Chapter 7
The sun had grown bright after Spike sent his message. The bearers of the elements had clustered together in the library, expecting Celestia to appear in a flash of light as she had before. Rainbow Dash had her hooves wrapped tightly around Twilight, determined that Celestia would not whisk her away alone. Spike sat close between Twilight and Sparkle as they held him in turn. All the other ponies had clustered nearby, looking to the window, and waiting for the ruler of Equestria to appear. Instead of Celestia though, they were greeted only by the brightening day around them. At first, the sun’s rays were soothing—Twilight and Sparkle felt strength return to their bodies, and the other ponies relaxed as well. But soon the beam it cast into the library became impossible to look upon. The ponies shut their eyes in shock, but the light shone through their eyelids, and all they saw was a blinding white.
When that light faded, and their vision returned, Twilight and Sparkle found themselves somewhere else. The wood of the library was gone, replaced with white marble and gold, and before them was a vast window. Though it, they could see the whole of the world laid out before them—a bird’s-eye view, like a map brought to life. It took them each a moment to situate themselves, but they knew this room. As one, they realized who else was within it. Slowly, they turned.
Celestia’s coat matched the white marble of Canterlot as perfectly as her finery matched its golden fittings. She sat back in her throne with her forehooves on the ground, her wings outstretched and her eyes faintly narrowed. She could easily have been mistaken for one of the statues of her that adorned the city, her pose the perfect image of stern yet regal authority. Only her mane spoiled the effect, slowly rippling in the solar wind. It was the only part of her that moved; her body still, her gaze unyielding.
After a moment’s hesitation, Twilight and Sparkle both prostrated themselves on the floor as they did during Celestia’s formal visits to Ponyville. Unlike those past cases, however, Celestia neither permitted them to rise nor interrupted the formality with a casual greeting. There were no servants, no guards, but she allowed the silence to drag on, watching as the two unicorns before her tried to push themselves harder against the ground with each passing moment.
“I’m very disappointed in you, Twilight Sparkle.” Celestia’s voice rang out loud and clear in the resonant space, the echo against the round window coming from all directions at once. Twilight and Sparkle raised their heads faintly, and each looked at the other uncertainty. Celestia’s hoof struck the stone sharply, and a clap rang out. Their heads went back to the floor at once.
“When we first met, you were a filly with a very special gift, but you needed to learn to tame your abilities. Here, through focused study, you learned how to direct your powers, but I sent you away because there was something else you needed that you could only learn on your own.” Celestia tapped the floor twice and motioned with a hoof, signaling Twilight and Sparkle to rise. “Emotional maturity.”
“In Ponyville, you became the Bearer of one of the Elements of Harmony and learned about the magic of friendship, and although you did have a few setbacks, I was confident in you and proud of your progress. I knew these events would place a great strain on you, but I allowed you to face them on your own because I believed you would emerge stronger for the experience. Now, your powers have brought chaos and suffering into the lives of you and your friends.” Twilight and Sparkle each rose, eyes locked on the Princess, ears alert as they hung on her every word. “I cannot allow a pony with such potential for doing harm to go free in this condition. You are confined to Canterlot Castle until such time as I decide you are fit for release.”
Silence hung in the air in the wake of the Princess's declaration. Sparkle’s head sunk until her gaze was on the floor, and she shut her eyes. She opened her mouth to accept the Princess’s judgement, but she couldn't bring herself to speak. Twilight’s gaze remained locked on the Princess even as her eyes started to water. She didn’t make a sound and forced herself to hold back the tears, standing proud in front of her teacher and mentor even as her breath shook. They spoke at once—one voice resigned, one voice trembling. “I understand, Princess.”
Princess Celestia sighed and rose from her throne. Her great stature let her cross the distance to Twilight and Sparkle in two quick steps, and with a wide sweeping motion, she wrapped her right foreleg around each of them, hugging them against her. Each of them let out a squeak of surprise, as Princess Celestia lowered herself to her knees between them. She leaned her head down, nuzzling each of them along the neck. For a moment, they hesitated, but only for a moment, and soon Twilight and Sparkle both leaned against Celestia like they were foals again. Her wide-spread wings reached forward, wrapping around them, and inside those confines she spoke with a warm whisper.
“I watched you grow up from a foal into a brave, kind, and capable mare. I will always be proud of you for that. If you were any other pony I would say you didn’t need my tutelage any longer, but you are not any other pony, Twilight Sparkle.” Princess Celestia nudged each of the ponies before her with one of her wings, tilting their gazes up so they looked at each other. They started to avert their gazes, each looking to the ground and aside, but Princess Celestia caught them before they could. “Do not look away,” she ordered, and slowly, the two unicorns came to stare into each other’s eyes.
“This is what your gift is, Twilight Sparkle—the impossible, the unnatural, the wondrous and terrible. Other ponies will never need the strength to face their own self so brutally presented to them, or to withstand a hundred other challenges that you must overcome. But you must overcome them, Twilight Sparkle. Your powers will bring these challenges before you, and if you do not rise to the occasion, those same powers will harm everypony around you. You are the bearer of the sixth element. The future of Equestria depends on you.” Princess Celestia spoke firmly, but her eyes were not narrowed. Her voice was softer, and she paused for a moment to smile. “I can think of nopony better. You have encountered some difficulties, yes, but that is what you have a teacher for.”
Outside, a cloud passed in front of the sun, casting the library into shadow. Celestia’s wings formed a shield around the two unicorns, and within those confines, it grew dark. Inside that temple were held two strange and dark pools of purple. Each of the unicorns gazed deep into the other’s eyes. They felt entranced, possessed, paralyzed, unsure if they didn’t want to look away or actually couldn't look away. It was like staring into the space in the night sky between the stars, a distance that seemed infinite and reachable all at once. The shadows around them denied perspective, making the pools of purple and shadow seem vast, and Celestia’s wings a cavernous arch. Sparkle reached up to hold Twilight’s face with a hoof, unable to hear a thing save her own breath.
Then, the cloud moved aside, and Celestia folded her wings back against herself. Brilliant yellow light drove back the shadows, and Sparkle found herself holding Twilight’s face, each of them confused. She wiped away Twilight’s tears, making the motion seem intentional, before putting her hoof back to the floor. Twilight mumbled a word of thanks, reaching up to rub at her eyes as she struggled for words and failed to find them.
“Is this a test, Princess?” Sparkle asked, breaking the long silence.
Princess Celestia smiled at her, leaning over to nudge an ear with her muzzle—a faint, affectionate gesture. “Life is a test, Twilight Sparkle, but if you’re asking if I intentionally allowed these events to happen, no. I knew this would be difficult for you, but what happened caught me by surprise as much as it did your friends.” As Princess Celestia spoke, the panes of the great window began to rattle, gradually moving from a faint buzzing to shaking violently in their frames. A bright speck of light became visible in the distance, and Princess Celestia sighed. “Speaking of...”
Rainbow Dash first became visible as a distant blue point, but when her course pulled up and away, her rainbow trail revealed itself in all its splendor. Behind her, a sudden wind ripped through the streets of Canterlot. It threw open windows and flipped smaller carts, sending unprepared pegasi into sudden spins. The vortex in her wake ripped up loose bits of paper, unsecured hats, and anything else it touched, forming a cloud of debris behind her. She circled Canterlot Castle like a swarming insect, looking in window after window, calling Twilight’s name.
When she finally reached the great picture window that looked in on her quarry, she threw open her wings and came to an abrupt stop. The torrent of air behind her rushed forward with enough force to smash the window glass in its frames. A great pressure wave sucked the air out of the solarium, pulling the broken glass with it and sending the shards down into the waterfall at the city’s edge. Twilight’s and Sparkle’s manes whipped around them in the gale, but Rainbow Dash just gritted her teeth, adeptly dodging the broken glass and fighting the current to land inside.
“Twilight!” Rainbow Dash called out, taking a step forward towards Twilight and Sparkle and hesitating. She didn’t even seem to notice Celestia or her increasingly unamused expression, as she looked back and forth between the pair of unicorns. “Um... no offense, Sparkle, because you’re totally my friend too, but could you...” Sparkle raised a hoof, pointing to Twilight. “Thank you. Twilight!” Rainbow Dash leapt forward to her friend, throwing a protective hoof over her shoulder. “Are you okay?” Without waiting for a response, she turned, glaring up at Princess Celestia. “What’s the big idea, pulling Twilight away from her friends to throw her in some scary dungeon just when we all pulled together to help her?”
“Rainbow Dash!” Twilight cut in before Princess Celestia could answer. “Princess Celestia just teleported me... er, us here so we could talk privately. She’s making us stay in Canterlot Castle until we sort through all this. It’s okay. We’re fine.” Twilight couldn't help but blush faintly as Rainbow Dash stood over her protectively, the pegasus’s hoof resting over Celestia’s. Twilight’s tone wasn’t even upset, a sharp contrast to Sparkle’s and Celestia’s angry, long-suffering expressions.
“Oh.” Rainbow Dash hesitated, awkwardly shifting her weight between the three hooves still on the ground. “So she’s not going to cut your horn off, banish you, throw you into a dungeon, or turn you to stone and put you in the Canterlot gardens?”
“Cut her horn off?” Princess Celestia exclaimed. Her eyes went wide and her mouth fell open. “Where do you get these ideas?”
“I dunno, we just all thought it seemed like something you’d do.” As Rainbow Dash answered, reaching a hoof up to rub the back of her head, her gaze sliding down to the floor. Sparkle’s face slowly sunk into her hooves and Twilight tried and failed to suppress a giggle.
Slowly, Princess Celestia rose back to her hooves. She looked among the three of them, shutting her eyes before drawing a long breath and letting it out. When her eyes opened again, her normal, serene smile had returned, and she reached out to give Rainbow Dash a gentle pat on the shoulder. “No, Rainbow Dash, I do not think that mutilation, banishment or imprisonment are called for in this instance. Further, while Twilight Sparkle is a striking young mare and would make a fine addition to any sculpture collection, the artistic world will have to go without for at least one more day.” Her tone was faintly playful, and Rainbow Dash pulled her wings tight against her body, mumbling something inaudible as her gaze went to the floor.
“She is to remain in Canterlot Castle until such time as I decide she is fit to be released. This makes her stay in Canterlot very similar to your own, which will persist until a justice decides you have performed community service sufficient for what I presume to be several dozen broken windows.” Rainbow Dash gave a loud groan but did not protest Celestia’s ruling, faintly mumbling her consent. “Your loyalty is commendable, Rainbow Dash, and I suspect you have already done my faithful student more good than you know, but you too must learn control.”
Celestia look a half-turn from the three, gesturing towards the door and signaling for them to rise with faint twitch of her hoof. Rainbow Dash disentangled herself from Twilight at that implied command. Sparkle looked up more alertly as the Princess spoke. “I trust you remember where your room is, Twilight Sparkle. You’ll find it much as you left it. Rainbow Dash, you may go with her. I will have a justice speak with you soon.”
