Chapter 1
Her hooves were cracked, and her coat and mane covered with a layer of dirt and dust, her eyes now a dull purple instead of the vibrant violet. Wearing a tattered cloak blowing in the sandstorm winds, she soldiered on. Twilight had been on this journey from the other side of the world for years, now. She saw creatures she could only imagine, some who wanted nothing more to skin and eat her for dinner, or sell her as a slave to the highest bidder, or far worse that she refused to think about. These were lands that did not know friendship, only power and survival of the fittest.
She had almost lost her life more times than she could count, simply from being naive or thinking every creature could have the kind or gentle nature of the ponies she had known. Her kind wasn’t welcome here, so she donned a tattered cloak to hide her nature. Through these long years, all she could think about was what she did wrong, or why nobody (pony, she slipped again) bothered to search for her. For all she knew, she was cast out of equestria for ruining Starswirl’s spell or angered Celestia somehow. This would not be a problem had she made some friends, but all these creatures wanted from her were to harm her or steal what little she had. She tried, she really did. All her lessons in friendship were as good as useless outside of Equestria.
Growing tired for the moment, she decided she needed a drink. Finding a tavern, she tossed over a few gold coins she stole via teleport from an unsuspecting shopkeeper to the bartender. “Something refreshing if you don’t mind.”
Cupping the drink in her hooves, she sighed. Even after all these years, it never got any easier to steal from others. Due to the unicorns being unheard of in these parts, she risked her life trying to make money honestly. When she did, she almost got conned into selling herself as someone’s plaything. Stealing is the only way to survive here and being honest never got her anywhere. If Applejack were here...
“So I heard them ponies are gonna open trade wit’ us soon.”
Twilight turned her attention to two fish people conversing at a table nearby.
“Aye. They destroyed the Storm King and now they want to be friends.”
“Haha who cares o’ bout dat?”
Lucky for her it seemed Equestria made contact with Klugetown a few months ago. Meaning she was close to home. She could hardly believe it. She almost wanted to break down and cry right there, but held her tongue. She could see her friends again! Her family! Celestia and Luna! They were just across the desert and a few miles more past that was a train station. Compared to almost five years of dodging angry centaurs, slavers, and braving the elements that was nothing. She galloped out and right through the desert that separated Klugetown and Equestria. It would be a few days trek but nothing she couldn’t handle.
——————
Twilight adjusted her regalia and triple, no, QUADRUPLE checked she had everything ready for the her first official day as ruler. First impressions are everything, and she knew this would be what historians would write about in books about her in the future.
“Are you ready Spike?”
“Huh. You really have the ‘I’m totally not going to freak out for real’ thing down now.”
“Har har, character development, I know,” she giggled.
“Ahem, anyway... shall I bring the first pony in for court your highness?”
“Still going to need to get used to you speaking like that. And yes, let’s begin.”
Putting on her most stoic yet kind and friendly face, she opened her first day court.
—————
Once she arrived at the station and boarded, she began to see some ponies... oh how she missed them! And many other creatures too. Those fish people were right about trade opening up. But that wasn’t the end. The view from this route was something else. It went through hippogriff lands and had rather scenic views of the ocean. Twilight was nearly glued to the window taking it all in, how just a few years could change everything. It’s good that Equestria was still staying true to harmony and friendship, they at least found some creatures of a similar mindset.
“First thing I need to do is see them again. I could use a good party with some cake. Sheesh, when WAS the last time I didn’t eat rotten food or meat?” She sighed as she stared out the window. Twilight somehow survived off the disgusting diet but her body wasn’t holding up too well in the looks department with the scars and dullness of her coat. On the bright side, her hardened lifestyle made her able to survive long stints without food or water and she had amazing endurance.
The train chugged through fields of dandelions and sunflowers (she could really go for some of those right now) before arriving at the long awaited Ponyville stop. Twilight gasped.
“Sweet Celestia...”
