The seven ponies momentarily left their wrecked campsite and entered into the nearby cavern. The six Element Bearers entered the chamber eagerly, while Starlight Glimmer lagged behind a bit, still feeling a great deal of nervousness and reference for this sacred site. She had been here before during the Pony of Shadows Crisis, but she still felt blown away by the majesty of the Tree of Harmony.
The seven of them admired the Tree’s splendor, and the Bearers smiled at the sight of their Elements.
Fluttershy sighed contentedly as she began to finally feel completely at peace after the traumatic experience she had endured not too long ago. “This was certainly a great spot for our camp, Twilight,” she said softly, “The light from the Tree of Harmony just makes me feel so. . . happy.”
“Darn tootin’,” Applejack chimed in, looking quite calm and relaxed herself, “It certainly is incredible, ain’t it?”
Suddenly, Rarity gave a gasp of delighted surprise as something caught her eye. “Oh my,” she said eagerly as she suddenly trotted forward towards the base of the Tree.
“Rarity?” Twilight asked, her right eyebrow raised slightly in interest.
Rarity stopped a short distance away from the crystalline tree trunk, and looked down at a pile of six small wooden logs, each of them a different color. Using her magic, she lifted up the white one and said with the light of inspiration sparkling in her eyes, “I have never seen wood this color! Why, I could make the most marvelous of mannequins with wood like this! If only there were more than this small pile. . .”
Starlight quickly stepped forward and said, “Hold on. Where did those logs even come from?”
“Hmm,” Twilight said as she rubbed her chin with her right forehoof, “Good question.”
Rainbow Dash just shrugged, “So what? It’s just a couple of pieces of wood.”
Pinkie Pie hopped over and snatched the pink log. She hugged it close in her forelegs and said, “Ooooh! I really like this one! I wonder why?”
Applejack frowned and said, “Ya think whoever wrecked our campsite left them here?”
“Why?” Rainbow Dash asked, looking slightly annoyed by the whole conversation.
Fluttershy smiled and said, “Maybe it’s a gift to say that they’re sorry.”
“Lame,” Rainbow Dash snarked, “What would we want with weird colored wood?”
Twilight visually studied the logs as her friends were talking, and after Rainbow’s question, she said, “Weird is right, Rainbow Dash. Have you girls all noticed that these logs are the same colors as we are?”
Rarity nodded slowly and said, “Hm. Why, you’re right, darling. How odd.”
Rainbow rolled her eyes and said, “I still don’t see what the big deal is.”
Determined to figure it out, Twilight said, “Well, I know a spell that should at least give us a clue. It called the How It’s Made spell, and it should reveal what tools, methods, techniques, and magic used to make anything it’s cast on.”
“Woooooow!” Pinkie said with wide eyes and a big, impressed smile, “Is there a spell for everything?”
“Unfortunately,” Starlight remarked sourly, “Sometimes it’s so easy to let magic be the solution for all your problems.”
Twilight smiled reassuringly at Starlight and said, “Don’t worry, my Faithful Student! This time, magic is the answer to the problem. Now stand back everypony, and watch the How It’s Made spell in action!”
Starlight, Rarity, and Pinkie backed away, dropping the logs they picked up and joining the rest of their friends behind Twilight. The alicorn princess gazed down at the six pieces of wood, and her attention was inevitably drawn to the one whose color matched her own. Twilight charged magic in her horn, visualized the spell, and casted it upon the violet log.
At first, Twilight could feel the spell beginning to work. However, right before the information could be transmitted into her mind, she felt the spell suddenly stop in its tracks. Twilight was confused at first, but the confusion became panic as she felt her magic continuing to be pulled out through her horn even though she was no longer casting any spell. Twilight grunted as she tried to shut off the flow of magic, but her horn didn’t seem to be under her control anymore.
Twilight’s eyes widened in horror as she felt her magic being pulled out of her very core, and she cried out in fear, “No! Stop! Something wrong!”
“Twilight!” Starlight shouted as the rest of the ponies gasped worriedly.
“It’s. . . draining my magic!” Twilight cried out as sweat began to run down her face.
Starlight fired a bolt of magic at the log, only for it to be deflected back at her. It missed her face by a narrow margin, much to her shock. “What should I do! Twilight!” Starlight cried out.
