Starlight landed on the nearby cloud as Twilight and Spike arrived, looking apprehensive. The dragon towered over her by now, and magic all but poured off the alicorn. They had just come from a fight in the present, and a fight with Starlight before, and they looked ready to turn this loop into quite the battle. However, they were given pause by Starlight’s approach.  
 
“Twilight?”  
 
“Yes, Starlight?”  
 
“I’m…I’m going to lose.”  
 
“That’s right, you’re going to lose.”  
 
“No, I mean…I’m going to lose now.”  
 
“What do you mean?”  
 
“My spell, Twilight. My anti-aging spell is failing. I can’t hold it much longer.”  
 
“Oh. Oh…” Now that she looked, she could see a few threads of gray mixed in with Starlight’s mane.  
 
“This is it then; you finally get what you want. Was it worth it?”  
 
“For my friends? For the world? Yes, it was. Are you going to try to stop the race this time?”  
 
”…No, I’m…I’m done.”  
 
“Was it worth it?”  
 
“What?”  
 
“You asked me, now I’m asking you. Was all of this worth it? Keeping us here, going through these loops for hundreds of years? Was it worth it?”  
 
Starlight shook, the emotion she’d been holding back pouring down her cheeks. “…no.” Twilight waited; she continued. “I thought it would feel good; I…I’ve gotten as much revenge as I could get, and yet it…I spent hundreds of years, and what do I have to show for it? This…this was my entire life, and now it’s…it’s all come to nothing. I couldn’t beat you. I couldn’t win. And now I’m going to…to…”  
 
Twilight stood as impassively as she could, made easier as her own feelings warred within her. Anticipation and regret, sadness and hope, it was too much for her to let out, not now.  
 
“Twilight…I’m scared.” Starlight took a tentative step forward.  
 
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