Princess Twilight Sparkle approached the precipice of the expansive piece of land- in company of the two travelers .Such was one of few, of Equestria's interior. While the majority of the land of harmony was defined by fields, towns, and sporadic mountains, there existed a peculiar formation in close proximity to Canterlot- The Capital. This time of year, the formation was known to have been befallen upon by a potent darkness- a darkness that afforded its occupants an abiding sense of peace. It was not malignant; It was unlike that which was known by so many, that which was only associated with the tyrant of darkness himself. This darkness was resultant of the Equestrian cycle of seasons. The moon, in all of its glory, was at its utmost distance from the land, and at its brightest. The antithesis was born of a near perfect angle, relative to the sun. Whether or not this was the Princess of the Night's intent was uncertain, but irrelevant. For Twilight's purposes, the circumstances surrounding the formation's creation were extraneous. Its existence was purely a matter of chance.

Rather, all that mattered was what she would find. More accurately, only who she would find was relevant. It had taken some investigation, but Twilight had tracked them here. It was not surprising; It was not perplexing. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash- the ones who had been born here, in Equestria- had come here to spend time together, alone. It made sense- the atmosphere was sufficiently romantic, there was relative quiet, the moon provided just enough of a gleam to allow an almost fictional shade of light upon the land, and the temperature was low enough that shared body heat was reasonable. Whatever Twilight's goal had been, the climax was approaching.

"They're... here?", the the human Rainbow asked, as a gust of wind rushed by. Having spent so many years in a human body, she couldn't help but think that the wind should be chilling her to the bone. Instead, twas only a mild inconvenience.

The princess did not respond immediately. Her thoughts were inexorably, though lightly, bound. To what these thoughts were bound though was uncertain.

"I... think so. If I know Rainbow Dash, then she wouldn't be holding anything back".

As they neared, ever closer to a spacious cliff at the very edge of the frosty expanse, two figures could increasingly be observed. True to the alicorn's expectations, two ponies sat, side by side, embraced in the relatively low temperature. The moment was approaching. The group did not stop in their progression; They neared closer.

Once, at last, the proximity was sufficient, the Princess extended her hoof to the side, to signal her companions to stop.

"Look. There, near the edge. Can you see them?"

"The couple focused their eyes straight ahead, honing in on their alternative, material apparitions. Muscles were stiff, and throats were dry. But how would you feel, if you were to meet yourself?

"I-I see them, yes", was all that the caretaker found within herself. "What should we do? We wouldn't want to scare them..."

"I mean, should we just go up, and try to talk to them?" Rainbow Dash, of course, favored the direct approach to most every situation. "Or do you want to go up there, first, Twi?"

Twilight pondered the possibility, briefly. She could establish the occasion, after-all. She could introduce her friends to themselves. She could create an observational set of circumstances. But she wouldn't. Today, Twilight Sparkle would resign to the naturalistic research methodology.

The princess turned, to face her multidimensional associates with a neutral countenance. after looking them both over and to the eyes, she bolted, with an upward thrust of the muzzle, and was enveloped in a silent field, of mulberry luminescence, prompting the two humans in attendance to step back.

The cylindrical form of the magical aura pulsed, as if itself alive, casting a deep, lavender shade unto the dark white ground at their hooves. The sight persisted for a number of moments, before the aura collapsed in on itself with a rippling sparkle, fortissimo.

Dash and Shy averted their eyes, primal human instinct dictating action. When no malignant forces or harmful after-effects were encountered with time, they returned their gaze, only to find their guide missing.

"Twi?"

The visitors were caught off guard by the absence of their regal friend. A quick scan of the immediate vicinity failed to yield a sign of the princess's presence. Two pairs of eyes scrutinized the snow and all of its surrounding subjects- the mountain in the background, the earlier field, leading to the precipice, and the precipice itself. Twilight was not to be seen.

"Do you think she teleported?", Fluttershy offered.

"Maybe, but where?"

Both girls turned their heads once more, this time, finally coming to rest their eyes upon the not excessively distant figures of two mares, resting on the edge of the even landscape.

One of the mares' ears twitched, having been abruptly disturbed by the raucous ripple of magic. The pony turned her head from the vast expanse of ocean that lie beyond the edge, in order to find the source of the sound. The gaze caused the girls to freeze in their places, irreverent of the light snowfall.

The canary mare locked her stare on the two newcomers for but a moment too long, attracting the attention of her bold lover. Both mares began to stare back at the girls, unable to make out any crucial characteristics of the intruders, who'd interrupted their precious time together.

The indigenous rainbow mare reluctantly released her hold on the mare in her hooves, and appeared to stand slowly, poised for an interrogation. At this moment, the girls stepped back, once more.

The daredevil spoke loudly, but calmly. "Who's there?", she called with restraint in her voice.

Although two figures were certainly visible, Rainbow Dash received no response. The girls were at an initial loss for words, caught like animals in headlights.

The athlete, for one, was finding it difficult to find appropriate devices of speech. The voice that had just called for her, out loud, was her own. She'd heard of it, before. It's another thing, entirely though, to hear such a thing directly, in person.

The semi-standoff did not persist, as the daredevil took two steps forward.

"Who's there?", she repeated. At this repetition, the Equestrian caretaker rose, slowly, to stand beside her marefriend.

