What's Done is Done
Twilight Sparkle was awoken in the middle of the night by the cavernous thumps of hoof against crystal echoing throughout her castle. With a yawn, she slowly dragged herself out of bed and teleported herself to the front door.
"I swear, if this is Pinkie Pie with another party, I'm going to have some pretty stern words for her," she grumbled groggily. "I know that's what she does, but some advance warning while I'm awake would be—"
When she opened the door, she was surprised to discover that it wasn't Pinkie Pie. Standing on the front steps was one of her old Canterlot friends, Minuette. At one glance, Twilight could see that her friend had seen better days. Minuette's eyes were bloodshot and puffy, almost as if she had been crying. Her mane and coat were completely frazzled. She was short of breath, as though she had just been running from a terrifying monster.
"S-sorry to bug you like this, Twilight," Minuette panted. "I-I just didn't know who else to turn to."
Twilight frowned. "Minuette, what's wrong? This isn't really like you."
"I know. That's part of the problem," said Minuette, letting herself in. "Again, I'm very sorry."
"No, no. I-it's okay," said Twilight, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "D-do you want something to drink?"
"M-maybe some tea," said Minuette. "Camomile would be nice."
"Okay," said Twilight with a nod. "Come, follow me to the dining room."
The two ponies slowly made their way through Twilight's castle. All the while, Twilight couldn't help but wonder what was on Minuette's mind. Whatever it was, it couldn't be anything good. Much like Pinkie Pie, Minuette was usually a very casual, laid-back pony. Even when Twilight left Canterlot without saying goodbye, she wasn't one to mope or get upset. She took everything in stride with a spring in her step and a smile on her face. But that was not the case this night. Meaning it had to be something big.
Minuette took a seat in Twilight's dining room while Twilight put a kettle of water on the stove.
"Why don't you tell me what's on your mind while the tea's getting ready?" she asked.
Minuette sighed. "I might as well." She looked up at Twilight, a serious expression on her face. "Twilight, you know what my special talent is, right?"
Twilight's tired mind worked furiously. Whether it was due to her being half-asleep or the fact that she genuinely didn't know, she couldn't come up with an answer. Nervously, she checked Minuette's Cutie Mark.
"I-it has to do with time, right?" she guessed.
Minuette smirked. "And here I thought you were going to say dentist," she said with a sad laugh. She quickly sobered up and cleared her throat. "I'm a theoretical physicists, Twilight. I study time and try to figure out how it works."
Twilight blinked. "Oh. I, uh, didn't know that."
"Yeah, well. I don't like to talk about my job all that much," said Minuette sheepishly. "Lots of technobabble and science-y stuff that average ponies can't follow. But, I digress. It's because of my special talent that I can see possible futures. This moment right now is playing out an infinite number of ways, some of which are vastly different from others. And while I can't see all of them, I can see enough of them."
This sparked something in Twilight's mind, and it managed to wake her right up. "Wait, does that mean you know about—?"
Minuette nodded. "Starlight Glimmer. Yes. I know all about that. And that's pretty much why I'm here."
At that moment, there was a wail from the kitchen.
"Hold that thought for just a second, Minuette," said Twilight. Within seconds, she teleported to the kitchen and returned with the kettle, teacups, and two bags of tea. "Do you want any sugar?"
"No, that's fine," said Minuette with a shake of her head. "I've got enough to worry about without adding cavities to the list."
Twilight sighed and poured the tea. "So, how much did you see? Of Starlight Glimmer's plan, I mean."
"Everything," Minuette said darkly. "Twilight, you have to understand. Those dismal futures you saw? They aren't futures that could have happened anymore. They are happening. Right now."
Twilight flinched, nearly spilling the tea. "Wait, they are? But, that's impossible. I made sure that the Rainboom happened. I managed to meet my friends, and we joined together to protect Equestria."
"Yes, you did. In this reality." Minuette blew on her tea and took a sip. "But I don't just see this reality. I saw you and Starlight battle to take control of the timeline, and with every instance she stopped the Rainboom, a new set of events took place. A new timeline changed from a possibility to an actuality."
She closed her eyes and powered up her horn. Before Twilight's eyes, several clones of Minuette sprang forth, each one looking vastly different from the last. Minuette got up from her seat and walked to each of her clones in turn. The first one she pointed to was a battle-weary Minuette wearing some sort of special operatives uniform.
"I saw Twinkleshine give her life to save me from King Sombra," she said. She then turned to the next clone; a paranoid pony wearing camouflage and Zecora's mystic salve.
"I saw who I thought was my long-lost friend Moondancer turn into a changeling spy," she continued. The next Minuette was a malnourished shadow of a mare who appeared to be on the brink of death.
"I saw my good friend Lemon Hearts shun me in favor of serving Nightmare Moon."
She continued down the line, listing each clone in turn. A magic-less Minuette watching her world burn; a frightened Minuette forced to watch her best friend go insane under Discord's rule; a lone protester Minuette standing against Flim and Flam's corporate greed. At the end of the line, she gestured to an empty space.
"And, I saw all of these malevolent forces clash and cancel each other out, leaving a barren wasteland where no one survived," she concluded.
Twilight placed a hoof to her mouth. "Oh my gosh. Minuette, I-I'm so sorry."
"You have nothing to be sorry for," said Minuette bitterly. "It's Starlight Glimmer who should be sorry. She should burn in the depths of Tartarus for what she's done!"
Twilight gasped. "Minuette! What a thing to say!" she scolded. "Starlight Glimmer may have caused a lot of problems, but she didn't know any better. And really, all she needed was somepony to tell her that what she was doing was wrong. You shouldn't wish that kind of thing on anypony."
