Shades of Twilight

Chapters

Shades of Twilight
Other Roles
Misunderstood
Enduring Friendships

Shades of Twilight

For Twilight, the ideal life would be an ordered, stable existence. She would rise in the morning (or late morning, should her study sessions take her far into the night), tend to her library, and go about her research as she saw fit. The days would stretch onward under the ever rising and setting sun of her mentor, and the unicorn would see the fruit of her dedication, knowledge, and hard work.

Yes, the life she had longed for was neat, every action and experience like a line in one of her books: meaningful, ordered, and ending as the next began.

That being so, life in Ponyville, learning about the magic of friendship, was nothing like her ideal. Issues and problems among her friends, be they from conflicting personality or mental disorder, were nearly a fact of life. Disasters of every sort seemed to, off and on, threatened the very existence of the little village. It was as though some sort of force attracted the strangest of circumstances, be they ponies, monsters, or Pinkie Pie. It made no sense. It shouldn't be enjoyable.

Twilight wouldn't have it any other way.

Still though, as much as she enjoyed being with her newfound friends, sometimes she needed to settle back into her old ways. Forsaking all others for a short time, and becoming immersed in the understanding of some new magic or phenomena. She did, by necessity most of the time, study friendship on a daily basis. Certainly the princess would not want her to devote everything to one field of study. All of magic was her special talent, after all.

So it was that Twilight found herself walking along a path at the outskirts of the Everfree Forest. The light of Luna's moon patterned itself through the foliage as the unicorn returned from a visit with Zecora the, often enigmatic, zebra who was brave enough to live in the shadow of the trees.

“Why does it always seem to take till midnight for Zecora to finish a potion?” Twilight mused aloud, a bit of annoyance showing through.

She couldn't be quite as ruffled as she wanted to be though. Except for the walk through the outer stretches of this particular forest at night, the timing was perfect. There was little chance of anypony chasing each other, or spontaneously throwing a party, or an imminent calamity to disturb her. That was, in fact, why she was going so slowly, at only a brisk trot. Despite herself (and if she were to admit it truthfully, because of her experiences), the forest had a way of latching onto her slight fear of the supernatural. Even though Twilight wanted to make a mad dash for home, or at least to the edge of the forest, the two full flasks of concentrated poison-joak in her saddle bags firmly clamped down on that idea. However scary the forest might be, she had no desire to repeat her experience under the surprisingly powerful, if mostly harmless, effects of the substance. Running through the forest would almost certainly break her cargo and douse her in an instant.

Twilight rounded another corner in the path, and instantly felt ill at ease. Perhaps it was the time of night, but she felt like the path before her was alien. The trees looked a little denser than they should, since Twilight was certain she was near to the edge of the forest. The soft, rolling fog on the ground seemed to intensify and thicken into a carpet that swirled around her hooves.

The skittishness she often experienced in the face of the unknown pressed against her natural curiosity, which desired above all else to understand what was going on. The result was a mental standstill. In an effort to make some decision, Twilight chanced to look behind her, only to find the result even less comforting. The way she had just walked now looked quite as foreign as the path ahead.

Her mind kicked into overdrive at this new situation.

“Think Twi, think. I've never read anything about the Everfree Forest shifting around traveling ponies. Somepony would have mentioned it if something like this had happened before...” Twilight mused silently.

“If I stay still, I should be fine. This transformation seemed to happen while I was walking, so if I am really... trapped...” She spoke the last work aloud, with a little shudder. “...then the best thing to do is keep myself together and think things through.”

The trees around the unicorn, if anything, were unimpressed my her deductions. By a trick of the moonlight, or by supernatural force, they seemed to loom closer over the path. In response, Twilight flattened back her ears and lowered her head, eyes darting back and forth with more than a little fear. She began to speak to herself, the sound of raw facts doing a little to calm her nerves.

“Well, Moonlit Mysteries would probably say this has something to do with the power of a full moon over an area well known for strange happenings, but that doesn't really quite fit. I'm sure Zecora would have noticed something by now. The Abbreviated Adventurer's Almanac, maybe? No, I think their advice for just about everything was 'hit it until it stops moving, then hit it some more'. Not quite useful right now... and it explains why I never read the full version...”

She spent several minutes muttering aloud, searching her mind for any stray bit of information that might help her out of this predicament.

“Timeless Tips for Everyday Tasks?” Twilight sighed even as she spoke. “I wouldn't exactly call this 'everyday', but the best it could tell me to do is keep on moving forward... Not exactly something I think I want to do.” The unicorn slid to a seated position, head still bowed. The glass in her saddle bag clinked softly in protest, though she payed it no mind. “I wish the others were here...”

A flash of realization hit Twilight in that instant. There was a time when something like this had occurred before. When she and her friends had braved this very forest to face Nightmare Moon, the path had twisted and billowing fog had obscured it in places. Even the trees had taken on the look of nightmarish creatures, at least until Pinkie Pie had banished the frightful visions with song.

It was a scary feeling, however unlikely, that perhaps Nightmare Moon had returned, ready to seek revenge. If indeed it had been her attempting to lead them astray before. A voice in the back of her mind spoke a worse truth: Perhaps this was the power of the forest itself. A place so alive with strange energy that it tested and played games with those that dare travel through it.

Twilight peered into the forming mist before her. It would make sense. There was much speculation by the magical community as to what could have created a place that disobeyed the natural order of Equestria so fully. Twilight's own experience at the castle of the Two Sisters, abandoned as though some calamity had occurred, seemed further proof that great magic was involved. It was easy to believe that magic on the level of the goddesses would not just shatter the boundaries of physical law, but also give the forest a will of it's own.

The unicorn frowned. If that was the case, then she was being tested, just as they had been before. The frown turned into a smirk. Twilight was good at taking tests, both on paper and in practice. The defeat of Nightmare Moon and the Ursa Minor both came as good examples. If the forest wanted to test her, then she would face it head on. As Rainbow Dash might say: Bring. It. On.

Now more confident, Twilight rose to four hooves again, ignoring the fog that was now beginning to reach mid-way up her legs. Without hesitation, and only the mildest hints of fear, she strode into the wall of vapor that had formed at her decision to move forward.

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After only a few minutes more, the path started to change again. The walls of fog seemed to further thicken, wrapping around the branches of the trees. The aura of gloom that had pervaded the forest ever since her entrance seemed to be lifted, her surroundings looking to all the world like the clouds Rainbow generally slept on. Light, fluffy, and a soft white.

A glow radiated all around, and could be felt, like a tingle in her horn. This was no longer just the moonlight above filtering through. The sky was totally obscured, forming the ceiling of a pristine corridor to... somewhere. Still Twilight pressed on. A hundred or so paces more, and the intensity had become painful. The unicorn, already squinting to ward off the glare, was forced to close her eyes as she took another step forward.

The difference was obvious, even though she could not see. Were once had been bright light, there was now darkness. Twilight blinked furiously at the sudden change, bringing up a fore-hoof up to rub her eyes. When finally she recovered, she took in another odd sight.

What now stood before her (where previously had only been the expanse of the corridor) was an octagonal room. The sides of the chamber were formed of the cloud-like material that she had become used to while walking, while the trunks of trees half pressed through the walls. Each was spaced evenly, giving the appearance of irregularly shaped pillars framing the area. The branches of each curled upwards, drawing the clouds with them, like the roof of a tent. Light filtered in from a point far above, leading to an ethereal scene.

Most captivating though was a dais, situated directly in the center of the room. Atop its several steps stood a tall mirror, radiant even in the glow that permeated the place. The object instantly drew in every fiber of Twilight's curiosity, seeming to play on her every desire: to learn magic, to know and understand, to be strong. The unicorn took a step forward, and then another, transfixed.

