...Die, Die Again
...Die, Die Again
“Well that didn’t work.”
The pain isn’t that bad when you’re expecting it, or maybe it’s just being overshadowed by the sensation of hopelessness I’m wallowing in. Can’t fight, can’t escape, can’t warn Princess Celestia of what I know. Anypony could be a changeling. Say the wrong thing to the wrong pony, and it’s all over.
That’s not exactly true either, is it? It’s never going to be over. Not as long as this spell holds out. I’m just going to keep reliving it over and over again. I can’t even bring things back with me, other than information.
Other than information.
No, that’s an insane idea. There’s no way it could be that simple.
Or maybe it could be. Simple doesn’t mean easy. Lifting a mountain is simple in theory, just wrap a sufficiently sized telekinesis field around it and lift really, really hard. Maybe exploiting a time loop to carry information from one iteration to the next in the hopes of gradually manipulating the timestream to my advantage to dramatically alter the outcome of events qualifies.
It’s also possible that all the ‘saving the world’ stuff I’ve been doing over the last few years has dramatically shifted my outlook on what sort of things can be considered simple. Maybe seriously considering time travel as the most practical solution to a problem you’re facing is on a checklist somewhere of ‘Signs that You Should Take a Step Back and a Long, Hard Look at Your Life.’
“Twilight? You feeling OK? That looked like it hurt,” said Spike.
“It did,” I reply. I stand, shaking off the aftereffects of the spell more quickly than I did last time. “Spike, forget the spell. I need you to go find everything you can in this part of the library about changelings. Quick as you can.”
“Changelings? But Twilight-”
“I’ll explain later,” I say. Odds are I won’t but I’m going to need every second I can get to figure out the best course of action from here on out. That means research, hardcore research.
Spike returns a few minutes later and I go to work. I’m getting maybe a single new fact about them for every twenty pages I read, and most of that’s unverifiable rumors. I’m shaken out of my hyperfocused stupor by Spike a couple of hours later. I’m annoyed by the interruption but considering that the library around me is on fire, it’s hard to fault him for his decision. I blink a few times as the intense heat registers in my brain for the first time. “Twilight, changelings are attacking the palace. We’ve gotta get out of here,” he says.
I nod to him. “You’re right, Spike,” I glance up at a support beam above us that’s nearly burned through. I put the many years of trigonometry and geometry lessons I’ve had towards a far more morbid purpose than they were ever intended for. “Tell you what, there’s one more book I want to take with us when we go, it’s not far from here. I think it’s in the stacks over that way,” I wave a hoof vaguely towards the stacks. “Look for a book called, uh, ‘The Secret to Defeating a Surprise Changeling Invasion.’”
“Somepony wrote a book like that? Why didn’t you ask for it earlier? I’ll be right back,” he says. Gullible to the end. I hate lying to him, but I’d hate letting him watch this even more. I double check my math and scoot one step to my right, followed by two steps backwards. The beam above me crackles and snaps loose from its moorings, swinging straight towards my face.
Oh Celestia, please let me be right about this.
----------------------------------------------
“Well that didn’t work.”
Wanna bet?
All of this is just a big puzzle, and I’m good at puzzles. You can’t solve a puzzle without all the pieces though, so now that I’ve made up my mind to take advantage of being mortality-challenged I’m off to gather data. Breaking it down, there’s four major problems that I know of. First, Chrysalis replaced or will replace Princess Celestia somehow. I have to either neutralize her or prevent the takeover in the first place. Second, there’s a whole plague of changelings on its way here. Third, the changelings must’ve been laying the groundwork for this invasion for a while now so they’ve probably replaced a bunch of other ponies too, and right now I can’t tell which ones. Finally, in about three hours the world blows up, and I have no idea why.
Well, puzzles that are easy to solve aren’t any fun, right?
Last one first. My first time back after taking that support beam to the face I drop everything and head to the top of the highest tower in the castle and lock myself in, under the cover story that I want to take a nap. Instead, I use the vantage point to look out over Equestria and just observe.
It’s a nice day, bright and sunny. The skyline is marred only by a single dark patch off to the northeast. It would be easy to think it was just a storm cloud if I didn’t already know better. Still, for it to already be that size when it must over a dozen miles away (based on the average airspeed velocity of an unladen changeling) that swarm would have to have more changelings than... than... than a thing that has a lot of changelings in it.
I’m not good at metaphors, OK? Poetry in general is lost on me. When I try to turn a phrase it usually ends up in an impossible, non-euclidean shape. I’ve always been that way. In fact a former tutor of mine, during a moment of frustration after I tried to rhyme the word “pony” with itself four times in a single stanza, once told me he was revoking my poetic license.
