Mass Core 3: Thebe Paridigm

“Twilight,” said Starlight again, blinking, wondering if her transplanted eyes were somehow tricking her. “It…is it really you?”

“Can’t be? Of course it’s me, Starlight. It’s not like there’s more than one of…me…” Her sentence trailed off as she looked at the group around her and saw several copies of her own eyes staring back. “Oh my,” she said. Her expression suddenly grew stony, and she faced Starlight. “How long?”

“How long? I don’t know. Twilight, I don’t know where you’ve been. I don’t even know what you are…”

“The Crimson Horizon,” said Twilight suddenly. “Starlight, did we defeat it?”

“The Crimson Horizon? Twilight, that was- -”

“Did you defeat it?” demanded Twilight with great urgency. “The last thing I remember was the portal- -I came through, but it was too late. She fired, and I positioned the Harmony to absorb the impact and…and…” She trailed off again and looked into the distance. “No,” she said, softly. “That was a long time ago. I remember now. How long, though…”

“Twilight,” said Starlight, slowly, “that event was two hundred and seventy eight years ago.”

“I know,” admitted Twilight. “I just…I didn’t want to believe it.” She sighed. “Which I suppose means Scootaloo won’t be coming, then.”

“Actually, I’m already here.” Scootaloo moved forward, stepping past Starlight.

“You?” said Twilight, confused. Scootaloo seemed to understand her hesitation and triggered her mask to separate and retract, revealing her face. Starlight was somewhat surprised. It was the first time she had truly seen Scootaloo’s face since she had been frozen. She looked as youthful as she ever did, and yet somehow different. As if something inside her had become hardened and cold.

Twilight did not seem to notice this. She appeared overjoyed, and wrapped Scootaloo in a hug which Scootaloo did her best to return.

“Scootaloo!” she cried. “I knew you would come! My little Priestess!” She leaned back slightly. “Where did you get this armor, though? And why did you dye your mane like Rainbow’s?”

“That would take a great deal of explanation. But it doesn’t matter anyway. I’m here now.”

“I felt you,” said Twilight, “even when I was separated and broken. I felt you out there, somewhere, and I knew I had to bring you to me. Because I needed somepony I could trust.”

Her statement was interrupted as Four gingerly approached. None one of the clones had stopped gaping at Twilight since she had regained her skin, but none had dared approach her. Several were not able to. All of those who had the capacity to use magic had been slightly addled when their barrier had failed. Seven and Four had remained unaffected, and the former was propping Six on one while Nine was standing on her own with great difficulty. Jurneu, though injured himself, was helping extricate Eight from beneath her unconscious mother.

Twilight seemed to have some apprehension toward the clones, but when she saw Four she appeared to be overcome with pity at staring into the face of a broken, ruined version of herself.

“Your wings,” she said. “Celestia…what did they do to your wings?”

“It doesn’t matter,” said Four, shaking her head.

“What are you? Why do you look like me?”

“We are clones,” said Four. “Some more successful than others. I have to admit, I am ashamed to appear before you like this.”

“Please don’t be ashamed.” Twilight’s eyes turned slowly, her line of vision passing over each of the awestruck clones. “I don’t understand.”

“You are her,” said Four. She looked to Starlight. “I’m sure you can feel it too.”

“I don’t know what I feel,” said Starlight.

“By the Goddess,” said Six, pulling herself away from her sister and taking a few steps toward Twilight. “I never thought I would meet you. What a shock it must be for you, though, to awaken as such only to learn immediately that you have so many children.”

“Children?” Twilight’s eyes lit up when what she was seeing was framed in a context she could understand. “Children?” she said. “I…I have foals?”

“In a sense, yes.”

“So…I’m a mother?”

Six paused for a moment. “No,” she said. She pointed to Bob, who Eloth was now taking into his mechnical arms. She seemed oddly limp. “She is our mother. We came from her womb.” She paused. “I suppose, then, that this makes you our father.”

“Father?”

Eight suddenly rushed forward and squeezed Twilight tightly. “Daddy!” she cried. “I have a daddy!”

Twilight hugged her back, if hesitantly, although she was looking at Starlight and Scootaloo. “I did not foresee this. We need to talk. I think I’ve missed a lot while I’ve been gone.”

The facility had gone dark and silent. Even the people who had been working there had stopped. They had not only ceased working, though. They had ceased doing anything at all. Everywhere one had been standing, they now stood, often slightly tilted in a kind of comatose stupor, waiting for orders. The only members that were still moving freely were the repurposed Governors. Since they were little more than machines, they continued to patrol the facility, defending the now useless husk from any potential enemies that might find it. Their efforts were largely in vain, though. Thebe had completed its one and only mission: Twilight Sparkle had been resurrected.

Starlight, though, was not entirely sold on that idea. As she walked through the halls of the facility, she could not help but keep glancing at Twilight, wondering if it really was her. She certainly looked like Twilight, but Starlight had come to realize that appearances were not especially helpful in this case. In fact, it was entirely possible that she had never seen the real Twilight in person. Her entire idea of what Twilight should look like had come from One’s physical appearance.

