Day: Thursday
Weather: Sunny
Time: 9:56amHaving a jam session with my friends helped relieve me of stress, yet I still felt unsure about all the problems burdening me. I almost lost it again when Rainbow Dash teased me about the possibility of there being a music competition in the Friendship Games. Couldn't she take things seriously just once!? Rarity changed the subject by showcasing a lot of costumes she made for us to use in the Games, and I do mean a lot. There must have been at least six or seven racks filled with costumes, and I agreed with Applejack in wondering why she made so many in the first place. We each tried on different costumes at Rarity's insistence, yet things suddenly changed when she ponied up without playing her keytar. That made her the third among us who transformed in that manner, and I feared the others would experience their own changes. I thought things would calm down after that, but Rarity's magic suddenly disappeared, and a familiar face entered the music room.
The Other Journal
By Ganondorf8
March 8, 2016
Chapter 63: Closure.
" What did Principal Celestia say about me?" Twilight asked.
" At first, she thought you were Princess Twilight." I answered.
" Really!? How could anyone mistake me for her? I know we both look identical, yet there were obvious differences. I wore a proper school uniform, had my hair knotted up into a bun, and wearing these very glasses because of poor vision." Twilight said. She took her glasses off and waved them in front of my face, her way of proving her point about how no one figured out that she wasn't who we thought she was. As she put them back on, I immediately remembered what happened when Principal Celestia and Principal Cinch showed up at the music room. None of us expected Cinch would mention that Twilight was her best student. That alone should've been the clue to unravel the mystery, yet we simply ignored it and focused our efforts into assuming that she was our friend--my mentor--from Equestria. " I can understand the students not figuring it out, but Principal Celestia being clueless? I'm shocked that she didn't see it right away." Twilight said.
" The idea of someone changing the way they look is normal in this world." I said.
" You think everyone thought I was Princess Twilight, but with a different look?"
" I'll admit the glasses should've tipped us off."
" Does that happen in Equestria?"
" What do you mean?"
" Do ponies confuse each other for someone else?"
" Not exactly. Unlike in this world, most ponies don't really wear clothes. We prefer to live out our lives without the need for accessories, though there are exceptions. Celebrities strut their stuff by wearing costumes--usually made by Rarity--while other well-to-do ponies wear clothes because it's part of their profession. No one complains about ponies who refuse to wear anything; they are the majority living in Equestria." I answered.
" That didn't answer my question."
" I was about to get to that. In Equestria, there exists a race called the Changelings." I said. I had to pause for a few minutes in order to remember everything I learned about those shape-shifters. It had been years since I personally saw one with my own eyes, yet Princess Twilight mentioned several encounters she had with them along with their queen during her responses to my Friendship Reports. To think that Her Highness learned the name of the Changeling Queen by sheer coincidence. Not once did her name appear in any of the books I read while I was Princess Celestia's student, yet many of those authors never got a chance to actually witness the name being uttered. To truly understand how Changelings worked, one had to study them up close, and that meant getting caught wasn't an option. " Does the name sound familiar to you?" I asked.
" Changelings are a mythical race of creatures in fantasy. According to folklore, they are the offspring of fairies, elves, and other creatures of legend that replace human children with themselves in order to be raised appropriately. No one is aware that such a switch had even taken place, and the children taken fulfill various conditions based on what the creatures desire. Some children are taken to be servants, while others are taken to be raised lovingly." Twilight answered.
I wasn't expecting that to be her answer. What she described was not at all related to Equestrian Changelings. I had hoped she understood what they were to an extent so that I wouldn't need to go into full detail, but it appeared that I had no other choice but to explain everything. I knew trying to change the subject was futile with Twilight. Once she heard something new that wasn't in her repertoire of knowledge, she wanted to know every last shred of information. While I admired her for wanting to understand much about a subject, there were some things one shouldn't try to understand. It could become dangerous trying to learn what must remain elusive.
" That's not what Changelings are in Equestria." I said.
" What are they there?"
" Changelings resemble ponies to some degree in that they are four-legged, but they possess insect-like characteristics. They have insect-like wings, insect-like mouths, holes in their legs, no cutie marks, sharp fangs, and no manes. Many ponies believe them to be something from out of one's worst nightmare, yet legends do say they simply came to be through a primordial plant that grew from a corrupted acorn somewhere in a cemetery." I answered.
" Very, uh, morbid." Twilight said.
" Their origin is something I learned during my studies, but also from what Princess Twilight told me about them. Much of what I'm about to tell you is from her experiences; I only encountered them one time, so my knowledge is limited. Anyway, Changelings feed off the love created by ponies in order to become stronger. The role of their queen is to seek out new locations for her subjects where love is particularly strong. They can change into any pony they desire to further spread their evil influence and can easily infiltrate pony society without anyone ever knowing they were there." I said.
" Changelings in folklore also feed on love."
" Really? Well, that's one common connection right there."
" So, the queen does all the work?"
" Her subjects mean everything to her, and she won't rest until they have become powerful enough to conquer Equestria."
" Does she have a name?"
