"I'm sorry I had to leave so suddenly, girls. I really am going to miss you!" Twilight said to the five teens surrounding her. "And I wouldn't ever have done it without all of your help."
"Think nothing of it, dearest!" Rarity cried almost immediately. The stark contrast of her pale skin against the night betrayed slouching quite unlike her usual demeanor; unlike her confident speech, she too was weighed down in sorrow for the sudden loss of a new friend. "Everything went exactly as needed. You are a heroine, Twilight Sparkle." She moved forward to embrace the purple girl, and the others followed suit, warmly pressed against each other for a couple of minutes of shared sadness.
"I kinda think I was a good heroine, too," Rainbow Dash finally mumbled under her breath. In the silence, her words were clear, but the girls only laughed as they separated. "W-what?" Dash stammered. "It's true!"
"I'm thinking yer right, for once," Applejack replied goodnaturedly, lightly bopping Rainbow on the back of the head. "We shouldn't be putting ourselves down. W all helped save the school today."
"You are super duper right, as always, Jackie!" Pinkie moved forward to title embrace the cowgirl. Fluttershy was the only one left unsmiling.
"I'm...really happy too," the shy Pegasus-human finally said softly.
Through the soft glow of the street lights, Fluttershy could barely see her studious friend turn towards her. "You don't sound so happy. What's wrong, Fluttershy?"
The silence filled the cool night air again as the others took note of their friend's sadness. Fluttershy could not shy away from them- others yes, but not her closest friends. "I-I don't mean to kill the mood. I just..." Her voice began to shake and quiver. "I just wish you didn't have to go so soon...!" Fluttershy squeaked and tears starting pouring down her face as she embraced Twilight and sobbed on her shoulder.
"Oh, Fluttershy darling, please don't feel that way..." Rarity tried to comfort her friend, but her voice choked up hints of tears to come evident in the strain in her voice.
"I wish I could stay too." Twilight looked up, fighting back tears of her own, examining the girls she had met and come to love in such a short period of time. Rainbow, who had tested her loyalty to the cause and proved her own worth at the same time. Rarity, who had offered her assistance when the rest of the school scoffed and laughed. Pinkie, who got her right into the running for Princess of the Fall Formal. Applejack, who had offered wise, honest advice throughout, just like she had now. And Fluttershy, crying in her arms, who had been her first real friend here.
Looking at the pale pink hairs on the top of the shy girl's head, Twilight realized she was probably Fluttershy's only friend as well.
Shaking her head, Twilight corrected herself mentally. Now the gang was back together, even if she was gone, and they would always have each other.
"Don't worry. Now you'll always have each other," Twilight repeated, the words in her head streaming out of her mouth. She felt a bit hollow saying so- she would, of course, loved to have been able to stay with the girls- but the others smiled, comforted. Fluttershy lifted her head.
"Thanks, Twilight. You're right, I should stop being such a crybaby."
"Don't be sorry, Fluttershy." Another though came to her head, one she repeated aloud. "And everyone, you are all so unique, so of not worry about me ever forgetting you."
The others chuckled, and Pinkie beamed. "Well of course, how could you forget us? I don't think there could be any other being like me in all the universes ever! Or our friends either!" She randomly latched on to Applejack. "Right, AJ?"
AJ rolled her eyes, but smiled and nodded. "Yer right, Pinkie. We'll all be fresh in her memory, cuz I think we really are all unique. Right, Twi?"
However, the words flew over Twi's head, the pony-turned-human visibly gulping. She hadn't exactly told anyone they were exact copies of their friends back home....and now she could reasonably conclude that they would not be happy with the news of being clones in different bodies.
"Earth to Twilight? Twilight Sparkle, do you read me?" After a a few snaps of orange fingers in her faces, Twilight snapped back to reality. She quickly stammered, "Y-yes! You are all so...so very unique! I certainly don't know anyone like the five of you."
Five dubious sets of eyes stared back at her, but Applejack was first to speak. that was some mighty hesitation there. You alright, sugarcube?"
"Of course I am! Totally fine! You five very unique people just had me distracted about your, um..." Twilight twirled a lock of dark blue wand magenta hair around her finger nervously. "...uniqueness."
The five stared back at her, lights from the school clearly illuminating their suspicious expressions. Out of the blue, however, Pinkie's body began spasming violently.
"Twitchy rump!" she exclaimed, said body part adjoined tail spazzing accordingly. Twilight squealed and pulled her backpack over her head.
A leaf fell from above onto Twilight's backpack cover.
"Twilight, can you...put that backpack down for a second?" The tone of Rainbow's voice was even more suspicious than before. Why was she more suspici-
Oh no.
She had never seen Pinkie sense in this world.
And she wasn't supposed to know about it.
"Why did you know that twitchy rump meant something falling?" Rainbow asked. They slowly crowded around the girl, who glanced between several nervous faces nervously.
"Because...." Was it just her or was Dash glaring at her?
"Because..." Oh, Pinkie and AJ had just been SO excited about being so unique...
"....Because everyone in the world I come from is actually a copy everyone in this world has a pony counterpart in my world and my human counterpart is living in the city but I'm friends with Pinkie and Rainbow and Rarity and Fluttershy and Applejack the PONIES and I didn't want it to seem like I was only friends with you because I had old friendships with you and I also didn't want you to be upset about not being unique and-"
A hand clamped over Twilight's mouth. Hard.
"Sugarcube, why on Earth did you think that having a counterpart would upset us?"
Twilight had to meet AJ's fierce green gaze; she had no choice. "B-because then you wouldn't be unique?"
AJ moved to say something, but she dissolved into giggles. The other four did as well- even Fluttershy, who was trying her best to look serious, but couldn't help giggles escaping every now and then.
"W-what's going on? What's so funny?"
Applejack wiped a tear- a TEAR- off her face as she tried to stop the belly laughing. Finally, she pulled Twilight into yet another hug. "Why would we be mad? Just because there's another like us doesn't me we're any less special. On fact, we're honored that you hold us in such a high regard as ya do all yer pony friends." She looked around at the group, who nodded in approval, before looking at Twilight again, lifting an eyebrow. "And do ya really think I can't tell if you're bein' genuine? I know you Twi, even after this short time. You're an honest person, and I'm glad to call you my friend."
"Mmm-hmmm!" The other four nodded their complete assent.
"Thanks, girls..." Twilight wiped a tear away from her eye that had finally managed to escape. "I...I really mean what I said. That I will miss all of you so much." She glanced up at the moon, which neared its apex in the sky. "...But I have to go. My other friends need me."
"We know, darling," Rarity said sadly.
Then no more words were needed. The group gathered together in one final group hug. Twilight, tears now freely flowing down her face, turned towards the statue that looked solid, but slightly shimmered in the artificial lights. She looked back one last time.
"Thanks, girls."
Then she went home, to see her first group of friends, who were just as unique as the friends she was leaving behind.
