//------------------------------// // Part 2: The Divide // Story: A World Worth Dying For // by ClanCrusher //------------------------------// Twilight had expected the security around Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns to be a lot better. The front door had nothing more than a simple alarm spell which was easy to subvert, and the lock itself was more for show than practicality. Nopony was around at this hour, almost making the black clothing and soft hoof pads she wore unnecessary. The small unicorn knew exactly where she needed to go and the map of the school was fresh in her mind as she navigated the simple layout to the dean's office. That door wasn't even locked. There, on the desk of the headmistress, was the egg, resting in a small box of hay like some sort of trophy. Determined, Twilight levitated the entire box down, glaring at the puzzle that had managed to beat her. The small filly may have hated tests, but she hated failing tests even more, and from the beginning it had felt like this one had been stacked against her. She may have failed her entrance exam, she might never get another chance to attend this school, and she knew that she was breaking all kinds of rules by being in the school at this hour, but right here and now, this was for her. This was something she needed to do, if only to prove to herself that she could, and that all the time she'd spent studying magic hadn't been wasted. Pulling the blinds and shutting the door, Twilight got to work. Diagnostic spells, probing spells, environment spells to simulate the ideal conditions for the egg to hatch, and patience. The shell was heavily magic resistant, making it difficult to determine the condition of the baby dragon inside, but without the constant pressure of her observers and the time limit, she could get around that. There was something in there. Something warm, alive, and eager to get out. The room glowed as the filly began her work. Minutes passed, then hours, and still Twilight worked, taking only short breaks to catch her breath and recover her magic. It hadn't taken long for her to find the shield that had been subtly crafted around the egg, no doubt put in place by one of the professors who had given the test. More spells were layered beneath it, each one seeking to dampen outside magical influences and redirect them. By the time Twilight got to the fourth layer, she was panting and sweating, her mind racing as she struggled to remember her counterspells correctly. She was convinced by this point that whoever designed the test was a sadist who simply wished to see everypony fail. The moon was just starting to vanish below the skyline when Twilight collapsed. Her legs were shaking and her vision was hazy, and even though all the protections around the egg had been stripped away, the egg itself remained whole. “Stupid...test. Stupid...egg. Stupid...magic resistance...” panted the young unicorn, fighting to stay awake. “Not...gonna...fail!” The entire office lit up in a burst of violet light as Twilight reached deep within her reserves and pulled out all the magic she had left, practically throwing it at the egg. It wiggled. She reached out to the tiny life inside of it, still sleeping in what could only be some magically induced coma. Gritting her teeth, Twilight closed her eyes, barely noticing as her legs left the ground. Magic built in her throat until she couldn't keep it inside anymore. Taking in a breath, the unicorn shouted. “WAKE UP!” The windows in the office shattered. Every alarm in the school was triggered at once, and moments later when Celestia teleported in, she was treated to the sight of a purple unicorn filly curled up with a newly hatched baby dragon passed out on the floor of the office. --- Spike let out a laugh as the much older Twilight finished the journal entry. “I dunno, Twilight, that doesn't sound too far off from something you'd do.” “That was one time, Spike,” grumbled Twilight as she flipped a few pages ahead and skimmed the entry afterwards. “Was my egg really that hard to hatch?” he asked curiously. “It was supposed to be impossible,” said Twilight, clearly annoyed with the very concept that a test could be impossible to pass. “I didn't learn about it until after I did it, though. Apparently I'd passed every other test up to that point with flying colors, and even if I hadn't hatched your egg, I would have been accepted into the school.” “Huh...well, I'm glad you passed it,” said Spike. “It was cramped in there.” “I'm glad I hatched it, too,” said Twilight warmly before turning her attention back to the book. “But I think I'm starting to see where things changed.” “How so? You still hatched the egg and became Celestia's student, didn't you?” “Yes, but in our world, I did it completely by accident,” corrected the alicorn. “And that's just it. When Celestia accepted me as her student, I was humbled. For the first year it felt like I'd just...lucked into it. That I was at the right place at the right time and...well, it