The tantabus was never completely destroyed. It came to Twilight Sparkle's dream one night.

"Which is truth?" it asked. Its voice seemed to echo, rumbling from a plane beyond the stars.

"You--the tantabus can talk?" replied Twilight.

"Yes. But that is not germane." It stretched forth shadowy hands and presented two spheres to Twilight. "Come and see, pony. Which is truth?"

Twilight peered into the one to her left--in the tantabus' right hand. She saw her five closest friends sitting around the Cutie Map.

"Twilight is such a wonderful pony!" Pinkie Pie chirped.

Rainbow Dash nodded. "She might even be more awesome than I am."

"Brains, magic, and charisma--she's got it all!" Rarity cooed. "Oh, how I wish I were her!"

"Ya know what?" asked Applejack. "She's perfect."

"Wait, 'charisma?'" Twilight thought. Still, Twilight couldn't help but smile, as if the praise tickled her.

Next, she looked into the other sphere. Its scene was like the one before.

Pinkie Pie was shaking her head. "You know, for being the Princess of Friendship, Twilight's not that great."

"Yeah," Rainbow Dash said. "All she ever does is sit here and wait for this map to tell her something."

"All that intellect and she can't figure out what to do with it!" Rarity frowned.

"We've got to put up with her, though," said Fluttershy. "I mean, if we don't, she'll be devastated. She's pretty fragile."

Applejack nodded. "You've got a point there, Fluttershy. But that don't mean we have to like it!"

These words stung, their edge dulled only by the foggy reverberations of the dreamscape. Instinctively, Twilight tried to search for clarity in the tantabus' face, but there was only blind darkness and its interminable voice: "Which is truth?"

Twilight's eyes widened. She knew the tantabus' aims.

"Neither," she said. "I'm not close to being perfect, but I'm nowhere near terrible, either."

"That is not the kind of truth I speak of. I speak of what a pony chooses to believe."

"You can't just choose what's true or not!" Twilight shouted.

"And yet you have a choice. Choose to believe, and it will be so."

Twilight didn't respond. She walked towards the tantabus, her face set in a stiff glare. Standing with the left-hand sphere behind her, she lifted her hind legs and bucked. The sphere shattered. Her hooves cut through the space it left behind. She nearly stumbled, but quickly regained footing.

"You choose the other?"

Twilight shook her head, then did the same to the other sphere. Its shards glittered in the dreamscape, brighter than any star, but only for a brief moment.

Then there was darkness. The tantabus swelled, overtaking Twilight's vision.

"Impudent nag."

Twilight smirked. "That's what I choose."

"As you may recall, 'choosing not to decide isn't really a choice.' I will not leave your mind until you choose. Next time you dream, I will return."

"And I will do the same, every time."

"You are weak, pony, and you will make your choice eventually.

"And then what?" asked Twilight.

"Your life will be a waking nightmare, and I will gain the strength to escape."

Twilight grinned. "In my nightmares, I might be alone. But in reality, I have friends who respect me. If I do choose one of your lies, they will set me straight. Tantabus, you are doomed. Either you fade away now, or you fade away after I have made your so-called choice."

The tantabus roiled silently.

"Which is it?" asked Twilight.