Things suddenly happens when you open an unknown app, but I didn't expect to loss 90% of my memories and becoming a pony in just a single click though.
She was just someone normal, wanting to fill the void with something when her favorite show ended years ago.
Until an app was suddenly downloaded unknowingly on her phone, that is.
Suddenly opening the mysterious app out of curiosity, multiple texts appeared in the blackness of her screen, explaining that this was a game, an AU based on the start of the show of MLP, and how the main story had gotten out of wack and needed her help to fix it.
She, despite all the red flags, somehow chose to continue by pressing the button that suddenly popped up with the words [I'll help!].
Big Mistake.
_____________________
I just like Twivine, though I didn't design the character. So if you wanna know about the creator just click the link: The Link
As the sun blazed outside, encircling Canterlot, one apparition in particular could not help but be agitated within her shared room as she felt the heat.
A lavender hoof came up from under the mound of a disorderly bed covered in numerous sheet blankets, dazedly trying to get everything on over her face, wanting to block out the sun.
While a small basket from the side of the bed rustled, came the view of a small purple baby dragon, looking well-rested.
"Waaaa....." Yawning, the baby dragon let out a tiny green flame in his mouth before jumping out of his basket with a smile. Stretching his back while making his spines look straight, the drake then whirled around to face the messy bed with a mischievous smile.
"Wake up, Twivine, it's time to get up, up, UP!" He yelled as he dashed towards the bed, removing the blankets with surprising ease, showing a mare with a silky lavender coat and a black untidy mane with purple and bright green streaks, including her tail.
The said mare curled up as the sun's rays hit her coat, groaning.
"Ugh.... Spike, can't you be any louder.." complained Twivine while rubbing her eyes with her right hoof to adjust to the sudden brightness.
"Nope!" Spike replied with a teasing grin before looking at the other bed next to Twivine.
Their shared bedroom in this lovely tower, courtesy of Princess Celestia herself, consists of two (or three) beds, while in the middle is Spike's basket.
On the right side of the room was Twivine's space, and currently, it was a total mess. Particularly, everything she owned was scattered around.
Books, vines, bedsheets, quills and ink, you name it. Everything on her side of the room was a huge disaster in comparison to Twilight's side across the room.
Twilight was a mare who symbolized the concept of organization to a T. Not only did her bed appear to be professionally made, but everything in her room was beautifully organized.
through her mountain of check lists (and her check list for her check list) to her chronologically ordered books at her bookcase.
Everything was in place. well, except for the mare herself.
"Where is Twilight?" Spike asked, his emerald eyes surveying the room.
Twivine could only shrug at the drake before turning over, filling her muzzle with her pillow, while attempting to sleep again, but her concentration was soon broken when both of them heard an irritating ding.
As Spike watched the muttering mare begin to rise, the chamber fell silent; her purple eyes were now encircled by a light green color, leaving a purple fog at the sides of both eyes. as a screen-like device appeared in mid-air.
".....so did Twilight unknowingly do another task again?" Spike asked.
"Urrrghhh... Yes.." came a muffled reply.
"How much point does Twi have now?"
Pondering for a bit, Twivine lit her horn with her usual teal magic as another screen appeared.
"... about 5,000,005 points." She replied, looking at the screen with longing as Spike whistled, impressed.
"Huh, we're already half way through getting you a body, Twivine!" He remarked happily, but then looked at Twivine meekly. "Hey, do you think... After you get a body and all that, can I buy something at the System Store..?"
But before Twivine could open her mouth, Spike hastily interrupted her. "Oh— before you could say no—I promise I'll only buy some gems. I mean, they aren't that expensive, right?"
Sighing, Twivine then lit her horn yet again as another screen appeared.
"The most expensive one here seems to be a giant Fire Ruby, and you already have one for our shared birthday, though it's a bit small compared to the Store. Hmmm and its price is about 500 points."
"W-wait only 500 points for a giant Fire Ruby!?" Spike stuttered as his eyes gleamed at the news before thinking about the aforementioned gem. But just as his fantasy self was ready to eat the gem, a hoof was shoved lightly in his face, snapping him out of his reverie.
"Come on, firehead, stop with the daydreaming, and let's get ready for the morning." Instead of having all of her hooves on the ground, Twivine instead floated, like a true apparition would. and floated towards the walls as she phased through.
"Oh, I think you should cook now for yourself, Spike. I caught a glimpse of a note that said that Twilight had already eaten." But before she could fully phase, she abruptly notified Spike and soon left the drake.
"H-hey! At least tell me some other prices for some gems before leaving! I wanna have a gem breakfast for today if there's something cheap, like 50 points cheap!" Quickly hollering out towards the ghost-like mare, Spike hastily dashes out of the room to catch up with Twivine.
————————————
Some time later...
As Spike was done eating his breakfast (sadly, the cheapest gem they could find was a small sapphire, and that was about 100 points), he suddenly brought a box in on the table along with some arts and crafts materials to where Twivine was currently reading a book.
"What's with the box, Spike?" Curious, Twivine couldn't help but ask, closing her book in the process as she saw Spike looking a bit proud at his work.
"Well, it's for Moon Dancer's party for tomorrow! I bought this present with my own allowance." Then he shoved a toy right in Twivine's face. "See? Doesn't it look cute? Definitely something Moon Dancer would love, right?"
Having a complicated look as she gaze more throughly at the toy, the mare couldn't help but bite her lips at the moment. Suddenly, she remembered a piece of her forgotten memory.
An episode, in fact.
'So... it will start tomorrow... I hope I didn't ruin the—'
"Twivine?"
"Huh?" Suddenly, the drake was right beside her, and she felt his claw holding her hoof.
"Don't worry, Vine, when Twilight finally gathers many points for you to get your very own body, I bet you could interact with many ponies. So in that way, you won't get left out!" Perhaps Spike was remembering all the times he and Twilight would see Twivine feeling down and when ponies would walk through her or ignore her since many ponies couldn't see the apparition like they do.
And seeing her being devastated after one pony would trot through her like that was maybe the reason why Spike had misunderstood her expression.
But Twivine felt his concerns were unnecessary. But she did appreciate how much Spike had cared. So with Twilight also.
"I—I'm not all that bothered about it, Spike. Really, I mean, with Twilight's last purchase of making me feel and hold something, despite the fact that I'm not even supposed to have that, I'm really okay. Honest." She tried to look reassuring, a look she rarely uses.
"...mmm.." Spike only hummed, not really believing her, but ultimately decided to let it go as he worked on wrapping his present.
Only the tiny dragon could be heard snipping at the ribbon to make his present appear lovely as stillness fell over the table. Spike couldn't really help but look at the mare, who had returned to her book as if nothing had happened.
"Uhmm.. I know you told this a hundred times, but... could I hear the story where you appeared and when I first hatched?" Spike suddenly requested out of the blue, as Twivine lowered her book with a confused expression.
"Spike, I already told you that I'm—" "I know, I know... I mean, I'm just bored. And maybe if you tell the story, time might move faster? And since you're also waiting for Twilight to appear, I don't see why you couldn't, Pleeeaaaasse?" The drake interrupted with his own imitation of puppy eyes as Twivine sighed.
"Okay... Fine." Spike cheered at that while Twivine cleared her throat.
Taking on a reminiscing look, she took a long breath before speaking in a grand tone. "So.. the day of Twilight's exam...."
————————————
Change Pov: Twivine.
I could only remember bits and pieces of my previous life.
It was so few that I even forgot my name and my own gender.
But the one thing I could remember adequately was how I was transported here to Equestria as a pony.
I knew I was reading something at my old home when I noticed an app on my phone. I knew that it wasn't there before, but instead of getting worried that my phone may have a virus, I instead investigated the matter.
I remembered it having a pony icon before clicking on it.
Then the screen blacked out, and eerie text appeared.
"Warning: The timeline is about to be ruined. Do you want to know more?"
And after that, from the bottom of the text appeared a rainbow button with the word [Proceed].
So, having no choice, I clicked on the button, honestly intrigued.
Then the black screen disappeared and was replaced by a video of young filly Twilight going through her test.
I could see her struggling with Spike's egg; it was honestly hard to watch when she kept failing... But just as Twilight was about to give up, a boom was suddenly heard, and miraculously, Twilight had a magical surge. It was so powerful that it caused many mishaps; for one thing, Spike's egg hatched and turned him into a fully grown dragon by Twilight's magical power alone and along with the other ponies inside. Of course, she also leveled the whole room with her magic.
