Even Mountains Erode Over Time

Chapters

Run
Savior Moon
The New Trinity
The Pact
And Then Came The Morning
A Plan Forward
Connections
The Meeting
Moving Day
Monday Morning Part 1
Monday Morning Part 2
One Week
Our Day
A Chance Meeting
Plans And Offers
Staying And Going
New Journeys Part 1
New Journeys Part 2
Nightmares And New Realities
Another Monday Part 1
Another Monday: Part -2
Catching Up Or The Story So Far
The Next Phase
Picking Up The Pieces
Friday
Date Night
Band Practice
Time Passes - Part 1
Time Passes Part 2
Meeting The Family
Rag Girl
True Colors
Summer Romance part 1
Summer Romance Part 2
You Can't Judge Love Part 1
You Can't Judge Love Part 2
You Can't Judge Love Part 3
The Life Of Fluttershy
The Death Of Fluttershy
Of Lost Virginity And Moving Across Country
Seek And Ye Shall Find
Deus Ex Machina

Run

Fear. Fear gripped at their hearts. A fear greater than any they had ever known before. More than when they were first banished to this god-forsaken dimension. At least then they still had their gems, their magic stones; the ones that gave them the power to control, to dominate, and immortality. They were gone now, broken like their dreams of conquest, taking this world and enslaving it. Now they were mortal, alone, and defenseless.

They ran back to the apartment they shared. One of the many they had had over the thousand or so years they've been here in this universe. It wasn't much; comfortable, but not over the top. All part of keeping a low profile. They had seen the creatures that dominated this world (humans they called themselves), burn others of their kind at a stake for being accused of what the sirens actually were. Immortal? - yes. Indestructible? -no. Even if they had been, being set on fire while others watched was no one's idea of a good time.

The reached the front door of the house in which they lived. It had been converted into apartments by the current owner about 15 years ago. They lived in what used to be the second floor. Adagio almost ripped the door off it's frame and the three frantically ran up the stairs.

The three burst inside with Adagio yelling, "GO, GO, GO! C'mon we gotta get out here. Pack up and split asap!" Even though she was terrified (or maybe because of it), she would not let the others see her as weak. She was the leader. She was in control. She would always be so.

"Go where Adagio? Huh? Where can we go we go?" Aria asked in what was probably her most confrontational manner yet. And why shouldn't she be? Sure, under Adagio's leadership they had a few good years in Equestria, but for the most part she had been an abysmal failure. They got banished, barely eked out an existence here, and now they were left completely without any sort of magic. Aria always knew she would have been a better leader; now was the time to prove it.

"I don't know and I don't care. We just need to go, to get away as soon as possible. Don't you understand that? Huh? All muscle, no brain?"

"Don't even start with me! We wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you! Keep talking and I'll show you what these muscles are capable of!"

"We're gonna die." It was a hushed, almost whispered sentence but the other two heard it and looked around. There sitting by the door, hugging her knees, gently rocking forward and backward, eyes staring into nothingness was Sonata. "We're all gonna die," she repeated.

"Sonata! Snap out of it!" Adagio ordered.

Sonata slowly moved her head and met Adagio's gaze. "We're not immortal anymore. We're gonna grow old, whither, and die."

A cold chill ran through both Adagio and Aria. The full impact of what had happened finally hit them. They were alone, without money or resources, trapped in the bodies of pubescent girls, and, as Sonata so plainly put it; they were all gonna die.

"Sonata . . ." Adagio started to speak softly, soothingly to her frightened friend; but she was interrupted by Aria.

"She's right. You know that don't you? And not just about the whole getting old thing, which is like a total bummer in it's own right, but deeper than that. What are we going to do about food? Shelter? Clothing? How are we just going to survive?"

"We'll find a way. We're trans dimensional beings. We pre-date electricity, the industrial revolution, many of the countries that now occupy the face of this planet. We'll find away." She was angry at being questioned, angry at being defeated, and angry with her own fear which threatened to consume her heart and soul (if she had a soul that is).

"Good luck putting that on a job application." Aria snarked back.

"Let's go back" Sonata whispered again.

"WHAT!" Adagio and Aria shouted at the same time.

"Seriously," Sonata continued; this time her voice became stronger and her eyes became fixed on the here and now and not someplace of in the ethereal never. "They took Sunset Shimmer in right? And in some ways she was way worse than us. I mean she caused property damage as well as turning everyone into zombies. We just did the zombie thing. If they can forgive her, why not us? It's not perfect but it's a start."

"I don't need to be forgiven for anything!" Adagio barked. "Nor do I want to be. I just want . . ." her voice trailed and a thin, devilish smile came across her lips. "Trixie," she said slowly and gleefully.

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Aria asked confused and angry.

"Trixie. Don't you see? She's a dark soul like us. Dumb as box - but a dark souled box. We go to her, flatter her, she let's us move in, we have food, shelter and time - time to find the portal." Now Adagio was almost giddy with delight and self congratulation. She had done it again. She had found a way through the darkness.

"What portal?" Aria was still confused but even she now felt a growing sense of relief and dare one say - joy?

"The portal that purple one, what's her name, Night time Glitter, or whatever, came through. She's Equestrian. She was the one who defeated Sunset Shimmer. So, if she can come through, there must be a portal somewhere. A portal we can use to get back. Forget controlling this filthy rock when we can just go home and then wreak havoc on the good pony folk who banished us here."

"I take back all my negative thoughts about you Adagio" Aria said with a grin.

"Don't darling. It's negative thoughts which make us who we are." Adagio was almost laughing with excitement now.

"No." Sonata was standing now. A look of defiance arose across her face. "No more. No more scheming or plotting or anything. I'm tired. We've lost everything. I literally can't lose anymore. Well, my clothes, and make-up. I can lose those I suppose. And my favorite scrunchie . . ."

"Sonata!" Adagio yelled; annoyed with her compatriot's idiocy.

"You get my point! I'm done. You may not want forgiveness; but I do. I . . . I, I just want to belong." Her face fell to a look of tired despair.

"But Sonata darling, you do belong - with us" Adagio cooed; not wanting to lose any of their number (not even if that was the dumbest number).

"No, not anymore." And before the other two could do anything she turned around and walked out.

Aria started to go after her but Adagio grabbed her and pulled her back. "Let her go," she simply said.

"What?" Aria asked, shocked.

"She always was the weak one. We're better off without her. Besides, we can now offer her position to Trixie. It'll give the little ego-maniac something else to glom onto."

"What if she talks, tells people what we're up to?" Aria asked skeptically.

"She won't. She still has some loyalty to us. And we can always pretend we've changed our minds. She's stupid. She'll buy whatever we tell her." Adagio looked into Aria's eyes, smiling and patted her left cheek, "As we said before nothing can stop us now."

Author's Note

I know I'm not the first one to start with this premise, the Sirens running for their lives, but, seriously, how many ways can you actually start a story like this? You either start right after with them running, or months later with them coming back. Hopefully nothing else was too clichéd.

Savior Moon

Sonata walked through the dark streets alone for the first time in centuries. She had been with the other two for so long, sometimes she forgot what life had been like before them. To be honest, she was too frightened to really care. She was now a mortal, a mere mortal. No shelter, no food, nothing but the clothes on her back. She had to find all those things (as well as protection from the more dangerous members of the human species), and running away to who knows were with the others was a dead end.

It felt odd to be walking, darting her eyes about, looking for possible danger. It made her feel weak. It was a feeling she hadn't felt for over fourteen-hundred years. Give or take. It sounded like a long time but now seemed like it had all passed in a blink of an eye. If there was one good thing about having the body of a young girl, it gave a couple extra decades until her demise. Another concept she had not thought about in a very long time.

"Sonata? Sonata Dusk?" A voice called out. It was older, female. It took Sonata by surprise. Who was this? How did she know her name? Was she a threat? She looked around to find the source of the voice and saw Vice-Principal Luna standing across the street from her.

Sonata gave an awkward smile and a quick wave. "Oh hi Vice-Principle Luna." It was lame. Her voice cracked and the words were stupid. But how many times had she been called stupid and dumb and an idiot? Maybe they had all been right. She certainly didn't do anything to disprove that now.

"We're not at school anymore," Luna replied in a soothing voice. She spoke as a mother trying to calm a child. "Besides, you're not exactly a student anymore. Not a normal one at least. But then, considering the last few new students we've had; normal is a debatable term these days." There was still no hint of malice in her voice. Only a quiet authority that let you know you were safe.

"I'm a fourteen-hundred year old monster/demon type thing from another dimension that was banished here about a thousand years ago." It was blunt and to the point. Sonata's voice still sounded a bit weak and broken from fear and now a growing sadness; but she was starting to feel more at ease with this human. Maybe things would turn out all right.

"As I said, normal is a debatable term these days." Luna almost laughed as she spoke those words.

Sonata was really confused now. This human's actions made no sense to her. She had seen first hand the various witch hunts these creatures had over the centuries. Sometimes it was actual witches the hunted (or at least those they thought were), sometimes political dissidents, sometimes people they thought guilty of some crime, or crossing some social taboo, but regardless of the reason; the end result was always the same. And it wasn't this.

"Aren't you afraid of me?" She finally asked. The calm by which this human spoke to her, the ease she had around her, was really starting to get to her. Frankly, whether or not Luna was afraid of Sonata, didn't matter because Sonata was becoming afraid of her.

"Should I be?" Luna raised one eyebrow as she asked Sonata that question. It was as if to say, really girlfriend.

"No. No. I'm harmless now. I have no powers, no magic, no nothing." Sonata looked down at the ground as she spoke. Saying those words out loud (and to a human no less) made her feel even weaker and smaller. She wasn't a threat, she was a victim in the making. Oh how the mighty have fallen, or some junk like that.

"You have a place to stay? For the night at least?" It was another simple question. No judgment, no pity, just a simple question. Her tone was almost that of one asking for the time.

"No. Why?" Now Sonata was wondering if she should run or not.

"Come. My house is just down that way. You're lucky. I was just out taking my nightly walk when I saw you. Fourteen-hundred years or not, you still have the body of a teenage girl and the streets at night are no place for you." Luna started to walk back to her house. She stopped and looked over her shoulder to see Sonata just standing there, looking dumbfounded at her. "You coming or what?" she simply asked again.

Sonata didn't know what to say. This was all too weird (even by her standards). Humans don't act like this; but she did need a place to stay, if just for the night. And rightly or wrongly, she did have less of a fear level with the females of the species. That and she did remind her of Princess Luna back home and Princess Luna had always been her favorite. So with a single nod of the head, she started to follow V.P. Luna.

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"Sooo, do you always take night walks?" Sonata asked. It was a dumb question but she felt too uncomfortable to try and think up any better ones.

Luna was making tea at the one counter. Sonata sat at a small table in the kitchen. A small table was all the kitchen could have fit. Luna's whole house was small. A single level with just enough room for maybe two people to live frugally. The furnishings and fittings were all sparse and practical. This was a house for someone who had trimmed all the fat out of their lives. Except for the books. Simple, floor to ceiling bookshelves lined two walls in almost every room Sonata had seen. From what she could make out, most were poetry books with a few self-help books thrown in there every so often.

"Yes. I wasn't tonight, with the battle of the bands and all, but I decided to anyhow. After that 1979 van side art came to life and blasted you ladies, I felt a little head clearing was in order. Here." Luna turned around and handed Sonata a cup of tea.

Sonata took the cup, looked at it for a second, then took a drink. She had watch the human make it and was fairly certain it wasn't poison.

"I'm a night person by nature," Luna continued, sitting down at the table across from Sonata. "When I go out and look up and see the moon, I think of how scientist now say the moon was created by bits of debris cast off from the early Earth when a planetoid hit it. A piece of Earth, severed, but yet still attached; reflecting light back to us, controlling the tides. And those stars, out there; the light from some of those stars has taken billions of years to reach the earth. Some might not even exist now. I'm not only looking into the heavens, but back in time as well. The day is for work and play; the night is for mystery and romance." Luna stared off in almost some sort of dream trance; her voice full of awe and longing. Then she snapped back and added in a more formal manner, " And danger too; which is why I'm glad you decided to come back with me."

"Wow, pretty deep Ms. L" Once again, totally stupid but the best Sonata could do.

"After all your time; you must have some pretty deep thoughts as well."

Sonata shook her head in almost shame. "No, not really. Being immortal means never having to think about life and the deeper meaning of things. The sun always rises, tomorrow's always a guarantee. And with the ability to get others to do what you want, all life becomes about enjoyment."

Luna just looked at her for a moment and asked, "So what are you actually? Where do you come from?"

"Another dimension. I started out as a pony, believe it or not. We all did- Aria, Adagio, and me. I was always the laughing stock of our tribe. Everyone thought I was stupid. Adagio and Aria do too, but at least they allowed me to hang out and play with them. One thing I noticed that's the same here and there, abuse always tends to better than loneliness.

"Then, one day, we were playing on a hill top and found those gems, the red ones we wore around our necks. We didn't know what they were, only that we liked them. So we took them back with us and made those chokers out of them."

"How?" Luna interrupted.

"Huh?"

"How? You said you made chokers out of the gems. How since you also said you were ponies? I mean you would have hooves I'd imagine, not hands; so how were even able to grip anything?"

"Um, well, things, tools, cups, just sort of stuck to our hooves. Never really thought about it. I mean in my dimension pegasi control the weather and the sun and moon are raised and lowered by two alicorn sisters. So, yeah."

Luna just looked at Sonata for a moment, blinked, and simply said, "Go on."

"Well, one day we were singing with our new chokers on and we noticed everyone was just staring at us, mesmerized. Not only that, after we stopped, they all started fighting. No reason. And that kept happening, over and over. But each time we sang, our voices got stronger and our ability to control them became greater. We realized it was the stones. The stones gave us the power to control others and they were powered by the negative energy given off afterwards. And it wasn't just control, it was LOVE! They loved us, worshiped us.

"At first I was concerned. I didn't want anyone hurt. But as Adagio pointed out, these were the same ponies who bullied me before. Then I started to enjoy it. Like revenge. Soon I didn't care who it was I made suffer. For me it was all payback.

"Then we started to transform. Physically. We became those, what you would call, sea-horse, looking things. We changed, but didn't age. All powerful and immortal, who could ask for anything more right?

"That's when the wizard stepped in. Starswirl the Bearded; they called him. He challenged us and banished us to here. Although I doubt if he even knew where here was. Your world is dangerous now, but even more so a thousand years ago. We were frightened, with new bodies; but we still had our gems. That gave us enough power to survive through the years. And that brings me to here." Sonata looked at Luna, not knowing what to expect next.

Luna took one deep breath and started, "You said you fed off negative energy. A lot of bad things happened during your time here, on this planet. Were you responsible for any of that?"

It was a fair question and one that deserved a fair answer. "No. In Equestria, where I'm from, everything is filled with magic. This place isn't. The negative energy here is so low grade, that even a whole lotta of it wouldn't have done us any better. Also when you're an immortal demon type thing, keeping a low profile is a must. Standing in the halls of power to enchant them to start a world war isn't exactly "lo-pro". That and the negative energy is just the fuel we needed to get what we really wanted, complete love and worship."

"That's good to know. If you had been, that would have changed things dramatically."

There was a graveness to Luna's words which Sonata hadn't heard before and she become a bit worried. "So now what?" she asked, fear creeping back into her voice.

"For the time being, you stay here, until we can find you a proper place to live. As you said; you are powerless. You are, for all intents and purposes, a teenage girl. And so you will be treated as such. You will go to school, attend classes; I expect an "A" in history, and you will make friends with the girls in the Rainbooms. They took and cared for Sunset Shimmer, I have no doubt they will do the same for you. Understood?" Crisp, formal, she was all vice-principle now.

"Yes ma'am," Sonata squeaked back.

"Oh, and two more questions: why did you come back and where are the others?"

"Because I was scared and had no where else to go and I don't know. They left to try and find a portal back home." The last part was a white lie. She knew they'd go after Trixie; but she figured she owed her former cohorts some cover. "Now may I ask you why you're doing this for me?" she asked.

"Because," Luna breathed deep again, "our lives are not that dissimilar. Maybe not to the degree as you, but I too felt put out as a child and I did things for which I am filled with regret. At least I am now. And I just want to extend that courtesy to other young women like I was. Even the fourteen-hundred year old ones. Come, I'll show you were you'll be sleeping."

Author's Note

Okay, I love Luna. She's one of my favorites. So in this I took aspects of her personality from MLP:FiM, the episodes where she helps Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and Apple Bloom, and transposed it to the EG Luna. Hopefully it works.

Timeline wise, I admit, I'm not that big of a fan to where I got the whole continuity laid out. So I may have some ages and order of events out of sequence. Please forgive.

I also try to get into Sonata's head more. To try to see where someone like her, who for the most part comes across as fairly nice and goofy, would get her motivation from for being "evil". Hopefully I succeeded, but as I know, you can't please everyone. Also if she seems less goofy in this chapter, please remember she's at her lowest point here. So I want to present her as what I feel would be the most realistic way possible.

And, finally, while there are no purple, orange, blue, excreta people in the real world, I am still assuming that the EG world is Earth so I do bring actual real history into the fiction as opposed to trying to write an entire alternate history. It makes it a little darker, but it does help the narrative I feel.

But I could be wrong.

The New Trinity

Trixie had returned to the concert hall after everyone had left. It was late, it was dark, and she didn't care. She just sat on the wall she had just earlier fallen from while trying to make another failed "dramatic exit" and stared at the stage. She was filled with a mixture of rage and depression. Rage for having her moment stolen from her by both The Dazzlings and Rainbooms and depression from not having anything to get her parent's attention.

Trixie was the only child of, not rich, but more than financially comfortable parents. Her father was an insurance salesman. He made a very good living doing that. He couldn't sell ice cubes to an eskimo, but he could interest them in a good cooler. Her mother was a an advertising agent. So she was kind of a salesperson too, she supposed. Once again, she was good at what she did, but not great.

Both of her parents worked a lot. She barely saw them. In fact she had more vivid memories of her nannies than them. And she had had several. Her parents never wanted her to bond with anyone else so they only kept a nanny on for about three or four months and then got a new one. She had English, Guatemalan, French, Chinese, Haitian, and so on nannies. So many that by the time she was six she could curse in eight different languages and twenty-three different dialects. It made for an interesting party trick.

Not that her parents ever noticed. They never noticed anything about her. Nothing she did ever seemed to draw their attention. She often felt like an after thought to them. Like a toy they wanted to have and show off and tell people they had, but never actually wanted to play with. Her whole "The Great and Powerful Trixie" persona was created as a way to get their attention. But her magic, her music, never got more than a raised eyebrow or a "that's interesting darling" from them. If she had won tonight, won the battle, maybe she could have brought that home to them and gotten some sort of praise ( well at least when they came home from vacation). But that was not to be. Upstaged by the freaks, her performance would not even to be remembered. So she sat and started and cursed (in Vietnamese this time) and yearned for revenge.

"Hello Trixie."

Trixie looked around and saw Adagio and Aria standing, looking at her. How dare they! Couldn't they at least let her stew by herself? Did they have to intrude and co-op every moment she had? "Go away," she spat out.

"But we want to talk to you." Adagio's voice was soft, consoling, with just a hint of smug happiness. It irritated Trixie to no end.

"I don't want to talk, especially to you." She turned her head and went back to staring at the stage, wishing they'd just leave her alone.

"Don't you want to at least hear our offer?" Adagio teased.

"Forget it Adagio," Aria said annoyed. "She's not interested"

"What offer?" Trixie kept looking forward as she spoke. She was fed-up with them and wanted them to leave but she at least wanted to hear what type of "offer" they were making. She had nothing else to do and nothing left to lose either.

"As you may have noticed, there's only two of us now." Adagio began. Trixie's head snapped around and her eyes went from Adagio and Aria and realized for the first that Sonata was missing. Adagio smiled and continued. "Our dear sister, Sonata, sadly became too weak to continue with us. Don't get me wrong; she always was the weak link in the chain, but she was able to at least marginally function. But now, alas, she has gone completely soft; running to the others in search of forgiveness.

"However; we have grown accustomed to being a trio. You, you impressed me. The way you trapped those Rainbooms underneath the stage to further your own interest - classic! You have the guts and determination to be one of us. So that's our offer; be one of us."

Trixie just looked at them for a second and then said, "Why should I? What's in it for me?" Trixie could tell by their shocked expressions on their faces that that wasn't the answer they were expecting. "Seriously. What can you offer me? With those little stones of yours gone, you can't sing, you have no magic; at least I'm assuming since you all ran off the stage like frightened kittens and not stood and fought. So what would joining you two do for me?" Now Trixie was starting to feel powerful and in control. Maybe this night wouldn't be a total loss after all.

"Ok, you want to play it that way," Adagio answered back, barely controlling her anger," the purple one, what's her name . . ."

"Twilight Sparkle," Trixie said.

"Twilight Sparkle; she's from our dimension. She wasn't here at first but then she came. Therefore there must be a portal somewhere around here, between this world and ours. One which the others can send messages to Twilight and she can come here through. If you help us find it, you may come along back with us. Once there; we'll be able to replace our shattered charms, regain our magic, and then wreak unholy havoc on both worlds." Adagio was almost growling now. The anger and resentment of all that had happened to her to night boiling over. She was leaning forward toward Trixie, her left hand, held at chest level, clenched into an iron fist.

She then leaned back, took a deep breath, and composed herself. "Think about it Trixie. You with the power to control others, to make them do whatever you wanted, to have them love, adore, and worship you as a goddess, as well eternal youth; what more could you ask?"

Trixie thought about it - thought about her parents, groveling at her feet, expressing their undying love and admiration to her. She looked Adagio in the eyes and asked, "So what do you want from me?"

"The basics: food, clothing, shelter. Since, as you noticed, we've lost our magic; we have no way to obtain those things anymore. Any job, if we were so inclined to get a job, that would hire us 'teenagers' would pay no where near what we would need to survive; let alone provide us the time to find the portal." Adagio was blunt and to the point. She had underestimated Trixie at first but knew now it was time to get serious.

"So let me get this straight; I take you in - feed you, clothe you, and the rest and you will . . . "

"Make you a goddess," Adagio finished. "Do we have a deal?"

Trixie looked from Adagio to Aria then back to Adagio. She knew these girls could not be trusted and there was no guarantee they would even find this portal they were looking for; but, what other choice did she really have? The idea that she might have true, unlimited power, eternal life, as well as finally getting her parents undivided love and attention was just too good to pass up on. "Deal. You can come back to my house tonight. My parents are away on vacation for another two weeks yet; not saying they would even take notice even if they were there. You rest and we'll start looking tomorrow. Agreed?"

"Agreed," Adagio said with a big smile on her face; her voice full of pride. She stuck out her right hand which Trixie took and shook. The deal was done.

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Adagio looked out one of the big windows in Trixie's house. The house was far and away much nicer than she had imagined. They had arrived earlier and unpacked. Trixie and Aria had fallen asleep but Adagio couldn't. She knew Trixie didn't trust them and, quite frankly, she didn't trust Trixie. But the plan was coming together. Soon (at least she hoped soon), everything would workout and she'd have her old powers back. Still; after two defeats, (one from Star Swirl and one from the Rainbooms) she knew she needed a plan B. And she already had in mind what, or rather who, that was going to be; the only other one who had created as much, if not more, damage than she did - Sunset Shimmer. Adagio didn't believe in redemption. Beneath that nice girl image she had now, the old Sunset still raged. If she could get to it, bring it out, she would have no need of Trixie or even Aria for that matter. Yes, it was good to have a plan B.

Author's Note

In motion pictures (live action or animated) you often can't get into a character's mind and understand their motivations. More so when said film or show is aimed at children. So I started creating back stories to explain to myself why the characters were acting they way they were (other than because the writers thought it would be good for the plot). So for Trixie, I came to see here as a neglected child who was calling out for her parents in an extremely self destructive and narcissistic way.

But I do not own any of these characters so whatever personal motivations you might have come up with are as equally valid. So hopefully I didn't step on any toes.

The Pact

They had walked around campus for hours. Sometimes talking, sometimes just holding hands. The night was wearing thin now; morning would soon come up and she still needed to get back to Pinkie Pie's to change. Yet neither one wanted to stop and say what they most dreaded goodbye.

The emotions each was feeling were both the same but distinct. Both didn't want to separate, to say that dreaded word; but knew they must. Both found the thought of not seeing the other to be almost unbearable. But there were differences as well.

For Flash, he knew Twilight was from another dimension, had magical powers, and sometimes sprouted wings. All a bit strange, but none of which was a deal breaker. He had only ever seen as a girl, a human girl (well except for the wings thing). To him she was a sixteen year old high school girl. A very attractive, sweet, lovely, smart, and talented high school girl. He had never seen or even knew about her other form. He just assumed that her body in this dimension was the same as in hers'.

For Twilight; it was a different story. She felt on top of all the other emotions a grand confusion. She looked nothing like the human in her natural state. She was a pony - muzzle, mane, tail, quadrupedal, fur, the whole nine. Heck; more than that, she was an alicorn! So add a horn and wings to that mix. She had been attracted to stallions all her "aware" life. She was, or at least had been, attracted to all the features of her kind, her species. This creature, this human, all humans would have been repugnant to her. The flat face, upright stance, HANDS, it was too different, too strange for her to find anything attractive about it.

But here, in this world, she found his appearance to be quite handsome. He was polished enough to come across as a nice guy but had just the right amount of rough edges to keep him interesting. His face was sweet and confident and he had a smile that made her weak in the knees. When she had crossed back over to her realm the first time she found that she had gone back to finding all the human physical characteristics unattractive and found herself attracted to her world's version of Flash. But as soon as had come back, she was attracted to him all over again. It was as if her mind was transformed as well as her body. An idea she found disturbing.

And that raised an issue in her mind - what would he think if he saw her natural form? Would he be repulsed? This world had equine animals. She was sure he wasn't attracted to any of those (neither was she for that matter). How would he react if he ever crossed over? Would he find that his idea of what was attractive change as well? And how would he feel when he came back here? Would he be too disturbed to go on? Would it cause permanent psychological damage to him? She couldn't bare that thought.

Also there was the age thing. In this realm she was a sixteen year old girl. In her realm she was twenty-seven. She was eleven years older than what her body implied. Eleven years older than he was. This Flash was a boy; she was a woman. But, she guessed, the age difference was the least of their problems. In fact the age difference was almost pedestrian compared to all the rest.

She had no idea what to do. So she walked. Walked with this strange creature called a human that she was, in spite of everything, falling in love with. And now even that had to end. She needed to get at least some sleep then leave for her world. So they stopped by the statue which was also the portal and just looked each other.

"So now what?" Flash asked, scratching the back of his head. It was a gesture he did whenever he was nervous. It was also many of the things he did she found absolutely adorable. His voice kind of cracked a little; belying a mixture of fear, sadness, and hope - hope that she would say something that would make everything ok.

"I don't know." It was all she could say. Twilight looked down at the ground in sadness. Flash took her hands in his and she looked up into his eyes. "I just know I'm going to miss you."

"Do you really have to go back?" Of course she does idiot , he thought to himself. God he was hopeless. Why couldn't he express himself better? I suck.

"Yes. I'm a princess there, in my world. I have duties and responsibilities. Not to mention friends and family and a castle and, well, everything. I can't turn my back on all that." A knot formed in her throat and one tear ran down her left cheek. Why was this so hard? She barely knew this person! Why was she feeling like her heart was being ripped from her chest?

"Oh! A princess. I never met royalty before." He did an old fashioned bow. "Your majesty."

Twilight laughed. "You goon! Get up." It was good to laugh.

Flash looked at her and smiled. Then his smile faded and his face became serious. "What if I came with you?"

Twilight was shocked silent for a moment. Did he really just say that? "Flash, no. I mean think about your parents. How would they feel? And your studies? Trust me, schooling is everything. You need to finish your education."

Now Flash laughed a bit. "What? You sound like my mom or teacher."

Twilight looked down again. "Flash, how old do you think I am?"

"I dunno. Fifteen, sixteen maybe?"

"Twenty-seven."

"What! No way!" Flashed laughed even harder. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"It's true. For whatever reason, coming into this world, I don't know, de-ages, re-ages me to a sixteen year old. But I am twenty-seven."

"Oh." Flash fell silent and Twilight waited for him to say goodbye (or maybe just run away screaming). "I'm in love with an older woman, awesome!", he said.

Twilight was shocked into silence again for a moment. "What, huh? Are you really ok with that?" She paused for a second as the word love finally sunk fully into her brain. "And . . . you . . . love . . . me?"

Hearing her say the "L" word made him step back a bit. Holy crap, he had just said that didn't he? "Um, well, yeah. On both things."

They just looked at each other for a while and then embraced and kissed; a long, slow, passionate kiss. Twilight pulled away first and looked Flash in the eyes. "I love you too," she said and kissed him again.

The two pulled away at the same time and now Flash said, "So back to the original question - now what?"

"I can't stay and you can't leave; not now at least." Twilight started to cry again and then she spun around and looked at the portal. "But neither of us has to. The portal, I can open it anytime, come anytime I chose. Stupid, stupid, girl. This doesn't have to be goodbye. We can see each other! We can . . . DATE!" Twilight was crying and laughing in pure joy. She couldn't believe it; she solved the problem by remembering that there needn't be a problem.

Flash smiled a little bit but seemed less enthused. "I won't see you everyday though; will I?"

Twilight was a bit miffed he wasn't as happy as she was; but he was still a teenager and teenagers usually do get bummed if they can't have everything they want. "No, but every Saturday morning, nine o'clock, meet me here. I'll stay the whole day. You and me, that'll be our time, our day. No one else need know."

"Not even the Rainbooms?" Flash asked skeptically.

Twilight thought for a second. That did seem awful unfair. Downright dishonest actually. They were her friends after all. And eventually, she guessed, they would see her. "Sometimes. Tomorrow, when I say goodbye to them, I'll mention the portal and coming back from time to time. Every so often, when I want to spend the whole weekend, I'll contact and stay with one of them. But that will only be from time to time. Every other time; it'll just be us. Deal?" Twilight stuck out here hand. Flash moved it aside and started kissing her again. I guess it's a deal then she thought to herself.

Author's Note

I wasn't sure how to go with this. I had come up with multiple scenarios by which Twilight would choose to come back and visit Flash and when to introduce them into the story. In the end, this just felt right to me. Putting all the pieces together at the same time, on the same night, and letting them all progress from there. Hopefully I made the right choice.

And Then Came The Morning

Sonata was sound asleep; something which she had been worried would not occur. She figured she would either be up all night, not able to sleep or plagued by dreams. She hated dreaming. You couldn't really call what she had dreams, more like nightmares of the condemned. Faces, voices, shrieks of pain and hatred, yelling, sinking, drowning, being buried alive, all things she'd rather not experience (especially now after all she had been through and lost). But she had gone straight out.

Now through the comforting grip of unconsciousness a voice tried to pull her back. Sonata it called; soft and sweet like a mother. Her mother?-No, her mother was long since dead. Sonata. There it was again. Feminine, lovely. Mother is that you? Are you here? Am I dead mother? Or are you a spirit to guide me? Her thoughts trickled up from the back of her mind to her slowly awakening front. Sonata, Sonata . . .

". . . it's time to wake up Sonata" Luna said while shaking Sonata awake. The girl had slept on the coach for the night. Luna had a spare bedroom, but no bed in it. She had no need for it. She never had guest that stayed over so she had turned that room into a second library. She did have a spare pillow and blanket for the girl luckily.

Sonata slowly opened her eyes. Just rapid blinks at first. She had no idea where she was at first. A quick jolt of fear caused he to pop her eyes wide open and then she realized that she was on the coach at Luna's house. She looked the human in face for a second (letting the rest of her brain come online) and drowsily spoke, "Morning already?"

"Yes and it's time to get up." Luna's voice was still soft but there was also a sternness added to it.

"Why? It's Saturday isn't it?" Sonata asked confused.

"Yes it is; but, you need to go clothes shopping. You can't exactly where the same outfit all the time. I mean, who does that?"

"True, it would be rather disgusting to where the same clothes everyday," Sonata agreed as she sat up and rubbed her eyes. "So can we have breakfast first? Maybe an egg taco?"

"What?", Luna asked, disgusted. "Tacos are not a breakfast food. They barely count as food period. I have some nice, whole grain cereal if you want. I'll get it for you. Anything above that, you make yourself."

Sonata didn't know what to say. First this human insulted the king of faux Mexican cuisine and then offered her what would have been considered horse feed in another century. But considering she had been a pony in her previous life, she guessed it was apropos. "Sure," was all she could muster.

"Ah, ah, ah. What do we say?" Luna chided.

"We didn't say anything. You asked if I wanted cereal and I said sure." Sonata was confused. Why would she ask what they had said when they never spoke in unison?

"Thank you!"

"You're welcomed but I didn't do anything," Sonata replied even more confused.

Luna face palmed and groaned. This was going to be harder than she thought. "No, you say thank, oh never mind! We'll work on manners later. I'll go get you your cereal." Luna got up and went to the kitchen.

A thousand years, Sonata thought, and I still don't get these creatures.

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It was actually a beautiful day out. The weather was warm but not hot, the sun shone bright in the sky with only enough clouds to make it pretty but not to threaten rain, and the sky was the perfect shade of blue. Sonata road in the passenger seat with her window down feeling the rushing air on her face. She loved cars. Well riding in them at least. She had no knowledge of their mechanics nor did she have any desire to learn how to drive one; but compared to the old ways of travel, cars were a godsend.

"So where are we going? Macy's, Boscov's, eww, Tiffany's?" Sonata asked excited finally about getting a new wardrobe.

"On my salary? - No," Luna replied. This girl really had no clue as to what real life was all about. Maybe she had bitten off more than she could chew this time.

"Well, where then?"

"Kmart." Luna simply said.

"KMART!" Sonata shouted. "What, was Goodwill closed today?" Kmart?! What the heck was that? Did this woman seriously expect her to wear Kmart clothes? Even Walmart had a "so bad it's good", red neck appeal to their clothing; but Kmart? Ugh.

"The store is having a sale today. Besides, my money, my choice. Understand?"

"Yes ma'am." Sonata sank back into her seat and sulked the rest of the way.

When they got to the store, Sonata's heart sank even more. The store had the look of a building that at some long ago point had been very nice, but just looked old and run down. The sprawling parking lot which would have been jammed packed on a Saturday morning thirty years ago; was now almost completely empty save for a few cars (most of which belonged to the staff). This wasn't a store but a ruin. Sonata turned her head and glared at Luna.

"I grew up shopping here," Luna said defensively. "If you would have seen it in it's prime, you'd understand."

"Hello, I saw this place back when it was a forest and still controlled by the Indians." Sonata snarked back.

"Oh c'mon!" Luna was really starting to lose her cool now.

Once inside they went straight for the junior misses' section. Luna had not been in this section of the store since she was a junior miss. But she had seen what the girls were wearing to school and seeing those clothes now on racks, she could only frown. "Back in my day; not even the sluts wore clothes like this."

"Actually . . . " Sonata started to speak but was cut off.

"Ok, I get it. You're ancient. You've seen first hand things I've only studied in books. I'm sure you could give me a full dissertation on the history of female dress and sexual norms through the ages. But I am not. I have only my own short lived experience in this world to go by. Alright?"

"All right Miss Luna." Sonata just shrugged.

"I just think it's horrible the way we over sexualize our girls nowadays," Luna sighed with a mixture of sadness and revulsion.

Sonata couldn't help herself. She had to speak up. "Yes, but at least they're not expected to marry or get pregnant. In many parts of the world, even to this day; a girl who is the age I look would be married with a couple children."

"But it's still exploitive. No girl, or woman for that matter, should feel like a collection of body parts on display for the amusement of men."

"True, but no woman should feel she needs to hide her body for the appeasement of others as well. That's the real problem. Your species doesn't allow women to own their own sexuality. All women learn from earlier on that how they chose to or not display their bodies is a matter of public debate."

Luna looked at Sonata in loving disbelief. This girl (although not really a girl) could go from completely naïve to absolutely brilliant in a split second. She had only met one other girl like that in her whole life and that was Pinkie Pie. Oh those two would become best friends once they met.

Luna heard her phone ring. "Probably my sister. We usually meet this time on Saturday to discuss what happened through the week. Go pick out some stuff while I take this." Luna then answered her cell and walked off.

Sonata went about picking some jeans, a couple leggings, a pair of sweat pants, some shorts, skirts, blouses, tees, and tank tops. Enough to give her two weeks of outfits. She then went and picked out a pair of sneakers and a cute pair of heels that Luna would probably disapprove of but she couldn't live without. After that, some underwear and she was ready to go to the fitting room to try everything on.

She got in and started to undress when she saw herself in the mirror. For a thousand years she had seen this face, this body. Never changing, never growing older, always the same. But that was all gone now. She had seen countless humans age through the years so she knew what was coming: her skin would start to wrinkle and sag, her breast would droop, varicose veins would start to appear beneath her skin, her hair would grow white, her bones brittle, her muscles, eye sight, hearing would become weaker, her immune system would become less efficient, and then what?- cancer, Alzheimer's, dementia? And where would she go? Who would take care of her? And then, nothingness. Death. No more her -EVER! And all within a few decades. All the previous centuries she'd lived now seemed like the flickering of a dying candle. It was all to brief, too quick, too horrible. Sonata broke down weeping; tears gushing from her eyes.

Luna heard Sonata crying and rushed and held her. Sonata curled up into her like a baby into her mother's lap. Luna hugged her, stroked her hair, and kept saying it would be ok. But how could it? Sonata was going to decay and die and no one could stop it. Maybe she should have stayed with Adagio and Aria. Maybe this was all a big mistake.

Sonata turned her head up to look at Luna, to tell her she had made a mistake; but she noticed something. Luna was crying as well. No one had cried for Sonata before. But this woman was. This woman cared. She buried her head back into Luna's chest and made a vow; this might all be a huge mistake, but she would try to make it work - for Luna.

A Plan Forward

Celestia's house was a bit grander than Luna's but still modest by most standards. One thing the sisters had in common was a love of books. Like Luna's; Celestia's house was filled with books: history, philosophy, religion, science, politics, biographies, and even a few "How-to" manuals. It appeared if Celestia was on a mission to become the single most intelligent being on the planet. But unlike Luna's, there was more decoration around the place. Paintings, photos cluttered what wall space there was not being taken up by book shelves. Figurines and sculptures from classical forms to avant-garde stuff. It gave the house an overall cheerier feel to it.

All three sat at the dining room table. Celestia had a cup of green tea, Luna had coffee (sugar, no cream), and Sonata had a chocolate milk Luna had bought for at a gas station she stopped at on the way over. Celestia was in a nice, pale yellow sun dress, her hair tied back, no make-up, and sandals on. It was a marked difference from the stern pants suits she wore to school.

Sonata had on a plain black, scoop neck t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers. After they had left Kmart, Luna had gone back home so Sonata could take a shower before going to Celestia's house. Sonata figured the best thing to do was to go "plain Jane" and dress down. She wanted to make a good impression on Celestia (well as good as possible considering) and didn't want to show up all flashy. She wore minimal make-up and her hair down; something she didn't do too often if for no other reason than the sheer length.

Now they were here, things didn't feel that awkward. Celestia had greeted Sonata with a hug. Not an overly affectionate, but not a cold, I'm-only-doing-this-because one either. She offered Sonata some snacks and a drink and genuinely seemed to care about her.

After some small talk between the sisters (for which Sonata had decided it was best to remain silent), Celestia looked at Sonata and asked, "So what are we to do with you?"

"Huh?" Sonata didn't know what to say. The question took her off guard a bit. She knew that she wanted to find a place to live and make some sort of life in this realm; but, honestly had no plan on how to actually go about doing it.

"I figured she could stay with me for a week or so until Sunset Shimmer felt comfortable enough let her stay with her" Luna spoke up. She sounded like she was trying to convince Celestia of something. There was also a touch of nervousness in her voice as well.

"And if she doesn't? It may not look good if Sonata is staying with you. People talk, inferences are made, and neither you nor the school need that."

"She will. Sunset more than anybody knows the power of redemption."

"Yes, but, Sunset is still early on that road herself. She might feel her own second chance might be in jeopardy if she takes in Sonata here."

"True dear sister; but look at how far she's come. It could be argued that it was her that turned the tide against," Luna stopped and shot an awkward glace at Sonata, "well, you know. I think she's ready. Besides, she lives alone. The other girls all live with their parents. Trying to fold Sonata into a situation like that would be extremely difficult."

"Pinkie Pie doesn't. She lives with her older sister; Maud I believe her name is. She could also do it with minimal disruption."

"I guess it'll be up to the girls then who takes her in then." Luna was getting a bit frustrated with her big sister. But then that was nothing new. No one had either irritated her more or done as much for her than Celestia. In fact there was a really good possibility that the only reason she was still alive was because of Celestia. So she gave her sister a large birth and held her tongue.

"Don't I get a say in this?" Asked Sonata. Hearing the two humans talk about her fate as if she wasn't even there made her very angry. It brought back too many bad memories of her filly hood. She deserved to have a say in her own fate.

"Honestly dear, no, you don't" Celestia was blunt but not brutal. "You have 'special needs'. Needs that regular channels can't fix. Also, despite your age, fourteen hundred I believe my sister said, you are a girl. You have the body of a girl, the strength of a girl, and without your magic to manipulate people, you have no coping skills for the life ahead of you. We have faced this problem before. Well, similar problem before. We know how to handle it. All you need to do is to figure out how you best want to proceed in this world. You work on you, we'll work on the situation around you."

Luna took Sonata's hand. "Honey, you are like a child. In a way; your magic was like your parent, protecting and shielding you from this life. That's gone now. You have to learn how to actually deal with people, build relationships. The skills you'll need to finish school, find and keep a job, as well as manage money and all that. That takes a lot of work. More so because you have a reputation. If you allow us to take care of the more practical matters; then that frees you to work on all those other things."

Celestia was worried for her little sister (forty-five and she still considered Luna her "little" sister). She was afraid Luna was seeing too much of herself in Sonata. That or maybe the child she had given up for adoption back during her "troubled" years. The way Luna looked and spoke to Sonata was too motherly, too loving. She wanted to help the girl as well; but Luna seemed to have an attachment that didn't appear healthy. I hope you're not setting yourself up for a heartache dear sister, Celestia thought to herself.

Sonata nodded. It was almost cosmic justice really. She had spent most of her life manipulating others and now here her own fate was completely out of her hands. Cosmic or darkly comic; one of the two. She wasn't sure which.

"The girls are practicing in the outdoor auditorium tomorrow," Celestia spoke. "Around one I believe. We can take Sonata to meet them then and see who will take her in." She looked from Sonata to Luna. "She's going to need some money until we can fix her papers. Are you willing to cover that?"

"Yes. I will," Luna responded.

"Fix my papers?" Sonata asked confused again.

"You'll need a birth certificate, medical records, court documents, all the papers that surround and sum up a life. I'm assuming you don't have any of those," Celestia responded.

"Never needed them before, so you're right. But can you get all that stuff?"

The sisters shoot each other a quick look and then Celestia simply replied. "We know someone." and that was it.

***********************************************************************************************************

Celestia cursed to herself as she listened to the phone dialing. He's going to let me go to voicemail; isn't he?; she thought to herself and cursed some more. Then she heard that arrogant, pompous, upper class voice.

"Well hello Celestia darling. So good to hear from you again. Calling just to chat?"

"Cut the crap Discord. I need papers for a student of mine. Sonata Dusk, female, sixteen. Can you do it?"

"Oh my dear, must you only call when you need something from poor Discord? Ah, you wound me so. But, yes, I can deliver. You should know that by now. Well for a price at least. A small, nominal fee amongst friends."

She could almost here him grinning. "Fine. I need it within the next two weeks; preferably. Call me when you have them."

"Fine, fine; as you wish. Oh and how is dear Luna doing? I do so miss her."

"Better off without you. When you have them Discord, two weeks, bye." Celestia clicked of her phone, wishing she had an old fashioned type so she could slam it down on the reciever. She hated that man but even the devil is useful when you need a fire made.

Author's Note

I also love Discord and wanted to use him. The idea of him being a gangster/Mafioso type came to me while coming up with another fan fic. I also wanted to keep the troubled past of Luna in the story as well. But since she wouldn't have been "Nightmare Moon" in this world, I gave her a more realistic troubled backstory. Plus I just wanted a way to cross some t's and dot some i's. I want to give my story as much real world grounding as possible.

Overall, not my favorite chapter. It felt more like a chore to write. But it does give Luna and Celestia a little more depth, gave me a way to have a character I really like make a cameo, and it does help propel the story forward which you want any chapter to do. Hopefully it's not such a chore to read. Peace.

Connections

Luna and Sonata left Celestia's house and got into Luna's car. Luna turned to Sonata and asked, "So now where to? We got the rest of this beautiful day to fill so let's do something."

Sonata thought for a second. It was a strange question. She had never been asked what she wanted to do before. She and Aria always just did what Adagio told them to do. And that was go out, stir up trouble, collect the energy, and then use that energy to get people to do whatever they wanted them to do. So Luna's question was one she was not prepared for. "I dunno," was all she could say.

"Well my bank account can't take anymore shopping; so how about the museum? They're having a special display on the settling of the town today."

"Museum? Why? I lived through most of it the first time; why would I want to see relics of it now?"

"Maybe you could fill me in then on some of the details. Come on, it'll be fun." And with that; Luna put on her sunglasses and drove off with Sonata just grumbling to herself in the passenger seat.

*******************************************************************************************************************

The Museum was like any other Sonata had seen. Big, sterile, pompous, and dull. There was the art section, the dinosaur section, the technology section, and the planetarium. She tried to shuffle along but Luna moved so quickly; she was in constant danger of falling behind. Eventually they got to the section Luna wanted to see - The Founding Of The Town Of Equestria (as the sign that hung from two large posts proudly said).

They went from diorama to diorama; each depicting a different event in the founding of the town. Some for the first nations people showing how they came to the area, how they fished, hunted, some ceremonial masks, a life example of one of their lodges, and so on. Luna would point stuff out, prattle on about what she knew and then asked Sonata what she remembered. Which, to be honest, wasn't much. She and the others were trying to survive like everyone else. They had been too focused on their own lives to pick up everything around them. Besides her memory wasn't unlimited and all this was hundreds of years ago. Plus, as a settler, she tried to avoid the native population as much as possible.

They then came to the settler area. Replicas of wagons and wax figures in those awful clothes she had to endure back in the day were displayed in idiotic poses. Having survived the past, she could not understand how these modern humans could idolize it so much. With all it's problems, she was grateful to be here, in this time period. It was all rather silly and annoying.

Then she saw it. The little stuffed doll; sitting on top of a battered chest from the 1840's. "Star Shine," she whispered.

Luna had been talking about how she admired the courage of the earlier settlers and was wondering what it had been like to come out here with them when she heard Sonata say something. "What was that?" she asked.

Sonata still just stared at the doll but answered. "Star Shine. When we came out here, we were part of a group. You had to be. Thirty-two in total. We passed ourselves off as orphans looking to move out here with our Uncle. Not implausible at the time. We road with a family out here. Hard Shine, Winter Shine, and their daughter, Star Shine. She was adorable. Six years old, very bright for her age, just as loving as you could want. The others, Adagio and Aria just kept to themselves, which is actually impressive in a covered wagon, but I bonded with the little girl. She thought I was funny. We played, laughed, and joked together.

"Her father was moving out west to escape the crime and poverty of the city. New York or Philly, I can't remember which. He thought he had planned for everything. They all did. But the journey took longer than anyone realized. We were already low on provisions when the winter hit. No one expected to be out there when winter came. They all expected to be in one of the new settlements.

"It was harsh, bitter cold. Snow fell deep and often. Pretty soon they were all starving. Even we began to starve when the natural negative energy was no longer enough to sustain us. But still, we were in much better shape than the others. That's why I gave Star Shine most of my rations. It helped, but the human body can only stand so much. Between the cold and hunger," Sonata wiped a tear from her eye," I was there, with her mother and father. I held her hand, she called me her big sister and gave me that doll; her doll. I told her no, that she would get better and need it. But like I said, she was very bright for her age.

"When we got here, there was only ten of us left. Ten out of thirty-two. As we were leaving, I gave the doll back to the Shines. I told them it belonged to them and I couldn't take it. They accepted and took it. That was the last I ever saw of them."

Luna put an arm around Sonata. "When I was younger I was rebellious. Jealous actually; of Celestia. She was the golden child, I was the after thought. I got into drinking and drugs and petty crime, I was a mess. But it got me attention. Then I got pregnant. I was seventeen at the time. I was in no place, emotionally, mentally, financially to have a baby. But I wanted it. This would be my child, my redemption so to speak. I fought and fought with my parents over my baby. Eventually I was 'persuaded' to give it up for adoption. I never even new if it was a boy or a girl.

"After that I became even more self destructive. More drugs, more men, more crime. I didn't care if I lived or died. No, I did care, I wanted to die. My parents had given up on me but my sister never did. She fought tirelessly to bring me back. And she did. Slowly but surly. Everyone deserves a second chance. Everyone deserves to have someone in their corner backing them up. That's why I'm so driven now to help those who have fallen down and want to get back up."

Luna looked at Sonata who looked back at Luna. Pain hurts; but pain shared can also bring people together to heal.

Sonata looked back at the display. "Bye, bye Star Shine. I still miss you." Then she and Luna left.

