//------------------------------// // Chapter 74: End of the Journal // Story: The Other Journal // by Ganondorf8 //------------------------------// Day: Friday Weather: Sunny Time: 12:15pm Despite having her own doubts, I convinced Twilight that everyone would forgive her for what happened. Her becoming a demonic monster wasn't by her own choice. She had been pressured into releasing the stolen magic by Principal Cinch, who wanted to use it to win the Friendship Games. She even had the audacity to once again suggest CHS forfeit because of magic. Her words fell on deaf ears--even her own students were against her--and rather than continue and further cause herself humiliation, she simply walked away with what little dignity she had left. Principal Celestia resolved the issue of who won by declaring that both schools had won. This brought about a change in the relationship between the two schools, and that relationship grew stronger when it was announced that Twilight had transferred from Crystal Prep. I knew she belonged at CHS, yet one small issue remained: How do I explain the existence of another Twilight to Twilight? The Other Journal By Ganondorf8 May 15, 2016 Chapter 74: End of the Journal. Of course, Her Highness didn't know that a human version of herself existed. Heck! None of us were aware of it until the day before the Friendship Games when Twilight entered the music room and confused us unintentionally. I hope Twilight doesn't think we don't care about her and start comparing herself to Her Highness again. Both of them are their own individuals. While I still care about Princess Twilight, she doesn't visit as often as she would like. Being a princess in Equestria does mean having to focus on priorities--though those usually just involve making an appearance and waving. Would it be safe to say that I initially used Twilight as a substitute for Her Highness? A part of me did think that way when I first met her. I actually believed she was my friend, mentor, and fellow pony from Equestria, yet the signs were there that proved otherwise. Had I paid attention to those signs, our initial encounter wouldn't have been so awkward. Once the layers of her personality started to peel away and reveal her true nature, I had much more in common with her instead of with Her Highness. Sure, she--Princess Twilight--and I were both ponies, were the personal protégés of Princess Celestia, and were gifted in magic, but that's pretty much it. Twilight, on the other hand, had become a demonic monster, was insecure about herself, a genius, and now wishes to make amends for her actions. I can easily relate to those traits. I then began to think about the human version of myself again. Twilight and I had discussed the possibility of there being a human Sunset Shimmer wandering around this world somewhere, but the idea was quickly dismissed. Perhaps I shouldn't have cast the idea aside without thinking hard about it. Most people in this world have a pony counterpart--or other creature--in Equestria, yet I'm one of the few who doesn't seem to fit into this category. Does that make me an oddity? Perhaps, but my choices are ones I've had to live with, even if they weren't always the best ones. I view myself as a bridge connecting the two worlds together. I'm a pony living in a human world and happy for it, yet am I really happy? Would I prefer remaining as a human forever or one day go back and live out my life as a pony? That's a question only I can answer, and none of my friends can help me. I can easily go back home whenever I want, but the thought of facing Princess Celestia again fills me with dread, and I refrain from making that fateful leap. Am I running away from my former mentor? Yes, without a doubt. No wonder my life has been so messed up despite the positive experiences that came with it. If I can't face the likes of Celestia, how can I face the others and reveal to them what I've said about everything I've written in my journal? Looking back at Twilight, she looked at me with concern in her eyes. Was she worried that I was thinking of injuring myself again? Was she pretending to be concerned while hiding her desire to pout over what I said about Her Highness not knowing she existed? Or was something else going on? I didn't have time to think about which answer it was, so I reached out with my hand and covered her mouth. She was caught off guard by my sudden approach. " Mmph!" Twilight said, struggling to say something, but my grip was pretty tight. " You don't need to start pouting just because Princess Twilight didn't know who you were." I said. " Mmph? Mmm! Mmmmph!" Twilight said. She grabbed my wrist with both hands and pulled my hand from her mouth with incredible force. I was strong, yet she overwhelmed me without even trying. " Gah! I wish you'd warn me ahead of time when you do that. Anyway, I'm not sure what you're talking about. I've accepted the fact that Her Highness didn't know I existed until we both met each other. I didn't know she existed, either. Until the Friendship Games, the idea of multiple worlds was nothing more than fantasy to me." Twilight then grabbed a tissue from her backpack and wiped her mouth. My hand wasn't dirty or anything, but perhaps she wanted to be safe rather than sorry. " I thought you were going to pout." " Give me some credit, Sunset. While I don't have the same charisma as Princess Twilight, I happen to think of myself as pretty special in my own way. Besides, her life is much harder than mine since she has to get in front of people--ponies--regularly, whereas I don't have to all that often." Twilight said. " She always did say that was something she still struggles with." " Going from a student to a princess isn't an easy transition. I can't even begin to imagine what she goes through." " I have her responses to my Friendship Reports as proof of that." I said. That got Twilight to start laughing, falling onto her back. I'll admit that my answer was pretty funny, yet I refrained from overdoing it like Twilight was out of respect for Her Highness. " Listen, I'm sorry that I covered your mouth without consulting you. I was thinking about the 'human Sunset Shimmer issue' we discussed earlier, and it lead me to think