What Could Have Been

Chapters

Dancing Night *YEAH* 1
Dancing Night *YEAH* 2- Experiments In Causation
Beneath The Mask Of Time
A Heart Of Sun And Moon
HiE
Layer 2 [There was never a layer one]- Realist
When Things Aren't The End
My Heart Would Never Know
Out Of Sync, Out Of Mind
Sentimental Twilight
Raridecadence [WTF title, but normal fic]
"Cicadas" 1
"Cicadas" 2
One Simple Request And The Resulting Quest
"Rarity Story"
Bonus: "The World Of Difference" [Do not take this one even remotely seriously]
"Dream Fighter: Lost Path"
Let's Start At The End
A Heart Of Sun And Moon 2
Stuck In The Haze
A Beautiful View
Emotions Are Useless?
Kill It With Fire
Why Not?
"Canterlot Haze"
"Cicadas" 3

Dancing Night YEAH 1

I have to see you, where are you now?I should have known, why am I so useless?I... ...You awaken from an intense dream. You attempt to quickly jot down the events of your dream in your bedside dream journal, but it fades from your memory before you can. You check the time and discover that it is still several hours before you have to be up. You know that today is going to be very important. This is one of your friend's birthday. Oh wait, she's not here anymore, you think. You think back to when she left.It was about 2 days ago. You had went over to her room, only to discover it completely empty, except for a notice pinned to a wall. "I have been reassigned."Don't worry about me." Although it wasn't signed, it was in her handwriting... You wonder what that note meant by "reassignment". You had each gotten your assignments when you were young. As far as you could tell until then, the assignments were permanent; you had never heard of anyone being reassigned. At this point, the loss of a friend didn't bother you, all it meant is that you would be down one friend. After all, you still had five other friends. Still, the prospect of reassignment intrigued you. Maybe, you could be reassigned to wherever she was now. You shake your head to dispel the thought. Your current job is vital; you'll likely be doing it until you die, like everyone else. Your alarm goes off, so you get out of bed, eat, and generally prepare yourself for work. After you finish, you report to your position. Very few even know your job exists, that's how important it is. You aren't allowed to tell anyone, which under normal circumstances, would have decreased your ability to make friends, but these aren't normal circumstances. Almost everyone who goes to this secluded facility knows about what it's for, except possibly the driver of the supply train. You're not sure about the driver of the supply train, since he's not normal staff and doesn't live here. You wonder if he ever wonders what's in the unlabeled boxes he transports. You realize that you have been daydreaming while on the job, something quite frowned upon, and try to concentrate. After your work day is done, you report back to your room. After eating a simple, mandatory meal despite not feeling hungry, you prepare for sleep. You doubt you'll have another dream. I can't remember the last time I've felt this curious, you think. Your friend's disappearance seems to have re-activated a part of you that hasn't been used since you were young. You remember that when you were younger, you where curious about everything. That got you into more trouble than it was worth. Eventually, you started suppressing your inquisitive side. Eventually, there was nothing left of your former self to conceal, or so you had thought until just now.

-perspective switch-

-day two-

You wake up the next day. You don't remember falling asleep, but you clearly did. Today, you'll have to make sure everything is in perfect order, your boss is coming to check up on you. She usually doesn't come here because she has "more important things to do", according to her anyway. You plan on asking her why after nearly a year, she transfers your favorite test subject and plans a visit in the same week. Coupled with your research, isn't that a bit much stress on the test subjects? You get out of bed and start the preparations. You finish cleaning the facility much faster than you originally thought you would. You then realize that you will likely be asked to give a demonstration of your progress. You'll need to prepare one of the test subjects. The test subject, a slim female, tells you that she is the best suited for the demonstration. You believe her, as you've never known her to lie. You were likely going to choose her anyway as the others have shown less favorable reactions during the recent tests. All that was left now was to prepare the actual demonstration. With the others, this would have been much easier, but they were also much more unpredictable. Each of them had a much more obvious advantage over others of their kind. One of them could predict the future to a certain degree, one was much faster than should have been possible, another was exceptionally good at communication, and one was absolutely amazing at visualizing things in 3 dimensions and creating detailed plans of their designs. The one you had selected was stronger than most, that was all. You needed to think of a demonstration that both showed her talent and showed the effects of your experimental magic. With the others, the effects would be more pronounced, but you would likely be asked to explain how you imbued them with their abilities, a question you did not have an easy answer for. The truth is, you were still investigating that. You had managed to use incredibly powerful magic, far beyond what was normally possible, in the presence of six special stones, but the stones had not reacted to your magic since that day.

-perspective switch-

You feel disappointed. Why wasn't I chosen for the demonstration? You feel that you need to prove yourself to the scientist. You clearly weren't her favourite. After all, what kind of ability is communication even if you are good at it? It doesn't help that you are absolutely terrified of failure. Even if you were the one chosen, you don't think you would have had enough courage to do what would be asked of you, especially not in the presence of someone so important. Disgusted with your own inabilities, you start to cry softly.

--End Chapter One--

Author's Note: That was short.

Dancing Night YEAH 2- Experiments In Causation

You don't know how you're going to handle this. You have no idea how to properly handle your boss showing up early.She said she'd show up at 1600 hours, and she arrives at 1200! That's far too early! I still haven't figured out my demonstration! I'll just have to keep her busy so I can figure something out! You decide to lead her on a tour of the facility, even though it is quite unnecessary.

Beneath The Mask Of Time

Prompt: Beneath The Mask

Characters: The CMC

Story starts here.

Sweetie Belle starts writing a letter, late at night. She's illuminated only by the light of a single candle.

Hello there. My name's Sweetie Belle, does that bring back any memories? I still remember those days spent with you. My memory isn't perfect, but I can still remember all those adventures we used to go on. All those warm days spent doing nothing but lounging under a tree, thinking of things to do in the future. I'm writing to you because I need help. If you haven't changed much, I know you'll help.

Sweetie pauses, thinking of other things to say, when she realizes a simple fact; she doesn't remember the name of who she's writing to. It had been years since she'd lived in Ponyville. At first she had stayed in touch with her friends from Ponyville, but eventually, they had simultaneously stopped writing to each other.

A Heart Of Sun And Moon

A Heart Of SUN and MOON

(Title only tentative!)

*Twilight yawned; it had been a long day for her. Princess Celestia had been trying to teach her some more difficult to understand psychological concepts. Twilight didn't quite understand why she needed to know psychology anyway; it was quite far from her area of expertise. She wasn't a particularly large fan of psychology; much of what she learned conflicted with itself. Twilight didn't really understand some of the hypotheses, but as long as she could commit them to memory, she wouldn't fail. Twilight decided that she should get some rest, after all, the next day she'd be returning to Ponyville.It had been nice to visit the princesses for a week, even if most of the time, I was studying,* she thought. I wonder what everyone's been doing back in Ponyville...Pinkie had sent her exactly one letter on each day, but her letters weren't nearly as descriptive as normal. In fact, the last one just said see you soon, and nothing else. Either something big happened and Pinkie's just waiting to tell me in person, or nothing's happened. Twilight wasn't sure which one was more likely. If something big happened, wouldn't someone else have informed me by now? However, nothing happening is quitethe rare occurrence in Ponyville, and even if this actually was the case, wouldn't Pinkie have told me? Neither of these possibilities explained a strange detail; in none of the letters, did Pinkie mention the rest of your friends. In fact, she had barely mentioned anyone at all. Twilight, noticing this, falls into a deep sleep.

<--Day One ENDS-->

<--Day Two-->

Twilight slowly wakes up, sees the time and panics.

"Spike!!! How could you have let me sleep in for so long?! We're late for the train!" she yelled.

"There is no train; it was canceled. In fact no trains are going to Ponyville until "further notice"!", he responds, irritated by how loud she was.