was hard not feeling like a fraud.” “Don't be ridiculous, Twilight, you've always been good at magic!” protested Spike. “You said yourself they would have accepted you anyways!” “Well...maybe, but it always felt like I had to live up to their expectations,” confessed the alicorn. “This Twilight on the other hand...well, give this entry a look.” Levitating the book over to the dragon, Spike's eyes widened in recognition. “Oh hey, I remember that! The whole Ursa Minor thing!” “Keep reading,” urged Twilight. Spike let his eyes roam over the page for a bit before his mouth fell open. “Wow...just...ran her out of town? I mean, it sounds like she was asking for it, calling her out specifically but...wow.” Twilight nodded, somewhat glum. “This Twilight was confident in her position, and every time somepony challenged it, she reacted...well, like Rainbow Dash does when someone challenges her flying. And when she got her wings...” “She was ready to take on the role,” finished Spike. “But that doesn't mean she's better or worse than you, does it?” “Even I'm not so sure of that anymore,” said Twilight with a shake of her head. “Logically speaking, I should have never given my magic to Tirek. It was blind luck that we managed to solve the riddle of the crystal box in time and that it happened to contain something that helped us defeat Tirek.” Spike glared at her. “Don't even joke about that, Twilight. You saw what happened here. You made the right call. You believed in the Magic of Friendship and it came through for you because you put your friends first!” Twilight wished she could believe that, but even with the evidence staring her in the face, it was hard to argue with the Princess of Pragmatism's reasoning for doing what she did. She hadn't entertained Trixie’s grandstanding and had avoided damage to the town from the Ursa Minor. She'd neutralized Chrysalis as a threat and turned her into an ally rather than wait for her to show herself again. She'd done extensive research into Sombra to make sure he wouldn't be a threat anymore either. Saving him had just been a bonus. And it was doubtful she would have ever let Starlight Glimmer escape. Fortunately, it seemed like this Twilight had been a good friend all the same, but there were many subtle differences that fed her growing discomfort. This universe's Twilight had taken to being a princess the same way she'd taken to being Celestia's student; with a sense of accomplishment and achievement rather than humility, and it hadn't taken her long to start exercising that power. Most of it had been subtle. Simple things like getting Rarity her big shop in Canterlot and making certain Rainbow got her shot with the Wonderbolts. Other things had not been so subtle. Flim and Flam, Wind Rider, Suri Polomare, and Trixie hadn't gotten off nearly as lightly as they had in her world, with punishments ranging from excessive fines and community service, to actual jail time in Trixie and Wind Rider's case. On the surface it seemed a bit harsh, but the Alicorn Amulet incident had been a huge hassle to clean up, and it was hard not to think that Wind Rider deserved his disgrace for trying to sabotage Rainbow's career due to ego. And ultimately, she'd shown she was willing to give her life for Equestria. Letting out a sigh, Twilight set the book aside and flopped backwards onto her bed. It felt just as comfortable as she remembered it. Beside her, Spike was dragging out his old basket from beneath. “She's not me, Spike,” said Twilight finally. “I didn't do the things she did, and trying to take her place would be an insult to her memory. Tomorrow I'm finishing the spell, and we're leaving.” Spike sighed and flopped down into his basket. “If you're sure.” “But are you sure they'll let you go?” The sudden voice was a surprise, but not an unfamiliar one. Fighting back her reflexive panic, the alicorn extended her magical senses and looked up at the ceiling. “Did you need something, Discord? I was kind of about to sleep.” “Why yes, in fact I do.” That got Twilight's attention. Sitting up, she watched as the draconequus slid down from the ceiling and landed gracefully at the foot of her bed. Twilight's eyes narrowed. Something seemed off about him, more so than usual. His entrance had been...subdued. No flashy effects, no clothing gags, and not even a chuckle at his own jokes. “I want you to leave. Immediately.” Biting back her instinctive reply, Twilight mulled the statement over. “Not that I was planning on staying, but why the urgency?” “Because otherwise they're not going to let you leave.” “You seem pretty sure of that,” retorted Twilight, annoyed now. The draconequus sighed and lounged back, an offensively brightly colored lawn chair appearing for him to sit in along with a glass of some red liquid with an umbrella in it. As he drew the drink to his mouth, Twilight noticed something off about his features. Along the right side of his face, an angry red scar stretched from his ear, past his muzzle, and quite a ways