about other things that just spiraled out of control." I said, leaning back to give Twilight some space after my surprise. Hopefully, she wouldn't hold it against me. I then looked down at my journal, then towards the window, where moonlight shone through in an eerie glow that covered me in a ghostly veil. " Want to talk about it?" " Despite Her Highness and I being close, I feel that I'm even closer to you." " Really?" " If we were related, we'd have the best sisterly bond you can imagine." I answered. Ugh! I hope that wasn't too mushy. I meant what I said, but I hoped she didn't think I was coming onto her or something like that. " I'm happy being here with everyone, yet part of me wants to go back home to Equestria and run around on four hooves again. I'd have done this a long time ago if not for Princess Celestia waiting somewhere on the other side." " Still worried about what she might say?" " That and being arrested, put on trial, found guilty, and banished to the desolate wastes." " Do you think that will happen?" " Her Highness reassures me that it won't, but her authority as princess is trumped by Princess Celestia and Princess Luna." " A shame the rest of us can't be there in person to help you." Twilight said. If only they could. Were I questioned about my true intentions, they would easily vouch for me in a heartbeat. I know Her Highness would do the same, but she hasn't seen everything, and just telling her through words might not be convincing. The main reason why my friends couldn't be there to stick up for me is because they were human versions of ponies who already exist in Equestria. The existence of multiple dimensions may not come off in a positive light for most, and the thought of doubles of certain individuals would only cause further confusion. It might also label me as dragging innocent people against their own will. Either way, I wouldn't win in such a situation. " I'll find an answer to my hesitation one day, Twilight. When I do, I'll go back to Equestria and resolve my problems there my way. I'm not really expecting a grand reception upon my return. If anything, it will just be Her Highness waiting for me on the other side of the portal." I said. " That doesn't settle well with me." " I think I know why." " Once you've finished reading this last bit of your journal, there's nothing left." " I know." " You need to confront our friends and reveal to them what you've told me tonight. How you tell them is for you to decide, but you need to tell them. Otherwise, if they found out through other means, it could destroy all faith they have in seeing you as a sincere person who has their best interests at heart." Twilight said. It was easy for me to tell her because she and I have so much in common. My other friends will never have the same connection with me that Twilight has. " In the morning, you are going to call them and ask they meet us by the Wondercolt statue." Twilight said, whipping out her notepad and scribbling something down. I would've protested, but I knew my words wouldn't get me out of such a commitment. I had to get past my own insecurities and tell the others everything. I had to stop worrying about what might happen and just go through with it and hope for the best. Turning to the next page of the journal, I saw the sticker I placed on the edge, serving as a reminder that it was the last filled page. I had started writing in this journal after the Battle of the Bands to remind myself of what I've been through. I kept hidden truths to myself, believing that I was comforting my own insecurities, yet all I was doing was hiding my true feelings and pretending that nothing was wrong. My journal held dark secrets about my friends. They deserved to know what I've kept from them. Twilight suddenly interrupted my thought process. " Hey! That was the photo we took after we had that group hug." " A perfect ending, don't you think?" " It was, until Her Highness appeared several days later." " Her reaction when she saw you is still a highlight for me." " Did she ever tell you what happened to her? She said something about 'time travel loops' before going off on a tangent and then stopping altogether when she noticed I was staring at her." Twilight said. " Yes, she mentioned some things in private with me." " That explains why you two walked to the sidewalk in front of the school to talk." " Princess Twilight didn't want any of you to hear our conversation." " Because of national security?" " No. It was a surreal tale that she told me about. I found it difficult to believe what she was telling me, but when she mentioned the name Starlight Glimmer and what she had done in her past, everything started making sense. Twilight, do you know what the one thing in common that villains--myself included--in Equestria have?" I asked. " They all desired world domination?" " Good. You were paying attention. Starlight was an exception to the rule. When she lost her utopia at the hands of Princess Twilight, she decided to take a drastic course of action no prior villain had ever considered." I answered. Almost everything had been resolved. Principal Cinch, in a bid to save her dignity and not subject herself to complete and utter humiliation, chose to drop the idea of bringing in the school board and have them deal with the magic CHS had been using. Surely, she knew that her plan was pointless from the start. Magic was something most didn't believe in, and the kind of magic seen during the Games was not simply cheap parlour tricks. I doubted Cinch could have explained things to the school board. Even if she managed to get some footage uploaded online by a random student, the board might think it nothing more than a trick. Had she continued with her plan, I am certain she would have been removed from her position as principal of Crystal Prep. Crystal Prep and CHS were now starting to get along, something that should have happened a long time ago. Because of her desire to win at all costs, Cinch told her students that friendship was a weakness that served to prevent them from reaching greatness. For years, they believed her words, but now they know that friendship is pretty powerful and is better than simply being alone. Forging new friendships