Threat of the imminent invasion aside, there isn’t much else to see. I think I can just make out Ponyville on the horizon, and a little trail of steam moving across the fields between us. That might even be the train with my friends on it, due to get here at 6:30 sharp just in time for a late dinner. Very late, the way things have been going so far.
The swarm of changelings grows closer and they’ll be attacking any moment. I close the shutters of the windows, both to avoid being spotted and avoid looking down at the city when they arrive. The idea of my own death I’m coming to terms with. The scale of what happens to everypony else I can’t even begin to wrap my mind around. Just enduring the awful noises that float up this high is terrible. I try distracting myself by reading, but I can’t. Finally I just cower against a wall and try to block out as much of it as I can.
I came up here for a reason though. At 5:40 I throw the windows open. If I close my eyes, I can block out the sights of burning buildings and little multi-colored shapes in the street fleeing for their lives before the little black shapes fall on them and they stop forever. If I cover my ears I can block out their screams, too. What I hadn’t accounted for was the smell, burning roofs and plants and bodies all mixing together in an awful cocktail of death and pain drifting right up into my unsuspecting nostrils.
I throw up. I just need to get the smell of burning flesh out of me. Wish I’d thought to bring a glass of water up here with me, but I didn’t. The minutes tick by horribly slowly. 5:53... 5:54... Maybe nothing of interest will happen this time.
Three minutes later I turn out to be very wrong. The entire castle shudders, and I look out the window to try to figure out where the blast just came from. Nothing out in the distance looks all that different. Then I look down. The first bits of the wave of light that consumed the train I took to Trottingham in another life are peeking through the castle masonry. It’s shaking and trembling in time with my own knees. So whatever this thing is, it comes from inside the castle? It takes its time as it disintegrates the castle walls and the tower I’m lurking inside tilts and falls into the expanding ocean of energy below. My horn tingles. Whatever this energy is, it’s something I’ve felt before though never with this kind of intensity.
At least it’s quick. I’ve barely even felt my eyeballs start to boil before everything is over.
-----------
“Well that didn’t work.”
I’ve got a lead on the origins on the Wall of Horrible Shiny Death, as I’ve come to think of it. I spent the last three loops observing it from different places within the castle, and I should have enough information to triangulate it. The wall came from within the main body of the castle, and it wasn’t from the library. I’m more or less sure of the general place it’s coming from now. The palace vaults, where the Elements of Harmony are stored.
I don’t want to believe that the Elements could ever do something like this, but they’re the only thing I can think of that could be this powerful. They were created to counter disharmony after all. It’s plausible that in the presence of enough disharmony, like say a city being sacked and pillaged by changelings, and without any bearers around to channel them they might counter it explosively. It would explain why Celestia left them out in the middle of nowhere during the aftermath of Luna’s rebellion, at least.
I never realized how close the city must have come to total annihilation during the changeling attack on my brother’s wedding, or during Discord’s escape. It’s a little unnerving that the power my friends and I wielded through them could be such a double edged sword. Or maybe it's some kind of interaction with the time spell instead. I’ve read everything I can lay my hooves on pertaining to the Elements, but mostly I’ve just learned how little anypony actually knows about them.
Making a beeline for the vaults, I find them unguarded. Anything that can break through the vault’s defensive enchantments wouldn’t be slowed down by a few royal guards anyway, so why bother? But I know the way around them. Pressing my horn against the lock and visualizing the series of runes that serve as the pass code, I’m relieved when the vault door trembles and pulls aside. Inside are hundreds of treasures from ancient ages and an incalculable amount of wealth in gems and gold coins.
Well, probably not actually incalculable. You would just need to take enough random samples of a fixed volume from the heaps of treasure to figure out a statistically significant average value of the treasure per cubic meter. Then calculate the treasures total volume which if we assume the shape of those heaps can be approximated as cones would be given by the formula-
No! Focus, Twilight, you’re here for a reason!
The Elements are right where I expect to find them, propped up and on display on a pedestal in the center of the room. As I get closer I can feel the buildup of seething magical energy within them. They feel mad; mad enough to do something rash. The Element of Magic even gives me a little shock as I reach out and touch it.
“Easy fella, I’m just trying to help,” I say and immediately feel like an idiot for talking to a magic crown. I run every test and magical diagnostic I can think of, but all they can do is repeatedly confirm that, yes, there’s about to be a very big boom.
It’s 5:15 and I’ve made absolutely zero useful progress. Chrysalis will be here any second. I get a really, really stupid idea. If it’s some kind of energy build up, maybe I can vent it somehow? I’ve tapped into them before, and I would only need to release just enough energy to prevent a larger explosion. Plus I’m in the middle of a war zone; it’s not like there’s a shortage of targets.
