II.26 - Twists of Fate
A cry filled the air …
… and her lungs swelled with the breath of life.
***
“I got you … I … I'm here,” a voice whispered, gentle yet pained. The world was blue and bright, drifting slowly by. The eyes were blue and kind, carrying her away in soft but steely hooves. “I'm here. D-don't give up, everything is going to be okay. I-I promise … I won't leave you.”
***
She awoke, confused and crying, with a single driving thought in her mind.
Her eyes sought out and settled upon the one thing familiar and safe in the dark and threatening world around her. Her legs felt weak and unfamiliar as she crawled and pulled herself up towards the yellow winged one on the ground beside her. A pair of tears fell on the golden cheek, settling below the kind blue eyes which were now closed.
She nuzzled the pink mane and muscled herself down next to the prone body to get it up on her back. In a daze and determined dream she stumbled forward, dragging herself and the yellow one through the world of shadows and tall silent giants.
***
Twilight sat on the cold ground, staring at nothing as ponies carried the princess off in a hurry to the castle. The dark alicorn, her wings and coat charred and her lips bleeding, smiled at her in passing before closing her weary eyes, but Twilight didn't return it.
No pony said much, either too polite or too busy to bother her. The dead and wounded were carried to the castle, and slowly the village was left empty except for a few ponies here and there going about no tasks in particular.
“Twilight, sugarcube,” the voice of Applejack said behind her as she settled down next to Twilight. “You need somepony to listen?” She placed a hoof on Twilight's back, rubbing her shoulder softly.
Twilight shook her head weakly.
“You sure?”
Twilight looked down in silence. After a minute she spoke in a dry whisper. “She's gone. Rainbow Dash is gone and I won't ever get her back. I loved her. I … loved her, Applejack. Maybe it's silly, and I … I never told her, because I knew there was no hope. I knew it would never happen, but … but I wished that maybe … maybe one day, after all this was over, we could have been a … family.” She chuckled; it sounded despairing. “A real family.”
Applejack said nothing, instead just listening as Twilight continued, only half aware of the other pony next to her. “Now I know I sound silly. Dash a family pony? B-but … maybe it wouldn't be so silly,” she said and looked down again seriously. “We … we could have adopted, maybe, when we both felt ready. There are many young ponies out there in desperate need of a loving family. A little pegasus foal of our own maybe. I know Dash would love to teach the little one all about flying.”
Twilight stared at a random pebble and let out the choked beginnings of another laugh, tears welling up in her heavy eyes. “I wish … but what good is that? She's dead. No one can change that, not for all the wishes in the world.”
“Maybe she ain't, Sugarcube,” Applejack said softly next to her. “They are still out searchin' for her.”
“No,” Twilight said definitively. “She's not coming back, Applejack. I … I know, and she did too. There's no point in false hope. I know.”
Applejack looked down. “You know more than me, surely, but I do know one thing,” she said. “I know that Rainbow would never have blamed you, or wanted you to blame yourself for her choices. Whatever it is she did, she did for her friends, and for you. I reckon' she must have loved you very dearly, because I don't know much about magic, but I'd bet the whole farm it was the strength of that love which saved us all today. Nothing short of that could have accomplished what she did.”
Twilight said nothing. The whole town—soon all of Equestria—was convinced that Rainbow Dash's spectacular rainbow explosion had destroyed the dragons and saved them all from certain doom. Of course that wasn't untrue, and Twilight had kept silent about the details of herself and Eden. Maybe she would have to tell the princess later, but it was all details anyway. Unimportant details that no pony else needed to be bothered with.
Twilight wanted no praise, but Rainbow Dash would be remembered as a legend—the hero who gave her own life to single-hoofedly save all of Equestria against the army of dragons—just as she had always dreamed and deserved. A true hero of Equestria, remembered in tale and song for all time.
“Thank you, Applejack,” Twilight said quietly and closed her eyes. She was so terribly tired, she could just fall asleep right here and maybe never wake up. She felt tired enough to sleep for a thousand years.
Applejack leaned closer and squeezed her in a friendly hug. “You're always welcome, Twilight.” She let go and stood up slowly. “Come on, let's get you inside.”
“Just let me sit here,” Twilight sighed.
Applejack didn't move or say anything. Twilight imagined she'd go eventually and just stared blankly at the inside of her eyelids.
“Twi.” Applejack shook her a little.
“Applejack, I—”
“It's Rainbow Dash,” Applejack persisted.
“I—”
“And … Fluttershy! Twi, look!”
Twilight blinked awake in confusion and looked up. Rainbow Dash was walking straight towards her, dragging herself blindly through a street from the direction of the forest, carrying an unmoving Fluttershy on her back. Twilight stared in disbelief at the scene in front of her while Applejack raced to help the two. Applejack reached them just in time to catch Rainbow Dash as the pony collapsed in a heap, both of them scratched and beaten bloody.
Twilight's body shook with sudden rage as she jumped up, glaring at the rainbow-maned wreck of a pony. Her eyes flared dangerously and her horn burned with fury as she stomped towards the three. “Don't toy with my heart, changeling! Don't you dare!” she screamed, making Applejack recoil in fear from her. “Don't you dare do this to me! Don't you dare befoul Rainbow's name, or so help me I will destroy you!” she charged hysterically forwards at the impostor, who showed no sign that she was aware of what was going on. “I'll drag you all the way to Tartarus, and I will ruin you!”
Applejack jumped in front of her and, too shocked to do anything else, grabbed her and shook her hard. “Whoa! Twilight!” She looked hard at the unicorn. “What if she ain't no changeling?”
“It must be!” Twilight foamed, looking past Applejack. “It will not fool me! I will not be toyed with!”
“So what if she is.” Applejack shook her again to gain her attention. “She saved Fluttershy, and they need help! So calm yourself and help your friends!”
Twilight stared at Applejack, then at the two ponies on the ground. They were both out cold and looked like they had been through Tartarus already. She pushed Applejack away and stepped towards Rainbow Dash.
“Twilight dammit!” Applejack tried to stop her, but found her hooves suddenly leaving the ground, trapping her helplessly in mid-air. “Hey!”
