Archmage: Beyond the Crystal Mirror “Out of Time - End”

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“Twilight,” Cadance drew her attention with a soft utterance. Twilight looked up from the book she was currently taking notes on, blinking at her pseudo sister a few times.

“What’s up, Cadance?” Twilight noted the pink alicorn’s somber expression and her drawn look of melancholy contemplation. Slowly, Twilight closed her book. Something was amiss.

“I… Well, I have something to tell you. And a request.”

“Erm, okay…” Cadance was usually rather open about her feelings, and very approachable. She seemed reserved just then. Quiet. Withdrawn. As Twilight watched, Cadance drew a deep breath to steady herself.

“About the crystal mirror, and Spike, and all that’s happened recently… I… Well, I may have been keeping the truth from you. And I may have lied.”

“Okay…” Twilight frowned. While she didn’t appreciate being lied to (By Cadance, no less) It seemed her sister was about to come clean. Cadance’s eyes began to well with tears, and she was trembling.

“I… I was approached by Celestia a long, long time ago. She had… Had some visitors. Or a visitor. From the future. And they… They needed some help from me.”

“Cadance…” Twilight was beginning to see some dots, and they were beginning to connect themselves.

“Celestia knew Spike would become the god of time.” Cadance shuddered. “And I… I granted him access to the chamber with the Crystal Mirror. When you first came here at my behest, I lied… I said the caverns had recently been re-discovered. They hadn’t. They were discovered shortly after the Crystal Kingdom was restored. I swear, Twilight, I didn’t know how the mirror worked or what it would do to Spike, but Celestia knew it was pivotal in transforming Spike into Chronos…” Cadance sniffed as the tears began to flow.

“I agreed to let Spike have access to the chamber. And then I sealed him in. After that, I… I don’t know what happened or where he went. But if his recent return is any indication-“

“Celestia knows.” Twilight growled. “She sent him there to turn into Chronos. She’d know where he went. If he went anywhere. I need to go back to Canterlot.” Twilight ground her teeth in frustration. She turned to the closed book, but Cadance cleared her throat. Twilight peered back at her.

“Take the mirror with you.” She choked. Twilight blinked at that.

“What?”

“Take the mirror with you.” Cadance re-asserted herself. “Take it and go, Twilight… You and Luna and that damned mirror. Take it and leave, and don’t ever bring it back here again.”

“Cadance…”

“JUST GO!” Cadance suddenly shouted, her tears returning in force. She spread her hooves and looked pleadingly at Twilight, who was shocked beyond belief. “TAKE YOUR MIRROR, TAKE YOUR SECRETS, AND LEAVE!” She choked the next words, quieter than a whisper, but more serious than anything Twilight had ever heard before. “I’m done playing the pawn in Celestia’s game.”

Twilight didn’t hesitate in packing her things and preparing the mirror.

An angry princess was something she didn’t feel ready to deal with just then.

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“Celestia!” Twilight slammed the doors to Canterlot’s throne room open with her lavender magic. Celestia, looking just as regal as ever, sat at the head of the throne room, surrounded by her aides and advisors. At the look on Twilight’s face, though, she quietly dismissed them all. As Twilight stormed across the throne room towards her elder sister and fellow ruler, the gathered ponies scrambled faster. Some of them were still wary of Twilight and her mysterious power. Rightfully so.

“No more secrets, Celestia.” Twilight called out as she stomped towards the throne. “No more lies, no more deceit.” She mounted the ramp leading up to the regal seat, her wings flared with anger. “You’re going to tell me every last thing you’ve plotted behind my back, and you’re going to tell me-“ A flash ignited in the room, and Celestia gasped. The surreptitious defense she had cast the second Twilight blasted the doors open evaporated. Twilight had dispelled one of her most powerful shields in the blink of an eye. She suddenly stood in front of Celestia, her head held higher than the solar princess’.

”Now.”

