The musky smell of vinyl rushed outwards as Lavender opened the door. A small cloud of dust settled around the two unicorns as they entered the shop. Twilight slipped behind Lavender after stepping in.
Soothing orchestral music wafted towards them from the record player by the counter. The shelves were lined with albums, the colorful artwork creating a mosaic along each of the dozen-or-so aisles. There was a small shelf against the back wall with cassette tapes arranged meticulously. Mounted above the shelf was an ornately painted violin.
Behind the glass countertop was a pegasus mare. Her coat was sky blue, her lengthy mane a deeper cerulean. The pair of spectacles perched on her nose caught the overhead light, obscuring her eyes.
“It’s me!” Lavender said. “And I brought a friend!”
Kind of a strong word if you ask me.
No, no. I have to make this work. Lavender calls you a friend? You want Lavender to be a friend? You’re friends. Now, focus. First impressions are essential.
The pegasus swayed her head as she looked up, knocking a stray strand of hair out of her face. “Oh! Lavender!”
“It’s been too long.” Lavender smiled, approaching the counter. Twilight followed suit.
“I saw you yesterday.” The pegasus said, followed by a silent laugh. “Who’s your friend?”
Lavender opened her mouth to speak, but Twilight interjected. “I’m Twilight Sparkle. I’m visiting here from Canterlot. Pleasure to meet you.”
“Canterlot?” The pegasus adjusted her glasses, “how fascinating! I’m Bay Breeze, by the way.” Twilight noticed that she did not make any semblance of eye contact as she spoke, her head tilting slowly from side to side with the rhythm of her voice.
Strange.
No, concentrate. Just talk and be normal.
“Fascinating?" Twilight said, "It’s not really as interesting as it sounds.”
“Oh, you’re just being modest, I’m sure,” Bay Breeze said, “I’d love to hear about it.” She’s looking at Lavender.
“C’mon Twilight,” Lavender said, nudging Twilight with her foreleg, “I’m sure you’ve got some wonderful stories on your hooves.”
Okay, she’s looking at Lavender when she talks.
“I’d really rather hear about Ponyville, you know?” Twilight said, staring at Bay Breeze’s face. “Since I’ll be staying here.” Still looking at Lavender.
“Well, what do you want to hear?” Bay Breeze said, reaching out her hooves, “If you’ve got any questions about the wonderful sounds of Ponyville, I’m your mare! Many wonderful musicians have come out of here, and I have some of their earliest works…”
Bay Breeze continued to speak, but Twilight let her words roll over her completely. She was fixated on Bay Breeze’s line of vision.
Okay, I have to know now. But it would be really rude to ask, wouldn’t it? I don’t want to cause a scene. Twilight lightly poked at Lavender’s side with her hoof. She turned her head away from the counter and spoke in a hushed voice. “Um, hey? Is everything alright? Why won’t she—”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Bay Breeze piped up. Twilight flinched upon hearing her. “I have major sight impairment.” She removed her glasses, revealing her wide golden irises. “I can only really see with these, but even then, it’s blurry. I must’ve seemed really rude to you, not even looking at you when I’m speaking.” Twilight wondered if she was imagining her voice being tinged with anger, as if trying to say ‘you could have just asked me, you tactless idiot’.
I am such a moron. How could I not tell? Twilight’s face turned bright red. “No, no. I’m really sorry for—”
“Please, Twilight. It’s quite alright. I’m aware of my impediment being the cause of a lot of awkward conversation, so I tend to state it outright. I apologize for the confusion.”
Twilight’s mouth hung slightly agape. Is she for real? Is she apologizing for me being incredibly rude and inconsiderate? No, no. She hates me already and is just trying to be nice so Lavender doesn’t seem like a total jerk for bringing a socially demented moron like me in. There’s no way anypony would take that indiscretion with a grain of salt.
Lavender placed a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder and gave her a reassuring glance. “So, Bay,” she started, “where’s Flare? I thought Twily here would get to meet the whole gang!”
What makes you presume you get to call me Twily?
“He was out shopping, last I heard,” Bay Breeze said.
“Who’s Flare?” Twilight asked.
“Solar Flare. He’s my living assistant,” Bay Breeze said.
“And our bestie!” Lavender added, beaming.
“Well, when he’s done, I’m sure he’d love to meet you, Twilight,” Bay Breeze gave a gentle smile.
I’m sure he would. I’ll screw it up, though.
“Anyway,” Bay Breeze started, “what brings you to Ponyville, Twilight?”
“I’m on break from grad school,” Twilight said, “so I thought I’d just go somewhere new for a change.”
Lavender looked at Twilight inquiringly. “I thought you said you’d been here before.”
Twilight laughed uncomfortably. Pony feathers, I talked myself into a corner.
