Pinkie Pie and Twilight Sparkle waved goodbye to Twinkle Starlight and Twilight Sunshine as the vial’s effects wore off, causing the cottage to vanish from their eyes as they vanish from Twinkle and Sunshine’s eyes. However, Twinkle ran off and followed them, drinking the antidote along the way. This surprised Twilight and Pinkie as they were halfway to Firea’s abandoned city.
“What are you doing here, Twinkle?” Twilight asked. “I thought—”
“You girls won’t survive very long if you both were to face a Sith that fast,” Twinkle warned. “I’m going with you as Hollander Cross.”
“That’s a human name,” Pinkie noticed.
“Ironically it is,” Twinkle— I mean, Cross told them. “Call me Silver Cross. That’ll surprise him. Now, where were we going? The Pylon Tower, yes?”
Twilight nodded. “Let’s go, Suvivia Team! Wait, that’s a weird name.”
“Not exactly,” Cross told them. “Just get on with it.”
As soon as they stepped on the tower grounds, Twilight found her friends, Princess Celestia, Mar, and “Starswirl” staring back. The first thing their friends didn’t recognize from Twilight and Pinkie was that they wore what Cross called Cross Compasses. They were simple compass lockets which were enchanted to protect them. A long explanation short, anti-evil.
All of them noticed Starswirl glaring at the compasses while Twilight ignited her purple-bladed lightsaber and pointed at Starswirl.
“I sense darkness in you,” Twinkle called as she pointed him as well.
“Me? Why me?” Starswirl asked. “I’ve done nothing wrong!”
“I don’t think so,” Pinkie replied, walking towards Starswirl.
Starswirl was trembling. Pinkie went closer until she was too close and close enough that her compass was only a milimeter away from touching Starswirl. Twinkle immediately recognized what Pinkie did and ran to get her away…
*CLINK*
A flash of darkness engulfed Starswirl, much to everypony’s shock. Pinkie backed off, her compass broken and the enchantment faded. They dismissed Pinkie as they checked on Starswirl who was now in a different human form, which Mar was shocked to see. He immediately drew his lightsaber only to get slammed away into an avandoned building. Celestia backed off as well as the other four while Pinkie, Twilight, and Cross faced the Sith.
“Meltor Ryn!” Cross called.
The human that was onced Starswirl smirked.
“Hello, sister.” The human jump-charged on Cross while igniting his own red-bladed lightsaber. “I hope you’re ready to meet father!”
“Not if I have to say about it!” Cross answered as she Force-blocked the attack while drawing her own lightsaber. “Why are you doing this?”
Meltor answered by slashing which was blocked by Twilight. Pinkie ignited her lightsaber and swung her blade, only to be blocked by the same blade.
Meanwhile, one cannot simply describe a lightsaber battle without making its scenes on an animation tool. As I watched them battle, I found something that was peculiar. Twilight Sparkle’s Cross Compass was glowing in eight colors every time she striked.
What is going on down there?
“This is Pinkie, and I guess… This will be my first and final message for my girls there. I… I don’t have much to explain, but since you’re here, let me tell you some insights before we go.
“One, all six of us won’t remember this adventure. I don’t know why it was needed, but apparently it was a side-effect after the ticket used to enter was destroyed. Things couldn’t get worse, right? I have seven lives. Apparently another side-effect of entering Dream Realms, or not since Twilight told me that we had it. But don’t take it as a reincarnation thing within Equestria. It means seven different lives as seven different species. Heh, we are really lucky to be ponies then. It also makes sense, Twilight becomes a Princess! Of course, that’s the whole timeline unexplored.
“I… I made this message in case that somepony, or someone, killed me and this recording was heard and seen by another me. I… It’s hard to explain, but it’s plausible, you know? It’s me, being me.
“One of the things I have learned that this was my fourth life. I don’t exactly remember myself as other species, but it does make sense since I can go random at times. I must’ve been some sort of stretchy alien, a baker, a farmer, and/or a fortune teller. Heh, I wouldn’t be surprised if I was all of them during my life as a human girl! Actually, that sounds stupid.
