The Might of a Quill

by derpyland

Chapter 10: “I did not fail Twilight!”

Sunshine walked right up to Princess Celestia and looked her in the eye. “Is there some kind of problem?”

“There certainly is,” Celestia replied angrily. “Just look at you! How dare Twilight make a copy of me. She had no right to create a new pony in my image. Her behavior is utterly appalling.”

“Is that so? Tell me, princess. Why do you think Twilight did it? What could possibly have motivated her to create me?”

Celestia opened her mouth to respond, but Sunshine cut her off. “Tell you what – I'll make this easy for you. The reason Twilight created me is because you failed her. All her life Twilight has wanted somepony to watch over her and protect her, and nopony has ever done that. She desperately wanted to spend time with you, but you've always been too busy for her. She needed somepony to protect her from danger, but instead of protecting her you actually sent her into danger. When she was hurt and crying and in need of help, she needed somepony to comfort her – but once again you were just too busy. Oh sure, you'll take advantage of Twilight when you need her to save your life or rescue your kingdom, but other than that you simply don't have time for the most important pony in the whole world. You just can't be bothered to take care of her.”

“That is not true,” Celestia said sharply. “I take great care of Twilight.”

“Oh really? And how do you do that? Did you provide her with friends? Nope – she had to find those on her own. Did you defend her life when she was in danger? Nope – you let her deal with danger on her own, and you never fought by her side. Did you provide her with her own personal guard? Nope – she had to create one on her own. The truth is that Twilight desperately needed you, and you couldn't be bothered to lift a single hoof to help her. So she created me. I am the pony that you should have been. I am the pony that is here for her, that protects her, and that comforts her when she's upset. If I infuriate you it is only because I am a very visible reminder of just how badly you failed your student.”

Celestia angrily slammed her front two hooves into the ground. “I did not fail Twilight!”

Luna spoke up. “Calm down, sister. There is no need for such great displeasure. Even though you do not wish to hear it, Sunshine has a fair point. You may believe that you have taken good care of Twilight, but Twilight obviously thinks differently. She must have believed that she needed companionship and help, or else she would never have created Sunshine. What matters is not what you or I think, but what Twilight thinks. If Twilight genuinely does feel neglected then it is not our place to tell her that she is wrong.”

“Twilight is most definitely wrong,” Celestia shouted. “Look at Sunshine – look at her! Twilight had no right to create a copy of me.”

“I am not a copy of you,” Sunshine retorted. “That is the last thing that Twilight needed. I am a completely different pony – one who is wholly loyal to Twilight and who would do anything for her. Unlike you, I spend all my time with Twilight. I take care of her and tend to her every need. I may look like you, but that is where the similarities end. What's the matter – can you not stand the idea of Twilight finally having someone who cares about her? Do you demand that Twilight spend her life alone and unhappy? What kind of ruler are you, anyway? Why do you care so little about the happiness of your subjects?”

“How dare you tell me that I don't care about Twilight! I care very deeply about her – as does all of Equestria. Twilight has many friends. She is not alone.”

“Oh really? Then where were her friends when Applejack died? Oh, that's right – Twilight had to go through that alone. Where were her friends when Chrysalis imprisoned Cadence and tried to take over all of Equestria? Oh, that's right – instead of believing Twilight, you all abandoned her. None of you have ever been there for Twilight when she really needed it. If you, Celestia, truly do care for Twilight then why have you never fought by her side? Why have you never sent even one guard to protect her life from those who wish to do her harm?”

“You cannot be serious! I am the ruler of Equestria. It would be foolish for me to go into battle. Twilight can handle things on her own just fine.”

Sunshine shook her head. “No, Celestia, she can't. What about Starlight Glimmer? That evil pony is still out there somewhere, plotting her revenge. She once stole Twilight's cutie mark and she hates Twilight with a passion. One day she will return, and I have no doubt that she wants to kill Twilight or cause her great harm. Have you tried to hunt down Starlight and arrest her? Have you provided Twilight with any security to stop Starlight from walking right into Twilight's castle?”

Luna spoke up. “That is a good point. Why haven't you tried to protect Twilight?”

“Don't be ridiculous! Twilight has never needed protecting before. She will be fine. There is nothing to worry about.”

