The doors to the map chamber opened.
Twilight was shocked to see a familiar pony sitting in the seat marked by Fluttershy’s cutie mark adjusting something in her mane, the very same pony she was just telling Spike - who was somewhere else busy putting the luggage away - she thought she saw earlier that day.
"Starlight Glimmer!"
Starlight gave the smuggest look. "Welcome home Twilight," she said back with a sneer while picking up a scroll from under the table, "Enjoy your last precious moments in it!"
"What are you planning? What's this all about?" {Why don't i have any guards?}
"Oh you know, the usual. Just walking into your home, taking away everything from you, and forgetting about you. HEY, kinda like you did to me! Funny how that works..."
"Im sorry about what happened in that village, but you have to understand what you were doing to those ponies wasn't right! You lied to everypony to give up their cutie marks and be your friend! That's not what real friendship is about. We couldn't just leave and forget ever seeing that." Twilight tried to reason with her, but Starlight wouldn't have it.
"We were all perfectly content to keep living our humble lives in our little village until you came and ruined everything. And you think that just because you're the "Princess Of Friendship" everypony has to conform to being friends the way you think they should? " She yelled back.
"That's not what i meant at all!"
"Well it doesn't matter what you meant! What matters is what you did, and what I’m going to do to you! I WILL have everything I want. And right now, I’m wanting some revenge. Using this scroll, I'll get rid of your friendships and have my revenge!" Starlight began to cackle while waving the scroll in front of her.
"Oh no you don't!" Twilight instantly called on her magic and zapped the scroll in front of Starlight to destroy it.
BIG mistake.
Instead of the magic blasting the scroll to bits, most of kind of just bounced away or was neutralized; but having given direct contact to the scroll through her magic, her essence was now imprinted on it's memory along with Starlight's, a small mark appeared on it showing her connection to it.
"Hahahah sigh, so predictable, twilight." Starlight laughed.
Twilight tried again, only this time she aimed for Starlight hopping to knock her out and stop this before it got out of hand, but to her surprise Starlight deflected the blast with her own magic with ease.
"Par for the course," Starlight said amusingly. It was then that Twilight noticed something a little different about Starlight, her mane wasn't just tied back at the top but at the bottom as well in more of a ponytail fashion, with what appear to be amulets...magic enhancing amulets just like the Alicorn amulet!
"Like them? I always have a backup plan, my magic was already stronger than most other pony's, and with these magic enhancing amulets, I'll easily be able to keep up with anything you throw at me," She said with another smirk.
"What happened to my magic!? Why wasn't the scroll destroyed?"
"Oh did i forget to mention? This is a type of scroll and spell designed by Star Swirl, it's not so easy to destroy it with magic, and once somepony comes into direct contact with the scroll it will remember them, and will call to them when it's activated, speaking of which..."
Starlight used her knowledge of the enchantment to activate the power of the scroll, it began to cause whirls in the room as it ascended. "This scroll will connect to another dimension, and it will send us to it, it's identical to our own world though don't worry, I'm not a monster, I've just made a tiny little adjustment."
Twilight watched as the scroll first projected a three dimensional landscape view of a land that was mostly identical to the current Equestria, a somewhat darker Equestria she noted, but the majority of the layout and the landmarks looked familiar.
"In the world we're going to, that precious "Sonic Rainboom" that gave you and all your friends their cutie marks never happened! Meaning that you will have never become friends! Oh i can't wait to see your face when none of your friends even recognize it! Hahhahahha!" Then Starlight triggered the final activation of the scroll.
"What?! No you can't do this this is crazy! Starlight please listen to reason, I can see that you're really hurting, i can help! I can help you make new friends!" Twilight tried again to persuade her.
"Pfft, like i would ever want your help making new friends, you're my enemy, and now I'll show you what happens when you cross me." Starlight spat.
"You don't have to do this!" Twilight pleaded.
"I already have and there's no stopping it now! See you on the other side Twilight Sparkle." She responded satisfactorily after casually checking her mane again.
Then the world appeared to start to warping, in reality it was only the ponies and the scrolls that were warping, only to fade out of existence, leaving no trace behind...
...
"Twilight, I finished unpacking!" Spike said walking up to the front door, "...Uh, Twilight? You in there?"
But nobody came.
"Huh..." Spike shrugged and decided to go make some lunch. They were both rather hungry after the presentation. "I'm sure she'll be back soon..."
...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In the other dimension, whirls and distortions happened from out of nowhere before the two ponies and things faded into existence this time.
The alicorn princess was quick to gather herself, she appeared to be fine, Starlight was there too, large trees surrounded them and it appeared to be night time. "What's going on?! Why is it night? where's Ponyville?" She was getting worried. Then the scroll flew down and landed on her face.
"Isn't it obvious?" Starlight said while picking herself up in her own magical aura and floating closer to twilight before landing, "Without your friends coming together to keep the town safe, the Everfree forest must have overtaken it, forcing the ponies to abandon it, a small price for them to pay for my juicy revenge." She looked at the surrounding area as well. "As for why it's night out, the scroll must have simply taken us to a different time of day, given enough changes you could potentially end up in any time in history or even create a new future."
Twilight pulled the scroll off her face and began to read it. Being made from Star Swirl it was written in his ancient language of which she was familiar but not fluent in, she had spent many sleepless nights in the Canterlot library trying to learn it and...
"Hey wait a second! How did you even get access to Star Swirl's wing of the Canterlot library? That is the most secure section of the archives! Not just anypony can enter it whenever they want." Explained Twilight.
"Oh that was easy" Starlight chimed. "I simply told them i was friends with the "Princess Of Friendship" and the guards let me in no problem. What fools."
Twilight was almost shocked again. "You LIED about being friends with me?? Why? Why didn't you just come see me and talk first and try to be friends? I would have been happy to show you Star Swirl's work, at least once i was sure you weren't going to do something bad that is...like this." She gestured to the scroll, and continued to try to decipher how this spell worked so she could fix all this.
"An amusing offer Twilight, but one that simply will not do, you took everything from me when we last met, and now I'm going to show you how that feels, I've worked to hard and long for this and I'm not going to let a little sweet talking change my mind." She smiled looking away. "Oh and you can stop wasting your time trying to figure out how this scroll works, it wasn't easy, but once i found this spell and figured out how to construct it on this scroll, I then used substitute incantations to hide the effects of the real ones, I wrote it in a code basically, and only I know what that code is."
She wasn't bluffing either, Twilight knew how this language structure worked, but this scroll was all wrong. she couldn't make heads or tails of anything besides the obvious like it showing her being connected to it with that extra mark on it next to starlight's own mark, and what it had done.
She really was trapped.
"UUUURHHH!" Twilight shouted in frustration as she crumpled up the scroll and threw it to the side.
