“Okay,” Twilight said, holding up her checklist in one hand and a pen in the other. “Vegetarian dinner cooking: check.” Twilight checked off the box on the first item on her list.
“You don’t really need to make a checklist for this, Twili,” Shining Armor said, walking into the kitchen and leaning up against the wall. “It’s going to go great.”
“Checklists help keep me calm,” Twilight said, twirling the pen in her hand. “Wearing my Crystal Prep uniform, nice and ironed: check.”
“You’re not changing into something more comfortable?” Shining Armor asked. Twilight blushed.
“Sunset Shimmer likes it…” she said, avoiding eye contact with her older brother. Shining Armor picked up an apple. “Keep Shining Armor from ruining his appetite an hour before dinner-” Twilight slapped the apple out of Shining Armor’s hand, then checked off another item on her list. “Check.”
“I’m an adult with a job and my own apartment. Why do I still have my little sister telling me not to spoil my appetite?”
“Because you have a little sister who loves you and wants you to keep healthy diet habits, even when she’s not around to take care of you.” Twilight flashed one of her patented, ‘you’re going to let me get away with this because I’m your little sister’ smiles and went back to her list. “Completely Shadowbolt-proof the house: check.”
“Yeah, how did you get them to keep from trying to spy on you this time?”
Twilight lifted her chin in satisfaction and pride. “I laid down the law with them. I said that this night was important to me, and that they’d better give me my space. And that was that.”
Shining Armor gave Twilight a very unconvinced look, then turned to look at the floor where a small, purple dog was sitting. “Spike, what really happened?”
Spike cleared his throat. “Well…”
***Earlier that day
“So,” Twilight said as she passed out envelopes to her five classmates who were seated around Lemon Zest’s dorm room, “It turns out I can’t use these tickets, and I thought, who better than my best friends in the world to take them off my hands?” She gave what she hoped was an innocent smile.
There was the sound of ripping paper as the Shadowbolts tore open the envelopes, and looked at the tickets that were inside. “‘Hinny on the Hills’?” Sunny Flare asked.
“Tickets to the Wonderbolts air show?” Indigo Zap added. “Awww, yeah!”
“The Sapphire Shores concert?” Lemon Zest said.
“A pass to the National Dessert Competition,” Sugarcoat read, then added. “Admits two?”
“‘Nightmare Night’ movie marathon?” Sour Sweet asked. “And they’re showing the horrible crossover with ‘Terror in Sunny Town’? The one the director said, ‘ruined his career’?” A wide grin spread across Sour Sweet’s face. “Oh, that sounds TERRIBLE. I love it!”
“Wait a minute…” Indigo Zap said, snatching a few of the tickets away to examine them. “All of these things are happening tonight.”
“Are they?” Twilight asked, tilting her head a little bit in what she assumed was a quizzical look. “I hadn’t noticed. What a strange coincidence.”
“Oh…” Sunny Flare said, smirking as she held the ticket between her index and middle fingers. “Tonight wouldn’t happen to be the night Sunset Shimmer’s coming over to meet your parents...is it?”
“Another bizarre coincidence,” Twilight said, smiling awkwardly and looking to the side to avoid eye contact. “How weird is that?”
“I think she’s lying,” Sugarcoat said. Sunny Flare rolled her eyes.
“Thank you for that, Sugarcoat.”
“Look, it’s pretty clear what’s going on here,” Twilight admitted. “The real thing you should be asking yourself is this: would you girls rather spend the night at events I meticulously picked out for you, that match your interests perfectly, or watching me and Sunset have dinner with my family through a window?”
There was a discreet exchange of glances between the Shadowbolts. Their eyes flickered back and forth, between one another, and to the tickets in their hands, until finally they came to some, unspoken consensus.
“Have fun tonight, Twilight.”
“Have a grand time.”
“Hope it goes well.”
“I hope it goes GREAT.”
“Knock ‘er dead.”
***Now
Twilight glared down at Spike. “Traitor,” she hissed. Spike shrugged.
“He gives me treats,” Spike said.
“You bribed them?” Shining Armor asked.
“Hey, it worked,” Twilight said, then looked back at her list. “Alright, looks like I’m about set. Last item: sit in the corner in paralyzing panic while I wait for Sunset Shimmer to come over and meet my parents.” Shining Armor raised a finger and tilted his head quizzically.