This was compounded by the fact that Starlight was fully aware that this version of Twilight was not a pony at all. The clones at least were living creatures; they had been born from a mother- -even if she was a deranged human cannibal- -and had no doubt once been adorable little alicorn fillies. This Twilight, though, was little more than a veneer of synthetic pony skin built around a mechnical body. She was no more a pony than Eloth was a human.

It was only made more awkward by the greatly reduced number of individuals accompanying Twilight. Had there been more, Starlight could have faded to the back of the crowd and given herself time to think. As it stood, though, there were only three of them: herself, Scootaloo, and Four. Pink was also present, but he followed far behind and in the shadows weeping quietly to himself.

The others had been brought to different areas to recover. There were not quite real living quarters in the Thebe facility, but Twilight had given them spaces that were reasonably comfortable. Zedok, apparently, had almost immediately passed out, leaving her daughter to meditate on the situation. Armchair had disappeared with Chrysalis, and Eloth had taken Bob away to administer “medical care” that consisted of poking her periodically to see if she had stopped breathing. Nine had found this intolerable, though, and despite her own weakness attended her mother’s side to make sure she had actual medical care and remained largely unpoked. The other alicorns and Jurneu were under the care of Seven, and it had taken several minutes to get Scootaloo to leave them. She had eventually come, though, at Four and Twilight’s request and the former’s assurance that despite her appearance Seven was actually quite competent at caring for others.

Despite this, Scootaloo still seemed somewhat agitated, and though she did her best to hid it, Twilight seemed to notice.

“You regret the loss of your quant,” she said at last, inferring from Scootaloo’s solemn expression what she was thinking.

“I do,” said Scootaloo. “I know it seems ridiculous, but I was really starting to think of her as a friend. Even though she was a machine.”

Twilight shook her head. “Friendship doesn’t care if you’re a machine or not. Look at me. Underneath this skin, I’m a machine. You’re friend’s quantum matrix is even functioning as my brain. For the most part. I’m still your friend, aren’t I?”

“You are. I’m just sad that she had to die like this. I just wish she would have told me. Maybe we could have figured something out. I guess it’s too late now, though.”

Twilight seemed somewhat surprised. “Scootaloo, she’s not dead. She was never alive.”

“So she told me.”

“No, you don’t understand. I’m not trying to say she was less of a friend to you. What I’m saying is that her interface and memories are just a program. I didn’t even delete them. When I get a chance, I’ll transfer them to one of my fleet’s lesser quant crystals. It’s not much of a gift, but hopefully it makes up for at least one of the birthdays I missed.”

Scootaloo seemed shocked by this, but smiled. Her mood improved greatly.

“That’s very kind of you,” said Four.

“Kindness is one of the key elements of Harmony. And I like to think that I’m a kind pony. Or at least one that tries to be. Hopefully that quality passed onto my offspring.”

“To some.”

“To you?”

“No. Not to me.”

“That is unfortunate. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. Just because I’m your clone doesn’t mean I have a need to be you. Please remember that. We may look like you, but we are all individuals.”

“I would expect nothing less.”

They continued walking in silence for a moment, passing by a turian who was standing still in the center of the hallway beside a salarian. As Twilight approached, both of them stepped out of the way and returned to their waiting on either side of the hallway, their violet-toned eyes never leaving Twilight as they passed. Starlight shivered, and continued to feel uneasy until she heard two low thumps that indicated that Pink had tipped both of them over behind them.

“Why are they like that?” asked Scootaloo, looking back over her shoulder.

“Because the Paradigm has been unified,” said Twilight. “There is no longer anything for them to attempt to interpret. Unfortunately, their minds did not survive the process.”

“That’s a bit harsh for someone who claims to be ‘kind’,” noted Starlight.

Twilight grimaced slightly and looked back. “I know,” she said, darkly. “I wish it didn’t have to be this way.”

“And yet you did it anyway.”

“Yes,” said Twilight. “And…no.”

“It can’t be both,” said Starlight. “I don’t think you understand how serious this is. The Thebe organization is responsible for numerous crimes across the galaxy. Thefts. Murders. And from what I can see, all of it was to create YOU.”

“I have to agree,” said Four. “From an Alliance perspective, this is…troubling.”

“None of that was my intention,” said Twilight. “I never wanted anypony to get hurt.”

“That doesn’t change the fact that they did.”

Twilight slowed, focusing most of her attention on Starlight. “You don’t like me very much, do you?”

“No. I don’t trust you very much. Do you know what the state of Equestria is right now?”

“You mean ruled by a false-god pretending to be me?”
Starlight blinked, surprised. “How did you know that?”

“I was dead, not blind. I didn’t know she was a clone, but that makes sense. It explains why you followed her for so long. It also explains why you don’t trust me. But I’m not a clone.”

“Clearly,” said Four.

“You’re not really Twilight either, though.”

