Journey to My Imagination

Chapters

Ways of a Pony
Friends
Secrets
Luna's Suspicion
Endless Night: Part I
Endless Night: Part II
Endless Night: Part III
The Letter
Breakdown: Part I
Breakdown: Part II
Royal Bonds
Golden Slumbers
Fateful Confession
Revelations
The Three Princesses
The Real Culprit
One Soul: Part I
One Soul: Part II
End of the Nightmare
Hello, Goodbye
Within the Storm
Celestia's Secret
Any Way the Wind Blows

Ways of a Pony

Chapter 1: Ways of a Pony
*****

“I, uh…” Lauren stuttered, still staring at her cutie mark. What does this mean? A quill? A bottle of ink? Does it mean… The answer was quite obvious now.

“Um... Writing. I got my cutie mark at writing. I guess you could call me a storyteller,” she softly answered Twilight, who gave her a big smile. Writing, I see now. She placed a hoof to her chin. After all, she was the creator of the world she was in. It would be only natural for a writer as herself to get a cutie mark like that.

“Oh my Celestia! Writing? That’s amazing!” Twilight suddenly squealed in front of Lauren and bounced up and down lightly on her hooves in excitement. “Have you written any books? I’m sure I’d have them somewhere in here!” She looked around at her bookshelves.

Not really, I'm pretty sure you don't have any books written by humans. She didn't want to say something unnecessary. “Um, I doubt it,” she answered with a soft voice, placing a hoof on her head. “I haven't actually published anything yet.”

“Oh, I see,” Twilight sighed. Her excitement dropped back to managable levels. There was a pause before Twilight turned to her assistant, on an attempt to lighten the suddenly awkward mood. She finally opened her mouth to talk. “Spike, could you get us some tea, please?”

“Of course, no problem.” Spike stood up, walking towards to the kitchen, leaving the two ponies alone.

“Thanks, Spike.” Twilight nodded as she stared back to Lauren. She was still looking a bit stunned, but Twilight was unable to see any reason why.

A lightning bolt struck again, reminding everypony about the dreadful storm outside. At least the hail had stopped, the worst of the storm seemed to be over.

There was an awkward silence at the library. Lauren took the chance to examine her suroundings. On the floor, next to her, was Twilight's dripping wet deep blue blanket, the white moon and stars standing out clearly from the background. The shelves and walls were covered with books, and a few personal items Twilight had used to add a bit of color to the room. Spike's small bed, right next to Twilight's own larger one. It was all exactly the way she had drawn it. Sure she had seen it before, but she never expected to actually see it in person.

“So Lauren, where are you from?” Twilight finally broke the silence, staring at Lauren who stared back at her.

Maryland. She was about to say it, but she didn’t. She realized her own cartoon wouldn’t know what a ‘Maryland’ was. After all, many city names at the show were puns of actual cities of the United States.

“From, a very distant place,” Lauren finally answered. Twilight stared at her, unsure if she was saying the truth. She was not expecting such a vague answer..

“Well I sort of guessed you weren't a local. Care to be a bit more specific?” Twilight asked, blinking.

Lauren wasn’t sure what to say, she wasn’t even sure why she was in Equestria in the first place. “I… I don’t remember,” she said. Twilight only gave her a weird stare.

“What do you mean you don’t remember? Did you lose your memory?” Twilight asked, placing a hoof on her chin and staring deeply into Lauren's eyes.

No, I remember everything, I just can’t tell you. She couldn’t say she was from some planet named ‘Earth’, and that she animated cartoons for a living. “I, don’t remember many things from before I woke up here,” she replied, trying to stand up from the bed at last.

“Oh, please, don’t strain yourself!” Twilight approached her as she noticed Lauren could hardly raise her forelegs from the bed. She helped her to sit down on the bed. It was weird for Lauren to sit down like a pony. She had her hind legs bent just like any other animal that sits down, with her forelegs straight to balance herself. But it was somehow… comfortable.

Spike came back with two cups of tea with plates below them. One of them was enveloped in a pink, glowing aura, and Twilight grabbed it with a hoof. “Thank you, Spike,” she said, giving her number one assistant a warm smile.

“No problem, Twilight,” he replied, returning the smile. He turned to Lauren. “Um, don’t you want some tea?” he added, expecting her to take the cup with her magic, but no magical aura appeared around the cup.

“Uh, yeah, I do.” She nodded, stretching her arms to grab the cup and the plate. It was her first time holding something with her hooves. Naturally, after grabbing the cup, she dropped it, breaking both the cup and the plate, spilling the tea all over the floor.

“Oh I’m so sorry!” she apologized, ashamed of breaking Twilight’s cup.

“No no, don’t worry, it’s okay, really,” Twilight chuckled, waving a hoof. She enveloped the broken pieces of the cup and plate. With a flash from her horn, they were fixed again. “See? Don’t worry,” she added, handing the fixed dishes to Spike, who left them over the table.

“Forgive me, I’m not used to hold things with my... hooves,” she apologized, staring at her hooves. She was about to say ‘hands’, but it was better if she said hooves for now.

“Why didn’t you use your magic? You've got a horn after all,” Spike commented, grabbing a towel from his bed. He crouched and started wiping the spilled tea with it.

Use her magic? Sure, she was an alicorn, she had a horn. But magic? How could she use magic? She knew unicorns used magic thanks to their horns, but she wasn’t sure about the ‘activation’ method to use magic. All those thoughts were running inside Lauren’s head, who was only staring at Twilight with a confused look.

“I…” Lauren softly spoke with a faint tone. “I can’t use magic.”

“Oh, I’m sure it’s because you woke up from being out there in that terrible storm,” Twilight commented, hovering the cup to her mouth, drinking some of her tea.

“No, I mean, I don’t know how to use magic,” Lauren replied, lowering her head.

Spike, who was done cleaning the tea, turned his head to Lauren. Twilight almost choked on her tea, but she swallowed it. She cleared her throat, placing the cup of tea on a table.

“You don’t know how to use magic?” Twilight asked, confused about the matter. She placed one hoof on her head.

Lauren didn’t know, she woke up as a pony after all. She couldn’t figure out how to use magic. She didn’t even have the slightest idea of how to do it.

“Perhaps you forgot how to use magic as well?” Twilight replied, referring to Lauren’s memory loss after waking up. Maybe she forgot something else than her hometown. She moved the hoof from her head to her chin.

No, I didn’t forget, I just don’t know how to. Lauren found herself answering to Twilight with her mind more than with her own voice. She didn’t like to lie, but she had no choice. “I bet that’s what happened,” she answered, with a confident tone.

“Well, don’t worry. We will help you get your memories back!” Twilight cheerfully replied and stared at Spike, who was only listening to the conversation.

“Yeah, uh, it will be okay,” Spike added, giving Lauren a quick smile.

Lauren couldn’t believe how kind and sweet her characters were. Maybe Twilight was not the Element of Kindness, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t be kind at all, in fact, she was looking at a new Twilight Sparkle. Very different from the Twilight she was used to watch at her show. This Twilight cared a lot about her. Lauren couldn’t believe she actually developed a character like her.

“Thank you so very much, Twilight Sparkle,” Lauren said with a big smile on her face. “And you too, Spike!” She turning her head to the small dragon, who began to blush and grabbed his tail. Lauren chuckled a little, placing a hoof on her mouth.

The storm at the exterior was still vicious. Although lightning bolts seemed to have stopped, the wind was still blowing hard. It was around three of the morning already.

“So Lauren, I guess you don’t have a place to stay, right?” Twilight commented, placing her cold cup of tea on her desk, with her magic.

She’s right, I don’t have a place to stay. I only appeared here, I don’t have a place to go. She lowered her head, staring at Twilight’s bed. She had nowhere to go. That didn’t concern her as much as the most important thing: finding a way back home.

“You can stay with me, as long as you need to,” Twilight added with a smile on her face. She didn’t need to hear an answer from Lauren, she knew only with her face that she was lost and had nowhere to go.

“Twilight, I…” Lauren raised her head. She tried to climb out from the bed, carefully placing her hooves on the floor. She was standing still as a pony for the first time.

She moved her forelegs, at the same time as she moved her hind legs. She stood up and began walking towards Twilight, trying not to lose balance. Feels weird walking as a pony, but somehow, it’s not that hard. She approached Twilight, as she raised a hoof and placed it on her shoulder. “Thank you, Twilight!”

“You’re very welcome, Lauren,” Twilight giggled.

She could feel Twilight’s coat, it was not like a simple plush doll, not at all. Her fur was just like a real life pony, soft and very short. She could also feel her body heat. She then, released her hoof from her shoulder, placing it back on the floor.

“Ok then, Spike!” Twilight turned her head to Spike. “I need you to bring the mattress we use for guests.”

“Got it, Twilight.” Spike stood up and ran down to the first floor, heading into one of the rooms.

“Extra mattress? Oh it must be…” Lauren remembered. It had to be the bed Rarity and Applejack used back then at Twilight’s first slumber party.

“Here it is!” Shouted Spike with a loud voice, while pulling out a mattress from the room. “Uh, a little help?”

“Of course, sorry, Spike,” Twilight chuckled. Her horn began to glow as she hovered the mattress close to her own bed, placing it carefully on the floor.

Spike went back upstairs with a pillow and blanket. With her magic, Twilight placed them above the mattress.

“You can sleep here for the time being,” Twilight said, looking at Lauren who only nodded with a smile. “It’s already very late, so let’s go to sleep. This morning, I’ll introduce you to my friends.”

“Sounds lovely,” Lauren replied, with a grin. She knew which friends Twilight was referring to. She walked towards her bed.

Spike yawned. He climbed up to his bed and covered himself with his blanket. Twilight did the same, as she cast a spell to turn the lights off. Lauren lay down on her bed as well, trying to get a comfortable position with her new pony body. Oddly enough, she found herself at a very awkward position. She kept moving from side to side, trying to get a more comfortable position.

“Good night, girls,” Spike said with a great yawn.

“Night, Spike…” added Twilight. “And good night, Lauren.”

“Good night,” Lauren finally added, before closing her eyes.

The storm was now a soft drizzle. It was most likely to stop soon, maybe early in the morning.

I don’t know what’s going on. Her thoughts couldn’t let her sleep. How can I be inside this world? How did it happen? One hour had passed since Twilight, Spike and herself went to bed. Is this a dream? Or an illusion? The soft rain was starting to fade away. How… how am I supposed to go back to my world? So tired, I guess I’ll sleep for now...

*****

The rain had stopped. Early in the morning, some pegasi from the Weather Ponies moved the clouds out from Ponyville. Celestia, as usual, raised the sun above Equestria. The giant puddles of water that had formed on the streets of Ponyville were slowly drying, as well as the muddy land at Sweet Apple Acres. Some ponies finally got out of their homes. They had to run their daily labors after all. Some others were checking their houses for any damage the storm could have caused.

Ugh, my head. Is it, morning already? Lauren muttered, opening her eyes and closing them instantly. Too… early, I’m still tired, she mumbled, moving around her bed.

“Lauren?” Twilight whispered.

What the? Lauren opened her eyes and stood up. She shook her head, looking around until she saw Twilight, sitting next to her.

“Good morning! How did you sleep?” Twilight asked with her usual smile.

“Uh, good, thanks,” she mumbled, rubbing her eyes with her hooves. It was a shame. She was convinced it was all a bad dream and she would wake up at her office, or anywhere else, back at her world.

“I’m glad you slept well,” Twilight said to the half-asleep alicorn. “Come downstairs, Spike made us breakfast before he left,” she added, standing up and trotting downstairs. She was happy and full of energy as usual. “Oh, and if you need to brush your mane, feel free to use my brush. It’s right there on my makeup table.” She pointing a hoof towards the makeup table, near her bed. She lowered her hoof and began walking into the kitchen.

Lauren stood up, yawning, and stretching her arms. She finally got up from bed and walked towards Twilight’s makeup table. There was a mirror above it. She realized this was the first time she was going to see herself as a pony. She took a deep breath and walked in front of the mirror.

She stared at her new self for several seconds, examining each part of her body. The color of her eyes was different, instead of her brown color, they were now a light blue. Her red hair turned into a messy, straight mane, it needed a brush. She also checked her horn, it was like Twilight’s. And finally but not least, her faint cream-colored coat. She had enough looking at her face. She tried to grab the brush on the table, with her hooves.

Alright, I can do this. She tried grabbing the brush with her hooves, but she dropped it almost immediately. Darn, this is harder than it looks. She tried to pick up the brush from the floor, but she wasn’t sure how to grab it.

Twilight came back from the kitchen, hovering two plates with daisy sandwiches using her magic. She walked upstairs and noticed Lauren was having trouble with the brush. “Is something wrong?” Twilight asked, placing the plates with the sandwiches on the floor.

“Um, I-I’m not sure how to grab this,” Lauren mumbled, lowering her head.

“Oh, I forgot, you don’t remember how to use your magic. Here let me help you.” Twilight enveloped the brush with her magic, and gently began to brush Lauren’s mane. “Meanwhile, have some daisy sandwiches, please.” One of the plates was enveloped with magic as well, hovering near to Lauren.

“Oh my, I’m not sure if I will like it,” she mumbled, with a very shy voice. She was a guest in Twilight’s house. She couldn’t be picky about the food, but daisies? The sandwiches of her world had cheese, ham and maybe other stuff, but not daisies.

“Just try it. Spike makes really good daisy sandwiches,” Twilight commented as she kept brushing the alicorn’s mane. “If you don’t like them, I could make you something else.”

“No, don’t worry, I’ll trust you,” Lauren responded, while raising the sandwich with her hooves, making sure it wouldn’t fall. She stared at the two slices of bread with daisy flowers between them. She opened her mouth and gave it a tiny nibble.

The sandwich wasn't as bad as she thought. The daisies had a slight, honey-like flavor. They were a bit dry and sweet. She could relate the flavor to an egg salad sandwich, somehow.

“Well, what do you think?” Twilight asked her, staring at her face for the slightest reaction.

Oh my, this is… “Delicious!” Lauren exclaimed and took a bigger bite to the sandwich this time.

Twilight couldn't help but laugh. “I’m glad you like them! I told you Spike makes very good sandwiches. Even if he doesn't like them as much as ponies do.” She smiled at her, focusing back on the alicorn's mane.

Maybe, they don’t taste as bad as I thought. Or maybe, it’s because I’m a pony now. Oh well. She gave another bite to the daisy sandwich. She hadn’t eaten anything since she woke up as a pony. She didn’t even get to drink from the tea she spilled last night.

Lauren finished her sandwich as soon as Twilight was finished brushing her mane. The unicorn placed the brush back on the table.

“It was delicious! Thanks, Twilight!” She smiled, as she checked her brushed mane at the mirror. It certainly looked better than before when it was all messy.

“You’re welcome.” Twilight returned the smile. “Oh right, I almost forgot. I told you I wanted to introduce you my friends.”

Lauren remembered what Twilight said last night. She wanted her to meet the other main characters. Why not? I guess it will be fun.

“But…” Twilight stared at her. “If you go out like this, you would cause an uproar.”

Uproar? Oh that’s right. “Because I’m an alicorn, right?” Lauren asked, looking at the wings on her back.

Twilight only nodded. “I mean, it’s not bad, really, in fact, it’s wonderful,” she added, “but if everypony sees an alicorn other than the Princesses, they will surely start to inquire and gossip about it.”

Lauren understood, she remembered what happened with Zecora. The entire town thought she was an evil enchantress because they judged the book by its cover.

“We will have to hide either your horn or your wings, I’m afraid,” Twilight sighed, finally taking one bite on her daisy sandwich. She quickly placed it back on the plate.

“Don’t worry. It would be easier to hide my wings. I’d only have to wear some dress or something. Way more comfortable than wearing a weird hat to hide my horn,” Lauren commented with a small chuckle.

“Alright, I’ll see what can I get you. Wait right here,” Twilight replied as she went downstairs, trotting across the main library floor. Finally, she opened a door and went inside a room.

Lauren was sitting there. She took a chance to gaze upon Twilight’s library once again. She could recognize most of the library thanks to the scenes in the show. Well, she has a kitchen that I’ve never seen in the show, along with some other rooms. I guess this place has some off-camera places as well. She was getting bored of waiting.

Suddenly, her stomach growled, indicating she wasn’t satisfied with just one daisy sandwich. Oh, I really liked that sandwich. I wish I could have another one. She stared at Twilight’s sandwich, right in front of her. It only had one bite at the corner. It looked delicious anyways. No no no! That’s Twilight’s sandwich. It would be impolite to eat it. She thought to herself, but she was hungry. She was craving for some more daisy sandwiches made by Spike.

Ow alright, just a tiny nibble. Lauren stared at the room where Twilight went in and then grabbed the sandwich with her hooves. It wasn’t so hard to hold as before. She was getting how to hold stuff with hooves. I mean, after all I created the daisy sandwiches... sort of. She gave the sandwich the tiniest nibble possible, and she placed it back on the plate. Ah, that was delicious. She wanted more. She grabbed the sandwich again, with only one hoof, and gave it a bigger bite. She hummed with pleasure, placing the sandwich back on the plate.

*****

Too pink, too black, too long, too short. Twilight was checking every dress she had. Their designs were no match for any of Rarity’s dresses, but still, any dress would work. “Aha, here it is!” she exclaimed, pulling out a simple yellow dress with a pink ribbon on it. It was the same, simple dress Twilight used at her birthday party at Canterlot.

Twilight took the dress and left the room. “Hey Lauren, I think I found a good dress for-” She stopped talking as she saw Lauren with the daisy sandwich in her mouth. “Are you… eating my daisy sandwich?” Twilight asked, with a smile on her face.

Lauren rapidly put down the sandwich back on its plate. “Oh, I'm sorry Twilight, I-”

Twilight began to laugh. “Oh, Lauren! If you were still hungry, you should have told me! There are plenty more of daisy sandwiches in the kitchen!”

“Really?” She stood up and noticed the dress Twilight was carrying. “Oh is that your…” She glared at the simple yellow dress. She recognized it right away.

“Do you like it? My friend Rarity made it for me at my birthday.” She dragged the dress with her magic, hovering closer to Lauren so she could have a better look.

“Yes, it’s pretty, and so… simple!” she exclaimed while looking at the dress. And to think that I thought that dress was plain and dull. It looks cuter now. Nevertheless, that dress would surely hide her wings.

“Plus, thanks to an important unicorn named Fancypants, this dress is a hit in Canterlot. You’ll hide those wings while being in style!” Twilight chuckled along with Lauren.

“Well, thanks, Twilight, I really appreciate this. Let me try the dress!” Lauren requested, receiving a nod from Twilight, who handed her the dress. She wasn’t sure how to put it on. She never wore any pony clothes before.

“Wait, wait, you’re doing it wrong,” Twilight said, looking at the alicorn who was sticking a hoof through the neck hole. “Just slide your hooves from the bottom of the dress, stick them into the sleeves and just pull yourself all the way in, until you can stick your head out of the dress through the neck hole,” she instructed the clumsy alicorn.

Lauren did as instructed. She slid her hooves through the dress sleeves and pulled herself in. Meanwhile, Twilight was holding the dress, so Lauren could pull herself in. Finally, she adjusted the dress and Twilight helped her to pull her tail through the hole the dress had. With her magic, she pulled her tail, lock by lock, until the whole tail was perfectly stuck outside.

“It really suits you!” Twilight gazed at Lauren from all the angles she could, bouncing a little.

Wow, these pony clothes sure are comfortable. She wasn’t wrong. The dress was comfortable, at least for a pony. “It looks great! Thanks again, Twilight.” She began trotting in circles, trying to get used to the dress.

“I’m glad you like it, and it hides your wings perfectly.” Twilight pointed a hoof at Lauren's back. She looked like an ordinary unicorn with a dress. It was good enough to go out. “Well, are you ready to come out with me? I can’t wait for you to meet my friends!” she squealed.

“Yes, okay. But before we go…” Lauren turned her head towards the kitchen.

“Take as many as you want,” Twilight laughed while Lauren dashed to the kitchen.

Oh, so this is the kitchen, it looks nice. Twilight sure has a good taste. Oh, there they are! She noticed the plate with daisy sandwiches on a table. There were more than five, but she couldn’t carry that much. She took one sandwich with one hoof, and grabbed another with her mouth.

“Come on, are you ready?” Twilight asked her hungry friend.

The alicorn finished munching the sandwich she had in her mouth. She swallowed it and walked towards Twilight. “Certainly, let’s go.”

“Very well then.” Twilight opened the door with her magic. Both ponies stepped out of the library.

*****

“Um, excuse me, sir. How much does this cherry cost?” A timid, female voice squeaked.

“Ah, for you, my friend, only 1 bit,” somepony answered.

“Okay, I-I’ll take it,” The pegasus replied and opened her left saddlebag with her wing, withdrawing a coin from it. She gave the it to the big, gray Earth Pony who was standing behind a stall.

“Here, it’s all yours! Have a good day, lady.” The pegasus accepted the cherry with her wing and placed it her right saddlebag.

“T-thank you very much,” Fluttershy muttered with a smile, as she trotted slowly towards to Twilight’s library.

*****

Lauren couldn’t believe it. She was really in Ponyville. The houses, trees, streets. Everything was so familiar for her. She even noticed the ponies who were passing by. She couldn’t recognize some of them. She thought they were background ponies randomly animated.

But as she kept looking around, she could notice Lyra and Colgate talking near a tree. Caramel and Doctor Whooves were fixing a hole on a house roof, probably due last night’s storm. Well, at least she named them like that because those were their popular, non-official names.

“Uh, she said she would be here around this time,” Twilight commented, turning her head at all directions, looking for somepony.

“Who?” Lauren asked, biting on the sandwich she had on her hoof.

“Oh, there she is.” Twilight pointed out. A yellow pegasus with a long, pink mane was walking towards them.

Naturally, Lauren immediatly recognized who she was. Whoa, it's Fluttershy.

“Oh, Twilight, I-I’m so sorry for making you wait, you see I had to-” The pegasus stopped talking when she noticed the unicorn who was standing next to Twilight, holding a daisy sandwich with her hoof.

“Don't worry, Fluttershy, it's okay. Listen, this is my friend Lauren.” Twilight pointed her hoof at Lauren. “Why don’t you introduce yourself?” She turned her head, asking the ‘unicorn’.

“Hi, I’m Lauren. It’s so nice to meet you!” She smiled. “What’s your name?”

Fluttershy gently began to stroke her hoof to the ground. She lowered her head a little. “My… my name is, Fluttershy,” she whispered, with a very faint voice.

Friends

Chapter 2: Friends
*****

“I'm sorry, what did you say?” Lauren asked. She could hardly hear the soft voice of Fluttershy.

“My name is... Fluttershy,” she replied with a louder tone. It was still a bit faint, but understandable.

“Fluttershy, what a lovely name!” Lauren exclaimed, biting on the extra daisy sandwich she had in her right hoof.

Fluttershy didn't answer. Instead, she gave a confused stare at Twilight.

She is really sweet in person. Then again, she's the Element of Kindness. Still shy, though. Lauren smiled, giving another bite to her sandwich. She was starting to love the flavor of the honey-like flavored daisies in her mouth.

“So, w-where did you two meet? I mean, if it's okay t-to ask...” Fluttershy asked, exchanging stares between Twilight and Lauren.

“Well the truth is... last night, I found her unconscious, outside in the storm.” Twilight had no reason to lie to her friend. She knew Fluttershy was someone of trust.

“Oh my, that sounds awful.” Fluttershy raised her head and looked at Lauren. Her expression was showing concern for the alicorn-in-secret, who was a few bites away from eating her entire sandwich.

“Well, is not that bad as it sounds.” Twilight stared at Lauren, unsure if she should tell Fluttershy about her memory loss. Lauren nodded, as if she was giving permission to Twilight to say what happened. “Well, she lost her memory. She could only remember her name, but nothing else. She even forgot how to use magic,” she added.

Fluttershy gasped, raising her head. She gave a shocked look at Lauren. She felt sorry for the poor unicorn. Even if Lauren had a smile on her face, she could tell she was very concerned about the matter. “I’m so sorry to hear that,” she muttered.

“Uh, It’s okay, really,” Lauren replied, nodding with her head and eating the remains of her daisy sandwich. She tried to swallow fast so she could keep talking. “Twilight is helping me, so it will be okay.” She pointed her hoof at Twilight, who reacted a bit surprised by the mention of her name. I hope Twilight can help me out, but not to recover my ‘lost memory’. I need to find a way back home. “She was kind enough to let me stay with her for the time being,” she commented.

A few seconds of silence passed. The other ponies were running their usual errands, unaware of the alicorn who was relatively close to them. Caramel and Doctor Whooves were finished fixing the hole in the roof. Lyra and Colgate were gone already.

Twilight finally spoke, breaking the ice. “So, Fluttershy, remember why I wanted to meet you here?” she asked the pegasus, who stared right back at her.

“Oh, right, you wanted me to come with you to see Rarity,” she answered, remembering why she was there in the first place.

“Yes, I decided to take Lauren as well, so she can meet you all,” Twilight added, pointing her hoof at Lauren.

“By the way, um, isn’t that the dress Rarity designed for you, for your birthday?” Fluttershy asked, noticing the familiar dress the ‘unicorn’ was wearing. It was indeed that plain dress Twilight wore. Somehow, it looked nicer on Lauren.

“Yes, I…” I can’t say she’s using it to hide her wings. What do I tell her? Ah, I know. “She saw the dress at the library, and she totally liked it. So she asked me if she could wear it,” Twilight replied, staring right away at Lauren.

Oh, I see. As much trust as Twilight has towards Fluttershy, she doesn’t want to reveal my secret. “Yes, this dress is lovely!” Lauren exclaimed, raising one of her hooves and pressing it against the dress, staring at the regal pink ribbon around her neck.

“Oh, that's nice.” Fluttershy smiled and tilted her head a bit to the right.

“Well then… shall we get going now?” Twilight turned around and began to walk, leading the way. Fluttershy nodded and followed Twilight.

Well, I really don’t know which way to go. Lauren began trotting, catching up with Twilight and Fluttershy.

Nine hours had passed since Lauren's arrival at Equestria and something was bugging her since her arrival, it was Twilight’s voice. Each time she heard Twilight speak, she thought about Tara Strong, her voice actor. But the longer she was sticking around Twilight, the more she seemed to care less about it. She was also wondering why she looked like her Original Character. Same mane, same coat color, same eyes, and same cutie mark. The only difference was her size, from Celestia-size to normal pony-size.

I’ve been missing since last night. Did John and George leave without me? Or did they notice I went missing and called the police? Does Craig know about it? “Oh, Craig…” she whispered.

“Craig? Who’s Craig?” Twilight stopped walking, giving a confused look at Lauren. Fluttershy stopped at well, re-adjusting her saddlebags.

Oh darn, I thought out loud again! “Uh, what do you mean?” Lauren asked Twilight.

“You just whispered ‘Oh, Craig’ didn’t you?” Twilight replied and her head tilted slightly. “Do you know somepony named Craig?”

“Oh, he is my…” How do I say it? “Special… somepony,” she mumbled, staring deeply at Twilight, looking for the first reaction in her face. She was surprised to notice a grin forming in Twilight’s mouth.

“Do you mean, you remembered your special somepony?” Twilight exclaimed in joy, bouncing up and down on her hooves.

Sure, let's go with that. “Yeah, I remember now, he’s my special somepony,” Lauren replied, looking at Twilight who was still bouncing in her hooves.

“Those are wonderful news!” Twilight exclaimed, “It means you’re progressing in getting your memory back!” she added, with an even greater grin than the one she had before.

I guess that’s one way to put it. “I think that’s it! I remember him! He is my husband,” Lauren nodded. Fluttershy was only smiling at her.

“I’m glad for you, Lauren. I’m sure I can help you get your memory back in no time! And maybe find out more about who you are!” Twilight exclaimed, stopping the bouncing and turning back to continue their way.

I wish I could tell you who I really am, Twilight… I’m sorry for causing you all this trouble. “Thanks, Twilight.” Lauren started walking, along with Fluttershy who kept silent the entire conversation.

The three ponies walked through some streets of Ponyville. Lauren could recognize some of them, thanks to some elements from the town, such as the fountain in the central square and the Celestia statue, in another square. She kept gazing around, looking at the clouds the pegasi had spread around the skies of Ponyville. She looked at some little fillies, playing carelessly, chasing each other. She even took her time to examine the ponies she was running into. Some of them did appear in the show, but they didn’t have a name. But as there were ponies she couldn’t name or recognize, there were others she did know. She saw Cheerilee walking towards a different direction from where Twilight, Fluttershy and herself were going. She must be going to the school, I think.

After a few moments, the trio turned left in an intersection, and Lauren could recognize one house right away, from the distance. There’s no mistaking it, that’s Sugarcube Corner! But, why Sugarcube Corner? Weren’t they going to meet Rarity? She thought they were heading to Carousel Boutique the whole time. Maybe they agreed to meet there? I wonder if Pinkie Pie or anyone else will be there, too. She kept staring at the candy-looking house. The brown chocolate roof, creamed at the edges. On one side, the statue of a pony holding a caramel cane. The purple chimney, conformed by three pipes. And the big, cupcake-shaped room at the top of the house, which it was most likely Pinkie’s room. Everything was just as she drew it.

The three ponies walked towards the door. Twilight stepped forward and knocked the door. “Pinkie Pie, are you home?”

The door opened and a pink Earth Pony jumped out of it. “Twilight! Hello!” The overjoyed pony yelled, jumping in front of her.

“Eh, hi, Pinkie,” Twilight replied, trying to calm down the anxious pony.

“Oh! Fluttershy too! Hello, how-“ Pinkie jumped in front of Fluttershy, before noticing the additional pony who was with them. Fluttershy squeaked a little. She was startled by Pinkie's sudden gasp, followed by a rapid dash towards Lauren. “Hi! You’re a new face! What’s your name? What’s your favorite color? Do you want a cupcake?” Pinkie attacked Lauren with questions, sticking a pink cupcake out of nowhere.

“Umm... Hello?” She talks really fast, I can't keep up! Wait, where did that cupcake even come from? “I’m Lauren, nice to meet you. Uh, sure, I’ll take a cupcake.” She smiled back, taking the cupcake with her hoof. Typical Pinkie Pie, always so happy and energetic... and random.

“I’m Pinkie Pie! But all my friends call me Pinkie, you can do it too!” She stared at Lauren, with a huge grin in her face.

“Of course, Pinkie,” Lauren replied with a chuckle, looking at the pink cupcake. My… Pinkie’s cupcakes, if I created them as delicious as they seem to be in the show… Lauren moved the cupcake to her mouth and gave it a nibble. This cupcake, it tastes so… “Yummy!” she exclaimed. Pinkie began bouncing in joy.

Twilight, who was only staring at Pinkie Pie, walked towards them. “Um, yeah, she is Lauren. She a friend of mine,” she said, staring at Lauren who was finished eating the cupcake she had.

“Oh! How did you meet? I have never seen her around Ponyville before.” Pinkie jumped in front of Twilight.

“Actually, I met her last night.” Twilight then, explained the whole situation to Pinkie, just like she did with Fluttershy. The only thing she didn’t mention was the fact that Lauren was an alicorn.

“Aw, I’m so sorry to hear that,” Pinkie said, “but cheer up, everything will be alright!”

“Thanks, Pinkie,” Lauren replied with a smile on her face. “I know it will.”

“Uh, Pinkie Pie,” Fluttershy mumbled. Pinkie Pie jumped in front of Fluttershy. “Um, here are the things you asked me to get.” Fluttershy lifted a wing and opened her right saddlebag. She withdrew the cherry she bought earlier, along with three walnuts. She extended her wing to hand them to Pinkie.

“Yay! Thanks, Fluttershy!” Pinkie squealed, accepting the items. “Now I can finish my cake!”

“Um, no problem, Pinkie Pie.” Fluttershy muttered, smiling at her happy friend.

“We were actually heading to visit Rarity, do you want to join us?” Twilight asked. The happy, pink pony's smile lowered slightly.

“Oh, I’m sorry, but I have to finish a cake! Mr. and Mrs. Cake had to go out with the twins and they trusted me to finish their cake,” Pinkie replied, “but say hi to Rarity for me!”

“Sure thing, Pinkie. See you later.” Twilight waved her hoof.

“Alright! And nice to meet you Lauren! I'm always happy to make new friends!” Pinkie yelled at her, waving her hooves in excitement. Her trademark smile returned.

“Nice to meet you too, Pinkie!” Lauren answered, waving back. “And thanks for the cupcake!” she added.

The three ponies turned back and walked away from Sugarcube Corner. Pinkie went back inside. She went to the kitchen and placed the cherry and walnuts over a table. “Lauren is nice!” she exclaimed, grabbing a cup of flour from the cupboard. “It’s funny… I feel like if I’ve known her for a long time!” She placed a hoof on her muzzle and laughed. “Okay, let’s bake!”

*****

There was nothing but silence in the darkness.
‘Crack’

*****

It was already noon in Ponyville.

“Hey! Hey, Rainbow Dash!” a female voice yelled. “How about if you stop slacking off on that cloud and help me with all these apples?”

“Now, hold on, Applejack. I agreed to help you, but I need a break!” Rainbow replied, “just five more minutes!”

“You’re such a lazy mare. You’ve only been helping for like fifteen minutes!” Applejack yelled back at Rainbow Dash.

“And now I need a break!” Rainbow replied, resting her head in the soft cloud she was laid on.

“I can keep doing this for hours without taking a break, you’re just super softy,” Applejack said.

Rainbow stood up from the cloud and flew down to Applejack. She stood right in front of her and raised a hoof, pointing it right between Applejack’s eyes. “Do not ever call me a super softy!” Rainbow replied, “I can get the job done way faster than you could!” She put her hoof down, striking it firmly on the ground.

“Remember. No apples, no cider.” Applejack began to persuade Rainbow. “I bet I can get the job done in less than a minute. You couldn’t do it faster.” She turned back and raised her tail to brush Rainbow’s face with it.

Rainbow had enough, she hated when the ponies doubted about her capacity. Even more if it was Applejack. Even though she was her best friend, she was also her greatest rival.

“I will show you whose the super softy!” Rainbow soared from the ground with her wings. She took aim at the apple orchard and flew right to them. With ease, Rainbow began striking tree after tree, moving to the next one in a matter of seconds. The apples from the trees fell down inside the baskets below the trees.

“That Rainbow, it’s so easy to trick her.” Applejack told to herself, while laughing.

And in less than a minute, all the trees in the orchard lost their apples. Applejack began picking up the baskets, to place them inside the barn.

Rainbow flew in front of her friend and mockingly laughed. “Ha, I told you I could get the job done in less than a minute!” She smiled, proud of her good work.

“Yep, you were right, Rainbow. Thanks for the help, sugarcube,” Applejack replied between chuckles, going inside the barn to stash the apples. “I promise you’ll get the tastiest cider you’ve ever had,” she added, leaving to barn to pick up more apples. “But now, help me stash those apples.” She pointed her at the tons of baskets filled with apples, below the trees.

“Aw, alright,” Rainbow muttered, flying towards some apple baskets under a tree.

*****

Twilight noticed the stare exchanges between Lauren and Fluttershy, suddenly thinking of something. “Hey, I have an idea!” she exclaimed all of a sudden, causing the other two mares to stop walking, swiftly staring at Twilight, who turned back to them. “Do you want to stop by and get a cider?” she asked them.

Cider? I’m sure she means the cider the Apple family makes every year. Lauren stared at Twilight, a bit surprised of her sudden offer.

“Oh um, sure. I mean, if that’s ok with you,” Fluttershy mumbled.

“And while we’re at it, I can introduce you to my friend who works at the farm,” Twilight commented and looked at Lauren, who nodded in agreement. “Perfect, then let’s go! The Apples said they would only make cider for today.” Twilight began walking, towards Sweet Apple Acres.

Lauren and Fluttershy walked behind Twilight. Oh, I didn't know the Apples make cider outside of the cider season. That’s interesting. I can't wait to meet Applejack!

*****

Applejack and Rainbow finished stashing all the apples inside the barn. Rainbow did the job quickly due her anxiety for cider.

“Thanks for your help again, Rainbow.” Applejack said, grabbing one basket of apples from the barn. “Now let’s go make you some cider!”

“Finally! I can’t wait!” Rainbow squeaked, jumping behind Applejack, who was heading back to her house.

“Uh, wait, is that…” Applejack noticed three ponies walking towards the farm. “Oh hey, it’s Twilight, and Fluttershy too.” She changed her route towards the entrance, so she could greet her friends.

“Oh come on, couldn’t they show up later?” Rainbow complained, flying behind Applejack.

Applejack noticed the third pony who was with her two friends. She couldn’t recognize the new face, though.

Rainbow noticed the extra pony as well. She moved her mouth close to Applejack's ear. “Hey, Applejack, who is that unicorn?” she whispered.

“I don’t know, Rainbow, I’ve never seen her around,” Applejack whispered back, trying to get a better look at her face.

Both ponies finally reached the farm entrance, standing right in front of their two friends and the unknown pony.

Oh, if it isn’t Applejack, and Rainbow Dash is with her. Wow, her rainbow mane looks absolutely gorgeous in person. It is nothing like in the show at all! Lauren thought, looking at Rainbow who was looking funny at her.

“Howdy, Twilight, and Fluttershy,” Applejack greeted her friends. Fluttershy gently waved her hoof. “And howdy… stranger,” she said, staring at Lauren.

“Oh, Applejack, Rainbow Dash,” Twilight greeted her friends, “She is Lauren, a friend of mine.” She pointed her hoof at the alicorn, who grinned back at Applejack.

“Nice to meet you, Miss Lauren.” Applejack smiled at Lauren.

“Yeah, hi, I’m Rainbow Dash! The best and most awesome flyer in all of Equestria!” Rainbow flew in front of her, with her usual conceited grin.

That’s Rainbow for sure... Lauren chuckled and properly introduced herself. “I’m Lauren, it’s nice to meet both of you.”

“So, Twilight, what can I do for you?” Applejack asked. Twilight must had a reason to show up at the farm.

“Oh, I remembered you told me you would have cider only for today, so we decided to stop by,” Twilight explained. Although that was the reason they were there in the first place, Twilight also wanted to stop by to introduce Lauren to Applejack. Luckily for her, Rainbow was there already, meaning she didn’t have to look for her now.

“Yep, but we just harvested the apples, so I was about to start making it.” Applejack pointed at the apple basket she was carrying.

“That’s okay, Applejack. We were heading to Rarity’s. Maybe we can come get some when we return?” Twilight asked her, she was a bit disappointed she didn’t have the cider already.

“For sure, take your time, sugarcube. I’ll have plenty of cider ready for you all when you come back,” Applejack replied, staring at Rainbow. “Of course, if somepony doesn’t drink it all.”

“Hey, what do mean with that?” Rainbow complained, “I’m not gonna drink all the cider!”

“You better not,” Applejack chuckled, “well, it was nice meeting you, Miss Lauren. You gotta try out the Apple family’s cider.”

“I will, thanks, Applejack, it was nice meeting you, and you too Rainbow Dash.” She stared at the impatient pegasus. She only wanted to drink the cider already. It's true, Applejack does smell like apples.

“We’ll come back later then,” Twilight finally added, before waving her hoof and turning back. Fluttershy and Lauren did the same and walked behind her. She couldn't help but notice a change in Rainbow's mood. From her typical energetic self to a curious and analytical one. “It must be my imagination,” she concluded, focusing on meeting Rarity.

“Hey, Applejack.” Rainbow landed her hooves in the ground and approached her.

“Patience, Rainbow. I’ll get on the cider right now,” Applejack muttered.

“No, no, it’s not that, it’s about that pony, Lauren.” Rainbow pointed her hoof at the pony that was walking away from the farm. Applejack stared back at Lauren, and then returned her stare to Rainbow.

“What about her? She seemed nice to me. What’s the matter?” Applejack was starting to wonder what was bugging Rainbow.

“Nothing, I mean… I don’t believe it. I’m not even sure how or why,” she mumbled, staring back at Lauren.

“What is it, Rainbow?” Applejack asked again, staring deeply into Rainbow’s eyes.

“I will tell you after I get my cider,” Rainbow said, turning back to Applejack's house.

*****

I can’t believe it, I’ve been meeting my own creations. Not only that, but I’m becoming their friends. How many creators could say that after all? But, I still don’t how what’s going on, or what should I do. Is there even a way back home? She kept wondering herself until one place caught her attention.

Finally, they arrived at Carousel Boutique. Lauren looked at the blue walls, the purple stripped poles, the pony mannequins, the purple and lilac diamond patterns on the roof, and the simple red flag at the top. Every single detail… exactly as I drew it, it’s amazing. She stopped to admire at her work.

“Lauren, are you coming? Hurry up!” Twilight called.

“Yeah, excuse me.” She started to move again, a bit annoyed. She didn’t like when someone rushed her to do something, but she didn’t make a big deal out of it.

Twilight and company stood in front of the door. She raised her hoof and proceeded to knock the door. “Rarity? It’s me, Twilight!” Ten seconds passed, there was no answer. She tried knocking again. “Rarity, are you home?” But no one answered.

“Well, I guess she’s not home.” Twilight turned back looking at Fluttershy and Lauren. “Maybe she went to deliver some dresses.”

“Um, but,” Fluttershy mumbled, “She asked me to buy some items for her. Why would she leave without even leaving a note?” she added, opening her left saddlebag to check the items Rarity asked her for.

“Maybe she had to leave or something,” Twilight replied, “well, what do we do now?”

“Uh,” Lauren interrupted, “how about if we go back to Applejack’s to drink some of the cider she promised?”

“Yeah, that’s a good idea, Lauren!” Twilight walked towards Fluttershy, raising one hoof and placing it on Fluttershy’s shoulder. “But… Fluttershy, could you go ahead for now? We’ll catch you later.”

“Oh, okay, Twilight,” Fluttershy whispered.

Twilight approached her mouth very close to Fluttershy’s ear. “And when you arrive, please tell Rainbow and Applejack about the issue with Lauren, please,” she whispered, low enough so only Fluttershy could hear. She nodded, trotting away to Sweet Apple Acres.

“Eh, Twilight… what was all that about?” Lauren asked. Why would she ask Fluttershy to leave?

“I need to tell you something important, about your problem,” Twilight responded, with a more serious tone than before.

“What about it?” Lauren asked.

“I think the only one who can help us figure out what’s going on is Princess Celestia.” Twilight raised a hoof, placing it on her chin. “You heard of her before, right? Last night at the library, I told you that she and Princess Luna, are the only alicorns.”

That’s right, Twilight, I know exactly who Princess Celestia is. And I know she and Luna are the only alicorns. “Yes, you told me that, but…” But, I doubt that even Celestia knows what’s going on with me. Sure, she is wise and everything, but not even she would know what a ‘human’ is. “How could she help me?” Lauren asked, hoping for an answer from Twilight.

“I’m not sure what she can do to help us, but she must know at least something,” Twilight said. She looked back at the path Fluttershy took to go back to Sweet Apple Acres and turned her head to Lauren. “We have to go to Canterlot, that’s where the Princess lives.”

“But, what about Fluttershy and Applejack and-” Lauren was interrupted by Twilight.

“I’m sorry, but your situation is more important right now. I’ll apologize to them later.” Twilight said, lowering her head. She didn’t want to disappoint her friends, but she knew they would understand. She told Fluttershy to tell them about the matter after all.

“Okay, I understand. How do we reach Canterlot?” Lauren asked. She knew plenty of ways to reach Canterlot: Train, Twilight’s hot air balloon, Royal Chariot, etc.

“We’ll take the train. If we hurry, we can reach Canterlot tonight,” Twilight decided. They had to talk to Celestia.

“Okay, Twilight, let’s go then.” Lauren could only agree with Twilight. I really doubt Celestia will know something about the matter, but it could be worth a shot.

*****

“Alright, Rainbow, here it is,” Applejack called Rainbow Dash over the kitchen. Over the table was a big jar of fresh cider.

“About time!” Rainbow eagerly approached the table and grabbed the jar with one hoof. She began drinking the cider, with each glug deeper than the last one.

“Wow there, Rainbow, you’ll choke if you drink like that,” Applejack chuckled. She turned back to the small cider mill she had, to make another jar. “You sure love cider, don't you, sugarcube?” She smiled and laughed.

The door knocked. Rainbow was finished with her jar and she let out a long gasp.

Applejack walked towards the door and opened it. She only saw Fluttershy. “Hello, Fluttershy, you’re in time, but-” Applejack noticed the two missing unicorns who had came earlier. “Where’s Twilight and Miss Lauren?”

“Oh um, Twilight asked me to um… explain something about Lauren,” she muttered, looking at the orange pony’s green eyes.

“Well, I think Rainbow has something to explain about her as well.” She stared back at the kitchen. Rainbow was waiting for more cider. One jar was not enough for the thirsty pegasus.

“E-explaining?” Fluttershy asked, confused about what could possibly Rainbow had to explain.

“Come in, I think we need to hear your story first.” Applejack moved, letting Fluttershy inside her house.

Secrets

Chapter 3: Secrets
*****

“Okay, sugarcube, what’s the matter?” Applejack asked, looking at her shy friend who had joined her and Rainbow Dash in the kitchen. She offered Fluttershy a jar of cider, placing it on the table right in front of her.

“Well, um, you see…” Fluttershy grabbed the jar, giving it a very faint sip. She gently gasped and placed the jar back on the table. “Twilight said that she found Lauren last night.”

“Found her? What does that mean?” Rainbow asked, putting down the jar she was holding. Applejack had really outdid herself this time. It was a very high quality cider, as expected.

“She… she said she found her lying in the terrible storm last night,” Fluttershy muttered, trying to picture the scenario in her mind.

“That sounds terrible,” Applejack added, looking at her timid friend who was staring at her cider. “Why was she outside in the storm?”

“Oh, I don’t know… I don’t think Twilight knows either, she only found her outside,” Fluttershy quickly replied. She raised her jar once again, drinking more of the fresh cider. She let out a faint gasp after placing the jar back on the table. She didn’t drink often, but the cider was really good. “But that’s not the worst part,” she added.

“Hmm? Then what is it?” Rainbow asked, her jar was almost empty. She had been craving for some cider since the morning, and a few jars weren't going to enough for her.

“Well, Twilight said that Lauren lost her memory. She can’t remember where she’s from or anything before Twilight found her.” Fluttershy made a short pause to catch her breath. “She could only remember her name, and on the way here she remembered her husband’s name.”

Applejack was looking at Fluttershy with surprise. She didn’t expect to hear something like that from Miss Lauren. She felt sorry for the poor ‘unicorn’. “Oh my, that’s awful.” Applejack looked down at the table.

“What was her husband's name?” Rainbow asked. Her jar was empty, again. Applejack noticed and took the jar to refill it.

“Oh um, she said it was Craig,” Fluttershy answered.

“Well, that’s not a very common name,” Applejack added, handing the refilled jar of fresh cider to Rainbow, who responded back with a smile, happily accepting it. “Neither is Lauren, I guess.”

“Well, um, I think that’s it. That’s all Twilight told me.” Fluttershy placed her jar on the table, wiping the remaining drops of cider off her lips with her tongue. It had been a very good cider after all.

“I see, for all we know, she might not even be from around these parts. Maybe that explains her unusual name.” Applejack placed a hoof on her chin. “Oh, right!” she exclaimed, looking at Rainbow Dash, who returned a surprised stare. “You said you noticed something about her, right? What was it?” she asked.

“Oh, I told you, I’m not entirely sure about it.” Rainbow looked down at her cider, thinking about what she saw just a while ago.

“It doesn’t matter, Rainbow. What is it?” Applejack began to get more curious. Fluttershy was only staring at Rainbow, waiting for her story. There were a few seconds of silence in the kitchen until Rainbow finally spoke.

“Well, I noticed the dress she was wearing,” Rainbow said, “I think it's the one Twilight wore at her birthday party.”

“Yes, I noticed it too, but I didn’t say anything,” Applejack replied, looking at Fluttershy who wanted to speak. “What is it, Fluttershy?”

“Um, Lauren said she was wearing that dress because she loved it, so Twilight let her use it,” Fluttershy mumbled, looking at her empty jar of cider.

“Oh, okay. Well, if that’s all, then-” Applejack was interrupted by Rainbow’s voice.

“No, that’s not what I mean!” Rainbow exclaimed.

“Then what is it?” Applejack asked, confused about what Rainbow could possibly notice about her. Was it her face? Her mane? Her coat color? Her hooves?

“Well, I think she was hiding a pair of wings under that dress,” Rainbow confessed, deeply looking at Applejack's green eyes, waiting for her response.

Fluttershy and Applejack opened their eyes wide. They stared at Rainbow, trying to process what they had just heard. Did she really just say 'wings'?

“Wings?” Applejack finally broke the silence. “But... that’s impossible! She had a horn on her forehead! I saw her! She’s a unicorn.”

“That’s what I was thinking too, and I tell you, I’m not sure, but…” Rainbow paused and rolled her eyes. “Rarity has used me as a model for her dresses so many times. I know how pegasi look with dresses that cover their wings.” Rainbow raised her hooves and pointed them at her wings.

“Then, if what you’re saying it’s true, then that means Miss Lauren is…” Applejack didn’t finish the sentence. She obviously knew what it could only mean, but she couldn't believe it.

“An... alicorn?” Fluttershy squeaked, she couldn’t believe it either. It was too weird to be true.

“Now, hold on, we’re not totally sure, maybe she had something else under that dress,” Applejack quickly responded, trying to find a logical answer to the whole matter. “Besides, that’s impossible. The only alicorns are Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, remember?”

“Maybe, but I think we better go ask her, to be sure.” Rainbow stood up from her chair, determined to find the truth behind it.

“Um, Twilight said she and Lauren were going to come over here in a while,” Fluttershy interrupted Rainbow.

“Oh, if that’s the case we better wait for them then,” Applejack said, turning back to her small cider mill. “More cider, anypony?”

Both pegasi nodded.

*****

Beams of sunlight shined upon the face of a royal blue mare. She twitched her closed eyes and covered her face with her blanket. It was around noon, her job was done a few hours ago, and now she wanted to rest on her soft bed.

“Luna,” a voice whispered.

Luna, still covered with her blanket, resumed her slumber quite quickly, unable to listen the soft whisper of her name.

“Luna,” the voice whispered again.

The Princess was rolling her head under her blanket. She was about to be disturbed from her slumber. It was still too soon to wake up.

“Luna!” the voice called, this time in a loud tone.

“Whoa!” Luna suddenly opened her eyes, moving and fighting around her blanket. She finally stuck her head out of it, realizing somepony was lying in her bed right in front of her. She rubbed her eyes with her hooves, opening them and recognizing who was there. “Uh, Tia?” she mumbled, looking at the gorgeous multicolored mane of her sister.

“Good morning, sister,” Celestia greeted her sleepy sister, giving her a warm smile.

“Tia! What are you doing here? Why did you wake me up?” Luna yelled. She was annoyed, she didn’t like when she was disturbed from her sleep, and even less at noon.

“Please forgive me, sister.” Celestia lowered her head. “But I have something very important to tell you.” She looked at her annoyed sister, who's expression changed after that last statement.

“Something important?” Luna asked, shaking her head.

“Yes.” Celestia nodded. “Listen, there’s something that has been bugging me since last night.”

“Last night? Was the storm too hard for you?” Luna asked in a childish tone, with a smirk on her face.

“No, Luna, this is no laughing matter!” Celestia exclaimed in a serious tone. The smirk on Luna’s face disappeared right away. “I know something has been bugging you too, right?”

“Well now that you mention it.” Luna moved, trying to get a more comfortable position at her bed. “I was gazing upon my beautiful moon that night, when suddenly, I felt chills through my body.”

“So it wasn’t just me then,” Celestia nervously whispered. “Listen!”

“Yes?” Luna rapidly answered.

“I’m going to Ponyville to find out what’s going on, and you’re coming with me.” Celestia pointed her hoof at Luna.

“What?! It’s noon! I’m tired!” Luna complained, waving her hooves in the air.

“I know, Luna, and I’m really sorry for waking you up, but this is very important. I don’t know what’s going on, so please, try to understand,” Celestia explained in a soft tone, placing a hoof on Luna’s shoulder.

“Oh fine then…” Luna grumped. She was indeed annoyed, but she couldn’t ignore her concerned sister like that. She stood up from her bed and levitated a brush from her nightstand. “Okay, Tia, just give me a minute to get ready.”

“Of course, we’ll leave when you’re ready.” Celestia climbed down Luna’s bed and walked towards the door. “We’ll take the Royal Chariot.”

Luna only nodded in agreement and her sister left the room. “Okay then.” She yawned, trying to fully wake up.

*****

Somepony knocked on the door.

“Finally!” Rainbow sprinted towards the door, quickly being followed by Applejack and Fluttershy. She eagerly opened the door. “Twi-” She couldn’t finish the word as soon as she realized who was behind the door.

“Hi, Dashie!” An energetic pink pony greeted Rainbow, who was staring at her with a surprised stare.

“Pinkie Pie? What are you doing here?” Rainbow asked, letting her energetic friend in. Fluttershy and Applejack sighed. They were expecting Twilight and Lauren after all.

“Oh, I finished baking, so I decided to stop by and get some of Applejack’s cider!” Pinkie exclaimed, bouncing in front of Applejack, who only looked at her with an innocent smile.

“Eh… oh yeah, follow me.” Applejack walked towards the kitchen. Pinkie bounced behind her, leaving Rainbow and Fluttershy exchanging stares. They soon followed the two earth ponies.

Applejack had finished another jar of cider. She handed it to Pinkie who drank it all in one gulp. It was quite shocking to see. Not even Rainbow could drink that fast, but it was Pinkie after all.

“Oh! Fluttershy? I thought you were going to Rarity’s place with Twilight and Lauren!” Pinkie remembered their encounter a while ago. She wasn't sure why would Fluttershy leave them behind.

Fluttershy was about to answer when she got interrupted.

“Wait, did you meet Lauren?” Rainbow asked, pointing her hoof at Pinkie.

“Yup! A while ago she, along with Twilight and Fluttershy came over to Sugarcube Corner. They told me they were going to see Rarity, but since I was busy I couldn’t join them!” Pinkie happily explained.

“Ah I see,” Rainbow whispered.

“Oh um, Rarity wasn’t home, so we decided to come here instead,” Fluttershy replied, “but, Twilight told me to come here; she said she and Lauren would arrive here later,” she added.

“Uh, that’s weird!” Pinkie exclaimed, slamming her hoof on the table. “Why would she want to be alone with Lauren? That’s not fair! She’s everypony’s friend!”

“Now, Pinkie, hold on,” Applejack interrupted her hyperactive friend. “I'm sure they had to talk about something or maybe Twilight wanted to show her something, we don’t know.” Applejack looked at her.

“Maybe you’re right.” Pinkie removed her hoof from the table, placing it on her tummy. “Can I have more cider, please?”

“Of course, Pinkie.” Applejack smiled and turned back to make another jar of cider. She knew Pinkie could drink even more cider than Rainbow.

“Oh, right, Pinkie Pie, we haven’t told you,” Fluttershy suddenly muttered, “Rainbow Dash?” She looked at her.

“What? Oh, right!” Rainbow realized she hadn’t told Pinkie about her suspicion. The suspicion of Lauren being an alicorn. “Pinkie, did you notice anything weird on Lauren?”

“Uh? Let me think…” Pinkie gently tapped her chin with her hoof several times, looking at the top right of the kitchen. “Nope, nothing. She was very friendly!” she exclaimed with a smile. “Why? Is there something wrong?” she asked.

“Well, it’s only something I noticed when she came here.” Rainbow looked at Pinkie. “I think she has a pair of wings under that dress she was wearing.”

Pinkie looked at Rainbow. Her smile turned off for a moment. Silence shrouded the kitchen. Suddenly, Pinkie smiled and waved her hoof at Rainbow Dash. “Oh, that?” Pinkie laughed. “Well, duh! Of course she had a pair of wings, you silly filly!” Pinkie kept laughing.

Rainbow, Applejack and Fluttershy stared at Pinkie Pie with their eyes wide open. “WHAT?!” the three mares yelled at unison.

*****

“Tia, I’m ready,” Luna said, walking out of her room. She was wearing her simple black crown, along with her crystal adornments on her hooves. Celestia was standing outside, waiting for her. It was just the beginning of what it seemed like a long day.

“Very well then, let’s go,” Celestia replied, leading the way towards the Royal Chariot.

Both Princesses were walking through the castle halls, climbing up a stairway. “Say, Tia, what’s bothering you?” Luna asked.

“I’m not totally sure,” Celestia answered, “but, it feels like… if someone I know from a long time ago is here.”

Luna was surprised to hear that last sentence. Someone her sister knows from a long time ago? “Could it be… that Discord is back?” Luna asked, looking at her sister.

“No, impossible. He was turned back to stone for good thanks to the Elements of Harmony. Besides, his presence is very familiar to me. And this unknown presence I’m feeling is not him,” Celestia answered.

“Well, I don’t know, I only felt chills all over my body last night, but I haven’t-” Luna stopped talking. She began to shiver.

“Luna? What’s the matter?” Celestia stopped walking, moving back to her sister.

“That feeling, I’m feeling the same thing as you. Somehow, I think I know that unknown presence,” Luna gasped, looking at the floor. She raised her head and looked at her sister. “We've got to hurry.”