Desperate times call for desperate measures. I grab all six Elements and try to work out a feasible configuration for wearing them all at the same time. After nearly choking myself trying to put on five necklaces at once, I settle for wearing four of them as bracelet around my forelegs. Loyalty and Honesty on my left, Generosity and Laughter on my right, and Kindness worn as intended. I wonder if somepony with too much time on their hooves and a dirty mind would read anything into that.
The ambient field of magic they’re giving off makes my teeth chatter and my fur stand on edge. I can’t quite see straight, either. If I’m going to do this I better do it fast. I walk unsteadily through the halls of the castle and find the nearest balcony I can overlooking the city, the sky dark with changelings zipping to and fro battling the royal guard.
I try to cut through the tempest of magic raging inside me and center myself. When I look up again I’m more confident than ever. Know why? Because the bonds of friendship transcend time and space. Even though my friends are riding a train right now and unaware of what’s happening they carry with them a part of me in every one of their souls, just as I carry a part of them in mine. They’re absolutely here, in spirit, and I’m not about to let them down. No power based on something so good and so pure as friendship could ever harm me. I feel the same spark in my heart I did the moment I realized that the five of us were destined to become best friends, and as I reach for it I’m more sure than I ever have been of anything that this is definitely going to work.
-------------------------
“Well that didn’t work.”
So apparently even when your intentions are good misusing the power of friendship can not only hurt you, but can make every particle in your body explode at the same time. There’s probably a decent friendship report buried somewhere in that observation but I’m in no mood to uncover it right now.
Maybe I’ll table the Elements of Harmony explosion thing for the time being. If I stop the invasion, that’ll probably stop whatever disharmony buildup is going on with them anyway. I have more fruitful avenues of investigation to pursue. First, can I save Princess Celestia?
The first place I check is the throne room, which is empty. That’s unusual in and of itself. Afternoon court should be in session, and if Chrysalis had already replaced Princess Celestia she’d almost certainly be here administering it. The next place to check is the Princess’ private quarters, and I strike paydirt.
The Princess’ room is guarded not by the usual pair of guards, but by nearly thirty of them. All thirty guards are the same in appearance, too. Not just similar, exactly the same, like some impossible set of identical trigintatuplets.
I walk up to the closest one. “I’m Twilight Sparkle. I need to see the Princess. Now”
His expression doesn’t change at all. “Sorry, nopony sees the Princess right now,” he says. His mistake. Ponies in the palace who are telling me I can’t do something usually at least have the good graces to be embarrassed at denying something to Celestia’s personal protege.
“Ha! Nice try, you pathetic little changeling nuisance. That’s right I know exactly what you are. You didn’t count on me being able to teleport did you? How do you think you’ll stop me now?”
I disappear into thin air, triumphant.
---------------
“Well that didn’t work.”
Oh, right. Teleportation-proof bedrooms. Forgot about that. I rub the spots on my flank where the changelings’ spears pierced me, still haunted by phantom pains that are slow to fade. I can’t fight my way past past thirty changelings. Only a Princess could.
Better to just face it; I’m stumped. It’s well past time to consider our other Princess, I suppose. Time to wake up Princess Luna.
I march down to her bedroom. There are four guards in front of her door instead of the usual two. And they’re all identical. And they’re identical to the thirty guards I just encountered.
Still, four changelings are better than thirty, right?
I charge.
-------------------
“Well that didn’t work.”
“No, it didn’t, but I have a good feeling about my next try. I just have to remember to spin right, juke left, duck the spear, grab changeling C by the neck and swing it into D so he’s off balance and can’t make a killing strike, then jump, duck again, roll under changeling A, and when I come up be ready to smack changeling B in the face rather than trying to sweep the leg. Eighth time’s the charm, right?”
Spike looks confused, and I don’t think he’s quite sure how to respond. He wasn’t the last six time either and it’s only gotten more complicated since then. That’s just fine. I give him a gentle pat on the head before I head off to try again, humming a jaunty tune as I go.
----------------------
It’s the little things that really make life worth living. Or reliving, as the case may be. Things like the look on a changeling’s face while he watches the adorable filly who he thought he and his three friends were going to stomp instead beat the everloving ichor out of said friends without even breaking a sweat. The noise he makes in the moment he realizes that he’s next. The squishing sensation when I body slam him into a wall and he collapses.
Good times.
Nothing stands between me and Luna’s bedroom doors now. I push them open and look into the room.
Well, I try to look into the room. Even though the hallway is brightly lit, none of that light illuminates the bedroom. There’s a sharp line of demarcation right at her threshold where it just stops and everything beyond is pitch black. I step inside and I’m immediately plunged into total darkness. I try to look back out into the hallway just to reassure myself it’s still there, but there’s only darkness behind me. I could be a single step from the door or a mile from it, there’s no way to tell.
