All was quiet. Or, more accurately, mostly quiet. Twilight Sparkle lay awake, savoring the memories she had just created with her wonderful group of human companions.

The Christmas party had proved to be all that it had been hyped up to be. There was a feast, there were gift exchanges, there was incredible warmth, and there was a peaceful, jolly feeling that could have surely melted away even the most austere sources of stress. It had been a most wonderful time for all those involved. Though, despite the fun and the holiday cheer, sleep would remain a relentless adversary. One by one, each girl's consciousness was claimed, and repressed, by the seemingly malevolent world of dreams, until there were but two.

Looking around the room, through the formidable darkness- the darkness that was not unlike that of an old enemy -the Princess of Friendship, having temporarily forgotten her anxiety for the duration of the party, realized that there was little to no cause for dissatisfaction. The party had gotten her to loosen her shoulders. All of the stresses of royal duties, compounded by the recently fruitless personal exploits, were temporarily washed away, and Twilight Sparkle was acting purely human. That is to say- the complications of her home world were forgotten, and everything that so excessively estranged the possibility of a peaceful, typical life, was purged from her immediate focus.

The party animal had passed out under the tree in the corner of the living room, having unwillingly resigned to giving the world a break from her own, special blend of madness. Strange as it were to see the girl's form so...docile, it was easy to tell that few others would be caught sleeping in such a position. She lay face down, breathing normally, a stocking on each hand, as if they were just another pair of mittens, her hair adorned with various sorts of candy.

The farm girl had passed out up against the side of a recliner chair, her signature hat hanging over her face, shielding her countenance from the outside observer. Her arms were loosely crossed, her breathing louder than normal. Not quite a snore, but more likened to heavy breathing. In her lap rested a small pile of torn wrapping paper, which had yet to be discarded.

Not surprisingly, the Fashionista had insisted on a proper retirement from the land of the conscious. Beauty in the eye of the beholder? Preposterous! She lay sleeping deeply, having chosen to occupy the guest bed. The acquisition of beauty rest supersedes the typical longevity of reckless holiday celebration. Unbeknownst to all but Rainbow Dash, the girl had almost been the subject of a cruelly convenient, almost obligatory prank in her sleep.

As if by design, the Athlete ended up resting her head in her girlfriend's lap. Rainbow Dash lied down straight across the sofa, her head coming to rest in Fluttershy's lap. Periodically, the athlete would give off a moderately loud snore, as if to send a signal. The caretaker was hardly bothered. Rather, she appeared almost enthralled, albeit jaded.

Fluttershy, therefore, sat awake, with a face of delightful contentedness. She simply sat, stroking her love's nearly wild, rainbow hair. While parties were hardly in the caretaker's comfort zone, all was well if she was surrounded by those she could trust, and side-by-side with the one she loved. Not to mention the fact that it was Christmas. If anything, she could look forward to the coming evening alone with Rainbow Dash, soon.

And finally, there was Sunset Shimmer. Twilight oscillated her head,- a feat that, from her position, took a bit of effort- searching for her like-minded, fiery friend, only to come up short. "Sunset had fallen asleep with the rest of them, hadn't she?", she tried to remember. The redeemed student of magic almost certainly had, although she was nowhere in plain sight. But it was a hardly a matter of concern. The princess simply convinced herself that Sunset Shimmer would reappear at some later point in time.

Twilight lay on the floor in a sleeping bag, arms raised and joined behind the head, attempting to conjure the motivation to stand. Sure, everybody could probably appreciate more rest and lethargy, but now, wishing she could refrain from any sort of work, the princess was almost resting vicariously, through the influence of Rainbow Dash. And to make matters worse, the holiday party had virtually ended, and her new-found peace would likely soon fade, without the distraction. Most of her friends were asleep, leaving the princess (mostly) alone, with her thoughts.

"A true, true friend...". Really, Twilight thought herself to be quite lucky to have been practically assigned the life she'd been given, literally by Celestia herself. Did that mean Celestia was just that wise, that the princess of the sun truly knew what was best, or that the universe was just that random, or ordered?

"From one to another, another to one...". Parallel identities, analogous environments, delayed occurrences. From one world to another. From one couple to another, from one Princess to another- herself.

