Oversaturation

Chapters

Neutrals
Tones
Brightness
Secondaries
Clashing
Running
Spectrum
Light
Contrast

Neutrals

The Carousel Boutique was perhaps the only store in Canterlot that had three states: Open, Closed, and Inspired. Rarity kept the place stocked and profitable, but sometimes customers had to wait while she rode out the throes of her muse. Unless, of course, her friends were available to man the counter. Today, that meant Applejack and Sunset Shimmer. Meanwhile, Fluttershy served as the mannequin for the dress currently under construction, because "I know your coloration is all wrong, darling, but your proportions are simply perfect!" It wasn't their first choice for how to spend the second day of Spring Break, but Rarity always made sure they were well-compensated, and the company made up for the slog of retail work.

During the lunchtime lull, Rarity said, "Thunthet, 'm afraid 'e 'ave thomething to... a 'o'ent." She took the last pin from her mouth and into her creation's ankle-length skirt. "There we are. As I was saying, I'm afraid we have something to discuss with you."

Sunset looked about the room. All eyes were on her, but none of them seemed hostile. Still, she felt an anxious knot forming in her stomach. "You do?" She got a trio of nods.

"I assure you," said Rarity, "no one here thinks you're responsible."

Sunset scowled. "So either Rainbow Dash or Pinkie Pie does, if not both."

Rarity rose from her crouch. "Now, now. I never said that."

Sunset just turned to Applejack, who nodded. "Pinkie's sore 'cause you never told 'er you were ready for prankin'. Said she had a lot planned for yer first one."

"Rainbow Dash doesn't want to blame you," Fluttershy added, "but she doesn't know who else could have done it."

Sunset looked back and forth across the boutique. "I don't even know what I did!"

Her friends traded uneasy glances. After a few moments, Rarity sighed. "Oh, very well. We can get something to eat afterwards. Applejack, be a dear and put up the 'back soon' sign? Set it to half past noon."

Applejack nodded and made for the door. Fluttershy shook a little with the effort she put into keeping still. "Um..."

"Give me just a few moments more, and I'll have it stable enough to remove."

Sunset paced in front of the stage where Rarity was making sure her latest work wouldn't collapse. When Applejack got back from the door, Sunset turned to her. "Couldn't you just tell me?"

Applejack bit her lip. "It's easier to jus' show you. Well, it is for Rarity. Ah'm wearin' shorts under mah skirt."

Before Sunset could ask further, Rarity chirped, "All finished! Fluttershy, I trust you know what to do." Rarity stepped down from the stage and looked around furtively. "Well, may as well get this over with. Here's the issue, Sunset." She lifted the side of her skirt.

Sunset knelt and stared for a good minute, tilting her head, hand on her chin. Fluttershy finished setting the dress on a mannequin in the interim.

Finally, Rarity cleared her throat and shoved her skirt back down, her face almost incandescent. “Did you enjoy yourself?"

Sunset felt her own face heat up. “I didn’t mean…” She shook her head. “I don’t understand what the problem is.”

“Don’t under..." Rarity shook her head. "Sunset, how could you possibly not see the problem here?”

Sunset shrugged. “I didn’t see anything unusual.”

Rarity faintly quivered with rage. "This may be something of a cultural gap, but as far as I am concerned, blue diamond tattoos on my hips qualify as unusual!"

“Tattoos?” Sunset’s jaw dropped as the pieces came together. “You mean you didn’t have a cutie mark before?”

She was met with three looks of incomprehension. "The heck is a cutie mark?" asked Applejack.

Sunset lifted her own skirt, revealing the two-tone sun on her own hip. "This." She dropped the fabric under the weight of her friends' stares. "Wow, that is uncomfortable. Sorry, Rarity."

"It's alright, darling. I understand your confusion now." Rarity pursed her lips in thought. "How long have you had that?"

"Since before I went through the portal. Everypony has them in Equestria." Sunset shrugged. "I figured you did here as well. You just didn't talk about them because of the whole 'nudity taboo' thing."

Applejack raised an eyebrow. “You sayin' you ain't never seen anyone else’s hips before?”

Sunset matched her expression. “I picked up on that taboo pretty quickly.”

“Swimsuits? Changin' for gym?”

Sunset looked away and rubbed an arm. “I spent my summers here planning my conquest of Equestria, and I was bribing or blackmailing most of the faculty, so gym class wasn’t really a concern. After the Fall Formal, I’ve just been trying not to attract attention.”

"Biology textbooks?" asked Fluttershy.

"Swimsuit catalogs?" added Rarity.

"Not even th' Internet?"

Sunset crossed her arms. "For a species so shy about your bodies, you sure do have a lot of ways of seeing them uncovered."

“What about Flash?” asked Rarity.

“What about…” Sunset shuddered. “Ugh! No! No, no, no, absolutely not!” She shook her head. It did nothing to clear out the mental images. “I told you guys, he was just another rung on the social ladder to me. I never felt anything for him. I certainly wouldn’t…” She shuddered and stuck out her tongue. “Look, I still think of myself as a unicorn, and xenophilia was never my thing. I wasn't looking for naked humans because I didn't want to see any. Besides, Flash is kind of a dork. He has no spacial awareness. He’s walked into people, walls, doors... I think I even saw him smack up against a patch of fog once.”

Fluttershy tilted her head. "But what about Twilight?"

Sunset shrugged. "Apparently, she's into balding apes. Good for her."

"We're gettin' off topic," said Applejack. "These marks may be normal for ponies, but we ain't ponies."

"No, but we do gain equine traits when playing music." Sunset cupped her chin in a hand. "When did your cutie marks appear?"

"Mine showed up after we kicked siren keister," said Applejack.

"Mine as well," said Rarity. Fluttershy nodded.

"As I thought." Sunset began to pace. "You all got a bit of harmony magic after the Fall Formal. It's possible that it grew stronger during the fight against the Dazzlings, strong enough to express itself through cutie marks."

Rarity's eyes widened. "Are you saying this is permanent?"

Sunset shrugged. "Maybe. Time will tell. Though I do have to wonder how you know what symbols to put on your clothes if you don't—"

A trilling sound interrupted her. Sunset pulled out her phone. "Huh." She took the call. "Everything okay, Pinkie?"

The answer lacked any of Pinkie's usual mirth. "Write to Twilight, Sunset. We may have a problem."

Sunset felt a chill run down her spine. "What kind of problem?"

"No time to explain. Where are you?"

"Carousel Boutique. But can't you just tell me now?" Silence. "Pinkie?" Sunset looked at her phone. "And she hung up. Wonderful."

"What was it?" asked Fluttershy.

"I don't know," Sunset huffed. "Apparently, there was no time to explain. But she wants me to write to Princess Twilight."

"Ah'll call Rainbow," said Applejack. "This sounds like it's gonna need all of us."

Sunset nodded and dug her journal and a pen out of her backpack. "I knew it was a good idea to keep this close." She flipped to a blank page.

Dear Princess Twilight,

My friends have developed cutie marks since the incident at the Battle of the Bands—apparently most humans don't have them—and Pinkie has alerted us to... something. She said to contact you. Knowing her, that means it's either a magical catastrophe or a sale on those eclairs you really like. I'll update you as soon as I get more information.

Your friend,
Sunset Shimmer

"Well, that's all I can tell her for now." Sunset sighed. "Now we just have to wai—"

Rainbow Dash pounded on the door. "C'mon, guys!" she shouted, a bit muffled through the glass. "I can see you in there!"

Rarity frowned and unlocked the door. "Is a little gentleness so very much to ask, Rainbow Dash?"

"Yeah, hi to you too." Dash breezed in. "Pinkie here yet?"

Applejack shook her head. "Still waitin' on 'er."

"Makes sense. I was at CHS. Straight shot here."

Sunset quirked an eyebrow. "What were you doing at the school now?"

"Got in a fight with myself." Dash rubbed her abdomen. "I took a gut shot, but I got me back just as good. Walking it off now. Well, biking, but you know."

The other girls traded looks for a bit until Fluttershy spoke for the group. "What?"

"I was talking with the me from the pony world. I have wings all the time there." Dash's rapturous smile faded, and her head dipped down. "It's actually kinda, you know, humbling to know there's a me out there more awesome than I am."

Sunset's jaw dropped. "Wait, you got in a fight with your pony analogue? That could've—"

"Destabilized the whatsit, right. Twilight said something about that."

Any responses were interrupted by the door flying open. A panting Pinkie Pie stumbled into the boutique with the rattle of a falling bike, her hair sticking out straight behind her for two feet. "Got here... as fast... as I could." Her hair reasserted its usual shape with an audible "foomp."

"So," said Sunset, "what's so important that you couldn't just tell us over the phone?"

Pinkie held up a hand as she caught her breath. After a few moments, she said, "Maud has pony magic."

Sunset blinked. "As in your sister who feeds her pet rock?"

Pinkie nodded. "It was just before I called you...

The Pie family residence was almost aggressively dull, its palette largely greys with the occasional daring dip into beige. It made Pinkie stand out like burning lithium. “You really have to go?” she asked.

Maud nodded with a frown only Pinkie could perceive. “Our spring breaks don’t line up. I have classes tomorrow.”

Pinkie all but tackled her sister. It was a bit like running into a lamppost, but one that could hug back.

“I’ll e-mail you when I get back,” said Maud, a bit muffled from her face being buried in a mass of pink curls.

“I love you, Maud.”

“I love you too, Pinkie. Thank you for staying home to see me off.”

Pinkie giggled. “Yeah, because it was such a big sacrifice not going to a rock museum.”

“Oh. I almost forgot.” Maud pried Pinkie’s arms off of her, then dug into a pocket.

“Goodbye, Boulder.”

“He appreciates the thought, but he’s not what I remembered.” Maud produced a fist-sized stone. It was the color of a dying coal on the outside, but numerous cracks revealed the ruby-like interior.

Pinkie leaned in closer, eyes sparkling. “Wow! That’s really pretty! Where’d you find it?”

“I made it.”

“Huh?” Pinkie looked up at her sister.

“The night of your concert, with the giant rainbow energy horse. After it shattered the rocks around the other singers’ necks, I gathered up the scraps." Maud looked at the stone. "They were shouting. I told them to be quiet. They did. Then I told them to come together. They did.”

“Whuh?”

Maud’s eyelids drifted shut. Ruddy light radiated out of the rock. The ground shook beneath their feet. Pinkie fell onto her rear.

Maud took her hand and pulled her back up as easily as lifting a newspaper. She had pony ears and a length of hair stretching down to her ankles, threaded through a slice of agate midway through. The rest was still in her usual style though. “I think there may have been some side effects.”

Pinkie spread out her arms to take in the changes. “You think?”

Maud’s answer was a microscopic smile. “Talk to you soon, Pinkie.” With that, she ran for the train station. Pinkie watched her pass at least one car.

Pinkie dug into her hair until she found her phone, extracted it, and dialed, all without moving anything above her shoulders.

"Everything okay, Pinkie?"

“Write to Twilight, Sunset. We may have a problem.”

"And then you said, 'What kind of problem?' And I said—"

"I know, Pinkie," said Sunset. "I was there."

"What does this mean?" asked Fluttershy.

Rarity put her hands over her mouth. "Oh dear. If this happened to Pinkie's sister because she was at the concert, then any number of people could have been affected!"

"N-not necessarily." Sunset gave an uneasy smile. "I mean, maybe someone has to be related to one of us to be affected."

Rarity and Applejack both glared at her. "That ain't exactly reassurin'," said Applejack.

"As if Sweetie Belle weren't destructive enough..." Rarity shuddered.

"Well, it could still be a one-in-a-million chance," Sunset said. "An isolated incident."

"OF COURSE!"

Everyone jumped at the sudden outburst. Rainbow Dash then laughed. "Really? F. Buncher from the Alley Brawler movie?"

Sunset flushed. "I keep meaning to change that alert, but I haven't exactly gotten a lot of texts since the Fall Formal." Her journal started flashing and buzzing. "Well, that was quick." She opened the book. A few moments later, it fell from her nerveless fingers, revealing a thousand-yard stare.

"Uh, Sunset?" Applejack edged closer. "Everything okay?"

"What did Twilight say?" asked Pinkie.

"Oh, that wasn't Twilight." Sunset's lips curled up, though her gaze remained horrified. "That was Spike. Twilight's new castle grew some kind of magical map of Equestria, and now she and your pony counterparts have all left to investigate some remote point near Neighagra Falls. So, you know, she'll be unavailable for a few days. Heh. Heh heh."

"Hey now." Pinkie wrapped her arms around Sunset from behind. "None of that."

"Yeah," said Dash, "we can totally handle this on our own."

Rarity nodded. "With your magical expertise, of course."

Sunset took a deep breath. "You're right. Thanks." A beat. "You can let go now, Pinkie."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Fiiiine."

"Thanks, though." Sunset pulled out her phone. "Now, what's this about..." Her expression quickly returned to horror. "Oh, horseapples." Pinkie latched back on to her.

Fluttershy gulped. "What is it?"

Sunset just set her phone down on the front counter.

From: Vinyl Scratch

collab w/ tavi. we grew horse ears. sup w/ that?

Rarity cleared her throat. "It would appear that this is not, in fact, an isolated incident."

"So, what now?" asked Dash.

Sunset bit her lip. "I have no idea."

Author's Note

Thanks to Blue_Paladin42, Kris Overstreet, Bliss Authority, and Derpmind for prereading the rough draft of what this used to be and convincing me to take it in a different direction.

Tones

Sunset looked around the room. "Everyone, it has been a privilege to be your friend. Thank you for everything you've done for me. I just wish—" She was cut off by a very curious sensation.

Applejack brought her hat back into place. "You done?"

Sunset blinked as her mind confirmed what had just happened. "Did you just hit me with your hat?"

"Gentler'n mah first idea." Applejack crossed her arms and gave Sunset a half-lidded glare. "Now, you wanna tell us why yer talkin' like someone on 'er deathbed?"

"Yeah," said Dash, "magic's awesome. I'm not seeing a problem here. I mean, how many Equestrian jerks like the Dazzlings can there be on Earth?"

Sunset frowned. "Well, according to Clover the Clever's biography, Star Swirl the Bearded seemed to consider banishing things to another dimension as an acceptable solution to everything from garbage disposal on up." She shook her head. "But that's not the problem. For one, higher magic levels are why you have those marks on your hips."

Dash glowered at her. "How did you know about those?"

Rarity put a hand on Dash's shoulder. "We told her, darling."

Sunset's field of vision was suddenly filled by narrowed blue eyes. "So it wasn't a prank?" said Pinkie.

"N-no." Sunset backed away. Given that they were both behind the boutique's checkout counter, she didn't have far to go. "Personal space, please?"

Pinkie ducked down, then emerged on the other side of the counter, maintaining the squint. "Okay. You get a pass this time, Shimmer." She resumed her usual smile. "But when you are ready to prank people, you gotta tell me. I have so many plans for your first one." She leaned over the counter and hissed, "So many."

Sunset stayed pressed against the wall. "Duly noted."

Fluttershy cleared her throat. "So, um, why else is a lot of magic a bad thing?"

"Right! That." Sunset flipped through her journal until she reached a page covered in equations. "This is why. Star Swirl's Third Law of Polycosmic Interfacing."

"If it's your first polycosmic—"

"No, Pinkie." Sunset tapped the relevant formula with a finger. "Connecting two worlds erodes the barrier between them. Sufficient connection will cause them to fuse."

Rarity swallowed. "And... what precisely does fusing entail?"

Sunset frowned down at the book. "The equations allow for three different outcomes. Given the magical discrepancy between this world and Equestria..." Sunset shook her head. "Annihilation. Possibly of both universes."

Dash's eyes bugged out. "Okay, that's bad."

"Yeah. That's why Princess Twilight doesn't leave the portal open on a constant basis." Sunset slumped, her chin in her hands. "And without help and resources from Equestria, I have no idea where to even begin addressing the issue."

The others traded looks for a few moments. Rarity hummed to herself. "So, what would you do if you did have access to those resources?"

Sunset thought for a moment, then shook her head. "Even then, I'd need to convince people to go through the portal and undergo all kinds of tests."

Dash snorted. "You'd have to abduct people and probe them?"

"Well, I'd get their consent first." Sunset raised an eyebrow as Dash shook with barely restrained mirth. "I'm missing something, aren't I?"

"It isn't important." Rarity jabbed Dash with an elbow, not changing the other girl's behavior one bit. "Can you perform any of those tests here?"

Sunset shook her head. "Not unless you know where I could find a thaumic spectrometer, a grade-12 medical samoflange, an electroencephalogram—"

"I know where you can get an EEG."

All eyes turned to Fluttershy. She bit her lip, but stood firm. Sunset asked, "You do?"

Fluttershy nodded. "There's one in the NAHTI."

The others looked at one another and saw that they were all equally perplexed. "The naughty what?" asked Pinkie Pie.

Fluttershy shook her head. "No, I mean the Not A Human Testing Installation."

Sunset quirked an eyebrow. "Then what is it?"

"A human testing installation."

After a beat, Applejack said, "Run that by us again?"

"Mr. Discord wanted to invest some of the proceeds of his latest book in the school. Principal Celestia very specifically said that he could add anything, so long as it was not a human testing installation." Fluttershy giggled quietly. "You know how he is."

Everyone else nodded. The head of the science department was... eccentric. He certainly had enough money to qualify for the adjective.

"Am I to understand," said Rarity, "that there is now a facility all but explicitly designed for human experimentation in our high school?"

Fluttershy nodded, smiling softly. "Oh yes. Mr. Discord was so happy when he told me that he had finished hooking up the mainframe."

Pinkie beamed. "Is there a homicidal AI made by a company that originally made shower curtains?"

"He looked for one, but they were outside of his price range." Fluttershy dipped her head. "He was so disappointed."

Pinkie backed away a step. "I was joking."

"So was he." After a moment, Fluttershy added, "At least, I'm fairly certain he was."

Sunset took a deep breath. "Okay. Putting aside the worrisome spending habits of a man who may develop godlike chaos powers if the situation gets any worse—"

"Wait, what?" Dash boggled at this. She wasn't the only one.

"Putting that aside," said Sunset, "we have a convenient lab that will have at least some of what I need to determine just how doomed we are. Especially since it means I'll actually get readings from humans instead of humans turned into ponies. Thinking about it, that would throw things off by a lot." She gave a shaky smile. "So, yeah, good news if you squint. Thanks, Fluttershy."

"Woohoo!" Pinkie literally jumped for joy. "Now we just need to talk to Vinyl and Octavia and get their side of it!"

This was met with four nods and a facepalm. "Right. Firsthoof testimony."

"Hand," Fluttershy murmured.

"Well, that's how rattled I am. Not only do I miss an obvious source of data, I forget what's on the ends of my limbs." Sunset took another deep breath. They didn't seem to be helping much. "Okay. So. Where is she?"

"Ooh! Ooh!" Pinkie waved her hand in the air. "If it's Sunday and she's with Octavia, then they're jamming in her basement! I can take you there!"

"Pinkie, how do you..." Sunset shook her head. "Answered my own question. Okay, let's get this taken care of as soon as we can. Rainbow Dash, could you cover for me here?"

"Wait, what?"

"Thanks. Come on, Pinkie."

Dash scowled. "Hey, I never—"

Rarity put a hand on her shoulder. "Fate of the world, darling. Besides, you'll just be running the register with Applejack. And I'll buy you lunch first. We still have time for somewhere close."

Pinkie turned back, eyes sparkling. "Ooh!"

Sunset grabbed her hand and started dragging her towards the exit. "Come on, Pinkie. We shouldn't leave them waiting any longer than necessary."

Pinkie pouted. "But lunch!"

"I'll get us something when we're through."

Pinkie mulled this over for a moment before solemnly nodding. "This is acceptable."

Sunset smiled. "Glad to hear it."

Driving allowed Sunset a chance to relax. Sort of. At the very least, her concerns about the continued integrity of the universe had to take a backseat to the more immediate terror she felt whenever she operated her personal explosion-powered screaming metal death carriage, or "car," as humans had quaintly dubbed the things. And, of course, there was Pinkie Pie to contend with. It was very hard to focus on potential apocalypses when that girl was trying to give directions.

"Now go left."

"Ri— Got it." Sunset smirked as she hit the turn signal. She wasn't going to fall for that gag.

"No, my left."

"We have the same left!"

Still, by some miracle, they made it to Vinyl Scratch's home alive and intact, if not necessarily sane. It was about fifteen minutes away, in Canterlot's thin layer of suburbs. The house didn't stand out that much from those around it... provided one ignored the third floor that looked like it had been made by slipping a layer of shipping containers underneath the roof.

Sunset took in the edifice from the road for a time before asking, "Pinkie?"

"Yes, Sunset?"

"What exactly am I looking at?"

"Well, Vinyl's dad is the dean of robotics at Cybertron Polytechnical."

Sunset turned to Pinkie. "He is?"

Pinkie smirked. "Where did you think she got that car?"

Sunset's mouth worked silently for a moment. "In all fairness, I was a bit more worried about stopping the sirens at the time. Come on." She started down the cement path that led from the sidewalk up to the front door.

"Welcome."

"Ah!" Sunset jumped back from the voice even as she looked for the source. She soon found it. "Pinkie?"

"Uh huh?"

"Was that lawn gnome always looking at me?"

Pinkie giggled. "Aren't they fun?"

"Not how I'd describe them." Sunset shuddered. "Are they all going to do that?" There was a line of them on either side of the path.

Pinkie bounced on her toes. "Maaaaybe."

"Let's just get this over with." Sunset pressed on.

There was a faintly audible whir as the next gnome turned to face them. "Welcome."

"Welcome."

"Whatever Twilight's dealing with," Sunset muttered, "at least it isn't this." A few welcomes later, she reached the front door and rang the bell.

Vinyl Scratch opened the door, then whipped off her glasses to give Sunset a full glare.

Sunset gave a nervous smile. "Um... Hi?"

Vinyl moved aside to let the girls in. The entry hall seemed fairly standard, though the knickknacks had a definite "gears and springs" theme to them.

After Vinyl shut the door, she turned to face Sunset. "What. The. Actual. Fuck." With every word, she stalked a step closer, forcing Sunset back until she was pinned against the opposite wall.

