The Book of Ages. Volume 1. Harmony and Immortality

by Rune Singer

Divergence

"Forlorn and lonesome here I stand
Time seeps by like grey- scale sand
My time is forever, yours is soon gone
The more of you I meet, the more I am alone."
Rune Singer 2017.

---

A month later Twilight felt to her core what it was to be alone and still have life all around her. The few ponies working in her castle and the folk of Ponyville just outside the gate where clearly alive, vibrantly so in fact. She found herself watching life around her in greater detail, in greater depth and not for the sake of science. No she felt she needed to breathe in life, because all around her it went on. What was a mere distraction here and there, turned out to become a form of involuntary procrastination. She still interacted with her acquaintances on a daily basis let alone the escalating situation at hand, that warranted the reading and replying of correspondence. An ever growing sentiment of guilt was filling her because of this. Her friends, ALL of them, where currently strewn all over Equestria and she was musing about life? Discord’s word “IMMORTALITY” crept in from time to time but she kept this behind a string of excuses and half-baked explanations to none other than herself. The subject just hadn't come up yet to have talked about it with anyone, nor had she felt inclined to. And right now was absolutely not the time. First in line, Celestia and Luna who would know all about living forever and who was or wasn't immortal, talked to her but it was always in sheer formality, cold and absorbed. Who blamed them, her own existential discomfort should be second before the fate of Equestria shouldn't it? Secondly her best friends where incognito now, they were playing roles to their fullest and the success of the plan depended on all of them playing their part. Their relatives? They could not even be told what was going on and they were being dragged along with whatever her friends would force them to one way or the other. NO, she cannot whine and lose sleep over what she might be feeling or what life around her felt like, not when on a daily basis more and more innocent bystanders where led to choose.

It was not so that she had empty hours to muse and waste, nor was she unoccupied now that she hadn't her best friends around. New problems where creeping up at an alarming rate. The first of what Luna had warned them of, the relocations of the common folk, had happened quite voluntarily albeit with sorrow. But nothing close to tragedy. Not until four days ago with what history would remember as The Neighara Tragedy.

A caravan of mostly Unicorn families, among them some Earth ponies and just a couple of Pegasi travelled, on foot and pulling carts, from and villages about the area of Neighara Falls towards Canterlot. They where intercepted by a Winged Coalition patrol and under uncertain circumstances, for the moment, the caravan and the W.Cl. Patrol met with disaster. None survived, a forty three in all. The aftermath was not as explosive as it might have been if not for the upcoming emergency meeting of the faction leaders and herself.

All things aside this was going to be very difficult to pull through in a believable manner. Twilight would walk up and down her halls muttering her speeches, her questions, even acting in-front of the mirror so as not to betray anything when the time comes. Princess Celestia had proposed that her former pupil read the correspondence sent to her, side by side, to gauge how her friends would react and contrary to Princess Luna’s reports about their dreams, Twilight would not believe her friends were changing. She was on her way to do that now in the cutie map room. The map stood silent and unmoving either way, a mere fancy table as if it was offended at the current state of Equestria. In neat rows the letters where spread in chronological order and on the newest of each Twilight had left a sheet written with the most important facts.

Under the title Winged Coalition stood the name of the former leader and the current one, Rainbow Dash. Beneath those came excerpts from her messages.

From Rainbow and Fluttershy’s trip:

“…I thought they wanted a demonstration about Wonderbolt awesomeness, I mean we are all Pegasi so why talk about it more. I am glad they don't want to talk too much about history, not that I don't mind buuut you know, everyone knows about our history ,so what gives?

…They take it all too seriously If you ask me. We are already apart from everypony else, us in our clouds and all and we kinda do have a lot of power over the weather, so yes here I agree, Pegasi are important. But we are not good in growing stuff or that awesome with other magic and that’s what I keep telling them, we need everypony else…”

From the letter dated a week after joining the Coalition:

“Princesses of Equestria,

Hereby I declare my acceptance to lead this noble Coalition of my Winged brothers and sisters. The pony formerly in my position, Sand Twister has gracefully offered the services of his secretary to formulate all my correspondence…”

“…we state that we shall not send anypony away from their homes below the areas that are of Pegasi preference. We also state an act of non violence for all leaving the territories that we believe must be controlled by winged ponies to keep Equestria in balance…”

“…Upon the re-education of young fillies we will soon supply you with our training manuals…”

“…all Pegasi from any place are welcome to join us…”