"It all comes down, to just one simple fact... Yeah, I wish that were true". That fact remained, rather, that Twilight's tangential quandary had certainly been getting the best of her. Or perhaps the worst?

In her pondering and momentary physical peace, the girl failed to notice the movements of the only other living soul in the building . Had she been any more alert, she might have been able to detect the sounds of soft footsteps, moving closer.

"Holy tartarus, all of this thinking", she noted to herself. "I swear to Celestia, this is going to bug me forever. Unless...". Twilight had begun to recall an earlier idea. At the time of its conception, the idea had seemed over the top, and possibly a bit reckless. Such an idea was dangerous, and violated her better judgement, as well as the judgment of her mentor, being that the consequences were beyond her imagination. But, as its potential sequential repercussions and nuances were more closely scrutinized, the more it appealed to the forefront of the girl's mind, partially out of curiosity, and partially out of impatient anxiety. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, correct?

In the dull darkness of the night, the princess of friendship was ignorant of the momentary state of affairs in her home world. Although it was unlikely that Equestria would have faced its demise in the couple of days she'd been gone, it was not impossible, given its history. Here though, things were stable. In the human world, if there were not rampant magical forces from Equestria hell-bent on taking over, the human race seemed unconcerned with the possibility of wide-spread calamity. Twilight had learned a bit about human wars. She'd read of some of the atrocious things humans were capable of. But the fall of an entire country? It seemed difficult to imagine that such atrocities could ever befall the region of Canterlot High. If humanity could survive its self,then surely it could survive a few visitors?

"Twilight?", a voice quietly called out of the dark. The voice initially went unheard.

"Buck the possibility of consequences. Well, not buck them, but render them as improbable, whatever they may be."

"T-twilight", the voice tried again. She would need to speak loud enough to be heard, but not so loud that she woke the others.

"-and I would make three. Spike technically counts as one, I would imagine. So that would be pitting three against two. Not too ludicrous a gap. Bu then there's Sunset Shimmer. She would make it four against three, although she's been a constant all this time...", the princess continued thinking to herself.

"Twilight", the voice tried yet again, with an attempt to increase the volume.

"It might actually work. There shouldn't be an excessive need for oratory..."

"Twilight!", she exclaimed, in a hushed, shouted, whisper.

Having not previously realized that she was not purely alone with her thoughts, the princess of friendship turn her attention to her friend. "Fluttershy?", she whispers. "Hello. Is everything alright?"

"Oh, yes, I suppose. There are no problems, It's just that I wanted to speak with you for a bit".

"Oh? Well, certainly, anything for a friend. Take a seat". Twilight patted the floor space next to them.

"Thank you, Twilight"

For a moment, Twilight could not help but wonder what compelled her shy friend to leave her special someone to have a conversation. From what could be made out in the dark, it appeared that Rainbow Dash was still sleeping aggressively on the couch.

Barely a moment passed before the princess attempted to kick start the as of yet known topic of discussion, reminding herself that they would both need to speak in whispers. Not that that would be a problem for Fluttershy. The shy girl virtually spoke in whispers.

"So, Fluttershy. What goes on? I mean, we've had the time to catch up on your recent life, but was there something specific you wanted to discuss?"

The caretaker had not intended to jump straight into the heart of the conversation. She was struck by the dialogue's head-start on her fortitude, but only for a moment. "I, um, really wanted to ask you some questions, is all"

"Really? Well, sure thing, just ask away"

"OK. Um, T-twilight", the shy girl began, with some nerve in her voice. "I was just wondering, if you could tell me about Rainbow Dash".

"About Rainbow Dash?"

"Y-yes"

The princess found herself unable to contain a hushed giggle. "Sorry, Fluttershy, but I think you could most likely tell me more about Rainbow Dash than I could tell you. Such as-", she got out, before surprisingly being cut off.

"No! Twilight!", Fluttershy interrupted. She hated being impolite, but she really didn't want to have to answer intimate questions about Rainbow Dash. "I mean, I was wondering if you could tell me about the Rainbow Dash in Equestria!"

"oh... Apologies."

"From what you've told us all, we know that our counterparts have the same personalities, talents, and social statuses, but what about their histories? Are... are Rainbow and I somewhat close in your world?"

"oh. OH. Sorry, Fluttershy, I see what you're getting at now.