It was so strong that the Princess herself needed to intervene...
But then something strange happened. I don't know why, but somehow I have this feeling that everything was about to spiral out of control the longer I watched the video.
Instead of controlling Twilight's surge, Celestia seems to be pushed back as she strengthens her own magic, desperately trying to have a hold on Twilight while clenching her teeth in concentration.
Then, before something bad happened, the video stopped and showed two pony images.
I almost dropped my phone at how abrupt it was. But my irritation slowly melted away into confusion when I saw these ponies..
One of the choices was my own face, which I now own, or Twilight's face with a different mane color and eyes.
Twivine Sparkle.
The other one was an alicorn version of Twilight, but like my own, it was very different from Twilight yet also the same.
Having brilliant turquoise eyes and dilated pupils. Her mane had the same purple with a pinkish streak as Twilight's, but unlike the rest, it floated upward. She also had a long, purple tail, and her coat, like her eyes, was purple. This Twilight has a turquoise horn that glows with a black magical aura. She has black, feathery wings that shine softly. In comparison to Twivine, she appears more despotic.
Having the name, Midnight Sparkle.
I remembered that I picked my own face, maybe that's why I'm Twivine now.
Honestly, I don't know what compelled me to choose at the time. But I guess it was because Midnight looks more villainous than Twivine.
But when I clicked on the image, the eerie text appeared.
"You have chosen your selected host's alter ego."
"Host...?" I mumbled in confusion. But it continued regardless of my puzzlement at the term being used.
"Would you like to help? You have only 5 seconds to choose before the timeline will be destroyed." It typed before counting down.
Suddenly being pressured and how uncomfortable I felt when I saw the word destroyed.
I hurriedly clicked on the word.
[I'll help] before my vision darkens.
But before I fainted completely,
I did hear a whisper of someone while letting out a huge sigh of relief.
"I'm glad. Thank you for your help, young one." was the last thing I heard before waking up to the world not my own.
————————————
Change Pov
"Twivine!" Suddenly hearing a shout, Twivine snaps back towards reality as she looks down, meeting Spike's worried eyes.
"You were about to tell me how you appeared, but you were suddenly lost in thought. Are you sure you're okay?"
It took a moment for her to reply, but when she did, her eyes softened. Leaning over the table where Spike was, Twivine suddenly patted the drake's head.
"Yeah.. want me to continue?"
Giggling at the sudden contact, Spike nodded, completely forgetting his worried thoughts in favor of hearing her story.
"Well... When Twilight was suddenly out of control, she started spitting out magic left and right, with a *BAM! and *POW! Until Princess Celestia quickly dashes in on the scene herself. She stood at the door, regal and all that, then taking a battle stance, she blasted her magic at Twilight, trying to gain control over her surge!"
Listening with rapt attention, Spike awed again with sparkling eyes, and Twivine continued, trying to make the story more entertaining for the baby dragon. Unknowingly to both of them, the door suddenly opened up, revealing a figure with a book being levitated in a pink aura, looking exasperated at the scene.
"But even the strong Princess could not overcome Twilight's strong magical prowess! So, when all hope seemed to be lost, I was suddenly summoned by somepony to save the filly's surge, and with my plunder vines, along with Princess Celestia's efforts, we put a stop to Twilight's rampage."
"Woahh..." Spike was awed, even though he had heard the story many times.
"But when everything was over, you returned to your toddler size." Twivine poked Spike's snout as the drake swatted her hoof in retaliation with a smile. "Everything all worked out in the end, but while everypony was happy and celebrating Twilight's achievement, later that night, she suddenly talked to yours truly when everyone was fast asleep."
"The young Twilight, who saw her while nobody else did, asked in a suspicious tone: Who are you? Why were you in the room? Why do you look like me? And how did you summon all those vines?
And even though I was being faced with a multitude of questions, I heroically answered everything: "Young filly, what I am is your guide, your system to life. I was brought to you by destiny, and for why I look like you and can help you, I will let you find the answer for yourself!" —And that young drake is how you hatched and how I appeared." The mare did a small bow as Spike clapped enthusiastically.
"You always tell stories in a good way, Vine! Though if you want to, I could let you dub my limited addition of the Power Ponies comic book!"
But before she could reply to that, they suddenly heard a dry cough. Simultaneously looking at the source, both of them saw Twilight looking at them with a raised eyebrow.
"You know, hearing your abridged story on that matter, why do I feel like I was the villain of the story, hmm, Twivine?" Twilight suddenly asked her counterpart with a look that made Twivine look sheepish.
"Err... because it's entertaining?" Twivine offered, as Twilight looked unimpressed.
"Don't tell me you've been spreading stories like that to other ponies, Spike." Turning her head towards the drake, she glared when she saw Spike avoiding her gaze.
"Honestly, you two..." She shook her head exasperatingly but hid a fond smile towards the two.
As a gentle breeze blew on the outskirts of Canterlot, two identical mares (but with different mane and tail coloration) could be seen laying peacefully next to each other while conversing under the shadow of a huge tree, slightly concealing Celestia's warm sun as they smiled at each other's presence.
While they were quietly conversing, Twivine, the one with the black mane with green and purple stripes on both mane and tail, began floating up and maintaining her gaze with Twilight before taking a dramatic low bow.
Twilight, the other mare with the indigo mane and pink and purple stripes, simply placed her book down on their red checkered picnic blanket with her magic, now staring up at the apparition with an eye roll.
She maintained her deadpan expression only for a second before a snort escaped from her muzzle.
"Okay, I'll cave. Though I am actually curious. Spike wouldn't stop bothering you yesterday over his comics after all." Twilight whispered at Twivine, making sure not to make eye contact for a specific reason.
"But try not to stray too far away from the story." She gently reminded her counterpart, and Twivine, in response, only nodded with a smile.
Overall, both of them appear to be having a pleasant time together, but from the perspective of the other ponies, fillies and colts alike, that were passing around the area where both mares were, all they could see was Celestia's protogè, musing to herself (in somewhat of a strange manner).
Though to everypony, they heard the same excuse being played out since forever by now, and chose to ignore the slightly insane mare.
However, being gossiped about subsequently was a different issue. Especially if the nobles heard of another gossip regarding Celestia's star pupil.
But the two mares paid no mind to their looks and continued on with their time, leisurely.
"Okay..! Time to get my A-game on!" The floating mare pumped her hooves in determination. "If I want to impress this OCD-ish counterpart of mine, then I'll need my best arsenal. That means my screens!"
Not minding the protest of "I do not have an obsessive-compulsive disorder!" Coming from Twilight, Twivine coughs loudly.
"Once upon a time, in the magical Lands of Equestria,"
Twivine finally started, giving the slightly annoyed Twilight a mock regal look before lightening her horn with her usual teal glow.
"There stood a pair of regal sisters who ruled together and created harmony for their shared nation."
A small cyan screen suddenly popped up in front of the two mares, and with Twivine's manipulation, the miniature screen split and formed two alicorns with a slightly blurred look, still having the cyan coloring.
The other projection was taller than the other one, as both wore different regalia in contrast with each other, with insignias representing the sun and the moon.
The tall alicorn figure had the sun, while the small one had the moon.
And since the small alicorn was a bit far away from its sister, it excitedly galloped to its other half's side and stood right beside the tall one, looking much more comfortable as the two figures shared a quick hug at the 'reunion'.
Slightly ignoring the cute interaction in favor of looking much closer at the two figures that were now dancing around in the air, Twilight narrowed her eyes and couldn't help but compare the tall alicorn with Princess Celestia before shaking her head rapidly at the notion.
'Twivine probably used Princess Celestia's image since the eldest princess in the story could also wield the sun.'
Twilight thought, laughing internally at herself. 'Please, the author must have taken inspiration from somewhere because I know for a fact that this story should be purely fictional, even if it references some parts of Equestria's history.'
'After all, no way did Princess Celestia have a younger sister since there was no mention of an alicorn who commanded the moon in any books!'
Staying silent, the bookworm of the two suddenly widens her eyes at a new thought.
"...but what if there was?" Seeing another research prospect, Twilight's eyes sparkled at the mystery. 'The author might have added this moon princess because they were inspired by another legend or story that may actually relate to this old pony's tale.'
