//------------------------------// // Rememberance // Story: The Ashes of a Phoenix // by Xehanort107 //------------------------------// There was nothing new, bar a name, and it made all the difference. Even after waking up refreshed, finally able to sleep and have no obligations to hinder her. When she was ready, the clock read noon. It hardly mattered anymore. All she did was look at the girl with blazing red hair and fiery, yellow streaks adding to her complexion, and all she saw was a teenage girl, not a thousand year old unicorn. She wasn’t Sunset anymore.         She was Clover The Clever. Twilight wrote back to her, but she felt no less resolved. Twilight sounded like she had not even the slightest clue what she read, like she did this to insult her common sense and to make a fool out of the poor unicorn. She said she’ll come over after her meeting ends with another foreign nation. Typical. Clover is in desperate need of support, and she has to wait till two before she can even hope. How absolutely typical. Sure enough, though, she came. Clover waited for what felt like a week on the steps of the school, waiting. Oddly, Rainbow and her friends came by, too; they wanted to see off the one they never, ever, understood. “What’s the matter?” Rainbow asked, leaning on it like it meant something. “It’s way too nice out to be sitting at school. It’s Saturday! What, are you still mad?” “Now, now, Rainbow Dash, don’t tease the poor girl.” Rarity remarked, “Give her some credit for doing the right thing.” “After what she did to us? Uh-uh!” “Did the right thing?” Clover said under her breath, to herself. “What did I ever do that’s right? Making friends sure isn’t one.” “Don’t say that,” Fluttershy stepped to sit with her while Rarity kept Rainbow away from them. “That wasn’t your decision to make. Twilight thought it was a great idea. We thought Twilight was always right. Don’t judge yourself for what was out of your control.” “Think about it, Fluttershy. I had a reason to do what I did, hurting you all for my own greed. I wanted nothing but power. All these thousand years. I went so far as to create my own world. One I could escape to and avoid my own death. One where I could be happy and not have a care in the world. And look at me now. I care.” As she said that, Twilight finally came through the portal, holding the book that they wrote each other through, or at least her copy. She saw Clover, and then noticed the unhappy faces that surrounded her. “Hey guys…?” She said uncertainly, but also making herself known. “What’s up?” “Hey Twilight!” They said in unison, bar Fluttershy and Clover. “What do you mean?” Fluttershy persisted. “You told me you were old, I believe you. I believe you did bad things, but you aren’t a failure. Remember when you took me out to dinner a couple days ago. You said you did your best. Isn’t that what makes a winner, to just try your best?” That’s Fluttershy. Always deep when she needs to be. Twilight saw them and was already sitting next to Clover. She was the only one smiling, and the only one who could honestly give someone the benefit of the doubt. “Sunset?” She said, opening her book to the page with the letter. “I got your letter. What’s up?” For a moment, Clover said nothing. She just sat there and looked at her handwriting, still unable to believe it’s hers. “I’m not Sunset. That’s what’s up,” She finally responded. “My name is Clover. Clover the Clever.” Twilight dropped the book at her feet and her jaw fell three stories. A look of sheer awe. A mixture of confusion, adulation, discretion, and fear, all melded into her face with such chaos that it was hard to tell what she was even thinking. “You? You’re Clover?” She said finally. “How? I mean… it’s been a thousand years.” “I thought about it. The more I thought about it, the more I remembered. Just yesterday, I found out the truth.” “What happened?” Sunset took a deep breath. As unfathomable, or as convoluted as the memory is, it’s true, and a friend should know the truth. “You know the mirror you came through to get here?” Sunset explained. “Well… I built it.” “You built it?” “It’s in the Crystal Kingdom for safe keeping. That, and it doesn’t work anywhere else. The crystals are aligned so perfectly that the light from the moon during a rare event just activates it. Makes it harder for another mistake.” “Umm………” Twilight froze, unsure of how to say this to her gently, or at all for that