isn't easy, so this wasn't one of those quick fixes. It would take several weeks--maybe even months--before any actual change happens, but at least both schools were now going in the right direction. I must give props to my friends for being the ones to take the initiative. They could've simply walked away and left them on their own to wander about in the shadows, but instead, they did the right thing and offered friendship when in the past, such a thing would have been impossible. It turned out that my friends and the core Shadowbolts had a lot of things in common. What was once animosity and hatred had developed into respect and understanding. Perhaps the biggest surprise was seeing Rainbow Dash and Indigo Zap competing against each other on friendlier terms. They still wanted to prove that they were the best, but most of the time they were evenly matched. What struck me as truly surprising was the fact that students from CHS visited Crystal Prep and were allowed on school grounds as though they attended there. Despite having been exposed for being manipulative, Cinch still remained as the principal. I had heard rumours that she never allowed anyone from other schools to set foot on her school's property, yet this was no longer the case. Had she chosen to reverse her policy, knowing her reputation was sunk? Had her students forced her to make the change? Or did she simply not care about it anymore? Whatever her reasons, Cinch wasn't as intimidating as she once was. On a brighter note, Twilight had transferred to CHS shortly after the Friendship Games concluded. I always believed she should come to CHS as a student. She would be able to go about her business without being ridiculed by her peers just because she was smart. She also had made some friends, which wasn't possible in her old environment, where everyone was out for themselves. While her departure from Crystal Prep meant they had lost their best student, they wished her all the best. Cinch was the only one who said nothing. Did her arrival mean big things for CHS? I wouldn't go that far. Twilight just wanted to be a normal girl who didn't have so much pressure resting on her shoulders. If she wanted to throw her intellect around, she would do so when it suited her. Six days had passed since the Games ended, and things had slowly gotten back to normal. The Wondercolt statue hadn't been repaired, yet Principal Celestia had already begun making arrangements to have a contractor come along and assess the damage before fixing it. She had problems coming up with an explanation as to why the statue suddenly got shattered to pieces. No one would believe that the statue was destroyed by a girl who suddenly gained magical powers from another world. For Twilight, she still felt guilty over her actions, yet Celestia assured her that it wasn't her fault; she had simply acted out from being corrupted and wanting to test her new-found magical capabilities. Whether Twilight would forgive herself in the end remained to be seen, but we were on hand to guide her along. Not everything had been resolved, however. There was still one thing that remained: What had happened to Princess Twilight? She hadn't responded to any of the messages I sent her during the past six days--along with the ones before the Games--and I was really starting to get worried. Even when the portal was restored, I expected Her Highness to come through and greet all of us, yet no activity came from Equestria. I considered going through the portal myself to try to find her, but I ultimately gave up on that idea. The thought of what awaited me on the other side continued to haunt me. Sitting around the base of the statue, my friends were enjoying a relaxing lunch period, yet I had something on my mind. Her Highness and Twilight were bound to meet each other. I couldn't prevent them not seeing each other, as that would involve hiding Twilight while Her Highness was around. I also had to consider their reactions. All I could do was prepare them both as best as possible. " Ouch! Hey! Not so hard with that!" Rainbow Dash grumbled. " If you'd stop squirming so much, I wouldn't have to be so hard." Rarity said. She had been busy combing Rainbow's hair much to the former's annoyance. " I know you don't enjoy me doing this, but know that I simply do this just so that you will look radiant." " You know I don't care about that stuff!" " Yes, as you've said to me more times than I can count." " Then why do you keep combing my hair? Just stop already!" " Nonsense! I'm going to make you look good, Rainbow Dash, and you will thank me for it later. Now stop moving! If you keep on squirming, I might accidentally pull on your hair and rip it out, which would just be a travesty." Rarity said. " You're not serious, are you?" " Of course I am, darling!" Rarity answered. Her response prompted Rainbow to suddenly go quiet and not move an inch. The thought of losing even a small chunk of hair was too horrifying. " Just relax, darling. I'll be finished in a couple of minutes, and then you can show everyone your glamourous beauty that you hide away far too often." All Rainbow could do was fold her arms and continue grumbling. " Is this what you do whenever you have a free moment?" Twilight asked. " Usually, we're doin' somethin' that relates to helpin' out the school, but today, we're just relaxin' and kickin' back for a spell." Applejack answered. " I take it you all take part in clubs and such?" " Did Crystal Prep ever do anythin' of the sort?" " Yes, but we were restricted to taking part in clubs that furthered our education. Principal Cinch wanted us to be the best, and that meant not having fun; doing that would weaken our potential and tarnish her reputation. We had no choice when it came to those clubs; they were mandatory, and Cinch accepted no excuses." Twilight answered. " I'm guessin' y'all liked them?" " I was practically in my element." " Well, I'm sure there's a science club and a computer club that you can join, Twilight. I know it's pretty late in the school year, but I reckon they'll give you a chance. After all, they'd be foolish not to want to include you." Applejack said. " That would be nice, so long as they forgive me." Twilight said. It was strange