“Wait, that’s really on the list?”
“It’s going to happen one way or another. I feel better if I’ve scheduled it in.” With that, Twilight sat down in the corner, gripped her head and started rocking back and forth, muttering to herself, “Sunset’s going to meet my parents, Sunset’s going to meet my parents, Sunset’s going to meet my parents…”
Shining Armor sighed. This was not the first time he had to talk his sister down from an anxiety attack. On her first day of kindergarten Twilight had panicked, climbed up into a cabinet and refused to come down. Neither of their parents could coax her out of the comfortable little corner of the world she had nestled herself into, but Shining Armor had been able to calm her down and convince her to face this scary new world, with the help of a certain Smarty Pants doll to act as a security blanket. Twilight’s anxieties had certainly been getting better over the years, and much more so since The Friendship Games, but they could still get the better of her from time to time.
“Come on, Twili,” Shining Armor said, sitting down next to his sister and putting a comforting arm around her. “Sunset’s a nice girl. Mom and dad are going to love her. And she’s going to think they’re awesome too. You’ll have to put up with a little embarrassment though, I remember the first time I brought Caden-I mean, it’ll be fine,” he said, finishing the sentence rapidly and blushing.
Twilight gave her B.B.B.F.F. a tiny smile and leaned into his chest. “Thanks,” she said, then gave a little chuckle. “It’s funny. Sunset’s got to be way more calm about this than I am. I bet she’s collected and totally, completely ready for this.”
***
“No,” Sunset said, throwing a dress onto her bed. “No,” she repeated, throwing a pair of pants and a blouse next to it. “No, no, no, no.” With each word she threw another outfit onto the pile, until practically her entire wardrobe was spread out on her bed. “Uggghhhh…” she said, throwing herself next to the pile. “It’s hopeless.”
“Really, darling, you’re being awfully dramatic,” Rarity said. Sunset raised an eyebrow and shot Rarity a look that just screamed, ‘really’? “Uh...relatively speaking, of course.”
“I’m meeting her parents, Rarity,” Sunset Shimmer said. She stood up and paced around her bedroom. “Her human parents. Who may not approve of her daughter dating a pony criminal from another dimension.”
“I think you may be putting a little too much emphasis on that whole chapter of your life.”
“I turned into a raging she-demon.”
“Well...yes,” Rarity admitted. “But, in all fairness, Twilight did that too. So it’s not as though they’ll be entirely unsympathetic.”
“I tried to enslave the school and tried to use them to conquer Equestria.”
Rarity rocked her palm back and forth, like she was weighing some options in her mind. “Perhaps don’t lead with that story. Tell the one about the Sirens, that’s much better dinner conversation.”
“Come on, Rarity,” Sunset Shimmer said. “Help me pick out an outfit already.”
Rarity stood up, walked over to the bed and examined the pile of clothing that Sunset had managed to create through her anxious indecision. “Well, as your friend, a fashionista, and the world’s future greatest fashion designer, it is my professional opinion that...what you’re wearing now is fine.”
Sunset lowered her eyebrows in a deadpan, annoyed expression. “Really? You insist we bring gowns to go camping because, ‘one never knows’. But when I have a really important date you say, ‘eh, whatever you’ve got on now’?”
Rarity placed a hand on Sunset shoulder and guided her over to the mirror. “Sunset, darling, I am an expert in fashion. And that means, the right outfit for the right occasion. And tonight’s occasion is dinner with Twilight’s parents.”
“Yeah, that’s why I want to impress them.”
“You’re missing the point, darling. Twilight is showing you off. She wants her family to meet the kind, empathetic, confident girl she’s managed to snag.” Sunset blushed at this assessment, and crossed her arms self-consciously. “And that means she wants them to see you as you are. That means the leather jacket, the jeans, the blue blouse. That’s the proper outfit for the occasion, because it’s you.”
Sunset examined herself in the mirror, posing slowly and turning to catch herself from every possible angle. It didn’t look that bad, she had to admit, a little more casual than she had been thinking, but there was a reason why this outfit was a classic for her. “Thank you, Rarity,” she said, her voice choked with gratitude. “Really. Thank you.”
“Of course, darling,” Rarity said, then added, with a sly smirk, “This is a one-time deal, by the way. Your next date, I’m making you a completely original gown that will be simply STUNNING!”