“That is the whole problem in a nutshell,” Sunshine replied. “You aren't worried about Twilight. When you send her off on a dangerous mission, you don't worry about her safety. You know that there are ponies out there that want to hurt Twilight, but you don't even care enough about her to send her even one guard. Why? Because you aren't worried about her. You don't even spend a single moment worrying about somepony doing her harm. But I do worry about those things, and the reason I worry about her is because I care about her safety. Your idea of taking care of Twilight is to wave a hoof in the air and say 'Oh, I'm sure she will be fine. Servants, bring me more cake.' My idea of taking care of Twilight is to create an armed guard for her and then spend my every waking hour tending to her every need. So tell me, Celestia. Which of us really cares for Twilight? The one who does nothing, or the one who has dedicated her entire being and existence to her happiness?”

There was silence. Celestia didn't say anything. She angrily stared at Sunshine, and then stared at the ground.

Luna looked at her sister. “I think you may owe Twilight an apology. I realize that you do care about her, but it is clear that Twilight is not aware of how you feel. From her perspective you are indifferent and aloof. You may not have meant to fail her, but you have failed her all the same.”

“Perhaps you are right,” Celestia said at last. “Perhaps there is more that I could have done. I will have to give this matter some thought. But I am still appalled that Twilight would dare to create a copy of me.”

“Oh, right,” Sunshine replied. “That truly is the appalling thing here. It's not that you've spent years throwing Twilight into dangerous situations, or have failed to protect her in any way, or haven't been there for her when she needed you. It's not the fact that you owe Twilight your very life several times over, and yet still can't be bothered to worry about her safety. No, what's truly appalling is that Twilight loved you so much that when she decided to create someone who loved her back, she made that friend look like you. Clearly that act of flattery and devotion is worthy of being cast into your deepest dungeon! Perhaps she should have made me look like Chrysalis instead. Would that have pleased you?”

Luna spoke up. “I'm actually a bit disappointed that she didn't copy me. She clearly loves my sister more than the Princess of the Night. Really, Celestia, you should be honored. This is not something you should fight with Twilight about. If you don't want her creating friends for herself out of books then maybe you should address the root cause – her loneliness.”

“Fine, fine,” Celestia said reluctantly. “I will let this go. But let it be known that I am not pleased.”

Sunshine nodded. “Very well. For what it's worth, I'm not very pleased with you either. But if the two of you will follow me then I will take you to Twilight. There is a great deal that she wants to show you.”

Sunshine turned around and walked toward the massive front doors of the crystal castle. The six metal guard ponies stepped aside, and two of them opened the doors so that the princesses could pass. Once they were inside the guards closed the doors behind them.

As Sunshine led them down the long crystal hallway, Celestia saw Rarity standing to one side. Rarity was looking up at a long tapestry. She appeared to be deep in thought.

Celestia came to sudden stop. “Wait just a minute. Did Twilight create a copy of Rarity as well? Has she been cloning all of her friends?”

Rarity turned around and looked at the princess. “Oh, hello, your majesty! I'm sorry – I didn't see you there. I've been thinking about redecorating this place. It's so cold, you know? It needs some warmth so it will feel more homey. But to answer your question: no, Twilight has not been creating copies of her friends. I am the original Rarity – the one and only. I'm simply here to help.”

“Oh,” Celestia replied. “My apologies. Is Moondancer also just here to help? I thought she lived in Canterlot.”

Rarity shook her head. “No, the Moondancers that you see around here are just copies. Well, not copies, exactly. They're actually nothing like Moondancer at all. They just look like her. To tell you the truth it kind of bothers Twilight, although I don't think she'd ever say anything. She appreciates the help that they provide but I think she'd feel better about it if they didn't look like her old friend. Apparently the only pony she is comfortable copying is you.”

Celestia face-hoofed. “I really need to talk to Twilight.”

Sunshine looked at her coldly. “And what, exactly, do you plan on telling her?”

“We just need to talk. There was a time when Twilight came to me with her problems. She used to send me letters every week. Now she apparently tries to deal with them herself, and I don't think she's doing a very good job. She has been making some very strange decisions.”

Sunshine took a step closer to Celestia. “I will not let you hurt her. Do you understand me?”

Celestia nervously took a step back. “I would never dream of hurting my dear student. I only wish to know how she is doing and see if there is anything I can help her with.”

Rarity spoke up. “I feel exactly the same way. It's so easy to neglect Twilight, isn't it? After all, she never actually asks for help – well, not usually, anyway. That's what makes it so easy to overlook her and think that everything is fine, when it really isn't. If you want to find out what is really going on then you have to talk to her and get involved in her life. She's not going to come to you, you know.”

“I can see that,” Celestia replied.

Sunshine turned around and began walking down the hallway. “If you will follow me, princesses. Twilight is waiting on us.”

Rarity waved a hoof at them. “I hope you all have a wonderful evening! Let me know if there's anything I can do for you.”

