Glimpsing The Unthinkable
“Alright girls, we’re nearly there,” Twilight announced. “Does everyone remember the plan?”
“Go in, beat up whatever bad guy is threatening this weird town, and save the day. Simple,” Rainbow Dash offered.
“Now Rainbow I’m pretty sure the map wouldn't bring us all the way out here for a friendship problem if the solution was just violence,” Applejack added.
“I must agree with Applejack darling. If the solution to such an issue could be solved with a punch I’m fairly certain the map would ask for a guard,” Rarity exclaimed.
“No way, it has to be another big bad like Discord. It did summon all of us and it is near the end of the season after all!” Pinkie Pie proclaimed.
“I’m not sure with it being almost fall has to do with anything,” Fluttershy muttered.
Twilight rolled her eyes. “No we’re here to assess the situation, figure out what the issue at hoof is, and solve it together using friendship.”
“Or failing that, knock the snot out of whatever jerk is causing these weirdo ponies a problem,” Rainbow Dash declared, the pegasus stopping to box some phantom opponent.
“I must ask darling. Did you ever discover the name of this frontier town?” Rarity inquired.
“Yeah, that was bugging me too. I ain't never heard of anyone trying to make a go of it way out in the middle of nowhere like this,” Applejack exclaimed.
The apple farmer gestured around to the blasted landscape, broken only by strange rock formations or the odd tree. It was a desolate place with only a single road leading from the nearest city to a small village. Which was made up of only two rows of homes aligned perfectly across from one another. Each house was identical to one another, save for the one that sat alone at the far end of the village.
“I don't know,” Twilight admitted. “It wasn't on the registry, and not even the local official I talked to had any knowledge of it.”
“So it's got no mail system or something?” Applejack muttered.
“I don't think so,” Twilight murmured.
“Oh look, I think someone’s gonna throw us a welcome party!” Pinkie Pie proclaimed, pointing to the entrance of the village where a lone unicorn stood.
“How did they know we were coming?” whispered Fluttershy.
“Darling they could see us coming for miles,” Rarity answered, gesturing back to the long flat road they had been walking for the last several hours.
“Oh,” Fluttershy muttered.
“Let's go say hello girls,” Twilight encouraged.
The alicorn stepped ahead of her friends. As she walked toward the town she noticed that the rest of its inhabitants were out doing their business. Yet no matter what they were doing, from planting flowers to sweeping the street they were all watching Twilight and her friends approach from the corner of their eye.
“Welcome to our town!” called the unicorn. “My name is Starlight Glimmer, to whom do we owe the pleasure?”
“My name is Twilight Sparkle,” Twilight proclaimed, stopping a few feet away from the stranger. “And these are my friends, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash.”
As she rattled off their names, the other ponies nodded, or waved, though all were subdued. The atmosphere was oddly tense, and even the usually oblivious Rainbow Dash could feel this strange change. It felt almost as though they were seconds away from landing themselves in the middle of a fight despite the fact that no one had even done anything aggressive so far.
“Oh, and a princess too! Truly we have quite auspicious guests indeed,” Starlight Glimmer replied. “Come, sit and rest. You must be tired after your long journey.”
“I suppose that would be rather nice. I don't suppose you have any fresh water by chance? Rainbow Dash here drank nearly everything we packed,” Twilight inquired.
“Hey, I forgot to drink some before we left!” Rainbow Dash whined.
Starlight Glimmer chuckled. “Of course, we have fresh water. Just take a seat over here and I’ll find you some refreshments as well as something to eat.”
Twilight followed after Starlight Glimmer as she walked back into town towards a lone picnic table seemingly set out just for this moment.
“I don't like this one bit,” Applejack whispered. “Feels like they are getting ready to jump us.”
“Yeah, and my Pinkie sense is going crazy! I don't even know what a twitchy hoof, itchy nose, and sproingy tail even mean!” Pinkie Pie added in a low tone.
“Just stay close to one another and don't wander off. I’m sure we’ll get some answers soon,” Twilight placated gently.
“So,” Starlight called. “What brings you out this way?”
“Oh we were just-” Twilight trailed off, her sentence interrupted by a sudden gust that picked up out of nowhere.
Stopping dead in her tracks, Twilight noticed that the source of the sudden surge in air pressure was coming from directly in front of them. Yet there was nothing there, and no reason for the small dust cloud to have been kicked up in the first place. Then out of nowhere, electricity arced off the ground, a second bolt joining the first, which was followed by a third.
“What the hay is going on?” Applejack asked.
“This isn't your doing?” Starlight Glimmer called.
“I don't even know what's happening!” Twilight shouted.
The wind howled, and more arcs of blue lightning shot out, scorching the dusty road randomly. The energy built and built before suddenly a sphere the size of a marble appeared in the air. It didn't remain that size for long, as it quickly expanded until it was as large as a pony, though even then it showed no signs of slowing down.
“Everyone get back,” Rainbow Dash called.