Ponyville had grown so much, many more ponies and even other creatures now roamed the streets. But what took her breath away was the crystalline castle standing above it all, with a school building next to it, or at least what she thought looked like a school. Twilight slowly uncovered her hood as she stood away from the train station, her matted hair swaying in the wind. She did it! She was really back! She couldn’t hold it back anymore. Twilight let out the most sorrowful yet happy cry of her life. Tears streaming, she screamed, “It’s finally over... it’s finally over!” Many ponies looked at her strangely and some very concerned.
“Miss... are you okay?” A unicorn stallion stared at her.
“Y-yes... I’m fine.”
Twilight pulled the hood back over her and walked to town. First thing was to see Spike again. He would have been so distraught that she absolutely had to reassure him first. The town luckily still had a familiar layout to her so she navigated it with relative ease. But as she got closer to the crystal tree, she realized something had changed quite a lot. Her treebrary was gone. Somehow this tree replaced it, but she had no idea what kind of magic could do something like this. She didn’t want to dwell on it now, though. And the building next to it was definitely a school on closer inspection, with a variety of creatures moving in and out of it.
“Hmm... I wonder if it’s a magic school? But creatures like griffons can’t use magic. Odd.”
She looked back to the tree and she wondered if Spike still lived in Ponyville. Wouldn’t hurt to try, she could just ask the current librarian if she knew his whereabouts. She knocked on the crystal doors.
“Hello! It’s Twilight Sparkle! Is Spike there?”
She heard clip clopping of hooves and what sounded like... feet? The doors opened to a green earth pony with a sea turtle cutie mark and an orange dragonness.
“Uh... Twilight? Aren’t you supposed to be at the castle?” The dragonness tilted her head quizzically.
Twilight glanced towards Canterlot.
“I lived in Ponyville, I don’t live with Celestia even though I am her student. And you’ve heard of me?”
The two looked at each other, completely baffled. The dragonness snorted and quipped,
“Okay, I’m gonna assume you hit your head or something because that makes NO SENSE.”
Twilight didn’t have time for this dragon’s sass, she just wanted to see Spike and her friends.
“Listen, I just need to see my friends. Do you know of them?” She answered, her teeth pushing together in frustration.
“If you mean the other elements of harmony, yeah. Just go look for Applejack or Pinkie Pie selling food in town. I couldn’t tell you about the others.”
Groaning, Twilight turned away and ran straight to the central marketplace.
“Sheesh, what’s her problem? Did she like skip out on being a princess or something?”
“Wow, you think she did that, Smolder?”
Smolder rolled eyes. “If it’s like having tea parties and wearing fru fru dresses I would too.”
Applejack felt odd not saying her daily greeting to Twilight. It has become part of her routine, just like apple bucking and selling apples. It felt like a part of her was missing now, and it just felt wrong. But she knew Twilight was meant to rule, it was her destiny and her personal feelings weren’t all that important on something as big as ruling a country. She adjusted her hat and put on her best, and still honest smile for the customers regardless.
“Applejack! Applejack!”
Speaking of her, AJ spotted a cloaked figure that sounded a lot like her good friend.
“Twilight? What’re you doin’ here sugar cube? Ain’t ya supposed to be up in Canterlot?”
“Applejack!”
Twilight squeezed AJ tightly with tears in her eyes, her body shaking with anxiety yet joy at seeing the first pony she met all those years ago when Celestia told her to make friends.
“Are you alright Twilight? You’re shakin’ something fierce. And why are you wearing a cloak?”
Wiping her tears, the unicorn uncloaked herself, revealing her face to someone for the first time in awhile. Her mane was an oily mess, while her face was missing fur in some areas, and a thick scar across her muzzle and eye. She looked like she hadn’t bathed in months.
“Sweet Celestia have mercy, what happened to you, Twilight?”
“I’m so sorry it took me this long to get back to you all. You’re still my friends and I would never forget you. It’s a long story, but I’ll tell you later, I need food for sugarcube corner first. That’s still a thing, right?”