I step gingerly across the room, careful not to bark my shin on anything. I can’t hear anything other than the sound of my own breath. “Princess Luna? Are you in here?”
“Yes.” The voice is the faintest hint of a whisper, delivered from so close my ear twitches as the gentle currents of air blow over them.
I find out that I can scream a lot louder than I thought I could.
“Twilight! Lower your voice, I’m right here,” says Luna from somewhere nearby. I’m glad she finally ditched some of her more archaic speech patterns, but she’s still really creepy when she forgets not to be.
I try to slow my racing heart. “Luna, could you turn down the dark a little?”
There’s a little ‘hmph’ noise of displeasure from somewhere, but then the light from the hallway spills into the room brightening it ever so slightly. It’s hard to make anything out but I can tell the Princess is right next to me now, and a little groggy from just having woken up. “It is not even four PM. What is the meaning of awakening us at this unFaustly hour?”
I get right to the point. “Princess, changelings are inside the palace. Celestia is in trouble and the city will be under attack any minute now. We need your help.” I diplomatically fail to mention that she was just about to sleep through the entire thing, just like the last time this happened.
It’s clear from the expression on her face that she hasn’t forgotten that either. She looks out into the hallway behind me at the four unconscious changelings, who reverted to their true shapes after I knocked them out. We leave them where they are and I have to trot quicker than usual to keep up with Luna as she stalks through the palace towards her sister’s room. Guards and servants turn their heads, curious at what could drive the Princess from her bed this early. Not knowing who to trust and not wanting to give Chrysalis any warning that we’re coming, we pass by without explanation.
We turn the corner and the pack of identical guards are still standing there in front of Celestia’s bedroom door. Luna glares at them and begins to walk forward. “Move,” she says without stopping to wait for them to do so.
Instead they hiss at her and crouch down, ready to fight.
“Twilight, I will handle this. Aid my sister and I will join you momentarily,” says Luna as her horn begins to flicker with an angry glow. I nod, and a quick teleport later I’m standing on the other side of the changeling pack. They charge towards Luna, leaving me unmolested as I open the door. Before I step inside I hesitate, though. Sure, Luna’s powerful but she’s not invincible. Maybe I should stay out here and help her, despite what she said.
While I’m considering this a spark of dark magic flies out of the melee and strikes a nearby wall. The wall twists and warps as space and time rend themselves apart at her command, opening up an inky black gash in reality. Tendrils of solid darkness strike out from the places between dimensions and wrap around three changelings at the edge of the mob. They barely have time to scream before the tentacles retract just as quickly and yank them back through the portal. It seals shut leaving no evidence it was ever there at all.
She’ll be fine.
I step through the doorway and into the middle of a war zone. The blistering heat is almost a solid force in its intensity. The bed is shredded and chunks of mattress have been gouged out and scattered over the room. The archway leading out to the balcony is blocked, covered by some sort of heavy webbing. Celestia is crouched in the splintered remains of her writing desk, scratched up and bleeding but not seriously hurt. All her focus is on pouring forth a blast of magical energy from her horn. Over on the other side of the room, another Celestia stands by the fireplace doing the same thing, The magic energy comes smashing together in the center of the room, evenly matched.
“Twilight! She’s a changeling! You have to help me stop her,” says the the Celestia by the desk, shouting to be heard over the spells crashing against one another.
“She’s lying, Twilight,” says the one by the fireplace. “She’s the changeling, not me!”
Although I’m not a match for either one of these two on my own, my magic should be enough to tip the balance one way or the other. But how am I supposed to tell which one’s the real Celestia?
“Can’t you tell she’s lying? Think of all the special times we had together, everything I taught you. Can’t you tell that it’s me?” asks the first Celestia. She can’t turn to properly face me, but she’s looking in my direction with pleading eyes.
“Twilight, I understand. She’s an excellent liar,” says the second one, “we can’t let her lead the invasion she’s planning. If you aren’t going to choose me, blast us both.”
Blast them both? I can’t do that. I can’t knowingly blast Princess Celestia with my magic.
“Do it! Blast us both, for the sake of Equestria,” she commands.
Of course. The real Celestia would put the protection of her ponies above her own well being. I can’t believe I didn’t see it before. I spin around on the Celestia by the desk and channel a surge of magic in her direction. She doesn’t have anything left to block it with, and the impact breaks her concentration enough for the real Celestia’s magic to overwhelm hers and deliver the knockout blow. The fake Celestia gives a cry of pain and collapses into a heap.
The real Celestia lets her magic slow to a trickle and peter out. She stands there for a few moments panting before she falls to her knees.
