She was in the very room in which she had stayed the week with Trixie, where they had proven their love so many times, only now it was only her, and against one wall a giant, single mirror in which she was reflected. She looked around, felt the bed with the tip of her fingers, her heart aching against the memories. When she heard the voice, she turned around and stared at the mirror - at herself, actually, and her glistening eyes.
"Thank you for coming, Princess Twilight."
"Why am I here?"
"As we agreed, I have an audience with you."
"But why here? Why this hotel room?"
"Is it not to your liking? I can change it if that is your wish."
Twilight looked around; this was where she had been the happiest, but now, with Trixie gone, it was incredibly painful. She closed her eyes for a bit longer than a standard blink. "No. No, this is fine." She walked toward the mirror, trying to see through it. "Why do you want an audience."
"Because we are here to help you help yourselves."
Twilight cocked her head, shifted her weight to her right leg. "Come again?"
"For the longest time, Princess Twilight, you have existed in solitude in the universe, left to your own devices. You've enjoyed the freedom and loneliness of such existence, although it is clear to us that you may not be ready for such contact as we have forced onto you."
"Then why did you do it?"
"Because, Princess Twilight, your days of isolation are coming to an end. We have come to help you to the next step - don't worry, it will be revealed at the appropriate time --"
"Of course," muttered Twilight sarcastically.
"--but beings from the stars are inching closer and closer to your precious planet. We were forced to interact and reveal ourselves to you Equestrians, so that you may be ready for what will come next."
"What will come next?"
"It will be revealed in time."
"Was it really between me and an elderly blind mare in Vanhoover?"
"That was a partial truth; it was between you, her, and a Changeling queen."
"A Changeling queen!"
"Yes."
Twilight stomped her hoof on the ground, turning around. She suddenly felt very angry. "Chrysalis! We defeated her! Ah, this is my fault, I let her out!"
"Princess Twilight, now is not the time for such behavior. What I am about to tell you is very important." Twilight looked at the mirror, Karellen continued: "What is to come is to be very trying not only for your species, but for all species. If you are to deal with it appropriately, you must learn to live together. In true harmony."
"I assure you, as the Princess of Friendship, we do live in --"
"The reaction I just saw was not harmony, but hatred, Princess Twilight. Such things are in the past now. They cannot be allowed to persist in the future."
Karellen is right, Twilight thought to herself. Hating a being, whatever being, even Chrysalis, was below her, and yet she had rationalized it and accepted it as normal. She felt ashamed. She sat down on one of the chairs closest to the mirror.
"Do not feel ashamed," Karellen said. "Before, you did not know any better. But now, now you can be a beacon to all species, all races in Equestria. You can show them how to coexist."
"How - How do we coexist with things like Changelings?"
"No beings are so dissimilar on this planet as to be alien to each other, Princess Twilight. You have evolved in such a way that you depend on one another; your removal from the natural order, the walls which your species erected between you and others, has driven them to desperation."
"Evolution? What are you talking about, Karellen?"
"The idea you've long thought of yourself, you and Fluttershy both. You each suspect it, and each of you is right, in your own way. It is the same on each planet we've visited. And you must reveal it to all Equetrians, as well."
"They will not accept it. Half of them still think that Celestia and Luna move the moon and sun!"
"They will have to, Princess Twilight. You must show them, or what is to come will be most unpleasant."
"Why don't you tell them, Karellen? You do it."
"It is not yet time to reveal myself. Our travels have demonstrated that our appearance can cause distress in those we intend to help."
"Do you look like us?"
"No." There was a pause, and then "we do not look like you. Even with all of the diversity on your planet, we are nothing you could have imagined."
Twilight sighed. She wasn't getting anywhere. "What am I supposed to do, Karellen? I feel like you haven't given me very much to go on."