And meanwhile, Twivine, who saw her counterpart getting excited over something again without her knowledge, only huffed and loudly interrupted whatever thought suddenly graced Twilight's mind.
"IN maintaining harmony," giving Twilight a pointed look, the floating mare continued.
"They fought and worked hard from across their land,
(Twivine made the two cyan projections take a battle stance in the air as a dark purple fog rolled from out of nowhere, circling the alicorn sisters while forming dark silhouettes of their supposed enemies from its shadows as the two alicorns looked up defiantly.)
The eldest princess, wielding her powers to raise the sun, guided the energized ponies for the day, while the youngest of the two leaders brought out the moon to soothe all of the tired ponies and give them the rest they crucially needed.
Thus creating a cycle of balance as prosperity reigns over their kingdom while they rule together in peace with their subjects." Twivine slowed to a calm pace as she once again transformed the image in the air to show the projection of the two sisters side by side with the moon and the sun.
And in eager anticipation, Twilight couldn't really help but strain her ears a little. While making a concerted effort not to get fixated on the sights in the air, lest she gets branded as somepony insane for staring up in the air (again).
Annnd, she does not want another family (plus Princess Celestia and Cadance) intervention.
Shaking her head at the thought, Twilight tried to preoccupy herself with Twivine's compelling story-telling skills and couldn't help but give a 10/10 to her visual presentation as well.
'Spike was right; even if she's adding something of her own to the story, I won't deny how much Twivine could make a simple ponytale into something entertaining.' Twilight thought. While she loves reading many kinds of books without adding any flares or gimmicks to them, she can't deny that she does love a new perspective on the matter.
And seeing the 3D-like images in the air makes it more of an intriguing story.
even if it wasn't all that accurate. And Twilight could argue that this was simply an old pony's tale. It doesn't need to be proven or analyzed logically since the only evidence the story could provide was the markings on the moon, at least for now.
And some other stuff, a point that made Twilight to search for some connections later after this.
—Plus, Cadance also told the story differently than the books here.
So she won't nitpick on how Twivine was slightly adding some dramatic parts to the story... Though if she changes a memory of an event that's real or changes the story too much to the point of it being unrecognizable, then that's a whole different story.
"But—!" Twivine cuts herself off with a shout, startling Twilight, who in turn felt all the odd glances ponies threw at her while walking around to their business.
'Right.... They can't see Twivine.' The unicorn grumbled at her display, feeling a bit embarrassed at all the stares she received.
"Their shared reign suddenly came to an abrupt end as the youngest became resentful toward her eldest sister.
(Being enveloped in Twivine's teal magic, the projections shifted into something more gloomy. even though the color and appearance were still the same. Looking at how the previous cheerful sisters became so despondent in a matter of minutes made Twilight a bit uncomfortable.)
Seeing how much the ponies had relished the day compared to her lovely night, her envy gradually turned to indignation until it grew into something much more sinister as the youngest continued to watch her subject shun her night without fail.
The youngest thought her treatment was unfair; both of them were doing the same routine, yet why do her ponies favor the other over her glorious night?
(The tall alicorn vanished while being frolicked by ponies, leaving the small one behind, wallowing in sadness all alone.)
And sadly, while this was happening, the eldest didn't even catch a whiff of the trouble brewing in the background, much less knowing that it was coming from her dearest youngest sister.
So the eldest remain blissfully unaware.."
Hearing how much Twivine had added and how emotional she had become for a mere story, Twilight couldn't help but comment on her own input. Granted, somehow she felt a bit biased toward the eldest sister. She doesn't know why, though. Of course, she didn't forget to whisper; she doesn't want anypony to see that she was crazy while talking to nopony in particular.
"Aren't you laying a bit too thick with your descriptions, Twivine?"
'And with the visual effects too!' Twilight cried internally. Secretly wiping a tear from her left eye.
But the apparition only scoffs, offended a bit, while crossing both of her forehooves as she floats in midair. "But wouldn't having good exposition at the start makes the story have more depth? I mean, only saying the youngest was getting jealous because her moon wasn't getting any attention and leaving at that would make such a good story be so cheap."
"So why not add a little detail here and there, implying that it's not all about the youngest feeling about the moon being shunned but perhaps more with the sisters themselves?"
Rolling her purple eyes at that, Twilight waved her hoof at the apparition, wanting to stop Twivine from turning her explanation into a rant.
"Fair enough, even though I feel that having a debate with you on the matter. But I do know that's not a wise decision, for one thing, because we're in public." Twilight pointedly gestured at the ponies walking around the streets.
"And 2, because I'm not well versed on that particular topic. Sure, I could study for it, but today, I'm just here for a light read. I'll think of having our discussion on a particular day instead, with me being prepared, since it would be unfair if I went blind."
"..." Twivine made a face before blinking a bit at the other mare. "Yeah, light read." She subtlety looked at the slightly thick book that was open in their picnic blanket.
Sighing openly but then stopping when she felt Twilight's intense stare, somehow the apparition imagined an image of her counterpart urging her to continue, but seeing that the mare in front of her was just waiting patiently, Twivine coughed while shaking off the image from her mind.
"So anyways—....the eldest remained blissfully unaware.. until a faithful night occured!
(Twivine hastily changed the projection towards the taller alicorn talking with her sister, but their figures were both wary and stiff, especially the younger alicorn, who had a huge scowl directed at her sister's face.)
Much to the confusion of the eldest, her sister suddenly proclaimed that she would not make way for the sun and refused to give an answer to the eldest on the spot.
(The young alicorn suddenly went up to her sister, breaking the other projection's space as she shoved her hoof at the eldest's chest and glared, prompting the taller alicorn to take a step back with a shock look.)
Surprised at her sudden declaration, the eldest tried to reason with the youngest, never actually knowing what the cause was in the first place, making more and more assumptions on the matter the more she asked for an answer or kept on spouting insincere apologizes until the youngest snapped at the eldest's ignorance.
Angry at her sister for not knowing anything, for not noticing her plight sooner, and lastly, yet most importantly, for not caring for her anymore because of all the attention the eldest got all the while seeing her lovely moon be shunned by everypony. Her sadness turned to rage in that moment, and the youngest finally lashes out!" Twivine shouted dramatically before powering up her teal magic as it glowed ominously from her horn, gaining two familiar puffs of purple smoke from her eyes as she did.
The small alicorn projection was suddenly covered in purple smoke as the other alicorn was taken aback, but before the eldest could do anything, a beam was suddenly blasted in her direction, and the poor projection was sent flying in the air.
The only reply Twivine got was a low hum, and the apparition continued, satisfied that her listener was well.. listening intently.
And also watching, watching in a very entranced manner while also looking a bit horrified at the sudden violence.
'Heh' Twivine giggles in her mind.
"And using her rage and bitterness, she turned into a being full of darkness, a mare of the night, now called Nightmare Moon, and vowed to shroud Equestria in eternal night!
(As a hoof steps away from the smoke, the youngest, now changed into a mare who's the same height as the eldest, While the majority of her appearance is still blurred, it doesn't really hide how tyrannical she now appears.
With her new bat-like wings and flowing main with her armor in place, the youngest, now dub as 'Nightmare Moon' laughs maniacally at her sister's fallen form.)
And after declaring such, she strikes at her sister with no mercy while the eldest tries and tries to reason with her, even going so far as to beg the younger to stop this madness.
(The projection changed as the two figures could be seen trading beams after beams in the air. The eldest was hesitating in each beam she fired, while the youngest showed glee whenever her strike hit its target.)
Yet the eldest's cries fell on deaf ears as the youngest kept on attacking again and again.
(As a giant beam finally hit the eldest alicorn, she fell hard to the ground. Her battered form could be seen glancing at something, her muzzle pursed with conflicting emotions,
Finally deciding to move, she tried to stand up weakly, her horn suddenly lighting up as six floating objects appeared and started circling towards her form.)
Reluctant and yet desperate at the same time, the eldest, having no choice, started to harness the power of their old sacred weapon, the strongest known to ponykind, the Elements of Harmony!
(The elements spun rapidly in place as Nightmare Moon arrived; seeing the eldest having the elements, she narrowed her eyes and lowered her head, making her sharp horn glow. Nightmare Moon then charged directly at her former sister.)
Using the magic, the eldest determinedly used the elements unknowingly to vanquish her younger sister instantly towards the moon.