Author's Note

I wasn't planning this chapter at all but the idea just popped inside my head and I felt it was too important to let go. I think it bridges the last chapter and the next where Sonata meets the other girls on Sunday well. Also it flushes out Luna's motivations more. I didn't like the last chapter much, but love this one and for it being so heavy thematically, was a joy to write. Peace and love.

The Meeting

The Last strains of The Rainbooms new song; "Shine Like Rainbows" drifted out of the arena as Luna and Sonata looked on from a distance. Today was the day. Sonata didn't know what to think. She really wanted to stay with Luna. Despite being over a millennia older than the human; she had begun to see her as a mother figure. Maybe "mother" was too strong a word; but she still had very deep feelings for the human and had bonded completely with her.

And while listening to The Rainbooms practice; she was filled with a mixture of fear and hate. Hate because these were the ones responsible for her current situation. If it wasn't for them she would still be immortal and have the power to control others. Being able to force others to do your bidding AND love you for it was a drug more seductive and harder to quit than any other. Also eternal youth wasn't anything to sneeze at either. In fact; she really couldn't tell which she missed more. Well maybe the eternal youth thing.

Fear was from actually having to confront them. In all her years; she had never had to experience the consequences of her actions. The banishment, maybe that counted, but to see the effect she had had on others; to see the damage done, was one she never had to experience. But not only that, she was actually dependent on these girls LIKING her and taking her in. It was one thing to face your demons; another to face them and try to get them to give you free room and board.

"You ready?" Luna asked. She was standing to Sonata's right, looking down at her. She could see the anxiety and apprehension on the girl's face and her heart broke for her. She, too, would prefer to have Sonata stay with her, but that might raise too many eyebrows. She reached out and took Sonata's hand. "Don't worry; I'm with you."

Sonata looked back at Luna and smiled. She nodded yes and the two proceeded down the steps to where the girls were practicing.

Rarity was the first to see the two walking down to the stage. At first she only saw Luna and was about to wave when she then saw Sonata and gasped. "Girls! - Look there. It's vice principle Luna with one of the Sirens."

The others looked around in shock and horror as the two kept coming closer. What was Luna doing with Sonata? Was she still under some sort of spell? Didn't they destroy the Sirens' magic? If not, what could they do? Sunset Shimmer could write Twilight and try to get her back; but would she arrive in time? Would they be able to handle this on their own? Reflexively; the girls assumed a defense posture.

"Hello there girls. I really like that new song of yours," Luna called out; waving. "I'm sure you remember Sonata here."

"How could we forget?" retorted Applejack. Apple's fists were already clenched. She might not have magic herself; but she still had a lifetime of down on the farm made muscle to unleash on Sonata if need be.

Luna got to the stage and walked on. Sonata stayed down by the front row seats. "Not very likely is it?" Luna said. "But that was in the past."

"Uhhh, it was Friday," said Rainbow Dash. Like Applejack, she was ready to throw down. She had had enough of magic and extra-dimensional beings. She was ready for a good, old fashioned butt whoppin'.

"And as I recall Ms. Dash, you all had forgiven Sunset here the exact same night she tried to take over the school." Luna was annoyed. One, she honestly didn't care much for Rainbow Dash; who she considered to be brash, egotistical, and a show off. But having had the last few days to bond with Sonata; she felt really protective of her.

"So what do you want from us; vice principle Luna?" Sunset asked. She looked down at Sonata with her mixture of feelings.

Luna took a deep breath and said, "I need one of you to take her in."

The others collectively gasped.

"Huh-uh!" said Applejack

"No way!" replied Rainbow Dash

"I can't," said Sunset

"Absolutely not!" responded Rarity

Fluttershy simply shrank back as not to be seen and Pinkie Pie said nothing but looked down at Sonata.

****************************************************************************************************************

Sonata just stood there, looking down at the ground. She had been a fool. She should have stayed with the others. Look at her! - even more humiliated than ever; alone with little to no prospects. Adagio was right; she belonged with them. She always had. They had been the only ones who had ever taken her in. They gave her power, magic, and eternal youth and she had betrayed them. More than that, she was alone.

"Hi. I'm Pinkie Pie."

A voice, almost as impossibly squeaky as hers' (maybe even squeakier), snapped Sonata out of her self loathing. She looked up and saw the pink girl standing in front of her. She had big, happy eyes, a wide grin, and hair that rivaled Adagio's. She was the drummer for The Rainbooms, Sonata remembered. So Pinkie Pie was her name. And now she was standing here; in front of her.

"Oh, hi. I'm Sonata Dusk," she shyly responded.

"Nice to meet you Sonata." Pinkie stuck out her hand.

Sonata took it. "Thank you. Sorry about the whole trying to turn you into our slaves." Lame Sonata, she thought to herself. You're being stupid again! Can't you ever do or say anything right?

"That's ok; Sunset Shimmer did the same thing," Pinkie leaned in and whispered, "and she even caused property damage."

Sonata's eyes widened and she looked at Pinkie. "I know right? Like that is totally what I said to Adagio!"

"Oh yeah; where are the other two?"

"I left them. I wanted to stay and try to make a new start. But they wanted to go. So I came back here with Luna."

"Well good choice then! All good things start with one good choice." Pinkie beamed a huge grin. Then her face got super serious. "Do you like cupcakes?"

Sonata's jaw dropped open. "Are you really asking if I like cupcakes? I . . . love . . . cupcakes! Who doesn't love cupcakes? I mean not liking cupcakes is like not liking tacos."

"Who doesn't like tacos?" Pinkie asked flabbergasted.

"Luna! I couldn't believe it!"

"WHAT! How? - wait, she does like cupcakes though, right?"

"I don't know. I didn't ask. She's a," Sonata looked around and whispered in Pinkie's ear, "healthy eater."

Pinkie gasped. "Ahh. Have you had any sugar or fat since you been with her?"

"Only one chocolate milk!"

"You poor thing!"

*****************************************************************************************************************

"Girl's, she has no one and she wants to make amends. Doesn't she deserve that chance?" Luna argued.

"Yes, fine; everyone should be forgiven their boo-boos," Rarity said," but why can't she stay with you?"

"Because I'm an unmarried, forty-five year old woman, who is also the v. p. of the school she is attending. People assume things, people talk, I do not need that, Sonata does not need that, the school does not need that." She looked at the girls standing there, feeling disappointed with them. How could they turn their backs on one who needed their help now. Where was this "magic of friendship"?

"Sunset; you above anyone should know what she's going through. Can't you at least help?" Luna pleaded.

Sunset looked down. "I do vice principle Luna; which is why I can't." She then turned around and ran off.

The others looked on in surprise. "I'll go get her," Applejack said and ran after her.

********************************************************************************************************************

"Sunset, Sunset!" Applejack called, running after Sunset Shimmer. Eventually she caught up to her and grabbed her by the shoulder and spun her around. "What in tarnation is going with you girl?"

Sunset panted for a moment before speaking. "It's like I said; I do know what she's going through which is EXACTLY why I can't take her in."

"'splain yourself girl." Applejack was frustrated and wanted a straight forward answer.

"I am new to this whole 'good girl' thing. There were so many times I felt like giving up and going back to my old ways. And that was before they showed up. In the cafeteria, when they sang that song; you know what I thought? 'Girl please, I had you beat on my worse day.' I felt like getting up and showing them who the queen bee really was. Having them around reawakened something in me. At the battle, I honestly didn't know who I was going to side with at first. Why do you think it took me so long to start singing? I'm afraid if I'm around her, I might relapse. And I've come too far, fought too hard to do that." Tears started forming in Sunset's eyes.

Applejack smiled and gave her friend a hug. "You won't because you did and you have. You did side with us and have fought too long and hard to ever turn back. You're Sunset Shimmer two point o girl! You got this and we got you."

Sunset smiled and wiped her eyes. "Thanks A. J. . That means a lot."

"Good. Now let's go back."

******************************************************************************************************************

Sunset and Applejack got back to the stage. Apple had her arm around Sunset's shoulder. The rest just looked at them.

"Everything ok Sunset?" Luna asked.

Sunset shook her head yes. "Miss Luna I was thinking . . . "

"Sonata's staying with me," Pinkie Pie called up.

Thank Celestia, Sunset thought to herself.

Moving Day

Sonata was getting the last of her things together. There wasn't much to really pack up. All she had were her clothes, some make-up, and various toiletries that Luna had gotten her the day before (soap, shampoo, deodorant, and such). The last thing she had to pack was her stage costume from the battle. It laid, stretched out on the guest bed she had been using. She had been looking at it for five minutes and still couldn't decide whether she wanted to take it or not. On one hand it was a link to her prime; when she was magical, powerful, and immortal. But it was also a reminder that she was not any of those things anymore. Like old photos of long dead friends and relatives; it brought her both smiles and sadness.

Luna came into the bedroom and saw Sonata just looking at her old costume and could read all the emotions that were flashing across her face. She understood. She had a necklace she used to wear back in her rebellious days. After she cleaned up and turned her life around; she had gone to a bridge and just stood for what must have been a hour before chucking the necklace into the stream. Luna knew that Sonata was having the same internal debate she had that day on the bridge.

Luna gently knocked on the door and said, "You ready?"

Sonata was a startled. She had been so lost in thought; she hadn't noticed Luna come in. "Almost. I got most of it packed away. I guess all of it; all of it except that." She pointed to the costume.

"That's your past. For good and ill. Do you want to carry that with you?" Luna walked over to Sonata and put her arm around her shoulder.

"I carry my past with me everywhere I go." She raised her finger and pointed to her head. "In here. This is just an outfit."

"'Just outfits' do not take serious thought as to take them with you or not." She spoke in a manner so soft and kind; that one might think she was talking to a tired infant she was trying to put to sleep.

"No, they don't. It's an artifact." Sonata grew quiet again and just looked at costume again. "And artifacts belong in a museum." She reached down and picked it up and handed it to Luna.

"I doubt any museum would take this," Luna said with a small laugh. She felt like adding, maybe one of bad taste, but decided Sonata might take it the wrong way. She was in a fragile state right now and needed to be handled with kid gloves.

"Maybe not; but Goodwill will." Sonata just looked at Luna with those big, magenta eyes seeming to plead with her to take it away before she changed her mind.

"Will do." She took the costume and set on a small chest of drawers. "Ready?"

"No, not really. I wish I could stay here with you. I understand why I can't, but I still wish."

Luna gave Sonata a hug and said, "So do I darling; so do I." She then gave her a kiss on the forehead. "Let's go."

************************************************************************************************************

Pinkie lived with her older sister Maud in a nice, upper-middle class neighborhood. Their parents were wealthy mine owners. Maud was in college; studying geology. When she had moved out, Pinkie went with her. Her parents were ultra conservative Mennonites; something which clashed with Pinkie's naturally flamboyant nature. So instead of having fight after fight with her parents, Pinkie decided to go with Maud. And quite frankly, her parents didn't put up much resistance to it either. They knew she would never change, and they were tired of the fighting as well. Plus they had great faith in Maud to keep her younger sister in line.

Pinkie loved her big sister more than anything. Surprising on the surface since Maud and Pinkie couldn't be further apart in demeanor. While Pinkie was all sunshine and rainbows wrapped in a bubble made of joy; Maud was a funeral made flesh. But Maud loved Pinkie just as much. While growing up in a super restrictive home ground all the joy and life out of her, she made a vow to herself to never let Diane (Pinkie's real first name), suffer the same fate. So she gladly (or as close to gladly as she was capable of getting) let Pinkie come with her.

While Pinkie made friends with everybody; she had never met anyone so much like herself until she met Sonata. Which was strange considering they had just been battling a few days before for the fate of the school, possibly the world. But when she actually talked to Sonata; she realized they were kindred spirits. The rapid fire nature of their dialog yesterday, they way they just kept talking back and forth, almost knowing what the other would say before they said it, was something Pinkie never experienced before. So there was no question she would be the one to take Sonata in.

After Luna and Sonata left yesterday, she had gone home to tell Maud what was going on. Maud had gotten uncharacteristically mad at Pinkie for saying Sonata could stay with them. This was their home and she didn't want anyone else coming into it; at least not to live. In fact she had gotten irritated when Pinkie had her friends over for that slumber party. Their father only gave them so much to live on and they had to make that last. Another person would be a drain on their finances. That and Maud actually really didn't like other people. But Pinkie convinced her older sister it would be ok and the right thing to do. And that dad might see it as the "Christian" thing to do. So Maud reluctantly agreed. So now Pinkie stood by the front window; looking out for the arrival of Luna and Sonata.

*****************************************************************************************************************

"Here it is," Luna said as they pulled in front of Pinkie's house.

"It's nice." Sonata was depressed. The car ride over seemed to have taken place in warp drive. She was already missing Luna and wanted every second she had left with her to last as long as possible.

Luna patted Sonata on the knee. "It's going to be ok. You'll do well here. And even though you might not be staying with me; I'm always here for you." The two hugged and got out.

*****************************************************************************************************************

"MAUD, MAUD; THEY'RE HERE, THEY'RE HERE!" Pinkie Shouted in sheer joy and excitement. Before her sister could even come into the front room; Pinkie was running out the door. "Sonata! Sonata! Welcome home!"

This didn't feel like home for Sonata. In fact this entire dimension never felt like home. She had always hated it here. She had started to feel at home with Luna; but now that was gone. She had no home. Even if she were to go back to Equestria, it had been so long since she had last set foot there, she doubted even that would feel like home to her anymore. This was shelter, not home.

But there was one bright side; the big, pink ball of kinetic energy called Pinkie Pie that was now barreling down on her. Had she known someone like Pinkie back in Equestria, she never would have hung out with Adagio and Aria. Pinkie was a mirror image of herself. At times during their conversation yesterday; it almost felt like she was talking to herself. A much younger and innocent version; but herself none the less.

"Pinkie!" she called out and had just enough time to brace herself as Pinkie slammed into her and gave her a huge hug.

"C'mon; you gotta meet my sister Maud. She's amazing! You'll love her easily."

Before Sonata could say anything; a dark grey human in sweat pants and baggy white t-shirt walked up to her and said, "I'm Maud. I'd like to help but it's time for me to give Boulder a walk," in a voice and with an expression so devoid of any emotion it would make a Vulcan look hysterical in comparison.

Sonata looked on, her eyes bulging out of her face, as Maud walked off. She slowly turned to Pinkie and said, "Your . . . sister . . . is . . . AWSOME!" Sonata started giggling and bouncing up and down.

"I know!" Pinkie said giggling and bouncing as well. "We're gonna have so much fun."

"Ah, girls; how about we unpack first?" Luna felt a deep sense of relief at seeing Sonata hit it off so well with Pinkie. She would miss her, but she knew she was in good hands and would be ok.

Sonata turned to look at Luna. Whatever momentary happiness she had felt was gone now. It was time to unload, unpack, and say good-bye. She liked Pinkie, even felt a strange connection with the girl, but Luna had grown to be human momma; and Sonata would miss her deeply. Sonata didn't say a word, only nodded.

"Here; let me show you to your bedroom, roomie," Pinkie said with that big smile of hers'.

"Sure," Sonata said half-heartedly and shrugged. And just like that; Sonata started moving in.

******************************************************************************************************************

Sonata walked back to Luna's car with her after the had gotten everything unpacked. Luna hugged Sonata one last time and said, "Call me if you need anything; ok?"

"Never doubt it," Sonata said with a fake smile and a tear in her eye.

"And never doubt you. You'll be ok." Luna wiped Sonata's eyes, kissed her on the forehead, got in her car, drove until she was just out of sight, pulled over, and broke down crying herself.

Sonata walked back up to the house where Pinkie was waiting for her in the doorway. She didn't say anything; she just gave Sonata a hug. No doubt about it, this girl could read Sonata's mind.

Monday Morning Part 1

Sonata got out of bed. It was time for school. She hated getting up early. Out of all the technological innovations she had seen come through the ages, the alarm clock was the one she hated the most. She threw the covers back off of her and stretched before finally sitting up and getting out of bed.

She stumbled and shuffled her way to a low chest of drawers with a mirror placed on it to get her clothes for the day. She Looked down the whole way over, never looking up. Why should she, her eyes could barely focus anyways. She opened one drawer, removed some underwear, opened another to grab a shirt, one more for pants, then she looked up and jumped back in shock.

In the mirror was her, but her from the Battle of the Bands. Her eyes glowed red, pony ears, fangs, and wings. This Sonata's face was grinning malevolently, arms slightly raised at her sides. Sonata stumbled back in disbelief of what she was seeing.

"What? Are you surprised? Come now girly, you always knew I will always be here. I am you. You came here for survival; not redemption. Nice play by the way. The other two can look for their portal, but you got it good right here. Who needs magic to manipulate? You're the queen now." It was Sonata's voice, the one she used when they were tormenting Sunset Shimmer in the hall way. It was mocking, hateful, and took glee in the suffering of others.

"Well duh! Of course I take delight in making others miserable. That's who we are. You and I; we're the same. What's the matter? - starting to believe your own story? Maybe you are a fool. But I'm not. I'm power. Your power."

Sonata walked slowly over to the mirror. "It can't be."

"Oh sweetie; I AM!" and with mirror Sonata came crashing through the glass, changing into her Siren form; moth open, teeth bared, ready to chomp down on Sonata.

Sonata screamed and sat up. She looked around wildly at the still darkened room; it had been a dream. Another cursed dream. She put her hand to her face and rubbed her eyes. She was shaken and disturbed and just wanted it to be morning already. Whatever school may bring. it was better than dreaming.

Sonata's bed room door suddenly flew open and for a minute she was certain it was her mirror self come back to torment her. But as the light flipped on she saw it was only Pinkie Pie.

"Sonata! You ok? I heard you scream." Pinkie seemed to almost as shaken as Sonata had been. It was both weird and nice to see someone so concerned about her.

"Yeah. Just a bad dream. Nothing to get excited over. Thanks for checking though." Sonata gave a weak but genuine smile.

"Oh, ok. Move over." Pinkie then proceeded to crawl into bed with Sonata.

Sonata then started to freak out. "What are you doing?" It was all she could do to keep from screaming. This was a total violation of personal space. What was this girl up to.

Pinkie was a bit surprised by Sonata's reaction. "I'm getting in bed with you silly."

"I can see that! Why are you getting in bed with me?"

Pinkie just looked at Sonata and blinked a few times. They had hit it off so well, saw things so similarly, that she just thought Sonata would know instantly what she was doing. "When I was younger and I would have a bad dream, Maud would always come lay beside me. She would tell it was ok and it would always make me feel better. So I thought I'd do the same for you." Pinkie spoke with a tone that was a mixture of a parent trying to explain something to a child and hurt from Sonata needing to be explained to.

"But Maud is your sister." Sonata was still confused and a bit off put; but she was also feeling a new sense of relief and almost warmth that Pinkie would even think to do something like this.

"But what's a friend other than a sister from another mother?" Pinkie said in a happy, joyful voice. She loved making others smile and feel better. It was kind of her destiny she supposed and she wouldn't have it any other way.

"Oh," now Sonata definitely felt a growing sensation of love and warmth inside of her. In the last three days she had met two people who showed her more kindness, compassion, and affection than her fellows had in almost fourteen hundred years. So this is what it's like when people actually care about you.

Then she thought about her dream and felt a great sense of shame descend upon her. She was a manipulator. She was and is. How many people had she enchanted into doing her will? And how many had she sat back and watched gleefully as they fought and argued because of her and the others? Make no mistake; she loved what she was and she had done. Sure, she was the "nice" one, but what did that really mean? A rapid porcupine was nice compared to the other two. The bar was set so low, who couldn't step over it?

Now here she was, again; manipulating others. Others who cared for her with out being under a spell. What was she to do? Did she want to do anything? If she still was the manipulating monster, then who cared what these people had done and were doing for her. They were a commodity to be used and then discarded when they were of no further value.

But they were not. Not Luna, not Pinkie Pie, not Star Shine? She now thought back; back to other times, other people, mostly children, who had touched her in some way. Nothing deep or lasting mind you; just caused her pause. I was there when she died. I held her hand. She gave me her doll. I wasn't worthy, she thought.

Sonata felt two arms around her and realized that Pinkie was holding her. She looked over and saw tears streaming down her face. "You were crying," was all Pinkie said and Sonata realized she was, in fact crying. She laid her head on Pinkie's shoulder and just let herself feel the warmth of another's touch; of another's compassion.

She turned her head and caught herself in the mirror. Who are you? she asked herself.

****************************************************************************************************************

Adagio and Aria got back to Trixie's about 3 am. They had spent another night looking for the portal and had failed. Adagio knew it had to be on the school grounds, or at least near the school grounds. But no matter where they looked, the matter of this dimension held and no gateways were found.

"This is a waste of time Adagio. If it was here, we would have found it by now." Aria's patience was wearing thin. She admitted she didn't have any better ideas, but this was getting them no where.

"So what's your plan then? You want to be leader, fine! Tell me what great and glorious plan for our survival you have." Two things drove Adagio nuts: being questioned and whining. And Aria was doing both.

Aria just sighed and rolled her eyes.

"That's what I thought." Adagio looked around and thought. "The portal must not me accessible from this side. At least not all the time. Star Swirl opened it on our side. I'm guessing the purple one did as well. But how would she know when to open it? It doesn't make sense. So if it's not always open on this side; how could someone get a message through to her and tell her they needed help?" Adagio bent her left arm and held it across her stomach while rubbing her chin with her right hand. There was something she was missing, something big, but what was it? Then it hit her.

"I got it!" She ran over to Aria and grabbed her by the upper arms. She was almost laughing with sheer ecstasy at finally figuring out what she had been missing. "I got it. Sunset Shimmer!"

"Let go of me!" Aria said as she broke free of Adagio's grip. "What about Sunset Shimmer?"

"She's Equestrian, like us. Somehow she and the purple one must have some sort of trans dimensional link that allows them to communicate. Find that, we can get the other to open the portal. She opens it, she steps through, we run back across to home and revenge."

"And how do we do that?" Aria was annoyed by yet another item they had find; this one seemingly harder to find. But she was intrigued.

"Trixie stupid. She befriends Sunset Shimmer, finds out how she maintains contact with the purple one, and we're in."

"I'm not stupid! I'm not the new Sonata. And your plans keep getting more complicated. Do you really think this is gonna work?"

"As I said earlier, you got a better idea, let's hear it. Besides; what else do we have to lose? Let's get back and tell Trixie what's going on."

****************************************************************************************************************

"It's three am," Trixie said ruefully. She had been waiting up for Adagio and Aria to get back. For being partners; they never kept her informed as to what they were up to. All she knew was for the past two nights; they were out until the wee hours of the morning looking for a portal.

"Ah good, you're up. I don't have to try and wake you now," Adagio said smugly. "We need you to get close to Sunset Shimmer for us. Well, Rainbooms at least."

"Oh good. I guess I'm finally part of the team." Trixie's voice was full of sarcasm. "Care to tell me why or am I just to be your dutiful lap dog?"

"Trixie my dear; you are not our lap dog. I explained Aria and I need to go out by ourselves so just in case someone sees us, you're still safe. It's all for your protection sweetie." Adagio was nothing else if not the greatest sales woman there ever was. She had the skills to form her own cult.

"Still doesn't answer my first question." Trixie's arms were crossed over her chest. She was annoyed and knew she was being played. But she also knew she was playing them, and she knew they didn't suspect that of her.

Adagio walked over and gently caressed Trixie's cheek they way a parent might caress a fussy baby's. "Somehow, Sunset is able to communicate with the purple one,"

"Twilight Sparkle," Trixie interrupted.

"Seriously? That's her name? I was defeated by someone named 'Twilight Sparkle'? Oh for . . . UHG! Anyway, Sunset and Twilight can communicate. I need to know how. Find that out, we can get Twilight to open the portal and we go through and you, my dear, get to become a goddess."

Trixie gave Adagio her best angry teen look. "Fine. I'll start today. So what are you two going to do while I'm at school?"

"Uh, sleep. We've been up all night," Aria said.

Trixie shot Aria the death stare. "Fine. You sleep, I'll do the dirty work. Just remember, DON'T screw me over."

"Wouldn't dream of it darling," Adagio said, you're still too useful to us yet .

*******************************************************************************************************************

Twilight just sat looking at the mirror. She knew she had said she wouldn't be back until Saturday; but the loneliness and longing she felt almost overwhelmed her and she regretted telling Flash that. But she was a princess and she had her duties to perform. Still, all she could think about was being back in his arms.

"Twilight? Are you ok?" It was Spike. He saw she was out of bed and came looking for her. He had stayed behind with Rarity and the other girls to give Twilight her space in saying good-bye to Flash; so he had no idea about their pact.

"I'm ok Spike. I just need a little alone time. That's all." She turned and gave him her best fake smile.

"Ok Twilight. I'm just worried. You haven't been yourself lately."

Twilight turned back to the mirror and thought, I don't even know who I am anymore.

Monday Morning Part 2

Sunset Shimmer finished making her cup of coffee and went to her breakfast table and sat down. It was still early, about 5:30 and the sun was just coming up. Although her name was Sunset, she loved watching the sun rise. And the large floor to ceiling window in the kitchen area of her apartment made watching even better. Her apartment was one of the best in the whole town. It should be for the price she was paying for it. Not that money was a big concern of hers' right now.

She remembered again how she first stumbled across the old book that talked about the portal back in Equestria and how it opened every thirty moons and stayed open for seven days. She covertly looked for the mirror night and day until she found it. For the first three days the portal was opened she explored this world, found out everything she could about it's dominate species, studied their history, customs, and cultures. She learned how the gem stones common in her dimension were highly valuable here. She remembered loading up satchel after satchel of rubies, sapphires, diamonds, and emeralds to name a few; and brought them over to sell.

It was a pretty good hall too. Once she was done, she had about $1.3 million in cash. Which was good because getting the fake documents she needed was extremely expensive. Over 200 grand; stupid Discord. The man was a rip off, but he was able to deliver on time and with some high quality forgeries. But even so, she still had about one million left. Since she had no intentions of staying here, she got this gorgeous apartment for $1,200 a month. If she was going to have to stay here for the next thirty moons, she might as well stay in luxury.

Another good thing was that she was older than she looked in this world. When she crossed over; she was twenty-five. Not old, but old enough to be wise with her finances. Although it's not like she came here to party anyways. She had one goal - to lay low until Celestia forgot about her, sneak back, steal the element of magic, come back, raise her zombie army, and march on Canterlot to seize the throne. Would have worked to, had it not been for that meddling Twilight , she thought in her best Scooby-Doo voice.

Oh Miss Twilight, you did throw a rainbow colored monkey wrench into the works; didn't you? Sunset smiled, shook her head and took a sip of coffee. It was all good though, she supposed. She wasn't consumed by hate anymore. In fact she was actually kind of happy. As happy as a marked woman could be. The girls had accepted her, but the rest of the school still treated her like crap. Hopefully saving them all would make a difference. Maybe, but she doubted it. At least not all of them.

But now they would have a new bad girl to hate, Sonata. So in some respects; her coming back was a good thing. She could take any of the left over heat from Sunset. The bad thing was if Sonata had any badness left in her, Sunset could be susceptible. In fact; if the Dazzelings hadn't been so dismissive of her in the hallway and had tried to woo her over to their side, she probably would have done it. She was tired of trying to be the good girl and have everyone talk about her and treat her like a pariah. As it was; when the microphone fell to her feet and she picked it up; she had to think about which side she would choose. And to honest; it was the Dazzeling's slight that tipped her over the edge to helping Twilight than any friendship they had shown to her. Right decision but for the wrong reason.

Sunset took another drink and sighed. New week, new challenges, new opportunities awaited her and she would just have to deal with things as they came. She would show Sonata all the kindness shown to her by the girls and hopefully nothing would go wrong. Hopefully.

***************************************************************************************************************

Rarity got up two hours early every morning to prepare for school. From showering, picking out her outfit, getting dressed, hair, and make-up; even that barely left her enough time to get to school on time. Most people got Rarity wrong. They thought of her a rich snob. She wasn't. Well she was, but wasn't.

Rarity's family had been dirt poor. Her dad drifted from one low paying job to the next. It wasn't his fault; he was a good worker, but even the meager wages he made was still too much for the corporate bosses and share holders to pay, so they would close down their plants here and move to China and other slave labor countries. There simply wasn't that many good and good paying jobs back in the area of the upper mid-west which they were from. And since they couldn't afford daycare, Rarity's dad was the only one who could work; her mom stayed home to look after her and eventually her sister.

Sweetie Belle was too young to remember those days; but Rarity wasn't. She remembered the constant teasing she got from the other students for being the "poor girl". They made fun of her clothes, hair, her family, everything. Their house should have been condemned decades ago. The roof leak, there were holes in the walls, the paint was peeling everywhere, the windows shook in a gentle breeze, there was no central heating, all they had was a wood burning stove. The floor was buckling and starting to pull up. The toilet didn't flush, you had to pump water from the well into a bucket and then pour it into the bowel to flush the waste away. Over all it was a damp, dirty, smelly, freezing in the winter/ roasting in the summer, crumbling mess.

Then it all changed. Her dad was on his way to another temp job when he stopped off for coffee. On a whim he bought a lottery ticket. Turned out to be the best decision he ever made. They won over $27 million dollars. After that her dad moved the family out to here because of the high standard of living. Rarity made up her mind then and there she would never be seen as anything other than the most fashionable, cutting edge girl. Or as she put it, "a person every person should know". And it wasn't just her looks she cared about. It took her almost a year to change her accent from the thick, what everyone called a "Fargo" accent, to that of an upper middle class one, but she did. She wanted no traces of her former self to be visible or audible.

The one side effect of this was that she did come off as a self obsessed snob. But she still had a good heart. She would help out in homeless shelters under an assumed name and disguise so no one would know it was her. At Christmas time, she would give most of her gifts away to charity. She knew what it was like to be poor and wanted to do whatever she could to help alleviate some of the struggles for other people. Within reason that is. She was a good girl, not a saint.

Once she was all ready, she came down stairs. The rest of the family were sitting at the kitchen table eating pancakes. Even though they could afford help, her mother continued to make all their meals from scratch. Rarity smiled to herself and sat down.

"Oh hi there sugar blossom," Rarity's father greeted. "Sleep well last night?"

"As good as any other night Pa-pa."

"Oh, I'll never get over that fancy talk of yours' there sweetie. Here's some pancakes. Eggs and bacon are coming up," her mother said.

"So, your birthday is coming up fast don'tcha know. Any idea what you want?" Her father ask.

"Oh pa-pa, you've given me so much already; I really couldn't ask for anything more." Of course that was a lie. A white lie; she really did appreciate all her parents had given her, but a little more never hurt anyone.

"So I guess you wouldn't want the car I was thinking about buying you for your sixteenth birthday then?"

Rarity jumped up and squealed. "A CAR! Oh daddy, thank you, thank you, thank you!" She gave him a giant hug around the neck and kissed him.

"A car? Way to go sis! You could drive me to school then," Sweetie Belle chimed in. Sweetie both idolized her sister and was extremely jealous of her as well. But even she was genuinely glad for Rarity.

"Provided you pass your test there missy," Rarity's mother said somewhat sternly.

"And you keep your grades up; deal?" her father asked.

"Oh yes pa-pa! I promise. This will be the best birthday ever! I can't wait to tell the girls."

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"Hey Fluttershy! What's happening?" Rainbow Dash asked as Fluttershy came walking up to the school statue (which also served as the portal to the other world).

Fluttershy kept her head down. "Not much. Same as usual I suppose."

"You ok? I mean, you sound even more down today than usual." Rainbow could feel there was something off about her oldest friend. She also had an idea why as well. "Your mother . . ."

"No!" Fluttershy cut Rainbow off immediately with a force she rarely exhibited. "Sorry, I mean, not this time. She's been good. I, I don't like to talk about it. You know that Rainbow."

"I know. I'm sorry too. Just, I'm here ok?"

"I know. And thank you. It's not mom. I'm worried about Sonata. I don't know what it'll be like having another former baddie around. And honestly; I just don't know how I feel about having another person around period. I like our small group. The more people, the shier I get. Does that make me a bad person?"

Rainbow put her arm around Fluttershy. "No, that makes you, you. And honest. We reformed Sunset, we can reform Sonata."

Fluttershy smiled at Rainbow and new she was right.

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Big Mac pulled up to the front of the school and let his sisters out. The two waved to him as he pulled off to find a parking place. This was his final year. Applejack still had two years left. Apple Bloom, as they liked to tease; still had six more years to go. Not only did she have the longest to go, for at least two years she would have to take the bus until she got her license after A.J. graduated.

"Apple Bloom!" Scoot-a-loo called out.

"Mind if go over Applejack?" Apple Bloom asked.

"Naw. You go on little filly; I got my own friends to catch up with," Applejack said with a smile.

Apple Bloom gave her a hug and ran off. Applejack then looked around for her own friends. She saw Rainbow and Fluttershy by the statue and walked over. "Mornin' girls. Y'all ready for this week?"

Rainbow and Fluttershy exchanged glances. "Fluttershy is a bit nervous, but I told her we could all handle it," Rainbow said.

"Of course we can darlin'. Don't you worry none about it now," Applejack told Fluttershy with a smile.

"Girls! Girls!" Applejack, Rainbow, and Fluttershy turned at the sound of the voice. It was Rarity. She was running as fast as she could. She had a look of pure joy and excitement on her face.

"Now what's got you all crazy there Rarity?" Applejack asked, slightly annoyed.

"You're, hah, hah, hah, hold on. I got to, hah, hah, catch my breath." Rarity took a deep breath. "My wonderful father told me he's buying me a car for my birthday! Isn't that wonderful?"

The other three all started to congratulate Rarity. Rarity's birthday was one week before the end of school and it was always a blow out. Now with her having wheels, the summer could be just as awesome.

"Hey everyone. What's going on?" Sunset Shimmer had walked up to the group. She saw they had all been celebrating something and was wondering what it was about.

"Rarity's getting a car for her birthday. Isn't that awesome!" Rainbow Dash said.

"Nice. Congrats Rarity." Sunset was genuinely pleased for her friend.

"Thanks Sunset." Rarity then stopped. The bell was ringing for everyone to come inside. "Where's Pinkie Pie? I haven't seen her yet."

The others shrugged. None of them had seen Pinkie that morning.

"She's probably just with Sonata, helping her out. We'll see her at lunch," Sunset said. "Come on, it's time to get inside."

Author's Note

In this I wanted to do a time compressed chapter. I felt that I had laid enough ground work to move the story forward a bit and leave the almost real time narration behind. Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on how you see it, I still had some more character development and exposition I wanted to do first.

There's even more actually I want to do for Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy, but that'll be coming later. Don't want to give everything away up front. So I decided to make this chapter the second part of the last chapter. Or, basically, one chapter split in two. So hopefully you like this one and my explanations of and spin on the characters. Next chapter will be shorter (hopefully) and cover the whole week so I can get Flash and Twilight back together.

Peace.

One Week

Part 1: History Class

It had been decided by Celestia and Luna that Sonata should have all her classes switched so she could share them with Pinkie. It was similar to what they did with Sunset Shimmer; except for her it was Rarity. Alone, they could have been picked on and given up on their reformation. So by putting them with a mentor, it would provide them with someone they could lean on and get encouragement from. It worked well with Sunset and they hoped it work equally as well with Sonata.

The first class of the day was American History 2: 1900 - Present. They were now up the Disillusionment Years (1968 - 1980); which for most students was ancient history. When your a teenager, anything that happens before you were born is ancient history. Watergate, the Ming dynasty; it was all the same. For Sonata, however; it was personal history. A history that she would have to pretend not to know and Pinkie would have to make sure she did.

The teacher, Mr. Underhill was your stereo-typical cranky, old teacher. He was harsh, demanding, longed for the days when a teacher could paddle a kid simply because, and short tempered. To tell the truth, not even the other teachers liked him (some simply because they had had him when they went to school there and still bore a grudge); but he was only one year away from retirement, so they just put up with them. He intimidated all his students; all except one - Pinkie; and that drove him nuts.

He prided himself on making his students quake in their shoes. But not Pinkie. Oh no; no mater what he said or did, he couldn't break that girl. Eventually; though he hated it, he gave up trying and just sort of fell into an uneasy peace with that annoying pink-haired natural disaster (as he called her). And today, he had something to take his mind off the little she-devil; a new student to install the fear of Underhill in.

He watched as the students shuffled into his classroom. Same old stupid, underachieving faces; taking their same old seats; their minds even more vacant with summer vacation only a couple months away. Then he saw his bushy-haired nemesis walk in and right beside her was his new victim; a girl called Sonata Dusk.

The bell rang to signify the start of class. He stood up and immediately went to work. "Students, we have a new classmate today. I hope she won't be as disappointing as the rest of you; but I doubt it." His voice was overly grim and demeaning. He wanted Sonata to know right off the bat he was no one to mess with. " Ms. Dusk; we are currently studying the year nineteen sixty-eight. What, if anything, do you know about that year?"

Sonata thought for a second and then her face lit up. "Oh, never accept anything to eat or drink from a hippy." Sonata smiled with pride for having come up with her answer so quickly. I'm totally going to impress him, she thought to herself.

The class began to chuckle and Mr. Underhill's face turned red. So she was going to be one of those students. Not in his classroom. "Ms. Dusk, this is a classroom, NOT A COMEDY CLUB! Now I expect a serious answer from my students when I ask them a question."

Sonata was confused. She had given a serious answer. "But it's true. I remember back when I was living in San Francisco and this guy comes up to me and asks if I wanna brownie and OW!" Sonata felt someone kick her right leg. She turned around and saw Pinkie waving her hand across her neck. She realized that she was revealing how old she was. She turned back around and said, "Um, never mind."

Mr. Underhill was madder than he had ever been. Oh he was going to have to lay the law down with this girl thick and hard. And as for Pinkie; he looked at her and said, "Ms. Pie; did we not learn in kindergarten to keep our hands to ourselves? "

"But I didn't use my hands," Pinkie replied earnestly.

"Yeah, she kicked me with her foot, not her hand," Sonata said just as earnestly.

"Although you can't really kick someone with your hand; can you?" Pinkie said.

"I don't know. No, I guess not, but you can hit with a foot right?" Sonata responded back to Pinkie.

"ENOUGH!" Underhill yelled at the top of his lungs. "I don't know what type of game you two are playing . . . "

"Go Fish," Sonata interrupted. "So far she's up three to two."

"Yeah, but that's just luck. You'll probably get me tonight." Pinkie patted Sonata on the shoulder as she responded.

"Don't you have band practice tonight?" Sonata asked.

"Oh yeah, I forgot. Thanks for reminding me. So you'll get me tomorrow."

"SHUT-UP! For the love of God, will you two just shut up! By all that is holy, what is wrong with you two?" Underhill looked from Pinkie to Sonata. Back and forth, back and forth, waiting for an answer. But all they did was just look at him confused. "Why aren't you answering me?!" he finally shouted. "SPEAK!"

"You told us to shut-up," Sonata spoke first.

"Yeah, I mean how could we answer when you told to shut-up?" Pinkie followed up.

"Uh-huh. If you were gonna ask us a question, you should have asked it before telling us to shut-up."

"Well let us answer first. No point in asking a question and then telling us to shut-up before we answered."

"True. But then telling us to shut-up and then asking as question didn't make much sense either. Kinda self defeating."

"Yeah, that didn't make any sense. Mr. Underhill; are you feeling ok? Because you're really not making much sense."

Underhill's jaw had dropped wide open. His eyes were nearly bulging out of his head. It wasn't what these girls were saying that got to him the most; it was the fact that they were a hundred percent sincere in what they were saying. They weren't doing this to make fun of him or to be disruptive. These girls were literally that clueless.

"How? How? How could any one person; let alone two people, be that stupid? Please tell me! I have to know." Underhill was exasperated. These two had worked him to his last nerve.

Sonata looked at him for a second, sniffled, and then broke into a wailing cry. "I'm not stupid! Whaaaa!"

Pinkie got up, put her arms around Sonata, and glared at Underhill. "Are you happy now? Look at what you done! Is this how you get your kicks? - Making other people cry! You know what you are? - a meanie mc meanie pants! There! I said it. And you gotta live with it." She put her head on Sonata's and started saying, "Don't you worry about him. He's just a meanie pants."

Like a spell that had been broken; all the other students were now glaring at Underhill. Then they all started to call out various insults. It wasn't because they felt any need to stick up for Sonata; whom they didn't actually like or trust after the whole trying to take over thing; but pent up rage and hatred for this man.

Underhill put his hands up to the side of his head and screamed.

***************************************************************************************************

Part 2: Lunch

"So what was that ambulance doing here earlier?" Sunset Shimmer asked as she sat down at the lunch table she and her friends shared.

"Apparently old man Underhill finally snapped," Applejack answered.

"Good. Now I don't have to deal with him this afternoon," Rarity said.

"Hey everyone!" Pinkie said as she and Sonata sat down at the table.

"So Pinkie, what happened to Mr. Underhill?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Oh he was just being a meanie to Sonata; so I told him what for." Pinkie spoke with a sense of righteous justice.

"Oh, Sonata, that's too bad, so sad," Sunset said with a slight grin.

Sonata looked at Sunset. She knew that Sunset was using her own words against. Maybe she deserved it. She turned her head down to look at her plate of food for which she was no longer hungry for.

Off at the other end of the cafeteria; Trixie watched. She had planned on going up to the others at lunch and give her "please forgive me and be my friends" routine; but seeing them with Sonata caught her off guard. What was she doing here? This complicated things. So now what? Should she call back and ask Adagio what to do? No! She could handle this herself. She took a deep breath and walked over.

"Hi girls. I just wanted you to know I'm really sorry for trapping you under the stage last Friday. You have to remember I was under their," she glared at Sonata, "spell like everyone else. Will you please forgive me?"

The other girls just looked at each other. Was this really happening? With the exception of Pinkie Pie, most weren't comfortable with Sonata in the group; but now Trixie as well.

Applejack sighed. "Seems to be all we do anymore. Sure Trixie; we forgive you."

"Oh thank you. That means a lot," Trixie said in the sincerest voice she could muster. "May I please sit you?"

Once again the girls just looked at each other. This time it was Fluttershy who spoke up. "If we've really forgiven her; there's no reason not to let her."

"Oh thank you again," Trixie said and sat down.

The rest of the lunch hour passed in awkward silence.

*****************************************************************************************************

Part 3: Time Passes

The rest of the week slipped by as weeks usually do. Trixie continued to sit with the girls. She never said much, only a few sentences here and there. For her there was no rush. Let Adagio and Aria stew if they wanted; she would take her time and build trust before trying to find out how they were able to communicate with Twilight.

Everyone soon became, if not comfortable with, then at least used to both Trixie and Sonata being there. Once guarded speech gave way to more free conversations. Rarity talked about getting ready to take her driver's license permit test and her upcoming birthday party. Pinkie offered to help plan it. Sonata also agreed to help. They talked about classes and boys and music and what to do during summer vacation. Things were settling into a new normal and it felt good.

For Flash and Twilight though, they found as the time got closer to their date, they became increasingly more distracted and restless. Each wished they could speed up time as to come together sooner (although Twilight actually could, she chose not to for fear of possible unforeseen repercussions). Her friends also noticed Twilight becoming more distant and anxious but were afraid to say anything just yet for fear of jumping the gun. Besides, they were best friends; she would let them know if anything was going on.

Friday came and Twilight called her friends together to let them know she was going to be going out of town for the weekend. They were all surprised by her announcement. What was even more shocking was when she told them she was going alone and asked if Spike could stay with one of them. They asked where she was going and why; but all she would say was she needed to get away for a bit but would be back Monday. When asked what time she was leaving, she only responded early and that Spike would have to stay with whoever tonight as not to be woken up when she did leave.

Her friends were troubled and kept asking for more information but this only seemed to irritate Twilight so they dropped it. Rainbow Dash agreed to let Spike (who was confused as everyone else) stay with her this weekend. Twilight thanked her and before long she had him packed and ready to go. In fact, everyone got the impression that Twilight was shooing them off. Still really concerned; they all left. Maybe once she returned; Twilight would be more forth coming as to what she was up to.

All that night, Twilight couldn't sleep. She didn't even try. All she did was pace until it was time. As soon as the clock struck nine; she opened the portal and stepped through and into his waiting arms.

Author's Note

I decided to describe the conversation between Twilight and her pony friends as a way of saving time. I don't think it hurt the narrative. Plus I plan on more in depth conversations later with the actual ponies. Also the first part was so dialog heavy, I thought a break was in order anyhow. Hopefully you enjoyed.

Our Day

"Whoa; I got you," Flash said as Twilight literally fell into his arms.

Coming out of the portal was always disorienting. No matter how hard she tried; Twilight always either fell over or somehow came shooting out like a cannon ball. This time Flash was there to catch her. A good sign indeed.

Before she said anything; the two hugged and kissed. It felt good. The feeling of his arms around her, hers' around him, of their lips pressing against one and other. It was a feeling she wished she could bottle and take with her always. She finally pulled away and said, "Nine o' clock on the dot. You are punctual."

"What? - you thought I'd be late for our date? No way!" he said with a grin and a laugh in his voice. Seeing her, touching her, was all he thought about this past week. And now here she was in front of him. His heart seemed so light that it might just float out of his chest. This was the true meaning of happiness.

"No, not at all. So what's the plan for today?" she asked equally happy.

"Well, I borrowed my dad's car; I thought we could go up to Look Out Peak and have a picnic for starters. I got pickled eggs, some sandwiches, chips, grapes, salad, juice, soda, cookies, . . . "

"Oh and what army is joining us?" Twilight asked with a gentle nudge and grin.

Flash chuckled, lowered his head and rubbed the back of it. "It's a little much, but I wasn't sure what you liked, so I wanted to be prepared."

"It's ok. Just shows how considerate you are." Twilight then gave him a peck on the cheek. "Sounds wonderful. Let's go."

"Cool." Flash took Twilights' hand and they walked to the car. Flash opened the passenger side door for her. "After you my queen."

"Stop. I'm a princess; not a queen," Twilight said as she got in.

"Your title is princess; but you're still MY queen."

Twilight blushed, smiled, and twirled her hair. Flash smiled back, closed the door, walked over to his side, got in, and they took off.

*************************************************************************************************************

The ride up took them out of town and up some back roads into a forest. Twilight watched as the town gave way to scattered homes and then to nothing but trees. It reminded her of the Evergreen Forest back home but somehow more beautiful. She watched the sun twinkle in and out of the leaves on the trees. She put her hand out the window to feel the air rushing over it. It feels like flying almost, she thought. She listened as music came from the car radio. It was all amazing this strange new world. There wasn't any magic here, but it was magical.

"If you don't mind me asking," Flash started saying; catching Twilight off guard a bit, "why do you always wear that school uniform?"

"I don't have a choice. Every time I come through the portal, this is how I come out. I can't explain it; it's just the way it is."

"So no matter what you're wearing on the other side, it always get's changed to that?"

Twilight thought for a second. Should she tell him that on the other side she almost never wore clothes? It could easily lead to a series of questions she was not willing to answer at the moment. Especially any that might lead her to telling him the girl he had just been hugging and kissing was a pony. She would have to tell him sometime; but she didn't want to right yet.

"I guess it's the same for my age. I mean I'm twenty-seven but I always come out as sixteen." As soon as she was done speaking; she saw Flash's face become worried. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"Well if that's true; then what will happen after a year? Or two years? Five years? I'll keep aging, but every time you come back; you'll always be sixteen." Flash had never considered that part. How would a twenty year old, much less a forty or sixty year old explain hanging out with a sixteen year old girl? Oh no officer, she only LOOKS sixteen, but she's older than I am. He didn't see that going over well.

Twilight hadn't thought that over as well. "Could be that I'm tied to this dimension's Twilight's age. And that as she ages, I'll age with her."

"What do you mean 'this dimension's Twilight'?"

Darn it! Seems like those troubling questions came up anyhow. "Well, ok, how do I explain; in the two dimensions, yours and mine, there are doubles. Cosmic twins I'd guess you'd call them. I have a Pinkie, Applejack, Rainbow, Rarity, Fluttershy, Celestia, Luna, all. They share personality traits, somewhat similar backgrounds and such. I know there's another Twilight here. Your Pinkie even mentioned she lived in the city. So my guess is that whoever steps into the others realm is made into the image of their cosmic twin." Twilight stopped, then added, "Any of that make sense?"

Flash didn't say anything at first. He just drove with a blank expression on his face. Then he asked, "So there's another me in your universe?"

"He's a palace guard for Princess Celestia." Twilight then grimaced. She knew she had said something wrong. Not wrong maybe, but something she should have given more thought to.

"So you've met the other me then?" It was a question loaded with meaning. What it was really asking was how long will you keep coming here for me if you can have him back where you live.

Twilight placed her hand on his shoulder. "He's not you. He's a copy; not the real thing. He didn't save me when I was framed by Sunset Shimmer, I didn't dance with him at the Fall Formal, he's not the one I cried over when I thought I'd lost him to The Dazzeling's magic. That was all you. You're the one I want to be with because you're the one I have the history with."

Flash turned to her and smiled. "Thanks." He went back to looking at the road. "So if that's the case; then when I come to visit you, I'll be aged forward then. Huh, instant adult hood."

Twilight's eyes got really big. "Um, yeah. It would be a good way to test the theory out, but that'll have to wait awhile. My dimension is a bit, a lot different than yours. We have griffins, dragons . . ."

