First, Twilight was freaking out about her test, and suddenly she's cool as a cucumber! A single nap couldn't have changed much, so... what did?
Spike thought... neigh, Spike knew something was strange.
First, Twilight literally blew up over her upcoming test, and now she's acting as if nothing's wrong!
Like hay that's right! It was a minor miracle that the girls talked her into taking a nap during the train ride, and now she's saying she has everything under control?! Spike knew how good naps were - they refresh you in body and spirit, help memory retention, and aid digestion! But something happened to Twilight, and now she acts like she knows everything that's going to happen before it does!
Wait a second, what do you mean 'accidentally broke the fabric of space-time'!?
Mostly Slice-of-life, but contains parts of episodes that could be called 'adventure-y'.
It had been just that morning when she had gotten princess Celestia's letter and, she had to admit, had gone a little crazy over it.
Alright, mildly crazy. It was not every day that Twilight's lavender coat turned a nearly-white orange, or that her deep blue mane turned into fire... it was the pressure! There was a point that simply made her too jittery to function properly!
"Feeling better?" Fluttershy, her cyan eyes having never let Twilight out of their sight, asked at a volume that was almost drowned out by all the different sounds from the train.
"Much better!" Twilight chirped, yes, chirped, her answer. After working a kink on her neck, Twilight smiled at her butter-yellow friend.
"Uh-huh." Spike raised an eyebrow, the little purple dragon scratching his chin in mild disbelief. "No explosions, no neuroses?"
Twilight blushed - it was always embarrassing to be reminded of her overreactions. She looked towards the seat to her back, opposite to Fluttershy's, where her full-to-bursting saddlebags had been placed so that she could take a nap without their weight causing problems.
"I admit it; I was overreacting about the test." She nodded for emphasis. "But it is nothing we can't handle."
Her reassurance only served to raise even more red flags on Spike's 'Something's wrong with Twilight' list. It included all signs from the obvious 'too entranced by book/list to listen to her surroundings' to the subtler 'trying to drink her own magic while sulking' (it was hard to differentiate from juice).
The way she phrased it... she said 'it is not', which implied absolute certainty, instead of the expected 'think', 'believe' or even 'would' for a higher degree of confidence in her ability to pass the test - oh! And she had said 'we' instead of 'I'! What's up with that?
Whoop, fake alarm; Twilight began to write on a notebook, probably studying again.
The train ride continued like that... it was incredibly awkward! Everypony wanted to ask what had brought about the sudden change, but they were too afraid that she would regress into the dreadful state she had been! They made small questions, about her current study material, mostly... as it turned out, she was making a copy of the Canterlot's Royal Palace's budget for the past six moths. She worked as if from memory, but that was crazy! Who would memorize all those numbers, and why?
*****
Twilight was behaving oddly, for sure.
Instead of racing to the Palace as soon as the train stopped, as... pretty much anypony would have predicted... she just dropped a couple of letters in the nearest mailbox, and then calmly walked to the merchant's district of Canterlot for 'some last-minute order for magic supplies' and a 'meeting with an old friend'.
Which Spike, again, found suspicious.
Twilight didn't haveany old friends! Well, technically there was Lyra, but they only became actual friends after both of them had moved to Ponyville; Lyra said it was a better place to raise Tootsie Flute. Any other old acquaintances-turned-friends were even more recent. That and Spike knew that Lyra was still in Ponyville (he saw her waving at them from the station). Twilight, of course, counted family as her friends, since family were the first friends one would make in their lives, but in that case she would say simply 'family' instead of being cryptic about it.
Spike knew the place; they were currently close to one of Canterlot's many, many magic shops - more specifically, Twilight's favorite...
That was not to be, apparently; Twilight instead entered a shop that looked relatively new, her accounting work in tow. The shop was called 'Yggdrasil's Root', and had a crystal ball sign hanging in front just the same as the library had its little book sign. What would Twilight want in a fortuneteller's shop was beyond him, but Spike wondered what was up with the name. The shop window had generic-looking magic-y objects but, being a mage's shop that caught Twilight's interest, it was likely it was just playing to type and there were obscure enchantments on everything; there were books that looked hoof-made, as well as stacks of cards, robes, tunics, hats, wands, gems, strange potions and all sorts of things commonly associated with wizards, all in varying degrees of decoration.
As soon as the forest-green door closed behind Twilight, however, the drapes behind the merchandise behind the window began to wave. Twilight came out after it calmed, rubbing her ears... oh! The inside was soundproof (either by design or by spells), and somepony yelled at Twilight!
...
Why would somepony they had never met yell at her?
"All done!" She declared, perhaps a little louder than strictly necessary because of her ringing ears, and cheerfully trotted towards the castle.
The questions were just piling up, tensions building up to boiling point... Pinkie looked like she would explode from curiosity alone, but even she was floored by Twilight's strange change - she really, really didn't want to ruin Twilight's good mood, having already tried everything before her nap.
She insisted on entering the castle alone, but promised that she would tell them all about her test after speaking with the princesses.
Another flag, Spike noted; Twilight spoke as if she knew she was going to talk to both princesses with absolute certainty.
Twilight came out the door, just moments before Fluttershy fainted from sheer stress... the poor mare had been thinking up increasingly fatalistic scenarios despite Twilight's confidence.
Pinkie saw Twilight's smile, and cheered. "Whoop-ee! Twilight aced her test!" She reached out behind a decorative bush and pulled out a blue cannon and quickly hit it with a hoof, causing it to fire confetti into the air as she jumped three meters straight up with little effort.
"Not yet, Pinkie." Twilight said, causing Pinkie and the confetti to pause in mid-air, a shocked look on her face. "This meeting was just to inform me about the test, not the test itself."
"Aww..." Pinkie fell down back on all fours, the cone of colorful paper bits somehow reversing its trajectory and stuffing itself back into the cannon.
Twilight smiled a soft, tender smile, the kind of smile that spoke about treasured moments and a connection deeper than what words could describe. She walked over to Pinke and hugged the pink mare tightly.
"Don't ever change, Pinkie." She whispered to her friend, tightening her embrace for a moment before releasing her. Pinkie tough confused, quickly returned Twilight's smile with a wide, ear-to-ear smile of her own.
"Okie Dokie Lokie!" Pinkie nodded, making Twilight nod herself before turning around.
"Pack your things, girls, because we are going to save the Crystal Empire!" Twilight pointed towards the train station.
"Crystal what? Alright, what's going on here!?" Dash had had enough, and even the prospect of adventure could not stop her frustration from showing.
Twilight did not seem to mind at all, and just took a deep breath of air before starting to pace about.
"Well, there is an ancient evil king that has returned from a failed attempt at a banishment, which failed because of his incredible expertise on dark magic and copious amounts of safeguard spells that caused the entirety of the Crystal Empire -I'm talking residents and all- to banish along him, freezing everything in time as they were sent beyond the reach of Normal Space; he cannot be allowed to take hold of the city again, which Cadence and Shining are defending for the time being but cannot do so indefinitely, thus requiring my help to find a way to get rid of Sombra for good. The reason is kinda complicated, but I'll do my best to explain; the Crystal Empire was the central hub of a series of magic experiments in altering the ley lines and their interactions with ponies, the weather, and plants, as well as a way to channel the results - needless to say, this turned the Crystal Empire into the first and last deliberate artificial gathering of ley lines into a Nexus, one that has an effect on the rest of Equestria which reflects the status of the city. Sadly, King Sombra - the mad unicorn I was asked to stop- took over and nearly ruined everything despite his short stay in power... although the disappearance of the Empire removed its active influence on Equestria, the lingering effects both on the rest of the country and the princesses themselves were one of the primary causes of Luna's bouts of depression that had the end result of turning her into Nightmare Moon. Princess Celestia, although well-meaning, made the mistake of banning and making illegal certain types of magic that were related to the creation of the Crystal Empire and Luna's jealousy, and then simply let them disappear from history so that nopony would know about them, going completely against many of the lessons she herself teaches about responsibility, magic, and wisdom just because she was upset about it. I am going to make things right, because I take my responsibilities as a magic scholar, a citizen of Equestria, an apprentice of the princess, and a friend seriously, and I would appreciate it if you would help me make sure that everything goes alright."
She stopped pacing and turned to her friends, some of whom even had a blank look. Five seconds... ten seconds...
Rainbow Dash shook her head to wake herself up from her stupor. "Wha- w- you know what? I don't care for the explanation; if you need my help, I've got your back one-hundred-and-twenty percent." She declared, shrugging with her wings. "That evil king won't know what hit 'im!"
Rainbow Dash pumped her hoof as she gave a fierce expression, making the rest of them shake off their own confusion.
'Of course!' 'Y'can count on me' 'I don't really understand, but count me in.' 'Well, yes, if that's alright with you, I mean.'
"And I'm going, too!" Spike jumped in front of Twilight.
"Of course! How could I do anything without my Number One assistant?" She replied, pulling him in with a foreleg to nuzzle him.
He flailed his little arms around, trying to escape the embarrassing display of affection as a blush tinted his scales. He was picked up by Twilight's magic and placed carefully on her back.
"This sounds very dangerous, darling. Are you sure that everything is fine?" Rarity was, understandably, wary of an ancient evil unicorn that made an entire city vanish.
"I am one-hundred percent certain." Twilight nodded, trotting towards the train that was waiting to send them to their newest adventure.