Sparkle nodded at the Princess’s words and murmured her thanks, moving towards the door as a pony dismissed. Twilight and Rainbow Dash took a moment longer to respond, but they did the same, the three side by side as they moved towards the solarium’s exit. It was only when they were at the door that Rainbow Dash paused, putting a hoof up on the doorframe and looking back at Princess Celestia.
“Princess,” she asked, tone hesitant, “is there some reason you keep referring to them both as Twilight Sparkle? Like they were still one pony, I mean.” She paused. “Do you... know something we don’t?”
“Many things, Rainbow Dash.” Princess Celestia answered, weary. “You may go.”
“Oh man, this was your room? This is bigger than my entire house!” Rainbow Dash spread her wings as she entered the tower that had once been Sparkle’s. A sharp flap lifted her into the air, and she eagerly zipped from point to point, taking in the space around them.
Like many rooms of Canterlot Castle, it was built primarily of white stone, glass, and fittings of silver and gold. The room perpetually shone in even the faintest of sunlight, dominated by a four-story window against the north wall. The window faced Canterlot instead of looking off the cliffs, making the city seem like a model and the ponies within it ants. The center of the room was an open space with a high vaulted ceiling, each side of the room containing a lounge on the ground level and a series of sprawling lofts above. There were lofts made of a darker stone, filled with bookshelves and study tables, as well as lounges filled with ferns and couches. Doors at every level connected the space to outside balconies, flanked by sloping pillars or regal busts of unicorns. It clearly took up the whole of the tower they were inside, but Rainbow Dash still checked every door like she couldn't believe it.
“You had your own tower? You had your own observatory? Isn’t the Royal Observatory like, next door?” Rainbow Dash spiraled back down from the highest ceiling to where Twilight and Sparkle stood just inside the door. She hovered in front of them with her forehooves crossed, each of them smiling and blushing faintly. “Dude. Dude.”
“I did tell you I lived in the palace,” Twilight managed, pawing at the ground with a hoof, her gaze around Rainbow Dash’s ankles. Sparkle turned at the sound of a hoof on stone, her blush fading as she looked to Twilight. Her expression grew puzzled, then curious, as she watched her reflection.
“Uh, yeah! The servant who sleeps under the stairs and warms up Celestia’s slippers in the morning lives in the palace. This is like, having a wing of the palace named after you! It’s not the same thing.” Rainbow Dash firmly poked Twilight’s chest with a hoof. “And don’t get me started on your ‘punishment.’ I bust in here, breaking the Ponyville-to-Canterlot speed record, all awesome and ready to fight for my friends, and it turns out I’m fighting to save you from your super awesome house. You made me look totally lame.”
Twilight’s blush deepened, and she stole a glance at Rainbow Dash, still unable to meet her gaze directly. A dozen teasing or joking replies came to mind, but she couldn’t make herself utter a single one, her throat paralyzed as Rainbow Dash hovered before her. Sparkle’s expression only grew more intent as she watched Twilight’s actions, both Twilight and Rainbow Dash oblivious to her inquiring gaze.
“You know that Rarity’s going to faint when she sees this, right?” Rainbow Dash filled the silence.
Twilight took the change of subject as a moment to look up at her friend. “Rarity is coming?” she asked, her ears perking up. “Is everypony coming to Canterlot too?”
“Duh!” Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “For such a smart pony, you’re kind of stupid sometimes, Twilight. We weren't going to leave you all alone. I just got here first because, well—” she smiled, pressing a hoof to her own chest “—you know.”
“I know,” Twilight agreed, with a faint smile of her own. “I guess I should make up some space then. I’m sure Princess Celestia won’t mind if everypony stays in the palace while you’re here.”
“You go ahead,” Sparkle urged her. “I should check when the next train from Ponyville is coming in so Rainbow Dash can collect everypony else. Don’t forget to make up a space for Spike. We had his old things sent to Ponyville, remember.”
“Right.” Twilight turned to trot up the wide, sloping ramp that ran through the inside of the tower, connecting the ground floor to the higher lofts. Sparkle and Rainbow Dash watched her go, the pegasus pony landing and folding her wings.
After Twilight was away and upstairs, Rainbow Dash turned to Sparkle and spoke. “You go ahead. I’m going to stay here with Twilight. I don’t think it’s a good time for her to be alone.”
Sparkle nodded in return, giving a faint smile. “Sometimes, Rainbow Dash, I think you’re a lot smarter than I usually give you credit for. Thank you.”
“Darn right,” Rainbow Dash agreed, with a confident grin. Sparkle turned back to the door, moving outside to the palace grounds to find a servant who could run to the train station. Rainbow Dash watched her go for a moment but then paused, her grin fading as she called out the door. “Wait, hold on, how much credit do you usually give me? Tons, right?”
“Sparkle?” She stuck her head out the door, shouting out into the night. “It’s lots, right? Sparkle? C’mon, this isn’t funny!”
“This should be enough for everypony.” Pink Collar levitated the pile of blankets beside her up to the tower’s highest loft, placing it next to the two that were already there. The off-white unicorn servant blended in well as she efficiently went about preparing the tower for guests. Her coat and mane matched the stone, and even her cutie mark was the iconic outline of Canterlot Castle. “I’m having some extra beds brought up now, and a partition wall to give some privacy. If it suits you, my lady, I thought I’d have them put in the observatory loft if you were not planning on any stargazing.”
Twilight had always thought of herself as young, and even if she knew that was objectively true, it was mildly unsettling to realize that the last time she had seen this pony, Pink Collar was a blank-flank foal following her mother on her daily rounds. She had obviously followed in her mother’s hoof-steps with pride, eager to please the Princess’s protege. Abstractly, Twilight knew that she must have worked hard to be given such an assignment over the older servants, but practically, she knew little of what went on in the palace’s side-corridors.
“That will be fine, thank you,” Twilight answered politely. She glanced up to the ceiling, where Rainbow Dash lounged on top of one of the support beams. The pegasus’s enchantment with Twilight’s quarters had faded quickly when she realized it was mostly a library, and worse, a library with no Daring Do novels. Lacking other entertainment, she had taken roost in the ceiling rafters, letting her gaze down upon the rest of the space from on high.
“Um...” Twilight gave the maid a nervous smile. “Is there actually a pony who warms Princess Celestia’s slippers in the morning?”
“There are several ponies who care for Princess Celestia’s room and personal effects,” Pink Collar answered, raising an eyebrow and smiling at the sudden change in topic. “I would imagine that warming her slippers is amongst their responsibilities. Would my lady want warm slippers for herself and her friends in the mornings?”
“Oh, no, thank you.” Twilight waved off the request, mildly embarrassed at the idea. She could hear Rainbow Dash snickering above her. “I was just curious.”
“Very good, my lady,” Pink Collar spoke quickly and efficiently. “Would you like me to inform the Captain and your esteemed parents of your presence in the city?”
“Ah... no, I don’t think that will be necessary,” Twilight tapped the floor with a hoof, realizing how she had grown used to living in a town where nopony knew or cared who all your relatives were or how respectable your pedigree was.
“Twilight!” Rainbow Dash interjected from above. She rolled over from her reclining position on the ceiling beam so that she was looking down at Twilight, her gaze meeting the unicorn’s upward stare. For a few long seconds, the two of them said nothing, until Rainbow Dash again felt compelled to speak. “You know they’ll find out you’re here soon enough anyway.”
“Everypony in the palace is happy to hear of your return, my lady,” Pink Collar said, never deviating from her friendly and welcoming tone. “However, the circumstances of that return are subject to some degree of rumor and baseless speculation. Ms. Dash is correct that your esteemed parents will likely hear that you are back shortly, even if you do not tell them. The Captain almost certainly already knows.”
“Oh, right. Rumor.” Twilight frowned, shaking her head. “I guess we did make a bit of an entrance. How bad is it?”
“I am sure your esteemed parents will find more amusement than scandal in the suggestion that Ms. Dash attacked Canterlot Castle to fight Princess Celestia for your love.” Pink Collar tried to conceal her grin, and almost succeeded. “However, it still might be better if they heard it from you first, my lady.”
Twilight blushed as Rainbow Dash snickered. “Have the actual circumstances been made clear to you?” Twilight asked, shaking her head as though to work the blush away.
“Yes, my lady. Princess Celestia informed the staff as well as the palace guards of your sister some weeks ago, so as to prevent a changeling scare if both of you were to enter the city at once. I’m quite eager to meet her!” Pink Collar chirped, tone upbeat. She gave a faint, chagrined look as she added, “Though I admit, I’m uncertain how to tell the two of you apart.”
“Oh... yeah.” Twilight reached a hoof up to rub at her ear. “I’m Twilight. I used to leave a pen behind my ear so people could tell us apart, but I guess it got left in Ponyville. Could you find a quill or something?”
“Of course, my lady. Will you be wanting anything else?” Pink Collar asked with a practiced formality.
“No, nothing. Just...” Twilight trailed off for a moment. “You said you were eager to meet her?”
“Oh, I know meeting her won’t be any different from meeting you, my lady, but the whole idea is just fascinating. Your life seems to be a wondrous adventure.” Pink Collar spoke with a warm tone, open and flattering. Above her, Rainbow Dash giggled, while Twilight just nodded.
“I suppose it is.” Twilight murmured. “I’ve changed my mind. Please tell my brother and parents each that I am here and wish to see them. That will be all.”
“Of course, my lady.” Pink Collar curtsied, one foreleg folding under her as she bowed her head. She turned and trotted away, her hoofbeats echoing in the stone tower until the servants’ door shut behind her.
Rainbow Dash tilted an ear up alertly, waiting until the last sounds of Pink Collar’s hoofsteps had faded. Once she was sure the servant was gone, she looked down at Twilight with a wide grin. “Oh, what wondrous news, my lady.” She spoke with an artificially high voice, laced with an airy and transparently fake Canterlot accent. “By Celestia’s grace, my odds of scoring with you have just doubled!”
“What?” Twilight looked back up to the rafters. “What are you talking about?”
“C’mon Twilight!” Rainbow Dash spread her wings, leaping down from the rafters to float to a gentle landing beside Twilight. “She’s totally crushing on you, or has my lady grown a title of nobility since Ms. Dash last checked?”
“I’m Princess Celestia’s faithful student, and my brother is technically a prince now. That’s like being nobility,” Twilight insisted with a shake of her head. “That’s just how the servants here talk.”
“Do they also all talk about how eager they are to meet you and hear about your wondrous adventures?” Rainbow Dash giggled, her laughter only growing stronger as Twilight blushed and scraped at the floor with a hoof.
“Yes! I mean, they’re servants. They’re kind of supposed to kiss your flank a little.” Twilight regretted her choice of words the moment she said them, her blush growing hotter as Rainbow Dash laughed harder. “I meant they use obsequious language!”