In her panic, Sunset latched onto the first thing that came to mind. "You can talk?" Maybe it was the sheer surprise, but she could've sworn there was a bit of electronic reverb in the other girl's voice.

Vinyl rolled her eyes, put her glasses back on, and stalked away.

"And so you see why she generally doesn't," said Octavia, moving into the room with better disguised hostility. Her movements, at least, were calm, even if her glare gave Vinyl's a run for its money.

Pinkie scratched her head, or as close as her hair would allow. "That seems self-perpetuating."

Octavia allowed herself a ghost of a smile. "So I keep telling her." Her scowl reasserted itself. "I find myself echoing Vinyl's sentiments, if not quite as crudely. Some answers would be appreciated."

Sunset grimaced and looked away. "Honestly, we were hoping you could give us some."

Vinyl cleared her throat and pointed down.

Octavia nodded. "It probably would be best if we discussed this in the fallout shelter."

"The what?" asked Sunset with a blink.

"It's so heavily soundproofed, it might be able to withstand a nuclear blast." Octavia turned and beckoned them forward with a wave of her hand. "Come on."

The basement stairs led to an open room about the size of a CHS classroom, with a few pillars in the middle. One wall was covered in sophisticated audio equipment, with turntables that looked like something out of a science fiction movie. The other side of the room had a raised dais, on which rested a cello.

Once everyone was down, Octavia crossed her arms and tapped her fingers against the opposite forearm. "All right. What do you need to know, Shimmer?"

"Hey!" cried Pinkie. "What did Sunset ever—"

Sunset raised a hand. "Pinkie, I appreciate you coming to my defense, I really do, but can we please keep this conversation away from my 'Queen Bitch' period?"

"Yes, Your Highness." Pinkie curtsied.

Vinyl raised an eyebrow at Octavia, jerked a thumb at Sunset, then turned it into a thumbs up.

Octavia harrumphed. "Vinyl trusts you, but I still haven't ruled out the possibility of you being responsible for this..." She flushed a bit. "This embarrassment."

"I didn't think magic was even possible in this world until the Fall Formal," said Sunset.

Octavia raised an eyebrow. "I'm sorry, you do attend the same school as Pinkie Pie, yes?"

Sunset turned to Pinkie, who pulled a balloon off of her skirt, inflated it in a single breath, and held onto the string as she floated up to the ceiling. "Ta-da!"

Sunset's jaw dropped. "Were you always able to do that? Even before the Formal?"

"Only when it's funny." Pinkie squeezed the balloon through a controlled descent. "Though it should be a lot harder when someone's calling attention to it."

"That would've been good to know before." Sunset shook her head. When she opened her eyes again, the balloon was gone and Pinkie's skirt had returned to normal. "Going to put that aside for now. We need to focus on Octavia and Vinyl." She turned to the former. "Look, I don't know how or even if I can prove that I wasn't responsible for this, but I can at least do all I can to help you with it."

Octavia looked to Vinyl. They shared some silent communication for most of a minute before Octavia dipped her head down. "Very well. Where shall we begin?"

"Well, what happened?" Sunset pulled out her phone. "Vinyl's text message was a bit short on details."

"It started normally enough. The blending of genres, the fusion of classical and cutting edge into something greater than the sum of its parts..." Octavia smiled at the memory, only to scowl a moment later. "Then the mutations set in. Vinyl thought you'd know something about that."

Sunset crossed her arms and tapped a foot. "I assume you were at the Battle of the Bands final?"

Octavia nodded. "It's a bit fuzzy, but I definitely recall going."

"And I take it you two are close?"

Octavia and Vinyl shared a smile. "I wouldn't say we're Lyra-and-Bonbon-level, ahem, 'best friends,'" said Octavia, complete with air quotes, "but we're certainly close."

"Well, you certainly fit the same pattern as the Rainbooms. After being exposed to magic, a combination of friendship and music led to pony traits." Sunset sighed. "Really, if it weren't for Pinkie's sister, I'd call this conclusive."

"Most of Maud's friends are rocks," noted Pinkie, "and she did make that one out of the Dazzlings' necklaces. Maybe that's musical enough."

Sunset shrugged. "Possibly."

"That's all as may be," said Octavia, "but what am I going to tell the orchestra next week? I can't very well perform if I have horse ears springing out of my head four measures in."

Sunset's eyes widened. "How many members of the orchestra were at the Battle of the Bands final?"

"Er..." Octavia brought a finger to her lips as she thought. "I'm not quite sure, actually. As I said, it's all a bit muzzy."

Vinyl coughed a few times, then spread her arms wide.

"Oh. Everyone who was physically able, it seems," Octavia translated.

Sunset winced. "Well, the good news is that you probably won't be dealing with quite as many awkward questions as you're expecting. The bad news is that most, if not all, of the orchestra will be showing the same signs."

"And there's no cure?"

Sunset shook her head. "It's not a disease. The only way to keep this from happening would be not performing the catalyzing behavior."

"Not play music, you mean." Octavia crossed her arms. "That isn't acceptable."

"Well, it's all I can think of." Sunset slumped, her eyes on the floor. "I just don't know enough. Not yet, anyway. My friends and I are planning to run some tests tomorrow." She looked up. "You could join in if you wanted."

The musicians traded a look. Vinyl hissed through her teeth. Octavia shook her head. "I think we'd both rather avoid that. I suppose we can ignore it for now. Vinyl?"

Vinyl shrugged, then nodded to Sunset.

"Thanks from me as well, I suppose." Octavia gave Sunset a flat look. "I still don't trust you any farther than I can throw you, but it appears you really are making an effort to change. I can appreciate that."

Vinyl cleared her throat and tapped her sternum.

Octavia rolled her eyes and smiled. "Yes, yes. And compared to being enthralled by a trio of dragon-seahorse things, looking ridiculous when I play is an acceptable alternative."

Sunset smirked. "Gee, thanks. I'll tell you if I learn anything more."

"Thank you."

"And spread the word with the rest of the music-y people at school!" said Pinkie. "We don't want everyone panicking the first time they pony up."

Octavia crossed her arms and looked away. "I did not panic. I was merely startled."

Outside of Octavia's field of view, Vinyl shook her head, pointed at the other girl, and pretended to scream.

Pinkie stifled a giggle and waved. "Have fun, you two!"

Octavia nodded, Vinyl dropping the silent scream before she saw it. "Best of luck."

Once Sunset and Pinkie were back in the car and buckled in, Pinkie spoke up. "That wasn't all you meant by 'avoid the catalyzing behavior,' was it?"

A chill went down Sunset's spine. "What do you mean?"

"Call it a hunch. You didn't just mean not playing music, did you?"

Sunset sighed. "No, I didn't. Your sister made it clear that this isn't isolated to music. Everyone in CHS would have to stay miserable at all times to minimize the risk of magical manifestations." She glanced at Pinkie's expression. It was just as displeased as she expected. "I don't like it either, but it makes sense. This is harmony magic we're dealing with. Disharmony will work as a countermeasure."

"Permanently?"

Sunset just stared at the road.

"Sunset?"

She was very glad she hadn't started the car yet. She might have been tempted to end the conversation in a much more direct manner. "No. It would be a stopgap measure at best." Sunset threw up her hands. "But I can't think of anything else! I just don't know enough about how magic works in this world, especially after your little display."

Pinkie gave her a rather awkward hug. "So we'll figure it out! You're super-duper smart, and I'm sure Twilight will be finished with whatever she's doing soon if you need help."

Sunset took a deep breath. "Yeah. Yeah, you're probably right."

"No probablies about it! We're sure to find a better idea. I mean, who'd want a school full of disharmony?"

"Fluttershy! Well, this is a pleasant surprise. I wasn't expecting you to call me over the break. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Fluttershy shifted from foot to foot. "Well, a friend of mine needs to use the NAHTI."

"Ah," Mr. Discord said over the phone. "I see how it is. Only calling when you need something, just like my nieces."

Fluttershy cringed. "I'm sorry!"

"I'm only teasing, Fluttershy," the teacher said more gently. "And as it happens, this is a rather fortuitous request."

"It is?"

"Yes. You see, another brilliant young mind requested both the use of the NAHTI and the presence of a certain charming young lady and her friends."

"Who?" asked Fluttershy.

"An incredible young woman in her own right. She may be the brightest prodigy since..." Mr. Discord trailed off as he thought about it. "Well, since me. Youngest person ever published in Nature. I don't suppose you've ever heard of Twilight Sparkle?"

Author's Note

Sunset's familiarity with human pop culture has some holes in it.

Mr. Discord has written such classics as Why We Can't Have Nice Things: The Science of Supernature's Nonexistence, Nice Things We Won't Have: More Fiction than Science, and You Keep Using That Word: What Popular Technical Terms Actually Mean. No one has any idea why he teaches high school physics, or where he finds the time to write his books.

Cybertron Polytechnical University is a premiere school of applied technology and engineering. I'm not saying that Vinyl's father is G1 Soundwave. I'm also not saying that he isn't G1 Soundwave.

Brightness

Sunset Shimmer looked around the exterior of Canterlot High. It was strangely empty and eerily quiet. No traffic noises, no sound of people on phones. It felt like she was the only person in the world.

"So, this is how it ends?"

And yet, that hadn't been her voice. Not exactly. She looked up. Floating above the statue that housed the portal back home was the monster she'd become during the Fall Formal. It gave a fanged grin. "Scorched earth, huh? If we can't have this world, no one can. I like it."

Sunset glared at the demon. "I'm trying to stop that from happening."

The fiend looked over its claws as though assessing a manicure. "And who got the ball rolling in the first place? Really, this is just you trying to clean up after our mess." It shrugged. "Why bother? It's not like there's anything important about this pathetic, crippled universe. Let it go." It grinned again, spread its wings, and glided down to the ground before Sunset. "Just imagine the fireworks."

There was a crackling sound like someone walking on broken glass and a high-pitched whine that rose in volume. Cracks formed in the space around the girl and the demon, leaking glaring white light as they widened.

"It's a shame we won't be able to see it for ourselves," the demon shouted over the sound of the dying cosmos. "Still, at least we can escape. We may even bring those new minions of ours along with us. They've proven useful before."

A beat. The creature tilted its head. "Well? Nothing to say? Thinking it over? Really, I'd think the answer would be obvious."

Sunset took a deep breath. She spoke normally, but her words drowned out the death throes of the world. "Let me tell you why that is a heaping, steaming pile of horseapples."

With a wave of her hand, Sunset sealed the spacetime rifts. "First of all, we both know that that isn't how it's going to happen. The annihilation will occur at every point in the universe simultaneously. It'll be more like this." Everything faded to white, with a faint squeak like a gasping hummingbird. "Only over the course of a Pranck time. Really, if you're going to taunt with me with the worst-case scenario, at least do it properly."

The demon crossed its arms and huffed. "I'd forgotten what a pedantic foal we can be when we forget what true power is. The point is—"

"No!" Sunset's shout shook the firmament. "None of that."

The fiend blinked and put her hands on her hips. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me," said Sunset. "I am not putting up with this right now. Darkness yet lingers in my heart. Fine. Whatever. In case you didn't notice, I have much more important things to worry about at the moment."

"But—"

"No!" Sunset stomped her foot. The universe shook. "I am not so self-centered that I believe my personal issues outweigh the slow collapse of the universe! You are going to take a rutting number, and you are going to wait your moon-banished turn! I will deal with you when I'm finished saving the world. Again. Do I make myself clear!?"

The demon had shrunk at some point. Sunset now towered over it, her hair whipping in an unfelt breeze. "Well?"

It cringed. "Yes, ma'am."

"Good." Sunset crushed her inner demon under her boot, then looked up at the white void. "Okay. Whoever's in charge of dreams in this world, I'd like a new one. Now, please."

And she got one.

Sunset got out of her car, looking around the empty Canterlot High lot. "Kind of eerie, isn't it?"

Applejack shrugged as she leaned against her truck. "Eh. A little, Ah guess."

"It's a sign," groaned Rainbow Dash, still buckled in the truck's passenger seat. "It means we shouldn't be here."

Rarity staggered out of Sunset's car. "Not this early, at least."

Applejack crossed her arms. "C'mon now. It's almost ten in the mornin'! We're burnin' daylight here. We gonna save th' world t'day or not?"

Rarity glared at her. "Coffee first, or we'll have to save the world from me."

Fluttershy handed her a cup from a stack of a half-dozen, filled from the wine cooler-sized box they'd picked up at Donut Joe's. "Anyone else?"

Dash just stretched out a hand, opening and closing her fingers as she groaned. She kept this up until she got a cup.

Once the late risers were sufficiently caffeinated and all the instruments were unpacked, everyone gathered around Fluttershy. "Mr. Discord said that the NAHTI should be unlocked by the time we get there," she said. "Twilight has a key."

Applejack fidgeted. "This ain't gonna involve nothin' radioactive, is it?"

Fluttershy shook her head. "Principal Celestia has been very clear on what Mr. Discord can and cannot do with unstable nuclei on school grounds."

"And remember, everyone," said Sunset, "this Twilight isn't the one we know. Don't expect any similarities beyond the most fundamental aspects of her personality."

Rarity raised a finger. "Shouldn't Mr. Discord know about our Twilight?"

"I don't think they ever met," said Fluttershy. "He's always been much too busy for extracurricular activities and... Well, has Twilight ever actually attended classes here?"

There was an awkward pause until Pinkie said, "Who cares?" She bounced on her heels. "I get to learn all about Twilight all over again!"

Sunset smiled. "That's certainly a positive way of looking at it."

A car horn drew their attention to the white sedan pulling into a reserved spot. Principal Celestia unfolded herself out of the car and considered them for a moment. She smiled and said, "Hello, girls. What are you all doing here?" The smile widened. "I doubt you forgot it was Spring Break; this is late even by Rainbow Dash's standards."

Dash flushed. "Hey, I'm always on time!"

Celestia nodded. "Usually with only a few seconds to spare."

"Why are you here, ma'am?" asked Sunset, placing herself between Dash and the principal.

"I need some files from my office."

Sunset bit her lower lip. Now was as good a time as any. "Could I talk to you while you're there?"

The others looked at her. "Sunset?" said Fluttershy.

Sunset didn't look away from Celestia. "It's... important."

The stare went on until everyone found it uncomfortable. Finally, Celestia said, "Very well then. Come with me, Sunset. And the rest of you?"

"We're doing science!" Pinkie cried.

Celestia's eyes widened. "Is Mr. Discord involved?"

"Tangentially," said Sunset.

"Is it also significant-pause important?" Celestia got half a dozen nods, then sighed. "Very well. I'd prefer that you had some adult supervision, but I get the feeling that this is far out of my league."

"Mr. Discord is an adult," said Fluttershy.

Celestia gave her a flat look. "That's very nice of you to say, Fluttershy, but no. No, he is not. And be sure to tell me if anything radioactive gets involved."

The Not A Human Testing Installation wasn't nearly as bad as most of the Rainbooms had been expecting. There were no rusty surgical blades, operating tables with restraining straps, or sugar-free lollipops. It was mostly computers and less invasive testing equipment, including a few pieces that looked like they had been cookware until recently.

There was also a familiar girl their age plugging away at a console, though the hairstyle, glasses, and complete lack of recognition in her eyes underscored Sunset's reminder. She looked up. "Are you the Rainbooms?"

Dash grinned and put her hands on her hips. "That's right! I'm Rainbow Dash, and these are Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, and..." She trailed off once she noticed the spiral-bound notepad in the human Twilight's hands. "Are you taking notes?"

Pinkie giggled. "Silly Dashie! R. U. Takingnotes is my third cousin, once removed!"

Twilight pointed her pencil at Pinkie. "Then you would be?"

"Pinkie Pie!"

Twilight nodded and wrote it down. "Thank you."

"Is that really necessary?" asked Rarity.

Twilight sighed. "Speaking from experience, the only ways I'm going to remember your names are either writing them down or months of awkward, fumbling socialization. Personally, I prefer the former." She put both notepad and pencil in one hand and stuck out the other. "Mr. Discord probably already told you, but I'm Twilight Sparkle."

Dash gave a firm shake. "So, we heard you wanted to meet us."

"It's harder to get information out of this place than the NSA, but it's clear that you five have something to do with the energetic anomalies I've been detecting recently." Twilight's gaze panned across the group. "I don't suppose any of you have built cyclotrons in your backyards? Synthesized any antimatter recently? Figured out cold fusion?" When all she got was shaking heads, she sighed. "I didn't think it would be that simple. For the record, I don't recommend that first one. It tends to end messily."

Rarity raised a finger. "When you say anomalies, what sorts of things do you have in mind?"

"Let's see..." Twilight ticked them off on her fingers. "Pillars of light, helical rainbows, spontaneously appearing cloud cover, seismic readings with an epicenter located a few hundred feet above the ground, any of this ringing a bell?"

This got some uneasy looks, but Pinkie Pie plowed through the awkwardness. "We don't need any fancy science stuff for that! That's all us!"

"You're the source of the anomalies?" Twilight looked around the room. "Is this a prank? Am I on camera?" She stomped her foot. "I do not consent to my image being used this way!"

"No prank," said Dash. She jabbed a thumb at herself and grinned. "We're your girls."

"Impossible. Unless one of you is hiding a sizable particle accelerator under her skirt to go with her instrument, then you're..." Twilight trailed off, wide-eyed, as she watched Pinkie Pie sit and apparently try to fold herself in half. "What is she doing?"

"Looking... oof... for a... urgh... particle..." Pinkie grunted and straightened out, rubbing the small of her back. "Owie. Nope, no particle accelerator. Just muscle cramps."

Twilight nodded. "Okay, so you are all insane. Good to know. I'll continue my investigations elsewhere. Have a nice day." She made for the door.

"Hold on there, missy," said Applejack, barring her way.

Twilight crossed her arms. "What?"

Applejack matched the gesture. "Yer a scientist, right?"

"I like to think of myself as such, yes."

Applejack nodded. "Now, Ah ain't no prodigy, but one thing Ah've picked up from mah science classes is that scientists gotta trust their senses. Am Ah right?"

"Of course. If we couldn't trust observations, we'd be set back all the way to Brayto's cave of shadows." Twilight frowned. "What's your point?"

"Fluttershy?"

Fluttershy jumped a little. "Y-yes?"

Applejack smirked. "Play somethin' for us, sugarcube."

Fluttershy gulped. "Okay." She raised her tambourine and closed her eyes. After a few moments, her nerves gave way to the music. Soon, she was afloat on wings of song. And magic.

Twilight's jaw dropped. "That... I don't... What?"

Fluttershy drifted back to the floor as she finished her solo. Applejack chuckled. "Believe us now, Miss Sparkle?"

"This... I... It doesn't..." Twilight took a deep breath. "Okay. I'm okay. What I believe doesn't matter. What I observe does. And I observe that there is no way that that tank top can hide a wire harness." She nodded to herself, ignoring Fluttershy's blush. "As much as I want to say that that was impossible, it clearly happened. There's no point in denying it. Somehow, Miss Shutterfly—"

"Fluttershy," chorused the other girls.

"And now you all see the reason for the notebook. Miss Fluttershy violated the conservation of energy so hard that she probably shouldn't be allowed within five hundred feet of a physics textbook." Twilight looked at the group with wide eyes. "And you can all do this?"

Dash gave a chuckle. "Only me and Shy—"

"Shy and I," said Twilight.

"Only me and Shy grow wings. The others get the hair and ears, though."

"I see. This... This could be an incredible breakthrough." Twilight beamed. "The biggest thing since Gedankenexperiment, since Darwhinny! How did this happen?"

"We got magic powers from an alternate version of you who's a magical pony princess." Pinkie blushed as she noted her friends' glares. "Sorry! It just slipped out."

Twilight raised an eyebrow. "Can any of you confirm this?"

She was met with several nods. "Ah know it sounds crazy, but that is what happened," said Applejack.

Twilight shrugged. "Okay, then. Shall we get started?" She walked to one of the mainframes and busied herself at its base.

"Wait, you're okay with that?" said Rainbow Dash.

"Hey, you can all grow additional limbs. On cue. Compared to that, proving the Many Worlds interpretation is small potatoes." Twilight rose with a bundle of electrodes in each fist and a smile on her face. "Now, who's first?"

Principal Celestia sat at her desk. "Alright, Sunset. What is it you needed to tell me?"

"Before I begin," said Sunset, "how much do you know about the portal and the world on the other side?"

Celestia was silent for a few moments. Finally, she said, "Probably more than I should, but definitely less than I'd like."

Sunset sighed. "This is really important, ma'am. Even more important than the sirens. Could you please drop the enigmatic vagueness?"

Celestia grinned. "Well, if you want to take all the fun out of it."

"Don't tell Pinkie I said this, but this really isn't a time for fun."

Celestia nodded. "Understood. I know there is a magical gateway set in the Wondercolt statue in front of the school. I know that it leads to the world where you, Twilight Sparkle, and the sirens came from. I know the gate isn't always open, and that the world on the other side is very different from ours. For one, royalty there seems to have a great deal of actual power."

"That actually brings me to what I wanted to tell you," said Sunset. "See, that world runs parallel to this one. A lot of people exist in both, and you're one of them. Your analogue isn't just a high school principal." Sunset paused for a moment. "Well, technically, she is the head of a school, but she delegates those duties to somepony else."

Celestia raised an eyebrow. "Some pony?"

"Smaller, more intelligent, and much more magical than the equinoids of this world. There's a reason my friends and I grow those ears."

"Huh. And here I thought they were cat ears."

Sunset blinked. "Why would you..." She shook her head. "We're getting off-topic. The point is that your analogue rules the most powerful nation on the planet."

Celestia chuckled. "Well, I certainly don't envy her. I've never liked politics."

"So she once told me," said Sunset. "But she's had millennia to get used to it."

Celestia's mouth opened and closed a few times. "Millennia?"

"Yes, ma'am. I know it sounds crazy, but your pony analogue is immortal and incredibly powerful. She literally makes the sun come up." Sunset held up a hand. "I'm serious. I've been there. I have firsthoof experience watching and magically sensing her raise the sun."

"I... see." Celestia's gaze drifted down. "This is a lot to take in." She looked back to Sunset. "Why are you telling me this?"

Sunset took a deep breath, screwed her eyes shut, and forced the words out. "Because this universe is filling up with magic that shouldn't be here. Everyone who was at the final performance of the Battle of the Bands may have been imbued with some degree of magical power, including you."