"Oh my, princess! You really should be more careful with that, right now that's your only connection back to our world, since you're not a princess in this world good luck being let into the secure parts of the Canterlot library to find out how the spell works now." She narrowed her vision as she looked at Twilight's hopeless state. "You're only way to get back is with me."
Defeated, Twilight sighed. "Alright Starlight, what is it you want from me?"
"Oh now you think about what I want huh?" She was toying with twilight at this point.
"I-" Twilight paused and thought carefully. {Best try not to antagonist her any more.} Looking down and closing her eyes. "I'm sorry, please just tell me what I can do to make it up to you so we can stop this and go home." It was all Twilight could offer at this point, if she tried to beat Starlight in a magic duel it would put the scroll's safety at risk, and it would be impossible for her friends to find a way to rescue her since they would have no way of knowing that she was even in another reality, let alone which one.
She knew she wasn't going to like it, but she was going to have to give in to Starlight's demands.
If only she could have known just how much she wasn't going to like it...
"Very well "Princess Of Friendship"," Starlight said pulling a hoof over Twilight's neck, "I'll tell you what i want. My plan was to tag along with you as we ventured to go find your "friend's" new life without you. So you can live alone with nothing like you forced me to. Once I have decided I've had enough I'll bring us back."
There was a hint of desperation in Twilight's voice. "Alright." She looked up and met eyes with her subjugator. "You promise that you'll bring me back home if i do this right?"
{Just as I thought, she'll do anything to see her friends again, strange how some ponies can care so much about some stupid friends, I already have her eating out of my hooves, this is too easy, and so much fun! I wonder what else I could get her to do...} “Of course! Like I said, I'm not a monster. I would never intentionally trap somepony in another dimension." She gave a smile, but it was more so for herself. "Oh, but before I can do that, you have to promise me that when I bring you back you will make sure that not you or Celestia or anypony else will take repercussions against me. Sound fair?" Starlight stuck her nose up at the princess.
"Deal. Pinkie promise." Twilight did some odd gesture that just confused Starlight for a moment.
"Wonderful! Off we go then."
Just then the two ponies noticed some rustling in the forest nearby, and it was closing in, fast!
"It came from somewhere this direction I'm sure of it!" They heard somepony shout in the distance, looks like their plan will have to wait.
From behind the dark groove emerged three ponies, guards dressed up in what looked like Luna's night guard armor, only different. Two were earth ponies carrying spears, and the third...was a bat-pony! Something's not right here.
"Halt! Who dares trespass in the queen's sacred grove?" But before they could answer the bat-pony guard noticed a crumpled up piece of paper next to him on the ground. He picked it up with his armored hooves and began to read it. "This looks like...pre-classical dialect?" He was having even more trouble trying to figure out what the scroll said than Twilight did, but when he was able to decipher a single meaning it all became clear to him. "...Interdenominational travel...!"
"Seize them! We must bring them before our queen" The two spear ponies began to close in.
Twilight put her hoof in front of Starlight "Stay back, I'll keep you safe." Starlight rolled her eyes. Twilight conjured up a spell and struck both guards with it, trapping them in a floating bubble. She gave a Starry grin. But then the 2 spear ponies thrust their spears and pooped the bubbles trapping them. Then she face-hoofed.
"Let me take care of this, princess." Starlight stepped up and simply used her magic to grab hold of both spears the guards were advancing with and and snapped them in half , turning the pointy end back at them stopping them in their tracks.
"rrr...” {The queen must see this, but at this rate...}The bat-pony grunted. Realizing these strange ponies were to powerful for them, he hastily put the scroll in his pouch before taking flight in the opposite direction.
"He has the scroll! We have to go after him!" Twilight took to the air in pursuit.
"Damn this interruption to my revenge." And Starlight grabbed herself in her own magic and chased after Twilight, to the amazement of the 2 guard ponies left behind.
"Did she just?
"Yup."
"And the other, she was a?..."
"Eyup..."
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Over the forest under the moonlight the ponies flew. The bat-pony was to fast to gain any ground on though, and already to far to hit with a magical blast. Though it was still very easy to see and keep track of him despite it being night time out Twilight noticed. But then that got her thinking about the current situation.
{We traveled to another dimension, one where The Elements Of Harmony never became friends.}
no...
{We met Lunar guards in the Everfree Forest, one of which is a bat-pony!}
no.
{The Moon is so bright It's almost like it's half daylight out.}
NO
{Wait, the Moon?} She noticed it hanging near the horizon. It was indeed shining much brighter, except for the blackened spots on it in a pattern that was very familiar to Twilight. It was he mark of the Mare In The Moon...only this one was slightly different, it was mirrored and facing the opposite direction!
Then from the forest emerged a clearing with a brilliantly lit castle courtyard that the bat-pony descended to.
"The Castle Of The 2 Sisters!"
NONONONONONO!
"T-that can only mean!"
The bat-pony dashed through the front gates of the main castle and the girls followed. Twilight prayed to Celestia that she was wrong.
Lunar bat-pony sentries were stationed all over the large hall. And the one carrying the scroll was now holding it up to a tall dark pony sitting on a tall dark throne.
"It can't be!" Twilight whispered to herself
Starlight caught up to her. "Whoa, who's that?"
N I G H T M A R E M O O N
"Travelers from another world?"
She leaned forward, baring a huge smile, of fangs.
"Now that's something i would like to see."
Guards from behind the front gates close them.
"NHAHAHAHA - AAHAHAHAHAHAH!"
Descending from the thorn the queen of the night approached the two purple mares. "Travelers from another dimension eh? And to what do i owe the pleasure?" Twilight tried not to panic.
"N-nothing! Nothing! We uh, were...just exploring! Part of a reven-URNEY Journey! You know to expand our mind and enlighten us heh heh. Sorry for all the trouble we caused, we'll just take back the scroll and get out of your hair and let you get back to ruling you're kingdom!" Cue sheepish smile.
"Why of course traveler, just as soon as you teach me how to use this magic." And the smile was gone. "The scroll is written an ancient language, but done so incorrectly, I could not understand how the magic functions." She raised her head to tower over the two at her full height. "You WILL show me how to travel to other worlds." She commanded.
{Oh crap think Twilight think fast!}
"And just who are you anyways?"
{...OH CRAP.} Twilight turned to the pony who just asked that, Starlight Glimmer.
"Oh? This just keeps getting more interesting, you are ponies just like I, but from the world you come from i am not your ruler? How VERY interesting..." Nightmare moon said, determined to find out just who these ponies are.
"That's-"
"No Don't!" Twilight quickly interrupted Starlight. But she wasn't deterred.
"Quiet princess."
"Princess?" Nightmare mused. {More and more interesting by the second...}
"Now then who are you and why do you say you're the ruler of this world? This is supposed to be same Equestria! The same one ruled by Princess Celestia." Starlight asked angrily. Nightmare blinked twice. Twilight felt queasy.
