Twilight's scream pierced through the midnight air as her eyes snapped open.
She was soaked with sweat, the stale air helping little as she lay there taking short, ragged breaths.
So it was all just a dream. She had known it was, on some level, but the pain, the fear, and the exhaustion all felt so real. Even now her body still trembled from the phantom memories of death.
Well, dream or not, it wouldn't do her much good to dwell on it. It was still dark, and sleeping anytime soon would be a tall order, so a midnight snack would be an appropriate way to calm her nerves.
Twilight moved to throw the covers off of her and then froze.
There weren't any covers. Or pillows. Now that she actually looked around, and her eyes had started to adjust, she realized she wasn't in her room at all.
This was impossible, wasn’t it? It had to be another dream. It wasn't exactly uncommon, after all, to wake from a nightmare just to be catapulted into another.
Her mind was completely alert though, and the fear fueled adrenaline that coursed through her veins told a different story.
Twilight hesitantly stood up, looking every which way. She was greeted by the sight of nothing but an empty black void, stretching out in every direction. Even the solid ground she stood on seemed to continue on indefinitely.
Despite the lack of light, however, Twilight knew it was not a lack of vision that isolated her. This void was a literal one; it was an expanse of nothingness covering all of eternity..
She rubbed at her eyes and tried to find even the slightest hint that she wasn’t alone here. Her efforts were rewarded when she began to make out the soft glimmer of stars; tiny pinpricks that represented so much more slowly painted a canvas across the sky.
Not that sky was truly an appropriate descriptor. Twilight gingerly tested the ground before her and, finding it solid, began walking slowly. "Hello? Is anypony there?"
Her voice carried through the void, eventually being swallowed up without a trace.
This had to be a dream, right? Ponies just didn't randomly wake up in the middle of space. Well, she supposed there was that one time with Princess Celestia when she became a princess, but that was different. That had been warm and comforting. She largely suspected it had been a personally constructed mindscape of Celestia's. If only she had actually bothered to ask her about it.
Not that she would have likely received a straight answer even if she had.
But just what was this strange reality then, and what did it represent? She certainly wasn't in Equestria anymore. She could still feel her magic, its power a comforting pulse in the back of her mind. She wasn't defenseless, then, but she was still hesitant to start casting spells. Who knew what could happen if she did so carelessly?
Lost in thought, Twilight stopped as she realized that she had been walking forward for quite some time. The stars were even clearer now, though it still appeared as if she were walking on nothing at all.
"Princess Twilight Sparkle."
A voice rang out, cold and unfamiliar. Twilight spun, immediately readying her magic. "Who's there? Show yourself!"
“Of course. That’s why I brought you here, after all.”
Twilight watched as a low shadow crept across the ground, slowly coming closer before it stopped and looked up at her with a pair of slitted, purple eyes that shone in the darkness.
“Wait, you’re…”
The cat’s lips twitched slightly in what might have been a grin, before she was engulfed by a bright blue flame.
Twilight stepped back, instinctively shielding herself from the heatless inferno. In a flash it was over, and a unicorn stood before her instead.
“You may call me Infinite Miracle.”
Twilight stared blankly at the gray mare. “You’re a cat,” she said flatly.
Infinite Miracle smirked, running a hoof through her long blue mane. “I am one yet many. All I wish is within my grasp. I am a traveller, a gambler, a reader, and a player.”
“I don’t understand,” Twilight said, biting her lip. “Is this supposed to be a dream?”
“You still slumber in your bed at home, but your heart and soul lie here with me, in this world between worlds.”
Twilight raised a hoof then frowned, a million questions dashing through her mind. “This is fascinating, and as utterly confused as I am, I could stand here asking questions all day. But I think it might be best if we just skip to the point.”
Infinite Miracle nodded slowly, then walked past her, tail swishing back and forth as if she were still feline in nature. Twilight saw her cutie mark, a broken crystal flanked on either side by a pair of cat’s eyes.
“I’ll make it simple then, Twilight. I wish to invite you to play a game for me.”
Twilight turned to face her. “A game? What do you mean?”