The three alicorns made their way to the staircase and then walked down into the basement. Celestia was taken aback by what she saw. The basement had a dark and sinister look to it. The walls were covered with arcane magical symbols that glowed an eerie green color. There was a pool of black nothingness in the center of the floor, which bubbled occasionally. Two long wooden workbenches flanked the walls and were covered with neatly-organized magical equipment. The basement looked like the lair of some sort of supervillain.

At the end of the room was Twilight, who was busy making notes on a giant blackboard. When she heard the alicorns walk into the room she turned around. Her eyes lit up, and she ran over to Celestia and hugged her. “Oh, princess, it's so good to see you again! I'm glad you were able to come tonight.”

Celestia hugged her back. “The pleasure is mine.”

Twilight let go of Celestia and hugged Luna. “Thank you both for coming! Were you able to bring the materials that I requested?”

Luna nodded. “I have in my saddlebag the preserved brain of Starswirl the Bearded, along with a sample of his mane. I even brought one of his hats. It's a bit old but it's still in fairly good condition. I suggest being gentle with it, however.”

Twilight's eyes widened. “Really? You brought his hat? Oh, this is so exciting! Tonight is going to be amazing. I can't wait to finally meet him. This is going to be the best night ever.”

Celestia spoke up. “Before we get started, do you have a minute to talk?”

“Sure. What's on your mind? Is there something I can help you with?”

“I was about to ask you the same thing. Twilight, have I failed you? Have I let you down?”

All of the joy and excitement left Twilight's face. She nervously took a step back. “What do you mean? Did I do something wrong?”

“No no – it's not that,” Celestia said quickly. “I just get the feeling that I haven't been there for you as much as I should have. Isn't that why you created Sunshine?”

“You don't like her, do you?” Twilight said anxiously. “Oh, I should have known this would happen. I was so stupid! What was I thinking?”

Sunshine quickly ran over to Twilight and put a hoof around her neck. “Not at all, Twilight. You don't understand. Celestia isn't attacking you; she's apologizing. She is sorry for the way she has treated you.”

Twilight looked at Celestia nervously. “You – you are?”

Celestia sighed. “Twilight, you have to understand that I thought you were fine. I didn't know that you were lonely. I didn't know that you felt like no one cared about you. I thought you were happy. I wish you had told me how you really felt. I would have done something.”

“But you're so busy! After all, you have all of Equestria to worry about, and I'm just one pony. You don't have time to worry about me. You have more important things to be concerned about. I really shouldn't be bothering you.”

“I do not have more important things to be concerned about. Nothing is more important to me than the health and well-being of all of my subjects.”

“Exactly,” Twilight replied. “You have lots and lots of subjects, and I'm just one of millions. I used to be your faithful student but I guess I'm not anymore. I know you care about everypony, but there are so many of us. You can't possibly be there for everyone all the time. No one could ask that of you. It just doesn't make sense to bring your problems to the ruler of Equestria. It makes a lot more sense to bring them to a friend. Someone who has time for you. Someone like, you know, Sunshine.”

Sunshine nodded. “That's why I'm here. I have time for her – all the time in the world. I can do what you can't.”

Celestia suddenly saw Sunshine's point. For the first time that night she realized that she really had failed Twilight. She felt terrible. Twilight had done so much for her, and she had given Twilight so little in return. She had just assumed that Twilight was fine. She had never bothered to ask.

“I am so sorry,” Celestia said quietly. “Really, I am. I didn't mean to neglect you. You really are important to me, Twilight, and I will find a way to make more time for you.”

“Really?” Twilight asked. “I mean, that's nice and everything, but you are pretty busy. Besides, I'm fine now. Now that Sunshine is in my life I'm feeling a lot better. I didn't realize how lonely I actually was until she came along. She has been so wonderful to me. I can't imagine life without her.”

“I may be busy, but I am also the ruler of Equestria,” Celestia replied firmly. “If I decide to spend more time with you then that is what will happen. Luna is very capable of ruling in my absence.”

Luna spoke up. “Luna also sleeps during the day. If you really want some time off, sister, you should just ask Sunshine to rule in your absence. Or you could ask Twilight to make a copy of you.”

Twilight spoke up. “You know, I'd be happy to do that. In fact, since you're here it would be easy to do.”

“That's quite all right,” Celestia said quickly. “I think there are other, less drastic ways of solving that particular problem. Now. Didn't you have some magic to show me?”

“I certainly did! I have a great evening planned for us. First I'm going to explain the basic theory behind this new technique – I already have everything prepared on the blackboard. Then I'm going to guide you through bringing Starswirl the Bearded back to life. You're going to love it!”