"Celestia? MY SISTER? HAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH! My sister has been imprisoned in the Moon for years. Which is just what she deserves for doing the same to me. When i finally escaped that blasted prison and came back to seek my revenge, she hardly put up a fight. She knew my retribution was coming and that she wasn't going to be able to stop me so easily a second time, so she accepted her punishment. Probably to spare her precious subjects from collateral damage had we fought. Such was her weakness." This confirmed everything twilight feared.
"Now then, if that is the case in your world, then that must mean my sister found a way to stop me. YOU WILL TELL ME WHAT SHE DID." No amount of stress reliefs techniques were going to enable Twilight to cope with this situation.
"Don't tell her anything Starlight, please!" She had to keep the Element bearers a secret, that might be their only hope out of this situation.
Still unable to accept the current reality however, Starlight ignored twilight's warning. "I don't know! I don't understand why this is happening! All i did to change this reality was prevent Twilight and her friends from getting their Cutie Marks and becoming friends. How did that translate to somepony else ruling Equestria???"
"Friends you say?...” {Could it be?.}
Panic time Twilight.
"My sister found a way to use The Elements Of Harmony again didn't she?"
Action time Twilight.
Her horn began to glow and instantly teleported next to Nightmare's throne and knocked out the guard that had the scroll on him with a magic blast. "RESTRAIN THEM!" Nightmare Moon hollered while turning to taking flight after Twilight.
Night guards circled around Starlight in an instant, she readied her magic as well. "You want some?! Come get some!!"
Twilight blasted the throne's other guard before grabbing the scroll with her magic. But immediately had to drop it to focus on deflecting an attack from Nightmare with her magic, who then came crashing down onto Twilight knocking to her way back.
More guards were rushing in from the various hallways, Twilight needed to get out of here. Reacting, again she teleported standing upright to the side where she laid to get out of the way of another magic blast from Nightmare, and again for another, and another, and another, this time teleporting behind nightmare to be close enough to grab the scroll. Expecting this, Nightmare bucked her hind legs landing a clear blow. Sending Twilight sprawling down the throne's steps.
By this point Starlight was already overwhelmed and restrained by the guards, her powerful magic not enough to make up for her lack of combat training that these soldiers had. Holding her to the ground, another guard came and placed a magic blocking lock on her horn clamping it shut. Twilight - just having the wind knocked out of her - struggled to turn to see Starlight. "Ngah...let her go!" She shot the guards off Starlight, who yelled.
"Behind you!" As she saw a waving dark blue cloud of mist was shooting towards Twilight. Right before it hit her it condensed back into the form of Nightmare who knocked Twilight down again this time pinning her on her front. Guards circled around them with another magic blocking lock placed it on the dazed Twilight's horn before she could react, along with similar clamp locks on her wings to prevent them from extending fully.
"A pony besides me or my sister who possess both wings and a horn, and claims to be a princess, traveling from another Equestria that i do not rule? So many questions, fortunately I am a patient mare, you will tell me everything I want to know, in time. Until then." She got off Twilight standing back at her full height. "Take them to the dungeons where they can take all the time they want. And keep watch over them, alert me if they try anything." She ended with a fangy smile.
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"When I get out of here you'll all pay for this! You wont keep me from having my revenge!" Starlight yelled to the guards positioned outside while banging on the door to her shared cell.
"That isn't going to do any good, you should save your energy Starlight," Twilight said concernedly.
The angry mare turned around to face her. "And you! You know something about what's going on here. Tell me right now who was that strange pony?!"
Twilight sighed. The walls are solid and the magic blockers locked on tight, it was probably going to be a while till they would get the opportunity to make a move, best she just passes the time and tries to get Starlight to calm down. "I'll tell you everything, just please take a seat and try to relax?" She said patting the raised bed she was sitting on. Looking annoyed Starlight conceded.
"Fine." She sat down next to Twilight.
"That pony was Nightmare Moon, or rather, Princess Luna, Princess Celestia's sister. Long ago however, Luna was transformed into the creature you just saw. Her goal was to plunge all of Equestria into eternal night. Princess Celestia was able to banish her sister to the Moon using the Elements Of Harmony a thousand years ago. However doing so separated her connection with them, so she wasn't going to be able to use them again when Nightmare Moon would escape from the Moon as foretold in the prophecy of The Mare In The Moon. Celestia needed to find somepony capable of being the new bearers to The Elements Of Harmony so they could keep Equestria safe from danger and save her sister. That's why she chose me to be her apprentice, cause somehow she knew that i was going to be the key to setting things right. And she was right. Making it through the trials of the Everfree forest with those 5 other strange ponies, to get to the elements to stop Nightmare, made a bond between us that I never would have realized before on my own how important it was going to be to me, and that was friendship. The elements recognized this bond my friends and I had made and we became the new element bearers, we used the elements to return Princess Luna to her normal self and save Equestria..." Twilight turned to look at her cellmate.
"But in this Equestria, I never became Celestia's pupil! I never moved to Ponyville! I never became friends with my friends...and when Nightmare Moon came back she usurped Celestia!"
Starlight wasn't going to be easily convinced of this however. "A fascinating tale you got there Princess, but do you really expect me to believe something as insignificant as friendship could have such power?"
"I didn't believe it at first either, that somehow the friendships i made with these crazy ponies would end up saving Equestria, if you had told me that before i moved to Ponyville I would have thought you were crazy too. It was through the magic of our friendship that we were able to do this." She tried to give Starlight a comforting smile. "It was that same magic that my friends and I were trying to help show you and your village, that same friendship that im still willing to offer to you, now more than ever, as we'll need to work together if we hope to get out of this." Twilight glanced at the ceiling. "If only you could just forget about this revenge nonsense and try being friends. Please Starlight? I want to help. If we could find a way out of here and find all my friends, we might be able to summon the Elements Of Harmony again. It's our only chance at stopping Nightmare Moon."
Starlight needed some time to think. "{Again with this offering of 'friendship', why does she keep doing that? We're enemies. Why can't she realize that I don't need friends. What i need to make me feel better is to get back at her. But UGH how am I supposed to have the revenge I planned now? All that work only to end up in a rotten dungeon cell. I could use that way to escape right now, but with the guards keeping watch thanks to Nightmare's orders there's no way to guarantee that we would be able to escape before she gets to us, she's apparently powerful enough to defeat Princess Celestia, so that would only cause more problems...}
"Well to bad, I'm not going to forget about it, cause that's what I want, and I always get what I want. I don't need friends of the likes of you." Starlight responded.
"...I see, well let me know if you change your mind, it's probably going to be a while till we can get out of here..."
Both ponies sat silently for a while staring at the floor in front of them, Twilight twitching a hoof, Starlight checking her mane, slight breathing escaping both of them, a kind of awkward silence really...
Twilight opted to break that silence, it was still going to be just as awkward though. "Sooooo...what do you like to do for fun?" She asked still glancing away from Starlight, who replied.
"Why would you wanna know?"