“…But you said you ‘knew your way around’.” Lavender raised an eyebrow. “I don’t get it.”
“I… uh…” Visited briefly. No, had family here. No, poor memory. “I visited here a long time ago, but I don’t really remember it very well.”
“Then why would you say you knew your way around?” Bay Breeze asked.
Twilight froze. I can’t say it was because I was trying to avoid Lavender. I’m boxed in. Why can’t I be straight with them?
“Oh, let’s stop interrogating her, Bay.” Lavender said, clearly noticing Twilight’s discomfort. She turned to the recoiled unicorn. “You don’t have to tell us anything you don’t want to.”
Twilight sighed with relief. “Thanks.” But I’ve already ruined my chances with these two.
Keep at it. You’ve had worse first impressions.
“How about I show Twily here to her new place, and then all four of us will do lunch?” Lavender said.
Stop calling me Twily or I’ll magic you out of existence.
“Sounds great,” Bay Breeze said, adjusting her glasses and attempting to look at Twilight. “The usual place?”
“Sure!” Lavender nudged Twilight with her hoof, “You look like you need some fresh air. Come on.” She led Twilight out the door and closed it behind them gently.
Great. We walk in, I insult her friend, I lie to them, and we leave.
---
“Yes, Philomena. I’m fine.”
The phoenix lowered her head, pointing her sad yellow eyes at the floor of Celestia’s study. Celestia was splayed out on her mattress, her mane rolling over her cylindrical pillow. The fireplace was filled with ashes and the one of the pins holding the tapestry up on the wall had fallen, leaving a corner of it hanging loosely. Wind blew in from the large arched window, catching the tapestry’s edge and threatening to carry it away.
Celestia looked over to her pet. The fiery bird covered her dejected face with one wing. “Do not look like that. I just have to start over, is all.”
Philomena lowered her wing and glared at Celestia disapprovingly.
“I will not tolerate such insubordination, Philomena.” She flinched, almost falling off of her perch. “You are not to judge me. I am the ruler of Equestria. You are but a beast.”
Philomena cawed quietly.
“What do you mean, I have to keep telling myself that?” Celestia lifted herself from her prone position. “I am day. I am the sun. Even a phoenix would perish without my radiance.”
Philomena held silent.
“Just because I have had a little trouble over the disgraceful early deaths of my beloved friends does not mean I am not conducting myself as an honorable ruler would.”
Celestia began to pace around her bed. “And so what if I use my subjects for my own needs? It is more than a worthy sacrifice to retain the happiness of a ruler who could, with the twitch of her horn, drown this land in burning light or starve it from the energy it needs. She was a tribute, Philomena. They were all tributes.” Celestia stopped pacing. “And the next one will be as well.”
Philomena flapped her wings, sending a flurry of flaming feathers to the floor.
“How do you know that? Just because you have been around for nearly as long as I have does not mean that your miniscule, animalistic mind can hope to comprehend the depths of sorrow I have been through, nor could you grasp the necessity for the retention of such memories that shaped me into the mare I am.”
Philomena shifted on her perch and tucked her wings in.
“There is no other way. You have no place to speak to me in such a manner. You have no means of comprehension. Your perspective is clouded with your animalistic stupidity. I can comprehend your defiance in that you, as an animal, instinctively fall back on violence and fear.”
Philomena turned her head to the open window.
“Of course I am not observing her. Why should I? What force should compel a divinity to look upon one subject solely because she feels disadvantaged? I have duties to attend to, Philomena.”
Philomena motioned to the closet door.
“So what? What if I hold the treasures of my friends dear to my heart? Is that not natural?”
With a shimmer of her horn, Celestia opened the door. A pile of little tinted glass diamonds toppled out.
“Yes, Philomena. It has been that many. And it will be many more. And nothing you or Luna can say will change that.”
Philomena swooped down onto the floor and walked to the pile of glass diamonds. She snatched one in her talon and tossed it over to Celestia. Her horn glowed as the little trinket levitated over to her face.
“Yes, Philomena. This is Twilight’s. Why should I care? This one is done with.”
Philomena flew back over to her perch. Celestia squinted, looking carefully into the glass. Five of its six larger facets showed a mare. Each looked incredibly disconsolate. The other facet appeared to have been cloven out, leaving a scratched cavity behind.
“Yes, Twilight has left this world. I am aware of that.”
Philomena cawed.
“I understand what you are trying to say. That I am imprisoning myself within this world, and that those who care about me most certainly miss my presence. But let me inform you of something, Philomena. No one cares about me. They were the only ones who truly did. If I refused to raise the sun one morning, they would not curse my name. No one else in Equestria would ever do so.”
Philomena lowered her head.
“Leave me be. I must attend to another world. This one has need for me only one moment of the day.” Celestia cupped the diamond-shaped reality in her wing and stared at it.