down his neck. “As sure as anypony who wouldn't want to risk their universe being erased once they leave,” he replied casually. “They wouldn't be able to stop me,” said Twilight firmly. “Not that I believe they'll even try. My friends are better than that.” “Your friends, perhaps, but as you've clearly just read, these aren't your friends, are they?” Twilight found she had no good answer to that. Sure, they all seemed just like her friends back home, but the journal she'd found showed just how different her other self had turned out. “And really, they don't need to stop you, or are you forgetting the other component of Starswirl's spell?” Twilight's breath caught in her throat. “The Crystal Map...” “A stunning piece of magic, not of this world. Quite complex and completely alien. Could you recreate that if it were...broken?” Twilight hesitated, but then frowned, her eyes coming to meet Discord's own with a piercing glare. “I refuse to believe my friends would ever do something like that. Why do you even care whether I stay or leave?” Discord sighed. Setting his glass aside, the draconequus traced one of his claws along the deep scar that ran along his side. “I don't particularly like this world.” Twilight took a closer look. That scar didn't look like it was applied voluntarily, and Discord was vain enough that Twilight couldn't see him keeping it around if he actually wanted it. That meant something, or someone, had given it to him. Only one pony came to mind. “What did you do to anger Celestia?” “I got her favorite pupil and fellow princess killed. She would have killed me, too, if you hadn't bothered saving my life.” Twilight swallowed, unnerved by the frank and flat tone Discord was using. It was unsettling hearing him be so straightforward and direct. “I'm guessing you're not terribly popular around Ponyville, either.” “The Element of Kindness won't even give me the time of day. What do you think?” Twilight could only nod. Bitterness and regret were two things she never thought she'd associate with Discord, not long term anyways. But it was clear that the sunscar he had along his face and neck wasn't the deepest. “I can't leave tonight,” said Twilight finally. “Even if I wanted to, I need to repair the scroll, and I need to rest. I can't beat Starlight Glimmer half-exhausted like this.” “Can't, or won't?” said Discord, suddenly snaking off of his chair, the ensemble vanishing behind him as he stopped an inch away from Twilight's face. “Do you really expect me to believe that any unicorn could stand against an alicorn if they were truly serious? Perhaps you should take a lesson from your other self if you wish to stop suffering through these timelines.” Before the alicorn could respond, Discord vanished, not even bothering to snap his fingers, leaving a slight tinge of sulfur in the air. For her part, Twilight groaned and fell back onto her bed. Beside her, Spike peeked his head up from his basket. “You know...he might have a point. He would know the ponies of this universe better than you, wouldn't he?” “Celestia said she would back whatever decision I made. He's worrying for nothing,” said the alicorn with an assurance she wasn't quite feeling. --- Tap. Tap. Tap. Twilight groaned and rolled over, her eyes slowly opening at the sound of a hoof on glass. Yawning and stretching her legs, Twilight turned her head towards the window, blinking sleep from her eyes and adjusting to the sunlight. Outside, Rainbow Dash was hovering in the air, gently flapping her wings. “Huh. She stopped breaking the windows. Wonder how other Twilight managed that?” murmured Twilight before teleporting outside, appearing next to the pegasus and letting her wings catch her in mid-air. “Morning, Rainbow, did you need something?” Rainbow hesitated, looking slightly off to the side of Twilight's face as she spoke. “Hey, um...I realize that you're different from our Twilight, and that you might not share the same interests as her, but...would you like to go on a morning flight?” Twilight thought for a moment, briefly turning back to the window to see Spike still asleep in his basket. A chance to stretch her wings did sound good, and it would let her subtly check on the crystal table. “That sounds great, actually. Go easy on me, though, I'm pretty sure you're faster than me in every universe.” Rainbow grinned and flew in a short loop, taking a position on Twilight's left as the two of them took off. “Hey, no pressure, princess, I'm pretty good at reining in my awesomeness.” Twilight giggled, taking the lead as she set a course around Ponyville. “I'll believe that when I see it.” To her surprise though, Rainbow seemed to be staying true to her word, letting her take the lead and break the wind ahead of them, their path curving along the outskirts of town and over the Everfree forest. “You're listing, Twi, watch the left side,” said Rainbow a few minutes into the flight, speeding up to fly alongside her. “Heh. You even have some of the same flying quirks your other self