The Worst of All Possible Worlds

by TheTimeSword

Rating: everyone
Tags: Main 6, Drama, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Thriller, Sunset Shimmer, Adventure, Princess Celestia
Length: 435706

Sunset Shimmer returns to Equestria only to find Twilight Sparkle battling a strange pony named Starlight Glimmer. Unbeknownst to Sunset, Starlight has altered the past, forcing Sunset to deal with reigniting her friendships all over again.

Takes place during the Season 5 Finale. (And hints of EqG: Friendship Games)

Sunset Shimmer is out of space in her journal for communicating with Princess Twilight. On a whim, she decides to return to her homeland for a replacement. Unfortunately for Sunset, a pony named Starlight Glimmer was busy enacting revenge, catching Sunset in the crossfire and placing her in a different timeline than she expected. With no Elements of Harmony, no Princess Twilight, and no clue, Sunset must reunite the main six, save the timeline, and find a way home... eventually.

Check out the trailer!~

Published 2017-04-15 16:00:01 UTC
Last updated 2021-05-26 15:46:08 UTC

World 1: Chapter 2

Ponies pushed and shoved to get off the cramped train while Sunset took a moment to stretch her limbs. The overnight trip aboard the mildly uncomfortable benches left her wanting more sleep. Rest had been a come and go experience—what with the snores of other passengers, the common noise of the train, and her own anxiety of what they would soon face. Regardless of their sleeping arrangements, both Sunset and Applejack were wide awake, eager to find the next Element of Harmony. Manehattan, however, did not welcome the unfamiliar mares.

Just exiting onto the train platform gave them an idea of what they would be dealing with. Skyscrapers, large bridges, bustling traffic of pony-drawn carriages, and shouts and shrieks in every direction. To Sunset, it was like being downtown from CHS, though much less muggy without the diesel cars and trucks. Ponyville's tallest building was the town hall; a pony could scale it with ease. To climb any of these buildings would mean a lot of planning, patience, and luck. Of course, falling from these giants would be less worrying since pegasi littered the sky more so than clouds or birds.

“Where do we even attempt to start?” Applejack asked, to which Sunset could not answer. Her hastily drawn map left much to be desired. As they trotted off the train platform, they came across a tourist board marked with destinations for travelers. Though worn around the edges, its directions pointed with faded arrows at outdated attractions. Applejack raised a hoof and pointed to one of the names. “Manehattan City Hall.”

“If Rarity is here to help the war effort, then maybe Fluttershy is here helping in her own way too. Heading to city hall might be our best option. Maybe they'll have records on ponies staying here.” Sunset studied the street names for a moment to find the best route. “Alright, let’s see if somepony can help us there. If not—” She motioned to the docks on the east side of town “—I’m sure the bay will have ponies shipping all sorts of supplies out of Manehattan. Maybe somepony there might know them.” Applejack agreed with Sunset's reasoning and the two took off.

They traipsed down the city’s streets, which was a lot more dangerous on hoof. Every crosswalk had a pony waiting for the signal to cross, only for their time to come and the hasty carts would ignore the walkers right of way. Some ponies would walk without care, and that ended with a cart screeching to a halt and some vulgar language tossed about. It’s definitely like downtown, Sunset thought after the fourth encounter. One small difference between her urban city and Manehattan stood out. Downtown, people smiled at each other as they passed on the sidewalk, but in Manehattan, nopony smiled. Whenever she looked directly at Applejack, she noticed how out of place the earth pony was. Aside from her country personality, Applejack smiled, and often. It was a cheerfulness that Manehattan lacked. Sunset wondered if it had always been this way, even before King Sombra’s return.

Once they reached city hall, Applejack compared how undamaged it was to Ponyville’s. Large sets of marble steps led up to the beige building. Six columns of decorative purpose stood in front of the open doorway, though most ponies used them as cover from the wind. Sunset pushed through the opening to a set of mahogany doors with Applejack on her tail. An endless flood of ponies entering and exiting the foyer of the city hall reminded her of the train station. The main room was tall and wide, with a welcome desk opposite the door. The circular shape of the interior echoed the hoofsteps as loudly as the chatter. Flags hung down from above—a sun being one of them. Two sets of doors were on both sides of the room where even more ponies filtered through.

Cameras flashed and voices echoed from the center as Sunset and Applejack entered. “Mayor! Mayor!” a male reporter called out as he slammed past Sunset. He didn’t apologize nor break his stride. Instead, like all the other reporters, he crowded around a pony that stood in the center of the congregating press.

“Please, I am not answering any questions today,” the mayor said. “You may save them for the press conference tomorrow morning.”

As the mayor pressed through the crowd of paparazzi, Sunset and Applejack stood in her path. “Mayor?” Applejack greeted the grey-haired pony from Ponyville.

For a moment, the mayor appeared to recognize her. But the memory faded from her eyes. She quickly asked, “Do I know you? If you’re looking for a story, please wait until tomorrow’s conference.”

Applejack shook her head. “It’s me Mayor, Applejack! From Ponyville?” Reporters soon swarmed the three with questions of who they were and how they knew Mayor Mare, all itching for a scandal or secret details.

It must've clicked for Mayor Mare upon the mentioning of Ponyville as she abruptly called for them to follow her past the large reception desk where the reporters couldn’t enter. Sunset and Applejack trailed behind her down two separate halls, both smaller than the last. City officials chatted around water coolers but broke apart as soon as they saw the mayor coming. A unicorn secretary quickly opened a decorative auburn door with frosted glass window, to which the mayor led them both through. The same unicorn then closed the door, and left them undisturbed by the rest of the offices.

“You have no idea how good it is to see somepony from Ponyville,” Mayor Mare said as she wrapped her forelegs around the fellow earth pony. “Manehattan is a growing nightmare compared to that rundown town. Oh. No offense.”

Applejack patted the mayor’s back before breaking off from the embrace. “Yeah, it certainly looks like a hoofful. You got your own office though, that’s a step up from Ponyville.”

“Yes, well, the town hall in Ponyville pretty much was my whole office. And it didn’t come with the numerous difficulties this one has,” she replied before motioning to the desk piled with paperwork. She trotted around her desk, which seemed too big for the small office, and sat down in a chair that creaked with age. After pushing the piles aside, she made room to see the two. “So, what can I do for Ponyville’s finest farmer and—” Her eyes drifted to Sunset. “Who are you?”

“This here is Sunset Shimmer,” Applejack introduced with a nod and smile. “She’s uh—she's got a real good plan for helpin’ defeat King Sombra.”

The mayor’s desk moved as she suddenly pushed against it. “Shhhush!” she hollered, waving her forelegs at them. “Don’t mention his name around here or you’ll start a panic! I don’t need more worried ponies on the steps!”

“Why would that start a panic?” asked Sunset. "It’s not like they don’t know about the war."

Mayor Mare sat back in her chair and turned away to face the only window of the room. “The whole war has the city in panic. Everyone expected Princess Celestia to have won by now—but every day we hear more tales of her forward operating base being pushed back by King Sombra’s forces. Everypony knows that if they get overwhelmed, Manehattan will be the first to see the consequences of her loss.”

“That’s why we’re here. We’re looking for two ponies that will help us defeat him and put this timeline back on track,” Sunset pleaded.

“Timeline?” Mayor Mare spun her chair back around.

Applejack quickly covered Sunset’s mouth, and held her in a tight grip. “S-sorry ‘bout that. My friend here is just a little tired from the trip. But she's right—we’re looking for two ponies that are somewhere in the city. A pegasus named Fluttershy is one, the other is Rarity. She also used to live in Ponyville. That fancy-shmancy dressmaker gal.”

“Rarity… Rarity…” The mayor tapped her desk as she pondered the name. She got up from her chair, still repeating the name, and pulled open one of the drawers from the desk. Applejack let go of Sunset who took a few moments to breathe as Mayor Mare plopped a file on the desk. “Here we are. Yes, she runs a clothing charity over on the east side of the city, near the bay. I believe they give out clothing to homeless foals while also creating padding for Celestia’s troops. You can find her between Ninth and Horseshoe Avenue. I don’t have the name of her charity on this file for some reason.” She closed the folder. “As for this Flutterguy, I don’t have anything on that fellow. Sorry.”

“That’s alright. It’s more than enough help. Thank you, Mayor,” Applejack replied.

“I’m glad I could be of some service to somepony lately. Especially you, Applejack. You’ve more than earned it after all the times you and your family helped Ponyville.” Her smile faltered. “It’s a shame that you and I couldn’t have saved the town completely. Though I suppose neither of us are to blame for that.” She sighed. “Regardless, I’m sure you two can see yourselves out. It was good to meet you Sunset Shimmer, and pleasure seeing you again, Applejack. If you’re ever back in the city, let me know. We could do lunch.”

They said their goodbyes to the mayor and made their way out of the city hall. The reporters had long since vanished, which made it easy to head back out into Manehattan. “Alright, Ninth and Horseshoe Avenue,” Sunset repeated the mayor’s directions. “That was surprisingly lucky that we ran into someone you know.”

“Yeah—but she’s right,” replied Applejack as she lifted her necklace to look at it. “A lot of ponies are unknowingly countin’ on you being right about this. Uniting the six Elements—bringing us together. If we don’t, or if we fail, a lot of ponies are gonna be in trouble.”

Sunset kept her smile from Applejack’s view and didn’t bother to answer. The Elements hadn’t failed before in the alternate timeline she came from. They wouldn’t fail here. Not if she could help it. “It’s this way. Here’s Horseshoe Avenue.” Dirt streets like those in Ponyville seemed odd for the overly populated Manehattan. But they were near the outskirts of the concrete city. Fillies and colts played in these roads by kicking a ball up and down the sides. No carriages traversed this part of the city. Only wagons filled to the brim with supplies meant for the north.

“Is that it?” Applejack asked, pointing to a shop without a sign.

“No, this isn’t Ninth. This is Seventh Street. Should be three more.”

“You mean two more,” corrected Applejack.

They traveled two more blocks, passing Eighth Street, then Main Street. “No, I meant three,” she replied as they cruised past Main and reached Ninth Street. She couldn't hide her coy smile as she peered back at Applejack.

“Show off,” Applejack grumbled. “Well, then that’s gotta be it.”

On the corner of Ninth and Horseshoe Avenue, just like Mayor Mare had said, sat a door with a white and purple sign over it. “Rarity’s Charity,” Sunset mouthed. The two-story, brick and mortar building was a lot less dazzling than Sunset would've imagined for the designer. Even the sign left something to be desired—the paint had chipped and the wood warped from the rain and sun.

“Before we head in, I’ve got a tiny question that’s been with me since we left city hall,” Applejack said. “Rarity’s the—what’s it—generous Element? If she’s doing a charity to give out to ponies, shouldn’t she already have her fancy necklace? Shouldn’t she already know that she’s needed for somethin’?”

Sunset shrugged. She didn’t have an answer for the earth pony, and she didn’t need one. The answer was either waiting for them inside or it wasn’t.

The bell over the door rung out as Sunset pushed it open, only to have it overshadowed by the dozens of sewing machines working all at the same time. Clothes were sewn together and then tossed in piles, left for another worker to pick up and prepare for travel. Brown and blue were the only colors—the brown for shirts, while the blue was used for pants. There weren't any other colors that Sunset could spot as they waltzed through the loud building.

At the furthest row of seamstresses sat a white unicorn. Her purple mane didn’t move under the amethyst colored bow as she stood up. The unicorn trotted to a door on the wall opposite from where they entered. She entered and closed it behind her. “That’s Rarity,” Applejack whispered to Sunset. At least, she assumed that's what Applejack said. She couldn't hear much over the sewing machines but acted as if she did. None of the workers looked up from their fabrics as Sunset and Applejack passed by. Not even a suspicious glance from one of the least tired of the group.

Sunset knocked on the door and didn’t hear anything. She knocked again before pushing it open.

“What is it Tape Length?” the purple haired unicorn called out, not bothering to look at the opening door. “Did you receive word from that cynical sheep groomer yet?”

“Rarity?” Sunset greeted while Applejack shut the door behind them.

The unicorn turned after realizing the voice wasn’t that of her co-worker. “Oh, I’m sorry. I was expecting somepony else. What can I do for you two?” she asked, still levitating a pencil and clipboard.

“Well, shoot. That sure is Rarity, though the clothes are a bit off.” Applejack stepped forward and waved to the dark amethyst-colored uniform the unicorn wore.

“Um, do I know you two?” she asked boorishly, and squinted down her muzzle at them both.

Applejack gave a nod and said, “You know me at the very least. You used to live back in Ponyville. I’m Applejack, one of the Apple family at Sweet Apple Acres.”

Rarity seemed to shift from side to side as she stared at Applejack—as if to judge the mare on the truth and the look of her. “Uh huh,” she said in response, her accent more posh compared to Mayor Mare’s. She didn’t say anything more, though her eyes looked as though they were discerning something.

“We’re here because you’re one of the six legendary Elements of Harmony,” Sunset added, hoping this would be easier than dealing with Applejack or Mayor Mare.

With a raised eyebrow this time, Rarity repeated herself, “Uh huh.”

Sunset looked worriedly at Applejack, her hopes slowly fleeting with every silent second and curt reply. “And, well—we’re going to go defeat King Sombra with these Elements after we gather the full six bearers.” She pointed to Applejack’s necklace as though that would prove their claim. “See?”

Rarity closed her mouth and swallowed, then took a moment before she decided to speak. “Listen, this is a donations office for the war effort. We’re not looking to be part of any weirdo cult at the moment, so I must ask you to please leave.”

Of course it won’t be easy, Sunset mused as she slapped her hoof against her forehead. “I know how it sounds, but you’ve got to believe us. You’re the Element of Generosity. We can’t hope to end the war without your help.” Or get me home.

“As nice as your friend’s necklace looks—nothing is going to convince me to leave my charity on some halfwit adventure. I’m not a soldier. I’m a seamstress with emphasis on stress. So, again, I must ask you to please leave my establishment before I have to call the city guards.”

“Rarity, please. I know this is going to sound strange, but I’m from another world where we aren’t at war with King Sombra. The Crystal Empire is a free city full of happy ponies. You, Applejack, and four others helped in his defeat. You helped in defeating several villains. There’s got to be something we can do to convince you to help us. Anything,” Sunset pleaded as she inched herself forward till she came nose to nose with the other unicorn.

The annoyed look Rarity held didn't change even with Sunset’s words. “Another world? That sounds like a cult to me, darling.”

Applejack slapped herself across the forehead. “There’s a reason I held you back at Mayor’s office, Sunset. You barely got me convinced that you’re from another time, and that didn’t happen till we went to the Tree of Harmony. Shoutin’ it to everypony we meet is gonna lead to some jail time or livin’ in an insane asylum.”

She hadn’t thought of it like that. Sunset had assumed that everyone would just believe her word as truth, but that wasn’t the case. Then, a brilliant, magnificent idea popped into her head. “That’s it! We’ll have to do something extremely generous for you, Rarity. Then you’ll be convinced by the necklace appearing right in front of your very eyes!”

“I get my own necklace for this cult? How exciting,” Rarity huffed. “Really now. If you could convince that stubborn Fluttershy to generously donate the wool she promised us, then I might believe you.”

The name sent a spark into Sunset. “Fluttershy!? Absolutely! You tell us where she is and we’ll get that wool for you!” Sunset stomped her hooves in a delighted dance.

The sudden excitement radiating from Sunset caused Rarity to drop her clipboard and pencil. “Really? Well, she’s on the further outskirts of town. To the east and north of the docks. Most of it is orchards out there, but there’s a sheep farm too,” she answered before levitating the fallen objects off the floor. “If you did this for me I’d certainly be grateful. I’d be able to mark a few things off my list if I had that wool.”

“A farm shouldn’t be difficult for me to find,” Applejack commended herself as she trotted over to the door.

“Awesome!” Out of force of habit, Sunset gave a quick hug to Rarity before rushing off behind Applejack. She didn’t get to see Rarity’s reaction for more than a split second, but the disheveled confusion on the unicorn’s face was certainly there. And that only added to Sunset's giddiness. After the two exited the charity and stepped out onto the dirt road, Sunset said, “Well, that didn’t go as planned, but we know where Fluttershy is. We might be able to, uh—smack two apple trees with one buck?”

Applejack gave a snort and let out a long, single hoot. “That sounds about right.”

One down—now they needed to find the other. Convincing them both would be hard, Sunset knew, but she believed in herself. She had convinced the stubbornest pony she knew, after all.

They followed the road north and eventually reached the outskirts of town where buildings were spread apart by acres and fences. Sunset’s smile stayed the entire walk. She had forgotten how fun it was just to spend time doing things with friends. Even though they weren't from CHS, there was excitement in regaining their friendship. For a moment, Sunset wondered if something forced her to be here so she could spend more time with the ones she cared about. Not that she minded if it were the reasoning, but the words ‘time’ and ‘help’ still burned in the back of her brain.

The barns and country houses seemed smaller compared to that of Sweet Apple Acres, and the orchards much different than the crops on the Apple’s farmland. There were no apple trees. Instead, pecans and oranges were the highlight of Manehattan’s produce, presumably meant for the sailors and soldiers of the north. The smell of freshly trimmed grass permeated the air of the farmland, with working ponies still out and about finishing their chores before dark.

Once they passed the orchards and a vineyard, they trotted into the farm animal territory. Pigs oinked while cows ignored them, too focused on the fodder of the field they stood in. A flood of sheep suddenly came bolting across the street, and stopped Sunset and Applejack dead in their tracks. This herd of sheep filtered into a large, long metal barn that looked repurposed from something else. “Looks like we found sheep,” Applejack stated the obvious.

Sunset asked, “Yeah, but do you notice anything odd?”

Applejack glanced over the sheep as they passed. They had floppy ears, happy smiles, and white woolly coats. “Uh,” Applejack started. She took another, harder look at the seemingly perfect sheep. “No?”

Rolling her eyes, Sunset then pointed to a passing sheep’s fleece coat. “They all have their wool. Unshorn sheep. Rarity was complaining about the lack of wool she was receiving.”

“Oh, yeah! Maybe they’re goin’ into that there building to be sheered?”

The last few sheep crossed the road and filtered into the metal barn. They pushed and shoved against each other as the steel doors began to close behind them. Just before the doors could shut, Sunset and Applejack pushed through the opening. Dim lights overhead provided the only illumination now that they were shut in, and made the white woolly sheep a bit greyer in color. The musky scent of sheep and hay wafted through the enclosed space. It was a tight barn, and the sheep were just a tad smaller than Sunset and Applejack. Seven or eight sheep could line from wall to wall at most, and there were at least a hundred down the length.

“Hurrk,” was the sound Sunset made before she pressed a hoof to her muzzle—blocking her nostrils.

Applejack looked at her and chuckled. “Guess you don’t live on a farm in your fancy other world. This place smells like home.” Applejack then took a big whiff of the barn’s scent, which caused Sunset’s stomach to churn.

“Let’s just find out why these sheep haven’t been shaved yet,” Sunset said as she straddled a wall.

“Winter is coming,” a sheep said, startling Sunset away from the wall. “It’ll be too cold for us,” another stated. “Yeah! We’re keeping our wool. Fluttershy said so! She’s so kind.” Many of the sheep began repeating Fluttershy’s name, bleating incoherently.

So that’s the reasoning. Rarity was already generous, and Fluttershy was already kind. This might be a lot harder than I thought, Sunset concluded as the sheep slowly simmered their cheering.

A voice then rose their happy cries back from the silence. “What’s got you all so excited?” the voice questioned, and echoed from the far end of the metal barn. Sunset could barely make out the pink of the pony’s head.

They pushed by the gentle livestock with ease. As they drew closer, the grey wool played contrast to the yellow and pink of the pegasus. The voice called out again, “Don’t worry little ones, you’ll be safe in here tonight, and then tomorrow you can go back into the yard.” The pegasus didn't notice Sunset or Applejack creeping up behind her. The dim light worked against her just as it had for them.

The pegasus busily moved hay bales around and brushed off the coats of the closest sheep. As she set down a bucket near the herd, her eyes drifted up to some movement that stood higher than the rest of the livestock. That’s when she finally noticed them with faces hidden in the shadowy lights. Her scream resonated within the metallic walls of the building. Sunset and Applejack were forced to cover their ears.

“Fluttershy!” Sunset called out over the screaming. After pushing through the sheep, Sunset reached out and closed shut Fluttershy’s muzzle. “Enough!” she commanded in a deep, angry voice.

“Is it safe?” Applejack yelled, while still covering her ears. Some of the sheep looked up at her with squinting eyes and brief looks, and others snickered and murmured.

Fluttershy pushed away the hoof and asked, “W-who are you? What d-do you want?”

“Relax, relax. We’re friends.” Sunset hadn’t thought of what she could say to the pegasus to get her on her side. According to Applejack, any mention of the different timelines was out of the question. “My name is Sunset Shimmer,” she greeted. “We have been looking for you. Rarity told us we could find you here.”

“R-Ra-Rarity?” the pegasus stuttered and wiped the sweat from her brow. “You’re not h-here to collect the wo-wool are you?”

“The wool, Rarity, and you, actually.”

Her answer seemed puzzling for the pegasus. “Please! Don’t tell anyone about the sheep! I beg of you!” Fluttershy dropped to the ground in her pleading with Sunset. Hay and dirt clung to her tears and stuck to her face in the process.

Sunset stared down at the teary-eyed pegasus. It had been a long while since she made her timid friend cry. A flood of memories poured into Sunset's mind. Yelling, slamming lockers, blocking paths. There were a lot of things Sunset had done to the shyest of her high school friends, all of which she still regretted—regardless of being forgiven. Now, staring down at the sullen pegasus, Sunset wondered if she’d ever get to see that introverted friend again. To share a day at the animal shelter or a picnic with her friendly animals.

She placed a hoof on Fluttershy’s shoulder and said, “We won’t tell, Fluttershy.”

The downpour of tears didn't stop as she looked up at Sunset. “Yo-you won’t?”

“It wouldn’t be very kind of us, would it?” Applejack emphasized her question with a wink as she walked over and stood next to Sunset.

Fluttershy looked unsure of the two but was quick to regain her composure. “Oh, well, t-thank you.” She trotted past Sunset to slump down next to the sheep and wrap her forelegs around one of them. “I don’t want to think of these poor creatures being cold for the winter. It’d be just awful for them. I can’t even bring myself to pick up a razor.”

“We did promise to bring Rarity back their wool,” Applejack whispered to Sunset. “How’re we gonna do that now? We can’t really promise one thing and then do the other.”

The Element of Honesty was just as honest as Sunset had known her to be. And she was more often right about things than Sunset would want to admit—this being one of those times. Sunset watched as Fluttershy opened the metal door of the barn and trotted outside, the song in her step returned to what it had been prior to the screaming.

Once she took a moment to breathe, Sunset levitated down her zipper and pulled the journal from the backpack. “What’re you doin’?” Applejack asked as Sunset flipped through the pages.

“I-I’m not the greatest when it comes to friends,” she admitted. “I’d like to say I’m pretty knowledgeable about it, but it’s only recently that I’ve truly understood what friendship means. This book isn’t just history of what’s happened in my timeline. It's advice. Mostly for trying to make new friends, and keep old ones.” She eventually came to a page where she had asked about Fluttershy, to which Princess Twilight retold the tale of the Breezies. “Fluttershy was once forced to be unkind to some small creatures, which goes against her Element, but she did it so that they would be able to go home. Essentially, being unkind was the greatest kindness she could give.”

Applejack ran a hoof through her flowing mane and down the back of her neck. Blonde strands of hair moved gently around her dirty hoof. She remained silent for a moment, clearly contemplating a reply. “So, we’re gonna roughhouse some sheep?” she finally asked.

“What? No. No!” Sunset scoffed and shook her head. “I’m going to convince her to come with us and give up the wool.” She trotted out of the barn and headed for Fluttershy, becoming less confident with every step. “H-hey, Fluttershy. Can I talk to you? About King Sombra?”

The pegasus froze. She had turned to face Sunset with a smile but it dissipated at the very mention of the name. “Ki-Ki-King Sombra!?”

“Yes. You see, when I told you I was here for you, I should have told you that I’m not from this world. I’m from an alternate world, in a different time, where we don’t have a war with King Sombra. We live peacefully. When the Crystal Empire returned, King Sombra was defeated. Many villains were defeated, actually. One of them being myself.” She smiled at the thought of her demonized form. “But in every instance, you and five others had a hoof in the victory. And I think I’m here to help you six win in this timeline too.”

The pegasus remained frozen. She was either blindsided by the amount of exposition or still traumatized by the mention of King Sombra, Sunset couldn’t tell which. Her throat moved to swallow before she finally spoke up. “O-oh,” was all she replied.

Sunset stood still, unsure of how to respond to such a simplistic answer. She could feel her cheeks burn as she realized that ponies really didn’t believe her. She now knew Applejack was right to say she’d be in an insane asylum if she continued telling everypony of her alternate world. Before she could say anything to prove she wasn’t crazy, a mocking laugh cut her off.

“Sorry! Sorry!” Applejack apologized as she wiped a tear from her eye, and her cackle continued. “I can’t help but laugh at awkward situations.” She trotted closer and swung one hoof around Sunset's neck. “I know how it must sound, Fluttershy. I didn’t rightly believe it at first. But Sunset is definitely a time-travelin', universe-hoppin’ pony from a different world. I wouldn’t have left my farm and family back in Ponyville if I didn’t believe her.” Giving a tap to Sunset’s chest, she added, “Apparently we’re all friends in her world, and I can’t help but get a good feelin’ from you, Fluttershy. So, when she says we can defeat King Sombra, I’m more than inclined to believe her.”

“I-I’ve never really had any friends before. B-besides the sheep, of course,” Fluttershy nervously replied as she rubbed one foreleg with the other, all while hiding behind a few strands of hair.

“Well, it’s never too late to have more. I’m living proof of that.” Sunset placed a hoof around the pegasus with Applejack joining in on the opposite side. “Though being friends means we shouldn’t lie to each other. I’m sorry to say, but we really do need the wool from these sheep.” She watched as Fluttershy’s head sunk. “But I don’t think it’d be too much to ask if Rarity made them coats as well.”

The pegasus removed the brown bandana from her head. It was short and matted in places—Sunset assumed she had cut it herself. “O-okay. I suppose if you really want me to, I can start sheering.”

“That’s the spirit!” Sunset cheered.

Nothing more was said by the pegasus as she went to work sheering the sheep. Her smile faded as the razor buzzed in her hooves. Wool fell to the ground, which she quickly swept into a basket. She then froze at the sight of Sunset and Applejack who had begun helping with her work. “Y-you’re helping me?”

Sunset threw a look over her shoulder, and noted the disbelief in the pegasus’s eyes. “Of course. You didn’t think we’d force you to do it all yourself? What type of friends would we be if we were so self-centered?”

“Baaaaad friends,” Applejack replied, still focused on the sheering process. It took a few seconds for her to notice the silence, to which she turned to see the unamused faces of Sunset, Fluttershy, and even a few sheep. “Oh come on now. Someone was bound to make the pun eventually!” she argued before returning to the chore.

A smile pursed Sunset’s lips, hidden by her focus on the sheep. “I suppose helpful friends come with bad jokes in every universe.” She shut off the razor and turned back to Fluttershy. “Isn’t that right Fl—” Her mouth ceased to move as she saw the glowing eyes of the pegasus.

They almost missed it, too focused on the sheep, razors, and bad jokes. A necklace grew from white light. It wrapped around Fluttershy’s throat, the gold hem shining against her yellow fur. Once her hooves touched the ground, the two rushed up to greet her. To greet the Element of Kindness. “Oh, my,” Fluttershy whimpered as she opened her eyes and held her head. “W-what just happened?”

“You did it! You unlocked the Element of Kindness! How’d you do it?” Sunset tapped the pink butterfly that sat contained within the necklace.

Fluttershy rubbed her temple as she stared down at the piece of magical jewelry. “Uhm—I, well—it was when I saw how kind you two were. Helping me and all.” Her eyes met Sunset’s. “I thought you were just saying those things to get to the wool, but when you started sheering the sheep with me—well, it just sort of clicked.”

Applejack snorted and said, “Hah! Told you that’s what it was like!”

With a roll of her eyes, Sunset focused on Fluttershy. “This is an Element of Harmony, Fluttershy. With this—with six of these—we can defeat King Sombra, and I can return home. Will you help us? Will you come with us to the Crystal Empire?”

The shy pony hid behind a few strands of her short mane for a moment before popping out her smiling face. “I couldn’t say no to somepony who has that much faith in me. Especially not somepony who’s a friend.”

Sunset wrapped her forelegs around the pegasus and squeezed. “Then I guess that’s two down, four to go. Maybe three if we can convince Rarity,” Applejack said. As Sunset and Fluttershy went back to their spots and picked up their razors, Applejack began tapping the ground with a hoof. “It used to be that smiles were come and go. Friends were something that I used to know,” she began to sing.

“But just by being near you has helped me grow,” Fluttershy picked up where Applejack left off. “I feel it in me, that something that I used to know.”

“Are you two seriously singing right now?” Sunset asked, interrupting their lyrical tirade. Fluttershy and Applejack both sang their answer, to which Sunset gave a smile and joined in. She couldn’t stop herself. Her friends were happy, and that alone made her happy. It all seemed to wash away. The war, her troubles, everything. For a moment, this was what Sunset needed.

World 1: Chapter 3

The carts creaked and shook as they halted in the street. The wool had been shaved, stored, and carted by the three, and Sunset knew that was three more things that she didn’t have to do. She hoped this showing of generosity would be enough. Not just to convince Rarity, but to also bring forth the Element from within her. After releasing themselves from the harnesses, they went inside the sewing shop. Most of the mares that had been busily working themselves to the bone went home for the day. Only Rarity and one other worker were left to tend to the fabrics.

As they entered, the bell rang and caught Rarity and the other mare’s attention. The workshop's silence permeated for a moment, but not before the white unicorn shouted, “Fluttershy!?” The look on Rarity’s face perfectly matched the look Sunset had the day she arrived in this strange world. Rarity trotted past the sewing machines while staring intensely at the pegasus. Her eyes drifted down to the golden piece around Fluttershy’s neck. “I can’t believe it. Does this mean you’ve managed to convince her to send us the wool?” she asked Sunset.

“Yep. Even prepped it and brought it over. It’s in the set of carts right outside,” Sunset answered and then paused. She waited for the light to shine through Rarity’s eyes, for the necklace to form, and for Rarity to realize she truly was the Element of Generosity. Unfortunately, Rarity’s eyes, while appreciative, didn’t change. “A-and she’s also committed to coming with us to find the other three up in the Crystal Empire,” Sunset continued, still waiting for the light show to begin.

Applejack gave an inquisitive look to Sunset who in turn tried her best to ignore the earth pony. There was something wrong, Sunset knew that, but she couldn’t understand what it was. They did everything right, but it was all for naught. “Why didn’t she receive an Element yet?” asked Fluttershy, who apparently wondered the same thing they did.

Both Sunset and Applejack gave a shrug, but it was Rarity who knew. “My Element? What exactly is my Element?”

“Generosity,” answered Applejack.

The unicorn’s eyelashes fluttered for a moment before closing. “And you expected me to see how generous you two were?” she asked, and opened her eyes to reveal her piercing blue diamond glare. “That would make sense except for the fact that you need me for something. Doing something for somepony else when you want something in return isn’t very generous.” Her angry eyes turned on Sunset. “We’re friends in your world, right? Yet, you don’t know what real generosity is.”

Sunset chewed her lip as she listened to the fellow unicorn’s lecture. Well, she’s got me there. “We weren’t completely off, though! We did promise that you’d generously make coats for the sheep to wear in return for their wool. That has to count for something!”

“How is promising something that you don’t have count as generosity? Darling, that’s almost the opposite of generosity. That’s taking something and giving nothing in return,” Rarity claimed with a roll of her eyes. She didn’t hesitate to turn back to the other mare. “Suri, dear, fetch me my clipboard.”

The magenta-furred mare gave a nod and returned at once with Rarity’s clipboard and pen. Rarity quickly sketched up something that she gave back to the mare named Suri. “Here, this is the design for the sheep coats. I’m leaving it up to you to see this done—along with the charity.”

“Wait, you’re coming with us?” Sunset asked, baffled.

“You’re leaving us? You’re leaving me the workshop?” Suri held the clipboard close, her eyes began to water.

“Rename the charity if you’d like. It’s yours. If we go to the Crystal Empire and win, we won’t need this place anymore. And if we lose—well, either way. I probably won’t be returning to Manehattan for a long while. Be kind, Suri Polomare.” She wrapped a hoof around the mare before turning back to the three. “Oh! Before we go, I better get cleaned up.” Before Sunset could ask anything else, Rarity disappeared to the back room, eventually returning with a clean and proper mane. The amethyst-colored outfit was gone and replaced with a pink scarf that wrapped around her neck twice. She wasn’t as radiant as Applejack or Fluttershy, but she was more than prepared to be. “Shall we?”

As they stepped out onto the stoop, Sunset remained in a state of disbelief. “You’re actually coming with us? Even though you don’t have an Element?”

“Fair’s fair. I keep my word,” Rarity replied as she looked over at the three carts. “You apparently do as well. So if this isn’t a cult, then you’ve earned my trust. I may not have an Element as you call it, but I’m more than willing to put up with your request until I do. Or until you are proven wrong, at the very least.” A half-smile crossed her lips.

Sunset didn't expect Rarity to be so perceptive. It was a rather curious trait that she wondered if her own Rarity shared. The Rarity who lived in Equestria owned and operated businesses, so undoubtedly this was another, more intelligent side that never came up during her time at CHS. It was just another thing on Sunset’s list to ask about once she returned to her own time.

“Okay. So. How is this ragtag group of gals getting to the Crystal Empire? Some sort of teleporting device in these marvelous little amulets,” Rarity asked as she gently tapped Applejack’s Element.

“Boat,” answered Applejack. “It’s the only way north.”

“Well that’s rather disappointing,” Rarity grumbled.

Sunset's mind never thought of travel. It was one of those bridges they’d cross whenever they got to it. But getting around in Equestria was a lot harder than just jumping through a mirror. Travel was quite easy for unicorns who had the magical prowess and skill to do so. Unless you’re a unicorn who’s a bit rusty. Sunset's stay in the other world left her out of practice with most of her rudimentary spells. Levitation was like riding a bike, but teleportation, energy beams, and illumination were a bit more advanced. It wouldn’t hurt to brush up on my magic, she thought, but there’s really no need. I shouldn’t be here much longer. Of course, she didn't account for the day and a half it took them to reach the northernmost port in Equestria by river.

It was the last surviving outpost besides the main base, which sat deep within the Crystal Empire’s territory. Wooden palisades surrounded the snowy town, and it was much, much smaller than Manehattan. They traded skyscrapers of cement for hovels of dirt and stone. Cottages shoddily built, or perhaps appropriated for the war’s use, offered a much-needed shelter from the blizzard's winds that shrouded the horizon to the west. The air here was less than a mild breeze. Most of the other ponies that also traveled by boat set off to join their battalions or find their captain. Sunset and the Element’s received several odd looks on the ship, and now were being subject to even stranger, more intimidating stares.

The cold frost made everyone a bit jittery or mean, or both. Even the nurses grimaced as Sunset's group passed the cottages. Applejack urged them not to stop. They needed to make haste if they were going to head across the snowy wasteland and reach Celestia’s encampment before nightfall. With the menacing looks they were given, the others heeded Applejack’s words. As they entered the single gate of the port, they were stopped by two guards who were decked out in plated gold armor. They were different from the other soldiers, even though everyone wore the same type of armor. Their helmets weren't the same compared to the rest of the encampment. These held blue plumes while the regular soldiers had white or brown. Sunset knew the colors well—blue meant they were part of the royal guard. These two guarded someone or something relating to royalty, she was certain.

“Four civilians coming to the north, not even here to help with the effort, and they’re just going to head straight for the gate?” a stallion’s voice called from behind them. They quickly turned to face him, and Sunset acknowledged he was a higher officer than the rest. The plume that sat atop the white stallion’s helmet was made from his own mane and tail, which gave the brush his own set of colors. This signified he wasn’t just part of the royal guard. He had to be the captain. Only the highest guard could hold a helmet displaying his or her own colors.

For a moment, Sunset thought she recognized him but could not discern from where. “Um, hello there,” she stepped forward between the other three. “We’re actually looking for a few of our friends. We believe they’re at the main encampment. So, we’ll just be on our way.”

“Not so fast,” the stallion commanded as he removed his helmet. “I cannot allow civilians to cross the storm. You may get captured by King Sombra’s army and forced to join them if you have not already joined them.”

“What do you mean, already joined them? Have other ponies just showed up outta the blue and helped that evil stallion?” Applejack curtly asked.

“No, but we’re not taking any chances.” The stallion’s brow pulled together. “You’re going to have to come with me.”

“Wait, please.” Sunset stared at the eyes of the stallion, the light blue in his iris matched the streak within his hair. On a hunch, she pleaded, “Please sir, we have to cross. My friend Twilight Sparkle is out there, and I need to find her.”

The name made the captain falter and step back. “Twilight… How do you know my sister’s name?”

“Aha!” Sunset shouted and pointed at the stallion. “I knew it! You’re Shining Armor!”

The other two guards came forward and surrounded the four mares. “Now you’re really going to have to come with me,” Shining Armor demanded, sounding all the more serious.

With no other choices, Sunset complied, and the group crowded Shining Armor’s temporary quarters. Within the cozy little cottage, Sunset explained everything. Her time travel, her world, her reuniting of the Elements of Harmony. Applejack and Fluttershy backed up her story, while showing off the Elements that hung around their throats. Shining Armor listened to their tale and the roles they filled of Sunset’s timeline. For a moment, it appeared that Shining Armor would believe them. Until he gave his answer. “I’ll escort you across myself. Princess Celestia can decide whether or not you’re telling the truth or if you’re simply out of your minds. If it were me, you'd be back on that boat.”

Princess Celestia. It was a name Sunset dreaded to hear, the guilt she had still clinging to her conscience. She much preferred the name Principal Celestia. She had no past confrontations with that Celestia, and she hoped that the altered timeline left none with this Celestia. If not, then she could only imagine what the alicorn would say to her. Would she accept her return, even if she was not from this timeline? Would she have her jailed, never able to return to her own time and world? Only a matter of distance before she would find out.

They wasted no time. It was only her, the three Elements, Shining Armor, and the two royal guards that were making the trek through the snowstorm. Shining Armor said that the Crystal Empire was like an eye within the storm, which created the perfect battleground for which Celestia held through strife and attrition. “Without Celestia and her army, I’d imagine most of Equestria would be covered in crystals,” he commented, doing his best to speak over the gusts of wind. The palisade that surrounded the port were no longer visible as they entered the storm. There was no turning back as far as Sunset was concerned.

The blizzard, loud and blinding, was dulled by Shining Armor's bubble barrier. It prevented the ice from freezing them solid as they walked. Still, the sounds it made covered the noise of Sunset’s hooves crinkling in the snow as they walked. She attempted to yell a response but her voice could not overpower the wind. Like a thousand train whistles going off at the same time, it struck against their eardrums worse than the snow hitting the barrier. Sunset wondered if the blizzard could keep King Sombra’s forces at bay as well, or if the storm was brought on by the evil unicorn.

She pondered what King Sombra was truly like. She wasn’t there for his defeat and only heard of tales afterward. Twilight’s assistant, Spike the Dragon, was the hero of the empire. After King Sombra’s loss, it was Princess Cadance and her husband, Shining Armor, who ruled over the crystal city. What had become of the king after his defeat? She made a mental note to write down her unanswered questions and get answers once she returned to her own time. Now there’s a thought. Once we defeat him, Twilight can say she too defeated King Sombra. I wonder what Spike will think of that. She half-smiled at the thought.

With a final push, they made their way out into a snowy clearing where light reflected off the untouched snow. If it weren't for the dark crystals and billowing smoke, it would have been a peaceful sight. But the thousands of crimson tents in the distance and the gems that jutted up in the north painted a very different picture for Sunset. As they continued toward the encampment and smoke, Sunset asked, “So, will Princess Twilight Sparkle be there? I need to talk to her as soon as possible.”

“Princess Twilight Sparkle?” Shining Armor repeated with a mocking laugh. “My sister, a princess? Now there’s a riot. She’d turn down the position, even if she weren’t a student under the prince.” He gave another laugh and shook his head. A glance at his eyes reflected a memory he was having, most likely of his baby sister, Sunset assumed.

“Prince? What prince? There’s another prince besides you?” Sunset questioned.

“Me? I’m not a prince. Well, not yet,” he said. “No thanks to the Crystal Empire popping up, nor the changeling invasion. Why? Am I already married in your world? Do you know my fiancée?” He stopped, and everyone stopped with him.

She gave a nod. “Not that I was actually there, but that is ringing a few alarms in my head. So who’s the prince then? And how was the changeling invasion defeated?”

Shining Armor continued, and so did the rest. “I’ll let you meet the prince yourself. He’s never far from Princess Celestia’s side. He was actually the one who managed to defeat the changelings by breaking through the changeling queen’s disguise. It was a lucky thing that I had become friends with him—otherwise, he might not have realized something was wrong. Princess Celestia awarded him after that. A keen eye, she claimed, and the power of friendship.” He gave a hoarse laugh, and a cough followed.

The thought of a different prince soured Sunset’s mood. It would be more difficult to pull things back into place if the difference was substantial between the two timelines. An unmarried Princess Cadance, no Princess Twilight, a war with King Sombra, and an unknown prince. It would curdle anyone’s mood to have so much be so different, yet familiar enough. But there was one thing that was the same. It stood around her, traveling with her. Regardless of how they came to be or what changed them, she knew she could rely on them. Her friends.

Of course, there was one thing that worried her more than King Sombra’s rise, a new prince, or the changed events. That one thing was soon to be face to face with her.

As they drew closer to the camp, the crimson of the tents mixed with the snow and turned it purple—as if to give a bright, happy contrast to the plum-colored crystals of the Crystal Empire. Sunset was mesmerized by the gentle winds kicking up the purple snow and dragging it into the air, as if the breeze didn’t care about the blizzard or the war between good and evil. She envied it for a moment. At least it belonged in this world.

A short jog up an incline and they were inside the camp. Sunset also noted how much smaller the tents were than she anticipated, but there was certainly a lot of them. She tried to count but gave up once she realized there were far more than a hundred, and those were just the ones she could see. Each tent could hold two to three soldiers and was held up by metal rods and rope. Some of the soldiers looked at them as they passed, while others kept their chins buried in their chests. Everyone had remained silent once they reached the camp, and Sunset knew this was the first time the three Elements saw the war taking its toll. The sounds of horseshoes colliding as the soldiers trained echoed out, only interrupted by the occasional shouting. It was almost an unnatural sound.

They came upon a large tent, and she noted even larger tents behind it. Blue plumes sat atop the helmets of those soldiers who stood around these tents. As they walked further, Sunset noticed how many of the blue there was and wondered if Celestia had brought the entirety of the royal guard with her. Was there even a single guard left in Canterlot? It wasn’t too long before she would be able to voice her thought, as the thing that worried her most stood only a few yards away.

They stopped at a lengthy rectangular canopy. In it held a sprawled out crimson carpet, a table, nine chairs, six chests, a collection of books and tomes, a map of the north, pleasant food, and a single white alicorn that stared through a telescope with a frown that would make Principle Cinch jealous. The last one was what Sunset feared the most. The giant white wings and sharp horn were much more threatening when they were atop a pony who may or may not harbor resentment toward you. Shining Armor trotted ahead to greet the princess who remained focused on whatever was on the other side of that lens. As they stepped beneath the canopy and stood to the right of the table, Sunset heard her name. Shining Armor had said it, followed by Twilight’s name.

Neither of the names drew Celestia away from the telescope. Sunset assumed that meant she had never met the princess in this timeline. That or Celestia wanted nothing to do with her failed student. When Shining Armor motioned for Sunset, she trotted up closer but still maintained her distance. “H-hello,” she said, her tone was anxious, but not completely lacking of confidence. “I’m Sunset Shimmer. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

The ears of the alicorn perked up at the name as if they had not heard Shining Armor say it at all. After removing her eye from the scope, Celestia tilted her head ever so slightly to peer at the unicorn—like a bird turning its neck to get a better look at its prey. But unlike a bird’s eye, Celestia’s were sharp and restless, not beady or lidded. Though her movement was like that of an avian, her ears moved more like a cat—twitching in one direction, then another, as though listening for every sudden sound. “Acquaintance? I suppose that’s all we are anymore,” she finally spoke with her thick, overbearing voice. The same voice Sunset heard right before she ceased her apprenticeship.

It was not a drastically different timeline after all. There was one semblance of Sunset’s life, the single piece of her past that she wished wasn’t. Her second greatest failure. “O-oh. I-I’m sorry, I didn’t know if you knew me in this timeline or not. Things here are a bit different than what I’m used to,” Sunset apologized, while keeping her head low but still maintaining eye contact. Any confidence she had flew out of her like a plastic bag carried by the wind.

The ears stopped, the eyes widened, and the mouth twitched with a flinch just for a moment. If Sunset’s words were the answers to a test, Celestia would have gotten an F. Out of all the things Sunset could have said, there was no way this Celestia could have expected sorry. “Timeline?” Celestia repeated the word and stepped toward the unicorn, with her large, white body facing the mare.

“Oh,” Sunset replied. “Yes. Yes! Out of all the ponies who have thought I was crazy, I have to believe you’d be willing to hear me out and know that I was telling the truth, without having to convince you!”

“Go on then,” acknowledged the alicorn.

Sunset nervously chewed her lip before centering herself. It was all or nothing. “I’m from another world, another time, where there’s no war with King Sombra. It’s a land of peace and was saved countless times by my friends. One of those friends even saved me from turning just as evil as King Sombra. But something happened recently, something relating to a map they use to help others. Now I’m stuck in this world, trying to get back to mine, and it’s not even the same one I live in!”

The alicorn glared at the unicorn with a suspicious eye as she listened to every word.

“And then I’m supposed to help this world even though I don’t know how, other than uniting the Elements of Harmony. Supposedly that will get me home too, but I don’t even have confirmation for that! And it’s been so long since I've talked to you, even though I know it’s not the you that I actually know. But it still makes me feel awkward and I know I’m starting to ramble—I just can’t help it…” Sunset poured her words out as quickly as she thought of them, eventually running out of breath. She forced herself to take a moment, all while panting like a dog.

“The Elements of Harmony…” Princess Celestia softened. Her shoulders rolled as she leaned her head back, though still staring down at Sunset, who stared back. “They’re all but gone. Trapped in stone and left in a place nopony can get to, part from me. Though not even I can bring them back from their rock prison.”

“Oh, I wasn’t talking about those. I was talking about these Elements.” Sunset extended a hoof and pointed at the three mares who stood off to the side, guarded by Shining Armor.

She could tell Celestia didn’t understand. For once, it was a surprise to see the teacher hold so little information. Whether she was a principal or princess, Celestia always appeared to know a bit of everything—though not everything she knew was under her control. “They’re the Element bearers,” Sunset continued. “Rarity, the Element of Generosity, has not yet gained her Element. The other two have, however.” She pointed to the necklaces on Applejack and Fluttershy. “Applejack, the Element of Honesty, and Fluttershy, the Element of Kindness.”

Celestia stared down her muzzle at the trio. “Kindness and generosity. I know those Elements well.”

“What about honesty?” Sunset asked.

“That belonged to… someone else,” replied the alicorn as she turned her head to the battlefield.

Sunset was unsure what she meant, though many things were different within this timeline. Something in her gut told her not to press the powerful alicorn for answers, especially when she required answers for different questions. “There’s actually six of them. Loyalty, laughter, and magic.”

“And what is your Element?”

Everyone seemed to expect an Element of Sunset, though she didn't understand why. Regardless of how much she had changed, the path she trailed initially was not one that the Elements took part. At most, she was an action by the Elements, given friendship and support in their place. But in this world, every pony that she spoke to inclined she was worthy. And every time she corrected them. She felt like a liar or deceiver—giving them false hope without even being what she claimed to bring. “I-I’m not an Element,” she replied, lowering her head. “I’m just friends with them.”

“Friends? Sunset Shimmer has friends?”

“A few. One or two in my timeline, a few more in the world beyond the mirror, where I live. It’s a work in progress.”

A smile creeped onto Celestia’s lips. “That sounds awfully different from the attitude you had when you left my apprenticeship.”

“Well, when the Princess of Friendship shows up in your world and beats the darkness out of you, you kind of start to listen after that. People tend to forgive you if you’re legitimately sorry.” Sunset shrugged.

“The princess of what?” Celestia asked, curiously.

“Oh, right. Well, Twilight Sparkle’s the unicorn who succeeded where I failed in my world. She also convinced me that the path I went down wasn’t worth it. Twilight’s the Princess of Friendship, the Element of Magic, and she’s a good friend.” Either Celestia’s smile was contagious, or the mere thought of Twilight was enough for Sunset to smile.

“Did you just say Twilight Sparkle?” a stallion asked from behind her. “What do you want with my student?”

Sunset’s eyes almost popped out of her skull after she turned to the voice. A stallion stood by her three friends, light orange in fur and darker in the mane. A long, dark orange beard strung from his chin, tied in the middle with a blue gem. Glasses sat on his muzzle, almost hiding the white stripe that went from between his eyes down to the nostrils. It wasn’t what he looked like or who he was that disturbed Sunset. It was the two perfect wings laying upon his back, while a book was levitated in front of him, kept up by his horn.

“I-I can’t believe it.” Sunset turned back to Celestia. “You made Sunburst your pupil instead of Twilight? Sun ‘I can’t tell the difference between an enlarging and shrinking spell’ burst?! Are you kidding me?” She threw her face to the air and shouted, “This is the worst possible timeline!”

The stallion stepped forward and took his place next to Celestia. “If there was anyone who would still hold a grudge about mixing up size spells, it’d be the traitorous Sunset Shimmer.” His eyes gleamed over her through his glasses that sat halfway down his muzzle. “And that’s Prince Sunburst to you. Not that I’d be as resentful as you, but I do like the irony here.” His smirk tilted the glasses slightly.

“This doesn’t make any sense. Even if I left, Twilight still should have become Celestia’s pupil. You were dropping out when I quit. How’d you become her student, let alone an alicorn!?”

“So you did say her name.” Sunburst pushed up his glasses. “Twilight Sparkle failed to prove her magical abilities in school, but I returned after you fled to try again. I made an impression when the others did not. She didn’t give up though, and after I ascended to prince status, it made sense to take her on as my pupil. Of course, a dear close friend was also persuasive, so it made sense to take his sister under my wings,” explained the prince.

Sunset grimaced at the thought of Sunburst ascending a throne. Shining Armor backed up the truth in his words, however. He must have been the one to save Princess Cadance and Shining Armor’s wedding, she put two and two together. If that’s true, then I wonder how powerful he’s become.

A thunderous clop against the ground silenced the duo. “Enough,” Celestia demanded. “Guards, find a large enough tent and take our three guests so that they may get some comfort.” She motioned for the Elements to leave before turning her head to Sunburst. “Sunburst, please find your apprentice. She is of great use to us if Sunset Shimmer is honest in her words. I also require some privacy to find that out for myself.”

The guards took Fluttershy, Rarity, and Applejack away while Sunburst nodded and took his leave as well.

They were alone.

“Sunset, tell me of this alternate universe that you live in,” Celestia requested, and returned to her telescope.

“It’s a lot like this one, except there’s no King Sombra. A few minor role changes here and there. Most importantly, my friends don’t know each other in this timeline. Something happened. Something changed so that they wouldn’t meet or become friends—so that they would never be the Elements of Harmony,” Sunset explained her knowledge of the situation. “But I saw my version of Princess Twilight leave with her assistant.”

“Where?”

“Where? You mean where did they go? I don’t know. But they went through the same type of portal I went through, except theirs was atop a table in a castle. Well, there is no castle in this timeline, but the map, the chairs, they’re still there. That’s how I knew where to look for the Elements. Whenever I place my hooves atop the table, I can see the Tree of Harmony and their cutie marks.”

For a moment, Celestia didn’t flinch or speak. Whatever sat on the other side of the telescope was more interesting than Sunset or the Elements, or at least, that’s what Sunset assumed. A slight hum echoed from Celestia as she removed her eye from the lens. She then lowered its height and took another look. “Come over here. Have a look at this.”

Sunset did as she was told without hesitation as if she were back in her apprentice days. Celestia leaned back to allow her some room, though she kept her neck outstretched above Sunset’s head. Sunset could feel Celestia’s breath hitting the top of her head as she pushed an eye to the glass. She didn't expect what laid on the other end.

Purple crystals of various shades were popping up around the western walls of the city. As each one rose, a stallion of black hair and red cloak appeared as the cause. Sunset had never seen the stallion before, but could only assume that the royal regalia and crystal creation meant it was none other than King Sombra. Around him stood soldiers with black helmets and armor to boot, a dark army for a dark king. She pushed her eye closer and zoomed in slightly to get a better look at the evil stallion’s face. As it focused, the king turned his head toward her and smiled, almost as though he could see her. She quickly pulled herself away, startled by the sight.

“Six chairs, I assume,” Celestia said, “For six Elements of Harmony, correct?”

While rubbing her head, Sunset tried to understand what she had just seen. “What? Oh, uh, yes. Six Elements,” she replied, the memory of the stallion’s red eyes staring back at her stayed for a moment.

“I would say your instincts are right. Bring the Elements together and have them unite around the map. An alicorn with great magic could take someone from this world and replace another, but an outsider would require a power much greater. The Elements of Harmony could be that great power.” Celestia slid herself back down to the telescope. “Was there anything else you’ve come across?”

Sunset wondered if Celestia wanted her to see the terrible, dark stallion. Perhaps it was crude payback for how she had left her teacher, or perhaps it was a simple warning. “Yes. The Tree of Harmony had the words, help time. Or time help. Whichever,” Sunset answered truthfully.

For the first time, Sunset’s words perked Celestia’s interests away from the scope. “You actually went to the Tree of Harmony? It communicated with you?” Sunset nodded in response. “That’s a bit of a shock,” Celestia said, tilting her head back to look at the sky. “Usually the Tree of Harmony only communicates with those who believe in harmony.” Her eyes drifted back down to Sunset. “Perhaps… perhaps you have changed from the days that I knew you as an impatient student.”

They were unkind words, but Celestia had never acknowledged anything she did was wrong. At least not to Sunset. And that fact alone made a teeth-bearing grin appear on Sunset’s face. Her cheeks swelled, her eyes glittered. Her reaction must have triggered something in Celestia, as the old teacher leaned down and rubbed her neck against Sunset’s. Much time had come and gone but Sunset remembered the feeling well. The satisfaction she always felt whenever she made Celestia proud. It was a fleeting feeling, however.

“Ahem,” a loud, deliberate cough rang.

The prince returned, and with him his apprentice. Sunset was embarrassed for a moment, but that embarrassment soon transferred to another as the apprentice took a step forward and tripped over the only indentation within the rug. The purple muzzle of the apprentice scuffed hard, but she pulled herself up with a quick jolt. “I’ve brought Twilight Sparkle,” Sunburst introduced, ignoring the clumsiness of his student. There was no need for the introduction, however. Sunset knew who she was, and was more than eager to speak to her.

But something was different about this Twilight. The one she knew as a princess was confident, friendly, and eager to learn. The one she had met recently in the mirror world was less confident, still friendly, and even more keen to learn. This one exuded no confidence. Her hair sat in a bun atop her head, her posture leaned closer to the ground, and she stood slightly behind Sunburst. When Sunset greeted her, she mumbled and bobbed her head. But worst of all, when Sunset asked of Spike the Dragon, she received no answer. Whatever changed, whatever had happened, there was no assistant to the purple unicorn.

Beyond the mirror, Twilight had a friend in Spike the Dog long before she became friends with the girls of Canterlot High School. Would this Twilight even be the same person without a Spike? Without any friends other than a prince and her family? Was the prince even her friend, or just a friend to her brother?

“Well, I’m Sunset Shimmer,” she introduced herself in an unwillingness to waste more time. “I know this sounds a bit odd, but I’m actually your friend in two alternate universes. Strange, I know. But you and five of our friends are critical to Equestria. I hope you won’t mind if we take a moment to talk.”

Twilight nodded, still hidden behind the prince. “Before I give you your leave to speak to Prince Sunburst’s apprentice,” Celestia interjected, “I have something to ask of you, Sunset Shimmer.”

Sunset gulped. “Uhm, what is it?”

“You seek a very powerful, very unique set of artifacts. These artifacts could potentially end our war with King Sombra and bring peace to the land of Equestria once and for all. I know for certain they cannot be used for an evil intent, but I must ask, will you use them to win this war? Can I entrust you to do so?”

It was a bit off-putting to Sunset to hear such a demand, especially from an alicorn that had seemingly forgiven her just moments ago. It’s not like I can get them their Elements then whisk them away from the Crystal Empire with ease. I’ve got no other choice but to help out, she concluded. “I’ve brought two of the six north to the war. It’d be senseless for you not to trust me.”

Celestia grimaced once Sunset finished her words. A smile eventually came, along with the words, “So be it.” Sunset watched as the princess’s eyes sharpened and stared at the stallion. “Prince Sunburst, I must relieve your apprentice from her status as your helper. She is supposedly the Element of Magic. From now until this war is over, she will be in the care of Sunset Shimmer.”

“Princess Celestia! You can’t be serious,” Sunburst spouted, though not angrily. His voice was high, but he seemed more hurt than upset. “To trust a pony who deliberately left your side to seek a higher form of magic for her own selfish needs would be impractical—illogical even! Whatever you think she is, it’s probably just an act so that she may steal whatever magic comes of this!”

Sunset couldn’t help but laugh. The thought of Canterlot High’s students and teachers turning into thoughtless cretins raced through her head. She had controlled them, but six others opposed her, and they knew power through magic wasn’t the way. “Trust me,” she spoke up. “I found a powerful magic. Turns out, it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. There’s something more powerful than the most powerful magic in any of these worlds.”

“And what’s that?” Sunburst asked, scoffing.

“Friendship.”

World 1: Chapter 4

“There is nothing more powerful than magic,” Twilight Sparkle said, adamant. She had stepped out to be beside her teacher. “There is nothing stronger.”

Sunset didn’t expect Twilight to argue against friendship. Before she could disagree, Sunburst laughed and said, “Actually, for once, Sunset Shimmer is correct. Friendship is the strongest form of magic. If it hadn’t been for friendship, your brother and most of Canterlot would be changeling food. Had I not been there to see my friend’s illness caused by the changeling queen, we might be fighting a very different war right now.”

The purple unicorn quickly shifted her eyes to the ground. She mumbled something that Sunset couldn’t quite hear and then stood despondently silent. “Then it’s settled. Prince Sunburst, please take Twilight Sparkle and Sunset Shimmer to the tent with the other three. We’ll begin search for the other two Elements,” Celestia commanded. “What were their names, Sunset?”

“Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash,” answered Sunset. “According to the map, they’re here somewhere.”

“Very well. I’ll see to it that they’re found in our records and brought to you straight away.”

She thanked the princess and followed after Sunburst. Things were slowly going her way, she felt. All the pieces that had been out of order or set aside were coming together. Getting the six Elements of Harmony to return to her map would be difficult, but if Celestia was right, they were the only things she needed in order to get home. She wondered what Princess Twilight would do to aid in the four obtaining their Elements. Would she trick them? Convince them? Sunset thought it weird to imagine what somepony else would do in her shoes, but that sparked an answer. “Put myself in their place,” she murmured to herself, then attempted to snap the fingers she didn’t have.

Upon reaching the tent, Sunburst held the drape open for the two mares to enter. Sunset was surprised to see such a luxurious pavilion in the middle of a war. Couches sat rounding the far side while a table stood close to the entrance with fruit, crackers, and sweets. The center held pillows of varying sizes where the three friends sat getting to know each other. They perked up and greeted Sunset as she entered, but they all became quiet as Twilight and Sunburst spoke to each other.

“It’ll be just for a short while, Twilight. You’re not losing me as a friend or a mentor. This day has been coming for a long time, and I always knew you’d be needed for something greater. You’ve just got to have faith in yourself like I do.” Sunburst spoke with a calm, wise voice, something Sunset never expected of the stallion.

“B-but—”

“No buts. You’ve spent these last few years learning so much magic from me, and now you’re going to learn about the one thing I’ve yet to teach you.” He placed a hoof atop her shoulder. “Pass this one final test, for all of us.”

After Sunburst took his leave, Twilight turned to Sunset with fury, anger, and tears on her face. “Who are you to just come in and ruin my life!?” she asked with a high-pitched crack. “I spent years slaving over all the magical studies I could find just so I could be of some use to Prince Sunburst! Now I’ve got to tag along with whatever half-cocked idea that you’ve somehow convinced Princess Celestia to agree to!”

That timid unicorn who lacked confidence vanished, replaced by a fourth Twilight Sparkle, one whose temper struck louder than any storm at sea. “I don’t know you,” she said as she stepped toward Sunset. “I don’t want to know you. I don’t care to know you.” Her eyes sharpened around the edges as she spoke. “I just want you and your little friends to g—” As she took another step, her hoof planted on a pillow that slid out from under her. She tripped and slammed her chin on the ground in front of Sunset.

Sunset was quick to lend a hoof, but the mare pushed herself up. She rubbed her chin and looked away, but Sunset continued to stare with a bit of pity behind her eyes. “What happened to you in this timeline?” she blurted out her question, though she hadn’t meant to.

“Me?” Twilight growled as she glared back at Sunset. “What has happened is you. I was finally becoming something, but this stupid war and that awful King Sombra ruined it all for me. Now you’ve come along and made it worse!”

The words Twilight spoke brought Sunset back to a time long before she went beyond the mirror. The want for power and control, coupled with the want to be something. Those two things were all she had ever wanted. She saw a lot of herself within this Twilight, and the irony was not lost on her. This world’s desire wanted to make her relive her regretful past. “In my world, there’s a Princess of Friendship. Her name is Twilight Sparkle. She’s a close friend of mine. It’s funny, I once thought she ruined my grab for power. Turns out, she showed me an even greater power.”

Twilight’s eyes shifted to the ground, a look of guilt on her face. “A princess? Th-that’s not possible,” she argued.

“Actually, I can verify that it’s the truth,” Applejack interrupted. The blonde mare sauntered to the side of Sunset. “My name’s Applejack, and the Twilight Sparkle that Sunset is talkin’ about is a mare I’ve met. She came to me explainin’ that somethin’ offset this world in the past. I thought she was crazy till Sunset came along and showed me the truth.” She tapped the necklace around her throat. “And you’re a splittin’ image of that princess. ‘Cept, y’know, without wings.”

Sunset nodded and smiled at the earth pony. “Celestia’s given her approval. We will soon have Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash, and from there we’ll figure out how to get the last four Elements of Harmony we need.”

“Elements of Harmony? There’s no such thing,” Twilight dismissed.

“Uh.” Applejack tapped the necklace around her throat once more. “Beg your pardon? How do you explain this then?”

“A piece of jewelry? Wow. You sure convinced me.” Twilight rolled her eyes carelessly. “The Elements of Harmony are a mythical legend. It’s said that they were used by Celestia to defeat the Spirit of Disharmony, bringing an end to the Era of Chaos, but it’s just a folktale.”

Sunset suddenly felt like she was hit with a dozen bricks that knocked the very breath out of her. It was a thought that struck her. A single detail she inadvertently overlooked invaded her mind. Glaringly obvious, she was unsure how she missed this one essential element. It was the very reason she even knew of Princess Twilight’s crown. The Elements of Harmony, used by Twilight and her friends to bring down Nightmare Moon.

Where’s Luna? she asked herself. “Where’s Luna?” she repeated her question aloud, and searched their faces to see the answer.

“Luna? Who’s that, darling?” asked Rarity.

Her mind was racing with questions. Had Luna become reformed? Was Nightmare Moon still around? Did so much change that not even Tirek or Discord got released? She needed to find out. Sunset pushed past Twilight and through the tent curtains only to slam into a pony standing outside. Her rump landed in snow, and she held her muzzle in pain, eventually taking a look at the pony she hit. “P-Princess Celestia!” she muffledly stuttered.

“Are you alright, Sunset? Where are you off to in such a rush?”

“To find you!” she replied, staring up at her old mentor while still clutching her muzzle. Her words had become nasally from the hit, and Celestia cracked a slight grin. The smile quickly evaporated as Sunset asked, “How was Nightmare Moon defeated!?”

If Celestia ever wanted to play poker, then the face she bore would be perfect for the card game. Even Sunset could not tell what the alicorn was thinking. She waited patiently, and hoped that the news would be good, though every second of silence caused her to become more disheartened. “A thousand years ago I banished her to the moon,” Celestia finally gave an answer that sounded almost rehearsed.

It wasn’t the answer Sunset wanted. “And what happened when she returned?” she asked, her brows furrowed.

Sunset didn't notice the others standing within the tent’s curtains, but Celestia did. “She has not returned, nor will she,” Celestia lied.

Sunset knew it was a lie. There were a thousand things Sunset couldn’t do. Lick her elbow, save the chocolate center of a lollipop for last, wake up without at least one cowlick in her hair, just to name a few. But knowing when Celestia was lying? That she could do.

“But—” Sunset tried to argue.

“We’ve located the manifest for field operatives,” Celestia cut her off to change the subject entirely. “It seems Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash are out on an important mission.” Celestia stepped past Sunset and through the curtain of the tent, the Elements scrambled to move out of her way. “We’ve sent out a scouting party to retrieve them. Regardless of their mission, the decree I’ve sent will bring them back. That I can guarantee.”

Sunset held her tongue. She felt relieved to know the last two Elements would soon be found, but the thoughts of Princess Luna weighed heavily on her mind. I’m not the cause for all this change, she told herself, but knowing how things turned out in her world, she could only feel remorse. She trotted after Celestia, over to the pillows in the center of the room where she sat down. She watched as Celestia picked some grapes from the table and swallowed them down. I should make sure Principle Luna gets some appreciation when I return, Sunset reflected.

“Shouldn’t we be going and getting them?” Applejack asked, breaking the silence while Sunset wallowed.

“Absolutely not,” Celestia curtly replied. “If one of you four Elements were to fall into King Sombra’s control, we would lose all hope for bringing the Elements together.”

“P-Princess Ce-Celestia—” Twilight slowly stepped toward the alicorn, her hooves shaking as she walked “—surely y-you don’t believe the Elements of Harmony truly exist, d-do you? I mean, I know the tale of Nightmare Moon’s defeat, b-but that’s just a folktale told to fillies and colts. If they truly existed, wouldn’t you have used them t-to defeat King Sombra?”

Celestia continued to eat. Crumbs of cracker fell from her mouth onto the wooden table. She didn’t look at the five, not even when she answered. “The Elements are real. Those necklaces are proof enough.”

“I-I see.” Twilight stepped back and closed her mouth, still visibly shaking.

“I’ll let you all know once Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash arrive.” Celestia’s eyes met with Sunset’s as she looked over her shoulder. Sunset understood every word she couldn't speak. Whatever had happened in this world, Sunset knew there was nothing she could do about it now. Bringing up old memories wouldn’t change that.

Celestia left without another word. Twilight collapsed to the ground, her sweat drenched the floor. Fluttershy and Rarity cushioned themselves next to Sunset while Applejack trotted to the tent’s drapes. “She’s got us guarded,” Applejack affirmed. “I guess we’re waitin’.”

The silence was deafening. Even with the tent’s opening, the sounds of war and training became muffled. After Applejack went and sat with the others, Twilight rose from her spot on the floor. She paced back and forth within the room, slowly growing on Sunset’s nerves. “Would you sit down,” Sunset mumbled, though she wanted to yell it instead.

“What’s my Element?” Twilight inquired, her pacing slowed.

Sunset groaned and pushed her face into a pillow. “Magic,” she replied, muffled by the cushion. A snort and a laugh caused her to lift her gaze. “What’s so funny?” she asked, eyeing the giggling mare.

“There is no way,” Twilight said through laughter. “Magic? I failed every attempt at magic I ever tried.” She wiped a tear from her eye as her laugh settled.

“But your cutie mark!”

Twilight turned her rear to the four. “Well, sure, magic is my cutie mark—but that’s because I know a lot of different spells. I could give an entire lecture on the different types of warding magic, or teach students how to make inanimate objects animate. That doesn’t mean I personally can perform the spells. It’s why Prince Sunburst thinks so highly of me. I have to memorize these things. I’m no use otherwise.”

Shoving two pillows to her ears, Sunset groaned, “Please don’t say that stallion’s name.”

Twilight’s muzzle scrunched up as she let out an audible scoff. “I think you’re just jealous of him! You failed as Celestia’s student while he took charge. Even when he was told he would lose, or that he couldn’t do something, he did it anyway. Meanwhile, you ran off to some other world. And even then you still failed at your own goals!”

“You know what!” Sunset yelled as she rose to her hooves and flung pillows aside. Her anger seethed for a moment. She wanted to yell back, but couldn’t let herself. “You’re right,” she said, softer this time. “Even Sunburst has taken charge. We should too!” She marched over to the entrance and peered out the crack to eye the two guards.

“What are you talkin’ about, Sunset? We’re supposed to wait here till Princess Celestia finds the other two Elements,” Applejack reminded her as she tossed a pillow into the air and then caught it, repeatedly.

Sunset shook her head. “We’re going after them ourselves,” she hastened to say. “That’s what Princess Twilight would do. She wouldn’t wait around for someone else to do her work for her! She’d get out there, get a little mud on her hooves, and save the day! Her and her friends!”

“Figurative dirt, correct?” Rarity questioned, while giving a coy smile to Applejack who in turn tossed a pillow at the prissy mare.

Almost angrily, Twilight asked, “You’re not saying we should defy Princess Celestia’s orders, are you? That’s insane! I knew you were up to no good!”

“Celestia is clearly using reverse psychology. She knows the only way for any of you to gain your Elements is through becoming friends, and we’re not going to become friends by just sitting around here all day,” Sunset explained. “If you were such a good student under Sunburst, you would have learned a thing or two about Celestia.” Sunset gave a smug smile as she stared down her nose at the other unicorn.

It was odd to see Twilight lose confidence in herself, but Sunset knew this Twilight wasn’t like the two in her own timeline. This Twilight was angry. At the world, at the war, and at herself. Sunset understood the latter better than anyone. “I suppose Princess Celestia does sometimes do things that I don’t understand. B-but she wouldn’t lead us astray! What she says, goes… Right?” She looked to the others who gave aloof responses.

Sunset placed a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. She could see the bags under the student’s eyes and a few strands of hair that had gotten loose from the bun atop her head. “Princess Celestia isn’t leading us astray. She wants us to win, and she knows doing it ourselves is the only way we can. Watch, I bet the guards are gone right now.” She lifted the curtains with her magic so that everyone in the tent could see out. The two guards had vanished. “Well, would you look at that.” Sunset sneered over her shoulder, happily gloating in her wisdom.

Just as she stepped one hoof into the snow, a stallion’s voice called out to her. “Planning on sneaking off, huh?”

She was quickly pushed back into the tent as Shining Armor entered. “W-what? No. No! Of course not, why would we?” Sunset lied, giving a nervous laugh as she looked back at the others, and hoped one of them would help.

“Big brother? What are you still doing here?” Twilight wondered.

“You want me gone that quickly, huh?” His laugh was hoarse and dry. “I’m here making sure you five aren’t planning on heading for the Crystal Empire…” he paused, a frown on his face. “Without me, at least.”

Twilight became furious. “No! Absolutely not! I know exactly why you want to go, and there’s no way I’d let you head to the Crystal Empire! Just look at you. When was the last time you slept? You sound awful!”

“I’m heading to the empire regardless if you’re going or not, but since you four arrived out of thin air, I figured it’d be best if we teamed up,” he said, ignoring his baby sister.

“Not that I’m against help, but why would you be going to the Crystal Empire alone?” Sunset asked.

Twilight groaned and hung her head before taking a few steps away. Shining Armor’s smile faltered, his eyes showed him a million miles elsewhere. “There’s somepony I have to rescue.”

The other Elements stepped beside Sunset, all curious to hear what the stallion had to say. “Who?” Fluttershy voiced her soft-spoken question.

“My fiancée, Princess Cadance.”

Sunset could see the pain in his eyes. “How did it happen?” she asked. With Luna gone, it hadn’t even struck her as odd to not see Cadance around as well.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. His eyes remained closed as he spoke. “After the invasion, we were determined to have the wedding. But due to the changelings’ ability to disguise themselves as ponies, it became increasingly hard to root them out of Canterlot. Months went by before we were truly sure they had all been captured or absconded. It was then that we heard word that the Crystal Empire returned after being lost for a thousand years. Cadance and I went north as soon as we could, which delayed our wedding.

“When we arrived, we were met with King Sombra attempting to take back the city, along with the blizzard’s terrible winds. After we realized we were missing a key artifact in restoring the city, we went searching for it. That left the city undefended. As King Sombra returned to his throne and became his physical form, we retrieved the only thing that could defeat him and restore balance. The Crystal Heart. Once we reached the outside of the castle, we were met by some of the crystal ponies who were forced into wearing his brainwashing armor. But they were just a distraction. As Cadance went to place the Crystal Heart, King Sombra encased her in crystals and sent her sailing through the castle.”

“What happened after that? How’d you escape?” asked Applejack.

“Once I realized I could not take on King Sombra and his controlled soldiers, I activated the Crystal Heart. I had hoped it would take care of the evil king and save the city, but with his form returned to him, he managed to encase it in crystal as well. The last I saw it was him sending it up with Cadance. It’s still working, however, as the storm has retreated. But without love, it’s weak. Had I known it would not stop him, I wouldn’t have activated it…”

“You did the right thing,” Sunset said as she comfortingly patted his shoulder. “Without you activating the Crystal Heart, the storm would've taken the city and froze everyone in it. At least now we can fight for their freedom.”

“Then I suppose that means you’ll join me?”

Sunset’s eyes drifted to the purple unicorn who sulked in the corner. “What do you think, Twilight? Should we join him?”

The mare’s hair bun flopped back and forth as she perked up. “Y-you’re asking me for my input? Why?”

Seeing Twilight so unsure of herself reminded her of the version she recently befriended. “You’re supposed to be so smart, but did you ever think you shouldn’t be messing around with things you don’t understand!?” she remembered her yelling after one of the competitions with Crystal Prep. She had been so angry at Twilight’s inability to understand the situation she had put them in. Now, she was putting Twilight through a dangerous situation without giving her a reason. Defeating Sombra, bringing out the Elements, returning home. Those weren’t reasons to help, they were just the end goals.

“Because, Twilight, you’re our friend. Friends listen to each other. I know friendship is difficult to understand, especially when you’ve never had friends,” Sunset answered. She stared at the floor and thought of her time at CHS. “I probably know that better than anyone. I once turned into a demon after absorbing magic from one of the Elements of Harmony. I was defeated, and after that, all I wanted was guidance. Listening to what others… listening to what my friends had to say, it made a real difference.”

Twilight stared over her shoulder at Sunset, a subtle frown below tear-soaked eyes. “A demon?”

Sunset chuckled. “Yeah. Bat wings, mind control, dark magic; the whole shebang.”

“Well, I suppose fighting fire with fire would make sense,” Twilight replied with a slight lilt and giggle. “Or in this case, demon versus evil unicorn,” she added as she walked over to her brother and Sunset.

“I can’t turn into a demon anymore—not that I’d want to—but I do know a few girls who can kick the pants right off of a demon. If Sombra knew what was coming, he’d be shaking in his boots right about now.”

Twilight held a hoof over her mouth as she laughed. It was good to see the mare smile, and Sunset could only assume it was a rare thing for her. “Alright. I’m not sure I entirely believe in this Elements of Harmony thing, but I won’t let my brother go out there alone,” she said, confidently.

“Then I guess you better get the lead out, sis. We’ve got to move before the guards realize something is up and return to their posts. Follow me around the tent and down the embankment, we’ll hit the snow before they realize we’re gone and be too far out for them to catch us,” Shining Armor explained the plan as he levitated the drapes open.

Sunset held caboose as they followed Shining Armor out of the tent and around the side. They crouched behind barrels and boxes as they avoided other guards. They crossed through the sets of wooden spikes that pointed toward the Crystal Empire and slid down the incline. Sunset was last to hit the bottom of the hill and could hear alarm bells ringing just as she stood. The guards either saw them leave or inspected the tent. Regardless how, they hadn’t gotten nearly as far as she wanted. However, they were quicker once they reached the bottom of the slope.

She could see the Crystal Empire in the distance with the towering pillars of plum and eggplant-colored crystals furthering its defenses. It wouldn’t be easy reaching the city, she knew, and the snow and soldiers between them would make it all the more difficult. As they crossed through snowy hills and signs of war, Sunset noticed the sky growing darker. At first, she thought she was just seeing everything in the same shade of purple as the crystals, but it soon became clear that night was upon them. The sun already shadowed past the wall of blizzard that encompassed the battleground, and now the city would become a silhouette in the night.

As they reached another hill, Shining Armor stopped them and fell to the ground—commanding everyone to do the same. Sunset crawled up beside him and got her first look at some of the fighting going on below. A significant battle had commenced with hundreds of ponies on both sides. Celestia had sent a force forward, and King Sombra retaliated with his own. Sunset assumed it was a diversion, possibly to give her scout time to find Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie. They watched for a moment as the battle pushed west, and waited for their moment to go undetected down the hill. As they prepared to move, they were surprised by an ambush from behind.

“Watch out!” Twilight yelled, but Shining Armor was quicker to act. He surrounded them all in the same lavender shield he used when they crossed the blizzard. The five soldiers pounded on the barrier in an attempt to break Shining’s spell. “We’ve got to take care of them,” Twilight exclaimed. “Blast them away, brother!”

“We can’t hurt them! They’re still ponies under all that armor,” Fluttershy argued, as though restrained by her kindness.

“Fluttershy’s right. Knock them out or confine them, but don’t be excessive,” Sunset agreed. Without hesitation, she took hold of two soldiers with her magic and sunk them into the ground. Their bodies and heads stuck out in the snow, which made them look like hammered nails.

Once Shining Armor released his barrier, Applejack tackled one of the soldiers and wrestled them to the ground while Shining slammed his head against another. The last soldier charged at Fluttershy, but Rarity used her wits—teleporting the pegasus out of the way and sending the soldier rolling down the other side of the hill. As the soldier rolled, a ball of snow formed around him, eventually plowing into several other of Sombra’s soldiers and encasing them all within the icy sphere. After Shining Armor and Applejack restrained their attackers, the group rushed down the incline of the hill while remaining on the sidelines of the escalating battle.

They stopped at the side of a cliff where snow hung over their heads atop a drooping ridge. Tiny icicles stuck to the top. “W-we did it!” Sunset cheered, and took a moment to catch her breath. “This feels just like the time I went paint-balling with Rainbow Dash, except—y’know, fewer bruises and more fear.”

“What’s paintball?” Applejack asked, “Is it like buckball?’

“I don’t know what buckball is, but probably not. And now that I stop and think about it, pretty much any sport I play with Rainbow Dash ends up with bruises. She’s really competitive.”

“Yeah? Five bits says she can’t beat me at buckball!”

As they spoke, a large boulder fell from above. It slammed down in front of them and covered them with a liberal coating of snow. “I still don’t know what that is, and I don’t care anymore!” Sunset snarled fiercely as she shook the snow from her fur. “We’re almost halfway. Let’s keep moving before we get squished!”

“Your perception is flawed,” Shining Armor argued. He was leaning his head out from the cliffside to view the Crystal Empire. “Celestia’s forces were pushed back over time, we’re only about a tenth of the way there. I remember when I and a few others camped out on the ridge above. We were preventing King Sombra’s forces from flanking the camp as they moved everything.”

“Then let us not waste any more time squatting here,” Rarity said as she finished shaking the snow from her scarf.

Shining Armor took charge, but this time Sunset followed beside him. They clung around the ridge and rushed between two other hills. The hill to the east became smaller and smaller as the hill to the west rose and continued its length before becoming a cliffside three stories high. As they followed the path, they were forced between a rock and a cold place. The eastern cliffside eventually broke and went north, but in its place raged the blizzard. The jutted ridge west partially hung over them, barely touched by the wind and ice of the storm.

One of the Elements yelled, “We must turn back,” though Sunset could not tell who it was. Even while not directly in the storm, the winds of the blizzard screeched like a thousand bats fleeing their cave to feast in the night. As they turned to return the way they came, Shining Armor spotted a few black helms coming their way. It was either flee or fight, though both options would put them in peril.

“Into the storm!” he yelled, simultaneously casting a barrier around the group. They all clung together as they marched into the winds. Sunset kept the cliffside in her view. She never wanted to lose sight of it for fear of losing where they were within the storm. They marched for minutes, which felt like an eternity. It had been a brisk jog when they passed through the storm’s walls earlier in the day, but now they were walking toward the winds. Fighting the flurry. As they trudged on, the cliffside eventually fell, and they marched out of the storm onto the other side. Though darker than before, the sky remained bright enough to see the landscapes. Shining Armor released the barrier and the snow and ice that clung to it fell to the ground.

The cliffside that blocked their way was climbable from this side. There were a few sunken indentations in the snow leading up to icy boulders at the very top, though no one was around to push them off. To the north, there were no more hills or ridges or cliffs. Instead, the opposite blocked their way. Craters lined their path the entire way up to a collapsed crystal that sat on its side only a few miles from the Crystal Empire’s walls. Both Sombra’s soldiers and Celestia’s guards were dogging it out in these craters or on the edges between. The hole that sat before them was empty, aside for a few hoofprints.

They slid down the incline of the crater and trudged up the other side, the Crystal Empire looking just as far away as it had when they first left the camp. Sunset took a look back and could see the smoke in the distance floating above the tall hills. It would soon be impossible to see it with nightfall. As they slid down another crater, they came across a soldier of Sombra’s without their helmet—a mare with purple hair and orange coat. Fluttershy and Sunset were the first to see to her, and the others crowded around while Shining maintained the perimeter. “Do you think she’ll still be brainwashed without the helmet?” Rarity asked, and raised a hoof to the helmet tucked into the snow a few yards away.

Sunset levitated it up and wiped the snow away. The black plume creased, the eye slits were grey, and the inside smelled like rancid sweat. “We should keep moving,” she offered. “We don’t have the time to stand around and figure out what to do with her.”

“We can’t just leave her. If she's not controlled, she could help us. We might even be able to find out what she knows. It’s rare to recover somepony who still has the knowledge of their tactics and defenses,” Twilight argued.

Before Sunset could respond, Shining Armor called out, “There’s fighting on the next slope. Get up here.” They all rushed up the side and reached the top—the argument settled and forgotten before deciding an answer. The next crater held three earth pony guards surrounded by seven of Sombra’s forces.

“We’ve got to do something! They’re outnumbered,” Applejack said, and Shining nodded in agreement.

“No! We’re on a mission to find these last two friends of Sunset. If we put ourselves in danger, who will find them?” Twilight reasoned, but the Element of Honesty didn’t care. Applejack leapt down and slid into the fray. Shining Armor quickly followed while the others stood on the sidelines.

I can think of a million reasons to not help them, and a million more why we should, Sunset bemused. It’s not like any of this matters. If I return to the past, would this timeline cease to exist? She didn’t wait to contemplate that last question. Taking a deep breath, she dived into the crater. Shining Armor already took down one of the soldiers while the three guard ponies helped Applejack. Sunset used her levitation spell to lift the straps off a soldier’s armor, and caused it to trip over itself before landing with its head stuck in the snow.

With the soldiers defeated, Sunset turned to Shining and Applejack. “That wasn’t so hard. I don’t know what Twilight was worried about,” she said, but they ignored her. Their eyes stared up the ridge as did the eyes of the three guard ponies. Her head swiveled to catch a peek at what they were looking at. “Oh Celestia,” she whispered, her mouth agape, though it still held the stretch of a smile.

Atop the crater levitated the Element of Generosity.

World 1: Chapter 5

The incline was steep, uneven, and slick, but Sunset rushed up it with little stress. She reached the top as Rarity touched down on the snow with her new amulet pressing against her scarf. A brilliant purple diamond sat within the golden frame, which matched the mare’s elegant mane. “I can’t believe it,” Twilight Sparkle quietly repeated those words. Fluttershy and Applejack crowded around the white unicorn to get a look at the latest Element to appear.

“What happened? How’d you get your Element?” Sunset inquisitively asked.

“I understand what the other two were talking about,” Rarity said, holding her head as she stumbled slightly. “It clicked. Like, I saw the way Applejack rushed down to help and it sent a spark through me. She didn’t have to do that, she knew the risk, and she did it anyway—selflessly.” Rarity shook her head. “I’ve never seen such bravery, such sacrifice…”

“Such generosity,” Twilight added. “So it is an Element of Harmony. They do exist!” She stepped closer and squeezed her head through the crowd. She examined the necklace with great interest. “I can’t believe she was telling the truth.”

Sunset’s nostrils flared. “It’s a shame your Element isn’t honesty as well—we’d have four of six,” she mocked. The purple unicorn didn’t seem to hear her jab though. Sunset pulled back to allow the mare some more room to study the amulet, while also taking a moment to look out upon the Crystal Empire in the distance.

There was still a bit of distance till they would reach the city. Several obelisks made of crystal lined the empire and created an unbreakable wall, but several more had sprung up in various places around the war-zone. Plum, rose, lavender—royal colors for objects made by a king. One of the crystal obelisks had fallen, however, and sat on its side a ways from the city. She wondered if that meant they were on the right path. That’s when she heard the voice of one of the guards.

“Captain, what are you doing out here?” the stallion asked.

She looked down at the crater where the three guards stood, Shining Armor standing with them. Sunset slid back down the slope and stood next to him. “What’s the situation? Why are three of you out here alone? Were you separated from your battalion?” Shining Armor asserted his questions with superiority, to which the guards fell in line.

“Sorry sir, we are on a classified mission from Princess Celestia, and we cannot say more than that,” a mare said, who stepped forward from the other two. A saddlebag sat on her back. She was the only one to have a bag, which Sunset found a bit peculiar.

“They’re the ones heading for Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie,” Sunset assumed. “Glad we stopped to save them, since their journey is now pointless.”

The female guard shot a stern glare at Sunset. “Sir, who are you out here with? Are these civilians?”

Shining Armor ignored her question. Instead, he levitated the contents out from the bag on the guard’s back—a single rolled up scroll. The other two guards stepped forward, as though ordering him to release it. “It seems there has been a change of plans,” Shining said upon opening the decree. “Return to camp with a message to Princess Celestia. Let her know that we’ll need help to escape the city, and by the time help arrives, we should have all the bearers of the Elements of Harmony.”

“You don’t have the authority to order us! We’re under direct orders from Princess Celestia herself. You need to give that back!” one of the stallions argued.

“And now I’m giving you different orders.” Shining Armor ripped the decree in half, then another half. “Return to camp now. That’s an order.”

The two guards stared at Shining with fire in their eyes. Sunset held her breath and wondered if another fight was about to be had—and what Shining Armor would do if there was. As they stepped forward, the mare held them both back. “Understood, sir.” She then turned her head to the other two and commanded for them to move out. They did so hesitantly, their glares bearing into Shining Armor, but they followed her orders just the same.

After they were out of sight, Sunset asked, “Was that the right thing to do?”

“We’ll need all the help we can get.” Shining Armor looked up the ridge at the four Element bearers. “Getting the last two ponies you need won’t be the problem. It’s getting their Elements that will be troublesome. Just finding the two won’t be enough to defeat King Sombra. And then there’s getting into the Crystal Empire… I’d say having Celestia know what we’re up to is good enough for the time being, and reinforcements are always a boon.”

Sunset hadn’t formally met Shining Armor in the world beyond the mirror. It had only been recently that she met that version of Twilight Sparkle. She wondered if this is how he always acted, or if the stallion in her timeline was as astute as this one. He was smart, brave, clever, and passionate. All the things she saw in Princess Twilight. They’re definitely brother and sister, Sunset believed, a smile crossing her lips.

They climbed back up the slope when Applejack asked, “Are we headin’ in the right direction to find the other two Elements? What if Princess Celestia already has them back at camp?”

“They’re not,” Sunset replied. The Element bearers turned their focus to her, their worried faces contagious. “What’s wrong? What’s going on?”

“Well, some of us were getting cold hooves. Literally and figuratively,” Rarity answered with a gentle, but nervous tone. “It just occurred to a few of us that finding the last two bearers, convincing them to join us, and then convincing them that they’re bearers of the Elements of Harmony might be a tad bit hard to do in the middle of a war-zone.”

“Hey, we just got you your Element in the middle of a war-zone,” Sunset pointed out. “We don’t need to convince them that they’re a bearer of the Elements of Harmony. Them realizing their Element will be enough. We just need to get them to stick with us for however long that takes. And now we know that we’re going in the right direction.”

“We do? How?” Twilight asked, astonished.

The three guards had been heading north along the eastern side, same as them. “The guards we saved, they had the decree to bring Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie back. It’s not hard to figure out where they were going from here. We’ve just got to find out how far north they’ve gone,” Sunset answered.

As if on cue, a loud crashing rang out, followed by the sound of glass scrapping. Light suddenly flooded onto them and the entire eastern gorge—the night’s ever-growing darkness now broken. To the north, Sunset saw what fell. One of the smaller crystal that formed the wall of the empire had come collapsing down to earth. It left an open gash within the Crystal Empire. She couldn’t see how far down it broke due to the other obelisk that had already fallen on its side, though it was now obvious what brought on that one’s collapse. Something or someone was breaking into the Crystal Empire, and she could only make two guesses who they were.

“What in tarnation?” Applejack hollered, and held her hoof to her eyes as she stared at the blinding light.

“The Crystal Empire is open!” yelled Shining Armor. As if a burst of adrenaline shot through him, Shining Armor tore off towards the Crystal Empire.

“We can’t let him go alone! Come on!” Sunset led the four after the stallion—following along the paths and taking care not to fall or slow where she could. The trails varied in size from where craters formed, and made it difficult to gauge where to place her hooves.

She kept her eye on Shining Armor, as though refusing to focus on anything else for fear of losing him. She could see the single fallen crystal coming closer and closer, the light of the broken wall slowly becoming more hidden behind it. Shining Armor was quicker than they were, he had almost reached the crippled obelisk. The craters were growing smaller and smaller in diameter, but deeper and steeper. The pathways were also becoming thinner in size, and deterred their ability to run.

In the distance, near the fallen crystal obelisk, she could see that the snowy ground flattened. “Hey! Wait up at the crystal!” Sunset yelled, hoping Shining Armor could hear her. It looked like he did as his muzzle leaned into his shoulder. Satisfied, she looked back at the Elements to make sure each had the steam to follow and not get left behind. Though they all appeared haggard, Twilight was the only one that seemed the worst off. When she looked back at Shining Armor, she saw the stallion had reached the toppled crystal, only to be challenged by three of Sombra’s soldiers.

Before she could yell out to the others, Sunset was slammed into and thrown down one of the craters. She rolled in the embankment with the brainwashed pony that had pushed her, and they jockeyed for position the entire way. With a stroke of luck, they hit the bottom and the soldier’s helmet was flung off—the pony became unconscious. On her back, Sunset wiped the snow from her eyes and rolled to one side. As she opened them, she came face to face with the soldier’s helmet, to which she screamed and threw herself in the opposite direction.

“Sunset! Are you alright?” Applejack yelled from atop the slope.

“Ye-yeah! Go help Shining Armor!” she yelled back as she stood. “I’ll be right behind you,” she added. Reluctantly, the four disappeared beyond the edge of the crater. Her eyes peered back to the helm and comatose pony one last time before she attempted to tread after her new friends.

The slope was a lot slicker than that of the last crater, and more slanted as well. It didn’t help that nightfall had come to the north and the light from the Crystal Empire wasn’t reaching inside the pit. Had the snow not been white, Sunset assumed it would have been pitch black. That didn’t stop her from sliding back down and tripping over the unconscious body of the soldier—landing herself face first into the snow. As she picked up off the ground once more, she looked at the steepness of the surrounding pit. A few heartbeats passed before she saw a dozen more of Sombra’s soldiers charging in the direction of the Elements and Shining Armor. They moved by the crater, unaware of her presence.

I can’t just sit here, she lamented as she tried to climb the snow. Her hooves slid against the ice and sent her back down with every attempt. I can’t just sit here, she repeated while staring up at the edge. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. I must try. Her horn exploded with magic, and when she opened her eyes she found herself atop the crater staring down at the other side. There was no time to celebrate, however, as her friends were surely in trouble. She could see the silhouetted fighting between the soldiers and her companions—uncertain of who was winning.

From behind her, another two soldiers reared their ugly helmets. “C'mon then!” Sunset yelled as she skidded to a stop, and turned to face the two. She gritted her teeth in a grimace, drew air in between the gaps, and waited for just the right moment to strike. Before they could get any closer, a pegasus came from the sky and knocked the two down into a crater. Sunset looked up to see who had saved her but could not tell what the color of armor they bore was—they had been but a blur of speed.

After the pegasus took care of the aggressors, Sunset rushed to help her friends. By the time she reached the fallen crystal, the soldiers had already been detained. “You need to turn back now!” she heard one of the pegasi say as she came closer. This guard wasn’t decked out in golden armor. Instead, they wore a blue, nylon uniform with dark blue helmets that held a light yellow thunderbolt on both sides. A visor was strapped atop the helmet, which Sunset thought a bit odd. She then noticed that only pegasi were wearing these outfits. “This is no place for civilians, we’re in the middle of an operation here!” another pegasus said.

“What’s going on here?” Sunset asked as she walked through the pegasi to get to her friends.

“Another civilian?” The loudest of the pegasi pulled her helmet off to reveal bright orange hair atop her yellow face. “I may only be a commander, but I don’t care if you’re the captain of the guard,” she said, turning to Shining Armor. “You brought civilians out onto the battlefield, and we don’t have time to foalsit you all.”

“You don’t have to. We’re heading for the empire. Is it accessible through the breach in the wall?” he said, confidently.

“You’re going inside?” the pegasus asked, though it was obvious she knew the reason why.

The fighting going on around them drew in more soldiers and guards, and now they were wasting time arguing. “We’re heading in on orders from Princess Celestia in search of two ponies,” Sunset lied. “We’re looking for Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie. They are critical and we need to get them as soon as possible.”

The commander’s jaw dropped. “Rainbow Dash?” she repeated. Before saying anything more, she reached into her suit’s collar and pulled out a whistle that hung around her neck. She blew into it as hard as she could. Sunset and the others covered their ears at the terrible noise. As soon as she finished whistling, a pegasus came flying back, followed by another, and then another. “Rainbow Dash! Front and center!”

It was the third pegasus who arrived that stepped forward. Sunset smiled at first, but as soon as she saw the metal wing all happiness evaporated. The pegasus pushed her visor up and said, “Commander?”

“Princess Celestia has ordered Captain Shining Armor and this group of civvies to find you. Any particular reason why that might be happening?”

Rainbow Dash undid the strap on her jaw and pulled off the helmet. Sunset grimaced in shock of the half-mohawk she bore and the scarred ear. “Not that I can think of, ma’am. Unless they’re awarding me for my superior agility and overwhelming defense,” she smugly answered.

The commander turned back to Shining and Sunset. “Well, there you have it. Princess Celestia can wait. We’re in the middle of defending the opening we just made and every soldier in King Sombra’s control is on their way here to aid in taking it back. We don’t have the resources to spread ourselves thin. I suggest you make for the wall or help us, but don’t get in our way.”

Sunset knew it would be pointless to try and convince the commander to relinquish Rainbow Dash, and if she knew Rainbow Dash at all, she knew it would be pointless to try and persuade her from breaking rank. Loyalty. The word resounded within her head. “I’ve got this,” she whispered to Shining Armor before stepping forward. “Are you disobeying direct orders from Princess Celestia?” she asked as she levitated open her backpack. “Because I’ve got a decree right here with her signature on it stating that you need to resign command of Rainbow Dash—giving authority over to me.” She pulled out a rolled up piece of paper and levitated it over to the commander.

“A decree from Princess Celestia?” The orange haired pegasus attempted to swipe the decree out of the air, but Sunset held it back.

“Well? What’s it going to be? Are you loyal or not?”

The commander groaned and turned to Rainbow Dash. “You heard them, Dash. If Princess Celestia sent them here to find you and head through the wall, then it is probably the same reason we were sent here to tear it down in the first place. Make us proud.”

“Ma’am.” Rainbow Dash saluted the senior officer and then watched as her team flew off in different directions. Her head snapped back to look at the Elements. “What are your orders?” she asked as her eyes met Sunset’s. If she had some misgivings about Sunset, her voice and stance hid it well.

“We’re searching for the bearers of the Elements of Harmony, and you’re one of them. We’re looking for one more, an earth pony named Pinkie Pie. For now, stick with us—we’re heading into the Crystal Empire,” Sunset replied and then commanded everyone else to move out. Rainbow Dash didn’t even give a strange side-look to the explanation as she and the other Elements headed around the fallen crystal. As Sunset trotted behind, Shining Armor stopped her.

“Where’d you get the decree?” he asked. “I tore it up!”

“Decree? Oh, you mean this thing,” Sunset smugly said, and unraveled the piece of paper to show a crudely drawn map of Equestria.

He wiped his forehead with the back of his hoof. “Huh. I’m going to have to be more careful around you. You’re a lot cleverer than I first expected,” he complimented, though Sunset wasn’t sure if that truly was what it was.

As they stepped out from the shadow of the fallen crystal, Sunset saw the shine of the Crystal Empire within the opening. The gem that had been part of the wall had collapsed forward and created a nice ramp into the city. Unfortunately, many battles raged between them and the broken wall. Sunset’s eyes watered from the wind as she stared out across the wounded landscape.

“May I speak freely, ma’am?” Rainbow Dash asked, to which Sunset gave a silent nod. “You’re all a bit slower than I am, so I suggest we wait for an opening and then try to book it.”

Sunset and the others agreed to the plan without hesitation. Once it was clear, the group rushed for the crystal ramp. The walls of the empire towered above with the burning light putting them on display for all the world to see. This almost feels like one of the late night football games, Sunset thought as she wiped her running nose. It’s late, it’s cold, and I’m surrounded by people who have more of a stake in what’s going on than I do. At least Pinkie Pie isn’t here to scream in my ear, though I certainly wouldn’t mind it compared to this.

The crystal hummed as they galloped up it, Rainbow Dash leading the way. Sunset felt her face redden from all the running, her breathing becoming heavier with every step. She eyed past Rainbow Dash at the two Sombra soldiers that stood in their path. Before the soldiers could do anything, they were tossed off by some other pegasus. The group neared the unhindered opening, closer and closer with every step. As Rainbow Dash reached the apex, another soldier appeared, to which she tackled and went over the other side straight into the Crystal Empire. “Rainbow Dash!” Sunset cried her name as they clambered to the edge of the crystal ramp. As she looked down, her worry vanished. Rainbow Dash was already up and fighting another two soldiers.

While the Elements and Shining Armor hopped down to help the athletic pegasus, Sunset took a glimpse at the Crystal Empire. In front of them sat a few cul-de-sacs of houses which looked to be untouched by the war. Most of the homes she could see were unused. It made sense. Brainwashed ponies didn't need to eat, sleep, or have comfort. There was little need for such things. In the distance, past the castle, she could see smoke clouds rising. The castle itself remained tall and untouched, except for the apparent evil crystals that Sombra loved to decorate with. She assumed everything else was the same. I never stepped outside the castle, only the interior. And that was just to steal a crown, she remembered.

The castle wasn’t the only place where crystals had sprung up. Smaller clusters sprouted out within the city streets like a plague. That’s got to be from Sombra’s first attack. Shining Armor said Celestia was pushed back over time, so there’s no way they could have gotten within the empire until today. It’s easy to see why Shining Armor was forced to flee. She hopped down onto the broken shard of the crystal wall and then hopped down again to the city’s ground. As she hit the bottom, a chill engulfed her and sent the fur on her neck straight up. “It’s freezing!” she complained. “Worse than out in the snow. How is this possible?”

The others crowded behind the backside of a pink house. Though the area was mostly filled with housing cul-de-sacs, they sat behind those houses where it was more open to being seen. The soldiers weren’t smart enough to figure that out, however. Soldiers continued to press through the small gaps in houses from the center of the cul-de-sacs. If they had followed the wall instead, Sunset’s group would’ve been easily seen. “What’s going on?” Sunset asked as she came closer. The three unconscious soldiers were still being sidled up to the house by Shining Armor.

“Soldiers. They don’t know we’re here, but there’s a group of unicorns cowering down behind the next set of houses. We’ve got to get to them and find out where the rockers are at,” Rainbow Dash answered. She didn’t even look back at Sunset—both eyes drilled on the gap between homes.

“Rockers?” Sunset inquired.

“Oh, they’re slang for our earth pony division,” Twilight responded for Rainbow Dash. “They’re used to take down crystals and rocks on the battlefield.” She then gloated, “Prince Sunburst was the one who saw the need for them and put together the task force.”

“Who’s the egghead?” asked Rainbow Dash, her head finally swiveling back to look at them.

“Enough,” Shining Armor said over his shoulder. The stallion crept up to be beside Rainbow Dash. “They aren’t looking. Head for the next houses.” Past the gap and out into the open, they did as instructed. With their heads low and their hooves quiet, they reached the next set of homes without incident. “What’s the situation?” he asked the guards as everyone pushed against the cyan home, the shadow of the eave hiding barely hiding them.

“Captain Shining Armor?” the unicorn breathed, surprised. “Sir! As soon as we chipped the wall open, the earth pony team ran barreling into the city. We lost sight of them as they headed for the castle. We attempted to chase, but you can see how well that turned out,” explained the guard.

“My guess is that’s Pinkie Pie,” Rainbow Dash said.

“Really? Are you certain?” Sunset asked, perplexed.

“Of course. I was part of the team sent up here to cut into the Crystal Empire, just like her. Wouldn’t be able to put a face to the name, but if we’re looking for an earth pony, my guess is she’s part of the group that ran off to the castle. It’s not like them to break formation, though.”

“Enough chatter,” Shining Armor interjected. “With the wall down there should be a huge herd coming in from the northwest to aid in defending their wall.” He pulled his head back in from the left corner of the house, the cyan crystal reflecting his coat of white. “We need a forward command base set up pronto. Any idea which of these houses would best suit establishing our needs?” he asked one of the unicorn guards.

“All the houses are abandoned, but maintaining a line to bring through more troops will be difficult if we stray too far from the wall. Any of the houses around will do, sir,” the guard promptly answered, and motioned to the houses that sat around them.

Shining Armor nodded and then picked a house seemingly at random before shooting a bolt of magic at a window and smashing its glass. “Everyone through the window before more soldiers show up,” he commanded, leading the charge. He jumped through the narrow hole, and wriggled his way inside with the unicorn guards following suit. Twilight, Rarity, and Applejack were next to go. Each made it through the hole, but were followed by a loud crash. It wasn't loud enough to alert any soldiers who may have been standing within the cul-de-sac.

As Fluttershy and Sunset started to move, Rainbow Dash pulled them back. “Soldiers, they’re staring this way. If we stay low they’ll pass over us,” she said, glancing between the gaps in the houses. She then turned her head and looked at the two, her bangs partially covering one eye. “We’ll have to be quick not to get… spotted—” Her speech slowed as she became slack-jawed, intently staring at the yellow pegasus. “F-F-Fluttershy!?” she shouted, to which Sunset slammed a hoof to her mouth.

“You’re going to get us caught!” Sunset whisper-yelled. “I guess you two know each other? Save the reunion for once we’re inside!” She leaned past Rainbow Dash, her body pushed closer to the wall as she peered around the corner.

“What are you guys waiting for?” Twilight called out from the window as quietly as she could, the top of her forehead barely visible.

Sunset gave a nod and then motioned for the two pegasi to move. Darting through the opening, Rainbow Dash was first with Fluttershy flapping gently behind. Sunset squinted her eyes and wrinkled her nose. She aimed for the opening and landed in darkness. The room was black and became even blacker after Shining Armor levitated a bookcase over to the window—blocking the opening. “Everyone okay?” she asked as she looked around the room while her eyes adjusted. The unicorn guards stood at the door, each peering out through the curtains. Rainbow Dash sat whispering with Fluttershy on the only couch. Twilight and Rarity were crowded around Applejack. Nobody seemed to acknowledge her question. “Alright then.”

“We’ll set up here for a moment,” Shining Armor whispered to everyone. “Catch your breath, get some rest.”

The room was dark enough to taste the shadows on her tongue, but it didn’t last long. Twilight and Rarity maintained a dim light emanating from their horns. As Sunset came closer, she saw their reasoning. “At least I’m not the only klutzy one around here,” Twilight said, causing Rarity to giggle. Applejack had jumped through the window and landed on a piece of the broken frame that Shining Armor had blown in. It slipped out from under her as she fell and forced her hoof forward.

“I’ll be alright,” Applejack told Sunset, though it sounded like it was meant to reassure herself. “I’ll be a little slower, but I won’t let that stop me.”

“Just so long as you don’t try to play the hero and tell us to leave you behind,” Rarity joked as she wrapped the leg with torn cloth. Rarity used her own scarf to mend the earth pony’s wound.

“We’ve got some time before we head off, so try to stay off it in the meantime,” Sunset suggested, seeing that Rarity and Twilight had everything under control. “Can I get you anything? Water maybe?”

Applejack shook her head, her bountiful blonde mane shifting with every shake. “No, I’m alright. I appreciate it though. I’ll be mighty sore in the morn, that’s for sure.”

Sunset raised a questioning eyebrow before nodding. Applejack was in good hooves, Sunset knew, and this gave her time to look around the rest of the home. Much of the others remained in shadow. The guards moved a table around and brought out maps and such, partially in hope of devising a battle plan to allow others to move into the empire.

She could barely make out the couch Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash sat on, much less their faces. It was a relatively small home, the kitchen and living room open to each other while a simple set of stairs led up to a bedroom. The entry way was more modest and grew outward into the rest of the home. The floor held a single rug which covered the cold, crystal floor. Had it not been so dark, Sunset could have seen her own breath. Instead, she took a look out the curtained windows that sat beside the front door. The soldiers had all vanished, presumably still searching for them by the broken wall. Many other houses blocked her line of sight, but she could see the castle towering in the distance over the crystalline roofs.

The grass and flowers also seemed dried up, possibly by the lack of pony attention. However, many of the buildings seemed unfazed by the war. There won’t be much of a reconstruction process, though I hopefully won’t be around to see it if there is, Sunset speculated. It still wasn’t clear whether her presence made the world exist or if this truly was an alternate universe, similar to the world beyond the mirror. I should have focused on asking Celestia what she thought about it. She tapped her hoof against her forehead, angry with herself.

A few wheezes caused her to turn back to the rest of the room. Shining Armor had apparently pulled open a cupboard to get some dishes for something, but they had come flying down. Twilight and a guard had been there to prevent them from hitting the ground. She stepped back to the table and looked over what was strung about, though she could not tell what was written in the low light. The whispers of the two pegasus finally peaked her curiosity. She did not want to intrude, however. Her ears flicked as she eavesdropped. “Sheep huh?” she heard Rainbow Dash say in a low voice.

“Oh yes,” Fluttershy responded quietly, “But enough about me, what has happened to you? Your hair, your ear, and your wing. So much of you has changed…”

The wing. Sunset’s brain sparked as she heard the word. Her head tilted to have the two in her peripheral. She glanced over the metal piece that was shouldered by the athletic pegasus. She had noticed it before but didn't want to question it—another one of the failures brought on by this forsaken world. “The hair just sort of happened, long hair doesn’t really fit in the helmet and these darn bangs keep getting into my visor. But Commander Spitfire said I looked cool the first day I came in with the style. So, I just kept it ever since.” Rainbow Dash shrugged. “As for the ear—” She rubbed a hoof against the outside of her ear “—That actually happened during the changeling invasion.”

“Oh my!” gasped Fluttershy, placing her hooves to her mouth. “Were you there during the attack?”

“Nah, I wish,” she replied, giving a laugh and snort. “Was practicing for joining up with the Wonderbolts. I kept trying to perform a trick that I haven’t been able to do since I was a kid. Ended up in a tree with still no trick. You remember the one, right? My never patented sonic rainboom?”

Fluttershy giggled. “I remember. I also remember you fighting against those mean old bullies that were picking on me. I never got to thank you for standing up for me.”

“I remember that too,” Rainbow Dash groaned, sulking at the mention. “I remember losing. I dropped out of flight school because of that day.”

“I-I’m sorry. I d-didn’t know you quit because of me.”

“I didn’t quit because of you. Sure, when you didn’t return I kind of thought… y’know, I had failed you. But I quit because I couldn’t handle being worse than those two awful bullies, I couldn’t even stick up for a friend.” Fluttershy remained quiet in response, but Dash was the first to break the silence. “H-hey. Don’t think of me as a downer though. I still got into the Wonderbolts after all, even if it is for the war. Bet those colts are back in Cloudsdale workin’ janitorial at the academy.” She nudged an elbow into Fluttershy. “Serves them right!”

Sunset couldn’t bear to listen anymore. She was too curious for her own good. “N-not to interrupt or tell that I was eavesdropping,” she began, “but I am a bit curious about your wing. Sorry if it’s a sore subject.”

“Eavesdropping?” Rainbow Dash repeated. “This house is so small I doubt any of us could prevent themselves from listening to each other’s conversations.” She patted the couch on her right side, Fluttershy moved further left. “C’mon, it’s a really gruesome story. Commander Spitfire hates when I tell it, but she isn’t here now is she?”

The thought of the story being gruesome turned Sunset’s stomach. “O-on second thought, perhaps I’ll leave it up to the imagination. Though I suppose some things never change, regardless of parallel universes.” The Rainbow Dash at CHS won’t stop sending me links to grim stories and pictures, she remembered. A scary image Rainbow Dash had posted of a video game glitching a man’s face still sent shivers down her spine.

“Suit yourself,” Rainbow Dash said with a shrug. “How about you ‘Shy? You wanna hear it?” Fluttershy shook her head and mumbled. “Well then somebody’s gotta tell me about this parallel universe. I’m not a whole lot into science or alternate dimensions, but another me sounds really awesome.” She leaned back and placed her forelegs behind her head while crossing her back legs.

“I think a few of us would be interested in hearing more of this other world,” Twilight intruded, and took Sunset’s place on the couch next to Rainbow Dash.

“Hm. I suppose I could talk about it,” Sunset affirmed. “This gives me a chance to fill Rainbow Dash in on her place in all of this.” Sunset looked around at the unicorn guards and Shining Armor. The guards were getting some rest, though Shining still burned the candle at both ends. He looked more fatigued than ever. “What would you like to know?” she asked as she turned back to the couch.

“Start from the beginning. Like, including your name,” Rainbow Dash answered.

“Oh, right.” Sunset gave an awkward smile, though no one could really see it in the darkness. “My name’s Sunset Shimmer. I come from an alternate timeline where the war isn’t going on and Equestria is at peace. There have been many monsters that have come to ruin that peace, but six ponies have maintained harmony. That’s you five—six including Pinkie Pie. You are the Elements of Harmony.”

As Sunset continued to explain her past, her present, and her purpose here, Rarity and Applejack joined in listening to the tale. Though they mostly listened to Sunset, Rainbow Dash interrupted several times with questions. Things like: “What are hands like?” and “What am I like in your world?” Sunset answered to the best of her abilities, but one question Rainbow Dash asked left her stumped. “If there are Elements of Harmony in our world and your world, are there Elements in that other world you live in? With the mirror?”

That was an odd question to hear. They had ‘ponied-up’ before, but that had been without the Elements of Harmony. It hadn’t even been a thought to cross her mind, even when she ponied-up herself. “And what’s your Element, anyways?” Rainbow Dash asked the question that was becoming all too familiar.

“I-I don’t really have an answer for the world question. I’ll have to look into that. As for my Element—I don’t have one,” Sunset answered.

“She was apparently a demon,” Twilight added, nonchalantly.

“A demon? Cool!” Rainbow Dash sat forward and hopped off the couch. “Well, I’m not entirely sure I buy into this whole Elements of Harmony thing or me being part of it.” She extended her wings. “However, you’ve got Princess Celestia, Captain Shining Armor, and even Fluttershy convinced. That’s more than enough to get me to help you with your mission.” She smacked her hooves together. “So if you aren’t just a storyteller, how do we go about getting my Element?”

Sunset could see the sneer on the pegasus’s face even in the darkness. Whether it was the excitement of being part of something big or just feeding into her own egotism, Sunset knew Rainbow Dash was on board. “I don’t have an answer for that either. Once we get Pinkie Pie, I’ll concern myself more with making sure each of you has your Element. So far, they’ve all just shown up on their own. It’s funny, this is actually how Princess Twilight defeated Tirek and gained her castle.”

She unzipped the backpack and pulled her journal from the contents. Her horn sparked to light up, only to brighten the entire house before she gained control and dimmed it low. She was quick to flip through the pages—turning it to face the five. “This journal was written into by Princess Twilight and myself. She spoke of the day she became princess along with the obtaining of her castle. She went through a lot of work to get to where she is.”

“Could we learn about our future with this thing?” Twilight asked, levitating the book closer to them.

“What’s a book going to tell us that Sunset hasn’t?” Rainbow Dash pushed her bangs from her eyes. “We’re clearly the most awesome ponies in all of Equestria, and we’re going to go kick King Sombra’s butt! I’ve been dreaming of taking down that pompous crystal breather, and we’ll actually get the chance to do it!” She clopped her hooves together again.

Applejack chuckled. “I’ve got to agree with you, Rainbow Dash. Before his return, I was just a simple farm girl workin’ all day and lovin’ life. He’s ruined so many ponies lives, I almost feel a little giddy to be part of takin’ him down. Shoot, if I had known all this ahead of time, I would’ve been trainin’ more. It’s been a few years since anypony lived in Ponyville, and even more since somepony challenged me to an Iron Pony competition.” She lifted her foreleg and looked down at her stiff ankle.

“When this is all over, I’ll challenge you,” promised Dash.

“Oh my… I don't know who to root for,” Fluttershy added.

There was a sense of pride in Sunset’s heart knowing she had helped these five become friends. She wondered what would become of this world once she was gone, and the fear of this world disappearing all together came striking once more. If I leave, will this world remain? I surely can’t stay, she contemplated. All this work to bring them together, to befriend them, and then I just leave? I suppose Twilight did that when she went back through the mirror. She left our friends, returning for her own. This world, what happens to it doesn’t really matter. When we defeat Sombra my work here will be done. Right?

It was a curious thought, but she did not have the luxury of weighing the pros and cons. “Alright. If everypony has rested up, we’ve devised a route and plan for the Crystal Empire,” Shining Armor spoke up. The Elements and Sunset crowded around the table as Shining Armor lit the room with his horn. “We’ve got a basic chart right here.” He pointed at a map with a few street names and descriptions of buildings, mostly detailing the east side of the city. “What we’re going to do is head through the alleyways and back sides of these houses until we reach the outer ring of what used to be businesses. We’ll have to make a break for it, maybe fight our way through to get to the castle.” He then pointed to the three guards. “These three are staying here to protect the rear. After we leave, they’ll give us five minutes till they shoot off a flare. The flare should be green, which means—”

“A safe house!” Rainbow Dash interrupted. “Green means that enemies are around but Celestia’s Guard owns the ground. All of the ones outside will be rushing in, just like we did during the Battle of the Dusk Gate!”

“Correct. All of King Sombra’s soldiers in the city will come rushing only to meet with our own troops coming in for safety. We’re hoping that means we’ll get the chance to reach the castle without running too heavily into enemy forces,” Shining Armor explained. “There'll still be some at the castle, I guarantee, but it won’t be nearly as bad.”

“And it also gives us an exit strategy should things get worse,” Twilight noted. “I think that’s a splendid idea. Perhaps Prince Sunburst has been rubbing off on you, big brother?” She ruffled his cheek and he smiled, but Sunset could only stick out her tongue in disgust.

“Everyone understand? We’re breaking off now,” Shining Armor said, direct and to the point.

Sunset shoved her journal back into her backpack and zipped it up tight. The others gathered by the door, and once they all were there, Shining Armor opened it and stepped outside. Sunset closed the door behind them and looked up to the sky. The castle’s blue hue stood like a beacon for the lit up city, but could not break the clouds that hovered overhead. There was no way of telling whether it was night or day, other than the exhaustion she felt. The group headed across the cul-de-sac, to the north, and she quickly followed.

World 1: Chapter 6

The cramped and dim alleyway forced Sunset, Shining Armor, and the Elements to go single file. It was like the gaps of the cul-de-sac, but these paths eventually led out into a backstreet between homes. Sunset eyed the house they left behind, the curtains rustled slightly. The cold was worse than within the home, she could see her breath again. The ground felt like ice, and made the snow outside the empire seem like an open refrigerator. Every unsheltered step spiked a new set of hairs to stand up on her neck. She had forgotten the feeling of goosebumps. The winter at CHS was mild and rarely contained snow. This world’s climate seemed to have a mind of its own.

Strands of hair clumped together, frozen by her sweat. She pushed them out from in front of her eyes as she waited to cross a gap between the crystal homes. They all had to be cautious and mindful of the differences, wary of any soldiers that might be standing around in the front yards. The roofs of the houses held small eaves, which disguised them within the shadows. The backstreet wasn’t as petite as the gaps, though they were cluttered with debris and jutted crystals. As she crossed the divide and waited to pass the next, her eyes wandered to one of these crystals. It seemed to give a low hum, she noted, and stared into the dark purple hue of her reflection. Another gap crossed and she forgot all about it. Nothing was more important than finding Pinkie Pie.

The backstreet eventually became an L-curve which Shining Armor led them down. Sunset took a few steps back before this curve to see where the castle lay. The top tower was just above the home’s roof. They were closer than before, but an open street now blocked their way. There were many open streets between them and the castle, and the wilted foliage and shrubbery gave no cover for them to hide. Even the protruding dark crystals provided more cover. Shining Armor gave the signal to head across, and they followed with quiet care. He crossed with Twilight and then held a hoof up to halt the rest in their place—a set of soldiers were patrolling the street they crossed. The soldiers passed unaware, and Shining Armor gave the go-ahead for the rest of them to cross—Sunset led the caboose.

They were making good time. Growing even closer to the castle than before.

Just as they pushed their way into another backstreet, a green flare shot off. Its magnificent glow radiated down, and brightened up the entire east side of the city with shimmering green. Sunset, Shining Armor, and the Elements crowded around the alley—watching and waiting. Just as Shining Armor predicted, soldiers poured down the crystal streets heading in the direction of the flare. Sunset held her breath. “As soon as the soldiers pass it’ll become a race to the castle,” he had told them after they exited the home. Once the final soldiers passed, it was the time to throw off their caution; to no longer worry about noise or being seen. After taking the back alley as far northwest as they could, they burst out through the gap into the open air of the street.

They headed down the road and straight past remnants of once great shops a thousand years lost. They poured out onto a long stretch of road that led to the castle, but Shining Armor stopped them before they could go any further. Sunset saw his reasoning—dozens of black helms patrolling amongst the castle grounds. He pushed everyone toward a shop, and they crowded against its aquamarine wall. Rainbow Dash glided up to the tip of the shop, and then straddled the roof for cover. She was quick and nimble, Sunset noticed. That’s no surprise for Rainbow Dash. When she came back down, she told of the soldiers’ movements. A battle fought just recently had many of Sombra’s soldiers dragging ponies off to somewhere more northwest than she could see. These soldiers didn’t even seem to care for the flare.

“The reformation camp,” Shining Armor declared after listening to Rainbow Dash. “If the group that attacked the castle failed then that’s where they’re being taken. That’s where many ponies have been taken—that’s where Pinkie Pie might be.”

“We’ll need to check there before we storm the castle. Without Pinkie Pie, we’ll have no chance of winning,” Sunset said. In truth, she had no desire to see the reformation camp. There had already been enough disturbing things she witnessed of this world without one more. Whether she saw it or not, it would disappear with Sombra’s defeat, and there was little reason to see more of a world she would not be staying in. Except for the fact that Pinkie might be there.

Shining Armor was hesitant. However, he agreed in the end, and they made their way around the circle of shops. Heading northwest, they kept the castle to their left at all times. As they moved, Sunset noticed how cold it grew the closer they drew to the castle. Most of the vegetation had wilted, which she had seen before, but even the stumps were the only thing left of trees. Upon reaching the last line of shops outside the reformation camp, they found the reasoning for the timber’s removal. “Catapults,” Twilight Sparkle mumbled, putting a vile word to what everyone could see.

The northwest quarter, which previously had been homes and shops, was now replaced with a flat landscape where ponies in chains worked to process minerals. Crystals were cut down and taken to be formed into helmets and armor, while the wood was a fresh idea. The catapults were still being built but looked close to being finished. The ponies that weren’t meant to mine or build were forced to wear the helmets and then be sent off to battle. Sunset studied the chained ponies in the hopes of seeing a pink mane waiting to be free. None matched the friend she knew.

“We should head down there,” Applejack suggested. “We could free the ponies, destroy those catchamapults, and draw in more soldiers from the castle.”

Rainbow Dash clopped her hooves together. “Yeah! We could do some major damage to whatever King Sombra has planned!”

“No,” Sunset disagreed. “I don’t see Pinkie Pie down there. Finding her is more important. We would be putting ourselves at a disadvantage if we went down there. Not only are we already cut off from our escape route, we’d only be making an unnecessary commotion. We might have a better chance if we just head for the castle and fight our way in.”

“The ponies down there could help us in the fight,” argued Twilight. “Not to mention freeing them would help our cause in the long run.”

“Listen, none of it matters as long as we get the Elements of Harmony. We can worry about them later, but right now we have to think of our cause.” Sunset turned back and headed into the shadows of the alley. She ignored the stink-eye Twilight gave and the shrugs from the other Elements. Shining Armor remained silent.

They doubled back to the end of the alley where Twilight refused to go any further. “How do we even know that Pinkie Pie is in there? We didn’t even get a chance to look thoroughly through the ponies that were taken. Maybe she’s been bucketed? I say we take our chances and try and find her in the reformation camp.”

“I didn’t see her, and I’m the only one who knows what she looks like,” Sunset bossed. “If we take on the castle we can remove one of their main bases and allow our troops to move easier. Going back to free those ponies does nothing if they are just recaptured along with us!”

“Oh, you didn’t see her in those two seconds we spent looking out into the camp? What a big shock!” Twilight sarcastically responded. “Well, I’m not going to believe she isn’t there just on your word and eyes. I’m going to stop their production, free those ponies, and destroy the catapults! If she’s there, great, if not, at least she won’t be sent there!” She stomped her hooves. “Who’s with me?”

Sunset listened to the murmurs of the other Elements. Twilight wasn’t making sense, couldn’t they see that? They were just seven few against a whole of soldiers, and even that number dwindled with the injured Applejack and the fainthearted Fluttershy. Saving ponies was the right thing to do, but not if it would end in failure. Her eyes shifted to Shining Armor who stared intently at the castle. “What do you think, Shining Armor?” she asked, hoping that he would be the voice of reason to his baby sister.

Instead, he convinced her. “Every inch of me yearns to break into the castle, but as captain of the Royal Guard, I’d say Twilight’s option would be the best decision. The ponies we free could serve as a distraction or help for ransacking the castle, not to mention crippling King Sombra’s ability to convert more into his dark army.”

It doesn’t look like I’ll be able to persuade any of them, she concluded after studying their faces. “Fine. I’ll give it a chance.” She tilted her head back and pushed her shoulders forward. I just have to hope that I missed Pinkie Pie within the crowd.

“Good.” Twilight turned and walked back down the alleyway. “It was always Prince Sunburst’s idea to break down the camp ever since we found out about it. I’m going to make him proud,” she declared.

The thought of seeing Sunburst proud left a scarring image in Sunset’s mind. His half-closed eyes always made her think he was sleepy. This world’s Sunburst seemed far more awake and wide-eyed, she’d give him that. I won’t have to deal with it anymore once the Elements of Harmony are reunited. I can go back to my timeline and consider this all one lousy nightmare. She breathed a heavy sigh as they walked, the cold chapping her lips.

Once across the street, they scouted the reformation camp in a low crouch. While sitting shoulder to shoulder, the entirety of the camp was in their view. Sunset once again eyed over the ponies in helms and those in chains looking for the familiar pink fur of the Element of Laughter. None of them bore the party pony’s cutie mark nor the accurate shade of pink hair. This is just a waste of time. We’re all going to get caught, she envisioned. Twilight and Shining Armor slid down the short incline and crouched behind a pile of crystal rubble. But I can’t let them get captured. Even if it means making Sunburst happy. She glanced with her peripherals at Rarity and Fluttershy. They need me just as much as I need them.

Sunset was the last to sit atop the slope. She watched the soldiers patrol the edges of the camp. Even more were being made every minute. The Elements and Shining Armor made their way towards the chained group of ponies. They crouched from one pile of crystals to the next, narrowly avoiding detection. One of the soldiers headed towards Sunset and she ducked her head down. The brainwashed pony passed by unaware, but continued on heading towards the back end where her friends sat in hiding. Her fear was about to come true. That’s when Sunset formed an idea. A most brilliant idea. After skidding down the slope, she rushed up behind the soldier that hadn’t seen her and bit down on their tail—yanking as hard as she could. The soldier fell on their rump and stumbled to get up. “Over here bucket-head!” she yelled at the top of her lungs as she took off through the center of the camp. She screamed with giddy laughter as the soldier chased her, which garnered even more attention from the other soldiers.

Soon the camp was filled with galloping hooves. Soldiers came in all directions to chase after Sunset while she attempted to dodge their best efforts. She halted the production of more soldiers and the catapults, as anyone with a helmet barreled after her. With her magic, she lifted the wheels off loaded carts and flooded the ground with the mined crystals inside. Some soldiers fell into these traps while others completely avoided them. She sprinted the entire way to the other side of the camp, attracting more and more soldiers as she went. She couldn’t even count them all—there was no time to look back. The crystal wall that surrounded the empire stood in her path and blocked her escape.

Soldiers came from all three sides as she was forced to press against the towering wall and face the oncoming enemy. While holding her breath, she counted to ten as they charged at her. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Closer they came, dozens upon dozens of black plumes blowing in the wind. Six. Seven. Eight. Nine. Ten.

She exhaled.

The soldiers slammed head first into each other and the wall. As they moved and shifted, pressing their weight down on each other, her honeyed laugh garnered their attention.

Sunset stood on the other side of them, her hoof to her mouth as she continued to laugh at the disorganized pile she created. After turning her tail to them, she gave a little shake and trotted off. It wasn’t long before some of them stumbled to their hooves and clambered after her. Unfortunately, they met a much larger resistance than just Sunset. “Tag, you’re it,” Sunset said as she passed the Elements, Shining Armor, and a few scores of angry ponies whose shackles were removed. Had the soldiers not been removed from their emotions, they should have been quaking in their helmets.

“Great work, Sunset,” Applejack commended, and gave her a tap on the shoulder. “That was mighty clever thinkin’ on your part,” she added. The soldiers had their helmets removed without too much force from those previously enslaved. Those too weak to fight helped in moving the now unconscious ponies around, and agreed to watch over them until they were awake. “Guess Twilight was right in havin’ us come down here. Don’t suppose she was also right about Pinkie Pie, was she?”

Sunset took a hasty glance over her shoulder at the purple unicorn. “No. Pinkie Pie isn’t here.” She looked back at Applejack. “This was a waste of time—but I am glad something good came of it. I haven’t seen so many angry people staring at me since the time I turned into a demon. I’m just glad their anger wasn’t directed at me.” She chuckled.

“Haven’t really heard you laugh since Manehattan.” Applejack’s smile sprang to her mouth. “I was gettin’ a little worried, honestly. I-I knew the fightin’ was bad, but I don’t know what I expected fighting to look like. I was hopin’ you wouldn’t feel the same way.”

Laughter. “We need to find Pinkie Pie,” she reminded Applejack, cutting off the earth pony’s sentiment. “She’ll be at the castle.” Her head swiveled to the other Elements and the group of freed workers. “Alright, we need to take the castle next. We better get moving before one of the patrols gets wind of what has happened here,” she declared.

“That’s right,” Shining Armor announced. “We’ll be storming the castle. Anyone who wants to help is welcome to join us. Otherwise, head southeast towards the broken wall. There’s a rendezvous point in one of the homes.” Many of the ponies huddled up in front of Shining Armor and raised their hooves in salute. Shining Armor turned and nodded to Sunset before taking the braver ponies up the slope.

“Everyone else ready to head off?” she asked the Elements before realizing Twilight was already on the move. The purple unicorn settled in behind the ponies who were following Shining Armor. “Twilight? Twilight!” Sunset called out and rushed up beside the mare. “Hey, you alright?” she asked as the other Elements followed after.

Twilight eyes flickered with irritation and impatience as she looked sideways at Sunset. “No. I’m not alright. What you did was reckless. It may have ended well, but that doesn’t mean it couldn’t have gone wrong.” Her tone was deep as she spoke. “I need five minutes to clear my thoughts so I won’t snap at you.” With that, Twilight marched ahead to her brother’s side.

“Geez.” Sunset halted. “What was that about? We went back and helped free the camp, yet she’s still mad at me for some reason?” She stabbed the air in the direction of Twilight.

“It was pretty reckless,” Fluttershy spoke up, her head hung low as she said it. “Maybe she was worried about you, but she doesn’t know how to say it.”

Sunset stood silent for a moment. Could that be it? I’ve never had to deal with someone like that before. What would Twilight do? Her eyes began to water, and she blinked rapidly. “I-I suppose. Should I apologize?” she asked aloud, to Fluttershy and to anyone who would answer.

“Heck no!” Rainbow Dash answered as she swooped down in front of Sunset. “You just helped save all those ponies by buying us time to free them. Let her be mad or worried or whatever. That’s the best thing to happen in this war since we tore down a piece of that crystal wall!”

“That was only a few hours ago…” Rarity chimed in.

Rainbow Dash rubbed the back of her neck. “Yeah, not a lot of good things have happened.”

That settled it for Sunset. With a curt nod, she trotted faster than the other ponies that marched on the castle, heading for the front of the pack. Twilight was walking alongside her brother, her face staring at the ground. “Hey,” Sunset spoke first as she came side by side with the purple mare. “I know you wanted to be left alone, but I’m not sure why. What’d I do that’s got you upset?”

Twilight sighed, her haughty tone obviously exaggerated. “You almost cost us everything with that little stunt. We were perfectly fine until you decided to become the center of attention. For a moment, I thought you were going to break out into song.”

So she wasn’t worried about me. Her stomach felt pained and her heart ached. I thought we were finally getting along. “Well, I’m sorry that I felt the need to draw attention away. I’m sorry that I put my safety at risk so that you all could free these captured ponies! How selfish of me!” she rushed and slurred her speech. Her brow had pushed together at some point, the bridge of her muzzle now strained. “I thought maybe I’d save the day, but apparently I should have been a big coward like some sort of prince.”

It was apparent the jab had struck its target when Twilight halted in place, her cheeks were burning red and her eyes almost protruded from her skull. “Prince Sunburst is the most loyal, intelligent, and well-mannered stallion I know!” Twilight yelled. “He has spent all his time trying to help the war effort, while you just showed up out of nowhere and have done nothing but undermine him! He is nothing but the opposite of a coward, and I will not sit idly by while you insult him!”

“P-please, darling, keep your voice down. I’m certain Sunset did not mean any insult,” Rarity pleaded, having appeared almost out of nowhere.

Insult? Sunset realized her mistake made from frustration. “So I guess you think the Friendship Games are silly too?” Rainbow Dash’s words echoed in her mind from the CHS library. Her friends held so much school pride, and Crystal Prep tarnished that every year. She hadn’t meant the insult but it was taken nonetheless, nor did she understand how important losing had been to them. This Twilight is just as passionate about Sunburst as Twilight is about Princess Celestia back in my world, she recognized.

“R-right,” she agreed with Rarity, lying. “I mean, Shining Armor is a prince in my world, after all,” she said in an attempt to dig herself out of the hole she'd put herself into.

“Are you insulting my brother now, too?” Twilight accused. Shining Armor looked at Sunset with a bit of fetid confusion. He and the other ponies had stopped in the street, the castle in view, all bearing witness to the angered unicorn’s screams.

“No. No! Of course not,” Sunset continued to backpedal with her words.

“Break it up you two, we’ve got an even bigger fight coming our way.” Rainbow Dash pushed between them and pointed to the open street. Two dozen blackened helms gathered in front of them, their path to the castle blocked. They had heard the commotion caused by Twilight and came to investigate.

It was colder than before, a chill with no wind. Crystals suddenly shot up from the ground around them and encircled them in two-yard high walls. The only part unhindered was the path directly in front of them, toward the soldiers. But as they were forced to stare headlong, the soldiers parted. The ponies around were becoming panicked. It wasn’t the amount of soldiers that struck fear into their hearts—it was the deep, dark, menacing laugh. The evil stallion that this world’s ponies feared more than anything. The king of terror, darkness, and little foal’s nightmares. He stood before them. His mane as black as any helmet, his cloak as red as the tip of his horn, and his grin as smug as any two-bit magician’s.

His reasoning for appearing was unclear. His hoof extended and his soldiers marched, but then he turned his back to them. Just as suddenly as he appeared, he disappeared. The chill dissipated with him.

Rainbow Dash had flown up out of the trap and flew after the evil king, but Sunset called her name, and the blue pegasus halted. For a moment, it looked like Rainbow Dash’s desire would supersede her loyalty. But as the freed ponies and Shining Armor charged Sombra’s soldiers, Rainbow Dash helped by flanking the stragglers. “This is your fault, you know!” Twilight yelled, turning Sunset’s focus away from the fighting. “If Prince Sunburst were here, we wouldn’t be in this mess! We’d have that evil king in chains right now!”

A tightness in her chest caused Sunset to reel back on her hind legs and stomp forward. “I am so sick of hearing about that obnoxious stallion!” Sunset yelled in reply. “When I knew him he was just a simple halfwit who could only levitate objects around! What a gifted stallion! I was levitating objects at half his age and learning counterspells while he was still in diapers!”

The roar of the unchained and Sombra’s soldiers clashing would not overpower their yelling competition. Even Shining Armor’s indistinct orders were no match over Sunset and Twilight’s bickering. “Don’tcha think you two could put this aside for later? They’re kinda gettin’ overwhelmed here!” advised Applejack as she pointed with her good hoof at the sea of ponies.

“How dare you!” Twilight shouted, ignoring the earth mare. “All you can do is levitate objects! You have no more skill than he did, and he was only a colt at the time! Even I’m better than you!” She threw her head back and flung her horn forward, a spell so powerful shot out and sent four soldiers flying from the crowd.

“I’ve been gone from Equestria for years! This isn’t even my world! You can’t compare me to him. In my Equestria, he’s probably a nobody living in who-cares-where, still drawing up useless spells,” argued Sunset.

“That’s right. This isn’t your world!” Twilight said with a face wrinkled in anger. “We don’t want you here! Your original world didn’t even want you, that’s why you fled to a mirror world, isn’t it!?”

Rarity had said something that Sunset couldn’t hear past her own rage. She tried to come up with a response but failed with, “You know what!” Her lips moved faster than her brain, however. “The Tree of Harmony picked me! It picked me to fix this timeline after somepony I’ve never even met turned it into such a terrible mess! And even if I could fix it, which I’ve been trying to do, I’m not even sure it’d be worth it! This world is absolutely terrible! The only good thing about it is you guys, and I can’t even say for certain that this world will even exist when I'm gone!”

“Except it does exist! Just because this isn’t your timeline or world or whatever, it doesn’t mean that we’re any less real! You even live in a world where your friends are bipedal versions of their pony selves. How can you say we don’t exist!?” Twilight said, her voice cracking as if she were on the verge of crying. “I’ve lived my whole life a klutz and a weakling, and strive to be as helpful as I can. All the years I’ve been alive, all the memories I have, they were made before you even came to this world!” Twilight’s anger finally broke, tears pouring down her cheek. “We matter! What happens here matters to us! If you were truly our friend, you would have already known that!”

A knot caught Sunset’s throat. She’s right. Ever since I found out what the Tree of Harmony wanted I’ve been so focused on solely bringing the Elements together, thinking that’s all that mattered. She wiped her runny nose as she recalled the things she had said and thought. “It’s not like any of this matters. If I return to the past, would this timeline cease to exist?” she remembered thinking. I didn’t care about Manehattan’s problems. I didn’t believe this world really existed. It shouldn’t exist, but it does. She shifted her vision to the fighting. The soldiers and ponies were back and forth on which side was winning. This is their home, she thought as she turned back to Twilight. This is my friends’ home.

“I-I’m sorry,” Sunset uttered. Her eyes clouded with tears as she stared at her friend. “I-I’ve been so selfish—I thought I was helping by just getting the Elements together. I kept thinking, none of this matters just get the Elements, and I ignored the world around me.” Her head hung low. “This world has the same people I care about in my world, in my Equestria. Yet, even knowing that, I still let myself ignore the happenings of this world. I let myself believe that was what was needed of me, and I didn’t stop to think of what it truly meant.” Sombra’s soldiers seemed to have the upper hoof as they dog-piled Shining Armor. “I was wrong, selfish, and a bad friend. I now know what the Tree of Harmony wanted. It wanted me to help this world get back on track, not just with Sombra, but with the ponies who live here too. I’m sorry. I let you down.”

Twilight’s frown subsided, and gave way to a waning smile. She rubbed the tears from her eyes and gave a nod. “You’ve taught me a lot about friendship. I’m glad I could teach you something too,” Twilight said as Sunset held out a hoof. Twilight was hesitant at first, but Sunset pulled her in close and wrapped her in a hug. They stood for a moment before Sunset wiped the tears from her own eyes and pulled apart. “Alright, enough with the waterworks,” Twilight shouted. “Let’s show King Sombra what the magic of friendship can do!”

With her focus on the battle, a smile gleamed her face. Sunset’s horn lit up with sparks of magic while Twilight’s did the same. Their combined magic ripped through the soldier’s armor and tore off the brainwashing helmets. The floor became littered with helmetless, unconscious ponies. The freed ponies watched in awe as the soldiers fell around them. Just as quickly as it began, the battle concluded.

“We did it!” Sunset shouted and elbowed the mare next to her. “I can’t believe it!”

Twilight didn’t respond.

Murmurs and gasps from her friends forced Sunset to turn around. Their eyes were locked on the other unicorn, as were hers once she saw Twilight floating. White light poured from her eye sockets. Sunset knew what it meant, but it wasn’t any less surprising. The white light edged across Twilight’s forehead, up to her horn and around her ears. As the light faded, it was replaced by a golden crown. Nine light blue rhinestones sat beneath the magenta six-pointed star. With the Element of Magic atop her head, the light faded and her eyes opened. The first thing Twilight saw was Sunset staring back at her.

“So that’s what it feels like,” Twilight noted vaguely.

“Like a seatbelt?” Sunset asked.

A quizzical brow arched over Twilight’s right eye. “A what?”

“Never mind.” She wrapped the mare in a hug. “I’m so sorry for being so blind.”

“It’s alright now. We were both being pretty stubborn. Here I thought the Elements were just a foal’s tale—guess the jokes on me.” Twilight lifted the crown from her head. “Though it’s pushing my bun down and hurting my head.”

“Here, let me get that,” Sunset said, levitating the beads from Twilight’s hair bun and dropping her bangs down to her forehead. A few strands of hair shifted from one side due to their frizzy nature. “There, now that looks more like the you I know.”

“Twilight!” Shining Armor yelled as he came closer. “You two were amazing! And would you look at that? My baby sister’s an Element of Harmony! I’ve never been more proud.” He wrapped a hoof around her. “You two really put up a wallop! Not since the changeling invasion have I seen such a powerful magical force!”

“It was so inspiring,” Fluttershy added.

Rainbow Dash uppercut the air. “You really let ‘em have it!”

Twilight pushed a hoof to her mouth to hide her blushing cheeks. “You guys…”

“That was amazing!” Rarity yelled. “I wish I had gotten a crown too,” she whined, her eyes fixed upon the headdress.

“I’d hate to cut the congratulations short, but we’ve got to get everypony inside the castle before that awful King Sombra comes back with more of his soldiers,” Applejack advised.

“The castle—” Shining Armor stared at Applejack, his eyes shook within their sockets. He turned his focus to the entrance of the crystal castle. “Cadance,” he whispered, and then galloped toward the closest door.

The ground rumbled—the stallion and everyone else shook uncontrollably. They all felt it. An earthquake. The sudden tremor started out of nowhere. It was then Sunset saw it, on the southern horizon. Crystals were pouring up from the ground and headed more and more south before eventually colliding with the crystalline wall. It was Sombra, Sunset knew. What’s he doing? she wondered, but Twilight seemed to realize what had happened. “He’s leaving! He’s heading south, for Princess Celestia’s camp!” Twilight yelled, her voice sounded like it was falling out of her with each word she spoke.

“The southern wall has fallen? Why would he do something like that?” Fluttershy asked.

Rainbow Dash flew up into the sky but came back down as quick as she had gone up. “Soldiers! He’s bringing his entire force back across the city line. And they’re heading here!” She threw her hooves toward the unconscious soldiers around them. “There’s no way we’ll be able to defeat them all, even with the ones we freed!”

“Everypony!” Shining yelled. He had galloped back to the crowd. “Let’s get them into the castle! We’ll bar the door!”

The emancipated ponies rushed to the castle while those who were unicorns lifted the ones knocked out from the fight. When everyone was inside, Shining Armor closed the doors. The Elements helped settle in the comatose soldiers while Sunset assisted Shining with sealing the door. “That should do it,” he said. “We’ll deal with them once we get the Crystal Heart and Cadance.”

“I’m not so certain we shouldn’t go after King Sombra,” Twilight said, stubborn with her love for her mentor. “They’ll need our help at Princess Celestia’s campsite.”

“I have to disagree.” Sunset stepped forward in between Twilight and Shining. “If he’s sent a portion of his army after us, he’ll have less to fight Celestia. If we can find the Crystal Heart and activate it, it may save those ponies within his control. We might be doing more good for the base camp by getting the Heart rather than charging in like the cavalry.”

Everyone silenced themselves and looked at each other. The looks they gave to one another were of fear, concern, and most of all, determination.

“We’re with you, Sunset,” Twilight said, her lips moved with a smile.

Sunset nodded. The released ponies stayed behind with the ones who were still asleep. They were meant to guard the door for as long as they could should the enemy break Shining Armor’s magical seal. Sunset led her friends up the only set of stairs within the foyer. Much of the features and décor she recognized. It was almost as if nothing had changed between this world’s castle and her world’s. There had been no time for Sombra to embellish in a redecorating process. Random patches of sprouting crystals hung from the ceiling and walls. Whether they had been placed there due to the fighting or were merely Sombra’s anger relieving itself, Sunset could not tell. The crystals were sharp and reflected the light from her horn, and a faint hum still rang with a low oscillation. It gave the dark castle an eerie feeling.

