Aftermath of the Games

Chapters

Karma
Family
Friends
Doppelganger Part 1
Doppelganger Part 2
Epilogue

Karma

The students of Canterlot High were actually a bit relieved. True, evil magical beings had become a distressingly common sight lately, but at least this one had been talked down with minimal damage. No brainwashing this time, thank goodness.

Sunset helped the newly restored Twilight up, but she was immediately knocked back down by Spike, tackling her to the ground. He dropped the glasses he held in his teeth so he could lick her face.

"You!"

Everyone froze as Cinch stormed into the center, pointing a finger at her top student. "You monster! You did this!"

That got an uproar. Twilight flinched, clutching her pet like a teddy bear, until she realized who was speaking, and what was being said.

"You're the one who made her use that magic!" Lemon Zest said.

"You pressured her into it," from Indigo Zap.

"You're a horrible person," Sugarcoat said.

Those statements got a bigger uproar from everyone else. They quieted as Principal Celestia stepped forward. Twilight, even in her shocked state, saw Sunset look surprised. She guessed Celestia never got this angry.

"You told her to do it? To go playing around with magic? How could you be so irresponsible?”

“How dare you talk to me like that when you’ve been cheating! Principal Celestia, I demand that you forfeit the games immediately! You have cheated using magic!”

“Are you really trying to turn this on us? You caused this whole mess!”

“Either you do, or I’ll take it up with the school board!”

At this, Principal Celestia folded her arms and put on a smile. “Go ahead. I’m sure the school board would love to hear all about the holes into another dimension.”

“Or the students transforming into flying creatures,” Luna said, stepping up to her sister. “Or the talking dog.”

Spike laughed, which snapped Twilight out of her shock. So many people were standing up for her.

Cinch tightened. Then, she whirled, facing Twilight once again. “You! I’ll see you never get your admission to the Everton Program! I’ll make it my mission that you never get into any university!”

Twilight felt her insides ice all over again. Her head felt dizzy. What was she going to do now? It was her word against a respected teacher.

“No you won’t.”

Everyone turned to Dean Cadance, who was calmly strolling up to join the sisters of Canterlot High. “I think you’ll be fast-tracking Twilight’s application through.”

“And what makes you think I’ll be doing that?”

Now Cadance was smiling that same smug smile. “Do you think I’m an idiot, Cinch? You think I haven’t noticed what kind of person you are? And don’t you think I got suspicious when you were so insistent on getting Twilight to compete? Did you think I’d see you calling in her brother as anything but an attempt to pressure her into something? I know you too well, Cinch. So, I might have left my smartphone in your office with the camera running. And it seems that I caught the most interesting conversation.”

Cinch was frozen in fear. Twilight could actually see her knees shaking. It was the most uncollected she had ever seen her.

By this point, Cadance had pulled out her phone and was casually typing on the screen. “Why don’t we take a look?”

Despite the fact that the phone wasn’t hooked up to any speaker, the audio carried all over the courtyard. Not that it would have been hard, a pin dropping could have been heard at that point.

But only at that moment. As soon as the audio was done, the entire courtyard erupted in outraged cries. Cinch was actually sweating. Never had any student seen her like this.

Twilight felt her face heat. A few minutes ago she had been a monster... and everyone was standing up for her. They were getting mad not at her, but for her.

She felt a tug. Sunset pulled her up, then wordlessly pulled her into a hug. Twilight could have cried. But she had to stay strong in front of Cinch.

Cinch reached for the phone, grabbing it out of Cadance’s hand. She was about to smash it when she noticed how calmly Cadance was taking the whole thing.

“Like I kept the only copy on my phone. It’s already on my computer, and Shining Armor’s.” She took it carefully from the still-shocked Principal’s hand. “And just in case, I let Celestia and Luna in on everything as well, and they’ve been helping me shadow you. Oh, we’ve caught so much of what you’ve done.”

As the cries quieted, Cinch spoke. “So... if I put through Twilight’s application, you’ll keep quiet?”

Cadance shook her head. “No. I’m still reporting all this to the school board. But I’ll be nice about it.”

“What? But... I’ll be ruined!”

“I don’t care. I’d never allow you to keep your position after what you’ve done. You’re a disgrace, you know that? An absolute disgrace. I couldn’t live with myself if I let you keep your position. How could I stop you from bullying the next student that you saw something who came along? And honestly, toying around with magic just to win a high school competition? You make yourself out as a great educator, but I’m wondering how someone so foolish managed to get out of grade school.”

Celestia stepped up. “So much for your image as a perfect principal. This is the end for you.”

If looks could kill, Cadance and the sisters of Canterlot High would have dropped dead on the spot. Cinch was furious, her face red, her knuckles so tightly clenched that everyone was sure her fingernails were digging into her skin.

Then, like a switch had been flipped. She straightened her back and readjusted her glasses. Then, as if she hadn’t just had her entire life’s work stolen out from under her, she turned and walked away, as if she was leaving of her own volition.

Everyone was cheering. Twilight was still surprised.

“Uh, Twilight? Don’t you want your glasses?”

Twilight perked up and looked down at Spike, who was looking up at her. “What do you mean? I’m wearing my...”

She stopped. The black framed eyewear lay in front of Spike. She felt her face. It was bare.

She picked up the glasses and put them on. The world became blurry. She took them off. Everything was clear as a bell. She put them on and took them off again.

“Twilight?” Spike asked.

“I... I can see.”

“What?” Sunset asked.

“My glasses... I don’t need them. I can see perfectly.”

“...It must be the magic. Makes sense, the Twilight from my world didn’t need glasses.”

“The... what? There’s another Twilight?” Twilight asked, confused.

“I’ll explain later.” She took the glasses. Then she walked over to a student Twilight didn’t recognize and handed it to him. “Take these to the workshop. Pop out the lenses and replace them with regular glass.” When the student stared at her, she went on. “We can’t let there be any trace that magic’s been used.”

Now understanding, the boy took the glasses and ran off.

Twilight could only marvel at how together Sunset was about everything. While she had been playing with things she didn’t understand, there was someone who knew all the answers.

“Wait... would a high school have the equipment to work with glass in the workshop?” Rainbow Dash asked.

Applejack nudged her. “We just had a motocross race, I wouldn’t question it.”

Twilight was led inside and to a classroom. Celestia and Luna stopped anyone outside Sunset Shimmer and her friends from following, which she was grateful for. She didn’t think she could put up with everyone, even if they were going to offer support.

Fluttershy handed her a drink, apologizing that it was just water. But it was fine, her throat was dry. Sunset said it was to be expected after that much contact with magic.

Cadance placed a hand on her shoulder. "Stay in here as long as you need. After what happened, you'll need it."

"Thank you." Then, after a moment, “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Cadance gave a sad smile. “I couldn’t let Cinch find out what I was up to too soon. I was hoping to get more footage. With Cinch, I wanted to get as much as I could.”

“I... I guess that makes sense.”

“We can talk a bit more later. The other Shadowbolts all want to line up to give testimony to what they saw Cinch do... leaving out the magic, of course. It looks like these games really did bring the school together.”

She gave Twilight a kiss on the forehead, then left the room.

“I heard Celestia talking to the police. It looks like they’re willing to buy the story of a bunch of vandals,” Rainbow Dash said. “But they’re getting suspicious, after that ‘terrorist attack’ from a few months ago.”

Applejack shrugged. "Eh, if they'll buy that all those smartphone videos of what happened are 'just fancy editing and special effects', I think they'll buy this."

Twilight looked up. “She’s not having me arrested?”

Sunset put a hand on her shoulder. “If she wasn’t going to arrest me after I destroyed part of the school, she isn't going to arrest you.”

That got an incredulous look. “You destroyed part of the school?”

Sunset winced, but still gave a sheepish smile. “I told you I’ve been where you were. And believe me, the only reason I didn’t get arrested was because Princess Twilight begged Celestia not to let it happen.”

“P-Princess Twilight?”

Sunset sighed. “Like I said, I have a lot to catch you up on.”

"Well, I guess that's good. I only have to worry about everyone else hating me."

Fluttershy, who was sitting on another desk with Spike in her lap, gave her a smile. “I don’t think you need to worry, Twilight. Everyone here met the other you. You... um...”

“Have a better reputation than Sunset did,” Applejack finished. Sunset winced again, but didn’t argue.

“But... I’m not this other Twilight.”

“Maybe not, but everyone remembers her anyway,” Rainbow Dash said. “I wouldn’t worry too much. Princess Twilight hangs out at her pony-home most of the time. They’ll realize you’re your own Twilight Sparkle eventually.”

“It... it doesn’t seem right. I...”

“Twilight, stop,” Sunset said. “I understand how you feel, but beating yourself up like that isn’t going to solve anything. Just be grateful you’re getting your second chance so easily.”

"But..." Twilight stumbled over her words. "Why should Cinch get all the punishment for something I did?"

"Darling, Cinch bullied you into everything," Rarity said. "And unlike you, she doesn't care that she almost got so many people hurt. Maybe you did make a decision to use that magic, but you also made the decision to be yourself again."

Rainbow Dash came forward. "And everyone's seen the weird effects magic has on people. Believe me, we've all experienced it."

"Besides, you're not getting off scot-free." When everyone looked at Sunset, she clarified. "If you're anything like me, there will be nightmares, and a lot of unpleasant feelings for a while, even if nobody blames you for what happened."

The other girls gaped at Sunset. “Wh-why didn’t you say anything?” Fluttershy asked.

Sunset slouched. “Because I thought I deserved it,” she said simply. In a flash Pinkie and Rarity were at her sides hugging her. Sunset hugged back, but pushed them off fairly quickly. “Girls, it’s okay. I’ve gotten over it. I haven’t had a nightmare since...” she looked at Twilight, like there was something she didn’t want to bring up with her just yet. “...since Christmas.”

“Sunset... we’re talkin’ about this later,” Applejack warned.

Sunset collected herself, then spoke again. “It shouldn’t last as long with you. You’ll have us to help you through it.”

“I...” Twilight took a deep breath. “...Thank you. I’m...” She couldn’t find the words. “No one’s ever been like this to me.”

Almost immediately her vision became pink as Pinkie filled her vision. “What? But... haven’t you ever had a friend? Or been to a slumber party? Or gone to a hangout and eaten so much that you threw up in the bathroom and made your friend promise not to tell?”

