//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 // Story: Twilight's Star // by AlicornPriest //------------------------------// Though Luna was surely coming as fast as she was able, it felt like an endless eternity Rarity spent there with Twilight's unconscious body. While she waited for her best hope to cure Twilight, she called the rest of their friends to the crystal castle and caught them up on Twilight's predicament. Fluttershy, the dear, immediately set her mind to treating Twilight for shock. The others did their level best to keep calm and scour the library for any hints as to a cure. When Luna eventually alighted, they had finally accepted that no book would hold their remedy. Seeing their downcast looks, she asked, “What seems to be the matter?” “Princess, Twilight is very sick, and getting worse,” said Rarity. “I believe it goes back to the Ursid shower yesterday, when her star disappeared.” “That was Twilight's star?” Luna asked. At Rarity's nod, she frowned. “I'm surprised it's come to this. Regulus assured me there would be no problems.” “Regulus?” Rainbow asked. “That’s the guy up in space, right?” Luna didn't seem to react. “Hmm… It may be nothing, but...” “But what, princess?” asked Applejack. “...Yes, I suppose you will have to.” Luna nodded, then returned to the others. “I believe there may be an imbalance in the stars. If you wish to heal Twilight, you will have to go up there and find it yourselves.” “Whoa, what?!” Rainbow replied. “Why can't you go do it?” “Because I am their commander. They'll hide it from me,” Luna said. “Right...” said Rarity. “But just how are we supposed to go up there?” Luna waved that fear off. “Oh, that is no matter,” she said. “I will teach you. It is a simple Magick, hardly of concern to ponies of your caliber.” She tapped the ground with one hoof, then another, then said, “Open Sesame!” At her words, a small door appeared in front of her. She threw a hoof at it, and it disappeared. “See? Simply desire to go up there, and it will respond.” “Beggin' your pardon, princess but most'f us here an't unicorns,” said Applejack. “We can't perform magic.” “Then perhaps you should be the first to try, hmm?” Applejack, skeptical as ever, stepped up to the plate. She imitated Luna's motions, crying, “Open Ses'me!” just as Luna had. To her shock, it worked like a charm. She opened the odor and marveled at whatever was inside. “Ah thought Rarity said Twilight saw…?” “The stars' domain looks different for whoever enters it,” Luna said. “Twilight sees a clockwork model because that is what she imagines destiny to be like. You see it differently.” “Huh.” Applejack closed the door behind her, saying to the rest of them, “Well, wish me luck!” “Luck,” said Luna, and the door vanished. Next to Rarity, Twilight moaned and shifted her weight. Fluttershy cooed and reapplied the cold pack to her feverish head. Twilight continued to react, and with each sick struggle, Rainbow grimaced and recoiled. Finally, she cried out, “Okay, this is taking too long! I'm going up there to help Applejack!” A tap, tap, and an “Open Sesame!”, and she was gone as well. “Ooh, ooh, wait for me!” said Pinkie. She created her own door and went to play her own part. That left Fluttershy and Rarity. The two of them doted on Twilight until she finally stopped struggling and began to breathe more easily. Luna stood by, a little uncertain, feeling rather out of place. “Fluttershy, darling, perhaps you might like to head in after them?” Rarity asked her. “Oh! Do I... have to?” Fluttershy asked. “What if Twilight--” “I'll take care of Twilight,” Rarity said. “You go.” She made a rather unsubtle head nod towards Luna to accentuate her request. Meekly, Fluttershy did as she asked. Once they were alone, Luna sighed. “Was I really that obvious?” “A little, dear,” Rarity said. She hoped the familiarity wouldn't seem too impertinent. “I'm well-trained in seeing when ponies don't want to admit they're uncomfortable. What's troubling you, Princess?” “It's just... I can't help but feel like this is partially my fault. I was the one who authorized the nova. But it was a routine thing! I didn't know! I was sure--” “No, no. Nopony blames you in the slightest,” said Rarity. “Like you said, you couldn't have known.” “But a reaction this extreme... If I had asked Regulus whose star it was, or why he needed it destroyed--” “Please, Princess, you mustn't worry about such things. I'm sure the others will be back soon, and they'll know just how to help Twilight.” As if on cue, a door opened up, and Applejack stumbled out. “So?” asked Rarity. “Did you find anything? And where are the others?” “It was the strangest thing,” said Applejack. “The stars, they... they had big, long roots that plunged inta the ground. 