“Speaking of stupid, do not ever take my items, especially the broken locket. It’s a remembrance. Even if… If… If something happens, like something is drawn to my items, don’t ignore. Who knows, you might be me all the time.
“I really wish the others were here. Pinkie out.”
“I’m sure why I should do this. It’s weird. Oh, it’s already recording? Seriously? Okay… My name is Twilight Sparkle, and I’m recording this in case that I die. Well, sort of. I know I can’t just die… Whatever. To whoever that can received this, I can just say that it’s either you are me, or you are someone with my spirit. Seven lives, I have. Seven species. Hmm.”
Cross was stabbed after a few minutes of blocking. Twilight and Pinkie watched in horror as Meltor smiled as Cross fell to the floor. Twilight quickly came to her aid while Pinkie charged at the unsuspicious Sith, causing the Sith to vanish into the shadows. Twilight looked at Cross as she dies.
“Stay alive Twinkle,” she told her. “You can do this.”
Cross weakly chuckled. “‘There is no death, there is the Force.’ That’s what they told me. But there is something within me that cannot simply be killed,” she told her. “I am the Stargazer of the Fiftieth Degree, the Stationist of 17, and a crazy unicorn mare with a knack for getting into trouble.”
“Don’t say that, kiddo,” Pinkie told her. “We may have known each other for a rough total of five months, or a day, but that doesn’t mean you should die the next day…”
“It’s okay, auntie,” she told Pinkie. “Besides you girls will see me again back there.” She pointed towards the broken doorway where a swirling mass of green was seen.
“What’s with it anyway?” Twilight asked as she looked at the swirling mass. “Is that…”
“Equestria.” She coughed. “You two need to leave, now. Take all your friends, it’s your chance…”
“Chance of what? Losing our progress?” Pinkie asked.
Cross slightly shook her head. “Chance of… the timeline… broken book… the nineteen chapters…” Cross began to turn into dust. “Sorry…”
Her body was now dust which flew towards the swirling mass. All that was left was Cross’s uniquely crafted lightsaber and a…notebook? Twilight took the notebook and began to read. She was shocked to learn that it was her diary, and all of the entries were about Twilight Sparkle, and apparently Cross— er… Twinkle had been tracking progress on her book. She blinked as she reached the final entry.
The days are over. The timeline is secure. Marrum, Synnir, and Evangeliña broke the main cycle along with the Dreamer Squad. Destroia is freeing itself and the true enemies are showing itself.
When death comes first,
All orders will thirst.
Altaris, Discordia, Orisis, Illyria
Free me from this loop!
Save me from repeated death!
Doctor…I guess this is my last entry as a Jedi Stargazer. I wonder what would be next… a pony? Heh. Jedi was my seventh. I guess I will be a pony, then an eagle, then an elf, a wizard, sorceress, a regular human, and then a cyborg. First six. Whatever now.
Twilight blinked as she faced the swirling green mass as it ejected a body of a blue unicorn pony who just laughed before looking at Twilight.
“Good day in the Dream Realm Destroia,” Twinkle joyfully called to her. Twinkle immediately noticed her diary and took it by her magic and began to read it. Her face frowned as she reached the end
“That makes sense why you had this.”
“How about your lightsaber?” Pinkie pointed out.
“Dismantle it and give me the kyber crystal,” Twinkle commanded as a flurry of items flew over to a saddlebag which was levitated by a scarlet glow her horn had too. “Or maybe just leave it like that, sure. Anyways… Ms. Sparkle? Ms. Pie?”
“Yes?” they both answered.
“Don’t go overboard. You girls are still on life zero,” Twinkle told them. “One small mistake and you both will end up like Firea. This is a Dreamer City, you must know that.”
“AAAH!”
The trio quickly ran towards Fluttershy who was trembling. They notice that she was staring on a rather disturbing topiary of Twilight lying on the ground with what seemed to be a…burnt wing…
Twilight promptly lost her wings, causing all of them, except for Pinkie and Twinkle, to hug her. They unhugged her as they stared at Twilight, waiting for an answer.