There was silence from the mirror. Twilight stood up, walked to the mirror, cupped her hands and perked her ears and pushed her face against the glance, trying to see through what must have been a two-way mirror, but couldn't see anything but her eye staring back at her. She eased herself back, her hands still on the mirror. Head lowered, ears flat against her head, she closed her eyes and took deep breaths.
"Baby, don't be frustrated." Twilight spun around, and saw in the middle of the room, Trixie, naked as she had been most of the week they had been here. She looked at her with her eyes, not blinking; she took a step toward Twilight. "Trixie knows how much Twilight hates not knowing things. But Trixie wants Twilight to know that is alright. For now, it is alright." Twilight didn't know what to do as Trixie stepped toward her. She was relieved and happy to see Trixie, whom she had dearly missed since she left, but there was no way she could be here now. No way. Then Trixie was right in front of her, and Twilight could feel the light ventilation of her breath, and could feel the warmth of her fingers as she caressed Twilight's face and neck. Trixie leaned in and kissed her lips, her taste familiar and welcome and delicious to Twilight. She broke the kiss and looked Trixie in the eye.
"How can you be here?"
"Here, everything is possible, Twilight."
"But you can't be --" Twilight began to choke on her words. "You can't be, Trixie. You're... you're dead."
"Trixie is dead, yes." She cupped Twilight's face in her hands, touched the tip of her horn against Twilight's. "Trixie is here with you, nonetheless."
"Are you a ghost?"
"Does beautiful Twilight believe in the impossible now?"
"No, Trixie. What - what are you?"
"Should Trixie leave? Does Twilight not want the Great and Alluring Trixie in her presence?"
Hearing Trixie talk was a terrible thing for Twilight, who both abhorred and loved what was before her. She wanted to talk, but she could not.
"It's alright if Twilight has moved on. Trixie understands. Trixie is only a memory now, Twilight. Karellen will speak through Trixie if you cannot understand what he says to you." A tear fell down Twilight's cheek. "Twilight, you must do what Karellen asks. You must tell them to love on another and come together before the bad things happen. You must, Twilight."
"But he told me so little," Twilight gasped through half-prevented sobs. "I don't know what I'm supposed to do. I don't even know if I believe him."
"Karellen chose Twilight. Karellen knows you will do the right thing. Trixie knows you will do the right thing as well. Trixie always knew you would do the right thing."
"Yes." Twilight opened her eyes, looked Trixie in the eyes. "Don't leave me, Trixie. Please stay."
"Trixie can only exist in this room."
"Then I wont' leave."
"Twilight must leave."
"They lay with me." She looked pitifully toward the bed, moving from Trixies grasp and moving toward the bed. She went to grab Trixie's hand, but missed and then turned around to grab Trixie. She was met only with her own reflection. "Trixie? Trixie!"
"I'm sorry, Princess Twilght." Karellen's voice rang from the room. "But she cannot stay any longer today. Will you do what I have asked of you? Will you speak for the Overlords?"
"T-the Overlords?" Twilight sniffed, rubbed snot from her muzzle, the sobs coming more freely now.
"Yes. It is not the title I would have preferred for ourselves, but it is what we have been labelled on many planets by very angry people who resist the way of peace and prosperity."
"If I do what you ask - i-if I speak for you, will I see Trixie again?"
"If that is your wish, Princess Twilight, it can be arranged."
"Then yes. I will speak for you." Twilight's hands clenched at her sides. "I will tell them. I will show them the way."
"I hope you can trust me the way I trust you" was all Twilight heard before a bluish-white light overtook her again.
Twilight found herself in her throne room, staring at the map, when the door burst open and her friends came running into the hall. Hoofs fell heavy as Starlight threw herself at Twilight. "Oh, thank Celestia," she cried out, "I thought we'd lost you."
"What happened?" Rainbow asked.
"We had our meeting. Karellen, he wants me to speak on his behalf to all Equestrians, to bring unity and harmony to us all."
Rarity sighed. "We already have unity and harmony, darling."