Celestia nodded. Both Princesses walked faster towards the Royal Chariot.

They finally arrived at the Chariot Balcony. There were two pegasi Royal Guards talking, until one of them noticed the Princesses who had walked in. Both Guards bowed down in sign of respect. “Your Highness! Your Majesty!” they both exclaimed.

“We need to get to Ponyville, quickly,” Celestia ordered.

“Yes, your highness.” Both guards walked in front of the golden Chariot, attaching the harnesses to their bodies. Meanwhile, both Princesses climbed up onto the Chariot, taking a seat.

“Let’s go!” Luna ordered. Both guards obeyed, opening their wings and soaring from the floor. They began to fly towards Ponyville.

*****

Twilight and Lauren were walking towards the train station. Lauren kept gazing at her surroundings. She couldn’t ignore every single detail of the world she created.

“I’m sorry about this, I’m sure you wanted to taste Applejack’s cider,” Twilight apologized for her sudden actions.

“Oh don’t worry Twilight, it’s okay.” To be honest, I wanted to taste her cider, but that’s not important. The important thing is to ask Celestia for help. Lauren was not very motivated, as she thought earlier, she wasn’t sure if Celestia would know how to help her.

Twilight and Lauren kept walking towards the station. They didn’t speak to each other until then. Before Lauren knew, they had arrived at Ponyville’s train station. Seems familiar, somehow. There weren’t so many scenes with the station in the show, but I can still recognize it. “So this is the station?”

“Indeed, please wait here while I go check the train schedule,” Twilight requested, walking towards a bulletin board close to them.

Lauren looked around and sighed. She began to play with her new hooves, beating the floor with and trying to come up with a tune. It feels weird to have these hooves instead of my hands.

“Lauren,” Twilight called. Lauren got startled. “The next train to Canterlot will arrive in twenty minutes, so we got time until…” she stopped talking; her gaze was directed towards the sky.

“Twilight?” Lauren asked.

Twilight raised her hoof and pointed it at the sky. “Look! That Chariot!”

Lauren turned her head and looked at the sky. Far away, there was a Chariot flying towards the town. She could barely notice the two familiar mares that were aboard. Celestia and Luna!

“That’s the Royal Chariot! The Princesses are coming to town!” Twilight chimed, “come on, Lauren, we don’t need the train now! The Chariot will most likely land on Ponyville’s square.” Twilight turned back and began to run. Lauren ran behind her.

So I’m not only meeting Celestia, but Luna too? Oh, this day keeps getting crazier! “Hey! Wait for me!”

*****

Celestia jumped in her seat. “Huh?”

“Something wrong, Tia?” Luna asked.

Celestia stared at her sister. “No, nothing,” she replied, “look, we’re here.” She pointed her hoof at Ponyville. The Chariot was slowly descending.

“Oh, okay.” Luna looked down upon Ponyville. The last time she set hooves on Ponyville was on Nightmare Night. She was still grateful with her sister’s student, Twilight Sparkle, for teaching her how to have fun with the citizens of Ponyville. “Wait, what are we supposed to do here?” Luna asked.

“We need to find Twilight Sparkle,” Celestia quickly answered.

“What for? What could she tell us?” Luna was confused.

“I need to ask her if she's seen anything unusual,” Celestia answered. She was worried about Twilight. Somehow, she felt that the ‘familiar’ presence was near her student.

The Chariot slowly began to descend upon Ponyville. The guards carefully laid their hooves in the ground, trotting to reduce their speed, until they finally stopped. “Your Majesty, Your Highness, we’re here.”

Both Princesses climbed down from the Chariot. Naturally, the ponies that were around them bowed in a sign of respect. Celestia raised one hoof and the ponies resumed their labors. Some of them were whispering about the sudden presence of the Princesses. Some of them were still surprised to see Princess Luna, even when it wasn't Nightmare Night.

“Thank you, you may return to the castle now,” Celestia said. Both replied with a common ‘Yes, Your Majesty’ before taking off and flying back to Canterlot.

*****

“What do you mean, Pinkie?!” Rainbow asked in a loud tone.

“I don’t know, I noticed she had a pair of wings under her dress, that’s all!” Pinkie replied, laughing and drinking some of her cider.

“That doesn’t even make sense!” Applejack intervened, slamming her hoof on the table. “How can you be so sure?”

“Well, first of all, I noticed she was fidgeting her back a little. Like if something was bothering her!” Pinkie pointed her hoof at her back. “And I noticed she had two barely noticeable bumps on her back as well!”

“See, I told you!” Rainbow said to Applejack, who was still looking at Pinkie in confusion.

“But I don’t know what’s the big deal? They’re only wings! Dashie and Fluttershy got them too!” Pinkie exclaimed, drinking her cider.

“Pinkie… don’t you get it? Didn’t you notice the horn on her forehead?” Applejack asked.

“Yes, I did!” Pinkie chimed, “I still don’t see the problem!” she claimed.

“Um, Pinkie Pie, don’t you know what does that mean?” Fluttershy mumbled. Pinkie stared back at her with a puzzled look on her face.

“Oh, girls, I don’t know what you’re all talking about!” Pinkie laughed. She took the almost empty jar of cider and began to drink again. Suddenly, realization struck her mind. She spat her cider all over Rainbow’s face. “She’s an alicorn!” she yelled.

“Ugh!” Rainbow cringed, wiping the cider from her face with her hoof. “Took you long enough, Pinkie.” Applejack gave her a napkin to clean her face. She could felt the warmness of the cider that was inside Pinkie’s mouth just a while ago.

“Oh my gosh! That’s awesome!” Pinkie began to bounce in excitement.

“No, Pinkie, it is not awesome,” Applejack said, “I mean, how can there be a third alicorn? Maybe she’s related to the Princesses?”

“Yeah, I think that could be the only explanation,” Rainbow exclaimed. She finished wiping off the cider from her face.

“But, um, she doesn’t remember where she is from,” Fluttershy intervened, looking at Applejack.

“Well that’s true. She might not even know the Princess.” Applejack was confused about the matter. There was really no other option but to find Lauren and get some answers from her. “C’mon, everypony, we gotta find Twilight and Lauren if we want some answers!”

“But, Fluttershy said they were going to get here.” Rainbow pointed her hoof at the timid pegasus.

“Yeah, well, there’s no time for waiting, we need answers now!” Applejack walked towards the door. “So, Fluttershy, where were you when Twilight asked you to come?”

“Um, we were in front of Carousel Boutique,” Fluttershy replied, looking at her.

“Alright then, c’mon!” Applejack cheered. Fluttershy and Rainbow stood up from their seats and walked behind her. Pinkie, instead, bounced right behind them.

Applejack opened the door and the four mares trotted outside, heading to where Fluttershy last saw Twilight and Lauren. They were going to find the truth, no matter what.

*****

Phew, walking as a pony is one thing, but running? It feels so weird! Lauren was trying her best to run with her new body. Twilight was ahead of her, but Lauren tried her best to keep up with her. She almost tripped few times, but she was getting used to it.

“I’m sure the Chariot descended here, but I don’t see the Princesses around,” Twilight said, looking around for any sign of her mentor. They were back to the Ponyville square. “Excuse me.” Twilight walked towards a gray mare.

Lauren looked at Twilight who was talking with a very familiar mare. Her light gray coat, along with a blond mane and tail were indeed familiar, but it was her unmistakable eyes which confirmed her identity. Oh wow, it’s Derpy.

“Do you know if Princess Celestia was here?” Twilight asked Derpy, who was stashing some letters into her mailbag.

“Oh, yes, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna arrived here a few minutes ago.” Derpy pointed her hoof at the spot where the Chariot descended. “They went that way.” She moved her hoof, pointing the direction.

“That’s the way to the library! Thanks.” Twilight smiled at the gray mare, walking back to Lauren. “The Princesses went to the library, come!” She ran towards the library, leaving Lauren behind, again.

Ugh, not again. Lauren ran behind Twilight. She was getting used to running, at least.

As they ran through the streets of Ponyville, Lauren began to get more anxious. What if, what if Celestia knows what happened? What if she knows about humans? What if she knows who I am? All those thoughts were floating in Lauren’s mind. No, come on, it’s impossible that she could know who I am. Cartoons don’t usually know their creators, unless the creator wants to, but I didn’t do that!

As soon as the two mares turned a corner, they could see the library. Twilight stopped running and gasped. “The Princesses!” she exclaimed, resuming her movement towards the library.

Lauren stopped running as well. She was staring at the Princesses who were in front of the library’s entrance. She noticed the multicolored waving mane and tail of Celestia, as well as the royal blue waving mane and tail of Luna. She swallowed her own saliva, trying to catch up with Twilight.

“Princess Celestia!” Twilight exclaimed. Both Princesses turned their heads in surprise. They noticed the unicorn running towards them. Finally, she arrived in front of the Princesses.

“Twilight! My faithful-” Celestia didn’t finish her sentence. Her attention went towards the cream colored unicorn that was approaching them. She never saw that pony before. She felt the same feeling again, but this time it was stronger. “Student…” Celestia finished.

“Hello, Princess,” Twilight quickly greeted her mentor. She was confused as to why Celestia and Luna were at her library.

Lauren finally arrived. She stopped and stared at the two alicorns who were staring back at her with a surprised look. Oh my, it’s them. They seem a lot… bigger than I thought.

“Hmm, Twilight?” Celestia stared back at Twilight. “Aren’t you going to introduce us to your friend?” Celestia moved her head, looking back at the small, disguised alicorn.

“Oh yes, sorry.” Twilight walked next to Lauren. “She is Lauren, a… new friend of mine.” Twilight placed her hoof on Lauren’s shoulder. Lauren smiled at the Princesses.

“Charmed!” Luna exclaimed.

“Pleased to meet you, Lauren,” Celestia said in a lower tone than her sister.

“The pleasure is all mine, Princess Celestia.” Lauren smiled at the white alicorn, turning her head to the other alicorn in front of her. “And I’m charmed to meet you too, Princess Luna.”

Both Princesses smiled at the ‘unicorn’. Celestia then, looked back at Twilight.

“So Princess, what brings you here in Ponyville?” Twilight asked.

“We actually wanted to speak with you,” Celestia replied, “may we please go inside the library to get ourselves more comfortable?”

“Oh, of course, Princess.” Twilight walked in front of the door and opened it with her magic. Luna and Celestia walked in first. “Come on,” she said to Lauren, waving her hoof.

Lauren and Twilight went back inside the library. Twilight closed the door and levitated a pair of cushions for the Princesses. She placed them near to the center of the library. The Princesses took a seat on them, while Twilight and Lauren sat in front of them.

“So, Princess Celestia, what did you want to talk about?” Twilight asked, “oh, excuse me, Spike isn’t home so let me get some tea and biscuits-” Twilight quickly stood up from the floor.

“It is not necessary, Twilight, thank you.” Celestia stopped her, raising one hoof.

“Oh okay.” Twilight sat down back on her spot. “So?”

“Well, my sister and I have been feeling something… strange.” Celestia looked at Luna, who remained silent.

“Something strange? Like what?” Twilight was confused about what could possibly be bothering her mentor.

“Yes, since last night, we’ve been feeling a familiar presence. But not a familiar presence we know, it feels familiar, but it’s unknown to us.” Celestia stared at Lauren, who was daydreaming staring at the bookshelves in the walls. But even if she looked distracted, she was listening to the conversation.

“That’s indeed strange, Princess.” Twilight placed a hoof on her chin. “When did you two began to feel this feeling?” Twilight asked.

“Since last night, around late midnight or so.” This time, it was Luna who answered.

Lauren stopped looking around and eagerly looked back at Luna. Since late midnight? Isn’t that the time when Twilight found me under the storm? The time when… I was teleported here. Luna noticed Lauren’s sudden stare.

“Since late midnight?!” Twilight asked in a loud tone, almost yelling.

“Yes. You both seem surprised about the matter.” Celestia looked at the two ponies that had their eyes wide open. “Is something wrong?”

Twilight moved her head, looking at Lauren. She knew what Twilight was thinking, after all, they were heading to Canterlot to talk to the Princess about her situation. Lauren only nodded in agreement. “Well Princess you see, there’s something about Lauren you need to know.” She pointed her hoof at the third alicorn. She mentioned how she found her outside in the storm last night, about her memory loss, and how she was trying to help to get back her memories.

“I see. So you say you found her last night, around midnight, right?” Celestia raised one eyebrow. She began to suspect there was a link between her and her sister’s feeling and Lauren’s arrival.

“Yes, I believe that your feeling and her apparition are somehow connected.” Twilight looked at Lauren. “But there’s something else. Lauren, could you take off my dress?” Twilight asked her.

“Sure,” Lauren replied, standing up from the floor. So, if my arrival and the Princesses' feelings are somehow connected, does it mean they know me? But, they couldn’t recognize me, they would have mentioned something. She struggled her way out of the dress, but she got stuck. “Uh, a little help, Twilight?”

“Oh, sure,” Twilight said, enveloping the dress with magic. With a bit of effort, Twilight pulled out the dress from Lauren.

“Wha-?!” Luna exclaimed, her eyes and mouth opened wide open. Celestia had the same reaction, but she was a little less surprised.

In front of them was the cream colored alicorn with pair of wings on her back and her horn. Lauren tried to stretch her wings, feeling the muscles, she opened her small wings. Uh, this feels weird. I can feel the wings on my back. To test her muscles, she opened and closed her wings.

“Twilight, do you mean she’s an-” Celestia finally spoke, looking at her student with an insecure look.

*Crack*

“Yes, Princess, Lauren is an alicorn, just like you and Princess Luna.” Twilight was getting nervous due the Princesses’ surprised reaction.

Celestia stared once again at Lauren. “So, you’re an alicorn who lost her memory?” she asked.

“Um, yes, it seems like it,” Lauren muttered.

“And… is Lauren your full name?” Celestia asked.

Twilight noticed a different tone of voice coming from her mentor. She looked at Lauren; until now, she thought her full name was Lauren. She never thought of the possibility of a second name.

“Actually, it’s Faust. I’m Lauren Faust. That’s my full name,” Lauren answered with confidence. What’s the matter? Did I notice a certain change in her tone of voice?

“Princess,” Twilight chimed, turning her head back to her mentor. “Her name, the fact that she is an alicorn, her memory loss, does that mean anything to you Princess?”

Luna, who was still staring at the small alicorn, turned her head to her sister, waiting for her answer to Twilight’s question.

“No, unfortunately, it doesn’t mean anything to me. This is the first time I’ve heard of such thing,” Celestia answered. Her face made a quick expression, that only Lauren noticed.

Huh? What? Lauren gasped. Did Celestia... She stared right at Celestia's eyes. Did she just hide the faintest of smiles?

Luna's Suspicion

Chapter 4: Luna’s Suspicion
*****

The streets of Ponyville became more active as the day progressed. The sudden presence of not only Princess Celestia, but Princess Luna as well started to alarm some of the ponies. Some others weren’t paying so much attention to it. There were all kinds of gossip already, but they could all agree on one thing: Something very important was going on.

*****

“Those are enough gems, Spike,” Rarity chimed. Finally, she was done collecting gems.

“Okay, Rarity, let’s go back to Ponyville,” Spike replied, pulling a small red cart. It was filled with all kind of precious gems, like sapphires, rubies, emeralds, even tiny bits of diamond. He was tempted to eat one of those delicious gems, so he snatched one small sapphire shard from the pile of gems, however, Rarity noticed it.

“No, Spike, I told you I’ll give you some gems after we get them back home,” Rarity said, levitating the small piece of sapphire he was holding with her magic and putting it back to the pile.

“Aw, alright,” Spike grumbled, pulling the cart.

“Now hurry up, the sooner we get back, the sooner you get to eat.” Rarity smiled, walking back towards town.

“Hey, wait for me!” Spike called, pulling the cart faster to catch up with the white unicorn. Finally, he managed to keep up with her.

“Thanks for helping me find more gems, my little Spikey-Wikey!” Rarity giggled at the little dragon, who began to blush at the sound of her compliment.

“Eh, n-no problem, Rarity, anytime!” Spike answered, trying to hide his blush with one arm. He liked helping Rarity as much as he could, especially when nopony else was around.

“And after we get back, I’d like you to help me deliver some dresses. If you don’t mind of course,” Rarity requested. Sometimes, she felt that she was overworking Spike, even when he always agreed to help.

“Sure thing, I’d be glad to help you!” Spike answered. It was the exact answer Rarity was expecting. “I’ll only go back to the library really quick to check on the girls and-” Spike quickly shut his mouth. He remembered that Twilight told him to say nothing about Lauren to anypony before leaving in the morning. Rarity stared at him with confusion.

“Girls? Who else besides Twilight is at the library?” Rarity asked, looking at the nervous dragon who didn’t know what to say.

“Eh, uh…” Spike mumbled, he had to come up with something, and fast. “Uh… Rainbow Dash! Yes, she is at the library with Twilight!” he lied, waiting for Rarity to buy the story. However, Rarity’s face became even more confused.

“Rainbow Dash?” Rarity asked, with a surprised tone. “That is weird. Yesterday, I told her if she could help me with some modeling, but she told me that she was going to be harvesting apples with Applejack.” She looked at the nervous dragon, who was biting his lower lip.

“I, uh… I-” Spike mumbled. He couldn’t come up with anything. He was about to blow his cover, and began to nervously shake.

“Are you hiding something from me?” Rarity asked, although the answer was quite obvious to her. “I cannot believe that you are keeping secrets from me!” she exclaimed, lowering her head.

“No, no! It’s not that! I just… can’t talk about it…” Spike said, looking at Rarity who quickly raised her head and looked at him.

“You can’t even tell me?” Rarity approached Spike. “How rude of you!” She struck her front hooves on the ground.

“I- I’m sorry Rarity, but Twilight forbade me to talk about it.” Spike’s legs were now shaking. It was hard to keep Lauren’s secret to his beloved Rarity.

“I see… it’s okay Spike,” Rarity sighed, turning back. Suddenly, one gem from the cart was enveloped in a light blue aura. She levitated the gem right in front of Spike. It was an emerald. “This is a beautiful emerald, is it not?”

“Uh w-what do you mean?” Spike asked, staring at the delicious gem. It looked even more delicious than the heart-shaped fire ruby he gave to Rarity on his last birthday.

*****

“Oh, I see, that’s disappointing…” Twilight sighed, lowering her head. She couldn’t believe that her mentor didn’t know anything about Lauren’s situation. She looked back at Lauren with a disappointed look on her face. “I’m sorry.”

Lauren’s heart sank in her chest after those last words. It wasn’t Twilight’s fault; she knew Celestia wouldn’t know anything about the matter. “No Twilight, don’t be sorry. It’s not your fault,” she said, trying to cheer her up.

Luna was still silent, listening to the conversation. She stared at her sister. What was that? I swear a while ago I heard… She shook her head. No, it had to be my imagination. She stared back at her sister, waiting for her to speak.

“I’m really sorry, I wish I knew something about the matter.” Celestia lowered her head, looking at the small alicorn who returned the stare. “I assume you forgot how to use magic, right?”

Lauren blinked, surprised by the sudden question. Huh? How did she know? Twilight didn’t mention that. “Uh, yes, I forgot how to use magic.”

“I see.” Celestia stood up from her seat and approached Lauren, lowering her head to hers. She touched Lauren’s horn with hers and it began to glow.

What… what is she doing? Lauren felt a warm, fuzzy feeling within her body, which she thought was being caused by Celestia’s magic. She felt a sudden pulse in her head, followed by dizziness. Ugh, my head. She placed a hoof on her head.

Twilight and Luna looked at each other, quickly looking back at the two alicorns.

Celestia’s horn stopped glowing and she raised her head from Lauren. “Try using magic now,” she said, gazing upon a book that was on one of Twilight’s tables. “For example, with that book.”

What was that all about? Lauren rubbed her head with her hoof. “Use my… magic?” she asked, looking at the book Celestia was pointing out.

“Indeed. I analyzed your magic flow to check if it was blocked; fortunately, it wasn’t. I only gave you a little magic power boost, which will help you to cast magic with ease,” Celestia explained, sitting back on her cushion. “Now, focus your power on the book and try to bring it here from the table.”

Can I really do it? Can I use magic just like that? Lauren thought, looking at the book. So just focus my power, right?

*****

The four mares were heading towards Carousel Boutique. They were running, except for Rainbow who chose to fly instead.

“What if this Lauren pony is actually evil?” Rainbow asked. She didn’t want to think that somepony like Lauren would be evil, but the sudden appearance of an alicorn was far too mysterious.

“I don’t know, Rainbow. As I said, she seemed like a good pony to me,” Applejack replied, keeping her eyes on the road.

“But for all we know, Twilight might be in danger!” Rainbow exclaimed, rapidly flapping her wings.

“Now, Rainbow, lets not jump to sudden conclusions, alright?” Applejack turned her head this time to look at her concerned friend. She could understand why she was worried about Twilight.

The four mares turned around the corner and sprinted towards the Boutique, but found there was nopony to be seen. They looked around, unable to find any signs of Twilight or Lauren. Rainbow stomped her hooves on the ground in frustration. Fluttershy was trying to catch her breath. Maybe she had too much cider. Applejack gave up looking around and looked back at her friends.

“Well, I guess they’re gone,” Applejack said, walking towards the Boutique. “But I wonder if Rarity is at home.” She knocked the door, but nopony answered.

“Um, she’s not home yet…” Fluttershy muttered. Suddenly, she noticed a figure walking towards them.

“Well what do we do now? We have no idea where Twilight and that Lauren are,” Rainbow asked, looking at Applejack, who was just as clueless as her.

Fluttershy remained silent, staring at the approaching figure. After a moment, the figure split into two, one smaller than the other. The larger figure began to take the shape of a familiar pony, while the smaller one took another familiar shape. “Uh, excuse me…” she whispered, turning back to her friends.

“Oh well, does anyone want some cupcakes?” Pinkie added, holding a basket of cupcakes which she pulled out of nowhere.

“Pinkie, this isn’t time for cupcakes!” Rainbow answered, looking at the pink overjoyed party pony. “We have to find Twilight!”

“Excuse me, but…” Fluttershy whispered.

“Rainbow’s right, Pinkie. How about we split up and look around Ponyville?” Applejack said, looking at Rainbow.

“Yeah, that’s a good idea. Pinkie, you can go to Ponyville Square,” Rainbow said, pointing her hoof at Pinkie, who was eating her cupcakes. “Pinkie! Are you listening?”

“Oh, of course!” Pinkie exclaimed, putting the cupcake she had in her mouth back in the basket.

“Um girls, I think…” Fluttershy whispered, again.

“All right then, Applejack!” Rainbow moved her hoof towards the orange pony. “You can go to-”

“Excuse me!” Fluttershy squeaked in a louder tone than her usual voice. She finally caught the attention of the other mares, who stared back at her.

“What is it, Fluttershy?” Rainbow quickly asked. Fluttershy pointed her hoof at the road. The other mares looked in the direction she was pointing.

“Rarity!” Rainbow gasped, eagerly flying towards the unicorn.

“Oh! And Spike too!” Pinkie added, jumping towards them.

Rarity and Spike noticed their friends who were quickly approaching. “Hello, girls.” Rarity smiled in her usual fashion.

“Rarity! Where were you?” Rainbow anxiously asked, staring at the white unicorn.

“I was collecting some gems with Spike,” Rarity responded, pointing her hoof at Spike and the small cart filled with gems behind him. “Why? What’s the hurry?”

“Rarity, did you happen to see Twilight around?” Applejack asked.

“Twilight? No, I haven’t seen her all day,” Rarity answered, “although.” She looked at Spike, who was staring at the ground. “Didn’t you say Twilight was at the library?”

“Uh yeah…” Spike mumbled, still staring at the ground.

“The library! Right! Why didn’t I think of it before?” Rainbow pressed a hoof against her face.

“Hold on, Rainbow,” Applejack said, “Rarity, have you heard the news?” She looked at Rarity, who had a smug look on her face.

“Why, yes of course I have!” Rarity exclaimed, pointing her head at Spike. “Spike was kind enough to tell me.”

“She caught me off guard, I swear! It was a beatiful, delicious emerald!” Spike suddenly squealed.

“So you knew about Lauren, eh?” Rainbow said to Spike.

“Yes, I did, but please don’t tell Twilight! If she finds out I broke my promise… oh… it won’t end well.” Spike grabbed his tail in fear.

“Don’t worry, Spike! We won’t tell anypony that you told somepony about a huge secret that Twilight told you not to say to anypony!” Pinkie smiled, grabbing a cupcake from her basket. “Cupcake?”

“Uh, no, thanks. And thanks. I mean, if Twilight finds out…” Spike said. His legs began to shake.

“Um but… why would Twilight go back to the library?” Fluttershy asked, a bit confused. “When I went to meet her, she was leaving the library with Lauren.”

“Did Twilight tell you that she was going to leave?” Applejack asked Spike, who stopped shaking for a moment to answer her question.

“Well, she did mention she was going to run some errands, but I never thought she would take Lauren with her. I mean, how could she hide those wings and horn from-” Spike suddenly got interrupted.

“What did you just say?” Rainbow immediately asked in a loud tone, dashing in front of the purple dragon. Applejack, Fluttershy and Pinkie stared at him with surprise, except for Rarity who let out a faint chuckle.

“I uh- I said… hide those wings and-” Spike got interrupted again.

“What do you mean with ‘wings’?” Rainbow asked again, holding the dragon's shoulders with her hooves.

“Please!” Rarity intervened, “Spike, are you still joking with that?” she chuckled.

“It is not a joke! I swear! Lauren is an alicorn! She's got a pair of wings and a horn!” Spike replied, looking at Rainbow’s eyes.

“Nonsense! We all know only the Princesses are alicorns,” Rarity said, fixing her mane with her hoof.

“Actually, Rarity…” Applejack walked towards her. Rarity looked at the orange pony with a confused look. “We suspected that Lauren was an alicorn.”

“What?!” Rarity gasped, “how in Equestria can you think that?” She looked at the other ponies, who nodded in agreement with Applejack.

“Well, that’s what we thought at first, but now with Spike claiming that she's an alicorn… I don’t know.” Applejack looked back at Rainbow, who was still holding Spike with her hooves.

“So, what are we doing here? Let’s go to the library, now!” Rainbow released Spike.

“But what about my gems?” Rarity said, looking back at the cart.

“Oh, for pony’s sake, just leave the cart in front of your door!” Rainbow quickly answered, “now let’s go!” She flapped her wings, flying into the air.

Rarity enveloped the entire cart with gems in a light blue aura, and quickly placed them near her front door. Rainbow and company began to run towards the library. “Hey! Wait for me!” Spike said, running as fast as he could. Applejack stopped and turned back.

“Hop on, Spike!” Applejack ducked, letting Spike hop on her back.

*****

“Just think that you want to raise the book,” Twilight said to Lauren, who was still trying to levitate the book with her magic.

Easier said than done! Lauren kept staring at the book. Okay, think that you want to levitate the book. Focus your mind in that sole objective. She thought to herself. Suddenly, a pearly white aura emanated from her horn. A huge grin formed on Twilight’s face.

“You’re doing it!” Twilight cheered, waving a hoof in the air. Luna and Celestia stared at the alicorn, who was indeed releasing magic from her horn.

Suddenly, Celestia’s mouth twitched for less than a fraction of a second. Luna quickly rolled her eyes back to her sister. What? She moved her eyes back at Lauren.

“Ow!” Lauren cringed, causing the glow on her horn to fade away. She pressed a hoof on her forehead. “My head, it aches!”

“Oh, that’s perfectly normal,” Twilight said, “When I was a filly, I got headaches when I first practiced my magic.”

Lauren stared back at Twilight. Well now that is something I didn’t know about Twilight, or unicorns. She shook her head and stared at the Princesses. “Let me try again.”

“Take your time,” Celestia said with a smile on her face. Luna rolled her eyes back at her sister. Something was wrong.

Lauren focused again on the book. Her horn began to glow again, with an even shinier glow. The same white aura surrounded the book. “Good! Now try to hover it!” Twilight chimed.

Hover… the book. Lauren kept staring at the book. Only think of hovering the book. Finally, the book levitated just a few centimeters above the table. Lauren cringed again, causing the auras from both her horn and the book to disappear. The book fell back on the table. “Ugh, headache.” She pressed her hoof again on her forehead.

“That was excellent!” Twilight clapped her hooves in joy. “Not bad for your first time using magic!”

Lauren panted, looking at Twilight. “Heh, thanks, Twilight,” she chuckled.

“Quite impressive indeed. With a bit more practice, you’ll get how to use magic,” Celestia added, “by the way, I couldn’t help but notice your interesting cutie mark,” she said, pointing her hoof at Lauren’s flank.

“Oh, thank you,” Lauren replied, looking at her cutie mark as well.

“What’s your special talent?” Celestia asked.

“Oh, uh, I guess you could say that I’m a writer,” Lauren answered, smiling at Celestia.

*Crack*

Luna’s eyes opened wide. She looked back again at her sister, with even more surprise than before. I just heard it again, I’m sure of it. It came from Tia!

“A writer you say? Interesting,” Celestia said, standing up from her seat. Twilight looked at her mentor.

“Princess?” Twilight asked while standing up from her seat as well.

“It has been a pleasure meeting you, Miss Lauren,” Celestia said, looking at the little alicorn. “I certainly wish to see you again some time,” She added, walking towards the door. Luna slowly stood up from her seat, looking at her sister.

“Are you leaving already, Princess?” Twilight asked, looking at her mentor who looked back at her.

“Yes, Twilight, I’m sorry for the short visit, considering that I've just met your friend.” Celestia opened the front door with her magic. “But I promise I will try to find someway to help her,” she added, slowly walking out of the library.

“Thank you, Princess. We need as much help as we can get.” Twilight smiled at her mentor. She looked back at Lauren. “Did you hear that? The Princess will help us!” she chimed.

Lauren smiled at Twilight, not giving a direct answer. Well, that’s good I guess. Although, I still doubt she could help me.

“In the meantime, please don’t reveal yourself to anypony,” Celestia said, looking at Lauren. Her head turned immediately towards her sister. “Luna.”

“Yes, Tia?” Luna quickly replied, startled by the sudden mention of her name.

“I will go to fulfill some duties now. You can return to Canterlot now and resume your sleep,” Celestia said, walking outside of the library.

“Duties? What duties?” Luna asked, walking behind her sister.

“Just… royal duties, don’t worry about it,” Celestia replied. Lauren and Twilight walked outside of the library as well.

“But wait, you sent the Royal Chariot back to Canterlot, how am I supposed to go back?” Luna asked, striking a hoof on the ground.

“Well, you have a pair of wings, don’t you? Maybe you can stretch them a little,” Celestia chuckled, giving Lauren one last look.

“You’re so mean, Tia!” Luna yelled. Celestia only laughed.

“Well, if you excuse me, I must go now. Please, take care,” Celestia said. Her horn began to glow, surrounding her entire body in light. With a flash, Celestia teleported herself out of sight, leaving a few sparks behind.

“So, Princess, are you leaving now?” Twilight asked, looking at the royal blue alicorn.

“No, Twilight Sparkle, I need to speak with you, both of you in fact,” she replied, staring at the two ponies. “It’s about Tia.”

“The Princess? What about her?” Twilight asked.

“Well, I believe… that my sister is hiding something from us,” Luna replied.

“Hiding something from us? What do you mean, Princess?” Twilight confusedly asked while trying to figure out what could it possibly be.

What? Celestia… hiding something? Lauren stared at Luna.

“I’m not entirelly sure, but Tia has been acting odd all day.” Luna slowly walked away from the library. “Listen, for now I’ll go back to Canterlot to rest. After I raise the moon tonight, I’ll come and pay you two a visit, and then we can talk about the matter. Please, don’t tell anypony, I only want you two at the library tonight.” She opened her wings, ready to take flight. “Take care.”

“Wait, Princess-” Twilight couldn’t finish her sentence. Luna soared into the sky, quickly flying towards Canterlot.

“What was all that about?” Lauren asked Twilight, unsure about what could Luna possibly know.

“I’m not sure but-” Twilight suddenly gasped. “Oh, right! Lauren! Get inside, quick! Somepony might see you!” she exclaimed, looking at Lauren.

Lauren looked around, but there was nopony to be seen. “Relax, see? There’s nopony around here.”

Twilight looked around to confirm it, and indeed, the streets and roads around the library were empty. “Still, I think you should go inside, we never know when anypony might-”

“Look! There she is!” Rainbow shouted, flying towards the library. “It’s Twilight, and… Lauren?” The other four mares and Spike were galloping behind Rainbow.

“Oh, shoot! Quick! Go inside!” Twilight exclaimed. Lauren quickly sprinted back inside the library.

“Aha! There you are!” Rainbow yelled, dashing towards the entrance. She flew inside the library, tackling Lauren on the way.

“Oof!” Lauren squeaked. Rainbow tackled her so hard that both ponies rolled over a wall, knocking over several books Twilight had inside. What? What just happened? Twilight quickly stepped inside the library to see what had happened.

Rainbow stood up from the pile of books, shaking her head. “Ugh, my head, I-” She looked at the pony she met a few hours ago. Her eyes and mouth opened wide as soon as she realized the pair of wings she had on her back. “It’s… It’s true!” she exclaimed.

“Rainbow! What do you think you’re doing?!” Twilight yelled at her friend.

Rainbow ignored Twilight and stomped her hooves on the floor, both of them on each side of Lauren’s head, who was staring at her with a skeptical look. “Alright, missy, spill the beans!”

“Rainbow!”

“Who are you? Why do you have wings and a horn?” Rainbow loudly asked.

“Rainbow!”

“What are you doing here? When did you-” Rainbow got interrupted.

“Rainbow Dash!” Twilight shouted, enveloping the pegasus with magic and moving her away from Lauren. She walked towards Lauren to check on her. “Are you okay?”

“Twilight! Let me go!” Rainbow was struggling in the air, trying to break free from Twilight’s magic. However, it was hopeless.

Lauren slowly stood up from the floor. Well that was kinda rude… “I’m fine, Twilight, thanks,” she replied, smiling at her.

“Rainbow! Why did you do that?!” Twilight yelled at her friend, releasing her from her magical aura. Rainbow fell to the floor, quickly standing up.

“I’m sorry I just-” Rainbow tried to explain, but she drove her attention to the front door.

“We're here! Why the sudden-” Applejack and company stepped inside the library. They all gazed upon Lauren, looking at her body for her wings.

“Oh… my,” Fluttershy squeaked.

Well, seems like everypony’s here, even Rarity. Lauren looked at the confused ponies, giving them an awkward smile.

“Everypony, please calm down and let me explain what’s going on,” Twilight intervened, walking towards her friends.

*****

“Alright, class, time for recess!” Cheerilee exclaimed.

Fillies and colts cheered in unison, making their way out of the classroom. Cheerilee cleaned the chalkboard with an eraser. “At least it’s midday now,” she whispered to herself. After she was done, she walked outside the classroom to check on her students. She stepped outside and stood next to the door, with a perfect view of the entire yard.

“What do you have for lunch, Apple Bloom?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“Well, let’s see.” Apple Bloom opened her lunch box. “Sweet! Applejack made me an apple tart!” she exclaimed.

“Lucky you, my parents only gave me a dandelion sandwich…” Sweetie Belle said, after opening her lunch box. “What about you, Scootaloo?”

“Uh, I got two pears and some grapes,” Scootaloo said, “not too shabby.”

The three fillies began eating their lunches. They gave each other a piece of their own lunch, as usual. They had to get energy for their next class; Equestria History.

“Wait, did any of you do the homework?” Sweetie Belle asked her friends, with a grape in her mouth.

“What homework?” Apple Bloom asked, with a piece of sandwich in her mouth. “Oh, the math homework? I asked Big Mac to help me with it.”

“Oh no, I didn’t do it! Miss Cheerilee is going to be so mad at me…” Scootaloo squeaked with some tart in her mouth.

Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo exchanged worried stares at each other. Suddenly, Sweetie Belle looked at the sky. “Hey, what’s that?” She pointed her hoof at the sky.

“Hmm?” both fillies hummed, turning their heads towards the sky. They saw a royal blue mare flying at the distance. “Isn’t that Princess Luna?” Apple Bloom asked her friends. “Is it Nightmare Night already?”

*****

“So that’s what happened.” Applejack looked at Lauren, still shocked about the fact that she was an alicorn.

Twilight and her friends were sitting in a circle. Spike was picking up the books that were on the floor, climbing up the ladder and re-organizing them on the shelves. Rainbow was glaring at Lauren. Fluttershy and Pinkie were looking at Twilight. Rarity was still skeptical about the whole matter.

“But wait, how did you all figure out about her wings? She was wearing my birthday dress to hide them,” Twilight said. She believed that her dress did a good job at hiding Lauren’s wings.

“Well, Rainbow noticed the wings anyways, and Pinkie Pie did as well,” Applejack explained.

“Oh, Twilight! The dress I made for you was specifically for a unicorn or earth pony! You couldn’t expect a pegasi to fit well in it,” Rarity commented.

Come to think, I felt extremely uncomfortable after a while. Lauren was only staring at the ponies. I still don’t know what to do, Craig and the others must be worried sick.

“So, what are you two planning to do?” Applejack looked around the library.

“Well, Princess Celestia is going to help us, so in the meantime she is living with me,” Twilight replied, looking at her new friend. “We’ll work it out!” Twilight smiled at her.

“I know, thank you, Twilight.” Lauren smiled back at her. I hope… I hope…

*****

Luna was accelerating her flying speed. What was that? What was that 'crack' that came from Tia not once, but twice back at the library? She flapped her wings, trying to fly even faster. She was almost there. And also, I still have that feeling… the familiar, yet unknown presence, I’m sure it’s that alicorn Lauren.

Luna finally arrived at Canterlot, descending upon a castle balcony. She walked through a hallway; it had a long red carpet, along with windows adorned with blue curtains. An alicorn… a third alicorn… why does this sound extremely familiar? She kept walking through the long hallway, turning left to a flight of stairs. Well, I will get some sleep for now, I’ll talk about the matter with Twilight Sparkle and the alicorn later tonight. She finally arrived at her room, ready to have some rest.

*****

Lauren went to Twilight’s kitchen. The sandwiches from earlier in the morning were still there. It was the perfect opportunity to test her magic. She focused on one sandwich, trying to do the same thing she did with the book. For her surprise, the sandwich was enveloped with her pearly white aura faster than the book. And now… up! The enveloped sandwich raised from the rest. Yay! I did it! She looked at the hovering sandwich. Now… move it? She tried to move the sandwich, but instead, she dropped it. Ugh, another headache! Well never mind, I’ll just grab it with my hoof.

Lauren came out from the kitchen with a daisy sandwich in her mouth, sitting back at her spot. Pinkie quickly stood up and jumped right in front of her. “So you are new in Ponyville!” Pinkie exclaimed, looking at Lauren, who softly nodded, holding the daisy sandwich with her mouth. “Well, do you know what this calls for?”

Lauren knew that line; she knew what Pinkie was going to say next.

“A party!”

Endless Night: Part I

Chapter 5: Endless Night (Part I)
*****

Pinkie happily bounced out of the library, leaving her friends with confused looks on their faces. Twilight turned her head to Lauren, who was softly munching on the daisy sandwich she had in her mouth. She then turned her head towards Rainbow Dash, who was too ashamed to look Lauren in the face. Applejack, Fluttershy and Rarity were only sitting there, contemplating the whole situation. Spike had finished re-organizing the books, so he joined his mare friends.

“Rainbow,” Twilight called. Rainbow raised her head, looking at Twilight. “Don’t you have something to say?” she said, tilting her head towards the alicorn.

“I uh…” Rainbow muttered, looking at Lauren. “I am sorry for, you know… tackling and yelling at you,” she softly said, rubbing one hoof against her leg. Twilight smiled, satisfied with Rainbow’s answer.

Lauren removed the sandwich from her mouth with one hoof and smiled at Rainbow. “Don’t worry Rainbow, it’s okay,” she said, waving one hoof around in the air. Rainbow smiled back at her, glad to have her apology accepted.

“All right!” Twilight giggled. “Everything better now?” Both Rainbow and Lauren nodded.

“So um…” Lauren looked at Rarity. “I’m sorry, what was your name, again?”

“Why, it’s Rarity, dear,” she said, tilting her head upwards. Introducing herself was one of the things she enjoyed the most.

Even though Lauren had no need to ask Rarity for her name, no one else had mentioned her name since they all arrived. She had to stick to her story, it was for the ponies’ sakes.

Lauren smiled. “Oh it’s a pleasure to meet you, Rarity. I think we haven’t been properly introduced. My name is Lauren.” she said, pressing a hoof against her chest. “I must say, I absolutely love your mane!”

Rarity looked up to her mane, waving it with her hoof. It was already common for her to receive compliments about her gorgeous mane. “Why, thank you! And the pleasure is all mine.” She kept waving her mane around with her hoof.

That curly mane! Oh, I had the hardest times drawing it! But it’s really lovely, even more so when I’m looking at it in person. “So, where did Pinkie Pie go?” Lauren asked the mares, who stared back at the alicorn. She placed her daisy sandwich back in her mouth, giving it another bite. Suddenly, the lights went out and the entire library was shrouded in darkness.

“Hey, who turned off the lights?” Rainbow asked.

“Ow! Hey, that’s my hoof!” Twilight cried.

“What? I didn’t step in anything!” Applejack replied.

“Hey! Who pulled my mane?” Rarity squealed.

“Oh, goodness…” Fluttershy muttered.

The lights quickly came back, revealing the chaos inside the library. Twilight was rubbing her hoof; Rainbow, Fluttershy and Applejack were staring at each other in confusion, while Rarity was fixing her mane with her magic.

“Whoa!” Spike exclaimed. Around the library, there were several streamers and balloons adorning the walls and ceiling. One table with a big cake on it had appeared out of nowhere and a record player on another one. They were both relatively close to each other.

“What’s this?” Lauren asked to nopony in particular, gazing at the adornments.

“Well, duh! It’s your welcome party!” Pinkie chimed from outside of the library. She opened the front door, walking inside while dragging her party cannon.

Oh my, the party cannon. But… how could she set-up all these decorations in a matter of seconds? Lauren looked at Pinkie, who was trotting towards her friends. Well, this is a cartoon after all…

Pinkie shot the cannon. Several streamers and confetti of all colors came from it, scattering all over the library. “Let’s party!” Pinkie exclaimed, putting a party hat on top of Lauren’s head. The other ponies laughed, nodding in agreement.

“Oh, uh, okay,” Lauren said, looking at the hyperactive party pony jumping around the room. Well, I guess this is going to be fun.

Pinkie turned on the record player, which began to play a very familiar tune. It was the same loud tune that played at Twilight’s birthday party at Canterlot. She turned back to her friends, who began to dance at the sound of the music. “Come on Laury! Shake that flank!” Pinkie said, bumping her own flank againts Lauren’s.

Lauren laughed, starting to dance with her new body. Laury? Oh my, that’s a… weird pet name, but cute, I guess. As expected from Pinkie Pie. She giggled, shaking her flank at the rhythm of the music. Although it was an awkward sensation for her to dance as a pony, she didn’t mind improvising.

Rainbow and Fluttershy were flying only a few centimeters above the floor, waving their hooves around. Applejack, Rarity and Spike were dancing around in the middle of the library; although Spike was more interested in dancing near Rarity than everything else. Meanwhile, Twilight was awkwardly dancing, hopping around on her hooves, and softly shaking her head. Pinkie and Lauren continued with their flank shaking.

“Alright, let’s do the pony-row!” Pinkie said. The ponies gathered around, forming a line, which was lead by Applejack. Fluttershy placed her hooves around Applejack’s flank; then Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie and Twilight joined them. “Come on, Laury!” Pinkie called her. Lauren raised her front hooves and placed them around Twilight’s flank. Spike hopped on Applejack, waving his arms around. The ponies began to advance, moving to the beat.

Walking on two legs… feels a bit more… natural. Lauren chuckled, advancing along with the ponies.

After a few minutes of dancing, the ponies and Spike gathered around the cake. Twilight used her magic to slice the cake in eight equal pieces. She gave everypony one slice, placing them on their plates. Everypony gave their slice a bite.

Delicious! I've never had a cake like this! This is far more delicious than the one from my last birthday! Lauren used her magic to levitate the cake to her mouth; she felt she could levitate objects with much greater ease than before. She munched her cake, identifying the flavors with her mouth. It was a chocolate cake with strawberry frosting, with little pieces of walnuts inside. Pinkie is a really good baker. She kept on eating her piece of cake.

The ponies kept partying. They danced some more, played some games, such as ‘pin the tail to the pony’. It was a whole new experience for Lauren; she never thought she would be partying with ponies.

“So, Lauren, do you know how to fly?” Rainbow asked. She was flying while holding a balloon with her hooves. “You’ve got wings, right?”

“Fly? Um…” That’s right, I got wings now… and I can even move them, but fly? “Nope, I guess I forgot how to fly as well.” Lauren chuckled.

“Well then, what are we waiting for?” Rainbow tossed the balloon to the floor; it began to softly fall until it landed on Fluttershy’s back. The balloon startled the timid pegasus. “Come on, I’ll teach you how to fly!” An enthusiastic Rainbow said, landing right in front of Lauren.

The other ponies didn’t pay attention to Lauren and Rainbow, who were standing at the other side of the library. Pinkie was dancing with Spike, while Twilight and Applejack were drinking some grape punch. Rarity and Fluttershy were only talking, laughing between sentences.

“Okay, how do I do it? Flap my wings?” Lauren asked, opening her wings.

“It’s more than flapping your wings, you know,” Rainbow said, looking at Lauren’s wings. She approached closer, taking a good look at the pair of cream colored feathers on them. She grabbed both wings with her hooves and began to move them around. “Yeah… these are very good wings,” she said, moving back in front of Lauren.

“Um, thanks,” Lauren replied. Well, if anyone can teach me how to fly, who better than Rainbow Dash?

“All right, open you wings!” Rainbow ordered.

Lauren did as instructed; she opened her wings as wide as she could, feeling her new muscles stretch. It was indeed a weird sensation, to have a pair of wings on her back. “Okay, now what?” she asked.

“Now, quickly flap them,” Rainbow said, flapping her own wings without soaring into the air to show Lauren how to do it.

The alicorn began to sloppily flap her wings, although she was still standing firmly on the floor. “Uh… I can’t,” Lauren sighed.

“Of course you can! Just time your flapping correctly, and make sure your wings are in sync,” Rainbow explained, flapping her wings slowly so Lauren could see. “The trick is to push both your wings with strength when you flap them.”

“Okay, okay, I got it,” Lauren hesitantly said, attempting to try again. She focused on her wings and began to softly flap them at the same time.

“Yes, like that.” Rainbow said, looking at the alicorn. “Now that you got it, flap them faster.”

“Okay,” Lauren responded, increasing the speed and power of her flaps. Suddenly, she could feel her hooves leaving the floor. She lost her focus, landing back on the floor, almost tripping. “Whoa.” She pressed her hooves firmly on the floor, trying to keep her balance. “Oh my gosh! I did it!”

“Yeah! Well… almost,” Rainbow chuckled. “You only raised yourself from the floor.”

“Well, let me try again!” Lauren exclaimed, opening her wings again. She flapped them one more time, trying to do it as before. She kept flapping, until she finally raised herself from the floor. Oh my! I’m doing it! I’m flying!

“Yeah! Now you’re flying!” Rainbow chimed, flying in front of Lauren. The other ponies noticed the flying alicorn, cheering her on from around the room.

“Yee-haw! Way to go Miss Lauren!” Applejack cheered, waving one hoof in the air.

Lauren began to lose altitude, slowly descending back onto the floor. “Wow! That was amazing! I’ve never flown before!” she exclaimed.

“Oh, I’m sure you have, you just forgot how to, remember?” Twilight said, walking towards the alicorn. The other ponies approached her as well.

“Right,” Lauren quickly replied. That was close! I have to be more careful next time. “Uh, it just felt like a new experience for me.” Lauren softly laughed.

“Hey, everypony!” Pinkie yelled from one side of the room. “Let’s take a photo to remember this party!” she said, holding a purple, shiny camera with her hooves. “Everypony gather around Laury!”

The other ponies nodded in agreement, gathering around the alicorn. Fluttershy sat in front of her, while Twilight stood right next to her. Applejack and Rarity stood next to Lauren and Twilight respectively; Rainbow flew above Applejack and Lauren, and Spike sat next to Fluttershy.

Pinkie placed the camera over a table and pushed a green button on top of the camera. She quickly bounced back to her friends, standing behind Twilight and Rarity. “Everypony, say… cupcakes!”

“Cupcakes!” everypony said in unison, and the camera flashed, taking the picture. They all laughed.

*****

Luna slowly opened her eyes. She was lying on her bed, and the time at which she raised the moon every night was rapidly approaching. She raised herself from the bed and yawned, rubbing her eyes with her hooves. The royal blue alicorn climbed down from her bed, sticking her hooves into her crystal hoof-shoes. She levitated her black crown from her nightstand, placing it on her head. “Okay, all set,” she whispered to herself.

Luna opened the doors of her room, where a Royal Guard, who was standing outside of her room, greeted her. “Your Highness,” the guard said, bowing before the Princess of the night.

“Good evening, guard,” Luna greeted him. The guard stared back at her in surprise; the Princess didn’t usually greet the guards. “Please tell me, have you or any of the other guards seen my sister?” Luna asked, looking at the surprised guard.

The Royal Guard snapped out of his surprise to answer the Princess. “Eh... I’m afraid not, Your Highness,” the guard said, looking at the hallway. “Not since yourself and Her Majesty, Princess Celestia, left this morning.”

“I see. Thank you, guard,” Luna said, walking away from the guard.

The guard bowed again. “My pleasure, Your Highness.” he said, but he didn’t get an answer this time. He saw Luna walking away from him, turning left towards the Moon Balcony.

The royal blue alicorn arrived at the Moon Balcony. She spread her wings, raising herself up into the orange sunset. It looked as if her wings were growing, first slightly and then dramatically as they swept out over the sky from where she hovered. An aura of midnight blue seeped from her horn, surrounding her body, glistening silver on the edges. She was ready to raise the moon, her beautiful moon.

As the sun moved out of view, Luna’s wings seemed to spread across all of Equestria, covering the land in a veil of shadow. Her wings reached up into the sky, brushing against the sky to paint the color of the night. Luna’s eyes glowed, gazing upon the horizon. She was about to conclude her ceremony.

Slowly, the moon began rising from the horizon to take its place in the sky. The beautiful silver light shined down on the land below. With a final beat of her wings, Luna descended back to the balcony. “There is no doubt,” Luna said to nopony in particular. “It seems like the third alicorn legend was true after all.”

*****

“Ah, it has been fun,” Applejack said, “but it’s getting late, so I better go back to the farm,” she added, walking towards Lauren.

The party seemed to be over, and the music had stopped playing. Fluttershy had to leave because she had to feed her pets. Rainbow left some minutes after her, because she had to wake up early the next day to clear the skies above Ponyville; but she promised Lauren to meet her tomorrow to teach her more flying tricks. Before leaving, Twilight made both pegasi promise that they wouldn’t say a word about Lauren. She told everyone else not to say a word about her as well. Rarity, Pinkie and Applejack gathered around Twilight and Lauren.

“I wish I could stay a little longer, but I simply must finish my dress,” Rarity said, “It has been an absolute pleasure meeting you, darling.” She looked at Lauren with a smile on her face.

“Oh no, the pleasure has been all mine,” Lauren replied, returning the smile.

Twilight looked at Spike. Princess Luna had told her that she only wanted her and Lauren at the library, but she just couldn’t tell Spike to get out of the library.

“Well then, I shall be on my way,” Rarity said, turning back to the front door.

“Wait, Rarity!” Twilight called, looking back at Spike. Rarity stopped and turned back to Twilight. “Spike, why don’t you go with Rarity back to her place?” Twilight asked the purple dragon, who smiled right after that last sentence. “You don’t mind, right Rarity?” she said, looking back at the white unicorn.

“Oh, not at all!” Rarity giggled. “I would actually like if he could come with me.” She winked at Spike, who blushed more than ever.

“Okay then,” Twilight added, looking at Spike. “Go now.”

Spike walked behind Rarity, who was walking towards the door. “Very well then, see you later, girls,” Rarity finally added, walking out of the library with Spike. Everyone else replied with an unison ‘bye’.

“I gotta go too,” Applejack said, looking at Lauren. “It was nice meeting you, sugarcube,” she added, taking off her hat with her hoof.

“Nice meeting you too, Applejack,” Lauren replied, still smiling.

“You should stop by the farm tomorrow; I’ll have some of the finest cider you’ve ever tasted waitin’ for ya!” Applejack enthusiastically exclaimed.

“Sure thing!” Lauren answered. Applejack nodded, turning back towards the door. “Good night, y’all.” she added, walking outside of the library.

“Oh! I have to go too!” Pinkie suddenly said, giving a quick hug to Twilight, then another one to Lauren. The alicorn felt Pinkie’s body, it smelled like cotton candy. “Goodbye, Twi! Goodbye, Laury! See you tomorrow!” She dashed outside of the library, not even letting Twilight or Lauren reply to her.

“Well, that’s Pinkie Pie!” Twilight chuckled, looking at Lauren, who chuckled with her. The unicorn walked towards the middle of the library and gazed upon the party’s mess. She sighed, turning back, walking to the kitchen. Now she had to clean the entire mess since Spike went with Rarity. Twilight entered the kitchen for a few moments.

Lauren stood there, analyzing the entire events of the day. She remembered the daisy sandwiches she had in the morning. She thought about how she went out in Twilight’s dress to meet her friends, about how she meet Princess Celestia and Princess Luna and about how she learned to use magic. She walked aimlessly around the library, staring at it one more time. She chuckled a bit as she stared at the wall where she had collided with Rainbow Dash.

Everything seemed like a dream to her. Appearing out of nowhere in a cartoon, meeting its characters, and the sole fact that she was transformed into one of those characters. It had to be a dream, but the whole thing seemed real enough for her. Even if the details weren’t as realistic as in real life, they still felt real. The cream colored alicorn kept walking around the library.

Already night time, and they still don’t know where I am. Lauren sighed. I wish I could at least tell them that I’m safe… but there’s no way to do it, is it? She sat down on the floor, resting her chin on her front hooves. I… I just want to go back… I want to go home… The alicorn’s eyes began to get teary, until she finally shed a tear from her right eye. But how? How am I supposed to go back? Am I going to be stuck here forever? Both eyes began shedding tears. Lauren sobbed, wiping the tears from her face with her hoof.

Twilight came out of the kitchen with a broom and a plastic bag levitating right next to her. She quickly noticed the crying alicorn on the center of the library. She dropped the broom and the bag and approached to her. “Lauren? Are you okay?” Twilight gently asked, looking down at her.

Lauren looked at Twilight’s warm smile. Somehow, her face made her feel a bit calmer than before. “Yeah, I’m okay,” she said, wiping away the tears from her face, again. She tried to raise herself from the floor.

“Why are you crying? Is something wrong?” Twilight asked again, helping the alicorn to stand up by holding her hoof.

“It is nothing, Twilight, really,” Lauren lied. She stopped sobbing, smiling at Twilight. “Mind if I help you clean?” she happily asked.

“Sure! Thank you!” Twilight giggled, turning her head back to levitate both the broom and the bag with her magic. “Can you hold this bag with your magic?”

“Yeah, I’ll try.” Lauren replied, focusing her mind on the bag. Suddenly, her pearly white magical aura replaced Twilight’s magical aura around the bag. She was getting used to use magic.

“Perfect! You hold it right there and I’ll clean all these streamers and confetti from the floor,” Twilight said, starting to sweep the floor with the broom. “Princess Luna should arrive shortly. She already raised the moon.”

Oh, that’s right, Luna said that she would come tonight to talk with both of us… Lauren moved the bag near Twilight, who levitated the pile of swept streamers into the bag. She said that Celestia was hiding something from us. I wonder what she could mean with that.

*****

“The third alicorn legend… I don’t remember much about it,” Luna said to herself, flying across the night skies of Equestria. She felt the cold night air hitting her face as she flew around, vigorously flapping her royal blue wings and leaving a few shiny sparkles in her wake. Tia… what was that all about?

*****

Lauren was still holding the bag; it was getting a bit heavier thanks to all the trash inside of it, but she was still holding it with the same ease as when it was empty.

“Well, that’s it,” Twilight sighed, looking at the clean library. She had cleaned every piece of confetti and additional trash from the party. She carefully placed the cake plates and the punch glasses on the kitchen sink. “Thank you, Lauren,” she said.

“No problem, Twilight,” Lauren replied, putting the bag down to the floor. She walked next to Twilight and stared at her. “So, what do we do now?”

“Wait for Princess Luna,” Twilight answered, levitating a book from one shelf. She opened the book and began to read it.

“Um, alright,” Lauren said, looking around the library. It was the perfect opportunity to read one of Twilight’s books. “Twilight?”

“Yes?” Twilight stopped reading, focusing her eyes on the alicorn.

“Can I borrow a book to read?” Lauren asked, looking around the several bookshelves around.