seeing Twilight acting so calm despite having some hesitation regarding her actions. Being in such a friendly environment had definitely brought about a positive change, yet her time as a demon continued haunting her. I knew that experience better than anyone, so I took it upon myself to help her overcome her inner demons. It wasn't easy, and progress was slow, but I knew she would gradually open up more. So long as she didn't freak out, she would quickly fit in around here. Some students questioned her decision to continue wearing her Crystal Prep uniform, but none of us were hostile to the idea. Twilight wanted to wear it out of respect for her now-former school and because she didn't understand what it meant to wear casual clothing on school grounds. " It'll happen sooner than you think, sugarcube." " Applejack is right, Twilight. Aside from a couple of rough patches, your transition from Crystal Prep to CHS has been relatively smooth." I said. " It's my uniform, isn't it?" " They just don't understand your reason for wanting to wear it." " Should I change it?" " None of us are offended by it, so why should the rest of our peers feel the same way? They're just acting like you're some kind of outsider, but I'd ignore them and simply continue doing what you do." I answered. " Sunset, I've got a question." Pinkie Pie said. Normally, she would've interrupted our conversations just so that she could say something random, yet she had been eerily quiet throughout the lunch period. I sensed that something was on her mind, so I nodded my head indicating that I wanted her to ask away. " How long do you think it will take for the statue to be rebuilt? I do like how there's more room for me up here to lounge around, but it feels like the school is incomplete without it. Just seeing nothing but the ankles and horseshoes makes me feel really depressed." " I'm not sure how long it will be, Pinkie. Principal Celestia had to go through a lot of red tape just to get a contractor to see it." " Too bad she couldn't say it was destroyed by magic." " They wouldn't believe her. Besides, we need to make sure that the events of the Friendship Games don't get posted online. Students from both schools have agreed to keep quiet on the subject, so hopefully, we can move on and focus on summer vacation." I said. " I heard Principal Celestia say she was thinking of telling the contractor that it was a freak accident with a sledgehammer." " I'd believe that." " You did try to use a sledgehammer during the Fall Formal, remember?" " It wasn't one of my better moments. I do wonder sometimes what would've happened if I actually swung it instead of drop it." I answered. Since anything can pass through the portal and wind up in Equestria, had I swung that sledgehammer, it would've smacked an innocent pony on the other side. I'm glad that I decided not to destroy the statue. Her Highness wouldn't have been able to come here and help us out when the Sirens began their rise to power. To think that I held the fate of this world in the palm of my hands and while holding onto a blunt instrument. Yeah, I was pretty messed up back then. While eating a sandwich, I turned my thoughts to what the future held. There was no telling when another threat from Equestria would reveal itself, so we always had to remain on high alert and prevent such threats from conquering this world. Her Highness kept a close vigil on her portal, but it seemed villains found other portals, whether they intended on using them or not. Just as I was about to take another bite, something began to shimmer behind me. Before I could even react, the portal suddenly opened and Princess Twilight ran out from it in a mad dash. " I'm so sorry I didn't get here sooner! I didn't get your messages until just now because I was caught in this time travel loop and, honestly, it was the strangest thing that's ever happened to me!" Princess Twilight said. It was difficult to understand her due to how fast she spoke, yet it sounded like Her Highness had been through something pretty serious. Before I could ask her what happened, she suddenly stopped upon seeing the familiar face waving meekly at her. I knew the two Twilights were going to meet each other, but I didn't think it would be this soon. Her Highness blinked a couple of times before uttering a few words. " Make that the second strangest." " This just got awkward." Rainbow Dash said. " You said it." Applejack added. " Um, so you must be Princess Twilight Sparkle. I've... I've never met royalty before, but you look so casual compared to what I've read in books." Twilight said. I could tell she was struggling with what she wanted to say. Her Highness, on the other hand, simply stood there in shock over seeing her other self. The others thought it was pretty funny seeing them looking at each other, yet I knew things could quickly turn bad. I should've mentioned something about Twilight when I wrote my last message to Her Highness instead of letting it all play out in hopes of a good resolution. " Another me... I really shouldn't be surprised by this." Princess Twilight said. " You were expecting me?" " No, I wouldn't say that. I've seen plenty of human versions of ponies back in Equestria during my visits here, yet the thought of a human version of me never really registered in my mind. Guess I should've been more open to the possibility. In any case, this is simply fascinating." Princess Twilight answered. Her Highness once again proved how she manages to solve problems without them ballooning out of control. I thought she was going to freak out over seeing another her, but instead, she embraced the notion. " It looks like a lot of things happened since my last visit." " You have no idea." Rainbow Dash said. " Well, I'm here now, so I'd like to be filled in." " Where do you want to start?" " I'd like to start with what Sunset said about the magic being a problem around here." Princess Twilight answered. For the next thirty minutes, my friends and I related everything that had happened during the Friendship Games. Like the student she once was, Her Highness listened to every last word, making sure not to ignore anything in case it proved to be important. She even wrote down a few things