matter. “About that.” “Twilight?” “I… kinda made an adjustment.” Twilight started, already scaring Clover a little. “Nothing major, just used the magical tie between our books as a bridge between our dimensions. Nothing bad at all. We can still come and go, just more frequently. See.” Twilight rose with a smile of worth, as if she had planned to tell her for a while now. The only downside is she didn’t, and she can’t. “Ow! What the hay?” Rainbow Dash, who stood behind Sunset and Fluttershy, was humored by Twilight’s display of stupidity, walking straight into a marble statue like it was an open door. “Forgetting something, Twilight?” Rainbow shouted to her, holding Twilight’s book. Twilight, in a state of pain and confusion, was unaware for a moment. “You said these books make a bridge, but then why are they both here?” Rainbow was in a state in between laughing hysterically and yelling angrily, for Twilight had been worthy of both for such a simple task. “Oh.” “That’s not so bad, is it?” Rarity said, holding her purse in a cute manner, hoping not to anger anyone anymore. “I mean, the mirror only opens every thirty moons, right? Is that what you said? Isn’t that just two years, at most? At least it isn’t eternity, darling.” Rarity smiled at Clover in a way that just screamed at her, “You have eternity, don’t you?”, right in her face. “Yeah, right. We just have to wait. That’s all,” Sunset said in a shivering tone. “Hey, Twilight, how long until the next time it opens?” “Uh… never.” Twilight winced, hoping she could reconcile, but when she looked back, Clover was in her face. “What do you mean? Is the moon gone, or…” Clover knew what had happened. “Is the mirror gone? Where did you put it? Where is it?” “In my castle. I thought it would be easier to get to, and there’d be a lot less wait to get to and from in case anything happened.” Twilight, in her best way possible, tried desperately to ease Clover’s tension. But she can’t even escape her own mistakes anymore. She’s just alone. Fluttershy tried to comfort Clover, embracing her in her arms and promising her it will be alright. They’ll find a way. “Sunset… Clover, I know what you must be feeling right now. I understand. I won’t leave your side until you can go home again. This isn’t your home. You know it.” “I know,” Clover shared the embrace. “I know.” Sometime ago, Principal Celestia and Vice-Principal Luna saw them as they drove by the street, probably heading home from some errands they were doing. “Rainbow Dash? Fluttershy? Everyone? What’s all this about?” It took Luna a few moments to notice Twilight, but when she did, she smiled with joy. “Ah, Twilight. I see you came by to visit. No wonder everyone’s here today.” “Oh, Good afternoon, Ms. Luna. Good afternoon, Ms. Celestia. I was supposed to be just visiting, but I… uh… accidentally closed the portal on my way in.” Luna looked confused, but slightly bewildered. Celestia just had a look of simple disappointment. “I take it you’re confined here for the time being? How long before it opens again?” “It won’t,” Clover said from behind. “Without a medium, the bridge between our worlds are severed eternally. Neither of us are going back, ever.” “I see,” Luna pondered. “So now it’s just a marble statue of a unicorn, now?” “Uh...yeah.” “A marble statue with no significance whatsoever.” Clover added, threatening Twilight’s attention. “Suns… I mean, Clover, there has to be another way, isn’t there?” Fluttershy asked, still hanging by her side for all this time. “You couldn’t have built it without a fail-safe, right? Surely, you could’ve seen a possibility.” “I doubt it. I was so determined to just leave, I never gave it a second thought.” “That’s not entirely true,” Twilight interjected. “Star Swirl used it to get rid of the sirens. I’m sure he finished it.” “Him?” Clover asked in bewilderment. “...maybe. He always did have a knack for leaving a loophole to everything. What makes this any different?” Clover, without thinking, sat there and contemplated the unexplainable possibilities of what Star Swirl would have done. Presumably due to the fact Twilight wasn’t finished talking. “Why don’t you just do what you did to the mirror on the statue?” “Fluttershy, we have one shot, and it took me twenty mirrors to get it right,,, sorta. I used the broken pieces.” Sunset said, somehow blaming herself yet again. “I just wish I could remember something about the crystals. Why did I put them there? Why