Fracturing Reality

by FaelaArts

Chapter 11

As Twilight and Greenglow carried provisions, including one unconscious pony by the name of Smarty Pants, Twilight blinked as she remembered something.

“Wait right here, I’ll be right back” and with that she vanished into the library that they had just passed. Pausing at the shelf where the books that apparently housed the information about what her memories meant, but couldn’t be true due to her seeing spike and hearing what she hoped was the princess. Pulling out a few books, she quickly grabbed three in particular. One was about the life of the two princesses; one was about the elements, and the third she had only glanced at to see the title, ‘Desires of the Heart.’ She didn’t know what it was about, but as she trotted to the counter, she knew there was a chance she may not come back.

“Um, excuse me miss, is there any chance I can buy these books, or borrow them for a really really really long time?” The lady scrutinised her, and then sighed.

“We can order more copies, however it is going to cost due to them being very rare. I’d say 100 bits” Twilight blinked, that was highway robbery!

“I-I only have 30 bits left.” The librarian merely shook her head. Greenglow dashed in from the door, and sighed impatiently.

“What’s the holdup” she glanced to the librarian and raised an eyebrow.

“Hey, didn’t I help save this place from a flood not that long ago. I believe because of me we managed to avoid hundreds of bits of damage, think you could do us a big favour? I mean the books are as common as trees around here.” The librarian smiled sheepishly, caught in the act of trying to get more then the books were actually worth more a clueless Twilight.

“W-Well only for you Greenglow, 30 bits it is.” Twilight was more than happy to hand over the remaining bits and strap the new books to her bag, saddened she didn’t live in a place where knowledge was either free, or cheap.

“Thanks Greenglow, I owe ya one.” Greenglow glanced to Twilight as they left the library and simply shrugged.

“No problem Twili, and call me Dash for short.” Twilight smiled, and with all supplies and ponies accounted for, they headed out of town and for the first landmark that was further still down the road that had led them to Earth.

“So Dash, why does it seem like Unicorns, Pegasus and Earth ponies apparently don’t get along, yet they exist in relative harmony in the two towns I’ve seen?” Dash glanced to her, and raised her head and glanced to the sky as she thought.

“Well, some of us are on friendly terms, but there are families, and the government that feel their race is superior. It doesn’t normally affect daily life, but wars have sprung out about it before. I haven’t been around as long as I would have liked due to my memory loss from overdosing, but it seems at the moment that we’re at peace for now.” She paused, seeing Twilight nodded, deep in thought.

“So Twilight, who is this princess, is she someone we know, and why exactly is she a princess?” Twilight paused, realising she didn’t entirely know why it had felt natural to call the voice princess. She put it down to the fact it had come when she had called for one of the princesses, so as they walked she opened her mouth to speak.

“I’m not entirely sure, but when I called for Celestia or Luna, she answered so I guess I assumed she was a princess. Apparently she doesn’t know much, but hopefully we will get some answers.” Dash paused, thinking deeply for a moment before giving a nod. Twilight sighed, her frustration clouding her voice.

“I know it’s not entirely scientific. But I don’t have any other leads for this problem. If I hadn’t met Spike, then I probably would have accepted what was in those books. But if Spike is here, then something’s not right and it is irritating me more than the Pinkie sense.” Dash chuckled, and sighed as she gazed to the sky.

“I know you Twilight, you don’t need to rationalise your argument, we’re friends remember? Not that I couldn’t beat you in a magic dual if you still had your horn.” She smiled toward, her and she chuckled at Dash’s confidence. Eventually, they arrived at a small mound of stones shape slightly like a pony head, however compared to the image Twilight had been given, it was obviously in bad disrepair.

“So this is where we leave the road Twilight?” Twilight nodded in reply to Dash’s question. As they stared at the dark and forbidding trees, Twilight took a breath.

“Into the woods we go, battling untold monsters, finding unprecedented riches, defying all odds” Dash spoke, causing Twilight to gaze to her and give a smile. And with that, they headed toward the second landmark.

“So what is the second landmark Twilight?” Dash asked after some time walking. Twilight paused for a split second before resuming her steady walking rhythm.

“The image I was shown was a lake with a mirror surface. So hopefully we catch it on a day it isn’t raining.” Dash glanced to the sky and gave a mournful sigh.

“I miss the days I could simply skip up to the sky and move the clouds away so we could go about our business.” Twilight sighed too, and they both grew into a depressing silence.

“Why did fate decide to give us something we would never have again, so tantalisingly and desirable once we have lived a lifetime with it.” Dash nodded, and Twilight could tell she was missing the days when everything was so bright and simple. Twilight opened her mouth to speak, and it was at that moment the rain broke and her hair flopped onto her head.

“Just great” she muttered, Dash growled in reply. After a few moments debating, they decided to just ignore it.

“So Twilight, what was your final day in Ponyville like?” Twilight glanced to Dash, and smiled as she briefly explained her birthday and how she had woken in that building. Dash chuckled, and briefly explained what the building had been and Twilight’s face grew red with embarasment at being put in a nut house, and she distracted Dash with the same question she had been asked.

“Well, after being told I was being given the day off, I practiced my tricks when one of the Wonderbolts asked if they could fly with me. We were only casually flying at first, but it quickly formed into a race. The clouds parted as we flew at top speed, the water tower our target. As our goal inched closer everything seemed to slow and-“she paused and then pff’ed as if it was no big deal.

“I let him win of course, couldn’t let him lose, it would be bad for his image. So as we got our breath back we promised to meet and race again tomorrow, then I fell asleep on a cloud, and woke up here.” Twilight chuckled, and Dash smiled, both lost in their memories of a time when friends weren’t addicted to flowers, and things were so simple.