It was the day they met Daring Do all over again. Everything was happening so fast that none of the other ponies knew what to do.
Suddenly, the glowing rope of magical energy connected Twilight’s horn and the violet log was suddenly sucked into the wood, which was now glowing like magical fire. Twilight slumped down, completely out for breath from the ordeal. Before anyone could even come to her aide, the glowing log suddenly began to warp and twist, kneading itself like a glowing ball of dough. It formed itself into the vague shape of a pony, and then with a brilliant flash of light, a duplicate of Twilight Sparkle stood before the group.
“I’m . . . alive?” she said at first, amazement stamped on her face. Then she smirked victoriously and declared, “I live!”
Horrified, Twilight shakily got up to her hooves, which some much needed assistance from Starlight, and stammered out, “What? What are you!?”
Pinkie Pie was suddenly right next to her and said in a loud stage whisper, “Psst! She’s a clone! Remember! The Mirror Pony. Grandma Pie’s rhyme. I mean, come on, Twilight, normally you aren’t this forgetful.”
Twilight glared at her friend and said, “This isn’t the Mirror Pond, Pinkie! And that doesn’t explain the wooden logs!”
The duplicate just chuckled darkly at the exchange and shook her head, saying, “Retarded little Pinkie Pie. Just as incompetent as when I first met you earlier. Simple-minded little moron.”
“HEY!” Rainbow Dash shouted angrily, “Who the hay do you think you are?”
“Of course, you all want answers,” the duplicate said, “And I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to give you some closure before you’re obliterated.”
The duplicate Twilight cast a spell that caused a magical screen to appear next to her. It appeared to be the same spell Trixie had used when she had come to Ponyville seeking revenge in order to explain her motivations. The screen revealed the duplicate’s backstory as she narrated it.
“You see, a pathetic bug named Chrysalis created clones of the Element Bearers in order to steal the Elements from the Tree of Harmony and use them to conquer Equestria, and get revenge on a mare named Starlight Glimmer. Chrysalis was ignorant enough to believe that I would obey her, so after I deceived the real Pinkie Pie into revealing the Tree’s location, I led the rest of the clones to the Tree and proceeded to dispose of Chrysalis while they retrieved the Elements. However, before I could destroy her, those incompetent clones activated some sort of defense mechanism within the Tree. Its magic caught us all in its grip, it undid the spell that brought us to life, and returned us to wood from which we came!”
“Hang on,” Applejack said as she came to a sudden realization, “That means all those times where everypony was acting mean-.”
“It wasn’t us!” Pinkie Pie said cheerfully as she jumped for joy, “Woo-hoo!”
Rainbow Dash nudged her and said, “Pinkie, I don’t think now is the time for celebrating.”
False-Twilight dispelled the screen and then gave the seven ponies a sweeping glare. Then she smiled wickedly at Twilight and said, “I wouldn’t have imagined that you of all ponies would bring me back to life. Too bad for you. Now, all I need to do is destroy all of you, frame Chrysalis for your friends’ disappearances, and take your place as princess. Then, when they all least expect it, I’ll destroy anypony else that gets in my way, and rule Equestria myself!”
False-Twilight focused her cold, hard gaze at Pinkie Pie and said, “Now, I think I’ll start with the retard!”
Rainbow Dash acted quickly and knocked Pinkie Pie out of the way with a flying tackle. False-Twilight’s spell created a large impact crater from where it struck the ground, right where Pinkie Pie was standing a split second ago.
False-Twilight just laughed and said, “Oh, by all means! Make things challenging for me! Your efforts are futile, but they amuse me.”
Rainbow Dash flew upward speedily in an arc, coming back down quickly with the intention of pounding False-Twilight in the head. However, the clone didn’t bat an eye as she used her magic to hold Rainbow Dash in place, and then sent her careening sideways into the cavern wall.
“Fine. You can be first!” False-Twilight said as she slammed Rainbow Dash sideways into the wall a second time.
Applejack charged forward, her face twisted with rage. However, False-Twilight saw her coming and threw Rainbow Dash into her.
“Why are you foals putting yourselves in danger just to protect somepony else? It’s illogical,” False-Twilight said in dismay as she shook her head.