As Twilight drew closer, she began to make out the shape of the mirror, its glow slowly starting to dim. It was high and rectangular, with edges framed in gold. Despite lacking any support, it stood perfectly balanced before her. It would be no small wonder how it was so, were it not for the magic that poured from the mirror in waves. The mare continued forward, shivering slightly as the power washed over her.

Another step revealed more. The surface of the mirror was a spiderweb, shattered from the center so that cracks radiated outward haphazardly. Some shards clung to the backing, others had fallen away, littering the dais and leaving behind black holes in the mirror. Twilight had a flare of indignation. Who would dare damage something so obviously valuable? So important? This mirror had secrets, she could feel it! All it wanted was for somepony to unlock them.

Before she could take another step, a small tug echoed at the back of her mind. It countered the pull of the mirror, begged her to consider why she was so fascinated with it in an instant. She recognized it as the part of her that often sounded like her friends, that tiny part that would always hold on to their wisdom. It was sobering. She felt, in every fiber, that if she stepped too close, she would never return. And some part of her didn't care. The other part grew a little stronger in recognition, showing her images of her friends and what she had experienced with them. Hadn't she learned that magic was in friendship? Could she really give that up so easily?

Twilight blinked. The mirror looked duller for some reason. The cracks more jagged and sinister. The black backing no longer stopped the light, but seemed to reach further inwards, like looking into the night sky. Pinpoints could be seen radiating from these new depths like stars. Shards of glass caught the light and glittered dangerously.

With a great effort, Twilight pulled her gaze away from the mirror and turned back the way she had come. A great cheer went up from her friends in the back of her mind, and surged forward, bringing a smile to her face. She took a single hoof-step, feeling the tug at her very being intensify, then be beaten back.

As her step landed, another sound rang out. A splintering came from the direction of the mirror, as though another crack had formed. With each step, it happened again and again, growing faster as she drew away.

The the room darkened, its walls became gray, like a storm as it begins. The very air took on a sort of malevolence as bliss gave way to nightmare. The light sound of clinking glass rose as Twilight broke into a run.

In a flash, the walls turned black, the branches overhead turned into grasping claws. The mare gasped as she stayed stuck in places, the cloying blackness that she was running on pulling her steadily towards the chamber. A quick glance backward made her run faster, breath coming in ragged draws. The terrible sight was a horizontal vortex of glass shards, glittering with their own inner light, playing a haunting melody as they clattered against each other.

The unicorn continued to run for her life, until a painful stitch in her side became too much, causing her to stumble. Twilight had no breath left to scream as she was pulled through the center of the storm of glass. She emerged, unharmed, only to pass through the frame of the mirror, wide eyes disappearing into the darkness. The glass instantly clattered to the floor, then was pulled back into place on the mirror without a sound.

If anypony were there to see it, the room and everything Twilight had seen would start to vanish, burned away under the light of dawn. Nothing remained save for the path that lead through the Everfree Forest.

Other Roles

Twilight awoke with a start.

'What a dream.' Was her first thought, followed closely by: 'Why is my bed so stiff?'

Still slightly groggy, she blinked, taking in the decidedly un-bedroom like scene around her. She lay at the base of a tree, that seemed to not be all that far from Ponyville. Her saddlebags, unharmed, sat nearby. A carpet of green grass stretched away from her. It was picturesque, really. The real problem was that it seemed to be nearly noon.

“Did I fall asleep on the way back? Spike might be worried about me.”

She jumped to her feet, and regretted it almost instantly. She had aches and pains everywhere, confirming that she had, in fact, slept on the ground. After wincing for only a moment, she grabbed her bags and took off on the path into town.

The unicorn crested a hill, and was relived to see that Ponyville was not on fire, being devoured, or sucked into an evil mirror. Then again, it was only noon. She was much less happy to see a familiar cart parked on one side of town. Dealing with an egotistic show-mare was the last thing she needed today. Twilight gave it a wide berth, making her way towards the main road on the opposite side of the village.

It was a strange experience as she trotted down the street. Many of the ponies nearby looked at her curiously, while others seemed to be making it a point to ignore her. Twilight, of course, failed to notice any of it, pressing on towards the library.

She breathed a sigh when she arrived. Everything seemed fine. It was still closed, so she supposed Spike must still be asleep, possibly taking advantage of her absence. She didn't like to think ill of her friend, but he did have a tendency to oversleep.

As she entered, she found the door unlocked. This might have been a more pressing concern, were it not for the state she found her shelves in. Books and papers lay everywhere around the room, forming huge piles, making navigation difficult.

Stumbling over the debris to reach a safe clearing, Twilight looked on and rolled her eyes. How had anyone managed to do this in one night? And where was Spike?

She put it out of mind with a calm smile. She had been meaning to reorganize, and this might give her a chance to find some books on dream interpretation. What fragments she could snatch from the night before were not exactly comforting.

The unicorn set to digging into the nearest pile, inspecting then levitating them to their proper place. She sighed. This might take a while..

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Twilight was nearly finished with the first of her shelves when something new made itself known.

“Who's down there?”

The unicorn jumped at the unfamiliar voice from above. Who would be on the upper floor, in her home, without her permission?

A pony appeared at the balcony, a book levitating before them in the distinct glow of magic.

“If you didn't see the sign, the library is closed right now.” The speaker was definitely familiar to Twilight, clearly a mare, with a slightly sarcastic tone. “I suppose I can take some time from my research to...”

The speaker trailed off as she lowered the book to get a better view of her visitor. The mare up above looked down, eyes widening for the briefest of moments, mirroring Twilight's below, before shifting into a thinly veiled mask of annoyance.

“Oh, it's you.” Came the delayed response.

There was a silence as the mare descended the stairs, during which Twilight looked over the intruder in her home. She was definitely recognizable, if not welcome. The powder blue coat and pale mane could only belong to one pony. Her cutie mark, a wand with a curve of magical energy trailing from it, only confirmed it further.

The Great and Powerful Trixie alighted from the stairs with a strange air that it took Twilight a moment to identify. Humility. It was something she would never associate with the unicorn. The mare stepped over piles of books and scrolls, entering the clearing where Twilight stood. An obviously false smile curved over her snout.

“But where are my manners? To what do I own the honor of a visit from the Wise and Powerful Twilight?”

The purple unicorn barely noticed the comment. Her thoughts were still focused on the puzzle before her. Why was Trixie, of all ponies, here? In her workplace, her home? She certainly appeared to have turned the library upside down. The piles of books, that had been so neatly shelved the day before, attested to that. Could she have done the same thing upstairs?

Trixie, looking on, took the silence as an insult.

“So you want to waste my time? It's not enough for you to humiliate me in front of the entire town, is it? That you proved how much stronger you were than me?”

Twilight stayed lost in thought, looking puzzled as she tried to make sense of the situation. Trixie's smile gave way to a smirk.

“Well, if you want to listen, fine. I've got a few things I'd like to say...”

The blue mare launched into a triad of comments, thick and vengeful. When the first several made no sense, and more of them were downright incorrect, Twilight started to tune them out. Thought they pressed on the unicorn's thoughts like an annoying buzz, her selective hearing was well trained from much time spent around Pinkie Pie.

She had not, however, bargained that Trixie would continue for ten minutes straight. Pinkie would probably have gotten distracted by something: a new pony, food, or a world destroying (though undiscovered and incomprehensible) set of physical laws. Something like that. Here though, the continuous background noise made it hard to think, and it wasn't going to go away anytime soon. So Twilight boiled her investigation down to a single question.

“Trixie...” Twilight tried to cut across the torrent, with little success.

The unicorn tried again:

“Trixie! What are you doing in my house?”