"Thank you"

The princess took a brief moment to recollect. She'd never quite investigated her friends' lives in great detail. Every now and then they all shared stories, and they all knew about the day their cutie marks were acquired, but outside of those instances? She may not know enough to truly satisfy her shy friend's curiosity. And if that proved to be the case... then, well, at least the princess's earlier idea would have even more justification.

"hmm. I'm going to be honest with you, Fluttershy. There's a lot I don't know about your Equestrian histories. I know some scattered bits, and all of our friend's know what happened the day we got our cutie marks, but I just don't think I've ever dissected your lives in detail".

"I'm sorry, but wait. Cutie marks? The symbols on your waists?"

"Flanks, yes"

"They signify a special talent?"

"If we're speaking academically, then yes. A cutie mark is meant to represent a pony's special talent and skill, and is essential in defining who they are."

"So, can a pony change? And I'm sorry, but what happened when you all got your cutie marks?"

Twilight Sparkle was fully prepared to embark on a whispered lecture on every facet of cutie marks and cutie mark magic, when she stopped herself, mouth half open. Remembering everything she and her friends had endured over the past couple years,the princess began choosing her words more carefully. "look, Fluttershy. Cutie marks are a whole other collective ordeal. You think the parallel worlds and characters are complicated? Complicated doesn't fully explain the properties of cutie marks. So, let's leave that as it is, OK?"

The caretaker could only trust her friend, and nod in understanding.

"And, as for that day? Let's see... I can only tell you what I know, but I'll do my best." And so the Princess began to recount their tale, a tale that had been recounted more than once. It was personal history. To an extent, it was national Equestrian history. She told of Rainbow Dash's selfless defense of Fluttershy's honor.

"She...defended me? From the bullies?", clarified the caretaker, bringing her gaze to rest on the sleeping form of the girl she loved.

"Yes, she did. I didn't witness it the first time it happened, but I did get the chance to watch the race it self. She didn't even hesitate".

"You did? But Twilight, how is that possible?"

Oh how little they all knew. "Do you remember when I mentioned that time travel loop I got stuck in?"

Fluttershy nodded her head in confirmation, vaguely recalling the mention of a time travel loop when her regal friend first met her own human counterpart.

"That. Let's just leave it at that. Honestly, time travel is another topic she we could just spend days here, discussing".

"Oh, OK", Fluttershy nodded. She saw little need to dive straight into a magical phenomenon that she had close to absolutely no understanding of.

"Thank you", she princess appreciated, as memories of hopeless battles, hopeless futures, and separation momentarily returned.

"Would you happen to know the names of the bullies she defended me from?"

"I...think so. I know for sure one of them was called hoops. But then there were two others. Dumb-bell, and Score? Or were their names dumblescore and Bell? Something along those lines, I'm sure. Do those names ring any bells, no pun intended?", inquired the princess, desperately trying to accurately recollect the bullies' names.

"H-hoops, and Dumb-bell? Oh my", stated Fluttershy, as unpleasant memories began to resurface. Old, unpleasant memories, of the times before she'd met her childhood best friend.

Twilight, though, moved on with her tale, telling of the conclusion of the race, and telling of Fluttershy's acquaintance with nature, along with Rainbow Dash's affinity for victory, and competition. "I think that's the vast majority of it. After the race, we all went on living our lives, until some of our friends would re-converge in Ponyville, our home. Although I would assume that you and Rainbow Dash remained in Cloudsdale for some time, first".

"I see. So, Rainbow Dash and I are just best friends in your world, then?" Although the room was dark and their voices hushed, it was hardly a challenge to tell that Fluttershy was the least bit upset, her head hanging, looking ahead to the base of the sofa.

A grin crept its way across Twilight's face, as she knew that the coming truth would be good news for the shy girl. "Actually, that's the funny thing. You, and Rainbow Dash, in Equestria? You two initiated a romantic relationship, about a month ago"

Although she could not make any sounds in fear of waking the others, Fluttershy did lift her head, and look to her friend, with inquisitive eyes. "You... never told us that, Twilight". For her part, the caretaker appeared slightly surprised.

"I know. Until now, the information did not need to be presented as such".

"But then,why were you so on the fence when you found out Rainbow and I were together here?"