Rarity suddenly became interested in the textbook on the teacher’s desk.

“Um... not really?” It was more a question than an answer, hoping whatever she said wouldn’t set her off. Unfortunately, it did.

“Oh my gosh! Then I have to get busy! I need to set up a ‘You have friends now’ party, a slumber party, I need to get you a membership card to Sugar Cube Corner...”

“Whoa, what? I...”

“Let her wear herself out,” Applejack said. “She gets like this. You’ll get used to it.”

“But... you really want to be friends with me?”

“Why wouldn’t we?” Fluttershy’s tone seemed genuinely confused.

“But... I turned into a monster!”

“So did I once,” Sunset said, “And you made the right choice in the end.”

“I go to a different school.”

“It ain’t that far away,” Applejack said.

“But...”

In lieu of another response, the six girls piled around her and gave her a group hug. It was the last straw. The dam finally broke, and Twilight cried. And cried. And cried.

It was quite a while before they broke off. Twilight dried her eyes, and Spike licked her cheeks.

“As long as we don’t get that sappy all the time,” Rainbow Dash muttered. Applejack hit her lightly.

“So... what is this story with the other Twilight?”

Sunset smiled. “Well, it all started in the other world where I was born...”

Suddenly a loud shuffling came from the hallway. The girls looked at the door in time to see Cinch being helped down the hall. Only her face was red and badly swollen.

Fluttershy gasped. “What happened to her?”

“I don’t know,” Twilight said. “It looked like she was having an... allergic reaction...”

She looked down at Spike. He grinned an embarrassed smile.

“Okay, so... maybe I didn’t need to do my shedding in her car. But she should know better than to keep it unlocked.”

Twilight just hugged him.

Author's Note

This started as just a little idea I had on Cinch getting some well deserved karma, but being me I couldn't keep it simple and started thinking about how Twilight must feel about getting off so light while Cinch gets the blame. This will only be three chapters.

Family

Twilight gripped Spike tightly in her lap as Cadance drove her home. Sunset was next to her in the backseat, having insisted on coming along to provide some moral support. Applejack was following in her truck, waiting to take Sunset back to her house. After that fateful incident where she had been defeated by the others, the Apple family had opened it's doors to her, thanks in no small part to Granny Smith being present at that dance as a chaperone. She had pressured her son and daughter-in-law into taking in one more child, letting her move from the abandoned apartment building she had squatted in into a real house.

“Try to get some sleep,” Sunset said. “Tomorrow we can meet up at Sugarcube Corner and talk a little more. Who knows? If Princess Twilight gets my message, you might even meet her."

Twilight tightened her grip on Spike at that. "M-meet her? But would she want to meet me? I..."

Sunset placed a finger on her lips, silencing her. "She will, and she'll love you. She isn't the Princess of Friendship for nothing."

Twilight tried to imagine what this other Twilight was like. The girls spoke highly of her, and said she was always reliable to deal with a threat.

Does that mean I could have ended up fighting her? If I made it to the other world.

Seeing Twilight's expression sour again, Sunset placed a hand on her shoulder. "Listen... I told you the guilt would be bad. So I'll give you a little piece of advice. Whenever it starts to get to you, you just have to repeat to yourself: My past is not today."

Twilight blinked. "My past is not today?"

Sunset nodded. "Even after the school forgave me, I kept dumping on myself for a long time. You need to forgive yourself, it's just as important as making things right with others, okay?"

"Alright."

Sunset hugged Twilight again. Just as they broke apart, Spike leap onto Sunset and gave her a few licks.

"Ah! Spike," Sunset said through her giggles. "What's that for?"

"For being nice to Twilight," the pup said happily. Sunset smiled and scratched behind his ears.

The car came to a stop in the parking lot of an apartment, and Applejack's truck soon after it. As they climbed out, Sunset spoke. "You spend tonight with your family. Tomorrow we'll meet up again and talk. I really want to see what you know about magic."

"You... I thought you hated that I was researching magic?"

Sunset shook her head. "I hated that you were being so reckless. I'm researching magic too, but my research has hit a wall. Maybe you can help me. I need to figure this out."

"I'd like that," Twilight said, her voice coming just barely above a whisper.

"Good. I need to clean up the mess I made."

Twilight looked at her. "I thought you said..."

"I might have fixed my reputation, but magic is in this world because of me. I can't go home until I find a way to teach people how to harness it. With how much it's growing, we can't keep it secret forever."

Twilight was silent for a moment, but nodded. "That makes sense."

"Come on, Sunset," Applejack called. "It's a long way home, and I wanna get some sleep tonight."

"Coming," she called. She gave Twilight one final hug. "I'll call you tomorrow morning."

And with that, they were off.

Twilight entered the apartment and was immediately swept up by her brother. "Twiley! I heard what happened! You weren't hurt, were you? Any bomb big enough to blow up a statue..."

"I'm fine, Shiny. Just... shaken." That wasn't a lie, really. But breaking the truth about magic needed to be done with tact.

Shining Armor released her little sister and bent down to scratch Spike's ear. "You've been protecting my baby sister?" he said playfully. With his free hand, he pulled a treat out of his pocket. "Been saving this for you, boy. Come on, speak!"

"Sure thing. What do you want to talk about?"

"That was mean," Twilight said.

"It was funny," Spike said, munching on his treat.

While Cadance tried to get her husband to come out of the bathroom with assurances that he wasn't going crazy, Twilight slipped into a sitting room that held what she wanted to see. At the far end was a heater made up to look like a fireplace, complete with a mantle. And resting on it were two clay urns, both of which were peeking out from behind a framed picture of two more people.

"Hi Mom. Hi Dad."

Twilight's voice was a whisper, but Spike heard it clear as day. He whimpered, knowing Twilight only did this when she was truly sad.

"I... I can't imagine what you must be thinking right now. I really messed up, haven't I?"

Spike whimpered again. He had never met Twilight’s parents. In fact, he had been a gift from Shining Armor and Cadance to help ease her grief, but he needed to try and talk Twilight out of this. “Twilight, remember what Sunset said.”

“I know, but...”

“Cadance still loves you, and I’m sure Shiny will after he’s finished questioning his sanity. Your parents would too.”

Twilight sat in a large chair and hugged Spike tighter. The pup wormed his way out enough just enough to lick her face. After a few licks with Twilight not responding, he whimpered and nuzzled up to her.

“Twilight?”

The girl looked up to see Cadance walk into the room.

She blinked through the tears in her eyes. “Is Shiny any better?”

“I got him some tea and I’m letting him breathe. He’ll be fine.” She placed a hand on Twilight’s shoulder. “I think you’re priority number one right now.”

Twilight looked down, then back to the remains of her parents. She scooted to one side and allowed Cadance to sit next to her. The chair had been a favorite of theirs, back when she was young enough to sit in Cadance’s lap. The older girl would read her stories at first, but once old enough Twilight would as often read to her, excited to show off her skill. Its use continued into middle school and on that fateful day when the drunk driver claimed the lives of Night Light and Twilight Velvet, Cadance let her cry while Shining Armor, marginally keeping it together better, filled out the necessary paperwork to take custody of his sister. And even in recent years when Twilight needed a hug after Fleur pulled another prank, or called her ugly, or had her stuffed in a locker. The following days punishments were handed out, and eventually the student body learned the foolishness of so outwardly bullying the Dean’s sister-in-law, and settled for ignoring her outside the pushes she got in the hallways.

Cadance pulled her into a hug. “Your Mom and Dad still love you, sweetie, just like I do.”

“That’s what I told her,” Spike said.

Cadance grinned and scratched his ear. “I knew you were a smart dog.” She focused back on Twilight. “Sunset took me aside and told me what to expect. I want you to spend some time with her and the others. I think they’ll be good for you. They’re what you need to heal.”

Twilight actually smiled at that. “I know. I really want to. I... you were right, it is nice having friends. I’ve never had them. Well, other than Spike.”

“And I wanna see them more too,” the dog in question wagged his tail. “Especially the pretty one.”

The others looked down at him. “Who, Rarity?” Cadance asked.

“Sunset?” Twilight asked.

“No, the really pretty one: Fluttershy,” Spike swooned. “She’s so sweet, and other than Twilight she gives the best belly scratches.”

Cadance giggled. “Someone’s smitten.”

Twilight chuckled, but yawned soon after. “I think I better turn in.”

“Do you want me to sit with you a little while?” Cadance asked.

Twilight shook her head. “I’ll be fine.”

Cadance kissed her on the forehead before letting her leave. As she walked back into the kitchen to fill her freaked out husband in, Twilight entered her room.

Everything in it was neat and orderly. A large bookshelf dominated the wall the door was on, left filled with fiction, right with textbooks and reference guides. Her home computer sat on the left wall, her bed in the corner on the right, next to her closet.

Spike leapt out of Twilight’s arms and onto the bed. “I’m glad you’re willing to get some sleep, but you never did answer Cadance or me. You know your parents...”

“Spike,” Twilight said as she pulled a set of pajamas out of her closet. “I really just think I need a rest. I’ll be able to think clearly in the morning.”

Spike looked at her, but nodded. “Okay.”

Twilight began to lift her shirt up, but stopped. “Uh, Spike? Could you step outside for me?”

Spike blinked. “Why?”

“I’m changing.”

“Twilight, you’ve changed in front of me plenty of times.”

“It’s... different now, you can talk.”

“Talking didn’t make me any more intelligent,” Spike pointed out.

“Yeah, but now I’m aware of it...”

Spike scoffed. “You humans and your shame over your own bodies. Why are you so obsessed with clothes anyway?”

“Spike...”

The dog lowered his head. “I’m not that different, really. Please don’t treat me any different.”

Twilight stopped, looking at his sad face. She smiled and reached down, scratching under his chin. “I am going to treat you differently, Spike, but it’ll be for the better. Having someone that can talk back is fun. And believe me, I still love you.”

Spike smiled.

Twilight, after another few moments of hesitation, got undressed and changed into her pajamas. By the time she looked back at her bed, Spike had laid on the end. She got between the covers and was about to pull her glasses off when she remembered she no longer wore them.

Spike came up to her and licked her one more time before laying down, this time for the night.

Twilight was running, but she could still hear her calling.

“You can’t run from me!”

Twilight redoubled her efforts, and was rewarded with a fall on her face. Before she could recover, she felt herself lifted off the ground as if by invisible puppet strings. She was lifted to face the eyes she feared so much.

