Twilight awoke with a start, her body jerking upwards as her heart pounded noisily in her chest. Thoughts of the thing at the bottom of reality stayed with the mare no matter how hard she tried to think of something else. The sheer physics of such a creature were mind-boggling, but that wasn't what immediately concerned the mare.

Rather it was just how familiar those eyes were that struck the pony. It was like gazing into a funhouse mirror or meeting an alternate reality version of herself from some dark and terrible timeline. Stranger still was the feeling of deja vu she got from gazing into those enormous violet orbs.

Shaking her head, Twilight tried to steady her breathing while looking around the small room she found herself in. The walls were made of wood, living wood at that, though it wasn't anything like the tree library she knew in her time. The faded brown was so light that it almost looked yellow, like the tree was much younger than the one Twilight was used to.

Before her sat a desk which seemed to have grown straight out of the ground itself. Though not terribly wide, it was big enough to fit a half dozen open tomes as well as a candle holder containing the barest remnants of wax. Evidently someone had forgotten about it as the light source had burnt down to all but nothing, and thick red drops coated its holder.

A brief glance at the open books told Twilight that they contained magical knowledge or detailed farming techniques, the quality of which varied greatly. They were also all quite unique and seemed to have been penned by individual authors if the non-uniform printing was anything to go by. Even the pages bound within were yellowed with age and did not have the same texture as the tomes Twilight was used to.

Though interesting, Twilight’s attention turned from the bounty of knowledge and down to where she noticed a simple leather-bound bundle of papers sat open before her. The quill this other version of herself had been using had dried, resting just beside the paper it had been dancing across not long ago. Intrigued by what she found, Twilight had to force herself to put away such thoughts for now, as she had to make sure of one thing first.

Clambering out of her chair, she searched for a reflective surface, ignoring the rest of the strange and fascinating objects that surrounded her. There was no mirror, but she did find a window, and although adorned with heavy iron bars, Twilight could at least see herself. Or at least, a different version of herself, one that looked older, more wizened, and who had a rather unpleasant resting face.

Despite not trying to, Twilight was apparently scowling at her reflection, and it took a surprising amount of effort to stop herself from doing this. The second thing that struck her was how alive she looked, which was at odds with how she felt deep down inside. She expected to feel the familiar pulse of a heartbeat, or the burn of need when she forgot to breathe, but after a short pause, she found that there was none.

Only a gnawing, but distant hunger that felt unlike her old body’s desire for life force.

“Huh. I’m clearly not alive, but I still need regular food. Interesting,” Twilight muttered to herself, prodding her stomach absently. “Like before my heart only feels like it's beating even though it's still.”

Running a hoof down her face, Twilight found that she had deep circles under her eyes, which only furthered the haunting glare she accidentally gave herself. Her hair was nearly identical, though now it was done up in a neat bun, while her bangs were even shorter. This Twilight certainly looked the part of a grizzled old librarian, and the unicorn could definitely imagine her yelling at some child to be quiet.

Twilight chuckled at her reflection before moving onto the rest of her body, starting with her horn. Which was quite long, had never been filed, and had the distinct curve Twilight had come to expect from ancient unicorns. Her fetlocks could also use a good cut, and her fur was rather long as well in addition to being fairly shaggy.

She didn't feel any warmer though, nor could she even discern what temperature it was at all for that matter.

“I guess I can't complain about that,” Twilight murmured.

She was about to turn away from the window when she noticed movement just beyond the slightly opaque barrier. Glancing out, Twilight found herself at the edge of a small clustering of houses which surrounded a dome-like structure. This central building was about three stories tall and had the width of two average-sized houses placed next to one another.

The exterior was an off white color and had several dozen runes carved into it, though even at this distance Twilight could tell they were inactive, just like the much larger and much more complicated rune she noticed was burnt into the ground around the entire village. Though she couldn't see much of it given her current position, Twilight was able to figure out that the magical circle had not been maintained in a while.

She couldn't tell this other circle’s purpose, though she reasoned it had to be fairly grand in scale given just how big it was. The houses were also quite ramshackle to say the least, with each being little more than lean-tos or simple wooden cabins with sod roofs. It was the picture of a frontier town, though the placement of the homes left Twilight confused, but she reasoned it had something to do with the burn rune.

Either way, her own home seemed to be near it, but apart at the same time, with only a thin trail connecting it to the small village. There did seem to be some new construction going up though, and Twilight could see a dozen or so ponies moving about the area. Nearly all were unicorns with a few earth ponies and a single pegasus.

The unicorns were scruffy and had unfiled and curved horns like Twilight did, though they weren't quite as long. Twilight couldn't help but rub a hoof across the abrasive iron bars idly as she watched them, pondering if it would be okay to file it or not. She reminded herself that this wasn't her body and chose to simply ignore the unpleasant sensation that tickled at the back of her mind.

She took one last look around, and found that other than the small village at the center, several farms had sprung up around them. All the buildings looked new, and yet ancient at the same time, their methods of construction clearly outdated by a thousand years or more. Only a single road left the area, and it extended as far as Twilight could see across the great plains which surrounded them.

Only a small orchard to the left, a distant mountain before her, and an equally remote cluster of trees to her right broke up the horizon. Twilight wondered if this was Ponyville, but that didn't make sense as the Everfree was nowhere in sight. Not only that, but even if the mountain she saw was the Canterhorn, it was slightly bigger than the one Twilight remembered.

