"Your story may not have such a happy beginning... but that doesn't make you who you are. It is the rest of your story... who you chose to be. So... who are you?"
-The Soothsayer, Kung Fu Panda 2
The first thought that went through her head was if everything had been a dream and she woke up in her bed to find herself still an unicorn, her brother not dating Princess Cadence and changelings being nothing but fantasy… she was going to be pissed.
The second thought was that her wings hurt.
That one made her smile.
“She’s awake!” Spike called out, leaping off the bed and hurrying to the door. “She’s awake!” The baby dragon was halfway down the stairs before he came racing back in, giving Twilight a hug. “I’m glad you’re ok.” He flashed her a smile before darting back down the stairs to deliver the good news.
Twilight let out a sigh, though she couldn’t help but smile at Spike’s antics. Slipping out of bed, the mare trotted around her room, surprised to find it looked the same. Of course, she hadn’t expected it to be different…
‘I just expected it to be smaller…’ Twilight realized, her eyes growing wide. She raced over to her mirror and gasped.
She was a blend of her old unicorn self and her alicorn form. She was only a few inches taller than she had been before the wedding, her legs a touch longer and her body having lost a bit of the softness she’d once held. Her wings fluttered slightly, now just slightly bigger than Rainbow Dash’s. Her mane was purple again but still moved and swirled about like it were made of energy, just like Luna and Celestia’s. Her horn was smaller but with a crackle of energy she confirmed she still had her dark magic, though she could also feel the white magic flowing through her veins as well.
She was an alicorn… but a small one. Smaller than Cadence for sure; Twilight wagered she was roughly the same size Princess Luna had been after the elements had reverted her from her Nightmare Moon form.
“How badly would thou hurt me if I said you were ‘cute’?”
Twilight turned, shooting a sour look Luna’s way. “I blasted you once before.”
“And I am thankful for that,” Luna said, trotting into the room. It felt strange to be looking up at the lunar princess again, after having spent much of the last day looking down on everypony. “You seem surprised.”
“I am surprised. What happened?”
“The same thing that happened to me: you used up all your magic. In my case, it was in a vain attempt to fight of the Elements of Harmony. For you… it was resurrecting Faith. Don’t worry, you’ll grow larger over time. It is a slow process but as your magic returns you will revert to a more stately size. It may take a few hundred years to rival Celestia… but we’ll just have to find a way to bring her down a few dress sizes.” Luna smiled slightly when she saw that Twilight’s eyes had become unfocused. “But… you aren’t worried about how big you are now, are you?”
“Doubt? Is he-“
“You mean Faith. And yes... he is alive and well and waiting for you outside.” Luna shook her head as Twilight stumbled to get out of her bedroom and down the stairs. The alicorn, who could no longer be rightly called ‘dark’, nearly bowled into a startled Fluttershy, offering her apologizes as she hurried towards the front door.
“Where is he?” Twilight gasped, trying to catch her breath.
“Outside, Twilight,” Applejack stated. “That fella ain’t hardly moved since you two came out of that magic storm thing ya conjured up. He woke up about 10 minutes after it was all over, trotted outside and just… began lookin’ at the sky.” The farmpony shook her head in amusement. “Never seen somepony smile that long...”
Twilight emerged from her library and looked about, trying to find Doubt. It took her several moments to realize her folly; she could not find Doubt because he was no longer Doubt. He was Faith and with his name restored so too was his body remade.
“They called me the Alicorn of Mirrors.” Twilight turned towards the speaker, marveling at the sight. “It might still work, I suppose…”
“Doubt…” Twilight whispered. “Or… or is it Faith?”
The stallion smirked slightly, not bothering to get up from where he lay in the grass. “Both. I am Faith as he would have been… and Doubt as he SHOULD have been.”
As Doubt he had preached about life being shades of gray. As Faith he was the embodiment of such beliefs. His coat was now gray and when the sun struck it just so it seemed to shimmer as if made of metallic threads. His hair had gone black save for one a streak of white that hung down near his ear. His tail still looked like it was made of shards but now there was form to them instead of chaos and lines of gray joined the black and white hair.
Where once there had been a mirror shard driven through his skull there was now a proper horn. Twilght could feel the swirl of black and white magic running through its link. Of course that wasn't surprising; she'd pumped nearly half of her magical reserves into him in order to heal his body and recreate his form.