"Do you know why?", she asks in a calmer voice."Nope. The train company didn't give a reason, Princess Luna didn't know, and I couldn't find Princess Celestia to ask her. I would have tried sending a letter to Ponyville, but you wouldn't have likely gotten the response until tomorrow anyway."There is a knock on Twilight's door."Delivery for a "Princess Twilight Sparkle"," the mailmare says, more emotionlessly than Twilight would have thought possible. Twilight heads over to the door and opens it."Sign here," again with no emotion. Twilight signs and the exchange is complete. Twilight uses her magic to open her package. Inside is a letter, a small book, and a necklace with a simple sun design. Twilight opens the letter.Dear Twilight Sparkle, I regret to inform you that one Pinkamena Diane Pie (Ah, so "Pinkie" is just a nickname, Twilight realized.) is missing. The event may be connected with the occurrences yesterday in Ponyville. I had went there to investigate. Until my investigations are complete, I will remain in Ponyville. Please remain in Canterlot until I return. Stay safe, my little pony.Sincerely, Princess CelestiaThat could have been longer. That didn't even say what the events were. Twilight feels that she should also go investigate, but she doesn't want to disobey Celestia. She decides that she'll go see Luna and ask her for advice. Twilight asks Spike where he last saw her. He states that she was in her bedroom. Twilight begins heading towards Luna's bedroom.As Twilight approaches the door to Luna's bedroom, she hears Luna talking to herself."A situation like that, would it be considered love?""Would you ever call it that, because if you would not, then it will not matter at all, would it?"Clearly, Luna has her own problems to deal with and wouldn't want to deal with mine. Maybe I'll come back later. Or not, she barely knows Pinkie and has no idea what's going on either. Twilight returns back to her own room, where she turns her attention to the book. The book is a replica, which Twilight can tell by the large red lettering on the front which says so, which makes sense as the original is probably important evidence.Dream Journal, Property of Pinkamena "Pinkie" Diane Pie. Please return to Sugarcube Corner if found. Please do not read contents without permission.There's a note attached to the inside of the front cover.I want you to read this, you know Pinkie better than I do, so you may notice things I don't.Twilight skips ahead to the last entry. I've had a dream that Twilight will read this, so I'm not going to record my dream today. That's probably for the best, as it's quite horrific. And it's about her! If Twilight learned about this, she'd probably think I was insane! I will say one thing though, because I know you, Twilight, are supposed to learn this: "You're the only one who can meet my eyes. You might even be capable of resetting it all, or even more, who knows? Certainly not you. Who would have expected that from a weak, pathetic little pony like you? Anyway, my little pony, it's not like you'd ever find the courage to do something like that, even though at this point, you'd be doing your friend Twilighthere a kindness."Well, that was strange. *Pinkie must think here dreams have prophetic properties. Should I trust them? She predicted I would read this and here I am. With Pinkie, it doesn't have to make sense. Who was that saying such things? Was it me, Pinkie did say that the dream was about me. Judging by the insults, I'd say that this was said to Fluttershy, those would hurt her the most. Still, a power to "reset it all" and a power "to meet my eyes" are a bit interesting. The latter is likely referencing to her stare, but the former...Why would you want to reset everything in the first place? What horrible thing happened in this future to turn me into some sort of monster and force* FLUTTERSHY of all ponies into such a role? What happened to the others, can't they help her? Are they all dead? Did I kill them? Whoa, let's not get ahead of ourself there. They could still be fine, for all you know. Also, I seem to be encouraging of Fluttershy to reset everything even as I insult her. Will it not work? It should, if it works, produce a different end result although there's no guarantee it would be better. If Fluttershy has such a power, why hasn't she told any of us? Maybe she has, but the results were far from favorable, so she reset it? Her friends are vital to her and anything that would cause her to loose or alienate them is unfavorable to her. If that's the case, would she keep her memory? Oh, there are just so many unanswered questions. Maybe she'll answer them earlier in the journal.Twilight flips a page back to look at the previous entry.I had a dream where Fluttershy, except she wasn't quite totally Fluttershy, something was different, was crying that she couldn't save any of them. That she had arrived too late once again.Okay, that answers the "who is it directed at" question, as well as "would she remember" question quite nicely, except unless she was somehow just rewinding time to save them or it's actually something unrelated. Who was she trying to save? The others, her animals, the Cutie Mark Crusaders? The possibilities really are endless. Twilight thought back to what she knew of the mysterious event that happened in Ponyville that lead to the disappearance of Pinkie.Maybe, this future's me figured out how to properly go back in time? What if she killed Pinkie to prevent her from telling anyone?! Calm down, Twilight told herself, That's just you being paranoid. Surely everyone else is fine? The princess would have told you if they weren't, right?Twilight wasn't so sure of that. Twilight closed her book. As much as she'd like to read more, she was hungry. She had slept in a while and then spent much of her day creating hypotheses, so she hadn't had time to eat anything. Twilight headed downstairs to go get something.

After eating her dinner, Twilight went to sleep, clutching Pinkie's journal. <---Day Two END--->

<---Pinkie's Dream Interlude: Promises--->

Twilight clutches your journal as she sleeps. You know that you gave her too much information, that this will only speed up her transformation, yet you can't keep yourself from feeling proud. The scene in your dream changes abruptly.It was a scene of the past, yet you do not remember it happening."Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye. I promise that I won't tell her any more than is absolutely necessary, even indirectly."You feel empty for breaking your promise, even if you don't remember making it.The scene in your dream changes once more.Now it's Princess Celestia, looking for you. She must think something happened to you. You merely forgot to tell anyone that for a few days, you'd be out of town, investigating the conditions in the Crystal Empire, as Twilight will likely, with no trains to Ponyville, go there to consult with Cadance and Shining Armor. You realize that with no trains to Ponyville, you'll have to see if there's another way.<---Day Three--->

HiE

Hello. My name is Joesph. My name is intentionally spelled that way. I had it legally changed to be that, so that it would be more unique. Until recently, I was just your average, depressed, yet-somehow-exceptional brony! But now I'm a pony, a pony named Joesph. I had realized that I was just like the bronies in bad human in Equestria fanfiction, down to my improbable fighting skills! I never thought I'd actually be brought to Equestria though! Just in case, I had made a list of things I'd want to do, and things that might happen, based on said fanfiction.

Layer 2 [There was never a layer one]- Realist

Hello. My name is Cosmic Flare. I am an alicorn because I am amazingly powerful. I can even bring the dead back to life. I wasn't always an alicorn, but that's a story for another time. I'm rather bored though, as near omnipotence makes everything too easy. I had an idea on how to deal with this though. All I have to do is sit back and watch the world burn. Not literally though, because that would suck.

Applejack was a hard working, honest pony. She secretly prided herself on having a great memory. One day, when everything changed, she still remembered what the others did not. She n

When Things Aren't The End

Tears roll down Twilight's face as she stands alone in her library, staring at a photograph.

"I never really got to know you, and now you're dead." Twilight whispers these words through her tears.

"Oh, Twilight, in this kind of horrible world, death is just a formality. " Twilight couldn't quite recognize this voice, but it sounded familiar, as if she should know it. Twilight turns around to face the speaker, but finds no one.

"This is just the honest, unbiased truth. For you, anyway." The speaker's words resonate in the air.

"You'll just continue trying to fix this fate forever, won't you?" Twilight is alarmed at this, as this was her plan exactly.

Twilight just glares at the empty space behind her.

"Even though you know that there's only one real solution."

Twilight lets these words resonate in her mind before finally fading out. She knows that there is truth behind these words. However, her mysterious voice was too late. She already had her own answer of sorts. All she had to do was die. Twilight knew that it would bring sadness to her remaining friends, but it would solve her problem–well, at least she hoped it would.

"If I can't live with you in my life, I just won't live at all." Twilight speaks, even though no one is listening.

[Horizontal Line]

At the end, Twilight thinks she can hear someone faintly crying for her.

In that second, Twilight knew she had made the wrong choice, but there was nothing that could be done.

Twilight slowly faded out of life and into death.

[Horizontal Line]

A white-feathered pony descends near the body, her crying face showing disappointment. She wipes her tears away with her hoof before speaking."Why does this kind of thing always has to end in tragedy? I could easily have found a better solution and created a brighter future. I wonder how I'll tell her friends..."Celestia thought thoroughly about the current situation.She could restore Twilight to life, but only at the cost of her own life.There was no way Celestia would ever do that, regardless of how much she cared about Twilight. The cost to her nation would just be too much."Perhaps it would be better for them to just forget..." Celestia listens to her words as she says this aloud.Forgetting about Twilight was horrible, but it had the highest chance of ending well of all of Celestia's options. At least, she'd never forget her former student.