The assembled ponies stumbled back, including Starlight Glimmer herself whose eyes had widened in shock. That surprise doubled a moment later when the bubble vanished, revealing a pony, and a circular divot that had been burned away from the road.
“Wait, is that you Twilight?” Applejack asked.
“It looks like it,” Twilight admitted.
An older, more grizzled Twilight rose from the scorched section of ground, the pony nude save for an amulet that hung about their neck. They were missing an eye, a wing, and their left forehoof, though none of these injuries were recent as none bled. They didn't even seem to cause the pony much concern, as she rose suddenly and lit her horn.
“Starlight Glimmer, for your crimes against Equestria you have been sentenced to death,” the older Twilight proclaimed, her voice deep, and gravelly.
“Wait, what are you talking about? I haven't done anything?” Starlight Glimmer tried to interrupt.
“Yeah, Equestria doesn't even have the death penalty,” younger Twilight called.
“And I’m going to make sure it never needs to,” the older Twilight proclaimed.
Then, before anyone could react, the elder alicorn released her spell, blasting a hole straight through Starlight’s chest. The injury was deep, incredibly so, boring almost all the way through her body and out the other end. The hastily cast shield Starlight had mustered a split second earlier had done nothing, the magic flickering and dying as did its caster.
Starlight tried to cast another spell, to say something but she could only gurgle as her lungs had been incinerated. She collapsed forward into a twitching, bloody heap, horn sparking as conjured magic fizzled. A scream could be heard, and all at once the town erupted with chaos, with ponies running in every direction.
“What do we do!” Rainbow Dash shouted.
Twilight opened her mouth to respond, but no sound came out. Her gaze latched onto her older self, who was the only pony present who wasn't running around in a blind panic. This other version of Twilight was merely standing there, smiling faintly while glancing up at the setting sun.
“Finally, we’re free,” she whispered.
Twilight managed to muster the willpower to approach her other self, but as her hoof reached for the other mare’s shoulder something strange happened. Her body became grey, and flecks of it fell away, her ash-like skin crumbling to dust. In seconds there was nothing left save for the amulet which lay in the center of the divot, marking the death of its former owner.
Hesitantly, Twilight reached down and plucked it out of the dirt, immediately recognizing the small hunk of metal. The familiar golden locket had within it a family portrait, at least if the one Twilight held was the same as the one she owned. Sure enough, inside there was that same image, though each of her family’s faces bore a grizzly red x.
“What happened?” Twilight whispered.
A hoof grabbed her shoulder. “Twilight you gotta get ahold of yourself. Everyone’s panicking!” A voice yelled.
Twilight turned to see a wide-eyed Applejack peering at her.
“R-right,” Twilight muttered, straightening her back. “We gotta salvage this situation before anyone gets hurt.”
She winced and glanced over to the glassy-eyed corpse lying on the ground only a few feet away.
“Anyone else gets hurt,” she corrected herself.
Twilight sat alone in the room of her youth, the space illuminated only by a single candle burning on her desk. The moon outside her window would have lent the mare its light, but large clouds and the ever-present rain hid it from sight. The alicorn didn't seem to mind, as she simply sat there, in the chair no longer big enough for her, staring down at three items. One was a necklace, the next a rather complicated spell written upon a scroll and the last was a green potion with the stopper removed.
The rain pounded against the window, but despite the fierceness of the storm outside, it paled in comparison to the one raging within the mare’s mind. Her shoulders were tight, her jaw clenching and unclenching by itself as waves of emotion fell upon her psyche. Absent the ticking of a clock it was impossible to know how much time passed. Minutes, hours, Twilight didn't care to note the passage, merely sitting there quietly, staring at the items before her.
A sudden knock at the door wasn't enough to make her stir, nor did the sound of said door opening.
“Twilight, are you still awake?” called the gentle voice of her mother.
“I am,” Twilight replied simply.
“What are you doing up at this hour?” Called the elder Twilight. “It's nearly three A.M.”
“I’m just… thinking,” Twilight muttered.
Velvet strode up to the desk and peered over her daughter’s shoulder. “What are these things?”
“This is my locket, or I should say my other self’s locket,” Twilight answered, prodding the piece of dented gold.
“I thought you said you were going to get rid of that thing,” Velvet hissed.
“I was, but then it occurred to me that other me’s actions should have created a paradox that simply canceled itself out,” Twilight offered. “So I kept it, studying it in secret this past month and a half for an answer as to how she was able to do it.”
“Did you discover the secret?” Twilight Velvet asked.
“Yes and no,” Twilight answered, rolling the trinket between her hooves. “The sheer depth of the spell work placed upon this necklace is immense. It would take over a decade of study to peel back every layer, and discover the purpose of every matrix.”
“Yet, you found something of note,” Twilight Velvet offered.
Twilight nodded. “I found out that she was somehow able to isolate herself from the flow of time, essentially unmooring her from the causal reality. There is so much more to it than that, but if I say even another word on the topic I fear we may be here all day.”