“You're going to do what?” Celestia replied, startled. “Did you say that I would be bringing him back to life?”

“Absolutely! If you want to learn new magic then there's nothing like a little practice. But don't worry – it's not that difficult. I'll be here every step of the way to guide you. Shall we get started?”

“One moment,” Sunshine commented. She levitated a thick blue book off the workbench and handed it to Twilight. “Aren't you forgetting something?”

“Oh, that's right!” Twilight exclaimed. She took the book and handed it to Luna. “Here you are, princess. It's a gift. We made this world especially for you.”

“Why thank you,” Luna replied. She looked at the book curiously. “And just what is this?”

“It's Equestria. You see, Sunshine and I recreated Equestria, the way it was a thousand years ago before you were banished to the Moon. In this Equestria all the ponies are nocturnal. They love the night and cherish it. I know you don't get very much appreciation for all that you do, so I thought you might like to visit a world where the Princess of the Night was highly esteemed.”

Luna looked at the book in amazement, and then back at Twilight. “Thank you very much. I have long wondered what it would be like if ponies appreciated my night the way they appreciate my sister's day. I will enjoy spending time here. This truly is a thoughtful gift.”

Celestia looked at Luna. “Ponies do appreciate your night, and you are loved, Luna. Things aren't like the way they were before.”

“Hush,” Luna said, as she put the book in her saddlebag. “You have work to do.”

* * * * *

It took Twilight about an hour to explain her new magic to Celestia and Luna. The two alicorns had a lot of questions. They were completely unfamiliar with the magic behind the comic books, and they had never attempted memory transfer magic before. Twilight patiently explained how the original comic books worked, and how she modified them so she could create items with just magic.

Next, she explained how she was able to bring back the dead. Celestia was impressed at the technique she used to infuse genetic material with the comic, in order to perfectly recreate the host body. The memory transfer spell also made a great deal of sense to her. But there was one point that concerned her.

“Tell me something, Twilight,” Celestia said at last. “I think I understand how this works, and I must say it is all very clever. But when you are done, isn't the end result a copy of the original? You are not actually bringing the original pony back to life.”

“That's right,” Twilight agreed. “That is the part that tripped me up at first. What you end up with is a perfect replica of the original – or you can change the original, if you'd rather do that. With Applejack I started out with a perfect copy, but then I added wings to her. This magic really offers you a lot of flexibility.”

“So, in theory, you could use this to create multiple copies of somepony.”

“Sure! In fact, you could use it to create multiple copies of anything you wanted. That's what makes it so exciting!”

Luna spoke up. “Why do you ask, sister? Were you wanting to make more than one Starswirl?”

“Not at all. I'm just trying to understand what is going on. It sounds like we are about to create an imitation of Starswirl.”

Sunshine spoke up. “You've seen Applejack, haven't you? Did she seem like just an imitation to you?”

“No, she didn't,” Celestia admitted. “In fact, I could not tell her apart from the original.”

“Exactly. For all intents and purposes she really was Applejack. Starswirl will be exactly the same way. He will be the unicorn that you once knew.”

“Are you ready to get started?” Twilight asked.

Celestia hesitated, then nodded. “All right. So what do I do first?”

* * * * *

Twilight Sparkle guided Celestia through the process. First, Celestia took a blank comic book and created a simple environment to contain the new pony. Next, she took a clipping of Starswirl's mane and fused it with the comic, to create a new body for the legendary magician.

The final step was to transfer his memories. Celestia levitated the memory stone and looked at it. “Is it really necessary to transfer the memories to the stone first, and then to the comic? Can't we just copy them straight into the book?”

“Probably,” Twilight replied. “But the memory stone will preserve the mind for thousands of years. It's always good to have a backup in case something goes wrong and we have to do it again.”

“But we have his preserved brain,” Celestia pointed out. “If something is amiss then we can just use it again, correct? I think in this case we can skip the use of the memory stone. It takes some time and effort, and I don't think it gains us anything.”

Twilight shrugged. “It's entirely up to you. If you would rather use a direct memory transfer then go right ahead. That should work fine”

Celestia nodded. Her horn lit up, and she began copying Starswirl's mind into the book.

When she was done, she picked up the comic and read through it. After a few minutes she handed it over to Twilight. “What do you think? It looks all right to me, but then I've never done anything like this before. Do you see any problems?”

Twilight took the comic out of her hooves and looked through it herself. “It looks great! I just knew that you would be really good at this. Everything is in place, and we're ready to bring Starswirl out of the comic and into the real world. Would you like to do the final step?”

