The Darklands

"How are you, today?"

"I am well, and yourself?"

"Eh...Tia is worried about her disappearance, but I know you won't harm her."

"You have my word."

"..."

"Is something the matter, Luna?"

"No...It's just...I miss you, Nightmare...Tia doesn't understand...Nopony does."

"I understand, Luna.  But you must understand that this is the limit of our communication between us.  I can never afford to leave my world for that long again."

"I know, it's just...It hurts not being able to embrace a friend, you know?"

"Believe me, Luna, I know all too well the feeling.  But do not dwell on those unhappy thoughts- that is what led me to find you in the first place, and I can almost guarantee that my brothers and sisters will not care if their realms fall into such catastrophic states as mine had.  They care only for power, Luna."

"I never understood magic...It's so strange, the similarities between our worlds, and yet how different they are in some ways."

"It is strange, isn't it?  Alicorns are the most powerful spellcasters that have ever existed, but we have no idea what makes our magic work or why.  Dragons, on the other hoof, live long enough to dedicate their lives to research and they have discovered everything on their own before any other race even began to- but the distinct, uncrackable language barriers...It's almost as if there is a force working against us all.  Perhaps it is for the best, as our worlds have already had a Dragon War that, well...I'm sorry, Luna.  I shouldn't have brought it up."

"No, it's fine.  It's kind of nice talking to somepony that remembers it...Tia doesn't like to talk about it."

"And she has every right to not want to.  The Dragons...They had strength in numbers, brute force, and knowledge.  Our kind stood no chance against them.  If the alicorns of that time had the dragon's knowledge alongside their immense magical capabilities...Well, there might not even be a world left for you today.  I must go now, Luna- Twilight and her counterpart are evading me, and it is crucial I find them before time is up."

"I understand...Goodbye, Nightmare..."

"...Goodbye, Luna.  Stay safe, and remember: think happy thoughts."

And with that, the mirror shimmered and returned to it's natural form- the reflection of a tall, dark alicorn staring into it's depths and fighting back tears.

"Can we...Can we...S-top...Now?" Twilight Sparkle wheezed as she struggled to keep up with Trixie, who had her ears flicking around, searching for any sounds as her eyes followed the same pattern.

Reality seemed to grip the blue mare as she slowed her pace and sighed. "Yes, we can stop.  I'm sorry, Twilight, but if Nightmare Moon finds you...It won't be pretty."

"Believe...Me...I think I...Know..." Twilight managed as she tried to calm her heart and keep her lungs from bursting.

Trixie studied the heaving purple unicorn curiously.  Could this really be her?  Can she really be me?  Trixie sighed inwardly and shook her head of the thoughts.  Something wasn't right.  If Twilight Sparkle was supposed to be her reversed dimensional reflection, why did they act so similar?

"Trixie?  Are you alright?" Twilight Sparkle asked.  Trixie was currently laying on her stomach with her hooves tucked in as she studied the ground intensely with a furrowed brow.

"Hm?  Oh, yes...I'm fine...How are you?" Trixie questioned.  Twilight smiled at the blue unicorn as one would smile at a friend, albeit her smile was a tired one due to their recent run.

Settling herself next to Trixie, Twilight replied.  "I'm fine...Why were we running?  I just don't understand why or how you know Nightmare Moon would have me killed.  I mean, I know that because of...Things that happened elsewhere, but how do you know?"

"Twilight, are you familiar with the Reverse Reflective Dimension theory?" Trixie asked, lost in thought.

"...No?  Not really- why?"

Trixie smiled without turning to the unicorn beside her.  Reaching a hoof out, she drew two parallel lines in the dirt.

"Think of this line as your dimension, and this one as mine." Trixie said, pointing to the two lines.  "What would happen in your dimension would also happen in mine, according to the RRD theory.  For example, when we were back at the library, you said that shouldn't it be Nightmare Moon coming back?  I take it that instead of the goddess of the sun being banished in your world, the goddess of the moon was the unlucky one?"

"Yeah, but how did you know they were the goddesses of their respective bodies?  I mean, when we encountered Nightmare Moon, we had no idea that she was really Princess Celestia's little sister."

"That's where I'm confused as well." Trixie said, biting her lip and turning her head back to her drawings.  Within a few moments, Trixie had added four more lines; one above the original on the left side, and likewise on the opposite until they were left with three separate lines on either side.

"Now, imagine that the lines that are directly opposite from each other are reflections of the other, except things are reversed there.  But now, imagine that the middle line on your side is the world you come from, but the bottom line on my side is the one I come from.  Do you see what I'm getting at?" Trixie asked hopefully.  If she and Twilight really were counterparts, albeit from a realm where certain things were off, this would certainly be the key factor in determining it.

"Yes." Twilight said simply.  "The lines on my side are all versions where Princess Celestia rules and Nightmare Moon was the one banished.  The ones on your side are ones where the reverse is true.  However, the above line has something drastically- even if it may seem so small -off in it that separates it from the dimension below it.  The same can be said for the middle and bottom lines respectively.  Instead of being somehow transported to the direct reversal of my own dimension, I was sent over and up one or down one, or even five hundred up since we have no idea how many alternate realities there are.  That would explain why you're my counterpart, even though we have a Trixie in my own world who is the exact opposite of you!" Twilight exclaimed, making a break through.

"And therefore, the opposite of you in your own dimension!  This would also explain why we have the same names, Trixie and I!  Why, somewhere there must be a Twilight Sparkle in my realm that- No, wait...That wouldn't make any sense..." Trixie started, suddenly breaking off and turning her head away in confusion.

"What?  What wouldn't make sense?"