“O-okay, Twilight. Okay.” Celestia resigned with a melancholy bow of her head. Twilight felt the energy crackling through the room die down in intensity, resigning itself to a low, moderate hum. “I’ll tell you everything. I’m sorry-“

“Don’t apologize.” Twilight cut her off once more, this time lifting her hoof to thump into Celestia’s chest. “Don’t. It’s hollow, and low, and meaningless. You’ve already kept enough secrets from me that nearly sent us over the edge of a world-altering prophecy failure. Don’t apologize for your mistakes. Own up to them.”

“Alright.” Celestia’s face took a hard cast as she looked Twilight straight in the eye. They were no longer mentor and student.

They were princess and princess. Equal. Sovereign. And most importantly, upset.

“What do you want to know?”

“Start with the Crystal Mirror and Spike.” Twilight lowered herself to her haunches, her own face dark. “I want to know how you knew Spike would become Chronos, and how the Crystal Mirror played into it.”

“We’re going to have to visit my library for that.” Celestia said quietly. “Unless you trust my word on prophecy.”

“More prophecy?” Twilight shook her head. “Tell me this much has passed, at least…”

“Mostly. There’s one part that has yet to pass-“

“The Crystal Mirror is on its way here.” Twilight explained. This much of the prophecy, she was familiar with. She had stumbled across it about a decade ago, explaining about the ‘root’ having to ‘flee the wrath of its keeper.’ Twilight never would have guessed the ‘root’ would be the Crystal Mirror (And the root of this world) and its keeper to be Cadance. “Luna is seeing to its safe transport.”

“Oh. Well then. You seem to know at least that much of the prophecy.”

“What I know is flawed, but it did seem to be the terminus. I didn’t think the mirror would be the root, but once it’s here, that prophecy should fulfill. What was the original part of it?”

“I can show you, or I can tell you. Your choice, Twilight.” Celestia said quietly. Twilight pondered her choices for a moment before standing.

“Show me, please.” She didn’t want to say it, but she distrusted Celestia. It seemed her elder sister and fellow ruler couldn’t get past the habit of excluding information from her. During her upbringing as the Archmage and even for a few incidents over her short-lived career, Twilight had discovered helpful information that Celestia had kept secret from her; information that otherwise might have saved lives or resolved an issue should she have had access to it earlier.

Quite frankly, Twilight was done unfurling these mysteries Celestia wound around her. It began with her parents, then the prophecy regarding her ascension, and now this whole debacle involving Spike and the Crystal Mirror. Twilight wasn’t some impressionable and fallible filly anymore. She was a princess, every bit as powerful as Celestia and Luna and Cadance. She was entitled to the same information, or at the very least, the ability to keep said information secret from her counterparts.

But she trusted and loved Luna too much. Despite her anger at the situation, Cadance still remained Twilight’s greatest friend. And, like it or not, Celestia was still her elder. Some measure of respect was due to her. Twilight wasn’t exactly in the position to withhold information. But that meant none of the other three should be able to either. Celestia seemed to have recognized that, and as she led Twilight into her sealed personal library, she had resigned herself to revealing all of her secrets. At least, those Twilight had a mind to ask about.

“Here.” Celestia paused in a wide expanse of dusty bookshelves in her massive library. She still kept the corpse of Blaze, an Archmage from long, long ago, hovering in suspension high above the floor. Twilight had come to see the ancient, suspended corpse as less of a creepy memento and more of a grim reminder of her mistake. But Twilight wasn’t focused on that. She was focused on the text Celestia picked out. Immediately, Twilight opened it and began scanning the pages.

What she saw nearly made her heart stop.

“Celestia.” She whispered, barely controlling her rage and awe. “How long-“

“Well before you were born.” Celestia responded. “It broke my heart the day you were brought into this world. I knew you’d suffer so much, and there was nothing I could do about it. Nothing but stand by your side, and try to soften the blow.”

Twilight stared at the text, her eyes wide with disbelief.