'No wonder I'm smaller now,' Twilight thought to herself. If she had to guess she'd say she had roughly twice the power she'd had in the nightclub... nothing to sneeze at but diminished from what she had held in her dark alicorn form. Not that she minded, of course; Luna was proof that such power could return over time.... and the end result was worth it.
The most startling of Doubt's changes was his wings. What once had been broken was now restored to true glory. Two great structures of silver glass arose from his back, fanned out so they might catch the sunlight. Each feather looked like it had been cut by an expert jeweler and she had to admit she was envious of the plumage.
It was surprising to find that he wore armor now. A breastplate of pure black encircled his chest and his wings were lined with the same black metal, as were his hooves. It was startling and yet befitting.
"Luna's idea," Faith stated when he noticed where her eyes had lingered to. "She felt that for my service to Equestria I should be treated like some popinjay." He rolled his eyes in good humored annoyance. "I am to be knighted, apparently."
"That is a high honor."
"Too high for the likes of me," Faith stated. He waved her off when she opened her mouth to refute his claim. "I have done as much for the side of darkness as I have for the light. Knights are suppose to be shiny little ponies that never leer at a mare and floss between meals. I am no such thing and I do not want to be."
"Maybe Equestria needs a few black knights."
"Gray," Faith told her. "I have heard from Cadence that your friends tried to find a title to describe me. The mirror alicorn is what they apparently settled on." Twilight grimaced. "Yes, I am not fond of it either, and not just for my aversion to having others name me. Seems I got a bit of your literary tastes while I was rattling around in your head."
"Better than my paranoia about being tardy," Twilight stated, walking around the sunbathing stallion. "That name wouldn't work anymore... you don't have your mirror wings."
Faith nodded. "Your friend Rainbow Dash suggested the iron alicorn, but Rarity began to throw a fit about iron being 'so unbefitting a regal creature' such as myself." Faith pursed his lips. "Your friends did hate me a day ago, correct? I did not dream that? They seem much too comfortable in my presence."
Twilight chuckled before finally settling down in front of Faith. It was weird to see him at this size; they had been eye to eye a day ago but now Twilight was barely bigger than her unicorn form and Faith just taller than Luna. It would take some getting use to.
"By and by, what do you suppose this represents?" Faith said, smiling like a colt with a new toy. He shifted his wing and gestured towards his flank. Before his mark had been Twilight's own, only reversed in color. Now it had been altered and Twilight found it utterly fitting: her own star was enclosed by two dark crescent moons and around them were the rays of the sun. Celestia, Luna and Twilight; each represented, joining together to create something new.
"The best of all those you have served," Twilight finally answered. She pondered her next words carefully. "How do you feel?"
"Like I am breathing for the first time," Faith stated. "I am a blind man who has regained his sight. I was deaf and now I hear symphonies." He leaned back his had, basking in the sun. "I'd forgotten not only my name and purpose but what existing without pain could be like."
"It was that bad?"
"Worse. But that is life and I am not bitter about it, if that is your concern."
"How much of you... is still you?" Twilight asked. "You seem... different than you were."
"As I said, I am Doubt as he should have been. I am Doubt and I am Faith. I am both and yet neither."
"I see you still like to talk in riddles," Twilight joked.
Faith snorted in good humor. "Why stop when it is so much fun?" His wings twitched and he leaned down to smell the grass, letting the odor swirl through his lungs. He'd been doing it all morning, marveling at the wilds all about him and what they had to offer. As an abstract he had paid little notice to those things that could not hear his whispers. Now he found himself enthralled by nature. "I have not changed greatly... you must understand that. I could not go back to being simply Faith even if I wanted to."
"Why wouldn't you?" Twilight asked. "I thought that is what you wanted."
"I wanted to remember... but I didn't want to go back. Tell me, you remember what it was like to be a child, do you not? Imagine yourself at the age of 5. Would you want to go back to that? Not to that moment in time, mind you... just the age. The rest of the world would remain the same but you would physically be 5 again."
"...no," Twilight murmured. "Just like I wouldn't want to go back to being a unicorn."
"What if I told you I could make you feel just as you had before the wedding." Doubt's horn began to glow. "You'd forget all the pain and the suffering... sounds wonderful, correct?" Faith's eyes twinkled slightly. "But you'd also lose all the growth. A sword is made by beating and folding the metal to remove imperfections. The same is true for all living things: suffering, when it doesn't break us, makes us stronger. Would you undo that?"