“Oh, of course!” Twilight exclaimed, “feel free to take as many as you want.” She pointed her hoof at one shelf in specific. “That’s the spells bookshelf, and over there is the flying bookshelf.” She moved her hoof towards another shelf. “Just grab whichever you want!” she chimed, resuming her lecture.

“Okay then,” Lauren said, examining the spells bookshelf. Hmm… Classic Magic, Advanced Magic, Elemental Magic. She kept looking at the book titles, until one of them caught her attention. Magic for beginners? I think I could use that. She pulled the book out of the shelf with her magic, opening it at the first page.

“Levitating for beginners, Basic transformations, Teleporting…” Lauren read the index out loud. She was about to start reading when somepony knocked the door. Her eyes immediately stared at the door.

“Ah, that must be Princess Luna,” Twilight affirmed, quickly putting down her book on a table, softly walking to the door. Lauren approached, keeping her distance from Twilight. The unicorn enveloped the door with her pink magic and opened it, revealing who was behind the door.

“Good evening, Twilight Sparkle,” Luna greeted the unicorn. She glanced around inside the library to check if no one else was around; naturally, she saw only Lauren, who was looking at her. She returned her stare back to Twilight. “May I come in?” she asked.

“Of course,” Twilight replied, moving away from the door so Luna could enter. She joined Lauren in the middle of the room, waiting for Luna to join them.

“Thank you,” Luna quickly said, making her way in. She closed the door behind her with her magic, and finally stood in front of the two ponies. She took a deep breath, trying to rest from her long flight. “It’s pretty cold out there, isn’t it?” The royal alicorn commented.

“Yeah, it’s been feeling a bit cold since sunset,” Twilight added, looking through the window at the beautiful night that Luna rose a while ago. She felt the cold weather through her skin. “But anyways, Princess, what did you want to tell us?” she asked, looking back at the blue mare.

“As I told you earlier today, it’s something that has been bugging me about Tia,” Luna responded, sitting down on the floor to get a more comfortable position. “It’s something that I noticed earlier, when we came here.” She looked at the small alicorn.

“That’s weird. I didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary about her.” Twilight placed a hoof on her chin, recalling what Celestia said in her mind. “I didn’t notice anything,” she said again, turning her head to Lauren. “Did you notice something weird about Princess Celestia?”

“Uh, no, nothing,” Lauren answered, immediately remembering what she noticed about Celestia. Wait, I did notice something. It was that faint smile she gave me! “Wait, actually…” she added.

Both Twilight and Luna stared at Lauren with curiosity. “What is it?” Twilight asked.

“Actually, I don’t think is important, but, when Twilight told her that if my name or my memory loss meant anything for her, she kinda smiled.” Lauren nervously explained, trying to fully recall what she saw.

“She smiled? I didn’t see her smile when she replied,” Twilight claimed, looking at Luna who suddenly interrupted her.

“Smile as in… a very faint smile, right?” Luna asked Lauren, who surprisingly looked at her.

“Yes! A very faint smile, like if she were hiding something from me,” Lauren eagerly answered. What is this all about?

“Well, did you two hear something… like a ‘crack’ noise?” Luna asked.

“A crack noise?” Twilight confusingly asked. “No, I didn’t hear anything like that.”

“Well, you see. Earlier today, Tia was acting odd since she woke me up. During our flight towards Ponyville in the Royal Chariot, she nervously jumped in her seat,” Luna explained, catching her breath to continue speaking. “Later, right here at the library, I heard two faint crack noises coming from her, along with a mouth twitch,” she confessed.

Crack noises? A mouth twitch? Seriously, what’s going on? Lauren worriedly looked at Luna, trying to assimilate what she just heard.

“Well, what do you think that means, Luna?” Twilight rapidly asked, “Is something wrong with Princess Celestia?”

“I told you, I’m not sure about it, but I think this has something to do with… the third alicorn legend,” Luna looked at Lauren at that last sentence.

Both Twilight and Lauren exchanged stares of confusion. “Third alicorn legend?” both ponies asked.

“Yes, but I don’t remember much about it,” Luna said, “but I believe that somehow, Celestia knows more than she claims to know.” She looked at the floor.

“So, you think that Celestia is hiding whatever she knows about Lauren from us?” Twilight asked. Luna softly nodded. “But why would she do that?” she asked, with a confusing tone.

“I tell you, I don’t know why Celestia is hiding whatever she knows about your friend,” Luna explained, once again. “But I think that for the time being, it would be better if you keep your distance from her.” she said to Lauren, who was still listening to the whole conversation in confusion.

“She agreed to help us, it makes no sense!” Twilight exclaimed, “if she knew anything, she would totally tell us, and not keep it to herself!” She stood up from her seat. Luna stared at her with a blank expression on her face.

“Hmm, well I said what I had to say,” Luna said, standing up from the floor. “You’re free to believe me or not.”

“I’m sorry Princess, I didn’t mean that… is just that I…” Twilight apologized, trying to order the words in her mind. She couldn't believe that someone as kind and honest as her mentor could hide anything from her own, most precious student.

“It’s okay, Twilight Sparkle, I know it must be hard for you to hear, but I’m positive about it,” Luna firmly said, looking at Lauren, who was still silent. “Don’t you have anything else to say?” she asked.

Lauren looked back at Luna, shaking her head in denial. Hiding something from me? What is this? This isn’t the Celestia I know. As Twilight said, she would tell us anything to help us.

Suddenly, somepony knocked at the door.

“Oh? It must be Pinkie Pie, who forgot her camera,” Twilight said, looking at the purple camera over a table, which Pinkie left after the party. She levitated the camera with her magic, moving it right next to her. She walked towards the door. Luna and Lauren stared at her.

Softly, with her magic, Twilight enveloped the door lock, gently opening the door to greet her hyperactive friend. Her eyes went wide open as she noticed the visitor right in front of her; it was not Pinkie Pie at all. She gasped, trying to hide her surprised reaction. She tried to talk, to mumble, but she was too shocked to do so.

“Good evening, my faithful student,” the visitor kindly whispered.

Endless Night: Part II

Chapter 6: Endless Night (Part II)
*****

Twilight stood motionless in front of the visitor. She gasped, trying to hide her surprised reaction, however, she couldn’t close her mouth. Right in front of her was her beloved and highly esteemed mentor, none other than Princess Celestia, who was gently smiling at her student.

Lauren quickly raised her head and stared at the door in shock. Luna didn’t turn her head. Instead, she stared at the floor, surprised by the sudden appearance of her sister.

Princess Celestia? But… how? We were just talking about her! Lauren gulped, looking at Luna who was petrified in her own seat. She had a grim look on her face, as if she had just seen a ghost.

“P-princess…” Twilight finally managed to talk.

“Hello, Twilight. Are you and Miss Lauren doing okay?” Celestia asked, peeking inside the library. She looked at the two alicorns standing there in the middle, tilting her head in confusion. “Luna?”

Luna gasped, jumping in her seat at the sound of her name. She slowly turned her head to look back at her sister. “T-Tia…” she muttered.

“Oh, I’m sorry, Twilight. May I come inside?” Celestia quickly asked Twilight, who simply nodded and moved away to let the Princess in. “Luna? What are you doing here?” she said, walking towards her sister.

The blue alicorn looked at her sister, gulping her saliva and slowly walking towards her sister. “I… I came to see Twilight Sparkle and her friend to find out more about this situation,” she explained, pointing her hoof at Lauren.

“Ah, I see,” Celestia said, looking at the little alicorn who glanced back at her. The Princess smiled at her and looked back at Twilight. “As a matter of fact, I’ve came to talk about that.”

Twilight snapped out of her state of shock and placed the levitating camera back over the table. She shook her head and closed the library’s door with her magic. “About Lauren’s situation?” she said.

“Indeed, my faithful student,” Celestia responded, walking towards Lauren and taking a seat in the middle of the library, right in front of her. She smiled at her once again.

Why… why do I feel chills now every time she smiles at me? Lauren thought, forcedly smiling back at the Sun Princess.

“Very well then, care to join us back, Luna? Twilight?” Celestia asked, looking at the two mares who rapidly nodded and walked back to where the two alicorns were sitting.

“So, um, Princess… what did you want to talk about?” Twilight asked, tilting her head.

“Well, you see…” Celestia replied, looking once again at Lauren. “A few hours ago, I remembered something.”

“Something?” Lauren said, staring confusingly at the white alicorn.

Celestia nodded, looking back at Twilight. “You see, there’s a very old pony-tale, even older than the Mare in the Moon tale,” she said, looking at Luna and letting out a quick smile.

“And what’s this tale about?” Lauren interrogated. Twilight glanced at her friend and waved a hoof, attempting to tell her to stop interrupting the Princess. However, Lauren didn’t notice her.

“It’s not very well known, since only the Royal Family is allowed to know about it,” Celestia explained, looking back at Luna. “I’m sure you know which tale I’m talking about, right, Luna?”

Luna gasped. Tia… what is this all about? Why do you want me to say the third alicorn tale? she nodded. “Um… oh, right!” she faked surprise. “You won’t mean the Third Alicorn tale?”

“I was surprised when I realized it too,” Celestia chuckled. “I can’t believe it slipped out of my mind, considering that we have a third alicorn right before our eyes right here,” she said, pointing her head at Lauren.

“So, what is this tale about?” Lauren asked, with an insecure tone. I’ve never heard of such thing as a third alicorn tale. But again… I’m stuck here, and there are many things that I didn’t know about this place.

“Patience, my dear Lauren,” Celestia said, waving a hoof. “I’m trying to fully remember the tale, since I haven’t thought of it for hundreds of years.”

“Eh, sorry,” Lauren quickly replied, looking back at Twilight who rolled her eyes, as if she was trying to say ‘I tried to warn you’.

“Well then, I think I remember how the story goes,” the Princess said. “Please, listen carefully.”

*****

A long, long time ago…

There were two regal sisters who ruled the land of Equestria. The eldest, used her powers to raise a beautiful sun, and provide the day to the ponies living in that land. The youngest, used her magic to raise the moon, and provide a magical night to all the living creatures. Together, both sisters ruled the land in harmony…

Certain day, when the youngest sister was done raising her moon, she and her sister went to the royal gardens to play in the peaceful night. They played and played for a long time, until a flash of light appeared out of nowhere right in front of them.

This strange flash of light faded away in less than a second, and a creature was left behind, lying on the ground. The two sisters timidly approached the creature, which slowly began to stand up.

‘Identify yourself!’ the eldest sister commanded, guarding her little sister with her wing.

However, the creature didn’t respond, and instead, it shrieked in fear. The youngest sister slowly approached the shivering creature. ‘Hello!’ she chirped. ‘Who are you?’

The creature looked at the friendly alicorn and slowly walked towards her. The closer it approached, the more it began to take shape. Finally, the creature arrived in front of the two sisters.

The eldest sister gasped in shock, as she looked at the creature. However, the youngest sister looked at it with a grin on her face. ‘Wow! You’re an alicorn too!’ she exclaimed.

The mysterious alicorn nodded and smiled at the youngest sister, looking at the eldest sister who was still looking at it with surprise. ‘I love you, girls. Never forget that,’ it said, before soaring into the starry night sky and disappearing from sight.

The younger sister quickly called her back, but the alicorn didn’t return. She looked back at her sister who was shedding tears. ‘Huh? ‘Tia? What’s the matter?’ she asked.

The eldest sister wiped the tears from her face and looked at her little sister, giving her a cheerful smile. ‘Nothing, Luna. Everything’s okay,’ she replied.

‘Who was that alicorn? I’ve never seen her before!’ The youngest sister asked, looking back at her beautiful, starry night.

‘She was... an old friend.’ The eldest sister said, walking away back to the castle.

*****

“That’s it,” Celestia said, trying to catch her breath from the long tale. She stared at Luna, who had a serious look on her face. “I’m sure you can recall that event, right?”

Luna nodded. She did remember that night as if it was yesterday. However, there were some things that weren’t very clear for her. “I do, Tia, but I don’t fully remember the events from that night. For instance, I don’t remember how the alicorn looked like.”

Celestia sighed, looking one more time at Lauren, who was still trying to understand the tale. She looked back at her sister, who was waiting for an answer. “Luna, the alicorn who appeared that night right in front of us…” she glanced once more at Lauren and pointed her hoof at her. “Was none other than Lauren herself!”

Twilight and Luna gasped at unison, rapidly looking at the little alicorn who confusingly stared back at them. “What!?” Both mares yelled.

Yes, seriously, what? What did she say? Did she say I once appeared in front of her and Luna? But that’s… impossible, I mean… she gulped, trying to give an answer. “I… uh…” she muttered, but that wasn’t enough to be considered an answer. “No… that’s impossible.”

“Impossible?” Celestia asked.

“Y-yes… I mean, you said that event happened thousands of years ago…” Lauren replied. “But I wasn’t even born back then.”

“Are you sure?” Celestia asked once again, raising one eyebrow. Twilight was listening to the conversation, waiting for her turn to speak.

“Yes!” Lauren exclaimed.

Celestia let out a chuckle, she closed her eyes for a moment and quickly opened them, staring directly at Lauren. “You’re lying.”

Twilight and Luna looked at Celestia, who had a smirk on her face. “Lying? Princess! What do you mean?” Twilight asked, while Lauren gulped.

“Think about it, Twilight,” Celestia said, with her stare still fixed at Lauren. “What has Lauren been telling us all this time?”

Ah! Oh no! Don’t tell me she… Lauren gasped.

“Lauren has been telling us that she has lost her memory!” Celestia exclaimed, standing up from her seat. “So far, she has been telling us that she has no memories from before awakening last night!”

Lauren shivered as she looked at Celestia. Darn! My cover is about to be blown up!

“Princess! Where are you going with this!?” Twilight quickly asked, standing in front of her.

The Sun Princess took a deep breath, relaxing herself and sitting back. “Lauren…” she whispered. “You said you were sure that you weren’t born thousands of years ago.” She looked at her one more time. “But if you really lost your memory, you wouldn’t know if whether or not that statement is true.”

Lauren gulped. She just had made an awful mistake, and there was no way to fix it now. Celestia blew her memory loss cover, and now she had some explaining to do. What do I do now? Tell the whole truth? They wouldn’t believe me!

“Uh?” Twilight hummed, quickly realizing what her mentor had just said. “Yes! The Princess has a point, Lauren! How can you be so sure that you weren’t born back then?” she asked.

Luna was staring at the nervous alicorn, picturing her image in her head. Is it… really her? That alicorn from that night?

Lauren really wanted to explain herself, trying to come up with an answer. Think, think! What can I say now to get out of this… she glanced at Twilight who was giving her the same cold stare as Celestia. Ah! I know! “I… I just happened to remember it!”

“Remember it? What do you mean?” Celestia said, suspiciously looking at her.

Ugh, how can I explain it? “Well, I… uh, remembered my birth date, just like that.”

“Oh, wait!” Twilight interrupted. Celestia quickly glanced at her student, interested in what she wanted to say. Luna stared at her as well. “Just like this morning!”

“This… morning?” Celestia asked, tapping a hoof against her chin. “What happened this morning, Twilight? Would you please explain?”

This morning? What is Twilight… Oh, wait! That’s right! This morning I told her that… Lauren gulped, feeling shivers running through her entire body. She was walking on very thin ice.

“Yes, Princess. Earlier this morning, Lauren happened to remember who her husband was,” Twilight explained. Celestia’s face went from her blank expression to a more surprised one. She wasn’t expecting that possibility. A sudden memory? Something was suspicious.

“Hmm… that’s rather interesting,” Celestia commented, “So, when’s your birth date then?” she said, looking once again at the nervous alicorn.

“Um, it’s July 25th,” Lauren responded, with a faint voice. She had no reason to lie about something as trivial as her own birth date.

“I see,” Celestia replied, looking at Twilight one more time. “Twilight, do you remember more about last night?” she asked. Celestia was starting to dig deeper into the case, and she wasn’t done yet. She wanted answers, and that’s what she was going to get; sooner or later, the truth would come out to the light.

“Uh, like what?” Twilight questioned, looking confusingly at Lauren who returned the same clueless stare back at her.

“Well, for starters, what was the first thing Lauren did when she woke up?” Celestia asked, giving a swift look at Lauren with her eyes, returning them to Twilight almost instantly. She knew that there was something odd about Lauren.

“Um, well, at first, she was confused about her whereabouts,” Twilight answered, pressing a hoof against her forehead to remember more clearly. “Then, um… oh, right! She said my name and then she kept asking about where she was,” she continued. Celestia nodded, telling her to proceed with her tale. “After that, she nervously laughed, believing that it was all a dream…”

Well, yes, that’s what happened… Lauren gulped, scratching her head with her hoof.

“After that, she introduced herself and shortly after that I discovered that she was an alicorn,” Twilight finished explaining, waiting for an answer from her mentor, who closed her eyes to analyze her student’s testimony.

“Heh.” Celestia let out a faint chuckle. “Twilight, my most beloved student…” she said.

“Uh? What is it, Princess?” Twilight responded, without any idea of why the Princess chuckled. Was something wrong?

“Twilight, please think of what you just said,” Celestia said, with a smug smile on her face. Twilight tilted her head in confusion, unsure of what the Princess could mean with that.

What? Think? Lauren swiftly looked at Celestia, who was still smiling. Luna was just as clueless as her. Think of what? What did Twilight say that… she suddenly felt shivers all inside her body running from her tail to the tip of her horn.

“You said that when she woke up, she panicked and questioned about the place, right?” Celestia asked. Twilight nodded and the Princess proceeded. “Then, you said that she said your name.” Twilight nodded again, still confused about what Celestia was trying to get at. This time, Celestia didn’t continue, instead, she kept staring at Twilight, waiting for her to give her the answer.

“Sister, I don’t get it as well,” Luna commented.

Celestia sighed, disappointed that her student couldn’t figure out the obvious. “You give up? Okay then…” she closed her eyes for a few seconds and inhaled a good amount of air. “You said that she said your name when she wake up, but isn’t that strange?”

Oh no! She… she figured it out! Lauren panted, trying her best to hide her anxiety.

“How could she possibly know your name in the first place? Didn’t she tell us that she had lost her memories? The sole fact that she said your name after waking up contradicts her entire testimony!” Celestia exclaimed, looking at an anxious Lauren who didn’t know how to react.

Twilight gasped, suddenly realizing that what her mentor said made sense. “Of course! How could I have skipped it!? If Lauren indeed lost her memory, she wouldn’t have known my name.” She looked at Lauren, waiting for an explanation from her.

“The only explanation is… that she didn’t lose her memory at all!” Celestia exclaimed, pointing her hoof at Lauren who cringed at the sight of it against her face. “She has been lying to us about it!”

“Lauren! Is that true!?” Twilight asked.

Darn it, darn it all! What do I say now!? What do I do now? Lauren began to panic, breathing heavily and sweating. She has never been under so much pressure in her life. Her lie was discovered and now she had to deal with the consequences. She started to feel dizzy as her head began pounding. I… I… what… is… happening… she felt her eyes getting heavier and her vision began to blur. She finally lost consciousness and fainted.

“L-Lauren!” Twilight shouted.

*****

That sensation… is that sensation again. Lauren came back to her senses. She tried to open her eyes, but she couldn’t. She tried to move her body, but again, she couldn’t. Ugh, what… what happened? I think… I think I suddenly fainted in front of Twilight and… she could feel her body was responding to her. She slowly opened her eyes, only to be greeted by a familiar face.

“Oh, thanks Celestia, you’re awake!” Twilight said, pressing a hoof against Lauren’s forehead. “You fainted a while ago, and you had me worried!”

“Uh…” This feels incredibly familiar. “You… you were worried about me?” Lauren said. She was lying on Twilight’s bed, covered with its blanket. She looked around the room, but there was nopony else but Twilight and her.

“Well of course! Nopony just faints like that!” Twilight said, removing the wet towel Lauren had on her forehead with her magic, splashing it in a bucket filled with cold water.

I still don’t know why I fainted, but… wait… weren’t they expecting me to answer to why I lied to them? “T-Twilight…” Lauren said, rubbing her head with a hoof. “About before, I…”

“Don’t worry about it, you can explain it later. For now, try to rest. You don’t want to push yourself after fainting like that, do you?” Twilight giggled, placing the fresh towel on top of Lauren’s head.

“It’s… fine, Twilight, I can tell you about the matter,” Lauren said with a confident tone, feeling the refreshing coolness of the towel on her head.

“Then… you don’t mind if I call the Princesses over here?” Twilight asked.

“No, after all, they must listen as well, right?”

“You’re right. Give me a second and I’ll go get them. They’re still waiting at the library’s foyer,” Twilight added, leaving the room and walking downstairs to meet the Princesses.

Lauren sighed, pressing her head against Twilight’s pillow. Now what do I do? Should I tell them the truth? Well, I have to, but… ugh. She closed her eyes, pressing her hooves against them. Suddenly, she raised her hooves and looked at them. I might be a pony, but I’m still the creator of this whole world. Why am I afraid? They wouldn’t harm me. But, I need to be subtle, I mean, I can’t just unload on them that they’re cartoons of a TV show. She stopped thinking as soon as she heard the multiple hoof-steps approaching to the room.

Princess Celestia, Luna and Twilight came inside the room and walked upstairs to meet with the little alicorn. Lauren gulped, ready to confess everything. Or so she thought.

“I see you’re awake now, I'm glad you're okay,” Celestia sighed in relief. “My apologies for my rude behavior a while ago.”

“Um, it’s… it’s okay, Princess,” Lauren replied, feeling a slight blush forming on her cheeks.

“But, we still want to know why you lied to us,” Celestia said, coughing at that last word. Her faint was not a excuse to keep her from telling why she lied about her memory loss after all. “So, would be so kind to tell us what’s the matter?” she said with a soothing tone.

Lauren felt safer this time. She had more confidence in herself now that she had time to think about it. She looked at Celestia from her bed and nodded, removing the towel from her head and placing it next to the bed. She raised herself from the bed and sat down on it. “Okay.” she replied.

“Well then, why did you lie about a memory loss?” Twilight gently asked, placing a hoof on Lauren’s shoulder. The alicorn smiled at her and took a deep breath.

“Well, you see, the reason I lied was because…” Lauren paused, gulping one last time before revealing the truth to everypony. “Because I am… not from… this world…” she mumbled.

“Not from… Equestria? Then from where?” Twilight asked.

“No, I mean, not from this world as in… not from this universe,” Lauren explained, looking at Celestia’s face that had the most serious look on it. She could feel that her eyes were piercing through her mind. Twilight gasped, trying to understand what she meant with ‘universe’.

“Not from this universe? And what is that supposed to mean?” Luna interrupted, stepping closer to Lauren.

“You mean you’re not from this realm?” Celestia asked, tilting her head a bit to the left.

“Yes, I come from… How to say it? Another dimension,” Lauren confessed. She was sure that they wouldn’t believe her anyway.

“A-another dimension?” Twilight muttered, unable to grasp the idea. Lauren looked at her and awkwardly nodded.

“So this other dimension is your home?” Celestia asked, still staring at the little alicorn with her serious stare.

“Y-yes, and I lied about a memory loss because… I didn’t want you to find out about it.” Lauren bowed her head in shame, looking at the stars and comets on Twilight’s bed sheet.

“Why didn’t you want us to find out? What’s so secret or important about your home?” Celestia kept interrogating. It was only a matter of time before Lauren revealed everything.

“It’s just that…” Lauren paused, trying to think about what she was going to answer, but she was suddenly interrupted again by Celestia.

“And of course, how come you knew who Twilight was?”

She is forcing me to say it, but I can’t! I mean… how could they even believe it? “Well, the thing is that… in my world, we know a lot about this dimension,” Lauren mumbled, expecting the most surprised of reactions from Celestia, but her face was still holding that serious look. “We sort of… ‘observe’ what happens here. And that’s why I couldn’t tell you, because I didn’t want you to find out.”

Twilight was still dumbfounded due Lauren’s previous confessions. Another dimension? And not only that, but she knew about this world as well? And that’s why she didn’t want to talk about it? What’s going on? Who is she?

“I-I’m sorry, I know it must be hard to believe, but it’s the honest truth,” Lauren said, with the most honest look in her eyes. The sort of honest look that somepony would get from Applejack.

*Crack*

This time, Luna rolled her eyes and stared at Celestia, feeling chills running through her body. She had just heard yet another of those mysterious cracks coming from inside her sister. But this one was different, and she was sure about it. This new crack wasn’t like the previous ones, no, this one was fainter. Somehow, it was the kind of noise a pebble would make when crushed with a hoof or against a rock.

Celestia lowered her head and closed her eyes. Her sparkling, wavy mane and tail stopped waving as fast as they were before. She let out a faint ‘Heh’ and a chuckle, looking at the alicorn sitting right in front of her. “I understand,” she said.

“Understand what, Princess?” Twilight asked, looking at her mentor. “I still don’t get this entire dimension thing Lauren’s talking about!”

Celestia ignored Twilight and raised her head to get a better view of Lauren’s face. She smiled at her and cleared her throat. “It’s all clear now,” she said. Lauren, Luna and Twilight shared the same clueless look on their faces after those words. Luna was about to ask something, when Celestia continued speaking. “It’s all clear now…” she repeated, with a louder tone.

“W-what’s clear?” Lauren nervously asked. Seriously? What is clear? I thought she’d have more questions or ask me more about… the reality.

“Simple, my dear,” Celestia said between chuckles. “I know who you are, Lauren Faust.”

Endless Night: Part III

Chapter 7: Endless Night (Part III)
*****

Lauren’s heart sank deep in her chest. She gulped, trying to understand why Celestia claimed to know her. Know who I am? But… how!? What does she mean with that? Does she know about my person? Does she know about humans and the real world? Does she know that she’s just a character in a cartoon? All those questions were running through her mind at the same time, as she stared a clueless Twilight.

“P-Princess! I’m confused! What’s going on? How is she from another world?” Twilight hesitantly asked.

“Yes, ‘Tia! And why do you say that you know her?” Luna added, still keeping an eye for any suspicious signals from her sister.

Celestia cleared her throat. “Please, calm down, everypony,” she said. “The last thing we want to do is to stress Lauren again.” And it was true, Celestia couldn’t afford to make Lauren stress out again. If she wanted to dig more into Lauren’s mind, she’d have to do it gently from now on.

“Yeah, you’re right, Princess.” Twilight rubbed one hoof against her other one. She smiled at Lauren with a soothing smile, as if she was promising her that everything was going to be okay.

Lauren, however, was still shocked due Celestia’s last claim. “What… what do you mean with who I am, Princess?”

Celestia nodded, looking at the nervous alicorn. “I already told you,” she said. “You’re the third alicorn Luna and I saw that night.”

Lauren felt some sort of relief upon listening to the Princess’ last words. I still don’t know what she’s talking about, but I’m glad she didn’t mention anything about a human or something. She let out a soft sigh in relief, trying to not make it look so obvious.

“But that’s not important right now.” Celestia looked at Twilight. “Twilight, do you know what the important issue is?” she asked, attempting to see if her most beloved student had been paying attention to the whole matter.

“Uh, I…” Twilight pressed a hoof against her chin. Why would Celestia ask her? Was she testing her? “The fact that she claims to be from another world?” Twilight guessed with a nervous smile.

“Close,” Celestia chuckled. “But no, that’s not the most important matter.” The Princess looked this time at Luna. “Sister, care to tell us?”

What is it about? Just say it! The suspense is killing me! The ‘most important matter’? Hello! I said I’m from an alternate dimension and you say there is a more important issue? Lauren gently bit her tongue, trying to keep her thoughts just like that, as thoughts.

“I have no clue, ‘Tia.” Luna shrugged.

“Well, seems like I have to be the one who points it out then,” Celestia laughed.

Is this a game? Or why is she laughing a lot like that? Lauren glanced at the Princess, who stared at her with a mischievous face.

“Lauren, my dear, care to explain us how you knew Twilight?” Celestia said.

“Uh, what?” Know Twilight? Oh, that’s right! Shoot! What do I say now? Lauren tried to keep her face expression as blank as possible, wildly thinking of an answer for the Princess’ question. Well, I did tell them I kinda ‘observed’ what happens in this world… so I guess I can use that, but I have to be subtle about it.

“I’m actually curious about that too, Lauren,” Twilight said. “Have you heard of me or something? I’m not even that famous, I mean…”

Well, here we go, nothing to lose. Lauren took a deep breath. “Yes, I do know you, Twilight,” she claimed, with a very confident tone. Twilight and Luna glanced at her with a bit of shock on their faces. However, Celestia kept smiling. “Remember how I told you that I kinda ‘observe’ what happen in this world? Well, that’s how I know about you.”

Twilight tilted her head in confusion, still unable to grasp the whole idea. Know me? How can she know me? How could she observe this world from hers? What’s the whole meaning of this?

“Which leads us to our next question,” Celestia said. “How do you observe what happens in this world from your own?”

A television? Well, not like they know what a television is… they don’t exist here, do they? I really don’t know what to believe anymore. “Well, uh, it’s like… a book,” Lauren said.

“A book?” Celestia asked.

“Yes, uh… it’s like a story, you see… I know about this world… because it’s like a story in my world,” Lauren said, trying to cover the real truth as much as she could.

“Strange,” Celestia said, tilting her head. “So you know about this world because it’s a story? That sounds amazingly familiar.”

Twilight and Luna remained quiet. They were still clueless about all of Lauren’s claims, so they just waited for Celestia to give an explanation to them.

“Familiar? How?” Lauren asked.

“You see, I know that the third alicorn had certain… ability.” Celestia looked around at the books in the library walls. “You could call it, a power, or skill.”

Luna was still curious about the matter. An ability? Now that I think about it, ‘Tia claimed to know who the third alicorn was, yet, she never really told me who she was or how she knew her. I’ll wait and let her say what she has to say.

“And what’s this ability about?” Lauren questioned. If what Celestia claims is true, then does that mean that I have this ‘ability’ as well?

“Why, it’s quite simple,” she said, pointing her hoof at Lauren’s flank. “See your cutie mark? It actually has to do with it.”

“Uh? My cutie...” Lauren rolled her head and stared at her ink bottle cutie mark. What could she mean with that?

“If I recall correctly, this morning you told us that your special talent was writing, correct?” Celestia asked. Lauren simply nodded in agreement. “Well, that’s it.”

“I don’t follow. Was that alicorn’s talent writing?” Lauren questioned, still unsure of the answer.

“Sort of, you see.” The Princess stretched her wings a bit. It had been a while since she had arrived at Twilight’s library and she was starting to get tired. “She had this certain ability to... know everything.”

What? Know everything? Lauren stared at Celestia, filled with curiosity to hear more about it.

“Perhaps I should explain it.” Celestia cleared her throat once again, taking a deep breath. “The third alicorn had a certain ability like nopony else. This ability was unique, and it was symbolized in her cutie mark; a small bottle of ink with the tip of a curved quill in it. Like yours, my dear Lauren.” She glanced again at the little alicorn’s cutie mark. “She knew everything about everything. There was nothing she didn’t know, and it was true. Nopony knows how she knew everything, but it was never questioned.”

“Know everything? Like a genius or something?” Twilight asked.

“I’m afraid it’s something bigger than that, my dear Twilight,” Celestia chuckled. “But that’s why Lauren claims to know this world.”

That’s one way to see it. I could agree with Celestia, but I’d be also agreeing that I’m that alicorn as well. “Well, that’s one way to put it… but I don’t know everything about everything as you claim, I just know about this world.”

“Do you know everything about this world?” Luna finally asked, curious about the whole matter. She had been waiting for a chance to talk.

“No, not actually. In fact, there are many things I didn’t know about this world before… appearing here,” Lauren confessed. “But I have a general knowledge about it.”

“I see,” Celestia sighed, closing her eyes to meditate about the entire situation.

Twilight yawned. She was starting to get tired, and nopony could blame her. She hadn’t had any sleep since she woke up in the morning, and the party she had with the girls earlier that night wore her out. She just wanted to hop on her bed and get a good night sleep, but she had to be awake to listen to the whole situation.

“It is most peculiar this whole situation. There’s no doubt that you are the third alicorn, but you say that you weren’t born back then,” Celestia said, re-analyzing everything that Lauren has said thus far. “Also, the fact that you said you were from another world is interesting.”

Just what else does she want from me? I’m running out of ideas. Lauren hummed and tilted her head.

“I’m also wondering about how you claim to know about this world. Could you tell me like, what aspects do you know about it?” Celestia requested. She saw Twilight’s yawn and she knew it was indeed late already. Even if she was a Princess, she had to sleep as well to raise the sun next morning.

“Well, I know that this is the land of Equestria,” Lauren said, trying to come up with the most basic stuff without going too deep into the matter. “I know the land is ruled by you two, Princesses. You, Princess Celestia, raise the sun, while Princess Luna raises the moon.” She tapped a hoof on her chin. “Also that here are three kinds of ponies; earth pony, pegasus and unicorn.”

“Well, I see you’re quite informed,” Celestia commented. “I don’t fully understand what’s going on at the moment, but I’m sure we can figure it out.” She looked at a sleepy Twilight, who tried her best to hide away her drowsiness. “It’s getting kind of late, so I suggest we leave this conversation for another day.”

Twilight and Lauren gasped, surprised that Celestia simply decided to finish the conversation. “What, Princess? But there’s still too much to talk about!” Twilight complained, almost letting out a faint yawn after her last word.

She’s right, I mean, I just unloaded to them that I’m from another world and stuff. I was expecting a bit more of reaction coming from Celestia, but she just wants to leave it for another day? Lauren glanced at Celestia who placed a hoof on Twilight’s head.

“Twilight, no need to rush, it’s very late and I’m sure you’re tired,” Celestia said, looking at Twilight’s weary eyes who agreed with her. However, Twilight shook her head in denial.

“But, Princess… I mean, this is…” Twilight didn’t want to finish the conversation. She still wanted to know more about the matter at hoof. She couldn’t waste her time sleeping while she had a huge mystery lying right on her bed. Finally, she gave up, realizing her mentor had decided to end the conversation for the night. “Fine,” she sighed.

“Wait, ‘Tia, I agree with Twilight Sparkle, there’s still more we should ask…” Luna stopped talking as she received a cold stare from Celestia. She had never seen that kind of expression on her face. She suddenly felt chills through her body and a lump in her throat. If stares could kill, Luna would be dead right now.

Celestia stood up from her seat. “Just one more thing, Lauren,” she said, before turning around. “You are not a pony, are you?”

Lauren felt a bump in her chest. How would she know? I never said anything about not being a pony.

“Princess? What do mean she’s not a pony?” Twilight asked, examining Lauren’s body for no apparent reason.

“If you’re wondering why I’m asking this, it’s quite simple, dear,” Celestia replied, turning around her head to look at Lauren one last time. “Nopony and I mean nopony can forget how to use magic. Not even if they have the worst case of memory loss.”

So, does that mean that… Lauren gulped.

“Yes, you guessed correctly, my dear,” Celestia chuckled. “You claimed that you forgot how to use magic this morning, correct? Well, since that moment, I’ve known that your memory loss story was false, and I can safely say that you are not a pony, or at least, you weren’t. Let me repeat it again, nopony can forget how to use magic.”

Well, it’s like riding a bike, you can’t forget how to ride it. But wait, does this mean that since this morning, she knew that my memory loss story was false? Why didn’t she mention it before? Lauren thought, tilting her head.

“What!? Is this true, Lauren? You’re not a pony? I mean, you weren’t a pony!?” Twilight shockingly asked, moving closer to the alicorn who was sitting on her bed. “Come to think… you were very clumsy holding objects with your hooves, and you tend to walk sloppily,” she added. “And at the party, Rainbow even taught you how to fly!”

“Well, ponies can forget how to fly though,” Celestia commented. “But that’s not the issue, the issue is about your magic, that’s the one which is truly unforgettable.”

How? How is Celestia debunking every claim I throw at her? Maybe I underestimated her for being a fictional character. Maybe she is really wise and clever. I think I should be more careful with what I say from now on… of course, if there’s anything else to say. Lauren looked at the Princess, who was awaiting for her answer. There was no other option now, since yet another of her covers was blown up. “Yes, I was not a pony. I turned into a pony the moment I arrived at this world.” Lauren lowered her head, confessing the truth.

“I see. Quite interesting. I’ve never heard of such thing happening before.” And you know, if somepony as old as Celestia claims to have never seen anything, it’s because it has basically never happened before. “Just one more thing,” she said.

Oh, come on! What else does she want to know? My shampoo brand? “Yes, Princess?” Lauren said, almost biting her tongue to avoid saying what she was thinking.

“Do you have any idea of why are you here? Do you have any idea of how you got here?” the Princess asked. Luna, who had remained silent, stared at her sister, looking for any strange reaction from her; a facial expression, or one more of those cracks that came from her. However, she didn’t spot any of them, for now.

“No, I have no idea. I just woke up here,” Lauren said, recalling the events from last night.

“Do you remember what you were doing before you woke up here?” Celestia asked. She was sure Lauren wouldn’t lie anymore, since she had the memories of her past intact.

“Yes, I was… uh…” Well, I was just writing the plot for an upcoming episode when all this happened, and of course, I can’t say that. “I was just working at my office.”

“Would you care to tell us what happened?” Celestia requested, taking a seat again. It seemed that her previous decision to leave slipped out of her mind. Twilight unwillingly yawned again, shaking her head to keep herself awake.

“Well, I was just there, minding my own business. There was a terrible storm outside, so I decided to leave and go home, when I heard a weird noise from outside of the window,” she explained. “I went to check what it was, but there was nothing outside, so I decided to ignore it. Moments later, I heard the same noise again, but again, there was nothing outside.”

Twilight knew she had heard that before, but where?

“And then, I heard a third noise, and that’s when I saw it,” she said.

“Saw what?” Celestia asked.

“I’m not sure… it was too dark outside, and with the storm I could barely see. There was a weird creature standing just outside of the window on a pole,” she said, recalling the creature’s shape in her mind. “I’m not totally sure about it, but I think it was a pony.”

“A pony?” Celestia surprisingly said. “How could a pony appear in that world of yours?”

“I… I don’t know, I just saw that creature, so I snuck my head out of the window to get a better view, but then a lighting bolt struck and I lost consciousness. The next thing I knew was that I woke up right here in this same bed,” Lauren explained, looking at Celestia who had a more surprised look on her face, for a change.

“That’s it!” Twilight exclaimed. The three remaining mares stared at her in confusion.

“What is it, Twilight?” Celestia asked. “Something of what Lauren said rang a bell for you?”

“Yes, Princess! You see, right before I found Lauren, I heard noises too, like thuds,” Twilight said. She was right. Right before she found Lauren, the same thing happened. “I heard two noises outside the library, but there was nothing outside,” she added. “Then, I heard a third noise, and that’s when I found Lauren lying under the storm.”

What? So Twilight heard these strange noises too? What’s the meaning of this? Lauren questioned in her mind.

“That’s rather interesting,” Celestia commented. “And it strongly implies that these two events are connected.”

“Huh? Two events?” Twilight asked.

“Indeed, Twilight. The mysterious pony and Lauren’s arrival to Equestria must be connected somehow. Besides, what else do the two events have in common?” Celestia asked, once again testing her student. She already knew the answer, but she was sure that Twilight could figure it out as well.

“Ah! Last night there was a dreadful storm, just like Lauren claimed in her story!” Twilight exclaimed. Her mentor cheerfully smiled and nodded in agreement.

“Very good, my faithful student,” she chuckled. “Yes, it seems that there were storms in both Equestria and Lauren’s world that night, so it just strengthens the theory that both events are connected, somehow.”

Wow, she’s good to spot even the tiniest details! Lauren praised the Princess in her mind. “So what does this mean?” she asked.

“I’m afraid I don’t know yet, I’d have to do further investigations into the matter,” she said. “But as I said a while ago, it’s too late already.” She glanced at Twilight who was about to yawn yet again, but she shut her mouth close to avoid it. “Thank you for receiving me here and sorry for all this.”

“Oh, no no no! Don’t worry Princess! You’re always welcome here! And it was not a problem! You’ve helped us a lot!” Twilight nervously exclaimed.

“I… I just want to go back home,” Lauren muttered, lowering her head and looking at the stars on Twilight’s bed sheet.

The library remained silent for a moment, until Celestia cleared her throat to speak. “Don’t worry, my dear Lauren. We’ll find a way to help you get back to your world,” Celestia giggled, standing up from her seat. “Now, I think we should go, right, Luna?” she asked, looking at her sister who swiftly nodded, standing up from her seat as well.

“Well, uh, thanks for stopping by, Princess,” Twilight said, staring at Luna. She couldn’t finish whatever she wanted to say earlier, since Celestia appeared and interrupted her. However, she looked like if she wanted to say something.

Lauren hopped off the bed and walked along with Twilight downstairs. They walked across the foyer and finally arrived at the front door.

“I’d like to meet you tomorrow at Sugarcube Corner, if you don’t mind,” Celestia requested Twilight, who nodded right away. “I’ve been craving for some sweet cupcakes!” she chuckled, enveloping the door’s lock with her faint golden magical aura and turning it in order to open the door. She walked outside and turned her head back to the inside. “I’ll send you a note with Spike tomorrow before my arrival,” she added. “By the way, where is he?”

“Oh, Spike walked Rarity back to her place. It’s way past his bedtime, so I guess he should be fast asleep already,” Twilight chuckled.

“Hmm? Did Rarity come here?” Celestia asked.

“Yeah, earlier this night, Pinkie decided to throw one of her ‘welcome parties’ to Lauren right here at the library,” Twilight replied, looking back at Pinkie’s forgotten camera that was still on a table.

“So, your friends know about Lauren’s… secret?” Celestia asked, totally surprised by the matter.

“Well yeah, they kinda suspected that I was an alicorn the whole day,” Lauren commented. “It’s okay if they know, right?

Celestia smiled, amused by Lauren’s question. “It’s all right, my dear,” she said. “However, I beg you to keep your secret as a real secret from now on to anypony,” she said, as she turned back to look at the starry night sky.

“Yes, Princess, I understand.” Lauren nodded, looking back at Luna who seized her sister’s distraction to whisper Twilight.

“Twilight, Lauren, listen,” she quickly whispered. Both mares swiftly looked back at the royal blue alicorn. “I heard another of those crack noises coming from ‘Tia just a while ago, but this was somewhat different,” she continued.

“Different? How?” Twilight softly asked, glancing outside the library to check on the Princess, who was still staring at the sky.

“I can’t explain right now, but please, I still feel something is wrong with ‘Tia,” she said. “I beg you, if you find anything else about the matter, please talk with me first.”

“But, how can we contact you, Princess? All the letters Spike sends are received by Princess Celestia,” Twilight whispered in the lowest but most understandable voice tone, glancing again at the Princess.

Luna’s horn glowed in its usual blue aura, creating a little spark of light right before Twilight’s eyes. The spark began taking shape, until it was finally done. The spark disappeared and the item was now hovering thanks to her magic. It was a little wooden stick which resembled a match, with a small blue bubble on one of its sides.

“This is a Blue-Fire Match,” Luna whispered. “It’s magically connected to me, so if you burn a letter with this match’s fire, I shall receive it. Don’t worry, it will never consume, you can light it as much as you want.” She levitated the match and placed it on the table, right near to the camera. “Don’t let my sister find out about it,” she requested.

“Got it, Princess, but what is the matter with…” Before Twilight could finish talking, the Sun Princess interrupted their whispering.

“Luna? Is something the matter?” Celestia asked, looking back inside the library. Twilight, Lauren and Luna looked at her.

“No, nothing, ‘Tia… let’s go,” Luna quickly said, walking outside of the library.

“Very well then.” Celestia glanced one last time inside the library, looking at Lauren. “Please, take care. We shall discuss more about this tomorrow,” She finally said, spreading her wings and taking flight into the dark skies of Equestria.

Luna stared at the two mares standing there. She nodded and turned her head and flying behind her sister without saying anything.

Both ponies stared at the flying alicorns until they got lost into the darkness of the sky. Lauren turned her head and looked at Twilight who was still staring at the sky. “Well, what a night, eh?” she joked, trying to warm-up the situation. However, Twilight didn’t answer. “Twilight?”

“Who are you?” Twilight asked, without looking at Lauren. “I… I don’t understand… who are you?” she asked again, this time looked at a surprised Lauren who wasn’t sure about what to answer. “Another world, third alicorn, storms… ugh! My head hurts!” she said, pressing her hoof against her forehead.

“Twilight, I…” Lauren said, trying to come up with a reasonable explanation. Maybe it was too much unloaded information for the poor Twilight…

“Sorry, sorry, I didn’t mean to say it like that.” Twilight waved her hoof, closing the library’s door and walking towards the table which had the camera and Luna’s match resting on it. She looked at the match, examining it. “But, I still don’t know what’s going on.”

“I’m just as clueless as you, Twilight… I don’t know what’s going on either, but I didn’t mean to lie to you, honestly,” Lauren mumbled, rubbing one hoof against the other.

Twilight stopped staring at the match and looked back at Lauren. “I know, I know… no need to be sorry,” Twilight said, smiling at the cream colored alicorn. “It’s just that this is all too… odd for me to grasp.”

“Well, I'll be happy to answer any questions if you have any,” Lauren said. At this moment, Twilight was the only pony she fully trusted. After Luna’s claims, she wasn’t so sure about Celestia anymore to trust her with certain information.

“Thanks, but it’s very late now, perhaps we should get some sleep for now.” Twilight began walking upstairs, being quickly followed by Lauren who nodded in agreement. Both ponies made their way back to their beds.

Twilight moved away the bucket of water she had used a while ago so nopony could trip with it, placing it behind a table. She climbed on her bed and adjusted her pillow to get a good head support. “I still don’t understand many things.”

Lauren, who was already lying on her bed, glanced at Twilight who was now staring at the roof. “What do you not understand?” she asked.

“Well, I don’t understand why Princess Luna is making all these accusations against Princess Celestia, I mean…” She wanted to keep talking, but she stopped for a moment to think about Luna’s accusations for a bit.

“I don’t understand either, but I do believe something strange is going on with the Princess,” Lauren commented, hugging her pillow with her hooves; she turned it around to feel the cool side on her belly. “I mean, the way she overanalyzed everything just a while ago, it was too shocking.”

“Well, Princess Celestia is very intelligent and clever,” Twilight claimed, covering herself with her blanket.

No, it’s more than that… I’m sure she knew more than what she was supposed to know. “I guess, but she kinda overanalyzed everything, don’t you think?” Lauren said. “I mean, she knew that ponies can’t forget how to use magic, but she never mentioned anything when I said I couldn’t remember.”

“Well, I guess you’re right… I didn’t even know that unicorns can’t forget magic… I guess I need to study more unicorn biology,” she said, trying to keep her mind free of bad thoughts about her mentor. “And about you knowing this world… what do you mean with that?”

Darn, I didn’t want her to touch that topic again. Well, how can I explain it? “Um… well, remember that I said that it was like a book?” Lauren said, turning once again her pillow to feel the newly refreshed cool side of it.

“Yeah, but, what do you mean with that?” Twilight asked, looking at Lauren with confusion.

“Yes, you know… in a book, there’s a story,” Lauren said, trying to come up with the best explanation. “I know about this world because it's like a story.”

“Yes, but stories and tales aren’t real. This world is,” Twilight said, looking back at the roof.

Well, it’s real for you, sure, but not for me… “Yes, of course. But, like you read about many fantastic worlds in stories, tales, novels and such, I’ve read a lot of stories like that. I’m not implying that I read about this world in a book, I just used them to give you an idea.”

“I kinda understand, it’s ok. You somehow know about this world.” Twilight yawned. She had reached her limit. Her energy was totally drained and all she wanted to do was to sleep. “Well, let’s go to sleep, I’m awfully tired!” she giggled.

“I agree! If I don’t get enough sleep, I can get cranky after waking up,” Lauren chuckled. Twilight laughed as well.

“Okay then, good night, Lauren,” Twilight said, using her magic to turn off the lights of the library. It suddenly got pitch black, as expected with a night as dark as the one that was outside.

Lauren placed her pillow back to its place, resting her head on it, sighing in weariness. “Night, Twilight,” she said, before closing her eyes to catch some sleep.

Not a single noise could be heard inside the library, except from the soft inhalations and exhalations from Twilight and Lauren. The weather wasn’t too cold for the night, and Lauren could start to barely see the objects around her once her eyes got used to the darkness.

It’s been like twenty-four hours since I went missing. I wonder how everyone is doing? Probably worried sick about me. Well, I couldn’t blame them… Lauren started to feel her eyes were getting heavier, it was time to shut down her body. She cleared her mind of all thoughts and closed her eyes.

Within a few seconds, Lauren fell asleep, unaware of the long day she was going to deal with the next morning.

The Letter

The Letter (Interlude)
*****

Spike ran upstairs and opened the door, finally arriving with Twilight and Lauren. “Twi, you’ve got a letter!” he said, waving his arm to show the scroll in his claws.

Twilight enveloped the scroll with her magical aura and levitated it towards her. “Thank you, Spike.”

“Don’t you want me to read it for you?” Spike asked, looking and Twilight who quickly shook her head.

“Thank you again, Spike, but no,” Twilight said, waving a hoof. “Please go back and fulfill your chores.”

“But-”

“Now!” Twilight exclaimed, looking at her assistant. She wasn’t sure what her mentor wrote, but she couldn’t let Spike know, at least for now.

“Okay, okay,” Spike muttered, walking back downstairs and closing the door behind him. He wasn’t sure why Twilight didn’t want him to read the letter, but whatever reason she had, he didn’t want to question it.

Well, that was kind of rude, but I guess Twilight doesn’t want Spike to find out what’s going on. Lauren tilted her head, curious about what the letter said.

“Okay, let’s see then,” Twilight said, unwrapping the scroll to read it.

My dear and most faithful student, Twilight:

I am terribly sorry, but I’m afraid I won’t be able to make it to our appointment at Sugarcube Corner as we planned last night.

There are many royal affairs and duties going on at Canterlot, so I can’t afford to leave them unsolved, which is why I’d like to request you come here instead.

Don’t worry about the transport method. I’ve already sent a Royal Chariot to pick you up, so they should arrive in a while.

And please, be careful with Lauren’s identity. If I recall correctly, you mentioned she was using a dress to hide her wings. Please make sure she wears it, or anything that can hide the fact that she is an alicorn.

I might have discovered a little more about the matter, so I need you two here as soon as possible. There are many questions I still want to ask Lauren, and together, we shall find a way to get her back home.

Your faithful and loving mentor,
Celestia

“Well, what does it say?” Lauren asked, trying to peek at the letter Twilight was levitating in front of her.

“Princess Celestia has asked us to go Canterlot, to meet her,” Twilight replied, wrapping the letter back to a scroll with her magic and placing it on a shelf.

“To Canterlot? To meet her? Weren’t we supposed to meet her at Sugarcube Corner?” Lauren questioned. Why would Celestia change her mind so suddenly?

“Apparently, she has some royal affairs and duties that she can’t leave unattended,” Twilight explained, looking outside of the window. “So that’s why she requested us to go.”

“So… are we going to take the train?” Lauren asked. She was actually hoping to take it, since she liked trains.

“No, Princess Celestia said she sent a Royal Chariot to pick us up,” Twilight replied, examining the sky to see if there was any chariot on sight, but there was none to be found. “I guess they should arrive in a little while.”

Aww, and just when I wanted to board the train… Lauren sighed, looking at her dress right next to her. “So I guess I should put on this dress then?” she asked, receiving a simple nod from Twilight.

*****

“Thank you, Your Highness,” a blue-coated unicorn said, bowing against the Princess who was sitting on her throne. “I’ll now leave, if you allow me.”

“Of course, thank you for your time,” Celestia replied. The unicorn bowed one more time and walked towards the giant front door which was opened from both sides by two Royal Unicorn Guards. He left the throne room and Celestia sighed in relief.

“Well, that was the last one. You may leave now,” Celestia said, looking at the two Royal Guards who immediately bowed and exclaimed an unison ‘Yes, Your Highness’ before leaving the throne room, leaving the Princess all alone.

Celestia stood up from her throne and walked towards a window, looking at the bright and sunny morning sky. She forgot the last time she stopped to appreciate her own work with the daytime. It was indeed a beautiful day that nopony would like to waste indoors.

The Princess hummed, instantly forming a smug on her face. “Heh,” she chuckled, “heh heh heh,” she laughed again, closing her eyes and taking a quick breath. Suddenly, Celestia burst into laughter, pressing her hooves firmly onto the floor. She was laughing harder than ever, barely being able to contain herself. Her sides began to hurt as her hysterical laugh echoed through the room.

Nopony could hear the Princess laughter from outside the throne room. Nopony.

Breakdown: Part I

Chapter 9: Breakdown (Part I)
*****

Twilight had been waiting for the Royal Chariot to arrive for quite a while now. In the meantime, she helped Lauren to put on her new dress; it was sort of easier now that she knew how to use magic, so she managed to get her tail through the small hole by herself.

“That chariot is taking ages!” Lauren exclaimed, throwing her entire body on her bed in exhaustion. If being in a library wasn’t boring enough, she just wanted to do something fun for a change.

“Well, Canterlot is sort of far away,” Twilight replied, moving scrolls around with her magic around the room, sorting them in certain shelves and desks. “Besides, we don’t know if the Princess sent it before or after writing that letter. For all we know, she might just have told them to come pick us up.”

Lauren sighed again, not motivated with Twilight’s last words. “I’m just SO bored.” She waved her hooves in the air.

“Well, if you’re bored, there are plenty of books to read!” Twilight exclaimed, pointing one hoof at one of her shelves. For a change, this time Lauren showed interest in reading.

You know, it would be interesting to see what kind of books Twilight has. Ah! I know! “Well, uh, do you have a book of… species?” Lauren said. Maybe humans exist in this world, who knows?

“Plenty,” Twilight replied, looking at the respective shelf from upstairs. “Any book in particular?”

“Um… just a book of animals, I guess.”

“I think I’ve got a good one somewhere,” Twilight said, walking downstairs the room and looking around her bookshelves. She remembered she told Spike to rearrange species books the other day, since she was studying Parasprite biology to avoid another swarm. Well, at least she knew Pinkie Pie would take care of that. “Ah, here!” she exclaimed, pulling out a red, thick book from the shelf with her magic.

Twilight ran upstairs and placed the book in front of Lauren. It was an old, dusty book, but it was the most detailed book about animals in the whole library. She remembered she had lent it to Fluttershy one day.

“Um… ‘Equestria Animals…’ Well, that’s a very informative title,” Lauren mumbled, blowing the dust out from the cover. It wasn’t that much, but it seemed that no one had read it in quite a while. “Does this old thing have all of the animal species in Equestria?”

“Yep! From little mice to giant elephants,” Twilight replied, grabbing a book for her to read as well. She had picked ‘Unicorn Biology’ precisely, since she was still curious about the whole magic and memory loss issue. “You can read it while the chariot arrives,” she said, sitting on her bed and opening her book.

“Uh, alright.” Lauren nodded and proceeded to read the book. Well, this is a good chance to use my magic. Never thought I would say that. She snickered and focused her powers on the book, quickly enveloping it with her magical aura.

“Wow! I didn’t know this about unicorns!” Twilight exclaimed to herself while reading her book. She had just discovered that unicorns with the same magical aura color are most likely to have common interests.

Lauren glanced at her, quickly ignoring her and returning to her book. E… F… G… I… oh wait… H. She finally reached the H section and started looking through the pages. Hippopotamus, Hyena, Hydra… uh… She kept looking at the pages, just to see pictures and details of animals she already knew about and some fantasy animals. No humans however.

“Oh! So that’s why stallions have bigger horns!” Twilight exclaimed once again.

I see. So there are no humans in here… Lauren closed her eyes and closed her book, quickly fading away her magical aura from it. She felt some kind of strange sensation in her body. At least now she was sure humans didn’t exist. Or at least that’s what the book said.

“What? Done already?” Twilight curiously asked, looking at Lauren. “Or did you only look at the pretty drawings?”

“Uh, yeah! I like animals and pretty drawings,” Lauren said with an awkward smile on her face.

“You know, Fluttershy loves animals as well, perhaps you should go visit her when we come back,” Twilight suggested, thinking about the matter.

“That sounds great!” And she sure has LOTS of animals. Lauren nodded and stared through the window. “Oh, is that…”

Twilight quickly looked through the window as well. “Oh, it’s the chariot Princess Celestia sent!” she said, hopping off her bed. “Come.”

Lauren obeyed and walked downstairs along with Twilight. She somehow was feeling a bit eager to meet with the Princess. What did she find out? How would that help her? Those questions were running in her mind. Finally, both mares arrived to the library foyer, which Spike was still cleaning.

“Spike! Have you seen my book saddlebag?” Twilight asked, looking around the foyer for it.

Spike left the mop on the floor and started looking around. “Oh, yeah, I think I saw it around here,” he said, looking inside a wardrobe. “Yep, here.” he was about to turn and hand it to Twilight when it was suddenly surrounded by Twilight’s magic.

“Thanks, Spike,” she said, wrapping the saddlebag belt around her waist. “We’ll go to Canterlot for a while. And you better not be slacking off your duties while I’m gone!”

“Yeah, yeah,” Spike fumed, grabbing back his mop to resume his cleaning. “Like, when will you come back?”