She had also certainly never seen a weird dome building in Ponyville, nor had she ever heard of one existing for that matter. That was without even considering the enormous burn rune on the ground which would have left a magical signature even hundreds, if not thousands of years later. Pushing those thoughts out of her mind, Twilight decided to start walking around. Her head felt oddly full with all the information she had just gathered.

To that end she started by finishing her inspection of the office she found herself in, beginning with the shelves which grew out of the wall to her left and housed a great number of books, each one of which seemed to vary greatly in some small way. It was obvious that they had each been created by individual artisans, and that the printing press may not even exist at this point in time.

A dour thought Twilight pushed out of her mind as she walked out of the room. Putting the cramped office behind, she found herself in an even more cramped hallway which had three doors leading off it. To her right were a set of stairs going down while in front of her was a bedroom equally as tight as the office. It contained a simple dresser grown from the wall, a small twin-sized bed covered with furs, and another iron-barred window.

It also had a weapon rack which startled Twilight as she hadn't been expecting to see such a thing in her home, even if it was a different her’s house. Nor was she expecting to find a crossbow so large it looked like a small ballista, or a spear tipped with a strange black metal. Neither had been used for quite some time though judging by the covering of dust, which set Twilight’s heart at ease.

This Twilight may know how to fight, but Twilight herself was still amauter at best, despite Rainbow Dash’s attempts to help her improve. The last room on the second story was a bathroom, though calling it that felt generous as it was just a tiny room with three buckets in it. One was clearly meant to be a wash basin, the other intended to haul water while the last one… well the last one’s purpose was obvious given the foul odor it gave off.

“I sure hope I don't actually have to use that thing,” Twilight muttered. “Though I suppose it's a step up from squatting in the woods.”

Shaking her head, Twilight made her way downstairs to the combination of living room, kitchen, and dining room. There it was all one wide open space with the only windows being the two which flanked her exit. A primitive icebox stood in one corner, and a fireplace served as a cooking surface this Twilight evidently didn't use much, given the dust.

Checking the fireplace with a simple spell told Twilight that the wooden fireplace was indeed reinforced with magic, ensuring it didn't burn down the house when used. Even still, it felt a bit silly to see, and Twilight quickly turned her attention to the rather spartan living room on one end of the space.

Where a simple high-backed wooden seat sat across from a large rocking chair with a sun carved into it. The design almost looked like Celestia’s cutie mark, except the corona was less orderly, for lack of a better word. The flames were of varying length and had a certain vibrancing to them that Celestia’s mark seemed to lack.

The sight put a bad taste in her mouth, so Twilight quickly turned away from it and finished looking through the last of the home. She found a few simple foodstuffs that smelled a bit like dried meat and aged berries. A small table as well as a few fiction books completed the sitting area. The only thing out of the ordinary was the faintly glowing rune carved above the doorway which Twilight immediately began to inspect.

A quick scan told her that it was a reinforcement spell which would activate a set of primitive fire resistant enchantments placed on the home. The spellwork was good, but outdated by a dozen centuries or more. At least it looked nice, Twilight thought to herself as she inspected the spell.

There was also another spear sitting next to the door, which had the same black tip and heavy layer of dust that its twin did.

“Someone is paranoid about her home being invaded,” Twilight thought as she gazed at the barred windows once again.

It was then that she realized what she had just done a few seconds earlier, and her eyes went wide.

“I can still do magic!” she proclaimed, smacking herself upside the head. “How did I not notice that!”

The relief Twilight felt was palpable and immediate, though it was stifled somewhat by the fact that she had already replaced most of her spells. She didn't really need her old magic anymore, given how many alternatives she had found, though the sight of a functional horn on her head was a pleasant one.

No matter how long she had stared at the shattered stump, it never seemed to grow easier to see in the mirror. It was like looking at the bloody remnants of a limb that she knew would never grow back. Twilight briefly wondered if that was how Pinkie Pie felt whenever she lost a limb, or if the troll had simply gotten used to it.

Either way, she had bigger concerns, and she turned back and walked upstairs to the office. If anything would give her more insight to her current place in time, then it was probably in the journal she had noticed before. Maybe if she was lucky, she would even be able to find a clue as to why she was here.

“And after that we have to go find out if they have any more wood available,” stated a male voice.

“I don't know, Sod, trade may be picking up, but we are still a long way from any tree that doesn't have apples growing on it,” retorted a second passing voice.

Trotting over to the window, Twilight watched as a unicorn stallion and an earth pony mare trotted past her house. Though the actual words they said seemed fairly unimportant, the fact that Twilight understood them bothered her. It was at least a thousand years in the past from Twilight’s perspective, and yet it sounded like modern Equish, or at least it sort of did.

Twilight hummed thoughtfully as she stared at the retreating forms. “Perhaps my mind is simply translating it since this Twilight knows the language? If that's true, then it leads to a whole cornucopia of questions about the nature of memory which I don't have the time to get into.”

Twilight paused and then gazed down at her shadow. “You know, it's kinda lonely without you here. I had gotten rather used to having the excuse of bouncing my thoughts off the nightmare.”