Infinite Miracle’s horn glowed a soft blue, and two spinning crystals appeared in the air in between the two them of her. “This is a realm of infinite possibilities, of endless fragments, of fleeting thoughts and memories, chances taken and never taken. Each light you see out there represents a reality, a story, an idea, a life. Here is the place where the borders between fiction and reality become thin.”
Twilight lowered her head to stare at the crystals, leaning in close. “This is…” In their reflections, she could see familiar images. Herself in a mansion. Spending time with her friends. Discovering their bodies. Facing off against Golden Wish. Losing.
“These are the stories your friend Fluttershy has written. Truly, they are quite intriguing pieces of art, are they not? Such a unique mindset on her. I wonder where such creativity and ingenuity could have come from? But sadly, they are incomplete.”
Twilight reached up a hoof, lightly touching the crystal as she stared into its depths.
“Do you want to know the truth, Twilight Sparkle?”
Twilight blinked, looking up. “What do you mean?”
“Fluttershy will write no more novels. She has dropped out of this race, but the mystery remains unsolved. Is that acceptable to you?”
“I…” Twilight shook her head. She did want to know. It bugged her more than any unsolved problem she’d ever faced in her life, and she wasn’t entirely sure why. “I’m sure I can figure it out, if I just try…”
There was a flash of light, and the two crystals slammed into each other, becoming one. “I’m offering you a third and final chance to tackle this tale of treachery and woe. One last story, crafted from the hearts of those previous to it. This time it would not star Twilight, nor Twilight. But you.”
Twilight swallowed as the implications hit her. “You want me to… live through one of her novels? Like, for real?”
“A chance to pit your wits against the mare known as Golden Wish yourself. With the added perspective of a reader, it shouldn’t be too hard, right?”
One last chance to solve the mystery. The clues were all scattered about, and she was so close, but everything just kept slipping tantalizingly out of her grasp. Would just one more novel do the trick? But to live through that sort of nightmare herself... Could she handle it? And perhaps more importantly…
“Why?” Twilight asked, narrowing her eyes. “Who are you, exactly? What could you possibly have to gain from something like this, and why would you be interested in me and a novel written by my friend?”
Infinite Miracle chuckled, a slow laugh bereft of warmth. “I am merely a traveler. I seek out interesting things and engaging stories; this one has caught my eye. Will Twilight Sparkle solve the mystery and learn the truth? Or will both she and Fluttershy give up and return home, their friendship shattered? You could even say I’ve got a substantial wager riding on the outcome.”
Twilight raised an eyebrow. “So, what, you disguise yourself as a cat, spy on me, then place bets on the outcomes of our lives?”
“Yes.”
Twilight grit her teeth. “Forgive me if I don’t find that to be a particularly trustworthy sentiment. What about you, then? Do you already know the truth?”
“I have my suspicions, but I’d prefer it if you were able to confirm them. The best stories tell themselves as we live them, after all. That is the chance I offer: to write the story as you see fit, to be the Twilight Sparkle who takes victory for herself, rather than being the Twilight Sparkle written to fail.”
That much at least was true. In both novels, Fluttershy seemed to have written it so that Twilight lost in the end. But despite Fluttershy’s hopes that she would prevail where her fictional counterparts had not, the truth continued to elude her. Would exploring the world Fluttershy had so lovingly crafted from every angle finally reveal what she was missing?
“If I accepted your offer, to play this game… would it be safe?”
“No.”
Well, points for brutal honesty. Risking her life, all for a game, just to fully explore the truth of Fluttershy’s stupid novel. Such an idea would be totally insane, right?
“I… I’ll do it.“
She had to know. For her sake. For Fluttershy’s sake.
Infinite Miracle smiled, her horn glowing blue once more. An empty chessboard materialized in front of her, and she reached down and placed a small figurine shaped like Twilight Sparkle onto the board.
“Well. Let’s tear this catbox open, shall we?”
When dealing with a creature of phenomenal cosmic power who's offering to play a game with you, with you being a piece, there are certain questions an intelligent creature would ask.