Twilight wiped a hoof across Rainbow's bloody neck and held it up, narrowing her eyes. Purple light burned at the tip of her horn, and her eyes widened. “B-but … t-that's not possible,” she gasped as her face fell and her hold on Applejack faltered.
Applejack landed heavily on her haunches and stumbled quickly to her hooves. “Twilight, I do not—” she growled.
Twilight brushed her off. “There's no time! I have to get them to the castle!” Her horn flashed again and Twilight groaned, ignoring the return of the vertigo as she disappeared in a flash along with the two unconscious ponies.
Applejack stomped the ground in frustration before turning towards the castle, adjusting her hat. “Bloody stubborn unicorn!” She sighed and galloped towards the gate.
***
“What can you tell me, doctor?” Twilight wrung the hoofkerchief nervously as she glanced at the two beds where Rainbow and Fluttershy were resting, still unresponsive. “Please be honest with me.”
The doctor bid her sit down. She sat down next to Rainbow's bed, eyes never leaving her two friends. “They are both stable for now, Miss Sparkle,” he began, much to Twilight's relief. “Miss Fluttershy has a torn ligament in her wing—it is likely what caused her to crash—as well as general bruises and strains. The wing will need surgery, but I expect no complications. A few weeks of solid rest and she will be fine.”
Twilight nodded vaguely. “And … Rainbow Dash?”
“She is very weak, Miss Sparkle.” The doctor looked at the sky-blue pegasus. “Her heart and lungs only barely sustain her right now. We may have to put her on a ventilator.” He looked back at Twilight seriously. “If her condition does not improve, then I fear her prospects are not good. She may end up in need of care for the rest of her life.”
Twilight stared at Rainbow, feeling the words sink in. She merely nodded in understanding.
“She is in a coma,” the doctor continued. “Understand that we are doing everything possible to help her, but there is no telling when—or if—she's going to wake up. It could be days, weeks, or even years. She may never wake up.”
“Have the princess—”
“Princess Luna is still being treated and have not spoken, but I understand that she is expected to recover. Her sister is doing everything she can too. Nothing is being spared here, miss Sparkle.”
Twilight nodded and caressed Rainbow's hoof gently. She looked so peaceful.
“There is one other thing,” the doctor said carefully.
Twilight looked up again and listened. She had to hear it twice. She glanced at Rainbow, blinking. “Can you … can you just repeat that one more time, please?”
***
Twilight eased the door open and stepped inside. All looked as it had looked when she left. Fresh flowers were still on the table, most of them from Rainbow's friends and family. The window was still opened a crack, letting in a fresh breeze. And the breathing machine still chugged away steadily.
It had been almost a week, and still no sign of change.
She sat down next to the bed and picked up Rainbow's hoof in hers, looking at the face of her friend and love. The face too was exactly as it had been when she left, so calm it hurt deep in her heart to watch it.
Twilight smiled sadly at Rainbow. “I … I still don't know if you can hear me,” she said and looked down. “Fluttershy is doing really well after her operation, especially after Soarin' showed up yesterday. He was lost in the wild for three days until he was found by a kind family who took him in and treated him. Fluttershy is so happy, you should have seen her.”
“I hope you wake up soon.” She looked out the window and sighed. “I really, really hope … because I have so much I have to tell you. You know, I've figured it all out, and … and I'm a little excited but also really frightened about it, and I guess I don't want to make any decisions for you.” She looked down at something in her hooves. “I also have something to ask you. I … I like to think you'd say yes, but …”
She closed her eyes and breathed in slowly. “I need your courage, Dash. And I need you with me. Without you I'm just a hopeless little egghead.”
She leaned over and lay her head down next to Rainbow's. “I wish you'd just wake up.” A tiny flicker of white light played at the tip of her horn, unknown to Twilight.
Next to her, Rainbow opened her mouth slightly.
***
Rainbow opened her eyes and stared up into a white stone ceiling. Twilight's wide purple eyes appeared in her field of vision. The unicorn was crying and smiling while saying something, but all Rainbow could hear was a heavy and oppressive silence.
She blinked and watched as nurses and doctors came running. Within seconds, her vision was a blur of ponies examining her and speaking to her, their mouths moving silently in front of her.
Rainbow furrowed her brow and tried to lift a hoof as memories began to return, trickling in and settling into place. Rainbow stared into the ceiling, letting it all come back to her.
***
Twilight stroked Rainbow's hoof and smiled. “Can you hear me?”
Rainbow opened her mouth to ask the one question on her mind. “W-what happened?” Her voice was so weak that she had to say it twice before Twilight caught what she was saying.
Twilight was fighting not to cry. She opened her mouth and took a careful breath. There was one question that she herself needed answered. “Dash, can you tell me what you remember?”
“Everything … I think,” Rainbow muttered. “At least … until I escaped the storm, then I can't remember anything more. It just goes … blank, I guess.”
“I … I think I can guess the answer to this,” Twilight said. She had guessed it already, but still worried that she was right. “Of the two doubles, you are the one who was with Eden, am I correct? You can just squeeze my hoof for yes if speaking is too hard.”
Rainbow hesitated a little before nodding. “What happened?” She asked again, watching Twilight as if she wasn't sure if she was going to the gallows as a traitor.
“Don't worry. I do not blame you for your choices.” Twilight said and looked down sadly. “I know you just wanted to save your friends, and we are all well,” she continued. After a brief pause she continued to explain what had happened.
Rainbow listened silently until Twilight was done. “That's a little hard to believe. I didn't know you could fly that fast,” she muttered.
“You can't,” Twilight smiled. “Nothing material can reach the speed of light. But your double wasn't really material, because technically she was just your soul. The Elements aren't truly material either, they are … magical.” Twilight settled on that and continued. “That's how it could happen, perhaps helped by her friendship and … and her love.” Twilight looked down at what she was holding in her hoof.
“So … I am definitely, without question, the fastest pony ever now?” Rainbow grinned.
Twilight couldn't help but laugh happily at Rainbow Dash being Rainbow Dash. “Oh yes. No living pony will ever be able to break that record. Not even close.”
“Sweet!” Rainbow smirked. Her smile slowly faded, however. “I only wish it had been me … I mean, me me, not … the other me.”