“That's fascinating. But that can't be it, right? I’ve seen you get obsessed over a project and even then you’ve never been so… distant,” Twilight Velvet exclaimed.
“A fair assessment,” Twilight replied, placing the amulet back down. “Ever since I cracked the first layer of magic I have become possessed with figuring out how, but also… why?”
“Why what?” Twilight Velvet prompted.
“Why she would go back in time to commit such a heinous act knowing that by doing so she would undo her own existence,” Twilight answered. “I can't understand what would drive me to do something so… drastic.”
“That wasn't you honey,” Twilight Velvet interrupted, wrapping her hooves about her daughter’s stiff shoulders. “I know it may have looked like you but it wasn't.”
“But it was Mom,” Twilight replied simply. “It may have been a version of me from a distant future but it was me, and this locket proves it.”
“You know what I mean dear. Whatever happened to her changed this other you to the point that it wasn't you. Not anymore,” Twilight Velvet pressed.
Twilight sighed, her shoulders slumping. “Oh, how I’d like to believe that. To believe as though I didn't have that in me, but I know that's not true, and with this, I can find out why.”
“You didn't…” Twilight Velvet murmured. “You can't go to that place, it doesn't exist.”
“It may not, but at one point it did, and within the flickering timescape it still does,” Twilight remarked. “I may not have figured out how to travel there, but I can see what happened, glimpse what would have been, and discover the reason for my other self’s actions.”
“What would be the point?” Twilight Velvet pressed, squeezing her daughter tighter. “This other you gave her life and the life of her whole world to ensure that something horrible didn't come to pass.”
“But what was this dark event?” Twilight retorted, turning to her mother. “I refuse to believe that Starlight Glimmer alone was the cause of this all. Even after finding her stolen cutie marks, I can't believe that she was capable of something so despicable to earn such retribution.”
“You don't know that. You can't know that,” Twilight Velvet whispered.
“But I can,” Twilight replied, tapping the scroll. “I can figure out what would have happened, what drove me to that point, and potentially save Equestria in the process.”
“If Equestria was still in jeopardy then wouldn't this other Twilight still be with us?” Twilight Velvet pressed. “If she faded away as you said then her present and our potential future were wiped from existence.”
“I…” Twilight frowned. “I thought that was a possibility, so I commissioned Zecora to create a potion that would make me forget all about this… event.”
“Then take it, get rid of the locket, and leave this entire thing in the past,” Twilight Velvet encouraged.
“I can't,” Twilight retorted. “Don't you see? I have to know.”
“You don't have to. I know it feels like you do but you can just give this up,” Twilight Velvet shot back.
“That is easy for you to suggest, you didn't come face to face with the fact that you could be a murderer,” Twilight exclaimed.
The older mare recoiled, releasing her hold on her daughter. “I know it's not the same but Twilight this isn't a burden you need to bear.”
“It's for Equestria mom,” Twilight declared.
“It's for your own curiosity,” Twilight Velvet exclaimed. “Face it Twilight, there is no reason to gaze upon that damned timeline save for your own need to know.”
“I… maybe you’re right,” Twilight whispered.
“Think about it Twilight. Wouldn't looking into that place invalidate part of the sacrifice this other you made?” Twilight Velvet pressed, snatching up one of her daughter’s forehooves and giving it a squeeze. “She gave everything to ensure we didn't have to go through what she went through. Undoing a part of that feels almost cruel, in a way.”
Twilight looked down, her gaze distant and unreadable.
“Destroy the amulet, drink the potion, and leave this entire debacle where it should be, in the past,” Twilight Velvet continued.
“Don't you mean the future?” Twilight joked dryly.
“Whatever,” Twilight Velvet dismissed. “Just drop it, please.”
Twilight sighed, pushing her mother away. “You’re right. Though I didn't know her, I should still respect her sacrifice and not cheapen it by sticking my nose where it doesn't belong.”
“Do you need a hoof with anything?” Twilight Velvet offered.
Twilight nodded. “I don't think I can bring myself to destroy the locket or the spell I prepared.”
Twilight Velvet took the locket and the scroll. “Then I’ll see to getting rid of them for you.”
“Thank you,” Twilight replied.
The alicorn then took the potion in hoof, tipped back its contents, and swallowed hard.
“Blech. Zecroa really needs to work on her flavoring,” Twilight griped.
Twilight Velvet chuckled. “I don't think that was high on her list of priorities.”
“Fair,” Twilight muttered. “Well, good night. The potion should knock me out in a few minutes.”
“Then I’ll make sure this is dealt with before you wake up,” Twilight Velvet declared, leaning forward and planting a kiss on her daughter’s forehead. “You made the right choice Twilight. Rest well.”
“I will, thank you, Mom,” Twilight replied with a smile.
Twilight Velvet turned and trotted out the door, the locket and scroll floating alongside her. Upon reaching the hall she gently shut the door to Twilight's room, smiling faintly as she did so.
“Good night Twilight,” Twilight Velvet whispered. “Sweet dreams.”