Twilight walked out of the throne room. That lip bite. She may not know it, but that's a sign she's lying. Which means she's either not worried about who I'll meet, or she's worried about something other than that.

"How did it go?"

Twilight stopped. "Why are you here?"

"I just wanted to see how you handled that information I gave you."

Twilight glared at the parrot. "Is there a reason you told me that?"

The parrot approached her. "I know about the connection you and Celestia share. To be honest, it's hard to find someone that doesn't know. If there's anyone that can convince her to change, it's you."

"And what if I don't want to change her?"

The parrot leaned down and placed his beak near Twilight's ear. "Then I hope you don't care about Rainbow Dash that much."

"Mister Blues." One of the guards approached the pair. "The princess would like to speak to you."

"Understood." With that, the parrot walked away.

Twilight stared at him. He's lying. He has to be. But if he is, what was Celestia hiding?

Twilight turned to leave when she noticed something.

Celestia. Facing a hallway.

What? But... Twilight looked through the doors to the throne room as they closed. Celestia's still in there! Twilight looked back at the second Celestia. So who is that?

The fake Celestia started walking down the hall.

"Hey! Wait!" Twilight chased after them. She rounded the corner, seeing them a good distance down the hall. How did they move so fast? "Hey! Who are you?"

They didn't respond, simply tapping on the wall in a specific manner.

Is that a Stand User? Twilight charged at them.

She was halfway to them when they stepped towards the wall, disappearing from sight. Twilight skid to a stop where they were. She gasped.

The wall had opened up, revealing a set of stairs leading down.

What is this? I've never seen this before! And I've come down this hall many times while staying here! More importantly, where is that creature? Was that a changeling? Twilight bit her lip and headed down the stairs. Changeling or not, I have to find that creature. I need to find out who they are and why they looked like Celestia.

At the bottom of the stairs was a hallway. Long, dark, and damp. Twilight lit her horn up a bit, revealing mold and bugs littering the top and bottom of the walls.

The alicorn swallowed and stepped forward. I don't want to be here, but I can't let them get away.

As Twilight walked down the hallway, it seemed to grow longer and longer. Twilight felt her heart rate rise as her forehead grew damp. She found no sign of the being that she saw earlier.

After what felt like forever, she came across a doorway. Her eye twitched as she peeked inside.

Twilight felt a chill down her spine.

At the far end of the room was a tube, glowing with a green light.

Veins were bunched up at the top and bottom of the tube.

The mass at the top had an orb that looked like an eye.

Twilight stepped in, missing the figure that was watching her from beside the door.

The eye in the mass closed.

There was something inside of the tube.

She stepped closer.

She squinted. "Are those..."

One more step.

"You shouldn't be here."

Author's Note

Now seems like a very good and not at all out of place time to remind people that I have a Patreon.