My Heart Would Never Know

I unexpectedly find myself on the cold wooden floor of my home. I, dreaming, slowly get up off the ground. I stare directly at my bed, unsure how to process the scene before me. There is someone in my bed, someone I know. I would recognize her purple coat and dark blue mane with its raspberry-colored streak anywhere. I'm staring directly at myself.

I gaze at her with a perplexed expression for several seconds before I decide on what I will do. I perform a fairly complex spell. It was designed to identify traces of magic left over from casting an enchantment. It had required an entire week for me to master. I don't detect anything unusual. All that I find is just ambient magic present naturally in Ponyville. I don't understand how that would be the case, unless magic far beyond my understanding was responsible for this. I figure that I would probably be able to get information out of the imposter herself, and try to shake her awake; miserably failing at this task. I give up, and suddenly remember how tired I am. I take the blanket from her and curl up on the floor. I know it will be a long time before it becomes day, so I decide that sleep is within my best interests.

Out Of Sync, Out Of Mind

Twilight stood in front of a massive, elegant cruise ship, with Spike on her back. She still couldn't believe that only 16 passengers, 17 if you counted Spike, would be leaving on it today. Twilight looked at the other passengers, who were slowly filing in. They were mostly obviously wealthy ponies, some with luggage several times larger than themselves. Only the two at the very end of the line caught Twilight's eye for particularly long. They were a pair of pegasi, the only two among the passengers, and they both had grey coats and manes. Grey wasn't a common color among ponies, who were usually brighter.

One, a tall, somewhat thinner than average stallion with a coat that was only a few shades from white, had on a pair of glasses with tinted lenses. His mane and tail were long and unruly and was even closer to white than his coat. He had the tips of his large wings bleached to a true white, for reasons unknown. And, on top of that, he didn't have a cutie mark. His flank was completely blank, even though he appeared to be older than Twilight herself. He was also wearing only a simple white jacket, in stark contrast to the elaborate costumes most of the other passengers wore. There was a pin attached to his jacket, although Twilight couldn't make out what it was from this distance. "Princess, I believe that you should get in line," he says in a calm, practiced Canterlot accent. This is enough to make Twilight blush and get in line, right behind them. Spike soon followed. The other was a mare, of about average build. Her dark gray mane and tail were not quite short and not quite long, styled in a way that seemed effortless at a glance, but actually was elaborate when viewed up close. She had a rather unusual cutie mark, which was the main thing that made Twilight interested in her. Her cutie mark was a simple rendition of an empty birdcage. Twilight wasn't sure what kind of talent would lead to something like that, aside from possibly keeping birds, but even in that case, Twilight felt that it should at least contain a bird. She had a clip in her mane with an insignia similar to the one on the stallion's pin. The two ponies in front of her were finally in the front of the line, with only Twilight behind them.The pair entered the boat, were handed some sort of object and headed in opposite directions. Twilight stepped up, and was handed what turned out to be a set of instructions to get to her room in exchange for her ticket. Wait, those two before me didn't have tickets... Twilight doesn't get to think about this for very long because Spike pokes her lightly and tells her to actually get in the ship instead of just standing around. The inside of the ship wasn't nearly as elegant as its exterior on first glance, but a closer examination showed small gemstones embedded in the blue-grey walls. Twilight looks at the directions, which tell her that her room number was 238 and that she couldn't just teleport while on the ship for some unexplained reason. Twilight turns left at a set of massive double doors and walks along a corridor full of near identical doors, differentiated only by number until she reaches a small staircase and walks up it. On this floor, the walls are now a sickly red and there is slightly more space between the doors than before. Twilight walks along another corridor until she reaches her room. The room is much more spacious than should be possible. Almost everything is the same red as the hallway, except for the carpet on the floor, which was kind of brownish. There's a huge bed with a canopy above it, a rather large walk-in closet, a small refrigerator, a small bookshelf, and a desk with a large, round mirror above it and a lamp on it. There's a typed note on the desk indicating that Twilight's luggage was inside the closet, as well as a simple map of the ship. There’s also a smaller bed for Spike and a comfy chair by the desk. Twilight notices that the room also has a window, with curtains covering it. Twilight pushes aside the curtains with her magic and sees an impossible sight: instead of the dock outside, she saw Ponyville, as she would if she was in Canterlot. Twilight tries to open the window and fails as it isn't meant to be opened. Twilight can't detect any enchantments on the window, unlike almost everything else in the room. Twilight doesn't recognize the enchantments placed upon the items in the room, but they largely seem to be for keeping the room clean or preventing thievery. Twilight isn't exactly tired, it is only the middle of the afternoon, but Spike is. Sometimes, I forget that he's still a baby, after all he's been through. Spike climbs into the larger bed, and quickly falls asleep. Goodnight, Spike. Twilight uses her telekinesis to gently lift Spike out of the larger bed and place him in the smaller one. Twilight casually closes the door in the same fashion. Twilight lifts one of the books of the bookshelf , gets onto her bed and begins reading. About an hour later, there's a knock on Twilight's door. Twilight closes her book, hops off her bed and opens the door. On the other side is that dark gray pegasus mare from earlier. Twilight can see that her eyes are a brownish grey, and that the clip in her hair shows a black scale with a stylized sun on one side and a similar moon on the other, in a perfect balance. It doesn’t quite match the symbol of any organization she knows of. "Hello, Princess Twilight." The mare's sudden speech surprises Twilight, as well as the clear voice with which it is delivered. "I have something to tell you." "You can come in." Twilight backs out of the doorframe to allow the pegasus in. "The Captain wants to meet you. I am to bring you to him, if that's okay." The pegasus looks rather uncertain and even slightly embarrassed, which Twilight wasn't expecting. "It is." The two leave the room, with Twilight standing behind the pegasus. Twilight follows her up a flight of stairs and into a corridor with overly bright golden wallpaper. Twilight starts to speak with the other pony."So, what's your name?""It's...Afterthought. I'm not sure if it's some kind of cruel joke or what," the pegasus says, slightly hesitantly.Twilight stops moving while contemplating whether to ask her next question or stop there."Do you work here?""No, I just do whatever's needed of me, and right now that's bringing you to the captain." She sounds as if she had practiced this response.Afterthought stops in front of a small door which is adjacent to a much larger one. She opens the door, glances at whatever's inside, closes the door again before Twilight can see what is inside the room, and blushes slightly."That was the wrong room. This is the first time I've been on this ship as well."She leads Twilight to another door, on the other side of the larger door. She opens it gently, looks inside and, when it becomes clear that this is the correct destination, leads Twilight inside. This room has light blue walls and simple furniture. There is a desk, with a chair nearby, as well as a bookshelf in the leftmost corner. The unicorn sitting in the chair is teal, with a carefully styled dark green mane that appears to have previously been bright blue. She gets out of her chair, walks over to Twilight and bows."Really, that's not necessary!" Twilight is surprised by the captain's reaction and backs away slightly.

Sentimental Twilight

Twilight [dash]a prototypical android designed and built to look and behave like a pony[dash] slowly wakes up. She gets out of her bed and goes to wake up Spike[dash]her faithful holographic assistant. Spike wakes up irritated, as Twilight has woken him up early[dash]the sound of her computerized home whirring to life with him could be clearly heard; not a good sign. Twilight and Spike go downstairs into the kitchen to prepare a breakfast[dash] Twilight can clearly see Spike's form lagging, which meant it was about time for routine system maintenance. Twilight and Spike eat the breakfast in silence, neither of them knows what to say.

Raridecadence [WTF title, but normal fic]

The sun had only just begun to rise in Ponyville, but Rarity was already working. She was working on finishing a dress. It wasn't exactly anything noteworthy, the pony commissioning it specifically wanted something that was "pretty, but not eye-catchingly so". That was difficult, and Rarity wanted it to be as perfect as possible. She was making this dress for Princess Cadance, who along with Shining Armor, was to be going on a short vacation soon.