" Chrysalis... Princess Twilight found out her name by overhearing her correcting one of her captives. Her Highness and Chrysalis have a huge animosity towards one another because of what the latter has done in her bid for power. Whenever they see one another, you can be sure that spells will be cast. You see, Chrysalis almost killed Shining Armour--not your version but the pony version--and his fiancé Princess Cadance during their wedding. Princess Twilight has never forgiven such an act and has made it her personal mission to ensure that Chrysalis never threatens Equestria under any circumstances." I answered.
" I didn't think Princess Twilight was capable of bearing a grudge."
" It stems back to before she became a princess." I said. Her Highness, Twilight and I had all experienced personal grudges against those who had caused us harm. For me, it was Princess Celestia refusing to make me an alicorn. It was a resentment I held in my heart for years, but have since overcome it when I finally accepted my lot in life. I could still ascend and become an alicorn like Her Highness had done, but when the proper time comes. Twilight herself bore a grudge against Crystal Prep for how everyone there treated her. By transforming into a demon, she released all that pent-up rage she had repressed for so long and wanted to destroy everything. She may have craved knowledge, but she wanted to bring about destruction and masquerade it as a logical reasoning in the pursuit of learning.
" Okay, so what else did Principal Celestia say about me?" Twilight asked.
" Huh? You don't want to hear more about what the Changelings have done?"
" It's tempting, but it sounds like a lot of it is personal."
" Not for me."
" I know, but it's personal to Princess Twilight. I don't think it's appropriate for me to ask any further questions, yet I'm going to keep the option open whenever I get the opportunity to ask Her Highness again. If anyone should tell me what happened in those additional encounters, she should be the one." Twilight said. I was surprised at her decision to not pursue the history of Changelings, yet I respected her choice. What Her Highness told me was pretty confidential, yet some things she didn't mind me sharing with others; specifically, what happened in that alternate timeline where Chrysalis ruled Equestria. I still don't know how that could've resulted from the famous Sonic Rainboom being denied its rightful existence in Equestrian history, but Her Highness was pretty adamant about it.
" So, what did she say?"
" Principal Celestia thought you were Princess Twilight's twin sister."
" What!?"
" You weren't the only one who thought that."
" Did Vice Principal Luna think I was related to Her Highness?"
" No. It was Pinkie Pie who came up with the whole 'twin sister' idea, yet she believed that Princess Twilight was related to you. When Her Highness first came to CHS--long before you appeared on the scene--she and Pinkie had a discussion that resulted in the theory being created. Remember when I complained about the decorations in the gym and apple cider as the drink of choice before the Fall Formal?" I asked. Twilight nodded her head. At least I didn't have to remind her of that again. " They had that conversation after I left, but it wasn't the only time Pinkie had spouted out something pivotal without warning."
" Oh?"
" Her Highness was going to reveal her true origins to our friends, but Pinkie got to it before she could. Then there's what happened after Principal Cinch left with you in tow. I still don't know how Pinkie does it, but she does, and that's all the satisfaction I need. No point in trying to understand her logic. Also, I had certain feelings about seeing who I thought was my mentor." I answered.
I couldn't believe my eyes! Princess Twilight had made an unexpected appearance at CHS! At least, that's what I thought, until I realized that something was wrong. When this person who came into the music room raised her head, my friends and I were surprised that our friend had appeared. For them, it had been several months since they last saw her; I had seen her two weeks prior. I ignored the fact that she was wearing an entirely different uniform compared with what she had worn during her previous visits. I also ignored at how she reacted upon seeing us. If this person had been Her Highness, she would've run toward us and embraced us. Instead, she looked confused at the staring eyes looking at her, the confusion on her face clearly obvious.
Rarity was the one who made me come to the realization that this girl wasn't Twilight but rather her human counterpart. When she asked why she was wearing those clothes, she didn't answer but instead mentioned liking her glasses. Her Highness had never once worn glasses during any of her previous visits. A thought came to me. What if she had worn contact lenses during those other times? This time, she wanted to wear glasses for reasons known only to her. The only problem with that theory was that Her Highness' eyesight was never called into question. I never asked if her eyes ever gave her trouble. Also, I don't believe contacts of that nature exist in Equestria. Ponies usually had pretty strong vision, though some would succumb to eye problems during the early years of their lives.
Perhaps the biggest clue was what this Twilight said afterwards. Fluttershy was curious as to what her uniform was all about, and she answered by saying Crystal Prep. I didn't know that students who attended there wore uniforms. The moment she said that, I knew she wasn't Princess Twilight. I never would've imagined that a human version of Her Highness existed in this world. Did it mean that there was a human version of me running around somewhere? That thought wasn't important, yet I kept it in the back of my mind. This version of Twilight appeared much more meek, like she lacked confidence in her own abilities.
Another thing that bothered me was how she knew exactly where to find us. I assumed this Twilight had never been to CHS before, yet she was able to pinpoint our location without any trouble. Did she ask some other students beforehand? Maybe, but that didn't seem likely. She probably didn't know anyone, and given her timidity, I doubt she felt the courage to ask. Was it luck that enabled her to find us? That was a possibility, yet I wasn't a believer in relying on luck. I then noticed she was wearing some kind of pendant around her neck. It certainly looked different from a typical pendant, and it gave off a powerful magical aura that only I sensed. Was this Twilight capable of using magic? That seemed likely, and it was also my worst fear come to life. I feared someone from this world would attempt to control Equestrian magic and fail to fathom its power.