It took a moment for Rainbow Dash’s laughter to die down, and when she did speak, she could only manage a forced, “Sure, Twilight. I believe you.” She spread her wings, lifting herself to the top of one of Twilight’s bookshelves. “Must have been pretty nice, growing up in a palace full of adoring ponies who waited on you horn and hoof.”
“Oh, not really. I spent most of my time studying or with Princess Celestia, and she didn’t let the palace staff dote on me too much. The only reason they’re here now is because there are guests coming and Spike isn’t here.” Twilight delivered her explanation in neat, clean tones, happy for the turn away from Rainbow Dash’s teasing. It only left her more puzzled when Rainbow Dash’s grin widened.
“So, you didn’t really have servants growing up,” Rainbow Dash said, suppressing her giggle for the sake of a proper setup. “You were just like any other pony.”
“That’s... what I just said, yes.” Twilight’s tone grew hesitant as she sensed the trap, even if she couldn’t yet see it. “I mean, they were around, but that was just because of where I lived.”
“You had a humble upbringing. Working hard at school, trying to prove yourself against all those other gifted unicorns.” Rainbow Dash was almost on hooftip, hopping up and down faintly on top of the bookshelf.
“As a matter of fact, yes!” Twilight indignantly stomped a hoof, her frown only making Rainbow Dash titter.
“Not that you would have needed servants anyway,” Rainbow Dash pointed out, making a wide, conciliatory gesture with one hoof. “Since you have Spike.”
“Exactly! Now stop playing games and—” Too late, Twilight caught herself. Rainbow Dash burst out laughing as hot crimson rose into Twilight’s cheeks. “Stop it, Rainbow Dash! You know that Spike is like a brother to me.”
“A brother who organizes your stuff, cleans up after you, does your errands, takes notes, and delivers your mail.” Rainbow Dash pressed with a light and playful tone. “If that’s what having a little brother is like, I want one, because that sounds a lot like a—”
“Spike is not a servant!” The hot anger in Twilight’s tone took Rainbow Dash off guard, her smile vanishing instantly as she quickly stepped away from Twilight. “He’s my assistant and—and family! He’s my assistant because he learns a lot and—”
“Whoa, whoa! Twilight! I know!” Rainbow Dash assured Twilight, her wings flaring out as she raised a hoof in what she hoped was a calming gesture. “I know how much Spike means to you. You were just embarrassed and I was teasing. I’m sorry.” Twilight didn’t answer, her eyes still narrowed and her breath quick. “I’m sorry, Twilight.”
A hiss of breath escaped Twilight’s muzzle as she held her gaze on Rainbow Dash, but after a moment, she calmed. Her body untensed, the unicorn shutting her eyes for a moment. Rainbow Dash gave a smile that was painfully fake, nervous and rigid, but Twilight didn’t see it anyway.
“Sorry.” Rainbow Dash repeated herself, gently hopping down from the shelf to Twilight’s side. “I guess now isn’t a good time to be teasing.”
“No.” Twilight sighed. “No, it’s fine, Rainbow Dash. I overreacted.” She hung her head faintly. “I’m the one who should be sorry.”
After a moment, Rainbow Dash reached out to put a hoof around Twilight’s shoulders, holding her close. “It’s okay, Twilight,” she murmured. “I understand.”
The Canterlot Sculpture Gardens unnerved Sparkle. She didn’t question the necessity—learning the truth about them in the wake of Discord’s attack had been shocking, but she knew Celestia’s reasons were sound. The entire area instinctively bothered her, and the sight of oblivious foals and families walking down the paths only added to the subtle but persistent feeling of wrongness. Today though, she felt like she belonged here, and her winding path across the palace grounds had brought her around to the garden side.
There were many statues in the garden worth contemplating. She even briefly considered reanimating one of the ponies to ask their advice, like Celestia would when they were needed. Such thoughts made no action however, and in the end, her hooves guided her to one particular statute: a draconequus frozen in an expression of fright, arms reached out, mouth agape, eyes wide.
Sparkle considered the statue for what seemed to her to be a long time, though she could not say precisely how long. The only measure of time was the groups of ponies passing her, locals or tourists. Most passed her without a second thought. Some stopped, read the plaque at the base of the statue, and tried to make conversation until her silence drove them away. One particularly astute foal recognized her cutie mark, dragging his parents over to her side. She said as much as civility required, and eventually they gave up, leading the disappointed child away.
At some point, Sparkle realized she was alone. The sun’s yellow glow had started to turn faintly orange, its rays coming from almost directly behind her. The park was nearly empty, only a few guards and stragglers remaining. She hadn’t noticed the park emptying, nor the passage of time, and she wondered if she had fallen asleep or simply spent the hours in a daze. Ultimately, she supposed, it didn’t matter.
With a sharp grunt of effort, she twisted in place so her tail faced the statue. Her horn came alight, magic flowing across her body in purple rivers down to her rear hooves. She delivered three sharp kicks to the base of the statue, a flash of purple visible with every crack of impact. A surge of pain flashed through her at the first kick, when she drove her hoof into solid stone, but she finished the pattern, turning back to face the statue.
“Oh my, Sparkle. What would Celestia say if she knew?” A voice that only Sparkle could hear gave a disapproving tsk, and to her attentive eyes, a ghostly apparition seemed to slide out of the statue. Discord’s body remained frozen in a posture of terror, but the image of the spirit she had just liberated from the rock quickly assumed a level, amused expression. He floated next to his petrified form, legs crossed under him, waggling a claw at the pony before him. “These things are a slippery slope you know. First you’re calling spirits, then you start dressing in black, and soon you’re summoning something with too many tentacles and not enough vowels in its name.”
“What did you do to me, Discord?” Sparkle demanded, with a level tone and intense gaze.
Discord only laughed, bending forward so his head was before Sparkle’s. “You mean, what did I do to you while powerless and imprisoned in a block of stone?” He spoke with a mocking tone, grinning into her frown. Sparkle said nothing in reply, and Discord reached up to trace the line of her jaw with a clawtip. “You really are Celestia’s student, aren't you? You even look a bit like her, with that regal grimace. Always so serious.”
Sparkle’s horn flared, and purple light surrounded Discord’s hand, sharply pushing it away from her. “You called me Sparkle,” she snapped as Discord winced and rubbed his clawed hand with his paw. “Last time we met, you used my full name, every time. Lie to me at your peril, spirit!”
“Gentle, Bearer!” He chided her, rolling his clawed hand stiffly. “There’s no need for such talk. I know about your newfound preference for your former last name the same way I know you’re wasting your time coming here. I can see the unrest in the hearts of ponies, and your heart is more troubled than most.” He slid down to hover in front of his petrified form, legs crossed on the ground before Sparkle. “But that disharmony is not my doing.”
“I had a dream—” Sparkle began, only to be cut off by Discords sharp snort.
“If you really believed my prison was degrading, you wouldn't have come here and confronted me. You would have told Celestia, immediately. You aren't the Element of Honesty, Sparkle, so I see little return in encouraging you to lie to yourself.” Discord spoke quickly and curtly, his gaze level and unamused. “Leave me out of your personal drama.”
Sparkle held her gaze on Discord for a moment, but the anger that had so quickly flared in her faded just as swiftly. She shut her eyes and lowered her head, letting a long silence hang between them. “Fine,” she murmured, turning her back to the statue, looking to the ground to avoid staring into the sun. Light flowed from her horn to her rear hooves, and she raised a rear leg in preparation to put Discord back to rest.
“Probably best you put me back into stone.” Discord muttered, lazily inspecting his claws. “I don’t imagine Celestia would approve anyway.” Discord fixed Sparkle with a careful, evaluating gaze, and a victorious smirk appeared on his face when her hoof hesitated. “Ah.” He gave a gentle chuckle. “Or perhaps that’s why you’re here.”
“What do you want, Discord?” Sparkle sighed. “I believe you. A dream doesn't prove you’ve escaped, and even if it was your doing, I obviously beat whatever trick of yours it was.”
“That’s not the point.” Discord slid around so he hovered in front of her, spreading his arms wide. “You’re one of the Bearers of the Elements, and I’m the Spirit of Disharmony. I’m an existential threat! You don’t just wake me up for tea and a chat.”
Sparkle said nothing, her gaze still on the ground. Many seconds passed in silence, and Discord leaned closer, close enough to whisper into Sparkle’s ear. “Let me take a guess, Bearer. You’re not entirely certain that your dear old friends don’t love Twilight more than you, and we both know how Celestia feels. She gave you a hug. What more help do you need?” He chuckled, leaning away. “In fact, unless I am very much mistaken, there’s not a creature in the world you can talk to right now about what’s on your mind. Except... one.”
Discord grinned, his ethereal form zipping across the park to float beside one of the royal guards there. “Hey, you!” he called as Sparkle looked up with alarm. “Twilight tried to kill herself!” he bellowed. The guard showed no reaction, oblivious to the spectral presence that only Sparkle could see. Discord reached out, waving a hand in front of the guards unmoving eyes. “Well, that’s remarkably cold of him, isn’t it? Why don’t we try another?” Discord drew a deep breath, preparing to shout.
“Stop!” Sparkle cried, the guard looking her way with alarm, as Discord fell silent with a grin. “Not you!” Sparkle shouted at the guard. The snow-white pegasus pony gave her a strange look, glancing around him for who else she could possibly be talking to. Discord zipped back across the field to float before Sparkle’s eyes, his arms folded in front of him.
“This would be sad if it weren't so hilarious. Surrounded by friends, family, and your precious Celestia, and the only one you can talk to is... me.” Discord laughed, sliding to rest on the ground before her. “Oh, this will be amusing.”
“It’s not like that.” Sparkle shook her head. “I could go to Luna.”
“Oh, what a marvelous idea. She knows a lot about jealousy, I’m sure. She really could help. Then you and Twilight can reach the same understanding dear Celestia and her sister have.” Discord snapped his fingers, an ethereal set of silver boots and wire-frame wings appearing on Sparkle. “Hello everypony, did I miss anything?” he jeered.
Sparkle said nothing, keeping her gaze on the ground. Discord shrunk until his entire ghostly form rested comfortably in Twilight’s gaze, letting her see him clearly without raising her eyes to the sun. “Well, you came to talk, didn’t you?” He asked, looking up at her. “Talk.”
“It’s all happening so fast.” Sparkle spoke hesitantly, uncertain if she wanted to say anything at all, but like a dam breaking, the words that started with a trickle soon flowed faster. “This morning, everything was fine. Then it all blew up in my face, and I felt like I was fighting for my life. Then Twilight and I were talking and I just felt so sorry for her. I had to stand up and do something. Then we were pulled away, and Princess Celestia gave me a hug and told me it would all be okay and that we just needed to learn emotional maturity. Rainbow Dash and Twilight are acting like it all never happened.” She squeezed her eyes tightly shut. “I don’t know how they can.”