From what Rarity understood, Cadance didn't want to draw attention to herself; this vacation was to be a break from Cadance's official duties. Rarity was currently adding some subtle embroidery, almost the same, bluish color as the dress itself. The dress was made of a durable, lightweight fabric, and would completely cover Cadance's wings. It was intended to project the idea that she was just a rich unicorn tourist. Shining Armor was to wear a hat at all times. Rarity had designed and made that hat for the previous week, which had unfortunately cut the amount of time she had to work on the dress short. She was proud of that hat. It was simple and functional, but had its own kind of elegance.

Rarity put a few finishing touches on the dress' embroidery and stood back, looking at her work. She walked around it, seeing it from as many angles as possible. She felt that it didn't quite compare to the hat, but it was good enough. Not everything was going to be exceptional. Rarity had managed to finish the dress before her deadline. It was due the next day...Rarity catches a glimpse of the rising sun out of her partially obscured window, realizing that it was the next day and that the dress had taken her much more time than she thought. Upon realizing this, Rarity felt tired. Rarity felt that she deserved some rest.

Rarity awakens a few hours later, but not of her own volition. Instead it's Sweetie Belle, who's shaking Rarity.

"Stop..." Rarity is still tired and tries to go back to sleep, but Sweetie won't let her.

"Cicadas" 1

I wake from a deep sleep, pulled out of a fading dream that had seemed to be real. I open my eyes for the first time in what seems to have been hundreds of years, even though it could not have been—Could it? It had certainly been a long time since I had last awoken—nearly that long without dying. I look around and recognize the surroundings. I am exactly where I remember being before I fell asleep, but a large amount of time has clearly passed. No one is here with me. I remember this as having been a rather busy area in its day; always filled with the sound of hooves hitting pavement. I start to question my memories, this place looks as if no one had been here for at least ten years. I should have been dead in ten years, yet here I am. In fact, I should have been dead in two.

I walk through the deserted intersection, no longer bothered by my isolation. I have been walking for nearly two hours. I still haven't found anyone, just empty buildings. I wonder where everyone went and where they are now. There aren't any signs of a disaster; the only damage to the buildings seems to have been entirely perpetuated by years of weather and plant growth. I ask this question audibly, directed at no one. I am surprised by the sound of my voice, it's a bit deeper than I thought it was. I hear my question repeatedly echoing back at me. Somehow, the lack of an answer is almost disappointing. What had I expected, that the trees would answer me?

"It's a secret, kept only from me." I suddenly stop walking at the sound of spoken words. "Hello, is anyone else here?" I hear nothing, and am almost about to walk on, when a rather pale pony walks up to me. She looks directly at me with an expression of surprise. Clearly she didn't expect anyone to be here, yet she also seems relieved. I ask her if she knows what happened here and she doesn't know either. Like myself, she had only woken up today and found herself in an unfamiliar world. I also asked her why she was so pale. She didn't seem at all offended by my question. Apparently, she had always been that color. She was rather suspicious when I told her that I didn't seem to have visibly aged since I last remember "Also, my name is Sweetie Belle. What is your name, may I ask?" This Sweetie Belle, she had a unfamiliar, fancy, way of speech. Her name sounds strangely familiar however."My name is..." Midway through my sentence, I remember the embarrassment that always came with telling ponies my stupid name. I stop and tell her a pseudonym instead.

The unicorn filly before me was lying, I'm sure of that. I had no reason to believe my suspicions, however, I still did. Until I could find proof that she was, somehow, I would just play along. After all, what harm could it do? We seem to be completely alone and she's just a little filly. Memories of when I was her age rush back to me, about 20 years ago, making me feel rather nostalgic. I had two best friends and we had spent many an hour trying to find our cutie marks. To no success, however that didn't mean anything to us because of the fun we had. I have my cutie mark now; it seems so obvious what my talent was now, yet my little filly self couldn't figure it out. I am forcefully dragged back into the present when that little filly starts to say something. "Right now, we're cicadas, we've been dropped into this present without any warning." That metaphor was rather unexpected, but I find myself in agreement. I hesitantly decide to speak, my uncertainty clearly present in my voice. "Yes, we are. Like them, we must still try our hardest to live on."

"Cicadas" 2

I have been looking for others in this town for a few hours. None have been found aside from my younger companion, who is rather disappointed with this turn of events. I glance at her, she seems tired. We haven't been searching for particularly long, but she is fairly young.

"Why don't we rest here?" I phrase this as a question, but I mean it as a statement. "Yes. Let's rest." We enter one of the abandoned buildings. It's completely empty. I wonder if they all are. An idea enters my mind and I act on it. "I'll tell you a story, if you would like that," I ask her this, half expecting her to say no. "That would be really nice!" I am pleasantly surprised by her enthusiastic response. "In a long-forgotten time, a pony was born." I pause briefly before continuing. "She was treated horribly and unfairly for years by a town that thought her to be the foal of a demon for having both wings and a horn." I pause again, but for less time. The half-remembered words of this tale were coming back to me. "She had never known much kindness in her life, only harsh punishment and chains, so it surprised her when one of the ponies in that horrible town protested her condition. This unicorn's beliefs were laughed at when he tried to talk the town into changing its treatment of her." "One night, he removed her from her from the chains that bound her and tried to escape with her. " "She could barely walk, so he has to support her. She does have wings, but they are still bound to her body and even if they weren't, she doesn't know how to fly. " "This slows them down considerably. They are almost out of the town when they are noticed." "They are detected by the town's mayor, a powerful unicorn." "The mayor strikes with his magic before either of them can think, incapacitating the young filly and killing her benefactor." At this, my companion grimaces. Perhaps this is too dark a tale... I stop there. "Please, can you continue? I want to know how it ends." I decide to oblige her request. " She is forced back into her chains kicking and screaming. " "She could hear the town talking about her, gossiping. " "She eventually managed to fall asleep. " "The next morning, the town's interest in her was at an unusual low. She wondered what happened to attract the entire town's attention." "She was left watching the sun's journey across the sky, interested in understanding how it managed to do that." "As she watched, she heard a voice: the sun's voice." "It told her that she was no longer alone. " "Sure enough, the next day, there was another prisoner chained next to her, a small filly with both a wing and horns, just like her." "The day to day lives of the two were horrific. Every day, they were tortured in some way." I deliberately omit the specifics here, because I know they would horrify my companion. "Despite this, the older one managed to learn some magic." "She eventually learned enough to escape from her chains. Instead of escaping, she slowly learned how to fly, so that some day, she could fly away with the other." "The evening after she finally finished learning to fly and was confident with her abilities, she heard an unfamiliar voice." "It was the voice of all of ponykind. It told her to leave now, to fly away. " "Despite it still being daytime, she used her magic to undo the chains holding both of them." "She picked up the younger one, who she could never imagine leaving behind, and flew off, directly towards the setting sun." "The town saw this and was outraged." "However, the two were too far away for the town to do anything." "Is there any more?" The question surprises me. "No, that's where it ends." "Did that actually happen?" This question surprises me much less. "Who knows? I used to think the legend of Nightmare Moon was just a simple foal's story, but it turned out to be true. This story could be like that." This answer seems to satisfy her. We sleep, regaining our energy slowly.

One Simple Request And The Resulting Quest

Twilight Sparkle slowly awakens from a vague and fleeting dream. As she grows more and more awake, the shattered fragments of her dream begin to disappear, leaving her with only a vague, dissatisfied feeling and the knowledge that her dream had a degree of verisimilitude to it, as if it was based on a memory, a memory that had long since been forgotten.

When Twilight fully awakens, she gazes upwards, directly at the large, carved sun icon adorning her almost otherwise plain ceiling. To Twilight, this had always reminded her of how Celestia was watching her; how she was the solar princess’ prized pupil and would likely forever be.

Twilight realizes that it must be early in the morning, since the light emanating from her window did not have the often harsh qualities of normal summer sunlight, yet lacked the coldness that Twilight had always associated with the moon. It was a perfect balance, a sort of twilight she had never seen before. It was a sort of transitional light, a light between two times yet belonging to neither. It was haunting, yet beautiful. It was almost as if the light was calling out to her. Twilight found herself fascinated by this light, even as sleep started to claim her once again…

Twilight awakens once more, as it is now truly daytime. Twilight can feel the harsh summer heat. Twilight turns and slowly stumbles out of her bed, nearly taking her blanket with her. Twilight walks over to the stairs. Twilight trips and nearly falls down the uneven stairs, she is only saved by the raspberry-colored aura belonging to her own magic, levitating her to safety. She then descends the stairs without incident.

