Author's Note

So, this chapter was hard for me to write. I know it doesn't seem that way, since this is the longest chapter I've written, but it was hard. I am often times in the same spot as Katrina was in the beginning of this chapter. I can't tell you how many times I've prayed almost the exact same prayer and how many times I've doubted God, when he was the one who saved me from hell. It's a sobering reminder of how human I am. I congratulate Thunderous for winning the cameo challenge. I hope you enjoy.

Trust, Smear Campaigns, And Other Unrelated Things

I sit down on the roof of the school, allowing myself to have a good cry. "Why did this happen? Why can't I make sense of all this?" I say aloud after my tears have been spent. "Why why WHY?!" I shout in fury and confusion. Even though I can hardly see through my frustration, a song comes to my mind. I begin to sing it softly.

"Walking around these walls,
I thought by now they'd fall,
But You have never failed me yet,

Waiting for change to come,
Knowing the battle's won,
For You have never failed me yet,"

I look up at the sky and behold the handiwork of God. Which reminds me of the truth of the song I'm singing.

"Your promise still stands,
Great is your faithfulness,
faithfulness,

I'm still in Your hands,
This is my confidence,
You've never failed me yet,"

I stand up and sing louder.

"I know the night won't last,
Your Word will come to pass,
My heart will sing Your praise again,

Jesus, You're still enough,
Keep me within Your love,
My heart will sing Your praise again,"

A smile starts to stretch across my face,

"Your promise still stands,
Great is your faithfulness,
Faithfulness,

I'm still in Your hands,
This is my confidence,
You've never failed me yet"

I march to the edge of the roof and start singing at the top of my lungs,

"I've seen You move,
You move the mountains
And I believe,
I'll see you do it again,

You made a way,
Where there was no way,
And I believe,
I'll see you do it again,

I've seen You move,
You move the mountains
And I believe,
I'll see you do it again,

You made a way,
Where there was no way,
And I believe,
I'll see you do it again,

I've seen You move,
You move the mountains
And I believe,
I'll see you do it again,

You made a way,
Where there was no way,
And I believe,
I'll see you do it again,

I'll see you do it again!

Oh-Oh!"

I feel a peace completely surround me, lifting my soul to heights I had never known of.

"Your promise still stands,
Great is your faithfulness,
Faithfulness,

I'm still in Your hands,
This is my confidence,
You've never failed,

Your promise still stands,
Great is your faithfulness,
Faithfulness,

I'm still in Your hands,
This is my confidence,
You've never failed me yet,

I never will forget,
You've never failed me yet,
And I never will forget."

I close my eyes and pray aloud. "Lord, I don't know why I'm here or what I'm supposed to do. But I know that you have a plan for me and, even though it's hard, I will put my trust in you, even if it's a little overdue. I know I'll doubt and ask why again, but I ask you to help me through this. Please be with my parents and siblings, and the real Twilight, wherever she is. Thank you for saving my life not just once, but twice. I ask all of this in Your son's holy name, Amen."

I open my eyes and look up at the sky, happy to be a child of the king. When all of a sudden I hear Spike say, "Twilight? Are you alright?"

I smile and say, "Yes Spike. Are you okay?"

"I don't think you are okay Twilight. You've been acting really strange all day. You didn't freak out when we arrived, and you acted like you knew where we are, you directly challenged Sunset Shimmer, and you managed to shock her enough to allow us to get away. That's not the Twilight I know. So who are you and what have you done with the real Twilight? And don't even try to deny it, I heard you talk to nobody and say that you wanted Twilight to be safe. So who are you?"

I sigh and brace myself. "You're right Spike. I'm not the Twilight you know."

"I knew it!" He says proudly. "But if you're not Twilight, who are you?"

"I've had many names. Katy, Princess, Kiddo, child of God, but the name I was given at birth is Katrina Miller. I went to a convention and bought a couple items which turned me into Twilight. And I can only assume that Twilight is now me. I know it's hard to understand, but I just ask that you trust me." I say hoping that he'll believe me.

"That... explains a lot. So, can you go back?" He says with childlike innocence.