"Alright, that's it." Spike said, scowling and crossing his arms defiantly - it would have been more effective had he not been riding Twilight's back, thus preventing her from even seeing the gesture. "You have been acting strange ever since you woke up from that nap on the way here; what's going on?!"
Twilight stopped abruptly, almost causing Pinkie to run-bounce into her. They were moments away from boarding, and the topic had to be breached before departure.
"We have some time before we arrive, so I'll gladly explain everything. I am going to say some things that will sound really, really crazy, but I swear that every last one of them is the truth, would you be willing to believe me?" She said neutrally, in contrast to her recent cheer.
"Of course sugarcube." Applejack walked next to her and smiled, not quite turning face to face, but looking to her eyes regardless. The others agreed wholeheartedly.
Twilight sighed in relief. "Every time I hear that, I can't help but remember how great friends you are."
"Every time?"
"That... that is part of the explanation. You see, I was doing an experiment on some of Starswirl's spells and I kind of... I... accidentally broke the fabric of Space-Time."
"WHAT?!" Six voices gasped simultaneously.
"Only a little!" Twilight defended herself. "Anyways, this will have happened a few weeks from now. I've been doing time loops ever since."
"Wait, like in 'Best Night Ever'?" If there was a relation to a romantic novel, Rarity knew it. No exceptions.
"Nope!" Twilight chirped, again, as she finally boarded the train. "There is a big difference between this and that. For one, I have friends, second, I have Pinkie, third, I know a fortuneteller that isn't a sham, and fourth, I am not stuck doing loops against my will."
It took... what, five loops before the error was corrected? Merely having a way out was reassuring... it would not do for the Element of Magic to become suicidally-depressed.
That, and the matter of Blueblood's uncle kept her busy for a great many loops.
"Don't you hate it when a simple research project sends you hurtling through the vast reaches of inter-temporal space? And it wasn't that big of a mistake, either - I just moved a little to the side and got it wrong by a single unit."
And to make things worse; the spell worked more or less as intended, just with a side-effect.
What? Not all miscasts had wacky and unpredictable consequences beyond the scope of rational thought, or even prevented a spell from doing what it was meant to do. Just because somepony tripped a little that didn't mean that the pony would fall.
*****
"Oof!" Twilight felt the wind get knocked out of her, her vision still a blur of stars and fireworks, her ears getting nothing more than a high-pitched whine trying to make a tune and failing miserably, while her nose sent nonsensical smells and her skin felt like it was being assaulted by slimy barbs.
She recovered... in under a second... not normal.
Seeing as how she was inside the library's lobby, somehow missing the carved shelves, instead of the basement, she knew that something was odd. That had taken more energy than simply teleporting to ground level, while also not feeling like any teleport she had ever experienced - it was too wavy. Teleports usually felt electrical, or warm, pulling and/or pushing... err... alright, maybe she wasn't fully recovered.
"Ah, Twilight! I didn't expect you to drop by so suddenly!" A stallion's voice came from somewhere upstairs; he sounded like a senior. "I'll see you in a minute! The girls aren't in, however."
"W-who are you?!" She said as she shakily got to her hooves. "What are you doing in my house?!"
"What am I- oh dear... you aren't my Twilight!" The stallion said. "Or any Twilight I've met before... I'll have to take measures."
"What?" Twilight steadied herself, and warily observed the door to the upper level.
An old unicorn stallion came out of it... other than a long, impressive beard and mustache combo that shamed all other owners of facial hair, she could not tell much about the stallion. His coat was yellow one moment, then blue the next, or even her very own lavender, with his eyes changing colors just as fast, although his mane remained the same gray as his beard; she recognized the effect as a kaleidoscopic disguise spell.
"Now, dear, I'll get in contact with somepony who can get you the help you need, and all will be fine, you hear?" He spoke in just the same tone her grandfather used to calm her down when she was just a filly... "Now, tell me, what were you doing before you ended up here?"
*****
"So... who was that? And why the library?" Rarity asked. Twilight had already told them that she had accidentally blown herself up with a miscalculated time-whatzit spell, thus ending up there. Well, that wasn't what she said, but that was what it amounted to.
"Ah, both are related; the key resonator element of the spell I cast was a perfect match..." Five minutes later. "... accidentally interacting with a protection spell against intruders that allows only certain ponies through, and, in fact, pulls them in; one of the ponies in the list being 'Twilight Sparkle'."
*****
"... with the self-identity 'Twilight Sparkle', plus a few other parameters, designed that way to skip having to traverse the surrounding area." The surprisingly spry old stallion concluded. They were taking tea around the central table, which was covered with many, many scrolls and the occasional equation that had been written directly on it before either pony realized that the parchment had ran out of space.
Twilight understood. The spell she used shared a similarity to a spell that was actually designed to transport a pony 'here', where 'here' was a point outside of her 'local' space-time. Her spell had also taken her off the constrains of the fabric of space-time by actually managing to punch a hole in it 'larger' than herself... which was a problem, but one that could be solved with help from the right pony.
"Wait, if the keys on the scroll are a match..." Twilight whispered as the epiphany hit her over the head; first, right now, she was in a place where time was too loose to affect things. Second: "That would mean that you either paid homage to another wizard... or... or..."
"Or all of my spells use the same components because I liked them when I made them the first time." He completed. The keys were simply the part of the spell that held it together (for those spells that needed such things) until it was actually cast, similar to bobby pins and needles, and usually were 'arranged' in different ways by each caster; it also had the benefit of making sequential casting of spells with similar keys easier; the author used them as a signature, while the ponies attempting another's spell used them as a reference, sometimes changing the keys for their own style only after being able to reliably cast the spell.
"You... you are Starswirl the Bearded. The Starswirl the Bearded!" She squealed and stared, wide-eyed, at one of her idols.
He chuckled and shook his head.
"Oh no, I'm just a Star Swirl, and my name is two words instead of one. You accept having other Twilight Sparkles running about, but not other mes?"
Twilight shrank back a little, blushing and rubbing a hoof on the other.
"Well, I already had a little experience with a one-use time-travel spell..."
"The spell that makes you learn it?" He gasped in shock, then grumbled. "Why, oh why... did anything good come out of it?"
"Umm... we made many renovations to... as many things possible, to make them safer." Twilight, while knowing that this stallion might not even have the same personality as the one she studied, was still stunned by having a wizard bemoan his work like that. "What happened in yours?"
"See, I appeared in front of myself and showed me my work, then I did everything to recreate it, went back in time, and showed it to myself... what a waste of a perfectly good week." He planted his face upon the table. "And I never did find out if what I said about the limit was true, or just playing into what I heard the first time."
*****
"It was decided that we should do something about my accident, you know, fix the hole so that... actually, he just said that the consequences would not be something I would like to know about." She had to agree; she had been studying time magic for a couple of loops, and quickly discovered that the potential for disasters was such that she trembled in fright.
Magic, the magic almost anyone - pony or not - knew, worked within the universe, but hardly affected the universe itself... her accident was precisely that - an accident. 'Common' magic interacted with... other magic, magic that she didn't know existed - until then. It was a little daunting, but once she had scratched the surface, she knew she would never turn back. The older wizard knew some, but they would need a little help, both out there, and back inside.
She had to hold a few details, for now, at least. For example, how she had squealed like a fangirl when he gave her permission to touch the beard - she couldn't help it! It reached almost to the floor, yet was always silky-smooth and lustrous!
*****
"I got here because of a similar (though less disruptive) spell, though it was a mistake, since I was working on an entirely different spell at the time." Star Swirl said, looking outside a window; it was like Discord was set loose out there. "I... found that I liked it here, and re-created my favorite workshop."
"This?!" Twilight gasped, wide-eyed. She understood, intellectually, that her own home might have not even existed by his time in her world, but the mere thought of such an important wizard favoring the place she called home still made her heart race with the kind of excitement only a passionate academic can have.
"Well, yes!" He chuckled. "That earthy scent, the feel of the live ley lines flowing all around you... it makes anypony feel more in touch with nature, don't you think?"
Twilight nodded. So inviting it was, it had taken no more than a day for the place to feel like a proper home. She always tought that casting spells inside felt warmer than outside, but, until now, she had believed it to be simply a trick of the mind...
"Ahh... well, this might not be the Astral Realm, but I'm happy nonetheless."
"Astral what now?"
"Oh, towards the end of my time, I was trying to make a new spell, to reach a place of magic that supposedly only the princesses could get to, but..." The aged stallion trailed off, lowering his gaze, ears flat against his head. "But I'm old, Twilight, old."
She was quickly at his side, patting him on the back. "But what does that have to do with anything? We found my mistake very fast, and you already have something to send me back! If it weren't for the beard and some wrinkles, I'd say you are at your peak!"
He shook his head and smiled ruefully at her. "Anything in here is unaffected by time; I am as fit as I was when I was young, but only here. This..." He tapped his head. "This went away a long while ago. And, while my legs look thick and strong, that is only because I managed to bulk up again, but my bones would protest my weight as soon as I leave."
Twilight let our a tiny gasp, covering her mouth with a hoof as she slowly realized what he was talking about.
"The head lauded as belonging to the most valued wizard of my time might as well be a coconut; thick, hard, and filled with nothing but sloshing liquid. If I leave, I'll just be a senile old fool that can't understand how unpleasant I am to be around." He sighed, devoid of the youthful energy he had displayed during their study session. "I think that's the main reason why my last piece never worked right... my age took away my ability to understand things."
She hesitated for a second, then bit her lip, but in the end, she gave the tired old stallion a hug.