Celestia took the comic back from Twilight and set it on the workbench. She then stared at it for a moment. “It has been such a long time since I've seen Starswirl. I never thought I would see him again.”

Luna spoke up. “It's all rather exciting, isn't it? To get an old friend back again. I wonder what he'll think of Equestria.”

“I'm sure he will be surprised to see you again,” Celestia commented. “When he died you were still banished to the moon. He will be so happy to see you at my side once more.”

“Well, what are you waiting for?” Twilight asked.

Celestia smiled. “This is a big moment, my former student. Applejack had only been gone for a few days, but Starswirl has been dead for nearly a thousand years. But you are right. It is time. I won't delay this any longer.”

Celestia's horn glowed. The comic began to emit a brilliant white light – and a moment later a gray stallion with a long beard appeared right beside the workbench. The stallion looked old and wise – and a little perplexed. He blinked, looked around the room for a moment, and then glanced from Celestia to Sunshine. A look of confusion appeared on his face. “Two Celestias? How can there be two Celestias? Have I fallen into the foul hooves of changelings?”

Celestia laughed. “No, Starswirl, you are safe among friends.” She levitated his blue wizard hat with bells and put it onto his head, and then gave him his blue star-studded cloak. “Welcome back to Equestria, my old friend! This hat is original, but I am afraid the cloak is just a copy. Your original cloak did not survive the passage of time.”

“I see,” Starswirl replied, as he adjusted his hat and put on the cloak. “This hat looks rather fragile, to say the least. But I still don't–”

Luna rushed over to him and hugged him. “Oh, Starswirl, it pleases me to see you again! When my sister Celestia banished me to the moon I was convinced I would never have a chance to tell you goodbye. When I returned to Equestria a thousand years later you were long gone.”

“That's right,” Starswirl commented. “It's all coming back to me now. You turned into Nightmare Moon, and Celestia was forced to banish you. Yet here you are, safe and sound and in your right mind again! I am pleased – yes, I am quite pleased. But that is not the only wonder that I see. When I last walked this world there were only two alicorns, yet I see a new one – a purple alicorn with a talent for magic. I also see a second Celestia where there was once only one. There is also the small fact that I distinctly remember dying, and I presumably have been dead for a millennium. Can anypony explain this riddle to me?”

The stallion then noticed something on the workbench. “And is that my brain? What is my brain doing on the table?”

Twilight spoke up. She couldn't contain herself any longer. “Oh, it's you – it's really you! I have been such a big fan of yours for forever. It's a wonderful honor to finally meet you! You have been my inspiration ever since I was a little filly. I have spent days – weeks – in the Canterlot Library studying your spells. You are truly legendary.”

Starswirl looked at Twilight. “And who are you, princess? Did Celestia have a daughter?”

Sunshine spoke up. “That is Twilight Sparkle, the Element of Magic. She was born a unicorn but ascended to alicornhood after she completed your unfinished spell. She is now the Princess of Friendship. This castle is hers.”

Starswirl was impressed. “In my day Celestia and Luna wielded the six elements. The elements must have chosen new bearers. And to think you finished that spell of mine – well, you truly are a powerful pony indeed. Well done! I shall have to take a look at your work. But why are there two Celestias?”

Sunshine spoke up. “That one over there is Princess Celestia. I am a copy, created by Twilight's magic. Her magic formed me and brought you back from the dead.”

“Remarkable – truly remarkable!” Starswirl commented. He walked over to the blackboard and began reading the notes that were written on the board. “Twilight, could you explain to me what you did? This world contains many surprises. I never imagined that such things might be possible.”

Twilight was delighted. Beginning with Applejacks' death, she explained the entire story. She told him how she came to invent this new magic, how it worked, and what she had done with it. It took her more than an hour to answer all of his questions. When she was finished, Starswirl was silent for a long time. When he finally spoke, there was a note of grave concern in his voice. “So you are planning on teaching this magic to all of Equestria?”

Sunshine spoke up. “That's right! We have invented a way to make this magic accessible to everyone – even earth ponies. No one will have to hunger or thirst or be in need again. Everypony can have everything that they ever wanted.”

“Doesn't that seem a bit dangerous? Far be it from me to question the will of royalty, but this is an extremely powerful form of magic, and releasing it could have rather dire consequences. Have you considered adding a time limit to the spell?”

“A time limit?” Twilight asked. “What do you mean?”

