Success. It was a feeling that was always wonderful to anypony who felt it. But, as is so often the case, and as many ponies will tell you, it never lasts long enough. Twilight was experiencing such a withdrawal of that herself, as she sat upon her desk in the main chamber of the Golden Oak Library, staring down at a newspaper article before her. Upon the front page, in big bold letters, was written the headline "Crystal Empire to Host Equestria Games". Needless to say, it was an announcement that Twilight couldn't help but smile at. She and her friends had done good work up there in the north, showing the inspector all that the Empire had to offer. In the end, their work had yielded its destined fruit, and the Empire had been chosen for the Games. Success. That was the feeling. A sense that she had done something good. Something worthwhile. And yet, as was so frequent for her, the feeling was fleeting, and what she was left with was nothing short of a pit in her stomach. A gaping sense of dread and fear. She knew what was to happen tonight. She knew the risk she was about to take, but even so, she knew she could no longer avoid it. Sighing, she got up from her desk, walking along the nearby wall of the library, and saw there the many hanging photographs of her time here in Ponyville.

There was the party used to welcome back Princess Luna after she had been freed from Nightmare Moon and reunited with her sister. There were the many birthdays Twilight and her friends had partaken of. There was even the photograph that she and Spike had taken on the day she'd told him that she'd adopted him. Happy memories, all of them, and it was a constant reminder of not only how important her time was here in Ponyville, but also how important her friends and loved ones were. And now, as she looked out of the window of her home, seeing the sun set beyond the horizon, she could not help but feel a deep sadness. For within the darkest corners of her mind, one message above all was repeating itself over and over again; that this could be her final day. It was something she'd known was coming for a long time, and for a while, she'd pushed it from her thoughts, focusing on other things, other occasions. But the date had finally arrived for her. This was the coin standing on its edge, and it would fall one way or the other. What would happen when she made this choice, this final decision, she did not know. All she knew was that it was a question she had to answer. But, she was distracted from her rather morose thoughts by the sound of knocking at her door. Although she hesitated, she soon found herself moving over, using her magic to open it.

"Hey, Twilight."

The welcoming face of her friend, Rainbow Dash, brought a smile to Twilight's face, which deepened further when she looked past her to see the rest of her group. Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Fluttershy and Applejack all stood there, looking at her with warm expressions. Silently, the young unicorn stood aside, inviting the in, and one by one, they entered her home, after which she closed the door behind them. With the group all assembled, she turned to them, with Rarity being the first to speak.

"Darling, not that I mind an invitation every once in a while, but what could be so important that you had to call us out here at such a late hour?"

The rest of the mares all turned to her, showing just as much of a curiosity to that as Rarity did. But, rather than give a response, Twilight remained silent, her expression becoming a completely neutral one. Needless to say, the other mares seemed somewhat confused at this, even more so when they watched her move further away from them. But, when they saw what she was walking to, their eyes widened with shock. For there, standing in the corner of the room, was a glass container, and within it were the Elements of Harmony, those ancient artefacts that had aided them against the dark powers so many times now. As one might expect, the group all turned to one another, clearly taken aback as to why Twilight would have them out like this. But, they kept quiet, instead watching as Twilight lit up her horn, using her magic to open the glass, after which she carefully levitated each of their Elements out. One by one, she hovered them over to her friends, who stared at them with both curiosity and concern. But, without a word, they began to take them from her. Twilight watched, seeing her friends secure those golden necklaces around themselves, before at last turning to her own Element, the crown. Using her magic, she moved it out of the container and gently placed it upon her head, before then turning to her friends. When she did, Applejack spoke.

"Um...Twi? Is there some big catastrophe or bad guy we need ta be dealin with?"

Twilight shook her head.

"No. Nothing like that."

Understandably, this earned her many confused looks at this, but she had little time to address it, for she now turned to the staircase leading upstairs, walking towards it while her friends kept their eyes on her. When she reached the bottom of those stairs, Twilight looked up them before calling out.

"Spike? Trixie? Could you come down here for a moment?"

There was silence for a few seconds, after which there could be heard the distinct sound of somepony moving upstairs. Sure enough, Spike started making his way down, followed shortly afterwards by the former show-mare, Trixie. However, when they reached the halfway point of the stairs, they noticed the newly-arrived mares, after which they turned to each other with raised eyebrows. But, they nevertheless continued on their journey, reaching the ground and standing to one side for a moment, never letting Twilight out of their sights. As for the young unicorn herself, she stood in utter silence, looking at each of her friends in turn, many of which were starting to look quite worried. It was, after all, quite strange for her to ask them here and yet offer no explanation, especially while she was doing so many things right now. But, in time, Twilight did start to move, walking slowly from her current position and glancing around the room, as if sizing everypony up. Eventually, her eyes landed on Trixie, and a small but genuine smile formed upon her face. She knew what she had to say, and Trixie would be the first to hear it. The blue mare watched, still unsure of what to make of all this, as Twilight approached her, before speaking up to her in a soft tone.