Shaking her head, Twilight shifted her attention back to the whole reason she had come back upstairs in the first place. Namely the journal which the other version of herself had been writing in before Twilight had taken her body. That particular thought made Twilight feel a little guilty, and a bit unpleasant to boot, though she quickly pushed past any lingering unpleasantness.

“If she knew what I was going through, she would understand,” Twilight reassured herself. “Though I don't think I would like it if a different version of me read my journal.” She sighed. “It must be done.”

The words before her looked like gibberish for several seconds before her eyes seemed to adjust, and the letters shifted into more familiar shapes. It was as unpleasant as it was surprising, and Twilight briefly wondered if this was all part of the time travel spell. Or perhaps it was due to the meeting with the thing which lay beneath it all, though that was a thought Twilight didn't even want to consider.

She got what she wanted and didn't have to painstakingly learn the written or spoken languages of the time, so she chose to ignore her curiosity for now.

It is the twenty-second of July… What did Tia call it? The first year of Harmony?

I’ll never get used to that. Even if I understand why she chose to get rid of all remnants of the dragons’ rule, including their calendar, it is still inconvenient to my record keeping. Still, I suppose that's a concern for another time. For now I’m happy to report that things are going well. The tree is growing steadily, my research continues to bear fruit, and I grow increasingly close to reviving my mentor. That is perhaps a topic for another time though as…

Twilight frowned. The rest of the page seemed to be filled with a rather mundane discussion of the town’s progress and how the other Twilight was dealing with the end of a war. This other mare laboriously went over how the local farmers were managing to acquire wood from the distant forests. How those same ponies were planning a great feast, and her estimates for the possible food output of the area.

To say that it was dull would be an understatement, and Twilight was almost a little happy that she had apparently interrupted this other Twilight’s writing. Halfway through her idle musings on breeding grass to be more nutritious, the quill had been dropped. Twilight assumed this was when she had arrived back in time, though it had evidently been an hour or two later when she woke up.

Another thought for another time.

Flipping back to the beginning of the journal, Twilight was about to start reading when she realized it was unreadable once more. After checking that it wasn't a spell, and that she could still read the final entry, Twilight concluded it was simply written in some manner of code. Her brain seemed to understand most of the letters, though there were a few with no modern analogue.

Cursing under her breath, Twilight flipped through the pages until she found one she could read.

Blast. I wrote the date in code out of habit. I really should take a note from Máni and cut loose a little more. They at least know how to enjoy themselves.

Who am I kidding, that's never going to happen. Not until the threat is dealt with permanently, and all wrongs have been righted. That is not something I expect to happen for a long time, however. Though hopefully it does happen within my expectedly long life.

Even still, writing like this leaves me with an uncomfortable feeling at the pit of my stomach. New enemies are already lurking at the edges of our kingdom, and I don't think it will be long before someone claims the throne left behind by the now-extinct dragons. Sad will be the day when someone declares themselves the heir apparent of the eternal empire.

There were several dots next to one another, indicating that the writer struggled to begin the next paragraph.

I am no longer the head of the magical research division. It came as a bit of a surprise, but after hearing Máni’s and Sól’s explanation, I can't help but agree with them, even if I still yearn for my old position. More will come seeking to plunder the breadbasket of the old empire, of that I am certain.

For now, I will simply wait until I am needed and assist the local earthborn in their tasks. The population boom I expect to see will strain our current resource production capabilities, and so long as I draw breath, I swear to ensure no pony goes hungry again.

Still.

Even with a task before me, I find myself unable to sit still. Sól, or should I say Celestia, as she is now calling herself, would likely tease me mercilessly if she saw me toiling away into the wee hours of the morning coming up with backup plans for the dragon’s revival.

We would be screwed, by the way.

We only just completed the great change before the dragons crushed our last rebellion. With their full attention turned to our upstart little nation, we would be annihilated within a fortnight or two if we were lucky. If my body still required sleep, this fact would likely leave me unable to do so.

Twilight stopped, her hoof tapping nervously against the table. She knew the dragons were incredibly powerful, but she hadn't even considered the possibility of them ever waking up again. The mere thought of fighting a group of creatures capable of fighting a star-spanning empire of alicorns made her stomach flip flop in her midsection.

“Those names don't sound like ones given to ponies, perhaps the alicorn’s culture was more different from the pony society they ruled then first anticipated,” Twilight muttered. “Either way, it seems like they have changed their names to better integrate themselves.”

She turned back to the journal.

Regardless, I have work to do and preparations to make. As terrible as it may sound, I thank the stars that there are more problems to solve. I don't think I could live with myself if I was left alone with my thoughts for too long.

My brother’s screams still stay with me. Sometimes I swear that I can hear them on the wind.

There was another line under that one, but it was stricken through so many times that it was illegible.

The tests have proven quite successful, and I find myself in tune with the tree’s spirit. A most pleasant change of pace, let me assure you. I did not want to take any time from our carpenters just because I wanted a desk and a place to store my books. Especially with so many of our kin going without homes of their own.

The entry continued to go on like this for quite a while, with little new information being offered, and the author pouring over minute details to the point of boredom. It seemed to Twilight like she was purposefully distracting themselves from the unpleasant thoughts which continued to plague her. Twilight could certainly understand why this other version of herself may have done that, but it didn't help her growing curiosity.