Stairs and long halls were a common theme for castles of this magnitude, but many of the rooms were sealed off. Crates filled with helmets and armor, broken chairs and tables, and the occasional crystal blasted door told them where they couldn’t go. They climbed the steps as quickly as they could, but the further up they went, the darker the rooms became. Shining Armor and Twilight lit their horns as well, adding to Sunset’s. Each hall, every corner, it reminded Sunset of her last and only visit. As they walked, she envisioned herself running. “Sorry it had to be this way, princess,” she remembered saying in a deeper tone.

The people of Canterlot High School had forgiven her, Princess Twilight Sparkle had forgiven her, but even so, she could not wipe the memory from her mind. Even as her eyes glanced atop this world’s Twilight and her Element of Magic, the memory was only made stronger. It seemed so long ago. This world was proving that she didn’t have all the answers, either. It made her question what she had learned from her friends. They had forgiven her, befriended her. She even helped in defeating the sirens.

But would she ever truly be forgiven for her lust for power? Or was it simply her own self that could not forgive?

Nothing was said as they ascended the castle. Heavy panting and the galloping hooves were the only noises until a loud banging echoed against the crystal walls. The trembling sounds snapped Sunset from her depressing reminiscing. “Any idea what that sound could be?” she asked, breaking the lull of conversation.

They soon found the cause of the racketing disturbance. Five of Sombra’s soldiers stood outside the throne room with a battering ram made of crystal. Before they could plan an ambush, a soldier dropped their section of the ram and turned to face them. The other soldiers were not as quick, and the sole aware soldier was thrust away by Sunset’s magic. Another two were slammed into headfirst by Shining Armor, while the last two were taken care of by Twilight and Rarity—the helmets flying off in different directions.

Rarity then levitated the makeshift battering ram into the air. “It’s a shame they didn’t have magic; something King Sombra really shouldn’t have overlooked,” she noted. “However, I am curious as to what exactly they were after.” With a swift knock against the outside edge of the right door where the hinges were, the door flipped to the side and landed on the ground. “Tada!” She twirled the battering ram in the air before slapping it to the ground and leaning against it.

“Way to go Rarity!” Applejack raised her hoof in front of the unicorn. “Once this war is over, if you need a job I could sure use you down on the farm.”

Rarity reluctantly hoof-bumped the country mare. “I’ll just stick to making clothes, thank you.”

Sunset shook her head, smiling to herself before entering the room. Her horn illuminated away the darkness much more than she expected. She quickly dimmed the light and rubbed her eyes, taking another look. A crystal column sat in the middle of the throne room, which mirrored anything that shined against it. But even with its reflected shell, it could not wholly hide what was within its gemstone skin. A pony of pink and magenta hung inside the crystal structure, unmoving and unaware. Next to the pony, another crystal was trapped within. Its cyan color did not match up with the outer shell of dark purple.

She came closer, noticing the column was uneven and misshapen. Large chunks of crystal sat around on the floor, torn from the sides of the crystal pillar. Dust was all over the place in the area where the gems had broken apart. “Hey guys, come check this out,” she said, still staring up at the pony in the crystal.

One of the Elements called out, “Sunset, behind you!”

In the split instant of seeing a figure in the reflection of the crystal and the yell from one of her friends, Sunset was tackled to the ground. The pony struggled to hold Sunset down by pushing on her back and pressing down on her forelegs. “Y’know, yelling behind you doesn’t really help when they’re literally about to pounce!” Her eyes darted over to the door where another figure stood in the path of her friends. She then tried to raise her head to catch a glimpse of her assailant, but darkness shrouded their face. She could see that there were no green slats for eyes, however. “Get off me! I’m on your side!” She didn’t give the shadowed pony a moment to respond—lifting them up off with her magic.

As she drew to her hooves, she saw the other pony stand at attention for Shining Armor who saluted in return. “You can put the other one down, Sunset. I think we’ve found who you’re looking for,” Shining Armor claimed.

The pony at the door turned around, her grey fur darkened by the lack of light. “Maud!?” Sunset said, startled. She accidentally released her magic, dropping the other pony. “Oops.” She quickly turned to help. Straight pink hair flowed from side to side as Sunset pulled the pony to her hooves. “Well, would you look at that. I was right all along. You really were here.”

“Captain Armor, why are you here, and who are these ponies?” Maud asked, her voice remained its monotone vernacular even in this world.

“Looking for you,” answered Sunset. “Well, you.” She bumped the shoulder of the other pony.

The pink haired mare looked at Sunset with a tilted head and squinted eyes, and then walked over to stand with Maud. “Why would you be looking for my sister?” Maud asked.

I still haven’t figured out a way to not sound crazy when explaining this, Sunset lamented.

She didn’t get the chance to answer, however, as Twilight Sparkle stepped up to the challenge. “Princess Celestia has seen fit for us to find her. Your sister is one of the Elements of Harmony, she’s needed if we’re ever to have any hope of defeating King Sombra.”

Maud and Pinkie Pie stood blank-faced. If shock had been their reaction, no one could tell. Of course, having met Maud before, Sunset knew the emotions of the rock-loving pony would never bleed through to her face. But even then, it was a surprise Pinkie showed no reaction either. “Princess Celestia sent us here. If she required my sister then why would she do that?” Maud replied. Was it accusation in her question, or curiosity?

Sunset simply smirked. “Princess Celestia? Yeah, why would she do that?” she asked in a condescending voice as she leaned against the crystal column. “It’s not like she can always be one step ahead in literally everything, right?” Her eyes looked to the pony inside the crystal. “Or maybe, just maybe, she pushes you to do things that she cannot do herself—hoping that when everyone pulls together, that we can accomplish something great. All the puzzle pieces just seem to fit together after that.”

“That was very well-spoken of you, Sunset,” Twilight complimented, a tear in her eye. She walked up to the crystal pillar with Shining Armor, her reflection staring back at her. “Everything is in place, whether Princess Celestia had meant to or not. I’m thrilled you convinced me of all this, Sunset. Without you, none of this would be possible.”

“As much as I’d love to take all the credit, I couldn’t have done it alone. We’ve still got a lot to get done. Plus, if you say any more kind words, it’s likely to go to my head." Sunset almost blushed. "Let’s get out of the way of these two, shall we?” Sunset stepped away from the crystal and raised a hoof in the air. She was aiming for Pinkie Pie or Maud to hoof-bump her, but both walked past and she was left hanging. “Okay…” she whispered to herself, dejectedly lowering her hoof.

Everyone crowded around to watch the earth ponies go to town on the crystal, chipping away at the shiny pillar. They worked both sides of the prison, though the first to plop out was the Crystal Heart. It slid down with pebbles of crystal and skipped against the floor before sliding into a wall. “I’ve got it!” Rainbow Dash yelled as she darted over to where it landed. Pinkie and Maud then worked the same side by busting out the back legs of the princess and working their way from there. Shining Armor was breathing more heavily than the two workers, naturally anxious for his beloved to be released.

A chord was finally struck deep within the crystal, and resonated it enough to shatter all the way through. Maud lifted out the comatose princess before the column collapsed and placed her in the forelegs of her fiancé. “Thank you, so much,” he said to them, holding the catatonic princess against his chest. “There was no way I could have done any of this without all of you.”

“Hey, we’ve all got to help support each other in this world. Isn’t that right, Twilight?” Sunset asked the purple unicorn, giving a wink.

Twilight pushed a hoof to her mouth and giggled. “We’ve got all the Element bearers, the Crystal Heart, and Princess Cadance. I’d be lying if I said I’m not surprised we got this far. What exactly is our next objective? Get Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie their Elements or figure out where to place the Crystal Heart?”

“Th-the bottom,” a voice called out, frail and soft in its words.

Everyone looked around the room, searching for the source of the voice. “Cadance!?” Shining Armor shouted. It had been the weakened princess, too hapless to open her eyes to speak.

“My prince… The Heart. The bottom of—”

Shining Armor took one of her forelegs and hoisted her onto his back, almost carrying her like a foal. “The Crystal Heart it is. Outside, bottom of the castle. That’s where we need to take the Heart. We passed right by it on our way in.” Without waiting, he turned and rushed out the door.

“You heard the captain. Everybody march!” Rainbow Dash ordered before tossing the heart to Twilight. She tore after Shining with Fluttershy, Applejack, and Rarity hot on her tail.

“I suppose that means us too,” Sunset said, smiling at Twilight. “What about you, Pinkie?” She trotted over to the pink mare and her sister. “Will you come with us? You’re an Element of Harmony, the Element of Laughter. We really need your help.”

Pinkie didn’t answer. Her sullen mouth kept its frown and her dogged eyes spoke more than she did. “My sister doesn’t talk much,” Maud responded for her.

“That’s a bit odd for the Element of Laughter,” Sunset noted.

“Is it?” asked Maud, her voice unchanged.

“The Pinkie I know is loud, obnoxious, and extremely friendly.” Sunset’s lips curled into a frown. “I suppose that’s just another difference in this world compared to my own.” Her eyes drifted up to the manes of the two. The backside of Maud’s neck was trimmed into a mohawk, while Pinkie’s was a bit the same, though much longer in the front. It was a bit odd to see the party pony without her eccentric poufy hair. These hairstyles are a bit off-putting. I wonder what the Rarity of my world would say if I came back with a haircut like theirs.

“I don’t understand,” Maud replied. “But we’ll help, for now.”

“Come on then. We’ll talk more about the Elements of Harmony after we get the Crystal Heart in place,” Twilight said.

Sunset trotted up next to Twilight and turned her head back to the two. “You guys ready to rock Sombra’s world?”

“Your pun is duly noted,” Maud said as she passed by them.

They made their way through the castle, crossing halls and taking stairs. Sunset could feel it in her heart. The end was nigh. She wasn’t ready to be parting from these six. Not after all their help and everything they had taught her. After finding Pinkie, it was only a matter of time before her Element would appear along with Rainbow Dash’s.

But all of this was done by her own hooves. She found the Elements, she crossed the world, and she braved the horrors of a mindless army. Even through her failures, her inability to take in the world around her, she was able to help. She felt proud.

At CHS, it had taken all her efforts just to discover the reasoning behind the weird magic taking place, and even then it wasn’t quite clear. Nothing’s been making sense recently. The words ‘time’ and ‘help’ burned in her brain, and she knew she could feel pride in what she had done. Her eyes peeked at the purple unicorn trotting next to her, the image of Midnight Sparkle floating beside her. She couldn’t help but laugh.

“What’s so funny?” asked Twilight.

“I don’t know!” she answered. “I just feel giddy all of a sudden.”

“I feel it too.” Twilight looked forward to Maud and Pinkie. She then ran faster, which forced Sunset to speed up as well.

The four sputtered into the entrance of the castle where the others stood around staring at the door. The liberated ponies were pressing against it, while others waited for it to burst. Shining Armor had already given Princess Cadance to Fluttershy and Rarity to hold. “We’re here. What’s the plan?” Sunset asked as she looked around the room. The unconscious ponies had awoken and prepared themselves to fight, some even wearing the armor given to them while under Sombra’s control.

“We’re going to open the door. Me and the rest of the guards will flood out and push the enemy back. That should allow you two time to place the heart,” answered Shining Armor. “We only get one chance at this.”

“I’m ready for another fight,” Rainbow Dash said, slamming her hooves together.

“If we only have one chance then we’ll make it count! We’re all in this together.” Sunset then turned to Rainbow Dash. “You hearing this, loyalty? Together!” She raised a hoof into the air which Dash promptly bumped with her own hoof.

Twilight shook her head. “I have my own fears, Sunset, but you’ve convinced me at least. I’m ready whenever you all are.” She raised the Crystal Heart and gave an anxious smile.

“That’s the spirit!” Sunset replied. “Well, sort of.”

“Shining… Be careful,” Cadance said, her limp body desperately hanging onto Rarity and Fluttershy.

He gave a nod, though his face didn’t show any signs of worry. Side for Cadance, none of them looked concerned. Even the unshackled ponies seemed undeterred by the imminent danger. “Ready,” Sunset said, and the other ponies repeated.

The door was blown up by a blast from Shining Armor’s horn.

The first wave of black helms was pushed back by some of the freed ponies, which allowed Shining Armor to bowl through the crowd with his barrier surrounding him. Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Maud were out the door with the rest of the ponies, pushing back any soldier that stood beneath the castle. Applejack guarded by the door. She watched and waited for the area to be clear. “Go now!” she yelled once the middle was safe. Sunset threw herself out the door. The soldiers were almost limitless compared to her own allies. She waved a hoof and Twilight followed out, both racing through the open zone to the middle ground.

At the very center point of the castle sat a crystal point the size of a pin. It was broken down by all the fighting or perhaps smashed by King Sombra himself. Regardless, Sunset threw her back to it while Twilight placed the Crystal Heart. Sunset guarded against soldiers that began to break the line, mostly levitating them to the ceiling before they could get close enough. With the Heart in the meager space, the crystal pedestal started to reform—pressing towards the Heart. Twilight stepped back as the Heart spun in place.

The light from the Heart flickered as it sped up, twirling faster and faster. Sunset looked back at Twilight who had put a hoof to her face, clearly blinded by the emanating glow. More soldiers pressing through forced her focus away. Even so, she could tell that the light suddenly darkened. “What’s happened!?” she yelled to Twilight as she drew another four soldiers to the ceiling and repeated the question.

The Crystal Heart came to a complete stop. “It… It’s not working!” Twilight cried out, causing Sunset to turn back to the pedestal. “What should we do!?”

She couldn’t believe her eyes. The Heart stayed motionless and cold. The plan has failed. She couldn’t even see Shining Armor, Rainbow Dash, or the Pie sisters anymore. They were lost to the crowd of blackened armor. “I don’t know,” she replied, her voice as quiet as Fluttershy in a storm. I don’t know…

World 1: Chapter 7

The Heart hung in place, calm like water in the dead of night. The dim light it emitted was barely enough to make a shadow on the purple unicorn, let alone shine against her face. Sunset stood a yard behind her, staring at the failed artifact they had put all their faith into. A brittle voice soon spoke to her as though trying to get her attention, but only succeeded in causing a chill to run down her spine. What am I supposed to do? Her tears clouded her vision and blinded her to the hundreds of dark black plumes that flooded like a vast, broken ocean. The Heart was becoming hard to see as more tears fell, and so was the purple unicorn.

The voice called out again as if it were from a distance. It called out once more, this time cutting across her thoughts like sharpened scissors through paper. Several soldiers were breaking the line, and several others were falling from her grasp. She turned around faster than her eyes could keep up, ignoring the sea of black plumes surrounding her. Princess Cadance stood on all fours, no longer kept up by Rarity and Fluttershy. The nostrils of her muzzle were flaring sharply. Sunset couldn’t hear what this princess was saying, too deaf to the world around her, but she heard the tone. The thick, guttural tone this princess held sounded so close to that what Sunset remembered of an angered Princess Celestia.

Sunset’s eyes turned back to the soldiers that were now rising to their hooves. That deep voice, that fierce lilt. It commanded her. A surge of adrenaline brought all her magic back. She lifted the soldiers to the ceiling once more along with any that charged forth. She would not break twice; she was determined to hold the line. Even as Twilight Sparkle laid on the ground with hooves covering head, Sunset refused to move. She watched as Princess Cadance stepped past, her knees weak as she walked. Every step she took seemed like an eternity, and an eternity Sunset felt she could hold. The princess didn’t even stop to check on the cowering unicorn, her focus was too narrow for anything other than the Crystal Heart. Her fiancé, the Pie sisters, the liberated ponies. All the fighting that was surrounding the castle didn’t matter to the princess. Sunset could feel the determination in Cadance's presence.

It was then that light so iridescent arose from the Crystal Heart, brought forth by Cadance’s magic. It did not come from her horn, however, but her own heart. Sunset heaved a sigh as she let go of the soldiers, and they dropped to the ground. The light pierced their armor and snapped the helmets from their heads. But these freed soldiers were not knocked unconscious. That’s when Sunset noticed the aura emitting from the Crystal Heart, a small bubble that surrounded the underside of the castle. “This is your city, your home! This is your very heart! Use what you love to save this city, just as I have used my love to save you!” the princess barked.

The soldiers bowed their heads in admiration of Princess Cadance and the Heart. Whether they were crystal ponies or taken members from Celestia’s guard, their love filled the Crystal Heart with joy. Sunset thought of her friends—in this world, in the one she came from, and her own friends from beyond the mirror who she deeply missed. All the love that came from everyone made the Crystal Heart begin to spin once more, but this time it did not stop. Instead, it spun and spun until the wave increased inside and released from beyond the underside of the castle. It stretched out and purified everything within its magical blast. The soldiers that fought Shining Armor, Pinkie, and Maud had their helms tossed off by the aura.

Each pony hit with the magical love began to shine with crystal energy, turning half-transparent. The wave did not stop, however, as it broke against any pony under King Sombra’s control and released them from his evil grasp. As it reached the edges of The Crystal Empire, it was forced to stop—hindered by the giant crystal obelisks that were the city’s walls. So instead, the city became a dome of light that pierced the clouds above and returned the starry sky. Though outside the city was still desolate, the inside was free and pure.

“You did it!” Twilight claimed, her eyes fixed upon Princess Cadance.

“We did,” the princess corrected.

Helmets flew into the air around the castle, thrown by the cheering ponies who wore them. No one was happier than Shining Armor, however, which was apparent when he wrapped his forelegs around his beloved like a vice grip. His eyes so full of tears. Sunset had never seen a stallion cry before, at least not where she hadn’t been the cause. But everyone had some sort of happy emotion, aside for the two Pie sisters. The uproar of happiness rang against the crystal of the city, and trembled the very ground they stood on.

“You think we caught King Sombra in that blast? What’ll it have done to him if it had?” was the first thing Applejack asked as the Elements crowded around the Crystal Heart.

The energy of the Heart slanted against the crystal walls of the city, it was still trapped like they were. Sunset wondered if the breaks in the wall were leaking out magic from the Heart, or if it was able to prevent any of Sombra’s army from reentering the city. Regardless, Sombra’s desire to have his troops retreat to defend the castle had backfired, and most of his strength removed. But surely he had not stayed within the empire to help. “The walls are still up,” Maud said, and Sunset understood what that meant immediately. They saved the city and those within the walls, however, the walls shouldn’t exist at all. Those spiked crystals of dark purple and burgundy that strung up the sides of the castle had disintegrated with the blast, and left nothing of the evil king’s magic besides the dark helms and cold armor—and of course the obelisk walls.

“I’m not sure the blast would have done much good even if he had been caught in it. He’s no longer shadows, his body’s reformed. At most, it may have weakened him by preventing his use of magic,” Princess Cadance described. “We must find him immediately. He cannot be allowed to regroup and plan a counter.”

“He’s gone to the camp,” Twilight replied. “If he were outside the walls then he wouldn’t want to be attacked by the flank. His only option would be to charge Princess Celestia in the middle of the night.” Twilight turned to Sunset. “We have to go after him, We have to save the camp.”

“How will you defeat King Sombra?” Maud asked.

“With the Elements of Harmony, of course,” answered Twilight, confidently.

“The Elements that we don’t have a complete set of,” Sunset reminded her. “We’ve got a second to breathe. We should re—”

A hollow, raspy voice rang out, cutting Sunset off. A grey stallion without his helm was rushing up from the road that led to where Sombra had breached his wall. As the stallion drew closer it was clear he had been running the entire way, sweat pouring from his face and glistening like the crystal he galloped on. He panted so fast that Sunset thought he was going to hyperventilate before he could even speak. After he took a moment, the grey stallion spoke in short words. “Soldiers. Preventing entrance. Sombra attacked camp. Crystals surrounded. No reinforcements.”

Shining Armor stepped in front of the guard. “At ease. Just tell us what happened, slowly.”

“Right,” the stallion said, before taking a deep breath. The back of his hoof was just as stained with sweat as his flushed cheeks and wrinkled brow. “King Sombra attacked the camp—surrounded it with his crystals. It’s a dome, an evil dome, like an opposite of the empire. And his soldiers are preventing anyone from coming close to either his dome or ours. The Wonderbolts managed to defend long enough so that I could get this message to you.”

“Where is King Sombra now?” asked Shining Armor.

“Disappeared not long after he sealed the camp. We believe he’s inside hiding amongst our troops and Princess Celestia, but we have no way of getting a message to her or anyone inside. It’s just a guess though. Princess Celestia would have burst that crystal bubble of his if he wasn’t inside.”

“That might be true if the camp is not in a sealed crystal,” Princess Cadance countered with her own experience. “If it is truly like a dome I would assume she’d have no trouble taking it down. If they're encased, however, it would not be so easily done, even for her.”

“We do not know King Sombra’s power. Princess Celestia has only dueled him slightly, never taking more than parting shots, and neither has found each other’s limit,” added Twilight.

Sunset rolled her shoulders in a shrug. “Then why don’t we just go and find—”

Cut off once more, a loud thundering and cracking interrupted Sunset mid-sentence. The ground below shook and rumbled, throwing off the balance of some ponies and sending others into walls. In the distance, beyond the great barrier made by the Crystal Heart, the obelisks rose higher than ever. They clung to the edge of the Heart’s barrier, never spreading past, only rising against it like moss on a stone. The two openings that were made, one by Sombra and the other by Pinkie and Maud, also rose with the rest of the wall but remained shorter than the others. The whole of the barrier was not covered, the crystals stopped halfway to the top.

“He’s going to trap us all in the hopes of weakening our lines of defense. He’s desperate,” Shining Armor said. “And he’s trying to make us desperate.”

“He didn’t do a very good job,” Rainbow Dash replied, hovering in the air. “A pegasus can just transport ponies in or out.”

“Even Sombra grows weary,” argued Sunset. “He’s still just a pony. He’ll probably attempt to finish the enclosure soon. We should head out and find him. Even if we don’t have all the Elements, if he’s weakened we may not need them.” She looked around at her fellow friends, and noted the lack of a certain Element. Maud and Pinkie were making their way back through the crowd, but Sunset levitated them up and reeled them back like hooked fish. “Where do you two think you’re going?”

“We’re going to make a path through the wall,” Maud answered while Pinkie struggled within the magical grasp. “Then we’re going to do the same to the camp’s wall.”

Sunset settled the two mares back on the ground. “It would take hours to take down one of those tall pillars.”

“Yes,” was all Maud answered.

“I’m afraid I can’t let you do that,” Princess Cadance intervened. “If you tear down a piece of that giant crystal, it may tear a hole in the barrier or crush somepony. That might be what King Sombra wants.” She stared down at the grey-furred earth pony. “Though if you’re bent on leaving, I may know of another way. A way King Sombra used.”

Maud remained blank-faced even as she answered, “Making a hole is easier.”

“The Elements should stick together, Maud. Perhaps we could take Pinkie with us?” Sunset asked.

Pinkie’s stance soured as she frowned before shaking her head at Maud. “My sister doesn’t want to be apart from me,” Maud said, understanding the pink pony’s mute refusal.

She doesn’t stray from Maud. She doesn’t talk. What in the world happened to Pinkie Pie? Sunset’s eyes dragged to Rainbow Dash and the chunk of metal that sat on her back, and the thoughts that poured into her mind made her scowl. “Then I must command you both to come with us,” Sunset said, turning back to Maud. “And if that doesn’t work, I’ll plead and beg. We need Pinkie Pie, and that means we need you.”

Maud stood silent for a long while. “Begging would be funny,” she finally spoke, “but unneeded.” Pinkie leaned her face close to Maud, her expression confused. “We’ll come with you,” Maud answered much to Pinkie’s shock and refusal. “It will be fun.” Pinkie perked up at the word fun, eventually giving in to her sister’s want.

“If everyone's in agreement, I may have a better way to get you out of the city.” Princess Cadance beckoned for Sunset and the others to follow. “It may help in finding how King Sombra moved quickly with his army.” She gave a passing nuzzle to her fiancé before leading Sunset, the Elements, and Maud back into the castle. They went up the steps, down the halls, back to where they had freed the princess. They passed by doors that no longer held the crystals Sombra had conjured, nor did the hum ring in Sunset’s ears. Even the crystal rubble that trapped Princess Cadance had now become pebbles and dust.

Princess Cadance halted in front of a rug that sprawled towards the fragmented prison. “I witnessed a few times the hidden secret within this room,” she said. The rug flew up as if a gust of wind had taken it and flung towards the pile of pebbles. A hatch of metal and wood revealed itself beneath where the rug had lain. Princess Cadance drew it up and open, exposing stairs that led down into an abyss. “I must return to Shining Armor and help the ponies of the Crystal Empire. There is a darkness down here that you must overcome. Go now, help free Princess Celestia.” She gritted her teeth, hesitantly, and then said, “Defeat King Sombra for me.”

Twilight and the others bowed while Sunset simply smiled. She turned back to the unbridled darkness—not liking the look of it. The chill vanished once they had placed the Crystal Heart, but Sunset could feel the frost fluttering against her muzzle, as though it came from this rampant dark. She took the first step into the depths after stealing a glance at her surroundings. The crystal stairs were a clockwise spiral leading down into seeming nothingness; it was too far and too dark to see the bottom. Each step caused her to tense, the frost rubbed against the soles of her hooves. It didn’t get any easier the deeper she went. She forced herself to stop looking back at her friends, as each time she did she felt envious of Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy for their wings.

“How about we tell some jokes?” Sunset inquired. The journey down the stairs would be long, that much she could feel. It would be best if we try to get Pinkie and Dash’s Elements before charging headlong into battle.

“That might be a good way to get Pinkie’s Element,” Twilight replied. “Right?”

Sunset nodded. Pinkie’s Element wasn’t her only reason, however, as the darkness left everyone a bit skittish. Even Rainbow Dash refused to go any further down into the pit without them with her. Though it was dark below, each step was visible even without a light spell. It was like the darkness was pushed down by their very presence. “I’ll go first. How did the skeleton know it was going to rain?” She paused for dramatic effect. “She could feel it in her bones!” As she cackled to herself, she looked back to see the reactions of Pinkie and Maud. The two sisters remained unfazed, but the groans and eye rolls from the rest of the Elements distracted her. “Guess I’m the only one with a funny bone.” she muttered.

Sunset’s weak attempt at humor did not dissuade the rest from trying, but nothing made the pink pony laugh or crack a smile. It didn’t help that every time someone laughed the sound echoed against the circular walls and resonated a menacing screech, like a raven’s caw.

Sunset forced a smile to her lips at every joke. Some of them were particularly funny, but not all. Though they didn’t succeed in making Pinkie Pie laugh, it did help in passing the time. Once the bottom became visible, Rainbow Dash glided down to the floor while the others trotted as quickly as they could to catch her. It wasn’t dark, not like it had appeared from above. A light spell remained unneeded to see, which caused murmurs of curious fear. “It feels like we traveled a lot further down than the foyer of the castle,” Rarity remarked as she stared up at the entrance they came from. Every word she spoke allowed them to see her breath.

“I don’t like the look or feel of this place. It makes no sense,” Sunset whispered, a chill running down her spine and buzzing in her ear. There was a single door that sat to the left of the stairs. It was the sole thing in a room that felt smaller than it appeared. Everyone filtered out at the bottom, each looking around and finding nothing. Only the single door. Sunset trotted close to it, examining the purple wood, golden knob, and the crystallized frame that held it. For some reason her lip and chin trembled, which she stopped by biting down. It didn’t help.

Everything spoke to her at once, as though telling her not to open the door. Little whispers in her ear were begging her not to look at what was inside. I have no choice, she told herself, knowing they needed a way out of the Crystal Empire. She reached up with her hoof to touch the knob but then thought better of it. Instead, she grabbed the knob with her magic and twisted, pulling it open. Light blinded her for a moment before she reopened her eyes.

She came face to face with a ghastly sight. It was a reflection. A reflection from the statue in Canterlot High School’s courtyard, and a reflection of herself. It frightened her even though she knew it was herself, but it looked nothing like her. She touched her cheek, brushed against the crimson skin, and stared into the black eyes. Her hair stood like a beehive atop her head. A demon, she mouthed, still wearing the darkened Element of Magic atop her head.

A cackling laugh broke Sunset from her reflection. The high school was in ruins, the world around her was shattering and tearing into Equestria. She rose to her feet while staring up at another demon. “Midnight… Sparkle?” she said, almost a whisper. Purple wings fluttered from above before landing in front of her. It was definitely the Twilight Sparkle of Crystal Prep turned demon—Sunset could never forget the face.

“Join me, Sunset Shimmer,” the monstrous alter ego said, and extended her hand. “We shall destroy everything, together!”

“No!” Sunset Shimmer pushed away. “I would never do that!”

“Oh, but don’t you see?” Midnight Sparkle raised her hands above her head. “You already have!”

Canterlot High School fell to the ground in rubble followed by the rest of the world. Cracks in the air split open, tearing apart the fabric of reality and ripping it asunder. The worst part of all was the sounds, every tear in the air echoed like cutting paper. The statue that she pressed against crumbled around her before disappearing into dust, blown away by a gale of wind. Nothing was left aside from a dusty plain, a dark grey sky, and Midnight’s terrible laugh.

She threw her hands in front of her face, and covered her eyes with all her might. When the sounds of wind and laughter subsided, she pulled away and found that she was staring at hooves instead of hands. She slammed the purple door closed with a resonating boom. After ridding them from that nightmare, she breathed a sigh of relief. I beat Midnight Sparkle with the power of friendship, just as that power beat me. Neither demon will ever return.

Cries from her friends made her realize she had not been the only one to see something horrible. A split second of sorrow remained on Maud and Pinkie Pie’s faces, while Rainbow Dash held her ears. “Everyone, it’s okay!” Sunset yelled, attempting to get everyone’s attention. “It was just more of Sombra’s lies in an attempt to dissuade us. A trap! None of it was real!”

“It was awful, just awful!” Fluttershy cried, her tail held against her chest like a foal.

“W-what did you see, Sunset?” Applejack asked. She didn’t even look up from the ground as she spoke, her eyes covered with her good hoof.

Sunset gritted her teeth. “I saw—” she hesitated, taking a moment to pause. “I saw a triumph,” she finally answered, after making sure no tears remained in her eyes. “The dark magic attempted to make me relive my greatest failure, but instead it showed me my greatest achievement. I once won someone over with the magic of friendship, I helped turn them away from something horrible that they were about to do. Just as it had been for me. That’s a triumph, that’s a victory.”

She didn’t have to force a smile, it was already there. “This was clearly a trap meant to stop anyone from going any further. Sombra doesn’t want any of us to succeed, and that proves Princess Cadance was right. There’s got to be another secret around here that allowed Sombra to leave the city unnoticed.” She turned back to the door, the purple in the wood darkened, almost becoming black, and the knob transformed into a circular handle. Open it once, shame on me, open it twice, you must think I’m a newborn foal. She shook her head and looked around the room, commanding everyone to do the same.

Her words seemed to do the trick as everyone’s fears subsided. Maud and Pinkie tapped the wall and listened to the crystal while Twilight and Rarity attempted what magic they could. “There’s gotta be somethin’ we’re missin’. Somethin’ that can’t be seen by the naked eye,” Applejack said, pressing her ear to the ground.

Sunset tasted the salt of her own tears on her lips, which had become incredibly chapped. The cold brushed against her nose as she stepped to one side of the room, but eased as she drew closer to the staircase. As she placed one hoof on the bottom step and realized the hum was back as well. The hum was easier to follow compared to the chill. It was faint, but she could barely hear it underneath the staircase. She knew she was on the right trail when the little hairs on her neck stood up. “Everyone, stop moving,” she commanded. With everyone silent, she listened hard and listened long.

It was underneath the stairs. She flopped over to lay on her side and then rolled onto her back, dangling her hooves against the wall. “Uh, what are you doing?” Rainbow Dash asked, but was hushed instantly. Sunset stared up at the underside of the staircase—looking and listening for something specific.

“I may not have paid much attention to learning about the world around me,” she hastened to say as she extended her hoof. A single, small, plum-colored crystal protruded from one of the bottoms of the stairs. After pushing on it, the crystal folded to one side. “But that doesn’t mean I didn’t notice the little things. Like the noise Sombra’s crystals made.” The crystal flattened, a sudden rumble shot out, and a section of the wall moved apart.

Sunset tumbled back to her hooves and stood up, while the others crowded around the door that mysteriously appeared. “Someone close their eyes just in case it’s another trap,” Twilight ordered. Fluttershy was the first and only volunteer.

A much larger door than the other, the height and width were big enough for Princess Celestia to walk through unhindered. Twilight levitated the handle up and pulled the hefty door open. Frozen winds poured into the room and blew around everyone’s hair along with dragging snow onto the floor. Once it was fully open, Sunset knew they found what they were looking for.

They weren’t in the castle of the Crystal Empire anymore. Frozen rocks, snow, icicles, and darkness. It was a cold cave. Sombra used this route to sneak troops onto the battlefield, though it wasn’t large enough to walk more than three ponies at shoulder length. “I can’t believe it! Sunset, you’re a genius!” Twilight claimed as she lit her horn. “We’ve got to find out where this leads. Maybe we’ll run into King Sombra on the way?”

“I hope so. He’s got a lot to answer for,” Rainbow Dash said, clapping her hooves together.

Sunset smiled with a certain wistfulness. While everyone trotted into the dank cave, she stared back at the door that had haunted them. For a second, she thought it moved, and that worried her enough to push after her friends. With a spell, she lit the caboose and felt the snow crunching under her hooves. “We can’t be too far underground, right?” she wondered aloud, while staring at the ice-covered stones that made up the walls.

“Snow shouldn’t be here,” Maud answered. “This is mostly a dolomite and marble tunnel, yet icicles are hanging from above like a glacial cave. There should be stalagmites and stalactites instead, unless the exit is right ahead.”

The stout tunnel eventually filtered out into an open cavern. Ice covered the stones, and snow dropped down from a crack above. To the left sat a frozen waterfall, which fed into the iced-over river that ran the length of the cave. Wherever it led, it did not matter, as it was iced-over as well. On the opposite side sat another tunnel that had a fatter opening than the one they entered from. “That’s the sky!” Rainbow Dash shouted as she raced up to the crack in the ceiling. It was a long crack, but not extensive. Try as she might, Rainbow Dash couldn’t even reach her hoof through the opening.

“You were right, Maud. This isn’t a glacial cave,” Twilight commended as she stepped down the slope into the heart of the cavern.

“I know. I know a lot about rocks,” Maud replied, following behind with her sister in tow.

“At least we’re close to the surface. Surely that means Sombra could have led parts of his army through here. There’s another cave across the ice.” Sunset trotted down the slope and took one look at the frozen water before deciding it was more of a creek than a river. “Let’s see where that tunnel goes. It could be our way out,” she said, taking a jump over the ice and landing without ever touching the frozen water.

Sunset trotted up the opposite slope when she heard Rainbow Dash say, “You can fly, Fluttershy!” When she looked back, most of the ponies were already across the frozen gap aside from Fluttershy and Applejack.

“Oh, right,” Fluttershy said in a shaky voice. She flapped her wings and crossed the gap, a sigh of relief escaped her once she reached the other side.

“That-a-girl!” Applejack shouted before she too jumped the gap. When she landed, she was careful not to put her weight on her wrong hoof.

“You made that seem like it was nothing, Applejack!” Fluttershy gawped.

“That’s because it was nothing,” Rainbow Dash snorted, and threw her hooves in the air.

Sunset remained silent, simply shaking her head in response. I wonder if Princess Twilight ever has any trouble like this.

Twilight ushered them into the next tunnel, the width was much larger but eventually tightened—forcing them to walk single file. What little snow remained turned to a slosh of mud and slush. Drops of water hitting stone echoed louder the deeper they went. A chilly wind sucked them towards their destination as if to beckon them. But then it turned against them, slashing at their faces like tiny wind whips. They pushed against the strong breeze only to find the reason behind its fierceness.

Another cavern, more substantial than the one before, except this cavern did not have a frozen river in the middle. This cavern held a crevice large enough to swallow a battalion of soldiers whole and still be hungry for more. The ravine sat the same way the river had, with their slope digging down and rising on the opposite side. Except the slush of snow had formed a thin layer of ice atop the slopes, like how sleet forms from the cold rain. They discovered the extreme smoothness when Rarity stepped forward and started to skid down towards the hungry crevice. She was saved by Rainbow Dash who had to fight strong gales just to reach her in time.

The gap continued its blasts of wind, striking and pushing them backward. “I’m not so certain King Sombra brought his troops this way,” Twilight said. “There’s no way he could get across this gap with an army, nor can we.”

“Darling, I’d hate to point out the obvious, but don’t you think he just used one of his crystals to bar the gap?” Rarity stated, her breath was still short from her almost traumatic fall.

“That’s right,” Fluttershy agreed. “It’s a shame he didn’t leave it up. Perhaps we should head back?”

This has to be the way, I just know it. Sunset glared at the other tunnel on the opposite side of the cavern. “I’ll levitate everyone across,” she declared. “Then you can levitate me across, Twilight.”

Twilight grabbed onto Sunset’s shoulders, and gave a small shake. “Are you insane!? That strong wind will tear through your spell in an instant!”

“It won’t,” Sunset said, smiling reassuringly at the purple mare. “I’ll send you across one at a time.”

“Let me scope out the other side first,” Rainbow Dash said, and without waiting for a reply, she burst off across the cavern. Even with all her flying experience, the strong gusts sent her up higher than she anticipated, knocking her back to the slope with her friends. “Okay, I scoped it out,” she said without missing a beat. “This way is impassable.”

Sunset held a hoof to her chin, as she stared out at the gap and listened to the winds. The Elements and Maud had turned back, but she quickly stopped them. “We can just teleport across!” she suggested. “We’ve got to find out where this cave leads, it might help us in finding Sombra. Teleporting everyone shouldn’t be too hard.”

“For a trained unicorn it’s not hard at all,” Twilight argued. “I’m not talented enough to teleport everyone across, and you’re not skilled enough.”

But Sunset disagreed. “You’re the Element of Magic, Twilight. If there’s anypony that could do it, it’s you.”

Applejack volunteered first. “I believe in you, Twilight. I know you can do it.”

Reluctantly, Twilight did as her friends bid, her horn sparking with magic. The earth mare disappeared in a burgundy flash. The others watched the opposite side of the gap with knots in their throats. The earth mare reappeared quicker than a single heartbeat, her tail to the tunnel. “I told you, Twilight!” Applejack exclaimed even though the wind muddled it.

Now with confidence, Twilight quickly followed with another three teleports. Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Fluttershy gathered around Applejack, each cheering the unicorn. After finishing up with Pinkie Pie and Maud, Sunset teleported herself across, wanting to prove she could at least do that herself. “Alright, now let’s hope there’s not a third gap to cross—or if there is then it better be made of lava,” Twilight said after she arrived on the other side as well.

“Hey, maybe then we can go with my idea about levitating. I’ll even levitate myself across!” Sunset said with an exaggerated snarky tone.

“Well, you’d need a lot of energy and skill in order to levitate yourself, not to mention years of training and—” Twilight paused. “Oh. That was a joke, wasn’t it?”

“Yes. Yes, it was,” Sunset replied and turned to the Pie sisters to see their reactions.

“Hilarious,” Maud said with her usual droll before continuing into the cave.

It wasn’t the reaction Sunset was hoping for, but she and the others followed along regardless. The slush of ice eventually turned to snow the deeper they went. Somehow, even without the treacherous winds, it became far colder. “Another crack must be up ahead,” Rainbow Dash noted, “or a way out.” The light snow became a winter wonderland, with every rock and stone of the tunnel covered. The light brought on by Twilight’s horn eventually shined upon another obstacle blocking their path.

“Oh come on!” Sunset yelled as she threw her hooves in the air. It was not another river or gap that stalled their progress, but a cave in. Stones of all sizes sat as rubble, and prevented them from going any further. A few mindful holes near the top illuminated lightly, though nothing could be seen.

Rarity’s hoof rose as she spoke up. “Do you think King Sombra did this? Maybe he knew that somepony would try and find this route?”

“We were this close to getting out of here!” Sunset held her hoof up as if to show a measurement, but nobody seemed to understand. “Every time we get closer to our goal it just gets snatched away from us. It’s like this world doesn’t want us to succeed, it just wants disharmony to rule!” She clobbered the closest stone, but struggled against it with her own weight.

“Um, Sunset,” Twilight called.

Sunset ignored her name. “And what’s worse is that even if we do get out of here, we don’t have the last two Elements of Harmony. How am I supposed to help time if everything is so complicated!?” Sunset slumped against the rubble, her hoof held her forehead. “Like the Element of Laughter isn’t hard to understand! You make ponies laugh. Jokes, gags, humor. The Pinkie of my world makes it seem so easy—but in this world it’s a great big no, you have to have to have your doctorate in comedy, and a license to prank!”

“Sunset—” Twilight repeated, more haughtily this time.

“How’d we even get the Element of Magic before the Element of Laughter!? That makes no sense! There’s the joke right there, played on me by this world!” Sunset sat up and pointed at Twilight. “And don’t say I’m not giving this world a chance. I’m trying here, but it’s hard when we literally come up against a brick wall!”

“Sunset!” Twilight shouted. “We have two ponies who can break down rocks!”

Sunset slumped against her hoof, an elbow on a rock. “Oh. Right,” she realized her mistake.

A few low, throaty laughs echoed within the tunnel, sending a chill down Sunset's spine. It was soon followed by a voice, one that none of them had heard before, except for Sunset. “Maud?” it said, causing everyone to turn to the grey earth pony. Pinkie was staring at her sister with a look of confusion, brought on by a small, coy smile on the elder sister’s face. “Y-you laughed,” Pinkie said, her voice soft-spoken like that of Fluttershy’s.

Maud’s half-smile stayed as everyone gathered around to stare. Pinkie suddenly started to gyrate, her whole body shook as tears began to pour down her pink cheeks. “You laughed!” she yelled, penetrating everyone’s eardrums with an abrasive echo. “It’s been so long!” She wrapped Maud in a hug, and nuzzled against the part of her head below the ear. But she suddenly let go and pushed off, as though something was wrong.

And then it came forth. From her eyes light poured, the rocky tunnel more illuminated than Twilight’s light spell could ever hope to do. It flowed down to her neck with a golden hem around her throat, and formed the cyan balloon in the center. When the light dimmed, the pink pony exploded with joy. The pink, poufy hair Sunset recognized had returned, albeit a bit shorter in the back. “Like a seatbelt!” Pinkie screamed, which sent Sunset to the snowy ground in a fit of laughter. No one else seemed to understand, but the laugh was contagious enough that all the Elements joined in.

“I’m not quite sure what we’re laughing at, but that’s five down at least,” Applejack stated, wiping a tear from her eye. “We’ve still gotta get out of here, though.”

“I’ve got it!” Pinkie Pie sang. She slammed against the cave in and busted down the large stones with ease. It was as if the years of remaining quiet had been broken—the pent-up energy releasing all at once. Without Maud’s assistance, Pinkie tore down the blockade in seconds. A cool breeze rifled against the group as the pebbles slid to the ground. Pinkie pushed forward, the other Elements followed out into the cold air.

Sunset rose to her hooves and shook the snow from her back. “I’ve never seen you laugh before. Or smile, for that matter,” she said to the grey mare.

“I wasn’t laughing at what you said. I was laughing at what you meant,” Maud answered in her usual monotonous vernacular, her smile gone. “Pinkie Pie would never have gotten her Element of Harmony if I had not.”

“Oh?”

“When we were kids, she could make me laugh and smile all the time. Even more so once she got her cutie mark. Over time it became harder, however, and then the war came. I stopped laughing, and so did she, but she never wanted to part from me just in case I did one day laugh,” Maud explained, still staring out the cave entrance. Her eyes slowly dragged back to Sunset. “I figured that’s what she needed, and it was.”

“T-that’s so sweet,” Sunset said, tears in her eyes.

“I’m blushing,” Maud replied, clearly not blushing.

“C’mon you big softy.” Sunset wiped her eyes clean and trotted over the pebbles with Maud. Gusts roared as they stepped out into the gentle darkness. The storm wall was just above the ridge behind them, still bellowing and raging in its solace. It was not the storm that caused Sunset’s heart to pound, but the lack of light that emitted from the Crystal Empire. Though the clouds around the empire had departed, the dome sat covered by plum-colored obelisks bigger than any skyscraper in Manehattan.

The city sat in this distance, left of where they exited, with Celestia’s camp to the right. Of course, the camp was only visible due to the small breaks in the clouds that allowed moonlight to pour through. The clouds had never parted before, however, and that’s when Sunset realized Celestia’s camp lost its shell. The crystal dome that the grey soldier had described exploded outward, like a baby lizard breaking from an egg.

Some of the Elements shouted their questions, asking each other what might have happened. But Sunset knew the reasoning, there was only one possible reason. The sight of moving crystals and blasts of orange and yellow magic confirmed her suspensions. The magical bombings were aimed at these crystals—striking at whatever was causing them to rise. “That’s got to be Princess Celestia and King Sombra!” Sunset yelled. “Come on!” She threw herself down the incline, and the others trotted after her as quickly as their hooves could take them.

World 1: Chapter 8

The cold was almost unbearable, and that meant King Sombra was close. Yet, even with the cold, there was warmth somewhere inside the camp. Sunset could feel the heat radiating up and out as she stood next to the broken crystal dome. There was also something that caused her eyes to water, and when her snout began to tickle, she knew it was smoke. As Maud and Pinkie cut their way through the remnants of the crystal dome, Sunset took a step back to see a fire rising within Celestia’s camp. The flames popped against the burgundy crystal and danced in the moonlight.

The two sisters eventually caved in a section of the crystal, breaking a hole into the camp. As it fell, soldiers charged from the inside, their green slats for eyes glowing in the darkness. Pinkie and Maud tackled two of the soldiers and snapped off the helmets with ease. The other soldiers didn’t seem to notice or care, however, and they continued running away from the camp.

“Fire!” they heard someone yell as they crossed the crystal border into the camp. Guard ponies fought the armor-clad indoctrinated with all their might. Tents were wrecked and boxes smashed during the chaos. Twilight tore off in one direction while Rainbow Dash and the Pie sisters headed for the fire. It was burning the tents to the southeast, a good distance from the tent Sunset first met this world’s Princess Celestia. Though the fire was far enough away, the wind would spread it quickly. “Where are we going?” Rarity called out, but Twilight answered by ducking into one of the larger tents.

Sunset followed suit, opening the crimson flap and entering the roomy tent. Shelves held scrolls upon scrolls, almost as if Princess Celestia had brought the entirety of the Canterlot Library with her. A plethora of scrolls of all shapes and sizes were being strung about by the purple unicorn. “Where is it?” they heard Twilight say as they came closer. “I know it’s here somewhere.”

“What are you looking for?” Sunset anxiously asked. “We need to go help Rainbow, Pinkie, and Maud!”

Smacking her head against one of the shelves and knocking her crown to the ground, Twilight quickly turned to see the four of them. “Oh, it’s just you girls.” She levitated the crown back atop her head before rubbing the place she hit. “There’s a spell here—something that can conjure rain. The problem is I don’t remember the name, just how it’s cast. I’ve got to find it and get it to Prince Sunburst. He’ll be able to use it to put the fire out.”

“If yah know how to cast it then why don’t you do it?” wondered Applejack.

“Me? There’s no way,” Twilight hesitated, but then her face softened. Sunset was about to remind her of the cave and the teleportation spells, but the look she held told Sunset she didn’t need to; Twilight already knew. “I-I suppose, I could try,” Twilight said, a slight blush on her cheeks.

Sunset smiled. “We’ve really got to work on your enthusiasm. Come on.” She wrapped a hoof around the purple mare’s neck and pulled her out of the tent. The smell of smoke wafted over them, the fire growing nearer with every passing moment.

They trotted down a row and then cut through a patch of broken down tents, before passing by guards and soldiers duking it out. The fire had already taken most of the southeast and was working northwest. Both the brainwashed and the free were running away from the flames in the hopes of escaping unscathed. Sunset felt her heart tighten as part of the crystal wall collapsed, which sent fire shooting up into the air. As they came closer they found Rainbow Dash attempting to blow the fire back with her wings and getting bombarded with smoke. Pinkie Pie tried to help by kicking snow into the air and onto the flames.

“Did you guys run into Prince Sunburst?” Dash yelled down at them once she saw they were there. “He went off in that direction just a few seconds ago. You shouldn’t have missed him.”

“Prince Sunburst!?” Twilight hollered back. Her head swiveled like a joystick attempting to look for him. “Which way?” she asked.

“There’s no time, Twilight!” Rarity nagged.

Sunset nodded in agreement. “Use the spell! It’s the only way to stop the fire. We’ll find Sunburst after it’s taken care of. I promise!”

Staring deep into Sunset’s eyes, Twilight drew her bottom lip between her teeth. She looks worried, Sunset thought. "You got this." She took a step back to watch the purple unicorn concentrate her magic into her horn, and build up power for the spell Twilight could not name.

A sudden bolt of blue spewed out from the tip of the horn like mist. It struck the smoke that floated above the raging fire. The blue turned the black clouds grey and caused them to grow fluffier and more massive. They grew and grew until they reached their max, eventually releasing rain down onto the fire below. Pops and cracks rang out as water poured onto the inferno, and the blaze turned into charred ash. Black liquid poured down into the snow, while the area became a scarred mess—and no longer a threat to anypony’s safety.

“Way to go Twilight!” Rainbow Dash cheered.

“Don’t have time for congratulations!” Twilight yelled her reply, already tearing off in the direction Prince Sunburst had been said to be.

Sunset followed, weaving through tents in order to keep up. Some had collapsed, their wooden stakes unhinged from the ground, which left rough outlines of bedrolls and benches. Twilight hopped one of the obstacles and landed on the other side with surprising grace. Sunset went around, however, and lost sight of Twilight behind a tent. She eventually caught up to her as the purple unicorn stood talking to Maud. But before Sunset could reach them, Twilight tore off again down the back length of burned tents near the edge of the broken dome.

She was almost out of breath, feeling the heavy cold on her lungs as snow and black char clung to her hooves. She refused to lose sight of Twilight again, though the darkness brought on by the loss of fire was making it all the more difficult. For a moment, she thought she had lost the unicorn after she disappeared around a pile of cinder twice her size, but the magenta star atop Twilight’s crown bounced beyond the wreckage. When it finally stopped, Sunset was forced to continue and circle back, and when she finally found Twilight hunched over, Sunset’s heart skipped a beat. “Twilight?” Sunset called, steam pouring from her mouth with every syllable.

Tears and gentle moans radiated from the purple pony. Something’s wrong, there’s someone there. Sunset couldn’t tell what it was at first. When she saw the body, she let out a gasp that sounded more like a hiccup. It was Prince Sunburst. Ash and rain covered him, his fur now looked black, and his glasses were missing. “Oh no!” Sunset hollered as she threw her hooves around Twilight. “What happened!? Is he—”

“I-I don’t know,” Twilight replied.

Suddenly, Sunset’s question was answered. The stallion hacked up phlegm from his throat and opened his eyes. “T-Twilight?” he hoarsely spoke. “Is that…?”

“Yes! It’s me! It’s me, Twilight! Stay with us!” Twilight held his hoof to her cheek.

“N-no, the crown.” He coughed some more before he continued, “That’s an Element of Harmony, isn’t i-it? I always knew you were special, Twilight.”

“Try not to move!” Sunset told him. “I’ll go get help!”

“Help?” he questioned, pushing himself up with one hoof.

Twilight held him down, however. “Sunburst, please, you’re injured!”

His right brow arched, and then he laughed a deep, sore laugh. “No, I’m not. I’m just a fool,” he replied, pushing himself to a sitting position. “I was triple checking the burning tents. I needed to make sure I hadn’t left anypony in the fire. However, when I did my third barrier spell, I hadn’t noticed smoke trapped itself within my bubble.” He coughed. “Smoke inhalation. Nothing too serious, though I’m going to need a few moments to breathe.”

“Are you certain you’re alright?” Twilight worriedly asked. Tears still fell from her eyes.

“I’m afraid I’ll be no use in fighting King Sombra—though it looks like I won’t have to.” His eyes seemed to draw from one Element to the next as each of the bearers came trotting up. “I’m surprised he’s still left standing. You all should’ve been able to defeat him by now with all the Elements of Harmony you’ve gathered,” Sunburst added between fits of coughs. He raised his head to the sky, and his eyes examined the grey clouds. “Wait, something’s not right. Is Princess Celestia still dueling with King Sombra? She said she was going to fend him off and then raise the sun!”

Sunset realized it was still night. They had traveled across a war-zone, rested in a secluded home, released the crystal ponies, broke into the castle of the Crystal Empire, and escaped through a magic portal to a hazardous tunnel and out onto a cliff. Yet it was still night. “How long have they been fighting?” Sunset asked, but an explosion so loud overshadowed her question.

A beam of magic cut through the camp with crystals following behind. It smashed the ground and shattered amongst tents, or what was left of the tents. Everyone looked to the sky, and in the lingering moonlight they could see a pony of white falling to the ground. “Princess Celestia!” Sunset yelled just as she landed on top of one surviving tent, collapsing it in with her. But she had not been the only one, for the dark king fell with her. King Sombra did not lose his consciousness though, and managed to save himself from plummeting into the charred tents. He was quick to flee, another crystal platform raising and charging north out of the camp. Smaller crystal platforms were left behind as if he was a snail leaving a trail.

Sunset rushed to Princess Celestia’s aid with everyone else who had seen the terrible fall. To her relief, the white-furred princess had struck the tent where Sunset and her friends had lounged on pillows, the outlines of a couch and table still visible beneath the crimson fabric. “Princess Celestia!” Sunset cried, staring down at the dazed alicorn.

The princess seemingly understood her name as her eyes fluttered slowly open. Celestia groaned and whimpered, her foreleg stiffened and she rubbed her temple. “Ah!” she softly bemoaned. “Sunset Shimmer,” she said after the pain looked to pass, her pupils focusing. “I see you’ve returned—and with more bearers than Elements.”

“We’re still down one,” Sunset said, “but we won’t be for long! Are you alright? Can you get up?”

Princess Celestia put one hoof to the ground and attempted to stand. “I will try to hold King Sombra off for as long as I can while you attempt to get the final—” Her voice cried out as she slumped forward, her body refusing to rise.

“Princess! You can’t stand. Please, allow me to go in your stead. I’ll hold him off,” pleaded Prince Sunburst, but his coughing betrayed his words.

“No.” The white-furred alicorn stubbornly attempted to push herself once more. “He has refused to meet me on the battlefield every time before today, and now I owe him payback for that tricky maneuver of his. He is too powerful for you to face alone.”

“Then it’ll have to be us. These six can handle it even if we don’t have the final Element of Harmony,” Sunset answered. “I believe in them.”

“There’s seven?” Prince Sunburst replied, pointing at the grey-furred pony.

A scream came from the back. “This is my sister Maud!” Pinkie yelled as she bounced around the grey pony. “She’s not an Element of Harmony, though,” she added as she popped up behind Sunburst, startling the stallion.

“Well, regardless,” Sunburst started to say as he attempted to regain his composure. “Can you really defeat King Sombra without all the Elements?”

Sunset snorted. “Oh, please. We’ve got the Element of Loyalty. She’s standing right there. Just because she doesn’t have the necklace doesn’t mean diddly-squat. You’ve got to have a little faith, Sunburst.” Sunset pushed past him, giving a sly smile. “Take care of Princess Celestia while we’re gone.” Her eyes turned to Twilight who stared wistfully back at her, and she knew she needed to say something more. “Celestia will need your powerful magic, Sunburst. Make sure she gets fixed up.” Her words seemed to bring Twilight some peace as the purple unicorn held her head up.

Sunburst eventually gave an approving nod, and when Princess Celestia did not offer a rebuke, Sunset led the Elements and Maud north through the entrance they had made—whether they were prepared or not. Sombra’s trail of crystal was easy to follow, and the whistling wind of cold air followed wherever Sombra went. Sunset could almost smell the sweat that the evil stallion emitted. Falling from the sky would leave anyone disheveled and scared. There would be no escape this time. They were a pack of bloodhounds while he was a comely fox, and this fox had struck against their alpha—something no fox should do.

Perhaps he thought himself safe atop his crystal pillar. Perhaps staring down into the battleground between him and the sealed city gave him courage. He was anything but safe.

Pinkie ran clockwise while Maud ran counter-clockwise, both creating gashes at the bottom of his pillar. As the sisters met, Rainbow Dash dove from above and sent a back-kick against the post, sliding it off-kilter. The pillar fell forward and the evil king with it, both hitting the snow and causing an eruption of white to soar into the air. Before he could rise, Twilight unleashed a magical bubble around them and the king, locking them in together.

“Give up,” Sunset commanded the king. “You’re not going anywhere but Tartarus.”

“Forget that! Let’s clobber him some. It’s the least we could do to avenge all the lives he’s ruined!” Rainbow Dash disagreed, slamming her hooves together.

For a moment, it looked as if Sombra was going to speak. His strong jaw clenched as his face soured, but then a smile started to form. The white teeth glowed, and everyone could feel the intensity the stallion emitted. Anger. The word filtered into Sunset’s mind called out by a deep, dark voice. It was Sombra’s voice. Anger, it said. It burned her brain like fried eggs in a pan. The others seemed to feel it too. Angrier, it said. Who is the angriest?

As the words pained their minds, no one seemed to notice Sombra’s horn sparking with magic until it was too late. Anger, it screamed. The tip of the red horn burst with dark purple and green energy. It went for Sunset, then swerved and hit Rainbow Dash head on. While she fell to her knees, another blast popped Twilight’s barrier like a bubble and the stallion lurched from the center. Another pillar formed up around him as he rode off south, leaving another trail.

“Rainbow Dash!?” Applejack yelled as she came to the aid of the pegasus as she stood closest to her. “Are you alright? What’d he do to you? Did you hear him speak to you too?”

Everyone crowded around but were blown back by the pegasus’s wind. Rainbow Dash lost control of herself—snarling and growling. Her eyes green with a covering of purple mist. “He’s coming around again!” Pinkie pointed out while the others attempted to hold Rainbow Dash down. Sombra was in the process of making a U-turn, with crystal pillars behind as he strode towards them.

“Fight it Rainbow Dash!” pleaded Rarity while Applejack, Sunset, and Maud attempted to keep her from flying. “Whatever you’re seeing—it’s not real. We’re your friends! We’re here for you!”

“Angry!” Rainbow Dash screamed as she squirmed and fought.

“Rarity’s right, Rainbow Dash!” Fluttershy stood face to face with the raging pegasus. Snot and drool fell from Rainbow Dash’s muzzle, brought on by whatever she was seeing. “Please, Dash! You’ve got to snap out of it!”

Before they could break whatever afflicted Rainbow Dash, King Sombra bowled through them and freed Rainbow from their hold. A line of crystals left by the stallion separated them from each other. Rainbow Dash flew up into the air and turned, ready to dive-bomb the other Elements. “Maud, get these crystals down! Pinkie, Applejack, with me!” Sunset commanded as she rushed toward Rainbow Dash.

The blue pegasus swooped down in an attempt to strike Sunset. With a teleporting dodge, Sunset grabbed the rainbow tail and swung the pegasus to her rump. Applejack and Pinkie hopped onto Rainbow’s back, and put all their weight into keeping her down. “He’s coming again! Another attack!” she heard Rarity yell from the other side of the wall. “I’ll meet him head on!” Twilight also yelled.

“Keep her down until I get back!” Sunset commanded Pinkie and Applejack before teleporting past the crystal. She reappeared next to Fluttershy who quickly pointed in the direction of the purple unicorn. Twilight was already charging headlong into battle, but she was slow enough for Sunset to catch with a few key teleports.

“How about a magical pincer maneuver, like Maud and Pinkie?” Twilight asked once Sunset pulled in beside her. Sunset hadn’t yet tried magical blasts but felt confident enough in her returning abilities. She gave a nod, and they unleashed dual beams. They struck the evil stallion’s pedestal as it came their way. While Sunset's magic was not nearly as strong as she would have liked, only cutting a few inches into the crystal, it still did the damage she wanted. But King Sombra was not as dumb as they assumed, for as they drew around the sides, he turned left into the previous crystal path he had made and trapped Twilight between the two trails.

Sunset couldn’t believe her eyes, but then the realization struck, and she called out, “Twilight! Twilight! Are you alright!?”

She assumed it squished Twilight, but a sudden spark of light appeared along with the purple unicorn. “You really think the Element of Magic can be kept down by a simple wall!?” Twilight yelled in defiance.

Sunset gave a sigh of relief, only for another problem to arise. “Twilight! Sunset! She got loose!” Applejack and Pinkie yelled in unison. Fluttershy and Rarity had met up with the two earth ponies, and they all were running away from the angry blue pegasus.

A part of Sombra’s crystal trail suddenly caved next to Sunset and Twilight, and Maud appeared from the other side. “This way,” the grey-furred pony said, beckoning Sunset and Twilight along with the others. They poured through past the two trails and out into an open field, but Rainbow Dash flew over. The pegasus skidded to a stop in front of them, kicking snow into the air. In the distance, over her shoulder, Sunset could see the dark king circling for another strike.

The grimace on Rainbow’s face was beyond words. Tears had formed in her mystified eyes, and her anger boiled out of control. “I’m about to lose it too!” Sunset growled, stomping her hooves. “Rainbow Dash!” she yelled at the pegasus. “The reason you’re mad is right behind you! The reason I’m mad, why we’re all mad, is right behind you! We are angry, upset, frustrated, and most importantly, friends! We are your angry friends. Let’s be angry together!” She clapped her hooves together like Rainbow Dash always did.

“Darling, I think your way with words has left you. There’s no way that will calm her down,” Rarity denied. However, Rainbow Dash let out a snarl and roar before turning in an instant to face the oncoming stallion. “But, if there’s ever a time to be wrong, now would be it, I suppose.”

A blitz and blur of color streaked toward the stallion, the king was struck off his pillar and sent to the snow. In an instant, they could see Rainbow Dash landing on top of him, only to be struck by a rising crystal. The hit sent her backward into the snow, and the others rushed to help her. But before they could reach her, Sombra regained his poise and set off on his magic crystals once more. This time he did not turn back, disappearing beyond the hills of snow. “Rainbow Dash, are you alright?” Twilight yelled and repeated once they drew close to the downed mare.

“My head feels like that time I dropped a watermelon from Cloudsdale,” Rainbow Dash replied as she opened her eyes, the clouded mist gone and her pupils resumed their natural reddish-pink. “I still ate it, though. The juice had soaked into the grass, and an angry dude was yelling at me.”

“Th-that’s nice Rainbow Dash,” Twilight choked her reply.

“Hey, what’s with the waterworks?” Rainbow Dash pushed a hoof to Twilight’s cheek and pressed a few tears into the fur.

The unicorn quickly wiped the rest from her eyes. “You’re stubborn. I barely know you, but I can tell you’re stubborn. I-I’m just glad you’re okay.”

“Rainbow Dash always picked fights back in Flight School,” Fluttershy commented. “She wanted to defend anyone who was bullied. She wouldn’t back down.”

“I do have to admit, she is very gung-ho about fighting. Stubbornly so it would seem,” Rarity added her thoughts.

Rainbow Dash rolled to her side and then stood up, the snow fell from her back. “Gee, thanks you guys. If my Element were stubbornness, we’d have, like, three necklaces by now.”

“Don’t you see it Dash?” Twilight asked. “Loyalty is a form of stubbornness, in a way.”

“You lost me there,” Rainbow replied.

“Yeah, even you got me beat on how that would work,” Sunset added, and the others chorused their agreement.

“Loyal to a fault is a phrase my mother used to call Shining Armor. It’s not something bad, specifically. Loyalty is a faithful commitment, something that you adhere to regardless of the consequence or temptations. It’s a stubbornness to what you believe in.” A smile crinkled Twilight’s mouth. “I’m stubborn too. Stubborn to my friends, my family.” Her eyes met Sunset’s. “Stubborn to my prince and princess, sometimes.”

“Alright, I get it. You want my Element of Harmony,” Rainbow scoffed. “Whatever you’re doing, it’s not working.”

Sunset tapped her chin and wondered aloud, “Is she too stubborn for it not to click?”

“Like a seatbelt!” screamed Pinkie Pie, causing a few other Elements to giggle and hoot.

“What are you guys talking about? I’m not that stubborn. It’s not like I can think really hard, and it’ll all of a sudden become clear to me. And I’m not trying to force it away or anything either! I want to help, I want to defeat that rotten old King Sombra, but it’s just not working. You can’t blame me for not getting my Element when you guys don’t even know how it works either!”

Sunset let out a hearty laugh. “That’s pretty ironic. You’re loyal to your friends, you want to help them, but you’re only hurting them by being so loyal,” she put bluntly.

“That’s pretty harsh, Sunset,” Applejack noted, honestly.

“The truth can be harsh, but that’s not my point.” Sunset half-smiled at Rainbow Dash. “If we fail, if Sombra beats us, I can’t find it in myself to blame Rainbow Dash. She’s my friend, after all. I’m just as stubbornly loyal to all of you as Dash is to us. Even though we fight or argue, I’ll still be there for you just as I know you all will be there for me,” Sunset said. “That’s loyalty.”

Twilight nodded. “I know I can be stubbornly loyal, especially to Prince Sunburst. And I guess sometimes that leads to arguments with friends.” She gave a coy smile to Sunset.

“Pinkie is stubbornly loyal to me,” Maud mentioned. “She refused to leave my side when I joined the war effort. Does that count?”

“That super-duper counts!” Pinkie wrapped her sister in a hug.

“And I know I’m loyal to all of you. You all were the first things I thought about when I came to this world—even though I didn’t know you. I couldn’t put my trust and loyalty into any pony better than you six,” Sunset said.

“I’ve always been loyal, but I’ve never had somepony so loyal to me before.” Rainbow scratched the back of her head. “Aw geez, you guys are gonna make me tear up, then it’s gonna freeze, and I’ll have ice stuck to my eyes. Alright, that does it. Group hug!” She reached her forelegs out, but before everyone could surround her, her eyes turned a white so bright it marveled the snow. Gasps rang at the sight as a golden necklace strung itself upon her collar. A bright red lightning bolt formed and sat against the blue of her uniform.

Everyone cheered as Rainbow Dash came to. “Rainbow Dash! You did it! What clicked?” Sunset asked.

Rainbow shook her head. “Clicked? I didn’t feel any clicking.” She shrugged. “The last thing I thought about was how cool it was to have some friends who would be there for me no matter what. It’s how I always imagined the Wonderbolts would be—the old Wonderbolts. To have ponies you could rely on no matter what you said or did.” Her eyes then shifted and rolled as though something did finally click. “Wait, is that what you guys meant? Now I get it! Why didn’t you say that before!?”

Twilight held a hoof to her mouth and giggled. “I’m pretty sure we did.”

“And it took you just long enough to get it,” Applejack sassed and motioned towards the Crystal Empire. “We’re cuttin’ it close, though. Looks like King Sombra’s makin’ good on another attack.”

The Element of Honesty was right, for the evil king was aiming another attack at them. This time not alone. A few dozen helmeted soldiers were trailing along beside the king’s protruding crystal platform. It was a remnant of what was left outside the Crystal Empire's walls, the rest most likely inside when the Crystal Heart had restored balance to the city. Still, the remaining brainwashed vastly outnumbered their measly number of eight, and it was only made worse by the king who brought down Princess Celestia.

“It sure was nice of him to give us enough time to get Dash’s Element,” Pinkie Pie noted with a giggle and a snort.

Sunset pushed forward to be in front. She stared down at the oncoming battle. “Maud and I will target the soldiers and hold Sombra off long enough for you six to figure out how to use the Elements of Harmony.” She looked back at her friends, their worried faces giving little in confidence.

“That’s a very nice plan, Sunset, but we’re past the point of needing help,” Twilight said as she stepped forward and placed a hoof on Sunset's shoulder.

Sunset was startled by the words. “What do you mean?” she asked.

A smile stayed on Twilight’s lips as she spoke. “You’ve gotten us this far and taught us just as much as we’ve taught you. Now it’s time for us to do what we were always meant to do.” She paused, her eyes turned back to the other Elements. “I’ve always lacked confidence, I’ve never really believed in myself. Friends have always been hard to come by, but you five inspired me to be brave. I believe in us, and myself. And I know that with that newly inspired confidence we can do anything we set our hearts to—because we’ve got the magic of friendship guiding us!”

Shouts from the other Elements rang out, and then light suddenly burst from Twilight’s crown. Sunset recoiled and covered her eyes. The light grew brighter as it connected to the other Elements and created a circle of color that blew the snow around them. Rising up in all their harmonic glory, a rainbow whirlwind shot up into the air.

As soon as the evil king saw the tornado of friendship he halted his moving crystal. His mouth fell agape at the beacon of light within the darkened battle-scarred landscape. In an instant, the wide-mouthed king held that same reaction that so many brainwashed ponies once had before their emotions were stripped away. But instead of keeping it for a few short seconds as those ponies had, he would be holding that reaction for a millennia. Forever immortalized in stone.

But as luck would have it, stone would not be his prison for that millennia. The city he once claimed rule over required its own set of vengeance.

The menacing king’s power was brought down by the Elements of Harmony, and so too were the strength of his crystals. The columns that had risen behind wherever he trailed were the first to crumble into tiny pebbles, followed by what remained of the crystal that surrounded the remnants of Celestia’s encampment. Then it was the Crystal Empire’s turn. The dome of obelisks erupted all at once into a dust, and released a wave of energy brought on by the Crystal Heart. The blast rushed the land, and struck free the leftovers of the brainwashed ponies before destroying any residual crystals. But King Sombra was not lucky enough to crumble like his crystals.

Instead, the Heart saw fit as to coat him in crystal, turning his stony body into a brilliant blue and cyan crystalline statue—forever preserved in the thing that was dearest to him, crystals.

The king’s shiny new form glimmered and shined with light. That’s when Sunset noticed the clouds departed, the blizzard wall vanished, and the first ray of sunlight struck the newly freed city. Dawn had never appeared more beautiful in Sunset’s eyes, her trial finally coming to an end. She assumed the rainbow mass would soon turn to her and send her back to her own time, but it did not. Instead, the bearers of the Elements of Harmony returned to stand in front of the crystalline statue, their Elements no longer glowing.

“You guys did it!” Sunset yelled and greeted the six as they stumbled and reoriented their bearings. “You defeated Sombra!”

Twilight glanced at Sunset, then the statue. “The war—it’s—it’s over?”

It was silent for a moment, and then an explosion of joy rolled over the six. Sunset stood with Maud, watching and smiling as the Element’s hugged and cried. Pinkie made another sudden outburst and dragged them both closer, her sister first. “We couldn’t have done it without you, Sunset!” Pinkie claimed as she also hugged Sunset.

“That is the truth,” a voice agreed, and everyone stopped their celebration. The white alicorn stood towering over them, though she stood a yard away. Prince Sunburst was at her side. “I am certain you were not happy about being thrust into this world, Sunset, but I hope that has changed. Without you, none of this would be possible. Without you, we might have lost everything. I am also glad your rebellious nature has stayed, otherwise we’d still be sitting in camp.”

“You don’t mean what I think you mean, d-do you?” Sunset puzzled. “Didn’t you want us to go to the Crystal Empire?” She stepped toward the alicorn. “Surely it was one of those psychological stunts you loved to pull—like when I was your apprentice, and you would order me not to study.”

“But I didn’t want you to leave. Nor did I want you to study. I wanted you to go and make some friends, which you refused to do.” Celestia’s voice was stern as if she was reliving that moment all over again. But she gave a sudden sigh and smiled. “In the end, it does seem like you’ve made some friends.”

Sunset turned and gazed back at the group she’d grown fond of. Their bright smiles and warm eyes staring back at her. “Not just any friends. Best friends.” She then turned back to the princess. “What are we to do now? What am I to do now?”

The princess’s eyes glistened as if she was about to cry. She stared at the statue of the frozen king for a moment, then the city behind him. “There are a few things we must do; that we must have. A wedding, rebuilding of a city, and a celebration most of all,” she answered, and then stared down her muzzle at Sunset. “If you don’t mind, I would appreciate it if you stuck around for the latter, at the least. We’ll be celebrating you and the Elements, after all.”

There was no choice in the matter, though Sunset knew what she would choose if there had been. “Well, the Elements of Harmony didn’t send me home, so it’s not like I’m going anywhere.” Sunset trotted back to the Elements and Maud. “Not that I mind. It’ll be nice to see the world for what it is,” she added, with a wink to Twilight.

And that was the truth. She didn’t mind for the first few days after the war ended. But as the days dragged on and the Crystal Empire celebrated, the thoughts of her friends at CHS resurfaced. As she became closer to this world’s versions, she realized how much she missed her own. The differences were subtle between the two, but now it became more noticeable than ever before. Pinkie still grew quiet from time to time, Twilight was still a klutz, and Rarity fussed less over her makeup, or lack thereof.

Still, Sunset held her tongue. Others were trying to find a way for her to return to her own time, and she knew she was in good hooves. I’ve already missed the picnic, she knew. I’ll have quite an adventure to tell everyone, at least.

But when the time finally came for the answer to be found, Sunset felt sad. “Are you certain you would not like to stay for the wedding?” Princess Celestia had asked her as they traveled through the decrepit Ponyville.

“No, my friends are probably losing their minds. They should be so worried over where I’ve gone,” Sunset responded as they walked. She rolled her shoulders and felt the straps of her backpack—a growing pain of the continuous wearing. She wanted to stay for the wedding, she wanted more time with these six, but she knew she couldn’t. “Will this really get me home? Do you really think so?”

Celestia’s head held high as she glanced at Prince Sunburst, Princess Cadance, and Shining Armor. “I’ve had my best and brightest attempting to find a resolution for your time traveling problem, but it was Twilight Sparkle who figured it out. You are not the only thing not of this time and world, and so you must both go back at the same time. At least, that is what she believes, and I’m inclined to believe the Element of Magic.”

That made enough sense to Sunset, and Celestia was rarely wrong. Still, it couldn’t be that easy, could it?

The crystal, dilapidated chairs still sat on the hill overlooking a lake, the table remaining undisturbed in the middle. “This certainly wasn’t here the last time I was in Ponyville,” Rarity commented and brushed the edge.

“What a peculiar thing it is. And you say this sits in a castle in your timeline?” Prince Sunburst asked.

Though she had not cared to speak to the prince initially, her time after Sombra’s defeat helped in easing her attitude towards him. The awkward colt she had known now bantered with the best of them and knew more than she ever expected of him. He had been disheartened to hear he was not a prince in her timeline, but she reassured him that he must’ve become something just as great. She made a note to herself to seek him out once she returned, to hash out the past just like she planned to do with her own Princess Celestia.

“I only saw it for a little bit on my arrival to Equestria, but the castle was elegant and majestic—and larger than I expected for Princess Twilight,” Sunset answered. “Though her version was not as crumbled as this.”

Twilight levitated a portion of the broken crystal chair that sat in the grass. “This is my cutie mark,” she noted, and attempted to put together the pieces regardless of how chipped they were. “Perhaps my idea will work after all. Shall we give it a try?”

It was a simple idea, though it came to Twilight in the most unnatural of ways. After Sunset explained the details to her, Twilight went to work attempting to locate some spell that might return time to its natural state. But nothing was all she could find until one night when she awoke, blabbering and disturbing everyone’s slumber within the castle at the Crystal Empire. She had fallen asleep during her search and awoke with a plan come to her in a dream. The Element bearers of this world needed to visit the map. I assumed we might have had to visit the Tree of Harmony, but I would never have thought of coming back to the map, Sunset thought.

“How do we know which seat is ours?” Applejack asked, peering at each chair.

“I don’t think it actually matters,” Twilight replied as she took her seat.

Rainbow Dash quickly took the seat next to Twilight. Her metal wing clanged against the table as she attempted to activate the map, but to no avail. Rarity made her seat opposite Twilight while Fluttershy sat between her and Rainbow Dash. Applejack sat next to Rarity, her flowing hair in a bun. Rarity had offered to trim it, along with anyone else’s, but everyone aside from Pinkie Pie had refused. The party mare had her poufy hair once more, though much shorter and cleaner. With Pinkie Pie last in her seat, everyone expected something to happen.

Sunset held her breath, with sweat dripping down her face. Her stomach tied itself in knots like a pretzel. Princess Celestia stood next to her while Prince Sunburst and the soon to be married couple stood on the opposite side. “Was something supposed to happen?” Princess Cadance asked. She looked a lot healthier than the day they had found her in the crystal castle.

“Didn’t you say the table glowed when you touched it, Sunset?” Sunburst tapped the edge with his hoof.

“Yes. It popped up with a map of Equestria, detailing where the Element bearers’ cutie marks were. Why isn’t it showing?” Sunset lifted her hooves up and placed them on the crystal table, and revealed the answer to her question. The holographic map burst forth, the six cutie marks atop one another and the tree not too far off. “Aha!” Sunset exclaimed.

The map no longer filled in the crystalline horrors brought on by the evil king. And just as the map reformed, so too were the chairs. The cutie marks that sat atop the map flickered and waved above the table, and then writhed against the crystal chairs. The broken bits of rubble levitated from the ground as if time was being reversed, restoring the cracks and ruins. The cutie marks on the back of the chairs pulsated after their reformation, and the ground shook at the same moment.

It was then and there that everyone’s mouths fell agape at the sight of a green whirlwind opening above the table, and by the blackness at the center. Thunderous claps echoed loudly with clocks ticking in their ears. Winds burst forth, but only for a moment, and then they pulled back into the green portal.

But these winds weren’t even strong enough to pull a single strand of hair or fur atop any of the Elements’ bodies. Nor did it affect Princess Celestia, Prince Sunburst, Princess Cadance, or Shining Armor. The opening portal fazed none of them, they simply sat or stood basking in the sight.

None of them—aside for the one pony who did not belong.

Sunset held onto the rim of the table with all her might, her back legs fully in the air and her backpack pulling with all its weight. “Thank you, Twilight! Thank you all!” she yelled before she was forced to let go. If they had said anything, she did not hear them before the portal swallowed her whole. A pain suddenly struck through her body and the backpack she wore felt heavier than ever. I’m going home, she thought as tears flowed from her eyes. The air was sucked right out of her lungs, and she didn’t feel warm or cold, or anything really.

A voice surrounded her as she closed her eyes in fear of what she might see. “Couldn’t convince her to do the impossible?” it said. “That’s too bad.”

And then the pain stopped, and she felt the air return to her, before smacking her in the face. I’m home, she believed, her eyes popping open. The air wasn’t the only thing to smack her face, however, as she landed head first into a bush. She rolled onto her back and stared up past the leaves before quickly pulling herself out. But it was too late. By the time she looked to see where she was, the portal had reopened, and the Princess Twilight Sparkle she knew from her world was heading through with Spike, the purple dragon, clinging to her with all his might. The portal closed behind them, leaving Sunset to gawk at the dozen floating black terrors who chased them away.

Changelings.

Author's Note

This ends Arc 1! :twilightsmile: If this story has interested in you so far, I hope you'll continue reading! It only gets more intense and harder for Sunset from here on out.

World 2: Chapter 1

The black creatures were changelings, Sunset knew. She’d never seen one before but had heard of their abnormal appearance. They all looked the same even though they could alter their form. Black flesh hard as bone, holes in their limbs, and big blue lens-less eyes. They were terrifying, and they were defeated. How was it that they were here, still floating above the map right in front of her very eyes? The map, she realized. It was just as how it looked the day she fell into the world wrought by King Sombra. The crystal chairs in pieces, the table chipped around the edges, and much like Sombra’s timeline, there was no castle. She had hoped for blue crystal walls and a purple alicorn. Instead, she got thick trees and an open sky.

Sunset wanted to scream. To cry. But she could do neither with the changelings so near. Luckily, the flying changelings retreated, having failed to catch the purple alicorn. When the coast was clear, Sunset emerged from the bush that broke her fall and dusted leaves from her fur. She trotted over to the table and lifted her front hooves onto the edge. In an instant, a map of Equestria appeared. To her dismay, Canterlot seemed a tad stranger than she would have liked, though she could not be certain why. More importantly, she saw the cutie marks of her friends scattered amongst Equestria once more. Three close by, three in Canterlot.

A groan left her throat as she slammed her face against the table. This isn’t home. This isn’t my world. She gazed up at the sky, refusing to let her tears fall. It was hard to tell where exactly she was on the map, but she knew where the Everfree Forest was. Ponyville did not sit within the forest, but in this world the wildlife had grown unruly. It surrounded the town except for its north—the side that led towards Canterlot. The Crystal Empire was not covered in crystals at least, a small silver lining. She had no desire to return to the frozen north, though the humidity of the Everfree wasn’t much better.

Still, the sight of changelings worried her more than she would admit. She knew what was going on, though her heart attempted to deny it. Not another war, not another. Please, she begged, though it was pointless.

She almost sat down and cried, but the sounds of fighting scared away her dreary mood. The changelings would likely come back, and she did not wish to see why Princess Twilight ran fearfully. Steadily, her hooves moved on their own down the open path past trees and bushes. Some thundering hooves and thousands of flies was all she could hear. It clouded her ears, and prevented her from hearing a bush rustling in front of her path. When her eyes finally noticed the leaves jittering, it was already too late. Two ponies came flying from the shadows. They tackled her and sent all three of them rolling down a hill. Vines caught the two ponies, but Sunset continued to roll down until she landed on a river embankment. The weight of her backpack saved her from reaching the rushing water and being swept away.

Sunset rose to her hooves as she shook her head, almost fearing the brain damage she might have sustained. She then realized who it was that tackled her—they had broken free from their vines and came down to meet her. Though the green paint masked them well, she knew who both of them were. “Pinkie Pie? Fluttershy?” she called out to the two. Their faces remained frowning as they growled at her. “What happened to the others? Where are your Elements of Harmony? Has King Sombra returned?” she asked each question but got no response. She knew she wasn’t asking the right questions. “Who are we fighting?”

“You should know, changeling. Chrysalis is your queen,” Pinkie Pie answered in a deep, guttural tone.

“The likes of you won't fool us,” Fluttershy added as they both stepped toward her.

“Chrysalis?” Sunset repeated. Chrysalis. The thought of an old villain returning curdled Sunset’s stomach, but the signs already told her that this truly was another world and another time. She couldn’t believe it; she wouldn’t believe it. She was meant to go home! But then, out of shock or perhaps a concussion, Sunset fell face forward onto the ground. Mud covered her chin, and she could taste the wet dirt as her body went limp. As her eyes closed, she heard the two mares talking but could not understand their words.

A single golden flower came to her in her dream, though the murmuring voices startled her awake. Her eyes fluttered as she opened them, but her surroundings remained a blur. When she tried to rub the sleep from her eyes, she found that her forelegs were bound. Her shoulders ached, and the room seemed sideways. That’s when she realized her body slumped against the ground. Pressing her chin against her neck, she wrenched upward, lifting her head and slamming it against a wall. Her backpack scratched against stone, and she knew she wasn’t dreaming.

The room was not completely dark, and as her eyes settled, she saw the flames of a torch on the opposite wall. Closer, a looming grey presence kept her focus. Her heart sunk and then jumped into her throat as the grey shadow moved in front of her, colorless and quick. It came closer, its eyes whiter than the snowy fields around the Crystal Empire. The creature pressed an appendage against her face. Sunset dared not look—turning away in horror. Whatever it was touched her cheek and then pushed to the other. It traced her legs and neck, heavily breathing as it examined her body.

And then there was a glow.

Sunset thought it came from the creature, but as she looked at her belly and chest, she realized it was her own body that glowed. As the glowing faded, a voice sprung out from the shadow. “Another one has come from the different life,” it said. “Perhaps she was sent to help our strife.” The shadow moved away, and Sunset failed to see their face.

The one torch became many as the room filled with light, only helping to blind Sunset for a moment. As she lowered her leg and let her pupils take in the light, she realized the shadow was not alone. Ponies sat against the walls of the dank cave just like she did. How did I get here? That’s when the shadowed pony came closer. A zebra with green paint covering parts of her body. Sunset could tell the mare was unhappy. “Excuse me,” Sunset called out, her voice low and sore. “Where am I? Who are you?”

“My name is Zecora while you are someone who should not be. Have you come with an answer to our desperate plea?” The zebra spoke in rhythmic cadence, something Sunset could barely understand.

“I-I’m not sure. My name is Sunset Shimmer, and the last thing I remember is Pinkie and Fluttershy—” Sunset answered as she studied the room. The pink-haired ponies both sat within the lit up room. “Those two,” she said, nodding to the two mares. “They’re my friends—in my world at least. I’m assuming this isn’t my world. And I also have to assume you have no idea what I’m talking about,” she said in an almost sarcastic tone.

The zebra named Zecora trotted towards Sunset and reached down to her forelegs. The ropes felt light, and Sunset wriggled out, relaxing and shrugging her shoulders. “Twilight Sparkle spoke to me just a time ago, telling me of a world without our mutual foe. Do you know of this mare I said? Are you here to mend time’s thread?”

“You spoke to Twilight!?” Sunset hastily said, clutching the zebra’s shoulders. “You’ve got to tell me everything she said!”

Zecora dipped her head, a frown on her face. “It seems you were not sent to end our war, but what other reason could it be for?”

“I was sucked into a portal that sent me to a world where an evil stallion had taken over. Right when I arrived, I saw my friend Twilight Sparkle leaving—the same Twilight you met. That was the last world, and it happened again when I came to this world. I’m not sure why, but everything is different compared to the time I came from. Please, you’ve got to tell me what’s going on!”

“It was a pony named Starlight Glimmer who ruined Twilight’s past. Back in time they went where the changes were vast. You have experienced it twice now, and it surely won’t be the last,” answered Zecora.

Sunset rubbed her chin, thinking deeply on the rhymes. “I think I understand now. Adding that to what Applejack said in the last world, that means this—this Starlight Glimmer—she went to the past and changed something drastic. I can only guess at what she could have possibly changed, though. How can Twilight have a chance to stop her?”

“Twilight has gone to the past but you have not? How is it you’ve traveled to our sorry lot?”

“When I first came through the portal all I did was touch Twilight’s map table. Getting here, I had help from the Elements of Harmony—but only after touching the table again. The table is what brought me here, and it’s the only thing that’s the same, aside from the Tree of Harmony. I’ve never met this Starlight Glimmer, and Twilight probably doesn’t even know I’m here either. She’s always leaving when I’m arriving.” Sunset stood on all fours. “The tree wanted me to save the last world. And now it looks like I’m going to have to collect the Elements, again,” she sighed.

Zecora gave a nod. “What you speak of is peculiar, but you might be our rescuer. You spoke of saving the last world from Starlight Glimmer, but you may find this world far grimmer.”

“What happens here matters to us!” Twilight Sparkle had said. It was not the Twilight Sparkle of her world or beyond the mirror. It was the friend she made in the heat of battle, the friend she might never see again. Sunset knew she couldn’t make the same mistakes twice, regardless if she’d never see that friend again. “I want to help in any way I can,” Sunset said, confidently. “But first, I’d like to be taken to the Tree of Harmony. It’s right next to the Castle of the Two Sisters—if you know where that is.” She then pointed at Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy. “I’ll also need them, as they are both Element bearers. The Element of Laughter and the Element of Kindness.”

“Hold on Zecora, how do we know we can trust her?” Pinkie Pie objected. “Queen Chrysalis has ponies under their control who are not changelings. Maybe this one is a spy.” Pinkie threw her face against Sunset’s. “Are you a spy? Are you!?”

Zecora shook her head, and said, “I believe Sunset is here to help us. She will bring Chrysalis to justice!” Hoots and hollers echoed the cave as ponies stomped their hooves. “I know the way to the castle that you speak. Be quiet as a mouse—you must not squeak. The forest contains changeling invaders, and we must trek across many acres.” She nodded to Pinkie and Fluttershy, beckoning them away.

Pinkie Pie backed slowly from Sunset, but not before lifting a hoof to her eyes and then pointing at Sunset, as if to suggest she would be watching her. She and Fluttershy followed Zecora to the crack of the cave while Sunset trailed behind, entirely ignoring Pinkie’s idle threat altogether. Many of the other ponies she passed showed weak smiles and green paint on their faces. She wondered if the changelings were a more significant threat than King Sombra’s army. She sidled through the small crack in the wall, following the other three. Sunburst suddenly popped into her head. “How are the changelings a threat, anyway? Didn’t Prince Sunburst defeat them?” she asked as they reached the outside air.

“Prince Sunburst?” Pinkie repeated with a whisper. “Who’s that?”

Zecora pressed a hoof to Sunset’s mouth, silencing her. “As quiet as sand in an hourglass. The need to talk we must surpass.” Sunset gave an embarrassed nod.

Sunset could tell they traveled south by the light shining through the canopy. For most of it, they followed a dried creek bed and passed through overgrown foliage with insect-filled brush. A flock of birds fluttered away from a tree, and they all assumed they would soon be caught. They huddled beneath the shadows and waited, and when no one came, they quickly scurried through a path of bamboo. They did not come face to face with the changelings at any point, even as they found the open air of the ravine. Zecora ushered them down into the gorge to hide low enough from the blue sky above.

After marching in the dried, cracked mud for a while, Sunset recognized a rope bridge hanging overhead. It had not fallen or broken like that of the last world, but it gave her a landmark to know where they were. And sure enough, a few yards back in the same place as the world before, there was a small cave that led into a bigger cave. In that bigger cave sat a tree of magnificent white crystal. The Tree of Harmony. It did not glow, it did not move, and it did not recognize Sunset’s presence, nor Pinkie Pie’s or Fluttershy’s.

Sunset placed a hoof on the tree and felt the coldness. “It wasn’t like this in the last world. It was almost happy to see me. What happened to the Tree of Harmony?” Sunset asked, not really to anyone.

“Maybe she really is a spy,” Fluttershy noted to Pinkie Pie who nodded in agreement.

Sunset ignored the comment and sparked her horn. She lit the tree’s darkened features—it held no resemblance to the tree she had seen in the previous timeline. The branches were shorter, the center did not make a star, and it seemed depressed. “This Tree of Harmony looks like it doesn’t have the magic to do—well, anything.”

After the war ended and peace returned to the Crystal Empire, Sunset had gone to visit Princess Celestia with questions of the alicorn’s sister. It had been there that Celestia told her of Nightmare Moon’s second defeat and banishment. “After that, I returned the Elements of Harmony to the Tree of Harmony, no longer fearing the need to use them. I had thought to retrieve them to fight King Sombra, but I could not do that to the Tree of Harmony. I am glad it saw the need to give them freely,” Princess Celestia had said behind closed doors. “I am certain the tree did have the Elements when you went to see it—simply hiding them from your view.” Celestia smiled at the idea, and she was most likely right—as per usual.

The butterfly effect, Sunset recalled. If Twilight and this Starlight Glimmer changed the past, then a number of differences could have occurred. The thought sent her brain spinning, that or it was an aching headache caused by Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy’s roll down the hill. “I don’t think Princess Celestia returned the Elements of Harmony in this world. She must have kept them, perhaps in Canterlot. What are we going to do if we don’t have the Elements?” Sunset shook with fear as she screamed her question at the frozen tree. “What am I supposed to do!?”

But it was Zecora who answered, “Perhaps their castle would give us an answer to what you ask? Princess Celestia may have left behind a message, riddle, or task.”

Sunset wanted nothing more to do than curl into a ball and cry, but she refused. This was another trial, the same trial, just different from the last. Get the Elements of Harmony, bring my friends together, and defeat the changelings. Is that what you want of me? Is this punishment? It was hard to stay positive, to want to help the world. Sunset knew it had to be her. Help time echoed in her mind, and she wanted to smash her head against the wall so she wouldn’t remember those beckoning words.

“I’ve spent so many days outside my own time. Away from my friends. Why is it that I’m burdened to be here? To help? Why am I here?” Sunset groveled.

“I cannot answer why you are here, Sunset Shimmer. But every day Chrysalis rules the world grows dimmer. Perhaps you were chosen to save us and then some, perhaps you must save many more worlds to come, or perhaps this is punishment for a crime in the land you are from. Whichever is true or none it may be, you are our salvation, deliverance, and key. It may not be fair and may not be kind, but who you are is being defined.” Zecora patted Sunset’s shoulder, reassuringly. “Who are you, Sunset Shimmer? A selfless hero or a selfish quitter?”

Though Zecora spoke oddly, her insight true. As much as Sunset wanted to collapse and wallow in her self-pity, she knew she was needed. “Honestly, Zecora. You might be right about one of those things. Perhaps I am being punished for something I did.” It hurt to think about, but she needed to say it aloud. “I stole a crown and tried to take over the world I live in—I turned into a raging she-demon. And if that’s true, if I am being punished—” She paused, staring over at Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy “—well I’m glad I get to help those who mean the most to me.”

The two mares looked strangely at her, but Fluttershy smiled, and Pinkie Pie’s frown became—well, not a frown at least.

“We should check the castle. If Celestia took the Elements of Harmony, then she must have gotten them from the Castle of the Two Sisters. That’s where the six from my world found them and beat back Nightmare Moon,” Sunset said.

Zecora gave a silent nod, and they trotted out of the cave. Once in the light, Sunset pointed to a crack in the ravine that allowed them to traverse the side of the cliff closest to the castle. Though the bridge still stood, the boards had long since rotted and the ropes looked like dental floss, scaring anyone from using it. After trekking up the cliff, they spotted grey stone in the distance between more wild plants. “How is there this much foliage? It wasn’t this way in the last world. How could time change to have it so flush?” Sunset wondered as they walked.

“I must admit that was caused by me,” Zecora answered. “Nature hides us from all those who see.”

“From the changelings, right? What are they doing here? Are there many of them? What about Canterlot? Ponyville?” Sunset rattled off her questions.

Pinkie stopped them both by putting a hoof to her mouth and running it across. “Less talkie more walkie,” she whispered, and Zecora agreed.

The Castle of the Two Sisters was as large as a castle could be. The stone walls were just as grey as the stripes between the black of Zecora’s fur, but when the sun shined just right, the walls almost appeared white. Of course, green shrouded most of the castle. Vines, moss, and thorny bushes that stretched upward were more prevalent than stone. The gate was open to them, both brown metal doors had their hinges rusted and laid flat on the floor. Dust settled in where plant life had not. Sunset recognized that a lobby, or what used to be a lobby, had the same features as that of Canterlot’s hall outside its throne room. A tree sprouted out to the right, however, and it had busted the roof open, letting more plants grow in the sun’s light.

Up four steps and they reached a hall that led to the throne room. The wilderness had not taken as much of this room as it had the foyer, though parts of the roof collapsed inward and vines were sprouting in the cracks of stones. There were certain times of year that Canterlot High School had weeds growing from the sides of the cement bricks that the school sat raised upon. Though the gardeners took care of the school with spray, Sunset wondered how much spray would be needed to remove this wildlife. She half expected to find a dozen rabbits nuzzling on the throne itself. As she approached, her heart was filled with discontent as there were no adorable bunnies.

With so much history lost within the castle, Sunset almost forgot her worries and cares. Her mind clouded itself with thoughts of archaeology and paleontology and her love for history. She didn’t know if she had always loved the past or found solitude in the study after losing her lust for power. It didn’t matter either way. Her idea of power had been all wrong, but the desire was still there, and learning new things sufficed its greed. She didn’t mind—though some things she’d have liked to learn sooner. Like caring for the world, she remembered. She had lost three worlds now. The world she was born on, the world beyond the mirror, and the world she saved and grew to care for. Would she ever see them again? Any of them?

Zecora called to her and Sunset quickly wiped the thoughts away before turning back to the rest of the throne room. “Coming,” Sunset yelled and trotted to the call, her hooves pressing against the torn burgundy rug that would have tied the room together had none of it been dilapidated. She found the three in the library, hundreds upon hundreds of books lined the shelves. Her sense of wonder returned, and she was quick to pick one of the books off a random shelf. The green binding crumbled in her hooves and the paper showered the floor. She shook and wiped the dust from her hooves before taking the next book with her magic.

This time it did not crumble, though the words had faded and one of the pages held a still living roach. That caused her to shriek and toss the book halfway out the entrance. The others came to see the commotion, but only Pinkie laughed when Sunset told them what had startled her. None of the books could help them, she realized. She hoped that Celestia would leave a note somewhere. Where to find the Elements of Harmony or a way to defeat some unknown enemy. She wondered what had happened to Celestia in this timeline.

“Chrysalis—how much has she taken over?” Sunset asked Zecora. They were far enough into the castle that she felt no changeling would be present to hear them talk. “How much of Equestria isn’t changeling controlled?”

But it was Pinkie who answered, “Everything as of today. Ponyville was the last haven besides our camp. She’d been too busy with the Crystal Empire and Manehattan to care about us. That was two months ago.”

“The Crystal Empire has fallen? Manehattan too?” Sunset was in disbelief. She remembered her own history. Princess Cadance and Prince Shining Armor married right after the changelings failed their invasion of Canterlot, and then they headed north at the appearance of the Crystal Empire. In the last world, they had not yet married, but the empire was upon them regardless. That means— “That means Chrysalis defeated King Sombra?” she spoke her thoughts.

“I have seen it in the green fire,” Zecora spoke up. “A heart of crystal spun below the spire. It beat the evil king and the snowy mire.” Zecora paused for a moment, thinking heavily. “But it was the changelings who had been so brave, undermining the king’s brainwashed slaves. The crystal ponies lost more than they gave, it was their love changelings crave.”

Sunset felt sad at that. She had worked so hard to free the Crystal Empire from King Sombra’s grasp, and Chrysalis had defeated him along with claiming everyone else. It was almost sickening to think that they had traded one evil ruler for another. The changelings wanted love? Well, the Crystal Empire had plenty of love to give, and it seemed the Crystal Heart did nothing to stop the changelings. “How are we supposed to defeat them all with the Elements of Harmony?” Sunset wondered aloud. In the previous world, only the Crystal Empire had been affected by King Sombra, one single enemy to rule them all. But the changelings weren’t brainwashed—and they had to be everywhere.

“That is up for you and these two to find out. The magic between you will surely sprout,” Zecora answered, though it wasn’t much of an answer.

Still, Sunset felt at ease from the rhythmic lilts of the zebra. She had never met Zecora in the world where time was right, only reading her name once or twice from Princess Twilight. She had described a magical potion she drank given to her by this zebra. There were many things in her journal that Sunset had forgotten, or read and thought nothing of. She made a mental note to read it through the next chance she got, but she forgot that note almost immediately when Fluttershy beckoned her attention.

The pegasus was a lot cuter in this timeline. A few piercings in her yellow ear and the long, braided pink mane did a world of difference for Fluttershy. She was threatening yet adorable, and the green paint played off her yellow fur quite well. Sunset told herself to remember to braid her Fluttershy's hair when she returned to the mirror world. She told herself to remember a lot of things, though. It was getting harder with every day that passed, and every moment had some new stimuli or something new to learn that it was starting to give her a headache trying to remember everything. That or the concussion from earlier had not yet subsided.

“It’s dark, but it might lead to something,” Fluttershy said as Sunset came closer. Zecora and Pinkie Pie were still exploring the library, but Sunset pressed forward, lighting her horn as she went. The darkness gave way to her light just like the grey bricks had given way to roots. Wherever the path had led was lost to time. “Oh, well, I thought it might have helped. Sorry,” Fluttershy apologized, dropping her head slightly.

“Don’t give up,” Sunset replied. “You were very kind to try and help.” Sunset hoped that the Elements would still appear regardless of wherever they were in the world. These were the bearers after all. The Tree of Harmony wanted time to be fixed, so why would it make it harder? It wouldn’t, Sunset concluded. The Tree of Harmony wants me to fix time. There’s no way it won’t give the Elements freely as soon as the bearer understands their element.

“Over here!” A sudden call turned back their focus. Pinkie Pie found a staircase along one of the walls, hidden behind a bookcase. The path was shrouded in darkness by the overgrown vegetation hanging down from its own weight. The sun passed through the tall grass and weeds with a flicker of light against a window that had not shattered. The glass pane was inside a worn down building detached from the castle by an open gap. A single wooden bridge held its own against time’s wrath. The pit below was not long nor was it deep; falling no more than a story wouldn’t be trouble. Still, they each minded the broken boards and unsteady rope as they crossed, though Fluttershy hovered carefully over the bridge, as though refusing to be the reason it might collapse.

After they crossed and came closer to the building, Sunset recognized the symbols atop the door. Though the gems lost their color, it was quite clear what they represented. The room they entered was dark and damp, the humidity somehow worsened the higher they went. The roof had been blown off by something unknown. Most importantly was the statue in the center of the room—five faded stones atop a statue’s arms. Each of the five orbs were broken open from the top, Sunset found. “They’re hollow,” she murmured, “and there’s only five.”

“This way I see. Another room there may be,” Zecora said, pointing out another staircase. The stairs led outside, and a cracked stone walkway led them across to another building. It was larger than the last, and even more run down. The metal frames of windows hunched over from the pull of gravity. Pillars held the ceiling barely, but at least there was a ceiling this time. At the end of the largest room was a pedestal with nothing on it. As the others looked around the room, Sunset examined behind the foundation and discovered the sixth orb that had gone missing.

Unlike the orbs in the previous building, the face of this one had been crushed, only leaving an imprint of where the Element of Harmony used to lie. As she examined it more thoroughly, the stone crumbled to dust and pebbles within her hooves. “Well, they were here at one point. Most likely used to defeat Nightmare Moon.”

“That’s the second time you’ve said that name, isn’t it? Nightmare Moon is just an old foal’s tale,” Pinkie Pie claimed, scoffing at the very notion. “Though I do miss Nightmare Night. It’s been a long time since we’ve had any real fun.”

“This might surprise you, but Nightmare Moon is real. She’s actually Princess Luna, taken over by jealousy of her sister, Princess Celestia,” replied Sunset.

“That can’t be true, can it?” Fluttershy wondered.

“We’re sitting in the Castle of the Two Sisters. Ever wonder who those two sisters might have been?” Sunset smiled. “In my world, you two and the other Element bearers returned Princess Luna to her normal state. You ended Nightmare Moon’s grasp over her. You also would have defeated Queen Chrysalis—but love saved the day instead. Though don’t ask me how. I think it had to be one of those been there to see it moments.”

Zecora seemed to like that as she bobbed her head and smiled as well. “Many things we could learn from your world, had the changelings reign not unfurled.”

“I don’t know too many things about my world,” Sunset said upon realizing it was time to tell them of the mirror. “I actually live in a completely different universe where my friends are these bipedal creatures with hands and feet. I suppose that’s another reason why I was chosen to help with this timeline. I’ve got experience with other worlds.” She tried to smile, but it came out flat.

“That is where you became a demon, correct? Then surely your world is not so perfect,” Zecora noted.

Sunset sat down in front of the pedestal with her back against it. “You’ve got that right. Even after I was defeated, there are still things that I’ve had to face that came from this world. Demons, sirens, and one world-shattering that was too close for comfort. But still, my friends are there. I miss them.”

The pegasus and earth pony looked at each other. “We’ll be your friend,” Fluttershy pitied, and Pinkie nodded.

“You two already are my friends.” Sunset chuckled. “If I befriend any more of you I’m going to have a hard time telling you apart.” Her mind drifted back to the Crystal Empire for a moment. “Just because this isn’t your timeline or world or whatever, it doesn’t mean that we’re any less real,” she remembered the last world’s Twilight saying. “Tell me something,” Sunset demanded. “Tell me of this world—or the ponies who live in it.”

“I wouldn’t know where to start,” Pinkie Pie answered. The party mare’s mane was a lot like the one Sunset remembered when she met the first Pinkie Pie right after coming to Equestria, albeit a bit more green was involved in this one. This Pinkie was far more down to earth than any of her counterparts Sunset met. She wasn’t loud, though she was angry. She wasn’t clueless, though she was skeptical. A life forced into hiding would make anyone quiet, I suppose, Sunset bemused. But this Pinkie isn’t like the quiet mare of the last world, either.

“You two live in Ponyville in my world. Let’s start there. Tell me of Ponyville, before the changeling invasion.”

Fluttershy looked to Pinkie Pie, who shrugged her shoulders. “I didn’t live in Ponyville until after the invasion. Cloudsdale was taken over right after Canterlot,” Fluttershy described, her voice ached as if she was reliving the memory at that moment. “I’d imagine Cloudsdale is empty now.”

“Empty?” Sunset inquired, pushing her body forward at the word.

Zecora tapped her chin and then pointed at Sunset. “It speaks to me that she does not know, that changelings feed on love to grow. Queen Chrysalis invades each city like a weed, taking ponies back to Canterlot to feed.”

That didn’t sit well with Sunset. “Wait, hold on. You’re telling me that when she captures a city, she takes the ponies back to Canterlot? So, Equestria is essentially—”

“Empty,” repeated Fluttershy.

There was no resistance. There was no movement hoping to free the captured ponies. Those who had remained free were standing right in front of Sunset. An enemy so overpowering came to Equestria and crushed it gleefully. “But it took a while,” Sunset muttered, trying to piece everything together. “It wasn’t overnight. Ponyville was the last, which means there has to be ponies already inside Canterlot creating a plan to fight their way out. Possibly run by Twilight. Maybe Princess Celestia herself, or Princess Cadance?”

The other three ponies stood around each other, murmuring and staring at Sunset. The silence eventually made her realize that she was rambling to herself. “I think I’ve got an idea of what we can do,” Sunset said.

“We?” Pinkie Pie repeated.

“That’s right. You two are coming with me. We’re going to Canterlot. We’re going to free our friends and every other pony as well.”

Fluttershy dug her hoof against the cracked floor as she stared down at the ground. “I-I would like to save my f-family,” she whispered so low that Sunset almost thought she said fantasy.

“Mine too,” Pinkie Pie agreed. “Not to mention a few ponies I know stayed behind in Ponyville, like the Cakes. They’re probably captured now.”

“I know it’ll be scary, but you guys can’t keep hiding forever. At some point, Chrysalis will find you, and then it might be too late to put up a fight.” Sunset strode over to be between the two Elements. “I can’t force you two to do anything, but I plan on going to Canterlot and doing all I can to ruin the changelings. Having you two by my side would be a big help—not just as the Elements of Harmony, but as friends too. I know I can’t tell you two to trust me, but I want you to know that I trust you both with my life. You’re the best friends I’ve ever had, in this world and the last.” And the next, though I hope that’s just my cynicism.

Zecora nodded. “Sunset Shimmer speaks the truth. Remove the changelings, scale and tooth.”

“I’m in,” Fluttershy said, confident.

Pinkie Pie stared at Sunset, then Fluttershy. The dread written all over her face. “Fine,” she sighed. “I’m in too.”

Sunset pulled them close, wrapped them in her forelegs, and held them. “Don’t worry. After seeing how you guys dealt with fighting King Sombra, I’d imagine Chrysalis is a piece of cake.”

“But we didn’t deal with King Sombra,” argued Pinkie Pie as she pushed away. The pink mare then trotted toward the door, the others soon following after an exchange of concerned looks.

As they greeted the sun, Zecora spoke up, “I must return to gather the others and bring them here. There are plenty of places that we can hide in fear.” They said their goodbyes to the zebra as she disappeared into the tall grass beyond the bridge.

The two Elements murmured as they walked, both following behind Sunset who escorted them out of the Castle of the Two Sisters. Sunset listened to them wonder how they would get to Canterlot and how they would get inside. But it was clear to Sunset how they would proceed, they needed to hitch a ride. There was only one place for that. They needed to go to Ponyville.

World 2: Chapter 2

Thorns pressed against Sunset’s rump causing her eyes to swell with tears. Her hooves held tightly against her mouth, and kept her from screaming and alerting the changelings. The outskirts of Ponyville sat just a few yards away from the bushes they chose as their cover, yet Sunset's bush solely held the thorns. Each one she removed with her magic made her thrash violently, but she knew better than to scream. The changelings had patrollers wandering around the edges of the town, while others herded the citizens into cages. They were loading those cages onto dozens and dozens of carts.

Battered heavily, the town was in shambles. Several homes had their roofs caved in and their windows smashed, others had half-broken doors that clung to the hinges. The town hall was the worst of all, though. Its roof had been blown up from the inside, with pieces of wood and shingles all around the town. Ultimately and completely, the town of Ponyville was no more.

They weren’t here to save Ponyville, however. Sunset had told Pinkie and Fluttershy her plan as they approached the reft city. “They take ponies to Canterlot, right? That’s where we’re going. We’ll cling to the bottom of their carts and hop off before we get too close to Canterlot. From there we should be able to find our way through a secret passage at the base of the city. There are a hundred hidden passages, just like the Castle of the Two Sisters. We’ve just got to find the right one.”

It sounded like a good plan, but Sunset did not expect so many changelings. Still, they had to try, and after removing the thorns from her butt, she teleported herself and the two mares to the side of one of the blasted buildings. The patrols didn’t ever look toward the inside of the city, and the ones herding ponies didn’t look to the outskirts. They were safe in the middle as long as they didn’t make noise. Otherwise, they’d be the literal center of attention. Pinkie and Fluttershy hurried into the broken home with Sunset on their tails. They huddled around broken glass and stared out the window with their foreheads barely visible.

The ransacked home held upturned couches, chairs kicked downstairs, and even the refrigerator was left open. “There’s our way to Canterlot,” Sunset whispered as she motioned toward three empty carts sitting beside each other. The frame of the carts was a bit high, but the bars for each wheel hung low, which gave them room to cling to the underside. They’d have to cling to one bar with their forelegs and kick their back onto the other. “You two are sure you can keep steady for this trip? If one of us falls off, we’ll need to fight.”

“We’ll stay on. Though I am itching for a fight,” whispered Pinkie Pie, angrily. She clopped her hooves together, and it reminded Sunset of the rainbow-haired pony from the last world. It didn’t sit well with her, the anger that Pinkie had wasn’t solely hers either. Fluttershy was more aggressive too, more than Sunset had ever seen of any Fluttershy in any world. Years upon years of terror can only lead to two different outcomes. Constantly afraid or constantly angry. A fight or flight response. She sympathized with them. The town of Ponyville didn’t deserve to be so battered, nor did the inhabitants.

After a patrol passed by the house—giving a lazy eye to the shadows inside—the three mares took their opportunity to reach the trio of carts. Sunset rushed the middle and dug her forelegs between the wood and the rail at the front of the vehicle, then kicked her back legs onto the rear. She faced the underside of the carriage and immediately felt the pull of her backpack digging into her shoulders. She let go for a moment and undid the straps—pulling it and placing it on her stomach. Pinkie Pie had already gotten situated, but when Sunset looked to Fluttershy, she noticed that the pegasus was struggling. It wasn't getting into position that was the problem for the yellow mare—it was that her hair hung low and touched the dirt below. “Your hair!” Sunset whispered as loudly as she could without attracting attention.

Fluttershy wiggled her head in an attempt to position her mane in a way that didn’t show. She was forced to stop, however, as the changelings began utilizing their carts. The carts were rolled over to cages, and one by one the wagons filled. The weight of the ponies in cages sunk the carts slightly, and that displayed Fluttershy’s hair even more prominently than before. Sunset eyed the changelings’ hooves and the cages, and that’s when she noticed an orange-furred mare with blonde locks of hair pressing her body to the bottom of her cage. She could see them, Sunset could tell, and when the orange pony knew, her eyes drifted to Fluttershy’s mane, as if to point it out.

With no other choice, Sunset lifted the mane’s knot from the ground with her magic. She yanked it up to Fluttershy’s mouth and forced the yellow pegasus to chomp down on her own hair. She couldn’t see Fluttershy’s reaction, but she felt terrible regardless. At least we won’t be seen, she thought, giving a sigh of relief.

“Hey, you!” a changeling’s voice echoed out. Sunset’s heart jumped as she heard the words, believing they were found. The same changeling rattled the bars of a cage and caused the pony inside to whimper. “Quit your whining! By the grace of her majesty, you’re getting to go to Canterlot. Be grateful!”

Once loaded into Pinkie Pie’s cart, the whimpering pony was still heard as the cart closed and latched. Several wagons had already been sent off, and with the last remaining ponies in these carts, the changelings finished their invasion of the quaint town. “Patrol, head north ahead of these. Wranglers, get in position,” a changeling yelled. Sunset could barely make out the dark blue armor that the changeling wore, but he was clearly more important than the armorless changelings that pulled the carts. “Let’s get back before feeding time.” The very phrase made Sunset gag.

When they began moving, several of the carts lined up side by side, and Sunset’s got paired with Pinkie Pie’s. The weight of her backpack on her stomach was painful, but she suffered through it. Pinkie was the opposite. Sunset could tell the pink earth pony was distressed, but couldn’t figure out why. Pinkie’s grip looked fine. Being an earth pony, she was stronger than both Sunset and Fluttershy combined. So why was she fretting? With a soft motion, Sunset garnered Pinkie’s attention and mouthed “What?” Pinkie grimaced in reply. She shook her head and then mouthed a word in response. Sunset almost groaned aloud but kept it in check. Seriously? This is not the time to be needing a potty break!

Sunset rolled her head the other way in the hopes of avoiding Pinkie’s antics. Several changelings walked beside the carts, but she could hear the sounds of buzzing overhead, and assumed there were more than she could see.

The changelings were quick to move. They already entered onto the main road to Canterlot, and left Ponyville behind to ruin. Sunset wondered if the changelings utilized the train system, or if they made their own weather with Cloudsdale’s weather machines. It was odd to think about a completely different race taking over and using the world for their own purposes. Yet, that’s exactly what I was going to do when I stepped through the mirror. Thoughts flooded her mind of CHS and her demon side. She quickly pushed the thoughts away, not wanting to compare herself to that of the changeling army. I wouldn’t be as bad as them.

As the road curved and sloped, Sunset lowered her head closer to the ground. She hadn’t been to Canterlot in so long she almost didn’t recognize the cream gold towers contrasting against the bluish grey of the mountain. Even in the last world, her time had been spent in the Crystal Empire, never bothering to head to Canterlot. Her heart ached. It pained for this to be the first time that she’d returned to the city, under so much conflict and terror. She had planned to visit Canterlot on her return to her Equestria, even hoping to reunite and ask for forgiveness from her own Princess Celestia. Oh gosh. I’m going to have to apologize to this world’s Celestia as well. Hopefully, she’ll know how to get me home this time.

The cart suddenly stopped, and so did the buzzing. Sunset could see dozens and dozens of changeling hooves trotting around. Behind their hooves were blockades of wood as high as an adult pony and the width of three. These blockades surrounded them, and a changeling shouted, “Gate’s closed!”

“Did the patrol make it through alright with the other wagons?” one of the changelings asked the gatekeeper.

“Aye, they sure did. Is the queen on her way? We hoped to see her majesty with you,” replied the gatekeeper.

“She’s clearing out the pests within the forest,” another changeling shouted as they began removing cages from the carts. “Zecora and her brood. What I wouldn’t give to feed on zebra!” The changelings of the camp laughed and hollered and agreed. But it was soon silenced by the orange mare’s laughter. “Hey, what’s this one going on about? Hush up, will you?”

Sunset swiveled her head, searching and counting the number of changelings. The outpost was well defended. The wooden walls stretched entirely around the camp and into a part of the woods it sat beside. A ladder led up to a tree where a small roost kept watch. She wondered how many of these outposts were in Equestria, and how many they’d have to pass through to get to Canterlot.

The orange mare’s laughter ceased. “I just think it’s funny that you are callin’ anypony a pest. Have you looked in the mirror recently? You varmints need to wriggle back to your hive and sleep with the other maggots,” the orange mare claimed.

“Hush up, I said!” the changeling called and trotted over to the orange mare’s cage. His dark blue armor glistened in the sun. “You’ll be in a pod soon enough.” The pods sat against one of the wooden walls, with enough to handle the remnants of Ponyville. “I think we’ll keep you to feed us on those cold nights,” the changeling said with a bit of dark laughter.

Sunset watched as the mare and the changeling bickered. When she looked back to Pinkie, she found that the pink mare no longer clung beneath the cart. Sunset dropped from her bar in panic and landed with her back on the dirt, still holding her backpack. She rolled out and onto her hooves. In one graceful movement, she threw her bag over her shoulder and turned her horn to the orange mare’s cage, tearing the lock off with her magic. And like an angry bull, the orange mare leapt from her confines and smashed the helmet off the changeling that she had riled up.

After dealing with the cages on the carts and their locks, Sunset turned her attention to the changelings. Some glided up into the sky, but Sunset dragged them back to the ground with a resonating thud. She tried to fight and search for the pink mare at the same time, but the changelings soon overran her focus. They outnumbered the prisoners, and Sunset was forced to fight two at once just to have a second to breathe. Her time in the world ruled by King Sombra brought her magic out from retirement, and though she was not at her peak skill, these changelings made for weak opponents.

Seeing Sunset in action, the changelings who pulled the carts fled as fast as they could, leaving the patrols and guards behind. When all was said and done, and the remaining changelings thrown in cages and pods, the orange mare hooted and hollered with the other free ponies. Sunset quickly readjusted her backpack and found Fluttershy, who had helped in the fight more than any other Fluttershy would have done. Yet Pinkie Pie was nowhere to be seen.

“Pinkie? Pinkie!” Sunset yelled, panic filling her head with terrible thoughts. “Where’d she go!?” The ponies who were free stood around with puzzled looks, but none of them were Pinkie.

Her fear was soon relieved as the pink mare sauntered up to the closed gate. “I’m here!” Pinkie yelled, a delighted smile on her face.

Sunset rushed up to the gate and was about to open it, but the idea of changelings made her wary. “How do I know you’re the real Pinkie?”

“I mean, if you want to go check out the new lake I just made, be my guest,” replied Pinkie Pie, giving a short giggle.

“I’ll pass, thanks.” Sunset opened the gate and hugged the mare. “Wait,” she said, pushing herself away from the Element of Laughter. “Did you wash your hooves, at least?”

“Ahem-hem,” a voice rose up, cutting off Pinkie and Sunset. “I think we have more important things to worry about, like who in tarnation are you three?” The orange mare trotted up to Sunset with the meanest stink eye Sunset ever saw.

“I suppose we do, Applejack,” Sunset greeted. Applejack’s face turned sour—her muzzle scrunched, and her eyes narrowed. “I know, I know. How is it that I know your name, you must be wondering. We’d need a long while for me to explain that, but some of those changelings got away. We need to move out of here, and I need you to come with us.”

Applejack scratched her head. Her golden mane was cut short, barely reaching just below her chin. She didn’t look anything like Pinkie or Fluttershy. No piercings, green paint, or matted hair. Sunset assumed she lived in Ponyville and accepted that they would one day be invaded, and prepared for it. “Where are y’all headed, if I might ask?”

“Canterlot,” Pinkie Pie cut in. “Are you sure she’s one of the Elements, Sunset? I know Applejack. What in Equestria is her Element?”

Applejack’s eyes went wide. “P-Pinkie Pie? Is that you!?” The orange mare abruptly thrust her forelegs around the pink one’s neck, hugging her tight. “I didn’t think she was yelling about the pony I knew! I can hardly believe it’s really you! Uh, what’s with the moss?” Applejack stepped back to look at the green that now covered her hooves.

“I’d hate to break up the pleasantries, but again, we need to move out,” Sunset commanded and turned to the other ponies. “There’s still several freedom fighters living in the Everfree Forest. If you all make your way down there, avoiding Chrysalis and her soldiers, then find a zebra named Zecora. She’s got her group hiding out in the Castle of the Two Sisters. If you don’t head there, find somewhere hidden and wait. I promise to remove the changeling presence!”

Sunset’s speech roused the group of ponies, and those who believed her word of sanctuary headed south, back to Ponyville and the surrounding forest. Only Applejack remained of those who were trapped. “That’s a mighty fine speech, but I’d like to hear more about how you plan on doing that,” Applejack demanded.

“Right, right. I’ll explain on the way. Soooo.” Sunset extended her hoof to the gate with a big enough smile in the hopes to convince the earth pony.

Applejack sighed. “Alright. It’s not like I wasn’t already going that way.”

Fluttershy and Pinkie took charge—rushing into the grassy field that ran along the opposite side of the road. The area was large, but there were no signs of changelings hiding within or above. They crept amongst the tall blades until they reached the northern tree line where they disappeared into the canopy’s shadows. “There’ll be more outposts around Canterlot’s entrance, I’d imagine. How do you suppose we’ll get inside?” Applejack asked once they were buried in the woods.

“We’ll reach the base of the mountain. If Canterlot is still Canterlot then there are a few secret passages within the stone,” answered Sunset. “That’s how we’ll get in.”

“If Canterlot is still Canterlot? What else would it be? Just who are you?” Applejack stopped dead in her tracks.

Sunset stopped as well and turned to face the Element of Honesty. The canopy of leaves left a few rays of light that shined against Applejack’s green eyes. “I’ll tell you the truth,” Sunset started to say in hopes it would sway the Element of Honesty. “I’m from another world, one where you and five others defeated villain after villain after villain. You six used the Elements of Harmony. Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy are two of those Elements, like you. We’ve got to find the other three in Canterlot and get you your Elements so that we can bring Chrysalis down once and for all.” When she finished, Sunset clenched her jaw and sucked in air through her nostrils. She stared sharply at the earth pony in front of her. For a moment, she thought she saw the eyes begin to glow, but it was just the sun’s reflection.

“Uh huh. Well, let’s get these Elements then,” Applejack reckoned, tapping her cheek with gentle strokes.

No Element of Harmony, Sunset bemoaned. At least she doesn’t think I’m crazy. Perhaps it’s a confidence thing. I have to be confident when I tell them I’m from another world. She gave a nod to herself, but Applejack nodded back, which led to a moment of awkward staring between the two before they continued north.

The weight from the straps of the backpack were becoming a nuisance. Whenever Sunset lifted a strap, she could see where the fur indented. Four-legged anatomy and bipedal anatomy don’t mix. That thought reminded her of her friends and the life they led—of school and monster attacks and nasty principles. They just don’t mix. She never had time to think about these things. At school it was work or social, never having a moment to her self. At night it was study and sleep, and she always made sure to get enough sleep. Getting time to think was dangerous. There was little else she could think about now, other than the changelings and the pain from her backpack.

Days had gone by in the Sombra timeline, and she was unsure of how many passed since she arrived in this world. Even now the sun was starting to set, ending another day. The sun is setting, the thought lingered and transformed. Princess Celestia raises and lowers the sun, but who is doing it now? Chrysalis couldn’t have amassed that much power. The more she thought about it, the worse ideas came to mind until she desired no more thinking. “Soooo,” she said with a quiet lilt. Talking was better than thinking. “Anyone got any jokes? Or maybe we could do some singing?” She remembered sheering sheep with Fluttershy, the memory bringing a smile to her face.

“Jokes?” Pinkie Pie said, enthusiastically.

“Singing?” Fluttershy chorused, just as enthusiastically.

“Sure. You guys are great singers, both in my world and at CHS,” Sunset remarked. “And Pinkie’s jokes never get old.”

“C—H—S?” Applejack stepped beside Sunset, her brow furrowing as she said the letters. “Uh, what’s that?”

“The world I’m from has a mirror that connects to another world where everyone I know are these strange bipedal creatures with no magic.” Sunset used to feel weird about explaining CHS, but time eroded that feeling. “I live in that world. Though lately things from Equestria have been slipping through, and my friends are trying to catch them in the cracks. It’s funny, on a whim I decided to return to Equestria for a replacement journal, only to be caught up in something that placed me into alternate universes. It’s a good thing I’ve got hands-on experience dealing with other worlds, eh?”

“Hands?” Applejack repeated the word.

“Hooves! Hooves-on experience.” Sunset gave a short, awkward chuckle. “Sorry. I’m quick to relearn my magic and movements, but idioms take a while to unlearn.” Though hopefully, I can figure out a way home before I need to do that.

Applejack smiled. “Well shucks, I could help catch you up on them. How about bite off more than you can chew? That one’s an Apple family favorite.”

“I once bit off more cake than I could chew,” Pinkie interjected. “It was this big chocolate and coconut triple layer cake with green and red frosting. The Cakes made it special for a wedding or something but then it fell through so they said I could have it so it wouldn’t go to waste but that’s when I almost choked on it. Mrs. Cake said that she could see the outline of it lodged in my throat, but I thought that was just silly until I realized I hadn’t swallowed the cake I was just standing there running out of air. When I woke up, Mr. Cake said that the first thing I asked for was more cake.” She took a deep breath and then gave a big happy grin, the first genuine smile Sunset had seen on the mare since they met.

“That’s a—that’s interesting, Pinkie Pie. But the idiom is supposed to be something that doesn’t translate from my world to ponies. Like, to hear something straight from the horse’s mouth.”

In unison Pinkie, Fluttershy, and Applejack stopped in their tracks and turned to face Sunset. Their eyebrows were furrowed, glaring at Sunset with unease. “What’s that one supposed to mean?” Applejack sternly asked.

“No, no! It’s a good thing, honest! It’s where you hear something from someone who is knowledgeable. Like hearing facts about animals from Fluttershy, or farm work from you,” Sunset explained, the angry eyes slowly subsiding as she spoke. “Horses are really nice, too! On your farm, Applejack, you’ve got horses to ride.”

Groans of disgust rang out from the three Element bearers as they continued to tread through the forest. “Bipedal creatures are gross,” Pinkie Pie muttered to Fluttershy who nodded in agreement.

When they reached the edge of the forest, they found themselves on one side of a road. The mountain that held Canterlot sat just on the other side with another forest cloak at its base. Sunset could barely make out some of the purple roofs of Canterlot’s towers behind the glistening waterfalls that trailed from the mountain. Parts of the roofs were black or green, but she couldn’t tell exactly what they were. The road in front of them led west to the gates and up to Canterlot, along with a changeling outpost. On the east side sat another outpost, but it was incredibly far away. Green flags with changeling designs on the front were displayed around both boundaries, and fluttered in the breeze proudly. As if they deserve to be proud.

“Alright, we can wait till nightfall and creep across the road. I don’t think changelings can see in the dark but neither can we, so it’s fair,” Applejack devised a plan. “We might be able to camp out too, maybe find a nice hovel or cave in the mountain.”

Sunset immediately disagreed. “I didn’t roll around in the snow with Sombra’s soldiers just to waddle myself across a road in the dead of night.” She pointed to her horn and Applejack understood. “I’d teleport us directly into the throne room if my memory wasn’t so fuzzy on specifics.”

“Once we get across, where do we go?” Fluttershy asked.

“There’s a crack in the mountain, tiny and very hidden. I used to explore the depths of the castle and found a chamber that led to a mine deep in the mountain. I never told Princess Celestia I found it but I think she knew. That was—that was near the end of my apprenticeship.” She missed her mentor. With the sun setting, she hoped this world’s Princess Celestia was alright. “I only found it trying to discover a way into the forbidden archives of the royal library. If I had known I’d need to sneak back in one day, I would have paid more attention to the dark paths and mine shafts.” She shrugged. With a quick teleport, they were on the other side of the road. “Hopefully the changelings haven’t found it, otherwise we might be in for a fight again.”

“I’d be up for another,” Applejack said, and Pinkie and Fluttershy agreed.

Sunset frowned. She didn’t like the idea of her friends being gung-ho for fighting, nor did she like the idea of fighting in general. I’ll be more fit than Rainbow Dash by the time I return home. Her back and legs ached more than any time spent in a gym. Won’t she be jealous?

With the forest to their right, they pressed against the mountain in the hopes of finding Sunset’s entrance. The sun wasn’t making their search more manageable, as it was setting on the opposite side of the mountain—blanketing their own in darkness. The trees and stones looked vastly different from what Sunset remembered, though having only a vague idea of where the entrance could be wasn’t helping either. “Do you think it could be covered?” Fluttershy asked, pushing a small rock and uncovering a gecko’s home. “Oh, sorry,” she apologized and lowered the rock.

“It’s got to be somewhere,” Sunset muttered. “I wish Pinkie and Maud were here. They’d just drill a hole.”

“Um, hello? I’m right here,” Pinkie responded. “What am I, dropped glitter?”

“Sorry. Different Pinkie.” It felt weird to say. I’ve met four Pinkie Pies and all of them like cake and rocks. “If you want to try digging a hole, be my guest.” Sunset continued examining every inch they passed.

Pinkie Pie bit down on her tongue and stretched her hooves. “Everypony, stand back!” she yelled, wiggling her tail in the air. With the first hit against the stone, a fissure the size of two ponies caved open into darkness. “Oh, wowie. I guess I don’t know my own strength,” Pinkie said, stupefied, staring down at her hooves with awe.

“It was covered!” Sunset exclaimed, examining the entrance. “Good job Pinkie Pie!”

“Talk about happenstance,” Applejack noted, scratching the side of her head. “Pinkie oughta walk straight into Canterlot with luck like that. The changelings might beat each other senseless just tryin’ to attack her.” She chuckled.

Sunset was the first to dive into the darkness, sliding into the cavern on her rump. When she reached the bottom, she cast a light spell that illuminated brighter than she had expected. “Crystals!” she shouted, and the ringing echoed and resonated against the light pink gems. “I had almost forgotten these were here. After Sombra, I was hoping to never see another crystal.”

Applejack was the second down. “Sombra? Who’s Sombra? He another one of the villains from your world? Or the, whatcha call it? Mirror-pedal world?”

“He’s from Equestria. He’s the one that made the Crystal Empire disappear. Sombra, Chrysalis, Nightmare Moon, and Discord,” she rounded the names off aloud.

“Discord was in your world too?” Applejack said, shocked.

Sunset slid her light to Applejack. “You know about Discord!?” Before Applejack could respond, Pinkie and Fluttershy came sliding down into the back of the orange pony. “Do you two know who Discord is?” Sunset asked them before they could stand.

Fluttershy shook her head. “Oh sure, he was lots of fun,” Pinkie replied from beneath Fluttershy’s wings. “I ate my own tail because of him.”

Applejack clung to Sunset and pulled her back legs from the pile. “Princess Celestia used the Elements of Harmony to defeat him. I thought that was how you knew of them!” Her face then went grim. “Wait—are you really not from this world?”

I guess it wasn’t my confidence that convinced her, Sunset lamented. “Yes. I am.”

Applejack looked at the two other Elements who nodded and agreed with Sunset. “Well, alright, I believe you then. Not that I didn’t before—just, y’know—different reasonin’. Kind of thought we were gonna get them and have Princess Celestia use ‘em.” She shrugged.

Though Sunset wanted to chide the Element of Honesty for not being entirely honest, she knew it wouldn’t be of any use. There’s no going back, no second chances. As long as they’re with me, we’ll succeed.

With her light still beaming ahead, Sunset led the three mares weaving past long, slender pink crystals. Some were purple, some were blue, but they all reflected both the light and the group of mares. Fluttershy screamed at one point, thinking she saw a changeling, but it was only her reflection. “They’re like funhouse mirrors!” Pinkie commented, and stuck her tongue out at the reflection. “It’s been a long time since a carnival was around. Or a festival. Or a party.”

“Not much to celebrate if you ask me, besides the occasional harvest. Even so, not like it would matter in the long run,” Applejack stated, trudging on ahead of everyone.

“I’ve got to ask, Applejack. Why did you and your family stay in Ponyville when you knew the town was doomed?” Sunset rushed to be beside the Apple. “I had my assumptions, but I’m curious, to say the least.”

Applejack stopped.

Sunset thought the question might have angered the earth pony, but Applejack remained expressionless. “I’d like to say it was because it’s the only home I’ve ever known, or that I couldn’t leave my family, who refused to go. But it’s neither those things,” Applejack said. “I’d also like to say that it was to give those in the Everfree a chance to hide while the town got raided, but I didn’t stay there for that neither.”

“So, why did you?” Fluttershy asked.

“I gave up.”

“You what?” Sunset couldn’t believe her ears. There was no way Applejack would give up, not in a million years or a million universes.

“I gave up,” Applejack repeated, sounding like nails on a chalkboard. “There was no point in hidin’. Cloudsdale had fallen, Canterlot had fallen, even the cities that coast the Celestial Sea had fallen. I’d go down fightin’—and we did—but there was no point in runnin’.”

“Then why did you join us?” asked Sunset. Applejack shrugged. “There’s got to be a reason more than that. You certainly didn’t stay for the Elements. So, what was it?”

The crystals of the cave seemed to glow in Applejack’s contemplation. “There really isn’t a reason. Either we’re going to get caught, and I’ll be a prisoner just like before, or we’ll find a way to beat ‘em. Our odds don’t look good for the latter, but I already accepted my fate back in the cage.” She slumped down against a pair of fallen crystals. “If I could, I’d run all the changelings out of Equestria. But I can’t. I’m just one pony. What’s the use in trying?”

That hurt to hear. This wasn’t an Applejack Sunset had ever known, but she couldn’t help but feel it was her own Applejack. She could see a lot of the CHS version in this pony—and not just because they were the same person. Applejack was always down to earth, but this is straight up pessimism. Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie gathered around Applejack, all cozying up next to her with the same distraught expressions. “The last world I was in, the one with Sombra, you all had hope,” Sunset murmured. “But there was still a chance for victory there, and we took that chance. Here, you all have already lost.” It hurt to say.

Applejack nodded. “That’s the way I see it.”

“But—”

The three Elements of Harmony looked up at Sunset Shimmer. The tears that poured down her cheeks struck the grey soil they stood upon. Her light flickered slightly as she stared back at them. “I was sent here for a reason,” Sunset said. “I have a purpose. I-I’m supposed to—to help you—” Her sniffling echoed worse than the cracks of her voice. “I-I’ve got to try, to try and help. Princess Twilight—the last world’s Twilight. My Twilight—they’re all counting on me, even if they don’t know it. I told her. I told her—”

So many things made her want to cry, but Sunset refused. She knew better than to give in. Seeing this world’s Applejack broke that. The strongest person Sunset had ever known gave up. She wanted to give up. “I’m never going to get to go home. It’s obvious now. Even if I get all six Elements together, it’ll just send me to another stupid world where things are out of whack. I should have stayed. I shouldn’t have entered through the mirror. Equestria isn’t my home anymore.”

Suddenly, Sunset felt warmth. The three Elements surrounded her and nuzzled their own tear-drenched faces against her fur. She wrapped her forelegs around them as best she could, with the only love in the world that wasn’t changeling food.

A voice then called out from the darkness. “Hello? Is there anypony there?” it said.

Sunset held the Elements close as the voice grew louder, the sound of hooves trotting against earth echoed amongst the pink crystals. “W-who is it?” Applejack asked the shadows in a voice not so confident. The trotting came closer.

And then, from the darkest part of the cave came movement. All eyes shot to it—to the pink traipsing from the darkness. “H-hello?” the voice said. “I-I’m Princess Cadance. Who are you?”

World 2: Chapter 3

Where am I, were the first words Sunset thought. It was followed by, what is this place. The pain of opening her eyes kept her from keeping them open for more than an instant, and even then her eyelashes blurred the pieces of what she saw. Blue, blue feathers, rainbow hair. She could make out the colors, but not the form or shape. It hurt to look for too long, but there it was across from her—a pony she knew.

And yet.

And yet, she could not remember ever having seen the blue before. What had happened? How did she end up here, across from a blue pony, trapped inside of a cocoon? It still hurt to think. It ached to remember the moment of sadness she had with her friends. That moment broken by the damaged and hungry princess. “Kept as a pet,” she remembered the princess saying. Sunset had known better. The changeling queen had disguised as the pink princess before. But that moment was gone, and she had been wrong. She had not known better. Even when the broken princess asked, “Have you come to save me? Save us?” Sunset did not know how to respond. The princess had been starved of all information, forced to wander the darkness of the caverns, with her magic drained to the point of exhaustion.

Sunset knew what that felt like. Not then, but now. It ached. The cocoon surrounded her. It cramped her body for so long. How long? Too long.

And yet still, it seemed so recent. Her memories flooded back to her. Sunset and the bearers took the broken pink princess back to her prison, the chains still sat in the dirt, alone and cold. They searched from there, hoping, yearning for a secret path into the castle. Pink crystals mocked their very presence by mirroring their reflections as they moved from cave to cave. Tears clouded Sunset’s eyes at the time, but now her eyes were dry. There was no time for tears. Not even here, in this cocoon, where time was limitless.

There were other cocoons like hers and the blue-feathered pony. Once, when Sunset had opened her eyes fully, she had seen the length of the hall. Cocoons were lining both walls, and even more at the ceiling. The ceiling, she remembered. That’s where she’d seen the other princess. The only other princess.

When Sunset escaped the cavern with her three friends and the broken princess, they stumbled into the darkness of Canterlot Castle. The moon hid behind clouds, leaving no silhouette of the mares. There was no light from torches either, the quiet halls loomed in darkness. They crept forward anyway, careful to hide their trots as they made their way through the castle. Sunset remembered the fear in her throat, but she no longer felt that. She had feared the changeling guards, even though they were few and far between. The patrols meandered aimlessly every so often, but her and her friends were smart. Not smart enough, she pitied. They eventually found themselves in the throne room. That’s where the other princess was found. Princess. Princess Celestia. That’s right.

It was her cocoon that sat in the middle of the throne room on the ceiling, like a glorious sun. A grand prize for the queen of changelings to stare at as she sat atop her golden throne. Thankfully, the queen wasn’t there. That allowed them to enter in the cover of darkness. The throne room was a mess with a few broken pillars, though difficult to see.

There was plenty of darkness here in Sunset's hall too, though green light emitted from the bottom of every cocoon, making it almost unbearable to try and sleep. They wanted her to sleep though. It made it easier to feed, Sunset assumed, though she couldn’t have known that for certain.

She hadn’t seen any of the changelings since they put her into the cocoon. Tubes ran between the pods like veins carrying cells to the heart. There were no tubes on Princess Celestia’s cocoon, however. Sunset remembered the anger she felt when she saw her mentor trapped. At the time, her rage poured through her magic as she attempted to bring the cocoon down and free the princess inside. Her beam of magic easily cut through the cocoon’s shell. The cocoons were very weak, but only when they weren’t draining you of your power. It ached to be drained, like pressing on a bruise over and over, except this was all over the body.

Sunset got plenty of bruises and scratches and cuts at CHS. She missed the school. This world is rotten.

Rotten was the right word to describe the changeling queen. A word she remembered thinking the first time she saw the ragged monarch. It had been just as she was almost finished cutting down the pod containing Princess Celestia. When they heard voices and canters, Princess Cadance and the three Element bearers beckoned for Sunset to stop. They hid behind the throne, begging and pleading Sunset to hide. She eventually did as they bid and left the sun princess trapped in her cocoon. Her heart ached to stop, just like she ached now. If I had one more second I could have brought it down, she regretted. At the time, she worried about being seen by the changeling queen. In hindsight, it didn’t even matter. They were caught.

Here and now, her friends’ cocoons weren’t in view. There was no way of telling where her own cocoon even was. Canterlot was large, and the castle even larger. Her friends could be anywhere, and yet. And yet a pony she knew sat across from her, giving her hope. Did it mean something? Was it fate? No, it’s happenstance. The blue pony had yet to speak, even when Sunset called to her on that first day. Or had it been the second?

It was hard to remember what day was what. What day did she arrive to this strange world? What day were they caught? All she remembered was cowering behind the throne as the changeling queen took her seat. Words were exchanged between the queen and her underlings, though she hardly remembered what they said. It was hard to remember everything and anything. There was a crack, she recalled. The underlings had almost been crushed by Princess Celestia’s pod. It’d fallen from the damage Sunset did and had cracked upon the floor, but did not split open. “Guards! Guards!” she remembered Queen Chrysalis shouting, her voice filled with terror. A flood of changelings poured into the room, and then—

And then.

That’s when they were caught and dragged out from behind the throne. The queen was furious to see them, and when she asked which of them had been the mastermind, Princess Cadance stepped forward. The changeling queen struck down the princess with a bolt of magic. “Guards, get another pod. We’ll host them both in the throne room from now on,” the queen said, her voice so angry and so thick that it sent a chill down Sunset’s spine. Even as she sat in her pod, the voice was a terrifying memory. It ached to sit in the cocoon, but she was safe—for now.

Queen Chrysalis somehow knew Princess Cadance wasn’t their leader, and that’s when Sunset reluctantly stepped forward out of fear for her friends. But the Element bearers were taken away, stripped from Sunset like a bandage. Queen Chrysalis seemed almost pleased by Sunset’s actions, the horrid smile of her fanged teeth a grim memory. That was the last thing she remembered before the queen ordered the guard to take Sunset to this particular hallway. It was here they stuffed her into the cramped cocoon she sat in. The green light that shined from the bottom of the cocoon burned her retina at first, but over time she learned to shove her chin to her chest and cover her eyes with her hooves.

But it was hard to move, and not just because of the cramped space. Gel filled her cocoon and wrapped her from hoof to horn in thick, clear goo. Every quick movement met friction. It hurt to struggle. It hurt to sleep. And the taste was sickening. Her nostrils and tongue burned for a while after they contained her, it took its time to subside. Yet somehow she breathed through it, feeling the air in her lungs. At first, it was hard to breathe. Hard to accept the air while feeling as though she was underwater. Her body rejected it, and that was when she fell asleep for the first time. After that, it became easier. It still hurt to open her eyes, even for a moment. It hurt to move, though there wasn’t much room to do so. Worst of all, it hurt to think. The idea of never going home weighed her down worse than the gel.

She wondered what Princess Twilight Sparkle would do in her situation. Would she fight? Would she try to talk to the pony across from her? Would she teleport out?

Teleport. The spell burned in her head like smoky words protruding from a roaring fire. She knew the spell, but couldn’t cast it. Something wasn’t letting her, and she assumed it was the gel. Everything was the gel’s fault. She wanted no blame for being here; for being trapped.

She had lost everything, and she wanted to give up. There were no signs of escape, no pony coming to save her. Princess Celestia and Princess Cadance wouldn’t be able to escape their pods, and the friends of this world were probably in the same position as she. There was only one pony she knew, and that pony was sitting across from her. “Rainbow Dash! Rainbow Dash!” she had screamed, cried, and thrashed on the first day. She tried the second day again. And the third. Or perhaps it had all been the same day? There was no way of telling.

Giving up seemed like the only option.

She had done her best, and it was not enough.

That’s when a voice spoke. “You awake?” it said.

Sunset’s ears perked up, though her eyes remained closed. “Is that you, Rainbow Dash?” Her voice echoed within the cocoon, and for some reason that made her start to cry.

“You passed out again, or maybe it was me,” the voice answered. Sunset hadn’t remembered speaking to Rainbow Dash, she could barely remember anything now. “What’s your name?” asked the voice.

She needed to see the blue pegasus with her own eyes. Opening them in the gel felt like opening her eyes in a pool with too much chlorine—but she did so anyway. Rainbow Dash pressed her head against her cocoon’s glass. It wasn’t truly glass, Sunset knew, but there was no way of figuring out what the material was. When Rainbow Dash saw Sunset open her eyes, the pegasus pulled back with her eyes closed and shoved her mouth against the glass. “Try to keep the gel out of your eyes, use the cocoon,” Rainbow Dash instructed.

Sunset closed her eyes once more and pressed her muzzle to the glass. “I’m Sunset Shimmer,” was all she said before pulling away and pushing her eyes to the cocoon. The blue pegasus took her eyes away and pressed her mouth.

“Rainbow Dash, but you knew that.” Rainbow Dash took a second to breathe. “Any word from the outside world? Where are you from?”

