It had been many hours since Twilight had returned to Ponyville from Canterlot, and she was at a loss now that she was home. She was the resurrected lover of the princesses of Equestria, a pony defying the system, cut off from the cycle of Life and Death, and now she was left with a choice.

But how could she choose, if she allowed them to reawaken her former self, the pony she was now might get overridden by all those memories, and be lost forever. But if she said now, she would be denying the princesses the pony that they loved, forcing them to have to wait to offer the choice again to whoever their past lover decided to be born as next.

It was an impossible choice, but one she could make, because she knew in the end what was more important. So with a heavy heart, she got up out of her bed and headed for the door, planning to catch the next train to Canterlot as soon as possible.

*

“Thank you for coming so soon Twilight,” said Celestia, the mare smiling as she and her sister stood before the young mare.

“I can't stay long,” said Twilight, “I just wanted to come and give you my answer.”

“So you've decided then?” asked Luna.

Twilight nodded.

“And?”

Twilight took a deep breath, and then let it out before speaking.

“I'm sorry, but I cant do this. I know that you loved her, and I know that this will hurt, but I can't take the risk that this will change me too much, and I will loose who I am.”

“But Twilight that won't....”

“You can't guarantee that,” said Twilight, “and I am sorry princess, but I can't give up my friends nor the life I am living now.....not even for you.”

“I.....I need to go!” cried Luna, before sprinting out of the room with tears streaming behind her as she ran.

When Twilight turned back to look at Celestia, she saw that the Sun Princess was crying as well, and she immediately went to apologize. “Princess.....I'm...”

“It's.....its alright Twilight, I....I understand...Just.....please go, I need to clear my head for a moment.”

Twilight nodded, leaving the room and closing the door behind her, unable to block out the sound of Celestia beginning to sob as she left.

Hesitating a moment, she considered going back in and comforting the princess, but thought better of it, knowing she would only bring her more pain. So she turned around, and came face to face with Princess Luna, who was looking at her with a hurt but hopeful expression as she spoke.

“Please.....please re-consider, I will promise you anything within my power, just please.....please let us have our love back.”

“I'm sorry Luna, but I made my decision....I hope you'll forgive me someday.”

She walked Past the princess, making it a few steps away from her when she felt the floor shake.

“YOU WOULD DARE KEEP HER FROM US!!!”

Twilight spun around, looking to see Luna had stamped her hoof down on the floor, and her horn was glow bright, a similar glow having surrounded the door, which was shaking as she heard Princess Celestia's voice sound from within.

“Luna don't do this....”

“WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, YOU MAY HAVE SAVED US FROM THE NIGHTMARE, YOU MAY HAVE SAVED EQUESTRIA FROM DISCORD, BUT YOU ARE NOTHING COMPARED TO OUR LOVE, AND WE WILL BE DAMBED IF WE LET YOU, A SHADOW OF SENTIANCE, STAND IN THE WAY OF MINE AND MY SISTERS HAPPIENESS!!!”

Then, before she could react, Luna's eyes glowed bright blue as she blasted her with a spell, and Twilight fell, her world going black as she heard the door's to Celestia's chambers crash open, and then she knew no more.

*

When Twilight woke up, she found herself in a strange place, fog swirling around her in all directions, save for the small patch of ground she now found herself on.

As she started to look around, she heard the sound of approaching hooves, and when she looked to see who it was, her eyes widened in shock, for she could not believe who was standing before her.

“Twilight Andromeda?”

“......Oh Twilight, I am so sorry.”

The mare, who was acting far differently from what Twilight remembered from when she had come out of the mirror pool, ran over to her and pulled her into a comforting hug, which Twilight began returned after a while, happy to have some comfort a midst all this confusion.

When they finally parted, Twilight took a moment to collect her thoughts, she spoke. “I....I'm dead, aren't I?”

Andromeda shook her head, “No, no you are not dead....not entirely, but your body.....your body has been stolen from you.”

“Stolen....by what?”