"Whoa! Dragons! You got actual dragons where you're from?"

Oh no. Instead of putting him off wanting to come to her dimension, she amped up his excitement even more. "Yeah. In fact that's what Spike really is. For whatever reason; he got turned into a dog when he came through. Whether or not all dragons would turn to dogs or vice versa; I don't know."

"Sounds awesome. Now I really want to go see where you come from."

"Um, in time. Just not right yet ok? There's still some things you got to know first. Things I'm not quite comfortable telling you just yet." Twilight was starting to sweat now. Please don't let him ask any more questions, please!

"Wait; you're not a dude back home, are you?"

"Nnnnnooooo, not a dude. I'm a genuine, one hundred percent, all woman female in both realms." Please stop!, she thought to herself.

Flash breathed a sigh of relief. "Well then, what's the problem? I love you, even if you had a giant horn coming out of your head."

"He, he. Yeah, a giant horn," Twilight pretended to laugh it off as a joke. Not just a horn buddy, but wings, a muzzle, tail, and hooves.

Before anymore awkward questions could be asked; they had arrived.

***************************************************************************************************

Look Out Peak was so named because it was a cliff where one could look out and see the whole town of Equestria in all it's glory. It was a famous location where locals love to picnic and just watch their beloved town. You felt both a part of it and apart from it at the same time.

"Oh Flash, it's beautiful. Thank you so much for bringing me here," Twilight said in awe.

Flash came up behind her and put his arms around her waist. "I knew you'd love it." He gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Come on; let's get set up."

They went to the car, unloaded everything, and laid it out on the ground. For a while they did nothing but eat. There was no need for forced conversation. Each felt completely comfortable in the other's presence. All they needed was to be near each other; nothing else was required.

As they finished up; Twilight turned to Flash and asked, "So tell me about you? How'd you get here?"

"Well, my great-grandparents fled to the U.S. from China to escape Mao and the communist after World War Two. They didn't meet until they had already settled in. They started and ran a restaurant and Laundromat. My Grandfather was born in nineteen fifty. He got the restaurant and his sister got the Laundromat. My dad was born was born in seventy-three. He was disowned by the family for meeting and marrying my mother. My mom is of Greek, German, and Irish descent. They wanted him to marry a fellow Chinese woman; not just Asian, but Chinese specifically. But as dad always told me, love is love and love knows no nationalities. - or dimensions." Flash smiled and Twilight blushed.

"Dad worked as a carpenter for years. He eventually started his own business. We're comfortable, but compared to the other people who live here, we're poor. But in summers I help my dad as much as I can. I have a lot. More so than my great-grandparents or even my parents did. But I know I only have it because my family worked their tails off to provide it for me. I'm not a trust fund baby like most at our school. But it's all good."

"So do you see your grand parents?"

"I have. Honestly, I'm much closer to my mom's side of the family. But tradition states I trace my bloodline through my father's side. I don't know. I guess they love me. They're old school. Really reserved emotionally. But my dad, my mom, and her side love me. It is what it is." Flash smiled and shrugged. "So what about you?"

"I love my family, but I don't get to see them as much as I'd like. Last time I saw my parents were at my coronation. I see my brother a bit more, but he's a prince with his own kingdom to look after. I miss them. I wish I could see them more. But I always felt that I never quite met my parents expectations. I guess that's why I've always been such an over achiever. They were never cruel or demanding, but I always felt
'pushed' so to speak. You have any brothers or sisters?"

"Nope, Dad always said one was enough."

They continued on like that. Talking, telling each other about their backgrounds and experiences. Twilight tried to make sure Flash did most of the talking. Eventually she would have to tell him everything, but; still, just not yet. Eventually their conversations tapered off and they packed everything back up.

"Ok, I came up with the first thing. So now you come up with the second," Flash said.

"Well, I guess I should get some clothes to keep here. Like you said, all I have is this uniform, and who wants to wear the same thing all the time."

"Sounds like a plan. Shopping we shall go."

"Great," Twilight said with a smile. She reached into a small sack she had brought with her and pulled out a few diamonds, 2 or 3 rubies, and some emeralds. "Will this bee enough?"

Flash's mouth dropped opened. "Yeah, yeah, that should do."

"Good. I was worried I didn't have enough. I only brought a little with me just in case. I wasn't really planning on buying anything. But, cool; let's go."

A Chance Meeting

Sunset Shimmer was walking around, looking at the latest clothes the Kohles had out. While she still liked shopping in the Junior Miss section; she was glad that she would soon be graduating to the more adult clothes soon. Maybe. She had decided to stay in this world until graduation but had no idea where to go after that. Equestria was her home. And there were parts of it she missed dearly. But after over three years here; this was her home too. And after the two more years until graduation; it'll be even more her home. It was a tough choice to make; which is why she chose not to think about it.

She had just started shuffling through some tops when she heard some familiar voices. She looked over and saw Flash Sentry standing by the women's changing room door. What the heck was he doing here? She was more curious than anything else. Sure they had dated and he had dumped her, but as she had stated earlier; she was never really attracted to him in the first place, it was all a ploy to become more popular. She decided to go up to him and ask what he was doing.

"Hey Flash. Didn't expect . . . " Before Sunset could even finish; Twilight came out wearing a pastel purple lace cami (not far off her own skin color) and mid thigh jean shorts.

"So what do you think of this?" Twilight asked and then gasped. Sunset Shimmer was here! Oh crap, what does she do now. "Oh, hi Sunset," she said awkwardly.

The three of them just looked around not knowing what to say. Finally Sunset decided to break the tension. "Twilight. Um nice to see you here. Wasn't expecting that, but it explains what Flash was doing standing here." She then gave Twilight a quick look up and down and turned to Flash. "Lucky boy."

Flash coughed and did the back of his head, stroke thing and Twilight took a step back and did her hair twirl thing. Sunset just smiled slyly. "It's ok. I understand."

"Sunset, I can't say it's not what it looks like, because it is. Flash and I . . ." Twilight started to stammer but stopped when Sunset put her hand up.

"I know. Everyone knows. You two didn't exactly hide your feelings for each other well. Like I said; it's ok."

Twilight smiled. "Flash and I made a pact; that every Saturday, we'd spend the day together. I was planning on telling you guys, I was, honest. But we just wanted the first few dates to be about us."

"That's actually kind of cute. No problem. I'll keep my mouth shut." Sunset was actually a bit touched at how these two felt about each other. It was sweet and nice and was potentially disastrous. Just like all great romances.

"Sunset," Flash spoke softly, embarrassment still lingering in his voice, "Twilight will sometimes be spending the weekend here. She'll need a place to stay when she does. Also, if nothing else, she'll need a place to keep her stuff for when she's here. Can she stay with you?"

Sunset looked from Flash to Twilight. It wasn't an unreasonable request. In fact it made perfect sense in a way. But all things considered, it still struck Sunset as a somewhat blind intrusion upon her. But that was her headtrip. These were her friends, they were asking for help, so she had to woman up and do the right thing. "Sure," she said.

"Thank you," both Flash and Twilight said together.

"In fact, why don't you two come over tonight? I'll make dinner and we can make arrangements. Ok?"

"That sounds great Sunset. We'll be there. Where do you live?" Twilight was relieved that Sunset was being so understanding and helpful.

"Oh, Flash knows where it is." With that, Sunset turned around and walked off with a smile on her face. She might have to do the right thing, but she didn't have to be a complete pansy about it.

*************************************************************************************************************

They didn't see her, but she saw and heard them. Heard being the most important thing. After a week of disappointment and stagnation; things finally looked to be turning around. Yes, things were definitely looking up for her.

"Adagio, what are you . . ." Aria started to ask but Adagio cut her off. She couldn't risk the others from seeing them here.

She leaned over to Aria and whispered, "Look who's here."

Aria looked over where Adagio was pointing and saw Twilight and Flash. "It's her!" she whispered back.

"And to think we didn't want to come here with Trixie. Looks like I was right about that girl being an asset to us. Not in the way I originally imagined; but an asset none the less."

Aria smiled. For her, it was a chance to follow Twilight back to the portal. But for Adagio it was so much more. From everything she had learned about Sunset Shimmer; she was a woman after her own dark heart. Whatever the others had done to turn her; she would try to undo. With Sunset by her side she would have a companion who was completely (well almost completely) her equal and she could leave Aria behind. She could leave them all behind. And considering that little "twist of the knife" Sunset did to Twilight; it shouldn't be that hard to turn her back.

Today was a good day after all.

****************************************************************************************************

Trixie saw what had gone down between Twilight, Flash, and Sunset. She also saw Adagio and Aria as well; pointing and whispering. So this is when the backstabbing begins? Looks like I'm just going to have to get my knife out first, she thought to herself.

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"Wow Sunset, you really do have a nice place here," Twilight said as she walked through the door.

"Thanks. I like to think so," Sunset said with false modesty. She led them to the already prepared table. "Most dishes are mostly vegan, but I must say, after three years, I have developed a taste for meat; so I prepared some fish and chicken dishes as well. Feel free to eat what you want."

Flash pulled Twilight's chair out and pushed her in. Then he sat down beside her. "Sunset is a great cook. I think you'll enjoy it," he said.

Sunset looked at Flash and smiled. "Thank you Flash. That means a lot."

"Hey, our past is our past. You've done well Sunset. I can't hold a grudge and I hope you can't either."

Sunset looked at Twilight and said, "Lucky girl." Then she sat down herself. "Please eat."

The three made their plates and ate. Flash was right, Sunset was a great cook, Twilight thought to herself. She even found herself liking the meat dishes Sunset had made. Not something she would ever admit back home.

"Listen, about earlier, I'm sorry. That was uncalled for. I really am happy for you both. And I also want to say I'd be honored to have you stay with me anytime Twilight."

"Thank you Sunset. And, as you said, it's ok. It's an awkward situation. Your friend and your ex, so I don't want you to misunderstand how much this means to me and how much I respect you for doing this." Twilight spoke with true sincerity. She really did respect Sunset for what she was doing.

"So when is the first time you plan on staying here?"

"Well," Twilight looked at Flash and back to Sunset, " I was thinking maybe, tonight?"

"Oh!" Sunset sat straight up in her chair and looked at both of them. "Uh, yeah, sure. Um Flash, will you be staying . . ."

"No. It's not like that. I got to back home here shortly. My dad is cool, but not that cool. Especially if I want to borrow the car for tomorrow as well."

"Ok. Sure then," Sunset said.

The rest of the night went smoothly. The conversation became loser and more relaxed. By the end they were all laughing and telling stories. Sunset revealed her age was really 29, Flash asked about Equestria and the girls reminisced about it. Luckily Sunset never let it slip that they were both ponies back home. Eventually Flash had to leave. He kissed Twilight goodbye and gave Sunset a hug.

As soon as he had gone; Sunset said, "You two really are lucky. You make a great couple."

Twilight turned to Sunset. "And you really are a true friend."

Sunset looked down then back. "So what's the plan? I've heard of long distance relationships, but this takes the cake."

Twilight's face darkened. "I don't know. I just know right now I can't be without him. We'll see. How 'bout you? Are you going to stay here or move back?"

"I'm in the same boat as you there sister. This place grows on you. I hated it here, now, I don't know. But I'm not a princess back home. You got a lot of responsibility riding on you."

Twilight shook her head. "I know. It's not fair. But life isn't fair is it? I just have to wait and see where this goes."

"You're welcome to stay as often or as long as you like."

The meaning of Sunset's words were clear - if you want to move here because of him, it's ok. Twilight nodded her head. "And my castle has many bedrooms," she replied.

And with that, nothing else needed to be said.

Author's Note

The dinner scene was actually much longer and more in depth. But for the sake of time (mine and yours) I shortened it up and condensed most of it down to the one paragraph. Also, while the story takes place in chronological order, I will be shifting focus to other characters from time to time. So right now it's been Sonata's and Twilight's story, I do plan on bringing the other characters in. Sunset Shimmer first, but eventually each girl will get her due. Needless to say this is going to be a long ride. Hopefully you stay with me.

Peace

Plans And Offers

The ride back to Trixie's was a quiet one. Mostly due to the fact that they were on public transport since none of them drove. But also each one was planning their next move and what to and not to say. Alliances made for ignoble means are rarely ever trust worthy or stable.

Once back home, it was Trixie who first spoke up. She figured she had both the most and least to lose. If the Dazzelings decided to leave her behind, she would lose her chance at almost unlimited power. But, at the same time, other than having to put up with the two of them for a little over a week, she really wasn't out anything either. "I saw Twilight at Kohl's today," was all she said as soon as they had all walked through the front door.

Aria and Adagio exchanged glances that only slightly betrayed the fact they had also seen Twilight. They then looked at Trixie and it was Adagio who said, "Oh? That is interesting. If she is here, then that must mean the portal either open now, or will be soon so she can go back. Good job Trixie." Adagio was as smooth as she had ever been. She was the liar, the manipulator, the seductress; her tongue was solid silver and her face a perfect mask to show whatever emotion you wanted to see.

Trixie just gave Adagio her best "really" look and shook her head. "I also saw you two had seen her as well. Despite what you think; I'm not stupid Adagio. I always knew you'd try to betray me as soon as it became possible."

Adagio looked genuinely surprised then her face became cold and emotionless. "Ok Trixie; so now what? Twilight's here. All we got to do is stake out the school and wait until she crosses back over. We don't need you for that. So you got something to offer?"

"Yeah, in fact I do. Cantorlot has a large campus and you two still have no idea where the portal is. One of you could be on the other side when Ms. Light decides to leave and you would never know. Also, as soon as she enters the portal, she'll immediately close it behind her. So unless you are right behind her when she crosses over, it'll be shut by the time you'd get there. At which point you'll still need a place to stay until she next crosses over, which who knows when that'll be."

"She has a point Adagio," Aria said, sounding concerned.

Adagio turned to look at Aria and nodded. She then looked back at Trixie. "Ok; valid points. So what's your solution?"

Trixie smiled. "Well, we continue on as we have. You two keep scooping out the campus at night. BUT, only one of you. Just in case you get lucky, you don't leave me behind. Once we know where the portal is, we'll know where to watch the next time she comes through. Also, we know both Flash and Sunset Shimmer know she's here as well. In fact it's an opened secret Flash and Twilight like each other. They might even be dating. If so, she'll be crossing over on a regular basis." Trixie gave Adagio a look that one could almost mistake as her trying to send Adagio a telepathic message. It was as if she was saying, you see; are you getting this? .

Adagio rubbed her chin and looked down to her left. "Yes, I see. But there is no magic on this side. So she would have to keep the portal open while she's here because if she closed it; there'd be no way for her to open it on this side." She snapped her fingers and looked up in surprise and glee. "Once we knew where it was and that she was here; we could leave at anytime."

"Exactly!" exclaimed Trixie. "As soon as we see her, we could call the other two and make our way over."

"But how long is she planning on staying?" Aria asked. "Is she leaving now? Will she leave tomorrow? Or will she be here all week or more?"

"We'll just have to keep watch," Adagio said simply. "It will be tedious still, for a time. Fortune has not smiled upon us, but she did give us a very good wink."

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Sunset Shimmer looked in on Twilight. She was sound asleep. Sunset couldn't help but smile. After the portal had re-opened and she had gone through to find one of The Elements of Harmony ; she learned about Twilight Sparkle. How she had come to Cantorlot after she had left. How she had become one of Celestia's prize students, and then how she became a princess herself.

Sunset had burned with anger and rage upon finding that out. She vowed that she would destroy Twilight at any cost. Twilight had taken Sunset's place as Princess Celestia's best student. She should have been the one turned into a princess, not this purple pretender to the throne.

And, in truth, she had tried. She blasted Twilight at the Fall Formal to kill her. But when the others stepped in to save her, they unleashed Twilight's magic and she defeated Sunset. Not only that; but in doing so, she had also taken all of Sunset's rage, envy, and cruelty away. In trying to kill her; she found redemption.

At least she hoped. There was still that ember, that spark inside of her. She tried to deny and bury it, but it still came bubbling up from time to time. In the cafeteria, when the Dazzelings first enchanted everyone and she wanted to stand up and just take them by their hair and tell them she was the head witch in charge here. Or when she had made that dig at Twilight today about Flash knowing where she lived. She made that statement simply to hurt Twilight by inferring Flash had been over to her house before, as a boyfriend.

Times like those scared her immensely. She had gained so much to lose it all. But, while Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy were quick to forgive (and Flash to some extent), most of the others at school weren't. She fought so hard to redeem herself, but it all seemed to go for naught. At her lowest times, she simply felt like giving up.

Oh Twilight, she thought to herself, You've given me so much. Hopefully it was enough. Sunset shut the bedroom door, went out to her car, and drove off. She drove until she got to campus. There she parked and went to the observation tower.

************************************************************************************************************

Adagio took the first night shift. She had been walking around and poking and prodding everyplace. As she was doing so; she saw a car coming onto campus. A car, at this time of night, on a Saturday none the less, was more than curious. She hid behind a bush and saw that it was Sunset Shimmer. She watched as she got out and started walking off. Adagio couldn't understand why she was here. So she decided to follow her and find out.

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The tower's doors were rarely locked. Sunset never knew why but used that to go up at night sometimes and look at the town bellow. Being here at this time of night, with that view, helped her think. It was here she would go to wind down, contemplate, and heal. Now she began to sing a song she was working on for the Rainbooms. She had lyrics in mind and just started singing.

"Power was all that I desired. But all that grew inside of me was a darkness I acquired." She slowly made her way through the first verse and then to the chorus. "Like the Phoenix burning bright in the sky; I'll show there's another side to me you can't deny. I may not know what the future holds but believe me when I say; my past does define me. Because my past is not today!" And on she went, verse, chorus to her amazing crescendo. At the end she felt like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. It was as if singing that song had unleashed some left over magic inside her.

"Very impressive Sunset, naïve and foolish; but impressive none the less."

Sunset whirled around as fast as she could and saw Adagio standing behind her. "What are you doing here?" She asked confused and angry.

"Oh, just looking for the way home Sunset darling. Isn't that what we're all looking for?" Adagio was leaning against the doorway but then started to walk over to Sunset. "You know, I would like to apologize to you; for the hall way incident."

Sunset started walking toward Adagio as well. She didn't want to be too close to the edge just in case. "Thanks, but unnecessary." Sunset barely tried to hide her anger. Adagio was the ring leader, the mastermind, she was the least likely to change and the most dangerous. She just wanted her to go.

"Oh, but I must. You see, I came to Cantorlot High because of you. I saw what happened that night. It was your magic that drew me here. And once I found out what you had done, I was very impressed. No. I was in awe." Adagio's voice was sweet, soft, and seductive.

"In that case; I have even more to make up for than I thought," Sunset replied flatly.

Adagio laughed. "You have nothing to make up for. What did you really do? -huh? You had ambition. But what is ambition but a goal you really want to accomplish. All you did was take the steps necessary to achieve that goal. Nothing different than almost every other person on this god forsaken rock. Why try to make up for that?"

Adagio was now circling around Sunset, much like she had done back in the hallway that day. Sunset tried to follow her but started getting dizzy. "There's good ambition and bad. A right way to achieve your goals and a wrong. I did it the wrong the way."

"Who says? I know you're not as old as I am; but surely you're old enough to know that morality; right and wrong, are ambiguous at best. Most of the time they're just arbitrary rules laid down by a society's elite's to control the masses. You are not one of the masses. You are not a sheep to blindly follow orders until the day you are butchered. You are a queen! You are not bound by their rules, their laws, their codes of conduct."

"I hurt people." Sunset was smoldering now with rage. She wanted nothing more than to just lay into Adagio, if for no other reason, part of her was actually starting to listen to what Adagio was saying.

Adagio laughed even harder. "Honey, factories pumping toxins into the air and water are hurting people. Banks, foreclosing on the poor hurts people, cars, with their emissions, hurt people. Heck, breaking up with somebody hurts at least one person. People hurt each other all the time for a myriad of reasons. The clothes on your back were most likely made by forced or at least highly under paid workers. Do you feel guilty about that?

"No animal gets to the top of the food chain without eating others and no person ever gets to the top with sacrificing and hurting others. And guess what? - No one ever feels guilty about that. That's how the world works Sunset Shimmer."

"No. Not me. Not anymore. That's my past . . ."

"And your past is not today." Adagio mocked. "I got it. But guess what honey? - Our pasts are exactly who we are. Everything we ever did, said or said and done to us is exactly what makes us who we are today. Even if we try and even manage to fool ourselves on that one, the others never will. Once a witch, always a witch. Redemption is a lie Sunset. It's a fairy tale we tell ourselves to make us feel better."

"You should know about lies."

"I may be a liar, but I never lie to myself; about who and what I am. Haven't you ever wondered how and why you changed so fast? You got blasted by magic. You're under a spell that makes you a sheep. Wake up and be what you know you are."

At this time, Sunset has her head down and eyes closed; trying to block Adagio's words out. All of a sudden she feel Adagio's left arm go around her waist from behind. Her right hand starts stoking Sunset's hair back. Sunset can feel Adagio pressing up against her back. Then Adagio's hand gently goes down the back of Sunset's neck which cause her to quiver in delight.

"I see the back of the neck being our most sensitive area has remained the same over in this realm," Adagio softly whispered in Sunset's ear. "I don't want to fight you Sunset Shimmer; I want to free you. I have had companions and underlings; but never an equal. You are my equal Sunset Shimmer. Come with me, embrace who you are, and we can rule both realms forever! You and me Sunset. You as my queen and me as yours; who would, who could, stand against us. I need you." Adagio was whispering directly into Sunset's ear with a hard, breathy voice which also gave the sensation of it being blown in as well. Her left arm was now gently rubbing Sunset's stomach.

Sunset grabbed and dug her left finger nails deep into Adagio's left thigh which only made Adagio smile. Then Sunset took her left hand and raised up to Adagio's left cheek and began to stroke it. She slowly turned her head so her lips were mere millimeters from Adagio's, their hot breath mingling together. Sunset gently kissed Adagio on the corner of her mouth, then her cheek, then she nibbled her earlobe. "I have one thing to say," she whispered into Adagio's ear.

"What is it darling," Adagio sweetly asked, knowing she had Sunset right where she wanted.

"BUCK OFF!" Sunset shouted into Adagio's ear.

Adagio yelled in pain and loosened her grip on Sunset. Sunset took this opportunity to thrust a massive elbow into Adagio's stomach. Adagio doubled over and feel to her knees. Sunset took her hands and raised Adagio's head so she could look her straight in the eyes.

"Spell or no spell, accepted by others or not, I am different, I am redeemed, if only to me; and that's all that counts. Another time, another place; I would have taken you up on your offer. Not now, not ever again." Sunset let go of Adagio's head and started walking off.

"SUNSET SHIMMER! I WILL HAVE YOUR HEAD ON A PIKE FOR THIS!" Adagio screamed.

"Better on a pike than where you wanted my head earlier." Sunset called back while never turning around.

***************************************************************************************************************

It took Adagio a good twenty minutes to recover. Just enough time to run over and see Sunset drive away. More than anyone now, Adagio wanted to make Sunset suffer. She had humiliated her. She had offered Sunset the keys to unlimited power and literally punched in the stomach for it. Adagio vowed no matter what happened, she would get revenge.

She made her way down the steps and walked over to the arena where she and the others had been defeated only a week or so ago. She walked down to the stage. Her mind boiled with absolute hatred. The morning sun was coming up now and soon she would have to get back to Trixie's. Still, she felt compelled to come here.

Now she was at the stage and walked back and forth in front of it. She didn't know why but just did. Then something on the ground caught her eye, glimmering in the early morning sun. She bent down and picked it up. It was a fragment from one their medallions. She held it up to her face and she could feel a small amount of energy pulse from it and into her hand. A fragment was not as powerful as a full gem; but it did hold something. Adagio cheered up and smiled. Fortune had winked at her again.

Author's Note

As I said earlier, the only character's I'll be depicting as gay or at least in a gay relationship is Pinkie and Sonata. With Adagio, I see her as asexual predominantly; see all others as beneath her. But with Sunset, I won't say she's attracted to her in a sexual way, but as an intellectual and power (near) equal (something she never considered Aria or Sonata). The "sexual" seduction she tries on Sunset is a result of her just knowing that this method has been greatly effective in the past and her own confusion as to how she exactly see's Sunset. I don't think I crossed any lines with this one. Maybe PG to PG-13. But I'm still comfortable with it. Nothing explicit and nothing explicit in the future. Kissing and hugging and an innuendo here and there is as far as I'll go. Peace and enjoy (hopefully)

Staying And Going

Twilight was in a deep slumber. Soon she started dreaming about being on a boat. It was her and Flash. The water was calm and the sky was blue. The boat was a row boat but had no oars. It drifted on the waves, lose and free. All around them, as far as the eye could see was open water. They were both in human form. Flash leaned over and kissed her. When he pulled back, he gasped in horror as Twilight was now in pony form. The water became choppy, the sky darkened, and a storm rolled in. The boat kept rocking harder and harder. The she heard a voice call out.

"Twilight. Twilight, wake up. Twilight! Wake up. It's important." Sunset busily tried to wake Twilight.

Twilight slowly opened her eyes to see that Sunset Shimmer was rocking her back and forth and calling her name. "What is it? What time is it? Is Flash here?" She was confused. Sunset's voice sounded so urgent; but what could be so bad or important that she was shaking her awake so.

"It's the Sirens. I met the leader last night. She's looking for the portal to get back home Twilight!" Sunset said hoping the importance of what she was saying would sink in.

Twilight sat up and looked at Sunset. "So?" she said and shrugged. "Their pendants were destroyed. They're harmless now. If they want to go back to Equestria; what's the problem? They can't do anymore damage or hurt anyone. At least not with magic."

Sunset stared at Twilight not believing what she was hearing. How could she not grasp the consequences on the Sirens crossing back over. "Twilight, I know you're a bit, um, boy blind, at the moment; but think! If they cross back over, they could find more stones like they had or something else far worse. They would have access to Equestrian magic. They could use that to seek revenge on both our world and this one. In fact, that's exactly what the leader told me they were going to do."

"Whoa, wait." Twilight shook her head confused. "Why would the leader tell you that? I mean bad guys only spill their secret plans in movies, tv, and comic books. That makes no sense."

Sunset looked down. "She was trying to recruit me. She wanted me to join her. And I got to admit, she gave one heck of a sales pitch. As I said that night in Pinkie's kitchen; reforming has been hard. And she was hitting all the main points. I hate to admit it, but for a second there I actually seriously thought about it. But I realized I have it much better now than back in my "she-demon" days. That and I don't like Birkenstocks."

Twilight tilted her head to the right. "Birkenstocks?" she asked even more confused.

Sunset shook her head. "Human reference, I'll explain later. Besides; it's not important now. We know what her plan is. And as long as you are here, the portal remains open. You got to go back and close it. Lay low for a while. They'll grow tired of looking after a while, maybe three months or so. Then you should be able to come back safely. Come on. Get dressed and I'll take you back." Sunset started to get up to leave.

"No."

Sunset spun around in shock. "What did you say?"

"No. I'm not going. At least not now; not without saying bye to Flash. And there's no way I'm staying away for three months. It took all I had to stay away for a week. No. You're being too paranoid about this whole thing. Besides I have done so much, for so many. I saved this world twice and Equestria more times than I care to remember. I have faced monsters and demons. I have given of myself until I had nothing left to give and let myself be used so others could feel important. It's my time now. I just want a normal life. I have never dated, been in love, or kissed a boy before. I want, I NEED those things." Twilight was angry and fed up. So many times before, circumstances had come in and ruined things for her. Heck, they day of her brother's wedding, she had to fight a demon queen. She was done with it. All of it. She needed a break and that was it.

Sunset went from being shocked to being furious. "You are a princess Twilight. You don't get to take a holiday whenever you feel the world has been too tough on you. The pampered aristocracy of this world, sure, they get to do that; but not you, not in our world. Life is unfair Twilight, especially to those who do the most good, or try to at least. But it doesn't matter. You have a job to do. And if the Sirens get back and harm anyone, it'll be on your head and in your heart forever. You can't risk it."

"Don't tell me what my responsibilities are! You have no idea what I've been through! You were here nursing a fractured ego and ruining peoples lives while I was saving our world from countless monsters and threats. Besides, how do I even know you're telling me the truth? This could all be a lie to get me out of Flash's life and you could have him all to yourself again."

Sunset sucked in her cheeks and slowly shook her head. So this is how it was huh? The person who she looked up to the most since Celestia, the one who first introduced her to the power of friendship and forgiveness, was now throwing her past up in her face and accusing her of ulterior motives. Maybe she had chosen wrong. Maybe the Siren leader was right. Maybe there was even still time to go back and say she's in. It all seemed not worth it anymore.

"Do what you feel is best. I'm going to the kitchen to make breakfast." Sunset turned around and started to walk out.

Twilight's anger subsided and turned to shame. She couldn't believe what she had done. Here she was, "The Princess of Friendship" and she was anything but. It was unfair, but Sunset was right; life wasn't fair and she had no business bringing Sunset's past up or accusing her of duplicitous means. "Sunset, you're right. I'm sorry and I'll get dressed."

Sunset stopped but didn't turn around. She took a deep breath in and slowly let it out. She then continued walking out.

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Adagio held the piece close to her face, still not believing it. They had searched this area before and found nothing. Why now? Then an idea hit her. What if it was the portal? The portal was opened now, slowly leaking Equestrian magic into the area. What if that had reinvigorated this piece? Some how charged it up like a reusable battery? What if she could use it to find the portal?

She walked out of the stadium to see if she could feel any fluctuation in it's energy levels. The piece hummed slightly in her hand. As she got to the exit, it was humming less. She then started to her left and it hummed even less. She turned to her right and it started humming more. She walked in this direction and that, feeling the intensity of the fragment's hum until she was standing in front of the horse statue in the main court yard of the school. There it almost leapt out of her hand. She walked over to it to touch it and her hand went through. This was it! This is what she had been searching for.

She stuck her hand with the fragment in the portal and held it there. Then she pulled it out. It glowed with a bright red fire. Adagio closed her eyes, cleared her throat, and let lose with a voice that would make an opera singer green with envy. A huge, sinister smile came across her face. With this little fragment alone, exposed directly to Equestrian magic, she had her voice back. This was good. This was really good. It was time to call the girls.

************************************************************************************************************

"I'm ready," Twilight said quietly. She had her school uniform back on and the clothes she had bought were put back in the shopping bags. She figured if she ever did come back, she wouldn't be staying here.

Sunset looked up from her coffee. " I called Flash. He'll meet us there." She then stood up and got her keys.

"Thank you Sunset. And I'm so sorry." Twilight was nearly in tears now. She felt so bad about how she behaved. It was uncalled for and beneath her.

"I'm coming with you," Sunset simply said.

"What!"

"Equestria is home. I belong there. And it is unfair you have to give up on something, some one, you really want. And you were right, I did come here to nurse my ego and more. That's over now. It's time to go back and complete my studies." Her tone was still flat with an under current of sadness.

Now the tears ran down Twilight's cheek. She ran over to Sunset and hugged her. "You can stay with me. I could use a roommate."

Sunset stood stone still for a while, then slowly, returned Twilight's hug.

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Adagio watched with a combination of amusement and revulsion as the car driven by Trixie swerved and bumped into just about everything in sight. She really didn't know how to drive. The car came to a screeching halt and Trixie and Aria raced out. Adagio pointed to the statue as soon as they got there and said, "Here it is girls. Our way back home. Well, Aria's and mine home anyways."

"How'd you'd find it?" Aria asked breathlessly.

"With this." Adagio opened her hand to reveal the glowing fragment. "The magic coming from this portal was enough to make this little piece spark back up again. Are we all ready?"

"Hey, you there, Trixie?!"

They turned toward the sound of the voice; it was Flash. What was he doing here? Probably seeing Twilight off. No matter. Adagio looked over at the other two. "Link hands girls and then belt one out like your life depended on it; because it does."

"What?" Trixie asked.

"Just do it!" Aria said.

Aria took Adagio's left hand and Trixie's right. Flash was running up to them. Adagio counted to three and all three opened their mouths and let out a sound that was so strong, pure, and powerful; it sent Flash flying through the air and crashing twenty-five feet away.

"FLASH!" Twilight called out. She and Sunset had arrived just in time to see him go flying.

"Well, well, the gang's all here. Through the portal girls, quickly!" Adagio ordered.

Sunset and Twilight rushed over to the portal as fast as they could but the others were too close and ran through before they got there. Twilight and Sunset rushed and jumped for the portal only to find to their painful horror it was already closed. In vain the two girls pounded at the statue and found only concrete meeting their fists.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Twilight screamed and started crying.

Flash slowly made his way over to the statue. Every muscle in his body hurt and blood trickled from his nose. "What happened?" he asked.

Sunset stood up and looked at him. Her eyes were saucer sized expressions of terror. "Quite possibly the beginning of the end."

New Journeys Part 1

Adagio, Aria, and Trixie stumbled through the portal and onto the castle floor. Adagio tried to stand but her body felt wrong. Muscles didn't respond as they should have, some appendages felt were missing, while new ones seemed to have popped out of no where. What was going on? Then she realized, she was in her other form, her original form. She was an earth pony again. A body she hadn't had for almost 1400 years.

She slowly got to her feet and saw the others not having a much better time of it. I have to close that portal before the others make it through, she thought. She looked around and saw a machine connected to the mirror which served as the gateway. That must be it! She stumbled over to it, turned around, and with as much strength as she could muster; she kicked it.

The machine sputtered and sparked. Adagio kicked it again. It made harsh grinding noises and smoke poured out from every seam. One more kick and it sputtered to a halt. The mirror went to being just that, a mirror, again. Adagio sighed with relief.

"What the heck did you do that for?" Aria yelled in surprise and anger. "How are we going to get back?"

"Easy," Adagio said coolly and full of pride. "They'll repair it. There's no way they'll let one of their own remain on the other side. At least not Miss Twilight. She's seems to important. And if not, we'll find a way to make our own. Either way, we can not be stopped now. And we're home now Aria. Home!"

"Home." Aria almost whispered it. After a thousand years, a thousand years of complaining, scheming, and yearning, her she was back in Equestria. It seemed almost too good to be true. She then realized that Adagio was an earth pony again. She walked over to the mirror (a task which felt exponentially harder), she saw that she, too, was an earth pony again.

Adagio walked over beside Aria. "I know; startling, isn't it? I forgot this face, this body. All those centuries of having a human body; I actually started to think I had always been such. You know what though?" Adagio turned to look at Aria who looked at her, and then Adagio looked back to her reflection. "No matter what form I take; I'm still one foxy filly." She then laughed and started walking off.

Aria just looked at herself. It felt like she was looking at a cartoon version of herself. She felt disconnected from the body she now occupied. She didn't look right or feel right. She was home physically, but not mentally. And with an almost horror; she realized she preferred her human body. O Henry would be pleased.

"I'm a UNICORN!" Trixie exclaimed as she had taken a spot in front of the mirror.

Adagio turned around and looked. "Well, that was unexpected but not unwelcomed. Come on now. We've got much to do. It's been a thousand years since we've last been here. Think how much the Earth has changed in that time. Names of places, towns, villages, have all changed or disappeared. We need to find a library, find out where we are now, where everything was in relation to where we are, and how to get back to where we originally found the gem stones. We also need to fill Trixie here in on what she can do, the species that live here, and what this place is."

Trixie turned around. A sudden bolt of fear went through her. "Just how long are we going to be here? What you described sounds like it'll take months."

"Or years", Adagio said dismissively. "I never said my plan was a quick one. What? - Did you think this was some sort of adventure that would be wrapped up in two hours? My dear, it took us two weeks just to make it this far. This is going to be a long journey. Now, you are here. You can stay here and fret over making the wrong decision; OR you could come with us and see the plan through. Your choice. I'm heading out now; so make your decision quickly." She then started to walk away again.

Trixie turned to Aria who shrugged and started walking after Adagio. What had she done? She was now trapped in a strange new dimension with two, things, she knew would betray her at first opportunity, and she was a horse (well unicorn, but, really, that's splitting hairs isn't it?). And the idea that she might be this way for months or years even; it was almost too much to bare. But, as she also realized, this was the deal she sold her soul for. And she really had no other option. So as fast as she could make this new body go; she followed as well.

*******************************************************************************************************

Twilight was inconsolable. She wept uncontrollably. She had failed miserably. She had let the Sirens escape back into Equestria and she was now cut off from her home uable to do anything about. All her friends and family were in danger because of her selfishness. She was a fool and wholly undeserving of being a princess. Princess! What a joke. What a failure.

"Twilight, come on! We got to go now." Sunset Shimmer tried to get her to stand up. But Twilight was too far gone into her own sadness.

Flash came over, picked her up, and turned her around so she could look at him. "Twi, Sunset's right. - we got to go now sweetie. You see that car down there, it's most likely stolen, so the police will be looking for it. If they come here, what will they find? The car all busted up, me all banged up and bloody, and you two with bloody knuckles. It won't look good. And this is one case where telling the truth WON'T set you free ok. We need to leave and leave now."

Twilight looked at him and thought if only she listened when Sunset had said that; they wouldn't be in this situation. She nodded she understood.

"Ok, everyone back to my house. We'll plan our next step from there," Sunset Shimmer said.

Flash ran back to his car and Twilight followed. Sunset went to hers and drove off. She wanted to peel away as fast as possible but realized a speeding car would only attract attention. So against all her instincts, she drove off normally. She was relieved to see Flash was doing the same. Now, just to keep calm until they got back.

*******************************************************************************************************************

The three of them just sat around Sunset's table; not saying anything. None of them knew what to say. Twilight was lost in self loathing, Sunset was racking her brain trying to figure out what evil things the Sirens had in store, and Flash just looked at the two of them confused. Finally he spoke up.

"Alright, what do we actually know about what The Dazzelings want to do? I mean, they wanted to go back, but why exactly? What is it they were hoping to get over there? Do you have anti-grav tanks, giant mechs on your side?"

"I don't know," Sunset replied frustrated. "The leader never said. Just going back would allow her to somehow take over."

"Ok. Twi, the portal was open, why?"

Twilight never looked up; she just kept staring at the table. "I had to. Your realm is a realm of science; mine is a realm of magic. The portal is a magical one. So it can only be opened from my side. If I would have closed it once I got here, I never would have been able to go . . " and there she stopped and started sobbing again as she realized again that she was trapped here.

Flash sat down beside her and put his arm around her. "When The Dazzelings showed up, Sunset was able to let you know somehow. How? If the dimensions are cut off, at least from this end, how could she contact you?"

Twilight and Sunset suddenly turned and looked at each other. "The book!" they said in unison. Sunset snapped up and ran off.

Flash looked at Sunset leave, then turned back to Twilight. "Book?"

Twilight turned to Flash with a big smile on her face. "Sunset and I have two magic books that are connected inter-dimensionally. She writes something in hers' and it shows up in mine. We can write a message to my assistant Spike in her book and let him know I'm here and need him to re-open the portal."

"Got it!" Sunset exclaimed as she came back. She placed the book on the table with a pencil.

"Alright then. You write in that book, your assistant gets the message and portal is re-opened, BOOM!" Flash said feeling much better.

"Not quite," Twilight said a bit ashamed and sad. "Spike wouldn't be at my castle right now. I told him I was leaving for the weekend. So he won't be back until tonight. Even then he'll have to actually go down to where I keep the book and see that it's vibrating and glowing. That could take a couple of days. And that's just if the Sirens didn't completely destroy the portal on my end."

"They wouldn't," Sunset said. "They need it to cross back over. And that's one thing she did tell me, she wanted to conjure both realms. So I doubt they'd do anything too bad to it."

"And if they did, oh Celestia I'm stupid, the portal will re-open naturally in another two years. Not that I want to wait that long." Twilight couldn't believe she hadn't thought of that early.

"You're not stupid," Flash said. "You were upset. No one thinks straight when they're stressed. Now the question is; what is their exact plan. If we found that out, we could warn your friends back home."

Sunset snapped her fingers. "Sonata! Sonata might know."

"Who's Sonata?" Twilight asked.

"Sonata was one of the Sirens. The blue one," Sunset said.

"What? - Blue?" Flash asked, confused.

Sunset turned to Flash. "Yes. Sonata's blue. Don't you see her as blue?"

"No. I see her as white. Like you Sunset."

"Flash, I'm a dandelion color. What color do you see Twilight as?"

Flash was really confused now. "Twilight is Asian, by the looks, I'd say Japanese."

Twilight now looked at Flash, confused now herself. "Flash, I'm purple."

The three of them just looked at each other completely confused. Sunset and Twilight didn't understand how Flash could not see what color they really were and Flash couldn't understand what sort of nonsense Twilight and Sunset were going on about. It was Twilight who finally understood.

"Dimensional interpretation! Sunset, you and I are seeing the inhabitants of this world through the lens of our dimension. Flash, in our world, Sunset is dandelion and I'm purple. We see each other still that way. It's like our brains are re-interpreting you guys in the terms they most readily understand. You, however, only see us as regular, old humans."

"That makes sense," Sunset said. Suddenly a lot of things that had confused her at first now made sense.

"Well it doesn't to me." Flash said. "So let me get this right, you're really purple. In your home world right?"

"Yes."

"And you're dandelion?" Flash turned to and pointed at Sunset.

"Yes."

"And that's how you see each other?"

"Yes," they both replied in unison.

"So what color do you see me as?"

"Yellow," answered Twilight.

Flash raised one eyebrow. "Seriously?" he asked flatly

"Yeah, what's wrong with that? Don't you like yellow?" Twilight asked.

"Twi, I'm half Chinese."

Twilight was still confused. "So what does that have to do with not liking yellow?"

"I'll explain later," Flash said frustrated.

"First Birkenstocks, now yellow, I'll never figure this place out," Twilight said exasperated.

Flash looked at Sunset, confused. She just shook her head as if to say, not now.

"Anyway," Twilight started again, "we need to talk to Sonata. If anyone might be able to help, she could."

"Agreed," Sunset said. "My car or yours Flash?"

"I'll follow you Sunset. Twi, you riding with me?"

"Sure. Where we going?"

"Pinkie's house," Sunset said as she grabbed her keys. "All right everyone, let's ride."

Author's Note

I had planned on Adagio and company making it back to Equestria, but originally it was much later in the story. Twilight was slowly going to be spending more and more time in the human realm and they were going to find her after about a year or two.

But I realized that for that time, I wasn't doing anything with them. They would have just disappeared for a while before showing back up. I realized that wasn't very satisfying because it left too many unanswered questions as to what they had been up to. So I decided to move the crossover up and just have them on a journey to find more charms.

So now I won't be concentrating on them for a while. Which I'm somewhat sad about since I love the character of Adagio so much; but it now opens up space to concentrate not only on Sonata, Twilight, Flash, and Sunset; but to expand to the other characters as well. So it's a give and take. I will miss one scene I had planned on writing but would no longer make sense in this new timeline.

Also, I tried to explain how the EQG world could be our Earth but still have the candy colored people in it. Solution, we see people as Twilight and the other Equestrians would see humans, but not as they really are. Maybe it works, maybe it doesn't. It explains it for me, so that's enough.

Finally, while I'll try to keep this as light as possible, I did list it as a comedy; there are gonna be some sad moments coming up. Not everyone has a happy ending. In fact not all survive. Just a heads up. Hope you enjoy.

*NOTE* After finishing last night, I remembered that in Rainbow Rocks, Applejack says Flash has blue hair. This clashes with my story interpretation. However I have come up with a fix. In the next part I plan on having Flash ask about how they see hair color. Twilight will respond she see's his as blue and he will respond that he actually dyes his hair blue. Not the most elegant of fixes, but it squares the circle.

New Journeys Part 2

Flash and Twilight followed Sunset to Pinkie's house in silence at first. Flash wanted to give Twilight space to process her thoughts and emotions. He was curious, though, of what she and Sunset had said back at Sunset's house; their color. To Flash Sunset was your typical Scott/Irish girl with piercing green eyes and flaming red hair. Twilight had classical Japanese features. To hear that they were actually purple and dandelion, and they saw him as yellow (once again, seriously?); it made him want to find out more.

"Uh, Twi," he eventually spoke up.

Twilight, who had been looking out the window, turned around to look at him. "Huh? Yes?"

"Are you really purple?" That was dumb. Of course she was. Why would she lie? He realized he had just bungled finding out more.

Twilight didn't say anything at first. She just thought to herself if he was having trouble with her being purple, there was no way he'd handle her being a pony. She sighed, figuring this would be the break-up conversation and said, "Yes."

Flash nodded. "Are we talking purple-purple here or what?"

Twilight just shook her head. "No. I'm not deep or royal purple. I'm more of a pastel purple. Remember that cami I bought yesterday?"

"How could I forget? You looked great in it" Flash blushed a little.

Twilight blushed too. "Well I'm kinda like that color. In fact I was actually worried about wearing it. I thought it might blend in so well with my own skin color; it'd look like I wasn't wearing anything." The car suddenly jerked and Flash had to correct his driving. "Flash, are you all right? You're face is all red and you're sweating."

"No, I'm good," Flash croaked out. He didn't say anything for a while, then asked, "So purple skin with black hair?"

"No. Dark purple hair." Oh, he's going to dump me now , Twilight thought to herself. At least it would make everything easier. She would be broken hearted; but, she wouldn't be conflicted or confused as to what she should do.

"Oh. So what color hair do you see me having?"

"Blue."

"Oh so you do see that?" he asked.

Twilight was a bit surprised. "Oh, so your hair really is blue?"

"Well, no. I dye it blue. I had a punk phase that I'm mostly over now. I'm just gonna let it wash out now. My hair is actually black."

"Do you dye your eyebrows as well?"

"No," he said surprised and a touch offended.

"Oh, so I'll still see your hair as blue then because that's how I see your eyebrows as well."

"So, when I cross over to your realm, will I still see you as I do now?"

The question caught her off guard. She had never thought about that. What if he would come to her realm? He might not even see her as a purple allicorn, which was bad enough, but as an actual pony from his realm. Oh he would leave her for sure. "I don't know." She waited for a couple seconds before asking the dreaded question, "So how does that make you feel about me?"

Flash smiled. "Purple is now my new favorite color." He looked at Twilight who had a shocked look on her face. "Twi, I love you. What else is there to say? Japanese, purplenese, it doesn't matter. It's what's on the inside that counts. As long as it's still you inside, your body doesn't matter. Unless you're a dude, that's a deal breaker. But you already said you weren't; so no danger there." He looked at her again and laughed.

Twilight was both relieved and frightened. She was relieved he didn't care about her being purple, but if her being male was a "deal breaker", what would being a pony be? Seems she was back to square one. "Flash, once we get the portal working, I want you to come over with me; to see my world and to see how you see me. "

"Yes," he said quietly, almost reverently. "I would love that. Oh, looks like we're here. Sunset's stopping."

"Yeah. I've been here before." Twilight reached over and patted Flash's knee. "Let's do this."

****************************************************************************************************************

Maud was sitting in a chair by the window reading one of her text books while Pinkie and Sonata played "Trouble" on the floor. Maud had seen how her sister and Sonata had grown close over the past two weeks. It was hard at first. Maud was closer to Pinkie than anyone. Her other two younger sisters were separated by too much of an age gap. But her and Pinkie were close enough in age to have a bond. The only person she ever would be able to bond with she thought.

But then she also saw how similar those two were. It was almost like clones, forget twins. And in that; Maud also began to feel some feelings to Sonata. Not enough to actually want to talk to her, but enough to secretly smile sometimes when she saw how the two interacted with one and another.

The doorbell rang. Maud looked up from her book. "It's for you," she said in her typical dead pan.

Pinkie looked up and asked, "Wow Maud; how you know that?"

Maud looked up from her book and raised an eyebrow; as if to say, you really need to ask me that?

"Oh, yeah; right." Pinkie giggled and got up and went to the door with Sonata in tow.

Pinkie opened the door. "Sunset, Flash, TWILIGHT! Oh my god! What are you doing here?"

Sonata backed up against the wall. She knew immediately who Twilight was. She was the one who defeated them, well helped to defeat them. If she was here, Sonata was in danger. Was she coming to banish her?- drag her back to Equestria for trial? She had to get away and fast.

"We need to talk to talk to Sonata," Twilight said.

"Oh," Pinkie said in her usual cheerful manner. "She's right . . .," she turned around and Sonata was gone. "She was right here. Sonata? Sonata? Where are you? Come out, come out, where ever you are." Pinkie shrugged. "Maybe she's in her room or the bathroom."

"Can we go there?" asked Sunset.

"The bathroom?" Pinkie asked horrified.

"No, her bedroom," Sunset replied with more than a hint of anger.

"Oh sure. Come on."

The four of them walked up the steps and to Sonata's room. The door was shut. Pinkie walked up and tried to open it but it was locked. "Sonata? Sonata, it's me and our friends. Are you in there?" No one answered but Pinkie could hear a lot of commotion going on behind the door.

Pinkie went to call again when Sunset pulled her out of the way and kicked the door in. "Sorry. I'll pay for it," she said.

Sonata shrieked in surprise and fear. She had a suitcase out on her bed and had, from appearance, been busily packing it.

"Sonata!" Pinkie exclaimed. "What are you doing?"

"I'm afraid. I'm afraid of her." Sonata pointed at Twilight.

"Sonata, I'm no threat." Twilight tried to calm her to keep her from running.