Starting with "What are the rules?"
Well, here we go.
You're an idiot, Twi. Good luck.
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Yeah, it does seem like a bad idea to assume the rules are the same now as they were for fictional Twilight... But they'll get to that in time. I have a feeling that Twilight is somehow going to be in and out of this game simultaneously, unless we are abandoning the Red/Blue text setup entirely.
So, I guess for now I'm left where I was before. It was interesting that the last chapter seems to be placing a bit more emphasis on their Elements, but I'm not sure if that was just flavor for the nightmare or significant in some way.
I have potential solutions for three of the five locked rooms (Applejack and Rarity Part 1, Rarity Part 2, and Pinkie Pie/Fluttershy Part 2) but not for the other two (Twilight in Part 1 and Pinkie Pie/Fluttershy Part 1). I do think it's significant that Golden Wish only specifies 4 when there are, in fact, 5. Maybe Twilight's isn't a Golden Closed Room, or maybe it means that Twilight's is and one of the other 4 isn't. Or, maybe Twilight's is considered part of the same closed room as Pinkie/Fluttershy part 1.
Or maybe I'm thinking too hard.
I'm excited for part 3. And also really scared for Twilight.
Playing a game with a seemingly all powerful extra dimensional being that either has no idea what the last moves of the game are or knows and just likes toying with mortals. Great idea Twi, well good luck.
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There's also the fact that, in all previous stories, Twilight's friends got killed.
And since this is presumably set in the real world*...yeah, Twilight has just decided to gamble all of her friends' life on the fact that she really, really wants to solve this mystery.
Twilight, I am disappoint.
*it may or may not be, but Twilight has no way of knowing that at the moment.
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Yes, that is one of the questions that she should ask. "If my friends die this time, will they die for real?" seems like a really, really important question.
Were I her, one of the first things out of my mouth would be "We're dealing with a Discord level reality warper who's murdered all of you twice so far. Here's what I know.. Oh, first I'm sorry for endangering you all by using your lives as stakes in a game with a magic cat. I just really wanted to know how you all kept getting brutally murdered. So if something kills you, try to leave a clue. Maybe write a name in your own blood or something."
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Cue Applejack turning around and kicking her in the nose for being so stupid and reckless :-P :-D :-D
I'm looking forward to seeing how this will play out. Will Twilight be sent into an unwritten third book, or will Golden Wish be brought OUT of the story? Will the others be brought into the book as well, or will Twilight be interacting with disposable constructs, existing only to be horribly murdered? Does being a construct make their deaths somehow less traumatizing? So many questions!
Also, anyone else think of Goldie's MOTHER when Miracle revealed herself, or is it just me..?
if it turns out twilights the killer i called it
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That would violate one of Knocks rules.
4698351 well yes but im sticking to my prediction
Sweet Celestia! I finally have a workable theory for the Pinkie Pie/Fluttershy Closed room in part 1!!!
Here it is.
We know that the murder took place in a shed. In regards to the normal key lock, we know that it wouldn't make sense for a shed to lock from the inside, so that isn't what is mysterious. What makes this a Closed room is the chain that is on the door. We know Rainbow Dash says there is a chain on the door, and after busting the door down Twilight sees broken pieces of the chain. But she never bothers to check the herself before breaking down the door! She just takes Rainbow Dash's word for it. In fact, it's Rainbow who suggests that Twilight "Blast it down", ensuring the door will be damaged severely. I'd put this in blue text if it weren't going to be in spoiler format, but "The chain was broken before the door was ever busted in. Rainbow lied about the chain being on the door, so when it was busted down, the room appeared to have been locked from the inside." This of course would mean Rainbow Dash is, at the very least, an accomplice for the first set of murders.
Still no theory for how Twilight was locked in the library, but since she never actually examined the library for clues, I don't think we have enough information to figure that out yet.
Darn it, Twilight. Don't play games with Bernkastel.
Twilight....are you really just that dumb? SCREW THE DANG BOOKS! YOU NEED TO KEEP LIVING! You and Fluttershy will totally forget about this in a little while, why the buck would you play with forces you know nothing about?