has.” “You spotted them just as easily in my world,” replied Twilight, making the small correction and putting on a little more speed. Below, she could see the crystal table in the midst of the trees. Nopony seemed to be around it, so she allowed herself to relax a little bit. Rainbow easily caught up, twisting in midair and flying backwards so she could face her. “Hey...I'm sorry for trying to compare you to your other self last night. It's just...you're so similar, and I was really happy seeing you again.” “It's okay, Rainbow. After all the traveling I've done lately, I was doing the same thing with you girls,” confessed the alicorn, playfully putting on a bit more speed to challenge Rainbow's trick flying, but Dash didn't even seemed phased.. “Hey, I'm awesome in every universe, so you can be forgiven for that,” teased Rainbow, twisting in the air and flying a loop around the princess before flying more normally on her right side. “Seriously, though, I can tell you're different from her.” “How so?” asked Twilight curiously. “Well...I dunno, it's hard to explain. You just feel more...approachable. I mean, other Twilight was one of my best friends, but...it's like trying to talk to Rarity while she's with a bunch of nobleponies, you get what I'm saying?” “Yeah, I think I do,” said Twilight with a sigh. “It seems like she was a much better princess than me.” “Hey, it's not a competition!” Twilight giggled. “Oh, really?” Rolling her eyes, Rainbow adjusted her flight path and gently nudged the princess off course. “Not that kind of competition, egghead.” Twilight chuckled. “Apparently even my other self couldn't escape that nickname.” Rainbow hesitated, allowing Twilight to pull ahead for a brief moment. “You, uh...don't hate it, do you?” “I always thought it was endearing,” assured the princess, putting on another burst of speed as she reached Cranky's cabin at the edge of town and began the trip back. She was doing the flying equivalent of 'galloping' now, taking the last leg of the journey as fast as she could. Rainbow quickly caught up, flashing her a grin as she passed. Twilight gave it her best effort, pushing her wings as fast as they would carry her, but Rainbow always stayed a hoof's length ahead, moving just fast enough to keep out of reach despite giving her a wind tunnel to use. When the two landed at the entrance to her library, Twilight was somewhat breathless. Rainbow barely looked winded. “Not bad, Princess Egghead,” teased Rainbow, giving her a light hoof-bump on the shoulder. “Look, I dunno how different or similar you are to your other self, but I think we could be friends either way...if you're staying, that is. I mean, no pressure or anything.” “Wait, Rainbow, I-” Before Twilight could get in another word though, Rainbow took off, blowing back Twilight's mane and tail with the wind pressure of her takeoff. Letting out a sigh, Twilight yawned and opened her door, wondering if there was any quick and convenient way to get breakfast. As she walked into the library, though, the unmistakable scent of pancakes came through. Apparently Spike had awoken during her morning flight, and he'd been busy. The real surprise came in the form of his company, sitting at her table and talking amicably with the young dragon. “You know, I don't think you two appreciate just how bizarre it feels having the ex-King of the Crystal Empire and the ex-Queen of the Changelings sitting in my library like this,” said Twilight by way of greeting. Sombra let out a deep chuckle. “Perhaps not, but is it any more odd than seeing one of your old friends and acquaintances jump into your world from another dimension?” “Point taken,” said Twilight, raising a hoof before anyone else could talk. “Food first. I haven't had pancakes in ages. Even alicorns need to eat now and then.” --- “How many worlds have you been to now?” asked Sombra. The question came a bit after Twilight had finished off her first plate and had gone back for seconds. Thankfully, Spike had been prepared. The alicorn took her time with the bite in her mouth, mentally counting the number of times she'd jumped. Swallowing, she finally gave her answer. “This would be...timeline thirty-three.” Sombra nodded thoughtfully. “I see. And judging from your surprise and paranoia, I would hazard a guess that not many of those worlds were peaceful.” “You could say that,” said Twilight with a slight grumble, raising a hoof and pointing towards Chrysalis. “Four timelines were taken over by changelings with the last survivors having escaped to holdouts in the Everfree Forest.” Her hoof turned towards Sombra. “And there were at least five worlds where you had turned Equestria into a war-torn state, forced to fight an increasingly desperate battle against mind-controlled ponies.” “And the others?” asked Chrysalis. “Tirek got the upper hoof in a few. Discord had at least one world under his control. Every time I came through the portal and saw it was night time, I automatically assumed Nightmare Moon had taken over, and