“Ugh. Typical Celestia. If somepony lit you on fire, she’d watch and say it was a wonderful opportunity for you to learn to stop, drop, and roll.” Discord rolled his eyes. “But really, this is what you summoned me for? You’ve got the shakes. Somepony beat you black and blue. It takes time to get over that.”
“I don’t have the shakes!” she snapped, eyes flying open. “I’ve been in mortal danger before. I know what that feels like. This is something else. You just said you can see the disharmony in ponies’ hearts. You tell me what’s wrong with me!”
“It’s not that simple. If I could read your thoughts like a book, would you have been able to sneak up on me with that restored friendship of yours?” Discord spoke with a steady, calming tone, careful to show no reaction to Sparkle’s outburst. He reached out his clawed hand between her forelegs, letting it rest directly over her heart. “There’s a lot bound up in here, Sparkle, but you do have the shakes. It is not the root of your problem, but it’s doing you no favors. Rest, take a few days to recover, let yourself feel safe, and everything will seem better.”
“That’s your advice? Sleep on it? My life is falling apart!” Sparkle shot back, indignant, but Discord shook his head.
“No, Sparkle. Your life has been falling apart for some time. The building may only have collapsed today, but the wood has been rotting for weeks.” Discord corrected her with a stern tone, but he softened his voice as he continued. “Take heart, Sparkle. If all were truly lost, I would be free and this dull, stagnant world you inexplicably value so much would have been washed away by chaos. You are still a Bearer of the Elements, your friends still care for you, and all of that sappy nonsense Celestia prattles on about will still probably save you in the end.”
“Why are you helping me?” Sparkle asked, as though it had only now occurred to her whom she was going to for advice. She raised her eyes faintly, squinting as she peered at Discord’s face.
“For the same reason I guided you through an enchanted maze and corrupted your elements instead of, for example, hitting you in the head with a sharp rock.” Discord replied, with a disappointed tsk and a slight roll of his eyes. “Mine is a living chaos, Sparkle, full of possibility and the eternal chance for things to be different. Permanent damage, such as the kind you now risk doing to yourself, holds no interest to me.”
“That’s good, I guess,” Sparkle murmured, lowering her gaze again. “Thank you.”
“One more thing then, while you’re asking for my brilliant insights. Your family will want to see you soon, parents and all. Refuse.” Discord delivered his words with a pointed air.
Sparkle looked up sharply. “They’re my family and they must be worried sick about me. I can’t refuse to see them,” she insisted with a quiet shake of her head.
“This isn’t about them, Sparkle, and I feel enough mommy and daddy issues in here—” he squeezed his claw over her heart “—to pay for the retirements of a whole team of therapists. It will be more stress at a time when you don’t need it. Refuse to see them until you’re ready.”
“No, they’d be crushed. I—”
“Sparkle!” A voice called out from across the sculpture garden. Sparkle squeaked, and quickly delivered three sharp kicks to the statue’s base. Discord’s ethereal form vanished before her eyes, and she turned to watch Shining Armor gallop towards her. Her brother had obviously just come off duty, still in his armor, and it clattered around him as he moved. He slid to a halt in front of her, levitating his helmet off his head and pulling her into a hug against him. She leaned against him gently, wrapping her forelegs around his neck, her head pressed to his armored chestplate. “How you doing, kid?”
“I’ve been better, BBBFF,” she answered, weary, stepping back and looking up into his eyes.
“So I see. I was on my way to your room when one of the guards told me you were in the garden, shouting at the statues.” He glanced at the statue of Discord. “Something I should know about?”
“No, just... thinking of old times, that’s all.” Sparkle reached a hoof up to rub at her temples. “I’ve been pretty stressed lately.”
“Princess Celestia said that you and Twilight had a fight.” Shining Armor spoke lightly, but not jokingly, his words quiet and reassuring. “A real knock-down brawl from the sounds of it. Want to tell me what happened?”
“How did you know I was—” Sparkle started, only for Shining Armor to reach down and touch her raised hoof with his own.
“You always lead with your right hoof, but kick with your left. Twilight always leads with her left and kicks with the right.” He gave her a faint smile. “You two are easy to tell apart. It’s not my fault all your friends are so unobservant.”
“Good catch,” Sparkle murmured, lowering her hoof to the ground as Shining Armor ruffled her mane.
“Yeah, your wife gets replaced by an evil shapeshifter just once and you start paying really close attention to the little things. Go figure.” His words were encouraging, but he let the conversation lag after he was done.
Sparkle scraped at the ground with a hoof as the silence between them grew. “I don’t really want to talk about it,” she finally answered. “It’s personal, and complicated, and we’ll have time to talk about it later.” She paused for a moment, before continuing. “What would you do if there were two of you?”
“Well, the hardest part would be sharing Cadence,” he answered, with a thoughtful tap of his chin. “Then again, the fun part would be sharing Cadence.”
“The fun—” Sparkle started, confused, only for a red-hot blush of realization to rise into her cheeks. “Shining!” she snapped, scandalized, her brother laughing.
“You’re the one who asked, little sis.” He reached down, tilting her head up with a hoof. “You don’t have to talk about it until you’re ready, but don’t sit out here and brood on it. Lets go into the city. Everypony will be glad to see you again.”
“I’m confined to the castle grounds.” Sparkle answered, with a shake of her head, but Shining Armor just smiled.
“A royal order that will be enforced by... whom?” He tapped his helmet with a hoof, Sparkle blinking as her mouth fell slightly open.
“Shining! You can’t disobey the Princess!” she insisted, shocked by the very idea.
“I’m sure the Princess won’t mind if I escort you around the city. Besides, I’m married to her niece. I get to bend the rules a little.” He poked Sparkle’s side, urging her on.
“I guess it would be nice.” A smile slowly spread across Sparkle’s face. “Can we get food? I haven't eaten since this morning.”
“Sure thing, Sparkle.” Shining Armor answered, returning his helmet to his head as he turned towards the castle gates, Sparkle trotting alongside him.
“Oh, and... could you call me Twilie?” She asked, trying to watch his face as she moved alongside him. “Just like old times?” His helmet hid his expression from her, an awkward silence following her request.
“Sure thing, Twilie,” he answered, turning to look at her and smile, his tone giving no indication that the silence had ever occurred.
“Thanks, BBBFF.” Sparkle murmured, looking to the earth as the two trotted towards the castle gates.
“Well look again,” Rainbow Dash demanded, Pink Collar wincing as the angry words washed over her. Rainbow Dash hovered before her on the lowest level of the palace tower, her wings slowly beating to hold her aloft. “She’s somewhere in the palace and the train is going to be here any minute! She probably went off to see Princess Celestia. Check if she—” Behind Rainbow Dash, the last sands in the tower’s hourglass ran out, and it slowly began to turn, letting out a clear metallic chime to mark the hour. “Ugh! Forget it.” Rainbow Dash threw up her forehooves in frustration. “Just... find a pegasus to zip down to the train station and tell everypony else where we are.”
“Who should I tell him to expect?” Pink Collar asked, stealing a glance at where Twilight sat across the room. The glance didn’t last long though; Rainbow Dash commanded her attention with two sharp knocks of her forehooves.
“I’ll give you a hint. Two of the Bearers are in front of you, and if you forget what the rest look like, they’re the one’s in the stained glass!” Rainbow Dash’s feathers puffed faintly, and Pink Collar took a sharp step back.
“Rainbow Dash!” Twilight snapped, rising from where she sat. “That’s enough!” She turned to look at Pink Collar, gesturing the shaking servant away. “I’m sorry about her. Please, find someone to run to the train station and guide my friends here. Thank you.”
Pink Collar couldn't leave fast enough, visibly relieved at Twilight’s dismissal, as she turned and dashed for the door. Twilight let her go, waiting for the door to shut behind her before she turned to Rainbow Dash.
“That was really mean, Rainbow Dash! It’s not her fault they can’t find Sparkle.” Twilight spoke with a sharp, insistent tone as RD shook her head.
“I know!” she replied, exasperated. “I know.” She repeated herself, somewhat more calmly, though a frustrated edge still lurked in her tone. “I’m just mad that Sparkle would run off like that and leave you here.”
“You could just go and get the others yourself, Rainbow Dash. I think I’ll be okay on my own for an hour.” Twilight waved off Rainbow Dash’s concerns. The two had spent the last hour readying the tower, splitting its many floors into separate rooms. Only the ground floor and the first library level were left as common spaces, the other floors and lofts partitioned off by folding walls.
“That’s not the point!” Rainbow Dash insisted, but she hesitated under Twilight’s steady gaze. “I mean, it’s still really rude of her to run off like that without explanation.” Twilight continued to say nothing, fixing Rainbow Dash with her pointed stare. Rainbow Dash landed on the ground, folding her wings in against herself. “And, um, I mean...” She reached up to rub at one foreleg with the other. “I should go apologize to what’s-her-name, shouldn’t I?”
“You should, and don’t call her what’s-her-name to her face. I’ll be here when you get back.” Twilight tapped the floor for emphasis, and Rainbow Dash turned to the door.
She covered the distance in a few slow steps, and stopped before the portal to look back at Twilight. “Um... but Celestia said that a justice would see me today, and it’s getting dark. What if he shows up and I’m not—”
“I’ll be fine, RD.” Twilight repeated, this time more softly. “Go ahead.”
Rainbow Dash pushed the door open and flew off into the evening sky. She started with a quick circuit around the tower, searching for any sign of Twilight’s servant, but she found nothing. The castle staff seemed to vanish when not carefully observed, and Rainbow Dash suspected there were hidden tunnels they used to get around. She felt guilty for letting her anger get the better of her, and she did a wide sweep of the grounds just to be sure, but the servant did not appear. After a few minutes, she gave up, and turned her flight towards the city.
If Rainbow Dash had been any other pegasus, she would have had to make a beeline for the train station to arrive in time, but on this particular night, the fastest pegasus alive didn’t feel like being early. She struck a lazy path through the city, gliding from street to street, watching the sun’s golden light slide across the towers of Canterlot.
A slight twist of her wings made her bank to the right, and she dropped in altitude. Below the rooftops of the taller buildings, she weaved through the skyline with wide, sweeping turns. It felt like sliding downhill through the air, peaceful and easy, and normally, Rainbow Dash would have dismissed it as the only way flying could manage to be boring. Today though, her mind drifted as lazily as she did, and the slow course gave her time to think.
“And then, I held her really close like this and said, ‘Oh, Rainbow Dash, you don’t have to hide your feelings from me!’”
Rainbow Dash plowed into the side of a building, impacting barely two feet to the left of an open window. She tasted blood and saw stars, tumbling nearly two stories before her wings caught her, bringing her to a rough landing by the side of the street. She staggered forward, other ponies rushing to help her up.