“I don’t know, maybe around noon or something, don’t worry,” Twilight replied, levitating few sheets of paper and placing them inside her saddlebag. She walked in front of the table that still had Pinkie’s camera on it and glanced at the Blue-Fire Match right next to it. She placed it in her saddlebag as well and looked at Lauren. “Ready to go?”

Lauren only nodded. Why did Twilight put papers and Luna’s match in her saddlebag? Well, I’ll ask her later. She shook her head and walked along with Twilight to the front door.

“If any of the girls come over, tell them I will be back later,” Twilight said, receiving a nod from Spike. She opened the door and walked outside to greet the Royal Guards.

Lauren looked at Spike and rolled her eyes. “So, uh… see you later, Spike,” she said, smiling at the little dragon and walking outside of the library.

“Later,” Spike responded, dipping the mop in the bucket to resume his chores, letting out a slight gasp.

*****

‘Tia? W-what’s going on? Why are you…

L-Luna! Watch out!

Eek!

*****

“Morning, gentlecolts.” Twilight walked in front of the four Royal Guards who had just descended on the street. They looked at Twilight, quickly noticing the other ‘unicorn’ that was behind her.

“Morning, Ms. Sparkle,” said one of the guards, “Your Highness, Princess Celestia, has requested us to escort you and…” He paused, looking once again at the cream colored pony. “Your friend… to Canterlot.”

“Yes, Princess Celestia informed me,” Twilight replied, looking at the majestic and golden chariot right before her. It was the same chariot the Princess used for her trips to Ponyville. “Well, Lauren, let’s go.”

“Uh, right,” Lauren replied. It doesn’t look that safe, though. She walked towards the chariot and climbed onto it along with Twilight. Even though the chariot was designed only for Princess Celestia, it was big enough to fit two normal mares perfectly on it.

“Okay, we’re ready, shall we get going now?” Twilight requested, receiving a unison ‘Hmm’ from the guards, who began to run and rapidly soared into the sky.

Lauren could feel how the chariot and her own body began to ascend into the sky. It was nothing like a plane, she felt like if she were flying with her own body. She felt the wind crashing against her face, the same sensation when someone goes in a car with the window open. Suddenly, the chariot began to ascend even more.

Lauren took this chance to look at the panorama before her. She saw mountains far on the horizon, several trees forming a forest, meadows, plains, rivers and a familiar looking cliff far away. She could easily recognize the city just at its side, Canterlot. It feels so weird… flying like this.

“We should arrive in like five minutes,” Twilight commented, looking at Lauren who was happily enjoying the wind against her face. “Heh, you like flying, don’t you?”

“Uh, well, yeah,” Lauren replied, blinking several times to moist her dry eyes. “I haven’t actually flown like this before, though.” She moved her head and looked down, immediately squealing and tightly clinging to Twilight.

“W-what’s wrong?” Twilight asked, feeling the shivering body of Lauren all over her. Although she was sure she knew what the problem was.

“I-it’s too… high,” Lauren squealed, opening one eye to realize what was she doing. She had clung to Twilight almost as a reflex. She quickly let go off Twilight. “Oh, sorry, it startled me.”

“Don’t worry, a lot of ponies are afraid of heights,” Twilight chuckled, looking down to confirm their altitude. It was quite high after all. “But don’t worry, it’s safe.”

Yeah, well, no seatbelts, no doors… sure… safe. Lauren shook her head and smiled at Twilight. “Yeah, I just don’t like very high altitudes.” I can’t remember the last time I was flying THIS high.

*****

L-Luna! Are you okay!?

Uh…

You monster! How could you harm my little sister!?

*****

After a few minutes, the chariot was slowly descending upon Canterlot. This time, Lauren decided to look down to glance at the great city. It was just like she created it; tall and fancy buildings with their combination of purple, white and golden color, along with gardens, towers and fountains. There were also lots of ponies, mostly unicorns, walking around the streets.

Lauren’s glance quickly shifted to the Royal Castle. The chariot was approaching it, so it couldn’t be missed. Whoa, it’s pretty big. A bit bigger than I imagined. She kept staring at the castle until the chariot began to descend upon one of its balcony, finally landing on it.

“Well, here we are,” Twilight said and carefully climbed down the chariot. Lauren slowly climbed down as well, almost tripping on the way.

“Your Majesty is waiting in the throne room,” said one of the guards, pointing her head towards a hallway.

“Thank you, sir,” Twilight said, looking at Lauren and tilting her head, indicating her to follow her.

Both mares walked through the hallway, constantly turning into another one. Lauren couldn’t help but look around at it. Long and fancy red carpets were spread all over the floor, the large windows with colorful crystals and blue curtains and some flags with a sun symbol hanging from the walls.

This is impressive! I’d have never thought Canterlot Castle could be this beautiful! Lauren kept enjoying the view as she walked along with Twilight. It had been a long walk already. “Uh, it feels like a maze in here,” she said, trying to start a conversation.

Twilight snickered, looking at Lauren. “Yeah, I know it feels like that, but I know the castle like my own hoof. I always played around here when I was a filly.”

“Ah, I see,” Lauren said, turning left one more time to find the giant pair of blue doors at the end of the hallway. “Is that the throne room?”

“Yes,” Twilight replied, walking in front of the door. Normally, there would be two unicorn guards standing on each side of the entrance to open the door, however, for some reason, they were missing this time. “Uh, that’s weird.”

“What is it?” Lauren asked, looking at the pretty patterns on the door.

“Well, the guards who usually stand here are missing.” Twilight pointed her hoof at the spots where the guards were supposed to be. “Maybe it’s lunch time?”

Lauren shrugged. She was the least appropriate pony to ask. Normally, when guards finish their turn, they get replaced so there’s vigilance at every time. “Maybe.”

Twilight was about to speak when she heard a faint crack noise coming from inside the throne room. As she turned her head to the doors, they were enveloped in a golden aura, slowly opening and allowing the mares to enter.

“Princess Celestia!” Twilight happily chirped as she saw her beloved mentor sitting on her throne at the bottom of the room. She and Lauren walked inside.

“Good morning, my faithful student.” Celestia smiled at Twilight, swiftly looking at Lauren. “And good morning, Lauren,” she said, with her same smile.

“G-good morning, Princess,” Lauren responded, forcedly returning the smile. Was it just me or… she said that in a rather different tone of voice? Suddenly, she felt chills running through her body. Huh… what is this sensation? Did it get colder in here? She stared at the alicorn as she kept walking. There was a pair of purple cushions right before the throne. I suppose we should sit in there.

Finally, Twilight and Lauren arrived before Celestia. They were ready to sit on the cushions when the Princess stopped them.

“Aren’t you going to bow before me first?” Celestia asked, wiping away her smile and replacing it with a cold expression on her face.

“Oh, yes, sorry.” Twilight immediately lowered her body and bowed before her mentor. She would always bow before her, but she never thought the Princess would actually ask her to do so.

Lauren didn’t have much of a choice, so she bowed as well, feeling a bit awkward about it. In her life, she never had to bow against someone as sign of respect. As she raised her body, she proceeded to take a seat on her cushion. It was very comfortable, even more than her bed.

“So, I’m sure you are wondering why I requested you two to come here, correct?” Celestia started, looking directly at Lauren.

Oh, boy. Here we go with the rhetorical questions again! Lauren was already getting tired of them. Even for a Princess, she could be quite annoying with her questions.

“In your letter, you said you had found something about Lauren,” Twilight commented, recalling the contents of the letter she receiving earlier that morning. “What was that about?”

“Ah, yes, about that,” Celestia said, closing her eyes to meditate for a bit. “But before that, there’s something I want to tell you.”

“Sure, Princess, what is it?” Twilight asked, curious about what her mentor would want to talk about. She was hoping for something related to the matter at least.

“Well, this is quite difficult to say.” Celestia opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling. “It’s about my sister, Luna.”

Huh? About Luna? And what would that be? Lauren questioned, looking at Twilight who gave her a shrug in confusion. “Uh, about Princess Luna? What about her?”

“It’s something that has been troubling me,” Celestia said, “I think that something is wrong with her.”

“S-something wrong?” Twilight quickly asked, “I don’t get it!”

Huh!? But that’s what Luna told us about Celestia! What’s going on here!? Lauren wanted to say something so badly, but she knew it was better if she didn’t say anything at all. She had to listen to Celestia first.

“I’m afraid so.” Celestia’s face reflected sorrow. She kept staring at the floor for few seconds before raising her head again to look at Twilight. “Ever since Lauren came, she has been acting weird.”

That is exactly what Luna has told us about her! What is she up to? Lauren was confused, but she wanted to hear more about Celestia’s claims.

“Weird? How?” Twilight asked. She was not sure what was going on. On one hoof, Luna had told them that Celestia was the one acting weird. Now, Celestia said the same thing about her sister. Something was not right here.

“I’m not totally sure,” Celestia said, “I just feel that something is going on with her.”

She’s totally making that up! She doesn’t even have a solid claim. Lauren was about to talk, but she bit her lower lip to avoid saying anything. Why is she lying to us? What’s going on with her?

“Princess…” Twilight muttered. She wasn’t sure what to believe anymore. She trusted her mentor more than anypony else, but all of Luna’s claims and Celestia’s own weird behavior was just too much.

“But let’s get back to the real topic,” Celestia said, trying to change the subject. She looked at Lauren again with her usual smile. “Lauren, could you please come right here?” she requested.

Huh, why would she change the subject just like that? And what does she want me for? Lauren didn’t have a choice but to nod and walk in front of the Princess. “Yes, uh, Princess?”

Celestia looked at the little alicorn before her and giggled. “Listen carefully, because this is very important,” she said, extending one of her hooves and embracing Lauren in a hug. Twilight tilted her head in confusion, unsure about what was going on.

W-what’s going on? Why is she… Lauren wanted to push herself back, but Celestia’s embrace was too strong for her. She had no choice but to stay still and listen to what the Princess had to say. “Uh, Princess?”

“Remember the Third Alicorn tale I told last night?” Celestia asked and lowered her head, resting it on Lauren’s head.

“What about it, Princess?” Twilight asked. The scene was starting to get a little suspicious for her. The Princess seldom hugged anypony else. She didn’t even hug Twilight a lot. Why would she tightly hug somepony she just met one day ago?

“The alicorn that showed up that night… was you,” Celestia whispered with her eyes closed.

“I-I told you that wasn’t me!” Lauren said, once again trying to push herself back, however, it was useless. She rested her cheek on Celestia’s chest, feeling the warmness of her body against it. It feels… soothing. It feels like a chick resting under its hen mother’s wing. She listened to the Princess’ constant heartbeats.

“It’s hard to explain, but.” Celestia released Lauren from the hug, pulling her away with her hooves. She looked at her blue eyes and smiled at her. “You’re my mother.”

Lauren’s eyes went wide open as she tried to process what she just had heard. Twilight stared at her mentor with the most shocked expression ever. The silence enveloped the throne room for a few seconds.

After what it seemed like an eternity, Twilight finally found the words to express herself. “P-Princess! W-what did you just say!? M-mother!?” She couldn’t help but shout those questions. The sudden revelation was still too shocking for her.

On the other hoof, Lauren was still speechless, staring at nothing in particular. M-mother? Did she just call me… mother!? She wanted to talk, but she was feeling the largest knot in her throat. “I… I…” she mumbled.

“I told you it was hard to explain, please allow me to do so.” Celestia let go off Lauren, who nervously stepped back to her seat. “As I said, there is no doubt that the alicorn from that night was you, Lauren.”

“But, Princess! She already told us that she doesn’t remember such events! She said she wasn’t even born back then!” Twilight exclaimed, still surprised about the whole matter.

“That is correct, yes,” Celestia replied, “the only answer is that this Lauren right before our eyes is my mother’s reincarnation.”

“Your… mother’s reincarnation?” Twilight asked. She was even more confused than before.

Mother? Reincarnation? This is too much! What’s the whole meaning of this? This doesn’t make sense! “W-what is this all about? Reincarnation!?”

“Yes, Lauren. You’re my mother’s reincarnation.” Celestia stood up from her seat and walked towards the two confused mares. “I’m sorry that you had to find out this way.” Her horn glowed as she approached Lauren.

“Princess?” Twilight called.

“Now that you know the whole truth, I’d like to cast a spell on you,” Celestia said, approaching closer to Lauren.

“A spell? Why?” Lauren nervously asked. The chills she had felt just a while ago came back as she saw the Princess getting closer to her.

“This spell will give you your memories back, mother,” Celestia claimed, finally standing right in front of Lauren. “Now please, touch my horn with yours.”

This… this is all too much! I… I… Lauren finally couldn’t hold herself anymore. “NO! Back off!” she yelled at the top of her lungs as she sloppily squirmed back from the Princess.

“L-Lauren!” Twilight exclaimed, concerned about her friend’s sudden reaction.

“You see, you WILL let me do it,” Celestia said, as she walked again closer to Lauren. “Please cooperate, mother.” She enveloped Lauren in her magical golden aura to be sure she wouldn’t escape.

Twilight wasn’t sure what to do. Was the Princess really forcing somepony to do something against its will? That was not the Celestia she knew.

Lauren cringed, struggling to escape from the magical aura, but it was too powerful for her. She could only see how Celestia’s horn was getting closer to hers. She closed her eyes and shivered in fear.

Celestia’s horn was just centimeters away from Lauren’s, when the little alicorn’s horn shined with its bright pearly aura. The Princess gasped and closed her eyes due the sudden burst of light, suddenly feeling a magical force running through her body and violently pushing her away from Lauren, sending her flying across the room.

“Princess Celestia!” Twilight yelled. Normally she would immediately run to the Princess aid, but with the scene she had just witnessed, she thought twice about it.

Lauren was freed from Celestia’s magic, slowly raising herself from the floor. “Ugh… my head.” She pressed her hoof against her forehead, opening her eyes to confirm what just happened. “Huh?”

Celestia slowly began to raise herself from the floor, letting out a faint chuckle. “How… how dare you?” she muttered.

“Lauren! Let’s go and find Princess Luna!” Twilight exclaimed, looking at Lauren who swiftly nodded in agreement. She just wanted to get out of there, and right now, Luna was the only one who could help them.

“I think not…” Celestia said with another chuckle. She stood up and looked at both mares.

“What?” Lauren gasped. Celestia had a huge grin on her face.

“You two are not going anywhere!”

Breakdown: Part II

Chapter 10: Breakdown (Part II)
*****

What… what the heck is going on with Celestia!? Lauren looked at the alicorn meters away from her. She shifted her gaze to Twilight, who was still motionless in shock. Once again, she looked at Celestia. “What… what’s going on!?” she yelled.

“I told you. You two are not going anywhere.” Celestia’s horn glowed, enveloping the giant doors of the throne room and violently closing them with a slam.

Twilight was still speechless. What was the Princess doing? Why was she acting like that? She didn’t know what to do. It was Princess Celestia, her mentor, her friend. She kept looking at her eyes, trying to find the tiniest spark of kindness in them, but there were none to be found. Celestia was engulfed with anything but kindness. “P-Princess…” she finally mumbled.

“I don’t know how you managed to struck me with that little bolt of magic,” Celestia said, looking at the frightened alicorn. “But there will be trouble for you if you do it again,” she snickered as she once again walked closer to Lauren.

Huh? A bolt of magic? What is she talking… oh! Now I remember, a little beam of light emanated from me just when she was about to touch me with her horn. Lauren gulped and analyzed the current situation. She took few steps backwards as Celestia approached her, but there was no way out. What… what do I do now!? She wanted to keep backing off, but she found herself surrounded by Celestia’s magic once again.

“Now, be good and stay still,” Celestia chuckled as she approached closer to Lauren, who was struggling to free herself from the magical aura.

Twilight was still motionless, staring at the situation without being able to do anything at all. What do I do? What’s going on? She knew she couldn’t stand and do nothing forever. Lauren was in trouble and Celestia was acting strange. She collected her thoughts and cleared her mind. With determination, she shook her head to snap back to reality.

Celestia stood in front of Lauren and smiled at her. “As I said, it will be easier if you cooperate, mother.” She leaned and moved her horn closer to Lauren’s. Suddenly, she felt a magical force fighting against her own. The golden aura around Lauren slowly became pink. “Huh!?”

Lauren was now fully enveloped in a pink aura. There were no traces of Celestia’s aura anywhere around her. The Princess shifted her gaze towards Twilight, who was moving Lauren back away from her with her magic.

“Twilight!” Lauren exclaimed as she hovered right next to her. Was Twilight really defying her mentor?

“Twilight Sparkle!” Celestia yelled, striking her front hooves on the floor. “What do you think you’re doing!?” She looked at her student; her face showed nothing but determination and it was free of any signs of doubt or fear.

“Princess! What’s wrong with you!?” Twilight exclaimed as she cancelled the magical connection between her and Lauren.

Instead of answering, Celestia let out a chuckle and grinned at Twilight. “Do not interfere!” Her horn glowed one more time and she shot a golden beam of magic at the unicorn.

Twilight’s eyes went wide open as she looked at the beam coming at her. She couldn’t move or do anything to avoid it. She gasped; the last thing she saw was a bright flash of light in front of her eyes. In less than a second, the beam struck her and violently pushed her back, knocking her out. The papers and the Blue-Fire match fell out of her saddlebag.

“T-Twilight!” Lauren yelled, running to her friend’s aid. She looked at the unconscious unicorn, shaking her with her hooves. “Hey! Wake up!” she said. In a matter of seconds, she realized of the other presence that was still in the room. She looked back at Celestia and the smug she had on her face. “Why would you do that!?” She didn’t know what was happening anymore. This was not the Celestia she created. Something was very wrong with her.

“She got in the way, mother,” Celestia simply replied, smiling at that last sentence.

“Tsk.” Lauren frowned. “Stop calling me mother!” As soon as she yelled, another beam of magic shot from her horn, directly impacting Celestia and sending her flying once again across the room, heavily crashing against the floor. Lauren gasped, amazed by what just happened.

“Ugh,” Celestia moaned from the other side of the room, sloppily trying to get back on her hooves. “Enough!” she yelled, fully standing up and spreading her wings. Lauren cringed, looking at the angered Princess. All of a sudden, Celestia whimpered and her body fell onto the floor with a big thud. Her usually wavy and sparkly mane rested motionlessly all over her body. Her crown dropped off from her head, clanging a few centimeters from her.

Lauren gulped, clueless about what just happened. Did she really knock out Celestia with that beam of magic? She didn’t have time to think about that, though. She turned back to Twilight, who wasn’t showing any signs of life. “T-Twilight...?” She couldn’t help but fear the worst. She slowly pressed her ear against her chest, feeling her warm and furry coat, hoping to feel even the slightest heartbeat.

*****

Celestia! Stop it! It wasn’t me and you know it!

You… you harmed my sister! I hate you!

Celestia! You’re leaving me no choice! Please, stop now!

I hate you!

*****

Lauren felt the soft heartbeats of Twilight, making her sigh in relief. She shook her once again, this time finally getting a grumble as an answer from her. “Twilight! Hey! Wake up!” she called.

Twilight’s body began to slowly come back to its senses. She groaned and opened her eyes. She was greeted by Lauren’s face. “Uh… what… what happened?” she mumbled, closing her eyes and shaking her head.

“Oh, Twilight! I’m so glad you’re okay!” Lauren sighed in relief once again. She was relieved that she wasn’t hurt or anything. She looked across the room and saw Celestia still lying unconscious on the floor. “I… uh,” she muttered, trying to explain her actions.

“Uh, what’s the matter?” Twilight quickly remembered the moments from just a while ago. She shifted her head hesitantly to where Celestia was standing, but instead of looking at the Princess in front of them, she saw her lying on the other side of the room. “Princess!” she exclaimed, raising herself from the floor. She began walking towards the Princess, oblivious about what happened moments ago.

“H-hey, Twilight! Wait! Don’t get near to her!” Lauren said, but Twilight didn’t listen and she galloped until she stood in front of the Princess. What will we do if she wakes up!? She didn’t have a choice but to stop Twilight from causing something they’d regret later. She began running towards them.

“Princess Celestia! Please, wake up!” Twilight exclaimed, shaking the Princess body just like Lauren shook hers moments ago. This time, she was really worried about the Princess, despise her previous actions. She was sure there was a perfectly logical explanation to it. “Princess Celestia!” she exclaimed. She felt her eyes were getting teary as she kept shaking her mentor’s motionless body. She turned her head to Lauren and looked at her. “Lauren! What did you do!?”

Lauren stopped running and looked at Twilight. “She… she was going to cast that spell-thingy on me again! And I just… I don’t know! That beam-thingy came out of my horn again and it hit Celestia!” she explained, but Twilight shifted her head back to her mentor. “Hey! I’m not the bad… pony here!”

Celestia opened her eyes and looked at Twilight, who was about to drop a tear on her face. “T-Twilight?” she mumbled, blinking a few times.

“Princess! Are you okay?” Twilight hesitantly asked, helping her mentor to stand up by grabbing her hoof. “You are not harmed, are you?”

Huh!? What’s going on now? Lauren clenched her teeth, looking at Celestia.

“What… what happened?” Celestia asked, pressing her head with her hoof. “What’s going on in here?”

“Princess!” Twilight exclaimed. She immediately thought that the Princess’ weird behavior was gone. This time, it was the real Celestia talking to her. Her mentor, it was her, she was sure of it.

“Huh… Princess?” Lauren asked, approaching closer to her and Twilight. She still had her doubts, since everything was too sudden. Was Celestia really back to her normal self? “Are you okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine,” Celestia claimed, sighing in relief. “But I don’t know what happened here.”

“You were acting strange, Princess,” Twilight said, “but I knew you weren’t evil!” She smiled at her mentor, who returned her the smile.

Maybe… maybe Celestia wasn’t bad at all. Maybe she was just… possessed or something? Lauren tilted her head in confusion, walking closer to the two ponies. As soon as she stood in front of Celestia, she snickered. What?

Celestia took a deep breath and let out a chuckle. “Fools!” she yelled.

Twilight gasped and jumped back, standing right next to Lauren. “P-Princess!” she exclaimed, surprised about her sudden change. Was everything a lie?

I knew it was a set-up! Lauren began walking back, looking at Celestia who still stood there, staring at her. “Everything was a façade!” she said, taking a few steps back along with Twilight. Before too long, Celestia’s horn glowed and she disappeared from sight within a flash of light.

For less than a second, Twilight and Lauren thought she was gone, but they didn’t expect her to appear right before them with the same evil grin on her face. Both mares jumped back in surprise and ran to the other side of the room, back to the doors. The sweet and warm smile Celestia always had was now gone.

“I’m tired of you, mother. If you keep throwing those beams of magic at me, you will ruin everything,” Celestia said as she walked closer to them.

“T-Twilight! What do we do now!?” Lauren asked, nervously looking at the unicorn who was breathing heavily and uncertain of what to do. She had just been deceived by none other than her mentor.

“I…” Twilight didn’t know what else to say. She had given up all hope. There was no escape. She knew they were going to be at Celestia’s mercy, even if she still didn’t understand what was going on. What was the issue with Lauren? “I don’t know,” she muttered.

“Darn it!” Celestia was getting closer now. She was walking rather slowly for somepony who claimed to be tired of ‘fooling around’ with her. She looked at her surroundings, trying to find anything that could aid her, when she noticed the Blue-Fire match on the floor. Sudden memories began to run through her head in a matter of seconds. Luna had given them that match so they could send her a letter. “Twilight, the match!” she whispered, loud enough for Twilight to hear.

Twilight realized what Lauren was talking about. She looked at the match. She had brought it with her in the first place so she could send a letter to Princess Luna after talking with the Princess. At least, that was the original plan, but with the sudden twist of events, the match had only one purpose now. “Distract her,” she whispered back.

“H-how?” Lauren asked. Does she want me to be the bait?

“If you could like… shoot another beam of magic that can knock out the Princess, I could write Princess Luna a letter for help,” Twilight explained, keeping her voice low enough. “I don’t understand how your magic can be so powerful against her, though, but that’s not important right now.”

Before Lauren could answer, both mares felt a weird sensation all around their bodies. They were enveloped once again with Celestia’s magical aura. They both struggled to free themselves, but it was futile.

“I’m quite growing tired of you, mother.” Celestia looked at Lauren, immediately looking at Twilight. “And you, my faithful student. Rebelling against your own mentor? I am utterly disappointed,” she sighed, looking back at Lauren. “Well then, I hope that this time there are no interruptions.” Her horn glowed once more, ready to make contact with Lauren once again.

Lauren looked at Twilight, who nodded as if she were saying ‘do it’. She tried to release another beam of magic, but nothing came out of her this time. She gasped, as Celestia’s horn approached closer and closer to her. She couldn’t feel anything coming out of her horn. Twilight gulped as she witnessed the scene.

Both horns finally made contact. It was too late. There was no beam of magic. Lauren had failed. Their plan to call Luna failed as well.

Lauren felt a jolt running all around her body. She could fell a pulse in her horn, very similar to Twilight’s heartbeats she felt a while ago. She closed her eyes, still trying to shoot a beam of light by any means, but she was feeling weaker. She was losing consciousness, but she had to do something, fast.

Twilight gulped. She still had one option, but she didn’t quite think about it. The sole thought of it never came across her mind until that very same moment. It was the only way out now. Even if it was her mentor, she couldn’t leave Lauren like that.

“It’s almost over, mother, just relax,” Celestia’s soothing words echoed through Lauren’s head.

Lauren heard those words and found herself even more tired than before. It was nothing compared to those late work nights back at her world. She had never felt that tired before. All she wanted to do now was to rest her head on a soft pillow and close her eyes to sleep.

Twilight closed her eyes, thinking one last time about the decision she had just made. It was for Lauren’s sake, and the Princess would have to excuse her. “Princess!” she shouted.

Celestia didn’t bother to turn her head. Instead, she rolled her eyes and looked at her student. The last thing she knew was that a flash of magenta light burst right in front of her.

Twilight had shot a beam of magic from her horn. It wasn’t as powerful as Lauren’s since Celestia only crashed against a wall without the strength of one of Lauren’s beams. The magical aura surrounding her and Lauren disappeared instantly, causing them to hit the floor.

“Ugh… my head…” Lauren muttered, pressing a hoof against her forehead. All of a sudden, she wasn’t tired anymore. She looked at Twilight, who still couldn’t believe what she had done. “Twilight?” She shifted her gaze to the point she was staring at. “Oh, whoa!”

Twilight still sat there, speechless. She had attacked the highest authority of Equestria, none other than the Princess. She feared what fate was going to fall upon her. Banishment, imprisonment, banishment AND imprisonment. She deserved it. She deserved that and even more. She attacked her beloved mentor. The mentor she trusted the most. The one who was like a mother to her.

“Twilight! Now’s our chance! The match!” Lauren said, looking at the match lying a few centimeters from her hooves. However, Twilight was still in shock. “Hey, Twilight!” She waved her hoof in front of her. This was probably their last chance, and Celestia could wake up at any moment. “Snap out of it!” she yelled, shaking Twilight’s shoulders with her hooves.

“Huh?” Twilight blinked. She looked at Lauren who was wildly shaking her. She stopped as soon as she realized Twilight came back to her senses. “What?” she asked.

“Twilight! The match! Hurry and write the letter!” Lauren exclaimed, pointing her hoof at the match and the few papers lying behind her.

Twilight suddenly remembered everything. The reason why she attacked Celestia in the first place, it was just to win some time and call Luna for help. She immediately levitated the match and a piece of paper in front of her, taking out a quill from her saddlebag.

Lauren looked back at Celestia, who was still lying unconscious next to the wall. She gasped, as she noticed something was missing from her mane, as well from her tail. Wait… something’s wrong here. Her… her mane… her tail. Ah! She finally noticed it. Her usual multicolored mane and tail were missing something. They were missing a color. Blue, purple, green… but no pink! She looked back at Twilight, who was ready to write the letter. “Twilight! Look at Celestia’s mane and tail!”

Twilight quickly shifted her gaze towards her mentor. She quickly noticed it and gasped. “There’s no pink on them!”

“Exactly! What does that mean?” Lauren asked, confused about the matter.

“I… I’m not sure, but that’s not important now,” Twilight said, looking back at her paper. She began to write with the quill. She had no time for formalities, so she went directly to the point.

‘Throne room, help!’

As soon as she was done. Celestia’s body began to react again. She was recovering consciousness.

“Hurry!” Lauren said.

Twilight closed her eyes and focused on the match levitating right in front of her. A tiny bolt of light came out from her horn and struck the match, lightening it. A blue flame of fire began to light from it. She finally burned the piece of paper. It was quickly consumed by the blue flames, turning the piece of paper into blue magical dust. Pretty much similar to Spike’s purple dust when he burns a letter for the Princess. The blue flame on the match disappeared, leaving it back to its previous state. As Luna said, no matter how many times you used it, it would never be consumed.

Celestia opened her eyes and slowly raised herself from the floor. It was the third time already that she was knocked down by the two mares. It was funny, but now there was no time for games. “You two…” Both mares quickly looked at her. “I won’t tolerate any more of this foolishness!”

*****

Hello! Who are you?

Wow, you’re an alicorn too!

I love you, girls. Never forget that.

*****

A buzz of magic ran inside Luna’s horn. She had been sleeping for who knows how long. She kept moving around her bed, sweating heavily as she mumbled a few noises. She was hearing voices inside her head. A weird kind of familiar voices. Maybe it was all a dream? Or perhaps just a repressed memory?

Luna began to breathe heavily as she rolled her head around her pillow. Those voices… who were they? What did they want? But most importantly of all, why was she hearing her own voice?

The buzz within Luna’s horn grew stronger as she kept moving around her bed. It was not a nightmare, but it sure looked like she was having one, like the worst of her life. And for an alicorn, ‘whole life’ is a very long time.

“N-no…” Luna’s sweet voice squealed. She didn’t have time to say anything else or dream. The buzz in her horn was too heavy. Suddenly, a bolt of magic emanated from it, materializing into an item of some sort.

Luna’s head stung. She wildly woke up and moaned. She was breathing and sweating heavily, even more than when she exercised. She tried to recall the previous events of the day. The weird ‘dreams’ she had, along with the voices she heard. Why did she dream that in the first place? She looked around her room, but it was empty. The only thing different was the piece of paper lying right in front of her.

Luna gasped, hovering the piece of paper to read it. ‘Throne room, help!’ was everything that was written on it. The alicorn then remember what just happened a while ago. She was with her sister in that very same room. She remembered she told her that Lauren was her mother and after hearing a shattering sound, she fell asleep until a few seconds ago.

She could think about that later. For now, she had to answer to that letter. It was the Blue-Fire match magic without a doubt. That could only mean one thing; Twilight Sparkle was somehow in danger at the Throne Room. She shook her head and quickly uncovered herself from her silk sheets. “Twilight! Lauren! We are coming!” she exclaimed as her horn glowed and a flash of light enveloped the room, leaving nothing but a few sparks left shining a top of Luna’s bed.

*****

Lauren and Twilight began to step back as Celestia once again approached them. Her face showed nothing but pure evilness. She was no longer the fair and kind ruler of Equestria.

“Very well then,” Celestia said, enveloping Twilight with her magic. “I shall get rid of you first.”

“What!? Get rid of me? Princess, I-I’m sorry I attacked you! Please! Forgive me!” Twilight cried as she fought to escape of Celestia’s grip, once again, futilely. She began to shed tears.

“Sorry, Twilight Sparkle, but you are no longer my student,” Celestia said as she levitated Twilight in front of her. She was shivering and crying. “In fact, you are no longer my friend, not even my subject.”

Those words made Twilight’s heart sink deeply into her chest. Those words stung her more than anything else. She immediately regretted attacking her with her magic. She didn’t want to lose her mentor; she still had a lot to learn about the magic of friendship. “P-Princess… please…” she whimpered, looking at the blank expression on the Princess’ face.

Lauren was looking at the whole situation, still shocked of what Celestia said. She… she can’t be serious! Did she tell Twilight that she is no longer her student or friend!? She tried to protest, but she knew she couldn’t do much in her current situation. This… this is not Celestia! That was the only thing she could think. That Celestia in front of her had to be an impostor, a fake, a double. There was no way the real Celestia would do everything she had done so far.

“Princess… please… I love you. Don’t do this to me…” Twilight begged as she tried to contain herself from crying even more. Her mentor was crushing her little heart, and she couldn’t handle it.

“You’re pathetic,” Celestia said, with a blank expression on her face. Those words made both Twilight and Lauren gasp in surprise. “Just look at yourself. You always thought books were your only friends. Element of Magic? Yeah, right.” She tilted her head and moved Twilight closer to her. “You’re nothing but a worthless unicorn! You dared to attack ME, the Princess of all of Equestria. Do you know what kind of punishment I enforce against that?”

Twilight couldn’t help but whimper. She was being verbally attacked by none other than her mentor, or ex-mentor apparently. There was nothing she could do but accept everything Celestia had to say. She was too crushed to protest or even reply to her.

“No words left, Twilight? How about if you give me one last friendship report? Why don’t you tell me how wonderful it was to befriend that alicorn? Look what that got you!” Celestia pointed her hoof at Lauren, who clenched her teeth in anger. “Thanks to her, you’ve lost your mentor! And now, you don’t need to live in Ponyville anymore, you’re coming back to Canterlot! How about that?”

You… stop it! Stop it now! Stop talking to her! That’s not true! Lauren wanted to shout that to Celestia, but she found herself unable to do so. She was flustered with anger.

“What do you have to say, Twilight?” Celestia asked, looking directly at the crushed unicorn’s eyes. “Look at me!” she ordered. Twilight immediately looked at Celestia with her teary eyes. Those eyes begged forgiveness, but Celestia was going to give her anything but that.

“P-Princess… d-don’t do t-this to m-me… please…” Twilight whimpered. “I… love you… please…”

“I loved you, Twilight!” Celestia yelled, furiously looking at her ex-student. “I loved you more than I’ve loved anypony in my life! But you failed to yourself!” She could feel her eyes were getting teary, much like Twilight’s. “You… you failed me…” she muttered, lowering her head to look at the floor.

“P-Princess… I didn’t fail you!” Twilight exclaimed. Celestia quickly raised her head and looked at her with hate on her eyes.

“You failed me, Twilight! You don’t know how that makes me feel! You were my very own protégé! The only one I’ve had in my entire life! And you failed me! I hate you!” Celestia exclaimed, finally shedding tears. “I loved you, Twilight… but traitors are traitors… and you will receive your punishment!”

Twilight cringed. Celestia’s words felt like a thorn to the hoof. Her heart was broken in thousands of pieces now. She had lost her mentor, and only because she decided to help Lauren. It was her fault… everything that was happening now was Lauren’s fault.

Lauren’s eye began to twitch due anger. She had enough of Celestia badgering Twilight, she was finally going to protest when Twilight looked at her.

“Look what you’ve done to me!” Twilight yelled, whimpering. “Y-You made me lose my home… my friends and my mentor!” Celestia let out a chuckle.

Lauren gasped in surprise, totally shocked by Twilight’s sudden breakdown. “Twilight! I didn’t-”

“Thanks to you, the Princess hates me! Thanks to you, I’m going to leave Ponyville! I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!” Twilight fumed, furiously looking at Lauren. She had never been so mad in her life. She had practically lost everything in her life. Her mentor, friends, all gone now.

This is all a set up! This is all a trap! Twilight would never say that! Lauren tried to reply, but she found herself unable to do so. Twilight was sick with anger and there was probably no good answer.

“Now then,” Celestia interrupted, levitating Twilight to a certain distance from her. “Twilight Sparkle. It was nice to meet you, but now, you must disappear.”

“D-d-disappear!?” Twilight yelled, “but… but… you said you were going to exile me from Ponyville and take me back to Canterlot!”

“Oh, yeah… about that…” Celestia tapped her chin with her hoof and smiled at Twilight. “I was lying.” Her horn glowed and she took aim at Twilight.

Lauren couldn’t move or speak. She was still too shocked and her body didn’t respond. I must save Twilight! But my body doesn’t respond! Where is Luna!? She could only look at what it seemed the unavoidable.

“ENOUGH!” A voice echoed through the room. “THOU SHALL NOT HARM TWILIGHT SPARKLE!”

Royal Bonds

Chapter 11: Royal Bonds
*****

“Luna!” Lauren exclaimed, looking all over the room to find the night Princess. Twilight stopped her sobbing and looked around the room as well. Celestia just turned her head towards the front doors with certain surprise.

A flash of midnight blue light enveloped the room, and in less than a second, Princess Luna appeared right at the other side of the room, glaring directly at her sister. She wasn’t the best pony using teleporting spells, but she knew there was no time to reach the throne room from her own room simply with her hooves.

“Tia,” Luna called. She stopped for a second to look at the scene. Lauren, her supposed mother, was unharmed on one side of the room, looking directly at her. Twilight was enveloped with her sister’s magic, whimpering for some reason. Finally, she looked at her sister, whose smug suddenly transformed into a frown of disgust. Her usually wavy mane that floated magically in the air was now a sparkly and motionless mess on her head, and so was her tail. Clearly, she was no longer herself.

“L-Luna…” Celestia muttered, grinding her teeth. “How? How did you break through the spell I cast on you!?” she exclaimed, cancelling the magical connection between her horn and Twilight and causing her to drop on the floor. She stayed there, still sobbing because of the Princess’ tough words.

“Tia, I will give you once chance to stop this at once.” Luna ignored her sister’s question. She was looking at her without the slightest emotion on her face. She had to stay strong, especially against her own sister. “I will not allow this behavior to go any further. You will surrender against me, if you know what’s good for yourself.” Her determination was strong. She had no time to fool around with her sister. She knew that she wasn’t somepony to take slightly.

Celestia’s frown turned back into a grin. She looked at her sister and let out a chuckle. “Oh, Luna, you’re hilarious!” she exclaimed, as her grin grew wider. She laughed for a few seconds, lowering her head and looking at the floor. “Now, be a good girl and leave this room, if you know what’s good for yourself,” she said, imitating what Luna said just moments ago.

Lauren tried to move, but her body was still refusing to listen to her. She could only witness the scene in front of her. She stared at Luna, who showed no signs to be willing to leave the room. “L-Luna! Princess Celestia is…” she tried to continue, but she was interrupted by Luna.

“I know.” Luna turned her head and looked at Lauren. If what her sister said was true, she was looking at her own mother. Strangely enough, she didn’t have memory of her. She shifted her glance back at her sister. “I finally understand what those crack noises were about.”

“Huh? The crack noises?” Lauren asked. I think she means… those crack sounds she claimed to hear coming from inside Celestia… what could they mean?

Celestia showed no signs to be willing to attack first. She kept staring at her sister, as if she were waiting for her to finish what she had to say. Twilight, on the other hoof, slowly stopped whimpering, trying to listen to what Luna had to say.

“Tia… those crack noises that came from you…” Luna gulped, taking one step forward. “They were your own sanity locks!” she claimed, pointing a hoof towards her sister. “And, the shattering sound I heard when you talked to me in my room, that was the last lock breaking, wasn’t it!?” she exclaimed.

What? Sanity locks? And what could that be? Lauren asked herself, looking once again at Celestia, whose grin became even wider. One of her eyes began to twitch, as well as her mouth. She was definitely going nuts.

“Sanity locks? What in Equestria are you talking about, sister?” Celestia chuckled, taking one step forward to her sister. “I am perfectly fine, don’t you see? My sanity is fine!” she exclaimed.

“No, Tia. You are not fine. You need help, sister,” Luna said. After all, Celestia was anything but fine. She was about to harm her student, something that the real Celestia wouldn’t do.

“Luna! That Celestia has to be an impostor! A fake! There is no way she would do anything of this!” Lauren claimed. And it was true, since she didn’t create Celestia to be a heartless monster like she was right now. Where was the kind ruler of Equestria? Where was the loving mentor?

Luna looked at Lauren with a concerned look on her face. “I’m afraid not,” she sighed.

“What? What do you mean with that?” Lauren asked in confusion. Twilight raised her head to listen as well. Her whimpers were slowly fading away.

“My sister, the one who is in front of us, is the real Celestia,” Luna confessed, looking back at her sister who took a step closer to her. “She is not an impostor or a double… she’s my real sister, the real Princess, there is no doubt about that.”

“But, but… she is going nuts! She was about to harm Twilight!” Lauren said. How could Celestia not be an impostor? Was Luna really implying that the Celestia over there was the real deal? She still couldn’t believe it.

“As I said… it’s because her sanity locks broke, but I can explain that later,” Luna replied, noticing her sister was getting closer to her. “Tia, I will say this one more time. Surrender now or face my wrath.”

Celestia’s horn glowed as she stared at her sister. “Force me,” she said, before disappearing with a flash from sight, causing the other mares in the room to look around for her.

“Go and protect Twilight Sparkle, I shall deal with my sister!” Luna commanded, looking at Lauren who swiftly nodded. She spread her wings to soar in the air. She closed her eyes and raised herself from the ground. “Very well then! Thou leave us no choice, Celestia!” she exclaimed, using the same spell her sister used few moments ago to disappear herself.

Both sisters disappeared from sight. Meanwhile, Lauren still couldn’t move. Come on, you pony body! Move! She wasn’t sure why she couldn’t move. Was it the shock? Was it the surprise? She looked at Twilight, who was sitting down looking at the floor. “Hey, Twilight! Help me out here!” she exclaimed, but she was ignored. Twilight was still too crushed to react to anything.

A loud banging sound fiercely echoed through the room. Celestia appeared out of nowhere, being tossed away and violently crashing against the floor. Two of her golden horseshoes came off from her hooves, clanging away a few meters from her. She groaned, trying to get back on her hooves.

Lauren and Twilight watched surprised at the scene before them. Go on, body! Move, move! She ordered to herself, feeling the nerves in her legs finally reacting. She slowly moved her front legs, trying to walk towards Twilight. Her hind legs started to react as well. Come on! She shook her head and started to walk, feeling each hoof touching the floor as she walked. They still felt heavy, though, but she had to reach Twilight.

With another flash of blue light, Luna appeared in front of her fallen sister. “Tia, you can’t win. Surrender now, I only want to help you.” Her horn kept glowing, ready for any surprise attack her sister might have planned. She seemed to be confident about herself, but in fact, she was nervous. Nervous of what her sister could do. But she had to keep strong and confident. She couldn’t show the slightest sign of weakness.

Celestia looked up at her sister and let out a chuckle. “Luna… how dare you attack… ME!” She quickly rose from the floor and shot a magic beam from her horn. Luna jumped back and cast a magic shield around her, deflecting the golden beam that was shot towards her. Both alicorns’ horns glowed and they disappeared from sight, again.

Lauren kept walking towards Twilight. Her hooves were feeling lighter as she walked. In a matter of seconds, she reached the unicorn. “Hey, Twilight!” She waved her hoof in front of her, receiving no answer whatsoever. “Come on! Say something!” She stepped in front of her and grabbed her by her shoulders.

Twilight’s head was still facing down and shedding a few tears. She was completely destroyed in the inside. The words her ex-mentor said a while ago where still burning her heart.

“Twilight! Listen to me,” Lauren said, trying to make Twilight look at her. She raised her head and looked at the alicorn in front of her. “Please, listen to me, Twilight. Celestia… she didn’t mean all those things!”

Twilight blinked. She still couldn’t talk, but there was nothing she could say at the moment. She had the largest knot in the throat.

Lauren wiped Twilight tears with her hoof. “You heard Luna… she is the real Celestia…” she said, with certain tone of concern. “But, you also heard what she said! She is not sane right now! She’s gone nuts! Please, Twilight, be strong!”

As much as Twilight hated to admit it, Lauren was right. Her beloved mentor was saying things that she wouldn’t say. If she were the real Celestia, then clearly something was wrong with her.

“Twilight, we need to help Celestia… something is wrong with her,” Lauren said, looking at Twilight’s purple eyes.

“I-I’m sorry,” Twilight muttered, bowing her head. “I-I shouldn’t have yelled at—”

“Don’t worry, I understand,” Lauren interrupted her, looking back at the empty room. The Princesses were nowhere to be found. Where were they fighting, anyways?

Twilight looked around the room to confirm the scene by herself. Her sobbing stopped and she took a deep breath. “Where… where are the Princesses?”

“I don’t know, they just disappeared, and a while ago, Celestia appeared out of nowhere and crashed against the floor,” Lauren explained, “Luna appeared after that and they disappeared once again.”

As soon as Lauren was done with her explanation, another loud banging sound was heard in the room. This time, it was Luna who was sent flying against a wall, violently crashing against it. She shrieked, but quickly stood up from the floor.

“Princess Luna!” both Twilight and Lauren yelled. The unicorn got back on her hooves and running towards her. Luna noticed her and raised a hoof.

“Back off! Don’t get any closer!” Luna ordered. Twilight doubted for a second, but finally obeyed the Princess’ orders and went back to Lauren. Both mares stared at her with concern. She looked like she was in a lot of pain. Her hind legs were slightly shivering and she was breathing heavily.

Suddenly, a burst of golden light enveloped the room. Celestia appeared right in front of Luna. The other mares in the room gasped in surprise. She looked at Luna as her horn glowed. “Foolish little sister, you do realize who you’re dealing with, right?” As soon as she said that, golden ropes appeared all around Luna, wrapping her legs, wings and neck. Twilight and Lauren couldn't believe what was going on. Celestia had just captured her sister.

“Ugh!” Luna squeaked, closing her eyes, struggling to free herself from the magical ropes around her, but they were way too strong for her. She could feel how the ropes were draining her energy, making her feel weaker and weaker as the seconds passed. She opened her eyes, only to be greeted by Celestia’s maniac grin.

“I told you so, little sister,” Celestia said, walking closer to her. Her sister was still trying to futilely squirm her way out of her ropes. The Sun Princess let out a chuckle while Twilight and Lauren looked at the scene from the distance.

“T-Twilight! What do we do!?” Lauren hesitantly asked.

Twilight didn’t even know what to do with herself. She only sat there, looking at the two Princesses on the other side of the room. One was fighting for helping her sister, and the other was fighting because she had lost her mind. “I-I don’t know anymore,” she mumbled.

Ugh, this is bad. If we don’t do something soon, Luna might lose… and… I don’t know what will we do if Celestia wins. Lauren was still fearing the worst. What if Luna lost? Would Celestia try to cast her weird spell on her? Would she attempt to get rid of Twilight again? Those questions were running in her mind as she kept looking at the action across the room.

“Traitors… you’re all traitors,” Celestia said, looking at her sister. “First, Twilight Sparkle.” She turned her head to look at the little unicorn, who cringed at the mention of her name. “And now…” She turned her gaze back to the captured alicorn. “My very own sister.”

Luna gulped, trying to think of an escape plan. She had to do something, and fast, since she could feel her energy was running out. “Tia… we are no traitors… you… you’re only… you need help!” Words could hardly come out from Luna’s mouth, as she felt her vision was getting blurry. It was the same sensation she felt when she was back in her room with Celestia.

“Heh.” Celestia let out a snicker. She placed her horn on top of her sister’s and looked at her. “Time to say goodnight, Luna.” She swiftly raised her head, brushing Luna’s horn on the way.

Luna could feel how she was starting to lose consciousness. How could she lose? She was sure she could stop her sister, but now, she had failed. Failed to herself, to Twilight, to Lauren, but most importantly, she failed her sister. She let out a little gasp before closing her eyes and leaving her head hanging in the air. The ropes around her disappeared and she fell to the floor with a thud.

“Princess Luna!” Twilight cried. She wanted to run to her aid, but she knew Luna asked her to stay near to Lauren. She looked at Celestia and took a step forward. “What did you to her?”

“Heh, there goes your last chance.” Celestia began walking towards the two mares, who immediately stepped back in fear.

What happened with Luna? Darn it! Now what will we do!? Lauren was still confused about the whole thing. This was clearly not the show she created. Why would there be a demented Celestia in the first place?

“First, I’ll get rid of you, pesky unicorn, so there are no more interruptions.” Celestia looked at Twilight, who began to shiver once again in fear.

“N-no!”

*****

Luna! Don’t give up now!

I’m almost there! Please, hang in there a little more!

I’ll give you some of my energy… please, you must stop Celestia!

*****

A sudden burst of energy ran through Luna’s body faster than a lightning bolt. She felt her muscles were reacting again to that new sensation. Her body felt warm, as if somepony were giving her the warmest of hugs. It was like… a familiar sensation. She accepted the hug and let the warmness of it to enter her body. Within a few seconds, she came back to her senses.

Luna began to remember the events from just moments ago. Celestia had defeated her and she fell unconscious. After that, she listened to a voice… a very familiar voice. It was the familiar voice she was listening a while ago in her dreams. It belonged to… Lauren?

“N-no!” Twilight cried, as she was enveloped once again in Celestia’s golden magic. Lauren stepped back as she looked at Celestia walking closer to them. “Please, Princess! Look deep inside your heart! You’re not evil! You’re the kindest and most generous pony in Equestria!” the unicorn exclaimed. She thought that with those words, maybe the Princess could stop her terrible acts, but everything she got from her was a smirk, mocking at her.

“Aww, how cute,” Celestia chuckled, almost bursting into laughter. “Thanks for the compliments, Twilight. Now, it’s time to finish with this.”

“It’s not over yet!” Luna exclaimed from the other side of the room. “Not until one of us becomes the last mare standing!” She was slowly getting back on her hooves, almost tripping on the way. The sudden power rush she had just received was flowing within her body. She felt even more powerful than when she first arrived to the room.

Celestia quickly turned her head and looked at her with surprise. Twilight and Lauren did the same thing. They thought Luna was defeated for good, but apparently, she wasn’t planning to give up yet.

“H-how can you stand up after I drained your energy!?” Celestia roared, “I’ve had enough!” She dropped Twilight to the floor as her wings spread wide.

“Twi! Are you okay?” Lauren asked, looking at Twilight who shook her head.

“Y-yes, I’m fine,” Twilight responded. Both mares looked at the corrupted Celestia. Her mane and tail were no longer sparkly. They were a bunch of motionless hair and the pink from them were still missing.

That voice I heard just a while ago… was it… Lauren? Luna gave a quick glance at Lauren, who was still at the other side of the room. Doesn’t matter now; the voice said that it would be here soon… but… who could it be? She couldn’t lose her focus. The sudden energy boost was a gift she didn’t want to waste again. I didn’t want to use this… but Tia leaves me no choice.

“Luna! You will never defeat me! If you give up now, I might consider forgiving your acts,” Celestia claimed, with her wings still fully spread.

“Silence! Thou will address to us with respect!” Luna yelled, striking one of her front hooves firmly on the floor. “Come and get me, my sister!” she taunted Celestia, with a smirk on her face.

Celestia had enough. Her face was flustering with anger. She was furiously clenching her teeth as her right eye twitched. With her hind legs, she pushed herself from the floor and rapidly flew towards her sister, with the intention to ram her.

This is it. I’m sorry, Tia. Luna spread her wings and pushed herself from the floor, just like her sister. Both alicorns were now flying across the room. In less than a second, they were in less than a meter of distance, when Luna’s horn glowed.

Celestia gasped, surprised of the sudden flash of blue light before her eyes. She opened them, just to see her sister was missing. She braked and looked behind her, only to be greeted by her sister’s face.

“Boo!” Luna said. She immediately shot a bolt of blue magic directly towards her sister’s horn. She had focused her entire power on that bolt; she wasn’t allowed to miss.

“Waah!” Celestia screamed, feeling a burning sensation growing strong within the tip of her horn, extending deeper into her head. “Aaah! L-Luna!” she yelled.

Luna backed off as she saw her sister twisting her own body in pain. “Sorry, Tia. You left me no choice. Please, forgive me,” she said. Her eyes began to itch as she feel the dampness of her tears.

Twilight and Lauren were still looking at the scene. “What did Luna do? What was that?” Lauren asked, looking at Twilight.

“I think… it was the magic block spell,” Twilight replied, “It’s a powerful spell that only few unicorns have mastered through history. Naturally, the Princess knows about it.”

“Magic block? Does it mean Luna blocked Celestia’s magic?”

“It’s more than that, I’m afraid. It does block the foe’s magic channel, but…”

“But what?”

“It also makes them suffer… a terrible, terrible pain.”

Lauren gulped, looking back at Celestia, who was still twisting her body in pain. “D-Does it mean that… Celestia is…”

“Y-yes, she is experiencing a world of extreme pain right now… I just can’t believe the Princess used that spell on her.”

This is too much! This is definitely NOT the show I developed! Lauren bit her lower lip. Right now, there was nothing they could do about it. But at least, Celestia seemed to have been defeated. That was good, right?

“L-Luna! T-Twilight!” Celestia roared, losing the control on her hooves. She fell and her body impacted the floor. She looked up at Luna, who was soaked in tears. Her mind was too focused in her internal pain to do something about it. Her sister had used the magic block spell. She had underestimated her. “L-Luna…” she whispered. She kept moaning due the pain. Her vision was getting blurry and her eyes heavy. Finally, she closed her eyes and stopped moaning.

Luna’s hind legs shivered. Quickly, she lost control of them and she fell on her plot, completely exhausted.

“Princess Luna!” Twilight called, running to her aid. Lauren did as well. There was no danger after all. Celestia was now defeated.

Luna breathed heavily. Her energy sources had run short. She could barely stay conscious. “I-I’m fine, Twilight Sparkle,” she claimed. Lauren and Twilight grabbed each of her front hooves and placed them on their backs to her help stand up. “T-thanks.”

“So, the Princess…” Twilight asked, looking at her fallen mentor. She was still concerned about her well-being.

“She is okay, Twilight Sparkle. She only blacked out due the extreme pain she was going by.” Luna stretched her hind legs a little, raising herself a little more to be completely stood up.

“So, uh, what do we do now?” Lauren asked. Sure, Celestia was defeated, but what were they going to do now? “We can just leave her like… this. Some guards know that we were going to meet with her. If they come here and see her in this current state, they’ll believe WE attacked her.”

“Y-you’re right!” Twilight exclaimed, a bit concerned about the matter. “They don’t know the Princess went mad. They’d probably throw the blame on us!”

“Don’t worry, that’s why I am with you, girls,” Luna said, “I will explain what happened if a guard happens to come here.”

“Well, that’s good to hear, but still…” Lauren looked once again at the motionless Princess. Even thought she was knocked out, she could see her slow and soft breaths. It was good to know she was still alive. “What if she wakes up? Shouldn’t we leave or something?”

“Wait, before that,” Twilight interrupted, looking at Luna. “Princess, do you know why the Princess is… you know… acting like this?”

Luna sighed. She was still exhausted and she wasn’t in the mood for lengthy conversations. However, she knew Twilight deserved to know everything about Celestia. “She is acting like this because her sanity locks broke. However, I do not know the actual reason of WHY they broke.”

Sanity locks… I wonder what those are? Lauren thought.

“I think we can sit down for a bit,” Luna said, raising her hooves from the two mares and sitting down on the floor. Twilight and Lauren sat as well. It was still a bit scary to be relaxing with Celestia lying in front of them.

“So, Princess… what are these sanity locks you speak of?” Twilight asked. Her curiosity grew stronger. Of all the books she had read back in Canterlot and her library, she had never heard of such thing as a ‘sanity lock’.

“It’s hard to explain, you see…” Luna said. Her body was starting to relax. She could feel how her energy was slowly restoring from its previous weakened state. “Sanity locks are imaginary locks we all have within our minds.”

“Imaginary locks?” Lauren asked.

“Yes. It’s said that these locks protect our mind from sudden mood changes, preventing mental breakdowns,” Luna explained. Twilight slightly hummed. “Huh?”

“I think I’ve had one of those mental breakdowns…” Twilight claimed, “It was one day when I didn’t have any friendship report ready for the Princess.”

Ah! I bet she means the Lesson Zero episode. Lauren knew it was better to remain quiet.

“Ah, yes, Tia told me about how you freaked out and cast a weird spell on everypony in Ponyville,” Luna chuckled, “I think it was a little before Nightmare Night,” She wanted to continue speaking, but she was going off-topic now. “But, back on topic, when these locks break, they usually appear again once the individual regains composure.”

“So, why hasn’t Celestia recovered yet? She has been knocked out like ten times already!” Lauren was exaggerating. Although, it was true that Celestia was hit by several magical beams or stuff.

“That’s the part I don’t understand,” Luna said, “I told you, I don’t even know the reason why Celestia lost her mind.”

“That’s indeed strange,” Twilight claimed.

“By the way, Lauren.” Luna shifted her gaze towards the alicorn right next to her. “Did you… say something to me when I was knocked out by Tia a while ago?”

“Huh? No, I didn’t say anything,” Lauren replied. She was curious why Luna would ask something like that. “What makes you say that?” Twilight looked at Luna as well.

“Nothing, I just… I think I heard your voice a while ago when I was knocked out, that’s all.” Luna smiled at her.

“Well, no. I didn’t say anything. Maybe it was something else,” Lauren assured. My voice? And what could that mean?

“Anyways, what do we do now? Where do we go? What do we do with the Princess?” Twilight asked. It was true that Celestia was now defeated, but what now? Would she be back to her usual self after waking up?

“I-I don’t know,” Luna said, “I think maybe we should capture her and secure her for when she wakes up, just in case.”

Lauren thought it would be a good idea. They had to seize this opportunity to capture her. “So, what If she is still out of her mind?

“Out of my mind? Are you still going on with that!?” a voice said from in front of the mares. It was Celestia.