"Then why are you here?" Sonata asked, still terrified.

"Your leader, she crossed over, back to Equestria this morning. Her, the other Siren, and Trixie." Twilight spoke calmly and deliberately; trying to gain the Siren's trust.

"You mean she did it?" Sonata asked, her eyes bulging out of her head.

"What do you mean 'she did it'?" asked Sunset sternly.

Sonata looked at Pinkie. What's she gonna think of me? Oh please don't hate me Pinkie. Your my best friend. Please don't hate me. She thought to herself. A tear began to run down her cheek. Pinkie walked over to her and hugged her. Pinkie pulled back and nodded, silently saying it was ok. Then she held Sonata's hand and stood beside her.

Sonata breathed deep and began, "The night you defeated us; we ran back to our apartment and were going to leave. But then I wanted to come back here, try to make friends. We were alone, no money, no way to support ourselves, we had no where to go. I figured if you had taken Sunset in; you'd take us in. So I said I was leaving.

"Adagio tried to convince me to stay. She said we could use Trixie. We'd stay with her until we could find the portal back home. Once back; we could look for more magic gem stones, and then destroy both Equestria and this world. I said I wasn't interested and left."

"Hold on," Sunset said furiously. "You knew of, Adagio's (?), plan all along and said nothing? Knew she was using Trixie, who SAT WITH US AT LUNCH, and didn't tell us?"

Sonata looked back and Pinkie who just looked blankly back. Sonata then turned back to the others. "We were together for fourteen-hundred years. We were together before the Europeans came here, before the fall of England to the Normans, before all that. We saw empires rise and fall together. They were the only ones to ever play with me! I felt I owed them my silence. I never thought they would succeed. Honest. Adagio was on a losing streak. I didn't think," she turned to Pinkie, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Pinkie, please believe me."

"You . . ." Sunset started to say when Twilight put her hand on her shoulder.

"Sonata," Twilight said softly, "is such a thing possible? Are there more of those gem stones?"

"At the time, yes. But that was so long ago. We had hid them so no one else could gain our strength. But who knows what happened to them in all those centuries."

"Ok then. Thank you." Twilight turned to Sunset. "Let's go."

"WHAT! That's it? That's all? You're just going to let her off the hook like that?" Sunset was beyond angry now.

"We saw them run off. We didn't do anything to stop them. We let them go. I didn't believe you this morning. I fought with you, costing us time, time Adagio used to find the portal and call the others. We all made mistakes here. Mistake of pride, mistake of loyalty, mistake of selfishness on my part. I won't condemn her for doing the same sins as me. Maybe you can, you've been the only clear thinker here."

Sunset shook her head. Calmed by her own guilt, she said, "No. Like you said, we didn't pursue them that night. I just left Adagio alone on campus; after I knew she was looking for the way back. I . . ."

Now Sonata asked, "Adagio told you she wanted to go back?"

"Last night. More than that; she tried to recruit me; in more ways than one. She said she wanted to ditch the other one,"

"Aria."

"Aria. And I guess in hindsight, she meant Trixie as well. She said we could rule both realms together as equals."

Sonata's mouth dropped open. "Adagio was going to dump Aria?! And she called you an equal?"

"Sonata, she touched the back of my neck."

Sonata and Twilight gasped. Pinkie and Flash just looked at each other in confusion. "What does that mean?" Flash asked.

Twilight turned to Flash. "The back of our necks is our chief pleasure zone. Only the most intimate of couples ever touch each other there."

Flash and Pinkie both looked at each other again. This time in a stunned silence.

"I didn't think 'dagi swung that way," Sonata said. "She never gave any hints to us about it. Honestly, none of us ever talked about that stuff. Other than laughing at the men who we could manipulate."

"Well it doesn't matter," Sunset said. "We're going to use my book to send a message to Twilight's and mine dimension for them to reopen the portal and then we're going to go back and search for them." Sunset paused for a second, then added, "You can come with us Sonata. It's your home too."

Sonata gasped. Finally, after all these centuries, she was finally almost returning home? She felt Pinkie squeeze her hand and she looked at her. No where, no when, had she ever met someone like Pinkie. This was a person with whom she had formed a very deep bond with. If she went home, she would be leaving her behind. Suddenly that price seemed a little too high.

Sonata shook her head. "A couple weeks ago, yes. Not now. I want to stay here. I have Luna and I have Pinkie. I can't give them up." She turned to see what Pinkie's expression would be. She was grinning ear to ear.

"Ok. I respect that. Twilight, Flash, you ready to back to my place?"

"I can't. My dad was a little p.o.ed that I kept the car so late last night. I gotta get it back to him. I'll call later to see how everything is going. Remember; no leaving without me."

Sunset cocked her head, not knowing what Flash meant. "Ok? Twilight, you ready?"

"Let's go."

******************************************************************************************************************

It was night time. Twilight had wrote her message back home several hours ago. She and Sunset had filled the time by watching tv, surfing the web, and any other thing they could to make the waiting more bearable. Finally Sunset went to make dinner which gave Twilight time to think. There was no telling when or even if Spike would ever get her message. Could be hours, could days, months, or she could be stuck here until the portal naturally re-opened. She hoped for a quick resolution, but she had to prepare for the worst.

"Twilight, dinner's ready," Sunset called.

Twilight got up and walked over to the table and sat down. She looked at Sunset and said, "Tomorrow I want to enroll in Cantorlot."

Author's Note

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2meWkWqc-I I came across this video on you tube and when I saw the lead singer, I immediately thought that is what Twilight would look like if she were human. So that's why I decided to make Japanese in the story. In the next part I will shift focus a little bit to the other characters. This story is going to be a big one. Also, since I have no idea how "Friendship Games" will turn out, I'm not even going to consider it in the writing of the story. So hopefully you hang with me.

Nightmares And New Realities

Sonata was surrounded by darkness. She might have well been walking with her eyes closed. There was no light anywhere. Her foot steps made loud, echoing noises as if she were walking in some great, abandoned hall. She didn't know where she was or where she was going, she just knew she had to walk on.

Then, off in the distance, she heard a sound. She didn't know what it was at first, only that it struck a deep chord with her. As she walked on and the sound grew louder, she realized it was the sound of someone crying. She wanted to stop but her feet kept going as though they had a mind of their own. Slowly she got closer to the source of the weeping. Soon she saw a light shining down on something. It was still a ways off so she couldn't make it out too well. All she knew was that it was big and blue.

Closer and closer she got until she saw to her surprise and horror it was her. It was her in her earth pony form. Now she really wanted to turn around and run but her legs kept moving her forward. She soon found that tears were running down her face as well. She wiped them from her cheeks and came right up next to her pony self.

"Hi," she said. "What's your name?" Sonata asked shakily. Seeing her pony form, let alone her pony form crying, shook her to her very core.

Her pony self lifted her head up and looked at her. "Daisy. What's yours?" she spoke through her sobs.

It had been ages since Sonata had heard her real name. After finding the gems and becoming a siren; she had changed her name (they all did) to reflect who they now were. Hearing her birth name now, it felt alien to her. "Sonata," she simply replied. She then got down on one knee beside her pony form and started to pet it. "Why are crying?"

"Because no one will play with me. They always make fun of me. They call me dumb, 'dumb Daisy'. I'm not dumb or stupid, I just want to laugh and have fun, but no pony wants me as their friend. And from my cutie mark, it's always gonna be like that." Daisy started weeping again.

Sonata looked at her old cutie mark, the one she hated from the first time she saw it, a heart with a lightening bolt going through it, splitting it in twain; a broken heart. Now Sonata's tears began to flow more readily.

"Why? Why me? What do I have to have a broken heart? Why must I be sad all my life? I didn't do anything? I always tried to be everyone's friend. Why, Sonata?"

"Yes Sonata; why?" The voice was only vaguely feminine. It was rough, growly, full of hate and disdain, and it was hers'.

Sonata looked up and saw her Siren form floating above them. It's eyes glowing a fierce red, smiling a malevolent grin. Sonata slowly stood up, looking in awe and fear at her creature self. She then felt herself being pulled back. She looked over her shoulder to see her demon self holding onto her. Like her Siren self, her eyes glowed red as well, her wings flapping slowly. She looked back to her Siren self who now plunged at Daisy, it's mouth agape ready to tear Daisy apart. Both Sonata and Daisy screamed.

*******************************************************************************************************************

Sonata sat bolt upright in her bed; screaming. Screaming and crying. She couldn't stop. Waves of fear and sadness washed over her, threatening to drown her. Pinkie came running into her room, jumped into bed, and held her. She didn't say anything, she just held her.

Eventually Sonata calmed down. Her cries became sobs - sobs, whimpers - whimpers, sniffles. She slowly pushed herself away from Pinkie and just sat looking down at her hands.

Pinkie rubbed Sonata's back. "It's ok. I'm here now." Sonata just shook her head. "Come on silly. Let me see that big smile of yours."

"Pinkie, it's night time. You can't see my face." Sonata was tired and felt defeated and alone. All she wanted was for Pinkie to leave and let her be physically alone.

"My eyes have adjusted, so smile." Pinkie was undeterred. Her light, humor, and warmth were unyielding.

Sonata never looked up but curled the corner of her mouth up in a not even half hearted attempt at a smile.

"Awwww, come on now; you'll have to do better than that." Pinkie reached over, pinched the sides of Sonata's mouth and lifted them up in a stupid grin.

Sonata slapped Pinkie's hands away. "Stop," she said quietly. Then she lifted her head and looked to the side. "I'm destined to have a broken heart. At least that's what I thought. Then I thought I was meant to break others hearts. And I did; happily. I broke their hearts and made them love me for doing it. I was and am a monster."

Pinkie put her arm around Sonata and pulled her over until Sonata's head was on her shoulder. Sonata put up almost no fight. "No, you're not," she said sternly. "Maybe you were, but not now. I'm not friends with monsters. We're friends, so you're not a monster."

Sonata rolled over and put her arms around Pinkie. "Pinkie, please stay here with me," Sonata said.

"As if there was any way you could stop me." Pinkie smiled and slid down in the bed and Sonata slid down with her. Sonata laid her head on Pinkie's chest, her arms still wrapped around her. Pinkie held Sonata and kissed her forehead.

"Pinkie, I don't know what I'd do without you," Sonata whispered, head still on Pinkie's chest, facing outward.

"You're never gonna have to find out either. I'll always be here for you." Pinkie stroked Sonata's back. She was concerned about Sonata. There was a sadness to her that wasn't there before. Always there, bubbling beneath the surface. Her heart broke for Sonata. Sonata had quickly become her best friend. In fact the two were almost inseparable. To see her in any sort of pain was too much.

As she stroked Sonata's back; Pinkie began to realize she actually liked the feeling of having Sonata in her arms. There was a comfort in feeling her warmth beside her. Every so often, Sonata's pajama shirt would come up and Pinkie would feel the smooth skin of the small of Sonata's back. It was something else Pinkie was finding enjoyable.

Sonata lifted her head and gave Pinkie a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you," she said. Sonata felt a peace and warmth beside Pinkie. She snuggled up closer and her right hand started to rub Pinkie's side. She was surprised how smooth Pinkie's pajama shirt felt. Then she realized that Pinkie's shirt had ridden up and she was actually touching Pinkie's skin. She heard Pinkie giggle a bit. "What?" she asked.

Pinkie said, "Nothing, just a little ticklish."

"I'm sorry. I'll stop."

"No." There was a very long pause. A pause so long it seemed as if continents had rearranged themselves during it. But Pinkie finally said, "I . . . I like it."

Both girls suddenly felt weird. Both laid perfectly still in an awkward silence. Neither knowing what to say or do or what they wanted the other to do. Then, slowly, very slowly, Pinkie felt Sonata starting to rub her side again. Pinkie, in return, started to rub Sonata's back again, but only where her shirt was up and she could feel her skin.

"Pinkie?' Sonata asked hesitantly.

"Yes?" replied Pinkie, equally as hesitant.

"I love you, right?" Sonata's voice was filled with fear. Fear of saying it, fear of feeling it, fear of the response.

"I love you to," Pinkie replied in a confused voice. She wasn't sure what Sonata meant by those words or what she wanted Sonata to mean by her words, or what she even meant by her reply.

Sonata slowly got up and looked down at Pinkie. She then leaned over and gave her a kiss on the lips. It was a quick kiss. Their lips barely touched. She then pulled back and looked to see what Pinkie's response would be. Pinkie placed her hand on the back of Sonata's head and lowered her down for another kiss. This was a long one. The felt the smooth, warm wetness of each others lips. Little bolts of electricity traveled and sparked across their bodies.

Sonata stopped and cuddled back into Pinkie, returning her head to Pinkie's chest. "You know this makes us gay now" she said.

"Of course. Gay means happy and we're happy."

Author's Note

Originally this scene ended with just the two girls lying in each others arms but with no romantic stuff happening. The moment of realization of how the two felt about each other came later. However, I felt that after several versions in my head of how that would happen, none really seemed "right" and a bit clichéd. I'm not saying this isn't clichéd, but it seemed less clichéd and more organic than the others. I now lose several scenes of their friends speculating on the nature of their relationship; but that's how it goes.

Early on I established that Sonata had frequent nightmares. These I wanted to be the result of a basically good person who had done really bad things. As she goes on, the nightmares will change as she wrestles with what she had done and who she has become and what it all means.

Another Monday Part 1

Twilight once again found herself being shaken awake by Sunset Shimmer. As she slowly opened her eyes she could see that it was still relatively dark out. She looked up at Sunset and groggily asked, "What is it this time? Did Spike get the portal reopened?"

"No," Sunset laughed, "it's time for school."

Twilight looked at the clock beside her bed. "It's only 6:45. We don't start school until eight."

Sunset smiled. "Yes, but you got to get a shower, shave, do your make-up, hair, and get dressed. That all takes time. I actually got up extra early so you could have the bathroom all to yourself."

Twilight was confused. Sure she knew she had to bathe (after all, even in pony form, nobody liked someone who was dirty and smelly); but the rest took her off guard. She had only worn make-up once, and that was at the Fall Formal. She didn't realize she was expected to wear it all the time. She also didn't know what she was supposed to shave. She hadn't shaved anything the last two times she was here. "Shave what?" she asked.

Sunset laughed even harder, then got herself under control. "Well, your legs and arm pits are the main ones; anything after that is your discretion. Although current fashion dictates genitalia should be at least trimmed as well. Oh, and eyebrows. Can't forget those. You'll need help with that. They're kinda tricky to get right. Call me when you're ready to do them."

Twilight was shocked. "You got to be kidding me. Humans really shave all that stuff? Don't they realize how much of a waste of time that is?"

Sunset knew Twilight's surprise and frustration. She remembered the first time she had learned she needed to do all that stuff. The
nicks and cuts, the contorting to make sure she got everything, and the clown eyebrows she had for the first few months. It was horrible. She could look back and laugh now.

"Not all, but most. Social norms dictate females shave all the parts I mentioned. Males, it varies more. For them class seems to be the biggest factor. The higher up on the social ladder you are, the more hair you're expected to remove. Unless you're an artist, then you can be as hairy as you want to be. It's the humans' way of separating themselves from the other mammals that share this planet with them. As I said, it varies by time period, geographic location, and class, but for us, at least, legs and arm pits gotta be smoooooth."

Twilight rubbed her head in frustration. "Oh crap! Fine. But you said make-up as well? Why?"

"Societal norms my friend. Females are expected to paint themselves as to be attractive to the male of the species. That means covering facial blemishes, highlighting eyes, lips, and any other features that denote good health and breeding capabilities."

"WHAT! I don't want to breed with anybody, well, at least, not yet." Twilight turned red with embarrassment.

Sunset busted out in her loudest laugh yet. "No, no, no. Trust me; they don't want you to breed yet, just look like you're healthy enough to breed and are ready to when the time comes."

"And the males? Do they got to go through all that?"

"Eh, once again, it varies. Males, in order to be viewed as potential makes, are expected to show signs of good health and well being. To show signs of physical strength and prowess; so, yes they have to invest in their physical appearance as well; but not to the extent females are. Males are more pressured to shows signs of social status than females are. A rich male is free to mate with a female of lower social standing than he is. In fact, if he does, her social rank moves up. Females are generally discouraged from mating with males of a lower rank. If a female does mate, or I guess a better term would be 'pair bonds'; since mating implies the main purpose of the union is procreation, which in most cases it's not; instead of the male's rank going up, the female's rank will go down. Once again, that is not always the case, but as a general rule, it works."

Twilight just shook her head. "These creatures are bucking nuts. You know that right?"

Sunset got up and patted Twilight on the shoulder. "Their planet, their rules. Come on, I'll give you hand."

*******************************************************************************************************************

Maud went to Pinkie's room to wake her up. She heard her alarm go off a while ago but hadn't seen or heard her sister come out. She looked and saw that Pinkie's door was open and her bed was a mess. Pinkie was a lot of things, but messy wasn't one of them. Then she remembered that Sonata had woken up screaming again last night and Pinkie must have went in there. So she turned around and went to Sonata's room.

Since Sunset had kicked the door in yesterday (which she needed to find out how much it was going to cost to fix and give the bill to Sunset), it didn't fully shut anymore so she was able to just push it open. As the light from the hall illuminated the inside of the bedroom, she saw that Pinkie had indeed crawled into bed with Sonata to comfort her. Then she noticed that beside the bed were two piles of clothes (pajamas to be exact). And then she realized that the way the two were folded up together was a little too entwined to be simply best friend comfort.

Oh! Maud thought to herself as she fully realized what she was actually seeing. Little sister had bonded with her new friend alright. For a seconded a mental image of Pinkie with a shaved head, flannel shirt, and camouflage pants popped into her head and she shuddered. And it took a lot to make her shudder.

Maud knocked on the opened door and said, "It's time for school."

Pinkie and Sonata shrieked and sat up in bed, feverishly trying to cover themselves with the blankets.

"Maud," Pinkie started to say frantically, "it's . . ."

Maud cut her off. "Ok."

Pinkie and Sonata looked at each other, then back to Maud. "Huh?" Pinkie asked.

"It's ok. A sister knows things about the other even before she knows it about herself. I saw how close you two had become. I didn't think this close, but close enough. You two are so alike and make each other so happy; why wouldn't I think it's ok? I love you Pinkie, you're my sister, there's nothing else to it for me." Maud's voice never varied in pitch or tone. It was the most dead pan acceptance speech ever given. Eulogies have been livelier. But it didn't have to be. Pinkie knew her sister and knew she was speaking from her heart.

Pinkie's eyes grew wide and a small tear ran down her face which now hosted the biggest, happiest grin in existence. "Maud, thank you! I love you too big sister."

"Just a couple of things, " Maud started talking again. "This may be California, but bigotry knows no boundaries. Just for doing what heterosexuals do in public, you could be opening yourselves up to insults, harassment, possibly physical violence. I'm not saying hide, but I am saying, be prepared. Second, if you two want to share a bedroom, that's fine. But, Mom and Dad are coming for a visit in the next couple of months and you know how they are. For that I am saying hide. I'm almost done with college and I got a good job lined up for afterword; so we won't need his money. Until then, he pays the bills around here, so we can't piss him off. So separate rooms then, ok?"

Pinkie and Sonata nodded their heads and said ok.

"Good. Now get dressed. I'll drop you off at school on my way to my morning class." Maud started walking away, stopped, turned around, and looked at Sonata. "Welcome to the family," she said and walked off.

**************************************************************************************************************

Big Mac pulled up to the front of the school. Applejack and Apple Bloom were arguing next to him. He found their arguments amusing, which was good because they happened so often. Older sibling/younger sibling. He and Applejack had their spell as well. Of course being both girls, they tended to go at it a bit more hot and heavy, but they never let it get out of hand. Apples might feud and fight sometimes, but they always loved each other.

"Now if y'all can stop fussing with each other and get out, I can go park and get to homeroom myself," he said. He didn't talk much, so when he did; it carried meaning. Which he liked. In all his years, all eighteen of them, he almost never had to raise his voice.

"Fine!" Applejack fumed. "But we're takin' this to Granny Smith when we get home."

"Granny works right here, why wait ifin' you want to drag her into this?" Apple Bloom sassed back.

"Umch," Big Mac cleared his throat and Applejack and Bloom hurried and got out. He was about to pull off when he saw Applejack left her lunch behind. He got out and ran it over to her.

*****************************************************************************************************************

"Who's that?" Maud asked as she saw Big Mac run over to Applejack, as she was pulling up to drop Pinkie and Sonata off.

"Who? Him?" Pinkie pointed to Big Mac. "Oh, that's just Big Mac. Well, his name is Macintosh Apple, but everyone just calls him Big Mac. I saw him working without a shirt one day I went over to see Applejack. Not an ounce of fat on that boy. He's like a living muscle chart."

"I'm surprised you noticed," Maud said.

"WHAT!? Just because I'm in love with Sonata doesn't mean I still can't appreciate a nice chunk of beefcake." Pinkie then looked over at Sonata. "No offense."

"None taken." Sonata smiled and shrugged. Then the two kissed.

"So does he go here?" Maud asked.

"Last year here. He graduates in June. Smart guy. I talked to him a few times. Very quiet, but there's some big wheels turning inside that head," Pinkie replied.

Maud nodded. "Ok, have a non disruptive day and remember what I said."

Pinkie and Sonata both said ok and got out.

************************************************************************************************************

Big Mac parked the truck and got out. As he turned around he saw a goth girl standing behind him. Her face was pale and emotionless. A normal person would have jump back out of surprise but Big Mac just looked at her and smiled.

"I'm Maud Pie," she said in a completely emotionless manner. "I'm Pinkie's older sister."

"Eieyup." Big Mac simply said. Pinkie had told him about her elder sister before.

The two just stared at each other. Neither one saying anything. Second after second ticked by. Finally Maud spoke, "You want to go on a date."

"Eieyup."

"Friday, nine o' clock, Denny's."

"Eieyup." And with that the two separated and went their own way.

*************************************************************************************************************

Sunset still couldn't stop laughing at Twilight as they pulled onto campus. Twilight's first excursion into shaving had gone as well as her's did, which was badly. Every five seconds, Sunset would hear Twilight cry "ouch" and curse. Well as close to cursing as Twilight could get.

"It's not funny! I'm just glad I had bought some long pants on Saturday. My legs look like I was attacked by a bunch of ninja Breezies."

Sunset pounded on the steering wheel, barely able to breath. Finally she calmed down enough to speak. "I'm not laughing at you. I'm laughing at myself. Oh god," she wiped tears from her eyes, still chuckling slightly. "My first time was just as bad, if not worse. That's what I'm laughing at."

"Fine," Twilight said, still mad, but feeling better. "So, we go over, say hi to everyone; when the bell rings I go to Celestia's office, enroll, and then what?"

"Go class chica. You're a high school girl now. You're lucky. Your 'sixteen'," Sunset did quotation marks in the air. "When I came over, I was thirteen. Took a lot of fast talking and thinking to get set up looking like that. And, you got me as well!" Sunset tapped her chest.

Twilight finally smiled. "And I'm grateful."

"Alright then. You ready to do this sister?" Sunset held her hand out.

"Let's do this!" Twilight grasped Sunset's hand, they smiled, nodded to each other, and got out. Carpe diem!

Author's Note

Yes, I'm shipping Maud and Big Mac. And when I describe as being "pale", that is how Mac sees her. The Equestrians: Twilight, Sunset, Sonata, Adagio, and Aria see the humans as rainbow colored due to the dimensional shifting I mentioned earlier. As a normal human; Mac see's Maud as she really is. So hopefully I cleared any potential confusion.

Another Monday: Part -2

Fluttershy was taking a long time to get dressed. It wasn't that she was having a hard time deciding what to wear ( which she was) but because she knew her mother had been drinking again and she didn't want to wear anything that might set her off. Fluttershy's mom wasn't a mean drunk. She was a mean sober and drunk. It's just when she was drunk, she was extra mean.

Crystal Shy was about 5'5" - 5'7" and north of 350 pounds. She walked with a cane because her knees could no longer support her bulk. She had short, thinning hair and a face prematurely aged by too much drink, smoking, and anger. She hadn't always been this bad. Oh, she always had a mean, narcissistic streak to her; but she also used to be hot. And being hot covers a multitude of sins for most boys. She had many would be suitors. She played them all to get what she wanted. A little eye flutter, a little pout, and they gave her whatever she wanted. She never took any of them seriously; until she met Hank Shy.

Her father had been a geeky, but good looking boy. Unlike the others, he showed no interest in her. She was so shocked by his lack of interest, she pursued him as the other boys had pursued her. Eventually she wore him down and they started dating. After graduation, they got married. He went to college to become an engineer and she stayed home. A year later, they had their first child, a boy. Three years after that, they had Fluttershy.

As Hank graduated, got a job, and started to climb the corporate ladder, Crystal became bitter and resentful. She started drinking and smoking and binge eating. She would lash out verbally and sometimes physically at the others. Eventually Hank had enough and got a divorce. He got custody of the boy, she got the house, alimony, and Fluttershy; who she blamed for everything.

Life with her was hard. Fluttershy often wondered what she did that nobody loved her, Her dad took her brother, but left her. She hadn't seen either of them in years. And her mother had crushed her spirit inside. Only her friends kept her going. And her best friend was Rainbow Dash, whom she had known the longest.

She decided to go with a grey pair of sweat pants and an oversized green shirt. She put on a pair of sneakers, tied her hair back, and didn't even bother to put any make-up on; which she hated. Fluttershy was a girlie-girl. She loved fashion and dressing up and make-up and just being a young girl. It was the reason she and Rarity bonded so quickly. But now was not the time for that. Now was the time for caution.

Slowly and gently Fluttershy made her way down the stairs. Slowly and quietly, she made her way to the front door. She had just grabbed a hold of the door when she heard her mother call out.

"Fluttershy! Where you at girl?"

Fluttershy cringed. So close, yet so far from escape. "I'm here momma. I'm just on my way to school. You need anything?" she called back.

"Yeah, a daughter who isn't a whore! But that ain't gonna happen now, is girl?" Crystral drunkenly sneered.

"Momma! Please!" Fluttershy pleaded to her mother.

"'Momma, please!'," Crystal mocked back. "Don't Momma please me! I know what you're up to. That outfit isn't fooling me. Same way with that 'band' of yours with your whore friends. The only thing you're shaking is that butt of yours for all the boys." Crystal got up and waddled over to Fluttershy. "Well guess what girlie? - I aint takin' care of any of your bastard children for you."

"Momma, I'm not like that! I haven't even been out on a date yet. I'm a good girl momma." Fluttershy was in tears now.

Crystal shouted, "LIAR!" and brought her massive arm down across Fluttershy's face, causing her to fall out of the door. " You ruined my life! You caused my husband to leave me and take my son with him! I lost everything cause of you!"

******************************************************************************************************************

Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo were walking to school. They preferred to walk. Both were athletic and saw walking as another opportunity to workout. Rainbow was Scoot's idol. She was a tom boy like herself and was a world class athlete, which Scoot also wanted to be. The only difference was Rainbow tended to go for more team sports, like soccer and Scoot was more into individual, "extreme" sports. Also, both were only children and saw in each other the sister they always wanted. So every morning, Rainbow walked to Scoot's house, then they both went to Fluttershy's, and they all walked to school together.

As they got to Fluttershy's house, they gasped at what they saw, Fluttershy falling out of the front door with her mother coming out after and yelling at her. Rainbow knew the hell Fluttershy had to endure. Rainbow started running over to the house yelling, "LEAVE HER ALONE YOU FAT DRUNK!"

Crystal looked over to Rainbow. "Well, well. If it ain't little miss; it is miss now, cause I can't really tell."

"Why? Too drunk to see you old witch?" Rainbow angrily responded back.

Scootaloo grabbed Rainbow's arm to hold her back. When Rainbow was mad, she didn't think straight. She would try to take on this mammoth woman and lose.

"Your little boyfriend there has the right idea. You better all just get now," Crystal mocked, hoping to get Rainbow to attack.

Fluttershy, who was still down on the porch saw an opportunity and knocked her mother's cane out from under her mother; causing her to fall forward. "RUN!" Fluttershy shouted and all three took off.

Crystal yelled from behind them, "YOU GOTTA COME HOME SOMETIME GIRL! AND I'LL BE WAITIN' ON YA!"

Rainbow turned around, shot Crystal the finger, and yelled, "EAT IT WITCH!", and turned back around. All three ran all the way to school.

*********************************************************************************************************

Rarity and Sweetie Belle were the first to arrive at the statue, the gang's new meeting spot. There they made small talk until Applejack and Apple Bloom arrived.

"Applejack darling, I have a formal invitation to my birthday party for you and all the girls. Let me give it to . . ." Rarity stopped dead as she stared at something behind Applejack. Applejack turned around to see what Rarity was looking at. "Is that Pinkie and Sonata? And are they holding hands?"

Applejack looked and sure enough, Pinkie and Sonata were walking towards, holding hands. "I knew they were close, but that's a bit much, dontchya think?" Apple asked, confused.

"Maybe they're closer than we thought." Rarity responded, raising her one eyebrow.

"Pinkie? Nooooo. Rainbow Dash, sure, I'd believe that. But not Pinkie." Applejack said.

Just then Pinkie and Sonata got up to them. "Girls," Pinkie said. "Sonata and I have a special announcement to make; WE'RE IN LOVE!" Pinkie and Sonata yelled the last part together and started jumping up and down.

"You were saying?" Rarity said to Applejack.

Before she could respond, they were all struck speechless by what they saw next. It was Sunset Shimmer walking with, "TWILIGHT!" they all shouted and ran over to her.

"Oh, hey girls. I told you I'd be back." Twilight laughed nervously as she spoke.

But just as they were about to pepper Twilight with questions; they saw Fluttershy, Rainbow, and Scoot-a-loo running onto campus. And as they got closer, they could see Fluttershy had a black eye.

"Fluttershy! What happened?" Sunset exclaimed.

"TWILIGHT!" Flash shouted and everyone turned to face him. He came running, grabbed Twilight and kissed her. "So you decided to come to school while you're here?"

"ALRIGHT!" Applejack shouted. "Would any of y'all, any, mind tellin' me what in they hay is going on here?"

They all just kind of looked around at each other, not knowing what to say. Then Twilight stepped forward. "Um, I think I'll start. It goes like this . . ."

Author's Note

Ok, this is the second version of this chapter. The one I originally wrote, which was much better imho, got lost when my computer decided to take a dump on me. What really sucked was that I was almost done with it and had to start from scratch again, from memory. That sucked!

Story points; I went a little dark with Fluttershy, I know. But she always seemed too shy to me. I had to think of a way to explain it to myself. I figured an abusive parent would be the most logical assumption. It may not fit as neatly with the films, but it makes sense to me and as another level of drama to the story.

As I said, this version is the second and I believe inferior. But I still believe this does what it needs to do and sets up another major scene latter on in the story. Hopefully you all stick with me.

Catching Up Or The Story So Far

"I realized the night before I left for home, that I didn't want to leave Flash. I just felt such a connection with him and the idea of leaving and never seeing him again felt like torture. It was hard enough the first time. But back then, we only had a little interaction. Well not little. I mean he did save me from being framed by Sunset Shimmer. And we did dance. But, I don't know, it was all just a one off, at least I thought at the time. But after the second time, it cemented something between us. I felt right with him. And I didn't want to lose that.

"We were in the midst of saying a final goodbye when I realized I didn't have to. I could open the portal anytime I wanted to now. So we, Flash and I, made a plan to see each other every Saturday. We would, and are in fact, dating. He's my boyfriend and I'm his girlfriend. It seemed so simple. We both knew there were problems, serious problems; but we glossed over those. I glossed over those. I didn't want to think or consider what could happen or go wrong. I just wanted to be with him.

"And I also wanted to hang with you guys as well. Please don't think I didn't! That's why before I left I said I could come back anytime I wanted. I wanted to let you know I was going to be back and hang out; sometimes. But I wanted to spend some alone time with Flash first to see if we really had what we thought we had or were just caught up in a sort of fling.

"What I wasn't counting on, was The Sirens still being around. Or that they would find the portal and go through it and then close it, trapping me here. But I should have. I should have been smarter, more careful, thought longer and harder. I didn't. So now The Sirens ARE back home and looking for a way to get revenge on both worlds.

"I'm trying to get back in touch with my friends back home to let them know where I am and to reopen the portal to let me through. Oh, yeah, did I mention I did this all behind their backs as well? I betrayed my friends and my station. But until I can fix this, I have to do something, so I'm coming here. For the rest of my stay here, I'll be Twilight Sparkle, Cantorlot High School student." After Twilight was done, she felt better. Not great, but better. There was something to confession that did make one feel emotionally lighter. She looked around to see what the others reaction would be, but they just looked at her. She then felt an arm go around her shoulder and draw her close. It was Flash.

"She's not the only one. I was her willing accomplice. I didn't say anything to stop her. I didn't play Devil's Advocate or anything like that. Because I didn't care. I just wanted to be with her. I wasn't going to do anything that might even cause her a second thought. I should have. I should have put her first; her responsibilities. I didn't, I couldn't. It's my fault as well." He looked down at Twilight and said, "I'm sorry."

She kissed him and said, "Don't be."

Sunset was the next to speak. "Saturday night I was approached by the leader of The Sirens, Adagio?," she looked over at Sonata who nodded. "She wanted me to join her and help take over both realms. I refused, but I let her get away. I knew what she was doing; she told me as much. I still left her go and she was able to find the portal and cross through. Hopefully they can be stopped before anything bad happens. But I've made up my mind; when Twilight crosses over, I'm going with her. I love you all; but it's time I go home."

Once again; no one said anything. Then Applejack looked over at Pinkie and Sonata.

"What?" Pinkie said.

"Well, what's your story girl?" Applejack asked. "C'mon. You just can't be springing you're in a lesbian relationship with a girl that only a few weeks ago was trying to take over the school."

"Um, in fairness, we weren't trying to take over the school; just get enough power to return home. We really didn't care about any of you. Humans that is. Your whole species." As Sonata talked, she could see all the others slowly start giving her the death stare. "Ok, I'll shut up now."

"Yes darl . . ., um, Pinkie," Rarity stammered. Suddenly calling Pinkie "darling" no longer seemed like a good idea. "You never told us you were, uh, gay before."

"Why would I? If I wasn't attracted to any of you; what would have been the point? Besides, I didn't think I was. Up until Sonata, I had a crush on Big Mac."

Applejack and Apple Bloom's mouths dropped open. "Did you ever tell him?" Applejack asked. "And just because he didn't respond don't mean you had to switch teams now."

"Uh, hello! It doesn't work like that Apple! And why do you have to put a label on things? Or Box things up. Why can't we just be attracted to who we're attracted to and love who we love? I don't love Sonata because she's has certain body parts I like better than others; I lover her because of who she is as a person. I've never clicked with anyone like her. We love the same games, the same stupid movies and cartoons and sweets and music and, well, everything!"

Sonata tapped Pinkie on the shoulder. "Not everything. I still say Underdog is more powerful than Mighty Mouse."

"I thought we said we would never bring up that ugliness again," Pinkie said to Sonata.

"Well you said we agreed on everything; I was just pointing out that you were wrong about Mighty Mouse being stronger."

"I didn't say 'agree', I said 'loved the same things'. And I am not wrong. Mighty Mouse would kick Underdog's butt."

"No way! He's a DOG! Mighty Mouse is only a mouse." Sonata stopped for a second and then said, "Omygod! Our first lover's fight!"

"UH! You're right!" Pinkie replied back.

Then they both shouted, "TOO CUTE!" and hugged and kissed each other.

"GIRLS!" Applejack screamed out of frustration. "Focus! Now don't you all think this is all a bit too sudden?"

Pinkie became indignant. "Hey, I don't remember you asking Twilight if her relationship was too sudden! If Sonata was a guy, would you be asking me that?"

"I don't care that she's a girl; I care that she's a Siren. Two of which just escaped back into another dimension to seek revenge on us!"

Sonata stepped forward and pulled Pinkie back. Then she spoke. "I am a Siren. I caused people, in this realm and my own, much pain and suffering. I never thought about it too much. Fighting, arguing, maybe some break-ups. But who knows? Maybe I caused someone to cause someone to cause someone to do something really horrible. Maybe I inadvertently caused the Reformation, The Hundred Years War, World War One, I could have the blood of hundreds of millions of people on my hands and I would never know because I never cared. And while I was doing that, I enjoyed it. I smiled as people fought and laughed as they then worshiped me for it. That is who I was. And I will have to live with that for the rest of my now incredibly short life. And when I die, no matter how many loved ones surround me; I won't see them. I will see the faces of those I hurt and the ones they hurt, and the ones they hurt, and so on. I will be carried into eternity in the arms of the damned." Sonata stared off into a secret horizon far beyond the sight of mere mortals. A tear rolled down her cheek. She then turned back to Applejack.

"Who I was; but not all of who I am. I am a Siren, but I am also former abused child, a person who still loves and wants to be loved. I want to laugh and joke and be happy, and be happy for the right reasons. I hated it here for centuries because I never thought I could find another path or be anything than what I was; but Luna and Pinkie showed me differently. They cared about me, for me, not for what I could do for them but because of just me. I see in Pinkie the person I could have been, should have been, and want to be." She looked back at Pinkie and took her hand and spoke only to her.

"I wanted a place to stay, then I wanted a friend. You offered me both. I never thought of 'being with' someone. Not like this. But the more we talked, the more we shared, the more we joked, I saw in you all that I said before. Your opinion of me came to mean more than anything else to me. I found that I only wanted to be by your side. You . . ." Sonata couldn't go on. She choked up and started crying. Pinkie hugged her tight and started crying as well.

In fact, most of them started crying. Twilight and Flash looked at each other and then kissed, grateful to have each other. The others just felt the pure beauty of the love being expressed between Sonata and Pinkie and wishing they could find that as well.

Applejack wiped her eyes, then turned to Fluttershy. "Ok sugar cube; how'd you get the shiner?"

"I fell," she simply said.

Rainbow Dash snapped around and started yelling angrily, "What are you talking about! You're not letting that fat witch off the hook this time Fluttershy! She could and will kill you! I'm not losing you! You're my oldest friend. We've literally known each other all our lives! She gave birth to you, but she's no mother! You can't keep protecting her."

Now it was Fluttershy's turn to snap. "And where will I go Rainbow? Foster care? My dad? If he wanted me, he would have taken me with him. I have no where else to go. And she has lost a lot. My dad, my brother; she just needs time."

"She needs rehab or jail! And it's been five years. She's had enough time."

"Rainbow, please," Fluttershy said with tears in her eyes, "I need to do this my way."

"And if your way leaves you dead?"

"Then so be it. But I'm not there yet. I can't. I have less than two years before I turn eighteen. I survived this long, I can survive just that little bit longer."

Rainbow just glared at her. "Everyone survives until they don't." She then turned around to the others who were just staring at them, mouths agape; not knowing what they exactly heard and saw. "She fell, like she said," Rainbow spat out and gave Fluttershy one more spiteful look.

Before anyone could say anything, the intercom came on. "All students, please report to the auditorium for a special meeting." It was Principle Celestia and she sounded upset.

*************************************************************************************************************

"You are all probably wondering why I called you here. I was contacted by the police yesterday. There was damage done to the school. More than that, a wrecked car was found on the campus. It belonged to Trixie Lullamoon's parents. They were still out on vacation, but there was no sign of Trixie. Not at home, not at the scene. The police aren't jumping to conclusions, but it is suspected that Trixie has been kidnapped. If anyone knows anything, please come see me, Vice Principle Luna, or contact the police directly. That is all. And remember, I am always here to talk if you need. You're dismissed." With that, Celestia walked out of the auditorium.

Sunset leaned over and whispered into Twilight's ear, "Do we tell her?"

Twilight whispered back, "We got to."

"Alright, let's go."

Author's Note

And so ends act 1.

The Next Phase

Celestia was more than a little surprised when Sunset Shimmer and Twilight walked into her office. In fact she was downright shocked. She immediately called Luna in. The girls sat down and explained everything to the two sisters. How Twilight came back and had to keep the portal open, how The Sirens found it, crossed through, and then closed it back up; stranding Twilight here. They told them how Trixie was with them and that Twilight wanted to become a student for as long as she remained here. At the end; Celestia just shook her head.

"Well, this does put me in a rather tough spot." Celestia sighed and put her head in her right hand and then ran it through her hair before looking back at Twilight and Sunset. "I now know where Trixie is. However; I can not tell anyone. Who would believe me? I mean we covered up all the events of the past year pretty well. So I have to sit back and let the police search for someone they'll never find. I also have to let her parents suffer not knowing what happened to their daughter."

Celestia looked down at her desk and just stared. She really didn't know what to do. She felt like she was losing control and she was becoming resentful. Who were these creatures who kept coming in a ruining her school? Running a school, even a school in an affluent neighborhood like Equestria, was hard work under normal conditions. Now here she was again; putting up with and trying to fix problems caused by beings from another dimension. Only characters in sci-fi films and books had to put up with that. But this wasn't science fiction and she had to deal with it.

She wanted to lash out; to expel all of them. To tell Sonata, Sunset, and Twilight to leave and never come back. She wanted to; but couldn't. When she looked at them, she saw three frightened and confused girls, trying to make their way in life. They weren't girls. At least not as she knew, not by human standards. They weren't even human. God knows what they were. But perception is reality. So she held back her anger and decided to help.

"Do you know how long you are going to be her Twilight?" she asked.

"No. It could be days, it could be two years. It all depends when someone sees my message and how much damage was done to the dimensional gate. I wish I could be more precise, but that's the best I can do." Twilight felt ashamed. While this Celestia was merely a human with whom she had almost no contact with; her voice, demeanor, had all the majesty and power of her Celestia and she couldn't help but feel as though she were sitting in front of the princess.

"Ok. Well, you are going to need papers. Birth certificate, school reports, doctor's reports, all the documentation of ones life." Celestia started telling Twilight but was interrupted by Sunset.

"I can take care of that. I know someone. It's the same guy who took care of mine."

Celestia and Luna exchanged nervous looks which caused Sunset and Twilight to wonder why. Celestia rubbed her head again and shook it yes. "Alright, you may be a student. But once you are back in your dimension; I'm having the portal destroyed."

"You can have the statue destroyed, but the portal is fixed. It will open up regardless of what's there or not," Twilight said and then realized it was the wrong thing to say at the wrong time by the way Celestia looked at her. "Sorry," she said and sank into the chair.

"And once you go back; will you be able to find Trixie?" Luna asked. She thought of Trixie's parents and the pain they must be going through. She hoped Twilight and Sunset could find her and bring her back.

"That is the plan. But no guarantees," Sunset said in her best sympathetic voice.

"Alright. Have your papers for by next Monday. You're both dismissed," Celestia said and both girls got up and left.

After they had left; Celestia looked up at her sister who was standing beside her chair. "What do I do now?"

"You're doing it right now." Luna put her hand on Celestia's shoulder and patted it. "If you could handle me, you can handle anything. They're good girls you know. Twilight came through twice for us and Sunset has changed drastically. She really is one of the best students here. Have faith dear sister. Who knows, you may grow quite found of both of them."

"I hope so sister. Not for my sake, but for everyone's."

**********************************************************************************************************************

It was lunch time and all the girls plus Flash were sitting down and trying to help Twilight.

"Ok," Sunset started, "You're gonna have to come up with a birthday. You look sixteen, so keep it in the fifteen to seventeen range. Like I choose March sixth, nineteen ninety- eight for mine."

"Mine is June first, nineteen ninety-eight," Rarity said.

"December thirtieth, nineteen ninety-seven here," said Applejack

"August twenty-fourth, ninety-eight," Rainbow added.

"July eighth, ninety-eight." Pinkie said happily.

"Oh cool!" Sonata said. "Any plans on what you want to do for your birthday? It's not too far away."

"I don't know. My parents are coming that week and they're not really 'party people' if you know what I mean."

"Yeah, I remember you telling me about them. Total bummer. That and we'll have to sleep in separate rooms again."

"Ok, waaaaayyyyy too much information there," Applejack said. She loved and accepted all people, but she was still a straight girl and certain images she just did not want in her mind.

"Well, we've come this far," Twilight said, "what's the rest of your birthdays?"

"February eleventh, ninety-seven; don't forget it," Flash said with a smile.

"April seventh, ninety-eight." Fluttershy spoke last.

Twilight wrote all those down. "Ok, I got an idea now. How about I choose . . , November second, nineteen ninety-seven? It puts me the same year as Flash."

"And me!" Applejack said, a bit insulted Twilight forgot her.

"But that's good," Sunset said. "Since you were 'born' after September, that means you would be in the same grade as the rest of us. Well not Flash. He's one year ahead."

"Alright; all settled then. What about the rest?" Twilight asked a bit concerned. Picking a birthdate was easy. But what about all the rest.

"Don't worry; Discord will take care of the rest," Sunset said. She hated going back to him, but he was their best option.

The gang talked some more. They filled Twilight in on some of the teachers she was going to have and what to expect. Eventually the bell rang and everyone got up to go to their next class. As Fluttershy went to leave, she felt a hand grab her shoulder. She turned around to see Rarity.

"Fluttershy, I want you to spend the night at my house. I already asked my parents and they said it would be fine." Rarity had a forced smile on her face.

"I'm sorry, but I can't. I have to get home to momma," Fluttershy whispered. She knew that Rarity knew about her situation. It was obvious. Fluttershy felt sad and embarrassed.

"Darling, Rainbow told me everything. Don't get mad at her, I made her. After this morning, I had to know what was going on. Rainbow's right; she's going to kill you." Rarity spoke softly. She loved Fluttershy like a sister. She could talk to her for hours about hair, clothes, make-up, and everything that was great about being a girl. The idea that she was in danger, was being abused; broke Rarity's heart.

Fluttershy shook her head. "I have to go back sometime Rarity. Besides I have no clothes for a sleepover." It was a flimsy excuse; but it was all she had.

Rarity's face lit up. "Well you know what that means?- shopping trip!" Rarity sang the last two words.

"Thanks again, but I don't have any money."

"Nonsense! It's all on me. Think of it as a fashion experiment. I'll get you some clothes and make-up and if they look good on you; I'll get them for myself. Now I simply won't take no for an answer. Sooooo?"

Fluttershy smiled. It would have been so easy to just give up and end it in despair. It was the love of friends like Rarity and Rainbow who kept her going. Whatever love was missing from her home life; they more than made up for it. "Well if I can't say no, I guess I got to say yes."

"Excellent! I'll meet you at your locker at the end of the day. Until then, think fashionable thoughts." Rarity waved and walked off.

Fluttershy kept smiling as a tear ran down here cheek. She really felt like the luckiest girl alive at the moment.

*****************************************************************************************************************

As Sunset and Twilight walked through the front of Sunset's apartment; Twilight could feel something vibrating in her back pack. "The book!" she squealed and quickly took her back pack off and opened it up to get the book. She opened it up and began reading to herself. Her face became sullen.

"What does it say?" Sunset asked concerned.

"'Dear Twilight, talked to Princess Celestia and informed her about what had happened. She came and looked at the machine but has no idea how to fix it. She said you're stuck there until the next time the portal opens up. She said that she'll get the security forces to start looking for The Sirens. She also said for your actions and the harm you have caused; once you return; you'll be stripped of your Princess status and will no longer be her pupil. I'm so sorry. Everyone loves and misses you. Spike.'" Twilight just let her arms fall down and looked straight ahead.

Sunset walked over to her and put her arms around her. "Twilight, I'm so sorry." It was then, Twilight burst into tears.

Author's Note

Act 2 is all about the fall out from act 1. We'll see how Twilight copes and how the rest grow and change as their high school days wind to a close.

Picking Up The Pieces

"Come on, come on, I want to see how it looks!" Rarity gently teased Fluttershy while she tried on the outfit Rarity picked out for her. After school (and much to Rarity's surprise), Fluttershy was waiting for her at her locker. It looked like Rarity had gotten through to her. The two had left and gotten into Rarity's mother's van. Her mother gasped when she saw Fluttershy's eye. Fluttershy looked down and thought of backing out; but Rarity just put her hand on Fluttershy's shoulder and asked her mom to take them to the mall.

Once there; Rarity wasted no time. They went straight to the salon where Fluttershy got her hair, nails and make-up done. The beautician did her best to cover up the black eye; and did a really good job of it. After she was done, you could barely notice that something was wrong. Then it was on to the clothing stores. Rarity let Fluttershy pick some things out at first but grew frustrated by her picks. So Rarity decided this time she would pick for her.

The outfit Rarity picked was a tan vest with a white back, a pair of distressed skinny jeans, and a pair of strappy, wedge sandals. Fluttershy had protested, but not overwhelmingly. She eventually agreed to try it on and went into the changing room. After what seemed like forever; Rarity started to needle her friend into hurrying up.

"Rarity, I don't think this is really me," Fluttershy called out in a mixture of fear and embarrassment.

"No offense darling, but you don't know what really is you and what isn't. Now let me see."

Fluttershy pulled back the curtain and stood in front of Rarity, turned around, and asked, "Well?"

Rarity gasped. "Oh darling, you look AMAZING!"

Fluttershy smiled briefly before starting to complain again. "I feel ridiculous. The pants are too tight. I can barely move. And the vest is crushing my boobs."

Rarity smiled. She knew her friend was protesting just for show. "No honey, it's showing the world you have boobs. As for the pants; limited mobility is worth it for what it's doing for your butt there. No offense, but that booty is banging!"