“Wow, Twilie. Remind you of anything?” Shining Armor’s voice carried through the air as Rainbow Dash shrugged off her would-be helpers. She flapped her wings and lifted out of the well-meaning crowd, ignoring the cuts and bruises that now adorned her face. She heard Sparkle and Shining Armor’s laughter, and cast her head left and right looking for them. The sound was close, but she couldn't see them, and they hadn’t reacted to her arrival.
“I know! Applejack was giggling so hard she didn’t even stop me when I pulled RD aside to try and ‘help her get over it.’ I didn’t piece together what I’d just said until that night.” Sparkle’s tone was light, and faintly embarrassed, retelling an old yarn. Rainbow Dash lifted above the rooftops, landing on the building directly before her, a two-story townhouse with wide and ornate windows. She slowly tip-hoofed across the shingles, peering down at the street below.
“Is this when they started to realize I had a madmare for sister?” Shining Armor asked, amused. On the street below Rainbow Dash, an open-air cafe had been set up. It wrapped around the townhouse and into the wide alley connecting the two streets. At one of the tables there, Shining Armor and Sparkle sat together. A few empty cups of tea and the remains of some doughnuts adorned the table, long forgotten. Looking at Sparkle, one would think that all was right in the world, a lightness in her body and a smile on her face.
“No!” Sparkle rebuked him, an embarrassed smile appearing on her face. “And I am not a madmare. I just get a little wound up.”
“Twilight—” Rainbow Dash’s eyes went wide as Shining Armor spoke, and then narrowed into a glare “—I love you, but you are the craziest pony I have ever met. It’s been difficult, but I’ve come to terms with the fact that one day it’s going to be my job to hunt you down so they can put the straightjacket on you.” His tone was jesting, and Sparkle giggled.
“Shining!” she squeaked, playful and faux-scandalized. “Is that any way to talk about your only sister? I—”
“You purple witch!” Rainbow Dash leapt from the rooftop, landing on Sparkle’s table with her head lowered and wings spread. The cheap, decorative table legs splintered under the impact, and the tabletop crashed to the ground. Shining Armor and Sparkle each leapt away in surprise, but Rainbow Dash did not give Sparkle room to retreat, stepping after her and leaning forward until they were muzzle to muzzle and Sparkle fell back on her flank. “What the hay do you think you’re doing, Sparkle?” Rainbow Dash spat the name like an accusation, Sparkle scrambling away in shock. “How dare you corner Shining Armor like this? I’ve got half a mind to—”
Before Rainbow Dash could explain just what half of her mind wanted to do, Shining Armor’s horn came alight, and he sharply pulled her away from Sparkle. Circles of purple energy flowed from his horn, and when they struck Rainbow Dash, a purple sphere of force popped into existence around her. She started, and futilely beat on the shield’s edge, nothing more than a loud drumming sound resulting. “I’m going to pretend I didn’t just hear you threaten somepony,” Shining Armor addressed her, sharp and angry. “Rainbow Dash, what’s the meaning of this?”
“Gee, I don’t know. Why don't you ask your only sister?” Rainbow Dash pointed an accusative hoof at Sparkle through the force field, the unicorn backing away with wide eyes.
“Only—” she started, confused, only to reach a hoof up to her face in realization. “Oh, Rainbow Dash, that just slipped out, I didn’t mean to... I mean, I wasn’t trying to—”
“Trying to what, steal her name? Because you managed to do that too!” Rainbow Dash’s angry accusations were starting to draw a crowd, and Shining Armor cut Sparkle off before she could reply.
“That’s enough, Rainbow Dash. As I understand it, Princess Celestia was already generous with a certain recent reckless flying incident. You can go ahead and add vandalism and causing a public disturbance to that list of charges.” He reached up to the force field with his horn. Rainbow Dash’s angry shout of objection suddenly fell silent as the bubble changed color from purple to blue, all sounds within it contained. That matter dealt with, Shining Armor turned down to Sparkle, offering her a hoof up with a worried, “You okay, kid?”
“I—” Sparkle was slow to accept his hoof. Her eyes were wide, and her breath was coming quickly. She looked between Shining Armor, and the silent pantomime that was occurring over his shoulder, Rainbow Dash beating on the forcefield and shouting unheard words. Her heart was pounding in her ears, her hooves pressed hard against the ground.
“Twilight!” Shining Armor shouted, snapping Sparkle out of it. She shook her head, reaching up to take his hoof and standing.
“I’m fine. Sorry, that just...” She struggled for the words, Shining Armor putting a firm hoof on her shoulder.
“I know. I’m sorry, kid. This is my fault.” He looked back at Rainbow Dash, and at how closely Sparkle was watching her, and after a moment, decided that the last thing Sparkle needed was to have to watch that for the entire walk back. “I should take Rainbow Dash into the local station and write this up. Can you make it back to the palace on your own? Don’t worry about Princess Celestia. I’ll tell the gate guards to forget they saw you coming back in.”
“Yeah.” Sparkle murmured, after a pause. “Yeah, I can make it back to the palace on my own. I’ll be fine.”
Shining Armor reached down to give Sparkle a hug, a gesture she weakly returned. She pulled away after only a few moments, turned back to the palace, and walked away.
By the time Sparkle returned, it was getting dark. The palace was first and foremost a place of administration, and so it largely darkened as the sky did, bureaucrats and nobleponies returning home for the evening. Luna had raised a waxing moon that gave precious little light to see by, forcing ponies to pick their way along the paths and stick to what torchlight there was. Only Luna’s night guards were unimpaired by the shadows. They were ghostly figures who moved where the light wasn’t, visible only as vague outlines amongst the trees or in the gardens. Sparkle’s tower was one of the few buildings on the grounds that was still fully lit, shining like a torch into the darkness. As Sparkle grew close, she could hear ponies’ voices inside, engaged in animated conversation, though the walls muffled the details. When she opened the door to step inside, the conversation abruptly grew louder, and words that she previously could not make out snapped into sharp focus.
“—Am not jealous. I was simply commenting that Twilight obviously hasn’t taken full advantage of her status, particularly with regards to her easy access to Prince—” Rarity’s voice drifted through the air as the front door opened and Sparkle stepped inside. Rarity was seated on one of the many couches that adorned the first floor, Sparkle’s other friends as well as Twilight sitting in a circle nearby. They were all quick to their feet as Sparkle entered, but it was Fluttershy who was first to rush to Sparkle’s side, hovering a few inches off the floor.
“What happened?” Fluttershy asked before the others had even processed the fact of Sparkle’s arrival. “You look awful! I thought Celestia healed you.” Her voice radiated concern, but Sparkle only gave her a level, dull gaze in response. She turned to the nearest mirror, peering into it to see how she looked, but she saw only Fluttershy hovering there. After a moment, her mind caught up to her actions, and she sighed, shutting her eyes.
“I’m just stressed, Fluttershy,” Sparkle explained, and Applejack trotted up to her side, the others not far behind. Sparkle opened her eyes, panning across the faces around her until she found Twilight, matching her look with a weary gaze. “I ran into Shining Armor, and I guess Rainbow Dash was listening in.” Sparkle didn’t say anything for a moment, but then forced herself to press on. “I asked him to call me Twilight, just for old time’s sake. Rainbow Dash thought I was...” Sparkle couldn't finish the sentence. “She flipped out and smashed a table. Shining had to take her in for the night.” Sparkle lowered her gaze to the floor, her shoulders slumping. “Twilight, I’m so sor—”
Before Sparkle could finish, Twilight stepped forward and wrapped her forelegs about her in a stiff hug. Neither pony seemed sure what to do with it, unwilling to draw closer or to pull away. Sparkle wrapped her hooves around Twilight in kind, but that was as far as things went. After a moment, they both decided that the hug was over and returned their hooves to the ground. “It’s okay.” Twilight raised a hoof to Sparkle as Sparkle’s gaze stayed on the ground. “Shining Armor means a lot to us, and I’ve put you through so much. If it makes you feel better to have him call you Twilight for a while, that’s fine with me.” Her tone was wooden and as stiff as their embrace had been, but it was still enough to make Sparkle look up.
“You don’t mean that.” Sparkle asserted, harsher than she had meant to. A few of the ponies around them cringed, and Fluttershy put a gentle hoof on Sparkle’s shoulder to calm her. Twilight though, showed no reaction, faintly shaking her head.
“No, I don’t,” she agreed. “I’m pretty angry actually, but... what else am I going to say? That you’re a bad pony? I’d have done the same thing in your place, and I’m tired of us fighting. So, I’ll get over it. I forgive you.” She forced a smile onto her face. “Friends?”
“Friends,” Sparkle murmured after a pause, the ponies around them letting out a collective sigh of relief.
“That was very brave of you,” Fluttershy murmured to Sparkle, leaning down to hold her in a warm, close embrace. Applejack had much the same idea, reaching out to give Sparkle a reassuring pat to the shoulder. Pinkie Pie was on something of the same track, but expressed it rather differently, leaping high into the air over Twilight.
“Oh oh! You know what this calls for?” she asked, eager and alert.
Twilight hesitated to answer, a faint, genuine smile appearing on her face. “A par—”
“A party!” Pinkie Pie burst out, on cue. “Specifically, a-first-step-towards-reconciliation, be-the-better-pony party! There will be cake and balloons and music, and we’ll party all night long until it’s time to go post bail for Rainbow Dash! Then we’ll be all, ‘Wow, Rainbow, where’d you get the cool tattoo?’ and she’ll be all, ‘Grrr. I’m a changed pony. I can’t survive on the outside now.’ We’ll be super surprised because she was only in there overnight, but prision changes you really fast in Canterlot.” Pinkie Pie landed, her eyes lighting up. “Then, the big musical number!”
Rarity reached out to press a hoof to Pinkie Pie’s mouth before she could continue, silencing the pink pony. “An absolutely charming idea, Pinkie Pie, but I doubt that Twilight or Sparkle is in the mood for such celebrations.” She turned to regard the mirrored pair before her. “I hope that a quiet evening with friends might go over a bit better?”
“It does sound a bit more relaxing,” Sparkle agreed. “It’s so nice of you all to come all the way up here from Ponyville, letting me drag you away from everything just because I’m confined to the palace.”
“Don’t you worry a hair on your pretty mane about it, sugarcube,” Applejack assured Sparkle. “‘T’aint your fault yer stuck here, and you know very well we’re all happy to be here t’support you. Now, lets settle down ‘n’ get back into it. Rarity here was just plannin’ yer weddin’ to the first handsome prince to come by.”
“I was doing no such thing, Applejack, and I would ask you to appreciate the world of difference between commenting on the opportunities available to somepony and intrusively planning their future wedding!” Rarity stomped her hoof and glared, adding, “No matter how glamorous a wedding it would be!”