Attached note, hastily written in Rainbow Dash’s hoof:

“I don't think I’ll be able to pull this off again Twi so listen carefully. I am constantly being watched and everything I say or write gets changed to formal. I don't think Sand Twister is totally retired and for now I will do my best to keep ponies calm. Especially the patrol ponies are getting more aggressive by the day. My main goal is to replace them with ponies I know and try to recall all of the former ones already out there. Warn the others, those patrols have not heard of the non aggression thing…”

From the letter dated two weeks later:

“Princesses of Equestria,

I Rainbow Dash, raise our Banner high to declare total control over the areas that are already under Pegasi occupation. I do not say this lightly, for I am a mere voice uttering the wishes and hopes of all. The weather is our birthright and not even the powers that be upon Canterlot’s throne have the expertise and inert force that keeps the weather patterns in balance.

Therefore as we provide the balance that enables Earth ponies to grow crops and Unicorns to live in comfort, we expect a fair share in return. All ponies that contribute to our cause shall be declared workers of the Coalition and will carry the symbol of our banner about their necks.

Soon all ponies will understand the value of what it is to be a Pegasus or be an ally of one…”

From an announcement poster found in Cloudsdale,Vanhoover, Luna Bay and outskirts of crystal empire

From message dated three weeks later:

“…as stated on this map these are the territories that have agreed to live under our protection and abide to our laws. ”

From message four days ago:

“We are appalled and enraged about the incident in Neighara Falls.

No patrol of ours would dare go against the laws of the Coalition. This is a clear violation of our beliefs and we are fully prepared to defend our kind.”

---

Twilight frowned setting her notes aside and picked up those she made about the Affiliation of the Earth :

From the letter dated a week after joining the Affiliation:

“Leaders of Equestria,

after joining my fellows and taking the reigns of our noble goal to make Equestria rich, strong and healthy, I can say I am proud of the work Cushaw Gold and Cushaw Green have done to pave the road ahead.

I am not good with fancy talk and have given this responsibility to another pony…”

“…As working hard is our creed, anypony willing to work with their own hooves is welcome to live here, in the lands most suited to be used by Earth ponies…”

“…what school is to be concerned about, we will soon send over what fillies need to learn to become productive and useful members of a new, kind and hardworking force.”

Attached note, sent to Sweetapple Acres via Applejack’s pet:

Whoever reads this please send it to Twilight imme…ely. Poor… Winona, Luna had told us it might come to this, not trusting anyone that is. I am sending Winona on a …t with supplies heading towards Ponyville. The is som…ing more than fishy going on and it has to do wit… not feelin… control… -rest is illegible due to damage from the trip-

From the letter dated two weeks later:

“Equestria heed our call!

If one of the upstarts dares hoist the cloth they call a banner, then ours must always fly higher!

Our symbols of earth’s power, her gifts, our strength and endurance must be taught to all of Equestria…”

“… The earth is our responsibility and its power is ours by birth. The true power lies not in riches of coin, it lies in land, fertile land to feed all and as we feed Equestria we demand what is owed us…”

“…Anypony of any race willing to lay down their flight and magic and committing to using their hooves to better all of our lives, shall proudly carry the Affiliation’s design upon their necks…”

From an announcement poster found in Manehattan, Fillidelphia, Baltimare, and Appleloosa:

From message dated three weeks later:

“…to us it is obvious what lands are our own, but as the ones who are ignorant of where their food grows, need a bit of help, we send you the map with the lands that are our sacred duty to protect…”

From message four days ago:

“It is a sad day when Ponies would turn on their own! Especially when ruthless Patrols are set upon innocents. If all do not rally to punish the Pegasi who caused this then you are also responsible. The act of no aggression has been violated and no further transgressions will be permitted."

---

This time after setting down the notes Twilight was starting to get angry “How come no one noticed this before, these sound the same! I’ll read the third one just in case but I have a pretty good idea of what is going on..” And levitated the last note paper to read.