Twilight stared at her hoof and the little box she was still holding. “Then you wouldn't be here now,” she said quietly.
“Why am I here?” Rainbow turned a little to look at Twilight. “If my double went back in time, doesn't that mean I shouldn't have a soul now?”
“Yes.” Twilight bit her lip and looked up to meet Rainbow's eyes. “You don't,” she said. “This may … come as a shock, so … you're already lying down but, uh, please don't jump up or have a heart attack.”
“Uh … okay?” Rainbow stared blankly at Twilight. “Now I'm worried.”
Twilight wondered how best to say this sort of thing. Perhaps there was no great way. “Rainbow Dash, you … you're with foal.” Right, at least she isn't screaming, Twilight thought. Although that stiff look is less encouraging. When Rainbow just stared at her in silence, Twilight continued. “You are a few weeks pregnant, or so,” she repeated the fact. “It is why you are alive. You see, you don't have your own soul now. You share that of your unborn child; it is keeping you alive.”
“I-I'm going to be a mother?” Rainbow stuttered.
“Yes,” Twilight smiled, trying to hide her own selfish worries. “Do you know who the father is?”
Rainbow sank and looked away. “He …” She sniffed, trying to hide her tears and quell the anger rising in her chest. “Chrysalis killed him. I wasn't fast enough to save him.”
“I'm sorry, Rainbow.” Twilight looked down again, feeling the terrible emptiness inside. “It … It was the changeling, wasn't it?”
Rainbow nodded, wiping her eyes with the back of her hoof. “He loved me, and he died because of me. Do … do you really think I-I'm carrying his child?” She looked down at the blankets covering her body and reached out uncertainly to touch her stomach through the fabric. “Is that even possible?”
This wasn't what Twilight had expected. But she hadn't expected to have anything. And she had wished for this, hadn't she? Was this Eden's revenge, to give her the letter of her wish if not the spirit of it? She nodded. “I would expect so. Changelings do … live among ponies, after all. It would … make sense if … if they can occasionally reproduce with … with the pony they, um, live with.”
“Will I … die once it is born and we are no longer … connected?”
Twilight shook her head. “Zecora believes you will both live and share a single soul, no matter how far apart you become. A little bit like you and your double. Since it is the child's soul, it should survive your death too, but you may not survive if it dies first. That's what Zecora explained, at least.”
They were silent for a long time. Twilight stared, eyes still fixed at the little box in her hooves. She opened it silently and looked at the glittering contents. If this was her wish come true, then …
She looked up. “Rainbow, I … did you know that I loved your double?” If it was to be, then she would never forgive herself for not giving it a chance. “And that … she loved me too?”
Rainbow looked up at Twilight, but said nothing, waiting for her to continue. Twilight nodded, as a response to herself. “I loved her very dearly, and she died for me … and came back.” She smiled sadly and blushed. “The most amazing pony who has ever lived and died. I may never be as awesome as her, not even close, but I still love her. I will always love her … and I hope she will love me too.”
Twilight reached out a hoof to Rainbow. “I love you, Rainbow Dash. I do not care if things are not as we expected, or if our child turns out to be a changeling. I will still be there for both of you. Do you think … there is any hope you could love me too?” She looked hopefully at Rainbow.
Rainbow looked down at Twilight' hoof. After a few seconds she gingerly took it and looked back up into Twilight's waiting eyes. “I don't know, Twilight, but … but I'm willing to give it a try. I don't want to be alone. I hope that I can find love again. I think he would have wanted that for me and … and our child.”
Twilight smiled, feeling a huge weight slip off her heart as she leaned over to wrap her hooves around Rainbow. The pegasus returned the hug weakly but sincerely.
Twilight looked at the little box still in her hoof and smiled. Some things could wait a little.
***
Twilight opened her eyes and held back a yawn as she lifted her head from the hospital bed and tried to clear her tired vision. Rainbow was asleep next to her, the breathing machine still on. It was going to be many weeks before she and the child were strong enough to safely do without it, but Twilight didn't care. She would be there for Rainbow.
Twilight sighed and looked around for the clock. Her eyes fell on the shape of Eden, idly playing with some kind of puzzle in the corner. It seemed to involve several pieces of wood and string, all hopelessly tangled together. “Oh,” Twilight muttered, a little startled.
The djinn looked up. “Congratulations are in order, I think. To both of you,” she said and put down the puzzle.
Twilight sighed. “I … Thank you, Eden. I never thought I would have Rainbow back, and I certainly never dreamed that my silly wish for a family might have a chance either. This is the greatest gift you could have given me, and I don't even know why you would do it. For what it's worth, I'm sorry we had to be enemies.”
Eden lowered her gaze slightly. “And I wish I could take credit, Twilight Sparkle. But I shall consider your third wish fulfilled nonetheless, though it matters little, to be truthful.”
“What do you mean?” Twilight sat up a little more. “If this isn't your work, then I'm Queen of the Penguins, Eden.”
“Better learn to like the cold, then, your Majesty.” Eden stood up silently, the little puzzle thing disappearing in a glimmer of white light. “I am as surprised as you were to discover this little twist on the tale. But as your dear Princess Luna would put it—I suspect—the Elements know best. They certainly played me for a fool.”
She frowned and raised her paws to lift off the silver crown adorning her head. Eden stared at it for a time, then threw it at Twilight's hooves. “A symbolic gesture. The crown is but a pretty bauble,” she said at Twilight's astonished face. “But the Elements belong with the one whose responsibility it is to guide and nurture this world and its multiple fates. If I can not possess the Elements …” She closed her eyes and sighed. “Then I hereby pass on the mantle and power to you, Twilight Sparkle.”
“What?!” Twilight sputtered.
Eden gave her a slightly crooked smile. “You've defeated Destiny, Twilight Sparkle. Does that not make you master of Destiny? Consider it my parting gift, and friendly revenge.”
Twilight stared at the crown lying at her hooves in disbelief. Luna had to be playing some kind of prank on her in her dreams. That had to be it. “But w-what about you? I can't be Destiny!”