Laughter floated through the air like bubbles, drifting up from the first level of the tower to reach those above. The ponies had talked for a time, until stiffness gave way to ease, and they gradually broke apart. Twilight, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy remained on the lowest level, giggling like schoolfillies over some amusing distraction. Applejack and Rarity had retired upwards, citing an urgent need for fresh air and curling irons, respectively. Sparkle was the last to depart, yawning and excusing herself to bed.
Sparkle was still tossing and turning in bed, when she became aware of somepony else behind the partition. It had not occurred to her to check after arrival if Twilight had laid out enough beds for everypony, or if the two mirror-images would have to share. Along those same lines, it had not occurred to her if it was rude or offensive that she took her old bed without thinking, or if anypony had noticed that she had done it. Such thoughts, and the worries that came with them, were not conducive to rest, and so Sparkle was still well alert when she cracked her eyes open with a, “Hello?”
“Sorry, sugarcube.” Applejack’s voice carried clearly in the small space, even when she whispered. It was dim, and so Sparkle could not make her out, but her outline was distinctive against the folding screen. She walked up to the side of the bed, her hooves making a steady rhythm against the stone. “Ah wasn’t sure if you were asleep or not.”
“No, just thinking.” Sparkle rolled over and sat up, rubbing at her eyes as she faced Applejack. “What’s up?”
“Ah just wanted ta’ say...” Applejack was left at a loss for words for a moment, her gaze briefly darting down to the floor. “Well, shucks. I think you’re worth throwing’ a fit ’n’ breakin’ a table over.” Sparkle looked confused, sitting up more alertly, as Applejack struggled to find the words to press on. “Ah just wanted t’ say... Ah know why it’s important that we be supportive of both of y’all. Ah know that Celestia’s keeping ya both here because the last thing that will make Twilight better is her bein’ stuck here while yer off with all of us. I ain’t doubtin’ her that it’s the right thing to do, but, shucks, Sparkle. It ain’t fair. You didn’t throw the first punch. Y’all made yer mistakes, but that aint the same as...” Applejack shook her head. “Here Ah am ramblin’.”
“Gosh, Applejack, I don’t know what to say,” Sparkle murmured, but Applejack just shook her head harder.
“Ain't nothin’ for you to say. Way back when, Ah thought I could just cut your name in two, give you each half ‘n’ that would be that. Ah’d like to think ah helped more than ah hurt, but... ah know ah hurt you. Ah made everypony think that it was fine, and that you had nothin’ to complain about. Includin’ you.” Applejack reached up to remove her hat from her head, holding it against her chest. “But ah’ don’t know what goes on in yer head, and even if ah meant well, that was right arrogant of me. Ah don’t—”
“I know when she’s lying.” Sparkle words came abruptly, like they had to be forced from her lungs, cutting through Applejack’s softer diction. Applejack looked up sharply, even as Sparkle looked down and away. “Ponies lie a lot, Applejack. Maybe you wouldn't get it, but it’s the little things. When she tells somepony she thinks they’re pretty, or smart, or fun, and I know just how insincere she’s being. Even if it is a little white lie, just to be nice, I feel like it makes her a liar. I feel like it makes me a liar.” She pulled the sheets up about herself, holding them tight in her hooves. “Once, when our parents were about to come to visit us in Ponyville, I asked her how I looked. She told me I looked great.”
“...And?” Applejack prompted, her face an uncertain, worried grimace.
“She thought I looked fat and dumpy and that Mom was going to worry I still didn’t have a coltfriend yet!” Sparkle twisted the blanket in front of her, as Applejack sighed and pressed a hoof to her face.
“Oh dear Celestia. Y’all got all that from ‘great?’ An’ let me guess, you went ’n’ told her she looked great too?” Sparkle said nothing, but glanced down, which Applejack took as a yes. “Good gravy, girl, that’s what this is all about? Y’all are embarrassed you didn’t find the time to trot more laps ’round Ponyville?” Sparkle looked up slowly, glancing back down a moment later.
“You wouldn't understand,” she insisted. “It’s a hundred things, Applejack. The way she looks, the way she talks, what’s in those eyes.” For a moment, Sparkle trailed off. “There’s nopony I can talk to about it, because you all like her. You’ll all tell her or Celestia. You’ll all judge me for it.”
“Shoot, sugarcube. Y’all are gettin’ yourself all worked up over nothin’.” Applejack trotted up to the bedside, her tone relieved and casual. “Ah won’t judge you no matter what you say.”
“Pinkie Promise?” Sparkle looked up hesitantly, Applejack smiling down at her.
“Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.” Applejack made the motions of the Pinkie Promise, ending with her hoof over her eye. “Now, what exactly could you possibly see in her that justifies all this fuss?”
“She’s a killer.” Sparkle’s words drew Applejack up short in an instant. “She chose not to hurt me, twice now, but she could have finished me off. She’ll never do me in anymore than I will her, but I’ve seen it in her eyes, Applejack. She chose not to hurt me, but it was a conscious choice. She has it in her. Those gears in her head are always turning.” Sparkle rubbed her hooves together, fraying the blanket between them.
“Now... Sparkle,” Applejack started, hesitantly. “Ah’m sure y’all are exaggeratin’ just a tad...”
“You didn’t see her, either time. At first, I thought it was just because she almost died, but then it happened again, that awful sneer, and those eyes. She has so much rage inside her, Applejack. She wasn’t afraid. She wasn’t afraid either time. I don’t care if she stopped in time. Just then, she was so cold and so cruel. She wanted to hurt somepony.” Sparkle looked up into Applejack’s eyes. “I’m not like that though. I’m not!”
“What? No, sugarcube. Ah know you ain’t like that! Ah...” Applejack trailed off as Sparkle raised her gaze to stare at Applejack head on. “Ah... um.” Applejack took a step back. “That’s a real intense stare you got there.”
Sparkle paused, as though catching herself, reaching a hoof up to her temples. After a long moment, she turned away, falling back to the bed and pressing her head against the pillow. “Good night, Applejack.”
“Ah. Yeah,” Applejack agreed, turning to go. “G’night.”
Quickly, she trotted out and away.
“You won’t get away with this, Ironhoof!” Rainbow Dash shouted from inside her cell, her wings beating furiously as her hooves shook the bars. Though the bars were thick and chains about her strong, it seemed that the whole of the building might shake to pieces with the force of her spirit. She was as wild as her tousled mane, working herself into a lather in her attempts to escape. The sheen of exertion showed itself on her firm flanks, her cutie mark—
Rarity frowned, tapping the page with her quill. She scratched out the last written line, filling in an alternative.
—her brilliant tail lashing to and fro as she—
Again, Rarity frowned and scratched out the writing, giving the page a pointed look. She was stretched out on her makeshift bed. She had curlers in her mane and tail, scroll and quill hovering in front of her as she wrote. “This isn’t coming together at all. The descriptions are just so generic.” She pouted, her telekinesis raising the quill to the paper again, scratching out the last sentence entirely. No matter how she tried, the scenes with stallions were just better than the scenes with Rainbow or Twilight, and the difference in quality was starting to show. She drew a breath, shutting her eyes and trying to draw on her creative powers. “Imagine Rarity,” she encouraged herself, drawing up an image in her mind, “You’re a strapping, wealthy, commanding young stallion with Rainbow Dash chained up in your dungeon.”
“Uh... am Ah interruptin’ somethin’?” Applejack’s voice floated through the air from behind the partition wall, the earth pony giving a belated knock on the wood as though to request entry. Rarity quickly shoved the scroll closed, hurled it and her quill onto a nearby shelf, and shoved a stack of books in front of them.
“No!” she called, flustered, as she turned back to face the partition. “No, nothing at all, Applejack! Uh...” She cleared her throat, raising her voice and putting on her most magnanimous smile. “Do come in!”
Applejack hesitantly trotted inside, giving Rarity a long, neutral stare. “Rarity, uh... if there’s anything y’all wanna tell me—”
“No! Certainly not. It’s embarrassing, really, but I think you overheard some remarks taken out of context.” She waved off Applejack’s concerns with a hoof and a casual smile on her face.
Applejack said nothing for a time, giving Rarity a long, silent stare. She raised a hoof and then put it down again. “Ah mean, if you wanted to say this, now would be the time. It wouldn't even be the third most disturbin’ thing I learned about my friends tonight. You know I’ll always accept you no matter—”
“Oh, Applejack.” Rarity laughed, with a light, soothing air about her. “That doesn't even make any sense.” She spoke with a sing-song air, patting a spot on the bed next to her. “Now, tell me what has you so bothered. You said you learned something else tonight?”
Applejack hesitated, but only for a moment, and soon she trotted up to Rarity’s side, settling down on the bed next to her. Her gaze went down to between her forehooves. “Just... things one of the twins told me. Ah probably shouldn't repeat it, but Ah made a Pinkie Promise that Ah wouldn't judge ’em for it. That promise is gettin mighty hard to keep though. Ah thought this was jus’ gonna to be about territory, you know? The two of them fightin’ over us. But there’s some mighty strange stuff in those unicorns. Scary stuff.”
“Well, of course there is, Applejack!” Rarity assured her, with a wave of her hoof. Applejack looked up, turning to face Rarity. Her expression was confused, and only grew more so when Rarity laughed. “Applejack, dear, everypony has something strange inside them they won’t admit! Maybe it’s a dark thought, or a fantasy, or a pet peeve, or just something they enjoy that’s not quite accepted in polite society. It’s normal, and private, and nopony’s business, but Twilight and Sparkle are having theirs shoved in their faces every time they see each other. Of course it’s taking on an exaggerated importance in their minds.”
“Ah dunno, Rarity. This was some pretty dark stuff,” Applejack insisted, but Rarity waved the matter away again.
“Really, Applejack, can you tell me you’ve never had a thought that would sound scandalous, or absolutely vile if you had to try to explain it to somepony? Not one single awful thought?” Rarity leaned over as she spoke, and Applejack bit her lip.
“Well... Ah guess Ah have had one or two thoughts that it would be a mite shameful to have to say out loud. When you put it that way, it must have taken Sparkle a lot of courage just to tell me—” Applejack caught herself, abruptly. “Er. Not that Sparkle was the one who—Ah mean, Ah wasn’t—”
“It’s quite alright, Applejack.” Rarity reached up to pat the earth pony’s shoulder. “It just slipped out by mistake, and I promise, her secrets are safe with me.”
“Thanks, Rarity.” Applejack nodded. “You really helped me put it all in perspective. Ah should’ve just come to you in the first place.”
“Happy to be of assistance, Applejack.” Rarity smiled. “This little episode has been trying for all of us.”
“Ah mean, Ah should have known that if anyone would know how to deal with dark secrets, it would be you.” Applejack’s smile grew as Rarity’s started to falter.
“Yes, well. A lady must know how to be discreet—” she spoke, flustered.
“Though really, Ah did start to suspect somethin’ after that whole ‘vampony bride’ bit. It did seem a bit conspicuous that it all fell together like that, and that y’all just happened to have that outfit lyin’ around.” Applejack grinned, her tone turning light as Rarity frowned.