does it work? Then maybe we could get home, but I just don’t remember.” “Maybe I can help.” Luna started over, a faint smile forming, half happy and half uncertain. “I might be able to help you with your memory issue. I do dabble in hypnosis.” Makes sense. Princess Luna was the ruler of dreams, why not a parallel equal in the human world. Why not? “You can help her?” Fluttershy asked, hopeful. “It’s worth a chance. I can put her into a state where she can access all of her suppressed memories. As long as she’s not a deep sleeper, I can get her out with a snap.” “What do you mean? There’s a chance you might not be able to wake me back up?” “No. Not at all. Far from it. It’s just you could fall asleep and we’d have to wait a few hours for you to cycle through your natural sleep pattern and I can wake you again. There’s nothing to worry about.” Clover was both worried and surprised, even a little confused, but she wanted to help Twilight get home and help herself as soon as possible. The only reasonable thing is to trust Vice-Principal Luna and do something right for a change. Luna smiled at her and told Clover to just relax. She could feel her body ease as Luna’s voice softened to a soothing, mellow tone. She closed her eyes and followed Luna’s instructions. “Just stay calm. Imagine time itself standing perfectly still. It’s just you, only you. Reach out your hand.” Clover responded and stretched her arm out in front of her. Luna held onto it and reminded her she was alone and to relax. And without warning, she released her hand and Clover awoke with a daze, a feeling of uncontrolled actions had left her stoic. At Luna’s command, “Sleep!” She fell asleep. Clover had awoken in a familiar place. She was a pony again and the world around her was her old life: a village where she could see countless other ponies trotting in tattered cloaks and a face that spoke words no mare, filly, or colt alike should ever say, or want to say. In her own mind, she saw a single house, despite the other ones, this one she remembers fondly. It was his house. Her mentor, Star Swirl, The Bearded. She opened the door without sound. Her existence doesn’t matter for her memories. Inside, she saw herself. She saw Clover The Clever, dressed no better than the other ponies outside the doors. Star Swirl looked like he was in a state of chaos itself. His face was wrinkled and his cheeks sagged. His eyes were barely open, but he still stayed strong for the tribes who depend on him. Clover was talking to him about the mirror: a project she wanted Star Swirl to help her with. “This mirror,” Clover said, “it can take us to different dimensions, different lives. We could see new things and escape this place, forever.” Clover sounded eager to finally leave, just like everyone else. But Star Swirl was content with staying. “What is wrong with this dimension? This life?” Star Swirl replied. “These ponies need our guidance to survive. If we send them somewhere else, how could we possibly ensure their safety. They don’t know if their own lives are worth keeping, let alone wanting a new home. I’m sorry Clover, but this cannot continue. I forbid you from completing that portal.” “But what if it works? What if we—” “No! Good Day, Clover.” Star Swirl dismissed her without a second thought. Clover refused his words and ran home. There, a Stallion waited for her. “Hi, hon, You’re early. Did you finish your session early with Star Swirl.” The stallion was Silver Dust, Clover’s husband, who had supported her through all her tribulations and still had time to care for their son. Clover was in a rush, however, and didn’t say a word until she came back downstairs with her saddlebags of supplies. “I can’t believe him. He wouldn’t help me finish my plans for the portal. I have to finish it myself.” “Hey,” Silver halted her. “Star Swirl probably didn’t see the potential in it. Maybe we can both talk to him. C’mon, Clov’” “I’m sorry, but there is no reasoning with him. I am finishing this portal on my own.” And with that, she left and fled to the Crystal Kingdom. In her mind, it took hours, in reality it took minutes. Clover went into the deepest catacombs, illuminated by pre-set crystals for her creation. Eventually, she arrived. The mirror looked different. It was decorated with colored gemstones, six total, around the edge, and the glass was edgier than usual. Clover was using it as a prism rather than a gate. “Why wouldn’t he help