“No, unfortunately. My original body was destroyed with the Harmony during the battle with the Crimson Horizon.”

“But it shouldn’t have been,” said Starlight. “I pulled you out before it was destroyed.”

“Which was very brave of you, Starlight. Even after the way I have treated you in the past. You risked everything to save me. I was aware of your spell as it was being performed. I almost reached you, too. But the signal was intercepted. What you pulled back wasn’t me.”

“That would not be beyond Un’s capacity,” said Four.

Starlight barely suppressed a gasp. “That…that long? I didn’t…” Except she did know. The device in her head had been implanted when her Core components had been removed, which was just after she had burnt them out rescuing “Twilight” from the destruction of her ship, the Harmony. She had not wanted to believe it, but it was true. The pony that she had thought of as Twilight for nearly three centuries had been an impostor since the very start.

“I was there,” said Scootaloo. “I met what was left of Sunset Shimmer. Even in that state, there was no way you could have survived a direct impact from her forward cannon.”

“Of course not,” said Twilight, “I didn’t.”

“Then what are we addressing?” asked Four.

Twilight paused, taking her time to answer the question. “It’s hard to explain in a way that will make sense,” she said, slowly. “My body was destroyed, but somehow I wasn’t. Wherever that portal had come from, the boundary between here and there had become weak. The interaction between myself and the Crimson Horizon did something. It pushed what was left of me through.”

“To the void,” said Scootaloo.

“That is a good way to describe it.” Twilight seemed interested. “How did you know that?”

“It’s where the Crimson Horizon went after it was initially ‘destroyed’.”

“Really? That explains a lot.”

“But the Crimson Horizon was physical. Even damaged, there was something there. Not even a piece of the Harmony could have survived a blast like that.”

“Like I said, it didn’t. Neither did I. Only my mind got through. But without a body…”

“It broke apart,” said Four. “Separated into individual thoughts. Ideas, memories, lines of reasoning. That is what the Paradigm is, isn’t it?”

Twilight nodded and addressed Starlight. “That was what did all of these horrible things. I wasn’t whole, or conscious. Just a swarm of pieces. I had will, but not understanding. I could reach out sometimes. See things, act on things. That is how I called for Scootaloo and kept her safe, and how I designed this machine.” She looked up at it in disgust. “But I didn’t create the means. Or was not aware of it. But I should have known…”

“It isn’t your fault,” said Scootaloo.

“Isn’t it?” said Starlight.

“It is,” said Twilight, “but I accept it.”

“Just like that?”

“I like being alive, Starlight. And now that I’ve been pulled back from the void and reassembled into this body, the Paradigm no longer requires interpretation. I was the Paradigm, and I am Thebe. They follow my will now. There’s nothing left of them that knows anything else.”

“Then why can I still hear it?” muttered Pink from behind them. “Why won’t it let me die?”

“An unfortunate irony,” said Twilight, refusing to turn back to look at him. “That of all of them, the one who would complete me was the only one who managed somehow not to be consumed by pieces of my mind.”

“Is there anything you can do for him?” asked Starlight.

“I could kill him,” said Twilight. “But I don’t want to do that. In part because I don’t want that clingon on his shoulder trying to kill me. It wouldn’t be able to, but I don’t want it touching me.”

Starlight looked back at the tormented mutant, and for a moment wished that she was able to grant him the reprieve that Twilight seemed to be too righteous to issue. Unfortunately, she had no mechnism to do so. Her omnitool had been destroyed, and her magic had been stolen from her long ago. She was not even able to hold a gun with her clumsy pony hooves, although she doubted that any ordinary firearm would be able to slay Pink easily.

“I for one believe your story,” said Scootaloo. “But I do have a question.”

“Then ask it.”

“Sunset Shimmer. Did any of her make it through, with you?”

Twilight’s expression fell. “Looking back, I think it did. I didn’t realize it at the time, but the more I think about it…”

“Then where is she?”

Twilight shook her head. “There wasn’t enough. Her Paradigm was too badly damaged. It did not survive. I managed to save a few pieces by pulling them into my own, but…I’m sorry, Scootaloo. She cannot be salvaged.”

Scootaloo did not seem surprised. “I expected as much. If you had seen her…if you had seen what she was like it would have made sense. She wasn’t even a pony anymore.”

The discussion continued for several hours. Twilight, as Starlight quickly leaned, had possessed some sense of what was going on in the world. Her current body was just the final stage of a long process, and earlier in her long span of half-death she had grown in power enough not only to sometimes manipulate things within the physical universe and to corrupt the minds of some of its inhabitants but also to perceive the goings on in the world. These thoughts, though, were not whole and not consistent. It took Starlight some time to clear her confusion on several subjects.

The material was also helpful to Scootaloo and Four as well. Four was extremely knowledgeable of the world around her, but with her fragile medical condition that world consisted only of the Alliance. Despite being a clone of the Princess, she knew almost nothing of Equestria apart from abstract political knowledge and tactical elements of their military. The situation was even worse for Scootaloo. She had been unjustly frozen only a few years after Twilight’s death, and though she had managed to navigate the world with the help of her allies she knew very little of what had become of the world during her long sleep.

