Princess was just a title. There was no deeper meaning; the wing bearing, horn having creatures were ponies. Ponies like every other; capable of making mistakes, capable of breaking.
Twilight Sparkle liked to believe she was the same. She was nothing special; without her friends, she would never be known. Some geeky, brainiac mare was all she used to be.
So… Did she honestly deserve those wings? Thoughts like these hopelessly roamed her head the night before her coronation. A few more hours, and the purple horse would be crowned ruler of Equestria. She’d failed trying to console herself- but her friends were always by her side.
As usual. Nothing would change, Twilight. They’re still here. The princess sighed, and raised her head a bit restlessly.
It felt like just yesterday, the six ran after Nightmare Moon, oblivious to the fact they would be the next bearers of the elements.
It felt like just yesterday Twilight frantically tried to save her friends after their cutie marks were swapped- right when she gained her wings.
It felt like just yesterday the mares beat Tirek. Or when they reformed Discord, Starlight, Trixie, and Sunset.
Finally, Twilight could close her eyes and vividly remember the countless adventures she had shared with the other six. No matter what this new journey had in store, she’d be alright. They’d be alright.
A new day dawned, beautiful and shining. The day awaiting her for months now, the inevitable event and the end of this era. The birds chirped, and the glory of the morning was nearly overwhelming. Overwhelmingly familiar… but not the same.
“Twilight!” a squeaky voice yelled. The princess rose her head, in confusion.
“Sp…Spike?” She looked around cluelessly. Where was she? This certainly was not where she fell asleep. “Where are we?”
“Uh…” The little dragon cocked his head sideways in confusion. “Home..?”
“Very funny,” laughed Twilight. “Today’s a little too important to be joking around on. What’s this, some type of illusionary spell? Starlight, are you here too?”
“Twilight, it’s all that studying you’re doing. By Celestia, you’re losing it! The party’s soon, we should get going.”
Finally, it hit her. They were in Canterlot, the very place she had just started. It was so long ago- yet it was like she was waking to search the books for the Elements of Harmony once more.
Usually, Twilight would embrace a prank as such in an annoyed manner, especially on a day as such. But now, nothing but a smile of joy reached her lips as nostalgic memories flooded her brain (of well before she knew her close friends).
“Teleportation spell,” the princess laughed sarcastically. “Let me guess- Cadence was up to this!”
“…” Spike paused, genuinely confused. “Ah… What… now?”
“You can knock off the act,” she shrugged. But right now, we need to get back to the castle. Let’s walk there?”
Frantically, Spike raced after her. “The castle? Our day just started! Don’t you know Celestia is busy? Aren’t we supposed to be going to the party?” he anxiously raised a stuffed bear which was sloppily wrapped in a bit of paper.
It was a nice joke, but it was going too far. Honestly, the idea of bringing Twilight back to her old home was witty; yet they had already been figured out.
Undoubtedly, something was wrong. The purple mare glared at Spike, trying to understand what was happening. Maybe she shouldn’t exaggerate, it could very well just be a simple prank. Yet, why would they stretch it so far?
“We’re going to the coronation, drop the act.” The princess took a sharp breath, trying to keep her cool. So far, everything had been fine; her anxiety had been on the keeps. If she freaked out and lost it now- she could just ruin her whole day. Her very special day.
It was just a joke, of course. It was all one big joke.
She could see the castle in the distance, and Spike was nervously staring at her. She glanced back, making eyecontact with him. No words were necessary at this point- she was frustrated. And whatever this stupid plan was, she was NOT going to freak out.
In a haste, she was ready to face it. Maybe this was her last preparation as a princess- a test from Celestia. Could she keep her cool? Could she own her day, or would she ruin it? And she was prepared.
Suddenly, Twilight closed her eyes. She was ready to soar into the sky, towards the castle, zooming until she’d reach there and finally finish the last chapter to one heck of a story.
But she opened them again, and she didn’t even take a step. She wasn’t in the air, she was clearly on the ground, just where she had started. She gasped in horror, and her whole body shook as she painfully looked behind herself.
Her wings- they were gone.
One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six.
One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six.
Twilight had awoken to her collapsed body once again on the bed of her Canterlot home. Spike restlessly looked over her, confused. She struggled to keep her breathing in tact; one, two, three-
“Twilight!” The baby dragon gasped, tears forming in his eyes. “I- I don’t know what’s going on with you… I don’t know why you fainted, but- I’ve called for help, I’ve been that useful at least,”
The princess couldn’t manage to spit a word out. Shock had overcome her body, and she was yet to process what was happening. Was it a bad dream? Hallucination? Some sort of illusionary spell? Time traveling? She didn’t know. She wasn’t in control. Even though it was the one most important day of her life.
And? She had blown it- that’s all she could think. She had failed. The one time that everypony needed her, she had collapsed, more helpless than those who looked up to her.
“I’m sorry, I don’t know, Twi. I don’t know what’s going on, but I’ll try to help you, I promise. They’re coming, I swear,” the purple dragon burst into tears. He knew something was drastically wrong with the unicorn who had cared for him since he knew; but he could do nothing. Spike was upsettingly useless, to his own dismay.
A gasp emit once more from the unicorn’s mouth, of utter confusion and despair.
“Celestia,”
Celestia. What would she be thinking right now? Seeing her student, one she had placed her utter faith and expectations in, lying useless and dumbfounded? And either way, Twilight needed to see the princess at once.
Shakily, she sat up, her eyes red and her head spinning. The baby dragon gazed at her in horror, unable to comprehend what was happening.
“I must see the princess.”
“Twilight! For heavens sake, you just passed out, you need rest…“
“What day is it?”
It was a question that needed no answer. Twilight was starting to piece everything together. It couldn’t be a mere test, or a stupid prank.