Silence. Finally, Sunset cracked open one eye, seeing Celestia's sympathetic look. "I can tell that took a lot of courage," said Celestia. "You see a great deal of her in me, don't you?"

"More than you know, ma'am."

Celestia sighed. "Well, I'm afraid I don't have the same resources as my counterpart likely does. I do have a little pull in the local area, but I've already called in a lot of favors to deflect awkward questions about this year's magical incidents. And to keep you out of juvenile hall."

Sunset dipped her head. "Thank you for that, ma'am."

"I could tell that you had truly changed that day." Celestia smiled. "Of course, I would have been very surprised if you hadn't."

"Yeah, no kidding." Sunset rubbed the back of her head. "Nothing says 'life-changing experience' like turning into a raging she-demon and taking a rainbow to the face."

"I bring this up because I won't be able to offer similar assistance this time. I've led an interesting life, Sunset, but these days I'm just a high school principal. My biggest concerns are staying under budget and making sure Mr. Discord doesn't assign any homework that involves U-235." Celestia grinned. "Though I can imagine the morning announcement: 'Attention all students, anyone who spontaneously grows longer hair and pony ears is to report to the nurse’s office.’"

Sunset laughed a little. "I understand, ma'am. Really, I only wanted to warn you so you knew what to expect if we can't take care of this quickly."

Celestia nodded. "So, what do I need to do to keep the solar system heliocentric?"

"For now, my best advice is to avoid doing any musical performances. Beyond that?" Sunset shrugged. "That's what my friends and I are trying to figure out here and now."

"I see. I'll have to tell Luna that karaoke night will be suspended for the foreseeable future." Celestia folded her hands. "Speaking of whom, what about Luna? I assume she's also at risk, but what kind of risk does she present?"

"I've never met her pony analogue, but I understand she's responsible for the moon and dreams."

Celestia nodded. "I'll make sure she doesn't do any solo acts, then. Is that everything?"

After a moment, Sunset returned the nod. "It should be."

Celestia rapped her fingers against her desk for a moment. "Let me give you my cell number, just in case something comes up that I might be able to help with. I trust I don't need to tell you that it should only be for emergencies."

"Of course, ma'am." Sunset passed over her phone.

Once Celestia finished entering the number, she returned the phone and smiled. "I won't detain you any longer. I'm sure your friends are waiting for you."

Sunset shrugged. "They're working with the Twilight Sparkle of this world. Knowing her, she's probably already answered every question I could think to ask."

Once Sunset opened the door to the NAHTI, she was greeted by the sight of a frizzled, frazzled, familiar girl. "Uh, hi. Twilight Sparkle?"

Twilight nodded and coughed out a cloud of smoke in the color and shape of a rainbow. "Yup," she said shakily. "That's me, alright."

"I'm Sunset Shimmer. I—"

"Hold on, lemme get my botenook." Twilight turned away and staggered.

Sunset swooped down and grabbed her before she hit the floor. "Are you okay?"

"Magic doesn't seem to like being analyzed," said Twilight.

Sunset looked up and saw the other Rainbooms gathered around. "What happened?"

"Each of us put on some contraptions, played a little music, and Twilight here came out worse for the wear," said Applejack.

Dash rubbed an arm. "After I, uh, rainbowed her in the face, we kinda figured it'd be better for everyone if we waited for you to show up."

"You're the big authority on magic, after all!" Pinkie cried.

Twilight stirred and struggled to her feet. "You are?"

Sunset gave a nervous chuckle. "Well, only by default. I'm from a higher magic world, so—"

"A primary source! I have so many questions for you. Maybe you can help me make sense of these readings." Twilight took Sunset's hand and dragged her to a partitioned area behind a prismatically stained window. "As far as I can tell, all the data has been incomprehensible garbage." Twilight glared at the monitor as she pulled up files. "EEG readouts shouldn't take the form of concentric butterflies! That isn't a continuous function!"

Sunset pondered this for a moment. "Well, it might be in polar coordinates."

"They're not in polar coordinates!" Twilight took a deep breath. "Sorry. Really, aside from becoming the butt of a slapstick routine, this has been the greatest day of my life. I just wish more of it made sense."

"Don't worry. Between the two of us, we should be able to make this work like a charm." Sunset looked at the screen. She felt her jaw drop. Most of the values weren't numbers, or even letters. Moons, hearts, guitars, snowmen... "We, uh, may need to redo a few of the tests."

The better part of an hour later, an older man poked his head in the room, followed by the rest of him. His thinning hair was shock white, and his skin was dun. His suit may have been tweed once, but was now made mostly of variously colored patches. The arms of his glasses were different colors, and their lenses were different sizes, giving him a permanent skeptical look. "Sorry I'm so late," he said. "Unavoidable family issues. Now, shall we..." He trailed off as he took in the area, his bushy eyebrows rising. "Oh my."

While most of the girls were cleaning up or putting away equipment, Sunset and Twilight were sitting in a corner, leaning on one another and looking like they'd had a disagreement with a wind tunnel. A bit of rainbow lightning arced its way up the space between them. "Hello, Mr. Discord," Twilight moaned.

"Well," said Mr. Discord, "I can tell I've missed most of the fun." He knelt down next to the two of them as the others gathered around him. "Tell me, girls, what have you learned today?"

"Magic definitely doesn't like being analyzed," said Twilight.

Mr. Discord quirked an eyebrow. "I'm surprised. It's not like you to anthropomorphize, Twilight."

"I've never felt like I personally offended a fundamental force before." Twilight winced as another colorful spark discharged off of her.

"Fair enough. Ms. Shimmer?"

Sunset took a deep breath. "The biggest problem is that we can only get surges."

This got several confused murmurs. Mr. Discord simply nodded. "Go on."

"A general rule of... thumb is that a magic surge is at least an order of magnitude stronger than a person's baseline. If we could just get a consistent, steady output, then these sensors would probably be able to—" Sunset stopped, distracted by a sound that she felt rather than heard. There was a bone-shaking groan like gears the size of galaxies suddenly jamming, then a deep silence like the cosmos holding its breath on the verge of a sneeze. The motion of the spheres resumed with a shudder that threw every member of the Rainbooms to the ground.

Mr. Discord didn't seem to notice it. Not directly. "Well," he said, "isn't this an interesting development?"

"Fascinating," added a wide-eyed Twilight.

Sunset could feel her ears twitch on top of her head. She ran her fingers through her hair, confirming its added length. She waited for the better part of a minute; the add-ons didn't seem to be going anywhere.

Dash scowled, her wings flared open. "You just had to say something, didn't you?"

Author's Note

The past is not today's top priority.

Just imagine human Celestia trying to leave a car. It's like a man emerging from a suitcase.

Gedankenexperiment was EG (and pony) Einstein. Pranck was Max Planck. I hope I don't have to tell you who Darwhinny was.

Good idea: Telling the principal that she should be careful or she might end up channeling the power of a sun god.
Bad idea: Telling the principal that you may have doomed the universe.

For an idea of what the experiments were like, see here.

Secondaries

Sunset paced about the NAHTI, ears flattened. "Oh, this is bad. This is very bad."

"I'm sorry," said Rainbow Dash, "I can't hear you over the sound of always being able to fly." She leaned back, hovering near the ceiling.

Twilight glared up at her. "Oh, now you're just mocking me."

"No need to take it personally, Twilight," said Mr. Discord. "I'd say she's more mocking gravity. Generally a bad idea, though I must admit, she's in a good position to do so."

Sunset grabbed two handfuls of her hair and pulled. "Can we please focus on the impending cosmic annihilation?"

Twilight whirled to face her. "Cosmic what!?"

"Oh." Mr. Discord's faint smile dropped to a wide-eyed look of horror. "I believe I understand. If this isn't some undiscovered aspect of conventional reality but an intrusion on a previously established order..." He hissed through his teeth. "Yes, I do believe a bad time is in store for anything more complex than a fundamental particle."

"How do we fix this?" Twilight grabbed Sunset by the forearms and started shaking her. "You're the magic expert! Tell us how to fix this!"

Applejack put a hand on Twilight's shoulder. "You ain't gonna get any answers like that, sugarcube."

"We're here to determine how to fix this," added Rarity. She looked to Sunset. "Er, we can determine how to fix this, yes? Especially since we should now have that constant magical output you wanted."

Sunset took a moment to steady herself, then nodded. "Yeah. Now that we aren't blowing out the sensors, gathering data on our magical signatures should be easy. Given that hard data and estimates of the earlier surges, I should be able to determine just how quickly our magic is growing."

"With just one concrete data point?" Twilight adjusted her glasses and shook her head. "I don't even want to think about the margin of error for that."

"Do you have anything to offer?" said Sunset.

Twilight smiled. "As it so happens, yes." She pulled a flash drive out of one of her lab coat's pockets. "I wasn't able to get much from the first incident, but I documented the second one with everything from seismographs to satellite footage."

Rarity raised a finger. "And how exactly did you—"

"Crystal Prep has very good facilities," said Twilight. "Let's leave it at that."

Dash jolted, nearly falling. "Wait, you go to Crystal Prep?"

Applejack sighed. "Rainbow, we got bigger things t' worry about than a school rivalry."

"I know that. I just figured she already had, like, three degrees."

Twilight tried to hide her blushing face behind a clipboard. "My family thinks I need more social interaction."

Sunset put an arm around her shoulders. "I think helping save the world counts."

"Yeah! Let's get started!" Pinkie beamed, a smiley face of electrodes adorning her temples and chin. A noisemaker sounded, and she held up a finger as she dug through her hair. "Hang on, I got a text."

"Uh..." Twilight glanced at her notes. "Pinkie Pie, is now really the time to—"

"Whoa." Pinkie shook her head like a wet dog, dislodging the electrodes. "Girls, I need to handle this."

"Pinkie, darling," said Rarity, "we are in the middle of something rather important. Can't this wait?"

Pinkie held up her phone. "Ditzy Doo says she knows what just broke the universe."

Dash snorted. "What, did she sit on it?"

"She also said that she grew wings."

Dash's wings locked up. She thudded to the ground rump first. "Derpy's airborne!?"

Fluttershy glowered at her, her own wings ruffling. "Rainbow Dash, that's not nice."

"Shy, this is Derpy Feet we're talking about! The girl who trips so hard she knocks her own shoes off!"

"That only happened once," said Fluttershy.

Dash got back to her feet, her wings flared. "Right, that's it. We gotta fix this before that girl really does sit on the universe. Pinkie, where..." She trailed off as she noted the marked absence of pink people in the immediate area. "Okay, where's Pinkie Pie?"

No one was able to answer the question. Sunset sighed. "Wherever she's gone, we have tests to run, and that includes Twilight and me."

Twilight looked around the room, in case there were any other Twilights available. "Me? Why?"

Sunset smiled. "Really, we should've been testing you from the beginning. I mean, what's an experiment without a control?"

Pinkie walked forward, keeping her eyes shut. She could've just asked Sunset or Applejack for a ride, but something told her there was a faster way to the park. Some instinct tugged her onward. For a moment, even with her eyes closed, she perceived a wide vista of rolling hills formed from strands of light, her feet taking her across the pinkest path. She thought she saw an oddly familiar horse and a boy with eyes even bluer than hers, but a familiar snatch of song grabbed her attention before she could get more than a glimpse of either.

"You better believe I got tricks up my—"

At which point, Pinkie fell out of Trixie's hat.

Pinkie took in the scene as she tried to disentangle herself. They were in the gazebo in the town park, with a few dozen classmates watching while sitting on the ground or on picnic tables. Octavia and Vinyl Scratch were sitting at a folding table directly in front of the gazebo.

"What do you think you're doing, you crazed lump of bubblegum!?" And Trixie had apparently managed to get to her feet, her costume from the Battle of the Bands final rather askew.

Pinkie bolted up, dusted herself off, and waved a finger. "Okay, first of all, I am clearly a deranged puff of cotton candy. Secondlyyyy..." She staggered backwards. Lavender Lace caught her before she fell again. "Okay, not going to do that again any time soon. Thanks," she added to the blonde behind her.

"Pinkie!" Ditzy Doo raced towards the stage.

Trixie glared at her. "Trixie presumes you are somehow responsible for this."

"I asked her to come here," said Ditzy. "I didn't expect her to arrive through your hat."

Trixie narrowed her eyes. "We will have words, Ditzy Doo. For now, get this buffoon off of Trixie's stage."

Ditzy gave Trixie a flat stare. "Truly, your compassion knows no bounds."

Trixie turned away with a huff. "Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit."

"I thought that was 'your mom' jokes," Pinkie said woozily.

Ditzy put a hand to her chin. "I'm pretty sure that those fall under the minimum threshold to qualify as wit."

"GET OFF MY STAGE!"

Mr. Discord sat in a computer chair, sighed, and rested his chin on a fist. "When I was a little younger than all of you, the Jewelry Master trilogy was still fresh and new, not the cliche fantasy blueprint it's become since. I read it voraciously and... well, I always sympathized most with one of the villains. Not Black Enemy himself, but Clear Cut the White. A force of progress and vision who just happened to have a slight dearth in the sanity department.

"Unfortunately, wizardry wasn't a viable career path, so I went with what seemed like the next best thing. Alas, science isn't all moon shots and test detonations. I had to accept that my dreams were just that, dreams, no more yielding than a midsummer night. Then I built a career around that sobering realization, around explaining that these are the rules we have to work with and while wishing for a different set can be fun, it's ultimately pointless.

"Then the Fall Formal came and went, Fluttershy was gushing about her old friendships and new abilities, and my inner child was cheering along even as my outer adult was looking for nits to pick." Mr. Discord sighed. "Your exploits presented me with an interesting dilemma, girls: My heart wanted to believe, but my head was worried about my book sales.

"But I can recognize my own irrationality, even when it's caused by insisting on what seems to be a rational universe. The evidence is plain before my eyes, and I am more than willing to aid you whatever way I can."

Fluttershy smiled. "That's very nice to hear, Mr. Discord."

"Thank you, Fluttershy. Now..." Mr. Discord trailed off as he realized that she was the only one who was paying him any attention. The others were already well underway in collecting new data. He grit his teeth and threw up his arms. "Seriously!? I pour my heart out and you people don't even have the decency to listen?"

Rainbow Dash shrugged, her wings rising in synch with her shoulders. "Yeah, Twilight kinda already did that."

"She got over it a heck of a lot quicker, though," said Applejack.

"Excuse me for taking a bit of time to process decades of work getting turned on its head!"

Twilight considered the exchange as it continued. "Do you think we should get data from Mr. Discord?"

Sunset shuddered. "Definitely not. According to what I learned back in Equestria, Mr. Discord's analogue has very different, very dangerous magic. We're risking the universe through excess harmony. Adding actual disharmony magic?" She shook her head. "Not on my watch."

By the time they reached the picnic table where Blue Oyster and Raspberry Fluff were waiting, Ditzy was half-carrying, half-dragging Pinkie. When Pinkie sat down, she couldn't even hold her head up.

After a few minutes, her hair had stopped hurting, she was able to sit up straight, and she asked, "Okay, so what's the story here?"

Ditzy took a deep breath from next to Pinkie. "Okay, so this needs something of a prelude. You've probably noticed we're carrying out the original Musical Showcase plan."

"Yuh-huh." Pinkie smiled, though not as widely as usual. "Did you guys play?"

Raspberry nodded on the other side of the table. "We were one of the early acts."

Next to her, Blue crossed her arms and glared off to the side.

Ditzy rolled her eyes. "Don't tell me you're still sore over how badly we did in the Battle of the Bands. You even got ears this time."

Blue slammed the table with a fist. "Half-Baked was an avant-garde tour de force!"

"Most of the school doesn't take Prench," said Pinkie. "Maybe that was your problem."

"And I thought we were the Quantum Mechanics." The others looked at Ditzy with a variety of uncomprehending expressions. "You know, because no one understands us?"

Blue went back to her scowl. "We never should've lost to those earsores!"

"Well, I thought it was funny..."

Raspberry tilted her head back. "Is 'earsore' even a word?"

"I think we're getting off topic." Pinkie blinked. "And if I'm saying that, then it must be really bad."

Ditzy nodded. "You're right. So, as Razz said, we were one of the first acts. After that, we had time to kill, so she and I started playing a round of Hocus Pocus: the Get-Together. Apparently, I get wings and ears when I win card games."

"At which point," said Blue, "these two decided to make their own episode of Yugi-Hime!" She groaned. "I said it then, I'll say it now: Neither of you is ever allowed to watch any anime again. Ever."

Pinkie scratched her head. "So, what does that have to do with why my new ears aren't going away?"

"Flash Drive was on stage," said Ditzy.

Pinkie blinked. "'Save Them Whales' was so bad that it broke the universe?"

Ditzy shook her head. "Firstly, they played a new song. I'm blanking on the title..."

"'Evil Seahorses Made Me Hurt You,'" said Raspberry.

Ditzy winced. "Right. I may have blocked it from conscious memory out of self-defense."

"I know I did," said Blue.

Raspberry pouted. "I thought it was sweet." After a moment she added, "Well, the sentiment was, at least."

Blue rolled her eyes despite her smile. "Anyway, while these two were hamming it up, I was watching the performances."

"If by 'watching,'" said Ditzy, "you mean 'glaring daggers at.'"

"The point," Blue said, "is that I was paying attention. Every band had one, maybe two people who transformed. The only exception was Bulk Biceps. Beautiful violin piece, but no ears."

Pinkie perked up. "Ooh! Snips or Snails?"

The other girls traded awkward looks for a few moments until Raspberry spoke up. "They, uh, weren't invited."

"Aww." Pinkie pouted. "I thought they were mad dope."

"That's... very nice of you to say," said Raspberry.

"That changed with Flash Drive," said Blue. "They were the only band where every member transformed."

Pinkie tilted her head as she considered this. "What about Octavia?"

Ditzy frowned. "It seems that a solo act doesn't have quite the same cosmos-shattering potential as a group."

Pinkie blinked. "Huh?"

Blue shrugged. "I didn't see that part. Apparently, Ditzy's transformation comes with special eyes."

"And I'd won that second game just as Flash hit the first chorus. Then..." Ditzy trailed off and waved her hands about.

"I like charades," Pinkie said, frowning a little, "but I don't think telling the rest of the story that way will work well."

Ditzy shook her head. "Sorry, it's just... It's like I'm trying to describe a stoplight to a blind person in a language that has no concept of color. I can't even explain what I saw, much less what that means."

Pinkie shrugged. "So just tell us what it meant. It's not like you need to see to understand 'stop,' 'go,' and 'slow down.'"

"You're overextending the metaphor," said Ditzy.

Blue frowned at her. "Is she? If you know what it means, just say that."

Ditzy's mouth worked silently for a bit. "Oh. Well, I guess I can try." She thought about it for about a minute, Trixie and the Illusions finishing their song in the meantime. "Okay, so basically, the repeated magical incidents culminating in that full-band transformation forced the connection between our world and the magical one to widen. I think." Her eyes drifted, one seeming to look up in thought, the other pointing towards the ground. "That's what I got from the rapidly expanding iridescent hypersphere through which I glimpsed about a dozen instances of myself as a horse. Don't ask me how I got all that; I apparently have a sense for these things."

Pinkie beamed. "That wasn't so hard, now was it?" She crossed her arms. "Now there's really only one thing I don't understand."

"What?" asked Raspberry.

Pinkie pouted. "How come no one invited me? This must have been so much fun!"

"Yes, organizing an impromptu concert over the course of a few hours." Everyone turned to see a scowling Octavia and a grinning Vinyl Scratch approaching the table. "Simply delightful," concluded the former.

Vinyl just slammed a few stapled-together sheets of paper onto the table in front of Pinkie, crossed her arms, and beamed.

Pinkie perused the provided packet. It was a list of every performer from the Battle, excepting Snips and Snails, sorted by band. Every name had either a check mark or an X next to it. "Is this..." Pinkie looked to Vinyl, eyes wide. "This is a rundown of how everyone reacts to music! Whether they pony up or not!"

Vinyl nodded and gave her a thumbs up.

"I can't say I'm fond of your term for the process," added Octavia, "but yes. After Vinyl and I declined your request, we decided we could help in another way."

"And you totally did!" Pinkie sprang off the bench, put an arm around each organizer, and squeezed.

"Er. Yes. Um..." Octavia's gaze darted about. Vinyl just flailed and pounded on Pinkie's back. "Yes," said Octavia, her voice getting progressively more strained. "I think that's rather enough hugging!"

"Okay!" Pinkie released them. She gave them a few seconds of recovery time, then said, "Now, you two have already been super-mega-ultra-helpful, but could I ask for just one more teensy little favor?"

Vinyl and Octavia traded a look. "It depends on what the favor is," said Octavia.

"Can I get a ride back to CHS? I'm definitely not going to be able to go back the way I came."

Vinyl nodded, but Octavia still looked unsure. "We came in Vinyl's car, and that only seats two."

Pinkie waved it off. "Don't worry, we'll figure out something."

Octavia looked Pinkie over from head to toe. "Given your track record, I dare say we will."

"Hold it!"

Once again, Twilight and Sunset stood side by side to present their findings. Unlike last time, they had been exposed to far less raw, unfocused magic. Still some, largely thanks to Rainbow Dash, but far less.

"So, we have good news and bad news," said Sunset.

"Can we fix this now?" asked Dash.

Fluttershy cringed a little. "Is it too far gone?"

Sunset shook her head. "The answer to both is 'not yet.' The good news is that the readings are largely what I expected for healthy ponies. If the situation does get worse, it will because it's spreading, not because we'd be bursting with more magic than our bodies could handle."

Rarity ran her fingers through some of her extra hair. "Does that also mean we won't have any more unannounced alterations?"

Sunset bit her lip. "Uh, I... can't guarantee that. Our magic levels should be steady, but morphic flux may still be nonzero."

Rarity frowned. "The ears I can work with, but this much hair... Honestly, what else is there?"

"The good news there," said Sunset, "is that one way or another, the problem will have been resolved before we find out."

"In other words," said Mr. Discord, "either we'll have saved the world, or you'll be too dead to care."

Rarity managed to pale. "How... reassuring."

Mr. Discord grinned. "I try."