“Princess!” I dash over to her and kneel down in front of her trying to see her face. “You’re hurt.”
“I will live, thanks to you. I know that must have been a difficult thing to do,” she says.
“I knew you had to be the real one, Princess.”
Celestia nuzzles my neck and pulls me close to her for a hug. After everything I went through to get to this moment, this makes it all worth it. With the help of both Princesses and Chrysalis gone there’s no way the changelings can invade now.
One little detail nags at me as I look back at the fake Celestia. Shouldn’t she have reverted to her changeling form by now?
Celestia’s hooves wrap around me even tighter and push me to the ground. She leans further into the hug, bringing her head down and bites me on my back right between my shoulder blades.
I cry out for Luna to help me but the doors are closed and the soundproofing spells won’t be so easily overcome. I try to fight back and squirm out of her jaws but she shifts her weight and pins me down. I feel her jaw muscles flex and suddenly there’s a burning sensation emanating from where she’s biting, spreading through my veins. I scream and thrash but it’s useless. The burning is moving up my neck and face and I find that I can’t think straight. I’m flailing around even though I can’t remember why any more. I have to remember... something. My head hurts so much when I try to remember.
I gasp and open up my eyes. Oh thank goodness. How can there be anything to worry about when I’m in the safest place in the world? I’m right where I should be; with Princess Celestia.
I stop struggling and lay against her, exhausted but not sure how I got that way.
“Doesn’t that feel so much better, Twilight?” she asks. I don’t say anything but I smile up at her, drifting in a blissful fog. Why was I trying to remember, anyway? Thinking for myself is overrated. The Princess is so much smarter and stronger than a worthless thing like me. Everything will be better if I just trust her and do what she says. She mutters something to herself about how she can’t believe ponies fall for that line every time but I don’t really understand what she means by that.
“Twilight, do you love me?”
I feel like I’ve been yanked out of my wonderful repose and dunked in a bath of ice water. How can she even ask me that? Haven’t I proven to her a hundred times over by now just how devoted I am? Well if I haven’t proven my love to her yet then I’ll just have to love her even harder, even if I could never hope to deserve the love of such a perfect creature in return.
“I love you Princess. I love you completely, deeply, utterly, and in every conceivable way. You’re the most important pony in the whole world to me,” I say looking her straight in the eyes as I do.
Celestia purrs and licks her lips. “Mmm... Yes you really do, don’t you? Thank you Twilight, I needed that. Now I need you to do something else for me. Will you?”
“Anything, Princess. Just tell me what it is.”
“It’s terrible, Twilight, Luna’s gone mad and become Nightmare Moon again. She’s coming to kill me. In fact she’s right outside fighting my guards,” says Celestia.
What? Luna wants to hurt Princess Celestia? I’m furious. I hate Luna. She’s a horrible monster. “How can I help?”
“I can’t fight her, not right now,” says Celestia. She stands up and walks towards her balcony. Suddenly not being able to touch her makes my whole world dark and cold. I’ll do whatever she asks, anything just for the chance to be near her again. “Stay here. When Luna comes in looking for me, I want you to kill her or die trying.”
Wow! The Princess must really love me if she’d give me an important job like that. I give her a sharp salute. “You got it, Princess!”
She smiles and pushes the webbing to one side, walking out onto the sunny balcony and spreading her wings as she leaps into the air. Not a moment later the door to the hallway begins to open. I bet that’s Luna now.
I quiver with anticipation at the prospect of being able to follow the Princess’ command and die for her. I’m such a lucky little pony.
---------------------
Luna will deal with the changeling guards just fine without my help. I open the door to Celestia’s bedroom and walk in. The heat’s not as noticeable as it was last time, maybe my own body temperature is just higher.
“Twilight! She’s-”
That’s as far as Chrysalis gets before I unload every spell I can think of into her smug changeling face.
Like before, my magic disrupts the target’s defenses and creates an opening for Celestia. The beam of solar power throws Chrysalis into the wall and the impact knocks her back into her natural form before she drops passed out onto the floor. Celestia looks exhausted by the effort, but I don’t go over to her. I go over to check on Chrysalis.
She’s still breathing.
I could change that. The way I feel right now I could call up all manner of dark magics that draw unimaginable power from the caster’s own anger or hatred or shame. Defenseless as she is right now she wouldn’t be able to stop me. Maybe I could even live with myself afterwards.
Before I can decide one way or the other I feel a gentle hoof laid across my back. I turn to see Celestia looking at me with somber and weary eyes. I can tell she’s reading me like an open book.
“She can’t hurt you now, Twilight. You’re safe.”
I don’t go to her, but I don’t resist as she wraps her wings around me either.