Trixie instantly stopped talking, her jaw a little slack. An angry red touched her cheeks.

“Your... your house? Have you been listen to a word I've been saying?” She fell silent, waiting for an answer. None came.

“I see. It's not enough for you to show me up, now you want my job too? Tears were forming in the unicorn's eyes.

“It's bad enough that you trot into town and declare yourself wisest pony in all of Equestria. You claimed to be able to defeat an Ursa Major.”

“Then, because of your boasting I might add, an Ursa appears. A minor one, but still. It fell to me to defend the town, but I failed. And who picks up the pieces? Only Twilight, with some of the most powerful raw magic I've ever seen! Half the town loves you, and you started the whole mess!”

Twilight stood still, dumbfounded at the incredible amount of emotion pouring from Trixie.

“And where does that leave me?” Trixie was crying now. “Me, the favorite student of Princess Celestia, trained personally in magic for years! How do you think it feels, being shown up at everything you thought you were good at?”

The blue mare was breathing hard, hot tears streaming from her eyes. Her whole body was tense, like she might tackle Twilight at any moment. Then she went slack and slid to her haunches, her voice rivaling Fluttershy's in quietness.

“You've taken my dignity and my respect, and you want my job. What's next? Do you want my friends too?”

“I... Waa...?” Was the most intelligent comment Twilight could make.

“I'm not a foal. I know why Celestia sent me here to Ponyville. I was arrogant and needed friends to help me see that.” Trixie seemed to have forgotten Twilight was in the room.

“It's just my luck that the one pony who could help me in that regard, was worse than I could ever hope to be.”

Twilight finally caught up to her words.

“Trixie, what in all of Equestria are you talking about?”

The blue unicorn's eyes snapped back up, slightly bloodshot. Her mouth worked soundlessly, trying to form a response through her anger. Something (probably offensive) came to her, but she seemed to change it at the last moment.

“Get. Out.”

When Twilight made no moves, other than to open her mouth, the blue mare saw fit to force her. Leaping up, Trixie started to bodily shove the purple unicorn towards the door. Books and scrolls scattered every which way in their wake, some taking to air and forming a storm of paper. All was accompanied by Trixie's rising words:

“Out... Out... Out!”

A few moments later, the purple mare was deposited on the front step, debris swirling behind her. The door nearly closed, then opened enough for a blue hoof to snatch the offending papers. That done, the library door slammed with enough force to rattle the windows on the surrounding buildings.

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Twilight stayed still for several moments, facing away from the library in confusion. Half of her wanted to turn and break down the door in an effort to find some answers. The other, more logical, portion wanted her to slowly take stock. Both agreed something very strange had happened here in Ponyville.

Mental gears that had been slipping throughout her previous conversation were slowly locking back together. The conclusion they seemed to be grinding towards felt improbable. To somepony less read and experienced in the nature and ways of magic, perhaps impossible.

The purple mare might have been content to remain seated on that step, oblivious to some rather curious passersby, if not for a familiar voice.

“Twilight! There you are!”

Pulled instantly from her thoughts, the unicorn looked up. Running down the street, as fast as his little legs could take him, was a pleasantly familiar sight. Spike, her faithful dragon assistant, seemed to be acting normally enough.

He quickly reached her and stood, catching his breath. Twilight smiled softly down at the little dragon.

“Twilight. Where have you been? I was looking everywhere for you.” Spike asked, head bowed, panting. When he finally looked up, the little dragon went abruptly stiff.

“Uh... What's with that look? Did I do something wrong?” He paused for a moment, during which Twilight once again descended into confusion. Her assistant's eyes darted back and forth before they dawned with realization.

“Oh! Uh... I mean, The Wise and Powerful Twilight...” He trailed off into a weak chuckle, running a claw against his spines.

“I suppose what you do in your spare time isn't any business of mine. But we're gonna be late if we don't get back to the wagon! Come on!” Without another word, Spike turned back the way he had come.

Twilight blinked in puzzlement, but got up and trotted after the retreating dragon before he got out of sight. She might as well see if she could get any confirmation of her predicament, given that she wasn't getting back into the library anytime soon. And besides, ponies were gathering to see what all the commotion was about. It could only lead to awkward questions being asked.

By the time she was near to him again, Spike seemed to have taken up muttering under his breath, his pace slowing slightly. If she strained her ears, she could hear snatches of what he was saying: “preparations”, “audience” and (somewhat incongruously) “hoof-polish” among them. The dragon barely seemed to acknowledge her presence, seemingly deliberately. In fact, after his initial greeting, he had seemed far more distant than she had ever seen him.

She took the walk as a chance to give Spike a once over. The baby dragon looked much as he had the last time they were together, when he was asleep in the library. There were, however, some differences that only she might be able to see. Long days tending to her faithful assistant gave her a unique insight into his personality and mannerisms, which seemed... a bit off. His scales seemed a bit less shiny, even the purple and green a touch more muted than she was used to. Twilight caught a glimpse of his claws, some of which had small chips in them, as though they hadn't been properly cared for.

The joy that had covered her deductions in the wake of seeing Spike was fading. In its place, the same improbable notions were returning. So absorbed in their own thoughts, both kept moving in relative silence. As time wore on, Twilight's mind settled on the only solution, however fantastical it might be. As the pair rounded a corner, she opened her mouth to ask Spike a few questions. It was to her surprise then, that she was the interrupted by her own voice.

“Spike! Twilight is ready to begin the performance, her audience his here. Where have you...” The speaker trailed off quickly.

Despite her own conclusions, Twilight couldn't help but stare. The scene before her was eerily familiar: A wagon transformed into a stage, with a crowd of ponies arranged before it. The only thing out of place being the carbon copy of herself standing above them all.

The other mare was frozen in a strikingly similar pose, staring slightly open mouthed at Twilight. She wore a familiar wide brimmed hat and matching cape, both blue and covered in stars. The only oddity being that the clasp was a crystal gem with six points. Ignoring that, and the fact that her mane and coat were a bit more sun bleached, the two were twins. Spike, for his part, shared a deep look of confusion with the audience around them.

The Twilight on stage recovered first, snapping her mouth closed, looking around covertly. Satisfied that her lack of control over the situation had gone unnoticed, she proceeded to do what entertainers do best: Use the situation to their advantage.

“What have we here? My dear, you may look like Twilight, but there is much more too it than that.” She called attention back to herself, her expression smug.

“The Wise and Powerful Twilight wonders if you, my little doppleganger, have even the tiniest hint of Twilight's power. Do you have anything to say for yourself?”

The hatless unicorn started to say “You don't understand.” but barely got out the first syllable. The mare on stage cut her off ruthlessly.

“I thought not. But your motive is obvious.”

The Twilight on the ground arched an eyebrow. She was surprised when the silence stretched on, and chanced an answer.

“And I suppose you're going to tell me?”

“Of course! How could one not wish to emulate perfection?”

Twilight rolled her eyes, and heard a snort from the direction of Spike. She stole a glance and saw the dragon stifling a laugh with a claw. She smiled. The not-Twilight failed to notice, in what the grounded mare could only assume was normal fashion. The show-mare's voice dropped to a low tone as she continued.

“Be that a it may, we can not have anypony trying to take our place.”

Her voice rose again as she turned her head back to the crowd.

“Everypony! This impostor of a mare wants to take the Wise and Powerful Twilight's place! Hem her in, so that we may take her to the proper authorities!”

While much of the audience remained dubious, at least a few took her seriously. Some ponies stepped forward to help. The result was perfect proof of mob mentality. Twilight found herself surrounded on all sides by well meaning citizens of Ponyville.

“No! Please, you have to listen to me!” She said, shrinking back as they pressed closer.