"I'm afraid not. I have no idea how I got here, So I couldn't figure out how to get back." I say while petting him and rubbing his belly.

"Well," he says with his tongue lolling out, "I'm sorry that you can't get back, but you're not half bad. You know, for an alien."

I giggle at that. "Thanks Spike. But you can't tell our friends that I'm not the Twilight they know. Okay?"

"Why?" He says cocking his head.

"So, I'm a new Princess. Right?"

"Right."

"So how do you think Celestia, Luna, Cadance, their guards, and our friends would react if they knew I was an unwilling, but technical, imposter?"

"I see your point. I'll keep quiet." He says.

"Pinkie Promise?" I ask dubiously.

"Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye. Wait. How do you know about Pinkie promises?"

"Uh, here's the other thing. Promise not to tell anyone?"

"Ookay?"

"Back where I come from, this whole place, and our world, is a show."

"Ookay."

"So the good news is I know what's going to happen, until season nine. So we can rest easy."

"Intresting. Hey, did you find anything that will help us?"

"Yes, but let's go on inside. It's chilly out here."

As soon as we're inside the library, I show Spike the Yearbook and the picture of the EQG versions of our friends. He drools over the picture of Rarity and says, "Those girls have an look a lot like our friends, yet if Fluttershy, Pinkie and Applejack are any proof they definitely aren't."

"True dat. But I just know that Sunset had something to do with them not being friends anymore."

"You're probably right." Spike says with a yawn. "But we need to get some sleep if we're going to be trying to get them back together in the morning."

"You're right. Let's go sleep." I say with my own yawn. "Would you show me where you were planning on doing so?"

"Sure. Follow me."

He leads me to the book palet and curls up and says "Goodlight Twinight."

I laugh softly and say in response, "Goodnight Spike." As soon as I close my eyes I'm out like a light.

I open my eyes as soon as the morning light hits them. I wonder where I am until the events of yesterday rush back. I yawn and stretch and smile as I look at Spike still sleeping. I tiptoe to a nearby table where I left my backpack and pull out my Bible. I open it to where I had last been reading the other day. "Psalm 23." I say aloud. It was the first psalm I memorized. I begin to read it silently until I come to verse 4 "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me." I read aloud. "Fear No Evil. That's interesting." I think about how I need not fear anything and yet another song comes to mind. Yet instead of singing it, I simply mull over it. One particular line of it sticks with me.

"'For there is nothing I can't face, when God is on my side.'" I mutter aloud.

I am struck by how applicable this is to me and resolve to live like that.

I hear a yawn and look over at Spike to see that he's awake. "Good morning Spike." I say happily.

Spike stretches like only a dog can and says through a yawn, "Morning Twi. Gah! Where are we?"

I sigh and say, "Remember Spike."

"Oh, yeah. Sorry Karina?"

" It's Katrina, and please call me Twilight, or at least Twi."

"Right. Sorry Kat- I mean Twi."

I sigh so loudly I look around for Twilight until I remember.

Spike giggles and says, "You even sigh like her," before collapsing into a fit of giggles.

I push my Bible into my backpack and twirl around and motion for Spike to get in.

"Ok, Ok, I get your point."

"It's friendship time." I say as I walk into the hall.

All of a sudden I see students poorly hiding giggles, and some laughing out loud.

The next thing I know I'm being yanked into a classroom and I see EQG Rarity trying to pull some sort of either dress or skirt/shirt combo out of her bag and pulling it over my clothes. I also feel a hat or wig on my head. "Perfect! Oh, yes. This is good! No one will recognize you!" She says excitedly.

"What the heck do you think you're doing?" I ask.

"And we'll need a disguise for your dog, which is too bad. He really is so adorable! Y'know, with a little work, I think I could make him look like a rabbit instead," she says apparently not hearing a thing of what I said.

"A rabbit?" I question.

Then Applejack, Fluttershy, and Pinkie burst into the room. Applejack scans the room and when her eyes rest on me she says, "There you are, Twilight."

"So much for the disguise." Rarity bemoans.

"I've been lookin' all over for ya!" Applejack says thankfully.

"Me too." Fluttershy says gratefully.

"Me three! I like your new look!" Pinkie says while looking at my outfit.