Her other self, her dark self, laughed. “Why run? I’m everything you’ve ever wanted.”

“No! No, you aren’t!”

“Oh, really?” The mad version of Twilight snapped her fingers.

Three figures appeared. Principal Cinch, Fleur de Lis, and a woman Twilight recognized: Berry Punch, whose drunk driving had killed her parents, leaving her an orphan at age 13.

The bodies were lifeless at first, but suddenly they screamed in pain. They twisted and convulsed. Her twisted self laughed.

“Stop! Stop, I don’t want them hurt.”

“Don’t lie to yourself. You really want them alive? Cinch, who paraded you around like a trophy, stuck a target on your back that made every other student gun for you, and blackmailed you so you could be another stepping stone? Fleur, who led the students to bully you, who humiliated you at every opportunity, even mocking you when you had your period for the first time in the locker room? Berry, who killed your parents and got out without a scratch, who will be walking free and driving again in a few short years?

“You want me. I give you the power to rise above what these three have made you. I put you in charge!”

“No! No! I’m not you!”

“Yes you are! All it took was a taste of me, and you went all in. Sure, Sunset might have talked you down, but for how long? How long until you crave me again? How long before someone comes along that she can’t protect you from? Then... then you’ll come running back to me. And we’ll have such fun!”

“No, no, no, no!”

Twilight’s eye opened with a gast. She took deep breaths as tears streamed down her face. Spike was at her side in an instant, licking up tears.

Then she felt something sit on her bed. Two big strong arms wrapped her in a hug.

“Wh... Shiny?”

Her big brother held her close. “I’ve got you, Twiley.”

“Wha...” she felt her bed jostle. Cadane sat on her other side, Spike in her lap.

“How did...”

“Cadance told me you might have nightmares, so we decided to peer in on you.”

Twilight cried a bit more upon hearing that. “Did... Cadance tell you...”

“She told me everything,” Shining said. “I was skeptical, but with the talking dog, I can’t really deny it.”

When the joke failed to cheer his sister up, he went on. “I still love you, Twiley. You’re my baby sister, even if you made a mistake.”

Twilight kept crying. Everyone said that. Why didn’t it make the pain stop?

“I think Sunset was right,” Cadance said. “Only time can fix this. And loved ones. Luckily, there’s no short supply of the latter.”

Twilight looked at her brother, then her sister-in-law, then her pet, all trying to comfort her. And she cried even more.

Author's Note

First off, special thanks to Magic Man for his emergency editing of this chapter, as Amras is currently without internet. Go check out his work, especially if you're a Changeling fan.

Secondly, I thought I was being original when I made Twilight's parents dead, but two others had the idea since I posted this. Well, at least I got beaten to the punch be some talent. Read them here and here. Fleur being a jerk came from here, and I figured she'd work better as Twilight's main bully than any other Shadowbolt, since they seemed a little too honorable.

And finally, the third chapter might be split into two.

Also, do we need both a Human and an Equestria Girls tag on the same story?

Friends

Twilight woke up to see Spike laying next to her. Adjusting her vision, she saw Shining Armor asleep in the chair he had brought in. Apparently he had decided to keep watch.

Twilight rose, trying not to wake Spike. But the dog sensed the shift in the bed immediately, coming to. He licked Twilight’s face again.

“Morning, Twilight,” Spike said.

Twilight smiled, giving Spike a scratch behind the ears. As she did, the smell of cooking pancakes came to her. Cadance must have been cooking breakfast.

Getting up, Twilight shook her big brother awake. Shining Armor stirred, looking at his sister. “Twiley?”

“Did you stay at my bed all night?”

He nodded. “Cadance and I thought it would be best if one of us sat with you until these nightmares died down.”

“Shiny, you didn’t have to...”

Twilight was cut off as her brother hugged her again. “Yes we do, Twilight. You need help, and since Mom and Dad aren’t around anymore, that falls on us.”

Twilight started to speak. “But...”

“None of that,” he said. “We’ll do whatever it takes. We’d have you see a counselor, but then we realized you can’t exactly talk to anyone about what happened.”

Twilight broke apart. She reached to readjust her glasses, but remembered they weren’t there anymore.

“That’s going to take some getting used to.”

Shining Armor smiled. “Come on, Cadance should be done with breakfast.”

The three left Twilight’s bedroom to find Cadance had indeed almost finished cooking breakfast. Twilight greeted her with a hug. Then she pulled a can of dog food out of the pantry and put it in Spike’s bowl. She began to set it on the floor, but stopped.

“Um... do you want to eat at the table, Spike?”

Spike tilted his head. “Why would I want to do that?”

“It just... seems undignified to make someone I know is intelligent eat off the floor.”

Spike shook his head. “You humans worry too much,” he said. “Now come on, I’m hungry.”

Smiling, Twilight set the food down, and Spike went at it.

Twilight sat at the table, her stack already there. As she began pouring syrup over her food, Cadance spoke.

“Eat up quick, some of your friends are going to be here soon.”

That got Twilight to stop, looking at her sister-in-law in confusion. “Huh?”

“Rainbow Dash called. She and Fluttershy will be over soon. They told me to tell you to dress for running, they’re going to put you through a work out.”

Twilight’s eyes bulged. “What? Why?”

“They said it would be good for you. And honestly, you should exercise more.”

“Shiny...” Twilight turned to her brother.

“I have to agree, Twiley,” he said after swallowing a bite. “You should exercise more.”

Twilight widened her eyes and began quivering her lower lip. Seeing this, Shining looked at his plate, desperate to avoid the look that always melted his heart. “Th... that’s not going to work this time.”

Twilight kept it up, to her brother’s chagrin. Cadance laughed.

“Twilight, I’m not asking you to be an athlete, but exercising would be good for you. And I told you to spend time with those girls. This will be healthy for you both ways.”

“But...”

“Not buts. Now eat up, then go get dressed. Oh, and pack a bag. They told me they planned to keep you for a slumber party tonight.”

At that, Twilight stopped her pout. A slumber party? She had always wondered what those were like. But why get her so early?

Twilight ate while her family talked. Spike eventually came to beg, but Twilight always refused. People food was bad for dogs.

After eating, she went to her room. She pulled out her Crystal Prep gym uniform and changed quickly. Then, finding her backpack, she put in a uniform, some hygiene products like her toothbrush, spare headbands, and a book she was only half-finished with.

When she returned, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy were already there. Spike ran up to greet the yellow girl.

“Hey, Fluttershy,” he said.

The girl knelt down and scratched under his chin.

“Glad you’re ready. Come on, we have only two hours before the others want to meet us.”

“Uh, Rainbow Dash, don’t you think you could have told me about this last night?” Twilight asked as she put Spike on his leash.

“It didn’t occur to me then. Come on, let’s get started!”

Twilight looked back at her family, hoping for some last-minute intervention, but they just waved her off.

“Sorry, but we think it’s for the best,” Shining Armor said, before handing her a roll of money. “Here. They said you’d be going to the mall today. Spend it however you like.”

Twilight looked at the wad and began counting it out. Her eyes got progressively wider. When she finished, she just stared at her guardians. “This much?”

“We hardly ever dip into the inheritance or the life insurance when it isn’t on raising you, and we think something to treat you is a worthwhile cause,” Cadance said. She gave her charge one last kiss goodbye. “Be sure to text us whenever you get somewhere. We’ll call in to check up on you.”

Those words uplifted Twilight a little, but she quickly remembered what she was being roped into. With a heavy heart she walked out, Spike by her side.

It wasn’t until they got to the bottom floor that she spoke. “Okay, why are you two dragging me on this?”

“You need to work out more, Twilight. Even Fluttershy managed to beat you in the Friendship Games.” The three girls got at a brisk run. “No friend of mine is getting out of shape.”

“Then why aren’t the others here?”

“Applejack gets her workout doing farmwork, Sunset and Rarity have their own workout schedules, and Pinkie... well, if there’s anyone who doesn’t need a workout, it’s her. I swear, I don’t think it’s possible for her to get fat, with how much sweets she downs.”

Fluttershy laughed. “Don’t worry, Twilight. I was reluctant at first, but I’ve felt better, doing this every day.”

Twilight sighed. “Well... if you insist...”

By the time they had reached Fluttershy’s house, Twilight had tripped over her own feet ten times, and was exhausted to boot.

“Relax. All your coordination will get better with some work,” Rainbow Dash assured.

“I’m... in... pain...”

“Well, no pain, no gain!” Rainbow Dash said.

Twilight collapsed in a chair, but before she could rest, Fluttershy spoke. “Um, Twilight? Since you’re the guest, you can take the first shower.”

Twilight groaned at the thought of having to get up, but did as asked. When she returned to Fluttershy’s bedroom, she was giving Spike’s stomach a scratch while talking to Rainbow Dash.

“Uh... Twi? Why are you wearing your Crystal Prep uniform?”.

Twilight shrugged. “I just never bothered to get anything else. I usually only go to school.”

Rainbow Dash looked at her with a surprised expression. Then she snickered.

“What’s so funny?”

“Nothing. Well... wait until the others get here,” Rainbow Dash said, then went to take her shower, leaving the rest to talk.

“Is she always this pushy?” Twilight asked.

“Oh, yes, but it’s always for a good cause. Rainbow Dash is really nice, even if what she’s doing can seem mean. It was her making me exercise that meant I could compete in the Friendship Games.”

Twilight blushed, remembering just how hard that particular event had been.

“Well, why was she laughing at me?”

“Twilight, trust me, she was laughing at something else.”

Twilight blinked. “Wha?”

Fluttershy giggled. “Oh, Twilight. Sometimes a friend might seem like they’re laughing at you, but they’re just trying to get you to laugh with them.”

“It’s true,” Pinkie said. “There’s a lot more good laughter than bad laughter.”

“Well, it seems kind of weird, but... wait a minute...”

...

Twilight and Spike suddenly jumped. “Pinkie? When’d you get here? What are you doing here?”

“That’s a good question, Twilight. I mean, what are any of us doing here?” Pinkie stared off into space.

“Wha? But...”

Fluttershy giggled. “That’s Pinkie Pie for you.”

“Oh? Did I scare you?” Pinkie asked. She then reached to her dress and pulled a balloon design off of it. Then she blew it up, causing it to hang in the air. Tying it off, she handed it to Twilight. “Balloons make me feel better.”