Eventually, Twilight fell silent for a long while, thinking. When she was done, she asked the others to fetch members of their respective groups and bring them to a central meeting place. She had decided to call a meeting, not just with Scootaloo, Four, and Starlight, but with everyone who had managed to recover from their prior ordeal.

Starlight was able to find Zedok and Sbaya easily. They were together, and although Zedok was difficult to rouse Sbaya was alert and very curious as to what had transpired. Chrysalis and Armchair were nowhere to be found, though, and Starlight had neither the time nor the grasp of the Thebe facility’s layout to go searching for them. Jurneu, being with the clones, would most likely appear with them.

“How do you feel?” asked Starlight as she attempted to recall their path through the winding hallways.

“Like crap,” moaned Zedok. “An entire sack of turian crap.”

“I don’t know,” said Sbaya. “I feel great. I mean, we almost died. I thought we were going to. But we didn’t. I feel so alive!”

“I think I did die. Yeah, I’m pretty sure I did. I’m dead now, Star. Ugh.”

“If you want to go back and lie down- -”

“I was joking. Yes, I feel terrible. No, I’m not going to sit back and let this shitshow continue without me at least being there to try to stop you from doing something stupid.”

“Stupid? Since when I have I ever done anything stupid?”

“Since when haven’t you?”

“Never. Everything I chose to do works fine.”

“Yes. It works fine. Better than fine, even. But that doesn’t mean it’s not stupid. And it doesn’t mean your luck isn’t going to run out eventually.”

“You’re very pessimistic today.”

“As pessimistic as a sack of turian crap can be.”

“I remain hopeful,” said Sbaya. “Even though I have no idea what is going on.”

Zedok frowned. Her cybernetic eyes slowly shifted to Starlight. “Neither do I. Not exactly. What do you think, Star?”

Starlight shook her head. “Not sure.”

“Because I don’t trust her.”

“You don’t?” said Sbaya.

“No. I’m tired of dealing with clones. Especially ones that nearly kill us when they get…birthed? I mean, she could have had us stand back a few more yards, would that have been so hard?”

“So you don’t think she’s Twilight.”

“No,” said Zedok. “I never knew Twilight. That, and I don’t care. But I do remember that you and Twilight didn’t exactly get along well. And those two hundred years of mending your relationship kind of didn’t happen.”

“Not with the right pony, anyway.”

“I know,” said Starlight. She did not like being reminded of that fact.

“And that’s why I’m here. Why both of us are. We have your back, Star.”

The location that Twilight had chosen had once been a large storage room. When Starlight arrived, several Thebe agents were seen carrying out the last of the crates of supplies that had been stacked there, completing their conversion of the cargo area into a large conference room.
“Starlight!” called a voice. Starlight looked up to see Twilight smiling and waving cheerfully. She spread her wings and crossed the distance between herself and Starlight. This surprised Starlight somewhat; she had not realized that Twilight’s wings were actually functional.

“Twilight,” said Starlight, returning the greeting neutrally.

“These are your friends, I presume?” said Twilight, looking up excitedly at Sbaya and Zedok.

“We are,” said Zedok.

“You’re so tall! It’s always good to have friends. I’m sorry I wasn’t able to introduce myself before- -”

“Because you almost killed us?”

“A calculation mistake on the part of my drones. They didn’t seem to understand how violent my resurrection would be. Neither did I, actually. But you survived!” She held out a hoof. “I am Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Frienship!”

“Hello, Princess of Friendship,” said Sbaya, squatting to Twilight’s level and shaking her hoof. “I am Sbayadvlag of Parnack, and not a princess at all.”

“That’s okay,” said Twilight. “There’s actually only five of us.”

“Four,” said Starlight. “Cadence left her physical body and merged her essence with that of the Crystal Galaxy.”

“C…Cadence?” said Twilight, looking heartbroken. “Oh. I just…I didn’t know. I guess I’ve missed…I missed a lot while I was gone.” She shook her head and forced herself to smile. “But that does not matter. Not anymore. I am back. And I assume my niece is in power now?”

“She is.”

“I will have to visit her. Eventually. I have never seen her in person. Not with my own eyes. I think it will be nice.” She opened the door to the makeshift conference room with her magic- -again surprising Starlight; she had not realized that Twilight’s horn was also functional- -and started toward it. “But that can come later. First, we need to talk.”

Twilight entered the room, and Starlight followed, finding that several others had already gathered around a system of tables and chairs of various sizes and shapes that had been brought in for the occasion.

Almost immediately, Twilight was greeted with a smiling white face and a pair of red eyes.

“Hello, Princess,” said Jurneu. “It is good to see that you are well. I am Jurneu, Thessian Council Spectre. I am pleased and honored to make your acquaintance.”

“Unicorn breeders,” said Twilight. “I’m still not used to that. I guess things really have changed.”