“Can't? I dare say there's little you can't do, and it's already done. The world and all its tangled threads now rest in your hooves. I expect with your talent you will figure out the subtle strings in no time and prove my trust in you well justified. As for me …”
Eden glanced out the window at some distant point and sighed. “Perhaps it is time I finally followed my kin and left this world for the next. It shall be an adventure, and I leave it in good and worthy hooves. Perhaps I should have seen the signs long ago, when I first gave the Elements to your princess Luna and her sister. Perhaps I should have seen it as a sign that my time was coming to an end and passed on the mantle even then.”
Eden closed her eyes. “But the past is beyond even I. For what it is worth, I too am sorry we could not have been friends. I wish you and yours the very best, Twilight Sparkle. And once again, congratulations.” She snapped her paw, and vanished with barely a blink or fanfare.
Twilight stared at the now empty spot, then down at the crown at her hooves. After several minutes she cautiously picked up the crown and stared at it.
Without a breath, Twilight Sparkle lowered the crown onto her head and let out a tiny giggle.
The End!
What? 
Come on, at least I didn't turn her into an alicorn, haha 
Twists and turns were my master plan ... I hope you enjoyed this story. I certainly did! I wrote and edited this last chapter in a single day. It just clicked for me, which is a wonderful feeling as a writer.
8 months of working on this, I can honestly say I am happy with the outcome, even if some things didn't quite turn out as I wanted, but that's the special charm of writing and publishing a chapter at a time. I may do some polishing and minor fixes once I've had a little break, but as always, nothing major.
So what's next, you ask? What happened to Flix and Kin? What's going to become of Twilight and Rainbow? Is Rainbow really going to be a mother to a changeling? How will Twilight handle being the new Destiny? What about Dash stuck in the time loop? Oh so many delicious questions!
The answer is ... who knows?
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And then Destiny was subjected to multiple checklists and vigorous restructuring.
2427045
Indeed
2427053
We're all doomed. th08.deviantart.net/fs70/150/f/2011/137/b/a/fsjal_twilihgt_by_norithecat-d3gkmqk.png
A satisfying ending. Questions remain unanswered, but in all honesty after 8 months of tracking this thing with you I've learned to not demand answers. If you wish for us to know these things, then you shall let us know in due time. That and my brain is too kerfuffled to deal with any questions.
Oh and Twilight playing pretty princess at the end their? I could only giggle myself.
I hope to see more from you at some point in the future.
2427247
Thanks
I do hope any questions that remain are either the kind that are easily clarified outside the story itself, or the kind that really deserve a separate story.
2427265
Both are definite possibilities...well, maybe not the Rainbow Dash that got sent through the time warp. That would be a very interesting conversation between herself and Twilight. And more than a little awkward. If you want to bounce ideas off of someone, I'm always willing to lend an ear for what it's worth.
2427265
My only question: do Twilight and Rainbow Dash get back together after the end of the story?
2431325
It's implied that they do, and that Twilight probably ends up proposing at some point. If I ever write a sequel then that's probably what I'll assume myself
2427288
To be honest, I think the Dash stuck in the time loop is the least promising potential followup of them all. The way I see it, we already know all about what she does, because she's already done it and that's all she'll be doing. She won't be experiencing a gazillion different variations of events, or the same events over and over. Of course you could write a story where she does, but that'd be seriously depressing
2431446
Oh, excellent! :D I thought so, but I just needed confirmation.
It was one awesome, awesome story, by the way; it had me guessing until the end. Seriously, fanfiction like this is what I bought an e-book for. :)
So there's one thing I missed. Where did time loop|Dash come from in the first place?
Amazing story, though.
I loved this story and all but... "So what's next, you ask? What happened to Flix and Kin? What's going to become of Twilight and Rainbow? Is Rainbow really going to be a mother to a changeling? How will Twilight handle being the new Destiny? What about Dash stuck in the time loop? Oh so many delicious questions! The answer is ... who knows?" WHAT IS THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN!!! Seriously, what? I want those questions answered! Will there be a sequel? Please answer my questions! And I want a response that answers my questions, not no response at all! Don't end up like certain other authors who will not be named here! Dammit I like you! You're nice and easy to work with, like some authors who also will not be named here!
2432452
Well, I only just finished the story, so I really can't say. Maybe there will be a sequel, maybe I'll just write a few one-shot follow-up stories to answer some of the questions. I haven't decided yet.
I imagine that Twilight and Rainbow stay together, that Rainbow gives birth to a child which will almost certainly be a changeling because what else could it possibly be? I bet there will be lots of stories to tell about Twilight's situation. I'm sure Flix survived and is out there somewhere, maybe staying low and grieving, maybe Rainbow will go looking for her to be the child's godmother or something. Kin is no doubt out there too, perhaps having his own adventure in far-off lands.
Really, I haven't decided anything, but if I ever decide to write a sequel I'll certainly post about it
2432257
Dash was RD's soul and became separated from Rainbow (the body) during the accident. Dash then went on to travel back in time which is what caused the split in the first place. It's very confusing, as time-travel stuff very quickly gets, but she didn't come from anywhere special, she was always there because obviously RD always had a soul.
2432078
I'm very glad to hear it
ch. 3 of my reading is getting saved right now and should be up later tonight or tomorrow.
2432876
Excellent
2434703
All the djinn except Discord and Destiny left, according to the story, leaving their responsibilities with Eden who then passed them on again to others, like the ponies. If there ever was a Life or a Death, then those responsibilities are either held by Eden or she gave them to someone else.
As for Tartarus, that's canon, so I couldn't say why they chose that
2434992 it should be up now on youtube. Link: here!
2438279
But there is RainbowTwi. Maybe they will have a make-out scene in some future story
Good story but I don't really understand why they didn't just give the elements to Eden, I mean they were hers and Luna stole them. Not to mention that you don't really say what Celestia's role was when Luna refused to give back the elements to Eden. I also don't really get the point of them keeping the elements since Twilight knew that would Dash die without Eden saving her but that would mean that they couldn't use the Elements anymore. Maybe I missed something but I got the impression that the elements were the same as they are in the show.