***
“Dad!” Twilight said, putting her arms on either side of the doorway into the kitchen to block her father. “I told you, I’m making dinner tonight. Stay out of the kitchen.”
“But,” Night Light said, peeking over his daughter’s head, “surely you could use a little help. Maybe with the salad?”
“No!” Twilight said, shoving her father away. “I let you make the appetizers, didn’t I? You agreed to let me do this on my own, so don’t come in.”
“Perhaps you need some help with the sauce? That’s not really ‘cooking’, it’s more like, ‘assisting’.”
“You’d better listen to her,” Shining Armor said. “Getting her focused on cooking is the only way I could get her out of the corner.”
Night Light sighed, resigned, and quickly combed his already rather tidy hair with his hand. It was not that Twilight was a bad cook. She may not have been as exceptional at it as she was in so many other things, but cooking had a sort of science to it that she could understand. There were instructions that, if followed correctly, produced the promised result, and Twilight was good at following instructions. But the kitchen had always been Night Light’s domain. Everything there had a place, there was an order to it all, and not being able to step in there, take the tools and ingredients he had so meticulously laid out and make something more of it all was unsettling for him.
That, and there was the fact that, while Twilight was perfectly capable of making good tasting food, her presentation left a lot to be desired. Whatever else she may have inherited from her father, his flair for plating and decoration was not part of it.
The doorbell rang and Twilight jumped. “That’s got to be her! I’ll get it! Shining Armor, don’t let dad into the kitchen!” With that she bolted off to the front door and threw it open. “H-hi Sunset,” Twilight said. She was not entirely sure why she was suddenly feeling vulnerable and exposed. This was not their first date, and Twilight had been getting more comfortable being around her in a romantic sense lately. But tonight felt a little different. Maybe because it was the first time Sunset was actually in her house, and that felt somehow like a more definitive step. Before this, they had generally been out in the world. Not always ‘neutral ground’, but close. But now, Sunset was in her home. That made it more real: she was dating this girl.
“You must be Sunset Shimmer!” Twilight Velvet said.
Oh, Twilight thought, and there was also this.
“H-hello Missus Sparkle,” Sunset Shimmer said. “It’s uh, nice to meet you. Twilight really seems to take after you.”
“I’ve heard that a lot,” Twilight Velvet said, giving her daughter a small hug. Really, the resemblance was uncanny. Different hair colors, different colored skin, and her fashion tastes were somewhat more conservative, but anyone could see that Twilight Sparkle was her daughter. “Come in, come in. Twilight has told us all about you.”
Sunset gulped as she stepped into the house. “A-all about me?”
“Oh yes. About how you helped her at The Friendship Games, how you and your friends defeated those nasty Sirin creatures, and how you’ve been helping her to get closer to her friends at Crystal Prep.”
Sunset sighed in relief. “Oh, I’m glad.”
“And, of course, that business about stealing a magic crown from another world, turning into a demon, and trying to conquer your home dimension.”
Sunset’s posture fell apart all at once, slumping over herself as the weight of those, oddly cheery, words hit her. “Oh...I see…” she said, then whispered to Twilight, “You told her that?”
Twilight grinned awkwardly. “It just kind of slipped out…” she whispered back.
“How does THAT slip out?!”
“Well, my mom was telling me about this new book series she’s writing, and about how the main character was undergoing a transformation into a demon. And then I said, ‘That’s funny, because Sunset-’”
“Okay, okay, I get it,” Sunset Shimmer said, sighing. “I...sort of hoped their first impression of me wouldn’t be, ‘that girl who once tried to take over the world’.” Then, Sunset added in a normal speaking voice. “I-I brought apple cider!” She held out a bottle of brown liquid, bearing the Apple Family seal. Twilight Velvet took the bottle graciously.
“Thank you, Sunset Shimmer,” she said. “Dinner’s still cooking, I believe, and Shining Armor’s still waiting for Cadence to arrive. And since you’re dating my daughter, I thought you might want to see-”
Twilight’s eyes widened and she jumped in her mother’s way. “No!” she said. “Nononono. Don’t you dare do it.”
“What it is?” Sunset asked.
“Nothing!” Twilight said with a not-entirely-innocent smile.
“Sorry, Twilight,” Twilight Velvet said. “But it’s a mother’s duty, after all. Shining Armor had to go through it, and now you do to.”