My ears picked up the sound of two individuals making their way towards the music room. One of them was Principal Celestia, and the other was Principal Cinch. Why were the two of them coming this way? Had they discovered this Twilight was missing and had gone to search for her? Or, perhaps it involved that conversation I witnessed between them while staring out the window? In any case, this situation was about to become hectic. I planned on saying something, but Rainbow Dash beat me to the punch. I knew she was going to make things worse than they already were. Rainbow meant well, but her choice of words often backfired.
" I'm sorry, but what did you just say?" Rainbow Dash asked.
" I said, Crystal Prep." Twilight answered.
" Funny. That's what I thought you said."
" I'm not sure I understand why the name of the school I attend is important."
" Why would you attend Crystal Prep!?"
" Um, because my parents paid a lot of money to get me into it?"
" Last time you were here, you practically became a CHS student. I know you're not technically one of us, but we still treated you like family."
" But, this is the first time I've ever been here. I came here on the bus with my fellow students, and decided to... um... take a good look around this facility to see what it has to offer in comparison. Everyone I encountered in the hallways acted as though they've seen me before. That made no sense to me at all. How could you know someone whose never stepped foot in this part of Canterlot?" Twilight asked.
" Are you serious?" Rainbow Dash asked.
" Yes."
" Yeah, right! That's a good one, Twilight! I didn't think you had it in you to pull off this prank on us." Rainbow Dash said. Somehow, I knew that this wasn't a joke. This Twilight clearly wasn't who we thought she was, and her personal experiences around school proved it. I wanted to prove myself wrong in case Rainbow was right about her trying to have a laugh at our expense, but it was slowly becoming apparent that I was right.
Gazing upon this other Twilight, she didn't have the majestic grace of Her Highness. The Twilight I knew was confident in her abilities and wasn't shy about expressing her feelings about anything. The one standing in front of us was nervous and had a desire to be somewhere else. My friends continued looking at her with both curiosity and surprise. Did they still believe her to be who they thought? I knew the truth, or at least what I assumed was the truth.
" I'm telling you the truth." Twilight said.
" Okay! I think you oughta calm down, and Rainbow oughta back off and give you some space." Applejack said.
" Thank you. At least you appear to be reasonable."
" I can tell upon first glance that you're tellin' me the truth. You really don't know why everyone here thinks you're who they think you are. Now, I don't understand what the hay is goin' on, but I'm more interested in how y'all managed to track us down to this room." Applejack said.
" Ah, um, that."
" You claim that you've never been here before, yet how did you know exactly where to find us?"
" I tried asking around, but everyone kept saying hello, as I mentioned."
" But, there's more to it than that, isn't there?"
" Well..."
" No point in tryin' to hide the truth from me. Everyone who talks to me face-to-face always ends up tellin' me the truth. Try as they might, they ain't never been able to tell a lie without trippin' themselves up. I believe you stumbled onto this room by accident, yet you were brought here by somethin'." Applejack said. I looked at the other Twilight, and she immediately went limp. She was definitely hiding something, and she was trying her hardest not to reveal it. Her efforts in trying to come up with an excuse would prove ineffective. Once someone looked Applejack in the eyes, it was impossible not to confess the truth. " Well, I'm waitin' for an answer. I know you're thinkin' of somethin' to get yourself out of this conversation, but I reckon you've got no other choice but to tell us what's going on."
" Why do I have to tell you anything?" Twilight asked.
" What do you mean?"
" You haven't said anything about what you are all doing, so I do have the right not to tell you."
" I guess that's true."
" Oh, come on!" Rainbow Dash shouted.
" She's right about not havin' to tell us her business."
" First, you tell her that she has to tell you the truth, and now, you're saying she doesn't? Make up your mind, Applejack! Here! Why don't you let me take care of things while you go and help Rarity back onto her feet." Rainbow Dash said. I didn't know what kind of methods Rainbow planned on using to get Twilight to say anything, but a miracle came to her in the form of her companion. He suddenly decided to pop his head out from her backpack, yet it only served to cause even more confusion.
" Spike!" Rarity and Fluttershy said.
" You know my dog's name too?" Twilight asked.
" Of course we know who he is, darling." Rarity answered.
" But, that's impossible." Twilight said. The strange thing was that Spike didn't utter a single word. Instead, he chose simply to bark. He was either pretending to be a dog in order to maintain his hidden identity as a dragon, or he really was a dog. I would later find out through Fluttershy that this Spike was a dog who bore an exact resemblance to Princess Twilight's assistant. That was why my friends and I were so confused. Before we could further question what was going on, the footsteps I heard earlier finally stopped, and standing in front of the music room's door was Principal Celestia. She appeared shocked at seeing Twilight, yet my eyes were fixated on Principal Cinch, and she didn't appear to be amused with what was happening in front of her.