2453288
You must have missed half the chapters. There's been heavy TwiDash since chapter 17, and Dash was practically drooling all over Twilight since chapter 3. It even ended with TwiDash together, despite the sad tag and the whole plot practically demanding that it should have ended in tears. I'm tired of hearing that this story has no TwiDash. If you didn't like it, that's fine, but don't tell me it had no TwiDash.
2451171
First, as Luna explained, Discord was able to take over the world the first time exactly because Eden alone held the Elements, because the ponies were powerless against his corruption and therefore he could claim all their magic and use it against Eden. It was only once she gave the Elements to the ponies that they were able to break Discord's corruption and defeat him. Therefore, Luna argues, the Elements must belong to the world, it is the only way to keep it safe from the likes of Discord.
Second, would you give up such a great and wonderful gift? It would be like someone telling you, "Sorry, but fingers ... you know, they belonged to me and I was very kind to lend humans the gift of fingers, but now I must have them back. No human can have fingers. Oh, you'll still have hands, so you can still do stuff, just ... not as well. But come on, they belonged to me originally, so you must give up all fingers." Weird example, I know, but it's the same idea. The Magic of Friendship is too precious to give up once you've had it, and it's kinda sad that it should only be held by a single person.
I'm not sure what you mean about Celestia's role. She was with Luna, she wanted to keep the Elements just like Luna. After Luna's tragic corruption, she did everything she could to ensure that the Elements stayed with the ponies.
And even if losing Dash meant it would be harder for them to use the Elements, it didn't mean they would lose them. Celestia was able to keep the Elements despite Luna's death/corruption. Only if they all died or gave up the Elements would they be lost. So the point was to keep the Elements, nothing more, even if they would need to find a new bearer of Loyalty or pass them on to a new group of ponies eventually.
2455334
I got the impression that the only reason the world could be saved when discord showed up was that the elements gave Eden the power to protect herself against Discord till Celestia and Luna came along and were able to use the power of the Elements against him, In the show Discord still manages to mess up the world pretty good before the mane6 recover the elements then themselves and use the elements against Discord.
I would give them back since Eden showed she was a worthy custodian by giving them to others when the situation called for it. Not unlike Celestia keeping them in a vault so they are protected until they are needed. But what exactly are the elements in your story? You bring up the magic of friendship a few times but I don't recall you ever going into what that means, in the show they seem to just be the focus very powerful magic, not really anything else.
When you have Luna telling Twilight and Rainbow Dash about the past, when she starts talking about wanting to keep the elements I don't remember Celestia's name showing up at all, it made it sound like only Luna wanted to keep the Elements. Then you have Luna telling them about Eden doing all this stuff to make her go nuts but nothing about Celestia. It gave the impression that Celestia wanted to give them back but Luna refused so assuming Luna was right about everything Eden was actually doing, Eden was just targeting Luna because Celestia wanted to give them back. The way Luna was going on about everything Eden was doing to her kind of makes me think she was unhinged and blaming Eden for things that Eden wasn't doing. Eden has kind of a weird role since shes destiny but she can change it so its almost impossible to tell if shes effing with you or not.
I'm not saying they couldn't find a new group of ponies who could take over the elements but I doubt it would be soon enough to save them in the current conflict. Did Celestia really have the elements? I mean she kept them but she couldn't use them till the mane6 came along. It took a thousand years before anyone could use them again, till then they were just doorstops.
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I put a link to the first one in the description
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Eden certainly used the Elements to protect herself, but she was fighting a losing battle at the time and would have been overwhelmed eventually. It was only by letting the ponies know the Magic of Friendship and giving Luna and Celestia the Elements, that the ponies were able to throw off Discord's influence. Luna and Celestia's fear is that if they give up the Elements, not only are they giving up something extremely precious that can never be replaced, they also have no guarantee that Discord won't be able to just corrupt all of ponykind again and overwhelm Eden like he did once before. This is all explained by Luna.
What the Elements and the Magic of Friendship is ... well, what do you expect me to explain? It's the most powerful, most precious magic in the known world. It is what makes their friendship so special, it's what binds them together. Without it they'd still be friends, but that special spark would be gone. The Elements are just physical representations of the magic itself.
I am certain that Luna explained Celestia's role in her tale. Celestia did not want to give them back, she was supportive of Luna from the start. When Luna cracked because of Eden's curse, Celestia was forced to kill her and seal her in the moon because otherwise Luna would have killed Celestia and thus released the Elements to Eden. Celestia killed Luna to save the Elements. If Celestia wanted to give back the Elements all she had to do was say so once Luna cracked, and Luna's curse would have been broken. Luna turned into NMM and vowed eternal night to force her sister to give up the Elements or to kill her if she didn't.
All that is explained by Luna.
In the show, Celestia is said to have used the Elements to banish her sister. This means that even when their friendship was broken, Celestia still had a tie with the Elements and could use them still.
As the story explains, on numerous occasions I think, the Elements remain tied to these six ponies (or 2 in Celestia and Luna's case) as long as at least one of them lives and holds on to it. Rainbow Dash dying or giving up the Elements wouldn't mean much. It might weaken them, it might mean they would have trouble using it against someone as powerful as Discord, but nothing more.
You must have somehow misread something, or missed something along the way. All of this is explained in the story, either by Luna or Eden. The best I can offer is to suggest reading some of the chapters again, sometimes you don't catch everything on a first reading, especially if you read it quickly.
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A few lines from Eden about why she needed the elements might have done more to make what you intended obvious, I mean she still was willing to give the elements to Celestia and Luna which is more than they are willing to do.
I was just wondering if it was something more since at times it does seem like your saying they are the idea of friendship itself so it kind of sounds like if they give them up then Equesrtria will go back to its racial roots.
I don't recall seeing Luna say anything more then Celestia and her used the Elements against Discord. I was looking for Celestia's take on giving the elements back and I don't remember seeing it, I might have missed it thought but given the fact that Celestia managed to hold onto the Elements for a thousand years without any apparent intervention by Eden, it really seemed like Eden didn't hold the same assumed grudge she did against Luna.