"Oh um i just thought, we could pass the time, and get to know a little more about each other? There isn't really much else we can do right now...?" She tried to give a smile, it was sheepish. Starlight turned her head.
"I don't like you."
"I know that but-"
"Why would I care what you like?"
"Well maybe we could-"
"And how would that help me get what I like?" Twilight paused for a second.
"Well hold on now, first off not everything always has to be about you, secondly if you got to know me maybe you would find that you do like me, and thirdly, whenever you can meet your need to help a friend meet a need of their own, the feeling you get from that is what you would like to get, you would find out what an amazing feeling it is, if only you gave it a chance."
"You say that as if I've never had friends before!" Starlight scoffed. "Besides, I got all the feelings of satisfaction I needed from my 'friends' in the village before YOU came along."
Twilight frowned. "You were never real friends with anypony in the village were you?"
The silence was back for a moment.
"..So what if I wasn't? I was on top. I had everything I wanted already. Why would 'I' need friends?"
"Because friendship is the most magical thing in this -ahem- world, it can brighten your darkest day, or keep you up laughing all night, it can help heal the deepest of wounds, or push you to new heights you never knew you were capable of." Twilight managed to give a sincere smile this time, and it wasn't lost on Glimmer either. "If you would just give me a chance I could show you." She extended a hoof out.
Starlight stared at it for a moment.
"I'll think about it." She went back to looking at the floor.
Twilight was happy that she was finally getting through to her.
"Like I said, we got lots of time......"
A few hours past and Nightmare Moon decided to pay an early visit to her new 'guests'. She approached the cell and the guards let her through.
"How are my 2 prisoners from another world doing? I do hope you're finding the accommodations acceptable, didn't have any double size prisons available for such an occasion." Noting the cramped space and single bed.
{Don't let her get to us Twilight.} She thought to herself, but was cut off before she could give a response.
"You!" Starlight, as brash as ever, marched up to her. "Let us out of here right now! I don't care about your world or you ruling Equestria, I just wanna have my revenge and be on my way!"
{The insolence of this pony.} Nightmare thought to herself. "Show me how to travel to other worlds." She commanded.
"Buck you!" Starlight spat back.
"Such arrogance!" Nightmare raised her armored hoof-.
"No stop don't hurt her!" Twilight leaped between the two angry ponies. "I apologies for my subject's behavior, please hit me instead." Not wasting time Nightmare back-hoofed her. HARD. The already bruised Twilight stumbled to the ground again.
"Should either of you grow weary of spending your miserable lives in this cell, you know what I want, until then..." She exited the room and instructed the guards. "Make sure they don't starve."
"Yes my queen." They replied. She then took her leave.
"Ooooooowwww that really smarts." The now even more bruised pony whined rubbing her face.
The other unharmed pony needed to take a moment to consider what just happened. "...I was thinking of asking why you did that. But then i figured you would probably say some more nonsense about 'friendship' so I shouldn't even bother."
"That's right," Twilight said, shakily getting back to her hoofs, "Friends look out for each other. I had to do something to try to protect you."
"But we're not friends. We're enemies" Starlight stated.
"I know you still think that, so I'm going to try and show you that we don't have to be." She gave a pleasant smile.
"You keep doing that..." Starlight wasn't in the mood to discuss this right now, especially now that she was getting hungry. Good timing then that the two ponies heard some shuffling at the door. Two plates of hey were pushed through a narrow slit at the base of the door. "Finally, I'm getting hungry."
The two ponies were quietly eating their small meals, when Twilight did another thing that caught Starlight off guard. "Here-" She said handing her still half full plate to her wanna be friend "-you can have the rest of mine." Starlight raised an eyebrow. "I'm not hungry." Twilight tried to reassure her. Wanting to avoid another 'friendship' discussion Starlight decided to take her plate and continued to eat. Then Twi's stomach growled. Starlight lowered her brow and stopped eating. "Okay maybe I told a teeny fib about not being hungry, but you need it more than I do." She was right, of course. Starlight always gets what she wants. And right now she was hungry, so she kept eating, but then why wasn't she enjoying herself? Maybe it was because somewhere deep down she knew Twilight was lying again about who needed the food more...
"I am getting kind of tired though, must be getting late." Twilight said taking the empty plates and sliding them back under the door. "You can have the bed," She yawned curling into a ball on the floor, "Good night Starlight."
Starting to feel tired also, Starlight decided to lay down and get her rest as well, and to think about what to do next.
"{This pony is insufferably nice, being trapped in a small room with her like this. I have to find some way out of this before she really starts changing my mind. I'm not going to forget about my revenge just because she's being nice to me. But, if what she says is true, then she is also the only one - along with her friends - capable of beating this Nightmare pony. A pony to powerful for us to fight head on. A pony capable of banishing Celestia to the Moon, one that commands the respect of everypony in all of Equestria, and would probably try to conquer other worlds too if I showed her how the magic worked ... though she wouldn't be able to conquer our Equestria with annoying ponies like Celestia's precious little ex student being around cause of those Elements Of Harmony ... heh, she's got everything I could ever want, I bet she doesn't have to deal with annoying ponies at all, and probably gets whatever she wants whenever she wants it, I wonder if she even has a pupil like the Celestia in our world did ..."
Starlight then came up with a plan to not only get herself out of this prison and also have her revenge on Twilight, but to live a life of luxury and prestige as well.
Come morning she would act.
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It wasn't really possible to tell if it was morning yet or not, but after a nice rest Starlight couldn't keep herself in bed any longer as her plan was making her giddy. {Twilight's still asleep, perfect.} She silently walked around the sleeping pony and went to the cell door. She spoke softly through the barred peep hole so the guards could hear her. "I'm ready to talk." One guard nodded to the other, he opened the door, and escorted the prisoner to the Queen's throne room.
---------------------------------------------
A few moments later they reached the throne room. Knowing just how powerful Nightmare can be first hand, and not having access to her own magic, barely being able to see the monstrous pony sitting on it's darkened throne, made Starlight feel pretty nerves. But she was confident in her plan and kept walking with the guard, together approaching the Nightmare.
The guard bowed. {Commands the respect of everypony...} Starlight thought to herself.
"My queen, the world traveler say she is ready to speak with you now." He then got out of the way.
"Ah is that so? I would have thought you two would last at least a few weeks in the dungeons before submitting to my will. ahahahahahah, how delightful." Nightmare smiled over to the scroll which was sealed in a bottle perched on a platter next to the throne.
"That's because I didn't come here to submit to your will. I came here to make you an offer."
"Ohohohahahahaha, you think you can openly bribe me on my throne? You are fearless aren't you?" Her smile was wide now.
"{Good she thinks I'm fearless, I was about to start shaking actually...} Not bribe, it's more like a purchase of loyalty. Here's my offer, I'll tell you everything you want to know," She gave the Nightmare a smirk, "and you make me, you're apprentice."