I had only seen her from either a distance or heard about her from what Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna had said about her, yet now, I was seeing her up close. She definitely looked intimidating, what with that serious expression and her cold aura. No wonder other schools across Canterlot feared her. Just looking at how Cinch observed every last detail using those hawkish eyes of hers was unsettling. No wonder students at Crystal Prep acted like stuck-up jerks. She was always watching their every move and made sure they never stepped out of line. I was looking at the one person who was the complete opposite of who I was. What was perhaps the weirdest thing, though, is that she wasn't from Equestria. She was a full-fledged human.
" Twilight!?" Principal Celestia said.
" Yes, that's me." Twilight answered.
" I didn't know that you came back to us, but why are you wearing that uniform?"
" Why does everyone keep asking me about that? This is getting ridiculous."
" It's just that I've never seen you wearing it before, and it had me curious about the sudden change."
" This is what I always wear while at school."
" I must apologize for the curiosity of my prized student." Principal Cinch announced. Her voice was calm, reassuring, and all-around creepy. The moment she started talking, everyone turned towards her and remained silent. It was like she had gone into a den of newly-born pups and they all stopped to pay attention to her commands. Did my opinion of her change after this? No. I still believed her to be a problem for her students.
" What do you mean 'your student'?" Principal Celestia asked.
" She is the shining beacon of Crystal Prep."
" The what?"
" I thought it prudent to use a metaphor that would make sense to you, but it appears that I was misguided about your intellect. Twilight Sparkle here is the best student my academy has ever produced and is the secret weapon the Shadowbolts shall rely on to win the Friendship Games." Principal Cinch answered.
" But, she is a student--well, technically--of CHS."
" Really, now! It seems that you are so desperate to finally end the losing streak that you make up false beliefs in order to give your students hope. I am not surprised by your abhorrent behaviour, but perhaps I shall humour you a little. Twilight has been attending Crystal Prep these past three years and has received instant recognition from the top universities across the city and beyond. What has Canterlot High produced to receive such a distinction? The answer is obvious, so I will not explain it to you. There is no doubt in my mind that she will go far in her future career." Principal Cinch said.
" Then how do you explain her presence here?"
" Yes, I must admit that I was a little surprised to see her here. Perhaps one of your students would like to explain what my prized student is doing in here and not checking in like she was supposed to when we arrived?" Principal Cinch asked. My friends and I remained quiet. The truth was, we had no idea why this Twilight had come to see us. We would figure out later that she had followed Rarity's magic through her pendant, but at that time, we were just as much in the dark as Cinch was. " Judging from your lack of a response, you do not possess an answer. You six seem different from most Canterlot High students I have seen, but pay me no mind."
" Do you have an answer as to why your student is here?" Principal Celestia asked.
" Curiosity."
" Excuse me?"
" Curiosity, the pursuit of knowledge, the urge to understand something that compels you to investigate. No doubt that Twilight's curiosity compelled her to come to this very room and to speak to these six students. Like I said, they are different from most other students. The smart ones are always curious. They cannot help but sate their minds with questions in the hopes of finding answers to them. Such intellectuals end up losing track of what is important in their pursuit of knowledge." Principal Cinch answered.
" What will you do?"
" I shall return her to check in with the rest of her classmates."
" Then I guess your tour of the school is over."
" Indeed it is. Much of what you have shown remains the same as it did when I last visited four years ago, yet these six students show tremendous promise. There is something about them that sparks intrigue. Perhaps after all these years, Canterlot High finally produced ideal students who have promising futures? You must be pleased with your efforts, Principal Celestia, yet their true test shall begin once the Games start tomorrow." Principal Cinch said.
She then placed her hand on Twilight's back and began pushing in order to make her walk forward. Both of them then turned the corner and were gone. My friends and I had no words to describe what had just happened. Cinch had essentially insulted CHS by questioning Principal Celestia's integrity and saying that the students had no futures compared with her own students. I knew Rainbow Dash wanted to say something, but Applejack quickly covered her mouth to prevent her from making things worse. Celestia simply stood there for a moment without saying anything. She had grown adjusted to Cinch's mannerisms, but had she finally been pushed too far?
" Are you okay?" I asked.
" I'm alright, Sunset, but I take it you've never met Principal Cinch before?" Principal Celestia asked.
" All I've known was from what you and your sister discussed and from looking at her from outside the music room's window."
" What you witnessed just now was pretty tame compared with what I've personally experienced."
" How can someone like that be a principal?"
" Despite her mannerisms, she has produced the best students Canterlot has ever seen. That is enough to convince parents that her methods are effective, so they send their children to Crystal Prep in hopes that they she will mold them into sheer perfection. Enrollment at Crystal Prep has reached an all-time high within these past months, yet the same can't be said about CHS. We've had a decrease lately, what with the magical problems that plagued us late last year." Principal Celestia answered. Hearing her say that broke my heart. My actions in bringing Princess Twilight's crown to this world had caused a terrible effect towards the school that had finally accepted me for who I was. I felt guilty for causing so much agony towards those who forgave me. " Now, I need one of you to answer a question for me."
" What is it?" I asked.
" That student was Twilight Sparkle, wasn't it?"
" Not exactly."