Twilight, Luna and Lauren gasped in unison as they stepped back from Celestia. She opened one of her eye and looked at them.

“W-what!? H-how is this possible!?” Luna exclaimed. She couldn’t believe the magic block spell was already broken. The archives said that skill was supposed to stun the target for hours, or even days. However, Celestia seemed to have broken it in just a matter of minutes.

“Luna… you’ve got a lot to learn,” Celestia said, still without moving. She wasn’t even trying to get back on her hooves. “I will congratulate you, though. You’ve successfully paralyzed my body.” She tried to squirm, unable to receive any response from her body.

Seriously!? She has been struck with lots of magic bolts and spells and she’s still conscious! Isn’t there a way to stop her!? Lauren wasn’t sure what to do anymore. At least, Celestia seemed to be on a handicap, at last.

“Princess! Please stop this! You’re not evil!” Twilight begged. She was trying hard to make the Princess snap out of her corruption. She only wanted her mentor back, her loving mentor.

Celestia ignored Twilight. She had her eyes fixed on her sister. “Even if my body can’t respond… I can still use magic!” she yelled. Her horn glowed and she enveloped her own body with her magical golden aura.

“B-but the magic block—”

“You lack of experience with that spell! If you had used it correctly, I would have my magic flow blocked for days!” She raised her own body from the floor. Her legs hung in the air, without any kind of reaction. Her mane and tail were still a mess all over her face and flanks respectively. “Very well then…”

The three mares were suddenly enveloped in Celestia’s magic. Luna tried to fight back, but it was futile. She was still very tired from casting the spell. She didn’t even have the strength to struggle. On the other hoof, Twilight and Lauren were struggling like crazy.

“Now that there are no more interruptions…” Celestia grinned as she moved Lauren closed to her, leaving Luna and Twilight behind, still surrounded with her magic. “Tell me, mother. Why did you leave me!?” she yelled, looking deeply at Lauren’s blue eyes. “You shall submit against me! The ruler of all of Equestria”

Leave her? What is she talking about? H-help! Anyone! Please, wake me up from this nightmare! Lauren closed her eyes. She had lost all hope. Luna’s heroic intermission wasn’t enough to stop Celestia. “I… I give up…” she said.

Luna and Twilight gasped in surprise. They couldn’t believe what Lauren had said. “No, Lauren! Don’t give up! Fight back!” Twilight cried. Celestia couldn’t help but grin even more, letting out a snicker.

It was all over. There was no escape now. Nothing was going to save her. She only wanted everything to finish.

‘Don’t give up! Never let your fears overcome you!’

A voice echoed through the room. Lauren opened her eyes in surprise. It was her own voice. She had just heard her own voice telling her not to give up. Twilight and Luna looked around the room, searching for the origin of said voice.

“W-what?” Celestia looked around the room as well, but there was nopony else except for her and her hostages. “Was that you, mother?” she asked Lauren.

‘Yes, Celestia. It was me!’

A flash of bright, pearly white light enveloped the room. Everypony closed their eyes due the bright shine. It was nothing compared to Celestia’s or Luna’s bursts of light. This one was brighter and it lasted longer.

The light began to fade away. Everypony felt it was safe to open their eyes again. What they didn’t know, is that once they opened their eyes, they were going to be greeted by someone… familiar.

Twilight was the first to notice. Right in front of her and Celestia, was another pony, of considerable size, almost as big as Celestia, if not, bigger. Luna noticed the pony as well. It had a long, straight red tail and mane. Her coat was a very faint cream color, almost white. She had a pair of wings and a long horn. She was an alicorn, however, she had a very familiar cutie mark; a small bottle of ink with a curved quill.

“W-what? Lauren?” Luna asked. Twilight was still trying to process what just happened right now. Why was Lauren in front of them? Why was she as big as Celestia? Or an even better question; why were TWO Laurens in the same room?

The big alicorn’s horn glowed with a familiar, pearly white aura. The magical connection between Celestia and the other ponies was cancelled. The white alicorn lost her focus and fell on the floor, still unable to move her paralyzed body.

Lauren turned around and saw the pony, which came just in time to the rescue. She looked up at her face and gasped. W-what? It’s me! Or a grown up me! The full version of my pony character! “Who… who are you?” she asked, between gasps.

“Tee-hee, isn’t it obvious?” the alicorn chuckled, smiling at Lauren. “I am you.”

Golden Slumbers

Golden Slumbers (Interlude)
*****

‘I am you.’ Those words echoed inside Lauren’s mind for a while. There it was, standing right in front of her, her own character. Same mane, same coat color, same cutie mark, the only difference was the body size. One was as big as Celestia, if not bigger, while the other was more Twilight's size.

“You!” Celestia exclaimed from the floor. She was still unable to move. Her eyes would only twitch as she stared at the alicorn in front of her. “M-mother!?”

“Who else, Celestia?” the big Lauren chortled. She looked around and noticed Luna, who was staring at her with her mouth agape. “Wow, Luna! Look at you! You’ve grown into a beautiful mare!” she giggled.

Luna wasn’t sure how to react. From everything she had heard so far, the pony that just flattered her was her mother. The mother she never remembered to have. She took a few steps towards the second Lauren, ignoring everything that had happened so far. “Are you really… my mother?” she asked.

“Of course I am, Luna,” the second Lauren responded. She took a few steps forward, standing right in front of Luna. They both stared at each other for a few seconds before swiftly hugging each other tightly.

“M-mother!” Luna exclaimed, leaning her head against her mother’s neck and tightening the hug. She felt the same warm sensation she had felt just before receiving the unexpected boost of energy that managed to stop Celestia. Her eyes began to itch, indicating that tears would soon shed from them.

“Luna! Don’t hug that monster! She did horrible things to us!” Celestia exclaimed from the floor. “She will only harm you!”

The ‘real’ Lauren was still shell-shocked from the recent events. Who is that second Lauren inside my character design? Is she really… Celestia and Luna’s mother? If she is me… then am I really their mother?

“Silence, Celestia! You don’t know what you’re talking about!” the second Lauren exclaimed, releasing Luna from the hug and looking at her. “I know it’s a bit confusing, but I’ll explain everything now,” she whispered.

“W-what’s wrong with Celestia?” Luna asked. “Why is she acting like this? Is this my fault from when I corrupted into Nightmare Moon?”

“It’s our mother’s fault!” Celestia exclaimed once again, unable to do anything in her current state. Her magic could easily be countered and her body was asleep.

“I said, silence!” the second Lauren replied. Her horn glowed and quickly shot a beam at Celestia’s face. She grunted for a few seconds, before closing her eyes and falling unconscious once again.

“W-what did you do?” Twilight cried. Even after all the recent events, she was still worried about the well-being of the Princess that was once the kind ruler of Equestria.

“Fear not, it’s only a knockout spell,” the second Lauren replied. “Now that she cannot interrupt us, I’d like to properly introduce myself.” She walked a few steps towards Lauren, sitting right in front of her and extending her hoof. “Hi! I’m Lauren Faust, also known as you,” she chirped.

W-what is this pony talking about? Me? There can be only ONE Lauren Faust, and that’s me! Lauren forced a smile and extended her hoof to shake ‘her own’ hoof. “Hi, I’m Lauren Faust too, nice to meet me.”

“Ah ha ha, we do have a great sense of humor, don’t we?” the second Lauren claimed, covering her mouth with a hoof to hide her chuckles.

“Excuse me, I don’t want to be the party-pooper for this marvelous self-encounter but… we’ve got a motionless Princess right in front of us, a confused Princess of the night over there and a big-sized Lauren right here, and my little unicorn brain feels like bursting,” Twilight said, in the most serious tone possible. She tried to relax and examine the situation to avoid going insane just like certain Princess. “Could you please tell us what’s going on before I end up like my… ex-mentor?”

The second Lauren chuckled. “Heh, sorry, Twilight. I should’ve known better.” She turned her head and looked at Luna. “Come here, I think you’d like to hear this as well.” She waved her hoof, inviting her daughter to join.

Luna slowly nodded and walked towards them. My… mother. Finally… I’m meeting my mother… She was exploding in joy and happiness in the inside. She was still too surprised to express her feelings, though. For now, it would be the best if she just sat down and listen to what her mother was about to say.

“So, Lauren,” Lauren said. “What’s the deal with Celestia? Why are you here? How—”

“Patience, my little me. I’ll explain everything. But first, I think it would be a bit confusing if we’re both called Lauren.” She tapped her chin with her hoof, thinking about a possible solution. Twilight and Luna were bound to ask something, so she didn’t want any misunderstandings. “Ah, I know, you’ll still be called Lauren. I will be known just as Faust, okay?” she suggested.

“Eh, sure, no problem,” Lauren replied. Wow, what a solution. Is that really me?

“Yes, well, anyway.” Faust’s cheerful face shifted to a serious one. “I know exactly why Celestia is acting like this.” She closed her eyes and her horn glowed. “But, rather than telling you, I will show you.”

“Wait, wha—” Before Lauren could finish that sentence, her entire world went black. She couldn’t move or do anything. She only felt the ground shake, as if it were a common earthquake. She tried to talk, to move, but she couldn’t. All of a sudden, she felt a familiar sensation below her hooves. It was grass. Slowly, she tried to open her eyes, succeeding to do so. The scene before her made her gasp in surprise.

“Now, Celestia, don’t rush it. Take your time. Remember, the sun has to be raised carefully,” a familiar voice said.

Lauren could not move her legs. She could only stare at the scene before her. Three mares were standing a few meters in front of her. She quickly noticed Luna and Twilight at her sides. Both looked at each other with confusion. They looked like ghosts, emitting a faint aura from their bodies. Apparently, their bodies were some sort of presence in that place. W-what’s going on?

“Gee, I know, mom, I’m ready,” another familiar voice said.

Suddenly, Faust appeared in front of the three confused mares. She looked at the observers, quickly shifting her gaze upon the other three mares. “What you see here, are my slumbers,” she said. “This is the dream I’ve had every night since it happened.”

Dream? Are we inside her head or something? Lauren noticed the view was getting cleared as she looked at the three mares. She soon realized who they were. One of them was Faust, exactly as she appeared in front of her moments ago. Another was a small, midnight blue filly, who was looking at the other two mares. The last one was a white mare with a sparkly, pink mane and tail. They were on a grassy meadow, with no trees to be seen. Don’t tell me they’re…

“Yes. They are Celestia and Luna, back when they were young,” Faust commented, looking at Lauren with a smirk. “And yes, I know what you will say. I can read your mind. You’re me after all,” she chuckled, immediately reapplying her serious face.

What!? But that’s impossible, I mean...

“We can discuss about that later, for now, look.” Faust pointed her hoof at the scene.

The young Celestia spread her wings and soared to the sky. Her young sister looked at her, amazed by what she was observing. “Like this, mom?” she exclaimed. A few beams of sunlight began to rise from the horizon as Celestia flew higher in the air.

“Me and Tia? But… I don’t remember this!” the older Luna claimed. She looked at her younger self, trying to remember any event like that happening. However, her mind was entirely blank.

“This is the reason why you lost your memory, and thus, making Celestia go mad,” Faust claimed, as she stared at her own self. “I knew Celestia was not ready…” she whispered to herself.

Lost her memory? Luna lost her memory? Lauren gave Luna a quick glance before looking back at the scene before her.

In a matter of seconds, the sun rose from the horizon and took its place on the sky. The young Celestia’s flank flashed and a sun cutie mark appeared. “Yes! I did it! Mom, Luna, did you see that!?” she yelled, descending to the floor. Just when her hooves touched the floor, her body shook. She lowered her head and looked at the ground.

“Celestia! I’m so proud of you! You’ve earned your cutie—” the other Faust paused, looking at Celestia with concern. “Celestia? What is going on?”

The young Celestia’s pink mane and tail began to lose its color. The vivid pink that colored them was slowly turning into a gray color. She spread her wings and raised her head to look at her mother. She had a wicked smirk on her face and one of her eyes began to twitch.

“Tia? W-what’s going on? Why are you…” Luna muttered, looking at her sister with surprise. What just happened to her? Was that part of the Sun Rise celebration?

The old Faust gasped, taking a few steps back from her daughter. Celestia was directly facing Luna, but she was some meters away from her. “L-Luna! Watch out!” she cried, unable to stop what was going to happen next.

A beam of golden light emanated from Celestia’s horn. It flew across the field and in less than a second, it struck Luna right on her horn. Everypony in the audience let out a faint gasp as they could do nothing but witness what just had happened.

“Eek!”

Fateful Confession

Chapter 12: Fateful Confession
*****

“W-what just happened!?” Luna cried as she looked at her younger self being attacked by none other than her sister. “What is the meaning of this!?”

Lauren and Twilight were surprised as well. They exchanged stares of confusion. Faust just watched the scene, a grimace displayed on her face. The events of that fateful night haunted her more than anything in life. They all looked back at the scene, waiting for whatever it could happen next.

“C-Celestia! What in Equestria are you doing!?” the old Faust yelled. She wanted to run to the aid of Luna, but she didn’t know what could happen.

Celestia stood there without moving or saying a word. She bowed her head again to face the ground. The gray color on her mane and tail were slowly recovering back their original, pink glory. After a few moments, she shook her head, coming back to her senses. What just happened? The last thing she remembered was done raising the sun and obtaining her cutie mark. She opened her eyes and looked at the scene before her. Luna was lying on the floor. She gasped, immediately running towards her sister.

The old Faust was still unable to react or do anything. She was too shocked to do so. But what was Celestia doing? Something about her mane and tail bugged her.

“L-Luna! Are you okay!?” Celestia cried, holding her little sister with her hooves. She already had a tear on her eye. Who could harm her little sister?

“Uh…” Luna could only moan. She slightly tilted her head around, unable to actually answer to her concerned sister.

Celestia took a moment to think about the situation. The only ponies around were herself and her mother. She then raised her head and looked at the old Faust. “You monster! How could you harm my little sister!?” she yelled at the top of her lungs. She wasn’t thinking logically now. She could only pin the blame on somepony else.

“W-wait! Those words,” Luna gasped. The other mares looked at her. She closed her eyes and began to think about those lines. It didn’t take long until she realized she had heard them before. “I heard those voices when I was asleep, in my dreams!” she claimed.

“Ah ha ha, well, I wasn’t expecting anything less.” Faust placed her hoof in front of her mouth to hide her chuckle. She received a dumbfounded stare from Luna, who couldn’t understand what was so funny about the situation. “Yes, Luna. It seems like subconsciously, you’ve been recalling what happened here. The voices you heard weren’t random. They were actually the voices of before you lost your memory,” she explained.

“I… see,” Luna mumbled, looking back at the scene. It seemed like it only made sense. Those shouts she heard were definitely the ones she heard a while back when she was knocked out by Celestia’s spell. “So… I lost my memory due my sister’s attack?” she asked, receiving silence from Faust.

“Please, keep watching,” Faust requested, ignoring Luna’s previous question. Everypony fixed their eyes back at the angered young Princess.

“Mom! Why did you attack Luna!?” Celestia cried. She looked at her sister one more time and carefully placed her on the soft grass of the meadow.

“Celestia, listen to me. I didn’t—”

“Why did you attack her!?” Celestia roared. She turned her body and began walking towards her mother. She wasn’t thinking anymore. The frustration and rage grew stronger each second.

“Celestia! Stop it! It wasn’t me and you know it!” the old Faust claimed, taking a step closer. She knew what she saw and she wasn’t going to let her daughter throw the blame on her. Something was very wrong with Celestia.

“You… you harmed my sister! I hate you!” Celestia cried. Her eyes closed and tears began to shed from them. She didn’t remember the last time she was crying like that. She felt a great pain in her heart after saying those last words. Never in her life had she said those words to her own mother.

The old Faust groaned, taking a step forward. “Celestia! You’re leaving me no choice! Please, stop now!” she warned her. She was taking it too far now. Even when she was her daughter, she couldn’t let her talk to her like that. “Please… stop…” she whispered.

“I hate you!” Celestia yelled. All of a sudden, her horn glowed and shot a golden beam from it, directly towards her mother. She couldn’t control herself. The anger within her was too strong. She didn’t even realize she had attacked none other than her beloved mother.

Faust’s horn glowed as well. An orb of bright light enveloped her, making her teleport in less than a second, avoiding the beam. The orb of light appeared right in front of Celestia. “I’m sorry. Please, forgive me,” she said.

Celestia only had time to look at her mother for a couple of seconds before her vision went blurry. She quickly lost the support on her legs and balance. The darkness was enveloping her mind, until she finally collapsed on the ground, motionless.

“What just happened?” Twilight asked. She still couldn’t digest the whole scene that happened before her purple eyes. It was all too sudden.

“Celestia rebelled against me. She thought I was the one who attacked Luna,” Faust explained. “I knocked her out before she could do anything. It wasn’t easy for me. After all, it was the day she first raised the sun and got her cutie mark. It was supposed to be a day of joy and happiness.” She lowered her head, looking at the soft movement of the grass by the morning breeze.

Before Faust could continue, the old Faust reacted. A pearly aura enveloped the two unconscious sisters, levitating them right in front of her. They looked like two dolls made of wool. She closed her eyes and her horn flashed, causing everypony to close their eyes due the brightness of the flash, which lasted less than five seconds.

“And then, I had to do that,” Faust said, looking back at Lauren.

“What did you just do… or did?” Lauren asked, blinking her eyes to regain visibility. It was a very bright flash, like a common camera flash.

“What you just saw… was me wiping away their memories,” Faust explained. Her face didn’t show any signs of delight by sharing that information; it showed sorrow and remorse.

“But, I thought I lost my memories by Celestia’s attack!” Luna claimed. At least, that’s what everypony was thinking until now. Was it not that at all?

“No. Celestia’s attack was merely a weak bolt of magic that knocked you out. Nothing relatively serious,” Faust said. “I am responsible for your memory loss, Luna. I’m so sorry.” She lowered her head in shame, unwilling to directly look at Luna’s face. She probably hated her, and she had all the rights to do so.

“I… I don’t understand! Why would you do that!?” Luna said, almost feeling the same sensation in her eyes as when she hugged her mother for the first time. Only that this time, her eyes were filled with sadness.

“I could not bear with Celestia believing I was the one who attacked you. I was sure that you would probably think that as well,” Faust confessed. “So I took away the memories of you two ever having a mother, or at least that’s what I thought I did.”

“That’s crazy! Making your own daughters forget about their mother!” Lauren complained, tilting her head to think about what Faust said at the end. “Wait, what do you mean with you thought you did?”

“Ah ha ha, I can see that I am not very smart to spot the obvious things,” Faust chortled, once again placing a hoof in front of her mouth.

Lauren got pissed with that comment. Celestia would say the exact same thing, implying that she was slow to catch on the details. “J-just say it!” she growled.

“I think I understand what happened,” Twilight commented. The stares immediately got fixed on her. “Celestia still remembers you as her mother!”

“Correct, Twilight,” Faust said, looking back at the scene meters away from her. “I cast a spell on both Celestia and Luna, which worked quite well, at least for you.” She looked at Luna, then at Lauren. “However, it didn’t work quite well on Celestia. She somehow managed to block most of it. After the deed was done…” Before she could finish, she glanced one last time at the scene.

The old Faust had placed Luna and Celestia back on the soft grass. She looked at them, spreading her wings, ready to take flight. She flapped her creamy wings and swiftly soared to the sky, disappearing from sight after a few seconds. Everypony looked at Celestia and Luna lying on the meadow, which were left behind by their own mother.

“I abandoned you, Luna,” Faust sighed. Before anypony could say a word, the whole world before them became pitch black. The same sensation the mares felt just a while ago repeated. Within a few seconds, they were all back in the wrecked throne room. Everypony opened their eyes to confirm their location.

“We’re back!” Twilight said, glancing at the still unconscious Princess before her. The pink color on her mane was still gone, something that the unicorn began to think about.

“The memories after I woke up,” Luna intervened. “I remember being woken up by Celestia in that meadow. Yes, she told me I had only fallen asleep while we were playing. I don’t recall having any memory of ever having a mother.” She bowed her head and looked at her sister. Everypony was looking at her as well. “What happened with Celestia and that spell?” she asked.

Faust walked around next to Celestia, looking at her from above. “Thing is, Celestia still had the memories of me being your mother. She even knew what my intentions were when I cast that spell on you,” she explained. “Yes, she could never forgive me for two reasons. First, because I ‘attacked’ you.” She looked Luna one more time, before shifting back her gaze to Celestia. “And second, because I left her. Celestia… she was crushed that I abandoned her. She loved me, and I loved her.”

“I had no idea Celestia was carrying that weight for long time,” Lauren commented. The sudden revelations of events were too sentimental for her. It almost felt like one of those tragedy novels she read a lot.

“Celestia has been through a lot of pain and suffering, despise what she might say or act like,” Faust said. “She lost her entire family. Her mother when I abandoned her and her sister when she became Nightmare Moon. For a thousand years she was left all alone.”

Luna gulped. The memories from those events still haunted her at night. As her mother said, Celestia was left all alone for thousand long years. She still felt horrible for doing such a thing to her sister

“Don’t worry, Luna. The past is the past,” Faust said. “However, that was not the last time you or Celestia saw me.”

“Oh, right! Because of the third alicorn legend!” Lauren said. Finally, she was the one who remembered the facts. That previous comment from Faust activated her mind.

“Ah ha ha, well, well, you’re on the right track, my dear myself,” Faust chuckled. “Yes, that is correct. There was just one time I visited Luna and Celestia, and that was known as the third alicorn legend,” she explained.

“I see now,” Twilight said. She had been meditating the whole situation in her head, trying to grasp the idea. There were still some mysteries to be solved, and now it was the time to ask. “I have a question. It might not be important, but what’s with the Princess losing her pink color?”

That question made Faust raise an eyebrow. “What do you mean?” she said.

“Well, when we were… battling her, she lost the pink color from her mane and tail, as you can see.” Twilight pointed her hoof towards the Princess to confirm the lack of pink from both her mane and tail. “And when we were on the flashback, her pink mane and tail turned into a gray tone. What is the meaning of that?”

“You know, I’m quite curious myself. Is there any connection with Celestia losing her color?” Lauren asked. Certainly, there had to be any meaning to that. Nopony loses a mane color just like that for no reason.

“Well, yes,” Faust said. “The pink color on Celestia’s mane represents her harmony. Whenever this harmony is disturbed, the pink color disappears from her mane. When she attacked Luna, the harmony within her was disturbed for a few seconds. And now, the harmony within her has been completely corrupted.”

“Still, why would the Princess’ harmony be disturbed?” Twilight asked. She already wanted the real reason why Celestia went mad. No more idle chat. “I want to know the reason why the Princess is acting like this!”

“Haven’t you realized yet, Twilight?” Faust asked. That question made Twilight tilt her head in confusion. “It’s because of my presence that Celestia has been corrupted. It’s because of Lauren and me that the harmony within her has been disturbed. Her resentment toward us awoke, driving her mad, and thus, committing all these foul acts.”

A few seconds of silence enveloped the throne room. Lauren looked at her own self. It was her fault in the first place that Celestia was acting like that. Well, that is not my fault, is it? I was dragged here… I don’t know how but… I didn’t mean to!

“So if it’s your fault that the Princess is acting like this, why would you show up?” Twilight asked.

“It was not my choice. Regardless of my presence, Celestia’s sanity locks were going to break. My presence only sped up the process,” Faust explained. “I’ve come here to stop Celestia and save her before it’s too late.”

“To save her from what?” Twilight questioned.

Faust looked down at Twilight and closed her eyes for a few seconds. She bit her lower lip, taking a deep breath to proceed. “From her own self. Save her before she damages herself or anypony around her. Celestia is the all powerful ruler of Equestria, after all.”

Twilight went silent, trying to think about Faust’s last words. If they were true, Celestia was dangerous even for herself. She didn’t want to see anypony getting hurt. “Wait, the Princess was trying to cast a weird spell on Lauren several times by touching horns. What was that?”

“Celestia was apparently trying to resurrect me,” Faust said. “She thought that since Lauren was my ‘reincarnation’, she could use her to bring me back to life.”

“But she failed to do so…” Luna said.

“Because I never died and Lauren is not my reincarnation. As I’ve said before, Lauren is me and I am her,” Faust said. She looked at her other self and smiled. “Good thing her spell didn’t succeed!”

“Why? What would have happened if it did?” Lauren asked. That was one question that kept bugging her for a while. Sure, she was lucky that it didn’t work. But what if it did?

“Hmm, well.” Faust smile turned into a smirk. “Let’s just say you’d have gone to sleep for an uncertain period of time.”

Silence shrouded once again the devastated throne room. Lauren gulped, realizing what Faust said with sleeping. She bit her tongue, trying to get rid of that thought. Before she could answer, a voice interrupted her.

“How do you know so much?” Twilight asked.

“Ah? Beg pardon?” Faust said. She raised a hoof to her head and played around with her red locks of hair.

“I understand that you’re the Princesses’ mother and all, but how do you know so much about… well… everything? I mean, who are you? Lauren? She is right here! Where are you from? Where have you—” Before Twilight could keep bombarding Faust with questions, she got interrupted.

“Third alicorn,” Faust said. She stopped playing around with her mane and looked at Twilight. “Who was the third alicorn?”

“Lauren… I mean, you… I mean…” Twilight stuttered.

“The third alicorn, the creator of Equestria,” Luna intervened. Her eyes went wide open as realization struck her mind. It was all clear now. “You are the creator of Equestria! The pony that knows everything,” she said, pointing her hoof at Faust. Both Twilight and Lauren looked at her with shock. What else could she possibly be?

“Yup, you catch on quick, Luna,” Faust chortled. “Indeed. I am the creator of Equestria.” She glanced at Lauren with a smirk on her face. “You are the creator of Equestria.”

Is she implying what I think she’s implying? Wait… argh! I forgot she can read my… Lauren was wondering what could she mean with being the ‘creator’ of Equestria. She cringed, letting out a quick grumble. She looked at Faust’s smirk. She knew.

“I think the time has come to end this façade, don’t you think so too, Lauren?” Faust said. She walked towards her and glanced at Twilight. “I think you deserve to know the real reason why Lauren is here.”

“R-reason? She said she’s from another world and that she is here by accident!” Twilight claimed. At least, that’s what Lauren kept telling her. “I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

“It is true that Lauren is from another world,” Faust admitted. She smiled and looked at her miniature self. “However, she never told you about that world of hers, did she?”

Twilight took a few seconds to think about it. Faust was right. Lauren never mentioned specific details about her world. She kept dodging the topic as much as possible. Everything seemed too fishy now. She glanced at Lauren with a concerned look on her face. “Now that you say it…”

“S-stop!” Lauren begged. She had enough. She knew were Faust was going to and she had to stop her. Her last word raised a suspicious look from both Luna and Twilight.

“My dear me. Why don’t you tell her yourself? You can’t hide it anymore, darling.” Faust took a step closer to her miniature self, making her to take a step back in response. “Your presence here is no accident.”

“Then what was it!?” Lauren asked. The mystery of why she was in Equestria was the greatest question of all. It was the kind of event that could only happen in fiction. “Why am I here?”

“Lauren Faust. I am you and you are me. I know your past and I know your future. I know your world and you know mine. You’re here because I need your help to stop Celestia.” Faust looked back at Twilight and Luna. “And I think the time has come to tell these mares who they really are. The time has come to tell them about the secret you’ve been keeping from them all this time.”

“Secret? Of who we are? A Princess and a unicorn?” Twilight interrupted, oblivious about what Faust could mean.

No! Stop it! Don’t say any other word! Lauren clenched her teeth, breathing heavily and looking at her bigger self with anxiety. “No!”

“Lauren Faust…” Faust smirk faded away, leaving nothing but a cold and serious look on her face. “The pony who was on top of the pole that stormy night, was none other than… myself!”

Revelations

Chapter 13: Revelations
*****

“Say what!? You were the pony outside my office?” Lauren yelled. She could feel the cold drops of sweat coming out from her head. “But that’s impossible! Do you mean you were...”

“Yes. I was in your world… the ‘real’ world,” Faust replied. She looked once again at Luna and Twilight. “Remember that?”

“L-Lauren told us about how she believed to saw a pony moments before arriving to Equestria,” Twilight recalled their conversation last night on the library with her and the Princesses. “Princess Celestia was right! The mysterious pony and Lauren’s arrival are indeed connected to each other!”

“But… how did I end up here!? Answer me!” Lauren ordered. Her short fuse was starting to run out as she pressed her hooves harder on the floor.

“After I arrived to your world, I simply dragged you here,” Faust responded. “The lightning was actually my teleportation spell. The last thing you knew was that you woke up in Twilight’s library.” She raised her hoof again and began to play with her hair, incredibly calm even if she was revealing Lauren the truth.

“So you are the reason why I’m stuck here!? Why did you drag me in here for?” Lauren asked. So if Faust was the one responsible for her apparition in Equestria, what was the reason behind it? She bit her lower lip, anxious of whatever answer would come out the big alicorn’s mouth.

“Didn’t I tell you earlier? I dragged you here so you could help me put a stop to Celestia’s evil scheme. I had no choice, for I could not save my own daughter, and your world's integrity, without your assistance.” Faust was wrapping locks of her red mane around her horn while talking.

“But why me? What can I do?” Lauren asked. Even when she was an ordinary human, there was no reason for her to be special. “Is it because I… created…”

“Yes, Lauren. It is precisely that. Because you’re the creator. The creator of Equestria.” Faust stopped playing with her mane and took a step forward her own self. “Only you have the power to stop Celestia. She is your own creation, after all.”

“Her own creation?” Luna asked, breaking the conversation between the two Laurens. “What does that mean?”

A smirk was quickly displayed on Faust’s muzzle. She turned around to look at Luna, then at Twilight. “It means exactly what you’ve just heard. Celestia, Twilight, yourself… You’re all Lauren’s creations.”

“Hush! Don’t tell them!” Lauren begged. The topic was shifted for a few seconds, but sadly, it came back to this. The secret she had kept to herself since arriving to Equestria.

“I won’t. You will,” Faust chuckled. “There is no way back now. They deserve to know who they really are, don’t you agree? It’s rude to keep secrets from your friends. It’s time to end this façade.”

Lauren grunted, pressing her hooves harder on the floor. She rolled her eyes to look at Twilight, who was staring right at her. There was no escape now. It was all over. She relaxed her body with a soft sight and bowed her head. “I… I give up,” she muttered.

Twilight stood up from her seat and walked towards Lauren and placed a hoof on her shoulder. She was worried about her. “It’s okay, you can trust us. What’s the matter?”

“It’s easier said than done, so you two better prepare yourselves for possibly the greatest shock of your lives,” Lauren warned. Both Luna and Twilight nodded. “Okay then,” she muttered. “Do you remember about what we talked about last night? About me knowing this world of Equestria because in my world, it was like a story?”

“Yeah, what about it?” Twilight asked. She remembered that conversation very well. It was just before they went to sleep last night. Lauren had told her that Equestria was like a story for her. It was sort of confusing, but at least she would tell her now what was going on.

Faust kept watching Lauren with a smirk on her face. Luna’s face showed a puzzled expression, a bit dazed about the matter.

“Well, your land… Equestria… is exactly that, a story,” Lauren said, staring at the ground in shame to avoid looking at Twilight’s reaction.

Twilight blinked, unsure about what she just heard. A story? That was vague. She needed more information. “Uh, I don’t get it. Care to be more specific, please?” she requested. Faust kept looking at Lauren, waiting for the great moment to arrive.

Just say it, Lauren! It doesn’t matter anymore! “Okay then, since you really want to know.” Lauren took a short breath. This was it, the moment she never wanted to come; the topic she was afraid to broach and actively avoided for the last few days. “You, Luna, Celestia... you’re all characters in this story.”

Twilight tilted her head and took a few steps back from Lauren. “Beg pardon?” she asked.

Luna couldn’t say a word, for she had the greatest knot in her throat. What could she mean that she was a character in that so-called story of hers? Meanwhile, Faust let out a faint snicker.

“In other words… you’re fictional characters of this story. A story created by none other than myself.” Lauren raised her head and looked deeply at Twilight’s purple eyes. “I am the creator of Equestria. As I said last night… this story is like a book. A book… that I wrote.” She took a few steps towards Twilight. “Twilight. You are the protagonist of my story. A story I called Friendship is Magic.”

A few seconds of silence shrouded the throne room. Luna and Twilight both stared at Lauren with their eyes wide open. They were trying to digest what she had just said. Something about them being fictional characters in some story of hers. Luna was the first to open her mouth to comment about it.

“So, you’re trying to tell us… that Twilight Sparkle is the protagonist of a story you created?” Luna calmly asked, waving a hoof around.

“Uh, yeah. That’s pretty much how things are,” Lauren responded, giving a friendly nod to the Princess of the Night.

“What kind of foalish joke is this!?” Luna yelled, immediately killing her calmed self who was talking just a few seconds ago. She stomped her hooves hard onto the ground, almost shattering her crystal shoes. “What is the meaning of this!?”

Faust kept looking at the scene without saying a word. She would occasionally let out a faint snicker. She glanced at Lauren, waiting for her answer to Luna. “Good time to explain our cutie marks, right, darling?”

“Cutie mark? Ah, right.” Lauren looked at her flank and stared at her ink bottle cutie mark. “You remember I said that I was a story-teller, right? Precisely, I wrote Friendship is Magic. That’s the title of this story.” She was releasing information like a newspaper. Each claim that came from her mouth puzzled Luna more and more.

Twilight had her head bowed down to the floor, futilely trying to accept the claims that Lauren was throwing at her. Protagonist? Story? Friendship is Magic? She had heard that last phrase before, it was quite familiar to her as the topic of her friendship reports to Princess Celestia.

“Exactly,” Faust commented, staring at Luna. “Remember when you corrupted into Nightmare Moon and were banished to the moon for a thousand years? Yeah, that was her doing.” She pointed her hoof at Lauren. “Every action that led you to do so was her own work.”

“H-hey! Don’t pin the blame on me! I had no idea something like this would happen!” Lauren complained. She didn’t notice the furious glare she was receiving from Luna.

“Thou art the reason why we became that monster!?” Luna yelled. Her Royal Canterlot Voice came out for pure instinct. “What were thou thinking!?”

“This was my story! I set-up a plot and developed it! I never thought I would meet the characters from my story!” Lauren explained.

“‘Tis a joke! A sham! We refuse to believe that!” Luna exclaimed. “If thou art our creator, prove the worth of thy words! Tell us something only we should rightfully know!”

Boy, this is just getting better and better. Prove it, eh? “Fine. Want me to say something like that?” She turned her head and looked at Twilight. “Twilight. You left Canterlot, the city where you were born, because Princess Celestia asked you to check the preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration, correct?”

Twilight gasped, still unwilling to raise her head to look at her. How did she know? That was something only Spike, Princess Celestia or her friends in Ponyville would know.

“At first, you were all grumpy about meeting new friends, but that’s when Luna, as Nightmare Moon, came back from her thousand-year banishment.” Lauren paused, expecting that she would get interrupted. Fortunately, Luna remained quiet. “That’s when you, along with your friends, defeated Nightmare Moon using the Elements of Harmony. After that, you asked Celestia to let you stay in Ponyville. That’s when you discovered the magic of friendship.”

Twilight was astonished. She couldn’t comprehend how Lauren could know all about that. She finally raised her head and looked at her. “How… how do you know about that?” she asked, trying to keep her composure. “Do you mean that…”

“Yes, Twilight,” Faust intervened. “You, Luna, Celestia, your friends, Spike, everypony, even the whole of Equestria. They were created by none other than Lauren herself.”

“This is too confusing,” Luna said. It seemed that she was back to her calm self. She pressed her head with her hooves, rubbing them to get rid of the migraine she had acquired. “A story, you say? Like a book of common tales?”

Not really a book, but I guess it doesn’t matter. “The world you know of as your own, the one you rule together with your sister, is just a story; a story I unassumingly wrote, not realizing that my artistic creation had imprinted itself on this world. That’s all,” Lauren finished, hoping that it would be enough information to satisfy both Luna and Twilight.

“T-that’s all? That’s all?” Twilight fumed. “Are you telling me we’re only fictional characters in a story you wrote?” She only received another nod from Lauren. The evidence to support her claims was strong. She suspected that Lauren knew too much, but she never expected that things would end the way they ended.

“I’m afraid so. I’m sorry for hiding this from you all this time.” Lauren rubbed one of her front legs with a hoof.

“Why didn’t you tell us from the beginning?” Twilight asked. “It could have been much simpler that way, and maybe, we could have avoided many things that happened.”

“Come on, Twilight. What would have happened if I had told you that the night I arrived here? You would probably consider me as a crazy mare,” Lauren said. She was sure Twilight knew she had sense in her words. If anypony you just met told you a crazy story like that, you’d probably believe that he or she escaped from the mental asylum.

“So then… is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?” Twilight didn’t know what to believe anymore. She was puzzled even more than when she studied complex magic spells.

“You know, Twilight, that’s a question I’ve been asking myself since I arrived here. I, myself, don’t know what to believe anymore. I understand how you’re feeling, trust me.” Lauren walked a few steps closer to Twilight, raising her front hooves and wrapping them around her neck. She embraced her in a hug, which the unicorn returned by wrapping her own legs around the alicorn.

“Real life or fantasy,” Faust commented. “When it comes to that, only you have the last word.”

Upon hearing those words, Lauren broke Twilight from the hug, looking at Faust with confusion. “Explain yourself,” she requested.

“Lauren, you’re the creator of this world. You have to ask yourself these questions; is this reality? Is this an illusion? Is this a dream? Only you know the answer.” Faust’s smirk appeared once again on her face.

“So I’m assuming you know everything about my world, right?” Lauren questioned. “If you do, even you should know the answer to that question. The question if this is reality or if it’s just fantasy.”

“I know everything you know, Lauren. But remember these words.” Faust smirk was wiped from her face, and instead, a grimace displayed on it. “Once you find the answer to that question, your role here will be done,” Faust replied,

“However, I am not done yet,” she said, pointing her hoof at Faust. “You.”

“Me? What’s the matter, dear? Do I have something in my face?” Faust said, rolling her eyes to look at the tip of her nose for any signs of imperfections. However, there were none to be found.

“No. I mean, you,” Lauren said. “I don’t remember ever creating YOU. You are not part of MY story.”

Luna and Twilight looked at them with concern. The sudden revelation of Lauren’s origin was still bugging their minds. However, what she said grabbed their attention. Lauren didn’t create… herself?

“Ah ha ha, Lauren,” Faust chuckled. “You created me the moment you acknowledged me as your character,” she said, pressing a hoof against her chest. “I exist thanks to you. We are one soul, one mind, one body, one heart.”

“Yes, but I never acknowledged you to be Celestia and Luna’s mother,” Lauren claimed. She was right, after all. She didn’t acknowledge her character to be the Princess's mother. That was something totally unrelated. “Why then, you claim to be their mother?”

“That is… something beyond my knowledge,” Faust admitted. “I don’t know why I am who I am. I was created like this. Since always, I’ve been Celestia and Luna’s mother. Even if you didn’t create me to be it.”

“But that makes no sense. I created everyone to be who they are. What’s the matter with you, then?” Lauren asked. She wasn’t sure what could that mean.

“I’ve believed that there’s some sort of external influence causing this mess,” Faust said. She glanced back at her motionless daughter, looking at her mane, which lacked the pink color. “The same something that caused Celestia to end up like this.”

“You mean there’s something else causing all this mess?” Luna finally spoke. She seemed that she had forgotten about her being a fictional character for a while. “What is this something?”

“This something is the responsible of what happened to Celestia and caused this whole mess in the first place. It’s the reason why I had to bring you here, Lauren,” Faust explained, looking back at the smallest alicorn.

“Why? What can I do?” Lauren asked, completely clueless about her role in the whole deal.

“You’re the only one who can stop this something that has corrupted Celestia!” Faust replied. “We must save her, before this evilness within her corrupts her entire soul.”

“Just explain this to me,” Lauren said. She looked at Twilight and Luna before looking back at Faust. “How were you able to go to my world? What method did you use?”

“The wall between this world and yours is very thin, darling,” Faust said. She raised a hoof and tapped her forehead with it. “Once your mind is filled enough with this world essence, it’s fairly easy for me to reach your world.”

“I don’t get it. You mean you can travel to my world at will?” Lauren asked.

“No, of course not,” Faust replied. “My arrival to your world and your arrival to this world is no coincidence. I needed you because we need to stop Celestia. That night was the only chance I had to bring you here,” she explained. “The gate between these two worlds opened for just a fraction of second. That’s when I arrived there.”

“So that stormy night… you appeared right in my physical world,” Lauren said. It was still too hard to believe. How could a cartoon character visit the real, physical, non-technicolor world Everything sounded too crazy to be true, but she gave up trying to see everything the logically way a long while ago.

“After I appeared there, I had only thirty seconds to take you with me to Equestria,” Faust said.

“Then, why did Lauren appear all alone under the storm that night?” This time, it was Twilight who interrupted. If Faust said that she took her to Equestria, the only logical thing would be if she appeared right next to her.

“It’s because I couldn’t reveal myself to you, yet.” Faust looked once again at Celestia. She was still unconscious and unaware of the conversation. “I kept watching you, though. Since you arrived to the moment you met with Celestia today. I’ve been watching every step you and Celestia had made.”

“But why hide yourself? You should have told us from the beginning what was going on!” Lauren complained.

Faust closed her eyes and turned her back to Lauren. “Lauren. Your life. I desire it.”

The vital thing right now was saving Celestia. Questions could wait for later. Before Lauren could open her mouth to reply to what Faust just said, something unexpected happened.

“Hah…” a voice muttered from somewhere in the room. The four mares immediately identified the origin from the mutter. It came from Celestia; the one they thought was already defeated. The one who was being corrupted by an evil something. The one they needed to save… from herself. Lauren, Twilight, Luna and Faust had a serious problem on their hooves.

Faust clenched her teeth and stepped back. The other mares did the same, keeping their distance from the Princess of the Sun.

“Hah… hah…” Celestia sighed. “I… hah hah hah.” Her sighs turned into a clear chortle. Her front hooves began to shake as the slowly moved them and pressed them against the floor. “Hah hah hah.” She kept chortling. Now her hind legs were moving, doing exactly the same as her front legs. They pressed on the floor, trying to look for support. “I… I heard everything!” she exclaimed.

Everypony gasped in unison as they saw Celestia raising herself from the floor with certain difficulty. All of a sudden, her whole body stood up, making herself stand up in four hooves. She had her right eye closed, while staring at everypony with her half-opened left eye. Her wicked grin displayed clearly on her face. She was the same insane Celestia that Twilight, Lauren and Luna had to battle moments ago. She was not done yet.

“So I am a character from a story written by my mother? Talk about nonsense!” Celestia exclaimed.

“C-Celestia!” Luna exclaimed. “H-how!? Your body was paralyzed!”

“Foolish little sister,” Celestia mumbled, looking at Luna with hate on her face. “You lack experience, Luna. You underestimate my power.” Her glance shifted towards Faust. “And you… mother…” Her front hooves slowly moved, allowing her to take a step forward. “I will make you pay for everything you’ve done to me…”

“Celestia! Desist! Do not do this to yourself!” Faust yelled, taking a step forward as well to show her dominance.

“Shut up! You’ll pay for what you did to Luna! You’ll pay for trying to wipe away my memory! You will…” Celestia paused. Her grin disappeared, and instead, her face displayed a frown. “You will pay for leaving me…” Her left eye shed a single glistening tear. The single tear which reflected all of the positive feelings she had for her mother. Feelings which are unknown to a Celestia who is a mere shadow of her former benevolent self.

“Hmm…” Faust closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “I never thought it would come to this,” she said. “Celestia, my own daughter. It hurts me deeply to watch you suffering like this. But you’re leaving me no choice here. We will stop you, for your own sake!”

“My own sake?” Celestia said, recovering her evil grin from a few seconds ago. “I will be perfectly fine after I make you and your other self disappear! Then I will finally be in peace! You think I’m just a fictional character? Let’s see how fictional your fate becomes once I’m done with you!” she yelled. Her voice echoed through the throne room. The voice of the once fair ruler of Equestria.

“Lauren,” Faust said, without shifting her gaze from Celestia. She was prepared now. Ready for what was going to happen next. There was no turning back now. “This is it. This is where our final battle begins.”

The Three Princesses

Chapter 14: The Three Princesses
*****

“Final battle?” Lauren looked at Celestia. There was not a single spark of doubt on her face. She didn’t seem to be joking, either. However, she couldn’t help but think she was inside some sort of game, and that now it was time for the final fight.

“Give up already, there’s no way out.” Celestia shook her head. “You’ve struck me with all kinds of spells, yet, here I am, standing on my four hooves.” She was no longer wearing her golden shoes; the only piece of jewelry that still remained on her body was her golden necklace.

“S-shut up! We won’t ever give up!” Twilight knew the Princess had a point, though. After all those beams of magic that she and Lauren shot and Luna’s spells, Celestia was still not defeated. Just what did they need to do to stop her, the Elements of Harmony, perhaps?

“Keep up the good spirit, Twilight,” Faust commented. She didn't seem to be worried about the whole matter, at least, not as much as Lauren, Luna and Twilight. “We will need it…”

“Sister… I am still too shocked by the revelation of… our origins.” Luna looked at Celestia, taking a step forward. She bowed her head briefly, taking a few seconds to think of her next speech. Finally, she gulped and looked back at her sister, with determination on her face. “However, if you do not desist, I am prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice for your sake as much as my mother's!”

Celestia just grinned at her sister. Her half opened eye began to slowly open a bit more. “Fools… you’re all fools…” she said.

“Celestia! I didn’t create you to be like this! This isn’t you!” Lauren exclaimed. She had enough of this. “I… we will stop you, whatever it takes!”

“Stop… me?” Celestia chuckled. “Fools! I am Celestia!” she exclaimed, taking a step forward and striking her hoof against the floor with might. “Nopony can stop me! If you think you can, just try!” The other mares cringed in surprise by Celestia’s sudden outburst. “I am the Princess and ruler of Equestria!”

“CO-ruler!” Luna yelled. “I am already tired of you, saying that you’re the sole ruler of Equestria! Since that monster of Nightmare Moon was destroyed, I have resumed my position as co-ruler!” Her voice shook the whole room, as if she was dealing with a particularly troublesome supplicant in the only way left to her, roaring through the whole room.

“Luna…” Celestia snickered, her right eye slowly opening. “Once I’m finished with you, there will be no co-ruler!” Her horn glowed. Finally, she was ready to begin the last battle. The battle that would decide the future of Equestria, of Celestia, and of course, of Lauren; creator of the world or not, she was as mortal as anypony else when confronted with a mad god.

“Careful, everypony,” Faust warned. She took position and stood in front of Lauren, willing to protect her alter-ego at all cost. “Better charge your horns.”

Immediately, Luna’s and Twilight’s horns illuminated, ready for anything that Celestia could offer. Lauren tilted her head in confusion. “Um… yeah.” Even though she could handle magic, she had never used it for self-defense, at least, not intentionally. She recalled the sudden beams of magic that she shot at Celestia a while back. Maybe she could try shooting one of those again. With a bit of effort, she managed to barely illuminate her own horn.

“Huh?” Faust mumbled, rolling her eyes back to Lauren for a second. However, she looked back at Celestia, who was apparently preparing her first strike.

Celestia just stood there, looking at her enemies with her horn surrounded in magic. She snickered, and within a few seconds, her body began to illuminate. Every part of her body, from mane to hooves, was enveloped in a glowing aura. “Your life… I want it,” she said.

Everypony was cautious and with their guard up, except Lauren, who noticed the words Celestia said. She had heard those before, she was sure of it. Wait… that’s what she said… She didn’t have time to turn her head and look at her, since Celestia’s body burst into a flash of light. A light so bright that could hurt as much as staring directly at the sun. She immediately shut her eyes closed.

“Hnng,” Lauren groaned, placing a hoof against her face to reduce the brightness of the light. Everypony did pretty much the same. Blinded, they were vulnerable to whatever attack might come from Celestia. It could happen anytime, anywhere. However, nothing happened. Not a single strike, blow or magic beam struck anypony. The bright light was slowly fading away, allowing everypony to carefully open their eyes again.

Twilight was the brave mare to open her eyes first. She only opened them a little, enough to confirm if the light was gone or not. It was, however, she noticed something else, or rather, some other things.

Everypony finally opened their eyes, unaware of the surprise that was going to stand in front of them. For a second, it looked like a bad joke, but as soon as their eyes were fully operational again, they couldn’t believe what was in front of them. It was not Celestia, rather, three Celestias.

Indeed, there were two extra Celestias. However, they were a bit different from each other. They all had the same look as the original Celestia; no jewelry but the necklace, bruises, scratches, and messy manes. In fact, the manes were the principal thing that caught everypony’s eyes. Each of the three Celestias had a unique and different mane color. One had her mane dyed in blue, the other one in green, and the other one in purple. It didn’t take a genius to realize they were the remaining colors that the original Celestia had on her mane. And of course, their tails were of the same color as their manes.

“W-what the?” Luna looked at her ‘sisters’ in shock. Never in her life had she imagined that magic was capable of cloning. Was that one of Celestia’s hidden and forbidden spells? Why would she use it now?

“P-Princess?” Twilight was as shocked as Luna, if not, more. Not even in her sea of books that she called home was a single commentary on a duplication spell.

Lauren didn’t have any words. She was stunned to even talk. If one Celestia wasn’t enough for them, two more would make things even worse. Just what else could go wrong?

“Curse you, Celestia,” Faust said. Her horn stopped glowing, as if she seemed to had lost all hope.

Before anypony knew, their world was engulfed by darkness. A very familiar darkness, for Lauren. Was it over?

*****

Ow, my head pounds… Twilight squirmed. She felt her senses were coming back to her. She didn’t know how long she was out, but it certainly wasn’t long. After a few seconds, she had the strength to open her eyes.

“And that’s the last one,” a familiar voice said. Twilight shook her head and opened her eyes. Right there, in front of her, Lauren was caught in Celestia’s strong telekinetic grip. However, she didn’t show signs of making any resistance. She was just there, motionless, floating thanks to the golden aura of magic. Twilight also noticed her ex-mentor, standing just a few meters away from her. She was the one with the purple mane, but the other two were nowhere to be found.

“L-Lauren!” Twilight called, obtaining no response from the alicorn in question. What was wrong?

Celestia noticed the awaken unicorn, forcing her to display a grin on her face. “I see you’re awake, good.” The golden aura enveloping Lauren disappeared, causing her to drop on the floor, remaining immobile notwithstanding the force of impact.

“Lauren!” Twilight called again, without any answer coming from her. She wanted to run to her aid, but Celestia was in the way. Twilight shifted her gaze towards the Princess, grinding her teeth in despair. “Y-you monster! What did you do to her!?” she cried.

Celestia chuckled, raising one of her legs, pointing behind Twilight. “The same thing I did to them,” she said.

Twilight immediately looked at the pointed location, gasping in shock as she looked at two familiar mares lying next to each other. Luna and Faust, both motionless on the cold marble floor. “Luna! Faust!” she cried desperately, not really expecting any response from the two paralyzed alicorns. Furiously, she turned her glance back to Celestia. “What did you do to them!?” she yelled.

“They were in my way… so I got rid of them,” Celestia replied, taking a few steps closer to Twilight, causing her to retreat almost in reflex. “Just like I’ll get rid of you.”

“N-NO!” Twilight squealed. Suddenly, she began to store some of her magic in her horn. She was willing to fight back until the very end, so she wasn’t going to let the Princess do anything to her. She had to help Lauren, Luna and Faust. Finally, she shot a beam of magic, which struck Celestia right on the face. However, the beam didn’t seem to do anything to the Princess. She didn’t even cringe or anything, almost as the beam was as soft as a morning breeze.

“Twilight, Twilight, Twilight…” Celestia chuckled as she approached her. “Do you honestly believe that YOU, a little unicorn, can defeat ME, the Goddess of the Sun?”

Twilight knew Celestia was right. She had to be honest with herself. There was nothing she could possibly do. She even failed to Lauren, Luna and Faust by letting them get hurt. She failed herself, and even worse, she failed her once beloved mentor. “No, no…” she muttered, unsure of what to do. It was all over. Celestia had won. She desperately wanted to bolt, to run away, to hopefully escape a terrible fate at Celestia's hooves, while at the same time, she knew that any kind of resistance was futile. She had assaulted the sole ruler of Equestria, and would now have to face the music, the horribly beautiful music of court and of gallows.

“Twilight…” Celestia finally stood in front of her. She bowed to her level, facing each other. “My faithful student. It doesn’t have to end this way…” she whispered.

“Huh?” Twilight rubbed her eyes and looked at the Princess, who had her sweet, warm smile again, the smile she wore all day, every day, until the day everything changed. “Princess Celestia?” For a second, she could swear the one talking to her was none other than her precious mentor, the one that had been teaching her about the magic of friendship.

“Twilight… it doesn’t have to end like this. I don’t want to hurt you,” Celestia claimed. “If you give up now, I can still forgive you.”

“But, but, what about La—” Before she could finish stuttering, Celestia raised a hoof to silence her.

“Twilight… we can go back to like we were before this whole incident. We can go back to the days of happiness and fun. You, reporting your findings about the magic of friendship, having adventures with your friends... don’t you prefer that happiness instead of experiencing in full the consequences of your depraved actions?”

Celestia’s words ran through Twilight’s mind, trying to accommodate and make the most sense possible. Was it really that simple? Forget her new friends, forgive Celestia for assaulting them, and return to her normal life? It did sound better than suffer the same fate as Lauren and company received, right? Twilight only desired to revive those days with her mentor, the one she loved like a mother. It was a fair deal. She didn’t care anymore. “Y-yes…” she mumbled.

“You’re making the correct decision, my faithful student. I knew you wouldn’t disappoint me.” Celestia smiled, standing up. “Twilight, I want you to hold my hoof.” She extended her hoof to her. “Together, we shall find the real culprit, the mare behind the mare. And promise me that we will never fight, alright? I love you, Twilight. Remember that I always will.”

Twilight simply nodded. Her worries were now gone. She was going to get her mentor, her friends, her life back, and she didn’t care about anything else. “Yes, Princess…” She slowly started to raise her hoof to hold her mentor’s white one. “I love you too, Princess.”

*****

Ow, my head pounds… Luna squirmed. She quickly shook her head, realizing she had come back to her senses. How long was she knocked out? She didn’t even know, however, she did know one thing. The last thing she saw before passing out was her sister’s face right in front of her.

Luna looked around the throne room. She was all alone. Lauren, Twilight and Faust were nowhere to be seen, along with Celestia's three monochromatic clones. “Hello?” she called, receiving silence for an answer.

“Hello, my dear Luna. Remember me?” a very familiar voice said.

Luna’s eyes flew wide open as she spun around to face at the source of the voice. At first, she seemed like she had saw her sister, along with her totally blue mane. However, the figure swiftly changed into something awful. She couldn’t believe her eyes. It was the very same foul demon who she thought that Twilight and the other Elements of Harmony had purged only a year ago. A night black alicorn stood right in front of her, wearing a pale blue helmet, along with her long and wavy mane that the legends spoke of. It was none other than Nightmare Moon.

“N-NO! I don’t accept you! Ponies all across Equestria love and study my nightly handiwork, and I harbor no more desires to keep the celestial gallery static and unchanging. You are not a part of me!” Luna answered, clenching her teeth, taking a few steps back. It was not possible. It had to be some sort of joke.

“Luna, dear, you ARE a part of me as I am a part of you… and it will be like that, forever,” Nightmare Moon replied.

“No! I refuse to believe that! Begone with you, horrible demon!” Luna threatened. Her mind was still very fragile due to Lauren’s sudden revelations, and under the unrelenting pressure of her previously malevolent darker side, it was only a matter of time before it broke.

“Now, now, calm down, sweet Luna,” Nightmare Moon chuckled. “I am not your enemy.”

“Yes, you are! You are the reason why I was banished to the moon for a thousand long years!” Luna exclaimed.

“Oh, was I?” Nightmare Moon asked, with certain tone of sarcasm.

“W-what do you mean?” Luna asked. Of course it was Nightmare Moon’s fault. Who else?

“Don’t you remember who we are? Aren’t we characters in Lauren’s story?” Nightmare Moon walked closer to Luna. “Don’t you remember what she told us only a few minutes ago?”

Luna couldn’t move. The shock was still too big. “I… I don’t…”

“She was the reason why you turned into me. She created me. Your banishment to the moon was caused by none other than Lauren herself! Are you really prepared to accept that we are both puppets in a play organised for the express purpose of entertaining fillies?” Nightmare Moon approached closer, standing right in front of Luna. Her body was considerably larger than Luna’s, almost as tall as Celestia.

“N-no…” Luna stuttered.

“She’s the reason why I exist, the reason why Celestia had to do what she did. She’s the reason why Celestia fancies herself the monarch. Don’t you see, Luna?”

Luna looked up at her malevolent self, with a puzzled look on her face.

“Luna… accept me. If you do so, we can take revenge on that pesky Lauren, who caused us all this suffering. Accept me, and we will not only do that, but finally make Celestia acknowledge us as an equal, if not, a higher authority.”