in one of her books, or at least attempted to do so. She still hadn't gotten used to using hands instead of hooves, so her handwriting still remained awful. It was the human Twilight herself who seemed the most uncomfortable during the conversation, as much of what was said didn't make much sense to her. I did all I could to make sure she could contribute without feeling left out. Once we had finished explaining things to Her Highness, she then began to tell what had been going on in Equestria. Despite my hesitation towards going back home, I enjoyed hearing about what had been happening in the land of my birth. What struck me as the most humourous was the fact that Her Highness was going to become an aunt in the near future. She was only a few years younger than me--though both of us are teenagers in this world, I regressed a few years when I came through the portal--yet soon, she would have someone new to teach. Twilight was surprised when she heard that the pony version of Dean Cadance had married the pony version of her brother Shining Armour. That's when Princess Twilight beckoned me to follow her over to the sidewalk in front of the school to say something. My friends were curious as to why she wanted to speak to me in private. Even I wasn't sure as to what her intentions were, but I knew she was serious, given her expression. I got up and followed Her Highness, giving the others a hand gesture informing them that everything was okay. Once we reached the sidewalk and out of earshot, she turned towards me, her face crestfallen. " I didn't want them to know about this." Princess Twilight said. " What's going on?" I asked. " The reason why I didn't respond to your messages was because Equestria had been rewritten." " Huh? What do you mean 'rewritten'?" " A pony by the name of Starlight Glimmer was once the leader of a village of ponies, and she convinced them to give up their cutie marks in the name of equality. The pony versions of our friends and I went there after a magical map appeared in my castle to guide us to the location. Initially, it looked like nothing was wrong, but we soon learned that Starlight had promised them a false utopia by removing their cutie marks." Princess Twilight answered. " Remove cutie marks!? Is that even possible?" " I never knew such magic like that existed, yet Starlight was living proof. She even removed our cutie marks." Princess Twilight answered. I always thought a cutie mark was permanent, but hearing that one pony had the power to remove them, it made me wonder if this Starlight was a magical prodigy. " Once we figured out her secret, we thwarted her plans, and everypony got their marks back. Unfortunately, Starlight managed to escape by running into a series of caves that proved impossible to navigate." Princess Twilight said. " Okay, so what does rewriting Equestria have to do with her?" " Somehow, she modified a time warp spell Star Swirl the Bearded created--it allowed him to travel back by a week until she fixed it--allowing her to go back in time to the moment where the pony Rainbow Dash performed her first Sonic Rainboom." Princess Twilight answered. She then explained the significance behind the Rainboom, and I was shocked that something like that had proven to be detrimental to Equestria's current way of life. Had that event never occurred, everything would be different now. I might still be Princess Celestia's protégé or maybe even an alicorn instead of Her Highness. Then again, I might not even exist. That was the power of time travel and the reason why it was never given full authorization to be taught in schools. It was a magic far too powerful for anypony to be able to use, yet Starlight ignored those warnings and was determined to change history. It then made me think of something. With the fabric of time being changed in Equestria, why wasn't I being affected like everypony else? Did being in this world somehow protect me? I thought of asking Her Highness, but I doubted she would have an answer. Time magic wasn't her specialty; again, it was deemed too dangerous to study. " By preventing the Rainboom, Starlight changed history, and Equestria changed with it. She also wanted to get revenge on me for ruining her utopia, so Spike and I were dragged back to the past to witness Starlight stop Rainbow Dash, and then we got thrown into different alternate timelines all because Rainbow was stopped in different--sometimes embarrassing--ways. First was a world where King Sombra ruled half of Equestria through his Crystal Empire and declared war on the other half, which was lead by Princess Celestia, who went into battle with her soldiers against his." Princess Twilight said. My former mentor became a military commander? Somehow, I just couldn't picture her doing that. Celestia was gentle and motherly, so the thought of her leading an entire army just didn't settle well with me. I'm glad that it didn't end up becoming a reality. " That was just the first?" " Next came a timeline where Queen Chrysalis ruled with her Changeling army. No one could trust anypony unless they were covered with a special magic that proved they were real and not monsters in disguise. The third one involved Nightmare Moon being in charge and Equestria plunged into eternal night. Princess Celestia was banished to the moon instead of her sister a thousand years ago in that timeline, and believe me when I say that I was truly horrified by such a revelation. After that, the remaining timelines were a blur with Tirek, Discord, and even the Flim Flam brothers somehow taking over Equestria." Princess Twilight answered. " I don't know much about these villains apart from what you mentioned in your responses to my reports." I said. That was the one disadvantage I had in this conversation. I never witnessed those villains causing so much trouble due to Starlight stopping the pony Rainbow Dash. While Her Highness had informed me of their actions, it wasn't enough just knowing through words. I had to have seen what they did with my own eyes to truly understand how Equestria was threatened by their presence. It then made me think of something else. What would have happened if Her Highness and Spike returned to an alternate future, and I was