//------------------------------// // 7 - Artificial Sweetener // Story: Takes The Cake // by sunnypack //------------------------------// Chapter 7: Artificial Sweetener One day, after a particularly stressful morning, Celestia came upon a strange-coloured rock. What intrigued her about this rock was the fact that the Canterlot Gardens were a very well-kept affair and the rock had been laid out on the path, seemingly oblivious to the fact that it was seated on the main thoroughfare for ponies wandering the premises of the Gardens. The rock was opaque and seemed to be made of common quartz and mica, with shades of malachite green veining its surface. Though Celestia wouldn’t usually pay attention to a mysterious rock in the Gardens, she was inexplicably compelled to pick it up and set it in her chambers. Celestia had never gotten around to throwing it out, and over the years, it lay dormant among the many esoteric items that lined her bedroom shelves. When ponies commented on the rock, Celestia would smile and tell them it was just a rock. For some reason, nopony believed her. A great and powerful being as Celestia surely didn’t keep such trivialities among her collection of mysterious and powerful artefacts, they reasoned. Surely the rock had some strange power. Celestia often let the subject drop after that; ponies seemed more adamant to their beliefs when she denied them. The more she tried to convince them it was a simple rock, the more her confidants would claim to be conversant in the ‘fact’ that it was anything but. Eventually, she told them it was a mysterious rock with unknown properties, and she was safeguarding it until such time she could find out its arcane properties. From time to time, Celestia would would catch sight of the stone and smile. Then again, perhaps the rock did have some strange power after all? ————— When Celestia came to, she kept her eyes closed, listening to the hushed voices whispering urgently nearby. “Well that settles it.” Celestia recognised it was Twilight’s voice. “It’s definitely her.” “Hmm, I doth find it hard to argue against it.” “It’s a little off, though. As if she’s…” “What?” “Different. Changed. It’s subtle, almost like a friend you haven’t seen in years and it takes you a moment to recognise their face.” “I see what thou means.” A pause. “Mayhap it is your imagination? It hath been a long time.” Celestia heard the shuffle of hooves on tiled floor as Twilight paced, as she wont to do when she was pondering a conundrum. “Hmm, yes.” A frustrated groan. “Well I can’t think of a better explanation so it’s probably nothing. Do you think it might have something to do with… you know that?” Celestia froze, then remembered to keep breathing. “Not even a scrap of information and suddenly she’s here acting like nothing had happened?” “Conceivably so,” Luna replied with a tired sigh. “But now we hath little opportunity to discuss it. Time to hasten back to the castle.” There was a dry chuckle. “Mayhap this castle will be reused once again after so long.” There was the shuffle of hooves and the sound of the door creaking open. “Fare thee well, Twilight, please keep vigil over mine sister.” “I will, Princess,” Twilight replied. After the door shut with a click, Celestia cautiously relaxed, listening to the regular sound of her breathing. After a pause, Twilight spoke in the silence. “I know you’re awake, Princess.” Celestia cracked open her eyes, then blinked a couple of times with a rueful grin. “I suppose I can’t fool everypony.” She felt a pique of curiosity. “How long, and how could you tell?” Twilight smiled. “Only during the second half of the conversation. I noticed that your breathing had changed, and that you twitched slightly when we were talking.” Her smile withered away. “A year ago, I probably wouldn’t have noticed, but since then I’ve become a lot more observant.” Celestia pulled the sheets around her and settled into a seated position. Twilight quickly offered a hoof, but Celestia shook her head gently with a smile. “You sound surprised that I’m speaking to you,” Celestia commented. Twilight twitched, looking away with a blush. “Yes, well, after a year, it’s so strange watching you sleep… Not that I do that! I mean I did, b-but that was medically related—” Celestia held up a hoof, stemming Twilight’s words. Twilight’s propensity to adorably relay some of the most awkward dialogue in the known universe cheered her up to no end. “I know what you mean,” she whispered with a teasing smile. The smile faded away as Celestia considered the ali–unicorn. “There seems to be more than meets the eye here.” Twilight ran a hoof along the bedding and sheets, her embarrassment fading away as she marshalled her thoughts. “Do you remember anything? Would you like to tell us anything? I-I mean it’s fine if you don’t want to talk about it…” Twilight