From the letter dated a week after joining the Affiliation:
“Honourable princesses and esteemed unicorns,
Not since joining the ranks of my fellows, have I so discerned the need Equestria has for order. Our communities live with loosely formulated rules and laws and our policy on foreign affairs even more so…”
“…our race’s birthright has been staunched, from professions to status…”
“…all unicorns have the right to expand and amplify their magic, schools nowadays put all races together, and they lack in magic tutoring…”

From the letter dated two weeks later:
“Unicorns beware!
The other races have thought it as prudent to differentiate themselves instead of following the right path to a better Equestria. Heed not their words or indoctrination…”
“…Order and Law are our calling, magic is our medium and brithright! …”
“…In our cities any unicorn but also any allies will find shelter, wok and food…”

From an announcement poster found in

From message dated three weeks later:
“…as ignorance and illiteracy abounds, we deem it necessary to display our clear boundaries in the following maps…”

From message four days ago:

---

“Enough is enough!” twilight exclaimed “Some pony has been pulling our legs all along and we’ve got to find out who!” and without her notes, without so much as a booklet on pony politics she ran out of her castle and flew straight to Canterlot as fast as her wings could take her.

It was obvious from afar that entry into the city through conventional means would be impossible. The sheer number of ponies gathered surpassed that of three simple delegations. It seemed as if the entirety of Equestria connected with the three parties was present. They must have been gathering for days!

On the northern side above Canterlot, half of a wing of pegasi flew in formation and the rest stationed on clouds watched any and all movement.

To the west, in the fields about the Capital but cutting off any access from the ground, a battalion of Earth Ponies stood, more crowded than the ordered ranks of the pegasi but still a formidable force to the smaller company of Unicorns that guarded the last plateau that lead into the city. Despite their numbers, the position the Unicorns held, had them at an advantage against both the other armies.

This is bad, this is way way bad! She thought in fear and sudden anger.Teleporting herself directly to the throne room Twilight found Celestia ready to leave.

“There you are, I was just about going to summon you. Follow” Celestia told her, sternly and started walking purposefully.

“Princess I have come to the conclusion that t-”

“That your friends are being coerced or threatened to act as they do?”

“Yes, but more as in controlled I think and I-”

But she had no time to continue as they had gone out into the front balcony overseeing the whole castle avenue and quite a lot further into the country beyond the city.

Below, the city streets where packed with Unicorns mostly facing the city walls. As soon as princess Luna flew down to the balcony, she looked at Twilight searching for a sign or a change of sorts and seeing none, turned to her sister. Celestia just shook her head and with a grand leap, flew up high above the city to be in view of all the ponies below. She took a deep breath and shot a blinding light to all directions, like a pulsating star it was made clear to all who was there. Immediately everything, every noise, chatter and commotion was seized, as if waiting for a misstep on the Princesses side, as if wanting someone to pin the imminent disaster on.

“Ponies! I see a congregation not gathered since the day of the summit. Alas your intentions are clear although I do wish a conflict to be avoided and protocol states that formal negotiations be taken place. I and my fellow princesses shall listen to a delegation of few, within the hour, in the theatre at the Canterlot Lake”

With that the radiant light shot out into all directions and Celestia flew straight down without fanfare or a majestic descent before faithful subjects. Down wards like a kingfisher diving for pray she went, and landed with a fanning out of her wings, on the balcony she’d alighted of. Not waiting a moment she turned and walked back into the Castle followed by an uproar from the crowd. No happy celebration that, but a general din of angry voices.

“That doesn’t sound good” Twilight said after sliding the huge window panes shut.

“Fear not the Timberwolf’s howl” Luna said and beckoned her closer and when Twilight was within earshot she was given the kindest words she had heard in a while.

“Listen, my sister and I will not be speaking much later on, other than the usual as it is upon you to mitigate this confrontation. My sister especially cannot appear in favour of any faction not even ourselves.”

“Ourselves?” Twilight asked.

“Twilight, we might feel we belong to no race and all at the same time, but they “ she indicated outside with the pinion of her right wing “they don't see it the way we do. We pose a threat and an unimaginable unattainable power that breeds malcontent and envy among the wicked. We shall not leave you alone and do our part when the time comes, our trust is with you.” She seemed as if she would add more but sensing Celestia approaching she turned towards the window and said no more.

Twilight watched her and ached to ask for more advice or guidance but whenever she opened her mouth she stopped, closing it, as if to take the very thoughts back. Finally she asked more to the room than Luna in particular.

“What about princess Cadence and the others in the foreign lands I wonder…”

The answer came from Celestia who stood now in the doorway to the foyer in full ceremonial armour, all in gold and white etching from neck to chest to hindquarter. Although decorative, Twilight did not doubt for a moment it was not enchanted or battle worthy.

“They, Twilight, are in the safest places in Equestria at the moment. Since no trace of influence has been reported, this is strictly and internal affair.And” she turned towards the other “Luna?”