"And I'm not the only one whose reason faded with age." He continued, though leaning a bit in direction of Twilight. "I heard that another one of me made an awful object called the All-icorn Amulet."
Twilight shivered, letting him know that she knew of it. She knew. Everything; from what the thing was, to the path language had taken to make an archaic saying into All-icorn, then further shorten it to Alicorn, much to the annoyance of the princesses...
She knew.
"One... one of the things my world's Starswirl was known for was defeating a unicorn that was crazed by that thing, and saving him."
"Hmm... at least something good comes out of it."
Twilight recalled Trixie's... return. She'd write her a letter, for a small get-together, after everything was fixed.
"What... what of an age spell?" Twilight asked, having had a burst of inspiration from the memory.
"Ah, not here, many spells affecting one's time don't work correctly here; I would need somepony else to do it, outside, after somehow making my senile self to agree. Yet, even then I would stay here; because of the girls... you should meet them some time, but this place soothes minds, and the troubles that plague one of them are lesser here." He said, sadly yet still resolutely, turning to a framed picture.
She promised she'd visit.
*****
"It was decided, then, that to fix things, I would need help - not just with the magic involved, but to keep me mentally sound by doing different things no matter how many repeats I am involved with." Twilight left out the personal parts, the technical stuff, and the parts that would just be plain confusing without the context. "And the starting point is just as important."
"Obviously, you can't just point and say 'oh, I would like to go there' just like that; no, for it to be quick there had to be some signal... a beacon, of sorts." She added with uncertainty, and blushed. "It just so happens that the... explosion from this morning was an excellent marker; not too close to The Event to make a maddeningly short loop, nor far away enough to make for an awkward wait. True, more time would help with the events in the timeline, but... well, it's not as good an idea as one may think."
"What kind of help can you get on... this side?" Rarity asked; Twilight had kind of made a point to tell them how strange all of it had been. "If the same events have the same outcome, who else but you could change that?"
"Why, you are sitting next to her, of course!" Twilight cheerfully replied. "She's not the only one, but you don't know the others yet."
Everypony turned to the earth mare sitting next to Rarity, while Pinkie herself gaped in surprise.
"Me? But why?" She tilted her head, pondering... something, maybe the secrets of the Universe, or just a new cupcake recipe.
"Your little celebration back in Canterlot, that's why." Twilight said, pointing. "You preempted Spike and Applejack making questions as they do when I come out smiling; things change around you, like the normal rules of reality don't apply to you."
"Can't you tell us something we don't already know?" Rainbow Dash deadpanned, managing to hold her flat look for all of three seconds before giggles and chuckles spread through the group.
"There's an oracle living in Canterlot; fate and destiny are her tools of the trade." Twilight said with an overly-happy smile. "The prices on some of the things she sells are insane, yet, for their function, are a steal. She also has been teaching me some unreal magic, and from that I've been piecing together the foundations to the magic she used to make what are, essentially, spirits (though 'summonable golem made of magic' would be more accurate, if a tad insulting)... Oh! And whenever I give it some thought, she might just be the scariest mare I've ever known despite being so friendly - unless what she told me about her best friend is true."
It had been just that morning when she had gotten princess Celestia's letter and, she had to admit, had gone a little crazy over it.
Alright, mildly crazy. It was not every day that Twilight's lavender coat turned a nearly-white orange, or that her deep blue mane turned into fire... it was the pressure! There was a point that simply made her too jittery to function properly!
"Feeling better?" Fluttershy, her cyan eyes having never let Twilight out of their sight, asked at a volume that was almost drowned out by all the different sounds from the train.
"I'm having mixed feelings." She replied. On one hoof, she had to re-do everything, and more than once... on the other hoof, if there was one thing she had gained, was time.
Unless that other pony was wrong (and Star Swirl assured her he rarely was in cases like that) there were many things going on in the background that she could help with, lest they grow beyond control. And what did 'the root of the problem' mean anyways?
"What is that supposed to mean, darling?" Rarity asked, and Twilight had to remind herself that Rarity didn't know what was going on. Not that she couldn't be told, but Twilight was aware that, given her little episode in the library, explaining things before their departure to the Crystal Empire would be awkward.
"Uh... I'm sure everything's going to be alright, but I'm still nervous?" She didn't mean to make it sound like a question, but the conflicting feelings of familiarity and threading into uncharted waters threw her for a loop.
She groaned internally at her unintended pun.
=====
The group trotted out of the train station after a long, awkward ride.
Like, really awkward. Like she could never believe. She didn't say anything, nopony said anything, and she could only escape the uncomfortable glances by - surprise, surprise - opening a book and taking shelter behind its cover and pages.
However, she didn't have much time before having to go to the castle and off to help Shiney - just because she was going to be looping for a while that didn't mean that she could just ignore ponies in trouble. She would just give the merchants' district a quick look, see if anything caught her attention, and go to see the princess.
Hoo! She saw some earrings that had the shape of her cutie mark! Nice... oh, and they would look really good with that dress in that other store! Simple and practical, just the way she liked it. Hm? For some reason, she felt like she should look inside the sports store, even though she did not have much interest in that kind of things. Strange, but she would have time to do some actual shopping once the world stopped being threatened; she had to focus.
'A fortuneteller can help' they said, as if you could find an authentic Seer on every corner; Far Sight the Learned may have been well-known during his own time and made the prediction of Nightmare Moon's return, but even he had liked his privacy a bit too much to actually live inside the city (and had rejected Celestia's attempts at rewarding him for the news, at least the ones that would have drawn unwanted attention to him).
'Don't be afraid to ask your friends for help' they said. Well d'uh! She had no intention of taking the same path as the protagonist of 'Best Night Ever'.
'Always take care of problems from their roots' they said. Cryptic, that last one; typical wizards. At least her friends were with her... wait a second...
One shop stood out from the rest, at least, to her eyes. The two-story building had a lot of green - green awning, forest-green door, green walls- and a touch of yellow accents here and there, a crystal ball sign... and it was called "Yggdrasil's Root", according to the golden letters on the window.
Twilight was not one to rely on 'hunches' or 'gut feeling', but then again, if she wanted to look for a fortuneteller, she might as well try one who might have named her shop to fit her search.
If said fortuneteller wasn't a sham, anyways.
Huh, a good reason to hate time... twisty-wimey-chrono-whatzit whatever-the-hell-she-was-doing. Trial and error and a lot of guessing. Yay.
"I'm going to check out this store." She said, but then a strange sensation came over her... like somepony looking at her, only somehow reaching deeper than any gaze had a right to do - judging from the sounds of hitched breath around her, the others felt it too.
Twilight was not one to rely on 'hunches' or 'gut feeling', but she was fairly certain that not many ponies could look at one's soul without at the least looking them in the eye - Celestia couldn't do it through a closed door, but Luna did.
*****
"Wh-what do you mean, spirits?" Fluttershy squeaked, trembling slightly.
Despite the low volume, Twilight was still distracted from her trip down memory lane (and a nested one at that, since she had just recalled Celestia's glare hitting somepony around a corner a few months before Luna's return).
"The definition is not very accurate." Twilight waved a hoof through the air, as if trying to follow and read a jumbled sentence written on the train's walls and ceiling. "They are beings with artificially-constructed bodies, capable of... pretty much anything anypony else can, only tailored for specific situations like light or water magic, as well as the ability to cooperate with a spellcaster to perform spells that would otherwise be outside of their level or require a longer casting time."
Kind of like certain other high-level magic-boosting objects, only that they were... alive. Not merely semi-sentient, like the Alicorn Amulet (its 'awareness' is what made a careless user go crazy), but actually capable of deciding to pick a lock, break into a cellar, and swipe a bottle or two right under their friends' noses.
Water was weird like that.
That would be 'Water' with a capital 'W', not the substance - even if she was made mostly of it.
"Wait, so she just made ponies?" Dash asked, eyes wide.
"Psst!" Pinkie stage-whispered - since she was on the other side of the group, everypony heard. "You can do that, too; it's called 'parenthood'."
Twilight openly laughed at that.
"No Dash, she just made the... blueprints, you could say; even then it is not something easily done, because it's so detail-intensive." Shaping things out of magic, instead of conjuring materials and then shaping them, was a horribly complicated affair - even when using actual materials to make the basic form, and not to mention giving the body a magic system! That was yet another difficult task, and the primary reason why artifacts like the Amulet were both so rare and really powerful. "She... cheated, so to speak; she can see through objects, and even things commonly regarded as 'invisible' like inner energy."
*****
"Welcome, how may I help you?"
The mare on the other side of the door was a white unicorn with a long, mostly straight blond mane (honey-almond, according to the teller's boyfriend), while her eyes were covered by a blindfold... what called her attention, other than her extravagant clothes, was the mark on her face. A large, red cross was.. painted? projected with magic? It was there; it extended from her left brow to her neck, likely passing right through the middle of the eye, while the 'arms' crossed below the eye itself, crossed over her muzzle to the edge of the other eye while the other hiding somewhere under her mane.
The mare was wearing a typical wizard hat, with a white silk ribbon around the bottom of the cone, and a thin gold chain circling the very edge of the rim, with little ruby pendants hanging from it in the same fashion Starswirl's had bells, and also matching her earrings. She also wore a saddle-dress, red as well, with long sleeves to the fetlock and more small chains with tiny jewels on a red vest with white and yellow accents. Everything else was hidden behind a table with a crystal ball on a cushion.