Twilight raised a confused eyebrow. “When would Shining Armor have to-?”
Twilight Velvet produced a videotape from underneath the television. “Care to see little Twilight’s kindergarten play?” Sunset Shimmer’s eyes went wide with shock.
“I’m...sure Sunset doesn’t want to see that…” Twilight said. She tried to snatch the tape away from her mother, who effortlessly moved it out of her daughter’s reach.
“No, that sounds nice,” Sunset Shimmer said. A wicked grin spread across her face as Twilight gave a pleading look.
“Why? Why are you doing this?” she whispered.
“Payback,” Sunset Shimmer said.
“What would you want payback for-oh...right…”
***A little while earlier, one universe away
“And this is Sunset Shimmer taking the entrance exam for the School for Gifted Unicorns,” Celestia said, levitating the photo album up so that Twilight could see it. Sunset Shimmer sat on the couch next to them, a mixture of boredom and annoyance covering her face, which she held up with one hoof.
“Oh my gosh,” Twilight said, looking at the picture. Sunset Shimmer was tiny in it, barely even a filly, but even then she had an intensity in her eyes that, by the look of it, scared even the test-givers. Her horn flared with green magic, enveloping the purple egg and levitating it off of the wagon and hay it was lying in. By the looks of it, this picture was taken after Sunset Shimmer had lost all patience with the exercise and was glaring at the egg very fiercely, like she imagined that if magic would not cause the thing to open, then maybe she could intimidate it enough to hatch. “She’s ADORABLE,” Twilight squealed.
Celestia nodded. “She wouldn’t listen to me when I told her that she had already passed the entrance exam. Until that point, no one had come as close as she did to actually hatching a dragon egg. I had to physically drag her away, kicking and screaming, to get her to leave it alone.”
“I can’t believe you took a picture of that,” Sunset Shimmer said.
“And this one was taken the day of the Grand Galloping Gala,” Celestia said as she turned the page.
“Oh Celestia…” Sunset Shimmer said, burying her face in her hoofs. “Not that one…”
“Apparently, my star pupil did not appreciate being dragged away from her studies to attend,” Celestia said. “And she especially did not appreciate the dress she had to wear.” In the picture Celestia presented, Sunset Shimmer was wearing a red and yellow dress that matched her mane and coat rather nicely. She even wore a small, red tiara, and Twilight would have even said that she looked quite regal, if she had not been giving the camera the most positively nasty look Twilight had ever seen.
“She did not like being there, did she?” Twilight asked.
“Not even a little bit. I asked her to stay by my side to help me greet the guests. A rather traditional role for the star student of a princess to take at the Gala. Well, as you can imagine, Sunset Shimmer sat still for exactly three and a half greetings before teleporting off. I didn’t really think much of it, she’d always been rather difficult to control, I figured she’d just run back to her tower to study. But no. Apparently she found herself in the company of my nephew, who proceeded to act...well, rather boorish. One thing led to another, and...well…” Celestia turned the page of the photo album, revealing a photograph of Sunset Shimmer chasing after Prince Blueblood, fire surrounding her and flying at the screaming, running prince. Other guests ran away in terror, and from what could be seen in the picture at least part of the palace was actually on fire.
“Wait...did you seriously stop to take a picture of that?” Sunset asked. “I set the palace on fire, I was probably going to roast your nephew. Why did you take the time to-?”
“And here’s the time Sunset Shimmer insulted the visiting emissaries from Yakyakistan,” Celestia interrupted, turning the page. A trio of yaks were in this picture, standing in front of a young and rather formally dressed Sunset Shimmer. The picture was taken while Sunset was saying something, and by the looks on the Yaks’ faces, whatever it was she said, it was not pleasant. “That incident itself set back our plans to open borders with them again by thirty moons.”
“I’m seriously considering going back to being evil,” Sunset Shimmer said, taking a sip of her tea. “At least then I don’t need to go through old scrapbooks of me being a brat.”
“An adorable brat,” Twilight said.
“She was young and impulsive,” Celestia said, her voice deep with understanding as she patted her former student on the head. “The fault was mine. I gave her responsibilities that she was not ready for. I was dazzled with her magical ability, so much so that I neglected to push her to develop emotionally. I assumed that she would rise to these challenges like she would any other test. But she was a child-a prodigy, yes, but still a child-and needed time to grow before she was ready to talk with foreign diplomats or spend the night chatting with aristocracy. Let’s just say that there was a reason my next student was given these responsibilities substantially later in life, after she had learned about the importance of friendship.”