"The bad news," said Twilight, "is that the readings were largely what Sunstorm—"

"Sunset," said Sunset.

"What Sunset expected. There was a consistent deviation in the waveform patterns across all subjects, and it corresponds with an amplified version of the control."

Mr. Discord gasped. Everyone else looked blank. Applejack said, "Wanna run that by us again?"

Twilight swallowed. "Well, in so many words, we, uh, we found evidence of human magic."

"You what!?" Mr. Discord tugged at his hair.

"We checked several times, sir," said Twilight. "Um, sorry?"

Mr. Discord buried his face in his hands. "What were you even using to get these readings?"

"An unsightly kludge of four different medical scanners and an emission spectrometer," said Twilight.

Sunset raised a hand and grimaced. After a few moments, a green aura formed around her fingers. She released her focus with a gasp and said, "Along with a little unicorn magic to make everything cooperate."

Mr. Discord began to shake, giving the occasional stifled gasp.

Fluttershy patted him on the shoulder, taking to the air to reach it more easily. "There, there, Mr. Discord. It's okay."

The gasps became clearer. "Heh. Heh heh. Heh heh heh ha ha ha HA HA HA HAAAAAAA!" Mr. Discord let out a breath. "Oh, I needed that." He smiled at Fluttershy, who was now the only other person who wasn't pressed up against a wall. "Your sympathy is appreciated, dear Fluttershy, but unnecessary. For all of the money I've made off of the alleged magiclessness of our world, I have always wanted to be wrong about it. Just like I told you." He panned a glare about the room. "Because no one else listened."

Rarity cleared her throat. "So, what do we do with this information?"

"I've determined everything I can on the pony magic front. Now?" Sunset clenched a fist as she gazed at the heavens. "Now we need to learn everything we can about human magic."

"And how do you propose we do that?" asked Rarity.

Without shifting her pose, Sunset said, "I have no idea."

Trixie stomped towards Pinkie and company, now in the closest she came to street clothes, clutching her guitar case in a white-knuckle grip, and flanked by Fuchsia Blush and Lavender Lace. "The Great and Powerful Trixie demands an explanation and an apology."

Pinkie rose from the table and curtsied. "The Fun and Delighted Pinkie Pie wishes to apologize to the Great and Powerful Trixie for interrupting her performance and her assured ascension to a higher, greater, and more powerful state of being."

Everyone boggled at her for a few moments, Trixie included. "Um... Thanks?" Trixie shook herself. "I mean, Trixie still wishes to know why you interrupted not just the performance of the Illusions, but the glorious finale of this whole event."

"How you did it would also be nice," added Lavender.

"Don't be ridiculous," Trixie scoffed. "You can't just ask a magician to reveal her tricks, not even one such as her."

"And it is Pinkie Pie," noted Fuchsia. "Do you really want to know?"

"But to transcend time and space, to wander the higher realms..." Lavender paused, took in Pinkie Pie, and paled. "Fuchsia's right. You don't have to tell me."

"I'm surprised that you agreed to go last," said Pinkie.

Trixie drew herself up and pointed her nose to the sky. "The Great and Magnanimous Trixie knew that any band that followed the Illusions would pale before the glory of our performance."

"Vinyl arranged everything based on how well bands did in the battle," said Fuchsia Blush. "The better you did, the later you went."

Vinyl nodded.

"That's what Trixie said," said Trixie.

Fuchsia smirked. "Lavender and I had to drag her off the stage kicking and screaming when she found out we'd have to go last."

Vinyl cleared her throat and clacked her teeth together a few times.

"Right, and biting. Kicking, screaming, and biting."

Trixie glared at Fuchsia. "Why does Trixie permit you to spend time in her presence?"

Fuchsia shrugged. "Someone has to keep you and Lavender tethered to reality."

"Weren't you the one who was saying that the horse-angel thing was a massive hoax after the Fall Formal?" said Lavender.

Fuchsia blushed. "It's not my fault if the world's getting weirder."

"Actually, that's why I came here," said Pinkie. "Ditzy said she could tell us why we'd all ponied up on a permanent basis."

"Well, I didn't know the Rainbooms were stuck with the ears," said Ditzy, "but I figured they could use what I had to tell them."

Trixie tapped her foot for a moment. "Very well. Trixie can appreciate an investigation into the nature of the arcane, and she supposes that a neophyte in the deeper mysteries of the world could produce some unfortunate accidents. But intrude on Trixie's performance again, and there will be a reckoning." There was a puff of smoke, and all three Illusions had vanished.

Pinkie gasped. "They're gone!"

"Actually, we're right behind you."

"Fuchsia!"

Fuchsia burst into laughter. "I couldn't help it! The look on her face when she turned around!" She kept laughing even as the Illusions left.

Octavia rolled her eyes. "I believe you requested a ride?"

Pinkie nodded. "Thanks again!" As she followed Octavia and Vinyl she waved and shouted goodbye to everyone else.

Everyone but the one who sulked in one of the bushes, watching through slit-pupiled eyes.

Author's Note

Ditzy's nickname-earning incident was drawn from my own experience. I'm still not sure how I managed that...

Yeah, this particular Best Human is much more my take on She of the Seven Bubbles than the show's. Muffins is a nice mare, but this called for someone able to see magic.

Hocus Pocus: the Get-Together is, at the very least, comic canon. And it seems entirely logical to go from a King of Games to a Princess in the Equestria Girls world. For the full scene, which I decided was a bit too disruptive to the narrative, see here.

"Save Them Whales" comes from scoots2's take on Flash's band in the fantastic Equestria Girls: The Looking Glass World of Cheese and Pie. "Evil Seahorses Made Me Hurt You" is my own invention, but it seems to fit right in with such works as "Bedroom Spackling Project" and "Purple Smart."

Trixie isn't used to other people tuning their mental radios to WGPT.

The characterizations of Fuchsia Blush and Lavender Lace were based on Jordan179's take on them in A World of Illusions. I just really like the idea of Trixie having friends on opposite ends of the cynicism-idealism scale. I also quite like her having a pressure release valve for her ego.

Clashing

Uneasy glances darted about the NAHTI. "So, uh..." Dash rubbed her forearm. "Now what?"

"We could always do research," said Twilight.

"Allow me to save you some time there," said Mr. Discord. "I've literally written books on the subject, after all. No book you'll find in a public high school library will be of any help here, the Internet will be as credible as it ever is, and firsthand testimony will be no better. I've interviewed dozens of occultists, mesmerists, spiritualists, all kinds of ists, and the ones who weren't frauds had the sense to put 'For entertainment purposes only' on their business cards."

"Actually..." All eyes turned to Fluttershy. "I think I know someone who could help."

Mr. Discord sighed and shook his head. "You can try, Fluttershy. The rest of us will keep working on this and bring you up to speed when you come back disappointed."

Everyone but Twilight glowered at him, though Fluttershy looked more sad than angry. Applejack turned to Fluttershy. "Ah'll get ya there, sugarcube. Ain't like Ah got much t' offer here."

"Actually," said Rarity, "could you take Rainbow Dash and me to the Boutique?"

Dash crossed her arms. "It's gonna take a lot to get me to run the register two days in a row."

Rarity shook her head. "Not that. There's a certain wardrobe issue you and Fluttershy may not have considered."

Fluttershy tilted her head. "What do you mean?"

"Well, your top has room for your wings, and it appears that Rainbow's has made accommodations for hers, but can the same be said of the rest of your clothes?"

Both winged girls went still for a moment. "Aw, crap," said Dash.

"I do have a lot of tank tops, but... Oh dear."

Rarity smiled. "I planned on being in the Boutique for the rest of the day anyway. Sweetie Belle's staying the night."

"Where are your folks, anyway?" asked Dash.

Rarity rolled her eyes. "The Fair Food Fair in Whinneapolis. An entire festival devoted to putting things on sticks and deep-frying them." She put a hand to her forehead. "It's just about the only thing they've been talking about since their last vacation." After a deep breath, she said, "But that's neither here nor there. I'll be happy to help you adjust your wardrobe."

"Thanks," said Dash. She turned to Applejack. "This cool with you, AJ?"

Applejack nodded. "Sure thing."

"We will need to go by your apartment to pick up a few things for me to work on," said Rarity.

"Um, excuse me?" They turned to Twilight. A few hairs had slipped out of her bun, and she couldn't decide quite where to focus her incredulous stare. "I'm sorry, but is this really more important than figuring out how to stop the destruction of the universe?"

"Can you think of any way that we could help right now?" asked Rarity.

Twilight looked away. "Well..."

Rarity nodded. "There we have it. Shall we, girls?"

As they left, Mr. Discord patted Twilight on the back. "Don't worry, we'll figure this out one way or another."

Twilight sighed. "She made a good point. Even with all of our expertise, I don't even know where to begin in investigating something that's no one's noticed in all of human history."

"Truth be told, neither do I," Mr. Discord said with a shrug. "Human nature being what it is, anything as useful and simple as actual magic would've been discovered and exploited long ago if it could be put to any kind of practical use."

"Simple?" Sunset shook her head. "Magic is anything but simple."

Mr. Discord blinked. "Surely it's just a matter of snapping your fingers and getting what you want."

"Not at all."

He rolled his eyes. "Well, I suppose you don't have fingers when you're a unicorn, but you know what I mean."

Sunset nodded. "I do, and anything more complex than light or telekinesis requires a lot of work to master for the average unicorn."

"Yes, creating energy from nothing, that's easy."

"More importantly," said Twilight, "that's unicorn magic. We need to figure out human magic here."

Mr. Discord gave a theatrical sigh. "And thus, if you'll pardon my Prench, we return to scenic Shit Creek, not a paddle to be found."

Sunset tapped her chin. "Actually, there may be one."

Twilight and Mr. Discord looked at each other, then back to Sunset. As one, they said, "What?"

"Pinkie Pie."

The four girls were walking out of the school when a horn honked and Vinyl's ride pulled up. Octavia sat in the passenger seat, while Pinkie crouched on the back, clinging to the tops of the seats.

"Okay," said Dash, "there's no way that that's legal."

Pinkie beamed. "But it worked!" She freed her hands with a grunt and shook them out.

Vinyl looked at the dents left behind, then glared up at Pinkie.

She shrugged. "It wouldn't have happened if one of you had let me sit on your lap."

"She wouldn't have been able to see around your hair," said Octavia.

"But—"

"Even if you'd sat with me."

Pinkie considered this for a moment. "Yeah, probably." She hopped onto the asphalt. "So, what did I miss?"

"What'd ya miss?" Applejack echoed. "Where've ya been?"

"Oh, you know, figuring out why we're stuck in pony mode. Turns out the rest of the bands were putting on a concert at the same time as us." Pinkie beamed. "A bunch of them grow ears too!"

Fluttershy gasped. "But... but if using the magic makes things worse, and Twilight, Sunset, and Mr. Discord are still doing experiments..."

"We can't let 'em keep goin'!" said Applejack.

Rarity put a hand on her shoulder. "But if they can't research this any further, we'll never know how to fix it."

"Come on," cried Dash, "they've already made things bad enough that Derpy got wings, and we have nothing to show for it!"

Octavia cleared her throat. "If I may interject?" All eyes turned to her as she got out of the car. "Between you, us, the other bands, and Ditzy Doo, there are twenty or so people who have demonstrated the ability to grow ears and extra hair. It seems to me that if only two of them are exercising that ability, it won't be nearly as harmful as all of them at once."

Pinkie tilted her head. "Two of them?"

"Sunset Shimmer and Twilight Sparkle."

Pinkie shook her head. "Different Twilight."

"Don't ask," Applejack added as Octavia opened her mouth. "It's complicated."

Octavia shrugged. "Well, if it's only one magical person, then my point is even more valid."

"Yes," said Rarity, "but we have no way of knowing if that's the case."

Octavia crossed her arms. "Nor do we have any way of knowing if it isn't."

Applejack looked back and forth between them. "Uh, you two ain't gonna have some kinda 'fancy-off,' are ya?"

Both girls turned away and scoffed. "As if she'd stand a chance." They whipped their heads back to glare at one another with eerie synchronicity. "Why you—" They lunged for each other, only to find themselves restrained.

Vinyl and Fluttershy looked over their respective friends and traded an understanding smile. Vinyl twisted herself enough to give Octavia a pat on the head.

"Now really isn't the time, Rarity," said Fluttershy. Arms that had held down more than one temperamental Rottweiler tightened a little to emphasize the point.

Rarity drooped. "I suppose you're right. I am sorry, Octavia. I'm getting a terrible headache, and I'm finding myself very irritable."

Vinyl's face twisted with restrained laughter. A strained snort escaped.

"Don't be crass, Vinyl." Octavia took a deep breath. "Apology accepted."

A noisemaker sounded, and nearly everyone jumped. Pinkie just checked her phone. "Huh. Well, that's convenient." She walked towards the science wing as she waved to everyone. "I must go. I am needed for SCIENCE!"

Applejack gulped. "Show o' hands. Who else is more worried now?" Everyone else raised their hands. Applejack let out a sigh. "Okay, not just me, then."

"Let's get going before we grow hooves," said Rarity.

Pinkie threw open the door to the NAHTI. "Greetings! I come bearing gifts!"

Mr. Discord smiled. "Should we beware?"

Pinkie brandished the band checklist. "Nay, no Trotian horse I! I come bearing sooth for thee!"

"Thou wouldst 'thou' thy teacher, impudent whelp?" Mr. Discord crossed his arms and scoffed. "What sooth could a fool such as thou bring to we learnèd ones, wise in the ways of natural philosophy?"

"Things beyond your philosophy, honored elder." Pinkie held the band packet high. "Behold! A census of those in whom the Horse is strong."

Mr. Discord took it and looked over it. "Zounds! Thou art wise indeed, young fool. Much can be made from this intelligence."

"You know," Twilight said to Sunset, "I think it says something that I'm getting used to this kind of thing."

Sunset raised an eyebrow. "Given how much time you've spent around Mr. Discord, I'd have thought you already were."

"I've honestly never seen him as happy as he's been today."

Sunset smiled. "Pinkie does have that effect on people." She clapped her hands, drawing the attention of the banterers, who had produced silly hats and props at some point. "Okay, you two. We need to study human magic. That list should definitely help with pony magic, but we don't even know where to begin for this side of the portal." Sunset paused. "Well, other than Pinkie."

Pinkie shook her head as she put down her toy sword. "Yeah, I'm not gonna be able to help."

"Why not? This is important!"

"That's why I'm not going to be able to help. My tricks only work when it's funny." Pinkie spread her arms. "We're in a literal laboratory setting trying to figure it out to stave off the end of the world! The only we could make it less funny would be to add dead baby jokes!"

Sunset blinked and realized that the oversized pirate hat that Pinkie had been wearing was gone. She found herself wondering if it had ever really been there. "Oh. Well, I'm out of ideas."

"Ooh!" Pinkie bounced on her heels. "What about Vinyl Scratch's built-in Auto-Tune?"

Mr. Discord clicked his tongue. "Miss Pie, it isn't nice to draw attention to speech impediments I'm not allowed to analyze."

Twilight gasped. "What about chromelanin?"

"Hmm." Mr. Discord stroked his goatee. "Magic might be able to explain how one pigment protein could produce a rainbow of colors. Literally, in the case of Rainbow Dash's hair. But that won't answer the question of how to apply our world's magic."

"What about the symbols on your clothes?" asked Sunset.

Everyone else gasped. Mr. Discord smacked himself on the forehead. "Of course! Hiding in plain sight!"

Twilight and Pinkie looked utterly horrified. "You're..." Pinkie swallowed. "You just aren't supposed to talk about those."

Sunset sighed. "Fate of the world. Transgress the taboo or die holding it." She crossed her arms, frowning at the other girls' incredulous expressions. "I reserve the right to put the bitch crown back on if it keeps us all alive."

Mr. Discord nodded. "Twilight, Miss Pie, you can both go."

"But..." Twilight was silent for a few moments, eyes darting about, looking for words. "But, sir—"

He put up a hand. "It's alright. I'm not even a Harmonist."

Pinkie's jaw dropped. "How would you even—"

"My sister converted..." Mr. Discord blinked. "Goodness, has it really been more than forty years ago now? Suffice to say, she had all the zeal of the newly converted and none of the discretion that comes from being raised not to share with anyone not already in the know." Mr. Discord smiled. "Go on, girls. Any higher power that has a problem with this can take it up with me."

Twilight swallowed. "O... Okay, sir."

"We'll just, um..." Pinkie bit her lip. "We'll be around. If you need us."

They trailed out, fearfully looking behind themselves now and again.

Applejack had parked by Nimbus Heights, the tall apartment complex that Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash both called home. Both had gone in to get some clothes for Rarity to alter, so now it was just her and Rarity. Applejack considered her passenger in the rear view mirror. Rarity sat with none of her usual poise, just holding her hands over her forehead. "Headache that bad?"

"Hmm?" Rarity shifted, folding her legs, placing her hands in her lap, and holding herself with all the grace she'd lacked a moment earlier. "What, that little thing? I'd nearly forgotten about it."

Applejack narrowed her eyes. "Uh huh." She turned to face Rarity. "Rares, Ah've seen you turn a stubbed toe into a five-minute production."

Rarity looked to one side and muttered, "Closer to three." She straightened and smiled. "But that just shows you how inconsequential this is."

"Ah also remember th' time we was all helpin' Fluttershy at th' shelter and no one knew that dog had bit you until yer sleeve turned red."

"We were all having such a marvelous time," Rarity said, unable to face Applejack. "There was no reason to interrupt it."

"Never mind that the dang thing mighta been rabid." Applejack sighed. "Point is, if you ain't caterwaulin', then it must be real bad. You don't gotta be a hero, girl."

Rarity rolled her eyes. "We have rather more pressing concerns than a headache."

"We ain't worried about them right now, now are we? If you ain't up to makin' wing holes, yer allowed to say so."

"I appreciate your concern, Applejack, but it is entirely unnecessary."

Applejack snorted, but her response was preempted by Rainbow Dash knocking on the passenger door, a bundle of cloth under one arm. Fluttershy stood behind her, holding a few loaded coat hangers.

Applejack scowled and said, "Jus' take care of yerself, okay?"

Rarity dipped her head. "I shall."

Applejack nodded and unlocked the doors. Dash leapt in the back.

Rarity scowled at the bundle in her arms. "Really, Rainbow, do you want to wear a mass of wrinkles?"

"Eh." Dash shrugged.

"You two have any trouble?" said Applejack.

Dash shook her head. "Mom and Dad are both at work."

"Father is on a business trip in Prance, and Mother was running errands," said Fluttershy.

"We good to go to the Boutique?" Dash asked.

Rarity nodded. "I believe we are."

Applejack gave her one last look through the rear view mirror. "Then let's get goin'."

Mr. Discord put his hands behind his back and began to pace. "Tell me, Miss Shimmer, what does that design on your shirt mean to you?"

Sunset blinked and looked down at the two-toned sun. "It's my cutie mark. It represents my special talent. In my case, that means a gift for combining seemingly contradictory magics, just like the sun is a force of both creation and destruction."

Mr. Discord nodded. "I see. And how did you get it?"

Sunset's gaze grew distant. "When I was a filly, I figured out how to improve a light spell by drawing on ambient lumination, creating a brighter light and a patch of darkness." She gestured at her shirt. "Then this appeared on each of my flanks."

"Ah. Here, they're known as icons, and there's rather more to the process than that. Apparently, after the epiphany, one must travel to the local temple, beseech the priests for some special swatch of cloth, and go meditate. I'm told that the cloth will take on the color of the bearer's skin when he's ready, and will assume the appropriate design after he reflects on that epiphany." Mr. Discord shrugged. "Mind you, this is secondhand. My sister was the one who thought that the sum totality of her being could be expressed through the incredibly deep symbolism of a quill and inkwell. Not that she'd tell me why. She may have been willing to spill a lot of taboo information, but apparently that one was too personal even for her."

Sunset gulped. "So every time I asked someone at school what their cutie mark meant..."

"You were asking them to share one of the deepest, most personal experiences a Harmonist can have."

"I was just trying to break the ice." Sunset groaned. "No wonder I wasn't winning anyone over after the Fall Formal. You know, aside from the whole 'she-demon' thing."

"In any case, we can't exactly go to the local temple and ask for a sample." Mr. Discord paused briefly. "Well, we could, but they obviously wouldn't say yes."

Sunset shook her head. "Any other magical traits that are shared among the tribes clearly aren't part of human magic. Tactile telekinesis, the groinal veil..."

"The what?"

Sunset reddened. "Never mind."

"At this point," said Mr. Discord, "we need to ask ourselves if we can consider this a negligible factor."

"No, human magic clearly altered the readings, even mine."

"Allow me to rephrase that. If we could ignore human magic, would you have any idea of what to do?"

After almost a minute of thought, Sunset shook her head. "Not without help from Equestria."

Mr. Discord leaned in close. "And when can we expect that?"

After a moment, Sunset looked away. "I have no idea. I haven't heard back since yesterday. For all I know, Princess Twilight's hundreds of miles away from the portal right now."

Mr. Discord nodded and sighed. "There comes a time when you need walk away from the problem for a while. I'd say we've reached that point."

"But—"

He held up a hand. "Right now, we're beating our heads against the wall. You've done some incredible work today, Miss Shimmer, and it has been a pleasure to be a part of it. We can tackle the problem with fresh minds tomorrow."

"There may not be a tomorrow!" Sunset cried.

Mr. Discord raised an eyebrow. "Do you really think that?"

"As long as we know so little about human magic, it's possible."

The eyebrow went higher. "Probable?"

Sunset looked at the floor for a few moments before shaking her head. "No."

"Then give your brain a chance to cool off. Believe me, it can work wonders." Mr. Discord grinned. "And in the interim, do all you can to minimize the risk. Say, have Pinkie Pie call everyone involved to alert them to the situation." His smile widened as he took in Sunset's flabbergasted face. "I've been doing this for a long time, Sunset. I've managed to pick up a few good cognitive habits to go with all the bad ones. Now go show your friends that we haven't been sent to Tartarus."

Rainbow Dash sat in one of the Carousel Boutique's dressing rooms, shirt and jacket removed. Rarity had needed them to get a good idea how to fix the other clothes. Thankfully, Dash's wings hadn't gone through her bra. Taking off everything else had been awkward enough. They might have had holes to let her wings through when worn, but there was nothing for taking the stuff off.