“I don’t understand what ya mean, but we should get you fixed up. Ya look like... well I can’t even say.” Applejack winced just looking at her condition.
“Food first, AJ. I’m starving.”
Applejack tossed a big and bright apple over.
“Help yourself. Let’s get you some more grub at Pinkie’s and then a hospital, Twi. I mean it.”
Twilight devoured the Apple in a single bite and it only made her hungrier. She hasn’t eaten that good in so long she would need several more meals before she would feel satisfied again. Maybe even more than that.
Applejack soon made her way to Sugarcube corner with a cloaked Twilight following behind.
“Oh, hey AJ! GASP! Twilight what happened?” Pinkie whiplashed her mood so quickly, Twilight sure missed that quirk of hers.
“Pinkie, I’m going to need several cakes, cookies, donuts and various other confectionaries stat. It’s an emergency.”
“Say no more, Twi. Coming right up!” Pinkie immediately bolted to the kitchen and whipped up the order in a few mere seconds. Good old Pinkie defying physics and logic, Twilight mused.
Her plate was filled nearly to the ceiling with pastries and it STILL looked lacking. The hunger was truly something. Twilight immediately went to gorging herself and finished in a record time that Pinkie would have respected and maybe even feared a little.
“Wow Twilight! Even I’ve never eaten them that fast! You totally have to challenge me to an eating contest sometime!”
“All in good time, Pinkie. Now that I’m fed I need you and AJ to get the girls together. I have a lot to talk about.”
It sounded serious, and if Twilight was away from ruling it could mean the fate of Equestria.
“No problemo! I’ll round up Fluttershy and see if she can get Dash!”
“Twi I think you should come with me to see Rarity and get cleaned up. She’s mighty busy these days but I think she might be in Ponyville today.”
Twilight couldn’t disagree with that.
“Right. Let’s meet at carousel boutique then.”
Rarity shrieked in such a high pitched one of her windows cracked.
“Twilight we simply must get you to the spa and the hospital! Ahem, maybe not necessarily in that order...” she blushed.
“Im fine, Rarity. I just need to get cleaned up is all. The scars are pretty much healed. Mind if I use your shower?”
Rarity sighed, “that’s fine, but I WILL be taking you to the spa as soon as possible after this.”
Twilight waved her hoof lazily, “yeah yeah, I’ll be fine. Just need some good soap and water and I’ll be good as new.” She trotted off.
“Uh Rarity did Twi seem off to ya?”
“If you mean besides smelling like... eugh.... I know. She seems, different. I can’t put my hoof on it...”
—————
“Aaand that’s recess!”
Twilight groaned.
“I’m SO done. I don’t even know how Celestia put up with this everyday, let alone for 1000 years.”
“Celestia put a lot of faith in you for a reason. She knows you’re just as capable as her of doing this.”
“Ugh, yeah I know but ponies can be just...”
“
“Check all of the above.”
—————
Everyone gathered at Rarity’s and conversed amongst each other about Twilight’s condition.
“You think the trio are back for round two?” Rainbow Dash looked ready for a battle and scowled.
“Oh goodness, I hope not. At least we do have Discord and the bell this time I suppose...” Fluttershy pondered.
“Whatever it is, Twi was looking more haggard than Big Mac during an applebuckin’ all-nighter.”
“That bad huh?”
“Bad? Rainbow she looked positively dreadful! No, WORSE! I’ve never seen her look like that in all the time I’ve known her.”
“Oh, maybe she had a super duper epic fight with twenty manticores and five hydras!” Pinkie chirped as the others shook their heads.
Twilight stepped into the main room without her cloak.
“Sorry that took so long, that was more dirt than I expected heh...” she stretched her legs while rotating her ears happily and had a lazy, lopsided smile.
Fluttershy fainted, Rarity pulled out the couch and began crying into it, Pinkie’s mane deflated and RD and AJ simply looked at her in sheer horror.