The mare, crouched low, spotted Spike among the surrounding ponies. He was trying desperately to avoid being stepped on, as the number of hooves around him swelled. Their eyes met, and Twilight was certain Spike seemed very torn. For a moment, she wondered just how her alternate treated him, if a single, heartfelt smile was enough to win the dragon over.

Then Spike vanished into the sea of legs, leaving her alone once again. She pressed her ears back, her body nearly level with the ground, fighting a rising feeling of panic. If she was right, explaining her situation would be difficult, if not impossible, so being captured was not an option. Besides, she wasn't sure if she had a limited amount of time to figure things out. No, best to flee. On the other hoof, these ponies were only misguided, and regardless of where she was, still her neighbors. She couldn't simply start throwing magic around.

“What do I do? What do I do?” The mental chant was going at lightspeed through Twilight's mind, her eyes closed.

The simple answer her mind turned up made her blush in embarrassment. She was over complicating things again, when a simple teleportation spell would see her away. Though she might need to go a bit further than she was used to.

A plan now forming, Twilight rose, her horn glowing slightly. The ponies gathered around moved back a little in surprise, bracing themselves for whatever magic might come from a cornered unicorn. As they looked on, the purples mare concentrated and, with a quick pop, vanished from sight completely. The crowd looked around in confusion, barely noticing another pop from behind them.

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Twilight reappeared at the top of a hill some distance away, stumbling slightly, her saddlebags shifting dangerously. Teleportation could be magically taxing, but could also have a strong effect on coordination when used over long distances. She shook her mane. At the least she had bought some time to hide and figure things out. As soon as the thought crossed her mind, a familiar magical buildup around her signaled another teleporter.

Sure enough, her alternate appeared, a smug look on her her snout. This was offset by the fact that she was facing directly to Twilight's right. The mare's cheeks burned briefly red before she corrected herself.

'Well, it would seem you do know some of Twilight's tricks.”

When Twilight only looked back with a blank expression, the doppleganger continued:

“You are an interesting pony, miss marepostor, but the Wise and Powerful Twilight must take you in now. She has a reputation to protect, after all.”

The hatted mare's horn glowed, but Twilight could only match her opposite's smirk. She had expected this. Given what she knew of herself, any spell she cast would be easily countered. At best, they might fight to a standstill. At worst, some other pony might arrive and get caught in the crossfire.

Fortunately for her then, she also knew Pinkie Pie. If the pink party pony had shown her anything, it was how to be unexpected. And if this Twilight had never know Pinkie, as seemed to be the case, a crazy plan might be just the thing.

The other unicorn tensed, horn aglow, ready for another chance to prove her mystical superiority. Her smirk dropped as Twilight unexpectedly gripped her saddlebag in her mouth and flung it sidelong. It was all the be-hatted mare could do to turn before she was struck upside the flank, her look now a mix of shock and puzzlement.

Then the bottles inside broke.

The concentrated joak soaked her coat through the bag. Meanwhile, a cloud of the humorous substance formed, blocking her from view. The air smelled strangely of seltzer water and cream pies to Twilight. It was unexpectedly pleasant... Or at least it would have been, were she not galloping away from Ponyville as fast as she could.

The other Twilight stumbled, coughing, from the cloud. Between deep breaths, she looked around, hoping no pony had seen her defeat. Seeing nothing, she calmed a fraction.

“Ooo, that filly! Who does she think she is?”

It was only a moment later she realized her magic was no longer responding. The mare crossed her eyes, only to see her horn limp, covered with blue spots. Her eyes shrunk to pin-pricks.

Dash might have been hard pressed to keep up with the unicorn as she broke for her wagon. And more importantly, a mirror.

The resultant scream of intermingled annoyance and horror reached even to where Twilight was hiding at the edge of town.

Misunderstood

Twilight sat on her haunches in a bush, doing her best to remain inconspicuous. At some point in her wild run, twigs and leaves had embedded themselves in her mane and tail, mussing them, which she was attempting to remove with little success. At least it seemed her pursuit, if they had indeed followed her, had given up.

She had her doubts on that point, considering how her duplicate had manipulated the crowd. If she was as like Trixie as she seemed to be, the mob probably fell apart without her to lead it. This did bring to mind why Twilight was still sitting in a dank bush, of course.

Despite not feeling followed, Twilight didn't want to be spotted while she sat and thought. Without the refuge of her library, this just happened to be the closest, next best thing. As crazy as that might sound to anyponies mind but her own.

At the moment however, crazy, odd, whatever you might call it, seemed to be the normal thing for Twilight. Her deductions had been confirmed in what might be the most spectacular way possible, which only lead to a larger question: What was she going to do next? Now given a few moments to calm down, the unicorn's wonderful brain started to sort things through.

Wherever she was, the key difference seemed to be that herself and Trixie had traded places somehow, early in life. Trixie had apparently become Celestia's student somehow. There were a thousand possibilities as to how that could have happened. It also appeared that her counterpart here had taken up the same path the Trixie from Twilight's home had. There were another thousand reasons for that one, and several more major hitches, given that the other Twilight still had custody of Spike here.

The only conclusion that she could come to was that this was another world. However, all the books she'd read had only ever speculated that worlds, universes besides their own might exist. The implications of seeing such proof first hoof were at once exciting and terrifying.

Twilight had to halt her thoughts, despite her curiosity. It wasn't going to get her anywhere dwelling on the might-have-beens of this world, when she had established the only fact that mattered. That this world was very close to her own, meant that attempting an audience with the Princesses might take forever. (It gave her pause to think that she didn't have the Princess's ear.) Twilight wasn't sure how much time she had. And honestly, it wasn't her place to impact this world anyway. No, better to concentrate on getting back home by herself.

This in mind, she set to mentally retracing her steps. Despite being only from the morning, her memory felt fragmented. Stress had a way of doing that. Nothing jumped out at her until she got back to waking up. The mare had remembered something then, like part of a dream. The more she poked at it, the more artificial that memory felt, like she had been forced to remember something else. With that realization, it came back to her in a flash. Not a dream, a nightmare. About a sinister mirror in the Everfree Forest.

But it had been real, she was now sure of that. It baffled the mare that she could forget the experience, now that she had remembered it. It was unsettling, in a way. Whatever the mirror was, it was certainly magically powerful enough to nearly cause her to forget about it entirely. But it was also her best chance to find some answers.

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The Everfree Forest was no less foreboding than when she had entered it the day before. More so even, with the revelation that there was something new and sinister at work in the woods. Fighting a rising urge to go back the way she came, Twilight forced her way deeper down the path.

Once she had gone as far as she dared, the unicorn stopped and took a calming breath. As silence began to build in the still air, Twilight closed her eyes and focused. Her horn began to cast a soft lavender glow into the deepening gloom.

Detecting the casting of a spell was a simple task. It didn't even require a spell of it's own. Instead, the magic in the air produced a tingle at the fore of the mind, the base of the horn, proportionate to the power and proximity of the spell. Finding a particular magical signature, like that of a unicorn, on the other hoof, was much more difficult. It required a rather complex spell, and considerable concentration to use over large areas. In a place like Equestria, there were many possible magical signatures to sift through. Put simply, the more power put in, the greater the results, for better or worse..

Given her predisposition to magic, Twilight had rarely ever had any problems finding what she needed. Given the size of the forest and lack of even a general direction to search, Twilight put a considerable amount of power into the finding spell. With a strain of effort, she lowered her head, letting a flickering glow of magic form over her horn.

