Caught Between Worlds

       Previously...

    There was a huge wave of force, a blinding light, and Twilight gasped. The mirror face had disappeared, revealing an ordinary room. Mark's room. And he was nowhere in sight.

    Mark regained his senses, and he recognised this ethereal place immediately.

    "Oh no..."

    Celestia walked up to him. He quickly bowed, then transformed into a pony. It was just polite.

    "Congratulations, Starry Night."

    Mark stood back up. "I'm sorry, Princess, there must be some sort of mistake. I'm no leader."

    "I don't make mistakes this big. Cadence wasn't chosen because she was a leader. She was chosen, because I saw something inside her. Same with Twilight. And same with you. You don't stop when something is 'good enough'. You strive for something better. You strive for the best, the maximum potential."

    "But I'm not ready yet!"

    "Neither was Twilight. Or Cadence. Both of them learned."

    "But why now? Can't you and Luna handle things by yourselves?"

    "Nopony is immortal, Star. Alicorns live a long time, but my time is almost over. Do not tell anypony. Right now, they need their rock. But I am fading."

     "Since when have you known?"

    "Since Chrysalis invaded. I am weakening. And Luna will follow. It is only a matter of time. But I need to appear strong for my subjects, especially in this dark time, old evils surfacing every six months. But enough of this sad subject. Keep my secret. Don't give up hope. And brace yourself."

    "Wait, what?"

    A blue light came from inside him, growing and circling around him, raising him off of the invisible ground. It came from inside himself. Inside. It was there all along. He was going to be just fine.

    Mark descended outside Twilight's castle. The sun had already set, and he could see the countless stars scattered across the night sky. He walked back in the castle, easily finding the hall where the mirror was kept.

    Everyone in the room was staring at the portal sadly. He could have sworn he heard Twilight sniffing.

     He couldn't take it.

     "Looking for somepony?"

    Everyone turned around instantly. Twilight, still a human, ran towards him.

    "Star! You're..."

     She noticed the change. She stopped, her mouth hanging open.

    "You're still probably about a head taller," he said, smiling.

    "Not funny! I thought you died!"

    "Well, so did your friends, and they didn't complain."

     "Oh. I never thought about it from their perspective. Anyway, now that I'm over the shock, congradulations. Now all you have to do next is figure out your purpose."

    "How do I figure out that?"

    "Don't worry you'll find it eventually."

    Celestia had told him why she had picked him, but not what he was supposed to do. Why couldn't it be simple for a change?

    It couldn't be his special talent. The Prince of Improving Things? Ridiculous. Anyway, he still had a job to finish. He reached to his chest to flip the coin on his necklace. Interesting. It had turned gold. Like when it was on Twilight. It now had his profile on both sides. He transformed, and was intrigued to discover that he felt no shock at all. He never really looked at both sides of the coin when Twilight had it. Was it that alicorns were magically tougher? Or was it something else? He thought more about the pictures on the coin as he first found it. An alicorn and a human. Maybe the coin was just more compatible with alicorns.

    Anyway, back to buisness. He would have time to test his theories later. He looked back at his wrist, and was surprised to find the coin on a golden bracelet there. At least it wasn't a crown.

    The mirror was no longer a mirror, but a direct physical link, an oval hole. Mark and Twilight walked through, and he couldn't help noticing that something was not right. It was not nighttime when he left, it was barely morning. And his room looked like it hadn't been used in years.