“They have,” said Jurneu, still smiling. “I am one of the most advanced models that the Thessian branch of our corporation has produced.” He paused. “And, though I shouldn’t say it, I have to admit that I am distantly related to you.”

“R…related?”

“Yes. The original twenty six mothers of my bloodline were impregnated by none other than your brother, Shining Armor.”

“He…wait. He did WHAT?”

A gasp came from near Jurneu, causing him to jump. Eight had appeared beside him, having teleported to his side. “Do you know what this means?” she squealed.

“Um…no?”

“It means we’re RELATED!” Eight leaned into Jurneu’s side, pressing her relatively small body against his. “I didn’t know we had relatives!” She smiled at him seductively. “Do you mind if I start calling you ‘big brother’?”

Jurneu immediately started sweating.

Three of the other clones were present as well, sitting at a large curved table. Seven and Four both looked as normal as they ever did, but Nine had flopped down on the table face down.

“You don’t look so good,” said Twilight.

“I don’t feel good,” gowned Nine.

“How bad is it?” asked Four.

“Let me put it this way. Seven, Eight. Do you remember our fiftieth birthday? The one on Omega?”

Seven cringed. Eight laughed. “Of course I remember it. You were doing ryncol and going shot for shot with that human dude. What was his name? Ivan?” Eight snuggled closer to Jurneu, making him stiffen even more than he had before. “You got so drunk you woke up on Aria’s lap!”

“At least I didn’t wake up in bed with the prothean.”

“Oof. Touché.”

“But I feel like I felt the day after that,” groaned Nine. “Oh my head…”

Starlight passed by them and took a seat near where Twilight was standing. As she did, she noticed the other remaining clone. She had been standing near the door away from the others, and Starlight had not initially seen her. Six seemed tired and in pain in the same way that Nine and Zedok did, but was taking it slightly better. Something else seemed to be bothering her, though.

“How about you?” asked Starlight.

“Me?” said Six, surprised that Starlight was actually talking to her. “Oh. No, I’m quite all right. Thank you for asking.”

It was a few minutes before Scootaloo appeared. Six immediately approached her.

“Scootaloo?” said Six, stepping forward. Scootaloo had once gain reverted to wearing her mask, but when she saw Six she retracted it.

“Yes?”

“I just- -”

She was cut off when Scootaloo hugged her. Six seemed confused.

“What are you doing?” she said. “I don’t deserve this. I couldn’t- -I wasn’t strong enough to protect you. If it hadn’t been for Eloth and mother, you would have- -”

“I know,” said Scootaloo. “That’s why I’m hugging you. Because it doesn’t matter. You were very brave, and I need you not to worry about this.”

“Oh Scootaloo,” said Six, returning her hug.

“Aw,” said Eight, hugging Jurneu. “It’s so cute!”

“I don’t know,” said Twilight, leaning close to Starlight. “I find it…disturbing.”

When Scootaloo was finished, she turned to the group with Six at her side. “I could not find the others,” she said. “Except Pink. He’s sitting back in the central room, just starling at the machine. I couldn’t get him to move.”

“It’s fine,” said Twilight. “He isn’t really useful to us at this point anymore anyway.”

“Well, that’s rude,” said Sbaya.

“Rude but true.” Twilight glanced around the room. “I guess this is everypony we’re going to get. I guess we can get started.”

“Indeed,” said Six. “I can barely contain my curiosity.”

“You aren’t the only one who can barely contain something,” said Four, glancing at Jurneu.

The clones all understood the joke, but Twilight clearly did not. She continued with what she had been saying, sounding as though she had memorized it as a speech.

“I am the real Twilight Sparkle,” she said. “I know that’s hard to believe. All of you know what my body is, but my mind is the same as it ever was. It must sound so impossible…”

“Not really,” said Four. “Resurrection is not unprecedented. It has happened before.”

“Oh? I was not aware of that. I’ll need to read on the subject when I get the time. But first, we have a bigger problem.”

“One,” said Starlight, preempting Twilight’s conclusion. “You’re talking about One.”

“The alicorn who replaced me. Yes.” Twilight’s expression became more serious. “And by ‘replaced’, I don’t mean legitimately. I mean ‘stole my life’ and ‘instated totalitarian rule over my beloved kingdom’. And that is a problem.”

“I know,” said Scootaloo. “Why do you think I was frozen? Because I tried to solve the problem.” She looked at Starlight. “And I was foolish enough to try to do it alone.”

“And I thank you for that, Scootaloo. You’ve sacrificed so much to help me, even when I wasn’t there anymore. You are a true friend. I think that’s why I called you. Because I need your help.” She turned to Starlight. “Both of your help.”

“You’re going to try to overthrow One,” said Starlight.

“Yes,” said Twilight, bluntly. “Because I have to. The damage she has already done to Equestria may already be irreparable. I do not doubt that she is working for Cerberus, was installed their originally.”

“That’s probably true,” admitted Four. “And in all honesty, it explains a lot.”