Twilight could feel the tickle of magic coming from the fortuneteller. She learned from Star Swirl that the bells on his own outfit were far more than decoration, and wondered why would an accomplished spellcaster work as a-
"Goodness!" Rarity gasped, the compliment to the dress she was about to say was forgotten. "Why would hoof polish be so expensive?!"
Indeed - there it was in the showcase to the side, a bottle of black polish with a label putting the price as a couple of hundred thousand bits. A bottle of black ink was similarly priced, as were many of the other objects within... at the very least, the crown that had a silvery inner glow looked that expensive! There were many shelves as well, each with either a decorative/possibly-magical plant or another object for sale.
"Everything here is magical." Twilight stated, having recalled the outrageous amount of money that Trixie had - by some miracle, regardless of how dark- saved to pay for the Amulet. "I take it you are a fortuneteller?"
"And so much more." The mare replied with a smile, tapping her hooves and waving one through the air; she didn't look (nor sound) any older than her, but Twilight knew better than to judge at first glance - that thing with the book was just taking the poor choice of words on the title at face value. "Ever felt that Fate is playing with you? Ever thought that you were dealt a bad card? Are you lost as to how to take your destiny on you hooves? I either have something for you, or know where to find it, Miss Twilight."
Twilight nodded; this might just be the mare she was looking for.
"Hey, how didja know that was Twilight?" Applejack asked with a wary glance, which the mare answered with a flat look.
"I've heard her speak before, I've seen her walking through the streets back when she lived here, I saw her during your knighting, I don't need eyes to see... I can go for a while, if you'd like." She said, quickly recovering her smile. "But where are my manners? My name is Cassandra La Croix, pleased to meet you."
"Yes, I'm foreign. I have no accent because of practice. Yes, I can see the future. Yes, I'm doing it right now. Yes. Your number is 'forty two'. Yes. Yes. No. Maybe. I'd love to! No. Yes. I do; he taught me everything I know; how to help myself. Not yet, but planning to. Sure! No. Yes. Yes, and cut back the hot sauce." The rapid-fire answers were supplemented with a quick glance to a pony, presumably the one to ask.
Nopony said anything for a few moments.
"Ohh, she's good." Pinkie said, and Cassandra chuckled.
"It's situational, but yes, I have practice with it." She brushed a lock of hair with a hoof in mild embarrassment. "Don't you have somewhere to go, though? I'm still here if you need anything."
Uh oh.
=====
Princess Luna raised an eyebrow - Twilight was short of breath and... tense. She understood some of the reasons her sister had to trust Twilight with this, but she was still of the opinion that Celestia was being too irresponsible - surely there had to be more... something!
"I've- I've- phew! I'm here for the test." Twilight said between large breaths, wiping some sweat from her forehead; it wasn't that far from where she was to the castle, but she had ran like that one time with the snakes and the Hearts-and-Hooves ornament.
Celestia almost - almost - rolled her eyes and chuckled, thinking that it was merely Twilight's usual nervousness.
"This is a different kind of test. The Crystal Empire has returned." She said, trying at the very least to get Twilight to stop her usual pre-examination stress.
Twilight let out one last huff, and nodded. "Yes. I'm- I'm getting right on that. I don't have to waste any time searching the whole city for the Crystal Heart anyways."
The princesses both shook their heads in an example of synchronized confusion.
"What- why do you know of the Empire? Few remember it ever existed at all. Even my knowledge of the Empire is limited." Celestia asked, quite surprised.
"Uh... I know that the Crystal Heart channels the energy of the citizens' emotions in very much the same way a unicorn's horn does, allowing somepony to use the crystal to cast spells - in the case of love and hope it makes particularly potent defensive magic capable of keeping even Discord at bay. The city was the place from which you and your sister organized the last offensive and ended the Chaotic Era." Twilight inhaled deeply, and nodded. "I know because I've already done it but I've been forced into a time loop."
"Wait, like in 'Best Night Ever'?" Luna asked, perplexed. She had taken a liking to most modern works, and found the romantic novel to be entertaining if a bit... hard on the protagonist.
"I... guess? However, I do know how to get out of it." Twilight replied. "I just have to wait some more loops."
Celestia blinked once, twice... then let out a small 'hmm'.
"That is a relief, then. Oh well, one more point off the list." She said, as a large scroll materialized in front of her.
It was Twilight's turn to be confused. "List?"
"Oh, ever since you got your cutie mark, I knew that the unusual and the fantastic would happen around you." Celestia drew a checkmark on the scroll. "A time loop I thought unlikely, but ever since the incident with the teapot-"
Twilight groaned and facehoofed, while Celestia and Luna chuckled.
"Oh, you managed to cross three points with that one." The Sun princess beamed.
"I suppose that now it is only a matter of time before the genderswap and mindswap incidents." Luna tapped a hoof to her chin, making Twilight shrink into herself.
"So... you have already saved the Crystal Empire at least once?" Celestia asked, feeling a mix of hope and pride.
"I... kind of. I found the Crystal Heart, but fell for a trap meant to imprison would-be thieves. I didn't know if I could break out of it in time, because it included a counter-teleport spell, so I had Spike return the Heart to Cadence." She rubbed her legs together.
"Even if it has not happened yet, I can be at ease knowing that you have everything under control." Celestia sighed in relief, and Luna... Luna smiled.
"I... understood it later, why I was sent 'alone'; you knew my friends would never let me go, and I would never turn them away." Twilight sat down. "King Sombra was incredibly paranoid, and a brilliant strategist - with the entire population of the city being earth ponies, none had the capacity to open his trapped doors, and there was a second trap... a fear illusion."
"I do not mean to pry, but what was this illusion?" Luna felt conflicted; for one, she wanted to comfort her friend, on the other hoof, she wanted to wring Sombra's neck and buck his teeth in for using that spell.
"I-I was back here, and-and the princess said that I failed and I wasn't her student anymore!" Twilight blurted out the words, and held back shivers...
Celestia approached her young, little student, and gently nuzzled her cheeks. Luna, too, decided to reassure Twilight.
"Even had you failed, I would not hold it against you." Celestia whispered to her ears. "I have seen you grow from back when you were a little filly, and I know that you would have done everything in your power... and your friends would, too."
"I know." Twilight sighed, having shaken off the memory of the illusion. "I know that you told me to go alone, knowing that I would not refuse my friends' help, that I would place other ponies before me... and in the process lose that nervousness around you that you find so disheartening. I also know that you won't go in person because Sombra would just see us as being beneath him, and his arrogance would be his downfall."
"I know I won't remember this, but never forget how proud I am to be your teacher."
Twilight smiled. "I won't let you down, princess."
"Pinkie said there'd be a party." Cassandra said, resting on one of the seats of the train; without the mark on her face or her clothes she looked just like any other pony. "Though I do not need to see the future to know that you seven racing to the castle meant that something big was going to happen."
Her eyes were a vibrant green, not unlike Applejack's.
"I'm sorry, I still can't get over the fact that Twilight is stuck in a time loop." Spike said as he paced back and forth down the length of the cart.
"It's the first repetition." Twilight said. "And I kind of want to get the introductions out of the way and learn the facts, to conduct my 'ideal run' later."
"A sensible choice." Cassandra nodded. She wore only saddlebags, so her cutie mark was visible; her mark was a heart, with a blue rose like a crown on one side - though the leaves were green... the rose looked as if it were made of ice. "I take it you intend to study different magics while in the loop?"
"That's a given."
"Did you take fun into account as well?"
"Well, there are some activities I would like to try, places to go..." Twilight looked to the ceiling, pondering just what kind of things she could do now that she had so much time in her hooves.
"If you are going places, you need an adventuring party - not that kind of party, Pinkie. Don't worry, I have a folding canoe enough for five, and a spare." Cassandra said, patting her bags.
"Folding canoe?" Dash asked.
"Yes!" She cheerfully replied. "All parties used to have one, now nopony does." She shrugged.
"Like Daring Do and the Fragments of the Black Beetle..." Dash muttered.
"Hmm... I should get some, in case of canoe emergency." Pinkie thoughtfully stared off into the distance, thinking of the most convenient place to 'stash' a canoe.
"My friends and I have experience, not to mention supplies and money." Cassandra was about to continue, but Rarity had a question.
"What does that hoof polish do that would justify its price?" She said, and Applejack nodded - the farmer might not have the same knack as her brother for math and finances, or understand magical artifacts, but she understood honesty in business and, as amiable as the mare looked, it was hard not to find it odd.
"Well, during the night, if you are skilled in dark or at least shadow magic, it makes you regain magic faster. Plus, it's made in such a way that it can come on and off, and never really runs out." And it wasn't even the most impressive thing she had for sale, or at all. "I have no intention to face whoever is fouling the ley lines at night, though, no matter the advantages I would have; I would not be able to help you."
*****
It had been then that she set on the path to learn the truth about the Crystal Empire - and discover Celestia's... what? Not deception per se... if anything it was more like the scars of old wounds, and their consequences. Yes, it hurt Twilight to know that Celestia had compromised her integrity and done... all of that, and the events that followed, too...
But not as much as they hurt and angered Luna.
Ah... It was sad, having to see Luna that hurt; she quickly learned how to work around the revelations, though. She had to, being an apprentice under Cassandra, thus learning that kind of magic. She still felt sad about the princess's reaction to the Oracle that one loop.
Twilight might not have the same clairvoyant skills as Cassandra or... her... to know what happened over there as if she were truly present, but she now had a similar insight; she could feel something not unlike a foul smell coming from the direction of Sombra, almost making her gag, if not for the sickening sensation not being physical. Like the worst things happening, not only to her, but to all those whom she held most dear - no, everypony she'd ever known, too. For now, she could only guess what Cassandra could see and feel.