“Yes sister?”

“Get ready too, I will keep Twilight company” and watched her as she left.

With that Celestia and her former pupil sat there in silence. Twilight glimpsed over to Celestia siting on a recliner looking at a patch of sky currently not filled with Pegasi. The Alicorn almost did not seem alive, stoic and timeless.

“Will I turn just like her? Watching time run out of the ponies around me, but never for myself. Will it feel like their time is running out or that I am running out of their time…”

Not long later Luna came in on silent hooves, dressed in dark blue and black regalia, posing a stark contrast to her sister’s white and gold.

She magically called a trunk over with Twilight’s crest upon it.

“I had this made for you not long ago for a rather ceremonial occasion but it does not matter now, it will have to do. Besides, only Luna and I should pose threatening and otherworldly. You on the other hand stand for friendship, and that hardly is symbolised by battle attire.” We shall wait for you at the door.

After they had gone out, Twilight looked wistfully at the wooden chest opening it. Within lay clothing in dark purple accented with metallic silver pieces. She dressed hastily, for the very thought that the two princesses stood waiting at the castle door made her twitchy. Finished and putting on assorted hoof boots she realised her attire was a caparison cape without a hood. Not SO friendly after all, but she could hardly appear in a gown. Clasping the silver woven Belt that came with the ensemble around her waist she rushed out and down the main stairs to where the other princesses waited.

“We shall fly there Twilight and speak to no pony until we are at the Lake.” Celestia indicated and nodded to her guards to open the main doors. The three alicorns flew off flanked by six pegasi guards. The group flew over the castle courtyard and veered left over the main entrance to Canterlot. Twilight could see the unicorns below parting to the sides of the street to let a single pony and her retinue pass by them.

“That is Starlight Glimmer!” she thought and almost broke the loose formation she was in, to fly down and greet her friend. The moment passed as Starlight walked under the gates and Twilight choked off an exclamation. After flying over the gate she could not longer see behind her well enough without tumbling over in flight and making a fine spectacle of herself. Somehow she felt not one soul would laugh if she did clown this up and that realisation was infinitely sad.

The road leading down from the cliff the city stood on, forked to the left in direction to Ponyville and to the right leading towards an open air theatre with a stunning backdrop of a waterfall that rivalled those of Neighara and Paradise Falls. In the shape of a half octagon, a good five hundred ponies could be seated in the hardwood benches and miss nothing of the spectacle. Flying along the road the group landed where the rows of benches began and walked the rest down wards to the half circular centre.

On cue twenty or so Pegasi drew a wide arc over the lake and theatre, displaying their prowess in flight as well as how battle ready they were. Not one pony was unarmoured and the main weapon of preference seemed to be the lance. Rainbow Dash flew in the spear point of the group herself, carrying an enormous banner on a pole. The banner had been changed with the addition of “Winged Coalition” in shining letters underneath the bust of an ancient pegasus. The banner looked besmirched to Twilight and did not like it that Rainbow’s pride got the better of her. She guessed the strutting about -in flight- was meant for her troops but this wasn’t a parade! Or was it? If one could land pompously then that was what happened. As if on pre marked spots every single pegasus landed precisely on the benches of the far left side from the Princess’s point of view.

As expected due to the distance Applejack and her Earth Affiliation Representatives had to cover to reach the area, the next to arrive were Starlight Glimmer and her Magical Amalgamation …acolytes she called them? Horns shining with magic and held high, the unicorns appeared around the bend of the road. The whole group of them stopped for Starlight to gain a bit of distance, she not having stopped, and followed suit by giving her the distance of a royal. Everypony wore cloaks or robes but none was more intricate than Starlight’s. She walked purposefully somehow avoiding to make eye contact with the sisters and Twilight even though she looked straight ahead. Arriving at the top most row of benches she guided her retinue to the farthest right side, as far from the Pegasi as the theatre allowed.

Twilight could not decide whether the tension between the pegasi and unicorns broke or grew when Applejack arrived on cart of all things!It was pulled by two enormous stallions. Half expecting pitchforks and other farming paraphernalia she was astonished when most mares and colts carried bows of all sizes and quivers upon quivers of arrows. Many held the Earth pony banner on poles and others in addition to the bow and arrow, hatches and some even long axes.