Starswirl nodded. “As you no doubt know, I invented a time travel spell and used it to freely travel through time. However, I quickly realized that if other ponies got their hooves on my spell, they could use it with disastrous consequences. All it would take was one malevolent pony and the past could be changed forever. Therefore, in order to protect Equestria, when I wrote that spell down I modified it so that it could only be used once. I limited the spell so that its user could not use it to change the past. That rendered the spell safe and harmless.”

Twilight's eyes widened. “I know that spell! I actually used it once. But you mean to tell me that there is another version of that spell that isn't limited? It's actually possible to travel backward in time and change the past?”

“Oh, absolutely! But I knew how dangerous that could be, and I wanted to make sure that nopony ever discovered it. I thought that if I released my limited version, ponies would assume that was the only time travel spell which was possible, and wouldn't investigate further. Apparently my trick worked, because here we are a thousand years later and you still have no idea that genuine time travel is possible.”

“That's amazing! I had no idea.”

Celestia spoke up. “I knew that Starswirl had mastered that spell, although I never learned the spell myself. Even after I was forced to banish Luna I knew better than to try to go into the past and change it. That can only result in more problems.”

“You knew?” Twilight exclaimed. “All this time? And you didn't tell me?”

“I know how to keep a secret,” Celestia said.

Starswirl continued. “The point is, Princess Twilight, I knew my time travel spell could be misused, and so I limited it to prevent any possible harm. Now, I realize that you created this new form of magic with the best of intentions, and you have used it wisely. But other ponies will not show the same restraint that you have. If you release these comics to the world, ponies will spend their entire lives living in them. In the real world they are small, powerless, and lead frustrating lives. In the comic world they can have anything and everything that they want. Since their fantasy lives will be so much better than their real lives, nopony will want to live in reality anymore. Instead they will inhabit their fantasies until they die. In a single generation the entire nation will be lost and Equestria will cease to exist.”

“That's rather dire, don't you think?” Twilight asked.

Starswirl shook his head. “The only reason that the fantasy world is not appealing to you is because your life is so good that it practically is a fantasy. Think about it. You are a princess, you wield great power, you can have anything you want, and you live in a castle. But most ponies spend their entire lives wanting things that they can't have. To them this new magic will be a poison.”

“That's what Frosted Arrow told me,” Twilight remarked. “Not the poison part – the privilege part. But don't you see? Yes, it's true that my life is amazing. But with this magic I can share that amazing life with everypony in the world. No one needs to be denied anything anymore! Frosted Arrow can have a life that's every bit as amazing as mine.”

Luna spoke up. “Who is this Frosted Arrow? I do not recognize that name.”

Sunshine smiled. “I'm not surprised. He runs the local comic book store.”

“Ah,” Luna said. “I see. A pony of letters. I can respect that.”

Starswirl pointed a hoof at Twilight. “This is dangerous – very dangerous! I know you mean well, and I know your heart is in the right place. So why not compromise? I can show you how to put a time limit on this magic. You can engineer the comics so that they last only for a set period of time – say, 30 days – and after that they can never be used again. The ponies of this world can have one opportunity to live the life of their dreams, and then the dream will end and they will be back in reality. Isn't that safer than risking all of Equestria?”

“I just don't see the danger,” Twilight said. “I think ponies are much more responsible than you give them credit for. Besides, it seems rather cruel to give ponies a taste of a better life and then tear it away from them. Why can't everypony have the same kind of life and riches that I do? Denying them a better life is cruel and heartless. I refuse to believe that I deserve more than others and that this lifestyle should be reserved for royalty. I say let everypony enjoy it.”

Starswirl looked at Celestia. “What do you think, your majesty?”

Celestia opened her mouth to reply, but Luna cut in. “To be perfectly honest, my sister usually lets Twilight decide how to handle these situations. Whenever there is a crisis, she turns the matter over to the six Elements of Harmony and lets them deal with it. She has come to trust Twilight's judgment – and Twilight has proven herself time and time again. She has saved all our lives on more than one occasion.”

Celestia frowned at her sister. “I am still the ruler of Equestria. Twilight is not in charge.”

“Very well. So what is your royal opinion? Do you wish to disagree with Twilight and crush her hopes and dreams, or are you going to support her the way she has supported you for years?”

“Don't you see the danger here?” Celestia asked. “Starswirl is not usually wrong. Perhaps we should listen to him.”

Luna shook her head. “I see what is going on here. You want to take my book away, don't you? You don't want me to have my own world where ponies are nocturnal and I am loved and respected. But it's not just me that you are lashing out at. You want to take Applejack away from her family. You want to get rid of Sunshine. You want all of us to suffer. After all, why not? You have everything that you want. What do you care about other ponies?”