" Oh? Perhaps her twin sister? Strange that she never mentioned anything about her before, but who am I to question someone's private life? Still, I didn't know Twilight had a twin sister all this time. The resemblance is uncanny, yet you can see the differences between them." Principal Celestia said.
" Um, well, you see..."
" She doesn't! That Twilight is obviously the Twilight from this world since it couldn't possibly be the Twilight from the pony world since the Twilight from the pony world doesn't go to Crystal Prep or wear glasses." Pinkie Pie announced. Once again, she uttered something completely out there without any of us knowing. She had also meticulously said what I was about to mention, but without any refinement.
Looking at Principal Celestia, she appeared confused with what Pinkie said, and I couldn't agree more.
" What do you mean by that, Pinkie Pie?" Principal Celestia asked.
" Our Twilight possesses magic, and that one doesn't."
" Okay?"
" The Twilight of this world wears glasses to help out her eyesight, yet our Twilight has perfect vision."
" Never mind."
" I thought you wanted to understand?"
" Perhaps it's for the best that I don't find out what you mean. In any case, I must get back to work. This day just went from normal to bizarre within a matter of minutes. I trust you will make sure to keep your magic and any other magic under control." Principal Celestia answered, looking directly at me. She walked away, leaving us to try and understand what had transpired. The Twilight Sparkle who we had encountered was from this world and appeared to be our enemy in the Friendship Games. Yet, something bothered me about that. I sensed that she felt upset about Cinch labeling her as the best.
While Cinch was praising her, Twilight looked miserable. I didn't know why she felt that way, considering her status as the best student at her school. Perhaps, she wanted to get away from there and into a more accepting atmosphere. Why anyone from Crystal Prep desired to get away from such an institution was beyond me. If I had gotten the opportunity, I'd have talked to Twilight in order to understand just who she really was. However, that never came, as she was always around the other Shadowbolts. The only problem my idea had was that my friends wouldn't have liked the idea of me trying to befriend someone from the other team. They were too confused that two Twilights existed in their world.
I felt the same way, and I wanted to find answers.
" Pinkie said that!?" Twilight asked.
" She based her assumption on your glasses and where you attended." I answered.
" No wonder Principal Celestia was confused. I mean, not because of seeing someone she thought was someone else, but rather by what Pinkie said. I do feel bad that she had to remind you to keep the magic under control." Twilight said.
" It was a decision she and Vice Principal Luna agreed on. She didn't want to say anything at first, since her sister was more direct with giving out requests, but I think seeing what happened at that moment convinced her to be more direct as well. It made me feel even worse than I already was. I knew I had a lot of expectations riding on me, from making sure that CHS prevailed over Crystal Prep to solving the magic problem. Pressure became a constant problem for me." I answered.
" I also liked your opinion of Principal Cinch."
" All I ever heard was from what others talked about and from looking at her from a distance. I wanted to base my own conclusions on what I saw up close. I didn't think of her as a monster but rather as a harsh taskmaster who watched everyone's actions in the hopes of looking for a weakness to exploit. Despite everything she's done to you and the other students of Crystal Prep, she does know how to maintain a calm demeanour." I said.
" That's one of her more charming qualities."
" Do you still view her in a positive light?"
" Despite her actions, Principal Cinch was responsible for giving me the best education around. If not for her, I wouldn't have been able to advance so far in my studies. For that, she deserves some sympathy." Twilight answered. In a strange twist, Cinch was like a surrogate mother to Twilight. She helped her acquire everything she needed to obtain an ideal education, but was stern with her approach. Someone like that wouldn't take any nonsense from students she thought weren't up to snuff. Twilight must have been really special to be doted on so much, even though she was viewed negatively by others.
Princess Celestia was a lot like Cinch, in that she was also a surrogate mother. At times, she made sure to help me with exactly what I needed, but much of the time, she chose a hands-off approach and insisted that I handled a problem on my own. Princess Twilight can easily vouch for me on that, as she had her own experiences with Princess Celestia when she became her student. I'm not sure why anyone would task a filly to care for a baby dragon, but Her Highness never forgot the stress of having to juggle the responsibility of caring for an innocent baby and her future career. Did Princess Celestia make us both suffer to make us understand something? Or, was she trying to supress her own stress from what happened with Princess Luna by tasking her students with monumental responsibilities?
Maybe that's one of the reasons why I wanted to strike out on my own. I believed myself to be worthy of ruling because of a superiority complex spawned from being neglected by my family, but there was more to it than that. Princess Celestia kept on giving me unfair tasks that no filly should ever experience at that age. She showed compassion but mainly wanted to cover her own guilt. A combination of my own neglect and her denial took me down the path that made me a monster, yet my own problems far outweighed what she contributed.
" Everyone deserves some sympathy." I said.
" Thinking about your past again?"
" Something like that."
" Perhaps we should move on."
" Yeah."
" What happened next? I know that you and I met again by the Wondercolt statue where that unfortunate thing happened."
" I wrote that down in my journal, yet I had a discussion with our friends about discovering who you were."
We were all fooled. The person who we thought was Princess Twilight--our friend, my mentor--was in fact the Twilight Sparkle from this world. Of all the humanized versions of ponies I had seen since first coming to this world, I never expected to see her.