trailed off, her face a mask of concern and trepidation. “We just—” Twilight’s voice cracked with emotion. Celestia gave Twilight a reassuring look. “Don’t worry, my dear student, everything will be alright.” Twilight nodded, tears welling. “Thank you,” she said with sincere feeling. “Thank you for coming back.” Celestia hid her bewilderment behind a mask of benign warmth. A tentative hoof reached out and delicately ran down the length of Twilight's mane. As she felt the many variegated strands of Twilight’s mane, she could no longer dismiss the reality that Twilight was Twilight. That this unicorn was most definitely the pony she remembered. “I won’t leave,” she murmured soothingly. “I am here, for now.” Celestia continued to stroke Twilight’s mane until her sobs had abated. After a few minutes, Twilight wiped away her tears and settled down. The unicorn flushed red, mortified that she had broken down so completely in front of Celestia. For her part, Celestia could sympathise with Twilight. If Twilight had gone missing for so long she would have felt just as pained. It would have been agony not knowing whether she had lived or died. As Twilight gathered herself, Celestia became acutely aware of something. From the looks of things, this was the infirmary of Canterlot Castle, but there was something off about it. Then it suddenly came to her. Like the rest of the castle, it was eerily quiet. Even at the slowest of times, Canterlot Castle’s infirmary was occupied by one or two souls. A couple of patients, or at least one or two staff on roster that drifted around, checking the equipment, or filling out orders on clipboards. The silence was stifling. She caught the sound of shifting and returned her gaze to Twilight. Her face was crinkled in that recognisable expression when she was debating something profound. “Excuse me, Princess,” Twilight said, getting up in a sudden movement. Twilight’s face was a mask of internal struggle. Celestia held back her questions. Twilight would decide if she would tell her something important. And she had decided that Twilight was Twilight, she could trust her student, no matter how different she seemed, physical form or not. ————— Twilight wandered to the other side of the infirmary, looking out one of the windows on the opposite side of the room. The window overlooked the part of the city that housed the markets and the shops. No doubt at this hour, ponies were conducting their business and carrying on with their lives. They were probably gossiping about the return of the Princess, but Twilight was convinced that they needed more time before anything was made more public, or official. She had to get the facts straight. She didn’t need to look back to know that Celestia was still following her with those eyes. Those familiar, but different eyes. Taking a deep breath, Twilight turned around and gave her former mentor a wide smile. The alicorn sat in her bed, wearing a mask of concern. Though she suspected that there was something different about Princess Celestia, the way she talked, the way she moved, the way she spoke… all of it was familiar to Twilight. The image of Celestia was firmly fixed in her head. This pony was undoubtedly the ruler she remembered. Her physical form… her mannerisms…. But her eyes! They reflected something more. Did it change her? Is she now not who she was? Testing was in order. Twilight stepped closer to the bed, moving in a way that seemed to alert Celestia to her intention. Not that Twilight had been particularly focused on hiding her objective, but she marvelled at how Celestia was able to simply recognise her intent simply by the way she moved. Only somepony with a depth of familiarity on par with her kin could recognise this. Still, the conflict was there, it had to be resolved. She had to tell Celestia what happened and compare the contradictions. “Princess?” Celestia’s gaze snapped to Twilight’s. “Yes?” Twilight grew concerned. She bit her lip, studying Celestia in a way that felt equal parts analytical as compassionate. She didn’t mean to, but she couldn’t help it. There was something bothering her about the Princess. Something nagging at her at the back of her mind. “I’m worried about you,” she said. “You don’t seem… yourself.” Decision crystallised in Twilight’s hardening eyes. Twilight took another deep breath. “Princess. We have to talk about the day you disappeared.” Twilight paused. “The day everything went wrong.” ————— Celestia subconsciously tensed. This was something that Twilight and Luna had been keeping from her. What was the secret? Why had she disappeared? Where had Twilight’s wings gone? Answers would be had. Twilight’s eyebrows knitted together. She pulled up a nearby stood and carefully sat down. Evidently, this would take some time. Nervously, the unicorn smoothed the bedsheets at the edge