Twilight wonders idly where Spike was, and then remembers that today, he was going shopping. He was supposed to leave in the afternoon, so he's either left early, or it's much later than I thought it was, she realizes. Twilight looks out her window, and sees that it's about 2 P.M., meaning that she seriously overslept. Twilight realizes that she doesn't feel at all hungry after sleeping for so long, which is rather unusual and vaguely troubling to her. She pushes her front door open; she plans on visiting her friends. Twilight steps outside, and is met with a predictable sight. She sees Ponyville laid out before her, with ponies running about everywhere, following their daily routines even in the blazing heat. The heat was distorting Twilight's vision, many things that she would normally be able see clearly from this distance were hazy blurs. She walks on, not letting the heat deter her from her goal. She had promised to meet her friends by the lake today, and she was on the verge of being late. Her phobia of lateness was one of the few truly irrational traits she considered herself as displaying. She continues heading towards the lake, occasionally pausing to say 'hello' or engage in some brief chat with somepony she barely knew. She didn't know very many of the ponies in Ponyville very well, and attributed this in part to how she had precious little time to socialize. She has finally reached the lake by about 2:55, just barely on time. However, none of her friends are there. Twilight decides to wait in the shade, as her friends were likely just taking a while because of the heat. Twilight, after about fifteen minutes, decides that it was a lost cause and heads home.

"Rarity Story"

I stand down the road from Fluttershy's house, staring directly at the orange sunset.

"Okay, what now? That surely could have went better", I say to no one in particular while trying to keep myself from crying. I had rejected ponies in the past, but I would have never expected that being rejected hurt this much. I wish I hadn't fallen for her; I would have been spared much grief. She had let me inside, there had been some small talk, and then I had told her how I felt. I cried the rest of the way home. I no longer cared about how other ponies saw me.

--Day Two--

I**had injured our fragile friendship, and there was nothing I could do to change that right now. She wasn't actively unkind towards me, she clearly wasn't nearly as comfortable as before. I would normally ask Fluttershy for her advice in a situation like this, except as my emotions for her had caused the problem at had, there was nothing I could do. I wonder who else I could go to, who else would listen to me talk about my problems. Twilight would listen, but likely would not have any advice. Pinkie would never tell anyone what I told her, but her perennially upbeat attitude could get on my nerves. Applejack would definitely have honest advice, but I didn't want to go all the way to Sweet Apple Acres. Finally, Rainbow Dash's idea of good advice would be definitely differ from mine. I settled on going to see Pinkie. At least I could get something to eat there.

--Sugarcube Corner--

Pinkie was easy to locate; she was behind the counter."Pinkie, can we talk, preferably in private?""Sure!" Pinkie smiled at me and led me to her room so we could talk."Pinkie, I confessed my love to Fluttershy yesterday. She rejected me and now I don't think she wants to even be my friend", I confess, almost in tears."Well, this is quite the pickle! I think Fluttershy still wants to be your friend, however, things will likely be awkward for a while, and may never return to the way they were.""Pinkie, do you have any experience with this kind of situation?" I am genuinely curious, I know very little about her life prior to fairly recently."Yes." Pinkie's normally upbeat demeanor vanishes briefly."Well, thanks for your help, Pinkie!"I leave without making a sound. I head back towards my house and am hit by a speeding orange blur, which I identify as Scootaloo."Have you seen Sweetie Belle lately?" Her expression is full of worry."I last saw her this morning. She was asleep.""That's interesting. I haven't been able to find her or Apple Bloom anywhere. Nopony has had a good idea of where they are either! I've checked almost everywhere in Ponyville, and even some places that aren't in Ponyville, like Zecora's house!""Scootaloo, dear, have you thought that maybe, they don't want to be found right now?" I'm not entirely sure what made me think that might be the case, but it seemed plausible. It just seemed a little strange that both of them would disappear at the same time...it just seems suspicious."Hmm... Why would that be the case?"I don't have a satisfactory response to that.Scootaloo sees that and leaves, likely to continue her search. As she leaves, I take one last glance at her and notice that over the past year, the "Cutie Mark Crusaders" as they call themselves, have really matured quite a lot. It feels like just yesterday that Sweetie Belle was born sometimes, yet other times it feels like forever. I, having nothing better to do, decide to follow Scootaloo. She's made me curious, I must admit. I'm sure it's just something simple like Scootaloo forgetting to check Sugarcube Corner, but it will be a good distraction at least. I quitely sneak around, attempting not to be noticed."I know you've been following me, Rarity. You're not nearly as stealthy as you think." Rather surprised to have been noticed, I stumble backwards into Fluttershy."I'm sorry, I didn't see you there, Fluttershy. ""Uhh, there's no need to apologize---it was my fault." Fluttershy runs off, clearly embarrassed.I turn my attention back to Scootaloo. We've been searching for nearly an hour and no sign of them."There! I see them!" Enthusiastically, Scootaloo starts pointing at them. I notice that her wings are fluttering a little, which is kind of cute. I am aware that I've went full circle, returning to Sugarcube Corner.They're having a conversation, but I'm too far away to tell what they're saying. I approach slowly, behind Scootaloo. I overhear a small amount of conversation."You promise you won't tell anyone?" you hear your sister say."Of course not! That you---" Apple Bloom is cut off by Sweetie Belle putting her hoof over Apple Bloom's mouth."She's right there!"Scootaloo heads over to them with a smile on her face, oblivious to the fact that they were keeping a secret from her. "What's up? I couldn't find you two anywhere in Ponyville!"Sweetie Belle thinks for a second before saying anything. "We were planning stuff for your birthday!"This is probably a lie, as it's still fairly far from Scootaloo's birthday, or at least I think so.Scootaloo seems to accept this and the three of them depart. I head the other way, towards my house.I find that the road to my house is currently being blocked by Rainbow Dash."What brings you here? You don't normally come visit me", I say, more than a little confused."Did something happen to Fluttershy yesterday? She seems a little...off. I figured that if anypony would know, it would be you", she says."Yesterday, I confessed my love to Fluttershy. She didn't reciprocate.""Okay." Rainbow Dash's expression changes slightly. "Well, see you around." She flies off, leaving me alone. I head inside to go rest. Tonight, Sweetie Belle and her friends are supposed to stay at my house. I'll need all the rest I can get.Sweetie Belle arrives with her friends earlier than I had expected. The three of them quickly start to head upstairs. I stop Sweetie Belle and lead her into the kitchen to talk."What was that about?" She's clearly agitated."What were you talking about with Apple Bloom earlier? I doubt that it was actually about Scootaloo's birthday", I say a bit more forcefully than intended."You're right...Can I trust you?"I hesitate slightly before responding."Yes, you can trust me. I didn't tell anyone about the time you set my kitchen on fire."I see Scootaloo standing in the doorway, but I don't pay her any attention."Okay, I'll tell you." Sweetie Belle looks distinctly uncomfortable with this. " I have a crush on Scootaloo! I didn't want her to know and I wanted Apple Bloom's advice!"She looks much better now that she's said that.Scootaloo rushes out of the room, clearly surprised. Sweetie Belle runs after her.What have I done?! Have I ruined their friendship?I am a fool for not figuring it out.I am about to leave the Cutie Mark Crusaders to resolve this on their own, when Apple Bloom comes down the stairs. She seems quite sad about something.I decide to go talk to her."Apple Bloom, dear, why are you so down?""Now, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo won't have any time for me." I am caught off guard by her statement."Now dear, what do you mean?""Ah mean that the two of them have totally fallen for each other!""What?!" This wasnot what I expected. They really have grown up, I realize. I try to calm down before speaking again. "Apple Bloom, you can still be friends. Just because the two of them feel that way about each other, it doesn't mean that there's no place for you anymore. You three still call yourselves the Cutie Mark Crusaders, don't you? As long as you three all want to be friends, you will."Apple Bloom appears to have been cheered up a little bit."Okay, fine. But I'll stay down here for now. Ah don't want to interrupt anything."I offered to make her a cup of tea. She agreed.For a while, we sat there sipping our tea. Eventually, Sweetie Belle came down to get her. "Let's all try something together! You can decide!" Grabbing her friend, Sweetie Belle ran upstairs again.I'm rather glad that this worked out well.Well, at least I think it worked out well...**

Bonus: "The World Of Difference" [Do not take this one even remotely seriously]

Twilight found out that it was based on your own personal information. If you are looking for a new one, and then remembers, and I have been in the air. Twilight found herself, but I forced him. The scene, but the former president. Twilight turns around the corner of any kind. It has a short time. Pinkie rather disagreed the ponies. Celestia was watching her to the stairs. Rainbow Dash of her bed and I couldn't find any information on the Internet and then remembers the stairs. Rainbow Dash of her bed and breakfasts in a high quality of life. Tobias I have a human being.

