Poor Reflections

The sun is shining from the wrong side of the room.

That was the first thought that crossed Twilight’s mind as her eyes blinked open. She didn’t recognize her surroundings at first as her eyes slowly adjusted to the glare of reflected sunlight off of crystalline walls. She thought that she might be visiting Shining Armor and Princess Cadance in the Crystal Empire, but the furnishings were too spartan for that to be the case.

Then memories of recent events came back to her in a rush, and she was sorely tempted to crawl back under the covers and hide her head. She lay there, lost in thought, for a long while. The past few days had been trying, to say the least.

She had gone from the most powerful alicorn in all of Equestrian history to a hollow shell of her former self, wholly unable to conjure even the weakest telekinetic field. She’d made the necessary sacrifice in order to save her friends, but had almost damned Equestria in the bargain, in the hopes that everything would work out okay.

And it had – Tirek was defeated and Equestria was saved. Twilight and her friends had not only had their magic returned to them, but they had received an even greater boon – the ability to channel the Tree of Harmony. With its aid, they had restored the balance of magic to Equestria. The princesses had been restored to power and ruled once more. Twilight had received her full title, the Princess of Friendship, and obtained her domain as well. They had won, and all was right with the world.

So why do I feel so empty inside?

If there was one thing Twilight had learned over the last several years, it was that the best weapon against existential ennui was a large dose of caffeine. With a resigned sigh, she threw off her blankets and crawled out of bed.

She winced as her hooves echoed sharply across the room when they touched the floor. Gone were the soft creaks of well-worn floorboards beneath plush throw rugs. Gone were the aged wooden furnishings to deflect and absorb the sound waves. Even the usual morning birdsongs took on a noticeable reverb, undercutting the cheer she normally took from them.

She walked over to the window and looked down across the town of Ponyville. She was so high above it all, a story or two above even the top of the town hall. She felt disconnected from everything at this height. It was as though the castle, and by extension, her role as Princess of Friendship, had literally elevated her above the mundane concerns of the townsfolk below. She knew deep in her heart that the exact opposite should be true. And yet...

Twilight’s wings twitched. She was tempted to hop out the window and glide down to see what was going on in the town below, to mingle with her friends and neighbors and remind herself that she was still Twilight Sparkle, not a goddess-regent locked away in a crystalline tower. But she knew from experience that flying first thing in the morning without stretching properly, let alone without eating something, was a terrible idea. No, she needed to start her day correctly, and that began with a fresh pot of coffee.

She tried to shake off her lingering melancholy as she left her bedroom and headed down the tower staircase towards the upper reaches of the main keep. Golden sunlight streamed through the narrow windows and refracted into a thousand tiny rainbows scattered through the hall. Here, at least, there was a small measure of simple beauty and warmth, and a smile tugged at the corner of her mouth as she descended.

She stopped at the base of the stairs next to Spike’s bedroom door, which she was surprised to see was ajar. She knocked a hoof against it before poking her head inside. “Spike?”

The room was empty. His bed was made, too. “Hmm. That’s strange,” she wondered aloud. She walked over to the railing overlooking the main hall and raised her voice as she called again. “Spike?”

“Hoo,” came a reply from above her. She looked up to see Owlowiscious glide down towards her, a scroll rolled up in one of his talons. He swooped around her head once, then landed on her back.

She turned to look at him. It had been a very near thing that she had saved him from Tirek when he destroyed the Golden Oaks Library; she had barely been able to grab him and teleport outside as their home exploded behind her. He was a loyal friend, an excellent helper, and she was very glad he was safe. “Good morning, Owlowiscious. Do you know where Spike has gotten himself to?”

“Hoo,” he replied as he held out the note, which she enveloped in a telekinetic field and opened. It was, in fact, a note from Spike.

Hey, Twilight –

I couldn’t sleep that well – the new castle doesn’t make noises like the library used to, and the silence kinda got to me, y’know? So I got up early and did a few chores around the castle, mostly just to see what we still need.

We don’t have a lot of basic stuff – can you believe this place doesn’t have a coffee pot? I made a list of things we’ll need in the near future, and I’ve gone into town to get them. Don’t worry, a coffee pot is at the top of the list.

You’re still asleep – I’ll probably be in town for a while, so I left some bits in the crystal bowl at the bottom of the east staircase so you can head to Sugarcube Corner. I know you need your caffeine fix – please don’t try to go without it, we both know how well that turned out last time.

I’m leaving this note with Owlowiscious, so I know it’ll get to you as soon as you wake up. He was a big help pointing out stuff we need around here. I’m glad you got him out of the library okay.