Fluttershy smiled again. She was really starting to feel emotionally good again. She knew Rarity meant what she said. But more than that; the fact that Rarity was going to these lengths to cheer her up, was the best thing of all. "Please don't try to talk street again," she gently teased back.

"Fine." Rarity feigned indignation. "Just remember, beauty is pain."

"If that's the case, I must be the most beautiful girl in the world right now."

"Ha, ha. So are you going to get it or not?"

Fluttershy looked at herself in the mirror again. The truth was, with her new hairdo, make-up, and this outfit; she really did look great. She struck a few different poses and was amazed at how good she did look. She always did try to look good, but still stay understated as to try to not arouse her mother's anger. Although, she always knew that was an impossible mission. But now, seeing herself like this, she felt pride in herself for the first time and felt every inch the beautiful girl she was.

"Yeah, yes, I'll take it!" The pride and power came pouring out in her voice.

"Good, because I already paid for it while you were trying it on. Rarity knows best darling, always remember that."

"Oh Rarity, you shouldn't have!"

"Please, it was my pleasure. Now let's get something to eat. I'm starving."

"I don't think I can in this outfit," Fluttershy sounded serious, and on one level, slightly was; but mostly she was joking.

"Eh, you're a vegan, lettuce and water shouldn't hurt - too much. Come now sweetie, Rarity needs her num-nums."

*************************************************************************************************************

"You got to report her you know." Rarity looked Fluttershy straight in the eye as she told her. They sat in the food court; their food now mostly eaten. Rarity let most of their meal go without saying a word; but now she felt she had to speak up. While not likely, maybe she could succeed where Rainbow had failed.

Fluttershy looked down at the table. "Rarity, please, I don't want to talk about it."

"Honey, you got to do something. If you don't, the next time she hurts you, make-up probably won't be able to cover it up."

"If I do; then what? Where will I go? A foster home? I haven't seen my dad in years. I don't even know where he is. Obviously he doesn't want anything to do with me. So what do I do? It's easy to say report her, but without any resources, I have nothing." Now all the depression was coming back. Fluttershy felt alone, trapped, and empty inside.

"I'm sure Rainbow's family will take you in. And if not them, then mine will."

"You can't guarantee that Rarity."

"Yes I can and I will. You got to save yourself Fluttershy. And I and everyone else is here to support you."

"Fllluhttershy!" The voice came out of nowhere. It was slow, a bit stuttered, and too loud. It was also somewhat familiar. The girls looked around and saw the source. It was their school's janitor.

Some called him Bulk Biceps. Some called him satirically buttercup. No one knew his real name. All they knew was he was huge. He had, in fact, been a soldier. He was serving in Afghanistan when he took a shot to the head. It didn't kill him, but it did leave him with a metal plate, brain damage, and a purple heart.

"Oh hi Bulk." Fluttershy said with more than a hint of happiness in her voice. "What are you doing here?"

He walked over to their table. "I . . . came . . . to . . . see . . . Godzilla. It's . . . playing . . . here. You . . . look . . . very . . . nice."

Fluttershy blushed and smiled. "Oh thank you Bulk. You look very nice yourself. It's nice to see you out of your uniform."

"Thhhhank . . . you . . . Fluttershy. Would . . . you . . . two . . . like . . . to . . . join . . . me?"

"Oh, no thank you Bulk. We got to get back to Rarity's house and get started on our homework. Maybe another time."

"O k. Have . . . a . . . good . . . night." He smiled and walked away.

Rarity watched Fluttershy watch Bulk walk away. Fluttershy was blushing and twirling her hair. "Need a minute?" she asked.

Fluttershy immediately looked embarrassed. "Ah, I'm ok."

"Is that what you're calling it? You know he's about twenty-five right?"

"He's also perfect," Fluttershy cooed. "He's sweet, nice, caring, tall, has those large, defined, muscles, he's all man!" Fluttershy growled out the last part of the sentence in a primal way.

"Well, well; still waters do run deep. All man or not; he's off limits. Or, more appropriate, you're off limits to him. At least for another two years or so."

"I can dream to then."

"Not if you don't make it. If you won't report your mom for you or us, do it for him."

Fluttershy looked down again and then over to Bulk standing in line. She really did think he was perfect; brain damage or not. It was foolish to think she had any future with him. But it was fun to imagine. But what good was even that? Rarity was right. If she didn't do something, she probably wouldn't be around for much longer.

Fluttershy turned back to Rarity and said, "I want to call the cops."

**************************************************************************************************************

Crystal Shy heard a knock at her door. She looked at the clock on the wall. It said 7:30. Must be that whore daughter of mine , she thought to herself. She slowly got up and made her way to the door. "Girl I'm gonna bash your brains in you little piece of . . .," she stopped dead as she saw it was two cops standing at her door.

"No need to ask any questions," the one cop said to the other. "Crystal Shy, you are under arrest for abusing your daughter Fluttershy."

****************************************************************************************************************

Twilight sat on her bed in darkness. It felt good; the darkness. She could pretend there was nothing around her; that she had no body. She was merely a mind, floating free in an eternal, infinite void. It was probably the only place she wanted to be right now.

Sunset opened the door and knocked on it. It was merely a courtesy. "You ok?" she asked.

"I can't blame her. I put everyone at risk because of my actions. I didn't even talk it over with any pony. I didn't want to. I was going to do what I wanted to do regardless. At least by not talking to anyone, I could have plausible deniability to myself. I didn't think. I betrayed my friends and my station. I am, or was, a princess. I should have known better." Twilight never looked up while she talked. She just stared at the floor; her hands folded in her lap.

Sunset walked over and sat beside her on the bed. She put her arm around her. "And if I never would have left in the first place and tried to take over Equestria, none of this would have happened. But as you said, we all made mistakes. Now we just got to try to put our big girl panties on and fix things as best as possible.

"As I see it, the Equestrian security forces should be able to handle the Sirens now that they know about them. Also, you have two years. Two years no matter what. You can spend that time beating yourself up or you can take the time and live. You got me, Pinkie, Sonata, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Fluttershy. You also have Flash who loves you. That's not nothing. It my not be royalty, but it's nothing to sneeze at either."

Twilight nodded. "No more lies." She turned to Sunset. "May I use your phone?"

"Sure." Sunset was confused but got up and got her phone for Twilight.

Twilight took it and dialed Flash. "Hello? Flash? Yeah, hi honey. Um, I need to talk to you. No, I'm not breaking up with you. I got something to tell you. Something about me. But first, what do you think about ponies?"

Author's Note

Rainbow Rocks came out in 2014, so that's the year I'm starting the story in. I'm going to do a few minor time jumps then jump forward to 2016 for the final act.

Friday

Twilight woke up feeling unwell. It was like she was sick but not quite. It felt like she had drank too much water. Also she noticed that her breast felt tender and sore. Maybe I have the stomach flu or something. I'll just tough it out, she thought to herself. It was Friday, the last day of the week, so if she could make it through today; she'd have 2 days to recover.

It had been a pretty amazing week though. After getting Spike's message Monday night, she had felt heart broken and like a failure. Surprisingly though, things on Tuesday and Wednesday just sort of feel into place. She quickly got the rhythm of her new life. Her classes, sitting and eating with the others at lunch, she even rejoined the Rainbooms. She and Flash kept getting closer and even her and Principle Celestia had started talking and becoming more like what she and Princess Celestia had been. Thursday, she and Sunset finally saw this world's Discord (just as obnoxious as her world's if not worse), and got her papers. Sunset took a big hit for that financially. She even said that the two of them might have to get summer time jobs to keep the apartment. But, overall, she found she liked her new life.

She remembered back to that Monday night when she had told Flash what she was. At first he didn't believe her. I mean, a talking, purple, pony with wings and a horn? - who would believe that. But after considering all the things that had happened, having seen her with wings in this form and the fact she was from another dimension; he accepted the fact. Even more surprisingly, he said he didn't care. She was human now and that was all that mattered. Now after two years, when the portal reopened, and he followed her to her realm, it might make a difference then, but that was a problem for down the road.

Everything was going well, so what right did she have to complain about a little tummy ache? Although she was noticing the pain and discomfort was migrating south to an area that shouldn't be experiencing pain. She got out of bed, got her shower, and dressed. Even that part of being human was becoming second nature. Yes she still cut herself shaving, but no where near as much as she did that very first time. But make-up, eyebrows, hair, no sweat.

She came out of the bathroom to the smell of breakfast. Sunset continued to prove she was a great cook. Sunset's breakfasts were always amazing. It made getting up early almost worth it. Today, she wasn't in the mood. She politely declined and explained she wasn't feeling well. Sunset asked if she wanted to stay home, but Twilight said she was ok enough to go on. By the time lunch rolled around, however, it was a decision she was regretting.

She sat down at her usual spot, second seat in on the left side. Flash sat down in the first seat beside her. On the left side with her was Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Sonata. On the right sat Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy. At the end of the table sat Sunset. Sometimes Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo would join them, but usually they sat at their own table.

Twilight just sat looking down at the table. She felt worse now than before. She was even starting to experience some cramping in her abdominal and vaginal muscles. More than that, she found herself becoming extremely short tempered. She had even lashed out at a student who had accidently bumped into in the hall. She decided it would be best to see a doctor as soon as possible. In fact, at this rate, she might not even make through the rest of the day.

As the rest of the girls talked, Sunset looked at Twilight. She was really looking bad now. She saw even Flash was looking concerned. He shot Sunset a look that said, is she ok? Sunset gently shook her head no. He looked back at Twilight and whispered something in her ear. She whispered something back. He whispered again in her ear, and then she jumped up and yelled, "I SAID I WAS OK ALREADY; DIDN'T I!"

The whole cafeteria stopped and looked at her. She grew bright red and sat back down. She couldn't believe she had done that. She felt so embarrassed. She just wanted to sink in her chair and disappear. Slowly everyone went back to their own conversations. The rest of the girls just looked at Twilight.

"Darling, are you ok?" Rarity asked.

"Yes, I mean no. I have a stomach bug or something. I feel bloated, my lower muscles are cramping up, even my breasts are sore. I'm sorry girls, I should have listened to Sunset and stayed home today." Twilight noticed that all the girls were suddenly looking at her with a funny expression on their faces. Why were they doing that? What had she said? She was getting annoyed again.

The rest of the girls let out a collective "Ooooohhhhhhh," and then turned to Sunset.

"Uh, Twilight, come to the bathroom with me." Sunset got up with her purse and started walking to the girl's bathroom.

"But I don't . . .," Twilight started to say but was cut off.

"Yes you do, now come." Sunset grabbed Twilight's arm and led her away.

Flash looked at the other girls, a bit confused himself.

"Flash, darling, I think it would be best if you finished eating at your old table for the rest of lunch," Rarity gently said.

"Why? What's going . . ."

"Girly business darling. Now off with you, shoo, shoo." Rarity waved her hands like she was chasing a bird away.

He still didn't understand what was going on but knew these girls cared about Twilight and were acting in what they thought was her best interest. So he got up and left. Hopefully Twilight would fill him in later.

***********************************************************************************************************

"Sunset, what's . . ." Twilight tried to ask Sunset as they got into the bathroom but was cut off again.

"Here, take this," Sunset said as she handed Twilight a small package from her purse. "I always carry a couple in case of emergencies."

Twilight took it. It was a small wrapper with the name TAMPEX written on it. Inside she could feel something cylindrical. She didn't understand what it was or what it was for. "What is this?" she asked.

"It's a tampon, you're getting ready to start your period. What you're experiencing is called PMS." Sunset's tone was matter of fact but tinged with a bit of big sisterly love.

"I still don't get it. What's a period?"

Sunset rubbed her forehead. "Oh Twilight, you should have done more research. A period is part of a human females fertility cycle. Their ovaries release an egg that implants to the side of the uterus. It stays there for about twenty-eight days or so. After that, the egg dies and is discharged from the body. It's accompanied by bleeding from the vagina, and some or all the symptoms you're feeling now. It last anywhere from three to five days. It's all part of your natural body workings."

Twilight was shocked and horrified. "I'm going to be bleeding, DOWN THERE! And this happens every month?"

"It's not pleasant, but it's nature."

Twilight was still in shock. Slowly she looked down at the package in her hand. "So what's this for?" she asked timidly.

"It's to keep the blood from staining your clothes and getting on seats. The instructions are on the side. Go in the stall and follow them. I'll go into more depth when we get home. For right now, though, that should be fine. You can get more from the machine over there by the sinks. They're free, so you don't have to worry about having change."

Twilight just sort of nodded and walked into a stall and closed the door. a little later Sunset heard Twilight yell, "It goes inside!"

"Sorry sweetie, but that's how it goes." Sunset laughed to herself. She knew exactly what Twilight was going through. A girl's first period, even when she knew it was coming, is traumatic. Well, "traumatic", might be a bit strong of a word, but it wasn't too far off. Now, being on the other side of the experience, it was funny to see how she had reacted through Twilight.

Twilight slowly came out, crying. Sunset put her arm around her and assured her it would be ok. They made their way back to the table and sat down. "Where's Flash?" Twilight asked.

"We thought it best if it was just us girls right now," Rarity said.

"So you all know?" Twilight asked shocked and embarrassed all over again.

"Only because we've all gone through it sugar cube," Applejack said gently.

Twilight shook her head and dropped it. "It's always like this?" She almost pleaded with the other girls to say it wasn't.

"Not always,"Fluttershy said. "It depends. It various from woman to woman. For some, yes. For others, there's almost no pain or discomfort. The first does always tend to be the worse though. I remembered when I had mine; I just cried and prayed to become a boy so I'd never have to go through it again. I'm glad that whatever's out there didn't listen."

"What makes it worse is how society treats it." Rarity started talking again. "A boys first erection or wet dream is treated as a cause for celebration. 'The boy's becoming a man' sort of thing. For us, we're almost shamed; like, 'how dare you, you're spoiled now, you're not innocent anymore.'"

"I'm lucky," Rainbow spoke up, "my parents both sat me down when I was about ten or eleven and explained things to me. It was straight, to the point, no "oh, um, well' stuff or touchy-feely 'your inner goddess has awoken' crap either. Just, this is your body, in a few years it will do this, it's all ok, it's all natural, you'll be fine. Honestly, I was more concerned when I started developing boobs. I thought they were going to throw my balance off in sports."

"You honestly thought that?" Applejack asked.

"Hey, sports and music are my two main loves. I don't want to jeopardize either one."

Rarity started speaking again. "And that's the problem. So little good information is available to women about their health and bodies. Sad to say, but even in this day and age, most of what we get is hushed, old wives tales and second hand gossip. Men, they get all their needs met. It's another thing that makes being a girl here so hard."

"I wouldn't say 'so hard' Rarity. I mean, I compete in sports, which are male dominated and I get respect from the boys." Rainbow was a feminist as much as Rarity, but felt she was going a bit overboard.

"They also think you're a lesbian dear," Rarity shot back.

"WHAT!" Rainbow shouted.

"Of course. Don't you know that men think any smart or tough or athletic woman is a lesbian? Look at how they talk about Peppermint Patty and Marcie from Peanuts or Velma from Scooby-Doo. Woman's tough, she's gotta be a lesbian."

"Bogus! I aint no darn lap licker!" Rainbow said in anger. Then her face grew pale and her eyes wide as she realized Sonata and Pinkie were sitting across from her. She slowly turned around to look at them. Both were giving her the death stare. "No offense," she said weakly.

Sunset leaned over and whispered in Sonata's ear, "You get used to it."

"All I'm saying is, well, girls, females, do not have it easy here Twilight. Not physically or emotionally. That's why we got to rely on each other for support," Rarity said.

"Unfortunately, we can be our own worse enemies," Fluttershy added, thinking of her mother.

"But not us. We gotch yer back," Applejack said.

"Thank you. All of you." Twilight was still in pain, still felt scared and embarrassed, but she also felt loved and at home.

The bell rang and it was time to go. They all got up and started walking out. Flash came up to Twilight and asked, "Twi, are you ok?"

Twilight smiled and then punched him in the crotch. "Are you ok?" she hissed out and walked off.

Flash looked at Sunset as he grabbed himself. Sunset just shrugged. "It's that time of the month," she simply said.

"Ok," Flash wheezed out before collapsing to his knees.

Author's Note

Some of you might be taken aback by the subject matter of this chapter. But as a parent, I feel it was important to bring up. Women's puberty is often over looked or down right ignored by most of our culture; which is really sad. Boy's coming of age stories tackle just about every aspect of their lives, yet girl's tends to omit certain aspects we as a culture don't like to address. I just felt it was important to address; as well other issues women deal with. Like I said, I wanted to write this with a feminist perspective for my daughter when she becomes old enough.

Date Night

Big Mac splashed on cologne as his two sisters and grandmother watched in amazement. Bug Mac never got dressed up. NEVER! But here he was, all cleaned, shaven, hair slicked back, in his best clothes (which, in fairness, was only his cleanest shirt and jeans). He couldn't help but smile to himself as the others looked on in such surprise.

"Dang big brother, you clean up nice," Apple Bloom said.

"I don't know which is more surprising, you gettin' all spiffied up like this or the fact it's for an actual date," Applejack teased.

"She must be one fine filly for you to go ta all this trouble," Granny Smith added.

"Yup," Big Mac responded in his characteristic, monosyllabic manner. "Now, iffin' ya'all don't mind, I'd like to finish gettin' ready without ya'all lookin' at me like a gold fish." He was kept smiling as he talked. He really wasn't mad or even annoyed, he just liked playing things up.

"Looks ta me you already done there Big Mac. Unless you plannin' on flossin' or something," Granny Smith teased back. She had been so worried about Big Mac and Applejack. Both took on so much (too much) responsibility after their father died. Apple Bloom was still young, only about three, when he passed. This was the only life she knew. But the other two felt an obligation to step up and take on adult work. Applejack had just begun coming out and being a normal girl with her band; Big Mac was like his father, old school, quiet, get the job done, no crying. Seeing him getting ready for a date made her heart sing.

"Nope, but I gotta pee. So . . ."

"Alright, alright, no need to be vulgar boy. Girls, we'll await his highness down stairs."

*************************************************************************************************************

Big Mac came downstairs with his best cowboy hat and boots on. "Well?" he asked as he raised his arms and did a turn.

"You look great," Applejack said. She went over and gave him a hug. "Good luck Big Mac." She then kissed him on the cheek before stepping aside for Granny Smith.

Granny move a couple hairs that were poking out from under his hat. "But not too lucky now. You aint old enough to be a dad yet." She, too, then gave him a hug and kiss.

"Aww, Granny," he moaned.

"Go get 'er Big Brother!" Apple Bloom said and gave him a big hug.

Big Mac tipped his hat and left.

****************************************************************************************************************

Big Mac walked through the doors of Denny's exactly at 9pm. He looked around but didn't see Maud anywhere. Maybe she was running late. Maybe she was in the bathroom. Maybe she wasn't coming.

"Hi, welcome to Denny's. Just one?" Asked the hostess.

Big Mac was nervous. Should he say a two? Should he just say he was waiting for his date? He didn't know what to do.

"Two," a voice from behind Big Mac said in a familiar dead. He turned and saw Maud standing behind him; in a Denny's uniform. "I work here part time. My shift just finished. It saved time coming here. Plus I get a discount."

Big Mac shrugged and turned to the hostess who looked to be in a severe state of shock. After a minute she recovered and showed Big Mac and Maud to their table. The two sat down and said nothing. The hostess walk away, but kept looking back as if she was seeing Big Foot on a date with the Lochness Monster.

Big Mac turned to Maud. "She looks surprised."

"I'm not a people person," Maud said.

Big Mac looked around and saw every server and cook looking over at them. Some had their mouths opened, some whispered back and forth, even what looked to be the manager came out and looked. He turned to Maud again. "Mustin be." And then the two sat in silence until a server timidly came up to them.

"Mmmmmmmmmmmmmaaaaaaayyy I get you any drinks?" she asked as if she where Oliver Twist asking for more soup.

"I'll have water," Maud said.

"Same," Big Mac also replied.

The server threw their menus down and ran off. Big Mac and Maud continued to sit and say nothing until the server brought their drinks back. "Ready to order?" she asked again in that voice that was somewhere between terrified and shocked.

"Plain pancakes and toast," Maud ordered

"Plain hamburger please. No fries."

"Ok. I'll put this right in," the server said and almost ran off.

"I'm surprised you didn't order anything apple related," Maud said.

"I don't like apples," Big Mac replied.

"Bummer."

Big Mac shrugged. "I gotta pick 'em and sell 'em, not eat 'em."

"I love rocks. I have a pet rock; Boulder." Maud reached into her purse and pulled out a rock and placed it on the table.

Big Mac looked at it, nodded, and said, "We have a dog, Wynona."

"How much has Pinkie told you about our family?"

"Your family owns a mining company. You're in college for geology. You don't get along with your parents."

"They did make me into the person I am today."

"Well, that's literally true of everyone's parents I suppose."

"They crushed my soul like so much lime and sand stone." For such a powerful statement; Maud's voice never varied in pitch and her expression remained blank.

"Mine are dead. Mom died in childbirth with my youngest sister. Dad died three years later from a stroke."

"Wow. Once again, bummer."

"Yup."

For almost the rest of the night the two said nothing else to each other. Their food came, they ate, they rest of the staff spied on them, but still they said nothing. Their server came over and asked if they wanted anything for desert and both refused. She left them the check and quick walked away again.

"I'll pay for this," Maud said.

"Dutch at least," Big Mac responded.

"Ok. Same thing next Friday?"

"Yup." Big Mac went to get up when Maud touched his hand. He stopped, looked at her, and sat back down.

"You're the first person I've liked." For Maud, that was the equivalent to a complete emotional out burst. She never, well rarely showed any emotion. And when she did; it was always to her sister. To say something like that, even in her stone cold, dead pan way, was a major break through.

Big Mac looked at her. "Thank you." He tried to come up with something more profound to say, but could only come with, "I like you too."

Maud nodded. "Can we just sit here and hold hands for a minute?" Big Mac took Maud's hand and went to kiss it when she stopped him. "Not so fast. I'm not there yet," she said.

"Sorry," he said and just held her hand.

********************************************************************************************************************

Maud walked through the front door to find Pinkie and Sonata playing what they called "reverse charades". In this game, the person calls out something and the other has to find a way to act it out. It was one of their things.

"Maud! How was the date?" Sonata called out as soon as she saw her.

"Now how am I going to act that out?" Pinkie asked. Sonata pointed behind her and Pinkie turned around. "Oh, Maud! How was the date?"

"I already asked that," Sonata said.

"But I didn't," Pinkie responded.

"Ok," Sonata replied.

Maud looked at the two of them and said, "I met my future husband."

*****************************************************************************************************

Big Mac walked through the front door and was immediately pummeled by questions from Apple Bloom and Applejack. Granny Smith quieted them down. Then she looked at Big Mac. "It's only eleven. Date didn't go well?"

Big Mac walked over to Granny Smith, hugged her, and whispered in her ear, "I'm gonna marry that woman someday."

Author's Note

Ok, ok, a little fast paced you say. Well, yes and no. I want to finish this up before Friendship Games because I know if I don't, it's going to influence me. So somethings are just going to have to be sped up. However; Maud and Big Mac only said they "liked" each other. When you have two wounded souls who carry their feelings so close to the vest, I do believe they can find each other and bond at a faster rate. But, Maud is only up to the limited hand holding. I kind of think of Big Mac and Maud as the Sheldon and Amy of EG.

This relationship will not be a main plot in the story but will set up a major event involving Pinkie and Maud's parents later. Also look for Soarin to appear and start a relationship wit Rainbow Dash soon. And I'll be introducing human Sunset Shimmer and bringing in human Twilight as well in this second act. It's all to help set the stage for the third act which will be more in keeping with MLP (grand, magical battle between good and evil).

Band Practice

Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow, Twilight, Sunset, and Fluttershy were all set up, tuned-up, and ready to roll. Of course, out of all of them, Twilight and Fluttershy had the least to set up; but they were all ready and waiting on Pinkie to show up. Not much sense in getting started without their drummer. They had put a halt to writing any new songs until they got all the old ones down with Sunset and Twilight; which they had almost done.

With Sunset on guitar, she was able to add harmony lines that just expanded the songs so much. And Twilight, she had such a pure singing voice, it took the songs in another direction. Rainbow had been good, but her raspy voice always limited the feel of the songs and what songs they could write. With Twilight (and Sunset, who also had an excellent voice), they were freer to write whatever they wanted to.

While they waited, the girls made small talk. Twilight asked Rarity if she could teach her to play the piano. Twilight had some ideas in her head, but didn't know how to get them out. Rarity agreed. She loved sharing her knowledge with anyone, on any subject matter. And, to be honest, while she still loved being in the band, it was taking time away from her real passion, fashion (namely fashion design), and could see a day when she would have to bow out of the group; so it was good to have an understudy.

Another thing all the girls talked about was how Fluttershy was coming out of her shell. It had only been six days since she moved in with Rarity's family, but the change was dramatic. She spoke up more, spoke to strangers more, she wore more stylish and form flattering clothes, and even started flirting with boys (although her heart was still set on Bulk). It was as if once the great weight of her mother's abuse was gone, she was free to fly. Don't misunderstand, she wasn't a "party girl" by any means; but considering what she had been, she was downright Kim Kardashian.

"Applejack!" The voice was unmistakable, it was Pinkie. The others looked as she came running in and gave Applejack a great bear hug, "How's my future sister-in-law doing?"

Next was Sonata who, likewise, ran up and started hugging Applejack. "Yeah, how are you future sister-in-law-in-law?"

"What the hay? Get off me!" Applejack shook free of the two giddy, huggy bears. "What are two talking about?"

"Maud and Big Mac silly! Their date last night went great! Ohhhhh it's going to be great having you as sister. Well sister-in-law, but still sister! Ew, should we start picking out bridesmaids' dresses?" Pinkie was overflowing with exuberant joy. Even more so than usual.

"Hold on now," Applejack said annoyed, "they only had one date now. It's a bit early for all that now. At least wait for the second date."

The other girls just looked at each other in shock. Twilight whispered, "Big Mac went on a date with Maud?"

"Must have been the quietest date ever," Sunset whispered back.

"I don't know," Fluttershy whispered, "they're both, um, reserved, . . ."

"Freakishly strong," Rainbow interrupted.

" And both have good hearts," Fluttershy continued. "It could work."

"Like the Titanic," Rarity added. "Besides, she's what, four years older than him? That's a big age difference."

"It's not that big Rarity. If true love can overcome being in separate dimensions, or being the same gender; a few years shouldn't make that big of a difference."

"Well, I know why you would feel that way Fluttershy," Rarity said with a slight grin on her face.

"Whoa. You know something about Fluttershy that I don't Rarity?" Rainbow asked a bit annoyed. Fluttershy was her oldest and dearest friend; if anyone had the right to know everything about Fluttershy, it was her.

Rarity and Fluttershy exchanged glances. Rarity's said if you don't tell them I will. Fluttershy's said please don't, then fine, ok. "I have a crush on the janitor, Bulk Biceps." Fluttershy blushed.

"WHAT!" Rainbow shouthed and Applejack, Pinkie, and Sonata all looked over to where the others were.

"What're ya'll talkin' about over there?" A.J. asked, still mad.

"You have a crush on Bulk Biceps?!" Rainbow halfway asked, halfway shouted at Fluttershy.

Now the other girls gasped. Fluttershy looked down at the ground and said, "Yes. I think he's nice. And an absolute stud muffin." A small smile came across her lips as she said the last sentence.

"Well, dang girl, I didn't think you had that side in you." A.J. was almost laughing with joy when she said that.

"I'm glad to see you're finally noticing guys, but ya think you could choose someone more age appropriate, unless you want to visit him in jail for the next couple of years," Rainbow said.

"I'm not going to pursue anything with him. But a girl can always fantasize can't she?" Fluttershy looked up with a wicked smile on her face.

The girls all started laughing. Little sweet Fluttershy was REALLY coming out of her cage now. Rainbow went over to her and gave her a hug. "Welcome to life Fluttershy," she said.

"Alright now," A.J. spoke, "can we get to practicin' now?"

Rainbow turned around with a somewhat sad look on her face. "Um, guys, you know how I usually go to soccer camp over the summer? Well I'm going again this year as well; so I won't be able to do the band thing. Sorry."

Rarity spoke next. "Well, that's ok Rainbow. Honestly; I want to start working on my designs again. I haven't been able to as much since joining the band. So I won't be around this summer as well."

"And, honestly, Twilight and I are going to need to get jobs over the summer. So we won't have much time to practice also," Sunset said.

"Well then," Rarity spoke in an excited voice, "I know what we'll do! Let's make my birthday party our farewell to summer show. Go out on a big bang. Then when school starts again, pick up again. It'll give us all a chance to recharge our creative batteries. How about it?"

"That . . . sounds . . . AWSOME!" Rainbow shouted. and the others all agreed, Rarity's birthday party would be their big and final show until summer was over.

Author's Note

Some might see this chapter as filler since not much happens. But I assure you this sets up some major events to follow, like Rainbow getting a boyfriend. I don't want to give too much away since I know how much some of you hate "spoilers". But I haven't lost the plot yet. Everything is moving forward. The Sirens and Trixie won't return until the third act and the big showdown. But there are still plenty of major events to come in this act, some happy, some really sad. So stay tuned. Or don't. It's your free time and I can't tell you how to spend it. Just beg that you do.

Time Passes - Part 1

April gave way to May. Summer vacation grew closer and everyone at CHS was growing restless (including the teachers). But as with most things you are waiting for, the closer you get to obtaining what you want, the slower time seems to go. Even as hearts and minds turned toward beaches, pools, hanging out, parties, and for some, summer jobs; the rituals of class still called out to be met. Homework was to be given, test taken, and lectures to be sat (and slept) through.

Rarity was almost a nervous wreck waiting for her birthday. The idea of getting a car (even though she couldn't drive it until she got her license), had her practically vibrating with excitement. She sometimes wondered if this is how Pinkie felt all the time. She was also busy designing and making a dress for Fluttershy. She had always felt a special bond with her, but since moving in, Rarity had really bonded with Fluttershy. The whole family had. Even Sweetie Belle referred to her as her other big sister. So she wanted to do something really special for her. Keeping it a secret was getting harder, though. I mean, they did live together.

AJ already had her learners permit. Big Mac had taken to teaching her how to drive on the farm. Sometimes they even went on the roads. Mostly those trips ended up at Maud and Pinkie's house. It was the strangest relationship she had ever seen. In fact it made Pinkie and Sonata's relationship seem downright pedestrian by comparison. Big Mac and Maud hardly ever talked; and when they did, it was usually to someone other than each other. They didn't hold hands, kiss, or anything even remotely "couplly". They would exchange a few words and then just sit in the living room. But AJ and the others would often end up in Pinkie's old room and play video games, so what they did while they were away was anyone's guess.

Pinkie had taken to teaching Sonata how to play drums. At the beginning and end of each practice she would go over different things with her. Sonata, for her part, was teaching Pinkie Old English, French, and some of the other languages she picked up during her time her on Earth. Sometimes they would just start talking to each other in one of them and leave the others completely lost.

Fluttershy had talked to Rainbow about trying out for the tract team next year. This was another step in Fluttershy's evolution. Before she would have never had the confidence to try out for a sports team, any team. But now she was feeling like she could and should do anything. Rainbow thought it was a good idea and worked on training her. After a couple weeks (and a lot of string pulling ), she got an early try out for Fluttershy. Even though she had the low time, she was still just fast enough to make the team. Rainbow made Fluttershy to promise to keep practicing while she was away and Fluttershy did.

Sunset had begun looking into possible summertime jobs for her and Twilight. She found a position at a Barnes & Noble for Twilight and she found one working at Target. They were to start the day after school let out. She was happy that they both would have money coming in; but there was a part of her becoming depressed. She was feeling lonely and disconnected. She didn't know if it was because she was missing home and wanted to return or if it was something else. She saw how everyone else seemed to have a purpose. Twilight had Flash, Pinkie and Sonata had each other, AJ had the farm, Rarity her clothing, Rainbow had her sports, and Fluttershy had her transformation. What did she have? Maybe this new job would help, maybe she might even find- a boyfriend? Is that what she really wanted? Maybe it was. But if she found one, what would that mean? would she really go back home if she found love here? All serious questions she had to answer for her self.

Twilight was just fine. She had a band, Rarity was teaching her piano, she had wonderful friends (although there were times at night where she missed her old ones), she was excelling at her studies here in this world as well, and she had an amazing boyfriend. For her, life was great. She wrote to Spike just to keep up with what was going on back home. The one thing she never told him, never told anyone, was that she really didn't want to go back anymore. Being stripped of her princess ship gave her little reason to go back and, frankly, she loved it here now. She even loved her new body (although she wished she could how she and everyone else really looked).

Flash started working out more. He felt it was his duty to look as good for Twilight as possible. His father was becoming concerned about his son and decided to talk to him. Flash was down in the basement, working out, when his father came down.

"Hey son, mind if we talk?" the elder Sentry asked.

Flashed racked the weight he was lifting and said, "Sh . . sure dad. Uh. What's up?"

"I just want to talk to you about that lady of yours." Mr. Sentry tried to sound nonchalant, but still came off as sounding concerned.

"Twilight? What about her?" Flash was now concerned. What was his dad going to say? That he was getting too serious? That he should stop seeing her?

"Not much. I can tell she means a lot to you. And that's fine. I'd like to meet her though, sometime. It's been about a month now. But that's not it. I just want too make sure you, you're thinking alright. Know what I mean?"

Flash blushed. "Um dad, we already had this talk when I was thirteen, remember? I know what can go wrong and we haven't done anything. I mean that. We've been good."

Flash's dad blushed now. "No, I don't mean in that way. But I'm glad to hear it. No, I mean, sometimes when two people become so, entwined with one an another, they let other things slide. They get distracted. Grades fall, friendships get neglected; I just want to make sure you . . ., uh, have balance. That's all."

Flash nodded. "Well, my grades are still really good. My report card will prove that. I still practice with my band. Twilight's grades are off the chart good. She's a genius. Seriously. She has her own band, her own friends, and she's getting a job this summer. AND I still want to work for you this summer as well.

"I, I lover her dad. I can't explain why; but from the first moment I met her, I was drawn to her. And every time I'm with her, I feel whole, complete. I know it might just be 'young love' and hormones, but that's how I feel. Once she graduates, I plan on asking her to marry me. But with all that, I still also know it could all go south and fall apart. I'm not stupid dad. You raised me better than that."

Mr. Sentry smiled. "Well, you were a great boy to begin with. Alright. You at least know all the right things to say and I think you're also doing them as well. Just keep it up. Oh, and please invite her over sometime? We never got to meet your last girlfriend; I don't want the same thing to happen this time."

"Grandpa's coming over this Sunday right? I'll invite her to come over then."

"Is she white?" Mr. Sentry hating asking that question, but given the fact his dad never really forgave him for marrying a white woman, it was a valid question.

"No. She's Asian." At least in this dimension; but, actually, she's a purple, winged, unicorn princess , he thought to himself.

His dad nodded and left. Flash went over to the table where his shirt and phone were. "Time to call Twilight," he said to himself.

Author's Note

Just me moving the story along. Part 2 will be about what the Sirens have been up to. I was going to wait until the third act to say anything about them, but I have a good idea about a scene involving them, so I want to try it out. If it flops, I'll delete it and just edit the title of this chapter and drop the "Part 1". And, frankly, I've been missing my Adagio. Till next time.

Time Passes Part 2

"That's it. Concentrate, concentrate. Move it over there, set it down, and there! Much better," Adagio said to Trixie as she sat the last rock on top of a pyramid she had Trixie make. She had never expected Trixie being a unicorn in this dimension; but took it as an opportunity. With Trixie having magical abilities; she could offer extra help and protection for which they sorely needed. It was a risk. If Trixie decided to turn on her and Aria, there was little they could do to protect themselves. But the needs of the moment out weighed the possible dangers of the future.

It had been nearly two months since she and the others had crossed over to Equestria. A very long and painful two months. It had been over thirteen hundred years since she and Aria last had their earth pony forms (and the first time for Trixie); and getting used to them again was a literal pain. Their muscles ached and getting used to having no fingers was a major hurtle. Compounding this was the fact they had to stay away from most major towns and cities out of fear of getting caught and stick to traveling the back roads and woods.

Another big pain was their diet. Before, Adagio and Aria would routinely eat wild flowers and grass and drink from streams. Now doing so seemed repugnant to them. With more than just a little bitterness; Adagio realized she had become human not only in body, but mind as well. Her human form, the ways and customs of the other world, had all become ingrained inside of her. It was the body she had had the longest. And looking around; everything had changed so much in their absence, that this place was truly not her home. Not anymore. All she wanted to do was to find some more gems and go back.

"Is that all? Am I done?" Trixie asked, annoyed. She guessed she should be grateful. Adagio was teaching her how to use her magic. She never would have guessed she'd have these abilities. And, at first, she was marveled and enthralled by them. Now she was almost bored. Plus the training left her with terrible migraines. The price to pay, she supposed; but still.

"Yes. Go find Aria and take a break. We'll start walking again in a hour or so." While frustrated with their current situation, she knew better than to push, the others or herself, to the breaking point. All were sore, all were tired, all were hungry, and they still had a couple hundred miles to go. They needed to make time, but they also needed to conserve their strength.

Trixie walked off and Adagio walked over to the rock pyramid she had Trixie make and knocked it over with a sigh and then sat down. The sky was a bright blue, the sun shone high in the sky, the meadow they were in was picturesque; but she couldn't care less. Her plan was technically working, but so what? She felt tired and defeated. Her mane was clumped and dirty from not being able to take care of it. Plus going to the bathroom out in the open and not being able to wipe afterwards made her feel sick and dirty.

She also missed Sunset.

In all her years, she had never considered herself a sexual person. Oh, she wasn't above using sexuality as a means to get what she wanted; but she had never been attracted to anyone before. Even when she had tried to seduce Sunset, it was more out of habit than any real desire. But in the days that followed, all she could was think about how much she wished Sunset was here. Was it attraction or just respect? She couldn't say. Maybe just a desire to have someone new, someone she regarded as a near equal, to talk to. She just knew she was beginning to regret the whole matter and was starting to think about giving up.

"My, my. What a sad little pony we have here."

Adagio turned around in shock to see who had spoken. As soon as she saw the miss-mash of body parts; she instantly knew who it was. "Chaos Bringer," she spat out.

"Oh my! No one has called me that for centuries. But then, you are centuries old; aren't you, uh, what's your name again?" He was sly, slick, he oozed faux charm. But underneath it all was the heart of a lying beast.

"Adagio Dazzle. And you would well to remember it."

"Ah, ah, ah. Don't get snippy me with 'Adagio Dazzle'. I've come to bring you an offer."

"An offer? HA! I know how these 'offers' end. I made one with Trixie over there. You dangle a carrot in front of someone long enough to get where you want and then beat them to death with it when you get there. Not interested."

"Oh? You are in Equestria now sweetie; subject to it's rules. Subject to it's rulers. Subject to the ruler who raises the moon, rules the night, and can enter . . . your . . . dreams." Adagio gave Discord a shocked and frightened look. She had never considered that. Discord went ahead once he saw his message got through. "Who do you think has been hiding you from our dear, sweet, Princess Luna? Why me of course."

Adagio hated where this was going. "Alright, Chaos Bringer; what do you want?"

"Discord, if you please. It turns out that old Discord, the lord of chaos, has been, well, neutered. Alas, I am but a shell, a parody, of my former self. And I am BORED OUT OF MY MIND! I need excitement. I need to feel the old spark again. Sadly I did for a while; but the one who 'relit' it also extinguished it. And took my magic to boot. If it hadn't been for Twilight . . . "

"You know Twilight?" Adagio asked shocked.

"Yes. Small multi-verse; isn't it? But, as I was saying, if it wasn't for her, I'd be a magic less husk; rotting under the rule of Tirek. I should be grateful for that. Mmmmm, nope, not in the least."

"So why don't you do something about it?" Adagio snarled. She really hated Discord. She was born at the tail end of his reign and hated every millimeter of him.

"As I said earlier; I would, if I could, but I can't. Every time I try, my, what is that annoying voice in your head that keeps you from having fun? A conscience? - keeps me from doing it. But you, you are my ticket. I'll protect you from being found, you do what you need to do this realm, I sit back and enjoy the fun, then you leave and that's it. So do we have a deal?"

Adagio glared at him and spit in his face. "There's your answer. Do your own dirty work."

In a flash, Discord had Adagio on her back, his one claw wrapped around her throat. "Don't ever do that again or I will tare your throat out." He paused for a second and added, "To start with. Understood?"

Adagio's face flashed fear for a second then turned into a mask of pure rage. "You think you can threaten me 'Chaos Bringer'? Do you know what I've seen? WHAT I'VE LIVED THROUGH? I have seen whole villages wiped out. Parents forced to watch as their children, THEIR BABIES, are raped and murdered in front of them and then have their eyes gouged out as to insure that would be the last image they would ever see. I have seen more PAIN, more DEATH, more SUFFERING, than you could ever imagine.

"One night, not long after we had arrived there, a man snuck into the shack in which I was sleeping. I awoke to his hand over my mouth and a knife to my throat. He told me not to scream. Then he removed my bottoms and stuffed himself inside me. When he was done, when he removed his hand, I sang for him. I sang a song that made him take that knife, which had been at my throat, cut his member off with and eat it. Then, with that very same blade, stab himself through his own throat. I urinated on him as he died, in silence.

"My metal was forged in a fire hotter than any you could ever dream. So tare my throat out if thou wish; but I will not be threatened. And I will not be broken or made to heel. Do you understand, you impotent dog?" She stared him straight in the eyes, unwavering and unbroken; without fear.

Now an icy blast of fear went down Discord's spine. He had not been expecting this. Equestria had it's monsters, it's demons; but none like this. Where did you send her Star Swirl? Did you realize what monster you were making, you old fool?, he thought to himself. Discord let go and got off of her. "I can open a portal to the realm from which you came as soon as you find what you are looking for. You do what you want here. Just let me take a special friend with me first. You leave, I remake Equestria in my image, with my new bride, and neither shall we meet again. How is that?"

"I am going to reduce this plane to ash. You want it then, it's yours. I've found I've grown accustomed to the other world more. So do with this world as you will." Adagio stopped for a second and then asked, "How do you know so much about me?"

Discord smiled. "Well, I felt the magical disturbance you created when you first came through. I started protecting you then. And, when Luna could not find you in your dreams, Celestia called on yours truly to find you. She filled me in on everything Twilight had told her."

"Twilight is here?"

"No. She's trapped in the other realm. But she does have a book by which she can communicate with Celestia."

Adagio nodded. "So, will you teleport us to where the gems are?"

"I was. Then you ticked me off. So, no. I'm immortal, I can wait until you 'hoof it' there yourselves. See what I did there?" Discord starting laughing at his own joke until he saw Adagio just looking at him like she was about ready to rip him in two. "Hmm, no sense of humor. Fine! You find the place, the stones, I'll come get my friend, you do what you want here, I open the portal, and bye-bye."

"Deal."

Author's Note

Ok, so I went a little hardcore with this one. But I felt it was necessary. I wanted to juxtapose the evil that Adagio would have seen in our world and the "evil" in Equestria. Despite all the villains in the MLP universe, none were actually that bad. Which, considering the demo for this show is 3-8 year olds, is understandable. But since I'm going for an older demo, I can push the envelope more. Not much more. In fact that is as far as I plan to push it.

I also wanted to define Adagio more. So many times in fiction, villains are written really rather poorly. Their either the campy, OTT, pantomime Doctor Dastardly type; or a tragic villain made so by the bad actions of others. Adagio is none of those things. Yes she was assaulted, but that was AFTER she had already been banished. I just want to get in her head more and show her as a complete person. Well as complete as a figment of our collective imaginations can be.

And as for the assault; yes I struggled with that. For many, rape has become a cheap plot device to create drama (but then, what isn't). But the fact remains, as of this date, 1 in every 3 females and 1 in every 5 males will be sexually assaulted in their lifetime. Plus with Jarrod from Subway in the news, that had also influenced me. I know people who have been sexually assaulted and don't take it lightly. I know the long term damage it can cause. Plus it gave me chance to properly punish the person who did that.

I will say, if enough people, and mean like 3, message me and say, hey, no, I will rewrite that section from a full assault to an attempted one. Artistic freedom, yes, but respect for others feelings is more important.

Meeting The Family

Twilight was finishing up her make-up. Flash had invited her to meet his family today and she wanted to make sure she looked her best. She had a nice, white, short sleeved, button-up shirt, a black skirt which came down to just below her knees, and a pair of black, two inch heel, pointed toe shoes. Her hair was tied back in a lose pony tail.

"Have you ever met them?" Twilight called out to Sunset who was reading on the couch, still in her pajamas.

Sunset reached over and took a sip of coffee before responding. "No. Never had any interest. Remember, my only interest in Flash was to become more popular; so meeting his parents wasn't necessary to that."

Twilight came out into the living room. "Well? What do you think?" she asked Sunset nervously.

Sunset looked up from her book as Twilight spun around. "You look like you're going to church," she said flatly.

Twilight's shoulders dropped. "Sunset!" she said aggravated.

Sunset smiled. "Twilight; you look fine. You're very pretty. You're dressed modestly but not prudishly. You look like the type of girl a parent would love to see their son date. Now calm down before you get yourself all worked up."

Twilight went over and gave Sunset a hug. Sunset was a bit surprised and just kind of sat there. Twilight then let go and sat down beside her. "Thank you," she said. "I'm just so nervous. I mean I've only been here about, what, two months? I've learned a lot; but what if I make a slip and say something weird or wrong. I just don't want to blow it."

Sunset laid her book down and took her reading glasses off. She turned to Twilight. "Twilight, you'll do fine." Sunset patted Twilight on her knee. "Listen, you love him right?"

Twilight sighed. "Yes. More than anything, yes."

"Alright then; let that be your guide. If you truly love someone, you're not going to screw up in front of their parents."

"Thank you." Twilight smiled.

Sunset put her glasses back on and took another sip of coffee. "Of course that still doesn't mean they won't hate you."

"SUNSET!"

There was a knock at the door. Twilight got up, straightened her skirt, and walk over and opened the door.

Flash was standing there. He had on a plain white t-shirt, black jeans, and black shoes. He looked at Twilight and gasped. "Twilight, you . . . look . . . AMAZING!"

Twilight blushed. "Thank you. I want to make a good impression."

"No worries there. Trust me; they'll love you."

"Hi Flash," Sunset called from the living room.

Flash looked in and said, "Oh, hey Sunset. How are you?"

"It's ten thirty and I'm sitting on the couch in my pajamas, reading a book, and drinking coffee. So no worries."

"Ha. Good to hear." Flash then turned to Twilight. "You ready to go?"

"Just let me grab my purse."

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Flashes family lived in a modest house on the edge of town. It wasn't nearly as big or flashy as most of the homes here; but it was still a good size and very well maintained. Flash pulled into the driveway and shut the car off. He then got out and opened Twilight's door. She slowly and nervously got out and followed him to the door. He opened it and motioned for her to come in. Flash then came in behind her, shut the door and called out to his family.

Flash's dad got up from his chair where he had been reading the paper and walked over to greet them. He had on a white button shirt and brown pants. He took Twilight's hand and said, "Hello, I'm Angúo Sentry. Nice to meet you Twilight. I've heard so many wonderful things about you."

"Nice to meet you too sir," Twilight said and bowed her head.

Next, Flash's mom came out of the kitchen. She was tall, about an inch or two taller than her husband, had light brown hair and green eyes. She had a blue dress with a white flower pattern on it. She came over and shook Twilight's hand. "Nice to meet you dear. I'm Mary."

"Thank you. It's a pleasure to meet you," Twilight said.

Next, a small boy of about eight or ten came running down the steps. He looked almost exactly like Flash, so it was safe to assume he was his little brother. He ran up to Twilight, looked at her for a second, and said "Whoa, she's hot! Nice job bro!"

Flash and Twilight both turned red. "Buster!" Flash angrily said.

"What? You want me to say she's ugly?" Buster replied.

"I expect you to show proper respect to our guest," Angúo said softly but sternly.

"Sorry dad."

"Now Twilight; come and have a seat."

Twilight and Flash followed Angúo to the living room and Mary returned to the kitchen. Angúo sat back in his chair, Twilight and Flash sat on the couch and Buster flopped onto the floor and turned TV on. Angúo then started talking to Twilight. He asked her about where she had gone to school before CHS, what her parents did, where she lived, why she lived there, how she had met his son. It was a gentle, but thorough interrogation.

Twilight answered as honestly as she could but still had to lie about most things. Twilight hated lying. She felt dirty and deceitful. But could she really tell the truth? Where did I used to go to school?- oh, in another dimension. My parents, yeah, they're great, they're also ponies. Oh and I'm a pony too. I just have human form while I'm in this dimension. And how did I meet Flash? I met while trying to find my magic crown which was stolen from me by his ex-girlfriend; whose also a pony by the way. It was all absurd. So she lied. She still tried to tell the truth as much as she could though and Flash backed her up one hundred percent.

They had talked for about forty-five minutes when the door bell rang. Angúo got up and walked to the door. Flash whispered in Twilight's ear it was his Chinese grandparents. They both stood up as Angúo opened the door.