Dash considered her wings. They were flesh and blood, coming out of her shoulder blades. The muscles and bones and stuff didn't seem to add up, but she supposed that was where the magic came in.

The struggle to get her clothes had ruffled the feathers a lot. The sight bothered her. Those needed to be smooth. Streamlined. She angled a wing to get as much access to it as possible and started straightening feathers. She fell into a rhythm, smoothing and aligning and removing the occasional broken one. The sensation was weird, but not unpleasant; it helped lull her into the groove.

"Well, this should suffice for a first pass. What do you— What in the world!?"

Rarity's shocked cry shocked Dash out of her reverie. "Whuh?" She spat out a feather. "What's up?"

Rarity flushed as her mouth worked silently for a moment. "I, uh, I'm sorry. Did I interrupt a... delicate moment?"

Dash shook her head. "I was just keeping them neat, is all. It's hygiene, Rarity. You're all about that stuff." She blinked. "I'm not sure why I know that, though."

After a deep breath, Rarity said, "We never speak of this again. Agreed?"

Dash shrugged. "Sure, I guess."

"Very well. Now, let me show you what I've done thus far..."

The place Fluttershy had in mind was apparently called Pure Vibrations. Its storefront was unassuming, no different than the bagel shop on its left or the fabric store on its right. Within was an assortment of crystals, incense sticks, dream catchers, and other flower power paraphernalia.

The smell inside hit Applejack like a fist. It wasn’t exactly unpleasant, but it was certainly intense, like someone couldn’t decide on what potpourri to use and had just gone with everything available. By burning it.

Then came the sound. “Ommm… Ooh ah ah AH AH!”

Applejack blinked a few times. “What the heck was that?”

Fluttershy nudged Applejack with an elbow and frowned. “Be nice.”

A young woman rose from behind the counter, her eyes shut and her red dreadlocks bound in a bandana with a design of a heart on a tree trunk. “The Mantra of Sonic Bliss allows one to commune with the ancestors of all humanity and channel their atavistic wisdom.”

Applejack quirked an eyebrow. “By makin’ monkey noises?”

“Applejack!”

The woman only smiled. “Ancestors of all humanity.” She opened her eyes. “My name is Tree Hugger. How may I aid your journey?”

Applejack edged back. “Uh, Shy? Pretty sure this is your rodeo.”

Fluttershy gave a quiet huff, then smiled and walked up to the counter. “Hello, Tree Hugger.”

Tree Hugger blinked, as though she were only now seeing her customers. “Fluttershy? Whoa. Your aura is, like, manifesting itself through your material shell. Far out.”

Fluttershy looked away and gripped an elbow. She felt her wings ruffle themselves. “That’s kind of why we’re here.”

Applejack nodded. “We’re lookin’ fer magical know-how.”

Tree Hugger shook her head. “We don’t offer ‘magic' here. We offer the means to channel primordial energies that have been forgotten and abandoned by this so-called ‘civilized’ world.” Strains of sitar music began to play. Tree Hugger pulled a cell phone out from her hempen dress, sighed, and clicked it off. “Sorry. A young soul in the body of a telemarketer.”

“Look, missy," said Applejack, "you can call it what you want, but we got an actual magical emergency on our hands.”

Fluttershy nodded and flapped a wing.

Tree Hugger’s dreadlocks shifted in the breeze, and her jaw dropped. “Those things are real? Like, physically present?”

“Ears too.” Applejack waggled hers. “So, you got anything useful?”

Tree Hugger's mouth worked silently for a few moments. "I feel like I should be asking to learn from you. Your understanding of the cosmos must be so vast."

"So... you can't help us?" Fluttershy wilted.

Tree Hugger shook her head. "The only ones who can help you in the way you want are yourselves."

"Oh. I see."

Applejack sighed and put an arm around Fluttershy. "Well, thanks anyway."

Tree Hugger spread her arms wide, her fingers folded in an odd gesture. "May your enlightenment spread, brilliant ones."

"Kinda what we're tryin' t' avoid," Applejack muttered.

Sunset found Pinkie and Twilight standing by her car. Judging by Pinkie's capering, she was in the middle of a story.

"... and it turned out the alligator never had any teeth to begin with!"

Twilight puffed and whistled with repressed laughter like an old boiler. She quieted when she saw Sunset. "Oh. Hello."

Pinkie turned around and swallowed. "H-heya, Sunset."

Sunset smiled. "You know, it's really not that different from Equestria."

The two shared a look. Twilight said, "It isn't?"

"It's a bit more... well, automated."

Pinkie looked around, leaned in, and whispered, "And the icon really shows up on your hips?"

Sunset nodded.

"Wait, what?" asked Twilight.

"It's true!"

"I don't see what's so strange about that," said Sunset. She folded her arms. "Cutiesynthesis is a perfectly natural part of pony biology."

A goofy grin spread across Twilight's face. "'Cutiesynthesis'?"

Sunset nodded. "That's the technical term."

The others giggled. Sunset rolled her eyes and smiled. "Need a ride home, Twilight?" she asked.

After a moment, Twilight nodded. She got out her phone. "I'll just tell my brother I won't need him to pick me up."

"Sure thing."

Pinkie tapped her chin. "Do you think pony Twilight has a brother?"

Sunset considered this for a bit, then shrugged. "Maybe? You'd think she'd have mentioned him at some point."

Applejack walked out of the garage, savoring the simple joys of being home and the warmth of the setting sun.

Then she almost walked face first into her brother. "Oh. Hey there, Big Macintosh."

Big Mac just stood there, looking down at her with his arms crossed.

Applejack took a few steps back so she didn't need to crane her head up to meet his gaze. "Aw, c'mon," she said. "Ah told ya Ah'd need the truck today."

Mac raised an eyebrow.

"Is it th' ears? It's th' ears, ain't it?"

Mac began to tap his foot.

"Darn it, you don't gotta badger me about it! Ah'm fine, really. Same ol' Applejack, jus' with a few extras." She kicked a pebble. It zinged by Macintosh's knee and went on until a dull wooden thunk sounded from a ways behind him.

After a long silence, Applejack said, "Okay, maybe more than a few extras."

"Eeyup."

Bifröst was a simple man. He liked his beer cold, his movies high in explosions, and the two most important women in his life safe and happy. He wasn't sure how to feel about one of them growing wings.

Firefly didn't seem to have those issues. The pink-skinned woman was circling Dash, seeming entranced by every slow motion of her daughter's wings. "This is amazing!"

"I know!" said Dash.

"And they really work?"

"They do!"

Bifröst ran a hand through his rainbow hair. "Just do your old man a favor and don't fly too high, okay, Dashie?"

Firefly smirked and punched him in the forearm. "Oh, come on, Beefy. Rainbow's broken enough bones to know her limits."

"That's what you said before she tried skateboarding."

Dash wrapped her arms around him, followed by her wings. "It'll be okay, Daddy. Really."

"You only call me Daddy when you're trying to get me to stop worrying."

"Is it working?" He could hear her smirk.

Bifröst chuckled and ruffled Dash's hair. "A little."

"Oh my..." Posey rushed to Fluttershy, then took one of her daughter's wings in her hands as gently as she could. "What is... What?"

"We're working on a solution, Mother," Fluttershy said.

"Does it hurt? Do you need anything? Are there any other symptoms? Is there a cure?"

Fluttershy gave a silent sigh. Her coloration was so close to her mother's, this was like watching an older version of herself worry. "It's not a disease, Mother, it's... well, it's magic."

Posey stared at Fluttershy for a moment. "You joined a cult!?"

"No..." Luna tried to keep herself as calm as she could. "Mrs. Blossom, you are far from the first concerned parent to bring this to my attention. I assure you, we have the best minds available working on a solution."

She massaged her temples as the woman on the other end of the line jabbered the inevitable frantic reply into her ear. "For the sake of the investigation, I have been asked not to divulge their identities, but I can attest to their expertise in these matters."

Luna tried deep breaths. She tried counting to ten. She tried meditating on calming images: tranquil waters, twinkling stars, the full moon. She managed to force a bit more calm. "The moment we know anything more, I will let you know personally. Good night, Mrs. Blossom." She ended the call with as much savage force as a finger poking a touchscreen could manage.

Only then did Luna let loose. "You paranoid pile of projected anxiety! You give helicopters a bad name, you hovering, hairy worrywart! Take a deep breath, count to ten, and foreign as the concept may sound, RELAX!"

A tinny Beethoofen piano piece began playing. Luna smiled. It would be enough for the next one. "Good evening. This is Vice Principal Luna."

As she addressed the latest in a long line of panicking parents, observatories around the world silently agreed that all of their instruments had experienced the same glitch at the same time. It was that or admit that the moon had shuddered in its orbit.

"When you're a young teenager,
Not quite child or adult,
You don't know where you can fit in
And there's no one to consult..."

Rarity sat, enraptured by her sister's voice. Sweetie sprouting ears came as no surprise. At this point, it would've been criminal for music this beautiful not to lead to a pony transformation. Furthermore, it was the only thing besides working on clothing that helped against Rarity's headache.

Yes, after the song, Rarity would probably need to alert Sunset about Sweetie's awakened magic. Yes, in light of Pinkie's message, she probably shouldn't have let Sweetie start singing in the first place. But for now, she was going to savor the moment and relieve her pain. She was going to take care of herself.

Pinkie hummed to herself as she came home. "Hi, Mom and Dad!"

"Evening, Pinkamena," Cloudy Quartz said from her knitting.

Igneous Rock peered over his newspaper. "You seem to have grown horse ears."

Pinkie stood straight, arms behind her back. "Yes, sir."

"This permanent?"

"Working on a way to fix it, sir."

Igneous gave a slow nod. "Alright, then. Keep me up to date on the matter."

Pinkie returned the nod. "Yes, sir."

Already interrupted, Pinkie's humming faltered as she made her way upstairs. By the time she went in her bedroom, even her smile was slipping. She looked back and forth, moving from corner to corner of her room. Eventually, fully frowning, she settled on a spot on the wall just above her TV. "Hey," she said, apparently to no one.

She crossed her arms. "You know who I'm talking to, buster."

Oh. Uh, hi.

"Hi. Look, I don't know who or what you are. I'm assuming you're part of the whole 'building magic' thing."

Something like that, yes.

"That's fine, but I'm about to change into my PJs, so you need to leave. Now, please."

Right. Sorry about that.

Pinkie gave a small grin. "Just don't do it again and we'll be good. It's kind of creepy."

Sure thing.

Sunset drove home, such as it was. She'd left Equestria with nothing more than the shirt that had appeared on her back and as much money as she could carry. They didn't accept bits here for obvious reasons, but a no-questions-asked pawn shop and an aggressive negotiating style had left her with a handsome sum of local currency. From there, she'd hopped about the less savory parts of society, gathering documentation, more funds, and a place to call her own.

Sunset might have abandoned most parts of her old life, but the old warehouse was one she couldn't do without. Literally. It wasn't like she could bum sleepovers off of her friends for the rest of her life, and she did own the place. The exterior still looked fairly rundown, but she'd manage to furnish the interior rather comfortably.

Car parked and locked, Sunset made her way to the entrance, rubbing her forehead against a developing headache. The clatter of garbage in an alleyway didn't give her pause. There were several stray cats in this part of town. A growl far too deep for any stray, on the other hand, made her stop where she was.

Old reflexes came to the fore. Sunset invoked light, and her palms glowed. The light flickered with her concentration as she tried to process what she was looking at. There were elements of human and equine in the figure, and more besides. Its jaw jutted out muzzlelike from a human face, scaly lips unable to completely cover a set of wicked fangs. A fin emerged along the back of its neck, behind its blue-haired scalp. Its arms were too long and thin for a human, looking like they were stretched. Three digits emerged from each palm, but other than the thumbs, they forked halfway, tipping each forelimb with five claws. It had no legs, only a long muscular tail, though one that had a pair of human feet dangling at the end. And it still wore the ragged remains of an outfit that the green magelight turned black.

"Yooouuu," the creature snarled at Sunset, filling the word with as much hate as it could even as it struggled to form the word at all. It pushed itself up, and she could see the puckered crater at its throat, formed around a seven-sided crystal she'd helped destroy a few days ago.

Sunset's thoughts raced. The blue one. What was the blue one's name? "Sonata?"

The creature blinked, then glared. "Whaaat?"

"I..." Sunset swallowed. "I don't know what's happened to you, but—"

"Yoouu haaa'ennned." Sonata slammed a palm onto the pavement and dragged herself closer.

"My friends and I are studying magic. We can help you!"

Sonata tilted her head. "Heeel' 'eee?"

Sunset nodded and plastered a grin on her face. "Yes! Together we can—"

"Yoouu caaaan heeel' 'eee," Sonata said, lowering herself.

"Great! How?"

"DIE!" Sonata lunged forward, mouth opened wide.

Sunset threw up her arms and called forth the first shield spell that came to mind. A green wall formed between her and the siren just in time to block the bite. The barrier then exploded, sending Sonata flying back and crashing into the dumpster.

Sunset gulped. Right. That had been a shield she'd developed personally. One that redirected the force, combining offense and defense. Probably not the most diplomatic spell she could've picked.

Sonata dragged herself out of the dumpster, snarling even more than she had to. "Thaaat iiis yoouur heeel'?"

"I'm sorry! I—"

The siren gave a sound somewhere between a human scream and an animalistic roar and lunged forward, teeth bared.

Sunset gave a scream of her own, thrust out her hands, and just willed the creature away.

The burst of magic knocked her off her feet. Judging by the fading howl and the lingering, rising smoke trail, it had done a lot more to Sonata.

Sunset just stared up for a moment. There something warm on her forehead, and a stinging pain in the middle of it. She reached up and felt a small point surrounded by what was probably blood. "Horseapples."

Later that night, Spike stirred in his basket. A bright light was keeping him up. He opened his eyes.

In her bed, his mistress was glowing.

Spike gave little puppy grumbles, turned around a few times, and lay back down, facing away from his mistress. This was far from the strangest thing she'd ever done.

Sunset awoke to the sound of her journal buzzing. She flipped it open. The message she found was scrawled across the whole page.

Get to the portal.
NOW.

Author's Note

Sure, wings sound good on paper, but when you're stuck with them, certain complications come to light. Good thing these come with a built-in preening instinct.

No one said unicorn-people never got horns. They just don't get them in the time frame we've seen.

It's a bit easier for earth people. They just have to worry about not knowing their own strength. Well, most of them.

Of course, the pros and cons of the different tribes are the least of Sunset's concerns right now...

Running

Sunset was still not entirely comfortable with the internal combustion engine, but she found that the fate of the world helped her get over her issues very quickly. She'd paused only long enough to grab her keys and shoes before jumping into her car and gunning it towards Canterlot High. It was early enough that she was nearly the only person on the road. The only things that stopped her were red lights. She wasn't going to see existence destroyed because she got pulled over.

Once at CHS, Sunset skidded to a halt across three parking spaces, sprang out of her car, and ran across the parking lot, feet pounding against the asphalt. Now she could rush. Now she didn't need to worry about anything but the space between her and the statue.

"Ah, Miss Shimmer! Good morning."

Now she mentally smacked herself. She'd really set herself up for that one. Turning, she said as quickly as she could, "Good morning, Mister..." She trailed off as she took in Mr. Discord.

He grinned, floating a foot above the ground with a familiar creature in tow. "I know, it's a bit much, but what can I say? When I found I could make the law of gravity more of a suggestion, I just couldn't resist indulging myself."

Sunset gulped. Discord unable to resist using his powers. Fantastic. "I see. And Sonata?"

Mr. Discord looked at the siren. "I take it the two of you met recently?"

"She tried to tear my throat out last night," Sunset deadpanned.

"Yes, she does seem to have a habit of doing that, doesn't she?" Mr. Discord considered Sonata. "Or, at least, she did. I must have done something to her, because ever since our little altercation earlier today, she's had all the joie de vivre of a dead slug." He patted Sonata on the side. She just kept staring at nothing. "Probably just worried. Have no fear, Miss Dusk, we'll have you sound in body soon enough. Then we can worry about your mind." He hummed to himself. "Probably a good idea to test that, now that I think about it." He took off his glasses and ran his fingers over his eyelids. When he opened his eyes, there was no sign of the pupils, and the irises were unevenly dilated. He beamed. "Excellent! I can heal!"

Mr. Discord turned back to Sunset, who had managed to cover a bit more distance during his distraction. "So," he said, making her halt and turn back to face him, "aside from an unexpected guest, what did you get up to last night?"

Sunset plastered a grin on her face. "Excuse me?"

"Oh, come now, Miss Shimmer, it's as plain as the horn on your forehead. You've clearly had your own overnight epiphany, one important enough that you didn't even want to waste the time needed to change out of your pajamas." Mr. Discord leaned forward, chin in his hands. "Do tell."

"Well..." Sunset's eyes darted about as she thought. She wasn't sure how Mr. Discord would react to learning how dangerous he really was, and she didn't want to risk finding out. Her frantic gaze noticed something on the horizon. "What is that?"

Mr. Discord scoffed. "Really, now, Sunset—may I call you Sunset? If you don't want to tell me, you just have to say so."

Sunset turned to face the thin purple streak. "No, really, there's something there." She squinted. "And it's coming closer."

Mr. Discord turned to look and stroked his goatee. "Hmm. That is peculiar. Miss Dusk, you're staying here. I'm going to investigate this." He rose further into the sky.

Sunset waited a few moments in case he turned back. He didn't, and so she resumed her race for the portal. She risked a quick glance behind her as she did. Sonata kept hovering where she was. In other circumstances, Sunset might have felt sorry for her, but the siren had tried to conquer the world, which was probably only minutes away from collapse. Sunset's priorities were clear.

Sunset's horn began to tingle as she approached the Wondercolt statue, making her skull shake and her vision blur. By the time she could put a hand on the plinth, every step became a struggle, and not just from the growing headache. The air seemed to thicken the closer she got to the portal. As she rounded the corner, it felt like her head was splitting open as she tried to force her way through memory foam. A trickling dampness on her head made her realize that the first part wasn't a simile, and that the grinding sound she felt through her molars really was bone against growing horn.

The sight of the portal was nearly enough to make Sunset forget her headache. It bulged, a scintillating sky blue curve forcing its way out of the statue's base. "Thaumic flux," she muttered, barely able to hear herself over the growing ringing in her ears. The magic was literally pushing its way into this world.

Sunset worked her way across the statue, going hand over hand. After what felt like an eternity, she managed to plunge a hand into the gateway. A moment later, she felt the prickle of magic grip the limb on the other side, then pull. She yelped as she was yanked back to Equestria.

Mr. Discord hovered above the roof of the school, thinking up experiments as he waited. So much potential, so little time. Just the thought made his brain itch, though some of that might have been the horn buds.

He smiled as the purple streak came close enough to identify. "Ah, Twilight. It appears that this is truly a morning for the history books. Sunset Shimmer also had a pajama-level breakthrough. I trust you're going to be a bit more forthcoming?"

Twilight hovered before him, enclosed in a flowing lavender aura. Her hair whipped about as if in an updraft. She spoke, and her voice was as a chorus. "You are causing a fatal imbalance in the fundamental forces of the universe. Cease."

Mr. Discord threw up his hands. "Oh, come on! Doesn't anyone trust me to manage space and time? They've looked after themselves for this long, how hard could it be?"

The aura brightened around Twilight's fists. "Failure to comply will result in escalation."

Mr. Discord raised an eyebrow. "Wouldn't that be rather counterproductive?"

"The probability of cosmic collapse is greater without direct intervention."

"Hmm." Mr. Discord tented his fingers. "How much greater?"

Twilight glared. "Irrelevant. You have ten to the forty-fourth power temporal quanta to comply."

"You mean Pranck times? So that would be, oh, ten seconds. Which I've mostly taken up by calculating that. And there goes the rest." Mr. Discord gave a laugh. "Well played."

Twilight surged forward, swinging a glowing fist through where his head had been a moment earlier.

Sunset flew through the portal. It took her a moment to realize she had finished the trip; she still felt the bizarre stretching sensation that she associated with moving between worlds. By the time she had blinked her eyes clear, the feeling ended, heralded by the falling hum of deactivating machinery.

"Hi, Sunset," said Twilight, shifting from hoof to hoof, wings fluttering, mane growing more askew even as Sunset watched.

Sunset took stock of her situation. She was held in Twilight's magic, and judging by the decor, they appeared to be in that castle she'd heard so much about. "Hi. Nice pla—"

"No time!" Twilight galloped out of the room, towing Sunset along with her.

Sunset tried to take in the scenery, but something distracted her. "Why are my hindquarters buzzing?"

"That's the Map of Harmony alerting you."

"The what?" asked Sunset.

"Well, I don't know if that's the official name, but it came from the Tree of Harmony, so—" Twilight nearly stumbled as her ramble changed tracks. "Hold on, do you know about the Tree?"

"Yes. Princess Celestia told me everything about the Elements." Sunset sighed. "It's actually part of why I fled Equestria; I figured she'd abandon me as soon as I got Luna back for her."

"Sunset, we can talk about your past regrets as much as you want after we've dealt with the problem that has Discord worried." Twilight skidded to a halt in front of a model of Equestria surrounded by six thrones. Images of their cutie marks floated from their haunches and circled not too far from the model of the Canterhorn.

"Is that the Everfree Forest?" asked Sunset.

"Yup."

"Are we going to need to see the Tree?"

"Most probably."

"Are you going to put me down?"

"When we get there." Twilight resumed her rush until she burst out of the castle.

A mishmash creature was waiting for them. "Sunset Shimmer? I'm Discord." He shook her hoof. "Always a pleasure to meet a fellow member of the Reformed Villain Club." Sunset felt a slight weight press down on her mane. She took it off. It was a baseball cap with a smiley-face sticker roughly placed over a cruel scowl.

"Can you take us to the Tree?" said Twilight.

There was a flash of light, and the three of them stood at the mouth of a cave. Discord grinned. "Signs point to 'Yes.'"

"Great. Thank you!" Twilight galloped in.

"I thought you said you'd put me down when we got there!" Sunset cried.

Twilight came to a stop. "I did." She set Sunset down. "We're here."