Leaning against her chest, I feel like I understand something a bit better. Love, real love rather than that sick parody I felt before, isn’t based on mindless, slavish devotion or obedience. It comes from mutual respect. I love Celestia, and I know she loves me back. That doesn’t mean we let the other do whatever they want unquestioningly, and we’re both better off for it.
Luna enters the room to find us like that, and the tension she’s carrying drains out of her posture when she sees Chrysalis lying by the fireplace. My moment of peace is cut short when the memory of everything else that’s about to happen comes crashing back in.
I give them the short version of what I know. About the time loop and the invasion and the Elements. When I’m done the princesses sit in silent thought for a few moments.
“I suspect you are correct about the Elements of Harmony, although it is not like them to behave in such a manner. I will go to the vault and see what magic I might know that can forestall the explosion you mentioned, at least for some time. With luck we can postpone it long enough for the bearers to get here,” says Celestia.
“I will add my strength to that of our defenders, the better to protect the city until the others arrive,” says Luna.
“What about her?” I ask, nodding over towards Chrysalis who’s still out cold.
“Nothing we can do to her will stop the attack from coming if it is already as close as you say. Not even killing her,” says Celestia with a pointed glance in my direction at the last part. “We will imprison her in the dungeons for the time being. Once the invasion has been stopped we will negotiate her surrender so the changelings can withdraw in an orderly way, rather than allowing them to turn wild and feral.
We agree on the broad outlines of the plan and then it’s off to put it into practice. There are only a few minutes left before the first invaders arrive and every second counts.
Celestia takes the unconscious Chrysalis down to the dungeons personally, with the promise that she’ll head straight for the vaults afterwards, while Luna and I head for the barracks to rally the royal guard. While they go to red alert and begin suiting up for the fight ahead, I pull some of their commanders aside and tell them everything I can remember about how the invasion happens. Numbers, times, places, nopony knows what little detail will turn out to be the most important.
Luna, an intimidating sight to behold all decked out in gleaming intricately carved silver armor, will be leading the counterattack herself. Her power is worth fifty guards all on her own. I want to join them, but Luna refuses. I’m to stay in the castle, and at 6:00 sharp Luna will return. Then we’ll both go down to meet my friends getting off the train assuming Celestia has successfully held back the Elements of Harmony for that long.
There’s a crash from somewhere down in the city and all the guards suddenly start to move and shout at once. A moment later I’m alone in the barracks, With nothing better to do I head back to the castle to meet up with Spike, who I’ve left completely in the dark about all this in my rush to get everything in place. I explain what’s going to him, partly so he’ll understand and partly to make sure I didn’t miss anything.
The moment of truth gets closer, and by 5:55 we’re not even pretending anymore, just staring at the clock as it ever so slowly ticks away the seconds.
...5:56...
...5:57... I wince, expecting to feel a rumble that means I’ve failed again, but it doesn’t come.
5:58! Celestia did it! This is actually going to work. I hug Spike and bolt from the room to go meet Princess.
We both arrive at the castle’s front gate at the same time from opposite directions. Luna’s armor isn’t gleaming any more. It’s scratched and pitted and covered in what I can only assume are changeling fluids. She looks every inch like a warrior Princess straight out of legend, the same mare who led Equestria’s armies into battle countless times over the centuries.
We stay on the ground but set a quick pace heading for the train station. The damage to the city doesn’t look nearly as bad as I remember from other loops, and in the skies it looks like swarm’s been fought to a standstill. They don’t have to hold out too much longer.
There’s barely any resistance on our way, certainly nothing Luna can’t handle with frightening efficiency. We arrive at the train station exactly when we mean to, 6:28.
Waiting for this train is driving me up the wall. It should get here any minute now.
6:29...
6:30...
Aaaaaaaaany minute now.
6:33...
6:34...
6:35...
So they’re running a few minutes late. Big deal. The invasion’s probably just thrown the schedule off a little, that’s not surprising.
6:40...
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6:50...
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An excellent chapter... but not enough Twilight being a bad-ass. Honestly, when being used as a Pinkie Purple Pony Powered Party Pooper Phazer (IE. Magic Chaingun) Twilight took out loads, possibly dozens of changelings... she gets murderized by 4? Twi needs to go all action-hero on the whole lot and smite em all!
THIS. IS. AWESOME!!!!!!!
When someone says to blast them both, you do it. Jubilee fell for the same trick in the X-Men cartoon from the 90's
It's time to split!
All I have to say.
i3.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/364/474/2a6.gif
2012893 She needs an operator in order to do that, a tank is useless without a crew.
Pure gold I need MOAR!!!