some worlds were just...empty.” Twilight shivered slightly at the memory. “I see. And if you do not mind my asking, why is this Starlight Glimmer proving to be such a challenge to you? If the blast you struck me with yesterday is any indication, you do not lack for power.” “If it was a simple fight, maybe, but all Starlight has to do in order to send the timeline into freefall is interfere with Rainbow. Even if I try to fight her, the fight itself is distracting enough to the point where Rainbow will want to come watch.” “Then why do you keep holding back?” Chrysalis' question was followed by a very uncomfortable silence. “I'm sorry?” said Twilight finally. “Yeah, what are you talking about?” asked Spike. “I've been there. Starlight is pretty tough.” “I've no doubt this Starlight Glimmer is a powerful unicorn, especially since she can manipulate and modify Starswirl's spells. However, as a unicorn you could do the same, and now you have a pair of wings,” said Sombra, his voice still amiable and friendly despite the line of reasoning he was traveling down. “I realize you may not have trained in combat magics, but do you really expect me to believe this Starlight can hold a candle to your power?” “Twilight?” asked Spike uncertainly, glancing between the former ruler of the Crystal Empire and the Princess of Friendship. Twilight simply looked down at the table. Sombra waited, but when no answer was forthcoming, he sighed and nodded his head. “As I suspected, you are reluctant to take a course of action that might lead to her death.” Twilight's head shot up and her eyes narrowed. “If you've come here to judge me and dictate how I treat my enemies, you may as well leave. I didn't kill my world's Tirek and I'm not going to kill Starlight, even if I have to go back a hundred times to talk her down. I just have to make her see reason.” Sombra held up a placating hoof. “Peace, Twilight, I am certainly not one to pass judgment on your actions. I only ask you to look at the logic of the situation.” Letting out a huff, Twilight sat back down and drained the glass of water she'd had in front of her, giving the former king a curt nod. “Many of these other worlds you have been to have been unsafe. Some have been wastelands, others have had ruling tyrants who attacked you almost immediately upon your arrival. From my understanding, this is the only world you've had a moment of peace in, yes?” Hesitantly, Twilight nodded. “If you refuse to use your full power against Starlight, and you continue to be flung into these other timelines, how long do you think it will be before one of these other world's tyrants captures you? Captures the spell you carry with you? Or perhaps you end up in a world that has been completely destroyed, leaving nothing but a void? Are you willing to chance that with another thirty worlds? Another fifty? How many more do you think you must travel to before you can talk Starlight Glimmer down?” Twilight hung her head. The odds weren't good. She'd clashed with much less friendly versions of Chrysalis and Sombra on multiple occasions now, and the brief fights she'd had with Nightmare Moon had been...unpleasant. “I have to try,” she said finally. “I'm sorry if that's not good enough for you, but I wouldn't be the princess I am if I didn't trust in the power that made me an alicorn in the first place.” Sombra looked thoughtful. It was a little unnerving seeing the normally berserk and mindless pony acting so regal and composed. Just as he was about to speak again though, Chrysalis interrupted. “Or you could just stay here.” “What?” Twilight's mind shifted gears as the far more brash and direct ex-tyrant took over the conversation. “That's the point King Obfuscation was trying to make. Instead of risking a worse or inescapable timeline on a miniscule chance of talking down a crazy unicorn you're not willing to kill, just cut your losses, plant yourself in a timeline that's not so horrible, and make the best of it,” said the changeling princess with a huff. “Chrysalis, I can't just abandon my friends like that.” “Then you need to start taking this seriously,” growled the changeling, her eyes practically glowing. “Maybe this timeline doesn't mean much to you, but it means everything to me. And now it's being gambled with by somepony unwilling to do what's necessary, all because she believes she can achieve a slightly better outcome!” Twilight tried to take a soothing breath, but every calm feeling was rapidly evaporating under the changeling princess' criticisms. “You're right. I do believe I can do it,” she said, just audible enough to hear, her voice slowly getting louder. “Maybe this Twilight was better than me. Maybe she knew enough magic to bring you back,” she said, nodding towards Sombra. “Maybe she was diplomatic enough to talk you around and bring you to our side.” Twilight was shaking slightly as she stared at Chrysalis. “Maybe she was more practical than me. Made better calls. But you know what? That's why she's dead!” Her shout made