of Celestia’s mattress. Celestia didn’t rush her, though her curiosity intensified with every passing moment. Twilight cleared her throat. “It started with a small perturbation we detected in the west.” Twilight frowned, her voice falling flat as she recited facts and figures from her memory. With a prickling sensation, Celestia recognised the report-tone that Twilight had adopted. She thought she had dispelled that when Twilight headed off to Ponyville. “It was soon after you vanquished Nightmare Moon for the second time.” At this Twilight paused, searching Celestia’s eyes. Celestia resisted the urge to break contact. She simply nodded. Was Twilight trying to gauge if she could remember this fantastical revelation? Vanquished Nightmare Moon for the second time? Impossible. It was Twilight and her friends that had done so with the Elements. If so, to what purpose? She had already told her of the circumstances relating to her arrival… Twilight continued, rubbing the tip of her hoof idly against the side of her bed as she recounted the events. “Ponies from Las Pegasus reported sightings of strange lights and an unidentifiable substance gathering along the coast.” Twilight swallowed. “We didn’t know what to make of it.” “At first, Luna ordered the cleanup as you took care of a dragon that nestled nearby. I did some research, but it yielded nothing more than a location situated almost halfway across the world.” Twilight sighed despondently. “I didn’t recognise any of the geography, but you seemed very intent. You declared that you would go investigate the disturbance on your own.” Celestia frowned. That didn’t sound like something she would do. Going alone was foolhardy and risky in the extreme. She never left anywhere without a contingent of guards. “Why alone?” Celestia queried. “Did I not take anypony?” Twilight shook her head and shrugged helplessly. “Nopony knew what to say. You had that kind of effect on everypony. Your decisions were direct and brooked no argument. Of course, some protested, but you quickly convinced them it was the right thing to do. You were always one to take charge and face the danger.” Twilight smiled. “Though fierce as you were reported to be in combat, you always had that inner radiance. A Princess that was a proud protector of Equestria’s citizens.” Fierce? Combat? The terms seemed so divorced from her regular temperament that Celestia had trouble reconciling the words in her mind. But wait, Twilight said she just up and left… “I just left this—my kingdom… behind?” Again Twilight shrugged. “You were always travelling. Sometimes you would leave for a couple of weeks to solve some problem, but eventually you be back.” “What of the kingdom? Who governs while I’m away?” Twilight blushed. “Well I would take care of the administration duties, like you trained me to. Luna would have the authority to enforce things.” Twilight made that self-deprecating shrug once more. “I’ve always considered it an honour that you would give me such a high responsibility. Some had told me it was irresponsible of you, but I know better, you trusted me to handle things in lieu of your absence.” Twilight’s cheeks flushed with pride. “I couldn’t ask for a more rewarding job.” Celestia could no longer hide the shock. At first, she thought that the sequence of events she relayed had to be some sort of test, a diversion. As Twilight recounted the events, it became clear that Twilight was telling the truth… or that she truly believed what she was saying. If what she said was true, then this place was not just a different time, but a different world. And everything about this world was different. From her actions, to Twilight, to even world-changing events. This was like some alternate timeline. A world in which I had disappeared and made different decisions. “Princess?” Celestia’s eyes widened. Benny had taken her through a portal that ended up in a different world. A different reality. Conceivably, he had left her here, against her wishes. Why though? It seemed completely out of character for Benny. One thing was for sure though, if she wanted to get back she’d have to find him. And she would also get some answers. Celestia turned to Twilight. A Twilight from another world. Could she trust Twilight? She tried to rationalise the pros and cons of trusting Twilight, then she stopped herself and almost laughed. Trust wasn’t something reasoned, it was an impulsive feeling. Besides, she had made up her mind long ago, why did she hesitate now? “Twilight, do you trust me?” Celestia asked. Her answer was immediate. “Of course, Princess.” Celestia closed her eyes, feeling her heart pound and her muscles tensing. She took a deep breath, then consciously relaxed herself, opening her eyes again. Twilight saw the action, but before she could voice her concerns, Celestia continued. “Listen to