"No, not like what he wants." Twilight sighed as Starlight released her grip, standing anxiously just as the others did around Twilight Sparkle. "He means for all Equestians, all species and all races. Even species like the Changelings."
"EEW! GROSS!" Pinkie said.
"Ah don't think we can ever coexist with Changelings," Applejack said.
"We'll have to, AJ," Twilight looked at her orange mare. "We have to, or we might not make it to what comes."
"Say what now?"
"Karellen said that something is coming. I'll explain it all later, but I have to make an announcement."
"To who?" Spike said.
"To everyone. But first... I need to send a message to Princess Celestia, Spike."
Princess Celestia brushed the hair from her face as she sat across the table from Twilight Sparkle. Her sister, Luna, sat beside her, in equal awe of the news. Which is quite good for Luna, Celestia thought, considering she usually played with her generous bust during meetings. Celestia leaned forward, shifting her position in her chair. "Can you say that again, please, Twilight."
"Karellen wishes to speak through me. He also wishes me to spread harmony throughout Equestria."
Luna spoke, "but Equestria already has harmony. We even have elements for them."
"Luna, I think Karellen meant to even our enemies, even those we are currently at war with."
Luna looked at her sister, who shrugged.
"I know it's hard to believe, but Chrysalis is still out there, and I narrowly beat her out for Karellen's chosen representative."
"Aha! I knew it!"
Celestia looked at her sister. "Knew what, dear Luna?"
"They do not come in peace!"
Celestia let a small smile cross her muzzle. "Ah, but Luna, did you not suggest that perhaps they came to us in peace?"
Luna blushed; it was barely noticeable to Twilight, but to Celestia her sister may have been on fire. "Sister! Do not embarrass us in front of Princess Twilight!" Her voice was sharp with embarrassment and dismay. "We merely suggested it to you, if you would be so kind as to remember things correctly!" Silence. Luna swept hair out of face. She's really quite adorable when she gets like this, Celestia thought.
"He comes in peace, Princess Luna." Twilight said.
"How do you know?" Celestia asked.
"I-I.... I just know, Princess Celestia."
"Perhaps he showed her something, sister." Luna leaned slightly towards Celestia. "Did he show you something?"
"Yes - No. No he didn't."
"It is not proper to lie to the Princess of the Night, you know."
"Twilight. What did he show you? What did you see?"
"It's not important," Twilight said, and Celestia knew exactly what she meant. "All I know is, he warned us of something. He's trying to help us, Princesses. He does not mean harm." Twilight paused. "Princesses, if he truly meant us harm, why would he seek to align us together? Would that not simply make us a more powerful target?"
Luna looked to her sister, who said only "that would seem to be a valid point, Twilight. If he is telling us the truth, then what would we be united for? Or against?"
"I don't know, Princess. He said we would be informed at the proper time. He said our.... our 'isolation' was coming to an end."
"Isolation? What of it?"
"Princess Luna, he said that things were coming, things from the stars."
"Is that where he comes from, then? My stars?"
"Luna, we both know you don't actually control the stars. It's quite possible he indeed came from them but at any rate, he never said."
"Perhaps he is lying."
"He said to tell.... to tell the world that we evolved."
"That we what?"
"That we evolved, Princess Luna. Came from a lower order of life. It's something that, well, that me and Fluttershy have been thinking up through our research. It's really quite fascinating and beautiful, Princess."
"What a grotesque falsehood!"
"Luna!" Celestia spoke, having been quiet for some time. "It is neither grotesque nor a falsehood, as uncomfortable it may be. I came across it myself once, and it is true, so very nearly as I can tell."
"Sister, why did you not tell me."
"Because I have no interest in telling the people, Luna. Twilight, he told you you must tell all of this idea?"
"Yes."
"But Princess Twilight, half of the population thinks my sister raises the sun."
"I know, Princess Luna; but Karellen was very insistent that they must know."