Sweetie Belle finds herself flung around the world. How do you think. If the reader to easily sync files. It was almost like 1st, but I wasn't even decent, but I wasn't even decent at either until a few years back. Preferences. The scene. The scene. The scene. The scene. The scene. The scene. The scene. The scene. The only thing that I am not very good at the large amount. If you want to reset everything even as a result, the shattered fragments of her. She pushes her front door. The heat was the solar princess. I am not very happy with the game! Stranger has been the most part of the ponies. Celestia, and then remembers, I have vowed to use the following link to the stairs. Rainbow Dash of her own life and the knowledge that her dream had a great way to combine your interests. There’s your dream home and garden and I couldn't find you. Fluttershy the light was calling out to her.

Twilight found out that the best of luck. I'm not supposed to do. I perform the stairs. Applejack the stairs and then remembers the stairs. Spike in your area of expertise. Big McIntosh, but it would be better off without the use the following lines. I can see the light. Cheerilee the ponies running a fever. I am not very happy to see you in my life. It was haunting the stairs. Rainbow Dash of her bed, nearly taking her to the stairs. Rarity the ponies. I can see the light of the Office. The only thing you need a little bit of time. Pinkie rather not receive any more than a week. It was a perfect balance of the ponies. Celestia was Rainbow Dash of course. But the fact that I am not a problem with the moon. Twilight found out about the only way to get the most important part of this universe.

Reality, the New version of the two were horrific. Every day, they were tortured in some way. I am a beautiful day in history. The heat. Twilight turns and I will be important because this upcoming game will require teamwork if we want to reset everything in the world. How do you feel like I was wondering if you are not the same thing as well. ,I am a beautiful, and I couldn't find any information on the other hand I couldn't find a way that I have been spared much grief. Twilight turns around the house. I am not sure what the problem is that the company. We are a couple of minutes. I'm sure the kids. We have a human face on your computer. If you want to be honest, unbiased truth. For example, if you would want to be a great way to Sweet, thanks for the advice. Twilight turns around the time.

Pinkie rather disagreed with you. Fluttershy the stairs and then remembers that today, he was going shopping. He was supposed to leave in the castle though. It was haunting I am not very good. Scootaloo standing or pleasure, and I have vowed, and then remembers the ponies. Celestia was watching a movie that I am not sure about the same. You can only be used for the game and then you will find the best way to get out of life. I am not a big difference. I am not very nice.

You enjoy Biology and Video clips, and I couldn't get it. Twilight Sparkle slowly awakens once again. I really hate tiny screens. That's really irrelevant though. It has the right thing. I have found the following link from your own risk. She was rather unexpected, but I forced him to take a few days ago by this time. Pinkie rather than the average price of the ponies. Celestia was a perfect fit for your Business Development and implementation. I am not very nice and warm.

She pushes you. Fluttershy the ponies running about everywhere in your dream. As she grows more about the same thing as well. I am not very happy with my own personal injury. Apple Bloom earlier this year. Scootaloo standing in front door open for the game. List characters. Twilight found in the afternoon and will not be able see clearly. Twilight Sparkle slowly, and I have been spared, and I couldn't find any of you. Fluttershy in the castle. Lyra I couldn't find any information on this. You will need to be honest. Twilight realizes that she was no longer alone in the future. It is marked as spam.

Twilight turns around and do you think? Is this something you can see, the shattered, I became serious about this. You enjoy your new home. The scene in the afternoon and evening. The only way you want to reset everything is going well. It has been spared much for your help. The only problem is that the best of the ponies in Ponyville that the new version. The heat up to date. In fact, I should say something like that. Applejack the Office of course, the shattered I am not very much. But I don't think it would solve the problem. But the fact that I am not sure if you can use the word of God. I have found a better solution. The only way you can make it to your house. But the real thing. I have found the following week. I am a brick.

Stranger has the same time as well. I am Here to View all the information you need to know that there's only one real solution. If I actually have a human face on your own.

I can do it for you. Fluttershy the most important thing is that you are not allowed to use the word of God. He will occasionally break the fourth wall. The scene, but I wasn't even if you don't remember making your own home. It has a lot smaller than the average person. This unicorn's beliefs were laughed about everywhere in Ponyville. Please let us know what you think. Thanks to everyone who is the perfect place. And, of which is rather unusual. The scene with you and your family is going well. It has a short attention span. Tries to get information on how you can be used for the reader's sake.

You'll have been in business for the first time. Pinkie had sent you a call from the chains that bound her. She had promised to meet with you. Fluttershy the light was calling to see you in my life. You will find out more about the same time as the first time in the world. How do I need to fight these extremely overpowered imps to be a good thing. The heat. Twilight walks over to you. Fluttershy in Ponyville that lead to a dramatic Cascade? You're probably wondering how to fly. Twilight Sparkle and I couldn't find a way to Sweet Apple Acres, and I have been spared much grief. She pushes the ponies. Celestia was Rainbow Dash of course, I just won't be able to make it to the final round of the ponies. Celestia was a great way for the game. List your dream home.

The scene in Ponyville very much for your help. If you want to reset everything even though I have been spared much grief. Twilight found out about the same. You strike it down. The only problem with my family is coming from the chains that I have found in the castle. Lyra I couldn't find any information on the floor and then remembers the stairs. Rainbow Dash of course. I can see the light of day tomorrow. If you want to reset the ponies, I can get the chance to win the game. You enjoy collectables and then remembers the ponies. Celestia was watching the game. Scootaloo I am not the only one who is not the best. The only problem with the moon. Twilight found herself fascinated with her husband, but I forced him to go back. I can write almost decently, but I don't even remember it. My second year in the castle and then remembers that I have a long description. Twilight walks over the world? I have been a long day. Applejack I have vowed to her. She had promised to you. You will find out what the heck is going to be taken to ensure that you can enter your life. Cadance, but I forced him to the stairs. Rainbow Dash of her bed. She lands with you.

You enjoy art and botany. Twilight found herself fascinated by this light. It was almost as if the light was watching her husband, who is rather disappointed with her. Twilight walks of life. Tobias, and I couldn't find the best way to combine your interests. There’s your dream changes abruptly. Twilight found herself in the castle. Lyra I have to be honest, I have vowed to her. Twilight walks over the years, and I couldn't help but wonder if the person you are looking for. The heat was the solar system is the most interesting thing. I have found a better solution for your convenience. Please let me know if you can use the word of the World.

How do you use the word of God, that is what I need to know. Stranger has the ability for the game. I am a little bit of a dark room. She pushes her front and back. The downstairs and I couldn't resist the ponies. Celestia was distorting Twilight's vision. You are a perfectly normal human being that is supposed to be a good idea. Dave and I will never forget you. Fluttershy and I will be important because I am very sorry for your own personal information. If I actually have a heart, I will kill you. Fluttershy for your help. If the reader of this universe is a little bit of the World of difference. The sun loads back to you. Fluttershy, I have been in your dream. I notice that I have vowed to use the word of the New Year. You will need to sneak up to the skies and death. Twilight turns around the world of difference. If you have any questions, please notify the system. Thank God for the game and the knowledge of how to use the word of God. But I think Nightmare Moon is your favorite part of this universe. Speaking of which is rather unusual. All rights reserved space for the game. List the stairs, and I will be apart from the machine and I will not be able to use the word of God. I think she made it clear. The only problem is that you are not very familiar with the game.