Minuette sighed and shook her head. "I-I know, I know. Th-this isn't like me," she whimpered. She looked back at the clones. "But, the other mes. The ones who exist in the timelines Starlight Glimmer created. They all know what she did. And they all want to hurt her."
"Well, what do you want?" asked Twilight.
Minuette bit her lip. "I-I don't know. I kinda see their point, even though I have no idea who this Starlight Glimmer is. I don't even know why she did what she did." Her face darkened, and Twilight felt a sudden chill.
"But I do know one thing," said Minuette. "I know what would've happened if you didn't stop her."
Twilight gulped. "Wh-what?"
"If Starlight destroyed the spell before you talked her down, there would be nothing to go back to."
Twilight blinked. "You mean, the wasteland?"
Minuette shook her head. "No. Worse than that."
Twilight rubbed the side of head. "Like, a void then?"
Minuette let out a hollow laugh. "A void? Twilight, a void would've been preferable to what would've happened. A void, a void would've been nice. A void would've at least been something!"
She advanced towards Twilight, a certain menace in her eyes. "No, Twilight. I'm talking about pure nothingness. No time; no space; no matter; no energy; no friendship; no magic; not even a void. There. Would. Be. Nothing." She looked Twilight in the eye. "Do you know what nothing looks like, Twilight?"
Twilight shrank away from Minuette, a bit intimidated by her harsh demeanor. "Um, I—"
"That was a rhetorical question. Nopony knows what nothing really looks like," Minuette interrupted. "Because in order for it to truly be nothing, there can't be anyone to perceive it. And the sentient mind recoils at such a prospect. Even I don't know what nothing looks like. But I know it would've happened had you not stopped Starlight Glimmer."
Twilight collected herself and stood up. "But I did stop her, Minuette. She's our friend now."
"Yeah, and I'm very glad you guys managed to dodge that bullet," said Minuette. She sniffled as her eyes welled up with tears. "But don't you see? The damage has already been done. Those timelines you saw are permanent parts of the multiverse, and I can see and feel everything that happens in them. And no matter how far back you travel in time and try to fix it, there's no erasing them."
Twilight took a moment to process this. "But, our reality is safe, right?"
"For the time being, yes." Minuette looked up and glared at Twilight. "But are you really going to be so callous as to say those other timelines don't matter? You've seen those realities; you got a taste of all the hardship and tragedy that took place within them. I have to live with that all the time now."
She hung her head and started crying. "I'm not a vengeful pony, Twilight. I don't even know Starlight Glimmer like you do. But there are several other mes who want her head on a pike, and I hate it. I-I don't know what to do or-or say. I'm being pulled in so many directions at once, a-and—"
She was interrupted by Twilight pulling her into a tight embrace. She shuddered in Twilight's grip as a hoof gently glided along her back.
"Shh. I'm right here, Minuette. Everything's going to be fine," Twilight cooed.
"Y-yeah, in this reality," Minuette sobbed. "B-but what about—?"
Twilight placed a hoof to Minuette's mouth and shook her head. "Do you remember a few moons back, when Cerberus wandered away from Tartarus? How I freaked out over a devastating future that didn't even happen until several moons later?"
"Y-yeah."
"Well, I learned something that day," said Twilight sagely. "I learned that you can't live your life worrying about the future all the time. If you do that, you lose sight of what's happening in the present. That's not to say you can't be prepared, or that you should just wait for the future to happen. But if you obsess over these alternate futures, you're never going to be happy again."
Minuette sighed. "I-I know. But, this is part of who I am, y'know? This is my special talent. My destiny is to study time, and that means when this sort of time anomaly happens, I'm not blind to it. I can't be blind to it."
Twilight closed her eyes and shook her head. "I'll admit, I don't know what that must feel like, Minuette. But having seen these futures myself, I can at least understand where you're coming from. And if you need somepony to help you come to terms with this, well, I'm here."
Minuette sniffled and brushed her nose. "Th-thank you, Twilight. I-I knew you'd understand. Actually, there was only a three point three three repeating percent chance that you wouldn't."
Twilight tilted her head. "Wait, how did you—?"
"Checked the time stream before I came here. I wanted to give myself some reassurance," said Minuette, smiling through her tears. "That's the thing about special talents. They embody virtues and vices. If you don't live with the bad, you can't experience the good they bring. The rational part of my mind understands that, but emotionally—"
"Say no more," said Twilight, giving Minuette another hug. "It's going to be okay, Minuette. And who knows? It might turn out okay in some of those other timelines. Just, try not to dwell on it, okay? Trust me, I have a nasty habit of dwelling on things myself, and sometimes, it doesn't turn out well for me."
Minuette sniffled and nodded. "I-I'll try. For you. Thanks again, Twi."
"It's no trouble at all," said Twilight, releasing Minuette. "Say, do you want to spend the rest of the night with me?"
Minuette let out a quiet laugh. "Y'know what? That sounds good. I spent last night alone, and that didn't turn out so well. I actually couldn't sleep at all, I was so scared."
Twilight smiled. "Alright. You just finish your tea, and I'll set up a cot in my room."
"Oh, you don't have to do that," said Minuette with a wave of her hoof. "I'll just crash on the couch or something."
"No, I insist," said Twilight firmly. "You really look like you could use a friend tonight."
Minuette chuckled. "Whatever you say, o Princess of Friendship."
Twilight let out a laugh of her own. "Now there's the Minuette I remember. I'll be right back."
With that, she teleported away. Minuette smiled and took another sip of her tea.
She's really grown up, she thought. I'm very lucky to have a friend like her.