“She was still adorable,” Twilight said, giving a very annoyed Sunset Shimmer a playful nudge. Sunset rolled her eyes.
“I hate you both.”
***Back to the date
“I hate you all,” Twilight huffed. Shining Armor, Cadence, and Night Light had gathered around the television soon after Twilight Velvet started the video tape.
“Oh, hush,” Twilight Velvet said. “The best part’s coming up.”
“-it’s called ‘breaking and entering’!” Twilight’s tiny voice came from the screen. She was standing on stage, next to a very uncomfortable child as she lectured. “Just because a beanstalk grew in your backyard does NOT give you the right to break into the house on top of it, kill the inhabitant, and steal his belongings!” There was the sound of a faint laughter from behind the camera, which Sunset Shimmer vaguely identified as a prepubescent Shining Armor. Sunset Shimmer turned to look at him, and he shrugged.
“She was right,” he said, simply.
“Twilight Sparkle!” a voice hissed from offstage. “We have discussed this! Just read your lines!”
“This whole story just perpetuates the idea that it’s alright to hurt people just because they’re different from you! I-”
A pair of stage hands grabbed Twilight and started to drag her away. The camera fell to the floor, showing only a row of feet, and Shining Armor could be heard yelling, “Hey! Get your hands off my sister!”
The screen cut to black and Twilight sunk into the couch, blushing heavily. “I can’t believe I did that…”
“Shining Armor gave both of those stagehands black eyes,” Twilight Velvet said. “We had a long talk with him and the principal about solving his problems with violence. After which he gave the most sarcastic and insincere apology I’ve ever heard. Long story short, you don’t want to mess with Twilight while Shining Armor’s around.”
“Noted,” Sunset Shimmer said, then turned to Twilight with a smirk. “Little Twilight was...oh, what was the word…?”
“Don’t say it…” Twilight groaned.
“Adorable? Was that it?”
“You’re the worst.”
“Now, now,” Night Light said, “embarrassing our children when they bring their girlfriends over is a time honored, Sparkle tradition. Why, we broke out Shining Armor’s flugelhorn recital tape when he brought-” Night Light stopped when he noticed that Shining Armor was desperately giving a cutting, ‘stop’ gesture just beneath his jaw.
“Uh…” Shining Armor said, standing up quickly. “Isn’t dinner just about ready?” Twilight stood up.
“Yup! Let me get it out of the oven, then we can eat!” Twilight ran off to the kitchen and Sunset crossed her arms and gave Shining Armor a knowing look.
“You haven’t told her about you and Cadence yet?”
“I’m going to!” Shining Armor said. “That’s...just not how I wanted her to hear it. And she had enough on her mind right now.” Sunset Shimmer turned to Cadence.
“Why does she think you’re here, then?”
“Uh...to support her?” Cadence said. “Which is true...I’m just...also here for Shining.”
Sunset Shimmer sighed. “I don’t want to tell you how to live your lives, but Twilight can handle you two being together. She’s a big girl.”
“Dinner’s ready!” Twilight yelled from the kitchen. The group made their way in and sat down at the dinner table.
The first thing that caught Sunset’s attention was the hors d'oeuvres. Immediately, Sunset Shimmer could tell that they were Night Light’s work. Tiny quiche and sandwiches, cut into stars and moons, apparently Night Light believed in bringing his work home with him. “These are beautiful,” Sunset Shimmer said as she picked one up and bit into it.
“Thank you, Sunset,” Night Light said. “Now, Twilight tells me that you stole a magical artifact from another dimension in an attempt to overthrow your previous mentor and install yourself as ruler?”
Sunset choked on her quiche and coughed loudly. Twilight Velvet shot Night Light an affectionately judgemental look. “Now, Night Light, dear, that wasn’t very nice.” Night Light grinned.
“You have to grill whoever your kids bring home. It’s on the list.” Night Light lifted up a checklist.
“Sweet Celestia, it’s hereditary,” Sunset Shimmer said. Then she took in a breath, bracing herself for the conversation she had been dreading. “Look, I know you must have heard some...pretty awful things about me. And for whatever it’s worth, I do truly regret-”
“We’ve all had our...indiscretions when we were younger,” Night Light cut in. Twilight Velvet nodded in agreement.