“Like what?” asked Scootaloo.

“Like her unusual desire to put Equestria in a relationship with the Alliance even at times when it does not benefit the former at all.”

“Every second she is in power puts Equestria at even greater risk. She needs to be deposed.”

“I agree,” said Starlight.

“It’s not that easy,” said a voice. The entire room looked up to see Bob stumbling into the room. Eloth followed behind her, his entire body covered in new clothes and bandages that prevented his internal robotic frame from being visible. “In fact,” said Bob, “I’m pretty sure that won’t be possible.”

“She’s just a clone,” said Twilight. Then to the others, “no offense. But she’s not the original. I am a goddess.”

“And an idiot, apparently,” said Bob, sitting on a table. “The first batch of my daughters was made differently from the second. The first have far less genetic variation. She’s a nearly perfect clone.”

“And you’re not in the Harmony anymore,” added Starlight. “I know from experience that without her ship, a Core is much weaker than she is with it.”

“My assessment?” said Bob, “in terms of raw power? That body you have there and hers are probably about the same. Except that she has Cerberus training and three centuries more experience than you do. In a one-on-one fight? I think you’d be at best even.”

“You seem to have a lot of confidence in her.”

“I do. Because she is one of my daughters. In a sense, the best of them. If I’m Alma Wade, she’s my Paxton Fettel.”

“And I suppose that makes me Michael Becket?” asked Eloth, taking a seat.

“No!” cried Nine, suddenly lifting her head and wincing in pain. “I want to be Becket!”
` “Which is why I don’t intend to do this myself,” said Twilight. “That’s why I have all of you. If you will help me, of course.”

“Really?” said Bob. “You’re not only going to take on the ruler of Equetria, but also her entire army? She has an army, right?”

“She does,” said Starlight. “The Equestrian military has grown substantially since your time, Twilight. Twilight- -I mean One- -has executive control over all of it. The navy, the army, everything. If we attack her, she will put all of it against us if she has to.”

“And I don’t know about you,” added Bob, “but I’m from Bordeaux, not San Tropez. Even I’m not self-destructive enough to try to take on a galaxy with, like, ten people.”

“Not to mention that you’re proposing killing our sister,” said Six.

“I didn’t say we were going to kill her.”

“You didn’t have to, father. But I know it’s what you mean.”

“She deserves it,” said Starlight. “Look at what she’s done.” She pointed at Four. “Look at what she did to her own sister. To YOUR sister.”

“I hate her more than anyone here,” said Four, “even more than Scootaloo, I think. But she’s still my sister. I don’t take the idea of killing her lightly, even if I think it is necessary.”

“I do not agree in this case,” said Six. “There are very few of us. Even if it comes down to her death being necessary, I will still weep for her.”

“She doesn’t deserve your tears,” said Starlight.

“Even if she doesn’t, she will still receive them.”

“Assuming you can actually manage to do it,” said Jurneu. “I don’t need to run the simulations to tell you that what you’re proposing is impossible. Even if you could get in the same room as her. In a fair fight- -”

“Who the hell fights fair?” snorted Bob. “I said Twily couldn’t take her on in a one-on-one fight. Not without cheating.”

“Is there way to cheat?” asked Starlight.

Bob smiled deviously. “Of course there is. Un is a Cerberus agent. Built by Cerberus for Cerberus. Which means she has a recall code.”

“A recall code?” said Twilight. “I don’t understand.”

“A mental artifact,” said Bob. “Something Cerberus figured out a long, long time ago. A word or phrase that triggers pre-programmed behavior.”

The clones all suddenly looked uncomfortable. Starlight realized that if Bob was telling the truth, all of them had the same kind of code built into their own minds.

“You mean like you’re ‘ocean bacon’,” said Scootaloo.

“That is the generic one, yes,” said Bob, “but Un is smart. Far smarter and more strong-willed than anything else Cerberus has produced. She’s no doubt removed her primary code by now, or the kill-code.”

“So why bother to bring it up?”

“Because there is a secondary one that I can guarantee she doesn’t know about. It’s not a command code, though. It will just freeze her up. She’d then be as easy to kill as a baby salarian.”

“And why the hell would you give us this code?” said Zedok, leaning forward toward Bob. “That doesn’t seem like you. You’re a bitch, but you’re basically helping us kill your own daughter here. Why?”

“Why? Because Un is my greatest success, and my greatest failure. I have no idea what kind of mission Cerberus sent her on, or why she ended up in Equestria, but she’s gone rouge. She’s outlived Cerberus, and she’s beginning to work outside the interest of humanity.” She paused, then sighed. “I should have just strangled her then. Choked the life out of her when I saw what she did to…to the others. But I didn’t have the heart to do it. I just couldn’t. And I can’t now. I want her dead, but I can’t kill her. Motherhood is frustrating like that. But if you guys want to give it a try, I say go ahead.”

“And what is the code?” asked Starlight.