“Girls...? What’s wrong?” Twilight finally showed some worry on her face to them.
“Twi what in tarnation happened to your wings?!”
“Okay where are they? They’re gonna pay for doing that to you! Not even Cozy Glow was that bad!” Rainbow Dash looked like she was out for blood. Twilight was concerned by their reactions, for so many reasons and some she couldn’t fathom. She needed to catch them up to speed and figure out what had happened in her abscence.
“I’ll explain everything. I know it’s been awhile since I’ve seen you all, and it’s a long story.”
“So wait, how have you been away this whole time when we just saw you like, a few days ago? Time travel?”
“No, Dash. I really have been traveling from across the world to come back here. I don’t even remember any of the stuff about becoming a princess or ruling Equestria. It’s like you’ve known a different pony this whole time...”
“Oh yeah, so how do we know YOU aren’t a fake Twilight then?” Rainbow pointed at her accusingly.
“Can it, Dash she’s tellin’ the truth. I can tell.”
Having recovered from her fainting spell, Fluttershy stepped forward.
“Do you think Twilight used a spell to make a copy of herself? Is that possible?” Fluttershy looked at Rarity, who shrugged at this. Twilight looked away in thought at the question, for it may just be close to the answer.
“Hmmm like the mirror pool?” Pinkie suggested.
“Definitely not that. The last time I was with you all, I had fixed your destinies back to what they should be. Then I completed Starswirl’s spell. Perhaps that somehow caused two versions of myself to manifest... I just don’t know how. The spell had to do with destiny... destiny...” Her eyes widened in realization. If she were right, it would turn everyone’s lives upside down, and perhaps all of Equestria! She grimaced at the thought, let alone saying it out loud.
—————
“Oh sweet Celestia it’s finally over!” Twilight had bags in her eyes and many hairs in her mane out of place from sheer stress of dealing with so many ponies all day. The fact that Celestia kept her regal look all the time despite this meant she had a way to go before reaching that level of composure.
“Hey look on the bright side, pretty soon people will be saying YOUR name when they get that tired!”
“Oh that’ll be something, alright.” Twilight smiled warmly.
Suddenly, her throne room doors burst open to reveal guards.
“Your highness, we have received word from the elements of something requiring your attention immediately.”
And just as quick, her smile turned into a frown.
—————
Twilight wanted to throw up. She saw another version of HERSELF standing in the throne, with patches of skin visible, scars on both body and face, cracked and worn hooves, and a tail that looked almost like a lion’s due to missing hair. She was so thin her ribs were showing, and had almost no fat at all on her. She would have assumed her mirror self if not for the fact that she had no glasses and had a different air about her that showed through without her even needing to speak. One that said she had a hard life. But if that weren’t all, she had no wings either. It was like looking at herself before she became an alicorn. She wanted to throw up because a part of her felt guilty for doing nothing to help doppelgänger, and that she had never seen a creature in such a sorry state as this in her whole life.
“We messed up, Twilight.” The shadow of her spoke tensely.
“What do you mean? Who are you?”
“I am you, if one such destiny was fulfilled.”
They were both silent for a moment, letting those words hang in the air to punctuate their meaning. She continued.
“Our destiny was split in two when we completed Starswirl’s spell. One of us successfully fulfilled theirs. The other, with nowhere to go, was displaced and unchanged.”
“You mean... this wasn’t supposed to be my destiny?” Confusion grew on the mare’s face as she wondered how this could even occur.
“Oh, it is. You are fulfilling your destiny.” She replied matter of factly.
“But if we’re the same, how are they so different? That would be like changing your cutie mark! And we have the same one.” Alicorn Twilight looked down at her mark and frowned.