“Well…” Twilight rubbed her head. “It’s a long story why we vanished…”
“Yeah, and by the looks of that compass, you sure did,” Rainbow commented as she pointed to the compass, only getting a slight shock. “Ow!” she rubbed her hoof and noticed static charges. “Woah…”
Twilight looked at her locket and poked the area where Rainbow poked it and blinked as her horn ignited in a shade of gold. She looked up and levitated her lightsaber, which wasn't in a gold glow, but rather is floating on her own. She then levitated Pinkie, who was shocked to find herself floating. She then cancelled her magic, and much to her surprise, Pinkie and her lightsaber didn’t quickly drop, but they gradually fell towards the ground. She ignited her horn again to find it pink with a flicker of gold.
Rarity looked at her locket and inspected it. She avoided the area where Rainbow Dash and Twilight Sparkle touched and clicked a button which opened the locket to show a compass with its arrow spinning wildly.
“What’s with this compass anyway, darling?” Rarity complained. “It doesn’t work—” the arrow suddenly stopped pointing towards Mt. Verley— “well.”
Twinkle looked at the compass as well. “It’s pointing to Verley Mountain. Probably even to the Gate,” she commented. “Hmm. Mother and I really outdid our first models. May I borrow that compass for a second?”
Twilight nodded and gave the locket to Twinkle who just spinned it super fast until five seconds later when she stopped it, causing the compass arrow to point towards her. The compass then began to deconstruct and reconstruct to form a square prism. Pinkie looked at her destroyed compass and tried to do the same, only to end up in a sphere which was self repairing. Twinkle looked at the sphere and remembered everything that was when she was a Jedi pony. Her frown was turned upside down.
“I guess Hollander Cross is too human for my taste,” she told them. “Heh, I’m thinking of Meteor Skyfeathers, twin of Meteor Feathers. Should it be good to confuse?”
“No,” Meteor answered as the mentioned pegasus pony swoop down to Twinkle. “Just… No. Not my pony name, for pony’s sake!” Meteor looked at the prism and bumped her head on it, causing her to transform into a white being with a staff. “Not by any chance, Twinkle Starlight Sparkle, you’ll use my name. My pony name, since I’m in my form which I took every time someone wore my amulet. Well, an Amulet of Light. Whatever now.” she flipped a metal amulet like a ring off to Pinkie and vanished towards it. “Illumina lives! All hail Destroia!”
“All hail Destroia indeed,” Twinkle told her as she turned both the prism and the sphere into compass lockets and returned it to their owners.
She looked at Pinkie and took the amulet to look at it. “Mina, stop hiding,” she scolded the amulet. “Look, I don’t think you should do this right now, but the Raven is going to destroy all of us in one clean sweep if we don’t do a revolution…”
Twinkle’s eyes turn blue and another voice replied. “Really, Twinkle?” she asked in Meteor’s voice. “Well, if you say so… But make sure that the good side wins, or else call Luna for that! You know that Stationist is going to be mad— no, furious that the balance is destroyed.”
Twinkle’s eyes normalized. “Thank you, Destroia Guardian of Light. Thank you,” she answered. She then faced the others as she removed the amulet and threw it to Rarity. “Okay, girls. Meteor Feathers is actually a Destroia Guardian spirit named Illumina. Illumina is actually a human named Mina Alexandria Santalune. That thing you all watched is what one would call a conversation. I talk, she takes over and talks, I regain control and talk again. Rarity, since you have the amulet, don’t go chat too long with her, please.”
“Maybe I should handle it, I am the Equestrian Princess of the Sun,” Celestia vouched.
“Very well,” Rarity answered in Meteor— er, Illumina’s voice. Rarity removed the amulet and gave it to Celestia.
Celestia wore the amulet and one of her eyes turned to blue. The others watched in amazement as Celestia talked in two alternating voices before the eye color returned to normal.
“Heh, who knew,” Celestia commented as she made a slightly funny face. “Now, let’s go and face a tyrant.”