Unlike Her Highness, this version of her was the best student at Crystal Prep, and that essentially made her our enemy. At least, that's what my friends and my peers saw: a gifted intellectual who would bring her school victory. I viewed this Twilight in a different light. I saw her trapped in a world that tried to force her into doing something she didn't like. I could tell something was wrong.
The moment Principal Cinch appeared with Principal Celestia, she went from nervous to downright uncomfortable. Did Twilight not like being at her school even though she was their best? Perhaps she was more afraid of Cinch than she was letting on? Or, maybe the idea of being the best was too much for her to handle, and she's experiencing an incredible amount of stress? These were just a few questions that were plaguing my mind. Many more remained, yet I had no intention of waiting for them. I wanted to know those answers right away.
My encounter with this other Twilight also confirmed that Her Highness had yet to respond to my two previous messages. What could be happening in Equestria that was preventing her from answering? It also meant keeping my friends in the dark about the meeting I had with her. It pained me to not share that secret with them, but I didn't want them to think I was planning on leaving this world and going back home. That was still on my mind, the thought of leaving, yet my obligations to the Wondercolts remained strong. Would it be enough to convince me to stay, or to return to Equestria?
Once we had all changed out of our costumes, we left the music room, and walked down the hallways until we were in the one that connected with the main foyer. We had been walking in complete silence, until Rarity decided to finally break that. We were all annoyed with the other Twilight going to Crystal Prep, but I was taking it especially personally.
" I can't believe our world's Twilight goes to Crystal Prep!" Rarity said.
" I know, right? Of all the schools across Canterlot, why did it have to be that one?" Rainbow Dash asked.
" That's not exactly what I meant, darling."
" Okay, then what?"
" When we saw that other Twilight wearing that repugnant uniform, I thought she was trying to play a joke on us, but when Principal Cinch confirmed that she was the best student at Crystal Prep, our joy quickly joined to sorrow. She could very well be on the Shadowbolts in the Games tomorrow instead of a spectator." Rarity answered.
" Reckon she's gonna be on their team one way or another." Applejack said.
" You're saying that Twilight's gonna play against us? She'd never do that!" Rainbow Dash said.
" Our Twilight wouldn't." Fluttershy added.
" But that's just it, dear. That isn't our Twilight." Rarity said.
" I know, Rarity. Our Twilight would never want to face off against us under any circumstances. We've become so close. Why, the idea of her fighting us is just unthinkable. As for the Twilight who paid us a visit earlier, I'm not sure what to think." Fluttershy said.
" That could become a problem." Applejack said.
" If push comes to shove, we'll take her down!" Rainbow Dash said.
" Our Twilight is a princess in Equestria and an expert in friendship magic!" I shouted, causing my friends to suddenly look in my direction. The stress deep within my heart combined with their bickering finally took its toll on me. I wanted to say something in a calm fashion, but instead I shouted out my frustration with everything that had been happening in the last couple of days. " And if she was here, we'd have already figured out why magic is randomly popping up during pep rallies and costume changes." I then looked at my friends before realizing that I had vented out in anger against them, and they didn't deserve to be treated as such.
If there was one salvation to be had, it was that I didn't mention anything about wanting to return home. There was enough on my mind without dragging that into a problem that continued to expand with every passing moment. My temper still proved to be my biggest weakness. I had reformed, yes, but the resentment of my failures in life continued to manifest itself in the form of my temper. No matter how hard I tried, it was difficult for me not to rely on anger to help me come to grips with a problem. " Sorry. I'm just frustrated that I haven't heard back from her." I said.
" Whatever are you talking about?" Rarity asked.
" Huh? Did I just--" I answered before cutting myself off. I couldn't believe that I made such an obvious blunder. I didn't want my friends to know that Her Highness hadn't responded back to me, twice, yet it seemed I got caught within my own little white lie.
" Sunset? Is there somethin' you ain't tellin' us?" Applejack asked.
" I might as well come clean." I answered, sighing heavily and looking dejected. " Princess Twilight hasn't been responding to my messages lately, and it's starting to make me feel worried that something has gone wrong in Equestria. I didn't want to tell any of you about it, because you'd have insisted on me going there and bring her back. You know what will happen to me if I return home, right? You know, banishment to the desolate wastes and all that?"
" You thought we couldn't handle it?" Applejack asked.
" Pretty much."
" You've gotta give us more credit than that, Sunset. We're always worried about Twilight, but we'd never force you to do something you don't like." Rainbow Dash said.
" Really?"
" Well, duh!" Pinkie Pie answered.
" Thanks, guys."
" Glad we got that sorted out so easily. Now, what did you say in your messages to Twilight?" Applejack asked. I told her that the first message was about how she was doing regarding her presentation, and the other was about helping me deal with Rainbow Dash ponying up during the pep rally earlier. I made sure not to mention anything about meeting Her Highness prior to sending those messages. That was a private matter I wanted to remain a secret for the time being. " Yeah. I can understand the need to ask Twilight about what Rainbow Dash did. We all thought it was pretty darn amazin' until we realized what kind of effect it had on you."