Nightmare was positively beaming now. "My apprentice? You want to abandon your home world , and have ME, the most powerful pony in the world and ruler of all of Equestria, to take you under my wings?" She fully extended her proud wingspan, "And you're offering to tell me what i want to know in return?" Starlight was about to start second guessing if this was a good idea.
"T-that's right, why be enemies when we can both help each other get what we want? I'll tell you how you were stopped in our world and how to get to any other world, and you can provide me with all the power and prestige I desire. And then I can have my revenge on that goody toe shoes Twilight." Starlight was quite happy with herself. "I don't have any reason to want to go back to my world, and it's all HER fault!"
"A revenge scheme I see. And you coming here was a part of it?"
"Sort of, Twilight took the village I controlled away from me and left me with nothing. So I wanted to do the same to her, and her friends were the most precious things to her. I searched all over Equestria for hidden powerful magics that I could use to make them stop being friends, but I didn't find anything that could do that. I did however find this spell that could allow me to shift between phases of reality which I could specify what the differences between mine and the other world's would be. I thought if I could find a way to make it so that Twilight never became friends in a different reality, then I could force her to go there and try living with nothing and without her friends even recognizing who she was!"
"And in this reality, I am ruler of Equestria, because of something you changed between our world?" Nightmare lowered her head to Starlight's level, "Then it would appear I am in your debt, miss Starlight," The Mistress of the night said almost seductively, "I accept your offer. Whatever you desire my throne will provide. Now, tell me the identities of the new element bearers."
"That would be Twilight and her friends. According to her, the Celestia from our world knew that their friendships would enable them to become the new Elements Of Harmony bearers. So as long as you make sure they don't become friends your reign is secure. The first friend of her I remember is a pony named Fluttershy."
Nightmare's expression grew stern for a moment. "You're sure?"
"Definitely," Starlight affirmed, "she was the one that tried to trick me, and revealed my secret causing the village to turn on me. I'll never forget that moment." {It was nice sitting on your throne too. Take that.}
"I see..." Nightmare's magic glowed as it reached for a small bell next to her throne and rang it. Shortly after a small pegasus maid came timidly pacing towards the throne.
{Maid service, now there's an idea...} But once she was close Starlight was almost shocked. It was Fluttershy. She didn't look at anypony as she approached. Only staring at the floor in front of her as she spoke in a quiet whisper Starlight could barely hear.
"y-yes...m-my queen?..." She was nearly shaking.
"Ah Fluttershy," Nightmare lifted the cowering mare's chin with her armor clad hoof, but she still looked away from the Nightmare, "my dear servant, you know that your complete submission to my will is why you're my favorite maid yes?"
"y-y-yes my queen..."
"And you would never do anything to hurt me, now would you?"
"...no my queen...never..." A tear welling in her eye.
"Then keep being my maid, working here, and there will be no problems..." She looked over to Starlight. "Provided there aren't any more among my staff. You may go now."
"...okay..." Then Fluttershy trailed off, exiting the throne room.
"What, was that?" Starlight said almost astounded, "Was that Fluttershy? Why was she acting so weird?"
"Whatever do you mean? That is how she has always acted ever since I first laid eyes on her."
"Oh. {Could have becoming friends with Twilight really have changed her so much?} Uh never mind. The next bearer is a pegasus by the name Rainbow Dash. She was key in her friends coming together, but now that's changed."
"Ah yes I remember that pony, loyal to my sister's rule and fought against my ascension to the throne the bitter end," Nightmare said reminiscing about the good times when she toke over Equestria, "She is being kept in captivity here for her crimes."
"{That's understandable.} Okay then let's see who else was there, there's 6 in total i remember, oh there's Twilight of course, Twilight Sparkle is her full name."
"That pony's name is unfamiliar to me," Nightmare looked over, "You there, guard, I want a warrant put out for the immediate arrest of Twilight Sparkle for her crimes of conspiring against my throne."
"At once my liege." The guard took his leave.
"Wait why do you need to do that? The Twilight Sparkle in this world couldn't have became Celestia's pupil because I stopped the critical moment from happening, so she couldn't have a reason to conspire against your throne." {Imprisoning detractors from her throne is one thing, but imprisoning an innocent pony like that? That's not right.} Starlight said concernedly.
"But the Twilight from your world did, and that can not be forgiven. And if they are left to move freely and meet each other on her own there is a chance they might trigger the elements reactivation, a chance I am not willing to risk. Now keep going."
"{She gets what she wants, I guess...} Right, so let's see I've said Fluttershy Rainbow Dash Twilight... oh no, I don't Remember the names of the last three! I only bothered to remember the names of those ponies for those specific reasons. I'm sorry Nightmare, I can't tell you all their names. But i can still show you how the magic works, it will take a while to learn, provided you have more of Star Swirl The Bearded's scrolls that is. It was in the wing of the Canterlot library that's named after him that I discovered this magic along with the scrolls needed to cast it."
"Star Swirl? That old cook? I knew he was gifted with magic, he created many new spells. But to think he could create something so powerful...yes that wing is still intact. Follow me." Nightmare got off her throne and walked to the front entrance, Starlight trailing behind her. "I will take us there and you shall show me where you found it." Nightmare called on her bat chariot which landed outside the entrance with almost crashing speed.
"Wow." Starlight marbled at it's fierce yet elegant design, the bat studs pulling it weren't half bad lookin either.
"Like it? Once you teach me how to use this spell I can get you one of your own."
"That would be wonderful." Clearly Starlight had made the right choice in helping Nightmare Moon...right?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
During their travel, Starlight had the time to really take in this new Equestria, in all it's eternal night time glory.
As she watched a familiar looking Equestria go by from a view point she never had the chance to see before, she began to think. "{I wonder what it's like to live without the sun. I wonder if anypony misses the sun...why does Nightmare want eternal night anyways?}" Starlight was about to ask her, but Nightmare was already looking at her with fangs and all, as if she knew.
"We are not so different, you and I. We both get what we want, and we've both had everything we wanted unfairly taken from us, so we both sought our rightful revenge." Nightmare went on to explain how she wasn't given her dues that she wanted for being the ruler of the night. How everypony praised her sister's day instead. How instead of helping her get what she deserves, her sister chose to oppose her, and seal her away keeping all the praise from the ponies of Equestria to herself, leaving the memories of the princess of the night to be mostly forgotten in the centuries past. And how she wanted nothing more than to get revenge on her sister.
"{So that's why all this happened then? Because she wanted revenge and got it?...Because I wanted revenge...}"
"That is why I have decided I am going to help you get your revenge, and prove your loyalty to me at the same time."
"Oh? And just what did you have in mind? {She thinks her and I are the same huh?...Does this mean I will become just like her?}"
"Later, we have arrived."