When even they sat in the remaining space between the other groups, Celestia stood a little straighter, perhaps in lack of being able to shake or stretch from the wait. The Princesses stood and where apparently going to remain standing to Twilight’s dread because the tension and stress started to cramp her up.

Her friends, now that she could see them almost up close, where changed. No such a change cannot but have been involuntary, because before her Rainbow Dash, Applejack and Starlight looked taller, with eyes full of hate, jealousy or greed respectively, but still empty. Their mane colours where dimmer and their coats almost greyed as if their souls turned into stone. She found no recognition of her in their eyes and always the same emotions seeming to seep out of them to the ponies around.

Not needing the royal voice due to excellent acoustics, Celestia took a step forward. Rising on strong hind legs she kicked the air with her forelegs in clear show of strength, let her horn shine similarly to the unicorns and unfurled her wings broadly apart, in mockery of pegasi bravado. Her hooves landed with a deep thud that reverberated in the cliffs up above and began the proceedings.

“I greet you ponies of Equestria, for that is what you still are for me and everyone. I have not acknowledged the division you have all but enforced upon the rest of the population but as you see I have not gone against it either. I had hoped this would come to peaceful negotiations but as I can see, all of you are laden in preparations, bringing war to Canterlot’s doorstep. Have my Sister and I wronged you in such way that you’d cast away a peaceful life for a conflict whose consequences will amass to more than just loss of life? Nay, I do not, at this moment presume to understand any of your actions. Yet, as the laws of my fore bearers demand, laws -mind you- that you never contested up till now, I will listen to you one last time. May your leaders come forward and state your purposes now.”

Rainbow Dash, Applejack and Starlight Glimmer came forward almost at the same speed and ignored each other. At Luna’s nod, Starlight Glimmer was shown she was to speak first.

Twilight found that the sisters had stepped back and she was now smack in the middle of a sea of faces. A dreadful feeling washed over her, she was terrified and anxious but she did not expect to feel she had experienced this situation before. This clearly felt like precognition even though she felt it for the first time.

Starlight Glimmer glowered at her, her greed more an invisible band around her rather than within her empty eyes. Her voice was shrill and rough as if she was shouting for a long while.

“Boldly spoken, your princess’s words, Twilight, but she is not OUR princess. We abolished crowns and embraced an oligarchy that will raise our birthright above all. We are not the same and we are not equal with you. Only unicorns have the right to be equal amongst their kind. You are all abominations” she pointed at each group “you with unnatural wings, you hornless digging in mud and you? The greatest abomination of all, Alicorns” the word came out slimy. If you have nothing to say for your arrogant dismissal to include your abominable kind, Twilight Sparkle, I have nothing to say.”

With that she turned and left. Twilight wanted to sprint after her, shout her frustration into Starlight’s face, to wake her up somehow. But she couldn't. She did not even allow herself to show tears as she knew she had to listen to everyone’s opinions before speaking herself and bridging a dialogue. Now before she had time to digest any word of Starlight’s, Applejack stood before her, a jealous taint seeping around her.

“High and mighty you all speak so far but nothing fruitful comes outta your maws.” She stomped her hoof with each following word “The simple TRUTH is THAT PONIES WERE MURDERED”. Taking a moment to let that sink in she continued calmly “..and no one seems to care, lives where taken as greedily as the fruits of our toiling and efforts is eaten away by all of you. You build and prance and play war upon land. LAND! Soil that is needed, earth that is feeding and clothing you, yet you waste it away. Metal for Armour and weapons is excavated to do what? Raid to feed more soldiers. I say none of that, we feed you, we rule you. Until you step down from your mighty place, Twilight, you will hear nothing new from me”

She also left at once. Twilight shook slightly and stomped softly in place to shake it off, but it was too late, because under a pitying stare, Rainbow Dash mocked her.

“All that wing span and you cannot stand a few moments in place.” She shook her head.”That is what is wrong with all of you. You lack discipline and a pride above all. You can magic anything you like but our control of the weather is above you. If we take that away, you have nothing” now she pointed at the others “no precious fields to dig in for you, no lofty towers to hide and scheme in for you and you, you? Ha! Alicorns are so few, you are but a number, but pegasi are legion! We will bring you down and claim the REAL Pegasopolis.” She indicated Canterlot up above them with a grand gesture. “Pony up twilight! ‘Cause no amount of swirly decorated metal will be enough against our steel”

The hate she left behind almost brought Twilight to her knees but she did made something clear to herself. “These are NOT my friends, they are being possessed or controlled and I will wake them out of it!”