Rivers of black tendrils choking the life of the land, dark magic twisted into something evil and despicable... Twilight could see quite easily why Dark and Shadow hated Sombra like so. And Light and Tree, too... actually, they all hated him.
Save for Cassandra herself. That pony gave the impression of being incapable of hate, kind of like Fluttershy.
She was capable of anger, though... very, very capable.
*****
"Of course I can tell!" The blonde unicorn said, crossing her arms in annoyance. "It is the foundation of plant-based magic; I don't know why it's so hard to grasp that I would know ley lines that well."
Twilight had explained Sombra to her friends, particularly how the stallion had managed to anticipate somepony trying to retrieve the Crystal Heart, almost managing to win solely through traps laid out over a thousand years ago. She didn't expect that their new acquaintance would be able to actually 'see' Sombra tainting the land with his magic...
Hmm, maybe that was how he could just stay in that black smoke form and avoid freezing to death despite wearing metal armor in a blizzard. Cadence and Shining Armor had been protecting the city for days already, and even Cadence's deep reserves had been depleting from the continued spell... she kept pouring on the land! That was it! Sombra was using the corrupted energy from ley lines to sustain his form, and the dark magic he used on the crystal ponies had something to do with it! Now, she just had to find...
Uh...
She didn't know how to counter that without the Crystal Heart...
Heck, she didn't know that that was actually possible!
"I'm going to have to learn anything you can teach me about the ley lines." Twilight stated; respectful, yet showing her desire, determined, yet letting it be known there would be no hard feelings in the case of refusal. She didn't know any counters to Sombra's magic, and she refused to believe that they didn't exist.
"Ah..." Cassandra sighed contently. "A pony that knows the whats and hows of a favor."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Let's put it this way; you like reading, right?"
"And magic." Replied Spike. "And reading about magic, and magic about reading."
"That will work." Cassandra continued, ignoring the sound of laughter coming from the three more active ponies - even Rarity and Fluttershy giggled. "Remember what happens when the protagonist asks something of a seer or a wizard?"
The others tilted their heads as they pondered the question.
Twilight and Spike became very, very still.
"You need to know the difference between what you need and what you want." Spike whispered, swallowing a lump. Princess Celestia used to read them bedtime stories, and it was all too common that the impatient young protagonist would misinterpret a sign, or manage to turn a boon into problem just as bad as the one they were trying to solve.
"And it adds a whole new layer of 'uncomfortable' when you take into account that I am foreign... think about it - you are the Elements of Harmony, national heroes, the ranks of which include the personal protégé of princess Celestia. It will look bad and cause more problems. No, I'm not going to act like Far Sight the Hawk Eye on the last loop."
Twilight nodded robotically... then she caught the implications of that statement.
"Who was that?" Somepony asked... and Twilight snapped out of her contemplative mood and landed straight into lecture mode.
"He is more commonly referred to as 'the Learned'-"
"Clumsy. Clumsy, clumsy and ditzy." Cassandra cut her off, since even a rock had the foresight needed to see where that was going. "Got into the nasty habit of chasing his visions, which makes you not notice things that are right next to you - until you trip over them, of course. Great Seer, very skilled and smart, but always needed a friend or family member to look over him and make sure he doesn't hurt himself. Got himself a nice little cabin on the mountains... just a little beyond Stormbreaker Fortress, really close to the border with the griffins. Not once did a griffin sneak past the cannons he personally dragged up the mountain, be it one or three hundred."
"Wait, so this pony held off armies?" Dash nearly screeched in her incredulity.
"It's easy when you live the past, the present, and the future without much distinction between the three." The unicorn shrugged. "At least, if you are smart enough to avoid certain visions that take the fun out of things - I don't use my timelessness to cheat on cards."
"(Not that it's the only way to do so)." She mumbled to herself. She didn't really cheat at cards, but when somepony could twist luck and fate upon contract it tended to happen on its own.
"You are talking about him as if you knew him personally." Twilight noted.
"All seers can have friends in other seers, regardless of where and when... you could call it a friendship that transcends time itself." And, under her breath, added 'not that it's hard or anything'.
Twilight felt... something. It was still too nebulous, yet she could tell it was too important to let go.
"That is so romantic..." Rarity swooned - referring of course, to sentimentality.
"Never forgetting. Not everything lost is lost forever; nothing gone is ever gone completely. You may think that friends that leave take a piece of you with them, but in reality, the wonderful memories of your times together are a shard of them that stays with you..." Cassandra sighed, looking out the window, towards the source of the disgusting feeling that attempted to extend through the land.
Twilight felt the feeling solidify... and she, too, scowled in the direction she knew Sombra was.
"To try to twist and steal something like that, I won't let him." She growled, and to her surprise she could feel her friends standing by her side. Ah, right, she told them what happened to the crystal ponies.
"He won't get away with it." Fluttershy voice was strangely heated; it was something that didn't happen often, and just served to remind Twilight that, just as she discovered back then, friends are truly the most special thing one could have in their lives.
*****
"D'aww..." Pinkie got the whole group into a hug, interrupting Twilight's summation of her first loop.
Not that she minded, though. She was grateful, in fact; she had gotten a little lost in the memory and confused the times - they had left Canterlot a little while ago, instead of being about to arrive as in the memory.
So long as his magic remained within the crystal ponies, Sombra had the entire city held hostage. Banishment could backfire -again- and getting rid of him would be quite difficult. The residents needed to kick him out themselves, flushing Sombra out with the magic they were intended to wield, but without the Crystal Heart, the crystal ponies did not have the drive...
And trying to act as the conduit herself would likely kill her. Ah, mastery of the arts was still so far...
"That meanie won't know what hit 'im!"
"He certainly didn't know what hit him then."
*****
Cold winds that bite at one's flesh, snow that covered the land and prevented vision, the howling blizzard raging as if to warn ponies against intruding...
Cassandra let out a happy sigh, basking in the freezing temperature.
"You are crazy." Twilight said, wrapping a scarf (from Rarity) around another scarf around her neck.
"How can I be crazy for liking this? I am very good at ice magic - this is my turf, my kingdom, my home outside of home..." She said as she twirled in place, the snow swirling around her as she danced. "I might not be able to do much to purge Sombra from the ley lines in this climate, but since you are here, and have a plan, I just have to give an advantage."
The snow around them began to glow with a shroud of magic that alternated between soft cyan and green, something Twilight had never seen before; the snow gathered and took the shape of a pair of sleds, then it was further compressed until it turned to plain ice.
Shining Armor arrived not long after. He even had a visor with a horizontal slit to reduce the glare from the snow! Though with the blizzard it only kept the snow out of his eyes.
She had her reunion with her brother, while Cassandra was... making four statues of wolves with the ice.
"... There are things out here we really don't want to run into after dark." Shining said, making the ponies shiver in fright just as much as from the cold.
"Sombra." Twilight narrowed her eyes.
"Or me!" Cassandra laughed, the blood-red outfit forming around her body and the cross-like mark appearing on her face, then she cast a Come to Life spell - though a slightly advanced one - on the ice wolves. She knew how a wolf moved and lived inside and out, so improvised golems were no trouble at all. With some rope from Applejack, they were ready for a quick, if frigid, ride towards the city. "Though that implies I would do something mean... I think I didn't think that through."
"Don't worry about her." Twilight said, taking the unspoken invitation to board, loading Rarity's luggage while she was at it. "I know this will be hard to believe, but I'm doing time loops."
"Huh..." Shining Armor was surprised. "Wait, like in 'Best Night Ever'?"
"Close enough." She said, Shining climbing up behind her.
"That... I... well, that's one more point off the list. I'll have to tell Cadence to cross off that one."
"You have one too?" She grumbled at him, scowling (adorably, in his opinion).
"Ever since the incident with the teapot-"
"That thing had to be put down and you know it!" She yelled though the rushing winds as the wolves did their assigned task and pulled.
A thick black cloud rose in the distance. The fortuneteller's eyes narrowed in disgust, looking at the twisted magic... oh, she knew spells like that, and used a variation very often, but she did not sustain them with misery! She worked with others, not enslaved them!
"He's gaining on us!" Shining said as the shadow inched ever so close, and moved to jump down. "I'll give you time!"
"No way!" Twilight and Cassandra said.
"Without Cadence, your magic is useless against him!" The red-clad pony yelled.
It made Twilight think... why? Shining Armor was the Captain of the Royal Guard! She knew that, normally, Cadence's brand of magic would work on a wicked thing like Sombra, and light magic would help immensely against his dark one... sure, that thing sombra did with the ley lines had to be overcome first, which was the reason Cadence had to stay in the crystal tower and use her shield like that... So why did Shining Armor -again, being one of the best- not have any magic that could at least slow him down?
"Alright, boys and girls, time to take destiny into our own hooves!" Cassandra announced with a grin, seemingly to herself, and each jewel in her outfit began to shine - softly, like stars. "One big delay, coming right up!"
*****
"It was then that I knew that she truly was an accomplished wizard." Twilight said, looking off into the distance.
"So... she's powerful?"
"Oh yes. And experienced. She said that the size of my reserves was ridiculous for somepony so young, though, and that I also had very high 'natural' power even for a unicorn, but I quite simply don't have that much experience; the many different types of magic she knows are another thing I'm studying, slowly building up what she referred to as my 'level'."