Twilight and Spike gaped as Fluttershy giggled.

“Um... wow. The magic must have really affected you.”

“What? No silly, I’ve always been like this.”

Twilight blinked. What had she gotten herself into?

After a bit more talking, Rainbow Dash emerged, and Fluttershy went to take her shower. Spike fumed, as this meant no more of Fluttershy’s affection, though Pinkie took up petting him. Then, just as Fluttershy emerged fully dressed, the doorbell rang. The others had arrived.

“We’re here!” Applejack announced, coming in. She looked at Twilight. “Hope Rainbow didn’t wear you out.”

“Only completely.”

“Twilight, dear, why on earth on you wearing your school uniform?”

Unfortunately, Twilight didn’t hear Rainbow Dash’s laugh before she spoke. “I don’t really own much else. ...Rarity? Rarity? Why is your eye twitching? Wh-what are you doing? Rarity? Rarity?”

Twilight could barely remember getting thrown into Rarity’s elegant car while others piled around her. While some followed in Applejack’s truck, they eventually made it to Carousel Boutique, a store owned by Rarity’s grandmother.

She was immediately measured and then had an outfit thrown at her. Knowing protesting would do no good, she started to put it on.

“Rarity, are you sure about this? My uniform worked fine.”

“It simply did not! Don’t get me wrong, Twilight, you looked good in it, but you simply can’t wear it everywhere! There’s more to you than your schoolwork, isn’t there?”

Twilight actually stopped. “I... I don’t know.”

The other six looked at each other with concerned looks. Rarity spoke up. “Well we need to change that, and first things first, you need to look the part. Now come on, let’s see it!”

Sighing, Twilight came out from behind the changing screen. She was now wearing a pink top with a light blue skirt. She looked at herself in the mirror and gaped.

“Twilight?” Sunset asked.

“I... I look great.”

“You sound surprised, darling,” Rarity said. “Anyone can see you were beautiful.”

Twilight looked down. “Not the kids at Crystal Prep.”

“Forget them, they’re meanies,” Pinkie said.

Sunset sighed. “Twilight, take it from someone who was a school bully... if they say you’re ugly, they’re probably afraid you’re prettier than them.”

Applejack put a hand on her surrogate sister’s shoulder. She never liked being reminded on what she used to be, even if she had learned to smile about it.

“Come on, Twilight, let’s see what else we can find you.”

Twilight left the Boutique with bags full of new clothes, all at a discount at Rarity’s insistence. The next trip was a spa appointment, which Rainbow Dash moaned at but didn’t complain when the masseuse was working her back.

After that it was to the mall, where the first step was the food court. Twilight ordered a hamburger, then sat down with the others.

Bringing up her backpack, she unzipped it to let Spike poke his snout out. “Oh man, thank goodness. Tell me we’re going to a place I can get out soon.”

“We’re going to be at the mall for a few hours, Spike. But after that, we’ll be going to Pinkie’s for the slumber party.”

“Okay... can I have a taste of that hamburger?”

“No, Spike. No people food.”

Rarity laughed. “Well, at least Spike can understand you when you tell him things.”

“What do you mean?” Spike asked confused. “That spell didn’t make me any more intelligent.”

The girls paused. Except for Fluttershy and Sunset, who actually looked smug with their vegetarian meals, they looked down at their food.

“Uh... Spike... are all animals as intelligent as you?” Applejack asked.

“Nah, don’t worry. Cows and chickens and pigs are mindless. Eat away.”

“Aren’t pigs considered intelligent?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Who are you going to believe? Human tests, or another animal?”

Rainbow Dash looked down at her hot dog before shrugging and taking a bite. After a few more moments, the others started eating again, to Fluttershy and Sunset’s disappointment.

“Well... I guess that’s one complication that won’t be happening,” Sunset said. “That’s a relief. A lot’s about to change.”

“You really think so?” Applejack asked.

Sunset nodded. “We can’t keep magic a secret forever. Twilight found out, how long until the government looks in?”

“That’s true,” Rarity said.

“That’s why we need to figure it out before anyone else. Can you imagine what would happen if this came out when no one knew how to control it? They might not react well to Equestria after that.”

“And that could mean a war...” Twilight realized.

“Exactly,” Sunset said. “That’s why I can’t go back to Equestria. After causing magic, I can’t just go home.”

“Sunset, you didn’t mean to...” Pinkie started.

“You’re right. I meant much worse,” Sunset replied flatly. Then sighed. “I’m sorry.”

Twilight poked at her food a bit before continuing. “Um, Sunset? I’ve been wanting to ask you something.”

She smiled. “Anything, Twilight. What is it?”

Twilight was silent for a moment, clearly trying to find the words to voice her question. “You told me you were given a second chance, and you keep saying I deserve one. So... why should Principal Cinch get the same thing? Why doesn’t she get a second chance?”

“Because she doesn’t want one.”

The others looked at her, and Sunset went on. “Cinch doesn’t want a chance to improve herself. She wants to be right, even after she’s been proven wrong. I know from experience how people like that are.”

“But... you changed after being proven wrong.”

Sunset shook her head. “I didn’t. For years I bullied everyone in school and thought I was popular. I wasn’t. Everyone hated me, they were just too afraid to stand up to me. When Princess Twilight came through the portal, everyone thought she was weird, but she still became the most popular girl in school in a couple of days by being the complete opposite of what I was. She proved me wrong right then, and I refused to see it.”

“But... then what changed after the others beat you?”

“Simple: I wasn’t just defeated, I was broken. I had failed, and I knew nothing I could possibly do could get me out of it. Then... Princess Twilight showed me mercy. She begged Principal Celestia not to have me arrested, and told the school to give me a second chance. If I had been my old self, I’d have refused it. I needed to be torn down before I could be rebuilt.

“If you went to Cinch now, she’ll still deny she did anything wrong. Maybe someday something will happen to break her, but until then there’s nothing we can do but keep her away from us.”

Twilight sighed. “I guess that makes sense.”

Sunset nodded. “Don’t worry about Cinch. It won’t be long before she’s out of Crystal Prep where she can’t hurt you. After that, what she does next is her decision.”

Applejack nodded. “We haven’t told ya about the sirens, have we?”

Twilight looked at her. “The sirens?”

“Trio of troublemakers banished here from Equestria. We’ll tell you the full story later, but we beat 'em good. Afterward, we went to ‘em and offered the same chance we offered Sunset. They wouldn’t do it.”

Rarity nodded. “We discussed doing something, but we couldn’t exactly force them to stay in Canterlot. They left town, and we haven’t seen them since. We couldn’t force them to change, they had to want to first.”

Twilight took another bite of her meal. “Okay, so there’s one other thing. You said there were other versions of everyone in this other world. Does that mean there’s another Sunset Shimmer somewhere?”

At that, Sunset looked at her meal. “...There was.”

The rest group looked at her. “What do you mean?” Fluttershy asked.

“When I saw Principal Celestia, I figured there were alternates to everyone. So as soon as I learned how to use a computer, I looked up my name. The first thing was an article about a girl that was...” She swallowed. “That was killed in an accident.”

They all looked at her shocked. “Sunset...” Applejack began, but Sunset talked over her.

“Her parents died of grief a bit later. There was no one that would recognize me, so I kept my name. It didn’t really bother me. I knew my parents in Equestria dumped me at an orphanage and flat out stated they didn’t want a foal.”

There was silence as everyone processed the information. Fluttershy moved to hug her but Sunset stopped her. “I never cared. The only parent I needed was Princess Celestia and... well, you know how well that turned out.”

There was another tense moment.

“I’m sorry I brought it up,” Twilight said, her voice barely raising.

Sunset shrugged. “It was bound to come up. I’m surprised none of you asked sooner.”

Rainbow Dash rubbed the back of her neck. “We were... a little afraid to.”

Sunset looked at her. “Why?”

Pinkie giggled a little. “It sounds silly now that we know the truth, but... you were evil when you came here. We figured you might have... well...”

Sunset looked appalled. “I wasn’t even willing to hurt the other Spike when I was evil. I couldn’t kill anyone.”

“Yeah... our bad,” Pinkie said. Sunset groaned.

“So how did you manage to enroll in school with no records?” Twilight asked.

“I brought enough gemstones from Equestria... they’re common there... and I paid for some false identification. It was from... the Changelings.”

That got attention. “The Changelings?” Applejack said in a harsh whisper.

“Who are they?” Everyone looked at Rainbow Dash. “What?”

“Rainbow, do you ever keep up with anythin’ that isn’t sports, music, or those fantasy books you pretend not to read?” Applejack asked.

Rainbow Dash blushed at that last one. “Why bother?”

Twilight made a habitual move to readjust her glasses, once again realized she wasn’t wearing them, and spoke. “The Changelings are an infamous mafia group. They get their name because they specialize in creating false identities for people. It lets them pull off some big crimes.”

“They’re trouble,” Pinkie nodded.

“Which is why you shouldn’t deal with ‘em,” Applejack said.

“Relax. As far as they knew, I was just a runaway teen who managed to shoplift something good. They had no reason to keep me around after our business was over.”

They looked at her. “Well... if you’re sure,” Applejack said at last.

“I am. Now how about some happier conversation...”

“Hey!”

Twilight jumped as Spike suddenly reached out and snapped the last bit of burger from her meal.

“Spike!”

“Hey, when you have to stay in a backpack for hours, then you can judge me.” He munched his prize.

The next few stops were all one made at the request of one person, yet Twilight found herself having fun at all of them. First it was a sports store where Rainbow Dash picked out a few pieces of equipment and, after some consideration, new workout clothes for Twilight. Then Fluttershy insisted on a stop by the pet store. While Fluttershy picked out a few things, Twilight was able to find a few treats for Spike to munch on.

Then it was a stop at a novelty shop where Pinkie managed to get the others to make complete fools of themselves, with all of them giggling at every turn. Then to an outdoors store for a new lantern for Applejack’s next camping trip. After Twilight mentioned always wanting to go stargazing, they spent the next thirty minutes picking out a good camping set for her.

Finally, they made their last stop at the music store.

“Hey, Vinyl!” Pinkie greeted the girl behind the counter. “You remember Twilight?”

Seeing her, the girl nodded and shook her hand.

“Nice to meet you.”

Vinyl nodded.

“...You don’t talk much, do you?”