They were already flying over Canterlot, and swiftly landed next to the library. They entered the massive structure, Nightmare lead the way to the Star Swirl wing. On the way as Starlight passed different ponies using the library like normal, - as opposed to the ones that hid/ran as soon as they saw Nightmare was here - she noticed something distinctly different from the ponies here that was odd compared to the ponies from the real Equestria.
A distinct lack of smiles.
Then they reached their destination, and after a bit of searching Starlight identified the same books of Star Swirl's magic she had used to come to this reality, complete with a healthy pile of scrolls to be used with it as well. Nightmare secured all the material and they headed back to the Castle Of The Two Sisters.
Once they arrived, Nightmare ordered some guards to have the papers be brought to her personal chamber. With that taken care of she moved back towards her throne, Starlight followed.
"Now then, Starlight, let's do away with your restraint." Nightmare's horn glowed and magic poured out , it's tip forming a small simple key that was inserted to the lock on the purple mare's horn, a click and the lock loosened and was able to be easily pulled off again.
"Yes finally," She said rubbing her poor horn.
"Can you lift the bottle containing your scroll?"
"Let's see." She focused on her freshly free horn and just like that her magic came back to her. She levitated the bottle over.
"Excellent. Now come, it's time for you to have your revenge." Nightmare commanded stepping down the side of her throne.
"Just what are we doing exactly?" Starlight asked trying to keep pace.
"You'll see..."
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Twilight had been pacing in her small prison for hours now, worried about what could have happened to her fellow inter-dimensional traveler, who was not in the room with her when she awoke.
The door suddenly opened without warning, Nightmare Moon entered, she looked happy, that probably isn't a good thing.
"Nightmare! What did you do with Starlight?! Where is she?"
"My new apprentice? She's right here." Starlight entered standing next to her new queen. Still carrying the scroll in her magic. "She realized that I could offer her everything she ever wanted. So she offered me a trade, I gave her what she wanted and made her my apprentice, and she gave me what I wanted..."
"{Apprentice? Trade? She has her magic back!} Starlight what did she do to you?" She was really getting worried now.
"She didn't do anything to me. I went to her and told her what she wanted to know in exchange for becoming her apprentice. Now I'm on top again and can have whatever I want from this world." Starlight wanted to give a triumphant smirk, but couldn't for some reason.
"No Starlight you didn't! How could you? I trusted you! {This can't be happening!}"
"Then it would appear your trust was misplaced." Nightmare interjected. "I have already dealt with the ponies in this world who became the new Element Bearers in your world, however, my apprentice was only able to identify half of them." She gave Starlight a brief stern look. "Why not atone for your crimes and reveal the remaining 3 identities to me hmmmm?"
"No never! I'll never betray my friends, for you or anypony!"
"Very well, Starlight." Nightmare called attention to her new apprentice. "It's time have your revenge, tear the scroll in half."
"WHAT?!" The two purple mares responded in shock.
"You are my apprentice and will be loyal to nopony but me, and you will remain here as such. There will be no need for you to return to your home world, and in cutting off the connection she will never be able to see her friends again. You will have achieved the revenge you rightfully sought on this fool of a pony." Nightmare explained.
"Oh um right, that's, well you see the things is, that's a bit much isn't it?" Now Starlight wasn't liking where this was heading either.
"You're questioning my authority, now of all times? When I'm giving you what you desire most? Perhaps you have been deceiving me this whole time? I don't take kindly to being tricked." The stern expression Nightmare gave her was suddenly a lot more fearsome, leading her to realize it was her flank that was on the line now too, not just Twilight's.
"I, she...Y-you're right, that is what I...wanted the most." She took the scroll out of it's bottle and held it in front of her, noticing the 2 extra marks on it left by her in Twilight from when they came to this world. "{It's either me...or her...}"
She began to tear the scroll.
"No Starlight please don't do it! I'll find a way to make it up to you! Just please don't do this!..." Tears were freely flowing down her face.
"It's...to late for any of that now." Starlight's hooves were shaking slightly. The tear progressed past half way.
"No please I'm sorry Starlight I'm so sorry! Please don't take my friends away from me!"
Starlight didn't stop until there was only a tiny piece of connected scroll left. "{She's more worried about not being able to see her friends again than being trapped in this dimension? Friendship is really that important to her?...Like the friendship she offered me?...}"
"I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry please I'm so sorry my friends no I'm so so sorry!" Twilight cried frantically.
"I...{If she hadn't tried to be my friend by telling me everything she did none of this would have happened. It's all her fault really...because I wanted revenge.}" Starlight paused for a moment, she turned to look at her new queen, who was impatiently staring back at her.
"Do it." She commanded.
"..."
She finished tearing the scroll, letting the pieces fall to the ground.
"NOOOOooooooo!" Twilight felt her heart tear apart as she collapsed on the floor sobbing "I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry....."
Nightmare was laughing.
Starlight however didn't say or do anything. She just stood there, quietly taking in what had just happened. She had finally done it. Power. Prestige. Revenge. No more annoying ponies trying to make friends with her, she could do whatever she wanted now.
Truly she had gotten everything she wanted.
{.......Then why do I feel......bad?.........}
The 2 tormentors left, leaving the broken Twilight to wallow in her sorrow.
"Very good my apprentice. I knew you were not deceiving me. You just needed a little encouragement. It is as I said, we are the same, revenge and all. My guards will prepare a quarters for you to sleep in the castle here. I will be busy making preparations for my own bit of revenge..."
Nightmare parted ways, leaving Starlight alone for the first time since she got here, alone to ponder what next to do with her life...alone . . .
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There was another pony alone, in a dark place, sobbing quietly to herself, wishing nothing more than to be able to see her friends again.
"Then wish no more!" Came a bouncing pony from out of nowhere.
Twilight looked up, and was taken aback by what she saw. "PINKIE PIE?"
"Yuppers! I noticed you were looking suuuper downers, so i came to turn those frowns upsidedownser!" She said still bouncing with her usual happy smiling self.
"T-this doesn't make any sense though - and not just the Pinkie kind of not making sense -, how did you get here?"
"It's not just me silly! we're all here."
"She's telling the truth sugar cube." Twilight noticed another pony following behind Pinkie who was wearing a familiar cowboy hat.
"Applejack!"
"That's me, but what's wrong with you Twi? You're lookin lower than an earthworm's belly!"
Twilight was starting to cry again. "Oh Applejack!" She said rushing to embrace her, "I thought I'd never see you again, or Pinkie Pie."
"Now why ever would you think such a thing darling?" Another pony joined the group.
"Rarity!"
"Hush darling, everything's going to be alright. Now tell us what the matter is, you know your friends will be here for you no matter what."
And she was right, suddenly the rest of her friends appeared around her, trying to offer support to their distraught friend.
"It's just...so nice...to see you all again...my friends...thank you all...for everything," She said tying to hold back her bursting emotions. They all gathered into a group hug and just stayed like that for a bit. Twilight didn't know how this was possible, but she just wanted to have this moment...
...If only she could.