Allowing a passing moment of silence, both couples simply looked on, at the hazy figures. The human pair looked on with stupefaction, not sure how to proceed. The equine pair did so with defense, having been unexpectedly interrupted by these mysterious ponies.

Making a bold move, the athlete took a step forward of her own, closer to the objects of amusement. Her outline however, was visible, even at her distance, in the light snow. This did not sit well with her counterpart.

The daredevil registered the movement, and did not lag in action. She stepped in front of the demure pegasus, defensively, attempting to discern a challenge, or intent.

"Stop! I'm going to ask you one more time". She spread her wings in a belligerent display. "Who. Is. There?!"

In the peculiar darkness of the night, nobody would blame Rainbow Dash for being suspicious. Their location was somewhat isolated. The probability that someone would find them there, incidentally, by chance? Not high. The distant moon casted deep shadows, and the time of year dragged the temperature lower, as time passed.

Neither the athlete nor the animal rescuer responded initially. They just didn't know what to say. The rescuer wracked her brain, trying to think of something to say, something to do, or anything. She also searched her recent memories. How was it that Twilight had reacted to her human counterpart?

Growing impatient with the uncertainty, the daredevil began to turn, and to motion to her marefriend to take flight. They would not stand here, only to be advanced upon by two strange ponies in such a potent nightlight. With another look at the unclear figures, the caretaker calmly agreed without much protest, and spread her own wings in preparation for departure.

"W-wait!", the rescuer called, in her characteristic, soft voice.

Upon barely hearing the voice, the equine Dash turned to her love, mistaking the origin of the call. Instead of giving a correction, Fluttershy, adorning a face struck by confusion, stepped back, and nodded her head in the direction of the two figures.

The rescuer, despite knowing not what to say, called out again.

"Don't leave... yet".

The daredevil did a double take, turning her head from the demure pegasus at her side to the hazy figure ahead. Having resigned to a patient uncertainty, Rainbow Dash resumed her protective position. Things seemed off, to say the least.

But things had been delayed long enough. On the other side of the cold shadows, the athlete nuzzled her girlfriend, and exchanged a knowing nod. If things were going to end well, then now was the time to reveal themselves, regardless of whether or not they had been abruptly dropped into such an almost vicarious situation.

The human couple, as close as can be without being in a full-fledged embrace, resumed walking forward. With each step, theri equine counterparts became progressively visible, and the feeling of having looked into a mirror became unnerving.

Cerise orbs scrutinized cerise orbs, as cyan pools investigated cyan pools. Each human (or mare) simply looked on, with stupefaction, examining their counterpart. By now, the sensation of having looked into a mirror was impossibly ingrained. It would be difficult to register the reflective presence as a separate entity.

It took an uncertain amount of time- seconds, minutes?- for either party to muster the mental faculties for the appropriate words. But the time did come when the daredevil broke the cold silence.

"...Now this... is weird".

"Couldn't have said it better myself", the athlete replied, slowly.

The caretaker addressed what appeared to be her doppelganger. "Y-You're...me? And I'm you?"

The rescuer affirmed, with a gentle nod. As if to confirm that the other mare was indeed substantial, Fluttershy reached out with a single hoof, and the other followed suit. The resultant hoof-bump felt like dipping your hooves into a multidimensional portal.

As the subtle explorations continued between both sets of counterparts, the air temporarily stood still and cold, and the world(s) remained intact, albeit shrouded in mystery.

The animal rescuer, however, intrigued and mystified as she was, was also anxious to be told a story, for the first time in many years.

She cleared her throat, as if to politely interrupt. "I know we've only just met, and that you must have a lot of questions- as do we...", she began. Her words, and voice, drew the attention of all organisms present. "but I was wondering, if you wouldn't mind, if I could ask you a question?"

The caretaker raised her eyebrow, slightly, very much interested, while the daredevil released a giggle.

"Sure thing, Flutters". As the daredevil spoke the name, her eyes darted between her lover and the canary mare's counterpart. "Ask us anything. What's up?"

"I'm sorry, but could you please tell us-". She motioned in between herself and the athlete. "-about your childhood? I'd like to know what your lives have been like. How you met, the trials you've faced, how you've overcome your... challenges", she trailed, quietly, having felt like she'd spoken too much too soon.

Still with a grin and with a chuckle, the daredevil nodded, for confirmation from her marefriend, before speaking. "Hm. Somethings never change. You don't need to apologize". The animal rescuer raised her head somewhat, at the not so dramatic reprieve. "And, as for us? Trading stories sounds awesome! But... I have a feeling it'll take a while.", she said, sitting back down, on the cold, cushioned ground. She was joined by most of the mares in attendance.

"Let me start off by saying this- Flutters and I have always cared for one-another. We've pretty much always shared a special bond", she started.

As tales were told, and stories exchanged, and details compared, realizations were drawn, and conclusions were settled. Although there was still much for both sets of lovers to explore, all that mattered was the sentiment. It was certain that, if anything, there was a constant sustenance of Care and Love, Always ingrained in their relationships, despite the World(s) and the surrounding mysteries.

Author's Note

I'd say that these last two chapters were the most prone to mistakes and flawed writing. If this story, or any parts of it, suck(s) in any way, shape, form, or fashion, please tell me.

Also, feel free to express any questions, comments, concerns, insults, or death threats.