I remember Rainbow Dash having to try and convince her friends to give up the Elements but the problem with that is that if it was explained in the story that the elements were always tied to them as long as one of them lives and holds onto it then that means she was wasting her time since Twilight would never give up her Element as long as she was holding onto the hope that her plan would work. Plus it would mean that you didn't need to have Celestia also be unwilling to give up the Elements, since just having Luna be unwilling would be enough to deny Eden them.
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Chapter 7 and 8 deal with all these questions. I just checked, and it's all explained in there. Later chapters add some more detail and speculation, but those two chapters explain all the background.
Eden wants the Elements for many reasons.
As she argues to Rainbow in Chapter 8, when Discord originally corrupted the ponies, it was because they were not as vigilant against corruption as herself (a counter argument might be that this is because they didn't have the Magic of Friendship at the time). What would happen if Discord does somehow managed to corrupt the ponies again, but this time they hold the only power which could defeat him? There would then be no one who could stop him, because Discord would control the Elements. He almost did just that in the show, if he had broken Celestia and Luna too, Twilight might never have realized that friendship was worth fighting for, and then all would have been lost.
In the same conversation Eden also asks why it should be the ponies who hold this power, and not the dragons, changelings, mules, griffons or any other group. She explains how this is eventually going to cause nothing but war and conflict between the world's tribes, and that it is therefore better that the Elements belong to none of them.
All of that is just arguing back and forth, of course. Both sides have their arguments and counter arguments, but this is Eden's view on the situation.
As Luna later speculates, it sticks much deeper. Luna thinks, and is likely correct, that the Elements are a part of Eden herself, a part of her which she gave up. Eden is Harmony, because Fate and Destiny is all about the perfect harmony, the perfect order. She wants it back because without them she is not whole, and she can not achieve her vision of harmony.
In chapter 8 Eden explains her vision, as well as the significance of her name in chapter 15. As she says, she's working towards fostering peace and harmony between all creatures, to work towards a perfect world, a paradise.
And as is clear throughout, and also explained by both Luna and Eden, without the Elements, Eden no longer has control over the fates of everything in the world. She can not see clearly when the Elements are involved. This means she can no longer do what it is she's supposed to be doing. She can not be Destiny without Harmony.
And that's what the last chapter, and in fact the whole story is really about. That Harmony and Destiny belongs together, that whoever holds one must hold both for there to be balance and ... well, harmony.
As for why Eden didn't do anything about Celestia, it's because she knew as well as Celestia that Luna would break free from the moon eventually, and most likely kill Celestia. She might also have hoped that the long years without her sister, with the loss and knowledge of what she had to do, might actually break Celestia. Remember that Eden wants to avoid death and bloodshed, if she could wait a thousand years and have Celestia simply break down and give up the Elements without a fight, that would in her eyes be much better.
Remember that Luna broke down. The loneliness and curse made her decide that they had to give up the Elements after all, that's what the NMM incident was all about, but her sister prevented that from happening. Luna was not, at that point, unwilling to give up the Elements.
Once again, chapters 7 and 8.
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I don't know, it still seems like Eden would be better custodian for the Elements. She's right about the presence of the elements causing war, we see the dragons and the changelings both attacking Equestira for them.
Really they could have given them back in exchange for the three wishes and had the first wish be almost what Twilight used anyway but that Eden got to keep the Elements but when a threat would occur and they were needed she would have them just turn up in the hooves of the mane 6. Since having the Elements back would repair her future sight and her ability to bring about a harmonious future.
One way I can think of that would make more sense for the ponies being unwilling to give up the Elements is since Eden is immortal her time frame for achieving harmony could be so long that it would take tens of thousands of years to come to fruition, that would give more of a reason for the ponies to keep the Elements despite her noble intentions.
I don't know, ultimately it seems like Eden, Celestia, and Luna all want the same thing and Eden is the only one who can make it happen, but it would mean giving back more power then either Princess is willing to do.
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They all have their reasons and arguments, but as I said, ultimately it's not so much a question of who gets to keep them, it's that whoever gets them must also get the powers of Destiny. And obviously no one wants to give up anything once they have it.
That's also why it wouldn't work to have an agreement like you suggest, because what guarantee does Eden have that she'll get them back? None, as history has just proven. They've already tried that, and it lead to this whole mess.
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Ahh, ok, so the Elements are more then just a focus for the harmony spell, I thought it sounded kinda like they were also tied to destiny but I only remember that coming up near the end when Eden made Twilight the new princess of Destiny.
Well if Twilight made it a wish and she granted it then wouldn't that work as a contract between them?
This honestly is one of the best fanfictions I've read so far. I am utterly astonished right now...
As always I'd of course love to read another epilogue (I'd really love to know what happens to Twilight suddenly being the spirit of destiny or whatever you want to call it) though I guess it is quite good to leave this to the reader's imagination...
Well, thanks. Really. This was awesome.
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One day I may write a sequel or some other story about what happens after. We'll see
I'm very glad to hear it
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Luna wished for the Elements and got them on condition that she swore a solemn oath to return them the moment Discord had been defeated. Luna swore that oath but later broke it, and because she wielded the Elements at the time there was nothing Eden could do about it. There was no way Eden could have forced Luna to keep her word after Luna received the Elements, and Eden probably hoped that Luna wouldn't realize that.
That's the problem. Eden can not control those who wield the Elements. She can not be sure that they will keep their word. That's why, even with Discord winning, she was very reluctant to give up the Elements, clinging to the hope that maybe there was another way. And it's why the only way this conflict was going to end was by either Eden or Twilight and her friends being forced to give up their claim on the Elements.
The Elements of Harmony are just abstract things given helpful form as pieces of jewelry. They represent Harmony, the concept of Harmony, which in this universe is an actual force controlled by one or more beings. Think of it like the portfolio or responsibility of a god. Like Poseidon is the god of the seas Eden is the goddess of Destiny, and Harmony is a part of that. She gives up the powers of Harmony to Luna and Celestia, and this divine magic touches all of ponykind through them (and later on through Twilight and her friends).
Giving up the Elements would be to give up this touch of the divine within their souls, and even worse, taking away the spark of the divine from all of ponykind (and other creatures too). As I think it was Luna or maybe Twilight who said, doing so would make her the greatest monster in the history of the world.
