Author's Note

This entire story has been written from the viewpoint of a real MLP episode or a first-person game, so it might have a bit more awkward tone than normal.

Song(s): [A Single Mistake]

Chapter 0.5: "Slice of Life?"

The Prelude

It all began during a trip to the Crystal Empire. I was reading books at the Crystal Library, when Starlight brought a piece of paper to me:

"Hey Twilight, remember this piece of paper? (nervous laughter) Starswirl asked me to give it to you, soo uh, here it is."

"Oh Starlight, how were you, and how and why in Equestria would Starswirl ask you to give it to me?"

"Uhh, it's a bit complicated, I and Sunburst were just walking outside the Crystal Empire and then-"

"Wait, you were walking outside the Crystal Empire, you mean literally outside, that's just.. uh, crazy!"

"Okay okay calm down Twilight, and then somehow he appeared and then literally gave me this piece of paper and told me to give it to you. Sounds simple enough? (nervous laughter)"

Spike snatches the paper and reads:

"Dear Twilight, here are two spells that you have grave experience with, one being "my unfinished masterpiece" which you helped finish and the time travel spell; I have altered it a bit so nopony like Starlight Glimmer can change it again. This is a gift from me, to you. Signed by Starswirl the Bearded."

Starlight blushes in embarrassement.

"Oh my gosh this is so awesome; we should go and check it out now!"

"Oh yes, you should totally go, Spike and I will just stay here an-"

Twilight uses her teleportation spell to return to her castle.

"Oh well, there she goes. Oh and Starlight would you mind bringing me some rubies, I'm very hungry!"

"(groans)"

After going to the throne room, Twilight decides to cast the time spell, and she did. Then she entered the portal, but she wouldn't ever guess what would be waiting on the other side of the portal.

The Alternate Era

Twilight enters the other realm, but is met by only devastation and suffering. She wanders around to hear screams of pain and agony all around her now blood-splattered remains of her castle. She then decides to enter a room next to the throne room, and sees multiple ponies being tortured by the castle guards.

"Hey, what are all you doing in here? If you don't move away from there right now then I will-"

"But uh, Princess Twilight Sparkle, you're the one who ordered us to do it!"

Twilight orders them to stop the torturing for a while and actually give them care and medical support for their injuries before heading back to the throne room.

"Why am I in the present of an alternate dimension when I clearly meant to go back to the past? Maybe I did the spell wrong!"

She then returns to reevaluate the spell:

"The past and future merged together, in a distinct chain of the present, leading back to where we all began, entirely on hoof, with a delight of alteration and change, opposite of the truth. Wait a minute, "with a delight of alteration and change, opposite of the truth", That isn't in the spell at all! Oh no, there isn't a counter-spell to return to my own world! What in Equestria should I do?"

As Twilight keeps reaching dead-ends while thinking of a way, she decides to:

[Twilight Sparkle]:
A single mistake,
I ended up doing;
Led to all this trouble I'm now facing.
If only- I had been more careful about this,
Maybe this would have never occurred~ at all!

If only- I created a counter-spell,
To escape from troubles I create myself- for me,
There would have been no missing pieces,
In the jigsaw puzzle that I have to solve!
Maybe there's still a way,
To fix all this mess,
And actually help myself,
Get out of this~ reality.

I only have to find it,
Like one's cutie-mark.
This is how you succeed,
Break yourself to make a new you,
This is the rule,
Of every being in every world.
Just thinking~ about it;
I'll find a way out of this~

A single mistake,
I ended up doing;
Led to all this trouble I'm now facing.
But I now know the way out;
On how to- succeed~

Twilight gains confidence after singing to herself, and so she decides to find out how to escape this alternate dimension.