Sunset took in the Tree of Harmony. She'd never seen it before, but it felt oddly familiar, like a forgotten memory.

"The Map doesn't tell us what to do, just where to go, so—"

"It's okay," said Sunset. "I know what to do." She walked up to the Tree and put a hoof on the base of its trunk.

The Tree of Harmony glowed. The Elements glittered. Sunset flared with all the colors of her namesake.

Twilight squinted her eyes shut and put her wings over her face. By the time the light died down and she blinked the spots out of her eyes, all that remained of Sunset was a carbon smear in the shape of her cutie mark. Even as Twilight watched, some of the blackened matter sloughed off of the Tree's roots.

Eyes wide, Twilight looked up at the core of the Tree, where the Element of Magic still gave off a faint glow. "I really hope you know what you're doing." She wasn't sure who she was talking to, but she meant it.

Author's Note

When every second counts, even the narration doesn't have much time to spare.

As for why Twilight didn't teleport, she's panicking, and with good reason. When adrenaline shouts "RUN!" in your ear, it can drown out the quieter voice saying "Or fold space." Plus, teleporting into the Everfree still isn't the best of ideas for anyone other than Discord.

Spectrum

Princess Celestia had always put great faith in the essential wisdom and goodness of Harmony. Today, with the Day Court filled to the rafters with throngs of nobleponies, she was still certain about the goodness, but her faith in its wisdom was being sorely tested.

"It's all quite simple, Auntie," said Prince Blueblood, designated spokespony for the aristocratic mass crowding the throne room. "For a long time, only you—and Auntie Luna, of course—were permitted castles, as a symbol of Equestrian unity and togetherness and suchlike."

Celestia took as deep a breath as she could without anypony noticing. "Yes, Blueblood, I know. I'm the one who made that decree."

Blueblood started pacing in front of her throne. "Now, it's rather ambiguous whether or not the Crystal Empire is technically part of Equestria. We haven't officially annexed it yet for what I'm sure is a very good reason, presumably so it can act as a buffer state against the yaks." He whipped his head about to face Celestia and grinned. "But Ponyville? Ponyville is indisputably within our borders, and presents a clear precedent. Given that, I think my proposal is entirely reasonable."

Celestia glanced at the scroll, just to make sure it hadn't somehow gotten more ridiculous since she last looked at it. "You want a castle twice as tall as Twilight's, also made of harmony crystal."

Blueblood stuck his muzzle in the air. "Well, it clearly isn't expensive. She got hers for free."

"She got hers after realizing the true meaning of her harmonious virtue, becoming its living embodiment, returning Tirek to Tartarus, and restoring magic to Equestria."

"Yes, and she didn't pay one yellow cent for it!" Blueblood stomped a hoof on the carpet, making a rather undramatic thud.

Celestia held back a sigh through centuries of practice. "My point, dear nephew, is that this sort of thing must be earned."

Blueblood nodded. "Of course. And given my years of work contributing to this great nation of ours, I think I'm due some small consideration."

Those same centuries of practice helped Celestia keep her thoughts about that statement to herself. "Blueblood, do you already have an enormous spire of solid harmony magic?"

"No," he said rather slowly, "hence the petition."

"Well," said Celestia, a bit of curtness slipping in, "then I think you have your answer."

Blueblood frowned. "I had assumed one had to clear this with you first, Auntie. You've always favored that..." Disgust flickered across his face. "That esteemed new princess, and if castles sprouted up whenever somepony did something that deserved one, why, we'd probably be hock-deep in the things!"

Celestia lifted an eyebrow. "And how would this differ from what would happen if every member of the nobility were to build his or her own castle anyway, as opposed to the many luxurious estates they already possess?"

"Yes, but Auntie, you have to understand. They aren't castles." The assembled nobility murmured their approval of this point.

It was at this point that Celestia sensed a disturbance on the Astral Plane. She also sensed that if she left to investigate it now, the architects and stonemasons of Equestria would probably be able to buy the country out from under her by the time she got back. Celestia held back another sigh. She just had to hope that whatever was going on in the higher realms could wait or take care of itself.

Sunset looked around. "Hello?" All she could see were stars and haze. "Is anyone there?" The ground seemed to be solidified mist, thin enough that she could still make out a few bright lights through it. "Where am I?"

Her gaze moved from the ground to her hoof. Or hand. Or impossibly twisted bit of solar corona. The extremity seemed to be all three at once, and other forms that Sunset couldn't even process. "What am I?" she asked.

As if in response, something glinted on the edge of sight. She looked away from herself to see six jewels orbiting her. One of them was cheek-heatingly/ear-flatteningly/photosphere-roilingly familiar.

The Elements of Harmony floated away from her in a line, led by Magic. They arranged themselves into the formation they'd had on the Tree of Harmony. After a brief flare blinding even to the eyes of a sun—and the less time Sunset spent thinking about that, the better—the Tree was there. So too was a white-coated alicorn with an oddly forked horn and a crown adorned with all the Elements, and a woman wearing a toga straight out of the ancient Marediterranean and the world's most powerful charm bracelet. Like Sunset's hoof, she was all of them at once and more besides.

She smiled. "Hello, Sunset."

"Um... Hi?" Sunset bit her lip and other analogous awkward motions. "I take it you're Harmony, then?"

The other being shrugged. "As good a name as any. It's a shame we have to meet this way. I was looking forward to this."

"You were? I wasn't sure if I would ever come back to Equestria. I mean, my legal status is still kind of in the air." Sunset smacked herself. "What am I saying? We've got much more important things to worry about! The human world—"

"Can wait. For a little while, at least. Time flows differently here, especially when I ask it to."

Sunset took a deep breath. "Okay. Then could you please answer my questions?"

Harmony nodded and bent her boughs. "Certainly. We are in a higher-energy realm, one reserved for those who have either transcended their physical forms or were never truly bound by them. I believe ponies call it the Astral Plane."

Sunset's assorted mouths went dry. "I... thought the Astral Plane was where dead souls went."

Another nod. "That is how most transcend their physical forms, yes."

"So, am I...?"

"Your former body is currently a bit of ash on my roots, but we'll be fixing that soon." Harmony smiled. "You see, Sunset, I called you to me because you're a special case."

Sunset took a moment to respond, still processing the "ash on my roots" comment. "How so?"

Harmony spread her various limbs. "Even on this plane, most beings cannot appreciate hyperdimensional anatomy."

"The whole 'being a human, a pony, and something else at the same time' thing?"

"Precisely." Harmony brought her extremities to her heart. "They are all symbolic representations of the same fundamental soul."

"Could we settle on one, please? I have more headaches than I do heads right now." Most of their bodies... Sunset decided the best word available was "diminished," or maybe "receded." After a few moments, only the human bodies remained, but she knew in the back of her mind that all the others were still there, just rolled up too small to see. Still, at least they weren't all in front of her. She rubbed her temples with her hands. "Thanks."

Harmony shook her head. "That was all you. Your ability to perceive reality on so many levels at once shows just what you are: A Catalyst of Harmony."

Sunset stood silently for a fair length of time. "If you were anyone else, I'd think you had made that up."

"Speaking as a Catalyst myself, I assure you, I didn't. We aren't part of the reaction, but we do massively enhance it. Consider the Battle of the Bands." Harmony gestured, and a screen appeared in midair, showing the final confrontation between the Rainbooms and the Dazzlings. "On their own, your friends were able to put up a fight, but were still overpowered. With you..." In the memory, the enormous energy alicorn materialized. Harmony smiled. "Well, I think that speaks for itself."

Sunset sighed. "Yeah. It says that I got the world started down the path to oblivion."

Harmony nodded reluctantly. "That world never was intended to be very magical."

"'Intended'?" Sunset narrowed her eyes. "Who intended it?"

Harmony shook her head. "Even with the dilation effect, we don't have enough time for that."

Sunset crossed her arms. "Can you at least explain how the magic of that world works?"

"In a word, quietly. The human world—well, that human world—wasn't meant to be especially magical, so the magic hides from those who look for it. When they start looking too hard, it discourages them." Another gesture opened another window, showing part of the painful testing in the NAHTI.

"What about Pinkie Pie?" asked Sunset.

"Pinkie is a special case, but you already knew that." Harmony gave a familiar, enigmatic smile, the same one Princess Celestia liked to use when challenging Sunset to figure out something for herself.

Sunset knew that she had more pressing matters to worry about, but she couldn't completely quell her curiosity. "And cutie marks, or icons, or whatever they call them there?"

"There are a few ways to coax that world's magic into a cooperative state, rituals and such for the necessities." Another window opened, a cafeteria full of singing, dancing students gathered around one purple girl, seen through a glass door.

"What makes them necessary?"

Harmony shook her head. "We're getting back to the parts I can't explain."

Sunset threw up her arms. "This is ridiculous! 'Intended,' 'meant,' 'necessities.' Who's the one making these decisions? Your analogue?"

Another shake. "I don't have one in that world. It wasn't magical enough to warrant something like me."

"Who, then?" Sunset huffed.

Harmony gave a little grin. "I know you've had some issues with authority in the past, Sunset, but this one's a bit above your weight class."

"Even as a 'Catalyst of Harmony'?" said Sunset, complete with air quotes.

Harmony nodded. "Even so."

Sunset scowled and drummed her fingers against her forearm for a few moments. "It's the lack of respect that gets me."

"Oh?" Harmony raised her eyebrows. "What do you mean?"

"There's this incredible power in each and every person in that world, enough to warp pony magic into a bizarre, fascinating new state. But the only way most of them are allowed to use it is getting a symbol they aren't even allowed to talk about." Sunset snorted. "And I'm guessing magic is the only reason why those rituals have managed to stay secret even with the Internet."

Harmony nodded. "Can't let the ceremony get away from the people who revere it too much to ask questions."

"It got out to Mr. Discord," said Sunset.

Harmony shrugged. "Because he's Discord. The rules only apply to him when he lets them, and even then, it took an outsider's perspective to make him realize what he knew."

"It doesn't seem fair that he gets an instance in that world and you don't." Sunset held up a hand. "I know, I know, Discord, fairness, not a good mix. But..." She trailed off, then buried her face in her hands. "I really should've seen this coming sooner."

"I was going to bring it up eventually," Harmony said, patting Sunset on the shoulder.

"Well, at least I'm going to be able to clean up after myself." Sunset took a deep breath and squared her shoulders. "So, what does becoming a spirit of harmony entail, exactly?"

Harmony smiled and moved a back a few steps. "In your case, it's functionally identical to becoming an alicorn."

Sunset's jaw dropped. Something warm stirred in her core. "Don't I have to earn that kind of thing? Perform some great magical feat?"

"You don't think beating the sirens counted?"

"Did it?" The warmth was spreading to Sunset's limbs.

Harmony shook her head, her grin widening. "Nope. Have you ever heard the saying, 'Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them'?"

"I'm familiar with Spear Shaker, yes. I'm not sure how you are."

Harmony waved a hand, producing a screen that displayed the stage of one of Canterlot's better theaters. "You do get a few perks with the job.

"Anyway, alicorns come about for two reasons. One is, as you and the line noted, achievement, the great feat that elevates you to a higher state of existence. The other is necessity, the world elevating you because it needs you. Celestia and Luna were born great, because the original method of celestial motion wasn't sustainable. Twilight and Cadence achieved greatness."

Sunset gulped. "And I'm having greatness thrust upon me."

"As we speak," said Harmony.

"But I'll be able to fix this?"

Harmony nodded and sighed. "More than can be said for the current attempt."

Sunset's hair began to tingle as she frowned. "What do you mean?"

Harmony raised a hand, summoning a still image of the human Twilight flying in front of Canterlot High. "That world's Twilight is currently learning the difference between bearing an Element and being borne by one." She sighed. "In its desperation to defend itself, that world's magic has possessed the most receptive vessel."

"The analogue of the Bearer of Magic," said Sunset.

"Precisely." Harmony shut her eyes. "But at this point, it's like a fatal fever. The body's going to kill itself by trying to cure itself."

"And I'm medicine."

Harmony smiled. "Just what the doctor ordered."

Sunset snickered. "Well, kill or cure." She blinked. "I'm going to be needed there constantly, aren't I? If this is what happens when I'm not there, then this was the last time I'll ever set hoof in Equestria."

Harmony bit her lip. "Not necessarily."

Sunset gave her a flat look. "I'd appreciate honesty over kindness right now."

After a few moments, Harmony said, "It will be for quite some time. You'll know when you'll be able to leave that world, but right now, it wouldn't last an hour without you there."

"And given your perspective, when you say 'a while'..." Sunset sighed. "At least I'm not leaving much behind."

Harmony gave a sad smile. "If you want, I can nudge Celestia, and Luna can send a message to your parents."

"Tell them..." Sunset paused for a moment. "Tell Celestia that I'll try to make her proud, and tell Mom and Dad..." She took a deep breath. "I'm sorry."

Energy surged from Sunset's heart, orbiting her as she rose into the air. "So, I rematerialize, rush to the portal, and let the flux suck me in?"

Harmony smiled. "Nothing so crude." She raised a hand and splayed out the fingers. An oval opened above Sunset, a gateway into stark white emptiness.

Sunset gawked at it. "What is that?"

"No one's had a chance to decorate that world's Astral Plane." Harmony smiled. "On the bright side, we'll be able to stay in touch."

Sunset shouted, trying to hear herself over the roar in her ears. "Good, because this conversation isn't—!" The power completely enveloped her, and she shot into the other world.

Harmony sighed. "No, but you're going to have some more pressing concerns for a while." She looked around. "Junior?"

To the eyes of one focusing on human representations, Harmony was answered by a young girl, perhaps six years old, wearing an iridescent dress and a hat shaped like a toy castle. "Yes, Mommy?"

"Could you please give Twilight the all-clear?"

Junior nodded and looked at a bracelet around her wrist. On the band was a circular crystal medallion as big as the back of her hand. She poked it near its center.

Twilight started, then looked at her hindquarters. Sure enough, her cutie mark was glowing again, just as it had outside of The Village. "Really?" she said. "That was it?"

Discord, who hadn't been there a moment before, put an arm over her withers. "Well, you know what they say. Harmony works in mysterious ways."

"Can't say I've ever heard that saying." Twilight gave her haunches a flat look. "Still, given recent experiences, I can't disagree with it."

"I've always felt that it's one of her few admirable qualities," said Discord. "After all, few things can kill chaos quite like clear, concise communication."

"But I have no idea what happened to Sunset, and..." Twilight trailed off, then sprang into the air to put herself muzzle to muzzle with Discord. "Wait, 'her'?"

He grinned. "Long story."

It had been a tolerably interesting few minutes for Mr. Discord. He'd had plenty of time to examine Twilight's new strengths and weaknesses.

She lunged at him, demonstrating the former: a respectable turn of speed, an ability to ignore gravity equal to his own, and enough raw power to be dangerous were it paired with any degree of competence.

He moved a bit to the side, demonstrating the latter, that Twilight had all the combat skill and tactical imagination of a thrown rock. Mr. Discord was hardly a veteran soldier, but even he knew that there was more to fighting than just charging at the other guy. He sighed and brought his fingers into snapping position. It was time to make this more interesting.

A new sun flared into existence overhead.

Mr Discord looked up, then at his hand. "I'm genuinely not sure if I did that." He barely ducked under Twilight's next punch.

Meanwhile, the new sun, who hung only a few dozen feet above the combatants, realized that this wasn't how she meant to comport herself. After a moment of morphic confusion, Sunset returned to the humanoid form she'd grown used to over the last few years, though with a few new additions. She wore a calf-length dress that shimmered like polished crystal. Her ears were pointed and poked out of her hair. A nearly foot-long, spiraling horn grew out of her forehead. Her calf-length hair had a streak of stark white-blue amidst the red and yellow. She hung aloft on wings of fire, cherry red at edges, shading into brighter, hotter colors further in, with that same blue-white brilliance burning at their roots.

And yet, all of that was window dressing compared to what had happened to Sunset's mind. Her senses and thoughts had opened up on levels she'd never even thought possible. She could feel how the world was teetering on the edge of dissolution, and knew how to pull it back. She spread out her arms and pulled them back in until her hands were over her heart.

There was no flash of light, no burst of sound. Between one moment and the next, her friends simply appeared, standing in a circle around the statue. After a moment, they staggered and looked around, questions forming on their lips.

"Sorry, everyone." Sunset's voice was soft, but carried clearly to all of them. "We don't have a lot of time. Just hold still and this will be over quickly." She turned to the girl who'd been floating agog since she pulled herself together. "Magic?"

Twilight's body nodded. "I am prepared to aid in the restoration of cosmic homeostasis."

Sunset blinked, then cleared her throat. "Um, good. If you could put yourself between me and the statue?" Magic did so, and Sunset smiled. "Then we'll begin. Everyone, just focus on fixing the damage."

"Wait," said Dash, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, "why didn't we just friendship laser this to begin with?"

"Ah'm guessin' it has somethin' t' do with Sunset's fancy new wings," Applejack drawled.

"While we're discussing this," said Rarity, pausing to yawn. "Oh, excuse me. Now, what precisely has happened to Twilight?"

Fluttershy gulped. "Does it hurt?"

Pinkie grinned. "Can I try it?"

Sunset discovered that her ascension hadn't come with enhanced patience. She took a deep breath and said, "Girls, we really don't have time to discuss this. I'll tell you everything after we've saved the world. Again. Deal?" After getting five nods, she held out her hands at her sides and focused along with the others.

Mr. Discord considered the girls, a building sensation making his molars tingle. It was like the expectant feeling before a storm, a sense that something big was about to happen. Impulses screamed in his mind, to disrupt, to flee, to act.

In fact, the impulses were so pronounced, so emphatic, that Mr. Discord couldn't help but smirk. "If I obeyed my every whim," he murmured, "I'd probably be cleaning floors for a living." He didn't appreciate something else using his brain, even if that something was the meat body he had to live in. As such, he did the one thing his instincts were telling him that he absolutely mustn't.

Nothing.

Well, not quite nothing. He did move back a bit further from the energy buildup that was now making every hair on his body stand on end. Aside from that, he settled in for what promised to be some fascinating observations.

Around the Wondercolt statue, lines of energy connected the girls to one another. Soon, planes of swirling color and energy formed, creating a pyramid. The construct brightened, the colors roiling faster and faster. Power pulsed up, from the Rainbooms at the base to Twilight at the core to Sunset at the apex.

The intention was clear. The power had been gathered. Sunset merely had to apply it.

But there were two possible solutions, one for each kind of magic she had to work with.

She could favor the human magic. She could remove all of the joy and wonder and possibility and cleanse the world of the infection that had nearly overtaken it.

She could favor the pony magic. She could force the world's population into bodies not their own and turn it into the home she had just abandoned.

She remembered Rainbow Dash's joy, and thought of how she'd react to losing her wings.

She remembered Octavia's fear, and thought of how she'd react to losing her fingers.

She remembered one of Princess Celestia's lessons on negotiation.

"If you find yourself caught between two unpleasant choices," the princess had said, "then there's probably a third, better one the other party doesn't want you to pick."

Sunset looked down to where Twilight's body hung patiently, waiting for her to fix this. Where the magic of this world stood incarnate. Sunset bit her lip. She was a catalyst. She was just supposed to facilitate, not to interfere.

On the other hand, she wasn't a tree.

"What do you want?" she asked.

After a moment, Magic looked up, face blank.

"What do you want?" Sunset repeated.

Magic blinked. "I do not comprehend."

"This decision is all about you. You should get a say in the matter. Do you want to be replaced? Do you want to keep hiding from everyone, only coming out when they ask in just the right way and lashing out if they get too close?" Inspiration struck. Sunset reached down and held out her hand. "Or would you rather stop being afraid?"

Magic's jaw dropped. "I..." She blinked, the tears in her glowing eyes doing strange things to the light. She reached up. "I do not want to be afraid anymore."

Sunset smiled. "You don't have to be."

Their hands met. The colors on the sides of the pyramid settled into a horizontally striped rainbow. A point of light formed on the apex and quickly grew to blinding intensity.

Author's Note

Given that Equestrian currency doesn't seem to involve copper, their cents aren't going to be red.

As I said a few chapters back, that last scene was planned as is before Friendship Games aired.

Light

In a single instant, all across the world, every man, woman, and child experienced the same thing. A young woman with wings of fire and a horn coming out of her forehead stood before a backdrop of hypnotically swirling rainbow colors and spoke directly to them. There was no room for misunderstanding. Language was irrelevant. Prejudice was forgotten. Other concerns were put out of mind. She had the world's attention.

"Do not be afraid. My name is Sunset Shimmer. I am not of this world, nor of this universe. Know that this is not a hallucination. It is not a message from a deity, a fiend, a rival nation, or your own. I appear before you to tell you of a change in the essential nature of the universe that will allow it and you to continue existing.

"Magic is real. It always has been, but until now, it actively hid from all attempts to discover it. I brought a different kind of magic, a more freely usable one, from my home into this universe. I abused it and was punished by the authorities and in the manner of my home. However, that did not fix the damage I had unknowingly caused in this world, damage that escalated until it threatened the stability of reality.

"I have since repaired this damage, working together with the magic of this universe and my friends from both here and my home. The final decision of how to implement this change was given to magic itself, and it chose a adjustment to the fundamental state of reality. Magic has always been real. It will now be much more accessible.

"Over the next few days, you will experience a few minor physical mutations. We have done everything we can to minimize them. Rest assured that they are, at worst, harmless. In addition to these mutations will come incredible abilities. Depending on your personal magic, you may gain incredible physical power, flight, telekinesis, or a wide variety of other possibilities. Indeed, the magic of humanity will likely take these abilities in directions even I have never seen before.

"I realize this is a big change. The alternatives were far worse. I ask you to embrace the new world. It's a lot like the old one, just with a little extra."

Some were too young to remember the message. Some were too busy, locked in combat, operating heavy machinery, or otherwise focused. For them, the memory waited until they were ready for it. The rest of humanity hesitated, processing what they just heard.

Magic swept across the world, gentle as a drifting leaf, unstoppable as time. One by one, people relaxed and went about their days once more, or returned to sleep.

The light faded. Twilight and Sunset drifted to earth, hand in hand.

