Princess Twilight Sparkle takes a sip of tea, places the cup down onto the round table, and smiles at me.
"And that's when I discovered that my friends in the mirror world had discovered the human version of me!"
I sit in Rarity's throne, tilting my head curiously to the side. I raise both pens, twirling them: "What. Do. You. Mean?"
"Well, there's a version of you in that world," Twilight explained. "And a version of Rainbow Dash... Fluttershy... Pinkie Pie and Applejack and Rarity." She stifled a giggle. "Turns out there's a human doppelganger of me and Spike too! Well, not Spike. In that world he's a dog... although suddenly he's capable of speaking." Her eyes narrowed. "Sunset hasn't quite explained that to me..."
"Is. She. Getting. Along. With. Your. Monkey. Friends?"
"Oh, you bet! Although reaching that point wasn't so easy. Heehee." Twilight leans back. "There was a whole kefluffle involving the 'Friendship Games,' an evil principal, and a sudden surge of Equestrian magic. But... turns out everpony—er... everybody's okay! From my last visit, I learned that the mirror world's Twilight Sparkle has transferred over to Canterlot High to be with my human companions! Sunset Shimmer's promised to look after her, helping her become close friends to the girls and the like. She's been writing me all about her new experiences and lessons in friendship. It's really fascinating... not to mention fantastic. Ooh! And from the tone of the last written update, it would almost seem as though Sunset and Twilight have been falling in—" She stops all of the sudden, fidgeting where she sits. "Yes, well..." She leans back, cheeks slightly rosy. "That's neither here nor there... eheh..." She takes another dainty sip of tea.
I smirk, twirling my pens. "Still. Does. Not. Compare. To. A. Crazy. Trip. Through. Time."
"Mmmm..." Twilight puts the cup down again and nods. "No. I suppose not. You may find this hard to believe, but Spike and I bore witness to the births of multiple alternate dimensions. I'm talking about realities where Equestria was at war with Sombra, under domination of Nightmare Moon, or not even existing at all!"
I shivered.
"I know!" Twilight grimaces. "Tell me about it!"
I turn to look at the door to the nearest corridor. I pivot and face the Princess once again. "And. You. Are. Sure. That. You. Can. Trust. Your. New. Apprentice?"
"I prefer to think of Starlight Glimmer as a new friend."
"You. Did. Not. Answer. My. Question."
Twilight leans back with a calm breath. "The answer to your question is 'no.'"
I raise an eyebrow above my shades.
"Which is precisely why she needs to be here, Vinyl," Twilight says. "At the Castle. Under close watch... and nurturing companionship." She takes a deep breath. "Yes, it's a gamble. A risk, even. But I wouldn't be the Princess of Friendship if I didn't take challenges like this with full faith and determination."
I nod.
"Glad to see you understand. Truth is, Vinyl, I've been reevaluating just how I go about this... royal position. I now realize that employing a full staff and hiring an intimidating guard isn't the right way. It makes me look and feel far too aloof and unsympathetic. If I'm to be a competent representative of friendship, then I need to engage any and all scenarios hooves-on."
"Sounds. Very. Risky."
"And it is. But risk hasn't stopped me before. Besides..." She brushes her bangs aside. "Even when the yaks of Yakyakistan rattled their sabers, Pinkie Pie was able to step in and calm the royal prince's temper. You see?" She smiled. "My friends are my greatest resource."
I smile back at her, nodding.
"I only wish I had realized that before. Perhaps then I would have prevented several catastrophes... and misunderstandings. Alas, I hope to fix that. I hope to fix everything. Up until now, I had my doubts. But as I've said before... it looks as though things are coming full-circle... and gloriously so." Her expression goes blank as she leans back with her teacup. She murmurs before taking a sip. "... ... ...I know where she is, Vinyl."
My ears droop. My body jolts in the seat. Leaning forward, I fumble to twirl the pens—
"She's not with her father." Twilight's violet eyes dart up, sharply. The gray sheds from her voice, revealing soft gold and blues underneath. "She's been holed up in Fillydelphia, performing at a local arts venue, surviving on whatever scant fortune she had pulled out of her bank account months ago." She swallows. "And the reason I know this is because I've had her under careful watch for weeks now."
I blink.
"She's being secretly guarded by the best eyes in all of Equestria, I assure you. The moment any harm might befall her—or she attempt anything herself—my agent in the field is charged with intervening on her behalf." She finishes the contents of the teacup and holds it in folded hooves. "But in all things, I've made sure to keep a safe distance... to give her space... just as we gave you."
My heart skips a beat.
"Yes, Vinyl. I had someone tracing you as well... although you were a great deal more elusive. We discovered where you were a great deal later than Octavia... thankfully not too late."
I stare at her, muzzle agape.
"... ... ...you're wondering why I've gone to such lengths?"
I nod breathlessly.
She sighs, ears folded. "Because I should have gone to such lengths before." Her voice turns bluer. "Because I should have looked beyond my own superficial pride and self-importance to realize what was happening under my very nose." Her eyes moisten. "Our two most prized bards... our most fragile friends needed help... needed deliverance... and instead—in my ignorance and pretentious self-righteousness—I shattered all of that. And... and I'm not the only one who has felt that way." Sniffling, the princess gazes aside. "Poor Rarity. I've... never seen her reduced to tears like she was shortly after you both left. Listening to her worries, I started to understand... to imagine the depths to which you and Octavia..." She winces. Her sentence remains unfinished.
I gaze at her. Numb. Amazed.
After a shuddering sigh, Twilight dabs her eyes and mutters, "I knew I had to do something. And yet... you just can't force friendship." She gulps, not looking at me directly. "You can't make wounded hearts patch themselves back up. For a while there, I was afraid... mortified that our chance to help you two had come and gone. That any attempt we made to go out there in the field and reach out to the two of you would utterly wreck any chance of natural recovery. But that's when I realized something."
She looks at me, eyes teary. Nevertheless, she smiles.
"I may be the Princess of Friendship... but that doesn't automatically make me the best friend there is in this world."
I cock my head curiously to the side.
"I lost sleep over you, Vinyl." She leans forward in her throne. "I feared the worst might befall you. And when we finally discovered where you were after an agent spotted you at Simon Neighs' venue... I started to realize just how low you had sunk. And..." She shudders, grimacing. A tear trickles loose, but she fights through it. "...and you can't imagine the joy... the elation I later felt realizing that... that somehow you had emerged victorious. And... and it confirmed this deep, secret faith I had... that one of you two would discover your strength... and a solution." She smiles, rubbing her cheek dry. "And you've found it, Vinyl? Haven't you? You've discovered that cure..."
With a deep breath, I gesture. "I. Have. Created. Something."
She gulps. "A creation? Or a reinvention?"
I look at her. I smile.
She smiles back. With a shudder, she rubs her cheek again and leans back in her throne. "As I said before. Mmmmm... all this time I could have intervened before. But... but I held back." She narrows her gaze on me. "Because... because one of you need to do it." She gulps. "One of you needs to save the other... don't you?"
Slowly... I nod.
"And as the Princess of Friendship..." Her lavender lips curve. "...you have my every royal resource at your disposal." A sigh. "All these months, I've waited for this moment." A blink. "Are you ready, Vinyl? Are you ready to bring Octavia back?"
I stand up. I bow. I twirl the pens.
"Funny. You. Should. Ask. Your. Highness."
She arches an eyebrow. Curious.
My teeth glint beneath my grin.
"I. Have. A. Plan."