Trixie erased the four additional lines and quickly drew crude images of two unicorns on either sides.

"This," Trixie began, pointing to the top unicorn on Twilight's side. "Is you from your realm.  This, the bottom one on my side, is me- the reflective version of you, down or up a scale.  But you have a Trixie in your world, so shouldn't that mean that I have a Twilight in my world?"

"I...I don't understand.  What are you getting at, Trixie?"

"The legend specifically names you, Twilight Sparkle.  If you hold the same name in your world, and I hold the same name as the other Trixie in your world, then why hasn't anypony noticed a Twilight Sparkle running around here?"

"Because she waited in the middle of the forest like food waiting to be eaten..." a new voice came.  It sounded raspy, as if the speaker was so unused to speaking.

The hair on either pony's pelts began to rise, but they were too captivated by fear to move.

"My Queen!" a voice sounded from down the hall and outside of her room as Nightmare Moon sighed.

After a moment, a light-coated unicorn pony in gothic armor stumbled through the doors.

"My Queen!" he started, catching his breath.

"I trust whatever news you bring is important enough to barge into my quarters, Captain." Nightmare Moon question, her head turned to face the Captain of the Guard while her voice held a carefully concealed blade that would strike out if she heard something she didn't like.

"My Queen, we have found the pair of unicorns."

"Well, where are they?  Have you secured them?"

"Nay, my Queen...They...They are in the Everfree Forest."

"Well, then be gone and retrieve them!" Nightmare Moon growled.

"Milady...Latrodias has been spotted, as well..."

"Such pretty little ponies...Have your parents not taught you to not stray into the forest?" the being taunted as she finished enveloping Trixie in her silk web.

Twilight sat, frozen in fear, on the cold stone floor beneath her- staring up at the large monstrosity that seemed to resemble a huge, house-sized spider.

Trixie's cocoon shook as she struggled to get out- the paralyzing venom used to subdue her having since worn off.  Luckily for the spider, the tightly woven cocoon did wonders to muffle her screams.  The large, black spider clicked its mandibles together as it slowly made its way down its web and onto the floor of the cave in front of Twilight Sparkle.

The creature stood there for a while, simply staring at the quivering pony before her as her mandibles clicked together in morbid pleasure.

"You will taste nice with the blue pony...So very sweet she is, I can tell.  It is always the ones that fight the most that taste the best."

"Why are you doing this..." Twilight mumbled in fear.

"Pony need to eat hay and grass and vegetables.  Spider need to eat pony.  It is nothing against you or your kind; it is just how life has made us." the spider replied sincerely as she reached out to grab the shaking purple pony in order to position her in such a way as to store her for later.

A moment before hairy legs reached smooth fur, a black bolt of magic tore from the treeline- amputating the end of the spider's leg and causing her to shriek in pain.

With the spider distracted, Twilight wasted no time in galloping around to the side and using her magic to cut Trixie's cocoon down.

The large spider was too busy to notice the rescue attempt, however, as she was currently dodging the oncoming bolts of magic while slowly making her way towards their origin.

Twilight Sparkle thanked whatever creature had decided to go spider slaying at this hour before Trixie's cocoon split open and she fell on top of Twilight.

"Any luck, sister?"

"Nay, Tia.  I doubt she walks under the same skies, but I cannot begin to fathom where she might have gone.  The Element of Magic has not returned itself, so we can rest easy that she still lives."

"Perhaps she lies in another dimension."

Princess Luna visibly shook as Celestia uttered that sentence; her voice dripping with suspicion.

"Think carefully about what you do in your spare time, little sister.  I will not lose you to the Nightmare, again."

"She's not the same, Tia!  She never was what you thought she was!  She was the only pony who even bothered to actually listen to me when I talked!" Luna said sternly, fighting in Nightmare Moon's defense.

Celestia fought back.

"I have lived for six hundred years more than you, Luna!  That is six hundred more years of knowledge that you do not have!  I believe that I know very well what the Nightmare is doing- she wants you back so that she may annex our realm into her own!"

"You know nothing about what or who she is!  You haven't seen her the way I have, you've only seen how she defended me!  She defended my name, Celestia!  She defended my honor!  And if she ever wanted to attack- it's a doorway, Celestia!  Not a window!"

The two sisters stared harshly at each other, Luna breathing heavily and clenching her jaw while Celestia sat calmly on her haunches.

"Go to your room, Luna." Celestia ordered.

Princess Luna snorted.  "You think you can just tell me what to do?  You think you can just 'ground' me, Celestia?  I may be your younger sister, but you and I both know who the better spellcaster is!"

"You dare threaten me like that, ruler of Equestria and protector of our nation?!"

"That's just it, Celestia!  It's our nation, but you keep treating it like you brought it from the ground up!  Where would Equestria be without me?!  Where would you be without me?!  No, wait, don't answer that!" Luna spat angrily before turning away.  "You already did one thousand years ago..."

"Luna, dear, what's wrong?" Nightmare Moon asked, worriedly, upon spotting her reflection's snout and cheeks stained with tears.

"It's Celestia...She's acting the same way again."

"What do you mean?"

"She's acting like she did all those years ago when you found me...She said you were just using me to annex our Equestria...That's not true, is it?  Please...Please tell me it isn't true..."

Nightmare Moon's heart broke and her eyes filled with rage.

"Luna, I cannot guarantee the safety of you or your sister for what I am about to do ,and for that I apologize."

Luna's face lit up in fear as Nightmare Moon stepped effortlessly through the mirror, coming into life on the opposite side.

"Where is she?  Where is the 'high and mighty sun goddess'?" she spat angrily.