"Trixie...in the time we've known one another...you have become a wonderful student. You’ve learned to make friends, and to have a more fulfilling life than you ever did on the road."

The blue mare looked confused at her mentor's words, but nevertheless remained silent as she continued.

"There was a time when you lived for others to adore you. But now...now you know you don't need that to be worth something."

Trixie didn't know why, but Twilight's words caused her to feel as if her very heart was being grasped warmly. Even more surprising was what Twilight did afterwards, for without warning, she moved forward, embracing her student in a hug. Although surprised by this, Trixie nevertheless returned it. When the two of them finally parted, Twilight gave her a final smile, before turning to her friends, who, understandably, were giving her odd looks. But, she ignored that, instead walking over to where Pinkie was, giving her the same affectionate look that she'd given to Trixie.

"Pinkie...my life was never as fun, or as joyous, as it was before you came into my life. You were able to put a smile on my face, even in those moments when I thought it was impossible. You've been an uplifting friend, whenever I needed you, and for that...I can never thank you enough."

Yet again, the lavender unicorn moved forward to embrace her friend, and Pinkie, despite these out-of-nowhere words by Twilight, smiled deeply as she returned the hug. When they parted, they gave a nod to one another, after which, Twilight moved over to Fluttershy.

"Fluttershy...never has there been a kinder...gentler...more caring pony than you. You have always been the kind of mare who seeks to help others, no matter their problems, and do so in a way that...makes them love you. You were the soft word. The gentle touch. Compassionate. You were the kind of mare I am proud to call a friend."

As expected now, Twilight stepped forward and embraced her friend, and Fluttershy, although somewhat meeker about it than Pinkie Pie was, nevertheless hugged her back, though her face still bore a look of worry. When the two left one another, Twilight stepped over to stand before Rarity.

"Rarity...always giving of yourself. Whenever you see a pony in need, you're there for them, offering a helping hoof and making absolutely sure that they feel good about themselves. Your passion for your work, you drive for it...is something few others can match, and you deserve every measure of success that has brought you."

The alabaster unicorn felt her eyes well up at that, even more so when Twilight moved forward to hug her. But, throughout all of this, Spike watched as his adopted mother had moved from mare to mare, saying what she'd said. He knew something was wrong, and that she was keeping something from them, but even so, he simply watched as she instead moved over to Applejack.

"Applejack...honest, sometimes to a fault. You can always be counted on to tell a pony the truth of what she's doing or what they're getting into. Whenever I needed a helping hoof, you were there for me, offering a smile and...and a sense of belonging. Family is important to you, and through you...you've made me feel like family."

Those words affected the orange mare, and this time, it was HER who initiated the hug, rather than Twilight. Regardless, Twilight smiled at her friend, before eventually parting from her. Moments afterwards, it was the turn of Rainbow Dash to hear what her friend had to say.

"Rainbow Dash...bearer of loyalty. And that trait is at the heart of who you are. There have been few that I've known in my life that were as devoted to anypony as you've been to me in my time here. Whenever I planned something, or went out to confront a problem, you were always the first to stand by me and support me. And for that...thank you."

Yet again, a hug was begun, and yet again, one of Twilight's friends found herself warmed by what she'd heard, as Rainbow shut her eyes tightly with this embrace. When they finally parted, Twilight turned, looking down, at long last, to Spike. The young dragon watched as his mother approached him, as indeed did everypony else. When she finally reached him, she knelt down, looking him right in the eyes, before putting on a warm and affectionate smile.

"Spike...dear Spike. I've known you since the day you were born. From the moment you first broke out of your egg, we've been inseparable. You've been so many things to me over the years. My number one assistant. My dearest friend. And, more importantly...my son. You have been a constant in my life for longer than I can remember, always there when nopony else was. I could never imagine my life without you. And...since the day when we became family...I have cared for you more than I ever thought I could."

The young dragon watched as Twilight moved forward, holding him close, but in a far more gentle manner than she had with the other mares. As she did this, Twilight whispered to him.

"I love you, my son. Never forget that."

But, to Twilight's surprise, when she parted form him, she found him looking upon him with sadness, his eyes welling up far more than Rarity had done.

"Mom...why are you saying all this?"

Those words pierced Twilight's heart in a way she could never put into words, but, as she always did, she masked that pain, instead taking a deep breath and placing her hoof upon Spike's shoulder, with her expression one of utter seriousness.

"Because...I might never get the chance to say it again."

It didn't take a genius to guess what Spike’s reaction was to that, as he looked to her with fear and horror plastered all over his face. With her son on the verge of tears, Twilight could no longer bear to look at him, lest it break her heart even more than it already did. So, she stood tall once more, turning around and looking upon each of the other mares before her. All of them had looked on with saddened looks in their eyes, much like Spike had, but none of them said anything. Instead, they remained quiet as Twilight began to walk forward, eventually stopping when she was finally in the centre of the circle the five bearers had made. For one final time, she looked to each of them, seeing the looks they were giving her, seeing the fear they were feeling at this thing she wouldn't tell them about. It tore her apart, but she nevertheless steeled herself, taking a calming breath before opening her eyes and speaking clearly, remembering the words to that old and once-unfinished spell.