Half-dazed, Rarity, Pinkie, and Applejack gathered together at the statue's base. Rarity took in her friends. They certainly seemed to have returned to normal. She flipped her hair and smiled as she felt far less weight. "Well, that's that taken care of." She shook her head, only partly to clear the fuzz from her thoughts. "Really, this is far more excitement than I care for this early in the morning."

"Then Ah got bad news for ya." Applejack tapped her own forehead.

Rarity groaned. "It's still there? The dreadful thing forced its way out of my forehead earlier this morning. The pain was enough to wake me up, and the sheer ridiculousness of it just added insult to injury."

"That's funny," said Pinkie, laying on the statue's plinth, her head upside down. "I thought you liked gems."

"Gems?" Rarity brought a hand to her forehead. "I have a horn poking out of my skull, not a..." She trailed off as her hand felt something smooth, rounded, and definitely not conical.

"It's the same color as your eyes," Pinkie noted. "It goes really well with your ears, too."

"My ears?" Rarity waved her hands over the top of her head and didn't hit anything. "Well, at least they're where they should be." She felt them, confirming this and discovering a new wrinkle. "They're pointed." She sagged. "I must look like some alien from Space Trek."

Pinkie bobbed her head from side to side. "A little bit, yeah."

Applejack glared at Pinkie, then turned to Rarity and patted her on the shoulder. "Now don't you fret. Ah'm sure y' can make this work."

"Yes." Rarity drew herself up. "Yes, of course I can. Compared to horse ears and a horn, this should be all but effortless."

A thrilled cry drew their eyes upward. A rainbow streak was darting about the morning sky. Fluttershy waved at the trio from above and wafted down to them, giving them a better view of her wings. What had been flesh and blood were now a bow curve of yellow energy that winked out when she landed.

Rarity gave a lopsided grin. "I suppose it's a good thing I only adjusted a few of your tops."

Fluttershy nodded. "It's really quite fascinating. Rainbow Dash and I have feathers going down the backs of our necks." She turned and moved her hair aside, revealing a layer of downy fluff that matched her skin tone.

"Well shoot," said Applejack. "All Ah got is funny-lookin' fingernails." She held them up for all to see, showing how they had thickened and wrapped around the outside of her digits.

"And toenails!" Pinkie slid off of the statue and into a handstand to put hers on display.

Fluttershy leaned in to examine Applejack's fingers. "They're almost like tiny hooves."

Rarity shook her head again, blinking several times. "Clearly, I'm still rather disoriented from before. I'm not sure how I could've missed those."

Pinkie winked. "Hey, you can't spell 'subtle' without 'Pinkie' unless you spell it correctly."

"Of course." Rarity hid her smile behind a hand. "How silly of me."

Applejack shrugged. "So long as Ah can still count to twenty on 'em, Ah'm happy."

Meanwhile, Twilight and Sunset still hadn't quite gotten around to letting go of one another yet.

"You're sure you're okay?" said Sunset, her eyes darting back and forth between Twilight's ears and her head gem.

Twilight laughed. "Yes, yes! Besides, you're one to talk!"

"Huh?" Sunset looked behind her, noting the curtains of energy streaming out of her head and shoulders, flapping like banners and filled with the colors of her namesake. "Oh. How about that?" She grinned. "Your pony analogue is going to be so jealous when she hears I got mine first."

"Uh..."

Sunset turned back, taking in Twilight's blank expression. "Never mind." She bit her lip. "You're sure you're okay?"

"I just participated in one of the most incredible things I've ever heard of! This makes the Manehattan Project look like a couple of kids setting off firecrackers!" Twilight threw up her free hand. "I have become Magic, the transformer of worlds!"

Sunset smirked. "Yeah, that's what I was talking about. Are you okay after being possessed by the awareness of the cosmos?"

"Oh, right." Twilight took a deep breath, but her eyes still glittered and her smile didn't shift. "I think that bit at the end was a major growth experience for the both of us. Both me and magic."

"Magic and me." Sunset winked, making Twilight laugh again.

Sunset jolted, her hand finally leaving Twilight's. "Oh no." She leapt into the air, the cape of light at her shoulders spreading into fiery wings and keeping her there. "Oh no."

Twilight gaped up at her. "What is it?"

The others rushed to them, the same question on their lips. The rainbow contrail came down, resolving itself as Rainbow Dash, her wings of blue energy shifting from a swept-back angle to a bow curve as she slowed to a hover. "Everything okay?"

"No. It isn't." Sunset looked around, eyes wide, not focusing on anything the others could see. "We cut it too close. I can hold things together, but I need to go now." Her mouth worked wordlessly for a moment before she said, "Friday. Noon. The boutique." With that, she vanished in a flare of her own sunlight.

After a moment, Fluttershy said, "So, uh, this is going to happen to everyone on Earth, right?"

Sonata crept away from the school and the Rainbooms. She couldn't remember how she'd got here, but she didn't plan on staying any longer than necessary. An attempt to hum had confirmed that she still didn't have her magic, even if her teeth felt closer to what they should be. At least she wasn't in pain anymore, her body back in human form.

"And just where do you think you're going, Miss Dusk?" A man drifted down from the sky and landed in front of her, his eyes yellowed and uneven.

"I..." Sonata blinked. "I didn't really have a plan. That was pretty dumb, wasn't it?"

The man nodded. "Rather, yes. Now—"

"Whoa." Sonata staggered.

The man caught her. "Are you sure you're alright? It's possible your inner ears were altered when your outer ones shifted to those finlike structures."

Sonata shook her head. "I... My brain."

"Oh dear. How many fingers am I holding up?"

"No. It's working better. Like, a lot better." Sonata's jaw dropped as she looked up at the man. "Is this what it's like to be human?"

He guided her back on her feet, then stayed quiet for a few seconds longer. "I can't say for certain, since I don't know what it's like to be your species. However, I believe I can give you an opportunity to put that new, improved brain of yours to work. There's a big universe out there, and it just got a sizable upgrade. I could use an assistant as I investigate it, and I suspect my previous favorite is moving on to bigger and better things. What do you say?"

Sonata wiggled back and forth as she thought. "You'll be telling me what to do?"

"Only when you don't already know how to do it." After a moment, the man added, "Also, pardon my forwardness, but how old are you?"

"Well, I only really started keeping track when I came to this world, and I always lose count every century or so—"

The man gave a snaggletoothed grin. "Fantastic, you're not a legal minor. I can pay you full-time." He stuck out a hand. "Are you in?"

After only the briefest moment of hesitation, Sonata shook it. "Deal."

The Carousel Boutique was perhaps the only store in Canterlot that had three states: Open, Closed, and Inspired. At the moment, Rarity was experimenting with a fourth, Emergency Meeting. It was rather like Closed, but with much more drama to it. The Rainbooms were all present, as was Twilight Sparkle. Some paced, some lounged, some floated, but everyone was watching the clock.

At the stroke of noon, a light flared on the fitting dais where Fluttershy had stood less than a week ago. Sunset Shimmer materialized with normal hair, pointed ears, and a green jewel in her forehead. She looked around, sat on the edge of the dais, and took a deep breath. "Okay. We should be good."

The others gathered around her. "Sunset," said Rarity, "we need to talk."

Sunset nodded. "We do."

"The day the world changes, there's nothin' about it on TV, nothin' on the radio, nothin' online," said Applejack, tapping a finger with every medium. After a moment, she added, "Well, not the parts Ah'm willin' t' look, anyway."

"Nothing on the really out-there conspiracy forums either." Pinkie took in the looks she was getting. "What? Have you ever read any of those? They're a hoot!"

Applejack shook her head. "Ah'll take yer word for it. Anyway, next day, nothin' in th' papers. The Harmonism leak yesterday? All over 'em. But this? Nothin'. How in the name of applesauce did no one notice what we did on Tuesday?"

"It's worse than that," said Rarity. "They did notice. They just don't care. There are already EweTube videos on proper neck fluff care and how to polish larger fingernails."

"So why isn't anyone freaking out over this?" asked Dash.

Fluttershy nodded. "We did sort of rewrite physics,"

"Well, I wouldn't say 'rewrite,'" said Twilight. "We didn't actually change anything, we just added to it."

Pinkie frowned. "Still, it's like everyone knows about it but no one's talking about it and did you do what I think you did?" As Pinkie moved from one thought to another, she lunged and grabbed Sunset by the shoulders.

Sunset looked away and sighed. "I wanted to tell you all on Tuesday. If the world had been a bit more stable, I would have."

Dash scowled and hovered over Sunset, the better to loom over her. "Tell us what?"

"She repurposed the artificial memetic suppressor that kept anyone from thinking too much about Harmonism so they would just accept their new bodies as normal!" Pinkie grabbed wads of her hair and pulled. "wakeupsheeple87 was right!"

"Pinkie, that's ridiculous." Twilight waited for a moment, then glanced at Sunset. "Uh, Sunset? Why aren't you agreeing with me on how ridiculous that is?"

Sunset sighed. "It was the best option I had."

Silence and shocked stares reigned for a fair stretch. Rarity frowned as she broke the trend. "There are some unpleasant parallels to your actions at the Fall Formal here, Sunset."

"How do you even know it was your best option?" said Dash. Sunset glared at her. Dash put her hands on her hips, leaning in closer. "What, you gonna mind whammy us too? Make us all okay with this?"

Sunset shook her head. "I can't."

"Huh?" Dash blinked and backed away a bit.

"Pinkie's description wasn't too far off. I did use the same mechanism, and it's a very subtle suggestion effect, too subtle to be of any use once it's been interrupted, especially with the higher background magic. I could reactivate it, but you all already talk about the changes. You'd just plow through any mental block it could create. Hay, anyone who goes to Canterlot High would. That's part of why I had to leave in such a hurry; I had to reach back in time a little just to get this to work."

"You had to what!?" cried Twilight.

Sunset took a deep breath. "The body you see before you is a very small extension of what I've become. Most of me is occupied with keeping the universe from falling apart. I don't experience time in the same way you all do, not anymore."

Fluttershy gulped "And that's how you knew you had to do this?"

Sunset brought her thumbs and forefingers into a rectangle as the jewel on her forehead began to glow. "This is the most likely outcome if I hadn't done what I did."

A screen appeared in front of her. Brief snippets played on it, showing violent brawls, howling crowds, and general mass panic and bloodshed. It culminated in a mushroom cloud.

The screen vanished as Sunset let her arms and head droop. "No speech I could make would get humanity to accept a change this massive and this abrupt, not without help. It's one thing to see a demon; it's another for everyone in the world to transform all at once. People would panic. They'd lash out in fear, some of them with nuclear weapons. So I had to deliver the suggestion at the exact same time.

"I'm not going to keep the wool over everyone's eyes forever. I became this world's spirit of harmony to stop that kind of thing. It'll just be for a few months, long enough for this to become the new normal. It's still not going to be a seamless transition when people realize what's happened, but it'll be a lot smoother."

Applejack scowled. "This still don't seem right."

"But it is harmonious. It's not that people don't know that the change happened; they just don't think it's worth getting upset over it. And speaking from experience?" In an eyeblink, Sunset assumed the demonic form she'd taken last fall. "Harmony isn't always nice."

In another instant, she returned to the new normal and wrapped her arms around herself. "You guys need to understand, I've become something... alien. It's a struggle to remember human things, pony things, mortal things. How to disagree, how causality works, that people aren't always the best they can be." She looked up, tears in her eyes. "That's why I came back. I'm going to need you all more than ever, to keep my feet on the ground, to help me remember what it's like. I know this sounds bad, but I wouldn't have done it if there were literally any other option. I'm sorry, I really am. Please—"

Pinkie cut her off with a hug. "Silly Sunset. Of course we forgive you!" Everyone else soon followed her example.

"We'll be happy to help in whatever way we can," said Rarity, "but this is coming off as unsettling."

"An' we're gonna hold you to that 'few months' thing," said Applejack.

Sunset chuckled. "It may not even take that long. People may not consider magic a big deal, but they're already experimenting with it. I mean, more than thirty people have already devised gender-changing spells!" Seeing much more awkwardness than interest, she added, "Those aren't even supposed to be possible."

"Ohhh," said most of the Rainbooms.

Pinkie grinned and lidded her eyes. "Go on..."

Sunset cleared her throat. "Anyway, thanks. All of you. I'm new to this, but I'm a quick learner. You can trust me."

Apple Bloom's mouth worked silently for a few moments. "Sorry, Ah think Ah had somethin' crazy in mah ear. You want us t' what?"

"Oversee destiny," repeated Sunset, her hair at full incandescence.

The three girls before traded uneasy looks, shuffling from foot to foot in the approximation of Equestria's Astral Plane Sunset was using as the setting for the shared dream. Finally, Sweetie Belle said, "It's, uh, nice that you think we can."

"But speaking from experience, "said Scootaloo, "we can't even manage a bake sale, much less destiny."

"And this raises some disturbing questions about free will." Sweetie frowned at her friends' incredulous looks. "What? It does!"

Sunset smiled. "She has a point. But you won't be doing this consciously, and you won't be deciding every action that will ever be made. This is a more general, 'life's purpose' sort of destiny.

"Still, as is, it's all I can do to keep the universe's instability in check. I need help with some of the more stable aspects of magic so I can focus on getting the rest to a point where I don't constantly need to keep an eye on it." Sunset shrugged. "Honestly, I'd have handed off dream management to Vice Principal Luna by now if I didn't need it for these recruitment pitches."

"But why us?" asked Scootaloo. Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom nodded.

"You three have an affinity for fate magic unlike anyone I've ever seen." Sunset paused for a moment. "Well, other than one woman who'd probably be leading a movement against magic itself if I hadn't kept everyone from blowing themselves up. Not really an option there."

Apple Bloom tapped her foot as she thought. "So this'll all be happenin' in th' backs of our heads?"

Sunset nodded. "Think of it like a program that a computer runs without telling the user. You won't be consciously aware of it, but you'll be doing the universe and me a huge favor. I promise you won't even notice."

The Crusaders went into a huddle. Sunset could've easily listened in. The body she was using to speak with them was more a formality than anything. But that would defeat the purpose of asking them to help rather than just foisting her problems on them.

After a few minutes, the three girls came to a decision and faced her again. Apple Bloom nodded. "We'll do it."

"Great! Then—" Sunset's words died in her throat as the three girls rose into the air, shining like beacons. Her smile sagged into a look of open-mouthed shock.

Another body identical to her own manifested next to her and put its hand on its chin. "Gee, Sunset. Maybe the three girls with an unprecedented affinity for fate magic have a special talent for it!"

"Don't be ridiculous, Sunset," said a third instance of her, standing at her other side with hands on hips. "What are the odds of that happening?"

By this time, the Crusaders had returned to the vaguely defined ground, light still shining from their hips and through their outfits. Apple Bloom rubbed her head. "You say somethin', Sunset?"

Sunset dismissed her dopplegangers. "Just talking to myself. Bad habit of mine." She took a deep breath. "I have good news and bad news."

Scootaloo gulped as she got to her feet. "What's the bad news?"

Sunset forced a nervous rictus on her face. "Turns out you three are going to remember this."

Apple Bloom scratched her head. "Why's that bad?"

"Among other reasons, because I told your sisters you wouldn't, and they may just kill me when they find out."

"Well, what's the good news?" said Sweetie Belle.

Sunset felt her face relax as her smile became much more natural. "I clearly picked the best people for the job." A bit of dreamshaping put the girls' cutie marks—icons, Sunset reminded herself—on their clothing. She took a quick peek at the girls' magic as they screamed with glee. No indication of alicorn magic; hay, not even Celestia and Luna showed signs of it. Unless the hypothetical Princess of Destiny was supposed to be distributed across three bodies, but that was even more improbable than a trio of metadestinies.

"Note to self," Sunset muttered, "prioritize making the Astral Plane presentable."

According to the school district's calendar, the following Monday was the next-to-last day of spring break. But Crystal Prep Academy held itself to a higher standard, and eleven days was already pushing Abacus Cinch's patience for lollygagging. As such, while some institutions were still closed that day, Crystal Prep had resumed business as usual, including a meeting in the principal's office.

Cinch struck a sheaf of papers against the edge of her desk, set them aside, and looked over her tented fingers. "Do you know why I called you here today, Miss Sparkle?"

Twilight tore her thoughts away from the principal's crystalline complexion, a magical phenotype she'd never seen before. "My transfer request?"

"Indeed. I must say, you have me perplexed. You are, by far, Crystal Prep's star student. The only class where you do not excel is physical education." Cinch glanced at one of the papers and permitted her mouth to twist a bit upwards. "It seems you have gone on record as saying that it shouldn't be considered a course."

"This is a place of education, Principal Cinch, not a fitness club."

The twist developed into a full smirk. "Strong bodies are as important as strong minds, Miss Sparkle. Indeed, it is strength that came to mind when I saw your request. Strength and weakness. Putting aside whatever reasons you may have for wanting to leave Crystal Prep, why, out of all of the schools you could have chosen, did you pick Canterlot High?"

Twilight frowned. "Why do you ask, ma'am?"

"Genuine curiosity," said Cinch. "This is so sudden, so unexpected, that I find myself wondering if you know something I do not."

"Well..." Twilight took a deep breath. "All of the schools we compete against have an area of focus. Cloudsdale's is athletics, Hoofington's is academics, Ravnica's is student culture, and Crystal Prep tries to optimize the three."

"'Student culture'. Certainly one way to describe Principal Mizzet's zoo of a school." Cinch shook her head. "Still, I cannot disagree with your assessment. However, Canterlot's focus has always seemed to be sentimentality more than anything. It has certainly done them no favors in the Friendship Games."

Twilight gulped. "With all due respect, ma'am, your thinking is understandable, but outmoded."

Cinch raised an eyebrow. "How so?"

"I believe..." Twilight took a deep breath. "I believe Canterlot's strength is magic."

"Magic. Hmm." Cinch adjusted her glasses. "I admit, the world has certainly changed of late, but I leave such matters to those whose job it is to worry about them. My job is to run a school, Miss Sparkle, and I am proud to say it is a very prestigious one. Crystal Prep's reputation extends to its alumni. Colleges look very favorably upon those who excel here." She sneered. "They look far less favorably on students who abandon these halls for some soft, publicly-funded daycare.

"You present an interesting case, Miss Sparkle, but I am afraid that your own thinking is understandable, but misguided. This transfer would strangle your future in its crib, if you'll pardon the rather grim metaphor. Instead, you could continue to reap the benefits of Crystal Prep and help the place where you truly belong include magic in the long list of things we excel at." Cinch give what was probably meant to be a warm smile. It was the expressive equivalent of a decade-old hard candy found under a car seat, once pleasant, now probably poisonous.

Twilight looked at the floor. "I see."

"I'm only looking out for your best interests, Twilight," said Cinch.

"I appreciate the thought, ma'am." Twilight took a deep breath, looked in her principal's eyes, and flared her magic for a moment.

Cinch frowned at the glimmer in Twilight's head jewel. "What did you just—" She stiffened and went silent as she felt an arm rest on her shoulders.

"Hello, Abacus!"

Cinch looked to the side. It was exactly who she thought it was. She gritted her teeth. "Hello, John. What are you doing here?"

"So harsh!" Mr. Discord leaned in close. "Don't you remember the nights when we would fall asleep in one another's arms?"

"I recall passing out as the two of us tried to choke each other to death."

Mr. Discord grinned. "Such good times!"

Twilight's jaw hung open. "You two were..."

"Married, briefly, yes." Mr. Discord rested his chin on a palm and sighed. "We were both young and foolish at the time."

"And now," said Cinch, "you are no longer young. Why are you here, John?"

Mr. Discord reclined on the air above the desk, hands behind his head. "Well, Twilight thought she could use some adult advocacy, someone in her corner, as it were. Dean Cadence would present an obvious conflict of interest, you being her boss and all."

Cinch crossed her arms. "You work for the school she wants to join."

He smirked. "You work for the school she currently attends. I'd say it balances out."

She rolled her eyes. "I suppose it doesn't matter. The correct choice here is clear."

In a blink, Mr. Discord was hovering an inch from Cinch's face. "I'm afraid you don't understand the situation, Abacus. You can pour out as many honeyed words as you want, but Twilight will be transferring to Canterlot High."

She scoffed. "Fine. I had thought she was more intelligent than this, but if she wants to ruin her future on some youthful flight of fancy, who am I to stop her?"

Mr. Discord smirked. "You seemed to have recovered from yours nicely." His expression flattened. "Oh, and before I forget, let's agree to let this play out on its own, hmm?"

Cinch raised an eyebrow. "I have no idea what you could possibly mean."

"No idea of how you might use your influence in the scholastic world to sabotage any chances Twilight might have out of spite?" Mr. Discord gave a harsh, humorless laugh. "No, of course not. You were such an eager student when I taught you how to cover your tracks."

Cinch shot up onto her feet. "If all you have to offer are baseless accusations, I think we're done here."

Mr. Discord chuckled. "Oh, they are far from baseless. For example, I can tell the school board just how you got to your current position."

Cinch harrumphed. "Hard work, diligence, and a reputation for professionalism and results."

"Yes, that and a few dollars will get you a cup of coffee. You know what I mean, Abacus. I was there. Remember Principal Sombra?" Mr. Discord waved a hand lazily, calling up an image of a scowling man with sideburns that could take out an eye. "Smoked a lot, no sense of humor, all the warmth of a polar ice cap?"

Cinch raised an eyebrow. "Are you actually trying to blackmail me out of my star student?"

Mr. Discord shot back a foot, hand to his chest. "What? Of course not!" He grinned. "I'm successfully blackmailing you out of your star student. Very important distinction."

She sneered at him. "You were there. You said it yourself. You'd implicate yourself if you went through with this."

He chuckled. "Last week, you'd have been correct. But it's like Twilight told you; your thinking is outmoded. In case you haven't noticed, Abacus, I have received the power of a god. You, on the other hand, have gotten a coat of polish. I think I can survive the destruction of my career better than you can yours. And besides, Cadence will temporarily fill in your position after the scandal, and she'll be ecstatic to see Twilight transfer out of your little sociopath factory. She may even pull a few strings of her own in support of the girl."

Cinch glowered at him. "And if she were dismissed from Crystal Prep before this alleged incident came to light?"

Twilight held back a gasp. Mr. Discord shook his head. "You really don't know what you're working against, Abacus. I can put the implicating evidence in front of every member of the school board in a literal blink of an eye."