An elderly couple started to walk in and stopped as soon as they saw Twilight. The man turned to Angúo and started talking to him in an angry voice in Chinese. Angúo responded gently, trying to calm his father down but the elder man would have none of it. He shouted, cursed, and made wild hand gestures before finally turning back to look at Twilight. He spat and walked out the door. Twilight didn't know what to think. What had she done wrong? Would Flash be allowed to see her anymore? She was frightened.

Angúo walked over to Twilight and took her hands. "I'm sorry. His parents suffered greatly under the Japanese army during the occupation. I know you didn't have anything to do with it, but he just hates all Japanese people because of it. It's not fair, it's not right, but there comes a time when time stops in the minds of men. They become locked in their prejudices. Unfortunately, that's where he's at now."

Twilight looked at Flash. Here she was, baring the sins of a people and time she wasn't even connected to and all she could do was take it because she couldn't tell them, couldn't show them who she really was. Twilight just turned her head to the floor. Then she felt a hand gently squeeze her shoulder. She turned around and saw it was Mary.

"Twilight, honey, would you mind helping me in the kitchen?"

Twilight nodded and followed her in. Once the kitchen door had closed behind them; Mary gave Twilight a big hug. "Don't worry, you should have seen the fit he threw when Angúo took me to meet him. Prejudice is not limited to one race. Not to say my folks were all that happy with me; but they came around, especially after Flash was born. Some men are just stubborn old bastards. Excuse my language."

Twilight smiled. A tear ran down her cheek. It wasn't from sadness, but happiness. She was so touched that this woman would take her and show her such kindness and compassion. "Thank you," she said and gave her a big hug.

"You're welcome sweetie. Now, how about you help me bring this lunch out?"

*******************************************************************************************************

It was about seven o'clock when Twilight came home. She opened the door, walked in, and saw Sunset meditating on the floor. "Hi honey, I'm home!" she called out.

Sunset opened her eyes and smiled. "So, how'd it go?"

Twilight shut the door and walked into the living room. "Well, I don't think I'll be receiving any gifts from his grandparents anytime soon; or ever. Turns out my human form is of someone from the group of people who had invaded and brutally occupied their ancestral home land."

Sunset cocked her head and felt bad for Twilight. "Humans hold grudges. Something I found out the hard way. I'm so sorry."

Twilight nodded. "Now, as for his parents, they love me! They're absolutely great. I had a wonderful time. Even Flashes little brother said I was 'hot'." Twilight laughed with excitement and joy.

Sunset got up off the floor. "Oh sweetie, I'm so happy for you. Now, have you done your homework yet?"

"What? Jeez! Are you my room mate, sister, or mother?"

"All the above. So?"

"I was going to write Spike and then do it. By the way, have you done yours yet?"

"Um, well, I will."

"Uh-huh." Twilight folded her arms and raised her one eyebrow.

"Alright. I'll do it now. But you too!" Sunset said, wagging her index finger at Twilight.

"Ok mom, sis, roomy."

They both laughed and hugged. At this point there was an undeniable bond between the two of them. It really did feel as if they were sisters. Twilight loved Sunset, albeit in a different way, just as much as she loved Flash and Sunset felt the same about her. Whatever the future may hold, they would meet it together.

Rag Girl

Rarity's birthday party wasn't just a party, it was an event. It was held at her house. There were horses to ride (something Twilight felt guilty about), magicians, jugglers, and caricature artists. There were tables over flowing with food and drink. Nearly all the school was there. Being so far away; none of Rarity's extended family showed up. But then, considering they never approved of her parents marriage in the first place; even if they just lived down the road she doubted if they would have shown up.

The girls had set-up in the back yard and played all their songs. Each one putting all they had into it knowing this was the last they were going to play together for almost two months. At least that's what they told themselves. But deep inside they all knew this could be the last time period. Especially Twilight and Sunset; who being almost a generation older than the others, knew how fast time slipped by and how things changed overnight forever.

After they were done, Rarity's father called everyone to sit down. He had prepared a speech for this day and now he was going to give it. All the guests went to a table and sat down. Rarity and Sweetie Belle sat at the head table with their parents. Rarity's father stood up and started speaking.

"I tried my best to learn that fancy talk that Rarity uses as not to embarrass her too much. So hopefully I do good," he said, doing his best to cover his mid-western accent.

"Well. It's well pa-pa," Rarity corrected playfully.

"Oh, sorry. Anyway; I had always thought if I had a daughter; I'd be giving this speech at her bat mitzvah. But instead of marrying a nice Jewish girl like my parents wanted; I ended up marrying a wonderful Lutheran woman, so that was out of the question. But a sweet sixteen serves the same purpose; to mark the transition from childhood to adulthood.

"Rarity Janette Geisel was born sixteen years ago today. I had no idea what I was in for. Her mother and I were barely making it own our own and now we had another mouth to feed. We didn't know what we were going to do. What we did know, was we loved her from the first moment we knew she was on her way.

"The first time I saw her, held her in my arms; I knew I was forever changed. Changed for the better. She brought out things in me I never knew were there. And as I watched her grow; those feelings only became stronger. Through our darkest times, she never complained. Not openly. I would hear her cry at night sometimes; but she never blamed me or accused me of not being a good provider. In fact she was my biggest cheerleader.

"And after our fortunes changed, she never let it go to her head. The spirit of generosity she has, the way she does whatever she can to help others; well as the vice president said, if a parent is judged on their children, than I am a success."

Mr. Geisel then turned to look at Rarity. "Rarity Janette Geisel, sixteen years ago you changed my world for the better. I love you more than you could ever know, than I could ever say. Happy birthday sweet heart." He then went over and hugged Rarity.

Next, Sweetie Belle got up. "Rarity is my big sister. We fight and bicker. Mostly because I'm jealous of her beauty and talent. But I love my big sister and I know she loves me. Um, that's all I got. Love you sis." She walked back to her seat. sat down and hugged Rarity.

Fluttershy then got up to speak. "Rarity, you saved my life. For those who don't know; my mother is an abusive alcoholic. If Rarity and her family wouldn't have taken me in, I wouldn't be here right now. I'd be dead. Now, I'm not only alive physically, but spiritually as well; and it's all thanks to you Rarity. I can never repay you for that." Fluttershy was now in tears as she went and hugged Rarity.

"You don't have to," Rarity whispered.

As Rarity's mother got up to speak, Flash whispered to Twilight, "I never knew Rarity and I had so much in common." He was referring to both of them being from mixed backgrounds. He was bi-racial and she was of mixed religious faith.

Rainbow looked on in a mixture of sadness and anger. How could Fluttershy forget her? She had been after Fluttershy for years to report her mother. Her family would have taken her in. She was Fluttershy's oldest friend. For years, her only friend. Now she felt discarded and forgotten. All she could do was look down at the ground and try to will the pain away.

After Mrs. Geisel was done speaking, her husband stood up again and said, "And now, if you all will follow me, I believe Rarity's present has arrived."

Everyone got up and followed Mr. Geisel to the front lawn where Rarity gasped at the "car" her dad had bought her. It was a big, brown van. Not a new van, but a used one. It looked like it was from the mid to late seventies. Mr. Geisel turned to Rarity. "What do you think? That'll be good for your band, huh?"

Rarity looked at the van in shock for a few more minutes, turned to her father, and then ran off crying. No one knew what to say or do. Mr. Geisel calmed everyone down and went after Rarity; followed by Mrs. Geisel, and Sweetie Belle. They found her lying on her bed, crying.

Mrs. Geisel was furious. She marched into Rarity's room and started yelling. "What is wrong with you? After all the nice things we said, you run off crying like a spoiled brat! What were you expecting? - a Ferrier? Mercedes?"

"Mother, please," Mr. Geisel said calmly. He sat down beside Rarity on her bed and put his hand on her shoulder. "What is it sweetie?"

Rarity looked up, make-up, mixed with tears, running down her face. "It's gonna start all over again! Do you know what those kids drive at school? You know what will happen to me when I show up in that? It'll be like it was. They'll laugh and point at me. They'll say, 'Hey Rarity, what's the matter? Where's all that Jew money of yours? What's wrong? Can't your parents afford anything other than second hand crap?' They'll call me rag girl again, like where we used to live. 'Rag girl, rag girl, there goes the rag girl'." Rarity busted out crying again.

Mr. Geisel patted his daughter's shoulder and just let her cry for a while. He then gently spoke, "Honey, those days existed. I can't take them away from you. And I'm not going to lie to you and say what other people think of you doesn't matter; because you're old enough to know better. What college you get into, what job you get, whether you're promoted or not; it's all dependent on what others think of you.

"I will say this though; no matter what people think of you, you'll always be the 'rag girl' as long as that's how you continue to see yourself." He then got up and took everyone out so she could have some alone time.

The party went on for another half a hour (although in a much more subdued manner) before Rarity came back out. Everyone looked at her. She had fixed her make-up and hair. She walked up to everyone and started to speak. "I am sorry everyone. I let my emotions get the better of me. First, let me thank you all for coming. Second, I just want to say thank you to my parents for buying such a wonderful gift. Pa-pa, Ma-ma, thank you. It will do well for the band, and for carrying supplies for my clothing. Thank you for everything. I . . . I love you both." She then ran over and gave them both a hug. She wiped a fresh set of tears away and turned to the rest of party. "Anyway, let's party!" she shouted and everyone went back to having a wonderful time. Everyone but Rainbow Dash.

Author's Note

To clarify, under Jewish law, a child is considered to be the religion of the mother, but the tribe of the father. So in a mixed marriage where the mother is Jewish, but the father is not; the child is considered Jewish but not belonging to any tribe. If the mother isn't Jewish, then the child isn't considered Jewish either.

Also in these next few chapters, I'll be concentrating on certain characters. For instance, this was Rarity's chapter. Next will be Rainbow's. Then that will go until I hit everyone of the main characters. After that, I'll start the finale. And yes; there will be a big, magical brawl. So please stay tuned.

True Colors

Scootaloo sat on Rainbow's bed, doing her toe nails. She was spending the night at Rainbow's. She did so about once a week, usually Friday, sometimes Saturday. Every time she did, they followed the same routine: get to Rainbow's, workout in her basement gym, shower, eat, then retreat to Rainbow's room for video games, girl talk, then sleep.

Tonight was different. Oh, the routine was the same, but Rainbow seemed distracted. She barely said anything, mostly just grunting. At dinner she just stared off. Now she just sat on the floor, half heartedly painting her nails. Scootaloo was worried. She didn't like seeing Rainbow like this.

"Dash? Something's wrong. Can I ask what?"

Rainbow shrugged. She didn't feel like talking but she did as well. She wanted to tell Scoot what she was feeling. She wanted to say that she had been hurt by Fluttershy. But she also wanted to just be left alone. In fact, part of her regretted having Scoot over.

"Dash, please. If I can help, I want to. You've always been there for me. At least let me return the favor."

Rainbow turned to face Scoot. "Fluttershy never said that."

Scoot cocked her head. She didn't know what Rainbow was talking about.

" Last week, at Rarity's party, she said Rarity saved her life. I was always there for Fluttershy. Heck, I'm her oldest friend. I was there before anyone else was. And she never mentioned me. Not even in passing." Rainbow didn't like showing her vulnerable side. It made her feel weak and helpless. She did like having Scoot there. She knew she would never judge her.

"Well, her parents never mentioned Sweetie Belle either. I don't think it was meant as a put down. I think it was just Rarity's party and people just were saying nice things about her." Scoot got down off the bed and sat beside Rainbow. She loved her idol, but thought she was overreacting.

"All she had to do was just say, ' you and Rainbow saved my life'. After everything we've been through, she could have done that." Rainbow brought her knees to her chest and just hugged them.

"Then talk to her Dash. Isn't that what you learned? When something is bothering you, just talk to the person you're having problems with. She's your friend Dash. She'll understand." Scoot placed her hand on Rainbow's shoulder and Rainbow took it.

"Thanks Scoot. You're right. I'll talk to her tomorrow. You really are the best little sister I never had."

Scoot smiled. "Thanks big sister from another mister." She then gave Rainbow a big hug.

***************************************************************************************************

Rainbow took a deep breath and walked through the doors of the animal shelter. There was Fluttershy; going from pen to pen, talking to the animals, cleaning, feeding. She loved animals and was never in such joy and contentment as when she was caring for them. Her white tank top was now replaced with a white, lace topped cami and her green skirt was now a pair of skinny jeans. It was an outfit that showed off every curve of her body and one she never would have worn three months ago.

"Oh, hi Rainbow!" Fluttershy smiled and waved to her friend as soon as she saw her. "What brings you here?"

"Um, Fluttershy, can we talk?" Rainbow looked down and rubbed her left arm at the elbow.

Fluttershy could tell by her friends voice and posture that there was something deeply troubling her. "Sure, it's about time for my break anyhow. Let's go in back."

Rainbow followed Fluttershy to the break room in back. It was empty. Not many volunteered for a Saturday and today, it was only only Fluttershy here. They sat down at the lunch table and Fluttershy asked, " So what's going on?"

"At Rarity's party; why didn't you mention me?" Rainbow had been looking down at the table but ended her question looking Fluttershy straight in the eyes.

Fluttershy's mouth dropped opened a bit. "Excuse me?" she asked bluntly.

"I'm your oldest friend. I was there for you for the divorce, I've been after you for years to report your mother and get out. My family would have gladly taken you in. So why didn't you mention me?"

"Rainbow, your family's house isn't as big as Rarity's . . . ," Fluttershy started to say before Rainbow angrily interrupted her.

"Whoa! Is this about money? I'm not rich enough for you?"

"Ah, no. All I was going to say is that I would have felt more like a burden living with you than I do living with Rarity. That's all." Fluttershy was even more shocked that Rainbow would even suggest such a thing. She knew her better than that.

"Yeah right. So what is it then, huh? What? - I don't rate anymore? I don't . . ."

Fluttershy banged the table with her hands so hard, the noise made the animals squeal from out front. "Darn it Rainbow! Listen to yourself! For one, it was Rarity's party. We were honoring her. There were lots of people I didn't mention; Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Sunset Shimmer, Twilight, and you know what? - only YOU had a problem with it."

"But they're not . . ."

"'My oldest friend'? No. But, honestly, it's only because of that, that I still hang out with you! Rainbow, you've turned into an arrogant jerk! All you do is talk about how 'awesome' you are. Heck, you wrote a whole song about it! Who does that Rainbow? Who? At the sleep over we had at Pinkie's house, I saw you shut the game down when Applejack was about to beat you. It took being trapped under the stage with the Sirens about to take over the school before you'd even do one of my songs! I put up with it because you ARE my oldest friend. But it's getting old Rainbow! And I'm getting sick of dealing with it."

Rainbow wanted to yell, to fight back. She wanted to destroy Fluttershy; to make her feel miserable and to apologize for saying all those things. She wanted to make her cry. And that's how she knew Fluttershy was a 100% right with everything she had just said. Rainbow was a great athlete and guitar player; but that didn't give her the right to lord it over everyone else. In fact, it wasn't just sports and music she felt superior in, but she felt above everyone in everything.

She lowered her head in shame and said, "I'm sorry." It was all she could say. Rainbow felt broken inside. Fluttershy was the nicest person on the face of the planet. So for her to lose as she did and to say what she had said, it must have been all true. Rainbow had been jerk and let her friends down. She had let herself down.

Fluttershy got up and sat beside Rainbow. She put her arm around her shoulder. "Rainbow, you know I love you. I always will. And for the longest time I justified my abuse. It was only when I heard everything you had been saying come from Rarity, it was like getting a second opinion on a diagnosis. When she confirmed what you had been saying, I knew it must be true. And I really didn't want to be a burden on your family. But I know you always were and always will be there for me."

Rainbow hugged Fluttershy. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Tears were streaming down her cheeks.

"I know you are and all is forgiven," Fluttershy said in return.

************************************************************************************************

The next two weeks passed by in fairly quick order. Well once school let out for the summer, that is. Twilight and Sunset started their jobs. Pinkie and Sonata also got jobs as well (Maud's orders). Applejack and Apple Bloom went back to helping on the farm full time while Big Mack and Maud went on a short vacation to celebrate his graduating from High School. Rarity worked on her fashions, Fluttershy actually got a part-time, paid position at the animal shelter. And Rainbow left for soccer camp.

Rainbow got off the bus at Soccer Camp. She already missed her friends but was happy to see her other friends she had made here over the years. She looked around and saw Gilda waiting for her. She smiled and ran over to her.

"DASH! You old cow poker you; how have you been?" Gilda called out as she saw Rainbow running up to her.

Rainbow gave her a hug. "I'm good. Great in fact. I've been through a lot this year. More than you'd ever believe. I'll fill you in when . . ." Rainbow stopped dead when she saw a boy walking across the camp. He was tall, lean, muscular, with a blue Mohawk. "Who is that?" she asked breathlessly.

Gilda looked and shrugged. "Oh, him? That's Soarin. He started at my school last year. Great athlete, doesn't talk much."

"He's mine." Rainbow said flatly.

"I don't think so Dash. Girls have been hitting on him all year and he never responded to any of them."

"They weren't me," Rainbow said not taking her eyes off of Soarin.

Gilda shook her head. "He might have a girlfriend back at his old school."

"Doesn't matter. He's mine."

"Dash, he might be gay."

"You keep talking like any of that matters. He's perfect." Rainbow forced herself to turn away from watching Soarin to look at Gilda. "And he's going to be mine."

Summer Romance part 1

Soarin walked through the grounds of the soccer camp. He'd been going to his old camp for years. Most of his life actually. But this was his first time at this one. His family moved from Cloudsdale to Griffin Rock last year; which put out of the range of his old camp, so he had to go to this one. It was nice. And he was sure he'd like it. But despite his `hawk and punk rock persona; he was really shy at heart. Meeting new people, making friends was something he just didn't like, but down right detested. But he loved soccer, he loved sports in general and that required being part of a team, so meeting people was a necessary evil.

"Hey there! I'm Rainbow Dash."

Soarin spun around at the sound of a voice that was so full of life and confidence; that it carried an almost physical force. Behind him was a black girl, about sixteen or seventeen, with hair that was literally every color of the rainbow. She was smiling and was holding her hand out to shake. She was also very beautiful. She looked like a cross between Serena Williams and Beyoncé.

"Oh, hi. Your name matches your hair." What the heck was that? That's right butt-head; insult the pretty girl right away. Why even bother to wait to mess things up? Just take care of that up front, he thought to himself. Still, he shook her hand anyway. To his surprise she took it and never stopped smiling.

"Actually my hair matches my name. Takes forever to dye it; but it looks awesome when I do. Your `hawk is pretty rockin' as well."

Soarin pulled back his hand and rubbed the top of his head. "Thanks," he said awkwardly. "Mine's easier to do than yours. So where are you from?"

"Equestria. I've come here every year since I was five. That's how I met Gilda. She told me you went to her school."

"Yeah. I just started last year. I used to go Camp Wonderbolt for about as long as you've come here, but I'm too far away now."

"Wonderbolt! I hear that place is BRUTAL! You must be good to have gone there." Rainbow was legitimately impressed. Camp Wonderbolt only took the best of the best to start with and made them all a 100% better. That's where she always wanted to go but she lived too far away.

"I'm ok." Soarin shrugged. He hated up talking himself. He was good. Great in fact. He was in the top ten at the camp. But saying it; bragging about it, seemed unnecessary and almost vulgar to him. "You must be pretty good yourself. Coming here all those years; I mean."

Rainbow laughed. "Yeah, I got some moves."

The two looked at each other for a while and Soarin felt awkward. Say something idiot! He thought. "Um, not too many black people here." Soarin cringed as soon as the words left his mouth. He didn't even try to hide it. "Wow, that was really racist; wasn't it? I'm sorry. Feel free to slap me now."

Rainbow looked at him for a second, blinked, and then busted out laughing. "It's cool. No, there's not. It's ok. My parents are white, so I'm used to it." Soarin looked at her confused; which made her start giggling. "I'm adopted silly."

"Oh, oh, yeah, right. I'm stupid."

"No, you're cute." Rainbow's cheeks grew hot as soon as she it.

Soarin blushed. "Um, yeah, you too. So does that create any weirdness between you and your folks?'

"No. Why should it. I mean, sure, I know some people want to discover their 'roots' or 'true family'. But to me; my mom and dad ARE my true family. They changed my diapers, feed me, clothe me, love me, who could ask for anymore than that. I don't hold any grudges against my birth parents. For whatever reason, they couldn't take care of me; but I wound up with two of the best parents anywhere. I know some kids who were raised by their natural parents and they had a much harder life than I did. Family is about love, not biology.

"As for the 'black' thing; eh, I am who I am. I refuse to conform to any group just because of one thing, skin color, genitals, whatever; we have in common. I'm my own person. Take it or leave it."

Soarin smiled. "Right on. I'm half Mexican. No one believes me because of skin color and eye color. But what they don't realize is that not all Mexicans, heck not even all Latinos, have brown skin and brown eyes. There's white, Native American, black Latinos. Heck in most Latin countries, the whiter the skin, the higher the social rank. Racism is just as alive well there as here in the states. Probably more so at the top. At the bottom of the social ladder is where most of the race mixing takes place.

"But, yeah, people are people. We all came out of Africa. No matter where you live or when you got there, we're all African something. And I'm babbling aren't I?" Soarin looked down in embarrassment.

"Yeah, but it's cute," Rainbow said with a smile. "So, you want my number?"

"Huh? Oh! Uh, yeah. Sure."

They pulled out their phones and exchanged numbers. After they put their phones away; Soarin said, "Well I should get going now. But I'd like to see you again."

"Duh. Why'd you think I gave you my number for? Good luck trying not to see me again."

"Ok, wow, that was really stalkerish; but, cool! So I'll see you later." Soarin turned and started walking away. Every so often he'd look back at Rainbow until he was completely out of site.

************************************************************************************************

"Hey Soarin; where have you been?" Carnan asked. Carnan was the unofficial leader of their group. He was a blond haired, blued, rich kid who thought he owned the world. He wasn't a complete jerk; more like a benevolent dictator.

"I just met a girl who I think is both totally awesome but completely frightening," Soarin responded.

"Rainbow Dash," all the guys said at once.

"You all know her?" he asked.

Carnan laughed. "Everyone knows Rainbow Dash here. Forget the counselors and coaches; she's the real queen bee here. And deservedly so. Boy, girl, doesn't matter; Rainbow beats all."

"Oh." Soarin smiled. And I got her number, he gloated to himself.

"But don't think about anything," Kerry, a small, thin boy said. "She's a lesbian."

"A lesbian?" Soarin just plainly asked.

Carnan nodded. "Sorry bro, but she's a member of the carpet muncher crowd."

"Well, then maybe I should call her and see if could double sometime."

All the guys suddenly stood up with shocked expressions on their faces.

"You got her phone number?" Kerry asked in awe.

"Yeah. And she's the one who gave it to me. And then she asked for mine." Soarin had a big grin on his face. He was loving the looks on their faces. He knew they had stereotyped Rainbow based on her looks and personality. So seeing them now have their assumptions rammed up their backsides made him smile.

"Well gentlemen," Carnan said as he walked over to Soarin, "looks like we have a legend in the making among us. Let us rejoice and pray he has full success in his endeavors."

The rest of the cabin started to cheer and Soarin felt sick to his stomach. Something wasn't right here.

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"Well?" Gilda asked as she saw Rainbow come back. "How'd it go?"

Rainbow smiled. "I got his number," she sang. "Oh yes I did -id. I got his number and now he's mine-ine."

A faint smile crossed Gilda's lips. "Good Dash. I'm happy for you. Just, . . . he's with Caran's crew. Just be careful, ok?"

Rainbow didn't like the tone of Gilda's voice. Something was wrong. "Why? You know something I should?"

"No. Just, Carnan's had a crush on you for years. Entitled white boys don't take well to seeing something they see as theirs being taken by someone else. And Carnan has a reputation for not taking 'no' as an answer. Just be careful. Ok?"

Rainbow nodded.

Gilda started to walk away and stopped. She turned around and looked at Rainbow with both fear and sadness in her eyes. "Pack hunters. Remember that." She then started walking off again.

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Over the first four weeks; Rainbow and Soarin would text each other, sit together by themselves at lunch, and generally got to know each other. Sometimes they would watcher the other practice and play some games. Nothing that would ever be considered a date, but it was enough. Enough for Rainbow to discover that Soarin was a very sensitive guy. He had mainly choose his look to keep others away from him. But he also really did like punk music. He introduced Rainbow to The Ramones, The Misfits, The Exploited, Circle Jerks, Dead Kennedys, Black Flag, and Bad Brains. Rainbow loved it all and couldn't wait to get back to change where The Rainbooms were going musically.

She also kept close watch on Carnan.

She would catch him and his crew looking at her and Soarin every so often. She didn't like it. Neither did Soarin. He would tell her how uneasy it was being around him. He couldn't put his finger on it, but something was off. Rainbow pressed Gilda for more information but she would only give little, cryptic answers

********************************************************************************************************

"Well, Soarin, old buddy; what are you lookin' so good for?" Carnan asked in an overly friendly manner.

Soarin was, in fact, very nicely dressed. As nicely as possible at least. "I'm going out with Rainbow Dash tonight. We're going to take a walk through the woods. It's our first official date." Soarin said that in a passing manner. He really didn't want it to seem like a big deal.

"Hey guys; looks like our buddy here is going to become a man tonight," Carnan called out to the others in that still overly friendly manner.

"What are you talking about?" Soarin asked annoyed.

Carnan walked over and patted Soarin on the cheek. "Everyone knows you're not a man until you split a black oak."

Soarin punched Carnan straight in the face; knocking him down and causing blood to shoot out of his nose. Before he could say anything; the rest of the guys in the cabin were all over him. He fought back as best he could; but they over powered him and pinned him against the one wall. Carnan got up, walked over, and started punching Soarin in the gut.

"You want to mess with me? Huh you stupid spic? Oh, I mean half spic. You know, I was going to see if you just wanted to have us pull train on that little darkie of yours tonight; but now we're going to stomp you into the ground and take her for ourselves." Carnan stopped punching and held Soarin's head in his hands. "Or maybe we'll get warmed up with you here now."

"Not on my watch."

Everyone looked around and saw Rainbow Dash and Gilda standing in the doorway.

Carnan just smiled. "Look guys, the Zulu girls are here. Come to save your boyfriend here Dash? You think the two of you can handle all of us?"

Rainbow smiled back at Carnan. "Probably, but I won't have to. My girl here finally filled me in on what you and your boys were like. So we cam prepared. LADIES!"

Out of nowhere, at every window, girls started popping up and started walking through the door.

"You see, guys like you give boys a bad name," Rainbow started again. "And, frankly, us girls, we're not having it anymore. So we've come to put an end to it."

The rest of the boys looked around nervously; but Carnan just snickered. "You and your little daisies here think you can run with the big boys? Ok, bring it!"

And so they did.

******************************************************************************************************

"Ow. Ow," Soarin said as Rainbow applied peroxide to a cut above his eye.

The battle had taken about 15 minutes. Carnan and his crew had been reduced to a bloody mess. The laid on the floor, moaning and groaning in pain and humiliation. A few of the girls got busted up. Gilda had a tooth knocked out, but over all, they were in much better shape than their opponents.

"You couldn't have come in any earlier?" Soarin asked. "Mofo punched pretty hard."

"Dramatic timing," Rainbow said with a smile. "Besides, our plan worked didn't it?" Soarin just grunted and Rainbow gave him a kiss on the forehead. She then stood up and turned around. "Ok boys, you aint gonna say crap about crap, dig? If you do, the whole camp is gonna know you had your butts handed to you by a bunch of girls. So keep your mouths shut."

The boys just moaned in agreement.

"Alright ladies, thank you. You're all dismissed." All the girls started to leave as soon as Rainbow got done talking. Rainbow stopped Gilda on the way out. "Thanks again Gilda," she said.

Gilda smiled. " Thank you for making me do the right thing," she said. She then walked over to Carnan and gave him one last kick to the ribs. "That's for the fall dance butt hole!" she said and then walked out.

"I better walk you back to your cabin and then get one of the coaches," Soarin said.

"After you," Rainbow said with a smile.

Author's Note

I decided to make Rainbow Dash and Gilda black because I felt the EQG world was too white. I'll explain. Although never stated, in FIM, it is suggested Native Americans are buffalo, Africans are zebras, and Asians are yaks. So that would also seem to imply that the ponies are white. No you could argue that point. And rightly so. In the end, the ponies are, well candy colored horse like creatures and not people.
But, when you get to the EQG world and look at facial features, hair styles, it's pretty hard not to assume all the characters are of Caucasian descent (despite being just as candy colored). I felt that was unfortunate since little girls, heck people, of all races like the show and should feel represented.

I was going to make Soarin black at first. But that didn't sit well since he was a secondary character and I wanted one of the main characters to be black. So I chose Rainbow Dash. You could argue that was a bit stereotypical choice, and I'll take that criticism. But Rainbow is still one of the most popular characters and is a role modal for any girl who's a tomboy. So I think the choice stands as a good one.

Summer Romance Part 2

While none of the administration actually believed the story that Carnan and his gang beat each other up, it was the story that everyone was sticking to; so they had to go with it. they were all sent to the hospital and then home. Only Soarin remained since (according to him, Rainbow Dash, and some other witnesses) he had been out when the melee occurred. Having no where else to put him, he got the whole cabin to himself. Life sometimes worked out.

Sometimes.

He was under tight watch for a while; but eventually that slacked off when it got to the last two weeks of camp. He and Rainbow continued to see each other. At first it was just stolen moments here and there. Then when the heat backed off, they began seeing each other in earnest. And with that nice cabin all to himself, they could have some pretty memorable dates. The two were experiencing almost grown-up levels of dating with the freedom they had. But, as they say, all good things must come to an end.

The night before their last, the two decided to walk down to the lake and look at the stars. Of course they weren't allowed out in the woods after dark, but by this time, even the staff was ready to leave and everything got slack. So Soarin and Rainbow went down to the lake as they had planed and looked up at the sky; not saying a word.

It is in such places, at such times, that both the limitless possibilities and the great limitations of life became clear. Here they were, looking up at stars, stars who's light had been traveling millions, maybe billions of light years to reach them. Stars from great and far away places. Stars that might have planets that were the home of unimaginable and countless life forms. Life forms that they'd never see because the distances were too great, their science too primitive, and their lives too short. Endless possibilities, limited resources; that was life.

And such thoughts were appropriate on a night like tonight. Soarin and Rainbow lived over a hundred of miles apart. When they left here, they would barely see each other. Even in todays age of social media and cell phones, not being there, physically, was a hard burden to bare. Each knew they would have to decide on something; they just didn't know what.

Rainbow reached out and touched Soarin's arm. "Beautiful, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Soarin said with a sad sigh.

Rainbow turned her head to look at him. "What's wrong?"

"This is our last night together and it sucks. I like you a lot Rainbow. In fact I'd say I'm on the verge of loving you. But I don't want a long distance romance."

Rainbow furrowed her brow. "Well, why not? I mean we got facebook, twitter, Instagram, text, and skype. We could still see each other every day."

"And could I hold your hand? Kiss you? Sit beside you and just feel your presence? All those things are great, but their also a reminder of everything we couldn't do. Long distance relationships almost never work because eventually one person or both decides they want or need more than screen time. It wouldn't be fair to either of us to even try." Soarin then felt Rainbow's fist come crashing down on his chest. He yelled in pain.

"So what was fair about this? You knew you didn't want a LDR, so why even bother having this in the first place? 'Oh I'll go out with her, cause her to have feelings, then at the end say, well that was fun, bye'. That's bull Soarin; and you know it!" Rainbow was furious and on the verge of tears. She never opened herself like this to a guy before. She always kept her emotions in check; but this was too much. She felt angry and betrayed.

Soarin stood up and looked down at her. "And if I told you how I felt, would it have made any difference? You chased me Rainbow."

Rainbow jumped up. "Don't play those games with me Soarin! And yes; it might have. At least it would have given me a choice! I . . . I care for you. I opened myself up to you. I thought if we hit it off, we could be something. And, yes, maybe if I had known your feelings from the start, I would have still gone ahead; but at least I would have done so knowing what I was getting myself into!"

"Dash, Rainbow, I'm not saying good-bye. I'm just saying I want to be friends. And not because that's all I want, but because, in the end, that's all I know we'll end up being. I'm sorry. And, I guess I should have told you earlier; but by the time it had become necessary, it was already too late. I didn't know things would go like they did or we'd develop the feelings we have. I thought it would have been arrogant to say I didn't want a long distance relationship right up front."

"It would have made you honest." Tears rolled down Rainbows face. "Just go. I'm done."

"I'm not leaving you out here alone," Soarin said softly.

"You already left me. All you are now is a warm body standing beside me." Rainbow turned, crossed her arms, and looked out over the lake.

"Then I'll be that warm body. But you can't be here by yourself."

The two stood there in silence; looking over the lake, under the stars, in a universe of endless possibilities and limit resources.

***************************************************************************************************************

Rainbow looked out the bus window all the way home. She didn't talk to anyone, didn't want to even occupy the same space as the others. She wanted to be alone physically as she felt emotionally. She took her phone out of her bag and decided to watch some You Tube. Maybe she could find some shining example of human creativity (or at least stupidity), to take her mind off things. She turned on the screen and saw she had a message from Soarin. She wanted to delete it, but couldn't. She opened it up and read it.

Dear Rainbow, I don't want to lose you. Life is better with you in it. Please don't shut me out of yours. I'm sorry.

I was a jerk. But please let's be friends at least. Love (and I do) Soarin.

Rainbow wiped a tear from her eye and responded "Ok". In what seemed like a second he replied back with "thank you". Rainbow smiled. This isn't what she wanted. This wasn't what she had hoped for. But then, what had she hoped for? What does anyone hope for when they pursue another person? Is it a short term romance? - friendship? - sex? - marriage? She had never thought it through. But does anybody? What did Pinkie and Sonata want from each other? What did Flash and Twilight want? Should anyone want anything other than to see what happens? Maybe that was the problem? Maybe everyone was expecting too much or too little? What right did they have to expect anything? Rainbow decided she wouldn't expect anything from Soarin. She would just do her best to keep him in her life somehow.

The bus pulled up to the school and there were her parents, Sunset, Twilight and Flash, Fluttershy, Rarity, Pinkie and Sonata, Scootaloo, and Applejack. Rainbow smiled at seeing them all. They loved her and she loved them. She looked down at her phone again. One new message; "I'm missing you more than you know, Soarin".

"Maybe. But not as much as I miss you," she whispered to herself. She then packed her phone away and got off the bus to the love, cheers, and hugs of her friends and family.

Author's Note

Pretty much the song I listened to for inspiration while writing this chapter. Love is messy, hearts break, especially at that age. Originally it was going to be a lot sadder; but I decided to lighten it up a little bit (especially since a majorly depressing chapter is coming up really soon). Anyway, since Monday is a holiday, I'll do an extra chapter tomorrow night. I'm still trying to wrap this up before Friendship Games.

You Can't Judge Love Part 1

"Thanks for picking me up again Ms. Luna," Sonata said as she got into Luna's car. Usually Maud took care of driving her and Pinkie back and forth to work. But Maud got called to cover another girl's shift at Denny's today; so Sonata had to call Luna to pick her up.

"It's not a problem dear. You know I'm always here for you." Luna's feelings for Sonata had grown over the months since she first found her wondering the streets after the Battle. In fact, she now considered Sonata as a daughter. She realized that it might be just transference for the child she had given up for adoption; but she felt it none the less. Considering Sonata was old enough to her great seventy times over grandmother; it was a bit ridiculous.

"I know. I just never want you to think I take you for granted." Sonata put her seat belt on and smiled at Luna. "And would you mind picking Pinkie up as well?"

Luna frowned a little. "When does she get off?"

"Four thirty," Sonata said sheepishly.

"Sonata. That's an hour away yet." Now Luna was getting annoyed.

"I'm sorry, but Sunset Shimmer is working tonight as well so she can't do it and Flash and Twilight are with his parents on a camping trip. And no body else drives. Please Looney Luna?"

"Looney Luna" was Sonata's pet name for Luna. She had just come up with it one day they were talking in the halls at school. Luna liked and never asked Sonata to stop. She didn't use it often, just every so often. It was like their secret code word. Luna sighed. "Ok. I guess it gives us time to hang out as well."

Sonata smiled. "Thank you! Just take me home so I can change out of this uniform and we can get something to eat. My treat. I'm a working girl now!"

Sonata and Pinkie had to both get jobs. Maud said she couldn't afford to keep both of them; especially if their father found out about them and cut off his financial support. So Pinkie got a job at the Cake's bakery and Sonata got a job at Taco Bell. It was an ok job. It did kill her love of tacos a bit. At least for Taco Bell tacos (which she now only considered to be marginally food). The people she worked with weren't too bad. The customers could be really bad. Some acted as though the whole purpose of the staffs existence was for them to unload all their life's frustrations on. Like you were the reason they were 40 years old, in a miserable job, flat broke, and never achieved any of their dreams. But others were really nice as well. Boys (and some men) would hit on her sometimes. She'd do her best to just play it off without being rude.

What she did like, what made it not just tolerable, but enjoyable; was the normalcy of it. She thought back over her long life. She thought about all she had seen and done. It was anything but normal. But that was fine. That was what it had to be for who she had been at the time. Now she was normal. Just another person, another human. She was born, she was living, and she would eventually die. Working a job, earning a paycheck, made her feel like she belonged in this normal world. No longer was she a creature standing outside of humanity, watching it, preying on it; but actually part of it. Just one of the gang.

Luna pulled up to Sonata's house. "Alright, I'll wait for you here," Luna said.

"Oh, please come in," Sonata weakly begged. "It's no big deal. Maud wouldn't mind. Even if she would, she's not here. Pretty please with sugar on top?"

Luna gave a half smile. "Ok. I'll come in. Just don't take too long."

************************************************************************************************************

"Well, that didn't take long," Luna said as Sonata came down the stairs. It had taken Sonata about fifteen minutes to get to her room and change.

"Usually I get a shower to get the imitation Mexican food smell off me; but I knew you were waiting."

"Thanks. So where do you want to go?"

"Well, we can just stay here if you want. I can make us sandwiches. We have iced tea in the fridge, if you want something to drink. Oh and chocolate milk of course. Can't forget that."

"I'll take a turkey sandwich if you have any."

"Sure. Turkey on rye with swiss, lettuce, spinach, onions, and pepper relish. How's that?"

"Sounds delicious. Thank you."

Sonata went to the kitchen and started making their meal. She made them each a turkey sandwich, got some BBQ flavored chips, and a glass of tea for Luna and chocolate milk for her. She brought Luna's in first and gave it to her, then she went back, got her own, and went to the living room and sat down.

"So, how are you and Pinkie doing? Everything still ok?"

"Oh yeah! Absolutely! " Sonata said with pure joy.

"That's good." Luna got quiet for a second and then asked, "So, how did you two 'hook-up' anyhow? I was always curious about that. I mean, I don't want to sound homophobic or anything; but it did all happen so fast. I am curious. And sorry if this offends you. It's not my intention."

Sonata took a drink of milk and shrugged. "No, not at all. Um, I don't know. It's as simple as that. I mean, up until Pinkie, I never really thought that way about anyone. - male, female, human, or pony. I remember when Sunset said Adagio tried to put the moves on her; I was shocked. So it's not like I ever considered I was lesbian. I just considered myself asexual.

"But, you know how when you meet someone, and you just 'click'? That's how it was for us. I never had to ask how or what she was thinking, I just knew. And she knew me. And even then, there was not sexual attraction between us. Well none that we noticed at least. It just got to the point where we were so in sync, that we just enjoyed being around each other so much, that the hugs became warmer and longer, and when I would have a nightmare and she'd come into my bed room and lay beside me; just feeling her there, her warmth, hearing her breath, it came to mean to be something I wanted all the time.

"Now the first time we had sex . . . "

"Darlin', darlin', darlin'," Luna said, holding her right hand up in a "stop" position and rubbing her face with left, "I don't need to know any of that. I got what I wanted to know. Somethings we keep to ourselves."

Sonata blushed. "Oh, sorry. You'd think after a thousand years I'd have human social norms down by now. Sorry."

"It's . . . ok. I'm just glad you're happy."

"Ms. Luna, may I ask you something?" Sonata looked down as she asked the question. Her voice was soft and hesitant.

"Sure honey, you know you can ask me anything." Luna was now concerned. Sonata seemed almost scared. She wondered what was wrong.

"I know you can't do it now, not 'till after I graduate, but, and I've looked into this, would you mind adopting me?" Luna's eyes bulged out and her mouth dropped open. Seeing this; Sonata continued in a fast pace. "I know it's weird and I understand if you didn't and I'm probably weird for asking; but you took me in and set me up and we've spent so much time together and had so many talks and I was never that close to my own mother and I was . . . "

"Yes."

"What." Now it was Sonata's turn to be shocked. Luna's yes was quiet but plain. She had said yes. No thinking it over, no maybe which really meant no, but a straight, simple, yes.

"Yes. I said yes. I've . . . I've grown rather found of you Sonata. There are many reasons for that. Not the least of which I never got to raise my own child; but yes. I would love to call you daughter."

"For realzies?"

Luna smiled and simply said, "For realizes Sonata."

Sonata got up, ran over to Luna, and gave her a huge hug. "Thank you, thank you, thank you Luna!"

"Ah, ah, ah, "Luna said as she pulled away. "Mom now."

Tears ran down Sonatas cheek. "Thank you Mom."

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"Sonapie!" Pinkie yelled as she walked out the front door of the bakery and saw Sonata sitting in the front seat of Luna's car.

"Pinata!" Sonata yelled backed.

Pinkie crawled in the back seat. Sitting on the back seat was a bag of beach supplies. "Oh, what's this?" Pinkie asked.

"Well I thought Mom could drop us off at the beach to build sandcastles if you wanted."

Pinkie looked from Sonata to Luna and then back. A big smile came across her face. "You asked her? Oh Sonapie; I'm so proud of you!" Pinkie leaned forward and gave Sonata a big kiss.

"Hey now Ms. Pie. That's my daughter you're kissing there," Luna said in faux outrage.

"Sorry," Pinkie giggled. "I assure you my intentions are pure and noble. At least until we get home tonight."

"Ok, ok. Enough of that. So, off to the beach?" Luna said.

"Absotootly!" Pinkie said. "I'll text Maud where she can pick us up at."

"Alright then. Off we go." Luna then drove off.

Author's Note

These next parts are going to deal with the Pies; Pinkie, Maud, and their family. Their family will come to visit, Pinkie will have to move back into her old room, they'll have to try and explain who Sonata is and their family will want to meet Big Mac. The culmination will be a Pie/ Apple get together which will end in a glorious, funny, and hopefully heart warming disaster.

Timeline wise, this takes place at the same time as the events in "Summer Romance". So it's kind of a back step. I could have spliced the two stories together, but I felt it was better to give each girl center stage.

After that, I'm not sure if I'm going to another regular chapter or the super sad one. Right now, I'm leaning super sad. Once those two sections are done; that'll wrap up Act 2 and it'll be on to the third and final act. So please stay tuned.

You Can't Judge Love Part 2

"So, is that everything?" Maud asked in her usual dead pan.

Pinkie and Sonata took one last look around Sonata's room and nodded their heads. The two looked absolutely crest fallen. It was July sixth. Maud and Pinkie's parents would be coming in for a visit tomorrow. The stated purpose was to celebrate Pinkie's sixteenth birthday. The real reason was to check up on the girls to see if they were living by their standards. So to get ready; Maud, Pinkie, Sonata, and Big Mac moved all of Pinkie's stuff from Sonata's room and back to Pinkie's. Big Mac even repaired the door and jam Sunset had broken (materials paid for by Sunset of course).

"Why do you two look so sad? You'll only be down the hall from each other," Maud asked.

"AND IT WILL BE HORRIBLE!" both girls shouted, hugged each other, and started crying.

Maud looked at Big Mac who just shrugged. "Thank you for helping," Maud said to Big Mac and gave him a small, one armed hug; her face never showing any emotion. Big Mac whispered something in her ear and Maud shook her head no. Big Mac nodded in acknowledgement.

Big Mac turned to Pinkie and Sonata, waved, and simply said, "Bye." He then left.

Maud looked back at her sister and her girlfriend. "Listen; this is only going to be for two weeks. Two miserable, overbearing, religion filled weeks. After that we can go back to life as normal. I graduate next year so we only need to keep this up for one more year. Pull yourselves together until then and all will be well."

Pinkie and Sonata sniffled and nodded that they understood.

*******************************************************************************************************************

"There you are Daisy! I've been looking all over for you." Sonata was walking up a grassy hill. The sky was a nearly cloudless bright blue canopy. The sun shone high and beamed it's light all over. At top was Daisy, Sonata's pony self.

"Sonata!" Daisy called and started running over to her. Daisy suddenly stopped and shrieked.

Sonata looked around and saw her demon self. She looked back to Daisy who was now being chased by her Siren self.

Daisy yelled, "Sonata, what do I do?"

Her demon self whispered in her ear, "Yes Sonata; what does she do?"

Sonata was panicked, on the verge of tears when she closed her eyes. "Daisy, stop running!" she called out.

"What? I can't! It'll eat me."

Sonata took a deep breath and yelled back, "No it won't. It is you. Daisy; me, her," she pointed to her demon self with her thumb, "that, they're, we're all you. And you are all of us. It can't hurt you."

Daisy stopped and looked at the Siren. It came barreling down on her; mouth agape, fangs bared, and claws out stretched. Closer, closer it came until there was a blinding white light that engulfed everything, then utter blackness. Sonata heard Luna's voice say, "It's only when we embrace our past, no matter how painful; can we move into the future."

Sonata opened her eyes and realized it had all been a dream. She turned her light on and went over to her mirror. She looked at herself, her reflection for about a minute and then said to herself, "I am Daisy Sonata Dusk - innocent pony, cruel Siren, demon, and human. I am all of these and I will be more before I am dead. My past is done, my future yet to be written, and I will choose who I am today." She then leaned forward, kissed her reflection, and went back to bed. The nightmares, which plagued her for so long, we done.

******************************************************************************************************************

Maud and Pinkie's parents showed up right on time at 7am. Sonata was surprised by how they looked. Their father and mother seemed way to old to have children even Maud's age, let alone Pinkie or her younger siblings. They were all plainly dressed, the father looked like he had a perpetual scowl on his face. Bald on top, with a grey beard but no mustache, he was tall, thin, and somewhat imposing. His wife was much shorter, grey, a bit pudgy, and had a face wrinkled by worry and hard work. The young ones looked a lot like Pinkie. And while silent; they had that same devilish gleam in their eyes like Pinkie.

"Mother, Father," Maud simply said.

"Maud," her father replied in a much too stern manner.

"HI mom, hi dad," Pinkie said with actual affection. She didn't get along with her parents, but she loved them none the less.

"Diane." Pinkie's father then looked at Sonata. "Who's she?" he asked in a demanding tone.

"She's my friend. She lost her family so Maud and I took her in. She works at Taco Bell and helps pay the bills," Pinkie said happily.

"I pay the bills around here. Do not forget that," Pinkie's father reprimanded her. "So what's your name girl?" he asked Sonata.

"Daisy. Daisy Dusk. But you can call me Sonata." Sonata extended her hand for a shake.

Pinkie's father just looked at Sonata's hand then back to her. "I will call you by your Christian name Ms. Dusk."

Sonata withdrew her hand and looked down at the floor.

"While the Bible teaches us to look after our neighbors, I am not running a flop house here. As soon as you get on your feet you must move out."

Sonata nodded.

"Good. I am Igneous Rock Pie. This is my wife, Cloudy Quartz Pie." Mrs. Pie step forward and did a small bow. "And these are my other two children - Marble and Limestone Pie."

"Nice to meet you," both girls said.

"Now, since this house is only three bedrooms; My wife and I will take the spare bedroom. Diane, you'll share your room with your younger sisters. Ms. Dusk, you'll be sleeping on the couch. I will give you a few minutes to move your things out of the bedroom while we unpack." With that, Igneous turned around and walked out; the others following close behind.

Sonata looked over at Pinkie who simply said, "I'm sorry."

***********************************************************************************************************

The next couple of days were almost unbearable. Igneous was less like a father and more like a cross between a preacher and overseer. Not since she, Adagio, and Aria had to take shelter in that nunnery back 1282; had Sonata met anyone so dour or heard so much about the Bible. In fact, he was worse in that regard since most of the nuns had taken vows of silence.

Several times Sonata thought about leaving. She even called Luna once and asked if she could stay with her. Luna said it wouldn't be proper and to give Pinkie's father a chance. If things didn't get any better by the second week, then Sonata could stay with her. So Sonata tried her best to put up with Igneous.

On Tuesday, it was Pinkie's birthday, the reason her parents came to visit. The family did nothing to celebrate it. Sonata even asked if they were going to have a party and Igneous told her that birthday parties were sinful because they elevated the self and not God. By that point, Sonata could actually believe what she was hearing. She was really beginning to hate this man.

Thursday, while they were eating supper, Maud spoke. "I have a boyfriend now." It was her same non emotional, almost robotic tone.

"And you are just now telling me this?" Igneous asked annoyed. "How long, who is he, is he Christian, and when can I meet him?"

"His name is Macintosh Apple. We started dating a couple months ago. As far as I know he is. This weekend. He's having a dinner in our honor at his farm."