"I do have an eye for these sorts of things. Not that you seem to care." Rarity jabs.

"What?!" Pinkie shouts angrily.

"Why do you think she doesn't care?" I ask sincerely while pulling off the wig.

Applejack makes the universal stop sign as Fluttershy looks horrified and Pinkie looks like she's a little tea pot.

"Never mind. Why were you all looking for me? What's going on?" I ask before I remember Sunset's smear campaign.

"Oh, she hasn't seen it yet." Fluttershy says with worry in her voice.

"Seen what? Will somebody tell me what's going on?!" I nearly yell.

"Oh, it's really not that bad." Pinkie says as she laughs nervously. Yeah, that's real convincing Pinkie.

Watching the video in real life is sickening. My falls are slowed down and I look like a character in a horror movie. I feel like one too.

"I take that back. It's pretty bad!"

"How could she stoop so low? I'm new here, I've got nothing on her." I wonder.

"Not that it'll make any difference, but I'll still vote for you. You were so nice to stand up for me when Sunset Shimmer was picking on me yesterday," Fluttershy says.

"You would? Thank you."

"If ya still wanna run, maybe there's something I can do to help!" Pinkie offers.

"Word of advice? Don't accept her help. She doesn't take anything seriously!" Fluttershy says as crossly as she can.

"Ugh! Why do you have to be so awful to me?" Pinkie asks her with an emotion in her voice I can't quite place.

"Oh!" Rarity scoffs. "Don't play innocent, Pinkie Pie! You are no better than she is!"

"And what is that supposed to mean?!" Pinkie says angrily.

"I am happy to offer up my assistance as well." Rarity says, pointedly ignoring Pinkie's question. Then she looks at Pinkie as she says gibely, "To someone who would appreciate what I have to offer!"

They all begin to argue indistinctly until AJ cuts in, "Listen to y'all carryin' on! Get over it and move on!"

"You mean like how you've gotten over what happened with Rainbow Dash?" Rarity says snidely.

"She said she'd get the softball team to make an appearance at my bake sale. I tell everybody they're comin', and then not one of 'em shows up! She made a liar outta me! That's different!" She retaliates.

"Is not!" Pinkie and Rarity say in unison.

They argue indistinctly again until I remember the Yearbook I put in my backpack. "SHUT UP!" I yell. Which has the effect of me putting a gun up to their heads and telling them to, well, shut up. They all have looks of genuine fear on their faces. "Calm down, I just have something I need to show you and it's kinda hard when you guys are shouting over each other." I pull out the Yearbook and open it to the place I bookmarked earlier. "You were friends once. Right?"

Applejack sighs a sigh of happy recollection. "The Freshman Fair. Y'all remember?" She asks.

The other three smile and agree.

"I think something happened to your relationship, and I also think Sunset had something to do with it."

"Well, it's a nice theory, darling, and as much as I wish that were so, Sunset Shimmer had nothing to do with it."

"She's right. Sunset Shimmer isn't the one who ruined my silent auction for the animal shelter by bringing fireworks and noisemakers! It was supposed to be a serious event, and Pinkie Pie ruined it!" Fluttershy says with a mixture of anger and sadness in her voice.

"What are you talking about? I got a text from you saying that you didn't want a silent auction. You wanted a big party!" Pinkie says with genuine confusion.

"I never sent you a text!" Fluttershy says shocked.

"You didn't?" Pinkie says.

"You don't think she's the one who's been sending me those e-mails, do you? Every time I volunteer to help with the decorations at a school function, I get an e-mail from Pinkie Pie saying she has plenty of volunteers! And then I find out she's done everything herself." Rarity says with irritation laced in her voice.

"I never sent you any e-mails!" Pinkie says.

"Maybe Sunset's the reason Rainbow Dash didn't show up for my bake sale!" AJ realizes.

"Didn't you ever ask Rainbow Dash why she didn't show up?" I ask, knowing why.

She takes her hat off and fidgets with it, looking uncomfortable as she admits, "Heh, I guess I kinda stopped talkin' to her at all after that."

"Maybe it's time to start." I say, putting her hat back on her.