the one who ruled over Equestria? Could she have mustered the courage to defeat me despite knowing I had changed? Would I have been a despot ruler who ruled with an iron hoof? Would Equestria be nothing but a large tribute to my ego--it was pretty large back when I was a bully--or perhaps a war-torn nation? Just thinking about such a possible timeline sent a shiver down my spine. What if Her Highness returned, yet I was there as an alicorn and had taken her place? That would have made for an interesting timeline for me to witness. I could have seen how my life turned out had I chosen to stay on my intended path and not gone off on my own. It was something that would never happen. Messing around with the fabric of time was something no pony should possess. Not even Star Swirl the Bearded succeeded in creating a proper piece of time magic, according to Her Highness' description. Starlight Glimmer definitely had powerful magic but lacked the maturity to use it properly. " There was one more timeline I witnessed." " What was it?" " Nothing... Nothing but a barren wasteland devoid of all life. Each timeline was worse than the last one, and both Starlight and I learned that her messing around in the past ultimately lead to the destruction of everything. I know you had a troubled past, Sunset, but not even you would have considered destroying our world." Princess Twilight answered. " Thanks... I think?" " Starlight just wanted revenge against me for taking her rule away, yet she needed to be stopped." " Did she even care that the lives of ponies would change?" " No. I was the source of her aggravation, and she went to extreme measures to ease her pain. She wanted me to suffer alone without any of my friends by my side, but when I finally learned why she wanted to lead a village where nopony had a cutie mark, it came off as rather petty at first." Princess Twilight answered. " She told you about her life?" " More like took me with her to her youth as a filly." " That's one way to get an answer." " I learned that her only friend left her when he acquired his cutie mark, and she couldn't bring herself to making another friend. From there, Starlight believed cutie marks were responsible for taking him away to a better life and leaving her behind. She decided to focus her efforts on perfecting a magic that could remove marks and form a society where everypony was the same; nopony would stand out from the rest." Princess Twilight said. " Where she is now?" " Living in my castle." " You decided to give her a second chance, didn't you?" I asked. I knew that was going to be the inevitable conclusion. Princess Twilight and her Ponyville friends were known for reforming those who caused trouble for Equestria. It made sense that Starlight was forgiven for what she did. Friendship was a powerful force that could overcome all kinds of problems. That said, I was surprised to know she was living in Her Highness' castle. " She needed a second chance, much like you did." " Why have her stay with you?" " Because she's my new student." Princess Twilight answered. I couldn't say that I wasn't surprised by that announcement. Had I just started out as her student, I'd have been furious over her replacing me with somepony else, yet I was actually glad Her Highness had a new student. I made tremendous progress in a short amount of time and was already showing others friendship based on her teachings. I'll admit my methods could do with some improvements, though. " Hope you don't go too easy on her." " I've already got some ideas in mind." " Good. We should probably go back to the others now. They're probably wondering why we're talking in private, and Twilight most likely has plenty of questions to ask you. If you don't end up answering certain questions, I'll be sure to satisfy her curiosity by answering them myself." I said. " I must admit that it will be strange speaking with myself." " She is a totally different person from you." " I'm looking forward to seeing that for myself. Still wish that there was a human version of yourself?" " It's not on my mind." I answered. In truth, the thought continued to plague my mind. Many ponies in Equestria had human counterparts and vice versa. The two shared some traits with one another--or were practically identical, depending on the individuals--but were generally their own characters. If this world's version of me existed somewhere, was she someone who had made plenty of friends early on in life and became respectable as a result, or had she taken the same dark path that I chose? Much like it was with Twilight, who lived far away from CHS, the human version of me might be living in a different part of Canterlot. Then again, she might even be living in another city or even another country. It's impossible to determine an actual answer without anything to go on. If she and I were to meet in person, I would have so many questions to ask her, and she would likely have the exact same desire. Another thought crossed my mind. What if there was no human Sunset Shimmer? My assumption was that she was alive somewhere, but what if that wasn't true? What if she passed away some time ago or never even existed to begin with? I couldn't think of such thoughts. I had to believe that there was a human version of me running around and who has no idea that I even exist. If she decided to seek me out for whatever reason, I would help her in any way that I could. If she preferred to not know another her existed, I wouldn't have to worry about dealing with what Her Highness is currently experiencing. A part of me would like to see another Sunset out of curiosity and nothing more. For now, I decided to walk back to my friends and witness the two Twilights speaking to each other. The future appears to be bright for all of us, but you never know what might happen, especially when it involves magic. " And that's where the journal ends." I said. " Wow... I can't believe Starlight threatened Equestria's very existence just to get revenge." Twilight said. " She was both gifted and consumed with hatred." " I'd say her actions made her the greatest villain your world has ever known." " That's why Princess Twilight did everything in her power to help Starlight change her