(But as Nightmare Moon got closer to the eldest, a blinding light suddenly glistened from the elements as it continued to grow at an alarming rate.
She prepared her horn with her magic as the eldest did with the elements, tears streaming from her eyes. Both unleashed their powers on each other, and both had determined looks while doing so.
However, Nightmare Moon was no match for the elements, as every minute she holds herself, her projection gets pushed back bit by bit until the light reaches her form easily. She was quickly overwhelmed by the light as it carried her form and vanished into particles soon after her projection was defeated.
Seeing the youngest gone, the eldest's projection slumped and let her tired body fall towards the ground with an anguished cry. Even when she made an impact, the projection of the eldest still kept crying, her form fragile trembled in each sob until she couldn't weep anymore.)
Now, the eldest, who was now alone, took on the heavy responsibility.... Ehhh?" Twivine broke the immersion and let the projections that were still in the air dissipate along with her magic when she noticed Twilight suddenly standing up on all four hooves looking at the book that was lying in the picnic blanket in concentration.
"Uhmm... Twilight?" Glancing at the book, Twivine could see the picture of the Elements of Harmony.
But Twilight didn't answer her but instead started mumbling to herself. "I know that I heard of it before..."
"But where...?" She trailed off as Twivine stared. A bit worried at Twilight's sudden interest in the familiar-looking gems until the apparition's body shook.
From the depths of her mind, making herself freeze in place, Twivine suddenly heard an ominous ping.
But unlike all the other mission tasks, this particular ping had only sounded out a long time ago. In fact, it only ever occurred once.
And that day was when she was whisked here, forgetting many of her memories in the process in favor of getting a manual and some other stuff that relates to 'The System' be shoved at her brain to aid little Twilight with her raging magical surge.
It was a ping for a major plot point, and many memories of the first episode were suddenly awakened, making her head ache.
It was just like in the past, too. Some of the tasks may have released some memories of the show she was always obsessed with, but they were only flashes that she could easily deal with.
Unlike today, however, where she got overloaded by a two-part episode, she saw everything in every detail.
As she was busy with her thoughts and the achiness of her mind, Twilight, who saw Twivine looking pale and trembling, started whispering at her in a worried tone that matched her face at the moment.
Repeating her question if she was alright, only for Twivine's form to suddenly flicker in and out of place. Causing Twilight to widen her eyes.
This... Was the first time for her too. So seeing her old friend, even if her origins were unknown, Twilight already labeled Twivine as family. So seeing her disappear so suddenly right in front of her eyes made Twilight breathe rapidly.
Panicking in the middle of a public space, Twilight could care less about their inane problems with her sudden hysterical attitude. Her mind was in overdrive, jumbling to many spells she secretly studied behind both Twivine's and Princess Celestia's backs to desperately do anything to help. Even throwing her already fragile image out of the window by showing her sudden freak out didn't deter Twilight's mind from casting multiple spells all at once.
But... before her magic could even grab ahold of Twivine's rapidly disappearing figure,
The apparition's form suddenly vanishes, leaving the sudden, grief-stricken Twilight behind.
——————————
Pov Change: Twivine
[WARNING!! Memories have been successfully implanted. Successful upgrade of THE SYSTEM. The reboot of the body will now commence.]
[A new SECRET TASK will be issued shortly.]
[Please prepare for the one called Twivine to accept the mission requested, and please distribute the other mission to the OBJECTIVE.]
. . .
*PING!
[MISSION FOR TWILIGHT:
DEADLINE: NONE
You must stop Nightmare Moon from shrouding Equestria in Night Eternal.
REQUIREMENTS: NONE
MISSION FAILURE:
If you fail the mission, then prepare to experience night eternal forever.]
*PING!
[MISSION FOR TWIVINE:
DEADLINE: 2 days.
Please keep TWILIGHT safe and guide her towards her destiny.
REQUIREMENTS:
Don't let yourself be seen helping by TWILIGHT SPARKLE during her hunt for the elements.
Make TWILIGHT meet the future bearers of the ELEMENTS OF HARMONY.
AND ABOVE ALL ELSE. Do not let TWILIGHT and her friends stray from their path in defeating NIGHTMARE MOON.
This MISSION cannot be altered like the others. This is a fixed point. Failure to do everything required will automatically cause the MISSION to fail.]
[Reminder for Twivine! Failing a MAIN MISSION will not only lead to the one called Twivine being obliterated on the spot but will also doom Equestria as a whole.]
"....."
".....Fuck..." Seeing the wall of text in my mind as The System suddenly issued a high-pressure task made me slip up a curse.
Sorting out the episode bit by bit, I couldn't help but snort at the contents as my mind finally cleared from all these headaches.
I literally just told a story, a story I naively thought to be a good piece of fictional literature to be something real. I can't believe I forgot the first episode's contents! I knew that today something would happen, but I didn't expect it to be this much!?
Wait, doesn't that mean.... Nightmare Moon would be real, and I don't know what kind of bug will suddenly appear to make the story complicated? It could make Nightmare Moon more vicious, or the Everfree Forest to be more dangerous than cannon...
"Twilight... Errr, I think you should stop pacing already.."
A concerned voice suggested weakly from the top of a ladder that was leaning against a massive bookshelf. The small figure, known as Spike, furrowed his scaly brows towards the mare, worried at the situation they were now thrust into.
He was super worried, not just for Twilight but also for Twivine as well.
Especially now, since somehow Twivine was nowhere to be found and Twilight just had a panic attack.
And how did the drake know of Twilight's sudden outburst when it happened a bit away from their tower?
Easy; he got called personally by the Royal Guards today.
So thinking about it more (and trying to secretly calm himself as well), Spike tried to recall the previous scene that went down in these couple of minutes and why it led to him seeing Twilight pacing all over the place.
{—Well.... To start with, in the morning, Spike was just minding his own business as he was getting ready to go towards Moon Dancer's party while Twilight and Twivine were out and about doing who knows what like the usual—when, strangely enough, he heard a noise from the front door.
Slightly raising an eyebrow at the sudden intrusion, the drake ultimately shrugged and thought nothing at first until he opened the door to see two pairs of unicorn Royal Guards standing right there, looking at him stoically.
Seeing the Royal Guards (two white unicorn stallions in their typical Royal Guard golden armor with the same look but with different cutie marks) come personally for him really made him widen his slit eyes, and without giving him time to process everything, he was then led abruptly towards the city's center, making Spike to nervously gulp at their sudden actions.
His mind was racing with possible questions as to why they were marching somewhere, as he was flanked by two intimidating guards.
And the most confusing part?
They didn't elaborate very much! They just simply stated that "your presence is needed at the moment." And then they proceeded onward after that! Without telling him nothing!
But to drake's relief, he could guess that seeing a literal baby dragon looking paler (which was unusual since his scales are purple) each time they pass a block, the guard on the left must have been feeling guilty since he took a quick glance at his partner and begged him with his eyes.
Seeing this, the right one just turned to the other side but then nodded empathetically as he could still feel the gaze of his partner, so seeing his approval, Lefty (labeled by Spike) didn't waste time in lowering his head towards Spike.
Trying to scold his stern expression into a more friendly one.
"Don't worry; you're not in any trouble. The princess just asked for you to come because of.... Reasons."
"Reasons... What kind of reasons?" Spike prodded back as Righty sighed a little and spoke up next.
"It's errr... A secret. It's the princess's order; her highness mentioned that you'll understand it when you see it for yourself." Strangely, Righty seems to look guilty after he said all that. So in no time, the conversation passes on to silence, leaving Spike to feel more perturbed.
'Oookay...' Spike thought with a suspicious drawl.
But as they walked, the drake noticed a commotion at the edge of the city. Seeing huge smoke coming from that place and ponies gathering while looking scared and confused, Spike narrowed his emerald eyes, hoping to see further.
"What happened there?" He asked, then pointed a claw towards the group in curiosity as the two stallions exchanged unsure looks at each other.
".... That's part of the reason." This time, Lefty answered, but seeing that Spike wasn't moving an inch and was preoccupied with the scene, Lefty gently moved his head, using his horn to slightly poke the baby dragon's side, urging him to move.
Startled and not really getting the answer he desired, the drake started moving reluctantly as they led him quietly towards Canterlot's biggest hospital, while ponies who passed them only whispered in a hushed tone, again, and the baby dragon might have imagined it, but somehow specifically, they were all looking at —him, which made the drake even more confused.
