A Better World

A-Twilight had been strangely cooperative. It wasn't long before Twilight and her friends found the statues of the princesses, Shining Armor and Discord locked up in Canterlot Tower. After they had freed them, Twilight and the others managed to recount their journey over the past few days, with some (un)helpful visual aids from Discord. Though hesitant to believe what they were hearing, the Princesses quickly became enraptured with horrified fascination.

"It's... incredible. A world so similar to our own... yet so different." Luna mused sadly. "I can only imagine the pain my counterpart must feel. To return and so quickly lose..." Celestia laid a comforting hoof on her sister's shoulder.

Discord scoffed. "Oh please, you've seen a world where you're a talking ape and digested that perfectly well. Is it really that hard to believe there are worlds nearly identical to our own? Honestly it's like you've never read a comic book." Luna shot him an annoyed look.

"To think that we did such terrible things..." Cadence muttered grimly.

Shining Armor shook his head. "We never know what we're truly capable of."

"Pray that you never find out." Luna said in a pained tone, her eyes closed as if she was drawn into reminiscence.

"It is clear that Equestria owes you all a great debt of gratitude, as do I. Even you, Discord." Celestia nodded toward the draconequus hesitantly.

"Doth my ears deceive me?" Discord said gleefully, his right ear turning into the giant floppy ear of an elephant.

Celestia sighed. "Thank you, Discord and... I'm sorry."

"Sorry? For what, not trusting me?" Discord chuckled. "Oh no hard feelings Celestia, these things tend to happen with 1000 years of bad blood. But..." he glanced briefly at Fluttershy, "maybe things will be different from now on."

"I hope so." Celestia replied with an uneasy smile. The draconequus gave Fluttershy a small wink and disappeared with a snap of his talons.

"You have all shown bravery and courage beyond anything we could have asked." Luna shook her head. "I believe we have surmounted perhaps the greatest threat Equestria has ever faced. Long ago, I once said that if the six of you were evil and united, there was no question you would have been unstoppable. A nightmare I never believed would be realized."

"Even now it's kinda hard to wrap my head around it." Applejack agreed.

"My other self wanted to force ponies to be happy, whether they liked it or not." Pinkie shuddered.

"It was like our Elements were taken to horrible extremes." Fluttershy said darkly.

"The disturbing thing is... it worked." Twilight watched as everypony turned to Starlight with a shocked expression. Starlight seemed oblivious as she continued in a bitter tone. "Their world had no villains, no hatred, no loneliness..."

"Only fear." Twilight finished. Starlight nodded in agreement.

"It is fortunate that your friendship was able to save the day once again." Luna said thoughtfully.

"Actually it wasn't our friendship this time. It was Starlight who saved us." Rainbow Dash explained, pointing to Starlight with a hoof.

"Really?" Celestia asked interestedly.

"I-I used the Alicorn Amulet." Starlight confessed. There were several gasps of horror, to which Starlight looked down sheepishly. "I knew it would corrupt me, but there wasn't any other way to stop them short of killing them. Zecora was hesitant to give it to me, but we agreed it was the only way. I assumed once I'd won the battle, I'd be weak enough that Twilight could strike me down. But she refused. Luckily with her help I was able to fight the Amulet's corruption before it was too late."

"Lucky indeed." Luna said crossly. "It is a feat that no unicorn has ever accomplished."

Starlight shrugged. "I have a knack for that kind of thing."

"It was an immensely foolish gamble, but one that was able to save us from far worse." Luna admitted grimly.

Celestia put a hoof on her sister's shoulder. "Best not dwell on it. What's done, is done. There is still much work we have left in order to fix the damage your counterparts caused. Shining Armor, you must attend to the royal guard immediately and order our army to stand down. It seems we have just barely averted an extermination of the entire changeling race. Luna and Cadence, you must go address the public, let them know what happened... but spare the details."

"What about us Princess?" Rarity asked hopefully. "If there's anything we can do to help-"

"You must return to Ponyville and see to your friends and families. I fear the worst damage of all has been done there." Celestia said. "Spike will meet you at the train station."

As her friends trotted out the door, Twilight turned to follow, but Celestia stopped her. Soon the others left, and it was just the two of them in the ornate tower.

"Twilight... it is not hard to guess what is troubling you." Celestia said gently.

Twilight couldn't hold her emotions in any longer. Pained tears streaked across her face as she turned toward her mentor. "Princess I... I did all this. I hurt so many ponies."

"No, you did not." Celestia said firmly, lifting Twilight's head with a hoof. "You cannot blame yourself anymore than you blame your friends for what happened when Discord corrupted them."

"This- this isn't the same. They aren't some kind of evil opposite version of us like when Discord or the dark water corrupted us. They were us princess... but- but colder. Apathetic. To think I became that... that I could become that..."

"You know of Luna's fall to Nightmare Moon." Celestia posited. "Do you know what caused it?"

Twilight thought back. "There were these shadow creatures from the moon- the Nightmare Forces. They possessed her right?"

"But what allowed them to do so?"

"She... she was jealous." Twilight said hesitantly. "Angry that ponies slept through the night and enjoyed the day."

Celestia nodded. "The Alicorn Amulet, the Nightmare Forces, the dark water... those are just catalysts, feeding upon what is already there within us. Fear, anger, jealousy, doubt, even hatred... none of us are immune to them. We always have both good and evil within us, and we have a choice between them. Having a darker nature does not make you evil Twilight, rather acknowledging it and resisting its temptation makes you stronger. It is that fundamental choice between right and wrong, the choice your counterparts sought to take away, that defines who we are."

Twilight could tell Celestia's words had good intentions, yet they did little to assuage her dark thoughts. Her rage against Tirek and the nightmare of her friends running away in fear swirled at the forefront of her mind. Celestia draped a wing over her, pulling Twilight close.

"Look around you." Celestia pointed to the stained glass windows that depicted Twilight's triumphs over the years. "These windows show only a fraction of the great things you have done for Equestria and all the ponies whose lives you've touched for the better, including my own. You are a good pony Twilight. Your flaws do not change that."

As she looked at the windows, memories of happy times long past flashed through Twilight's mind. Yet there was a double vision. Twilight winced as she saw the windows warp into the darker versions of her triumphs she had seen in the parallel world. "I think... I just need time princess. Time to sort all this out."

"I understand." Celestia replied. Her expression seemed far away, as if she too was reflecting on the darkness the events of the past few days had brought to light. "Your friends are waiting for you at the train station. Join them when you feel ready."

Twilight nodded, trotting toward the doors. "I will. There's just... something I need to do before I go." Her aura swung open the ornate door and she stepped past it.

"And Twilight..." Twilight turned back, and saw Celestia looking sadly at the window of Nightmare Moon, the torchlight causing Celestia's own reflection to ripple across it. "Know that you aren't the only one who fears where her flaws might lead her one day."