ways. It wasn't easy for her, given that she and Spike were flung into different timelines, but she managed to get through to her using words." I said. Unfortunately, Her Highness was pretty vague about what happened, and I suspect it was a much more complicated issue than she was letting on. Then again, such changes wouldn't have registered with me. I'd have been affected just like every other pony was after Rainbow Dash had been prevented from unleashing her Sonic Rainboom. I had no doubt that she and Starlight had an epic clash that involved magic flying about. Someone who had the power to change the flow of time most likely wanted to prove how powerful she really was, and what better way than using magic most ponies couldn't even begin to fathom. I'm surprised somepony like Starlight--who wielded incredible power that rivaled that of an alicorn--didn't consider herself worthy of becoming a princess. Then again, all she had was power. That alone wasn't enough to become an alicorn. A pony needed to have humility, compassion, understanding, and above all, friendship in their heart. Starlight reminded me of myself when I only cared about power. I thought it was all I needed to ascend, and I learned the hard way that my way of thinking was wrong. I know now what it means to become an alicorn, thanks to Her Highness, yet there is probably more to it than that. I'm in no hurry to become a princess. It will happen when the time comes, so there's no point in dwelling over it. Unlike myself, Starlight never desired world domination, although her idea that all ponies should be equal did make her unique. I'm not sure if she still believes in equality, but it could be something to consider in the future, provided it's handled properly. " Why did Princess Twilight keep this knowledge between you and her?" " I think she was worried that our friends would do something drastic." " They don't seem to be the type to do that." " Her Highness has a stronger connection to our friends than either of us do. That's because she was the one who helped them restore their friendships and gave them the magic they used to save this world on several occasions." I said. " That still doesn't explain things." " If they found out her world was in danger, they wouldn't hesitate from going through the portal. It sounds like a noble gesture, but the problem is that there would be two of them--themselves and their pony counterparts--and I don't think Princess Celestia and Princess Luna would appreciate that." I said. " So, it's to protect them?" " Yes." " Then why didn't you say anything?" " At the time, I had to keep it a secret in case any of you got any ideas about going there to help in the future." " Yet, you've told me all of this. Won't she be upset about it?" " Not really. With all the magic happening around here, we'll be too busy dealing with that to worry about my world." " And if she does?" " I'll take full responsibility." " Well, I guess there's nothing else for you to tell me now since you've come to the end of your journal. I must admit that I never pictured you as having had such a tragic past, even if it was mainly caused by your poor decisions. I'm glad that you changed for the better. Not many people can say that they overcame the odds, but you're one of those who did." Twilight said. " Aside from one or two things that I prefer to keep to myself, you know everything about me. Not even Her Highness knows about the things I wrote down in this journal. Same with our friends." I said. " It's time you told them... Our friends, at least." Twilight said. I had been putting it off for long enough. They deserved to know what I've said about them, the experiences I've been through, and even my days in Equestria. Nothing could be hidden from them anymore aside from the truly personal secrets. Those were mine to keep close to my heart, no matter what anyone says. I wanted to get things over with and confront my friends, but the problem was that they were sound asleep. It had gotten really late, and I was surprised at how I managed to not completely lose my voice after talking so long since Twilight came over six hours ago. It felt like I had been talking for several days. Luckily, Twilight took the liberty of bringing her own sleeping bag, knowing she was going to be spending the night here in the library. At least she had something comfortable that she could sleep in. All I had was a bed made from stacked books that often gave me a stiff back. It wasn't as glamourous as what other people have, but it was the best that I could get given my lack of a proper roof over my head. As Twilight drifted off to sleep, I remained awake and looked up at the ceiling. I pondered over the reactions my friends would have upon learning what I've kept from them. Deep down, I was afraid that they would leave me because of not being up-front and honest with them. Then again, they might be understanding towards my predicament. When I finally fell asleep, I had nightmares over what was going to happen once everything became known. My life was once again hanging in the balance, yet this had been the case for a long time. It wasn't anything new to me. The rest of the night passed by without incident save for my nightmares, but I knew that I had to persevere and accept whatever judgment comes my way. After waking up rather early, no thanks to Twilight setting her alarm to 5:45am, I fell back down to sleep--it was too early for me--yet Twilight dragged me out of bed and along the floor for several metres. I stood up several moments later, rubbed my head, and grumbled to myself. I told Twilight that I never get up until 8:00am because living in the library afforded me that luxury. She blushed in response before sitting down with a book. I fell asleep again until 8:00am came along, yet my nightmares didn't plague me. Instead, an image of Twilight being up before sunrise floated about my subconscious. After getting myself ready, I took out my cellphone and called the others, telling them to meet us in front of the main school entrance. It was Sunday, so the building wasn't open to anyone other than me, courtesy of the special key Principal Celestia gave me, which is how Twilight managed to get inside last