’The Archmage’s decision echoes through the worlds, and will manifest differently. Should she discover her failure personally, her life will end and her loved ones will be forfeit. Should the Archmage transcend a physical form and accept the worship of millions, they will perish in the fallout of her own Whispers of Fate, and she will fail to see the good in life and love.’

“I get it.” Twilight closed the book, her tears darkening the cover. Inside, she could feel the magic as it began to take effect. The text vanished, its omen fulfilled. “How many others-“

“Only one other.” Celestia whispered. “There’s only one other world where you try to save Equestria after you become a goddess… And…” Celestia pulled another book from the shelf, its pages already blank. “That’s just been fulfilled as well…”

The worlds where Twilight became a goddess and tried to save Equestria from her own fallout ended in tragedy. She knew that now. She had discovered it without witnessing it. And as the now-gone prophecy said, if she had discovered it first-hoof, had been there as it happened, the world as she knew it would be ruined. If the words were to be believed, she’d put everypony she cared about on the line. Luna, Celestia, Cadance, her niece and nephew… Everypony in Canterlot, to be perfectly honest.

“Do you see now why I try to do these things, Twilight?” Celestia whispered, stepping up to her side. “The prophecies involving you aren’t just about you. They involve everypony. All of us.”

“You’re trying to protect the world from me.” Twilight choked. She shrugged away from Celestia, cowering.

“No.” Celestia insisted, re-asserting herself with a gentle touch. “I’m protecting them from prophecy. The only way I know how. By keeping you from meeting the parameters at all.”

“So Spike was-“

“He understood the severity of what I asked, even before he became Chronos. And afterwards, he rose to the challenge admirably.” Celestia cupped Twilight’s chin, pulling her around into a gentle embrace. “He went into that world to bring you back before you could witness the fallout. There was no interference of energy from the mirror, no imminent doom… It was just to keep you from witnessing the fallout of your prophecy. To keep this prophecy from coming true.”

“Prophecy,” Twilight pulled away from the embrace with a sniffle. “It’s so damned contrived… We’d do just as well without it.”

“I don’t argue that.” Celestia nodded her agreement. “But, for what it’s worth, the worst of it is over. We won’t see prophecy if this caliber for another six thousand years.”

“When you-“

“When I open this library,” Celestia nodded, looking around at the multitude of books; knowledge from ages lost. “There are many prophecies regarding its contents and how available they become to the unicorns who pass the test.”

“I’m guessing Spike never did have to disguise himself and take your test, did he?”

“No,” Celestia chuckled. “I brought him here myself, as Chronos. By then, he knew what he had to search for.”

“Did he reveal what he read at all? So I might know?”

“You just did.” Celestia hefted the two empty books of prophecy. “These are the same two books he sought and read. Shortly after, he used the Crystal Mirror to enter that world and wait for you.”

“How?” Twilight furrowed her brow. “How did he manage all this? Half the time, the Crystal Kingdom was locked away…”

“You forget, he’s Chronos. He goes where he pleases in time. He could have gone back to before the Crystal Kingdom ever even existed, to when the Crystal Mirror was brand new. Then he could have skipped ahead to the very minute you arrived in that world.”

“No…” Twilight shook her head slowly. “He had dealings in that world… He dealt with a lot of my counterparts and their involvement with that world. He brought my goddess-self to the princesses before she had died.”

“Messing in affairs he has no point in messing with.” Celestia shook her head with a slight smile. Twilight narrowed her eyes at the elder princess.

“How well do you know Chronos?” She asked quietly. Celestia looked at her for a few moments before heaving a soft sigh.

“He’s… Well, he’s my partner. Much like you and Luna.”

“Wait a tick,” Twilight’s mind whirled. “You mean to tell me-“

“I’m effectively fucking Spike?” Celestia’s lips split in a devious smile. “Yes indeed I am, Twilight.”

“Okay. Done.” Twilight shook her head and turned to the staircase leading out of Celestia’s library. “Maniuplating prophecy, I can handle… Can’t handle you fucking Spike. Nope. Not today. Uh-uh.”