I’m glad you got out okay too.

Love,
Spike

Twilight’s vision blurred as she finished the note. A lot went unsaid between the lines, but she read it easily enough. There was a lot left to get used to, but she was moved by how his concern fell squarely on her. I love you too, Spike.

She turned to look at her owl familiar again. “Thank you, Owlowiscious. How are you holding up? Is the new castle getting to you, too?”

“Hoot,” he replied as he gently bonked his head against the side of her face. It was an affectionate gesture, one that Twilight leaned back into as she nuzzled him.

“I’m glad you’re okay too.” She held the impromptu embrace for a while before she straightened. “Get a good day’s rest, okay? I think there might be another long night ahead of us.”

“Hoo.” He nipped at her ear fondly. She smiled back at him as he spread his wings and soared up into the crystalline arches of the main hall to find a place to sleep.

Twilight was tempted to follow suit and crawl back into bed herself. Spending the day trying to figure out how to live in her new home wasn’t something she was looking forward to. If she had her druthers, as Applejack would say, she’d be spending the day with her friends, enjoying each other’s company and spending as much time as possible away from this place.

Sadly, that wasn’t an option; in the wake of Tirek’s destruction and the toll he had taken on the hearts and minds of their fellow ponies, she and her friends had decided it was best to spread out their efforts to rebuild, as well as spend some time with their families. To that end, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy had gone to Cloudsdale, Pinkie had returned to her family’s rock farm outside Fillydelphia, and Rarity and her family were staying with some cousins in Canterlot. Applejack and the rest of the Apple family were still at Sweet Apple Acres, but it was the beginning of harvest season – they wouldn’t have any spare time over the next few weeks.

As for Twilight–

A loud knock at the front door disrupted her train of thought. Who could that be? Curious, she trotted down the stairs into the main hall. Another insistent knock resounded through the castle when she was halfway to the door, and she quickened her pace to a canter. “I’m coming, hold on,” she called. She teleported the remaining distance to the main entrance. She opened the door, and the last creature she expected to see on the other side of it greeted her.

“Hello, Twilight,” Discord said cordially as he towered over her, “may I come in?” He offered her a wide grin that showed off far too many of his mismatched teeth.

“Oh.” Twilight found herself momentarily at a loss for words before her manners caught up with her. “Um, hello, Discord. Yes, please come inside.” He stepped through the massive golden doors, and she shut them behind him. “I was actually about to head over to Sugarcube Corner for some coffee. Would you care to join me?”

“Oh, well, I would, Twilight, but, er, my face isn’t exactly greeted with a warm welcome around town these days.” He gestured at his goat-like visage, and his mismatched horn and antler rotated outward as he looked thoughtful for a moment. “Of course, the townsfolk have never really warmed to me all that much, if I’m honest.”

Twilight fixed him with a glare. “Gee, I wonder why,” she deadpanned. The list of atrocities Discord had visited upon Ponyville over the last few years had grown much longer when Tirek had convinced him to join his crusade against the princesses.

Discord shrugged. “It’s a puzzlement.” He had, at the end, helped to overthrow Tirek in a genuine act of contrition. Twilight, her friends, and Princess Celestia had forgiven him in light of his actions, but she could certainly understand how the other citizens of Equestria would take their time in doing so.

“Anyhow, if it’s coffee you’re after, I can certainly help with that.” With a grin and a snap of his claws, he teleported them both into chairs at the table in the castle’s cavernous dining room, where the ceiling promptly rained coffee beans.

Twilight sighed as beans bounced off her horn and buried themselves in her rumpled mane. It’s too early in the morning for this. The din of them clicking off of the crystalline floor and austere stone furniture was maddening, and Twilight had to shout in order to be heard. “This isn’t quite what I had in mind, Discord!”

“Oh, poo, and here I thought we were just having a bit of fun.” With another snap of his claws, the coffee beans vanished, replaced by several burlap sacks neatly stacked in the corner, next to the kitchen. “The finest slow-roasted coffee beans from Coltlumbia – I thought they would make a nice housewarming present, since Fluttershy mentioned you were a fan of coffee.”

“Oh.” Discord usually wasn’t so straightforward, nor was he this generous. Assuming he obtained them legitimately, that is. Twilight dismissed the unkind thought as soon as it formed. “Thank you, Discord, that’s... really sweet of you.”

