The Pony with Two Souls

“You knew about this?” Twilight asked. “That she would… come back… like this?!”

Cadence tapped her foot, for yes, she was more-or-less aware, but the ‘like this’ part of the question gave her pause. “Well I didn’t think she would reincarnate in you! If that’s what you’re asking!”

Shining Armor’s eyes darted between them “whoa, whoa, whoa! REINCARNATE? Can somepony run this by me again?” He waved his front hooves wildly, emphasizing how deep into confusion he had fallen. “My sister sprouts literal wings, and now we are talking about Princess Celestia… reincarnating? Do you both realize how insane that sounds?”

Cadence waved her hoof, as if it were nothing. “The Alicorn origin malarkey, oh it’s from the start of this world. Celestia used to make up all these stories to explain things, keeping herself and the four Alicorns somewhat in the dark, but the stories never really matched up.” She sighed. “That’s why there are so many mismatched fables about the four Maiden’s.”

“I told you never to speak of the origins of this world!” The demanding voice barked, it came from Twilight’s mouth, but the words were not hers.

“Oh great!” Cadence tossed up her hooves, “now she’s here to lecture us some more.”

Celestia’s temper boiled over, charging a reluctant Twilight Sparkle toward the Spring Maiden. The cast around her leg dragging as Celestia was not conscious of its presence. “You insolent child! I will explain all things to Twilight with time. You never heed my warnings, and it is because of that Trixie Lulamoon is cast in stone!”

Cadence’s face fell from anger to dismay. It was true, she had felt responsible for the condition Trixie had put herself in. But, it was also true that being cast in stone was better than giving the power of the Winter Maiden to the Changling Queen. “You are a liar and a coward!” Cadence insisted. Shining Armor pushed between the two girls, unsure of whether he was witnessing his sister and his fiancé fight, or a fit of pure madness.

Twilight shook, pulling her consciousness apart from that of the overpowering Alicorn. “Cadence, I’m sorry-“

“No! The lies stop here! Tell us everything. You need Twilight now, you have no other choice.”

So, the trio… quartet… sat in the living room, sipping hot cocoa as if they were the best of friends.

“The Maiden story, it is partially true. Though, two of the Maidens are always Alicorns, Spring and Fall. The Winter and Summer maiden powers are completely independent from the Alicorns they originated in.”

“Why?” Twilight asked, speaking partly to herself now, as Celestia spoke from her mouth.

Celestia seemed to reel through her soul’s memories before settling on a reason. “Well because the Spring and Fall Maidens were made first… they were made to never separate from their powers. For example, before Cadence was the Spring Maiden, she was-“

“I was a pegasus in the Crystal Empire- my mother was the Alicorn, Spring Maiden.” She paused, the painful memory wiping the aggravation from her face. “When she was killed in battle, she chose to give me her power.” Cadence continued, as it was her story to share, not Celestia’s.

“Indeed.” Celestia hummed, recalling it as if it were just yesterday. “Amore was the finest Spring Maiden in a millennium.”

“And the Winter and Summer maidens?” Shining Armor coaxed.

“Ah well, I will tell you, but it will be hard to believe.” Celestia began.

“Princess Luna and I are not ponies in spirit, no we are spirits from the great unknown. The spirit of light and the spirit of the void.” She tilted Twilight’s head from side to side, trying to shake the ideas into it. “Since we are spirits our souls do not die when our bodies do, they return, like this. And the Maiden Power is independent from our spirit souls.”

Cadence sipped her cocoa as this was all something she had heard before. “So Celestia, was not your real name.”

“Oh, no… no, it was my 57th name. I suppose Twilight Sparkle is my 58th.” She laughed, but it was only humorous to her.

“And Luna, Luna does this too?” Shining Armor asked.

“Luna reincarnates at birth, which is quite ironic given that the void spirit knew nothing of creation. I reincarnate by attaching to a living soul.”

“And you chose mine?” Twilight asked, clearly not enthusiastic about such an idea.

“Well, I do not choose where my soul goes, in the same way I chose to give up my Maiden Powers.” Celestia insisted. “I just kind of… happen upon a soul as it calls out to mine.”

“Like soulmates…” Cadence said, uncomfortable with the idea of souls and spirits really calling out to one another.

“In a symbiotic sort of way, I suppose.”

Twilight placed the purple stone fragment on her desk. She was still hobbling with her broken leg.

Celestia had gone quiet once again; it seemed to take a lot of her effort to come forward for so long. And in answering all of their questions, she had burned herself out.

Pulling herself carefully up onto her bed, she situated her cast-leg before getting comfortable. Tomorrow was another day, she could learn more about this reincarnation business then.

As she lay back, the discomfort reminded her of what she had gained. A pair of bulky wings: getting between her and a comfortable nights sleep…

But, tomorrow was another day… she could learn to live with these things someday.