The girl shook her head.

“She can’t talk,” Applejack explained. “Her vocal chords never developed.”

“Oh. Sorry.”

Vinyl gave a dismissive wave to show she wasn’t offended. Twilight, still feeling awkward, went to Sunset, who was looking at a selection of microphones.

“Do you sing?”

Twilight blinked. “What?”

“Princess Twilight could sing. You have her voice. Have you ever sang before?”

“Well... I sang in choir a few times. I never really did it as a hobby.”

Sunset smiled. “Maybe the Rainbooms could use a new member.”

“The Rainbooms?”

“Our band. If you sing half as good as Princess Twilight does, you’ll be a great addition.” She handed Twilight a microphone. “Top-of-the-line model, it will do you well.”

Twilight took it. “Well... why not? I do have plenty of...”

A rough shove sent Twilight to the ground, sending the microphone and her bags skidding across the floor. Spike yipped in surprise from inside her backpack.

“Whoopsie.”

Twilight froze at the voice, her heart racing. She turned and saw Fleur looking at her, the same look that always made Twilight feel small.

“Didn’t see you there.”

She turned, only to find Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Sunset blocking her way.

“I think you’re going to pick her things back up,” Applejack said, her tone making it clear that her prediction was going to come true one way or another.

Fleur raised an eyebrow. Then she started to move, only for Sunset to grab her roughly by the arm.

“Let go of me, you-”

Sunset pulled her back, which ended up sending Fleur to the ground against Sunset’s intentions. Still, it worked to their advantage.

“Applejack told you to pick up her things.”

“You can’t do this to me, you piece of...”

Much to everyone’s shock, Rainbow Dash kicked Fleur in the stomach. Not as hard as she could, but enough to make the normally collected girl wheeze.

“Pick. It. Up.”

The now-terrified Fleur did as instructed. After handing Twilight her things, Rainbow was in her face again.

“If she tells me you’re bothering her again... I’ll put you in a coma. Got it?”

Fleur nodded in fear. She turned to sprint from the store, only to find Vinyl now blocking the way. She handed her a note.

I saw you pick a fight. You’re banned, six months. I catch you in here again, I’ll get you banned from the mall entirely.

“Aren’t you going to do anything about them? They assaulted me!”

Sunset stepped forward. “What you did to Twilight could easily be assault. It’s eight to one you attacked her.”

Fleur looked around, realizing how outnumbered she was. She turned her glare on Twilight. “Well, looks like you found people who like you. Figures that trash school would be where you fit in.”

Rainbow Dash took a step forward, and all of Fleur’s courage vanished. She bolted from the music store. She stopped ten feet away, turned to glare, then walked away like the mall was lucky she had decided to come.

As Fluttershy and Rarity helped Twilight up, she could only gape. “How... um... thank you.”

“Hey, no problem,” Rainbow Dash waved it off.

“Though, really, did you have to kick her?” Rarity asked. “Don’t you think that was going a bit too far?”

Rainbow Dash shrugged. “Maybe. But she’ll think twice before harassing Twilight again, won’t she?”

“Who was she, anyway?” Fluttershy asked.

“That... was Fleur De Lis. She’s a girl at Crystal Prep who hates me. She doesn’t do much at school since Cadance is the dean, but it usually ends badly when we run into each other outside Crystal Prep.”

“Why?” Pinkie asked.

“I don’t know. The same reason everyone at Crystal Prep hates me: I’m there.”

Sunset placed a hand on her shoulder. “Former bully speaking: it doesn’t seem like that. She seems to have a grudge against you.”

“Well... she is the worst out of everyone. But I don’t know why.”

“Doesn’t matter. We scared her off, and we’ll do worse if she tries anything,” Rainbow Dash said. “Now come on, it’s getting late. It’s slumber party time!”

Twilight awoke with a loud gasp. Taking a few deep breaths, she looked around.

She was still in Pinkie’s room, filled to the brim with people. Vinyl had joined in as a last-minute attendee, and the night was merrier for it. Pizza, video games, and karaoke where they all sang fairly well still bounced around in her head.

But so did her nightmare. This time her demonic self had dangled her on marionette strings as she tore apart her family and friends one by one. It had been horrible.

Then an arm wrapped around her and pulled her into another warm embrace.

“Sunset?”

“Another nightmare? Figures. That is why I got the bed with you.”

Twilight took a deep breath. The room had been so crowded they’d needed to share a bed to fit everyone in.

“It was horrible.”

“I know. I’ve been where you are. And I made the mistake of not telling anyone because I thought I deserved to suffer. But I was just making sure my wounds never healed.”

“...When does it go away?”

“For me? It wasn’t until eight months later, a little while after we defeated the Sirens. But you have family, and us, who are going to to help you through it.”

Twilight cried into Sunset, who just held her close. After she had calmed down a bit, she turned and looked around the room again. The six other girls in sleeping bags around the room, and Spike still asleep at her side.

She turned back to Sunset and moved in closer. As the other girl’s grip tightened, Twilight made up her mind.

She’d ask Cadance to write up the transfer papers tomorrow.

Doppelganger Part 1

Twilight knew, at that moment, that the word “impossible” had officially left her vocabulary. Hearing that she had a doppelganger in an alternate dimension was one thing, but actually having her stumble out of a statue, babbling about time loops was another thing altogether.

There was a long moment where the two just looked at each other, and all Twilight could do was give herself a simple wave, feeling like a complete dork while doing so. The others present, which included her friends, their little sisters, and Spike, were watching with amusement.

“Quick, make out with yourself!”

All eyes turned to Pinkie.

“What? Don’t act like you’re not thinking it.”

Princess Twilight blushed. “Yes, well... look, it’s very nice to meet you, Other Me, but before we can exchange pleasantries, I need an explanation.”

“An explanation?” Sunset asked, her confusion mirrored by the others.

“Yeah, I have to go to the outskirts of Equestria, and when I get back, Princess Celestia tells me that holes in reality appeared all over the country, and they all peaked in here. Care to explain?”

Twilight felt a pit of ice in her stomach. This new her was a princess, and she had endangered her kingdom. Would this other her put her in shackles and drag her back to her kingdom to face trial? Still, she knew she had to tell her the truth.

“It was my fault,” she said, trying to sound steady.

Princess Twilight looked at her with surprise. “Your fault?”

Sunset cut in. “No it wasn’t... well, not entirely. It’s a long story. Everything’s better now, really. Sit down and we’ll tell you everything.”

Princess Twilight looked confused, but nodded. She began to sit down, but another figure stumbled out of the portal.

The group jumped. They had been expecting Spike to follow, but instead it was another boy, one who was clad in gold plated armor.

“What the... Flash!”

Everyone blinked at the Princess’s words. Then they gasped when the boy, still on all fours, lifted his head up. It was indeed Flash Sentry, though clearly not the same one from their world.

“Your Highness, you shouldn’t be here alone!”

Princess Twilight actually placed her hand on her face. “Flash, as I told you: as far as anyone is concerned, I’m an ordinary high school student here,” she said as the new Flash worked to raise himself onto his legs. “The only thing you’re accomplishing is making me a target. Look, are you wearing regular clothes underneath that armor?”

Captain Flash brought a hand up to his collar and, with some difficulty, peered down. He nodded, though Twilight could already see he was wearing jeans and tennis shoes.

“Good. Take it off. I brought a storage bag, you can put it in.”

As Captain Flash began to obey, Apple Bloom spoke. “Our Flash ain’t going to like this.”

“Is he around?” Princess Twilight asked, suddenly interested. Then, seeing the smug looks, she blushed. “Not that it’s important.”

Applejack stepped forward. “So yer the pony’s world’s Flash?”

Having peeled off his armor, he nodded. “Captain Flash Sentry of the newly appointed Twilight Guard, assigned to be a personal bodyguard to Princess Twilight Sparkle.” He placed his chest plate in a bag that looked much too small for it, but seemed to slip in anyway.

“Wow... you look almost like our Flash,” the cowgirl said. “Yer eyes wanderin’, Twi?”

Princess Twilight blushed. So did Twilight. The ‘almost’ part of Applejack’s assessment came from the fact that this Flash had considerable more muscle on him. He was still wobbling a bit, standing on two legs was a new experience for him, but his military discipline was serving him well.

“Um... well... nevermind. Tell me what happened... huh?”

No one had noticed, but Spike had gone up to the new Twilight. “Cool! There are two Twilights? Are you as cool as my Twilight? Is there another Spike? Is there another Fluttershy?”

The baffled Princess Twilight look at the dog, eventually bending down to scratch his ears. “So there’s another Spike... and he can talk. Why can he talk?”

Twilight smiled. “Well... that’s part of the story...”

Sunset smiled. “Like I said, long story. Come on, sit down. I brought extra sandwiches... all vegetarian, I assure you.”

Princess Twilight sat, taking an offered sandwich. Captain Flash, however, stood at attention, combing the area for potential threats. Though... Twilight could swear that he was looking at her specifically. Probably stunned by a copy

So, for the next half hour, the girls took turns telling their new visitor what had happened. Twilight spent most of it in silence, refusing to look at her doppelganger for fear of scorn at her recklessness. When they finished, Princess Twilight spoke.

“When I was in magic kindergarten, I had to get glasses. When I went in, all the other made fun of me. I went home in tears, yelled that I didn’t want to wear them anymore, and stormed into my room. The next morning, I suddenly had 20/20 vision.”

Twilight blinked. “Really?”

Princess Twilight nodded. “When I told Princess Celestia years later, she concluded all my magic must have been subconsciously worked into fixing my eyes. It makes sense that a large dose of magic fixed yours.”

Twilight blinked. She didn’t even seem mad.

“Sunset, do you have your journal with you?” The girl in question held it up. “Good. Send a message to Spike that it’s all clear and he can come through.”

Spike, who had gone back to his master after it was clear how scared she was, perked up. “There is another Spike?”

Princess Twilight nodded. “He’s actually a baby dragon who turns into a dog when he comes here like I turn into a human.”

Twilight blinked. “A dragon.” The disbelief was evident.

Princess Twilight nodded, a proud look on her face. “I hatched him myself when I was a filly.”

“You’re gonna have to get used to weird stuff when the Princess is around,” Rainbow Dash said.

“Rainbow, I don’t like my friends calling me Princess...”

“Yeah, well, I can’t just call you Twilight anymore, so it looks like you’re Princess from now on.”