It was… Timeplay, wasn’t it? The most dangerous power of all, time traveling. And Twilight had undoubtedly traveled back to the day-
“Moondancer’s Birthday, the 25th. Why?”
The day she was sent to Ponyville. And that was exactly why she’d need to find Celestia, explain, and everything could possibly go back to normal.
A string of unanswered questions and piercing thoughts rung around the head of the one trying to solve this mystery. She needed to reunite the elements of magic.
Who would do such a thing? How, why, nothing she knew. But still. she brushed Spike off with a simple goodbye (I’m sure he’d have passed out himself after all this) and ran off into the distance. The castle wasn’t too far away, perhaps a mile?
If it was the day before the summer sun celebration, it would be only a few hours till Celestia would once more be kidnapped. How could she save her and Luna, and reunite the sisters, if she hadn’t met anypony in Ponyville yet? Would it result in something to distrupt time?
Hooves aching and mind still racing, the mare was lightheaded and confused when she reached the castle. Nothing had changed, nothing too dramatic. The guards stood there, and she recognized them; a little younger, yet their posture was straight, jaw clamped shut, and all serious looks plastered on their faces as they stared at her.
“Who are you, why are you here?”
“Twilight Sparkle, Princess of-“ She stopped in her tracks. “Sorry, Twilight Sparkle, faithful student to her excellency. I’m here to have a word…”
The guards looked at each other with a glint of uncertainty in their eyes. See- the pony in front of them was in the most possible case, slightly mad. Messy mane, dazed look, and a rather… aloof way of talking.
“I’m afraid her ladyship is busy,” one spat in disrespect. “Do you not know of the date?”
Suddenly, the gates opened. A graceful figure emerged from the shadows, wings raised. Her coat sparkled in the sun, with a shy smile.
“That shan’t be necessary. This is my most faithful student, and she shall be accommodated respectfully,” she poked at the guards in disappointment.
“Yes your majesty, sorry your majesty,” they chanted, moving immediately to let Twilight in.
“Twilight! What a pleasure. What brings you here..?” Celestia immediately inquired, as she walked her in politely.
“Princess.. We must talk, it’s of utmost urgence.” At this line, the white alicorn’s face dropped. It was serious, she could tell.
As they took seats, Twilight began to explain the whole situation without cease. Telling her about her friends, how she was an alicorn before- even that it was her coronation. But in most depth, she explained how she was stuck in time and about Nightmare Moon and Luna.
The princess listened with respect, not stopping at a moment to interrupt in question. She had full trust in Twilight, and knew her subject would never lie. But… Nothing added up here. When she was finished, she looked down to the small unicorn in astonishment.
“My word. Twilight, have you been reading those old mares tales? Nightmare Moon isn’t real, and never was. I have no siblings, and nobody- I say nobody is banished to any celestial body,” she gasped. “I… Believe I understand now.”
Twilight looked at her in dismay. Had she gone crazy? Lost her mind? There was absolutely no way that she was serious. After everything…
“Twilight,” the alicorn paused for a second. “I’m sorry.”
Neither pony spoke a word. Both were conflicted. Confused.
“I… It’s my fault, here. What you’ve experienced is a result of all the stress I’ve put you under, with all this studying and whatnot. It’s undoubtedly… some sort of fever dream. Something you’ve dreamt up because you wanted to… be important, am I correct? You wanted to do everything, understand everything. You wanted to become someone who wouldn’t fail, who could overcome, hang on. But all I’ve done all these years, was feed you work, work, and… No time to rely on being yourself. I think it’s time you take a break.”
“Princess, I-I swear on my life it wasn’t a dream. I’m not crazy. I remember it all vividly. It happened! I felt it, I promise. You have to believe me, they’re real, they were here, they fought by me. Please, princess. Please.” Twilight dropped to her knees, and for once, let everything she was feeling out.
Through those 9 years, everyone depended on her. But she was just a pony. There was a level she could take, and couldn’t. And this was her breaking point. Not even the princess would believe her, then who would? She sobbed endlessly, begging with her life for Celestia to hear her out.
It wasn’t a lie.
She wasn’t crazy.
Please.
Please.
“YOU NEED TO FIND THEM! I’ll restore it all, just tell me where THEY ARE! Bring me to Ponyville, once more, I’ll show you, I’m begging of you!” The unicorn screamed, flailing her hooves at the feet of her princess.
“Twilight…” The Princess was awestruck. “I’m sorry. Ponyville… isn’t-“
But how could she tell her that Ponyville wasn’t real? How could she tell her those ponies who were her first friends- they never had existed? How everything she experienced was just a dream, that the only time she was SPECIAL was a dream, that the only friends she had… That it was all a joke? Just one, big joke?
“Guards, cease her.” That’s all Celestia could mutter. She had destroyed this mare.
“NO!” Twilight yelled at the top of her lungs. “YOU HAVE TO BELIEVE ME, IT CAN’T JUST BE A DREAM, PLEASE,”
The guards had no choice but to shove her out.
“IT CAN’T BE. IT CAN’T BE!”
And indeed, every adventure, every second, every smile and every tear- it had been a figment of her imagination. The vast imagination of something she thought she was- but in reality, never could be.
Because Twilight Sparkle could do anything, be anything, with her friends by her side.
But they never were really there. And she wasn’t, either.
And the world went on.
Author's Note
This was sort of… an emotional test?
I wanted to see what would really make a story… depressing. And to be honest? This is far from that, it was created by just a burst of passion. The idea struck up around about 2 A.M. on a sleepless night- so I’ll admit, it is far from perfect. Especially since its my first fanfiction I’ve written in like, 2 years.
But what did you all think?
