Introduction
“The life of every individual, viewed as a whole and in general, and when only its most significant features are emphasized, is really a tragedy; but gone through in detail it has the character of a comedy.”
― Arthur Schopenhauer, The World as Will and Representation, Vol 1
The story Hard Reset is about Twilight Sparkle accidentally using a time magic while studying in the Canterlot Royal Library, and finds that every time she dies, she returns to the moment just after the completion of the aforementioned time magic. In detail, each time immediately after she dies, she would hear “Well that didn't work.” spoken by Spike, and when she opens her eyes, she would see herself standing in the library.
The reset time point is just hours before the changeling invasion of Canterlot, therefore she died a lot of times from all kinds of causes, mostly being mauled by changelings, but also including suicide by falling, hit by falling objects, mind-killed by Chrysalis.
After going through the cycle many times, Twilight managed to learn enough of the details of the events immediately after the invasion to perform the exact sequence of actions to survive, and kill Chrysalis, and save her friends, and help Celestia repel the invasion with minimal casualty. For some reason, Twilight thought this marked the end of the time-loop spell's effect.
It's been five years since the changeling invasion of Canterlot. Twilight Sparkle was still living in Ponyville with her friends. Spike was still working as her assistant. Mostly things had been the same. This followup story would work even if things had been significantly different, but it simplifies matters to discuss the situation assuming things had stayed mostly the same. There is no loss of generality.
One day, Twilight Sparkle died. The reasons are not really important, as it is inevitable, and it is crucial for this followup story to begin. Without loss of generality, we assume she died of poisoning while performing chemical experiments.
The stage is set and the story can begin.
“Well that didn't work.”
Twilight opened her eyes and see that she was in some library aisle. Spike was standing beside her, holding up some books. She blinked in confusion.
“Spike? How did... where am I?”
“Oh no! Did the spell mess with your brain?” Spike threw down the books and looked around agitated, “Should I go call a doctor?”
“Where am I?” Twilight demanded.
“The Canterlot Royal Library, Top Floor, Aisle B.”
Twilight blinked again. Her best hypothesis seemed correct, but the implication filled her with dread. “Spike?”
“Yes?”
“Don't call a doctor. The spell just 'bumped' me a bit, but now I'm fine.” she took Spike by the hoof, “Let's take a break.”
“Alright!” Spike leaped on her back, happy to get out of the stuffy library. Soon they were outside in the royal gardens. Twilight noted in dismay that the shapes of the clouds seemed awfully familiar.
They settled down in the shade of a tree. Spike quickly falls into a light nap. Twilight stared at Spike and contemplated whether she should test the hypothesis straight on or wait just a few more hours. She decided to wait a few more hours.
“Spike!”
The little dragon yawned. “Yes?”
“Come on now, let's not sleep away the afternoon. Let's go into the city.”
“But have you finished your research yet?” Spike poked Twilight's saddlebag, which was filled to the brim with scrolls, “Don't go have fun today, and tomorrow shake me up at 6 am for some 'emergency' research, again.”
“No, but... there would be time enough for that.” Twilight looked up to the piercing tops of the library tower.
Twilight waited, staring at the sky to the east. Spike was eating his second tub of ice cream.
Twilight saw black swarms gathering in the distance. She waited some more. She saw the black swarms come closer and resolve into individual changelings.
Spike dropped his ice cream and clinged onto Twilight's neck. “What's that?”
“It is true.” Twilight embraced Spike. “They are going to kill us all soon.”
“You can't just give up like that! … Go get Celestia! Luna!”
“There's no use. My friends are already dead and there's no life for me without them.”
“What? But they are on the train...?”
“The train was attacked about fifteen minutes ago by a subdivision of the changelings and they were killed.” Twilight shook her head, “I remember.”
Spike was sure Twilight has indeed gone mad, but the approaching black cloud was more concerning. “Please, we got to get Celestia. She will fix things.”
“There's nothing that needs fixing, and there's no fixing that lasts.” Twilight swinged Spike onto her back, “But since you insist, let's go anyway.”
The gallop to the throne room was stopped short by three changelings hissing at the gate. Twilight could read them like a stop-motion movie, relying on her muscle memory to knock them out in minimal time. Five years and I still remember. Good job.
On the throne sat Chrysalis, staring down at Twilight with a smirk. “Your friends are already dead, and soon you'll be too.”
“I know that, but soon you'll be too.” With that, Twilight shot several magic missiles at Chrysalis as a token of aggression. She knew that she has already entered a dead end and there's no point in playing along seriously. She was simply putting up a show for Spike to give him some false hope, so that his last moments would be less hard to swallow.
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Startin' off strong! (Man, writing the first comment on a story is stressful...)