She shook her head.
"Anyways, she then recited an incantation - yes, I know, I said they are a hoax- but what I have not yet told you is that mnemonics aren't!" She happily -and slightly smugly- posed.
"Memory aids." Spike answered. Twilight only used the word like a thousand times when/while studying, why wouldn't he remember it?
"Yeah... and they are also a combination of spoken commands and spell-harmonization techniques." Twilight said sullenly. "Remember the summons?"
*****
"Let Heaven's light shine upon the land!" Cassandra began to intone, horn glowing with the same dual-colored aura, voice heard even over the winds and Sombra's macabre laugh.
Twilight, being next to her, saw how some of the gems on her vest and skirt changed color. Gold, white, green, and brown.
"The sacred memories flow into the earth!" The jewels on the hat sparkled some more.
Despite the cold, Twilight (and the others) felt warmth coming from within... the embrace of her mother, Celestia's wing over her, hugs from her friends... she then felt the joy and absolute freedom of flight, the pride in making a new outfit, the contentment of an honest day's work, the happiness of seeing another's smile, being promoted...
'Sacred memories'; fitting.
"Carrying the light of tomorrow, we move ever onward!" Twilight, though she was not yet aware, subconsciously sensed details of magic cast around her since she was a filly... she was more aware of this particular magic -so dense it was, she doubted anypony could miss it-, sensing how the energy twisted in complex patterns, and discovered that there were five wills directing it.
The aura brightened more and more, and sparks began to shoot away - curiously, in the shape of snowflakes and leaves. Sombra was so close, Twilight could see the eerie green glow of his eyes through the shine of magic.
"Cast aside doubt, strengthen our conviction!" "Breathe life upon weary bodies!" "Heal the earth and soothe our spirits!" "And may the light of clarity shine upon our paths!"
As soon as she roared the last words, the world was engulfed in a wave of green light.
By the time she recovered from the overload to her senses, Twilight was already inside Cadence's shield.
The wolves bowed and crumbled, as did the sleds. The luggage and other bags came to rest on top of a pile of slowly-melting snow.
"That was... whoa." Shining's voice made her turn to him; he was wearing the same awed expression as her.
They all did - after all, it wasn't every day that they experienced magic like that.
They had. Oh boy, did they have. Back when Twilight discovered friendship, then right afterwards when they used the Elements, the second time against Discord, the barrier that defeated the changelings, the first time Cadence used the Crystal heart... sure, only Twilight remembered, but it was still something that few could say they had experienced - and not only were they close to the center, but were the source more than once!
So many times in such a short amount of time. Truly, friends are a blessing.
She noticed crystals poking from the ground, right on the shield, glowing with the same soft green light from before. Those were new, she was sure; even if they only had the size of Spike's fist she would have noticed a ring of glowing crystals surrounding the city. One for every few hundred meters, but it was obvious they made a circle.
"Those purify." Cassandra spoke softly, not wanting to startle anypony. Her facial marking was gone, and her eyes took a second or so to refocus. "The light of memories dear to you, turned into magic. The way it's set up will allow Cadence's magic to seep into the ley lines a little better, and once the Crystal Heart regains its light it will serve to power them as well - its a cycle, really. They are too small and too weak to prevent Sombra from entering on their own, but as long as Cadence holds..."
All of the jewels on her outfit, save for two, had darkened and dulled. Twilight supposed they also served to store energy, but she thought it rude to ask right after having used all but two to help them. Then there was just one; in a small flash of magic, another of the green crystals rolled towards Twilight.
"If you are in trouble, smash it to release all the magic inside. Or you could try channeling magic either through it or from it, if you are confident you can use it."
Twilight took the stone, small as one of Spike's clawed digits, and felt how it pulsed... she did not take long to realize that each pulse was an echo of her own heartbeat. How could something so small feel so warm?
"Right." She nodded, and levitated it next to her. "You girls know what to do. We must also gather the crystal ponies in the center - tell them that the Crystal Heart is back and will be put back on display to signal the start of a new Crystal Fair. Cassandra, if you have any magic that can help diminish the taint of Sombra's, please use it. Don't, I repeat, do not wait for me to come back; one of Sombra's traps might have done something to the shield, or simply Cadence ran out of energy, either way, the shield collapsed after I took it the first time; the ponies have to be as close to the center as possible."
They nodded, though Fluttershy swallowed a lump on her throat.
"Rainbow, can you fly me up there?" She pointed towards the top of the castle. "That's where the Crystal Heart is kept."
"Ha! In my sleep!"
"But first, we must go to Cadence and explain - remember, don't wait for me." Dash wrapped her hooves around Twilight, and took off towards the castle.
=====
As Twilight got out of sight, the others spread out to knock on each home... save for Cassandra and Shining Armor.
The unicorns watched everyone else slowly get out of sight... then Cassandra let out a shuddering breath and and collapsed on her side. Shining Armor had suspected it, and was about to remove her hat, when a white hoof interrupted him.
"Are you crazy there's still a full gem what are you thinking let me keep the hat!" She wheezed the sentence, then broke into a coughing fit.
"That was a large amount of magic, how did you get that much?" He asked, helping her stand.
"Besides the batteries I'm wearing, and the size of my reserves, I can convert life force into magic directly." She answered between shaky breaths, and he gaped. "It's very potent - oh don't give me that look, it was nothing I can't regain; it simply was too sudden, alright?"
With a titanic effort of will, she slid a hoof forward. Once she got her ragged breath back under control, she continued speaking. "I am trained, and I hold quite a lot of it, the same as magic; once this place gets back to the way it was, I'll be just fine. I can take replacement energy once the ley line is purified."
She closed her eyes, reaching for the last jewel. A soft white light covered her, and again, and again, until the ruby lost its shine like its siblings had done.
"There, that will keep me functioning until Twilight comes back." She took a solid step forward, and motioned with her head for Shining to follow. "We'd better do as she said, though."
"You should not push yourself that hard." Shining warned. "Your body is freezing."
"Ha! Dear Shining, those who walk the same path as your sister and I can decide not to be bound by the same rules as others." She gave him a smirk he found infuriating. "Besides, this has been my normal body temperature since I was born."
"That sounds like a dangerous philosophy." He stared intensely at her.
"If anything, it's more like a promise; next thing you know, you can ignore blatant attacks on you because they simply are not hurting you - heck, you might not even know you're being attacked! Happened to me once; I did not notice I was being hit with paralyzing spells because I'm immune."
"Really?"
"Sure! Let me show you a nice trick. First, you need to..."
It was a good thing that Twilight did not notice this small moment of bonding - had she done, what happened in a later loop would have saddened her even further.
=====
"... and yes, he told me about the list. Then she cast several spells in unison - somehow- to slow down Sombra and made crystals just like that one." Twilight concluded.
Princess Cadence smiled weakly; she had felt that one. The green crystal held by a pink hoof was hot to the touch, almost uncomfortably so, but she could tell what the source of the warmth was.
"You said you have a plan." Cadence turned back to Twilight and Rainbow Dash, both of them grinning.
=====
"Yes, the Crystal Fair! Remember?" Cassandra spoke to the growing crowd. "Princess Cadence would like everypony to gather here and light up the Heart first, to show you that you have nothing to fear any more."
Whispers began to circulate, the ponies blinking the confusion out of their eyes; it wasn't long before the eyes of one brightened in recognition.
"The Crystal Heart!" A stallion exclaimed, his dull coat and sagging hair sprung back to life with a magical shine. "I remember!"
"I thought it lost!" A mare said, following the stallion's example.
"Yes! Yes! Now, who here can make punch with crystal berries?" Cassandra did everything to rile up the ponies and involve them.
"I-I think- no, I remember!" Another stallion walked forward, coat glistening with magic. "I can!"
"Good, good! Go help the orange pony that wears the Stetson hat - you can't miss her. Now, do you know who makes the flags for the celebration? The white unicorn, Rarity, would like to see your finest cloths!"
Who needs spells when the magic was already there?
=====
The Crystal Heart was right there.
The first time, she had just taken it. Just went right up and snatched it in her hooves.
Rainbow asked her why hadn't she levitated it back towards herself... Twilight didn't have much of an answer beyond 'I didn't feel it was a good idea'.
She did not yet know, but her ability to detect magic had warned her (again, subconsciously) of yet another trap, lying in wait for a careless unicorn to attempt so. The same ability helped her when she unknowingly activated the trap she had stepped on, albeit too late for her to escape.
"Alright, let's do this." Dash prepared to pounce, wings at the ready.
"No!" Twilight stood in front of her. "It must be me - I don't know all of the parameters of the trap, and we can't risk getting you stuck!"
"I'm not going to let you use yourself to trip it!" Rainbow huffed.
"Listen, the Heart must get to Cadence; she's too tired to fly, she's too far down below us for me to teleport safely, and the energy on this trap is too much for Cadence in her state." Twilight gripped Rainbow's head in her hooves, looking deep into her eyes. "Sombra must not get close to the crystal ponies... please, you haven't seen them this time around, but they have suffered greatly..."
She released the pegasus's head, and slumped to the ground, sitting on her haunches.
Rainbow clenched her teeth and screwed her eyes shut... before letting out a sigh. "Fine, but I'm getting you out too if I can."
=====
The crystal ponies began to gather, looking up to the balcony where Cadence and Shining Armor were.
Cadence faltered for a moment, making the shield flicker. Shining saw a difference, though; there was another one underneath, rippling with colors like a soap bubble.
