Part 1
You want me to help protect an entire empire?
It is, as I said, a different kind of test. But one I'm certain you will pass.
By joining Princess Cadence and Shining Armor in the Crystal Empire.
He is. Your Ponyville friends will join you as well. I have every confidence you will succeed. And when you do, I'll know you are ready to move on to the next level of your studies.
(Beat)
But Twilight... In the end, it must be you, and you alone, who ultimately assists Princess Cadence and Shining Armor in doing what needs to be done to protect the Empire. Do you understand?
Then go. There is no time to lose.
Twily! You made it. We better get moving. There are things out here we really don't want to run into after dark.
[gulps] What kind of things?
Let's just say the empire... isn't the only thing that's returned.
Something keeps trying to get in! We think it's the unicorn king who originally cursed the place.
But Princess Celestia said I was being sent here to find a way to protect the empire! If King Sombra can't get in, then it must already be protected. [roar]
[gasps] Th-That's one of the things, isn't it?
Guh. We have to get to the Crystal Empire. Now.
[Twilight Sparkle opens a door at the bottom of the staircase with dark magic, revealing a negative vision of the future]
I don't know! I opened the door and-
Doesn't matter to me. You failed the test, Twilight!
[Twilight is horrified, commercial break]
I don't understand! The test-
Not only will you not move on to the next level of your studies, you won't continue your studies at all!
I... you didn't say anything about no longer being your student if I failed!
But... what do I do now?!
[She looks up and sees a stained glass window of Sombra's victory; she drops in sadness and cries.]
[voiceover] Twilight! Twilight?!
[In reality, Twilight is staring at the door hypnotized by Sombra's dark magic.]
Spike TWILIGHT! TWILIIIIIIIGHT!!!!!
[Twilight hears him and comes to her senses; he comes downstairs.]
[rapid fire] I know you told me to stay up there, but you were down here for such a long time and you weren't answering and I got worried, so I came down here, and you were just staring at that wall and... I was calling your name, but I couldn't seem to get your attention, and... What were you looking at? I mean, it's just a wall.
[The door's magic affects Spike]
Ponyville? Well, how did I get... No! I-I don't want to go! Please, Twilight! Don't make me!
[Twilight closes the door, snapping Spike out of it.]
King Sombra's dark magic. A doorway that leads to your worst fear.
We were home... you told me you didn't need me anymore. You were sending me away.
A fear that will never come to pass. I'm never gonna send you away. And I'm not gonna fail my test!
[She uses her own magic on the door, allowing them access through.]
I wish it had been me who ultimately made it so. But it wasn't.
Twilight, as I understand it, Spike brought Princess Cadance the Crystal Heart, because you weren't sure how quickly you could find a way to escape from the tower. You weren't willing to risk the future of the citizens of the Crystal Empire in an effort to guarantee your own. Far better that I have a student who understands the meaning of self-sacrifice, than one who only looks out for her own best interests.
[Celestia nods happily. Outside...]
She's totally gonna lose it! [breathes] Keep it together, Buddy. Gotta stay strong...for Twilight!
[Twilight throws the door open. After a pause...]
[The others cheer happily and Spike hugs Twilight.]
Oh, but wait; I just told myself to not talk to myself any more. I should say something to her. Or, would that still be talking to myself? Excuse me, me? Can I have a word with you? Uh, I mean, me? Listen, I can see you're having lots of fun, but-
PPPinkie Pie duplicate
Fun?! Did somebody say fun? Where?
Okay, between the bunch of us, we should have every nook and cranny of fun in Ponyville covered, at all times. An unprecedented and massive undertaking! But first, a pop quiz on the names I taught you! [flips through drawings on a noteboard]
PPPinkie Pie duplicates
Applejack! Fluttershy! Pinkie Pie!
Excellent. Okay, let's get on with this, folks. Fan out on three. One- [everyone quickly leaves] Eh, good enough.
PPPinkie Pie duplicate 1
[sees the orange-frog that Twilight had made earlier in a window] Is that... Is that a frog crossed with an orange?
PPPinkie Pie duplicate 2
Cool!
PPPinkie Pie duplicate 3
Where? [all three clones are zapped back to the pond by Twilight Sparkle]
PPPinkie Pie duplicate 4
[to another clone] Look what I can do with my hooves! [inflates fingers out of a hoof; both are zapped away]
PPPinkie Pie duplicate 5
Betcha can't make a face crazier than... THIS! [makes a Generation Three face; is zapped away]
Y'see, Babs, we were tryin' to get you back for bein' a big bully...
But then Applejack told us about how you were being bullied back in Manehattan.
And we figured out you were just doing it to avoid getting picked on in Ponyville. But by then... we were the ones being bullies, and... Oh, why does life have to be so ironic?!
[reading] We, the Cutie Mark Crusaders, elect Babs Seed to join us as a sister, friend, [unsurely] confidant, ally, bosom buddy, gal pal, comforter, chum'o'chums...
...Homegirl, Amigo, blah blah blah blah blah... Oh, yes, here. ...and fellow Cutie Mark Crusader! You are solemnly sworn in, here this day, in witness of your fellow sisters, friends, confidants, bosom buddies, compadres...
[interrupts] Congratulations! [quickly, under her breath] Gotta remember to revise that.