Without any portraits or pictures, it was difficult to tell if her past self had any family which may burst in on her on a moment’s notice. Twilight hated to imagine the potential damage that would come to both her current and past selves, should it be discovered that she was not their Twilight. With that thought firmly in mind, Twilight was determined to figure out as much about this other version of herself in order to not accidentally ruin her life.

She felt bad enough about borrowing her body, after all.

The journal contained little else that was relevant to Twilight’s current quest of finding where Luna would be buried, and where she could learn to speak the dragon tongue. Mostly it described her former self’s experimentation with crop yields, rotation strategies, as well as other more magically oriented tests. Though it was all fairly interesting stuff, it was ancient, and was akin to reading about a cave pony describing their plans to build the wheel.

One of the few things she was able to gather was that this Twilight had at one point fought on the front line of this war. She had killed, been injured, and had nearly died more than a few times, only to be healed by Celestia each time. Without the alicorn in question, this Twilight would likely be limbless, hornless, and blind.

Twilight shuddered at the mere notion of finding herself in such a body, as it would mean she would be stuck that way until she died and her soul returned to its proper container. Or at least, she hoped that's how it worked as she hadn't exactly considered that death was a possibility. After briefly cursing her past/future self for being so quick to cast the spell, Twilight went back to going over what she had discovered.

Like how this Twilight struggled to live a normal, peaceful existence in the town that had only existed to serve as a secret research base. Apparently the world lines were at a perfect location to power a rather strong invisibility spell which made it unable to be spotted from the air. This explained why the town was mostly made up of unicorns and their earth pony assistants.

She wondered briefly why they were called the earthborn, skyborn, and starborn before brushing that off. That was likely just how the dragons referred to them, and like Celestia and Luna’s names, were changing now that they were defeated. Though at first all the name changing felt a little juvenile to Twilight, as her understanding of the dragon’s cruelty grew, she quickly came to understand.

This wasn't just some minor disagreement that had blown up, after all, these dragons seemed intent on keeping ponies as slaves forever. That, and they were also bound and determined to wipe out the last of the alicorns, or as the dragons called them, the heavensent. With all that in mind, it made sense as to why they had gone through with such a drastic plan to be rid of the winged horrors.

The journal wasn't all about the war, however. This other Twilight also took many opportunities to lament the loss of her lab equipment, though it had only been sent to someplace called Fort Hollow Shades. Wherever that was.

As the minutes had turned to hours, Twilight had been about ready to give up on the journal when she came across a rather interesting page near the end.

January second, three thousand four hundred and ninety-eight of the Eternal Summer.

Oh, what wonderful news I have just received.

I nearly have everything that I require to resurrect Jörð. Or should I say Cadance? I know she changed her name far before the others did, but this is intended to serve as a record of sorts, so… Regardless, that doesn't matter right now.

The problem of power has been solved. My dear little flame has found out how to give unto me a part of her very being. I admit I thought she was flirting at first, but after resolving that slight misunderstanding, I was even more exhilarated. If it works as it seems it is likely to, then I shall inherit, for a very short time, the power of a heavensent.

Though not enough to enable me to ascend, something impossible to achieve anyway, given my status as only being half alive in the first place, it will allow me to briefly harness the power necessary to bring her back. A part of me wishes that one of our newly minted princesses had the aptitude for soul magic, so that the responsibility would not lie on my shoulders. Another part of me rebels at the mere possibility of anyone but I being the one to bring my dear sweet Cadance back.

I fear that I am so thrilled that even my horn writing is suffering for it. I’m going to double check my notes, and ensure that I am ready for the quickly approaching day.

Soon, dear sister, soon.

Twilight didn't need to read through her past self’s notes to find the spell to raise Cadance, for it was one she already knew. She had simply never had the power necessary to actually cast such a spell, though Twilight considered looking anyway, just to be sure. This line of thinking made Twilight consider just how powerful this version of her was, as she didn't feel as strong as before.

Even levitating the book for two hours or so was enough to bring on the unique kind of exhaustion which only came about after using one’s magic for too long. It was a feeling that Twilight had not experienced for quite some time, as the sensation of using necromancy too much was slightly different. Now familiar with this body and its reserves, Twilight ran through a few quick tests, only to curse bitterly and slam her hoof against the desk.

“I knew this was too good to be true,” Twilight muttered to herself. “I don't even have the power to cast the time-sending spell again.”

Her face hit the desk a moment later, and the pony let out a low groan. “I really should have studied that spell more.”

After a long silence broken only by the distant chirping of some unknown birds, Twilight rose once more. She set her shoulders and dabbed her quill in ink before turning to the next page and beginning a new addition to the journal.

The first thing she did was write a short apology to this other Twilight, preceded by a detailed explanation of why she was here. She then went on to explain that she intended to raise Cadance and use the power boost to switch them back. Twilight ended this short explanation with another apology, and finally a promise to not use such a spell again under any circumstances.

The possibility of screwing things up was far too great, and Twilight cursed her snap decision to use it in the first place. All of her friends had warned her, and now that the worst had come to pass, Twilight only had herself to blame.

Once done, Twilight put away the quill and stood up, pacing back and forth behind the desk.