Sombra, like some macabre vulture, was waiting right on the other side.
Nodding to Cadence, he cleared his throat.
"Citizens of the Crystal Empire!"
=====
"Now!" Twilight broke into a gallop and lunged.
The floor darkened.
*****
"Rainbow, you'll be glad to know that if you move fast enough, the trap won't be able to hold you." She neglected to mention the cuts she got from a black crystal; no need to worry them.
"Good! Because I'll be mad if you do something that stupid again." Rainbow nodded. "Don't you know how worried I was?"
"You know, that hasn't happened yet, and you don't know either." She pointed out.
"I wouldn't be so sure of that." Rainbow said. "I know me like the back of my hoof, and I'm pretty sure that I'm beating myself up for letting you do that."
"So... what happened then?" Fluttershy asked.
Well, Sombra destroyed the crystals, but then exploded into even smaller pieces than the first time, though she couldn't quite say it like that.
*****
"Good as new." Twilight flexed her hind leg a little. "That healing spell was very good for something that quick."
"Don't you ever worry me like that again!" Rainbow fidgeted for a second, before forcibly regaining her 'cool'. One more thing, though, she had to admit that her crystal pony-like appearance wasn't bad - not frou-frou, but it still made her feel... pretty. "Still, I'm glad you could fix her up."
"Was there ever any doubt?" Cassandra's gems were bright red again, and the crystal coat made her shine like snow. Her mane was done in a bun like Twilight's, but she was wearing glasses for some reason. "It will sound strange, but with just a glance, I knew exactly the differences between you healthy, and you injured, down to the smallest details; it makes this so much easier. This cross in my face is more than just the source of my family's name, you know?"
"I really need to know who you do all of that- wait, wasn't that pony a mare a second ago? And that one a stallion?" Twilight said, before she was scooped up in a group hug.
=====
As the rest of the ponies carried Twilight away to start celebrating in earnest, Cassandra turned to the pair of ponies Twilight had seen.
"We'll keep in contact, alright?"
"But how?"
"With the energy this place puts out, placing a gate and powering it is pretty much free, as is anything I do - but that's for me to worry about. It appears that Twilight Sparkle wishes to be my apprentice for a while, and I will need help with that; this is as much as I will ask of you."
"Seriously? That is the price? For something like this, that's practically nothing!"
"Some ponies don't have access to the same resources as I do."
=====
Cassandra sighed as she saw the jousting match.
"Something wrong, darling?" Rarity was quick to discern the tone of longing in the other unicorn.
"Remember when I said I have a boyfriend? I miss him." She said - technically, she had answered a question before it was made, but given that it would have been Rarity who asked the question, she had the context.
"And you were reminded of him... by a jousting match." Rarity deadpanned.
"Oh yes. It reminded me of our own spars, you know?" She replied with a smile on her face. "Of course, he taught me nearly all of the tricks I use, and he's much faster than I, so the best I can do is win one in three, with a tie about one in nine - seven at best."
"You spar." Rarity deadpanned, again.
"We have to test our bodies somehow, no?"
"Whatever do you mean, dear?"
"I can do so much more than what you have seen, and so can any of you, regardless of whenever or not you are aware of it. I was born with some advantages, Twilight with others, and we all work our way through everything... and work out we have." She gave Rarity a smile. "You are free to join us."
"I am not so sure..."
"Nonsense, dear friend. You might think that it won't matter once the loop resets, but everything that Twilight carries is a little help on the long run... and a piece of information that might just solve a problem."
"Oh I know, darling. If I had a bit for every time a client's comment helped me get that final burst of inspiration!"
=====
A mare with a blue coat, a hat that covered most of her head, and a cutie mark of a trident in front of a tidal wave visited all of the stands of crystal berry punch.
An orange pony with a fiery mane and a phoenix-shaped flame cutie mark eyed the jousting matches with envy, but a glance at the large brown pony with a pickax and jewels cutie mark standing right beside put an end to the idea of participating. If one went, so would the other, and that would not be a fun match.
A green mare with flowers on her mane and a trio of trees as her cutie mark was a little upset because the sheep of the petting zoo had bit her mane and tail.
An entirely white pony glared at a black pony with yellow eyes, who glared back, as each had a hoof on a hat (made by Rarity, of course), waiting for the other to show weakness and lose concentration. To the winner go the spoils.
And many other figures walked through the fair and... had a genuine good time, with no more goal in mind than to enjoy the festivities.
It would take Twilight many, many resets to notice that they did not appear if she left Cassandra behind, and some more to understand the connection.
=====
"... and the crystal ponies had the fair for real, then. We were guests of honor, which is why it took so long for us to get back." Twilight concluded, glancing awkwardly towards the stained glass window.
Instead of Spike, it had both Rainbow Dash and her reaching for the Crystal Heart. It wasn't that big of a big change, but she kind of felt... it was kinda... how to describe it? She felt like it was Spike's accomplishment, even though he said that falling down some tower with a huge (by comparison) stone heart in tow was hardly something to be proud of - in both timelines.
Celestia smiled, glancing back at the green crystal she held. It was nothing more than a shard - a sliver no larger than one of Spike's fangs, even thinner than that, too. It was the largest piece that had survived with its light still shining, Cadence having broken the one she had for a little extra push. It had been a long time since the last time she saw magic in that state (not counting the dark crystals), though if what Twilight had said was true and the spell had been so dense it could be felt, then it did not come as a surprise it had taken solid form.
Well, that there was a caster capable of that that she did not know about was the surprise. The princess wondered if the mare was able to project her essence... must be, if she could bring about the opposite of Sombra's magic.
Twilight had not yet told her about the ley lines, nor all of her discoveries, mostly because she wanted to gather all of the proper data before constructing her... well, she was going to present it like she would a thesis. She did tell Celestia that Sombra was usi- had used the crystal ponies as a sort of battery, though. (Note: research proper use of tense for time loop situation)
Twilight was unaware of the problem she dodged, though would come to know in the future.
Plants hanging from the ceiling, vials of mystery liquids, an enormous dreamcatcher...
And a few tasteful ornamental mats, most with motifs of all kinds of plants or ice.
Very rarely both at once, but they were quite artistic.
Even the wares were placed in a way to draw the eye from one to another so that ponies glanced over every one-
"Until they find the one that interests them the most." The owner of the shop said, taking what was labeled as a bottle of ink over five hundred thousand bits worth, then stuffed it into her saddlebags. "The plants near the pestle, the scales, the vines, the books - all placed so that, if you look away from the crystal ball once, you'd feel compelled to look at everything."
It certainly worked; Rarity's eyes had been lured away from the table (not very expensive) by a shawl (very expensive) that partially hung from a shelf (cheap wooden plank, varnished and carved, for those wondering), then followed the small golden accents of a collection of books (individually inexpensive) to a few bottles of liquids in a rainbow of colors (going from affordable to horrifyingly expensive), and finally came to rest on a decorative tree (from the botanist two streets from there; not expensive).
"As a seamstress, I appreciate good cloths, but what does that do that is so expensive?" She asked, as Cassandra took the indigo shawl from before, revealed to be large and long enough to mummify a pony or two, and folded it with that double-colored magic of hers before stuffing it into her bag.
"More like, what it can't. For a sufficiently skilled wearer, that is." She took a... weird machine with tubes and a tank in her magic, then stuffed it into her bag.
"Say, do you also sell saddlebags of holding?" Twilight asked, having finally noticed that the packing had gone for a long time without a switch in containers... and that that tank thing was too large for the bag. Seriously, the tank was half the size of her head.
"I don't. Space manipulations are not something I make a habit of, mostly because I'm bad at math; these bags were made by my best friend's boyfriend, who just so happens is the twin brother of mine."
She took a long pole with a circle on one end; it took them a moment to realize it was a large bubble wand-
"Staff, ponies, this is way too large to be a wand."
Bubble staff, as she corrected. The thing just went right in, despite being longer than she was and the ring wide enough for a foal to pass through.
Applejack and Rarity, thanks to a similar ability to Twilight's (curently subconscious) magic sensing, made a note to keep Applebloom and Sweetie Belle, respectively, away from it. It was a skill they had developed in such a way that it bordered on the instinctual.
A chime of magic and a poof of smoke later, there was a second blonde unicorn standing besides the first.
"Alright, keep watch over the store and take care of any customers." The first said as she dressed the duplicate.
"Yes, milady." The clone said, tone respectful and expression neutral like a maid receiving a list of chores.
She sort of was, Twilight thought.
"There are restoration potions in the fridge, so don't hesitate to use one if your reserves or the equipment's run low - we don't want you to dispel before I'm back, right?" She said, adjusting the tail through the hole of the skirt.
"Right, milady." The clone said, raising her hooves to allow the jeweled vest to be fitted on her.
"You don't really need to eat, but in case you feel the collectors and crystals aren't cutting it you can help yourself to anything here - but KEEP OUT of my special collection down in my cellar, do you understand?" The original spoke sternly as she placed her hat on the clone.
"Yes, milady." Her bearing was very regal, however, like a noble being fitted by a servant, instead of the reversed roles they had.
"Good. You know where the extras for all I took are, so get to it." She turned away from the clone and back to her new friends, who stared blankly at her - save for Pinkie, who sported a worryingly large smile with far too many teeth. "What?"
"Duplication magic?"
"That? It's... a variant of a variant; not as complicated, but not very resilient; doesn't work solely on magic, though, and is dangerous to attempt to learn without supervision." She stared at Twilight, as did the others.