me?” Clover said in a sad tone. “All I needed was a way to use these crummy gems. Why won’t they work?” Clover fumed. She studied her blueprints, which resemble a geometric prism, where the mirror was a two-dimensional version of it. From one triangle, lay her dimension, and on the other side, a new dimension. Fused together by a shared light. But it failed and and as hard as she tried, she could not succeed. “Clover? Clover, are you in here?” Silver Dust called out. “Mommy?” cried Diamond Dust. Sunset was so frustrated with herself, she zapped the top gem with a blast of magic by accident. The gem responded to it and reflected it back at the other gems. They, in turn, struck the mirror, but the mirror was too fragile. It shattered in a light show of magic and energy just as Silver Dust and Diamond Dust arrived. It worked. She opened a gateway to another dimension, but something came out. The gems opened a dimension of other dimensions and created a being beyond description. Dimensions merged together and gave birth to a god, a deity. All Clover could see was black. The creature sealed the void with just his bare claw. Then it took a physical form. Long, slender, a disembodied amalgamation of countless creatures. Here, he stood before Clover, towering like a behemoth. “Agh! Ooh! Ergh!” He mumbled as he stretched his arms behind his back and cracked almost every joint in his body. “Ah! Much better.” “Who… what are you?” Clover asked, slipping further away until she was up against the wall, Silver Dust joined by her side. “St-stay back,” Silver cried, “I’m warning you.” “Oh come now, you can’t hurt me.” “Answer me!” Clover said adamantly, “What are you?” The creature took a look at itself and turned in all eight directions before answering. “I’m not sure, exactly. I have an eagle claw and a lion paw, and deer antlers and a single hoof. I’m absolute chaos at best.” it responded. “A creature of chaos? I just summoned a creature of chaos!?” “Well, I don’t see anyone else in the room, besides blondie over there, so obviously you did. I guess thanks are an order.” he said, forging flowers in a bouquet and handed them to Clover. But when she took a sniff, they squirted water in her face. The creature was amused. “Never gets old!” he chuckled. “Hmph! How immature,” Clover wiped the water off her face. “With all that chaos, and stupid humor, you might as well be the epitome of discord.” “Don’t give him ideas,” Silver whispered in fear. “Discord?” He mumbled. “I like that name. Don’t you?” His grin lit into a full smile. It wasn’t humorous, but rather jovial happiness. “Alright then! My name is Discord, Lord of Chaos.” He proclaimed, then added, “at your will.” “What?” “You named me. You created me. I’m yours. Here’s my card.” He summoned another gimmick in his claw, a business card. When Clover read it, it was blank.         Sunset watched them repeat this cycle of insanity, remembering it fondly. They looked happy, and it was almost time for them to continue their life. But why hasn’t Sunset seen him from the mirror, or even during the few times back in Equestria. What had happened? Regardless, she overstayed her welcome, and reality caught up with her. Sunset opened her eyes once more to see friendly faces once more. “Did you find out how to open the portal?” Fluttershy asked right out of the blue. Clover was dazed, trying to put that question with an answer. “I’m not sure” “Did you see anything? Maybe something could help us. Anything?” Twilight asked hopefully. “All I saw was a prototype. It wasn’t the real one. It was using these weird colored gems. They looked…” Suddenly, she remembered, “They were the Elements.” “The Elements of Harmony?” “Clover used them to amplify her magic and combine it with the refracted light from the Crystal Kingdom. But it resulted in… I don’t know what that was.” “The Elements are back in Equestria anyway. We can’t use them even if we could.” Rainbow Dash took this opportunity to get a lot off her chest. “Hey! Don’t you know who we are?” She obviously referred to the human versions of Twilight’s friends. “We’re still the Elements of Harmony. We still used our magic and did that cool lightshow thing. We can open that portal.” Clover rose to her feet and faced Rainbow with a hopeful worry. “Really, you’ll—” “But first, you have some explaining to do.” Rainbow changed her mood quickly. “While you were sleeping, I got all I needed from Twilight and Fluttershy. You