“But… no… that’s the thing I escaped from…” Luna mumbled. She was actually considering the possibility. She couldn’t deny the fact that she was quite appalled by Lauren's designs upon her life and sanity. She was tired of Celestia's selfishness and snobbish behavior. Celestia was no absolute ruler of anything. If anything, she was the co-ruler of Equestria. Maybe, just maybe, she could make everypony realize her true power and position with Nightmare Moon's help.

“Luna… accept me. Accept me, so we can punish our so-called mother for the damage she cast on us. Accept me, so we can save Celestia and find the real culprit who is causing her to act like this. Accept me, for this almighty end justifies any means!” Nightmare Moon exclaimed. She extended one hoof, willing to help Luna to fulfill her designs upon the throne.

Luna nodded, consumed by her thoughts. Her observant darker side was not lying, for once. Lauren had to face the consequences of her meddling, and Celestia had to acknowledge her authority. Yes, she was going to make them both respect her and beg for her forgiveness. For that, all she needed was the power of her dark past; the power of Nightmare Moon. “Yes… they will see…” Luna slowly began to raise her hoof.

“You’re making the correct decision, my dear Luna. I knew you wouldn’t disappoint me.”

“Yes, I accept you, Nightmare Moon. We shall become one soul again! Nopony will be able to stop us!”

*****

Ow, my head pounds… Lauren squirmed. She was getting quite used to passing out, though.

“Lauren, you alright?” Twilight asked. She was holding Lauren’s head carefully with her hooves.

“Uh… yeah, I guess,” Lauren replied. She was lying down on the floor, but why? She rolled and stood up, suddenly remembering what had transpired beforehand she passed out. “Ah!” She turned her head, looking to were the three Celestias were supposed to be. However, something was quite different, since only one Celestia was standing there, along with her full green mane.

“You just saw what I did, right? Give up now, or it will be like that, only a thousand times worse.” Celestia took a few steps closer to the crew.

Twilight, Luna and Faust were standing in front of her, apparently defending her from Celestia. Her mind was still a bit dizzy, but she managed to keep her composure.

“I… I hate to say it, but…” Faust talked, causing Luna, Twilight and Lauren to look at her. “We don’t stand a chance…” she sighed, bowing her head in shame.

“W-what are you talking about!?” Luna suddenly replied. Twilight was about to ask the same thing, but it seemed like Luna was ahead of her. Lauren just stared in confusion.

“We are no match for Celestia. It would be better if we give up now,” Faust stated. She didn’t even have the guts to look at anypony at the face.

Celestia snickered, amused by Faust’s words. “Very wise, mother. If you all surrender now, I might consider forgiving your actions against me.”

“N-no! We can’t give up! We need to save—” Before Lauren could finish, Faust looked at her with tears on her eyes, tears that reflected defeat and shame.

“Don’t you get it, Lauren!?” Faust growled. “It’s over! We can’t beat Celestia. It’s wiser to just submit rather than being eliminated by her!”

Those words stung Lauren deep in her chest. Faust appeared to had lost hope and not only her, but Luna and Twilight as well, who were actually thinking about it. Was it over? Everything they had done so far, was it over?

“S-she’s right,” Twilight muttered. “Let’s be honest. Against Celestia, we don’t stand a chance.”

“T-Twilight, wait!” Lauren protested, but it was too late. Twilight took a few steps closer to Celestia, bowing against her in submission. Faust was the next to do so, walking in front of her daughter and bowing as well. It was the best thing to do, at least for them.

Lauren couldn’t believe it. Twilight and Faust basically threw the towel without even trying. They gave up all hope, but what about Celestia? They HAD to save her from her own self. However, it seemed like that wasn’t the plan anymore. With the last of hope Lauren had in her, she looked at Luna. “Luna… we have to…”

Luna bit her lower lip and bowed her head. “Sorry, Lauren,” she mumbled, before walking over towards her sister to repeat what Twilight and Faust had done just a few seconds ago.

Lauren couldn’t believe it. It was really over. She was all alone now. Twilight, Faust and Luna were standing next to Celestia, looking at Lauren with a disappointed frown. A frown filled with defeat and sorrow. “No… no…” she said to herself.

“Very wise, everypony,” Celestia said. “See? Nopony has to be hurt, Lauren.” She raised her leg and extended her hoof, inviting her to join. “It’s all over, Lauren.”

Was it? It seemed that way. With nopony on her side, what could Lauren do? The final beams of hope disappeared from her head. The opportunity to save Celestia, to find out the truth behind her arrival in Equestria, to find out the something that caused Celestia to go insane, all gone now. Lauren stood up, filled with defeat. She wasn’t even sure of her own fate. What would Celestia be prepared to subject her own mother to? Would she be kept in Equestria as the monarch's pet, or chained up deep down in the dungeons? She thought of that as she kept walking towards Celestia.

“You’re making the correct decision, dear Lauren. I knew you wouldn’t disappoint me.” Celestia smiled, standing up straighter than usual.

Lauren had finally arrived in front of Celestia, tears of regret and sorrow shedding from her eyes. She pressed her hooves against the floor and bowed against the Princess, who still had her hoof extended.

“Do not fear, Lauren. I promise you that we shall find the real culprit and we will help you find a way back to your world,” Celestia assured.

Lauren nodded. She didn’t care about anything anymore. She was willing to do anything if that meant to go back home. She only wished to wake up from her nightmare. Slowly, she raised her leg from the floor, submitting to Celestia. It was over, and she didn’t care.

Before Lauren could reach Celestia’s hoof, a familiar voice echoed in her head.

Don't let an illusion blur your judgement, deceive your eyes and mind!

The Real Culprit

Chapter 15: The Real Culprit
*****

Lauren stopped for a second. She had heard some words echoing inside her head, and not just any voice, it definitely was the voice of none other than Princess Celestia. The same sweet, kind and pleasant voice she possessed before her corruption. Although Lauren was still confused, she was still more confused about what the voice said. Don’t allow an illusion to blur your judgment? Just what was the meaning of that?

A single second of silence passed before Lauren looked up at the Celestia before her. The same Celestia who forced Twilight, Luna and even Faust to give up. However, her mouth didn’t move.

Lauren shifted her gaze to her hoof, which was just a centimeter away to greet Celestia’s. Illusion? I… I know it was Celestia who said that, but… she didn’t say anything, did she? She then came to a sudden conclusion, which she was sure it was the cause of it. An… illusion. Is this… an illusion? She glanced at Twilight, who was just waiting for her to surrender against Celestia. Something was wrong. No… I know Twilight. She wouldn’t give up that easily, especially giving up in saving her mentor, Celestia. She took one last glance at her hoof, before making up her mind and sending an order of flinch to her brain, quickly jumping away from Celestia.

Celestia hummed in surprise. “What the?” she tried to protest, but Lauren was looking at her with anger on her eyes. “What are you doing?”

“No! I refuse to give up! I will not submit against you!” Lauren protested, slamming one hoof against the floor.

“Lauren! What are you doing?” Twilight cried. “If you don’t give up… the Princess will…”

“Shut up, Twilight!” Lauren exclaimed, Twilight gasping in surprise. “I am not going to give up to a character I created. That is just plain ridiculous!” The fire within her grew stronger with each claim. “This is an illusion! This is not real!”

Celestia was quietly listening to her, a frown displayed on her face. Certainly, she wasn’t happy with her changing her mind at the very last second.

“Lauren! Quit it! You’re only making it worse!” This time, it was Faust who interrupted. “You alone don’t stand a chance!”

“Hush! I will not allow you to talk to me like that!” Lauren looked at Faust, then at Twilight. “Twilight, I know you wouldn’t give up so easily. No, that’s not the Twilight I created. The Twilight I envisioned would fight until the very end for their loved ones! Especially Princess Celestia!”

Twilight gulped, looking at Celestia with fear, tears beginning to shed from her eyes. “I… no…”

“Drop it now, before you regret it!” Luna warned. Lauren was recklessly throwing claims at them, and with Celestia’s current state, it wasn’t the wisest decision.

“Luna! I’m sorry for what I did to you about Nightmare Moon, but this is YOUR sister we’re talking about. You would even give up your own life to protect her, am I right?” Lauren took a step closer, making herself clear enough for everypony to listen.

Luna couldn’t deny that there was some reason behind Lauren’s words. She looked at her sister, and, like Twilight, she started to tear up as well.

“Too bad,” Celestia replied, finally interrupting Lauren’s speech. “I gave you one chance to submit and you wasted it.” She took a step closer, making Lauren take one step back in response.

“I don’t care! You’re not Celestia! Not the Celestia I created, at least. And honestly, I don’t give a flying feather to what you do to me! You’re nothing but an illusion!” Lauren yelled back. Her horn started to glow, ready for her attack.

“Tsk.” Celestia cringed, taking a step back. “S-shut up.”

Lauren raised an eyebrow, confused about Celestia’s sudden reaction. Was there something within the words she heard in her mind that she had to realize? An… illusion. Of course! She took one step forward, hoping that her theory would be correct. “Yes! This is nothing but a mere illusion! This isn’t happening!”

Celestia groaned, pressing a hoof against her head. “N-no! Shut up!” She took a few steps back, her mouth twitching.

“An illusion! That’s all this is! And nothing more!” Lauren exclaimed at the top of her lungs. “Drop the act! I am Lauren Faust! You can’t fool me, little pony!”

Before anypony knew, Celestia let out a high-pitched scream that pierced through everypony’s ears. Her body began to shine, beams of light escaping through it. It almost seemed like she was about to burst, but instead, she began to slowly fade away, still screaming in agony.

Not only Celestia, but Twilight, Luna and Faust were doing the same. Their bodies lightened up and just like Celestia, they let out loud screams that roared across the throne room.

With a final flash of light, the four lightened mares were gone. Lauren closed her eyes due the intense burst of light, her ears still ringing because of the screams. After a few seconds, the light was gone and Lauren slowly opened her eyes.

What she saw in front of her took her breath.

*****

“Now then, Luna. Hold my hoof! Let’s rule Equestria together! You and I were meant to be one!” Nightmare Moon still had her hoof extended, waiting for Luna to take it.

“Yes… yes.” Luna slowly raised her hoof. It was now just a matter of a couple of seconds before the deal would be done. In just two seconds, she would become one with Nightmare Moon again. In just two seconds, she would become the undisputed ruler of Equestria.

Don’t cling to the past! The evil side never wins! You should know that, Luna! Look within your heart! This is not what you desire!

Luna’s eyes went wide open, immediately recognizing the voice that ran through her head. “C-Celestia?” she stuttered, freezing her hoof in the air, which was just few centimeters away from Nightmare Moon’s.

“What?” Nightmare Moon looked at her. “Hurry, take my hoof!” she ordered.

Luna blinked. That was… that was Celestia! But… her voice… it’s not the Celestia I was battling a while ago. She looked up at Nightmare Moon, whose hoof was still extended in the air, waiting for her to hold it and accept her back in her life. Evil side never wins… this is not what I desire. Luna pulled back her hoof, jumping back from her own alter-ego. “N-no!”

“Luna! What is the meaning of this!? Accept my power, now!” Nightmare Moon ordered, striking one of her hooves against the floor, causing her crystal shoe to inevitably shatter.

Luna thought of the words she heard inside her head, trying to find the sense within them. “Don’t cling to the past,” she repeated. “Nightmare Moon is my past. Not my present.”

Nightmare Moon bit her lower lip. “Luna! Stop fooling around! Time is short! We must rule Equestria together, as one soul!”

“The evil side never wins,” Luna repeated. “Nightmare Moon was defeated by the Elements of Harmony.” She took a step forward to her alter-ego. “They defeated you in order to release me from your evil imprisonment!” Luna pointed her hoof at her. “Thanks to them, I finally reunited back with my sister!”

“N-no! Remember that it was Lauren the one who caused it!” Nightmare Moon reminded her, not willing to let go her only chance to resume the eternal night she had been planning since forever.

“It was not her fault! She is my… our creator.” Luna rolled her eyes, still a bit shell-shocked about that revelation, which would surely change her perspective of life from now on. She returned her gaze to Nightmare Moon. “Within my heart… your power, your body, your soul is something I do not desire!” she exclaimed.

Nightmare Moon cringed, grinding her teeth and taking a step back. “N-no! Luna! Stop!” She lost balance on one of her legs, causing her to lean down.

“Begone, demon! Go back to the rotten place you came from and never return! Die already and never come back!” Luna yelled, her wings fully spread and her horn glowing, prepared to battle her evil self.

A loud scream came out from Nightmare Moon. Her black armor and helmet shattered, causing the broken pieces to vanishing into the air, just like the smoke from the fire. Beams of light began to shoot from within her body. For a second, she took the shape the Celestia with the blue mane.

Luna closed her eyes and placed a hoof in front of them due the bright flash of light. Nightmare Moon’s screams were still echoing with might across the whole room. After a few seconds, they finally faded away, both the screams and the burst of light. Silence shrouded the room, a silence that would be broken as soon as Luna opened her eyes.

*****

“Now, Twilight. Come back to me. Let’s go,” Celestia whispered, with her hoof still extended.

Twilight simply nodded, accepting her beloved mentor’s offer. It was going to be okay now. She was going to have her happy life back. No worries about anything anymore. All she had to do was to hold the Princess’ hoof and it would be all over. All the madness and battles she had with her would be over, and they would go back to how things were before.

My faithful student, don’t abandon your friends only for a false happiness!

Twilight looked at the Princess, confused. Her mouth never opened. “Huh?” She could swear she had just heard Princess Celestia’s voice.

“Twilight? What’s the matter? Go on, hold my hoof. You’ve got nothing to fear now.” Celestia smiled at her. However, it was not her original smile. Not at all. Not even close.

Twilight recalled the voice in her head. It was clearly the Princess’ voice, but it was far different from the Princess right before her. Yes, the voice she heard was from her mentor, the original Celestia, the one whom she loved and cared for. But that was not it. It said something, something very interesting indeed. “False… happiness?” she mumbled, repeating what the voice said inside her mind.

“Twilight, hurry up! Hold my hoof, now!” Celestia ordered, in a rather loud tone, which made Twilight to pull her hoof back in reflex.

“Abandon my friends?” Twilight looked at Lauren’s body, lying a few meters from her. She looked back at Celestia and slowly stepped back. “I… I don’t want to abandon my friends,” she said. “No… not even for… a false happiness.” The pieces fell into place. A faint light dawned in her eyes. It was extremely clear.

“Twilight! I command you to hold my hoof right now if you don’t want to end up like everypony over there!” Celestia exclaimed, taking a step closer and extending her hoof for Twilight to hold it. However, she only received a groan from Twilight as she jumped back from her.

“No! I don’t accept it!” Twilight shouted. Her horn glowed again, flashing her purple, magical aura. “I don’t abandon my friends! Not even for the false happiness you are offering me!” She pointed her hoof at Celestia, quickly striking it against the floor.

Celestia stepped back, one of her eyes twitching. “How… how dare you talk to your mentor like that? You ungrateful wimp!”

“You’re not my mentor! You’re not the real Princess Celestia! You’re nothing but a phony! If I had to give you a name, I would call you Ait Selec!” Twilight exclaimed.

Celestia closed her eyes, pain building within her. “S-stop it! Stop it!” she cried, shaking her head around, messing her purple mane even more. Her eyes shot open, with a clear bloodshot on them.

“Give me back my mentor! My friends! My life!” Twilight yelled, ready to fire her magic beam at any second. She had to save the Princess, no matter what.

“Aaargh!” Celestia screamed, her mouth agape and looking up at the ceiling. Bright beams of light emanated from random points of her body, and so did the bodies of Lauren, Luna and Faust.

The light was getting too bright, forcing Twilight to close her eyes. She could only hear the screams of agony that were coming out from the phony Celestia. Those screeches pierced her ears, but it was a pain that she had to endure if she wanted to see her beloved mentor again.

Little Twilight knew that she would soon be reunited with her.

The screams and light both faded away in a matter of seconds. Signal that Twilight received to open her eyes. Slowly, she opened them. What she saw in front of them made her eyes to shoot wide open.

“P-Princess… C-Celestia!?” Twilight squealed. Right in front of her, was none other than Celestia, the Princess of Equestria. Her glorious pink mane and tail floated magically in the air, with several tiny sparkles coming out of them. She had her crown and royal adornments perfectly polished and shining. Her original smile was displayed on her face.

“Twilight, my faithful student,” Celestia greeted her, extending her wings in happiness. She wanted to say something else, but before she knew, Twilight was already standing in front of her, with tears coming out of her eyes.

“P-Princess… is it really you?” Twilight asked. She could just burst in tears right there. Her legs were shaking in anxiety. Her mentor was back, back at last.

“Yes, Twilight. Do not fear me, I am back,” Celestia assured, sitting on her hind legs to get on Twilight’s level. She extended one hoof and wiped the tears out of her student’s face. “I am back, thanks to you, Twilight.” She smiled.

“P-Princess!” Twilight threw herself at Celestia, wrapping her front legs against her neck and embracing her in a hug. She burst into tears. Never had she been so happy in her life. Not even when she was allowed to live in Ponyville with her friends back when they defeated Nightmare Moon. She wasn’t willing to let go. Her beloved mentor was back, and she wanted to savor every moment.

Celestia simply placed one hoof behind Twilight’s head, while she returned the hug with her other leg. “Twilight. I’ve missed you so much.” A single tear built in her eye, sliding through her cheek. Nopony could explain how she felt right now. It was such a moment that none of the two mares was willing to end.

“P-Princess! I-I’m so happy!” Twilight whimpered. Her joy exploded to a whole new level. Just a few moments ago, the Princess was about to annihilate her, but now, she was hugging the real Princess.

After a few seconds, Celestia broke the hug, smiling and looking at Twilight, who was still lost in tears. “Listen, Twilight. I wish we could continue, but there’s no time.” Her smile was wiped from her face, and instead, a serious look was displayed on it.

Twilight tried to stop whimpering to listen to what the Princess had to say. She wiped the remaining tears from her eyes and looked at her. “W-what do you mean, Princess?”

“I’m talking about the evil mind behind this, the one who caused me to act like I acted.” Celestia closed her eyes for a few seconds. “The real culprit. The one who forced me to almost eliminate you.”

Twilight tilted her head to the side. Now that she mentioned it, Faust mentioned it earlier. The ‘something’ that was causing her mentor to act like that. “Who, who is it?” Twilight hesitantly asked. She needed an immediate answer, so they could stop whatever it was.

“Twilight,” Celestia whispered, her eyes still closed. “Close your eyes with me.”

Twilight doubted for a second, but agreed to do so. She closed her eyes, unsure of what her mentor would request her to do.

“When I count to three, you will open your eyes, okay?”

“Understood, Princess.”

“Listen to me very carefully. Once you open them, the real culprit will be before your eyes. Whoever it is, you must stop it, no matter what, understood?”

Twilight gulped, not expecting to listen something like that. So, it was the time now. Once she opened her eyes, she was going to face the horrible creature, who caused all the pain to not only Celestia, but to Luna, Lauren and Faust as well. “Understood, Princess”

“Don’t worry, my faithful student. I will be by your side until the very end. I love you, Twilight.”

“I love you too, Princess.”

“Now then. Count with me…”

“One…”

“Two…”

“Three!”

*****

“S-sister!” Luna gasped. Suddenly, she felt unable to talk. She couldn’t believe what her eyes were showing her. Her sister was right in front of her. She didn’t look like the Celestia she was battling moments ago at all.

“Luna… how I have missed you,” Celestia claimed, smiling at her sister.

Luna was still not sure what happened. Just a while ago, Nightmare Moon burst in a flash, and now, her sister was in front of her, with her pink mane and tail gracefully glowing in the air. She couldn’t help but run to her, bursting into tears. “T-Tia!” she cried, throwing her legs and wrapping them around her sister.

“Luna… I’m back,” Celestia whispered, hugging her sister back, not as strong as she was hugging.

“Is it really you?” Luna asked, between sobs. As heartwarming as it was, she couldn’t let her guard down. She had been deceived lots of times before, and she was not in the mood for another one.

“Yes, Luna. I promise you, it is really me,” Celestia assured, scratching behind Luna’s left ear with her hoof. “See? Remember how you loved when I scratched behind your ear when we were younger?”

Luna let out a quick snicker, shivering a little because of the scratching. “I-It is you…” she muttered. “I’m so glad!”

Celestia nodded, pulling herself from Luna’s embrace and looking at her. “Listen to me, sister. We can continue this later. For now, there’s something you have to do for me.”

“Y-yes?” Luna asked. As much as she wanted to keep hugging her sister, she noticed the seriousness on that last sentence. It definitely wasn’t any kind of joke or anything.

“We must still catch the culprit. The one who is behind all what has been happening so far.” Celestia closed her eyes, taking Luna’s hooves on her own.

“Who is it!?” Luna asked. “I will make that monster pay for what it has done to us!”

“Luna, listen carefully. Close your eyes,” Celestia requested.

Luna wasn’t sure where Celestia was going with that, but she wasn’t going to question her. Not even after being reunited back with her. “Alright.” She proceeded to close them.

“Now then, listen carefully. Once you open your eyes, the real culprit will appear before you.”

“Understood.”

“You must stop it, no matter what. Got it?”

“Yes, got it.”

“Very well then. Do not fear, little sister, for I will be next to you until the end. Never give up.”

“I won’t, Tia. You can count on me.”

“If that’s the case, once I count up to three, you’ll open your eyes.”

“One…”

“Two…”

“Three!”

*****

“C-Celestia!?” Lauren rubbed her eyes with her hooves. Was she dreaming or something?

“It’s nice to see you again, Lauren,” Celestia said, giving her a warm smile.

“Your mane! It’s pink! That means…”

“Yes. I have been freed from the terrible spell that the culprit cast on me,” Celestia explained. “I’m so very sorry for everything that has happened. Not only for what you’ve been facing, but also because of what you’ve been through since you arrived here at Equestria.”

Lauren took a few steps closer to Celestia. “Are you sure you’re yourself? Do you think you could answer me some questions?”

“Yes, Lauren. You are my mother,” Celestia said. “You created me, after all. Not only me, but the whole of Equestria.”

“Do you mean that…”

“Yes. I know all about it. I know who I am and how I was created. It was all thanks to you,” Celestia said, walking towards Lauren.

“I… see…” Lauren bowed her head, quickly looking back at Celestia. “So, who or what caused you to do what you did? You know, going all nuts and stuff.”

“That’s where I was going next, Lauren. Please close your eyes,” Celestia requested, sitting in front of her and looking her directly at her eyes.

“Eh, what for?” Lauren wasn’t sure what would she gain from that.

“I am going to remove the spell that the culprit has cast upon you. Trust me.” Celestia closed her eyes.

“Spell? So this was all an illusion spell created by that culprit?” Lauren asked, receiving a nod from Celestia. “Okay then,” she sighed, closing her eyes as well. She was still nervous from Celestia's earlier stunts, but she had to remain calm.

“Listen to me. The culprit will be revealed once you open your eyes.”

Lauren gulped. She was caught off guard by that comment.

“Do not be afraid. I will be by your side to aid you to stop the culprit, as you are the only one who can stop it.”

“O-okay.”

“Very well then. When I count to three, you will open your eyes. Be ready for whatever appears before you, alright?”

“Y-yes.” Lauren was still nervous. This was it. The real culprit. The one who caused all the pain to Celestia was finally going to appear before her. But who was it, and why would it do that? The answers to those questions were going to be revealed as soon as Celestia would be done counting.

“Okay then. You have to be brave. Be brave, be the bravest ever.”

“One…”

“Two…”

“Three!”

*****

Twilight, Luna and Lauren opened their eyes at the same time. They were standing next to each other, but they didn’t notice right away, since their gaze was fixed towards whatever would appear in front of them. Celestia had told them that the culprit would appear right before them. Little they suspected of who it turned out to be.

“Curse you, Celestia,” a very familiar voice said. “Curse you,” it repeated.

The three mares’ hearts pumped hard. They gulped, feeling parasprites flying wildly all inside their bellies. Obviously, Celestia was just playing a prank of them. It just could not possibly be.

“It’s over, Faust. Or should I say, ‘mother’?” Celestia’s voice sounded from behind everypony.

Right in front of Twilight, Luna and Lauren, was none other than Faust. The one who saved them when Celestia was about to defeat Luna. The one who showed them the events from thousands of years ago. The one who promised them to find the culprit who was torturing Celestia and put a stop to it. Lauren's self-proclaimed alter ego, her other half. She was there, standing in front of them, with her head bowed, staring at the floor.

As much as anypony wanted to say something about the matter, the knots in their throats made them unable to. They could just stare, unable to react in any more constructive way.

This just can’t be true! Lauren was expecting anything else but her.

“Ah ha ha,” Faust chuckled. “Well, well... this was quite an unexpected twist of events, wasn't it? I can’t believe you three managed to break free from my illusionary spell. Ah, well, I guess I shouldn’t have underestimated Celestia.”

“What the... how can you... I don’t even...” Lauren stuttered. It couldn’t be true. Faust had to be playing some sort of prank on them.

“My dear Lauren, I told you earlier, didn’t I? I told you, I want your life!” Faust exclaimed, raising her head to look at her. She had the wickedest of grins displayed on her face.

“Faust. It’s over. You lost.” Celestia began walking towards her. “You have done enough harm to everypony. I’m going to stop you and give Twilight, Luna and Lauren a future!”

“Future, you say?” Faust snickered, bowing her head once again and spreading her wings. “Very well then, allow me to show you...” She raised her head, her eyes flashing red, still with the same wicked grin on her face. “Your future!”

One Soul: Part I

Chapter 16: One Soul (Part I)
*****

Even though the weather wasn’t cold at all, Lauren could feel chills running through her entire body. It was a sensation that she had felt before. It was moments ago, when Celestia first showed her evil side. But now it was different, so different. This time, her sixth sense was plucked by Faust's presence; the one who everypony branded a saviour, who would free Celestia from the curse. But who would have thought that malevolent external force was none other than Faust?

Luna, much like Twilight, was dumbfounded, unable to speak. It was too much of a shock to do anything about it. It probably was as shocking as when Lauren revealed herself as the creator of Equestria. However, something was still not correct. Something was out of place.

Faust spread her wings as her horn glowed. Her blood-tainted eyes were wide open and she was staring directly at Celestia. “I will end you, Celestia!” she yelled, pushing her hooves off the ground and flying towards her.

Celestia immediately jumped in front of everypony, her face frowning in anger. It was just a matter of seconds until Faust impacted Celestia. The battling alicorns' horns met, each struggling for control over the other. Celestia did not move an inch, empowered by more than her innate strength. She fought to secure her true mother's fate; she fought to save her family, home and country from a perversion of her world's creator.

Lauren, Luna and Twilight were witnessing everything from a short distance behind Celestia. They had to do something. They couldn’t just stay there and do nothing like they had been doing a lot recently. Celestia had told them that once they opened their eyes, they had to stop the culprit. And that was exactly what they were going to do.

“Don’t you dare hurt the Princess, you monster!” Twilight exclaimed, building magic on her horn, aiming directly at Faust. “Get away from her!” she shouted, still harboring a speck of hope that this conflict could be resolved by more or less peaceful means. She was still unprepared to use a school of magic designed exclusively for bringing grievous harm to others; maintaining her moral standards served as a bedrock of sanity in a world newly uprooted and upturned. She did not wish to create a second monster to match the first, so she only used a simple knockback beam.

Faust cringed, and Celestia seized the opportunity to push her away, violently throwing her across the room. She rolled and impacting a wall, groaning in pain. Meanwhile, Twilight ran next to the Princess, her horn pointing at the Faust, ready for any attack that the evil alicorn might bring to the table.

Luna and Lauren looked at each other and nodded, running next to Celestia, their horns shining with magic. Celestia glanced at them and smiled, looking back at the other side of the room where Faust was.

“So if you’re the real culprit,” Twilight said. “That means, thousands of years ago—”

“Yes, Twilight… I was the one who caused Celestia to go mad and attack Luna,” Faust replied from the other side of the room. She grinned and raised herself from the floor, getting back on her hooves. “When Celestia first raised the sun, I drove her mad.” She took a few steps closer, thing that caused everypony to ready their horns.

“It was you who forced me to attack Luna. I was always right.” Celestia bowed her head. “Back when I blamed you for attacking her, I wasn’t just spitting nonsense. I knew it was you all along!” she exclaimed.

“Indeed, Celestia, you were right when you accused me of attacking your sister. Even though you physically did it, it was me the one who forced you to do it. I was the one who locked away your harmony, causing the pink color on your mane to fade away.” Faust shook her head, still a bit dazzled because of the impact. “After the incident happened, I tried to take away your memories. However, it didn’t go as planned, and you ended up remembering a bit about me, as you can recall.”

“So, the spell which you inflicted upon my fair sister?” Luna interrupted.

“It was combined with my amnesia spell. My curse would force her to act like that again if she ever met me again,” Faust explained. “I altered her sanity locks to break if they ever saw my face again. You can see why she went mad after meeting you, Lauren.”

“But, she didn’t break right away!” Twilight protested.

“It was because my spell didn’t activate right away. It was Celestia’s own will which avoided the locks from breaking any faster, but in the end, they broke anyway.” Faust smiled and let out a chuckle. “With Celestia under my power, I was sure I could make you disappear, Lauren.”

“Celestia was under your power?” Lauren asked. All the pieces were slowly starting to fall together. However, there were still a few loose ends which still were bugging Lauren.

“Indeed she was. In fact, she has been under my power since that day when I cast the spell on her.” Faust voice wasn’t showing any doubt or fear. “At least, she was up until I made the foolish mistake to split her into three.”

“What does that mean?” Luna asked.

“Celestia’s mane. It didn’t have the pink color. I had assumed her harmony was locked deeply within my spell, so I foolishly split the other colors on her mane into three entities, unaware of what she had done.” Faust took a step closer to them.

A smirk appeared on Celestia’s face. “You thought I was still under your control. But splitting myself into three just weakened that lock that you had cast on me.”

“Indeed,” Faust replied, playing around with her mane with a hoof. “It was only a matter of destroying those phony Celestias to awaken the real one, and surprise, you all managed to free Celestia from my spell, and at the same time, free yourselves from my illusion.”

“Well, seems like we’ve wrecked your plans,” Lauren said. Everything Faust said was shocking, sure, but it seemed that she failed. Celestia was now free of her spell. What now? What could she possibly do now?

“Oh, have you?” Faust said, with a smug smile on her face. “Do you think it’s already over only because you have Celestia on your side?”

“No. It was over the moment Lauren arrived in Equestria. With her, we will destroy you once and for all!” Celestia struck a hoof against the floor. “I won’t let you threaten my subjects and all the living creatures who co-exist in Equestria!”

“I couldn’t care less about Equestria, since this is not the life I want,” Faust claimed, looking at Lauren.

Lauren raised an eyebrow in confusion. Not the life she wanted? Suddenly, she remembered something she had heard before. Something that was bothering for a while now. Hold on… ‘I want your life’? Wait! Don’t tell me — she wants to have my Craig!

“Yes, Lauren! I do not want this life in Equestria. Not this life as the creator of Equestria. I don’t want this world, I don’t want this body. What I desire, is your REAL life, and your special somepony will be MINE! ALL MINE!” Faust exclaimed, licking her lips in anxiety. “I will become the real Lauren Faust! And you shall perish along with this imaginary land!”

Lauren’s eyes were wide open. She tried to analyze everything she had heard so far. “So… so that’s what you meant when you said you wanted my life? You want to steal my life back in the real world!” She only received a chortle from Faust. “No way! I won’t let you! My life is my life! I won’t give it away to a simple technicolor pony like you!”

Faust chortled, her grin as wide as a mile from ear to ear. “Too bad for you. There is no escape now. Now, be a good filly and cooperate.” She spread her wings again, ready to launch herself at them with another attack. She couldn’t be careless, though. She first had to do something about Luna and Twilight, who would probably be an annoyance for the fulfillment of her goal.

“Don’t drop your guard, and be ready for anything,” Celestia said, fixing her gaze at Faust. “If she tries to launch herself at us like she did, back off and aim at her horn.”

“Her horn? Why?” Lauren asked.

“If we can block her magic, it’s all over. A horn is the weak spot of a unicorn, much like wings are the weak spot of a pegasus.” Celestia took a step forward. “However, she is a sneaky foe. She might have plenty of tricks under her hoof, so be extremely careful.”

“Understood, Princess.” Twilight nodded. Even if she was only a unicorn, she had to help as much as she could. She was the Element of Magic, after all. Not only that, but the most skilled unicorn in all of Equestria. Or at least that’s what Celestia claimed the day of her entrance exam. Regardless, Faust was not a foe that could be taken slightly. If she could easily control Celestia and force her to battle the way she did, she could certainly be more of a threat.

“I will first take care of you two, little pests!” Faust looked at Twilight and Luna, taking a step forward and disappearing from sight with a single flash of light from her horn.

Heads turned around wildly as everypony tried to spot the recently vanished mare, who was even more dangerous out of sight. They looked at the ceiling, at the walls, even at the floor, but there wasn’t any sign of a power-hungry, cream colored alicorn.

“Don’t drop your guard! Stay alert!” Celestia commanded, rolling her eyes to look at every single corner of the room.

It was only a matter of seconds until a burst of light emanated from the other side of the room, opposite to where Faust was originally standing. The first pony to notice it was Luna, who recklessly threw herself towards the origin of the light. Twilight, Lauren and Celestia couldn’t help but just watch as the light took the form of Faust.

“Got you!” Luna threw her body and slammed Faust, causing both alicorns to roll over until they hit a wall. Faust grunted, taken by surprise. Luckily, for Luna, she ended up on top on Faust, allowing her to punch Faust right on the face with a hoof. The bone cracking sound of Luna’s punch caused Faust to let out a groan, followed by a snicker, as if nothing really touched her at all.

“No, I got you,” Faust said, arching her hind legs and violently bucking Luna off from her. The sound of her hooves slamming against Luna was a pleasant melody for her.

“Waah!” Luna flew across the room. The strong buck from Faust caused her to lose her breath, not to mention that she might now have a broken rib, since she felt a very strong pulsation within her chest area.

“Luna!” Celestia spread her wings and jumped in the air, just in time to catch her sister before she hit the ground. However, the speed of Luna’s body was too fast for her to contain. Celestia, unwilling to let her sister to suffer any further damage, swiftly managed to roll her body, holding Luna by her back to cushion the impact for her.

“Princess!” Twilight ran to Celestia’s aid. She almost moved by reflex, leaving Lauren all alone and forgetting everything about Faust. Right now, she only cared to check on the Princess.

“T-Twilight! Stop!” Celestia exclaimed, moving from under her sister to get back on her hooves. However, the heavy impact from just moments ago was still holding her down.

Before Twilight could step any closer, Faust appeared in front of her, with her trademark malevolent grin displayed on her face. Twilight gulped, jumping back to avoid contact with the alicorn. She lit her horn, ready to attack at any moment, but Faust was quicker, much quicker than her. The last thing Twilight noticed was a blinding light against her eyes. In just an instant, her world went black.

“Twilight!” Lauren couldn’t do anything but stare at the scene. Twilight was lying on the floor, with a few sparks of magic were running in frenzy all around her body. Celestia, desperate to help her student, struggled from under Luna, still unable to raise herself from the floor.

“Heh, that was rather easy. Element of Magic, yeah, right,” Faust chortled and turned her head to Lauren. “Now, let’s—”

“S-shut up!” a faint voice said.

Everypony rolled their eyes towards the origin of the voice. Faust took a few steps back as the unicorn started to sloppily trying to get back on her hooves. Faust did not expect for Twilight to be conscious after that magic attack. She was sure that bolt of magic would have been enough to take out a puny unicorn like her.

“T-There’s a severe problem w-with you,” Twilight said between gasps. “You just love to underestimate us, don’t you?” She was a bit hurt by the potent shock that ran through her body, but nothing she could not withstand. The shock was nothing compared to the botched magic spells that would fire back at her when she was studying magic with the Princess.

I have to do something! I have to help. Lauren looked around the room, looking for something that could possibly aid her. Luckily, for her, there was something. Something that amazingly had survived the atrocious battle held right in that very same throne room. Aha! The chandelier! It’s just above Faust. If I could only shoot a beam of magic towards the chain, it would squash her!

“I’m impressed, wimp. Not just anypony manages to stand up after a shocking magic spell.” However, that was not Faust’s biggest concern.

Twilight frowned, her legs still shivering because of the shock. She didn’t say anything, instead, she only focused on recovering from that brutal shock.

“Heh, you seem to have a very impressive resistance. No wonder why Celestia chose you as her own protégé.” Faust gave one of her fake smiles. The ones she had been giving all the time before everypony discovered she was the mastermind behind what was going on with Celestia. In just a second, she replaced that fake smile with her wicked grin. “Let’s see if you have resistance for this!”

In less than a second, Faust arched one of her hooves and swung it at Twilight from under her chin. The uppercut connected, causing the unicorn to groan in pain and jump in the air for a brief seconds. Faust swiftly spun her body and thrust her hind legs against Twilight, bucking her as hard as Applejack would buck an apple tree in applebuck season.

“Oof.” That was everything Twilight managed to say. The potency of the uppercut was strong enough to break anypony’s jaw, but it didn’t seem that hers was broken. However, the buck was the fatal blow. She felt as her chest burnt in pain while she flew across the room.

“Twilight!” Celestia cried. This time, she wasn’t able to jump and catch her. She couldn’t do anything but watch as her faithful student crashed violently against the wall. Tears began to flow from her eyes as she squirmed from under her unconscious sister. What if she was badly hurt? She had to go and check on her right now.

“Ah ha ha, that felt SO good,” Faust laughed, but it was not a common laugh. She laughed like a maniac would do; mouth agape and eyes looking at the ceiling. She couldn’t contain herself. It was too rich. She had gotten rid of Twilight and Luna, and now it was time for Celestia to join them. “Well, Celestia. Now you’re going to—”

A shattering sound was heard from above. The sort of sound a rope would make when snapped. It was the chandelier. Lauren had fired a beam of magic directly to the chain, which was holding the enormous chandelier on the ceiling. The round, golden chandelier was right above Faust. Lauren’s plan was going to work. Once she got crushed with that chandelier, it would be all over. She was only waiting for Twilight to move away, even though she didn’t want her to back off like she did; a buck right to her chest.

Lauren looked as the chandelier began to fall upon a clueless Faust. She was going to get crushed. It was just a matter of seconds. However, something happened. Something that made Lauren gasp in shock. No… no! Her eyes went wide open as she witnessed what just happened.

Just before the chandelier hit Faust, she had cast a force field around her, causing the chandelier to shatter in thousands of pieces against it. Faust turned her head to look at Lauren and grinned. “Foolish little Lauren. I can read your thoughts! I knew what you were planning to do!” she claimed, mocking her for her ignorance.

“You sick monster! First you cause all this mess by dragging me to Equestria.” Lauren took a step forward.

“Hah, you little—”

“Shut up!” Lauren yelled. She was not in the mood to listen to any more of Faust’s arrogant claims. She was totally not going to let a cake-colored cartoon pony to insult her. “First, you cause all this mess with Celestia. After that, you come and drag me to Equestria, and then you go and reveal yourself and claim to be our friend just to backstab us by making us believe Celestia was the evil one.” Lauren kept walking forward to Faust, not caring about the crystal shards scattered all over the floor due the chandelier. “Then, you have the guts to physically assault Luna and Twilight, and you actually enjoy it!”

Faust was quietly listening to Lauren with a smirk on her face, amused by the little alicorn’s outburst. Was she finally going to do something productive, instead of spouting baseless accusations?

“Just what kind of sick monster are you!?” Lauren stared at Faust, anger built within her eyes.

Faust let out a faint chuckle. “Oh, the irony…” she whispered. Lauren raised an eyebrow in confusion. “You are me! I am you! I am not a monster. You are the monster!” Faust exclaimed.

“No! You’re wrong! I would never do this!” Lauren’s eye twitched. Her fuse was about to run out. She just needed another word from Faust. Any sound emanating from her mouth would suffice. “I will end you!” Lauren bowed her head, pointing her horn at Faust. However, she did not shoot any kind of beam or anything, instead, she ran towards her, with a single impulse to tackle her and possibly impale Faust on her horn on, assuming it was sharp enough.

Faust’s grin was no longer displaying on her face, and instead, it was replaced with a face of surprise. Just before Lauren would contact her, she didn’t think twice to spread her wings and soar to the air. “F-fool!” she said while letting out a gasp of relief, looking at her alter ego from above.

“Get down here! It’s not fair! I don’t even know how to fly well!” Lauren complained, but was it really the time to be complaining about not being able to fly? Sure, Rainbow had taught her some basics of staying airborne, but today, she was supposed to take lessons with her, instead of battling for her own life.

“Once I get your real life, you will have plenty of time to master the art of flight in this forsaken land of technicolor equinoids.” Faust fully spread her wings, ready to take aim for her next attack. However, she stopped as she felt a presence behind her. She had forgotten about somepony, and she would soon regret in doing so. She wanted to turn around and see for herself, but the only thing she could do was stand there as she heard a cracking noise, followed by a calamitous pain exploding in her wings. In all the millenia of experience that Faust had meticulously collected in her capacity as Equestria's puppetmaster, she never experienced physical pain.

“Yeaaargh!” Faust screamed, losing control of her body and crashing against the floor. She kept squealing in agony as she rolled on the floor, trying to stop the burning sensation in her wings. She was prepared to rip them clean off, if only to stop the horrible, searing pain and be over with it. The pain was just increasing and increasing the longer she kept moving them around.

Lauren looked up at Celestia, who was flying right behind where Faust was. She took a few steps back, looking at the agonizing alicorn moaning in pain. It took her a few seconds to realize what just happened, but it was as clear as water. D-did Celestia… break her wings!? She couldn’t believe it. Even when faced with the most evil pony in the whole world, Celestia would never break their wings or do something as atrocious as that. Or would she?

“Lauren! Go check on Twilight and Luna, please. I will deal with her now,” Celestia requested, pointing a hoof towards the two mares lying on the other side of the room.

“You… you broke her wings!” Lauren exclaimed. The high-pitched moans of Faust still echoed through the whole room, making communication between the two alicorns a bit difficult.

“I have never used physical violence in thousands of years, but I had no choice. We must stop her at all costs, even if that means tearing apart every piece of her body!” Celestia was determined to finish Faust with her own hooves. Not only she attacked Luna, but Twilight, and she was going to pay for that. “Please, go now and check on them!”

Lauren didn’t really have much of a choice. She simply nodded and ran towards Luna, who was still knocked out. If that violent thrust on the chest was strong enough to defeat Luna, an alicorn Princess, how bad would it be on a simple little unicorn like Twilight? That question haunted Lauren’s mind as she tried to avoid thinking about the worst scenario.

“M-my wings!” Faust kept squealing. She knew that just screaming wouldn’t fix her wings. She had to react soon or Celestia could make the next move and finish her off. “C-curse you… Celestia,” she gasped, clenching her teeth to focus her mind on anything other than the unstoppable pain.

“You… you dared to attack my sister and my student, you horrible monster.” Celestia slowly began to descend until her hooves touched the floor. She looked down at the damaged alicorn. A single lock of her pink mane ignited into a small flame, suddenly followed by other flames appearing around not only her mane, but her tail as well.

Faust groaned. “T-those flames… n-no!” As much as she wanted to attack Celestia, she was restricted by the pain.

“You will pay for everything you have done, demon.” More and more tiny bubbles of flames began to emanate from Celestia, some of them fusing with other bubbles to form a greater flame. The room started to get warmer as the flames completely replaced both mane and tail from Celestia. She was literally on fire.

Lauren arrived with Luna and Twilight, turning her head for a second to look at Celestia. “What the?” She looked at the blazing alicorn, whose mane and tail were replaced with burning streaks of flames. She looked like Twilight would look when angered, and Celestia wasn’t exactly the happiest mare in Equestria.

“You shall meet your fate!” Celestia yelled, spreading her wings to soar into the air once again. “You will taste the fires of the same Sun, whose image you corrupted on that fateful day, many centuries ago!”

Faust closed her eyes for an instant, opening them immediately to reveal the same flashy, red eyes from before. “You will not defeat me, Celestia!” She jumped from the floor, as if the pain drilling within her broken wings was gone. She stood and looked up at Celestia “This is when the real fun begins!”

Lauren dragged both Luna and Twilight as far as she could from Celestia and Faust to avoid a close encounter with the upcoming battle. However, Lauren knew that she would have to join the battle eventually and strike the finishing blow to her deranged alter ego. Oh, how I wish I were at home, drinking a hot cup of green tea, instead of fighting for my fate, and the fate of so many others, pony and human alike. “Why did I ever create this show in the first place?” she spoke barely above a whisper, yet everypony in Canterlot and Ponyville alike heard her quite clearly, and all bowed to their world's true creator, unseen by the subject of their supplications.

One Soul: Part II

Chapter 17: One Soul (Part II)
*****

Spike had finally finished his chores. The floor was clean, the dishes washed, and all of the several of bookshelves were dusted. Not a single trace of dust or stain was on sight. He wasn’t Twilight’s number one assistant for nothing, after all.

Content with his hard work, Spike decided to go to the kitchen and prepare a ruby sandwich to satisfy his hunger. He had some leftovers from when he helped Rarity to dig gems, several days ago. Although, she still owed him some gems for his hard work from yesterday.

Just seconds before Spike could open the fridge, the door knocked. He sighed and left to greet whoever was out there, interrupting his well-deserved meal. “Coming.” He walked towards the door and opened it, looking at not one, but the three guests in front of him.

“Howdy, Spike.” Applejack offered a smile as she greeted the dragon. “Is Twilight and Lauren ‘round here?” Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie were standing right behind her, probably wondering the same question.

“Nope. Twilight and Lauren got a letter from the Princess, so they left for Canterlot earlier this morning. They haven’t returned yet,” Spike explained. “Oh, right.” He took a few steps back, extending his arm to invite them to come in. “Please, come in.”

The three mares nodded and walked inside, except for Pinkie, who decided to bounce her way in, as usual. The library was amazingly clean. They weren’t sure if they had ever seen the library so clean before. Sure, after the party last night, there was lots of cleaning to do.

“So they aren’t home?” Rainbow tilted her head around. “And I wanted to teach that Lauren how to spread her wings and fly.” She felt a bit disappointed. She had even finished her weather schedule extra fast that morning, just to teach Lauren to fly.

“Didn’t Twilight tell you when were they going to come back?” Applejack asked, trotting around the library.

“Nope. Not a clue. They just left without telling me why the Princess called. I don’t know if they’re still there, or if they’re on their way back.” Spike shrugged.

“Oooh, I bet they’re having a super wacky party, and they didn’t invite us!” Pinkie exclaimed, out of nowhere. “Well, maybe when they come back, we can throw them a welcome party!” She bounced on her hooves in anticipation.

“Pinkie… we just HAD a welcome party last night,” Rainbow replied. “You know, sometimes I worry about you, wanting to party every five seconds.”

“Oh, Dashie! There is never enough fun, as there are never enough parties!” Pinkie began hopping around the library, eyes closed and with a wide smile on her face. She was sure the happiest soul in that room.

Applejack rolled her eyes, unwilling to join the conversation and comment about something she’d probably regret saying. “Well, that’s too bad. What about Fluttershy and Rarity? Have you seen them?”

“Well, Rarity came by to drop me, since I slept last night at the boutique. After that, she left. I think it’s her get-together day with Fluttershy.” Spike still remembered that night at the boutique. He had slept in Sweetie’s room, since she was with her parents. Even if he slept in the most girly bedroom ever, it was a secret only he and Rarity would now.

“Well, aren’t they the sweetest?” Applejack looked at Rainbow, who returned a confused stare at her. “Maybe we should try one of those get-together thingy days, eh, Rainbow?”

“What? Are you out of your mind? I hate spas!” Rainbow took a step forward. “Besides, we already had a get-together day, yesterday at the farm, what else do you—”

Why did I ever create this show in the first place?

Everypony in the room stopped doing whatever they were doing. They blinked, proceeding to turn their heads to look around and to each other. What was that thing they just had heard? It sounded like a voice, a very familiar voice. Finally, Applejack seemed to be the first one ready to speak.

“Did y’all hear that?” Applejack looked at Pinkie, then at Rainbow, who nodded. “It sounded like the voice… of Ms. Lauren.” She recalled the tone of the voice. Smooth and sweet, just like Lauren’s. But hold on, she was supposed to be in Canterlot with Twilight.

Rainbow looked around the room, but the owner of the voice was not to be found. “But, isn’t she at Canterlot? Where did that voice come from, anyway?” She looked at Pinkie, hoping that she would have a clue of what was that all about. However, she got distracted with a lock of her mane, which was bouncing in front of her face as she tilted her head. “Pinkie!”

“Oh, what is it?” Pinkie snapped back to reality, staring at Rainbow Dash. “Did you guys hear anything?”

“Yes, Pinkie. It was Lauren’s voice. I’m sure of it,” Applejack said, raising a hoof to tap her chin. “But she’s not here, and we all heard it, right, Spike?”

Spike nodded. He was curious as well about the origin of the voice. However, was the voice really the most important part of the message?

“But, did you hear to what she said?” Rainbow added. “She said something like… ‘Why did I create this show in the first place’ or something.” As hard as she tried to find any meaning to that message, Rainbow hadn’t the slightest idea.

“Show? What show? And what does she regret creating?” Applejack’s questions had a reason. The message was confusing in many aspects. “First, how did everypony hear it? Second, why was it in Lauren’s voice? And third, what’s the meaning of it?” The other two mares, and Spike, shrugged. They were just as clueless as Applejack.

“Uh, I don’t know. This sounds too weird to me. Let’s go find Rarity and Fluttershy. Maybe they heard that thing as well?” Rainbow walked towards the door. Everypony nodded and decided to follow her. It was no mystery where they were, though. Obviously, they were at Ponyville’s spa, so it would be a short trip.

“But, wait! What if Twilight and Lauren come back?” Spike asked, before anypony could put one hoof outside the library.

“Then you stay here and wait for them. We’ll be right back with Rarity and Fluttershy,” Applejack replied. Rainbow had already left the library, followed by Pinkie, who, as usual, bounced her way out.

“Aww, but I wanted to see Ra—I mean, eh…” Spike couldn’t deny the fact that he was wishing to see a recently groomed Rarity coming out of the spa. The sole thought of her perfectly washed mane caused his cheeks to acquire a deep red color.

“Fine, you can go with Rainbow and Pinkie, I’ll stay here.” Applejack rolled her eyes, unwilling to start a tiresome and unnecessary argument.

Spike let out a silly giggle and left the library along with Rainbow and Pinkie, leaving Applejack all alone. He closed the door behind, forgetting about the ruby sandwich he was going to make.

“Yeah, Spike. You’re welcome,” Applejack grunted, somewhat pissed that she didn’t even receive a ‘thanks’ from Spike. She looked around the empty and cleaned library, wondering what she should do to pass the time in case Twilight and Lauren decided to come back. It was going to be either them or everypony who went to look for the two missing mares. “Well, I guess a quick peek ‘round wouldn’t hurt anypony.”

Applejack walked around the room, looking at all the sorts of books and gadgets Twilight had. There were plenty of books about almost every matter. “Hmm, I wonder if there’s a book about applebuckin’. Well, never mind. I could ask Twilight later. It would take me ages to find it in this sea of books.” Done with the foyer, she thought to herself about checking upstairs. She had been there before. That time with Twilight and Rarity at the sleepover.

Somewhat unwilling, Applejack decided to venture herself into Twilight’s room, which was also like a second floor. Her curiosity grew stronger about the voice she had heard, so she thought she could find something related to it. Applejack walked upstairs, her hooves clopping hard against the wooden floor as she advanced. Finally, she arrived to the book land, which Twilight called room.

Applejack looked around, noticing not much of a difference from the foyer. There were still lots of bookshelves, items, and of course, books. She climbed up to Twilight’s bed, where she noticed the extra bed she had shared with Rarity in that sleepover. Memories suddenly burst into her mind, but it was not the time for that. “Hmm, that’s probably where Lauren slept.” She turned her body, ready to leave the scene, when a certain scroll on Twilight’s nightstand drew her attention.

“No, Applejack. You would never peek on Twilight’s documents.” Applejack wasn’t lying. She truly wouldn’t, but her curiosity at that time was too much to make her consider the possibility of an exception. “Wait, it was the Royal seal attached to it. It must be a letter from the Princess,” she said. Even though she was talking alone, with nopony to hear, she was used to it. “I wonder what it says?”

Applejack extended her mouth and opened it to retrieve the scroll from the table. As soon as she pressed her teeth together to hold the paper, a chill ran through her entire body. Her head spun, just like she had being hit with something really hard. “Anngh.” She closed her eyes. The headache turned into a migraine. She spat the letter and pressed a hoof against her forehead, however, the pain did nothing but increase. “H-help!” she called, but nopony heard her. Soon enough, she lost the balance on her hooves and tripped. The burning pain that ran through her head didn’t seem anywhere near to end. It was only a matter of time before she would black out.

Before her world went dark, she clearly heard the words of the Princess.

Element of Honesty, I beg you. Open this letter and drop it on the middle of the library. Two lives will be saved if done so.

“P-Prin… cess…” Applejack closed her eyes. The pain piercing her skull began to fade away. She was not conscious to feel it, though. But her body was now at peace, free of any harm.

*****

Each gasp, each stare, each single breath that came from Lauren was filled with confusion. Confusion about the overwhelming battle that was about to begin before her eyes. She was standing in front of both Twilight and Luna, who were still knocked out by Faust’s savage attacks. Lauren couldn’t really grasp the concept about her own self being an evil being. The whole events that led to that very moment were still too hard to believe.

“Just wake me up from this nightmare,” Lauren whispered to herself. “I’m useless. I can’t help in here. Twilight and Luna got injured and I couldn’t do anything to stop it.” She bowed her head, her hind legs bending and making her sit down on the floor. “What can I do besides running and hoping for Celestia or anyone to save me? How can I defeat my own so-claimed self?” Her hooves met her face as she started sobbing, drowning herself in her own sorrow.

“There is… no use to… pity yourself…” a faint voice said from behind Lauren.

Lauren’s ears twitched, reacting to the voice that weakly spoke to her. She gasped and spun her head, hoping to find the source of the familiar voice. It was Luna. She had barely opened one eye, however, still motionless on the floor. “L-Luna!” She squat in front of her, looking down at her with a certain smile of relief on her face. “Are you okay?”

Luna managed to offer a faint smile, before opening her mouth to reply the question. “I… underestimated her. That buck to my chest… really hurt.” She shivered, remembering the fierce hooves kicking with anger against her. She was only grateful her head or neck weren’t the target.

“Are you not hurt? What happened back there?” Lauren frantically asked, only caring for the well-being of the Princess.

“I am fine, Lauren. Do not worry about me,” Luna coughed. “I will be fine. You should be worrying about yourself.” She rolled her eyes and glanced at Twilight, who was lying relatively close to her. “Don’t worry about Twilight Sparkle either. She is fine, I tell you.”

“What happened with Celestia? Why did she ignite into flames?” Lauren trusted Luna’s words. She didn’t seem to be perfectly fine, but any little time they had was worth it.

“Ah, so it has happened.” Luna couldn’t move her head to look at her sister, but she knew exactly what was going on. “Listen, Lauren. Celestia is now battling for real. The last time she was like this, was when she imprisoned Discord in that stone statue.” She squirmed, bearing with the burning sensation of the chest pain. “Only thing I have to tell you is to don’t get in her way.”

“But, she said I am the only one who can stop Faust! If I don’t interfere, how am I supposed to beat that evil clone?” Lauren protested. She looked back at the two alicorns, who hadn’t started their battle yet.

“The answer lies within what Faust said that time,” Luna said. Lauren raised an eyebrow in confusion. “Think back to what she said when she was fooling us with Celestia being the evil being. Think about what she said to you about your role here.”

Lauren closed her eyes and thought about what Luna told her. She remembered now. It was when she had revealed the whole truth to Twilight and Luna about their origin. Right after she wondered about Equestria. “Real life or fantasy…” That was it. It was before Faust told her about how she was needed to stop Celestia.

“Correct. As she said, only you hold the answer to that question. Faust wanted to get rid of Celestia because she is the only one who can prevent from her to take over your life,” Luna explained. “You weren’t needed to stop Celestia from becoming evil. You were needed to destroy her. That was Faust’s plan all along.”

“I know that! But… the answer to that question is too confusing!” Lauren tried to keep her voice as down as possible to avoid Faust from listening to them. “I’m… not sure…”

“You need to figure out the answer, and soon,” Luna coughed once again. She felt her consciousness time was running out. “You are needed to defeat Faust. You need to… strike the last blow.” Her eyes began to slowly close. “The… future of… Equestria depends… upon you. Impale her… with your horn…”

“Wait, Luna! Don’t leave me! Hold on just a little longer!” It was not like Lauren knew any healing spells or anything. Twilight was not an available option, and much less Celestia. She couldn’t do anything but observe as Luna lost consciousness again.

“I believe in you… mother,” Luna whispered before closing her eyes and blacking out.

*****

“Hmm.” Celestia tilted her head down. “Ah. She found it.”

“Found what? Thinking about your future, Celestia? Why? There is none for you, after all.” Faust offered a smirk, her eyes still flashing as bright as a red spotlight. Her broken wings on her back didn’t seem to be a bother anymore.