“I need to complete the ritual, raise Cadance, and return home. That much is obvious, but can I even do necromancy here?” Twilight asked the empty room.

She called the familiar magic and extended a ghostly hoof from her chest. The action was an easy one, though again she felt the strain of this Twilight’s limited pool of magic. A few more spells later, and Twilight was confident that she could enact the necessary ritual if given the chance and the boost her past self mentioned.

“I could simply take whatever manner of potion Celestia has come up with,” Twilight offered, only to shake her head. “No, that would be cruel. It's obviously not just something you can whip up whenever you like and beyond that, it would put past me in a bad spot.”

Resuming her pacing, Twilight ran through more plans, considerations, and ideas before eventually realizing that she simply didn't know enough about this version of herself. Sure, she had the basics, as well as a fairly moderate understanding of how she talked and carried herself, but that wouldn't be enough. Twilight needed to know how others thought of her, how they treated her, and how the world itself saw her.

If she knew all that, then maybe Twilight could pretend to be this past version of herself without screwing up anyone’s lives.

To that end she needed to go outside and to be amongst the other ponies of their strange village.

“If I can't fool even the ponies of this town, then I won't be able to fool Celestia whom this other Twilight apparently has a crush on,” Twilight muttered to herself while trying desperately not to think about the vile alicorn. “Maybe I should tell her I hate her or something.”

Twilight sighed and kicked the floor. “I can't do that. Celestia might not even be evil yet.”

After mulling it over for a moment, Twilight turned and trotted towards the stairs, then made a beeline to the front door. First and foremost in Twilight’s mind was the need for more information on the area. While she was doing that, she could figure out how better to pose as this other version of herself.

She opened the door and took her first step out into this new and strange world she found herself in. Just like she had anticipated, there were more plains, fields, and only a scattered few ponies dotting the landscape. From the position of the sun it was noon, which made sense, as Twilight was growing rather hungry. Though what she had in the house was unappetizing, to say the least.

After observing the comings and goings of the other ponies, Twilight turned to town and began the short journey towards the budding village. As she walked, she quickly realized that the burnt rune was nearly a mile across, with ample room to hide the whole village plus her tree. A few farms fell within that radius as well, leading Twilight to think that the facility was likely intended to be self-sufficient.

Which made sense, as the tracks of a supply train leading to the town would be a dead giveaway for its location. Twilight was drawn from her thoughts when a slightly elderly pair of ponies began to near her, their heads held low. Both lacked fur around their throats and had a haunted look to them.

They seemed to be in their early sixties at the earliest, though they were weathered in ways that Twilight couldn't quite put into words. The pegasus mare had teal fur, a mint green mane, and a cutie mark of a cloud which was in the middle of being busted. Her companion was a ruddy brown earth pony with an orange mane and a cutie mark of a large healthy pumpkin.

Twilight considered saying something to them, but they refused to meet her gaze, dissuading true conversation through body language.

“Good morrow, Director,” whispered the mare.

Twilight merely nodded, unable to come up with the proper response.

It was clear that these two had been slaves to the dragons at one point. A thought Twilight found increasingly unnerving with each passing moment she considered it. For although she herself may have come from a dark time, this place had a unique darkness all its own.

Will I one day see horrors the likes that they have? Twilight thought to herself as she trotted towards town.

Pushing that thought out of mind, Twilight trotted over to a new building going up at the edge of town and inspected the workers. From her understanding this other Twilight had done something similar more than a few times. Almost immediately upon arrival, everyone began to move with increased purpose, much like Twilight was a returning foreman.

She watched as the ponies scurried about, none stopping to chat save for a slightly younger unicorn who emerged from the skeletal structure. Upon seeing Twilight, her red eyes opened wide, and she bounced excitedly over to the other unicorn. Her long curly yellow locks bobbed along with her as she trotted excitedly towards Twilight at a quick pace.

Her fur was a slightly lighter shade of crimson, and her horn was nearly as long as Twilight’s own. She almost looked like Sunset Shimmer in a way, but this mare’s cutie mark was not a sun but rather an open book. Twilight could never see Sunset Shimmer bouncing either, though it would be funny to witness.

“Heya, Director Sparkle!” greeted the pony, waving excitedly.

Twilight snorted. “Do you need something?”

The pony shook her head. “Nope. Just wanted to say hi and see what you were up to. You’ve been cooped up in your tree for a while now.”

“I’ve been…” Twilight hesitated, “busy.”

“No kidding. You’ve been working on some super secret project for like forever,” continued the pony, who leaned in close and lowered her voice. “Word is that you’ve been working on a cure for Sinthgunt.”

Twilight’s frown deepened when she realized that was not a name she had come across, though it felt vaguely familiar for some reason.

“I’m afraid that's a secret,” Twilight replied.

The unicorn frowned briefly before letting out a long sigh. “Come on, boss. You know I could help you if you just let me.”

“You are…” Twilight bit her tongue briefly. “Too young.”

“Augh, that's what you always say!” the mare whined and threw up her hooves. “If I was old enough to help out at the research center, then I’m old enough to help you out with whatever this is!”

Twilight resisted the urge to chew on the inside of her cheek as she tried to come up with something that sounded correct.

“Don't worry. You will be able to help in due time,” Twilight stated after a short pause.

