What Shall be True

Twilight slammed headfirst into her bookshelf, nearly blacking out from the pain. As it was, she collapsed to the floor.

“TWILIGHT!”

Pinkie Pie burst in out of nowhere and clasped Twilight in a bone-crushing hug. Which, as fate would have it, aggrevated her forehead bruises.

“OW! Head! Pain! Lots of pain! Oh, Celestia…”

“Pinkie, lay off the poor girl. Can’t’cha see she’s hurtin’?”

“Pffft! Whatever! I’ve gotten up five seconds after way worse crashes!”

Twilight ignored Rainbow and Applejack as she sat up. “Wh-where am I?”

“Exactly where you were when you cast the divination spell, just four hours into the future!”

Four hours…? Wow. Talk about off-course.

“What happened to you, darling!? You had us worried sick!”

“I…I think I messed up the spell. Last thing I remember, I was getting pulled into the timestream, and then…” She gestured to the bookcase, bring her other hoof to her aching head.

“Well, I’m glad you’re safe.” Fluttershy’s voice floated across the room, just before Twilight caught sight of her. “After all, it could have been a lot worse.”

“Yeah! You coulda gotten sucked years and years into the future, into a world where pony society didn’t exist anymore! Ooooooh…”

Twilight just chuckled, looking around at her five best friends as they filled her field of vision. She felt amazingly happy to see them again, and ‘Shy was right that she was lucky to get out with just four hours gone. But still…she couldn’t shake this weird sense of sadness that clung to her mind. Like something was missing.

“Oh, what a dreadful thought! Or worse yet, far enough in the future to be past the end of the world!”

Twilight just laughed as she got up to her shaky hooves, reveling in the feeling of Pinkie helping her keep steady perhaps a little more than she should have. Maybe her emotions were out of balance as a side effect of the time spell? Clearly, more research was needed.

Later.

“I get the point, girls. Needless to say, I’m not touching that spell for a while.” Then she glanced around noticing one face missing. “Where’s Spike?”

“Oh, he had to run out for something. He should be back any moment.”

Twilight couldn’t help but feel inexplicably upset.

She just pushed the feeling aside and smiled. “Well, we’ll wait for him to get back then. Anypony else hungry?”

“Famished, darling.”

“Oh! Me too!”

“Ah could go fer some grub.”

“Oh! I could make us all a big super-batch of super-cupcakes!”

“Oh, the hay you are! I’m not having all that sugar on my flank!”

The five of them attacked the kitchen, arguing over the appropriate amount of food for what was apparently now a “Congratulations on only skipping four hours” party. Twilight just chuckled softly to herself, taking her time with following them.

Sitting on one of the tables was a dustpan, filled with broken pieces of the mug Twilight had shattered by accident not a half-hour ago. Well, technically, four-and-a-half hours ago, but one subjective half-hour.

She smiled, then focused her magic, and the pieces of mug reassembled themselves back into their original shape like it had never been broken. Then she smiled even wider, focused again, and formed a copy of the mug out of thin air. After all, it was Spike’s favorite. He should have a spare in case she broke one again. Call it a really early birthday present.

Then, as Twilight resumed her way to the kitchen, she noticed something in the mirror. It was…it had to be her reflection, because it moved with her. But there was no way that could be true. Her reflection was taller than her, for one thing, and nearly as tall as Celestia herself. Her mane looked like Celestia’s, if it were colored in rich purples and reds and golds, and speckled with the silver stars one might see in the early evening. She was regal, and powerful, and noble, and magnificent to behold. Her face, her eyes…they spoke of so much experience. Experience of loss and reclamation, of pain and joy, of betrayal and victory, of love and hate and war and beauty, somehow all at once.

Twilight tried to focus on the image, but it shimmered and vanished, leaving Twilight staring at a reflection of herself.

She stared at the mirror for several more seconds, until Rainbow’s voice echoed into her ears.

“Twilight! Get in here! Oh, Sweet Celestia, please hurry!”

Twilight stifled a laugh, glanced back at the mirror, then shook her head and started for the kitchen. She didn’t rush.

After all,

she had all the time in the world.