Star-Crossed
“I’d give anything to see you happy again.”
The battle was won. After so many long years of fighting, the malevolent horde that sought to take hold of Equestria were no more. The Dark Lord and his Demons had been banished back to their twisted reality, and would never again threaten that world of Love.
Victory hadn’t come without it’s price of course; the land lay in ruin, ponies lay strewn across the town square, and a dark cloud continued to hang over the small village, for the time being at least. Those that could pick themselves up either quickly set about helping others compose themselves, or hurried to see to whatever kind of emergency needed taking care of. It was unlike anything the residents of Ponyville had ever experienced, nor would be quick to forget.
And yet, the spirit continued to flourish. Dark had the days been, but nothing could quench the radiance of hope that shone through the hearts of the ponies that day.
They had triumphed.
They had won.
A tear fell to the ground, soaking into the soil and into the seed of what would become a new flower. It was followed by a second, then third. They flowed from a navy blue eye, across a scarred cheek, belonging to a ghostly pale unicorn. Where the rest of Ponyville found joy in the day’s events, the crying mare instead found herself confronting an emotion that could only be equated to being...cheated.
Her gaze was fixed on the ground, but her eyes weren’t focused on anything in particular, hanging in tandem instead. Her lips quivered as her mind tried to simultaneously deal with and express the intense stimuli she was experiencing all at once. And her friend, her most treasured, beloved, and important friend, removed her lips from Vespera’s forehead and continued to hold the unicorn closeby.
“Anything…”
It was hardly more than a whisper, but Phoenix Feather’s words echoed inside Vespera’s ears. All at once they were terrible, wonderful, tempting, impossible...but above all else, they were hers.
Vespera chanced a breath, not realizing she’d been holding it for quite a while now, but it was too much. She choked on it, and lurched forward into Phoenix, catching the albino Unicorn off guard. Their friends quickly moved to catch the Princess, but lost to Phoenix; she somehow managed to hook a leg underneath Vespera fast enough to keep her from hitting the ground. Vespera trembled in Phoenix’s grasp as all the bottled up emotions she’d been holding at bay came spilling out.
“It’s okay, Vespera-”
“No it’s not okay!” Vespera shrieked, inhaling sharply afterwards.
Phoenix fell silent again, tightening her grip on Vespera to provide her friend with whatever comfort she could amidst the situation. Overhead, the clouds continued to darken and spread, but Phoenix paid them no attention.
“Phoenix...”
A voice, foreign to the kingdom, or at least this interpretation of the kingdom, called out. To Phoenix, it was a voice belonging to someone that was in many ways herself, and at the same time the voice of a stranger. But to Vespera, it was the voice of the one she knew she’d never see, never touch, never hold, never kiss, but ever and always love.
“We have to make a decision. Now. There’s no telling how much time we have left.”
Sparkling Dawn was a perfect rendition of the drawings she’d sent Vespera over the magical journal they shared; the locks of her blonde hair, the shimmering blue of her eyes, the elegant curves and contours of her face. Perfect. And it just ate at Vespera.
“Yes...of course. I’ll be right there.” Phoenix looked over to Stormy Nights and Sunny Days, and they hurried over to take Vespera off of Phoenix’s hooves. Neither of them really knew what to say, so they just kept quiet as they helped Vespera to sit back down. Phoenix smiled appreciatively to both of them, and after taking a deep breath, turned to make her way over to Sparkling Dawn.
“All right...I’m ready, Dawn.”
“Are you sure?” Sparkling Dawn looked around the town square. “Don’t you...well, don’t you want to say goodbye to anypony?”
Phoenix’s eyes shifted to the side uncomfortably. “It’s better if we just hurry and get this done...Mom would just be upset.”
“Well...all right, if you feel that way. Come over and stand by-”
“HOLD ON JUST A MINUTE!”
Both Sparkling Dawn and Phoenix Feather jumped at the thunderous cry. They scoped the horizon and searched the skies, which by this point had grown to be an inky black, for the source. Of course they both knew who it belonged to.
A bright flash filled the town square, accompanied by a sudden “whoosh” of wind. In the center stood a fierce mare with a fiery mane and jewel eyes. Sunset Shimmer scanned the crowd before she found her target. Phoenix felt her stomach twitch as Sunset trotted over. The last thing she wanted was her mother here to witness what was about to happen.