“Everyone’s made mistakes,” she said. “What’s important is that you’ve learned from them.”
“I mean, when Twilight Velvet and I met, we-ow!” Night Light yelped as his wife kicked his shin under the table.
“Don’t tell them that story!” Twilight Velvet hissed, then added, “You might give them ideas.”
“A-anyways,” Night Light said, coughing to cover a blush, “I was simply curious. You brought our daughter back to that alternate universe with you, and even introduced her to your old mentor, is that right?”
Sunset blinked, not entirely sure where this was going. “Uh...yeah. Yeah, that’s right.”
“So, you must have patched things up with her. How did that go? If you don’t mind me asking.”
“Oh,” Sunset Shimmer said, taking a sip of cider as she collected her thoughts. “Well...there’s not much to tell, honestly. It took me a while to work up the courage to go back and face her again, but once I did, it was like old times again. I mean, it had been almost three years since I saw her, so there was a little awkwardness, at first. But it was all very nice. Sort of formal, but pleasant. Dignified, really.”
***A while earlier, in Equestria
Sunset Shimmer wailed as she threw herself against Princess Celestia’s chest. She sobbed wildly, crying out three years worth of pent-up anger and regret. Three years worth of resentment and pain were coming flooding out in that moment, feelings Sunset had thought were long since suppressed.
Gently and lovingly, Celestia wrapped a leg around Sunset’s neck and pulled her closer. “There there, my little pony,” she whispered, hugging her former student close. “It’s okay. It’s okay.”
Sunset Shimmer had prepared a whole speech. There was an apology, and a genuine promise to be the sort of pony-the sort of person-that Celestia knew she had in her. There was so much that Sunset had wanted to say.
But there was time for that later. Right then, she just wanted to cry.
***
“Yes…” Sunset Shimmer said, shifting her eyes from side to side as she remembered seeing her mentor for the first time in years. “Very...dignified.” She took another sip of cider and whispered, “At least, the second time I saw her…”
Night Light nodded. “I see.” With that, he placed his own cup on the table, steepled his fingers together and looked over to Sunset Shimmer. “I know this is an issue we are supposed to dance around a little bit more, but if it’s all the same to you, I’d like to get right to the point and address the elephant in the room.”
Sunset Shimmer sighed. This was it. He was going to ask more about her past. He was going to tell her that she was not good enough for his daughter, that Twilight needed to be with someone without an actual, criminal record, even an extra-dimensional one, and forbid her from seeing her again. Maybe Twilight would sneak out to see her from time to time, but a relationship could never really last if Twilight parents really disapproved of who she was dating. Bracing herself for the inevitable impact, Sunset said, “Okay. What is it?”
“Do you miss it?”
Sunset Shimmer could almost hear the ‘snap’ in her mind as every terrible thing she was imagining suddenly failed to happen. “I’m...sorry?”
“Your home. Or, where you grew up. Equestria, is it? Do you miss it there?” Night Light gestured to Sunset Shimmer with one hand and smiled warmly. “I’d understand if you did. We all have a soft spot for where we grew up. And I’m not saying it’s bad or I don’t approve. I’m just...concerned, if my daughter is getting involved with someone who might decide that she would rather be in another universe. I’m not saying that can’t work, or that you shouldn’t go back there if that’s what you really want. I’d just like to know.”
Sunset Shimmer blinked, then looked down, gathering her own thoughts on the matter. Her mind was a jumble of mixed emotions and feelings, feelings she had never really had to put into words before. But now she did, and she needed to articulate them well. “Sometimes...sometimes I miss Equestria, yeah. I miss telekinesis. And being able to do magic naturally. Mythic creatures, magic tests. There are little details of where I grew up that I sometimes wish followed me here.
“And I regret how I left. I really do. I left...angry and bitter, because I wasn’t getting what I wanted fast enough. I did...bad things. Things I wish I could take back. I hurt people. And I liked it. And I really, really wish I didn’t. There’s a lot of things that I wish I could take back.
“But one thing I don’t regret. I don’t regret coming here.” Sunset flexed her fingers, showing them to the rest of Twilight’s family gathered around the table. “We don’t have these back in Equestria. We have to lift everything with magic, if you’re a unicorn, or with our hooves and mouth. When you grow up doing that, you don’t really think about it, but hands are so much more convenient.