the windows rattle and the furniture shake. Chrysalis and Sombra looked stunned. “She's dead because she took the most logical choice available to her. I'm alive because I believed that as long as I had my friends, I'd find an answer, no matter how difficult or dangerous it was. Maybe the odds were slim, but I was willing to take a chance and give it every ounce of effort I had!” Chrysalis' rage seemed to seep into the air around her as she stood up from her seat. “Just because you bet everything and won doesn't make your decision any less idiotic! If you're going to destroy this world when you leave, the least you could do is make sure there's a world worth replacing it!” “Chrysalis, enough.” Sombra's voice cut through the building rage. With a huff, Chrysalis sat back down, nearly cracking her glass as she picked it up in her magic. “I did not come here to judge your actions, merely to lay out our point of view. I'm quite aware I can’t stop you if you are truly determined.” For emphasis, he bowed his head and motioned with a hoof to his missing horn. “My answer hasn't changed,” said Twilight firmly, looking down at the table in front of her. “Then we have nothing further to discuss. I only ask that you wait until tomorrow morning so that I might give you something before you make your next trip.” “I'll need at least that long to prepare the spell,” murmured Twilight softly. “I'll wait.” With a final nod, Sombra rose from the table, Chrysalis following closely behind him. The Changeling Princess didn't even glance back, her magic grabbing the door behind her and slamming it shut. “Are you okay, Twilight?” asked Spike hesitantly once the library was empty. “I'm going to finish the spell right now,” replied the princess, heading up the stairs towards her room. “Tell anypony else who comes that I'm asleep.” --- Magically constructing a scroll was tedious, tiring work that took a lot of energy and precision, but Twilight welcomed the monotony. Starswirl's tattered scroll rested beside her as she continued to construct the spell, copying it word for word, her quill as magically precise as she could make it. The drain on her magic was significant, but not debilitating, and the morning slowly turned into afternoon while she worked. She was just putting the finishing protections on it (tear-proof this time) when she heard a knock at the door. “Spike, could you get that please?” There was no response and the knocking continued. Rubbing a hoof over her eyes, Twilight yawned and made her way down the stairs, feeling a bit too drained for a teleport, and opening the door by hoof. “Howdy, Twi, hope you haven't been working yerself to death.” Behind the door with a large brown bag in her mouth was Applejack, and following close behind the usual scent of apples was the scent of warm food. All of a sudden, all the demands of her body she'd been ignoring while working came back in full force. “Did Spike sell me out?” asked Twilight, stepping aside and inviting the farm pony inside. “Course he did, but I coulda guessed it myself,” teased Applejack, giving her friend the bag and letting her withdraw the apple foodstuffs from within. Half of it was gone within a minute, the princess quickly filling her neglected belly. It wasn't until Applejack produced a second bag that she finally slowed down enough to talk in-between bites. “Mmhh...needed that...more than I thought.” “Everypony needs more apples in their life,” said the farm pony playfully. “I'm guessin' you've been hard at work on that spell all day.” Twilight paused, the apple tart halfway to her mouth. Slowly, she nodded. “I just wanted to get it out of the way. I'm still not entirely convinced something crazy isn't going to happen. It has in every other world.” “Don't need to justify yerself, Twi, I really did just come by to give you some food,” assured Applejack. “Sorry, I just...had an unpleasant conversation with Sombra and Chrysalis this morning,” murmured Twilight sheepishly, floating the snack the rest of the way to her muzzle and finishing it off. “Truthfully though, I would like you to stay. I know y'all don't see yerself like the other Twi, and we might be a bit off-puttin' to you, but it ain't much of a stretch for me to see you as a friend, and I ain't afraid of getting to know you again.” Twilight's breath caught in her throat. Even though she knew what she wanted, or rather, 'had' to say, she couldn't get the words out. Fortunately, an interruption came in the form of a knock on the door. “I'll get it,” said Twilight immediately, grateful for an excuse to do anything else, at least until she saw who was standing at the door. Pinkie Pie was front and center, a brown paper bag in her mouth, and behind her was Rarity with a package of her own. “Heya, Twilight! We brought food!” said Pinkie in way of greeting. “Oh, well, thank you, but Applejack already took care-” “Not that kind of food, Spike told me to prepare some desserts!” amended Pinkie Pie, holding the bag in one hoof and pushing it open