Twilight let out a sigh. She'd tried explaining this to them, once. "You're taking it the wrong way, Fluttershy. I think you all were", she attempted to state with as much innocence and understanding as possible. She did not seek to offend any of her friends. "It wasn't about the very fact that you're together. It's about the flow of time and events, it's about the freedoms of choice, and destiny, it's about fate.

Fluttershy gave a nod, to show that she was following.

"Do me a favor, Fluttershy. Imagine this. Rainbow Dash dies tomorrow".

Immediately, the caretaker's eyes dilated, eyebrows raised in horror.

"N-no! Never mind, that was a terrible example!", the princess attempted to rectify her own muttering. "OK, change of plans. Imagine...", Twilight trailed, trying to conjure a scenario that would fit her purposes without frightening the caretaker. "Imagine Rarity is forced to close Carousel Boutique"

"Oh, that would be terrible", Fluttershy offered, her fear replaced by concern.

"Yes, it would be. Now, imagine. If the Rarity in this world were forced to close Carousel Boutique, how would we define the probability that the Rarity from my world would be forced to close her Carousel Boutique? From what you've all told me, our personal histories, plights, joys, and opportunities are almost wholly parallel to those of our counterparts".

Taking a moment to consider a response, Fluttershy had to cede credit. The childhood stories of the Equestrian Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy were remarkably similar to the human stories. The caretaker could remember her elementary school, her first day anxiety, and the day that someone had finally decided to stand up to her against her class's troublemakers. "I... don't know", she finally admitted.

"Exactly. These things are unclear. We don't know exactly how our own worlds work, relative to one-another".

In the dull darkness of the winter night, a third figure began to stir, this one freshly from the the realm of dreams, having been awoken by a spacious discomfort.

"I suppose that is true", muttered Fluttershy.

And just like that, the conversation finally descended back into chilling silence. Both girls had a lot to consider, their inquisitions far from over. After several uncontested moments of silence, though, Fluttershy offered an official close to the night.

"Well, Twilight, I think we should probably get some rest. the Sun will be up in a few hours, and it'll be Christmas day. A lot happens on Christmas day". With a nod, the caretaker steeled herself to stand, and to return to the couch,in order to snuggle closely, up against her love for the remainder of the night. Until she felt a pull on her arm.

In the dull darkness, there could be heard an audible inhalation of air, the signal of a waking body, attempting to readjust its slowed circulation, and lowered blood pressure in order to fit into the realm of the conscious. Both girls dismissed the sound, believing it to have come from a heavy sleeper.

"Fluttershy, wait", requested the princess. In her mind. this was a perfect opportunity to bring up her idea. Her shy friend may be hesitant at first, but the experience would prove rich to them both. The experience would assist the princess in overcoming a recent struggle, and would provide a very new horizon for Fluttershy. The only foreseeable challenge was getting the shy girl to agree. Surely, though, Twilight reasoned, it would pique the caretaker's curiosity.

"Hm? Yes, Twilight?", Fluttershy allowed.

"Fluttershy, you've got to hear me out on this. It may sound concerning, or even wrong, at first, but I'm sure you'll come to love it eventually, alright? I have an idea. I think there's something we should try"

And suddenly, Fluttershy was feeling nervous, again. What idea could be this concerning?

Meanwhile, the third conscious soul in the room, having heard a vast majority of the dialogue that had just transpired, was now very much alert, and listening.

"S-something we should try? Like what?", nervously asked the bearer of kindness. Whatever this idea was, she couldn't help but question whether or not she would be of any help in getting useful results.

"Well, I know you and Rainbow Dash share something special, and that you both love one-another. I know that you know a great deal about each other, and that you two have a bond closer than with any of our other friends. But how would you like to know, how would you like to discover, more?

"More? How?", asked the caretaker. Right now, the atmosphere was feeling very tense.

For the third conscious soul, there were few thoughts. What thoughts were had invariably revolved around sentiments of disapproval, and of near rage. But with a great deal of effort, they held their tongue. For the moment.

"Well, I'm just going to come right out with it, Fluttershy".

Both Fluttershy and the third soul listened intently, one nervous and anxious, the other resenting, and angry.

I want you... I want you both, Fluttershy, you and Rainbow Dash, to come with me next time. I want you both to visit Equestria.

Author's Note

This chapter took me far too long.

If this story/chapter sucks in any way, shape, form, or fashion, please, tell me.