“As I explained, that was all just a misunderstanding—” Rarity tried to keep her tone even, but Applejack nudged her before she could finish.
“Ain’t nothin’ to be embarrassed about. Ah know you unicorn mares can get confused. What with those horns and all.” Applejack could not longer contain a giggle, as Rarity’s eyes went wide, then narrowed.
“You filthy little ruffian! I’ll show you what this horn is for!” Rarity levitated Applejack clear off the ground, tossing her over the partition as the earth pony laughed and laughed.
“Well, I doubt the Princess will let Rainbow get anything worse than more community service. I mean, she did help save Equestria. Three times.” Twilight smiled, a faint blush in her features as she looked to the floor. “Still, she probably won’t have time to train for awhile.”
“So not the point!” Pinkie Pie insisted, upbeat. “The question was if you want to keep up as her personal trainer, Ms. Dodgeyhooves Evadesthequestion.”
“You’re really good at it,” Fluttershy encouraged Twilight. “It all got kind of forgotten with everything else that happened, but you and Rainbow were amazing earlier today. I thought she wasn’t going to make it!”
“Well... I guess I could.” Twilight glanced up at the ceiling. “I only started as an excuse to get out of the library, but I’m kind of liking spending more time with Rainbow. I’ve also been meaning to try and be a bit more athletic ever since I did the Running of the Leaves.”
“Wasn’t that last year?” Fluttershy asked, puzzled, and Twilight’s blush only grew deeper.
“I’ve been meaning to try for awhile,” she admitted, embarrassed. Upstairs, the sound of Rarity’s shouting could be heard, Applejack’s laughter echoing. A crash came not long after, and the sound of hooves skidding across stone.
“Sounds like somepony’s having fun!” Pinkie Pie giggled, “It’s like a sleepover!”
“Yeah, if those two are fighting, it really is like a sleepover.” Twilight rolled her eyes. “I’m really glad you girls are relaxing a little. I was worried you’d be miserable, just watching over me and Sparkle.”
“You don’t have to keep saying that, Twilight.” Fluttershy reached out to put her hoof over Twilight’s. “We’re all happy to be here for you, and right now, a little fun is what you need. It’s been such a day—I don’t know how you’re still on your hooves.”
“Neither do I, really. I guess Celestia has a few things to teach me about magic yet,” Twilight reached up to rub the side of her head. “Still, I guess laughing about it is the best thing you can do. You’re the Element of Laughter, Pinkie Pie. What would you do if there were two of...” Twilight trailed off in the middle of her question as she saw Pinkie Pie biting her lip, eyes wide and body quivering. “If there were two Fluttershys,” she finished quickly, pointing to the yellow mare across from them.
Upstairs, the sound of roughhousing continued, Applejack’s voice drifting down along the stairwell. “Oh, so the proper lady does have a rough-n-tumble side. Ah guess I’ll add that to the list of things you’ve been repressin’.” She laughed, her hooves skittering across the floor as she dodged, pillow feathers drifting down to the lower levels.
“Two Fluttershys?” Pinkie Pie asked, raising an eyebrow. Fluttershy squeaked, a blush rising to her face as she glanced down at the floor. “What would we name them? We can’t use New Fluttershy and Old Fluttershy, we did that already. And splitting it down the middle would be even worse! Can you imagine a pony just named ‘Shy?’ Her cutie mark would be a tiny picture of herself shivering awkwardly!” Pinkie Pie reached a hoof up to her mouth. “Why would that poor foal’s parents do that to her?”
“Flutter is a good name though,” Fluttershy put forward, looking up from the floor. “The only problem is, it’s too short. Everyone would think it was Flutter-something. Fluttershy, Flutterwise, Flutterdive, it goes with anything.”
“Anything?” Pinkie Pie asked, perking up. “What about Flutterflutter?”
“Um. I don’t think so, Pinkie. It’s really just—” Fluttershy raised a hesitant hoof.
“Flutterwing. Flutterguy. Fluttercake. Flutterbutt...” Pinkie Pie launched into an increasingly improbable series of alternative names, Twilight and Fluttershy sharing a set of amused smiles. Upstairs, the sounds of horseplay continued for several moments, but they suddenly came to a stop midway through Pinkie Pie’s monologue. Everypony heard the upstairs balcony door blow up, a strong night breeze rushing through the tower.
“Princess Luna!” Rarity exclaimed, the echo of her voice distorted by the interior of the tower and the whistling wind.
“Greetings, Rarity and Applejack.” Princess Luna’s voice carried clearly, a few decibels short of the Royal Canterlot Voice, but still commanding in both tone and volume. “I apologize for interrupting your courtship ritual, but I must speak with the reflection of the pony formerly known as Twilight Sparkle!”
Silence hung in the tower, at every level. The ponies below didn’t move or speak, their ears tilted up to hear what was happening. On the middle level, Sparkle sat up in bed, rubbing at her eyes. Above, Applejack and Rarity slowly looked at each other, unsure of what to say.
“Uh... you mean just... Twilight?” Applejack finally broke the silence, nervously glancing to the alicorn before her.
“That is correct!” Luna answered, a point of Applejack’s hoof sending her down the ramp to the lower levels. On the ground floor, Twilight, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie all rose, bowing faintly when Princess Luna came into sight on the ramp. The Princess of the Night seemed out of place in this brightly lit tower. The torchlight did not reflect on the metal of her boots, jewelry, or armor, and her spectral mane left her perpetually in shadow. When Twilight last saw her, it was night, and she took such things to be natural, but seeing the Princess in an illuminated room drove home that she was as much a magical creature as Celestia.
“Twilight.” Princess Luna greeted her without waiting for her to rise from her bow. “It is good to see you again. Were that the circumstances were better. My sister has informed me of your plight. We must speak in private.”
Twilight looked to Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie for direction, but each could give her only a shrug. Applejack, Rarity, and Sparkle had all appeared at the top of the stairs, peering down at the first floor below and attentively watching to see what happened. After a brief pause, Twilight let her gaze go back to Luna and nodded.
“Of course, Princess. We can step outside.” Twilight turned to the door, Luna following her out and into the night.
In the wake of their departure, the other ponies in the tower exchanged awkward, uncertain glances. It was Sparkle who finally broke the silence, looking to Applejack and Rarity. “What did she mean by ‘courtship ritual?’”
Rarity gave an awkward smile in reply, Applejack stepping up to Sparkle’s side. “Nothin’, but since yer up, I wanted to have a word with you. Ah was thinkin’ about what you said earlier and, well, everypony has some thoughts they’re ashamed or embarrassed about—”
“The stars are lovely tonight, Princess.” Twilight looked up at the sky as the two walked away from the tower into the darkened palace gardens. It quickly grew difficult for Twilight to see the path in front of her, but she trusted Princess Luna to know the way, and so stuck close to her side.
“Thank you, Twilight,” Princess Luna replied, quickly moving the conversation away from small talk. “My sister and I have been applying ourselves to the study of Starwirl’s journal since the accident. I regret to report that we have made little progress. Ironically, it appears that the great wizard took the secrets behind creating life to his grave.”
“Oh. Well, that’s disappointing,” Twilight murmured, with a glance to her side. “Was that what you brought me out here to tell me?”
“No, Twilight.” Princess Luna stopped and turned, their course having taken them into the middle of the shadowy garden. Around them, framed by the stars above, the outline of plants could be seen. A chill night breeze blew around them, rustling the leaves, but no detail could be made out. Though the stars shone, no light landed upon the ground, and the Princess’s spectral mane was the only source of illumination. It cast her face into a strange luminescence, her eyes seeming to sparkle in the light. She pressed her hoof to Twilight’s chest, and the focus of her eyes narrowed. “I brought you here to discuss you.”
“Me?” Twilight blinked, leaning away from the Princess. “I don’t—”
“My sister may have taken a gentle hoof with you because you are her student, but you cannot hide the truth from me.” Luna spoke sternly and firmly, her voice rising faintly. “You struck at your own sister in a jealous rage, and though you try to conceal it now, I can still smell the vitriol within you. There is darkness in your heart, Twilight, the same darkness that once dwelt in mine.”
Twilight took a nervous step back from the Princess, her footing unsure in the gloom. “Princess, I don’t—” She tried to excuse herself, but Princess Luna pressed on.
“Do not lie to me, Twilight!” The Princess's voice boomed, and Twilight wondered if any of her friends had overheard. “It is not I you fear, but the truth. You have presumed to make darkness your ally, to smile and reassure while bitterness festers within you. Even now you let the comfort of friends and familiarity smother the shame of your actions, and you fear that your friends will learn that it is so!”
Twilight shrunk back from the Princess, tripping over a knothole in the darkness and falling back onto her flank. She stared up at Luna, wide-eyed and tense, able only to utter a pleading: “I’m sorry! I didn’t want to hurt anypony. I don’t want to hurt anypony!”
Luna advanced upon her—a shadowy, imperial presence. She looked down at Twilight from above, her silvery eyes narrowed in judgement. Twilight flinched away, almost curling into a ball, but the blow she tensed in anticipation of never came. Instead, Luna reached down to take her hoof, tugging Twilight gently, signaling for her to stand.
“I know, Twilight,” Luna spoke more softly. “You are not lost to darkness yet. There is much that is good within you, and you have much that I did not when I was in your place. Your friends care for you, and their presence is more than a superficial comfort.” Twilight slowly rose, still uncertain as she looked up at Luna. “However, you do not appreciate the magnitude of the danger you are in—the danger you place others in. Though there is compassion within you, and the blame for this does not rest solely on your shoulders, you have acted selfishly. No matter how it might seem, this is not about you, Twilight. It is about the impact you have on the ponies around you, the power you have to change the world for good or for evil. By acting in the manner that makes you feel good, whether that be avoiding the pain of confrontation or giving in to the certainty of rage, you harm them, and bring a lasting poison into the world.”
“I—” Twilight stammered, her eyes locked onto the Princess's face. “I’m sorry, Princess.”
“I know, Twilight, and I am sorry that I must say things I know will hurt you.” The Princess pulled Twilight into a hug, holding it for several, long seconds before she leaned away. “You have been so kind to me in the past, I cannot bear to see you this way. It is the least I can do to return your kindness. You taught me of the power of friendship, and fun, and though it is a more grim subject matter, I will now teach you of jealousy, and how to overcome it. If you will permit it, I would like to see you each night you remain in the palace, to speak of the events of the day.”
“I think I would like that, Princess Luna.” Twilight nodded, her voice quiet. “Thank you.”
Twilight turned away, walking back towards the tower. She could not see where she was going, and Princess Luna did not follow her to help, but she moved slowly and carefully. The lights of the tower guided her when she emerged from the castle gardens, and when she pushed open the door, light spilled out into the night. Inside, she could hear her friends laughing. Applejack and Rarity were play fighting again, and the others were urging them on, but they all fell silent when Twilight stepped back inside.