When all settled again Twilight hovered a bit above from the ground in order to raise both forelegs in a gesture of welcome and peace.

“Showing off we got wings are we?” a voice came from the right. Immediately she landed, trying not to look apologetic but some snickers and snorts came from the centre and left. Taken aback she almost panicked and then raised her head with a smile,struck with inspiration.

“I was not showing off and I am glad that some humour still is among us, even if in spirit.

Now, I will open a dialogue by trying to investigate the unfortunate events of Neighara falls.”

A shout came from an unicorn mare “No dialogue will bring back the dead!”

“No” Twilight answered “But we ca-”

“What about OUR dead? Our fellows sacrificed themselves to protect your caravan” an Earth pony answered.

“And our patrol tried to save you from drowning!” said a pegasus pointing with his hoof.

“You deliberately swelled the water to drown them!”the earth pony shot back.

“Please, one at a time” twilight tried to say loud enough, walking from one end of the theatre base to another. “Please listen! LISTEN” she said voice magically amplified.

Ponies turned to look at her, not so much startled but looking as if rudely impertinently interrupted.

“Abomination!” a Unicorn shouted. “See how she cannot even control her own power, this is power” and made her horn glow.

“Oh I can do that and more” Twilight spread her hooves apart but stopped before she could cast anything, by Celestia’s voice.

“Twilight don’t give in to taunts. I will-” but she also halted in mid sentence as she looked all about her. ”My magic it, its gone!” and sagged to the ground succumbing to sudden fatigue.

“I …cannot… either…” Luna struggled and then she froze, staring at something behind Twilight “what…is… this…”

Twilight still feeling magic within her, performed Starburst’s experimental spell of concealment. Immediately a wave with the consistency of smoke was visible, coiling and touching all over the surface of the dome protecting her. Actually it was a sphere and she discovered that, by the vibrations beneath her hooves. The smoke was coiling underneath her as well. She had no clear vision, just three spots of darkness coalescing into three shadows as the ponies came closer. They were her friends, now more controlled than ever which was distinct in their eyes. The opened their mouths in unison and spoke, yet Twilight could not hear from behind her spell. When they spoke within her mind, it felt as if scalding liquid had breached her skull. Three voices combined into one in her mind as Starlight Glimmer being the one in the middle, raised her hooves slowly, achingly, to reveal an oblong sphere that was not entirely whole in the world. It looked as if it was on the verge of emerging into being and reminded her uncannily of other stones of power. She strained to remember from where but the voice prevailed.

“Soon the emergence will finish and an avenging will take place that has been long overdue, I know not what keeps us from sapping you dry but it wont last. We can see it in your eyes.”

“Twilight go away!” Celestia shouted from somewhere beyond her limited line of sight.

“Vanish” Luna shrieked “you must WANT it!”

Twilight tried to teleport away, anywhere it did not matter, but failed. Before her the oblong stone filled up in colour, a sick green with a core of purple, as if it once was pure. Its glow intensified and she found she could not look away.

“I must go, I must go, I must go” she kept hammering against the hum that filled her mind, and willing, wanting it more than anything she ever asked, wished or demanded she brought out words in a primal scream “Damn it all I WANT IS TO GO!”.

---

She had gone. And on the other hoof she had stayed. She felt, in between and she also felt a numb knocking beside the pressure of the stone’s hum against her mind. She could not possibly fight against that too and it passed through, like a trickle to the stone’s torrent.

“Quickly” a gentle voice fresh as an early summer morning, soothing like a breeze through a herbal garden “I cannot keep time so slow more than a second, let go and I will take it from here”.

There was not much she could have done in terms of resistance anyhow and Twilight gave in. She felt as if lifted on ethereal arms as if by a mother who picked up her foal after she scraped her knee.

“Nowhere Twilight Sparkle, you are still where you were, I am merely slowing us down. Your spell came not a second too late since you did not answer my call.”

“Who..where are you taking me…, my mind?”

Words came with great difficulty through the soupy fog that her thoughts felt like. The only anchor was that voice. It spoke calmly and steadily to her, a mare’s voice, adult but not old.

“Good, then I don’t need to explain how to anchor yourself to me. If you felt it then it is done and can only be undone when you have found what you needed.”

Twilight within the arms she imagined, dare to open the eyes of her mind instead of her actual ones because doing that she saw only the ever coiling smoke, its tendril moving slower and slower. She saw the opposites of colours and the opposites of shapes as they travelled through a corridor of sorts. It reminded her of the limbo between worlds that Celestia’s mirror took her through.