The pony sighed again, this time in an increasingly irritated manner. “Fine, whatever. I guess I’ll just go back to spending my days utilizing my vast pool of magic to lift beams and hammer stuff!”

Twilight chuckled to herself as the unicorn trotted away. It was clear she was angry, and also that this was an interaction past Twilight had already engaged in several times. As she was busy congratulating herself, Twilight noticed another pony approaching her, this one being an earth pony stallion.

His fur was an off white, and his mane was grey while his green eyes sparkled like twin emeralds. “Sorry about Open Book. She isn't exactly happy going from saving the world to just building houses,” he stated.

“It's fine,” Twilight replied quickly, waving off the remark with a hoof. “Something tells me that she and I will be having the same conversation again soon enough.”

“Very true.” He chuckled. “Are you here to see Disco--I mean Sinthgunt?”

For some reason the name Discord made Twilight want to glare at the stallion, but she resisted the urge to do so.

“I was considering it,” Twilight replied, slightly startled at how strained her own voice sounded.

“S-sorry for bringing it up, Director. It's just the guys have been doing some work converting the dome thingy into a town hall, and he's just kinda standing in the way,” murmured the stallion in a low, apologetic tone.

Twilight nodded. “That will be all.”

“Good morrow, Director.” He bowed his head in defrance.

Twilight snorted and walked away, rather surprised at her own actions, though she made sure that the shock she felt did not reach her face. As she walked away, she couldn't help but notice how the few others she crossed paths with kept a fair distance from her. Evidently the townsfolk knew this other Twilight well enough to know when she looked irritated and understood how best to respond.

Purposefully maintaining the unpleasant expression wasn't difficult as Twilight made her way towards the dome at the center of town. As she walked, she made a note that everything had been built around the burnt rune in question which fed back to the strange structure. It made Twilight realize that they had used the building itself as the inner circle of the runic enchantment which lay over the entire town.

That small tidbit of information wasn't especially relevant, however, and Twilight chose to put it out of her mind as she trotted up to the only door visible on this side of the dome. Even the entrance was at an odd angle, meaning it would have to be pulled open much the way one would enter a cellar. A task which in itself wasn't difficult to Twilight who easily did just that before stepping inside the circular space.

Once within, Twilight quickly realized just how large the space truly was, as it hadn't been readily apparent from the outside. No support structures could be seen, and though a few were being added, they seemed mainly designed to allow walls to be erected. A few of which had already been framed, and were in the middle of being finished, along with several other half completed rooms.

None of that mattered to Twilight, as it was that which stood in the midst of it all that grabbed her attention.

There in the center of all the work was a great statue bearing a horrified expression and a mismatched set of limbs. The creature’s head was adorned by two different types of horned appendages, one which branched out like that of a deer while the other grew straight back not unlike a goat’s. A single pointed tooth sprouted from its otherwise flat teeth, while on the back of its neck was a short mane.

The distraught expression on the statue’s face seemed to be directed at its hands raised before it. The left of which was that of a gryphon, while the right limb looked like it would be more at home attached to a lion. Two different wings sprouted from its back, one belonging to an oversized bat, and its twin resembling the kind which adorned a pegasus’ back.

Its legs ended with a hoof on one side, and a talon of a dragon on the other. The only consistent part of its body was its long serpentine torso. Though the statue reminded Twilight of the creature she had seen in the woods, that wasn't what struck her at the moment.

Rather it was the look of pure unadulterated horror, panic, and fear which adorned the creature’s face. It was a sight which made a deep ocean of pity well from the very depths of Twilight’s soul.

“Director Sparkle, are you okay?” asked a soft voice from nearby.

Twilight turned to where a guard stood at the base of the statue, completely ignored by Twilight when she had first approached. Upon their eyes meeting, the young stallion winced like Twilight had slapped him firmly across the face.

“It's okay,” Twilight muttered. “I was just caught up in my thoughts.”

The stallion gulped and awkwardly tipped his too large helm back into place. “You don't still feel guilty, do you? You couldn't have known that would happen!”

Twilight’s frown deepened, and for a long moment she wondered how best to respond. Fishing for information wouldn't work, as this Twilight likely knew everything that had happened. Unless Twilight poured what little acting talent she had into a simple, honest request.

“Tell me his story,” she whispered, glancing up at the statue. “I want to hear it from someone else.”

The guard nodded eagerly and raised his spear to gesture at the strange, inanimate creature. “Behold Sinthgunt the beloved. Abandoned by his abhorrent kin, Sinthgunt was given a name worthy of a divine before being raised alongside the Sun and Moon,” exclaimed the guard, whose every word dripped with reverence.

“With the love of his adopted siblings,” the guard gave Twilight a knowing look, “the former runt grew up strong and noble. Gone was the vile greed which corrupted his foul kin, replaced by humility and dedication.”

The stallion extended a hoof and moved it along the horizon. “Far and wide the young dragon went, helping those he could in secret. Long did he aid the cause of freedom and justice, but despite his efforts, he knew that a grand action needed to be taken.

“So he tricked an elder of his kind into giving him the knowledge of soul magic, which he then gave unto the ponies who could learn it,” he continued, giving Twilight another purposeful look. “Even with this great boon, our kin still could not free themselves, and so a more drastic plan was concocted. One which would end the draconic threat once and for all.”