That made Sunset wonder. She could see several cocoons to the left and right, but some remained empty. The one to the left of Rainbow Dash held a small orange filly, while the one to the right held no one. Sunset took her eyes away and pressed her mouth. “Queen Chrysalis has won. She’s taken Ponyville, the last free town in Equestria.”

“Well, if I had any hope left I suppose it's gone now,” Rainbow Dash replied. “Anything else? No resistance faction? Was really hoping the Wonderbolts hadn’t been captured and were planning something.”

“Wonderbolts? Not that I’m aware of. I’m not from this world. I came here by accident from another world where Chrysalis doesn't reign.”

“That was pretty dumb of you,” Rainbow Dash replied.

“Yeah…”

Rainbow Dash didn’t say anything more for a long while. The silence was as common as breathing for the hallway. “Sorry,” Dash eventually said. “I haven’t had anypony to talk to in a long time.”

“When did you get captured?” asked Sunset.

“Cloudsdale. Ever have a cloud follow you? We were the first encounter after Canterlot fell. Of course, we only heard of Canterlot’s downfall an hour before the changelings invaded. They brought down our weather controller in an instant, turning all of Cloudsdale into one big storm. Most of us hadn’t even heard the word changeling, much less knew what they could do.” Rainbow Dash took a long breath. The sounds she made weren’t pleasant, but Sunset was feeling the same way. “What’s your world like? Can—can you fly freely?”

The question hurt. Sunset wasn’t sure what to say. Equestria was her world, but not her home. “It’s peaceful,” she eventually answered. “There have been numerous foes who tried to break that peace, but the Elements of Harmony always beat them back. Enemies like Chrysalis and the changelings.”

“Elements of Harmony?” Rainbow Dash repeated. “I’ve heard of those. They were in the papers when Princess Celestia defeated Discord. Though I hadn’t heard of Discord or the Elements of Harmony before reading that. Did the princess defeat Queen Chrysalis in your world? Why didn’t she defeat her in ours?”

“It wasn’t Princess Celestia who defeated her in my world, it was you. You and the five other bearers of the Elements of Harmony.” Sunset didn’t feel like explaining Shining Armor and Princess Cadance’s part of the Canterlot wedding. It was too painful to speak, much less remember all the facts.

“Me? I’m not an Element of Harmony. Aren’t they rocks or something? I’m a pegasus if you can’t tell.” The slow slap of her wings extending made a short echoed thunk against her cocoon’s walls.

“The Elements of Harmony were shaped into necklaces for the bearers. You’re loyalty. When I came to Canterlot, I came with three other ponies who are also bearers of their own Elements. I was hoping to find the remaining three and bring down Chrysalis, but now it looks like I’ll have to find them all over again.”

Rainbow Dash didn’t respond, and then a laugh cut the silence like an axe through a log. Sunset closed her mouth and shoved her eyes to the cocoon, Rainbow Dash had done the same. They both dragged their pupils through the darkness, trying to find the source of the laughter. Rainbow Dash couldn’t see the orange filly in the cocoon next to her, but Sunset could. Sunset watched the filly’s chest flutter as she laughed a deep, menacing laugh, and then the filly’s cocoon popped open. Goo flooded the floor like water, and the orange filly plopped onto the ground. The hallway lit up with green fire as the filly transformed into a tall, black, ghastly sight. “Now I understand what your little book meant,” Queen Chrysalis said in her booming, unmelodic voice.

“Queen Chrysalis!” Rainbow Dash shouted and sucked down gel. She coughed and coughed as Queen Chrysalis laughed and mocked the pegasus.

“Let me out of here!” commanded Sunset, pounding on the glass with what little strength she had.

“Not in a million years would I do that. Not when I now understand everything written in your little journal. The stories told of my defeat, of that wretch King Sombra, and so much more! And soon, you’re going to tell me all about how you came to this world.” Queen Chrysalis placed a black hoof on the glass between her and Sunset, rubbing the curve of the cocoon with gentle strokes. “Another world sounds like a mighty fine place to find more love—and another me would be simply divine.”

“Never!” Sunset screamed, staring at the changeling queen with all her anger, regardless of how bad it hurt.

Queen Chrysalis shrugged. “You will. Maybe not now, but soon. And I already know four of your little Element bearers. Soon I shall find who the other two are, and then you’ll tell me—or else.” She grinned a wicked grin, bearing down her fanged, sharp teeth against the cocoon. Her breath fogged against the shell, and then she was gone.

There had been no hope left in Sunset, but Queen Chrysalis brought it back, albeit unbeknownst to her. Sunset knew she could use her knowledge to escape. She’ll need me. The bearers won’t know what to do, she schemed. But what would I even do if I escaped? The hope she had was slowly diminishing as that question played out in her head.

“H-hey,” Rainbow Dash called out, her mouth against the cocoon and her eyes closed. “Sorry about that. If I knew she was there I would have just kept my big mouth shut.”

“It’s fine,” Sunset replied, though it wasn’t fine. Nothing about this world was fine. I was wrong. This is the worst possible timeline. There’s nothing worse than this, nothing worse than feeling hopeless. Sunset slunk against the back of the cocoon, though the gel made it challenging to do so. It ached to sit and ached to move, but she buried her face into the back of her forelegs. She just wanted to sleep.

But Rainbow Dash wasn’t having any of it—or was too oblivious to notice. “If you’re from another world, won’t somepony come looking for you? Surely some friends are missing you, right?” Rainbow Dash wondered aloud. “Why’d you even come here? Are you on a top secret mission? Or a master sorceress?”

Sunset didn’t answer. She didn’t want to answer. It hurt to answer.

Rainbow Dash persisted unwittingly anyway. “You’re a unicorn, right? These cocoons keep our magic drained—they had to do that to keep the earth ponies from breaking out. I’ve never talked to anypony in here that’s a unicorn, though. If you came from another world, then you have to be a strong unicorn, right? Are you an apprentice to Princess Celestia in your world? Are you training to become the next Star Swirl the Beardless?” It was charming, even though she got some things wrong. Sunset knew not to lash out at her string of questions. Rainbow Dash had said it herself—Sunset was the first she’d talked to in a long time. “I was training to become a Wonderbolt before the changelings defeated us. I was so close to perfecting my finishing move.”

It was nice just hearing Rainbow Dash speak. Even as the tears fell, Sunset listened. “Y’know, I was the fastest flyer in the academy. Nopony could beat me. Not that many ponies challenged me. There was this one time my friend got bullied about being a slow flyer, but some other ponies stopped it. After that, the bullying just sort of disappeared and so did the challenges. Racing just isn’t fun when you’re not racing anyone but yourself.” Rainbow Dash let out a groan so thick Sunset thought she was choking, but then the pegasus continued. “I miss flying!” she shouted and pounded on the cocoon. “Flying is so much fun!”

“It’s alright,” Sunset replied, trying her best not to suck down the gel. “I’m sure fast flying is fun.”

“You have no idea!” yelled Dash.

I really don’t, Sunset mourned. The only time I could fly was to save the world from Midnight Sparkle, that or the time I tried to destroy it myself. She could almost see the reflection of her demon’s side. I almost wish I could transform right now. She slammed her hoof against the face, though her hoof moved stiltedly against the gel.

The hit was heard by Rainbow Dash who pressed her eyes against her cocoon, staring over at Sunset. “You alright?” she asked.

“No,” Sunset replied, growing accustomed to the taste of gel on her tongue. It reminded her of banana flavored candy—which doesn’t actually taste like bananas—combined with the taste of spicy cubed cheese that was out for too long after a party.

“I’d say it gets better, but—” Rainbow Dash hesitated. “It doesn’t.”

Sunset knew it wouldn’t. Rainbow Dash didn’t say anymore, and Sunset soon fell asleep. She assumed she was sleeping, becoming lucid in her dreams, as she found herself dreaming of Applejack. Not the Applejack at CHS or the one from this world, but the Applejack from the previous universe. Sunset asked her what she should do about the changelings, but Applejack ignored her and went about her business, just as she had the first day Sunset arrived in the war-torn world. When Sunset attempted to grab the earth pony and make her listen, she found that she phased right through the orange mare. Only golden flowers surrounded them.

It was ghostly, both figurative and literally. Sunset flew up into the dark sky, searching for something, but her mind couldn’t pinpoint what it was that she wanted. An answer, a friend, or perhaps a choice. She made many choices during her time in Equestria, at CHS, and these ruined timelines. None haunted her worse than stealing Twilight's crown, but she had accepted that she was wrong there. But was I wrong? I would have returned to Equestria at some point and made it better, preventing things like this from happening. She wanted to think that was true, she wanted to believe she would make the right choice, even as a demon.

She woke up to the sounds of screeching. Not pony screeching, but the sound of a metal wheel that desperately needed oil. When she looked at Rainbow Dash, the pegasus was fast asleep. She thought to wake her to find out what the noise was, but her answer soon came into view. It was a purple-haired pony in a blue jumpsuit that pushed a squeaky cart. The white-furred mare levitated a towel and spray bottle from the cart, taking a moment to wipe off the cocoon to the right of Rainbow Dash. When she came to Sunset’s, she was almost startled by the wide-eyed look Sunset held.

“How are you not in a cocoon!?” Sunset asked.

The unicorn sighed and ignored Sunset, spraying the glass and wiping it down with a few squeaks. “What are you doing? Are you a changeling? If not, you’ve got to let me out!” Sunset demanded. The unicorn ignored her, taking a mop from the cart and dumping water on the floor. The unicorn struggled to dig the bristles into the gel-soaked floor. “Rarity! Please!” Sunset tapped on the glass.

“How do you know my name?” Rarity was now the one wide-eyed, her mouth agape. She then shook her head, realizing what she had done. With haste, she looked down both directions and then said, “You’re new here so you don’t know. I’m not supposed to talk to the ponies in the pods otherwise I’ll get in trouble. I’m sorry, there’s nothing I can do.” With a huff, she tossed the mop back into the cart and trailed away, ignoring Sunset’s pleas.

It was hours before Rainbow Dash woke up. Sunset was startled by her voice but quickly asked about the purple-haired cleaning mare. “Pfft,” Rainbow Dash dismissed. “You think the changelings want to do the dirty work? Nah. They pull ponies from pods for certain jobs like cleaning and cooking. They also keep the smart ones out for expanding things, I think. They pulled a stallion from your pod the day they shoved me in mine. Haven’t seen him since.”

“Any rhyme or reason to where they stick us?” Sunset asked, but Rainbow Dash only offered a shrug in response.

“Hush up in there,” a voice called out, catching the mares off-guard. A changeling with dark blue armor and no helmet suddenly appeared from the shadows of the hall. “I’ll have maintenance turn up the suppression gel if you don’t keep quiet. I’m not listening to you stave off your boredom while I’m on patrol. If I have to be bored—so do you.” He tapped Sunset’s cocoon with the brunt of his blackened spear.

Just as abruptly as he arrived, the guard disappeared down the long hall. “Do patrols come often?” Sunset asked Rainbow Dash after a long while.

“Yeah, every day around the same time. Is this the first time you’ve been awake to see ‘em?” answered Dash.

“I suppose they would keep guards around.” Sunset thought heavily on the patrol. There’s no use to escaping, though. Is there? But there’s no use in not trying to escape either. What are they going to do, stick me in a second cocoon? She chuckled silently to herself. “Chrysalis, cleaning ponies, and patrolling changelings. I think I can formulate a plan around that. I need time to think.”

“You’ve got all the time in the world, Sunset. We’re not going anywhere.” Rainbow Dash seemed relaxed in her cocoon, though there was barely enough room to stretch out.

Sunset closed her eyes, hoping dreams would help in coming up with an escape plan. Dreams never came, however, aside from the return of a dark sky and petals of gold. When she awoke, she found herself staring at the bottom of the cocoon where the glowing green light came from. It was pretty, though perhaps it was the stinging of her eyes that made her think that. A loud thump echoed, and Sunset looked up to Rainbow Dash, but the blue pegasus was still asleep. There was another loud thump, followed by voices and moans. Two guards pushed into her view, a chained Applejack between them, and the evil queen behind them.

“Hello there, Sunset Shinner,” Queen Chrysalis greeted.

“It’s Shimmer,” corrected Sunset who stared at the queen even through the pain.

“Whatever,” the queen dismissed with a flick of her hoof. “Are you ready to speak about these other worlds of yours?”

Sunset looked to Applejack, knowing what might be coming if she said no. “Never,” she replied, regardless. “And if you think Applejack can sway me, then you’re out of your mind. I’d never endanger more worlds.”

Queen Chrysalis laughed a harsh laugh. “Oh, you mean to believe we’d harm this here earth pony? No, no, my dear. She’s here to watch.” The queen turned to her minions and said, “Do it.”

One of the changelings moved to Rainbow Dash’s cocoon and leaned down behind the pod. The light at the bottom faded and returned with a blue glow. A few seconds passed before Rainbow Dash awoke in terror. Her eyes opened wide, and she gasped for air. Though nothing looked wrong, Dash started to holler and thrash. “Stop!” she yelled, pounding on the shell of her cocoon. “Stop it!” Sunset watched in horror of the unknown pain, wondering what exactly was going on.

Queen Chrysalis tossed a look over her shoulder, her teeth bearing down in what appeared to be a grin, but the green glow of the pods made the smile look terrifying. “More,” she slowly said to her underling, and so it was done. Dash’s hollering turned to bellowing and then to screaming.

“Sunset, you’ve got to do something!” Applejack yelled. “You can’t let this go on! Just tell them what they want to know!”

“Yes, Sunset. Listen to your friend.” The queen motioned to her underling who leaned behind Dash’s pod once more. The pegasus’s screams stopped, and so did her thrashing. Her pod went silent, the blue glow faded and shifted back to the dark lime green it had been.

“They’re going to do that to all of us, Sunset! They’ll do it to you too, but only after they’re through using us. Just tell them what they want to know! Don’t let them harm us!” pleaded Applejack, groveling on the glass of Sunset’s pod.

“I-I—” Sunset could barely see the earth pony, either because of the pain from the gel or from the tears she shed.

A heave and a cough echoed out, followed by a slam against the cocoon. It was Rainbow Dash. “T-that all you got?” the blue pegasus choked out, obviously bluffing. “Don’t give ‘em anything, Sunset. They already took our land, don’t give them someone else’s too.”

The changeling queen lashed out at Dash’s cocoon, slamming both of her front hooves into the pod and snapping with her teeth like a mad dog. “I’ll take whatever I please you little-feathered monster! I’ll have what I desire, just like I took your lovely little world!” She turned back to her guards and growled out a command, tossing her nose into the air before turning and heading off the way they came.

As they left, Applejack did not look at Sunset or Rainbow Dash, instead choosing to stare at the ground. When they were gone, Sunset said, “That wasn’t Applejack.”

“The earth pony? You know her?” Rainbow Dash asked, and Sunset nodded in response. “How do you know it’s not really her?”

“You two are a lot alike. You’re both athletic, stubborn, and strong. In this world, however, you both have given up. Rightfully maybe so, but not so hopeless to give in to Chrysalis’s request. You took the pain, not in stride, but you took it. You refused to give in even if it resulted in another round of—” Sunset hesitated. “What exactly was happening to you?”

Rainbow Dash slumped her face against the glass, opening her eyes and her mouth. “The gel—it gives us nutrients, I think. I’ve never grown skinnier than the day they threw me in here, though I have lost a bit of muscle mass. But it’s not only that. It’s filled with something, something that burns. When it gets into your stomach, it’s fine, but when it’s in your lungs—it burns like sliding belly-first on dry wood. That sensation can be amplified by them, painful on the inside without damaging the out. If I kept my mouth and nose closed up tight I might have been fine—remember that the next time those jerks come around.”

“Will do. You’d need to breathe eventually, though.” Sunset shifted her weight in the small cocoon, pressing her back to the glass. She crossed her forelegs, sucking in air through her nose. How can I breathe this stuff in when it hurts at higher levels? she wondered. And then a wicked thought crossed her mind, so wickedly delicious that she spun around and slammed her forelegs against the glass. “Rainbow Dash! Do you want to escape? I’ve got an idea!”

“You do!?”

“Yes—but I can’t explain it. When the time comes, just play along, okay?”

“When will that be?”

“Oh. You’ll know.”

Hours passed by, though time was convoluted when no sun could be used as a measurement. Sunset’s boredom was offset by Rainbow Dash, who enjoyed flapping her gums just as much as she loved flapping her wings. When Rarity came by a second time, Sunset attempted to coax her into talking, but the white unicorn held strong in her mission to keep silent. Rainbow Dash had told her that the cleaners are the lucky ones, but the look on Rarity’s face whenever she came by told a different story.

Rarity passed by more often than Sunset expected. The white mare once came by and soon after Sunset fell asleep, only to be awakened by the wiping sounds against the glass of her cocoon. She hoped to enact her plan soon, but she didn’t get her opportunity before Queen Chrysalis came around again. This time the queen brought Pinkie Pie, or the supposed Pinkie Pie. Sunset knew not to try and escape with the queen standing so close. Chrysalis was the changeling mastermind, and she would not be fooled so easily like her ilk. Of course, Chrysalis underestimated a pony’s resilience, especially when Rainbow Dash struggled through her pain.

After the changeling queen and her minions left, Rainbow Dash said, “I hope your plan isn’t to lull them into a false sense of security by tormenting me six or seven times. Not sure I can handle another one of those episodes. The taste changes whenever they do that. Limes and vanilla ice cream. Gross.” She spat, though the gel barely moved.

“Hopefully not much longer,” was all Sunset replied with. She made certain to keep herself awake for the next few hours, not wanting to miss the opportune moment to spring her trap. When Rarity came by again, Rainbow Dash was the one who attempted to talk to her, but it made no difference. “Just try to keep your head down for the next few days, okay Rarity?” Sunset had asked of her, and that made the white unicorn give a suspicious eye. But Rarity said nothing, and the two were alone once more.

Sunset didn't realize she fell asleep. When she awoke, Rainbow Dash was attempting to look down the hall. The sounds of clattering and tapping were coming, and when Sunset pressed an eye to look, she saw blue armor reflecting off the green lights. Sunset quickly tapped her cocoon twice to get Dash’s attention. She gave a wink, and Rainbow Dash seemed to understand.

“Guard! Guard!” Rainbow Dash yelled, screaming at the top of her lungs.

The clattering came faster as the black creature appeared from the darkness. The dark blue helm reflected like a mirror. “What do you want, troublemaker?” he asked, slapping Dash’s cocoon with the brunt of his spear.

“She’s choking! Do something!” Rainbow pointed across to the other cocoon.

Sunset was kicking and flailing, clawing at her neck. “What the frass!?” the guard exclaimed as he watched in horror. Sunset suddenly stopped, her eyes closed, and the last few bubbles escaped her throat and floated to the top of the cocoon.

“What are you waiting for!?” Rainbow Dash slammed her hooves against her cocoon. “Get her out of there!”

“I-I’ve got to go get Queen Chrysalis!” The guard threw down his spear and started to run.

“There’s no time!” Rainbow Dash said, causing the guard to skid to a stop. “You won’t make it to Chrysalis and back before she’s lost! You’ve got to do something! Be a hero!”

“I-I-I-I can’t j-just—”

“Do you really want to report back to Queen Chrysalis and tell her you could have saved her most important prisoner but instead chose not to!? Well, at least she’ll have a freshly emptied pod ready to go for you.”

Sunset couldn’t believe her ears. Rainbow Dash was a better actor than she could have hoped, and the guard was too daft to see it. She could hear the huffing and heavy breathing of the changeling as he walked up to her pod. A mechanical noise erupted from the inside and gel suddenly poured out onto the floor, with her included. The guard came close, lingering over her body, and said, “A-alright, now I just have to—”

In an instant, Sunset opened her eyes, which startled the guard more than she could have hoped for. With her magic, she lifted him into the air and spun him around before slamming him into her empty cocoon, his helmet flying off in the process. She quickly sealed the cocoon with the glass once more. Daze and confused, the changeling didn’t move or speak as gel filled the pod. “You did it!” Rainbow Dash cheered.

“We did it,” replied Sunset as she turned back to Rainbow Dash. Her eyes drifted to the tubes and knobs at the side of Dash’s pod, to which she fiddled with for a moment. Eventually, the shell opened, and Rainbow Dash slid out with the containment gel. “You’ve got a real talent for acting, Dash. After we get your world back on track, maybe you should try joining a theater act.”

“Pfft.” Rainbow Dash sent the gel flying from her feathers with a stretch of her wings. “If we set the world right, I’m trying out for the Wonderbolts as I should have in the first place. All those wasted opportunities because I was too worried I’d fail—well, I’d rather fail than be stuck for one more second in that pod.”

“If you don’t want to be cooped up any longer you need to do as I say. Can you do that?”

Rainbow Dash glanced Sunset over, a hesitant look upon her face. “I don’t have to go fight Queen Chrysalis all by myself, do I? ‘Cause as much as I’d like to wipe that smug smile off her stupid bug face, I’m not sure I can do it alone.”

Sunset shook her head. “No. I need you to do something that I know you won’t want to do. I need you to hide and not get caught a second time. No heroics or theatrics. Stay hidden, stay out of sight, and I’ll call upon you when I need you. Can you do that?”

“Okay,” replied Dash.

“Okay?” Sunset hadn’t expected Rainbow Dash to be so ready to cower. “Alright. Good. Good! Then I’ll find you when I need you.”

Rainbow Dash gave a nod and flew up to the rafters of the hallway where she disappeared into the shadows. Sunset hoped she’d be able to find Rainbow Dash again when the time called. Her plan had worked, but in truth, there was no second part. She was out of her pod, and that gave her a chance, but a chance to do what was the question on her mind. Cocoons filled the hall in both directions, ponies trapped in almost every one she passed. As she came to the end, she discovered an antechamber with more pods encompassing it. A table in the middle of the room held nothing but a cheap, gaudy centerpiece.

The changelings have everyone in Equestria, she remembered. And they’re all here in Canterlot. As she rounded across the large room of pods, heading for the only door, it suddenly opened to the light of the morning sun. Sunset threw herself behind a pod, hoping she hid in time. Creak creak creak, the sound rang out as the doors closed, darkening the room once more

“Rarity?” Sunset spoke u once she saw the white mare alone with her cart of cleaning tools.

The creaking stopped, and Rarity stared at the freed unicorn with a wide-mouthed gape that only Pinkie Pie could rival.

World 2: Chapter 5

The hall was dimly lit much like the rest of the castle. Two chatting changelings walked by, both offering a simple hello as they passed. Sunset didn’t answer them, she kept her eyes straight ahead. She was heading where Twilight told her to go, though the directions were useless in the dark. This was the side of the castle she rarely ventured, close to the dungeons of Canterlot. The entire palace was a dungeon now—holding as much of Equestria as it could. Still, the old jails held those deemed by Chrysalis to be the worst playthings. Ponies truly despised by the changeling queen.

After waddling around in the darkness, she eventually came across the stone staircase that led down to these dungeons. The stairs were lit so bright that it almost blinded Sunset when she opened the solid door. The dark grey stone did not absorb the light like it should have, which made the trip down all too happy for Sunset’s liking. Every step moistened the bottom of her hooves like morning dew on grass, almost causing her to slip at one point. She dared not use magic to teleport down, Twilight had given her specific instructions not to do so.

When she reached the bottom, she found a changeling guard sitting in a chair and rocking with his back legs kicked up on a cracked ash desk. Crumbs covered his face from the loaf of bread he was snacking on, a magazine in his other hoof. When he finally noticed Sunset, he brushed away the crumbs and said, “What? What’s the matter?” She did not answer, she could not answer—not yet anyway. “It’s the food ain’t it? What, you never seen us eat anything other than love?” He kicked his legs back to the floor, rolling the chair forward and standing on all four legs. “Not speaking, huh? You best be glad my shifts over, I don’t need your frass.” With the loaf in his mouth, he trotted past Sunset, glaring as he went up the steps.

The rest of the dungeon was now silent aside for the snaps of flames. Torches lined every wall, and yet it was still cold down here in the depths. “They keep the torches lit so that the ponies inside can see where they are,” Twilight had explained. “It’s a grim reminder that they’re not even worth feeding upon.” Sunset wondered who she might find down the hall of cells. From the entry to the dungeons, cells lined against one wall, while the other held the sconces for torches. The only thing anypony would see from the inside was grey stone and shadows. Bleak, was the first word that came to her mind.

She didn’t have time to waste thinking about the ponies or the cells, though. A quick rummage through the cracked desk revealed a set of keys. Some were grey like the stone around her while a couple of others were gold and silver. The magazine that the changeling had been reading still sat on the desk, a happy family with a white picket fence on the cover. “New homes, new life,” the tagline read, along with, “Visit for a week, bring the kids—Vanhoover.” There was no more Vanhoover, not in the metaphysical sense. Equestria was quiet, there was no more life in the world other than what eluded the changelings.

Sunset took the magazine along with the keys, propping her head into view of the first cell. The big black iron bars held in the emptiness. The second cell was occupied, a stallion of white fur and yellow hair. He shuddered at the view of Sunset, holding his forelegs to cover his face. Sunset tossed the magazine at him, and he winced. When she said nothing, he lowered his guard for a moment, examining the cover. Afterward, he began to read, and she almost let herself smile, but moved on before she allowed herself the gratification. She wasn’t here to release any of the prisoners, not yet at least. She needed the Elements of Harmony, and being here was only step one. There was much she needed to do before time was up.

Most of the other cells remained empty, with a few containing ponies she did not recognize. She stopped at one that held a grey shadow cowering against a corner. Sunset almost spoke to her, calling to her, wanting to speak her name. “Zecora,” she needed to say it, to speak it, but couldn’t. She didn't know who was listening, and if a changeling heard her voice, then the ruse would be over. No matter how much she wanted to apologize, or to let the zebra know everything was going to be alright, she couldn’t do it. She doesn’t deserve this. It’s all my fault she’s even here. The cell was larger than the rooms Rarity and Twilight had for their sleeping quarters, but the cell’s bed looked like metal slabs with cardboard sheets. A bucket in the opposite corner of Zecora was the only other thing in the cell. Soon, Zecora. Soon the world will be free.

The rest of the dungeon held ponies who had been here far longer as per the size of their manes or beards. They looked healthy for the most part, the loaf of bread had been proof enough that the changelings did not let them starve. No, these were ponies who wronged Chrysalis. They’ll survive until her contempt for them is gone. But it wasn’t until the final three cells that Sunset realized the ponies locked here weren’t just for Chrysalis’s wrath. The first she came across held a yellow pegasus with a pink mane, the second held an earth pony with blonde hair, and the third was the pink on pink party mare. Sunset stopped at Applejack’s cell, her mouth gaping like a fish.

Applejack lifted her golden head up from her horrid bed, glancing at the shadow that loomed behind the black iron bars. “What are you looking at?” she said in a gruff voice.

Sunset didn’t know how to respond, not that she had the option to do so. The three in the pods are a misdirection, a trap. They’re changelings, she realized. These are the real Elements. With the three of the bearers here, that made her job easier and harder. When she stopped at Pinkie Pie’s cell, the party mare tossed her cardboard at the bars, but they were so light that they floated gently to the ground. Pinkie reached for the bucket next, but Sunset quickly slipped away before she could throw it. Pinkie’s cell was the last cell, but it was not the last thing at the end of the dungeon’s long hall. A door with bars of metal like the cells sat locked with another door of the same type on the other side.

The keys jingled, echoing loudly down the hall like a symphony of bells. She attempted each key, banging on the metal of the open-barred door. She could see what was beyond the second door, and that was where she needed to be. Had she been able to use magic she would not even have needed the keys. “No magic,” Twilight had told her. “It’ll ruin everything.” She’d gone over the reasoning twice just to make sure Sunset understood. Still, Sunset had a hard time believing Twilight’s magical prowess, especially after the pessimistic Twilight of the last world. She’s a princess for a reason.

The gold key clicked the lock, and she pushed open the heavy door before leaving it open as she went to the next. Another set of searching and she found it was the silver key that unlocked this second door. The room she worked so hard to get into was much smaller than she expected, no larger than three cells put together. Regardless, this was the armory just as Twilight said. A vast plethora of helmets, spears, shields, and armor, all coated in black and dark blue, just like the changelings preferred. Some were dark green, and some were brown, but they all resembled the same style.

Sunset donned a helmet with the darkest shading possible, matching it with a plate of chest armor. It was too large for her body, rubbing against her spine like an axe on a grinder. Of course, she preferred it to the pain of being trapped in a pod. With the armor on, she took a spear as well. The black tip was shaped like an arrowhead, though Sunset noted the resemblance to a changeling’s horn. It was a weapon that she didn’t plan to use other than to complete the ensemble. With her outfit organized, the first piece of the plan came together.

After locking the door with the silver key, she tossed it as hard as she could through the bars and into the pile of helmets, losing it with a clang and a ding. She did the same with the golden key, though it only hit the wall at the far end. Pinkie had seen her toss the golden key, her pink muzzle protruding from between the black iron bars. She didn’t say anything as Sunset passed, only staring with a bewildered expression. I’ll be back for you three, she promised herself, shoving the rest of the keys into a slot on the underside of her armor.

They didn’t say anything, none of the ponies did. It wasn’t until she reached the first few cells before someone beckoned her. “Why did you give me this—this filth?” the white stallion complained, reaching out with the magazine and almost clonking Sunset upside the head. “Vanhoover is nothing as spectacular as foretold by lies within this. It claims it has a better beach than Fillydelphia and more attractions than Las Pegasus! The gall of such lies! I want the writer brought to the dungeons and placed in the cell next to mine so that I may berate him or her!” He clapped his hooves, leaving the magazine on the stone floor outside his cell.

“Grunt, making friends with the prisoners?” a voice echoed within the prison, and startled Sunset so much that her helmet slunk forward and covered her eyes. When she pushed the lip up, she came face to face with a changeling her size. His big blue eyes were softer than the others, and his left fang was missing. “You picked the wrong pony to befriend. Blueblood got placed here day one for calling the queen ugly.” The changeling let out a laugh so violent that it shook Sunset’s helmet forward again. “Can you imagine the look on the queen’s face when this greasy-haired buffoon said that? Wish I had been there, that’s for sure!”

A nervous smile was Sunset’s response. “Greasy!?” the white stallion spat like venom. “My hair is the exact opposite of greasy! It’s filled with luxurious fragrances that make it smooth to the very touch and wavy without any wind!” Brushing a blue hoof among his locks, the stallion’s hair fell flat against his forehead.

While the changeling jibbed the prisoner, Sunset attempted to skulk against the wall and head for the exit. Her efforts were in vain as the changeling called out, “Leaving already? I’ve never seen you down here before.” Sunset stopped in her tracks, turning to face the changeling as he crossed to meet her. “Do something to make the upstairs mad? Or maybe you’re one of the newbies? I heard the queen went up to the Hatchery, but I assumed it was to look for those escaped prisoners.” He shrugged. “If you’re replacing Raptorial then all the better. I’m tired of his crumbs on the chair.”

When he turned his back to her, she became quick as a gnat. With her spear and armor up the stony stairs, she fled into the darkness as fast as her legs would take her. Eventually reaching another hall that linked to the throne room—she was glad to see it. Though it was not the throne she was looking for, it helped in figuring out where she was. She continued till she was outside. There were easier ways to get to where she was going, but that meant she would have to speak. With no one around, she let out a cough. It sounded the same as always. Not yet, she decided.

A gorgeous full moon lit up the world around her as she stepped out of the castle. It had been so long since she breathed the fresh air of the world without being trapped behind a curtain. The coolness filled her lungs and tingled her hooves to the point that she felt lightheaded. As she trotted in the grass of the courtyard, passing changelings who ignored her, she found herself in the castle gardens. The full moon lit her path past a fountain that no longer flowed. It held stagnant water, not entirely clean to drink, but she needed the taste. She drank enough to keep a camel full for a year, and when the ripples of the water stopped she almost scared herself. The big blue eyes, disfigured horn, and pointy fangs, it was a startling sight for a pony who had never been a changeling.

“It’ll only last a few hours, possibly not longer than until the sun breaks,” Twilight had told her after casting the spell. She transformed her looks to that of a changeling. “The voice will come later, it’ll sound like them. And you can’t cast magic, the disguise will vanish if you do. I learned that the hard way, but nobody was around to see it, thankfully.” It had been a surprise when Twilight told her she could transform herself into a changeling. “Working in the Hatchery teaches you all about how a changeling works.” When Sunset asked if she could have learned it, Twilight laughed and said, “Sure, if you’re willing to spend a year training first. Or in my case, years.”

Sunset wasn’t the unicorn she had been when she was younger, and her time at CHS made her rusty, but she certainly wasn’t a novice either. Still, arguing with Twilight would have wasted time, Sunset knew. That’s time I can use to get the Elements of Harmony, she thought as she wiped her mouth dry with the back of her black hoof. Though the light of the moon aided in her navigation, she still found herself lost within the foliage. Completely rotted in some parts, it seemed to be an artistic choice for the maze. A statue of Chrysalis had been carved between the decayed foliage, thorny vines sprouting around the base of the sculpture. Hopefully, the real Chrysalis will soon be the same, she begrudged, wanting to lift the stone with her magic and shatter the queen’s smug face.

The gardens led out onto a brick way. To the right sat one of the many entrances to the castle, to the left stood an open gate tied to the steel fence that surrounded the perimeter. Her destination was the castle, but two changelings watched over the entrance. I’m just a patrolling guard heading back into the castle. Nothing more. Twilight had said the armor was meant to show authority, and that she could walk freely if she wore it. This would be the test of those words. As she drew closer to the castle, both changelings stared at her with disinterested looks. She thought she was in the clear as she reached up for the thick gold handle, but the other side suddenly pushed open. Five changelings all in armor poured out into the night’s air, and Sunset was shoved back onto the brick pathway. Before she could figure out what was happening, another seven came rushing out, dragging her hooves away from the castle and towards the open gate. Her spear flew from her grasp, landing in the grass near the fence.

The changelings were chanting, chattering, and hooting. They shoved Sunset down the steps away from the castle, her helmet falling forward, covering her eyes. She tilted her head back to see, only to have a changeling yell in her ear, “Gettin’ some grub from the grubs! It’s Settlers night!” His breath caused her eyes to water.

Sunset didn’t know what he meant, and she certainly didn’t like hearing about it. The spell Twilight performed wouldn’t hold forever, and the moon was ripe in the sky. Dawn would be upon her faster than she would have liked, but she had no choice but to wade into the city and hope to break away. The streets of Canterlot were silent aside from the crowd of guards. The changelings needed sleep too, and food.

Much of the city had changed. Cobblestone streets had gone into disrepair, walls were cracked and scorched, and the shop signs had been altered to fit the changeling vernacular. One read “feeding center,” which some of the guards left off to visit. When she tried to break away and ‘follow’, she was stopped and forced into a two-story building. Her muzzle wrinkled at the violent smell striking against her nose with the odor of old socks kept in a gym bag over summer break. It hurt to breathe, though the changelings that brought her paid it no mind. They pushed her onto a bench between other changelings who had been sitting when they entered. Neither of the changelings she sat next to paid her any mind—they were too focused on the boards in front of them.

“Settlers!” the guards she had entered with screamed as they sat down at their tables. A board abruptly appeared in front of her, and a changeling sat down on the opposing side. The smirk he gave was terrifying. “New brood? Never seen you here,” the changeling said, his eyes just like any other changeling. His fangs weren’t protruded like others, though, and his horn was more chipped than she’d seen from most of his kind. “Hope you know how to play, otherwise you just sat down at the wrong table.”

There were many mysteries Sunset didn’t understand of this world. Why was she here? Why had it changed so much? What had Princess Twilight and this Starlight Glimmer done to change so much? But a mystery was solved on this night. The mystery of what the changelings did for fun. “Since you’re new, I get to be the Settlers!” the opposing changeling said to her, placing down his black circles on the white squares. “Settlers!” a rowdy group yelled from the corner.

Sunset couldn’t figure out why they called the game Settlers. The black pieces were meant to represent changelings, while the red pieces were the enemy. It’s just checkers, though. The rules seem the same. When she realized what the game truly was, she knew she would win. But if I stay and play I’ll be forced to shorten my time disguised, she bemused as the opposing changeling moved his first piece.

A game was a game, and the changelings weren’t the smartest species in Equestria. Sunset assumed that was because of Chrysalis’s awful leadership, but regardless, she crushed the opposing changeling with a defense that forced him to attack She came up with three princesses before she even lost a piece. When the opposing changeling finally crowned his first piece, shouting “Queen me”, Sunset cleared another four of his pieces. Princesses and queens were the same, they could move in any direction, though she never remembered there being any mention of a queen in the original game. It’d be alicorn me, instead of princess or queen. Though princess and alicorn are basically the same.

It was at that moment she realized that the changelings were a demented race of alicorns. She almost let her guard down to feel sorry for them, but the changeling took one of her pieces. It was his mistake though, as she defeated her opponent swiftly and strongly. The changeling wretched back before groaning in his defeat and slamming his head against the table. “Settlers win!” the changelings yelled, and then Sunset understood. Both the changelings and ponies are settlers. One settled the land, and another settled the settlers. It was oddly poetic, and disgusting. The changeling opponent begged for a rematch, but Sunset shook her head and stood up.

But the changelings wouldn’t let her leave that quickly. The dark room full of Settlers players had seen her play, and any winner got the chance to feed on a prized pony, but only after they’d won against the champ. If I had just lost I would’ve gotten to leave. She made it her prerogative to lose against the supposed champ, regardless of who it was. Unfortunately, the changelings really weren’t letting her leave that easily. The champ was so bad that he lost three pieces within the first six moves. I didn’t even know you could do that.

It was her mistake, however. Once Sunset claimed her decisive and overwhelming victory, the spoils of war came flooding in. Supple ponies who were critically acclaimed were the prizes. A choice between a mare unicorn, a stallion unicorn, and a pegasus mare. Sunset wanted none, but if she did not choose she knew she would be under suspicion. With an indecisive pick, she selected the female unicorn who stepped forward dutifully. The dark bags beneath her deep green eyes told Sunset that this was a far worse job than Rarity’s. Still, when the unicorn closed her eyes, Sunset did her best to fake feeding.

She quickly shut her mouth and licked her lips, rubbing her stomach as if she had drained a gallon’s worth of love. The unicorn noticed, however, and so did the two remaining prizes. But the witless changelings remained unobservant, and that mattered far more than what the ponies thought. When one of the prizes went to speak, Sunset circled and snapped her blue, flimsy tail at them, heading for the door. That’s when the unobservant changelings became observant. One without armor blocked her path, then the shadows moved and another had stood next to him.

“I’ve never seen you before, though it’s rare you castle snobs come down to the terrace,” the unarmored changeling said, standing a few inches taller than Sunset. “There’s no way you could beat champ Thorax that easily. What do you do, play Settlers all day? Meanwhile, we do all the real work!”

Sunset didn’t know what to say, but she didn’t have to. “You want to stand next to a door all day like some unicorn, be my guest and take my place!” A changeling with armor same as Sunset’s bulled over the room with his voice. Suddenly, four changelings clad in dark armor stood next to her, glaring at the unarmored. “We don’t even get to leave the city like you nincompoops!”

“Nincompoops!? Why I oughta!” lisped one of the unarmored changelings.

Before she realized what was going on, Sunset stood in the middle of an all-out brawl. She quickly ducked beneath one of the tables, then crawled atop scattered checkerboard pieces. The table she was under was soon hoisted into the air, sent flying against a wall. The prizes disappeared and helmets were flying off. When she saw her moment, Sunset rushed out of the establishment, though the fighting had poured out onto the street as well. The shutters on one of the windows exploded, an armored changeling appearing in the shrapnel of splinters and dust.

Non-combatants began to appear in the windows of their own homes, turning on lights and watching the commotion. The changelings are at each other’s throats, Sunset saw. How is it that this army took over Equestria? She didn’t stay to wonder for long. The street to the castle was swarming with castle guards and citizens who were joining the scrap. I’ll have to go around. Taking the long way, she passed by repurposed shops where changelings and ponies alike were drawn to the sounds of fighting. The ponies stopped to stare as she passed, but the changelings ignored their own.

In the moonlight, with the newly donned colors of Canterlot, the world looked black and white. Even the color of the ponies were starting to fade to grey. She could not focus on where she was heading, but then she realized how much Canterlot had changed. The direction she charged was toward the main gate of the castle, but she somehow ended up further down into the city. She found herself peering off the edge, the ground miles below. The trees looked black as they swayed in unison, the waterfalls seemed like melted silver, and even the fires of the outposts below were eerily white. When she looked up, she saw how far the moon had sunk, and knew her time was running out. There were a few clouds that had not been there previously, but they did not interrupt the moonlit night.

She had no other choice but to head straight for the castle, regardless of where the roads went. There was a wooden cart that sat next to a dumpy shop which she used to clamber onto a roof. Trotting across the blackened shingles, she made her way from roof to roof. Each jump she made she believed to be her last, and several times she had to stop to fix her helmet. The closer she got to the castle, the more she could see the fighting erupting beneath her. In alleys, they fought, on the streets, and sometimes she would see them float in the air, entangled in each other’s grasp. I wish this disguise would let me fly, she thought before continuing.

The gates had been closed on all sides, though it didn’t really matter since it only prevented ponies like her from entering. Of course, there was no pony like Sunset Shimmer. When she reached the final building, she found that the raised ground that held Canterlot Castle was level with her roof. The fence that surrounded the castle had bars just far enough apart to jump through. And so she did, tumbling into the grass on the other side. Her helmet had jostled loose, but she was quick to find it.

The brawl that she started consumed the city. But the castle grounds saw none of it.

As she came back to the maze within the gardens, she checked the fountain once more to verify she still looked like a changeling. After that, she made her way back to the door of the castle where she found that the guards had disappeared. They had gone to the gate to stare out upon the destruction, which was no fur off her nose. Releasing all the pods within the castle would be an interesting idea, she noted but would prove fruitless without the Elements of Harmony.

In the darkness of the castle, everything was quiet. Sunset could hear her own breathing, and the thick marble walls silenced the distant commotion of the town. No changelings were blocking her path to any of the halls or rooms. The kitchen was empty, the throne room desolate. It was the perfect time to free Princess Celestia and Princess Cadance. She wanted to help them, to save them, but she knew she couldn’t. Not if she wanted the Elements of Harmony. But Celestia might be able to tell me where the Elements are, she disagreed with herself. It wasn’t until a blip of light caught her eye that she settled her mind. Her disguise would be forfeit soon enough if Twilight was right.

It took her no time to reach the hall of Celestia’s chambers. It had changed, though only to accommodate the changeling queen’s tastes. At the end of this hall was a door guarded by two changelings who stared at her with malcontent. When she came closer, the one on the right commanded, “State your business.”

Sweat beat down Sunset’s brow as she gulped back her anxiety. “There’s fighting within the city,” she stated, her voice crackly, but was deep and stilted like a changeling’s. It was hard to speak with fangs. When the two guards did not seem to care about the fighting, she added, “Apparently there’s a—uh, blue pegasus that they caught—and they uh—wanted to claim the prize for themselves.”

The two guards looked at each other, and then the left said, “Well, I don’t want to be the one to tell Majesty.” He tapped the other guard with the brunt of his spear. “You do it.”

“Me!?” the right guard scoffed and shook his head so hard his helmet turned. “No way! Let the grub do it. They’re the one that came all this way.” The left guard seemed to be excited by that prospect, and both opened the set of doors for Sunset.

She gave a sigh of relief as the doors closed behind her. Even when one of the changelings yelled “Chump”, she did not mind. She stood in an antechamber, black banners on the walls, with a set of bright purple doors at the end. The crack between them showed little, and so Sunset opened one with a cautious tug.

With room enough to fit her head, she glanced a quick glimpse of the room. It was a small living space, Princess Celestia preferred practicality over luxury, and Queen Chrysalis didn’t seem to mind. It did not look quite like what Sunset remembered. The fireplace near the doors had always been there but the bed sat opposite, and all the walls held carved shelves meant to store books or knickknacks that the princess adored. There was also a skylight above, which was letting in the first rays of color from the morning sun.

But there were no books. Instead, chests and boxes lined the walls beneath the shelves with all sorts of random objects. Even the fireplace held toys and half-broken junk upon its hearth. It is going to take a while to sort through this cluttered place, Sunset presumed. As she stepped closer to the bed, beneath the light that poured from the window above, she saw something stir beneath the pink sheets. Queen Chrysalis. The green locks of hair covered the changeling queen’s face, her head pressed firmly against a feathered pillow. It was odd to see such an evil creature look so peaceful in her slumber. Sunset almost felt bad, but that’s when she saw another pair of eyes staring at her.

Behind the headboard and between a wooden chest sat a dark green pod. Inside, a pair of hollow blue eyes stared from beyond the glass. White fur held the skinny stallion, his cheekbones as prominent as his ribs, and his hair looked so matted that it matched Chrysalis’s flat bangs. Had it not been for the blue mane that accompanied the white fur, Sunset would have never been able to tell that it was Shining Armor who sat detained within the cocoon.

Her heart sunk for him, but he did not seem to want her pity. His eyes darted from staring at her to staring at the bed. He did it several times in rapid succession, and that’s when Sunset realized she was supposed to follow his gaze.

When she turned her head, she almost leapt from her disguise. Two green eyes sat poking from the sheet, staring up at her with a full set of fangs just waiting to pounce.

World 2: Chapter 6

“Another one dared to try and steal my husband’s love?” Queen Chrysalis held the pillow to her chin, her hooves wrapped so tightly around it that the case poked through the holes in her legs. “You’re the fourth one this month,” she complained. “What will be your excuse, I wonder? Will you attempt to lie and say you were coming to tell me a message? Or perhaps you simply got lost trying to find the bathroom? That was a dreadful excuse, but it did make me laugh.” Her teeth were a pure white, the fangs sharper than needles. A bit of saliva ran down from her gums, dripping and coating the pillow cover.

“What’s it going to be, my little mimic?” Queen Chrysalis’s black hoof brushed Sunset’s head, playing gently with her ear. “A clever joke might save you.” She rubbed Sunset’s cheek, trailing down to her neck and chin. “If not, I’ll send you across the Celestial Sea to be eaten by dragons.” Her lips kissed Sunset’s forehead just below her horn.

At any moment Sunset’s disguise could be gone, and that would mean her life as well. She had never been so scared, never shaken so much. I shake when I’m anxious, not scared, she reminded herself in an attempt to get her fear under control. Like the night I stole Twilight’s crown. Gosh, I was shaking so badly that night. My heart was pounding in my chest so quickly I thought I was going to pass out in front of the school’s statue. She hadn’t, though. She returned to Equestria and took the crown, only to lose it on reentry. All my hard work had gone down the tube all because I couldn’t stop shaking—but that was for excitement. Stealing that crown had been one of my greatest accomplishments. I still can’t believe I spent so long on that replica just so it could go to waste.

Sunset felt foolish for reliving her poor choices. But here she was, correcting this world’s poor choices, and it needed her more than ever. Queen Chrysalis is terrifying up close, she thought, staring into the big green eyes of the changeling queen. They weren’t like other changelings. The seaweed-like hair parting to both sides of her head. Sunset had never seen Queen Chrysalis this up close, much like King Sombra from the previous world. Though even that was after his crystalline imprisonment. Sombra certainly looked like royalty—Chrysalis was the opposite. The small, barely noticeable crown atop the changeling queen’s head looked more like it was a fungus growth than regalia.

“Another mute?” Chrysalis belittled. “I can’t believe it. I’ll be glad when the last grubs are ready for integration. The only nursery worker that seems to teach you grunts how to behave is that blasted Twilight Sparkle.” She snarled, and smacked the helmet right off Sunset’s head. “Where’d you even get this set of armor? That’s for a higher rank than you’ll ever be.” She circled Sunset, still glaring with her deep green eyes. “Who dared you? Sell them out, and I may be generous enough to allow you to stay in the city.”

Generous. That was a word that made Sunset smile. It was quickly wiped away by the hissing sounds coming from the queen who wanted an answer, but Sunset had nothing to say. I really should take that improvisation class. I’ll have to ask Miss Cheerilee if she can get me in, or maybe Principle Luna.

“My queen!” Neither the queen nor Sunset noticed the second changeling who had entered. They spared Sunset from thinking up a faulty answer for the changeling queen. “The whole city is rioting! We think the escapees are causing changelings and ponies alike to revolt!”

“What!? That little red and yellow-haired weasel! I’ll seal her in the dungeons with her little friends when I find her! I’ll drain her of all the love she has ever had!” The green eyes burned within their sockets as the queen stormed off—forgoing the disguised Sunset’s punishment almost immediately.

The second changeling remained, however, and closed the doors to the queen’s room. “I figured you’d somehow muck things up,” the changeling said. “Just knew. Have to know. Have to plan for everything.”

From the way the changeling spoke it was clear to Sunset who it was, though the voice was startling. Twilight had years upon years to practice her disguise, and it sounded more than convincing to Sunset. “Twilight! Thanks for the help. You have no idea the night I’ve been through.”

“No, I’ve heard.” The disguised Twilight stepped forward, her big blue eyes glistening in the light. “But now’s not the time to discuss your night’s rampage. Find the Elements of Harmony and let’s get out of here,” she commanded.

Sunset nodded in agreement, but it would be no easy task. The amount of junk the queen of changelings had collected was astronomical. While Twilight searched one side, Sunset searched the other. She started by the fireplace, staring up at the hearth of broken toys. A log pony leaned against the marble with its muzzle broken in half and paint chipped. She examined each, though she was looking past them too—hoping for a secret button of Celestia’s. There had been nothing on top, and the bottom was also proving fruitless.

The night’s flames had gone out, with only ash left behind. A log glowed dark orange when she prodded it with a fire poker, but it quickly darkened to brown and black. She played with the ashes for a moment, wondering if she could find a hidden latch or lever beneath. Her eyes turned up to the inside of the chimney as well. With her black hoof working against the inner stone, she found a bronze bar with a tilted handle. She pulled on it, and a metallic noise clicked for a moment. Probably just the flume, she thought. If she starts another fire she’ll get a room full of smoke. A petty victory is still a victory. Her lips tightened to a smile of amusement before moving on from the fireplace.

Without their magic, the two were forced to remove the clutter by hoof from the containers. One at a time, Sunset dragged out toys, comics, knickknacks, utensils, and ornaments from the first chest. A large wooden spoon was taped to the back of a dragon, while a pony decked in armor had hooks for hooves. It was almost amusing to see what the changeling queen liked, but the terrible fangs came prodding back into her memory. When she looked at Twilight to see how she was fairing, the disguised unicorn sat staring at a stuffed grey toy with curly brown hair. Her eyes stared so intently that Sunset did not want to interrupt at first, but after finishing with her chest, she found Twilight had not moved an inch. “Twilight,” she said flatly.

As if snapping awake, the disguised changeling jolted and turned. “What’s up?” she asked, and tossed the stuffed grey toy back into the box.

“You spaced out there for a moment. Everything all right?”

“Yeah. Though I don’t even know what I’m looking for. I’ve never seen the Elements of Harmony.” Twilight returned to pulling things out from her side of the room, the floor between them became cluttered.

Sunset reached into the next box. “They’re shaped in six cutie marks. Yours is a crown.” She paused her search. Her memory flashed and pictured the indentation within the chalky white sphere she found at the Castle of the Two Sisters. “Actually,” she said, “I’m not sure what they look like in this world. There should be six of them, and they’re gemstones. If you find something like that, then let me have a look.”

“I’ve found plenty of shiny rocks, Sunset,” Twilight replied with a slightly perturbed voice. “I need sizes. Length, width, height. What colors are they? How heavy? Literally any description other than six gemstones.”

“If they’re Celestia’s they’ll be kept somewhere nice.” Sunset slammed her chest closed. “They may not even be in any of these, maybe Chrysalis hasn’t found them yet. Where would Celestia put them to hide them from being found?” Her eyes squinted, staring up at the carved shelving, the fireplace, the bed, and the big green pod that sat near the head of the bed.

Twilight stared at her brother’s cocoon, her expression blank. As Sunset came closer, Twilight started to speak, “You know me in your world, right? Have you ever met my brother? Have I ever talked about him?”

“In my world, I haven’t had the pleasure. At CHS I only just met you.” I hope the girls are taking care of Twilight. I wonder how they’re fairing without me. “I did meet him in the last world.” He was a lot of help. “You have a good brother, Twilight.”

“And I have a good sister,” the imprisoned Shining Armor said from behind the glass. Sunset had not expected the stallion to be able to talk or hear, and it startled her so much she landed on her rump. Shining Armor laughed at that.

“Do you know where the Elements of Harmony are?” Twilight asked, ignoring Sunset.

“I don’t.”

“Useless.”

After lifting her butt off the ground, Sunset found she sat on the pony with hooks for hooves. Luckily it was not hook-side up, she thought, patting her rump. When she turned back to the sibling’s conversation, Twilight was looking around nonchalantly as if she was ignoring the cocoon. “Shouldn’t we get him out of there? He looks half-starved.”

The stallion chuckled. It was rough and coarse, but it was a chuckle. “That’s my fault. When I snapped from Chrysalis’s control, I was offered a place by her side. More as a pet than a husband, assistant, or prince, though. It was my mistake, I refused to eat, and so she threw me in a pod.” He moved, and his shoulder popped. “It’s cramped, but at least I don’t have to see the atrocities happening in Canterlot.”

“Coward,” Twilight belittled.

“Twilight! How can you say that?” Sunset argued, “He’s your brother.”

“A cowardly brother.”

Before Sunset could respond, Shining Armor said, “She’s right. I am a coward.” He shrugged as if it were no big deal. There was no passion in his dull eyes. “I’d rather be known as a coward than the stallion who married Queen Chrysalis and allowed her to seize the realm.”

That irked Sunset more than it should have, but she couldn’t think of a response, so she let it go. She started to think of Rarity and how she had spoken of her volunteered job, and then of the prizes won at the Settlers game. Her eyes drifted over the clutter that filled the chests and boxes, wondering if these were prizes taken by the changeling queen, as well. “There’s nothing in these containers,” Twilight said, which snapped Sunset from her thoughts.

“Check the shelves,” was all Sunset muttered before she climbed one of the boxes. Dust had settled in on shelving. A spider’s web sat in the back of the top shelf, reminding Sunset of Principal Cinch’s bloodshot eyes as she accused CHS of cheating. I’ll take overbearing principals over an army of changelings any day of the week. She wondered what a changeling would look like within the mirror world. Spike’s a dog instead of a dragon. Maybe the changelings are bugs. She pictured the changelings within a mud dauber’s flute cocoon, which sent a shiver down her spine. Gross.

Her eyes peered to the right of the shelving, a calendar sitting pinned to the wall. Every day was marked off except for the last five days of the month. “Is this calendar correct?” she asked the room as she calculated the time difference from CHS to pony days in her head. As she stretched to remove the calendar from the wall, she lost her footing and stumbled forward, landing on the bed. She smacked into the wall, knocked a set of books down from the shelf, which clinked off her dark blue armor.

“No. It’s two days behind,” Twilight replied as she turned to the bed. “You’re clumsy.”

Sunset whinnied. No, the last Twilight was clumsy. She rubbed her horn and studied the covers of the books. “Hey, my journal!” she shouted, and Twilight was suddenly there to cover her mouth.

“Be quiet!” Twilight loudly whispered. “We don’t need the guards stumbling in and catching us. And we don’t need to waste time. Your disguise is about to be up.”

Wrestling with her journal, Sunset shoved it beneath her armor and trapped it between the shoulders of the plate. She couldn’t pull her neck back anymore, but the book wasn’t going anywhere, and that was more important. Small victories. “Help me lift the mattress up,” Sunset requested as she jumped down. Twilight obliged, and they both lifted their corners.

Underneath sat a rectangular box with a glass face, a purple cushion on the inside held six indentations. “That’s it!” Sunset said, resting the bed’s corner on her head and pulling the box out with one hoof. They let the bed fall into place, and Sunset undid the golden latch and opened the empty case. “There’s nothing here,” she said, examining the four empty corners in great depth. “No, no, no, no, no! I can’t believe this!”

“It’s not the end of the world, Sunset. Now we can go with my backup plan,” Twilight said.

Sunset tossed the case against the wall, and the glass shattered into one of the open chests. “Your backup plan is to destroy the changelings violently,” Sunset huffed, still staring at where she had thrown the case. “No. Your plan isn’t even a plan. It’s just destruction. Now we go with my backup plan.”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Yours? What could you possibly have in store?” She gave a loud snort. “Look, I was fine with helping you search for the Elements of Harmony since they could power my device, but if you’re going to—”

“We’re going to break out Princess Celestia,” interrupted Sunset.

That took Twilight aback. There was no way around it, Sunset knew. If freeing the only pony who might know where the Elements of Harmony were, it had to be done. “P-Princess Celestia?” Twilight repeated in a meek voice, possibly the quietest she had ever been. “You’re actually suggesting we go to the throne room and break out Princess Celestia!?”

“Absolutely. She’ll know what to do or where to find the Elements.” And if she doesn’t, at least she’ll be free. Princess Celestia had been the moral support during the previous world’s war with King Sombra. Manehattan relied on Celestia to combat the evil king, otherwise, all of that Equestria would have ended up like this world. Filled with despair. With the princess released, they’d be unstoppable. At least, that’s what Sunset hoped.

“I’m with you then,” Twilight said, hesitantly. “What kind of pupil would I be if I didn’t try to save my teacher? I used to be a pretty good student, though that may be a false memory. It’s been so long.”

“We should bring him with us.” Sunset pointed to Shining Armor’s pod. The stallion shifted but made no move to agree or disagree.

Twilight frowned at that. “He’s my brother, and I love him, but he’d slow us down.” Twilight turned to the door and trotted away, not even allowing a discussion.

I turned my back on a lot of ponies when I ended my apprenticeship under Princess Celestia. I know I should wish that I hadn’t given up, but I wouldn’t have learned so much about friendship if I hadn’t. She did not know if Twilight was making the right choice to leave her brother behind, but it was her brother, not Sunset’s. The stallion turned to face the back of the pod, no longer acknowledging Sunset’s presence. Her eyes sprung to the skylight in the hopes she would find clarity, but all she saw was the light of the morning sun dimmed by a grey overcast. She sighed, knowing her conscience wouldn’t allow her peace. It was Twilight’s own words that echoed in her mind. “We matter,” Twilight shouted, though it was not this world’s Twilight.

She left the stallion in a pool of goo, the shell on the bed. She didn’t bother to stay to see the look in his eyes or hear a response. Instead, galloping after Twilight, she kept focus on reaching the throne room. She did not expect Twilight to be standing at the doorway where the two guards had called Sunset a chump. The guards had vanished, leaving Chrysalis’s room unguarded. “Did you do it?” Twilight asked as Sunset came closer.

Sunset breathed in for a moment as she thought of her answer. “Yes,” she finally said. “I had to.”

Twilight wasn’t angry. A simple smirk appeared on her black lips, but her head turned away before Sunset could see it entirely. “Y’know, I often came to visit him. I could break him out and he could help me save the realm. I told him starving himself was stupid, but he hadn’t listened. He gave up.” She turned back to Sunset, a sullen frown briefly touching her lips before dissipating. “I’ll never give up. The Elements of Harmony, Princess Celestia, my device. I’ll find a way to defeat the changelings even if it takes me my entire life. Even if it takes my life.”

“Maybe that’s why we get along,” Sunset noted. “I’ve run into you in these several worlds, and you’re all basically the same when it comes to the desire to help.” She thought about Crystal Prep's Twilight and her eagerness to learn about magic. “Even when making mistakes, you always want to set things right. I wish I had that sort of willpower. It’s ambitious.” Sunset voiced her thoughts, “I’m actually pretty envious of you.”

“Y-you envy me?” Twilight responded, and covered her mouth. “But you’re the one trying to save ponykind without destroying the changelings. That’s more admirable. Far more.”

Shrugging, Sunset trotted ahead, leaving Twilight to stew on her own thoughts. They made their way down to the gloomy underbelly of the castle once more, with expectations of finding changelings guarding the dark castle. The gardens mostly blocked the front hall's windows, and the overcast was getting worse, but several changelings were flying and fighting each other within the sky. “I’ve never seen changelings fight one another. Whatever you did must have set off a chain reaction. What exactly did you do?”

Sunset smiled. “I unsettled them.”

“Sounds ominous,” Twilight replied.

There were no guards at the throne room’s doors. The golden entrance remained closed, though the gold was less impressive in the dim light. They quickly pushed open one side, and forced it closed again once they were in. The throne room was deftly quiet, the darkness surrounded them like water. “We won’t have much time to waste, we’ll need to cut them down and teleport as quickly as possible,” Sunset stated. “I’ll cut them down myself. I think my disguise is about to wear—” A sudden glow sparked, blue flames burst around her fur. Her red and yellow mane flowed to her neck as the holes in her hooves returned to a burnt orange coloring. “—off,” she finished saying.

“That’s fine with me. I suppose I can always claim that I was attempting to catch you,” Twilight snidely said.

Though she transformed, Sunset still bore the armor she had taken from the storage room. The helmet was left back in the queen’s room, but she had worn the helm for so long that it pushed her mane down with a sweaty thickness. Luckily, her armor still fit her, and the journal dug laboriously into her back and scratched against her fur. She ignored the pain. “Keep a lookout,” she said as she went to work, though it wasn’t like Twilight could see more than a yard in front of them.

“I hope she actually knows where the Elements of Harmony are. I’d hate for this to be a folly pursuit, other than rescuing her,” Twilight noted, but Sunset ignored her.

The room was a bit chilly at first but was thrown off by Sunset’s magical beam. Unfortunately, it didn’t take long for something to go wrong. Light suddenly filled the room, blinding Sunset so much that she was forced to stop. “What the hay?” she said, rubbing her eyes. When she reopened them, she saw a flood of armored changelings pouring into the throne room like a wave of tar. A dark, throaty laugh turned her focus from the guards to the throne where the evil queen sat cradled in the golden chair’s arms.

“Looking for these?” Queen Chrysalis continued her laughter as she levitated six gemstones into the air. One was cyan, another red. One was orange and another pink. A fifth was as purple as Rarity’s mane, but the sixth was different. The sixth was lavender, an oddly shaped six-pointed star that resembled Twilight’s cutie mark. Sunset had not expected the Elements of Harmony to be so different anymore than she had expected Chrysalis to have them. “My, my. What wonderful little trinkets. I had never thought to find such beauties within Celestia’s room, but thankfully a journal told me all about them. It was easy to put the puzzle together, and it took little effort to find them.”

“Good thing too, now hand them over,” Sunset demanded with a stomp of her hoof.

“You dare give me orders!?” Chrysalis slumped forward, and smashed against the throne with her own angry stomp. “I am the queen! You don’t have the right to tell me what to do! Guards! Seize her!” She then stepped one hoof off the throne, and said, “As for you, Twilight Sparkle. Yes, I know exactly who you are. I could smell your filthy odor when you came to help this buffoon out of her mistake.”

The disguised changeling smiled. “And now the game is over, it seems. Your fall will be sweet, my queen.” With the quickness of a fleeing rabbit, a blast of magic shot from blue flames aimed at the changeling queen. But the queen was quick too, rivaling the blast with her own and catching it, creating a shockwave of smoke. Twilight returned to her normal form, though her shaven head and slimmer tail reflected what the changeling disguise had been. “Sunset, you get the guards, I’ll crush Chrysalis.”

There was no time to argue. The flood broke loose, but Sunset was quick to stop it. She froze each of the changelings within her magical grasp. They squirmed and fought, but none got loose. More tried to squeeze by, only to be caught by her magic. The wall of changelings grew so much that none of the stone that held the golden doors could be seen past the writhing black bodies. I held back the brainwashed ponies in the Crystal Empire. I helped bring down the pillar Sombra rode. I broke free the caged ponies within one of your outposts. “I was Celestia’s student, not some timid unicorn. The years of training I had, the failures I faced. They made me who I am!” Her horn sparked, crackling with electricity. “Now let me show you what comes from having friends!”

Her magic felt like a strong wind, tunneling the changeling armada through the golden door, into the hallway, and out of the castle. The windows erupted as the hundreds of changelings were forced outside—shattering both the glass and Chrysalis's forces in one fell swoop. Sunset could feel the burden in her neck, her veins popping as she held firm. She did not let up her magic until the golden doors slammed shut, which kept the changelings from reentering.

When all was said and done, she dropped to her knees and took swift breaths to calm herself. She had not been the only wind blowing, though. A beam of magic flew against the pillars near the door. Sunset turned to see the unicorn dancing with the changeling, exchanging magical blasts and strikes of their horns. They never took their eyes off each other. It was fighting like Sunset had never seen. Twilight almost looked happy throwing spell after spell at the queen. When Chrysalis attempted to grab at Twilight’s non-existent mane, Twilight did the same, except she was able to pull the queen down to the ground.

The queen countered and slammed them both to the ground instead. Sunset wasn’t going to let the purple unicorn have all the fun, however. As if she were at a rodeo, Sunset slammed down on Chrysalis’s back and grabbed the disfigured horn, holding on as the changeling queen bucked like a bronco. Sunset’s grip wasn’t sturdy enough, and she slipped off and sailed into the throne. Her little bull ride attempt had given enough time for Twilight to get up and strike the queen’s blind spot. The purple unicorn swung around to the opposing side before knocking the changeling queen over and blocking the path to the throne. “Get up and get out of here!” Twilight yelled to Sunset, refusing to take her eyes off the queen.

Chrysalis staggered for a moment, but her rage came forth. Spit clung to her fangs as she let out a guttural scream. “I’ll dine on your love for a century, Twilight Sparkle!” she yelled before gritting her teeth as she shot a blast of magic, only to be matched by Twilight. The monstrous queen used the smoke as a ploy—she charged through and pinning her horn against Twilight’s, trapping the unicorn in a hornlock. The back and forth of their heads gave Sunset time to rise from the golden seat.

Once she sat up, she saw the changeling and unicorn’s skirmish, immediately wanting to help. But Twilight yelled, “Take the Elements!” Sunset stopped in her tracks. At her hooves, the six gemstones sat scattered along the steps. Sunset quickly gathered them up with her magic. The cyan stone reflected against her fur, turning turquoise, then teal, and back to cyan. When she looked up, the doors of the throne room reopened, and the flood of black returned. “Take them and go,” she heard Twilight yell, though her eyes would not look away from the changelings.

The purple unicorn slammed her sternum into the changeling queen, and sent her into the other changelings. That’s when Sunset finally looked to Twilight. She stared down at the purple unicorn, the six Elements floating within her peripherals. For a moment, an audacious idea crossed her mind, rooting itself within the forefront of her thoughts. Celestia used the Elements of Harmony to take down Nightmare Moon, to take down Discord. Perhaps I— She hesitated, still staring down at her friend.

The flood of black grew larger. It aimed for the purple unicorn, a green streaked monster at the head. Sunset knew she could do it, or at least try. The war would end, the world saved, and everything would be right again.

But the purple, mane-less unicorn with yellow teeth, ugly brown vest, and horrible manners seemed to differ from Sunset’s thinking. As Sunset focused on the Elements of Harmony, thinking of her friends, her eyes glaring down at the sea of changelings, everything suddenly went dark.

Sunset panicked and tripped before, falling face forward onto a strip of vinyl. She felt herself let go of the Elements of Harmony and one smacked against the back of her head. With a quick push, she stood and lit her horn.

Everything became clear to her as she stood in Twilight’s room.

World 2: Chapter 7

The Elements of Harmony flickered and gleamed against the light of Sunset’s horn. They reflected the colors of the room, which turned the bright gems into darker shades. Fight or flight, the words echoed within Sunset’s mind. She couldn’t help but smile, though it wasn’t happy. Every bone in her body wanted to twitch and force her to teleport back to the throne room, back to save Twilight, Celestia, and Cadance—to save Equestria. As she stared over the Elements of Harmony, she knew she couldn’t. If she did, she’d be sacrificing everything on the off chance that she could even use the Elements or take down Chrysalis with her raw power. It wasn’t all bad, however. She had gotten her way. The Elements wouldn’t power Twilight’s awful device.

That’s when she noticed that her backpack sat on the bed, a parchment between the straps and vinyl. It wasn’t sealed, so Sunset unraveled and read the contents. Somehow Twilight had known what would happen. Paranoia planned every action and reaction, Sunset guessed. She believed that if everything had turned out right, Twilight would have been back to destroy this letter. As she read over the words, a few tears stained the parchment and turned the letters into black blobs. It wasn’t until the final two sentences that Sunset realized why Twilight had teleported only her from the throne room and not the both of them.

The last two sentences read: “Shining Armor knows about my changeling device, he’ll know where to find it, and once he hears of my capture, he’ll go get it. Since we’re friends, I won’t release him, as I know he’ll try to activate it, which leaves you to decide whether or not to use it.”

Sunset almost bit her tongue as she struggled with her mistake. “What happens here matters to us!” echoed within her mind, causing her to shake. She drew in air between her teeth, her fears left her body. But still, she shook. Her legs wobbled, her shoulders tensed, and her neck couldn’t keep still. If that device goes off, the changelings will be completely destroyed, and possibly us too. The changelings didn’t wipe out ponykind, they captured it—enslaved it, all at Chrysalis’s command. No matter how horrible Chrysalis is, the changelings aren’t her. I won’t allow Shining Armor to activate it. I don’t want to be the cause of so much destruction.

There had been enough devastation in this world and the last. In the previous world, there had been a happy ending. The sole evil king removed, and the Crystal Empire freed. Sunset wanted a repeat. She wanted another happy ending, for this world and her. Of course, this world’s only hope was staring back at her in the dimly lit room, a natural glow upon their shiny surfaces. Something deep within Sunset had stirred in the throne room, giving her a desire to try and use them. But here and now, she remembered Twilight’s crown the day she had stolen it. I’ve learned a lot about friendship, but not enough to be the one to use the Elements of Harmony, she decided. Only the bearers have that right. She did not think she would turn into a raging she-demon—quite the opposite. The friendship map sent me here to these horrid timelines just like it sends Princess Twilight and her friends to solve friendship problems all over Equestria, without the Elements. The words help time flashed in her mind’s eye, and she nodded to herself.

There wasn’t much time to dillydally. Guards would most likely be sent to Twilight’s room to investigate. Sunset no longer had her helmet, but the armor remained. It had hindered her ever so slightly in the fight, so she went to work removing the cuirass that encased her torso. The dungeon keys and her journal flopped onto the floor, to which she quickly picked up with her magic. As she shoved the keys into her backpack, she flipped through the pages of her journal. As happenstance would have it, she stopped on one entry from Princess Twilight that she found inspiring. “I was looking through a journal me and my friends used to write in for help on your topic, and I think I found some great advice from my lovable assistant. Spike wrote: ‘But today I learned how important it is to be honest with your friends when they're doing something that you don't think is right. A true friend knows that you're speaking up because you care about them.’ I hope that helps. Rainbow Dash can be pretty stubborn, but she’s a good friend.”

Sunset couldn’t remember why she had asked for advice. Turning back a page to see the previous entry didn't help. The problem she was stuck on seemed so trivial to Sunset that she wondered if it had really been her that wrote it. I’ve come a long way, she thought happily. Thanks, Twilight. She closed her journal, shoving it in between her notebooks. The last things she placed inside her bag were the Elements of Harmony, which rattled cozily on top of the literature. With her straps secure, she tossed the backpack over her shoulders and gave a short sigh. The bed looks comfy, she thought, having been out all night. She knew sleep would be in short supply until the changeling queen and her army were no more. The world needed justice.

A twist and a turn and she was out the door. Justice would have to wait, and so would freeing her friends. Finding Shining Armor was more critical.

As she made her way through the maze of halls, she rounded a corner and found herself at a janitorial closet. Though it was more accurately known as Rarity’s quarters. She should still be working, Sunset mused but tried the knob anyway. When she found it locked she decided to move on, but only reached a meter before a delicate voice called to her. “Sunset?” A slight crack in Rarity’s door revealed a big blue eye, wide and staring. “Come, come quickly,” Rarity begged.

“What are you doing here? I figured you’d be in the middle of cleaning,” Sunset said after entering, making sure to keep her voice low.

“They gave everyone the day off,” Rarity replied. “Which actually means Queen Chrysalis has no desire to see any of the pony workers. Something’s got them riled up.” There were beads of sweat on Rarity’s upper lip and forehead. “I overheard some of the other workers say they’ll be forcing mandatory inspections and nightly guard checks. Canterlot is in chaos! And the thunderous roar I heard earlier—Sunset, what is going on!?”

“A lot of things,” Sunset vaguely answered. “But I have a more important issue to attend to. Twilight Sparkle’s brother, Shining Armor, he’s going to destroy the changelings. I’ve got to find him and stop him before he acquires Twilight’s device.”

“Destroy the changelings?” repeated Rarity. “Isn’t that what we want?”

Sunset shook her head. “Not like this. With the Elements of Harmony, we can root them out of Equestria. What Shining Armor wants is to root them out of existence.”

The look Rarity gave was brief, but it was there, a bit of vengeance flashing beneath her blue eyes. “If we get them out of Equestria, they’d just come back, wouldn’t they?” Her question was a dance around the words, but Sunset knew it was there. “Why not destroy them?” was really what Rarity asked.

“They might—but not if the Elements of Harmony are there to strike them down. Destroying an entire species—it’s too much. The changelings could have done that to us ponies, but didn’t. They chose to keep you in captivity—even if it is for their own selfish needs.” That didn’t seem to convince Rarity, it was barely a reason Sunset had convinced herself. She had no love for changelings any more than Rarity did, but every time she thought of wiping out the changelings, she could only see herself as a demon in their place. “If we use Twilight’s device, what’s stopping the next awful villain to come and rule Equestria? What’s stopping it from getting to the point where a device is created to combat the ponies who live here?” That’s a better argument, Sunset thought, proudly remembering her time spent as a filly in Canterlot’s debate club.

It had done the trick, striking a bit of fear in Rarity. “A-alright, I understand. I’d rather not fight a second Chrysalis,” she said. “What do you need from me?”

Shifting her shoulders, Sunset lowered her backpack. “I’m not sure if Shining Armor would need all the Elements of Harmony to activate the device or just one, but just in case it is all six, I’m giving you yours.” After levitating the purple gem out, Rarity gasped and grinned as she marveled at the beauty of the perfect purple stone.

“That sheen!” commented Rarity, taking the gemstone in both hooves. “It’s simply divine!”

Sunset had hoped that the stone would transform, but nothing happened. “Keep it on you at all times. Once I find and stop Shining Armor I’m going to gather the others, find Twilight, and we’ll bring down the changelings.”

Rarity nodded, a bright smile still on her face. As Sunset went to leave, Rarity stopped her with a question. “What if the Elements of Harmony destroy the changelings?”

It wasn’t a thought that had ever crossed Sunset’s mind. “I’m sorry?”

“What if the Elements of Harmony wipe out the changelings as a whole—like this device of Twilight’s,” Rarity explained further. “I mean, you’ve convinced me, but what if these—uhm, gemstones—what if they somehow link with the other bearers wishes? What if our desires take on the form of what you’re trying to stop?”

Sunset didn’t have an answer. All her time with her friends at CHS had not prepared her for such a choice. All roads lead back to evil, she thought and found herself staring at the ground, thinking about when she became a demon. I shouldn’t compare myself to the changelings, said another thought, but then she asked herself, why not? Her eyes drifted up to Rarity who seemed entranced with the stone. “If I turned evil—would you do everything in your power to turn me back to good?” she asked her fellow unicorn.

Rarity fumbled with her Element, almost dropping it on the floor. “W-what kind of question is that?” she said, half flustered, half confused. “Of course. I-I-I mean.” She stumbled with her words, clearly thinking of what she might say. “We’re friends, and friends help each other,” she eventually answered, though her expression held hesitant until Sunset smiled, to which Rarity smiled back out of relief. “You’re not actually planning on turning evil, a-are you?”

“No,” answered Sunset. What am I trying to do? Build a treaty between the two species? Ponies and changelings can’t get along, can they? Even if they could, am I the right pony to try and bridge that gap? There were too many questions flowing through Sunset’s head and not enough answers. “I wish I had someone who went through all this to bounce my questions off of. The only one who could do that disappeared when I entered this world.” Sunset slumped against the door, her backpack pressing hard into her back. Shrugging it off again, she then realized she did have someone with all the answers. “My journal!”

She flipped open the pages and glanced over the words of yesteryear with hope that she might find an answer. “What a pretty journal,” Rarity commented, glancing from the other side. “I’d often attempt to get my sister to write in a journal, but I never really had the desire myself.”

“This journal is the whole reason I’m here. It allows me to communicate with Princess Twilight Sparkle—the Twilight of my world. Not that it does much good since she’s probably still trapped in these strange worlds like I am. Still, it holds the knowledge of past questions and answers, and sometimes that’s more important.” She flipped through a few more, seeing how heavily filled the pages were. “Funnily enough, it’s the reason I came back to Equestria, and now I have to hope it’ll help find an answer.”

“I’d be pretty sore with it if it brought me here,” replied Rarity, sneering at the book as if it were a living thing.

“It’s been pretty helpful. It’s how I know Shining Armor and Twilight’s plan to use her device to turn the changeling’s into loveless husks is wrong. I know it in my heart that it’s wrong.” She paused, glancing up at the white mare. “But—but what if you’re right? What if the Elements of Harmony do find it necessary to, well, completely remove the changelings from existence? They banished Nightmare Moon to the moon for a thousand years—but that might have been because Celestia thought that was best. If you six believe it is necessary to remove the changelings—well, you see where I’m going with this?”

Rarity nodded. “You’re very kindhearted, Sunset. If it amounts to anything, you’ve swayed me.” Her lips tucked up, almost like a smile, but hesitant.

“Thanks,” Sunset chuckled. “I spent an hour around the changelings playing checkers, but they call it Settlers. It was odd, but they did it for fun and sport, like fillies and colts. The way they speak to each other, it sounds awful, derogatory to us ponies even, but that doesn’t mean they’re evil. They’re misguided. Even Chrysalis, with all her faults, still plays with toys like a child.”

It was evident Rarity had no response, so Sunset continued her search within the journal. But Sunset was wrong, Rarity did have a response, just not one that she expected. “Maybe you should just leave.”

“W-what?” Sunset stammered.

“I know that came off awfully rude, and I’m sorry for that, but perhaps you’re just meant to move on. You say you came from another world, but this isn’t the only odd world you’ve visited, correct? Maybe you can’t save this one.” Rarity shrugged. “I know it’s hard, but giving up sometimes is the best option. Your talk of this—this bomb—it was created before you even arrived. We might have been able to save ourselves with it, without your help. If that’s true, you might be destroying our only hope for a future.”

“Okay, if I play devil’s advocate for a moment and agree with you, it would explain why the Tree of Harmony did not ask me to help time in this timeline. It didn’t even glow in my presence. But would that really mean that it doesn’t want me to help?”

Rarity nodded. “Sometimes, Sunset, the hardest part is letting go. I did. I let go of my desire to create clothes, and I let go of my pride, allowing me to work this horrid, demeaning position. I’ve survived that way—and you said it yourself, the changelings could have wiped us out, but didn’t. Perhaps this was just the way things are meant to be.”

“And that’s where playing advocate stops,” Sunset replied. “Because there’s no reason for me to be here then. Jokes aside—happenstance doesn’t just put me here for no reason. I just happened to come through a portal from beyond a mirror right at the same time Twilight gets pulled through to different dimensions—to different presents? No. There’s no reason for that.”

Rarity took her time thinking about a response. Eventually, she said, “Maybe this was just meant to show you a lesson? Old fairy tales, legends, and folk stories always have magical lessons. Did you learn anything in the last world you visited?”

It was the same words that had been resonating with her ever since she entered this world. “What happens here matters,” Sunset answered.

“That explains why you’re adamant to save the changelings. ‘What happens here matters?’ You learned that in the world you saved, correct? Perhaps you are meant to find another lesson in this world. Sometimes, letting go is the hardest thing to learn.”

Though Rarity had said she was swayed, it was now Sunset’s feelings that wavered. “To be honest, when I first arrived in this world, I assumed I was being punished. Sent to other worlds to fix them like Princess Twilight fixed my world—from my mistake.” Sunset thought for a moment on Rarity’s words. “It can’t all be happenstance.” She was growing to love that word. “Everything from Sombra’s timeline showed me that the world matters, regardless if it is not my world. In this world, however, everything is telling me to give up. Applejack, Chrysalis, you. Even Shining Armor gave up, and he’s the one out there trying to abolish the changelings.”

“Perhaps you should listen to it then. I’d hate to be a pessimistic lout, but it sounds to me like you’ll have another world in your roster to visit. It could be many more, for all I know.” Rarity’s face pouted as if to apologize for the negativity. “You say you’re being punished, but I don’t think you are. When I started making dresses I looked through all the sewing books I could get my hooves on. I don’t remember the author’s name, but one said ‘Learning is not a chore or a penance, it’s an excuse to do your worst and prove your best.’ I quite liked it, though their designs were simply gaudy. Still, what you see as punishment might not actually be that way.”

“Whoa,” Sunset replied, awestruck. “That’s the deepest thing I’ve ever heard. You’re brilliant.”

“Oh, stop it.” Rarity blushed, covering her cheeks shyly.

Sunset folded her forelegs, while contemplating the author’s quote. “An excuse to do your worst and prove your best,” she repeated the citation. “What happens here matter’s to us,” she repeated another quote from a very different circumstance.

“Who said that, anyway?” Rarity wondered aloud.

“A comedian.”

“Doesn’t sound like a very funny joke,” she remarked.

“No, but if she could see me now, she’d be laughing till her jaw hurt.” Sunset missed that Twilight Sparkle, quite possibly more than she missed Princess Twilight or the girl from Crystal Prep. “Funny thing is, I think you’re both right.”

Rarity’s brow raised. “I don’t understand.”

“She told me that, even though this isn’t my Equestria, things that happen here still matter, and she’s right. But you telling me to let go is also right. Obviously, if I let go, things here will probably resolve poorly. If I continue to help, things also might end poorly, just in a different way.” Sunset rose from the floor. “Everything I do, everything we do, matters. We have to accept that our actions have consequences, and let go of the fear of doing nothing.”

“I-I’m sorry, I still don’t quite follow.”

“I’ve been comparing the changelings to myself—to my demon side—but I’ve been trying to fight that comparison. Every time, I claimed my evilness had been different, but what I should have been doing was comparing them to me. I matter, Rarity. I wouldn’t want to be wiped from the face of the planet, but I also didn’t want to be stuck in a cocoon for the rest of my life. Rarity, what do the changelings want?”

Rarity shrugged, wordless.

“They want to play Settlers. Some want to guard the castle while others don’t, they want what each other has, believing that the other has a better life. They want to feed on love so they won’t starve. They want to live their lives as best they can without strife. None of those things are evil, Rarity.”

“That’s all good and whatnot, but what’s your point?”

“My point is—what does Chrysalis want?” Sunset smugly smiled.

Rarity went wide-eyed. “Dreadful things, I can only imagine.”

“She wants everything that her changelings don’t care about. They fear her. They fight with each other because they have nothing better to do. They have no lives to care for, and their queen threatens nothing but their lives.” She paused, staring intently at the white unicorn. “Rarity. Thank you. You’ve helped me out a lot, I didn’t even need to search through my journal.” Sunset closed the book and shoved it back into her backpack.

“What are you going to do now?” Rarity asked.

“Well, I’m going to find Shining Armor and stop him from using that device on all the changelings.” She paused to pull her backpack onto her back. “Then, I’m going to gather the bearers to use the Elements of Harmony, hopefully taking out one specific changeling—the worst of all possible changelings.” She then wrapped Rarity in a hug, and whispered in her ear, “This is not how the world should be, Rarity. I’m going to set things straight, and one day you’ll be able to make all those gaudy dresses from that author’s book.”

When Sunset parted from the hug, Sunset found a few happy tears falling from her face. She hadn’t realized she started crying. “You’re crying, dear,” Rarity stated, and Sunset noticed Rarity too had started crying. After pointing it out, they both laughed at their own theatrics. “Please, be careful out there, Sunset,” Rarity said, while wiping away her tears as Sunset opened the door.

“I will.” Sunset closed the door behind her, feeling almost serene as if a burden lifted itself from her shoulders. Of course, as happenstance would have it, the trotting of hooves and an ominous light came shifting down the hall.

Thinking fast, she teleported to the only place she knew was safe.

Green walls of hexagons around her and steel beneath her hooves, there was plenty of light within the Hatchery. Just as she assumed, Sunset found herself alone. Chrysalis will have her army searching for me—she won’t have time to find a replacement for Twilight’s job, she presumed. It was also the one place where Shining Armor might run to, a place to hide and activate Twilight Sparkle’s device. There was no sign of him or the changeling destroying bomb. As she traveled along the top level, she examined each of the hexagons that were lit up until a noise startled her. It was a constant thumping, though the cause was a mystery.

It wasn’t until she traversed to the door below, cautious as a rat in a lion’s den, that she found the source of the noise. The stained glass hall was so dark it turned any bright colors sour, and the thumping of rain echoed like a thousand wings flapping. It was difficult to see out any of the windows, but the illustrations made everyone pony or changeling look like they were crying. Even Chrysalis seems sad, she thought as rain shadowed and rolled down the queen’s eyes. As she came to the window that held Shining Armor and the changeling queen disguised as Princess Cadance, she stared into the blue of the stallion’s eyes. The rain did not seem to reach the glassed stallion, and his white coat was darker than she remembered.

That’s when Sunset yelped. The eyes moved and changed color! The window shook as a loud wallop struck a pane. For a moment, she thought the changelings found her. “Sunset!” a voice called to her behind the glass, familiar and welcoming. “Come outside!” it beckoned her, and then the rain began to filter over Shining Armor, his white fur returned to normal.

Sunset came closer and tried to glance out at the mystery, but there was nothing to be seen. If it were a changeling, they wouldn’t have spoken to her. At least, that’s what convinced Sunset to teleport onto the roof of the stained glass hallway. The black tiles were slippery, and her fur instantly thickened from all the water. Her mane drooped down in front of her eyes so much that she needed her magic to hold it back in a bun.

The sky had become covered in clouds, expanding across all of Canterlot in a dark grey pattern that prevented even the changelings from flying. There were many black specks down within the city that were running for shelter—the fighting seemingly simmered down. She took a few steps, the rest of the castle roof was much higher than the long gallery’s roof, but the slant of the shingles at the end provided housing from the rain. Sunset huddled underneath, taking another few steps toward the edge where the voice had spoken to her.

As she struggled to hold her footing, leaning over the side, she saw that there was nothing below aside from the grass and stone of the courtyard ground below. Even without a fear of heights, Sunset did not like staring down at the ground. Taking a step back, she planted a hoof on one of the slicker shingles, which caused her back legs to fall out from under her.

She slid for a moment, but her flank was stopped right at the edge, only to give her another look down at the flat world below. “I’ve gotcha,” a voice said, almost sounding like a whisper in the rain. Blue hooves were wrapped beneath Sunset’s forelegs, holding her like a marionette. In her panic, Sunset had released her magic, causing her hair to flop back in front of her eyes.

As she felt lifted, she asked, “Rainbow Dash? Is that you?”

“Who else would be floating outside a window in the rain?” the blue pegasus replied. Rainbow Dash plopped Sunset onto the taller roof of the castle where the edges met and formed a flatter surface. Rain puddled in the center. “The whole city has blown its top! Are they looking for you? Did you find who you were looking for?”

Rainbow stretched her wings out, covering both her head and Sunset’s from the rain. “It’s good to see you, Rainbow Dash,” Sunset said, ignoring Dash’s questions, and giving a hug instead. “I found Twilight and lost her again—but I have a more important mission to attend to at the moment.”

“Can I help?” Rainbow asked as she held the hug.

“Absolutely.” Sunset pulled away and began to explain her plan. “The short version is that I’m looking for Shining Armor. He’s Twilight’s brother and fiancé to Princess Cadance. He’s got a magical device that’ll wipe out the changelings, and we need to stop him before he can use it.”

Like a dog, Rainbow’s head tilted to the left. “Stop him? It sounds to me like we should be helping him.”

“I’ve been running into that sort of belief a lot lately,” Sunset answered. “But sometimes the easier path isn’t the best.”

Rainbow Dash snorted. “So, what? You want a one on one fight with Queen Chrysalis or something? I didn’t expect a unicorn to turn their nose up at something magic related.” With a flex and a smile, Rainbow nodded. “Count me in! I’ve been stretching my wings for two days gathering up these storm clouds, and my hooves are itching for a fight!”

It wasn’t precisely like Rainbow assumed, but Sunset didn’t bother to correct the pegasus. If they didn’t find Shining Armor, none of it would matter. “Do you know where Shining Armor might be? I thought he would have gone to the Hatchery but I didn’t see him or the device.”

“He probably went to find his fiancée,” Rainbow said, offhandedly. Sunset hadn’t thought of that, however.

“You’re a genius!” Sunset wrapped her forelegs around Rainbow’s neck, hugging her with all her might this time. Rainbow’s wings shook, releasing a heap of water onto them, but Sunset didn’t mind. “He did everything to try and find Princess Cadance in the last world. He must have gone to the throne room to save her!” She released Rainbow Dash and clambered forward, but hesitated. “Except—he wouldn’t know she was in the throne room unless Chrysalis told him. Would she do that?”

“She wouldn’t,” Rainbow answered, using her wings to cover herself, and only herself.

“Exactly.” Sunset’s horn sparked.

Darkness surrounded them instantaneously, but only for a moment. Light from Sunset’s horn reflected against the pink crystals, brightening them more than Rainbow Dash expected, but Sunset held her eyes shut. When Sunset opened them, she spun in a circle, and looked past the slender quartz's in all directions. “Wha-what just happened? Where are we?” Rainbow blinked as she tried to let her eyes focus, her wings still drenched in rainwater. “I’ve never seen this place.”

“This is below Canterlot. Below the dungeons. Deep within the mountain itself. A dark place, worse than any prison,” Sunset answered, “This is where Chrysalis kept Princess Cadance.”

Sunset didn’t know if that startled Rainbow Dash or if a drop of rainwater trickled down her back, but the blue pegasus shivered for a moment. “You think Shining Armor is down here, somewhere?” asked Dash.

But Sunset didn’t answer, choosing to spear forward and find out for herself. The pegasus followed behind in silence. Silence was what this place had in abundance, along with darkness and crystals. Even as rain flooded from the sky, nothing could be heard this far below. The soft dirt muffled the trots they made. They wandered between crystals, yet Rainbow said nothing, not that Sunset would have answered. She was too busy looking for Cadance’s chains and the white stallion. What she found struck her heart, pressing it into her throat.

Shining Armor sat in front of the chains, holding them in his hooves. His face was distraught—his eyebrows pursed up, his bottom lip quivered, and his eyes were so sunken in that not even the light of his horn could break through the shadow they cast.

As Sunset stared intently, Rainbow Dash had not yet noticed Sunset’s halt and slammed into the back of her, causing them both to fall forward. Shining Armor rose before they could, and twisted to face them with his horn pointed, readying for anything. “Who are you?”

“Shining Armor, it’s me.” Sunset pushed up and out from under Rainbow Dash. “I was the changeling that broke into Chrysalis’s room—the one your sister had to save.” The stallion’s demeanor didn’t seem to change until she said, “I’m the one that set you free.”

It was then that he raised his head, his eyes weak, scornful, and bleak. “My sister is not with you, which can only mean one thing.”

“Chrysalis.” The word tore from Sunset’s throat.

He nodded. “And you’ve come looking for this?” He sidestepped, revealing a silver, slender cube sitting between the two grey, rusted chains.

“That’s right. I can’t let you use it.”

“I’d like to see you try and stop me.” He laughed low in his throat, and for a moment Sunset thought they might have to fight. But before she could call his bluff, he said, “It doesn’t work, though. I’ve already tried it.” He sounded defeated.

“That’s because it needs powerful magic in order to activate,” she replied.

Rainbow Dash stepped beside her. “I don’t think he’s got a powerful bone in his body,” she bluntly said, waving a hoof at the starving stallion.

“How powerful?” Shining Armor ignored Rainbow Dash. "Alicorn magic?"

“The Elements of Harmony would do the trick.” Sunset had no desire to tell him she had the Elements in her pack, they were useless without Rarity’s. “But more importantly, taking Chrysalis out is the main goal, not the changelings. Without her, they won’t know what to do. They can be made docile.” Shining Armor didn’t move as she came closer, even as she lifted the cube with her magic. Perhaps he was too weak to stop her, or perhaps he wanted to hear what she had to say. “Chrysalis wants her brood to rule the world, but they don’t want that. They’re like children, almost. Violent, creepy little children. Some might even have good hearts.”

Shining Armor’s eyes drifted to Rainbow Dash, almost as if to ask, “Do you actually believe her?” But Rainbow gave a solemn shrug. He didn’t stop Sunset from pulling the cube open and exposing the wiring beneath, nor did he make a noise when she pulled out some of the copper tubes. It wasn’t until she lowered the cube to the floor and stared at it for a moment that he asked, “What do you plan to do with it?”

“This,” Sunset answered, smashing the cube beneath her hoof.

“I suppose it was just as well,” Shining Armor said, unsurprised. “It would have been a fool’s errand to try and find the Elements of Harmony to power it.”

“Actually, I’ve got them right here,” Sunset replied. She tossed her backpack to the ground and undid the zipper, levitating the five gemstones out.

Shining Armor gasped. “You had them the entire time!?” he screamed, veins popping up on his neck so hard that the fur had risen, detailing the shapes.

Grabbing at the red gemstone, Rainbow Dash said, “They don’t look very harmonic.” She tossed it back to Sunset. “Is that a word? Harmonic?”

“These don’t look like the Elements of Harmony from my world, if I’m perfectly honest. The only one that looks sort of right is this one.” Sunset levitated the six-pointed star higher than the others. “It resembles the one that Twilight’s crown holds.” The crown that I stole.

“Your world?” repeated Shining Armor. He could not remain angry for long—he was too hungry to waste unneeded resentment. “Twilight’s crown?” There was a twist to his mouth. “Who are you?”

Sunset deposited the Elements of Harmony back into her bag, including Rainbow Dash’s. “My name is Sunset Shimmer,” she answered him, though she did not look at him. “I live in an entirely different world, I was apprentice to Princess Celestia, and I’m good friends with Princess Twilight Sparkle.” She finally looked up at him, meeting his steely, bleak eyes. “And I’m your best bet of defeating Chrysalis.”

“Best bet, huh?” Shining Armor mocked. “If you say so. My hopes were dashed when I found Twilight’s device inoperable.” He shrugged, turning and staring back down at the rusted chains.

“I’m glad you didn’t use it. That device—it could have destroyed more than the changelings. It might have worked on all species. With the Elements, we can direct fire on one specific changeling. The queen of them all.”

“Sunset.” Shining Armor’s voice was meek. “Do you really believe we can win? Do you honestly think that we even stand a chance?”

When Sunset did not answer, Rainbow Dash spoke up, “Don’t listen to him, Sunset. I believe in you.”

Loyalty. Sunset nodded. Letting go is the hardest thing. It felt like time had stopped. An endless silence soaked the air. They all believe in me, all of the bearers. They all trust me. Sunset didn’t know what to say to Rainbow Dash, she didn’t have to say anything. The blue pegasus simply smiled, water still dripped from her bangs and soaked the soil.

“Shining Armor,” Sunset finally said after a long while, breaking the silence.

“Yes?”

“Twilight was wrong about you.”

“About me?”

“She called you a coward,” Sunset said, “And I know you’re not—which is why you’re going to do the bravest thing you can do.”

Shining Armor was skeptical. “Which is?”

“You’re going to stay here.”

Rainbow Dash interrupted, “How is that brave?”

“Because, Dash,” Sunset said, “Everypony has one of two responses. Fight or flight. When you’re backed into a corner, when you’re capable of doing something, or when you just don’t know what to do, you’ll always rely on one of those two responses.” She turned back to Shining Armor. “You’re going to be brave and do neither. No matter how much you might want to save your fiancée, your sister, or your kingdom, you’re going to stay here and wait.”

Shining Armor’s lips curled into a frown as his brow furrowed. “You want me to do nothing, just like I’ve been doing this entire time? You’d consider that bravery?” he scoffed. “I’m a coward.”

“You and I both know that isn’t true. If it were, you wouldn’t have come down here to see your fiancée. You wouldn’t have found Twilight’s device. And you wouldn’t have tried to use it.” Sunset stared at him. “I need you to be brave. I need you to stay down here because you’d only get in our way. That’s the bravest thing you can do right now.”

His frown eventually subsided and he nodded. Whether or not he’d do as instructed, Sunset could not be sure, but for now, she did not have to worry about him. “Come on, Dash,” Sunset said, twisting her body away from Shining Armor. As they started to trot away, Sunset took one last look at the shrapnel of silver that sat sticking out of the soil. Several words echoed in her mind, but none of them mattered.

Sunset let go of her fear.

World 2: Chapter 8

Guards were roaming the halls in pairs, and every doorway remained watched over. Had it not been for Rainbow Dash’s stealthy flight skills, it would have been challenging to navigate silently among the changelings. They crossed into an antechamber, while following far above two unwitting changeling patrols. The door closed behind the pair of guards, which allowed Rainbow to drop back to the floor and set Sunset down. “Alright, we need to open up every pod in this hall,” Sunset said to Rainbow, speaking as quietly as she could. Finding Twilight wouldn’t be difficult, she would most likely be with the other Elements in the dungeon, but they needed a distraction—and to find Rarity.

No workers were present in the halls. Sunset’s first thought was to return to Rarity’s room, but saw no hide nor tail of the Element of Generosity. The only ponies they had seen were those kept in the green glow of the cocoons that lined the largest halls of Canterlot Castle.

With the hall silent, Rainbow Dash went to work opening each and every pod. Goo flooded into the hall, but Sunset surrounded herself in a bubble, remaining on the ground to catch any pony that fell from the cocoons closer to the ceiling. Some woke instantly while others stayed unconscious, only to be forcibly awoken by one of their fellow escapees. Goo slid down Sunset’s shield, blocking her vision, but she remained steady with her magic, not allowing a single pony to fall and injure themselves. She didn’t even have a moment to think, her concentration entirely devoted to the safe care of the podded ponies. That’s why, when Rainbow Dash said, “Hey, it’s your friends!” Sunset did not register what that meant. It wasn’t until it was too late, the pods already opening, that Sunset screamed for Dash to stop.

The three disguised changelings burst from their gooey pods, green flames shooting off of them like lightning. One surprised Rainbow Dash, who tackled and sent them both to the floor. The other two turned their focus to Sunset but were shocked to see the gathering of so many ponies within the hall. It was like an angry wave stood behind Sunset and she was the dam preventing the water from breaking through. The two changelings circled around and ran past Rainbow Dash and their fellow decoy. “Where are you going!?” the sole changeling lisped through his fangs, struggling with all his might to keep Rainbow Dash immobilized.

“Ahem.”

Once the changeling looked at the beckoning voice, Sunset grabbed him with her magic and lifted him into the air. He was able to see the entirety of the hundred ponies that stood like statues. Stallions, mares, fillies, and colts. Even in the darkness, Sunset could see the terror in his big bug-like eyes. She trapped him in a different pod, goo flooding in to keep him fed, while forcing him to watch as the rebels passed. Some glared at the changeling while others simply ignored him, but they all made their way to the end of the hall.

It was there Sunset turned to those that followed. None had asked her any questions or thanked her for freeing them, they all seemingly understood their purpose. “There’s plenty of other halls in the castle,” she finally spoke to them, loud enough for it to echo down the line. “I need you all to free them. Everyone in Equestria is here in this city, most in this castle. We outnumber them twenty to one, if not more. Reclaim Equestria!”

With a boom as loud as thunder, a roar rumbled within the hall. Sunset knew their fury would sustain them, and they needed to keep that fire going, especially since the two changelings had run off to alarm their kin and queen. To most, any alerts would be a bad thing, but that’s precisely what Sunset wanted. As they transferred out into a hall that held no pods, Sunset pointed the freed in the direction of the next cocoon-filled corridor. She and Rainbow Dash would not be joining them. “Rainbow,” she said, motioning for them to both head off down a different conjoining hall. Sunset knew exactly where they needed to go, and it was not in the direction of the cocoons. The alarms rung; a distraction in place for the queen’s army.

Even in the darkness, Sunset was able to tell where the staircase was. Canterlot Castle had not changed as much as Chrysalis wanted it to, and Sunset had become accustomed to the darkness. The light emanating from the cracks of the door was a good marker, one of the few areas that remained lit. The last time she came down here she had been terrified of her disguise disappearing. There was no need for petty secrecy now. Even the guard was surprised when two free ponies came trotting down. So surprised that he dropped his loaf of bread. Even if he had been expecting them, he still would have lost his loaf once Sunset sent him smashing into the half-broken table, making it thoroughly split.

She was quick to pull the keys from her backpack, opening the second cell in the row. It just so happened to be the one with the white stallion who mocked the magazine she’d given him. He had started to beg to be free but Sunset cut him off. “We’re freeing everyone!” she said, levitating the changeling into the stallion’s cell.

“Finally,” the white stallion trotted out, his hair flipped back. “I thought I was going to be stuck within this prison for the rest of my life. You have my thanks, ladies. My name is Prince Blueblood, but I’m sure you already knew that.” Blueblood bowed, graciously, and his bangs fell in front of his eyes.

Sunset remembered him from her life as a student to Celestia, but the smell reeking off him kept the reunion at bay. I don’t think I ever said more than three words to him anyway.

Rainbow took the keychain from Sunset and said, “Pfft, who’re you calling a lady?” With the speed of a terrified gazelle, the pegasus went to work releasing every prison cell on the block.

Many ponies poured out, but Zecora was one of the few Sunset pushed through to greet. She apologized profusely to the zebra, telling of everything that had happened, but Zecora replied in her whimsical vernacular thanking Sunset for releasing her. “You have nothing to be ashamed of, Sunset Shimmer. You are making the world a better place. The changeling’s rule is but a simmer, for I am sensing a change of pace.” It brought peace to Sunset, the words spoken by the zebra. All she could do was apologize and thank Zecora once more.

“There’s already a large group of ponies freeing the pods of the upper hall. If you make your way up there, try to join them. I’m sure you’d enjoy a little payback.”

“I shall lead until I reach my limit, for this day is truly kismet,” Zecora replied, nodding her head and leading forward a few of those who recognized her.

It was then that Rarity came forward. Applejack, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie trailed steadily behind her. “Rarity!” Sunset yelled, greeting the fellow unicorn with a hug. “We went back to your room and couldn’t find you. I was worried that they had discovered your true identity as a bearer of the Elements.”

“They took everyone, my dear,” Rarity replied, clearly trying her best to relieve any distress. “All the staff was shoved down into this stony hovel. It’s also where I met some friends of yours. Well, now ours.” She laughed a nervous sort of laugh and moved out of the way, the trio’s tired eyes staring at Sunset with hesitant expressions.

Sunset didn’t mind, hugging every last one of them and apologizing for not being able to release them sooner. “I wanted to help you out while I was disguised as a changeling, but it wasn’t the right time.”

“That was you?” Pinkie Pie replied. “I had no idea you had that sort of power!”

“It wasn’t me, it was—”

“Twilight, right?” Rarity interrupted. “I don’t suppose you’ve already busted her out of that cocoon, have you?”

“Cocoon?” repeated Rainbow Dash. “We didn’t see any cocoons. Well, not any that aren't already on a wall.”

Applejack recalled the details, “They came down here with that them mare in a pod—they were gonna stick her in the cell next to mine but couldn’t find the keys, so they gave up.”

Sunset felt like kicking herself. Had she not taken the keys they would have had a full house of bearers ready to take on Chrysalis. “Well, hindsight’s twenty-twenty,” she mumbled to herself. “Do you still have your Element’s stone, Rarity?”

The white unicorn reached into her uniform—she was still wearing the outfit they gave her. That had been their mistake, but good fortune for Sunset. “Tada!” Rarity grinned, the purple gem reflecting the fire from the torches on the opposing wall.

“You found them?” Fluttershy spoke up, her eyes gleaming over the gem. It was then that Sunset pulled out the remaining five Elements. “They’re so pretty. Can these really help defeat the changelings?”

Even though Sunset wanted to explain her idea of only taking on Chrysalis and hoping that the changelings could be made peaceful, there would be no time to strategize. A thunderous boom shook the world around them, sending dust falling from the ceiling and knocking a few sconces off the wall. The entire dungeon rattled, the black iron bars of the cells resonated with a low hum, some even tilting closed. It came and went like summer rain. “What in all of Equestria was that!?” Applejack hollered, who held onto Fluttershy during the unknown calamity.

“Sounds like the fun’s already started. No time like the present!” Rainbow Dash yelled, already speeding off ahead of everyone else. She disappeared up the grey steps before Sunset and the others even thought to follow.

They caught up surprisingly fast—but mostly because Rainbow Dash stopped at the top of the stairs. The blue pegasus was staring up at the open sky. “I’m goin’ to assume there wasn’t always a giant gaping hole within the castle,” Applejack offhandedly remarked, and she was right. It was as if a cleaver struck down from the sky on the castle, tearing through every floor. It was a small but long cut, not extending more than the width of the hall they stood in, and barely managing to reach halfway in length.

As they stared in awe, a changeling came falling out of the air, skidding to a stop in front of them. Atop the changeling’s black back stood Zecora, rain-soaked and grinning. “They made a mistake in bringing me to Canterlot, this is a battle that shall not soon be forgot!” Her smile was smug and powerful. Sunset couldn’t truly believe it was her, and wanted to ask if she had been the one to ruin a piece of the castle, but Zecora cut her off before she could speak. “I’ve also brought news of the changeling queen, in the middle of the city she can be seen. Guarding a cocoon she tries to regain command, her words float in the wind like that of sand!”

“A cocoon?” Pinkie noted aloud. “That must be your friend Twilight. We’ll have all the bearers in one place!”

Sunset nodded. “Let’s go—but first, Zecora, could you do me a favor?” Zecora smiled, ready to please. “Could you go and free Princess Celestia and Princess Cadance, then tell them where we are? They’ll want to be present.”

But Zecora laughed. “Ah, but I cannot have such a chat, for it is Celestia who is the cause of that.” She motioned to the destruction and gave another set of heavy laughter. “An impressive sight I did behold, I am eager to see what will unfold!”

“Whoa,” was all that chorused among Sunset’s friends, but Sunset did not share in surprise. She had seen what Celestia could do, almost beating King Sombra in single combat had the stallion not been tricky.

They made their way through the castle’s gash, while passing the crumbling rubble of stone and marble. Once out into the rainy courtyard, they headed for the closest gate. The previously locked gate now sat smashed to pieces on the wet steps leading to the city. “My word! It’s like the day they invaded all over again!” Rarity remarked, gasping as a pegasus and changeling fell from the sky together.

“Yeah, except we’re the ones that are winning.” Rainbow Dash pointed to a group of changelings tied in a rope with earth ponies standing around them. “Looks like we took them unprepared just like they did to us!”

“With all this chaos, try not to get separated. If you do, remember the secret code word,” Pinkie Pie exclaimed over the sound of rain.

“What’s the secret code word?” Sunset asked, yelling just as much.

“Uh, duh! It wouldn’t be a secret if I told you!” Pinkie replied with a roll of her eyes and shake of her head.

They wouldn’t have a chance to get separated. Equestria was winning. Sunset hadn’t been accurate in her numbers—it wasn’t twenty to one, it was triple that. Had the queen not ceased the Hatchery’s production, then the ponies would surely have lost their initial battles. Instead, every pegasus spread their wings, maintaining air superiority while unicorn’s and earth ponies took care of the changelings on the ground. Storm clouds had been beaten back in some areas, but it didn’t even seem to affect the ponies like it did the changelings. They had worked so efficiently and so effectively that the street sat barren for Sunset and her friends. If there were any changelings in disguise, they were so outnumbered that it did not even matter.

Of course, pony morale went through the roof once Princess Celestia was seen flying above. Sunset caught sight of her at the end of a four-way street, all four routes blocked by ponies. The clouds parted over the center, and sent a ray of light down on the surrounding fleet. It wasn’t until Sunset got closer that she saw the reasoning—no more than a dozen changelings stood in the middle. They were all decked out in armor, protecting their queen and the single cocoon. “There’s Twilight and Chrysalis!” Sunset shouted, and she pushed faster than ever as they crossed the line from rain to sun.

“I’ve already sent for reinforcements from the surrounding outposts! Soon they’ll arrive to tear down this little rebellion and you’ll be back in a cocoon! I’ll make sure it’s down in the pits so you’ll never even see your precious sun!” Queen Chrysalis was yelling as Sunset and the bearers trotted up to be beside Princess Celestia and Princess Cadance. The threat was laughable, especially due to the number of ponies that surrounded the changeling queen and her guard.

Celestia acknowledged Sunset’s presence but said nothing. Their focus was the queen who was outnumbered and becoming more fearful by the second. “Give up Chrysalis. Your days of rule are finished,” Princess Cadance yelled in reply. “You made the mistake of bringing Equestria together, in more ways than one. Save yourself some pride and surrender.”

“I’ve got my hostage—” Chrysalis slammed a hoof down on the glass of the cocoon “—I don’t need to surrender so long as I’ve got her!”

“Twilight!” Sunset said, more loudly than she meant to. Princess Celestia perked up, realizing now that it was her student that Chrysalis lugged around. “We’ve got to get her out of there, she’s the Element of Magic.” Sunset turned to face her friends, but a glint of white fur and blue hair caught her eye. In the rain, she saw him coming.

It was Shining Armor. “Sorry, Sunset. I’m too much of a coward!” he shouted as he galloped toward her, passing by and throwing himself over the blockade of ponies and changelings. For a skinny stallion, his sprint and jump were impressive. He landed almost perfectly on the cocoon, but his legs fell out from under him, sprawling out on the glass. “I couldn’t sit in the darkness when the whole world was shaking!” he said as he slipped off to one side.

“You!” Chrysalis spat, but it was too late. The stallion ripped the shell off with his magic, goo spraying onto her guards. As Shining Armor grabbed Twilight and fled, the ponies that surrounded the changelings seized the moment and attacked the queen’s guard. Hooves and horns clattered, leaving the queen defenseless.

“It’s over, Chrysalis,” Princess Celestia said coolly.

While the fighting wore on, Sunset and the bearers crowded around Shining Armor and his unconscious sister. Twilight awoke after a second, still held in the forelegs of her brother. She smiled when she saw him, then froze, turned, and spat goo out onto the road. A few strands stuck to her mouth as she pulled away. “I guess we didn’t need my device after all,” Twilight said, noticing Sunset.

The liberated ponies had taken down the queen’s guards and prepared to strike on Queen Chrysalis. In a fit of rage, the empty cocoon was sent flying down the street behind Princess Celestia by the changeling queen. “You think this is over!? You think you’ve won!?” The queen went mad with her laughter, bellowing like the villain that she truly was.

“You’re completely surrounded by two princesses, the Elements of Harmony, and the entirety of Equestria bearing down on you.” Sunset stepped around Shining Armor and Twilight, levitating the Elements out from her backpack at the same time. “Twilight’s right, we didn’t even need her device to take you down,” she said, and held the gemstones in the air. “But just in case you decide to get funny with your surrender, we may as well be ready.”

There it is, Sunset thought as she stared at the pupils of the changeling queen. That moment of fear where you realize that all your hard work was for naught, beaten out by friendship. Sunset wanted to laugh just like the queen had, but she figured that was too demon-like. There was only room for one villain in Equestria, and soon she would be down in the dungeons beneath Canterlot. Or, at least, that’s what Sunset hoped for.

Chrysalis wasn’t like Sunset though, as everyone in the intersection soon found out. “Oh, I’m not worried about your little Elements of Harmlessness,” Queen Chrysalis replied in an almost warm voice. “You see—” The queen tilted her head down and a small, silver cube floated from an entanglement of her hair “—You’re going down with me as far as I’m concerned.”

“T-that can’t be!” Shining Armor shouted.

“Why does everyone hide it in their hair!?” Twilight also shouted, sitting up to see it better.

“That’s right. You think I didn’t know you were building something? I know everything that happens within my castle, and I know that this little grey box is supposed to be my ultimate destruction. You didn’t intend for it to be used on yourself, did you?” Chrysalis bore her teeth in what would count as a smile. “I thought not. Such a dramatic turn of events. What a wonderful happenstance!” She laughed again, but it was cut off by a shout.

Sunset pointed at the queen. “That’s not how you use that word!” she yelled as if it were more important than anything else. She quickly realized all eyes were on her and switched to something more meaningful. “If you use that device, it won’t just destroy us, it’ll destroy you as well! Destroying your own species just to destroy us isn’t a victory!”

“Quite contrary! You claimed I’ve already lost, but I can make sure you don’t win either!” The queen began to charge her horn, a barrier encasing her as she went to work.

“The device doesn’t work without a powerful power source,” Twilight explained. “With all the love she's absorbed, she might be strong enough to activate it.” She turned to Sunset. “Let’s use the Elements of Harmony on her, I’ll be glad to rid this scum from the world,” she hissed resentfully. Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack chorused her sentiment, they all seemed to want to bring their wrath upon the queen. All except for Rarity.

She reacted to Sunset’s hesitant face upon hearing Twilight’s request. “The Elements of Harmony should be used to bring harmony to the world, not erase foes we don’t like from existence,” Rarity spoke the words that Sunset didn’t.

Twilight turned her glare at the white unicorn. “That’s the device I made,” she said calmly at first, and then exploded, “It’s either her or us! She’s brought this destruction upon herself!”

All the bearers’ eyes turned on Rarity, and it was clear the Element of Generosity stood outnumbered. When she turned to Sunset, Sunset was staring at Chrysalis. “It’s alright Rarity,” Sunset said, she didn’t bother to look at the bearers. “I’ve been so caught up in trying to save this world, to make this world matter to me, to make it better. I’ve found what matters, though. It’s you all. I already knew that, though.” Sunset did not turn her head from the direction of Chrysalis. She dared not.

The queen was charging her power, she held the whole world as hostage. Sunset knew Chrysalis was crazy enough to do it—Sunset had been the same way once. She would have done anything to hold on to her demon power, though it had been a good thing that she lost it. It’d be good once Chrysalis was defeated too, and there was no other way than allowing the Elements to have at her. “In the previous world, the world was at war. Kind of like this one, but we were winning, more or less. All of you were given your Element of Harmony when you realized exactly what your Element was.”

Sunset turned to face them, though they were blurry from her tears. “I tried my hardest to get you to see your Elements in this world, but the Tree of Harmony didn’t care. It had no connection to your or the Elements, not like I did.” She smiled. It wasn’t happy or sad, it was more that she was content. The fear that she let go, though she should have been afraid of the destruction formulating behind her, it did not phase her.

“Every moment I’ve spent worrying about how to get you to use the Elements of Harmony, every time I came so close to figuring it out, I was thrown for another loop. I started to doubt myself; to give up. I wanted nothing more than to just quit and go home, and I still want that. As much as I care for you guys, as much as I want to help this world, I still can’t help the feeling of wanting to just, let go.” She paused, and glanced over the mix of reactions from each of the bearers, even feeling the sad eyes from Celestia peering down at her. “But you all taught me something. Something that I’ve been trying to show you.

“Twilight, you’ve shown me magic I never thought I’d see. Rarity, your generosity helped me more times than I can count. Rainbow Dash, you’ve been loyal even before you thought to call me friend. Applejack, your honesty is what helped me understand the hard times. Pinkie Pie, I can’t help but laugh at your lovable luck. And Fluttershy, the kindness you showed me, the willingness to be my friend, a stranger that you didn’t know, that was the moment I should have realized.”

Sunset stepped back and bowed her head before levitating the gemstones to each of the bearers’ necks. “I didn’t need to try and help you realize what your Element was. Instead, you represented each Element perfectly, teaching me what they truly meant. I couldn’t ask for a better lesson.” She lifted her head to witness the gems transform into white lights, spreading out into necklaces. “Thank you.”

No words passed between the Elements as they looked at their necklaces. They glanced at Sunset with tears in their eyes. Even as they held a group hug, the only voice that was speaking was that of Chrysalis who was murmuring about their destruction. Sunset had felt the spark of the Elements within the throne room but had not realized what that meant till everything was on the line. Even as she turned to watch the excitement of her friends tearing Chrysalis’s plan in two, she knew that it was for the best.

Just as Chrysalis finished powering the device, a rainbow of color swooped down upon the silver cube. In a dramatic twist of irony, much like how Sombra turned into crystals, Chrysalis and the cube merged, turning the changeling queen into a silvery grey statue. It finished with the queen almost instantly. The tornado rainbow swirled around the queen and then exploded in six directions.

It was like a sonic boom, tearing a bubble of magic through Canterlot and forcing out any semblance of the changeling species with it. Though Sunset had only read about it, the changelings' departure from Canterlot was much like her own world's expulsion of the love bugs. This, however, took everything with it. Changelings flew in every direction so high that they’d be several continents over, and the cocoons that clung to the walls of the city went with them. The Hatchery uplifted, snapping off the royal tower like a tick and crumbling part of the slender building in on itself. Some of the smaller cocoons were merely shredded, their goo releasing whoever was still locked away.

Again, the Elements of Harmony brought the world back to peace. Sunset had hoped for a less destructive end to an otherwise clean defeat, but as she basked beneath the sun and stared up at Chrysalis, she dared not think of the what if. Just let it go, it’s not what matters, she thought, unsure if she should be smiling. As her friends returned in a whirlwind of color, she did not go to congratulate them. She could not. It had not been her victory—she was just glad to have united them. The victory of King Sombra had not been her victory either, she now realized.

It was a surreal feeling. She was supposed to be happy. The changelings, however odd or horrible they could be, were simply thrown out of Equestria in one fell swoop. Sunset didn’t feel happy, though. The final decision was stripped from her hooves. She did not desire the hero’s spotlight, but as she stared at the silver queen, she could not help but feel she had made a mistake somewhere down the line. Let it go, she told herself, trying her best to listen.

“Hello, Sunset,” a voice spoke to her, which tore her from her inexplicable thoughts.

“Hello, Princess Celestia,” Sunset responded, though she did not offer any other courtesy. One Celestia had already forgiven her, and it was her own world’s Celestia that she wanted approval from next.

“You’ve done a mighty fine job, I must say. I did not think that you would return. I feared—”

Sunset cut her off, “I’m not this world’s Sunset Shimmer.”

Princess Celestia’s eyes lit up. “Oh. I see. That would explain some things.” What she was really saying was, “That explains why you’re so friendly and helpful.”

“I’m hoping I can return to my world now, or soon, at least.” Sunset turned back to the silver queen, while remembering the stone statue that sat in the courtyard and how badly she wanted to turn Chrysalis into the same thing. “I’m not sure I’ll be able to return to my world, though. As much as I wish I could. So, for a little while, I’d like to stay here. If you don’t mind.”

“You are more than welcome here, though I don't think I have to say it. You’ve done more than enough to earn your place. I’m sure you’re exhausted after how much you’ve accomplished. You even tried to save me. Twice!” Celestia chuckled.

It didn’t matter what excuse Celestia made for her reasoning as to why Sunset wanted to stay. Sunset had her own reasons. She had not stayed nearly long enough in the last world, barely taking the time to know the ponies who had been her friends in multiple worlds now. Even that was an excuse. In truth, she suspected there would be another world in peril, and she had no desire to go unprepared. There had been many ponies who chorused the idea of multiple universes. Even if the next trip was her trip home, she wanted to be ready for the worst of any world.

The days after the battle that ponies were calling ‘The Battle for Harmony’—aptly given by the word that spread through the city about the Elements of Harmony—things started to settle down. Work was slow and meticulous, but everyone in Equestria was there to help rebuild the city. Some had returned to their home cities to judge the damages, but many remained. With so much help, Sunset was forced to move on from one thing to the next just to stay busy.

Wherever she went, however, the Elements were right beside her. “Fluttershy, you were at flight school the same time I was, right?” Rainbow Dash had asked as they lugged wood logs down main street. Much of the city required lumber for scaffolding since the city rebuilt with stone. Incidentally, the majority of buildings that were in ruins all had checker pieces littering their floors.

“That’s right. It’s been so long I barely remember anypony. I wasn’t there as long as you were,” Fluttershy replied.

“Not much good it did it. I wonder if the Wonderbolts are forming up again.”

“We could use the Wonderbolts to spread apple seeds down in Ponyville to replenish whatever we lost. I’m sure they could make quick work,” Applejack noted, hauling the heaviest of logs.

It was nice to hear them hopeful for the future, Sunset thought, but it was odd to hear of a future she would not be part of. “There’s going to be a lot of things that will need righting.” Sunset dropped her logs down on the grass of the courtyard. She looked over at the gardens where two ponies were chipping down the statue of Chrysalis. The silver statue had replaced it, a marvelous decoration for the castle grounds.

Celestia’s hole was repaired with ease—one of the first things Princess Cadance and Shining Armor had started work on. “Not as much as you’d think, though. It’s mostly tearing things down and rebuilding them. I think we’ll complete it in a year so long as we don’t move winter in,” Twilight described. “It’ll be more of a hassle to move ponies back to their homes. After the wedding, Princess Cadance and Prince Shining Armor will be aiding in moving ponies.”

“Before turning their sights on the Crystal Empire, right?” Sunset asked. If the world was truly going to return to normalcy, then things needed to match up with what was right in her own world.

“That’s the idea,” Twilight replied. The purple unicorn had dropped her vest, ugly green shoes, and even let her mane grow out some—though she still remarked of how she enjoyed the coolness atop her head as she worked.

They all had been hard at work, and by the day the wedding came, they completely renovated the castle. The wedding was not in the castle, however. They held it in the very spot where Chrysalis was defeated, a final jab at the changeling queen. The happy couple invited everyone in Equestria, and it wasn’t hard for them to attend. There was nothing flashy about the wedding, not like Sunset would have imagined a princess’s wedding to be. Cadance wore a white gown, and Shining his superior captain uniform, though it looked too big for him, what with how skinny he’d become.

Sunset had been asked to be a bridesmaid but refused, leaving the spot open for the six Elements. She wanted to be prepared in the front row, waiting for the single changeling who thought they could act as vengeance upon the wedding. It had all been for naught, however. It was a short wedding, and Sunset appreciated that. Everyone was eager to be done with the last remnant of the changeling invasion. And so, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and Shining Armor were married at long last, and no one was more ecstatic than the happy couple, though their honeymoon would have to wait.

At night, Sunset would visit with Zecora. The zebra had produced large quantities of the green paste that prevented a changeling’s disguise, and had covered the faces of every pony that stayed within Canterlot. Sunset grew attached to the whimsical way Zecora spoke, having never met someone like her at CHS. Sunset knew she might not ever meet Zecora again, whether in her world or her Equestria, and thought it best to learn as much as she could from the zebra. Of course, Zecora was happy to oblige. “Spend time in the Everfree Forest and you will find me, that or it shall be I who stumbles upon ye.”

When she was not speaking with Zecora, Sunset was using her spare time to copy the journal that had been the cause of her plight. She hoped all the information she had learned from Princess Twilight would be helpful to the friends of this world. She did leave out a few embarrassing stories that happened to herself, but overall, it was a match for match copy.

She presented the copy to Twilight and the gang of friends who had grown even closer with each passing day, and they all accepted it warmly. Sunset, however, did not expect a gift in return. “It’s not a replacement for the one you have, but it might do good to write down some of your thoughts or notes about this world,” Twilight stated. “It might also help in writing down things in the next world you visit,” she trailed off. Many ponies had told Sunset that she would most likely be visiting another new world, but Twilight was the only one that was certain of it. “It’s just basic calculations,” she had muttered absentmindedly to Sunset, only to realize it had not been the right thing to say.

But everyone around Sunset drew the same conclusion. Even Princess Celestia had figured it out as soon as she learned Sunset was not of this world and had visited another, different world. But none had an answer for how many worlds Sunset would have to face, or why. “It’s not a penance,” she would tell them, though. Only Rarity understood what that meant, and seemed delighted to hear Sunset say it.

A week after the wedding, Sunset finally decided she was ready to move on. She had not been gone from her world as long as she thought she had, thankfully. Still, Sunset worried about what her friends might be doing to try and save her. “Remember, just send them my way,” she told the friends of this world as they traveled through Ponyville. Much of the town was still in disarray, but the destruction happened recently, which meant it was easily fixable. “They’re not used to this world, they’re not used to being ponies,” Sunset mentioned. I just hope they aren’t foolish enough to try and save me. That was her one fear, her only fear now. The fear of bringing whatever burden was facing her down on them, much like Princess Twilight had done to her—regardless if she meant to or not.

“We’ll put them under intense observation to make sure they’re not changelings,” Rainbow Dash jokingly said. “But after that, I might challenge my clone to a race.”

“They’re not clones, Dash,” Twilight scolded for the fourth time, but the pegasus shrugged and flew on ahead once the crystalline table came into view.

Princess Celestia remained in Canterlot with the newly wedded couple, which left only Zecora and the bearers to see Sunset off. “I wish I knew more of the worlds you will face, but my fire cannot tell me of other times and space,” Zecora had told her, also believing that Sunset would face many more trials. She had looked over the journal Sunset was copying and thought there could be an infinite amount of worlds that Sunset might find. That did not reassure Sunset, but it had already been a possibility she knew.

“I’m not looking forward to this,” Sunset complained, rolling her shoulders and feeling the straps weigh heavily on her back. “The portal gives some seriously weird vibes.”

“I can’t believe we’re going to see somepony disappear right before our very eyes!” Pinkie claimed. Her enthusiasm and laughter were slow to return, and her paranoia would most likely never leave her, but she was closer to the Pinkie of CHS than that of the last world. Sunset had written all about the last world’s Pinkie and this world’s, making detailed observations about both. She even made a note, “An interesting psyche study would most likely come from studying Pinkie Pie.” She missed making notes, having forgotten most of the notes she had told herself to remember.

Twilight sighed. “Pinkie, you’ve seen me teleport like five times just today.”

“Oh, right. My bad!”

“Will the portal affect us?” Rarity asked.

Sunset shook her head. They all stood around the crystal table and she lifted her front hooves onto the edge. The green trees and vines reflected the light of the hologram atop the table—they’d definitely need to beat back the Everfree Forest now that the war was over. “Don’t forget. The Tree of Harmony might need those Elements back some day.”

“We’ve got the journal,” Applejack assured, nodding.

“Be safe, Sunset,” Fluttershy said as she sat down, the other bearers following suit.

For a moment, Sunset clung to the table. She had changed her mind for a split second, and wanted to stay with these friends. “Let go, Sunset,” Rarity called out over the bellowing winds that did not affect her. Sunset did as instructed, but not before a few happy tears floated up into the portal.

Sunset felt light as a feather as she floated out of existence. She felt so light that she screamed—she couldn’t feel anything! She swung her forelegs in front of her eyes, and could see them but not feel the weight they once had. That’s when she closed her eyes in hopes that it would soon pass.

A voice washed over her. “See? You can’t stop me no matter what you do.”

Who is that voice? Sunset wondered, still praying that she would be standing inside a crystal castle with a mirror to her world only a few doors down. She felt the portal spit her out, more gently than she expected. Her legs returned feeling and she heard the portal close, but did not open her eyes. “Until I open my eyes, I’m nowhere. This is certainly my timeline,” she shouted, her eyes squinted closed so hard it was starting to hurt. “I am in my timeline. This is my timeline. I am not—”

“From another timeline?” a voice interrupted. Sunset threw open her eyes and turned to see the legendary Nightmare Moon staring down at her. “Lost two, but gained one. Seize her!”

World 3: Chapter 1

Though the hulking dark blue legend stood firmly in front of her, Sunset was in disbelief. For a thousand-year-old myth, she’s far less terrifying than that of her portrayal. Perhaps it was because she knew the truth of Nightmare Moon—of how she was really Princess Luna, Princess Celestia’s sister. Nothing of this fable was scary. The light azure helmet clashed with the black fur and violet eye shadow, and her fangs looked like the triangle chips that were available from vending machines inside CHS. Having come from a world where Chrysalis and her needle-like teeth had controlled the entirety of Equestria, Sunset felt almost relieved to see what ruled this terrible world. “That will not be necessary,” Sunset told the villainous alicorn. “I can’t leave.”

There’d been an anger in Nightmare Moon’s eyes that spoke trouble. Something had brought her displeasure. “I’m sure that’s what the last little pony would have said had I given her the opportunity to try and trick me twice.”

“Last? I don’t suppose you mean Twilight Sparkle. She's a purple alicorn with a pet dragon?”

“That’s the one. Which means you also know of this time traveling ability.” Nightmare Moon motioned for the guards to intercept, to which they did so without a struggle. Sunset saw no need to put up a fight, allowing the guards to clamp down on both her forelegs. “Tell me how this portal works or else you’ll be spending a dozen lifetimes beneath Canterlot.”

Sunset stifled a laugh. “If I knew how it worked, do you really believe I would have teleported myself to a world where Princess Luna wasn’t redeemed? No, I’d leave that for the Elements of Harmony and their bearers.”

“The Elements of Harmony?” Nightmare Moon erupted with her own laughter, and Sunset had to admit it was far more menacing than the rest of the alicorn. “They sided with Celestia, and I made sure to cast them away once she was defeated. Not to mention she’s been locked within the moon for years.”

“I wasn’t talking about Celestia—I said the bearers.” Sunset moved to unlock her forelegs from the guards, but they made no motion to let her go. She grunted and huffed, giving up almost immediately. It’s a new world, and I’m already tired of it, she thought as she teleported up onto the table. The sudden flash spooked the two guards, and another pair were already clambering onto the table. “This map lights up whenever I touch it,” Sunset said, ignoring Nightmare Moon’s minions as if they were mosquitoes. “It shows the bearer’s cutie marks,” she continued, motioning at the holographic map that appeared beneath her hooves.

Six cutie marks and a white tree stuck out compared to the rest of the map. Two were extremely close to the place she stood, Sunset noted, while the other four were also in close proximity to each other. Canterlot. A guard pawed at her from the Crystal Empire, which was thankfully not covered in crystals. Much of the world looked the same or as much as Sunset could remember from what she saw when the first portal swallowed her. No changeling army or brainwashed soldiers. Just an eternal night.

“Interesting,” Nightmare Moon announced, glaring down at the unveiled map with her sharp, cat-like eyes. “A map of Equestria. These markings—cutie marks? And that—” She pointed at the Tree of Harmony “—is that what I think it is?”

“These are cutie marks of the bearers of the Elements of Harmony,” Sunset replied, and was about to say more before one of the guards pulled her off the table.

The slam against the earth was jarring, and so was the pushing of her head against the cold grass. Sunset tried to struggle—and was about to use her magic when suddenly the guard’s grip loosened, and she was able to push herself up. “That’s my cutie mark!” the guard said, their voice faltering.

“What!?” Nightmare Moon shouted and growled within the same breath. At the alicorn’s demand, the guard removed their helmet and undid the straps of their armor.

Sunset couldn’t believe her eyes—it was Rainbow Dash. The shaved mohawk looked very much like something Rainbow would do if she wasn’t friends with Rarity, which meant this world’s Rainbow Dash certainly wasn’t. When Rainbow Dash turned her flank to show off the cutie mark that matched the one on the table, Sunset noticed that her tail was neatly trimmed and her wings had been wrapped around her sides with white tape, though Sunset did not know why.

“You! What is this sorcery? Why does this involve a member of my royal guard?” Nightmare Moon demanded of Sunset, almost shouting her questions. The chilly, practically foggy air of the forest made the alicorn’s breath visible like that of a seeping miasma.

“I already told you—Rainbow Dash and these five other cutie marks are the bearers of the Elements of Harmony. The Tree of Harmony accepts them as such, regardless of the timeline or how much it’s distorted,” Sunset replied, growing tired of explaining to deft ears. If she decides to throw me in the dungeon, perhaps she’ll put Rainbow Dash there as well. Regardless… She eyed the glowing Tree of Harmony. It had not glowed since the world where King Sombra had waged war. I should try and coerce a visit to the cave before I plan for any sort of imprisonment.

While Rainbow Dash threw back on her armor, Nightmare Moon pondered over the revelation. “I see. And these bearers who wield the Elements of Harmony—they defeat those they deem as evil? Could they be used to further strengthen my Equestria?” Nightmare Moon asked, her voice was chillingly calm. She was circling the table, her cat-like eyes never disturbed from their stare.

The gears clicked for Sunset. I could tell her I’m an alien and she might just believe me—so long as I’m willing to help her, she bemused, laughing within her mind while remaining expressionless for the evil alicorn. “The bearers have defeated countless villains that have threatened the sanctity of Equestria. I could help in aiding that power surface, for you.” Sunset stepped toward Nightmare Moon, glancing up at the black fur that almost reminded her of Chrysalis.

“And why would you do that?” Nightmare Moon replied, a chastising tone spouting from her dark lips.

“You’ll never be able to use the portal or travel through time. The portal only affects me and no one else, that’s how it’s been the last two worlds. The Elements of Harmony on the other hoof…” Sunset paused, throwing up her eyebrows. “Well, uniting the bearers and sitting them on these chairs—that gets me home. If you want the Elements of Harmony, which could certainly strengthen your Equestria, we could arrange a deal.”

Sunset was lying, of course. There would be no way she’d willingly help a villain keep their hold on Equestria, but she’d grown tired of wars, prisons, and fighting. Sticking heavily on the back of such a villain would give her an edge that opposing her could not. But Nightmare Moon didn’t need to know that. I’ve done worse things than lie, Sunset thought, believing her plan would be acceptable and patting herself on the back for the improvisation skills she felt she did not have. Maybe I don’t need that class after all.

Nightmare Moon looked to weigh her options heavily, her pupils twitching as they glanced between Sunset and the map. Then, those chip-like fangs bore a smile. “Just who are you?”

“My name is Sunset Shimmer.”

The name stung the nightmare, but instead of souring, the evil alicorn burst with laughter. “An ironic little thing you are. Very well, Sunset Shimmer, from this day forward we have a pact. If you begin to disappoint me, just remember that the dungeons are very roomy.” She paused, her smile turning sour. “And should you fail to bring what you have promised, there won’t be a universe that you could escape to that will be safe from the likes of me.”

I have my doubts, Sunset mocked but said nothing. A simple nod was all she gave as a response to the threat. “I’ll need my own room, access to a library, and of course the bearers rounded up. I’ll also need to visit the Tree of Harmony.”

“The latter will have to wait. I should like to meet these bearers before we proceed.” Nightmare Moon turned to the guard known as Rainbow Dash. “Let us return to Everfree Castle before making our way to Canterlot. When we get there, you will temporarily be relieved of your duties for an indeterminate amount of time. Instead, you will remain as a guard to Sunset, keeping a watchful and informative eye on her.”

Sunset didn’t like the idea of spying, but she knew that having Rainbow Dash close by would only be a boon to her plans. Of course, she did not know what her plans might be yet, but it was a good start. “Yes, ma’am!” Rainbow Dash saluted, and they led Sunset away from the map. She stole a glance over her shoulder, her chin brushing the strap from her backpack, and wondered what the differences would be within this timeline. Another war? Brainwashed citizens?

She did not need to wonder for long. The arch stone bridge they traversed allowed Sunset to see a castle she had discovered in another world, one that was ruined and covered in foliage. This castle was the opposite in every regard. Colors of blue, purple, and white mixed together, fires of cobalt lighting the way. It was the Castle of the Two Sisters, restored in all of its former glory, now renamed Everfree Castle. Sunset had not expected something so beautiful, and for a moment she became lost within herself.

The changelings had turned the world sour, destroying homes and rewriting cities. All the work she had done to prepare herself for the worst, all the planning and ideas she had gathered and written, was for naught. Even the magical training that she had undergone in her last few days of the previous world, it seemed almost pointless now. As she stood, wide-eyed and mouth agape, she realized that her entire strategy was now out the window. She had planned for the worst world possible.

What she got was the best of all possible worlds.

Sunset was nervous but not afraid. Nightmare Moon had remained quiet until they stepped inside the refurbished castle. “Welcome to the gallery of the past,” the alicorn said, extending a surprising welcome to the great hall. Sunset had been here before, standing next to a piece of the ceiling that had collapsed, where grass sprouted up along the sides.

Now, blue flame torches brightened the silky drapes that depicted the moon and ponies celebrating beneath. Glass windows let in the moon’s gorgeous cerulean rays of light. Everything was blue. The ceiling, the walls, the flames. Everything aside from the rug beneath their hooves—and even that was a dark burgundy with a dusky shade of bronze hemming. As they trotted up a short set of cyan steps, Sunset breathed heavily. Her body was in awe of the throne at which Nightmare Moon sat. A crescent moon sculptured into the seat. More banners depicting Nightmare Moon ranged the walls beside the windows. It was nothing like the dusty landscape she remembered.

Sunset found herself muttering and following the villainess across the great hall. Everything was spectacular, and she only wondered what the library of this place might look like. As they came closer to the crescent seat, Nightmare Moon took her place, and Sunset was following her up, but the guards quickly intervened, pushing her back to the bottom.

The villainess did not mind the guards superseding. They were doing their duty, after all. “Have one of the castle guards go the half-mile into the woods and find that table. I want it guarded night and true night. Should the little world hopper escape our custody, I don’t want her fleeing this world.” She paused, grinned, and then said, “Not to mention anypony else that might come through.” Nightmare’s command was fulfilled immediately by one of her guards running off. It was not Rainbow Dash, however. The pegasus stood closest to Nightmare Moon compared to any other guard.

The alicorn then barked another command, “Gather up my staff, we’re leaving shortly. We’ll trudge through the true night if need be. I want to be in Canterlot before my beautiful moon rises to greet the new night.” Clearly satisfied, Nightmare Moon rose and made her way off the pedestal she had placed herself on. Sunset was going to follow the villainess, but again the guards stopped her. “I shall return momentarily. Do not wander far,” Nightmare Moon commanded. A few guards went with her, disappearing behind a solid spruce door that was painted blue just like the rest of the castle.

Sunset was happy to oblige the hulking monster. The joy she felt for this world was almost impalpable, even the air felt clearer. The stench of the changelings had suffocated her even after expelling them from Equestria, but this world only smelled like lavender and lilies. Even the guards were a fresh mint, though only a few remained behind.

Rainbow Dash was one of those few, her purple armor hiding everything but the color of her fur and eyes. Sunset took a moment to examine the armor piece, half because she worried she might one day be wearing it as a disguise, and another half because she found it surprisingly interesting. Starting at the hooves, she noted how the design was reminiscent of the shoes Princess Celestia often wore, though much smaller. The armor, dark blue, purple, and mauve, had a gem at the center of the chest which looked like one of Nightmare Moon’s eyes. Sunset glanced to the other guards and noticed they all had wings. The tails, made of the same material as the rest of the armor, hid what their real tails looked like.

“How can you fly in that?” Sunset asked Rainbow Dash. “How can you even sit down?” She had blurted her questions willy-nilly, but there was little else to do except examine the tapestries again.

The pegasus stared with ruby eyes so sharp they might as well be able to cut an apple in half. They then turned, looking at the other guards, before focusing back on the unicorn. She did not answer vocally, instead, the wings of the armor began to flap, and she hoisted herself into the air. As if to show off, Rainbow Dash slammed her butt down in front of Sunset, the metal tail crushing like rubber against her weight. “Satisfied?” Rainbow Dash growled as she stood back up.

Sunset glanced up at the helmet Dash wore, noticing the moon’s mark upon the helm, just below the fin. At first, Sunset thought it was a fish’s fin, but the pattern resembled closely to that of the wings on the cuirass—bat wings. “I suppose,” Sunset replied, giving one last glance before backing away. Though I’m curious how those wings operate, she pondered, thinking of the taped wings that sat beneath the dark armor.

She let it go, for now, and turned to glance over the draperies once more. She wondered how long this world would keep her. Though she felt nervous, it was also exciting. There’s so much of the world to learn, and for once it might be peaceful. Taking a moment to feel slightly giddy, she unzipped her backpack and levitated the notebook her friends of the last world had given her. She jotted down a page for the first world, which she aptly named the ‘Crystal War’ timeline, and one for the previous world, which she named the ‘Resistance’ timeline. On the third page, she held a pen at the top, thinking hard about what she could name this world. ‘The Night’s Hold’ came to mind, to which she started to write but then quickly erased it. ‘Nightmare’s Night’ was the second she thought of for this timeline, and she was quite proud of herself for the title, even if it was more simplistic. I wonder if this Equestria still celebrates Nightmare Night.

She scribbled down a few notes, making details specific of the armor that the guards wore, and then turned back to the first page. The Crystal War was mostly blank other than describing a few character traits and the appearances of her friends. At the bottom she had written, “What happens matters,” and, “We matter.” Staring over so much blank space, she began mentally kicking herself for not remembering more. That was when a voice spoke to her.

“Water?” The honeyed tone was so quaint that Sunset did not expect to see such a familiar face.

“Ra-Rarity?” Sunset stammered. She had seen the cutie mark but did not know what to expect. The purple hair and tail were neatly in a bun, and the dark indigo outfit the white unicorn wore perfectly accented their color. This Rarity was the closest thing to normal that Sunset had witnessed from any of the worlds she visited.

Of course, this wasn’t a normal world, and this wasn’t her Rarity. “Do you want the water or not?” the curt question ripped from Rarity’s mouth like a broken fountain. She motioned for Sunset to take the crystal clear glass from the silver platter within her magical grasp.

Sunset did as she was instructed but made no move to drink it. “I can’t believe I found you so easily. Are you one of the staff working under Nightmare Moon?”

“No,” Rarity replied. “I do not have that privilege.”

“You do now,” a guttural voice said. Dark blue mist had poured into the room, filtering to the ceiling. Too bewitched by the discovery of Rarity, Sunset hadn't noticed. The mist transformed into Nightmare Moon, or it had always been Nightmare Moon, Sunset couldn’t decide which. Either way, the villainess had returned. “It’s your lucky day, my sweet gallery’s manager. You’re coming with us to Canterlot.”

“As you wish, princess,” Rarity said, bowing her head. “I’ll pack my things immediately.”

Sunset wanted more than just a moment to talk with the fellow unicorn, but she did not get that luxury. “Another of your little bearers, what a small world it is.” For a moment, Sunset thought Nightmare Moon was surprised to find another bearer just like she was, but she listened to the tone of the alicorn’s voice over and over in her head. She knew Nightmare Moon had seen the cutie marks, and Rarity’s was quite visible. She was testing my reaction, Sunset realized, glancing up at the expressionless alicorn. There was a small curve to the edge of her lips right where they met her cheeks, and that’s when Sunset knew she was right in her guess.

“Where did you run off to?” Sunset asked, avoiding the talk of the bearers.

“I have an empire to run, and I was simply visiting Everfree Castle on holiday,” Nightmare Moon replied. “As chance would have it, I picked the right day for a bit of relaxation. A time traveler appears on my doorstep claiming Celestia beat me, then disappears and brings forth another who is willing to help me utilize the Elements of Harmony. I did not expect to have to leave so soon. Preparations had to be made, letters sent. My citizens require me for every little thing, and somepony like you might become gossip.”