She opened her mouth to protest, but she gave it up. “Fine... just don’t start bowing and scraping, please.”

“Um... am I in trouble?” Twilight asked. Princess just looked at her. “Well, I did cause trouble for your kingdom...”

“Oh no, I’m not mad,” she assured. “I probably would have done something just as reckless before Princess Celestia trained me. If there was anyone I’d want to drag back to Equestria for punishment, it would be this Cinch... speaking of which, I think I’ll check the Equestria census to track down her pony self. Best not take chances.”

Twilight felt relieved.

“See? Nothing to worry about,” Sunset said.

Twilight blushed, feeling a little foolish.

“So, are there human versions of Shining Armor and Cadance too?” the Princess asked.

Twilight smiled. “Oh yes. They’re the best brother and sister-in-law I could ask for. They’ve been taking good care of me ever since Mom and Dad died...”

“What?” Princess suddenly shouted, much to everyone’s surprise. “Mom and Dad... they’re.... dead here?”

Twilight was shocked silent for a few moments. “Yes. Wait... are they... still alive where you’re from?” Her emotions were wheeling. Her parents alive in some form? Was that... would they be the same...

Princess Twilight was silent for a moment. “Applejack... your mom and dad... are they alive?”

Applejack looked confused. “Of course, Prin... wait... are you sayin’...” The cowgirl couldn’t finish. She looked sick. Apple Bloom looked equally disturbed, and ran to hug her big sister.

Suddenly Scootaloo was in front of the Princess. “What about me and Rainbow’s parents? Are they still around?”

This was a day for confused expressions. “What do you... are you and Rainbow sisters?”

Rainbow Dash stepped forward. “Of course she’s my sister. Isn’t she where you’re from?”

Princess shook her head. “I’ve never met any of your parents, but I know you’re not sisters. Well... not biologically. The other Scootaloo practically worships the other Rainbow, but they’re not related.” She took a deep breath. “I’ve never met Rainbow Dash’s parents, but I know they’re still alive. Scootaloo... I don’t know. I never asked, I just assumed.”

There was a silence before Princess continued. “I know everypony else’s parents are still around, even if I’ve never met Pinkie’s or Fluttershy’s. Sweetie is still Rarity’s little sister, and Apple Bloom and Big Mac are Applejack’s siblings.”

She took another deep breath. “This is all so new... I need to put some research into everything back in Equestria. If we find out the link...”

And then the portal shimmered again. This time, it was the Equestrian Spike who came through.

“Hey everyone, I...”

And then, much to everyone’s surprise, someone else followed him.

It was a girl, one no one recognized. With light purple skin and dark purple hair with light blue streaks, all tied up in two pigtails. Her clothes were childishly simple, a white sundress with purple trim, and simple tennis shoes and stockings. She was young, younger than Scootaloo, Apple Bloom, and Sweetie Belle. In fact, she looked like she belonged in primary school rather than a high school.

“Starlight!” Princess said. She sounded upset as the girl got on all fours. “I told you to wait in the castle.” She looked at her Spike with a disapproving look.

“Hey, I didn’t let her follow me!” he protested.

“Um... I’m sorry, Princess. I just wanted to see the humans.” Starlight looked at her hands, wiggling her fingers experimentally.

Princess sighed, then grabbed one of the girl’s arms. “Get on your hind legs, sweetie. I told you, humans only walk on two.”

The young girl struggled, leaning on the Princess for support as she tried to stand it what must have been an unnatural position for her.

“Um, Twilight?” Sunset asked, sounding very confused. “Would you mind telling us why there’s a little girl following you?”

Twilight looked at the confused group of humans, then sighed. “This is Starlight Glimmer. She’s my new student... who was supposed to wait at the castle like I asked.”

“Awww....”

Fluttershy practically shoved the Princess out of the way so she could get a better look at the newcomer. “You are so cute.”

Starlight blushed. “Um, you look a lot like Miss Fluttershy,” she said, half hiding behind her mentor. “She’s really nice.”

“I am Fluttershy. Well, the one from here.”

“The Princess told me there were doubles... of...”

Starlight trailing off was due to her finally catching a sight of Twilight. Her eyes widened in shock as she hid behind her princess even further.

The Princess smiled. “Starlight, I wasn’t expecting this either, but this is my other self. Come on, say hi to her.”

Slowly, Starlight left the safety of her mentor and walked slowly to Twilight.

“Um... hi.”

“Hello there,” Twilight said.

“Are you a Princess too?”

Twilight blushed a little at that. “No, I’m just a high school student.”

Starlight tilted her head. “What’s high school?”

“It’s complicated,” the Princess said. She looked at the three youngest humans present. “Will you three please take her somewhere to have some fun? I need to talk to everyp... er, everyone a bit.”

Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle looked annoyed. “Do we have to?”

Sunset stepped forward. “Do it, and I’ll consider it your ‘Anon-a-Miss’ service this week.”

The trio flinched but nodded.

“Anon-a-Miss?” Twilight asked.

“Go on and play, Starlight. You’re going to be grounded when we get back to Equestria for following me here, so I suggest you have fun.”

The young girl flinched, but nodded. “Okay,” she said.

Then, much to Twilight’s surprise, the young one turned back to her and hugged her around the neck. “Bye, Miss Twilight.”

Twilight was stunned for a moment, but hugged her back. “Goodbye.”

As Starlight was escorted away, the Princess spoke. “Anon-a-Miss? Are they still being punished for that?”

Sunset nodded. “They agreed to a full year. Besides, they’re done with everything else. But nevermind, where’d you pick up a student?”

Twilight sighed. “That’s another long story... and it’s why I sent her away. I don’t want her knowing the full story yet.”

“What are you talking about?” Sunset asked.

Princess Twilight took a deep breath. “The answer to that is nearly as complicated as the story you told me. You all better get comfortable.”

Everyone took their seats again. Except Fluttershy who picked up the new Spike. “Oh it’s good to see you again... hold on, I have something for you,” she said, reaching into her backpack. It was at this point that the new Spike noticed the other Spike.

“What th... I really am a dog in this universe?” he asked, sounding offended.

“And what’s wrong with being a dog?”

“Nothing if you’re a dragon first.”

“Well, I bet I’m still a better pet.”

“Yeah, you are, because I’m no pet. I’m an assistant.” As the Equestrian Spike spoke, Fluttershy hooked something around his collar. It was a red dog tag in the shape of a dragon.

“I picked it up a few days ago. I figured you’d come back through the portal eventually and I wanted some way to tell the two of you apart.”

The dragon Spike smiled. “Thanks, Fluttershy.”

Dog Spike huffed. “Doesn’t look that good.”

Dragon Spike huffed, but was mollified with a treat from Fluttershy. He took it and scampered back to his Twilight, munching on his prize.

After Dog Spike got his own treat and returned to his master’s side, the Princess spoke. “Okay... has Sunset told you what cutie marks are?”

Several girls shook their heads. Seeing this, the Princess reached into her bag and pulled out what looked like a thick book. One opened, it revealed itself to be a photo album. She pointed to one of what looked like pony versions of themselves standing together.

“Is that... us?” Rarity asked.

“No, that’s my world’s version of all of you.” She pointed to a yellow Pegasus that they all guessed was Fluttershy. “See those butterflies? That’s a cutie mark. Everypony has a different one, and they get them when they discover their special talent.”

“Wow, look at mine!” Rainbow Dash said, looking at a different picture.

“Aww, look!” Fluttershy said, pointing to a picture of the newly hatched Equestrian Spike, with a filly Twilight smiling at him. Fluttershy scooped up the dragon in question in a hug. “You look so cute!”

Dog Spike fumed. “I bet I looked cuter as a pup.”

The Princess chuckled. “We took that a few days after I hatched him. He liked to play in his old shell... but back on topic, a few months ago, a bit after we took care of the sirens, my friends and I were called up to this weird town where everypony had the same cutie mark that looked like an equal sign.”

Sunset shivered. “That sounds creepy.”

“That wasn’t the half of it. It turns out the town was the result of a pony that was forcibly removing cutie marks...”

“What?” Sunset actually looked sick.

“What’s the big deal? It’s just pictures...”

Sunset nearly rounded on Rainbow Dash. “How would you like it if I were to permanently break your legs? Or anything else that guaranteed you’d never play sports again?”

Now Rainbow Dash looked shocked. “That bad?”

“Oh yeah,” the Princess said. “When my cutie mark got removed, it felt horrible. Afterward I could barely use magic. It was like getting a piece of your soul ripped out.”

Sunset patted the Princess’s back. “Who was responsible for that?”

“You just met her. Starlight Glimmer.”

There was a long silence. “Uh... Twi? Not doubtin’ ya, but she seems pretty young...”

“I’m getting to that. We ended up exposing her as a fraud since she kept her cutie mark, but she managed to get away. Just a week ago she broke into my castle and trapped us both in a time loop. She was trying to stop my friends and I from getting our marks.

“Then, she made the mistake of showing me her past. It turns out that once, when she was a filly, her best friend got a cutie mark that let him go off to magic school. She didn’t have a family, no parents, she was all alone in an orphanage, and not a very good one at that. She had nopony left.

“I saw my chance there. I hit the adult Starlight with a spell that trapped her in crystal and ran to find the young one. It took some convincing, but I offered to train her and take her back to the present with me. By the time the adult Starlight could break free and stop me, she was already disappearing into the timestream.”

There was silence for a moment.

“So... you’re telling me you’re now raising what could very well be a future psychopath?” Sunset asked.

“That will be her decision,” the Princess said firmly. “I’m going to give her that second chance... what she does with it is her choice.”

Twilight blinked at that. It sounded a lot like what the others were saying.

“Are you sure it’s okay to leave Starlight alone with our sisters?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Relax. She has no memory of the other timeline, and the others don’t even remember going to her village. She’s just an ordinary filly now.”

“Ooh! I’m so jealous for the other me,” Pinkie said. “Since you’re a mommy, that means she gets to be an auntie! Ooh, I bet she spoils her niece rotten...”

“Pinkie,” the Princess said, blushing. “It’s not like that. I’m not a mother.”

“You seemed pretty motherly to her back there...” Applejack noted, a grin on her face.

“No, I just...”

“And you said you hatched Spike!” Pinkie said. “You must have looked pretty funny sitting on that egg! I tried doing that with a chicken egg, but all I ended up doing was smooshing it and...”