“It’s the first lines of a poem. ‘Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, and sorry that I could not travel both’.”

“Robert Frost?” said Eloth. “Robette, I didn’t take you for fan of twentieth century poetry.”

“Just because I’m a promiscuous space cannibal doesn’t mean I don’t read,” snapped Bob.

“I think ‘promiscuous’ is wishful thinking on your part.”

“I’ve had more ass than you will ever- -” Bob stopped herself and held up her hands. “You know what? No. I’m not going to get into it. Not right now, anyway.”

“Thank you,” said Twilight.

“For the code, or for not discussing my sex life?”

“Both. But mostly the code.”

“I would disagree,” muttered Zedok.

“But we hopefully won’t need to use it,” said Twilight.

“What? Why?” said Scootaloo. She stepped toward the much taller violet pony. “If we have the ability to kill her, we need to use it.”

“But it would still require fighting through her entire entourage. I have a standing army here. My Thebe soldiers, and a substantial number of converted Governors. I have ships and weapons, and a lot of them. But I can’t take on the entire Equestrian military, even with all of it.”

“So you have a plan, then,” said Starlight.

Twilight nodded. “We need to appeal to Celestia.”

“Seriously?” said Jurneu. “I certainly support religion, but praying- -”

“Celestia is a living alicorn deity,” said Twilight, “a much, MUCH more powerful version of me. I am one of the few living ponies- -so to speak- -who has met her in person. She was like a mother to me. She trained me, and helped me become an alicorn.”

“And had you converted into the Core of the harmony,” added Starlight.

“Only to undo her failure with the Crimson Horizon,” said Scootaloo.

“Even a god can make mistakes,” said Twilight. “I know I have, from time to time.”

“So you actually want to talk to her?” said Starlight. “I don’t think that will help. If she hasn’t done anything yet, I don’t think she will.”

“Celestia and Luna are slow to act,” said Twilight. “You don’t know the state they live in. It’s quite possible- -even almost certain- -that Celestia hasn’t even realized that it isn’t me ruling Equestria yet. If I approach her and make an appeal, then the battle is won.”

“She could take on all of Equestria?”

“It would be trivial for her, if it came to that. But more likely just by addressing the population she could clear the matter. We would never have to fight this One head-on, or at all.”

“Assuming you can get to her,” said Scootaloo.

“Why?” asked Starlight. “I never bothered with religion. Where is she?”

“It is said she dwells in Equestria Prime’s sun,” said Scootaloo, “although I’m not sure if tha tis even true.”

“Don’t worry about that,” said Twilight. “I know the way to her. The problem will be getting to the sun.”

“Agreed,” said Starlight. “If that’s really where you want to go. It isn’t possible to mass-jump into Equestria Prime’s system without royal permission.”

“And I cannot open up a Vocqtus rift there,” said Twilight, “at least not in the inner third of the system. The star itself gives off too much interference.”

“Then we have to fly straight in,” said Scootaloo.

“Through the entire home-system defense fleet?”

“I have a plan for that, too,” said Twilight.

“You have a lot of plans,” said Nine. “I can see where Seven gets it.”

“I’ve had a lot of time to think,” said Twilight. She put her hoof on Scootaloo’s shoulder. “That is why I need you,” she said. “A captain of the fleet I know I can trust.”

“I’m not a captain anymore.”

“I know. But it only matters that you were, once. I want you to lead my fleet.”

“To what?”

“To attack Equestria Prime.”

Six took a large step forward. “But you just said that wouldn’t be necessary! Not if you reach Celestia!”

“But I need to reach Celestia. Myself and Starlight will go ahead in her ship. It’s faster than anything I have, and small enough that it will be hard to detect, especially with a signal dampening method.”

“They will detect it,” said Starlight. “Eventually.”

“Which is why Scootaloo will lead my forces to the homeworld. To serve as a distraction.”

“A distraction?”

“If you attack the homeworld, every force in Equestria will come to stop you. If you can hold them long enough, it will give Starlight and me enough time to reach Celestia.”
“You want her to take on the entire Equestrian military?” cried Six. “Are you mad?”
“It’s not a bad idea, actually,” said Starlight. “Right now, the entire empire knows Scootaloo as a heretic. It would be both expected and terrifying for her to attack. If that’s happening, a ship with an Equestrian IFF would probably go unnoticed, even as far as the restricted solar exclusion zone.”

“There is a difference between being falsely accused of criminal acts and actually committing them,” snapped Six. “Right now, she’s innocent. If she does what you’re asking…her life would be ruined. You’re asking to attack her homeworld. That’s not something the Equestrians will take lightly.”

“Only if she fails,” said Twilight, “and she won’t fail. When my clone is removed from power and the parliament is reinstated, Scootaloo will be hailed as a hero. A savior to Equestria.”

“And if this scheme does fail, she’ll never have a chance at clearing her name. Her reputation would be destroyed.” Six paused. “She’d…she’d never be able to go home.”

“Home,” said Scootaloo. She looked at the ground and sighed. “No. It’s not my home.”