"How touching."
no...
Twilight froze.
That voice.
She turned, and didn't want to believe what she was seeing. The dark figure of the queen of the night standing before her and her friends.
no
Her friends, who shouldn't be there right now, since the last thing she remembers doing was crying herself to sleep in her cell. Asleep, where you dream, which Nightmare - like Princess Luna - can travel to and from freely
NO
"I thank you for sharing the remaining identities of the element bearers with me. Once I've taken care of those ponies from this world, I will no longer have any reason to keep you around." The Nightmare bared her fangs. "Pleasant dreams, my little monarch" She said before dissipating into mist.
NONONONONONO!
The shock caused Twilight to wake in a panic. She was back in her cell again. Alone. She had dreamed about her friends to comfort her saddened soul, and in doing so betrayed her trust with them to reveal their identities to the watchful nightmare.
She would have cried herself to sleep again, but the guilt she was feeling would keep her up all night now...
============================================================================================
"You're coming with us." The bat pony guards ordered Twilight. She was in no condition to start resisting after getting no sleep last night, and it would probably just get her beat up more before being dragged to wherever they wanted to go, so she complied.
Perhaps she should have taken that chance.
They wondered through the dungeons, she could have sworn she heard a very familiar voice echoing in these dank halls, nothing she could do about it now though.
They emerged to the throne room. But to her surprise Nightmare wasn't there sitting on her throne like she expected, and there were hardly any guards stationed in the main hall now unlike before.
{Well that's a relief that I don't have to see that monster again right away.}
Except she did.
The guards kept escorting Twilight out of the main hall, and walked through the courtyard till they came to the town square. Where it looked like those guards missing from earlier were stationed around various streets and sentry towers in the courtyard now.
Then she saw The Nightmare, who was standing on a raised platform of some kind, the only other pony around her was her apprentice, Starlight, who looked rather worried about something.
{What's going on here? They've already taken everything from me, what more do they want?} The restrained pony thought to herself.
The guards motioned her to go to the center of the area in front of the stage, suddenly feeling like the center of attention as she noticed small crowds having gathered in the courtyard, all staring at her. Then Nightmare spoke to the crowds.
"Citizens of Equestria, thank you all for gathering to witness tonight's (It was awake time she just refuses to call it that.) event of another glorious triumph for your queen." The crowds murmured softly. "This pony claims to be from another Equestria like ours, only in her world she was successful in stopping my return and rise to power." Twilight didn't like where this was going AT ALL.
"She thinks she is not only fit to question my rule, but thwart it! And look where it got her, alone and powerless. Now that I have dealt with all of her colleges, she will be made an example of." The crowds grew louder, some notably disdained at Nightmare's antics.
She continued. "Let this be a lesson to all those who think like her."
Panic time Twilight.
"Twilight Sparkle. For your crimes against my throne, I hereby sentence you for immediate execution."
...There was no action she could take this time though.
Her legs began shaking. "P-p-please don't...I don't want to die..." If she had any tears left in her they'd be pouring out right now. "{D-danmit no! Is it really going to end like this? Am I going to die here in this world?...alone...my friends...please...somepony...save me...}"
It was utterly hopeless, her legs gave out, now she couldn't even run. No friends. No magic. Out of desperation she tried to make eye contact with Starlight to plead with her to stop The Nightmare. But Starlight only stared at her queen as she continued.
Nightmare Moon's horn began to glow, as she charged a magical attack powerful enough to kill. It was all Twilight could watch now. The crowds were furious, but the abundance of guards kept them from being able to do anything.
All eyes were on Nightmare as she began to glow a hint of green. Her magic attack reaching it's peek.
"This is the end for you, Twilight Sparkle." She began to laugh.
Nightmare unleashed her attack.
The crowds watched in fear and amazement.
Twilight attempted to make peace with herself. "I'm sorry...my friends..."
Direct hit.
Much of the crowds recoiled and looked away...
...
...Those that didn't though, saw something rather peculiar.
"OOOFF" The purple prisoner whelped as she knocked over by the blast.
Gasps rang out from the surrounding ponies - guards and civilians alike - as they saw it.
"Oooww, well that didn't hurt nearly as much as I thought it was going to, am I dead now?" The confused mare looked around, she was still in the same courtyard as before. She quickly checked her body, still couldn't command her legs to stand up, but she appeared to be mostly unharmed. "But wasn't that blast supposed to kill me?"
She looked back at the stage at her attempted killer, who was staring back at her with a similar shocked and confused expression.
"What is the meaning of this?! How are you still alive?!" Nightmare wanted answers NOW. She scanned the crowds, all staring back at her...no wait, slightly next to her.
"Starlight?..." She turned, and nearly jumped out of her armor when she saw it.
Her cutie mark was floating in the air next to her!
She checked her flank, two short grey lines now lay where her proud moonbutt once was.
Then she realized her floating cutie mark was connected to a magic aura, which was connected to...
"STARLIGHT!" She yelled, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"
"Getting what I want. You made me feel bad, about myself. I've never felt bad about myself before. This cannot go unpunished. So now I'm having my revenge on you."
"TO TARTARUS WITH YOU, TRAITOR!" Nightmare Moon charged another magic attack much faster this time and blasted it point blank in her ex-apprentice's face, it felt much weaker this time though, and it showed when the smaller pony braced herself and tanked the hit without being knocked back.
"IMPOSSIBLE!"
"I thought you were right about me, that we were the same, that we always get what we wanted. But seeing what you're doing here, what you've done to the land of Equestria, made me realize you were wrong, Nightmare. I don't want to get what I thought I wanted if it means becoming a monster like you. Goodbye Nightmare Moon." While still holding on to the cutie mark in her magic, she grabbed herself in her own magic and quickly threw herself over to the still shaken Twilight.
"STOP THEM!" The pissed alicorn shouted. Some of the guards abandoned holding back the crowds to obey their queen's orders, things got messy fast.
"Starlight?" The alicorn princess asked confused as Starlight hastily made a key out of her magic and unlocked the magic blocking lock on Twilight's horn.
"TELEPORT NOW, GET US OUT OF HERE!"
"Oh OH! Right!" Twilight rushed to call for her magic, and cast her most familiar spell out of blind reaction, they teleported slightly to the left.
"FURTHER YOU IDIOT!"
The guards were pouncing on them.
"AAAAAHHH!" She teleported them again, this time all the way up the outer courtyard wall in one of the sentry stations that had a guard in it, who responded.
"AAAAHHH!" As he scrambled for his weapon.
"AAAAAAHH!" The 2 purple mares responded in tone. Twilight was already looking for another spot to teleport to outside the castle grounds. Thinking fast Starlight was quick to pull a jar she noticed in the sentry station in with her magic before they teleported again.
This time they landed one the the grass on the edge of the canyon. But they weren't safe yet. Some of the bat ponies had taken to the air to peruse them.