“Oh, pshaw.” He daintily waved his eagle talon at her, then looked around the room. “I must say, I do love your new place. It clashes so gloriously with the decor of the rest of Ponyville. Homogeneity is so overrated, wouldn’t you–”

Discord must have caught how Twilight's ears folded back and her eyes cast downward at that statement, because he suddenly trailed off. “Er…” He looked around as if for something to say. “*ahem* So, Twilight… are you well?”

Twilight blinked at him as her ears perked back up; he was never one for small talk. “Um, yes, I suppose I am. How have you been?”

“Good, yes, good. Me too.” They stared at each other as an uncomfortable silence descended between them. Suddenly, Discord lifted his paw. “Oh, the coffee.” He snapped his claws one more time, and a giant pink ceramic coffee mug appeared on an incongruous gold inlaid enameled saucer. Drawn into the light foam of the steaming liquid within was a striking resemblance to Twilight herself, albeit with a cheesy grin and a vacant stare. She snorted. This is more like him. She looked up to see him take a sip from a comically convoluted straw, leading to a tall glass of something viscous, frothy, and fuchsia. She decided not to ask.

Then the aroma hit her – a heavenly scent, promising clarity and earthy delight in equal measure. Twilight’s eyes went wide, and she tilted her head down to whiffle at the coffee. “Is that… Is that hazelnut?”

“And a bit of nutmeg. It’s how Fluttershy takes her coffee at Sugarcube Corner; I’m given to understand it’s palatable.”

Twilight was inclined to agree as she took an experimental sip. It warmed her soul as quickly as it warmed her body – truly, this was how coffee was meant to be enjoyed. “It’s delicious. Thank you, Discord.” She took another indulgent sip of her coffee and smiled contentedly.

“You’re welcome.” He stared at her as she drank, to the point that Twilight’s smile faltered.

“Is something wrong?”

“Well…” He hesitated. “I suppose the truth is that I’m here for more than just a housewarming present and well-wishes. I… I need your help, Twilight.”

That’s a first. “Help with what?” She set her mug back down on the saucer. “Having trouble coming up with a birthday present for Fluttershy? You still have a couple of weeks left.”

He waved a paw as though he was swatting at a fly. “No no, I’ve had that taken care of for a while now. No, I need your help with something a bit… bigger.”

A cold feeling in the pit of her stomach fought for dominance over the warmth of the coffee. “How much bigger?”

Discord sighed as he leaned his elbows against the table and folded his mismatched digits together in front of himself. “Twilight, I realize I haven’t been the best friend to you or the girls. I’ve betrayed your trust multiple times, and I don’t blame you for harboring any lingering resentment towards me for my previous actions.” He paused as he considered her reaction to his words, but when she remained silent he continued. “That said, I would very much appreciate it if what I’m about to tell you never made its way back to Princess Celestia, or Princess Luna.”

The cold feeling won. “I– I don’t know if I can promise that, Discord.”

He sagged a bit in his seat, obviously disappointed with the answer, but he nodded. “I understand. I suppose I should have expected that. It doesn’t matter either way; I still need your help.”

Twilight took another sip of her coffee, then motioned for him to continue.

Discord took a deep breath as he began. “I’m certain nobody realizes this, but when I was first released from my stone prison a few years ago, I didn’t immediately set about sowing chaos across Equestria.”

Twilight blinked again. “You didn’t?”

He shook his head. “No. I was quite keen to distance myself from the Elements of Harmony and their wielders, so as soon as I was free, I abandoned this plane of existence entirely.”

“You… what?”

Discord frowned. “This is going to take a long time if you keep interrupting me like that,” he huffed.

“I’m sorry, I just– please continue.” Twilight took a swig of her coffee as Discord took another deep breath.

“Anyways, you’re not the only one who’s done a bit of interdimensional travel these past few years. I’d spent so much time rooted to the same spot that when I first got free, I wanted to wander as far and wide as I could. I spent the better part of a month hopping from universe to universe, merrily toying with the native inhabitants of each world I came to for a few hours. ” He seemed to smile at the memory, and Twilight grew increasingly unsettled.

Discord’s faint smile rotated upside down, which unsettled Twilight even further. “Of course, I see now that most of that fun was had at other people’s expense, and between the plundervines and the whole Tirek debacle, I realized that my actions have consequences that travel further than I may have intended.” The rest of Discord slowly rotated around to turn his expression back into a smile as he hovered upside-down. “So, since Fluttershy’s been away, and nopony wants anything to do with me anyways, I decided to check in on those other universes and see how they were doing.”

Twilight leaned forward, coffee forgotten. “And?”