Rainbow Dash groaned as her left side ached from the repeated impacts. She rolled off of Applejack and looked up to see False-Twilight slowly approaching with her horn glowing with power. Dash gulped and called out, “Any day now, Twilight!”
During all of this, Twilight had been desperately trying to power up her horn, but she couldn’t even manage a few sparks. She shook her head and gave up, saying, “It’s no use. She took all of my magic.” She then turned and said, “Starlight! I couldn’t beat you in a Magic Duel, so you’re the only one that can stop her!”
Starlight appeared a little shocked at first, but then she put on a brave face and said, “You’re right. I can do this!”
Starlight teleported right next to False-Twilight, and quickly fired a spell that encased the copy in a large crystal. However, the copy burst free almost instantly, the force of the burst knocking Starlight backwards.
False-Twilight waiting for Starlight to get back up, and then said with the tone of someone intrigued, “So, you’re the one Chrysalis wouldn’t shut up about.”
Starlight nodded and said, “That’s right, and if I were you, I’d give up right now! The real Twilight couldn’t defeat me in a Magic Duel, so what chance does a cheap copy like you have?”
False-Twilight just smiled smugly and shook her head at this, and then she said, “Oh, please. A unicorn is no match for an Alicorn. If what you say is true, then the only reason she couldn’t win is because-.”
Starlight was blindsided by one of the large purple crystals imbedded in the cavern’s walls. False-Twilight had used her magic to pull it out of the wall and send it flying into Starlight.
“-SHE WAS HOLDING BACK!” False-Twilight screamed at the top of her lungs as she fired a barrage of magical bursts at her opponent.
Starlight brought up a magical shield to block the barrage, but the bolts were too numerous and too powerful for the shield to handle, and Starlight was forced to dive out of the way as it shattered.
“I’m and Alicorn and you’re not! That means I’m superior to you!” False-Twilight shouted as she took the air and dived bomb Starlight, all while shooting a continuous magical laser at her.
Starlight teleported away and reappeared right above her foe. Starlight landed on her back and tried grabbing onto False-Twilight’s wings, but the copy suddenly flipped and sent Starlight careening right into the ground, landing flat on her back.
“My magic is the most powerful!” False-Twilight declared as she fired a beam down at Starlight, who quickly countered with her own beam. Unfortunately for Starlight, the clone was slowly pushing back against her beam.
The six friends could only watch in horror as it quickly became apparent that Starlight’s chances of winning were slim to none. Rainbow Dash actually got up to fly to Starlight’s aid, but a sensation of pain from her left wing revealed that False-Twilight’s assault had grounded her for the moment. Meanwhile, Applejack was left wishing she had a lasso on her.
Fluttershy was nervously biting the tip of her left forehoof and hugging a nervous looking Pinkie Pie close with her right forehoof, all the while with a look of complete and utter terror on her face.
Rarity was looking panickily between Starlight, the False-Twilight, and the real Twilight, who was looking wholly devastated by the current events.
“This is all my fault,” Twilight whispered, tears forming in her eyes.
Suddenly, Rarity’s gaze moved towards the Tree of Harmony a few yards away from the battle. She leaned towards Twilight and remarked, “You know, darling, it seems quite odd that the Tree isn’t doing what it did in that little picture screen that knock-off showed us. You know, taking out the trash, so to speak?”
Twilight blinked, coming out of her depressed stupor, and said, “Yeah. You’re right. Maybe it only does it if it’s attack-.” Twilight froze, and her went wide. She then turned and saw the large crystal that False-Twilight had dislodged earlier lying on the ground. She then turned towards Fluttershy and said in a loud whisper, “Psst! Fluttershy! We need you.”
Fluttershy stopped biting her forehooves and turned to give Twilight a nervous look. “Huh?” she squeaked out.
Meanwhile, False-Twilight’s beam was only mere inches away from Starlight horn. Starlight let out a cry of desperation and teleported away. False-Twilight’s beam struck the ground and exploded, creating another crater in the ground.
Starlight reappeared a few feet away, her horn sparking a little from the strain. False-Twilight hovered above her and said confidently, “It doesn’t matter if you’re skilled enough to teleport right in the middle of an attack! I am more powerful than you!”