But he didn't remember anything to warrant such stares, so he shook that thought away and instead focused on the front door of Canterlot's Central Hospital.
Opening the double door, they greeted the mare that was tending at the front desk, and the guards quietly escorted him towards a specific room from the very top of the hospital, passing multitudes of ponies as they go through the halls, as he in turn was utterly baffled on why he had to go to a hospital of all places until he saw Princess Celestia, comforting what appeared to be a depressed Twilight in a luxurious VIP room alongside a stern doctor with a clipboard.
And seeing this scene, the drake instantly tried to rationalize on WHY Twilight was on a hospital bed with Princess Celestia comforting her to boot.
But before he could take a step forward, he was suddenly stopped by another Royal Guard, a pegasus stallion with a grey coat and yellow eyes, a guard that was stationed near the door.
"Sorry young drake, but the Princess stated that nopony... Err Anydrake too, could not enter the room for now." The pegasus said all that softly as he and his other partner, who has the same look but has a different cutie mark and is an earth pony, blocked the door with their spears. They did look a bit unwilling, but it was the princess's orders.
"Whaaa.."
Feeling restless yet ridiculous at the same time, Spike almost wanted to protest right then and there before he heard a cough.
Everypony who heard it suddenly swizzled their eyes when they saw Princess Celestia walking towards them with a low-spirited Twilight on hoof, leaving the miffed doctor glaring at the sheepish purple mare.
"Oh, hello, Spike. It's good to see you finally arrived." Celestia smiled down at the young drake before looking at the guards. "Could you please leave us? I want to discuss something important with Spike."
"Yes, Princess!" Every guard in the hall immediately saluted as they slowly trekked out of the hallway one by one. Seeing this, Celestia turned gently to her side, facing her downtrodden student completely. "And Twilight, while you did insist to me that you are now fine... well, in multiple instances now, I still would like to implore you to finish your check-up. Doctor Bright Hooves also insisted." She cocked her head toward the stiff unicorn doctor. Seeing that Doctor Bright Hooves was looking at Twilight with intensity, the young mare almost immediately protested, but then shut her mouth tightly when Celestia gave her a comforting nuzzle.
Looking hesitant towards both Celestia and Spike, Twilight bowed her head, her ears lowered as she sighed. "I understand... Princess Celestia." Slightly giving Spike a reassuring glance, the lavender mare then trotted rather reluctantly back towards the room, where the doctor immediately closed the door with a bang.
Doctor Bright Hooves was actually afraid that his patient would protest and leave, yet again. So, as soon as Twilight was in the room, the doctor immediately shut the door with a loud bang, not really afraid that the princess might get angry at him. His patient comes first. That's his motto in life.
So they left the confused drake and the princess behind in the silent halls.
Until the princess took a breath, breaking the silence.
"Now, Spike, I reassure you that you and Twilight are not in any way in trouble. But I would like to ask you some questions regarding Twilight's activities as of late." The princess asked this dutifully, fully facing the young drake with a soft look.
"Err.. what do you want to talk about, Princess?" Spike asked with a nervous look. Rubbing his head with his claws.
"Spike.." Dawning on a more worried look, Celestia took a deep breath. "It has come to my attention that Twilight suddenly had a panic attack— and mind you, this was not the usual outburst she always has. It was a panic attack mixed with a magical surge near the tree she was so fond of when she was studying. Did something happen to make her feel that way?"
"What..!? Twilight had a what now..!?" Now alarmed, Spike blurted out with wide eyes. And seeing him look unaware of Twilight's problem, the princess let a troubled look take over her face.
"I see.. so you must not have been aware." Celestia muttered as Spike suddenly sniffled a bit. Feeling the situation was serious.
"Princess, how's Twilight. She's fine right?" Wiping a slight tear away from his eyes, the drake asked with pleading eyes.
Celestia sighed, looking at his worried gaze, and the alicorn lowered her neck toward the dragon in comfort. "Yes, she is for the time being. The diagnosis said that she was just under pressure about something. And sadly, Twilight only insisted that she was tired. I would've thought that you might know, so I ask the guards to fetch you..."
But her gaze wavered a bit.
"But it seems you might.. not know. So I'll let Twilight decide; if she is ready to talk to me about her problems, just send me a message, alright, Spike?" Finally smiling, Celestia broke away from the hug.
"But if something were to happen like this again, you must promise me, Spike, that you would tell me immediately and not hide this, okay?" Seeing her stern face, Spike wiped his tears and nodded determinedly.
"Wonderful, now can you tell me what Twilight has been doing?" And with that, the two were chatting about Twilight's daily activities.
Of course, Spike didn't forget to not mention a certain somepony in the discussion. }
And that was it. After Spike told the princess of Twilight's usual schedule, the princess only made a confused face in the end before sending them both out after Twilight left the room with her usual serene smile.
And immediately, after they were back in the tower, Spike bombarded Twilight with endless questions on what the hay really happened.
Only to get a response of "Twivine being Twivine, suddenly disappearing on her in a rather scary fashion, having a panic attack when she couldn't do anything, being forced to calm down when Princess Celestia intervened, then seeing a familiar screen glowing when she was explaining to Princess Celestia she was fine, and then reading the contents."
And that led them towards the tower, searching for a book that relates to Nightmare Moon.
And Twilight didn't calm down after reading the contents of the screen. No, it actually made her hyperventilate while pacing on the floor. Searching widely for said book.
Well, it's not like Spike could blame her; after reading the text on the screen, it also made the young drake to sweat internally.
[MISSION FOR TWILIGHT:
DEADLINE: NONE
You must stop Nightmare Moon from shrouding Equestria in Night Eternal.
REQUIREMENTS: NONE
MISSION FAILURE:
If you fail the mission, then prepare to experience night eternal forever.]
After seeing that, word by word, and then gazing below at the consequences if ever Twilight failed, was... Pure torture.
Of course, both Spike and Twilight instantly believed the screen, since Twivine in the past always stressed such a fact being true, plus they saw her getting rewarded and punished whenever Twilight completed something or if she forgot to tell Twilight.
And some punishments were... unorthodox, to say the least.
But, what really concerned him over the whole Night Eternal being real and so was the old pony's tale, was... Twivine.
Where the hay had she gone, this didn't happen before until now!?
"Spike... I can't calm down and stop! You've just seen it, right? With Twivine disappearing like that and then that System she kept on telling me, and that Nightmare Moon was real, of course I have the right to panic!?" The lavender mare retorted as she has ten books floating around her head.
Each book she read at a rapid pace before dropping the said book on the floor after she saw no useful information. (She was actually berating herself mentally for damaging her precious books for the time being.)
"Then... how about asking Princess Celestia for help?" The drake suggested, already having a quill and parchment ready.
"Spike..." Slightly rubbing her tired eyes with her hoof, Twilight let out a frustrated sigh. Not at Spike, but to the book she always loved and cherished when she saw nothing informative on the situation.
"If we told Princess Celestia without any further truth or evidence, not mentioning the screen we could only see and nopony else, I think Princess Celestia would have half a mind to send me to Doctor Bright Hooves again for another impromptu examination." The mare slightly shivered at the doctor's check-up. Not really finding his intense stare a pleasant experience.
Thinking a bit, Spike suddenly snapped his right claw in realization as he put the quill into his other claw.
"Wait..! Twilight, didn't you say, after reading that book you guys have, you did mention that you found something familiar, maybe that might be it."
"Ohh...! You're right! Quick Spike, help me look for another copy of Prediction and Prophecies, ASAP!" Twilight bolted towards the other bookshelf as Spike saluted.
Skimming through book after book and still not finding anything, the mare was about to burst out in fury but stopped dead when she heard Spike's triumphant yell.
"I got it!" And without further time to waste, Twilight quickly used her magic to yank the book from Spike's grasp. But seeing Spike was about to slip, Twilight let out a gasp before running towards where Spike might fall.
Hearing a thud and feeling an extra weight, Twilight slumped slightly in relief after hearing an "I'm okay" from Spike at her back.
Finally having the book she needed, Twilight tried to calm her nerves as Spike jumped away from her to reorganize the books that she had thrown haphazardly, while the mare kept muttering the "Elements, elements.." under her breath, setting the book in the table until her eyes lit up.
"Elements of Harmony! Here, there's even a reference of Nightmare Moon!"