night. Despite still having some hesitation, Twilight wrapped her arm around mine, telling me that she would be with me. We walked through the hallways until we passed through the front doors to the front lawn. The Wondercolt statue was still destroyed--Twilight's shoulders fell at the reminder of her actions that day--yet everything else looked perfectly normal. The students were heartbroken during those first days after the Friendship Games were over--the statue really meant a great deal to them--yet they didn't allow themselves to succumb to despair. They knew it was going to be repaired eventually, so they rallied behind the school by proclaiming that the Wondercolts would remain strong. Twilight and I stood down by the statue's base and waited until our friends arrived. It took roughly thirty minutes for them to arrive as a group. " Okay, Sunset. We're all here now, so why did y'all want to meet us here?" Applejack asked. " I've never known you to want to meet us early for anything." Rainbow Dash added. " There's something I've been meaning to tell you." I answered. " It sounds serious, darling." Rarity said. " Have you been keepin' secrets from us? After everything we've been through?" Applejack asked. My immediate reaction was to turn around and run away, yet Twilight tugged on my arm to remind me that I had to go through with this. Applejack noticed my expression and toned down her attitude. " You look like you're about to lose it." She then noticed the journal I held in my hand and it all clicked together. " Y'all want to show us somethin' in the magic journal?" " Actually... this is my other journal." I answered. " You have another one?" Fluttershy asked. " Yes, and it contains secrets that no one other than Twilight has seen before." " Twilight knows about them, and we don't?" Rainbow Dash asked. " I thought we were besties!" Pinkie Pie added. Things weren't looking very good for me. This was exactly what I had feared. My friends had taken things the wrong way and were now questioning my ethics. I really wanted to run away and never look back, but Applejack suddenly raised her hands and everyone went quiet. She then walked over to me until her face was mere inches away from my own and stared directly into my eyes for a few seconds before backing away. " I think I get why you wanted Twilight to know first." Applejack said. " Are you siding with Sunset or us?" Rainbow Dash asked. " Let her talk." " You see... After the Battle of the Bands concluded, I began to write down my experiences in this journal. From my early days in Equestria right up to the end of the Friendship Games, I've written down everything. My personal feelings about each of you, our peers, Her Highness, living in this world, and so on... I didn't hold back on anything. I never told anyone out of fear that you would stop being friends with me, but Twilight was an exception. She was the only person I felt comfortable sharing this information with. It had to be her because I have a stronger connection with her than with the rest of you." I said. " So that's the gist of it?" " Yes." " Are you saying that you don't value our friendship?" Rainbow Dash asked. " I don't think she meant it that way. I reckon Sunset sees Twilight as more of a sister than just a friend. They both became monsters who almost destroyed our world, have had tormented lives where they were alone and etched out a meager existence from their surroundings, and are smarter than anyone else." Applejack answered. " That does make sense when you put it that way." Fluttershy said. " How did you figure that out?" I asked. " We're your friends, Sunset! We know you well enough to be able to read you like a book. I'll admit that I am shocked that you wrote down things about us and everythin' else about our world, and I feel like you betrayed us by sayin' things behind our backs, yet y'all are entitled to your feelings." Applejack answered. " I want to make things right." " And how do you plan on doing that?" Rainbow Dash asked. " With this." I answered, holding up my journal in front of me. " Twilight listened to every last thing I wrote down and understands everything about me. The rest of you only know what I've told you and what you've witnessed me do. I want you to know the real me, and that means sharing the contents of my journal. I know your opinions will change about me, but I can no longer hide something like this." I then placed the journal at my feet before beckoning my friends to sit down. I hoped they would be willing to sit down and listen to my story like Twilight had. Their expressions told me that they didn't like that idea, so I grabbed the journal, stood up, and took a few steps towards the main entrance. " If you want to know about me in full, come with me to my place of residence in the library." I then turned my back to my friends and began walking forward with Twilight following beside me. " That went better than expected." Twilight said. " I really thought they were going to end our friendship." " You should give them more credit than that." " Yeah." " No matter what happens, Sunset, I'll always be on your side." " Thanks." " By the way. Are you sure that you told me everything? Is there something you might have missed?" " Maybe, but it probably isn't important." " I'd still like to hear about it, and I think they want to hear the same thing." Twilight said, tilting her head several times to tell me to look behind us. I turned around and saw that our friends were following along behind us. " How do you feel about telling your entire story again?" That thought, after really registering with me, made my jaw drop. It proved very taxing on my throat when I explained things to Twilight, and now, I have to go through the same thing again with the others? Well, so long as I had cider--or any other drink, for that matter--I'll be able to go on for a long time. " I wonder what they'll say about your past regarding what they don't know?" " I have no doubt that they'll ask the same questions you did." " It will also be a trip down memory lane for them." " And a new experience, as well, thanks to my opinions." " Don't worry about it. Everything is going to turn out just fine." " I hope so, Twilight. I hope so."