Sunset tilted her head and furrowed her brow. Obviously, a pony from another world would be unique, but she could not fathom why that would mean gossip. The face she made was easily read by Nightmare Moon, who added, “Did you think I would hide you from my public? No, no. You see, there’s one thing they fear in this world.” Nightmare Moon leaned her head down to get as close to Sunset as she could, her grin was far more menacing up close. “The sun, my dear Sunset. They fear the sun.”

It was a cryptic message, and Sunset hated the idea of not understanding something. “Fear the sun?” she repeated. She didn’t understand, which made the question very convincing. “Surely there’s a group, somepony out there who hates your night.” She was overextending her plan and her beliefs, giving a small bit of insight into what she could possibly be planning. Not that she was actually planning anything, yet.

Nightmare Moon turned away, her grin still plastered on her face. “Somepony who hates my night? No. But there is a group—one that would pull you off the streets if you were heard saying anything negative about my rule. They’re a group of fanatics.” Her smile soured. “If they weren’t for my rule, I would have removed whatever zealots I’ve found. They’re the ones I must plan carefully for, and they won’t take kindly to your arrival.”

The evil alicorn hushed herself instantly when she noticed Rarity return with a couple of suitcases. A second later and one of her guards also returned. “It looks like everything is ready for our trip,” Nightmare Moon rejoiced, turning back to Sunset. “I do hope I didn’t frighten you. So long as you obey me, I’m sure you’ll have no trouble with the extremists.”

Sunset did the one thing Nightmare Moon hadn’t expected—she laughed. “Zealots? Are you kidding? I’ve fought brainwashed soldiers and changelings, a crystal king and a silver queen. Zealots sound like a cakewalk.”

Whether Nightmare Moon was impressed or displeased, Sunset did not know nor care. Compared to sneaking through a blasted crystal wall, traversing half of Equestria, or disguising as another species, fanatics were nothing.

“Very well, let us take our leave,” Nightmare Moon replied, motioning them out of the great hall.

With all of her ideas and plans for this world seemingly in ruin, the trip to Canterlot was a good reprieve. Sunset got her own flying chariot with Rainbow Dash as her guard. She did not see where Rarity stayed, and Nightmare Moon had her own palanquin, a giant monstrosity that kept her hidden from the world. It was dragged by five guards across the sky, while Sunset’s chariot required a measly two. Dash remained quiet the entire trip, and Sunset did not bother to voice her plans to the pegasus so soon. She’ll be loyal to Nightmare Moon, Sunset knew, one of the many thoughts she gleaned during the moonlit ride.

But thinking wasn’t the only thing Sunset did. Her eyes watched the world as they passed. Grey fog and thick clouds covered most of the earth below. When they sailed north over the town of Ponyville, the haze parted, and Sunset saw the city intact and lively for the first time in two worlds. Ponies went about their business, completely unaware of the presence flying over them. Though the sun was gone, they lived their lives. Shopping, eating, buying, and selling. Bright yellowish grey fires sung in the street lamps, forever on regardless of the hour. In the distance, Sunset could see the farmland known as Sweet Apple Acres. Pink leaves stood out in contrast to the green pine and oak that surrounded the farmstead, and the glow of cyan lit up the trees like Hearth’s Warming decorative lights.

That’s when her eyes turned upward, toward the moon, and she realized how low it had become. It dwindled in the west, cutting in half the unicorn-like face that had always been there. The last blue beams of moonlight stretched toward Canterlot, which they were fast approaching. It stood out from the mountain it cut into, well above the grey clouds and mist. Sunset could see the first few off-white, rotund buildings sticking up past Nightmare Moon’s palanquin, and she held her breath as she waited to see the rest. As more and more came into view, it looked as normal as normal could be for a world without a sun. Banners of blue stuck out against the cream gold of the towers and violet roofs, and the same light blue fire from the Everfree Castle lit the streets. A perfect city that stood taller than any other.

The closer they came, the lower to the ground they went, passing below the fog and hitting the gravel road below. Sunset had not expected such a bump and had fallen backward into Rainbow Dash, who shrugged her back the other way. The dizzying experience left Sunset dazed for a moment, but she was quick to regain her senses just in time to see the black iron gates open to the city of Canterlot. The gate guards were decked out in the same sort of armor as Nightmare’s royal guard, but without the wings. Wings were for the ponies who stood watch in the guard tower, a one-story, open-air imperial platform that stood just behind the black iron fence. Positioned at every gate, they sat prominently compared to the rest of Canterlot’s buildings. Sunset made a mental note to write about the short turrets in her journal. It’s a shame the last world did not have them, maybe they could have beat the changelings if their defenses had been better.

Sunset was snapped away from her thoughts as she heard screaming. For a moment she worried, but then saw the ponies coming out of their homes and realized what it was. The blue rays of moonlight coated fillies and colts, mares and stallions, all who were screaming with delight. “Nightmare Moon! Nightmare Moon!” they shouted, waving flags and trotting in place. “Princess! Princess!” others whinnied, hoping to gain a look from their beloved leader. Some even whispered questions as they looked in Sunset’s direction.

This was the first time Sunset had seen Nightmare Moon since she boarded her palanquin. The villainess poured out in mist form, appearing suddenly atop the roof of her litter. She’s smiling, Sunset noted, staring intently as the alicorn waved to her public. This was the second thing that Sunset did not understand tonight, but it would not be the last. As they slowly traveled up the pale limestone road to Canterlot’s castle, every window as bright as lightning, Sunset glanced above at the dark sky. It’s darker than usual. Turning her head, she looked past Rainbow Dash and saw the moon had disappeared. “Where’s the moon?” she asked herself, wondering if it had set.

Rainbow Dash answered her with a fit of laughter. “Guess you really aren’t from this world. Welcome to the Forever Night. Night is over, and now it’s true night. The princess pushed her drivers into overtime, I guess she’s just as tired as the rest of us.” Rainbow Dash yawned, patting her open mouth.

There had been astrological differences between Equestria and the world beyond the mirror that had made Sunset’s head spin back when she first stepped through. Now, in a world where no sun shined, her mind almost collapsed in on itself. “Buh-wuh-huh?” was the unintelligible sound Sunset made, her jaw slacked to the side as she stared at Rainbow Dash. There was no mistaking it now. This world was vastly different from the last two. War and strife had torn those timelines to shreds, but here, the changes were entirely different and just as drastic.

A bout of questions pummeled Sunset’s brain, but they would have to wait. The caravan that Nightmare Moon had brought home ended at a side entrance to the castle where a guest tower stood in the grass a few yards away, light burning through the gigantic window of its study. When the giant timber door to the castle shot open, Nightmare Moon stepped onto the marble walkway. “Princess!” A shadow stood in the light, their hoof outstretched. It wasn’t until the pony stepped down the steps that their face became clear. “Everything is prepared for you and your new guest, as commanded. We’ve also prepared some delicacies should you be hungry, and your room is nice and toasty if you desire to retire for the true night.”

White fur, a gorgeous smile, and long blonde bangs—Sunset was stupefied. “Prince Blueblood?” she blurted the name.

The supposed prince was startled by the recognition, but it was Nightmare Moon who laughed. “A faulty title given by my sister to those she deemed ‘worthy’. No. I am the only one who has earned that title. This is my head of castle staff. Just Blueblood will do.”

“It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance,” the No-Longer-A-Prince Blueblood said, bowing, his bangs perfectly still. “If you require anything during your stay, please make use of our staff. We do our best to serve.”

Sunset did not remember everything of the Blueblood from her world, though the one she met in the Resistance timeline was fairly charming. She could smell the powder on this Blueblood, along with whatever fragrance he wore. He was perfectly pristine enough to be a prince, even without the title. But Blueblood was not her main concern. If there are no princes or princesses, what happened to Princess Cadance? What of Shining Armor?

It was just another question that would have to wait. “Call for my apprentice,” Nightmare Moon instructed Blueblood, and then turned to Sunset. “Come,” she commanded, and Sunset obeyed, following closely behind the dark leader.

Unlike what the changelings had done, the castle in this world was far different. The size and shape remained the same, but the colors danced differently than what Sunset remembered as a filly. Perhaps they had not been the same in the Resistance timeline, the inability to see prevented an actual look at the décor, but it was clear this world’s Canterlot Castle was not Celestia’s home. Overhead, chandeliers of silver held a bluish white fire, a sort of different tone than the rest of the city. It reminded Sunset of the fluorescent lighting that CHS had when she first arrived—they had since changed to a light-emitting diode, otherwise known as LEDs.

At first, Sunset assumed they were heading to the throne room, and she would get to see the differences in style between Nightmare Moon, the changeling queen, and Princess Celestia. Instead, they reached something Sunset did not expect.

An elevator.

The metal doors pulled open, revealing a box filled with floor to ceiling mirrors. Nightmare Moon was the first to step through, and Sunset followed with Rainbow Dash and another guard on her tail. “An elevator in Canterlot Castle?” Sunset wondered aloud as she stiffened her shoulders, feeling the sudden movement of the lift rising.

“Have you never been in an elevator?” Nightmare Moon replied with her own question, but immediately cut to an explanation, “When I took over my sister’s position, I quickly visited every city within Equestria. It was Manehattan that I saw these beauties. In Fillydelphia I discovered indoor plumbing. My sister and I come from an age where the world was smaller. The biggest building we had ever seen at the time was the Crystal Empire’s castle, which stood much taller than anything we had within our city. Canterlot gave me the same experience, and I quickly understood why Celestia made it her home over the castle we shared in what is now the Everfree Forest. I decide to remain here instead of the broken down Castle of the Two Sisters. After fixing it up, I made it into a peaceful remnant of the past, Everfree Castle.”

“I see. I’m not quite clear on the details of the Crystal Empire. I know you and Celestia defeated Sombra—but what happened with his return?”

“Who? Sombra? Sombra’s return?” Nightmare Moon snorted and giggled like a filly laughing over a dorky pun. “When the Crystal Empire returned, so did that stallion. He expected my sister and me, but he got something far more powerful. The moon was too good for him—I returned him to the darkness that he came from. My sister is the only one who deserves a thousand years on the moon, which was no worse than the fate she bequest upon me.”

Sunset was only now realizing that she did not inquire as to the whereabouts of the evil king in the last world after defeating Chrysalis. Hopefully they won’t have to deal with him like that of the first world. They’ve had enough problems. “If you don’t mind me asking,” Sunset began to say as the doors of the elevator opened. “Is the Crystal Empire returned to its former glory?”

Nightmare Moon trotted out and turned left, a guard keeping to her right side. “You mean to ask if the Crystal Heart affected me, don’t you? You’re curious as to how the world sees me,” Nightmare Moon accused. Her cat-like eyes pulled to stare down at Sunset who trotted on her left. “Please, try not to lie. I only want the truth,” she encouraged, which was clearly a lie. Anyone with ears could tell that.

“I’m just trying to figure out how this world operates. Just so long as the ponies are happy,” Sunset dodged. She could feel Nightmare Moon’s words pressed against her like a club, ready to strike should she say something the villainess not care to hear.

It was then that Sunset recognized the hall that they’d came to, a small corridor past a set of doors with another door at the end and to the right. Celestia’s room. They passed through the open doorway. Both Rainbow Dash and the other guard suddenly stopped, taking their posts at the door where a changeling once called Sunset a chump. She continued beside Nightmare Moon as they walked into a room where toys and clutter would be in abundance had things gone differently for this world.

Instead, the room was much the same as Sunset remembered from her years under Celestia. The carved in shelving held a plethora of novels and novellas, the fireplace held white logs burning a bright blue aura of fire, and the bed that Nightmare Moon slept on was unsheeted, only a few plum colored pillows sat near the rails. The furniture had been moved ever so slightly compared to that of the changeling queen. While the fireplace remained in the same spot, sitting just to the left as she entered, the bed was now on the opposite side of the hearth.

In the place where the bed had been in the Resistance timeline, a metal trunk sat. It was black with a brown lock and brown hinges, the key still left in the slot. Other than that, nothing had changed so far as Sunset could tell. The skylight, which would have let the sun in, now only displayed the darkness of space and as many bright stars as could be seen in the firmament.

Nightmare Moon relaxed on her bed, leaning herself onto her side and resting her back legs off the edge. “My true night is here, the time once my moon is set. There is no day within this world, only night and true night. I had once desired to keep my moon risen for all of the time, but my citizens complained of the inability to tell the hour, and so I customized my system.” Nightmare Moon must have realized that Sunset had questions, for she continued the explanation, “If you know of my past, then you know I was jealous of my sister. Ponies played in her awful sunlight and slept whilst my moon rose. Now, they play and frolic in my moonlit nights, and sleep when it sets.”

“Surely you know what you’re doing is wrong. How can ponies live without the sun?”

“My sister locked me away for a thousand years!” Nightmare Moon snarled, albeit it was a tired reaction. “The sun only caused strife to the world. It made nighttime the time when darkness crept up in the world, and ne’er-do-wells roamed the streets looking for victims. It brought the unbearable heat, while my moon brings the ocean waves and comforting coolness.”

Was this the right time to ask? Nightmare Moon seemed to want to show all the good she had done for the world, but Sunset knew there was one thing Nightmare Moon could never claim was good. But is now the right time to question her about it? Sunset wondered. She thought for a moment and decided against it. I’ll ask somepony far less angry. Instead, she asked, “What about food? The weather? A world with no sun, it can’t be—”

“Livable?” Nightmare Moon hooted for a moment, her eyes resting. “I could answer that—but it would spoil the fun of seeing your reaction first hoof.” She shook her head. “No. You’ll answer my questions, not the other way around.”

“What questions could you have for me?” Sunset did not expect a quiz. Answers would not come easy.

“You know who I am, you know my sister. What am I in your world, the world you came from?”

That one was actually pretty easy. “You were redeemed by the Elements of Harmony. My friends took you down with their bond of friendship. It’s the same way—” Sunset stopped herself. She did not want to let on that she had once been a failure in the ways of friendship. “The same way they dealt with all the villains,” she was quick to adlib.

Nightmare Moon’s eyes popped. “All? Who exactly?”

“Well, there was you,” answered Sunset, “and I believe Discord was second or maybe third.”

“Discord? Did he return? He would have been a fool to do so in this world—I would not have turned him to stone or sent him to the dark abyss as I did with Sombra.” The evil alicorn seethed for a moment, her mouth scrunching as she turned to stare at the fire.

“Well, he did in my world. Queen Chrysalis, the leader of the changelings, was also a well-known nemesis for my friends.”

Nightmare Moon shifted in her seat, curiosity creeping behind the pools of shiny blue pebbles. “What is a changeling?” she asked.

Sunset wanted to collapse to the floor at that very moment.

There had been many changes that she had not expected. So many instances of things growing separate from her base time. But this one took the cake. Twilight… What did you do? Sunset asked herself. She held a hoof to her head, feeling the room spinning. The hardest challenge Sunset had ever faced—more than sirens or rampaging magic—wasn’t even a problem on the back-burner for this world.

“You seem exhausted.” Nightmare Moon sounded empathetic, but the evil grin she held told a different story. “Guards,” she called, and Rainbow Dash appeared. “Take Sunset to her room, and have someone on duty outside her door.”

“Yes, ma’am!” Rainbow Dash saluted. She then took Sunset by the foreleg, pulling the unicorn out into the hall. Sunset’s mind was still in a daze, and she felt like she had been slammed into by Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy all over again, tumbling down a hill of unknown factors and separate histories.

When they reached the elevator and entered, Sunset stared at the reflection of Rainbow Dash. “Dash…” she spoke softly, trying to keep her growing headache from kicking in. “Tell me something of this world. Something fresh, something I might not know.”

The pegasus’s eyes glanced from beneath the helmet, a hint of recoil beneath the soft cerise pools. “I don’t know what you don’t know. I wouldn’t know where to begin,” she evaded.

“Tell me… Tell me of the Wonderbolts,” Sunset requested.

Rainbow Dash did not falter. “They’ve been disbanded for years, ever since the princess took over. It’s difficult to fly in darkness, and it was unsafe for them to continue their daring shows.”

Sunset didn’t care about the Wonderbolts. She barely knew anything about the pegasus showcase other than the name sounded vaguely similar to the Wondercolts, and that the Rainbow Dash of the Crystal War timeline had spoken about it. Still, it hit hard. “There’s so many things, so much cause and effect,” she muttered to herself, already missing the changelings.

“Get over it,” Dash replied, shaking her head so much that the fin atop her helmet wiggled.

Sunset continued to stare at the pegasus’s reflection. She did not bother to reply or get angry. All she wanted to do was get some rest. The tired feeling that had been caused by an overloaded circuit in her brain was making her eyelids heavy. Her vision was blurrier by the minute, and she was thankful to be led to a room, though she did not know which floor they put her on. In the end, it didn’t matter, she could see she was a few stories up just based on staring out from her room’s window.

Not even bothering to say goodnight, Rainbow Dash closed the door, locking it from the other side. Sunset would have told her it was pointless—being a unicorn she could go wherever she pleased—but she did not feel the need to argue. Sunset wondered what the hour truly was as she patted the feathered comforter of the room’s queen-sized bed. After throwing off her backpack and closing the curtain, she pushed open the burgundy blanket and slid herself onto the silk sheets, resting her head on the coolest pillow she had ever felt. Her eyes danced around the room that was her prison.

The door was to the right near the end of her bed. The window was to the left in the middle of the wall, a small table that held colorful flowers sat beneath it. Two end tables were on both sides of the bed, to which the veiled orange canopy was tied. She thought to release the straps, making it like a tent, but decided against it. There was a vanity on the opposite side of the room near the door, a mirror reflecting the tired expression she held.

When she flicked off the lights with her magic, the room was gone. She hadn’t closed her eyes, but it didn’t matter. Whether they were open or closed, there was no color in the world for her anymore. Pure darkness.

The tiredness she felt suddenly disappeared, replaced with something she hadn’t bothered feeling since arriving in the new world. She hiked up the blanket to her chin, her stomach curdle into stone. Every sound rang out like a horn. Trots, drops, doors, and snores. There had to be something coming for her, it could be right in front of her face and she wouldn’t know it. Canterlot Castle had been dark in the last world, but even that darkness was different. It swirled or twisted, her eyes creating the shapes of objects and basic coloring. Here, in this pitch-black world, there was nothing. Blindness.

As she sat in her bed, terrified of the world, it was ended by everything bursting to life around her. Golden flowers spread like wildfire across a grassy field, a knoll holding an indigo gazebo with her friends—those from CHS—sitting on the benches. “What in Equestria?” Sunset spoke up, raising her hoof out of habit. “Am I dreaming?” she said, lucid, struggling to comprehend the world. “Or is this a nightmare?”

The golden flowers pushed out of her way as she galloped toward the gazebo. The smell of freshly cut grass wafted into her nostrils, tickling the hairs. Coming closer to the gazebo, she knew they couldn’t really be her friends, but it was the closest thing to them as she had seen in a long while. Dreams did not come pleasantly when kept in her pod, and it took her a moment to realize she wasn’t in the changeling world anymore. “Nightmare Moon,” she said aloud and expected the world to turn into a black and blue nightmarish land. It didn’t, the sky was dark already. Her friends sat around talking to each other, all perfectly calm and normal, or as normal as they could be.

“Sunset Shimmer!” Pinkie screamed at the top of her lungs, rushing to grab the pony in her arms. As lucid as she was, Sunset hadn’t expected the world to feel so real. And the arms of Pinkie Pie were as real as real could be. Grabbing the flesh and feeling the bone beneath the muscle, Sunset kneaded the skin. “You’re not a cat, silly,” Pinkie said, petting the unicorn’s mane.

“We’ve been waiting for you, Sunset,” Twilight said, her glasses dangling on the bridge of her nose. “All of us.”

“All?” Sunset repeated, and Pinkie Pie turned back to the entrance of the gazebo.

Sunset had been right, it was a nightmare.

The golden flowers had transformed into ponies. Not just any ponies, however. Closest to the gazebo, a Rainbow Dash with a metal wing stood beside a mane-less, vest wearing Twilight. There were more, much more. A hundred, a thousand, Sunset couldn’t tell. All were different, all from separate worlds, and all were staring at her. “Wh-what do you want?” Sunset asked.

“Aren’t we friends?” all the Raritys asked in response.

But it was all the Fluttershys who replied, “You’re supposed to be our friend, yet you left us all behind.”

That was when the arms of Pinkie grew tight. “You left us without saying goodbye,” the bipedal Rainbow Dash growled, and an Applejack repeated the same words, “You left us without saying goodbye.”

“I-I’m trying to get back to you!” Sunset claimed, struggling in Pinkie’s grip, her back legs kicking to no success. “I want to see you again!”

“What about us?” all the pony Twilights chorused. “Aren’t we your friends? Are you going to leave us too?”

“Twilight!” Sunset called, and all the ponies changed to Princess Twilight. “Help me!”

A knock awoke Sunset, her eyes adjusted to the dark room quickly. With her magic, she tossed open the curtain, pouring the moonlight into the room. Sweat beat down her face as she threw off the strangling blanket, the weight of the comforter was even worse from the amount of perspiration that soaked into it. Another knock caused her to roll off the silk sheets, which were soaked with sweat as well. “Coming!” she called, panting like she had just run a five hundred mile marathon. She clambered for the knob and pulled open the door, sending a wave of light blinding from the hall.

“Are you alright?” a feminine voice asked. “You’re whiter than my brother.”

“Your brother?” Sunset rubbed her eyes, yawning at the same time. “I’m fine. I just had a nightmare. That’s all.”

“A nightmare? That’s impossible.”

“There’s a lot of things I’ve seen that are—” Sunset opened her eyes, and then opened them wider once she realized who she’d been speaking to “—impossible.” A purple unicorn stood in front of her. Dark grey glasses sat on the mare’s muzzle, her moderate violet hair pulled back into a bun. She wore an indigo-colored overcoat that stopped at her flank, with a pure white shirt underneath, Nightmare Moon’s eye sat pinned on her lapel. Her tail was so short that you couldn’t even see the rosy magenta streak in between the purple. “Twilight?” Sunset croaked.

“Oh, Nightmare Moon already told you about me then. Hello there.” The purple unicorn extended a hoof, her cuffs were pulled back revealing the white of the undershirt ever so slightly. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Twilight Sparkle, Nightmare Moon’s apprentice—but I guess you already knew that.”

World 3: Chapter 2

“I can’t believe it. I thought finding Rarity and Rainbow Dash was a stroke of luck, but now we’ve got you!” Sunset grabbed hold of the fellow unicorn, wrapping her in a hug. “This might be easier than I expected.”

The Twilight of this world grabbed Sunset as well, but with her magic, pushing Sunset off her immediately. “I’m not exactly sure what you’re talking about, which is fine since we’re going to be evaluating everything you know. If you would, please follow me to my study.”

“Everything I know?” Sunset reiterated as she levitated her backpack over, pulling it on. “I’m sorry, I’m not exactly sure what you mean by that.”

Twilight pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose. “Forgive me. Perhaps you had not yet spoken to Nightmare Moon about this. My mentor has requested me to obtain all the information relating to you, your world, and these—what did she call it?” A clipboard suddenly appeared in a puff of smoke. “Ah, yes, the Elements of Harmony. Apparently, I’m one of those as well. I always assumed I was meant for greatness, but it’s satisfying and rewarding to hear it straight from my teacher’s mouth.”

“Wait, hold on,” Sunset cut in, “I just want to make things clear for me—is Nightmare Moon your teacher?”

“That’s right.”

“But that’s supposed to be Princess Celestia!”

The clipboard fell from Twilight’s magical grasp, but she caught it before it could strike the ground. “Princess Celestia?” Twilight repeated the name as if she were repeating the punchline of a funny joke. “I’m not sure what it’s like in your timeline, and I assume you’re very humorous there, but please refrain from speaking about Equestria’s enemies in such a frivolous matter.” The purple unicorn then turned away and said, “Now, if you would, please follow me.” She started walking and did not look back to see if Sunset was following—which she was.

They took the elevator down to the bottom floor, passing ponies who looked far more luxurious than anyone Sunset had ever seen. The richer they looked, the busier they were, and then Sunset realized that they were serving staff. Nightmare Moon must pay well, she assumed, glancing over a stallion in a suit that looked too uncomfortable to work in. She didn’t have long to stare, following Twilight was an extraordinary task. The purple unicorn was quick, and when they went outside, Sunset believed that she would lose the apprentice in the darkness. However, the city was bright, something Sunset hadn’t expected. The moon’s power was strong, overpowering any shadow or darkness. It was like the sun hadn't disappeared at all.

Across the grassy courtyard and over to a building that stood as an offshoot of the castle, Sunset stared at the giant glass window of the tower. “This is your study?” she asked, noting that it was the same tower she’d seen the night before.

“That’s right. Nightmare Moon allows me to have free access to the castle grounds so long as I live within the gates,” Twilight replied as she led Sunset up the spiraling steps and to the door. When they entered, Sunset was surprised to see the quaint home. To the left sat a settee that allowed for staring out the open balcony, and to the right sat a curved sofa meant for waiting guests with another sealed balcony just to the side of that. However, this was only the foyer to the rest of the home.

It was far bigger on the inside. The entryway led upstairs to the main floor where an enormous library of shelves were all filled with different varieties of books. In the center sat a giant telescope, and on the ceiling sat an even larger hourglass. The sand was running down slowly, Sunset assumed it was for telling the hour of the night. There was another set of stairs leading up to the second level, and just past that was a small alcove with a desk and magical supplies.

To the right of the second staircase sat a small hallway and what looked to be a bedroom, though the door was half closed. As she stepped into the center of the room, she got a better view of the second floor. There were more shelves, and just over the railing she could see bits of a lounge along with another closed door. “This place is massive! I didn’t get anything like this when I was an apprentice.”

“When you were an apprentice?” Twilight asked.

Sunset had already said too much, but it would do no harm to give Twilight the full amount of information. “In my world, I was once an apprentice to Princess Celestia before I decided I didn’t like being under her.”

“That’s good to hear,” replied Twilight. The purple unicorn made her way over to the stairs that led up to the second level. To the side sat a couch, which she levitated to the middle of the room beneath the hourglass, taking the left side as her seat. “Nightmare Moon was afraid you were secretly a spy for the evil harbinger of the sun. It’s good to hear she is disliked in other worlds as well.” Scribbling began to ring out as she took notes.

“Well, that’s not exactly how things are—”

“What is the glorious Nightmare Moon like in your world?” Twilight interrupted. “Are you her apprentice?”

“There is no Nightmare Moon in my world,” Sunset sternly replied. “She was beaten, cast down by the Elements of Harmony and redeemed. Her true self was returned to the world. Princess Luna remains at Princess Celestia’s side and they rule Equestria together.”

Twilight stared for a long moment from behind her gray glasses. She looked a lot like the Twilight from Crystal Prep, Sunset recognized. But she had been through two worlds now that displayed drastically different characteristics of those she knew. This world couldn’t be like her own Equestria except with Nightmare Moon as the ruler. There had to be something negative.

“Princess Luna, you say?” Whether Sunset had struck a nerve or not, she couldn’t say. The Twilight of this world appeared calm, collected, and far more interested in Sunset than the other two she'd met. “She’s never spoken to me about being someone else, but I’ll make a note of it nonetheless,” she said, jotting down the information on her clipboard. “How do you operate in a world where the sun threatens your very existence?”

“What are you talking about? It doesn’t threaten my existence—it helps it. The sun is a good thing.” Sunset could feel herself getting angry. Glancing away from the purple unicorn, she marveled at the catalog of books, hoping she could cool herself off by reading some of the titles. They were completely out of order.

“I’m sure it doesn’t.” It sounded mocking, and it probably meant to, but Twilight moved on immediately. “Let’s roll back to who you are instead of the horrid world you live in. You’re Sunset Shimmer, ex-apprentice to the evil Princess Celestia. How do the Elements of Harmony associate with you? What do they do and why are the bearers six ponies?”

Horrid. Evil. Sunset rolled her eyes out of view of the other unicorn. “The bearers are my friends—sort of. I know Celestia and Luna once used them to defeat Discord, but as to why the Tree of Harmony chose to give the bearers that right as well, I don’t have an answer. I’m trying to figure out what the Tree of Harmony is myself…”

“Then we’ll be working closely together, it seems. Why did you end your apprenticeship, and what did you do afterward?” Twilight asked, and Sunset could hear the thoughtful scribbling in the background.

“I ended it because I wanted to become an all-powerful demon who controlled the minds of students,” Sunset remarked, laughing at herself for telling the truth, even if Twilight wouldn’t realize it. “Of course, I got what I wanted, and I was sorely defeated by the powers of friendship.”

The scribbling stopped. “Please try to answer seriously, it’ll be easier on both of us.”

“Oh, please. Your world is somehow able to survive even though plants require sunlight to perform photosynthesis. Don’t claim what I say is a joke when that’s the biggest punchline I’ve ever heard.” Sunset felt the edge of her backpack’s straps digging into her shoulders, so she threw it off. “And your books are completely unorganized. Now there’s a joke for you—a Twilight Sparkle who botches organization.”

Other than Sunset’s judgements of the world, the room went silent. Once Sunset shut her mouth, she realized that the Twilight of this timeline might not be emotionally receptive to anger, much like the one from Crystal Prep. "You're supposed to be so smart, but did you ever think that you shouldn't be messing around with things you don't understand?!" she remembered yelling at that Twilight, and how bad she felt immediately after. When she threw a look over her shoulder, Sunset was surprised to see Twilight so calm.

“Are you finished?” Twilight replied.

The way she said it stuck with Sunset for a moment, visioning her old self saying something similar. “Yes,” answered Sunset, squaring her eyes back on the dysfunctional shelf.

“I haven’t had time to organize them—” The scribbling returned “—I’ve needed an assistant for years but nobody meshes with me very well, at least no one that I could order around. I’d rather not task friends with that duty either.”

As Sunset listened, she realized she was staring at a book about dragons. Happenstance. A smile came rushing to her face, only to be swept away by a frown. How did Twilight get Spike? she wondered. The Twilight of this world called out another question but Sunset ignored it, fetching the old journal out of her pack. She brushed over the pages, hoping the name Spike would draw her eyes somewhere within the paper. “Have you ever had a chance to get a baby dragon?” Sunset asked as she worked over the journal.

“A what?” There was a bit of scorn in the voice. “No! No, I have not.”

From my understanding, Twilight has had Spike for most of her life. Both the dog and the dragon are a fundamental part of Twilight’s life—yet none of the worlds I’ve visited have him there! If I can find just one bit of detail as to when she gained Spike, I can find out when Twilight and that Starlight Glimmer ruined the past. I might even be able to correct the map to send me there! She slowed down as she scanned every page, examining the words closely.

“Excuse me. I have many more questions that I need to get through—could you do whatever it is your doing later? I’ve got a significant schedule, and helping Nightmare Moon is of top priority.”

“I’m sure your schedule is not nearly as important as me or what I’m doing,” Sunset argued, shaking her head as she concentrated on the turning pages.

Suddenly and violently, Sunset’s journal ripped from her grasp. “Hey!” she yelled, following the book with her eyes as it leapt to Twilight’s lap.

“Let’s see what’s so important,” Twilight said in a rather flat voice. Sunset charged over to her, stomping her hooves to sound threatening. Twilight, however, shielded herself in a bubble. “Aw, you want lessons on how to make friends in school. What important affairs you must have,” she sarcastically prodded, glaring and rolling her eyes, lifting her upper lip in an attempt to mock Sunset.

“Oh yeah?” Sunset slammed both forelegs on Twilight’s shield. “Take a look at who I’m talking to, genius!” she exclaimed, taking a page right out of Rainbow Dash’s vernacular.

Twilight flipped back a few pages, glancing over the words written with an unfeeling expression. Something in that changed, however, as her brows suddenly tightened. She glanced more, read more, and furrowed more. “Princess Twilight Sparkle?” she announced. “This can’t be real. I assumed the whole other world thing was a joke, that you were just some gifted unicorn who came from another part of Equestria and was playing dumb.”

The bubble suddenly popped for Twilight, both figuratively and literally, and Sunset was upon her in a second. Prying the book from Twilight’s magical grasp wasn’t easy, but Sunset held it against her chest, refusing to let go. “No! This is my journal. Get your own!” She would feel silly later for yelling such a filly-like thing, but she meant it. “I lost it once, I’m not losing it again!”

Not even bothering with magic, Twilight swung herself onto Sunset’s back, digging under the world hopper’s forelegs to get at it. “My name is in there—that makes it half mine! Tell me who I am! Tell me who that is!”

“What are you whelps fighting about?”

The voice was so intimidating that both of the mares stopped in their tracks. Twilight’s glasses had fallen to the floor and Sunset was clenching her teeth down on the binding of her journal. They both flung themselves back onto their hooves as Nightmare Moon ascended the foyer’s steps. “Is this what you’re fighting over?” Levitating Sunset’s journal away, Nightmare Moon flipped open the cover and began reading a few of the pages. “Hmm.”

Though Sunset wanted to complain about the fact that other ponies were reading her journal, she decided to stay that conversation for another time and another, less threatening alicorn. “Twilight Sparkle,” Nightmare Moon said, “I’ll have a moment with the time traveler.”

“Yes, of course,” replied the purple unicorn as she tidied up her hair and swiftly trotted out of her own home.

Sunset had no idea what to say or do, so she did neither. It feels like I’m having a test graded, she thought as she waited for Nightmare Moon to speak, expecting some sort of scolding or contempt. But instead, laughter erupted from the villainess. “You?” she said, looking up from the journal. “You were Celestia’s pupil, and you turned into an evil demon in this… high school? To be honest, I’m quite impressed. Perhaps I should be more careful of you—you might be desiring my seat of power.”

“I’m not like that—” she started to argue.

“No, of course not.” The journal slammed shut. “You noticed who my assistant was, correct?” Sunset gave a swift nod in response, and Nightmare Moon closed her eyes. “I didn’t recognize her when she appeared in my Everfree Castle. She looked nothing like my assistant. Flat hair. No glasses. Unclothed. Wings!” She groaned, dropping her head. “I haven’t told her that I met that strange version of her, that I saw her, spoke to her, and watched her leave.”

Sunset wasn’t expecting a villain to be so paranoid of something that sounded like it was straight from a slice of life television show generally called ‘sitcoms’. “Why didn’t you tell her?”

Nightmare Moon remained silent and then walked forward, tossing the journal back to Sunset as she passed the unicorn. The giant window seemed smaller compared to the alicorn, and Nightmare Moon’s mane detracted from the stars of the sky. “What happened to me in your timeline? You said I was… redeemed. Go into detail, if you would.”

“I wasn’t there, but to my understanding, the Elements of Harmony were used to break your curse. They transformed you into your old self, Princess Luna. Princess Celestia accepted you back warmly, I believe she too was saddened by having been apart from you for so long,” Sunset answered.

“I see.”

“B-but.” Sunset remembered the things Celestia had told her in the previous worlds and the gossip she had heard from the other Elements. “Without the bearers, Celestia defeated you and returned you to the moon in both the worlds I’ve visited. In the first, she hated talking about you, and I believe she thought of not being able to save you was her biggest failure.”

A silence permeated the air for what seemed like minutes to Sunset before Nightmare Moon finally spoke. “That was not her biggest failure. Her biggest failure was sending me to the moon for a thousand years—her own sister! She is the one who was truly wrong.”

“In my world, you were redeemed, and in the last two, you were defeated. Every timeline I’ve visited has one villain always winning—and this is the first time that villain is you.” Sunset stared at the reflection of Nightmare Moon. “The Elements of Harmony have always beaten you. Doesn’t that tell you something?”

“Yes,” Nightmare answered. “It tells me that you might be the key to changing that.” She turned her head, and Sunset noted how much the slit-like pupil reminded her of an opening portal. Nightmare Moon wanted something opened, but what. “I don’t want a villain to win in this world—and I do not claim myself as one. I want what’s best for my people, and that is a world without Celestia and her awful sun. With you at the helm, I can have my little ponies secure their rights for another millennia. The Elements of Harmony will be used to protect my kingdom when I cannot.”

Sunset titled her head like a confused dog. “Why wouldn’t you be able to protect it?”

“I did not tell you earlier because you did not mention his name. I was once beaten and weakened by a centaur named Lord Tirek. He snuck into my city and my castle during the true night. He tried to drain my power, and I was forced to retreat into the mist and regain my strength before I could return him to Tartarus.”

“Lord Tirek!” Sunset had forgotten all about the lousy lout. There had been no mention of him in the previous two timelines. “You beat him?” she said, almost inflecting a tone of gratitude.

“I saved my people from a harsher villain than I, Sunset Shimmer. You may not believe it, but I want what is best for this world, and my sister is not it.”

A split second of doubt crossed Sunset’s face, but it was not because of Nightmare Moon. I wonder if those last two worlds are safe from him. Her eyes drifted down to the journal in front of her. With the Elements, they should be fine. There was no way of knowing the last worlds’ fates, and this one was far more disconcerting. “As much as I know you mean those words, I can’t agree that having you as a sole ruler is best for this world, Nightmare Moon.” Sunset paused, judging the angered reaction of the alicorn for what it was. “In my world—you and your sister rule together in harmony. A harmony brought on by the Elements of Harmony.” A harmony that must return.

“Are you getting cold hooves? Unwilling to help me?”

Sunset shook her head like a slow ocean wave washing against the shore. “Not at all. I’d be interested in seeing more of this world. If you are kind to your citizens, then I might be wrong about all of it. As for the bearers, I’m going to spend a day with each of them to see how they operate and what they do.” And to see if my friends enjoy this sunless place.

“I think you mean to spend a night,” Nightmare Moon corrected with a grin that was supposed to be menacing, but Sunset had met Chrysalis, and hers was better. “I’ve already assembled the bearers and they’re waiting in my throne room. I do hope you’ll be able to unlock their power, for your sake.”

“I’m anxious to meet them.” They might just be able to restore harmony to this world, hopefully. “Was it easy to locate all of the bearers?”

“Quite so. It seems every single one was in my employment, or my gratitude, in some form. It makes for an eerie coincidence that I cannot ignore, validating your words and your worlds.” Nightmare Moon paused for a moment, glancing down her muzzle at the unicorn. “Also, please refrain from telling others of this other world and your apprenticeship to my sister. I wouldn’t want some group of zealots to overhear and come whisking you away in the true night.” A grin of amusement came to the alicorn’s face. “Now then, come, let me introduce you.”

There was no need to do so, Sunset was already friends with several versions of the same ponies, and she knew she would befriend these as well. Even Twilight. Especially Twilight. She remembered the words of her own nightmare’s Twilight, the foreboding sense it brought. “Are you going to leave us too?” the purple unicorns had said. It brought peace to Sunset that this world’s Twilight was so calm and gathered, and a bit curt. But peace was what this world already had. “Aren’t we your friends?”

Once they reached the throne, a chorus of salutations rang out amongst the hall. “Greetings, Princess Nightmare Moon.” Six bearers and twenty guards, all bowing as low as they could. It was the same way they greeted Princess Celestia, Sunset remembered seeing it often during her apprenticeship. As she followed Nightmare Moon to the steps of the throne, Twilight already standing to the side, she noted that the room had grown much smaller.

Though the way ponies acted had not changed for their supposed benevolent ruler, the layout of the castle had. The throne was closer to the entry with two angled walls of marble now cutting the room in half behind the main seat. Smaller doors sat on both of these side walls, and an extraordinary painting swept from one to side to the other, detailing the phases of the moon. From crescent to gibbous and the motions in between. Sunset did not have the time to reflect on why the phases no longer made sense, Nightmare Moon had already begun addressing the five.

“I have met each of you at one point or another, but first, allow me to introduce the reason I have brought you all here.” Nightmare Moon extended the back of her hoof, motioning to the mare from another world. “This here is Sunset Shimmer, a unicorn who can travel between worlds. She is going to assist in bringing out each of your Elements, as you five are bearers of the Elements of Harmony. The sixth is my apprentice, Twilight Sparkle. In return for Sunset’s help bringing out your Elements, you six will aid in returning her to her own world.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet all of you—even though I’ve technically met you several times now,” Sunset said, smiling an awkward smile. It hadn’t gotten any easier to see the strange looks she was given whenever other worlds were brought up.

Nightmare Moon continued, “For posterity’s sake, please introduce yourselves.”

Sunset had already glanced them over, eyeing their expressions, clothes, and hairstyles as she had entered. Now, however, she got a clearer view of each of the five. Until now, the biggest change had been the last world’s Twilight with her yellowish teeth and bald head or Rainbow Dash’s metal wing. Until now.

Rainbow Dash came without her armor, the only one who hadn't bothered to wear clothing. In comparison to the four others that stood around her, Rainbow Dash looked three inches shorter. At first, Sunset assumed it was the hair—the mohawk that was evocative of the Crystal War’s version which had a floppy strip of hair down the middle. But as she stared, Sunset noticed the legs were shorter. It was clear as day—or night, as Nightmare Moon would correct. Without any reference to her own Equestria’s Rainbow Dash, she could not judge if this Dash was the most accurate or the least.

“My name is Rarity.” The white unicorn was the first to speak. She was also the only one who had not changed much physically as the others, though her personality certainly had. The ensemble she wore in the Everfree Castle seemed to be the only one she had, and her mane and tail had remained in a compact bun. “I am the head facilitator for the Everfree Castle, managing and making sure the entire palace does not become unkempt.” She paused, a slight sneer came to her lips that only Sunset seemed to notice. It wasn’t until Rarity finished that Sunset realized why the sneer had been there at all. “I’ve been removed from that position for the time being, however, and am on leave here in the castle until further notice. I look forward to serving in whatever way I can.”

Once Rarity stepped back, Rainbow Dash stepped forward. “Rainbow Dash, guard to the princess. When not accompanied by Nightmare Moon or one of my fellow ‘Elements’, you will be attended by me. During my sleep, I will have another guard available for escort should you require food or to use the privy.”

It was a well-rehearsed line of dialogue, clearly written by Nightmare Moon herself. Sunset could hear a few snickers from the other bearers, and even Pinkie murmuring to Fluttershy. “Just who is she that she requires so much security?” the earth pony whispered.

“I look forward to working with you,” Rainbow Dash finished off and stepped back. Every movement made was stiff right down to the way her lips pouted to say her Fs and Ys. She wasn’t like that in the elevator, noted Sunset before moving on.

Fluttershy was the first to speak up from the ones Sunset had not formally met. As Nightmare Moon’s royal menagerie custodian, Fluttershy managed all the animals kept within the castle’s zoos. “One of the first things Nightmare Moon did after taking her rightful role as our princess was start a menagerie meant for the well being of animals,” Fluttershy said, putting more information out there than Rarity or Rainbow Dash had. “I offered my services immediately after seeing how animals reacted to the rightful darkness of the Forever Night. They were so frightened—they didn’t understand. Thanks to Nightmare Moon’s patience and my guidance, there isn’t a forest or lake that doesn’t appreciate the sanctuary she has brought.”

Though everyone smiled and agreed with Fluttershy, Sunset was unconvinced. It’s been years, however. They might have forgotten what the sun even did for them. The expression and tone that Fluttershy had wasn’t like Rainbow Dash’s. To Sunset, it felt genuine, and that was far more worrisome. The yellow pegasus wore a pink collared shirt with a compact green purse strung beside her. Her bangs were blunt and unfeathered, reminding Sunset of Princess Twilight’s manestyle, but this Fluttershy also had pigtails sticking out from the sides of her head. It gave her a not-so-shy look that was the paradigm of every Fluttershy.

“While I am a bit confused as to why I would be one of these chosen six, I’ll do my best to help the princess in any way I’m able.” Fluttershy gave a broad smile and that was when Sunset noticed the gap between her front two teeth on the top row.

Mane style, clothing, teeth coloring. Those are things that can be explained by altered timelines. But changes to height and the placement of teeth? That’s just absurd, Sunset thought heavily. That’s when it clicked. Twilight and Starlight Glimmer—they’re in the past, they changed something in the past. Something so far back that the bearers’ lives have completely altered! That means it had to be something when they were fillies, or around that time. Finally! Some piece of information on them!

She became so lost in thought she did not hear Fluttershy finish or Pinkie Pie’s first few words. The normally puffy hair of the pink party pony was a mix of a topknot and a chignon that went down the back of her neck. Draped across her muzzle sat glasses that looked far too flat to be for regular reading, with the outer edge of the blue rims detailing a trio of balloons matching her cutie mark. Though she had missed what Pinkie claimed her job to be, it was easy to see that she was one of the castle’s chefs—a lime green jacket that held two rows of buttons down the front. The cuffs of the coat didn’t reach her hooves, though, and Sunset knew that it was because all good cooks need room to move freely.

And Sunset knew Pinkie was a very good cook—or a bad one, depending on how you looked at it. The pink pony was slightly chubbier than the rest. Perhaps no one knew that she was, but Sunset had three key references to what other Pinkies looked like, and the plump cheeks that held the glasses up were a bit rounder than those last three. “And then I said ‘Oatmeal, are you crazy!?’” The Pinkie of this world spoke fast, her high-pitched tone giving the feeling of something the last two Pinkies could not—happiness.

At least her personality has remained the same, if not her looks, Sunset begrudged, a grunt of anguish leaving her lips as the chef pony finished.

There was only one Element remaining.

In the back of her mind, Sunset always believed her friends were beautiful. Possibly the prettiest girls in school. The pony versions, while some had seen some wear, were just as handsome. However, the Applejack of this world stood as a shining example for the rest to follow.

The creamy blonde hair was short in the front, making her bangs flow to one side, never touching her brow. The back wasn’t long either, but held enough to float behind her ears and to her shoulders. The entire mane looked like waves, so soft and silky.

“Hello there,” Applejack spoke, her inflection still holding true to her country roots. At least this world isn’t completely insane. “My name is Applejack, it’s my pleasure to meet you. If Princess Nightmare Moon believes you a worthy compatriot, I’ll gladly enjoy working alongside you, and it would be my honor to be your friend.” Though the country aspect was there, her vernacular was off.

Her voice wasn’t the only thing. The beautiful earth pony was wearing a smooth burgundy blouse with a pink collar that accentuated her neck. A matching pink skirt rang down her flank, a bit longer than most ponies but short enough to show off the high red heels she wore on all four hooves.

“I am uncertain as to how much you know of our world. Hearing that you’re from an alternate universe—I can only imagine that some of those would be without our glorious night,” Applejack continued. Some? Try all. “If that is so, you might be curious as to how we produce food.”

“If I may interrupt—” Nightmare Moon did as she pleased. “Applejack here is being far too modest as she is known to be.” The elegant earth pony blushed at the alicorn’s words, almost matching her red heels. “It was not an easy transition moving to the Forever Night. Celestia had cursed the plants of this world, forcing them to rely on the sun for sustenance. Applejack worked night and true night, trying to develop a seed that did not require such poison, all without the help of anyone aside from her family.

“It was just a week after I assumed full control of Equestria that a modest little earth pony from Ponyville came to me holding a bright blue fruit the size of an apple. I was shocked. Not only could she grow something that was not cursed by Celestia—but it also grew exceptionally quick. That pony was Applejack, my first hero, saving the world from the terrible starvation that Celestia had brought upon them.”

A plant that grows without sunlight? That cannot be! Sunset was dumbfounded. Nightmare Moon then bowed her head to the earth pony. “Please, continue, Miss Applejack. There has been so much that you have done for us.”

“It’s my honor, really. The fruit that I made—I called it a napple. I am not the best when it comes to nomenclature, I’ll admit, but I was a simple apple farmer prior to the Forever Night. Since then, I’ve helped in agricultural pursuits all around Equestria, helping others create different varieties of night fruits and vegetables. I even wrote a few books on the subject, not that I’d claim to be the best writer in the world, I had plenty of editors helping me with words I hadn’t bothered learning before.”

“That’s very impressive,” Sunset replied with honesty. “I’d love to hear more about the subject, I’ve only lived in a world that never assumed the, uh, Forever Night.”

A chorus of shocks and gasps rang out from the Elements—and even a few guards. “Your duty is not to learn of our world, Sunset Shimmer,” Nightmare Moon said shortly. “Your duty is to help them gain their Elements so that you can go home and so that we may be more secure in our future. I suggest you remember that.”

“I haven’t forgotten. The Elements of Harmony are fickle. They need to be drawn out from within the bearers. To help aid in that, I must get to know each of you. I’ve met you twice now, in different worlds that were far worse than this one. In both of those, things had changed in you, things that were different from the versions I know and cherish in my own world. There’s always some little details that still keep you who you are, and that’s what the Elements of Harmony recognize.

“I’d like to spend a day with each of you firstly. Whether it be doing your job, performing some recreational activities, whatever. It doesn’t matter, just so long as it’s part of who you are. If I can’t draw out at least one Element from that, then we’ll have to move on to group bonding.” Sunset shook her head, smirking. “I know it all sounds so cheesy, like we’re going camping where we’ll sing songs and hold hands, but trust me. This stuff just sort of clicks.” Like a seat belt—no, no, don’t start that again.

Nightmare Moon did not seem satisfied with Sunset’s answer, but the Elements did, Twilight included. “Very well,” Nightmare Moon said, half-chiding, “Please do your best as quickly as you can. I’ll not put pressure on you, but these six ponies are all part of my life, even in small ways. I’ll not have you torment them with dreams of grandeur that you fail to provide.” Sunset understood what Nightmare Moon was really saying. “If I find you’re lying to me, it’ll be the dungeons for you,” was the words hidden beneath.

“I suppose this completes our introductions then,” Nightmare Moon stated and turned to the five, a slight bow of her head telling them they should go. “Oh, and Miss Applejack. Should you desire a suite inside the castle grounds, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

“I appreciate it, but I wouldn’t want to be a burden.”

“As modest as ever,” Nightmare Moon replied, and the attractive earth pony was off with the others.

Only Twilight remained along with the villainess. “Shall I return Sunset to her room for the true night, or is it too early?” the purple unicorn asked.

Nightmare Moon trotted with significant strides over to Sunset, glaring down the bridge of her nose as she walked. “How long exactly should it take to get them their Elements?” she coldly asked.

As long as it takes to devise a plan to defeat you. “It took nearly a month in the last world,” she replied, leaving out the part where she had spent a good portion of it in a cocoon. “That was under extreme conditions that we were working with, too. It might take longer here. Usually, there’s a big calamity they must face in order to be drawn out.” She rubbed the underside of her chin, staring absentmindedly at the alicorn in front of her. “I might have an idea. Hopefully, it won’t come to that.” I am getting really tired of the Elements only working at the last possible second. In truth, she was not completely over how the previous world ended. Sometimes, learning to let go is the hardest thing.

Nightmare Moon relented, a heavy sigh leaving her chip-like teeth. “Fine. Fine!” Her slit pupils turned to Twilight. “Take her back to her room, she’s not to leave it for the rest of the night.” As Twilight trotted down to guide Sunset back to her room, the evil alicorn shouted one more question, “Spend a night with each you said? Who’ll you choose for tomorrow?”

Sunset thought about it for a second. “Fluttershy.” She wanted Applejack, but that had been the obvious choice. There were many tricks among villains, and she could only assume that Nightmare Moon made up in cleverness for what she lacked in intimidation. The evil princess gave a nod, and Twilight continued as her guide.

Without fail, a guard had been placed outside Sunset’s room before they arrived. Though it was not Rainbow Dash, the guard still recognized the two and quickly opened the door. Twilight entered first, flicking on the light. “Did you want to talk about something?” Sunset asked, following her in. She hadn’t expected Twilight to stay, much less wish to speak.

“Actually, I wanted to apologize for how I acted early tonight,” Twilight replied, catching Sunset completely off-guard.

“Oh.” The Twilight from the Crystal War had been rude, and so had the one from the Resistance timeline. A bruise still remained on her left knee from when the Resistance Twilight had become overly paranoid. “I wasn’t expecting you to apologize,” Sunset said, “But thank you. I’m sorry too. I’m usually easier to get along with. This… world hopping, it’s taking its toll.”

“I do look forward to spending a night together, and I hope you’ll allow me to question everything about your world. Not just as Nightmare Moon’s apprentice, but on a scientific level.” Twilight pushed her glasses up her muzzle. “Though I’d like to hear about what I am in your world. I do hope I’m no slouch, especially as royalty. Princess Twilight Sparkle, imagine that. Well, actually, I guess you wouldn’t have to.”

Sunset started to speak, but the words of Nightmare Moon came rushing back. “I haven’t told her that I met that strange version of her,” the evil alicorn had said, speaking of that very Princess Twilight. Though Nightmare Moon hadn’t wanted to, there was no reason Sunset couldn’t. “I’d love to fill you in sometime soon,” Sunset decided, taking time to judge the apprentice to Nightmare Moon first before revealing any information of her princess counterpart.

“That’s good to hear.” That seemed to be all the purple unicorn had wanted as she immediately turned to leave, only stopping to ask if she wanted to be served dinner now.

“It’s a little late for dinner,” Sunset replied, pointing her hoof over her shoulder at the window where the full moon lit the sky with hundreds of stars around it. “I’m just going to turn in for the night, I didn’t sleep that well.”

One of Twilight’s brows arched so hard that her glasses stumbled. “It’s only a little past five o’clock, Sunset.”

Dummy! Sunset badmouthed herself for forgetting. “Right, right. I’m not used to it,” she replied, rubbing her tired eyes with the back of her hoof. “I’m just going to head to bed anyway.”

Twilight gave a quick nod. “I’ll have a watch prepared for you to keep before you meet up with Fluttershy. Have a good night, Sunset Shimmer.” The purple unicorn didn’t wait for a response, closing the door to the bedroom that felt like a prison.

“Goodnight,” Sunset said quietly as she threw a worried look over her shoulder at the moon. “At least you’ve never changed,” she remarked to the bright star, staring at the unicorn-like shape on the surface.

Not even bothering to close the curtains first, Sunset crawled into bed. New sheets replaced the ones from the morning—or whatever counted as morning in this ‘Forever Night’ world. She reckoned it would be easier to sleep with the moonlight pouring into the bedroom, dancing against the vanity and the foot of her bed. And she was right. Once her eyes closed for the last time, she was immediately swept to dreamland, becoming just as lucid as the night before.

When she became aware of her coherent powers, she realized where she stood. “A plain of golden flowers,” she mouthed silently, feeling the strength of a wind suddenly brushing down on her. Her head spun, then her body, until she became too dizzy and fell on her rump. A loud thud rang out as she did, forcing herself back to her hooves to look at what sat beneath her. Whatever it was remained covered in grass, and she quickly went to work wiping it away. There was dirt, too, as if something buried the object.

Black and purple, she found the edge of the object, pulling out the golden flowers and wiping away the dirt. “It’s a crystal,” she heard herself say as she removed more dirt, eventually discovering a face within the quartz. She drew her eyes closer, trying to see who it was, but the sky… It’s black. She realized it had always been black, but a bright sort of black that reminded her of a cloudy day where no sun could be seen yet everything remained illuminated.

Looking back at the purple crystal caused her to scream. The face had pushed against the inside. “Don’t you miss us?” it said. “Aren’t we friends?”

Sunset backed away as the ground began moving, the crystal slowly rising from the soil. Other flowers started to move around her as more tetragonal crystals rose beside coal-colored cocoons. Every crystal and cocoon levitated a yard or two off the ground, some still encased with bits of dirt or roots. “What do you want from me!?” she yelled at them, pulling on her hair in distress.

“We’re waiting for you,” the voices spoke in unison, “We’re all waiting for you.” The voices began to repeat the words with almost a musical lilt in their cadence as if they were truly happy to see her. She couldn’t see them, however, only the silhouettes of ponies kept within the crystals and cocoons.

“Sunset Shimmer,” a voice cut through the chant.

Gasping for air, Sunset threw her body forward, causing her to do the same in the waking world. She awoke immediately to the darkened room that was only dimly lit by the starlight. Aside from her heavy panting, the only thing she could hear was the slight ringing in her ear that accompanied true silence. For a moment, she thought she was alone, but then the voice spoke again. “Sunset Shimmer.”

Standing over her as a doctor stands over a patient, Nightmare Moon was glaring down at Sunset. For a moment, Sunset could feel herself building a scream in her throat, but it subsided. “W-what are y-you doing here?” Sunset asked, trying not to sound weak, but failing. I’d rather deal with this nightmare than the one I came from, she thought, still panting.

“Were you having a nightmare?” Nightmare Moon asked though it was clear she already knew the answer.

“Yes, I was.”

“How?”

“What do you mean how!?” Sunset asked, suddenly feeling very angry for having her privacy bombarded.

“My people do not have nightmares, I do not allow it. You are not one of my people but I should still have control of your dreams and nightmares, yet I cannot enter your mind while you slumber.” It sounded as though Sunset had piqued Nightmare Moon’s curiosity almost as much as it angered her. “My people have been far happier without such terrible dreams. By right, I should be the only nightmare they fear.”

Sunset threw the sweat-stained comforter off, tumbling to the opposite side of the bed away from Nightmare Moon. “That’s all well and good, but you have to remember that I’m not one of your people. I don’t accept you as my leader, so why would my mind ever allow you to invade my thoughts?”

“I do not invade my subjects’ privacy,” Nightmare Moon replied, even though she was standing in a bedroom uninvited and unwelcome—the irony was lost on her. “I simply prevent such terrors. The true night should be enjoyed just as much as the time spent under my gracious moon,” she described and then turned the conversation back to Sunset. “What was it you were dreaming of?”

“My friends,” Sunset replied as she stared out the window. The moon was rising once again, though out of sight, the colors of blue and purple were streaking across the black sky. “I was dreaming of my friends.”

World 3: Chapter 3

The fur beneath the metal band was pressed down, causing a weird sensation as Sunset walked. It’s not like having arms, she bitterly noted, missing the ease of bipedal walking. Every time they stopped, she found herself playing or moving the watch around. The metal band was the same color as her fur, with a white clock face and the darkest shade of blue for ticking hands. She had left her backpack in her room for the day—or night as everyone said—not wanting the burden of the straps digging into her shoulders. Seems like I traded one tight fit for another, she thought, tugging at the band again.

As she stood in the castle elevator, glancing at her reflection and the stallion who was her guard for the night, she wondered what exactly Fluttershy had planned, if anything. Hopefully I won’t have to do much finagling today. Meet some animals, see the menagerie, and maybe, possibly, perchance convince Fluttershy to use her Element on Nightmare Moon. The metal doors opened with a click and a drag, the pegasus in question stood firmly on the other side.

“Oh! I was just coming to find you,” Fluttershy said, greeting the world-hopper with a cheery smile. She had traded her collared shirt for a long, moss-colored sweater, which almost matched the purse she brought with her the previous night. The pigtails remained. “I hope you’re ready for a wonderful time with animals. They’re a bit shy to strangers, but they’ll accept you as long as I am there to help.”

Sunset stepped out of the elevator, smiling her best smile but feeling that it was her worst. “Got any sheep in the menagerie?” she asked before glancing back at the guard, but the doors had already shut. Guess I’ve got my new guard. She turned back to Fluttershy who had a curious look about her. “In the very first world I visited, you developed a sort of donation where you would sheer sheep to be sent off for wool clothes. It was to help the war there.”

“War?” Fluttershy repeated, a sudden gulp in her throat bounced the skin along the sides of her neck. “We’ve never had a war before. Not that I’ve been alive for, at least.”

While they made their way to the exit of the castle, Sunset explained the details of the Crystal War timeline. Once they reached the courtyard, taking a right instead of a left, which would be towards Twilight’s tower, they passed a set of large glass topiaries. “Have you ever been to the Crystal Empire?” Sunset asked as a large domed building came into view beneath the mountain face, something she hadn’t seen in any other world.

“No, I haven’t. I’ve stayed in Canterlot since the Forever Night came, aside from visiting my parents and brother in Cloudsdale.”

“You have a brother?” Sunset asked. She knew the answer, the shy Fluttershy from beyond the mirror had mentioned her free-spirited brother once or twice, but it was smarter to mix knowledge and ignorance. It would help in finding if there were any lies that her friends might keep hidden out of fear of the great blue mist.

Fluttershy nodded, her tongue buried between the gap in her front teeth. “He’s a hard worker.” He isn’t. “Right now he’s in between figuring himself out and his cutie mark.” He is. “But he sort of mooches off our parents.” He does. “No one will hire him though, he was arrested for fanaticism.” He was what!?

“Fanaticism? How can somepony be arrested for that!?” Sunset wailed, stopping just short of the door to the royal menagerie. It was the dome, a shade of white that almost matched the color of the moon’s surface.

When Fluttershy bit her lip, a small portion passed between the gap in her teeth. Sunset would have thought it was adorable, but her rage was blinding. “Well,” Fluttershy started to say, “He’s always had a crush on Rainbow Dash. She and I were friends when we were younger and the world was still in ruins by the sun. When the Forever Night came, she gave up her dreams and became a royal guard. One of the few times Zephyr Breeze came to Canterlot to see me, he asked Rainbow Dash out, but she quickly turned him down stating that she was only into those who were devoted to Nightmare Moon.” She gently tugged on the collar of her sweater. “Rainbow’s not into Zephyr, but since he’s my brother she’s always been refusing him with gentle excuses. This or that, and whatnot. Never telling him that she just doesn’t like him.”

“And so he took it upon himself to be completely devoted to Nightmare Moon,” Sunset replied, understanding the situation. Nightmare Moon did say there were some crazies. “So, how did that end up getting him arrested?”

“Ever heard the term nip it in the bud? Well, Zephyr is a well-known bud.” Fluttershy shook her head. “Of course, that didn’t stop the problem. It only turned the biggest fanatics underground.”

“Ah.” Sunset didn’t let it show, but an internal cringe swept through her body. Poor Zephyr. Love is a crazy, misguided thing.

They quickly leapt to another conversation topic as Fluttershy drew open the white doors of the dome. It was bright inside. Possibly brighter than anywhere else in the world. “Many animals are slow to adapt to the Forever Night, and as such, we keep the domes nice and bright. There are three more domes at the base of the mountain on the eastern side.”

The side where there’s a hole to an underground cavern with pink crystals spiking out of the ground in pure darkness. Sunset nodded.

“Most were fine, though. Our feathered friends took to the night surprisingly well.” Fluttershy extended a hoof into the air and a bright red bird landed gracefully. “Some still have trouble seeing, especially birds that peck the ground for seeds or bugs. Nightmare Moon has done her best to try and brighten the moon as much as she can, and most species are thriving.”

“What about the night time exclusive animals? The ones that usually didn’t appear when day was a thing.”

Fluttershy grimaced. It wasn’t an angry expression or sad, but something mixed between. “You would have thought they’d thrive, but their numbers are actually dwindling. With night and true night, they’re awake at all hours, draining their little bodies to the point of exhaustion.”

“Insomnia for animals,” Sunset deduced.

“That’s exactly right.” Fluttershy didn’t seem happy about the answer, but it was clear that she had been dealing with those feelings for quite a long time. “Come on, let me introduce you to some of the cuddle bugs around here.”

The dome was at most three stories high with a long, winding brick road that led from one end to the other. Trees had been planted and trimmed to create a forest within the menagerie, so much so that Sunset couldn’t see the bright white walls past the entry. Only when she looked up could she see the white, and even then she was blinded by the light. There were a few clearings, though not many due to the small size of the dome. Ponds or rocks for small animals to gather around were more common. The brick pathway curved and twisted like one of the snakes that bathed in the light on one such rock. “You’ve done a good job creating a sun-like environment,” Sunset applauded, glancing over at an iguana making its way up a shrub.

“I suppose.”

“You suppose?”

“Nightmare Moon likes to visit the rodent exhibit down in one of the menageries in the east, but she often complains how bright the others are. It’s rare that she’ll come here alone. She only does that when she’s feeling sad.”

“Feeling sad?”

“I shouldn’t talk about it, but I think she feels sad that she can’t help the animals. The world had grown accustomed to living in the light of the sun. I know we can’t go back to the way things were, and I understand why that is, but the animals don’t, no matter how many times I explain it.”

“Do you?” Sunset asked. “Understand why, I mean.”

Fluttershy stopped her trot, her pigtails bounced as she turned her head to face Sunset. “W-what?”

Sunset continued to walk but slowed down to a meager crawl. “Do you understand why the world is covered in darkness? Why there is no sun?” Her eyes dragged from tree to tree, from shade to shade, looking for a blue mist that could be waiting to pounce if the wrong word was said. There was nothing, and Sunset stopped finally, glancing back at the uneasy pegasus. “Your face says you do and can’t admit it.” Whether that sounded harsh or sarcastic, Sunset was unsure, but she didn’t mean it as either. “Are there others who understand?”

The pegasus began to play with the cuffs of her sweater, refusing to look in Sunset’s direction. “Who are you?” she asked, her eyes firmly planted toward the ground.

“A friend.”

The last world had genuinely paranoid ponies, but the expression Fluttershy held would have beaten them all if it were a contest. The pegasus shook her head, her brows so furrowed that they almost touched. “I guess I don’t understand.” Her hoof stretched to point at the unicorn. “Are there really other worlds without the Forever Night?”

Sunset didn’t answer. Sometimes you ask questions you already know the answer to, she smirked. Grabbing the yellow pegasus by her foreleg, Sunset then dragged her through the habitat. “Come on, we’ve got to get you your Element of Harmony. Can’t do that if we’re just standing around all day.”

“You mean night,” Fluttershy corrected as she attempted to wiggle from Sunset’s firm grip.

“Yeah, sure, that’s what I meant.” It wasn’t what she meant.

The plan was coming along smoothly in Sunset’s eyes. Compared to the Crystal War and Resistance timelines, she had already gathered all the information she needed. Some ponies don’t like the fact that the sun is gone, while others really like it. Fluttershy could be converted relatively easily, but only after they became true friends. To think I once bullied Fluttershy at CHS, and now here I am dragging a Fluttershy around to show me animals.

“That’s Harry.” Fluttershy pointed to a skittish bear hiding behind a pine tree. “He’s a big ol’ cuddle bear. Come here, Harry.” She patted the floor, making cooing noises from deep in her throat. The gentle brown bear plopped on all four legs and crawled over like a scolded child after stealing a cookie. “What’s the matter, Harry?” Fluttershy asked, petting the bear’s head. With a sudden grasp and a gasp, the yellow pegasus was up in the air.

“Fluttershy!” Sunset yelled and her horn began to light up, but giddy laughter ceased the magical discharge.

The pegasus landed in the bear’s arms, laughing and hooting as Harry held her tight in a bear hug. “Oh, Harry, you’re such a trickster.” Fluttershy wrapped her forelegs around the big lug’s neck as he licked the side of her head, making one of her pigtails dance. “Sorry if he frightened you, Sunset. Harry is a gentle giant. Isn’t that right, Harry?”

As if on command, the bear leaned down and let Fluttershy go before turning to Sunset and giving her a big lick across the face. “He’s certainly friendly,” Sunset laughed, patting the bear’s big black nose.

“Do you know where Angel Bunny is, Harry?” Fluttershy asked, sounding as sweet as honey tea.

Harry looked at Fluttershy and gave a toothy smile before turning back to Sunset and winking. Wait, did that bear just wink at me? Sunset thought, glancing back at Fluttershy who started to squirm. “Are you alright?”

“I think Harry here was a distraction.” Fluttershy giggled, her sweater moving in all directions. Two big white ears suddenly popped out at her neck, tickling her chin. “There you are, mister. Momma’s missed you.” The bunny jumped from the collar and landed in front of Harry, turning and angrily crossing his arms. Fluttershy must've sensed something Sunset couldn’t as the pegasus said, “I know and I’m sorry, but I had to bring a new friend tonight.”

That didn’t seem to sit well with the little white bunny, as he turned to look at Sunset with two small brows of anger above his beady eyes. It all seemed to sink away for him, however, as his eyes and mouth went wide. “Hi there,” Sunset greeted, smiling down at him. “It’s good to see you again, Angel Bunny.”

“Again?” Fluttershy inquired, and Angel’s reaction seemed the same.

“That’s right.” Sunset extended a hoof, allowing Angel to jump up onto her. “I’ve missed seeing him and Spike. The last two worlds I visited didn’t have you two, though Spike isn’t in this one either.” She pressed her neck against the rabbit and he held onto her for a moment before climbing up into her red and yellow mane.

Fluttershy blinked. “Who’s Spike?”

“Well, in my world, he’s Twilight’s assistant. He’s also a young dragon that—” Sunset paused, slapping a hoof against her face. I forgot to continue searching for when Twilight and Spike first met each other! The Twilight of this world interrupted my whole train of thought yesterday. She jiggled her watch, realizing now that leaving her backpack had been a mistake all along.

While Sunset scolded herself, Fluttershy continued with their conversation. “A baby dragon? Oh, how I’d love to meet one of those! I’ve never met a dragon, ever, actually. Do you think they’re alright with the Forever Night?”

“I don’t know. Spike’s the only dragon I’ve met, and he’s a dog in my wor—” Sunset paused once more, slapping her face again. Fluttershy, with the gap in her teeth and her quirky pigtails, stared curiously for a long moment. So long that Sunset couldn’t ignore it. “I guess the cats out of the bag,” she sighed.

“I don’t understand. How can he be a dog and a dragon?” Fluttershy wonder. Her face showed she was thinking about a scaly dog with wings or something similar.

Sunset scratched the back of her neck, almost forgetting Angel Bunny was burrowing himself into her mane. “Well, I haven’t really told anyone, and I know Nightmare Moon doesn’t want me telling ponies this... But, while I am from Equestria originally, the world I live in isn’t part of Equestria. It’s a place where everyone is a bipedal furless creature, and even I am transformed into it when I return there.” She looked at Harry. “Kind of like Harry here. They walk on two legs and use their hands. They don’t have horns or wings. And they aren’t as hairy as Harry.”

“Hmm.” Fluttershy tucked her forelegs against her neck. “Ohhh, I’d love to meet one! I’m always interested in meeting new animals, especially ones that talk. Do dragons talk too?”

“As far as I know they do. Nothing magical passes through the mirror between worlds and stays the same. One thing that does is you guys, you bearers of the Elements. I’m friends with you all in my world, but I haven’t really had the pleasure of meeting you all in Equestria—except for Twilight and Pinkie.”

“Nothing magical? Like, at all?” That shocked Fluttershy more than the alternate version of herself. “Do you mean that it’s always…?”

“Sunny and bright?” Sunset laughed. “Yeah. But don’t tell anyone about the world beyond the mirror. Nightmare Moon wouldn’t be happy if I kept bringing up worlds where it’s not always night time.”

Harry frowned and clasped his hands together, shaking them in front of Sunset.

“Oh, Harry,” Fluttershy comforted, placing a hoof over his paws. “He doesn’t like the Forever Night. He misses the sun.”

“I’m guessing he’s not the only one,” Sunset said, pointing out the other critters that had come out to see the commotion. The number of animals kept in the menagerie put Sunset in awe. Too many to fit in a place as small as this. “Are they all afraid of the eternal night?”

“Yes. That’s why they’re here,” Fluttershy lamented. “B-but it’s not all bad! I believe the next generation won’t be unhappy, they’ll be born into the darkness. They’ll have never seen the sun, so… it won’t…”

Sunset turned back to look at the pegasus who was being consoled by Harry, tears soaking her bright yellow cheeks. “Fluttershy, are you alright? What’s wrong?” Sunset felt a sudden split in her mane, and Angel Bunny came crawling out. Landing on his feet, he quickly scampered over to the pegasus and wrapped his small bunny arms around a foreleg.

Fluttershy took the bunny in one hoof, rocking him against her sweater. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be such a sad sourpuss. It’s just so hard to think about all the poor babies growing up never knowing the beauty of the sun.” Just as quickly as she said the worlds, two wings came clasping down over her mouth. “I didn’t mean that!” she shouted, her eyes as wide as the moon.

Harry covered his ears and closed his eyes, Angel Bunny tucked himself back into Fluttershy’s sweater, and the rest of the animals disappeared just as quickly as they appeared. “Whoa,” Sunset mouthed silently, glancing around to see if the blue mist might have seeped somewhere close. Even in the shadows, there was nothing, and the bright lights above illuminated the rest of the menagerie.

“I didn’t mean it, I didn’t mean it, I didn’t mean it,” Fluttershy belligerently repeated.

“Fluttershy. Fluttershy!” Sunset took the pegasus’s wings and pressed them away. “It’s alright. You don’t need to make yourself feel bad for feeling that way!”

“But I—”

Sunset shook her head. “No buts.” I suppose it’s too soon to try and coerce her into joining me. “I think what you need is some ice cream.”

“Ice cream?” Fluttershy sniffled.

“Sure.” Sunset wrapped a hoof around the pegasus’s neck, hugging her tightly. “Believe it or not, I was actually a bad guy once. I tried to take over the world beyond the mirror, but I was defeated by six exceptional people who became my friends.” Sunset gave a wink and a smile, pulling Fluttershy back down the brick path they'd come. “Nobody knows this, but I didn’t take my defeat too well. I was pretty sore, so I got some ice cream. Sometimes, sitting and eating ice cream is the best thing for trying to figure things out.”

With her wings, Fluttershy wiped away the tears from her eyes, blotting the soaked cheeks with her feathers. “You were a bad guy? What was that like?”

“Oh, it was awful,” Sunset exclaimed. “Dumbest, stupidest, most half-baked idea I ever had, but I wouldn’t go back in time and change it, that’s for sure. If I did, I wouldn’t have great friends like you.” After pushing the bright white door open, Sunset held it for Fluttershy, and waved a goodbye to Harry and Angel Bunny who sat on the big bear’s shoulder. The moon was high in the sky, casting down light on the huge castle bearing down on them.

“Are we friends, Sunset?” Fluttershy asked as she stood in the mighty moonlight. “Do you want to be friends?”

“Absolutely. It’s going to be nice just sitting down and enjoying a cold treat for once.” It’s better than eating snow after being tackled by a brainwashed soldier. “I’m hoping this world is still close enough to the original to have my favorite ice cream parlor.”

“I thought you said you didn’t live in this world?”

Sunset had to chuckle at that. “Now that’s an even longer story. If it’s still there, I’ll tell you all about it.” Fluttershy seemed to like that idea, and the two headed for the gate to the rest of Canterlot. The guards gave them a suspicious eye but let them through regardless. As they traveled down the steps, Sunset laughed. Last time I came down this way was to find Chrysalis. Now I’m going for ice cream. “What a strange life I live,” she mumbled as they turned the corner onto the main street.

Ponies crowded the moonlit limestone road. Some were in fancy outfits, some were pulling carts or delivering mail, and some were castle guards coming down to enjoy their shift's end. Beautiful classical music was playing from a place Sunset couldn’t quite discern, but as they made their way down the main street, she noticed speakers hung up on some storefronts. They looked like the type of speakers that CHS had for their morning announcements, except these were coated in black and blue.

A song would end and another classical tune would start up. “Since when does Canterlot have radio?” Sunset wondered aloud, looking around at the rest of the shops to see if anything else was new. “An elevator. A radio system. What’s next? Television?”

“Oh, no. They say television rots your brain and that we should stick to reading,” Fluttershy replied, stopping beside the unicorn. “Though, maybe that was just made up by some author who didn't want his craft to go off to the wayside.”

“Never mind that, I see the ice cream parlor!” With a clap of excitement, Sunset jaywalked across the intersection and came face to face with her reflection in the parlor’s glass. The wooden sign above the doorway held cursive writing that Fluttershy attempted to read but couldn’t. “I called it the Squiggles when I was a filly,” Sunset said, pushing the golden bar on the door and entering the ice cream shop. “It wasn’t until I was older that I could read it, but by then I had no interest in sitting down for brain-freezing treats. My mind was… elsewhere.”

The parlor had booths on the right side, and on the left were barstools lined up against the counter. Two stallions sat near the door while two mares sat further in the back. A balding old stallion stood behind the cash register wiping down a thick glass. “I’ve never been in here before,” Fluttershy said, taking a seat on a barstool next to Sunset. “How is it you’ve known about it?”

“I was an apprentice to a very important pony,” Sunset answered. “She would often take me here as a reward for my magical improvements.” She paused, glancing over the same wooden wall behind the counter that had been there all those years ago. The counter, a tan wood, replaced the marble that she had known, and the reupholstered stools were now a red velvet. “I suppose I should order something in honor of her, but the truth is, I don’t deserve something like that just yet.”

“Oh, my…” Fluttershy gasped. “Who was she?”

Sunset smiled, touching one side of her mouth and pulling her hoof to the other side like a zipper. “I don’t think Canterlot would enjoy me saying her name. But I plan to make amends with her once I return to my world. There are a few ponies I need to make things right with.” She glanced down at the watch and noticed it hadn’t bugged her as of late.

“What can I get you two ladies?” the stallion behind the counter asked. As he came closer, Sunset noticed that one eye had gone grey, while the other remained a beady black. Both of his eyes squinted at Sunset for a moment, which Sunset caught and thought nothing of it.

“I’m not sure. What’ll you have, Sunset?”

“Two ice cream sundaes,” Sunset responded, holding up her hoof to show two fingers that weren’t there.

The stallion nodded, exiting through a small door behind the counter. “I haven’t had ice cream in a while,” Fluttershy admitted, a sweet smile creasing her lips. “There’s been no time. I’m usually with the animals all night, and even though I’m used to the Forever Night, living in Canterlot has been a whole different thing.”

“Do you have a house in Canterlot?” Sunset asked, folding her forelegs over the counter like she would do if she were bipedal.

Fluttershy nodded in response. “The princess has been ever so gracious to help fund those that help her. One of the ponies you met yesternight, Applejack, actually has a home in Canterlot, Fillydelphia, and Ponyville, though I believe she spends most of her time in the latter. She’s really successful. Many ponies became successful after Nightmare Moon saved us. So much so that we’ve had a boom in technology.”

“So, where does she get all the money?” Sunset wondered. Another area of exploitation.

But Fluttershy only giggled. “I’m just the zookeeper, not her accountant.”

The cashier eventually returned with two glassfuls of sundae, a pink banana soaked in the middle with chocolate sauce poured throughout. “Here you two ladies go,” he said sternly, never taking his one good eye off Sunset. They thanked him and he disappeared behind the door once more.

Sunset scooped out a piece of the banana with her spoon, holding it with her magic, and wondering why exactly it was pink. “I’ve got to take the girls out for ice cream when I get back to my world.” She split one of the scoops of ice cream in half, then quarters. “I’m going to have so much to tell them. I can’t imagine how they must be feeling without me.”

“When was the last time you saw them?” Fluttershy asked with a mouthful of ice cream.

“Umm.” Sunset swiveled in her seat, looking for a calendar. One sat on the wall near the door, to which she levitated over to them. The picture at the top was of ice cream, shockingly. “Wait.” Sunset shoved her spoon back into her sundae, flipping the calendar backward one month. “This can’t be right.”

Fluttershy turned her head, getting a pigtail caught in her ice cream. “What’s wrong?”

“This calendar, it’s marked for this day as yesterday.” Sunset pointed at the fifth box with an X through the middle of it. “Except, when calculating it in the mirrored world's time, the day I left is here.” She then pointed at the third box with an X through the middle of it.

“Isn’t that a good thing? Not much time has passed.”

Sunset shook her head. “No. In the last world I was in we were closer to the end of the month.” I never did find out how changelings were creating calendars, or why. “This doesn’t make any sense.”

“There are a few things that don’t make sense.” The bald stallion had reappeared in the doorway behind the counter. He made a sharp whistle and motioned to the other inhabitants of the parlor. That’s when Sunset realized something was wrong. There’s no fillies or colts here. It’s an ice cream shop without foals.

The two stallions that sat near the entrance got up and locked the door, blockading it with their bodies. The two mares, who sat at the other end of the parlor, also rose from their seats, staring intently at Sunset and Fluttershy.

“S-Sunset, what’s happening?” Fluttershy bleated.

“Who are you all? What’s going on?” Sunset demanded, rising to her hooves while still standing on the barstool.

“Sunset. Sunset Shimmer,” the balding stallion said as he came towards them, a piece of wood under his right foreleg. “Yeah, you sure look like her.”

Gulping her anxiety down, Sunset stared at the good eye of the stallion. “Do you know who I am?”

The stallion was quick, and Sunset expected more, but all he did was toss a wooden picture frame onto the counter. It had been jarring enough for Sunset to fall to the floor, landing gracefully on her hooves. “I hope you trust this here friend of yours. I don’t want this place shut down.” The stallion flipped over the picture frame, revealing the photograph beneath.

“Oh, my!” Fluttershy raised her hooves to her mouth, and that stirred a bit of curiosity into Sunset.

With her magic, Sunset levitated the picture frame to her level. Her eyes glanced between the pair of stallions and mares and the bald stallion. It wasn’t until she saw the photograph that her eyes stood still.

“Aw.” She had no words for the tears that exploded down her cheeks. Inside the wooden frame sat a black and white photograph of an alicorn princess and a curly haired filly, aptly titled ‘Student and Teacher’ in the upper left corner. “I can’t believe it.” She climbed back onto her stool, a few tears falling into her sundae. “This was so long ago, back when I was a young—”

Everything went silent for a moment.

Sunset, a smart unicorn from Canterlot who traveled through a mirror, returned to Equestria and found herself in the crossfire of two ponies experimenting with time travel. “This was taken before Twilight became her apprentice—before she was even looking for a new apprentice,” Sunset voiced her thoughts, linking the two pieces together. “Those two went so far back that Spike doesn’t exist and the events brought on by the bearers were altered, yet here I am in this photo. That means they didn’t go back so far as to mess with events long ago. That’s why Nightmare Moon has appeared in every timeline! That’s why the Crystal Empire always returns! They’re predestined, but things like Discord and Tirek are not.”

Sunset tore open the picture frame, ignoring everypony around her. On the back of the photo was written the day, month, and year. “It was three years after this that I gave up my apprenticeship to Celestia, and she found a replacement not long after.” With tear-soaked cheeks, she turned to Fluttershy. “With this, I might be able to figure out the correct time when they started changing the past!”

“W-who’s changing the past?” Fluttershy asked, growing increasingly more terrified of Sunset rather than the ponies around them.

“Twilight Sparkle and a pony named Starlight Glimmer.” Sunset wiped her eyes dry with the back of her hoof. “Whatever they’ve done, why I’m even here, it has to do with those two.” She lifted the calendar back up, giving the stallion behind the counter the meanest stink eye she could. “Is this calendar correct?”

The stallion didn’t show his intimidation, but he did gulp before he answered. “That’s correct, yes.”

“So, whatever they changed happened when Twilight was a filly, and each world starts on the day I left. Which means that whatever these worlds are, they don’t exist without—” Sunset paused, the sudden realization sinking in.

“They don’t what, Sunset?”

…

“Sunset?”

…

“We matter! What happens here matters to us!” Twilight Sparkle yelled, staring down at Sunset with tear-soaked eyes. “If you were truly our friend, you would have already known that!”

“Aren’t we friends, Sunset?” Twilight Sparkle asked.

“Multiverse theory,” Twilight Sparkle replied.

“Don’t you miss us?” Twilight Sparkle asked.

Darkness shrouded the sky, but nothing was dark. The yellow plains were illuminated somehow, like on a cloudy, rainy day when the sun sat hidden. Sunset felt the flowers all around her, brushing against her sides. She could barely see the darkened sky past the underside of the petals. “Of course I miss you,” she said, blinking slowly, tears still in her eyes. Sunset sat up and pressed her hand against the corners of her eyes, rubbing them with her thumb and index finger. “What in Equestria!?” she shouted, throwing her hand out as if ants covered it.

She looked down, a light cream-colored skirt sat bunched up against blue jeans. “I’m… I’m me.” Her eyes wandered from her shoeless feet to her painted nails. “But this isn’t truly me. I came from Equestria. I’m a pony.” Pushing herself forward onto her knees, she summoned all her strength to rise and stand bipedal. A gentle wind pushed her bangs into her eyes as she rose, and when she removed the hair, she saw the indigo gazebo from her dreams. “I must be dreaming. But how? Why?”

Her strides were long and rough as she attempted to get used to walking on two feet again. As she climbed the slope and reached the top, she grabbed onto the wooden siding. Pulling herself up to the handrail, she found that she was alone. A few unused benches were the only thing that remained. She pulled her legs over the side and stood on the wooden floorboards, glancing around the plains to see what she could see. The wood beneath her feet felt dirty—like someone hadn't swept in years. “There’s nothing here.”

“Oh, there’s someone here.”

Sunset twirled at lightning speeds, surprised by the voice from behind her, and even more surprised by who it was. “Midnight Sparkle!”

“Don’t you miss us, Sunset? Don’t you miss feeling like you were the hero? You failed the last two worlds, and now you’ll never see them again.” Midnight Sparkle laughed. She sat on the bench, cross-legged, as calm as snow covered woods.

“I didn’t fail! The Elements of Harmony saved the last two worlds, they were saved by bearers, just like how they gave me the power to defeat you!” Sunset yelled, clenching a fist at the magic-filled demon in front of her. “But this is just a dream, I don’t have to fear your words. I don’t have to explain my actions to a shadow.”

“She’s waiting for you in a field of golden flowers, Sunset Shimmer. And unlike her, you can have everything you want. Just try not to break your back by burdening yourself with all those lessons.” Midnight Sparkle erupted into dust and vanished, leaving only her mocking laughter behind.

“Lessons?” Sunset turned back to the entrance of the gazebo. “Am I really supposed to learn something here? What’s the point of all these dreams?”

“Sunset!” a voice so loud rang out from the sky, pushing down the flowers in the field so forcefully that they did not immediately regain their stance. “Sunset!” the voice yelled again, pushing the flowers even lower.

“What!? What do you want from me!?” Sunset yelled back. A light so bright blinded her for a moment, and she quickly covered her eyes. “What? What’s going on!?” she yelled and found that she was covering her eyes with her hooves.

It was Fluttershy’s voice. “Are you alright Sunset? You passed out!”

Sunset was sprawled out on her back, Fluttershy stood over her along with the bald stallion and the two mares. “W-what? Passed out?” Sunset felt a jolt of pain lingering in her shoulders. “I suppose it wasn’t a soft landing,” she guessed, rubbing the ache in her shoulder blade.

“You started blabbering nonsense there for a moment, kiddo,” the bald stallion said, extending a hoof. Sunset took it and was pulled to her flank. “It’s a good thing you had that episode here.” With his other hoof, he held an ice cream sandwich still in wrapper up to her back.

“Thanks,” Sunset replied, rubbing her forehead just below her horn. “So, where’d you get that picture? You’re not the original owner, I remember him. A tan stallion with brown hair. I had a crush on him, but I think it was because he had ice cream.”

“My son,” the stallion replied. “He’s sitting somewhere in the dungeons right now. Too much preachin’ about Princess Celestia.”

Fluttershy pulled the photograph to Sunset. “The cat really is out of the bag.”

“Ah, don’tcha worry,” one of the mares said. She was blonde with a fur hat that had ears going down to her chin. Her creamy fur reminded Sunset of the skirt she had been wearing moments ago. “We’re all huge fans of Princess Celestia here, though we ain’t gonna admit it out to the general public.” She snorted.

Sunset turned to Fluttershy, glancing over the expressionless pegasus. “We’re not going to admit anything that’s happened here, are we?”

The pegasus smiled a wide smile, her tooth gap displayed prominently. “I think I found my favorite ice cream parlor in Canterlot.”

Sunset had to laugh at that, but her eyes dragged back to the slumped over calendar that was between the wooden counter and barstool. A thousand thoughts were racing through her mind, but only one stuck out amongst the rest. Just a short, simple pop in. Say hello, grab a replacement, and then head home for dinner. That’s how it was supposed to go. Now, I might actually make it to that picnic, but that means nobody knows I’m here.

World 3: Chapter 4

The cute, chunky pink pony trotted back and forth from counter to counter. “Are we going to spend all day in the kitchen?” Sunset asked as she watched the earth pony grab a pan with her mouth, flip whatever was inside and then set it back down on the stove.

“You mean niiiight!” the pink pony sang, exaggerating the word night with a full lilt. “As the castle’s head chef, there are a few things I have to do personally before I can let other staff handle the rest.” She opened the oven, pulling a tray out with her mitted hoof. “Such as feed you breakfast!”

“I’m not that hungry, Pinkie Pie,” Sunset replied. She had been full all throughout the true night, ever since the ice cream parlor. Her mind was still fighting with the terrible things she learned. Misery wracked her thoughts that not even sleep could comfort. At least there weren’t any dreams last night.

Pinkie Pie giggled and snorted. “That might be true, but you’ll definitely eat one of my super-duper pan-muffins! Nopony in Equestria can resist the taste. Especially not with delicious napples cooked right into the yummy dough!”

The kitchen was rather large from what Sunset could remember, though she had been only a filly at the time. Cabinets rounded the entirety of the overhead space with even more below the countertops. In the middle sat an island of counters along with several stoves. The ovens were separate, stacked doubled on each other, closer to the walk-in freezer.

“A napple, huh? I wouldn’t mind trying such a thing.” Sunset halted her bored attitude, leaning forward to get a better view of the earth pony’s movements.

With glee, the pink pony lifted the pan into the air and flopped the pan-muffin onto a plate. “Here you go, Sunset Shimmer!” The pan-muffin was just that, a muffin in the shape of a pancake. Little glows of cyan could be seen scattered amongst the brown fluff of the morning treat. With a fork, Sunset levitated a slice up to her mouth. She found it odd tasting, a muffin when it should have been a pancake, but the bits of napple were the bigger, tastier mystery.

Sunset’s brows furrowed and released with every new bite, unable to discern the flavor. “This tastes like, well, I don’t even know. It’s not an apple, I’m not sure what it is!” she exclaimed, taking another bite.

“Told ya nopony can resist! The napples are absolutely the best!” Pinkie Pie undid her apron, leaving her green chef’s coat on. She hadn’t bothered with a hair hat, keeping her mane wrapped up behind her head and along the back of her neck. “Oh, and I’m sure you know what the taste is. Ever had a zap apple before? Same thing, except now we get them all year round!” she squealed, her short, cyan glasses gripping tightly to her shaky muzzle.

With a mouthful, Sunset said, “Zap apple huh? I don’t know what that is, but if it tastes as good as this, I’ll take twenty.”

Pinkie Pie laughed at that, shaking her bouncy cheeks. “Silly! Zap apples don’t grow anymore. Just one of the many fruits and vegetables gone from this world.” The way she sounded, Pinkie Pie didn’t seem too upset at the fact. “Finish up quick, though! I can’t be behind schedule tonight.”

Scooping the last bit in and swallowing, Sunset licked the plate clean. “Oh yeah? Where are we going?” she asked in between licks.

“I wasn’t expecting the princess to make such a request as to have somepony pal around with me for a night. There are so many different events that I’ve crammed into my schedule, I wouldn’t even know where to begin!” Pinkie shrugged and motioned for the door, opening it for Sunset. “But when the princess makes a request, you don’t dare deny it.”

“Why not? Does she send you to the dungeon?” Sunset half-joked, expecting that it was, in fact, the reality of this world.

“No, no, no.” Pinkie shook her head, leading Sunset down the back hall where staff prepared for their nightly routines. “Princess Nightmare Moon is just like any other royalty or noblepony. She’ll just dismiss you from her staff. There are very few ponies who get sent to the dungeons, and even then it’s just for a short while.” The hall filtered out to a staff entrance where they passed a few ponies Sunset recognized. “Morning Blueblood and Hash Berry!” Pinkie yelled as they passed by.

“Good morning, Miss Pie,” Blueblood replied more curtly than Sunset would have expected from the previously formal stallion.

Sunset glanced back at the no-longer-a-prince as she trotted out into the moonlight, wondering what exactly the role of an ex-prince was. “Why does everyone say morning? The moons out.” Sunset stared up at the unicorn-like shape smudged against the moon’s surface.

“You sure are from another world, ain'tcha?” Pinkie teased. “Dawn, morning, noon, dusk, evening. Pretty sure you can name the time even if you lived in a hole in the ground. Day might be gone, but night's just replaced it. Nothing has changed. Plus the moon makes it easier because you’re not blinded by a big ball of fire anymore!”

“Gee, guess I know why any relationship I’ve had hasn’t worked out.” Sunset flexed her eyebrows, nudging her head to her cutie mark.

Pinkie laughed. She had been laughing and giggling a lot since Sunset arrived in her kitchen, but this was the truest, longest laugh. “I’ll have to remember that one next time I sign up for an open mic comedy night.”

“You do jokes? I can hardly believe it,” Sunset replied dryly.

“Really? I’d imagine I would be the same in any world. Jokes are what I do second best!”

“Satire is lost on you, but you’d be surprised by your other selves. They’re nothing like you.”

“What are they like?”

Sunset mulled over the personalities of the two Pinkies that she had met as they wandered down and out the castle’s gate. The two guards were the same as the previous night, both still giving a suspicious eye but making no attempts to stop them. “They were very anti-you,” she said as they trotted down the marble steps, reaching the limestone road. “One was extremely quiet, the other was extremely cynical.”

“I’m sure I can get like that if I’m in one of my moods,” Pinkie replied. “I grew up on a rock farm where all we did was mine rocks. There was no talking, no smiling, just rocks.” She gave another laugh, but it sounded more pitiful than any of the others, as though her heart wasn’t in it. “I sure don’t miss those days, but I do miss my family.”

“Does Maud come to Canterlot at all? It’s been a whole other world since I’ve seen her!”

In the middle of the street, Pinkie stopped to let out the biggest gasp Sunset ever heard. It was a miracle that the glasses the pink pony wore stayed on her face. “You know my sister!?” she wailed. “I can’t believe it! I won’t believe it! What’s she like? Wait! Don’t tell me! She’s quiet, right?” Sunset couldn’t help but laugh. “Oh, come on! Don’t laugh! I haven’t seen her in years!”

“What!? Why not?”

A sudden strike of panic struck Pinkie’s face as she glanced around the road, her teeth bit down on her plump bottom lip. With surprising strength, she pushed Sunset into a darkened alley between two shops, out of ear range of any street pony passing by. “My family isn’t—” Her eyes darted between the two sides of the alley “—very happy with the Forever Night. It makes their work harder because they can’t see as well. I’ve tried to get them to come to Canterlot, but they just won’t see reason. And it’s pretty difficult for me to find time off to go down there. It’s a real nightmare.”

“I see,” Sunset replied. Guess there are more than a few ponies out in the world that still miss Celestia.

Pinkie grabbed hold of Sunset’s left foreleg, wrapping both hooves around it. “Please, Sunset. You can’t let anypony know about their feelings. Even if I don’t get to see them often, I couldn’t bear to lose them.”

“I thought you said the dungeons were rarely used?”

The earth pony lowered her head as if there were more, but she huffed and gawked for a moment before bringing up Sunset’s watch. “My goodness! We’re going to be late!” she yelled, tugging on the foreleg and pulling Sunset back onto the city street. With a surprising amount of speed for the pudgy pink pony, Sunset had trouble keeping up with the mad dash down the main street. With a sloppy turn down a side road, Pinkie trotted up to a big bronze door of a rosy pink building with window pots full of colorful flowers. “Come on!” she yelled over the classical music playing down the road, beckoning for Sunset to keep up.

“What is this place?” Sunset asked through her wheezing, a few sweat drops beating on her brow. She glanced around the skinny street, trying to picture it from her youth and drawing a blank. Licking her dry lips to speak, she said, “I don’t recognize it.”

“It’s Canterlot’s main schoolhouse, Canterlot Honorary School,” Pinkie replied. “Well, so long as you don’t count the School for Gifted Unicorns.” She shrugged. “But they wouldn’t let a non-unicorn guest speak, so I sure don’t count ‘em!”

Canterlot Honorary School, Sunset remarked, chuckling to herself. I bet this is the closest thing to CHS as I’ll get for a while.

Pinkie pushed open the bronze door just as the sound of a bell clanging rang out overhead. Students petered out of the school’s open classrooms and into the hall, all being ushered in the same direction by teachers and faculty. One of the instructors perked up at the opening door, glancing at Sunset and then Pinkie Pie. “Ohhh boy! Everypony, hurry and be seated in the lecture hall. Our guest will be with you in a moment!” the mare hollered, pushing past the wave of fillies and colts all turning to see the chef and unicorn.

“Mornin’ Miss B!” Pinkie saluted before wrapping a foreleg around the instructor, squeezing a short hug out. “Hope you and the kiddos don’t mind that the guest speaker also brought a guest listener,” she said, giggling and pulling the unicorn forward.

“Hello. I’m Sunset Shimmer. It’s a, uh, pleasure to meet you… Miss B, was it?” Sunset extended a hoof, and the amethyst-colored teacher shook it warmly.

“Please, call me Berryshine. I haven’t seen you around Canterlot before. Come in, come in!”

Pinkie Pie bounced happily down the wooden floorboards, past the open schoolrooms, seemingly knowing where she was going. Sunset was a bit slower, taking her time to wait for the instructor named Berryshine who was prompt in closing the big bronze door. “What exactly are you speaking about, Pinkie?” Sunset asked, glancing between classrooms. One held foal-sized tables with building blocks and crayons while another room had desks lined in rows that reminded Sunset of CHS. “Pinkie?” she called again.

The pink pony had already bounced around the corner, but Berryshine was quick to pick up the trail. “Pinkie Pie loves these events,” the instructor said, edging up next to Sunset. “I haven’t seen her at her worst, but I’ve definitely seen her at her brightest, and these kids really make her glow.” Berryshine glided around the corner and into a hall where lockers no taller than Sunset stood in rows. At the end were two solid metal push doors, which another instructor held open for the two mares.

“Settle down!” Sunset could hear Pinkie yell. “I know you all love to hear my stories, and you especially enjoy the treats I bring,” the pink pony was saying. The sounds of fillies and colts screeching echoed loudly the closer they came.

Entering the lecture hall, a flood of old memories poured into Sunset. A great number of bleachers covered one side of the room while the podium and Pinkie stood on the opposite. All the seats filled up aside from a few spots along the front row. Behind the podium was a large chalkboard devoid of anything written on it other than “Special Guest Speaker: Canterlot Castle’s Head Chef, Pinkie Pie”. This had once been the setting that Sunset had found herself, sitting amongst the bleachers in the School for Gifted Unicorns, listening to Celestia give a short lecture. Technically, I still do the same thing, but its Principal Celestia now.

“Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to prepare treats.” The entire room echoed with grief, a few even starting to cry. “I brought something better!” Pinkie quickly corrected, and the room fell silent. “Well, not better for your tummies. I’d be lying if I didn’t say a good ol’ cookie wouldn’t hit the spot!” Grabbing her podgy cheeks, she began to rub them in circles and lick her lips, to which the lecture hall fell heavy with laughter. As Berryshine went to sit down, Sunset followed, but stopped halfway. “I brought a pony from another world! Sunset Shimmer! Come on up here!”

Fillies and colts alike gasped at the thought. “What? Pinkie, I don’t have anything planned!” Sunset snapped back with an angry whisper.

“Oh please. If you were good at planning you wouldn’t be trapped in an alternate reality where everything is just slightly different with no way of returning home without the help of six super mystical gems!” Pinkie slapped the wooden podium. “Get up here!”

A groan left Sunset’s lips as she trotted to the stage, her heart pounding with every step. Hopping up and taking her place beside the pink pony, she gave the chef a sour stare. “You’ll be fine,” Pinkie whispered. “Everypony, give a round of hooves for Sunset Shimmer!”

The crowd of foals clapped their hooves together excitedly as teachers looked nervously at each other. While Pinkie got off the stage, Sunset tried to think of a good place to start. Should I tell them about the war that ravaged their families' livelihood or the changelings who fed on their love? Turning her head to glance at the blackboard, Sunset decided on neither. “Pinkie’s right in the fact that I am from another world,” she began to say, her voice booming. Speeches came naturally to the reformed, it seemed. “Though it’s actually the same world as this one. There are many reasons that I can’t talk about certain specifics from my world, but one of the things that I can tell you all about is the Elements of Harmony.” With a flick of her magic, a piece of chalk went to the board. “The Elements of Harmony are two separate things. One is a set of gems that come from an all-powerful tree.”

Instead of drawing the gemstones from the Resistance timeline, Sunset chose to draw the necklaces of the bearers surrounding the best drawing of the Tree of Harmony that she could manage. “These gems hold power to defeat any evil, turning bad from good, or simply turning the villain into a stony villain like I’m sure we’ve all heard about in fairy tales.” She then backed up, drawing six cutie marks. “I don’t suppose anybody recognizes this one?” She pointed to a set of three balloons.

“Oh! Oh!” Pinkie excitedly raised her hoof. “That’s mine!”

Sunset lowered her head for a moment. “Yes, Pinkie. That is yours,” she wryly said. She then continued after briefly rethinking everything she had ever done. “This is the second part of the Elements of Harmony, the bearers of the Elements.” Drawing a line to connect each of the drawn necklaces to the cutie marks, Sunset pointed back at Pinkie’s. “Pinkie Pie, known in this world as a world-class chef in Canterlot Castle, is also the Element of Laughter.”

Several of the foals laughed. “You are pretty funny, Pinkie Pie!” one colt said.

“That’s debatable,” Sunset replied, to which the room erupted with laughter, even the teachers couldn’t contain themselves. Sunset smirked and continued, “In my world, she’s even funnier. However, she’s also not a world-class chef for Canterlot Castle. From my understanding, she’s a simple baker who loves making other people feel happy, smile, and laugh.”

Pinkie Pie raised her hoof.

“Yes, Pinkie?” acknowledged Sunset.

“I enjoy all those things. Why can’t I be both in either world?”

“Yeah! Pinkie deserves it!” a filly yelled, to which a colt added, “The snobs aren’t nice to her in this world. That doesn’t change in any world!”

One of the instructors was quick to hush the foals, but the effect had been there. Sunset saw it in the pink pony’s sudden eye twitch. Snobs aren’t nice to anyone in any world, bucko, Sunset mused. “Actually, she’s far more important than some high-class chef. In my world, she’s buddies with the princess, and not just on a professional level. The princess trusts Pinkie and all of these bearers so much that they’re pretty much on speed dial.”

Pinkie once again raised her hoof.

With a sigh, Sunset asked, “Yes, Pinkie?”

“What’s speed dial?”

“Oh.” Sunset reddened for a moment. Why didn’t I try to brush up on my idioms in the last world? “It just means that you’re readily available should the princess need you. From my understanding, she would often visit the bearers in Ponyville simply because they are friends.”

“Friends with Princess Nightmare Moon?” one of the teachers who wasn’t Berryshine gawked. “That’s amazing!”

“Nightmare Moon?” Sunset squinted at the name. “Yes, Nightmare Moon is absolutely friends with all the bearers.” Technically, that’s not a lie. I’m sure Princess Luna thinks of them that way, at least, from what Twilight has told me. “But more importantly than that, Pinkie Pie’s a great friend, and that friendship with the other five bearers is so strong that it transcends worlds. They prove on a daily basis that friendship is the strongest form of magic. A magic that anyone can perform by simply following in their steps.”

Next to the lines, Sunset began to write each Element. “Pinkie Pie, Element of Laughter. There’s also Kindness, Loyalty, Honesty, Generosity, and Magic. We all hold each Element within us, regardless of what we look like on the outside. Friendship is what binds them all together. So, if you have a friend, show them you care. Give them a hug, a present, or just call them friend.”

Pinkie rose her hoof to the air, really giving it a shake this time.

“Yes, friend?” Sunset asked, shooting a grin at her.

“What’s your Element? Do you have one?”

“No, I don’t,” responded Sunset with a shake of her head.

“Why not?” a colt asked, and Pinkie chorused the whine.

“Well,” Sunset said, turning and levitating an eraser to the board. She went to work removing the Elements and cutie marks, leaving only the crown that was Twilight’s Element. “Friendship is a powerful force that transcends worlds. It can beat those who only hunger for power.” She had drawn it several times, but here in the classroom, Sunset designed the best-looking demon she ever drew. “It beat me when I stole one of the Elements of Harmony and became a terrifying demon. It was the only thing that could stop me.” A few murmurs of the class began to surface, to which Sunset laughed internally. “It was also the only thing that could help me. When I was beaten and unsure what to do with my life, Pinkie Pie and these other Elements all befriended me, even though I was the one who hurt them the most.”

“I did that!?” Pinkie exclaimed and was quickly hushed by the foals and some teachers.

“That you did. Which is why I’m always ready to return the favor. I’m not from this world, but I’ve visited several others where things aren’t right. I did my best to right those wrongs by bringing these six bearers together.” And I’m doing that again for this world. “No matter the time, place, or universe, my friends can always count on me to be there for them, and I can count on them.”

The entire hall burst with joy. Fillies, colts, and even teachers clapped their hooves as hard as they could. Taking a bow, Sunset let the commotion wash over her. I should become a motivational speaker. Even I’m impressed with that little speech.

After the lecture hall filtered the students out, Sunset remained to clean the chalkboard of her last drawing. Pinkie Pie had stayed behind as well. “See, I knew you didn’t need to plan anything,” Pinkie said, snorting.

“That you did, Pinkie Pie. Never change.” Sunset set the eraser down at the lip of the chalkboard, turning to face the chubby pink pony after doing so. “How did you know I’d be such a hit? I might have frozen up, maybe crowds weren’t my thing.”

“Oh, please. You said it yourself, you’ve done extraordinary things. Pretty sure it’s only fairytales and kiddy books that the hero is afraid of something so non-life threatening like giving speeches.”

“I wouldn’t consider myself a hero, though,” Sunset replied, hopping off the podium’s stage.

Pinkie ungracefully followed. “You are to me.” Sunset stopped and glanced over her shoulder. Pinkie was tucking her cheek into her neck, a hesitant smile on her face. “I’ve never had anyone talk about me so positively before. At least, not without it relating to food.” It was there again, the slight twitch of her eye. Sunset knew it well, and the reason behind it. “So, thanks for that,” Pinkie finished and moseyed past the unicorn. “Come on, still got a busy schedule ahead of us.”

“Still?” Sunset glanced at the window, moonlight dragging itself against the glass. Her eyes drifted down to the watch. It’s only eleven.

“That’s right. Plenty of hours left in the night,” Pinkie replied as if she knew what Sunset was thinking.

The side street had become more crowded in the shifting of hours, but Sunset kept right beside the pink pony. Crossing the main street, a right, a left, another left, hitting the terrace and heading north, Canterlot had remained as much the same as Sunset remembered. Trotting up further, Pinkie stopped on Restaurant Row, a street made up of the best fine dining in all of Equestria, or so the proprietors of the restaurants would have you believe. The Row was mostly empty aside for the wafts of smells coming from each eatery, all preparing for the lunchtime rush that would soon arrive as the moon hit the middle of its apex.

“Why are we here, Pinkie?”

“It’s an inspection night for The Smoked Oat,” Pinkie replied.

“And that is?”

“It’s a restaurant.”

“I meant the inspection night.”

“Oh!” Pinkie stopped short of a restaurant’s door and pointed to the sign above it. “Back before I became the head chef, there was some other lady who had put hoofprints to show if a restaurant was good or not. After receiving my honorable position, I went to those places that supposedly had the most amount of hoofprints and tried them out, but they were all nasty!” She spat her tongue out. “Turns out, as head chef, my opinion matters. The places that had super yummy food wanted my approval. I told them to take off the hoofprints, and they did. Ponies started trying out the places, and then every restaurant took off the hoofprints.”

Pinkie tapped a three balloon mark that sat just below the restaurant’s name. “With no restaurant having hoofprints, nopony could figure out what was good, so I started adding my logo as a seal of approval.” She continued to trot on. “The Smoked Oat has been going downhill recently, and I’m not sure why. I’m hoping tonight they can keep their standard.”

“That’s a really nice thing of you to do, Pinkie.” Sunset glanced over the signs as they passed, some with one balloon while others displayed three. “I bet you’re pretty popular around here.”

Pinkie didn’t reply, though. They made their way to The Smoked Oat, the smells of grain emanating through the open window. A grizzly looking unicorn behind a small stand perked up as the door opened. “Pinkie Pie!” the stallion yelled gleefully. The Smoked Oat was devoid of customers, possibly remaining closed for Pinkie’s inspection. “It’s a pleasure, as always.”

“Hey there, Mr. Barley!” Pinkie replied, nodding to the stallion and saluting the three unicorn mares on staff as well. “You ready for your inspection?”

The unicorn named Mr. Barley stepped out from behind his small stand. Within an instant, the mustached stallion cut across the eatery and wrapped the chubby pink pony in a hug. He was twice her size, and his black glasses seemed far too large for any normal pony. “I am certain we shall pass with flying colors tonight, thanks to your advice.”

“Oh, stop it you.” Pinkie’s bouncy cheeks blushed. Her foreleg turned and stretched toward Sunset. “I also have a second judge joining me tonight, and trust me, her tastes are out of this world.”

“Oh, my!” the stallion strained. “I’m not sure we’re good enough for that!”

“Oh, brother.” Sunset shook her head, covering her face out of embarrassment. “My name’s Sunset Shimmer, and I’m no food expert. If it tastes good, then you’re good.” If you could make a couple more pan-muffins with napples, that’d be great.

Pinkie danced her elbow against Sunset, giving a wink. “That’s what makes you the best judge around! If it doesn’t taste good then what’s the point of working so hard on it?” The pink pony then went and sat down, Sunset tagging along mindfully.

“Order up ladies!” Mr. Barley shouted to the three other unicorns who were steadily readying the trays for food. A simmering bowl of cinnamon soup was out first, a garnish of wheat protruded on the side. In the bowl was a color of liquid matching Mr. Barley’s pale, light brown fur. Pecans and oats were mixed into the soup, creating an interesting looking mix for the appetizer. “Bon appétit!” the stallion said with a bow.

Sunset glanced at the concoction, unsure if the bowl could look appetizing in anyone’s eyes. Pinkie had dug in, swallowing fast chunks of nuts and squealing in delight. With Pinkie so adamant in her eager appetite, Sunset gave it a chance. A spoonful of soupy nuts and oats in her magical grasp, she pushed it into her mouth. Pinkie finished her bowl before Sunset even had a chance to chew and swallow, not that she wanted to. Gulping the blend down, Sunset gasped for air. “Urghh,” was the sound she made as she pushed the bowl away, her whole body releasing one great big shiver.

The three unicorn staff all gasped, and Mr. Barley shared their fervor. Pinkie finished with her own, glancing over at the full bowl. “Not so good? Really?” She turned back to Mr. Barley. “This isn’t going to end well.” Her face full of pity.

The stallion grabbed at his collar, tugging it nervously as he ordered for the next meal. The trio took away the bowls and returned with a gourmet platter of freshly pan-seared oatmeal treats. Each the size and shape of a cellphone, the treats were lathered in honey and had bits of cherries sprinkled on top. “Yummy!” exclaimed the pink pony chef as she took two. Sunset, now cautious, took only one. Both the staff and Mr. Barley stared intently at Sunset, almost ignoring Pinkie Pie altogether. Gnawing down on a few bites, Pinkie was happy to be ignored.

Unlike the soup, the pan-seared oatmeal snacks were cooked and covered to look perfect, and Sunset wondered if the opening course had just been a fluke. Taking a nice big bite, it only took two seconds for Sunset to spit it out. When she looked up from the platter, Mr. Barley and his staff were sweating oats, the worried look in their eyes hurt to see. “Golly gosh, Sunset! That’s two in a row!” Pinkie quickly wiped her honey-coated mouth, and ordered Mr. Barley to bring out his best dish.

The platters were taken and in return Mr. Barley himself presented another set of bowls, which immediately caused Sunset to worry. “This I have never heard a pony say they did not like!” he said, setting the bowls down in front of the two. Just like before, Pinkie began to scarf her food down like it was going out of style.

Sunset, on the other hoof, stared at the disgusting mixture of spinach, oats, and marinara sauce. “I can’t even begin to describe how awful this looks,” Sunset said aloud, though she hadn’t meant to. Mr. Barley winced, and one of the trio fainted.

“Well, give it a try!” Pinkie exclaimed, a smile still on her face, bits of spinach stuck to her teeth.

Doing as asked, Sunset scooped a spoonful of stew out and dumped the contents into her mouth. The mixtures of salt and pepper along with spinach and oats were not nearly as bad as Sunset would first assumed. She chewed for a long moment, swallowed, and then took another scoop. Once she swallowed that too, she put the spoon down. “Eh,” she said with a shrug. “It’s not as bad as the last two. Maybe oats just aren’t my thing?”

Pinkie Pie already finished her bowl, slamming it down with a satisfied gleeful grin. A hefty breath left her plump lips as she relaxed in her seat. Her glasses had steamed up from the heat rising from her stew, but she didn’t need them to see. “There you have it, Mr. Barley,” Pinkie said, “Something’s wrong with your food.”

“B-b-but Pinkie!” Mr. Barley squealed like a scared little colt.

“The Smoked Oat wasn’t always this bad,” Pinkie said to Sunset. “It’s only been recent that the food hasn’t been up to snuff. Even the recommendations I made and the changes Mr. Barley has done, it’s still not enough.” In a huff, the pink pony slammed the table, rattling the silverware. “Something has to be done!”

“Pinkie, what are you saying?” Mr. Barley asked, woefully.

“Yeah, Pinkie, what are you saying?” Sunset reiterated, surprised by the chef’s change in demeanor.

“I wasn’t able to tell myself, on the account that I just love food too much—” Pinkie stopped, giggled, and snorted “—but with you here it’s clear as night. Somepony out there is turning our ingredients sour.”

Mr. Barley gave a sigh of relief, but then sucked it right back in. “A saboteur? Who would want to sabotage my establishment!? What could I have possibly done?” His whole body was shaking far more than it had been a moment ago, and the staff member who had fainted awoke only to faint once more.

“It’s not just you. I’ve had to make extreme cutbacks on some of the ingredients we use in the castle.” Pinkie turned to face Sunset. “That’s why I had to make a pan-muffin this morning instead of a regular pancake! The scratch ingredients I use were making things taste funny. And I’m an expert on funny!”

“That’s pretty odd. Who would do something like that, and why? Do you know someone who might have stock in the things opposing ingredients like oats? Maybe there’s some new food type that’s come on the market that wants to get rid of grains or wheat? Is it just grains and wheat?” Sunset asked.

“No, but that’s a good start!” Pinkie got up from the table and hugged Mr. Barley. “Don’tchu worry now, I’m not going to change your rating tonight. Thanks to Sunset, she’s proven you’re a real grade A chef like I always knew!”

Mr. Barley removed his glasses to wipe the tears away but missed a few before they reached his mustache. The bulky stallion couldn’t respond with anything more than a few unintelligible thanks, his trio of unicorn staff all muttering kind words between their bellowing cries. As Pinkie bounced out of the eatery, Sunset rose to follow but Mr. Barley stopped her. “Please, watch over Pinkie Pie” he said, taking Sunset’s hoof in between his. “She’s such a kind pony. She doesn’t deserve the disrespect she gets.”

“Disrespect?”

“Please. You’re the only one not from Restaurant Row that I’ve seen be kind to her. Whoever is doing this, they’ll target her if they’ve found she’s figured it out. Her position as head chef, it’s all she has here in Canterlot.”

Stallions, mares, fillies, and colts. They all seem to like Pinkie Pie. Yet people keep telling me she isn’t liked. Something tells me it has Nightmare Moon’s stink written all over this. “Don’t worry. Pinkie Pie’s a lot stronger than you’d expect. I’ve seen it, multiple times now.”

She didn’t stay to hear any more. “There’s still a bit of schedule left to go,” Pinkie Pie said, standing out in the moonlight, waiting on Sunset.

“I hope it’s not more food,” Sunset replied, letting the door close itself behind her.

Pinkie shook her head, her bundle of hair wiggling like an earthquake. “Nopey-dopey-lopey!” The pink pony led, and Sunset followed. Back up Restaurant Row, through the crowd of ponies returning to work, and up to the main street where the filtered sounds of classical music played. Pinkie remained silent for the entire walk. It gave Sunset time to think. She didn’t want to give thought to who might be behind Pinkie’s problem, but in the end, it seemed like it might be the best opportunity to get close to her. Maybe even recover her Element.

“Pinkie,” Sunset called, keeping in line with the chunky pink pony. “I just want to let you know that if you ever need help, just come to me. I’m not just here to help get you your piece of the Elements of Harmony. Technically, I’m not even sure why I’m here. But so long as I am, you matter to me, and I’ll do everything I can to help you if you ask.”

“That’s why I called you a hero, Sunset. Something about you just sings it.”

“Yeah? I hope that’s true.”

“It is.” Pinkie sounded determined as if she knew something Sunset didn’t, though Sunset couldn’t discern what that would be. “It’s right up here,” she said, marching faster down the main street.

Crossing into the residential district, Pinkie began to zigzag down streets where homes were quaint or generic or identical. Some even began to look the same right down to the mail slot on the door. “Where are we going?” asked Sunset, glancing over each home with a disinterested stare.

Finally, Pinkie stopped. “My home,” she answered and began to trot up the sidewalk to a two-story home. There was no pizazz to the home, not as much as was to be expected for the most eccentric pony Sunset knew. It had a cyan roof which glowed in the moonlight, much like every home in the area. Two windows on both sides of the violet oak door, three windows on the second floor. Some well-kept bushes chopped into squares just underneath the frames. The home itself was grand in Sunset’s eyes, but for Pinkie, Sunset expected a whole different sort of home. It looks like a home Pinkie would has back beyond the mirror where magic can’t help build houses.

Entering the home, Sunset immediately felt unnerved. The house was a long hall with a spiral staircase at the opposite end—to the left was a living room and to the right was the kitchen. Separated by a wall from the living area was Pinkie’s study. It was a beautiful house, and far too conventional for the unconventional earth pony. “This is amazing, Pinkie Pie. I wish I had a home like this,” Sunset said as she closed the door behind her.

“It’s alright,” Pinkie answered modestly. “It reminds me of my home back on the ol’ rock farm, ‘cept cozier.”

That’s odd. If she doesn’t really care for it, why’d she bring me here? Sunset wondered but followed the pink mare regardless. Pinkie trotted around the corner into the study where a couple of bookcases held at least a hundred books. “This is impressive, Pinkie. Not that I wouldn’t consider you an intrepid reader, but none of the worlds I’ve visited have you ever struck me as an egghead, like myself or Twilight.” Scanning the titles, Sunset found that a quarter were cooking related and another quarter were about rocks. The rest were fiction.

“It’s what I do when I have free time,” Pinkie replied, searching one of the shelves for something particular. “Reading a good book can be just as good as eating something really sweet.” Her pink hooves prodded a thick dictionary, dragging it out and dropping it on the floor. She then prodded the book that had been next to it, grabbing the binding with her teeth. “Mmphh!” she said to Sunset, motioning for the unicorn to take it.

“What’s this?” Sunset levitated the brown book from Pinkie’s mouth, glancing at the cover. “By Applejack?”

“It’s The Great Napple Discovery, by Applejack. Learning a bit about you Sunset, I figure you’re really curious how this world operates. I’d recommend giving this book a go before speaking with Applejack, it’ll really help in the long run. She’s amazing.”

“Thanks, Pinkie. That’s really thoughtful of you,” Sunset replied, looking and grinning at the pink pony.

Pinkie stood still for a moment. A long moment. Her eye was starting to twitch, and Sunset could tell what that meant. “Hey,” Sunset said, “Come here.” Holding a foreleg out, Pinkie couldn’t handle it any longer. The tears finally broke through her guard as she rushed to hug Sunset, tossing off her glasses and rubbing her teary cheeks into the unicorn’s neck.

“Oh Sunset, you have no idea what your kindness means to me. It’s been so long since someone as nice as you has come along. I wish there were more like you,” Pinkie cried, her voice quivering with every word.

“There, there,” Sunset answered, patting the back of Pinkie’s head. “I’m here for you.” As she held the pink pony’s wet cheeks against her shoulder, she glanced back at the cover of Applejack’s book. The Great Napple Discovery, huh. I guess I better save Applejack for last so that I can finish this before then. Maybe I’ll dream of tasty napples instead of golden flowers. Everyone deserves nice dreams.

World 3: Chapter 5

A quarter of the way into the book Sunset realized it was already time to get out of bed. She woke up extra early, though not on purpose, and had pulled the book Applejack wrote out from the nightstand. The next Element would soon be here, eager to get breakfast and move on with their work. Tossing the comforter from her lower half, she rolled, landed, and yawned. Unzipping her backpack, she pulled out the journal that caused her otherworldly adventure. “Something in here will tell me when Twilight and Starlight Glimmer are,” she whispered, turning a few pages. Her eyes couldn’t keep steady, however. The journal given by her friends from the last world poked past the metal teeth of the zipper.

With a sigh, she closed the journal. “I don’t have time to search through so many pages,” she told herself, but in the back of her mind, she knew that wasn’t the reason she didn’t want to search. Pushing open the backpack, she switched the two books, pulling out the other. The first two pages hadn’t changed, but the third page, Nightmare’s Night, expanded its reach. A glued photograph now sat on the fourth page. Placing a hoof over the alicorn in the picture, Sunset sighed again. “Had I been a better student, the student you wanted, maybe it wouldn’t have been Twilight that you sent to Ponyville. How different would it be to have me in her place? That’s what you wanted, isn’t it?”

An answer came, but not to her questions. Three swift knocks resonated on the door to her bedroom. Sunset quickly snapped the book close, shoving it into her backpack. “Coming!” she yelled, zipping the backpack closed and levitating her watch onto her left hoof. Another set of knocks and she opened the door expecting a guard or Rarity, who she would be tagging along with tonight, but it was neither. The giant dark alicorn stood staring down her muzzle at Sunset, a slightly grim look in her expression. “Nightmare Moon,” Sunset greeted, hiding her surprise.

“Good morrow, Sunset Shimmer. I see you have taken to the moonlight fairly well. Any nightmares during your rest?”

“No.” Sunset was thankful for that. She hadn’t dreamt at all since the ice cream parlor. “Did you have something to do with that?”

The monster grinned. “I wouldn’t tell you even if I had, my dear pony. Come, I’ll take you to the Element you requested.” Sunset levitated the door closed behind her, dragging her hooves after the alicorn. “How are your attempts at bringing out the Elements?” Nightmare Moon questioned.

“Steadily unsuccessful,” answered Sunset. “I can’t imagine I’ll see any success within these first few weeks, actually. I’ve learned quite a lot, so that’ll be helpful in the long run. If I’m going to be honest, I love the ability to take my time with these six. The prior worlds required fast action against terrible villains who threatened the safety of ponykind.”

“It’s good that there’s no such villain here, then,” Nightmare Moon replied. Whether she meant it sarcastically or not, Sunset didn’t bother to care. She was a villain, even if she vehemently denied it. The long hall turned, and the elevator sat closed in the middle. “You requested a visit to the Tree of Harmony. After finishing up with the bearers, would you like to make a trip to it? I’d love a brisk return to my favorite castle as well.”

“Absolutely. I know where it is, too. We’ll have no problem getting to it.”

“Of course not. I know where it is myself. I was one of two who originally obtained them, after all,” Nightmare Moon snottily said, entering the elevator. “Honesty, Laughter, and Loyalty were my trinity, while my sister held the Magic, Kindness, and Generosity.”

Sunset gasped, staring at Nightmare Moon’s reflection in the mirrored panes of the elevator. “You’re Loyalty? Honesty? That’s almost comical.” The elevator steadily fell to the bottom level.

“Do not test me, Sunset Shimmer. I am a very loyal person, and that is the truth.”

“Yet you were not loyal to your sister.”

The elevator opened. Two guards were waiting patiently to get on for their morning patrol of the upper level. However, they decided it best not to board once they saw the angered expression radiating on Nightmare Moon’s face. Sunset was unfazed, however. Even when the alicorn hit the close door button and followed it with a different, red button, which shut the lift down, Sunset remained cool. When she was sure the door and elevator would not move, Nightmare Moon turned to face Sunset, her bulky body almost pressing against the unicorn.

“Say that again,” Nightmare Moon commanded through gritted teeth, saliva dripping down the tips.

“I’m sorry, did the evil alicorn get her feelings hurt?” Sunset scoffed and rolled her eyes. “You betrayed your sister, your own family. All because ponies slept beneath your moon. That’s pathetic.”

“Pathetic!?” The alicorn slammed a hoof against the mirror closest to Sunset, smashing the pane. “You don’t know what it was like being in the shadow of someone everypony loved. You don’t know how it felt to be the one they ignored for her. You don’t—”

“I know exactly how you felt,” interrupted Sunset, exasperation in her voice. “I know because I’m just a little version of you. The anger for Celestia, the jealousy. The want to have the power to prove that you’re better. Showing resentment and being tossed out because of it. I’m the only pony in this world who knows how you feel. So don’t you dare claim your reasoning isn’t pathetic, because I know for a fact mine sure was!”

The angered expression that Nightmare Moon held tempered. A second of surprise bled through for just a moment before turning to stone. “Are you really here by mistake? Perhaps you were running from your world, your own Celestia…”

That made Sunset burst into laughter. “Well, we can definitely say that the Element of Laughter was yours.”

The sour lips of the alicorn tripped up, creasing into a smile, and then laughter. It was not a menacing laugh or an angry, guttural, mocking chortle. It was pure, a laugh and a hoot of untainted enjoyment. “You really are a nightmare to deal with,” Nightmare Moon replied through her cackling.

“Geez, channeling Celestia are we?” Sunset pushed against the alicorn, rubbing their chests together as she pressed the button Nightmare Moon had pressed. The elevator began to move, and the doors clicked open. “Next you’re going to tell me I need a lesson in humility or modesty. Go outside, Sunset, you need to make some friends.” She stepped out into the hall, and Nightmare Moon followed, laughing harder than ever. The staff heard the commotion, and pony heads stared with awe from the hall's corners, each wondering if the off-world unicorn would become an obliterated off-world unicorn.

“You know she once told me that?” Nightmare Moon claimed, walking in strides next to Sunset. “She deliberately told me to go out and make some friends—in her sun! I was trying to do that during the rise of my perfect moon, but they were all asleep. She certainly wasn’t as wise as she thought she was.”

“Oh don’t get me started. I once asked her about a restricted section of the Library of Magic, and she told me it was forbidden. Then she was surprised when I broke into it. Like, I already showed signs that I wanted to become a powerful unicorn, willing to do anything to get what I want. How are you not going to realize that I’m going to break into a place with powerful spells? Over a thousand years old, yet somehow missed your prized pupil’s not-so-slow descent into a hungry lust for power.”

“If you were my student, I would not only have let you gone, I would have gone with you to show you the best of the best.” Nightmare Moon stopped, placing a hoof on her chest plate. “Well, it’s her loss. Which is the same thing I said to Twilight when I accepted her as my apprentice.”

Sunset bobbed her head. “I’ve meant to ask about that, but I’ll find out from Twilight herself when I spend the night with her tomorrow.”

The portal-like pupils of the alicorn flickered for a moment. “You said night,” she swooned. “My, my. I believe this little trial of yours is backfiring, rubbing off on you.” The long foreleg of the alicorn pushed against the closest doorway, revealing a great luxurious chamber. “Have a good time with Rarity, my dear Sunset. I hope her snippy attitude doesn’t rub off on you as well.”

She could hear the whispers as she entered the enormous room, the door squeaking closed, and the fountain flowing up and pouring back down. It was a meeting area, the great chamber. One of the many rooms usually used for the Grand Galloping Gala. A few members of staff were taking their morning breaks, chatting each other up over coffee. Long windows from ceiling to floor were barely a width apart, tracing the entirety of the room with blue drapes depicting Nightmare Moon in between. The red rug atop white tile was what Sunset followed across the room to find Rarity relaxing on a divan.

The white unicorn dressed modestly. A button-up purple shirt with short sleeves ran the course of her torso, while a skirt wrapped around her waist in a matching shade of darker purple. Her back legs were crossed and kicked up over the arm of the divan. Her eyes were closed, revealing a luscious lavender-colored shade of eyeshadow. Even though she wasn’t working, she’d done her best to look far better than any of the staff. “What do you want?” Rarity asked Sunset. Her eyes hadn’t opened, but she seemed to sense the mare from another world.

“It’s you and me tonight,” Sunset replied.

“Mm.”

Sunset waited for a long moment before saying anything more. “So, you’re just going to sit there? What are you doing?”

“Killing time,” answered Rarity.

“And I’m supposed to do what exactly?”

“I am quite certain you will figure that out.”

Eyeing the rest of the great chamber, Sunset realized there wasn’t much of anything. It really was just a room to relax in; to enjoy the serenity and peace of mind. “I’m not sure I can just sit here all night doing nothing.”

“You are free to leave whenever you like.”

“C’mon. You and I should do something fun. You don’t live in Canterlot, right? The Rarity I know loves hanging out in Canterlot, doing some shoppin’.”

The white unicorn’s eyes burst open, her harsh pupils glaring up past her muzzle. “I am not the Rarity you know,” she replied before closing them once more.

“O-kay.” Sunset flexed her eyelids, cringing to herself. Been a while since I dealt with a hostile bearer. “I’ve spent a lot of time around Raritys I don’t know.”

“And I’ve spent a lot of time doing nothing. I’d like to continue that tradition.”

“Why are you such a grouch?” Sunset finally shouted, her nerves building up.

“Gee, I don’t know. Maybe it’s because some two-bit unicorn from another world barked crazily and ended up removing me from my position, my town, and my home.” Pushing with one hoof, Rarity sat up, her eyes trained on Sunset. “Worst of all, I’m not allowed to leave until some idiotic myth does or does not come true. My bits are on the latter, by the way. So, why am I such a grouch? Perhaps you should ask yourself why you feel the need to come ruin some poor pony’s already disheveled life before snapping at somepony else.” With a violent push, Rarity rose, pushed her skirt down, and trotted away, leaving Sunset behind.

Sunset let out a big huff. That could have gone smoother. I wonder if this Rarity just needs to let go. Wouldn’t that be ironic? She let herself have a little smile before turning back to the divan.

“Guess that ends your time with Rarity, huh?” another, rougher voice asked. A bright blue pegasus had folded her forelegs across the back of the divan, a juice box in one hoof.

“Pretty much,” Sunset replied. “If you’re not doing anything, you and I could make it your night instead.”

The straw gave little fluid, making a loud noise as Rainbow Dash tried to get the last of the juice. “Yeah, sure, though it won’t be as fun. I’m off-duty tonight, so I don’t get to guard the princess or do fieldwork. All I planned on doing was some sparring and shopping.”

“I tried to entice Rarity with shopping and she didn’t go for it. You’d be the last of the six that I’d expect would want to go shopping.”

Reaching back, the blue pegasus extended her hooves as high as she could, throwing the juice box all the way into a trashcan. “Woop!” she yelled, raising both hooves into the air. Grabbing onto the back of the divan, she jumped over and landed where Rarity was sitting, kicking her forelegs over the arm. “Yeah, shopping is pretty fun when you’re buying the right goods. Dresses and shoes ain’t the good stuff, though, so don’t expect that.”

“Sounds about right. Lead the way, boss,” Sunset pushed a hoof toward the door, smirking. Rainbow Dash rose and fell in beside the unicorn, which is when Sunset noticed just how short this Dash was. She could rest her chin atop Rainbow Dash’s head and barely have to move to do so. “You eat your greens, Dash?”

“It’s pretty much the only thing I eat,” she answered with a flex, showing the muscular form of her shoulders. It was quite impressive, though Sunset couldn’t be sure if this wasn’t how Rainbow Dash always looked. Good at every sport, that’s the Rainbow Dash way.

After they made their way out of the castle, Rainbow Dash led Sunset across the moonlit courtyard. They were on the opposite side of Twilight’s tower, and even further away from the menagerie. “You ever been to the new barracks?” Dash asked, not bothering to glance back at the unicorn.

“Nope. Barracks have always been inside the castle,” answered Sunset.

“Always? Not in this world. Nightmare Moon doesn’t like having both the guards and the off-duty under the same roof. Says it’s not safe, especially if someone were to attack the castle.”

“Yeah. She’s made quite a few design upgrades. A high defense is a good advantage.” Maybe she was serious in wanting to protect her ponies from the forces that threatened them. Even worse, she may not know that she threatens them. “Has anyone ever attacked the castle?”

“Can’t really say that anyone has. Few hiccups. Never a battle. No war.” The courtyard’s white brick pathway twisted around a row of trees, the sounds of wind brushing against the leaves only barely hiding the clanging and banging noises that rang out. “I guess you could count the extremists. Technically, they’re on our side, just a little too much on our side.” The barracks were a fairly large cathedral-looking building, a different shape than the rest of Canterlot’s architecture. Its slanted golden roof held a watchtower in the middle with a bronze bell and rope hanging within. “Other than that, nothing really bad.”

Sunset glanced at the unarmored guards. Three ponies and one griffon, each marked off in pairs duking it out with blunt wooden poles. “Is that a griffon? I’ve never seen one in person before,” Sunset marveled as they came closer.

“I’d hate to live in the world you come from,” commented Dash. “That’s Gilda. She’s a pal.”

The name held no weight to Sunset. “Is she in the royal guard too?”

“No. She’s just a regular guard. Pretty good at it too after she mellowed out. She’s almost as tough as I am,” Rainbow Dash replied, brushing the back of her hoof against her furry chest.

As they came closer, Gilda rotated around her opponent, waiting for the moment to strike. When she saw Dash, her guard lowered and the pony she was fighting struck her side with his staff. Wincing, Gilda held herself steady with her pole and grabbed her side. A flash of anger burned in the griffon’s eyes as she kicked up her pole, gaining the attention of her opponent, and then switched into a jab with her other leg. The pony flew and crashed into the other two sparring guards, creating a pile of furs and manes. “Hey, Dash!” Gilda called out through her panting, a golden claw raised to wave.

“Yeah. Real mellow,” Sunset said to Rainbow Dash as they came closer.

“Who’s the newbie? A recruit?” Gilda asked as she leaned on her wooden staff, wiping the sweat from her brow with her other claw.

Rainbow shook her head. “Nah. She’s not good enough.”

“Oh please, I went through two wars,” Sunset replied, defensively.

“Yeah? Didn’t know ponies had wars. I’m not much of a history buff, though. Mostly know my own kind,” Gilda said. “You seem a little young. What were the wars?”

Rainbow Dash was snickering, but Sunset didn’t mind. “Well, in the first world I visited, I had to deal with an onslaught of brainwashed soldiers. The second world had changelings. I’d say the brainwashed were harder to deal with just because they were smarter.”

Gilda stared unblinkingly. “Dash, this some sort of prank? Now Fluttershy’s a real nice gal, but some of the other friends you pick up are real weirdos.”

“Hey, you’re my friend,” Rainbow Dash blasted back.

“Yeah. As I said, real weirdos. I’m a griffon workin’ as a guard to ponies, doesn’t get much weirder than that.” Gilda looked Sunset up and down. “Name’s Gilda,” she said, extending her claw.

“Sunset Shimmer.” She gave a firm shake, but Gilda’s was firmer.

“If you’re so strong, why don’t you prove it against Gilda?” The biggest smirk Sunset ever saw was wide on Dash’s face.

Feeling the grip get even firmer, Sunset glanced back at the griffon. The blunt eyes behind the bright yellow beak were almost mocking. “Rainbow Dash always likes to bring new meat around for me to hammer down. I’d suggest you ignore her ribbings, otherwise, you might end up in a fourth world. A world of pain, one might say.” The griffon threw her head back laughing, a few feathers brandishing violet ends in the pale moonlight.

Pulling away, Sunset shook off her foreleg. “I’ve felt pain before.” Though there were many painful memories that Sunset could have brought forth to reiterate, she didn’t feel the need to justify it. “I just went through two worlds fighting wars, no way am I going to bother fighting in this world too. Even if it is just some training.” Sunset shook her head adamantly.

“You kidding me?” Rainbow Dash derided, staring expectantly. “Fighting through two wars should make you battle-hardened. An eye patch, broken horn, scar, something cool. You could at least prove it fighting Gilda.”

“Dash is better than me at fighting,” Gilda said. “You should see her kick butt some time. She’s a real Rainbow Crash when it comes to flying, but I’ll never deny her the claim of a warrior. If you think you’re hot stuff, why not try her out?” The griffon crossed her arms, a smug, satisfied look on her face.

“You chickening out on me, Gilda?” Rainbow Dash stomped her hoof.

Grabbing another staff off a weapon rack, Gilda turned and threw her own to Sunset who caught it midair. “Nah, Dash. She’s kind of got a loud mouth on her like you, and I enjoy smiting unicorns.” She then wrapped her claws around her own staff, preparing to charge. “May as well be me dueling her.”

“Embarrass her is more like it,” Rainbow Dash replied, glancing over at Sunset. “You can say no if you want. Don’t think the princess would appreciate me allowing guards to give you a concussion. She says your brain is pretty valuable, after all.”

Sunset dropped the staff to the ground. “I already said no.”

That was when Gilda and Dash exchanged a glance. Dash’s eyes were saying “No. No!” Gilda’s was the opposite. With a quick shove, the staff in Gilda’s hands extended and slapped the ground in front of Sunset, startling the unicorn enough to fall on her rump. Dash and Gilda let out a chuckle and laugh at the sight.

“You’re not very quick,” Rainbow Dash said, clapping her hooves together. “C’mon Gilda, cut it out.”

Sunset rose and took the staff in her magic again. “That wasn’t very nice. Spar with Dash if you’re so eager to fight.”

Gritting her beak, the griffon rolled her shoulders, shifting her weapon between hands. “As I said, Dash is too good.” Without warning, she let out a barrage of attacks. Sunset blocked one, then another, and another. She was soon overwhelmed, and just when the griffon became too quick, Sunset’s horn lit and a barrier formed. Gilda’s staff bounced off and out of her claws, creating a ripple down the bubble.

“Defensive magic?” Rainbow gawked, surprised at the reveal. “Maybe you are from another world. I only know one unicorn whoever bothers with it.”

“The Captain of Wimps!” Gilda yelled as she plopped down on all fours. “Down in the dungeon watching over the other cretins!”

“Magic is my specialty,” Sunset replied. “Defense and offense are two sides of the same coin.” Without releasing her shield, Sunset began to raise Gilda with levitation.

The griffon squirmed. “H-hey! C’mon! Cut it out! I knew I should have put on armor!”

“Interesting stuff.” Rainbow Dash seemed pleased to watch her friend writhe. “It’s true though, our armor would prevent that. It’s the reason we all wear the stuff.”

“I’d allow that to happen, except I told you twice now that I didn’t want a fight. I didn’t stop an entire changeling army and throw them out of the throne room just to duel some untested guards outside their barracks.” Sunset released Gilda, sending the griffon falling into the dirt.

“Well I’ll be a mule’s aunt,” Gilda cried, rubbing her head. “She’s got the stuff, I’ll give her that. You should bring her by every night, Dash. Give the recruits a taste of The Red Brick Wall; the mare from another world. Guess what everypony’s been saying is true.”

Rainbow Dash took up Gilda’s staff along with Sunset’s, placing them back on the rack. “The Red Brick Wall?” she asked, and Gilda motioned to Sunset.

“That’s a pretty good nickname,” Sunset voiced her approval. Putting that one in the book!

“She knocked the staff away from you and used her telekinesis. Pretty sure that doesn’t make her tough, that just makes you soft.” Rainbow Dash ran a hoof along her mohawk. “If she were to go against me, it’d be a whole different level. Not even the captain can take me on, and he’s all about that sort of lame defense.”

Sunset smiled. “Again, offense and defense are two sides of the same coin. I trained under the best teacher in the world, I know spells that only a few ponies can perform.” Of course, I’ve forgotten most of them since I’ve spent so long beyond the mirror, but they don’t need to know that.

“You think she can beat—” Gilda started to say.

“Yes, I can,” Sunset answered, knowing exactly who Gilda was referring to.

“Pack it up, Gilda,” Rainbow Dash switched the conversation. “I’ve got stuff to do tonight and it doesn’t involve treason, concussions, or listening to the unicorn gloat. If I had it my way, we would have sent her packing back through the portal. She’s trouble, I tell you.”

The griffon grabbed Sunset around the neck, rubbing her red and yellow mane. “I think she’s great. What have you got planned for tonight? Seems like you’re being dragged around by the spoilsport, maybe you want to hang out with me instead? I’m sure I’m more fun. I’ll even promise not to sucker-punch you!”

“Dash wanted to spar and shop. If those didn’t last very long, I was going to suggest looking into Pinkie Pie’s ingredient problem. Someone’s been sabotaging certain ingredients around Canterlot,” Sunset replied, allowing the noogy to happen without much resistance. Gilda reminds me a lot of my Dash, maybe that’s why they’re friends in this world.

“Oh come on! Dash, if you don’t want her, I’ll gladly take her off your hooves for the night. I’ve never been a detective before, and it sure beats trouncing the others. If I keep battlin’ them, I won’t ever get as good as you,” pleaded Gilda.

“Ever think that’s why she won’t spar with you?” Sunset whispered, a sly grin on her face. Both Rainbow Dash and Gilda were fairly rude, but it was refreshing compared to the anger Rarity had hurled at her.

Gilda, throwing her head back with laughter, slapped Sunset across the chest. “Battle-hardened and clever! Captain Wimp should be replaced with you. You’re the one I’d follow into two wars!”

“Why didn’t you tell me you had something to look into?” Rainbow Dash asked, pushing the two apart with her body. “Forget watching Gilda get her feathers handed to her, let’s go do that. I’m a guard, I can arrest a pony if need be, and I rarely get to patrol anymore.” A look of enthusiasm flashed over her face, a smile puckering her lips.

“You’re a real cheat, Dash.” The griffon shook her head, prancing back over to the weapons rack. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Sunset Shimmer. If you’re ever looking for a rematch, let your ol’ pal Gilda know and I’ll be sure to wear my armor next time.” She flexed and her feathers puffed up.

“C’mon,” Rainbow Dash said, grabbing the unicorn by the tail. Sunset gave a wave as she was dragged off.

“She’s real nice. I’ve never heard of her before,” Sunset said once they crossed back onto the marble walkway that ran all around the castle’s courtyards. “Where’d you two meet?”

“Who, Gilda? Met her back in Flight School. An exchange student. She’s a real pal, though we’ve had our battles. Enough about that though, I wanna hear about this ingredient thief. Whatcha got for clues? Proof?”

Sunset shrugged. “Pinkie Pie will know where to begin. Let’s go ask her.” And so they did. They did not expect Pinkie to be so busy, however. Inside the castle’s kitchen, several chefs were running manic, shoving things in and out of ovens, stirring as quickly as they could, and cutting so fast Sunset expected an infirmary visit for one of them. “Hey, Pinkie!” Sunset called to the chubby pink pony in the green chef coat, but there was no response. The shouts of staff were too much.

It was Rainbow Dash whose lungs got Pinkie’s attention. “Pinkie Pie!” Rainbow screamed, cupping both hooves to her mouth as she yelled. Many of the chefs stopped and looked, but once Pinkie Pie came forward, they continued their extreme work.

“Hiya, Sunset. Hello, Rainbow Dash. What can I do for you?” Pinkie greeted, a mixing bowl still in her hooves.

“Rainbow’s going to help us out. Do you know where we can start the search for your saboteur?” Sunset inquired.

Pinkie almost dropped her bowl, her mouth to the floor. “I can’t believe it! You’re really going to help out!? That’s so wonderful! Of course I know where you can start. The Smoked Oat, Creamy Crumbs, and the Glazed Carrot. They’ve got the manifest from their warehouses. Find the ones that match up on all three and we’ve got a good start!”