“H-hey mom…” She managed to squeak out.
“Don’t you ‘hey mom’ me, Phoenix Feather!” Sunset was instantly on top of her daughter, starring at her with a mixture of anger, desperation, and confusion. “You better explain yourself right now!”
“Mom, it’s…” Phoenix struggled to find the words. How could she possibly explain this to her mother…
“Please.” Dawn stepped forward to divert Sunset’s attention away from Phoenix and towards her. “I can explain everything, if you would allow me.”
Sunset ran her eyes up and down the unfamiliar mare, sizing her up. “All right, fine.” She huffed, narrowing her eyes. “Start talking.”
Dawn felt an iciness she wasn’t used to receiving from the mare before, but then again she had to remind herself; this wasn’t the mare she knew. “Well, without trying to make a spectacle of it all, my being here is a problem, Ms. Shimmer.”
“Then leave.” Sunset said flatly while attempting to step between Dawn and Phoenix. Something bothered her about this mare, she just couldn’t put her hoof on it. “Get out of Ponyville.”
She’s not her... Dawn reminded herself, although it didn’t really do much to dull the painful edge Sunset’s words had on her. “It’s not that simple. You see, Ms. Shimmer, I’m from another universe.”
That caught Sunset’s attention. “Wait, another universe as in something like the human realm? Canterlot High?”
“No, unfortunately. What you’re thinking of is another dimension. A universe is a separate collection of realities unique to itself.” Dawn noticed Sunset’s perplexed expression. “It is quite complicated to comprehend, so don’t fret if you don’t fully understand-”
“What does that have to do with my daughter?”
“Well-”
“Because this reality is a mirror of Dawn’s, that means certain things have to check out.” Phoenix spoke up, but her gaze was to the ground, intentionally avoiding Sunset.
“What’s that mean?”
“It means that there needs to be certain things in each universe, and at a certain level. It’s sort of like a butterfly effect. Linchpins need to exist in each universe.”
“You, Princess Twilight and the other elements of Harmony for example.” Dawn chimed in before a sideways glance from Sunset shushed her for good.
“However the rules aren’t always consistent of each other. While you exist in each Equestrian universe, ponies like...well, me and Dawn, not so much. As far as we know, the only requisite is that the offspring of these linchpins must exist in equal numbers. Who they are, what they’re like, that doesn’t matter, so long as they’re there.”
Sunset shook her head, the dense information dump making it throb for a moment. “Okay, but again, what does that have to do with you, Phoenix? And why is the sky getting all weird?”
Dawn and Phoenix looked up. The sky was indeed becoming threatening. It told Dawn that they didn’t have much time left.
“Our universe is in imbalance. A linchpin is out of place, and has to depart in order for it to even out. Since it universe was invaded by Satan, the cosmic fiber has weakened and must be allowed to heal. Otherwise it may become permanently damaged.”
“How in Celestia’s name do you know all of this, Phoenix?!”
“I told her.” Dawn spoke up. “I had begun studying quantum mechanics under Princess Twilight - er, the Princess Twilight of my reality, so that one day I could open a pathway into your universe.”
“Why?” Sunset wondered what could drive a pony to so foolishly disregard the safety of those she didn’t know, what kind of goal or ambition. Dawn swallowed. She looked off to the side, past Sunset, to the one her heart called for. “To meet her.”
Sunset followed Dawn’s gaze, seeing it land on the tearful princess.
“Vespera? I don’t…get...it” But then in an instant Sunset understood what it was driving Dawn. Not disregard, not ambition, not even curiosity. It was what drove herself away so many years ago.
“You love her…” Sunset whispered. Dawn nodded with a faint smile. Sunset knew what she needed to do. “What has to happen so you can stay here?”
The mare’s sudden change in attitude towards her surprised Dawn but she welcomed it, especially considering what would soon be shared. “One of two things must happen; either I return to my universe, or my counterpart in your universe must take my place.”
“All right, then how do we find your counterpart?” Sunset was ready to do what it took to help the two young lovers be together. She wouldn’t allow a pony to go through the kind of pain she herself did all those years ago if she could help it.
“We already have.”
Or at least she didn’t think she would.
Sunset slowly turned to face Phoenix. Of all the ponies in Equestria, it had to be her that spoke up.