"... Well that's good. I mean.. in the pony's tale, it did say that she'll shroud Equestria in Eternal Night, and with the system now also. Though we don't really know when, right?" Spike commented, while picking one book off the ground as Twilight flipped the pages.
"Mare... Mare.. aha..! The Mare in the Moon, a myth from olden pony times. A powerful pony who wanted to rule Equestria was defeated by the Elements of Harmony and imprisoned in the moon." Twilight read aloud as Spike watched from behind, having a few stacks of books in his claw.
"Legend has it that on the longest day of the thousandth year, the stars will aid in her escape, and she will bring about nighttime eternal.... Spike, do you know what this means?" She suddenly asked with a frown. Looking directly at the thousandth year words in the book.
"Uhmm.. information?" The drake guess with an unsure look.
"No—! err.. yes, but ultimately, we now have proof to justify our message!" Twilight declared, shutting the book with her magic as she turned towards Spike with determined eyes.
"Spike, please take a note."
_______________
Pov Change: Twivine
On Twivine's side.
After hiding away from some shelves in the halls of the room when Twilight bolted away. I sighed in relief.
Who knew being seen by only two people or err pony and dragon would still be a hassle.
I'm glad that Twilight and Spike finally left... But what's with this situation!?
Looking at Celestia's smile turning into a depressed one made me feel incredibly bad.
Not to mention, hearing it about being Twilight made me feel guilty, too.
".. Oh please be alright, my dear student." Celestia suddenly whispered to herself as I cringed internally.
I might not remember much, but.. I do still remember some fictions I've read.
Some of them actually paint Celestia in.. somewhat like that of Dumbeldore.
But in actuality, Celestia isn't really like that. Sure, she still uses Twilight, but unlike Dumbeldore, who'd sacrifice Harry and other people without so much as batting an eye.. Celestia made sure that Twilight was up and beyond safe, making sure the assignments she gave her student ensured her safety and genuinely worrying about her even if she was safe.
I even sometimes caught her lamenting on the balcony when the moon is on its highest, about how horrible her attitude was with her previous student and her sister.. and while I might not remember much about said student, I do have a gut feeling that she might be important at a later date.
Though, back to the princess—Princess Celestia even paced herself to exhaustion one time when the princess saw Twilight all alone with only Spike (and me), worrying about how anti-social Twilight may become if she can't intervene.
"I don't know what to do.. if I fail yet again in communicating with Twilight.. I.." Celestia soon shuts herself off, biting her lips softly.
"No.."Celestia breathed slowly. Her chest rises up and down. "I won't let that happen, not for the third time."
But before she could rant to herself again, like many times I've witnessed such a scene when I'm bored, a burst of green flame suddenly interrupted her.
Ahh.. Spike and Twilight must have sent it.
"Oh.. what is this here." Taking a look, the parchment that was right in front of the princess glowed in Celestia's aura. Levitating it up to her muzzle, she frowned slightly in sadness.
"Oh..." She muttered despondently. "It seems that she has read about the prophecy. This may perhaps be the reason as to why she had a panic attack earlier. It may been rooted from that book."
"But... It's her destiny to fulfill. I couldn't simply intervene yet..." Slightly furrowing her brows, she summoned her own quill before taking another breath. "I'm sorry.. Twilight, but.. I should let you go.. for my selfish desire... And for your future."
And with that, she lied through her writing, telling that there's nothing to fear for Twilight's sake, making sure to keep a steady hold on her quill all the while having a defeated expression.
Man, why'd I have to witness such a scene?
If I were to have a body and could interact with the princess, of course, if I'm all intact and all that, maybe I should suggest being her listening buddy.
Celestia was known by many titles. Many she took pride in, and yet many she was ashamed of.
She knew that she could never match up to the ideal image that her little ponies have built in their minds, and she never will.
She was not somepony who should be beloved, and definitely not as a leader who's thought to be omnipresent.
But she's simply an immortal who has her own faults while doing what she knows best...
She was simply Celestia - a being with her own flaws and imperfections, doing her best to guide her subjects towards a brighter tomorrow.
But what if her best wasn't good enough? What if every decision she made and every path she took were doomed to fail? As a ruler, she knew that there were no easy choices—only difficult ones that came with their own set of consequences. And yet, she could not help but wonder:
Was there another path she could have taken?
These thoughts plagued her mind day and night until the present time, as she struggled to find solace in the weight of her own responsibilities. For all her power and wisdom, she was still a mare—a being who longed for acceptance, understanding, and perhaps even forgiveness.
And so she continued to rule over her kingdom, haunted by the ghosts of her past and uncertainty of what the future might hold.
So currently, Celestia's mind raced with regrets as she pondered the "what ifs" today of all days. Despite being given choices in every situation, she always seemed to choose the worst one, leading to the loss of her loved ones.
The memory of her past mistakes haunted her every waking moment..
Even though that one harsh lesson was shoved in her muzzle in the worst possible scenario, why did she forget it so easily twice in the past?
Especially how that first big mistake took her sister away?
And because of her arrogance, she paid a heavy price.
Both times were caused by her blindness.
The first time, caused by her with negligence.
And... The last time was mixed by her indifference.
The pain of her incompetence as an older sister and teacher still stung as she remembered the loss of not only Luna—her dear sister, but also her previous student, Sunset Shimmer. The weight of her past mistakes bore heavily on her, like an unbearable burden she couldn't shake off.
That's why she promised herself to change— to at least try to be a changed pony, or to not let her new protege down like she did before with Sunset and Luna.
So she became attentive to her new student, Twilight, and, by extension, little Spike.
And she noticed something... problematic as time went on.
For one thing, the Princess took note of young Twilight's expression when she would glance at the little filly whenever she could.
Sometimes, when Twilight was all alone, her expression would morph into confusion, the next into skepticism, and so on and so forth.
And after many expressions, somehow the young filly seems to cave in after being irritated at something and start talking to herself, as if Twilight were talking to somepony invisible. But when clearly asked, all the filly would answer was "her imaginary friend" with a suspicious stutter and eyes darting around.
And when it came to Spike, sometimes the young drake would laugh at nothing in particular.
Making grabby motions in thin air, and even one time, Celestia caught the drake trying to say 'Vine', when some of the workers definitely have no such name relating to any type of plant in her castle.
Again, when the drake displayed that with Twilight around, Celestia decided to ask out of curiosity, and all the filly could answer was her imaginary friend and continue to copy the exact manner of stuttering while shifting her eyes to anywhere but her.
Strange.. yet not noticing anything (Celestia double checked on scanning for any magic interference, curses, hexes, dark magic, and manipulation, just to be sure.) She tried to act unaware, and for the most part (much to her relief), nothing bad had happened.
—Yet.
So she waited... And waited...
And nothing major had happened except for some innocent, strange occurrences that can be forgotten. So, letting her guard down, she let the years flow by.
Letting some strange quirks of her young pupil and dragon to be ignored when she definitely double checked that everything was fine. Again (Checking Twilight's emotions, health, problems, and Spike's own well-being.)
But so far, as strange as her pupil and the drake's actions may be, she, for whatever reason, could not really know 'why'.
She talked to Cadance, Twilight's foal sitter, her brother, and her parents, yet all she could gather was nothing. Only ever mentioning the quirks and not really giving a definitive answer as to why, again.
So.. letting her paranoia go, she spent most of her time getting to know Twilight and Little Spike.
Finally learning to cherish her time with Twilight while secretly dreading the day her sister will return.
She just hopes that Twilight will be safe.
And of course, fate really wanted to prove Celestia wrong.
Sometimes, when she least expects it, something goes wrong—or, in this case, something weird— and for certain, it is her fault again.
And on all the days it should have happened, it happened on the day her sister was about to be free.
She didn't plan this. She really didn't.
Actually, she knows that's a big fat lie. In the past, on the day of the exam, Celestia might have slipped that prophecy book into her future student's room in hopes that they would learn about the prophecy and what it entailed.
Yes, even though she learned her lesson twice, she just couldn't let go of the temptation to see her sister again.
After all, "what ifs" are the most dangerous thoughts any pony could have.
But when she slowly grew attached, somehow she didn't want Twilight to find her destiny; she didn't want Twilight to fight her sister; somehow Celestia rather wanted Twilight to be safe, and so she tried everything in her power to make it so by teaching her some advanced defenses and some offensive magic through the years.
If.. and if Twilight's destiny prevails Celestia would feel complicated.