with her muzzle, the sweet scent of sugary confections quickly emerging. Twilight couldn't help but wonder if Spike was sabotaging her, but outwardly she simply smiled and stepped aside, trying to ignore the aching feeling in her stomach. --- Twilight could tell her friends were making an effort to avoid talking about her pending trip. Most of their talking points revolved around swapping stories, comparing and contrasting their worlds, and having a good laugh at the particularly facehoof-worthy things each of them had done. “So yer sayin' Big Mac stole your Smarty Pants doll after that whole mess?” “Yeah, I was way too embarrassed to ask for it back. I didn't even want to look at it again after Celestia cleaned that mess up for me,” grumbled Twilight. “I'm a little envious that your Twilight avoided it.” “Oh, believe me darling, our Twilight had her moments. During her first year in Ponyville, she got into an exasperating feud with Blueblood that Celestia finally had to put a stop to. Something about the border of the Everfree Forest encroaching on Applejack's farm, yet not having the proper authority to remove it based on some legalese.” Applejack let out a small groan. “Darn thing was so complicated I was about ready to give up the land if it would quiet things down.” “And there was that time we had to pull her away from the Crystal Kingdom's library,” added Pinkie. “She was suuuuper into that place.” “'Course, then we found out she was doin' research to heal Sombra and we all felt kinda bad,” murmured Applejack. “I'll offer you forgiveness on behalf of my other self,” said Twilight with a small giggle. “Celestia knows I had to be pulled out the library several times my first few weeks here.” Another knock sounded at the door. This time Twilight didn't even get up, pulling open the door with her magic and letting Fluttershy inside. Spike was with her, riding on the pink maned pegasus' back. “Enjoy your time out, Spike?” said Twilight in way of greeting. Spike picked up on the underlying accusation in her voice. “Hey, c'mon, Twi, I was just curious about what happened to me. It's like I just vanished off the face of Equestria.” “You didn't stay around for much longer after...Tirek,” said Applejack. “We tried looking for ya, but the trail went cold around the dragon lands.” Spike sighed, hopping off Fluttershy's back and taking his place at Twilight's side. “I still can't believe I'd go without saying a word. Something else must have happened.” Twilight looked around the table, her eyes narrowing in on Rarity who seemed to be suddenly very interested in her hooves. “So, Rarity...did you let him down gently?” Spike looked across at the purple-maned mare, realization dawning. “Oh...yeah, that might do it.” Rarity winced and let out a sigh. “I'm sorry, Spike, I really am.” “No, it's okay,” assured the young dragon. “It was a different me, and...well I guess I've always kind of known.” “For what it's worth, it really was just a matter of your age, dear,” said Rarity softly. “I always enjoyed having you around and you were very helpful.” “Thanks,” said Spike, somewhat morosely. “Still kinda hard to believe I just left like that though.” “Everypony reacts differently to loss,” said Fluttershy softly. “I'm certain you'll come back someday.” Twilight could only hope she was right. Long-lived dragons tended to have a skewed concept of time, and Spike was on track to outlive most of them, unless more of her friends had a destiny as an alicorn. “So, Rarity, you've been subtly hiding that package for most of the evening now,” said Twilight, searching around for something to change the subject to. “Ooh, is that a present? Wait, was this a present party?” said Pinkie, her eyes going wide as she sucked in a breath. “Oh no, the one party other Twilight is having over in this world and I forgot a present! What do I do?” “You relax, dear. Not every party requires presents. Besides, this is a rather long overdue gift,” said Rarity as she levitated the package over the table. Twilight quickly unwrapped it, her mouth opening slightly as she saw the gift inside. It was a pair of saddlebags. Sturdy, well made, and lacking much of Rarity's usual flair save for a set of very carefully embedded amethysts in the shape of her star-burst cutie mark. She didn't even need to try it on to know it fit perfectly. Back in her home world, she'd commissioned something similar, but had forgotten it after all the chaos with Tirek. Twilight blinked. There was water in her eyes. She swallowed, opening the bags and seeing the careful work done inside; spaced sections suitable for holding books, scrolls, papers, quills, and even an ink jar. It was exactly how she liked it. Her voice wavered as she spoke. She tried to say 'thank you', but all that came out was a shaky, barely audible, “I h-hate this.” Rarity looked shocked. “R-really?” “No! Not...not this! It's wonderful! I just...I hate all of this!” She took another breath, her body trembling. “I hate all these alternate timelines, I hate Celestia for being right and not putting guards in my castle, I hate Starswirl, I hate Starlight Glimmer, and I hate this stupid choice!” Her head landed on the bag, her tears leaking out onto the treated material. Almost immediately, she could feel hooves wrapping around her and hugging her tight. Pinkie and Applejack were on either side of her, and seconds later Rarity and Fluttershy were at her back, placing comforting hooves upon her. “This world...