“Seems easy enough. We’ll even check out the warehouses for you,” Rainbow Dash replied, a sort of half smile on her face. She seems overly enthusiastic, Sunset noted. I wonder if she gets bored often.

“Thanks you two! I appreciate it!”

“Pinkie! Pinkie Pie!” another pony yelled, who turned out to be Blueblood screaming her name from halfway down the kitchen.

“Oops! Gotta go!” Pinkie trotted off but not before thanking them once more.

While Rainbow Dash left the kitchen, Sunset waited for a moment. She watched as Blueblood scolded the pink pony who accepted her lashes gleefully. Don’t worry, we’ll solve this for you, Pinkie Pie, she thought before turning to leave.

Making their way out of the castle and onto the city streets, several of the guards greeted Dash on their way out. The main part of the city was less busy than the previous night, and Sunset wondered why. “The banquet,” Rainbow Dash answered as they walked. “It’s next week. A celebration, really, for the princess. It sucks for me, though. Being stuck in a room with a bunch of rich snobs who sucked up to the princess when she first came into power.”

“Were there a bunch? Of people who cowed down, I mean.”

“Yeah. Captain of the Wimps was the first. There were several ponies after that. I’m not very good at remembering all their names. I just call them snob one, snob two, and et cetera.”

The classical music was in full swing, regardless of the lack of ponies. “How’d you become a guard, anyway? Doesn’t seem like a job for you.”

“Had nothing better to do, and they were recruiting when the Wonderbolts weren’t. Made sense at the time. Don’t regret it.” Though her face remained undefined, it was clear in her voice she did regret it.

There was little else to talk about, and so Sunset halted her questions until they reached Restaurant Row. She needed to save her query for the owners and the manifests. The Elements of Harmony and Nightmare Moon aren’t going anywhere, but if half of Canterlot ends up in the hospital, that’ll put a real dampener on any plan I try to come up with. The first in the Row was the Glazed Carrot, a giant wooden carrot displayed over the front door. Inside, the restaurant was almost empty aside for a pink mare with red hair. She stood up immediately when she saw Sunset and Rainbow Dash enter.

“Sorry, we’re closed. You wouldn’t want to eat here anyway,” the mare said, clearly distraught. Her eyes were as red as her mane.

“Actually, we’re here to pick up your manifest. I’m Sunset Shimmer, Pinkie Pie sent me.”

The mare’s frown sprung into a smile. “Oh my goodness!” Her hooves clasped to her cheeks and her eyes, funnily enough, glazed over in a moment of happiness. “Pinkie Pie is such a wonderful gal! I knew she’d come through for us!” Rushing behind the counter, the mare returned with a clipboard holding fourteen pages. “I don’t know what you’ll find, but if Pinkie says you need it then I trust her word!”

“Thanks, we’ll let you know if we find anything,” Sunset replied and turned to leave.

When they stepped outside, Dash broke in, “We’ll let you know if we find anything? You sounded like someone from the Manehattan taskforce. Maybe you should sign up to serve as a guard.”

“Not sure somepony named Sunset should serve in the royal guard under the princess who only cares about the moon,” Sunset replied, shaking the manifest as if it were her head.

“She cares about a lot more than the moon, but whatever.” Rainbow nodded.

They continued, getting both the manifests from The Smoked Oat and the Creamy Crumbs. After listening to the manager of The Smoked Oat thank Sunset again and again, they wandered back out to the main street. “Let’s look them over at a restaurant that doesn’t have its ingredients tampered,” Rainbow Dash suggested. Sunset agreed but wasn’t expecting to leave Restaurant Row. Rainbow Dash had other plans, taking them both down the main street and up into an offshoot alleyway.

“This place doesn’t even have a name, Dash,” Sunset argued as they trotted into the shady establishment. The flickering, moth-covered flames overhead kept the room dark, barely enough illumination to not run into a table or chair. A few guards in armor were sitting down enjoying their break, glancing and greeting the blue pegasus with a flick of their head.

The tables, the shape of the room, the way the color shifted. Is this? Sunset stood for a moment, stupefied. Her eyes dragged to the floor, imagining a checkerboard with pieces scattered about. Guards are guards no matter the time or species.

Rainbow Dash ignored Sunset’s complaints, sitting down at an empty table. “It’s free for guards and their guests. The food’ll be fine here.”

Sunset took an opposing seat. “If the castle’s own ingredients are being sabotaged, what makes you think this place can be any different?” She sat the three manifests on the table. The low light level made it incredibly difficult to read the words, and she knew a headache would be on the way by the end of the night. Reminds of that time I spent studying for the math test when the power was out. Only reason I remember that was because it was the first time I really missed my horn. In the end, it didn’t matter since they postponed the test for the next week.

“The food isn’t good enough to be sabotaged, Sunset,” Dash replied, a smug smirk on her face as she kicked her back hooves up on an empty chair. She was right. The waitress hadn’t even asked them their order, simply bringing out two bowls of porridge which looked like watery dog food.

Taking a spoonful, Sunset thought it was wiser to work on the manifests instead. “West Lane Warehouse is one that keeps popping up,” Sunset said after glancing between The Smoked Oat’s manifest and the Glazed Carrot’s. “Also Warehouse 21.”

“You just find the places, I’ll take you to them. I know where everything in Canterlot is, better than I know Cloudsdale even,” Rainbow replied, pouring another spoon of porridge down her gullet.

“Really? Glad I picked the right mare for my assistant.”

“Your assistant? I’m the one with authority here.”

“You wanna look through these then?” Sunset asked. Rainbow Dash looked like she wanted to say more, but didn’t. “That’s what I thought.” Her search proved to reveal no more names that matched up, though it was possible the poisoned goods were from multiple storehouses.

Once Rainbow Dash finished with her porridge and Sunset had the inkling of a headache, they set off again for the closest building, Warehouse 21. “Why are you so interested in doing this?” Rainbow Dash asked on the way, one of the few questions she asked all night.

“What? Helping Pinkie Pie? She’s a good friend, and she’s nice. I’d help you out too if you needed it.” Sunset glanced at Rainbow Dash as they walked. Her height was apparent with every moment they stood next to each other. “Not that I’d think you’d need or want it. You’re the stubborn type, I know that for a fact.”

“Loyal to a fault,” Rainbow replied. “The captain calls me that sometimes.”

“Huh.” That sort of notion bemused Sunset. Where’ve I heard that before? “What’s the captain’s name?”

“Captain Wimpy,” Rainbow joked. “That’s what we all call him. C’mon, it’s right up here.”

Warehouse 21 was at the edge of Canterlot’s terrace on the northern side. A waterfall was overlooking the row of storehouses, glittering in the moonlit night. Oddly enough, no ponies were working or wandering the perimeter. “There should be at least somepony on watch duty,” Sunset said, motioning to the empty guardhouse that stood near the gate. A chain link fence surrounded the warehouses, about two yards tall. Neither of them bothered with going around, though. Rainbow Dash flew over and Sunset teleported past. The warehouses of Equestria differed to the ones Sunset had seen of those in the mirror's world. These warehouses looked more like barns, two stories and slender in width but longer in length.

Entering the steel door of Warehouse 21, Sunset first noticed the skylight window at the roof which let in a large amount of moonlight. Cement coated the floor, raising the building up as if it were on stilts. There was no one inside the warehouse, just like the outside. “Alright, let’s split up and look for clues,” commanded Rainbow Dash as if she was taking charge of the mission.

Sunset didn’t argue, however. She knew what to look for. Poison, mold, poor conditions. A variety of things that could be the cause of the tampering. Within the two-story warehouse, the bottom floor held crates and barrels full of foodstuffs, and on the second floor, where Rainbow Dash started her search, were things like spices and salts. Sunset chose a symmetrical pattern for her search, peering at everything to get a good idea of what might be out of place. Flour, wheat, fodder, and barrels of root vegetables, all pristine and in good health. For a moment she thought to light her horn to give her a better view, but a squeaky creak rang out and she quickly hid.

Crouching low and hiding behind a set of pallets, Sunset had no idea where Rainbow Dash went. Taking a look at who entered, she could tell he was a stallion of a large build. He had his armor on aside for the helm, displaying his cool blue hair. Underneath his foreleg was a box which he promptly settled on a crate and undid the lock. Taking apart the inside, he formed what Sunset first thought was a weapon, but then realized it was a sprayer. He’s spraying food!

She watched as he sprayed an entire packaging container and started to move on to the next, but Rainbow Dash stopped him. “Who goes there? What do you think you’re doing?” the blue pegasus yelled in a guttural voice, heated and flurried. She took command of the situation like guards were supposed to.

“Rainbow Dash?” the stallion sounded surprised, dropping the spraying device. “Who allowed you in here?”

“Me? Who allowed you in here?” Rainbow Dash growled her question while Sunset moved closer from behind the stallion’s view. “You’re the one ruining ingredients, aren’t you? Why? On whose order?”

“Sorry, but I’m not inclined to tell you anything,” the stallion replied. “Orders are orders, and now I’m going to have to arrest you. You’ve seen too much.” The clacking of metal rang out, and in the moonlight, Sunset could see a pair of cuffs in the stallion’s hoof.

Casting a light spell, Sunset lit up her horn and the stallion. The blue hair shifted to look, and that’s when Sunset got a full view of who the stallion was. “Who is this guy, Rainbow Dash?” she asked, staring unwittingly at the burnt orange stallion.

“Spearhead. One of the Captain’s lackeys. If orders are orders, I think we know who’s behind the infection of Restaurant Row and the castle.” Rainbow’s stance changed. Her small frame more together, her shoulders wide, and her head low like a turtle creeping into its shell.

“You don’t know anything.” Spearhead started sweating, a few beads of perspiration dripping down his cheeks. “You’re both under arrest then. Nightmare Moon won’t like it but there’s no other way.”

Slamming her shoulder into Spearhead, Rainbow Dash knocked him off-balance. He hadn’t kept his focus on the pegasus, allowing her to send him tumbling into the ingredients he had just poisoned. “Should we fight or flight, Dash?” asked Sunset, knowing, either way, they’d be in trouble with Nightmare Moon. They found who caused the ingredient mutilation, which was more than they needed.

“Fight,” responded Rainbow Dash eagerly. “Your weak sparring with Gilda earlier really reminded me why I joined the royal guard.”

“Why did you join, Dash?” Spearhead asked, but it was a distraction. With his wing, he tossed flour into the fellow guard’s face, blinding her. “To get your flank kicked?”

Rainbow Dash didn’t dodge or remove the powder. She kept her eyes closed even as she answered. “I was angry,” Rainbow retorted. Sunset’s eyes couldn’t keep up as Rainbow Dash twirled with blazing speed, knocking Spearhead to the ground with one blow. “Rightfully angry. I needed a place to send my anger, my fury.” Her ears twisted and turned, listening for the fellow pegasus.

When Spearhead stood up, he looked at Sunset, his teeth clenching in his square jaw. For a moment, Sunset thought he would charge her, but Rainbow Dash was upon him when his guard was at its lowest. “Never turn your focus away from your opponent,” the blue pegasus said as she rode Spearhead’s back, pulling his hair as if they were reins. “You always were incompetent. No wonder the Captain always liked you.”

Smashing against crates and barrels, Spearhead bucked and jumped, trying to get his armor’s wings to flutter. Kicking his sides with her back hooves, Rainbow Dash rode atop blindly, holding on better than Sunset would have believed had she not seen it with her own eyes. When it looked like Rainbow Dash was finally going to let go, Spearhead rolled and sent her flying off his back. She landed like a cat; on her hooves perfectly fine, her face still covered in flour.

“Oh no you don’t!” Sunset yelled. Spearhead started to fly, heading for the ceiling, but Sunset launched a volley of magical beams. “You’re not getting away that easily.”

“Sunset, stop!” Rainbow Dash called as she wiped the flour from her eyes, a bit of powder still coating her upper cheeks. “You’ll bring the whole place down on us.”

Sunset stopped and looked at Rainbow Dash, and when she looked back at Spearhead, she saw him burst through the glass skylight, disappearing into the moonlit night. “We’ve got to go after him! Don’t we?”

“No, we’ve got to go straight to Nightmare Moon,” Rainbow Dash replied, trotting back over to the half-destroyed barrel of flour. The spraying device was still on the cement floor. “With this, we might just get a new captain. It’ll be high time we flush out the weaker members.”

I wasn’t expecting such a turn of events today, Sunset thought. Maybe there is a war going on, just secretly. Is Nightmare Moon really not behind all of this? She didn’t argue with Rainbow Dash, it was clear the pegasus was right. With a few glass pieces still falling from the roof, they left through the steel door and escaped past the chain link fence. Rainbow Dash was faster, Sunset teleported occasionally just to keep up. When they reached the castle, Rainbow Dash stopped at a set of guards. “Where’s the princess at? We’ve got evidence to show her,” the pegasus demanded of the two unknown guards, the armor disguising everything but their fur color.

Sunset huffed as she came closer, barely hearing the directions given to Rainbow Dash. “Hallway 4B, she just finished giving attendance.” Rainbow gave a curt nod and trotted into the castle, Sunset on her heels. Hallway 4B? What could Nightmare Moon be doing on that side of the castle?

There was no staff, Sunset noticed, only guards in their armor. Rainbow Dash was at the head, the spray tucked neatly under her wing. She was going the wrong way but Sunset said nothing. She had already figured out why Rainbow Dash was going the way she wanted. If they'd been lied to, Nightmare Moon would still be holding attendance. As they passed the throne room doors, they heard no trace of talk from the dark princess, and the guards there gave them the same spiel.

When they finally reached Hallway 4B, Sunset remembered what exactly was at the backend of the castle. The chandeliers hadn’t been lit, leaving the blue hall a greyer coloring. Down at the opposite end was a wooden oak door with light shining through the cracks. “She’s not here,” Rainbow Dash said as they turned the corner, glancing down the dimly lit corridor.

“That’s right, she’s not,” a voice said.

Seven guards stood in full armor behind them and even more came creeping down from the rafters of the ceiling. “What’s the meaning of this?” Rainbow Dash declared her question, her stance becoming defensive.

“Captain’s orders. He wants to see you,” one of the seven said, pushing Sunset towards Rainbow Dash. “Both of you.”

These guys aren’t very smart. Don’t they see my horn? I can just teleport or shield myself, Sunset wondered. We should see what this captain wants, though. I’ve got my own questions. “Come on, Dash. Let’s go meet this Captain Wimpy.”

Rainbow Dash faltered in her stance, glancing in her peripherals at the unicorn. “You sure?” she asked, and Sunset nodded. “Alright.” She stood normally and turned back towards the wooden door. “I’m eager to give him a piece of my mind.”

As the guards marched them down the corridor, Sunset said, “Try not to do anything crazy, Dash. I’ll need you as mellow as Gilda, alright?”

“Alright,” Rainbow Dash agreed. There was a bit of pucker to her lips that meant she understood.

Down the grey stone staircase, careful on each of the slick steps, Sunset and Rainbow Dash made their escorted way down into Canterlot’s dungeons. When they reached the bottom, Sunset noted how much of the prison remained unchanged. An elegant birch desk where the dungeon master sat was in the same place as the broken table Sunset had smashed a changeling into. The entire row of cells led down to a set of two black iron doors where the armory most likely still sat. Even the walls were lit with flames set in their sconces, and not blue flames either. Red, orange, flickering back and forth.

There was one thing that was different, however. To the left of the desk, there was another big iron and oak door with a circular pull handle. It swung inward into the office space, an identical desk like the one the dungeon master seated themself was in the middle of the room. Three filing cabinets and a shelf sat behind it against the dark grey stones that were the walls of the office. Two dark brown wooden chairs sat on the opposite side of the table while the other side held one, which was where the captain sat. He was already in his place, signing a bunch of papers with his levitated pen, a blue hoof holding down the paper as he wrote.

Spearhead was also here, standing to the side of the desk, staring intently at the door. He was holding an icepack to his jaw, and his lips were slightly puffy. The captain looked up from his papers once Sunset and Rainbow Dash entered. Sunset noticed how tired his eyes were. “Shining Armor,” Sunset greeted, though not warmly. She had figured out through process of elimination. I can't believe Spearhead was so quick.

“Come in,” Shining Armor commanded, and Sunset did as she was told, sitting in the left chair.

Before Rainbow Dash could follow, one of the guards shoved her. “Hey!” she yelled and turned, but it was already too late. The guard had taken the spray out from underneath her wing. Spearhead pushed past her, leaving the three alone. The iron and oak door was pulled to a close, leaving Rainbow Dash angered and snarling. “You’re the one that’s been ordering the messed up food!” She turned and knocked the empty chair over, slamming both hooves on the desk. She was quite good at being mellow like Gilda.

Shining Armor remained unfazed, however. His eyes looked back at the papers he was signing, finishing off the last two before fitting them neatly together and stapling the corner. “I have no earthly idea what you’re talking about Rainbow Dash, however, if I did, I would certainly suggest you stop with your little investigation.” His eyes then turned to Sunset. “Both of you.”

“Why ruin certain ingredients? What’s the end goal?” Sunset asked, ignoring Rainbow’s fury.

“You are Sunset Shimmer, you are not from this world, so you have no idea what it is like to live here. Let me fill you in for a moment.” He clamped his hooves together, holding them on the desk like a principal would whenever scolding a student. “We serve one pony. However, what’s best for that pony might not be what she believes it may be. While you are here to bring out these supposed Elements of Harmony, do not think you are above our laws or our civilities. I will lock you and Rainbow Dash away should I feel you’ve become a threat. Nightmare Moon won’t doubt my words.”

Rainbow slammed her hooves on the table again. “You’re the one that cowed down to her, gave her Canterlot. Now you’re betraying her! You and I both know she won’t stand for this when she finds out.”

“Which is exactly why she won’t find out. If she does, I’ll know, and you both will end up down here without a chance or plea deal.” His shifting eyes turned to Dash. “You may be of the royal guard and out of my command’s reach, but don’t think for a second I can’t have you drawn into a cell.” The pegasus huffed and threw her head back in defiance, which Shining Armor ignored.

“Out of all the ponies,” Sunset said, “I never expected you to be a zealot.” Fluttershy had said that all the extremists had been driven underground. She glanced around the grey walls. I didn’t think she meant literally.

Shining Armor smiled a devilish smile. “You don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m going to release you both, but this is your one and only warning. If I hear any talk from either of you about treason, defamation, or these zealots, I’ll have you both locked away at the furthest cell possible.” His horn lit up and the solid door opened dramatically. Only three guards were waiting on the outside this time. “Out,” he commanded.

Rainbow Dash stomped her way out past the glaring eyes of the guards while Sunset was slower. Her mind in another place. She ignored the glares and stares as she followed up after Rainbow Dash. When they got back into the corridor, the lights had returned to normal and staff had begun their routines. “I can’t believe he got us,” Rainbow growled, staring angrily at the floor so hard Sunset thought a hole might start to burn into the rug.

“No, he didn’t get us. If he had, he would have locked us up immediately.” Sunset tapped her chin, glancing around the hallway to see if any guards were around. “This solves one piece of the puzzle.”

“Wait, you’re happy about this?” Rainbow Dash asked, surprised.

“Absolutely.” Sunset trotted over and wrapped a hoof around the pegasus. “I got to spend the night with a good friend where we discovered a giant conspiracy and we didn’t get locked in jail. Last time I got to spend this long with you we were sitting in cocoons staring back across the hall at each other while trying not to suffocate on gel.”

“I don’t know what that means, but I guess I shouldn’t feel so bad.” Rainbow Dash hung her head, sighing. “I just feel like a failure. Again.”

“Again?”

Rainbow Dash shook off the question, spreading her wings. “Think you can get back to your room from here? I don’t think Nightmare Moon would appreciate you having freedom of the castle, but I’ve got to go work out some things.” She didn’t wait for an answer, though. Her wings soared her into the air as she passed beneath the chandeliers and around the corner of the blue corridor.

Taking another glance at the wooden door, Sunset trotted away. She knew the castle and where the elevator was, and so she made her way back to her room. There was a guard positioned right outside her door, standing like a statue in the blue glow of the flames. If he was surprised to see her alone, he didn’t show it. “Hello,” Sunset hailed, and the guard opened the door for her without answering her greeting.

Her room was dark once he closed it behind her, so she tossed open the curtain and allowed the moonlight to fill the shadows. The night was barely half over, and it would be hours before the true night set in. She glanced down at her watch, feeling her stomach grumble since she avoided the slop Rainbow Dash had eaten. “I’ve been demeaned, threatened, and attacked. Maybe I should call it an early night.” Sleep was calling her, but the worries of her nightmares kept her from following their words.

“She’s waiting for you,” Sunset remembered Midnight Sparkle saying. “In a field of golden flowers.”

Her eyes drifted to her backpack, the zipper closed tight. As she crawled onto the foot of the bed, she wondered if she should search her old journal. Instead, she pulled the newer one out. Jotting down The Red Brick Wall, she drew a poor rendition of Gilda. Her eyes eventually met her own within the fourth page’s photograph, the cheery look they held spoke volumes of her innocence. “Lessons… Lessons…” She tried to think hard of what this world would want of her, how she could help time.

But nothing clicked.

Tomorrow I'll be spending the night with Twilight. Perhaps she and I can go over what these dreams mean. And, just maybe, she'll help me discover when Princess Twilight is. She shifted her eyes to the book still in the backpack. Twilight... What happened?

World 3: Chapter 6

Sunset stood at the giant telescope looking through the lens, a million stars sat at the other end. The morning moon was too low, sending blue streaks across the black sky. Though the starry sky grew beautiful, Sunset kept her focus on Twilight. Her ears were flicking, listening to the unicorn beside her, eager to hear all the details of this world. “With full nights, we’ve been able to study and deduce so many more alignments. Utilizing the stars, mapping directions has been made easier. Have you heard of the Yaks of Yakyakistan? We recently made contact with them. Soon negotiations might be made to strengthen the nations with unity!”

“Does Nightmare Moon deal well with other nations?” Sunset asked, taking her eye off the lens.

“Of course. The griffons of Griffonstone have a few within our guard, and I’ve heard trade has bolstered their city. The princess is very diligent in international relations,” Twilight Sparkle replied, clearly proud. She was in full form today, her hair tied into a knot on her head, her outfit pressed and unwrinkled. Even her glasses were prim and clean, no streaks or scratches.

“I met a griffon named Gilda yesterday. First time I’ve ever met one in person. I always loved hearing about other cultures, ecology being one of my better subjects, though I prefer paleontology,” Sunset mentioned.

Twilight held her clipboard in one hoof, the pen in her magical grasp. She hadn’t stopped scribbling since she brought Sunset back to her study. “I’ve recently become fascinated with exogeology. Princess Nightmare Moon has often talked about bringing moon rocks back for me to study, but she never has. She’s… very busy recently.” The eyes behind the glasses steadied, the pen stopped. A few seconds passed, she blinked, and then continued to scribble.

Nightmare Moon. Sunset pictured the hulking alicorn, her genuine laughter still sticking with Sunset even a night later. “Nightmare Moon brought up something yesterday that I thought I should ask you about,” she remembered.

“The term is yesternight,” Twilight corrected, to which Sunset gave her a strange, annoyed look. “I know, I know. It’s silly to say, but changes had to be made.”

“Anyway. I spoke with Nightmare Moon yesternight. We talked about you. She claimed it was Celestia’s loss that I left her apprenticeship and that she had said something similar to you.”

A smile creased Twilight’s lips, her whole body seemed to perk up. “Yes. Yes, that’s right,” she beamed. “That’s what Princess Nightmare Moon said when she accepted me as her apprentice. I remember that night, and I’ll remember it for the rest of my life. It fulfilled my entire being.”

“Ohhh, sounds like a story time,” Sunset replied, trotting over to the couch Twilight had brought out, the same one that she tackled the purple unicorn on just a few nights before. She patted the other cushion after sitting down, beckoning the fellow unicorn.

“I’m not sure it’s much of a story. At the time, I was studying the complexities of flight magic,” Twilight said as she sat down. “When Nightmare Moon took over, I rushed to offer my services much like everypony else in Canterlot. Out of the crowd, she picked me to speak. When I came forward, she asked what Celestia had done to earn my scorn. I told her that Celestia’s Summer Sun Celebration had given me too wild of a dream for a young unicorn, that I believed I’d never amount to my dream, a dream brought on by Celestia. To my surprise, Princess Nightmare Moon rolled her eyes and said, ‘Her loss’, and that’s when she made me her apprentice. I was so honored.”

Sunset scratched beneath her chin as she mentally cataloged Twilight’s words. “How’d Celestia give you too wild of a dream, or make you believe something like that? I don’t understand.”

The glasses on the purple unicorn fell up as she raised her head, a snooty tilt in her attitude came with it. “When I was a filly, I went to one of Celestia’s Sun Celebrations. I was mesmerized by her, enthralled by her! I devoted all my time to magic. So much so that my parents enrolled me in the School for Gifted Unicorns—which had a very terrifying entrance exam. I didn’t pass because the exam was too much for a young foal,” she huffed. “And I know what you’re thinking, the same thing everypony thinks. Celestia had nothing to do with the exams—except for the fact that that was the only year Celestia personally requested all enrollees be charged with that extraordinary task!”

“What was the task?” Sunset inquired.

“I don’t remember,” blustered Twilight indignantly. “It was an egg on a cart that I had to break or something dumb like that. The point is, I failed. My whole goal in life was shattered, so much so that I devoted all my time to prove I could be a powerful unicorn without the help of schooling. I wasn’t the only one, either. Other unicorns had started dropping out of the school. I even became friends with a few later on.”

An egg on a cart. I don’t remember that during my entrance exam. What could Celestia want an egg hatched fo— “Oh crabapples.” Sunset’s mouth became dry as cotton swabs, her jaw quivering so much that it wouldn’t close. She stuttered to say every word, barely getting out, “W-was it… a-a dragon’s egg?”

Twilight shifted on the couch, leaning uncomfortably away from Sunset. “Possibly. Why? What are you thinking?”

Sunset was thankful she had the foresight to bring her backpack this night, even if she did fear another one of Twilight’s curious outbursts. Levitating the bag over to the loveseat, Sunset drew out the journal that brought her so much grief. “Something happened in the past that you and another unicorn changed. I discovered recently that it doesn’t go back to when I was an apprentice, meaning whatever they altered was when you were a filly.” She sifted through the pages, hoping to find something out relating to the day Twilight hatched Spike.

“I’ve been thinking a lot about your idea of multiverse theory. It’s not my forte, but I remembered something Rainbow Dash had said to me years ago. It only came to mind after you had told me I was a princess.”

“Something Dash said? What was it?” She didn’t mention anything to me.

Twilight tapped the brunt of her nose, hiding her nostrils. “It’s been so long, but I remember her being surprised at seeing me. She said I looked like an alicorn she once saw when she was a filly. I thought she was just being an idiot, telling me some foal’s story or pranking me. Apparently, a couple of other colts backed up her story, saying that the alicorn was fighting a unicorn and that the alicorn was with a—” Twilight paused.

“Was with a?” Sunset asked. “Was with a!?” She shook Twilight violently.

“A small, purple dragon.”

Spike.

“You have got to be kidding me,” Twilight replied, removing her glasses to rub the bridge of her nose. “I can’t believe this. Rainbow Dash was right all these years. Does this mean I ruined the present?”

“No.” Sunset grabbed the fellow unicorn by the shoulders. “You said fighting a unicorn. Was that Dash’s exact words?”

“If I remember correctly, yes.”

“That means this Starlight Glimmer—she’s the one at fault. Twilight, my Twilight, hasn’t been messing around in time. She’s trying to stop the rift!” Tossing the journal out of her lap, Sunset rose and began to pace around the room. “Everything has stemmed from one change! One single change!”

“You mean that the worlds you’ve visited, the explicit differences in the timelines, they’ve all been changed by one event from Rainbow Dash’s foalhood? That’s ridiculous.” Twilight paused. “Isn’t it?”

Sunset had no answer. “There’s no way I’m going to be able to figure out when that is, much less create a spell that’ll take me to it. Even if Rainbow Dash knows the exact time and place, there’s no telling where I’d end up if my magic wasn’t accurate enough. I don’t even know a spell like that.” Chewing on her hoof like fingernails, Sunset shook her head, grimacing. “Not to mention it doesn’t explain why the map even affected me, why it brought me into these timelines. Is it just dragging me into the worlds Twilight has visited? Why haven’t I gone to the past with Twilight?”

“Have you seen this Starlight Glimmer in any of your visits? If not, she could be in the past while I, ehrm, Princess Twilight, returns to the present. The intricate magic of that complexity is too difficult for just the use of an ordinary unicorn. Even alicorn magic isn’t that capable without instruments. A device would be needed, and it wouldn’t allow for more than a few minutes in the past. What was it that brings you to these worlds? A table? Map?”

“A table with a map, yes. Are you saying that Twilight has something that returns her to the past? Why are the tables always left behind then? No, it can’t be the table.”

The scribbling of Twilight’s pen heightened to the point of absurdity, the purple unicorn concentrating on the strokes. When she finished, she flipped the clipboard toward Sunset. “As I said, I’m not an expert on this multiverse theory of yours, but if everything you’ve discovered is true, perhaps the table is something else. It may not be the artifact that allowed them to go to the past—but the conduit. It would explain why the table is always left behind. It, the map, obviously doesn’t want it to stay that way, so it recruited you to help fix it. The only way to activate it is to have the six of us bearers sit on it, right? That’s the conduit, the memory of itself from other worlds, trying to reconnect with its original self.”

“A memory? A conduit? If that’s true, then there’s a limit. It's restricted to the amount that Twilight has visited, right?”

“That’d be my guess.” Twilight tapped the clipboard. A drawing of split worlds where maps were left behind sat on the paper. “I assume the map would have recruited anyone that touched it first, you just happened to be it. Though it’s awfully coincidental that you just happened to leave your, uhm, mirror world, just at the time when I, I mean my other self, was battling it out in the past.”

“What are the chances of that?” Sunset asked.

“Well, how often do you leave this other world?”

The only other time I’ve left was to steal a crown. “About as often as the sun rising under Nightmare Moon’s reign.”

“Then I’d put your chances in the trillions,” Twilight replied.

Sunset shook her head. “I shouldn’t have asked. Here I thought I was special. Funny, that’s the kind of thinking that led me to the mirror, away from Celestia.”

A hoof landed on Sunset’s shoulder. Twilight was standing, the clipboard and pen on the couch. A comforting smile dancing on her lips, beneath her bright eyes. “Don’t feel bad. Everyone here turned against Celestia, and look how great we are without her.”

Sunset slapped the hoof off, glowering at the purple unicorn. “You don’t get it. This is the third world I’ve visited. In the last two, Nightmare Moon lost, and in mine, she reformed. Her world isn’t better, it’s just less bad.”

“Nonsense, she’s turned my life around.”

“You’re a princess in my world. Pretty sure that’s better,” Sunset spat her sarcasm. “Not to mention she didn’t even tell you that she met Princess Twilight.”

“She what?” Twilight slumped onto the floor, hitting her back against the edge of the sofa. “You can’t be serious.” She stared at Sunset, gazing deep into the other mare’s eyes until she realized it was the truth. “But… why didn’t she tell me? I’m her apprentice. She tells me everything!”

“Clearly not.”

“If she talked to the princess version of me, why didn’t she stop me? Why not take her into custody?”

“Whatever device Twilight has allows her to leave through the map, the conduit, whenever she wants. I see it happen every time I arrive. I don’t have what she has. Nightmare Moon said she lost two and gained one—that was most likely Twilight and Spike escaping on my arrival.”

Twilight slumped her neck against the edge of the sofa, staring up at the underside of the hourglass. “This is all very confusing.”

“Tell me about it. I’m still trying to figure out why I’m sent back to the day I first entered the portal. I spent almost a month in the last world, yet we’re just barely out of the first week of that same month. Now that’s confusing!”

“Very confusing,” Twilight agreed. “A month you say? It’s been a long while since I’ve looked over Star Swirl the Bearded’s work, but he might have information on the subject. We could head over to the Library of Magic, that’s where his shelf is. We can review his written works to see if there is anything relating to your predicament.”

“Sounds like we’re about to spend the day at the library.”

Twilight squared her eyes. “Night, Sunset. Night.”

“All night, every night, tonight. I’m getting sick of it! You can’t say to-true-night. That makes no sense,” Sunset replied as she levitated her backpack over her shoulders, feeling the tightness of the straps digging in. “Applejack’s nomenclature might be bad, but this night stuff is just unacceptable.”

“Now you’re just being crass,” Twilight jibbed, standing up from the floor. “Everypony in Equestria modified their vernacular, you can too.” She carried herself to the steps of the foyer, waiting on Sunset impatiently.

“Forced to modify their vernacular for fear of the repercussions if they didn’t,” Sunset replied, trotting over and following the purple mare out of the tower home. “That’s not the same as accepting the change. You can’t make people say the words you want them to, especially when their world is vastly different. They’re not used to it.”

“Well, you could at least try,” Twilight snidely said as they trotted across the grassy courtyard, passing the castle’s gardens.

“I’m just trying not to blow a gasket whenever someone tells me I’m wrong for saying the same thing I’ve been saying all my life. Next you’re going to ask me to change my name to Moonset Shimmer because the sun is too offensive.”

A groan of disgust rang out from Twilight as the two mares passed by the guards of the gate, both were now used to seeing the escorted unicorn. “No one is going to ask you to change your name. You’re just being childish.”

“I’m being childish?” Sunset exclaimed as they stepped onto the limestone. The further on the main street they went, the louder the classical music played from the speakers, and so the louder Sunset got. “I’ve been reading The Great Napple Discovery by Applejack, and she makes up new names for fruits! Why couldn’t you all do the same? Something! Anything better than true night. Don’t even get me started on the Forever Night!”

“What’s wrong with the Forever Night!?” Twilight became defensive.

“Eternal Night, Everlasting Night, Undying Night, Perpetual Night! Come on!”

“Forever was something foals could understand! What foal is going to understand perpetual?”

Sunset rolled her eyes. “I knew what it meant before I even started levitating objects.”

“Congratulations. When was that? Last week?” snapped Twilight.

“Oh, hah hah. Very funny, but don’t you mean last true week? How about forever week?”

“Why don’t you take this up with the princess? I’m sure she’d love your attitude.”

“I already called her pathetic yesternight,” Sunset recalled, a bit of venom as she exaggerated the final word. “Don’t think the castle staff would appreciate replacing another mirror pane, though.”

Twilight stopped in the street, squinting her eyes at the fellow unicorn. The look she gave Sunset was simple: “How are you still alive?” she was asking with her eyes. Instead, she said, “Hush up. We’re here. Remember, this is a library, we must be quiet.”

The brick and mortar library was just like Sunset remembered. Two granite statues of unicorns sat out front welcoming those wishing to advance their academics. The steps led up to a set of pillars, and behind that were multiple doors where ponies were coming and going as they pleased. Trotting inside, the big dome skylight let the view in of the stars from anywhere within the library. Shelves upon shelves rounded every corner and shadow of the two-story building, and the smell of paper wafted into Sunset’s nostrils like it were freshly baked bread.

I’ve missed this library. CHS’s pales in comparison. Bottled lights were attached to every shelf at the ends, though they weren’t made of fire. Flames would be a bad idea in a library this large. Twilight seemed to know exactly where to head, walking steadily past the front desk with her head held high.

Sunset followed, but a voice shouted at her. “Oh no you don’t. I recognize you! I’ve got your face blasted up on my wall!” When Sunset turned to see who it was that was yelling, she noticed the librarian glaring at her. “Yes, you. You’ve been banned and you’ll continue to be banned.”

“Me? What did I do?” Sunset pointed at herself.

“You were young but that doesn’t excuse you breaking into the locked section of the library.” The librarian, an old mare with grey hair and drooping jowls, pointed to the board of banned pony pictures. One of them was indeed Sunset Shimmer. “Out, before I call the guards!”

“I always knew you were trouble,” Twilight teased, trotting back to the front desk. “Excuse me miss. Sunset Shimmer is with me, I’ll make sure she stays out of trouble.”

“Don’t care,” the librarian said. “Banned is banned.”

Twilight frowned. “Then I, Twilight Sparkle, am making her unbanned by authority of Princess Nightmare Moon. There’s no locked off section of the library anymore, there’s no point in keeping ponies who previously entered illegally on your board.” Levitating the gaudy picture of Sunset from the tack on the board, Twilight crushed the photo into a ball and tossed it in the trash. “If you don’t agree with this decision, petition the princess for attendance between eight and four. I’m sure she’ll willingly listen to your complaint.”

The old librarian made a few grunts and noises before turning her chair away from Twilight, squeaking her way back to her filing.

“In my world, you could have just said I was unbanned by your authority,” Sunset told the purple unicorn as she came closer.

“Stow your sarcasm otherwise I’ll have you back up on that board. You want to visit Star Swirl’s shelf or not?”

Sunset nodded with a satisfied smug grin on her face. She did not remember the old mare or where the picture came from, but she remembered the day she’d been banned. Not my clumsiest mistake, but it’s up there. No, number one belongs to dropping Twilight’s crown through the portal.

Continuing on in the library, Sunset noticed the sections remained the same in this timeline, passing the alphabetized fiction, the studies on present and past histories, and the section relating to other species. One thing that had changed was the shelves for the study of plants, which was now marked as old world plants. Underneath the steps to the upper level was a door marked as ‘Advanced Magic’. This was the door Twilight brought Sunset to, the very same Sunset had broken into all those years ago. It wasn’t called Advanced Magic at the time, she vaguely remembered.

“After Nightmare Moon took over, she claimed several of the higher magical practices for herself, which included some works by Star Swirl, keeping them in the Canterlot Archives. His shelf became smaller and was moved in here,” Twilight explained, trotting by an empty desk. “Dark arts are on the left should you desire to return to your evil roots.”

“You’re just full of jokes today, aren’t you?” Sunset threw up a brow and shook her head. “No, I’ll stick to time travel for now. Nothing dark about that, right?”

That struck Twilight’s funny bone and they both had a good laugh, which annoyed the few other patrons who were studying within the offshoot room. A few small tables sat in the center between open-air bookcases, which they passed, moving to a corner of the room where a white shelf seemed cast out from the rest. Twilight was quick to pull two books off, but Sunset slowed to eye every title.

To the left of Star Swirl’s shelf was a few magical related books like Magical Compendium Volume 37-72 and Predictions and Prophecies—Amended Version. Glancing back at Star Swirl’s written material, one such title caught Sunset’s eye. She opened to the first few pages and noted that this was the work he had written about the sirens. Was this the book Twilight found? she wondered, the trio of singers popping into her mind.

“Sunset,” this world’s Twilight called from one of the seats in the center of the room.

Placing the book back on the shelf, Sunset returned to Twilight, taking a seat next to the purple unicorn. “Found something?”

“No, but it’d go easier if you helped me search.” Twilight slid a hefty amethyst-colored book across the table. “These are the only two here that’ll depict anything relating to time travel. I read them all several times when I was a filly, I was obsessed with him back then.”

“I’d believe it. You love Star Swirl the Bearded in my world. Solving one of his complex spells was how you got your wings and was inaugurated as a princess.”

The book Twilight held in her magical grasp dropped and slammed on the table, causing an outpour of shushing from the few other inhabitants of the room. She quickly grabbed it back up and held it close to her chin. “I solved a spell by Star Swirl!?” she whispered, loudly.

“Yeah. After I became friends with you I learned all about it. It was very impressive, something I probably couldn’t have ever done had I stayed as Celestia’s pupil. Imagine, me a princess,” Sunset answered with degraded laughter.

“I’m still having trouble imagining me as a princess, yet that’s apparently a reality.” Twilight slumped forward, covering her head with the open book. “What a failure I am in this world. I’ve barely done anything with my life.”

The other occupants began to filter out, annoyed by the commotion of the two mares. Soon, they became the only two within the closed-off room. “At least you didn’t turn into a raging she-demon, destroying part of your school and mind controlling your fellow students. You didn’t turn evil,” Sunset said, far quieter than she meant.

“You got me there.” Twilight’s lips curled into a deep smile. “Never really had the desire for power myself.”

“Yet you help Nightmare Moon, who is, like, the epitaph of desiring power. Her whole reasoning is the be all end all of lusting power.”

“Oh, trust me. I did extensive research into how doleful and nonsensical her argument is. However, she was locked away for a thousand years. Far too long of a sentence if you ask me, especially for the crime she committed. Celestia was in the wrong there, and I for one welcome Princess Nightmare Moon as our new leader. Justice has been served, though I am fearful what a battle between the two might entail.” She paused, glancing down at the words of her open book. “However, from what I’ve heard, Celestia wouldn’t have that desire. She’s too scared.”

“Really? You know someone who’s spoken to Celestia?”

“Of course. Princess Nightmare Moon is a far more gracious warden than Celestia. None of that stars aligning to release her from the moon garbage. I’ve got a copy of the original version of Predictions and Prophecies, it tells everything about the Nightmare Moon prophecy. The amended version completely rips that part out, but don’t tell anyone!” She winked and turned back to her book.

Sunset sighed. “Celestia’s not perfect, but she accepted Princess Luna back immediately as soon as she apologized. No repercussions, no resentment. Had Nightmare Moon given up her vengeance immediately, Celestia probably would have welcomed her back with open hooves. I’d love to learn how she failed in this timeline; why she did not use the Elements of Harmony.”

“I could get you in,” Twilight said, taking a quick glance around the room. A magical spark lit from her horn and Sunset heard the door to the room close. She then continued, “I’ve got a contact on the inside. She takes care of Celestia, a guardian to her prison on the moon. I even subbed for her once when she was sick. I didn’t speak to Celestia that night, though. I was too afraid.”

“Are you serious!? You mean you can just access her prison on a whim!? Why doesn’t she leave? Break out?”

“You’d have to ask her. In fact, Princess Nightmare Moon might even allow you attendance with her if you ask nicely. From what I’ve heard, Celestia won’t talk to anyone. I personally believe that she doesn’t want to leave.”

That made no sense to Sunset. Why wouldn’t she want to save her people, her world? “I’ll ask Nightmare Moon when I see her, then. It’ll be another awkward reunion but it’ll be worth it. Celestia might even know how to drag out the Elements from within you bearers.”

“Another awkward reunion?” Twilight blinked. “Who else have you reunited with?”

A short chuckle turned into a long laugh for Sunset. “Let’s see,” she said through her giggling. “I’ve reunited with… Celestia, and let’s not forget, oh yes, Celestia.”

“Right. The other worlds.” Twilight leaned on her hoof. “You should have experience with it then; should be no problem.”

“You’re right about that. In the end, it’s all good practice for my own Celestia.”

“If things don’t work out, you could always turn into another demon,” Twilight joked.

“I’ve had enough of demons.” Sunset laid her face on the table, feeling the cold wood against her cheek. She was tired. She had been tired for the last few nights, but sleep was becoming a luxury that she did not dare take. “My dreams are already filled with them as it is,” she lisped.

“That was one of the things the princess did tell me about. Apparently, you’re having nightmares, which should be impossible. What are your dreams about?”

Sunset closed her eyes, imagining the field of golden flowers. “My friends,” she replied. “All of them.”

The purple unicorn remained silent. She didn’t have an answer, no one did. Not for Sunset. Not even the controller of dreams could help her. “Come on, these books aren’t going to read themselves,” Twilight finally said after a moment of silence.

Hours passed by. No one bothered to come to the Advanced Magic section of the library, leaving the two to strain their eyes over every paragraph. Nothing other than the flipping of pages echoed out within the chamber, a few sighs or grunts once in a while. Sunset felt they were grasping at straws as she came to the end of her book, tossing it on the table. She leaned her head back in the chair, waiting for Twilight to finish her own. She was quick too, finishing only a minute after Sunset. “Anything?” Sunset asked, hoping Twilight gleaned a bit better information than she had.

Twilight took off her glasses, setting both the book and her spectacles on the table. “Yes,” she said, rubbing the sockets with the back of her hooves. “Nothing that can help you right now, but I learned a lot about constants, assuming Star Swirl is right about them.” After she put back on her glasses, she continued, “The princess version of me is your constant.”

“What’s that?” Sunset asked.

“Remember how you said you always see her when she leaves? Well, you never arrive when she arrives. That means your portals are linked. She exits, you enter. So, even though you go further into a world than she does, you’ll always follow her exit, even if that means you went through years in another world. That makes her your constant.”

Sunset’s brow furrowed as she once again asked, “What is that?”

“A constant? Usually, it’s an object or person that you recognize in both the past and present, as suggested by Star Swirl the Bearded. In your case, it’s different. You’re connected to the princess version of me. Whether it’s because she has some sort of device, spell, or it’s just her, I do not know. What I do know is that you are definitely limited to the number of worlds she visits. Could be one or two, maybe seven or eight. There could be more worlds out there that you’ll never have to visit so long as that princess version of me stops whatever is altering the past.”

“That means these worlds can exist without me—they’re not dependent on my stay,” Sunset sighed, a twinge of happiness striking her heart. “And they’re not infinite.”

“No, no. Definitely not. Without the device or spell that she possesses, you won’t be able to connect with her. Which is why I said that I found nothing that can help you right now.” With her magic, Twilight levitated the books back onto Star Swirl’s shelf. “You said earlier that I corrected a spell that led to my inauguration. I’m unsure what spell that was, but there’s only one book I know of that contained Star Swirl’s incomplete spell list. On that, it may have the spell that brought your version of me to the past.”

“Where’s this book then?” Sunset asked, glancing at the shelf.

Twilight shook her head. “Not here. It’ll be in the Canterlot Archives with the rest of the books Nightmare Moon confiscated.”

“I don’t suppose you and I can just waltz in and have a look?” Sunset said, assuming it wouldn’t be that easy.

“Not both of us. Just me. I can’t access all of the archives without the princess, but the Star Swirl the Bearded Wing is one of the few that I can visit alone. It should have what you’re looking for.”

Sunset rose from her seat. “Well come on! We’re so close now, I can almost taste it!”

“I don’t want you to get your hopes up, Sunset,” Twilight said as she stood. “Even if we find what you’re looking for, we won’t be able to connect it to your version of me. The only way to do that is to know the exact time in the past that she is at.”

“It’s a step in the right direction, though,” Sunset replied as they began walking to the door. “All the information we’ve found, if that’s all I get out of this world then that’s enough. I have proof now that Twilight didn’t cause all this, and that she’s trying to fix it. I’ve got to do my part to help the worlds she’s leaving behind.”

“Wow.” Twilight sounded surprised. “That’s very honorable of you. According to the things I’ve been hearing and your sarcastic attitude, I assumed you would have been eager to gather up the bearers and move on to the next world. I mean, with limited worlds all you have to do is move on as fast or as slow as you want till you catch your version of me—assuming she can fix whatever is going on.”

Sunset agreed. “I know she will. She’s Twilight, she can do anything.”

“Is that sarcasm?” Twilight asked, pushing open the door with her magic. The center of the library had grown even quieter than before.

“It’s not. Twilight is a good friend—and you are too. Thank you for helping me.”

“You’re supposed to be helping her, not the other way around,” a voice called out, echoing amongst the shelves and stone of the library.

The library hadn’t just grown quiet, it was empty as well. The only ones remaining were near the front desk. A hulking monstrosity stood over the small curved counter. Black fur and blue hair, contrasting the vibrant colors of the library’s glow. The scowl the monster had was almost palpable, but Sunset wasn’t fazed. Sunset had seen the sneaky grin of the old hag first, who stood next to the princess, a dozen guards around them. “Princess Nightmare Moon!” Twilight called, bowing her front legs, her muzzle almost to the floor.

“She actually called the guards,” Sunset murmured. “That wasn’t very smart.”

“Bow your head!” Twilight whispered, far more loudly than she meant.

“It is quite alright, Twilight.” The dark alicorn strode forward, stopping in front of them. She pressed a hoof to Twilight’s low chin, raising her up. “I’m glad to see it was you two that had brought me all the way down here and not some fool thinking they could pass for my apprentice.”

The old librarian began to clatter her hooves. “Y-you mean they’re a-actually part of yo-your court?” The mare had been full of spite a moment ago, now it vanished like the sun.

“Indeed. Everypony in Canterlot knows who Twilight Sparkle is.” Nightmare Moon turned to face the librarian. “Surprisingly, you were able to recognize a face from a pony who has not been here for years, yet you did not recognize my prized pupil.”

The old mare shriveled like a prune. “W-well, my ey-eyes aren’t what they u-u-u-used to be.”

“I’ve lived for over a thousand years, far longer than you, yet would you claim my eyes aren’t what they used to be?” Sunset couldn’t see Nightmare Moon’s eyes, but from the way the old mare reacted, Sunset knew it was the same look that she received in the elevator.

“N-no, my pri-princess!” the librarian shouted.

“Then perhaps you need your eyes corrected.” Nightmare Moon gave a nod and two guards surrounded the old mare, grabbing her beneath the elbows and lifting her bipedal.

The librarian gave a shout, pleading for a moment. Sunset thought to rush forward to stop whatever was about to happen but Twilight held onto her, keeping Sunset still. A burst of magic blew from Nightmare Moon’s horn like fire trickling down a match, hitting the old librarian in the eyes. A scream echoed out, lasting for as long as the magic poured onto the old mare’s face. When all was said and done and the magic subsided, the mare’s head hung low. Sunset heart was filling with rage, she pushed forward with Twilight clinging to her hindquarters, and the old mare gasped.

“I-I… I can see!” shouted the librarian. She tossed her glasses off, waving a hoof in front of them. “My vision! It’s not cloudy anymore!” The old mare fell forward, groveling at the hooves of the alicorn. “Thank you princess!” she yelled, kissing the light azure shoes of the princess.

“Now that you can see everything clearly,” Nightmare Moon said, “You can see yourself out of Canterlot. You are hereby banned for a year. Next time, you should think twice before using your age as frivolous reasoning.”

“Thank you princess!” the old mare said as she backed out of the library. “Thank you. Thank you!”

When the door closed and the room fell silent, Nightmare Moon turned her slit eyes towards Sunset and Twilight. There was a sour smile to her face when she saw the confused look Sunset held. “Were you expecting something else to happen?” Nightmare Moon asked, clearly rhetorically.

Sunset did not say anything. She shook her head, hiding her shock.

“I am not without my kindness or my generosity, Sunset Shimmer.” The dark alicorn marched across the entryway to the counter, using her magic to crush the other photographs. She brought them to a trash can where another caught her eye as she threw away the rest. “I am firm but fair to all those in my kingdom,” she continued to say as she unraveled the photograph. “Even those who are not of this world.” Nightmare Moon brought the crinkled photo of Sunset to the otherworldly unicorn. “Try not to forget that.”

Sunset took the photograph in hoof, a picture of her. She had posed for it, but the reason of when or why remained long forgotten.

“Now that the problem has been taken care of, why exactly were you two here in the first place? Twilight?”

“We came in search of a few books. We believe that we may have discovered why Sunset is traveling to these other worlds, and how it may have happened,” Twilight immediately explained.

Nightmare Moon seemed amused, the look on her face was that of a parent learning something from a child to which they already knew the answer. “And what exactly are those reasons?”

“I’m not entirely sure of my findings yet. I believe one of Star Swirl’s spells was the cause. I was about to return Sunset to her room and then head over to the Canterlot Archives to see if I could find something in his wing,” answered Twilight.

The hulking alicorn leaned her head down, wrapping a hoof behind her pupil’s neck. “My little apprentice, you always remind me that I am blessed with a student who understands magic far better than anypony else. You’d be correct to check the Canterlot Archives. In fact, I had a team scouring through the books to find any spells relating to time travel as soon as I returned to Canterlot.” Taking a step back, the alicorn glanced at Sunset. “Yes. I have the book in question.” In a splash of magic, the book teleported into the library. The ordinary brown book with golden lace was held in the alicorn’s levitation, mere inches from Sunset’s grasp.

“Really!?” Twilight beamed. “Sunset! We might just be able to send you back to your world! Oh, thank you, princess!”

“I-I can’t believe it,” Sunset gawked. “That’s surprisingly nice of you.”

The alicorn grinned her menacing grin, the same one she had held when she first learned of time travel. “Unfortunately—” A blast of light shot from the alicorn’s horn, hitting the brown book and exploding the contents into ash. A few pages managed to survive the initial hit, seesawing slowly to the ground, only to be engulfed in flames before touching the floor “—That wasn’t our deal.”

“No!” Sunset yelled, watching the pages turn to dust.

Twilight shared the surprise. “Princess! Why!?”

Nightmare Moon strode over the ashes, spreading them as she walked. She lurched forward at Sunset, staring down her nose at the unicorn. “Our deal was for you to get the Elements of Harmony and then we would send you onto the next world. Sending you home early, or at all, that wasn’t what we agreed upon. Do you want to go home? Find your little book in the next world.” The alicorn twisted back around and sauntered to the door. “Come,” she commanded her guard. “We’ve wasted enough time here.”

Once the door of the library closed again, leaving the room silent, the two unicorns turned to face one another. “You still think her world is better?” Sunset dryly asked.

The purple unicorn did not answer at first, her eyes glancing back to the grey piles of ash on the floor. “I’m sorry. This is all my fault. She might have given the book to you once you had gotten us the Elements of Harmony. Now it’s gone forever.” With her horn, Twilight lifted the ash off the floor, sifting through the specks to hopefully find a piece of paper untouched, but to no avail.

“I thought we were getting along,” Sunset murmured. “I really thought I might have gotten under her fur. Though, maybe she realized that. Destroying that book is what I would’ve done if I had been in her position.”

“It’s not right. All that knowledge wasted.” Twilight removed her glasses, rubbing her face into her shoulder. “No book deserves that treatment.”

“It’s not all bad,” Sunset said, placing a hoof on the unicorn’s other shoulder.

Twilight glanced up to see the weak smile on Sunset’s face. “How can you say that? You could have helped your version of me!”

“Sure, that’s true. But now I know that’s even an option! I hadn’t thought of doing something like that this morning, much less since I got here! And I got to spend the night with a good friend.” Sunset wrapped a foreleg around the fellow unicorn’s shoulders, squeezing tight. “I’d say that’s worth losing that book. I’m sure Nightmare Moon’s right, the next world will have it too. Even if it doesn’t, the universes aren’t infinite.”

Twilight gave a meek smile and looked like she wanted to say something. She hesitated for a moment, glancing back at the dust on the floor. “I’m not sure what to say, Sunset. I wish I could have helped more than just that. I’m sure the princess version of me would have been able to help you out better than I could.”

“Yeah, that’s probably true,” Sunset replied, jabbing the purple unicorn in the side. “But she also had a better teacher.”

The smile soured for a moment, but then laughter surfaced. “Next you’re going to tell me we need to burst out into song and dance.”

“I’ll have you know I’ve only done that once during my travels!” Sunset giggled.

“Come on,” Twilight said through her laughter. “Let’s head back to my study. I want to hear more about this princess version of me. Maybe I can improve myself by learning from her.”

That’s how I did it, Sunset thought. The blurry picture of Princess Twilight standing above the sunken crater in front of CHS flashed in her mind. The magic of friendship doesn’t just exist in Equestria, it’s everywhere. And every time.

World 3: Chapter 7

The guard marched without words in front of Sunset, the dark plate armor jiggling with every step. She wondered if this had been one of the guards who escorted her to Shining Armor or had been in the library the previous night. Other than the fur, it was impossible to tell who sat beneath. This was also the first time a guard escorted her off premises, traveling away from the castle into the noble district. Tower homes sat in lines, painted gold and purple, and each one more unique than the last. Sunset knew the area. As pupil to Celestia, she would often be required to sit in on visits to the Canterlot’s noble elite.

Even so, she didn't expect such an extravagant home to be owned by one of her friends. The three-story building looked like a small castle. An enclosed patio with a veranda atop sat out front, while the home looked large enough to have eight separate bedrooms. The form of a tower could be seen poking up in the back behind the roof’s ridge, which stretched as long as the gymnasium of CHS. The rakes of the roof held hanging vines, apple decorations sitting beneath every window, both blowing gently with the common wind. The enclosed patio sheltered four seats all shaped like apples, and a table carved like an apple core sat between two. Yep, Applejack lives here.

Coming up to the front door, Sunset saw the frosted glass windows that surrounded the great brown oak wood. The architecture was nothing like the rest of Canterlot, though this home had been here long before Applejack. Being one of the oldest homes in Canterlot, it rivaled the age of even the castle itself. The wooden floorboards beneath her hooves didn’t seem too old, and Sunset guessed the earth pony owner enjoyed carpentry much like her mirror counterpart.

A doorbell was also surprising to see. Having pushed the small red button, a jingle playing overhead, Sunset wondered who or what she might find inside. Turning back to the guard, she realized she was alone. The guard was already halfway down the stony road. Not a very good guard, I could easily vanish right now, she thought just as the door opened. Sunset expected a servant or staff of the home to answer, not Applejack herself.

The pretty earth pony smiled at the sight of Sunset. Her wavy golden hair glowed like pure molten metal. The contemporary outfit she wore seemed to fit right in with the home, a brown and tan blouse covered in different colored flowers and a yellow skirt trickling down her backside. No shoes tonight, however. “Howdy there. I’m so glad you were able to make it.” Applejack grabbed gently onto Sunset’s shoulder, leading her into the vestibule. The way Applejack moved was prim and proper, a disillusioning sight when compared to other versions.

“You have no idea how impatiently I’ve been waiting for this night,” Sunset told Applejack. “Even more so now that I finished reading The Great Napple Discovery.”

“Only been here a few nights and you’ve already finished one of my books?” Applejack was surprised. “That’s mighty humbling. What did you think of it? Don’t be shy now. Anything you say within my home is kept between you and me.” Trotting through the foyer and into the hall that connected it, Applejack turned left. A staircase sat on the furthest wall in this hallway, great and ligneous; five ponies could walk up it in a row without stepping on each other’s hooves.

Sunset followed Applejack past that staircase and into another large room. This one was even bigger than the foyer and hall combined. There was a fireplace so huge that you could cut up an entire tree and fit it into the hearth. Three rocking chairs sat close to it, with a set of sage-colored couches and a peanut-colored coffee table to the left. Further into the room was a dining area, though it looked too great to be used by one or two ponies. “I was very impressed,” Sunset replied. “Utilizing leftover zap apple parts to coat apple seeds was a genius move. I was almost in tears at the part where you thought you had failed, only to figure out the seeds needed the moonlight to grow.”

“Shucks, everypony seems to like that part. At the time it didn’t give the impression that it was such a discovery,” Applejack explained, taking a seat on one of the couches. Sunset sat opposite, glancing past the earth pony at the gigantic window that brought in the moonlight. She hadn’t noticed it from the outside but the window was separated into small, square panels, briefly reminding her of the changeling’s hatchery. “My granny was the one who found the zap apples. The Everfree Forest was the only place in the world to grow ‘em. We got real lucky with the harvest the year of the Forever Night. Had a bunch of extras that we planned to preserve.”

“I’d love to see their growth process. Being from a world where there is no Forever Night, it’s nice to hear that, had things gone wrong, we would have been alright,” Sunset said.

“Had things gone wrong? I’m not sure I can agree with that statement. You’re from a world where the sun shines, ain'tcha? Sounds to me like things have gone very wrong!” the earth pony chortled teasingly. “Not to say I don’t miss my namesake. I often contemplate renaming myself Napplejack. I figure that best be saved for the next generation, though.”

“Are all the fruits and vegetables from the sun times gone?”

“No, no. We’ve got some in greenhouses, though they’re limited. Under my instruction, they’re increasing, and we’ve got a large supply of moon-coated produce for everyone poor and rich to eat. Napples, moongos, white grains, and pink bananas. I didn’t name that last one, just in case you’re wondering.”

Sunset nodded as she listened along. “I had a pink banana the other night. Tasted the same. So, you’ve been successful in your career, but has the world been successful? I mean, what of the places that don’t have zap apples?”

“Oh my stars! You don’t know much about this world, do you? Excuse my awful manners, I had assumed you learned everything about us, what with you just finishing my book. I’ve got an awfully bad habit of assuming—let me start from the beginning. Get comfortable it’s a long story,” Applejack said, leaning and winking. “The whole reason we even discovered the napples was because my little sister, Apple Bloom, pointed out that the vines, grass, trees, and shrubs weren’t wilting, but our crops were! Almost anything with buds was dying off. Though Nightmare Moon tried her best to strengthen the moon’s power, it didn’t help the smaller, weaker crops. The flower business really went out like a light for a while, now they’ve mostly been replaced by plastics.

“Anyway, once we discovered that little fact and the napples took off, I turned the Apple Family focus onto preserving some of the old. My business associates, Flim and Flam, they had thought it would be a good idea to start out that way. They built tons of greenhouses to try and utilize unicorn magic, but to no avail. That’s when I came on board, buying out their produce farms. I let them handle the Manehattan branch, and we’ve been successful in the last couple of years in bringing back a thriving amount of old world plants. We’ve even got some in use here in Canterlot, I believe a big portion of next week’s banquet celebration will be old world foods.”

“That doesn’t really answer my question. What about the rest of the planet? I mean, surely Griffonstone has the resources, but what about the dragons? What about the other creatures? The change couldn’t have been good for everyone.”

Applejack shrugged. “I can’t really answer that, suffice it to say. Dragons seem fine, the griffons are more prosperous than ever, and we even recently made contact with a place called Yakyakistan. They’ve been livin’ off something all this time, so they might have figured it out like we did.”

“If things hadn’t gone right, if you hadn’t found a new plant, what would have happened?”

“You’re really into the metaphysical what ifs, ain’tcha?” Applejack slapped her knee, hooting like a jackal. “That’s mighty alright. I don’t have all the answers for you. From what I was told, this wasn’t supposed to be a sort of class. I would have prepared more.”

Sunset shook her head, patting the watch on her foreleg. “No, you’re right. Sorry. I spent so much time with Twilight that I’m stuck on a learning kick. My brain’s working in overdrive.” She laughed it off, but the truth was she needed sleep. If I keep going with these sleepless nights, I’m going to collapse. “Is there something you wanted to do tonight?”

“Oh, no. I’ve cleared my plans for the night to accommodate the princess. I do have something friendly you and I could do, but everything business related is taken care of, which is quite surprising with the banquet so near. From what I hear, it’s going to be a small banquet as all resources are going toward you and the Elements of Harmony.”

“I’ve heard of the banquet, but I didn’t know that. What resources?”

“Ponies, specifically,” Applejack answered, pointing to herself. “But don’t you sweat it. I’m sure you’ll be able to get our Elements of Harmony in no time! I haven’t bothered asking, even though I’ve been a smidge curious, but what’s my Element?”

“You’re honesty. The Element of Honesty.”

That made Applejack burst into laughter. “Yeah, I suppose that’d be the right choice,” she said through tears. “Honest to the core, that’s me.” Taking a stand, the yellow skirt smoothed out as she strode around the coffee table to seat herself next to the unicorn. “If I’m being honest, it doesn’t seem like you’re having much luck with the Elements. I would’ve heard about one of the others getting their piece of the ol’ magical puzzle.”

“You’ve got that right. But it’s only been about a week since I arrived in this world. The first world I visited, I didn’t find Pinkie Pie till I was deep inside the Crystal Empire, behind enemy lines. I still remember the cold chill that I felt when I entered the city, it was colder inside than out in the snow.”

The earth pony frowned, her ears sunk. “That must’ve been horrible. I can’t even imagine going through all that.” She pulled away for a moment, clearly thinking, and then slapped the edge of the couch. “The princess only wants you to get us our Elements and go, but I don’t think that’s fair. Especially not after everythin’ you’ve been through! This world should be like a vacation for you, a place to rest your gams and not worry about what’s going on. I think I’ve lucked out and picked the best thing for us to do tonight!”

Sunset sat forward. “What did you have in mind?”

“You seem like a stressed out mare, probably could use a lil’ R and R. I know the feeling all too well, and more often I’ll bet. C’mon, we don’t even have to leave the home for this!” The earth pony clapped her hooves together excitedly. She rose up, trotted across the large room, past the rocking chairs, and over to another open doorway near the dining room set.

Sunset stood as well, chasing cautiously after the earth pony. As she rounded the corner into the kitchen, she saw the yellow skirt disappear down a hall on the other side. Crossing the inlaid tile floor, passing an island counter and stove, Sunset followed into the darkness of the hall. Another corridor opened to the right where she could see the vestibule’s decor, but a noise further down the path drew her attention. A light popped on as she snuck closer, lighting up a large bathroom. It was the largest bathroom Sunset had ever seen. Without even glancing back, Applejack called out to the unicorn, “Could you press that button on the wall?”

Surprised that Applejack had sensed her, Sunset was careful to lean her head in to find said request. An intercom with a big red button sat on the wall just above the light switch, multicolored pink wallpaper all around. Sunset stepped in, pressed the button, and waited for a moment. A screeching let out from the blackness of the speaker, followed by a voice. “Right away,” it said, and Sunset stood perplexed.

The room was large but there was a reason for it. In the furthest corner sat a tub big enough to hold five ponies at once, and in another corner were hair dryers, massage cots, and a lovely tan shelf full of rolled up towels. Closer to the door was a full body mirror next to a set of sinks, and across from that was a white two-piece divider. “Come on in,” the beautiful mare called as she disappeared behind the divider, pulling it together. Her shadow was visible from Sunset’s side, however, and Sunset watched the silhouette for a moment before realizing the earth pony was changing. Her eyes twisted to the mirror only to see the silhouette once again. In a last-ditch effort, she turned to face the door and was startled by a pale mare dressed in a black suit.

“Wabuhlah!” was the sound that echoed vibrantly from Sunset’s lips just before she toppled backwards, landing firmly on her side. “A-A-Applejack!” she yelled, staring at the sunken eyes hidden behind the red-rimmed glasses.

Coming out from the divider, Applejack had tossed on a beige robe. “Don’t be frightened now, that’s just Raven. She’s my main assistant here in Canterlot,” she explained and then turned to the mare in the doorway. “Be a delight and call for a masseuse. The unobtrusive one.”

The dark-haired mare nodded, disappearing as quickly as she appeared.

“A masseuse?” Sunset said, exhaling heavily as she rose from the white tiled floor. “I never thought of you as one to enjoy spa days.”

“Oh, it was quite an adjustment coming from my good ol’ country roots, but being such a celebrity has come with added stress. A good relaxing dip in the spa and a massage relaxes the body and the mind. Like I always say, being pony, having your health, that’s the most important thing.” Applejack strode back across the room to the white porcelain tub, taking a moment to release a knob and pour hot water into the bath. Gushing from the faucet, steam and spray rose from the indentation in the tub. “Come on, the water’s just getting warm!”

Sunset didn’t dare deny the earth pony anything. Taking a moment to close the bathroom door, Sunset found that Applejack already dipped herself in, her golden silky hair strung along the rim of the tub like a curtain of ambrosia. The warm smell enticed Sunset with each passing second. She crossed the room, glancing the innards of the half-full tub. “Better take my watch off,” she casually said, levitating it over to the towel shelf. With about as much grace as a boulder being slung across a lake, Sunset climbed in and felt the glowing warmth seethe up her legs. Goosebumps rose, sending hairs shooting up her shoulders and back. The tub was deeper than it appeared. Once she sat down, she found that it was already up to her neck.

Slamming the knob to the side, Applejack turned the water off, letting the steam fill the air. Minutes passed but the water didn’t cool. “Though I sometimes hate to admit it, this sure beats sitting in a cold bucket of water out on the farm,” the earth mare mentioned, her eyes were closed and her head tilted. The robe she had been wearing made for an excellent pillow along the rim.

“Thank you for being so accommodating. We barely know each other, well, you know me barely to be more accurate. I’ve had plenty of experiences with you—this one is the best so far, by the way. Last two I crawled through jungles and caves.”

“We’re going to be the best of friends, Sunset, that’s the honest truth. I’ll do everything in my power to make sure you’re well taken care of. Nightmare Moon’s got you all cornered up in the castle, keeping you to herself. It ain’t right. It’s for your safety, though, there’re some real lunatics out there that would likely run you out of town if you didn’t see eye to eye with ‘em.”

“I’ve met a few of the zealots, yes. Though I wouldn’t say Nightmare Moon is perfectly sane either.”

“What do you mean?” the earth pony asked.

A knock interrupted Sunset before she could explain the previous night. Two ponies who Sunset did not recognize entered the humid room, their plaid outfits and bunched up manes made her look twice. “Hello, Miss Applejack! You’ve got a friend tonight? Wonderful. Wonderful!” A pale pewter-colored stallion with blonde hair led a mare of green fur and autumn hair into the room, the door closing behind them. Both their sleeves were rolled up as they came closer. “Oh my, what a fetching little prize you have, Miss Applejack. If you were not you, I might have had to switch with Berrice here.” The stallion extended a hoof to Sunset.

“Hello, my name’s Sunset Shimmer,” the unicorn greeted, a sloppy wet shake of her hoof.

“You may simply call me Charmer, though I am quite charmed with your beauty.”

“Oh stop it,” commanded Applejack. “You say that to every mare.” She gave a wink to Sunset and said, “I would know, I’ve heard it about a million times.”

‘Charmer’ croaked, holding a hoof to his chest. “You wound me, Miss Applejack! I shall make you scream in delight in front of your friend!” He tapped the rim of the tub, making the water reverberate.

“I’m out first,” she said to Sunset with a wink. Wrapping her robe around her as she stood, Applejack shook her hooves onto a wooly floor mat and ambled over to the cushy cots. The mare named Berrice stood silently beside the tub, a smile on her lips, while Charmer helped Applejack up onto the low cushiony table, flexing his petite forelegs before massaging the earth pony’s neck. “Ohhh, yah. C’mon Sunset, a steamy rinse just before a magnificent kneading really helps relieve that tension. It’ll help you think better, too,” Applejack claimed, her left cheek and chin bunched up against the towel pillow.

The warmth of the water was too perfect that Sunset didn’t want out. It reminded her of the gel that had engulfed her body in the last world, trapped inside a cocoon. The main difference being, this trapped her in a moment of self-indulgence. Berrice was standing on the outside of the tub, staring down at Sunset, and Sunset couldn’t help but feel awkward. With a sigh of delight, Sunset put both forelegs on the rim and crawled out, feeling the warm air pressing down on her fur, giving a tingly sensation. It felt good, but was overshadowed as the other mare wrapped Sunset in a robe. She hadn’t even seen where Berrice got it from, but the cozy touch of the wooly bathroom coat felt so nice that she didn’t care.

After sliding onto the massage cot and feeling the soft hooves of Berrice on her back, Sunset exhaled heavy breaths, feeling herself become lighter. She could hear the little gasps of Applejack next to her as she closed her eyes. She didn’t want to speak; to ruin the moment. Berrice was performing pure bliss on her rough shoulders, the same ones that had become tight and constricted from the unnatural shape of her bipedal backpack. Sunset hadn’t expected the light hooves to feel so good around the ball of her shoulder, pressing it into the socket as if it were a hitch wrench.

“So, who’s your friend, Miss Applejack?” Sunset heard Charmer say, but it sounded like he was on the other side of the large house.

“A mare from another world,” the apple pony answered, and both the masseuses stopped.

The world reformed in front of Sunset’s eyes as she opened them, surprised by the sudden stop. She could see the divider, the mirror, the door, and then turned her head to see the flicked up brow of Charmer staring at Berrice. His eyes moved to Sunset and he shook his head, closing his gaping mouth and smiling. “Then we must perform admirably if we’re going to start getting new customers from another world!” Charmer dug his hooves into Applejack’s robe and the earth pony lifted her head to gasp, but nothing more than a rasp came out.

“I’ll be the only one,” Sunset said, continuing Charmer’s offhanded comment. “Nopony else will be able to follow me through the portal.”

She could see the stallion furrow his brows as he moved around, putting his back to Sunset. “Sunset here is helping the princess shore up our defenses. Apparently, I’m one of the Elements of Harmony, a bearer,” Applejack told the masseuse.

“She is not just a friend to you Miss Applejack, but to the princess too? Oh, Berrice, you are the lucky one tonight!” Charmer exclaimed. The mare named Berrice said nothing, going about her meticulous work.

No, I’m definitely the lucky one, Sunset thought as she sighed a pleasant sigh.

“How you holding up, Sunset?” Applejack asked, her face smudged against the cot.

“Wonderful,” Sunset breathed.

“Just remember, so long as you stick with me, you’ll have a pleasant time while you’re here. I’ll make certain of it.”

“Hey, if you could get me into see Celestia, I’d appreciate it,” Sunset absentmindedly joked.

Silence. Other than a few drips from the faucet, the room stopped. When Sunset opened her eyes, she didn’t know what to expect. Celestia wasn’t a name to be said around most ponies, but Applejack wasn’t most ponies. Still, the two masseuses held their tongues. Charmer had become the quietest he’d been since he arrived with Berrice, who also, somehow, got even more quiet. When she saw Applejack face down into her pillow, Sunset almost assumed she had not heard the remark while the other two did. That was when the earth pony clapped her hooves together above her head.

The movements of the two masseuse ponies were fast, quickly returning to their places beside the cots. When Berrice placed her hooves on Sunset again, Sunset could feel the trembling of the silent mare. “Celestia, huh?” Sunset heard Applejack muffledly say through the pillow towel. “You want a visit with her?”

“Y-yeah,” was all Sunset answered. She hadn’t become worried until she felt the wincing of Berrice’s hooves every time Applejack spoke. The massage changed from working with dough to playing with clay, a sense of hostility in the air.

“Why?” the earth pony asked.

“She might know of a way to bring out the Elements of Harmony. She was one of the two who originally used them, after all.” Sunset hoped her honesty would relieve the anxiety of the two masseuses, but Charmer said nothing. In her peripherals, she could see the sweat slogging on the stallion’s face.

The orange mare rose her golden head, a smile on her lips. “That’ll be all for tonight, Charmer.”

“It’s been a pleasure,” Charmer gave a breathy reply, taking his leave with Berrice without another word.

When the door closed and the room grew silent, Applejack said, “I could arrange a visit, perhaps, yes. The princess would listen to my request, and she is not above reason.” She rose from her cot, stretching out the relieved muscles before trotting around to the bath and uncorking the stopper. The sounds of a draining whirlpool echoed out as she asked, “If I helped in that regard, could you do something for me?”

Sunset rolled to her side, kicking her back legs off the cot. She pushed the lapel of the robe to her mouth, wiping the drool off. “Of course. Anything. What are friends for, after all?”

The orange earth mare sat on the side of the tub, her golden hair melting and forming beautiful shapes against the beige robe. The massage had made her glow. The smile on her face suddenly lurched forward as she leaned and whispered a question to Sunset. Her question surprised the unicorn, an odd thing to hear. “Do you think you can ask her that?” Applejack asked. “Can you keep it a secret from Nightmare Moon?”

“Of course.” Sunset did her best to try and sound confident, but the question rambled in her brain. Why would she want to know that?

“That’s mighty fine to hear!” Applejack slapped Sunset’s shoulder and crossed the room to the divider. While she removed her robe and changed, she yelled, “I’ll talk to the princess and set up a time for tomorrow, if that’s not too soon for you.”

“No. That’s fine,” replied Sunset as she shrugged off the robe, tossing it onto her cot. She trotted toward the door just as Applejack’s silhouette flooded out, her wardrobe returned to what it was when Sunset arrived. The humid air of the steamy bathroom made the golden strands come alive against her colorful blouse.

Applejack led Sunset back to the foyer, passing underneath the large staircase. “I best get to it then,” the earth pony said and then called for her assistant. The dark-haired mare came trotting down the stairs, as stern a walk as Sunset had seen from anypony else. “Raven, dear, please escort Sunset back to the castle for me. And would you notify Nightmare Moon that I request her audience as well?”

A nod as firm as her walk was all the assistant replied with, taking charge of guiding Sunset to the front door and out onto the patio. “Remember now, Sunset. If you need anything, you can always come to me!”

“Thank you again, Applejack, for everything. I’m sure we’ll be seeing a lot more of each other until I get you your Element.” Sunset wasn’t surprised when the earth pony came in for a hug. Feeling the golden mane against her cheek, Sunset understood why Nightmare Moon valued Applejack so highly. She might be the nicest pony in this world. When they pulled apart and Sunset turned to leave, she realized she’d forgotten something important. “My watch!” she shouted, clasping a hoof down on her left foreleg.

When she turned back, she saw Applejack holding the burnt orange watch in her hoof. With a grin and a wink, Applejack said, “Don’tchu worry. I’ve got it. What are friends for?”

World 3: Chapter 8

Golden flowers.

Sunset was staring at the darkened canopy above her bed. The memories of her dream still fresh in her mind, though it hadn't been as bad as some of the others. Golden flowers. She wasn’t ready to get up. Nightmare Moon would soon be arriving, anyway. The previous night spent with Applejack went well, and the dark alicorn would most likely be preparing some sort of transport this morning. Hopefully, Applejack actually convinced her and I’ll be visiting Celestia soon. If not, I suppose I could try spending another night with Rarity, she thought, glancing at the locked bedroom door. She would’ve preferred more sleep, her drowsy mind was becoming a menace.

She let herself have a smile, closing her eyes to lucidly dream about what new worlds there might be waiting ahead of her. Having found out that the parallel worlds were limited gave her a renewed strength, that or the massage did more wonders than she realized. The overwhelming sense of dread from her dreams was halted by the roll of her shoulders. She decided to hop out of bed, brush out her mane, and toss on the backpack in preparation. The straps did not dig in as tightly as before. Applejack, you’re the best, she smiled.

A knock came to the door. Right on time. Throwing on her watch, Sunset opened the door with her magic. “Good morning,” she called out, coming to greet the dark alicorn.

She did not expect Applejack to be standing right alongside the black and blue princess. “Howdy, Sunset! Beautiful night. How’d you sleep?”

“Best sleep I’ve ever gotten, thanks to you,” Sunset replied, flexing her chest as if to show her newfound poise.

“Can we please cut the chatter and move on?” Nightmare Moon said shortly. “This is not something that I am eager to have done.”

Applejack patted the alicorn’s leg and hooted. “Don’tchu mind her none, Sunset. She and I both agreed that if anypony would get Celestia to talk, it’d be you. There’s just something about you, after all,” the earth pony said. “Getting her to talk won’t be easy, especially about the Elements of Harmony, but I’m sure if you ask her the right questions she’ll open up.”

And ask her your question, you mean, Sunset mentally grinned. “Piece of cake!”

“Just the Elements of Harmony.” Nightmare Moon stared down her muzzle at the unicorn. “No funny business, Sunset Shimmer. You don’t want to let down Miss Applejack, or me.” Her sour expression turned into a dark sneer. “Say hello to the warden for me.”

“The ward—” Sunset started to say before a flash of light expelled from the alicorn’s horn.

Blinded, for a moment Sunset thought she saw golden flowers. The soft carpet of her bedroom exchanged for cold, unforgiving marble. As her eyes adjusted, there were no golden flowers. Bending to the bright white decor, she was surprised to no longer see the alicorn and earth pony. Now in a small room with a blue fire burning behind her, she trotted forward past two pillars standing to the sides of the sole doorway. More white, she thought as she stepped into a long hall. There was no fire in this one, just decorative art pieces kept in bronze frames hanging on the walls as she passed. Surprisingly, the corridor was bright.

That’s when the air was sucked right out of her. Sunset glanced above at the ceiling—a glass roof that stared back at Equestria, a billion stars surrounding the entire planet. “Is that—!?”

“That’s right,” a feminine voice called from down the way. “Welcome to the moon. Population two.”

It was the warden, Sunset knew, connecting the dots easily. She hadn’t expected who the warden would be, however, and was surprised to see a pink alicorn in a dark outfit. Her hair was cut short, her bangs brushed to one side. “Princess Cadance?” Sunset said, her eyes bulging.

“I’m not a princess anymore.” The warden was slow, taking her time to walk down the long, petite hallway. As she drew closer, Sunset realized that the outfit Cadance wore was designed much in the same way a captain’s uniform was handled. A black breastplate across her chest with a crescent moon in the middle, gold straps tucking the metal around her flank and belly, and two purple shoulder pads on both sides. She did not wear a plumed helm, however, choosing to keep her head unguarded. “You and I must speak before I will grant you access to the inmate.”

“Inmate? When Nightmare Moon said warden, I assumed someone different. Why would you be the one to guard Celestia?”

“Come,” Cadance commanded, refusing an answer.

The white hall turned and swiveled till it came to a black iron gate. On the inside, Sunset could see a rotund room with another set of black iron bars shadowing cells. How many cells there were, she could not tell from her hall. Cadance did not lead her into this iron barred room. There was another door, wooden and half open, which she pushed into. Sunset followed in only to see nothing more than a shelf covered in books, a bed with pristine sheets, kitchenware, and a birch table with two bone-colored chairs.

“Is this your room? Do you stay on the moon all the time?” Sunset asked as Cadance rounded the table, taking her seat.

“Yes. The moon is my prison just as much as it is Celestia’s, though I chose to be locked up here.”

“Why would you choose that?”

“Without me, Celestia has no one. She speaks to me as little as she can, but I know she’s grateful, and it’s better than being down with that awful Nightmare Moon.”

Sunset was surprised to hear someone speak so derogatorily about Nightmare Moon. In fact, this was the first time she could recall ever hearing anyone speak of the dark alicorn in a negative manner. “I’m sorry, back up for a second. You know who I am, right?”

“Some mare Nightmare Moon has sent to question Celestia about the Elements of Harmony. You should be aware, Nightmare Moon herself has tried to get that information from Celestia, but just like most, Celestia is silent. Nightmare Moon knows where the Elements of Harmony are, you know.” Sunset’s eyes lit up, and the alicorn frowned. “Perhaps you did. If I had my way, everyone would just leave Celestia alone—leave us both alone.” The alicorn crossed her hooves on the table. She almost sounds like Shining Armor, gleamed Sunset, glancing at the dull eyes of the pink alicorn.

“I have a feeling she’ll talk to me.”

“Of course you do, but I very much doubt it. I’d appreciate it if you would leave now, instead.”

“What? Why?”

Cadance did not answer. “If you truly want to talk to Celestia, I won’t stop you. All that I ask is that you make it brief. She’s a kind soul. No matter what you’ve heard about her or what you believe she is, she’s not. Not that I think my words will have much impact on a tool for Nightmare Moon,” she explained.

“Cadance, I’m not—” Sunset threw her head back, revolting at the thought “—No. Cadance, how is it you ended up here? Why are you Celestia’s warden?”

“Never heard the story, have you?” Cadance reclined, her expression unchanged. “Where did Nightmare Moon drag you up from? No. I chose to be here. I could not turn on Celestia like… like so many others did. Nightmare Moon was going to grant me the freedom to do as I please, but I requested this position. I think she liked that idea but she couldn’t suggest it herself, she’d lose support.” Cadance tapped the table twice. “I thought you were here to question Celestia, not me. Perhaps, knowing what you know now, you should heed my advice. Leaving is your best option. Have Nightmare Moon tell you where the Elements are.”

She really does sound like Shining Armor. Has she been here all these years? Trapped with Celestia? Sunset hadn’t bothered sitting down and she was glad she didn’t. Turning to face the door, she said, “No. I’m going to speak with Celestia now.” Nightmare Moon knows where the Elements of Harmony are. She’s known all along, but I have too. The Tree of Harmony glowed like it had in the first world, something it hadn’t done in the second. There was no denying it now, however. They were in the Tree of Harmony.

“Very well. Don’t try to let her out or use your magic in that room. I’ll send you back immediately if you do.” The guttural tone of her voice made sure Sunset know she was serious, but Sunset had no plans of doing such things. A creak and a squeak echoed from the hall, and as Sunset trotted past the doorframe, she saw the black iron entry was now available.

She had not expected to find Cadance so intolerable, and she wondered what Celestia’s state would be as well. Surely it can’t be worse than with the changelings, she thought, stepping into the circular room. The white stone architecture was somehow more grey in this prison of a room. Another skylight, iron and glass, as circular as the room, sat above displaying the blue and green world. Inside the room were hovels where black iron bars thick enough to be a flagpole kept prisoners. Each hole in the wall was dark and cramped, aside from the one meant for the sole prisoner. That hovel was the largest, three times the size of the others, clearly meant to hold only the alicorn.

A soft-looking pink floor bed sat in the corner of the giant cell, the only piece of furniture for the oversized mare. The pink looked sad compared to the colors of Celestia’s mane. Light magenta, cerulean, and turquoise poured down the white-furred back, reaching the tail, creating a waterfall of the same colors that extended out toward the bars. A bit of tail extended past the black iron, wrapping around it like a chained dog wraps around a tree or post. Her slumped head hid her eyes and muzzle from the outside, and even though the cell was large, Sunset could not move far enough to either side to reach the peripherals of the alicorn.

The soft breathing of the sun princess was the only noise Sunset could hear other than the sudden speedy beating of her own heart. She wasn’t sure how long she had been standing in the middle of the room, soaking in the chamber as if it might be her own tomb one night soon. After working up the nerve, Sunset said, “Princess Celestia?” Her voice was as meek as a coward’s courage, but she had said the name and there was no turning back now. The awkwardness, she winced. This isn’t my Celestia, but that doesn’t make it any easier.

When the echoes of the name dissipated, Sunset noticed the alicorn had not stirred. She spoke again, this time less gentle. “Princess Celestia.”

Not even a twitch from the alicorn.

“So it’s true, you do ignore everyone,” Sunset mused aloud, a bit surprised that the princess had not recognized her voice, or if she had, she didn’t care. “Out of all the ponies, I wasn’t expecting to be ignored by you. That’s some dramatic irony. I ignored you all those years ago. Your advice, your teachings. Your misgivings.”

The white ears flicked for a second, but the rest of the alicorn remained as solid as a statued Discord. She could ignore the feelings, but she couldn’t ignore the words. “I’d like to say this isn’t uncomfortable for me, having done this twice now, but it still is. You still remember the angry filly who was too stubborn to take your advice. You still remember the me who was pretty… awful.”

“Sunset… Shimmer?” Celestia’s voice was rough and coarse. Years of silence kept the chords dull. Though she spoke, her body remained the same. Her ears stood still, listening intently on the unicorn behind the bars.

“The one and only, I’d like to say, but after what I’ve seen I know that can’t be true,” answered Sunset.

“Have you turned for my sister?” the miserable voice asked.

Sunset answered the question with a question, “You mean like everyone else in this strange timeline?”

Somehow, Celestia’s head slunk even lower. Her shoulder blades looked like white wooden spoons jutting up out of the snow. When Sunset saw the way her words affected the princess, she knew she would need to walk on eggshells. “I’m sorry,” Celestia said to Sunset’s surprise.

“Sorry? For what?”

“Everything.”

“Wow. Everything, huh?” Sunset walked forward and wrapped her hooves around the bars, poking her muzzle into the cell. “That’s a lot to be sorry for. Here I was only hoping to apologize for being a terrible, awful, resentful student.” She chuckled. “You’ve been around a lot longer, though. But, everything? There’s a lot of good things you’ve produced.”

The alicorn didn’t respond. Her head slumped over like an old bag of potatoes collecting dust in a corner.

“The sun, for instance. That’s something good.”

That stirred the giant white mare, if only a little. The mane did not move as the head twisted to one side, her eyes hidden behind the turquoise and cerulean. “The sun.” When Celestia spoke, Sunset could see the dry lips of the alicorn, broken and torn. “I’m sorry.”

She sounds like a broken record. Sunset dug her cheeks closer between the bars, trying to get as close as she could to the alicorn. “You’re saying sorry a lot.”

“Sorry.”

“Stop that!”

The alicorn unhurriedly turned her head back to the position it had been when Sunset arrived. “Sorry,” the ancient alicorn said as quiet as a burglar’s cat.

“Geez,” Sunset sighed, tapping her horn against the black metal. “I’m sorry too. I’m not sure what I was really expecting by coming here. Everyone said you were quiet. I think… I had hoped that you wouldn’t be for me. That you’d turn and greet me like a long lost child.” She paused, her mind returning to the Celestia who stood staring at the Crystal Empire through a looking glass. She was surprised to see me, just like how the Celestia of the Resistance timeline was surprised to see how good I had become. But in the end, neither of them treated me like I was their apprentice again. “Here I am, finally learning that I can go back home, yet things can never truly go back to the way they were.” Not that I’ve earned that right.

“Home? Back?” Celestia sounded as if she hadn’t ever heard those words; as if she was trying to say them for the first time.

“I’m not your Sunset Shimmer,” she answered, “I’m from another Equestria, one that is peaceful and is saved by the bearers of the Elements of Harmony on a constant basis. One that you and Luna rule together.”

Magenta streaks shifted, then turquoise. The entire waterfall of mane fell off the alicorn’s back as her head turned, displaying a messy pattern of feathery wings. Sunset glanced into the look that stared back at her, getting caught in the sad, sullen, sunken, sickening gaze of the alicorn’s crusted eye. Distraught, misery, guilt, exhaustion. The nightmares. It took Sunset everything she had not to cry or look away. A black hole of pale lilac drew her in until the alicorn slumped her head forward once more.

Sunset’s own eyes fell to the floor. Her forelegs shook, she could see them vibrate but did nothing to stop them. “What happened to you?” she asked. There was no more fun or games, there was no room for it here on the empty moon.

“I gave up,” Celestia answered.

“You what?” Sunset couldn’t believe her ears. No, no, no, no, no. Not again. She slammed the iron with the side of her hoof, echoing out the tremor like an idiophone. “You can’t have given up. You can’t have given up! There’s no way. You didn’t give up against Sombra, you didn’t give up against Chrysalis. How is it that, in a world that’s almost as peaceful as the one I’m from, that you finally gave up?” Sunset ruffled her mane, pulling red and yellow globs of hair in every direction.

“Is it?” asked Celestia.

“Is it what?” Sunset half-shouted, exasperated.

“Peaceful?”

“Yes! It’s more peaceful than I’d ever admit to Nightmare Moon, and that’s the problem!”

The alicorn went quiet. So quiet it hurt Sunset, she couldn’t speak another word. What can I even say? Maybe Cadance was right, this was a mistake. Sunset dropped her hooves to the floor and backed a step up. She didn’t want to leave, but she didn’t know if it would be right to try and ask any more questions. What about Applejack’s question? she remembered.

Before she got a chance to ask, Celestia said, “You… are not my Sunset Shimmer.”

Sunset inhaled and exhaled. “That’s right.”

“What happened to you?” Whether it was meant as a snappy retort or not, Sunset felt the sting.

“As I said, I come from another Equestria, one that’s peaceful. In my timeline, a friend of mine, Princess Twilight, was forced into a battle in the past with another unicorn. I was caught in the crossfire. Their actions in the past have brought me to a different present. Twice now, I’ve been to worlds that are far worse than this one, and poles apart.”

“You mean… this world is… wrong?”

A smile lit up on Sunset’s face. “That’s right! It’s wrong!” she said, perhaps too enthusiastically.

“Then… I truly am the worst.”

The wind swept out of Sunset’s sails as if she had been punched. This isn’t going well, she thought. The alicorn was a big white rock, an impasse that blocked Sunset’s path. Celestia even started to look like a boulder, the way her head and shoulders bent her spine. Sunset remembered one of her literature studies at CHS of a mythological creature that was made of stone, clay, or dirt. A golem, the word came to her. Mindless creatures usually, meant for building or defending. Without a mind, emotion is gone. Celestia clearly wasn’t emotionless, but the deep, teary eyes told of emotions that had long since driven her mad.

The ponies of Equestria spent years dealing with Nightmare Moon’s rule, to get used to the Forever Night, to deal with the passage of time. Celestia had years too—but it was only to contemplate her own failure; to give up hope, and Sunset almost felt the need—the want—to give it up too. She’d felt that way since the talk with Rarity. Not this world’s Rarity, but the last. “Just let go,” she had said and Sunset heeded the advice, but now it was clear that advice would only aid in the choice of giving up completely. Sunset wondered what the lesson of this world might be—if there was one.

Thinking back to the older worlds made her remember—each world had beaten Nightmare Moon. “Why did you lose? How did you fail to banish Princess Luna a second time?” she asked the elder alicorn.

“Is that what happened? In your other worlds?” The voice of the princess strained like a bent cello string.

“Somewhat. In my world, the bearers of the Elements revived Princess Luna, breaking her curse. In the last two, you defeated her with the Elements, banishing her back to the moon. But in this world, Nightmare Moon doesn’t seem like she’s affected by any… curse. She’s a normal, slightly stressed princess with a checkered past.” Sunset then pointed at Celestia. “Tell me how she won, please.”

Celestia seemed to sigh, every breath she took gave the impression of a sigh, though. “I told you, I gave up,” she answered. It was clear Celestia did not like speaking. Every final word was a long, exaggerated gasp for air. Celestia must have realized Sunset noticed that, as her horn lit up, casting a light on the dark white wall of her cell like a projector.

It was surprising that the alicorn could use magic. Sunset half expected Cadance to show up and yell angrily at her when it was Celestia who had done it. Before she could ask why Celestia was allowed to use magic and why she did not teleport away, the lights shifted into a memory.

Blacks, then blues and purples. The night sky over Ponyville. Celestia had come in the long night to celebrate the Summer Sun Celebration, but something else had come as well. She knew to draw away as fast as she could, sneaking off from her guards, rushing to the Castle of the Two Sisters. Her white wings blew her between the trees, reaching the grey, crumbling stone. Something caused her to look back, a sound of laughter or thunder most likely, or the voice of an escaped villain. Whatever it was, Sunset did not know. There was no sound to the imagery. Cracked rubble, decrepit pillars. The Celestia flew past the old throne that held so many memories. An offshoot of the great hall, Sunset recognized it.

Another sound caught the memory of Celestia off-guard. The white alicorn turned and her reflection stood with a smile staring back at her. White turned black, gold turned blue. Nightmare Moon laughed, her teeth bore. “Please, sister, I don’t want to fight you,” Celestia voiced the memory, her coarse tone nothing like what it would have truly been that night. Sunset had to imagine what Nightmare Moon’s reply was, but it was an easy tell. The black alicorn struck with magic and the white alicorn shielded. Colors splashed against the white of the cell, turning the whole hovel into one of those theaters that you’d have to kink your head back to see everything.

All at once the colors stopped and rose bright, the memory of Celestia with it. Six Elements of Harmony surrounded her, and Sunset knew this was the same battle that had happened in the last two worlds. Unlike those, however, this Celestia dropped the Elements to the ground. “I will not banish you, Luna,” Celestia said, hoarsely. “You are my sister! For all the ponies in the world, I cannot banish you twice. It was wrong the first time, it’s wrong the second!”

Nightmare Moon threw her head back in laughter, her horn lit. The Elements of Harmony floated, and Sunset could see clearly what the dark alicorn was saying. “Then I shall use them myself!” the words were mouthed in silence on the wall. The magic of the evil alicorn poured out and wrapped around the Elements, but the Elements did something Sunset had not expected. The Elements turned Nightmare Moon into a power monstrosity, not unlike what the Element of Magic had done for Sunset.

The memory of Celestia must have realized her mistake, the Elements turned black. With a dash of white, Celestia stole back the Elements and fled. The sky opened, the moonlight lit her path. Nightmare Moon recovered, the blue mist followed Celestia’s trail as she hurried down the incline of the jungle. The crevice opened before her and she took a leap, landing not-so-gracefully in a puddle before turning to the only cave along the dried up river’s wall. The Elements were cracked and breaking, their power releasing. It was clear Celestia knew what to do—she always did, somehow.

Inside the cave, the Tree of Harmony grew bright like a lightbulb before it bursts. One by one, Celestia threw the Elements into the tree. The brightness succumbed and the gems reverberated in place, restoring the cracks. The blue mist was there in an instant but was stopped by the barrier produced by the Tree of Harmony. “Sister! You know evil cannot wield the Elements! What were you thinking!?”

“I was thinking of destroying you,” was how Sunset imagined the dark alicorn replied.

“My sweet sister, are you truly that lost? Can you not see that the ponies of this world rely on us to keep the peace? This is not peace!” Every word sounded harsher and sadder than the last, words that Celestia clearly had a long time to relive in her mind.

Sunset couldn’t tell exactly what Nightmare Moon had said, but it was clear from the expression. “It’d be peaceful without you!”

The memory of Celestia was taken aback, her face hurt as the brightness lowered. The Tree of Harmony was safe, the Elements were safe, but the barrier remained. “Do you truly believe that, dear sister?” The words fell out of Celestia like berries rolling off a table, thumping the ground with every final syllable.

“I do!” Nightmare Moon replied, that was easy to see.

Celestia’s head hung low, just like it did now in the cell. “Very well,” she said, and the memory trotted forward out of the barrier. The surprise of Nightmare Moon’s face matched Sunset’s own. “I concede. I will not fight my own sister any longer.” The memory of Celestia fell to her rump, her head still low. She looked exactly as she did now, her back to Sunset, her mane flowing down her back. The dark alicorn whipped her head around and laughed, and the light of the wall faded. Celestia’s horn went cold, and there was silence.

Sunset took it all in, everything she saw. Every detail needed to be jotted down in her mind, she had to remember every key point. But she couldn’t. It was too much to believe. Celestia had said it before, she had given up. That one little difference between worlds altered what evil had taken over.

“I traded the future of my people for my sister. I was too weak-willed to try and fight her, to save Equestria. And even then, in the end… I was wrong. I failed my people from the very start, denying them a ruler who was better than I.” Celestia crumbled, the statue that had sat there for years fell forward. The big, white alicorn laid on the floor like a dog, her hooves pressed against her cheeks, her chin on the dark white floor. “I failed everyone.”

Teleporting into the cell, Sunset did not care about Cadance’s threat. Her teacher needed her, and she would go to her. Sunset fell in beside the bigger mare, nuzzling against her neck like a cub nuzzles the mother lion. Celestia’s eyes popped in her sockets, surprised to feel the unicorn, but she did not move. She did not say anything, either. Neither mare did.

Sunset had no words for the senior alicorn. “Get up! Stop feeling sorry for yourself!” she wanted to say. “It’s okay! It’s not your fault! Don’t worry!” was another side. “We’re both failures! Look at us!” she felt, even deeper. But the worst words she thought, the worst of all possible words, were the ones she said. “I’m sorry! I’m so sorry! I’m sorry…”

Why had she said that? What did she have to apologize for? She wasn’t the one controlling Nightmare Moon. She had nothing to do with the past. Why did she feel so sorry? Yet she repeated those words, and Celestia nestled back. They were both sorry for different things but the feelings were the same. Tears soaked their fur and each other’s, they cried together for what seemed like hours, only stopping as Sunset fell into dreamland. Watching Celestia’s memory had drained the last bit of strength out. While her cheeks rested against the elder alicorn, her dream self awoke beneath golden petals, staring up at a blank, dark grey sky.

She immediately recognized the place, the dream; she grew used to seeing it. Golden flowers as far as the eye could see, rising up an incline around an indigo gazebo. She always climbed up to the open structure, a curious mind would often return to see if something new occurred. “I’m sorry,” she could hear herself whisper as she strode up into the center, feeling the dirty wood on her hooves. It wasn’t her who spoke it, but it also was.

The picture of Celestia filled her mind and became translucent in front of her, the alicorn was sitting vaguely happy on one of the benches. Sunset smiled, remembering she had just cried on her teacher’s shoulder. “Wait, I’m asleep in her cell!” she realized, becoming far more lucid than before. She shook her head and smacked the back of her neck, trying to wake up. The vision of Celestia vanished, and she took that as a good sign of waking up. When she didn’t, she tried again. “Now’s not the time to sleep! I’ve got to talk more with Celestia, I’ve got to get her help!”

“Unfortunately, that wasn’t our deal!” Sunset heard another voice speak, causing her to flip around and stare out into the field of flowers. She half expected it to be Nightmare Moon, but this was worse. There was no one there, not physically, but there were voices. A hundred, a thousand, all whispering. Things Sunset had heard before, things she would hear in the future, and things not meant for her. One stuck out from the rest.

“I’m sorry.” It was her voice, but it wasn’t her.

She awoke in a sweat, her mane drooping in front of her eyes. “That’s not good,” Sunset mumbled as she pushed the hair away. Lights were filling the cell, the shifting colors of memories had returned, but they were not a memory.

“Golden flowers,” Celestia said in her croaky voice.

The images splashing on the white prison wall was that of Sunset’s own dream. The indigo gazebo, the fields of golden flowers. But she could not hear the voices.

For a moment, Sunset felt angry. Her dreams were her own. But when she looked up and saw the wretched eyes of the teacher she had long missed, she couldn’t help but forgive the intrusion. “I often dream of that—sometimes there’s more to it,” Sunset mentioned, feigning a loud yawn. “Golden flowers and a gazebo, those are always in my dreams.”

“It’s not a dream,” Celestia replied, catching Sunset off-guard. “You have my talent, one of many reasons I wanted you as an apprentice.”

Sunset watched as the lights faded away. The gazebo, the golden flowers, and the gentle wind pushing the petals in one direction or another. The wall grew dark and cold. “Your talent? Not a dream? What do you mean?”

Celestia did not answer, she didn’t have the answer. For Sunset, no one had that answer. “My apologies,” Celestia croaked. “I should not have invaded your dreams. You did not look peaceful as you slept, and it peaked my worried curiosity.”

“I should be the one apologizing,” Sunset replied, wiping Celestia’s shoulder. “I cried and then fell asleep on you. Reminds me of my days as an apprentice, except those weren’t sad tears.” A sudden lift of her mane caught her by surprise as the elder alicorn kissed the top of her forehead. Another bout of tears came surging up, but Sunset repressed them. Enough crying you big loon, she mentally slapped herself.

“It’s time for you to go, little one,” whispered Celestia. Her voice sounded better, less gravely, whenever she spoke low and quiet. “I hope I have helped at least one pony.”

Sunset pushed her head up and behind, she could barely make out the pink alicorn standing at the black iron bars of the door. “I just have two questions,” she whispered back, pushing her head against Celestia. One of my own, and one for Applejack. Celestia gave a sluggish nod, and Sunset decided to go with her own question first. It was the same one she had decided it better to not ask Nightmare Moon on the night they arrived in Canterlot. “The sun—where has it gone?”

It was a painful question for Celestia, which was clear to Sunset, but everything looked painful for the broken mare. A hoof lifted and tapped the ground. “My sister. The sun combined with her moon, phasing out my sun entirely. I can feel its presence beneath me even now, hidden below like locked away treasure.”

“So that’s why the moon is always so bright. It draws on the sun’s power.” That was an easy answer. Now here comes a hard one. “Okay. One more.” She decided against saying who this question was from. “Could Equestria live on without a princess to lead?”

“I have failed my people, Sunset. I do not know. Once, I thought they couldn’t. My sister has proven I was wrong about many things. Perhaps they can. But why would you ask such a question?”

Sunset hadn’t thought of a reason behind it. In truth, she had no idea why Applejack would even ask such a thing of her. Her only reasoning was drawn by the evil centaur who once stole a portion of Nightmare Moon’s power. But could Applejack have known about that? “It’s just a backup plan. In the last world I visited, the Elements of Harmony did not work as I would have liked them to.”

The sad look of the alicorn seemed even sadder. “The Elements… they are mysterious. Even I do not know everything about them.”

“But you knew enough to bring them back to the Tree of Harmony—and that’s a good start,” Sunset replied as she stood up, almost reaching eye level with the alicorn. “Thank you for all your help. I promise,” she whispered, “I’ll do everything in my power to save this world.”

“Sunset,” the alicorn said, grabbing the unicorn’s hoof. “Don’t promise me that.” Sunset tried to pull away, but the strength was incredible. “Promise me instead that you’ll leave this world the first chance you get. Promise me.”

“W-what? I can’t do that, even if I wanted to. I’d need the support of all the bearers, and the only way to do that is to get the Elements of Harmony.”

The hoof slipped out and Celestia’s head hung suspended for a moment before falling forward. “Then promise me you’ll be careful.”

Sunset couldn’t help but smile at that. “You know me, Celestia. I can’t promise that either.” The elder alicorn remained an emotionless statue.

After teleporting out from behind the bars, Sunset waltzed up to Cadance who nudged her head toward the hall. She ushered the unicorn into the other room. “I’ve never heard anyone talk to Celestia like that. She hasn’t spoken in so long,” Cadance said after closing the door to her room. “I’m impressed.”

“You heard everything, huh? You’re not going to tell on me, are you?” Sunset asked, stopping at one of the bone white chairs and turning back to face Cadance.

“To Nightmare Moon? No. I wouldn’t be here if I wanted to whisper gossip in her ear like some sort of traitor. No, Sunset, I believe I misjudged you. I don’t recognize you from the past, but Celestia does, and she trusts you. That’s enough for me to trust you.”

“Thank you,” Sunset replied, still feeling a bit emotional. “I don’t have a plan yet, but can I rely on you in the future?”

The young alicorn nodded. “As long as you don’t go against my aunt, you have me. I’d do anything to see her happy again.”

Sunset absentmindedly smiled. I would too, just another for the list of things I have to do. This world… Her smile faltered and she could feel the tears rising once more. There’s no war, but this is certainly one of the worst worlds I’ve visited.

“Hey, hey,” Cadance said coolly, crossing the room to put a foreleg around the unicorn. “It’s alright.”

“I’m okay.” Sunset sniffled and breathed in, taking a moment to center herself. “Sorry. Thoughts got the better of me.” She wiped the beginnings of tears away. “I’m fine, and I’m ready to return to Equestria.”

The alicorn gave a nod and lead her back to the first white room, giving Sunset one last look through the hall’s skylight at the big blue and green planet in the distance. She knew Nightmare Moon would be waiting, eager to hear everything that was said, everything that she learned. Lights flashed, leaving her blinded again. When her eyes corrected, she was not surprised to be standing directly in Canterlot’s throne room or to see Applejack standing at the foot of the throne. She should have guessed Applejack would be waiting patiently, wanting to know the answer to her odd question.

“And the time traveler returns from her long trip to my precious moon,” Nightmare Moon greeted from her royal seat, looking far more regal than she had the right to be. “You were gone awhile. I trust that Celestia spoke to you?”

“She did,” Sunset answered, wasting no time. “She told me of the damaged Elements of Harmony, Nightmare Moon.”

Terror filled Nightmare Moon’s face. It was clear she hadn’t expected Celestia to speak, much less go into great detail into the original battle that led to Nightmare’s reign. “She did, did she?”

“It explains why you’re so adamant about getting the Elements of Harmony, but not willing to get them yourself. You can’t. The bearers could, or Celestia. But not you.” Her eyes stared at the alicorn, and by Nightmare Moon’s face, she knew she was right. “If we bring the bearers to the Tree of Harmony, I’m certain the tree will relinquish the stones, granting you what you want.” And hopefully, granting what I want as well.

“So it all ends at the Tree of Harmony? I should have guessed it.” The princess scowled, leaning forward in her seat. “I thought you said you could draw them out of the bearers? Why need the tree itself?”

“The barrier is still up—they may require their presence to release them. Perhaps some of the bearers already earned their Element, but the stones can’t leave.”

“Very well,” Nightmare Moon agreed. “We leave at night’s break tomorrow morning.”

“Beg your apologies, Nightmare Moon, but I don’t believe I can afford another night away from my business nor the banquet planning,” Applejack interjected. “You’ll have to head off without me if you are going out tomorrow.”

Sunset was about to speak up—without Applejack there’d be no way to use the Elements of Harmony immediately on the dark alicorn—but Nightmare Moon spoke first. “That’ll be fine. If what Sunset deduced is true then we’ll gain five of the six, and we’ll wait in Ponyville for your arrival. Once you arrive, we’ll send her off and get you your Element. Then the banquet won’t just be celebrating Equestria, but another protective marker against the evil of this world!”

Applejack clapped her hooves and cheered to that, but Sunset was less enthused. “That’s fine with me,” she feigned her agreement. Perhaps I can convince the other five to turn on Nightmare Moon, and once Applejack gets there we can drag her into the plan too.

“I am surprised, Sunset Shimmer. I assumed visiting the Tree of Harmony would be pointless, and I had thought that a visit to my sister would prove futile. In the end, you were right about both things. You have my thanks. We shall see you on your way soon enough.” The elder alicorn tilted her head down as if to bow, but it was very frank. “If you would, Miss Applejack, please lead Sunset back to her room. I shall tend to the preparations for tomorrow’s trip.”

“As you wish, princess,” Applejack replied, giving a wink to the unicorn as she trotted close. She hooked a foreleg around Sunset’s, huddling adjacent to the mare. “C’mon, Sunset. I’m mighty glad you did so well. I knew you could.”

Carrying themselves out into the hall, Applejack remained close to Sunset as they walked. “Did you manage to ask my little question, sugar cube?” the earth pony whispered.

“I did,” answered Sunset just as quietly. “She doesn’t know. She believes it could happen, that she didn’t believe Nightmare Moon could be a good ruler. A world without a ruling princess might be possible. But why did you want to know such a thing?”

Applejack’s brows furrowed. “Possible, probable. Nothing solid. That’s why it’s important for us to get the Elements of Harmony. The princess is a valiant leader, without her around I fear we’d lose everything, but the Elements will help us all remain protected and secure.”

Trotting into the elevator, the door closed. “I wanted to talk to you about that, actually. The Elements of Harmony and Nightmare Moon,” Sunset replied.

“It’ll have to wait, Sunset. There’s somepony I want you to meet first,” Applejack cut the unicorn off. The doors reopened and they stepped out into the hall. “You asked why I wanted to know such a curious thing,” she said as they turned the corner, reaching Sunset’s room. The guard wasn’t present for once, which surprised Sunset. A few quick knocks on her door and it opened. "C’mon. I’ll explain inside.” Applejack winked at the unicorn, taking the first steps into Sunset’s room.

Sunset cautiously followed, keeping her eyes trained on the bed, following up the sheets until she could see a stallion sitting on the edge. “This is who I wanted you to meet, Sunset,” Applejack said, throwing a hoof at the stallion who was busily sifting through Sunset’s backpack.

“You!?” Sunset exclaimed, wanting to rip the backpack out of his hooves.

“Hello Sunset,” Shining Armor greeted, an award-winning smile on his lips. “You just can’t seem to stay out of trouble, can you?”

World 3: Chapter 9

You’d think I’d be happy, Sunset mused, glancing down at her watch as she waited in the palanquin. If the Elements of Harmony do appear, I’ll be able to free Princess Luna and move on to the next world. It was seven in the morning, the moon barely risen. The bags under her eyes would be an interesting conversation piece for the next world, though her sleepless night had not been caused by the usual bad dream. Instead, she could barely close her eyes or her mind, still reliving the conversation between her, Applejack, and Shining Armor. I can't believe she threatened me.

She didn’t like being bullied or pushed into a corner. “C’mon, Sunset,” she rewound Applejack’s words in her head. “Stick with me and you’ll have nothing to worry about. Princess Nightmare Moon is great and all—and we love the moon—but we’ve got somepony more capable in mind. The princesses have decided our fate for far too long, they’ve almost torn the world asunder. What was it you called us? Zealots? We zealots aren’t going to dethrone the princess, we’re just going to take away her governing controls. Isn’t that what you want? To limit her power? She wouldn’t be in charge. You get your way if you join us, or I’ll make sure you’ll never see the night ever again.”

It was a tempting offer, but neither the stallion nor the earth pony was forthcoming in who exactly would be in charge, and that was the most important part. “If you don’t get the Elements of Harmony tomorrow, you’ll be coming back to Canterlot,” Shining Armor had said. “Which means you’re back interfering with our plans. Between me and Miss Applejack, Nightmare Moon won’t bother coming down to see your side of the story.”

They were right, after all. Applejack blindsided her with kindness and friendship, and everyone seemed to trust her word—most of all Nightmare Moon. Sunset hadn't expected the napple mare to be working alongside the stallion who ordered the poisoning of foodstuffs. “Why are you doing it?” she had asked them, but neither would answer unless she joined with them.

“We’ve got a good ruler in mind, and with the Elements of Harmony, we’ll instill a new leader behind the scenes. Nightmare Moon will just be a face, something to control the other zealots,” Applejack had explained. “Everyone loves Nightmare Moon. We love Nightmare Moon. But at the end of the night, she’s trying to be too much like Celestia. It’s going to cost us everything if we let her continue on that way. Join us and we’ll make sure this world has a bright future, otherwise, we’ll throw you to the timberwolves.”

Neither the stallion nor the mare would take no for an answer. They only left after Sunset had asked for time to think about it, to see if the Elements of Harmony would appear the next night. Hopefully, I won’t have to deal with their threats.

“I won’t use my Element on Nightmare Moon. Our plan needs her the same as she is,” Applejack had argued.

But Sunset answered with, “If we get the Elements of Harmony, I’ll be sent on my way. Nightmare Moon will demand it be that way. You won’t have to deal with me.” That had satisfied them, but it only awoke a million angered thoughts as she tried to sleep.

Her backpack was pressed against her, the straps did not seem so rough. She buttered me up. A massage, a few kind words. I fell completely into her trap, did her bidding. They want to replace Nightmare Moon? With who? What’s their angle? She fiddled with her watch, rolling it around on her hoof as she waited, giving a few glances out the dim screen of the palanquin. She had no answer, nor could she figure out why exactly the ingredients were being infected. Applejack pretty much owns the food industry, she noted. Why taint her own product?

A snap of the palanquin’s latch broke her curious mind from its questions. “Good morning, Sunset!” The gap in the pegasus’s teeth was the first thing Sunset’s eyes dragged to. “Are you ready for the trip to Ponyville?” the yellow pegasus asked as she stepped inside, taking a seat close to the unicorn. Her green wooly sweater pressed against Sunset, a warmth that only reminded the unicorn of Applejack’s bathrobes. Fluttershy was the first to arrive to the litter, there would be enough room for all the bearers and Sunset.

“Not really. If I’m right, which I believe I am, then it means tomorrow will be the last night I’m on this world,” Sunset answered.

“You make it sound very discouraging,” Fluttershy observed. “Come now. You’ll be one step closer to going home. Isn’t that what you want?”

Sunset knew what she wanted. She wanted to beat Nightmare Moon, to make the world better for her friends, and to go home. None of those mattered right now. Right now, all she wanted was answers. “No, Fluttershy. I learned that I can spend as much time here as I want to, I don’t have to go home immediately. If the Elements of Harmony appear tonight, I’m going to be sent home, leaving things undone.”

“Princess Nightmare Moon did say something to that effect,” Fluttershy said, her face saddening. “If they appear, Miss Applejack will be there tomorrow. We’ll send you through your map table and then go and get her Element.”

Sunset knew it had to be that way. “I figured.” She slumped against the screen, glancing back at the moon’s rays shooting across the sky. Both Applejack and Nightmare Moon want the Elements of Harmony. Nightmare Moon believes it’ll protect her and Equestria, but does Applejack believe it can make Nightmare Moon step down from her position of power? “Somethings don’t make sense, Fluttershy. If the Elements of Harmony appear today I won’t get to see the outcome; I won’t get to find out why.”

“I’m sure if you ask nicely Princess Nightmare Moon would let you stay. When she addressed us earlier, Miss Applejack was there. Miss Applejack seemed very elated by you, so maybe if the princess doesn’t want you to stay then she might listen to Miss Applejack.”

There was a lot of things Nightmare Moon would do for her hero, Miss Applejack, but Sunset did not believe that would be one of them. She allowed me to visit Celestia thanks to Applejack, and I’m sure that was no easy chore. Can’t imagine getting her to let me stay would be possible. “Maybe,” she replied to the pegasus. If I do stay, I’ll have to lie and agree to help Applejack and Shining Armor. Lying to Nightmare Moon is one thing, but lying to a friend… I’m not sure I could do that.

Soon there was an awkward, silent air that filled the cart. Sunset went back to her thinking, but the squirming of the pegasus snapped her right back to reality. “S-Sunset,” the yellow pegasus said in a rather quiet voice, too quiet for this version of Fluttershy. “I don’t want you to leave.”

Sunset shifted over and put a hoof across the pegasus’s back, patting the opposite shoulder. The side pigtails brushed against her cheek as she squeezed. “Thanks, Fluttershy.”

Shortly after, Rainbow Dash came tumbling in, resting her body on the opposite side of the litter. Sunset could see white tape wrapped around different parts of her body, most likely due to training. “Mornin’ gals,” Dash greeted, shoving her face into one of the expensive purple pillows laid amongst the palanquin. “You ready for the trip, Fluttershy? Are your animals going to be alright?”

Fluttershy nodded. “They’ll be fine for a couple nights.”

“Good. Hope this trip’ll be sho—”

As Rainbow Dash was talking, the gentle door of the palanquin was thrust open, slapping it against the outside. Rarity stomped into the carriage like a minotaur who just stubbed their thumb, violently closing the door behind her with magic. Everyone kept their eyes trained on the unicorn, her snobby head tilted to the air. She took the seat furthest from Sunset at the opposing corner. No words were spoken as she pulled out a file and began trimming her hooves. Rainbow Dash gave a mocking look to Sunset and Fluttershy before shoving her chin back into a pillow.

When Pinkie Pie and Twilight arrived, they both sat on Sunset’s side, though Pinkie pushed her way to the window seat where Sunset had sat. Sunset didn’t mind, though. The pink pony was in high spirits. Out of her chef’s outfit, she wore a simple purple button up. Though her hair was tied back like usual, no glasses sat on her muzzle, making her face look skinnier. “I’ve visited Ponyville a few times,” Pinkie said, making conversation. “It’s really nice during the Running of the Leaves celebration.”

“It’s a cozy town,” Twilight added, her outfit the same as every night. “Small, quaint.”

“It’s an absolutely dreadful little backwater hole in the dirt,” Rarity spat, her filing stopped.

Everyone was surprised by the unicorn speaking, even causing Rainbow Dash to stir and sit up. “Don’t you live in Ponyville?” Sunset asked, thinking she may have gotten the specifics of this world’s Rarity mixed up with another.

But Rarity didn’t seem to take it that way. Her eyes sharpened, glaring at the unicorn from behind the file. “And just what are you implying?” the unicorn asked, her tone haughtier than before.

Sunset didn’t know how to reply—and thankfully she wouldn’t have to. “Please keep this civil,” Twilight commanded. “Tonight might just be a commemorative night, let’s try not to do anything that may muck up our chances of getting the Elements. They might be in-tune with our emotions.”

Rarity huffed and went back to filing, the aggression seemingly concluded. It was Rainbow Dash who brought the conflict back, however. “Yeah, wouldn’t want to do anything but be emotionless. A heartless statue of our former selves,” the pegasus chided.

It was clear the words were meant to make Twilight uncomfortable but instead of retaliating, she apologized. That caught Rainbow Dash off-guard, surprising everyone except for Sunset. “It seems I was a bit hasty in telling you that you were wrong, mistaken about who I was when we first met. Through Sunset, I found that you had indeed met me—another version of me—who was an alicorn when you were a filly. I should not have been so dismissive, I did not think it could be possible. It took a mare from another world to make me see that things are not as impossible as they may seem.”

“Wow,” Rainbow Dash said, chuckling awkwardly. “Well, uhm, apology recognized and forgiven?” She swiveled her hoof dismissively, her eyes still wide with shock. “Does this make us… friends or something?”

“It’s a good start,” Sunset chimed in, causing both the mares to smile.

“Does that mean you’ll reconsider Dash’s proposal for a Shadowbolt Academy?” Fluttershy asked, and both Rainbow Dash and Twilight stiffened.

“Shadowbolt Academy?” Sunset reiterated, questioning the name. Last time I had heard about the Shadowbolts, they were the team from Crystal Prep. What would they be here?

“Fluttershy, there’s no need for her to reconsider. That’s in the past,” argued Rainbow, tossing off the question.

“But—”

“No buts.” Rainbow tossed the expensive pillow across the litter, smacking Fluttershy in the face, making her pigtails puff up.

“Dash!” Sunset exclaimed, picking the pillow up off the floor. “I don’t know what this Shadowbolt Academy is, but there’s no reason to take whatever frustration you have out on Fluttershy.” She tossed the pillow back at the pegasus, hitting her in the side, avoiding the face which would have undoubtedly stirred more trouble. Now I know how Twilight must have felt reuniting the girls. I’d worked so hard to tear them apart, and somehow she managed to repair their friendships and unite them against me. It’s still hard to believe I caused her so much trouble, it almost feels like forever ago.

To Sunset’s surprise, Rarity spoke up. “Everypony knows about the failed Shadowbolt Academy. An ultimate disgrace to Cloudsdale,” she said. Her eyes were fixated on her trimmed hoof, a slight smirk underneath.

“Oh no.” Twilight covered her mouth with a hoof.

“What’d you say!?” Rainbow Dash bolted forward, getting in Rarity’s face, but the unicorn remained stagnant, still staring at her hoof.

The belligerence that had begun to unravel was cut short by the carriage’s door being tossed open. “Everyone in?” Nightmare Moon asked with a curt growl. Had she been listening? “Good. We’re off now. We’ll arrive in Ponyville in a short while. Try not to tear my carriage apart.” The door slammed shut, and through the screen, Sunset could see the hulking alicorn trot off to the back. Everyone stayed quiet after that.

Not much later, the palanquin began to move, lifting high into the air over Canterlot. Rainbow Dash had huddled to the opposite side, far away from Rarity. None of the Elements spoke, perhaps due to fear of inciting Nightmare Moon’s wrath. It was up to Sunset to initiate a pleasant conversation. But how do I do that? she wondered, glancing between the angered pegasus, the annoyed unicorn, and the three cowering faces of the mares who sat beside her.

“You guys are a hoofful,” Sunset said, brushing back her bangs. “In the last two worlds, you six just sort of congealed together like you were long lost friends. But in this world, you already knew each other in some form, and you’re mostly enemies.”

“I’m not anyone’s enemy!” Pinkie shouted, giggling and jiggling her chunky lips.

“Nopony’s except the ponies poisoning your ingredients,” Rainbow Dash corrected.

Twilight perked up, leaning forward. “Someone’s doing what now?”

“No, no,” Sunset interjected. “That conversation needs to be put on hold right now.” I can’t imagine any of these five would believe Applejack would be part of whatever Shining Armor is planning. “I’m investigating that, and things got really weird.” She shook her head, still trying to figure out the missing pieces. Like who Applejack and Shining Armor would impose the leadership of Equestria to.

“Weirder than a pony traveling from a world where the sun still shines?” Dash noted.

Sunset sighed. I trusted Applejack. She’s my friend, but not in this world. Who knows if I can trust these five? She glanced at Rarity. The white unicorn was faking her filing, the file a few centimeters in the air. Her deep blue eyes were staring at the bottom of the bench where Sunset and the others sat. It was clear she was listening, focusing on what was being said without showing interest. Could Rarity be in on it? Or would she just try to do something out of spite?

“The banquet’s only a few nights away. We’ve got the meals planned out, but if we didn’t have so many sickly ingredients we could make something even better,” Pinkie explained.

“This is the first I’m hearing of an ingredient problem.” Twilight pushed her glasses up her muzzle. “I don’t think Nightmare Moon has heard of it either. Even if she didn’t tell me directly, I’d hear of it through eavesdropping.”

“You eavesdrop on the princess?” Rarity chastised, breaking her illusion.

“She’s not a very forthcoming pony,” Twilight remarked. “If I didn’t, I wouldn’t be nearly as good of an apprentice as I am.”

Sunset’s lips pulsed into a coy smile. “I’ve eavesdropped a few times before.” She pictured Snips and Snails for a moment before wiping the horrid memory from her thoughts. “It’s a slippery slope between eavesdropping to be a helpful assistant, and eavesdropping to get the juicy dirt that may help you win a crown.”

“Sounds an awful lot like you’re speaking from personal experience,” Rainbow Dash said.

“I’m sure most of you know this by now,” Sunset said, “In my world, beyond a mirror, I did everything I could for power. I was obsessed with it. I connived, I stole, I berated, I tricked. I became a violent demon bent on world destruction. Power… it’s not for everyone. Some people just can’t handle it—some shouldn’t.” Who, Applejack? Who? “It’s why you five can wield the Elements of Harmony. You’re meant for it. Destined. You all have your best qualities hidden beneath the surface, and you’ll stick to those even if the outside shows differently. It’s why when I used one of the Elements, it brought out a hungry, powerful demon.”

She paused to look at each of the bearers’ faces. They all seemed intent on hearing her words, even Rarity. Applejack, I can work on her. I can get her to see things my way. The same way I know I can trust these five. “It’s also how I know we can’t let Nightmare Moon have the Elements of Harmony.”

Each of the bearers took the statement in a different way. Pinkie and Fluttershy gulped, glancing at the others, while Rainbow Dash tilted her body, leaning toward Sunset like a curious child during story time. Sunset assumed Twilight would be angry with her, but the dismayed unicorn stared at the floor, her eyes more dejected than mad. Rarity was the first to speak, “You really think Nightmare Moon would become a demon like you? She’s not evil.”

“She is. I’ve seen it with my own two eyes.” It was hard keeping the memory locked inside her mind, seeing the Elements react to Nightmare Moon was too much like it had been for her own experience. “I’m not asking to remove her from power. I can’t ask that—not until I get proof that her reign will end in destruction. All I’m asking is that you trust me enough to not give her the Elements if we get them tonight.”

“So you really are against Nightmare Moon,” Twilight sighed, and everyone looked at the purple unicorn. “O-one of the times I had eavesdropped… I had heard that you were not to be trusted. I had hoped sending you home quicker would entice you to forgo any plans against the princess, but Nightmare Moon ruined that herself.”

“How’d she do that?” Dash asked.

“We found where the spell that stemmed all these problems is from, but Nightmare Moon got to it first,” Sunset explained.

“She just destroyed it for no reason,” Twilight finished as she removed her glasses, shaking her head. “As much as I hate that, I can’t go against my teacher, Sunset. Everyone here is in debt to Nightmare Moon in some way, and me especially.”

The white unicorn snorted. She had placed down her file, thoroughly invested in the conversation now. “I’m not. I’m just a castle decorator, remember? A simple mare who couldn’t make it in the world of dresses due to her style being so old world.” She rolled her eyes at Twilight, then turned her pointed muzzle to Sunset. “I don’t like you. Not one bit. But if you say giving my Element to the princess will turn her into a demon, you have my word I’ll not give it to her. Because if there’s one pony I don’t like more than you—it’s Nightmare Moon.”

That was a surprise Sunset couldn’t believe. Rarity and Cadance might get along well if they ever meet. Out of all the ponies to not like Nightmare Moon, Rarity seemed like the most that would be emboldened to the royalty’s cause. “Thank you, Rarity. I know you don’t see us as friends, but we are, and I promise I’m here to not only make your world better but your life too.”

There was almost a smile to Rarity’s lips, but she only shrugged. “It’s not like you can make my life worse. If I’m thrown into a cell, at least I won’t have to worry about those blasted drapes again,” she said and groaned, pulling on her eyelids.

That made Rainbow Dash laugh. “They were different every time we visited Everfree Castle. I thought you were just bored.”

“The banquet’s menu changed nine times before the ingredient crisis started,” Pinkie interjected. “All because of the princess.”

“She has too many choices that she can’t pick, and when the choices are simple, she flip-flops.” Fluttershy furrowed her brows, making a circle with her hoof. “First she wanted cages for the menagerie, then a glass square, then an open zoo.” She shook her head, her pigtails going everywhere. “If I hadn’t put my fears aside and stepped up, I think we’d have a different style of menagerie every month.”

“I’m going to throw you in jail, no wait, I’m going to force you to work for me. No I don’t like you working for me, I’m going to send you home,” Sunset mocked, trying to turn her face into a scowl in an attempt to imitate the hulking alicorn. Everyone laughed, even Twilight, and Sunset felt happy. This is what was missing.

“I wish Miss Applejack could have joined us tonight,” Pinkie said. “I bet she has some stories to tell!”

Rainbow Dash slapped the bench from her fit of laughter. “You kidding me!?” she said, choking back tears. “Applejack’s the only pony who the princess cows down to! I’ll bet she could have the six of us locked up and Nightmare Moon wouldn’t give it a second thought.”

You’re so close it’s eerie, Sunset reflected, mentally chuckling.

“You’re not wrong,” Twilight said, voicing Sunset’s inner thoughts. “Nightmare Moon treats Miss Applejack like a daughter or something. I don’t think there’s ever been a time where Nightmare Moon got her way when it comes to something relating to Miss Applejack.”

“I’m glad she’s on our side,” Pinkie said, and the rest chorused the sentiment. All except for Sunset who remained quiet. She’s on her own side for now. Her and Shining Armor. What that side entails, it frightens me.

It wasn’t long after that they were forced to settle down, the pink trees of Sweet Apple Acres could be seen out one of the windows, and the lights of Ponyville from the other. They were soon swallowed by mist and fog, eventually reaching the border and sloping down to the ground. “I’ve never been to this castle before,” Fluttershy claimed, pushing her head against Twilight to get a better view of the Everfree Castle.

“It took two and a half years to fully build, even though it was finished within the first year. Nightmare Moon had several amenities placed into different sections, and the throne room was redone five times,” Twilight described the history. “Just another one of those decisions she could never settle on.”

The palanquin came to a halt in view of the castle’s back, the encroaching forest all around. Nightmare Moon came and escorted them through a stony entryway, pushing into some of the backrooms that Sunset had not previously seen. “You’ll be staying in Ponyville should we gain the Elements of Harmony,” the alicorn told the group. “If we don’t, be prepared for another long trip back to Canterlot.” She led them through the castle to the throne room, down and out of the main entrance. Guards lined the entire way down to the bridge.

“Where exactly is the Tree of Harmony?” Twilight asked Sunset as they walked.

“Only a few ponies in this world know, myself included. It’s down in the ravine below. The Castle of the Two Sisters was literally built on the very foundations of harmony,” Sunset answered.

“Yes. And it never became anything more than a secluded castle in the woods, broken and decrepit, left to rot by Celestia just like the rest of this world,” Nightmare Moon intruded, overhearing their conversation.

As they crossed the bridge, Sunset pointed to a covered section of the cliff that jutted out from the rest, roots dug into the rocks and spread out above the entrance. There was no rocky path or ramp that led down to the bottom of the chasm in this world. The layers had been filled out or carved away to make room for the new. With a blast of magic, Nightmare Moon teleported the group to the cracked dirt below while several guards floated down with their magical armor, surrounding the area and the entrance.

Drawing closer, Sunset could see the barrier that had kept out the nightmare so long ago, protruding around the edges of the entrance. The others must have seen it too as they gasped at the sight. “Hold,” Nightmare Moon commanded, and they stopped just outside the barrier. “I cannot enter with you, so, whatever happens, I will not be able to protect you. Be safe in there.”

The five gave their thanks before Sunset led the charge in, breaching the barrier with ease. A gracious wind fluffed her mane as soon as she entered. As she drew past the fallen rocks, her eyes trained around the corner, she caught her first glimpse of this world’s Tree of Harmony.

A pale, crystal white trunk was the only resemblance of the original form that this Tree of Harmony had. The crystal branches had been obliterated, aside from the ones that held the Elements, and those were as black as Nightmare Moon’s fur. The Elements of Harmony themselves had their glow shunned; it was as if the light that they had inside went out. The Tree of Harmony had wilted, or was in the process of wilting.

“No,” was all that Sunset could muster.

“I’m assuming that isn’t what it’s supposed to look like,” Twilight observed, her eyes bulging from beneath her glasses.

Sunset looked back at the purple unicorn and saw the reflection of the tree in the glasses. She grimaced, and said, “You’re right. It’s not supposed to look like that.” Sunset turned to face the five bearers. “Do you see now what has become of anything Nightmare Moon touches? Celestia did her best and assumed this tree could undo whatever damage Nightmare Moon had done by trying to use the Elements, but the only thing they’ve done is curse the Tree of Harmony. We cannot let her have the Elements, no matter the cost!”

Though none of the bearers spoke, their expressions showed they agreed. None had seen the Tree of Harmon prior, but it was clear this was not meant to be. “Tell us what to do, Sunset,” Rainbow Dash said, lobbing forward.

“To be honest—” Sunset turned back to the Tree of Harmony “—I haven’t the slightest clue what to do.”

“It’s already damaged. I see no harm in damaging it more to remove what’s corrupting it.” Twilight stepped past Sunset, trotting up to one of the low hanging black branches. With her magic, she began to fiercely yank on the tetragonal gem inside.

Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy floated to the top branches while Pinkie Pie grasped the other low branch. Even Rarity used her magic to try and remove one of the gems. This might work, Sunset thought. They’re the bearers, after all. Their instincts are better than mine. The only gem left was in the center, the six-pointed star. Its coloring had faded to grey, the sparkle gone like the others. Sunset went to work trying to tear the piece from the center of the bark, doing her best to try and not rip the black crystal that surrounded it.

Little chips of quartz began to fall as she was forced to try harder. The gem shook so hard it started to reverberate the tree. All at once Sunset pulled out the Element of Magic and the others released. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash had been pulling so hard they hit the ceiling, and Pinkie Pie fell on her back, the Element in her pink grasp.

“We did it!” Sunset exclaimed as she breathed heavily, it had taken all her strength. “I can’t believe it!”

The five cheered with Sunset, but that cheering stopped as soon as another voice called to them. “I can’t believe it either.” With the Elements removed, the barrier was gone. “You’ve all done so well, my mistrust in Sunset Shimmer seems to have been misplaced,” Nightmare Moon congratulated, her guards swarming in beside her.

The bearers huddled around Sunset, each holding an Element. “The Elements were corrupting the Tree of Harmony,” Sunset started to explain, but stopped, gritting her teeth at the dark alicorn.

Nightmare Moon stepped closer, her eyes showed surprise hidden beneath as she stared at the tree. Her mouth fell open to speak but then closed again. She shifted, glancing back to the bearers and the Elements, quickly scanning each. “Corrupting? Something is amiss,” she mumbled. “Twilight, bring me your Element.”

All eyes turned on the purple unicorn. Don’t do it. Don’t do it, Sunset pleaded inside. Twilight tilted her head to look at the fellow unicorn, the unease beneath her eyes spoke the words she could not. There was no choice in the matter for the student. With the Element in hoof, Twilight stepped forward, her head hung low.

Within an instant, the alicorn held up the Element to her eye level, examining the tetragonal crystal. It took all of Sunset’s strength and willpower to not swipe it out of the air with her magic, fearing that even one Element would be enough to unleash the power inside. But to Sunset’s surprise, the alicorn gave the gem back to her student, a frown on her lips showing her displeasure.

“Take the Elements of Harmony back to the castle,” Nightmare Moon commanded. As Sunset and the bearers began to leave, she stopped the red and yellow-haired unicorn. “Not you.”

For better judgement, Sunset handed off the Element of Magic to Twilight before returning to stand by the alicorn. “What is it?” she asked in the lightest tone she could muster.

“Do you see what has become of the Tree of Harmony? Do you see what Celestia’s actions have caused?” the alicorn asked.

“Celestia’s actions!? You’re the one who tried to use the Elements of Harmony! You’re the one who corrupted them!”

“Is that what she told you?”

“No. She showed me it,” Sunset revealed.

The surprise in Nightmare Moon’s eyes almost made it all worthwhile. “Did you tell the bearers?” she said, her voice calm, not a hint of anger hidden beneath. Sunset could not feign her thoughts well enough to hide it from the alicorn’s sight. “You did.” She sighed. “It’s probably for the best.” Her eyes traced the blackness embedded within the bark. “Now you understand why I was so adamant about getting the bearers their Elements. I could have burst that bubble and taken the Elements myself, but I knew it would be costly. Perhaps the only smart thing Celestia had ever done was seize them from me. Of course, it seems she was not wise enough.”

Sunset hadn’t even thought of it like that. “Wait. So, you’re not going to rush up to the castle and take the Elements of Harmony? You’re not going to…”

“No,” the alicorn cut her off. “I felt the power surge within me. It felt good. I could rule with an iron touch if I did—but I wouldn’t be considered better than Celestia, now would I?”

“R-right.” Jealousy. It still lingers within her no matter how much time passes.

“Come. We must figure out if the Elements of Harmony can be salvaged or if the corruption was too damaging.” The alicorn turned and trotted out of the cavern, leaving Sunset behind.

Glancing back at the Tree of Harmony, Sunset’s mind was a bag of wriggling worms. “Have I been wrong this entire time?” she asked the tree. “Is Nightmare Moon not a villain? What am I supposed to do? I thought I’d get another answer from you… but…” She glanced around at the shattered crystal that surrounded the tree, hoping to see any words within the branches. Help time. Time help. Something time. Anything!

But nothing happened.

World 3: Chapter 10

“You can’t be serious!” Sunset exclaimed, tossing her hooves in the air. “You actually want me to stay!?”

Nightmare Moon flicked her eyebrows, the starry grin on her face told that she was enjoying the reaction. “You were the one who got my sister to speak. You were the one who broke the corruption on the Tree of Harmony. I have no doubt you’ll solve this too, and so I cannot let you leave until you’ve done so. We need the Elements of Harmony.”

Everyone had her pegged right, she really does flip-flop, Sunset mused, glancing down at the table in front of her. The six gemstones sat atop a blue doily, the spark within them showed no signs of appearing. Each crystal was grey like the skies of her dreams; colorless and dark. “But you don’t like me, you don’t trust me,” argued Sunset. “You’ve got the Elements, why not just send me home?”

Her friends sat around the table, all with looks of revulsion and irritation. Their eyes spoke the words they dared not: “Sunset, stop trying to get sent home!”

They gathered in one of the many rooms of the Everfree Castle, debating on what to do with the unique Elements of Harmony. “You could bring them to Celestia and ask her about it,” Rainbow Dash suggested, but Nightmare Moon shot that down immediately. That had been when she decided on Sunset staying, to the surprise of everyone.

“These Elements of Harmony, there is something wrong with them. Perhaps your knowledge of other worlds will be enlightening, perhaps not. Until then, you don’t get to scamper off. We had a deal.”

You never said they had to be working, Sunset wanted to argue. She thought better of it, refusing to stick her foot in her mouth, or more specifically, her hoof. “In my experience, utilizing the Elements of Harmony as dark energy doesn’t do whatever this is. When Princess Twilight defeated me, she gained her Element back with no issues to its state or power. No, whatever you did is beyond just dark or evil energy, it was still being amassed when Celestia took them back. The Tree of Harmony did its best to try and remove it, corrupting itself in the process. I’d say the bearers need to perform their Element’s talent around the stones. That may awaken the power inside—if there is any left.”

“What if there is no power to them?” Fluttershy asked.

“We won’t know unless we try. It’s the only logical thing I can think of—showing the Elements of Harmony your good traits. Perhaps if Celestia had used them at that instant then the corruption would have been thrown off. Since she didn’t, sticking them in the tree instead, that corruption wasn’t able to be removed. Getting the Elements reacting from each of you and sticking them back in the Tree of Harmony afterward would heal it,” Sunset voiced her thoughts. The Elements reacted to the girls in the first world, then reacted to me in the second. If we’re following the first then we need to band together and make them realize what each of their Elements truly are.

“Back into the tree?” snarled Nightmare Moon. “We’d never get them back out if we did that!”

Sunset sighed and nodded. “That’s correct. I don’t think you’re going to get what you want, Nightmare Moon. The Tree of Harmony is more important than you may realize, even if it means sacrificing a good defense.”

“I know how important it is,” Nightmare Moon started to argue, but Sunset cut her off by slamming her journal on the table.

“I’m sure you believe that, but that’s not the point.” Sunset flipped through some of the pages. “Princess Twilight wrote me detailing her and her friends returning the Elements of Harmony to the tree.” Had she done that sooner, I would never have attempted to steal her crown. That’s an odd thing to think about. “If I look into how and why she did that, I might be able to find a starting point on where to go from there.”

Twilight clapped her hooves. “While you look into that, the five of us could try spending time together to see if we can’t draw the power from within!” Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy liked that idea, but Rarity groaned her disapproval, though she made no attempts to deny the idea.

Then, Rainbow Dash raised a hoof. “Shouldn’t we wait for Miss Applejack?”

“It won’t hurt to try without her,” Sunset argued. “Each of you gained your Element at different times during my first trip to a new present. In fact, you took the longest, Dash.”

“What!?” Rainbow Dash slammed the table with her elbows, pushing her hooves to her eye sockets. “I was the slowest!? I’ve never been the slowest at anything!”

Sifting through her backpack, Sunset pulled out one of her notebooks. Flipping past algebra, she found a blank page and ripped it out, pieces of paper tore from the metal binder and fell to the floor like confetti. “Here, I’ll write down each of your Elements. Maybe Ponyville will prove a good place to help you realize your Element. Remember—it’s a subconscious sort of thing. You have to believe in something to really make it stick.”

Each Element was written down and a line connecting to the name of the bearer. Rarity audibly guffawed at hers. “Generosity? How in Equestria am I supposed to realize that as my Element? Can’t I trade?”

“Yeah, sure, have loyalty,” Rainbow Dash snickered. “I’m loyal to a fault, or so the captain says. How can I earn my Element when I literally live my life as loyal as possible?”

Sunset rolled her head from side to side. “I didn’t say it would be easy.”

“But again, you’ve been helpful,” Nightmare Moon noted. “I’d hate to say it, Sunset Shimmer, but I’m actually starting to like you. I had thought to mistrust, I had believed you would be my ruin. A pony from another world who would want to take away my position due to faulty notions. Now I can see that you only want harmony for this world, and harmony it shall have.”

Sunset sat straight, squaring her shoulders. Any respect Nightmare Moon would have for her might be ruined if she asked the wrong question, but she knew she needed to ask it regardless. “Harmony. Does this mean you’ll let Celestia out of the moon? Bring day and night back?”

Half the bearers slammed their faces into their hooves—the other half used the table.

Nightmare Moon’s expression dulled, her eyebrows pushed up. Everything then came crashing down as she erupted into laughter. Not dark laughter, but the hollering of amusement. “You had me going for a moment there, Sunset Shimmer!” She reeled her hoof back and fired, slapping the air.

“But—”

“That’s right!” Pinkie cut the unicorn off before she could dig herself lower into the hole. “She was clearly trying to get my Element!” Pinkie grabbed the notepaper and pointed at her Element. “See? Laughter! What a funny jokester you are, Sunset!” While Pinkie exaggerated her laugh, the other bearers all feigned their own awkward chuckling in the hopes of playing up the terrible excuse.

“Enough!” Nightmare Moon suddenly commanded, ceasing the frivolous laughter. “Sunset Shimmer, I shall send you back to Canterlot in order to study your journal and to give Miss Applejack her piece of the Element’s puzzle. The girls and I shall remain here for the night. Hopefully, that will give you enough time to solve the mysterious illness of the Tree of Harmony while the bearers can discover something of their own.”

Though her friends seemed to like that idea, more specifically the part where Nightmare Moon and Sunset would be far, far away from each other, Sunset didn’t. She could not come up with a good enough reason as to why she should stay, however. She attempted to say that she did not know which Element was Applejack’s, seeing as how they were all the same dull grey coloring, but Nightmare Moon fixed that issue immediately.

“It’s this one. I know my own Element.” Nightmare Moon lifted one of the gemstones out from the group, and even though it looked the same, she sounded sure that it was the correct one. “I’ll have the guards arrange a chariot. We’ll return on the morrow.”