Starlight grunted and said, “I . . . won’t go down. . . without a fight!” Starlight then used her magic to levitate herself upwards, and she slammed right into False-Twilight. The brief moment of surprise the fake had at seeing Starlight flying was enough to allow Starlight to sink both of her forehooves right into her stomach.
Starlight pushed the fake right up into the roof of the cavern with all the force she could muster. However, the brief moment of victory was short lived, as False-Twilight teleported away. Then, Starlight felt herself being grabbed with magic, and then forcefully brought down to earth.
Starlight’s entire body ached, and when she tried to lift her head up, a hoof suddenly pushed down on the back of her head, forcing her face into the hard ground.
Then, False-Twilight said in a blood chilling voice of tranquil fury, “I am going to destroy you now.”
“It doesn’t matter!” called out the voice of the real Twilight.
False-Twilight looked towards the original, who was standing with her head held high, albeit with an angry frown.
“Even if you destroy all my friends,” Twilight continued, “It won’t matter, because as long as I’m around, everyone will know that you’re a fake. And no matter how tough you think you are, we all know that you don’t have the courage to destroy someone who looks so much like you!”
False-Twilight stared at the real Twilight, narrowing her eyes and gritting her teeth. Then, she smirked and said, “Seriously?”
False-Twilight fired a magical bolt at the real Twilight, but right before it could hit, Fluttershy flew in, holding the crystal from earlier in her forehooves.
The bolt struck the crystal, and was reflected towards the Tree of Harmony. The attack struck the Element of Magic in the center like a bullseye, causing the purple start to turn pitch black.
False-Twilight turned to look, and her confident, arrogant demeaner suddenly changed to that of terror. “NO! NOT AGAIN!” she screamed, and she made an attempt to fly towards the cave’s exit. A tendril of magic shot out from the Tree of Harmony, snagging the copy before it could escape. “THIS CAN’T BE!” she shouted as she was pulled in close to the Tree of Harmony.
Starlight got up off of the ground and turned to watch along with the other six ponies in the cave as the Tree of Harmony started growing with a pure white light.
As False-Twilight’s body began to shrivel and melt, she cried out in rage, “YOU’LL NEVER DEFEAT CHRYSALIS!!!!!!!!!”
There was a final huge burst of blinding white light, and a purple chunk of wood fell to the ground at the Tree’s roots. But right before it hit the ground, a stream of purple magic flowed out it, and right into Twilight’s horn.
Applejack lit the campfire, and couldn’t help but smirk as the wood quickly became a cozy fire that lit up and warmed up the area. “Huh. Guess they’re good for somethin’,” she remarked.
As Pinkie hopped around passing out marshmallows on sticks, Fluttershy had a first aid kit open and was carefully bandaging Rainbow Dash’s left wing. Rarity was assisting, levitating whatever was needed out of the first aid kit and into Fluttershy’s hooves.
Twilight stared into the fire, a mixture of guilt and shame on her face. Starlight, who had been patched up by Fluttershy and Rarity first, sat next to the Princess of Friendship and said, “This wasn’t your fault, you know.”
Twilight just gave a sad sigh.
Starlight used her forehooves to turn Twilight’s face so that they were eye to eye. This was surprising to Twilight, as was the rather forceful tone Starlight used when she said, “I said it wasn’t your fault. You had no way of knowing something like that was going to happen. Chrysalis is to blame for all this, not you. No one blames you for what happened, and we’re all friends, so don’t think we’re going to let you sit around and feel sorry for yourself.”
Starlight let go of Twilight’s head, and then smiled sheepishly as she added, “I tried doing that. It doesn’t work.”
This brought a small smile to Twilight’s face. It made her happy to see that Starlight was fully at peace with her past mistakes. “I should probably be at peace with mine, too,” Twilight thought to herself.
Twilight nodded and said, “Thanks, Starlight. I needed that.” She then frowned again and said gravely, “So . . . Chrysalis. . .”
Starlight nodded back and said, “Yeah. . . she’s still out there, and she’s still pretty dangerous.”
Both mares were silent, and Twilight mulled this over in her head for a while. Then, she gave a genuine smile and said, “You know what?”
“What?” Starlight asked, interested in what Twilight was going to say.
“It’s just like I said earlier: if we can survive a day like this, I think our friendship is strong enough to handle anything the world can throw at us.”