Philomena fluttered down from her perch again and brushed up against Celestia consolingly.
“I said leave me be!” Celestia knocked the phoenix away with her wing. The bird staggered back and nearly fell over. “You should have been left with the dragons, you vile thing.”
Ugh Bitchelestia is at it again.
1304936 Too much Bitchlestia?
Celestia is acting like a child... I would feel bad but the way she is handling everying...good god.
1304959 She really is. It's like she's throwing a tantrum.
I love seeing how people to react to my treatment of her. Seems some sympathize more than others.
This looks good. Which is good, because my list of favorites that are updating keeps getting smaller.
1305095 Thanks, and yes, I'm trying to update often as possible.
Celestia seems deliciously crazy. I really can't bring myself to mind the OOCness when it has this much potential for sweet, sweet drama.
1305413 Yeah, with Twilight I try to keep her in character. With Celestia I just have a field day.
1305435
This has OOC Celestia, unexplained bits of history, and is looking like it'll have more OCs than canon characters. It has everything I should hate.
So why... why is it so good? Why do I crave more?
What foul sorcery is this!? dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/emoticons/sillyfilly_Twilight_Sparkle.png
1305413
Original Celestia is the one we know and love.
The one we have now is the Celestia who has wallowed in her own self pity and misery for the last thousand years.
If Celestia was brave enough to watch the world through Twilight's eyes like Philomena suggested then Celestia may very well start the road to recovery.
1306212 Honestly, I feel the same way. I wouldn't read a story with a setup like this if I saw it in the "latest stories" queue. What the hay am I doing?
Also, on the "unexplained bits of history"? I'll try to fix that, for the most part, at least with any history that, due to its alteration, affects Twilight. I've been dropping lots of hints, but really haven't given anything substantial yet.
1307065
Oh, I figured you'd reveal it when you got there. I seriously don't know what it is about this story that makes me enjoy it despite my technical disdain for certain elements.
Well, other than it being "well written" or some nonsense, but what does that actually explain?
1309021 Yeah, it's not like I'm going to go back and change anything major, it's just that I'm going to have to find a non-exposition-dump way of explaining some things that need answers. For the most part. I dunno. I don't see it as a problem to leave some questions unanswered.
The reason I am including these elements that both I and some readers are prone to dislike is half because it's fun (OOC Celestia is just a riot to write) or because, when I initially wrote the first chapter, I had no intention of continuing, and the only way for it to go was to include OCs. And I don't even see it as a 'necessary evil', just a challenge to remove the stigma attached to the inclusion of OCs that prevails both in my mind and in the minds of readers. Seems like nobody hates Lavender with a burning passion yet (or at least they haven't told me).
Also, it's well-written? Thanks!
1309049
Wait. Waaaiiiit. If I recall correctly:
Lavender.
Is a Unicorn.
Kill me now.
1309076 Am I not getting something here?
1309080
Lavender Unicorn Syndrome, where people repeatedly describe Twilight as a combination of her race and color. It's a flaw many stories have.
But you have a unicorn named Lavender.
1309099 Never was aware of that! Actually, if anything, it will prevent me from ever, ever doing that! I'd like to say it was some clever commentary on Twilight Sparkle fics, but it was entirely coincedental.
1309104
Obviously the best kind of clever commentary. Never forget: Take. The. Credit.
Anyhow yeah. Is the shopkeeper a pseudo-Ditzy? I got the impression from the description of the eyes but I want to be sure I'm getting it right.
Also Twilight needs some anxiety pills or something. Do ponies have pills?
1309122 No, not a pseudo-Ditzy. The eye color must've made it a bit confusing, but it was simply a design choice. She doesn't have the derped eyes, she has a legitimate impairment. Sorry for the confusion, I didn't make that association but I totally see where you'd get that from.
Twilight needs some meds big time. Zecora could whip something up. OH WAIT SHE DIED A THOUSAND YEARS AGO.
1309138
Maybe she could at least listen to some kickin' tunes from DJ-PON3 at a local gig. OH WAIT SHE DIED A THOUSAND YEARS AGO. dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/emoticons/sillyfilly_Twilight_Sparkle.png
...Ok that's too fun. Must resist urge to tack something like that on to all future comments for this story.
1309153 I kind of feel terrible with how amused I am by this. The sadistic side in me is wanting to turn all of this setup into a dark comedy, but I shall resist.
1309171
The comedy is already there, in how we can feel good about Miss Sparkle's suffering.
Tell me, do you intend to maintain her canon status of being stupidly overpowered?
I'd like it if you did, but at the same time I could see how you might write that off as being due to her position as Memorylestia.