Cinch grit her teeth and clenched her fists, shaking with fury. Twilight thought she heard the faint sound of wind chimes. Finally, the principal took a deep breath and said, "I don't see why we're even discussing this. Miss Sparkle's parents have the final say here, not I. Now get out of my office, the both of you."

"As you wish." Mr. Discord snapped his fingers, and Cinch was alone.

Early Wednesday morning, Sunset manifested at the steps of Canterlot High with as little flair and flare as she could manage. She knew she should avoid making this a habit, but today felt like a special occasion. Today would be the first day of school since she and her friends had changed the world. She wanted to be able to see as much of it as she can.

Most of the teachers drove in, but a few were more creative. A few of the coaches flew. Mr. Magnet, the drama teacher, had bodysurfed in on a wave of his own making, looking like the human seapony from that one Whinny movie. Sunset had no idea where Dr. Turner had emerged from, just that he'd faded into existence with an odd grinding noise and winked at her as he went in.

Then the students started arriving, and the fun really began. Some had taken the bus. Most of the athletes had raced them. Rainbow Dash had done it backwards.

A veritable flock of other winged teenagers descended on the place. Fluttershy had gathered an entourage of songbirds along the way. Ditzy Doo flickered in and out of visibility as she wobbled in and out of conventional four-dimensional space time.

The ground level was just as impressive. Trixie and her friends were heralded by continual firework displays. Pinkie Pie and Vinyl Scratch arrived in what Sunset could only describe as a piece of mobile partillery, with Octavia tearing apart her reinforced passenger seat in her white-knuckle grip. The Geology Club tunneled up through the school's front lawn using their incredibly muscular arms.

"If those boys think they aren't fixing that, they have another thing coming."

"Gah!" Sunset jumped away from Principal Celestia, who just smiled at her. "How long have you been there?"

"Not long, but you were rather entranced." Celestia looked at the congregating student body, waving as they went past. "It's quite a spectacle, isn't it?"

Sunset nodded. "It is." She smiled. "I think I did a pretty good job."

Celestia made a show of stroking her chin, emphasizing her larger nails. "I suppose." She gave a smile of her own. "In all seriousness, we all owe you an incredible debt of gratitude, Sunset. And I have to say, I'm surprised to see you here."

Sunset shrugged. "It's complicated, but the short version is that I don't want to repeat the mistakes of the past, including the ones I didn't make. That means keeping myself involved."

Celestia nodded and patted her on the back. "I'd say we're in good hands."

Sunset smiled at the principal, then tensed as every hair on her body stood up at once. A burst of heliotrope energy and warped spacetime a few inches from her face resolved itself into a lightly singed Twilight Sparkle, who fell into her arms. "It worked! It worked!" Twilight paused, looked up, and smiled. "Hi, Sunset."

"Hi." Sunset's smile widened until it felt like her head might fall off. She turned back to Celestia. "You know what, ma'am? I think you're right."

Author's Note

Pinkie has assured me that her only interest in magical gender changes are new pranking opportunities. And maybe growing a mustache.

A bit of headcanon: Canterlot is far from the only school that Crystal Prep competes against. I posit a four-year cycle between four different schools. No wonder Canterlot always loses the Friendship Games!

If I can get away with Cybertron Polytechnical, then I think can get away with Ravnica High. In the end, it's all Hasbro.

Whinnyland is a thing in Equestria, ergo, the movie version of The Little Mermaid exists in the human world. Sunset probably saw it during a sleepover as part of the Mane Six's continuing efforts to give her a proper pop culture education.

Ditzy isn't planeswalking; she's just flying in seven dimensions. Hence the cutie mark :derpytongue2:

In any case, thank you all for sticking with me. Or, if you're reading this after it finished, thank you for doing so. I hope you enjoyed it. A wrap-up blog with more detailed author's notes can be found here. If you'd like to read more about this universe (or even write a story set in it,) there's a group for that.

Contrast

Getting your soul shattered by a giant, glowing alicorn made of the very magic you were trying to steal made for a bad night. Having it happen when you were on the verge of world domination pretty much made it the worst night ever. To Sonata Dusk's amazement, it got even worse from there.

The sirens had fled from the stage, egged on by thrown food. They'd kept running until they'd reached the town park, where they'd collapsed amid the trees. Sonata could feel dew soaking into her skirt, but couldn't bring herself to care.

After a brief stretch that they all spent catching their breath, Adagio slammed her fist into the ground and screamed into the treetops. She didn't need magic to fill it with rage and anguish, stretching it out until her lungs emptied.

Aria gave her a tired glare. "You done?"

"Don't start," said Adagio, her voice scratchy from the scream. "Not now."

Aria stood, looming over the kneeling girl. "When, then? We lost, Adagio. We lost big time."

"We've come back from worse." Adagio gave a weak smile. "Remember the Prench Revolution?"

"Yeah. We still had our magic." Aria curled her fingers around where her necklace should have been. "Don't you see what you've done?"

Adagio bolted upright. "Me? It was those Raingoons who—"

"Yeah, the ones full of Equestrian magic that you just had to have. And now look at us. Can't you feel it?" Aria put a hand over her own chest. "Your body huffing and creaking and oozing? We're human now, Adagio. We're mortal now. Even if we take perfect care of ourselves, our bodies will just wear out anyway."

Adagio gave a dismissive wave. "Please, this will barely slow us down. I have a plan."

Aria rolled her eyes. "Because that's worked so well for us before." She drew herself into a haughty pose and began imitating Adagio's voice. "'Let's work together and feed off the land ponies.' 'He's just an old stallion. We can take him.' 'We're going to make everyone in this pathetic little world adore us.'" Aria snarled. "Even the Revolution was your fault! 'I bet we can stretch it out much longer than the colonies.' Well, I've had it." With that, she turned and started walking away.

Adagio glared at her. "Get back here, Aria."

Aria looked back with a sharklike grin. "Don't you get it? I don't need you anymore." She turned around fully. "The only reason I put up with the two of you was because I'd starve otherwise. But now? Now I'm human. I can just eat fucking matter!" She gave a sharp laugh. "Isn't that great!?"

Sitting under a spruce, Sonata swallowed. "Um, I could, like, give you some recipes—"

"Shut up, Sonata." Aria laughed some more, neither it nor her widening grin entirely sane. "If there's anything good about this, it's that I'm never going to have to see or hear you ever again." She turned and resumed walking away.

"Aria! Get back here!" Adagio cried. The only answer was a raised middle finger. "Aria!"

Adagio collapsed, eyes wide and unseeing. After a few moments, she said, "Okay. Okay, I can still work with this. Just a slight hiccup in the plan. I just need to convince Aria that she still needs us, and then we can work on revenge."

Sonata bit her lip. "She's right."

"Not now, I'm..." Adagio trailed off, slowly turning her head to meet Sonata's eyes with her own incredulous expression. "What did you say?"

"She's right," Sonata said with more confidence. "Every time we've followed one of your plans, it went wrong eventually."

Adagio glared at her. "If I wanted your opinion, I would've told you what it was. Now shut up and let me think."

Sonata stood up. "It's over, Adagio."

"No!" Adagio sprang to her feet, fists clenched. "It is not over! We will be victorious!"

The words came easily. They'd been echoing in the back of Sonata's mind for centuries. "You stranded us. You starved us. Now you've killed us."

"No!" Adagio clutched at her missing pendant. "There has to be a way to restore our powers."

Sonata turned away. "You've lost."

Arms snaked around her from behind. She felt pressure and moisture on the nape of her neck. "No. You can't leave. I won't let you leave."

Sonata shook her head. "You've lost, Adagio."

"I don't lose!" Adagio shrieked.

"You wouldn't have let Aria go if you thought you could keep her around."

The arms tightened around Sonata. "I just didn't have a plan yet. And besides, where do you think you're going? They're smarter than you, Sonata. They're all smarter than you. The world has been changing more quickly than you can follow for decades now. Cell phones have cameras now, Sonata. Did you know that?"

She didn't, actually. But the others had been insulting her even before their banishment. She was used to it. And she knew one thing for sure. "I'll be better off alone than with you."

"You're not allowed to leave," Adagio growled. "I won't let you."

Sonata drove an elbow into her gut, then walked away without looking back. Even when the wheezes turned into curses and screams, Sonata kept walking. Adagio didn't follow her.

Sonata may not have known about cell phone cameras, but she knew how to find her way back to her lair. Adagio liked to call it a "base of operations," but it was as much a lair as that little atoll off of Horseshoe Bay.

That was the problem with Adagio. She'd forgotten what she was supposed to be. Sonata wouldn't be in this mess, not even on this world, if Adagio had been content to stay in the ocean and eat sailors the way nature intended.

Still, Sonata couldn't deny that the apartment they'd acquired was a lot more comfy than that little rock where it all began. Comfy, well-furnished, and roomy enough for all the luxuries they could steal. Of course, now that they couldn't sing the rent away, the landlord would probably want to take it up with them. All the more reason to get out while the getting was good.

The apartment's entrance hung open, and she could hear movement inside. Sonata couldn't help but smile. At least Aria knew what she was, what she was supposed to be.

Aria was in the main room, taking a pocket knife to the couch cushions. She looked over her shoulder and snarled. "What, Adagio didn't have the guts to try to get me back herself?"

Sonata shook her head. "I'm through with her too."

Aria's mouth worked silently for a moment. "Really?" She grinned. "Didn't expect that. I figured you'd stick with her just because you always have."

Another shake. "I still remember what it was like before she talked me into this."

"Yeah. Me too." Aria looked away. A moment later, she scowled, grabbed the edges of the sliced upholstery, and tore it open wider.

Sonata tilted her head. "Why are you doing that?"

"Because I'm never going to be here again. Because it makes me feel better. Because it's going to piss off Adagio." Aria shrugged. "Pick one."

Sonata opened her mouth, but something told her Aria didn't actually want her to pick one. She just made for her room.

"I already took all the money," Aria said behind her.

"Okay." Sonata navigated past the drifts of take-out menus, the jumbo roll of bubble wrap, the carefully preserved da Whinny sketchbook.

Footsteps sounded behind her. "You didn't forget what money's for again, did you?"

"That was, like, six hundred years ago, Aria." Sonata grabbed the foot of her bed and pulled. Inch by inch, it pulled back.

"Then what are you doing?" Aria was starting to sound angrier than usual.

"You two... were always... taking... my stuff," Sonata huffed. She released the bed and reached behind the headboard, into a hole she'd made in the wall. She pulled a blue backpack out of it. "I've been making stashes since before we left Equestria."

"Really?" Now Aria sounded surprised and angry.

Sonata put on the backpack, looked to Aria, and said,"You haven't?"

"Figured I'd just take your stuff." Aria shrugged. "Or Adagio's, if I could get away with it."

Sonata looked at the knife still in Aria's hand. "Are you going to now?"

Aria frowned at the weapon for a good long while. Eventually, she shook her head. "Leaving Adagio is the first smart thing you've ever done, even if I had to do it first. You should get something for that." With that she trudged back out, wading through the menus and trailing dozens into the common room.

Sonata changed into a clean set of sweats and her hoodie, though she couldn't fit her hair into the hood without the "octopus in a jar" spell. Aria poked her head in the room. "I've broken everything worth breaking. Now I'm going to empty all of Adagio's hair crap into the tub. You in?"

"All of it?"

Aria grinned the way she did when feeding. "All of it."

The bathtub was clogged with an orange wad like a tiger's hairball, as usual. By the time they had finished dumping all of the mousses, gels, conditioners, and Xubidu only knew what else, it formed a thick, swirling puddle several inches deep. Then they started sticking spray cans in the muck and pressing down on the necks until bubbles stopped coming out.

Sonata smiled. "Kinda like old times, huh?"

After a moment, Aria gave a chuckle. "A little, yeah."

Once they were through and standing outside of the building, Aria said, "You know, maybe you're only second worst. After Adagio."

Sonata smiled. "So are you."

Sonata watched Aria turn and leave, and felt a little pang of regret. She kind of wanted to follow along, stick together, pool their resources.

She shook her head. It was that kind of thinking that had gotten her in this mess in the first place. Besides, now that they didn't need one another to survive, if they did stick together, one of them would probably end up dead by the end of the week, and Sonata really wasn't sure who it would be. She went her way and let Aria go hers.

After that, Sonata wasn't sure what to do. Definitely avoid Adagio, but beyond that, she didn't have any idea. She wandered aimlessly for a while, drifting about the city. She ate well. One good thing about this world was the cheap and plentiful beef, the closest she could come to tasting minotaur again. She slept... tolerably. She'd dealt with worse over the centuries.

A few days later, she was back in the park, playing "Guess that Meat" with a hot dog, when she saw people she recognized from the school gathering by a gazebo. She didn't have anything better to do, so she watched. From a distance, of course. Sonata knew hatred well, and those people definitely wouldn't be happy to see her.

When they started playing, it was rather bittersweet. Sonata would never sing again. The disaster with the giant energy alicorn had made that clear. But she could at least appreciate the human music in all its forms. She was far enough away that she could pretend the bursts of Equestrian magic weren't there, didn't bother her. She'd always been good at ignoring the sad parts of life.

Then one band started playing a song about her, and the world started to spin.

Sonata convulsed, her body trying to reach out to the magic she could no longer touch. The front of her neck puckered into a fleshy crater, convulsing around her absent heartstone. Her legs flopped, trying to beat against an ocean current. Her breaths went shallow, trying to send the air through gills. She instinctively dragged herself away from the disturbance, pulling her body along with her arms, her fingers bent like claws.

She managed to secret herself in one of the shrubs, watching for any intruders as her body warped itself. Twisted bone and wracked flesh tormented her. All of her years of tuning out the less pleasant bits of her existence couldn't even begin to defend her against the pain.

When the agony had lessened enough that Sonata could move, she began dragging her body in search of the one who caused it. Not whoever had sung that song, but Sunset Shimmer. The one who rallied the Rainbooms. The one who had called down the alicorn and shattered her soul. Sonata's nose was still a weird knob of flesh, but she'd gotten back some her sense of smell, and the scent of vengeance hung bitter and pungent in the air. This wouldn't be the first time she tracked it, but it would probably be the most satisfying.

The sun rose, and Mr. Discord stood on his lawn to greet it. He loved moments like this, when the sky and shadows changed, when the crispness in the air made it feel like it would crinkle if he moved too quickly, where the beauty of the natural world was fully manifest. Understanding the optics, the fluid dynamics, and all the other myriad secrets behind moments like this didn't lessen their beauty, it enhanced them. To watch the rising sun was to gaze into the inner workings of the universe.

It was moments like this that had kept him in his humble bungalow even after his writing career had taken off. Who needed acres of real estate when the universe was already his to appreciate?

So enraptured was Mr. Discord that he almost didn't hear the growl coming from his hedges. He turned just as the rising sun revealed a bizarre blue chimera of fish, horse, and human. He was still processing it when it lunged at him.

He only had time for one more thought, and in the way of those facing certain doom, it was a rather frivolous one.

What if Sunset Shimmer were wrong?

Mr. Discord snapped his fingers.

The sound carried in a way that the early morning air couldn't wholly account for. The creature halted like a paused video, then crashed to the ground mere inches away from him. Maybe it was the light, but Mr. Discord could have sworn it looked duller than before.

He raised an eyebrow. "Well now. This is intriguing. Tell me, who are you?"

The creature looked up at him. "Sooonaaataaa," it groaned.

"Sonata? As in Sonata Dusk?" Mr. Discord knelt by her. "My word. What happened to you?"

"Nooo jeeweel. Neeed fooor 'aagiiic."

Mr. Discord nodded. "I see. That wasn't just a necklace, it was a part of you. A vital one. Without it, you're experiencing a sort of magical organ failure." He blinked. "Either I've developed uncannily good intuition about magical matters, or something is feeding me answers."

Sonata looked deep into his eyes. Aside from the slit pupils, hers were still disturbingly human. "Heeel'?"

"Help?" Mr. Discord echoed. After a moment, he nodded. "Perhaps I can." Whatever sixth sense he'd picked up since that snap told him that setting her body right wasn't in the cards right now, but he could at least get her somewhere where he could puzzle out a solution. Another snap of his fingers, and Sonata hovered next to him, tethered to his reference frame. Wherever he went, she would stay by his side. "Shall we?"

"Ookaay." She stared ahead, apparently uninterested in anything now that she knew he'd help her.

Cousin? A familiar voice sounded directly into Mr. Discord's mind.

He looked around. No one else seemed to be out and about. He was free to answer out loud. "Yes, cousin?"

What exactly do you think you're doing?

"Making a new friend." Mr. Discord patted Sonata on the side, idly noting the odd feeling of flesh that couldn't decide whether or not it wanted to be covered in scales.

There was a psychic growl. Did you perhaps forget what I said yesterday, about increased magic use hastening the dissolution of your world?

Mr. Discord chuckled. "Ah, but that's pony magic. Based on Miss Shimmer's testimony, I just demonstrated that this is anything but."

Yes, because it's chaos magic.

This got a shrug. "Well, then aren't I the devout Discordian?"

A groan echoed in Mr. Discord's head. This isn't like your tongue-in-cheek pentagon worship. This is serious. Keep it up, and you could destroy the universe by blinking wrong.

"Chaos is all things, is it not?" Mr. Discord grinned. "Surely I can keep everything intact just as easily as I can destroy it."

I'd reach across dimensions and slap you if that wouldn't do even more damage.

Mr. Discord hummed to himself. What would happen if he were to bring his new intuition to bear here? "You know, in all the years we've conversed, I've always wondered if you were just an imaginary friend of sorts. A little creativity, a little doubt..." He noticed something intriguing, a strand of thought that trailed off in a direction he couldn't follow, like a silver ribbon going down a well.

Listen to me, John Quincy Discord, his cousin hissed, the irritation making the strand glow, or whatever the metacognitive equivalent was. You are violating the one and only rule of sustainable chaos: Don't. Break. Your toys. If you don't get your act together, you are going to commit double omnicide.

"Consider me warned." Mr. Discord pinched the telepathic link between two fingers and twisted. He blinked at the sudden silence in his head, so different from the inaudible susurration he'd grown used to over the years. "I wonder if this how most people feel." He shook himself. "Well, I suppose I'll have to get used to it. Come along, Sonata. I'll position you above the car on the way to the NAHTI. The breeze should do you good." He smiled. "And perhaps I can explore a few possibilities when we get there."

Twilight Sparkle tossed and turned in her bed, shining like an emergency flare. Her comforter burst into sparkling vapor, overwhelmed by the energy. She dreamt of the world imploding, of stars consuming themselves in an instant, of devastation more final than passing through an event horizon. She arched her back, mouth open in a silent scream.

Magic opened her eyes, which shone like violet spotlights. Her hair floated lazily about her head, as if underwater. Energy crackled off of her skin. Her body was still entirely human, even if the mind now operating it was anything but.

She appraised the situation in a moment. She was. She should not have been. That imbalance would be addressed after the greater one.

She lacked the usual channeling foci. She could perform her task without them.

The greater imbalance was approaching a dimensional interface. Her presence was required there. Folding space would put a dangerous amount of strain on existence. The logical course of action was clear.

Magic stretched out a hand. One of the room's windows vanished through the same energetic overload as the comforter. A purple aura wreathed the girl, who flew out fast enough to send papers flying through the window.

Spike blinked and yawned. "Oh boy. Here we go." He noted his sapience, then used it to decide he could deal with this at a more reasonable hour.

The Bearers of Harmony looked upon the village of... well, apparently, they'd never been able to settle on a name that didn't unfairly glorify something, so they just called it "The Village." But now, with Starlight Glimmer chased into the mountain caves, the ponies of The Village were free to embrace their uniqueness and form true bonds.

All six flinched for a moment as their cutie marks pulsed again.

Applejack shook off the tingling spasms. "I'll never get used to that."

Rarity smiled. "I think it's divine."

"Does that mean that the map is calling us somewhere else?" asked Fluttershy.

Twilight shook her head. "I have a feeling it means our work here is done." She frowned as her own mark kept pulsing, even after her friends' had stopped. "On second thought, you may be right."

"But why are you the only one affected now?" said Rarity.

"Who cares?" cried Dash. "We gotta get Twilight back to the castle pronto."

"Indeed we do." Discord descended on a window-washing gantry. Nopony followed the cables up. Most assumed they didn't want to know where they led, and Pinkie already knew.

Applejack raised an eyebrow. "An' where were you all this time?"

"After you thwarted Tirek, I'd assumed you could handle a garden-variety unicorn on your own. And look at that, you could!" Discord held up a paw in a halting gesture. "We don't have time for witty repartee. My counterpart in the human dimension is taking advantage of his first chance to go mad with power, and fun as it would be to watch baby's first god complex, it won't end well for anyone who likes their atoms arranged the way they are."

The Bearers all blinked. "What?" said Twilight.

Discord shook his head. "No time. Every second counts; this is me we're talking about." One flash of light later, everypony found themselves just outside of Twilight's castle. "Last stop, Crystal Tree Box Castle Playset."

"But—"

"Twilight, you can ask all the questions you want after this is taken care of. Now, this is important enough to drop the trickster mentor routine: You need to contact the one person in either universe who may be able to fix this and open the portal. Everything else should follow from there." With that, Discord vanished.

The Bearers traded uneasy looks for a moment. Then Twilight went in the castle, and the others followed her. They sped up as they approached the throne room, galloping by the time they entered it.

They passed the map, but Twilight's mark kept pulsing.

"Shouldn't that have stopped by now?" asked Dash.

Twilight shook her head. "Not if everypony necessary isn't here yet."

The group stormed into the portal room. Twilight took hold of the journal as soon as she could see it, directly dyeing a blank page with her magic. "Get to the portal," she said as she wrote it. "Now."

Author's Note

Note that the story was plotted out before Friendship Games. There may be a few allusions here and there, but the main thrust of the story isn't shifting. Yes, I already had this planned for Twilight.

The sirens aren't responsible for all of the world's woes, but they did make a few things worse than they needed to be.

Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Xubidu P'nyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn.

Siren psychology is... odd, compared to both humans and ponies. Jane Everysirens like Sonata and Aria just aren't equipped for human society. Not without a handler, whether that means a relative genius like Adagio or a friendly chaos avatar who just discovered himself.

Huh. Why are there horses in this story?