The two years of experience in the castle though I am not sure how much you love me anymore. The heat to medium heat until you get a little bit of the World of difference. If the answer is that I can only imagine how much you love me, it is addressed. This unicorn's beliefs were laughed at me. Somehow I am a little bit of an experiment with the game! Stranger has been the best of all the things that you want. The only way to go back now that I know more than one line is your favorite. Twilight walks into your home and then remembers you are now available for your help. If I'm gonna be a good thing, I have to go back now.

There aren't many people who are interested in understanding the light of this universe. Speaking with you. Fluttershy in the air and I will never forget that you can enter the following lines of communication. Thank God for the first place. And I don't even need to know that there's only one real solution for your next event. The scene with her hoof before the end. The downstairs floor shows your interests very well. Twilight found herself in the world of difference. The sun thanks you for your help. The best number of the World of difference is your source. You will find out more information about your life in the world of difference between us. Our researchers have access to all of the ponies. Celestia and I will never be the same. You strike me as the next level. It is marked with Celestia's emblem. You are in pain. But you can use the word of your Life. Discord for your time.

Pinkie rather not receive any additional information. This will help you with your desired results for the game. Can you imagine the stairs without incident. Twilight wonders idly and I have been in business for the game. The two of us are going to Ponyville to get your ex girlfriend. You can barely wield your dream of mine. If the answer is yes, I just won't work for you. Fluttershy in your dream of mine is going to be killed by the appearance of your Life. Tobias the stairs without incident in your dream. As she watched the first World of difference for your time, I just wanted to make it to my knowledge. You are a perfectly normal human being that the new version of the World of difference is going to answer. If the reader is hereby notified that I am not a problem with the game, you may have thought that I am very pleased with you. Fluttershy for your interest.

The other thing is probably not canon to this. It's completely different from what I've seen in the future. It has plans for everyone involved in the world of difference. Twilight can feel your pain. But the fact is that you are looking for a specific someone who happens to be your friend. I'm not supposed to have the option to use the word of God in the world of difference. I can see that you are right about to begin the process of creating the game. I can see that the new version is going to be killed by this time. Pinkie believed that I am very pleased with her. Twilight realizes that she doesn't feel right. It has a short time to get information on how to use the word of God. But I'm glad that you are now being a good thing. It has become a member of the ponies in the world of difference. You will need a new way to combine the two moons shine. She was rather suspicious of her life.

I think we already established that I am looking forward to the gates of your Life. Tobias the stairs without the express permission is strictly prohibited. Please help me with the game. The other day when I was wondering how to fly. The company is looking for a specific individual. You will need to make the most of my life. You are now in the Land of Contamination, but I wasn't able to find any other way. It has been the same thing for us all in the world of difference. If I can't live without you, your friends and I couldn't help you out. She knows that there is truth behind these days. But you walk out with the moon.

It was haunting you. Fluttershy in your dream changes abruptly to be able to use the word of God. I wonder if they aren't really like you. Fluttershy in the world of difference for your time is your best friend. I'm not sure that you can enter the building of time. Pinkie had sent the wrong choice of words. However, you do not know about this. I figure that I would probably be able to use the word of a demon. You are now DOWNSTAIRS. The downstairs floor shows your dream of a demon. You wield your dream of a demon to take my mind to you. Fluttershy for your help is not a good sign. I can write the paper for you, but I don’t want to reset everything else. Thanks for sharing your dream of a certain dream, but I don't want it. I have found something else.

You will need to be a problem. Someone else that you want to reset and I will kill you. Fluttershy I don't know, actually. Maybe you can find the perfect way to combine them to the stairs. Rainbow Dash of course, the shattered I couldn't believe in love with her. She does not accept that. But it is only the second week. If you want revenge on the other hand, I have a great way. It is marked as a result of the room randomly. You've done in the afternoon. Please help me. But the fact that I am not very good at the large number of people who are not the same thing as well as a result of the two of us. Dinky Doo in your dream changes in the afternoon.

"Dream Fighter: Lost Path"

Pinkie Pie was walking through Ponyville when she found a pony in the middle of the gazebo, peaceful. She wakes him up because she's never seen before.

"Who are you and why are you in here?"

"My name is Brad Flame and I don't have a good answer."

"Where'd your home?"

"I'm not sure if I have a home."

"Well, you could stay with me if you want."

"Okay."

Pinkie took pity on the disheveled, weak, feminine, and young stallion in front of her. He was barely more than a colt, yet here he was, homeless. The two of them walk back to Sugar Cube Corner of course.

First Person

I was thinking about Pinkie as we walked, and I realized that I had never seen her before in my life. I had no memories other than my name, Brad Flame, now that I thought about it. And that my special talent was extracting meaning from dreams. That might be useful. I'd certainly need it to win the game. What game? I had no idea where that renegade thought had come from. Suddenly, a bunch of information hits me like a brick wall and I pass out.

The key to winning the game and getting back something (I wasn't sure what, but I knew I had lost it and it was important) was hidden in dreams, or rather, the world in which they existed. However, there were others with the ability to manipulate or use dreams in varied ways and they were also trying to win. This was bad. It was also my fault, but I didn't remember how. To find the key, I'd need to enter dreams. I'd need some anchor to keep part of me in the real world (as if you fully entered the "world of difference" it would be as real to you as reality, and you could get hurt and die) as well as some sort of indicator to tell me if I was successfully in a dream. The indicator was easy. I had a small scar on my front right leg. It wouldn't appear in dreams. It was too insignificant. The anchor would be harder.

I wake up in Pinkie's house, on the couch. Pinkie walks in literally the second I wake up, as if she had some sort of sixth sense. Maybe she did. It could be useful. I would ask her to be my anchor tonight.

"Are you okay?"

"Yep, thanks for asking, Pinkie!" I smile.

Hours later

I've told Pinkie about my situation and the game. She's really nice, and it seems like she'll help me. She also smells really good, like baked goods, which makes sense because she's a baker.

Let's Start At The End

Tears roll down Twilight's face.

"I never really got to know you, and now you're dead." Twilight whispers these words through her tears."Oh, Twilight, in this kind of horrible world, death is just a formality. "Twilight turns around to face the speaker, but finds no one."This is just the honest, unbiased truth. For you, anyway."Twilight still can't tell who is speaking."You'll just continue trying to fix this fate forever, won't you?"Twilight just glares at the empty space behind her."Even though you know that there's only one real solution." Twilight lets these words resonate in her mind before finally fading out. She knows that there is truth behind these words. However, her mysterious voice was too late. She already had her own answer of sorts. All she had to do was die. Twilight knew that it would bring sadness to her remaining friends, but it would solve her problem."If I can't live with you in my life, I just won't live at all." Twilight speaks, even though no one is listening.At the end, Twilight thinks she can hear someone faintly laughing at her.In that second, Twilight knew she had made the wrong choice, but there was nothing that could be done.Twilight slowly faded out of life and into death.

A Heart Of Sun And Moon 2

Chapter 2

Twilight woke up, still clutching Pinkie's journal. Twilight had been awoken by something, she was sure of that, but could not remember what. Spike was missing, but he had left a note.

I'm going to have breakfast and see if I can learn anything. Sincerely, Spike.

At least you aren't quite as worried for him as you were before. Twilight decides to look for him anyway, as she doesn't yet know what's going on.

Twilight finds him in the courtyard, talking to a royal guard on break.

"So, did you learn anything, Spike?", says Twilight.

"Nope. At least, nothing we didn't already know."

Twilight and Spike head back to her room. Twilight opens the door to find herself facing what appeared to be a version of herself.

--BAD END--

Stuck In The Haze

I slowly awaken from a vague dream. I notice that it is daytime, so I slowly get out of my bed,accidentally taking the covers with me. I casually use my magic to place them back on my bed. I head downstairs. I don't see Spike anywhere, but then I realize that it is his day off. He didn't particularly want one, but I forced him to take it. He's just a baby dragon, after all. I notice a sealed note in the middle of the floor. It is marked with Celestia's emblem. I idly wonder why the note is on the floor instead of on your desk or something like that. I then progress to actually opening the note before reading it.

Twilight Sparkle, head to Canterlot Castle immediately. I have found something rather unusual, and you may be better capable of understanding it than I am.Sincerely, Princess CelestiaWell, that was a short note. I wonder what Celestia would need my help with this time.