She really wanted Twilight to be safe, to be as far away from her troubles and her mistakes.. but there is still that small part of her psyche, a very small part, that still insists on being a hindrance to her mind. That small part that caused her to lose Sunset Shimmer in the first place was still flickering deep in her mind, or.... Her heart.
But while she wouldn't deny that this was intentional, but Celestia had honestly forgotten about that book being in Twilight's room. Too busy keeping watch to remember her deed.
And that led to another mistake being added, and it caused Celestia to visit Canterlot's best hospital with a crying Twilight in hoof. Her poor student muttered repeatedly about how "she was gone", with a haunted expression that made Celestia feel uneasy during the check-up.
Surprisingly, the check-up seemed to calm Twilight down as the mare started talking normally, but Twilight did refuse to utter any explanation as to what caused her to have a magical surge.
Then after her student was gone with Spike keeping Twilight company, the Princess immediately consulted the doctor, only to be told that her student had suffered a panic attack about something very stressful. And when she told the doctor to clarify, all Doctor Bright Hooves could say was..
"Princess Celestia, I failed to provide Miss Sparkle with a comfortable place to feel at ease, and the situation escalated to the point where I had to let her leave when she adamantly refused any further treatment,"
The doctor began, shuffling his clipboard on his table.
"And even if you ordered me to force her, I would not do such a thing, especially if my patient refuses so strongly." He added, looking at Celestia pointedly.
"We could not force her to tell us anything, we have to wait for her to be ready. However, I did conclude that even though she was reluctant to share the cause of her panic attack, she seemed traumatized when she first came here. Tell me the truth, Princess Celestia, did your pupil perhaps witness something distressing?"
The doctor's frustration was evident as he acknowledged the contradiction. "There's no easy fix for a resistant patient," he admitted. "But we can't ignore a potential catastrophe, no matter how small the chances are. So please, Princess.."
Celestia hesitated before responding, her heart beating faster than normal.
"I don't think so," she finally uttered. "When I arrived, I took into account the ponies who witnessed her episode, and they all said she was alone when it happened."
Doctor Bright Hooves let out a defeated sigh at her words.
"I see. Well..." He trailed off, turning his head and giving Celestia a soft yet tired look.
"Then there's nothing more I can do. Forgive me, Princess, but if she's that adamant about not telling you, then I won't pry any further. But my advice for this situation is for you to be there for your pupil when she needs your help." With that, he stood up and bowed to Celestia, who blinked in surprise at his sudden departure.
(Unknowingly to the baffled Celestia, after Doctor Bright Hooves was out of the room, his hooves suddenly backled down as sweat was dripping down his muzzle.
"I can't believe I talked to Princess Celestia like that!? Ponyfeathers!? I wished I wasn't so dedicated to my job that much to force myself to be have my professional mask on, especially dealing with the Princess of all ponies!?" He cried out as one of the nurses gaped at his fallen form.)
— back to Celestia.
Having stayed in Doctor Bright Hooves office longer than one would expect, Celestia soon went to her castle feeling drained, even though it was just morning.
And upon her arrival to her throne room, it was at that time that Twilight's letter rolled in, and when she read the parchment, she felt complicated in her heart.
On one hoof, the contents of the letter were undoubtedly the proof of why Twilight had a panic attack. And Celestia was sure of her hypothesis; surely this was the explanation, and then, when she realized this later, the guilt came back like a tidal wave.
It was her fault. Again and again..
And now Twilight had unknowingly accepted her destiny, despite Celestia's results.
and she doesn't know how to feel about that.
Despite her best efforts, that pesky feeling of anticipation persisted within her. She couldn't help but wonder why she was labeled a benevolent ruler by everypony, given her inability to quell her own inner turmoil.
So as she drifted off into her own thoughts, little did the alicorn know that a shadowy figure was lurking in the darkness of her chambers. The phantom's expression twisted in pity for the ruler before a sudden commotion outside caught her attention. With wide eyes, she quickly scurried away, passing Celestia in her haste and sending an odd chill down on the alicorn's spine.
Suspicions flared in Celestia's mind at the sudden feeling as she sparked her horn, but the glow quickly faded when she caught sight of a chariot flying by her window. Peering closer, she saw her beloved student waving her hoof and Spike flapping his claws excitedly. Despite the despondent wave from Twilight, a soft giggle escaped Celestia's lips regardless.
As she moved her fore hoof slightly to wave back, a gentle smile graced the alicorn's muzzle. Though she was unaware of the shadowy presence that had just left, she couldn't help but feel a sense of contentment at the sight of her student and little Spike .
'Oh I hoped you'll come back to me safe and sound, both of you.'
Not only was I trapped on a challenging and high-pressure mission, but I also found myself having to fix something I had no clue about.
On top of that, I had to hide from my best sister/friend after she clearly saw me vanish before her eyes without any rhyme or reason.
And to make matters worse, I had to avoid my BFFS/F (Best Friend Forever Sister/Friend) when the system itself threatened me with obliteration.
Ugh, why did life have to be so complicated? While obliteration was such a massive way to make sure people did as they were told, but please! Wasn't this place supposed to be a kid's show!?
Wasn't this System too harsh!? Like the Chinese novel level system hard!?
Couldn't I just vent all day? I was pretty sure it was justified, and wait... Did this system even have a feedback feature?
If it did, I'd rate it 2/10 dammit!
Ugh...!
Releasing a deep sigh, I gradually forced myself to calm down after hastily leaving the castle and heading towards an abandoned alley.
Then, looking up at the sky with a weary expression, I inadvertently spotted their carriage in the distance. Squinting my eyes a little, I could see Twilight, although I couldn't discern her expression. Her ears were pinned down while Spike moved his mouth, likely consoling her considering my sudden disappearance, which made the situation (for them) even more horrifying.
Feeling a bit complicated at that thought, I sighed again, now feeling the apparent mounting stress more clearly and leaving me deflated a bit.
But, shaking my head, I forced myself to focus. I did realize that I had a little time to spare seeing the sun in its position, so with reluctance, I tapped into my magic. Preparing myself with folded ears, I took a deep breath.
Exhaling slowly, my eyes were soon surrounded by a familiar purple haze. I couldn't help but shudder at the intense sensation in my forehead each time I cast those powerful spells.
Magic still felt strange to me, especially with the new appendage on my head. Even after living in Equestria for years, I still couldn't help but feel weird. Honestly, I kind of missed good old technology, especially for entertainment. Of course, it was also because I hadn't used powerful spells due to the laid-back missions. Well, that was my own fault, I suppose.
Ugh... Learning and using magic was such a pain... and this situation was terrifying.
And of course, negative thoughts suddenly rolled in, wrapping around my head like a cocoon.
'What if I failed?'
'What if both Twilight and Spike got hurt?'
'What if somepony died?'
'Was I really cut out for this?'
But... As frightened as I may have been, knowing that there were troubles Twilight couldn't handle, I couldn't bring myself to fool around. If there was trouble I couldn't handle, I would just cross that bridge later.
So, taking a deep breath and maintaining my focus, I began gathering the magic I needed to cast a high-level teleportation spell. Concentrating the magic in one place with my trusty horn, I summoned a bright teal aura that enveloped my entire body.
As I focused on the spell, I felt a surge of energy coursing through me, followed by rapid flashes of light emanating from my horn.
Once I determined my destination, I closed my eyes and allowed my magic to take over.
With a gentle whooshing sound, I felt my hooves lift off the ground as I was enveloped in a bright light. A rush of wind swept past me as magic consumed my entire field of vision.
*Shhhk...!?
With a final flash of light, everything around me turned white, and then my hooves touched the ground. I opened my eyes to see a road bustling with ponies—mostly earth ponies going about their business, with a mix of unicorns and pegasi. They didn't even notice my flashy appearance as they walked by without batting an eye, which made me slump in exhaustion. I exhaled loudly in relief.
'Haa... I guess sometimes, being invisible has its quirks.' I thought to myself, pleased but also feeling tired. So, dusting off a few imaginary specks of dust from my chest, I took a step forward and headed towards my first destination.
"Oooohhhh~ well, this is new!" Only for me to stop as a bubbly voice suddenly spoke from behind, widening my eyes. I squealed in fright and jumped in the air in shock.
Once my hooves touched the ground again, I hastily turned to see a mare with a bright shade of bubblegum pink coat and curly mane and tail, a mix of light and dark pink colors. She had a cutie mark of three balloons and big, shiny blue eyes that gazed at my form in puzzlement and wonder.