"No," Twilight said without hesitation. "I'll mourn what I loss but I would not give up who I am now just to get it back." A bit of her darkness sparked through. "I will never be Celestia's faithful student or Shining's unquestioning sister ever again."
"You have lived and have grown. It is a blessing and you should be glad for it. The same is true for me. It was painful but I would not lose a moment because it has made me stronger. I will be a better Faith for having been Doubt. All that is different now is that I remember my past." He paused, clicking his teeth together. "And my mind is a bit more sane."
"I guess that makes sense," Twilight said. "Just like I'm not as stressed as I was before all this. I don't think I'll be burning the candle at both ends as much or worrying what others think about me."
"Not at first," Faith stated, "but life has a funny way of bringing you back to your true self. Embrace that."
"You have to admit though that all of this is really strange."
"Twilight... look at me. I am in a completely different body. I get that it is strange."
"Right," Twilight said softly. "Faith... what I am?"
"I thought the wings and horn-"
"You've gotten sarcastic," Twilight stated.
"Yes, I have noticed that. I remember being playful as Faith... we'll see if it sticks this time." He rolled his shoulders, glancing up at the clouds. "As for what you are... the type of alicorn you are will be revealed in time. Your talent is magic so some part of that will be the key, I think."
Twilight accepted that. "Guess I've got alot of learning ahead of me."
"The day we stop learning we die." Faith paused, tongue darting out to wet his lips. "You need to talk to Celestia and Shining."
"Where the hay did that come from?" Twilight demanded.
"I've been thinking about it for several hours. Finally found the right moment to broach the topic."
"Why would you want me to talk to either one of them?"
"Because you know it is the right thing to do."
Twilight scoffed. "I'll never forgive them."
"Never?" Faith pressed. "Never has such finality. I prefer 'most likely'. Leaves room for..."
"Change?"
"Doubt," Faith said with a smirk. He rose up, stretching his body much as a cat would. "You don't have to forgive them but you owe them a few minutes to try and make right."
"And if I don't want to?"
"Then you are no better than they are," Faith stated. "Now... Pinkie invited me to sample my first piece of pie, so I will take my leave."
"I think I liked you better when you were telling me to blow stuff up."
Faith merely laughed, wings spreading out.
"Silver!" Twilight called out as Faith took off.
"Silver?" he called out, circling above her head.
"Your new title: the silver alicorn, lord of the gray!"
Faith dipped for a moment. "I like it.... but you still have to talk to Celestia and Shining Armor."
"...all of my hate," Twilight grumbled weakly as Faith zoomed away.
And thus... Faith's new form is revealed.
When dealing with Faith and Doubt I focused alot on Gandalf. He was still Gandalf when he went from Gray to White and Faith is still very much Doubt even now. Just... new things. New aspects. Some things have changed, some new things added, but in the end he is Doubt... only as he should have been. There is a peace to him now that he understands his role in the world and thus he can now guide Twilight. In a way, Faith will become Twilight's new teacher, taking Celestia's role, while also being her paladin (Faith will be forever bond to her and serve her when needed).
Now, I give you Faith:
i36.photobucket.com/albums/e26/defender2222/Faith.png
And from reader Sky Bound, a final look at Doubt:
24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mcemujelMb1rexg2wo1_500.jpg
Whooo! Update! This chapter was great. I look forward to seeing what Celestia and Shining try to do in order to mend the breach, since they betrayed Twilight the most. Keep the updates coming!
awswome but there is one more shit storm to go through
The End is approaching... I can sense it...
I like, keep up the great work
Does this mean it's almost over
NOOOOO
Still though awesome work
'All of my hate', that bit was gold!
Right, don't let those two off easy Twilight. And please don't agree to be her student again....
1509443
Ok now that is settled, we now go back to the acceptance of the relatives and ponies that did twilight wrong.
Nice pics by the way
Nice. You've done great, and I already anticipate the next installment.
1509480
There's a sequel coming...
Can't wait to see what Celestia and Shining have to say
1509488
We'll have atleast 4 more chapters: Shining Armor, Celestia and a wrap up, along with a final Epilogue that will set up The Abundance.
It looks like everyone has a lot of adjusting to do. The world is changing and everything is definitely no longer black and white. There is now nopony in the wrong and nopony in the right... Each has deeds they need to attone for and things to make right.