Stuffing the gem into her backpack, Sunset took a moment to glance around the table. The bearers were smiling at her, excluding Rarity. It was clear they were happy she was staying, regardless of how much hot water she was attempting to pour on herself. They were not able to voice their liking in front of the alicorn, but Sunset knew. “Then I guess that’s that,” Sunset said, standing up. “I’ll see you all tomorrow. Good luck.”

As she was led away from the table by a guard, her heart sunk. I’m returning to Canterlot where Applejack and Shining Armor will be waiting. If I don’t agree to side with them, they’ll surely lock me away. It’d be the perfect time for them to do so, Nightmare Moon and the bearers wouldn’t be available to question why, and there’s no arguing with the savior of Equestria’s famine.

Once in the chariot and deep in the night sky, feeling the gentle breeze against her fur, Sunset let herself relax. “I guess I’ll have to give in,” she mumbled to herself, staring up at the moon above. She didn’t like the idea of lying to Applejack or Shining Armor, she wanted to hold herself to a better standard. In some small way, she was trying to hold herself to all the Elements of Harmony. She had said so, not just to herself, but to an entire classroom. “We all hold each Element within us, regardless of what we look like on the outside. Friendship is what binds them all together,” she remembered telling the class that Pinkie had forced her to speak at. It was true, though. Honesty, one of the many Elements, could only strengthen friendships.

Lying to Applejack? That went against everything she stood for. It almost feels like I’d be slipping back into my old habits if I did that. She frowned. Such a sacrifice was not done lightheartedly. Lying to a villain who’s trying to destroy or rule the world—that’s one thing. But lying to the bearer of honesty? Why do I feel doing so is going to haunt me for the rest of my life? It’d be a heavy price to pay, am I willing to risk the cost? Her relaxing ride back to Canterlot swapped, turning into a stress-filled nightmare. What if following along with Applejack and Shining Armor is the right thing to do? Maybe I’m looking at this the wrong way.

The clouds started to part and she could see the purple of Canterlot’s rooftops and blue flags in the distance. Soon, she’d have to make a decision. She could not steady her wobbly legs, the anxiety working itself outward. The crawl down past the mist into the city was not as flashy as it had been her first time, the chariot’s drivers landing behind the castle, the same spot they had taken off from. Stepping down and out, Sunset trotted into the castle alone. None of the guards seemed to notice her. Even when she returned to her room, the guard stationed there was nowhere to be found. For all intents and purposes, she was nopony. Maybe nopony will know I’m here till after Nightmare Moon and the girls return. Oh sorry, Nightmare Moon, I completely forgot to give Applejack her Element. My bad. You understand, right?

She threw her backpack onto the table, tossing her body onto the silken sheets of her bed. The anxiety in the pit of her stomach wouldn’t let her sleep, but the smooth silk felt nice to touch regardless.

The anxious feeling soon returned. She didn’t like the idea of lying to Applejack, it would be a sacrifice she’d have to make in order to work against the earth pony. The alternative was helping Applejack, sacrificing her whole purpose of using the Elements of Harmony on Nightmare Moon and returning Equestria to what it should have always been. Not that it may be possible. The Tree of Harmony was pretty battered.

Either way, she’d be sacrificing something. “This is hard,” she muttered to herself. “I feel like I’m playing politics.” She rolled over onto her back, staring up at the canopy. “Can I just go back to fighting wars? Give me a camera and I’ll start covering them too. Sunset Shimmer, photographer extraordinaire.” She wanted a music player as well, missing the mirror world's music. The songs playing through Canterlot’s speaker system were far too instrumental for her taste.

Most of all, she missed her friends. Though they wouldn’t be missing her—they couldn’t even know she was gone—she knew that if they did, they’d be doing their best as ponies trying to save her from these awful worlds.

Could they do something they weren’t comfortable with just to save me? she wondered. They had become friends again to beat her, and that wasn’t comfortable. Especially not for Princess Twilight. In the end, it led to Sunset doing something far out of her comfort zone—she became friends with them. I could use some ice cream.

Pushing her neck up and pressing her horn into the covers, she stared at the unopened backpack. With her magic, the backpack unzipped and the Element of Honesty floated out. Grasping it in both hooves, she stared at herself in the dull reflection of the tetragonal gem. Her snout pressed against the cold stone, feeling the lifelessness inside. The Element of Honesty. It belongs to Applejack, the most honest pony I know. Her eyes scowled, she could see her own brows crease into the shape of a crescent. Wait. She lied to me.

She rolled onto her side, setting the gemstone on the silk sheets. “What are friends for? That was a lie! She didn’t want to be my friend, she was just using me!” Whatever she was feeling before was thrust out, anger filling her stomach and curdling her thoughts. She clenched her teeth into a grimace, tossing her legs out from under her. “I’m going to give her a piece of my mind!”

Throwing the door open, she levitated the Element beside her as she walked. Once in the elevator, she tapped the bottom floor. The lift fell and stopped, opening on the next floor for another pony. To her surprise, it was Shining Armor. “Where do you think you’re going?” he asked as he entered. With his magic, he disabled the button for the bottom floor and pressed the second to the top. “It seems Nightmare Moon has decided to keep you for a little while. Is that an Element of Harmony?”

Before she could answer, the stallion stole it, taking a hard look at the dull gem. “Hey!” she yelled, swiping with a hoof at the stone. “That belongs to Applejack!”

“Don’t worry, we’re going to see her right now.”

A lump stuck itself in her throat, she put a hoof to her neck. This is it, isn’t it? They’re going to give me an ultimatum. The metal doors creaked open and Shining Armor stepped out. His steely eyes looked back at her, waiting for her to exit as well. She did as she was silently commanded, her head shrunk into her neck like a turtle and its shell. Following along behind, they rounded two corners before stopping at a door with a decorative nameplate. She wasn’t able to read what it said before Shining Armor threw the door open. Applejack was already waiting inside.

Taking a step in, Sunset immediately wondered whose office this was. It’s not Celestia’s or Nightmare Moon’s. This isn’t nice enough, but that’s a gorgeous view. Her eyes peered past Applejack who sat on the desk, a set of glass doors behind her. Even from the entrance to the room, Sunset could see past the balcony outside at the dazzling view of Canterlot.

A dark desk and swivel chair sat close to the balcony’s doors, another chair sat opposite, which Shining Armor pushed back for Sunset to sit in. He took his place opposite Applejack, standing firmly to the side of the spruce desk. When she sat down, her head twirled to look at the room behind her. A gorgeous painting of doves, fruit, and playing ponies sat beside the door. There was a standing fan in one corner, unused. Whoever utilized this room, it was clear they enjoyed the colors of Canterlot. Ivory walls and mulberry-colored carpet matched the theme quite well. An aesthetic charm that most of the castle no longer had, having changed to blue, silver, and black for Nightmare Moon’s reign.

She went to speak, but Shining Armor cut her off. “We received word that you had discovered the Elements of Harmony and were bringing Applejack’s back,” he said, sliding the stone across the table to the earth pony. “It seems you were wrong, too. The princess desired to keep you on to discover the cause of her unique predicament.”

Applejack lifted the Element in her hooves, raising it up to eye it. “They are mighty gloomy.”

“Which puts us in a unique predicament as well,” Shining continued. “You know things, though you don’t know the motives behind them. Other than our desire to replace the princess as the decision maker, we’ve kept silent on who we’d instill as our new leader. We cannot disclose that information until you decide whether you’re willing to work with us or not.”

“And I’d like to remind you that you should work with us,” Applejack added, throwing the Element into the air and catching it repeatedly. “It’d be very beneficial, friend. You’d help us grow into an even happier Equestria. With us in charge, we’d be able to increase living conditions by a couple hundred percent. Just imagine for a second, the road between Canterlot and Ponyville being filled with happy families and farmland. Or an earthly connection to Cloudsdale, making it easier for earth ponies and unicorns to get to the city. Nightmare Moon has been so focused on defense that she’s forgotten about the basic needs of ponies.”

Sunset cleared her throat first, then asked, “So, would you all be bringing Celestia back?”

The two looked at each other before throwing their heads back with laughter. “Celestia is a criminal under Nightmare Moon’s rule, us taking over won’t change that. It might give the princess more time to speak with Celestia, especially now that you’ve led the groundwork, but Celestia isn’t important right now,” Shining Armor explained, brushing the topic aside.

“What about Cadance? You’re just going to leave her up there?” Sunset asked, crinkling her nose at him.

“Who?”

Sunset revolted in her seat, sucking her chin to her chest. “That’s the warden up there, used to be Princess Cadance,” Applejack answered the stallion. “A niece to Celestia who didn’t want to play nice. I’ve heard the name, never spoken to her though.”

Shining Armor nodded. “The name sounded vaguely familiar. She babysat my sister once before we didn’t need her anymore.”

“B-b-but you two are supposed to be engaged! Or married by now, technically,” Sunset sputtered, spit flying as she spoke.

“Married?” Shining Armor laughingly shook his head. “My parents have been wishing for that for years, but no. The only thing I’m married to is my work. Maybe I’ll start dating after we change the power differences.”

Applejack slapped the desk, hooting along with the stallion. “That’s what I tell Granny. If they only knew the work ahead of us, they’d know why we’re putting off that marriage mumbo-jumbo. Same with Sunset here, I reckon.”

Sunset was still lost in her own mind, the conversation around her slowly dwindling to a far-off breeze. Shining Armor and Cadance aren’t going to get married, they aren’t even dating. This world is so messed up, but how would I even go about fixing that? The last two worlds, they’re together and in love. Can I even have a hope to bring them together? Is that even something I should bother fixing? There’s so many other things that I won’t be able to fix unless I spend years here—not that I couldn’t do that, but. She shook her head. She hadn’t even realized she was playing with her watch, twirling it on her hoof.

“Sunset,” Shining called but was ignored. “Sunset!” he yelled, finally snapping her out of her dreaming.

She leaned forward in her seat, cupping her hooves together as if she were interlocking their fingers. “Alright,” she decided. I can’t fix everything. Sacrifices will have to be made, and that means hearing Applejack and Shining Armor out. I have to rethink my entire strategy. The Elements, the Tree of Harmony, they’re no longer my focus. I’ll just have to fix what I can. “Fill me in on everything. I’m ready.”

The surprise of a quick turnaround shocked the conspirators. Applejack hopped off the desk, her red skirt flowing down her backside as she landed. Shining Armor gave a motioning glance before he too stepped away, passing Sunset and heading for the door. “I had a feeling you’d join us, Sunset. I knew there was something about you that just spoke true friend,” Applejack said, placing a hoof on the unicorn’s shoulder. The door echoed an open and close, but Sunset kept her eyes on the mare. “I know you’re a little freaked out, anypony would have the right to be. But you’ll be helping us do the right thing.”

“I didn’t say I was going to help you,” Sunset said, “But I won’t interfere.” Two can play this lying game, Liarjack. “I’m willing to hear your spiel, listen to your side of things. It’s the first time I’m having to do something like this, to pick sides. And I am freaked out, sacrificing things isn’t something I wanted to do this time around.”

“That’s good enough for me,” Applejack replied. “Once you see our plan and our end goal, you’ll know it’s the right thing. We’re friends in the world you came from, right? I’m a pretty trustworthy gal?”

“You are.” Not so much in this world. Though her inner feelings conflicted, Sunset put on a bright face for the earth pony. “Applejack is the most honest, trustworthy girl I know. She’ll help out her competition when they’re feeling bad, even if it means sacrificing her team winning.”

“Yeah, that sure sounds like me. A real swell mare,” Applejack chuckled.

Sunset pointed her nose up at the earth pony. “So much for being the most modest of ponies,” she scolded.

Applejack’s happy expression faded to an anxious scorn quicker than school kids rushing out the door after the final bell rings. Now it was Applejack’s turn to have a lump in her throat, a flush stinging her cheeks. A few strands of golden mane fell onto her muzzle as she inclined her head gravely. The sudden flare of temperament could be seen from a mile away—but Applejack did the opposite of what Sunset expected.

Lifting her gaze, the earthen mare smiled, showing a neat line of bone-white teeth. The Applejack Sunset knew would have gotten angry, the Applejack Sunset knew would have started an argument. This was not her Applejack, however. “Being humble allows others to feel more comfortable, but I’m a competitive gal at heart. I don’t need to make you comfortable since I know you and I will be the best of friends soon enough.” The Applejack of this world had time to deal with things that would make her angry, to grow and learn and deal with a plethora of others. To see business deals rise and fall, and to understand when to hold back emotions.

“Who knows, you might even desire to stay for a while. A good life. Being pony, having your health, that’s what I consider to be a good life.” Applejack strutted around Sunset, lifting her hooves to stand bipedal on the back of the unicorn’s chair. Her hooves pushed under the red and yellow mane, fluffing out the back. “The city banquet is in two nights, I’ll get you set up with something good lookin’. We’ll be belles of the ball, you and I. After the banquet, we begin our operation. The last banquet held by the princess.”

“How are you planning on removing her from power? She won’t just let it go,” Sunset replied, feeling the soft hooves grace her neck.

“She’ll be pushed into a corner. The general public will believe she did something that she didn’t do, and the general public will side against her. We’ll step in, have her relinquish her power but allow her to keep her royalty, and then we’ll move on with our plans.”

“I suppose I’ll learn more about your plans once I learn who you’re planning to announce as your new leader. Someone the general public will like, I assume?”

Applejack wrapped her hooves around Sunset, dangling them against the unicorn’s chest. Her chin was pressed onto the red and yellow mane with a gentle touch. “No, not well-liked. Not hated either. But he’ll be endorsed by me, and my opinion holds a lot of weight.”

“He? So, Shining Armor?”

“No, but his endorsement also holds a lot of weight. Shining Armor was one of the first to bow to Nightmare Moon, and he’s helped shore up defenses. No, Shining Armor isn’t the right pony for the job. Someone charming, sensible, and eager for power. He’s the one who brought the zealots together, who came to me with a proposition of influence. You’ll meet him soon enough.” Applejack lifted her head. “He’ll be here in a minute.”

It didn’t take a full minute before the door of the room opened. Sunset was anxious to see who it was, but Shining Armor stepped through first, blocking her view. “Is she ready?” he asked Applejack, who nodded in response. The stallion stepped forward, coming up and standing next to Sunset’s chair. “Don’t do anything funny,” he muttered to the fellow unicorn, pushing his side against her to keep her still. Applejack was on her other side, and both faced toward the desk.

That’s when Sunset heard the hoofsteps, a slow, steady saunter after the door had shut. Her eyes were wide with anticipation. She stared beneath Shining Armor’s chin, waiting to see the first glimpse of the unknown pony. White on white, Sunset blinked. For a moment, she thought Shining Armor’s fur had moved, but no. It was the other pony walking past, their white fur matching Shining’s.

She gasped at the sight. “You!?”

The dirty blonde brushed to one side of his horn, not-a-prince Blueblood took a seat on the opposite side of the desk. “Besides finding out our little secret, you’ve been only a boon, Sunset Shimmer. Keeping Nightmare Moon’s eyes on you, she’s ignored our little mistakes and follies that would have ordinarily aroused suspicion. Now, these two claim you’ve agreed to keep a hushed word on things, allowing us to move on with our plans, and yet I believe you could help us further our goal.”

“I get it, you’re upset about losing your title as prince—but shouldn’t you want to bring Celestia back? Why go through all this just to keep Nightmare Moon around!?” Sunset asked, sitting forward in her seat.

“Celestia made several errors with her rule, and she failed to protect us from her own sister. I do not believe she deserves to be in jail, but she certainly believes she does, so we progress without her. In the end, Nightmare Moon is far more controllable. She’s indecisive, reasonable, and kind. Keeping her on as the royal face will allow us to control the zealots and the population of Equestria.” Blueblood cupped his hooves together, his half-smile never falling from his face. “This is not about being a prince again, Sunset Shimmer. I cannot attain that title without rousing suspicion. No. This is for power. It’s time for those of us who have strengthened the world to become its masters.”

Sunset felt she was missing a piece of the puzzle, a key reason behind the emotional travesty. But what? It’s like I’m suffocating here and yet the life raft is almost within my reach. “Couldn’t you just do all this through Nightmare Moon? Wouldn’t she listen to Applejack?”

“She’s scared of decisions,” answered Shining Armor. “Through my guards, I learned many things of your arrival. Things such as another alicorn, the pony before you. Nightmare Moon has known where the Elements of Harmony lay for some time, but she never chose to relay that information to you. Why? Indecision. She had told that other alicorn that she desired time travel to hide the Elements of Harmony completely, yet when you promised her that she could utilize them for herself, her decision changed completely.

“She had waited to be sure you could truly get them before reneging on sending you home. What was in her letter tonight? Simply put, she reconsidered utilizing your talents for something productive.” Shining Armor shook his head. “Who’s to say that once she has the Elements of Harmony fully empowered that she won’t change her decision to use them herself? Who’s to say she won’t decide on hiding them, instead, so that they can’t be used against her if need be.”

“She’s scared. Scared of the Elements,” Applejack agreed. “I can see it in her eyes. Her decision to bring the bearers together, to try and get us on her side. She worries she might regret it. It strains her train of thought, stressing her out worse than a hemp knot holding two ten ton weights.”

That seemed to follow along with what Sunset understood of the dark alicorn. “She’s been afraid of me, but since I’ve proven I can help her, her defenses have lowered. Not completely.” A book exploding flashed in her mind. “But enough to see a different side of her than others see.” I saw the regret in her eyes when she saw the Tree of Harmony. She tried to blame Celestia, but I think she knew it was just as much her fault. Maybe that’s why she wants me to stay. She feels guilty.

“That’s where you’re wrong, Sunset.” Applejack leaned close, keeping eye level with the unicorn. “You’re starting to see that different side that we all see. It’s why we don’t want any harm to come to her. We all care about her. She’s done her best, but we need to move in a new direction. We can’t do that with her in power.”

“Some of us care about her,” Blueblood corrected, he shook his grinning mug. “But, if you’re willing to help us, I’ll explain our plan’s details. It’s going to be underway starting tomorrow with or without you,” he explained.

“Tomorrow? I thought you three weren’t going to do anything until after the banquet,” replied Sunset.

“Tomorrow we cut out our scapegoats,” answered Blueblood. “Once the banquet is finished, we’ll announce to the world what is happening. In four nights, everything will change.”

“Four?”

“The banquet lasts for three nights, Sunset. Didn’t anyone tell you that?” Applejack asked.

“A three-night banquet? Even the Grand Galloping Gala is only one night. I guess Nightmare Moon really does try to outdo Celestia.”

Applejack chuckled. “Something like that, yeah, I guess. On the first night, it’s mainly reserved for the most well-to-do ponies, while the second and third is open to the rich and nobles of Canterlot. Tickets are a bit easier to come by than the Grand Galloping Gala, so long as you can afford it.”

“And that third night is where our plan will be revealed. Canterlot will be burning with fury after that,” Blueblood said, his snickering was annoying.

Burning Canterlot. That didn’t sound like a good thing to Sunset. “Okay. I’m ready to hear it.”

The blonde stallion sat back in his chair, his forelegs outstretched against the desk. That handsome smile of his was a bit eerie for somepony so concerned with bettering Equestria. “Then let’s begin.” One of the drawers opened on his desk, with his magic he lifted out some papers. “As you know, we’ve been tainting food supply. Applejack’s food supply, specifically. The scapegoats will be blamed for doing that, but Nightmare Moon was the one ordering the scapegoats, or so we’ll have the public believe. In doing so, we’ll make the general population believe that Nightmare Moon desired to remove Applejack from her power. It’s a good scandal, and we’ve got our hooves in all the right places to make it work.

“Once Nightmare Moon is accused, we’ll ask her to step down. In doing so, our sweet Miss Applejack will modestly ask Nightmare Moon to remain on as pure royalty. Applejack will forgive the princess for her desires, to which Nightmare Moon must oblige. In doing so, several leaders of Canterlot’s branches will step forward claiming me as temporary leader. Once Applejack and Shining Armor throw their support for me, the others will follow. What they won’t know is that we three will maintain superiority over the others in order to hold all the power.

“Once all is said and done, the scapegoats and Nightmare Moon will be forgiven for their actions, and we’ll begin our implementation of a new housing sector. Along the expanse from Canterlot to Ponyville, to Fillydelphia and Manehattan, and to the Crystal Empire, we will begin setting up roads and farmland. From there we will cultivate new stretches of homes.”

“So Applejack gets more farmland to increase her finances, you get more land to claim rule over, and Shining Armor gets more areas to put guards in, increasing his role as captain. Is that it?”

Blueblood smirked. “You catch on quick. Plenty of personal gain, and Equestria will be strengthened entirely. A win-win. This has often been a desire of ours, but Nightmare Moon preferred to focus on defenses, for some reason. We are tired of hiding within our walls. It’s time to branch out. There is nothing that can threaten us, so long as we hold the Elements of Harmony. We three will be the most powerful ponies in Equestria.”

Is this what Nightmare Moon was afraid of? Was I wrong to judge her so harshly? Sunset held no expression as she contemplated Blueblood’s words. “I see,” was all she replied with.

“Do you? The sacrifices we’ve made in order to move things along are many. Our plan will not be stopped, you must not interfere. However, should you like to aid us in our plan, we’d allow you to play a part that we’d think you’d like,” Blueblood explained.

“It won’t be believable unless somepony claims Nightmare Moon as evil,” Applejack said. “My influence is legendary. For Nightmare Moon to turn against me, it’d be unthinkable—unless she’s evil.”

“And that’s where I come in. A pony from another world where the sun still shines. I’m assuming I claim her as evil and launch a tirade against her, to which Applejack will step in as the hero and forgive her? You won’t use the Elements of Harmony on her if she steps down? Is that it?”

Shining Armor said, “That’s right. It all goes down on the third night. Nightmare Moon will most likely keep you close during that time. It’ll be the perfect opportunity. We’ll announce it to Canterlot the next morning.”

This plan seems awfully smooth. There’s barely anything that could go wrong, aside from me opening my trap to Nightmare Moon. But if Applejack can lie, I can too. “Alright. I’ll make sure I stay beside her the third night or just in reach.” Which means I’ve got to stop you on the second night. If you three succeed, I won’t ever get the chance of setting this Equestria right. Using the Elements of Harmony on Nightmare Moon is the only way, but to do that I’ve got to help her with you three first.

Blueblood sat up straight, clapping his blue hooves together. “Wonderful. Absolutely wonderful. I knew you’d see things our way. Once all our work has finished, we’ll send you on to the next world whenever you like. You could even stay if you’d prefer, though I’m sure returning to a world with the sun is far more enjoyable.” Applejack shot a glare at Blueblood that both he and Sunset managed to catch. “We all think it from time to time. Don’t give me a dirty look for saying it out loud.”

So that’s why they’re claiming the zealots are separate. This supposed leader doesn’t care, he just wants power. He’s nothing like the stallion of the last world—that Blueblood was a bit of a charmer. Sunset raised a hoof as if she was in school again. “Are we done? If you want me to do this, I have to figure out how to repower the Elements of Harmony before the banquet begins. That only gives me a night.”

“You can do it, Sunset. I believe in you,” cheered Applejack, patting the unicorn’s shoulder.

“Very well. We’ll see you at the banquet,” Blueblood said as Sunset stood. Shining Armor led her to the door. “Have a goodnight, Sunset Shimmer. Remember, this helps not only us but Equestria too.”

“Yeah.” She didn’t look back at him.

When she reached the elevator, Applejack called her name. “C’mon, let’s take a walk,” she said. At the bottom floor, they exited the castle’s interior, traveling around the outside to a scenic garden that Sunset recognized. They traipsed past rose bushes and a fountain, and Sunset expected to find a statue of Nightmare Moon in the place of Queen Chrysalis, but there was no statue. “I know it doesn’t seem like it, but I’m trying to help Equestria.”

“And your own pockets.”

“That might be true, but without me, Blueblood and Shining Armor would turn our land into something like Manehattan or Fillydelphia. Nothing but cement and steel. With my ideas, I get to help build Equestria’s future and make sure nopony goes hungry.”

“You could have asked Nightmare Moon for clearance to do that, you didn’t need those two. Nightmare Moon treats you better than anyone else. Why go through all of this? Is it just for the power?”

Applejack shook her head, her golden mane shining in the moonlight. “All my life I’ve been trying to figure out what my purpose was. I left Sweet Apple Acres as a filly, I lived in Manehattan for years. It’s where I got my business sense. When I returned to the farmstead, things weren’t going too well, and it got even worse once the Forever Night came around. Discovering the napple not only saved Equestria but my home as well. With the power that I’ll gain from this move, I can make sure nopony ever has to worry about their home life being taken away.”

“Your home was already taken away, Applejack. Equestria without a sun is no home at all.”

The earth pony lowered her head. “I’m sorry Sunset. Celestia isn’t coming back, and even if she did, Nightmare Moon would just have us use the Elements of Harmony on her. And we would. Don’t you think you should give up on that folly idea?”

Deep in her heart, Sunset somehow knew using the Elements of Harmony wouldn’t be an option in this world. The bearers loved Nightmare Moon, just as they loved Celestia in the previous two timelines.

“Sometimes, Applejack,” Sunset said as she began to walk away from the earth pony. “Sometimes, you have to let go of things you thought previously. And other times, you have to sacrifice those same notions. Letting go and sacrificing, they’re not the same thing. But one always leads to the other.”

World 3: Chapter 11

“Where are they!? They should have been here by now!” Sunset paced alone in the throne room. She had decided to fill in the five bearers on the dilemma she was placed in, but she couldn’t do that if they weren’t in Canterlot. Sunset planned everything out over the true night, but if the other bearers didn’t show up soon it’d be useless to try and rope them in. Breathing heavily, she was through pacing, choosing to take a walk around the castle. Two guards rushed by as she exited the throne room. “Where are they off to?” she wondered. They were headed in the opposite direction of what sounded like loud arguing.

Focusing on the noise, Sunset pranced down halls until she found the source. The bearers indeed returned. “If I never have to see you again, it’ll be too soon,” Twilight exclaimed, thrusting the outer door open. Sunset saw Rainbow Dash take off in another direction, while Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy followed Twilight with heads hung low. Rarity was nowhere to be seen.

“Girls! You’re back!” Sunset rushed to greet them, but Twilight stepped past her, ignoring the fellow unicorn. “Twilight?”

That was when Nightmare Moon appeared. The worn eyes of the alicorn sent a spike of worry down Sunset’s back, but the missing cerulean helm truly frightened her. “Things did not go smoothly, Sunset Shimmer.” The hulking alicorn looked incredibly tattered, her mane didn’t have the usual wavy movement that accompanied her wherever she went. “Let us speak,” she said, a softness in her voice. The alicorn made a nod to Pinkie and Fluttershy who went their separate ways, leaving Sunset alone with the giantess.

Sunset followed, and asked, “What in Equestria happened?”

“By the sanctity of the moon, I don’t even know if I want to talk about it,” replied the alicorn, a breathy sigh followed. “I had hoped that creating a problem within Ponyville would allow them to try and overcome it utilizing their Elements. That hope died when they started bickering on exactly how to fix the problem.”

“What was the problem?’ Sunset asked as they trotted into the throne room. “What did they do to try and fix it?”

“Well, I did the most evil thing I could imagine. I stuck a cat in a tree.”

Sunset squinted. “You… put a cat in a tree?”

“They don’t know that I did it, but I figured it’d be a good and simple problem to start with. Rainbow Dash flew up and the cat clawed at her. Fluttershy tried next, but her attempt ended in failure when Rarity began shaking the tree with her magic. Arguing happened, and I’m not quite certain how, but the tree was suddenly on fire.”

“My goodness! Is that cat okay!?”

“Oh, yes, it’s perfectly fine. Ponyville on the other hoof…”

“Oh for the love of Celestia!” Sunset threw her hooves over her mouth as soon as she spoke the name.

“Funnily enough, I caught myself saying the same thing. Ponyville will be receiving a big reimbursement after the banquet ends, that’s for certain.” The alicorn toppled over on her throne, kicking her back legs over the arm of the chair. “Worst of all, I lost my helmet. My magic can’t even find it to teleport it, meaning it’s been obliterated. How that’s even possible is beyond me! I’ll have to spend the true night making one before tomorrow comes.”

“I’m assuming nopony got their Element, did they?”

Nightmare Moon shook her helmetless head.

“I didn’t find anything out about the Tree of Harmony either, so it looks like we’re both failures.” Sunset turned to leave. “I may as well try and help work out their differences. I’ll start with Rainbow Dash, she looked the maddest.”

“You seem to be a creature of habit. Good luck, Sunset. You’ll need it.”

For some reason, Sunset believed the alicorn meant it. It’s just one problem after another. Now I’m going to have to deal with this before bringing them together against Blueblood’s plan. She exited the castle out the front and started trotting in the direction Rainbow Dash had flown. It wasn’t long before she found her, the pegasus stood solemnly in the grass out in front of the guard barracks. “Rainbow Dash?” Sunset called as she came closer, and then she heard the sounds of a struggle.

“Let go of me!” someone yelled.

“What’s going on?” Sunset asked. She glanced at the pegasus only to see a face full of hate and anger. After that, she decided to keep quiet.

The struggling continued as two armored guards pulled a griffon out of the barracks. Her claws were tied in the front, and she was being led out like a dog being put in a cage. She cawed and screeched, trying to flap her wings, but the ponies kept her down. “Gilda!?” Sunset shook her head, surprised by the treatment of the griffon. No! It can’t be. “She’s one of the scapegoats.”

“They told me to stay outside, they claim she’s poisoning ponies. We both know that isn’t true,” Rainbow Dash said, her voice chilling.

“Dash, we’ve got to find out who the other scapegoats are before Shining Armor gets them too! They can be used as evidence—”

“Forget it. I’m done here,” Rainbow Dash interrupted Sunset. “Rarity was right, I should have stayed in Cloudsdale.” Without so much as a glance to the unicorn, Dash took the air, disappearing into the darkness of the night sky.

“Rainbow Dash!” Sunset yelled as loud as she could. “Wait!” She knew the pegasus wanted to help her griffon pal, Sunset did too, but not at the cost of being thrown in jail.

She was running out of time, and out of friends. With no idea where Rarity went, the next logical guess was finding the remaining three bearers. Rushing along the outside of the castle, her first thought was Twilight’s tower home, hoping the unicorn had cooled down. She was forced to stop when she saw Pinkie Pie being escorted to the gates of the castle. “Pinkie Pie!” she yelled as she charged toward the gate just in time for them to close. She went to push them open but the two guards stopped her.

“Sunset…” The pink pony wrapped her hooves around the bars of the gate, tears pouring down her chubby cheeks. “I-I-I’ve been fired, Sunset!” she cried, her eyes bursting into waterfalls of salt.

“Fired!? Why?” Sunset placed her hooves atop the earth pony’s. “By who? Nightmare Moon wouldn’t—”

“The head of castle staff,” claimed Pinkie. “He told me… my services would no longer be needed. What am I going to do now, Sunset? I’ve been in Canterlot for so long…”

Blueblood. Sunset saw what was happening. You got the pony who knows which ingredients to poison—Pinkie, and the guard to secretly and quickly poison them—Gilda. That’s who the scapegoats are. “Don’t worry Pinkie. Head home and I’ll meet you there in a little while, okay?” The pink pony nodded, wiping away the tears with the back of her hoof.

While the pink pony marched home, Sunset continued on to Twilight’s tower. This is getting out of hoof. Twilight has to believe me, otherwise, my plan is doomed. Her legs were becoming numb from all the running. She reached the tower home, a bright glow to the giant window. She’s here. Trotting up the spiraling walkway, she could hear the unicorn pace and berate the air. Sunset didn’t bother knocking, teleporting past the locked door straight into the foyer. Cautious not to spook the fellow unicorn, she remained a whisper as she walked up the steps.

“Out of all the inconceivable notions that somepony could have, she’d have that one!? I’m not heartless, I’m not a monster. I know how ponies would act in response! They did react poorly!” The purple unicorn was stomping beneath the hourglass. Her hair was let down, her collared shirt unbuttoned, and her glasses were tossed to the floor. “And don’t even get me started on Rarity,” she shouted, talking to herself.

“Twilight?”

The purple unicorn was so flustered she fell forward onto the floor. “Sunset? What are you doing here?” she asked, rubbing her now bruising jaw.

“Listen, I know things didn’t go well with the girls but I’ve—”

“Didn’t go well? Didn’t go well!? It was a complete disaster! I thought I could keep them in check for the princess, but I vastly underestimated their desire to cause havoc!” The purple unicorn was almost foaming at the mouth, a bit of saliva rolling down her chin. Whatever had been said shook her very core. “Sunset, I tried to be reasonable, but I just don’t think these Elements are working out.”

“Forget the Elements of Harmony for now. Take a seat, I’ve got to explain something far worse to you.”

And so she did. From the poisoned food, to the evil plan, to Twilight’s own brother being a conspirator. She explained it all to the purple unicorn. At first, she hadn’t been sure how Twilight would take it, but it didn’t matter. If Blueblood wasn’t stopped, she’d have a whole other mess to clean up. “And that’s the truth of it. I know it sounds insane, I wouldn’t have thought Applejack could connive like that. Every world I visit is more different than that last, and I should have figured that it would change my friends as well.”

Twilight didn’t respond. Any complaints she voiced were shoved down into her speechless mouth. She sat on the steps, her forelegs between her back legs. Her eyes had grown soft and shallow like the darker, deeper part of the ocean. It was a long time before she closed her mouth, wetting her gums to speak. “So,” she started to say, “Miss Applejack is betraying Nightmare Moon? With my brother’s help?”

“If they get their way, Nightmare Moon won’t be in charge anymore. To turn this world back to normal, we have to use the Elements of Harmony on her. But if she’s not in charge, none of it will matter. They’ve already started laying the foundation. On the third night of the banquet, they’re going to announce Nightmare Moon as the one who has been poisoning Canterlot’s food supply. The town will be in chaos. We’ve got to stop them before then.”

“How? Do you have a plan?”

“I do, but we need the others. Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy. Without them, we won’t be able to prove any of this. It’ll just sound like a crazy rant to Nightmare Moon.” Sunset stared deep into the eyes of the purple unicorn. She could see the nervous twitch that reminded her of the Crystal Prep version. “Please, Twilight. Will you help me?”

“To choose between my family and my princess,” spluttered Twilight, taking a moment to levitate her glasses from the floor. “I can hardly believe Shining would do such a thing, but I don’t believe you’re a liar. I’d like to hear this plan of yours.” She rubbed the streaks off the glass, blowing breath against the rims. “Do you know where the others are?”

Sunset shifted from side to side. “Pinkie went home. She was fired, part of Blueblood’s plan. We need to bring everyone to her. As for the rest, well, I think Rainbow Dash might have flown back to Cloudsdale, but I’m not sure. Do you think you could find her while I grab Rarity and Fluttershy?”

“Rainbow Dash is so inconsiderate. Of course she’d up and leave when we need her,” Twilight snarled, the same way her teacher did. “I’ll try to find her, she might apologize to me if I do, but I won’t hold her to it.” Twilight stood up. “Once I get her, we’ll head to Pinkie’s and wait for you there. Good thing I know where she lives, I’d hate to wrangle Dash and then try and find you.”

“Thanks, Twilight.” Wrapping her hooves around the purple mare, Sunset felt relief for a split second. Maybe things will work out.

Her hope diminished once she found Rarity, who was far simpler to find than Sunset first expected. The unicorn was relaxing in the same spot she always chose, sprawled across a couch in one of the ballrooms. She told Sunset to go away, though not as politely as any other Rarity might have done, forcing Sunset to levitate the white unicorn into the air and drag her off to find Fluttershy. Even with Rarity’s help, however, it took them an hour to search the castle’s menagerie, eventually discovering the yellow pegasus cuddling and crying inside a cave of bushes with the bear known as Harry.

Sunset pleaded with the pegasus, “I need you, Fluttershy. I need all five of you. If you don’t help me, Equestria might be at stake.” She was reluctant to get close to the pegasus. Harry who was playing the role of bodyguard, guarded Fluttershy like a bouncer at a club. The big bear was a supposed gentle giant, but the claws and teeth prevented Sunset from treating the pegasus the same way she treated Rarity. “Please, Fluttershy. You’ve got to trust me.”

“If she’s going to be useless we may as well drudge on without her. I’m growing tired of standing around,” Rarity mocked, only to have a pine cone shoved in her mouth.

“I need all five of you,” claimed Sunset, her voice slowly faltering from saying the same thing over and over again. “Not four. Five. My plan will work, but only if I have all five of you. For all I know, we could be thrown in jail if we don’t stop them.”

Fluttershy crawled out, nuzzling past the gentle bear. “S-stop who?” she stuttered a sniffle. Just like Twilight, Fluttershy had dropped her pigtails, letting her hair flow down her shoulders. Out of the group, Fluttershy’s mane was truly the longest, almost hitting the floor. Twigs were caught between strands of hair.

“If you come with us to Pinkie Pie’s, I can explain everything. I promise to keep everyone settled. You just have to trust me.”

“I-I do trust you, S-Sunset. But…” The pegasus lowered her head just after glancing the white unicorn.

Rarity rolled her eyes, grunting a noise of disgust. “Fluttershy, come on. I already promised to behave so long as Sunset stopped dragging me.”

You’re not doing a very good job at that, Sunset mused, holding back a grimace. “Please, Fluttershy?”

The pegasus patted the bear, giving him a short smile. “Okay. For you, Sunset.”

“Thank you, Fluttershy.”

With the two bearers, Sunset led them off castle grounds just as the moon began to hang low in the sky. True night would soon be upon them, and the banquet would begin in the morn. They left the menagerie, trotted into the main market, passed the calming sounds of the city’s radio system, and reached the home of the fired pink pony. Sunset slammed her hoof on the door, the disgruntled white unicorn behind her and the sniffling yellow pegasus at her side. Sunset hoped that Twilight arrived before her, that Pinkie had already been filled in.

When the pink earth pony answered, she was surprised to see the trio. “What’s going on?”

“Twilight isn’t here yet?” Sunset barged past the homeowner, swiveling her head to see the surroundings of Pinkie’s home. The others followed in and Pinkie closed her door. “Shoot. I was hoping she’d have found Rainbow Dash by now.”

“You left Twilight to find Rainbow Dash? They’re the ones who started this whole thing!” Rarity exclaimed.

“No, that was you,” Fluttershy cried, tossing her bawling eyes into Pinkie’s shoulder. “You big meanie.”

“Enough!” Sunset yelled, taking a page out of Nightmare Moon’s book. “We need Twilight and Rainbow Dash!”

Pinkie’s door suddenly burst open with a blue pegasus bound in rope being tossed to the floor, a napple in her mouth. Huffing and puffing, Twilight said, “Here. We’re here.” Somewhere along the way she had lost the eye of Nightmare Moon that once sat on her lapel.

“My sisters used to play a game like this when we were younger. They’d leave me in the quarry for hours,” Pinkie said, prodding at the fuming blue pegasus who was screaming through her covered mouth. “It was really fun. They’d always be surprised whenever I came home.”

“She wouldn’t listen to reason,” Twilight started to explain. “You shouldn’t unbind her either. Not until you fill everyone in, Sunset.”

Sunset removed the napple, allowing Rainbow Dash to speak. The blue pegasus screamed and yelled for help, only stopping once Sunset threatened to stick the napple back in. “Everyone, sit down,” she commanded as she levitated Rainbow Dash to Pinkie’s couch. “I don’t know exactly what happened in Ponyville and I don’t care. We’ve got a major problem. One that requires your full attention.”

Pinkie raised her hoof. “Where’s Miss Applejack? Shouldn’t she be here?”

“She’s the problem,” answered Twilight.

“Let me explain.” Sunset recounted the tale again, giving just as many specifics as she had for Twilight. To her surprise, the bearers remained quiet for the duration, only asking a few questions here and there. The biggest shock came from Rarity who asked if letting their plan succeed was such a bad thing. “They’re doing it for themselves. They may try to butter you up and say they’re doing it for Equestria, but they’re not. Blueblood is only in it for himself. I’m not sure what Shining Armor’s motivation is for, and Applejack says she’s trying to keep them in line. It doesn’t matter. If we let them rule, they’ll just lock us in a jail cell to keep us from exposing them.”

Pinkie once again raised her hoof. “How exactly are we supposed to stop them?”

“That depends. Are all of you going to help me stop them? If you aren’t, I need to know before we start going over the plan.”

“Let me out of these restraints and I’ll help you,” Rainbow Dash said, and Sunset immediately agreed even as Twilight voiced a hesitant disapproval. The blue pegasus did not run off. Brushing a hoof across the flat top of her mohawk, she laid flat on her back, pressing her head into the cushions. “I’m in so long as Rarity keeps her mouth from flapping.”

Rarity scoffed, “My mouth doesn’t flap—it just lets out the truth.”

“You already know I’m in, Sunset,” Twilight said, choosing to ignore the white unicorn. “My teacher is in trouble. There’s no way I’d ever let anything happen to her. She’s been through too much to lose her crown now.”

“That big bad Blueblood was always the runt of the staff! Nopony ever liked him. Now I can see why! He’s a scoundrel, and I’m gonna take him down!” Pinkie slapped her hooves together. “Nopony messes with Nightmare Moon, and nopony messes with my friends on Restaurant Row!”

Fluttershy nodded her head. Her tears long since stopped, her cheeks as dry as the sand in an hourglass. “I’m in too. A lot of animals will have their homes ruined if we allow this to happen. Ponies and nature exist together. They’d be no better than when Nightmare Moon changed the world forever.”

“What about you, Rarity?” Sunset asked when the rest had pledged their support. The white unicorn was brooding, her forelegs crossed. It was clear she didn’t want to be here, but would that be reason enough to leave?

Apparently not. “Of course I’m going to help. Blueblood used to be a prince, but he’s nothing more than a foal in big-colt clothing. He mocked my drapes once, and ever since then, Nightmare Moon hounds me to change them every visit. I will destroy him! I will make sure he never sees the moon again once I’m through with him!” The fire in her eyes was the most fire Sunset had seen out of this Rarity, and she could only imagine what Rarity dreamed of.

“Good. I’m glad all five of you agreed, because it’s going to take all five of you to do what I need you to do.” Sacrifices have to be made. “Do any of you know where the speakers around Canterlot are connected to? They all play the same song.”

“It’s next to a guard tower in the north district. Why?” Rainbow Dash answered.

“Dash, you’re in charge of that then. I need you to get a connected microphone from there and have a wire run all the way to the castle. Fluttershy, you help her. We’re going to announce to Canterlot what’s going on, but we need everyone in Canterlot to be able to hear it. That means we need flyers.” Sunset turned to Rarity and Twilight. “I need you two to design a flyer that’ll get people to rush to the castle gates as soon as they see it. Once you’ve designed it, I need it spread out around town. How long do you think it’ll take you two to design one?”

“For all of Canterlot to see? If we start on it tonight, we could have a design done by morning,” Twilight surmised, and Rarity nodded her head in agreement.

“What about the banquet’s buffet? Has that already been made?” Sunset asked.

Pinkie nodded. “Tomorrow’s, yes. Not the second or third night, though.”

“Alright, then here’s what we’ll do. While Rarity and Twilight design the flyer tonight, you and I will sneak into the warehouse district to poison the upcoming ingredients for nights two and three. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash will keep watch from the outside while we work. When we’re finished, we return and get some sleep. Tomorrow, all six of us will help copy Rarity and Twilight’s design to make as many flyers as possible. Tomorrow night, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash will grab the wire and microphone, meanwhile, Twilight, Rarity, and I will spread the flyers around town. Pinkie, you’re going to be bait on the second night. I’ll explain that to you later.”

Rarity whistled, getting everyone’s attention. “This is all very nice, but what’s the end goal? Why do all this?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Twilight replied for Sunset. “We’re going to expose Blueblood by announcing to all of Canterlot his plan. Poisoning the food at the banquet validates our tale to the nobles and Nightmare Moon while we get all of Canterlot in one place—the main street where all the speakers are located.”

“Thank you, Twilight,” acknowledged Sunset. “Just make sure you’re on the main street when the fun begins, Rarity. I’m sure you’ll enjoy the show just as much as the rest of us will.”

“Where will me and Rainbow Dash be at during the second night of the banquet?” Fluttershy asked.

Sunset shrugged. “Your job’s done once the microphone is in place. I’d say find a nice quiet ice cream parlor to listen. You and Rarity could go together.” The two mares looked at each other before rolling their eyes in different directions. Or maybe not. As long as they stop fighting long enough for this to work, they can beat each other senseless later. “True night is starting. Pinkie, Dash, Fluttershy. Let’s get to work.”

The trio nodded, and just before they left, Sunset glanced back at the two other unicorns. She could hear them chatting, their eyes focused on an unraveled parchment. Try to push your differences aside for tonight, she prayed.

Ponies who normally littered the streets had vanished like the sun. The dark sky held little light, even for the billions of stars shining in the distance. A few shops still kept their lights on, and night owls were coming out shrouded in cloaks and keeping their heads low. Sunset and Pinkie kept a low profile, taking their time to walk to the warehouse district. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash, covered in darkness, chose to fly far above the city. When the main street grew small and twisted around a bend, their hooves began to carry them faster. Slinking from one side street to another, Sunset felt the memory an eerie coldness on the back of her neck.

Teleporting past the chain link fence, Sunset fell beneath the shadow of an overhang, Pinkie Pie at her side. She heard a bird’s call that almost sounded like it was being strangled, and she assumed it was Rainbow Dash. Guards were certainly posted around, possibly part of Blueblood’s plan to poison the ingredients that weren’t for the banquet. When one guard passed unaware, Sunset motioned for Pinkie to move into one of the warehouses. Once they were inside, she asked, “Alright, do you know what’s going to be used?”

“I’m not sure which of these storage buildings have them, but it’d be mostly white grain, carrots, and sugar recipes. Lots of pastries and what not. The easiest thing to leave out and not dry up or get slimy for hours on end,” answered the pink chef.

Sunset acted as if she was rolling up her sleeves. “Let’s get to work finding them.”

“Once we find them, how are we going to poison them?” Pinkie asked as she rounded a corner of barreled pickles.

“Are you kidding? You’ve got a powerful unicorn helping you. Turning food into rotten garbage is easy, turning it the opposite way is more difficult. I can do both.” Though it has been a while since I’ve turned someone’s lunch into mush. “You point out the stuff you find and I’ll make it taste worse than dirty gym socks baked in a dirt cupcake topped with brussel sprouts.”

“Remind me not to let you into my kitchen,” Pinkie said in a disapproving voice.

Boxes, barrels, bags, and sacks ranged in every direction of the warehouse. Sunset glanced carefully over each, not wanting to miss any of the specific ingredients. “What about napples?” she asked, coming across two crates filled with the fruit. Her eyes read the logo and the motto. “Being pony, having your health. That’s the most important thing,” she said aloud. “So that’s why she says it. It’s her company’s slogan!”

“I don’t think napples are a part of it. Miss Applejack specifically requested it be that way, which didn’t make sense at the time. Now, with everything you’ve said, I kind of get why.”

“Yeah. Wouldn’t want her special crop being tainted. Everything else is okay to poison but not that. What a selfish mare,” Sunset snarled just as she came across a bag of carrots. Whipping out a spell, she turned the carrots rotten. Though they didn’t look it, the smell they emitted was proof enough. “Ugh,” she revolted, holding her nose. “You think the cooks will notice the smell?”

“White grain, over here,” Pinkie called out.

It wasn’t long before they cleared the warehouse, rotting all the necessary ingredients. “One down,” Sunset whispered as she drew the metal door ajar. She peered with one eye out into the darkness. A lot more to go.

They toiled endlessly for hours. From room to room, to box to box, they scoured the warehouses for all the ingredients needed. Even if they all wouldn’t be used, Sunset felt it a necessary sacrifice. “Better safe than sorry,” she told Pinkie. Even as the light of the moon was starting to rise, they worked to turn the ingredients into tainted produce.

As time went on and they came close to finishing, a sudden tap tap tap echoed out. “What was that?” Pinkie asked Sunset, who also heard the sound. They swiveled their heads, searching for the tapping. “Up there!”

Following the pink hoof, Sunset lifted her eyes to the skylight. “Fluttershy?” The yellow pegasus was tapping with both hooves on the glass, her face was shadowed in darkness, it was clear something was wrong.

That’s when the main door of the warehouse threw open. It was Rainbow Dash, sweat dripping from her brow. “The workers are here loading stuff up! I can’t stall them any longer. We’ve got to go!”

“We’re not done yet! We’ve still got three other storehouses!” Pinkie argued.

“We’ll just have to hope this is enough.” With a wave of magic, Sunset teleported the trio to Fluttershy, then to just outside the chain link fence. She breathed a heavy sigh, falling to the limestone street. “I’m all drained out. So much for getting sleep tonight.”

Rainbow Dash pulled the unicorn over her shoulder. “You can rest once we get back to Pinkie’s. Come on.”

Almost being dragged by her hooves, Sunset felt a spike of pride. Everyone’s really getting into this. Maybe a real problem, not a made up one, is what they needed to bring their spirits together. Her eyes drifted back to Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy, the two trotting alongside each other with happy smiles. I should hold my excitement till we get back to Pinkie’s residence, Twilight and Rarity might have destroyed the place.

To her surprise and amazement, they had done no such thing. Twilight was already asleep, a few hundred flyers beneath her hooves, while Rarity remained wide awake making copies by hoof. “Oh, there you three are,” the white unicorn spoke up when she heard the door open. “What do you think of this?” She held one of the copies up to Sunset’s face.

“In celebration, Nightmare Moon has a free gift for all of Canterlot citizens—but only those who hear the secret code phrase over the loudspeakers will be able to claim it!” Sunset read aloud. “Rarity, this is genius!”

Rarity, a smug smile on her face, said, “I’m glad you like it, we’ve already started making copies.” She threw a look over her shoulder. “Twilight. Twilight! Wake up!”

The purple unicorn shook awake, her eyes sprung wide. “Yuh-am aw-ay-kuh!” she shouted, drool dripping down onto one of the flyers. “What’s going on?” she asked as she adjusted her glasses.

“You two have designed the perfect flyer. Ponies love Canterlot, and to hear of a free gift by only learning a secret code phrase, it’s practically the best enticement ever to stick around the speakers!” praised Sunset, wrapping both the unicorns in a hug. “Thank you so much for doing this.”

Rarity was a bit surprised by the embrace, but Twilight accepted it warmly. “Yes, well, I’m sure you three had your own plan go well. It took you all true night,” said the white unicorn, glancing out one of Pinkie’s windows.

“All true night!?” Twilight exclaimed, passing Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie to open the front door. “Oh no! I’ve got to get back to the castle. Nightmare Moon will scold me if I’m not seen around her.”

“Good thing I was fired, I’m going to hit the hay. There’s a few spare couches if you all need them,” Pinkie yelled through a yawn as she rounded her staircase, leaving the five alone.

“Yeah, I’m going to hit the sack too.” Rainbow Dash disappeared into one of the other rooms while Rarity and Fluttershy remained in Pinkie’s living room. The yellow pegasus had already started picking up the slack for Twilight.

Once the purple unicorn tied her mane and cleaned the sleep from the edges of her eyes, she trotted to the door, quietly saying her goodbyes. “Hold on a second, Twilight,” Sunset said and they pushed out into the front yard. When the door closed, Sunset asked, “Can I get you to do me one more favor? It’s a really big one.”

“Depending on what it is,” Twilight replied, ever frugal.

“When Nightmare Moon finds out about Blueblood, Applejack, and Shining Armor, she’s going to flip her lid. She’ll get angry and her rage will lead to her doing something stupid and evil. We cannot let her use the Elements of Harmony, nor can we use the Elements on her.”

“What? Why the sudden change? You were so gung-ho about Nightmare Moon being evil yesternight.”

“I am, but I think we can go about it a different way. If we use the Elements of Harmony on her, there’s no telling what may happen to her. If she changes back into Princess Luna—good. If not, Blueblood, Applejack, and your brother will take over. If that’s even the slightest chance, we cannot use the Elements.”

Twilight leaned close. “Okay. Seems easy. What’s your favor then?”

“It’s something even crazier.”

World 3: Chapter 12

Huffing and puffing, Sunset’s eyes shed tears from her incredible running. The previous night had come and gone, and she would be needed by Nightmare Moon’s side now that the banquet moved on to its second night. After a long rest, she had helped Rarity finish the flyers. When the true night came around and Twilight returned, act two of her plan began underway. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash would be off stealing a microphone and running line to Canterlot’s castle. Meanwhile, Sunset, Twilight, and Rarity would be flinging flyers all around the city under the cover of darkness.

Running had become a common thing, Sunset could feel her leg muscles tear and heal, becoming stronger after every rest. At this rate I’ll be faster than Dash on hoof, she thought at one point, slapping a flyer on a marble wall. With the three working around the clock, they managed to finish in record timing. They reconvened at Pinkie’s house where all but Rainbow Dash fell asleep. With a few hours left before dawn, Sunset chose to rest as well.

But her adrenaline hadn’t worn off. “Hey, Dash,” she whispered. She had taken a piece of the couch with Rainbow Dash while the others drifted off to separate rooms. “You awake?” she asked.

“Yeah. I’m too nervous and excited.”

“Nervouscited?”

“What?”

“It’s something Pinkie says,” Sunset answered with a hoarse laugh.

“Oh. I gotcha.”

“Tonight, everything is going to change. Do you think you’ll be able to handle it when it comes?”

“Everything?” Rainbow Dash sat up, her patchwork blanket falling down. “What do you mean, everything?”

Sunset sat up as well. “I’ve called in a favor from Twilight. A pretty big one. I’ve got a feeling it will work out my way.” She reclined, stretching her forelegs around her head. “Well, not entirely my way. If I had it my way, we’d just use the Elements of Harmony on Nightmare Moon, turning her into Princess Luna, releasing Celestia from the moon. Then we’d stick the Elements back in the tree and everything would be hunky-dory.”

“I’m assuming you no longer believe that will happen. Is the Tree of Harmony ever going to be fixed?”

“If everything goes well tonight, I won’t know. I won’t be sticking around long enough to find out. You’ll just have to try and fix it yourself, you and the other bearers. You just have to trust your instincts.”

Rainbow Dash snorted, tossing over to one side. “Last time I trusted my instincts, the Shadowbolt Academy came crashing down.”

“You want to talk about it?”

“Not really.”

“That’s fine. I don’t blame you. I hate talking about how I became a she-demon, tearing my school apart. I still have dreams about it. Not recently, though. Back in my world, I often had dreams about waking up from a nightmare and then seeing my demon side. A nightmare within a nightmare. It’s something that’ll haunt me for the rest of my life, and every day I work hard to put more good into the world to make up for it.”

“Is that why you’re helping us with the Elements of Harmony?”

“Somewhat, yes. Though that avenue seems to have closed. Just another thing you and the bearers will have to figure out on your own.”

Rainbow Dash pulled herself against the cushions, sitting with her wings to the back of the couch. “I thought Nightmare Moon wasn’t going to let you leave until you solved the cause behind their darkness?”

“After tonight, I don’t think she’ll care either way.”

“You’re being too vague and ominous for my liking. I’m going back to sleep unless you want to give me straight answers.”

Sunset had to laugh at that. “Yeah, I suppose you’re right. Though if it doesn’t work out how I’ve planned, if none of this does, at least you won’t be waiting in suspense for something to happen that doesn’t end up happening.”

“You’re putting a lot of faith in Twilight, huh?”

“Take it easy with her, Dash. She’s a bit stuffy in this world, but she’s a good friend. You are too.”

“R-right,” Rainbow Dash replied, nonchalantly.

Sleep eventually came for the unicorn, though it did not last long. Once they awoke, Sunset was forced to sprint back to the castle. Huffing and puffing, her eyes stinging, she knew she had to be ready for the rest of the night. They did everything right, now all she had to do was wait. It was hard to believe that it had come together so swimmingly.

Though no apologies were uttered between the five, Sunset knew they did their tasks and did them well. Even as she stood in her room, tossing on her watch, she found it hard to believe that the bearers could ever be bitter towards each other. That’s when she saw the modest currant-red dress dangling on the doorknob, a note attached. ‘Belles of the ball—Applejack’ it read. “There’s no way in Equestria I’d bother wearing that. Who knows how much more running I’ll have to do before the night is over,” she said and chuckled to herself.

Her eyes were drying out, forcing her to blink as she ran back to the elevator. Taking a moment to breathe before hitting the ground floor, she glanced down at the time. Five minutes to twelve, the banquet is starting. When the doors opened, she tore down the hallway. The band already started playing, she could hear it far down another corner. When she came to a flood of guests, she teleported into the banquet’s hall. Hope nopony notices the sweating unicorn, she thought, panting like a fluffy dog during summer.

She eyed the room. Ponies of all shapes and sizes were dressed in expensive suits and dazzling jewelry. She spotted Applejack surrounded by a trio of mares, though Applejack was clearly the prettiest. I’ll have to talk to her once Twilight arrives. Her eyes ran around the room, glancing at the decorative tables, the gorgeous banners, and the sprawled out banquet of food. There it is. She needed to make sure it was contaminated, otherwise, a piece of her plan would be ruined, sending the rest spiraling out of control. After an all-nighter and the dash back to the castle, she was famished.

Halfway through trying each of the platters, she realized that eating so much rotten-made food wasn’t such a good idea. Finding the nearest trash can, she made sure to not keep the taint within her belly for long. I need a long shower after this, she thought, wiping her mouth with the back of her hoof. Or a nice relaxing spa day.

As Sunset recovered from the awful buffet, Nightmare Moon arrived in the ballroom accompanied by the one pony Sunset truly wanted there other than the princess herself. Blueblood, she grinned, feeling the slickness of her teeth. Other ponies started trying the platters, and Blueblood would see them choke and gag himself. “Sunset!” the voice caught her by surprise.

“A-Applejack,” she replied, making sure her mouth was clean of any residue. “Wh-uh, what’s up?”

“You weren’t in your room last night. I came by to give you a dress and we could have gotten our hair done, but the guard informed me you hadn’t been back in two nights. Where’d you run off to?” the earth pony questioned.

“I was with the girls. Nightmare Moon didn’t tell you?” Nightmare Moon didn’t know either, but there was no reason to say that out loud. “We were having a slumber party. They weren’t getting along too well after Ponyville, so I made sure to get them together to have a fun time.”

The earth pony smiled. “That’s mighty kind of you, Sunset! Come on, let me introduce you to a few friends of mine.”

Given little choice, Sunset put on a big smile for the earth pony. I can’t let her know of my intentions just yet. Twilight has to show up, she’s the signal. “Alright,” she replied, nodding her head graciously.

Applejack’s red and green dress swayed side to side as she led Sunset through the crowds, brushing off those who were not important enough to speak to. “Glad you could make it, Charmer,” Applejack greeted, stopping at the stallion Sunset recognized. “You remember Sunset Shimmer, don’t you?”

“Ah! The firecracker. Berrice has not stopped talking about working on your stiff tendons,” Charmer said, taking Sunset’s hoof and kissing it.

“I find that hard to believe. Berrice seemed like a mare of few words,” Sunset replied. “Where is she at, anyway?”

“You are certainly right about her nature. Parties such as this… she does not like. If she does not start to socialize at these events, she will never get her name in lights like myself. It pains me so, but it is her decision. She is good at her craft, no?”

“Quite good.” Sunset rolled her shoulders. “Tell her I was quite happy with the massage.”

“I shall, I shall!”

“If you’ll excuse us, Charmer,” Applejack interrupted. “I see a couple busybodies I know who need to be introduced to Sunset here. I’ll see you around.”

They moved away from the stallion, passing many more nobles who inclined their heads to the earth pony. When they came to a duo stallion and mare, Sunset was surprised to know the mare. Blonde hair, a hat with ears, and a big fur coat. “You! You’re from that night in the parlor!” Sunset observed.

“Hey, it’s you!” the blonde mare greeted Sunset with a hug. “You gettin’ into any more trouble, eh? Oh! Miss Applejack!” The mare bowed.

“You two know each other?” Applejack sounded surprised.

“It’s a long story,” answered Sunset. “I am a bit surprised to see you here of all places.”

“Shoot, this? It ain’t no Grand Galloping Gala, but I make the rounds every year.”

“Grand Galloping Gala?” Applejack’s muzzle scrunched up. “What’s that got to do—”

To the surprise of everyone, Applejack was interrupted. “Excuse me, Miss Applejack,” Blueblood threw himself into the conversation. “Nightmare Moon has requested Sunset Shimmer. My apologies.” The earth pony scowled for just a moment before giving the okay.

Blueblood locked forelegs with the fellow unicorn, leading Sunset away slowly. “Does she really want to see me?” Sunset quietly asked once they were far enough away from Applejack.

“Somewhat. She’ll be happy to see you. No, a change of plans has occurred that I feel I must prepare you for. Tomorrow, once you claim Nightmare Moon as evil, you’ll be put in a jail cell. It’s just for show, you mustn’t worry. We’ll spring you with the scapegoats as soon as everything is settled,” he whispered into her ear, the stench of his cologne scorching her nostrils.

I don’t need a spell to tell that you’re lying. Without me, nopony will be able to rat out your little façade. “That’s fine,” she answered with a calm droll to her voice, a bitter smile on her face. “Plans can always change.”

“Very true.” His smirk was infuriating. “Princess, Sunset Shimmer.” He inclined his head to the large mare who was more excited to see Sunset than him.

“Ah, Sunset, it’s good of you to show this night. I had heard from my apprentice that things were going well. I’m assuming you being here is a sign of that?” Nightmare Moon greeted. She always had an entourage wherever she went, and they were all interested in hearing of the mare from another world.

Sunset smiled and nodded, pushing away from the white stallion. Jerk. “That’s right. They’re starting to get along, just had to find a better problem than a cat in a tree,” she said, a bit of sarcasm slipping through.

But Nightmare Moon laughed. “There seems to be a million problems. Speaking of my apprentice, have you seen her? She was supposed to be here this morn but I’ve had no word of her appearance. You two are the greatest things in my life at the moment, I wish to share you with those who can only better Equestria.” The mares and stallions around her giggled and shied away, bowing to the alicorn with grace. “I’m sure wherever she is, she’s trying to—”

Sunset was nodding along long after Nightmare Moon stopped, not realizing there was a reason for the cut off dialogue. When she finally caught on, she glanced up at the bigger mare’s face. “Nightmare Moon?”

The dark alicorn’s brows were tossed up, the sharp teeth bearing down on each other. Sunset turned to follow the alicorn’s eyes, to which she saw ponies gagging and spitting out the perfectly rotten food. Green faces and full cheeks, the plan was in motion.

“Nightmare Moon!” Twilight greeted, snapping the attention of both the alicorn and Sunset. The purple unicorn looked prim and proper, not an ounce of tiredness hidden beneath the glasses. “It seems there’s a problem with the food. We need to look into it right away.”

“Where’s Blueblood? He’s in charge of the food,” Nightmare Moon replied, twisting her neck around to search for the prissy stallion.

He wouldn’t be found, however, just as Sunset planned. Twilight’s here. Everything’s in motion. The alicorn tore away with her apprentice, leaving Sunset alone. She too twisted her neck searching the floor, eventually spotting the pony she was looking for. “Applejack!” she called out, interrupting the earth pony’s conversation. She dragged the pretty mare away to a secluded spot out of view from the rest of the party.

“Sugar cube, pulling a fancy, pretty gal like myself into a hidden corner is not usually commonplace at these sort of things. I’m not sure what type of mare you seem to think I am, but I assure you—”

“Enough,” Sunset interrupted, and the earth pony stopped. That works surprisingly well. She’d thank Nightmare Moon later. “I don’t have much time to convince you.”

“Convince me? Of what?” The peaceful, happy look of the orange mare turned as sour as Nightmare Moon’s jealousy. “The food’s poisoned, isn’t it? You’re scheming.” She caught on quick.

“I am, and things are about to go from bad to worse for you. But if you listen to me you’ll be able to plead for forgiveness from Nightmare Moon.” She placed a hoof on the shoulder of the pretty mare. “Please, Applejack. Forgo your plan and go and tell Nightmare Moon everything. If you do it now, I swear I’ll do everything in my power to help Nightmare Moon see leniency.” There were two separate pieces of this stage in her plan. One side, Applejack would do as she’s told. The other side, she would do the opposite.

Applejack slapped the hoof off her shoulder, choosing the latter. “You’re turning on us? Shining Armor was right, I shouldn’t have trusted you. I’m going to go and get the guards, and we’ll make sure you aren’t able to talk.”

“It’s not Shining Armor you need to find,” replied Sunset.

The earth pony’s eyes went wide as she examined the room. When she realized who exactly was missing, her scorn grew more. “What have you done with Blueblood?”

“Not me. Right now, he should be chasing after a pink mare who was fired. He might have caught a glimpse of her, chased after her, trying to get her to leave but she’ll always be a step ahead. All the way up to his office. Applejack, this is your last chance. Speak to Nightmare Moon, tell her everything. Beg for forgiveness and I know she will forgive you.”

But of course, the earth pony wouldn’t listen. Pushing through the crowds, Applejack rushed out of the ballroom. Sunset was hot on her hooves, though it wasn’t hard for her to catch the earth pony. The dress confined her ability to run, just like Sunset knew it would. She wasn’t trying to catch Applejack, though. If the Element of Honesty wouldn’t be honest, she’d bear witness to the change of the world.

Applejack shoved her shoulder into Blueblood’s door in a very unladylike manner, and just as planned, Blueblood stood in the center of the room, clearly befuddled. “Blueblood!” she shouted. “W-what are you doing?”

“I saw one of our scapegoats. She went in here.” When he noticed Sunset, his expression changed to concern. “What’s going on? Why are you two up here?”

“Sunset’s done something,” Applejack replied, grabbing Sunset by the scruff of her neck and tossing her into the room. The unicorn fell to the floor in front of Blueblood. “I’m not sure what, yet, but she wanted me to apologize to Nightmare Moon.”

“And what would you have to apologize for?” Sunset smirked from the floor. “What would either of you have to apologize for?”

Blueblood shot a maniacal laugh into the air. “I assume you mean to Nightmare Moon? Plenty. Whatever you’re trying to do won’t affect tomorrow’s plan. Nightmare Moon will be forced to step down, and I’ll rule Equestria. It’s almost too easy.”

Applejack growled. “We. We will rule Equestria.”

“Of course, of course. You and Shining Armor will get your cuts of the world, I wouldn’t dare go against the savior of Equestria.” Blueblood rolled his eyes, shaking his head at the same time. “We’ve got the scapegoats already ousted. Nightmare Moon will be nothing more than a pawn as we roll over Equestria with our building operation. Whatever you’re trying to do, Sunset Shimmer, it doesn’t matter. We’ll have Shining Armor throw you into the dungeon before you can speak a word of our betrayal to Nightmare Moon. You really shouldn’t have said anything to Applejack.”

Sunset pushed herself off the floor, rubbing her tired eyes for a moment. “Really? I think it was a perfect plan. Don’t you think speaking the truth out loud really helps set your mind at ease?”

“What are you talking about?” he asked, and Sunset motioned her muzzle to the balcony. When Blueblood looked back he saw the partially open glass door. Prancing closer, he saw a wire squeezing through the crack. “What in all of Equestria!?” he exclaimed, leaning his head over the desk.

“Gotcha, you big meanie,” Pinkie said as she pushed her head out from underneath the frame, a microphone in hoof. “The music’s callin’ your name!” she snorted. “I’ve been working on that one all night!”

“No!” Applejack called, pushing past the desk and out onto the balcony. “This can’t be!”

Over the speakers of Canterlot, “This can’t be!” could be heard echoing out above the angry mobs of stallions and mares pushing against the gates of the castle. Blueblood followed Applejack out, both now witnessing the full force of Sunset’s plan.

“It was pretty easy. The ponies of Canterlot love Nightmare Moon. What you call zealots are just ordinary citizens that like Nightmare Moon. Some aren’t and don’t, but that’s okay because even if they don’t, they’re not the ones trying to overthrow her. Now, even the zealots who were on your side will throw you to the timberwolves. Wasn’t that your words?”

“You! You’ve ruined everything!” Blueblood spat, turning to face the mare with the ketchup and mustard hair. “Equestria will remain just as it is! It will never grow now! I’ll never be a prince again!” he shouted and pointed his horn at Sunset, digging his blue hoof into the stone of the balcony. “I won’t let you get away with this!” he yelled as he began to charge, only for Applejack to trip him up.

Wrestling him into submission, the earth pony’s dress tore in three places. “We’ve lost! There’s no point in putting ourselves in any more hot water!” she told him, digging the white stallion’s chin into the carpeted floor. “Pinkie’s right, our music’s up. All we can hope for is that mercy will be granted to us if we’re remorseful.” Her eyes lifted to Sunset. “Right? Being pony, that’s the most important thing.”

Sunset was surprised to have seen the earth pony stop the stallion. She couldn’t help but feel for her. “That’s right, Applejack.” Sunset nodded. I’m sorry.

It wasn’t long before Nightmare Moon had come and seized them all. The banquet ended, the crowds were dispersed, and the flyers were being removed. Blueblood, who had not shown an ounce of remorse, was thrown into a cell, the same cell Sunset had released him from in the last world. The coincidence was not lost on her, but there were more important things to deal with at the moment. Shining Armor and Applejack were awaiting their own punishment in the throne room, Nightmare Moon’s anger was in full bloom.

“I trusted you, and you think to betray me!? I raised you up, I put you on a pedestal!” The alicorn was foaming at the mouth, throwing insults between every couple of sentences. “It just doesn’t make sense. I’ve tried my very best to make this world better for every pony, yet you wanted to remove me for it!”

Applejack and Shining Armor were keeping their chins to the ground as they bowed, refusing to rise until the torrent calmed. Rainbow Dash was the first to speak up from the bearers. “They were going to blame the poisoning of food on you, using Pinkie Pie and my friend Gilda as scapegoats.”

“A bearer of the Elements of Harmony turning on another bearer!? Oh for the love of the moon, where did I go wrong?” The alicorn sunk into her seat, almost curling into a ball of black and blue. “All these ponies were the closest to me, without them how can I run my kingdom? Who can I even trust to aid me at this point?”

“It does not make up for what we were doing, but I want you to know that we were doing it for your kingdom,” Shining Armor replied, his nose still to the ground, almost muffling his words. “You had done so much for us, we only wanted to see it strive for something more. You had made us greedy, providing us too much that we only wanted more. I cannot say I was not enticed by the idea of power, Blueblood’s lust had blinded my own desires. I ask to be stripped of my command completely, in the hopes you will grant me mercy.”

“I’m truly sorry, princess,” Applejack spoke. “I know it doesn’t mean much, but I was the one who wanted you to remain as the face of our kingdom. I always saw the good in you, but my foolish desire to see the world differently caused me to fall into a deceitful nature. I cannot ask to not be punished, but I do ask for your forgiveness.”

Nightmare Moon sat up. “Oh, you will be punished. You will be…” She quickly turned her head away, pressing the back of her hoof to her eyes. “Gaah! I bet none of you would have turned on my precious sister,” she spat, slamming a hoof on the arm of her throne.

“They did turn on, Celestia,” Sunset retorted. “They turned on her by not fighting against you.”

“Oh, shut up! Must you always be right?” the alicorn screamed. “I’m debating on whether or not to blame you partially for all this. They might not have had the gall to do all this if you hadn’t appeared.”

“You can’t blame me for that,” argued Sunset as she motioned to Twilight. “But you can blame me for this.” Just as she had planned, a sacrifice must be made. No turning back down. Let’s just hope I was right about Nightmare Moon.

The room grew bright for a moment as Twilight’s horn exploded with magic. A shimmering glow swirled in the center of the room as the bearers moved out of the way. Pink and white colors shifted against blue as the light faded, revealing one pink alicorn and one white alicorn. “Celestia!? What is the meaning of this!?” Nightmare Moon yelled through clenched teeth, rising to meet whatever challenge may soon face her.

“I’m glad you agreed to this,” Sunset said to Cadance. “And I’m glad you could convince Celestia.”

“She’s been more talkative lately, which is pretty nice. I’m not so sure she believes your plan will work, but if Nightmare Moon is as hurt as you think she is, maybe they can heal together. That or this’ll be the final battle. Either way, I don’t think I’ll be a warden after tonight,” replied Cadance.

Celestia stepped toward the dark alicorn. “Sister, please, hear my words before you hasten to battle.”

“Now you wish to speak? All these years and you’ve ignored me. Let me guess, you know all about tonight and wish to show me against my ways, is that it? You could have done better?”

The white alicorn shook her head gravely. “No, dear sister. You have done so much good for Equestria. You have brought our people into a golden age of prosperity, so much so that they had started to believe more could be done—that you weren’t doing things fast enough. I had a thousand years to grow them, and you have done so much more in such little time. The Crystal Empire returned, and you cleansed it from King Sombra. You have cultivated relations with our neighbors. You’ve done things I never even dreamed of attempting. No, dear sister. I have come to apologize.”

“A-apologize?” Nightmare Moon stammered down the steps, almost tripping over herself to reach the bottom.

“I locked you away, banished you to protect our people. In the end, you proved that I was the one harming our world. You are the best thing to happen to Equestria in the last thousand years. When I chose not to fight you, when I chose to give up my people’s safety for my own sister, I had thought I was a miserable creature. I had put the world at risk just because I couldn’t banish my own kin. Yet, you proved I was wrong in thinking those things, but the feeling didn’t go away. I am not here to take your seat of power, I am not here to return my sun. I am here to ask for forgiveness, just as these two are as well.” The large white mare plopped her rump on the ground between Applejack and Shining Armor, lowering her head to the younger sister.

Nightmare Moon’s expression turned from surprise, to anger, to happiness in a span of a few seconds. Her eyes closed as she inclined her head as well. “No, dear sister. You were not entirely wrong. I am not fit to rule this world any more than you. I did my best to be better than you, to prove I could do what you did. It led me to have faith in the wrong ponies. Ponies who ended up betraying me, who I believed were my closest allies. I was so enraptured with being better than you, I ended up proving that I could never be you. A pony from another world came and told me that I had always lost. Somewhere deep inside, I didn’t want to believe her, I thought she was lying. Yet, seeing all my hard work, my indecisions, my trust in the wrong ponies, I now know she was telling the truth.”

The dark alicorn reached out and wrapped her hooves around the white, pressing their necks together. “I too, am sorry. I may have proved life could live on with my moon as the life-giver, but I’ve sacrificed too much just to be right. I cannot bear the seat of power any longer.”

“Sunset told me the same, the world she comes from holds us both as rulers, living together in harmony. Remember the days when we took on Discord and Lord Tirek? We were truly a formidable pairing.” Celestia pressed her hooves around Nightmare Moon, tears falling from her cheeks.

“Perhaps Sunset was right,” Nightmare Moon replied. “Perhaps we should rule together.”

Celestia’s soft laugh was nice to hear. “You haven’t lost your Element of Laughter, have you, dear sister? The ponies of this world love you, they love Nightmare Moon.”

“Of course they do,” Nightmare Moon snidely said, lurching her head back. “But they did love you once as well,” she corrected her tone immediately. “Maybe we both belong on the moon.”

Sunset stepped closer to the two alicorns. “I’ve come to realize this world won’t ever be like the world I come from. I can’t try to put everything the way it was like in my Equestria. I’d drive myself crazy if I tried. It’s a sacrifice I have to make, and it’s time for you two to make a sacrifice too. Meet a middle ground somewhere.” Her eyes drifted to the five other bearers. “It’s what I have to do as well, to sacrifice my idea of what the world should be. I must move on to the next world. If I stay, I’d only try to get Nightmare Moon to see herself as Princess Luna. I’d only complicate things. You all must send me off before I continue to push things that need to take time.”

The bearers let out shocked gasps, looking at each other to see what reactions the other might have. “Sunset, you can’t be serious. We don’t even have the Elements of Harmony yet. How can you just leave us when you’ve only just brought us together?” Twilight asked.

“I think there’s a certain bad-guy-turned-good that could use a bit of friendship. And I’m fairly certain showing that friendship will unlock those necklaces of yours.” Sunset winked at the orange mare. “It’s only fitting that I head off immediately after taking care of the big ol’ baddie.” It’s what Princess Twilight did. I looked for her for hours the next day. I debated on hopping through the portal just to see her again. I didn’t. Because I had friends who were there for me.

“This entire time, you’ve wanted my moon to be lowered, for the sun to rise,” Nightmare Moon said to the unicorn. “Yet instead of helping those who would remove me from power, you helped me.” The alicorn went down on her forelegs, her horn hitting the ground. “Sunset Shimmer. I am truly sorry. I cannot promise I will lower the moon, but you have helped in setting the groundwork for me doing so. You have shown me that a world where the sun and moon rise in harmony can host ponies who will do anything for the ponies they love. Such sacrifice is inspiring. I swear, I will better myself for the ponies I love.”

The dark alicorn’s horn lit up, and the cerulean pieces of her regalia disappeared. Standing next to Celestia, the parallels between black and white, she bowed her head once more.

“Celestia, will you truly be okay with all this?” Sunset asked, biting her tongue as she asked the question. Stop, don’t interfere.

“I am. You’re from a time where my sun shines and sets, you’ve visited others that have had the same. I’m alright with letting just one world have an Endless Night.”

“Forever Night,” Twilight corrected, immediately slapping her mouth shut.

Nightmare Moon burst into laughter. “Oh my goodness. It feels good to laugh. Though I feel like I could use a few nights of rest. Ruling alone has been awfully stressful.”

“I know a perfect place where nopony bugs you—aside from the occasional time traveler,” Celestia replied, and Nightmare Moon laughed harder.

With everything settling down, the last true night Sunset would spend on this world passed. She awoke to strange news. “They picked me to head up as the new captain of the guard, but I turned it down! I wanted Gilda to have it. She deserves it, and I don’t mind being her second in command,” Rainbow Dash had told her over breakfast. Sure enough, Sunset later saw Gilda ordering around Shining Armor, smacking him with a staff to hurry him along. She had to laugh at that, but felt sorry too. Who knows, maybe he’ll seek out Cadance now that he knows he marries her. If I stuck around, I’d just try to get them together. Whatever the Tree of Harmony may think, I’m not the right mare for that job. Another smack of the staff and the name ‘The Red Brick Wall’ being hollered in the distance moved her along.

“What if Nightmare Moon makes me a princess?” Twilight asked as they entered the princess’s palanquin, preparing for their trip to Ponyville. The bearers and Sunset were the only ones to go, Nightmare Moon and Celestia had already said their goodbyes and their thanks. “Do you think that’ll happen? She told me that if I could fix the book she destroyed, she might think about it. I wouldn’t even know where to begin.”

“Hey, if you knew how then I’d be staying,” Sunset replied. “But don’t sweat it. The next world will have it, I’m sure."

“I don’t want you to go, Sunset,” Fluttershy argued. “We need to get ice cream, and Harry would want to see you again.”

“And what about all the kiddos who’ll want to have you guest star as a speaker again!?” Pinkie exclaimed.

The palanquin was filled and the guards began to move, rising high into the sky. “Sorry girls. This world isn’t for me. Every day the sun doesn’t rise is just another day I feel like a failure. At least now, I leave on a high note. And I think you five will have a new friend to help along.”

“I am mighty disappointed. I was hopin’ you and I could become true friends, Sunset,” Applejack mourned. She had tossed off her nobility and clothing, though she remained quite beautiful. “Now that everything is out in the air, I can start being myself. Being pony, having your health—”

“That’s the most important thing,” Sunset finished, causing Applejack to blush. “I think Pinkie’s got a new slogan for you.”

Pinkie perked up. She was back in her chef’s outfit, though she no longer wore her glasses. “Everypony holds the Elements of Harmony in our hearts, friendship is what binds it all together!” Pinkie paused. “That’s not nearly as good of a slogan; it’s way too long.”

Rarity, covering her muzzle with her hoof, said, “Being pony, having your friends. That’s the most important thing.” When everyone laughed, her face went red.

Sunset then knew she was in the right to leave, as a light began to form within the palanquin. Wrapping around Pinkie’s neck was a golden hemmed necklace, a light blue balloon in the center. “The Element of Laughter!” Sunset and Twilight chorused.

“See, I told you girls that you didn’t need me for this. It was in you all along,” Sunset added, smiling so hard it was starting to hurt. It wasn’t long before a hug was piled on the unicorn, almost tipping the palanquin’s weight.

After settling down outside the Everfree Castle, they took the bridge across and made their way into the forest. When they reached the map, a guard for Nightmare Moon was standing up sleeping. “Hit the showers, bucko. Guard duty has been relieved,” Applejack awoke the stallion. When the guard spoke her name, she replied, “Not Miss Applejack, just Applejack will do. Head on home, someone else will fill you in.”

“This is the table, huh?” Twilight said, glancing over the crystal. “Not quite what I expected. Are you sure you want to do this, Sunset? There’s always time to back out. You know this just as much as I do.”

“Don’t get me wrong, I’d like to spend more time with all of you, and you’re right, I have the time to do so, but I can’t. You’ve got work to do,” Sunset replied, and each of the bearers took their time hugging the unicorn. “You could always look for me in this timeline. If I know me, she could always use more friends.”

Pinkie Pie was the first to take her seat. “I’m so excited to have my Element! We can really do this, girls! Let’s give Sunset what she wants. We’re not the only ones with work to do!”

“Sunset said it, so I believe her,” replied Rainbow Dash as she too sat down.

“I must admit, I did have my reservations about Sunset. For once, I’m glad I was wrong.” Rarity sat across from Rainbow Dash. “And to think, I never would have liked any of you had it not been for her.”

Applejack took the spot next to Rarity, her golden hair brushing against the back of the chair. “I know it sounds silly from the outside lookin’ in, but I’m glad she was here to stop me. Who knows what would have happened if Blueblood would have taken control.”

“I get the sense that we would have gotten the Elements of Harmony a lot sooner,” Twilight argued as she sat down. “You, my brother, and Blueblood seemed to believe she would just step down, but I fear what Nightmare Moon would have really done. With Celestia here, I think she’s going to be a lot calmer from here on out. I’m just hoping my brother has learned his lesson too.”

“Sunset told me your brother is married to Princess Cadance, Twilight. What if we tried to get them together?” Fluttershy had gotten a haircut, making her look more like the Fluttershy Sunset recognized. “Oh! We could have a wedding! Wouldn’t that be nice?”

Sunset laughed. “Just another reason for me to get out of here. I’d be too scared of a changeling attack.”

“There’s always the next world,” Twilight joked, but everyone grimaced and groaned.

“Save the jokes to me, Twilight,” Pinkie yelled, pointing to her necklace.

“Enough,” Sunset said, far calmer than usual. “I love you all, and I’m going to miss you. Remember, take care of yourselves and each other. I have faith you’ll bring harmony to this world.” Standing bipedal, Sunset placed her hooves on the crystal table, revealing the map hidden beneath. She stood like that for a moment, waiting to be lifted into the air. When she looked up at the sky, nothing was happening. “Where’s the portal?” She smacked the table a few times. “Where’s the portal!?” She glanced down at the Tree of Harmony. If it’s associated with the map, could it be too corrupt? Could taking the Elements of Harmony out of it destroyed the connection?

Suddenly, her mane blew into her face and she felt the winds kick out from beneath her. Her back legs went out from under her as she went upside down, her backpack pushing her upward. The last thing she saw was her friends staring up, waving goodbye with teary smiles.

What was with that portal? she wondered before the air was knocked out of her. Her eyes shut as she felt herself suffocated by a thousand pounds of fluff. When she opened them, there was nothing around her, but the feeling remained.

“Well, good luck,” a voice said, the same voice that she had heard that last two times she teleported between the planes of existence. She did not know the voice, but it angered her.

When the other side of the portal opened, she landed gracefully on her hooves, her magic cushioning her fall. She twisted in every direction, looking for Twilight and Spike. Just as they escaped through their own portal, she called out to them. “No! Wait! Twilight!” But her voice fell on deaf ears. The portal was always too loud for them to hear anything, just as it was too loud for her.

But it was not just the portal that was loud, the ground shaking beneath her hooves roused like angry bulls in a stampede. An explosion rocked the cliffs in the distance, trees landing meters away. Above it all stood a red centaur, towering over the world like a child standing over their toys.

With a smile on her face, Sunset sat down in one of the crumbling crystalline chairs. “This is fine,” she lied to herself. “Nothing wrong here. Let’s just move on to the next world.”

Unfortunately, a tree landing on the table forced her to run away screaming.

World 4: Chapter 1

The dark and red sky brought the smell of an endless fire which jostled Sunset’s nostrils, singeing the tiny hairs. Her eyes were soaked with tears from the smoke. Ash rained down, covering her like algae covering a lake at the start of spring. Another explosion struck her eardrums as she fled through the burning forest. Many of the trees were already blackened, scorched, and ripped from their roots. Rocks that were once huge boulders now were no more than the size of a doorknob. Gravel swam beneath her hooves as she ducked for cover, another boom.

It was another time, another place, one that was not her own, Sunset knew. There was no great big crystal tree that Princess Twilight resided in, the map was still crumbled, and there was certainly no way Lord Tirek had escaped for a second time. This is Tirek’s timeline, she recognized, just as she had recognized the last three worlds. Out of all the villains she’d heard of, Lord Tirek was truly the worst of them all. Brainwashing, feeding, lying—nothing could compare to the terrible nature of the centaur. Even Sunset knew that her own demonic power would have been no match compared to Lord Tirek.

Dark clouds huddled over her, the path becoming foggy with dust and smoke. Another blast struck the trail in front of her, sending debris flying overhead. Luckily, it sucked the air out of the fire close by, granting her a different path out of the violated forest. Is this still the Everfree Forest? she wondered, trying to figure out the closest landmark. Ponyville was always close by, but if Lord Tirek was loose then surely it would be in ruins. A brief lapse of cloud coverage lit the way through some trees that had yet to be destroyed. She found herself traipsing through brush and thorns just to make it ahead of the roaring fire.

The sound of the burning was almost as terrifying as the sound of Lord Tirek’s magic. Click, click, boom. Another quake. Click, click, boom. Dirt showered down atop leaves, sounding too much like a rainstorm. Her eyes broke free from the tree line, and much to her surprise, Ponyville still stood. Another ravaging beam sent her screaming down an incline, sliding on her rump, and hitting the bottom like a dropped bag of potatoes. Two burnt twigs were stuck in her mane, her backpack dirtied, and her hooves were covered in soot and mud. The fire burned so hot that the ground had begun to melt.

Her whole body was hurting. I thought I was done with running after the last world, she complained as she made sure everything was still in place. I’m going to have a couple bruises. In the distance, she could see the town of Ponyville. Like a beacon of light, the quaint town was still standing. No fires, no rubble, not a scratch from what Sunset could tell. As she drudged closer, well away from Lord Tirek’s fiery blasts, she found that she was right. The town was completely intact. Not a piece of plank or hay out of place. The grass was normal, a bit patchy but nothing a little bit of love and care couldn’t fix.

As she entered the cozy town, she could still see Lord Tirek in the distance above the hay roofs. Click, click, boom. She shook. Not just from the quake, but from fear. The side of Ponyville she entered was devoid of life. Have they all fled? A sudden orange blur dashed past her, proving the town was not empty. She followed, chasing after the blur only to find a crowd of ponies coming out of their homes. She sidled up beside them, following the crowd to wherever they were headed. Shouldn’t they be evacuating!? That’s when she noticed her run slowed, matching the rest of the leisurely ponies heading towards the direction of the evil centaur.

Ponies gathered at the edge of the town, all standing like sheep staring up at their fate. These sheep did not seem worried, they held happy little smiles. “What’s going on?” Sunset asked one mare who she trotted with.

“Lord Tirek has come!” the pony answered with a bit of glee in her voice that Sunset did not like.

Her heart sunk. They’ve accepted their fate, she reasoned, grimacing. The large centaur ceased his fire for a moment, turning his gigantic head to face Ponyville. Oh, no! Here he comes! I’ve got to get out of here. Just as she turned to run in the opposite direction, the crowd enlarged, trapping her within the sea of ponies. She struggled to move, and then she heard it.

Click, click, boom.

It ended with ponies screaming.

The warmth struck Sunset’s fur like a firework hits the night’s sky. The heat rushed over her, and the screams continued. But it was not pain they yelled for—it had been screams of delight. Ponies throwing their forelegs into the air and stomping back down. Whinnies and hollers melded together into a pot of cheering. The fire was gone, put out by the centaur, but the long crater remained. Sunset rose up bipedal, placing hooves on other ponies for a better look. It was as if someone took a large plow to the ground, creating an empty trench, but then it wasn’t. In a blink, water sloshed down the newly created river. Fillies and colts ran forward to jump into the rushing rapids, but the centaur put out a big meaty hand. He was larger than any castle.

“Now, now,” his voice boomed as he spoke, “you must let the sides cool first. The water is nice and cold but even so, it does not touch the banks.”

“Thank you, Lord Tirek!” the fillies and colts yelled from the edge as they waited for the hot dirt to settle and fizzle out.

Sunset couldn’t believe her eyes any more than her ears. While the crowd dispersed, she stood alone staring up at the centaur with her jaw touching her chest. She did not have to stare up for long, however, as the giant centaur started trudging away from the quaint town. “What in all of Equestria just happened?” Sunset said, perhaps too loudly.

Another mare, different from the last, came up to Sunset and asked, “You’re new around here, aren’tcha?” The voice was familiar, but the giggle was what Sunset recognized.

“Pinkie Pie?” Sunset turned to face the mare, and she was surprised by the earth pony’s look. “You’re… you.” She squinted, examining the pink face, pink hair, and pink tail.

“You know me?” Pinkie Pie asked. Compared to any other Pinkie Pie Sunset had met, this one looked like an exact copy to the one who had been carting cake through Princess Twilight’s castle. Everything about her was familiar except for the most important detail. Thick cerulean eyes were replaced with a light grey, leaving almost a contrasting glare to the wide-eyed pink mare. “How do you know me and yet you don’t know what’s going on? That’s really silly.”

“Pinkie Pie? Oh, Pinkie Pie?” another voice called, just as familiar.

“Rarity! Over here!” Pinkie waved a hoof. “Someone knows me that I don’t know! Isn’t that funny?”

Sunset turned. Her eyes looked the white unicorn up and down. With no contrasting picture other than the previous worlds, Sunset assumed this Rarity was the closest thing to the original as possible. A curl to her purple mane hitting her shoulder and twisting outward, she looked positively normal. Her tail curled into a ribbon shape as well, long and endowed with a sleek shine. The only thing off about the white unicorn was the dull, grey eyes below the thick black eyelashes, mimicking Pinkie Pie’s. “Rarity,” Sunset spoke, her brow furrowing. “You both are living in Ponyville? Is everyone else here?”

“Everyone else?” Rarity lowered her head, glancing over the red and yellow mane of the fellow unicorn. “Are you friends with Pinkie Pie?”

“I just said, I don’t know her,” retorted Pinkie. “But that means a welcoming party is in store!”

“I’m sorry,” Sunset said, backing away from the two. “This is all a little much for me to take in.” I should have gotten more sleep before I left. “I’m from… far away. Could you two explain why Tirek is running loose?”

Rarity stepped toward Sunset, extending a hoof. “It’s common courtesy to greet somepony and introduce yourself before asking questions. Since you are from far away, I will forgive the slight. My name is Rarity, but you seemed to have already known that. You are?”

“Sunset Shimmer.” Taking the hoof in hoof, Sunset gently acknowledged the greeting.

“Pleased to meetcha Sunset Shimmer!” Pinkie bounced up and down, tossing her body over the back of the unicorn and brushing the backpack. “How do you know me and Rarity? You some sort of dress-party enthusiast? Is that even a thing?” When she pulled away, the backpack pulled with her, a strap snapping in two. The bag hit the ground, and Pinkie muffledly said, “Oops.”

Lifting up the backpack with her magic, Sunset examined the two ends and noticed the slice. “It must have gotten nicked while I was running. I guess it’s about time to get a new bag. This one has been killing my shoulders.” When she looked back at Rarity and Pinkie, she wondered why they had their hooves covering their mouths.

Before she could ask, Rarity whipped around to Pinkie. “We must get her to my boutique, and quick!” she whisper-yelled, and the pink pony agreed.

“What—” was all Sunset could manage before Pinkie snatched the bag out of the air with her teeth.

Rarity was a bit more calm, locking her forelegs with the magical unicorn. While the pink pony ran ahead, Rarity stayed with Sunset. “Come, darling. Look natural.” She smiled with her lips, but her eyes remained frantic, glancing in every direction as she forced Sunset down the road. As the boutique came into view, Pinkie stood at the door jogging in place. Once inside, Rarity let go of Sunset and slammed her body to the door. “What are we going to do!?” she howled, pulling on her mane. “She has magic!”

“Now will you two explain to me what’s going on? What’s the big idea?”

Pinkie started sifting through Sunset’s things. “I don’t think she’s from our world, Rarity,” the pink mare said as she lifted out the journal Sunset had been given during her stay in the Resistance timeline.

“Hey! Don’t go through my things!” With her magic, Sunset ripped her backpack and books away from the pink pony. “I learned plenty from the last world, like how you girls are always different. Apparently, this world doesn’t have common decency.” She glanced at the broken strap. “Geez.”

“So Pinkie’s right? You really are from another world? A world with magic?” Rarity stepped toward Sunset. “I-I can fix that strap for you if you’d be inclined to tell us more. More of your world, of your magic.” She held a hoof to her horn and swooned, rocking back and forth. “By Celestia, I miss that divine feeling.”

Holding her backpack to her chest, Sunset glanced over the grey eyes of both mares. “On one condition. You fix my backpack and an exchange of information. I’d like to know as much about this world as possible.” She had gone through three worlds where she didn’t have the full facts, and she was understandably tired of it.

“Your duty is not to learn of our world, Sunset Shimmer,” she remembered Nightmare Moon saying in her throne room. I’m making it my duty from now on. Those ponies didn’t just watch Tirek, they cheered him!

“That seems like a fair trade,” agreed Rarity. She led both Pinkie and Sunset up to her second level where her sewing machine sat. Never before did Sunset see any of the bearers’ homes in her Equestria, aside from the small percentage she walked through of Princess Twilight’s castle. “Let me get some string.” To Sunset’s surprise, the white unicorn used her hooves to reach up for a black spool of thread sitting on the shelf behind the machine.

Dropping the bag on the table where the sewer sat, Sunset glanced around the rest of the room. “This is your home, right Rarity? You live in Ponyville?” Sunset’s dim grasp of their lives bled through. These strange worlds altered their living arrangements, disorientating her knowledge more so.

“Oh, yes. Welcome to the Carousel Boutique! If you know me, why have you never visited my home? That’s a bit odd. Are we friends?” Rarity began placing the line into her sewing machine, a few ticks rang out every couple of seconds.

“No sense in keeping the full story from you. I’m glad you both are interested, at least.” She paused, inhaled, and then exhaled. “The world I’m from has you two and four other bearers as guardians of Equestria. You’ve defeated countless villains with the help of friendship and the Elements of Harmony. One villain being Tirek, of course. I used to live in Equestria before I went through a mirror. Beyond the mirror has the same versions of you, which, when I returned to Equestria and was caught up in this parallel world escapade, it was fairly easy for me to adapt to seeing different versions of you. Though I’ve never actually met any of you from the original Equestria, besides Pinkie, I have met plenty of your separate timeline counterparts. Which, I suppose includes you.”

Though the sewing machine was on and spitting twine, Rarity had long pushed the backpack’s strap past the area of the needle. She sat with her mouth agape staring at the shelf in front of her. Pinkie, who stood close to Rarity, was also completely speechless. Her eyes bulged like the thick end of a tube of toothpaste.

Not having Nightmare Moon to tell everyone to believe my story really makes me miss her, Sunset reminisced. “Alright, your turn. Spill the beans on Tirek and this world.”

The sewing machine shut off. “I’m sorry, darling. Could you repeat that? It was quite a lot to take in all at once.”

Sunset inclined her head and sighed. “Simple version. You two are bearers of the Elements of Harmony. There’s four more. All six of you use the Elements to defeat evil. Which is exactly what I’m here to help you do.” Sorry Tirek, you’re not getting the Nightmare Moon treatment. “Now then, why is Tirek around? How’d he get free from Tartarus?”

Rarity shook her head. “Pinkie, explain, would you?” The sewing machine clicked on again as the white unicorn went back to work on the broken strap.

“R-right. Uh, where to begin?” Pinkie tapped her cheek as she came closer to Sunset, sidling up next to her. “Lord Tirek… Lord Tirek… I suppose it all started when Cerberus left Tartarus unguarded. The big ol’ cutie visited Ponyville, and that’s when Lord Tirek escaped. Apparently, he marched on Canterlot only to find out there was this whole big changeling invasion! He single-handedly defeated the changeling queen and her army, absorbing their magic and kicking her butt out of the city.”

Sunset interrupted the recounting, “Hold on, Tirek didn’t show his face till way later! The changeling invasion happened years before Tirek attacked, it didn’t even happen till after Twilight became a princess!”

“Who’s Twilight?” Pinkie asked.

“A princess in my world,” answered Sunset.

“You mean we have four!?” the pink pony gasped.

“Four?” Sunset’s eyes lit up. “You mean… Luna isn’t trapped in the moon?”

Rarity finished the strap, a fine embroidery now sewn in the place of the cut. “Everyone knows the tale. Here’s your bag.” She handed Sunset the backpack with her hooves, which Sunset levitated over her shoulders. “When you said we were the bearers of the Elements of Harmony, I wasn’t quite sure if you were being serious, seeing as Princess Celestia used them to free her sister. It was quite surprising when we were informed Nightmare Night wasn’t just built on a myth.”

“So, what happened to the Elements of Harmony?” Sunset asked.

“Dunno,” answered Pinkie with a shrug. “You’d have to ask one of the princesses. Anyway. After Lord Tirek defeated the changelings, the princesses thanked him. To everyone’s surprise, he parleyed.”

Sunset grimaced at the thought. “Parleyed? How does Lord Tirek, the hater of ponykind, parley?”

“He’s not so bad,” Pinkie claimed with a shake of her hoof.

“It’s true, he’s not,” agreed Rarity, with a bit more hesitation than the earth pony. “He’s the protector of Equestria now. It was a huge deal at the time, though it doesn’t seem like much now. In exchange for all of Equestria’s magic, he guards our realm against those who would do us harm.”

Sunset threw her forelegs up in a rage. “Protector!? Who would he protect us from other than himself!?”

Pinkie answered, “Well, he did march north and deal with Sombra, restoring the Crystal Empire to its former glory.”

“Wait, really?”

“I do miss my magic so,” Rarity said, eyeing Sunset’s horn. “But Canterlot has never looked better. And now he’s come to Ponyville to help build us up. You were there for the commemoration, correct? That river is being cut into the earth on the opposite side of town to help water flow to Sweet Apple Acres. Soon, more farmland will be sprung up for the Apple family, which Lord Tirek himself is going to help plow and grow.”

“Now I know how you two felt. That’s a lot of information to take at once.” Sunset rubbed one of her temples and closed her eyes to help her think better. “None of this matches up with my Equestria. None of this matches up with any Equestria I’ve visited!”

“How many others? What are you exactly?” Rarity asked.

“It’s an incredibly long story. I’ve visited many different worlds. You know that Nightmare Moon myth? I just came from a world where she ruled—the sun was nothing more than a distant memory. That changeling invasion? It was the second world I visited. Queen Chrysalis had captured all of Equestria, trapping every colt, filly, mare, and stallion in cocoons.” She groaned, slapping her forehead. I forgot to look at the map. I’ve got no idea where the other bearers are.

Rarity leaned from side to side, examining Sunset with a keen eye. “You know, I’d call you a liar but you still have your magic. I doubt you traveled all this way from the border. Clearly, you’re not from our world, and if everything you say is true then that means—”

“—We’re not real!” Pinkie finished.

“No. No, Pinkie,” Rarity continued, “That means she’s telling the truth about us being bearers. What exactly that entails, I’m unsure, but we should head to the princess immediately.”

“Are you crazy!? Princess Celestia would just hand her over to Lord Tirek and he’d drain her magic!” replied Pinkie, twirling her hoof around her nonexistent horn. “Other ponies have left Equestria with their magic, maybe she’s one of them! How do we know we can trust her?”

Sunset put a hoof to the earth pony’s mouth. “Actually, visiting Celestia is exactly what we should do. I’d be eager to hear how she gave in to Tirek. Even Nightmare Moon fought to keep him in Tartarus. Do you think you two could take me to Canterlot?” Boy, do I miss Nightmare Moon. Free chariot rides in the sky. I should have taken more time to enjoy the scenery.

“But Sunset, your magic. If you’re found out by Lord Tirek, you won’t have your magic anymore. Is that something you’d be alright with? I’m unsure how you move from world to world, and Pinkie could have a point, we don’t know your intentions. Are you certain you’d want to do something that would end with your magic being taken away?” Rarity asked, her expression of concern was pretty heartwarming compared to the last world’s Rarity.

“I don’t use my magic to teleport between worlds. There’s a map that requires the six bearers to sit on it before a portal opens up for me. Without you six, I don’t go anywhere,” answered Sunset. “Not to mention if we bump into Tirek, I can just easily get away. A small unicorn compared to that big ol’ centaur? Piece of cake!” Had Sunset not trotted to the door, eager to leave, she would have seen the two grimacing faces of the bearers.

The two mares didn’t put up a fight, however. Rarity directed them to Ponyville’s train station which could be taken to Canterlot, and Sunset remembered taking it to Manehattan. That seemed like so long ago. She thought to ask if they should bring Applejack, but decided against it—none of it mattered until she spoke with Celestia. I’m sure Celestia will be eager to have magic return to Equestria and be rid of Tirek. Just because he’s supposedly good doesn’t mean he’ll stay that way. Stealing magic doesn’t sound like a good guy sort of thing.

Making their way down the road, the train station in sight, Sunset thought to ask about the changelings and what had happened to them. That’s when she noticed the two stopped, their eyes wide, their mouths open to the wind. “Girls?” she said, just before slamming into a red wall. She fell on her rump and rubbed her head. When she looked up to apologize, her expression changed to mirror Rarity and Pinkie’s. Tirek!

She had seen his height. He was a giant. Far bigger than any dragon. Yet, as he stood in front of her, he was no taller than Celestia. “What’s this?” he said, his bulky arms crossed. He was sniffing the air, his white brows creased together as he focused.

“Lord Tirek!” Sunset heard Rarity yell as the white unicorn came close with Pinkie at her side. “It’s a pleasure to see you!” she greeted with a big, exaggerated grin.

“Rarity, Pinkie,” Tirek greeted, far more warmly than Sunset expected.

I never met him. I remember reading all about him during my time under Celestia. I never knew he could control his size. I suppose when you have all of Equestria’s magic, your powers could rival Discord. Sunset did not speak, she let Rarity and Pinkie do the talking, which they were surprisingly good at. Here I thought I was the one good at improvising.

“You see, this is just a costume,” Rarity said, pulling on Sunset’s cheek as if it were cloth. “It’s actually just Sweetie Belle and her friend Scootaloo. What do you think? A good enough costume for Nightmare Night?”

“You’ve outdone yourself, Rarity,” Lord Tirek replied as he examined the ‘costume’. “And whatever you’ve used as a perfume, it’s almost intoxicating.” His nose ring swayed as he got a big whiff of Sunset. Her mane rustled just from the strength of his nostrils. “But I thought Nightmare Night wasn’t for a ways out? Why prepare so early?”

Pinkie stepped in. “It’s never too early to prepare! That’s why all my parties go off without a hitch! Preparation is the key to being Pinkie-keen!”

The centaur shrugged and then patted Sunset’s head. “Alright. You girls have fun in there. I’ll see you next week for the bake sale.” One last heavy inhale and Lord Tirek trotted past the trio. They all breathed a sigh of relief once he trailed into the distance.

“I can’t believe that worked,” Sunset said.

“I can’t believe we just lied to Lord Tirek!” Pinkie replied, pulling at her bottom eyelids. “We’ll be thrown out of Equestria for treason if he finds out!”

“What’s done is done. No time to worry about it now. Let’s just get tickets and board!” Rarity ushered them along to the train depot, gaining three passes with haste. After they boarded and found their seats, they all sat close to the windows, staring out at the rest of Ponyville to see where the centaur might be. Once the train began, Rarity said, “I’m glad Sweetie’s off with our parents. Hopefully he won’t run into Scootaloo.”

Pinkie held her head to her back legs, shaking something fierce. “I cannot believe we just did that. What if he finds out? What if he talks to Sunset again? Oh geez! We’re going to be in so much trouble!”

“Would you two calm down? Clearly, if you’re so upset about him finding out, you should help me take him down.”

“Take him down? Are you loco in the coco!?” Pinkie asked. “Listen, Sunset. We all miss having our own special magic, but you can’t go against Lord Tirek. He’s too powerful. Not to mention the princesses are on his side. If you go against him, you go against Princess Celestia and Princess Luna! What pony in their right mind would go against them?”

“They would probably go against Tirek if they knew they could use the Elements of Harmony. Which—” Sunset paused, realizing her words were a mistake. “Wait. Couldn’t Celestia and Luna just use the Elements of Harmony on Tirek? Why would they allow him to be free? This doesn’t make any sense.”

“Darling, I already told you. They parleyed,” Rarity replied. Pinkie leaned in close to Rarity and whispered, to which the white unicorn nodded. “Excuse us, Sunset. We’ll, uh, be right back.”

Ever obliging, Sunset waited in her seat for the two to return. She watched them pass through the doors of the train to another section, and when they were gone she turned to glance out the window. Her eyes dragged across pine trees, the bright blue sky, and the second set of train tracks that ran along theirs. Wait, what? She pushed her muzzle to the window just in time for another train to pass by. The big pink train rushed with the same amount of fervor as theirs, tearing down the track back to Ponyville. There certainly weren’t two tracks in Crystal War timeline. I don’t think there has ever been two.

Sunset peered around the cart for a moment, but no one else sat in the train’s caboose. “Why need two trains if the first one’s barely full?” she mumbled to herself.

With nothing better to do, Sunset threw off her backpack and pulled out the journal that kept her memories of these crazy worlds. Flipping past the first few pages, she reached the end of the Nightmare Moon section. Her eyes dragged across the wrinkled photo of herself and then moved on to the next blank page. What to call this world, she perplexed, picturing Tirek in her mind’s eye. She did not know much of the centaur. He was power hungry, he hated ponies, and his brother had ratted him out to the princesses. Yet, in this world, he did not seem to hate ponies. Nor was he locked away in Tartarus.

Chewing on the end of her pen, she decided against naming this new timeline for now. Instead, she wrote about Tirek’s strange ability to alter his size and of his desire to help pony living conditions. She didn’t believe the latter but wrote it in anyway. Slapping the book closed, she put it back into her bag and noticed Rarity and Pinkie Pie had not yet returned. I have to assume they’re talking about me, possibly how crazy I sound. Still, maybe I should check on them. Tossing the backpack over one shoulder, she went up to the door between train carts. On the other side she found sounds of the train chugging loudly along the track. Wind brushed against her, tossing her mane into her eyes. She pushed on into the next cart where only a few ponies sat.

The ones that bothered to look in her direction all had the same grey, dull eyes as Pinkie Pie and Rarity. None of the ponies in this cart were the two mares, however. She continued forward, pushing open the next door with her hooves instead of her magic. When she closed the door behind her, she found the two arguing on the connectors between carts.

“When we cross around the bend, the train will slow and we can jump!” Pinkie Pie shouted over the noise of the train.

“Pinkie! You’re insane! There’s no way I’m going to just jump and hope I make it! We can just ditch her in Canterlot, it’s not that hard to do! The city is massive!” Rarity replied, also shouting.

“What are you guys doing!?”

They held onto each other, a nervous shine to their eyes as they stared back at the orange unicorn. “S-Sunset!” Rarity shrieked. “We were just…”

Sunset didn’t wait for an excuse. Using her magic, she shoved the two into the next cart. Several ponies sat within, many glancing back at the trio, but Sunset did not care. “You two were just planning on ditching me!?”

“W-well, you see, Sunset,” Rarity explained, “Pinkie made a very convincing argument that, well, we don’t know if you’re actually telling the truth.” She smiled awkwardly, shrugging her shoulders at the same time. “You could just be a pony from outside Equestria, come to attack the princesses with your magic. With no real proof, we just thought that perhaps it would be in the best interest of everyone if we skedaddled and let you manage on your own. No hard feelings, right?”

Pressing the back of her hoof into the bridge of her nose, Sunset could feel a headache coming on. “If you wanted proof, you could have just asked.”

“That’s what I said!” Pinkie exclaimed, throwing her hooves into the air.

“Pinkie, that was me,” Rarity corrected. “You wanted to jump off the train.”

Pinkie twisted her head into her shoulder, giving a cute smile to both the unicorns. “Oh, right. My bad.”

When they settled back into the empty caboose, Sunset once again pulled off her backpack. Pulling out the journal that had brought her so much misery, she opened the first page. “This is the journal I used to communicate with Princess Twilight. In it, there’s mention of you two and the other bearers. A lot of it is very personal questions, especially some of the older ones pertaining to friendship. I’m going to let you two look through it, but please try not to judge me for it. Some of those questions have really obvious answers, at least, to those who understand the meaning of friendship.” She held it out for the two and Rarity took it in her hooves.

With Rarity on one side and Pinkie on the other, they put their heads together to read some of the passages and paragraphs. Sunset watched as their eyes lit up, their expressions popped, and their mouths opened and closed. It was a nervous wait for Sunset, like waiting for a teacher to grade a test right in front of you. “There’s so much here,” Rarity said at one point.

“Friendship wasn’t easy for me in the beginning. I’ve come to understand a lot of different things about it, but it took a lot of work. Most people don’t see that,” replied Sunset. She was busily twirling the watch on her left foreleg, a nervous twitch that remained from the last world.

“Applejack’s a bearer!?” Pinkie yelled. “We should have stopped by the Sweet Apple Acres on our way out of town and brought her with us.”

“You know Applejack? That’s a relief. Most of these worlds, you don’t know each other.”

Rarity tapped one of the pages, concern showing on her face. “Dear, I’m not quite sure I understand one thing. A lot of this references the past. Why exactly were you so bad at friendship?”

That twisted Sunset’s heart. Everything’s coming out immediately, huh? Using her magic, she levitated the book back to her and skimmed through the pages. “Dear Princess Twilight,” she began to recite, “Thanks again for your help with the sirens. It’s been a chore getting everything back on track, but I think the other students are really starting to accept me. No one will be able to forget what I did, especially me, but they are starting to forgive. Maybe soon they’ll look up to me like I look up to you. I know you’ve forgiven me, especially for using your crown to turn into a raging she-demon, but I don’t think I’ll ever be able to forgive myself. I’m not sure if that’s good or bad, but it keeps me striving forward, to be better. Anyway, thanks again. Your friend, Sunset Shimmer.”

“What did this Princess Twilight respond with?” Rarity asked.

Sunset closed the journal. “Some kind, reaffirming words,” she replied. Though they didn’t help me forgive myself.

“Well. I am certainly convinced.” Rarity nodded. “To go through so much work to write something like this just for it to be some sort of prank or delusion? Especially for some ponies you don’t know? No, I couldn’t see it being anything but the truth. Of course, I’m not entirely sure what to make of it. What does a bearer even do?”

“Don’t worry. It’ll come to you. It’s part of your instincts as—” Sunset paused as a building caught her eye. She swiftly threw her head to the window, peering out at the rows and rows of white-gold buildings. “Wait. Where are we?” she asked the two.

“Looks like we’ve entered Canterlot,” Pinkie answered.

Sunset shook her head in disbelief. “Impossible. Canterlot is up on the mountain.”

“Oh, darling, your world must be awful!” Rarity lifted a hoof to the window, pulling open the glass. “Take a look outside, you can see the noble district from here.”

Doing as she was instructed, Sunset pushed her head out the windy hole and followed the tracks with her eyes. Going up, up, and up, she realized they weren’t even close to the Canterlot she had known all these years. Far in the distance, she could see what had once been the main gate to the city, the same one she entered with Nightmare Moon. Between her and the gate sat hundreds of homes, shops, guilds, businesses, and parks where bustling ponies worked and played. “This is amazing!” she shouted after pulling her head back in. “Are all the cities in Equestria improved like this?”

“Most,” Pinkie responded. “Except for Ponyville. But not for loooong!”

“You must come with me to Manehattan some time,” Rarity said to the two. “I’ve often dreamed of opening a shop within the city, but now I could open two and they’d be far enough apart to justify their existences!”

Sunset leaned against the wall of the train, staring out the window with a bit of excitement building in her heart. When the train began to chug up the mountainside, passing through tunnels, Sunset rushed to the caboose’s backdoor. Standing bipedal, she stared out the door’s window at the city below. This is what Blueblood wanted, she realized. Miles upon miles of purple roofs flooded outward in places that forests once resided. I wonder if that stallion is here or if he had anything to do with Tirek’s takeover. She would not judge the stallion of this world on the troubles of the last, just like she would not judge Princess Luna for Nightmare Moon’s shortcomings.

A thought popped into her head, one that soured her good mood. Should I not judge Tirek? He was the evil centaur who destroyed Twilight’s library home. He befriended Discord and then turned on him. He drained the princesses of their magic and used the bearers as hostages. Yet, in this world, he had done none of those things. No. Tirek isn’t like Luna or Discord. He’s more like Sombra. An evil stallion bent on a hostile takeover. She pushed down the worried feelings, the hesitant notion.

The screeching of the tracks told of the train’s soon halt. They reached the platform for Canterlot, though it did not sit in the spot Sunset remembered. When they exited, Sunset could see the castle far in the distance. It was larger than ever, perhaps to accommodate for Lord Tirek’s strange size changes. Traveling deeper into the city, Sunset felt a tone change compared to that of the last world. The sun felt bright on her fur, warming her like the moon could not. Walking down the main street, Sunset found no hint of music in the air.

But nothing was more odd than not seeing any guard towers. In fact, there were no guards. None patrolling the streets, none patrolling the gates. As they rounded the bend and traveled up the limestone steps to the castle, Sunset found that the gates that once blocked off entry to Canterlot Castle had been removed, along with the entirety of the fence surrounding the massive fortress. “Where are the guards?” Sunset asked the two.

“Who needs guards when Lord Tirek can protect us?” Pinkie replied, a mocking smile rose as she spoke.

“And there’s not anyone who can use magic on the princesses. If they tried, Lord Tirek would be there in an instant to strip them of it. Much like how we were worried about yours,” added Rarity. Her tone suddenly shifted when she said, “You’re sure you’re not planning on doing anything with your magic, right?”

“You might be surprised to know this, but I was once Princess Celestia’s student. I’m pretty good with magic, and I know when to not use it.”

That seemed to satisfy both the mares as they traveled up the marble steps to enter the castle. The halls were bustling with ponies of all statures. One gentlecolt in a fine tuxedo was chortling with an earth pony who was way too underdressed for a party within the castle. “What’s going on?” she asked the two bearers.

“We don’t live in Canterlot, how are we supposed to know?” Pinkie giggled, rolling her eyes.

“Right.” Sunset pressed forward, taking charge. They passed the open throne room, a room that Sunset remembered fondly as a filly. Nopony resided within, and so they followed a group of tourists who were photographing much of the interior. What a strange place this world is. They reached a section of the castle that Sunset did not recognize. An open hall where a crowd of nobles gathered. Another banquet? she wondered, a wry grin on her face.

That’s when she realized she was spot on. The crowd started to disperse, revealing a pink alicorn in the center. “Auntie!” the pink alicorn shouted, causing Sunset to turn.

Princess Celestia and Princess Luna entered behind her and the two bearers, their radiance glowing like the celestial bodies they control. Sunset hadn’t seen Princess Luna in person, only the nightmare version of the dark alicorn or the principal counterpart. She’s shorter than Celestia, she noted, though Nightmare Moon had been the same height. She was so jealous that she even needed to be as tall as her sister, she realized.

“Cadance, I see you’ve been entertaining everypony.” Celestia wrapped a hoof around the pink alicorn. “Welcome, all! I’m glad you could join us this day! It’s a very happy occasion. As you all know, Ponyville’s construction begins today, and we can only assume Lord Tirek will have it completed within a week or two. Our friends from the north have already departed for the town, and I am certain they will enjoy their new home.”

“And I’m certain we will enjoy peace and quiet once more,” Princess Luna added, and much guffawing was had by the crowd.

Pinkie slapped her forehead and whispered to Rarity, “Shoot! I forgot the yak party was happening tonight!”

“Yak party?” Sunset asked.

“We’ll fill you in later,” Rarity replied and motioned to Princess Celestia. “Now would be a good time to interrupt, she doesn’t seem busy.”

The white alicorn stood surrounded, but Rarity was right. Compared to Luna and Cadance, Celestia was the least popular. Sunset swallowed her anxiety down and whispered a reassuring word to herself. Placing one hoof in front of the other, she strode forward to the white mare twice her size. “Princess Celestia,” she called out over the crowd.

Some of the nobles stopped talking, but it was Celestia herself who looked to the unicorn. A smile on her face, she stared for a long second before the smile dissolved into fear. Her eyebrows pursed up, her mouth fell open. “Y-you?” The way Celestia said the word, Sunset couldn’t tell if it was good or bad. “What are you doing here?” It was bad.

“I’ll bet you never expected to see me again. Most of the other Celestia’s didn’t. An awful student like me, showing up out of nowhere. Yet, here I am, though I am not the Sunset you once knew,” Sunset claimed, holding her head high. “Through a strong magical force, I’ve become changed. Thanks to the power of fri—”

“Sister! Aid me!” Princess Celestia cut off the unicorn, screaming for help. Within a second, Princess Celestia was blocked by Princess Luna and Princess Cadance, their wings spread. “Her eyes! Look at her eyes!” Princess Celestia pointed at Sunset’s full, shining, colored pupils. “She has magic! Cadance! My pen and scroll!”

“I’m not here to hurt you. Any of you,” Sunset argued. “I’m not even your world’s Sunset. I’m from a different timeline, one that is peaceful and filled with magic. The magic of friendship, like the one I hold with my friends.” She motioned back to Pinkie and Rarity, but when she looked the two were gone. “Wait. Where’d they go?”

Cadance had retrieved a pen and scroll, and Celestia held it within her magical grasp.

“Hey! You have magic too!” Sunset stared deep at the eyes of the three, noting that each of them had a shine that other ponies did not. “If Tirek rules, why would he let you three have magic?” she asked, more to herself than to the trio of princesses.

“For emergencies like this,” Princess Celestia answered just as she finished writing the scroll. With a blast from her horn, the parchment was gone. “Sunset Shimmer. Whatever power you’ve found will soon be stripped of you. I told you once and I’ll tell you again, you’re banished from this castle. You chose your path, and it shames me to have to see you still holding onto such a sickening lust for magic.”

With a shake of her head, Sunset argued, “I don’t. I had a taste of what real, powerful magic could do, and it’s the greatest embarrassment of my past. I am not your Sunset Shimmer, Princess Celestia. I’m a student to Princess Twilight, and she taught me the true meaning of friendship. Through her, I gained an understanding of what having friends truly is, something you tried to show me but I didn’t listen.”

“Who is this Princess Twilight?” another, deeper voice spoke.

Sunset turned, almost jumping out of her fur and skin.

“You. I should have known the smell of magic. Who is this Princess Twilight that you speak of?” The centaur appeared seemingly out of nowhere. His stature was not as tall as she had seen as he barreled down the forest around the map, nor was he as short as when she bumped into him.

“She’s a princess from another world, a world where ponies are free from the likes of you,” Sunset growled.

“Me?” Lord Tirek laughed. “The ponies of this world are free from the likes of me. I do not rule them. Just like how they are free from the magic that tormented them for so long. Just like how you will soon be as well.”

“There are whole other worlds out there where you’re locked away in Tartarus. Where ponies are free to practice magic to their heart's content. Just like this world will soon be once I defeat you!” Sunset readied herself, preparing to jump out of the way.

But the centaur was too quick for being such a large creature. Grabbing Sunset by her foreleg, he pulled her to stand bipedal. “I care not about other worlds, only this one. And this one is free from the terrible magic that ponies and monsters have abused to attack and demean others.” With an expansive opening of his mouth, the centaur dragged the magic out of Sunset’s horn, feasting on the power she held.

She felt the energy drawn right out of her, like a piece of her subconscious was forcefully yanked out. When the centaur finished, he dropped her to the ground where she laid for a moment. Her body felt weaker, her mind split in two. It was exactly how she felt after losing the power she had gained as a demon. She stared at the ground for a moment. “You broke my watch!” she shouted, though it sounded too quiet to be considered a yell.

“If any of your friends from other worlds decide to visit, let them know they are welcome here so long as they give up their magic.” With a gracious bow, Lord Tirek turned and clawed the air. A black gash formed in the air, to which he stepped through, disappearing from the room.

Sunset stared at the broken watch, the face shattered, one of the hands on the ground. With her magic, she tried to pick up the hand, but nothing came from her horn. Pushing with her weak knees, she rose from the floor, feeling a sudden tremendous weight that had not been there before. She swayed as she stood, trying hard to get a grip on her balance. Every muscle strained to keep her from toppling over and slamming hard onto the marble floor.

“Now you are not a threat to this world or yourself, Sunset Shimmer,” Princess Celestia spoke loud and proud.

Breathing hard, Sunset did not look up at her former teacher. Inhale, exhale, inhale. She focused on her breathing for a moment before finally wetting her lips to speak. “I wasn’t a threat to this world before,” she breathed, turning her glare up at her old mentor. “That was before.”

“It’s a shame the dungeons are gone, they’d do this one some good,” Princess Luna voiced.

But it was Cadance who stepped forward, kneeling down to Sunset’s level. “If I might make a suggestion, auntie. This one seems troubled, and Lord Tirek often turns to me to help those who are like her. Let me take this one back to the Crystal Empire. It might do her some good.”

Princess Celestia relaxed and sighed. “Very well, Cadance. You may do as you please. But do take her away quickly. It aches my heart to see her, to see that look.”

At first, Sunset did not know what look she meant. She hadn’t realized it, but she was feeling the same way she felt all those years ago. When I was Princess Celestia’s student… She stared at her previous mentor with a glare held beneath her mane, anger flowing through her veins. It had been that way long ago, the day she was no longer a student. Spite, rage, a guttural feeling of anguish. It was there, hidden beneath, the feeling brought back after all the years passed.

“What’s your name?” Princess Cadance asked, coming closer to the distraught unicorn.

Sunset inhaled, breathing as deep as she could. “My name is Sunset Shimmer,” she told the pink alicorn. “And I used to be Princess Celestia’s student.”

Author's Note

Welcome to my favorite arc.

World 4: Chapter 2

Sunset continually stared down at her broken watch. The train chugged along at a rapid pace, passing much of the Equestria she’d never seen, but she didn’t care. Coughing and sniffling were the only things heard amongst the cabin besides the creaking wheels. Though Princess Cadance was royalty, she did not get a cart all to herself. Still, she was an important pony, and that came with workers who blocked any sort of paparazzi or overenthusiastic fan from coming up and talking to her. It was clear Cadance only did this to have a talk with Sunset, but Sunset had no interest in playing along. She was trapped in her own little world of anger.

One of the hands of her watch had broken off, the seconds hand, while the other two twirled freely around within the broken bits of the glass face. A part of the metal band was crooked, making the fur push down even more, scratching at the skin below. She would have to take it off. It was a gift from Twilight, she remembered as she stared down at her reflection in the bits of glass. I’m going to make him pay. Her body felt tense, the straps of her backpack were cutting deep into her shoulder blades again, though it didn’t help that she was sitting in an awkward position. On a bench close to a window, she had curled into a ball, her back legs were close to her chin while her front legs pushed between. It was something she often did as a biped, another memory that made her feel at home.

This place wasn’t home, though the greeting she received from Celestia had been one she expected of her own world. Perhaps it would be different having Twilight soften the blow. Still, seeing this reception only stifled her own desire to see the Celestia of her world. And don’t even get me started on Tirek. Her teeth clenched together as she pictured the centaur. What was that I was thinking before? Don’t judge someone based on the previous worlds? What a load of hay. Tirek’s an evil centaur, no amount of parleying will change that.

“Sunset?” Cadance spoke up, having remained as quiet as Sunset for most of the ride. “You said you’re not from our world, right?”

Sunset didn’t acknowledge the alicorn, though. She didn’t care about why or what Cadance wanted. There was no way she’d change her mind about Tirek. Without magic, they focused on technology, focused on building. That’s the reason. Their most brilliant minds were put to work elsewhere. Magic wasn’t a problem in Sunset’s eyes, it was a solution. Whether it be ordinary magic or the magic of friendship, it was a tool meant to be helpful. In the wrong hooves, or hands, it could be used for bad, but the good always outweighed the evil.

“You’re married in this timeline, right?” she answered Cadance with a question of her own.

“That’s correct. Why do you ask?”

“Good,” was all the unicorn replied before focusing back on her watch.

The chugging along of the train was the only thing that remained of the stagnant conversation. Cadance tried again, regardless of how silent Sunset wanted to be. “You said you were Princess Celestia’s student. I don’t remember you, though. When was that?”

But again, Sunset did not acknowledge the conversationalist alicorn. Sunset remained too focused on Tirek. In her mind, she was playing out humiliating fantasies she could pull off on the evil centaur. Her plan of taking down Blueblood had gone off successfully, and it only aided in sparking a creative outlet from her subconscious. I once convinced the school that Twilight had ruined our gymnasium’s decorations. Maybe something on that scale could be done again.

“Sunset,” Princess Cadance said with a commanding boom to her voice.

Sunset didn’t answer, but she did turn her head to the alicorn.

“You’re going to hurt your jaw,” the alicorn pointed out.

Sunset hadn’t noticed it, but her teeth clenched roughly together the entire ride. Releasing the tightly held grip of her mouth, she moved her jaw and popped it, feeling bone crunch against bone. It hurt for a second; the muscles relaxing. She opened and closed her mouth repeatedly, trying to get the normal feeling to return. “What do you want from me?” she asked the alicorn.

“Princess Celestia seemed convinced you were a magical demon bent on tearing the world apart. I suppose the troubled past of a student-teacher conflict might have something to do with that. But you mentioned your greatest embarrassment, and that got me curious. I’ve helped a few people who were once evil reform for the world. Did you? Were you? Something evil?”

“In my world, I stole an Element of Harmony from a princess named Twilight Sparkle. I used it in the world beyond the mirror, turning myself into a raging she-demon. I was so powerful that I could mind control the students of my school, turning them into my own slaves for evil. Let me know if any of this is confusing for you.”

Princess Cadance shook her head. “It’s not confusing. I’m not entirely sure what some of the things you said are exactly, but I believe it all.”

Sunset closed her eyes, an unremorseful smirk on her face. “Really? How about this next part. Since I’ve been so good, I decided to return to Equestria for a replacement journal. It allows me to talk to my friend, Princess Twilight Sparkle. Except, when I returned, I was sucked into this stupid battle between the past and present. Now, I’m trapped in each world until I unite the bearers and have them sit on this dumb table which opens a portal to the next horrible world.” When she opened her eyes, she looked at Cadance who was no longer paying attention. “Hey, are you even listening!?”

Princess Cadance perked up, her hoof to her chin. “You said Twilight Sparkle, correct? That’s not Shining Armor’s sister, is it? It couldn’t be the same one.”

“Yeah, that’s the one.”

Cadance leaned her head back, exaggerating an exhale. “Wowie,” she said as she gave an anxious half-smile. “That’s some bad luck that you ended up here, then. Twilight Sparkle’s not in Equestria anymore.”

“What!? Where is she?”

“Well, though you may not like to hear it, Lord Tirek is not evil. When he and my auntie made a deal, they gave everyone in Equestria the opportunity to leave Equestria of their own free will, their magic intact. Very few had a desire to do so, but after much consideration, Twilight Sparkle was one of those few. She had spent so much of her life with magic, it being her cutie mark, that she couldn’t see herself without it. The griffons of Griffonstone and the yaks of Yakyakistan both did not host any of these magical adepts, and so we can only assume these few ponies settled in an uncharted territory, east of Griffonstone or into the unmapped west.” Cadance shrugged. “I highly doubt they went south, from what I hear that’s not the most pony friendly area.”

Sunset clasped her hooves to her temples. “I knew I should have looked at the map when I had the chance. That might have told me where everyone is.”

“The… map?”

“I’m from another world, but I’m not the only one. A crystal table just outside of Ponyville reveals a map when I touch it. It also lights up the bearers positions and sometimes has a glow for the Tree of Harmony. It would certainly lead me to Twilight Sparkle along with the other bearers,” Sunset explained.

“Wonderful!” Cadance clapped her hooves. “I know my Shining Armor would brave the dangers of this world if he could only see his baby sister again. Even if it is to see how she’s doing, I’m certain he’d take the opportunity. I never really got to know her, I had only babysat her a few times, but she meant the world to Shining Armor.”

Sunset uncurled herself, forgetting about the mean old centaur. “Only a few times, you say? In the last world, you and Shining Armor weren’t married. You two weren’t even together. You had said that you had only babysat Twilight a few times before you were no longer required, but you say it’s the same in this world. How could you two not meet or date in one world but get married in the other, even though both have the same starting points?”

“I’m not an expert on time travel or the influence of other worlds. When we arrive in the Crystal Empire, I’ll make sure to introduce you to our magic advisor. He might know more on the subject,” replied the princess.

“Why do you have a magic advisor? Hasn’t Tirek taken all the magic in the world?”

“Somewhat. Zebras use a particular form of magic that doesn’t involve things normal ponies would consider as ‘magic’. Alchemy, mathematics, crystals, ancient artifacts, and those sort of things. Believe it or not, but the Crystal Heart that resides within the city is completely untouchable by Lord Tirek.”

“Really?”

Princess Cadance nodded, then hesitated. “I mean, technically, it is. He could go and physically break it if he wanted to, I suppose.”

I could always break it and blame it on him, she snidely thought.

“It’s good that our magic advisor was brought up. He’s actually someone I really want you to meet. I think you two will get along. Before that, however, I’d like to get you to take a walk around the Crystal Empire with Shining Armor and myself. The city has grown rather large, so I can’t imagine we’ll get to all of it, but I’d like to try. Walking around the Crystal Empire, getting a sense of ponykind, nothing beats taking it all in. You’d think it’d get tiresome after having lived there for so long—but every time I take a walk I always get a renewed feeling in my heart.”

Sunset turned back to her window, her breath started to fog the glass though no snow could be seen. It was another hour before they hit snow, followed by the return of green fields. Crystalline buildings of magenta, cerulean, and fern sprung out in every direction. When she leaned her head out to get a better view, Sunset saw they were nowhere close to the castle, much like Canterlot. She was disheartened to find Rarity and Pinkie Pie were right, Tirek had made an improvement to all the cities, turning Equestria into a thriving, bustling home for its citizens.

You know, we probably just passed it or are going to pass it. That section where Princess Celestia’s camp once stood, she thought to herself, remembering the burning fire of the crimson tents. The memory then faded, replaced with another. Burning trees and dug out trenches. Flying debris and falling clumps of dirt. An awful memory, but only made worse by the click, click, boom that accompanied it.

The clanking of the wheels soon turned to screeching as the brakes came on. Sliding into its stop, the train halted at the crystal city’s depot. When they debarked, Sunset took in the fresh, crispy air of the cold city. It wasn’t as cold as the last time she’d come north, but the mountains that bordered the city dragged down a nice, stiff breeze.

She looked over her shoulder at the way the train had come, buildings ranged for as far as the eye could see. “The Crystal Empire, it’s gotten bigger,” she said to Cadance.

“Everywhere has gotten bigger,” replied the princess as they walked to the castle. Its blue shine was visible in the distance, and Sunset wondered just how far it could be seen. “When magic was removed from our land, many things changed. The pegasi of Cloudsdale moved to different parts of the world, their city no longer viable. The griffons of Griffonstone were forced out of their home as Lord Tirek found their city to be shambles and huts, providing them with better accommodations in our cities. Even the dragons might soon become part of our society, though I don’t think it’ll be as pleasant as he believes.”

“Why is Cloudsdale no longer viable?”

“Pegasus magic is the ability to soar amidst the sky and walk amongst the clouds, much like earth pony magic is their unmatched strength and special connection to nature and life. But Cloudsdale was, well, too far for those pegasus who were now clipped of their magic. Other forms of travel were available, but in the end, many of the citizens moved to other towns,” Cadance explained. “And before you ask, yes, our weather was affected. We are lucky here in the empire, but the rest of Equestria is not. Have you heard of the Everfree Forest? Equestria is now the same, at the whim of whatever the weather decides for itself.”

“Unless Tirek decides he wants it cloudy or sunny, right?”

Princess Cadance shrugged at the question. “He is not as strong as you believe. He could not contain the blizzardy storms that surrounded the Crystal Empire when it returned. It was too much for him. Maybe a low hanging cloud could be swatted out of the sky, but creating positive magic has never been his forte, as my aunt says.”

The Crystal Castle shadowed them as they came closer, mares and stallions greeting the returned princess as they passed. As they rounded off the street, Sunset came face to face with a crystalline statue of the centaur holding up a replica of the Crystal Heart. A groan of disgust escaped her lips as she stared at the heroic sight, a monument to the victory over King Sombra. “Of course he gets his own statue,” she hissed.

“Yes. The ponies of the Crystal Empire love Lord Tirek. I solemnly believe that the victory over the changelings and the victory here changed Lord Tirek’s attitude forever. Whatever he thought after parleying, whatever he believed of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, it was these victories, the cheering of ponies that warmed his heart more so than anything else. Think what you will of him, the hero’s mantle fits him well,” Princess Cadance said.

“And the villain’s crown more so,” Sunset mumbled.

“There’s the most beautiful mare in the world!” a stallion shouted, breaking their conversation. When Sunset turned, she saw Prince Shining Armor planting a kiss on his wife’s cheek. “And who’s this?” he asked, smiling at Sunset.

Princess Cadance extended a hoof, and said, “This is Sunset Shimmer. She’s going to be staying with us for a little while.”

“Another stray in from the cold? Well, if you’re palling around with Cadance then I know what that means.” Shining Armor put his foreleg out to shake. “Don’t worry. You won’t get treated any differently by me. Cadance has the best track record with reforming.” He looked back at his wife. “Reforming, right? That’s what we’re supposed to call them?”

“I’m not reforming,” Sunset spat, slapping away his hoof. “I’m already reformed! I was reformed by your sister!”

“My sister?” Shining Armor took a step back. His mouth compressed into a hard line as he turned to his adoring wife. “What does she mean?” he asked her.

Princess Cadance stepped beside her stallion, rubbing a hoof up his spine to comfort him. “Not your sister, dear. Don’t worry, we’ll explain everything. Are you free for a walk? I was just going to pop inside to have Sunset’s room set up and then come find you.”

“Sorry, there’s never a dull moment around here. Some scouts picked up something odd on the eastern board, I’m going to go check it out.” He quirked a brow back at Sunset before turning to his wife. “We’ll definitely be talking about this tonight. I’ll catch you later.”

The white stallion rushed off, leaving the two mares shadowed by the crystal statue. Cadance escorted the unicorn into the castle, and Sunset was pleasantly surprised by the décor. It was nothing like it was during the Crystal War timeline. Banners of pink and cerulean strung from every wall, potted plants pushed up in every hall, and there was not a single guard to be seen. “Shining Armor said something about scouts. I thought there was no need for guards anymore?” Sunset inquired

“That’s right,” Cadance replied as they strolled down a lengthy corridor. “City guards aren’t needed. There aren’t many pony-related disputes nowadays, and anything too big and destructive is met by Lord Tirek. Scouts on the other hoof, they’re just city guards who couldn’t accommodate to the change in lifestyle. They watch our borders, careful to spot any creature who looks to have magic. To be quite honest, this is the first time I’ve heard of a scout finding something, which is why Shining Armor was so eager to check it out. I’m curious as to what they found.”

“Besides the Crystal Empire and the changeling invasion, is there anyone else Tirek has done battle with? Discord?” Sunset asked.

“Not that I’m aware of. Though, I suppose you might include the dragons in that. They haven’t invaded or anything, but Lord Tirek did do battle with the dragon lord. Dragon Lord Torch, I believe is his name. From what I heard from my aunt, Lord Tirek wrestled Dragon Lord Torch in the Celestial Sea. Their fight sent waves all the way to Manehattan. Eventually, the dragon lord was bested and submitted, ending what is now called The Lord’s Battle. Dragons don’t have any real magic for Lord Tirek to absorb, but an alliance was the real prize. Bringing the yaks, griffons, ponies, and dragons all together helps build the dream Lord Tirek wants for Equestria.”

“And what dream is that?”

“For Equestria to be accepting of all races and species, no matter what they look like,” answered the princess.

“Why would he care about that?”

Princess Cadance pushed open a door to her throne room, which was more modest than Canterlot’s. “It wouldn’t be right for me to tell his tragic backstory. I couldn’t do it justice. If you’d like to hear it, ask my magic advisor for a recounting of the tale.”

Spending a moment within the throne room, Sunset glanced around at the seemingly normal crystal décor. Princess Cadance busily spoke with another pony who ran off as soon as the conversation finished. This is the room that Cadance was stuck inside the crystal, wasn’t it? She tried to remember, but it had become a fuzzy memory clouded by the rest. Her eyes trailed the carpet that ran to the throne. Lifting it with the back of her hoof, she tried to see if there were any cracks within the floor. Nothing was found, however.

“What are you looking at?” Princess Cadance asked.

Sunset was quick to let go of the rug and turn to face the pink alicorn. “Just looking for answers. Who was that you were talking to?”

“Just a humble staff member. She’s gone to set up your room. Come on, let me lead you to it.” As she was led to a section where bedrooms lined the hallway, Sunset remembered the room she had broken into to steal Twilight’s crown. When they came to that room, she was thankful to pass by it. “Here you are,” Princess Cadance said, twisting the bronze knob with her magic. The room was quite pleasant compared to some of the other places Sunset had stayed. A wooden headboard and footboard for the bed, no canopy. A vanity with a full body mirror. A shelf lined with books. But out of all the amenities, nothing beat having her own personal bathroom.

Throwing off her backpack, Sunset looked down at her foreleg. Her brows pulled together in a frown, saddened by her own reflection in the broken glass. Wrapping her other hoof around the band, she tugged it off her foreleg, leaving a ring of indentation left in her fur. After placing it on her backpack, she turned back to Princess Cadance.

“So? Do you like it?” the alicorn asked.

“Yeah,” Sunset answered with a flat tone to her voice. “It’s great.”

The expression Cadance held told that she understood, but Sunset didn’t want understanding. They meandered for a bit before heading back out of the castle, which Sunset was fine with. Seeing memories that I’ve almost forgotten, this world is going to be the worst out of all of them, she decided, feeling lower than before. Her body still ached to walk, though she made no expression to show it. Whatever Tirek had done to drain her magic, her physical strength suffered with it.

She glanced over at Princess Cadance, a bit of life to her eyes, leaving Sunset with envy. “Why’d Tirek let you have your magic?” she asked, perhaps not as nicely as she could have.

“Like Celestia stated, for emergencies. It would also not look good to the rest of Equestria if their leaders did not have a least a little bit of magic. In fact, we didn’t for a while. Many ponies rejected Lord Tirek even after it was announced we princesses sided with him. They believed we were mind controlled, our power stripped from us. But that wasn’t the only reason Lord Tirek returned our power. Without Princess Celestia and Princess Luna to control the sun and moon, things went awry for a little while. Lord Tirek tried to control them, but he is not skilled in the ways of moving celestial bodies. So he relaxed his control, gave up some magic to them, and was kind enough to restore some of my own.”

“Yes, very kind,” Sunset dryly commented.

“Let us head off into the rest of the city. I’m sure you have more questions, but I would like to ask my own as well. Getting to see such beauty will loosen your anxiety of talking about such topics.” Princess Cadance trotted out of the castle, the Crystal Heart hanging in the background behind her head.

Sunset’s eyes darted between the two. She could feel herself grimacing but did nothing to stop it. “I don’t have anxiety about speaking of myself. I already told you a bunch about me.”

“You haven’t told me what you want,” Princess Cadance mentioned as she walked toward the floating heart piece. “Or why you’re here.”

“I don’t know why I’m here. If I did, I wouldn’t be. I just want to go home. I can’t. There’s something only I can do. Things I have to do.” Things I failed at doing in the last three worlds. At least Princess Luna wasn’t turned to stone, but that doesn’t make my shortcomings any easier to accept. “I’m not sure if I was chosen to be part of this journey with Princess Twilight or if it was just one big coincidence. But the Tree of Harmony wanted my help, it wanted me to set time straight. Sometimes, that’s not easy. And other times, it’s as easy as beating up a giant evil lord.”

“I see.”

“You don’t believe me, do you?” Sunset asked.

“I do, actually.” Princess Cadance looked over her shoulder at the unicorn. “Not many others know of the Tree of Harmony. Myself, Lord Tirek, and of course Princess Luna and Princess Celestia. If you know about it, there has to be some reason for that, which is why I believe every word. But enough questions for now. We must walk if we’re going to clear your head.”

I don’t want my head cleared. I’m perfectly fine, Sunset believed, but said nothing of her inner thoughts.

Though Princess Cadance hoped the fresh air and beautiful scenery would help ease the unicorn from another world, after an hour it had only helped in making her more irritable. Traveling across a park where fillies and colts played ball, Princess Cadance attempted to make small talk only to be met with grunts and groans. “And this is the stadium we use for the Equestria Games. We’ve only held it one year here so far, but that was a magical year,” the princess explained to the bored unicorn.

“Mm.”

“You’re not getting anything out of this, are you?” Princess Cadance stopped and asked.

“Not really,” answered Sunset.

“Well. I tried. Tour’s not for everypony. But at least we’re close to the final stop.” Princess Cadance continued on until she came to a home. The castle was in close proximity, just in view down the sapphire-colored street. The home itself was a dark, stout, two-story building, with a raisin or plum coloring to it that did not quite match the other reddish-purple homes. A birch door offset the dark, matching the shutters amongst the three sets of windows. “I’m sure he’ll be eager to meet you,” she said, using the door’s knocker.

A loud crash of pots and pans was followed by a word not to be uttered near fillies and colts. The stomp of hooves came closer to the door, and the flailing sounds of locks being turned echoed from behind the wood. The door pulled inward, but the home was too dark to see the pony who answered. The stallion’s face appeared in shadow, only the reflection of his glasses that balanced on his muzzle gave any indication of the pony standing in the cracked doorway.

“Hello there,” Princess Cadance greeted. “I’ve got someone here I know you’d like to meet. Someone a bit like you.”

Sunset did not know what that meant, but her curiosity was killing her. Even after the shadowed stallion pulled the door all the way open, he remained a silhouette in the darkness. It was not until he stepped closer to the sun’s light that Sunset recognized the stallion in front of her. Her eyes squinted at him. “Are you… who I think you are?”

The glasses seemed out of place for the stallion’s dark features. A mane of black with sideburns shadowing down his charcoal-colored cheeks, a red magician’s cloak trailing down his back. The stallion had a jawline that most would envy, and his dark crimson horn would have matched his eyes had they not been dull and grey like the rest of ponykind. He was nothing like what Sunset remembered, missing his metal accessories, royal cape, and spiky crown. He was shorter than he had been, but Sunset chalked that up to him missing his crystal platform that he rode upon.