1309188 If you've noticed, I'm pretty sure I've made no mention of her using her magic yet. I actually have a good reason for this. It seems to be that magic requires a good deal of concentration, since it seems to be a mental process. So, no. Twilight's not going to be casting any fix-all spells. Since I have very little intent on any sort of combat being in this story (sorry if that's what people wanted) there won't be a chance for her to utilize her magical abilities in such a manner.
I never thought about her magical abilities in the context of her being "Memorylestia". It would make sense that, in her fabricated reality, Twilight's abilities would be amplified so that events play out as they did in Celestia's time. The only instance in which Twilight showed exceptional magical prowess, as far as we know, was during her entrance exam in "The Cutie Mark Chronicles". So it's entirely possible that Twilight is not an incredibly powerful unicorn, which is sort of just kicking her when she's down.
Twilight must also be rusty, since she hasn't cast a spell since, well, most likely the day before she arrived in Ponyville. She did, however, study quite a bit in her fabricated reality, so she must at least be knowledgeable about magic.
Essentially, Twilight has nothing to be proud of except that she read a lot of books. Not even in real life.
Sweet Luna, I'm being so cruel to this poor unicorn.
1309242
And I'm finding it funny. I do think you should leave in her raw power level, but leave her without any real-world relevant spells that come even close to tapping it, what with most of her bigger stuff being learned over the course of the show.
Probably can't actually teleport, either.
1309268 I'm not sure if there's going to be any point where her raw power level is relevant (The story's all planned out, BTW, at least the major plot points). I find there to be more sweet mental anguish in putting the idea in Twilight's head that even her raw magical skill, which gave her her cutie mark, is a lie. I love having all of these implications that arise from this demented construct.
She definitely can't teleport. I imagine that takes a great deal of thought and effort, which, in her current mental state, she most certainly cannot manage.
1309291
And this is where I resist fishing for spoilers.
1309304 We all know where this is going.
Murderous rampage.
1309315
Well, that's a perfect plot point to reveal the fact that she does still have obscene amounts of raw power, right?
Nothing for bolstering confidence like making Celestia's guards into spaghetti sauce and turning Her Royal Highness into a ruptured vat of beef stew.
1309326 You're right. I should just replace the pages upon pages of notes I've written with Elfen Lied. I'm sure the vast majority of people wouldn't mind seeing Celestia end up as a blood splatter on the throne room floor.
Seriously, though, I'm really trying to make a dark story without the use of violence/rape/etc.
1309347
Dark stories that focus on mental anguish can be wonderful, but towards the end many readers (by which I mean me because I'm the only one whose opinions I know for certain) look for some external backlash.
1309360 I'm approaching spoilery territories here, but there most certainly will be physical consequences to Twilight's mental torment, just none of them extreme or for the sake of shock value. Honestly, I just don't think Twilight (or the Twilight I've sort of established, "Twipolar" as I call her) would be inclined to hurt anypony, at least not knowingly, even when she's clearly gone off the deep end.
1309384
Oh right, I keep forgetting that not everypony in a 'dark' story has a vindictive evil streak.
1309416 We have Celestia for that. She's killed as many ponies as there are those little diamonds in that closet. Well, except for one, thanks to
1309429
Pssh, as messed up as we see her and over a thousand years old, and that's her whole body count? Weak.
1309442 Yeah, doing the math, she must've only done away with like 20 or so. Somepony needs to make up for some lost time.
1309454
Those innocent ponies aren't going to kill themselves now, are they?
Well, maybe the one...
1309470 I mean, to be fair, it's not like they were all immensely promising, magically talented, intelligent, ambitious little unicorn fillies OH WAIT-
1309491
Oddly enough, none of them DIED ONE THOUSAND YEARS AGO.
Just at intervals after that point.
1309499 Y'know, this would all be resolved if Cadance just cast her love-magic to make Celestia and Twilight make up and be friends. OH WAIT--
No, she's still alive.
...for now...
1309515
Yeah that was a little confusing, but I think I understand mostly.
1309530 I actually have a timeline and list of differences between the world Celestia actually experienced and what Twilight saw in the fabrication, if anypony wants to see it.
1309547
Spoilers. Sprinkle enough hints into the story, post the timeline itself afterwards in author's notes.
dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/emoticons/shrug_Twilight_Sparkle.png
1309552 Yeah, I guess so. I wrote out the timeline so I wouldn't screw up and say somepony existed who should be dead or vice-versa.
Those author's notes are going to be so much fun.
1310586 Aw, thanks so much! I hope you like where the story goes from there!
1309564
Twilight's raw power, as well as all of her knowledge, should still be in tact, as she was Celestia's apprentice and everything she read in the books during the memories, as I can gather, is something or other Celestia read at that age.
...Right?
Have a nice day!
--Not a brony
Celestia is a cunt