Her therapist had told her to take things one day at a time. To look on the bright side, even though everything seemed really… really dark. But tomorrow was another day. So, she stretched her wings, then tucked them in snugly at her sides… and while they were still a little achy and in the way, she managed to get just cozy enough for some shut-eye.

He was a sneaky, slithery, and disproportionate creature. Since the spirits had left this wretched little place, He had walked its face.

Since the void spirit had created Him, he wished for a place to call home. A place to belong. But, no pony and no creature wanted him. No one, besides the light spirit that dwelled in the Pony of the Sun.

One would have believed, the Pony of the Moon would have loved her brother in creation, but one would be mistaken. The only pony (only creature) that ever, truly loved him, was the golden pony of light….

Until, she didn’t.

“Listen carefully to me.” He said, looking over the elderly warlock. Starswirl turned his head toward him, unafraid now as he had grown accustomed to the disfigured mug. “You have disappointed me, so, so deeply.” He reminded. “This time, if you fail, it will be your life, understand?”

And Starswirl did understand. In all his time gambling with the magic of chaos, trying to outsmart death: he had never anticipated being faced with the dealer of both. “What can I do to make it right?” Starswirl asked.

“Bring me the Power of the Summer Maiden now, and the Elements of Harmony, while you’re at it.”

This was a tall order for a single pony to fulfill. “Only I?” Starswirl gulped.

“Well, when you worked with the Changeling… she ended up… well, kaput.” He laughed, a sinister little laugh. As if he held no regard for Chrysalis (because he did not). “Any other ‘friends’ of yours that you’re willing to sacrifice for the prize of eternal life?”

Starswirl hemmed and hawed. Sure, he knew ponies who would be willing to help him, with some manipulation and maybe a little misguidance. He had devout followers across Equestria. But, was he willing to put them in harms way? Perhaps. “I know it is not my place to ask, and forgive me for my curiosity: but, what is your end-goal?”

He turned his head slowly, facing him now. He was aggravated, never having had to answer to a mortal a day in his life. “Well, must you know?” His smile told Starswirl he was dying to share, but it also portrayed the idea that he may not like the response.

“Well, I’m curious… I just- I guess I had never thought to ask.” The old man replied skittishly.

“Well, then, I shall tell:

The Maiden Powers are more for my protection. You may have noticed that I am not the most beloved creature on the face of this world. A single Maiden would protect me from a whole army of creatures.” He chuckled at this, for he was certainly the most detested creature there ever was. “The ponies do not even dare to utter my name...” He swallowed, the sound of sadness filling his voice as he seemed to happen upon a memory. “I was not always so loathed, you know… but that is neither here nor there.” His nostrils huffed as he breathed out all of his negative emotions. “The reason I want the Elements of Harmony: is to use them to summon the Spirits, so that they may explain my existence to me… and why they condemned me to such a hellish one.”

Starswirl nodded, but his wide-eyed stare gave him away. He could not comprehend the depth of His ambitions.

“You know not of anything!” He said finally, rolling his eyes. “Just do as you are told.”

“Good Morning!” The chipper Canterlot voice echoed through her brain as she startled awake. Sprung from her bed by opened wings, she landed on her three, not broken legs.

“Good morning…” she muttered in return, gently settling herself on her behind. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes gently, hoping that in doing so, she would wake up from this terrible nightmare.

“You had ought to get your cast removed today so that we can get started.” Celestia harped, not giving Twilight even a moment to wake up.

Twilight lifted the cast-wrapped leg. She would need it for at least another 6 weeks… “my cast?” She asked, confused.

“Alicorns don’t get broken bones, silly.” The voice replied, almost condescendingly.

Twilight yawned, stretching her legs and her wings as she did. “What’s the rush? I just woke up.”

“We have to get started!” Celestia repeated the words, as if Twilight was meant to find some meaning in them the second time.

“Started with what?” He asked; finally rising to her hooves for the day.

“Finding the Elements of Harmony before He does.”

“Right, yeah okay, I’ll add that to the list.” She replied sarcastically, heading toward the little girl’s room.

Pushing open the en suite bathroom door, Celestia seemed to grow short tempered. Twilight’s spirit froze, leaving her with no control of her limbs. “I apologize for this Twilight Sparkle, but you have done your business and now it is time we attend to mine.”

Celestia strained, pulling her new hooves forward, and toward the exit.

Shining Armor and Cadence watched as Twilight strainfully trudged toward the door. “Where are you going?”

“I have some things I have to do today.” Celestia said, in a faux-Twilight voice.

The couple exchanged glances… unsure of whether or not to intervene. “I don’t want to go!” The voice chimed, but only Celestia could hear her pleas, she had silenced Twilight almost entirely.

“Not really up to you right now!” Celestia murmured under her breath, taking her leave through the front door.