“Hello there,” he greeted in a deep, gruff voice. “My name is Sombra. How may I be of service?”

“This can’t be happening,” Sunset said, tripping back down the steps to get away. “You were defeated! The Elements of Harmony turned you into stone!” The stallion’s brows creased together, turning his expressionless face into a frown, something Sunset thought she would never see again. She quickly regained herself. “Sorry. I got lost in a memory for a moment.” She clunked her head with a hoof. “You’re not the same Sombra.”

“Uhm, Princess Cadance,” the dark stallion spoke in a hushed voice, covering his mouth with his hoof to hide the words from Sunset. “What is she talking about?”

Princess Cadance was as warm and friendly as ever, bobbing her head as she smiled along. “I’ll explain everything. May we come in?”

With a welcoming bow, the dark grey stallion led the mares into his home. Shelves upon shelves were lined with books, scrolls, tomes, and manuals. The windows were covered up to the top of their frames with literature, blocking most of the light from the outside world. He led them to a table which, you guessed it, was also covered in books. His kitchen sink sat filled with dirty dishes, perhaps the one place that did not have a piece of written material. The stallion was quick in preparing tea, which Sunset hoped was with a clean kettle. Princess Cadance was nice enough to use her magic to clear a bit of room on the table, but only when the stallion wasn’t looking.

“So, what brings you here?” he asked as he pressed the tea into cups, grimacing worriedly at the sudden open space on the table. “You usually request me at the castle. I’m sure seeing my fire hazard of a home is not pleasant, after all.”

“I am a bit surprised you don’t have your two apprentices clean and organize for you,” Princess Cadance replied. “But it’s good that you didn’t. Sunset Shimmer is from another world that differs greatly from our own. I wanted her to see how you live, to see she is not alone in the reformation process.”

“I already told you, I’m reformed.” Sunset slapped her hooves to her chest angrily. “I helped defeat a group of sisters who were bent on enslaving people with their music! I turned into a harbinger of light to defeat a magical darkness that took over a friend, saving two worlds from being forced together! I. Am. Reformed!”

Sombra pushed his glasses up his nose. “You did those things? I was certain Lord Tirek was the only one who remained as guardian of Equestria.”

“Lord Tirek hasn’t done squat compared to the bearers back in my world,” Sunset argued.

“Perhaps you should explain to Sombra your predicament; your placement between the worlds,” Princess Cadance suggested.

And so she did. She spoke of her Equestria, the world beyond the mirror, and the traversal through alternate universes. Sunset told them everything. Sombra was quite surprised to hear of his accomplishments in the first world. “That was not me, but I must apologize nonetheless,” he said, bowing his head to her. “I have done things that are shameful. My fellow crystal ponies lost a thousand years because of my actions. It may sound odd to hear, but I am thankful you and your friends stopped me.”

“You’re… thankful?”

“Yes. It sounds to me like I was winning. Turning my people, my kind, into brainwashed slaves has been my biggest regret, and I regret many things. Making someone lose all their emotions, their thoughts, who they are—that’s only something the worst of the worst do. That’s who I was,” replied the stallion.

Sunset winced to herself, remembering the kids and teachers she had turned into zombies with her demonic powers. “I understand where you’re coming from,” she said. “I have things I regret too. I try every day to make up for the things I did, which is why I’m stuck in these worlds attempting to right the wrongs.”

“I would assume you’re here to try and take down Lord Tirek then. From what you’ve said of your Equestria, these bearers defeated all the villains they’ve run across. But Lord Tirek is not a villain here. What is it you will do?” Sombra inquired, proving he had a sense of intelligence unexpected of the stallion.

“One of the bearers,” Princess Cadance interjected, “isn’t even in Equestria anymore. Shining Armor’s sister, Twilight Sparkle, left Equestria once Lord Tirek took over. I was hoping you might be able to solve Sunset’s issues on getting her home while also showing her that this world isn’t so bad.”

The stallion rose from the table, his face a nervous, sweaty mess. He brushed his sideburns with the edge of his hoof, taking a long while to think on everything that was said. “To charge me with such a task is of great honor. I cannot say no to something like this. But, I wouldn’t even know where to begin.”

Sunset rose as well, staring the stallion in the grey of his eyes. “There’s a book out there, written by Star Swirl the Bearded, that holds the spell that started this whole mess. I found it in the last world, but a mistake happened and it was lost.”

“And you assume I would have this book.” His eyes darted between the cavalcades of book piles. “I do have some of Star Swirl’s work. Most of it was burned—Lord Tirek wanted nothing to do with the stallion that turned his brother against him.”

“Yeah, I kind of expected that,” Sunset muttered to herself.

“Excellent! You have a lead! I know you’ll perform admirably, Sombra.” Princess Cadance rose, a bright, cheerful smile on her face. “We shall leave you to it. Starting tomorrow, Sunset, you’ll be spending most of your time with Sombra. I believe you two will get along swimmingly, and you may learn a few things yourself. Thank you, Sombra!”

“It was a pleasure meeting you, Sunset Shimmer,” the stallion bowed as Princess Cadance showed themselves out of his cluttered home.

Stepping back out into the brisk air, Sunset said, “That was nice. A bit surprising to see, but nice. He reminds me of someone but I can’t put my finger on it.” She wiggled her hoof for a moment, thinking of the missing tendon. “It was surprising to see Nightmare Moon stand for good, but seeing Sombra this way is a bigger shock. I would never have expected it from the likes of him.”

“You’d be surprised who can change with just a little bit of love and kindness.”

The sweet sentiment brought a warmth to Sunset’s heart as she thought of the friends who supported her after she was defeated. I’m starting to miss them more than ever. For Twilight to not even be a part of this Equestria, it makes me glad that we stumbled across her Crystal Prep counterpart. She’s so new to the whole pony-up thing that she’s going to think I’m a loon when I tell her all about these alternate universes. They made it back to the castle, and her eyes drifted over to the large crystal statue of Lord Tirek. If I even make it back to my universe.

World 4: Chapter 3

“No. No!” she screamed, throwing her hands in front of her face. The purple demon grabbed a wrist and pulled Sunset Shimmer closer.

“This is all your fault, you know that right?” Midnight Sparkle asked, tossing the girl onto an indigo bench. “You’re failing at everything. You lost your magic, you lost your watch, and more importantly, you lost your dignity! You couldn’t defeat Nightmare Moon so you ran away with your tail between your legs. How pathetic.” Midnight Sparkle erupted into dust, leaving only her laughter behind.

Sunset Shimmer pressed the palms of her hands over her ears. “Shut up!” she screamed, pushing herself back to her feet. Golden flowers danced for as far as the eye could see. “This isn’t supposed to be happening! I thought once I left Nightmare’s Night that these nightmares would stop.”

“Every world you move on to, I get stronger.” Sunset felt the cold hands touch her shoulders, but when she looked there was nothing there, only the strange scent of Midnight Sparkle’s breath. “Every world you fail gives me strength.”

“You’re not real. You’re a figment of my subconscious. I’m too smart for this. I can beat you!”

“But you weren’t smart enough to beat Nightmare Moon. You weren’t smart enough to fight off Tirek. Now you’ve found that you weren’t even smart enough to reform Sombra. Pathetic!” The words drifted around the gazebo like wind, echoing in the open air. “Pathetic!” it repeated over and over.

For once, Sunset Shimmer tried something new. Clasping her hands over her ears, she ran from under the gazebo and out into the fields of golden flowers. Trampling over the stems and petals, she felt the pollen squish between her toes. She ran and ran, refusing to look back. Though she ran in a straight line, she only ended back at the indigo gazebo that sat on the incline. “Come on! Wake up!” she slapped her cheeks. “Wake up!”

She found herself hunched over, drool pooling out onto the vanity’s table. Rubbing the spittle from her mouth, she stared at herself in the mirror, her grey eyes staring back. “I thought I was done with those awful dreams,” she said to herself, glancing back down at the work she hadn’t yet finished. The book she received during the Resistance timeline sat in front of her, a needle and string cutting through the binding. She had made a loop of a strong twine given to her by Princess Cadance, allowing her to tie her broken watch onto the book of memories.

Having forgotten her loss of magic, she tried levitating the book and watch, but to no avail. “I should’ve talked more to Nightmare Moon about my dreams. She might have had more answers had I been a bit more forthcoming.” Packing away the memories into her backpack, she gave a look at her tired face once more. “I suppose I could talk to this world’s Princess Luna, not that I want to go back to Canterlot.”

A spark then ignited in her mind. “I could talk to Sombra! I don’t think Twilight even got the chance to do something like that! I could find out so much information on him, on the past! He seemed like a pretty intelligent stallion. I bet Twilight will blow a gasket when I see her again.” And just like that, her happiness soured. “If I see her again,” she pouted, frowning.

There were no guards at her door like the last world. Still unfamiliar with the layout, she wandered around for a bit before stumbling into the stairway. There were not many ponies who she passed in the castle halls, far less than in Canterlot Castle. It wasn’t until she made her way outside that she found a group of crystal ponies gathered around their city’s heart, smiling and swaying back and forth. She stopped and stared for a moment, wondering just why the Crystal Heart did not restore the ponies’ magic. That’s a good question for Sombra, she recognized before trotting on to the stallion’s home.

With two hard knocks, the dark stallion appeared with a somewhat cheery smile on his grey face. “Come in,” he greeted, bowing his black head. His home was not as much of a disaster as the previous visit. “My apologies for how it looked yesterday. I had my apprentices clean up and organize the clutter. We’ve found every mention of Star Swirl the Bearded and his works that I’ve collected over the years.” He led Sunset back to his kitchen where his sink was still filled with dirty dishes. On the table sat ten stacks of books each holding five different pieces of literature. “I haven’t had the chance to go through them yet. Are you a reader, by any chance?”

“More of a get out there and do stuff kind of gal, but I wouldn’t argue against someone calling me a bookworm,” Sunset answered. She glanced through each of the piles. “I know the coloring of the book, it’s a light brown.” There were about twenty different light brown books. Picking up each, she tried to remember more of the book prior to its unwarranted explosion. One with golden hemming caught her eye, a glittery gold that reminded her of Applejack’s mane. “It might be this one,” she said, pulling it toward her with both hooves.

“How can you be certain? You haven’t even opened it yet,” he remarked.

She paused and furrowed her brows, staring down at the tome written by an ancient stallion. “It’s hard to remember every event of my life. I think everyone is like that. Usually, the most boring, basic stuff gets pushed away because there’s nothing unique, nothing to create a picture in your mind. Anger is a good fuel for memories, however. When you think to the past, when you’re at your angriest, that’s when you can remember a bunch of details.” The shattering of glass. The explosion of pages. The slamming of lockers. The way she looked at me.

“That’s very astute.” Sombra sidled beside Sunset, taking a hoof and opening the cover. “And you’re definitely right. It’s hard to remember things that are monotonous. This book contains a master list of spells, mostly unfinished. Without magic, it’s rather unexciting and pointless, so my memory of the contents are fuzzy.”

Sunset held one side of the book while Sombra held the other, their cheeks close together. Each set of eyes examined through the paragraphs, though Sunset was a bit faster. She knew exactly what she was looking for. They passed a cutie mark switching spell, a mass teleportation spell, and a spell for self-geomancy transformation. Near the back of the book, they found the spell Sunset had been searching for. “This is it!” she exclaimed pointing down to the contents of the spell.

“This only goes back a week or two at most,” challenged Sombra. “You said that a pony messed with the past childhoods of your friends. That would be years upon years.”

“You’re right. This spell only goes back a couple weeks.” She clamped onto the stallion’s cheeks with both hooves. “But if someone intelligent found a way to alter it then who knows how far back they could go. Princess Twilight Sparkle wasn’t always a princess. She altered one of the spells in here, which was the very reason she was inducted into alicornhood.”

“Wit’out your magic, ‘ow do you plan on using it?” he asked, lisping his words. Snapping his head back from her grip, he rubbed his chin with the back of his hoof. “I mean, you could convince Lord Tirek to try and utilize his magic, but you’d have to solve the equation presented first.”

That made Sunset laugh. “For a magic advisor, you’re a bit slow,” she mocked, shaking her head at him.

Sombra scowled, lifting his muzzle to seem bigger than before. “Magic is barred from this world. It’s not like I can go out and examine spells and incantations for my amusement.”

“It’s not about the magic in this spell—it’s how you use it.” She winked, pushing the book closed at the same time. “I don’t need to go to the past, I just need to cancel out the magic that’s been cast on the table.”

“But if you do that, you’ll be stuck here,” argued Sombra.

Sunset held a sad smile. “I know. I’m already stuck here. Twilight Sparkle is off somewhere far away. Even if I can use the map to locate her, it’d take a miracle to try and convince her to return. But if I cancel the magic on the table it may help my Twilight Sparkle take on this Starlight Glimmer.” She lowered her head and sighed. “It’s a sacrifice. One that I’m willing to make.”

“That’s quite a valiant thing of you to do. However, I might be a slow stallion, but you should try other avenues before committing to a permanent fix.”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to insult you,” Sunset apologized.

“It’s quite alright. I’d think nothing of it, but I must admit that I’m quite intimidated by you.” Sombra fumbled with his glasses. “Having only just been introduced yesterday, you’re already the smartest pony I’ve met this century. I’ve never encountered someone so inclined with magic and enthused by its complexities. I find it hard to put my anxiety aside, especially when you’re a lot like me—a reformed villain. Yet you’ve done so much more in your time since being rehabilitated, while I have only floundered with magical practices.”

Sunset stood in disbelief, her jaw to her chest. “I didn’t expect you to admit something like that.”

The stallion threw his head back with laughter. “Sorry! When I was being reformed by Princess Cadance, she helped me escape my shell. I was often quiet; I didn’t show emotion or talk about my feelings. Now, I have more trouble keeping them contained. Let me know if it becomes too much for you. My apprentices often dislike my rambling lectures on the importance of talking openly.”

“No, no. Don’t let me stop you. I’m not one to be egotistical, but I’m not against hearing myself played up,” she said, holding a hoof to her mouth to stop her giggling.

“Sorry,” he chuckled. “I don’t know enough about you to hold you up. I’d like to change that, and I’d like to help you with the spell. Princess Cadance asked me to help you and I wouldn’t want to disappoint her. You and I could visit Ponyville and investigate this map of yours, maybe I’d learn more from it. If you’d like, that is.”

Sunset shifted to one side. “Princess Cadance did say I was to be palling around with you. And it’s not like I could actually do anything if I went back to Canterlot.” She shifted to the other. “Plus, it’d be nice to find out where the other bearers are at. Yeah, sure. Why not.”

“I’ll begin packing my things,” the stallion replied with a pearly smile, exiting the kitchen.

Sunset chose to do the same, taking the newly acquired book with her back to the castle. After stuffing it into her backpack and tossing the bag over her shoulder, she was ready for the trip. She couldn’t find Princess Cadance to say her goodbyes, but she didn’t imagine they’d be in Ponyville for too long.

After boarding the train, a bout of chitchatting between the former villains melted the hours away. Sunset explained her rise to power and eventual defeat, and though she had spoken of it many times before, telling it to Sombra felt different. His eyes are lifeless, but I can see the interest flowing in those grey pools. When the conversation dived for a moment, she asked, “Have you ever run into someone else like us?”

She had her answer as soon as she saw the sad expression on his face. “No. Not exactly. One of my apprentices is rather rude at times, but nothing that designates villain status. At most—Princess Luna.” The edge of his teeth showed in a brief smile before disappearing. “But Princess Cadance did say that if any of the dragons had trouble adapting that I would be the first pony she’d think of. From what I’ve heard, however, it seems there might be too many for me to handle alone.”

I suppose it’s a good thing no other villains have shown up. She leaned to look out the window. Luna’s here, Discord’s still in stone, Sombra and Tirek are reformed. If Sombra can change so much, then perhaps Tirek could have as well. Her eyes drifted back to the dark stallion. “Do you know why the Crystal Heart did not see to defeating Tirek as well? I mean, surely the Heart recognizes evil.”

The stallion shook his head dismissively. “The Crystal Heart is bound to the crystal ponies. If they have love in their heart for the centaur who defended them, then why would the Heart see him as evil? The Crystal Heart is just a conduit, after all.”

Sunset’s brows furrowed so hard she began to squint at the stallion. “Conduit? What do you mean?”

“A conduit. Love passes through it turning into magic which then holds back the wintery storms of the north. It’s just a link. It holds no magic itself. If it did, I’d imagine Lord Tirek would have drained it,” he explained, slightly chuckling as if something he said was funny.

“Twilight Sparkle of the last world called the map a conduit. She explained that it was the tool used to connect the memories of my timeline to the rest. Do you think that’s why it only works when the bearers sit on it? It’s taking the bearers and turning the memory into magic?” Sunset asked.

His eyes lit up, a sparkle to his grey pupils. “That’d be a magnificent find if that’s truly how it works. Now I’m even more eager to see this thing!”

It wasn’t long after that the train reached its stop in Ponyville’s depot. The town had returned to normal compared to her previous visit, ponies trotting about their daily lives. “This is the furthest I’ve traveled south,” Sombra told Sunset as they walked through the quaint town. “I’ve been to Canterlot once or twice, but I rarely leave the Crystal Empire.”

“I hadn’t been to Ponyville at all until this fiasco with time,” Sunset replied. The plain, rustic homes were the same from what she had seen of the previous timelines. She assumed that the out-of-the-way town was mostly unaffected by the abrupt change in the past, other than the stagnant differences caused by the villains. As they made their way out of the town, she saw the destruction Lord Tirek caused, which was now a river with the beginnings of a dock being laid out. “And I’m unsure if I’ll ever truly get to see Ponyville for what it was supposed to be originally.”

Sombra grinned, his teeth flashing white against the greyness of his face. “You’re quite the downer. I promise you, Sunset. I’m going to do everything I can to help you home.”

“And why would you do something like that? You barely know me,” Sunset replied.

“It sounds to me like you’ve been carrying this burden on your shoulders for some time now. You have not expressed the effect of these trials on you, only their outcomes, but I can sense a heavy heart when you speak of them. It is not the normal heavy heart of those like you and I who are burdened by our past. Your heart speaks as if you failed, as if you—oh, dear, I’m rambling on about emotions again, aren’t I?”

“You are. But at least you keep the journey upbeat.” A mask of reserve covered her face. You have no idea how close to the truth you are, Sombra. Even my dreams tell me I’ve failed.

Their idle chitchat carried them through broken fields of charred trees and shattered boulders. It took Sunset some time to figure out just where the map remained. Having had to run away screaming, her sense of direction was a bit iffy. When they came across a tree split in two, a former husk of itself, Sunset was going to dismiss it, but Sombra pointed to the shine beneath the black pine needles. A slight crystal hue resonated beneath the darkness. The chairs themselves remained covered in grey ash, making them resemble rocks or stones.

When Sunset went to move the collapsed tree, the bark fell apart, dusting the table with its remnants. Without her magic, she was forced to buck the tree off the table. But when she did, the piece she kicked tore in two, splitting the tree a second time. With a hefty shove, both Sombra and Sunset pushed off the remains, getting their hooves as well as their bodies coated with soot. “I still can’t get over what power Lord Tirek holds,” Sombra commented, coughing all the while. He held his red cloak to his mouth, revealing his saddlebags underneath. Sunset began wiping down the table with the back of her hoof.

“Neither can I,” she begrudged. With a nice streak of crystal being shown, she waved a hoof at the table. “See? Crystal table.” She then stood bipedal, both hooves on the freshly cleared crystal. “Now, the map!” A holographic map rose up from out of nowhere.

Sombra came closer. His eyes dragged across the cities, the cutie marks, and the Tree of Harmony. The expanded territories of this timeline showed up well on the map. All but the southern cities had become bigger than the original world or any of the previous worlds. As they stared over the hologram, a glitch appeared for a moment. “What was that?” he asked her.

“I don’t know.” Sunset squared her eyes. Applejack, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie were in Ponyville, while Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash are in Cloudsdale. Princess Cadance had been right—Twilight Sparkle left Equestria. “It might have tried to find Twilight,” she started to say before another glitch happened. This time it wasn’t the whole map but just a portion. A flicker of visible static atop the Tree of Harmony. This world’s tree did not glow like the first or third, it remained silent like the second. Sunset stared at the Tree of Harmony, eyeing the dim white ornament. Keeping her focus trained allowed her to see the object disappear completely. “What just happened?” She threw her head back, examining the cutie marks. “Where’d it go?”

“What was that thing?” Sombra asked.

Sunset lifted her nose, standing as tall as she could. “That was the Tree of Harmony. C’mon.” Without any more words said between the two, she led the dark stallion away from the map. She knew the direction. The smell of putrid ash grew less the deeper into the charred woods they went, reaching a piece of the Everfree unburnt and untouched. As she came to the two worlds, standing between them, she noticed that it was as if a line had been drawn in the sand that the fire could not cross.

Continuing on into the hazy Everfree Forest, she noticed that the ashes settled amongst the canopy, giving the world below a greyer outline. It wasn’t far from where they started that they located the dried up ravine. Though it was the same ravine she’d seen in every world, this one hurt the most. The cracked mud was grey, the walls were a whitish-grey, and the charred remains of thrown trees sat dangling over the edges. Though the fire hadn’t spread, it was clear it could have. Some of the canopy had burnt tips and vines were shortened near the edges of the cliff.

As they trotted carefully down the side of the ravine, reaching the bottom, Sunset found the soot was at least an inch thick. They left hoofprints as they walked to a darkened cave hidden between the grey stones. Blackened roots of a tree protruded just above the entrance.

The entry into the cave seemed like an entirely new world, though she could not see much. The slight shining of the sunlight allowed her to make out the silhouette of the big crystalline tree. It was not black, nor was it glowing. Nor was it alive with magic.

“On the map, the tree is only grey when the Elements of Harmony are not within the branches,” she explained to Sombra as she squinted at the six-pointed star that sat in the middle of the trunk. Her eyes went to each of the branches where she had seen the tetragonal crystals placed in the last timeline. “But—this Tree of Harmony has all the Elements, I think. What’s going on? I can barely see a thing. I wish I had my magic.”

A sudden light erupted into the cavern, bouncing randomly off the walls. When she looked back, she saw the stallion playing with a mirror, his saddlebags beside him. “I never go anywhere without my tools. A mirror is great for examining many things in reverse, though I suppose it’s how you use it, right?”

She couldn’t help but smile at the stallion before turning back to the light. “A little lower,” she called, and the mirror bounced the light down the bark. The light blue of the crystal was nowhere to be seen. Instead, the tree grew pure white while the Elements of Harmony turned grey, much as they had been after Nightmare Moon’s corruption seeped into their stones. “What in Equestria?” Sunset rushed forward, placing a hoof on the tree. Her shadow casted up, reaching the six-pointed star. “This can’t be happening. Did Princess Luna attempt to use the Elements of Harmony in this timeline too? Rarity said Princess Celestia used them on Nightmare Moon. How did this happen?”

The dark stallion’s shadow grew smaller as he trotted up beside her. “Princess Celestia used the Elements of Harmony on Nightmare Moon, returning her sister back to this world. She then came down thinking she no longer needed the Elements and placed them back into the Tree of Harmony. If we can assume everything I said is true, that means something happened after they were returned.”

“But what!?” she cried out.

“I am not sure, to be quite honest with you. You’re the expert on these sort of things,” he replied. “Could returning the Elements of Harmony have made the tree dormant?”

“No. It wasn’t dormant in the first world I visited. In my world, there was a box or something that sprouted up after Princess Twilight and her friends returned the Elements of Harmony. This, whatever this is, shouldn’t be happening. We should check out the castle.” She rushed out past the mirror.

“Castle?” Sombra yelled. He quickly threw the mirror into his saddlebag and followed after Sunset.

Sunset stood at the top of the ravine, the rope bridge had been snapped in two. “The Castle of the Two Sisters.” She nudged her head in the direction of the castle. Sombra stood on the loose stones, trying to glimpse the structure she spoke of. “I don’t suppose you also carry a grappling hook and rope in that bag, do you?”

“No, I don’t,” Sombra said as he reached the top, brushing his chest against her shoulder. “But I do spot something unsafe and crazy to try. You seem like the type of mare who is bold and rash.” He lifted his hoof under her chin, pointing in the direction of a fallen tree that bridged the gap between the ravine’s sides. The side that faced the bottom was blackened but the side that faced the sky was as brown as most of the other trees.

Placing her hooves on the trunk, she glanced past the gnarled roots back at Sombra. “You don’t have to come with me if you don’t want. I’ll be back in a moment.”

“When you said you were the adventurous type, I’m glad you meant it. I rarely leave my house most days, I won’t pass this little voyage up just because of a risky bridge,” Sombra replied, a strong, knightly grin passing over his lips.

Sunset smiled back before climbing onto the log. She trailed ashy hoofprints behind her as she maintained her balance across the accidental bridge. When she reached the other side, she hopped down and glanced back. Sombra had already made it halfway. This is so surreal. This is King Sombra, the villain who brainwashed his citizens and made his city disappear for a thousand years. Yet, here is with me, Sunset Shimmer, the girl who stole an Element of Harmony and used it to almost destroy the world. She shook her head, brushing back her bangs with a soot-covered hoof. Strangest part is, I’m enjoying it.

Once Sombra was safely back on the ground, they pushed their way into the forest. The sun began to hang low in the sky, giving the Castle of the Two Sisters a more sinister appearance. The sun bleached white walls were a dark grey in the turning light, though the ash hadn’t helped its look. Pieces of stone collapsed from the inside out. As they drew through the entrance, much of the roof had been blown off, though none inside.

“The Castle of the Two Sisters, you said? Princess Celestia’s and Princess Luna’s home before the younger was banished to the moon… This is the place they settled. The place they returned to after their attempt at beating me for control of the empire,” Sombra commented. His eyes dragged amongst the ruins just as Sunset’s had when she stumbled into the castle during the Resistance timeline.

“It seems, different,” Sunset nonchalantly mentioned. As they pushed into the heart of the castle, they found claw marks on the walls, near the corners, and along the ragged crimson rugs. Weeds sprouted in the cracks of many places, and vines hung down from the open ceiling. The throne room was different from what Sunset remembered. She had felt sadness when there had been no bunnies at the chair, but this throne room’s chair had been shattered. Pieces were spread out in all directions with scorch marks at the edges. “What in the world?” she exclaimed, coming closer to examine the pieces.

Where the throne had sat was now a piece of stony rubble. Sunset looked back at Sombra and noticed the ashy hoofprints they dragged in on the rug began to fade as they traipsed about. She turned back to the pieces of chair, then to the roof above. Though large portions were missing, there wasn’t enough of an opening for the throne to be hit. “This was done deliberately by someone with magic. A fight? Could this have been done by Nightmare Moon and Celestia battling?”

“Possibly. That’s reasonable. Let’s check out the rest of the castle,” Sombra answered.

Turning back out into the corridors, they found the library next. Her eyes went wide as she discovered the library was in ruins, returning her memory of the humble zebra named Zecora. A sudden feeling of anguish shot through her. “Who did this!?” she screamed.

A few of the shelves had collapsed forward, while most of the others had a blast of energy scorching down the sides or middle, burning several books. Two of the tables were completely shattered, while the center one was only broken in two. “All this knowledge, wasted,” Sombra mourned as he stepped past Sunset into the museum of the broken past. “If this was a fight, it seems like they weren’t aiming for each other.”

Sunset was drawn to the center table, a book sat creased between the two halves. Claw marks had been dragged along the cover. Skimming through, she found a few pages were torn from the front of it. The rest of the book didn’t seem to make any sense to her, just pieces of myths and legends. Her head swiveled around the room, eyeing Sombra who was glancing through some unburnt tomes. “Sombra, do you have a copy of—” Sunset looked to the cover to see the title, but the name was scratched out “—Never mind.”

“Titles are sometimes reiterated in the back,” Sombra said as he came close, a set of books in one of his hooves. “Oh, what’s this?” The stallion suddenly leaned down next to Sunset, grasping at something beneath the broken table. When he lifted it out, she saw that it was a set of torn pages.

A curious itch made Sunset lean over the top, eyeing the upside-down words. To her surprise, a drawn picture of a centaur was at the top. “Let me see that!” She snatched the paper out of his hoof and shoved it into the sections of the book she had found, discovering that the pages had the same tears. “These were removed! Torn out!” She scanned the torn papers. Her eyes scowled as she read, her brows came together in a thoughtful frown. “This battle, it wasn’t a battle at all.”

“What was it?” the stallion asked.

“It was an angered attack on the past,” she answered. “By Tirek.”

“What would Lord Tirek be doing here?”

Perhaps in Sunset’s world, after escaping Tartarus, Tirek had also traveled to the Castle of the Two Sisters. Maybe he had set it up as his base after finding it devoid of the two he so much hated. In this world, however, he did not find the two he sought, he found something else, something more. “He was looking for Princess Celestia and Princess Luna,” Sunset replied. “Instead, he found the Elements of Harmony.”

Sombra leaned back as far as he could, extending his neck away from the fellow unicorn. “That’s a bold claim, though not an unreasonable one.” He relaxed for a moment, taking off his glasses to wipe away the streaks. “I’m not sure what these Elements of Harmony looked like before, but from what you’ve said they shouldn’t look the way they do. The Elements of Harmony are not like your map or the Crystal Heart. They contain magic, strong magic, magic that could turn a villain into stone. If Lord Tirek drained those of their magic, then…” He grimaced.

“Then he would have gone straight to Canterlot, feeling strong enough to take on the princesses. Whereas in my world, he would have come here and found nothing, eventually taking his leave to try and absorb basic magic until he became strong,” Sunset finished for him.

“It fits too coincidently for it to be a coincidence,” Sombra acknowledged with a nod of his head. “It fits with his origin story that he and the princesses spread around Equestria.”

“Could you tell me it?” She took the books he found out of his hoof, setting them aside before sitting down next to him.

The saddlebags slid down his back as he took a seat in front of her, their muzzles mere inches away from each other. “It’s quite a rousing good story, I must admit. Long ago, Lord Tirek and his brother, Scorpan, came from a faraway land. He and his brother were not accepted by ponykind due to their strange looks. Lord Tirek resented the ponies for judging them, while Scorpan continued to treaty with them, eventually making a friend in one unicorn stallion. Lord Tirek’s anger got the best of him, turning him into a power-hungry monster. Scorpan informed his friend and the princesses of his brother’s lust for power, to which they immediately stopped him, sealing him away in Tartarus. Scorpan left soon after but not before asking for mercy, a limited sentence for his brother. The stallion who claimed to be his friend lied, however, and did not tell the princesses to go easy on Lord Tirek’s imprisonment.

“For thousands of years, Lord Tirek was forced to idle within Tartarus, guarded by Cerberus. For thousands of years, he stewed, anger building up inside. When he was able to escape, his anger led him to Canterlot, which just happened to be at the same time as an invasion. The changelings tried to attack him, to drain his love, but he had none. Instead, he drained them of their ill-begotten magic. He drained every single one before reaching the changeling queen. When he found Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, they bowed to him, thanked him, and then asked why he had saved them. He did not have an answer, he was just as surprised as they were. Something in him had changed, his anger gone. That was when he parleyed. Look at the power-hungry monsters that have come to steal your magical essence, he said to the princesses. I too am a hungry monster come to steal your magic, yet even with your magic, you could not save yourselves. I, however, saved you.

“The princesses were in shock, but they understood. Princess Celestia had only recently recovered her sister from a powerful magical force, and she understood that villains could be redeemed. In return for our magic, would you guard us? she asked, and Lord Tirek was surprised by such a question. He accepted, graciously, and found that the ponies accepted him when they had not previously. Equestria had changed since the time he had first arrived with his brother. Though the ponies were wary to turn over their magic, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were there to support him, their magic removed. Soon, all of Equestria gave over their magic. Some didn’t like it, but those naysayers trailed off once he proved himself by vanquishing me and bringing the Crystal Empire back into the world.”

“I see,” Sunset replied once the stallion finished. “That’s not what it says happened in these pages, though.” She grabbed the stack of papers and handed them to Sombra.

The stallion read through them carefully. He took a while, and Sunset knew he had reread them twice at the least. “This is a more brutish version of the story,” Sombra noted. “History is told by the winners, I suppose. Still, there are remnants of this story in his. A unicorn wizard, Lord Tirek stealing power, and Scorpan telling the princesses.”

Sunset’s muzzle scrunched up. “It says right at the beginning. Both Tirek and Scorpan came to this land to steal magic. They didn’t come to make friends.”

“As I said, history is written by the winners. I’m sure there are works written about me that describe my heart as black as night, and that I always brainwashed everypony I met.”

“You didn’t?”

“Of course not. I wouldn’t have called them friends, but I did want someone to talk to,” he answered with a shrug.

For a long moment, Sunset stared blankly at the stallion. Her mind was lost in her own thoughts. I never desired companionship when I was pushing my way up at CHS. Even after becoming a demon and challenging Twilight, I didn’t once stop to think about anyone to talk to. Am I just the worst? Worse than Somba?

“Equestria to Sunset,” the stallion said. He hoisted his saddlebag back over his sides, the books he was stealing firmly inside. “You alright?” He waved a hoof in front of her face, snapping her out of her thoughtful stupor.

Sunset nodded, rising to her hooves. She wasn’t alright. Her heart ached, her stomach squeezed, and her head was throbbing. “Pathetic,” she heard a voice say, causing her to look around. “Pathetic,” it repeated over and over.

“Hey, hey!” The stallion put a hoof around one of her forelegs, pulling her close. “You don’t seem alright. Come on. Let’s get out of here and back to Ponyville.”

“Pathetic,” the voice said as she was pulled by the stallion. “This is all your fault. You’re so pathetic. You can’t do anything right, can you? You’re just a failure. You fail at everything you do. Can’t you do anything right? You’re pathetic.”

Sombra pushed out into the thick air, the sun was setting. Sunset took a step onto the ash-covered grass, feeling the grey world around her. Everything looked sickly, just as she felt inside. The stallion said something but she didn’t hear him. She saw his lips moving, his eyes looking back at her, but she didn’t hear a word. There was only one thing she could hear. One voice.

“You’re the worst.”

World 4: Chapter 4

“Hello? Anypony home?” The library appeared as deserted as the castle, with just as much dust instead of ash. Sombra closed the door behind them, the Golden Oak Library was abandoned except for the plethora of books. “We can stay here for the night, or until someone comes and kicks us out.” It had gotten dark by the time they reached the outskirts of Ponyville. Sombra supported Sunset the entire way, carrying her one foreleg over his shoulder. “You feeling alright? Let me see if I can get you a glass of water.”

Sunset huddled on a purple pillow near a window, a carved shelf at her back. She stared out at the dark night where the clouds formed a barrier between the earth and stars. Her eyes felt heavy, the voice nearly faded to a hum within the back of her mind. When Sombra returned with a glass of water and a lit candlestick, she took the glass without looking at him. “Thank you,” she said in a hushed voice, staring down at the rippling water. The stallion went around lighting the other candles until the place was as bright as it could be.

In the light, she could see the cobwebs and the dust that settled over time. In the middle of the room sat a table where returning books could be set, but it was empty. “I don’t think anyone will disturb us if we choose to rest up here for the night before returning to the Crystal Empire,” Sombra observed, a candlestick in one hoof. He came close to Sunset, staring down through his spectacles at her. “Are you certain you’re alright? You don’t look well, if I may be blunt.” He gripped the handle of the candlestick between his teeth as he placed a hoof under her bangs, feeling the heat of her forehead. There was no fever, so he simply shrugged.

“A set of doors appear in front of me after I passed through,” Sunset said, in a rather strained voice. “I walked up to them, seeing my reflection, pained and hurt. A school. Closed for the night, I figured.”

Sombra did not understand, confusion written all over his face. He did not speak up to interrupt her, however, choosing to remain silently standing over her.

“I let the hate flow through my body. I hated her. I hated myself more, but I was too prideful to tell myself that I deserved it. Being bitter, being callous. It stayed with me for that night and every night after. I joined the school, made friends, made enemies. Becoming popular, I ruled. I knew I could use the world to my advantage, I just had to figure out how. I stared at the mirror for a long while, and it stared back, darker than you could imagine anything. When it finally let me through, back to Equestria, back to my home, I found out she had another apprentice, and that apprentice had saved the world multiple times.”

She hadn’t noticed she was crying, but Sombra did, using his cape to dry her cheeks.

“It took me a while to figure it out. If you bring any object from Equestria to the other world, you can use it, even if you aren’t the original owner—or bearer. I wanted to use the crown, I wanted to tear the school apart. The memory within me, the reflection of a pained, hurt girl who only wanted to be known for something. I wanted to look back and never have to see that memory again. I wanted to rip open the world. Equestria would wait, I’d start with the mirror world and then return. Yet my plans failed. All of them. I still see that pained, hurt girl every time I go to school.”

“You can’t let your failures get the best of you, you can’t let your memories control you,” Sombra comforted, taking a spot next to the mare and leaning against her body. “It hurts. It does. But putting good back into the world can help those memories.”

“You don’t get it,” Sunset argued, her voice still weak. “I didn’t want to control ponykind. I didn’t want to make them fear me. I wanted to stand at the top and look down at Celestia, I wanted to show her I had the power to be great. I just wanted to show her how wrong she was.”

Sombra wrapped a hoof around her. “You still can.”

“No. Being nice, being friendly, being kind. That’s what she always saw within me. To show her that would be showing her that she was right. I’ve done that for the last three worlds, showed her how I’ve changed. Every time I didn't feel like I truly connected with her. It never went back to that teacher-student relationship that I’ve missed for so long. I’ve tried to replace her. With Princess Twilight. But it doesn’t feel the same. She’s more of a friend than a teacher. Just another friend with advice that I can rely on. If I don’t help her, how can she rely on me? I failed Celestia, I can’t fail Twilight too.”

“I can’t relate to that,” Sombra mentioned. “I never had someone like that, that I was close to. It’s always just been me. Princess Cadance and Prince Shining Armor—they’re nice to me, helpful, but I don’t feel like they’re my mentors or teachers. I’m envious. You’ve got a lot of love to give.”

“Love?” Sunset didn’t understand.

“You hate. You hate ponies. You hate yourself. You’ve got to have a lot of love to give if it can be turned the opposite. I’ve never loved anyone, I’ve never hated anyone. Battling the princesses, I didn’t hate them. Being reformed, I didn’t hate myself. Even Lord Tirek, though I don’t care for him, I don’t hate. It was hard to understand emotion when I never felt anything. I always considered myself smarter, better than others, but it wasn’t out of spite. It was pride. Pride in myself.”

Sunset shook her head. “Not pride. Egotism. There’s a difference.”

“Is there?”

“Prideful is what I was, is what I am. Egotism is the undue sense of self-importance. Pride is… it’s a satisfaction derived from one’s accomplishments. I proved I was skillful with magic. I proved I could be better than Celestia herself. It’s pride that was my downfall.”

Sombra nodded. “Egotism.” His eyes drifted up to the loft that was on the opposite wall. “We should get some sleep, Sunset. You might feel better after you’ve slept, you might not. I can’t say for certain. Tomorrow, however, I’m going to help you.”

“Help me?”

“I’m going to figure out a way to get you home. You’re going to carry that pride with you wherever you go.”

She didn’t know what that meant, but he was right. She was tired. Too tired to understand. Her weary body managed to carry itself up the staircase. A bed without sheets sat in one corner with a shuttered window. Crawling onto the mattress, she slumped out of her backpack, not even bothering to find a pillow. One by one she noticed the candles going out. She heard the stallion trotting down below as the darkness overcame the light. The trotting stopped, and so did her mind.

Dreams did not come.

No golden flowers.

No voices of despair.

A knock.

Her eyes opened to the light. The sun’s golden rays breaching the gaps of the shutters. Another knock and she rolled over, facing her backpack. The front door suddenly opened, blinding her. “Terribly sorry to intrude, are you the new librarian? It’s been some time since we’ve had someone keep up with the Golden Oak Library.”

“No, a friend and I were just staying the—”

“Rarity?” Sunset called out, lifting her head to see the white mare and black stallion at the door.

“Sunset?” Rarity’s voice filled with surprise. She pushed past the stallion, her grey eyes stared up at the loft as Sunset rose from the bed.

“It’s good to see you again, you left without saying goodbye,” Sunset said, a voice full of scorn as she trotted down the short steps.

The white unicorn’s formerly calm face was tightened by her jaw stiffening. “Y-yes, I’m truly sorry about that. Pinkie and I… we didn’t feel that it would be… a wise decision to stick around. Not that we doubted your words as the truth—it’s just that, well, taking on Lord Tirek and Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, it just seemed like more trouble than it was worth.” An anxious smile brushed her lips just before she looked back at the stallion. “Now you’re traveling around with this rugged stallion I see. Quite the improvement, to say the least.”

“Pleasure to meet you, my name is Sombra, magic advisor to Princess Cadance.”

“Sombra!” Rarity exclaimed. “As in former ruler of the Crystal Empire, Sombra?” Her eyes shifted to Sunset, her brows shot up. “Well, well. You’re finding all the big names, aren’t you?”

“What do you want Rarity?” Sunset asked, curtly.

The white unicorn glanced around the library. “Well, Pinkie Pie saw that the lights were on last night, and she’d been watching to see if anyone came out. When she told me, I figured I’d come and check it out. Are you going to be living here?”

“She’s actually staying in the Crystal Empire at the castle,” answered Sombra.

But Sunset corrected him. “No, I’ve decided to stay here, Sombra. Ponyville is close to the map and close to the Tree of Harmony. I don’t belong in Canterlot, obviously, and traveling by train all the time is really starting to strain my hide.”

The stallion tapped his chin. “Then I suppose I’ll stay here with you.”

“You don’t have to do that,” she replied.

“I know I don’t. But I promised I’d help you, and I promised Princess Cadance that I’d help those who are like me.”

“Alright,” she chuckled. “I won’t turn you away.” Though I’d like to. Seeing your face just reminds me of how much of a failure I am.

Sombra put his hoof on the doorknob. “I’m going to head back to the Crystal Empire for now. I’ll pack up a few more of my things and be back tomorrow.” He glanced over his shoulder, the lapel of his cape tickling his chin. “Are you going to be alright, Sunset?”

“Yes,” she answered.

“Promise me you won’t leave until I get back?”

“Promise,” she answered again.

He gave a nod, tucking his jaw down before heading off into the light. When the door shut, Rarity turned back to Sunset. “He’s quite the looker. A bit stocky, definitely a brooder as well. What sort of adventuring have you two been doing since Canterlot?”

Sunset gave a scoffing laugh. “Why should I tell you anything? You abandoned me in Canterlot. I could have used you two to prove I wasn’t crazy. We could have convinced Celestia that there is another way. Instead, you ran like a coward.”

“Well.” Rarity raised her shoulders in a shrug. “We don’t really see the need for change when the world is already alright. Does Sombra want the world to change?”

“It doesn’t matter what he wants,” Sunset answered. “The change for this world is no longer possible. One of the bearers is so far away not even the map could show her location. I’m trapped here.” She started back up the stairs, still continuing to talk. “My only hope is to help the Twilight Sparkle of my world. If I can do that, I’ll be satisfied.”

“I see. So, this might be a permanent residence,” Rarity noted, glancing over the decrepit, grimy library.

“Not permanent.”

Rarity trotted back to the door. “Alright. If you need anything while you stay in Ponyville, let me know. My apologies again for leaving you in Canterlot. I’ll send Pinkie Pie by with a welcome basket later!”

After the door closed, Sunset laid on the mattress eyeing her backpack. She wasn’t ready to greet the day, but at least she was alone. Rolling to one side, she unzipped the bag and pulled out the book of spells. She flipped to the back. Reading over the spell that caused her so much trouble, something struck a chord within her, but she didn’t know what. Happy? Am I happy to find something that can help Twilight? No, that’s not it. Her eyes read over the words multiple times. Starlight Glimmer is one brilliant pony to alter something like this. Am I smart enough to do the same?

“Pride,” she heard Sombra say, though he wasn’t here. It stuck with her for a moment. Pride.

She closed the book of spells and rolled to her other side, staring at the blue between the gaps of the shutter. She stared and stared. She started until it hurt to stare. It hurt to do anything. Half the day was gone before she got out of bed. Even then, all she did was sloppily meander to the parts of the library she hadn’t seen. A strange, damp basement filled with gnarled roots. A dusty, cozy kitchen. And a half living room with a fireplace.

Searching beneath the cabinets, she found an old brown feather duster with missing plumes. With no direction in her life, she decided to start dusting off the shanty rooms. Starting in the library, she used a stool to reach the top shelf. It was hard to use her hooves to hold the duster while maintaining balance. She missed her magic, but missed her hands more. Several times she stopped to sneeze and wipe her nostrils. Several times she thought she might fall backward—standing bipedal as a pony was not the same as being the creature beyond the mirror, her center of gravity off.

A knock came to the door just before being pushed open. The frantic pink pony closed it behind her, slamming her body against it. “Lord Tirek is coming!” she whisper-yelled. “He’s somehow found out you’re here!”

“Pinkie.” Sunset glanced over her shoulder, her hoof still against the wall to maintain her balance. “Tirek can come and visit any time he wants. It’s a library. Maybe he’ll pick up a book on how not to be a complete jerk.” She turned back to her dusting.

“So, you’re okay if he comes here?” Pinkie asked, clearly confused. Sunset did not answer, and that was a clue to Pinkie to leave the unicorn to her business. The door opened and closed, and it wasn’t long after that another knock came to the door.

Sunset once again did not bother answering. It wouldn’t have mattered if she did as, just like with Pinkie, the centaur pushed the door open of his own accord. The light shadowed his face but Sunset did not look back to see it. She focused on her cleaning, keeping herself occupied; keeping her mind off her worries. The centaur shut the door behind him, she could hear the clopping of hooves as he came to the center of the room. He stopped at the table, it was clear he was focusing on her while acting as if he wasn’t.

Without as much of a glance in his direction, Sunset dropped from the stool, moved it to the next shelf, then strode back up to continue her cleaning. “What do you want, Tirek?” she asked, keeping her eyes trained on her task.

“I was in the neighborhood. It’s not every day someone new moves to Equestria. The Golden Oak Library is a good place to live, I’m quite fond of it. It’s unique.” The centaur trotted to one of the shelves she had cleaned, dragging his index finger across the book bindings. “Are you planning on staying indefinitely?”

“No,” she answered as she ran another swath of dust off the edge of the shelf.

“Where are you planning on going if not here?”

“Why the sudden curiosity, Tirek?” Now she threw a look over her shoulder at him, a flicker of irritation and impatience shone in her eyes.

“As I said, it’s not every day someone new moves to Equestria. Especially not someone who has declared such a feat as to try and defeat me.” He turned, his biceps brushing against the oak shelf. “How does it feel?”

She groaned and turned away. “How does what feel?”

“Being without magic.”

“You were smart to take it from me. I would have crushed you like a grape.”

“I have my doubts.” He waved a dismissive hand. “The ponies of this world respect me. A pony who doesn’t, well, it piques my curiosity. And choosing to hold yourself up in the same place I just happen to be starting work in—that’s too much of a coincidence I feel. I simply don’t want to have to deal with the myriad of stalking attempts you might endeavor to learn of my weaknesses if that’s what you’re plotting.”

“I’m not plotting anything about you.” Not yet at least.

“I’m sure that’s what you want me to believe. Regardless, if you wish to learn anything about me, please don’t go about it the wrong way. I’d be more than inclined to host a chat with you, telling you all about myself, even my weaknesses if you so desire.”

Sunset’s head tilted down and then twisted to the left, staring at the centaur with her peripherals. “Get out,” she commanded with a low, cold voice. When he attempted to speak, she threw one of the books at him. “Get out I said!”

The centaur caught the book in his hand, so she threw another, to which he caught as well. “If you insist.” He set the books down on the table before turning to leave. “My offer still stands,” he said at the door. “I’d be happy to oblige a one-on-one. Hopefully when you are more stable.” When he closed the door, she threw another book at the empty frame.

For a moment, she sat against the stool, her hooves to her eyes as she tried to block the tears from falling.

Time passed, the night returned, and she finished with the main part of the library. Her hooves were a bit stiff as she wandered to the kitchen to get a glass of water. Stretching the muscles, she squatted up and down to get the feeling back. That’s when she noticed the corner of the room, tucked away behind the kitchen table. Sombra’s bags. Placing the glass on the table, she rounded to the corner, grabbing the middle strap with her teeth. He’s been way too nice, way too caring. Maybe there’s a reason for that in here. Lifting the hefty sack and placing it on the table, she decided to see what exactly he had left behind in the Crystal Empire that he had not brought originally.

Placing aside the books he’d stole from the Castle of the Two Sisters, she examined the other literature he had brought. “One copy of The Life and Times of Morari the Maneless. One copy of Magical Mysteries & Practical Potions. And one copy of…” She hesitated, her eyebrows thrown up in surprise. “The Astronomical Astronomer's Almanac to All Things Astronomy? He’s a regular ol’ Twilight.”

Moving on to the other saddlebag, she pulled out the mirror from earlier along with a few sealed flasks of assorted liquids. “Wonder what these would be for…” Her eyes drifted to the other contents. A protractor, a short-range telescope, and a second red cape. The final piece of inventory was another book. She dragged it out by the small black binding, the paper inside rough and coarse. Examining the first few pages, she noted the cursive writing was not something common for most novels. It was difficult to read but after a while she understood.

“It’s his journal,” she realized, snapping the book closed. “I shouldn’t be reading something like this.” She began putting back the instruments, haphazardly arranging them. When she was finished, she saw that she had left out the black book.

Sunset was not the type of pony to be tentative on decisions, but her mind dragged on the idea of whether or not to read the ex-villain’s journal. I suppose if he finds out, I could offer him mine to read. It’d be a fair trade. But he doesn’t need to find out, now does he? She lifted the book and dragged it with her to the loft above the library floor. Stumbling onto the mattress, she pushed her backpack to the ground before sprawling out from corner to corner. Her eyes dragged over the first page, then the second. Before long she finished ten pages.

“Princess Cadance told me today that the journal idea had been something Celestia and Luna had done in their younger years. I’d be interested in reading what they might have thought prior to battling me for the empire,” one of the pages read.

As she continued, she learned Sombra had been truthful. He had a strong, stubborn way of not telling his emotions. Even in his writing, the stallion remained vague with his details on how he felt. But as she pressed on his emotions bled through, telling tales of happiness and triumphs as well as despair and misunderstanding. All things Sunset felt at one time or another along her long journey to redemption. But unlike Sunset, there was something missing from Sombra’s journey—some moment of restoration. She pictured the Crystal Prep counterpart of Twilight Sparkle and the demonic abomination she had transformed into.

It felt good to transform into something good; to stop an evil force from destroying the world. She held the book to her chest and chin. Princess Cadance thought I was still evil. Could it be that she wants to see me show the darkness inside, to attack Tirek? All so that Sombra could have that same moment? It’s possible. I’d like to give him that, but all I see in him is…

“Failure.”

She hadn’t realized it, but closing her eyes to picture the stallion was a mistake. Her body still ached, her emotions drained. It left her tired, so tired. When she opened them, she saw the underside of the golden petals pointing up at the dark sky.

Instead of rising up to head to the indigo gazebo, she chose to lay with her arms stretched out beneath the flowers. She closed her eyes, and after a long while she eventually heard the sounds of a person walking. Squinting hard, she was cautious to open her eyes, fearful of a scary sight. But there was nothing. She sat up, placing her hands in her lap and tucking a leg beneath the other. The sounds of walking was shallow but she could hear it. Every so often the walking would stop and she could hear the gentle sobs that followed. It was disturbing. She couldn’t explain the chilly feeling running down her spine as she listened. Intent on discovering what it was, she listened to the sounds.

Click, click, boom.

She jolted awake. The sound she heard was nothing more than the opening and closing of the front door. “My apologies, I didn’t mean to wake you,” Sombra greeted with the wave of a hoof. She twisted her neck to look at the shutters, a dim light peering through the cracks.

“What time is it?” she asked him, rubbing the sleep from her eyes as she did.

“Early. I slept on the train,” he replied as he trotted up the steps. As he came closer, his brows pinched together. “What have you got there?”

Tucking her chin to her chest, she closed the book and handed it to the stallion. “Your journal.” She then shifted to the edge of the bed and flung her torso off the side, grasping her backpack’s zipper and pulling out the journal that had brought her so much misery. “Here,” she said, handing it to him. “Fair’s fair. I’m a jerk and read yours, you should be able to read mine.”

He took it hesitantly. “You know, had you asked I would have gladly let you read it. Did you get everything you wanted out of it?”

She gave a short laugh. “Journals don’t really help for learning who a person is. They just help you get a grip on their mentality. Sad to say, you’ve been truthful to every point.”

“Oh.” He shrugged, a hue of red flushed his cheeks between the grey fur. “Well, I mean, I find honesty to be a very fine quality. I try to maintain a good, honest nature whenever I can.”

“As do I.” Yet I can’t be honest with how awful you make me feel. “Did you bring everything you wanted?”

“Yes. I’ll be setting up in that living room over in the section past the kitchen alcove if you don’t mind. I told Princes Cadance about it and she gave me a strange look. Apparently, I had forgotten myself when I said I’d stay with you, being a stallion and you a mare.” He covered his muzzle with a foreleg.

“You conveniently forgot that you’d be staying with a mare, did you?” she said, a wry smile touching her lips.

“If it’s not alright, I can always just—”

She gave another short laugh. “I’m only teasing. Go set your stuff up.” She tossed her legs over the side and stood. “I’m going to go out for a little bit. Don’t be following me like a puppy dog now. Ponies might get the wrong idea, what with you living with me.”

The blush returned, even stronger before, turning his whole face into a greyish pink. “I-I w-w-” he stammered.

She didn’t wait for him to get the words out, choosing to step out into the morning glow of the world. The tinge of orange rising, creating a blue swirl of color in the sky. She stared up at the openness, trying to picture dark clouds, hoping to envision the dreamscape that haunted her sleep. Her mind hurt so bad that she wanted to cry. She would have too had she not seen the red and black in the corner of her eye.

Standing a few yards away peered the evil centaur no taller than Luna. In his hands were a tray of coffee cups and a basket of baked goods. She stared with angry brows at him, her head tilted in confusion. “Good morning,” he said. “I was hoping you changed your mind.”

World 4: Chapter 5

She stared at him.

She wanted a good, long look at the centaur.

She wanted the memory.

The raspberry color of his muscly arms and stoic face. The white beard that sprung down to his waist. The puff of black that sprouted from his head, barely grazing his long, slender horns that were in the shape of a lyre. His black chest turned grey at the legs, leaving a contrasting white to his hooves and tail. The most memorable thing on his face was a silver ring piercing his flat nose, sitting below his white brows and yellow pupils.

“Why are you so insistent for a chat?” she asked this centaur.

“When I first took over, several ponies disliked the idea of me holding all the magic. I wore them down with kindness and now they’re great friends. Not all of them, mind you, but I try with those I believe I can sway, which includes you. Call it insistence, but I find it works quite well to treaty those who would see my ultimate destruction.”

“Like me?” she snarled angrily. “I know it was you who drained the Elements of Harmony. You went to Canterlot not to stop the changeling invasion but to steal Celestia and Luna’s magic!”

The centaur lowered his arms, the basket and tray of coffee tucked neatly at his sides. “Congratulations, now you know as much as the princesses. But you’d be wrong—I didn’t go to steal their magic. That had been my plan until I found the Elements of Harmony. Draining them changed me, made my anger explode. I thrashed and raged until all my anger had been expelled out. I told Celestia all this long after I parleyed with her and her sister.” He stepped forward. “Coffee’s getting cold. Are we going to stand out here all day?”

“Hold on,” Sunset shouted. “What do you mean you told them after you negotiated? You mean they didn’t know about the Elements of Harmony beforehand? Why didn’t they try to find them first to defeat you?”

“Why would they want to attack their new friend, someone who had just saved them?”

“You’re not their friend!” Sunset stomped a foreleg. “You’re not anyone’s friend!”

“Just like you,” retorted the centaur.

The door to the Golden Oak Library swung inward, the black stallion at the frame. “What’s with all this shouting? Sunset, you’re still here?” His grey eyes twisted. “Oh. Lord Tirek.”

Tirek tilted his nose up at the stallion. “Sombra,” he replied tonelessly. He then looked back at Sunset. “I see you already have company.” He stepped closer to the unicorn and handed her the tray of two coffees, placing the basket on the ground beside her. “I’ll be on my way then. The baked goods are from Pinkie. Welcome to Ponyville.”

As the centaur trotted away, Sunset stood dumbfounded by the exchange of information. “What just happened?” she asked the air.

“I see he’s trying to do the same thing he does to everypony who doesn’t like him.” Sombra walked out and took the basket of baked goods in his mouth. Dragging it inside, Sunset followed. “He did the same thing to me, though it didn’t work,” the stallion mentioned after placing the basket on the kitchen table. The smell of coffee began to encapsulate the library. “Some ponies just can’t get over the loss of their magic. Others have trouble being friends with the one who took it from them. I’m the latter.”

“I guess we’re both in that boat,” Sunset replied, putting the coffees beside the basket. The cups were ceramic, a lid on both. She took one of the lids off and steam began to emanate from the liquid. “He didn’t seem to care when he drained my magic. Why the sudden change?”

“He doesn’t like to look at the pony right after he steals magic their magic. He says they have a look to their eyes that he doesn’t like.”

She felt a sudden twinge of anger spurn through her. It always goes back to the look, doesn’t it? “I’m surprised you two aren’t friends. He’s technically a reformed villain like you.”

“So are you, Sunset, yet you didn’t seem to enjoy the conversation you were having,” Sombra replied. “I’m not friends with many ponies. Tirek, Celestia, Luna, they don’t see me in a good light. Cadance and Shining Armor are the closest things I have to friends. They often invite me along to Canterlot, yet I refuse, mostly out of embarrassment.”

“Well, I’m your friend, Sombra. It’s hard to be, but I am.”

That surprised Sombra. “It’s hard to be my friend?”

“Sorry. I know that sounds like an insult but it’s not. I went through an entire world where fighting you was my goal. I didn’t stop to think about who or what I hurt until I saw the changelings, and even then I didn’t care about what happened to Queen Chrysalis. Yet, here you are, reformed and well. Had I tried… had I done everything I could, maybe I could have reformed you. I was so selfish. I was only focused on getting home. Seeing you now, seeing how you turned out, seeing how kind and helpful you’ve been to me, it makes me so mad! I failed. I failed three worlds. And in this one, it seems everything is fine. Even if it’s not my world, it’s just as peaceful. Maybe more peaceful than my world. I can’t fix this world, making me a failure again.”

“So that’s the burden that’s been weighing you down.” Sombra wrapped a foreleg around her shoulders. “I see now why you’d think that—but in your world, I’m not reformed, right? Tirek’s not either?”

“Well, no.”

“Every world is different, Sunset. You can’t help that. It’s not your job to fix every discrepancy.”

Sunset shook her head. “In the first world, I visited the Tree of Harmony. It asked me to help time. The only way I know how to do that is to take down the villains that claim it as their world. Even as I left the last world, it must have sensed things were not completely on track. It took a second for the portal to open. How else could you explain what happened back there? That’s the only reasoning I can think of.”

Sombra stood silent for a moment. He often took a while to think before speaking. “I’d hate to break it to you, Sunset, but this burden, this weight, it’s crushing you. You’re not looking at other avenues, other ways of seeing things. This mission you’re on to help your princess friend, maybe that’s really your end goal. Helping time may not just mean helping each world but time’s overall flow—just like how your princess friend is fighting in the past, you should be fighting in the present.”

“But I wouldn’t even know where to begin!” she yelled.

“But you do!” Sombra argued. “You’ve found the spell that broke time, now all you have to do is figure out how to get it working for your own purposes. You’ve done half the work.”

Reaching down, Sunset clamped a hoof around her foreleg, heatedly feeling the spot where her watch had been. “Half the work won’t get me home. Half the work doesn’t help Twilight. Not to mention I’d still need my magic to cast the spell if I ever do figure out how to alter it. Everything I’ve heard paints Tirek in a bad light when it comes to most useful magical castings, and it’s not like I want his help,” she said, her shoulders tensing at the thought of the centaur.

“Well, I think that’s the next step for you,” Sombra replied. “If you don’t want his help, you’re going to have to ask Tirek for your magic back.”

She jerked her head back. “You think he’d just give it to me?”

“Probably not but it wouldn’t hurt to try. While you’re doing that, I’m going to help you. I said I would, after all. I’m going to find you another avenue for that spell.” Sombra winked. “We’re friends, after all.”

“Sombra…” Sunset stared at him for a moment before attacking him with a hug. “Thank you so much.”

The stallion’s face went red, to which he quickly hid. “You’d better go catch Tirek before he gets too far.”

“Right.” She let go and rushed to the door. “I’ll be back later!” she yelled, once again stepping out to greet the day. The sun was just enough in the air for the morning ponies to come clambering out of their homes. She inhaled through her nose, exhaling through her mouth. She wasn’t sure Sombra could actually solve her spell problem, but she wasn’t sure of much anymore. There was only one thing she knew for certain, she hated Tirek. “Come on Sunset,” she psyched herself up, placing one hoof forward, then the other. “Let’s go find that thief.”

She wouldn't forgive the centaur for breaking her watch. She wouldn’t deny a chance to remove his power. But in the end, there was a bigger threat than Tirek. Starlight Glimmer. The name boiled her insides. For a while, she wandered in the direction Tirek trotted off in. She soaked in the quaint, rustic features of the town, which had apparently never changed. The town was unaffected by the wrench in time, it was as close to her Equestria’s Ponyville as it could be, though she had no way of gauging the truth of it. It seemed identical to the others she’d seen. Getting a good memory for the town, her eyes ran over a home in which she recognized. A place to hide from a patrolling changeling.

Her hooves brought her to the center, the town hall looking over all the other buildings like a celebrity being surrounded by paparazzi. Ponies who passed by greeted her, welcomed her, and went on their way. Though she felt alien in this world, no one recognized it. Pegasi who would have once taken to the air now walked past her like an earth pony or unicorn. She felt sorry for them. The only time I’ve flown I didn’t get to enjoy it, it must be nice. Each and every pony she passed was grey of eyes. Mare, stallion, filly, colt. It didn’t seem to matter who she looked at or what age they were, their eyes were as grey as her future.

The further she walked the more her anger returned, and the more she grinded her teeth. Seeing the unnecessary added work brought on by the lack of magic made her remember the world beyond the mirror. Automobiles, phones, computers. She wondered if the smart ponies of this world would put their minds into creating such inventions. If I’m stuck here, maybe I’ll be that pony, she whimsically thought before the anger clouded her mind. Not if. I am stuck here. I am. Sombra’s smart but I can’t put all my eggs into his basket.

After much searching, she found the centaur down at the newly created river, a hammer in one hand with boards over his other shoulder. Several ponies were with him, helping him steady the planks that were being added to the growing dock. As she came closer, staring at the expanse of the dawdling waters, she noticed her reflection. The grey eyes of every other pony were the same on her, regardless of where she came from.

“Sunset!” the centaur called out after having noticed the unicorn, breaking her concentration on the water. His meaty hand waved with a hammer closed in his palm.

She came closer, confident in every step she took, and marveled the work that had only just begun a couple days prior. “It seems you’re making yourself useful, more so than I would have believed,” she mocked.

“Idle hands are the magic’s advocate,” he replied with a goofy grin. “Speaking of which, care to give us a hand? It’s tiresome work but it really clears the mind.” He took a moment to breathe in. When he exhaled, his face expressed pure bliss, though that only made Sunset more annoyed.

“Actually, I’d like to talk.”

“Talk and work at the same time then.” He shrugged before handing her a hammer, to which she took in her mouth.

She stared, glaring at him with the tool being salivated upon all the while. Eventually, she spat it onto the planks. “I’d help if I had my magic,” she replied.

“Right,” he said, expressionless. He motioned to the other three ponies who took the hint, deciding to take their break right at that moment. When the workers vamoosed, Tirek went back to hammering into the boards. “What is it you wanted to talk about?” he asked.

“My magic,” she replied.

“Oh goodie. A short conversation then,” he dryly said.

“I’m not from this world. I’m trying to get back to my own. If you give me my magic, I’ll leave. If somepony wants to leave Equestria, you give them back their magic, right?”

When he finished with the nail he was working on, he lifted his gaze to Sunset. “That’s right. I escort them to the border, give them their magic, and watch as they walk into the great unknown. Sometimes they walk in the direction of my homeland, sometimes they walk south into what I hear is a dangerous territory. How is it you expect me to walk you to your world?”

“There’s a table—a map—that I use as a portal. It’s a one-way ticket to the next world.”

“And you want your magic to cast a spell on the table, opening this portal for you to move on?”

“There’s a spell that I’m hoping to reverse, to alter, that will help my friend Twilight Sparkle. She’s the one in the past dealing with someone corrupting time. Sombra is trying to alter the spell so that it can be used to send me to the past, or at least move me on. I believe the only way to help her is to break the curse on the table. Doing that will leave me stuck here, but after it’s finished I’ll be returning to the world beyond the mirror.”

Tirek’s white brows creased together as he listened. “Do you know how insane you sound right now?” he asked when she finished.

“I’ve been through three worlds now and everywhere I go the ponies give me strange looks. Trust me, I know.”

“For starters,” Tirek said, standing up from the dock’s floorboards. “I’m unsure what this mirror world is, so if I can’t walk you to it then you may not have your magic back. And secondly—I’m fairly good with magic. Point me to this map and I’ll figure out what exactly it’s enchanted with and fix it.”

“It’s not magic in the usual sense. It’s like the Crystal Heart.”

Tirek brushed his long fingers through his beard. “I see. So you know of my ineptitude when it comes to certain magical devices. Then if this map is untouchable to me, why should I give you magic to deal with it? How can I be sure that this isn’t some sort of trick? Perhaps instead of fixing your problem, you open another portal bringing in more dangerous magical creatures. You don’t seem the lying type, but a healthy amount of skepticism and paranoia has kept Equestria safe.”

“If I just wanted my magic back to defeat you, I’d do it myself. I wouldn’t bring in something more just for that,” she argued, her anger rising in her voice.

“Are you the type to want to stay and fight, even if someone else is telling you to run?” he asked, chuckling to himself. “Regardless, you speaking of other times and alternate worlds does not interest me. I’m sure the other universes would despise this one, claim it as cowardly; claim the princesses as cowardly. Yet I’ve never seen a society more peaceful. My homeland was in shambles when I left, and Equestria was constantly under attack from my understanding. Yet with me at the helm, I have shaped Equestria to be free, productive, and peaceful. If I were to go and waste my time on trying to fix other worlds, I’d have none for the ponies I have nurtured and become friends with.

“You say you are here by mistake—someone corrupting time. Yet is that not what I am preventing? Could someone bend time in the Equestria I have created? No. You have visited other worlds, you have witnessed what happens when magic gets involved. Can you not see that, without magic, this world is a better place? Without wasting time on magic, ponies who once worked tirelessly on spells now put their efforts into bettering the health of all. The sick, the tired, they’re being cared for far more than they had been. It’s all thanks to a world barren of magic.”

His rousing speech made Sunset angry, it made Sunset feel pity for the world, but worst of all, it made her feel inspired. The way he spoke, the way he seemed so sure of himself, it reminded her of Celestia’s speeches as a filly.

Another memory, she recollected, picturing the tall, white alicorn looming above with a smile on her face.

“Magic has done a lot of good too,” Sunset countered. “The Elements of Harmony helped reform Princess Luna.”

“Only after banishing her for a thousand years because her unbridled magic erupted from a sense of jealousy, turning her into a magical monster.” Tirek shook his head. “The changelings were an entire race of creatures desiring love to turn into magic. Sombra cursed the Crystal Empire for a thousand years with magic. Many problems stem from magic. Are you so blinded by anger to not see the cost?”

“If you believe magic is so problematic, why do you allow ponies to keep their magic when they leave Equestria!?” she furiously spat.

“Equestria is a safe haven where all creatures can come and be accepted. Outside of Equestria is a different story, to the south especially. They’d need their magic to survive out there, I would not deny them that. It is just my hope that they realize the dangers and return, relinquishing their magic and coming in from the cold.”

Sunset could feel it. This is just like with Nightmare Moon. She too was kind, reasonable. It was only her sister whom she had trouble with. I solved that, mostly. Hopefully. Her eyes fell to the wooden ground. “Magic has solved all my problems. The first two worlds, the Elements of Harmony brought the evil terrors down from their thrones. The third—without our magic we wouldn’t have gotten the flyers, we wouldn’t have been able to bring Celestia from the moon.”

“Did you really need to solve any of those things?” Tirek asked.

The sun had risen to the middle of the sky, turning the water into a blinding, glistening, reflective pool. It blinded Sunset as she stared down, forcing her eyes to look up at the centaur in front of her. “I-I,” she hesitated, feeling the anger build in her throat, reaching its climax. “The truth is, I didn’t solve anything. King Sombra was the villain of the first world—yet in your world you redeemed him. I failed, even with magic. But the Tree of Harmony told me to help time! How am I supposed to do that other than fix the inconsistencies between my world and the one I’m in!?”

“From what I’ve heard, the Tree of Harmony is a strange one. I often wonder if I should not give some magic back to it, but I have not found a good enough consequence to my action of stealing its power.” He sighed and shook his head, clearly upset at his own actions. “Perhaps it was not the Tree of Harmony that brought you here. Maybe the Tree of Harmony has nothing to do with your journey. It could be that your whole goal was only in your head.”

“What are you saying? That I’m just seeing what I want to see?”

“Maybe. Maybe you’re here because you want to be something that you’re not.”

“And what’s that?” Sunset retorted.

“A hero.”

Sunset’s teeth clenched hard, a sudden sweat came over her tense body. “What’d you say!?” she yelled in a growling, raging voice.

“It’s hard to hear, isn’t it? I see a lot of myself in you. The hatred, the temper. You’ve always wanted to be something you’re not, right? Maybe it’s powerful. Maybe it’s popular. Maybe both. I came with my brother full of confidence… full of pride. Yet the ponies feared me—which motivated me to give them something to really fear. When I escaped, I got a taste of heroism. I saved an entire city and the ponies loved me for it. Yet you said you failed these other worlds. You, who was once a villain, failed to be the hero. The more you realized your failure, the more you wanted a win, the more your anger swept through. You’re not angry with me, you’re angry with yourself.” He placed a hand out. “So much anger is not healthy. Let me help you control it. I might be the only person who truly understands what you’re going through.”

She hated Tirek. She hated him for breaking her watch. She hated him for the look Celestia gave her. But, were those good reasons to hate? Had it been Pinkie or Rarity that broke her watch, would she hate them? Would she hate Celestia, again?

It wasn’t Tirek that she hated.

“A strong mare who denies what’s in front of her isn’t a strong mare at all,” Celestia said, long ago, in another life, in another time, for the apprentice named Sunset Shimmer.

Water stains were hitting the dry planks beneath her hooves. Her hoof hesitated, shaking in the air in front of her, inches from Tirek’s red palm. “I’m trying to get home… C-can you help me, Tirek?” Her voice wobbled, far more than it ever had. He nodded, a genuine smile on his face. “Everything, it all matters. I’ve tried to stick to that. To see everything for what it is. The more I do, the harder I am on myself. We matter! After all I’ve done… I just want to go home.” She knew it sounded like blathering, but she was so tired. Tired of the hate, of the anger. Of these awful worlds.

Thrusting her hoof forward, Sunset fell into Tirek. She felt the warm embrace of the centaur, his hand gently caressing her back and neck. The same centaur who she had just felt such hate for was holding her against him as she bawled her eyes out.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t stop all this from happening,” Sunset remembered telling Principal Celestia.

“It’s not your fault, Sunset,” the principal had replied.

“Isn’t it?”

“It’s not your fault, Sunset,” the centaur said.

“Isn’t it?”

Her chin fell in between his thumb and index finger, the centaur raised her head to stare at each other. “Clearing your mind of anger, of hate, and pain will allow you to find your own way home. From there, the way will be clear no matter what it is.”

She sniffled, her cheeks soaked with salt. Pushing away from the centaur, she quickly wiped the remaining tears from the edges of her lids. “I-I wouldn’t even know where to begin.”

Tirek picked up the hammer Sunset dropped, holding it by the metal head. He lifted it to Sunset, and said, “Take out your aggression. Sometimes releasing the anger you’ve held through violence is the only way to let it go. Better to do it on a nail than a person, after all.”

Biting down on the wooden handle, Sunset took the hammer. She stared up at the centaur and gave a short nod, her cheeks still wet with tears. Tirek reached down and wiped the wet away with his thumb. He then turned and pulled the unused planks from behind him, placing them down in the areas where they were needed. Sunset attempted to hold steady a nail with her hoof while hammering down with her mouth. She almost wanted to sit down and cry again after missing on the third attempt. Eventually, through determination, she got the first hit. A few more hard whacks and she got it in.

She felt happy. Satisfied that she got it, then she looked at Tirek.

She felt angry. Begrudging the centaur that had stolen her magic which made tasks easier.

She felt guilty. This was a task that earth ponies and pegasus often did without magic, regardless.

The mix of emotion must have shown on her face. The centaur asked, “What’s wrong?”

Sunset spat out the hammer. “I miss my hands,” she said to him.

“Your hands?” he questioned, perplexed by the idea.

“In the world beyond the mirror, I’m transformed into a biped—kind of like you except with only one pair of legs. Their hands, like yours, allow them to grip things much in the same way my magic would do. I never realized how easier things were for me, going from unicorn to that thing.”

“You have definitely lived a strange life, Sunset. You are certainly the most unusual pony I have ever met, and I’ve met a lot of ponies. Here, let me help you.” The centaur placed a nail on a loose board, holding the sides as Sunset bent down and smacked the flat end.

Though it wasn’t any faster than if he’d done it alone, Sunset felt that her help had been useful. When they finished one board they moved on to the next until an entire pier was completed. There was much more to the dock than just one pier, and several others were lined up to be much larger than theirs, but completing just one piece helped Sunset think. The slamming of metal on metal rang her teeth, forcing her to clench down harder. But the more she hammered, the more she got used to it.

At first, she didn’t think about anything other than clearing her mind. A clear mind. To avoid being angry, I must be clear. But why can’t I be angry? I should be able to have any emotion I want! But I can’t just let them run rampant. It’d be like uncontrolled magic. A few taps of the hammer and another nail was in. The magic of friendship. That’s not something that Tirek can take away. Every day I try to hold myself to the standards of the Elements of Harmony, through friendship. If I let every emotion get to me, I wouldn’t have any friends. Even Pinkie Pie, who shows her happy side most times, knows when to simmer down. Not everything can be happy all the time. I can’t always remain angry.

When they began to move to a different section, Tirek carrying the planks and nails, Sunset took a moment to speak without the hammer in her mouth. “Are you never angry, Tirek?” she asked him.

“No, I still get angry, sometimes. When I reminisce. When I mess up. The dragons are making me upset at the moment. It happens. The most important thing is to not let it get to the extreme. The same goes for most emotions. Being too sad can lead to…” He brushed his beard. “Er, well. Being too happy all the time, you sometimes invite bad things. You allow people to get away with things because you’re happy, you don’t want to lose that happiness, which just ends with you unhappy anyway. Emotions are like memories. It’s good to have them. The good. The bad. The worse. But if you let them control you, then you lose control of yourself.”

“What makes you happy?”

Tirek let out a gruff, jolly laugh. “The same thing that used to make me angry. Ponies. And painting—though I’m not very good.”

“You paint!?”

“Of course. What? Do I not look like a painter?” He flexed his arms, grinning merrily. “I know what you’re thinking, he’d snap a paintbrush in two before figuring out how to use one. You’d be right too. Took me a long while before I figured out how to be gentle with the brush.”

“You may think I’m unusual, but everything you’ve said or done is blowing my expectations out of the water!” she replied.

Tirek went on two knees, cupping his hands together in front of himself. “Basing everything on what you see blinds you to new possibilities.”

“I see.”

“Do you?” He smiled, and then rose. “I believe that is enough for today. Thank you for the help, Sunset. Tomorrow, I’d like for you to come with me to Canterlot,” he said as he wiped his brow with the back of his hand.

“Canterlot? What for!?” she asked with an angered fervor in her voice that she hadn’t meant.

“There’s a pony I’d like you to speak with who I believe will help in easing your anger. There are many people like you and me who hold rage in our hearts. Speaking to me is a good start, speaking to others is even better. What do you say?”

“Could I… invite a friend along?”

Tirek pulsed at the question. His expression read: “What friend could she possibly have made?” Then the sudden realization hit, his expression hardening. “Yes, you may, if you feel it’s necessary or comforting.” The centaur pushed forward toward Sunset and placed a hand on the unicorn’s head, rustling her mane with his fingers. “Take the rest of the day to eat well. Eating is something we neglect when our emotions are strung for a loop, making us feel worse.”

“I will,” she conceded.

She watched as the centaur wandered away. Standing alone on the dry docks, she turned and looked at the water, wondering what her reflection might be. A pony, she thought. For a long while her anger tormented her, not just after coming to this world. Somewhere, deep inside, she kept her anger dormant. She had let it build up, let it fester. Just like her sadness, she had not thought about it for a long while. And when she would think about her anger, why she felt sad, or how pathetic she felt, she would push it off. She would push it back inside and tell herself she’d deal with it the next day. She kept pushing it off, every day.

One too many.

She stared at the slow current of the river, her reflection wobbling in the tiny ripples.

She wanted a good, long look at the unicorn.

She wanted the memory.

World 4: Chapter 6

“Believe me, I am wholly honored by your desire to bring me along. It’s been quite a while since I’ve made an appearance in Canterlot, but as I told you, they don’t see me in a proper light,” the dark stallion complained as he finished packing his saddlebags.

“And they don’t see me in a proper light either. I’m hoping that’ll change after today,” Sunset replied from the loft, her backpack firmly settled over her shoulders. “I felt so stupid crying my eyes out to Tirek. I hope he doesn’t bring it up in front of whoever we’re meeting.” A sudden knock on the door jerked her attention. “That must be him.”

When she opened the door, she expected the centaur to be the opposite of sullen. “My dear, I have poor news today.” Tirek wasted no time. “I’m afraid I’ll have to cancel our plans for Canterlot. There’s been news of dragon attacks to the south, I’m heading off to meet Dragon Lord Torch in a little bit with the princesses. I had really hoped the dragons wouldn’t have been foolish enough to do something like this, but it seems I was the foolish one to trust our forming treaty.” His eyes dragged to Sombra as the stallion sidled up beside Sunset. “Being too trusting seems to be a common fault I have.”

Sombra rolled his eyes. “I guess Canterlot will have to wait,” he said to Sunset, snapping away from the passive-aggressive centaur.

“Take us with you!” Sunset blurted before she could think.

“What!?” chorused both the stallions.

“Yeah! It could be a good learning experience!”

The centaur leaned back, resting on his bulky lower half. “I understand your tenacity to mend your mind and heart, but I am unsure if there will be any lessons to be had today. Supposedly, Dragon Lord Torch has no part in this attack.” His eyes plodded between Sombra and Sunset. “Though, having you both there may help me in remaining merciful and mindful. After all, we can’t have a good anger management session when the role model is raging against a foreign ruler.” He chuckled to himself, tapping his cheek with a finger. “Very well. But you two must do as I say without question. Are we clear?”

“Done.” Sunset nodded, and Sombra reluctantly agreed.

“Then we’ll waste no time.” Sticking his nails in the air, Tirek clawed open a black tear in reality.

Sunset and Sombra stepped forward, glancing into the shapeless, convulsing mass of energy. “Well, I did say I wanted adventure,” Sombra mumbled to Sunset just before taking the plunge. Passing through felt nothing like that of which Sunset experienced portalling through worlds, and it certainly wasn’t as intensive as teleporting with her unicorn magic.

They came out on the other side in a grassy plain. A pale tree line to her right, the sea to her left. Down the ways she could see three flowing manes of glorious colors, to which she knew were the princesses. “Where are we?” she asked Sombra.

But it was Tirek who answered, “South of Baltimare. You can see it in the distance behind us.” As Sunset turned to look, he trotted past her, heading for the princesses. The large city was just over the horizon, the sun coating it in its gentle morning rays.

“I’m guessing that’s Dragon Lord Torch,” Sombra said, prodding her side.

She turned back to the princesses and scanned the area. It wasn’t until the shadow struck the beach that she eyed the sky. Just as big as Tirek on the day she arrived in this crazy world, Dragon Lord Torch coated the world with his presence. The gentle glide down to the earth ended with a tremor, sending rippling waves off into the distance. Half on land, half on the beach, the dragon lord seemed too big a threat for Tirek to handle alone, yet he had somehow defeated the overwhelming, hard-hearted giant.

As they trotted closer, slithering in behind the centaur, they overheard Celestia’s complaint, “Appleloosa was hit this morning, all their trees burned to the ground. The buffalo tribe is in shambles, they had worked hard building the land alongside our citizens, all for it to go up in flames!”

“I understand your problems, Princess Celestia,” said the dragon lord, whose voice was much softer than Sunset anticipated of the massive dragon. “And I would be glad to send the dragons who have not turned on me to your Appleloosa in order to help till and plant a new orchard. However, I will not do so until these rebels have been rooted out, as they may just come back and do it again.”

“Do you know where these rebels are?” Princess Luna asked.

“Apparently, they were in Appleloosa just a few hours ago,” Dragon Lord Torch answered without a twinge of rhetoric in his voice. “From there, nothing. They are not welcome in my land, they have nothing to return to. My guess is that they have roamed south to—”

“The Badlands,” Tirek finished. The centaur remained stoic, his arms crossed. “And what is it you would have us do to these rebels should we find them? Imprison them? Not a very good way to start their introduction into Equestrian citizenship. Not to mention we have nowhere to imprison them.”

“I’m hoping we can find a solution here and now, though it pains me so,” Dragon Lord Torch countered. “The leader of this resistance is my own daughter. She’s always been the disobedient type.”

Sombra nudged Sunset to get her attention, and then whispered, “It was my understanding that dragons followed the dragon lord’s command regardless of what it was. To have some betray their leader is unprecedented. Often, betrayal is due to anger or frustration. It’s too coincidental to have you being tutored on your anger right when this boiling point comes up for the dragons. Far too coincidental. Maybe you were meant to help save them? Maybe the map saw that?”

“I’m not a hero,” she told him, speaking just as softly.

The stallion winced, wanting to say more, but he chose to keep silent.

“They attack because they worry that under your rules, we dragons will be forced to give up our hoards. Our hoards are what drive us, what makes us big, and what we hold dear,” Dragon Lord Torch explained. “But even though I have told them that you have no desire to take away their hoards, they did not believe me. They assumed this relocating to your cities was a means to take hold of their wealth, to which I can understand their plight.”

“Hoarding treasure is a negative aspect that will not stand within Equestria. It involves stealing wealth, usually from the ponies or other races, and keeping it tucked away unused. I allowed you all to keep what you’ve attained in exchange for no further stealing, yet it seems dragons are a greedy race that still desire to stick to their old thieving habits. If these dragons wish to hold on to their traditions of stealing, then they are free to leave Equestria and never return, your daughter included,” refuted Tirek, lowering his arms. “I will personally seek out these dragons and have them bow to me. If they choose not to or choose to continue this temper tantrum, my hands will be forced to deal with an absolute.”

The dragon lord gulped. “And what of those who submit?”

“They’ll be given a choice. Retribution must be paid. They can either work to help replant Appleloosa or they can give up their hoard.” Tirek threw his head back with laughter. “I imagine Appleloosa will have twice the amount of trees that it had by the end of the year.”

“Very well.” The dragon lord bowed his head. “Please try not to be overzealous with my daughter. Her stubbornness is legendary. A swift defeat may finally bring her the humility she needs.” Without another word, the dragon flapped his wings, filling the sky in a matter of seconds. Sunset watched as he disappeared into the clouds, his shadow falling down onto the sea, heading for the volcanic ridge far across the water.

“I’d say that went well, Tirek,” Princess Celestia said as she turned to the centaur, but her eyes stopped when she saw Sunset and Sombra. Sunset caught it too. The look. It went from surprise to scorn within an instant.

“Sunset! Sombra!” Princess Cadance was the first to react to the duo, breaking away from her position to greet the two with a hug. “You’re tagging around with Lord Tirek now? This is a welcome surprise!” This Princess Cadance was far more cheery than any of the others Sunset had met, though those others were in far worse living conditions. “I knew introducing you two would lead to great things!”

Tirek stepped closer to Cadance, extending a hand. His stoic face softened, a grin creasing his jaw. “Yes, Sunset and I had a marvelous breakthrough yesterday. She’s even agreed to be my…” He paused, a look of confusion crossing his face.

“Apprentice,” Sunset answered for him. Her heart sunk as soon as she said the word. She had not meant it as a good thing, only saying it to bring more scorn to her old mentor. It worked. Princess Celestia’s expression exploded with pang after hearing the word uttered, so much so that the elder alicorn turned away to hide her face.

But Tirek seemed to like the name. “Yes, apprentice! Her anger is much like how mine was, though our lessons are impeded by this dragon development. Perhaps finding these outlanders in the Badlands will be a good first teaching experience.”

“Well, I hope all goes well,” Princess Celestia replied, though it was unclear whether she meant with the dragons or with Sunset. She didn’t take a moment to say goodbye before taking flight, Princess Luna following behind. Princess Cadance waved as she too took to the air, a cheery smile being the last thing they saw of the three princesses.

“Tirek. What did you mean by deal with an absolute?” Sunset asked after they were alone.

“I refuse to have prisons or dungeons, Sunset,” Tirek answered gravely. “Without them, I am forced to rely on my pure strength to break the spirit of those who do not submit. It is incredibly rare for someone to be walked to the border of Equestria only to then return seeking vengeance. I half expected the changelings to attempt something, though they never have, thankfully.”

“So what do you do?” she asked in a firmer voice.

“It was the same with Dragon Lord Torch. He refused to bow or to leave.” Tirek raised both hands, clenching them into fists. “He submitted right here in this sea after I elbowed his trachea and then bent his back across my knees. I do hope it doesn’t come to that with each of these outlaws. It’s tiring work.”

“Have you ever had to—”

Tirek cut her off with the raise of his hand. “Enough questions, apprentice. I can feel your fear, and fear leads to rash decisions, along with anger. Know that I am merciful, to which you will be shown today once we deal with these dragons.” Clawing the air, a black tear opened in front of them, convulsing a reflection of the trio.

Sunset swallowed her questions and did as she was told, hopping through the rip in reality. She did not like being called apprentice by the old centaur, yet she succumbed to the idea without much of a fight. It’s not like I’m Princess Celestia’s apprentice anymore, and I’m not sure I’ll ever see Princess Twilight again. Not unless… Her eyes drifted to Sombra as soon as they crossed the tear together. He looked at her, a smile grazing his face, to which she smiled back.

“The princesses didn’t even seem to notice me. You’re a good shield, Sunset,” Sombra joked. “To think I was so worried about today.” As soon as he finished speaking, the stallion tripped and landed chin first on the cracked, dried dirt, knocking his glasses to the ground.

“Sombra!” Sunset grabbed the dark stallion by a foreleg, pulling him to his hooves. “Are you okay?”

“Y-yeah. What did I trip over?” Sombra glanced underneath his legs, a set of undistinguishable bones protruding from the coarse, red earth. “Oh dear. That’s a terrible sign.”

Grabbing Sombra’s glasses, Sunset placed them on his muzzle, staring him in the grey eyes as she did so. “Why are you always so sure you’re seeing things hidden beneath the surface?” she asked him as she straightened the spectacles.

As she pulled away, Sombra placed a hoof on hers and held it to his cheek. “You’re the one who has been taking everything at face value. You remember your reaction when you saw me for the first time? There are signs everywhere, Sunset, sometimes they’re right in front of you. You just need to pay attention.”

“I-I am!” she blurted, slightly flustered, the bottom of her hoof feeling the stallion’s sideburn. She did not think to pull away until she saw Tirek in her peripherals. Her whole body shot in the centaur’s direction. “W-what are you looking at!?” she barked at her new mentor.

The centaur’s brows were raised, his cheeks were flexed, and a coy grin hid amongst his beard. He tilted his head forward in a curt nod before pressing on past them. “Welcome to the Badlands,” he said, putting aside the cold growl of his student. “Somewhere around here remains the rebellious dragons. It’s our duty to find them. However, the Badlands can be fairly dangerous. Try not to stray too far from me.”

Sunset raised a brow at the notion. There was nothing in the distance aside from a few pillars of red dirt. Dried up bronze mud surrounded them—the only thing for miles and miles. “You say that like it’d be an easy thing to do.” She looked back at Sombra who was dusting off his cape, a long ridge of red mountains sat behind him even further in the distance. “Where do we start? This place is massive.”

“They’ll show themselves. They should know I’d be coming for them and may have even set a trap. That or they’ll hide and waste my time. But I smell something.” Tirek glanced over his shoulder. “I shouldn’t bring you two with me without a way to defend yourselves. Even if this is part of Equestria, I can’t imagine this will be a safe, leisurely jaunt.”

“Are you contemplating giving us our magic?” Sombra asked, clearly intrigued by the idea.

Tirek shook his head. “To you? No. Never again.”

“What does that mean?” Sunset asked, glancing between the two.

Neither stallion looked as if they wanted to be the one to answer. “Another tale for another time,” Sombra eventually broke, speaking for the both of them. “Let’s just be focused on the task at hoof, shall we? If we all stay together then we’ll be fine.”

Sounds like a tale I need to hear. I’ll ask about it later. Both stallions trudged forward into the barren land, forcing Sunset to move as well. The sun only just rose and it was already sweltering. The shadows of the mesas stretched west over the land, though they were too far away for them to make it underneath the shade before the sun would collapse the shadow entirely. Sunset lifted her hoof to her forehead, wiping the sweat from her brow. When she looked up at Tirek, she noticed that the wrinkles on his face were glistening, giving him an older look that he so desperately tried to hide.

Sombra was the complete opposite. Not a drop of sweat or exhaustion on his body. Sunset slowed her pacing to be beside the dark stallion. “You alright? Holding up well?” she asked.

“We keep going more and more south. Soon it won’t be remarkable to me anymore. Still, I’ve never seen a desert before. Though I suppose you could consider the winter tundra outside the empire a desert of snow. It sure doesn’t beat this, though,” he replied. His eyes went to her, glancing over the mare. “How about you?”

“It’s really hot.”

He chuckled for a moment. “Years of magic abuse has given me a cold temperature. Even with Tirek taking away my power, he cannot undo the damage I’ve done to myself.” Pressing his body against Sunset as they walked, he showed her just what he meant.

The sudden frosty feel of the stallion made Sunset push harder into him. “You’re like an ice cube! How is that even possible!?”

“Ruling the Crystal Empire all those years ago gave me time to enhance my own abilities. Shadow forms, curses, and enchantments,” he replied before lowering his muzzle close to her cheek. “If I had my magic now I’d put it to good use, bettering the lives of other ponies. Maybe life could even bloom out here if magic was readily available,” he whispered, not wanting the centaur in front of them to overhear.

Sunset didn’t disagree, nor did she agree. She had her own mixed feelings on the subject. Removing Tirek would restore magic to the world. Magic that I could use to help Princess Twilight. But removing Tirek would break any sort of help he has for me. He was right, after all. He saw it when I didn’t. She chose to change the conversation instead of continuing on about magic. “I can’t get over how much the world has changed compared to my Equestria’s. Seeing Canterlot and the Crystal Empire so large, I wonder if I did the right thing by helping Nightmare Moon in the last world.”

“You can’t dawdle on the past, Sunset. Isn’t that what you wanted help from Tirek for?” Though the words seemed positive, Sombra’s voice was more curt.

“I wanted help from Tirek to control my emotions. I wanted to stop feeling pathetic, to stop being angry. If I can’t look at the past then how will I better myself?”

Sombra looked to have an answer but stopped himself. He thought for a moment before finally speaking. “You said you weren’t a hero, yet you also said you saved your school from a magical demon. Is that not contradictory?”

“I also almost destroyed the school, so I’d say the score is pretty even.” Dealing with the sirens was more of a group effort. “What does that have to do with the past?”

“You said you wanted to stop being angry and pathetic, yet it’s the past that makes you feel that way.” Sombra shrugged nonchalantly. “Maybe there’s more to it than I know, but with the information I have, that’s what makes sense to me.” The stallion then picked up his pace, leaving Sunset to stew in her own thoughts.

She didn’t get the chance for long. Tirek held a hand to the air, stopping in his tracks. “The pillar. Three flying dragons,” he described, staring up at a far pillar that sat in the west. It was hard to tell from that distance, but Sunset could make out three small dots floating down onto a cliff’s edge just in front of a small, dark opening. “Perhaps they did not lay a trap after all. I would have expected them to be prepared for a retaliation. We’ll need to surprise all of them in one swoop. If any escape, it’ll only fuel the fire of their rebellious nature. I don’t need them burning cities, too.” The centaur’s head swiveled for a moment. “This requires more information and a bit of delicacy.” A sudden swipe of the air and a black tear opened. He motioned for the two ponies, crossing in behind them.

Sunset’s eyes went wide as she came face to face with the edge of a plateau, staring down at the ground of red earth. She would have had an intimate, ten-second relationship with the ground if not for Sombra stopping her. “What are we doing up here?” Sunset asked, holding a foreleg to her brow to block the sun’s rays. She could see the stretch of the Badlands in every direction. Red dirt and tall pillars were the only thing of note.

“If they haven’t spotted us, we’ll spot them. They had to make their home in one of these cave systems, I’m assuming the one we just saw those three enter. We’ll watch them for a while. As I said, having them all in one place will be the final break in their chain.” Tirek stood at the edge, his hands on his hips. He did not turn his eyes away from the dragons’ supposed hideout.

“What are we meant to do?” Sunset asked. The heat was unbearable on the ground, but the higher altitude was even worse. Even the wind did not help ease the sweltering heat.

“Here,” Sombra called, taking his cape off. “You can use this for shade.”

Sunset took the lapel in both hooves, plopping her butt to the hot dirt. Raising the cape above her head, she felt the heat partially subside. “Thanks, Sombra.”

“Since I imagine we’ll be here for a while, I might as well get back to work on that spell.” Sombra’s saddlebags slid off his back, they looked even bulkier than before. Sunset watched as he pulled the brown book with golden edging out from a pocket. Waggling like a penguin, she inched closer, keeping the cape above her.

“What have you done so far?” she asked him, eyeing the pages as he flipped to the back.

“Nothing much. It’s very complicated. Whoever messed with it must be incredibly intelligent. That or incredibly determined,” Sombra answered, tapping the calculations he’d written down.

“Well, I’m determined too.”

That made Sombra laugh. “That you are. I like that about you—but you should leave this to me, however. I am the magical advisor for the Crystal Empire. What good is a title if I can’t prove I’ve earned it?” He grinned at her.

“Suit yourself. This heat is scrambling my brain anyway.”

After a few hours of watching Sombra work, she slowly made her way to the edge where Tirek stood like a statue. A sudden burst of wind rattled the cape, and she almost lost it had Tirek not grabbed an edge. “You must be careful, Sunset Shimmer,” the centaur said. She did not like him using her full name, it made her feel as though she were in trouble. “I am sensing a great bit of misfortune coming. Something magical. Something terrible. I do not know what it is but it will affect us all. Possibly, most of all you.”

“How can you sense something like that?” she asked him, holding tighter onto the cape.

“When you have an abundance of magic in the world, you cannot tell when magic is becoming out of control. When only one person holds all the magic, they can sense when a shift occurs. I had not felt that shift until you appeared.” He remained focused on the distance. “Celestia seems to dislike you, and Luna holds no interest. But Cadance was happy to see you. A mix of emotions. I am worried what it all means.”

“You sound like Sombra, seeing things below the surface. Why don’t you two get along?”

The centaur shifted, his beard brushing against his shoulder. He threw a look back at the dark stallion. “That is a tale for another day. We all have failures that we must deal with, Sunset. I will tell you of that one when I feel you are ready to hear it.” He then turned back to face the dragon pillar, only to recoil. “They’re there!” he called out, pointing at the distance.

Sunset squinted, a mass of shadow pouring into the cave. Tirek thrust a claw through the air with the might of an angry bear, tearing a portal open and motioning for the two to enter. Sunset trotted in first with Sombra right behind her, the brown book in his mouth and his saddlebags halfheartedly thrown over his back. They stood on the edge of the cave, barely enough room for all three to stand comfortably. “Follow me, and remain close,” Tirek commanded as he stepped into the darkness of the cave.

With a quick race, Sunset helped Sombra with the book, saddlebags, and cape before following after the centaur. Tirek formed a ball of fire in his hand to light the way, which bounced off the red walls with each flicker. His tall stature made him lower his head slightly as to not drag his horns against the ceiling. He motioned back to the two ponies to keep quiet, a single finger to his lips. Sunset was unsure of what they’d find, but her heart pounded with excitement. Seeing Spike was one thing—seeing grown dragons was another. Even back then, it was too dark to really see what Spike looked like as a dragon. That and I was so focused on stealing Twilight’s crown.

The cave turned, light of flames bashing against the outer corner. Tirek dimmed his own magic torch and pressed to the wall, peering cautiously around the side. He then moved forward, Sunset and Sombra at both sides, blocking the way they came. The dragons now barred, no other entry remained of the dome-shaped cave they claimed as refuge. There were nine in total, all gathered around a small fire dug into the dirt at the center of the room. None of the dragons had seen or heard their approach, and it was not until Tirek spoke that they turned to face him. “I’m assuming that’s Appleloosa wood you’re burning,” he said in a guttural, deep voice, one that matched his commanding presence.

“Ember was wrong!” a white dragon no taller than Princess Luna yelled, stumbling to his feet. “She said he wouldn’t find us!”

“I’m assuming Ember isn’t here,” Tirek replied, crossing his arms. His yellow eyes dragged over each of the dragons, and then he nodded. “Which means I’ll have to wait for more to arrive.”

Two dragons lurched toward Tirek, their claws and sharp teeth at the ready. With a swift backhand, they fell back to the ground. A snap of his fingers was all he needed before the others could attack, trapping all nine in crystal clear bubbles. “Let us out!” a red dragon yelled as he attempted to pop the bubble with his claws, but to no avail. “Coward! Fight me! I’ll take you on!”

“Your dragon lord could do no such thing, why do you think you can?” Tirek inquired as he stepped toward the fire, staring down each of the dragons. “You can’t. You’ve lost. And now I shall wait for the rest of your partners in crime to return.”

“That was incredibly easy,” Sunset said as she stepped beside the centaur. “I would have thought dragons were more capable. I’ve always heard wicked stories of dragon-kind.”

“I share that sentiment. Even when I was a young colt I heard of the terror known as dragons,” said Sombra as he trotted to the white dragon’s bubble. “It seems this Ember has gotten herself the most inferior of her kind to help her.”

“Inferior!?” shouted the red dragon. “I’ll show you inferior!” The dragon then pushed against the bubble, which eventually snapped back and slammed into the other side, flipping him upside-down.

“Sunset, Sombra. Watch over these while I maintain a presence at the entrance. If they somehow get out, yell for help.” The centaur turned his back to the fire, trotting off into the darkness of the tunnel.

Sunset stared up at the dragons, eyeing each of the features. None were purple nor small. Doesn’t seem like Spike is here. I wonder where he’d be in all this time travel nonsense. She grimaced at a rather bulky brown dragon with light grey horns, but he wiggled his fingers at her, causing a smile to come to her face. He smiled back, putting on a show of his jagged, gnarled, and grody teeth. She backed away after that, returning by Sombra’s side. The stallion had dragged out the book once more, lying on the ground with his muzzle almost touching the paper.

“Sorry I dragged you along today,” Sunset apologized. “It seems Tirek had been right. We should have stayed home. I’m not really getting anything out of this escapade.”

“What were you hoping for?” he asked, lifting his grey eyes from the book.

“A connection, I guess. Now that I know I need to let go of my anger, I feel kind of empty.” She sat down, the pitiful fire to her back. “Throwing myself into this problem seemed like the only logical thing to do, but I haven’t done anything but witness what Tirek can do.”

Sombra returned to staring at the spell book. “I have no answer for you, Sunset. I’m sorry. If you need a goal, getting your magic back would be it, but I don’t think that’s what you mean.”

“No. It isn’t. Sorry, I’m burdening you with all these problems. Thank you for working so hard on the spell.”

“Aww, does the wittle pony have probwems?” The red dragon had managed back to the upright position, his arms now crossed. The front teeth of his muzzle almost looked buck-toothed in the dim light. “What a loser.” He spat, hitting the bubble.

“At least I’m not trapped in a bubble,” she mocked, half-smirking at the red dragon.

“Pfft. You kiddin’? You’re trapped in the biggest bubble of them all. You’re trapped in Equestria.”

“Yeah, but when I spit, it doesn’t run down to my leg.”

“What?” The red dragon looked down. “Aw, geez!” Sunset laughed as the dragon went to work wiping his shins, inciting a few other laughs from the surrounding bubbles. “Just you wait! When Princess Ember gets back, she and our new friends are going to tear you to pieces! Then we’ll be the ones laughing!”

“Princess Ember?” Sunset asked.

“New friends?” added Sombra.

“Garble, shut up! You’re going to ruin everything!” one of the other dragons yelled.

Sunset trotted close to the bubble, staring up at the red dragon named Garble. “Did Ember order you to burn Appleloosa?”

“I’m not telling you anything else.” Garble twirled around, putting his back to Sunset and the rest of the cave.

“Ember might not be the one in control. I’ll go tell Tirek,” she said to Sombra. “Will you be alright to watch them while I’m gone?” He gave a short nod, not even bothering to glance up from the spell book. She trotted out into the darkness of the tunnel, winding around in the silhouettes of the cave. Drawing back towards the orange light, she found Tirek pressed against the wall near the mouth, staring out into the sunset. “The day’s going to be over sooner rather than later.”

Her words startled him, making him jump and twist his head. “Ah, one sunset leads to another it seems. Everything alright?”

“Not really. I haven’t done anything. I’ve been waiting for something to click but nothing has!” She lowered her head. “Funny how things work out. That used to be something my friends wanted.”

“Your mirror friends?” Tirek asked.

“No.” The lines were blurring between them.

“Well, I wouldn’t worry so much if I were you. These things take time, and by not looking at me with hate filled eyes, you’ve already taken a big step. Focusing your energy on something new is a good way to deal with it, but taking a moment to relax and see the world is another. Princess Cadance tried to show you that, from what she told me, yet you were not eager to listen at the time. Don’t rush. You have all the time in the world.”

You have no idea how true that is, Tirek. She wanted to tell him that but chose to change the subject instead. “Will I know when I’m better? Will you? You must know I won’t be staying in this world forever. One day you’ll give me my magic back and I’ll move on.” And I don’t know how true that is.

Tirek smirked. “It seems to me that you have a lot of faith in Sombra. You’re leaving that little spell up to him and you’re already speaking as though he’s solved it.” His smirked suddenly went sour. “I do hope he’s earned your confidence.”

Sunset noticed the bitter expression, the centaur’s eyes glazed over as if a wave of past crashed against the beach that was his mind. “Why don’t you and Sombra like each other?” she asked him, removing the tone from her voice as to not sound threatening or biased.

“As you know, I’ve helped many ponies cope with their loss of magic. You are not the hardest, though you are the most unique. Sombra, however, was truly difficult.” He took a moment to breathe. “The princesses were not the only ones to gain their magic. I had worked with him for a long while and I truly believed he’d changed. Giving him his magic back was a test I often gave to those I helped, to allow them to see the true difference in themselves that only they could prove without the use of a mystical force.” His brows pushed together. “I stopped that exercise because of him.”

“What did he do? I never learned any of this when I read his journal.”

“That would make sense. I’d assume it’s his biggest failure as much as it is mine. With his magic, he felt he could prove that he could make the world a better place. He went to the Crystal Heart, wanting to increase the power and love it obtained, and broke it.”

“That sounds like an honest mistake to me.”

“An honest mistake. Yes. That’s what he called it, though I did not believe it myself and still don’t. I have no proof on the matter, even when I confronted him about it. He did not like that I called him a liar, and so we could no longer cooperate. I tried to make amends but my heart was not in the right place, making it seem sarcastic, to which I’m sure he hated even more.”

“How did the Heart get fixed?”

“My only justification for trying to make amends with Sombra was that he pointed Princess Cadance and Prince Shining Armor in the right direction for a spell to fix it. Whether he did so by accident or on purpose, I am unsure.” The centaur fell to one knee, placing a hand on the unicorn’s shoulder. “Sunset. I will not stop you from being friends with Sombra, but you must promise me that you’ll never allow him to have his magic back. I cannot trust him with it.”

Sunset’s eyes fell to the floor. “I can’t promise that, Tirek. Sombra’s been a really good friend. That’d be like making a promise against Twilight. I couldn’t do that. At most, I can say I’ll take your words into consideration.”

To her surprise, Tirek’s face went wide with a grin. “You put a lot of trust in your friends, and a lot of thought. That’s something a person filled with anger wouldn’t do. A person of anger would be rash, decisive, they’d want to leave immediately for fear they’d do something they’d regret. It seems taking the day to see other things allowed you time to think. Not such a wasteful day, eh?”

“I guess you’re right. Thanks, Tirek.”

A finger pointed toward the setting sun. “We might be here all night. Why don’t you go and get some rest?”

“Oh!” Sunset slapped her hooves together. “I forgot. Princess Ember might have had help from someone else.”

“I figured as much. The petite, blue dragoness. I’ve only seen her once when she rushed to her father after he fell from our battle. Any friends she has will be no trouble to deal with. Go back inside. I shall wake you when I spot her and her crew.” He ruffled her mane, his long fingers brushing the sides of her ears.

Sunset trotted down the tunnel, feeling slightly better about herself, the pitiful fire was turning into a smoldering spark. Her eyes could no longer make out the faces of the dragons that sat in the bubbles around the room. “You’re going to hurt your eyes, Sombra,” she said to the stallion who had not moved from his spot, muzzle firmly in the spell book.

“Are they coming?” he replied with his own question.

“No. Tirek says it may be all night. I’m going to get a little shuteye. You should too, otherwise, you’ll need stronger glasses.”

He chuckled. “I suppose that’s true.” The book slapped closed. “Very well. I have had an odd sleeping schedule recently.” He rose and brushed some dirt onto the fire, darkening the cave. “Have a good night,” she heard him say through the darkness.

One of the dragons grumbled, but none voiced their opinions on the black abyss of the cave or the desire for sleep. Sunset took that as a good sign to rest alongside the charred wood, her back to the entrance. She did not expect to fall asleep so easily, her worries running rampant, but as soon as her eyes closed she could smell the pollen that wafted through the air. She expected golden flowers. A sudden jolt threw the smell back out her nostrils, her eyes pressed down and then opened. Darkness was all she saw, but a cold, small hand brushed her back.

“Fur? Who is this?” the voice that was connected to the hand asked, a feminine sounding lilt to the words.

“Ember!?” one of the dragons called out from their bubble.

A sudden flame blinded Sunset. When she could see, her eyes studied the features of the cyan dragon that stood barely taller than Twilight. In her claw was a torch that she pushed toward the pony, studying her features just as Sunset was studying hers. Behind the flames and the female dragon stood another two dragons along with something Sunset hadn’t expected to see in this world.

“Who are you? Why is everyone in bubbles?” the dragon named Ember asked, but Sunset did not care to answer.

She was too focused on the black creature with holes dented in its hooves and horn. The blue, bug-like eyes stared at her too, a reflecting gaze that she had not seen in two worlds. “She’s not one of ours,” the changeling said. “She’s just a pony.”

World 4: Chapter 7

A changeling? I thought they had been kicked out of Equestria, Sunset reflected. The shadows produced by the flame made the changeling darker than ever, aside from the big blue eyes. “Are you working with changelings?” Sunset blurted her question as she started to rise off the floor.

Before she could place all four hooves down, a claw was at her throat, pushing her onto her back. The charred wood from the lifeless campfire pressed into her spine, causing a short gasp of pain to shriek out her lips. She stared upside-down at Sombra who hadn’t awoken from all the commotion, his dark-grey back to her. “You’ll tell me who you are!” Ember shouted, and then ordered the dragons she brought to release their comrades trapped inside the bubbles.

Sunset struggled to move, wrapping her forelegs around the slender arm holding her down. All she could do was watch as the dragons were released one by one. When the red dragon named Garble was released, he stomped to the ground and kicked dirt onto Sombra, waking the stallion. Sunset tried to call the dark stallion’s name but the nails on the cerulean hand clenched tighter. “You should worry less about him and more about you,” said Ember, dragging Sunset to the cavern’s tunnel. “How’d you trap the others?” she snapped, releasing Sunset like a sack of trash into a garbage can. “You don’t have any magic. How’d you do it?”

“Ember, it was Tirek,” Garble told her. He was holding back Sombra at arm’s length. “How’d you not see him when you came in?”

“Tirek’s here? Already!?” Ember turned back to Garble just in time to see the red dragon once again be trapped inside a bubble, along with those she brought and the others who had been imprisoned prior.

A hand extended from the darkness over the length of Sunset’s body, wrapping Ember by the back of the neck with the same tight grip she had held Sunset. “You dare touch my apprentice?” Lifting the cerulean dragon off the ground, Tirek stepped around the unicorn. Ember clawed at the meaty fingers, kicking the air as she struggled, but it was no use. Only when Tirek chose mercy did he decide to toss the dragoness into the center of the room, sending the charred wood splattering in different directions. A snap of his fingers and the dragoness was encased in a translucent prison. “Burning the trees of Appleloosa does make me a wee bit angry. Harming my student on the other hand, now that’s enough to make me lose my temper.”

“T-Tire—” Sunset struggled on her hooves, coughing for air. “Tirek!”

“What?” Tirek turned to look over his shoulder, his yellow eyes glistening in the light of the torch that burned from the cave floor.

“A changeling!”

The centaur twisted his body around just as the changeling skittered down from the ceiling. Passing above Sunset with a haste matching a terrified gazelle escaping its predator, the changeling headed for the entrance. Tirek brushed past his student who followed weakly, both reaching the end of the tunnel and stepping out into the cold, starry night. The changeling was disappearing into the darkness, only the light of the moon allowed him to be seen, reflecting off his luminous wings. “We’ll never catch him now!” Sunset groaned sorely, turning her head to Tirek.

“Stay here.” Tirek, without another word, rushed forward and jumped from the platform they stood on. In mere seconds he reappeared, growing a magnificently gigantic height. His long shadow cast down on the valley of the Badlands, shrouding everything in darkness. With his big, burly hand, he plucked the changeling out of the sky like a grape from a vine. With a rough turn, his backside grazing the side of the mesa and shaking the ground beneath Sunset’s hooves, he tossed the changeling into the mouth of the cave. “Make sure this one doesn’t escape for a moment, will you?” His voice was loud, booming from his size.

Sunset didn’t know what she could do other than dogpile on the mostly unconscious changeling. Wrapping her hooves around the changeling like a snake, she held onto his clammy, coarse body, feeling the strange scales against her fur. “Are you my mommy?” the changeling asked, drool falling from its fangs. Not bothering with the clarification, there’d be no way the changeling would remember it anyway, Sunset kept her grip until Tirek appeared with a more adequate size for the cave.

The centaur clasped his cucumber-sized fingers around the deformed horn of the changeling, letting Sunset release herself before dragging the black creature back down the tunnel. Sombra was wide awake, he had used the torch lit by the cerulean dragon to gather and rekindle the lame campfire. His grey eyes flickered as his mouth dropped at the sight of the dark creature. It was clear what he wanted to say; what he wanted to ask. Instead, he chose: “Is this all the ones who burned Appleloosa’s orchards? None escaped?”

“None,” Tirek answered, a sweat drop running down his wrinkled brow. He then turned his thick shoulders back to the entrance, welcoming his apprentice. “It is early morn, the sun has yet to rise. Yet it seems we will be blessed with a teaching on this new day. An experience in mercy.” He lowered an arm, motioning for Sunset to stand in the center of the room before the meager fire.

From the middle, she stood a step away and below Ember’s bubble, the cerulean dragon staring down at her between bent knees. The slight curve of her white horns that protruded from the sides of her head gave her cranium a larger feel from the front. Her bent muzzle fell in line with her dark blue fin that ran the tip of her forehead down the flat of her skull. “What do you mean, Tirek?” Sunset asked as she stared at the cerulean dragon, curiously wondering what might happen if the dragoness refused whatever proposition Tirek might have in store.

“First dragon to tell me why it is that a changeling has teamed up with a group of mediocre renegades gets to go free,” Tirek replied, voicing the words to everyone in the room.

The bubbled dragons chattered for a moment while the dazed changeling lie motionlessly half on the ground and half in Tirek’s grip. Ember tried to speak—tried to command the others not to sacrifice their plan, but Tirek silenced her bubble the moment she issued the order. To Sunset’s surprise, the dragon who spilled the beans was the one who so adamantly attempted to keep them sealed. “We were a distraction!” Garble shouted, his claws clinging to the squeaky sides of his bubble. “Just a distraction! We’re not the real threat! The changelings are!”

“Garble!” the white dragon yelled in shock.

Garble’s bubble suddenly popped, sending the loudmouth plummeting on his rump to the red dirt below. He scrambled to his feet. “I’m free to go?” He was just as surprised that it had worked as Sunset.

“Free to go.” Tirek held his arm extended toward the tunnel, bowing his head like a bellhop. Garble cautiously walked to the opening, stepping aside Tirek with unease before turning into a full sprint once he passed the centaur. “You see Sunset. Many villains make one fatal mistake, my past self included. I would have destroyed that young dragon as soon as he told me what I wanted to know. Now, in my age and wisdom, I know that doing so only yields fear, and fear does nothing but cause mistakes. Instead, I choose mercy because others see that mercy and know that I am sincere in my actions. If any of the rest of you have any more valuable information, you too may go free depending on if it’s worth my time.” His yellow eyes shifted to Ember. “Except for you. You’re the terrible instigator.”

All the dragons relinquished truths now. Some could not even distinguish between valuable and pointless information. “When I was born I had six toes on one foot and four on the other!” one dragon claimed, to which Tirek paid no mind to.

It was the white dragon, Garble’s ally, that both Tirek and Sunset focused in on. “And when she met with that weird queen I knew it was trouble! Garble said she had teeth like needles and ever since we robbed that one pony doctor who had those sharp syringe things, I’ve always known to stay away from things like that! I knew we shouldn’t have joined up with anyone whose teeth are like needles! They say they’ll suck up anything, isn’t that what syringes do? Suck things up?” The dragon was manic, Sunset could see the fear in his eyes. He was afraid of something, but what?

Needle teeth. She squinted, a flash of Nightmare Moon’s sharp mouth brushing her mind’s eye. Why does that sound so familiar?

“Quit your yammering,” Tirek commanded the dragons, popping the white one’s bubble at the same time. “Repeat what you just said.”

“W-we-well, it’s like I said. Garble was with Ember, meeting those changelings out here in the Badlands, and they met with their queen. Some hoity-toity freak show that was apparently bigger than the rest of them. She’s the one that proposed the idea, told us holding up in these pillars would allow us to hide from you, that you’d be busy searching every cave while they were up doing their own thing,” obliged the white dragon.

“What is it they are doing?” Tirek asked.

“I-I don’t know, s-sir. I wasn’t there, that’s all I heard.”

With a furrowed brow and a curt nudge of his head, Tirek allowed the white dragon to stumble to his feet and rush out of the cave. Tirek kept his arms at his sides, staring at the blank, shadowed wall where the white dragon’s bubble had been. He was like a statue for a while before relaxing, a heavy sigh shifted his biceps. When he turned, he was holding the bridge of his nose between his thumb and middle finger, both eyes closed. “The changelings have returned. I always surmised that they’d be back to enact revenge. I had hoped to be wrong, to be only paranoid.”

“That was before you took control and decided that Equestria could house everyone, right?” Sunset asked, knowing the answer. “Perhaps now is your second chance for the changelings.”

“The changelings cannot be welcome in Equestria.” Tirek shook his head. “Not while their evil queen is in charge. Maybe individuals who distance themselves, but most would choose to keep with their own.” He gestured to the dazed changeling in his grip, drool pooling on the floor. “Now we must figure out where the full hive is and what their plan of attack may be. I’ll need to inform the princesses. The commonhealth of the citizens should be first priority. Equestrian’s should not resist if they come across the changeling army. I shall be the only one needed for the fight against their hive.”

It was then Sombra pointed out the cerulean dragoness. “She’s laughing at you.”

He was right, the daughter of the dragon lord laughed from her silenced bubble, slapping her knee as if the funniest joke in the world was bouncing around her translucent sphere. Tirek snapped a finger and suddenly the shrill laughter filled the room. “Why do you laugh?” the centaur asked.

“Why?” The laugh grew curt. “Because you’re an idiot to think you and only you can stop us. We’ve got Equestria hostage and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

“Ember, please. You don’t have to do this. Equestria is a fine place to live—especially for dragons,” Sunset pleaded, trying to help in the only way she knew how. “Help us stop whatever the changelings are planning.”

“And why should I do that? Who are you?” the dragoness scoffed, folding her arms.

“I’m from another world, a world where a purple dragon is the assistant to a pony princess,” Sunset told the dragon. “And I’ve seen what the changelings do first hoof. You may not like Tirek’s rule, but you’d hate Chrysalis’s.” She remembered the needle teeth, the saliva dripping down the slender, white chompers. “The changelings feed on love—they’d put you in a cocoon and never let you out, just to drain that love.”

“It’d be better than having our hoards taken!” shouted Ember, slamming both cupped claws on the bubble.

Tirek shook his head and sighed. His age was showing thanks to his frowning, wrinkles covering every inch of his face. “I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a thousand times. I did not want to take away any existing hoard from any dragon. It was only that you could not continue to steal to add to your hoard. Of course, you, on the other hand, have caused so much trouble that your hoard will be split up amongst the dragons who refused to aid in your little distraction.”

“Ember,” Sunset said, “You have to realize that what you did was the very reason Tirek exists as Equestria’s defense. Adding the changelings into the mix just gives him another in to keep magic out of the world.”

The dragoness threw her hands into the air, hitting the bubble’s ceiling. “Who cares about stupid magic when our hoards are gone!?”

Sunset looked to Tirek, a questioning brow on her face. It was Sombra who answered the unspoken question. “Dragons get their magic from owning things, stealing things, whichever have you. They’re greedy. Much like many ponies who did not want their magic taken away, dragons did not want their hoards, their magic, to be taken away,” the dark stallion explained, circling the cerulean dragon’s bubble as he spoke. “It’s funny. We ponies have been used to it for a while. Now the other races are catching up.”

“Their whole culture is built around owning things. Taking it away would only have them hate me,” Tirek added, a hand on his heart.

“So? You took away pony magic and that was the thing we built our lives around,” Sunset argued. “Why not do the same for the dragons? Why give them an out to keep their hoards but not increase them? Do you have a soft spot for them or something?”

The centaur scowled and shrugged. “I let the princesses have their magic,” he mumbled. When Sunset opened her mouth to argue, Tirek held his hand up. “We will continue this conversation at a later point, do not worry. For now—” Tirek stepped forward, raising the changeling up by the horn “—we have to find out where his queen is at.”

“So this is a changeling,” Sombra remarked, glancing over the black creature. “Not quite what I expected from the stories. It drains love? Interesting.” He turned back to Sunset. “Any ideas where the rest could be?”

“Canterlot,” Sunset replied, suddenly getting lost in the cold memory of a grey night and heavy, sluggish armor. “Why not try to get revenge? Stop the only ponies with magic from alerting you, hide all the citizens, and then wait to spring a trap to ensnare you and take your love, your magic.”

“That’s a good plan,” concurred Sombra. “Lull Tirek into a false sense of security, a sense of trust, and then turn on him at the last minute when the moment is right.” Sombra nodded. “Of course, being so in love with ponies, they’d have a lot of love to drain.” He glanced up at Tirek. “You had none the last time they attacked. Their revenge might be more for you than us ponies. Perhaps asking this one about his queen is the wrong question. Of course, it all depends on how you plan on getting him to talk.”

Tirek stared at Sombra, then the changeling. He jangled the limp body like a set of keys, stroking his beard with his other hand. “I’m not one for cruelty, but these changelings are stubborn.”

It was an odd sentence to Sunset, but the whole idea was odd. Three reformed villains trying to stop a potential crisis from happening. They must go through trials that lead them back to their roots. Sounds like a pretty good story for the school paper. I just wonder how it’ll end. Her eyes drifted to the limp changeling, the musky smell of sweat swam through her thoughts. Settlers! rang in her head. Feels almost like I’m helping defend Nightmare Moon again.

She examined the changeling. Nothing was out of the ordinary for what she remembered of the species. She turned to the dragons. Most looked exhausted, while Ember was the only one with any adrenaline pumping through her veins. “What are we going to do with them all? With no dungeons…”

“We should return to Canterlot. I’ve gone long enough without word to the princesses, and your suggestion of revenge is making me paranoid and anxious. I need a level head,” Tirek explained as he snapped his fingers. The bubbles pressed against each other, forming a line behind Tirek. Another wave of his hand and a black tear opened in the cave, snuffing out the flame of the torch. He motioned for Sunset and Sombra to cross through, which they obliged.

“And here I thought I was going to get to avoid Canterlot,” Sombra said once they stood on the other side.

“Come on, Sombra. I don’t think we have time to complain. I don’t want to be here either but we’ve got to stop whatever the changelings have planned. Teaming up with dragons—I can only imagine what betrayal Chrysalis has in mind for them.”

“I think you’re the only one who can imagine the changelings’ plans with the most accuracy,” Sombra replied as he glanced back at the black gash in reality. “I know almost nothing of the creatures.”

For Sunset, the memories of the Resistance timeline were hastily flooding back. The goo stung and choked. The strange smell of Rarity and her bed. The blinding fight between Twilight and Chrysalis. She remembered the anger she felt when the awful queen mocked Zecora. That anger is okay. To see something bad and not feel angry, that’d make me just as awful as Chrysalis. As soon as the thought popped into her head, she realized that she had made another grievous mistake. All these villains have been reformed—why not Chrysalis too?

When Tirek came through the tear with the bubbles of dragons following behind him, Sunset started to ask if Chrysalis could be reformed, but the centaur spoke first. “Sunset, we should part ways for the day.”

“What? Why!?” she whinnied.

“With the introduction of the changelings to this tangled mess, it is too dangerous for you to accompany me. I cannot focus on the task at hand if I am worried about protecting you.” The centaur knelt on one side, brushing Sunset’s back with the top of his knuckles. “Look what happened with Ember. Had the fire been burning, your back would be a lot less dirty and a lot more scorched.”

“But Tirek! I’m supposed to be learning from you! How can I do that if I’m not by your side?”

He grinned. “I’ve got an important task for you, actually. Come.”

Tirek’s portal put them in a corridor with a set of stairs, which he trailed up with the bubbles following him. When they reached the top, he pushed open a set of doors. “Tirek! You’re back!” Sunset heard the familiar voice call.

Standing in the doorway, Sunset saw the glass panes trail light onto the princesses’ faces, unique and various colors pressing down on their flowing manes. Tirek strode in first, the bubbles at his back, and the changeling in his grip. “You want to look at the windows?” asked Sombra, sidling up next to Sunset. She nodded silently. Better than seeing that look of Celestia’s again.

Trotting along the carpet, Sunset stared up at the framed illustrations, listening to the talk between the set of leaders and Tirek. Her mind couldn’t concentrate on the glass, too intent on the dialogue. When Sombra asked a question, she wasn’t even sure what he asked, responding with an unconscious shrug. “I’ll need to return to the Crystal Empire immediately. Shining Armor will lose his senses if I’m not by his side for this, he’s often talked about what he’d do if the changeling queen returned,” Cadance said, and Sunset mentally agreed.

Coming to a set of glass where Tirek was displayed in his full glory, Sunset stopped and stared. “Go home, let me know if you find anything suspicious. I’ll be checking in on you and the empire tonight,” Tirek replied, and the window seemed to shake when he spoke. “Take care.”

Sunset looked over her shoulder just in time to watch Cadance disappear through a tear. As she watched, she felt the eyes of her old teacher, but when she looked, the eldest alicorn stared straight ahead at Tirek. Turning back to Sombra, she found the stallion staring too. Not at any pony, but up at his own past. “You okay?”

“Do you know how Tirek managed to defeat me?” he asked her.

“No. Tell me.”

“Sunset,” the old centaur called, breaking the conversation.

She looked at Tirek, then back at Sombra. His sad look now grouchy, a perturbed frown pulling his sideburns tight. “Sorry, just a sec,” she whispered, pouting a smile at him before turning back to Tirek. She trotted past her old teacher, refusing to give the older mare a glance. “Yes, Tirek?”

“I’m going to leave for a bit, I’m taking Princess Luna with me to investigate a few places I know the changelings have previously visited. You and Sombra will remain here to watch over the dragons, and of course the changeling.” He snapped his meaty fingers and the changeling was added to the collection of transparent spheres. “I will be back as soon as I can. In the meantime, you should stick close to Princess Celestia. She’ll send word to me should anything happen.”

“With Celestia!?” Sunset said loudly. Her eyes darted to her old mentor who shared the unhappiness.

“That won’t be a problem, will it Celestia?” Tirek asked, and Sunset saw the laugh lines springing up Luna’s face. It’s a huge problem, Tirek.

“No, Tirek,” Celestia said, a complacent smile crossing her proud face. “That is perfectly fine.” The voice sounded sincere, but Sunset knew it as a façade. Luna must have recognized it as well as she put a hoof to her mouth, preventing the laughter from escaping. “I will watch over these criminals until you get back.” I’m assuming that includes me, Sunset guessed, choosing to keep her sass to herself.

With a snap of his fingers, the bubbles trailed in behind Sunset. “Then all is set. Come, Luna.” A tear opened and he extended a hand for the younger sister. Princess Luna shot a sly grin back at her sister before disappearing through the portal, Tirek at her back.

When the tear closed, Sunset looked up at the bubbles. The changeling remained unconscious, his tongue pressing through his fangs. Ember stood with her arms crossed, staring intently at each of the ponies. The other dragons looked rather helpless, their eyes big and dejected. I could talk with the dragons and changeling, I might find out more information about their pact. Chrysalis plans to attack somewhere, but can I convince her to stop?

She remained staring at the dragons but shifted her focus to her peripherals, the white alicorn standing silently alone. The flowing mane of pastel fell down her back, brushing the floor with little licks. Sunset had seen four different Celestia’s from four different worlds, but this looked as normal as her own. The last three, they were tired, broken, and unkempt. They had bigger things to worry about than how they looked. What does this one worry about? Me?

Sombra came closer, shifting Sunset’s gaze from the bubbles and the princess. He looked emotionless to Sunset, nothing to his grey eyes, no lift to his cheeks, and a mouth closed flat. He stood in front of her, his eyes dragging over the bubbles. It was clear he wanted something, Sunset could tell, but she did not know what question to ask. About his defeat? He beckoned to say something about it, but I wouldn’t mind talking about him getting his magic back. Tirek’s tale was polite, but I want to hear both sides. I could try to mend things with them.

“Feel free to have full range of the castle other than the bedrooms,” Princess Celestia said as she walked past. “It is open to the public, after all.” She did not turn an eye back to the two.

“Shouldn’t we stick together?” Sunset started to argue, though she didn’t know why—she certainly didn’t want to be around her old teacher.

The elder princess made her way to the door. “If you’d like. Following your teacher’s orders would certainly be a first, of course.” She continued down the steps, leaving the two unicorns in the hall.

“That sounded rather passive-aggressive, didn’t it?” Sombra asked once the elder alicorn disappeared. “I’ve been invited to more than a few dinners hosted by Cadance and Shining Armor where they hold a contest to see who can be the most passive-aggressive. Cadance always wins.”

“Y’ah think?” Sunset replied with a jut of her teeth.

“Hey, there it is again. Must be contagious.”

She rolled her eyes. “I’m not sure what Tirek was thinking. He must know that Celestia hasn’t forgiven me. There’s no way we’ll stick together, at least, not without tearing each other’s head off.”

“Perhaps he wasn’t thinking. The return of the changelings has got him anxious. He might even be debating on trying to bring in their species to Equestria. I wouldn’t mind studying them before that happens, if it happens.” His eyes dragged up to the bubble with the changeling. “Changelings have a peculiar talent. They take love and use their own bodies to turn it into magic, not unlike the Crystal Heart.”

“You don’t know the half of what they can do,” Ember belittled. She sat on her back, her tail tucked between her legs, her arms firmly crossed. The dragoness didn’t even look at the unicorns, her eyeballs straining at the creamy stone of the ceiling.

“He doesn’t, but I do,” Sunset declared with a stomp of her hoof. “I’ve seen it. The changelings rounded up everyone in Equestria and put them into pods to drain their love.”

“Who cares what happens to you ponies? Your kind has never gotten along with us dragons. Without Tirek, your kind wouldn’t have gotten along with any other race.”

“The changelings wouldn’t have stopped at just ponies. They planned to filter their kind into the land, taking the place of the ponies who had lived there. They would have enticed other races just to steal their love as well. I’ll bet the changelings told you they’d let you keep your hoard, didn’t they? Because it’s the only thing you love. They’d dangle your hoard in front of your pod, forever out of reach,” Sunset argued.

“Yeah, whatever.” Ember did not say anymore after that.

Sombra shrugged. “Sunset, why don’t you leave the changeling with me? I’ll stay here, away from the rest of Canterlot, and study him. Maybe I can learn some useful information that might help us with the changeling threat.” He then turned his head toward her, staring deep into her eyes. “Or it might help with the spell.”

“Hey, I trust you. If you think it’ll help, go ahead.” It’ll give me time to talk to Celestia alone. Sunset smiled at him before taking her leave. Each of the bubbles trailed behind her like Tirek had magically inferred them to do. She then stopped, turned back to the stallion, and lifted a hoof. “But, uh, I don’t actually know how to keep the bubble from following me.”

World 4: Chapter 8

The bubbles stopped behind Sunset as she stared up at the gigantic cake. Celestia stood on the opposite side of the table, a fork covered in frosting firmly in her magical grip. The alicorn had stopped eating as soon as Sunset entered the gigantic ballroom. Guests and staff swiftly cleared at the sight of the unicorn, or perhaps it was caused by the transparent prisons full of dragons, Sunset was unsure which. It didn’t matter to her, though. Celestia was the one she wanted to talk to. The words were on the tip of her tongue, but she didn’t know the right way to form the sentence. It was as though she were trying to tie a cherry stem with just her tongue, a parlor trick the mirror version of Pinkie Pie could do perfectly.

But it was Celestia who spoke first. “Sunset Shimmer. I suppose if you’re going to trample around castle grounds then we should shut down visitation till you’re gone. Wouldn’t want the city to know that we’ve got a changeling up for show.”

“Actually, I left the changeling with Sombra. He’s going to try and study it.” It took a lot of work, but it’s with him now.

“You left our only piece of verification with Sombra?” The fork hit the plate. “Well. I see your sense of judgement hasn’t changed over the years.” She took a napkin to her lips, wiping away the frosting.

“My judgement? Sombra’s been a great friend—I won’t allow you to bash him. Especially not when your own sense of judgement is so faulty,” Sunset fumed, a sudden heat brushing her cheeks.

The elder alicorn rolled her eyes. “Say what you will. My judgement was right about you.”

Those six last words almost sparked the end of Sunset’s lessons. Her face went steaming red, her legs planted themselves wide. An inappropriate flash of fantasy violence struck her mind. She wanted nothing more than to run across the table and slam both back legs into Celestia, just like she’d seen in the action movies Rainbow Dash kept. But a voice cut through her anger like a hot knife on chocolate. “Basing everything on what you see blinds you to new possibilities.” With a hefty breath, she let go of the hot air in her chest and closed her eyes. Focusing on nothing, she listened for a moment.

Oxygen. Breathing. The rapid movements of her chest expanding and diminishing. She could hear the breathing of Celestia. A dragon squirmed, perhaps interested in the fight, perhaps cringing at the argument. A scratch of metal on ceramic. The alicorn moved the plate, a shift against the tablecloth. Focus. She inhaled. “You’re wrong about a lot of things, Celestia,” Sunset said without opening her eyes.

“Why are you even here? Come to torment me?” Celestia grated. Her long legs allowed her to need only a few steps to reach around to Sunset’s side of the table.

“I’m here because of a mistake in time, a portal put me here,” Sunset replied, her eyes firmly shut.

“No. I don’t mean any of that. I mean here, standing in front of me. What are you doing now?”

Annoyed. Agitated. No, I could see that just by looking at her. Something else. She listened to each of the words in her mind over and over. “Tirek told me to stick with you in case anything happened,” she replied.

“Ah, yes. The great Lord Tirek told you to stick by me because of a threat to Equestria. A nice, big threat. A threat that, for some reason, only started instigating after you returned. And now you leave one of Equestria’s biggest threats with the Crystal Empire’s biggest threat. I don’t see why he sees so much in you, he’s going to get us all enslaved or worse.”

“Why don’t you like me?” Sunset asked, opening her eyes.

The alicorn’s face looked as if someone pinched it. With a big groan and a high chin, the alicorn shook her head and ruffled her mane. “It has always been about you, hasn’t it? You’d never dream to think about anyone but yourself or what affects you. You haven’t changed and you never will.”

Sunset remained calm, enduring. She chose not to get upset by the words. She’s angry. Anger gets thrown around at things that don’t deserve it. I threw anger at Tirek when I was really angry about how things were turning out. I was angry with myself. She frowned, dipping her forehead low as she thought. For a moment, she wrapped a hoof around her foreleg, feeling where her watch had once been. “You’ve changed,” Sunset said. “You’ve changed a lot.”

That struck a chord with Celestia. “Me? Canterlot and Equestria may have changed into a direction I hadn’t ever expected, but I certainly have not,” she spat venom.

“No. You’re angry. Consistently angry,” Sunset noted. “In the first world I visited, you were angry. That anger at Sombra turned to anguish, a suffering wonder if you’d never see your niece again or if the war would ever end. The second world, you were so angry with the changeling queen that you destroyed half of your own castle just to get to her. In the third, your anger was focused inward. You were angry with yourself, felt you didn’t deserve to rule. In this world—what is it that is making you so angry?”

“Worlds? Other me?” Celestia asked, but her questions were cut short.

“You know what’s making me angry? If I hear the word angry one more time, I’m going to burn my ears off!” Ember shouted, pulling on her horns. The dragoness had been listening to the conversation, whether or not she wanted to or not. “Nobody cares about your problems! There’s bigger lava fish in the volcano!”

“I agree with the dragon. I’ve talked with Tirek and spoken of your little anger issues. All you’re doing is projecting your own problems onto other people, creating stories and tales of other times to draw support,” directed the alicorn. “So, stow your fantasies and keep to yourself. I don’t need you exploding at me just because you didn’t get to be the big bad villain you always dreamed of being.”

Ember started to laugh. “Hey, the big pony’s got some spunk. Why can’t we be following her around instead?” The other dragons stifled laughs and pointed at Sunset, grunting their agreement.

And as much as she tried to deny it, Sunset felt angry. It hurt to swallow, her neck felt tight; strained. She chose to remain silent, gritting her teeth to bear it, but as the mocking picked up, she felt no other choice but to leave. No matter where she went, however, she could not escape the dragons who were glued to her, their contemptuous laughter only making her more red. She ran faster, out into the courtyard and down the marble walkways. She ran until she was out of breath, reaching a familiar garden. Birds flew from the fountain in the middle of the pony-made grove.

Sunset huffed and puffed, taking a moment to catch her breath as she stared down at the reflection of the water. It wasn’t a clear mirror of herself, ripples of the fountain’s spewing nozzle distorted her face. Her mind kicked itself for associating it with how she felt inside. I’ll start sounding like Sombra, seeing something in coincidence. She sighed, dumping her muzzle in the water and wetting her lips.

When she was done, she asked herself, “What would Tirek do?”

“Enslave all you ponies,” answered the young dragoness.

“Stow it. I wasn’t talking to you.” Sunset shot a glare back at the dragon, but the dragon did not falter.

“What’s the matter? Don’t like hearing the truth?”

“Tirek is trying to make it so you don’t have to fight with ponies. He’s trying to bring you in so that you can move freely amongst Equestria and see new things. What’s wrong with that?” Sunset argued.

“Tirek’s trying to change us, just like how he changed you ponies! What’s wrong with Equestria is that it isn’t Equestria anymore! It’s not even fun to steal from you guys. You’re pathetic.”

She’s not wrong. This isn’t Equestria anymore. It’s something else, but that doesn’t make it worse. My Equestria is filled with all sorts of villains, one even messed with time. Sunset looked at the water for a moment before swiping at the ripples, sending a splash over the side. She shook her hoof off and began to trot, burning a hole in the ground as she walked. The garden was filled with life and looked better than any other universe’s, but Sunset did not care. She could feel her blood boiling. I’ve only been given one lesson. How am I supposed to deal with all this garbage on one lesson? Tirek… What should I do?

Her mind raced back to Nightmare Moon. Would I have ever gone to her for help like I’ve done with Tirek? Why am I relying solely on his judgement?

As she reached the exit to the gardens it hit her. I’m not. I’m not supposed to deal with it at all. Tirek knew that I couldn’t, that I’d get angry. Does he want me to fail? No, that can’t be it. I bet he wants me to learn how to manage stressful situations like this. She looked back at the dragoness, the half-smirk of her beak-like face reflecting in the sphere’s transparent seal. Didn’t he say something about taking the world in? What if Ember takes in the world with me? Seeing the new part of Canterlot sounds pretty nice. And so she decided to take a walk. No one would stop her from leaving, after all. All the guards had been disbanded or sent off to the borders.

She trotted right out the gate where guards once looked at her with watchful glares. Hitting the main street of Canterlot, or what used to be the main street for this world, Sunset knew of one place she wanted to visit first. Heading left, she went down Restaurant Row. Overhead were signs with hoofprints patted under names, but Sunset searched for a very specific restaurant. The dragons would have their bubbles tossed and turned against the signs or low hanging awnings, but Sunset knew they wouldn’t pop, the changeling she left with Sombra was proof enough.

Eventually, Sunset found The Smoked Oat, hoping that a robust stallion with glasses still owned and operated the establishment in this timeline. To her dismay, the shop was closed. Going across the street, she found out The Smoked Oat had gone out of business, much like many of the others. Pinkie worked hard to make sure everyone was as good as they could be. Without her, things are worse off. Well, it’s not like Pinkie Pie ever made her way over to Restaurant Row in my world anyway. She headed back to the main street and out of the piece of Canterlot she’d known all her life. The road went down the mountain, railing guarded the path. Some homes had been built along the way but it was when she reached the bottom that the city opened up.

Ponies stared in alarm at the set of bubbles following Sunset. Most had never seen a dragon, most never dreamt they would unless Tirek got his way. “She must be friends with Tirek!” Sunset heard a mare call out, which was the logical reasoning. “Tirek’s treaty must be working!” another stallion said, which was also logical, yet wrong. Hearing them speak gleefully of the centaur reminded Sunset of Nightmare Moon once again.

“What a bunch of fools. We’re not here to be friends. If we were, why are we in these bubbles? Stupid ponies,” Ember said in a rather tame voice, to which her comrades held the same opinion.

Sunset chose to ignore the dragoness. If Sombra fails, I planned to move through this world’s mirror to CH. If I can’t access the mirror, I wouldn’t mind staying here in this part of Canterlot. There’s plenty of space, and it’d definitely be something new. Not that the library in Ponyville wasn’t nice or anything. She didn’t like to think of what would happen if Sombra failed. It wasn’t just for her sake she was allowing the stallion to work on the spell. If he could somehow see beneath what’s there, he might even discover a way to send me straight to Princess Twilight. He’s good at seeing what’s hidden.

Buildings of three and four stories slowly leapt up, and she found an empty street aside from a few mothers shopping with their children. Though not interested in the material things Canterlot offered, Sunset yearned to see the sights. Cadance would be ecstatic at Sunset’s change of heart.

Soon, the city filtered into buildings with triangle flags of multiple colors strung from roof to roof. A band marched, some celebration on behalf of something Sunset did not know. She chose to escape from the crowds, taking a back way through to another, darker toned set of apartments.

Her curious sense of exploration led her into a petite alleyway where carpets and rugs were tapered to both roofs, creating a darkness along the street. Many buildings on this path were storefronts with studios above. One she passed was a curtain shop with unique designs, the moon being the biggest of the displays. Another shop held crystal balls in the window with necklaces designed in the shape of the moon. Must be an alley for Princess Luna fans. I wonder how popular she is since her return. Some of the dragons were in awe of the merchandise, their mouths openly drooling.

Sunset noticed the big gem shop which displayed brilliantly cut sapphires, each under lock and key. “What I wouldn’t give for a taste,” Ember said, her eyes staring at the main gem in the center, a purple sapphire shaped as a tetragon. For a second, Sunset stopped and marveled that it looked like one of the Elements of Harmony. When she started to move, Ember called, “Wait, wait! Come back!”

Dragons eat gems. Got to remember that, Sunset noted, thinking ahead. The walk helped clear her mind, and it had been a while since she got to see things for fun and not for research. Not that exploring the Castle of the Two Sisters wasn’t fun. She frowned at her reflection in the glass, which is when she heard the rumble of Ember’s stomach. Her eyes shot up a brow, glancing at the dragoness who held her gut. “Don’t look at me like that!” the dragon yelled, shaking a fist at the unicorn.

Sunset smiled to herself as she continued her walk. Reaching the end of the alley and stepping out into the sun, she found the center of a bazaar. Throwing a hoof to her brow to protect her eyes, she glanced around at the world she stumbled upon. Beams connected to the roofs of the square area with four alleyways allowing passage out, all the same size as the tiny one she came through. Rugs laid up in the rafters, but not enough to completely block the sun. Blankets lined the rough cream stone of the square bazaar, and there were tents and stages covering every space. No foliage stood out, there was no room for it. The place was huge, but even so, it seemed too small for the number of ponies. Some danced, some played music, and some did trickeries. She could even see a few griffons, dragons, and a changeling. Her eyes were wide as she stared at the changeling, but none of the other ponies batted an eye.

“You a new act? Dragon balls? You won’t pull in as much attention as me!” a voice said from behind Sunset.

Though the changeling was a surprise, when Sunset turned, she thought it were a ghost. “W-who are you!?”

The voice sprang up, raising blue hooves into the air. “I am the Great and Powerful Tr-r-r-r-rixie!” the unicorn rang as fireworks shot off behind her.

“Trixie!” Sunset almost wanted to hug the unicorn before she remembered it was not her Trixie. “I’ve, uh, I’ve heard of you! What do you, I mean… Are you performing here? What is this place?”

“You’ve found the Talent Market and you don’t even know what it is? I’m guessing you’re not a local.” Trixie trotted slowly around the fellow unicorn, eyeing the yellow and red mane. Her eyes dragged up to the dragons. “What’s with dragons if you’re not here to do an act? Come on. You’re pulling my legs if you don’t have something to show off. Nopony is dimwitted enough to just stumble in here.”