With a breath, Twilight released the spell, sending magical energy outward in a semi-visible dome all around her. She didn't have to wait long for results. Some of them, anyway. Behind her, she could feel the flicker of a contact with magical sources back in Ponyville. She tuned them out even as they came to mind. What she found curious was that she was unable to feel much from further inside the forest. Certainly the Everfree defied modern magic, but she had been able to sense things before, this far from the forest center!

Then something hit her, almost literally. A few snatches of a something hidden, but no direction. Just a sense that it was... there, she supposed. It felt like a static was preventing her from feeling anything rebounding her magic back to her from the wrong directions. What was worse, it stung on the return. Whatever was doing this, it made her head ache.

All the same, Twilight had felt something. Not just the static, but she was sure that a little more power would give her some grip in this slippery signature. Again she cast the spell, this time with even more power. A double overglow formed on her horn. The pulse was translucent this time, but well visible. It swept away, and in lesser time, responded again, The feeling of static was more intense, the direction a little clearer, but the pain also doubled in intensity. The sheer force of the returning magic pushed her back a foot, digging furrows into the ground in front of her hooves. Twilight stepped forward again, shaking her head to clear the feeling of pins and needles at the base of her horn. She almost had it! Just a second more would give her a good location.

No pony could say that Twilight was reckless, but she could be... enthusiastic. At least when it came to magic. The possibility of a problem that was so tantalizingly close, so solvable, pushed at her curiosity in all the best and worst ways. What could do this, she wondered. She had to see for herself.

The unicorn closed her eyes in concentration. Another double glow, and a wave of a spell pushed forth, channeled only in the direction of the forest. No sense in wasting the energy where it wasn't needed, she reasoned. The spell was very nearly opaque, passing over and through the trees until she felt it hit a barrier. Unlike the previous times, nothing was slipping through, she could discern nothing of what she had felt before. It was as though her magic had hit a wall, and was struggling to break through it.

Generally frustration breaks concentration, and thus it is a poor emotion to use in spell casting. Here, however, the spell was so focused that the emotion merely gave Twilight more drive to complete it. She was the Element of Magic, after all. Something magical shouldn't be able to best her, right? Twilight opened her eyes, and a flicker of white light shone from them, trying to break through whatever it was that was stopping her.

With a crack like thunder, the two forces of energy broke apart with a dazzling light. Before Twilight could even prepare herself, she was blown off of her hooves by her own magic. Twilight was hurled backwards, as though a buffalo had slammed into her. She didn't have far to go. A dead tree at the edge of the path blocked her passage with a sickening thud.

The impact knocked the breath from the unicorn. Her magic faded more slowly than normal, leaving her with a dull ache. There was barely time to understand that she had hit something before Twilight flopped to the base of the tree.

She blinked slowly, trying to get her bearings, even as dry twigs and dead leaves rained down on top of her. As it was she was far too shaken to care. Twilight lay there for a long while, drawing in deep breaths to right herself, before she attempted to move again. Her mind though, was working at top speed.

She was curious as to what had just happened. The unicorn had never encountered something like this: so powerful, but so... she supposed the word was tame. It had barely responded to a cursory inspection (other than a slight headache, but Twilight felt that was par for the course with intensely powerful magic), but had responded so forcefully to a more directed investigation. It felt more natural, in a way, more in tune with the forest and the world, rather than an intense source like Princess Celestia or the Elements of Harmony.

At least she knew without a doubt that this was what she was looking for. Now all she had to do was find a way to deal with an intense magical phenomena if she wanted to get home. More preferably, a way around it. That made it easier to grasp in a way. Here she had concrete proof of something, she could take what she learned and study it.

Of course, that meant go to her-- rather, getting in-- the library to do some research. Twilight grimaced. This wasn't going to be as easy as she had first thought.

By the time she had once again pulled her roaming thoughts into line, the pain in her body had subsided to only a dull ache. She had a new plan. A tenuous one to sure, but a plan gave her a direction. And besides, it appealed to the scientist inside her to discover something so wholly outside her realm of experience. Twilight pulled herself to her hooves, wobbling slightly, wincing at new little pains that seemed to appear.

Despite wanting to take a long nap, Twilight forced herself to limp slowly out of the forest. She did not want to pass out anywhere inside its limits. After some sleep, this would all probably seem easier. Hopefully. All she had to do was convince her friends, who currently had no knowledge of her and probably downright disliked her double, that they should help her. Nothing simpler. Then research an unknown magical force, without raising any suspicion, which she would have to get passed to get home. Easy.

Had the others been there, it might have formed a sarcastic conversation. Complete with sage advice in guise of common wisdom and probably a spontaneous argument besides. As it was, all the unicorn managed was a weak chuckle as she struggled to safety.

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Evening found Twilight collapsed in her makeshift hideout, sleeping off the effects of the day. The unicorn rolled over, which would be reasonable on a bed, but here earned the mare a jab in the ribs with a stick. She bolted upright and, for the second time that day, regretted the action.

She made a face as she sat down again, slightly dizzy, and tried to take stock.

Twilight felt sore in a few places she could barely name from half remembered anatomy texts. Otherwise, she felt she was in remarkably good condition for having slammed into a tree with considerable force earlier in the day. Now that her mind was slowly clearing, she returned to the last plan that was running through her mind before she fell asleep: Find a way into the library to do some research. To do that, Twilight knew she would have to talk to her friends. Or Trixie's friends. However that worked out, relationship-wise, given the current state of her travels.

Even after some sleep and recovering her senses, that plan still seemed workable. The real question she had to answer was: “Who would she ask?” It presented a real problem. Certainly with whatever background she could glean from Trixie's diatribe and the actions of her double, the other Elements of Harmony probably wouldn't give her a warm welcome. She would have to take in all the facts and see which pony was the best to approach.

Rainbow Dash was out of consideration almost instantly. Celestia bless the mare, she was loyal, but that was the very thing that would make it difficult to talk to her. She would likely not listen to a word Twilight said, but rather try to pick a fight to regain some of her pride. When she didn't want to listen, there was no real way to get through to her. Besides, who knew where Dash was, and if she was napping on a cloud or at her home, it would be impossible to reach her anyway. Worse, trying to find her might even attract more attention, which was something she really didn't need.

Rarity quickly followed on the 'do not approach' list. While she was reasonable, she had probably been humiliated by Twilight's double. If anything, the white unicorn was a bit prideful, so there was little chance of her not shutting the door in Twilight's face. If there was some other pony to vouch for her, it might be different, but that was the point of the whole plan, anyway. Further, Rarity was the most likely to call down some from of law enforcement if she persisted. Something Twilight would most certainly have to do to get anywhere with the mare. There wasn't much call for police in Equestria, with nearly non-existent crime, but she still couldn't afford to be detained.

Pinkie would certainly hold no grudges (it simply wasn't in her nature), so she would be easy to talk to and explain the situation. The only problem was her inherent... Pinkie-ness. Given what Trixie already thought of the unicorn, Pinkie's crazy manner would probably do more harm than good. She could imagine that conversation: “Hey Trix! This is a Twi! She looks just like that big meanie Twilight, but she's really nice! She wants to get into the library and look at stuff! So, can we? Can we huh?” Trixie would probably assume Pinkie was crazy, or that it was part of an elaborate prank. Which, to be fair, was not exactly unlikely where the pink party pony was concerned.

That left Twilight with both Fluttershy and Applejack as friends to convince. She had her doubts about Fluttershy, having only been able to get into her confidence through Spike's (though unwitting) help the first time. Still, it was better to try than not, since the timid pegasus wouldn't risk making a scene. Applejack, on the other hoof, she had a good feeling about. The farmyard mare had a sense of honor and country wisdom she could appeal to. At the same time, she would probably be willing to hear the unicorn out before passing judgment, if she pleaded her case well. Of course, she was ultimately loyal to her friends in a fierce way and stubborn sometimes, but Twilight had little to lose in asking.