“In Dawn’s universe...you’re her mother. If she’s going to stay here...I have to leave in her stead.”
Silence fell between mother and daughter. Sunset could feel her heart beginning to shatter. “No…” Why. Why was life so cruel to her? What had she done to deserve this? Sunset’s vision became blurry as they began to water. Phoenix was the one good thing that had ever happened to her, and now...she was going to lose her.
A hoof brushed away a tear, startling Sunset. It was Phoenix, smiling sadly at her mother. Sunset wrapped her forelegs around Phoenix in a tight hug, and Phoenix responded in turn, her own tears finally starting to fall to the ground.
“You’re going, aren’t you?” Sunset asked between her sobbing.
“Yes.” Phoenix responded. “‘Give, and never stop giving’, remember?” Phoenix pulled back from the hug to look Sunset in the eyes. “You were the greatest mother I could have ever asked for.” She kissed Sunset’s cheek one last time. “I love you, mom.”
“I love you too, baby.” Sunset cradled Phoenix’s head. “So, so much.”
Slowly Phoenix stepped out of her mother’s hold, and trotted over to Dawn. “All right...I’m ready.”
“We’ll have to join our magic to open the portal.” Dawn leaded forward to tap her horn against Phoenix’s. “Just follow my lead.”
Phoenix nodded, and began expanding her magic aura as Dawn did hers. The two met, and began coagulating, eventually polymerizing into a cohesive whole before them. The portal was like a window; it’s contents on the other side looked three dimensional, but there was a kind of flatness dividing it from the world around them.
The sky on the other side of the portal was also beginning to darken. A rumble of thunder caught the attention of the mares; time was running short.
“All you need to do is walk through, and everything will return to normal, Phoenix.” Dawn had to shout as a gust had begun to pick up that was steadily growing stronger.
“Right…” Phoenix said to herself. She chanced one last look at her mother, her wonderful mother, before taking the first step towards the portal.
Time stopped then for Vespera. She saw what was about to happen; Phoenix was going to step through the portal, and be whisked away forever from this world she called home, away from the friendships she’d forged, away from the mother that loved her so, away from everything and everyone she knew, just to make her happy.
Vespera had learned much these last few years. The lessons were hard and painful, but no less valuable, and beyond any reasonable doubt the valuable of those lessons was teamwork. Staying together. To give, and never stop giving.
She knew what had to happen.
In a flash, Vespera was on her feet and galloping at full tilt towards Phoenix. She tried her best to lessen the blow, and especially to avoid piercing Phoenix with her horn, as she tackled her away from the portal. Vespera and Phoenix landed on top of each other, with Phoenix having the wind knocked out of her.
Lightning began to crack across the sky. The wind was a at a full gale force now, threatening to knock some ponies off their feet. Vespera recovered as fast as she could, looking over in Dawn’s direction immediately. The two young lovers locked eyes for a brief second, and without having to be told, Dawn knew what Vespera was telling her.
She took a step back, and a second later she was through the portal. Gone forever.
The wild weather swiftly died down, and in a few short minutes was back to normal.
Vespera collapsed, out of breath and emotionally spent.
“Why did you do that?!” Phoenix was back on her feet, and reeled to face Vespera. “You’ll never see her again!
“Phoenix, just wait-”
“I would have adjusted! I would have found a way! She was the only thing you ever wanted, the only person that understood you and could make you happy!” Phoenix shook her head, trying to make sense of Vespera’s actions. “Why, Vespera? Why?!”
“Because I’d give up anything to keep you happy.”
Phoenix’s jaw hung open. Vespera smiled at her friend, and wrapped her in a gentle, warm hug. “I have my parents, Beacon, my uncle Spike, all of you to make me happy. But you, Phoenix...there’s only your mom.” Vespera turned Phoenix’s head towards Sunset, who was staring at her daughter with a look of unrivaled pride. “I could never ask you to give that up for me. Besides. Dawn and I still have our journal. She’ll always be with me, in one way or the other.”
Phoenix looked at Vespera, and for the first time in her life, fought back the tears she was about to shed, and just hugged her friend. Vespera hugged her back, and before long the rest of the elements had joined in.
And so, after years of turmoil, pain, and struggle. all was right in Equestria again. Once more, it was a land of love, acceptance, and friendship.