“Standing on two legs is a lot easier too, once you get used to it. Technology here is a lot more advanced than back in Equestria. I’m not expected to...be royalty here, either. I’m not getting dragged to galas and diplomatic summits. I can just...be me. And people seem to like me for that. I’m not saying everything is perfect here, but I feel a lot more at home in this world than I ever did in Equestria. This world is...strange, and beautiful, and amazing, and I’m...really happy to be living here.” Sunset gave Twilight a warm smile, then went on. “And I met your daughter here. I care about her. A lot. So, yes, sometimes I miss Equestria. I’m glad I can go back and visit there. And I regret the way I left. If I could do it over again, I would. But I don’t regret coming here. Not at all. And I don’t want to leave. Ever.”
There was a long pause. Twilight’s cheeks were red, and Sunset Shimmer looked around the table, wondering if she had said too much.
It was Shining Armor who finally broke the silence. “I think you found a keeper, Twili.”
***
“Now, Sunset, dear, are you sure you have enough food?”
Sunset Shimmer looked up at the mountain of tupperware Twilight Velvet had hoisted upon her. “I don’t think I could eat all this in a month…” she said, buckling under the weight of it all.
“Cookies,” Twilight Velvet said, starting back towards the kitchen. “You didn’t take any cookies. Just let me box some up and-”
“Mom,” Twilight said, coming to Sunset Shimmer’s aid. “You’ve given her enough food to feed her, breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and all of her friends, for weeks. I don’t even know how she’s going to get all of this home, considering she drives a motorcycle...give the girl a break.”
Twilight Velvet shook her finger in a lecturing manner. “She’s a young woman, living alone. It’s important that she feed herself properly, if she’s going to be dating my daughter.”
“It was nice meeting you,” Night Light said, taking the tupperware from Sunset. “Let me help you get these outside.”
Sunset Shimmer wiped away a bead of sweat from her forehead. “Thanks. It was nice to meet you too.”
“Good to see you again,” Shining Armor said. He ruffled Twilight’s hair affectionately. “Look out for my little sister, will you? She has a tendency to get herself into trouble.”
“Trouble!” Twilight huffed. “I never-”
“I will,” Sunset said, cutting Twilight off. “And thank you for having me. All of you.”
Twilight and Sunset Shimmer hugged, and Sunset walked out of the house with Night Light following behind her, carrying the food containers Twilight Velvet insisted on sending along. “So…” Twilight said, looking up at her mother for approval. “Did you like her?”
“She seemed wonderful,” Twilight Velvet said. “Though I do hope she’s careful on that motorcycle of hers. Those things can be dangerous.”
“Told you they’d like her,” Shining Armor said, and Cadence nodded in agreement.
“Now we just need to find you a very special someone,” Twilight teased. “If you don’t get on it, you’re going to be a bachelor for the rest of your life.”
Shining Armor and Cadence exchanged a nervous glance. An unspoken conversation seemed to pass between them in that moment, and they nodded. “Twilight...why don’t we sit down?”
The three sat down on the couch, Cadence very deliberately sitting next to Shining Armor and taking his hand to offer him some support. Shining Armor sighed. This was it. “Twilight, I...we...Cadence and I have to tell you something.”
Twilight blinked and adjusted her glasses. “Oh...alright. What is it? Is everything alright?”
“Oh, yeah,” Shining Armor said, waving his hands in a dismissing, reassuring gesture. “It’s nothing bad, I just...wasn’t sure how to bring it up. You see...the thing is…”
“We…” Cadence started, then hesitated and looked back to Shining Armor.
“Cadence and I-”
“We’re sort of…”
“Dating.”
Twilight blinked again, looked at Cadence and Shining Armor, and smiled widely. “Oh! Is that all? Why didn’t you say so sooner? That’s great to hear!”
Shining Armor breathed a sigh of relief. “I’m glad to hear that Twili, I really am. It might have been silly of me, but I was sort of afraid that you’d have a hard time adjusting to-”
“So, who are you dating?”
This cut Shining Armor off mid-sentence. He looked to Cadence, to her hand, which he was currently holding, then back to Twilight. “Um...I’m sorry?”