Her plan now solidified, Twilight rose from her protective hedge. With a quick glance around for any observant ponies, she slipped out and into the dimming evening. It was almost dusk, the stars would be out sooner than later. The mere thought made her wish to be curled up next to her telescope at home. Or really, doing anything to take her mind off this situation she found herself in. With a sigh, the mare turned to the edge of town, angling towards a certain yellow pony's cottage.

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The journey was quick, given that being on the outskirts of town let Twilight move a little more freely without risking prying eyes. The unicorn emerged from the woods onto the path that lead to her friend's house, and took it in for the first time.

Unsurprisingly, it seemed much the same as she remembered it. There might have been a few more homes for small critters on one side, less birdhouses on the other, but really, nothing far out of place. If Twilight gave it more thought, she might realize that most of the structures in Ponyville tended to have a few little inconsistencies upon repeated viewings. It would be fascinating, had she thought of it, rather than being focused on her destination.

Twilight trotted up the path, noting the absence of any animals outside. Fluttershy had probably already seen them to sleep, which meant she was home, relaxing. At the door, the unicorn gave a sharp knock and a brief call of her friend's name.

“Fluttershy?”

The response was instant. A delicate crash was heard from inside. It baffled Twilight as to how the pegasus managed to do that. Knocking something over was most often noisy, but she managed to dampen the effect somehow. The unicorn made a mental note to discover the correlation between timidness and physical laws later. After further thought, she added a similar note for essentially everything her friends did. There had to be some magic behind it all. Maybe.

She was shaken from her reflections by a little sound to her left. Turning quickly, she caught the briefest flash of yellow and pink in the window, followed by a small 'eep'. Twilight was about to say something more, when a little voice from the inside spoke up.

“Umm... I can't talk right now... I'm... I'm...” The pegasus' voice dropped lower as her confidence faltered.

“I know how it looks, but I really need to talk with you.”

“I'm sorry... but can you please go away?” Was the only answer.

“Fluttershy, please, I just want to talk to you, I want to explain!”

Twilight fell into silence, searching her memory for something, anything, that would at least let her talk to the timid pony. There had to be a way to get Fluttershy to talk to her face to face. So engrossed was she in her thoughts, she missed the subtle sound sound of the pegasi's voice inside.

“...explain...” The unicorn barely caught the tail end of the statement.

“...Explain?” Fluttershy's voice seemed to get closer still. Twilight perked her ears, staring at the door.

“Explain!?” The door flew open with such force that it rattled the small structure. Twilight wanted to bolt, but realized the peril of talking to Fluttershy face to face. It also meant eye to eye. And in this case, her infamous 'Stare' was in full force, rooting her to the spot. The unicorn could only listen as she was tossed around like the proverbial pegasus in a verbal storm.

“Explain? What do you want to tell me? How you humiliated my friend? How you broke her confidence? Made her scared to even talk to us? You've done enough!”

Twilight could see, out of the corner of her eye, a variety of animals clustered behind the yellow pony. They seemed agitated, responding to their caretaker's emotions. In particular, one pure white bunny was stomping his foot menacingly, with a cross expression on his face.

“You're upsetting my animals, and I just don't want to hear anything you have to say. Please, just go back to where ever you came from, and leave us all alone...” The force of her words and intensity of her gaze slowly slipped into what Twilight recognized as Fluttershy. As she finished speaking, the unicorn chanced to speak. Before she could, the pegasus noticed and the full force of her stare returned.

“No. I don't want to hear it, Miss Twilight. Please leave as soon as you can.” She pulled the door closed with another, softer bang.

Twilight sat in silence on the door step. She had been right, Fluttershy wasn't going to listen to her anytime soon, and time was what she needed most. But what had her double done that had such a profound effect on the pegasus? It must have been rather horrible in order to get the normally shy pony to confront her like she just had.

Fluttershy's soft voice broke into her musings: “...Um, if you don't mind, I mean...”

Those few words brought a smile to her face that would surely confuse the look-alike of her friend on the other side of the door. It was good to know that her friend was still in there. The same sweet, baby-dragon loving pegasus, even if she didn't care for her as a friend. It brought a sense of normalcy to what was otherwise a maddening day.

Fighting the urge to laugh at her predicament (she was sure that it wouldn't help the situation to frighten Fluttershy),the unicorn got to her hooves and turned away from the quaint cottage. Despite her expectations, she still felt profoundly sad that one of her friends (or at least a pony that looked so much like them) would not let Twilight even make a case to her. After walking a short way, she ducked back into the trees, taking a shorter path towards the orchards of Sweet Apple Acres.

Passing the unvarnished truth before AJ might be her last option. The mare valued the truth; after all, she was the Element of Honesty. And while Twilight had never been able to get any conclusive proof, her time with the bearer of that particular gift made her believe that it gave Applejack some insight into the truth in others. The farmpony's ever-present country wisdom and knack for seeing through everypony testified to that. At least that was her last, best hope as she walked on.

Author's Note

Hi everypony! This story isn't going to be exactly as it appears forever... I love alternate worlds, so this is going to encompass a lot more than just this one place (though you never know about revisiting a favorite... *grin*). Anyway, I'm glad people like the Trixie/Twilight swap going on here. Honestly, I've never heard of the Lunaverse... maybe I'm not up on my fanfic. I just write what I want to.

Anyway, I hope it was a good read and, if you like, please leave a comment/review. I like hearing from ponies.

Enduring Friendships

Twilight shifted aside a last few branches, very happy to find a break in the underbrush. She emerged just at the edge of the Sweet Apple Acres, the tree tops outlined in the glow of the setting sun. She almost felt normal, standing here watching her mentor's hoof-work, if it were not for the leaves and twigs clutching to her mane from travel through the forest.

If she had calculated it correctly, given the time of year (and knowledge of one of her best friend's habits) Applejack should still be finishing up tending to some older trees here at the far end of the property. It served Twilight well, because she knew Applejack often did this work alone so, with luck, the unicorn would be able to avoid any other members of the Apple family. Her story was tenuous enough to explain to one pony, much less three or four. With a sigh, Twilight trotted into the apple fields themselves, listening for her farming friend.

She had not gone far when a familiar sound of hooves on wood reached her. Following the familiar sound of somepony bucking trees, she stuck to the long shadows of the lowering sun. Best to see who was out here, rather than run headlong into Big Mac, or some farm hand.

Her fears were unfounded, though, when she peered out from hiding to see Applejack bucking at what looked to be a sickly tree. With each connecting hit, dead branches fell down, collecting into a sizable pile of semi-rotten wood all around. Twilight watched the other mare turn and give the tree a calculated glance, before rearing back for another full force kick. With a loud crack, something in the tree gave way, causing both ponies to jump back a foot. There was a loud thump, and a cloud of dust kicked up that the unicorn couldn't see through.

As the air cleared, she could make out the shape of Applejack running a hoof over her forehead, breathing heavily. Directly next to her was a huge branch that had just fallen, jagged edges clearly showing where it had broken free from the trunk.

“A'm sorry Ah had ta do that Auburn, but that's no reason ta go and throw a branch at me!” The mare said in a playful tone.

Twilight smiled. Here was more proof that her friends were still... themselves. Applejack was one of the few ponies she knew that could brush off nearly being crushed by a branch. It was all just part of the days work for her. She knew that AJ would at least talk to her, and just might believe her story.

Mustering all of her courage, Twilight stepped out of the shadows.

“Um, Applejack?”

The other mare jumped a foot in the air. In hindsight, it might have been a better idea not to sneak up on a pony, alone out in the middle of the fields.