“Luna, that is very unfair! You know I care about everypony.”

“Wait – what?” Twilight asked. “What's this about Applejack?”

“Think about it,” Luna replied. “The ponies of this world know that you used book magic to bring Applejack back from the dead. What will they think when they discover that their version of the magic is time-limited but yours is not? They will know that you are holding out the best magic for yourself, and they will become extremely unhappy. If we do time-limit the magic then we will have to time-limit it for everypony. That is the only fair thing to do – unless you want to face the wrath of an angry Equestria who wants to know why you believe you are better than everypony else.”

“But I can't give up Applejack! She's my friend. I would do anything for her. I am not going to lose her again.”

“Yet that is precisely what my sister wants to do. If we take her advice then you will lose your friend.”

Sunshine spoke up. “I will not allow that to happen,” she said, in a voice of steel. “I will not allow anypony to harm Twilight or her friends. I will fight to the death to protect her. Twilight's guards will fight to the death to protect her. I will burn down all of Equestria before I allow anyone to harm my princess.”

Celestia took a step back. “Can't we find some sort of compromise? I just think we might be making a big mistake.”

Twilight frowned. “Applejack is not a mistake!”

Celestia opened her mouth to reply, then stopped herself. She sighed. “Very well. But tell me one thing. The comics that you are going to release to the public – you are planning on creating all of them from a single source, correct? So if something does go wrong you could, in theory, destroy that source and thereby destroy all the copies that were made from that source.”

“That's right,” Twilight said. “If the source comic was destroyed then all the other comics that were made from it would be destroyed as well.”

Celestia nodded. “Then that should be enough. If this does lead to disaster then we can correct the mistake before any lasting harm is done. But what will happen to the ponies that are in the comics? If a comic is destroyed while they are in it, will they die?”

Twilight shook her head. “I don't think so. I'm pretty sure that the comic will eject them. When the comic world disintegrates, they should be released back into this one.”

Sunshine spoke up. “You know, I think you're right. But we probably should test that just to make sure.”

“It is fine,” Celestia said. “I withdraw my objection. Twilight, when are you planning on releasing this magic?”

“Next week, if all goes well.”

Starswirl spoke up. “So it has been decided, then?”

“Yes, it has,” Sunshine replied.

“Very well. Then I will not stand in the way of royalty. I just have a few questions. First, may I stay here for the night? I understand that it's quite late.”

“Of course!” Twilight exclaimed. “I would love that. This castle has plenty of rooms.”

Celestia looked concerned. “You aren't returning to Canterlot with us?”

“Not quite yet. There is something else I want to do first, and then I will make my way to the capitol. Princess Twilight, might I have a few of your magical blank comics and a quill? And if you have any notes you've put together on this technique, I'd like to have them as well. Your new magic is truly fascinating – I never dreamed any of this was possible.”

Sunshine spoke up. “Certainly. I will have them delivered to your room in the castle. I'll include a saddlebag as well so that you can carry them.”

“I don't suppose I could have the comic that you used to create me, could I?” Starswirl asked. “I'd love to study it. I do promise to be careful with it; I know my existence depends on it.”

“Sure,” Twilight said. “I don't have a problem with that. I'll have it delivered to your room along with everything else.”

Starswirl nodded. “Thank you. Finally, does this Applejack live around here? I understand that she was the first pony that you created with magic. I'd like to meet her, if that's all right.”

Twilight nodded. “Yes, she lives just outside Ponyville at Sweet Apple Acres. I'll get you a map of the area. I'll also mark down the location of the homes of the rest of the Elements of Harmony. I'm sure that the two Pinkie Pies will want to meet you – in fact, I bet they're already planning on throwing you a Back From The Dead party.”

Celestia spoke up. “The two Pinkie Pies? Do you mean that terrible rumor was true? There are now two Pinkies that walk the land?”

Twilight grinned. “It's amazing, isn't it? Pinkie asked me to create a clone of her – one that could fly. I've never seen her so happy in all her life! The two of them have a really great time together. You should pay them a visit sometime.”

“The world of the future is truly remarkable,” Starswirl commented. “Princess, you are too kind. But now I must be off to bed.”

Starswirl turned to leave. He took a step toward the door, and then slipped. With a surprised shriek he lost his balance and fell on the floor. When he hit the floor his horn lit up, and a bolt of white magic shot out. The magic went right through his hat and struck one of the glowing runes on the wall. The magical bolt turned from green to white and bounced off. It struck the wooden table right beside Starswirl's brain. The table – and the brain – went up in flames.