what I’m about to tell you. This will sound crazy at first, but you must believe me.” ————— When Celestia finished, she looked up. “Twilight, you are in danger of swallowing an overly-curious insect,” Celestia remarked humorously. With a belated snap, Twilight shut her jaw. “But, that doesn’t make sense.” Twilight got up. She shook her head. “It doesn’t add up.” “What doesn’t add up?” Celestia asked gently. “Just the mechanics of it. A creature called a ‘human’ somehow transported you to an alternate timeline? Twilight bit her lip. “I’m trying to believe you, but I can’t.” She shook her head sadly. “I’m sorry, Princess.” Twilight cringed, as if she was expecting a sharp reprimand. Celestia nodded, but heaved a sigh. She felt a small sting of disappointment, but that soon faded. She couldn’t expect Twilight to place that much faith in that explanation without some shred of evidence… but it would have been nice. “Don’t be,” Celestia said. “We just have to find that shop and then I can prove it to you.” Twilight looked skeptical, but she visibly repressed it, and finally nodded acquiescence. “Okay, Princess, but might I suggest something?” Celestia inclined her head. Twilight gestured to the pillow. “Please get some rest. There’s much to do, but a night’s rest won’t hurt, right?” Celestia nodded, seeing the logic in that statement. “Okay, one night.” ————— As Twilight exited the room, Celestia cast her mind back, trying to compare the differences between her universe’s Twilight and this one’s. She had trouble imagining Twilight without her wings. Celestia had found that she had inadvertently reverted to speaking to her as a mentor to her student, rather than as equals, from one princess to another. She guessed that the image of Twilight as a unicorn—and as her student—was too strong to disassociate. Celestia sighed. Despite reasoning that the reality that she currently inhabited was definitely not her own, she still had doubts about motivations. What did Benny have to gain by placing her here? Why this universe? “Psst.” Celestia whipped her head around, trying to find the source of the noise. “Psst.” Celestia peered into the shadows, her eyes trying to resolve the indistinct shape sticking around a supporting column. She narrowed her eyes. The shape looked awfully familiar...  A shadow detached itself from the stonework. “Hello again!” It was Benny. ——————— With a rush, Celestia clambered out of her bed and scrambled towards the human. “You!” she hissed. She quickly sifted through her mental library of spells, her horn glowing in sympathy. She tossed between Convoluted Vortex or Ravaging Inferno. Celestia glared at Benny, striding forward with purposeful steps. Depending on his answer, she decided, it could be both. Benny seemed unfazed but her glowering demeanour. If anything, he seemed happier than ever. “Perfect!” he exclaimed, clapping his hands together. “Very nice.” Celestia tensed as Benny drew out something from behind himself. Her horn glowed in ready warning. He carried a small package... and her jaw dropped. “You forgot this,” Benny said, placing the box of tiramisu at her hooves. He rubbed his neck in embarrassment. “Even though it was your choice, I feel like this is the best way to make an apology.” “Apology?!” Celestia snapped at him. She took a deep breath and reined in her temper a little. It wouldn’t do for a Princess to lose her head. “Also my choice? I chose to stay with Equestria.” Benny nodded. “That you did.” He mumbled something indistinguishable and flicked his hand in dismissal. With a sigh, he leaned against the pillar. “I’m sorry, I knew we shouldn’t have met so soon, but I was getting antsy with waiting.” Celestia pursed her lips. Not only was Benny being confusing, he was clearly hiding something that he knew about this whole debacle. Never mind his attitude, she had to get back to her own universe. “You have a lot of explaining to do!” she growled in a dangerously low voice. “I don’t know where I am, or how to get back. As far as I’m concerned, you were the one who left me here. Take me back to where I belong!” Benny had that strange look again, the same sort of faraway gaze he held when they visited that strange café on a distant world. His eyes snapped back to hers. “Who is to say that this isn’t the place you belong?” he finally answered. Celestia gaped at the audacity of his reply. “I do!” she shot back. “A whole nation needs me! I have my duties.” Again the human drifted off, and that action made Celestia more furious than if he was actively antagonising her. How could he be so callous? It was like talking to a whole different being. Nothing like the human she had met less than a day ago. Benny finally seemed to notice her souring mood. He held up placating hands. “I understand, Celestia, but—” Celestia wouldn’t have any of it. “Understand? What