aren’t lying your way out of this one.” Rainbow was furious at her. She had betrayed her on every level imaginable in her mind. “Tell the truth. Why did you help those sirens ruin our performance in the battle of the bands?” Clover was shocked. Rainbow had lied. Above all else, she thought she was better. “What?” “You heard me! Why’d you do it? Why did you betray us and try to help the sirens take over our school?” “What’re you talking about? I never—” “Of course you didn’t, darling.” Rarity jumped in. “I believe that much.” “Oh Thank you Rari—” “You were always one of them, weren’t you?” She scolded. “What? No! I’m a pony, not a siren.” “Then why help them?” Rainbow prodded deeper, raising her voice louder. “I didn’t. I swear.” “You were there friend a thousand years ago. What’s so different now?” “What?” Clover slowed down. “How did you…?” “I told her,” Fluttershy said softly. “Told her what?” “She told me that she saw you with them last week at the party. You shouted out their old names and said you did this to them. I’d say it’s only fitting you’d want to help even the debt. You were their friend all those years ago. Something bad happened where you turned them into sirens. You run away like a crybaby and a thousand years later, you want to make up for lost time. Come to think of it, you probably found them before we did.” “Wait, what do you mean?” Twilight asked. “Yeah, it makes sense. That’s why you wanted an Element of Harmony. That way, you could open the portal again and bring them back to Equestria.” “What? Wait! Wait! Wait!” Clover interrupted. “How does that make sense? Why would I go through the portal to get an Element just to use it on a portal that’s already open to free sirens that, if they knew it existed, could just leave as they pleased?” “They were banished, Sun… Clover,” Twilight answered. “They aren’t allowed through the portal by normal means. That was Star Swirl’s fix to the mirror when he used it to seal them in the first place.” “Either tell us the truth, or we’re out of here. Your choice. I’ll give you a second.” Clover was far from confused. She had lost every ounce of sensible thought. Rainbow was, in almost every way, right. She had left herself in such a lost state, anyone can say anything, and she’d be blamed. No matter what she did, she was gonna be called out now that Rainbow has all this ammunition against her. Then it hit her. How can you be blamed for something you didn’t do if you actually did it? A grin appeared over Clover’s face as she thought this. A wry, crooked smile that swore she had a plan, even if she didn’t have a clue. “Fine! You got me. It was me all along.” Clover played the fool. “I was in cahoots with them since before I came to this school, just to have the pleasure of seeing a worthless, hopeless… recyclable world fall to its knees and beg for mercy. Then I could easily just open the portal and start over. Celestia would’ve forgotten all about poor old Clover and I’d be able to take Equestria for myself. With gullible saps like those sirens, I’d throw them in the dungeon for life without a sweat. And you know the best part of all?” Rainbow lost her dominance and felt like she was going to be Clover's next victim. “What?” “With this world’s magic, I can live forever and rinse and repeat. Endlessly, I’ll take over Equestria, then I’ll come back here and repeat the process forever.” Clover’s smile was so cold, so charged with excitement, desire, and dedication that Everyone was curled up like a baby. Huddled next to each other like they were hearing a ghost story. “And it would all be possible…” She started softening her voice, her smile looking more like a joke than authentic. Her elbow sat on Rainbow’s shoulder as she winked at her, “if any of that was remotely true.” She smiled and laughed. “I’m kidding. That’s what you get for assuming, Rainbow Dash.” Twilight and the others, on the other hand, were ready to run away to the nearest house and lock themselves in for eternities to pass before ever thinking of returning. Sunset looked pleased with herself. “Well,” Rainbow said, slowly getting back to her feet. “I guess she’s feeling better. She has her sass back.” “So are you going to help open the portal, or am I going to have to tell you more about how I’d ruin your life forever?” Without a second thought, Rainbow agreed and they went to get their instruments. Of all the credible things Rainbow said, she forgot a big one.