"From one to another, another to one. A mark of one's destiny, singled out alone, fulfilled. From all of us together, together, we're friends. With the marks of our destinies made one, there is magic without end."

Her friends had no idea what was going on, but they had no time to even ask the question, because before they could react, the gems on each of their Elements began to glow brightly, as indeed did the star atop Twilight's crown. The five friends, Trixie and Spike watched with shock as, all of a sudden, a bright magical blast shot out from each of their necklaces, converging on Twilight right in the centre. Before they did, they saw Twilight, and saw the look of sadness upon her face, before, at long last, the magic struck her. It blasted her with a great fury, creating a massive, near-blinding light, from which all the others had to shield their eyes. As the magic continued, they could feel its strength pouring out to her, but, moments later, the light finally faded. When they all lowered their hooves, they looked on with shock to discover, to their horror, that Twilight was no longer there. Instead, in the place where she'd been standing, there was a scorch mark on the floor. Gasps escaped each and every one of the mares, but it was Spike who reacted most of all. For the young dragon leapt forward, dropping to his knees when he reached that scorch on the ground, clawing at it with desperation as tears began to flow down his cheek. In the end, he turned to the others, looking utterly terrified, and speaking the only thing that mattered to him.

"Where...WHERE IS MY MOM?!"

Far away, in Canterlot, the capital city of Equestria, night-time had long since fallen, and everypony was in their homes, fast asleep after a long and tiring day. Lights were going out in every home, and all around there was a feeling of things being calm and peaceful. But, there was one place in the city for which this was not the case; the royal palace. For there, in the tallest spire, Princess Celestia awoke as if from a nightmare, practically bathed in a cold sweat. She could feel it, as if something monumental had occurred within her land. A great surge of power and magic that, even here, she could feel keenly. But the sensation had been sudden, and she found herself weak at the knees as she tried to get herself out of bed. Raising a hoof, she clutched her chest, and looked up with worry as she made her way out to the great balcony adjacent to her quarters. Once outside, the cool night air did little to alleviate her nerves, and she found herself breathing heavily with every step. When she finally reached the edge of that balcony, she looked out to the horizon, darkened by the night, and a look of fear crossed her face. She knew that sensation, and, more importantly, she knew who it had happened to. And yet, there was this deep feeling that she had. A feeling that something, somewhere, had gone terribly wrong.

"It can't be...Twilight?"

The first thing she knew was darkness. When the magic had struck her, all Twilight had known was light all around her, and a great influx of magic. But, in an instant, that light had died down, and instead, all there was around her was an endless expanse of blackness. Darker than night itself, she could see nothing, not her home, not her friends, not anything. Naturally, fear began to grip her, as she knew deep down that something had changed. There were no stars here, no sense of peace as she had felt in that astral plane in that first timeline. This was something different, someplace she did not know. That fear began to grow within her as she dwelt more and more on what had happened. Were her fateful predictions true? Had her life truly come to an end? Would this truly be the last time she would see her friends? Her family? Her son? Was this the punishment for everything she had done until this point? Her breathing was rapid now as those questions, and a lot more than that, began to pour through her mind. She spun around, trying to make sense of it all, and all the while, she felt trapped, as if a great weight was bearing down on her. However, she soon found some small measure of relief from the darkness, as she began to hear the unmistakable sound of hoofsteps far away from her. As they drew closer, her face lit up, and she spoke in a hopeful voice.

"Princess Celestia?"

But the source of the hoofsteps did not answer, and instead, drew ever closer. Twilight's face, still bearing a look of hope, looked on as, at long last, a shape could be seen emerging from the darkness before her. She squinted her eyes, trying to get a better look at it, and it was only now that a voice finally answered back.

"No...it's not Celestia."

Twilight's eyes widened with both shock and fear. She knew that voice, though she told herself it was impossible. She couldn't be here, could she? But, as the moments passed her by, her suspicions were soon proved to be abundantly true. For there, now stepping beyond the gloom, was a figure as tall and imposing as Princess Celestia herself. An alicorn, lavender in her fur, bearing a flowing mane of both dark purple and pink. Upon her were the trappings of royalty, including a bright and distinct golden crown. The alicorn mare spread her wings in a display of strength, towering over the young unicorn before her, all while the latter began to take a few fearful steps backwards, shaking her head all the way.

"It's...it's...you?!"

As Twilight gazed upon the form of her future self, the elder mare looked down at the younger, her face bearing none of the love nor warmth that so often marked Celestia's. Instead, she gazed upon Twilight with a look that could only be described as disdain.

"Twilight Sparkle...we need to talk."