//------------------------------// // Reflections of Memories // Story: The Twilight Effect // by X3n0heart //------------------------------// Twilight Sparkle was still sobbing as they made their way deeper into the Everfree forest. The light from the full moon shone down upon the two ponies through the breaks in the canopy, making it look like long beams of silvery rain. Fluttershy continued to escort the Princess down the worn path as a clearing came into view with a small cottage. Twilight would recognize it as Zecora's hut as the girls headed strait for it. Opening the door, Fluttershy trotted in with Twilight and helped her over to a chair to sit in as she went and spoke with the zebra. Coming to her senses Twilight finally took a look around and noticed a few other ponies in there as well. Fluttershy and Zecora near the far wall, another pony laying in a bed, covered with a blanket, as well as a few others she did not know. You've messed up big time, Twilight...what ever shall we do now... she thought to herself as she hung her head getting lost in her own thoughts. It wasn't untill the door slammed open and a pony ran through it, closing it just as quickly, that brought her back to reality. Breathing heavily Cadence sat down against the door as Fluttershy went to her side. Cadence...what is she doing here...? Twilight thought as she looked at her sister-in-law with a confused look upon her muzzle. They made eye contact as Cadence got up and trotted over to Twilight throwing her hooves around her neck hugging her closely. "Oh I'm so glad you're alright!" she cried not wanting to let her go. "Cadence? What are you doing here? Where's my brother? Where's Shining Armor?" Twilight asked worriedly. Letting go Cadence sat down in front of her and looked at the ground, not wanting to face the Princess of Friendship. "Please tell me, what happened?" Taking a deep breath Cadence filled Twilight in on what happened in the Crystal Mountains. "After Sunset took over Canterlot she set her eyes upon my kingdom and it didn't take her long to assemble her troops to invade us. We tried to get as many ponies out as we could before she arrived but it still didn't matter. She over took us within an hour and quite a few crystal ponies didn't make it." Cadence still wasn't looking at Twilight as she spoke. "And my brother?" "I'm sorry Twilight...." she began to cry as tears rolled down her cheeks leaving wet droplets on the floor. "H-he...saved me and gave me enough time to escape..." "No...not that's not possible..." Twilight held a hoof to her mouth covering it. "Not my brother...please tell me he's okay!" "I'm so so sorry...." Cadence bowed before her and laid on the floor in front of the chair. It was silent in the hut as the two ponies wept, one grieving for her brother, the other for her husband. It was the pony on the bed who broke the silence as they sat up slowly to speak. "Twilight? She's here?" Twilight turned at the sound of Rainbow Dash who seemed to be very upset by the tone of her voice. "So you finally came out of hiding to show your face, huh?" "Rainbow...? Why are you so mad at me?" Twilight was confused as he friend grew more angry with that question. "MAD?!?" She snorted before continuing, "I have every right to be mad! Do you see our friends here? No? Well that's because while you were hiding away from Sunset we had to evacuate Ponyville and....and..." Rainbow was so upset now that tears streamed down her face as she went on. "And both Apple Jack and Rarity didn't make it!" Twilight's eyes widen with shock as she listened to her friend before getting off the chair and making her way over to her. There was nothing she could really say to Rainbow Dash to calm her down as she was right. It is all her fault, everything is her fault. Upon closer inspection she noticed that both of her wings were bandaged as well as many cuts and bruises all over her body. Twilight reached out a hoof to her as Rainbow smacked it away glaring at the Princess. "Don't touch me. Now I might not be able to fly anymore cause of you...just leave me alone!" she told her as she laid back down, turning away from the Princess. Taking a few steps back from her, Twilight noticed Fluttershy waving her over and she slowly walked over to the two ponies. "How could I know this would've happen....I'm so sorry everypony..." Twilight said to herself as she stopped near the yellow pegasus. "Twilight...?" Fluttershy got her attention. Sitting down Twilight just hung her head as she continued. "Twilight, Zecora here has a plan that I think we should listen to." "It doesn't matter...nothing matter anymore...." Twilight said to herself more than anypony in the hut. "Twilight please..." Fluttershy placed a hoof on her shoulder. "Please hear her out?" Twilight just nodded as Zecora filled her in on what she was thinking. "If one thinks they can win this fight they are a fool, but what if we create more ponies with the mirror pool?" Twilight looked up at her as she went on. "To have an army of our own, one in which Equestria has never been shown." "Wait..what was that..?" Twilight asked as Zecora then repeated herself. "No no no..the first part...something about the mirror pool...? Mirror....mirror!" Twilight's eyes lit up as if she just had an epiphany. Getting to her hoofs she looked at the two ponies as she went on, "That's it! That's how I can fix everything and make it right!" "Twilight? What are you talking about?" Fluttershy asked worriedly. "Don't worry. I'll save everypony this time!" Cadence looked up and over at her sister-in-law also wondering what she is talking about. "Yes! That's it. Zecora, you're a genius!" Trotting to the middle of the room Twilight turned and faced everypony as she stood up strait with a serious look upon her face. "We'll have all of our friends back! And my brother!" she said as she looked to Cadence who's eyes seemed to light up a bit. As Twilight started to gather enough magic to cast the time spell one last time she closed her eyes as she prepared herself for her final trip back in time. The first thing Twilight heard was laughter then the voice of a very familiar pony as her vision cleared and she was standing in front of the other three Princesses. "Twilight! I