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Twilight reflected on what she had heard. infinite dimensions? An apprenticeship? Alternate versions of herself? It was all very confusing and very hard to accept. Twilight would have prided herself on how well she was taking all of this but she knew it would all burst out in a fit of uncontrollable insanity soon enough.

OH, a tiny ball of light. Slightly purple, it looked like a ball of fire. Fire wasn’t normally purple, and even when it was that hot it was way into the ultra violet range, Twilight shouldn’t have been able to see anything but a bright white fire. Twilight felt a strong sense of vertigo as the ball of fire flew towards her. Lurching forward Twilight found herself staring at a grey cave floor.

Wait. Looking.

Twilight started to dance around in victory as she regained her sight. The strange man looked up at her and Twilight saw him for the first time. He looked like he was made of ice, but it was hard to tell because of the blue and white cloak that surrounded him. He stood up, revealing more of what was under the cloak. He wore baggy blue pants held in place at his ankles with leather boots with fur lining the inside, the boots were treated to a withering stare from Twilight. His shirt was still obstructed.

Pulling his hood down Twilight saw that the man was indeed made of ice, and there was a small blizzard that made what looked like hair.

‘So thats what you look like.’ Twilight said through the telepathic link. ‘I never did get a name from you, you know.’

A noise that sounded like laughter came across the link, ‘No, I suppose you haven't gotten that yet have you. My name is Howard Quess, we can deal with title and occupation after you finish the final trial.’ Howard paused for a second, ‘You probably want to see what your new form looks like don’t you?’

Twilight gave a cautious nod, she knew that her face was sorely lacking in ears, a mouth, a nose... how was she breathing? ‘Before you start panicking,’ Howard started, ‘You no longer need to breath, eat, or sleep in your current form. The mana in the air will sustain you. It’s kind of like photosynthesis but without any environmental requirements. Now, about that mirror.’

With a wave of his hand a disk of polished ice appeared in front of Twilight, at least, She thought it was her. The coat of the reflection was pitch black but the striking thing was the violet fire that consumed her wings, tail, and mane. All that was not mentioning the two small wisps of purple fire hovering in front of where her eyes should be.

‘With all the things that have happened in the past month I’m not even surprised.’

‘Three months,’ Howard corrected, ‘After the mana fall you were unconscious for a little over two months.’

The fire in twilights mane seemed to flare for a second but it could have just been her imagination, ‘You know what, I don’t even care. I have one more trial yes, we better get going than.’

Howard was giving a brief explanation on how guild cities worked as they headed to the next trial, ‘You see, a guild city is a city in which a large group of dimensional travelers who have a similar skill use as a hub in between their travels.’

‘Makes sense.’ Twilight replied

‘At the moment yes, but you forget the infinite possibilities of the universe,’ Howard could see the anger on Twilights non existent facial features, ‘ It would be impossible to provide housing for an infinite number of people, even with all the spells the people there know. The best solution the founders and I could come up with was to anchor the city to a single point in reality, yes there are a few universes and parallels that got away from us but we got most of them. All the ones we didn’t get and all the new ones are picked up by other versions of the city that anchor themselves to various other points. While it may sound like a new city pops up every second but the anchors can hold a lot of universes so we really only get a new one every few trillion eons.’

‘Excuse me, how many eons...’

‘A few trillion’

There was that anger again, this would be a fun apprentice. ‘Anyway as I was saying, because of how the city is anchored everyone who enters the city relives the lives of every version of themselves up to the point in the timeline they are at at the moment. It sounds like the person experiencing it would go insane, and well, they do. But only for a couple decades. After that they learn to cope with the memories of a few trillion in their head. The only reason its not an infinite cycle of new voices is because of the anchor.’

Throughout this whole thing Twilight had started to slow. Insanity? She could deal with physical pain, that would go away, but matters of the mind. Not so easy to deal with. Besides, a couple decades! All of her friends would have gotten old and Chrysalis could have taken over equestria by that point! It’s not like they had the elements anymore!

‘Before you make a decision a comforting thought,’ Oh this would be good, ‘First, the people of the city wont really pay you any mind as you twitch and ramble in you insanity. Second, time flows different in each universe and each parallel so what would be five thousand years here would be five seconds somewhere else. Time is merely a convenience that most people here have disregarded.’

Twilight made a promise to herself in that moment, they had stopped a few feet from a large crack in the wall. Whatever it takes, I will get home. With that Twilight stepped forward.

Several things happened quick succession, Twilight noticed that the cavern they were in was enormous, much larger than the core of the planet should have been able to hold, the second was the voices that had started to whisper in the back of her mind, and the third was Howard slowly scooting away from her as they walked towards the city.

As they got closer to the city the whispers got louder, and images started to flow in front of Twilights vision. She stumbled and only half heard what Howard said next.

‘Enjoy the trip. Oh, and when your done would you tell me what you decide you new name will be. I’ll be waiting with baited breath.’

Twilight blacked out

Howard looked up from his book on Necromancy and its applications in cooking just in time to see a tower a few miles into the skyline explode in violet fire. There was a massive telepathic message sent out as it happened aswell: ‘LOOK AT ME WHEN I SCREAM AT YOUR SOUL!’.

Just another day, Howard thought as he looked back down at his book.

Two mages sat at a cafe in the streets a few blocks away from the explosion.

‘Oh I do so love the arch mage’s new apprentice!’ yelled a giddy Cerebramancer. His companion only stared at him.

‘You love all the new mages Risi.’ Said the Druid across from him

‘It’s not my fault this place inspires such wonderful insanity in the young ones, I just like to revel in it. Why are you harping me anyway, don’t you plant people like to not harm or offend anyone?’

‘Just cause I’m a pacifist doesn't mean all Druids are Risi, and besides, pacifism doesn't mean I cant make sarcastic remarks at idiots like you.

She couldn't believe the nerve of that cabbage, all she asked for was directions towards the nearest toaster repair shop and the thing had gotten all sassy with her.

‘It got what was coming to it.’

‘I do so agree voice in my head, what do you think other voice in my head?’

‘Oh yes, quite so.’

‘I don’t know, I think he was nice.’

‘Shut up voice #2346774.’ She noticed a Venomancer looking at her from across the hall. ‘HEY, WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT!’ the woman just rolled her eyes and raised her hands in a non threatening way as she continued walking. ‘THATS WHAT I THOUGHT!’

It had been 34 years since Twilight had shown up in Urbis de Magicis and Howard thought that things were going well. Sure a few things had blown up here and there... ok a lot of things had blown up everywhere. Even Risi, head of the Cerebramancer school stopped laughing a few years ago. A knock on the door pulled Howard from his thoughts.

Walking over he was pleasantly surprise to see one Twilight Sparkle at his door, but without the whole deranged flicker in her eyes fire things.

‘I have become bored with insanity and am ready to continue my studies.’

‘Good,’ Howard smiled, not that it could be seen, ‘have you chosen a new name?

‘Yeah,

Perierat Ignis.’

‘What is with you people and latin?’