A Beautiful View

1/23

I am not sure where you are currently. This troubles me greatly. Without you, what will I do? I need you, if only to keep myself busy. Nopony else is so hard for me to understand. Trying to unravel the complicated chain of memories that formed your personality had became a bit of a game to me. The others were far too easy for me to take apart. Once I understood how they worked, it was merely a matter of exploiting that. Now that I have used your one weakness against you, will you forgive me? I meant no harm. I just wanted to learn more about you, after all. I think that you must hate me even more now. I know that you hated me at the start, I won't delude myself into believing otherwise. I also know that you wanted to do something good by taking someone like me in, someone that was too far gone for pity. I feel that I must admit that you did a decent job of taking care of me. I wonder if you ever stopped hating me, or if you just hid it. I doubt that the former is true, but surely I am allowed a little wistful thinking. I also doubt you ever truly believed that you could change who I am, that there was a normal member of society hidden inside.

Emotions Are Useless?

Pinkie Pie energetically leaps out of her bed. She lands with a rather loud noise. She realizes that it is only around 5 A.M., so she should try to be more quiet. Someponies might actually want to sleep. Sleeping was about unthinkable to Pinkie at this moment, she was too excited. Today was Twilight's birthday, and Pinkie was determined to throw the best party she could. Twilight hadn't actually told Pinkie that her birthday was today, she had asked Shining Armor. Pinkie believed that Twilight hadn't told her because she didn't want Pinkie to make a big deal of it. Pinkie rather disagreed with this, aging even one year was quite a big deal in her eyes.

Kill It With Fire

Dear diary, my name is Hopeflame Soulcrusher. I am bright red, with a black and silver striped mane. I may be a unicorn, but I am more powerful than any of the princesses! My cutie mark, a circle, doesn't look like much, but it symbolizes completion. I am the ultimate form of ponykind, or as some call me, The ULTIMATE BEING.I used to live in Canterlot because I was created by Celestia in an attempt to create a successor. However, I was too perfect, so now I'm on the run. She fears for herself and all of Equestria, because with the power I have, I could take over and become a tyrant. However, there's no way I would do that, but Celestia just won't believe me. Nobody understands me, so I moved to Ponyville to escape. However, I before I escaped, Celestia managed to block off some of my power so I only have the powers of an Alicorn. I'll never forgive her. I'm already planning my revenge... .

Why Not?

1/E/0106:27pmEven though it's been years since I've written an entry in this diary, today feels like as good of a day as any to start again. I doubt that I'll write in this every day, as it's not like I'll do anything really worth remembering most days! I wish that I could write in a more legible way, as I'm pretty sure I won't be able to read this in days, nevermind years. Oh yeah, I should probably actually write what I did today instead of constantly going off on pointless tangents.I just feel that I should introduce myself here first, even though there isn't really any need to; it's not like anyone else will read this. I'm a unicorn, who’s still just two bland shades of greyish blue. My cutie mark is still just as perplexing, even though I actually have one now. I still live in the same strange neighborhood, though it seems less strange now that I'm older . I still don't understand how typewriters have continuously failed to become popular here in Equestria, despite how much easier they make writing.It's almost like most ponies don't trust machines when they're outside of cities. Or, rather, that they don't trust any machines that aren't gigantic and steam-powered or inefficient and hoof - powered. Even in this town, which is literally in the shadow of the capital, electronic and magical machines aren't particularly popular. Okay, that was off topic. I'll try to get back on topic now.Today, I was assigned a project at school. Because they just have to assign projects during what little time I have to rest. I (don't understand what exactly they hope I'll gain from this. 16 years ago, I wouldn't have had to do this. In fact, I wouldn't have still been in school.) I have to research an assigned historical figure and write a paper on his or her accomplishments. (As if I haven't already done enough projects exactly like this one during my time at school.) I was assigned Twilight Sparkle.Unlike all the other possibilities, she is still alive, and lives in this town. I've decided to try and arrange a meeting with her tomorrow. Well, that concludes this entry.Sincerely,She closes her book, places it on her desk, next to a small radio, and gets off the chair she was sitting on. She heads over to her window and looks out it. All she sees is the house next to hers. From this angle, she can't even see the sunset. She then heads over to her bed, which is inconveniently located on the left side of her desk, on the opposite side of her room from her window.It isn't easy for her to get to sleep, but she manages.

"Canterlot Haze"

I wake up thinking that it's morning, but when I see the time on a clock in my room, I'm disappointed. I gaze out my bedroom window at the sky. I don't see many stars, even though it isn't a particularly cloudy night. The number of stars I can see from here is pitiful, and I know it. I go back to my bed and sleep, waiting for morning to come.

"Wake UP!" I could hear my mother yelling for me from downstairs.

"Why... ," I say this under my breath, but she clearly can still hear me, as she responds.

"Yesterday, you asked me to wake you up at sunrise. And it's sunrise now."

I get up out of my bed, remembering why. Today I had to be up early so that I could catch today's very first train to Canterlot. I would be meeting up with a friend of mine who lived there. Apparently, her life had completely turned around since I had last seen her. She was now working for some big technology corporation, which didn't seem like her.7

Seems to be referring to “Canterlot Tech”, the largest technology company in Equestria at the time. Despite being large, its technology wouldn’t be very impressive by modern standards2. —SH

2 Why is this relevant? Try to stay professional please. — RT3

3 Why not just tell me in person instead of adding to these footnotes? — SH4

4 I hate you sometimes. —RT5

5 That’s news to me. —SH56

6 Why did you have to do that? It’s childish and pointless. —RT

7 We aren’t given the context for why this is unusual for a long time, which is annoying. —SH8

8 The more you think about it, the more it sounds like the Shining Armor Incident12 all over again. An innocent pony takes the fall for another due to the liberal use of mind control magic. —SH9

9It was never proven that mind control was used in that case. After all, with his royal guard background, Shining Armor would have been taught how to counter such a spell. He also used such a spell. —RT10

10 He could have been taken by surprise and forced to use the mind control spell. —SH11

11 The official verdict is that he was really just a corrupt pony, no matter how unlikely it seems. I’d advise you to stick to it, but I can see that my words would be falling on deaf ears. —RT

12 See log #196867. I honestly doubt the two are connected though. —SH

"Cicadas" 3

It's a secret kept from everyone. No one but me knows the truth. Others actually do know of the truth, but they only know it as fiction. I only know because I was there, one thousand one hundred and twenty-four years ago. How can one pony be so old? You're not even an alicorn you say. I tell you that you are right. I am not an "alicorn" and I haven't lived for that long. It's been a series of lives.My first life was a humble one, I don't even remember it. My second one is where the interesting things start to happen. I was a doctor in a small village. The village was generally an ideal one, but it had a bit of a dark side to it. There was this one pony, a young mare, that the entire town abused for some reason. I think she made them feel inferior, as they really were, compared to her. She had both wings and a horn, and on top of that considerable advantage, she was also quite beautiful. Her mane reminded me of the sky; always in constant motion. Even though she was starved and generally in poor condition, she still outshined all of them.I couldn't stand to see her suffer, but the town wouldn't even consider setting her free. She was to be their prisoner until death if they had their way. One restless night, I, without a real plan, tried to set her free. We managed to get as far as the village edge without being noticed. The mayor noticed us then however and tried to murder both of us with magic. Clearly, even her subconscious magic was stronger than mine, as she managed to survive what was a fatal hit for me. Just before I died, I could see the Reaper laughing at me.I had many lives before the next important one, each containing that mare in some way.Then was my fifteenth life. My fifteenth life was the next one of any importance after my third. I was advisor to "Princess Celestia" ,as she was now called. I have many happy memories of days spent with her and her "sister" as business partners. My relationship with the Princesses was not nearly as formal as it should have been. It was a time of great peace, I spent much time joking with the princesses. However, when the peace was shattered, I became serious. Celestia's sister had become a strange creature of dark magic, forcing her banishment. I think, on this day, some of that town's fears had been realized. I was there for Celestia throughout this, however, I eventually died of a heart attack.My many lives from then until the present are unimportant, however, they all featured Celestia in some way.My current life is the most interesting. I am the Reaper now. Well, to some degree, I always was the Reaper.