“Are you okay?” Fluttershy asked, floating towards the door. The other ponies looked as hesitant as Fluttershy sounded, none of them sure what to make of Twilight’s strained appearance. Her mane was messy, her face more worn than it had been when she left, but she nodded up to Fluttershy.
“Yeah,” she answered, letting her gaze travel over her friends, until it finally settled on Sparkle. “Yeah, I’m feeling... better.”
Twilight smiled, shaking the tangles out of her mane. “Well, don’t let me interrupt. What’s so funny?”
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This ones a long chapter :O
Better start reading!
EDIT: Ahhh just as brilliant as I was expecting
Bravo, I say! Bravo!
This was an absolute beast to write. Ended up splitting it in half for the sake of publishing something before the end of the month. My own fault, I got a bit telly and my editors went to task on me for that.
Still, I'm very happy with how it turned out. Enjoy!
"Be yourself, everyone else is taken." ---Oscar Wilde
"Sparke (Equestria-Prime) and Twilight (Of-The-Mirror) can't be themselves: they have to change who they are or they'll destroy themselves. For who is a greater foe than yourself?"
"Sparkle, I disagree with your belief that Twilight is evil. Twilight is what you'd be Sparkle, what you'd be if you were put into Twilight's hooves. A 'what-if' scenario. You'd defend yourself if you were almost killed Sparkle; you'd scream and lash out if your crime is the crime of existing Sparkle; and you'd feel hallow if all your worldly possessions, foster-brother, and blood-family were all owned by the 'original' Sparkle.
Twilight was born from (your) magic while you were birthed from the usual flesh-and-blood Sparkle: do NOT think that you'd act differently than how Twilight has been if you where in her hooves Sparkle. No creature is beneath acting out through violence in-order-to stay alive... self preservation drives many creatures to extremes that they didn't even know they were capable of Sparkle. Do-Not Assume and Do-Not Forget Sparkle!"
"I apologize for interrupting your courtship ritual"
Oh, Luna...
Win.
So the garden statues contain the spirits of wise ponies who have chosen to forestall whatever comes after death in order to continue to serve Equestria as Celestia's advisers? Heavy. So one day in the (hopefully far) future there might be an arrangement of 6 or 7 familiar statues there.
As bittersweet as this has been, I'm still enjoying it greatly. It's a wonderfully deep story.
I can certainly understand "Sparkle" harboring resentment at the fact that she is the original Twilight Sparkle and now gets treated as secondary a lot.
There also has to be a lot going on for "Twilight" knowing that all somepony has to do is wish for it to be so and she will be unmade. Knowing Sparkle has that power over her has to fuel some dark thoughts.
Most excellent. Sparkles PTSD after almost being killed will be interesting to watch along with Twilight's guilt over it. Still looks like Rainbow -Twi is going to happen. Also, Rarjack, pull the trigger on it.
1224392
That there, is a paradox. If we assume both statements are true, then Twilight and Sparkle must be themselves, as every other pony is taken. However, they can't be themselves, as they'd become their own worst enemies.
...
...
GAH, dangit. I was going to make a comment on the story itself, but your comment sidetracked me, and now I don't remember what i was going to say originally...
That's a pretty good Discord. It wouldn't be much fun if he were malicious all the time, now would it?
1224392 I thought she was disturbed because she realized she was the same -- a liar and a killer. It's kind of disturbing either way though.
1224762
I won't say that both aren't disturbing enough, but yours is what I had in mind when I wrote it. Watching your own duplicate steal, lie, or display a cruel side would be a little unsettling to say the least. Because I'm not like that. Right?
Rarijack discovered.
Commence laughter.
An interesting analysis of self-discovery.
Best chapter yet. Your characterizations of Rainbow and Rarity continue to impress me, and that scene with Discord was amazing, both for its thematic weight and for its wonderfully spot-on dialogue. I hear all the characters' voices in my head when you write them.
First, amazing chapter. But there was one nitpick that truly bothered me: "her growingly unamused expression". I think it should be "increasingly unamused".
I don't think "growingly" is a legitimate word. You can say her expression was "growing unamused", but you cannot describe it as "growingly unamused". Conversely, you can describe her expression as "increasingly unamused", but it would seem wrong to me if you said her expression was "increasing unamused".
A more minor nitpick: "the reflection of the pony formally known as Twilight Sparkle!" Are you sure you don't mean "formerly"?
Spike does seem more of a servant than any brother or son to Twilight (in my opinion)
Nice, loved this chapter can't wait for more!
this is starting to remind me of persona 4, what with the darkness that lies within one's heart and all that
Wow. Just wow. When you said last chapter that this story was just getting going... I confess I didn't believe you.
Doubts erased. There is so much going on in this chapter. This story has just gone up a notch in my estimation.
1225027
The issues you reference have been banished to the moon.
I'm not really following Dash's behavior any more. It just seems hard to believe she would act like that towards one of her friends even on behalf of another one of her friends, especially when the first friend was recently beaten to within an inch of her life by the second friend.
Maybe it's just too deep for me.
wait i forgot is sparkle the original Twilight Sparkle or is Twilight the original Twilight Sparkle
1225326
HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!
There is no such thing as "too deep for me." That phrase indicates a bad English teacher! Just writing that is less clear than it could be.
I don't want to spoiler too much, but do remember, Rainbow Dash was forced, by magic, to painfully confess to Twilight that she didn't care if she lived or died. That's a horrible thing to say to anypony, much less a friend, particularly for someone who prides herself on her loyalty. Twilight and Sparkle may have the lions share of the problems here, but Rainbow Dash has some emotional troubles of her own right now.
1225334
Must...love...and....tolerate!
Twilight is the mirror-image of the original, Twilight Sparkle. Sparkle is the original, Twilight Sparkle, now renamed.
1225435
im sorry i irritated you
1225463
Hee, no.
I just always kick myself every time someone asks that, because I prooobably should have chosen easier to remember names.
1225473
hey its not your fault because... i have a tendency to forget things
The pony formerly known as Twilight Sparkle.
Dang Twi, when'd you become a rock star?
1225426 Oh, I don't really think it's too deep for me, I was just tossing a little "hey I could be wrong" at the end of my comment so it wouldn't seem so negative. I've experienced a certain amount of backlash towards criticism here recently so I was giving myself a bit of an out.
Fair point about the issues Dash is going through, I was somewhat overlooking that in favor of Twilight and Sparkle's issues.
I feel like Rainbow Dash isn't being fair. She cares more about Twilight than Sparkle and even though she's the supposed element of royalty, I feel like she
s Twilight and doesn't care at all what Sparkle feels.
And technically Sparkle isnt stealling Twilight's name since that was her name in the first place. They are BOTH called Twilight Sparkle. i really don't like RD right now.
Shouldn't that be "don't"?
1225869
It says that.
It always said that.
Rarity is a wannabe romance novel writer who can't figure out how to write from a stallion's PoV lol.
Keep the shipping at bay, no need to take a great story and scuttle it with shippings.
Shining Armor is awesome.
Discord sounded legit, did Sparkle but his spirit back in the statue or is it automatic?
1225776
In her defence she told Twilight that she wouldn't care if/when Twilight just disappeared. She's probably feeling very bad about that. And Twilight did say something like "would you give Sparkle my name back". Not saying it's justified, just understandable.
1225784
Celestia seems to be the only one wise enough to see that right now.
Alright, hold up.... you said that you had to cut this chapter in HALF!?!
So it was originally going to be 30k words long.....
wow, talk about taking things to the extreme...
But on a more serious note; I'd love to see TwiDash and TwiJack in the same story...
mind you, it's hard to tell who Sparkle would end up with, if both of them can manage to get past their differences (or sames in this situation)...
Either way, great to see another addition to this story, better to see that it was a big one... And Dash... Oh Dash... Maybe you'll one-day learn to wait for context before destroying half of Canterlot...
1225955
The idea (as other commenters have noted, glad to see I conveyed it well!) is that the Canterlot Statue Gardens are ponies and other creatures who were petrified so that Celestia could call on them for advice. The implication is that it was voluntary for the ponies, but that Discord has to answer questions as part of his imprisonment.
Not really related to the main thrust of the story, but I love inserting little background details like that. The FiM universe is great for amusing Fridge Logic that the fans can play with, and it's part of what makes the fanon universe(s) feel so deep and nuanced for me.
1226018
No. No she will not learn that.
1225435 This chapter seems backwards though.
1225936 i.chzbgr.com/completestore/2011/6/10/f50869ab-fc49-433b-95a9-8dd81ae4e59c.jpg
1226061
How so? I've tried to make their personalities clear and distinct, reflecting how they've both been changed by these events. I'd be curious to know why you think Twilight seems like the original and vice-versa.
1225473 No I think it fits well. It adds more tension to the story since it would be really horrible if someone called you something else and gave your name to someone else. I think it's good ^_^
Great, now I want to go to a cafe at night and have cups of tea. But I can't because I live in a field in the rain.
1226085 I just meant that it seemed like you swapped their names and kept the rest. It's probably just me.
She keeps calling them Twilight Sparkle because they're not two different ponies. They are the same pony twice. Any differences between them are superficial at best.
Say, where is Spike, anyway? They were obviously expecting him, and then no mention of him once the rest of the girls arrived.
Great stuff! Rainbow is doing some serious damage to Sparkle with her complete allegiance to Twilight. Applejack might be leaning too far the opposite way, but at least so far she has the tact to keep it more subdued, and her feelings are based on the actual actions of Twilight.
Nice touch with Luna, as well as with Discord. I'm curious as to how far Discord can be trusted in his advice to Sparkle. The generalities were good, but the specifics about not visiting with her parents could really backfire... Especially if Twilight doesn't abide by it. I also wonder about the implications of Twilight meeting alone with Luna every night. Sparkle needs some counseling too, seeing how she's turning to Discord in desperation. Rainbow has made it clear that she has chosen sides, Celestia has made it clear that she won't... How will Sparkle take it that Luna is solely concerned with attending to Twilight? At least AJ thankfully didn't cut the lifeline she had offered Sparkle by freaking out about what she was told... So there's some hope for her there.
New chapter? hmmm? Almost 15k words, hmmm... Beh! It's not like I need sleep anyway.
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Spike is...
Uh. That is. Spike. Is...
With Celestia. Because she felt he needed special comforting and care. He is a baby dragon after all, whose mother figure is at her own throat.
Yes. That's definitely it. And if you don't believe me, I have a curious feeling the next chapter will make a point of mentioning it.
Reading your analysis put a smile on my face. I won't say where it differs from my own take on the story (spoilers!), but I do love seeing that I've communicated the themes of the story and the feelings of the characters effectively. The part of stories I enjoy most is speculating on the world the writer has created, I'm glad to see I can bring that out a little in others!