" I'm still worried about what might have happened." I said.
" She's a princess in Equestria. Probably got problems of her own to deal with."
" I know, but I can't help but think she could be in danger."
" Nothin' wrong with worryin' 'bout her, yet you need to remember that Twilight is a grown woman who can take care of herself. After all, we've all seen the kinds of things she's done 'round here to restore friendship back to CHS. Don't forget you've been receivin' messages from her through that journal of yours. You know more about what she's been up to than the rest of us." Applejack said.
" We certainly can't expect her to drop everything and pop through the portal whenever. Especially if it's to deal with something as minor as a few random pony-ups. You've often told us that she has important duties that she must attend to as a princess." Rarity added.
" I'm not sure I'd call them 'minor'." I said.
" Whatever do you mean?"
" Magic came into this world when I stole Twilight's crown. Even now, after all this time, I continue to blame myself for coming here with it in my possession. Despite not having their full power, the Sirens' presence here didn't matter until I used Her Highness' crown to become a monster." I answered.
" So, wouldn't that mean the one who created the portal brought magic here?" Fluttershy asked. It was Star Swirl the Bearded who originally created the mirror Princess Twilight and I used to come to this world, yet he only ever used it once to banish the Sirens. Without their magic, they were relatively harmless until I returned from Equestria with the crown. If my priorities had been different, magic would be nothing more than a child's fantasy, not a pandemic waiting to spread.
" Even so, I've had to take responsibility for my actions despite how difficult it's been, yet it did give me something I never had before. It gave me friendship for the first time in my life, but it wasn't easy for me. It's taken a lot for me to earn everyone's trust though the Battle of the Bands, and the holidays almost destroyed what I was trying to do. That trust could easily be broken again because of the magic problem. If we have to forfeit the games because I can't think of a way to keep it under control..." I answered, trailing off as I slumped my back against a nearby locker. My mind was fixated on what could become an absolute disaster for both myself and this world. The magic was already unpredictable, so allowing it to get worse... the very thought frightened me to my core.
" Oh, Sunset, I'm sure you'll be able to figure things out." Fluttershy said.
" So far, it's not going very well."
" You're the one who helped us understand what was goin' on with the sirens. Remember?" Applejack asked.
" I guess. But Twilight was the one who really figured out what we needed to defeat them. All I did was offer emotional support and try hard not to interfere in things I didn't understand. Granted, I clued in on what they were doing before the rest of you, but that was because they possessed magic. I can sense it better than all of you combined. Still, give credit to Her Highness for always being able to solve a problem." I answered.
" But, don't you remember, darling? What we needed to defeat them was you." Rarity said, using her finger to push a loose strand of my hair back into place.
" All right. You made your point." I said. My friends started to cheer for having made me feel better, yet something was still on my mind. I wanted to go outside to the statue to reflect on things, but I knew they wouldn't let me go off alone. Fortunately, Rainbow Dash brought up a suggestion that gave me the perfect opportunity.
She insisted on us going to see if we could find out anything about the events for the Friendship Games. I told her that I would catch up in a bit, and that satisfied her. The moment my friends were out of sight, I walked outside and gazed upon the Wondercolt statue. It truly was an amazing piece of work, and at one time, I actually mocked everyone for being inspired by it. Now, I saw it for what it truly was: a symbol of school pride. Sadly, my gaze was marred by the yellow-and-black buses belonging to Crystal Prep. I was surprised they were still out on the front lawn.
I took out my magic journal and opened it up to empty pages. I thought Princess Twilight might have responded to my messages while I was talking with my friends, but the lack of text on the pages indicated that I was mistaken. " Still no reply. What could be going on back home? I know Applejack told me not to worry so much, but I can't stand not knowing whether Her Highness is safe or not. It's strange that I'm so worried about her. In the past, she was concerned about my own safety. How the times have changed since then." I said to myself, splitting my attention between my journal and the statue.
Then I felt a strange surge coming from my heart. It was compelling me to go through the portal and return to Equestria in order to find Her Highness. With that in mind, I took a few steps forward, only to stop and rethink things. I could go back and find her, but what if I wanted to go back and leave all of this behind? The stress from trying to solve the magic problem had taken its toll on me, both physically and mentally. In Equestria, I wouldn't have such stress affecting me. I could go home, accept my punishment, and never have to worry about anything in this world ever again. Yet, doing that would be the coward's way out. I couldn't abandon my friends after all we've been through. Plus, Princess Twilight's vouch might not be enough, and I might just be exiled to the desolate wastes.
My decision was simple. I would tell them what I was truly feeling about my desire to go back.
Walking forward until I stood right in front of the statue, I could hear the sound of something humming coming from the other side, but I paid no attention to it. I just thought it was someone's cellphone. If I had known now what I didn't then, I would've gone around to that side and prevented what was about to happen next. After thinking it over for a few moments, I decided that I needed to go through the portal and find Her Highness. Despite what my heart was telling me, I wanted to do this in the name of national security and friendship. The instant my hand touched the portal, I could feel something pulling my magic through the marble and to the other side.