Recognising the location, Twilight got an idea. "I know a place we can hide from them." She teleported them into the canyon, and then over to a cave entrance. "In here quick."
They carefully watched as the guards flew overhead into the forest to chase after them.
"Good, it looks like they didn't see us go into the canyon," Starlight said while placing the Moon cutie mark in her possession in the jar she snagged, "We should have enough time now to make our escape now," She said relieved. She wasn't the only pony around feeling a sense of relief right now though. And next she would be feeling another feeling she wasn't used to. Embarrassment.
Twilight gave her the strongest hug she could manage.
"He-hey what are you doing? Let go," Said a blushing Starlight.
"Thank you Starlight, thank you for saving me back there," She said rubbing her muzzle in her savior's coat. They stayed like that for a moment.
"No need to thank me princess, I was just making sure I didn't lose what I wanted. Actually, I should be the one thanking you," she said while prying twilight off of her, "If you hadn't kept doing everything you could to be my friend, I would have never realized that the thing I wanted most in life, was for somepony to care about me." She put her hooves on Twilight's shoulders, and they locked eyes. "I wasn't about to let the only real friend I ever had die in front of my eyes." Tears began rolling down her cheeks. "So thank you, Twilight Sparkle, for not giving up on me. Your truly are the Princess Of Friendship."
"{Princess Of Friendship...friends...my friends!}" Suddenly the princess's expression grew grim again. "But what are we going to do now? We're still trapped in this world with nowhere left to go now!."
"About that, remember when I said I always have a backup plan?" Starlight reached for her tied up mane, and undid the bottom amulet, causing two things to drop to the ground, the amulet, and...
"A scroll?!"
"That's right. I made a copy of the scroll I used to send us here before I set my plan in motion, just in case you destroyed the first one when i tried to taunt you into destroying it with your magic which would make you come into contact with it and be connected to it." She picked up the scroll and unrolled it, handing it over to Twilight.
The markings on the scroll did appear to be identical to how Twilight remembered the original scroll looked. The biggest difference she could see was that there was only one special looking mark on it, Starlight's connection to it. So she reached out her hoof and touched the scroll, adding her mark next to Starlight's.
"But...I don't understand...what you did back in the cell..."
"Was unforgivable I know," She said as she worked her magic to unlock the remaining restraints on the alicorn's wings, "Trust me, I wish I could take back my actions, to make a pony think they were permanently trapped in another dimension in a cold dark prison cell with no hope of escape? I've never hated myself for anything before, but that right there..." Starlight shook her head and shrugged off the train of though, she wasn't used to grieving over regret like this.
Starlight activated the scroll, the whirls it caused were kept hidden by the safety of the cave they were in.
"Anyways, now you understand, I only did that to save myself from Nightmare's wrath because I knew that I still had this scroll as a backup I could use to get us home. I may be a very selfish pony, but I was serious when I told you I wasn't a monster." The scroll projected another image of Equestria, in daylight, Their Equestria. "You don't...think I'm a monster, do you?..."
That was to much for Twilight to consider to respond to given the circumstances, she remained silent.
"...Right, sorry, are you ready to go home, Twilight?"
It really was going to be all over now. She smiled.
"Yes. Thank you, Starlight."
And the ponies were gone, the only trace left behind was a single lonesome jar containing a cutie mark that probably wouldn't be found for a while.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Later that day, back in the castle of friendship, Starlight Glimmer was pacing by herself in front of the map room doors with a grim expression, she was waiting to be summoned by the EOH. The bearers of the EOH were having a meeting to determine her fate.
Once they were ready they sent Spike to call her in.
The first time she passed through those large double doors she was full of confidence and malice. Now she was full of worry and regret, even if she still didn't fully understand these feelings. She approached the round table and spoke before anypony else got the chance to say something.
"Before you say anything, I just want you all to know that I'm deeply sorry for what I did, and I know that I can never be forgiven, let alone accept Twilight's offer of friendship now..."
All 6 ponies were staring back at her with varying expressions of anger. All except one that is.
"Oh I see. That's to bad then, I was going to sentence you to being my friend, but I guess if you can't accept that then we'll have to explore other options..." said Twilight playfully.
"I understand-wait what? What did you just say?"
"Y'all heard her, I for one don't like it one bit, but Twilight wouldn't budge from her position, and since it's her call to make we gotta respect it...for now," Applejack said in almost a threatening way. Starlight however was unable to comprehend why this was happening.
"But-but what about everything I did to you! I was nothing but your enemy till the very end, how can you just forgive me like that?"
"That's the power of a Pinkie Promise!" The pink one chimed.
"The wah?"
"The Pinkie Promise, Starlight," said Twilight, "the one I made to you in the other world. I promised you that after you brought me back I would make sure not me or Celestia or anypony else," she glanced around the others at the table, "would take repercussions against you, and i stand by that promise."
"S-surely you're joking! I was threatening you! I made you say that!"
"You told me to promise you that you wouldn't be punished when you brought us back. I was the one that made the Pinkie Promise of my own accord however, and you don't break a Pinkie Promise." Twilight looked over at Pinkie who gave a happy nod. "So, since you held up your side of the deal, I'm upholding mine."
"I...can't believe this..." It was difficult for Starlight to understand all this with the whirlwind of foreign emotions she was feeling right now. "...Why then? Why did you make this special promise to me?"
"Because I was serious about wanting to help you." Twilight responded. "And I still am. An essential part of the process of making friends is forgiveness." She got off her own throne and went in front of the other purple pony.
"I forgive you, Starlight," she said with a smile, "Would you like to be friends?"
All eyes were on Starlight now.
"I...I don't know...I want, to say yes...but I feel bad thinking about it..." She said almost choking trying to hold her emotions back.
"Is it the same kind of bad you felt being with Nightmare Moon?" asked Twilight.
"...N-no, actually...it's, different..."
"That's because you're feeling like you don't deserve to be my friend, because you feel bad about what you did to me, because you care about me, because you're not a monster, Starlight. That's also a normal part of friendship, but it's not the only part. If you would let go of this concept of deserving, like I convinced my friends to let go of thinking you deserved to be punished, then I could help show you all the wonderful things friendship has to offer." She held her hoof out. "What do you say?"
All eyes were still on her, though by now the anger in them had vanished.
Starlight stared at the hoof in front of her, then slowly brought up her own.
Twilight grabbed it before it was all the way up and pulled Starlight into a hug. "Thank you for choosing the magic of friendship."
"Thank you, Princess Twilight." Starlight cried into her shoulders.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The ordeal was over.
Peace was made for the ponies.
The power to travel to whole new worlds.
Nearly cost a few ponies their lives.
Such a power, is to great to be used lightly.
It's secrets will be kept in good hooves from then on...
.........
However, little did they know, there were already other powers in motion, powers that would aim to effect far more than just a few ponies. And the power to connect to other worlds, would be a power that they would see again, soon, but probably not soon enough...........