“No. It’s over. You have lost.” Celestia returned the smirk, the fiery flames on her mane and tail blazing with power. “The letter. It has been found.”

“You’re spitting nonsense. I guess it’s normal for somepony who is about to be erased from this world. I will make you disappear along with this castle and those three ponies behind you!” Faust’s horn illuminated. “I am matter, I am antimatter. I can see your past, and I can see your future. I consume time, and I will consume you!” She shot a black trail of magic directly towards Celestia from her horn. Celestia responded by jumping back and shooting a blazing trail of magic from her horn. Both beams collided, creating a small reaction right in the struggle between them.

“I won’t let you harm Luna, Twilight or Lauren, you sick beast!” Celestia’s beam pulsed, increasing the flow and power. It started to overcome Faust’s beam.

“Hnng.” Faust pressed her hooves against the floor for balance. She felt how her beam was succumbing against Celestia’s fiery one. “I- I won’t let you beat me!” She intensified her own beam to keep up with the struggle. The beam that impacted the other mare's horn was going to be the winner.

*****

“Applejack, we’re back.” Spike opened the front door of the library, but nopony came to greet him. “Huh?” Behind him, Rainbow and Pinkie, along with Rarity and Fluttershy, waited for him to do something. “Where is she?” he asked, walking inside the library. There was no orange earth pony in sight. Everypony came inside, wondering the same thing.

“Didn’t you say Applejack was waiting for us here at the library, Spike?” Rarity said. The essence of her recently washed mane started to linger in the room.

“Yes, she did stay here. Right, Rainbow?” Spike turned his head back to her, looking for some support.

“Yeah. She stayed here in case Twilight and Lauren came back,” Rainbow claimed. It was weird that now it was Applejack the missing pony. Where could she be?

“Eh, I’ll go check upstairs,” Spike offered, sprinting up to his and Twilight’s room. He was only hoping for Applejack to be there. And he was going to be quite surprised after reaching there. He kept running, until he finally arrived to the room. That’s when he saw her. “Ahh! Applejack!” he yelled.

The sudden shout caused to everypony to run towards the room almost by reflex. It was almost as loud as when he would shout ‘NO’ in a dramatic manner. Rainbow dashed in the room, and flew directly towards where Spike was standing. There was somepony else there, lying in front of him. The other three mares arrived shortly afterwards.

“Applejack!” Rainbow flew and squatted in front of her. She moved her shoulders with her hooves, trying to bring her back to her senses. “What happened!?” She turned her head to Spike, who didn’t have the slightest clue.

“I don’t know! I just found her lying here!” Spike looked around the scene, hoping to find something that could be the cause of it, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

“Oh, my…” Fluttershy squeaked, not approaching too close to the scene.

“Ugh…” A moan escaped through Applejack’s mouth. Everypony looked at her with anxiety.

“Applejack! Are you okay?” Rainbow asked. She was relieved that Applejack was safe. But what caused her to lose consciousness all of a sudden? She is a strong mare, after all.

Applejack’s eyes widened in realization as she recalled the events from a while ago, involving the letter and Celestia’ voice. Just when she grabbed the letter with her mouth, she had a migraine, and before she blacked out, she heard the Princess’ voice. “The letter!” She stood up, as if her body were like new. Everypony looked at her with surprise and confusion. “There’s no time! Grab that letter!” She pointed her hoof at the scroll lying on the floor.

“Uh? What for?” Spike asked. “Wait, this is the letter Twilight received from the Princess just before leaving to Canterlot!”

“Horseapples.” Applejack didn’t waste any other second. She grabbed the letter with her mouth, not feeling any pain or something similar this time. “Come on, y’all, to the foyer!” The scroll in her mouth didn’t stop her from sounding loud and clear. She ran off with the letter, being followed by the other mares and dragon, who wondered what the hay was wrong with her.

*****

“Luna… thanks,” Lauren whispered, even if Luna didn’t listen to her. “The answer to that question, I see.” She stopped for a second, before listening to a thunderous noise coming from behind. She looked at Celestia and Faust, who were in a magic beam struggle battle. “Celestia!” Lauren wanted to move, but she remembered Luna words. She didn’t have to interfere until it was her time, her time… to impale Faust with her horn. But why her horn? What was going to happen next?

“Y-you foolish, persistent hag!” Faust cursed, grinding her teeth as she kept the beam struggle from unbalancing. “Ah.” In just a fraction of a second, she interrupted her fixed stare at Celestia and looked at the three ponies behind.

“Don’t even think about it, Faust. If you do what I think you will do, you will lose,” Celestia warned. She managed to take a step forward, even with all the pressure on her. This made Faust to take a step back in response. The fiery beam grew stronger and stronger with each second that passed. “It’s all set now. Honesty managed to complete my task. Now you can’t possibly harm by beloved ones.”

“Spitting nonsense again, Celestia!” Faust’s trademark wicked grin was stamped on her face. “You underestimate my power!”

“It’s over, Faust! Do it and you’ll be defeated!” Celestia yelled. The fiery beam did nothing but increase its power. The balance was now on Celestia’s side. It was now only a matter of seconds. “Perish now, foul demon!”

“Graaah!” The dark beam of light snapped. An orb of black light enveloped Faust’s body, deflecting the incoming fiery beam, which Celestia was still firing from her horn. The orb of light expanded, causing Celestia to jump back and hide her face behind a wing for protection. It moved directly towards Lauren, Luna and Twilight.

“Whoa!” Lauren covered her face with her front legs. The whole thing happened so fast, it was the only thing she could do. She only hoped to be safe. She hoped for Luna and Twilight to be safe, since she already knew the answer to the question.

Right in front of Lauren, Faust emerged from the shadows of the orb. Her enormous grin did nothing but widen as she had her prey under her. She lit her horn, ready for the final attack, the attack that would grant all her wishes. Finally, it was the moment now. She was so close now. It was over, over at last.

“Fool.”

A single, instant flash of light appeared out of nowhere. It lasted as long as cameras flash. Faust was there, motionless. Her grin began to slowly fade away as she did nothing but stare at the frightened alicorn in front of her. Finally, her face displayed nothing but an empty look. Her ear twitched, and she just stood there, not moving a single muscle.

Luna and Twilight were nowhere to be found. They were supposed to be behind Lauren, but there were no bodies there. The only one who was left behind was Lauren, who, still unaware of the presence before her, opened one eye to peer at the scene. She opened both of them and gulped. Right in front of her was Faust, doing nothing but looking at her with a blank expression of her face. She wanted to do something, but the astonishment wasn’t letting her to.

A faint crack noise echoed through the silent room. Lauren looked up at the origin of the noise, which seemed to be coming from Faust’s head. In a second, her horn shattered in two, and a big chunk of it fell in front of Lauren’s hooves. She gasped, looking back up at the now hornless Faust. “Y-your… horn…”

Faust’s mouth twitched. The red light from her eyes faded away, returning them to their original blue color. She finally seemed to be responding, since she moved her legs to take a few steps backs. Her head tilted. She first looked at Lauren, then at her cut off horn lying in front of her. Her mouth twitched again as she took a few more steps back. “No… no…” she whispered.

“T-the answer to… the question,” Lauren said. She got back on her hooves, not noticing about the missing mares behind her. “I know now the answer to the question. The question that you told me would decide if my role in here ended or not. I have the answer.”

Faust didn’t reply. Instead, she kept looking at Lauren, with her face showing a perplexed look. Her mouth twitched once again.

“Ever since I arrived, I’ve had the same idea the whole time. I was deceived by the appearances and the situations. It was no wonder why everything lasted this long, because of my own ignorance.” Lauren closed her eyes and took a quick breath. “I used to think that this was all just a bad dream, a nightmare, an illusion, or a fantasy, whatever. But I was wrong, for now I know the true meaning of why I am here! I should know better than anyone what this is.” She opened her eyes, looking directly at Faust. “Faust!” She pointed her hoof at the hornless alicorn. “It's over now! This is where my journey ends!"

End of the Nightmare

Chapter 18: End of the Nightmare
*****

“Applejack, dear, what’s going on?” Rarity asked as she trotted downstairs along with everypony. They were following Applejack, who had already reached the foyer, with the letter in her mouth. Her sudden rush was alarming. Applejack had caught everypony off guard.

Applejack stopped and looked around. She didn’t hesitate to spit out the letter and obey to whatever the Princess told her to do. It was weird, though. Why would she hear the Princess’ voice when she wasn’t even there? And why would she ask to open that letter in the middle of the foyer? However, she couldn’t argue with her instincts.

“Applejack!” Rainbow flew and stood in front of her, attempting to snap the mare back to reality.

“I heard a voice, Princess Celestia’s voice!” Applejack ignored Rainbow and proceeded to open the letter as instructed. The other ponies exchanged stares, unsure of what Applejack could mean with a voice.

“Princess Celestia’s voice? But, wasn’t Lauren’s voice the one we heard?” Spike asked.

“No, this was another thing. It happened when y’all left to look for Rarity and Fluttershy.” Applejack looked down at the floor, trying to decide the best spot to lay the letter. Celestia wasn’t very specific. She only told her to open the letter at the middle of the foyer, and that’s what she was going to do. “When I grabbed this consarnit letter, I feel dizzy. I got a terrible headache and I heard Princess Celestia’s voice. It said that I had to open this letter at the middle of the foyer. She said that I’d save two lives!”

Everypony exchanged stares once again in confusion, looking back at Applejack with eyebrows raised. If Pinkie weren’t in the room, Applejack would be the craziest mare around.

“What in Equestria are you talking about, Applejack?” Rainbow tilted her head. Even though she didn’t show it, she was actually concerned about what her friend just claimed.

“Sorry, I bet it’s hard to believe, but it’s true! Why would I lie?” Applejack looked down at the letter one more time. She had set it right on the middle of the foyer, yet nothing happened. The letter stood there, motionless. There was no sign that something was about to happen.

“I… I believe you, Applejack,” Fluttershy said from behind. Her head bowed a little as she received the stares from everypony in the room. She hid behind her own mane in embarrassment.

“Thanks, sugarcube.” Applejack smiled at her and looked back at the letter. “But… nothing’s happening. I did as instructed, but nothing happened.” She tried to find the meaning of that. Why wasn't the letter doing anything? What could a simple scrap of paper do in the middle of the foyer? How could it possibly save two lives by being there?

“Maybe it was all just an illusion from the headache you got?” Rarity suggested. It could have been that all along, a mere illusion, a trick of the mind. “You know, maybe you imagined it.”

“No, Rarity, I’m sure I heard the Princess voice, much like I heard Lauren’s voice just a while ago. Talkin’ about that, you two heard Lauren voice sayin’ something about regrettin’ creatin’ a show or something a while ago, right?” Applejack looked at both Rarity and Fluttershy, who simply nodded. “I still wonder what the hay was that all about.”

“Well, what does that letter say in the first place?” Rainbow looked down at the letter, squinting her eyes to take a better look at the Princess’ fancy writing.

“I don’t know. I didn’t manage to read the letter. I collapsed as soon as I grabbed it.” Applejack recalled the events from before. From now on, she would not bite on somepony’s mail again.

“I think it’s about the Princess summoning both Twilight and Lauren to Canterlot,” Spike commented. After all, he was the one who received the letter. Even though he didn’t read it, he was sure it had to be something like that. “But I don’t know if there’s more to it than just that. Let’s take a look!”

Everypony nodded and gathered around in a circle, deciding to finally read the mysteries behind that letter. As soon as they closed the circle, they looked down at the letter, only to be greeted with a faint flash of light coming from it.

“What’s that?” Applejack tried to ignore the flash and read the words written on the letter, but they were too blurry to be legible anymore.

Everypony else experienced the same issue. Soon enough, the faint light burst into a bright flash of light, causing the ponies to jump back and close their eyes. Two loud thuds could be heard coming from the letter, but nopony had their eyes open to see and confirm what those noises could be.

“Eek!”

“Whoa!”

“Whee!”

Finally, the light faded. The foyer returned to its former brightness, allowing everypony to safely open their eyes. Nopony was sure of what just happened, nor aware of what they were going to find out next right in front of them.

Applejack was the first to snap out of her daze, staring at where the letter had been only a few seconds ago. Instead of parchment , she found not one, but two ponies lying on where the letter was supposed to be. “T-Twilight!? Princess Luna!?” Her eyes went wide open as she tried to process what she was seeing.

Everypony else opened their eyes and had the same reaction. They looked at both mares, lying unconscious on the floor. However, nopony said a word. The shock was too big to do something about it. Just what happened? Why the letter burst into light? Why did Luna and Twilight appeared out of nowhere in the library?

“Well, don’t y’all stand there lookin’ at me doin’ nothing! Help me out here!”

*****

“Faust! It’s over now! This is where my journey ends!” Lauren exclaimed. She slammed her hoof against the floor, almost crushing the horn that was lying relatively close to her. It was truly over now. As Celestia said before; the one losing her horn was the one fated to lose, and in the case, Faust was the loser.

Faust expression still showed nothing but disbelief. Her eyes rolled down to stare at her cut off horn, then up at Lauren. Her mouth twitched, generating a smile, and the first sign of expression from her. “No…” she whispered. “It… is not… over.” Her head bowed. She started to whimper at first, but it gradually transformed into laughter.

What do you mean it’s not over yet? Lauren took a step back. Only because Faust’s horn was cut off, it didn’t mean she could afford to drop her guard. Faust was a sneaky foe, and she could have more tricks hidden under her hoof.

“Do you think you’ve won, Celestia? Well, do you!?” Faust yelled, her legs and body shaking. Her head raised and she looked at Lauren with her eyes filled in despair. Her wicked frown was displayed all over her face. A few seconds passed, but nothing else came from Faust’s mouth other than heavy exhalations.

“This life, this world, is as real as any other,” Lauren calmly said. “I initially considered this world to be purely fantasy, since I only knew and understood my own frame of reference, my point of view. However, I have finally understood it’s not like that.” She took a step forward. “These ponies live a real life, even though they are fictional in my world. These ponies are living their fictional real lives, and thanks to you, they’re in fictional real danger.” She looked at Faust, who seemed to cringe after that last sentence. “My answer is your answer. My answer is yes. I am prepared to my life on the line for the safety of this world and it's inhabitants.”

Faust groaned, her body still shaking. However, in less than a second, she relaxed, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. “Heh. Well done, Lauren. Well done indeed.” She let out a faint chuckle, opening her eyes and looking at her with a smirk. It was not over yet. “Congratulations, Lauren. You’ve finally answered the question.” She took a step forward. Lauren took a step back in response. “But tell me, how does that help you from being defeated by me!?” As soon as she finished that sentence, she charged at Lauren, kicking her hind legs to jump at her.

Lauren didn’t have time to react. It all happened too fast and without warning. Faust’s hoof was the last thing she felt on her face before feeling a great pain building on it. She felt as her body jumped back in response from the savage jab. She groaned as she hit the ground. Never in her life had she feel a direct punch to the face, and it wasn’t exactly a pleasant sensation.

*****

“Uhh…”

“G-guys! Twilight’s waking up!” Immediately after hearing Rainbow’s shout, Applejack and Fluttershy ran towards her. They were upstairs, taking care of Twilight and Luna, who were both lying down on the two beds of the room; Twilight on her own bed, and Luna on Lauren’s.

Applejack and Fluttershy joined Rainbow as they stared at the injured Twilight opening her eyes. Her hearts filled with relief, knowing that their dear friend opened her eyes one more time. However, Luna didn’t show any kind of response coming from her. She was perfectly still, softly breathing in a deep sleep.

“My… head.” Twilight blinked, moving her head around, unaware of the presences standing right next to her.

“Twilight! Are you okay?” Applejack asked.

“I… what?” Realization struck Twilight as she realized where she was and who just greeted her. “Whoa!” She raised herself from the bed, being stopped by Rainbow’s hooves holding her tight to prevent her from falling off.

“Wow, easy, Twilight! Calm down!” Rainbow said. She managed to control Twilight, lying her down once again. “What happened?”

“Princess Celestia! Evil! Monster! Lauren!” Twilight hyperventilated, shaking her head wildly. The burning sensation on her chest was still lingering. It was a very rough buck she received, not to mention the uppercut.

“Twilight! Twilight!” This time, it was Applejack who grabbed Twilight and snapped her out of her anxiety. “What in tarnation is wrong with you!?”

Twilight stopped. She realized where she was and who were talking to her. She was back at the library, but how? Just a few moments ago she was knocked out back at Canterlot Castle. She looked at Rainbow, then at Applejack. Fluttershy watched the whole situation from a distance, unwilling to join and cause any mess.

“Applejack! Rainbow! What happened?” Twilight asked. She was still shocked, but she tried to regain her composure, thing that seemed to be a hard task at the moment.

“That’s what we want to know!” Rainbow replied. She pointed her hoof at Princess Luna. “Why did you and Princess Luna appear out of nowhere? Why you two were fainted? What happened?”

Twilight recalled the events from before she blacked out. She was in battle, and Faust had given her a good dose of hoof, with a portion of buck. After that, she didn’t have any memory up until she awoke with Applejack’s and Rainbow’s faces in front of her. “I don’t know…”

“What do you mean you don’t know?” Applejack raised an eyebrow. “What happened to you, girl? You seem pretty beat up.”

“Um, I- I will go tell e-everypony that Twilight woke up.” Fluttershy muttered, but nopony listened to her. She waited for an answer, but it was not going to come. Silently, she left the room, looking for Rarity, Pinkie and Spike, who were downstairs.

“I was… ugh!” Twilight pressed her hoof against her chest. The pain still drilled deep inside her. However, that wasn’t going to stop her from talking. “I was at Canterlot, and I…”

“You sure you’re okay? You seem to be badly hurt. What happened, who the hay attacked you?”

Twilight wasn’t sure what to answer. The whole deal was too big to just spit it in a few words. “Faust attacked me, and I-”

“Faust? You mean Lauren? I knew we couldn’t trust that shady mare! Next time I see her, I’m gonna punch her lights out!” Rainbow burst with anger. If there was one thing she hated, it was seeing her friends hurt.

“N-no! It wasn’t her. I mean, it was her, but… argh!” Twilight gave up. The entire matter was too complex for her to explain right now. Sure, she knew the absolute truth, and so did Luna, but that was it. Her friends were still oblivious about the events that happened moments ago back at Canterlot. They didn’t know that Celestia turned evil, or that it was all Faust’s doing, or the truth about who Lauren really was, or even the fact that they were all a product of her imagination.

“Twilight, what are you spittin’? I don’t understand anythin’ you’re sayin’!” Applejack tilted her head. Her concern about Twilight did nothing but increase.

Twilight bowed her head, looking at her bed sheet. Was it really okay to tell everypony what she knew? Well, they deserved to know the truth, right? But, would they believe her? Of course not. The whole thing would be unbelievable for anypony. However, if they really trusted her, they would believe her. Yes, she was sure they would. She finally made up her mind. “I have something to say. It’s about Lauren, and… everypony.”

“What is it?” Rainbow asked. “What about that traitor wannabe alicorn?”

“Don’t call her that!” Twilight glared at Rainbow. “Get everypony here. This is something you all need to hear…”

*****

Lauren opened her eyes. Her face felt stiff, much like any part of the body after a long time with a bag of ice on it. She looked at Faust, who still held the same pose as when she punched her. “What the heck is wrong with you!?” she yelled. She got back on her hooves, avoiding thinking about the pain on her face.

“Maybe my horn was cut off, so what? I can still beat you up until you beg for me to stop!” Faust grinned. One of her pupils was looking at the bottom left corner, while the other one was looking straight at Lauren. “Do you know why I didn’t eliminate Celestia back when she was a filly? It was because I couldn’t. I couldn’t because she had a great love for you. Now, I can’t eliminate her, because you are here! You have revived that dreadful love she has for you!”

“So, why didn’t you take my life when you dragged me here to Equestria? Wouldn’t that be a lot easier than fooling us around and make Celestia go wild?” Lauren no longer felt the pain on her face. Her mind was only focused on finding the truth.

“That would have been too convenient, right? Sadly, it was thanks to Celestia that I couldn’t do it! I can’t take your life unless I eliminate Celestia! She is the one protecting your soul from being taken from me! I hate it!” Faust struck both her front hooves on the floor. “Because of Celestia, I felt an unbearable pain when she broke my wings. And now… she cut off my precious horn! That good for nothing excuse of a ruler! I despise her!”

“Shut your mouth! Celestia is the most generous, fair, and kind co-ruler of Equestria! Don’t you dare trash talk her like that! You will never be half the mare Celestia is!” Lauren clenched her teeth, ready to launch more attacks at Faust.

“I had her under my unbreakable control! I should’ve been able to exterminate her! But I couldn’t. I couldn’t because of you, disgusting ex-human!” Faust pointed her hoof at Lauren, which caused the latter to groan in anger. “Celestia. That coward is always hiding! She is even hiding from us as we speak!”

“I’ve had enough with you talking trash about me and Celestia! You’re just frustrated because your plan didn’t work! Under no circumstances am I giving my life, in this world or elsewhere, to a complete monster like you!”

“C’mon, Celestia!” Faust shouted, apparently ignoring that last claim Lauren threw at her. “Come on, fat flank! Reveal yourself! Stop hiding like the sewer rat you are! What’s wrong, filly? Are you scared of your momma!?”

Lauren couldn’t stand it anymore. She wasn’t going to let Faust to insult her and Celestia any further. My horn. If I impale her chest… She waited for the moment. Faust was looking around the room, looking for the Princess. Now! Without a second thought, she ran towards Faust, bowing her head to align her horn with the psychotic mare. The distance between them wasn’t long. It was only a matter of seconds.

Faust chortled and jumped away to one side in time to avoid Lauren’s impact. “Fool! Did you forget I can read your thoughts? Pathetic human!” Faust watched as Lauren braked, turning her body to face her. “My turn!” Faust launched herself at Lauren, ready to impact her again with a solid punch to her pretty pony face.

And then, it happened.

*****

“Okay, Twilight. Let me see if I got this straight.” Rarity closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “You’re trying to tell us that Princess Celestia asked you and Lauren to meet her at Canterlot, correct?”

“Yes.” Twilight nodded.

“It was all for the purpose of helping Lauren find her way back home, since she’s not from this world, but from another, am I right?”

“Correct.”

“After you got there, Princess Celestia turned her back on you two and turned evil, with the sole purpose of eliminating Lauren, who turned out to be the Princesses’ real mother, and creator of this whole world. Then you two had a confrontation with her, and Princess Luna joined the battle a little while after, only to be defeated by her sister, yes?”

“That’s right.”

“And after all hope seemed to be lost, this new Celestia-sized alicorn, which is identical to Lauren, appeared out of nowhere to stop Princess Celestia. And after a while, she managed to defeat her.”

“Uh huh.”

“Then, this ‘Faust’ alicorn showed you three about how Princess Celestia was corrupted back when she was a filly and got her cutie mark. And, since Lauren arrived in Equestria from this other world of hers, Princess Celestia went crazy and wanted to exterminate all four of you.”

“Indeed.”

“Then, Lauren claimed that she is the creator of Equestria, and that the Princesses, you, me, and everypony else are merely characters in her own story. You mean to tell us that we are all just a story that was created from Lauren’s imagination, is that right?”

“Hard to believe, huh?”

“Not only that, but Faust turned out to be the real culprit behind Princess Celestia’s actions, since she was manipulating her ever since Lauren arrived to Equestria, and I should mention that it was Faust who dragged her here. After she caught you all from illusions, the real Princess Celestia appeared and broke the spell, revealing Faust as the real culprit. Is that it?”

“I was very shocked as well!”

“And this was all because Faust desires the life Lauren has back in her own world? She plotted this entire thing to take over Lauren’s life, and to achieve that goal, she must eliminate Princess Celestia? Is that what you’re trying to tell us?”

“Well, yes.”

“And in this final battle, Faust physically assaulted you and Princess Luna, causing you two to faint. Finally, the last thing you remember is waking up here. Is that your whole story?”

“That is correct. It’s the whole story.”

Rarity blinked, and then turned her body. “Oh ho ho, Twilight, my dear. What a bad dream you had!” she chuckled, looking back at Twilight with a smile on her face. “You shouldn’t eat too many daisy sandwiches before going to sleep or else you’ll end up having wacky dreams like that!”

“Huh? What? No! It was not a dream. It really happened, honest!” Twilight couldn’t believe that Rarity was actually suggesting that everything was a dream. Maybe if Luna weren’t resting on the other bed, and she didn’t have a terrible pain on her chest, she would believe it. But no way it was a dream.

Everypony stared at each other, unsure of which side to pick.

“Twilight, darling. I’m sure it was all a bad dream, a sole product of your vivid and bright imagination.” Rarity waved a hoof around. “I’d suggest for you to shut your eyes and get some more rest.”

“W-wait a second! You think I'm lying? After all we've been through together? What I just told you is all true.” Twilight wasn’t going to let Rarity convince everypony that she was a liar. She looked at the confused stares she was receiving from everypony, which didn’t seem to be too supportive.

“I’m sure, I’m sure…” Rarity tapped Twilight’s forehead with a hoof. “I’m sure you’re only suffering from exhaustion. I do believe that a good nap will fix that crazy mind of yours!”

“That’s not it, Rarity! Seriously, honestly, I’m telling the truth!” Twilight exclaimed. This time, the smile on Rarity disappeared, and she received a cold glare from her.

“That’s quite enough, dear!” Rarity raised a hoof. “Tell me, is there any part of your story that is even remotely believable? Lauren, the creator of Equestria? Just what kind of nonsense is that? That’s simply unbelievable!”

“I- I know it’s hard to believe, but-“

“Seriously, don’t you all agree with me? How can anypony seriously think that crazy fairy tale is ever possible?” Rarity asked the mares and dragon in the room. Nopony answered, except for one.

“Well… it’s kinda hard to believe, Twi,” Rainbow said, tilting her head to one side. “It’s just too crazy to be true.”

“See? Everypony shares the same opinion!” Rarity nodded. However, her previous claim was going to receive an objection, from none other than the Element of Honesty herself.

“But…” Applejack interrupted.

“Huh, what is it, dear?” Rarity asked. Twilight looked at Applejack, unsure of what she could bring to the table. It already seemed that Rarity had convinced everypony that Twilight was a crazy mare who had a crazy dream.

“I mean, I don’t think Twilight is lyin’. I saw her face when she was tellin’ us what happened, and there was not a single sign on doubt on her face,” Applejack claimed.

“Huh, what are you talking about, Applejack?” Rarity asked.

“Besides,” Spike said this time. “Princess Luna is here too. She arrived along with Twilight, fainted. They apparently popped out of the letter that Applejack set on the foyer.”

“And it was Princess Celestia who told me to do it. If you link Luna and Twilight being knocked out by Faust with them appearin’ right here in the library, it makes perfect sense! Not to mention Lauren’s voice we all heard a while ago. If she is the creator of this land, it makes sense what she said, even if she said something about a show.” Applejack's words were backed by simple, solid, unbreakable logic. This made Rarity open her eyes in astonishment.

“What? Wait a minute! So is that what you think now? Are you actually saying that now you believe what Twilight is claiming?” Rarity looked at everypony who didn’t answer to her question. “Well, what’s your answer?”

“I… I believe her…” Fluttershy muttered from behind.

“Huh? What did you say? So, Fluttershy. You’re now claiming that Lauren is the creator of this land and that we are all fictional characters in her story?” Rarity couldn’t believe what she was hearing. How could they possibly believe in such a far-fetched old mare’s tale? Twilight couldn’t believe what Fluttershy was saying as well.

Fluttershy shrieked, gulping to answer to her surprised friend. “I mean, sure, it’s hard to believe that Lauren is our creator, and that this... clone of her wants to take over her life. But, there’s something more important here. Yes, Twilight is more important. That’s why I believe in Twilight.”

“F-Fluttershy…” Twilight felt an itchy sensation in her eyes. She could burst in tears right now, but it was not the moment. Not yet.

“Hey, I believe her too!” Spike claimed.

“I believe you, sugarcube,” Applejack said.

“Oh, Spike… Applejack.” The itchy sensation within Twilight grew stronger. She was touched that her friends actually believed in her story. It was so crazy, yet her friends believed in her.

“Me too, I believe in Twilight. She’s our friend, after all,” Rainbow said.

“Oh oh, so do I!” Pinkie bounced on her hooves. She offered one of her huge smiles to Twilight.

Rarity’s eyes went wide open. She wanted to protest, or say something, but no words could articulate in her throat. She was speechless.

“T-thanks, everypony. Thank you so much for believing me.” Twilight’s eyes couldn’t hold it anymore. She started to leak some tears from them. She was graceful with them. They believed her, even though she was sure they’d call her crazier than Pinkie Pie.

“Well, seems like we all agree!” Applejack said. “We believe in Twilight! That’s what true friends do, am I right?”

“Whoa, now hold on, Applejack,” Rainbow interrupted. “We’re not all in agreement, are we?” She looked at Rarity, causing everypony to stare at her as well. “We’re all good with the story, but I suspect that Rarity isn’t convinced.”

“Huh, is that all? Heh, y’all don’t need to worry about Rarity. I mean, she is convinced, right, sugarcube?” Applejack smiled at Rarity, who recurred to shut her mouth and try to hide her expressions from everypony. “Because Rarity believed in Twilight’s story all along, am I correct?”

Everypony stared at Rarity with surprise. What Applejack just claimed was true? Did Rarity believe in Twilight’s story from the beginning? Then why would she act like she did before? Everypony was waiting from Rarity’s answer, looking as how she bit her lower lip while drop of sweat began descending through her cheeks.

“Wah hah hah, well, Applejack, there’s no fooling you. I admit it. Yes. I believed in Twilight right from the beginning.” Rarity raised a hoof and slid it through her mane, tilting her head up in fashion.

“Huh?” Everypony said in unison.

“But if I would have said that I believed her right away, everypony would have just gone along with what I said!” Rarity claimed. This caused everypony to look at each other with smiles on their faces.

“Likely story,” Rainbow said.

“That’s why I was so contrary! I wanted to put your friendship to the test! To see if you really trust our dear friend Twilight, and I must say I’m quite proud of you, darlings.” Rarity let out a nervous chuckle. “I knew everypony would surely believe in Twilight!” She laughed again.

Everypony laughed, covering the nervous laugh of Rarity with chortles of fun.

“So anyway,” Applejack said. “What are we all gonna do now, Twilight?” The laughs stopped and all the stares were fixed at Twilight.

“Well, I guess we should wait until Princess Luna wakes up. She might know more about what’s going on than me. And also… we should wait for Lauren and Princess Celestia. We can only hope that they're okay.”

*****

“And who are you calling a fat flank, Faust?” Celestia stood in between Lauren and Faust. There was a hoof on her face, but she didn’t show any signs of being bothered by it. Her mane and tail were back to their usual four colors.

Faust growled and jumped back, keeping her distance from Celestia. The two mares looked at each other. “You! How dare you block my attack!?”

“Give it a rest, Faust. It’s over now,” Celestia said.

Lauren looked from behind Celestia. She was relieved she had appeared now. A second punch to her face wouldn’t have been so pleasant, after all. “Princess Celestia!”

“Lauren. It’s time now. We are going to finish Faust right here, right now,” Celestia said, looking directly at Faust.

“Please, Celestia! You’ve been saying that over and over. It’s getting old! Less blah, blah, blah, and more action! Show me what your fat flank can do!” Faust grinned and laughed, her squinted and bloodshot eyes wide open. “I am the creator of Equestria! You can’t defeat me! Not in this life, not in the other one!”

“Lauren. I’ll use a spell to stun Faust, but it will only work for a few seconds. My magic power has run out thanks to that beam struggle I had with her.” Celestia took a step forward. “When my stun spell hits her, you only have one chance to pierce her chest with your horn, understood?”

“Y-yes.” Lauren gulped. It was really going to be over now. It all depend in the success of their strategy. Succeed, and she could return back home. Fail... and she would have her life and husband stolen away from her. “I’m ready.”

“Fools! You will never defeat me! You will succumb against me! Perish, you parasites!” Faust launched herself at Celestia, ready to strike her with a punch right on the face. However, Celestia, along with Lauren disappeared from sight. “Huh!?” Faust quickly looked behind her, but there was nopony to be found. She looked above, but no traces of Celestia or Lauren were there. Finally, she returned her stare at the point where Celestia and Lauren were standing, only to find out that they were back there. “N-no!”

“Yes.” Celestia shot a weak bolt of magic from her horn, which impacted Faust right away. Celestia jumped back, looking as the bolt enveloped Faust in what it seemed like magical chains. Much like the ones that trapped Luna back when she was fighting Celestia. “Now, Lauren!”

“No! Wait! Don’t do it, please!” Faust begged, but the time to beg was over. She squirmed, trying to struggle her way out of the chains, but it was all futile. Her body was dead and unwilling to cooperate. “If you destroy me, you’ll disappear with me!”

“Huh!?” Lauren stared at Faust. She was about to sprint and finish the whole deal, however, Faust’s words stopped her. “What do you mean?”

“You are me, or did you forget that?” Faust shouted, never losing her trademark smirk, ignoring the dire situation caused by her alter ego and her very own daughter. “If you destroy your other half, what will happen? You will destroy yourself! Is that really what you want?”

“Lauren! Don’t listen to her! She is lying!” Celestia exclaimed from behind.

“Do you truly think that I still harbor a smidgen of trust for you, alter ego or no?” Lauren exclaimed “Unlike you, I accept responsibility for my actions and my creations! I am prepared to give my life to save Equestria from a monster such as you!” She was quite surprised at the volume and power behind her own voice, however this wasn't the time to investigate her new species' quirks.

Faust smirk disappeared. She tried to struggle again, but it was useless. Celestia's binding spell was far too complex to be broken by brute force. “Idiot! You’re so stubborn!” She clenched her teeth. There was no stopping Lauren now.

Lauren stared at her nemesis, the one who believed that her ends justified any means, the one who was prepared to sacrifice the sanctity of a whole society if not a whole world to achieve her selfish goals. She could not believe that her self-declared alter ego would act like so, but she remember her own indirect actions against Luna and the Elements of Harmony; she had unwittingly trapped her own daughter inside her mind for a thousand years, and unleashed Discord's comical horror, yet here was an opportunity to repent for her own sins and resolve those of another with the same blow, to kill two birds with one stone.

“This is for all the damage you have caused me and everyone here in Equestria!” Lauren drew in a deep breath and shouted “For your heinous crimes against Equestria's royalty, my daughters and myself, I bring your well-deserved penance to you!” Her declaration did not echo from the walls at all, which seemed unusual for such a loud magically-empowered shout. Lauren charged at her own darker half as Twilight had charged at Luna's, and thrust her horn directly into Faust’s chest.

“Y-you! Nooo!” Faust squeaked. Her head and body twitched as red, bloody foam poured out of her mouth. Her pupils were nowhere to be found, leaving only white eyes on display. Her last words left everyone guessing, searching for a trick or feint, a Thanatos gambit befitting the fallen mare; “I… can’t… believe… this!”

As Faust's screams of despair slowly died away, Lauren yanked her head upwards, cleaving her nemesis in half. As the adrenaline rush of the immortal game's gruesome conclusion died away, Lauren remembered Craig. Would my husband think of me as a bloodthirsty monster if he observed this scene, on television or otherwise?

The magical bindings around Faust fade away, allowing an unparalleled view of the hairline cracks slowly spreading all over her body. Within less than a minute, the cracks glow with something akin to a magical aura — the same pearly-white color that Lauren and Faust shared.

What will my new friends think of me now? Twilight and the Princesses would understand, for they witnessed most of the events, they understood my desperation and determination, for they experienced it themselves. Twilight’s friends, however… Fluttershy would probably be too meek to say anything, she would keep her concerns pent up inside. Pinkie Pie could take anything in stride, she was nothing to worry about, other than the inevitable “Thanks-For-Saving-The-World” party. Applejack will probably believe me, and Rainbow Dash will probably look forward to continuing our flight lessons. Rarity is more-or-less a wildcard… but she trusts her friends’ judgment…

Lauren and Celestia looked as Faust’s body lost its natural color. Her coat, mane, tail and every single part of her body became of a golden color. In a matter of seconds, her glittery body started to leak beams of light from inside. The cracks grew bigger, causing the beams of light to do as well. Finally, a bubble of light surrounded Faust, causing her body to vanish like dust. And with that, Faust, the evil mastermind behind Celestia’s actions, the one who attacked Luna, the one who deceived everypony, the one who wanted Lauren’s life was defeated.

Lauren smiled. She was satisfied with what she had seen. It was over now, truly over. She felt reinvigorated, and yet tired at the same time, as if a stream of energy was constantly entering her body only to be used up at a breakneck speed. “I’m so tired...” She walked towards one of the nearest more-or-less intact couch, and fell directly into a deep sleep.

“Rest, my little pony, for there is one last place we should visit before it all ends.”

Hello, Goodbye

Chapter 19: Hello, Goodbye
*****

Silence shrouded the entire library as everypony did nothing but stare at each other. Twilight hadn’t said a word as they shared a tacit agreement to wait for Princess Luna to open her eyes. Pinkie didn’t seem to be willing to hold her silence any longer. She had no interest in challenging the uncontested world champion of the Quiet Game to an impromptu tournament.

“C’mon, everypony! Why so quiet?” Pinkie danced around the room. “So we’re Lauren’s creation. Why the long faces, then? This is fun!”

“Uh, Pinkie, I actually think it’s rather weird,” Rainbow said. “I mean. We’re characters from a story Lauren created. I don’t even know what to think about this.” Even though she believed in Twilight, the sudden revelation was quite a shocker for her. “I mean… is she really the creator of Equestria and all?”

“Seems like it,” Twilight responded. She was still resting on her bed. She wanted to get up and join her friends, but the burning pain in her chest prevented her from doing so. “It’s very confusing for me as well.”

“Wait. So she made us who we are? Am I who I am only because Lauren wanted it that way? What if I decide to let go of my stranglehold on the fashion industry and become a farmpony like Applejack?” Rarity looked at Applejack, who shrugged without an answer.

“Put it this way... Have you ever heard of the so-called omniscient narrator? It’s the one in a books who knows everything about everyone” Twilight said. Raised eyebrows of confusion raised as nopony had the slightest clue of what Twilight was babbling about. “It’s the one who says and describes the characters’ actions. Spike, don’t tell me you’ve already forgotten about the literature lessons?” Twilight glanced at a caught off guard Spike. If he really was her number one assistant, he obviously had to know something as basic as that.

“I, er…” Spike dragged a claw to his chin, looking up and trying to recall his boring and long literature lessons he had back in Canterlot. He actually knew what Twilight was talking about. He had it at the tip of his tongue. Suddenly, the imaginary bulb in his head lit. “Oh, now I remember! The omniscient narrator is the one who tells everything, right? It’s the only one who knows the entire story from the beginning to end!”

“Exactly, and if what Lauren said it’s true, she’s the omniscient narrator of this ‘story’ of us.” Twilight was glad Spike remembered his lessons. She would have rewarded him with a snack, but it was not the time.

“Hold on a second,” Rarity interrupted. “But didn’t you just say Lauren is the creator of the story? Is she the creator or the narrator? I am deeply confused.”

“The creators are also omniscient narrators, Rarity.” Twilight looked at one of her bookshelves and enveloped a book with her magic. Swiftly she levitated it across the room and opened it before her. “The narrator creates the characters and gives them a personality and a background. They don’t usually start from the beginning of their lives until their death.” Twilight closed the book and looked at her friends. “In this case, Lauren created us and gave us a background. She made me a unicorn born and raised in Canterlot.”

“So you’re tryin’ to tell me that she made me an earth pony born and raised right here in Ponyville?” Applejack was slowly trying to fit the pieces together. Sure, she could be slow sometimes, but she was not an uneducated mare. “And she made me who I am?”

“That’s right, Applejack. However, she didn’t really create everypony to be like they are.” Twilight dragged another book from the same bookshelf, opening it and going through the pages to find whatever she was looking for. “The only characters influenced by the narrator are only the ones the narrator creates and develops. In other words, if the creator hasn’t mentioned anything about X character, that character has its own personality.”

Everypony stared at each other once again. It sort of started to make a little bit of sense now. Sort of.

“For example, let’s say that Lauren never created Rainbow Dash,” Twilight said.

“Hey! Why me?” Rainbow complained.

“It’s just an example, Rainbow. Please, just play along, okay?” Twilight wasn’t exactly in the mood for a long argument with the hot-headed pegasus. “So, if Lauren never created Rainbow Dash, she would still exist. However, since the narrator never interacted with her, she wouldn’t be under the narrator’s influence. In other words, she would have her own personality, and not the one the narrator assigned to her.”

“I get it. So if Lauren never touched my Sweetie Belle, for example, she would still be around, but she wouldn’t be who she is, right?” Rarity asked.

“Correct, Rarity. But she would really be somepony really different from who she is. Her name wouldn’t be Sweetie Belle or she wouldn’t even be your sister. In short terms, if the character never has an interaction with the narrator, they get their own personality.” Twilight closed the book, placing it back on its bookshelf.

“But Equestria has existed for thousands of years! Is Lauren really that old?” Spike questioned. He could hardly imagine somepony older than Princess Luna or Princess Celestia. If Lauren was really that old, she was definitely good looking for her age.

“Wrong, Spike. Lauren can create anything she wants, regardless of her age. She created our world, but that doesn’t mean she has known it since its beginning. Her influence with the ‘story’ is only related to the current story she is telling,” Twilight explained. “For example, say the narrator tells us about a statue that has been standing for a thousand years, but then, it crumbles. Only because the statue has been standing that long, doesn’t mean the narrator has been telling its story during those thousand years.”

“Um, but… then what’s her influence in this story?” Fluttershy asked. She finally talked after listening to the whole conversation. Nopony even noticed she was there.

“If I remember correctly, her influence with our ‘story’ began when Princess Luna transformed into …Nightmare Moon.” Twilight looked at Luna, who still didn’t show any signs of consciousness. She looked back at her friends, clearing her throat to continue. “From that point, it leaped until her return at the Summer Sun Celebration, meaning that Lauren didn’t have any influence during that thousand-year gap. Her influence reactivated when she told the story of how we defeated Nightmare Moon with the Elements of Harmony.”

“So everything we did was at Lauren's behest?” Rarity asked.

“Yes, it seems so. As I said, we became who we are because of Lauren. Anything Lauren says goes. If she says that rain falls up to the sky, then it does. She is the creator, and she can do whatever she pleases. She could make me into a pegasus, or an earth pony for that matter. For example, I never had a brother, but if Lauren created a brother for me, my life and memories would change, as if I had a brother my whole life.” Twilight received more puzzled looks. She wasn’t surprised, really… very few ponies usually understood her lectures. “In other words, her decisions can be retroactive.”

Before Twilight could continue her detailed explanation, a familiar voice stopped her.

“Do you truly think that I still harbor a smidgen of trust for you, alter ego or no? Unlike you, I accept responsibility for my actions and my creations! I am prepared to give my life to save Equestria from a monster such as you!”

Everypony in the room clearly heard those words. It was Lauren once again. Her voice echoed inside their heads with that strong exclamation. They tried to talk, to respond to that voice but nopony found the words to do so. Just a few seconds after that evidently worldwide message, another one was heard within seconds.

“For your heinous crimes against Equestria’s royalty, my daughters and myself, I bring your well-deserved penance to you!”

“This again? What in tarnation is going on?” Applejack looked around the room. However, the source of the voice was very far away from her.

“Wh-what!? Lauren!?” Much like Applejack, Twilight moved around her head looking in all directions to find the alicorn in question. But the library was free from any alicorns save from Princess Luna lying on the bed. “I heard her voice, but she’s not here!”

“W-we heard her voice a while ago, when we arrived at the library!” Rainbow said. “Are we hearing this because she’s that omnisitive narrator Twilight talked about?”

“It’s omniscient, not omnisitive, Rainbow, but never mind that.” Twilight knew it was not the time for a spelling lesson. “What did she say? Heinous crimes against Equestria? Is she referring to the chaos Faust caused?” Suddenly, she understood the meaning behind the first message. “Wait, give her life!?”

“I reckon she said she was ready to give her life to save Equestria,” Applejack commented. “I don’t understand, is she still fightin’ that demon clone of hers?”

“It… it seems that way…” a weak voice said from the other side of the room. Everypony spun their heads towards the origin of the voice. It was Princess Luna, who had a half opened eye.

“Princess Luna!” Everypony turns towards the Princess. Fluttershy gasps as she notices Luna’s sickly state.

“You… you have to believe Twilight Sparkle. She is right… oof!” Luna shivered. The impact she received a while ago was still engraved on her chest.

“We believe in Twilight. Are you okay, Princess?” Rainbow asked.

“I am fine, Rainbow Dash. Thanks for your concern.” Luna wiggled under the bed sheet and tried to get a more comfortable position. She noticed Twilight on the other bed. “Twilight Sparkle, are you okay?”

“Don’t worry, Princess. I’m okay. I’m a strong unicorn!” Twilight smiled. Her pain seemed to be slowly fading away, but it would take its time to fully disappear from her body. “I’m just glad you’re okay.”

“Ah! That’s right! C-Celestia, where is my sister? Why are we in the library?” Luna almost imitated Twilight’s initial reaction when she woke up. The confused alicorn didn’t know what to do. The last thing she remembered was talking to Lauren. “I have to go back! Celestia is in trouble, I have to—”

“There is no need for that, my dear sister,” a very familiar voice said. This time, it was not Lauren. The melodic and soothing voice could only belong to one pony, and that was none other than the one and only Princess Celestia.

Everypony stared down at the room foyer from where the voice seemed to come. Twilight and Luna wanted to jump out of bed to go and check, but again, her bodies refused to cooperate with their minds. In a matter of seconds, an orb of light appeared in the middle of the room, two large figures appearing from it. One of them was standing, and the other one seemed to be lying on the floor. The orb faded away, leaving the two alicorns there on the room.

“Princess Celestia!” Everypony in the room exclaimed in unison.

*****

Where, where am I? Hello? Is anyone there? Wait, am I even talking out loud?

My body… I can’t move it. It doesn’t respond…

What happened? Oh, right… I stabbed Faust, and then… uh…

I think I fell asleep on one of the room couches…

Uh, what is this warm sensation I’m feeling? It feels like… a hug?

I hear a voice… ‘Rest, my little pony’? Wait, that voice… it’s Celestia!

Huh, she is still talking? What is she saying? She sounds… sad…

“Mother. Thank you so much for what have you done. You don’t know how happy I am to finally meet you. The real you.”

Celestia… is thanking me?

“Thanks to you, our world has been freed from the menace which has been threatening it since the beginning of time. And now… it is time for you to return home.”

Huh, leave? Where? She wouldn’t mean...

“I want to take this opportunity to tell you how much I needed you. I wanted to snuggle under your wing on those cold winter nights. I may not have really met you in my life, but you know what, mother? I am glad that I have met you now, even if it was only for a short time.”

It… it must be hard for Celestia to say this. She really never had a mother up until now… I didn’t know she was only craving for some motherly love.

“It’s time for us to go now. Thank you again, mommy. I love you, forever and ever. You will be always in my heart.”

Celestia… I…

Whoa, what is this? I feel chills running through my body…

Urk… feel tired… can’t hold on… any… more…

*****

“P-Princess! You’re all right!” Twilight noticed the big sized version of Lauren. “W-wait, why is Faust lying on the floor next to you!?” The first thought that came to her mind was that she was defeated, but she had to hear the explanation directly from her mentor’s mouth. Nopony else said a word. They stared at the alicorn in question. She looked like Lauren, but she was larger than they remembered her.

“Sister!” Luna called from her bed. A chest pain was not going to stop her from embracing her sister! Luna struggled with the bed sheet and jumped off the bed, running to greet her sister. Rainbow and Applejack tried to stop her, but Luna was too fast for them. She threw herself at Celestia, wrapping her front legs in a hug. “Aaargh!”

“Luna, please don’t strain yourself.” Celestia pulled Luna away from her. “I’m happy to see you are safe, my dear sister.” She offered one of her trademark smiles.

Luna ignored the pain for a second to return a smile. Her stare was fixed at the unconscious alicorn next to them. “T-this is…”

“Fear not, Luna. This right here is not the evil being we’ve known as Faust,” Celestia assured.

“What!?” Twilight said from her bed. She wasn’t planning to be on it anymore, though. Carefully, she extricated herself from her bedsheets to greet her mentor. She didn’t seem to have any problem with her legs or the affected area. “Then who is it?”

“This right here is none other than our friend Lauren.” Celestia pointed her hoof, listening to the gasps of surprise coming from everypony in the room. “And yes. I am glad to inform you that Faust has been defeated for good.”

Twilight’s heart pounded. Did she hear correctly? Was Faust finally defeated? She hoped so. It had been a very long battle, and she was glad to hear it was all over now. However, there were still some questions to answer, for example, what was Lauren doing in Faust’s body? Was she all right? She also had to ask her about her role as the omniscient narrator of the story. “She was defeated?”

“Indeed. There is no need to be afraid anymore.” Celestia cringed, her body leaning to one side as she frowned. Everypony were going to react and help the Princess, but she raised her head with a smile and looked at them. “Don’t worry, I’m all right. Just a little exhausted since my magic ran out.”

“I am just glad you’re safe, Celestia.” Luna looked down at Lauren. “And I am also glad that this nightmare is over. But is Lauren safe?”

“Rest assured she is safe. There is nothing to be concerned about,” Celestia said, her horn illuminating. “It is time for her to wake up.”

Twilight walked towards her mentor, but stopped as soon as her horn glowed. Lauren’s own horn irradiated with Celestia’s golden aura. Everypony took a step back, as the intensity of the shining increased. Suddenly, the magic around Celestia’s horn faded away, and so did Lauren’s.

“Uh…” Lauren gently opened an eye, closing it right afterwards.

“Lauren!” Twilight called, but she got no answer. All she received was a groan and a slight movement from Lauren’s wings. Twilight stepped closer. “Lauren!”

“Uh, what?” Lauren’s eyes went wide open. She stared at nothing in particular. Her mind started to work again. Where was she? It was such a familiar place, and she also heard a familiar voice. She thought about the last thing she remembered. A sort of ‘conversation’ she had with Celestia. She wondered where she had gone to.

“Lauren, are you all right?” Twilight said. The lack of answers was starting to make her nervous.

“T-Twilight!” Lauren raised her head and looked at the concerned unicorn in front of her. Her gaze soon switched to the other ponies and dragon in the room. “And… everyone else?” She saw the faces of Twilight’s friends. They were looking at her with some sort of wonder, like if she had something stuck on her face. She didn’t seem to be exhausted or have injuries of any sort. Her body felt light and invigorated, like if she had woken up after a good night sleep.

“Oh, thank Celestia you’re safe, literally. For a second I thought you were Faust and…” Twilight bowed her head. She couldn’t express how relieved she was that everypony was safe.

“I’m glad to see you’re safe too, Twilight.” Lauren got back on her hooves rather quickly, noticing a strange sensation in the process. She felt taller, yet lighter at the same time. Did Faust’s attacks alter my body somehow? “Wait...” She bowed her head and looked at her brand new body. “What happened!?”

“Don’t be alarmed,” Celestia said. “After defeating your evil alter ego, the two unequal halves of your power merged again, reinstating your rightful stature in the process.”

“So that’s why I’m in Faust’s body now? Well, I did know something felt off when I woke up.” Lauren raised her head and noticed the Elements of Harmony, still holding their dumbfounded faces. “And you’re all here.”

“Well, Ms. Lauren. Twilight told us somethin’ very interestin’ about you,” Applejack said. ”I reckon you’re our creator or somethin’.”

Lauren’s mouth went agape, and her eyes wide open. Her stare immediately faced Twilight. “What? You told them? Why!?” Her face looked as the one someone would have if anyone deleted a very precious file from a videogame.

Twilight took a step back, taken by surprise by Lauren’s sudden outburst. She had forgotten that Lauren was very delicate about revealing who she really was. But there was nothing Twilight could do about it now. They all knew the truth. “I-I had no choice, I mean, they’re my friends and—”

“Please relax, everypony,” Celestia interrupted. “Let us gather around and I will gladly explain everything that has happened so far.” Her eyes met Lauren’s. “Please, mother.”

“Eh… all right.” It was not like Lauren had a choice. Perhaps Celestia could explain better what had happened so far and she could possibly ask her one or two questions about what was she supposed to do now. “There’s no point in hiding it anymore if you all know.”

Following Celestia’s instructions, everypony stepped closer in a circle around the middle of the room.

“Listen carefully, my little ponies…”

*****

Stares of shock, confusion and astonishment were pasted on the faces of the ponies in the room. Some weird looks at Lauren and Twilight as well. Celestia was done speaking for a while now, and now it was time for the ponies to ask away to their hearts content, but no one found the words to do so. The one who stepped ahead was Rainbow Dash, who seemed to have a very good question in her mind already.

“So Lauren defeated her evil clone by stabbing her in the chest with her horn, huh? That’s pretty awesome!” Rainbow pictured the scene in her mind, although awkward, she didn’t have trouble to picture a unicorn thrusting her sharp horn into another’s body.

“So, Princess,” Applejack interrupted. Rainbow’s question wasn’t relevant to the topic, and now it was her turn to ask. “About that thing you told me when I grabbed the letter…”

“Sorry for the headache, my dear Applejack, but it was necessary. That letter was the only object I could use to keep Luna and Twilight safe,” Celestia said.

“So, your highness, you cast a teleportation spell that activated with a single letter? I must say that is simply outstanding,” Rarity commented. She was not really interested in complicated magic spells like Twilight, but that trick sure caught her eye.

“Thanks for your help, everypony. I am forever in your debt for what you did.” Celestia smiled, causing the ponies in question to blush in embarrassment.

“Aw, shucks. It was nothin’, Princess.” Applejack smiled back. “You also said what Twilight told us a while ago about Lauren bein’ our creator and the omniscient narrator.”

“Ooh! And I bet Lauren would say the same thing, wouldn’t you? I know you would because that would only make sense, I mean, Twilight and Princess Celestia already told us the truth, and so you don’t have to hide it anymore from us.” Pinkie bounced on her hooves, looking at Lauren with an enormous grin. “Hee hee, oh and maybe you can give us some gifts, like a pair of wings for everypony and a horn for—” Her voice was stopped by the hoof of Rainbow in her mouth.

“You’re talking too fast, Pinkie! Slow down!” Rainbow removed her now covered in drool hoof from Pinkie’s mouth. Pinkie didn’t seem to be willing to talk anymore, anyway.

“Yes. It’s true. I am the creator of Equestria. As Twilight said, I am what literature defines as an omniscient narrator. It means that I know everything about everything in the story,” Lauren claimed. “What a great story this is, am I right? Hee hee.”

“Lauren is indeed this world’s creator, and my mother... She could make us all earth ponies, pegasi or even kelpies, for that matter. However, her ideas are expressed through quill and parchment, not wing, horn and hoof.” Celestia commented, nodding to Lauren’s cutie mark.” Although, the avatar of a world’s creator in the world itself evidently has quite a few special properties. Take the messages you’ve received from her as an example.”

Twilight tilted her head, unsure of what the Princess meant. Suddenly, she realized. “Right! The messages we heard from her! What was that all about?”

“Huh, messages? What are you all talking about?” Lauren asked.

“It happened during the battle with Faust, Lauren,” Celestia replied. “You exclaimed three sentences that could be heard by not only the Elements of Harmony, but everyone across Equestria.”

“W-what!? Do you mean that EVERYPONY heard that?” Spike said. “Even though I’m not a pony…”

“Thanks to her special relationship with this world and it’s inhabitants, thanks to her love for her creations, ponies or otherwise, we all heard her words of determination and courage.” Celestia looked at Lauren and smiled.

“It felt weird,” Lauren said. “When I was about to thrust Faust with my horn, I wasn’t trying to speak in Elizabethan English, but the words came out that way, somehow… What was that all about? I suspect that it’s got something to do with dramatic tension, given that this is a cartoon, after all.”

“You’re almost right… do you remember when Twilight tried to explain Pinkie’s close-afield precognition, and somehow managed to set her mane and tail on fire?” As Celestia continued her explanation, Twilight blushed profusely.

“For alicorns, shouting in the so-called ‘Royal Canterlot Voice’, or in your case just an outburst of words is usually part of what happens when we experience strong emotions.” Luna added.

“Oh, I see. And I’m guessing this wouldn’t happen back in my world, right? Come to think of it… when I go home, would I still be a pony? I’d prefer my… previous body back, given that I’d look quite strange strolling through my hometown as I am now, however enjoyable it may be to watch the other citizens’ reactions.” Lauren chuckled, covering her mouth with a hoof to hide her silly smile. Everypony joined pleasantly as they all shared a good laugh together.

“Exactly,” Celestia said. “Which is why you’re going back home, right now.”

The laughs cut off immediately right after Celestia’s last sentence. All eyes met the white alicorn, who kept her trademark smile on her face. Twilight was rather astonished and sort of worked out more than anypony else. Her heart raced fast, as if she had received a bad grade. “L-leave?” she muttered, slowly turning her head to look at Lauren, her mouth twitching.

“Y-you mean that Lauren will finally go back home?” Spike said. He couldn’t help but feel some sort of sadness over the news. It was true that Lauren had to go back, but it was too soon. He didn’t even have time to ask her if she could make Rarity to agree to go on a date with him.