"Farm boy eh. Good solid country stock. While I wish you would have told me earlier Maud, I look forward to meeting him on, Saturday?"

"Yes. Two o' clock."

Igneous nodded. Then he looked at Pinkie. "Well Diane? Do you have a suitor as well?"

Pinkie dropped her fork and Maud started coughing. "No sir. I don't have a boyfriend. Don't want one either." It was as honest as she could get.

"Good. Keep your mind on the Lord and your studies. Plenty of time for that later," Igneous said in a pleased manner.

Sonata gave Pinkie a quick kick under the table and Pinkie returned the favor.

"Diane, Ms. Dusk; what are you two smiling about?" Igneous asked sternly.

The two looked at each other then at Igneous. "Nothing," they both said at the same time.

*********************************************************************************************************

"Is everyone ready?" Igneous asked.

The entire family was in the living room. They were gathered to go to Sweet Apple Acres and meet Big Macs family. Even though Maud said it wasn't necessary, Igneous made everyone dress in their best clothes. When meeting his daughter's suitor and his family, one must always look their best. So everyone put on their church clothes (or as close as Maud, Pinkie, and Sonata could come since they didn't go to church) and were now waiting to leave.

"Ok then. Everyone to the car." Igneous watched as his family passed by him for a final inspection. He stopped Sonata when she got to him. "Ms. Dusk, this is a family affair. You are to stay here."

Sonata looked at Pinkie who was about to say something when Maud grabbed her arm. Pinkie looked at Maud then Sonata. Sonata saw the pain on Pinkie's face. She decided it was best for her to stay behind. She gave Pinkie one last smile before turning around and sitting on the couch. She watched as everyone left. She then went to the window and watched as they drove off. For the first time in almost fourteen hundred years, she was alone.

You Can't Judge Love Part 3

"Welcome to Sweet Apple Acres!" Granny Smith said as the Pie family made their way up to the house.

"Hello. I am Igneous Pie. This is my wife Cloudy, my daughters Marble and Limestone, and I believe you already know my two oldest." There was no warmth in Igneous' words. He spoke in a simple, matter of fact way.

"Sure have," Granny Smith said in a cheerful, upbeat voice. "Haven't seen too much of Maud. But Pinkie here . . ."

"Diane," Igneous corrected.

Granny looked at him in surprise. "Um, sure, 'Diane'. She's over here almost all the time. Her and my granddaughter have a band together. They practice in the barn over there."

Igneous spun around and glared at Pinkie. "Is this true Diane? You never mentioned being in a band. Praise and worship I assume?"

"He he. Um, well . . .," before Pinkie could finish she was interrupted by Big Mac.

"Howdy sir. I'm Macintosh. Nice to meet you." Big Mac extended his hand and Igneous shook it. "You can call me Big Mac. Everyone else does."

"Nice to meet you as well Macintosh. May we come in?"

Big Mac looked back at Granny who just shrugged. Both were having a hard time getting a line on Igneous. At least a positive one.

"Follow me," Granny said and led them inside.

In the dining room, Apple Bloom was setting the plates and silverware on the table while AJ brought the food out.

"These are my other two grand babies. Apple Bloom here is setting the table and Applejack is brining the food out," Granny said. "Now sit down and take a load off."

"Thank you very much Ms. Apple." Igneous looked around a bit confused. "Ms. Apple, where are kids' parents at?"

Granny stopped and bit her lip. "They've done passed on."

"I am sorry to hear that. But they are with the Lord now."

Granny looked at him for a second and just replied, "Ah, yes. Anyway, I couldn't ask for three better grand children. They've all stepped up around here; especially Big Mac." Big Mac just blushed.

Everyone sat down at the table. Pinkie and her family on one side, AJ, Apple Bloom, Big Mac on the other, with Granny Smith at the head.

"Well, enjoy everyone. We've all been working hard on this here dinner. Most everything comes from our farm here. Apples is our business, but we also like to grow our own food as well. Nothing's better than fresh, home grown, home made food. Eat," Granny said full of pride.

"Ms. Apple, aren't we going to say grace first?" asked Igneous somewhat troubled. To him prayer was the first thing you did at a meal. It was automatic. The fact that Granny would talk and tell everyone to eat before the prayer made him nervous.

Granny looked at him surprised again. She was starting to get annoyed by this man; but for the sake of Big Mac and Maud, she would make do. "Ah yes. Sure. Mr. Pie, will you do us the honor?"

"Everyone bow your head. Dear Lord, we come to you humble today; knowing you are the great provider of all our needs. We thank you for this food we are about to receive. We thank you for our lives, family, and all our blessings. And we are thankful for the grace given to us through the death, burial and resurrection of your son, Christ Jesus; without whom we would all be lost sinners on our way to hell. To you be all the glory forever. Amen. Now we may eat."

The Apples gave a quick look to Granny that said, who is this guy and what do we do? Granny just gave her best fake smile and said, "Well, thank you Mr. Pie. That was right lovely. Now as he said, dig in."

Everyone started loading their plates. There was ham loaf, mashed potatoes with pepper gravy, candied yams, green beans, corn on the cob, and fresh from the oven bread. They all started eating and were instantly impressed.

"Ms. Apple, everything is delicious," Cloudy said. "I especially like the beans. May I please have the recipe?"

"Sure honey. See me before you leave and I'll write it down. You may want to wait until the desserts. I'm sure you find a few more recipe's you'll be wanting to take along." Granny was now smiling. She loved it when people complimented her food. The sharing of food is one of the most loving things you can do in this world. To see it appreciated made her feel great inside.

"We're not really dessert people Ms. Apple. We indulge occasionally, but it's not something we have in everyday life," Igneous said and gave his wife a somewhat disapproving look.

Granny swallowed hard. This man was starting to work her last nerve. But she knew she had to be nice. "As you wish."

Igneous looked at Big Mac. "So Macintosh, how did you and Maud meet?"

"Well, she saw me while she was dropping Pinkie and Sonata off at school one day and asked me out." He gave Maud a quick smile but her face showed no expression.

"Oh, she asked you out?" Igneous looked over at Maud in surprise.

"I thought he was cute," Maud said emotionlessly.

Igneous cleared his throat. "Yes, well, so what do you do? Are you in school?"

"Nope. I graduate high school this year and I don't plan on going to college. This farm is ours. We used to own another back in South Carolina, but sold that and moved out here to run just this one. But this is our family business, Granny's getting older now and needs to retire . . ."

"Oh hush now child. I'm old but I'm not dead. I can still manage," Granny said with false indignation.

"Now Granny, you're still going strong for an eighty year old, but you're still eighty. You've done your part; it's time to rest now," Big Mac replied. "Anyways, with Ma and Pa being gone, it's up to me to step up and take over."

Igneous was very pleased with Big mac's answer. "Very noble of you son. I like your work ethic and you deciding to help carry on the family business. I own a mining company. I want Maud to join and someday take it over, but she just doesn't want to." When he finished it was impossible for anyone not to hear the disgust in his voice at Maud not joining the family business. He then turned back to Big Mac. "But don't you think taking a business course would help you out?"

"Granny's been filling me in on all that. She showed me all the paper work needed, taxes, how to hire, gover'ment regulations. She prepared me pretty well. And I've met all our partners, store owners, food processors, distributers, I have a good working relationship with all of them. I think I'll be good. And it'll take pressure of AJ so she can go to college."

"I told you, I aint going to no college," AJ said in annoyance. Her plan was to get through high school and join the farm just as Big Mac had done.

"Now sis, we've already talked about this; you and Apple Bloom are going to college, whether you like it or not. You need a proper education. I can run this farm. You two might want something different. If you decide to come back, fine; but you still need to go just to see what's out there."

"Oh I need to go but you don't? How come you get to decide but I don't?" AJ was legitimately mad at this point. She felt her brother had no right to force her or tell her what to do. He was her big brother, not her dad.

"Children please," Granny interrupted. "Not at the dinner table and not in front of guests."

"Sorry Granny," they both said.

"Well I am very pleased with your dedication to family Macintosh; but did you say you just graduated from high school?" Igneous was concerned.

"Yup."

"So how old are you?"

"Eighteen. I'll be nine teen in October."

Igneous looked at Maud. "You do realize you're four years older than he is?"

Maud just looked at her father. "I do have an understanding of basic math," she said and went back to eating.

Igneous felt like yelling at Maud but kept his composure. "Well, with God, all things are possible. You do come across as a very nice young man with a good head on his shoulders. I admire how family oriented you are. You have my approval to date Maud."

Big Mac looked at Maud, not knowing what to say. Was her dad being serious? They were both adults; needing parental approval seemed not just old fashioned but insulting. He turned back to Igneous and simply said, "Thanks."

Igneous smiled. "In fact, I would hope all my daughters would meet a boy just like you."

"But Pinkie's a lesbian," Apple Bloom said confused.

Everyone stopped eating. Pinkie's eyes bulged out of her head and her face grew deathly pale. Even Maud's face registered a slight emotional response. AJ kicked her sister under the table.

"OUCH! Whatch ya do that for Applejack?"

Igneous spoke very slowly, doing all he could to hold back his anger. "Little girl, do you know what that word means?"

"Sure, OUCH! Applejack! Stop it!" Apple Bloom didn't know why her sister kept kicking her, but she was getting sick of it. She then turned back to Pinkie's dad. " A lesbian is a girl who loves other girls. That's Pinkie. She's dating Sonata. In fact they've been going out longer than Big Mac and Maud."

Igneous slowly turned to Pinkie who just sat frozen. "Diane Pinkimenia Pie, is this true?" he asked in a smoldering rage.

Pinkie said nothing for a while. What was she going to do? She was terrified of her father. Terrified of him yelling at her. Terrified of him cutting off support to her and Maud. Terrified of being cut off from the rest of her family. Then she thought about Sonata. She thought about the old board games they played, playing catch and hide and seek, watching cartoons together, the weird games like reverse charades they had made up, building sound castles on the beach. She thought about Sonata's smile, the glow in her eyes when she was happy, how it felt to hug her, kiss her, the comfort of falling asleep beside her. She thought about love.

"DIANE! IS THIS TRUE!" Igneous demanded.

Pinkie turned to her dad with a smile still on her face. "Yes, it is. I love and am in a relationship with Sonata."

All of Pinkie's family gasped. Igneous stood up, his face a deep, bright crimson. "How dare YOU! YOU HAVE BETRAYED GOD, US, EVERYTHING WE STAND FOR! Homosexuality is an abomination unto the Lord! You have given your soul over to Satan to burn in the fires of Hell forever! You and that harlot. And to think we stayed in the same house as you, your young sisters, sleeping under the same roof with you and that degenerate."

"Well Dad," Pinkie said standing up. Anger now boiled inside of her. It replaced all the fear she had and now she was ready for war. "I hate to say this, but the bed you and Mom have been sleeping used to be our bed. Don't worry though, we cleaned the sheets for ya."

Igneous shook in rage. He wanted to grab a hold of his daughter, to strike her across the face for being so vulgar. "You," he said in a low, rumbling voice that made the others' blood run cold. "You dare speak TO ME LIKE THAT! To speak so vile in front of your mother and sisters; TO SPEAK THAT WAY IN FRONT OF ME! You have become a demon possessed degenerate! Unnatural, UNCLEAN!"

"Maybe your just confused honey," Cloudy spoke up. She hated to see her family fight and was looking for any way to defuse the situation. "Maybe you're just really good friends?"

"Mom; AJ and I are really good friends. I know what really good friends are. And you don't burry your head in the nether regions of your good friends!" She addressed her statement to her mother but looked at her father the whole time.

"THAT'S IT! YOU ARE MOVING HOME WITH US!" Igneous yelled.

"No I'm not! I am not 'demon possessed' or unnatural or unclean or any of that stuff. I am a human being who's in love with another human being who loves me! Who are you or your God to judge me? He made me, according to you. But not in His image. If God's a man, then I can never be in God's image as a female. But forget just that, He made me, as I am. How can He make me and then say I'm a sinner and going to Hell? Especially if He is perfect and loves me?"

"You are blinded by the enemy. Your mind has been tainted. You're coming back home with me and getting your mind set straight and that is it!"

"Oh shut up you Bible quoting fool!" Everyone turned around and looked at Granny Smith who had just yelled that at Igneous. "I had my fill of Bible thumpers when I was a little girl, now shut the hell up."

"How d . . ." Igneous started but Granny cut him off.

"My house, my rules." She then got up. "Back when I was in my twenties, I fell in love with a wonderful, handsome, black man. Jacob was his name. My god was he perfect. I wanted to marry him. But my family was dead set against. Even had all the Bible verses lined up to prove whites and blacks mixing was against God's will. Now I was lucky, I did meet another man, their Grandfather, who I loved as much. But that was LUCK! And now, here you are, doing to this sweet girl what my folks did to me. Well I aint havin' it! Come in my house, acting a fool. I know those girls, love `em as my own, and they love each other. Half the world would be lucky to find a relationship like they have. All the gall dern hate, a lot of it generated by that darn book you've been talkin' about, in the world, we should cherish love where ever we find it; not lookin' for a way to stomp it out of existence!"

"That's it! We're leaving, all of us. Cloudy, Limestone, Marble, Diane, M . . . where's Maud?"

Everyone stopped and looked around. Maud and Big Mac were gone. The two had slipped away during the argument. Now no one knew where they were. Everyone was questioning everyone else when Apple Bloom said she heard a noise. It was the soft sound of something moving upstairs. Everyone left the table and went upstairs to see the source of the sound.

They walked the upstairs hall, listening. The closer they got to Big Mac's bedroom, the louder it got. Just before they got to his door it stopped. Curious, Granny went up and opened the door. They all gasped when they saw Big Mac and Maud laying in his bed, naked, together, covered in sweat.

It's ok," Maud said in her dead pan, "We're done. Oh and his nick name; 'Big Mac' is highly appropriate."

"Yup." Big Mac just said.

AJ slapped her forehead and said, "Oh lord!"

Granny laughed and Apple Bloom looked confused and said, "I don't get it."

"You better not!" said AJ.

"I, I can't believe this. I have one daughter who's a reprobate and another who's a whore. No, you're both coming home now!" Igneous said.

"Why? Down stairs you was fussin' your one daughter didn't like boys, well this one clearly does!" Granny couldn't help but laugh as she finished. "As long as they're being safe, just let the young ones be."

"It doesn't really matter, I'm already pregnant," Maud said in a matter of fact tone.

Once again everyone gasped. Granny said, "Big Mac, get your butt over here now!"

"Happy now?" Igneous asked smugly.

"Shut up! Mac, over here, NOW!"

"But Granny, I'm naked." Big Mac protested.

"Boy, I've changed your diapers. I've done seen all you got to offer; now over here!"

"It's much bigger now," Maud said

"Will you quit talking about my brother's pen . . OH DEAR LORD! HOW THE HELL CAN YOU WALK WITH THAT THING?" AJ said in horror as Big Mac got out of bed to walk over to Granny and she saw (by accident) what Maud was talking about.

"I'm surprised you can walk Maud," Pinkie added.

"Oh my, I didn't know they could get that big," Cloudy said in shocked, yet somewhat interested tone.

"That's it! All the young-uns and Pinkie with me." AJ ordered. Everyone left except for Igneous, Cloudy, Granny, Big Mac, and Maud.

Big Mac got to Granny who slapped him across the face and said "Boy, you know better than that!" Then she gave him a hug. "Congratulations Mac," she then said.

"What is wrong with you?" Igneous asked, furious.

"What? Aint no use crying over spilt milk. The kids are gonna be parents. Young parents. They're gonna need all the love and help we can give. Besides, they're both over eighteen; nuthin' we could say about it anyhow," said Granny.

"I am Maud's father, there's always something . . ."

"SHUT UP!" Maud screamed at the top of her lungs. She got out of bed and Igneous turned away. "NO! You look at me! You and your god, killed me inside. You crushed all they joy and love I ever had out of me. I am emotionally dead inside because of you. That's why I took Pinkie with me; to save her from that fate.

"I'm the one who didn't want to use a condom. I wanted to feel dirty and slutty and sexy and I just wanted to feel SOMETHING! ANYTHING! Anything other than this continuous, empty, numbness. You have no idea how much harm you have done. Rejoice in the Lord? Your lord is a sadist and so are you. You have no love in heart and did the best to ensure I didn't either. Guess what?- until recently, you succeeded. But no more.

"Do what you got to do. Cut off financial support if you want. We'll survive. I'll survive. And you will never, EVER, see your grandchild. Do you understand?"

Igneous just looked at his daughter. "You are of age, Pinkie . . "

"Pinkie stays with me. I've already contacted a lawyer about the emancipation process for a minor. She will sue you, she will win, and all your church will know what fallen daughters you have raised. And don't even think about taking this out on Lime and Marble or I'll get them as well and you'll have no one!" Maud growled her last sentence. "Now, once again, do you understand?"

"Yes." It was all Igneous could say.

**************************************************************************************************

Pinkie crawled into bed beside Sonata. The bed was theirs again. As soon as they had gotten home, her parents packed up and left. In fact, the whole house was theirs; Maud had gone back to spend the night with Big Mac. Sonata grabbed Pinkie, pulled her on top of her, and started kissing her.

"I missed you Pinata," Sonata said when she took a break from kissing Pinkie.

Pinkie looked at Sonata's smiling face and her heart was filled with joy. "I missed you to Sonapie."

"So we're really going to be Aunts?" Sonata asked with happy anticipation.

"Looks like," Pinkie said with a laugh.

"You know we're going to spoil that kid silly; right?"

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

Author's Note

I didn't want to do a 3 parter, but when I was writing yesterday, I got so tired and sleepy, I knew I couldn't continue on. Also this section was so long, it might have been too much put into one single part (or second part :pinkiesmile: ). And I did change canon a bit. I know Pinkie's full name is Pinkamina Diane Pie. I did swap the middle and first names around. I felt "Diane" worked better in the general theme and feeling of the story, and while similar; the two Pinkies are different entities. So, in this world, the "Diane" could come first.

Alright dear readers, next week, Fluttershy then we start the third and final act. Stay tuned! Or not; it's up to you. :heart:

The Life Of Fluttershy

Fluttershy was in Rarity's bedroom being her model again. Every new creation Rarity made she had Fluttershy try on and model it for her so she could see how it looked. Rarity said Fluttershy's proportions were perfect. In fact, Rarity said the two of them should go into business together. She could be the designer and Fluttershy could be her model and muse. She would even fake a french accent sometimes when she said it.

Fluttershy loved the idea but had no interest in being in the public eye. What she really wanted to do was work with animals. She loved the animal shelter and thought about something like that but only bigger. Maybe she would buy a farm and turn that into a huge animal sanctuary. She could become a veterinarian, but the idea of operating on animals or putting them to sleep, even if it was for their own good, was something she couldn't see herself being able to do.

No matter what she did or decided to do, she knew it was all out there for her now. These last few months had given her a sense of freedom and happiness she had never known before. The world seemed alive with new possibilities. She was no longer afraid to get dressed in the morning, afraid of saying the wrong thing, of just breathing. The weight of worry had been lifted from her shoulders and it was hard to not just give in and go hog wild.

"Alright Fluttershy darling, go look in the mirror; see what you think," Rarity said, knocking Fluttershy out of her daydreams.

Fluttershy walked over to the mirror to see how she looked. Rarity's latest dress as an evening gown. The main color was a gorgeous, deep, royal purple. Accent colors were teal and white. It had a nice v-cut neckline that was low enough to pique interest, but not so low as to look slutty. The top was extremely form fitting and flared out a bit at the waist. On the left breast there was a small outline of a butterfly.

"Oh Rarity; it's beautiful!" Fluttershy was amazed at not just how well the dress looked but how she looked in it. "You've out done yourself this time."

Rarity smiled. "You like it? Good, it's yours."

Fluttershy spun around with her hands over her mouth. Her eyes bulged in surprise. "Oh Rarity, I couldn't!"

"Honey, I made that for you. It's my gift. That butterfly there, that's you; what you've become, what you've blossomed into. You deserve it and it was an honor to make it for you."

Fluttershy went over to Rarity and gave her a giant hug. "Thank you. Thank you," she said.

"It's all right darling. Now, change back and we'll put this up in you closet ok?"

Fluttershy changed back into the clothes she had on before - white shirt and blue jeans. Rarity gently took the dress and folded it up and placed in a gift box she had from last years' Christmas. They went to Fluttershy's room and she put it on the top shelf in her closet. Fluttershy then laid on her bed and Rarity sat down on the floor beside it.

"Oh Rarity, since coming here, I can't tell you how much I've changed. The world is a brighter place, I feel more alive and assertive, you've help me become an entirely different person."

"Oh pish-posh darling. You always were this person. You just needed the space to realize it."

Fluttershy laid back on her bed and put her hands behind her head. "Rarity, you ever think about the future? About who you'll marry and all that."

"You know I do. We've talked about it lots of times before." Rarity was a bit confused by Fluttershy's question. They had had so many conversations about the future that the question was without any reason.

"I know. But, I don't know, I mean seriously. Everyone thinks they're going to get this dream job, marry that perfect ten, have this wealth, all that. But life isn't like that. Things happen, things go wrong. Nobody thinks about those things; do they?"

"I can't say I like your line of questioning there darling. But, I suppose if people did think about the bad, you'd have no reason to pursue the good."

"I disagree. Thinking about the bad let's you plan for it, anticipate it. I think about the bad. I think about the good as well. I think more about the good now more than ever."

"I'm glad for you darling, but, I guess for most people we need necessary delusions. We need to think we'll be ultra successful, even though we know the odds are stacked against us. It's like the lottery, which I do know something about. Everyone knows that their odds of winning are nil to none. But they also know that someone has to when it eventually and that person's odds are just as low as everyone else's. So what brought all this up?"

"Just thinking. I never would have guessed my life would have turned out as well as it has these past few months. But I never thought my life would have been as bad as it was when I was a little girl, before my dad left. I've seen bad, I've seen good, it's all just random. Most of it. You never know what to expect or what's coming or why."

"True. So much of life is out of our control. A person can chose not to drink and drive for their own safety; but then get hit by a drunk driver on their way to work."

"Rarity, you know how I feel about Bulk right?"

"Oh darling, not this again." Rarity shook her head in disbelief.

"He's everything, or near everything I want in a man, but I'm not allowed to have him. Twilight is in her late twenties, but she and Flash are together. Sonata is way older than Pinkie . . ."

"Darling," Rarity cut Fluttershy off, "Sonata is so old, a hundred year old would be a child to her. The rules don't apply there. And Twilight has the body of an age appropriate girl for Flash." Rarity sighed. "It's unfair. I know what you're getting at. You see it in the news all the time; a thirty year old teacher, mother, sleeps with a teenage boy, everyone rushes to her defense. A thirty year old man sleeps with a teenage girl, everyone calls for the hanging tree. Some call that 'female privilege'; if it is, it's a very back-handed privilege. Society puts thirty year old women and teenage boys on the same emotional and sexual level. Basically, we have to be adults just to be seen as competent as a boy. I find that insulting and inexcusable. But more than that, I think it's what contributes to our 'rape culture' more than anything. Boys are told to go out and 'get some' at all costs. We, on the other hand, are told to say no at all costs. We're even told we don't even have the intellectual capacity to give consent. Well when you have boys and men being told they have to get laid and girls and women told they can't; well you get one of two things: rape or prostitution. And frankly being a victim or a whore is not part of my plans."

Fluttershy continued to look at her ceiling. "I know. I know I should find someone else; but who, how? As I said, good and bad."

"My suggestion; don't worry. It will come when it comes. The thing is not to worry about finding a man; but finding you."

Fluttershy turned her head and looked at Rarity. "Thank you Rarity."

*********************************************************************************************************

The next day, after Fluttershy was done at the shelter, she went walking through the park. She liked to unwind in the setting summer sun, the sound of children getting in one last play before they had to go home, the sound of birds and squirrels coming out to pick up the scraps left by picnickers. She watched couples walk by, holding hands, some kissing. Some people ran, some jog, some walked, others rode bikes or skateboards. Each was lost in their own world. Occasionally a male would go by and check her out, she pretended not to notice but would laugh to herself in her mind.

As she rounded a corner, she saw Bulk sitting on a stone wall by the basketball court. She walked over with a smile on her face. He didn't appear to be doing anything, just sitting. She decided to she was going to talk to him. "Bulk, hi!" she called out and waved.

Bulk looked over, smiled, and waved back. "Flut . . .ter. . .shy! How . . . are . . .you?"

Fluttershy got to the wall and hoped up beside Bulk. "I'm ok. Just came here to relax. How are you?" She was as close to Bulk as she dared without actually touching him. She wanted to, wanted to put her arm around him and lay her head on his shoulder. But she knew she couldn't.

"Good. I . . . come . . . here . . . for . . . the . . . sunset. From . . . here . . . you . . . can . . . see . . . the . . . whole . . . park."

Fluttershy looked and Bulk was right. From this point, the park, all it's trees and playsets and sports fields and all the people were visible. And the way the trees were planted, the provided a natural framing to the sky as the sun set. "Wow. I bet it is beautiful. Mind if I watch it with you?"

"No. You're . . . my . . . friend. I . . . would . . . love . . . to . . . have . . . you . . . here."

Fluttershy smiled and rubbed Bulk's back. It was a shy, exploratory move, just to see how he'd react. Although she knew it didn't matter how he reacted. He was 25, she was 16 and that was a societal no-no. Bulk just smiled in return and went back to looking at the park. Fluttershy also turned back to the park. In the distance she saw a silhouette walking towards them. As the person drew closer she could see it was female, then a young female, and finally she saw who it was; Derpy.

Derpy was a beautiful blonde haired girl from Fluttershy's school. She also had down syndrome. Fluttershy had met and even talked to Derpy on several occasions. She liked the girl but wondered why she was coming over to them now.

"Hi . . . Derpy!" Bulk called out and waved. Fluttershy looked at him confused then back to Derpy.

"Hi Bulk! Hi Fluttershy! Nice to see you here!" Derp said with genuine affection.

"Uh, thanks Derpy. What brings you here?" Fluttershy didn't want to sound rude, but she did want this time to be alone with Bulk.

"Me and Bulk always watch the sunset together." The way Derpy said it, it was as if this was common knowledge and she was surprised Fluttershy didn't already know this.

"Oh!" Fluttershy responded in surprise and looked at Bulk.

"Some . . . boys. . . were . . . picking . . . on . . . her. I . . . stopped . . . them. We . . . became . . . friends."

Fluttershy's heart sank. But what did she expect? Even if Derpy had never come along, what did she really think was going to happen? She was being foolish and she knew it. Maybe it was best Derpy did show up; save her from going down this dead end road any further.

"Well, I hope you don't mind if I join in?" Fluttershy asked as sweetly as she could. She was sad and disappointed, but she had no one to blame but herself. Bulk and Derpy certainly weren't to blame.

"No problem Fluttershy. You're our friend too. Glad to have you!" Derpy said as she hopped up beside Fluttershy.

Together they watched the sun go down. For them it was ritual, for Fluttershy it was a living symbol of all her hopes for her and Bulk.

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Fluttershy was eating her lunch outside today. It was another cloudless, sunny day. In some ways that was really bad since California was in a drought, but Fluttershy still loved a good blue sky. Right down from the shelter was a small café where she liked to eat at. She could watch everyone driving and walking past. Sometimes she would come up with names and stories for the people she saw. It was her thing.

"Uh, hi. Fluttershy right?"

Fluttershy turned around to see a boy from her school standing before her. He had dreadlocks that were dyed green and a blue cap. He wore a vest with a peace sign on it. He was handsome but she had never really gotten to know him. "Yes, hi," she said nicely in return.

"I'm Sandalwood. We go to school together. Mind if I sit with you?"

Fluttershy could tell he was nervous. It was really an amusing turn of events that someone should be nervous to meet her. "No. Go ahead. I would enjoy the company."

"Thanks," he said and sat down. "I wanted to ask first. Didn't want to invade your personal space."

"It's fine. So what brings you here?"

"Oh, well I was collecting signatures on a petition to ban all fracking in the United States. But then I got hungry, so I came here. My Uncle owns the place, so I eat free. Well, not free, I got to do chores for him, but I don't have to pay money. You?"

"I work in the animal shelter there. I'm just on lunch."

"Awsome! Helpin' the little critters out. No doubt. I wouldn't mind helping out. Need anymore people?"

"Sure. We could always use more volunteers. We don't have any paying positions right now though. I hope you don't mind."

"Oh no way. I just want to help in whatever way I can."

"Good. Be here tomorrow at seven a.m. . Oh, and my friend Rarity and I will be volunteering at the homeless shelter on Sunday if you want to come there. We'll be there at ten."

"Whoa, you're like super awesome there Fluttershy."

Fluttershy titled her head to the right and narrowed her eyes. "Sandal, do you want to go out on a date sometime?

"Um, well, ah, um, " Sandalwood stammered. He had been attracted to Fluttershy since eighth grade. He had hoped volunteering at the shelter would be a way to get closer to her so he could ask her out. Hearing her ask that that caught him off guard. Was she serious or just feeling him out? He was afraid to answer one way or the other for fear of screwing up.

Fluttershy laughed. "It's ok. I'll do it. Providing you show up here tomorrow."

"Will do!" Sandal responded enthusiastically.

For the rest of the time the two just talked about everything and anything they could.

Author's Note

Yes I'm shipping Fluttershy with him. With this chapter I wanted to concentrate on Fluttershy's growth as a person. Her journey get's wrapped up tomorrow. Then I really got to knuckle down and pick up the pace if I want to be done by next Saturday.

The Death Of Fluttershy

Fluttershy stood with the others at the school; waiting for Rainbow's bus to pull in. She missed her friend greatly over the two months she was gone and couldn't wait to see her again (and to fill her in on what had happen in the interim). She stood right in the middle; Rainbow's parent's, Scootaloo, Applejack, and Rarity to her right and Sunset, Twilight and Flash, and Sonata and Pinkie to her left. It felt good to be in the middle. It meant she was surrounded by friends. It meant she was surrounded by love.

There was someone missing though. - Sandalwood. They had only been going out three weeks but they had formed a connection she would have never thought imaginable. She had heard of soulmates but never believed in them until now. She understood how Pinkie and Twilight fell so hard and so fast for Sonata and Flash now. Sandal was deep, read poetry, philosophy, and was very spiritual. They had hours of conversation on if there was a meaning to life and if so, what was it; whether or not God existed and if so, did that have any meaning for humanity. He was also very pleasant on the eyes as well. Brains, heart, and looks; she couldn't ask for more. She wished he was here, but she wanted to just see and talk to Rainbow; and showing up with a boyfriend might take away from that or cause some unnecessary awkwardness.

Scootaloo saw the bus first and shouted, "Here she comes!"Pinkie, Sonata, Scootaloo, and Fluttershy started bouncing up and down in anticipation.

The bus pulled to a stop and everyone started getting off. Usually Rainbow was one of the first; but this time she was last. Her face looked sullen and her usually energy wasn't there. Slowly everyone noticed it. Her dad walked up to her and asked what was wrong.

"Nothing Dad," she replied at first. But when everyone started to press her she finally opened up. "I met a guy. I really like him, but he lives all the way in Cloudsdale. So, I got his number and all, we can talk, but still; it's not the same as him being here."

They all comforted her as much as they could which lightened her mood. They made plans to get together later at the mall and all went home.

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"So you know my deal," Rainbow said feeling a strange mixture of sadness and relief. "So did anything happen here with you guys?" The girls were at the food court catching up on what all had happened while Rainbow was away.

"Flash and I went on a camping trip. It was really fun. We had to sleep in separate tents, but that was no big deal. It really brought us closer together." Twilight looked off dreamily then remembered Rainbow's situation. "Oh, sorry."

"Naw, it's all good. I'm glad for you. Really," Rainbow replied.

"Well, Sonata and me are gonna be aunts!" Pinkie almost shouted the last part of her sentence as she and Sonata giggled and bounced up and down in their seats.

Rainbow looked in shock at AJ who looked more down than she should. "Yup. Big Mac and Maud are gonna be parents. So I'm going to be an aunt as well."

"Oh. Looks like I did miss a lot here," Rainbow said, still letting the words Big Mac, Maud, and parents sink into her brain.

"I got a boyfriend," Fluttershy just blurted out.

"WHAT!" Rainbow shouted. "You too!"

"If it makes you feel better darling; Sunset, Applejack, and I all remain unattached," Rarity said trying to help.

"Ug. I wish I was unattached. I'm not. I'm in that grey area. It's annoying. I have someone, but yet, I don't. But I'm glad all of you have found the ones you want." Rainbow stopped, looked down at the table, then looked at Fluttershy. "So, who is he? Oh god, it's not Bulk is it?"

"No. I finally got that through my head. His name is Sandalwood. Rainbow, it's like me as a boy. Well sort of. You know what I mean. I feel we're meant for each other."

Rainbow sighed. "Yeah, I do. That's kind of how I feel about Soarin. It's not fair. But it is what it is."

The girls continued to talk for another hour and a half. Each loving being in the company of the others but eventually all had to go. Twilight and Sunset had early starts tomorrow, Maud and Big Mac arrived to pick Pinkie, Sonata, and AJ up, and eventually Rainbow's and Rarity's parents showed up for them as well.

As soon as Rarity and Fluttershy got in the car, they knew something was up. Mr. Geisel looked sullen. "What is it Pa-pa?" asked Rarity.

"The lawyer called Fluttershy. Your mother's court hearing is next Tuesday. You're going to have to be there. We'll be there with you. Ok?"

Fluttershy stared at Mr. Geisel, looked out the window, then the floor, then back to Mr. Geisel. "It doesn't matter if I'm ok with it; I got to be there regardless. I, uh, I almost forgot about it, about her. I am curious as to how she is. Wow. Next Tuesday? Ok. Ok. Sure." Fluttershy said nothing the rest of the car trip home. Rarity held her hand the whole way.

********************************************************************************************************************

The following days passed too quickly. As each day slipped away; Fluttershy could feel her heart beat faster as fear crept into every part of herself. Every night she had nightmares and would wake up screaming. Everyone tried to help as best they could. The Geisels even permitted Sandalwood to spend the night in hopes he could calm her down and give her a good night's sleep, but nothing worked.

Finally Tuesday came. Fluttershy got up, showered, brushed her teeth and dressed in her best dress and flats. As she did her make-up, she touched the eye her mother had blackened those many months ago. It was completely healed, but Fluttershy could still see it.

She went downstairs where Mr. and Mrs. Geisel, Rarity, Sweetie Belle, and Sandal were waiting for her. Each complimented her on how pretty she looked, how brave she was, how all this was going to be put behind her soon and she could move. They all talked but she heard them as through a long tunnel; echoes, distant, disembodied, not really there. But that's how she felt as well, disembodied - a spirit just floating around, observing life but not apart of it.

They drove to the court house where Fluttershy awaited her mother's arrival. It wasn't a long wait. She hobbled in, escorted by two guards. She looked as though she lost about fifty pounds, but not in a good way. She was pale, her skin hung off the visible parts of her body like wet clothes slung across a clothes line. Her eyes were sunken and bloodshot. Her hair was almost completely gone. She looked less a woman than a elderly man on his way to his death bed. Fluttershy's eyes welled up with tears at seeing this creature slowly make it's way down the aisle and to the defendant's table. Sure she was a monster, but she was also MOTHER. And all mammalian life was encoded to love MOTHER no matter what.

The judge walked in and the bailiff called all to rise. The judge sat down and told everyone to sit back down. He opened a folder and looked at it.

"We are here today to see if Crystal Shy should have all parental rights stripped from her based on a history of physical and mental abuse by her of her daughter Fluttershy, who is in attendance today; is that correct?" Everyone shook their head yes and the judge continued. "As of now, Fluttershy is staying at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Hondo Flanks Geisel. Is that also correct?" Everyone once again agreed that it was. "Ok then. Ms. Shy, would you care to say anything to the court on your behalf?"

"Yes, your honor, I do," she said in a slow, tired voice. She slowly got up and looked at the judge. "Your honor, for years I treated that girl like garbage. I yelled at her, hit her, I never gave that poor girl a moment's peace. I blamed her for my husband leaving and taking our son with him, I blamed her for my weight, my smoking, my drinking, I blamed her for everything that was my problem. I was a selfish, unfit wife and a selfish, unfit mother. I have no objections to you takin' my right's away from me. Fluttershy deserves better than me." With that she slowly sat down again.

Everyone sat in stunned silence. Everyone expected Crystal to say something, but not this. The judge looked surprised as well. "Well then," he said still in a mild shock, "you just made my job easier. The court hereby . . ."

"Your honor, wait!" Fluttershy yelled as she stood up.

"Fluttershy, do you have something you want to add?" The judge didn't know what was going on. What could this girl have to say? Her mother was losing all her rights to her. The case was done and she had it made. What else was there?

"Yes," she paused for a second, "I'm removing my petition."

Everyone gasped in shock except Crystal. Hondo, Rarity, their lawyer, Sandal, everyone tried to talk her out of it but she would not listen.

"Are you sure there Ms. Shy?" the judge asked.

"Yes. She's my mother. And hearing her today, just now, shows me she's changed. I want to be there with her now."

The judge was silent. He'd seen this before; too many times before. Wives, children, all abused, all running back to their abusers, all claiming that they had changed, that everything would be different. It never was. They would either be back here, in front of him or in the ground. He also knew there was nothing he could say to stop it. He just breathed a heavy, sad breath at the tragedy to come and said, "Petition withdrawn, Fluttershy is free to return home with her mother."

*************************************************************************************************************

The whole time Fluttershy packed to go home; Rarity and Sandal tried to talk her out of it. The argued, cried, pleaded, threatened, but nothing work. Fluttershy was returning home to her mother. They could all say what they wanted, but Fluttershy knew her mother had changed and she needed her.

Hondo drove Fluttershy to her mother's house. All the way he pleaded with her not to go. He said he could turn around now, reinstate the petition, but once again; Fluttershy would hear none of it. As the pulled up, Crystal was standing on the porch, waiting for Fluttershy with a smile on her face. The smile is what would haunt Hondo for the rest of his life. It was the smile he imagined the concentration camp guards had on their face as they shoved his family into the ovens and gas chambers. It was the smile of expectant evil.

Fluttershy got out and hugged Hondo. She got her suitcases from the trunk and walked up onto the porch. She hugged her mother and said, "Momma, I'm home."

"Yes you are darlin'. After you sweetie." Crystal pointed to the door. Fluttershy opened it and walked in, followed by her mother. Before she could do anything else, she felt a crushing blow from Crystals cane come down on her head. If one were to say she was lucky in anything, it was the fact that the first blow knocked her out and she never felt the others.

************************************************************************************************************

Rarity was sitting in her room, cursing Fluttershy when her mother came in. Rarity knew right away something was wrong. Tears were pouring down her mother's face and she could see Sweetie Belle crying in the hallway. "What is it?" she asked but already knowing the answer (or at least part of it).

"Honey. Uh, your father . . , and, um Fluttershy . . . they're in the hospital. They were attacked by . . ." Mrs. Geisel couldn't bring herself to say that woman's name or to call her a mother. "Your father will be ok, bruised, bloodied, but, . . . honey, Fluttershy, . . . she's in a coma. It doesn't look good."

Rarity burst out crying and hugged her mother as tightly as she could.

*****************************************************************************************************

Soon the word was put out and everyone was at the hospital. Sunset, Twilight, Flash, AJ, Apple Bloom, Big Mac, Maud, Granny Smith, Pinkie, Sonata, Mrs. Geisel, Sweetie Belle, Rarity, Rainbow Dash and her parents, Scootaloo and her parents, Sandalwood and his parents, Bulk Biceps, Derpy and her parents, Celestia, and Luna. All were crying; some profusely, some quietly, all had tears all were waiting for news.

The doctor came out and everyone stood up in anticipation. "Miracles happen, but if any of you want to say goodbye, I wouldn't advise against it"

Everyone busted out in fresh tears and they all decided to go back.

Twilight

"Hey. Um, darn it! You weren't my Fluttershy, not at first, but you became mine. I can't imagine why you should deserve this. I'll miss you. Of course you know this. How could you not know how much you're loved, how much you're needed. If I had my magic, I'd bring you back, somehow. But I don't. This world is so violent and sad and dark. You were a light in this blackness and now you're gone. No, not yet! Please wake up Fluttershy! Please!"

Sunset

"You, more than anyone, never brought my past up. Hahhh. Fluttershy, I'm, no, I'm not going there. I can't, I won't. You'll pull through. I know you will. If I could turn into that demon again, I would and reign hell down upon your incubator, that's what she is, an incubator, not a mother. Please, don't go."

Applejack

Applejack walk in, saw Fluttershy all wrapped up and hooked up and fell to the floor in hysterical tears. Big Mac had to come back and take her out.

Pinkie Pie and Sonata

"Hey girl." Pinkie said, barely containing herself.

"Hey," said Sonata, holding Pinkie's hand.

They walked over beside Fluttershy's bed and Pinkie touched her shoulder. Both stood there looking at their fallen friend. Finally Pinkie asked Sonata, "You're old; you must have something profound to say right? I mean something! Anything to make this at least tolerable."

Sonata just shook her head. "Humanity's capacity for evil has never ceased to surprise me. I have nothing to say, no wise words, no nothing. If there is one plus side to being mortal, it's that my days of seeing things like this will eventually end."

Derpy

"Don't die Fluttershy. You're my friend."

Bulk Biceps

"Good . . . bye . . . Fluttershy."

Rarity

"You! You. You had to do it. We told you not to, we told you what would happen; didn't we? But oh no, you had to be little Miss Perfect and be by Mommy. If you die, I'll never forgive you! Do you hear me? So live so I don't have to hate you. Please Fluttershy, please, please live!"

Sandalwood

"You were the one. I know it. Whatever happens, please know you were my one and only and always will be."

Celestia and Luna

"We do our best, we try to save them all, but we can't; can we?" Luna said looking down at Fluttershy.

"No, dear sister, we can't. But it's for the sake of those we can't save that we must always try."

************************************************************************************************************

"Honey, aren't you going back?" Rainbow's dad asked. She had gone outside and sat on a bench. He had gone out after her and knelt before her.

"Why? It won't make a difference. The only thing that'll help will be killing that witch." There was no emotion in Rainbow's voice and she never looked up from the ground.

Rainbow Blaze took ahold of his daughter's shoulders and she looked him in the eyes. "No, it won't. All it will do is get you sent to jail or a mental institution and it won't bring Fluttershy back. We don't even know if this is the end. She might pull through."

"Dad, stop it! We both know better. She's going to die and it's not fair!" Rainbow Dash busted out crying and her dad hugged her.

"No sweetie, it's not. Life is not fair or just or anything other than struggle and pain. But every act of violence we do adds to that. With every act of forgiveness, we take away from it. Dash, it's your choice; are you going to add to the pain or help take it away? What would Fluttershy want?"

Rainbow Dash

"Hey. Before I left, you called me out on some stuff. And you were right. But that was you. You made everyone around you a better person. We need more people like you Fluttershy. I need you. All those years, I pretended to be your protector, but I wasn't. You were my teacher. I loved you Fluttershy. Not in a Pinkie/Sonata type way. Huh, here I am cracking lesbian jokes at a time like this. Of course if you can here me, I guess you wouldn't have it any other way, would you.

"How do you say goodbye to someone you love? Script writers do it. Novelist do it. But I'm not a writer. I'm a runner. I want to run. Run from this, run from the pain and sadness. But you shouldn't be alone. Not now. I'll stay as long as I can. Please don't go."

******************************************************************************************************************

At 3:30 AM, Wednesday morning, Fluttershy died.

Author's Note

Here's where I get most of my information from <http://mlp.wikia.com/wiki/Family_and_relatives>

Ok, this was not an easy chapter to write. In fact it was a major bummer. I considered not even writing this but I felt it added too much to the narrative not to. And people, young kids, die. A classmate of mine was struck and killed by a car when I was in eighth or ninth grade. And the whole point of this story is to show these characters are truly human, full fledged, people. People in the real world with real problems. And death, even the death of a loved one, is part of that.

Alright, next chapter, Sunset get's a boyfriend, human Sunset and Twilight come on the scene, and we begin the third and final act. Hopefully you didn't take this chapter too hard.

Peace.

Of Lost Virginity And Moving Across Country

The funeral was on Saturday. The Geisel's paid for everything. Almost the whole school showed up. It was a loving and fitting testimony to the shy girl who never tried to be noticed. Afterwards everyone drifted apart. There was still no want to grieve together yet. Each had their own heartache to work out first. You can't really talk about emotions you haven't even finished processing yourself.

When Rarity got home she went in the bedroom that had been Fluttershy's. She walked around a bit to see if there was anything of hers' left. She opened the closet and on the top shelf was the box which had held the dress she had made for her. She pulled it down and looked inside. The dress was still there with a note which read, "Thank you for everything. Guess I'm not a butterfly after all." Rarity walked over to the bed and fell down on it still holding the box. At this point she was all out of tears.

Hondo walked into the room and saw his daughter sitting on the bed, looking out into nothingness. "Rarity?" he asked.

She turned her head, not really looking at him but looking in his general direction. "Why Daddy?" She hadn't called him that in years.

Hondo sat on the bed beside her. "When I was a kid; there was this relation, a cousin or some sort; who stayed with us. He took turns living with all the family. I hated him. I thought he was the crankiest old man I had ever met. Wasn't much older than I am now, but you view age different when you're young. He never wore short sleeves. No matter how hot it was, he always had long sleeves on.

"One day, I really had to go to the bathroom. I wasn't thinking and walked in on him as he was getting out of the shower. I was shocked and ran out; but then I remembered seeing a tattoo on his arm. I waited until he was asleep one day and rolled his sleeve up. It was a tattoo, a series of numbers. I asked my parents what it meant, but they told me not to talk about it again. Later I found out what those numbers meant. He was a survivor. The only one left out of his village.

"When I found out, I asked my parents why. We were never orthodox, but we were conservative. I asked why, if we were God's chosen people, why he would let that happen to us. All they said was things happen. I hated that answer. It started me questioning and eventually losing my faith. 'Things happen'? What sort of response was that? I was a kid, I wanted concrete answers. Now, at my age, I realize that that was the only answer they could give because it was the only honest answer. Good people suffer, bad people succeed, and vice versa. That's life."

"Then what's the point?" Rarity asked softly. She was at the end of her emotional rope. Nothing seemed to make sense anymore and she desperately needed them to.

Hondo took his daughter's hand. "This is. The love we feel toward our fellow humans. The love of friends, family, of doing something we enjoy, a good meal, a sunny day. That is all the point. The thousands of little things that make this life tolerable."

Rarity slumped against her father. She didn't know if she believed him; only that, at this moment, she needed to pretend she did.

*****************************************************************************************************************

Sunset and Twilight got home and sat in their living room not saying a word. In fact, they hadn't said much of anything to each other since that night. All words seemed empty and hollow. Only those words that necessity demanded be said were. But as they sat there, they now wanted to talk but weren't sure if either was up to the task. Twilight eventually went first.

"I don't understand these creatures. I thought I knew what evil was. I thought I battled the worst of the worse. But these, these, are a whole new level. How could anyone, let alone a mother, do that?" She was sitting on a chair, bent over, looking down at the floor, hands held together in an almost praying formation.

Sunset was on the couch, arms spread out across the back, head tilted back. "That's what humans are. They're violent, destructive primates. Just look at how they entertain themselves: boxing, ultimate fighting, football; these creatures derive enjoyment from watching others get hurt. Even animals. They make other animals fight and kill for their pleasure." She never lowered her head to look at Twilight as she talked.

"They're horrible," Twilight said quietly.

"They're also Fluttershy and Flash and Pinkie and Rarity. They also put themselves in danger to save others. That's the things with humans; they're both absolutely wonderful and caring, and completely evil and insane at the same time." Now Sunset lowered he head and looked at Twilight. "You ready to go back home?"

"I don't know. For a while, no. I love this body, I love Flash, and our friends. But this . . .," she shook her head, "this is too much. Maybe. I don't know."

"Me either. I stayed behind the first time because I was too embarrassed to go back. The second time I stayed because I felt I still had a lot to learn yet. Then I decided it was time to go back after we learned the Sirens' plot. I felt it was my duty to return home. Now, as you said, I really like it here; despite all the pain and misery. I'm used to this place. And hands are a big plus." Sunset smiled after that last line which made Twilight laugh a little bit; which in turn made Sunset laugh as well. It was the first time either had laughed since Wednesday and it felt good.

**************************************************************************************************************

The remaining weeks of summer passed by in an emotional haze. The girls worked, hung out a bit (but gave up the band; it didn't seem right without Fluttershy there), and Rarity, Twilight, and AJ all got their drivers' licensees. Pinkie and Sonata got permits. Technically Sonata had her license, but with it expiring in December of 1972, it would have been a bit hard to renew. Time does not heal. Time, at best, simply dulls pain enough that you can survive and go on with your life. It was something everyone learned. And the girls were no different. Each day got a little more tolerable than the last.

The second to last Thursday before school started again, Sunset was in the kitchen making supper. Both she and Twilight had day shifts, so tonight was one of the rare occasions they got to eat dinner together. Sunset was really looking forward to it. Not only were these meals a way for her and Twilight to catch up, but it would be their first joint dinner since the funeral.