“Oh, come back!” Celestia called after her teasingly. “I haven’t even told you how good his tongue is!”

“UUGH!”

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Luna arrived with the Crystal Mirror in two days time. They had to be careful transporting it, as none of them were willing to take any risks. But before long, the mirror had been re-located to the Observatory Tower in Canterlot. Twilight could come and go to the mirror whenever she pleased, and it was under a much closer guard than in the Crystal Kingdom. That, and having the cursed thing away from Cadance had put her at ease. She was no longer irritable, though Twilight was certain it’d take time before she got over being used by Celestia. That was the case for all of them, it seemed.

But Twilight was just relieved to have the mirror close at-hoof once more. That, more than anything else, made her happy. That, and having Luna back in their regular bedchambers. Needless to say, Twilight got a good workout when her lover finally returned to her embrace. It was in the sweaty aftermath of their reunion that the two of them stood on the balcony, looking out at a slumbering Canterlot.

“Glad to have the mirror back?” Luna asked, nuzzling Twilight’s neck gently. Twilight nodded and returned the affection readily.

“Glad to have you back as well. Glad to have a lot of things back.”

“Spike?”

“… I have some questions of my own for Chronos.” Twilight admitted quietly. “Mostly about how his power works. How he’s able to take others through time with him.”

“You want to go back to the birth of the world or something?”

“Or something.” Twilight leaned into Luna with a soft sigh. “Mainly, I just want to talk to my parents one more time…”

“Oh. I see.” Luna stilled herself for a while before nudging Twilight’s neck. “He’ll do that much for you. I’m certain.”

“I’m sure he will.” Twilight nodded. “I’m sure he will…”

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“Chronos? He’s asleep.” Celestia addressed Twilight’s question the following morning at breakfast. “He does this time to time. He could sleep for two hours, or he could sleep two centuries. Time doesn’t really matter to him, but when he wants to spend it as he sees fit, it’s spent that way.”

“I see.” Twilight sighed, hanging her head a little. “So we have to wait for him to get up.”

“Nothing wakes him when he sleeps like that.” Celestia chuckled. “I tried dropping a mountain on him one time…”

“I remember that year.” Luna’s lips mirrored Celestia’s. “That’s how the Diamond Dogs found their first gems.”

“Too true.” Celestia sipped at her tea before looking back at Twilight. “I’m certain Spike will honor your request when he wakes.”

“You have no idea when he’ll wake up?” Twilight probed, looking at Celestia hopefully. The princess just shook her head once more.

“No clue. Pardon my crass explanation, but the last time I fucked him that hard he slept for a decade.”

“Okay, enough.” Twilight blanched. “I’m seriously on-edge about you ‘fucking’ Spike.”

“And I don’t feel ‘on-edge’ when you ‘fuck’ my sister?” Celestia shot right back, grinning teasingly. “Relax, Twilight. I love Chronos, not Spike. He may have Spike’s memories, but they are but a drop in the bucket of his wealth of knowledge. Chronos is one of the few beings that can boast as long a lifespan as my own. I identify with him more than I do even Luna.” Celestia closed her eyes as she inhaled a deep breath. Twilight saw something in her, then. Something she didn’t think she’d ever have seen were it not for that mysterious god.

Celestia truly, magnificently was glowing. Not like a sunrise, but like a mare.

“I truly, honestly, and deeply love Chronos. In much the same way you love Luna. I won’t say our relationship is stronger than yours, but it is longer. I’ve loved Chronos since long before I can remember. Far, far back into the reaches of time, where the earliest memories I have are of the founding of Canterlot and Equestria as a whole.”

“Wow.” Twilight had come to see Celestia’s point of view on the matter. “I’m sorry I ever doubted you.”

“No harm, no foul.” Celestia scoffed a little. “It pales in comparison to what I’ve done…”

“You had your reasons, sister.” Luna chimed in quietly. “I see why you did what you did. Even the ones I wasn’t a part of. I hope Twilight will come to forgive you like I have.”