“Who are the two of you dating?” Twilight asked. “Oh! Are they anyone I’ve met? You’re not dating anyone at my school, are you? That’d be super awkward…”
Cadence and Shining Armor shared an awkward look before Shining Armor answered. “Each other, Twilight...we’re dating...each other.”
“Oh.” After a moment of surprise, Twilight shook off the shock and gave a warm smile. “I mean, that’s great! I’m so happy for you both.”
Cadence breathed out heavily. “Thank you Twilight. I’m really happy to hear that.”
“It’s been...sort of awkward not bringing it up until now,” Shining Armor admitted, scratching the back of his head.
“Oh...well, what convinced you to tell me now?” Twilight asked.
“I was wondering that too,” Cadence said, turning to look at Shining Armor. “A week ago, you were putting it off. But just a few days ago, you decided it was the right time. What happened?”
“Uh…” Shining Armor said. “Well...you see…”
***Three days earlier
Shining Armor walked home after a long day at work. He yawned as he made his way back. Being a police officer in low-crime neighborhood meant mostly directing traffic and occasionally helping a lost kid find their parents, but Shining Armor had to remain ever vigilant while he was on duty. Just in the one in a thousand chance that something did go wrong.
A figure on the path ahead snapped Shining Armor out of his thoughts of home and bed. It was a very familiar looking figure indeed.
“Princess Twilight, I presume?” Shining Armor asked. The purple-haired girl in front of him cocked her head.
“How did you know it wasn’t the Twilight from this universe?” she asked. Shining Armor smiled a little smugly. He could allow himself this small amount of pride.
“You don’t wear glasses. And my Twilight wears her hair a little differently than you do. You dress differently. But that’s not really it. The thing is, I know my sister. I know the way she moves and walks and talks. I just...know.”
Princess Twilight nodded, apparently accepting of this explanation. “I guess that makes sense. I don’t think the Shining Armor in my world would mix the two of us up either.”
“So, what can I do for you?” Shining Armor asked. “Is everything alright?” Princess Twilight nodded.
“Everything’s okay, nothing to worry about. I just wanted to ask you a couple of questions, if that’s alright?” Shining Armor nodded.
“No harm in that. Ask away.”
“Are you dating...well, she’s not a princess here, but Dean Cadence in this world?” Shining Armor blinked, caught off-guard by the question.
“I...suppose you know that because I’m dating her in your world too?”
“Uh...married to her,” Princess Twilight said, causing Shining Armor to blush. “And...well, there’s more, but that’s probably best left a surprise. Have you told your sister yet?”
“Uh…” Shining Armor said, searching for an appropriate excuse before deciding just to fess up. “No. No, not yet.”
“I don’t want to tell you how to live your life,” Princess Twilight said. “I get it, you want to protect her, and keep her from getting confused or upset. I respect that, I really do. But please, don’t wait too long before telling her. If you do...she’ll worry that you didn’t tell her because she isn’t important to you anymore.”
Shining Armor’s mouth dropped open. “How could...how could Twili ever think that she’s not important to me? She’s my little sister. She’ll always be important to me.”
“I know that,” Princess Twilight said, placing a hand on Shining Armor’s shoulder. “I really do. And she will too. But it’s going to be a lot easier for her if she hears it directly from you. And sooner, rather than later.”
Shining Armor took this in, took it all in, and finally nodded in agreement. “Alright. I’ll tell her.”
“I’m glad,” Princess Twilight said. She turned to walk away, then stopped. “And, by the way, if Cadence starts acting weird at some point...like, around your wedding, maybe...and your sister points it out...for Pony’s sake, listen to her, okay?”
***Back in the Sparkle household
“It...just felt like the right time,” Shining Armor said.
“Well, I’m glad you did,” Twilight said. “I’m happy for you both. I really am.”
“Thanks, Twili,” Shining Armor said. “Funny, I was afraid this would really stress you out. Guess I was worried over nothing, huh?”
***The next day, at the Crystal Prep Academy Dorms
Lemon Zest sat at her desk, clicking away at a video game on her computer, occasionally glancing over to the corner. “Stay like that all you want Twilight, it’s not going to change anything.”
Twilight sat in the corner, arms wrapped around her legs as she rocked back and forth, muttering over and over, “My brother’s dating the dean, my brother’s dating the dean, my brother’s dating the dean, my brother-”