“Who in tarnation was that?” Applejack replied shakily, turning to face her direction, a weary smile on her face.

When Twilight fully exited the shadows, her face fell considerably. It turned into a wary gaze that had her glancing left and right, as though looking for traps.

“Oh, it's you.” Her words dripped with distaste. “Why are y'all here?”

Twilight flinched. “I'm sure I deserve that Applejack. Well, not exactly me, but I'm a close enough … As far as I've heard, the other me did some terrible things to you girls. But I'm not me, I'm another me . Err, that is to say, the me that you know isn't me, here in front of you, but rather somepony else. I'm here to get your help to help me figure out why I'm here and keep me away from the other me. Understand?”

By the time she looked up, it was clear that AJ's head was spinning. She was giving the unicorn a distinctly blank look.

“Uh, what?”

Twilight put a hoof to her face. “Celestia, this is complicated.”

Applejack gave her head a little shake, returning to a wary expression. “Yer tellin' me! Ah don't know what the hay yer talkin' about!”

The unicorn wilted. “You're the only one left I can talk to. I wanted to get you to understand before you stormed off. I know none of you are probably happy to see me.”

“Well, yer doing a great job of it.” The farm pony deadpanned. She turned away from Twilight, who started to tear-up.

“I'm sorry. I know you don't think I deserve a chance to explain myself, but that's all I'm asking. Please?”

Applejack stopped short, her expression shifting between indifference and outright concern. It just wasn't in her nature to ignore a pony in need, even if they had hurt her friend something fierce. With a sigh, she turned back around to find Twilight with her head down.

“Al'right, Ah might regret it, but Ah'll hear ya out. Ya sure are actin' a whole lot differn't than the last time Ah saw ya.”

The unicorn shot up, her eyes aglow with fresh tears. For a moment it seemed like she might tackle the farm pony, but she settled for a soft smile as she wiped her eyes. AJ grinned back nervously.

“Thanks Applejack. I knew if anypony would let me talk without chasing me off it would be you.”

AJ quirked an eyebrow at her familiarity. “Err... Right. Now, how's about ya tell me what yer tryin' to say?”

Twilight smiled wider and sat on her haunches under the tree she was next to. She motioned with a hoof for her companion to do the same. With a noticeable hesitation, Applejack did so.

“You might want to get comfortable. This story is going to be difficult to explain...” the unicorn said, before launching into a story of other universes, alternate ponies, and how she had ended up in this situation.

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“...and after I tried to talk to Fluttershy, the last pony I could think of to ask for help was you AJ. You're the Element of Honesty and either because of that or by just being the caring farm pony that you are, you've always been able to tell when me or the others aren't telling the truth.” Twilight concluded, chancing to look up (as she had done very few times during her time speaking, as she struggled to keep all of her facts straight), trying to gauge the other pony's reaction.

Applejack seemed contemplative, her eyes slightly furrowed as she gazed into the distance. When she finally spoke, her voice was measured, as though she was weighing each word carefully.

“So, yer tellin me that y'all come from another place, alot like this, but where me an' Dash an' the others were friends with you instead of Trixie?”

Twilight only nodded, not daring to speak and break the moment. The other mare fell silent again.

“An' you sure as sugar don't act like the pony that came inta town like a bad stampede a' while ago.” She said after a moment of contemplation.

The unicorn chanced a small smile.

“But from another universe? How do Ah know this ain't a load of horse apples?” AJ concluded.

Twilight wilted, her ears folding back against her head. Applejack didn't believe her either. What was she going to do now? She frantically searched for something to prove herself. In a moment she lit up again.

“I told you a bunch of things about all of the girls. Things only somepony familiar with you all would be able to know, right?” She started.

“Well...”

“But Twilight hasn't been here except for that one time, right?” Twilight interrupted.

“You coulda been sneakin' around...” AJ answered rather distractedly.

“From what you've seen of her, do you think Twilight could really sneak around? She's too much of a show-pony that wants everypony to think she's 'Wise and Powerful'.Besides, does she seem inclined to make a big plan to confuse all of you? I think she's much more straightforward than that.”

“Ah...”

“And in this entire conversation, have I ever refereed to myself in the third person? Do you think any force in Equestria could prevent her from calling herself the 'Wise and Powerful Twilight' every other sentence?”

Applejack stopped trying to respond and just stared at her for a moment. Then she started laughing. By the time she calmed down, the farm pony was wiping tears from her eyes.

“Well, that tears it. Ah may not rightly completely believe ya, but the Twilight Ah had the displeasure a' meetin' wouldn't a' known a joke if it bite her on the hind end.”

Twilight grinned. It felt almost like she had one of her friends back, even if she was insulting her double.

“I think I know a way I can prove it all to you, but we need to get back into town. I... sort of caused a stir the last time I was there.”

Applejack quirked an eyebrow, but then settled into a smile. “Nope, Ah'm not gonna ask.” She looked contemplative for a moment, then spoke again. “It's gettin' late , so the ponyfolk should be goin' ta bed any time now. Ah've still got a cloak stored in the barn, Ah think, from that time the girls went inta tha Forest a while ago.”

Twilight looked blankly at her. AJ shook her head.

“Right, right. Somehow 'er the other I got you mixed up with Trix. This new you an' her are a lot alike, now that Ah think about it.”

The unicorn nodded, not sure what to make of that information. Instead, she followed her friend as they made their way over the orchard to the Apple Family's barn. When they reach the edge of the tree line, AJ motioned for Twilight to stop.

“Ah'll go an' grab the stuff. The rest ah the family might take a bit more convincing. An' I'm not up ta that when I only half believe ya'll myself.”

Twilight nodded glumly. It wasn't a surprise that she still didn't fully believe her story, but it still hurt a bit. AJ noticed and gave her a weak, yet compassionate smile.

“But Ah'm getting there sugar cube. If this here proof is as good as you think it is, Ah'm sure we can work somethin' out.”

The unicorn brightened again just a bit. More and more of the friend she knew and cared about was surfacing in this foreign version of Applejack. She might just get through this yet!

Twilight watched as her friend trotted over to the barn, opened a side door, and disappeared inside. For several long moments, everything was still. The light cast from the farm house showed Big Mac and Applebloom talking in the kitchen, the smell indicated they were doubtless making a late supper for the family. Though she couldn't see Granny Smith, it was likely that the old mare was asleep in her rocking chair.

She watched as a smaller light appeared on the second story of the barn. Twilight bit her lip, a little nervous. Hopefully the rest of Applejack's family wouldn't notice anything. After a while, made ever longer by Twilight's furtive glances at the Apple homestead, the light in the upper portion of the barn dimmed. Moments later, AJ reappeared at the barn door, closing it softly behind her. In the intervening time, the moon had risen, letting Twilight see some bulky cloth slung over her back.

When she was close enough, Applejack shrugged off what she carried, holding it up for the unicorn to see. It was a hooded cloak, sized for any one of the mares that composed her group of friends. She thought it might have been colored a dark forest green, but the moonlight alone was not enough for her to determine it. The edges were frayed, and it looked rather worn, overall..

“Y'all think this'll work to keep ya outta sight?” AJ inquired

Twilight eyed the covering a bit.

“Where did you say this came from? It looks sort of like something Zecora might wear.” (Or did wear, she reminisced, on the first trip she had seen the zebra take into town) Twilight deflected for a moment.

“Tha' gal that runs the potion shop in town? Nah, this here came from the Everfree Forest. My sister an' her friends got lost in there...” She rolled her eyes. “Not that Ah ever tell 'em to stay the hay away from it— But when they came out, the lot of them had this here thing wrapped around them. Applebloom still hasn't rightly told me what went on in there.”