“Well, as the fates would have it, anywhere I went, I was invariably drawn towards that world's equivalent of you and your friends. Some of those other universes – most, in fact – have managed to self-correct, more often than not due to other-you and friends banding together to heroically save the day.” He swung an upraised fist, then sighed. “But, for a few worlds, that hasn’t been the case. I need your help to fix one of them.”

She quirked an eyebrow. “Have you tried fixing it yourself?”

Discord snorted. “Ha! Have you met me? I don’t fix things, Twilight; at best, I break them in new and interesting ways.” He paused to take a sip of his own drink. “Besides, I already tried. I don’t think I accomplished very much.”

Twilight slowly nodded. “Okay. What do you need me to do?”

“I need you to come with me when I go there next; tomorrow, if you don’t have anything else planned.”

She didn’t, so she nodded. “What do you need me to do when we get there?”

He shrugged. “I haven’t the faintest idea.”

Twilight snorted incredulously. “What? Then why are you so sure you need my help?”

Discord’s red-on-yellow eyes stared at her, unblinking. “Because the 'you' of that world is dead.”

All traces of cheer vanished as Twilight’s blood ran cold. “You killed another version of me?”

“No! Heavens, no, don’t be silly,” Discord scoffed. “No, the other you died long after my visit, and half a world away from where I was. Tragic circumstances, to be sure, but it had nothing to do with me.” Twilight fixed him with an accusatory glare nonetheless, but Discord ignored her as he continued. “I did some digging, and it turns out she was supposed to be a foreign exchange student at the school your other friends attend the following year. It’s likely that the same pattern as all the other worlds would have unfolded there as well, were it not for her untimely demise. Whatever she was going to do,” he pointed his paw at her, “you will need to do in her stead.”

Twilight sighed. “Okay, then. Can Spike come with us? He was a big help the last couple of times I’ve–”

Discord was already shaking his head no. “I’m sorry Twilight, but this isn’t going to be a simple jaunt through a stable magical portal. It’s easy for me to slip between worlds – it’s what I do, part of who I am. Taking you along for the ride, however, is another thing entirely. I can’t even guarantee that I can get you there and back again safely; taking along two passengers is out of the question.”

The cold feeling spread up towards Twilight’s heart. “I– I can’t just leave him here by himself!”

The draconequus held up his mismatched paw and talon, claws spread wide. “He’s your assistant. I have every confidence in your ability to find a place to stash him while you’re away.” As though the matter had been settled, he clapped, teleporting them both back to the entrance hall. “I’ll see you at dawn tomorrow morning at the edge of the Everfree Forest. That’s the time and place the walls between planes will be thinnest, so please don’t be late.”

“But–”

“I have very little patience for wishy-washiness, Princess Twilight,” Discord almost hissed, “and as you’ve already said you’d help, I trust you to find a way to be able to keep your word.” He may as well have physically manifested the word “princess” and slapped her with it.

Seeing how stung she was by his words, Discord’s expression softened somewhat as he leaned down to eye level with her. “Their lives are in danger, Twilight. In some cases, they’re a danger to themselves – I recognize the pattern. You’ve fixed the damage I’ve done before. I can’t do this without you.”

Twilight saw the earnestness in his expression, and knew that she didn’t have a choice anymore. “Okay. I’ll figure something out.”

Discord grinned, his usual jovial self once more. “Excellent. I’ll see you at dawn. Pack light.” And with a snap of his talons, he vanished in a puff of cotton-candy scented smoke.

Twilight sighed. Now she really wasn’t looking forward to the rest of the day. She walked back to the dining hall to finish the rest of her coffee and try to think of what to say to Spike.

Spike was taking the news of Twilight’s imminent departure better than she thought he would, if she was being honest with herself.

“It's not fair! Why can’t I come with you?!” He wailed at her from his position on the floor, arms wrapped tightly around one of her forelegs.

Twilight sighed. “I’ve already told you, Spike, Discord doesn’t think it would be safe for both of us to travel with him. There are too many–”

“When have we ever taken Discord at his word for anything?” Spike let go of her foreleg for the sole purpose of crossing his arms in front of his scaly chest, his petulant glare hovering somewhere between skepticism and incredulity.

“Look, I don’t like being in this position either, but when it comes to interdimensional travel he’s the best authority alive. I have no reason to doubt him.” She moved over to the bed to continue packing her saddlebags as well as to hide her uncertainty.

Spike threw his claws into the air. “We have every reason to doubt him! How many times has he screwed us over now?”

Twilight whirled on him. “Hey! Watch your language, mister!”

