! I knew that I would be right! That was what all the facts pointed to! This experiment was not even meant to be a problem. I was just clearing some things up before I moved on to the next phase! And now this!” Twilight shouted, though it actually sounded more like a whine than a wail. “Listen here, sugar cube. You were wrong, that can’t be helped. But it was you yourself that said that failure was not the final straw. You can keep trying.” Apple Jack said “Yeah, buck up Twilight!” Rainbow Dash added in. Twilight paused from responding to her friends. It was over, there was no way that she could find an object that would match the same criteria or power of the mirror portal. Her experiment was done, and that made her angry. She was seething! Never in her life had she felt the anger that she did now, despite how irrational it was to feel that anger. In fact, Twilight could not actually comprehend why she was so angry, she just knew that she was. She stood up on her hooves, “I-“ Before Twilight could speak, she was interrupted by Spike, who made a loud burping noise as a little green ball of fire flew from his mouth. The fireball seemed to quiver, and then transformed into a very small scroll with a black ribbon tied around it. Twilight’s anger immediately dissipated, replaced with curiosity. She had never received a letter bound this way, certainly not from Spike. The letter floated over to her, lifted by her magic, and she opened it. She read the contents aloud to her friends, who were just as curious to know as she. “Twilight, there is good news, and bad news. Signed- T.I.M.T.O.O.E” “What could that mean?” Pinkie asked. “I don’t know, I have never seen writing in this hoof before either. What could it mea-“ Once again, Twilight was interrupted by Spike’s delivering of another letter. When she observed the new letter, she found it was bound in the same way as Celestia usually bound her letters. Twilight read aloud. “My dearest Twilight There is little time to explain in this letter. I require you and your friend’s immediate presence in Canterlot to assist with an issue of possible vital importance. I need your assistance with this one. From, Princess Celestia of Equestria” “What could possibly have happened that needs your personal help Twilight?” Rarity asked, just a little bit spooked by the sinister feeling she got from hearing the letter read aloud. “I don’t know, but we are going to find out.”