Twilight was rushed into her family's dining area and quickly seated. She noticed that the table was absolutely gargantuan, and piled high with every kind of food a pony could imagine. There were dandelion sandwiches, cucumber tarts, tomato casseroles, and myriads of other dishes that ponies find palatable. She took a big whiff of everything and her nostrils were filled with the most delectable aromas she had ever experienced. It's just like when I was a filly, she told herself, everything always used to smell amazing.

Soon enough, Twilight Velvet and Night Light sat at their respective positions and the dinner began. What surprised Twilight, was that her brother was still there, and he didn't look right. Shining Armor, normally a spirited stallion whose valor and bravery were well known throughout the kingdom, sat there with a goofy smile on his face. His mane was unkempt, and he looked to be all out of sorts.

"Mommy, look!" He said in a childish voice, "I'm a pony astronaut!" He proceeded to plant a nearby watermelon on his head. "Goofball, no!" Twilight Velvet said in horror. Goofball? Twilight Sparkle asked herself. Night Light raced over and yanked the destroyed piece of produce off his son. "I'm so sorry, Ms. Sparkle," he said in embarrassment, "you see, our son here has…problems."

"He's one of those special ponies," Twilight Velvet whispered, "when he was born, the doctors told us that he had a lot of mental issues. They said he might never grow out of the small colt stage, and they were right."

Twilight was shocked. Her parents were speaking about their son as if he were a gigantic embarrassment to them. She knew everypony was special in their own way, and Shining Armor was no different. Even though this version of him was wrong, she felt compassion in her heart for him, and she was angry with her parents for treating him as a liability.

"Er…what's his name?" She asked after snapping back to reality, "he seems like a really nice pony."

"His name is Goofball Light," Twilight Velvet said, "we were gonna name him Shining Armor, but then we saw what we had to work with and thought that was a better name."

My parents have turned into uncaring jerks! Twilight thought in horror, but kept her composure. She needed their help, and she didn't want to tell them about her true intentions just yet. "Um…not that it's any of my business, but…why didn't you go with Shining Armor? I mean, yes, he may have problems, but don't you think that would've been better anyway?"

"Nopony would've taken him seriously if he were named that," Night Light said, "this way, ponies know what they're getting into without even asking."

So you are embarrassed of your son, the princess told herself, I've never been so ashamed to have the two of you as parents. I know this world isn't the way it should be, but…to saddle somepony with such a cruel name is beyond me. I just don't get it.

She stopped probing there and decided to let the dinner proceed as planned. When they had finished their main courses, the kitchen staff served the dessert. Twilight's eyes widened as they beheld the biggest and most delicious looking cake she had ever seen. There were globs of chocolate coating the outside, and when it was cut open, it was so moist that she swore somepony had taken some of the rain from Cloudsdale and used it liberally.

"It's Goofball's birthday tomorrow," Night Light explained, "and we thought we'd get started on the celebrating tonight."

"YAY!" Shining Armor said as he proceeded to plow his way into the cake. Twilight found her anger mounting once again. So…you're embarrassed of him in public, yet you still give him a huge birthday cake with all the trimmings? What a couple of hypocrites! But she kept her smile and politely took a piece of cake and munched on it.

When this had been completed, she asked her parents to join her in a more private setting. So Night Light led them into their sitting area and magically drew the doors shut behind them. When her parents faced her once again, Twilight took a deep breath and began her explanation. She didn't want to frighten them, but she knew that the only way to secure their assistance would be to convince them.

"Listen," she said, "I'm gonna tell you something that may sound absolutely crazy. But…this world isn't right."

"Well, dearie, there are lots of things wrong about the world," Twilight Velvet said, "but we already knew that."

"No! I mean this world isn't the way it's supposed to be. Look, what I have to say might sound insane, but it's not…at all. Yes, part of my name is Sparkle, but I'm not who you think I am. My real name is Twilight Sparkle, and I…am your daughter."

Her parents took on shocked looks, and then broke down laughing. Wow…I didn't expect this, Twilight thought. Were they making fun of her? She knew it sounded like she belonged in the nearest asylum, but she needed them to trust her. She was practically begging them to put their faith in her.

Suddenly, her parents went from laughing to looking incredibly somber. Twilight was almost knocked off her hooves at the abruptness with which they changed emotions. She swore her mother was fighting back tears. "I'm sorry, Twilight Sparkle," Night Light said, "but you must have us confused with somepony else. Our daughter…died during the birthing process."

"Yes," her mother sniffed, "they couldn't get her to breathe when she came out. Oh…how I miss her!" She turned around and began sobbing into her husband. He put a comforting hoof on her shoulder, and Twilight looked at the floor. How could she convince them of something that was impossible? How could she convince them that their dead daughter was actually alive and that the entire world was supposed to be different?

"Listen," she said, "I really am your daughter."

"How can you prove it?" Night Light asked.

"Dad, you like to impersonate Pony Polly while singing in the shower at 5 in the morning," she said, "and mom, you have a secret love of baking and want to open a bakery in Canterlot, but you're too scared of what dad's gonna say."

Their mouths fell open. "How…in…Equestria…did you know all that?" Night Light asked in shock. Twilight breathed a huge sigh of relief. So that's one of the things about this world that hasn't changed, thank Celestia.

She smiled at her parents and said, "because I'm your daughter. I know you two like a book…or at least, I thought I did."

"What do you mean?"

"The way you treated Shining Armor was terrible!"

"Oh, you mean Goofball Light?"

Twilight shook her head angrily, "no, it's Shining Armor, okay?! I know that, in this world, he has his problems, but he should still be called that! It's his proper name! How dare you saddle a pony with a name that only speaks of the problems he has?! Why couldn't you have given him the more dignified one?! I think you owe him that much!"

"Now, see here-"

"No! I'm not done!" Twilight shouted, as her anger caused the spell hiding her wings to come undone and she spread them wide in a rage, "in my world, Shining Armor was Captain of the Royal Guard and the Prince of the Crystal Empire! He's married to a wonderful mare named Cadance, and-"

"Cadance?! You mean the neighborhood bully?!" Twilight Velvet asked in shock.

"I don't know how she is in this world, but in my world, she's the Princess of Love. She spreads beauty wherever she goes, and she caused my brother to fall in love with her. They were married by Princess Celestia herself-"

"Princess? No, dear, Celestia's the Queen of Equestria."

"Not in my world, she's not!" Twilight said gruffly, "she's a princess, her sister's a princess, Cadance is a princess…and so am I. I'm the Princess of Friendship, tasked by Celestia with protecting and defending friendship throughout the land. I will fulfill my duties, even in this crazy, mixed up version of Equestria. Look, I don't know why all this has happened, but I do know this. I am your daughter, and I am going to restore Equestria to what it was before. Whatever magic is at play here, I'm going to reverse it…but I can't do it alone. As a princess, but most importantly, as your daughter…I need you."