Still eying it, Twilight made a motion to put it on, while Applejack helped her do so. It was snug, but comfortable, and seemed warm, despite its apparent age. Pulling the hood over her ears with a hoof, she turned back to AJ.

“I think this will be great Applejack. Can we head into town now?”

“Ah don't see why not. The family doesn't expect me back til' a little later on anyways.” Applejack replied, shooting a glance back to her house.

With that, the two mares started on a slightly more direct path than Twilight was now used to. Her identity protected, she lead her companion towards the edge of town, and a certain show-mare's wagon.

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Luna's stars were shining down on them as they walked (or at least, Twilight hoped they were Luna's), and their peaceful twinkle served to calm Twilight. She glanced at AJ, only to find her looking distinctly uncomfortable. Better to engage her again, just so she didn't have second thoughts. Her first question died on her lips, which served to cause Applejack to look at her quizzically and Twilight blush. It would be a dumb idea to ask the only pony who was helping her about the other version of herself.

She searched for something else to fill the awkward silence. The answer was surprisingly simple.

“How did you meet Trixie? Well, not you specifically, I suppose, but how did you and the others meet her?”

Applejack looked at Twilight, seeming contemplative, before continuing down the path. Just when the silence stretched out enough that the unicorn thought she might have said something wrong, the other mare spoke.

“Ah think it had ta be a year or two ago now... Nah, it was two, applebucking season had almost started. We were all preparing for the longest day ah the year, Ah was supposed ta make all the food fer all the ponies that would show up. T'was alotta work, I'll say that much.”

Twilight nodded in time with her explanation. It sounded familiar enough.

“Then Trixie showed up, an' started barking out orders. Said Celestia had told her to run the whole show.” She paused a moment, collecting her thoughts. “Now, I didn't think at the time that she might try to do it all on her own. But that's what she tried ta do. Organize every little thing, an' get everything just perfect. The rest of the time she was holed up in tha library, trying to find some proof for what happened next... not that the lot of us knew about it.”

Twilight frowned. She knew exactly what happened next: the apparent capture (or orchestrated capture, she had never been sure, and never asked outright) of her mentor, the return of Nightmare Moon on the longest day of the thousandth year, and the rebirth of the Elements of Harmony. Only... with Trixie as the leader and instigator of the incident. It was boggling. AJ continued, oblivious to her internal conflict.

“Nightmare Moon showed up, captured the princess, an' wanted there to be eternal night. Trixie knew what was goin' on, an' told her so, which lead us on a big ol' chase into the Everfree Forest. We had ta overcome a bunch of tasks...”

“Some of this I know, kind of.” Twilight interrupted. “Like a cliff collapsed, and you saved Trixie by asking her to trust you, or Pinkie singing that silly song about giggling. They proved your strength and Elements of Harmony.”

Applejack gave Twilight a funny look. “Yer right on the second one, but not tha first. It was Dash that saved Trix when the cliff fell out from under the lot of us. Proved her loyalty by not abandoning her when she promised to save her. What kinda test of Honesty would that'a been? Nah, I got tested when we had to cross this spooky bridge closer ta tha castle. All a' the others didn't make it through, but Ah promised them Ah'd find a way for them ta cross. Then these ponies appeared...” AJ shivered a bit as if from a bad memory. “They told me the lot of them could make the farm bigger and better, all the apple we could sell, but Ah had to leave the others.” She shivered again. “Ah feel bad about it, Twi'light, but Ah nearly considered it.... But Ah couldn't do that ta my friends.” She perked up again and looked at her traveling companion. “An' that's how Ah became the Element of Honesty.”

“But why was Trixie sent here in the first place? You don't seem convinced that it was just for planning the Summer Sun Celebration.”

The realization of just how much she had been talking seemed to hit Applejack in that moment. She became more tight-lipped almost immediately.

“Ah don't think Ah'm the one who should tell y'all that. If we do meet Trix, then maybe ya can ask her all about it.”

Twilight nearly frowned. She settled for doing so internally. She had been so close to having some trust. It went to show how much one question could change the dynamic of a relationship.

The rest of their trip passed mostly in silence. The pair slipped around the edge of town, but didn't see so much as a hoof of another pony. Despite the oddity of her errand, Twilight had to force herself to remember that this really was just another night in Ponyville. Not for her maybe, but as far as it went for the citizens of the town.

After passing down several side streets, Twilight's destination came into view. A wagon covered in banners, shut down for the night. A soft light outlined the form of a unicorn at one of the windows, relaxing. Twilight pulled back her hood and leaned closer.

“Spike!”

A voice disturbingly like Twilight's own called out. It didn't have the long drawn out familiarity that she normally used to call her assistant. It was instead phrased as a command, and a seemingly well used one at that.

She watched as a small figure shot up at the front of the wagon, nearly falling off the seat. It hurriedly climbed down and sprinted for the backdoor of the cart. Spike opened and closed it with a bit of care.

“Yes, what do you need?” Twilight could hear Spike say through the open window.

“Twilight needs further ingredients for her potion. Go and fetch them.”

“But... everything's closed. Where should I go?”

The only answer he received was silence. It wasn't difficult to imagine the grimace of displeasure on her alternates face. She realized suddenly that her double was probably still suffering the effects of the Joak that she had thrown at her earlier, and was attempting to brew an antidote. Twilight had to stifle a giggle imagining the sight. Then, the door popped open again, and Spike was bucked out into the street, where he landed on his back.

Before Twilight could act on her instincts to help her assistant, the dragon was on his feet. She watched him kick at a few loose pebbles and mutter something under his breath. The unicorn could only imagine it was probably a few unkind words about her double.

Beside her, Applejack let out a low whistle. “Y'all weren't kiddin'. Ah wouldn't have believed it unless Ah saw it fer myself. Everything ya told me's true, ain't it?”

Twilight turned to her friend with the most genuine, simple smile she'd displayed in days. “Yes it is. So now I need your help to get into the library. I'm not sure how else I'll be able to get in to do some research. I doubt Trixie will just let me in, now. With you there, I at least stand a chance.”

Applejack was about to answer, but suddenly looked past Twilight. Following her gaze, the unicorn turned around, and found Spike not more than a few paces away, looking at her with the most curious expression. It looked almost... hopeful.

Twilight have him a deep, genuine smile. The baby dragon's face lit up, then clouded with confusion.

“Twilight...” He flinched, realizing his mistake. “Uh, I mean...” Twilight felt a wave of sadness. He really expected anger from her. When no tirade was forthcoming from the unicorn, he looked at her again. She still smiled softly. “What...?” The two locked eyes, and the care she wanted to show seemed to flow out of her towards him.

Twilight then snapped from her trance. It was so easy, so familiar, to fall into her big sister relationship with the little dragon. But she had to remind herself that this Spike had no idea of who she was, and it would complicate things endlessly for him to get close to her.

In that split second she made a decision. With almost a monumental effort, she pulled away from his eyes and rounded on Applejack. Catching her fore-hoof, she pulled the two both of them into a gallop in the opposite direction.

“Wait!” She heard him call out, his voice now fading behind her.

Despite her own best efforts, she looked back. Spike's eyes seemed to plead with her, holding a hurt he probably wouldn't be able to explain. With a terrible struggle, she hardened her heart and tore away, looking back down the street. She heard no sounds of the baby dragon trying to follow, but hurled headlong through the town anyway. By the time she stopped, they were clear across town and, conveniently, very near to the library.

Applejack, after catching her breath, very tactfully declined to ask Twilight what had just happened. It was clear the matter would upset Twilight, and AJ wasn't the sort of pony to pry. Instead she lead the unicorn on in silence to the library door. Once there, the pair hesitated for a moment, before Twilight knocked a hoof lightly on the door.

Author's Note

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