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 "It's... water. The whole world is water, and I don't know why but my house floats. And earth ponies are just ponies and I think they are falling to extinction and..."
 
She hears you tell her the whole story, understanding, patient, and -and it's a while before you notice this one- devouring the information, asking you to repeat yourself several times. Even the times she grabs you in a hug there's that subtle disassociation to her, like she's somewhere else entirely and her body simply happens to not have followed the mind yet.
 
 "It's all like a mirror." You finish. "It's all swapped. And every time I think I have a footing something else pops up. Like how wood and gems cost so much."
 
 "What I am the most surprised is that ponies speak Equiish... Give me a moment to think about this, will you? It's a whole lot of information." She blinks a few times, the sun and moon swapping places several times on the sky like they are fast forwarding for several minutes. "Ah." She nods to herself as the twilight returns and stays. her eyes focusing fully now.
 
 "Princess?"
 
 "I dread formality just a little bit, Leaf. What were you asking?"
 
 "Can I take someone from here back with me?"
 
She blinks at that, changing to a more grave expression, "You mean Seaweed... Forgive me, but it's all too uncertain. Like the spell that took you there was purposefully designed ineptly to obfuscate its operation."
 
 "And Herb?" You ask without thinking. "The Star?"
 
She sighs, "If I have my way I'll make a stable, permanent portal that allows commerce and tourism. But for now you are my top priority, Leaf. You are my little pony."
 
Your throat feels too tight to talk.
 
 "I know you had nothing but admiration for me, Leaf, and I am sorry." She wraps you in her wings, no dissociation to her demeanor this time.
 
 "I never wanted this." You shake your head, "I don't want to leave everyone behind."
 
 "You might not have to." She grabs you tighter, "Do you want to know how did Rarity put hero stories once?"
 
 "I don't care about heroes!" You exclaim.
 
 "The mountain, insurmountable... so Pinkie dug a hole under it." She smooths your mane slowly, deep in reminiscence, "And Applejack walked around it, and I studied the mountain for six hours then teleported, and Fluttershy asked pretty please to use the tram, and Rainbow said 'what the heck' and flew over it." She laughs to herself, even if her eyes are moist too, "Don't worry about heroism or universal ideals. Keep to your principles, think about the situation at hoof, and help your friends do the same."
 
You don't answer to that, instead taking your time to think and calm down, really looking at her for the first time.
 
The bags under her eyes, the way her head hangs a little, how her wings, even when folded, are misaligned, how uncared for they are.
 
 "Princess Twilight?" You ask her, "When was the last time you slept?"
 
 "I've done without for longer," She shakes her head, "Creaking Meadow. Have you heard of her? She was a pegasi who disappeared some three decades ago, the same way as you. Another five decades prior, Whisper's home and I quote 'up and went, only a hole to mark where it been'." She grabs you tighter, as if afraid that someone will take you away. "And to make it worse all three of you seem to have the same broad personality traits. This is both too precise and arbitrary to be natural phenomena, and always happens when no one has the time to look into it."
 
 "Someone did this?" It feels like a loose teeth now, an ache you can't help poking with your tongue, but at least...
 
At least you can now be angry at /someone/ rather than lament in the unfairness of happenstance. It's somehow easier to handle when there is something tangible to focus on.
 
 "Creaking was a writer with a mild obsession with her journals." She ignores your question, you aren't sure if from obliviousness or selective ignorance. "And if written word is as valuable as you are saying it is..." She leaves the words in the air for you.
 
 "...they are in someone's library."
 
 "Find them, Leaf. At least you might find where she went wrong."
 
 "And if I find  there's no way to go back?" You ask, every word painful.
 
 "You have your friends, and something they didn't." She puts a hoof on your chin and makes you look up to her- her face, her beautiful and tired face, close enough to make your heart flutter. "You have me. Don't you trust us to do our best?"