"Well said, milady." The duplicate interjected before the conversation could get anywhere.
"Why does she call yah that?" Applejack asked, staring at the duplicate with a raised eyebrow.
Cassandra blinked once, twice, thrice, and tilted her head. "Ehh... I think it had something to do with how I understood the qualities of a ruler, as well as something about knowing how to lead and serve equally, or it might be because my mindscape has a castle in it. I don't know, you are better off asking my other me."
"So... why do you do it?" Pinkie giggled, bouncing up to the clone and stopping practically nose-to-nose.
"Because milady is a queen, of course." The clone responded, unfazed at the blue eyes less than a hoof's width from her own.
"Right, now I remember why I don't use you girls that often. It gives ponies the wrong idea." Cassandra sighed as she looked over everything one last time. "Stupid convoluted mental identities..." She mumbled.
"My apologies, milady." The duplicate said, causing the real one to groan.
"Please don't do that, it took me years to stop speaking like that the first time."
"Alright, whatever; better?" The clone shrugged and rolled her eyes, asking her question with a smirk and a raised eyebrow that everypony else found quite jarring. It had been a big change from the noble demeanor from a second ago.
"I can always dispel you and try with another one, so don't give me that."
"Alright, alright! Please, milady, I really want some of that Moscato Rosa ice cream you made yesterday!" The clone pleaded, with watering, big puppy eyes and everything.
"I need to restock that one, but there's also some Sagrantino Passito and Recioto di Valpolicella for more ice cream, provided she doesn't get to them." The original Cassandra scowled.
"Oh, yes..." The clone said dreamily, eyes half-lidded in anticipation, already tasting the frozen treat.
"It's like some bizarre comedy act..." Rainbow commented, to which Pinkie responded by wordlessly offering her some popcorn. "Awesome; thanks."
Twilight nodded in agreement; it was not that funny by itself, but the situation was so strange that she couldn't help but find it entertaining. A pony, arguing with herself, without coming across as insane.
"Milady, if I have your memories, why are we talking about things we both already know I have to do?"
"Because saying things out loud is comforting."
Without coming across as too insane.
"And because it never hurts to go over the list once more."
Forget about insanity - Twilight declared her a kindred spirit.
Inwardly, the ponies wondered what would their own duplicates call them. Rainbow quite liked the idea of being called 'boss', while Rarity's refinement and ladylike personality would be another 'milady'... Twilight thought that Shining's formality could very well make them address him as 'captain' or somesuch.
Nopony wanted to find out what multiple Pinkies would be like. Twilight briefly tried to compare it to the mirror pool incident, but the book said that the rhyme that Pinkie used didn't make aware duplicates like these. For a second, she was filled with dread, but... thinking about it... it might not be that bad - as long as she could be convinced to tone down her 'exuberance' a notch, like she did around Cranky.
*****
Twilight's clones tended to call her 'ma'am' when focused on a task. She was, after all, very formal and respectful.
That other mare's... if there was one thing she regretted, was letting her learn about that technique. Being 'reborn' was no excuse to be annoying while using Cassandra's clone spell variant. Still, her ability with it was amazing. Oh! And her use of illusions? Holy smokes (though Twilight couldn't decide whether that or the fact that Rarity was already a week or so from getting on the same level was more impressive).
Actually, whenever she did anything, she made sure it was dang impressive. Oh sure, subtlety was something she could do just as well, but when it came to the dramatic reveals and the big finish? It was obvious where everypony's eyes were going to be.
At least it wasn't as bad as the first few times, though; still was unable to avoid 'being captivating', however.
*****
The door swung open.
"I thought you would go with Twilight." Princess Celestia said, stepping inside the shop. "Imagine my surprise when I saw the 'Open' sign."
"I'm not here - well, I am here, but also there." The duplicate said, sitting on the other side of the crystal ball. "I used an altered duplication spell - not me me, but I take it you understand."
The princess nodded.
"Is there anything I can help you with? Star-crossed lovers needing a reunion? Ponies born with the wrong body? Gardening tips?" She smiled amiably.
"Wrong body?" The princess parroted with amusement, as if it was mere idle curiosity.
"Some times, a pony does not feel comfortable inside themselves. I don't have to use a complicated spell nor bother with medicine; I just use my crystal ball, pierce any barriers with my gaze, look upon the possibilities both real and not, then bring that here." She smiled again. "Simple. Simple and efficient; a duplicate like me can do it many times without risk of dispelling from lack of energy."
"Simple in concept, maybe. Most ponies would consider that impossible" The clone remembered why they kept their magical ability hidden from Celestia; the princess had grown so used to implications and hidden meanings, that she did it all the time. Talking with her could get annoying; not paying attention for a second made you miss a minute's worth of information.
"But of course, princess; then again, I live and love to do the impossible. I practice and train furiously to do all I am capable of... though I could do without the nested visions - really, it's like a dream inside a vision inside an illusion inside a time loop inside a flashback inside another vision inside the planning of my daily chores inside another time loop. I call it the Time Pretzel."
Princess Celestia chuckled softly.
"It's funny, isn't it? Still, in all honesty?..."
=====
"In all honesty? I would rather be a housewife." Cassandra said, again looking out from her seat in the train - though now going south. "I can't cook for toffee, but my magic can be very convenient for nearly everything else. I would have a large garden and everything."
The train ride to Ponyville was peaceful, in contrast to the departure and the (future) arrival. 'Congratulations on saving everypony' parties were like that. Twilight didn't want to prevent her friends from enjoying themselves, though, so she kept quiet and would let the surprise show once again that gossip is capable of teleportation across large distances (it was the only explanation that made sense).
The fortuneteller sighed. "But there was trouble; I wanted to do something, I wanted to make a difference. So I did." She shrugged, nonchalantly explaining herself. "Even if I have the choice to just leave all that tension behind - and believe me, there is - I wouldn't; it would make things too difficult."
"How would having a peaceful life make things harder?" Spike asked, scratching his head.
"Without the sword, he can't protect anypony; if he holds the sword, he can't embrace me." She replied. "I did not want to distance myself, nor allow anything to do so... so I took to the sword myself and stand next to him. Simple, no?"
"That's one hay of a commitment, sugarcube." Applejack adjusted her hat in surprise.
"Lesson zero on strength, Applejack."
"Seeing the world through yourself?" Twilight asked, making Cassandra gasp in shock.
"You know that?!" The blonde unicorn gaped for a moment, while the others looked at her quizzically. After a moment, she sighed and pressed a hoof to her face. "Right, you have the Element of Magic, of course you'd know."
"Oh right!" Spike snapped his fingers. "The weight of the heart behind your actions or something."
"Right again. I forgot; Celestia's student; I feel dull now."
"So... lesson zero?" Dash raised an eyebrow.
"Whenever you do anything seriously, you will want a reason - a very special one. Something really personal, preferably, like making sure that a certain mare can smile when looking at you." Cassandra said, then mumbled 'like he does'.
"Or making sure that anypony can, like princess Celestia." Twilight added.
"It's been a while since the last time she got personally involved on anything, so ponies forget, but she's really strong." Spike said.
"That thing with the changeling queen was a fluke." The three said simultaneously, then Cassandra continued while the others looked at each other in surprise.
"Going all out against a blast like that, in a room full of ponies, is not very smart; she was trying to protect them."
"How 'not smart' are we talking about here?" Pinkie asked. "Like 'eating lemon creme cookies while drinking chocolate milk' not-smart?"
"'Wasn't this room supposed to have walls?' not-smart." Spike answered.
Sure, he bored quickly, fell asleep easily, wasn't a unicorn, or even studying under one, but being assistant to Twilight and being raised by the princess teaching Twilight... well, he'd have to be pretty dense to not pick up something - specially the spell-safety bits. Sweet rubies on a stick, the safety bits. School full of young, impulsive mages, some of which still have the odd surge of energy? He liked his natural coloration just the way it was, thank you very much.
"Still, that will save some time; not that you don't have enough of it, but it'll have more noticeable results faster." The fortuneteller said. "Now, meet me tomorrow at the edge of the forest - White Tail is fine - you'll know the spot when you see it. Your first lesson will be on how to be The Wizard, not just 'a wizard', and the differences therein."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"Alright, first fact; The Wizard is the smartest, most prepared being in the room, at all times... like this! Good bye! See you there!" She waved and... began turning transparent and faded from view.
"An illusion? But-but how?" Some asked, Rainbow even batting the air with her hooves, but none was more surprised than Spike.
He had smelled the perfume, the slightly-dusty bags, the actual pony scent that was absent from the duplicate... just how?
"That can't have been an illusion, it's not possible!" He began to walk around, waving his claws thorugh the air the unicorn had just occupied. "It had smell, it made noise when walking and could be touched!"
=====
In the next car over, a blonde unicorn snickered as quietly as she could. Another duplicate, a visual effect, and having the clone swap their places equalled everypony thinking she had just used some sort of super-illusion spell that could account for noise and scent while also being physical (though that last one made the line between illusion and outright construct blur one heck of a lot).
Not that there weren't any (at least, she remembered being told there were), or even non-magical ways to produce or add a scent to the air... but she broke illusions, instead of making them; that was more her friend's preference, anyways.
Still, they kept making the greatest possible compliment for a performance.
To see what has been done and claim it is not possible.
She calmly cantered away to the next car, humming a nameless tune and preparing a normal teleport spell to jump the last stretch to Ponyville.
What a great day to live and love to do the impossible.