1509502
With the return of Faith (and Doubt not dying) gray has returned to the world. Darkness will rise but so will light... Twilight's actions the last few days and coming up will set into motion events that will reshape Equestria.
The Abundance is coming.
Tis the shit (in a, veary awesomely good way)
Will get to work on the faith sketches wheni am able
- awesome chapter as always
1509510
Looks like Twilight will be trying to restore balance
either keep the also or the as well. the sentence as it is is redundant. Sliver/doubt/faith is turning out better than I had originally suspected.
Interest~ing.
Finally! I read a story in which Twilight Sparkle WANTS to be an Alicorn.
I hope Celestia and Shining Armour will never forgive Twilight either. That would make things... interesting.
Oh... This here... This sounds... Interesting.
1. Only a "Dark" tag!
2. Seems that evil is about to rise... Weehoo!
3. Maybe there's some gooore, perhaps?
4. Some insanity too maybe?
Yup, definitely gonna read this stuff. It promises some superb bloodshed...
Mmm... blood...
1509601
Prepare to be disappointed. It is Psychologically Dark, not bloody dark.
1509592 dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/emoticons/misc_Cloudchaser_dealwithit.png
i.imgur.com/SHBA5.png
1509600
I forgot to ask... what do you think of Celestia in The God Squad?
1509497 But I wanted an epic war! I wanted Twilight going on a rampage and killing everyone within 1000 mile radius!
1509634
She seems fine to me, though I don't quite understand why she doesn't get sarcasm. Or how she can fall for Luna's kind-of-obvious lies.
1509627
Also good! Dark aspects of psychology are very fascinating... Even more so...
Wheee! Madness!
1509635
didn't you get that with Ptolemy, already? the only thing i'd modify on that story is all the G1 ponies be included not just Surprise ala My Choices... dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/emoticons/misc_TwilightWut.png
i am both reluctant and waiting with bated breath to read about celestia's and shining armor's attempts to mend things. i mean; both of them did so much wrong, especially shining armor...
1509601
if you're looking for gore; then you're gonna be disappointed in that sense at least. but im almost certain i can promise you; this story is so awesome, you won't regret it if you read it!
1509659
Within getting too off topic, the not understanding sarcasm is something I've noticed in leaders and bosses... they become so powerful that they just don't get they are being mocked. It was a nice flaw for her.
As for the lies... who says she didn't see through them? She is the schemer, afterall
"The day we stop learning we die."
^ That is the best line in the whole chapter. Thanks for the wonderful, wonderful chapter. Can't wait for more.
I loled at that line. good job man. seems like it's about done, but i hope for at least one more chapter.
1509443 now that he's not bing all depressing. Faith is a complete troll.
1509666 But one story isn't enough! every author has their own way of telling a story, so wanted to see it from a different way of writing.
1509600
I agree. I would actually accept Twilight and any of her friends forever parting ways if it was because the friend said to Twilight, "I'm not apologizing for anything."
Because, despite evrything in this story, I still say they didn't do anything wrong. Did it hurt Twilight? Yes. Was it "right"? No. But it wasn't wrong either.
Shit, if my sister made my fiancee run off crying I'd be pissed too.
Still, that's focusing only on the wedding, but it's only slight against her that we've seen in canon. Aside from implied things, like not hearing about Shinning until the end of Season2.
Or Lesson Zero, which they all apologized for, and STILL didn't do anything wrong. Yeah, they laughed at her freaking out, but they told her to stop and that she had nothing to worry about...and they were right!
So yeah...
But anyway, just saying it'd be nice if one of the characters felt they had nothing to apologize for.
Quote from the chapter beginning: "So... who are you?"
Lorien, the First One, from "Babylon 5".
A bit more cosmically mystical reference, I think.
1509720 Unless you're a tree. Like Fluttershy, you simply stand in one place for centuries, passively growing.
1509775 Sometimes that's not such a bad thing... look at .
1509851 you have a good point
>>> Imagine yourself at the age of 5. Would you want to go back to that? Not to that moment in time, mind you... just the age. The rest of the world would remain the same but you would physically be 5 again.">>>
Actually, that would be awesome. I'd have so much more technology at my disposal, I'd advance far faster than I did in our limited circumstances when I was a child previously, where I was held back terribly the various shortcomings in my education and finances.
I would also then live long enough to see if that new theory on warp drive (which brings the energy requirements down to feasible levels) becomes a physical reality (the first actual tests of the theory will begin next year), as well as whether or not we can use quantum entanglement for a real-life version of subspace communications, appropriating the advantages of the Nobel Prize-winning discovery that it is possible to observe subatomic particles without destroying them (and by association, without breaking entanglement)...