Holy crap. Infinite Miracle. Bonus points for being really super clever.
fuck this mind rape shit DISCORD!!! GET OUT HER AND STOP FUCKING WITH MY LIFE
Okay, not sure how I feel about this development..... okay have read a bit further but not much, enough to know I'm liking how it's handling things. Still not sure just what is going on.. but given I looked over some stuff from the source the fic was inspired by, I do have an idea, just not one I want to commit to, but an idea. Though still going with Fluttershy was behind it all. It works on a Meta level, since she literally IS behind it all, so having the her in story be the one behind it works too. Both times, she is the only pony to die and not leave behind a body that could be conclusively proven to be hers. The ashes 'belong' to her, but that could just mean she was the one who created and placed them, she owned them. Also note the present tense of the wording. Nothing said those ashes were her remains.
Also glad Twi seems to have finally realized the rarijack stuff has some meaning tied into the whole thing, given Fluttershy went out of her way to make clear she NEEDED this for her story to work, but so far nothing has shown why, so the TRUTH is tied to that somehow. As well as Twi realizing the real 'game' here is between her and Fluttershy.... also another reason for Fluttershy in story to be behind it all in a way, since Void-Goldie is clearly an author avatar for Fluttershy, dealing with Reader-Twi's issues from the first story directly via Void-Twi. So if one instance of Goldie is a blatant author avatar, why not on more levels.. plus nothing ever established she really did exist in the first story.Yeah this story has so many things to cinsider, so many differnt ideas, both in the story and ABOUT stories.. not even sure where to start with everything once I'm done... but gotta find out the whole story first.
Also, YES! Someone else who finally uses the damn cat right.. it was meant to DISPROVE the whole "Can exist in two states at once" notion, not explain it. Also love the Pony twist to it.
Finally I realized on my ride home what is going on...... Twilight is essentially playing a D&D game with first Fluttershy and now Goldie as the GM. Same base concept, Fluttershy was the GM that spent so much time building this elaborate well thought out story for her player, only for the dolt to blunder in and totally miss all the details they were supposed to and going off rails, using basic logic and thinking things through a different way to wreck the story and trying to find answers that would technically work, but aren't the ONE thing the GM wanted them to do. Now with Golide... Twi is being the ultimate Power Gamer versus a Killer GM, this is not a shared fun game, this is an outright battle between the two, and Twilight will abuse every loophole, use the buck out of OOC knowledge, rules lawyer, anything she can to get an edge on Goldie.
As to that conflict between the two I'm on Twi's side, Fluttershy was expecting Twi to magically understand something she clearly didn't without even trying to help, no hints, no pointing out little things, just getting upset Twi's mind wasn't on the right track. I do get Fluttershy wanted something differnt but she went about it very wrong. Twi yes got a bit to heated, but I am on her side in this. If Twilight didn't "get it" Fluttershy should have tried to help, and tried to work out just where the issue was. But maybe it will make more sense when we have all the answers...
Provided this story isn't going to pull the same deal.. but it's been good about keeping the meta stuff in 'verse.. so Don't screw us over story :P Still so much more to say just... so loving this, so engrossed so much pure WIN here....
Well that seems to make my last guess appear that much more plausible
This "mystery" wasn't solvable from the beginning. There are zero clues given.
It rapidly devolved into animu bullshit and a really uncomfortable story about Fluttershy making Twilight read her gore-porn fanfics of her friends by insisting that it's a "mystery".
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A number of my readers did in fact, manage to solve some of the mysteries presented, or even all of them in a few cases.
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Who, where? I'd love to see how they made sense of this story. I mean that, no sarcasm. Please.
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As this story was published serially all the way back in 2014, going chapter by chapter and reading the comments you can see the thought processes of other readers as they struggled through it. Some came closer to the truth than others, but it was a lot of fun to read everyones speculation either way.
It is 530am. I had an alarm set to wake up at 545am for something else and instead have read this far into the story without putting it down because I needed to know. The last chapter chilled me to the bone. This is a good albeit god damn freaky story.