'N I could see through the ground like glass, 'n all the roots were all tangled up into each other. Each star wuz a tree, in a huge orchard bigger'n a hunnerd Sweet Apple Acres put together.” “Did you see something off-balance?” asked Luna. “One of the roots was dead, perhaps?” “No, nothing like that. Maybe if I'da looked, Ah could find Twi's family all knotted together, but Ah got mighty lost wanderin' about.” The room filled with a spatial roar as another door opened, and Fluttershy came out. She was shivering, like she'd been trapped in a blizzard or around a herd of windigoes. “Fluttershy, dear...?” Rarity asked. “It was awful,” she said slowly, as though any words would increase the pain. “Thousands upon thousands of gravestones, all in rows and rows... They had the pony's lives written on them, everything they ever did, cradle t-t-to grave...” “It's all right, Fluttershy. It's over now. I'm sorry I made you go through that.” If she had seen anything out of place, she would have hardly even noticed it, so traumatized was she. Right then, Rainbow Dash appeared through her own door. Much unlike the other two, she was energetic and excited. “Woo-hoo! What an upset!” “Rainbow! I take it you had some success?” Luna asked. “Oh! I mean, yeah, kinda.” She shrugged and brushed her mane back with a hoof. “My world was a bookie.” “A... bookie? What, pray tell, is a bookie?” Luna asked. “It's a gambling establishment for races. Quite illegal, might I add,” said Rarity, throwing a glare in Rainbow's direction. “Don't look at me! I didn't make the rules for this thing; blame Luna.” Rainbow shook her head. “But that's not the point! So I saw all the stars, and they were racing around the track, and a bunch of weird shadows were betting on who'd win or lose. So I thought I'd make a bet or two, and woo! 38 Boötis got first place on 32:1 odds, beating out Pi-3 Orionis at 2:1 and Eta Pegasi at 6:1!” “What about Twilight's star?” Applejack asked, a bit impatient. “Oh, right. Well, I couldn't remember its name--” “HD 120084,” Rarity said, deadpan. “Right, that, so I just asked for 'Twilight Sparkle's star,' and the bookie said, 'No more bets on that one. It's closed.' Don't know what that means, but it didn't seem like anything was wrong.” Rarity sighed. She hated to admit it, but... “It seems we have no choice but to wait for Pinkie Pie to come tell us what she saw.” And just like that, Pinkie's door opened, and she bounced out to greet the others. “Hey, girls! Guess I was last! Oh well, maybe next time.” She giggled. “What did you see in the stars?” Luna asked. “Stars? I didn't see any stars. Mine was just a big ol' fog. I could put my hoof in the fog, and when it came out, I'd be holding information. I just wasn't sure for who.” “So just... random information? What even is that?” Rainbow asked. “A probability distribution cloud.” All six of them turned to see Twilight standing up. Rarity felt hopeful for the first time today. “Twilight! So you're feeling better, the--” “Electrons do not exist as discrete particles, but as some wave distribution within the probability of their orbital. Within this range, their position is effectively random.” “Ah.” Whatever had gotten Twilight up, it wasn't enough to set her back to normal. “So whatever Pinkie sees destiny as, it turned that 'cloud' into an actual cloud.” “Precisely.” This said, she sighed and fell to her knees, with Rarity propping her up. “She's regressing,” Luna said. “If anything, she's getting worse.” “How can you know for certain?” Rarity asked. Luna only pointed to Twilight's side; there, Rarity discovered that Twilight's cutie mark had vanished! “Is that even possible?” Fluttershy asked. “Cutie marks just can't disappear!” Applejack said. “Stolen, flip-flopped, maybe, but not just gone!” “Possible or no, it currently is, so we must make do,” said Luna. “Truly, we have but one option left.” She turned and stared at Rarity, who had already figured this very same thing herself. “I suppose it's my turn, then, hmm?” Rarity asked. “Indeed. And this time, you shall bring Twilight along with you.” “What? No! Twilight can't go running off on adventures in her condition! She needs to stay here and try to recover!” “But she isn't recovering,” Luna replied. Her tone cut through Rarity like a scalpel. “If there is any hope for her, it is up there, not here. Now go, and find your answers!” “Understood,” said a cowed Rarity. She gathered her friends, then performed Luna's ritual. The door appeared, and the six of them stepped in to search the stars one last time.