Twilight screamed. Celestia took a step back, away from the blaze. Sunshine rushed toward the flames and used her magic to put them out.

“I am so sorry,” Starswirl said, as he struggled back up onto his hooves. He took his hat off his head, looked at the new hole in it, and then gingerly put it back on. “This basement is apparently full of hidden dangers. Was anyone hurt?”

“I don't think so,” Sunshine said. “The fire was put out quickly, so the damage was minimal. None of the comics were damaged, which is fortunate indeed! The only loss was your brain. I'm afraid it has been destroyed.”

Starswirl smiled. “Ah, well, no harm done there. The one that is currently in my head seems to be working just fine. Once again I do apologize for my clumsiness! It appears that I'm still an old stallion. I'm just not as strong as I used to be. I don't suppose you could take me to my room now, could you? I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed.”

Sunshine nodded. “Absolutely. If you will just follow me I will take care of everything.”

Sunshine and Starswirl left the room, leaving the three princesses alone. Twilight yawned. “You know, I think I'll go to bed too. Celestia, is there anything else I can do for you?”

Celestia did not respond. She stared at the burnt brain for a while, and then shook her head. “No, thank you. Luna and I need to head back to Canterlot.”

Luna spoke up. “Thank you so much for all you've done, Twilight! It is wonderful to have Starswirl back again – and I will treasure this world that you made for me.”

Twilight beamed. “You're welcome, princess! I do hope that you'll enjoy it.”

Twilight then led them through the castle and told them goodnight. After the two sisters were outside, Luna looked at Celestia. “Is there a problem? You seem lost in thought.”

“Starswirl is clever,” Celestia remarked. “I wonder what he is up to.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean we should keep an eye on him. He is not the doddering old stallion he pretends to be. There is more to him than it appears.”

“You mean you don't think his fall was accidental?”

“Do you?” Celestia asked.

Luna shrugged. “He is very, very old. Remember, you created an old body for him, which in hindsight may have been a mistake. It might have been wiser to create a new body to house his mind. He may simply be weak and infirm.”

“Or he might be the legendary Starswirl the Bearded. Twilight will find him to be a difficult opponent. He is quite clever.”

“Starswirl would never fight Twilight!” Luna said, shocked. “He has far too much respect for alicorns. He is from our generation, you know. They knew how to treat royalty.”

“We will see,” Celestia said. “We will see.”

Comments

[sexy nightmare moon]

hum somehow i think Starswirl is goanna corrupt twilight and have her do something bad

[derpyland]

6694066

i think Starswirl is goanna corrupt twilight

To be honest, I didn't realize anyone was actually reading the story. Interesting.

Starswirl is key to the plot; the ending is impossible without him. However, Twilight has already been corrupted. She has the most dangerous thing in the world: a friend who is completely loyal and who will do anything for her. Twilight doesn't have any defense against a pony like Sunshine. How can you say no to someone whose sole purpose in life is to give you anything and everything you want? Twilight will always give into Sunshine, and Sunshine is utterly ruthless and extremely clever. Just look at what she did to Rarity.

Starswirl is ruthless too, in his own way. We'll see him in action in the next chapter.

The real question is whether there will be any survivors at all. Things are not looking good for our heroes.

[sexy nightmare moon]

6695053 so if sunshine die twilight go'es on a murder spree funny

[derpyland]

6695071

so if sunshine die...

Well, think about it. Twilight has become very fond of Sunshine, and Celestia hates Sunshine with a passion. It's only a matter of time - perhaps a very short time - before Sunshine and Celestia butt heads. When that happens, I don't think Twilight will take Celestia's side, especially after what happens in the next chapter.

Celestia is going to find herself in a corner, and this time she won't be able to turn to Twilight for help because Twilight is now the problem. It's only a matter of time before war breaks out. Sunshine has vast power, and if she thinks Celestia is a threat she is going to act.

But it's even worse than that. Trying to kill Sunshine is useless because if Celestia did kill Sunshine, Twilight could always write her back into existence, along with an army and anything else she wanted. The only way to stop Twilight would be to change Twilight's mind or kill her. Celestia will find it very difficult to do either of those things.

[sexy nightmare moon]

6695119 just banish twilight for a thousand years and then poof use the elements and then we have happy normal twilight back again

[Awesometacular]

Now that they mention it, yeah, Star swirl may have been aiming to destroy the comic before it's mass produced and released to the public but missed and made an excuse that it was just his clumsiness.

[Awesometacular]

Also, it's kinda hard to argue with most of the stuff Sunshine said to Celestia.