“I didn’t sit on his egg!” the Princess was blushing now. “I just have it a huge surge of magic that hatched him.”

“Hmm... sounds like you magically inseminated the egg,” Twilight noted.

The Princess nodded. “That’s right, I...”

“So, you wouldn’t technically be the mother. You’d be...”

“Don’t say it...” the Princess said.

“I was just saying you’d be...”

“I said don’t say it,” the Princess said.

Then Sunset grabbed the Princess’s shoulder from behind and shook her. “You’re the father!”

“You said it!” the Princess growled. Even Captain Flash looked amused. Dragon Spike fell to the ground and laughed.

The Princess glowered at her first charge, but eventually scooped him up in a hug. “You’re lucky you’re cute, Spike.”

After the laughter died down, the Princess spoke. “Well, enough tormenting me. Sunset, you said you were researching magic. How’s that going?”

“Very well, actually. In fact,” she walked over to Twilight, “thanks to her, I think we’re on the verge of a breakthrough.”

The Princess smiled. “Show me.”

Author's Note

Okay, a few things.

If you're disappointed this is an info dump, don't worry. The next chapter will be up before you know it, and it will have the juicy character interaction you were all waiting for. But I realized there was a lot going on in this single chapter I had planned, so I split things into two. I'll try to get the final chapter out before the end of the year.

Second, I swear I came up with the Starlight idea before doublewbrothers published his comic.

EDIT: Tweaked the conversation to make Starlight's orphan status clear.

Doppelganger Part 2

The Princess held the small, charred device. “This little thing allowed you to absorb magic?”

Twilight blushed. “Yeah... I wasn’t very careful with it. But I’m pretty sure I can work a better off switch on the next model.”

“Uh, Twi? You sure that's a good idea?” Applejack asked. “That thing caused a lot of trouble...”

“We’re going to need one in order to get some samples,” Sunset said. “But I’ve been looking over Twilight’s blueprints. The design is sound.”

The Princess beamed. “Nice to know I’m a prodigy in every dimension.”

Twilight blushed. “It’s not that big of a deal...”

“Will you just learn to take a compliment?” Rainbow Dash asked, causing Twilight to blush more.

The Princess put a hand on her shoulder. “That was one of the first lessons I learned. You shouldn’t be ashamed of your talents. Being proud isn’t the same as being arrogant.”

“Yeah, well, when you’re hated by everyone for being smarter than them, it tends to sour your mood,” Twilight said, looking down. Dog Spike shot her a sympathetic look, but was too distracted by Fluttershy scratching his belly to come to her.

“Actually, that sounds a lot like when I went to the School for Gifted Unicorns.”

“What? But didn’t you say you were the student of a princess? Wouldn’t that have made you super-popular and got you invited to a whole lot of parties and...” Pinkie went on until Rainbow Dash clapped a hand around her mouth.

“Yeah, like that’s how it works,” Twilight mumbled over Rainbow Dash’s disgusted cry after Pinkie licked the hand covering her mouth.

“Let me guess: being Celestia’s favorite just put a target on your back?” Sunset asked, experience clear in her voice.

“Happened to you, too?” the Princess asked.

“Well, yeah. Of course, after I tossed the first one that tried to get physical halfway across the room, nopony was brave enough to get near me again,” Sunset said, a smirk clearly visible.

“Wish I’d have had that kind of aggressiveness,” the Princess admitted. “I just tried ignoring it until Princess Celestia stepped in.” She then turned back to her alternate. “My point is, I was a lot like you back then. I thought friendship was a waste of time. It wasn’t until Celestia made me go into Ponyville that I realized what I had been missing.”

Twilight looked at the Princess for a moment. “...I just can’t see it.”

“What do you mean?”

“I can’t picture you acting like me. I can’t picture Sunset acting like a bully. It’s just... so surreal.”

To Twilight’s surprise, her royal counterpart just chuckled. “Friendship does weird things to ponies... er, people. Believe me, soon you’ll be wondering how you lived without them.”

Twilight gave a weak smile and nodded. “I already can’t. They chased off this girl named Fleur that was always bullying me. Now every time she sees me, she just scowls and walks off.”

At that, the Princess blinked. “Fleur De Lis? White with a dull pink ma- er, hair?”

“Yes. Do you know the other her?”

“I’ve met her once or twice, she’s one of... my Rarity’s best clients. She seems really nice, hardly anypony I’d call a bully.” The princess rubbed her chin. “I think I should ask her sometime about her past... if she’s willing to talk.”

“Ooh! Ooh! Flash alert!” Pinkie said, poking her head out the door frame. She shot a sly smile to the Princess. “And he’s alone! He’s getting something out of his locker!”

The Princess grinned, but quickly subdued herself. “Well, I suppose it would be rude not to say ‘hi’ to him... real quick...”

She made a move to the door, but stopped as Captain Flash followed. “Um... Captain... I would like to see your alternate... alone...”

“Princess, I’m not to leave your side!”

“Captain, I order you to wait!”

“...I cannot follow that order. We are out and about in foreign territory. Your safety is paramount.”

Sunset placed a hand on the Captain’s shoulder. “You know, you’re a real credit to your rank!”

The Captain was a bit surprised, but beamed at the compliment. “Thank you.”

“But we can’t have you getting in the way of romance, so...”

In a flash Sunset, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash tackled him to the ground and Rarity yelled “Go, Darling!” Princess Twilight was out the door with her bag while the Captain started yelling threats at the girls pinning him to the ground.

“Wow, I thought a guy would be happy to get to roll on the ground with three girls,” Pinkie said. Despite themselves, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Twilight laughed.

The Captain managed to push the girls off of her and was beginning to rise. “Let me go! I’m required to be at Twilight Sparkle’s side at all times!”

Twilight smiled until Pinkie pushed her forward. “Fine, here you go!”

Before Twilight could protest, Pinkie shoved her forward, causing her to trip and hit Captain Flash. The two fell right on top of each other, their faces inches apart.

It was the first time since being tackled that made the Captain silent.

Captain Flash’s brief pause was enough for Applejack and Rainbow Dash to get the duct tape and begin wrapping it around him.

As Twilight scrambled to her feet, her face red, the two athletic girls wrapped the shouting Captain up.

“I don’t blame you, Darling,” Rarity said. “He is quite a hunk.”

Twilight looked at her feet. “I... I guess.”

“And it would all work out since the Princess likes our Flash but not this one, so you can do the switcheroo and everything falls into place! It’s really convenient!”

Twilight was too embarrassed to reply.

Fluttershy looked at her. “Um... do you like Flash?”

Twilight recovered. “Huh? Which one?”

The yellow girl shrugged. “Either.”

Twilight shook her head. “I... I don’t know. The Flash here seems nice, but he’s already spoken for, and I didn’t have time to get to know him while studying magic. And I just met this new one. He’s...”

“Handsome?”

“Yeah... wait, I mean...” Twilight blushed again. “Uh... I don’t know. I’m a little surprised if any guys are ready to line up and date me after what happened at the Games.”

“Now, Twilight, we talked about this...” Rarity said.

“Not beating myself up about something isn’t the same as acknowledging the consequences,” Twilight snapped. “After turning into that thing, I’m not holding out hope of getting a date here.”

Pinkie blinked. “Really? But you were wearing...”

“Don’t remind me,” Twilight said, burying her face in her hands.

There was an awkward silence, only interrupted by Captain Flash’s muffled cries of outrage.

“Twilight, I think you’re selling yourself short. You’ve a very beautiful woman, and no one seems to hold that night against you. I dare say a few guys are looking at you.”

Now Twilight’s face was really burning. “W-what?”

“Yeah. You didn’t notice Micro Chips and Sandalwood giving you those lovesick looks?”

“N-no...” she blushed.

Sunset put a hand on her shoulder. “I told you, no one blames you. And you do look pretty good. It wouldn’t be surprising if guys started talking to you.”

Twilight was quiet for a moment. “I...”

“Heck, I bet Princess Twilight gets plenty of admirers,” Rainbow said.

“Too many,” Dragon Spike muttered. When that got him looks, he went on. “Don’t get me wrong, she had admirers before she became a princess, but afterward, she gets marriage proposals daily. And most of them are from nobles that have never met her. And the ones she has met... well, I’d beat them up for coming near Twilight that way, if Shining Armor didn’t beat me to it.”

Dog Spike could only chuckle. “Yeah, I believe that. Our Shining Armor tried to train me to attack any guy that put moves on her.”

Applejack rolled her eyes. “Men...”

“Who you calling a man?” Dog Spike asked.

“Believe me, we’re being merciful. Twilight’s hard to get angry, but when she does...” Dragon Spike shivered. “Better to deal with her family than her.”

At that point, Princess Twilight came back in the room, a content smile on her face.

“Ooh!” Rarity squealed, getting close to her. “How was it? What’d he say?”

The Princess never wavered in her happiness. “I’ll never tell... well, okay, I will, but later. We have work to do.”

“Oh, no, no!” Rarity said, “you can’t just meet up with Flash and leave it at that! You need to tell us!”

“Now, now, Rare, she’ll tell us when she’s ready,” Applejack said. “You want us to untie your Captain?”

The Princess looked down at the still struggling Captain.

“...Eh, he’ll be fine for a little while longer. Now tell me, what have you figured out?”

Sunset slipped into lecture mode, ignoring Dragon Spike’s sigh that putting up with three Twilights’ lecturing was too much. “Well, I haven’t found a way to accurately measure power levels like we can in Equestria, but with Twilight’s device I think I can engineer something. Either way, it’s clear that magic is becoming more and more prominent. Like I said, it’s no longer just coming out when we play music.”

The Princess nodded. “Makes sense that it would come out in music first. Magic does that all the time in Equestria. Ponies can break out in choreographed song and dance numbers...”

“I knew it,” Twilight said. “I knew there had to be a reason I was singing in the hallway...”

“Ah, so it’s started here too,” the Princess said. “According to what you told me, you all pony up when you represent the Element of Harmony the other version of you has. Rarity’s generosity, Fluttershy’s kindness, Pinkie’s laughter, Applejack’s honesty, and Rainbow Dash’s loyalty.”

“Ooh! What’s your Element, Princess?” Pinkie asked.

The Princess gave a neutral look to Twilight. “We’ll discuss that in a minute,” she promised. “But my theory is that the Elements of Harmony must be forming themselves in this world in some way. The reason you all pony up is because you’re the rightful Bearers.”