" Hey, let go!" I shouted, struggling to break free of whatever was pulling me. Eventually, after pulling back against this unknown force, I broke free and landed on my butt, but at the same time, I heard the sound of Twilight going through the same thing. I knew she would be out here in order to check in, but what was she doing around the statue? Quickly rising to my feet and racing around to where I heard her fall down, I noticed her pendant crackling electricity. " What did you do!?"
" Um..." Twilight answered.
" Answer me!"
" Well, the thing is..."
" Twilight, you have to check in with the others."
I didn't know who said that, but Twilight immediately got up and ran off before I could get an answer from her. My only thought was trying to figure out what she might have done to the statue. Looking at it from every possible angle, it seemed okay, but appearances were deceptive. Physically, the statue remained intact, so Twilight trying to play some kind of prank in an effort to annoy CHS was a nonissue. The only thing left to do was to make sure the portal was still working. Placing my hand onto the statue again, I was shocked to learn that nothing happened. I placed my hand on it again. Nothing happened. I tried a third time, and still, nothing happened.
" Where's the portal? Where's the portal!?" I shouted.
Even now, I still don't know how she managed to pull it off, but she did. My worst fear had been realized. The portal had been taken away from me, and it wasn't caused by anything from the other side in Equestria. The many times I hesitated over going back because of being punished came back to haunt me. I could've gone home at any time, and now, that opportunity had been taken away. I was forever trapped in this world. While my friends would've been thrilled over that, I was just devastated. Once it became apparent that I wasn't going back home, I slumped to the ground, placed both hands on the statue and slowly wept.
It seemed I would never be able to go back to Equestria.
Placing a bookmark into the journal, closing it, and setting it aside, I took out my bottle of apple cider and chugged some of it down. That was one of the more taxing parts of the journal thus far, and my throat didn't appreciate me going to such great lengths. Looking at where the bookmark was situated among the pages, I knew there wasn't much left to go, and that meant coming to terms with how I was planning on revealing this information to my other friends. When I first started reading to Twilight, my mind was fixated on just letting her know how I truly felt about the events and people in my life. Among my friends, she was the only one I could view as a trusted confidant. When it comes time for me to finally reveal my deepest secrets, I'm hoping Twilight will be there to give me as much support as possible.
I then felt something bump into my shoulder before it began pressing hard. I turned my eyes and noticed Twilight had slumped her head into my shoulder. I was expecting her to be crying over how she had acted during the incident involving the portal, but instead, she simply kept her head there without making a sound.
Was she sleeping? I didn't hear any snoring, so what else could it be?
" Twilight? Are you okay?" I asked.
" I'm so sorry that I took away the one thing that allowed you to go back home." Twilight answered.
" I'll admit that it did shock me, and for a while, I was freaking out, but I eventually came to terms with the fact that I was stuck here until I figured out what happened. I knew you had done something, but I never thought to suspect that pendant had drained the magic of the portal. It does explain why it opened up random portals all over the place after you absorbed the magic of our friends, excluding Rarity and me." I said. Twilight lifted her head from my shoulder and looked at me with a puzzled expression. Did she not understand why her pendant was opening up multiple portals that lead to different parts of Equestria? I suppose she wouldn't have figured out something that complex. After all, the pendant probably wasn't designed to absorb interdimensional magic.
" It does?"
" Your pendant was designed to absorb anomalies, according to what you said, but the portal contained a magic far greater--and also more unpredictable--than the magic that exists in this world. Princess Twilight has often told me that the portal was unstable because of how ancient the spell used to create it was. It's possible that one day, it could simply fall apart and never work again, but I hope that never happens." I answered.
" But, Her Highness created her own version of the portal."
" And used Star Swirl the Bearded's method of creating it, combined with a little ingenuity of her own."
" So, it's still unstable?"
" Yes."
" No wonder you never attempted to return to Equestria while the portal was in its original form of stasis, even after it was altered by Princess Twilight. The high risk of going from one dimension to another is pretty evident, from what you said. If something happened that caused the portal to shut down while you were in the transition phase, you could end up wiping yourself out of existence. Or, you could be flung into another dimension with no chance of escape." Twilight said. I found it cute that she was able to apply both a scientific and logical reasoning to something that was created through arcane magic. It showed me that she was understanding magic by applying her own studies and figuring things out. " By the way, did I ever absorb your magic? I never once saw you pony up like our friends."
" I think you took my magic along with the portal."
" It didn't upset you, did it?"
" Nah. I got used to having no magic long ago. Our friends were a different story, however. They felt like a big part of them had suddenly disappeared. Of course, it's only a temporary problem. Magic can only been taken away for a short period of time before it comes back. Only through extreme measures can it be taken permanently, and that knowledge is strictly forbidden for any pony to learn. Not even I wanted to go that far when I had my mean streak." I answered.
" Okay, so where do we go from here?" Twilight asked.
" Later that night, we had the party to celebrate the two schools coming together."
" I missed a part of it due to Pinkie dragging me away."
" It was pretty dull until she changed things."
" Everyone started getting along when she did change things."
" Before I focus on what I was doing during the party, I'll tell you what I had to tell my friends about what I had been keeping from them."