mylittlejamjar | Book 7: Conspirator By Trust [visual]

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Book 7: Conspirator By Trust [visual]

I've already told a few of you this. Some others may already have been suspecting what I'm about to say, as well, but I want to come out with it completely.

I knew that whole thing was a setup from almost the beginning, and didn't tell anyone. I was asked not to; by whom should be obvious at this point.

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[...]

...Yeah.

I was so pleased that she'd at least told me that I didn't realize it wasn't enough.

[Spike sighs, and stuffs another clawful of gems into his mouth. Maybe if he eats enough, it'll stop hurting. He wants to go to Twilight and hug her, but at the same time, he feels like she doesn't actually trust him. He can't really blame her for that.] I'm sorry, Twilight. I know it's been hard for you. Is Owlowicious at the Library?

[She should have somepony there.]

Yes, he's around. And, um... have as much of tomorrow off as you want. I can't make you forgive me, but we all need the break now.

[He droops more.] No, I... I just don't know what to do. You're my best friend, Twi. [Spike has to stop and rub at his eyes. He shouldn't be doing this over a scroll.] I'll be back in a few minutes.

[A few minutes later, there is, indeed, a little dragon peeking tentatively into the library.] Twilight?

What, do I have to say this to you now too? I'm always happy to see you. Especially now, even.

[In fact she'll walk over and move in for a hug right now.]

[Spike hugs her back fiercely.]

I was so worried about you, Twilight! I'm sorry! Just, please, don't ever do that again.

I won't.

[Telling him that it was more-or-less an extended slumber party would just make him jealous... wouldn't it?]

I was completely safe the whole time, but I understand why you'd feel that way. Anyone, really.

[He pulls back a little bit to look up at her.] Do you think it was worth it? Even a little? I mean... you guys did get Calice to come out. I just wish it hadn't been like it was.

We learned a lot, yes. But that alone... I'm not sure it was enough. I can't really say whether or not it was worth it. A lot of ponies don't.

[Why hide that? No one that did think that way would.]

But it's a sunk cost, that is to say we can't take it back. We have to pick up and keep learning from it. And on that note, there's something I want to show you.

Huh? What is it? [Spike raises his brows curiously. Is it something they got from Calice, maybe?]

I figured Princess Celestia might feel bad about this, too. Worse, maybe, since she's the one that came up with the idea.

So, I wrote a letter. One that I also want you to see, since there's something in it I should've told you.

[It reads:

My friend, Celestia:

I'm sure by now you've seen just what most ponies think about your plan. While it did work, to an extent, all of Equestria paid a hefty price for only a small success. I feel that the distrust is particularly strong throughout the newponies, who don't know about all the good you've done over centuries.

I don't think you can afford to keep hiding things, and I don't say that because I agree with them - I say that because I want to help you, and I don't think you realize how much it's hurting you to do so. Please, get to know them a little more. Take a vacation if you need to; I'm willing to help you with anything you'd otherwise be doing if you do that. But don't give up.

That being said, there's one other thing I should have said earlier: the other Twilight and I, and a few others, know who Cálice was before she turned into who she is know.

Her name was Twilight Sparkle, and she was just like me once.

After finding that out, and combined with what I've experienced otherwise, I'm afraid of turning into something like that, or worse. I don't have a single idea about how to avoid that kind of thing from happening to me, and I thought you might.

-Twilight Sparkle]

[Spike's eyes widen as he reads until they're roughly the size of dinner plates by the time he reaches the end.]

Woah...

[What else can you even say to that? Spike's head is reeling. Twilight. His Twilight. Cálice was...]

Twilight you're never going to be like that. You guys know for sure she was... But she said doesn't care about friendship. That's everything you've studied, though. Everything you've learned!

Edited 2014-10-02 03:52 (UTC)

Yeah. I think I really needed to hear that.

[It won't happen to her because she won't let it. She has about sixty years to stop it... well, no, not really. Who knows when it would happen here.]

Her mind's buried in there somewhere, like Nightmare Moon's was... or so we hope.

But she knew it was coming and prepared... well, let's call her a backup. Not anything as sophisticated as the other me is, but she told us that. Not that we didn't get her without cost, either.

[The number of Twilights in existence the universe over is quickly becoming daunting. Spike's not sure how he's going to manage being an assistant to all of them, at once. But he'll do his best!]

What do you mean 'cost?' Is she okay?

[Spike, no. Don't become the Pale Pony's assistant. That way lies madness, and being summoned as a living statue to fight your friends.]

She wasn't the one that paid.

Cálice erased some of the memories of two of the ponies that retrieved the backup.

[Oh, no.]

Twilight... did she erase your memories?

No, she didn't. It was just Kreutzer and Jappleack - you know, that pony that looks just like Applejack?

...And it wasn't much that was erased, only the parts of it that involved the retrieval itself.

So they can't go back and get for information. [That much is easy to get.] But why leave their memories at all? What is Calice even thinking? She's eaten a whole universe, and she could probably gobble this one up, too. I don't wanna get absorbed, but why hasn't she? Is it because she's... because another you is in there fighting still?

They were just half the team that went in - she couldn't catch the other two.

While it's impossible to tell what she's doing, she must have a plan, since she's me on some level. If Twilight is fighting to take her body back from Cálice, she's probably in... let's call it Inner Canterlot, since it's inside her. The other two that went in said they were feeling a strong pull from that direction.

What, really? [Calice hadn't been able to catch them?] How did the others escape? Can other ponies use it, too? Maybe we could get to Inner Canterlot that way!

Admittedly, I don't have the details, but it could work...

Then that's what we've gotta aim for! What do we need to do to prepare? I can get a checklist going.

We'd need to ask Kyouko.

[...or Sailor Venus but she promised not to blow her secret identity. She'll have to talk to Minako again privately later.]

Kyouko! Right... uh, why? Was she one of the ones who went in before?

Yes.

The other is Sailor Venus, who's a lot harder to get a hold of. Leave talking to her to me, I know a way.

[that way being "talk to the pony behind the mask."]

[action] Shall we wrap it up here?

sparkledragon - 2014-10-17 02:25 (UTC) - Expand

[action] Yes. /DONE stamps

marearcana - 2014-10-17 04:55 (UTC) - Expand

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Book 7: Conspirator By Trust [visual]

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[action] Shall we wrap it up here?

[action] Yes. /DONE stamps