The part where Twi knocked out the guards had me cracking up hard
2012914 timesplitters references is pwnage have a moustache or 5
I agree with with 2012893. It really doesn't make much sense that she would be able to take down dozens of Changelings from the show and not be able to defeat four of them here, even considering their increased voracity in the story (i.e. outright killing ponies [which doesn't make a whole lot of sense on its own, since they're killing their own food source without apparent mercy or, more importantly, restraint]).
I think you still have your previous story (Duel Nature) in mind with regards to Twilight's power (drastically limiting it), and I don't think that's necessary in this story, if the first two chapters are anything to go by.
Other than that, great chapter and I look forward to more.
Also 2012893, your 'chaingun' is here.
Twi broke time again.
2012992 If only she weren't stuck in Steel Battalion: Heavy Armor. No amount of repeats will help her with that stupid Kinect!
Yes, I'm complaining about a game I should've known better than to buy. Bite me.
All the deaths. Lovin' Twi's cavalier atitude.
Now, I solemnly wait for updates.
That was awesome. I just about died at the bit where she got exploded by the loving elements of harmony
...more?
Tip: don't read first person stories immediately after playing Max Payne. Throughout the whole chapter I could only imagine Twilight's voice as that of a drunk, drug-addled ex-cop.
It was strange.
Reminds me of that movie, Groundhog Day?
2012893 the ones she was fighting in invasion were all grunts, these are probably elites
So has she fallen out of the time loop and into an alternate universe? One where she's a Changeling along with everypony else?
HORROR TAG NAO
But seriously, what's going on?
2012906
I don't see why she didn't just blast one of them, hope it's the right one, and if it's not, kill herself and start over. Really not that hard. Now someone needs to make a video game like this.
On one hand I hate seeing twilight in pain and being beaten the way she is. On the other I know that she is just going to e even more badass by the time this is over. It'll be interesting if some things change slightly as a way to just screw with her. Like the next time she goes to see Luna Luna is actually chrysalis.
My prediction: the train hasn't arrived yet due to an ambush by changelings. When or of it does arrive it will just be gruesome and cause a reset. Twilight will have to manage the changeling attack while simultaneously protecting her friends somehow.
The "game" will keep adding variables for her to account for because of how much she is changing each time she goes through the process.
Update soon!
She has infinite lives, and she's gonna need every single one of them.
When Twilight burst into the room to see two Celestia's I went
and I knew what was gonna happen. Then when she came back in the next loop and hoof-smacked the changeling queen with her magic I went 
AWESOME CHAPTER YESS FINALLY I CAN'T WAIT FOR THE NEXT ONE BEST FIC EVER AND..... *Inhales* ..... I REALLY LIKE THIS FIC AND IT'S WELL WRITTEN AND IT'S JUST SO AWES ---*Explodes*--- ...
Anyhow, good story keep it up!
Heh.
Also, this is crazy brilliant.
2013193 I now want to read My Little Dashie in the perspective of Max Payne.
Can we get some twi-heavy in here(twilight mini gun form)
To be fair, it seems it wasn't so much "try" in this one.
Also:
I love this one. Hilariously nerdy.
Wait, what do you mean? Zebracan or Equestrian Changeling?
Maybe the changelings don't need the ponies anymore. That would explain why they are suddenly far more powerful and murderous. Or maybe they are just that way because it makes the story work better. Either way I'm looking forward to more!
I doth protest Twilight getting murder to the face so easily by the changelings, but I can let that slide. What I'm really not sure about is the Princesses' utter lack of a reaction pertaining to her view on death now. She is unable to die, and has allowed herself to die several times just to learn something. I expect her to do so, but the Princesses don't make a remark? I call foul.
The running theme of this story seems to be "Well that didn't work"
2013403 You mean one where when you lose you start over? They exist, its called all of them.
2013899
No, one where you spend the entire time trying to figure out what is happening and how to stop it.
I love how this is Best Night Ever: Twilight Vs Changelings edition.
Epilogue:
Twilight lay cozily on her bed, the great dragon Spike nestled next to his former mentor. Her breathing was labored and the doctors had spoken quietly to her loved ones of her imminent passing. Princess Celestia gazed down at her student as she had with all her students over the years, content in the fact that their passing was being eased.
Slowly, over the course of a few simple hours, Twilight's form gradually became still. She passed knowing her actions had forever changed Equestria for the better and with a glad heart entered the final journey all mortals must face.
----------------------------------------------
“Well that didn’t work.”
Edit: Spelling error.
it's a fucking mystery rapped in an enigma. Good show.
Heh, getting everything solved may take some time. That's perfect!
It's very good, I'm really enjoying it
Kaizo traps so far: (Correct me if I missed any, please.)
Harmony nuke
Celestia can't beat Chrysalis
The train (I think so, anyways.)