“Starswirl’s spell was just a way of fulfilling my destiny, but cutie marks can have more than one way of doing this. Celestia would have always given me that task but I could have simply fulfilled it in a different way, it’s not set in stone or we would have no free will in our destinies when it comes to a cutie mark. This spell fulfilled it by creating a copy of my soul to fulfill it in that particular way that Celestia wished. This soul gained a body somehow but I’m not sure how becoming an alicorn works since I didn’t experience what you did.”
The alicorn replied back in confidence,
“It’s a place Celestia called Caellum, a realm full of heavenly bodies. She showed me memories of my life and told me my destiny was to be fulfilled. Then... I gained these,” she pointed to her wings.
Unicorn Twilight’s gears in her mind started turning after learning this, and a horrific idea popped into her mind. She gritted her teeth.
“She knew.”
Alicorn Twi looked frightened at how aggressive her other self was becoming, her eyes taking on a non-pony predatory glare.
“She knew the whole time and did NOTHING. She didn’t stop there, but toyed with another me just to add to her amusement. I would laugh at how ridiculous it sounds if it all didn’t make so much sens—.”
“Um, excuse me for interrupting, but you’re saying Celestia caused this? Why would she do that? She’s not evil or at least I can’t remember her doing anything like that. It could just be a flaw in the spell?” Alicorn Twilight paced a bit, trying to figure it all out in a calm manner.
“Celestia was always playing the long game, Twilight. I put the pieces together after hearing of her retirement, your ascension, and how she groomed me my entire life. Add in Discord and all the pieces are right there, in plain sight.” Unicorn Twilight wasn’t joking in the least bit, she looked deadly serious.
“That still doesn’t explain how she would know you exist somewhere or that I’m a copy of you. She may have made a mistake.” Alicorn Twilight shook her head.
“I would have thought the same, if not for the detail you said about going over your memories and about the meaning of Caellum itself.” Unicorn Twilight calmed down a little.
“How so?”
“I’ll ask you a question first. When Celestia went through your memories how thorough were they?”
“Ah, not super thorough or anything... there were windows of my life that went through every important event but they all started from when I got my cutie mark, leading up to my ascension.”
Unicorn Twilight nodded. “That’s about what I thought. Now I’ll explain why Caellum is important to this. I’ve read many incredibly old tomes that mentioned that realm as a place where stars are born and even going as far to say where the souls of ponies are created in the oldest texts.”
“Souls...”
“Now think about this. The spell Starswirl made used the entirety of the elements of harmony as a power source, and I was the blueprint, with the beam aimed at myself. Caelum doesn’t just mean heavenly bodies, it also means “the engraver’s chisel” in old Ponish. This spell was sent to me for a reason, to create you. You were chiseled out of my memories, soul, and the emotions and memories of the elements themselves. You are quite literally a copy of me up to that point in time, but the experiences you remember aren’t real. They were implanted. It works well enough I suppose, but true experiences trump memories in some cases. Either way, Celestia knew you would be created from me. You can’t create a new soul from nothing, after all. Perhaps she didn’t realize my old body would still exist elsewhere instead of being destroyed, but make no mistake she knew what she was doing when she met you in that realm.”
The alicorn copy could say nothing, her jaw simply hung open in shock. But it made sense. So much sense! A bombshell was just dropped on her world.
“So what should we do? Maybe she was just a little misguided...”
“No, Twilight. Luna was misguided. I should know, as I personally interacted with her and saw a side of her most didn’t know. That event would only exist as memories for you, but I experienced it first hoof. She lashed out in jealousy and rage, and was consumed by it. But she was truly in pain deep down inside. Celestia never saw that, somehow.” She let out a ragged, sad sigh, her throat tightening hard. ‘Now she never will’, she thought to herself, knowing that Luna also retired and never saw more than a few short years on the throne compared to her sister. She just wanted to be her equal.
“Celestia planned much of this out. Not all of it, of course. She’s not omniscient. That’s not misguided, that’s premeditated.” She stared straight into the eyes of the alicorn, bearing the weight of her next words deep into her core, “in order to fulfill my destiny, she had to let me die.”