His eyes bugged out as he sputtered for a response. “For what?! ‘Screwed over’? Rainbow Dash says something worse with every other sentence that comes out of her mouth!”

Twilight bent her head low to glare at eye level with him on the ground, and her voice was deadly calm as she asked, “Are you Rainbow Dash?”

This had the desired effect of confusing him. “What– well, no, but–”

“But nothing.” She raised her head back up to its full height as she glared imperiously down at him. “You will keep a civil tongue in that mouth or I will wash it out with soap. Is that clear?”

The poor dragon whelp was so frustrated that steam was starting to come out of his snout, but he fixed his gaze to the floor and simply replied, “Yes, Twilight.”

“Good.” She almost felt guilty for manipulating him like that in order to short circuit the argument, but she just didn’t have the energy to prolong the fight. “Now, hurry up and pack a bag. Your train leaves for Canterlot in an hour.”

He grumbled something under his breath – it sounded an awful lot like “As you wish, Princess” – but obediently got to his feet and waddled out the door of her bedroom. Once he was gone, Twilight took a deep breath and rested her head on her bed. That’s twice now someone has used my title as a weapon against me.

She readjusted her wings as she raised her head and set back about her tasks. Dwelling on slights against her – both spoken and unspoken – was a horribly inefficient waste of time, and she had further preparations to make before she saw Spike off at the train station.

Dawn the following day saw Twilight rushing towards her rendezvous with Discord. She’d stayed up too late packing and repacking her saddlebags and had overslept. The sun was already cresting the horizon as she followed the path leading into the Everfree Forest.

She found Discord waiting in a clearing at the very edge of the treeline, standing perpendicular on the side of a bald cypress, impatiently tapping his lizard claw. When he saw her, he threw his arms in the air in exasperation. “There you are!” He vanished in a puff of smoke, only to appear hovering at her side as she ran. “Do you have any idea how narrow a window we have? Quickly, to the center of the clearing.”

Twilight was a bit out of breath from her rush. “I’m sorry, I–”

“No time!” Discord bamfed them both to a small patch of clover surrounded by dirt in the middle of the clearing – a distance of less than twenty feet by that point. His long tail extended to ludicrous size as it dragged a circle into the dirt around them, then began to inscribe other, smaller circles around each of them with his eagle talon.

Since when does Discord need a set of magic circles in order to wield his magic? “Discord–”

“Shush!” Before either circle was complete, he stiffened. “Oh, I almost forgot.” He reached up and removed a tine from his antler with a small popping noise, which he held out to her. As she took the tine from him with a telekinetic field, it transformed into an ornate wrought iron key, attached to a length of twine. It looked vaguely familiar to Twilight, but before she could ask about it, Discord put his paw to her muzzle. “I’ll answer all your questions on the other side, I promise. But for now, put this on, hold on to my paw, and no matter what happens, do not let go.”

Twilight hesitated, then slipped the loop of twine over her head. She wrapped her forehoof around his offered wrist as he wrapped his paw around her fetlock. With that, he completed both circles – the circumferences of which touched underneath their entwined forelimbs – and shut his eyes.

Just before the sun cleared the horizon, he opened them again, and a blinding white light shone out from his face. “Hold on,” he shouted, and Twilight felt herself going weightless, her mane and tail flowing in an invisible wind. The dirt beneath her hooves kicked up in a whirlwind, blocking her view of the world beyond the outer circle. Energy crackled all around her, and the scent of ozone nearly overpowered her as the sky above split open and sucked them in.

The wind howled around them as they were ejected into the beyond. Plaid energy waves formed a background of pure insanity as Discord and Twilight hurtled through the space between spaces. An infinite field of stars surrounded them, then winked away as Discord dragged her through a hole of nothingness that appeared nearby. The howling gale was suddenly silenced, and all was black – a darkness so total that Twilight questioned her very existence. Her vision blinked back for a moment, and Twilight thought she could see a thousand multi-hued geometric patterns shattering, then reconstructing themselves, on a scale that made her eyes feel like they were burrowing deep into her skull to get away. She shut them tightly and tried to scream, but there was no air to breath.

Discord lurched to the side and hauled Twilight with him, hurling them both through another hole in space-time. It felt as though they had plunged through an icy river, and all warmth was stripped from her body. She felt more than heard a series of sickening crunching noises as it seemed like she was being torn apart by a gravity field pulling her in all directions at once. A deep rumbling noise rose above the silence, which resonated louder and louder until it crescendoed with the force of a thousand party cannons firing as one–

–then, suddenly, there was light.