“But Scootaloo, it’s where you were born. You have a right to live there, and to be treated like the honorable and righteous pony you are, not like some- -some- -heretic!”

“I wish that were true. But I’m finding it harder and harder to remember why I would ever want to go back. The entire Empire has changed, and everyone I ever cared about there is long dead. It just seems so…empty.” She looked up at Twilight. “It’s not my home, but I would still die to save it for the sake of my people. A parting gift, I guess. Because either way, I’m not going back.”

“Scootaloo, don’t, you can’t give up- -”

“Where did you say, Delilah?”

“Excuse me?” said Six, blinking confusedly.

“Was it the Verge? Or the Andromeda Frontier?”

Six’s eyes grew wide, and they started to tear, even though she started to smile. “Scootaloo…”

“I will help you,” said Scootaloo. “Whatever you need, but only this once. Because you are my friend, and because I hate her. I hate her so much. She took everything from me…everything except Trixie…” Scootaloo turned to Six. “I’m sorry, Delilah. I know you wanted me to stay back and be safe, but I have to do this.”

“Of course you will stay safe,” said Six. “Because I’m going with you.”

“No you’re not. It’s too dangerous- -”

“And I’m an alicorn. I’m not as strong as One, but I’ve been around long enough to know how to protect myself. And those I care about.”

“Yeah,” said Nine, her head still on the table. “Scoots, I’m not really on the same page as Six. You’re cute, but you don’t exactly tingle my ovaries. That said, though, you’re one of us.” She lifted her head. “Not a lot of people like us. And fewer survive us. You’re practically our sister.”

“Sister?” said Eight, perking up. “I have a new sister too? This is the best day ever!”

“I’m going with you,” said Nine. “So is Seven.”

“I’m not good at fighting,” admitted Eight. “But I’m sure I’ll be of some use, even if it’s only to get in the way. I’m in. And so is big brother!”

“W- -what?” cried Jurneu. “I mean, I don’t object, but I don’t like being volunteered for things that I didn’t- -”

“I’ll let you grab my wings.”

“Wings?”

“Yes. They are very soft. And very ticklish.”

“O…okay…”

Nine turned to her older sister. “What about you, Four?”

“No,” said Bob preemptively. “I’m putting my foot down on that. She’s not going. Do you have any idea what Marc Antony would do to me?”

“Whatever it is, you would probably enjoy it,” commented Eloth.

“It’s not your decision to make, mother,” said Four. “I’m a grown mare. But…” she sighed and shook her head. “I have to decline. Whatever I may be, I am still an Alliance officer. I have a duty to my position and my Empress, and I cannot involve myself in this. Not that I would be any good to you anyway. I’m too badly damaged.”

“And yet you got to the rank of Supervisor,” said Starlight.

“And you?” said Twilight, addressing Bob. “I’m not entirely sure what you are, or what your consort is, but you are both clearly very powerful. You would make good friends.”

“I’m not a consort,” muttered Eloth.

“No,” said Bob, shaking her head. “I’m not doing it.”

“But why?” Twilight appeared surprised by the bluntness of Bob’s answer, but Starlight had been expecting it from the start.

Bob shrugged. “Because I don’t want to.”

“And you?”

Eloth stared up at Twilight for a long moment, and then leaned back. “It would be an awful lot of work, and I have no stake in this transaction. To speak candidly, it is not my problem. I see no reason to bother.”

“And really, I don’t think you want us,” said Bob. “I can see it on your face. You want to win, but you still remember that I unloaded six bullets into you and stole your bone marrow so that Cerberus could get me pregnant with it.”

“I actually had not remembered,” said Twilight. “But now I do. This is all your fault, isn’t it?”

“More than you would ever want to know.”

“Fine,” said Twilight. “I can compensate without you. I suppose the matter is settled, then. We all have our parts- -”

“You didn’t ask Starlight, though,” said Sbaya, interrupting Twilight.

“Starlight?” Twilight looked over at Starlight as if she had been an afterthought. “Oh, well, of course Starlight- -”

“You didn’t ask,” said Sbaya, more firmly and slowly.

Twilight sighed. “Starlight?”

“I’m not sure,” she said.

“What?”

“You heard me, Twilight. If you even really are.”

“Of course I am. Who else would I be?”

“I don’t know. But I just spent centuries serving a back-stabbing clone who stole my magic and my life. And before that ponies captured me and turned me into a starship engine when I was barely old enough to read. So let’s just say I have trust issues.”

“Does it really matter if she’s Twilight, though?” said Scootaloo. “As long as One is defeated, I don’t even care.”

“Wait,” said Twilight. “Neither of you think I’m the real Twilight?”

“I never bothered to give it much thought,” said Scootaloo.

“And I’m still not sure,” said Starlight. “But I have to agree with Scootaloo. Maybe you are Twilight. I wish so much I could allow myself to hope that you are. But it doesn’t matter, not really. As long as One gets what she deserves, I will do my part. To make sure you win.”