So yes, I would very much like to be 5 again. This time, all would be in place to allow me to rule the world by the age of 30!
Is Chrysalis dead, or is she barely hanging on? And is Twilight going to finish her off if she isn't?
1509944 That's for you to decide.
That seems like an odd response for something that was, you know, a freaking national threat...
1509813
Hmm, I have to agree. Even with the story drawing to its end, I still can't say I sympathise with Twilight one tiny bit. She still comes across as a big, petty jackass to me. Pardon the language. Eh, but then again, I never read this story for Twilight. Still, I agree. I don't really think Shining Armour and Celestia have much to apologise for. Don't really like how Doubt will take over Celestia's role as Twilight's mentor, that kinda reeks a bit of Gary Stu, and is just another jerkish move by Twilight, too. I really hope Celestia (or Shining Armour, either is cool) will go and say "Well then, buck you, miss Sparkle." Just to spice things up a bit and for the look on Twilight's face. Meh, oh well, fic's almost over anyway.
""I'll mourn what I loss"
Should be "lost"
'"Faith... what I am?"'
Should be "what am I?", really awkward as it is.
You write and update quite quickly, but I find that that leaves you prone to small errors like that. Not a big deal, though. Good tale.
1509813
about 'Lesson Zero,' the only one who did the right thing was Spike albeit late. as for the others, no, they didn't tell her to stop. they told her to join their picnic and dismissed 'being late at the task mandated to her by the ruler of the land' as 'small stuff.' they were in the wrong there as much as Twilight was for over reacting...
1510081
i don't see any Gary Stu about Doubt. at least, he would advise Twilight just as he did here, instead of just walking away like Celestia did. being angry at people is being a Jerkass? really?
1509734
There will be another one. A few more, and an epilogue that sets up the sequel.
Apples, Apples, Apples, Apples, Apples, Apples, Apples, Apples, Apples, Apples, Apples, Apples, Apples. .
well now to watch the finally hopefully they have learned their lessons and are able to earn Twilight's forgiveness.
Apple, apples, apple, apple!
cheers
1510170
I didn't say he was a Gary Stu. Just saying that an OC alicorn taking over Celestia's role as Twilight's mentor, as well as getting Twilight's adoration while Twilight now hates Celestia, now, that does sound a bit Stu-ish. Also, being angry isn't being a jackass. But then again, Twilight was more than just angry. She behaved badly, like a jerk, to be blunt, all the while acting as if she was totally in the right, did nothing wrong, her friends and mentor and family were total monsters who did everything wrong and were completely responsible for everything. Even now, this many chapters later, this still hasn't really changed. Twilight still hasn't admitted she made mistakes and behaved wrong as well, nor has she apologised to her friends, er, sorry, ex-friends for it. And it doesn't look like she will, either, which is wrong. I admire the rest of the mane six for still wanting to be a friend with somepony who treats them so badly. It shows they're the better pony for admitting their mistakes and being willing to work so hard to fix them. Something Twilight has yet to do, if she ever will.
1510204
Tank you. i likeses this story. perhaps a sequel sometime in the future as well? if not oh well. it's an excellent story so i is happy to have read it.
Awesome chapter, as usual.
Faith seems like a much better pony than Doubt was. More peppy in my opinion, which is good. Can't dwell on unhappiness forever. I'm anxious to see how Celestia and Shinning try and gain forgiveness from Twilight. It will be very interesting to see. Great job, by the way. I don't really have much else to say so I'll just leave it at that. Looking forward to the next chapter. "Believe it!" - Naruto Uzumaki
1510220
I agree. I perfectly understand where Twilight is coming from, but that gives her no excuse to hold on to that anger and just trash everypony that she felt did her wrong that day. It's one thing to be angry, upset, and loose your temper in a fit of rage. But it's another thing to hold onto that anger and continue to diss everyone else. I don't agree with all of the actions that she has taken and I hope she comes to realize that she also has some apologizing to do. Something like this: "Everypony, I'm sorry for continuing to hate all of you even after the Changelings were taken care of. I don't deserve friends like you." I truly think that she has as much fault in this whole thing as everypony else (except for Shinning and Celestia; I mean seriously? What you two did was just down right cold).
- Super-Brony12