“....That will be a bit hard to explain, for it has to deal with the nature of souls, and how they truly function....for what you have been told about souls by the princesses was a complete and utter lie.”

Twilight's eyes widened in panic, “What....but the princess would never....”

“Lie to thee?” asked another voice, Twilight turning to see another unicorn, one which looked frighteningly familiar to Twilight.

“You....you look like Sombra.”

The mare nodded, “In life we were his daughter Umbranox, born to him by the only pony he ever loved. We knew twenty years of life before we were taken by the fell shadow known as the first Twilight Sparkle, but we will explain that soon. For now, walk with us.”

Twilight followed the strange mare, through the never ending fog, Andromeda staying close to her side as she looked around, before finally she dared to speak. “What is this place?”

“Those of us trapped her call it the place between,” said Andromeda, “think of it as a bridge, between Gaia, realm of the living, and Elysium, the realm of the dead. Do you see those lights above us, traveling in the fog?”

Twilight looked up, taking a moment but eventually seeing what Andromeda was talking about, seeing lights traveling two ways above them through the fog. “I do....what are they?”

“Souls, traveling between the Gaia and Elysium, perpetuating the eternal cycle of Life, Death, and Rebirth.”

Twilight's eyes widened at that, “what....but the princesses said....”

“They were lying to thee young Twilight,” said Umbranox, “as they have lied to many over the years, for the truth about what happens to a ponies souls when they die has long been lost to ponykind.”

“But you both know....could you tell me.”

Andromeda and Umbranox nodded, Andromeda choosing to speak next as they continued walking. “When a soul dies, they do indeed go to Elysium, but not for the rest of eternity. You see Twilight, the realms of the living and the dead constantly exchange energies between each other, and they use souls to do so. So, when a souls enters into Elysium, they live there only for as long as they lived within the realm of the living, and then they leave to be reborn in Gaia, continuing the cycle and keeping both realms healthy and vibrant.”

“Then what happened to me.....to us?” asked Twilight.

“The fell shadow,” growled Umbranox, “the one known as the first Twilight, she stole your body, like she has done to many others before you.”

“But why,” said Twilight, “if what you say is true, wouldn't she already be guaranteed reincarnation, why steal the bodies of other ponies?”

“Because of the time gap between dying and resurrecting Twilight. Lets say a pony lives for their maximum expected life span, one hundred years. That means that when that pony dies, they spend the same amount of time in Elysium, which would mean one hundred years away from the living world. For the first Twilight Sparkle, that was unacceptable, for she could not bare to be separated from her lovers, so she decided to do something abhorrent, she turned to soul magic.”

Twilight had to stop, “She WHAT!”

“She turned to soul magic,” said Umbanox, “one of the oldest and most potent of magics, but also forbidden due to the imbalance it causes to the world. Her talent is for soul magic, and thanks to this, she figured out a way to separate herself from the cycle, and whenever her new body dies, she looks for a soul returning from Elysium, latches onto it, and then goes dormant, waiting for her loves to find that pony and then preform the spell she taught them to re-awaken her....but only as long as the one she is hibernating within agrees to it.”

“But I didn't,” said Twilight, “Luna cast the spell on me against my will, she.....she said she wouldn't let a shadow of sentience stand in the way of her or her sisters happiness.”

That got a look from both Umbanox and Andromeda, Andromeda pondering it a moment before speaking. “They must truly believe that their Twilight found a way to quicken the cycle of rebirth....or they are lying to themselves....either way you are here now, and hopefully, you can help us to end her tyrannical reign.”

“But what can I do?”

“You will see,” said Unbranox with a smile, “now be prepared, for the others are waiting to meet you.”

Author's Note

Yeah, were diving right into the thick of it this time. Next chapter, we will actually be getting to meet the first Twilight, as well as explore more of the bridge between, for I plan to expand more on the other souls that the first twilight latched onto, as well as how they have been trying to get free.

(Also, for those of you wondering, the soulmate chapters are still going to happen, it may just be a little longer till they actually do happen, for I want to flesh out this story more this time around.)