She was working on some homemade gravy when she looked up and saw Twilight standing there. "Oh, hi Twilight. Just getting things ready here. What's going on?" Sunset was smiling when she saw that Twilight looked really nervous. Something must be up. "Twilight; everything ok?" she asked concerned, the smile falling from her lips.

"Yeah, everything is . . . fine. Uh, Sunset, what are you doing this Saturday?" Twilight asked sounding like she was scared.

"Well, I'm five to closing that night. Store clean-up, so I should be home by eleven thirty or twelve. Why?"

"Well, Flash is coming over Saturday."

Sunset was confused. Flash had been over several times while she was at work. She didn't understand why Twilight was so nervous for. "Ok, that's fine."

Twilight continued to look down, her hands clasped behind her back, grinding the ball of her right foot in into the floor. "Yeah. Well, um, we were planning on him . . . spending the night." She stopped what we was doing and looked up at Sunset.

"Yeah, an . . . ohhhhhhh." Sunset stopped dead in her tracks as she fully realized what Twilight was getting at. "You want him to spend the night and me not to be here?"

Twilight turned red and nodded. "We, we have been talking and we think it's time. And it would be too weird if you were here and we can't get a hotel room, and neither of us wants to have our first time in the back seat of a car. I know this is your place and if you say no, I'll understand."

"No, this is OUR place I had your name put on the lease remember? And, yes, I'll find someplace to go. Maybe Pinkie's or one of the other girl's." Sunset paused for a second and looked at Twilight with a confused look on her face. "Wait, you've never had sex before?"

Twilight turned deep crimson. "No," she muttered then snapped her head up. "Sunset! You have?"

"Twilight I was twenty-six when I left Cantorlot. Of course I had sex. Heck I've had sex here." Sunset was now the shocked one. "You must have had one sheltered life."

"NO! Well, I just never wanted to until now. It was only four years ago or so I didn't even want friends. I just wanted books and to learn."

"Oh, well I wanted to learn as well and I didn't want friends, well not at the last stages, but still, that never stopped me from having fun," Sunset said with a laugh.

"Sunset, please. I don't, I didn't think like that." Twilight took a deep breath. "What was it like? The first time?" Twilight asked full of fear and curiosity.

Sunset stopped what she was doing and walked around to Twilight and sat on a bar stool in front of her. "There is no one first time. They all very by couple. And I guess, technically, I've had two first times; one in Equestria, one here. But, if there is one general rule, it's they all suck." Sunset spoke very softly, almost motherly to Twilight.

"Oh thanks a lot Sunset!" Twilight said sarcastically.

"No, wait. Here me out. The first time for anything, sex, painting, playing an instrument, usually sucks. You don't know what you're doing, it's slightly painful, you'll be nervous and scared, he'll be over excited, he'll finish really fast for which you'll both be grateful and resentful, and after it's all over; you'll both be weirded out and not no what to do next. That is normal."

"It sounds - horrible. Maybe this is a mistake." Twilight was crest fallen. But it also gave her a way out because she was having second thoughts.

"No, it's wonderful. " Sunset took Twilight's hand. "Your first is a technical mess. But, if done for the right reasons, it's emotionally beautiful. It's pure. The purest you'll ever have. If you're having doubts, fine. That's normal as well. You have to follow your heart on this. You're what, twenty seven, twenty eight now? - You're old enough to know how to protect yourself."

"Sunset, I don't know. I want to but I don't. I just know I love him."

"Then as I've told you before, let that be your guide."

Twilight hugged Sunset. "Thank you Sunset."

"Hey, what else would I do for my little sister?"

**************************************************************************************************************

Sunset Shimmer sat in her bedroom in her family's Brooklyn Brownstone. Well, what used to be her bedroom. Everything was packed up and out of the house. Only the box she sat on remained. Her father had gotten a new job out in California so the whole family was moving out there. She didn't want to move but she had no say in it.

"Sunset?"

Sunset turned to look at her father standing in the doorway. "Hey Dad."

"It's time to go sweetie," he said softly. He knew his daughter didn't want to move. She was leaving behind all her friends and the only house she had ever known. But this new job was a major step up in both pay and importance. He simply couldn't pass it up.

"I know. I don't like it, but I know." Sunset slowly got up and turned around to pick the box she was sitting on up.

"I'll get that honey," her father said sympathetically.

"Thanks Dad, but I got it."

"Yes; you do." He tried to sound positive and make her believe she had this move as well.

"Dad." Sunset was annoyed that her dad would try something so obvious.

"Oh cheer up Sunny. It won't be that bad."

"Dad, I'll be going to a school called Crystal Prep Academy. I can guess who goes there - a bunch of rich, entitled brats. That's who!"

"Oh? And what ghetto did you come out of Sunny?" Her dad laughed as he said it. There family had always been upper middle class. And now, with the new job, lower upper class. So hearing his daughter talk about the rich was amusing.

"Point taken. But compared to them . . . "

"Compared to them, you're awesome. Just go with it Sunny! It'll be, you'll be, ok." With that he went over and gave her a hug. "Now come on, your mother and sister are waiting in the car."

"Ok." She picked the box up and started to walk out of her room. Who knows , she thought to herself, maybe I'll meet someone just like me .

*************************************************************************************************************

"Thanks for letting me spend the night AJ," Sunset said as she unfurled her sleeping bag on AJ's floor.

AJ shrugged. "It's ok. Don't know why Twilight wants to be alone tonight; but I guess everyone needs their privacy from time to time."

Sunset smiled. She didn't like lying to AJ, but she also knew Twilight wouldn't want everyone to know her business either. She looked over at AJ and saw she looked distracted and a bit sad. "Hey; you ok?"

Apple shrugged again.

Sunset turned around to face her fully. "Hey, AJ; I don't mean to pry, but if something is bothering you I'd like to help if I can."

"Taint nuthin'. Just feelin' a little out of it right now." Apple leaned against her bed and look off to one side. It was like she wasn't even talking to Sunset, just thinking out loud.

"A bunch of big changes lately. New baby coming, Fluttershy, no more band, drivers' license, junior year starting, it's a lot to take in and adjust to. I'm not sure I'm even coping that well." Sunset walked over and stood by Apple.

Apple continued to look off as she started to talk again. "It's that. Some of that at least. But, I don't know. I feel like I'm being told what to do but no one wants to hear what I actually want to do. Big Mac can go straight to work. He didn't have t' go to college. But I do. He's starting a family, I haven't even been on a date. Not that I want to. I mean, I like guys, just not enough to go with one. But still; when do I get a say in my life?" Apple turned to face Sunset as she was finishing talking.

"Have you talked to anyone yet? Granny, Big Mac?"

"Big Mac? That boy's as stubborn as a mule. He's never listened to me. Guess cause Ima girl."

"Or because your his younger sibling. How often do you listen to Apple Bloom?"

"Oh that's dif'rent. Apple Bloom's fourteen." Apple said annoyed that Sunset would make the comparison.

"She's two years younger than you and you're two years younger than him. Like or not, you'll always be his little sister."

"And I guess that's the problem." Apple lowered his head.

Sunset put her arm around Apple. "It will be as long as you don't talk to him. Remember that's how you gals got in trouble at the Battle of the Bands; because you weren't talking to each other? Same deal. And why don't you want to go to college?" The thought just hit Sunset.

"Because I love farmin'. I don't want to do anything else. First Big Mac wants me to go off to college, now with him havin' a kid; I guess I feel like he's shutting me out of the farm."

"Maybe; or he doesn't want to see you be trapped like him? I mean, have you ever asked Big Mac what he wants to do with his life? - If he really wants to work on the farm?"

"Of course he does! Well I think he does. Ya know, I never really did ever talk to him about how he feels about taking over the farm."

"Well, it'd be a great place to start."

"I guess it would." Apple looked slyly at Sunset. "Hey, how did you get so smart?"

"School of hard knocks baby! That and I'm actually thirmph."

"What was that?"

"I said I was, well, I'm old enough to be your super cool aunt you can always talk to."

Both Sunset and Apple started laughing. A good, deep, much needed laugh.

*************************************************************************************************************

Sunset pulled into her driveway at about 2pm. She wanted to give Twilight and Flash enough time to get their things together (although she did consider busting in on them early in the morning as a joke). Flash's car was already gone when she got there. She left most of her stuff in the car, She decided to get it later. She walked up to the door, considered ringing the bell, but then decided to just walk on in.

Twilight was in the kitchen. She looked like she was cleaning up. She had on her pastel purple cami and grey, terry cloth, gym shorts. Her hair was tied back in a pony tail. As soon as she saw Sunset, she went, "Oh, hi." She spoke in a very guarded tone.

"Hi. How are you?" Sunset asked in an overly guarded voice herself.

"I'm good."

"Good, good. Get plenty of sleep last night?"

"I slept in a little later today than usual, but, yeah."

"Good, good." Sunset reached in her purse and pulled out a bottle of Gator Aid. "I got this for you in case you needed it." At that point both women busted out laughing and hugged each other. "So seriously ; how are you sweetie?" Sunset asked.

"I, I don't know. I feel completely different, yet absolutely the same. It's weird!"

"Society put's so much emphasis on the act but not the aftermath," Sunset said as she sat down at the bar. "So how did it go?"

"Uh, it was everything you said it was going to be and more. It was awkward and physically not that great, but; there was that moment, afterward, when we were literally intertwined. He looked down at me and I looked up at him and we looked into each others eyes . . .," Twilight started to tear up.

Sunset reached over and rubbed Twilight's left arm. "Aww, sweetie."

Twilight composed herself. "It was magical."

"It always is when it's done for love."

Twilight looked at Sunset with a sad and curious expression on her face. "Did you?"

"Did I what?" Sunset asked confused.

"Love them. The ones you slept with."

Sunset was taken aback. She stammered for a while before she was able to speak coherently. "Well, one. Some were just for fun, a couple for personal advancement. Not really proud of those. But I am a woman with a past."

"Flash wasn't . . . "

"No. Flash's virtue, at least as far as I was concerned, was left intact for you."

"Aw, thank you Sunset. So, now what comes next."

"That's up to you and Flash. But you two did open a can of worms there. Who've had sex, it's part of the relationship now. Flash is a young man, he's probably going to want it more than you do; so it'll be incumbent upon both of you to lay down some ground rules as to when and how often. Mostly you though since you're older and more mature."

"I can't thank you enough Sunset. You've been such a rock for me. I couldn't have survived without you."

"Please, you've given me more than anything I could ever give you. You literally made me a better person."

The two hugged again. As they were, Twilight whispered in Sunset's ear, "And the second time was way better than the first."

Sunset snapped back and said, "Twilight! You slut!" and busted out laughing again. They both did.

***********************************************************************************************************

It was Sunset Shimmer's first day at her new school. She sat in Dean Cadence's office. Cadence look over all of Sunset's paper work. "Well," Cadence said, "all appears to be in order. You have fine grades, a good disciplinary report, I think you'll fit in fine here Miss. Shimmer."

"Thank you Dean Cadence." Sunset replied with a mixture of fear and boredom.

"Now we do have a mentoring system here for all new students and I can assure you, you have one of the best. Twilight, will you come in here please?" A mousey looking girl with thick, horn rimmed glasses walked in. " Miss Shimmer, this is your mentor, my sister-in-law, Twilight Sparkle."

Author's Note

Ok, I'm trying here. I got two chapters to go now. So hopefully I'll make it.

In this chapter, I wanted to deal with aftermaths. The aftermath of big, life changing events. I do feel I am not doing the material as much Justice as I should. The original timeline was two years in the story and I've condensed everything into a few moths. Maybe, after a good, long break, I'll go back and re-edit it with all the missing bits and expand the timeline back out. You know, the full "George Lucas" treatment. But I'm still hitting the major plot points, so I'm still over all happy with it. Hopefully you are too.

Seek And Ye Shall Find

"So, your Dean Cadence's sister-in-law?" Sunset Shimmer was trying to make conversation with Twilight. Since they had left Cadence's office; Twilight hadn't really said anything other than here's blah-blah, founded blah-blah. This girl was boring Sunset to tears so she was going to try her darndest to get her into an actual conversation.

"That has been established." Twilight didn't want to mentor anybody. She disliked her fellow students and the feeling was mutual. Human interactions took away from her studies. And lately those studies concentrated on one thing - Cantorlot High! There had been some major anomalies lately, weather patterns, unexplained energy fluctuations, even reports of a night time rainbow. And the center of all the anomalies was Cantorlot High. Having to show the new girl around was going to be a major distraction. Twilight was not happy.

"Well, that could either be a really good thing or a really bad thing." Sunset was annoyed, but not shaken. She was going to break this girl down.

"Bad," Twilight responded flatly. Her relationship with Cadence offered her no advantages but the rest of the school thought so, so they made her life miserable.

"So what are your interests? You don't seem like the sportsy type, so I'll check that off the list. Hmm, mime? Interpretive dance? Puppetry?"

"Science." Twilight hoped this would shut Sunset up.

"Oh cool. Physics, chemistry, biology, geology, astronomy?"

"Physics mostly. Why? do YOU like science?" Twilight was sure this would make Sunset stop talking.

"Awesome. I prefer theoretical physics. I loved Brian Green's Elegant Universe. So what's your favorite branch?"

Twilight stopped dead. Her jaw dropped open and she swung her head around so hard her glasses almost fell off. "You read Brian Green?"

"Yep. I got body and brains both. Can't ask for more. So, can we please talk now like real human beings?"

"Come with me!" Twilight grabbed Sunset's arm and led her away as fast as she could.

****************************************************************************************************************

Everyone had gathered by the statue as the always had. It was the first day of the new school year. Most were in their junior year, Flash was in his senior. While they should have been happier, the noticeable absence of Fluttershy muted everything. Everyone was still trying to heal. Rainbow and Rarity were the two hardest hit. Neither had their usual spark or energy. They just hung around, in the back, like living wallpaper.

The bell rang and everyone went inside. On the first day Principle Celestia holds an assembly in the gym to welcome all the students. Everyone filed in, first to the bleachers then to folding chairs on the floor. Once everyone was in, Celestia walked up to the microphone and started to address the crowd.

"Greetings students; new and returning. First off, let me just address the hardships we have faced recently. Last year's turmoil at the Fall Formal, then the hijacking of the musical showcase by the Dazzelings," both Sunset rolled her eyes and Sonata sunk a little in her chair, "the disappearance of Trixie Lulamoon, and, finally, the passing of," Celestia had to choke down some tears as she thought about Fluttershy, " Fluttershy. And too that, let me take a moment to address that with you.

"If you or someone you know is being abused; please say something! Every year about fifteen hundred children die from child abuse in America; please don't be one of them. I am here for you. Vice-Principle Luna is here for you. Guidance Counselor Zecora is here for you. We want to help, we have resources; please take advantage of it. I don't, I can't lose another student. Believe it or not, we care for you, care about you. You have value, you have worth, your life has meaning! You didn't asked to be abused and you certainly don't deserve to be. Please." Celestia had to stop; her emotions were getting the better of her.

After a time, she began again. "Ok, on to more pleasant business. This year marks the return of The Friendship Games. We will be playing Crystal Prep again and I know this will be the year we finally win. After all we've been through; we are not just a school, but a family. And I have no doubt that we can and will all pull together to not only win the games but make this the best year ever at Cantorlot High!"

Celestia went on to announce new teachers, some policy changes, welcome all the new students, and to generally try to pump up the students for the upcoming year. She then dismissed everyone to their homerooms. As everyone was filing out, Celestia came and got Rainbow. She said she needed to talk to her for a minute. The rest just divided up to let the day, and the year, begin.

************************************************************************************************************

"These readings can't be right!" Sunset said in shock as peered over all the papers Twilight have given her. "According to this, there's a black hole some where around here. I mean, the background radiation, electromagnetic pulses, it's all out of order. Have you shown anybody these?"

"You're the first," Twilight said with glee. This was the first person she met that she feel she could talk to. As soon as Twilight had given Sunset her papers and saw Sunset's expression, she knew that Sunset understood.

"Twilight; you have to show somebody! -CERN, Neil deGrasse Tyson, heck, Bill Nye the Science Guy. This could change our understanding of physics and the natural world entirely." Sunset then stopped and thought for a second. "Wait, how did you find these and get all this equipment?"

Twilight blushed. "Well I guess having the Dean as a sister in law does have some advantages. And I found these readings by accident. I've been trying to find away to prove that time exist in two dimensions, not one. As we understand it now, time is just the measurement of change in an object. But what if that was only one dimension of time? If time does have another dimension, it could solve a lot of problems; especially at the quantum level."

"So could extra special dimensions." Sunset added, not knowing if she believed in the whole extra time dimension or not.

"That could as well. And I'm not saying that both are mutually exclusive. There could be both. If there was it could explain things like the quantum entanglement." Twilight got up and walked over to Sunset. "Then I found these and I've been hooked ever since. I've been doing my best to isolate the epicenter of the disturbances and it's here," Twilight pointed to a picture of a school hung up on her cork board, "Cantorlot High School."

"A high school? What in a high school could they have or be doing to create readings like this?" Sunset didn't know if she was skeptical, intrigued, or just surprised.

"I don't know, but I'm going to find out." Twilight then turned to Sunset. "Wanna help?"

*******************************************************************************************************************

"So, how's everyone's first day going?" Sunset asked as everyone sat down for lunch.

Everyone shrugged and mumbled as they sat down.

"Oh come on now," Sunset said. She was desperately trying to get everyone talking. The fact is that since they all agreed to discontinue the band, none of them had gotten together as a group. Her, Flash, and Twilight formed one faction. Rarity and Rainbow just kept to themselves and didn't interact with anyone; and Apple, Pinkie, and Sonata formed another group (although Apple would have preferred to be on her own as well). "How's your teachers? Got any nice ones, funny ones, mean ones, heck; any with three heads?"

"If a teacher here had three heads, I'm sure everyone would know about it," Sonata said with complete sincerity.

"Yeah," Pinkie added, "a three headed teacher would be pretty famous."

"School's school Sunset," Apple said. "At this point we all know what it's all about."

"Ok, fine," Sunset said in defeat.

"I have a new band," Rainbow said quietly.

Everyone gasped in surprise. "When did that happen?" Rarity asked. She didn't want to do the band thing anymore; but it did feel wrong to think of any of them playing with someone new. That was their thing.

"About a week after we called it quits. I still love playing music and want to do something with it. But I didn't feel right to continue on without . . .," Rainbow trailed off.

"So Rainbow, what did Celestia want with you?" Twilight asked.

"Oh!" Rainbow cheered up immediately. "Principle Celestia said since I'm the best athlete her, she wants me to captain all the teams here for the Friendship Games." This was the best Rainbow felt in weeks.

Everyone congratulated her. They were all genuinely happy for her.

"Sunset, Twilight, Sonata, I got a question for y'all," Apple said. "You're all adults right? Well, how do you deal with being in school, surrounded by teenagers? I've been wondering that ever since you spent the night at my house."

Flash and Twilight both blushed when the realized what night Apple was referring to.

"Well, when I came here, I didn't know anything. I had to learn everything from scratch; so in a way, I actually am a schoolgirl. But, I didn't have a very good childhood the first time. Hard times in Equestria aren't the same here, but growing up on the streets is never easy no matter where you're from. So I'm using this as make-up time." Sunset said.

"It's kind of the same for me," Twilight added. "I didn't grow up on the streets; I just didn't talk to anyone. I mean, I had a small group of girls I kind of hung out with, but only because we were in school together. Once that was over I did everything to avoid them. So for me, this is like a re-do."

Then everyone looked at Sonata who just shrugged. "Who am I not older than? Seriously. Nursery, nursing home, it's all the same to me."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Speaking of nursery," Rarity started to say before she was cut off by Twilight.

"We use protection ok!" Twilight yelled in frustration. Everyone then looked at her with their eyes opened as wide as they could be. Flash leaned over and whispered in Twilight's ear that she wasn't talking about them. Twilight blushed, giggled, and sunk back into her chair ( to Sunset's amusement).

"As I was saying," Rarity gave Twilight the evil eye, "how is that baby coming along?"

"Outside of Maud turning into Linda Blair every morning, pretty good," Pinkie said happily.

"Except Maud's head doesn't spin around," added Sonata.

"Ok I guess, " Apple said unenthusiastically.

"What's wrong Apple?" Rarity asked. "Aren't you excited?"

"Apple, haven't you talked to Big Mac yet?" Sunset asked.

"Talk to him about what?" Pinkie asked. She was concerned that Apple didn't want Big Mac to be with her sister.

"I'm afraid he's tryin' to shut me out of the farm Pinkie. And, no not yet. I know I got to, but it's just hard. We're not a family that talks about their feelings easily."

"As long as you're honest, it should be fine," said Sunset.

"Yeah, I know. I just gotta get off my duff and do it."

"You want us to say something to Maud?" asked Pinkie, trying to help.

"No! Sorry Pinkie, but I got to be the one who does this."

"Well, we're all here for you Apple." Twilight said

"Thanks Twilight. Thanks everyone. I know we haven't hung out like we used to, but y'all's still my best friends and I love each and everyone of you."

Everyone "awed" and started talking about how much everyone meant to them and how no matter what happened they would all still be friends. Finally Sunset stood up, holding her chocolate milk in the sky. "Girls, and Flash, I propose a toast, a toast to the power of friendship."

**********************************************************************************************************

Adagio, Aria, and Trixie were on their last legs. Their skin hung to their bones so that despite their fur, you could still see all of their skeletons. Their fur was matted with dirt and grime, they stunk, their teeth were rotting and every muscle in their body ached. For months they had pushed on and on trying to get to the area where they first found the gems; and now they were here. Well, near there at least. They still had about two miles to go; but what was two after the hundreds of miles they had crossed?

They looked out over the prairie they had to cross yet to get to the hills. They could the ruins of the village that had been there. Almost everything was gone. Only a few piles of stones gave hint to the buildings that once stood there.

"Time is as merciful here as on Earth I see," Aria said sarcastically.

"So, this is finally it? The place where you found your gems?" Trixie was exhausted. Almost from the very beginning she had regretted coming here. Adagio and Aria were impossible to put up with. Plus she was always tired, hungry, and sore. She wondered about her parents. Did they miss her? Was revenge even necessary, let alone worth it anymore. But, now, if this was it, the end of the line, it all would be worth it.

Adagio just looked at the hill. "Go on ahead; I'll catch up."

Aria and Trixie turned and looked at her. It was clear something had changed in Adagio. The fire, the burning passion was gone. One could see a dull, aching sadness in her eyes. She was a empty, a hologram of the person she had been. Even being this close to the end did nothing to raise her spirits.

"Aren't you coming?" Aria asked. For the first time she almost felt herself having concern for another person. She hated Adagio, always had, but she had respected her. Seeing her this low made her worry.

"Yes, just not now. Now go ahead, both of you." It was an order without passion. The others started off when Adagio started talking again. "Aria, it was fun. For the longest time. Trixie, we couldn't have made it here without you. Yes. Now go."

Aria and Trixie looked at each other worriedly. But decided to walk on.

Adagio watched them walk off and laid down on the grass. She was done. She, by sheer force of will, got them here and now she realized she didn't care anymore. The others could continue on, she was just going to lay down and die.

"Aw, what's the matter my little pony?"

Adagio looked up. "Chaos Bringer," she said with all the passion of someone talking about paint drying. "What do you want." She lowered her head back to the ground.

"Now that doesn't sound like the pony I met all those moons ago. Where's that pony, the one full of fire and steel?"

"She's dead. If not in body, then in spirit. Anger can carry you only so far. The fire is gone, the fuel used up, I have nothing left but to await my demise. Please let that come in peace."

"Hmmm, this will not do. This will not do at all. I still need you. If you wish to die, that's fine, but at least have the common courtesy to fulfill our bargain first. After that you can drop dead if you wish; I'll even help you do it. But please uphold your end."

"I owe you nothing Chaos Bringer. Besides, you have the other two. They should afford your plan with enough power to accomplish your goals."

"No, this will not do at all. Hmm, maybe what you need is an alternative."

"I only need you to leave so I may die in peace Discord."

"I once showed a regretful man what his life would have been like if he had made one critical choice differently. I think nothing motivates more than knowing what might have been."

"Will. . . ." Adagio couldn't finish, she was suddenly back on Earth. She was human again and Discord was human as well. They were standing in a bedroom. In the bed laid two figures. The covers concealed them so as Adagio could not see who they were but their silhouettes showed them to be both female. "What is this? where are we?" Adagio whispered.

"No need to whisper my dear, they can't hear us and I already told you, this is what might have been. At least one possible what might have been."

One of the figures rolled over, revealing who it was that laid beneath those sheets - it was Sunset and Adagio.

Author's Note

Keeping this short. I'll write a whole blog on my story later. But for right now, stay tuned for the last and hopefully thrilling chapter "Deus Ex Machina" tonight.

Deus Ex Machina

Adagio watched in surprised at the image of her and Sunset sleeping side by side. It is always hard to tell someone's true appearance when they are sleeping; but Adagio still was able to see that both this version of her and Sunset were older than they were today. Guessing; she would say they looked in their late 20's; still young but with the first signs of age starting to show.

"What is this?" Adagio asked in a mixture of shock and anger.

"Oh Adagio, must I tell you again? Fine. What you are seeing is the future. A possible future. Had you stayed behind in the other realm. In this, you and this one; oh, and by the way, good choice, are together. Married in fact. This is your house. And if memory serves me correctly, it's Christmas time. Aww, you two look so comfy and cozy. And look, still wearing your jammies. Oh well, I guess the honeymoon is over."

"Why? Why! Why show me this?" Now Adagio was furious. She asked to be left alone to die in peace, not to be tormented by this fiend.

"So you can see, so you can judge. It's a gift really. How many decisions are made and the person who made them is left wondering if it was the right one or not? Well, here you go. Now this is only one possible outcome. I can't show you all of them. That would, quite literally, take forever. This is the best outcome. The homerun, best of all worlds, win/win outcome. Afterwards, you will have a choice; it is within my power to change time. I can send you back and possibly achieve this. Or you can continue as you were. It will be your choice."

"You still haven't said why yet." Adagio was still angry but intrigued now.

"To see if I can get that fire inside you relit. I need you to burn in order for Equestria to burn."

"And you think I'll choose that over this? It's a big gamble." Adagio was skeptical of Discord's reasons.

"It's a gamble I'm willing to take. Besides, what makes you so sure you will choose this life. A possible life."

"We'll see," Adagio said.

**************************************************************************************************************

Sunset slowly opened her eyes and gazed out the bedroom window. I t was a cold December day. Snow still blanketed the ground from the snow fall three days ago; the temperatures never getting high enough to melt it. The sky was a crystal clear blue, the sun shown high in the sky, reflecting off the snow, making it look a thousand times brighter out side. Sunset breathed deep and smiled.

She rolled over and patted her wife gently on the arm. "Dagi, Dagi, Adagio, wake up. We got Christmas shopping to do yet."

Adagio grunted and slapped Sunset's hand away.

Sunset laughed. Adagio was not a morning or even and afternoon person. "Twilight and her family and Pinkie and Sonata are flying in tomorrow. We got to have something for them; especially Twilight's daughter. Come on, we can't disappoint a child at Christmas."

Adagio slapped Sunset's hand away again. "We're atheists, we don't celebrate Christmas," Adagio groaned.

"We don't celebrate the birth of Christ, but this is Christmas; big difference," Sunset teased.

"We don't celebrate flying fat men either. Now leave me sleep."

Sunset pursed her lips more out of amusement than irritation. "Tell you what; help me pick out gifts today, and you can pick out a gift from me tonight."

Adagio opened one eye and looked at Sunset. "I'm up," she said and got up to go to the bathroom to get ready.

***********************************************************************************************************

"How come we can't feel the cold?" Adagio asked. There was snow, she could see the wind blowing street signs and traffic lights around, and people walking around, all covered up with visible breath; yet she didn't feel cold at all.

"Once again, that's because we exist right outside normal space-time right now. It's what also allows us to observe without being seen ourselves. Now watch."

********************************************************************************************************

Sunset and Adagio walked down Main street; arm in arm. Sunset was smiling, Adagio was scowling. "I hate the cold," Adagio said.

"Oh you hate everything you big sour puss," Sunset teased back.

"That's not true. I don't hate you."

"Good thing considering we've been married for seven years now."

"Eh, give me another year or so."

Sunset slapped Adagio's arm with a fake shocked look on her face. "Ah, be nice now." Sunset suddenly stopped. "Oh Dagi, look!"

They stood before the display window of an antique store (which itself was an antique, beginning it's life as a five and dime store in 1903). In it was hanging a beautiful sled from the 1930's. It had been lovingly restored to most of it's original glory with just enough of it's age left to give it character.

"That would make an excellent gift for Nova!" Sunset said in an amazed awe.

"You think Twilight and Flash would let her have it? They're very protective," Adagio said, skeptical of Sunset's choice.

"If not now, eventually. We have to buy it."

"I don't . . ." Adagio tried to say but Sunset cut her off.

"Oh please, oh please, oh please, oh please, oh please, oh please," Sunset begged; each time her lips got closer to Adagio's.

Adagio swooped in for a quick kiss then said, "Fine. I never could say no to you."

"And yet you were the one who asked me to marry you." Sunset gave a wicked, teasing smile and kicked her one leg up behind her before going in the store.

********************************************************************************************************

They were suddenly back at the house. It was night time. Noticeably older versions of Twilight, Flash, Pinkie, Sonata, and a little girl who looked like the perfect mixture of Flash and Twilight were sitting in the living; a fire going in the fireplace, all drinking cups of hot chocolate, exchanging gifts, and reminiscing about old times.

"How'd we get here?" Adagio asked confused.

"Uh, you really don't get this do you? Fine, I'll explain again. We are outside of space-time. Therefore we are not bound by it's natural flow. We can jump forward or backward as we please along this timeline."

Adagio looked at everyone. They all seemed happy. They laughed, they joked, they told stories. She was especially amused at how big Pinkie and Sonata had gotten. Each woman looked to be dancing around the 300 pound mark. I warned you about all that junk food, she thought to herself.

"All those years, " Discord began speaking, "that you were making people fall down and worship you; what was it you were really looking for? Power? Praise? Love?"

Adagio kept watching the scene before her. "At first, adoration. I thought I was better than everyone else; that it was my birthright to be praised above all others. Then I grew bored with that. I turned mean. Well, meaner. I would cause trouble just to amuse myself. I guess what I was really looking for was an equal. Someone to fill me. A person I could give my all to and who would give all to me. I never found that, not pony, demon, human, male or female until . . ."

"Her?"

Adagio stared at Sunset, tears forming in her eyes. "Yes," she said softly, almost to the point of being a whisper.

The scene changed again. They were now in the bedroom. It was night, all the guest had gone home, Adagio was already in bed and Sunset was crawling in.

********************************************************************************************************

"Thank you for going with me today. It meant a lot," Sunset said as she pulled the covers over her.

"Eh, what was I going to do at home by myself? I saved myself from being bored." Adagio was trying her best to sound cranky and disinterested; but the affection in her voice came through.

"Uh-huh, sure Dagi. I know you love our friends, and me."

"That I do."

Sunset then snuggled up next to Adagio and started kissing her right cheek and neck. "So, how about you open that gift I promised you this morning?" Sunset whispered seductively in Adagio's ear.

****************************************************************************************************************

"Oh my! I didn't know you could bend that way Adagio," Discord remarked.

Adagio wanted to keep watching but turned away. "Enough of this Discord."

"Aw, and just when it was getting good."

They were suddenly surrounded by a thick, pure black. They could still see each other, but there was nothing else.

"What you showed me, that was a possibility, right?" Adagio asked.

"Yes, one of many. Infinite really. If you would have stayed behind, that would have been one of your possible futures. And, as I said, I can take you back there, to the night you left, and you could start over and possibly achieve that future."

"But no guarantees right?"

"No. I can tell, there are more of those gems on that rock hill. So there's your choice. You can have your powers back, immortality, and so on, you can go back to that hill top and die like you said you wanted, or you can go back and try to have that life which I showed you. Choose Adagio."

************************************************************************************************************

Sunset was walking to her car when she heard it. A song like she never heard before. It was pounding, aggressive, yet melodic. Entranced by it she walked through the school parking lot trying to find it's source. She eventually came to an old, convertible muscle car with one of the students inside, seat leaned back, hands behind his head, nodding his head to the music.

Sunset carefully walked up to him and asked, "Excuse me, but what song . . . "

The boy jumped and said in surprise, " Oh my god, your Sunset Shimmer! Your awesome!"

Sunset was taken aback by his reaction. No one, even after the Battle, had ever greeted her like that. "Uh, thanks?"

"Sorry, that came off as a bit strong. Let me introduce myself; I'm Valhallen." He stuck out his hand. Sunset looked at it tentatively, then shook it. "Listen, I know some people harsh on you because of the whole 'demon' thing, but that made my life! It was like an album cover come to life."

Sunset didn't know weather she should feel complimented, insulted, or to just runaway from this guy. But she decided to take as a compliment and ask, "So what song is that? I never heard it before. It's really good."

"Oh, that's 'Electric Crown' by Testament. They're one of the legends of thrash metal." Val said enthusiastically.

"Thrash metal?" Sunset asked.

It was then Val went into the entire history of metal for her. As he spoke, he'd flip through one song after the next, giving her an example each style metal there was. Sunset was taken by the music and how diverse it was. It went from melodic to literally, just noise; from light speed fast to geologically slow. Every example he played for her brought her new joy. Soon she was also noticing how cute he was with his longish, ginger hair and bangs over the eyes.

After he was done, he asked, "So, what do you think?"

"It's amazing. Can you burn me off some of this? You chose the songs."

"Absolutely!"

"And, what are you doing Friday?"

***********************************************************************************************************************

"Where have you been?" Twilight asked Sunset as she walked through the door.

"I got a date!" she said nearly busting with joy.

"What?! Ohmygod, ohmygod, ohmygod!" Twilight said as she ran over and gave Sunset a hug. Both women started jumping up and down. "What's his name? How'd you meet?"

"His name is Valhallen, I met him in the school parking lot, and he is amazing!"

Twilight hugged Sunset again. "Oh, I'm so happy for you!"

*****************************************************************************************************************

"Big Mac, we need to talk." Applejack said.

Big Mac was loading apple creates on the back of a truck. He had his shirt off and was covered in sweat. "Can't this wait Apple; I'm kinda busy right at the moment," he said.

"No, no it can't. I've waited to say my peace long enough and it's time for me to speak up."

Big Mac knew by the tone of her voice that she meant business. So he turned around to the other guys and said he was taking five. He then followed Apple to where she thought they were out of ear shot.

"Alright Big Mac, I gotta know; why are you cutting me out of the farm?"

Big Mac was confused and stunned. "Come again now. I know I aint heard you right."

"You heard me fine Macintosh. Why are you cutting me out of the farm? You're so gung ho to get me off to college, and with this baby on the way, well I can see how things are going. You're the oldest child and the male child and you think this farm belongs to you and yours alone. Well I'm part of this family too and this farm belongs to me as much as you. You hear me!"

Big Macs face turned red. "Listen hear little sis; I aint tryin' to cut you outta nothing ok. I know this farm is all of ours. It's already in Granny's will that we all get a share. So don't be puttin' blame on me for sumthin' I aint doing!"

"Then why are you trying' to get off to school fer?"

"So you don't have to do this!" Big Mac was on the verge of shouting now.

"Oh, so you are . . . "

"No!" Big Mac took a breath, collected himself, and then continued. "Remember when Pa died?"

"Like I'm gonna to ferget sumthin' like that?" Apple's accent got thicker the angrier she got.

"Alright then. At the viewing, the funeral, everyone kept coming up t' me saying I had to be good 'cause I was the man of the house now. I was boy Applejack! Heck, I'm still a boy. But I took that responsibility. I grown up before my time. Heck, I knew I was playing with fire by not using a condom; but kinda like Maud said, I just wanted to be irresponsible for once in my life. I'm eighteen, Apple; but I think and act like a full grown man.

"But Ma and Pa didn't ask to die neither. So I did what I had to do. I love our family and will always do that. But I don't want you to have the same fate. I don't want you to be trapped or feel trapped by this place. I want you, and Apple Bloom, to be free to live your life as you choose, not as you feel you got to."

"Aw heck Big Mac, why didn't you ever say so? You know I got your back." Apple never stopped to think what Big Mac was actually feeling. She always just assumed he was fine. Now she regretted never talking to him earlier.

"Sis, I've had this farm on my back for so long, I can't feel nothing else."

"Mac, I love this farm. It's all I want to do. I aint trapped by it! Why don't you go to college? You've had this responsibility too long. Let me take it off your back so you can feel again."

"That's mighty nice of you, but how can I go to school with a young un on the way?"

"Big Brother, if you found a way to run this place, you can find a way to go to school if you want. I know you can."

Big Mac went over and hugged Apple. "Little sister, thank you."

"Aw shucks, you're welcome. Now get your sweaty mitts off me, you stink."

With that, they both laughed.

*****************************************************************************************************************

The bus from Crystal Prep pulled up to Cantorlot High. It was CHS that was hosting the games this year and it was tradition for the hosting school to have a party for the visiting one. And on this bus, this year, sat Sunset Shimmer and Twilight Sparkle. They made sure they were on the team this time. There would be no better way to check out the campus than to go there as an "honored guest".

"Ok, you know what to do?" Twilight asked Sunset.

"As soon as we get off the bus, we slip away as soon as possible and start looking around."

"Correct."

The bus came to a stop and everyone got off. Twilight and Sunset were the last to get off. As soon as they did, they began to just visually scan the place to see if anything caught their eye; and something did, THEM!

"Twilight, look! Do you see them?"

"Yes; it's US!"

******************************************************************************************************************

"Here's the bus," said Rainbow. She looked at the Crystal Preppers as they got off the bus.

"They don't look like much," said Scootaloo who was waiting with Rainbow.

"They've always beatin' us before," retorted Applejack.

"So how did your date go last night?" Twilight asked Sunset.

"Well. It went really well. In fa . . . Twilight; look!"

Sunset didn't need to tell her, Twilight already had seen them. Standing in front of the Crystal Prep bus, in Crystal Prep uniforms was them.

*********************************************************************************************************************

"I don't think she's coming," Trixie said to Aria.

"Hmm. If she does she does, if she doesn't, she doesn't," Aria replied.

"Don't you care? As long as you two have been together?"

"All I care about is finding these gems and getting this over with."

Trixie looked over her shoulder to take another look and that's when she saw Adagio coming. She walked with a pride and purpose they hadn't seen for a long time. Trixie stopped Aria and they waited until Adagio caught up.

"Welcome back," Aria said flatly. "What took you so long?"

"I had choice to make; certain power for uncertain love." Adagio spoke in that clear, cool voice of hers'. Her pride, her swagger was back in full force.

"Oh?" Trixie said confused. "So which did you choose?"

"Power of course," Adagio said with a devilish smile. "Now come on."

The three climbed the hill and began to look around. Hours passed and still nothing. They were beginning to lose hope when Aria called out, "Found one!" The others ran over to where she was and started digging. Soon Adagio found one for her.

"Now all we have to do is find one for me now," Trixie said.

"Yes," Adagio said slyly and gave a nod to Aria. Aria bent down like she was about to start digging again when she bucked and caught Trixie in the side of the head. Adagio turned around and bucked Trixie in the side. Soon the were both on her. She was too dazed and confused to fight back. They pounded her mercilessly.

Finally they stopped. Trixie looked up at them, bloodied and broken. "You said you couldn't have made it without me," she gasped.

"We couldn't have. But, we did make it, so we don't need you anymore. Aria."

Aria took one last good kick and knocked Trixie down the hill.

*************************************************************************************************************

Trixie was sitting by her cart; cursing her luck. She thought after her last encounter with Twilight, she'd have gotten some of her reputation back. Instead all she got was laughed at harder. If nothing changed, she'd have to go back to the rock farm.

Suddenly she heard a commotion. She looked up and saw two ponies attacking a third. The beat down was brutal. Then she saw one of the attacker ponies kick the victim down the hill. There was somethin familiar about the one who was tumbling down the hill. So much so it scared her. As the battered pony came to a rest, she slowly walked over to it. Soon she saw why this pony looked so familiar; it was her!

"Help me," the injured pony croaked.

Trixie was frightened. But she was curious also. She slowly extended a hoof to the other pony. As the two touched, a blinding white light shot out from their spot. And where there had been two Trixies, no only one stood; the perfect hybrid of pony and human, with godlike powers.

****************************************************************************************************************

"What was that?" Aria asked.

"Who cares? We got our power back!" Adagio said with glee.

"You should care Adagio."

Adagio and Aria turned around and saw Trixie standing behind them. But it wasn't a Trixie they had ever seen before. This was a new and frightening Trixie. Half human, half horse.

"How?" Adagio asked in shock and horror.

"We are Trixie. We are not bound by this or any other dimension. You have your trinkets but they are nothing to me." Trixie waved her hand and both Adagio and Aria were torn apart at the atomic level. Not great final battle, just them blowing away in the wind like pillars of sand.

"Well, that was interesting," Discord said.

Trixie turned around to him floating behind her.

"First, bravo. Second, I had an agreement with you former compatriots there . . .," Discord couldn't finish, his throat seized shut.

"We do not care. Any agreements you had with them has no bearing on us. You and your dimension are a dust." From Trixie came a giant fire ball that spread instantaneously over all of Equestria, reducing it to ash. "Now, it is time we went to our other home."

*******************************************************************************************************************

They should have run. Runaway as far and as fast as they could go. But they didn't. Slowly the Crystal Prep Twilight and Sunset walked over to them. Their eyes locked on each other. Soon the other students around them noticed the two sets of girls and started talking. Were they twins? Why didn't they say anything? And didn't Sunset just move here? Everyone was confused; and soon that confusion turned to fear.

The horse statue that sat in the middle of campus exploded and in it's place stood a twenty foot tall horse monster. Everyone shrieked and started running away; everyone but the two Twilights and Sunsets who kept walking towards each other.

"Do not leave on our account," the horse creature said. It started shooting fireballs from it's hands, incinerating all they touched. "Behold, we are your new Goddess," it said. The whole campus was now going up in flames, charred bodies littered the ground. "This is only a taste of what we can do. We have already destroyed one world. We hope to save some of this one. A Goddess must have her worshippers."

Out of no where came a second blinding light. Trixie looked over and saw not one, but two figures. One was a golden skin woman with hair and wings of flame, golden armor, a long horn protruding from her head, and a sword of flame. The other was a lavender skinned woman with hair and wings the color of night with stars dancing in them. She had also had a horn, dark, almost blackish purple armor, and a sword of glowing purple. Together they spoke as one.

"Foolish child, you dare claim godhood for yourself? Do you not know who we are? We are the beginning and the end, the Alpha and Omega, light and darkness, day and night, fire and ice. We are the rulers of the realms, the keepers of balance." They walked around Trixie, taking a position on either side of her.

"No. We will not be stopped. we have come too far, suffered to much. We will prevail!" Trixie tried to shoot her fire balls but Goddess Sunset and Goddess Twilight raised their arms and the fire balls dissipated into thin air.

"You are nothing. You are a pretender to the throne. And now you are no more," The goddesses spoke. They raised their arms at their sides and energy poured from their hands; connecting together to make a circle around Trixie. Then it became a sphere and started closing in around her. She tried to fight back but the goddesses were too strong. Soon she was crushed down to nothing. A pulse of energy burst forth from where Trixie once stood knocking the Goddesses back and blowing out all the fires.

*****************************************************************************************************

Twilight awoke first. Her head pounded, her vision cloudy. Soon she was able to see. She saw two Sunset Shimmers lying next to her. One human, one "Sunset, you're and alicorn!"

Sunset slowly got up and shook her head. Someone said something, but what was it? She opened her eyes and looked down. She had her pony body back. She went to look at Twilight and saw she had wings as well. She had become an alicorn. She looked to Twilight who was in Pony form herself.

"What's going on?" She asked feeling a mixture of pride, shock, and worry.

"You transcended."

Twilight and Sunset looked over to where the statue had been and saw Princess Celestia.

"Sunset, Twilight; no one lives forever. Not even my sister and I. You two were always meant to take our places. But you got distracted. I worried about you two so much. But now, you have become more than you were and saved this world."

"But the only reason this world was in danger was because of the bad decisions we made," Twilight said.

"And I heard Trixie say she destroyed Equestria," Sunset added.

"As soon as we knew the Sirens had crossed back over; Luna knew what was coming so we prepared ourselves."

"Wait, you knew this was going to happen?" asked Sunset.

"Not this exactly, but the Great Trial. When you crossed over here out of spite and Twilight decided to come back here to forge a relationship with the boy, she put into motion events that would require a major personal sacrifice to set right."

"Battling Trixie," Twilight said.

"No, that was not the Great Trial. This is."

"What is?" asked Sunset.

"The choice I'm about to give you now. You can stay here, in this realm, with your friends. You'll have good, successful lives. Good careers, wonderful families. But Equestria will fall. Luna and I have enough magic to restore it, but that will end up killing us and Equestria will remain unguarded from all the dark forces and it will fall.

"If you come back, Equestria will stand, but you'll never marry or have children of your own. And all your days will be spent fighting back the forces of evil. It is a major sacrifice. So, what do you choose?"

Twilight looked around and saw Flash unconscious on the ground. He would be her husband, the father of her children, she would have children. How could she give that up? Because she must. For the greater good, some must sacrifice all. "I will go Princess Celestia."

"Sunset? What of you?"

Sunset thought about how she just had gotten her life together. She had friends and a boyfriend (kind of). And she knew if she stayed, she'd have a great life. Who wouldn't want that. But it was putting her wants first that started this whole chain of events in the first place. "I will come too Princess."

"You have both made me proud. Now it is time to set things right."

"And how do we do that?" asked Sunset

"And will you die?" Twilight asked.

Celestia transformed from a horse to a beautiful human with wings and a horn. Sunset and Twilight also found themselves transformed as well. "Come my children, join hands with me. Together we will have enough magic to undo what has been done. We will reset the timeline back to the night you defeated the Sirens. You Twilight will come home, you Sunset will stay behind, for now. There are still test each of must face alone before you can rule together. But soon your time will come. Just as the sun rises, so does the moon. Now, what was set wrong, we shall set right.

*****************************************************************************************************************

"I don't know and I don't care. We just need to go, to get away as soon as possible. Don't you understand that? Huh? All muscle, no brain?"

"Don't even start with me! We wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you! Keep talking and I'll show you what these muscles are capable of!"

"Sonata! Snap out of it!" Adagio ordered.

Sonata slowly moved her head and met Adagio's gaze. "We're not immortal anymore. We're gonna grow old, whither, and die."

"Sonata . . ." Adagio started to speak softly, soothingly to her frightened friend; but she was interrupted by Aria.

"Good luck putting that on a job application." Aria snarked back.

"Let's go back" Sonata whispered again.

"WHAT!" Adagio and Aria shouted at the same time.

Sonata shook her head. "You're right, that's dumb. Let's go!"

With that they packed up and left.

***********************************************************************************************************

For Flash, he knew Twilight was from another dimension, had magical powers, and sometimes sprouted wings. All a bit strange, but none of which was a deal breaker. He had only ever seen as a girl, a human girl (well except for the wings thing). To him she was a sixteen year old high school girl. A very attractive, sweet, lovely, smart, and talented high school girl. He had never seen or even knew about her other form. He just assumed that her body in this dimension was the same as in hers'.

"I don't know." It was all she could say. Twilight looked down at the ground in sadness. Flash took her hands in his and she looked up into his eyes. "I just know I'm going to miss you."

"Do you really have to go back?" Of course she does idiot , he thought to himself. God he was hopeless. Why couldn't he express himself better? I suck.

"Oh! A princess. I never met royalty before." He did an old fashioned bow. "Your majesty."

Twilight laughed. "You goon! Get up." It was good to laugh.

Flash looked at her and smiled. Then his smile faded and his face became serious. "What if I came with you?"

Now Flash laughed a bit. "What? You sound like my mom or teacher."

Twilight looked down again. "Flash, how old do you think I am?"

"I dunno. Fifteen, sixteen maybe?"

"Twenty-seven."

"What! No way!" Flashed laughed even harder. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"It's true. For whatever reason, coming into this world, I don't know, de-ages, re-ages me to a sixteen year old. But I am twenty-seven."

"Oh." Flash fell silent and Twilight waited for him to say goodbye (or maybe just run away screaming). "I'm in love with an older woman, awesome!", he said.

Hearing her say the "L" word made him step back a bit. Holy crap, he had just said that didn't he? "Um, well, yeah. On both things."

The two pulled away at the same time and now Flash said, "So back to the original question - now what?"

"I can't stay and you can't leave; not now at least." Twilight started to cry again.

"So this is goodbye then?" Flash asked, on the verge of tears himself.

"Let's just say goodbye for now please. It's all my heart can take."

With that they kissed goodbye.

*********************************************************************************************************

"It's a great morning you have made dear sister," Luna said to Celestia.

"I'm just glad it is morning sister," Celestia replied.

"Will they remember any or the other timeline?" Luna asked.

"Only as faint whispers in dreams. I do feel sorry for them, but now, everyone lives."

"Including the human Fluttershy?"

"Yes. She will eventually come forward and be adopted by a loving family."

"That is good to hear. And what of the challanges that lie ahead yet? Are they prepared?"

"After what they've faced; I'd say they're prepared for anything."

THE END

Author's Note

Blog tomorrow, now bed. Night.