haven't seen you since the coronation." Cadence said as she greeted her. "We have so much to discuss." Princess Celestia said then added, "but it can wait until tomorrow. You all look tired from your journey, now off to bed, all of you." As Twilight and her friends made their way to their now rooms, she couldn't help think to herself about what she had to do next. This is it, Twilight. You've come all the way back here. After this everypony will be safe and you will have fixed all that has been changed... She sighed to herself as she entered her room and started to unpack everything. "What's wrong, Twilight?" asked Spike. "I don't know, Spike, I'm just worried I guess." Twilight turned and headed over to her bed as Spike followed her. "You just need to get some rest, Twilight. Tomorrow's a big day after all." "You're right, Spike. Tomorrow will be a big day..." she said quietly as he turned off the lights and went to bed. It wasn't long before he was fast asleep before Twilight used her magic to remove the covers and get out of bed as quietly as she could. It's now or never Twilight. she thought as she made her way out of her room and down the hall. If I recall correctly the mirror should be just around this next corner and through the door at the end of the hall... she thought as she walked slowly along. Rounding the corner she almost bumped into a night guard who looked at her for a moment then bowed as he then continued his patrol through the hallways. Phew, that was to close. I'm glad he didn't ask any questions. Twilight thought as she used her magic to open the door and step through, closing it quietly behind her. "There is it..." she whispered as she trotted over to the mirror and placed a hoof against the glass seeing that the portal is open. "And to think, it all started on this very night..." Sitting down in front of it Twilight stared at her reflection for a few moments, her eyes glistening from the tears that threatened to burst forth. "I'm so sorry..." Twilight said softly as she hung her head. "This is the only way to make everything right. Sunset..." she lifted her head as she started charging magical energy in her horn, "...I will always love you!" With that she unleashed every bit of her magic towards the mirror and as her reflection seemed to crack and distort, it didn't take long for it to shatter, the frame breaking into multiple pieces as the shards of glass went every where before things went quiet once more. Twilight sat there for a moment crying in that silence as just as suddenly that familiar pain shot through her head, knocking her to her side as she placed her hooves to her head. Everything seemed to begin playing in reverse starting with her and Dashie's relationship. She watched it the scenes unfold as they did to the point where she came back from the other world the second time. Next were the memories of her and finding out that Sunset was sick and rushing to go see her. Watching both of the times where she died tore her heart even more as her memories kept going farther and farther back. See saw Sunset and herself walking along a path in the park, holding hands and just talking about things that were going on. The scene changed to where they shared their first kiss. It was during summer break and they were at the beach. Sunset invited her out one night and as they watched the moon and stars that's when it happened. Fog filled her vision and the next thing she saw was the both of them on their very first date. Sunset took her to see a movie and then they walked along the sidewalk to one of her favorite restaurants for it was a beautiful spring night. As her memories kept shifting from one to another, Twilight would see herself play with the Rainbooms, figure out how to create a counter spell and learn about the sirens and where they came from. Then her memories jumped further back to where Sunset had her crown and started to transform into that she demon to take over Canterlot. That scene melted away into her winning the Princess of the Fall Formal and finally getting her crown back before things shifted once more and she was with her friends trying to get them all to work together. More and more memories seemed to just fade away as her body shook violently, unable to control herself in any way. As things seemed to stop, almost as suddenly as they started, the last thing she saw in her mind before her vision started to clear, was an image of Sunset Shimmer smiling at her as she spoke. "I have something to tell you, my Princess..." She closed her eyes and had the biggest smile on her face as she blushed slightly. "I love you!" Sitting up slowly, Twilight was weeping uncontrollably as she just let it all out surrounded by broken glass and twisted pieces of metal. The doors behind her opened and everypony ran in to suddenly stop and see their friend broken and beaten as she cried her heart out. As she looked over her shoulder at the eight ponies standing behind her, Twilight gave a weak smile and said, "I finally fixed it..." before the bright light filled her vision and was taken back to the present. Twilight blinked a few times and looked around the area that she was in. She noticed that she was back in her castle and sitting in her throne along with her five best friends and Spike as the map shimmered before her with all of their cutie marks hovering over a single spot on it. "You feeling alright there, Twi?" Asked Apple Jack as she got her attention. "Huh? Yes, I'm alright." she replied as she shook her head a few times clearing it. "I just had a strange image appear in my thoughts, that's all." "Anything we can do to help?" Fluttershy asked as Twilight shook her head and just smiled. "Anyways it looks like we all have to go here together according to this map. I wonder what's out there." Twilight mentioned as they all agreed. "Let's meet at the train station in an hour everypony." Twilight added as her friends got up to go get their things ready for their big adventure together. Before leaving the map room Twilight looked back and thought, Who or what was that? I've never seen anything like it before... Turning around she trotted out and headed for her own room to get ready for her first mission as the Princess of Friendship.