*hic*...is wonderful, and...and I've been to so many worlds where things were terrible, but...I still want to go back,” she choked out. “And I hate feeling this way!” Her friends were silent, the only sounds coming from Twilight's quiet sobs. It was Rarity who finally broke the silence. “Then go back. I was intending this as a parting gift, I never wanted to guilt you into staying.” “But...Starswirl, his theory stated-” “Y'all know I ain't very smart when it comes to time stuff, but it seems to me like you sittin' here at all means Starswirl don't know everything,” said Applejack. “Yeah...magic has a way of doing that to you,” said Twilight, chuckling a bit despite herself. “So if that crazy pony was wrong once, he could be wrong again,” finished the farm pony. “Don't you worry about us. Our Twilight left us a good world to live in.” “But...what if this world disappears once I leave?” asked Twilight softly, wiping a foreleg across her eyes. “Then we'll still be your friends, right?” cut in Pinkie. “It's not like we're going to stop existing in that case, we'll just go back to being the ponies you remember. And you'll remember us too, so we definitely won't disappear!” Twilight took a moment to mull that logic over in her head. It was a bit of a leap, but Starswirl's litany of time magic was full of logical leaps. Her eyes turned to Fluttershy, the last of the group who had yet to speak, silently asking her if she thought the same way. “I...just wanted to say that I'm happy we're friends,” said the pegasus softly. “I mean...I'm sure our Twilight knew that, but I never really told her directly.” Twilight smiled, sniffing one last time before turning to pull the pegasus into an embrace. “If there is absolutely anything I have in common with the Twilight of this world, it's that she felt the same way.” CRASH! The five ponies sitting at the table jumped suddenly as the door was flung open, admitting a panting Rainbow Dash with wet fur. “Sorry...I'm late...weather was terrible. Did I miss anything?” Rarity smiled and shook her head. “We'll fill you in darling, now dry yourself off,” she demanded, levitating and flinging a towel at the rainbow-maned pegasus. --- Twilight let out a relieved sigh as she finished the last part of the spell scroll and rolled it up, carefully placing it in Rarity's bag. Task finished, the quill she'd been using moved over to another piece of parchment and finished a few last words before that too was rolled up and sealed. The moon was at its peak in the sky and the brief rainfall in the afternoon reflected the soft white glow. Like almost every night in Ponyville, it was a peaceful and serene sight. The sight did nothing to quell the alicorn's tension though. “Spike, you awake?” There was a grumbling reply as the young dragon was roused from his basket. “Mmhh?” “It's time to get going.” Spike's eyes shot open and the blanket was flung off at the revelation. “What? But I thought-” “It has to be now,” the princess insisted. “If I wait any longer, I'm not going to have the will to leave. Please, just...don't argue.” Spike's eyes looked from the pony to the scroll on her desk. “Are you going to at least message Celestia first?” Twilight swallowed. “If this world stays behind when I leave, they'll find it on my desk,” she explained, picking up the dragon with her magic and placing him on her back. Spike let out a small sigh. “Alright, let's go then,” he murmured. “I hope you're not going to regret this.” Twilight could only hope the same. Concentrating, the alicorn pictured the forest that she'd appeared in just yesterday, and with a violet flash they were gone. A moment later, the forest appeared around them with the crystal table just a few meters away, glowing like a beacon in the moonlight. “So do we have a plan to deal with Starlight Glimmer?” asked Spike, his voice quiet. Twilight nodded her head as she activated the scroll inside her bag. “I have a plan. I just need-” SHINK! The spell was suddenly cut off, the surrounding forest illuminated as a bright violet shield shimmered into being around the crystal table. Twilight swallowed. She recognized that particular color of magic. Slightly off, slightly different, far more powerful than she remembered, but there was only one pony it could be. “Heya, sis...you weren't going to leave without saying goodbye, were you?” Slowly, Twilight turned. Standing in the open now was her brother, a warm smile on his face, a kind look in his eyes, a familiar shield-and-star cutie mark on his flank... And a pair of wings at his sides.