Twilight frowned, already knowing where this was going.

“Great Sinthgunt accepted the risks and chose to serve as the catalyst, even knowing it may cost him his life,” explained the young stallion. “Now he stands at the site of his greatest triumph forever more.”

Twilight sighed and opened her mouth to speak, only to be surprised when she noticed tears trickling down her face. Gently wiping them away, she gave the guard a small nod.

“Thank you. I think I needed to hear it from someone else for a change,” Twilight whispered.

The guard tipped his poorly fitted helmet. “Not a problem, esteemed director.”

Twilight turned and began to walk away, idly noting that the few ponies who had gathered to observe her interaction immediately began to scatter. Evidently this Twilight wasn't used to displays of outward emotion, which was good as Twilight herself didn't trust her acting abilities. As she walked, she couldn't help but think of the tale she had just heard, for although brief, it was heart-wrenching.

Evidently something terrible and unforeseen had happened to him before another version of herself killed him. To say this thought was a bit morbid would be an understatement, and Twilight couldn't help but wonder if in the end, that other version of herself had figured out what she now had. It would make sense, given how desperately she had tried to bring this Discord slash Sinthgunt person back from the dead.

It was a consideration for another time though, as she needed to find some food, and perhaps fish for more information while she was at it. There were still a great many unknowns in this time period, like for one, the location of Hollow Shades itself. That was where all of this previous Twilight’s notes and research materials went, and she wanted to check over before she began the ritual.

She didn't want to screw this up, and double checking everything this other version of herself had found out seemed like a prudent course of action. After all, if she failed, not only would she suffer for it, but so would Cadance, and the Twilight she was currently inhabiting. Without considering all the temporal issues that may cause, it would also make Twilight feel incredibly guilty.

She sighed and made her way outside where she stood awkwardly, trying to figure out where to go. Obviously there wouldn't be a cafe or a restaurant, given the size of such a small village, nevermind the time period. Twilight was very nearly tempted to go back to the tree in order to try one of the strange brown bars located in her icebox before she smelt something familiar.

“Is that… a bakery?” Twilight murmured.

Following her nose led Twilight to the other side of the dome to where a small group of carts made an impromptu marketplace. Though most were unmanned, one had a rather bored effeminate earth pony stallion standing behind the counter. His long mane was the color of fresh cut wheat and nearly covered his mismatched eyes, one of which was orange while the other was an off-grey.

Though missing a wing, the pony was clearly a pegasus. His cart was surprisingly empty, though his eyes did light up the second they met Twilight’s gaze, and he quickly ducked down. He emerged with a basket of muffins a second later, and Twilight hurried over, an eager look crossing her face.

“Good afternoon,” she greeted.

“Honored director. It's nice to see you.” He bowed his head slightly. “Let me guess, the regular?”

Twilight briefly considered saying no, but that might seem out of character, so she simply nodded. “Of course.”

The pegasus’ hoof passed over a muffin stuffed to the brim with blueberries and landed on what looked like a bran muffin. The sight made Twilight a little disappointed in her past self, though at this point she was too hungry to deny the offer of food.

“What do I owe you?” Twilight replied before immediately realizing that she had no manner of currency on her. Not only that, but she had no idea what their money even looked like.

“Owe?” asked the pegasus curiously. “Why, you don't owe me anything, Director.”

Twilight snorted gruffly and took a bite out of the muffin, trying to ignore how bland it tasted due to the lack of sweetness. At least it was fresh and evidently made with love and care, given just perfectly round the top was. With a little food now making its way into her belly, Twilight noticed a pair of ponies were approaching the stand.

After stepping out of the way, she observed as they briefly conversed with the one-winged pegasus before leaning against a vacant stall nearby and eating their muffins. Twilight considered leaving, only to overhear an interesting snippet of conversation while chewing on her own small meal.

“So, do you really think that Jörð is dead?” asked the stallion before biting into his snack.

“Stars and stones, Little Brook, you don't just start a conversation like that,” reprimanded the mare in a harsh whisper.

“What? I’m curious as to what you think. Surely you aren't like Stone Hammer and believe she just went on vacation,” replied the male.

“For one, her name is Cadance and secondly, Celestia herself said she was merely taking time to rest and recuperate back at fort Hollow Shades. Are you really saying that a divine lied to us?” countered the female pointedly.

The earth pony raised his forelegs defensively. “No no. Nothing like that, but you know her. Celestia wouldn't want to start a panic.”

“Regardless, the heavensent are immortal, Little Brook. You can't kill one,” the female stated firmly.

“Well, maybe not forever, but what if they go into regenerative trances like really old dragons do?” pressed the earth pony.

His companion swallowed hard and shook her horned head. “That's not the point. We owe our lives to the divines. Questioning them is dangerous.”

“Hey, I’m not saying they are lying or anything. Just not telling the whole truth,” Little Brook explained.

“Watch it, Little Brook. I may not be a churchgoer, but that sounded an awful lot like heresy,” she whispered.

Her companion gulped. “Oh, come on. I’m not doubting their status as divine or anything. I’m just saying that Sól--”

“Celestia,” she corrected.

“Celestia has a habit of downplaying bad events because she doesn't want us to worry,” he replied in a defensive tone.

“I should probably interrupt before Little Brook ends up in the doghouse again,” whispered the pegasus vendor.