I am loving this series it is an original idea and I have not seen a story like this one yet, I laugh at parts, like the changling that pretty much soiled himself watching twi beat his buddies into the ground. I can not wait for the rest!
2012893
2013059
2013298
2013750
Yeah I can see where you guys are coming from with this. I wanted to avoid the trap of "Twilight curb stomps twenty changelings BUT OH NO THERE ARE FIFTY MORE IN THE NEXT ROOM" but maybe I dialed them up more than was warranted. I'm happy to kick the bug squashery up a few notches over the next couple chapters.
2013403
Isn't that basically what happened? She blasted one thinking she had reason to believe it was the right choice, then when it turned out she was wrong came back to smack down the actual Chryalis. Finding out she was wrong was just an especially nasty process.
2013741
They aren't killing all the ponies, as you'll see next chapter they've kept plenty of them around for feeding (Chrysalis even says as much in chapter one). Nor are the ponies they do kill going to waste...
2014448
In the end it's what she did, but what I was saying was something along the lines of. Enter room, zap, check if dead is changeling. If true, hooray! If false, suicide. A bit more systematical, and a lot less emotions. Of course it would be boring if she actually did that.
2012893
she only knocked them back, and she was stunned for a moment afterwards.
Oh, but of course it's not going to be that simple.
But I'm actually kind of glad. I haven't had enough ponies-trapped-in-a-time-loop yet.
2014511
Ah, I see. Yeah, that wouldn't be as fun to write, nor would it have let me buff up Chrysalis' villain cred. Writing the mind control stuff, though, I felt like I needed a shower afterwards. In fact it almost derailed the story, because originally I wrote about a page and a half of Twilight channeling her anger and hurt at being violated that way into dark magic that she used to smash the helpless Chrysalis to gooey bits. It was way, way over the top.
This chapter actually got revised quite a bit as I was writing it. Originally it was going to center around Twilight finding out that she could tell changelings apart from regular ponies, because they didn't copy the taste of pony flesh onto the inside of their mouths (not fond of the taste). So all Twilight had to do to tell the difference between a normal pony and a changeling was taste the inside of their mouth. By making out with them. Hilarity ensues.
I ended up rejecting the whole thing because it didn't really fit with the darker tone of the story
2014050.
That actually kind of is how the story that inspired this one ends, but I won't say if this one will follow its lead with either the main or alternate ending.
2013155
Love hurts
2014528
To be fair, that's about as close as you'd get to a fatal hit in-show.
2014619
Neither have I! Plus I'd be remiss to end the story without devoting at least part of a chapter to Twilight figuring out she can now do whatever she wants without consequences. That's like a Groundhog Day story law.
2014736
Sure, but it still means that even while operating under Pinkie Physics, she does not Mary-Sue through enemies and kill them all in the process.
This is great. This is definitely a cool story, and I look forward to the next chapter.
One thing that concerns me though is that Twilight seems to be making progress pretty fast now that she's got both the princesses on her side. This seems too easy now, and I'm not sure how the story will stay interesting if there's nothing Twilight stands to lose. No matter how badly she screws up, she can just do another reset.
I think either this is going to be a short story, or things are about to get complicated.
Maybe we'll see some things that could happen to her that she can't just clear up with a reset. I think if Twilight were tortured into insanity, she would still be insane after the reset. Or maybe there are some ways of dying that she can't reset from, like getting pulled into one of Luna's space-time rips.
First off, this is an amazing story. But I don't understand why this Twilight is having so much trouble with the changelings? In the actual show, Twilight was taking out dozens of changelings with a projectile blast of magic that she was casting on a moments notice, with seeming impunity. But you wrote her as dying 8+ times against four changelings that she was able to attack by surprise... in melee combat? Twilight is a magically powerful character; that's an important part of her. But she seems like a pushover in this story, despite her own admittance that she's helped saved the entire world multiple times, and even has first-hand experience with changeling invasions. I understand her friends aren't there with her this time, but she still isn't weak.
Again, I'm loving this story, it just irks me somewhat how Twilight is being written at some points. At others, she's brilliant. I especially liked her rage at what Chrysalis had done to her, and how she was hesitant about accepting Celestia's gratitude the next time around because of it.
[Edit] Also, I'm predicting the Elements' uncharacteristic irritation has something to do with whatever's happening to the train, and to her friends aka the Elements' bonded wielders. My guess? One or more of her friends was dying at 6:00, which might be just enough to send the Elements over the edge when combined with all this disharmony.
2014736 - I can understand you wanting to go darker with this, but the entire Time Loop motif has been done so often, but always with more amusing or at the very least, dark comedy. It's fine to go funny with this, if only because there's little other way to keep yourself sane, especially if your constantly dying.
Bravo, bravo, and encore. I love this concept so much, and eagerly await your next chapter!