“So... what? Does Sunset have yours?” Rainbow Dash asks.

“I don’t think so. Remember, Sunset ponied up with us when we defeated the Dazzlings. Even though there’s only supposed to be six... something doesn’t add up, but my Element had been lost to history... maybe...” The Princess took a deep breath. “Sunset, Twilight, can one of you write down a reminder to me to look all this stuff up? I still haven’t gotten used to using...” she glanced at her hands, “these...”

In a flash Sunset had a notebook out and was writing down things.

Nodding, the Princess reached into her bag and pulled out a thick book. She handed it to Twilight. “I had this commissioned after I got back from defeating the Dazzlings. When I heard magic was now in the human world, I had a feeling Sunset would try and study it. I made a book that will act like Sunset’s journal. Just write in it and the same text will appear in my copy in Equestria.”

Twilight took the book. “Thank you, but... what is it for?”

“I want to keep an eye on your progress. I wouldn’t be much of a princess if I didn’t keep an eye out for a potential threat to my kingdom, and a whole world getting magic thanks to us might lead to that.”

“What happened to the other set?”

The Princess tensed at Dragon Spike’s question. “What other set?”

“Didn’t you ask Celestia for two sets of journals?”

“...Why would I do that?” she asked.

Rarity suddenly got a grin across her face. The Princess, seeing this, quickly changed the subject. “Look, the point is it’s important that we stay in touch, especially if there needs to be cross-world research.”

Sunset smiled. “Yeah... especially since I can’t go back.”

The Princess looked at her. “Why would you think that?”

Sunset looked at the Princess like she had grown an extra head. “Twilight, didn’t you yourself tell me I was banished here for treason?”

“Yes... and the exact sentence said, ‘Until you learned the Magic of Friendship’. If the Dazzlings didn’t prove you’ve done that, what happened after the Games sure did. As far as I’m concerned, your sentence is over.”

“But... stealing the crown, and breaking into the Crystal Palace...”

“The first falls under the treason charge, and the second... well, as Celestia’s student, you’re allowed access to every piece of royal property. You can’t really break into anywhere you had permission to be anyway.”

Sunset looked ready to cry. “But... I’m not her student anymore...”

“You never turned in an official resignation. As far as Celestia’s concerned, you’re just twelve years late for class. As soon as you come back, she’s ready to pick up your lessons right where you left off.”

Sunset stood rigid. Now she was crying.

Twilight looked at the girl who had saved her and had a feeling like she was looking in a mirror. The same look she had at having so many people forgive her. It was so jarring. Sunset had been like an angel... no, she had been an angel, one who had offered her salvation in the darkness. Seeing her act so... flawed, was amazing.

Sunset wiped her eyes. “I... I really want to, but I can’t. Not yet. I’m responsible for all this magic, I can’t just leave it to run wild.”

The Princess nodded, as if this was the answer she wanted to hear. “I’m happen to agree... but promise me you’ll visit soon. Princess Celestia does miss you.”

Sunset smiled. “I will.”

“Good. Now then, there’s a final matter.” The Princess turned to Twilight. She shrank back from her her alternate, but the warm look she got soothed her. “Listen, I need you to tell me, honestly, how you felt over the last few days.”

Twilight blinked. “Why?”

“Trust me, it’ll all make sense soon.”

Twilight rubbed the back of her head. “Well... it’s been strange. I used to think I was better off without anyone but Shiny, Cadance, and Spike. But when I got to Canterlot High, everyone was so nice to me, even after they found out I wasn’t you, and even after they found out I went to Crystal Prep. And then when Sunset brought me down from being a monster, I... I knew I didn’t want to live any longer without them.”

The Princess nodded. “Come on, keep going.”

Twilight kept going. “I found myself enjoying things I never thought I’d enjoy. I like my morning runs with Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, or my spa trips with Rarity, or working on homework with Sunset, or even all the silly little things Pinkie does. A few nights ago I had my first slumber party and played Truth or Dare, and I ended up downing a whole bottle of hot sauce after Rainbow dared me to. I used to think anyone who did something like that was an idiot, but even with how unpleasant it was, I just laugh at it.

“Now I’m actually wanting to go outside, and have fun, and do all these things I never even considered doing before just to be able to hang out with them and I don’t even mind if I’m not learning as much as I did before because I...”

And then there was the light.

Twilight felt a strange and pleasurable sensation run through her body as her world was engulfed in a bright, purple light. She felt herself levitate off the ground. She felt a strange feeling on the top of her head as if something was growing. She just felt... good.

When the light faded, everyone was staring at her with joyus expressions. Before she could react, everyone surrounded her in a group hug.

“You ponied up! You ponied up!” Pinkie said, hopping up and down as she said it.

“Wh-what?”

Rarity pulled out a compact mirror and handed it to her. Twilight looked at herself, and saw two pony ears on her head. She gave a small yelp and brought a hand up to feel it. Then she noticed that her hair had grown to an impossible long length, coming down to her ankles.

“I’m... like all of you. But how?”

The Princess smiled. “Twilight... my Element... your Element... is Magic. But I learned that Magic is just another word for Friendship. It only works correctly when you’re in harmony with others, when you learn to love and care for those around you. Five years ago I only loved my family. Now look: I embody Friendship, I can even love those that have hurt me like Sunset and Starlight.

“You think you’re unworthy because of what happened, that you’re a monster inside. You’re not. That creature was the result of a lot of bad feeling you were experiencing. Your fear at what Cinch was putting you through, your feelings that you weren’t good enough, and your anger.”

“I... I didn’t feel angry at anyone...”

“Maybe not consciously. But can you honestly tell me you weren’t angry at Cinch for blackmailing you? Or your classmates for bullying you? Or even Sunset for yelling at you?” When Twilight looked away, the Princess put a hand on her cheek and made her look back at her. “Those feelings are okay to have, but you were letting them consume you. Friends help that. That’s why there’s no point in getting mad at you. You’re already on the road to recovery, and I can’t leave you in better hands.”

Then the Princess hugged her. And she hugged back.

Author's Note

Well, it's finished.

This ended up being a lot, and I wasn't able to get some scenes in that I would have liked. This includes SciTwi wondering is she could be someone to look up to after seeing Princess Twi with Starlight, a discussion on how painful friendship can be at times with the Wedding and Anon-a-Miss being discussed, and more interaction with the two Spikes. But, that's what the sequel is for.

Now some discussion on canon.

For those wondering, yes, Sunset trying to go back to Equestria is still canon in this story, even though she thought she was banished. She (correctly) guessed Twilight would forgive her if she needed to help someone.

The 2013 IDW Annual is also canon, only instead of kicking Sunset out, Celestia tried putting Sunset on lock down and making her do kitchen work until she lost her attitude.

And yes, 12 years have passed in Equestria since Sunset left. Only about two years have passed in the human world. Though time is starting to sync up with their worlds connected.

Epilogue

Flash Sentry sat by his bed, eyeing the thick leather-bound book Princess Twilight had given him. If what she said was true, then it had to go off soon.

He laid back on his bed, running his fingers through his hair. He had always thought Princess Twilight was cute. He supposed it started as a simple crush, but finding out she was an all-powerful magic princess who actually still liked him? That was too much.

He had spent countless hours going back and forth, wondering if it would ever work out, and that maybe he could try things with the Twilight of this world when the Princess came to visit him, alone. He had learned of the other Flash, and the fact that he only made the Princess want to see him all the more.

He felt nervous and excited all at the same time. There was so much stuff they had to work out. The species difference was huge, but Twilight had told him spending time in her world could fix that. They’d be the same species in whatever world they were in. If it worked out, he’d have to move to her world, no getting around that. It’s not like a princess could just abandon her subjects. Still, with the portal open, it’d be no different than moving into another country.

He was interrupted by a vibrating noise. He looked up to see the book glowing and shaking. He had it in his hands before he knew it and had opened to the first page.

Flash, I hope this is reaching you okay. It’s been such a busy day for me. The girls told me everything that happened with the other me, and it gave me so much to do here. Plus I had to look out for Starlight (my new student) and I’m just exhausted. I know we have some serious things to talk about, but right now I just want to chat. Please, tell me how things have been for you since we defeated the Dazzlings.

Smiling, Flash reached for a pen.

Abacus Cinch, the ‘Principal” title no longer applied, trudged through her front door. This was a disaster. Dean Cadance... no, Principal Cadance... had made good her threat. She had resigned to leave with some measure of dignity, but it was no good. Word was out on her. No school would even consider her, she was cancer as far as they were concerned.

She growled, especially after hearing the pop music coming from Fleur's room. That idiot girl would keep pampering herself, even with no money coming in. Funny how the gene pool did that to you.

Trying to block out her daughter’s taste in music, she walked into her private study, ready to enjoy her wine a little more than usual.

She was shocked to find someone already sitting in her chair.

It was a woman. Dark black skin and green hair, which hung off her back in a loose wave, were her most striking features. She wore what looked like expensive business attire, dark grey with a skirt that came down to her knees. She was sipping a glass of wine from one of Cinch’s best selections, as if the house was her own.

“W-who are you?”

The woman smiled, but it looked like one a spider might give a fly caught in her web. “Let’s just say I’m a friend. One that has an interesting proposal for you, Ms. Cinch.” She took another sip. “1952. A fine year.”

“And why, pray tell, did you have to break into my house to offer me this?”

“Cinch, I really don’t think we should be talking about magic in public.”

The ex-principal was stunned. She took a step back, never taking her eyes off this strange woman. “Wh- look, who are you? What’s your name?”

The woman grinned. “Call me Miss Chrysalis.”

To be continued...

Author's Note

And done.

Okay, first off, yes, there will be a FlashLight romance in the sequel. I decided on it because I've never seen a story that does the romance cross dimension. It's always either Pony with Pony or Human with Human. The thing is, this movie showed the alternates aren't exactly the same.

In my canon, Princess Twilight actually picked Flash to be her captain because she was hoping for a romance. Human Flash talked with SciTwi hoping the same. But both realized quite quickly that they weren't the ones they wanted. SciTwi lacks the forwardness and confidence Flash finds appealing, and Princess Twilight finds Captain Flash too uptight, preferring the more laid back teen.

And yes, Fleur is Cinch's daughter. Wait until the sequel!