“I don't know. It may be hard to get his hoof all the way out of his throat,” Twilight joked back.

The pegasus’ eyes went wide before he broke out into a half-stifled giggle. “Oh, that is too good. You should make jokes more often.”

“Maybe I will,” Twilight muttered.

“Look this isn't about their status as divines, I’m just saying-”
“And I’m just saying to shut your stupid mouth before you say something you can't take back!” yelled the mare.

“Hey, do you think when Cadance comes back, she’ll bless my wedding?” offered the pegasus.

Both of the other ponies blinked, looked at one another, and shared a snicker.

“Yeah, right. That means you’d actually have to ask Still Waters out,” remarked the male.

“And that's about as likely as Cadance blessing my bed chambers,” added the female.

Together the pair laughed aloud along with the baker, who blushed slightly.

“Hey, I’ll talk to him… eventually,” murmured the pegasus.

“Come on, Little, we should get back to work,” remarked the unicorn.

“Augh, would you stop calling me that? I’m bigger than you!” Little Brook retorted.

The female smirked and elbowed him. “Well, actually you’re short for a stallion, and I’m tall for a mare, so-”

Twilight tuned out the rest of the conversation and turned to the baker. “Do they argue often?”

“You would know. You worked with them for a few years,” he replied in a confused tone.

“I meant about Cadance,” Twilight quickly corrected.

“Nah, that part is new. Though they did argue about her name for a while,” explained the pegasus.

“At least that hasn't changed,” muttered Twilight. “Well, I better get going.”

“Wait!” he called grabbed Twilight by the shoulder. “I just wanted to thank you for what you’ve done.”

“What are you talking about?” Twilight asked, her tone sounding slightly more stern than she had intended.

“Oh, come on. I know it's still officially a secret, but everyone knows you were responsible for getting rid of the dragons once and for all,” the pegasus replied dismissively.

Twilight frowned, and for a moment considered keeping up the facade of serious dismissal, only to cave a moment later. “I may have been involved.”

The pegasus beamed and pumped a hoof in the air, his lone wing flapping uselessly. “Oh, I knew it. My mom said it was all Celestia’s doing, but I knew better.”

“Yes, well. Don't go telling everyone, okay?” Twilight stated firmly.

“I mean, it's an open secret at this point, but if you don't want me to, then that's totally fine. I’m just glad that they're gone. Maybe now Dad can finally rest,” remarked the baker in a low tone.

Twilight’s frown deepened when her gaze lingered on the twitched, burnt stump attached to his back. “It was something that had to be done.”

“I won't take any more of your time, Director. Go in peace,” whispered the pegasus and bowed his head low.

A little uncomfortable, Twilight turned and began making her way back to the tree home. As she walked, she picked up bits of conversations like how a group of older ponies were gossipping about Canterlot. They wondered if the fortress city would be abandoned now that the dragons were defeated, and though interesting, Twilight didn't pay attention to them.

Her mind was already awhirl with possibilities and considerations too numerous to count. Plans were imagined and dropped one after another, her curiosity burning away at her throughout it all. Twilight wished she could simply indulge her inner historian and observe her surroundings carefully, but unfortunately that was impossible.

She had too much to do, and too many things were left up in the air.

“Start a list,” Twilight muttered to herself.

Number one had to be locating one of the princesses, hopefully Luna, as Twilight really didn't want to see Celestia. Even if she wasn't evil at this point in time, Twilight doubted she would be able to keep her composure if faced with the alicorn.

The second thing she had to do was double check the progress of the resurrection and after that she would be free to achieve her own goals.

Namely finding out where Luna was buried and learning the dragon language.

That's if I can even bring the knowledge back with me in the first place, Twilight thought to herself. I hate time travel. After this I am so not using it unless I absolutely need to for some reason.

As she walked back through the village and made her way past the outskirts, Twilight couldn't help but enjoy the quiet. Though she had gotten used to the slightly cramped and clustered conditions of Ponyville, Twilight always missed the wide open skies of Canterlot. For all its faults, the city truly did make its inhabitants feel like they were on top of the world, with views that would likely put all other cities to shame.

Out here on the open prairie, it felt almost close to Canterlot, though without the feeling of vertigo Twilight always got when she looked down.

Chuckling to herself, she couldn't help but recall a trip she had taken to Canterlot’s wall when she was very young. Her mother had helped her to peer over the side and subsequently carry Twilight the whole way home. Twilight still remembered the feeling of her mother’s fur as she clung to the other pony’s back, terrified she would fall down the mountain if she let go.

“Ahh, there you are,” exclaimed a familiar voice, drawing Twilight from her thoughts. “I was worried you had gone back to Hollow Shades again.”

Twilight’s eyes went wide, her heart rate quickened and her breathing short as she realized who was standing nearby.

Celestia blinked and looked down at the small bouquet of wildflowers she held in her grip. “Oh, are you allergic, my love? I thought for certain that I had given you these before.”

Twilight placed a hoof against her chest in a vain effort to slow her breathing, reminding herself to keep up appearances, and that this wasn't the Celestia she knew.

“Oh, what am I saying? Your condition likely made your allergies go away on their own,” Celestia continued, a small graceful smile crossing her broad features. “Isn't that right, dear?”

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