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It's clear that your head-cannon for the elements is something beyond just being a powerful magic. But as I said before, that's one of the things I was wondering about since I only recall getting the impression there was something more special about the elements at the end when Twilight went Destiny.
I still get the feeling that ultimatly Luna and I suppose Celestia are in the wrong, and giving the Elements back to Eden in the first place would have solved most of the problems that came up. Plus it would have fostered the trust needed to get get Elements back when Discord showed up again and might have avoided Chrysalis showing up at all.
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Yes, they could have given up the Elements at any time, and yes that would have avoided a lot of mess, although the ponies have very good reasons to fear that doing so would just lead to a repeat of history, or worse. They don't have any guarantees in this matter.
They could have, but they didn't, and that should definitely tell you something. Celestia and Luna were willing to suffer thousands of years of war, suffering and crushing loneliness rather than give up the Elements. Celestia was willing to kill her own sister and imprison her in the moon for a thousand years rather than give up the Elements. They were willing to pass on this terrible burden to a new group of ponies, knowing full well that they might suffer and die for it, rather than lose the Elements. Twilight was willing to suffer war and destruction, and to sacrifice the one she loved, all to keep the Elements. She was even willing to risk destroying the Elements rather than lose them to Eden.
If that doesn't tell you just how valuable these things are and just what's at stake in giving them up to Eden, then I don't know what will, and that's what I described throughout the story. You don't need to know what exactly the Elements are or what they represent, that's just pointless and distracting philosophizing which would bore most readers and wouldn't really help. All you have to notice is just how much pain and suffering the bearers are willing to subject themselves to in order to keep this power in the hooves of the world rather than with Eden.
There is also the point which Luna made more than once, which is that the Elements themselves may have had some kind of motivation, even if they are not conscious beings as such, and that the Elements may have tried to steer events towards this conclusion because it would be in the best interest of the world as a whole (if not necessarily Twilight and her friends). Luna says more than once that she trusts in the Elements to know the right path to greatest harmony, and Twilight obvious does as well.
It's actually quite possible that the Elements wouldn't want to return to Eden.
For Twilight there's also a concern that Celestia and Luna would not be happy if she and her friends decided to give up the Elements. And that's an understatement. Chapter 7 and I think later too hints that if they try to give up the Elements, Luna and Celestia would almost certainly try to stop them, by whatever force necessary, which could easily lead to a war too. In fact it's likely that practically the whole world would resent them giving up the Elements and would declare war in revenge if they did.
As Luna speculates, giving up the Elements may have left Eden blind to what would be best for the world. Giving up the Elements was the best thing Eden could have done at that time, and Eden knew that then, but after she gave them up she could no longer tell what was best. Of course, if she got them back then she would again be able to see clearly, but then a great chance might have been lost. Or maybe she would then realize that she had been wrong and that she should give up the Elements again, which would make for a rather odd conclusion to the story.
Another thing to remember is that Eden did cause or at least hasten a lot of this war with the dragons and probably changelings too. She gave the dragons the Moonstone (she admits as much), and no doubt did a lot of other subtle manipulation to get a war right now and to escalate it. She didn't want this war of the Elements to go on any longer, and was willing to do anything to end it now rather than later. There might have been a war eventually in any case, but Eden almost certainly made sure it happened sooner.
Really, there are so many issues at work here, and I've considered them all. I don't explain everything directly in the story, because that would be boring and leave the reader without anything to wonder about, but I do provide plenty of hints and speculation throughout. Giving Eden the Elements back may have been good, but I think this ending is better and almost certainly what the Elements themselves were trying to achieve.
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The amount that someone will sacrifice for something only tells us how much something means to the person, not how much the thing is actually worth or anything about it. What your saying reminds me of an old story about a guy who drowned on a sinking ship because he was unwilling to get go of a bag of gold. Pretty much throughout the whole story I spent it wondering why they didn't just give up the Elements, one or two lines about them being more then just "weapons" really would have helped with that, I remember your characters speculating on the will of the Elements but you didn't seem to really go beyond that, at least obviously.
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It does tell you a lot about its worth. In the example you give, the story tells you that gold is worth enough that some people are willing to die for it. No doubt the man in that story is depicted as rather obsessed (with gold) and not a typical representative of people, most of which would no doubt let go of the gold and survive rather than die. This tells you a lot about the man, of course, but it also tells you about gold, namely that it's not really worth enough to die for, otherwise most people would do it.
In my story, not just one lone obsessed pony, but four supposedly highly rational and stable ponies are willing to not just die for the Elements, they are willing to suffer years, decades even centuries of struggle, pain, despair and loneliness to keep the Elements. And not just for their own selfish desires, but for the good of the whole world. Would the man in your example do the same, even as obsessed with gold as he is?
Even Eden herself is willing to do just about anything to get them back, including causing widespread mayhem in complete contrast to her very nature, something which must pain her deeply. Luna comments how the things Eden have done probably hurt her as much as it did Luna and Celestia. That makes a fifth person. That does give you a sense of their worth.
But since you seem to have missed a lot of details in the story, for which I don't blame you (it's hard enough for me to keep track of all the details after eight months), let me just flat out state that yes, the Elements are worth fighting for and the ponies clearly believe this throughout the story. No pony in their right mind, who truly knew what they were giving up, would do so lightly. They are anything but "just weapons," and I'm rather baffled that you could have gotten that impression from the show itself and even less so from my story.
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Ok, instead of one person with a bag of gold getting dragged under, its not 5 people fighting over the bag and all getting drowned, instead of working together to all swim with the bag.
The problem with gold is that until recently it wasn't useful, it always had value but it only had value for being something that was seen as having value. Iron you can build with but gold, all you could do with gold is make something shiny. Granted the Elements do have a use but while reading the story, their usefulness never seemed to equal the amount of suffering brought on by possessing them to me. That's what was really missing for me early on, something else added to the Elements to give possessing them more weight. You kinda did that at the end by tying them with destiny but for most of the story they just seemed like they are in the show but they blocked the sight of Eden and might or might not have a will of their own. So for most story I spent allot of time just wondering why they didn't give them back.