“What? No thanks-for-saving-the-world party? You can’t leave without a party! It would be too boring! I don’t know how long will it be until we see you again! Just give me a second and I’ll bring my party ca—” Pinkie’s mouth was shut, this time by Applejack’s hoof.

“Home?” Lauren felt chills running down her spine. Was she finally able to get back to her home world, and most importantly, Craig? Would she feel the dexterity of her fingers once again? Lie down on her own soft bed and be able to stretch out properly? “Am I finally going to be able to get back home?” Her face beamed.

“L-leave already,? But...” Luna couldn’t believe she had met with her real mother for the first time, and it was the time to say goodbye already.

“N-no,” Twilight whimpered. “No… after all we’ve been through together, thick and thin… you have to go?” She shook her head. “No! Please… I don't want you to go!” she sniffled.

Within the Storm

Journey to my Imagination

Prologue: Within the Storm
*****

The rain that night was cold. It had been raining since noon in Ponyville. Many stands at the market had to close early due the weather. Some ponies couldn’t finish their errands, and some others couldn’t even get out of their homes. The rain seemed nowhere near stopping, and it was already past midnight.

“Nah, this won’t do,” A voice said in the dark, “It needs to be cooler!” the voice chuckled softly.

The rain began to fall more heavily, and even lightning bolts began to strike.

The Weather Ponies couldn’t do anything about the rain. They did schedule a rain for that day, but they didn't expect the rain to become a storm. They told the residents of Ponyville that it would be very dangerous to attempt to move the clouds, even worse now that they were striking lightning bolts. They had to wait until the clouds were safe to move them again.

“Although... I think she needs more air time,” the voice said in an insecure tone.

The storm was striking even harder the longer it lasted. After a few minutes it started hailing, but not just tiny hail pebbles. They were almost as big as a grape, striking down all over Ponyville.

“This dreadful weather doesn’t let me get inspiration. I wish it was a bit more silent,” the voice said.

In Ponyville, some ponies were out at the terrible storm, wearing nothing but a coat to protect themselves from the heavy rain and the hail. They were protecting their houses from the bad weather with some wood. They rushed back into their homes as soon as they were finished.

The great tree library, where Twilight and Spike lived, wasn’t showing signs of needing extra resistance for the storm. Only a few twigs and leaves were falling from the tree, but nothing else. All of the nearby houses had their lights off, but the library had them on.

“Twilight, this storm is terrible!” Spike said, staring from a window to the outside, looking at the massive water puddles formed on the streets.

“I know Spike, but you heard the Weather Ponies. There’s nothing we can do but wait until the storm settles down,” Twilight said, enveloping her cup of tea in a pink glow with her magic as she took a sip.

“Well, I know I can’t sleep with all this noise,” Spike mumbled, grabbing his pillow and putting it below his head.

“Relax, Spike, use this time to read something, like me!” Twilight said to him, expecting a positive answer, but instead, she received a moan from Spike.

“Well, do whatever you want to do, because if the storm keeps like this, we’re gonna be here for a long time,” Twilight said, taking another sip to her cup of tea.

*****

“Now, I just need to add a title,” the voice said, exhausted. “Aha! I know, I’ll call it…”

“Eh, Lauren?” Another voice interrupted.

“Ah?” the surprised voice replied.

“Lauren, were you thinking out loud again?” the voice said with a chuckle at the end.

“Hey, I get inspiration when I talk to myself. It’s really useful you know! Maybe you should try it someday, John,” she replied, putting down the pen she was holding on a desk. There was a notebook with text written on it, doodles of ponies and hearts on the corners, and a black desktop lamp next to it.

“Well, it’s your life I guess,” John replied, shrugging. “Anyways, the storm out there is crazy. It started to hail, so George and I are leaving,” he said, putting on the blue coat he was carrying.

Lauren just stared at John and then stood up from her chair.

“Oh come on, John, we really have to finish the next episode! And we’re almost done, we just have to send some of the story to the animators and…”

“Sorry, honestly,” John interrupted her again. “I really wish we could finish the work right now, but these aren’t good conditions to work. The power might go off anytime thanks to this storm, and we can’t really do much without it. It’s better if we finish tomorrow.”

“But…” Lauren stopped, staring at her unique office, with a bookshelf filled with various books, and sketches of the shows she loved, among with some dolls. Her bulletin board where she had all sorts of drawing and notes scattered all over. And her small white sofa, where she naps whenever she has to stay up late at work just like this night. Thinking about how much she loved her work, the cartoons she created, the smiles she brought to the people with them, it felt good. She finally stared back at John.

“Besides, we asked for your help for this episode only, nothing to get hung about,” John said looking at her desk.

“Fine, I guess you’re right,” she replied.

“Yeah, well, I better go tell George that you’re coming with us, so I'll be right back,” John said,

“Yeah, OK,” Lauren said, sitting back on her chair. John nodded and left, walking down the hallway outside Lauren’s office. She grabbed the cup of coffee that was on her desk and gave it a sip. The coffee was already cold from the last time she drank from it.

She closed her notebook and placed it inside her bag, along with her pen and some other documents she had scattered over her desk. A miniature doll of Fluttershy was at the front of her desk. She grabbed it and placed it in her coat’s pocket. After she finished packing everything, she checked her purse to see if everything was there.

Keys, cell phone, wallet, papers, make-up case… It was all good.

*****

“Twilight, do you think everypony else is okay?” Spike said to Twilight, who was still reading her book.

“Don’t worry Spike, I’m sure they’re all okay,” Twilight said with a smile, turning back to her book.

“Well, I hope you’re right, because these lightning bolts are getting louder and more frequent,” he said, as a lightning bolt struck right after he was done talking.

“It’s okay Spike, I’m sure Ponyville has had worse storms than this one,” Twilight said, turning the page of her book with her magic.

*****

A lightning bolt struck outside Lauren’s office, she was sitting on her sofa, waiting for John to return with George so they could leave, when she heard a thud outside her office's window.

She stood up and went to inspect, staring from the window, but there was nothing more than a pole at the right, used to hang out flags.

I swear I heard something… oh well. She sat back on her sofa, when she heard another thud coming from the window, again.

Alright, what’s going on? She stood up quickly and peered through the window again, only to see the same thing she saw the first time, nothing but the same pole.

She sat back on her sofa, deciding to ignore the noises, when a third thud was heard. That was it, she dashed to the window and saw a shadow figure, standing on the pole with amazing balance. At first she thought it was a bird, but it was too big to be a bird.

The figure began to move its head, it clearly wasn’t a bird. Lauren began to tremble, as the figure began to take shape for her. It stood up, on four legs.

Is it a… p-pony?! Lauren squeaked as the dark figure began to move its head. What is that… thing?! It was the only thing she thought, the creature did look like a pony from her own show… it had a long tail, obviously soaked by the rain, and a messy mane as well, soaked.

Lauren kept staring at the creature. She couldn’t believe it was actually pony from her show. What am I thinking? It can’t be a pony, I mean, duh. They’re just a cartoon, she said to herself, but the creature was very similar to the little ponies she created. It must be a dog or something. At least, that’s what she thought at first, but then she thought about how a dog could be standing on four legs on a pole, outside of the three story building.

Lauren was just about to stand back, grab her stuff and run to find John, but she couldn’t leave without knowing exactly what that creature was.

It’s crazy, it can’t be a pony! Lauren wanted to think that, but the resemblance was incredible. She took a deep breath and made up her mind. Alright, I won't find out if I stay here! She thought to herself, slowly moving one of her hands to the window's handle, sliding it slowly to the left. She slid open the window, letting some of the rain enter and splash on her face. She opened the window, covering her head with one arm from the heavy rain and the hail, the creature then turned back and stared at her.

Lauren could not see the creature. It was still a dark figure. “WHAT ARE YOU?!” she shouted to the creature, when a lightning bolt struck. She immediatly covered her face with her arms, and then, she fell. She was falling, she couldn’t remove her arms from her face, and she couldn’t shout, she was only falling. She thought she somehow fell from the window, and was now falling to her doom…

She wanted to open her eyes, scream, move, but she couldn’t, she was falling to the void.

*****

Twilight was still reading. Her cup of tea was already empty, so she decided to eat some cookies instead. Spike was getting tired, but the loud sound of the rain couldn’t let him sleep.

Twilight stopped reading and raised her head. “Huh? What was that?” Twilight asked to herself, staring to the library’s door.

“I didn’t hear anything,” Spike said staring at Twilight. “Why? What did you hear?”

“It was something, like a thud,” Twilight said, involving the cookie she was about to eat with the pink glow of her magic and placing it on her desk. “I’m sure it came from the front of the library,” she said, walking towards the door.

“Twilight! What are you doing? You’ll cause a big mess if you open the door!” Spike exclaimed as he ran down to her.

“Right, maybe it was nothing,” Twilight muttered, going back to her book.

Spike returned to his bed, trying to catch some sleep, while Twilight went back to her desk to keep reading, when she heard another noise.

“The noise, I…” Twilight mumbled, staring right at the front door.

“I heard it too!” Spike interrupted her, as he ran down to the front door. Twilight stood up from her seat, decided to check what was that noise about. “Wait, do you think it’s a good idea, Twilight?” he asked.

“Well,” Twilight said while dragging a purple raincoat with her magic towards her. “Don’t worry, it’s just a quick look, I’m sure it’s nothing,” she smiled, as she put on her coat. She opened the door and stared outside of the library, feeling the cold rain and hail on her face. She tried to open her eyes as much as she could to check outside, but she saw nothing out of the ordinary.

Twilight went back inside and closed the door. Spike brought a towel and helped Twilight to clean her face.
“Well, was there anything outside?” Spike asked her, drying her mane with the towel.

“No, nothing,” she said, grabbing the towel with her hoof and rubbing it to clean her face.

“Well, I guess I’ll just go back to…“ Just when Spike was about to finish that sentence, they heard another thud.

Twilight rushed and opened the door. There was something laying down just a few meters from the entrance. Twilight recognized it was a pony. “Somepony is there! Spike, hurry, bring me a blanket!” she quickly exclaimed.

Spike ran and grabbed Twilight’s bed blanket and gave it to her. She used her magic to hold it and she dashed outside to help the pony. She arrived to where the pony was lying, she didn’t bother to examine the pony, it was very dark outside, and she couldn't even see its coat's color. She covered it with the blanket and lifted it, galloping back inside and closing the door.

Twilight carefully placed the covered pony on her bed, she grabbed a towel and uncovered the pony’s head from the blanket. “Oh, she’s a unicorn,” Twilight said, looking at the pony’s horn. She had a soaked red, straight and shiny mane. Her coat was a very faint cream color, almost totally white. She dragged the towel with her magic and dried the unicorn’s face and mane.

“Uh, I’ve never seen this pony before,” Spike said, staring at the unconscious unicorn.

“Me neither, I wonder what was she doing out there, or how she got there in the first place, she just appeared right after the first time I checked outside,” Twilight said with a worried tone, while she finished drying the unicorn’s face.

“Do you think she’ll be okay?” Spike asked.

“I’m sure. She just needs to be warm, she was outside at the storm for I don't know how long,” Twilight said.

Oh... my head... Lauren was coming back to her senses. What… what happened? I feel… dizzy… She thought to herself, in the dark. Huh… voices…? She thought after listening two voices talking to each other. Wait… my eyes… She then, slowly opened her eyes.

“Look Twilight!, she’s waking up!” Spike said as Twilight approached to her.

“Hi! Are you okay?” Twilight said as she smiled at the unicorn.

Lauren really didn’t know what she was just seeing. Did Twilight Sparkle, the fictional unicorn of the cartoon she created just ask her if she was okay? Her eyes opened wide as she wanted to shout, but she was too shocked to even speak.

“Um, are you alright?” Twilight said with a worried look.

Lauren wasn’t sure what was happening, the last thing she remembered was that lightning bolt and the window with the creature she assumed was a pony. And now she woke up, with Twilight Sparkle talking to her.

“Wha-what is this?!” Lauren said with a terrified voice, moving her eyes

“Oh well you see, I found you lying outside of the library under the storm, so I brought you here. I am-”

“T-Twilight…?” Lauren said with a skeptical look.

“Um, yeah, that’s my name, Twilight Sparkle. Have we met somewhere before?”

Somewhere? Somewhere?! I created you! You are a fictional character of the cartoon I created! Lauren thought to herself, she couldn’t believe what was going on, how on Earth was she inside a cartoon? How could something like that be even possible? She started staring at her surroundings, without a doubt, it was Twilight’s library that SHE created.

“Are you really okay? You seem to be a bit shocked...” Twilight began to worry.

“Ho-how…” Lauren said.

“How what?” Twilight replied.

“What is this place?” Lauren asked, with a more relaxed tone.

“This is Twilight’s library in Ponyville,” Spike answered this time.

There was no doubt. She was definitely in My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.

A dream, of course, it has to be. Lauren thought to herself with a smile and closed her eyes, expecting to appear back at the real world when she opened them. She took a deep breath, and slowly started opening her eyes, just to be greeted by Twilight's face, again. “Hah hah hah!” she laughed as she began to panic. “This is just a very hilarious dream, isn't it?!”

“Please calm down!” Twilight said, putting a hoof on the unicorn's forehead.

Calm down? How could she calm down? Something that only happens at fiction just happened to her, she was in a cartoon. She only stared at Twilight. Her hoof on her forehead was somehow, relaxing.

Well, I think, somehow, it’s real… She thought, reluctantly accepting what happened to her. She started breathing slowly, trying to relax as much as she could.

“That’s better! Now um… what’s your name?” Twilight asked cheerfully, while Spike went to the kitchen to get more towels.

“L-Lauren…” She replied with a very soft voice.

“That's a pretty name!” she said, smiling to the unicorn. “Well nice to meet you Lauren, as I said earlier, my name is Twilight Sparkle, I’m a resident of Ponyville and student of Princess Celestia, I came to Ponyville to study the magic of friendship and…”

Lauren was just listening to her long introduction, every word Twilight said, she already knew, she knew better than anyone who Twilight Sparkle was, but she kept on listening.

“And that's how I met some wonderful friends,” Twilight gasped, finishing her long introduction. “Oh my! Excuse me, you're still wet!”

Lauren realized she was right, the blanket enveloping her body was wet.

“Alright,” Twilight said as she surrounded the blanket with her pink glow of magic, placing it on the floor. She turned her head to look at Lauren. “Now let’s…” Twilight didn’t finish her sentence, her smile faded away and only a surprised opened mouth remained. Her eyes went wide-open as she looked at Lauren.

Lauren was just looking at her, confused, wondering why she reacted like that.

“Are you… an alicorn?!” Twilight finally spoke, when Spike came back with the towels, he adopted the same reaction as Twilight as he dropped the towels to the floor.

And indeed, Lauren checked her own body, and could feel she had a pair of wings on her back, she also checked her faint, almost white, cream-colored coat, and a very messy, wet red tail. She raised her arms, only to find that her hands were replaced with hooves. She was a pony, or an alicorn… as Twilight said.

“Sweet Celestia!” Spike said, picking up the towels he dropped. “I thought Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were the only alicorns!”

“But, how can you be an alicorn? Are you related to the Princesses?” Twilight asked, starting to sound a bit more enthusiastic.

“What… no?” Lauren didn’t know what to say, she was a pony, she didn’t seem to be very concerned about being an alicorn. She could have arrived as an Earth Pony, a Unicorn or a Pegasus, but she was sure the result would have been the same, she got turned into a pony, with hooves, mane, tail and stuff.

“Well, both the Princesses are alicorns but they’re bigger than everypony else. You’re just about my size,” Twilight said, as she grabbed a towel and began to clean her. “Your wings are about the same size as my friend Rainbow Dash’s,” she added. “And your horn is no longer than mine,” she added, dragging the towel to Lauren's flank, and noticing her cutie mark.

“Wow, that’s an interesting cutie mark, what’s your talent?” she asked Lauren, looking at her with a great smile.

“I got a cutie mark?” she asked, as she moved her body to see at her cutie mark: a curved quill, with its tip inside a small bottle of ink.

Celestia's Secret

Chapter 8: Celestia's Secret
*****

Luna and Celestia were flying across the starry night, gracefully flapping their majestic wings, leaving some few sparkles behind them with each of their flaps. They looked like two shooting stars across the sky. The kind of spectacle that somepony with as much love for star-gazing as Twilight would enjoy to see any time with her telescope.

Princess Luna was carefully flying behind her sister, glancing at her sparkly mane waving along with the night air. “Tia?”

“Yes, Luna? What is it?” Celestia asked, without looking back at her sister.

“It’s about Lauren,” Luna said, gulping after the mention of the alicorn’s name.

“What about her?”

“Well, you said we’ve met her before, didn’t you?” Luna asked, quickly flying next to her sister to look at her eyes.

“Indeed we did, dear sister.” Celestia flew a bit faster, but Luna managed to keep up with her.

“But you never told me who she was,” Luna said, looking at her sister. “You said she was an old friend of yours.”

“Yes, she was,” Celestia replied, still without looking at her sister.

Luna was feeling a weird sensation coming from Celestia, as if she didn’t want to talk about the matter. But she had to know, she had to know who Lauren really is. “So, who is she?”

“Why do you want to know?” Celestia asked.

“What do you mean why I want to know?” Luna indignantly. “I also deserve to know what’s going on!”

“I know, Luna. You’re right, sorry,” Celestia sighed. “I’ll tell you tomorrow. Right now I’m exhausted, so I just want to close my eyes and rest.”

“Very well then,” Luna answered. Of course, she was expecting an immediate answer, but an answer until tomorrow was good enough for her, due the circumstances. ’Tia has been hiding information from me all day long. I’m not even sure if she will tell me the truth or not.

With that last response, both alicorns kept flying across Luna’s beautiful night sky until they arrived back at Canterlot Castle.

*****

“Finally! I’ve been waiting ages to try this vanilla ice cream!” Lauren chirped, looking at her ice cream. She was sitting in front of a table. Children running everywhere, balloons, music; it was an amusement park. Some children were playing on the mechanical games, such as the bump cars and the merry-go-round. Some others were playing in common carnival games like popping balloons with darts or knock the bottles with a ball.

Lauren was just enjoying herself, staring at her delicious ice cream in front of her. “Time to eat you!” she giggled, extending her arm to grab the little spoon that was in the plate. “What?” she said, as she looked at a hoof where her hand should be. She tried to grab the spoon with her hoof, but it was pointless. “Come on, you dumb hoof!” she cursed, as she tried grabbing the spoon this time with both of her hooves.

“Lauren,” some voice called, but Lauren ignored it, focusing on grabbing the spoon.

“Come on! I just want to eat my ice cream!” she yelled at her hooves, while she desperately tried to grab the spoon. She tried pressing her hooves together to hold it, but the little spoon would fall in a matter of seconds.

“Lauren,” the same voice called, but Lauren still ignored the voice.

“I’ve been waiting ages to try this ice cream! Forget the spoon!” she yelled, as she threw the spoon away, opening her mouth, ready to chomp on her ice cream.

“Lauren!” the voice yelled this time.

“Whoa!” Lauren exclaimed, jumping on her bed and suddenly waking up, staring at Twilight who was sitting right in front of her. She shook her head to quickly come back to her senses. “T-Twilight? What- uh…” she said, rubbing her eyes with her hooves.

“Heh, sorry,” Twilight chuckled. “It’s just that you were waving your hooves around in the air, and I thought you were having a nightmare.”

Lauren finally managed to fully wake up, remembering the dream she just had a few seconds ago. “Ah! My ice cream!”

“Uh, what?” Twilight asked, tilting her head.

“Eh, nothing,” Lauren giggled, with a blush on her cheeks. She stared at Twilight, who shrugged and climbed down her bed. “What time is it?” she asked, stretching her body with a groan. She looked at the morning sunlight beams shining from outside the window.

“It’s seven o’clock,” Twilight replied, levitating her brush from her makeup table and gently stroking it against her mane. “I know, I know, it’s a bit late,” she added, looking at her dark blue mane with purple and pink streaks. They were a bit messier than usual, but nothing a good brush couldn’t fix.

Bit… late? Lauren couldn’t believe that Twilight considered seven in the morning as ‘late’. “Eek! It’s still way too early!” she complained, covering herself back with her blanket and burying her face against the pillow.

Twilight let out a short chuckle, finishing brushing her mane, leaving it with her usual straight fashion. “Come on, Lauren, don’t be lazy!” she exclaimed in giggles, enveloping Lauren’s blanket with her magic and gently pulling it away from her.

Lauren grumped, turning her head towards Twilight with an angry look, suddenly giggling. “I’m just kidding!” she laughed, climbing down from the bed. I’m not. It IS really too early…

Twilight placed the blanket back on the bed and levitated her brush towards Lauren. “Well, brush your mane! It’s a mess,” she said, waiting for Lauren to accept the brush with her magic. However, it took her a few seconds to realize.

“Oh, right.” Lauren focused on the levitating brush before her and surrounded her with her pearly white aura, replacing Twilight’s magenta one.

“I’ll go make us breakfast,” Twilight commented, trotting downstairs and stopping right before leaving the room, turning her head back to Lauren. “Daisy sandwiches, I’m guessing?” she chuckled.

“You bet!” Lauren chirped with a smile on her face. Twilight sure is fast to notice the little details about people… or ponies… or whatever. She looked at the makeup table mirror and stared at herself. Her straight, red mane wasn’t as messy as the first time she saw it yesterday, however, it did need a good brush.

“Alright then, come downstairs when you’re ready,” Twilight added and walked downstairs to the kitchen. She was still a bit tired, since she and Lauren slept for at least four or five hours. However, she was already used to stay awake until late in the night; studying, of course.

A few minutes later, Lauren was done brushing her mane. She was still not used to have a horn on her forehead, so she constantly brushed it along with her hair. “Good enough,” she said to herself, placing back the brush on the makeup table. I still feel weird in this body, but I think I’m getting used to it. She stared at herself one last time, before realizing what she had to do next. “Oh, that’s right,” she giggled, as she turned herself and walked downstairs to meet with her friend.

*****

Luna kept trotting around in circles in her room. It had been a while since she and her sister arrived at the castle. Celestia immediately went to sleep right after arriving, promising her sister that she would talk about Lauren with her after raising the sun.

“Well, where is she?” Luna asked herself, impatiently waiting for her sister to show up at her room. She was starting to get a little bit tired, since she was awake the whole night, as usual. However, the anxiety to know what her sister was hiding was keeping her awake and energetic. She laid down on her bed, stared through her window, brushed her sparkly mane, and all sort of things to distract herself.

The night Princess was also thinking about those mysterious noises that came from Celestia yesterday. What were they? What did they mean? Why were they coming out from her sister? All those questions were running inside Luna’s mind, who couldn’t figure out an answer yet. She was hoping to receive a letter from Twilight and Lauren as soon as possible, to investigate further into the whole matter. After a few minutes, somepony knocked at the door.

“Come in,” Luna commanded, staring right at the door. Finally, her sister was going to show up and tell her about whom Lauren was. Or so, that’s what she was expecting.

“Good morning, Luna,” Celestia greeted her sister as she opened the door and walked inside the room.

“Good morning, Tia,” Luna replied, walking back to her bed. “Did you sleep well?” she asked.

Celestia nodded, walking closer to her sister with her usual cheerful smile. “Yes, it was a pleasant night, thank you.”

“So, about that thing you were going to tell me,” Luna commented, climbing on her bed, really anxious to hear what her sister had to say.

“Yes, I know,” Celestia sighed, looking at her sister who tapped her hoof on the bed, inviting her to join her. She climbed on Luna’s bed and sat next to her, staring at the floor with a blank expression on her face.

*****

“So, are there other ponies in your world?” Twilight asked, biting on her apple salad. It was a bit dry, but even if she wasn’t a very good cook, she had at least some common cooking knowledge from several books she used to read back in Canterlot.

Lauren hummed, a bit puzzled about the sudden question, holding her daisy sandwich with her mouth. She levitated it back to its plate and swallowed the small bit she had in her mouth. “Uh, yes, sort of,” she said, rolling her eyes.

“Sort of? What do you mean?” Twilight confusedly asked, eating another piece of apple from her salad.

“Well, there are ponies, but they… uh… don’t speak,” Lauren said, biting a little more of her daisy sandwich. It wasn’t as good as the sandwiches she had yesterday, since Twilight claimed Spike made those.

“That’s weird,” Twilight commented, eating the last pieces of her meal.

Yes, my real non-talking ponies are the weird ones… Lauren was about to bite her sandwich once again when somepony knocked at the door. “I got it,” she said, offering herself to open the door and standing up from her seat. She began walking towards the door, opening it with her magic.

“Oh, hello, darling,” Rarity greeted Lauren. She was not expecting her to be the first pony she would greet. She was carrying a pair of saddlebags on her back.

“Hi, Rarity,” Lauren replied, noticing the little dragon behind her. “Oh, and hi, Spike,” she added, only receiving a big yawn from him as an answer. “Sleepy today, aren’t we?”

Twilight stood up from her seat and went to greet her friends. Why would Rarity show up so early in the morning anyways? “Hello, Rarity. How are you?” she asked and quickly noticed the sleepy dragon just behind her.

“I’m fine, dear,” she replied, looking at Spike who could barely stand on his two legs. “I just came to bring back Spike, he felt asleep last night at my boutique.”

“Yeah yeah, thank you, Rarity… I’ll just go upstairs and…” he yawned, walking inside the library, suddenly feeling his tail being pulled by Twilight’s magic.

“Oh no, you won’t, mister,” Twilight said, looking at the sleepy dragon. “You’ve got a lot to do around here!” And it was true, thanks to his absence, he missed his usual morning chores, such as sorting and re-shelving books and making breakfast; which was no longer a problem anyway.

“Aww, but Twilight, I-”

“I don’t want to hear excuses, now get on it,” Twilight ordered. Spike just sighed in submission. It wasn’t fair, but he couldn’t say no to her. His tail got free of Twilight’s magic and he proceeded to fulfill his chores.

Well, Twilight can be a bit bossy, but she loves him. Lauren giggled, looking at Spike who opened the closet door and withdrew a mop and a bucket from it.

“Oh, yes, I almost forgot!” Rarity exclaimed, enveloping one of her saddlebags with her blue magical aura and withdrawing a very familiar dress.

“Oh, right, were you able to make it?” Twilight asked, looking curiously at the dress. Last night, during the party, she told Rarity if she could design a dress for Lauren to hide her wings for whenever she went outside. It was the same plain yellow dress with a pink ribbon.

“Why, of course I made it!” Rarity claimed, levitating the dress in front of Lauren. “Twilight told me that you loved its design, so I made another one.”

“Wow, it’s pretty nice!” Lauren said.

“And not only that,” Rarity added. “I’ve designed this dress specially for hiding your wings, so nopony will be able to find out as long as you’re wearing this.”

“Well, that’s really useful,” Lauren commented, accepting the dress with her magical aura. “Thank you.”

“It was nothing, really, just a little ‘welcome’ gift,” Rarity chuckled. “So, what do you two have planned for today?”

“Well, I really didn’t think of it… I was planning a study session!” Twilight happily exclaimed, but she didn’t get a very positive answer from Rarity or Lauren. “Or… uh… something else,” she awkwardly chuckled.

“Well, how about if you two come with me and Fluttershy to the spa?” Rarity proposed. It was her usual get-together day with Fluttershy, and even if they always did it alone, she was sure her pegasus friend wouldn’t mind having extra company.

“Sounds good, but I don’t know,” Twilight said, looking at Lauren. “If we went, you’d have to take off your dress, and it would expose your wings.”

“Aww, that’s a bummer,” Lauren sighed. Shame, and I really wanted to know how would it feel to have my body covered in seaweed inside a mud pool. I also deserve some grooming.

“I think you’re right, that’s too bad,” Rarity said, thinking of a solution for the problem.

“Thanks for your invitation though, but we’re expecting a letter from the Princess, so we can’t afford to get distracted. It’s a very important matter,” Twilight explained, without revealing more details about it. Her mentor had asked her to keep silent about what they discussed last night. She hated keeping secrets to her friends, but if it was for her beloved mentor, she would even take them to the grave with her.

“Oh, don’t worry, darling, I do understand,” Rarity said, looking at Spike who was slowly mopping the floor. He was still tired, and all he wanted to do was to sleep. “I guess I’ll see you girls later.”

“Okay then, see you later, Rarity,” Twilight said. “And thanks again for the dress.”

“See ya,” Lauren chirped, with a smile on her face.

Rarity nodded and looked at Spike. “Goodbye, Spikey!”

Spike stopped mopping and waved his arm at Rarity. “Uh, goodbye,” he said, a bit disappointed that Rarity was leaving, but he had chores to do. The usual, boring chores he had to do anyways.

Rarity walked away from the library as Twilight closed the door and looked at Lauren. “Well, what do you want to do now?” she asked.

I really feel like playing Animal Crossing, she thought, immediately realizing there was no such thing in Equestria. “I don’t know, whatever you want to do is fine.”

“How about reading!?” She happily exclaimed once again, receiving an awkward nod from Lauren. She started bouncing on her hooves and looked around at all her bookshelves. “Hooray! What do you want to read? I’ve got so many books that I-”

“On second thought, how about if we just chill and talk?” Lauren proposed. She did like reading, but she just wasn’t feeling like reading a book so early in the morning.

“Eh… sure, that could work too,” Twilight said, a bit disappointed that she was not going to read. “Actually...” She glanced at Spike, who kept on mopping the library floor. He was almost done, however, he had to mop the kitchen floor as well. Twilight tilted her head towards the staircase. “Come.” She began walking towards the staircase, being followed immediately by Lauren.

Both mares finally arrived back at their bedroom. “What’s up?”

“I just don’t want Spike to hear us,” Twilight said, moving upstairs to her bed. “I want to talk to you about Princess Luna.”

“Oh, right,” Lauren replied, walking towards her own bed. What would she like to talk about? she sighed, placing her dress on her bed and sitting on it to get a more comfortable position. “Well, what about her?”

“Well, uh…” Twilight rubbed her hooves, trying to come up with her answer. “Well, it’s just like… I feel that something is going on with her,” she said.

“With her?” But, isn’t Celestia the one that has been acting weird? At least that’s what Luna claims. “I thought she said something was wrong with Princess Celestia.”

“That’s the thing,” Twilight said. She was a bit puzzled about the whole matter. “I just can’t believe how she can make those terrible accusations to Princess Celestia, her own sister!” she exclaimed, waving a hoof in the air.

“But, she said that-”

“I know the Princess very well. She’s kind, gentle and would never do something evil! I don’t know how Princess Luna is making all these claims.”

Lauren tilted her head. On one side, she agreed with Twilight. Princess Celestia was the most noble and kind of all ponies, and she would never harm anypony. However, Princess Luna was really convinced that something was wrong with her sister. She just didn’t know what do believe anymore.

“And then she tells us to write her before telling anything to Celestia… I just… don’t know,” Twilight said, lowering her head to think about the messy situation.

I know that it must be hard for Twilight to believe it, but I know that deep inside her, she knows that Princess Luna is right. Something is definitely odd with Princess Celestia. Lauren looked at Twilight, trying to come up with some words to cheer her up. “Uh, don’t worry, Twilight,” she said. Twilight raised her head and looked at the alicorn. “I know that Celestia would never do that, but… but you have to admit that something is definitely odd with her.”

Twilight sighed, realizing Lauren was right. There was no point in denying it. “I guess you’re right… but I still can’t believe it,” she mumbled, looking at the stars and moons on her bed sheet. “For now, I guess we should wait for the Princess letter to arrive and then we’ll ask her what’s going on.”

Lauren nodded, laying her back on the bed. She wasn’t sleepy anymore, but the bed was really comfortable; almost like her own bed, back at her home. “I guess you’re right,” she said.

*****

Celestia had stared at the floor for several minutes now, and Luna was growing tired of her sister’s silence. She wanted to know already, but she couldn’t rush her sister to spit it out. What was it? What was so important about Lauren? Why was Celestia holding information? She wanted to know already.

“Uh, ‘Tia?” she finally spoke, breaking the silence that had dominated the room for minutes. “Will you tell me?”

“Oh, yes, sorry, my mind just drifted away for a second,” Celestia chuckled, moving herself closer to her sister and stretching her wing to hug her. “This is very delicate.”

Luna felt her sister’s warm wing against her back. It was soothing and relaxing, just as expected from somepony as the Princess. However, that didn’t distract her from the main issue. “Delicate, you say?” she asked.

“Well, it’s something like that,” Celestia said, lowering her head. “Remember what she told us that night, several years ago?”

Luna thought about that question for a second, recalling the event. “Yes, she said ‘I love you, girls. Never forget that.’ Didn’t she?” She glanced at her sister, who nodded in agreement.

“Yes, indeed,” the Sun Princess replied, looking at Luna. “This is something I didn’t tell Lauren or Twilight last night at the library.”

I don’t understand. How does that relate to this? Luna tilted her head for a second, deciding to ask her sister about it. “But, how does that relate to who she is?” she asked.

Celestia took a deep breath, hugging her sister tighter with her wing. “It is precisely that,” she said. “Don’t you understand?”

Oh no, not with her rhetorical questions again. Luna shook her head. “No, ‘Tia, I do not understand what you mean.”

“That night, she said those words because…” Celestia stopped, looking once again at the floor and taking another deep breath.

“Why? Why did she say that? Who is she?” Luna asked, staring at her sister who finally raised her head.

“I told you, this is not easy for me to say,” Celestia commented. Luna gulped, realizing maybe she was pressing her sister too hard. No, she had to know, and she had to know right now what Celestia was hiding.

“I apologize, sister.”

Celestia closed her eyes and meditated about the situation. She opened them and cleared her throat. “This is all because… Lauren is very close to us,” she finally said.

“Close… to us?” Luna questioned, tilting her head in confusion. Close? How?

Celestia leaned her head against Luna, moving her mouth close to her ear. “It’s because Lauren is our…” she softly whispered, taking one last breath.

“Our what?”

“Mother.”

Luna’s eyes went wide open. She tried to reply, but she felt a knot in her throat. Suddenly, she heard yet another noise coming from inside her sister. This time it was not a crack or anything like that. This time, she heard a glass shattering. The same noise a window would make if it were broken with a rock.

She was still trying to process what her sister just said, but she couldn’t react. She couldn’t speak or move her body; instead, she felt her eyes and body were getting heavier. W-what? What did s-she just s-say!? W-what was that noise!? Those were her final thoughts. She couldn’t hold it anymore, and suddenly, everything went black.

Celestia chuckled, raising her wing from her sister and climbing down her bed. She carefully levitated her motionless sister with her faint golden magical aura, carefully placing her below her bed sheet. She placed a pillow below her head and levitated her black crown from her head, placing it on the nightstand just next to her bed. Just like when she used to put Twilight in bed whenever she felt asleep in the castle library when she was a filly.

She closed the window curtains with her magic, stopping the sunlight from entering the room. She glanced back at Luna with a grimace on her face, leaning against her and giving her a kiss on her forehead. “Sweet dreams, my dear sister,” she giggled. Walking away from her and leaving the room, closing the door on her way out.

*****

A loud burp noise echoed through the library. Twilight swiftly raised her head, realizing the only thing that noise could mean. Finally, she was going to get the answers she wanted.

“Hey, Twilight!” Spike yelled from the library foyer. “I’ve just received a letter from the Princess!”

Any Way the Wind Blows

Epilogue: Any Way the Wind Blows
*****

“T-Twilight…” Lauren looked at Twilight.

“Please, don’t go… I don’t want you to leave.” Twilight had tears leaking from her eyes, whimpering between words. Everypony couldn’t help but look at the unicorn with surprise.

“Twilight, please understand. Lauren must go back to her world. She does not belong in here,” Celestia said, trying to snap some reason into her student. However, it seemed futile as Twilight shook her head in denial.

“No! You don’t have to go! You can stay here! The library is big enough for me, you and Spike!” Twilight dragged her front legs and rested them on her shoulders. “We can be friends forever… just… don’t leave me.”

“Twillight, I…” Lauren gulped. She gave a quick glance to everypony. She didn’t know what to do. She really wanted to go back home, though. But with Twilight’s sudden disapproval, that decision seemed to be on hold for now.

“Do you… do you really want to go back?” Twilight asked. Even though the chances were microscopic, she was hoping for the correct answer. Anypony could dream, right? She didn’t look anywhere else but to Lauren’s big, blue eyes, however, she closed her eyes and buried her face on Lauren’s chest, awaiting for the inevitable answer.

A few seconds of silence passed without Lauren giving an answer. She stood there, motionless, looking as how Twilight’s tears ran through her cheeks, dripping to the floor. Obviously, nopony was going to answer for her. She had to decide right in that instant. She had two options; stay with Twilight in Equestria, the land she created and loved, or she could go back home, where she had been living her whole life, with her family, friends and loved ones.

“Yes. I want to go back.”

Twilight opened her eyes right after those words echoed in her head. She slowly raised her head and looked at Lauren. “What…?” She should’ve known better. It was obvious that she was going to say that, and Twilight knew it. But she couldn’t deny the fact that deep in her heart she was expecting the words ‘No, I want to stay’ to come out of Lauren’s mouth.

“Twilight, forgive me, I’m deeply and truly sorry, but I want to return home. My family and friends must be worried sick about me. I have a life back there that I must resume. It has been a pleasure to be here and meeting you all, but I have to go back. I… I miss my beloved ones.” Lauren looked down at the crushed unicorn. “Sorry.”

“No… please…” Twilight wasn’t going to give up yet, even if she knew her begging wouldn’t make Lauren change her mind.

“Twilight, darling,” Rarity interrupted. “I don’t want to be ‘that mare’, but weren’t you the one who was determined in helping Lauren go back?”

Rarity had a strong point within her words, and Twilight knew it. She was the one who told Lauren she’d do anything in her power to help her find her way back, but it was different now. She totally had forgotten about that promise, and it was replaced with her own wishes, the simple wish to share another daisy sandwich with Lauren.

“Twilight Sparkle, please excuse me if I sound rude, because that’s not truly my intention,” Luna added. “But what you’re doing right now is a strong act of selfishness.” The stares were directed at the Princess of the Night. She expected them, though. “Forgive me, but it’s true. You’re disrespecting Lauren’s decisions only to satisfy your desires. You can’t choose if she stays or not. That choice can only be made by Lauren, and she already did it.”

Twilight felt guilty now. Now even her own friends were complaining at her for asking Lauren to stay, but they were right. Luna was right. She was no one to keep Lauren from the rest of the world, and even less from those loved ones she had back in her world. She did wrong and now everypony was looking at her with disappointment. Twilight looked up at Lauren, tears still shedding from her eyes. “S-sorry… they’re right…”

“Twilight…”

“I don’t know what came over me… sorry… I shouldn’t have told you those things… forgive me,” Twilight sniffled. A faint smile appeared on her face, breaking the frown she had has since Celestia informed everypony about Lauren’s return. “I will miss you.”

Lauren returned the smile. A sudden motherly sensation ran through her body. Without thinking about it twice, she wrapped her front legs around Twilight and embraced her in a tight hug. “And I’ll miss you too, Twilight.”

“Thanks for everything, I will never forget you.” Twilight returned the hug, resting her cheek on Lauren’s warm chest. She found herself in peace, as if every single of her worries were washed away from her mind.

After Twilight’s words, Celestia bowed her head and looked at the floor.

Lauren broke the hug, still offering her warm smile at Twilight. She raised a hoof and wiped away one of her tears. “It’s not the farewell. I can still visit you anytime I want. I just have to close my eyes and imagine about us going in adventures!”

Twilight giggled, raising a hoof to wipe the tears from the other side of her face. “That’s true… and I can do that too. I can’t wait to see what kind of adventures we’ll have together in the future.”

“Looking forward for them.” Lauren nodded, looking at everypony else in the room. “And I’ll miss you all too, my little ponies.”

Celestia, who was still looking at the floor, raised her head and looked at Lauren. Her expression didn’t seem to be too cheerful or happy. “There is one thing before you go, and it really pains me to say…”

“Huh, what is it, Celestia?” Lauren asked. The tone of her voice didn’t sound like if she were joking at all. Her face also showed certain disconcert.

“I am really sorry to say this… but…” Celestia bit her lower lip, closing her eyes and looking away from Lauren. “You won’t remember ever coming to Equestria or meeting us… I’m sorry. You will simply not remember this whole thing ever happening.”

The gasps from everypony echoed at unison, especially Lauren’s. What did Celestia just say? Nopony was willing to believe it.

“W-what!? You’ve gotta be joking! I won’t remember anything about ever coming to Equestria!?” Lauren exclaimed. That statement caught her off guard. She couldn’t believe what she heard. Not only she’d go back to her world but she wouldn’t even remember ever going? That was so unfair.

“P-Princess! What do you mean? She won’t remember ever coming to Equestria or meeting us? W-Why!?” This time, Twilight was the one who complained.

“As you know, Lauren is the creator of this world. Therefore, our existence depends only upon her. She just can’t be conscious that this world in fact exists. She still has to believe that is all a story, nothing else. She must not be aware of our existence, since that could not only affect us but her as well,” Celestia explained.

“Does that mean that won’t remember being our mother, Celestia?” Luna asked. The only answer she received was the downcast stare of Celestia. Luna didn’t say any other word. She had understood now what was going to happen.

“And we won’t remember her as well,” Celestia said, immediately making everypony to respond with a unison and powerful ‘what!?’, which she was expecting.

“It’s the same deal. We are not allowed to remember Lauren. We are only characters in her story and nothing else. No characters should ever be able to be aware of their creator. It can affect the balance of our world and the balance of our own sanity. That’s why as soon as Lauren leaves, everypony will forget that she ever existed. We’ll go back and resume our lives.” Celestia didn’t have any mercy at spitting those words.

“No, no! Anything but that!” Twilight yelled. “No, you can’t make me forget Lauren! I don’t accept it! Why do we have to forget about her? It’s not fair!” Twilight’s eyes started leaking again, as if they didn’t have enough leaking for one day.

“I understand,” Lauren said, almost as if she ignored Twilight’s outburst. “If it has to be done, so be it.”

“M-mother, but what about us?” Luna intervened. “I don’t want to forget about you!”

“Luna… I understand, but Celestia has a solid logic to back up her claims,” Lauren replied. “Believe me, I don’t wish to forget about any of you either, but there’s no choice. If I have to go back home, that’s the only way available.”

“But… but…” Twilight was crushed now. Not only Lauren was going to leave, but she was going to forget about her as well. “I…” She couldn’t be selfish again. If that was the only way Lauren could be happy, then she was going to agree with it, like it or not. “I understand,” she whimpered.

“I am sorry, Twilight, but this is for everypony’s sake.” Celestia looked at Lauren. “Mother. It has been a pleasure and a true honor to meet you. Even though neither of us will remember this ever happening, you’ll always live in our hearts.”

“I know, Celestia. And you’ll all live in my heart forever.” Lauren stood up and walked towards the Elements of Harmony. She approached Fluttershy and smiled at her. “Fluttershy, try to be a little more outgoing, okay?”

“Um… y-yes…” Fluttershy blushed, offering a weak smile at Lauren.

Lauren moved to the next pony. “Applejack, I’m sorry I never got a taste of your famous cider, but save those skills for your business. I’m sure it will become a success.”

“Aw, shucks. Thanks, Ms. Faust.” Applejack took off her hat with a hoof in sign of respect and held it on her chest.

With a smile, Lauren turned and moved on to Rainbow Dash. “Rainbow, sorry I couldn’t attend our flying lessons. I’m sure you’d be an amazing instructor, and I’m sure you will join the Wonderbolts pretty soon.”

“You bet I am! Don’t worry about the flying lessons; I’m sure you can take some back home.” Rainbow offered a smirk, waving a hoof around in the air.

“Good luck with that,” Lauren said as she approached the next pony. “Rarity, I loved your dresses. You should keep on making those awesome styles, and I’m sure you’ll be the next sensation in Canterlot.”

“Why, thank you very much, dear,” Rarity said, running a hoof through her mane. “When you get back home, make sure to wash your mane. It looks dreadful!”

“Will do, Rarity, will do,” Lauren chuckled. As soon as she turned to talk with the next pony, Pinkie jumped in front of her, bouncing on her hooves as if she called dibs on Lauren. “Whoa, Pinkie!”

“Hey, is it my turn yet? Because I couldn’t wait any longer for my turn, sorry! What is it gonna be? Pinkie, you’re a great baker? You’re so fun? Your parties are always the best? Huh huh huh?”

“Wow, slow down, Pinkie,” Lauren chuckled. “Just… keep on making everypony smile, all right? That’s what you do the best, right?”

“Okie dokie lokie!” Pinkie grinned and jumped her way back to her spot. It was an easy task for her to make, anyway.

“Spike,” Lauren turned her head this time to the little dragon. “Take good care of Twilight, okay? And don’t ever give up in her. I know that someday, you two will be sharing a milkshake together in the park.” She winked at her, tilting her head a little towards Rarity.

Spike leaned closer and covered his mouth with his claw. “Hey, uh… do you think maybe you could make it work with your powers?”

“No, no, that’s cheating,” Lauren snickered. Besides, you don’t need me to make it work. Someday you’ll make her yours, trust me.”

“All right, if you say so. “ Spike smiled. He felt a little disappointed, but Lauren was right, though. There was no fun in making Rarity fall in love with him if he didn’t earn it. He would have to work hard to make that happened, and he even had some ideas for the future that would surely make him win some points with her.

“Luna,” Lauren faced her daughter. “Even though parting hurts, I couldn’t be any happier with what you have become.” She rested a hoof on her shoulder. “It hurts me to leave my daughters like this, considering you just meet me and all.”

“Oh, no. Don’t concern yourself with it, mother. I fully understand that you must leave, even if neither of us will remember this.” Luna leaned closer to Lauren and wrapped her legs around her. “Goodbye, mother. I will look forward to the day where we meet again, someday.”

Lauren accepted Luna’s hug and returned it, gently stroking her blue mane with a hoof. She couldn’t help but picture herself as the loving mother she was, consoling her daughter. “Bye, Luna. Be a good mare and obey your big sister, you hear?” Both Lauren and Luna shared a short laugh before breaking their hug. Lauren nodded one last time before walking towards Celestia.

“Celestia, thank you for everything you’ve done,” Lauren said, extending a hoof.

“No, you have no reason to thank me about anything. I am the one who is grateful.” Celestia extended her hoof and shook Lauren’s. Both alicorns looked at each other before pulling each other into a tight embrace. “I wish you a life filled with happiness and joy, dear mother.”

“I wish you the same thing. Everypony is lucky to have you and Luna as their ruler. Take care, Celestia.” Lauren said as she broke the hug. Celestia nodded in response. It seemed like it was time now. “Well, one last thing before I leave…” She turned her head and walked towards Twilight. “Think I forgot about you, Twilight?”

“I was afraid you were going to for a second,” Twilight said with a silly smile on her face.

Lauren extended her leg and pulled Twilight closer to her. “Aw, come here, you little unicorn.” Both ponies hugged, chuckling together pleasantly. “Thanks, Twilight, for everything you’ve done since the beginning. For accepting me in your home, for introducing me to your friends, for agreeing to help me, thanks.”

“Thank you too, for being a wonderful friend,” Twilight said. “It is sad that you have to go and the fact that I’ll never remember you, but it’s all right. I’m happy to see you finally reached your objective, which was to get back home in the first place.”

“And it’s all thanks to you. Love you, Twilight.”

“Love you too, Lauren. Goodbye.”

With those words, both ponies kept hugging for several seconds until they agreed to break the embrace. They looked and smiled at each other. It was time to part. Finally, the adventure was over.

“It’s time to go, Lauren,” Celestia announced. Lauren nodded and stepped in front of her.

“All right, but… how am I exactly going to go back?” Sure, Lauren was cool with everything now, but the question remained. How was she going actually go back home? What method would Celestia use? Teleport? That question was now bugging Lauren.

“Close your eyes for me, please, and do not open them until I tell you to do so, okay?”

Lauren did as instructed. She wondered if Celestia was going to do something to her. Not tickling, she hoped, since she was very ticklish. “Okay, now what?”

“When you open them you’ll be back home,” Celestia said, her horn glowing. “And as for everypony in here, when Lauren leaves, all your memories of her will disappear.”

Lauren gulped. She was nervous about what fate had prepared for her, but she was ready now to face anything. She took a deep breath, waiting for whatever Celestia was going to do. Suddenly, her body felt lighter, as if she were floating in the air. She wanted to open her eyes to check, but
Celestia had told her to keep them closed.

“And in the end,” Celestia’s voice rang in Lauren’s head. “Love will always keep us together.”

Lauren wanted to answer back, but she wasn’t able to. She couldn’t react or feel her body. It felt almost like when she fell through the window and arrived to Equestria. However, it felt somewhat different and pleasant. Gentle warmth ran through her entire body. It felt so good, almost like a very warm bed. Lauren let the sensation take over her, and with that, she fell asleep.

“Goodbye, Lauren. Until we meet again.”

*****

Twilight blinked. The last thing she remembered was a bright burst of light blinding her for a few seconds. She looked at her surroundings and looked at her friends standing there, with oblivious plain expressions on their faces, as if they had just woken up. “Huh? Why is everypony in the library?” Everypony looked at each other, but no one answered.

“Good question. What are we doing in here? How did we arrive here in the first place?” Rainbow asked. She looked around, but she didn’t notice anything unusual save for the two Princesses standing there. “Huh? What are the Princesses doing here?”

“Huh?” Twilight turned her head and looked at both Celestia and Luna, who were looking at everypony with the same stares of confusion. “Princess Celestia? Princess Luna?”

“Twilight Sparkle? “ Luna looked at her sister. “Celestia? What in Equestria are we doing in Twilight Sparkle’s library?”

“Huh? I thought we were discussing about going to Sugarcube Corner for some treats and snacks, weren’t we?” Celestia said.

Everypony looked at Celestia with even more surprise than before. First they appear in Twilight’s library like out of nowhere and now Celestia says they were going to Sugarcube Corner? What the hay was going on?

“What in tarnation is goin’ on? Sugarcube Corner? How did we arrive here in the first place?” Applejack asked. However, it didn’t seem like anypony had an answer.

“Maybe we can discuss it on our way there,” Celestia suggested. “Why don’t we leave now?”

“But, Princess, I… I mean, you two, I don’t even…” Twilight gave up. The whole thing was too confusing and she didn’t want to tire herself. “If you say so, Princess. Come on then, girls?” Twilight walked towards the staircase to head downstairs.

Everypony looked at Celestia, then at Twilight. They weren’t sure what was going on, but for now they could play along and follow Twilight’s lead. Everypony, Spike and Luna followed her, still unsure of why they appeared out of nowhere in the library. Maybe they were renting books or something? Or maybe they were just tired. Yes, that had to be, only exhaustion, which a good nap could easily fix.

Celestia, however, didn’t move. She looked as everypony headed downstairs. She looked around and smiled. “Well, one last thing to do,” she whispered to herself. “Bye, Lauren.” A flash of light illuminated the room for less than a second. Luna turned her head due the light and looked at Celestia.

“Celestia? Are you not coming?” Luna asked.

“Huh? Going where?” Celestia blinked, looking at her sister.

“Didn’t you tell us we were going to this place called Sugarcube Corner?” Luna tilted her head.

“Did I? Oh, all right then, I suppose?” Celestia walked towards her sister and walked downstairs with her, still unsure what was she blabbing about. For that matter, what was she doing in Twilight’s library?

Downstairs, Twilight had opened the front door and everypony was starting to leave one by one. “Oh, hey! That’s my camera!” Pinkie said, noticing her purple camera resting on one of Twilight’s desks, but nopony seemed to pay attention to her. Pinkie grabbed her camera and noticed there was a photo stashed in it. “Huh? I don’t remember ever taking a picture. I wonder what it is?” Again, nopony paid attention to Pinkie. She pressed the ‘reveal’ button of her camera and a photo slipped out of it. “Huh? What’s this?” She grabbed the photo and examined it. In there, she spotted herself and her seven friends. It was nice to see a picture of them looking so happy.

“Wait. I don’t have seven friends…” Pinkie did the math in her head. Five of her friends were the rest of the Elements of Harmony, and the extra one was Spike. But who was this mysterious seventh friend she was talking about? She looked closer at the picture and noticed the cream colored alicorn at the middle of it. She had blue eyes and a straight, red mane. “Oh, now I remember! We took this picture at the welcome party of La-mph!” Pinkie shut her mouth and looked at the door. For her luck, everypony was already out. “Oh, right. I’m supposed to not talk about it, silly me.”

“Pinkie, you coming?” Twilight said from outside the library.

Pinkie chuckled and hid the photo deep within her mane. “Don’t worry, Laury. It’s our secret!” she whispered to herself as a smile formed on her face.

“Pinkie!”

“Coming, Twilight!” Pinkie bounced her way out of the library, closing the door behind her.

A gentle breeze blew through the deserted library which had gone through a lot of things lately. It hosted an alicorn, which turned out to be the creator of Equestria. Nightly talks and revelations. It was the place where everything started, and now, it was the place where everything finished.

*****

The heavy raindrops struck against the office window, hail pummeling down as well. The storm seemed nowhere near to end or even to settle down a little. Lighting struck as well, reminding everyone about the power of nature.

A gentle, cold breeze ran through the office. The small gap in the window allowed the wind and some raindrops to crawl in, as well as an occasional pebble of hail. The whole room was pitch-black, caused by the storm cutting off the building’s power. The only light was the dim light from the hallway that trickled through the office door. Backup lights illuminated some of the hallway, in case of a blackout.

Lauren was deeply asleep on the office’s couch, with one arm under her head and the other one resting on her belly, her legs crossed. The pleasant winter breeze ran through her face, down to her cheeks. “Uh…” Lauren’s fingers twitched, as well as her eyes. The breeze that came from outside the window grew stronger, blowing harder against Lauren. “Hmm…” Lauren moved her head to one side in reflex to keep the breeze from cooling her face. However, lighting struck, causing Lauren to immediately open her eyes due the potency of the lighting.

“Uh… what?” Lauren dragged her hands to her face and rubbed her eyes. She gave a huge yawn and stretched her arms and legs. Her office couch wasn’t as comfortable as her bed, but it was great for naps. “I… think I fell asleep.” She scratched her head and moved her legs, acquiring a sitting position on the couch. She let out another yawn before sighing in exhaustion. “Uh, feels weird.” Lauren slowly stood up, giving her body last stretch before looking around her gloomy room. For whatever reason, she felt weird standing up and moving her fingers, but she didn’t give much thought about the matter.

A stray pebble of hail alerted Lauren to the opened window. She walked towards it and closed it, not before peeking outside. There wasn’t much to see except for the pole outside. “My, it’s still raining cats and dogs,” she muttered. “What was I doing before I fell asleep?” Lauren closed her eyes and thought about the last time she was conscious. It didn’t take long until she managed to recall the events from a while ago. “Ah, right. John told me he was going to look for George so we could leave together.” She walked towards the door, bumping on her desk. “Ow, stupid thing.”

“Jeez, thinking out loud again, Lauren?” a voice said from the hallway. Two figures appeared just outside from the office door.

“Shut up, John. It’s too dark and I can’t see a thing!” Lauren step closer to the door until the lights were clear enough to reveal the faces of the visitors on the hallway. “Ah, evening, George.”

George raised his hand, waving it quickly and giving a quick smile. “Hey, ready to go?”

“Sure, let me just grab my purse.” Lauren walked back to the couch and grabbed her purse, almost tripping on her way back. John and George stepped back to allow Lauren to leave the office. She stopped, glancing back at her office one last time. Strangely enough, she felt as if she had forgotten anything. She shook her head, walking outside the office and closing the door behind her. She took out her keys from her jacket and locked the door. “Okay, ready.”

“The weather’s pretty ugly, so I don’t think it’s safe to drive my old car,” George said. This caused Lauren and John to look at him in confusion. “Relax. I’ve got Paul’s van keys. He said it was okay for us to use it. He often leaves his van here, so it’s all right.”

“Well, if you say so,” John said as he started to walk down the hallway. George walked behind him. However, Lauren didn’t move. Her eyes were fixed at one of the lamps.

“Feels weird,” Lauren said. John and George stopped and turned their heads. A unison ‘huh’ came from both their mouths. “Eh, nothing, never mind me.” Lauren waved her arm and walked behind them. Both men shrugged and resumed their way out of the hallway. “By the way, I don’t know why I have these ideas for the season finale so suddenly. I’m thinking about an impostor, and maybe giving Twilight a brother!”

“Hmm, that’s actually not a bad idea,” John said. “Let’s discuss more about it on the road, shall we?”

Lauren nodded in agreement. She couldn’t explain why she had all that burst of new ideas, though. What could have happened for her to be inspired like that? Maybe it was that short power nap she had. Perhaps she could try having them more often.

As they walked downstairs, Lauren kept thinking about this weird sensation she had been feeling ever since she woke up. She couldn’t explain it. It was some sort of urge to eat something dry, and sweet. She couldn’t help but think about it. It was like if her body demanded to be fed with that aliment. Suddenly, Lauren had the craziest of thoughts. So crazy that it made her chuckle a little.

“Okay, call me crazy, but this is just too weird. Why do I feel the sudden urge to stuff my face with daisy sandwiches?”

~The End~