do you know of duties? Of responsibility? How can you know what it’s like to have countless lives depend on you? I’ll make this clear. Take. Me. Back.” Surprisingly, that seemed to hit a nerve. The human recoiled as if she had physically struck him. “Responsibility? Duty? Do you?” Benny snarled back. No longer was there a pleasant tone to his reply. It was as if he stripped back a cloak of polite respect, to reveal an uglier entity underneath. “Look around! Time has moved on without you! You’re an old relic! No one needs you now! An empty castle, a vacant throne, a paper princess!” In the ensuing silence, Benny covered his mouth quickly, as if he could snatch back those words. He cringed, as if he regretted it. Whether it be the tone or the words, Celestia wasn’t sure… but they both cut her deeply. For several long moments she glared at the floor, unable to meet his eyes. She wanted to scream. She wanted to rail at him. She wanted to tell the foolish creature that he knew nothing. Nothing of her and her unfathomable existence. Instead, the princess stayed silent. First, she had to get ahold of her emotions. It was Benny who broke the silence first. “I’m sorry,” he said. “That came out wrong.” Celestia glanced up as Benny wiped a hand across his face. “I-I need to go,” he continued. “And I shouldn’t have come in the first place.” He turned around as if to leave. Celestia stepped forward, wanting to check his retreat. “Stop! I—” she commanded. He was not going to leave just like that. But as he stepped behind the pillar, he disappeared, with only the shadow of the pillar behind to mock her. Her eyes raked the room, as if doing so would suddenly reveal him. When there was neither hide nor hair of him that she could find, Celestia let out a very small, controlled, strangled, scream. The furious alicorn searched a little longer, but it became evident that he was no longer there. Intuitively, she knew he was gone, but the action of searching for him was more to let off some steam, rather than a productive means to an end. Throughout the time she spent fruitlessly combing the room, aggrieved thoughts percolated within her mind. That infuriating human had left me again! And, How dare he presume those things?! Eventually, slowly, she slumped to the floor. Her thoughts felt sluggish, and her heart felt torn. Much as she wanted to deny his hurtful words, some held a sliver of truth. In this land, where even she had taken a more active role in its destiny, her little ponies had managed to move on without her governance. Was she an accessory? Was she just a convenience to the throne? She shook her head in savage denial. No, she couldn’t be. Benny was trying to get into her head, trying to maliciously twist her thoughts. The human had made his intentions clear. He was not her friend. He was not to be trusted. Somehow, she would have to find her own way back. She would have to use everything at her disposal. Her magic, this universe’s inhabitants and most importantly her mind. But even as she formulated a plan to make use of the situation, she was troubled with the ease Benny had displayed in unsettling her. Though ultimately unsuccessful, Benny didn’t seem like he had intentionally done so… Perhaps he had a reason? No. Her own intentions had been clear from the start. She had explicitly told him that she was to return to Equestria. That she had her duties. He had no right to bring her here. What he did transgressed the bounds of their tentative friendship. He had a chance to explain himself, and instead he had attacked her, driving a rare shard of pain into what she thought was an iron heart. Celestia picked herself up, eventually settling herself into the soft sheets of the infirmary’s bed. Though she wished mightily to act on her impulses. To go out and find Benny and possibly strangle the means to get back out of him, she knew that the time was better spent in tackling it in the day. This universe's Twilight and Luna might even help her, she was sure of it. Slowly, she closed her eyes, for once permitting herself a moment of weakness before she would harden her resolve. Fractured images of her beloved Canterlot flashed through her mind. But it was not the buildings or the landscape that she recalled. Images of dedicated staff, nostalgic memories of her friends… family. Ponies that relied on her, ponies that would miss her if she suddenly disappeared. Celestia could only remember a hooful of times that she had shed tears. A moment of weakness, she told herself. One moment before I face the morning. Before I succumbed to sleep. It was worth noting that there were not many that could disturb a mind such as hers. To do so they would require an experience of some equivalence to hers. That was impossible, though. Hers was a mind made unique. A mind almost as ancient as the city she dreamt of.