“Don’t worry, you mind is not travelling from your body. This would be a very cruel thing to do and I can only perform the magic I was meant to do either way. Ah! There we are, finished.”

They emerged in the room that Twilight had briefly teleported through in the castle of the sisters. The one with the book.

“Lets make this more hospitable shall we? When I am in slumber I rarely control how I appear and this castle is so warped!”

Twilight squealed as the swampy floor vanished for a moment and then reappeared solid, wooden. All around the dark walls disappeared as well and a nondescript study formed. She moved and touched the wall, the desk and then lifted her head in memory. She turned slowly, an imagined shiver through her, towards the book that stood on a low stand.

“Are you…is the voice coming from there?”

“Yes Twilight Sparkle, I kept calling for you. It is time.”

“Wait, wait a moment” she stepped back, as if looking into the book would seal some pact or downright kill her. “Please answer me before I go insane, out there…“ she waved her hoof nervously “…back there, it was…time was going slower, and before that you stopped time. Was that real?”

“Yes that was very real. It is the one thing that made my creation so unique, once a call is answered I slow down time for the one called. Time cannot be stopped though, we came to a speed very close to that though and that was almost impossible. Although I accelerated us very little, the next second will not pass until you return from where I will take you.”

Twilight looked around speaking to the air finding it uncomfortable to address a book.

“Are you doing this as well? It is amazingly real.” Then she looked up, an idea just having come to her.

“This is time viewing! Somepony incorporated an…a… whatever you are -extremely hard magic mind you- , into a book that takes the reader into time view mode. Am I right?”

“Almost” the voice chuckled “I am a near perfect clone of a soul. I say near perfect for one of the few things impossible is the cloning of a soul. My emotions, my responses are all a copy and I dare say I am very very masterfully done.”

“So, you are that book, Celestia’s and Discord’s?” Twilight asked a bit annoyed, her next words coming out faster “I should have seen you over a month ago and I suppose, I am biased now and the world will come to an end! Because you know, out there, my body is under a dome that will collapse and creepy shadows that have taken over my friends WILL CAUSE WAR!”

In the silence that followed she could only hear herself panting. She was too tired of being pushed from one event onto another as if by a string. She was afraid about everypony…out there, about what would happen when her awareness returned to the proper time and now worried about trusting that imaginably complicated construct. Taking a deep breath she decided she had no other choice than to approach the still closed book, and addressing it.

“You helped me out back there and I would like to know what you ask in return…uhm…you…book”

“Call me voice if it feels simpler, for I may not tell you the pony’s name whom I am made from yet, but I can tell you this, I was created to appear before you without a reward. Not even energy is needed from the one reading me as the magical dept was payed long ago. Shall I also tell you what I can do for you so as not to waste any more time. Time being our only precious commodity at this instant.”

Surprised at having the answers to what she was going to ask, she merely nodded.

“Excellent, please make yourself comfortable and fear nothing, no thirst or hunger nor any danger will befall you here. As mentioned I am a construct, existing only to give answer to the desired query of an Alicorn at that time when they most need it. This occurrence will happen only once in a lifetime and only to Alicorns. My call is answered by a need, by the strongest desire for an answer that Alicorn will ever have. It is quite obvious that you seek to resolve the conflict that befell what is now Equestria. The second reason, is directly connected to the answer you seek. The one wish my creator had, was to retell the past accurately, to write down in memory what happened because of how important it was, is and will be without fail. The answer will be found in the memories and those will inadvertently change you.”

Twilight shot up from where she had reclined.

“So there is a catch! I do not wish to be changed, take me back now. I will fight this alone.”

“Alas I cannot take you back until I’ve done my duty. About change, doesn’t every next moment change you from the you that you were a moment ago?”

“Yes but my being ME has not changed unless I make a choice!” Twilight answered pertly. Debating philosophies has been one of Celestia’s pet project for ages.

“Correct! I am glad we can be so clear about this. No changes unless you make a choice. Shall we begin? Your vision might feel a bit unfocused after having travelled from one mind scape to another, but it will pass as soon as you immerse yourself into the event. And always remember, the events I show you, unless stated, are sealed from change. No amount of time travelling can harm that past with a paradox. See, learn and remember. Safe travels my little pony.”

Twilight soon found out that unfocused was a understated description.