Well there is a reason why I used weapons in " " but that is kind of how we see them used in the show. They are always used to fight something or threaten someone. They were used to combat Nightmare Moon and Discord, the mane 6 were sent to get them to use against Chrysalis and they were used to threaten Discord to give Fluttershy a chance to redeem him.
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Value is always relative. What use is a weapon to me? I suppose I could sell it to someone who has some use for it, but that's about as valuable as it is to me where I live. Or maybe it's a historical weapon, like a sword, in which case it might look nice hanging on a wall.
What use is gold to me? It may be pretty, maybe it's a piece of art in which case it's not really the material that has worth (or the artwork is worth more than the gold it is made of), and in either case it's only good for looking at, bragging about or selling to someone else.
What value does peanuts have to someone who is highly allergic to peanuts? To someone who is starving and who isn't allergic, those peanuts would have huge value, but to the guy who's allergic maybe even starving won't make those peanuts worth anything. Peanuts, unless you have a lot of them, aren't even worth much if you sell them, and they aren't pieces of art that you can look at or brag about.
But all these things still have worth, and some people may be desperate or crazy enough to die for them. If you've got nothing and is starving to death, maybe fighting another over peanuts wouldn't seem crazy, even if it's likely that the other person might kill you.
It all depends on context. In a story you have to look at that context, which will include the characters involved. There is also a huge difference between an impulsive, in-the-moment desperation as you describe in your example, and a prolonged suffering. These sailors probably aren't thinking much about the fact that the ship is sinking. If they had the benefit of time to consider, even just five minutes to make their choice, quite likely all of them would agree that it's better to survive and either find some other gold or maybe retrieve it later from the bottom of the sea. But because they only have seconds, and are caught up in the chaos, not much rational thinking is likely going through their minds.
And then you have these abstract concepts. What is the value of Love? What would it take for you to give up your ability to love? Or the ... specialness of love? Maybe you can still love but it'll just be a kind of hollow feeling without that special something.
What about Friendship? And what if it's not just your own ability to have these things, what if it's the entire world who will lose it if you say yes?
The show does use the Elements as weapons quite a lot, and I suppose that's a bit of a failing in the show. But you have to remember that they also equate the Elements with the Magic of Friendship itself. In the show there is a spark, a magic, a specialness which makes Friendship more than just people knowing each other and spending time together.
In the show, this Magic of Friendship, which is what makes friendship so special, is also connected with the idea or concept of Harmony, and that's how it becomes a weapon too. Notice when the weapon is brought out and against who. It's always used against forces of chaos, hatred and everything that isn't harmonious.
What value does Harmony and Friendship have? To a stone, not very much. To Discord, very little, in fact he'd love to be rid of it ... or apparently even he can find Friendship valuable, which is very, very impressive since he's the spirit and incarnation of discord, the very opposite concept of friendship and harmony. That should tell you just how powerful Friendship is in the show, and the Elements represent that power.
And to ponies? I think Friendship is very, very valuable to ponies, and in fact to any civilized, conscious and intelligent beings. And friendship is valuable because of that special spark, that special magic which makes it more than just knowing some people that you kinda hang out with more than others.
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She can touch her physically like anyone else. But she can't "touch" her in the sense that she can't affect her destiny very well or at all.
Let's see... What bad things can I say about this?...
-Could probably use some more in-depth description.
-When you end a paragraph with dialogue and the next paragraph starts with dialogue from the same character, you don't use a quotation mark at the end of the first paragraph.
...That's it! This was great in every way. Grammar was impeccable aside from the one thing, characterizations were good, Luna dying, all the other little things that made this story. Usually I can tell a dream right off the bat, but that storm one threw me for a loop. I only realized afterwards. So good on you!
Now to read-later all your other fics.
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I'm glad to hear you liked the story
LIKE, WHAT THE HELL, fimfiction didn't warned me about the epilogue, I was waiting the completion to comment about it, DAMN!
well, first, amazing story, i don't see any big loose ends left, I think what was to be answered was answered, and the rest is up to us to weave.
but I hope that we can see more from this world, no a sequel, maybe a "one-shot fast fowarding" ? well hell, congrats and as always, nicely done!
ps. damn you, a happy ending, you surprised me
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Glad you liked it, and that you realized it had updated, even if FiMFic didn't tell you
I like surprising people
Gah! Foiled! All my speculation, foiled!
Does anyone know if someone has read this and recorded it to Youtube? I just dont have the time to sit here and read it all and id much rather listen to it.
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Skytail has the first three chapters, but I can't vouch for quality or how fast new chapters are recorded. That's the only one I know of.
Alternately, you should be able to get a program which will read text for you. Some of them are apparently quite good, but I can't say I've tried.
2804821 Thank you for the advice. If i think the quality of the video isnt good I'll get the text reading thing
You sir are the Discord of writing. What a twist! And with a happy ending to boot. I am intrigued to find out what happened to Twi and Dash after this but I guess that would be asking too much. Awesome story, liked and faved :D
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I don't know when or if I'll write a follow-up to this story, but it's definitely on my list of things I'd like to do one day if ever I find the right motivation and time
Hehe, thanks
If I hadn't become hardened a little inside before, I would be in tears right now. This was beautiful... You deserve a medal...
Aha! I figured one of the Dashes would end up living. I even wondered about Heart!Dash getting pregnant when her and Doodle first did the horizontal mambo, though I didn't think she'd be able to create new life without her soul and all. So yeah, a fitting conclusion to a twisty-turny fic, I think. It has definitely been a fun and entertaining experience to read, so thank you for writing and sharing, and I wish you all the best in all of your future writing endeavors.
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Glad to hear you enjoyed it
Gotta say, an impressive story. With an appropriate ending, not happy for the sake of happy, but hopeful.
As far as I can tell everything mad sense, and that's something that can be hard especially with such an elaborate head canon.
You handled this story like Twilight handled Eden.
Like a Boss
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Thanks! It was a very tricky plot, but also a fun one. I'm glad you liked it
Yes!!! After searching for this fic for almost 30 mins i've finally found it again and im going to read it. I found out my school has Fimfiction unblocked so i can read this in the Library during lunch. I'm really looking forward to it!