....Pffft—!? Drats!? Of all ponies to bump into... why her!?
Why Pinkie Pie!?
"Ooh! This is so weeeiiiiirrd, I can feel it in my Pinkie Sense! You must be the new pony in town this morning, I just know it! But wait, where are you? Hmm... let me try something." Pinkie then zoomed towards a bush near us and grabbed a stick in her mouth, then zoomed back with unbelievable speed. The mare drew a circle on the ground, completely encircling my form as she sat down on the road in front of me after she met the other end of her circle.
And I gaped silently in horror at the scene before me as she tapped her muzzle in puzzlement.
"Okay, now I've got you completely encircled, but you're not there. Like at all. See?" Pinkie prodded my sides, her hoof going through my body as I shuddered.
"But, but, but... I can definitely, absolutely sense you! Trust me, my Pinkie senses never lies! So you must absolutely be the new pony in town! Ohhhh, how exciting! I've never been friends with somepony invisible like you before! Or somepony who's a ghost! Ooohh~ Spoooky. Ahhhh! Let's gooo and have some fun together, new invisible ghosty friend!" She cheered loudly and spoke fast soon after, yanking her hooves from the ground as she clapped in delight while some passing ponies rolled their eyes at her nonsensical antics and carried on with their business.
"..."
While rebooting my mind, I couldn't help but take a step back, feeling a bit overwhelmed. But much to my dismay, Pinkie also moved forward.
"Hmmm? You don't really talk too much. In fact, I couldn't really hear you either. But I could sense you moving. Oh— how about you wave your hoof? Maybe I could do that... err, hooves sign thingy to communicate." The other mare brought her hooves to her face, folding them with a smile.
Blinking dumbly, I did what she said and waved my front hooves.
But seeing no reaction, I sighed a bit and silently summoned my solid vines instead. They were made small to make them unnoticeable and avoid unwanted attention, and they poked at her back. Pinkie jolted, jumping in her spot like a kangaroo, and looked down after she landed, seeing the tiny vines near her, her blue eyes sparkling.
"Woahhh...! Are you doing that?" The pink mare immediately crouched down, and as she saw the vine nodding to her answer—she stood back up, feeling giddy.
"Coooool~ hey, can you dance?"
Slightly manipulating the magic in my vine, I made it move as Pinkie gasped in delight, much to my amusement.
"Oh, oh! Lay down!" The vine suddenly went limp.
Pinkie's smile turned into an excited grin.
"Shake my hoof!" She stretched her hoof immediately as the vine went forward, gently wrapping Pinkie's hoof with its body.
As she giggled while playing with my vines, a warm feeling spread throughout my chest at that moment. It felt so nostalgic and novel that I unconsciously giggled along.
Suddenly, I realized that I was having so much fun just watching her silly antics while she was interacting with me. It was like a breath of fresh air in my routine.
Even if Spike and Twilight could see me, I couldn't help but feel a sense of loneliness all the same. It was like I was invisible to the rest of the world, always standing on the sidelines, watching as others lived their lives and interacted with one another without any problems.
But now, seeing somepony else interact with me... Well, semi-interacting, I still felt normal, I guessed. It was like I was finally seen, even with limitations, but it still felt wonderful all the same.
*Sigh..
Being who I am now, It was impossible for me to be seen normally. Magic or any kind of magic wouldn't work on my form unless Twilight used points from the System.. Actually, the System is Twilight's OP cheat since she could get anything that she wants, but.. The only rule was how many points she had; the bigger the item or something she wanted, the more it would cost.
I guess that's the difference; Twilight was the one who got the benefits, she is the host, while I'm just one part of said System.. an assistant of some sort.
But even with that knowledge, I'm just glad that Twilight is a great host. She's a pony who could have anything, and I mean anything she wants... But she saves her points just for me to be— well, a pony. Prioritizing me in the end.
Of course, she sometimes spends some of her points on books and some of Spike's whims, but compare the price of getting a real, solid body to the price of everyday items.. was heartwarming.
Though even with my heavy thoughts, I only smiled as me and Pinkie played together. I found myself answering her with "yes or no" questions in the middle of the road, laughing with her in a way that felt so natural and easy.
But alas, time didn't stop for no reason.
And the fun times were cut short when a feminine voice shouted Pinkie's name.
Turning my gaze away from my new 'friend,' I saw a plump mare, older than Twilight and Pinkie, with a blue coat and a pink swirly-cream-like mane.
"Oh, Pinkie, there you are! We were looking everywhere for you."
Pinkie shifted her eyes to look at her employer, her smile still on her face. "Hey, Mrs. Cake. What's with the urgency?" She asked, her head tilting slightly from the side.
Seeing the mare coming closer with a worried face, I unwillingly let my vines disappear. Seeing Pinkie preoccupied and hearing her mention me, I suddenly remembered my stressful mission and its condition, almost making me slump in defeat.
Oops.
I forgot.
Sighing and giving Pinkie's turned back a final smile that she wouldn't notice, I left and teleported away to Sweet Apple Acres.
After all, there were many things I needed to urgently check before Twilight might arrive.
After a few hours of sitting on a stump, hiding away with the help of the canopies of trees circling the land, my eyes returned to their normal appearance, with the purple mist disappearing. I hummed a song I had long since forgotten the title of.
'There was nothing noteworthy to write home about.' I thought, squinting my eyes as if there was some monster hiding somewhere.
Only seeing huge expanses of apple trees as far as I could see, peacefully swaying with the gentle winds, and the sky suddenly spotless of clouds, I sighed. But soon after, I let my muzzle form a soft smile at the thought of Twilight interacting with Rainbow Dash.
My horn dimmed after my spell-checker detector finished its work. I scrunched up my face since there were no anomalies anywhere beyond the safe borders of this town. I was actually relieved.
I had already checked the heart of Ponyville after I cast a quick spell, so... That left... Everfree Forest.
I made a face at that. I knew I was hiding from the inevitable, but it was still in the job description to check every nook and cranny of Twilight's first plot. If somehow I missed something, then it was on my head, and every pony's keister for putting up with eternal night.
So, better play it safe... But having only one difficult place to check, a forest—mind you—that was said to not be easily influenced by either light or dark magic to its fancy and having monsters crawling everywhere to boot, didn't bode well in my mind.
While I was safe from actual harm thanks to my body and my job, that doesn't mean I couldn't be harmed mentally. Even I have fears in this cotton candy of a universe.
I doubted I would be able to handle monsters if things went awry. I would probably even faint at the sight of it.
Whohoho... But I just couldn't allow a disaster that could wipe out Equestria just because I'm scared.. I was wholly frightened, actually, so the only thing I could do was brace myself for what awaited me in the depths of the Everfree Forest.
With a heavy sigh, I set off towards the forest, hearing noises such as crunching against the leaves as I trod lightly, my eyes scanning the surroundings for any signs of danger.
As I stepped into the shadows of the forest, a shiver ran down my spine, and an eerie feeling settled over me. The air felt heavy, and the sounds of rustling leaves and distant animal cries created an unsettling atmosphere.
But I had to press on.
With each step, I reminded myself of the importance of this mission. I needed to find any potential threats and ensure the safety of Ponyville and its inhabitants.
Navigating through the dense foliage, I couldn't help but feel a growing sense of unease. The forest seemed to have a mind of its own, with the trees whispering secrets and the ground shifting beneath my hooves.
My senses were on high alert as I cautiously made my way deeper into the forest. Shadows danced around me, and strange sounds echoed through the trees, making it difficult to pinpoint their source.
But I couldn't let fear consume me. I had to stay focused and vigilant.
Plus, I'm invisible.. I shouldn't be seen so casually.... Right..??
Troubled because of my messy thoughts, I shook my head and continued my search, I stumbled upon a clearing bathed in dappled sunlight.
I took a moment to catch my breath and gather my thoughts. I reminded myself of the task at hand and pushed forward.
With renewed determination, I delved deeper into the heart of the forest, ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead. I knew it wouldn't be easy, but I had to fulfill my duty and protect Twilight and Spike.
And so, with a steady pace and unwavering resolve, I ventured further into the depths of the Everfree Forest, prepared for whatever awaited me.
But not a minute later, seeing a huge black thing heading directly towards me, I, in my suddenly surprised state, shrieked.