“I might have already forgiven her,” Twilight looked down at her plate with a soft sigh. “It’s just… So much to absorb. So many plots and devious little secrets…”

“No more.” Celestia spoke boldly, putting her hoof in the middle of the table. “I’m done keeping secrets from you. And I’ll ensure Chronos does the same.” She looked between Twilight and Luna then, her expression serious. “We’re an allied front. The rulers of Equestria. No more shadowy secrets. No more deceit. No more plotting. Whatever we do, we do with the perfect knowledge of the others.” Her hoof tapped the table.

“Deal?”

Luna laid her hoof atop Celestia’s.

“Deal.”

Twilight looked at the sisters… Her sisters, if she were being perfectly honest with herself. Celestia was vowing to never hold anything from her again. No more hidden prophecies, no more hidden truths about her parents, no ascensions veiled in mystery. She was a ruler now, equal in power to Luna and Celestia. Their counterpart. The third part of a whole.

She laid her hoof atop theirs.

“Deal.”

Author's Notes:

I'm so sorry for the exceptionally long wait. Between Moonstone and work/life, I'd all but forgotten about this. And when I remembered, it was disinteresting to me.

Well, you have Moonstone's pre-reader (Ironically) to thank for this one. I'll try my hardest to devote my time and attention to this, and with luck, it'll see more frequent updates.

I'm still working without a pre-reader or editor for this, in the interest of publishing updates the second I finish them. My main focus is still on Moonstone (And my own life.) But if I get bored between Moonstone updates, I'll work on this.

This chapter is intended to wrap up Spike's involvement with the story. We answered the question about where he's been and what he's been doing since his disappearence. He may or may not come back for a later chapter. That all depends on how well he sleeps ;P

Futhermore, this wraps up the 'Out of Time' arc. Twilight discovers that, had she witnessed the actual fallout of her prophecy, the world as she knew it would have ended. While it isn't spelled out in this chapter (Since I can't quite find a spot to slip it in) here's how it goes:

Twilight, visiting from the 'root' world, witnesses her goddess-self try to stop the fallout of her prophecy. But, since the prophecy involves her directly, her influence is null. It's, effectively, her own magic doing the damage anyways. If anything, her attempts to stop it only fuel the destruction. So, Twilight (root) has to watch as Twilight (Goddess) watches everything she's ever strived for be destroyed. All of her work, everything she's been involved with, those she cares for the most... Both Twilight (Goddess) and Twilight (Root) are driven insane by the spectacle. Not to mention, the fallout destroys the Crystal Mirror. Twilight (Root) is unable to return to her world. She's stuck on Equestria with an insane version of herself. And since she never returns, Luna is driven mad with grief. And in the distant future, prophecy that involves her as an integral part fails, effectively destroying the root world's Equestria and its inhabitants, Celestia and Luna included.

Celestia avoided this by sending Spike (Chronos) through the Crystal Mirror to this world where Twilight goes. Thankfully, she chose right between the two worlds that Twilight would visit. Spike was able to lie and bring Twilight back through the Crystal Mirror in time to avoid witnessing the world destroyed by her prophecy failing. When Twilight learns of Celestia's plotting via Cadance and confronts Celestia about it, she learns the fate of that alternate world. In doing so, she fulfills the prophecy.

TL;DR:
-Celestia sent Spike through the Crystal Mirror to stop Twilight witnessing her own prophecy failing.
-Celestia and Spike (Chronos) are in love, and have been for a long, long time.
-The Crystal Mirror is now in Canterlot

Moving forwards, I'll explore several different worlds. Thanks to Grand Moff Pony (Moonstone's pre-reader) I actually already have the finale for this story planned out. It's just a matter of how many worlds Twilight is going to explore between now and then.

Thank you all for your extraordinary patience with this story. I'm sorry that it took me so long to update, and that this chapter is not very long. I promise, longer and more meaningful updates are in the near future.

Very sincerely,
-Loyal