“No, I’m just watching over these dragons for someone else.” Sunset could almost see the enthralled reaction of Tirek if she told him about this part of Canterlot. I wouldn’t be surprised if I found a pony with magic in here somewhere. Her eyes drifted between the sax playing dragon, the griffons playing dice games, and the pony doing a hoof stand with just her muzzle.

Trixie wrapped a hoof around Sunset’s neck, dragging the unicorn forward into the bazaar. “Well, come on then newbie. If you’re here then you’re going to have an act soon enough. Most of us don’t get far from the Market once we get drawn in. And you’re just in time for my act!” The blue unicorn pulled Sunset toward a stage where she sat her down on a sandstone bench. Trixie then rushed behind the wooden stage and disappeared for a long moment. A dual of curtains ran the stage. Sewn in many places, Trixie’s patchwork had to be the only thing keeping them together. It swayed slightly as the performer got things ready.

Some of the crowd noticed Sunset and the bubbles, while others came and sat down to see the show. As the intrigued watchers filled the rows, a set of lights spat on with a flicker and Trixie came running out, skidding on her back legs just as confetti cannons sprayed over her. “Welcome ladies and gentlecolts to the only show in Equestria where magic still exists!” The Great and Powerful Trixie yelled, the applause deafening.

Magic still exists? Sunset almost fell forward at the thought. Her eyes shot to Trixie’s, and the grey pupils that were a common trait to the magic-less were still there. No, she doesn’t have her magic. But to Sunset’s surprise, the blue unicorn’s act did seem like magic. From flaming juggling where she remained unburnt, to sawing herself in half, and even escaping a box full of scorpions, the blue unicorn did it all. This seems far more dangerous than usual. With her magic, she could have just teleported out. Though I suppose that would diminish the feat. Sunset’s hooves were getting tired of clapping, but without true magic, Trixie’s act became far more impressive. Eventually, the show ended, and the ponies around her threw up gifts and flowers to the young, blue unicorn.

Sunset waited a bit for the crowd to disperse, she wanted to talk to Trixie. “Hey, you. Release me! I am Princess Ember and I command you!” she heard the dragoness say. Sunset turned around to see a free dragon looking up with a mocking grin at the cerulean dragon. A sax sat on a strap around his neck. With a shake of his head, the dragon continued on, only causing Ember to violently thrash in her bubble.

“What’s her problem?”

“She’s not allowed out of her bubble. None of them are,” Sunset replied once she saw it was Trixie.

“Well that’s no fun. They looked to be enjoying the show. If you’re not an act, why bring them along? Are you here to drop them off?” Trixie rattled off her questions.

“They’re prisoners, war criminals. You know politics. They burnt the Appleloosa orchard.”

Trixie shifted from one side to the other then back again. “That’s pretty rude. I suppose I’ve spent so much time here that hearing of dragons doing awful things—well, it almost seems like a thing of the past. Growler over there has a pretty good dancing act with a monkey that he claims is a cat, to which he plays a pretty mean sax. Growler, I mean, not the monkey.”

“What about the changeling?”

“Tom? He’s a good guy. He’s willing to transform into whoever you want for money. He’s also willing to do mostly anything.” A creeping blush swallowed Trixie’s cheeks. “Mostly anything. I usually just have him transform into me so I can hear myself speak. It’s like ambrosia to the ears that others get to experience, but I’m never on the receiving end.”

Sunset’s brows fell together. “His name is Tom?”

“It’s just a nickname. Says if his hive knew he were here, they’d march and come drag him back, so he uses a different name. Those changelings are freaky if you ask me, but Tom’s nice. Just, uhm, don’t ask him out. He’ll say no. Not that I’d know or anything.”

Sunset threw a dumbfounded look over her shoulder at the blue unicorn before shaking her head. “So, this Talent Market, it’s just a breeding ground for all the races to come together?” Her eyes shot up to Ember. “See, Ember? This is what it could be like all over the world.”

“Well I don’t know about that,” Trixie replied, wagging her head. “We’re a close family here. We even got a few cooks who used to house a restaurant on Restaurant Row, if you can believe it. A stallion and his daughter. They were run out of the Row because ponies didn’t want to try their food. Something about the marks on their restaurant. That’s how it is for most of us here. Don’t belong anywhere else.”

“Every place has something like this. I’ll bet the dragons have a few eccentric outcast villages,” Sunset said to Ember, but the dragoness didn’t respond. “I mean, this dragon, Growler, he’s here for a reason. Probably doesn’t have a hoard.”

“Doesn’t have a hoard? What type of dragon wouldn’t want a hoard?” one of the other dragons said to another, a fearful worry oozing in his words.

“Oh! We even have an old king who Lord Tirek defeated! He was run out of the Crystal Empire and ended up here!” Trixie cried happily, grabbing Sunset and tugging her through the bazaar’s musical center. Some of the bubbles bumped up against the musicians, turning the litany of music into a jumbled mess of lilting cries. “What was his name again? King Sunburn?” Trixie asked herself.

There is no way Sombra is here, Sunset reasoned. As they pushed through the crowd, Sunset could see the outline and color of a stallion who looked similar to the shape of Sombra. When they got closer, she was aghast to see the similarities between the two stallions, aside from the fact that this stallion was a few more years wrinkly, and a lot shorter. “Hello whippersnappers,” the dark grey stallion said as the two mares came close. “Are y’all here for a signin’?”

“You are not Sombra,” Sunset said dryly, her face stone.

“W-wh-what do you mean I ain’t Sombra?” The old stallion whistled whenever he spoke his S’s, most of his teeth were missing. His snout was so wrinkly that it looked like a shirt just taken out of an old dryer. “I’ll have you know I was king of the Crystal Empire, young lady! I’m thousands of years old!”

Sunset shook her head. She placed a hoof over her face as she heard the snickering of the dragons. “King Sombra is no longer a king. He just refers to himself as Sombra. He also isn’t old. He and the other citizens of the Crystal Empire were gone for a thousand years, he’s only old in relative terms,” Sunset told the fake king.

“Yeah, he’s also a wimp! Couldn’t even help his marefriend out!” one dragon shouted.

“I’m not his marefriend!” Sunset turned to shout.

“And how would you know young lady?” Sombra asked.

She turned back to the fake king. “Because I’m friends with the real Sombra. He’s a bit of a—” Egghead is what Rainbow would say “—bibliophile. Has glasses and a cape. He’s friends with Princess Cadance and Prince Shining Armor. And he’s here in Canterlot.”

Trixie gasped so loud it startled the dragons. “Do you know real royalty? Have you met any of the princesses!?” She then leaned in real close. “Do you know Lord Tirek?”

The new closeness of the magician unnerved Sunset, along with the wide, innocent appearing smile. Bragging isn’t really my style anymore, she mulled over for an introspective minute. “Well… Lord Tirek is my… teacher. I’m his new apprentice,” she said with little confidence. I haven’t learned much from him just yet.

“You’re Lord Tirek’s apprentice!?” Trixie shouted and the bazaar stopped. No music played, no voices spoke. Nothing.

Sunset felt that all eyes were on her. Sharp glances and wide-eyed stares, she was the focus. All were waiting for her to speak. “Uhh,” she stammered. “Yes?”

The bazaar swung into motion. Ponies, griffons, dragons, and the changeling named Tom, they all moved to crowd around the unicorns. Each shouted their question, some outstretched their limbs just to touch the supposed greatness. “Back off! Back off!” Trixie yelled as she slapped away some of the group. “Give her space! I met her first!”

“How can all these people actually like Tirek!?” Ember shouted, her voice amplified by the bubble, forcing all those around Sunset to hear her.

The crowd once again stopped, their sharp glances turned sour, their bulging eyes turned mean. “What do you have against Lord Tirek, young lady?” the fake King Sombra said with his wispy old tone. “I’ll have you know I was happily defeated!” I wonder if that’s true, Sunset stopped and thought. He was going to tell me, I should have let him.

Ember shook with passion, throwing her hands up as she shouted, “Tirek is ruining the world! He takes and takes and does nothing but ruin lives! How can any of you support him!? How can you ponies take his side!?”

“We were social outcasts long before Lord Tirek. All he’s done is allow us washouts to live together in harmony,” Trixie replied, raising her snooty muzzle up at the arrogant dragon.

It was the other, free dragon, who stepped forward next. “Lord Tirek has allowed us dragons into pony lands without alarm or the need for wardens. We don’t need to be friends with ponies. Doesn’t mean we have to be enemies, though,” the dragon named Growler explained in his deep voice.

“I came to Equestria because my species is full of hungry fools,” Tom said. Sunset had not gotten a closer look at the changeling before, but seeing him up close, she noticed the scar across his face. He had all the distortions that came with being a changeling and more. “Most of Equestria still sees me as a monster, and I don’t blame them. But here, in the midst of everywhere else not liking me, Talent Market doesn’t bat an eye at my arrival. Thanks to Lord Tirek, I can be accepted for who I am.”

If the changelings have returned, I’ve got to convince Lord Tirek to help them, there’s no doubt about it. Maybe I can undo the mistake I made in letting the Elements of Harmony decide the changelings fate. Sunset stepped toward Ember’s bubble. “You see Ember. The world isn’t bad under Tirek. You’ve got to see things can be normal for the dragons. You can save your species if you’re just willing to bargain. The changelings too,” Sunset explained.

Ember’s eyes shifted around the bazaar. She placed both hands against the sphere and pressed her legs on the opposite side. “You’re wrong,” she whispered. “You’re wrong!” she repeated, shooting flame down into the bottom of the bubble. “No! You’re wrong!” The temper tantrum grew. “Wrong!” she cried. “Wrong! Wrong! Wrong!”

Sunset watched at the flames engulfed the bubble ball, filling back in on Ember. “No! Ember stop! You’re only going to hurt yourself!” The flames filled the entire sphere, turning the translucentness into a rampaging fireball. Sunset was wrong, however. The flames eventually popped the jail with the dragon’s angered fire spewing out onto the floor. The crowd backed away quickly, tripping over each other to avoid the inferno.

The dragoness landed on her feet, punching the ground, surrounded in flames unburnt by the fire. It was as if the flames didn’t even touch her but simply rested on her scales. They wrapped around her neck, wrists, legs, and belly. A helmet of fire clinged to her like hair. Before Sunset could react, Ember set ablaze the other bubbles, catching the nearby beams between roofs aflame, along with the few rugs that shaded the Market. “Ember! Stop! You’re only going to make things worse!” Sunset tried to say, but she was forced to the ground, pushed out of the way of a burnt rug by Trixie.

“We’ve got to get out of here!” Trixie said as she continued to shove Sunset.

But Sunset fought back, breaking from Trixie’s grip. The other freed dragons began setting fire to the surroundings, some even rushed off down separate alleyways. Sunset trailed along the stone parts of the Market, the fire rapidly growing thanks to the ever blowing mouth of the cerulean dragoness. “Ember!” Sunset called out as she was forced to go around the long way of the bazaar, passing Trixie’s stage. The changeling Tom ran by her, accidentally tripping on his way out. He was quick enough to dodge out of the way of a falling rug. The beam followed, unleashing a burst of fire and blocking Sunset’s path back.

The dragon named Growler was helping the old, fake king down one path as Sunset passed him. Her whole body shook, but thankfully the smoke could not grow thick. The rugs that had shaded the bazaar were falling from the flames, allowing the air to be free for parts where the flames did not touch. One such part Sunset reached and turned, trying to get to Ember, but just as she did, the dragoness blocked it with her flames. “No! I refuse to help the changelings any longer! I will deal with Tirek myself!” Ember shouted at the fire, knowing Sunset would have heard her.

“Ember!” Sunset shouted, garnering the attention of the dragoness. “You don’t have to do this! Look at what you’ve done to this peaceful place! They were happy! They were a community! If you go after Tirek, this is all you’ll find. Ruin and destruction. Believe me. I know that path!”

The dragoness stared at Sunset as the flames rose higher. She did not say another word, and Sunset could only wonder what she might be thinking. Spreading her wings, she flew up into the air where Sunset could have no hope of catching her.

Flames were spreading, the other dragons escaped. There was not much to burn against the stone buildings, but the beams that held the rugs overhead were falling and splashing the fire around her. Sunset jumped over one such beam, her hooves feeling the burning underneath as she landed on the opposite side. Pressing her muzzle into her leg, she rushed out the only opening she could find, skimming into the sunlight of the city.

She hacked and coughed for a long moment, her eyes watering and blurry. “There you are!” a feminine voice called out, rushing to pick Sunset up before the unicorn could collapse on the ground. “Looks like we found your act’s talent. We should definitely leave it for the end of the show, though.”

“Thanks, Trixie,” Sunset coughed into her shoulder. “But I’ve got to get back to the castle and let Celestia know I’ve failed. All the dragons have escaped. Ember’s gone. And it’s all my fault.” She pushed off the blue unicorn, stumbling past the crowd of onlooker ponies who were coming in with water buckets.

“I didn’t catch your name!” Trixie yelled over the crowd, both hooves to her mouth.

“It’s Sunset,” Sunset tried to yell back, but the smoke shriveled her throat. “The name is Sunset.”

World 4: Chapter 9

The golden regalia laid dormant on the ground, the rug it had struck now creased. “You don’t get to treat me like I’m one of your emotionally out of control students. I will not be demeaned by your mistake! You failed, you believed in the wrong pony, and now we’ll all pay for it.” The sun princess strutted out of the throne room, every step she took was offset by the lack of a fourth shoe, which she did not bother stopping to grab. The large doors closed behind her with a lackluster thud. Sunset’s heart hurt, perhaps more than Tirek’s cheek, perhaps not. She didn’t know, she could barely believe it had happened. Her eyes dragged away from the door up to her new mentor, his big red hand to his cheek, covering the area.

“Tirek…” she whispered ever so softly, her whole body moving on its own. She crossed to be in front of the centaur, staring up at his face that looked neither angry nor hurt. To Sunset, Tirek looked defeated, an emotion she knew all too well. “She shouldn’t have done that. Celestia—this Celestia—she’s so different from the others I’ve known. None of them… None of the ones I’ve met would have—”

The centaur stopped her with a lift of his other hand. He did not remove the one from his cheek. “I am the Defender of Equestria and I have failed to defend it, Sunset. I was lucky enough to walk away with just this—though you are right. She should not have done that.” His yellow eyes dropped to the floor, to Sunset. “Remember what I said, Sunset? Taking your anger out on others… It’s not okay. I pushed her into a corner where she felt trapped, the only thing she felt she could do was lash out.”

“I’ll talk to her.” Princess Luna stepped in front of the centaur, a sullen, sunken glance was all she gave Sunset. “I didn’t appreciate being called emotionally out of control. Though I suppose that would be accurate at a given point in my past.” She smiled at the centaur, her eyes drawing to the place where he’d been struck. Sunset couldn’t see anything past the beard and hand, but Luna had seen it from the other side.

“You helped Luna? With what?” Sunset asked.

The alicorn covered her mouth, a grin scrapping the sides of her muzzle. Tirek let out a hearty laugh. “An escaping Tantabus, I’d say. There are many forms of anger and many ways to contend with it. Luna’s here was anger for herself, for her mistakes in the past. Had she not made a speedy recovery, I’d say she would have been my first true apprentice. Instead, she was just one of the many students I’ve helped with their anger.” His thick arm reached down and patted around the alicorn’s neck.

“Being forgiven by my sister did not decrease the weight that I put on myself,” Luna described. “It was only after Tirek’s return that I started questioning my past. With his help, my self-agonizing was cured. Of course, that was only after quite the fight.” The younger sister looked almost weightless as she spoke of her troubled past, a feeling Sunset pined for. “Do forgive my sister, Tirek. It is not out of anger that she does these things, but out of love.”

“Out of love?” Sunset didn’t understand.

“My sister loves Equestria, its people, the land. Everything,” answered Luna. “For Tirek to fail means that love becomes strained. Equestria trusts Celestia, and for Celestia, putting that trust in Tirek’s hands means she will be blamed should he fail.”

That didn’t answer Sunset’s question, however. “Don’t people love Tirek? I’ve spoken with ponies and crowds and they all seem to love Tirek. Why would Celestia be blamed?”

“You think you are the only one to not trust me, Sunset?” Tirek said alongside a forced laugh. “I’ve worked with many, but there are many more. There are still those who do not trust me, who believe I am truly the worst of all creations. They see Princess Luna and know that she has changed, yet they would not give me that same chance. No matter how much good in the world I do, there are still hidden thoughts of what if I return to my old ways? Why do I need all the magic?” He sighed and inclined his head, removing his hand from his cheek.

Sunset could not see the mark, if there was one, due to the white forest of beard. “I guess I understand. If you fail, Celestia gets blamed for trusting you.”

“Which in turn means what, Sunset?” Luna asked, clearly curious if the student did understand as she said she did.

“They wouldn’t start a war but—” Twilight “—they’d leave. They’d go elsewhere. They’d take their magic and make another Equestria, and maybe some of them would get the bright idea to come back and challenge you, to truly start a war.”

Luna did not acknowledge whether Sunset was right or wrong. “My sister has ruled over Equestria alone for a thousand years. She is not used to trusting so many new faces with power. Cadance had been the only one she confided in during my deserved absence, though she talked about grooming a student many moons ago.” Sunset’s face shriveled, and Luna saw the effect. “My apologies. I forgot that was technically you.” She bowed her head. “I will talk to her. I will see what is truly grinding at her. I bid you well, Tirek.”

When the alicorn left to chase her sister, Tirek turned to Sunset. He eyed her over with a tepid gaze before turning to the throne. Sombra and the changeling remained well out of the conflict, their own conversation being quietly had. Whether they heard or saw what had happened, Sunset did not know. “Losing the dragons is one thing, letting them wreak havoc in Canterlot is another. Did you make the right decisions, Sunset?”

“I-I tried… I thought…” She bit her tongue. “Sombra wanted to study the changeling so I left him here with it. I then went to find Celestia and stay by her side—but she and I exchanged words so I couldn’t… I just couldn’t deal with her. I’m… I’m sorry, Tirek.”

“That’s not what I asked, Sunset. I asked if you made the right decisions.” The centaur did not look back at her as he spoke.

“Well no, if I had then the dragons wouldn’t have escaped!” Sunset cried.

He threaded a hand through his beard as he turned to her. “You’re right. They wouldn’t have escaped if you had been careful. If you were cautious and had thicker skin, you could have avoided this entire debacle. Yet instead, this happened.” A short chortle turned into a loud guffaw, his chest bouncing with joy. “A miracle it is if you were to ask me. It just so happens that we’ve run out of leads looking for these changelings.” He bent down to be more eye level with his student, which Sunset appreciated. “Celestia would have thrown a fit if I had suggested releasing the dragons and watching where they return. Now, thanks to you, we’ve got all of Equestria looking out for a few dragons that burnt a piece of Canterlot. Had we put out the word of changelings, the general public would have lost their mind thinking their neighbor was one. Dragons on the other hand?”

Sunset sniffed, a quivering lip halted as she asked, “You’re not mad?”

“I’ll take a strike to the cheek over losing you, Sunset. To see that you are alright, how could I be mad? No injuries, just a few ruined buildings. Celestia is angry, yes.” Turning his horse body, Tirek sat down on his hooves, leaning close to his student. “Celestia has been angry for a long time. My fault, really.” His eyes closed and the nose ring jiggled from an exhale of air. “You said earlier that she is not like any other Celestia you know. You’ve met many, I’d imagine. Yet I would say she is just like all the others you’ve met.”

“What do you mean?”

“She’s kind, caring, and merciful. She tries her best to make the world a better place, to defend her citizens, and to aid her sister whenever she can. But imagine this: Celestia was hurt by Luna turning to me for help with her self-loathing. Of course, she’d never tell her sister that. They’re cut from the same cloth, they hold themselves to a standard, and when they fail that standard they blame themselves, not each other.”

Sunset nodded. “I know. In the previous world I was in, Nightmare Moon controlled the world. Celestia gave in to her sister, and she felt so bad that she remained locked on the moon, refusing to speak to anyone. Her heart was so heavy that, when I left, Nightmare Moon still ruled. Her sister was beside her, but I’m not sure that was good enough.”

The yellow eyes sparkled. “A world ruled by Nightmare Moon?” he scoffed. “Interesting. You should speak to Luna; tell her of that. You two might get along.” Ruffling her mane with his meaty fingers, Tirek stood and turned. He snapped his finger and the bubble flew through the air. “Feel free to remain in Canterlot. It may take some time for us to hear word of the dragons. I will be speaking with this one in the meantime.” He bowed to Sunset. “If you need anything, come find me.”

As Tirek left, Sombra trotted up, having to walk the length of the hall whereas the bubble traveled in seconds. “I was having quite a pleasant conversation. How was yours?” he asked Sunset.

“Tirek’s pretty great.”

His eyes studied her. “You sound like you mean it, but don’t look it.”

“I messed up today, Sombra. I really thought I was getting through to Ember for a little while, but now she’ll probably be kicked out of Equestria. And who knows about the changelings.” Sunset fell to the floor, covering her head with her hooves. “Everything sucks.”

“Everything?” Sombra rubbed his chin with the back of his hoof. “That’s quite a lot of… suck, as you put it.”

“Sombra,” she said, her voice full of frustration.

He unwrapped his cloak, pulling out the brown book with golden hemming. “I’ve got something that doesn’t suck.” His rigid jaw went wide with a grin. “A certain spell that may help you locate your time traveling friend.”

Sunset perked up, throwing herself to her hooves. “Sombra! You’ve got something!?”

“That changeling was rather helpful. A bit dimwitted, he certainly didn’t think I was using him. Yet talking with him I’ve figured out the way they utilize love. It’s strange and disgusting, I won’t bore you with the details because they’re actually not important. What is important is that I’ve invented a spell to counteract what they do.”

“Counteract? You mean you can drain the love back from a changeling?”

“No, no. I can drain their magic, much like Tirek. Well, I can’t, I don’t have magic. You have to have magic to drain magic. That’s not the point. What is the point, if you were to use this spell—” He sprung open the book and pointed to his written calculations “—then you’d be able to counteract the magic placed on it by draining it back out. After, you can use the second part of the spell to travel to whenever and wherever your friend is, but I’m still about three calculations away I’d say for that. You’ll soon be able to—”

Surprising Sombra, Sunset planted a kiss squarely on his cheek, just off of his dark sideburn.

“Thank you so much, Sombra. You have no idea how much this all means to me.”

As soon as the astonishment wore off, Sombra shook his head and took off his spectacles. “Well, I just wanted to do something special for you.” His cheeks pulled back, revealing a razor-sharp grin. “Every day I become more and more interested in you, impressed by your ability to do so much. I was kind of hoping you and I could…”

“Sombra.” Sunset held a brief candid smile. “I’m sorry. You’re special to me too. But it wouldn’t work. Even if you didn’t figure out the spell, I still wouldn’t be staying in Equestria. Tirek’s helping me with my anger, sure, but I’d still leave once all was said and done. I’d either go through the mirror or head to the border, maybe try and find Twilight.” Her smile dropped. “I wouldn’t be staying.”

The charming grin of the stallion faded with every word said by the mare from another world. “I suppose I knew that already. That’s what attracts me to you, your willingness to pursue your own path. To be honest, I kind of hoped to dissuade you from moving on, but I didn’t feel that it was in my right to do so.”

She pressed a hoof to his shoulder. “Hey, if you’re really interested in me, there’s always this world’s Sunset Shimmer. You might have to cross a mirror and remove her from power, but it’s an option,” she said, half-joking.

Sombra’s head suddenly pulled back, his eyes narrowing as he stared back at her. “I could cross the mirror you spoke of? Could anyone?” She gave a nod and the stallion seemed to get lost in a thought. With a wave of her hoof, the stallion snapped back to reality. “Sorry. I suddenly slipped back into my evil roots.”

“Oh?” She laughed at that. “Wanna fill me in, reformed villain to reformed villain?”

He shared in her laughter, the two unicorns staring intently at each other. “Sunset. Don’t think I’m going to mess up this spell to get you home. I’m going to do my best to send you on your way. But if I fail, could I come with you? To wherever you go?”

Her heart skittered like a gecko careening through the desert. It’s been a while since a stallion has been this into me. Flash didn’t really count, I was just using him to get popular. And we certainly weren’t this close. Well, maybe Flash was. She eyed the dark stallion. “You’re going to solve that spell, Sombra. You and I both know you’re smart enough. Anything more is on a bridge we can cross later.”

The stallion sighed and nodded his head, his lips curling into a flat smile. “Right. Well, I better get back to it.”

“Tirek said we could stay in Canterlot. Want to go find some rooms? Your back must be killing you.” She looked to his side, his saddlebags barely piercing the velvet red cape. He gave a stiff nod and she knew his insides must have been torn apart. I’m sorry Sombra. Maybe I might have changed my answer if you asked after Tirek fixed me. But as I told you, all your face does is remind me of a world where I failed. Where I failed you.

Traversing the castle eventually led them back to Tirek. “Ah, my young student. Your rooms are already prepared for you should you desire stay.” The old centaur’s eyes transfixed suddenly on Sombra before turning back to his student. “Sunset, would you like your room together or separate?” He gave a wink, a slight nudge of his elbow bumped her chest.

“Separate,” Sombra answered for Sunset before trotting to the room available.

Tirek shot a surprised look to Sunset. “Separate?” he repeated tersely. “Did something happen?”

A grin tugged at Sunset’s lips. “You could say that, but don’t worry about it. Any word on the dragons?”

“Hah! Already? No,” he replied. “It won’t be for some time. Please, stay in Canterlot for as long as you like. I’ll see about drumming up a lesson or two for you if I can find the time. Be well, Sunset.”

Sunset parted from her new teacher, choosing to rest in her room. Only one door down from Sombra, she already felt lonelier. The room was far too big for just one pony. Placing down her backpack, she hopped onto the bed and sprawled out, the satin red sheets and orange canopy mixed well with her fur and mane. It didn’t take long for boredom to set in. Of course, bored was really code for not wanting to think of regrets. Instead, she chose to drag out the journal she’d been given, flipping through to the end of the last world’s writings. She jotted down several things, but a name for this world eluded her.

With nothing new, she chose to close up and head for the kitchen. Jostling a platter without magic was difficult up the steps, but she managed, returning to Sombra’s room. “Sombra, you up for dinner?” she asked him through his door, a few swift knocks had gained his attention.

“I’d prefer to stay in and work on this spell if you don’t mind,” he answered from the other side.

“That’s what I thought you’d say so I brought the food to you. Open up.”

His laugh was short and loud, and he quickly came to the door, unlatching the bolt. “It takes a lot to outsmart you, doesn’t it? Come on in.”

Sunset set her burden down on the closest table, a plethora of fruits and oats. “Hope you don’t mind me joining you for a bit. I don’t want things to be awkward between us. Not talking, not seeing each other. That’s not how I want things to turn out.”

“I admit some feelings for you and you turn me down. Nothing awkward about that.” Sombra took an apple and bit down, laughing all the while, juice flowing down the sides of his chin. “Though I will absolutely spin the story once you’re gone. I turned you down, clearly. The dashing rogue I am.”

“Oh, yes, of course,” she satirically agreed. “Quite dashing. You swept me off my feet with your knowledge of books.” I suppose that’s not technically wrong.

With his mouth full of apple chunks, the stallion openly laughed. “Feet? Seems like you’ve been thinking a lot about this biped-creature world of yours.”

She could feel the flustered red creeping up her neck. “Right, hooves. Some things never leave you no longer how long you’ve been gone. I know once I get back home I’ll be saying hooves and anypony.” She inclined her head.

The stallion shifted around the room for a moment, dragging the spell book to the bed and toppling over onto the sheets, kicking his legs over the side. “Tell me more about it. About this other dimension. If this spell doesn’t work, couldn’t you just go get those mirror versions, drag them to the map as ponies, and launch yourself to the next world?”

“Trust me, I’ve thought about it. Doing it your way may actually help Princess Twilight, and that’s more important. Searching other avenues and all that.”

“Oh, well if I had known you were actually listening then I would have said dating a young stallion with black hair would triple your chances for saving time itself,” he snickered.

“Right. Speaking of young stallions, I ran into a copycat you in the bazaar I visited. Talent Market.”

“A copycat me!? That’s outrageous!”

“Don’t worry. He was about as old as you, I’d say.” She scooped some oats into her mouth. “Not nearly as handsome, though.”

Sombra swallowed and said, “Goodie. Everyone will think I’m old and not handsome. What is this world coming to?”

A spark shot through Sunset’s mind, forcing a memory. “You wanted to tell me a story earlier. About how you were defeated by Tirek. I wouldn’t mind hearing it.”

Oats fell from her spoon as she looked at Sombra, patiently waiting. The stallion stared up at the canopy, an apple between his top and bottom teeth, the skin peeled against his gums. His grey eyes sat as still as a broken electric fan. His head shifted as he pulled the apple from his mouth, though his eyes remained stiff, lost in thought. To Sunset, he was a stallion who often took pauses to think, and this waiting had been something she’d grown accustomed to. A bit of juice rolled down his foreleg as the apple sat in his hoof. He mouthed something, and then said, “Being defeated by Tirek was the most humiliating thing I’ve ever experienced.”

“Humiliating,” she said as a statement, not a question.

But he answered her, “Yes. Very humiliating. His entire strategy to defeating me was so senseless, at the time I thought he was a mastermind. It was only afterward that I found him to be very—” He stopped at the word, his tongue between his teeth.

“Brutish? Rough? Blunt?” she attempted to finish his sentence.

“Uncouth,” Sombra replied. “Is that a word that’s still said these days?”

“You wouldn’t catch me saying it in school,” she answered, knowing full well Rarity’s lexicon would house the term.

“Right. Well during the war, I had built up an idea of him in my head. He managed to flank my army, crush my attempts at mind control, and even sneak into my city. Anyone who could do that, especially a single unit, deserved my respect and recognition. Do you want to know how he did those things?” Sombra asked, and Sunset nodded, curious. “He flanked my army by accident—he stumbled in through a snowstorm after wandering for ten days in the raging blizzard. Then, when I went to try and mind control him, I found the helmets I made would not fit. He didn’t even know the helmets were what cause the brainwashing. He thought about trying one on but, and I quote, they clashed with my horns.”

The stallion groaned, dropping the half-eaten apple onto the floor. “The only thing Tirek has ever been good at, aside from draining magic, is talking. I must admit that. He talked me out of my power. Of course, it was because I thought he was a master infiltrator, but his words struck me in a way that made me believe I had no other choice but to give into him. And that’s the most humiliating thing. I was talked out of my crown.”

“I’m pretty sure I would have preferred being talked out of my evilness over being shot with the magic of friendship. At least you listened to reason.” Sunset pushed her spoon into the bowl of oats, leaving the handle sticking straight up. She slumped over, placing her chin on the flats of her forelegs.

“You went down with a fight! How is that more humiliating?”

Sunset played with a wispy tendril of mane, glowering to herself. “Twilight listened to reason when I offered her a hand. She’s pretty smart. You’re smart too, Sombra. You might think it’s humiliating, but the alternative, the way it happened to me, I can say you took the smarter approach.”

He bowed his head. “I can’t say your words make me feel any better, but thank you for trying. We’re a couple of sad sacks aren’t we?”

“I’m so worried, Sombra. For Ember, for the changelings. The dragons aren’t part of Equestria in my world but they can be for this one. The changelings too. I don’t want them to go down my path—I’d prefer them to talk it out like you did. I know Celestia will be fuming when she sees Ember, and Cadance might not appreciate Chrysalis after what she did to her. Shouldn’t we give them a chance, though?”

“You’re humming to the top crystal, Sunset. I’d be all for the introduction of dragons and changelings. Studying both will improve my resources as a magical advisor,” Sombra replied as he struggled to reach for the apple, refusing to get off the bed. “Tirek’ll be for it, I’d imagine, but convincing Celestia is another story. Had it not been for Luna, I would have been kicked out of Equestria like the changelings. Most people think Tirek marched alone on the Crystal Empire, but they were there, along with Cadance and Shining Armor.”

“They were there? Then why did it take so long for Tirek to get inside?” she asked.

Sombra laughed. “Another one of the reasons I alleged he was a great infiltrator. The princesses were a distraction. I focused so much on the things I could see that I did not bother looking at other possibilities.”

“A distraction.” Sunset shot up from her seat. “That’s what the dragons were called, yet the changelings have not yet made their move. Their infiltration seems ridiculous due to the fact that we know they’re coming.” Her mind raced. “But why would they want to sneak in? Tirek came to talk to you—would Chrysalis do the same?”

“Tirek came to ask for my surrender. He planned to drain my magic regardless. Tirek has a great love for ponies and so he would make an excellent meal for a changeling, but it’s not like his magic would be drained. It’d be diminished, but not gone. Not like how he drains ponies. What would be the point of Chrysalis talking to him? What would she gain? I don’t feel like she would do that, but you’d know her better.”

“I feel like we’re so close to solving this puzzle but we’re missing something. It’s starting to eat away at me.” Sunset glanced back at the platter of food, getting lost in her thoughts.

Sombra rolled to his side, hopping off the bed. “If anyone can solve it, I’d say it’s you, Sunset. You know the changelings better than anyone here, and you’ve dealt with more villains than even Tirek.”

“I do know the changelings better than most, that doesn’t mean I know exactly what Chrysalis is planning.” In the Resistance timeline, they had already gathered everyone into pods. There was no countering their upcoming plan. Defeat had already come. She sat in silence, and then a sudden set of goosebumps brushed up her forelegs, reaching her neck. “Pods,” she said and half-turned to face him. “The cocoons drained my magic. It drained pegasi and earth ponies too. No way anybody could smash out.”

“Pod? Pods? You think that the changelings will drain Tirek and shove him into one of these cocoons?” Sombra asked, his eyes fixed on the mare.

“It would have to be a big pod, at least Celestia’s size. Moving something like that in or around the city would obviously raise suspicion. They’d have to draw him somewhere.”

“Back to the caves in the Badlands? No. Too out of the way.” Sombra trotted to the wall that held the door where his saddlebags laid against each other. He pushed open a flap with his hoof then reached in with his mouth, dragging out a large, rolled up parchment. “Let’s look,” he lisped just before dropping the paper onto Sunset’s table. Unraveling the scroll, he put Sunset’s bowl of oats on one corner to keep it from rolling back while he held down the other side.

“A map of Equestria? You’re prepared for everything, ain'tcha?”

He smiled across the table at her before tapping on the Crystal Empire. “Attacking here is what I would believe the changelings would do. They’d draw Tirek north, disabling most of the cities of Equestria from traveling to help him. If they’ve done any reconnaissance, they’ll know he can teleport. But he won’t if someone is in danger. No one but the princesses can help him at that point, at least, that’s what the changelings most likely believe.”

“And if Chrysalis is there, she might show herself just long enough to distract him!” Sunset slammed a hoof down. “There’s a cave system you used! It’s large enough to hide their army and their trap, along with being too difficult and out of the way for the Crystal Empire to have built up around there!”

“Yes, I know it. A back entrance.” His surprise flashed and then vanished. “Do you think they’re smart enough to find it?”

Chrysalis is. “Maybe. It doesn’t matter if they find the entrance or not, there’s no guards to check newcomers or citizens to see if they’re a changeling. They can just disguise and walk straight in.” She then shot a look to Sombra which spelled trouble. “Tirek was planning to check in on the Crystal Empire tonight! He told Cadance that just before he and Luna left this morning!” Her head swung around to the window, night had descended upon the land. “We’ve got to find him, he might not have left yet!”

Rushing out of Sombra’s room, Sunset went back to her own, grabbing her backpack and throwing it over her shoulders. The stallion appeared with his own saddlebags and cape just as she exited. “Any idea where his room is at?” she asked him, but the stallion shrugged.

Sunset put her hoof to the grindstone, rushing down the halls in search of her new mentor. Castle staff disappeared for the night, most likely making their own dinners and heading for bed. Without guards, their search became tireless. It wasn’t until they stumbled down a few levels of the gigantic castle that they found Celestia and Luna talking in the throne room. “Let’s ask them,” Sombra said just before Sunset pulled him by the tail away from the crack in the doors.

“Let’s hear what they’re saying first.” I want to know if they’re talking about me. Sunset leaned her head close to the door, her ear to the crack. The large walls and high ceiling reinforced the echo of the room, but even so, she found it difficult to make out. She pushed harder, holding onto the great door to keep it from moving.

“Sunset, maybe we shouldn’t,” Sombra argued, his eyes dragging down the hallways.

“Shh! I can’t hear them,” she replied as she leaned a sole eye in, getting a glimpse of the two alicorns walking toward their thrones. Their mouths were opening and closing, but she could not hear what they discussed.

“Uh, Sunset.”

“What!?” she whisper-yelled, throwing her glare at him only to see her new mentor standing with his arms folded.

“I found him,” Sombra mumbled.

“Tirek! There you are. We were looking all over for you.”

The centaur stared down his flat snout at her. “Were you?” His voice held a distant note.

“Well, yes.” Sunset looked back at the crack in the door. “I wanted to make sure you hadn’t left for the Crystal Empire yet. We wanted to go with you.”

A brow stretched up on the centaur’s face, a wrinkle creasing across his forehead. “I’m just going to check on Cadance and Shining Armor. Won’t be more than a moment. Why do you want to go?”

“Sunset thinks that—” the dark stallion started to say before Sunset shoved a hoof to his mouth.

“I think it’d be nice to see Cadance again! That’s all.” She smiled a hefty grin, trying her best to make it look as realistic as possible.

His face was impassively dark, it was clear he knew she was lying. Before he could question her or say any more, the centaur’s name was shouted. “Tirek? Is that you? Could you come in here?” Celestia called.

Tirek absentmindedly sighed and pushed a meaty hand against the door, pressing past his student and Sombra. “Yes, Celestia. What is it?” he asked as he entered, Sunset and Sombra at his tail.

“Some news of the dragons,” Luna answered him, a scroll in her magical grasp.

“Already?”

“A certain cerulean dragon has been seen crossing the border to the Crystal Empire. None have been foolish enough to make the approach and apprehend her, they’re going to wait for you. You were planning on visiting Cadance tonight, correct? Might as well stay in the Crystal Empire for a bit,” Celestia told him, remaining civil.

The centaur threw a suspicious look over his shoulder at Sunset, and she knew he would have questions. “That’s correct,” he said as he turned back to Celestia and Luna. “I was planning on heading there now. If the dragon is there, I’ll apprehend her. The changeling is still here in Canterlot, watch over him while I’m gone.” He turned and tore a hole in reality, and then said, “Come, Sunset and Sombra.”

“You’re not seriously bringing her, are you!?” Celestia stepped forward with a grimacing glare. “She’s the one who lost the dragons in the first place!”

Tirek’s brows furrowed, a single finger raising to point at Celestia. “And you’re the one that lost Sunset.” He then turned back to Sunset and nodded.

Sunset did not get to see the reaction of the elder alicorn, rushing through the tear at the centaur’s discretion. Upon the other side, she met with the Crystal Heart, its beauty reflecting her red and yellow mane. Sombra stood next to her, his dark eyes settled on the center. “Sunset,” the centaur said once he appeared behind them. “I’m not one to believe in happenstance so easily. You’re going to tell me exactly why it is that you wanted to come to the Crystal Empire at the same time Princess Ember is coincidentally spotted.”

An uncomfortable smile flipped up her lips as she turned back to Tirek. “I can’t tell you. It has nothing to do with Ember, I can guarantee that,” she answered.

“So it has to do with the changelings, does it?” he replied.

“How’d you figure it out!?”

“I didn’t. You just told me.” With his pointer, he tapped her muzzle, giving her a grin and a wink.

“Told you he has a way with words,” Sombra snickered mockingly.

Her stomach muscles tightened knowing she’d fallen into another of her mentor’s wordy trap. “Right, right,” she bemoaned. “Well, I think the changelings might hold a ruse for you, Tirek. It would be here in the Crystal Empire. Call it instinct, experience, or both. Something tells me they’re going to try it here.”

“And what makes you think they’d go for me?” he asked, even though he clearly knew the answer.

“You’re the only one who could stop them. They wouldn’t think anyone else would challenge them, or could challenge them, without you in the picture,” she answered his apparent question.

“And just how are they going to stop me?” he asked, this time his voice stood more sincere; truly interested.

“Drain you of your love but not your magic. They can’t do what you do, Tirek, but they can weaken you long enough to put you into a cocoon where you can’t use your magic or strength. You’ll be trapped, helpless, and Equestria will be theirs.” Sunset was confident this would be the way. Tirek stared at her, scanning her face to see just how self-assured she was, and his goofy smile signified he believed her.

He gave a nod. “So. How are we going to stop them?” he asked, still grinning his white smile. His breath was warm on Sunset’s face but she didn’t mind. Her heart thumped loudly in her chest: her mentor believed in her! Celestia could learn a thing or two from you, Tirek.

“Sombra and I are going to do some scouting. We think we know where they are. If we’re right, we’ll come find you and I think we can escort you so that they’ll be trapped instead of you,” she told him, glancing at Sombra for reassurance. “It’s through one of Sombra’s old entrances that we think they’re huddled up in. I’ve been through it before, it’s big and secretive enough to house an army and a pod your size.”

Tirek’s face turned poor. His eyebrows angled to the sides of his eyes, staring directly at the dark stallion. “Sombra,” he said, “Why do you help Sunset? What reason do you have for doing all this? You’ve never involved yourself in politics and predicaments before now.”

Sunset was curious too. She knew his feelings, but he didn’t have to continue to help her, yet he did. “We’re friends,” the dark stallion replied as he took off his spectacles. His grey eyes stared deep into Sunset’s. “What else are friends for if not to help each other? She’s helped me a lot already.”

“Sombra, I haven’t done anything for you,” Sunset argued, feeling cheated by the answer.

“You’ve gotten me out of my stuffy house to see things I hadn’t been confident enough to see on my own. You’ve helped me in learning things that improve my abilities as a magical advisor to Princess Cadance. And you helped me see that there might be someone out there for me.” The dark stallion breathed on his glasses, rubbing the bifocals with the lapel of his cape. He half-smiled as he put the spectacles back on.

Tirek’s eyebrows flexed as he nodded, a hand covering his mouth. “You’re both going to make a tasty snack if you get caught, you know that right?” he asked, and they nodded. “Very well, do your business. I’ll maintain a presence with Cadance and Shining Armor. Come find me if you manage to locate any information—or if you’re right about their army.” Raising a hand, the centaur held it to Sombra, surprising the dark stallion who guardedly shook it. Tirek did the same to Sunset, but Sunset chose to tackle him in a hug, knocking him off of two of his four hooves. “Be careful, my little pony,” he whispered into her ear, holding her tight.

“You too, Tirek,” she whispered back.

Sunset stared at him as they parted, Sombra led the way into the castle. Moving up the stairs, the castle was silent, the staff had gone to sleep much like in Canterlot. To their surprise, when they entered the throne room Princess Cadance sat on her crystal chair with paperwork strung about in front of her. “Sunset? Sombra?” Cadance called as they entered. “It’s good to see you, but I thought Tirek was coming?” A bright smile shined for them, a smile Sunset quite liked.

“He’s here. We’ve come for something else, though, it is good to see you again,” Sunset replied as she took a few steps, kicking up the red rug running the stretch of the room. “It’s here. Further down than I remember. I was looking in the wrong place when Cadance brought me here.” A trapdoor of metal and wood sat in the middle of the room.

“So you did know about it,” Sombra said, impressed. He took the hatch’s handle by his teeth, pulling open the old, dusty hideaway with one heavy pull. “This is it. You ready?” he asked Sunset.

“Of course I am,” she replied.

“Alright then.” He inclined his head. “Ladies first,” he said with a smug grin.

She rolled her eyes before leaning over to view the dim, long staircase she remembered walking down with her friends. That seems like so long ago, she thought to herself as she took the first step. Let’s just hope I’m right.

“What in Equestria is going on!?” squawked Cadance, the sound of ruffled paper echoed down into the hidden staircase.

World 4: Chapter 10

“Don’t be afraid. So long as you don’t open it, it can’t hurt you,” Sombra cooed, standing beside the mare from another world.

The door differed from what she remembered. It was black and red with a purple outline and a hollow crystal knob. The shape was the same, however, and it only aided in dragging back the memory of when she first opened it. Midnight Sparkle, the destruction of CHS, and me a demon. She winced at the recollection, choosing to supplement it with the friends she had made in that world. Fear only breeds anger. I let go of my fear, she breathed, closing her eyes. “There’s a switch underneath the steps to unlock the real exit, but you already know that. Where does this door go, though?”

“Originally? To the Crystal Heart. You have to deal with your worst fears to find the biggest love,” he replied. The stallion pressed against the steps of the staircase, his foreleg searching for the small crystal that triggered the back entrance.

“That’s pretty sweet, Sombra, if not a little corny.” Her eyes drifted from the terrifying door. “Can you get it?”

A snap echoed and crystal began shifting. The hefty door Sunset vaguely remembered appeared before her. When it finished moving the crystal wall, Sunset tugged on the heavy handle, dragging it open with her teeth. It rattled her jaw but she managed to pull it far enough for Sombra and her to squeeze through snuggly. The cold, bitter winds struck their muzzles as soon as they pushed their faces into the dark tunnel. “I don’t suppose you’ve got a flashlight in those bags, do you?” Sunset asked him.

“A flashlight?” he questioned. “No, I haven’t grown accustomed to the new technology of this era.”

“Oh, ehm. Right. I kind of forget that you’re not your age.” Her eyes were adjusting to the darkness of the cave, snow crunching beneath her hooves.

“Not my age,” he repeated, clearly getting lost in a memory.

The stone was slick and the icicles overhead were low, but there was only one path to go. Even if the worlds were not the same, time could not be altered enough to change the course of nature. Sunset was thankful for that. Crossing out of the tunnel, they came to a familiar frozen creek where moonlight poured through a crack in the ceiling. Snow drifted down in little flakes, cluttering Sunset’s hair and cheeks with the frozen water. “I never thought I’d come back through here,” she said, staring up at the fissure.

“You and me both,” Sombra divulged. “A thousand years for me. I used it to get back into the city after I’d been banished. I hadn’t needed it when Tirek came, though if I had gotten away I probably would’ve used it.”

“Really? Were you the one that carved this path out?” Sunset inquired.

“I’m not the original ruler of the Crystal Empire,” he replied, vaguely answering her question. “Just one of many. I’m sure there would be more after me had I not been so evil; had I not sacrificed a thousand years.” Sunset tried to see Sombra’s expression, but even with the moonlight, the stallion’s dark features were hidden.

“If the changelings aren’t in here, they’re probably in the next area,” Sunset said, changing the subject. Crossing the frozen creek with a quick hop, she waited for Sombra before continuing down the next icy section of rock. Snow heavily coated the second tunnel, but to their surprise, a brighter light shone their path. Falling to a crouch, Sunset pressed herself to the wall as she eyed into the enlarged cavern. Half expecting nothing more than a slick incline with some troubling winds, she was glad to see how right she was. “They’re here,” she whispered to Sombra who inched forward, nestling in beside her like a baby fawn to their mama.

Raising a hoof, he pointed to the middle of the cavern. “They’ve fixed the wind.” The changelings had built a seal of green goo and black metal, both of which Sunset recognized from her time two worlds ago. “And there. Three of them. Two pony size, one a bit bigger. Tirek, Cadance, and Shining Armor would be my guess. They wouldn’t bother creating pods for citizens yet, right? They’re probably going to replace those three, then act as they’re really them.”

“No,” Sunset replied. “Look at the trifling number of changelings. Where is the rest of their army? If Tirek is supposed to be trapped in the Crystal Empire, where is Chrysalis? She’d want to mock her victory in his face, she’s cocky like that.” She’ll treat the ponies like dirt, too. Who knows how the other races would react. She felt a lump in her throat that she gulped down, her eyes shifting to Sombra. “We should go back and tell Tirek we were right.”

“He already knows,” Tirek replied, startling both the unicorns. Before they could scream, the centaur covered their mouths with his thick hands. “You two have stumbled onto something big. We should attack now and stop them from whatever they’re planning.”

“Us? We don’t have any magic,” Sombra replied curtly, but his expression softened into surprise. “Unless you’re planning on giving us some magic?”

“That’s something I can do!?” Tirek was shocked.

Both unicorns revolted, sharing a glance of dread. Sunset knew exactly what was coming next, she only hoped Sombra was smart enough to have figured it out as well. “Of course!” Sunset whisper-yelled, not wanting the other changelings to come forward. “In fact, you should come back into the Crystal Empire and give all the ponies magic. The changelings would stand no chance!” She attempted pushing the centaur in the direction they’d come.

But the centaur didn't budge, and his body was too thick for her to pass by without raising suspicion. They'd been webbed like a fly in a spider’s trap. Her only hope was a swift wind to shake them free. “Back to the Crystal Empire? It was this way, you say?” The centaur leaned to look back down the white-walled tunnel, his arms brushing his bulky body. It was clear whoever disguised as Tirek did so without any real thought on the way a centaur would move. “I suppose going back would be a better idea.”

“Sunset, he’s not going to buy it,” Sombra then chimed in, causing a rush of anxiety to spring up Sunset’s back.

“Sombra—” she started to cast back, but the stallion shot a hoof up.

“No.” He bowed his head to the centaur. “We apologize, Lord Tirek. We know we disobeyed orders. We will gladly take any punishment when we get back to the Crystal Empire.”

Sunset couldn’t believe her ears, her heart fluttering. So he did figure it out, she breathed.

“Ahem, yes!” the fake centaur agreed, the fool. “Punished you shall be. Come along ponies.” He moved to the side, giving just enough room for Sunset to squeeze through. She waited for Sombra, knowing they’d need to break into a full sprint as soon as the stallion crossed. Every step he took, every moment he wasn’t by her side, she felt her stomach curdle more and more. Her face was calm, reassuring to the stallion who seemed unfazed by the whole situation, all until Sombra stood past the centaur.

“Run,” she whispered to him, her eyes growing wide. Not even a second passed after the word escaped her lips that both unicorns tore down the tunnel. Kicking up snow, neither took the time to look back. Even when they reached the frozen creek bed did Sunset not dare stop the harrowing gallop, crossing over the ice with one giant leap. They could hear the centaur yelling, the sudden buzz of wings. Sombra kept his own pace right behind her. His saddlebags did not seem to weigh him down, though Sunset’s own backpack began cutting into her shoulders once more. There was no time to think of massages or the past, however. The door soon came into sight, a small amount of light pouring in through the crack.

Throwing her body into the room, she clambered for the door, pressing it closed as soon as the dark unicorn trailed in behind her. She breathed a heavy sigh of relief knowing the changelings couldn’t get in. “It’s locked, right?” she panted, still holding both forelegs to the door, not that it’d do much against the small army of changelings. “We’ve got to tell Tirek.” As soon as she looked back at the stallion she knew something was wrong. Wait. How did the changeling get behind us?

Sombra’s grey eyes were pointed to the ceiling, his mouth flowing openly like the end of a river to the sea. “I think we messed up, Sunset,” he said, an ominous feeling crept in from every syllable.

With a gulp, her eyes jutted up at the underside of the staircase. A frightful confirmation. Changelings. A few dozen of the black creatures sat upside-down staring curiously at them, though none of these were the queen. “I’m not certain, Sombra, but I don’t think we can outrun these.” To Sunset’s surprise, and perhaps the changelings’ as well, the dark unicorn haughtily laughed.

His perfect jaw aligned with his sideburns into a menacing grin. “The changelings have picked the wrong city to launch their revenge.” He turned his eyes to the changelings, the soldiers started their creep toward them. “Do you hear me, bugs? This used to be my town, my castle. And so long as you remain the enemy, you’ll be treated as such.” With a slow trot, the stallion cantered to the door that once brought Sunset to another world known only as terror. “Close your eyes, Sunset.”

She knew exactly what he was about to do, but she did not listen, choosing to keep her eyes trained on him instead. The stallion thrust open the evil door, catching many of the changelings in its sight. Some fell to the ground, covering their eyes and forming a fetal position. Sunset almost felt bad having been through the same terrifying experience, but it was Sombra she remained focused on. He kept staring at what lay beyond the inner workings, behind the horror, and he only smiled. When most of the changelings were grounded and succumbed to their uncontrollable sobbing, Sombra leaned his head back and said, “Come, Sunset. We’ll get out through here. This time, you really should close your eyes.”

And this time she did. Stumbling blindly over a crying changeling, she managed to feel her way to Sombra’s rump, clinging to his tail as he led the way through. A slamming of the door signaled they’d entered somewhere new. “Whoa!” she yelped upon opening her eyes, the blinding soft purple of the room startling her. When she looked back at the door, she found another staircase, this time it wrapped around a center pillar. “Sombra, this is impressive.”

“Come on,” replied the stallion, trotting up the steps without waiting.

They climbed and climbed the endless staircase, Sunset huffing and puffing with every step. “Couldn’t you have made an elevator?” she groaned with a pant.

“You still think I made this place? No, this was a long time before me. Though that is pretty flattering of you to think so,” Sombra gleefully said, a brief smirk was visible. “How do you think I’m so fit, though? All these stairs were a great exercise back in the day. I often used these to take the time to think about my next strategy against Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. What I wouldn’t give for another spar between Luna and myself, she’s the more athletic one by far.”

“I’d like to call myself athletic, but these stairs are proving otherwise. By the time we get out of here, the Crystal Empire will be under changeling control. How much further do we have to go?” she asked, taking a moment to rest. Leaning as carefully as she could over the side, she turned her eye to the ceiling. She could see the end and it was not close. “Euagh,” was the noise she made as she pulled herself against the wall, resting her limbs. “There’s something I wanted to ask you about, and it kind of relates.”

Sombra stopped and craned his neck to look at her. “Oh?”

“Tirek told me about your redemption,” she said after regaining enough oxygen in her lungs. “And about how you had destroyed the Crystal Heart. I want to hear your side of the story, I’ve heard his. He tried to be polite toward you, but I think I’ll get a better story from the source.”

“I told you once, Sunset,” he replied. “If I had magic, I’d use it for good. That’s the honest truth. But I wasn’t always of that mindset.” He stood like a statue away from her, his eyes shivering like a leaf in the wind. “If I tell you—could you not look at me rottenly?”

“Sombra.” She started to come closer, but that only made the stallion antsy, so she stopped. “You’re my friend, Sombra. The friends I’ve had wanted to jump off a train to escape me, but you’ve only grown in your fervor to help. Whatever it is won’t change my view of you. I promise.”

The stallion struggled. Whatever he was thinking, Sunset knew it wasn’t going to be easy for him to say. “When I was given magic, I used it to help bring in more love and expand the empire. That’s the story I claimed, and still do to Tirek. The truth is, I broke The Crystal Heart on purpose. I wanted Tirek to fail, I wanted him to be exposed as a fraud.”

“Why?”

“Because he took my magic and then tried to butter me up!” he shouted, anger seething in his words. “You know exactly what I mean! How demeaning it is to be treated like that! To lose my crown, to lose my dignity, to lose everything I ever wanted! I wanted him to lose something. I wanted him to look like an idiot, just like how I felt! And then I was foolish enough to boast his failure to Princess Cadance and Prince Shining Armor. I had never thought that they’d attempt to help him. For all my understanding of pony magic, I never got around to understanding the ponies behind the magic.”

“Do you still feel this way, Sombra?” she asked, and the stallion hid his face. “Sombra, I’m not judging you. I know you must think I’m crazy for becoming his apprentice. But he’s helpful, and he’s right. You can’t hold on to that anger, no one should.”

“I’m not. At least, not anymore. Not until you came along. In you, I see progress. I see a bright future.”

“A bright future?” Sunset shook her head. “I don’t understand.”

“Sometimes, Sunset, seeing other avenues allows you to plan for a long road ahead.” A flash of white teeth appeared in a sad grin. “Through you, maybe things can be okay between him and I. But I won’t ever be friends with him, Sunset.”

She wasn’t satisfied with that. “I didn’t think I could be friends with King Sombra, but here I am, best friends with him.”

Sombra’s expression weakened at that, the soured, brooding eyes falling to the floor. “Come on, we still need to be moving. I’m certain you’re right—the invasion has already started,” he eventually said, continuing the tedious climb.

It took just as long as Sunset expected—too long. Reaching the top, they found themselves at the height of the castle overlooking all of the Crystal Empire. “I don’t hear the sounds of screaming,” Sunset noted as she pressed her body to a post, staring out over the beauty of the crystal buildings. With the expanded empire, it’d become twice as beautiful, and twice as troublesome to scrutinize from their elevation. “Why aren’t they attacking? Think Cadance closed the trapdoor before they could skitter their way into the city?”

“The last time I came up here I didn’t have to worry about falling and breaking every bone in my body,” Sombra noted, staring over the edge. “Did I make a mistake in bringing us up here?” he mumbled, smacking his forehead with the butt of his hoof.

“Sombra.” Sunset held onto the stallion’s shoulder, trying to calm him. “It’s okay.”

“No, it’s not. The changelings, my past. It’s getting me flustered. As I see it, two options, Sunset. Two.” He threw a hoof in the direction of the open air. “We either jump or we head back down the way we came, wasting even more time. We might have escaped capture, but we’re in the biggest trap of them all. Mine.” His eyes shifted to the center of the platform where he was seeing something she could not. “I messed up.”

“You didn’t mess up, Sombra. We escaped the changelings because of you. So long as we’re free, we’re doing alright,” she replied, but the stallion continued to pout. “Enough with the temper tantrum, Sombra,” she growled, catching him off guard. “Come on. When it comes to being smart, you’re right up there with Twilight. But even smart ponies let their emotions get to them, and right now we need to be smart.”

He looked at her, ready to spout something awful, but his habitual face returned. He was taking a moment to think. “What do you suggest, Sunset?” he ultimately asked, returning to a softer tone.

It didn’t work when I spoke to Celestia, but I believe in Tirek. She focused on the words he had spoken to her, repeating them word for word, “Basing everything on what you see blinds you to new possibilities.”

“I see,” replied the stallion.

“Do you?”

To prove he did, the stallion shut his grey eyes, tilting his head back. She watched his ears flap, his nostrils flex. I’ve got a lot of faith in you, Sombra. Find the way. His breathing became rapid as he moved with his eyes closed. As he drew to the edge, she started to holler for him to stop, but he did so of his own accord. “The wind was always awful up here. During the war with the princesses, and even with Tirek, I’d come up here and stand over my kingdom. Egotism.” He nodded. “I would never bother going back down the staircase. I don’t think I ever have. The wind was never bad on this side of the castle, two stories—no, three stories above what used to be my study.”

Sunset stepped in beside him, glancing over the edge. Crystal protruded outward where the other sides did not. A remnant of a past king abusing powerful magic to control the crystals for his own misuse. “Sombra, you did it!”

“There’s still a chance that when we slide down we’ll go too far and slip off to our doom,” he imparted, unfeeling. Undoing his lapel, the stallion took off his cape, letting it blow off in the wind. Shrugging off his hefty saddlebags, he removed the spectacles on his muzzle as well, pushing them into one of the side pockets. Sunset watched him finish, marveling at his strong body. “You ready?” he asked, breaking Sunset’s miring.

“Hey now, ladies first. If I break a leg, you get to carry me the rest of the way,” she kidded, knowing full well it was entirely possible. Trotting to the edge, she put her front hooves on the crystal. How many times must I look over the edge at my impending doom? If this keeps up, I may as well kiss working in a tall office building goodbye. With a breathless lunge, she pushed herself over, skidding on her rump down the crystal. The air tickled her nose as she tunneled gracelessly down the incline. As the extended crystal came closer, she placed her hooves down in front of her, trying helplessly to stop. It only aided in spinning her around, forcing her to scramble. “Sombra!” she screamed just as she came to the end.

With two quick hooves, she clung to the edge, her back hooves dangling on nothing but air. The straps of her backpack dug into her, squeezed in between the crystal she was holding onto and her own body. She tried to look down, which was a mistake. The next jutting crystal was shorter than the one she hung to, and the one to the left was too far for her to reach. I swear, I’ll never joke about heights again, she pleaded, pressing her muzzle into an aching shoulder.

Feeling her grip slipping, she once again cried for the stallion. Just as the last few inches fell from her grasp, forcing her to let go, something grabbed her hoof, preventing her from plummeting. “Sombra!” she yelled, a spasm of joy striking through her. But as she looked up to see the charming stallion, a cerulean arm greeted her.

“Where is Tirek?” Ember growled. “Tell me or so help me I’ll drop you.”

“Ember!?” Sunset couldn’t believe her eyes. “Tirek’s here in the city. But the changelings—they’ve got a cocoon! They’re going to try to trap him. You can’t let them! We can’t let them!”

Lifting Sunset into the air, the dragoness spread her wings and rose back to the platform. She breathed, wanting to kiss the crystal beneath her hooves as Ember released her. “I know all about the changelings,” Ember said. Moving out of the way, the dragoness revealed three changeling guards who stood around Sombra.

“It seems they saw my cape,” Sombra told the fellow unicorn. “At least we won’t have to go back down the stairs, though I don’t think this was the other option you wanted.”

“It’s okay, Sombra,” she told him, trying to be strong. “Don’t worry—”

“Would you be quiet?” Ember interrupted, grabbing Sunset by her backpack and lifting the unicorn over her shoulder. “You two will prove as useful hostages when we find Tirek. Bring him, you three.” The changelings saluted and then wrapped themselves around the stallion, preparing to transport.

There was nothing Sunset could do but hope Tirek eluded capture. That and stare down at the crystal city, a marveling spectacle from so high. She dared not wish to fly anymore, mostly out of fear of falling. Nor did she like being carried by the blue dragoness whose temper could result in a sudden descent and a terrible fate. She did save me, so maybe she’s not all bad. She could have just used Sombra as a hostage and claimed they had me. Though she wanted to try and coerce the dragon, she chose not to do so when the ground was so far away.

Eventually, they were taken to a place Sunset didn’t expect. The Crystal Heart. Upon being released, Ember forced the two unicorns to stand near the artifact. “Guard these two. I’ll continue searching for Princess Cadance and Tirek. They won’t last long now that we have her husband and his student.”

“Ember!” Sunset stepped forward, only for the changelings to push her back. “Where’s Chrysalis? Why are you doing this!?”

“She’s not here if that’s what you’re trying to ask,” Ember replied, keeping her back to the duo. “She never let me in on her little plan, but apparently attacking the Crystal Empire is only a distraction, just like how my kind were used. She’s smart.” She turned to face them. “And she was smart enough to know I would want Tirek, so she’s letting me have him. I’ll pay him back for what he did to my father, just as soon as I find him.” The dragoness stormed off, leaving the changelings to guard their prisoners.

“It seems you’re not the only one with anger problems, Sunset,” Sombra noted. Without his glasses, cape, and bags, the stallion looked positively normal, aside from the lack of cutie mark. “I wonder if Tirek is cunning enough to use his silver tongue to lead her down from her path of destruction.” He suddenly shrugged. “Who am I kidding, of course he can. Only problem is, betraying these changelings seems like a poor idea, especially when so outnumbered.” He lifted a hoof to the drones hiding amongst the shadows in the distance.

Sunset remained positive. “Twilight once took on the changeling queen, matching her in magic that only she could. I saw it with my own eyes. If I had my magic, these guys would be no problem.” One of the changelings looked at her, sneering a smile at her, or what a changeling could claim to be a smile. “I’m not sure we’ll be able to escape this one, Sombra. Got any ideas?”

“Hah!” he scoffed. “Yeah. I already told you, this is my city. And they just put me in the one place, the one reason that I ever cared for the empire.” Sombra turned his back to the changelings, his grey eyes staring up at his own reflection within the crystal of the Heart.

“Sombra! You’re a genius! With our love, we might be able to expel the changelings from the city!”

But Sombra laughed at the corny idea. “It’ll take a lot of love to do something like that, a lot more than you and I have.”

“Then what do you suggest?”

He grinned, bearing teeth. “I love this city, Sunset. Nopony could ever match it. Well, not until…” He eyed her over for a moment before continuing, “I live for this city. I was so bent on keeping it that I sacrificed a thousand years in darkness, a mistake I still pay for. However, I would sacrifice the entire city just to keep it out of the hooves of those who would misuse it.” He bowed his head to her. “Princess Cadance and Prince Shining Armor, they might not have been my choice, but they’ve been good rulers. And I’ll make sure the Crystal Empire goes down in history with them as the last.”

Before Sunset could get a single syllable out, the dark stallion flipped around and faced the mostly disinterested changelings, bucking the Crystal Heart out of its slot. Flying in the air, the Heart landed, completely intact, and skidded out into a patch of decorative grass. The changelings took that as a sign of defiance, rushing to dogpile the stallion, but Sombra refused. Throwing his horn into one of the holes in a changeling’s deformed hoof, he pulled the creature forward and blocked the others, slamming them to the ground. The two he slammed went dazed, trapping the one connected to his horn beneath them.

“Sombra! You can’t be serious. Without the Crystal Heart, everyone in the city will freeze!”

“Then you better find Tirek before that happens,” Sombra replied as he unhooked his horn. “I’ll take care of the Crystal Heart. It won’t leave my side. Go now before reinforcements arrive!”

She knew he was right, there was no time to waste. “Sombra.” She trotted to his side, wanting to thank the stallion, but she knew the message might get crossed for something more. He smoothly shooed her away, giving a handsome wink before rushing off.

The streets were empty. Whether the crystal ponies knew of the danger or had already been rounded up, Sunset couldn’t quite tell. It eerily reminded her of traversing the city under the evil King Sombra, crouching from alleyway to alleyway, feeling the unknown cold on her nose. She did not have Shining Armor to lead, though hearing of his capture left a bitter taste in her mouth. Where am I even going? Ember went this way, but she could have just flown off. If she’s here, Tirek’s still here.

The crystalline buildings started to look all the same to Sunset. Shades of maroon, burgundy, cerulean, lime, pink, and blue. Only when she came across a landmark, a park that Cadance had taken her to, did she figure out her positioning. Swiveling her head in every direction, her eyes suddenly caught a band of black figures hopping from roof to roof. I’m going to assume that’s not birds. She followed them with her dull eyes as they landed on a street, then gave chase. Having just climbed a set of stairs, galloping through the Crystal Empire seemed like a cakewalk, though her calves would certainly be hurting come morning. That’s something they don’t tell you in those fantasy books by Daring Do. Adventuring is all fun and games when you get to stop a rampaging demon, but they don’t mention the three or four pedicures with Rarity you need afterward.

Filtering into a backway, Sunset hopped a short, picket-fence, crossing through someone’s backyard. Words eventually caused her to stop. “What do you mean orders? Let go of me!” she heard a voice yell. She recognized it—the same inflection had been aimed at her.

“Let her go!” Sunset yelled, hopping out from the shadows. She pointed her horn and immediately realized her mistake. No magic. Sticking to her threat, she moved forward. “I am Tirek’s apprentice! Fear me!” she blurted, committed to the act.

To her surprise, the changelings who herded the cerulean dragoness fled in opposite directions, their little wings carrying them with the speed of a hummingbird. “That actually worked?” Sunset stood still, dumbfounded.

“You didn’t do anything, you dumb pony,” Ember yelled back at the unicorn as she rose to her feet, wiping off the green liquid the changelings attempted encasing her with. “He’s why they ran.”

Sunset turned and her eyes went wide. Tears wanted to explode from within, but Sunset managed to contain them. “Tirek! Is that really you?” she asked, fearing another changeling disguise.

“It seems you were right, my dear apprentice. The changelings are here. Ember too, by luck,” Tirek replied, his yellow eyes trained on the dragoness. They did not even stutter to look at the unicorn in front of him.

“No, Tirek! This is just a diversion.”

“She’s right,” Ember claimed. “The real attack is in Canterlot.”

“Canterlot!? I just sent Cadance through to Canterlot.” He slapped his forehead, his teeth clenching. “This is just getting worse and worse. I can’t seem to find Shining Armor and I couldn’t find you or Sombra. Worst of all, the changelings have done something to the Crystal Heart. The blizzard surrounding us is heating up, so to speak.”

Sunset shook her head. “Sombra isn’t allowing the changelings to take over the Crystal Empire. He’s taken the Crystal Heart and hid it.”

“Sombra? He’s done that?” Tirek flexed his muscles. “Clever stallion, but I refuse to allow that to happen. I’ll take care of the changelings here, but first, Ember.” He stepped past Sunset, but Sunset now refused, pushing herself back in front of him.

“No! Tirek, you’ve got to defend Canterlot. Cadance, Luna, and Celestia… They need you. Protect them. Let me handle Ember. I can talk to her!”

“You?” Tirek said, and Ember chorused the sentiment, albeit with a bit more laughter. “After she grabbed and slammed you in the Badlands? After she almost burnt you alive in Canterlot? No. I couldn’t bear the burden of losing—”

“Tirek! Let me prove ponies can help you. Not all of us are weak. I’m not weak—thanks to you.”

The centaur stared down at her, a white brow quirked above one eye. He stood like that for what seemed too long, frozen in thought. “I can save Canterlot and the Crystal Empire without you, Sunset,” he eventually said, “But you already know that, don’t you? This isn’t about me.” It was clear he understood, giving a short nod of approval. “Start with Ember,” he told her. “Then get that Heart back into its place. After, come find me. I’ll breathe easier once I know you’re safe.”

“I will.” Her voice was strong, confident. Something she hadn't felt in so long. Too long.

“I didn’t agree to this. I came to fight you, Tirek,” Ember called, her hands firmly on her sides.

“Every good story has a hero chase the villain, only to fight their subordinate before fighting them. If you truly think you’re fighting for the justice of your people, you’ll win,” Tirek told the dragoness. “But if you lose to a pony who doesn’t have any magic, then surely you’re on the wrong side of things.” With a claw in the air, the centaur opened a rippling tear in the world, passing through as the dragon screamed for him to wait.

She stomped her foot, bellowing out smoke from her nostrils. “I will not tolerate this treatment! I am Princess Ember! I will destroy you and then I will end Tirek!” With her wingspan fully expanded, her claws at the ready, the dragoness charged at the unicorn.

It was a rough dodge, but Sunset managed. The unicorn did everything she could to block, dodge, or stop the dragoness, all without magic—which only frustrated Ember even more. “You’re really easy to anger. That’s how I was for a while. You and I are a lot alike, though I found friendship.”

“If you start comparing me to you, I’ll make sure you go hoof first into whatever lava pit I can find!” argued Ember as she tried to thrash, but every swing was more manic. Claw marks ripped the crystal from the ground and sucked the wind right out of the air. “We are nothing alike!”

“Yes, we are,” Sunset replied, unfazed by the amount of energy exuded by the frustrated dragoness. For her petite size, her strength rivaled any earth pony. “We’re both determined, obsessed with finding a problem. Sometimes without really thinking about what the problem truly is.”

“If Tirek hadn’t tried to control us, none of this would have happened!”

“And you brought this on yourself, Ember. Aiding the changelings, leading a revolt. Somewhere inside, you knew you weren’t on the right side.” Sunset dodged a swing from above, and the dragoness trapped her claws within the crystal street.

Ember snapped, “I was trying to help my kind! My father failed to protect us, Tirek took our land! I had to do something.” She clawed once more, this time hitting some hair, but then her volley stopped.

Sunset stared down the dragoness. She stared for a long while. “I think I get it now, I’m seeing something beneath what’s really there. Basing everything on what I see, you’re just an angry dragon. But you’re not, are you?”

“You don’t understand anything about me,” Ember said, more quiet than any of her other outbursts. Sunset chose to trot toward the dragoness instead of backpedaling to a safer distance, and the dragoness made no move to attack. Ember fell to her knees, slamming a fist into the ground.

“I do. Something happened you had no control over, something you couldn’t change. Life is full of those little things that we can’t control.” Sunset sat on her rump and then fell on her forelegs, lying in front of the dragoness.

“Don’t pretend like we’re equals. You ponies are loved by all races, and even Tirek himself! We were cast as greedy thieves or arrogant savages. When my father failed, how could I just sit back and let my people be filtered into a society who still believed those stereotypes?” Ember brushed her forehead and pounded on the ground.

“You let your anger build. Against your father, against Tirek, and yet, the truth was that you were the angriest with yourself. You felt weak; like nothing you could do could really… help.” Sunset inclined her head, staring at the ground in front of her. “I’m not from this world, but believe me, I know anger. When I first left Equestria to head beyond the mirror, I would have given anything to know what I do now. I hated Celestia, and I hated myself more for feeling that way. That anger I had fueled my desire for power, and only when I learned what friendship truly meant did I start to lose that fire. It turned inward, but my friends kept it at bay. Now, without them, I’m scared I’ll slip back into that anger. I won’t even spend five minutes with myself, fearing what I might regret next.”

Ember remained silent, her eyes trained on the sky. From the outside, the dragon and the pony looked odd, one staring gravely at the ground, the other teary and staring at the stars. “You know, I only joined up with the changelings because they were the first people I had met that were just as angry as I was. Chrysalis, their queen, she held an anger that inspired me. Destroying Tirek, demeaning him, that was what I wanted, just like he did to my father.” Just like Sombra, Sunset noted.

“Hey,” Sunset said, reaching a hoof out to Ember’s arm. “It’s okay to feel that way, Ember. We all feel that way sometimes. The most important thing is to not let it get to the extreme. Acknowledge you feel that way, let it flow through you, and then let it pass. A wise teacher once told me, emotions are like memories, it’s good to have them. The good memories, the bad memories, and the worse. And just like memories, if you let your emotions control you, you lose control of yourself; of who you are.”

“I-I guess I did lose control of myself in Canterlot, didn’t I? I’m sorry.” She rubbed her eye with the bottom part of her palm. “What’s worse is that you were right, the changelings were planning on betraying me. Chrysalis’s orders.”

“It’s not too late to do the right thing. Help me stop the changelings, and more importantly, help me save the changelings.”

“Save them?” Ember revolted. “After everything that I’ve done, you want my help? You want to save the changelings? Why?”

“Everyone deserves a second chance. Tirek will throw them out of Equestria for what they’ve done. But you said Chrysalis was the only other person as angry as you. If we can convince her to change, if we can show her she’s not alone, Tirek will have no choice but to accept them as full-fledged citizens.” He has to. I won’t accept anything less from him.

World 4: Chapter 11

“How do I know you’re not a changeling!?” Sombra yelled over the storming winds that terrorized the sky. “You’re with Ember!” The Crystal Heart sat in his grasp, his back legs keeping him on the edge of the roof. Changelings had chased him up a three-story home where he threatened to drop the Heart. He knew it wouldn’t break—but the changelings surely didn’t. “Say something, prove to me you’re really her.”

“We went to the Castle of the Two Sisters together. We rested in Ponyville’s library where I told you some embarrassing things. I read your journal. Come on, Sombra, it’s me!” Sunset trotted forward, Ember at her side. “Ember is willing to help us. The changelings betrayed her.”

“Ember could have just tortured you for that information and then given this fake you points to mention to me!” countered Sombra.

“Okay.” Sunset scrubbed the bottom of her chin. “How about the fact that I am from another world where none of this has ever come close to happening? Where my friend, Princess Twilight, and the other Elements of Harmony protect the land from villains like me and you?”

Sombra grey eyes flashed impulsively just before he rushed to hug the fellow unicorn, the Crystal Heart sliding across the crystalline roof. “How’d you convince Ember to join you?” he whispered, his muzzle trapped in her hair.

“Apparently, she didn’t need magic to fight me.” Ember crossed her arms, a pouting shrug came with her words.

After the two separated, Sombra glanced up at the cerulean dragoness. “No, of course she wouldn’t. She’s taken a page from her mentor.”

“A mentor who believes in me enough to get the Crystal Heart back into place, regardless if the changelings take the city.” Sunset felt her nose starting to run, the cold was becoming more rampant as the blizzard started its invasion. “I know you want to keep the changelings from ruling the Crystal Empire—but you and I both know Canterlot is their main goal. The princesses are there, Tirek is too. He’ll defend the city for as long as he can, but that’s all he’ll do.”

“What would you expect us to do, Sunset?” Sombra asked, his brows pushed together.

“We have to save the changelings. Tirek will kick them out of Equestria. We need to convince both sides to lay down their quarrels and just live together,” Sunset answered.

Ember threw a finger at Sombra. “I already told her she was crazy. You’re her friend. Talk some sense into her.”

“Crazy? Oh, you poor, misguided child,” he said, his breath leaving a cold trail in the air. “Crazy is taking the Crystal Heart in an attempt to freeze the city with the changelings inside.” Taking the artifact, Sombra tucked it up under his foreleg pit. “Crazy is siding with changelings and burning orchards and cities.” He shook his head. “No. Sunset isn’t crazy. She’s something more; she’s inspiring.”

The dragoness grunted, making a gesture of a finger to her open mouth. “Is it too late to switch sides again?” she asked. “I think expulsion would be better than listening to this.”

“Come on. We don’t have time to waste. Let’s get the Crystal Heart back before the storms overtake the city,” Sunset commanded, leading the two back down the steps into the home that Sombra had broken into. Changelings sat upside down, unconscious and unaware, still throttled by the surprise attack. When they reached the bottom floor, they were forced to trample over the broken wooden door that Ember had bulled through.

“You’re quite a force to be reckoned with,” Sombra noted, examining the destruction as they leapt outside. “You aren’t planning on burning any more cities, are you? I really would prefer the Crystal Empire to remain intact.”

“Says the guy who wants to freeze the whole place,” Ember snottily replied as she ran ahead, bulldozing a group of unsuspecting changelings who neither noticed the trio nor were in the way.

“Ohh, I quite like her,” Sombra whispered to Sunset, a grin on his lips. It wasn’t long before they reached the Crystal Castle. The changelings were nowhere near the empty pedestal, which was good for both sides. Ember’s newfound optimism left her anger no outlet.

Sunset, with both hooves to her mouth, yelled to the dragoness, “Careful with them! They’ll be citizens soon!” As she watched the dragoness throw a changeling into a carrot juice stand, Sombra replaced the Crystal Heart. Pressing her chin to her shoulder, she watched as the glowing artifact spun in circles, pushing the blizzardy storms back with the power of love. “That won’t kick out the changelings, will it?”

“If we could get crystal ponies to share in one love to remove the threat, it might be a possibility,” answered Sombra, his eyes still focused on his reflection within the Heart.

“Sorry, we don’t have time for that. Even if we did—” She pointed to the changelings that appeared in the castle doorway huddling around a cocoon, their attempts at exiting the castle proved futile “—I don’t think they’d allow us to do so. Tirek wants us to head to Canterlot as soon as Ember and the Crystal Heart were taken care of, now’s the time to do so. I’d hate to leave the citizens to deal with the changelings, but Shining Armor has already been captured, we will too if we don’t leave.”

Sombra agreed with the statement, but his face turned sour. “Sombra, don’t worry. If we help the changelings integrate into Equestria, we’ll be protecting the Crystal Empire,” she cooed, hoping to soothe him. He really does care about this place, a passing thought.

“If we want to head to Canterlot, the trains are the only way. I can’t imagine we’ll find a conductor on the way, though.”

“It’s better than standing around, letting Ember burn off her excess energy.” Sunset glanced back at the dragoness who both literally and figuratively was knocking heads. “Come on,” she said to him before whistling to the dragoness.

The blizzard subsided its crawl into the empire, but the cold it brought had not yet vanished. Ember had an easier time flying above them, as did any changelings who crossed their path. Some noticed the three of them, but those who did quickly fell from the sky, Ember kept the stretch clear. It wasn’t as easy for Sunset and Sombra, the two having to walk along the slick, iced over crystal. Sunset didn’t much mind the slippery street, but she knew Sombra did. He glanced jadedly in every direction that the blizzard coated. Did he feel guilty? She wondered as they trotted if the stallion truly wanted to place the Crystal Heart back on the pedestal, but seeing his grimacing face left no doubt in her mind. She would miss him after she was gone. Would she tell Princess Twilight of him? It was a given that she’d tell the girls, she’d tell them everything. But what would the Princess of Friendship think of the reformed stallion’s interest in the girl from another world?

“Hey, Sunset.” Sunset glanced over to Sombra. He looked frantic, his eyes a twitching mess. “The trains just ahead—but look! The changelings!” She found what made him so anxious. Black masses swarmed the returning train, causing the passengers to flee in terror. The other train hadn't departed, however. Where its occupants went remained a mystery.

Though they were mostly preoccupied with the travelers, a few changelings broke away and straddled the wind toward Sunset and Sombra. It was not only Ember who had grown a thirst for carnage, the strapping dark stallion hurdled himself toward the group like a bowling ball. It was the first time Sunset noticed something unique about these changelings—they were weak. Against magic, they wouldn’t be a challenge, but magic-less, they should be wiping the floor with Sombra and me. A strike from his back legs and the changelings yelped like newborn kittens mewling for their mother’s milk.

Sunset wasted no time jumping onto the caboose of the train that had yet to depart, leaving the open gate for Sombra to hop on as well. Inside the car, the seats were barren. Not a trace of pony or changeling. She pushed forward, heading to the front of the train, and found that all the cars were tenantless. With no idea how to run a train, Sunset foresaw failure in getting to Canterlot if they didn’t find someone who did. At least, that’s what Sunset presumed at first. When she reached the conductor’s station, which was after the large cart that held coal—a surprising difference to her own Equestria’s trains—she found there were only a few switches and dials. Upon examination, she saw each were labeled well enough for the common pony to understand.

Of course, they didn’t make Sunset an expert. Even after she pushed the lever that turned the engine on and threw the stick forward, the locomotive failed to produce any motion. It appeared she was at an impasse.

The gridlock didn’t last long. Her eyes twirled around when she heard the hiss of a changeling, but the creature soon fled when fiery breath of the cerulean dragoness. The laps of flames skirted the cart of coal, turning the black, misshapen orbs into a vibrant orange. “Ember! Get Sombra! I’ll get the train started!” she commanded the dragoness.

As soon as Ember was gone, Sunset trudged around the conductor’s meager station, finding the closed panel that held the steam train’s engine. Opening it up, Sunset found the dead cinders of the past fire atop the years of ash. Quickly going to work, she shoveled the coal into the furnace with her bare hooves. She did not get to whine over her missing magic, which would have made the work a joke, as Ember brought Sombra to the front. “Changelings are on board, they’re right behind us. Shouldn’t we be moving?” Sombra impatiently asked.

Sunset gave a nod as she glanced around for something to light the furnace. “Just need a match or something. I’ve never had to drive one of these things,” she answered, taking a moment to wipe away the hair from her eyes.

“Oh, out of the way!” Ember pushed Sunset aside and took in a deep breath. Spouting flames into the furnace, the iron around the door started melting. Regardless of unnecessary damage to the train, it was set to run, and it did so. Grinding, screeching, and billowing, the locomotive spout its snort of life and began trudging the snow out of its way. Sunset hoped ice would not derail their only ticket to Canterlot, but pressing matters were elsewhere.

“While she’s got that, come on.” Sombra squeezed his way back past the coal cart, pressing into the closest passenger car. When Sunset stepped beside him, she could see the changelings through the glass of the porthole on the opposite end’s door. It reminded Sunset of a wave she had once stopped from entering a throne room. When the door slid open and the blue eyes hissed at Sunset, Sombra moved to tackle the foremost one. He moved so quick that she thought he teleported. Without his cape, his glasses, and his saddlebags, it was hard to tell the difference between him and a changeling. The only thing of color was that of his crimson horn, a beacon above the darkness, throttling back and forth.

Ember trailed in behind them, the train’s furnace at full blast. She didn’t say a word to Sunset as she entered, only the shrill sound of her war cry echoed against the metal walls of the car. Suplexing a changeling onto a bench, smashing it in half, Sunset felt the need to reiterate her earlier point. “Don’t hurt them too badly! We don’t want them to suffer any long-term injuries if we can help it.” But the voice of reason became overshadowed by the wailing winds that whipped the rushing train. She pushed forward to the door on the opposite end. Snow brushed the connectors of the train, but they quickly reached warmer weather. There were no more changelings heading their way, though a light poured through the passenger cars that worried Sunset. She continued to the caboose, her mind trying to unravel the vague, mysterious light. When she reached the second to last door, she could see the gate that had been left open was swinging wildly. It clacked against steel—but not the steel of the fence itself. No, it was hitting the cowcatcher of another train.

“They’re following us!” Sunset screamed, backpedaling. “They’re following us!” she yelled again, rushing to Sombra and Ember. “We need to go faster! Much faster!”

Ember gave a short, curt nod, releasing the changeling she held in a headlock. The dragoness rushed back to the front of the train. “Her boosting our speed isn’t going to do much once we slow down on our approach to Canterlot,” indicated the stallion. “Any ideas? We could always jump to their train and fight them one by one. I’ve always wanted to live one of those Daring Do books.”

Sunset shook her head and ran back to the conductor’s seat. Ember had already begun a torrent of flames into the furnace. “I know I just said we shouldn’t hurt them too badly, but derailing the train now versus being derailed in the heart of Canterlot—well, I know which I’d prefer to go with.”

“What are you suggesting we do?” Sombra asked.

She turned and pointed to the lock that connected the locomotive’s engine to the passenger cars. “We’ll be able to escape so long as we speed up. How’s it coming, Ember?” she yelled over the wind.

Ember’s cerulean face was black and grey from ash, but she gave a wide smile, displaying a contrast of white teeth. “I haven’t had this much fun since that time I cooked those dragon sneeze petals into a gem-chili for my father!”

“Riiight.” Sunset shook her head and glanced back at the latch. Reaching down, she lifted the lever, undid the brake, and pulled on the pin. She managed to get it three-fourths out before it became stuck, the gap between cars trapping it. Before she could enlist help, Sombra was at her side with both hooves opposite hers. She smiled at him and he smiled back. With a short countdown, the two unicorns lifted with all of their might.

The locomotive shook and screeched as the engine lost its load. Sunset and Sombra watched as the gap became longer and longer. As she feared, it didn't take much for a derailment to occur. The threatening train pushed their caboose off the tracks, but any more than that they could not see. “We’ve done it, it seems,” Sombra noted, his voice tenuous. He was waiting for something, just like Sunset. An explosion; a large echoing kaboom. Something.

When nothing happened, Sombra turned to Sunset and said, “Well, this was nothing like those Daring Do books. I’ll have to strike up a letter to the author and claim their writing as faulty.”

“Yes, I’m quite certain fictional works need to be one-hundred percent accurate, Sombra,” she mocked with a flex of her brows and a massive grin. “For now, at least, we’re safe from the changelings. Once we get to Canterlot—I’m not so sure we’ll have such a reprieve.”

He gave a nod, his body resting against the cart of unused coal. She sat beside him and they watched the dragoness keep the engine rolling. The night shifted into day the same way the snowy pine trees shifted into cream-colored stone structures. Ember eventually ran out of breath, her flames meager puffs of smoke. They managed to make it to Canterlot, but not before the fighting had started.

Click, click, boom.

The sound rattled the locomotive’s window. As Ember applied the brake and the screeching of metal on metal stopped, they could hear the city full of violence. In the air, it was easy to spot the black bodies of changelings soaring. On the ground, magic-less citizens ran in terror from the eaters of love. “They’re not even trying to fight back!” Ember growled as they stepped out from the train station. “Why are ponies so weak?”

“We wouldn’t be weak without our magic,” Sombra murmured, more to himself than the two girls.

Traipsing through the streets, the signs of battle were everywhere. Torn buildings, black scorch marks, and ponies trapped in green goo. Ember did a good job defending them as they made their way to the castle, but even Sunset could tell the dragoness grew weary. They needed to reach Tirek, and the centaur wasn’t making it difficult to find him.

Click, click, boom.

The air turned red and purple every time the Defender of Equestria released a blast of magic. All they had to do was follow it back to the source and they would discover their pot of gold. Of course, that meant the closer they got the more changelings they’d come across. But it wasn’t the drones or soldiers Sunset kept her eyes out for. Where would she be? Every nook and cranny they passed she half expected to see the changeling queen in the shadows.

Trotting up to the old part of Canterlot, Sombra remarked, “Has Tirek already been pushed back? Why is he still at the castle? He should be out there defending the citizens!”

“All his shots have been aimed into the air. There’s a reason for that,” Ember argued. Sunset hadn’t thought of that. A sudden fear took over, forcing her to gallop faster.

When they reached Canterlot Castle, they found the centaur to be alright—he’d grown to the size of a bus. Green goo covered an arm, but the rest of him remained free. “Sunset!” he exclaimed happily, but then stopped himself. “Are you really Sunset?” That was when Ember and Sombra came rushing up behind her and he knew it was truly her.

“Tirek!” Sunset yelled, trotting up to the big centaur. “I brought Ember with me. She’s going to help us with the changelings.”

Falling to his front knees, the centaur leaned down on the arm not covered in goo. “Help? As I’ve told you once before, Sunset. I can handle the changelings by myself. Right now, all I’m doing is waiting for Queen Chrysalis to appear while taking care of any changelings who dare come close to the castle.” He lifted his eyes to the sky. “They’ve mostly stayed away, which I felt was rather peculiar. They’re waiting for something.”

He then glanced down at the dragoness. “But it is good that you’ve switched sides, Princess Ember. How did Sunset convince you to join us?”

Ember crossed her arms. It was clear her temper started to rise. “It’s not that big a deal,” she said in a grumpy voice.

“Ember…” Sunset nagged.

The dragoness’s head shriveled into her neck like a turtle. “She told me you could help me… help me with my anger.” Like a firework, her body pointed up at Tirek, a nail poking the centaur’s beard. “And I only agreed to it because she said you were good at it! Got that buster? If you’re a bad teacher, I won’t hesitate to take you out! Just don’t think we’re gonna pick flowers or exchange necklaces or whatever friends of ponies do.”

A sudden smile shot up the wrinkly face of the centaur. “If I’m a bad teacher, I don’t think Sunset could have convinced you.” Ember pouted but was interrupted by a blast from a few changelings poking shots at the centaur. “Everyone, inside where it’s safe, please. Go find Celestia and Luna. I’ll be in if I can!”

Sunset didn’t like the idea of another meeting with Celestia, and she only wondered what the eldest alicorn would say to the dragon princess. “You burnt my city! I’ll feed you to the changelings!” was one possibility floating around in the back of Sunset’s brain as they trotted into the castle.

The princesses gathered in the throne room as they always did. Creeping in, Princess Luna saw them first, a shock and revolt expressed on her face.

“Sunset! Sombra!” Cadance roared a happy cheer, the second to see the three. Her happiness stopped at the sight of Ember, intrigue crossing her pink face. “Is it really you two?” she asked, though it was clear she knew the answer.

“It’s us, princess,” Sombra answered.

“We brought Princess Ember with us,” Sunset added. “She’s, uh, in the process of reforming.”

Ember held her arms close to her body, her chin tucked to her chest. “I’m sorry for—well, I’m sorry for a lot of different things.”

“This is quite a shock.” Princess Luna came forward, stepping beside the pink alicorn. “I would have expected Tirek to turn your senses around, yet it seems another had that task.” She bowed her head to the cerulean dragoness, giving a hidden wink and a smile to Sunset. When her pleasantries were said, she turned her head to the oldest alicorn. “What do you think of this, dear sister? A mighty feat, would you say?”

“Not particularly,” the white mare replied. “It is to be expected of from the apprentice of Lord Tirek. He wouldn’t take on an apprentice who he believed couldn’t handle turning someone over to a new leaf.”

Sunset was having a hard time telling whether it was a compliment or an insult. She looked to Ember to see if the dragoness held the same reaction, but Ember completely missed the backhanded praise. Instead, she stared dead ahead, past Cadance and the alicorn sisters. Sunset hadn’t noticed the white stallion, he remained in the back out of sight. Shining Armor?

“How did he get here?” Ember said, her brows furrowing into each other.

As the alicorns turned to the stallion, he gave a winded sigh. “This has just not been my revenge plan. Everything has been going wrong,” groaned the stallion, flicking his blue mane back.

Ember revolted in confusion. “The changelings captured him in the Crystal Empire. I saw them throw him into a cocoon with my own eyes!”

“That’s not possible. Shining Armor arrived by train just before the changelings attacked,” refuted Cadance, a tremble appearing in her voice. “Isn’t that right, darling? I begged you to come with me when Tirek opened the portal to Canterlot, but you said you’d stay behind until the Crystal Empire was safe.” Her eyes then darted to Sunset and Sombra. “Yet you two only just arrived…”

“You’re quite slow, darling…” the impatient voice of the stallion turned sour and feminine. A sudden shower of green flames burst around his white fur. His blue hooves turned black, his suave mane turned scraggly and unkempt. The white horn turned into a disfigured disaster that was the signature of a changeling. “My wonderful, glorious plan has been ruined down to the finest details. It almost makes a queen want to give up and go home. Almost.”

“Queen Chrysalis! How dare you take the form of my husband!” the pink alicorn cried, a blast of magic radiating from her horn. The changeling queen stopped it in its tracks with her own spout of magic, deflecting it into the ceiling. “Posing as me wasn’t enough for you!? What’s next? His mother, his father!?”

“Oh, quit your complaining. You’re not the one whose plan crumbled over several different sections, just to be ousted in the end. It’s enough to drive a girl mad!” The changeling queen dug her hooves into her eyes, pulling on the bottom lids. “At this point, I’m so exhausted trying to fill holes, I may as well just let the boat sink. After all the planning, the long nights, and stressful operations… Capturing Tirek was supposed to be the easiest part.”

Sunset wanted to feel for the stressed changeling queen. But she couldn’t. Unfortunately, that stress is due to planning her revenge. Not particularly a good first impression to the princesses if I’m going to coax them into letting the changelings join Equestria. “Cadance, go get Tirek. Luna and I will keep the changeling queen busy until he can drain her magic.” The sun princess stepped forward, a majestic scene for any Equestrian citizen.

“Oh really? You’re going to challenge me, again?” Queen Chrysalis mocked with a bout of laughter. “Remember what happened last time? It’d go even worse for you now. I’d hate to spoil the surprise, but I’m certainly stronger now.”

Before Cadance could rush from the throne room, the changeling queen pulled the mare back. “And since my plan has gone askew, I believe all of you are now my hostages. So long as Tirek doesn’t march in here unexpectedly, nothing will go wrong for you.”

As fate would have it, or by the changeling queen’s awful luck, Lord Tirek stomped his way through the throne room’s doors, almost knocking Ember, Sombra, and Sunset to the ground. “These changelings have barely any magic, I do not understand what they’re trying to accomplish—” he yelled as he entered, only pausing as his eyes met the queens.

“Is the universe out to get me or something? I just don’t understand,” the changeling queen remarked, her magical grip on Cadance tightened. “Can’t I get a break, just once? No. Of course not! How silly of me!” Her laughter went crazed, frightening the pink alicorn who was forced to stand next to her.

“I’ll break you,” Tirek growled. He dropped the changeling he had held in his meaty hand, slowly trotting toward the changeling queen. Sunset noticed the amount of green goo had increased. Not only was it on his left arm, it was on his back, chest, and a foreleg’s outer thigh. He wasn’t slowly trotting toward the queen, he was just slow.

“I’d be tempted to take you up on that offer—but I’m too stubborn for your own good.” Chrysalis shielded herself with Cadance, the alicorn’s features frozen in fear. “If things had gone differently, I wouldn’t have to resort to hostage taking and extreme countermeasures, but alas, taking you down a peg will be worth it in the long run.”

“Release her and I’ll go easy on you. Don’t and suffer the consequences. I can be very accurate with my magic,” replied the centaur. He popped his knuckles in an attempt to sound threatening—and to anyone else, Sunset was sure it would have worked.

But the changeling queen only laughed. It was clear she was losing her mind—or already had. “So can I, and I’ve prepared for this unwanted situation. Even with all the expert planning, I knew I couldn’t rely on foolish dragons. Pairing with them had been a mistake, it seems.”

“What’d I do!?” Ember threw up her arms, enraged that her name was now being dragged through the mud.

“Are you kidding!?” the queen yelled bitterly, pulling Cadance closer and tighter. “You were caught in the Badlands within a day! How pathetic can you be!? Then, you burnt my spy’s home here in Canterlot, and after putting up a hissy fit and heading north, you failed to keep Tirek busy while my soldiers captured him! Then you show up here, expose my disguise, and ruin everything! You incessant little whelp!”

Ember covered her mouth. “Well, I guess I did do all that. Huh.” She looked to Sunset and Sunset looked back, an awkward smile passed between the two.

“Even if he hadn’t left the Crystal Empire, my changelings were supposed to pull back after the fight and allow him to return to Canterlot while I mingled into my disguise. When the time was right, I’d have drained his love. It was the perfect plan! Perfect! Perfect! Perfect!” yelled the queen. “It’s not fair, it’s just not fair! I never get my way, I never win! What have I done to deserve such a poor fate? Well, I’m going to win this time. I’m going to, I tell you!”

With a cross of his arms, Tirek stood coolly. It was as if none of this conversation even mattered to him. “She’s gone mad it seems. Time for a timeout.” With a snap of his fingers, the changeling queen was put into a bubble. Cadance rushed away from the translucent sphere, breathing heavily as she sidled in beside the centaur.

“No!” The queen’s horn lit up and ripped the bubble in half. “I am not as weak as I was! You see, I planned for this! Many hours and many days, I planned for all of this! No sleep! Perfect! Every bit of love my changelings fed upon was given to me, making me stronger! Strong! I’ve got the power of twenty alicorns—there’s nothing you can do to stop me!”

As if a comedy bit, the centaur snapped his fingers again and the changeling queen was trapped within a bubble. “That explains why your changelings are so weak,” he mentioned, scratching his beard with a sort of nonchalant attitude.

“My kind is weak but a feast we will have on your little community of races!” the changeling queen yelled as she once again popped the bubble. But as soon as she hit the floor, Tirek snapped his fingers and she was trapped once more. “Would you stop that!?” she screamed, foaming at the mouth. She looked to be on the verge of tears—an odd sight from the evil queen.

“Not until you use up all of your magic, no. You may be powerful, but your limits are not nearly as well defined as mine. Once we’re finished here, I’ll transport you and your kind back to the border where you will be barred from these lands,” he replied in a calm voice.

Sunset understood what Sombra had meant. Tirek’s voice was cool and collected, the words he used were definite. This would happen, that would happen. There was no arguing with him. He was just right.

“Tirek.” Celestia stepped forward—perhaps the only pony who could argue with the centaur. “They were barred once and chose revenge. Barring them a second time would only lead to another eventual attack.”

Sunset rushed to Tirek’s opposite side. “She’s right, Tirek. We need to convince the changelings to settle in Equestria. They can be citizens, just like all the others you’ve brought in.”

“Citizens!?” the centaur and alicorn yelled at the same time.

“Ha ha ha!” screamed the queen from her bubble. “Perfectly planned! Perfectly planned!”

“Sunset—you cannot be thinking that these crimes can gain them entrance into our lands,” Tirek refuted. He remained focused on the changeling queen, a surprise attack would be impossible, but the rest of his body instinctually turned to Sunset.

“Are you going to kick out Ember?” she argued, knowing the answer would never be ‘yes’. “These changelings can change. They don’t have to be evil, and Chrysalis is starving them; weakening them, she’s basically turned them against her already. All for the sake of vengeance. Her retribution plan already failed—they’ll be looking for an out, and you can give them a chance for peace.”

The mocking laughter of the changeling queen struck through Sunset’s heartfelt attempt at harmony like a gong amongst wind chimes. “You’re forgetting that I’m all powerful! My changelings would never agree to an armistice while I rule, I won’t let them! And I’ll soon drain your love, Tirek, and your little pet unicorn too!” The bubble burst.

Tirek shook his head and snapped another bubble into place. “You’re right. The changelings won’t be able to do anything while you’re in the way. A sacrifice must be made.” The stallion planted his hooves wide, his hands on his sides. The magical ball between his horns began to form fast and hot, like a sphere of lava made from the depths of the core. “To deal with an absolute, I do not take lightly. But hosting the changelings in our land? That would be a wonderful and welcoming change.”

Sunset gasped, she knew what the centaur meant. Rushing between her new teacher and the changeling queen, Sunset yelled, “Wait! You can’t destroy her! She can change! I did! Ember did! You did!”

“I don’t care,” the centaur replied.

Celestia’s magnificent, multi-colored mane flowed in front of her as she walked around to stand in front of Sunset. “No. Though it pains me more than you know to say this: Sunset is right. We won’t be secure so long as Queen Chrysalis remains free. But destroying her—that’s not how we solve problems in Equestria. Not this Equestria.”

“And what would you have me do!? Lock her in a cell? In Tartarus!? I refuse!” He stomped his legs and smashed a fist against his chest, sending goo flying off his person.

“Yes! Destroy me and my revenge will be complete! Your pony friends will hate you!” the changeling queen beckoned, her laugh was lunacy. “Lock me away and drain my magic, I’ll lap up little puddles of love wherever I can and regrow my power! I’ll never stop! This will be your end regardless of what you choose! A brilliant plan, all unfolded by me!”

Sunset hung her head, desperately holding back her tongue. I’m not sure I can reason with her like I could Ember. She’s not in a right state of mind. And if Tirek threw her in Tartarus, who’s to say she wouldn’t just escape? She glanced up at her old mentor and new, their arguing overshadowed the cackling of the loopy queen. I can’t just stand idly by and let Tirek kick her or the changelings out. I won’t allow that. I won’t fail the changelings a second time.

But… Her words suddenly fell around her. I’m not a hero. It hurt to think that way. When Tirek told her that, she felt it strike a point that she herself felt was true. But he was wrong, just like he’s wrong about wanting to just be rid of Chrysalis. Sometimes, the teacher ignores what the student is saying, believing their own judgements to be right. Staring at the back of Celestia, the sounds of the two leaders shouting melted away. I know the teacher can be wrong. I know that better than anyone.

“Celestia,” Sunset called out. She chose not to speak to her new mentor, she wanted the one person who once put all her faith in Sunset. If I had stayed as her apprentice, I might have been the one she sent to Ponyville, she recalled an earlier thought. “I’d like to speak to you.”

The phrasing of Sunset’s words was so normal that it appeared out of place to the quarreling leaders. “Yes, what is it?” The alicorn turned to face Sunset, a clear expression of confusion and anger bled throughout parts of her face.

“Discord—did he ever escape in this world?”

“Discord? Why are you asking about him? Now is not the time for—”

“Humor me,” Sunset implored.

The alicorn leaned her head back, her neck outstretched. “No. He hasn’t.”

“He’s trapped in stone then. He was in my world too but escaped. When he was freed, he wreaked chaos and planted seeds of doubt all over the place. My friends, the bearers of the Elements of Harmony, stopped him, put him back into stone.”

“Stone—a stone prison! Of course!” A happy smirk came to Celestia.

“But after he was defeated, you rethought on the draconequus. Your sister had returned from banishment and had been saved by the Elements, and you believed Discord could change as well.”

The look of confusion returned to the alicorn, but this time there was no shadow of anger. It was as if her expression was saying: “That’s a really smart idea, I came up with that?”

Sunset continued, “You had him released from stone and the bearers befriend him, turning him away from the villain path. You believed he could become a hero; become a defender of Equestria. Like Luna, like Tirek, like me. And he did.” I am leaving a lot of the story off, but she doesn’t need to know that. Wrapping up to her point, she said, “I beg you, Celestia. I know that kind, spirited teacher is somewhere still in there. I know you’re unhappy with the way things have been going. I can’t fix that—but believe me when I say, you’re a good teacher. Put Chrysalis in stone, then release her. See if she isn’t willing to change. If she isn’t, put her back in and try again later. Don’t give up on her like you gave up on me.”

“Gave up on you?” Celestia almost fell over, her legs wobbling beneath her large frame. “I didn’t—I wasn’t—is that how you’ve felt all this time? That I gave up on you? I felt the same—”

“Please, Celestia.”

Throwing her head into a wing, the white alicorn rubbed her feathers against her eyes, drying the tears that unexpectedly poured. Sunset was not crying. She felt the need to oh so badly, especially after pouring out the waterfall of emotion into her words, but she maintained herself. This is the only way, she reasoned. The only way.

“Sunset! Behind you!” The centaur threw himself forward, almost knocking over Celestia, but it came too late.

The sappy speech was a light in the darkness, drawing the crazed, hungry moth to the flame of adoration. The bubble popped and Chrysalis flung herself onto Sunset. Wrapping her disfigured forelegs around the unicorn, Sunset gave a yelp as her back legs dangled in the air. The changeling queen stood bipedal as she raised Sunset up. When their eyes met, Sunset saw the mouth of the changeling open wide. “Your speech looked absolutely delicious!” The sudden powerful grasp of the changeling’s vampiric power, it felt nothing like that of Tirek’s magic drain; it was worse.

Click.

Click.

Boom.

Falling to the ground and landing on her back, she let out a groan, the room was upside-down. Her eyes fluttered as she rolled to one side, her teacher’s hooves stood in front of her. But which teacher? It took her a moment to fully understand what was happening. When she looked up she saw the white beard looking down at her, or was it Celestia’s white face? That’s when she saw the grey stone.

Scrambling away, she pushed in between Celestia and Tirek, both standing side by side. Grey sand coated the floor. Her eyes followed the trail and realized it covered her as well. “Are you alright, Sunset?” Tirek asked, and she nodded in response. He let out a sigh of relief, though she knew it was not relief at all. “I was too slow to stop her—I used too much magic as well. An impulsive action at seeing you in harm’s way,” he said, it almost sounded like he was about to cry.

That’s when Sunset saw the stone wasn’t stone at all.

Her heart sunk.

Magic was the only thing keeping the statue together, but even so, the forelegs that held Sunset were gone. Every step she’d taken sent a tremor, moving the grey sand ever so slightly. “Is there anything you can do!?” she yelled—but as her voice escaped her, specs of sand rolled down from the changeling’s body.

“I… was never good at fixing things with magic,” Tirek admitted.

“B-but—” Sunset cried. I failed!

“But I was.” Celestia placed a hoof on Sunset’s shoulder. “I may have forgotten it long ago, relying on Tirek dimmed my self-worth. Having someone believe in me, that gives me the confidence to say, I can mend this creature.” Sunset and Tirek stepped back, a bit of sand escaping with every step. Celestia stood alone, extending her wings to her full glory. Her horn lit up in a blaze of yellow light, and all the sand fell to the ground. The sand coating Sunset sprung off her, twisting and turning into a tornado. Once the vortex held all the pieces, Celestia’s magic turned the sand into stone—though it did not look exactly like Chrysalis. Her body no longer deformed, her expression of anger now a smile, and her wings were spread wide like a beautiful butterfly. “I have done all I could.”

“She looks… different,” Luna said, stepping beside her sister.

Celestia agreed. “She’s a changeling—she can change into whatever she likes best once we release her. For now, she is something beautiful to look at. She’ll be an inspiration to those who witness her.”

“Celestia…” Tirek spoke the name as if he was unsure if he should be speaking it.

Sunset stared at the statue. It ended the same way it had during the Resistance timeline, the changeling queen trapped in stone. Yet, unlike at that time, Sunset did not feel like she failed. The changeling army would have to be told and brought into the fold, but Sunset did not feel like she failed. Was it a success? She didn’t even think of it that way.

It had been a long time since she felt so good.

I felt so stupid crying my eyes out to Tirek, she had told Sombra. Yet now, in front of everyone, she cried. She wasn’t a hero and she wasn’t a failure. A blank slate, just like how I felt after defeating the sirens. It was together with the girls and Twilight that we did it. Just like now, it was a group effort. There was no singing or dancing like during the Battle of the Bands, though Sunset wanted to burst with the song in her heart.

Seeing Cadance’s happy smile every time we met, talking about anger issues with Ember, getting everything out in the open with Celestia, learning all I could from Tirek, and being best friends with Sombra. It’s funny. You five basically are my Elements of Harmony. Laughter, kindness, honesty, generosity, and loyalty. If only Princess Twilight could see this now. As she stood staring at the five, Ember pushed herself between the centaur’s legs. “What are you crying about? Everybody’s bought into the whole friendship thing.” Grabbing at the dragoness, Sunset wrapped her in a hug. “H-hey! What are you doing?”

“It’s called a hug!” Tirek replied for Sunset. “It’s to show that she is truly happy.” He knelt down on both forelegs, his size diminishing enough to where he could wrap both the dragon and the unicorn in a hug.

“Hey! Let me go! This is too awkward!” Ember yelled, her blue cheeks turning red.

World 4: Chapter 12

Only a few days after the changelings surrendered, Sunset knew it was her time to move on. This time, she would not be jumping to some random world. She would be jumping to the past where Princess Twilight Sparkle battled it out against a pony named Starlight Glimmer. She won’t be alone in this. I’ll help her in whatever way I can. She’d been helping the changelings. Without their queen, most were lost, looking for answers. A lot of changelings ran in fear of Tirek, and so she and Ember helped coax them out of hiding.

She parted from Sombra during this time, leaving the dark stallion in the Crystal Empire to work on the spell that would transfer her to the past. He had solved the equation, and instead of sending a letter, he rushed to Ponyville. “It’s complete,” was all he said when he had arrived in the middle of the night, knocking loudly on the door to the Golden Oak’s Library. Ember had been awake—the dragoness had not left Sunset’s side, and she furrowed into herself when she heard the news.

But Tirek had been working well with the dragoness. “A second apprentice. No dragon shall be kicked out of Equestria so long as they follow your example,” he told her, a good sentence for someone who had burned the Appleloosa orchards. She would not be alone, truly alone, after Sunset’s departure.

When morning appeared, Sunset was almost unsure if she wanted to leave this world that she’d grown so much in. “I would like it if you stayed,” Sombra told her after she explained her feelings on the subject. “I would like it very much. I don’t see that happening, though.” He knew her well, and she hated leaving it at just that.

She trusted that the spell would work. Sombra being a smart stallion, she reckoned the smartest stallion she ever met. He wore his glasses, cape, and saddlebags to Ponyville, and he wore them out to the crystal map. They did not leave the morning after he arrived, however. She wanted those she cared for to join her in her departure, just like the friends she had made in the last three worlds.

Helping the changelings, taking the time to relax, it had given her a word that she found suited this world. Community. She had written it down in the journal given to her two worlds ago. The Crystal War timeline, the Resistance timeline, Nightmare’s Night timeline, and now the Community timeline. Her heart sung at the word. That was what this world truly was, a community of races, love, and personalities. She had thought of it after a memory of the Talent Market.

Ember disapproved, however, while Sombra thought it clever. “You still owe me for reading my journal,” he had said as he stole the book away, a mocking grin to his lips. “Quite a lot of memories you’ve put into here. Plan on showing someone special?”

“You can have a look all you want, Sombra. None of that is embarrassing,” she replied, a pen in her mouth. It was nice to have him and Ember traipsing around the Golden Oak’s Library. It almost made her want to stay longer. Almost, she echoed the changeling queen.

“Really? None of it?” he asked. “What about this part saying Sombra is a gorgeous, loveable hunk of a stallion?”

“What? That’s not in there!” She reached for the journal, unsure if she had or hadn’t written that.

“Well, it should be—give me a pen! I’ll write it down for you.”

That sent an idea through Sunset’s heart. “Sombra! You’re a genius!” She took the journal and slammed it on the kitchen table she sat at. Flipping to an unused page, the next entry for the Community timeline, she handed off a pen to Sombra. “Write! Write something nice or funny or encouraging. I want to get all my friends to say something. When I show it to Princess Twilight, she’s going to blow a gasket seeing all of them!”

Sombra grinned his suave little grin. “Anything? Well, alright. If you insist.”

Once he finished, she read it aloud: “There’s no one more impressive than Sunset Shimmer. No one more talented. No one else I’d like to be with more. She shimmers the sun that is my heart.” She glanced over at him. “Okay, now it’s embarrassing,” she said, red flushing the bridge of her nose and cheeks.

“Well, you said anything.” He stood for a moment smiling at her. “I’m going to miss you, Sunset. I really am. There’s no one like you.”

“Except for the me that’s from this world. You could always find her beyond the mirror,” she replied with a coy little laugh.

“Oh, trust me. I haven’t forgotten.” He didn’t say any more, and Ember soon appeared to sign her own words into Sunset’s book of memories.

“You misspelled constant,” Sunset told the dragoness.

“What? That was supposed to be contact!”

“Oh.” Sunset squinted. “That makes more sense, actually.”

The dragoness grunted angrily, stomping her foot. “I’m not good at expressing myself, okay!?”

“Really? The stomping and yelling seems like you’re very good at expressing how you feel, Ember,” snarked the dark stallion.

Crossing her arms, Ember threw a glare his way. “I read your little signature, Mr. Emotional. She’s got all the cutesy words she needs from you. Mine’s good enough!” She tried to justify her words as best as she could, but eventually gave up.

When Tirek arrived with the three alicorns, they all went to work adding their own optimistic encouragements. While Celestia was busy adding hers, Tirek asked Ember: “Do you plan on making the Golden Oak your home after Sunset is gone? Ponyville is a fine place to live, it definitely needs more dragons.”

“Can I still get lessons from you here in Ponyville?” she asked in response.

“Of course. I’ll be making myself plenty available for you as much as I can. Though, do try to keep the fire contained. Wouldn’t want the Golden Oak to go up in smoke,” he replied. Celestia handed off the journal and the centaur went to work adding his own words of praise.

When Sunset got back the journal, she was surprised by how little he wrote, yet it was what he wrote that meant the world to her. “Sunset Shimmer: a true hero.” She broke down on the spot, one last time, crying in front of the centaur who had already made her cry so much.

The writings were done and the only thing left was to head to the crystal map. Sunset led the march out of town, a parade of all different sorts. The glorious alicorn leaders, the Defender of Equestria, the princess of dragons, and a retired king. It matched too well with her leading the bearers of the other worlds. They marched their way with the sun high in the sky out into the charred ruins of the forest that spread around Ponyville. As they passed burnt trunks and grime-covered fields, Sunset noticed a few flowers had sprung out from the ground. They were not golden.

Reaching the crystal map, Sunset pushed off the dirt and filth that had blown back over the crystalline surface. “So this was out here the entire time? I’m sure glad I didn’t destroy it,” Tirek said, striking a finger against the soot of a broken seat. “Lovely crystal, though. Would make the ponies of the Crystal Empire jealous.”

“No, it doesn’t,” Sombra remarked snottily, rousing a bit of laughter from Cadance. The two stepped away from the table, allowing the others to get in their goodbyes to the unicorn.

“I suppose this is it, isn’t it?” Celestia said.

Celestia was different. She was different than the other Celestia’s Sunset had met. She was different because, out of all the Celestia’s, this one took the time to be with her after the conflict was finished. The Celestia of The Crystal War timeline had spoken with her, but it was not on the level that Sunset wanted, nor was the Resistance timeline’s Celestia. She had left far too early for the last world’s Celestia to speak to Sunset of the past, their time on the moon their only true moment together.

Sunset appreciated this world’s Celestia, where only a few days prior she felt like she wanted to explode at the alicorn. It’s funny how words can solve problems. Hindsight is twenty-twenty, as they say.

“This is it,” Sunset replied. “I’ve got a lot of faith that Sombra fixed this spell. If it doesn’t work, though, we could always have brunch again.”

“You had brunch without me, sister?” Luna scolded playfully. “I would like to hear more of this Nightmare’s Night if she happens to stay.”

Celestia laughed, and so did Sunset. It feels good to laugh, Sunset thought. “I believe Sunset is right, dear sister. Sombra has completed a spell that not even Star Swirl the Bearded could solve. Perhaps Cadance will lose her magical advisor if we invite him to Canterlot.”

“I heard that,” Cadance hollered, rousing even more laughter.

“Sunset,” the stallion in question called her name. Cadance stepped away as Sunset came close, the other alicorns moved from the crystal table to join the dragon princess. “Are you sure you’re ready to go? I know we’ve gathered everyone up and it would be really embarrassing if the spell failed…”

“It’s not going to fail, Sombra,” she told him, and he thanked her for the belief in him. “It’s not just belief in you, Sombra. I just know things are going to work out. I’m finally going to see Twilight again. It’s been so long—yet it hasn’t.” I’m not counting the times I’ve seen her as she’s leaving the world I’m entering!

He gave a stiff nod. “Alright, let’s try it out.”

They headed back to the table where only Tirek stood patiently. Ember and the alicorns had trotted a good distance away to get the full view of what was soon to happen. “Sunset, you’re an asset to this world that I cannot lose. I will not give you your magic so that you can leave!” he told her, his arms crossed, his face stern. “But… if I gave you your magic to right time, and it just so happened that it also opened up a portal for you to leave… well, that just can’t be helped.” He shrugged, a smile demurely appearing between his beard and moustache.

“Tirek. I’m going to miss you, so much.” She hugged his leg and he patted her head. “I’m going to see if the Tirek in my world can be reformed. I believe he can.”

“I wouldn’t bet on it. Defeating the changelings the first time, it—well, it changed me. Without playing the hero, I would never have become a real hero. I don’t think a me in your world has that luxury or personality. No offense to me, of course,” he replied.

“I’ll still try. Everyone can be reformed. Everyone.”

“Then I’ll leave you to it, Sunset Shimmer. Good luck, and goodbye.” With an extension of the centaur’s mouth, a waft of magic released from his gullet, striking at Sunset’s horn with the power of lightning.

Feeling a burst of energy, Sunset felt rejuvenated to the point she wanted to scream. “Thank you, Tirek,” she said with another hug before the centaur trotted off. She hoped this would not be the last time he gave magic to a pony.

“So,” Sombra said as he opened the brown book on the crystal table. “How’s it feel to have your magic back?” He sounded envious.

“Really good,” she didn’t lie.

“Then I guess it’s time.” He flipped to the back page and pointed to the spell.

Sunset examined the incantation. It was written in two parts but combined into one. The taking of magic was underlined as part of the spell, followed by the giving of what appeared to be magic as well. She tried to understand all of which was written, but she didn’t bother trying too hard. She knew Sombra had gotten it right. With a sudden pause and reflexive close of her eyes, she whispered a plea and let loose the spell. A bout of magical bolts hit the crystal table, making the surface glow with bright white light. It turned into a rainbow of colors that struck the sky. It shined so hard that it could be seen from space—but then it faded!

“Oh geez, I shouldn’t have joked!” Sombra shouted. “This is really embarrassing—try again, please!”

Sunset shook her head and did as she was instructed, trying the spell once more. But just like the last, the white glow faded as quickly as it appeared. “No use. Are you sure you got everything right?”

“I was certain!” He took the book and examined it closely. “Here, follow this part of the incantation and give me a bit of your magic. I’ll give it a shot. Maybe the calculations are wrong for your body, a gender difference, perhaps. I’m unsure.”

“A gender difference?” Sunset had to laugh. For some reason, Sunset couldn’t help but think that someone had warned her not to give Sombra magic, but it was nowhere near the forethought within her mind. She was so focused on getting to Twilight that she immediately handed off the magic she had just obtained—though not all of it. She knew she wanted to keep some for herself.

As she was giving a piece of her magic, she could hear yelling; screaming in the distance. When she went to stop the process, she found that she could not let go. The dark stallion was taking it all, turning her eyes back to the grey, lifeless pupils they’d been. When the process was finished, Sunset shook her head and opened her eyes, coming face to face with the eyes she had seen once before.

They scared her when she looked through the telescope, it was as if they were looking right into her very being. Those crimson, terrifying eyes pierced her, judged her, and flung her aside. And now they were staring right at her, so close, with a smile that would scare even the hardest of villains. “Thank you, Sunset. I knew following you would lead me to great things,” the stallion said in his darkest voice.

With a finessed turn, the stallion slammed his hooves down on the ground. It had been Tirek who yelled, shouting for Sunset to not give the stallion magic. Tirek had not trusted Sombra, and it appeared to be for good reason. With a slam of his hooves, crystals shot up out of the ground, trapping Tirek before he got too close to the two unicorns. Crystal wrapped around Tirek like a spider trapping a fly, a single hand and the centaur’s head were the only things visible.

Sombra knew the centaur could change size, and so the stallion wasted no time climbing up the incline of crystals. With a burst of energy from his horn—Sombra did what Tirek had done to so many ponies. The centaur attempted to blast the stallion right off the formed crystal.

A click, click, but no boom.

Sunset could not believe her eyes. Why was Sombra doing this? He was reformed! He was kind! She writhed on the ground, struggling to move her legs to the platform that he had made on top of Tirek. As she almost reached him, the dark stallion finished with the centaur and jumped to meet the three alicorns that were rushing their way. She knew she wouldn’t reach him now, not with the crystal platforms that he sprung up to take on the flying mares. Instead, she climbed the crystal that trapped Tirek, hoping her teacher was alright.

“T-Tirek!” she cried when she saw him. He looked as if a thousand years had passed in an instant. His age wasn’t just showing, it was clear as day. “Tirek! What did he do to you? Why is he doing this!?”

The centaur coughed and wheezed, his eyes were closed. The pale red of his skin was frightening. His horns had completely diminished into stumps. He tried to flex his face, but it was clear that it hurt to do so. “N-never should have trusted ponies,” he breathed, the only thing that he could still do. His eyes slowly, painstakingly opened, and Sunset saw the grey pupils staring back at her. “Do you feel like a hero?” As soon as he spoke the words, he stopped moving, his tongue relaxed in his mouth.

Sunset’s tears struck the centaur’s cheeks. A stretch of magical blasts distracted her from the centaur. That was when she saw Sombra tearing toward her. Celestia and Cadance laid helplessly on the ground, unconscious. Luna was falling from the sky behind him, the most athletic of the trio beaten. Before she could react, the stallion hurdled her into the air with a push off of his crystals. He caught her as she landed on the platform that he stood on, moving toward the table that brought her so much trouble. “Ah, wonderful to see you again my dear.”

The platform fell to the ground and Sunset rolled in the charred dirt, struggling to get to her hooves. “Why?” she cried, though it sounded like nothing more than a whimper.

“Really? You’re going to ask why? I told you flat out—I’d use magic to change the world for the better. Of course, what I think is better and what others think are two completely different avenues. I did warn you to look for those, you know. I mean, I’d been looking for years for ways to draw magic out of creatures. You plopped the answer into my lap along with the creatures that could show me how.” He grinned his evil grin as he stood over her.

Sunset slammed with all her strength into the stallion, but he didn’t even budge. “Stop it, Sombra! Stop it!”

“Oh, I really do like you Sunset. We could have made the world together, me as King Sombra and you as Queen Sunset Shimmer. But, it’s as you said, that can still happen. And apparently, in this world, she’s just as evil as I am. I wonder how she’ll react once I bring her back through your mirror.” An evil laugh bellowed from the stallion like drums in an echo chamber. “But don’t worry, I promised you salvation, didn’t I? I keep my promises.”

The stallion whipped the book into his hooves before using his magic to prop it up. “I have sure missed this. It makes life so much easier. This spell that I’ve been working on—it’s complete junk.” Obliterating the book, he wiped his hooves from its ashes. “But with all the magic of Equestria, I’ve got enough to open your little crystal table’s portal.”

“No! No!” she yelled, tears falling down her cheeks.

With a green mist spouting from the tip of his crimson horn, the stallion shook the table with a spell that only he had figured out. Tearing through the world, a portal—the portal—opened, a ticking clock echoed and gears grinding reverberated around them. Wind began to pull Sunset, but the stallion latched onto the straps of her backpack, keeping her from being pulled away.

“One last kiss before you go?” he asked, pushing his muzzle close. “Nah. I’m not that evil.”

Releasing her, Sunset floated into the sky, swallowed by the portal. The last thing she saw was the evil grin of the stallion she had trusted more than anyone—and a certain blue dragoness sneaking up behind him.

The portal made her feel sick—or perhaps that was Sombra, she couldn’t tell which. She closed her grey eyes, knowing wherever she ended up would not be home. This portal was somehow different. She did not hear the mysterious voice this time, only the sound of a spell being cast, followed by the ringing of clapping. She was disgusted, not just with the clearly mocking action, but with herself.

Falling out into another world, Sunset landed rump first into a pile of toys. She stared upward at the magical purple princess who was disappearing into the same sort of portal she came from. Sunset didn’t care to shout or cry out for the pony or the dragon that sat on the mare’s back. Sunset didn’t want them seeing her like this—broken, magic-less, and in tears.

World 5: Chapter 2

The squishing beneath her hooves grew tiring, and though she had not gotten used to flying, Sunset kept herself flapping above the pink frosted ground. The Not-So-Bad-Badlands was certainly an interesting place. “This seems like the perfect setting to find Pinkie Pie. A dessert desert.” She found talking to herself was better than succumbing to loneliness. She missed the partnership that Sombra brought, though she did not miss the stallion. It was hard to be unhappy in a place so deliciously colorful, but somehow, Sunset found a way.

After tasting a nibble of muffin bush, a muffin in the shape of a bush, she found that most of the food-related scenery was edible, though some were tarter than others. She did not care for the bitterness that accompanied every swallow, but she forced herself to eat to keep well. The bump on her head from the pelting of beads had been an unpleasant experience. I don’t look forward to heading back north once I find Pinkie Pie. She didn’t know how she was going to locate the pink party pony, nor did she think to wonder if she would even recognize the mare. The Element of Laughter looked positively normal in the previous world, though her appearance in the first and third had been startling.

Crossing underneath a canopy of string cheese, Sunset made it to one of the many pillars transformed into ice cream cones. They were specifically waffle cones, though Sunset certainly didn’t recognize a difference. They were just as tall as she remembered, and would be hard to climb if she had no wings. Discord was nice enough to give me my magic, a pair of wings, and information on going back to the last world. If he is the same Discord, which I seriously doubt, then maybe he can be convinced to help me. If he’s not, maybe I can convince him to help me anyway. She trailed around the side of the cone pillar. In certain angles, she could look up and see ice cream scoops hanging partially over the side. If there was something up there, she needed to know.

A few hard flaps and she treaded up the cone, her eyes widening as she came across an open hole within the waffle shell. There had been caves cut into the red earth of the Badland’s pillars, and these Not-So-Bad-Badlands remained identical. Checking it out, she found the cave was surrounded by walls of ice cream, the inside was freezing cold. As she traipsed into the darkness, she remembered that magic was once again in her possession. “Ahhh, that’s better,” she said to herself, her horn filling the ice cream tunnel with light. She could even see her breath as it left her mouth, a trail of steam evaporating into the cold void.

The almost subzero ice cream beneath her hooves was a strong deterrent to going too far into the frozen tunnel, though she made it a fair distance into the heart of the pillar. When she gave up and turned around, she lit a wall that had gone unnoticed. On the side was writing. Not the kind you’d find in a sophisticated novella, but it was legible. Her eyes took to studying the chicken scratch, which was done with a spoon that sat dug into the wall at the end of the sentence. She read it aloud: “Burn the living room, burn the kitchen, burn the bedroom and the bathroom. What is left?”

“The attic? Basement? Hallway?” she offered a few guesses, but no answer came.

Confused and annoyed by the cold nipping at her hooves, she chose to continue out. When she reached the light of the outside world, she dimmed her horn and steadied herself on the edge. Looking over the land revealed no other life. No smokestacks, no moving bodies, no treading carts that meandered around a watering hole—though it would be a chocolate milk hole in this crazy land. Her eyes trailed up to the top of the ice cream cone, but a surprise jostled her back into the tunnel. When nothing moved after her, Sunset treaded cautiously back into the light. “Who are you?” Sunset asked the pony. However, she recognized the mare after asking the question. It was the pony who Discord noted when Sunset first arrived. Her swirly eyes stared back at Sunset, though she made no attempt to move. A sweet, rather disturbing smile ran from cheek to cheek. Most importantly, the mare somehow stood on the ice cream cone, a flat ninety-degree angle, all without wings or a unicorn horn.

The pony did not answer Sunset’s question, no matter how many times Sunset asked it. Sunset even asked several different questions, and though the pony did not seem to ignore her, she did not answer Sunset either. “Oh-kay, I’m just going to go now.”

Diving off the cave, Sunset glided as quickly as she could, hoping that the strange mare was not following her. Her shadow stretched over the land as she got used to flying. Heading for the next cone pillar, this time the tiptop, she hoped to find anyone, though she preferred someone who could speak. If there was no life in the valley of the Not-So-Bad-Badlands, then surely there would be atop the pillars. The cold winds struck her muzzle, chattering her teeth. Pistachio ice cream scoops were this pillar’s flavor of choice, the sea foam green coloring was offset by the orange and brown pretzel sticks that stood as tall as the Golden Oak Library. Of course, these pretzel sticks did not have the leaves the library did, so she could see that the entire pillar held about thirty to forty of the salted snack.

Crossing to the closest pretzel trunk, she ran a hoof across the ‘bark’, feeling the tough shell. Sunset thought about taking a bite, but she preferred the soft pretzels you’d see sold on sticks at sporting events or medieval fairs. As she debated, a voice yelled at her. “Don’t you eat my home!” the male commanded, causing her to throw a look in every direction. A set of peppermint candies whapped her in the face, forcing her eyes to the sky. She realized then the salt that clung to the sticks were nothing more than mirages. Her brain had seen the transparent, round windows and assumed they were large bits of sodium, which sparingly coated pretzel snacks. “Go away, freak!” he yelled from the window, and Sunset barely managed to dodge another handful of peppermint candies.

“Hey! Excuse me!” Sunset called, floating up to the window. “I’m looking for my friend and was wondering if you could help me.”

“Nice trick—I’ve heard that one before!” The voice caught a lump in its throat halfway through its sentence, causing an extravagant amount of coughing. Sunset tried to peer in through the window to see the person, but the voice had moved away. However, they did not lock the window. Pressing into the frame, Sunset peeked her head into the cozy room that sat within the pretzel stick house. There was no one. With her body half in, half out, she took a look at the décor. Licorice carpeting, a dresser made of chocolate chip cookies, a wafer floor lamp with a candy bar lampshade, and a bed made out of half of an avocado—the pit was missing. Whoever lived here would surely never starve.

A few sharp pains in Sunset’s rump caused her to yelp and knock her head into the window frame. Rubbing her new bruise that sat only inches from her old, she pulled away to see what stung her, only to find a bipedal creature throwing peppermints at her. “Depravity!” he yelled, an arm swinging more of the minty candies.

“Would you stop that? I’m not here to hurt you,” Sunset said as she sailed down, avoiding more of the after-dinner sweets. As she came closer, she realized that, much like bead country, the creatures here were made of the same things as the world.

A snout of string cheese dug into a cantaloupe head, leading down a neck of more cheese to a torso of powdered doughnut. His eyes were odd, a pair of round potato chips with salty brows. Two wings made of caramel were visible through the hole in his torso. The legs and arms were omelets, and Sunset was not about to ask what recipe they were. “Yeah? You seem normal enough. Horn and wings? You a princess?” the doughnut creature asked.

“No, I’m—” Sunset cut herself off. “Yes. Yes, I am,” she said more sternly, grinning on the inside. Technically, it’s not a lie. What makes a princess if not purely being an alicorn? Boy, I wonder what Princess Twilight will say. Her heart suddenly hurt, the thought of telling the story of Sombra freshened itself in her mind.

“Thought you princessy types were Discord’s playthings.” The way the creature spoke reminded Sunset of someone else, but the features were all wrong. “Well, except the pink one. Heard she’s playing a forced part in that theater group up in the Crystal Empire.”

“I’m not from this world, but I’m going to do my best to stop all this chaos. How exactly do you—uh, hear things?”

The creature shrugged his omelet shoulders. “Hear things from others who travel. The world may be in chaos, but life goes on. Gossip doesn’t stop traveling down the grapevine.” He had meant the literal grapevine that most travelers used on the west side of the Not-So-Bad-Badlands, though Sunset hadn’t seen it, coming in from the north.

“I meant more of, how you hear, but okay.” She shook her head. “I’m looking for my friend, actually. She’s supposed to be here somewhere. I need to locate all six of my friends in order to win Discord’s game, stopping all this chaos.”

“Your friend a pony?” he grumbled.

“Yeah.”

“Well, there’s only one pony here in the Not-So-Bad-Badlands. The leader of those fiends, the cannibals. She ain’t one of us, she’s a pony, and she convinced a bunch of us dragonuts to start eating more than just the environment.”

Dragonuts! It made sense. The way the creature was shaped, along with his deeper voice and arrogant personality, it should have been obvious that he was this world’s dragon. “Cannibals?” Being made of food was certainly a disadvantage, but Sunset didn’t want to ask about the biological needs that living food had. They eat? Well, life goes on, she repeated the dragonuts words. “So your kind is eating each other? Anybody ever take a bite out of themselves?”

“Oh, don’t even get me thinking about that! It’s bad enough we’ve had to start a neighborhood watch to look out for them eating our homes.”

“And the leader, she’s a pony?” That’s got to be Pinkie Pie. “Any idea where their base is at? Do they have one?”

“A base? Sure. None of us are brave enough to go around it, though. Don’t wanna get eaten,” he replied, scratching his cheese chin. “It’s down south. Lowest point of the Not-So-Bad-Badlands. If you’ve gotten to the place where everything’s got teeth marks on it, you’ve reached the area.”

“Is there anything else I should know?”

“You ponies always want to know more.” The dragonut tossed a few peppermints on the ground in front of her. “There ain’t nothing else to tell. Why don’t you go take on Discord yourself? Worthless ponies.” He continued to mumble as he stomped away, footprints sprinkled with scrambled egg were left within the ice cream.

Sunset glanced to the sky. Both the sun and moon were dipping low but in opposite directions. Great. Guess I have to hope I’m going south. She took a few steps and started to fly. Her comfort level in flying was starting to soar, but not enough to dodge and weave between pretzel stick homes. Flying above and over, she caught a glimpse of a few homeowners pointing up at her. Perhaps they’re worried I’m with Pinkie Pie. I wonder what’s gotten into her. Has she really been a terror?

Crossing over a river of chocolate milk, perhaps part of the same one that she’d fallen into, Sunset chose to take a break. Flying was a straining exercise not unlike attempting powerful unicorn magic. And landing was even harder. Stopping only inches from the muddy bank, she managed to keep a steady balance as she leaned over to drink. Instead of notebooks and school supplies, I should’ve packed a canteen and camping supplies. The river was like drinking pure cocoa, a bitterness coated Sunset’s tongue, leaving an awful aftertaste. While she was gulping down as much of the unpleasant milk as she could stomach, a voice called out to her, “’Ey! Outta the way!”

“Oh my gosh,” Sunset mouthed as she wiped the milk from her chin. Her eyes flexed over the creature, a bald-headed, fat rat floating on his back inside an inner tube. His skinny tail was flopped over the side of the rubber like a wet noodle. She got an even closer look as the floating tire bumped against the shore she was drinking from, his wet fur was matted with tangles and muck. “I think I’m going to be sick,” she mumbled to herself. The idea of drinking down the river from this unhealthy varmint was enough to turn her face a nice shade of green.

“Like what you see?” She didn't notice initially, but the bald rat wore sunglasses that he tipped down with his little claws. He was no bigger than Sunset’s head, and the glasses appeared too large for his stature. His eyes stared at her, bloodshot and full of sleep sand. “Catch you later, honey.”

Sunset shook her head in disbelief. She instinctively looked around to see if anyone else saw the talking, disgusting rat floating along like he was on vacation. Of course, there was no one else around. Hindsight, forget the canteen and camping supplies. A video camera or a smartphone would’ve been a better choice. Sombra’s betrayal? Believable. Floating rat yelling from an inner tube? Not a chance. She sighed and shook her head, the chocolate coloring of the milk now an unpleasant sight.

Her stomach grew tired of the snacks. Cavities are going to be the bigger villain instead of Discord, she chuckled to herself. Gummies made into the shape of pine trees stretched a portion south, and she could still see the cone pillar with the pretzel sticks to the north. From Ponyville to Appleloosa to here didn’t seem like such a far distance. Yet the Badlands, or rather, the Not-So-Bad-Badlands, is like a never-ending bastion of treats. Maybe this is what Discord meant in me making a terrible choice. Traipsing into the gummy woods, she glanced between the ‘needles’ of the pine, wondering just how far the forest went. There certainly wasn’t any foliage or life in the old Badlands, she noted, trying her best to see a positive outlook on the situation.

A set of words said by a stallion she wanted nothing to do with unexpectedly wrapped around her mind. “You said you wanted to stop being angry and pathetic, yet it’s the past that makes you feel that way.” She pictured the dark stallion, his charming smile, circular spectacles, and flowing cape. The Badlands were where he said that to me. Was it my past that made him realize he could use me? The day we went to the Castle of the Two Sisters. He said he wanted to help me, but he only helped himself. If Discord gives me a choice, what would be my answer? Pushing forward or going back? Maybe that isn’t the question I should be asking, though. I’d hate to admit he was right about finding other avenues… but there’s something to that.

As she got lost in her own thoughts, she failed to notice the sunset and moonset, both sides of the sky were dimming into a black void of darkness. The coldness on her back began to weigh heavy, her new wings did not provide the warmth one would have expected. When she saw her breath, she realized something was off. It’s cold in deserts at night, and this place is already cold enough, she gathered, her muzzle scrunching up as if to hold in her breath. Her march beneath the gummy pines turned into terror. I can’t burn this stuff—it’s not wood. How am I going to survive the night in the cold? Oh geez. Just as suddenly as her worries beseeched her, they were gone. Right. I have magic, she realized, slapping her forehead.

Darkness fell over the land, but Sunset lit her own path through the gummy trees. This darkness, the moon is nowhere to be seen. It reminds me of the true night. She exhaled, the light of her horn showing the leftover heat of her breath. Aside from the vicinity around her, she could see nothing but darkness. Her ears were more aware, especially when she heard the rustling of leaves, her head spinning in every direction. There’s nothing there, she reassured herself and utilized her new alicorn magic to extend the light further. She wondered just how far her new powers were willing to reach. To think, this is what I strived for all that time ago. To be… great.

Being alone gave Sunset the one thing she wanted to avoid. Time. Time to regret, to think, and to want. Now, instead of greatness, I’d give it all up just to be back at CHS with my friends. Maybe Tirek was right, I’m just a pretend hero. They’re the real heroes. They helped Twilight to stop me. They did most of the work in defeating the sirens. They even showed me what it was that we needed to stop Midnight Sparkle. They never gave up—yet here I am, wishing to not deal with any of this and to just run home with my tail between my legs. No! I can’t think like that!

She wiped her nose, the cold of the air causing an influx of drainage. She became so lost in her own thoughts that she ignored another rustling of leaves. It wasn’t until the third time that her mind began to amble from her own doubts and past. Wait. These trees don’t have leaves, she finally recognized. They’re not even real trees! She spun in circles, the sounds of rustling getting closer. Even with her brightened horn, she could see nothing. Backing beneath one of the gummy pine trees, she pressed herself to the gooey bark, hoping to shelter herself from whatever might be following.

The sound echoed above her, but through the dark green of the chewy candy, Sunset could not see what it was that made the awful noise. She sniffled and peered her head out, proving to be a mistake. A sudden screech deafened her in one ear, forcing her to duck back against the sticky bark. What in the world was that!? Her mind failed her. Was that lettuce? She bit her lip, there were more of the crackling echoes all around.

Sucking in her breath, she rushed out from underneath the gummy tree to the shelter of another, hoping to glimpse the creature that deafened an ear. She saw nothing, but the sound of rustling grew enormous. The gummy tree rocked and trembled as if a giant weight was sitting atop its gooey branches. Of course, unlike normal trees, the gummy tree slanted to one side, its bendy bark refusing to bear any burden. Pressing forward to the next, Sunset glanced back at the tree. That was when she caught her first full glimpse of the small creatures. Bats! They were not ordinary bats, however. The small creatures were made completely of lettuce. The rustling was nothing more than the crackle of lettuce leaves being swung as they flew through the air.

Oh, I get it. Like fruit bats except vegetables. The leafy air vermin swarmed the tree she sat beneath, its gummy branches trembling. Why are they coming after me? she wondered as she rushed to the next tree. When they followed, she chose to dim her light. In darkness, scampering to the next tree with a quiet canter, she noted that they did not follow. The crackling and crunching still swarmed the tree she had been at. Her heart raced as she listened, the noise eventually vanishing into the distance.

Breathing hard, she exhaled one sigh of relief only to suck it right back in. A slimy, wriggly tendon trailed down her neck and rubbed against a nub of her wing. Jittering her head slowly, she could see nothing in the dark. With the softest light she could conjure, Sunset saw exactly what it was that skittered along her back. A large centipede the size of her foreleg was feeling around with its antenna, which were very skinny breadsticks. The arthropod was made of wheat, each piece of its body a bread roll. When the light touched the breadipede, it skittered away, rushing into the gumminess of the pine tree.

Sunset trembled with fear as she craned her head to look at the rest of the gummy tree. More bread bugs recoiled at the light, turning tail back into the trees they made their homes. With a short yelp, she backed away from the gummy tree just in time to see one of the vegetable bats swoop down and snatch a bread bug from a branch. Oh, I get it. The bugs come out in the darkness and the bats are able to get them. My light was preventing the bugs from appearing, so the bats attacked. Life goes on, I guess. Even if the creatures are horribly mutated.

It was too dark to go without light, but Sunset dared not threaten the bats again. With a bit of ingenuity, she created a dim ball of light, casting it out a few yards in front of her. Every few moments, the bats swung down to stop the glow, but they no longer targeted the new alicorn. Eventually, the bats gave up, their lettuce wings carrying them after prey elsewhere. At least, that’s what Sunset assumed at first. She soon noticed these gummy trees were not the same as at the entrance to the forest. Huge chunks of rubbery candy had been ripped off the branches. One tree even sat on its side, blocking Sunset’s path, a bite mark at the trunk was the cause of its downfall.

“Who did this?” she wondered aloud, crouching down to examine the teeth marks. The curvature of the bite had been large. She tried to picture the dragonut she’d spoken to, his cheese muzzle a rectangular snout. As she peered at the downed tree, she noticed some of the scuffmarks on the ground. Dropping to her front knees, the light of her horn struck the torn cake soil and illuminated a few strange strands of hair. They’re pink, she noted. They could be Pinkie Pie’s, though they’re a shade darker. The wind sucked the strands out of the air, and she decided to have a closer look at the area. Wait, this is the place that dragonut spoke of! Gummy trees sat chewed in half, rocks that were rock candy had been dug into, and a pond of chocolate milk now remained as a puddle.

In the darkness, it was hard to tell how much damage had been done to the environment. Sunset’s adrenaline caused by the swooping vegetable bats curved off, and the cold was numbingly harsh. If this keeps up, I may need to forfeit for now and go after one of the other girls, she thought, sniffling. As she followed the scraps of half-eaten snacks, she found a toppled cookie that sat against a cheese stick. The bottom half of the cookie had been chewed off, the sticky fudge center partially visible. Sunset took a second to look over the scene, a thought of shelter crossed her mind. With her magic, she dug out the cake dirt that sat between the cheese stick and the cookie, creating a hole in the center. With the excess cake and a bit of engineering, she managed to create a firm barrier against the elements. Though there was still room to see out, the cake was nowhere near as tough as regular dirt. I almost feel like a bunny rabbit, she mused, another scoop of cake in her magical grasp.

Her fur matted against the dirt as she laid down on her side. Shrugging her backpack off released a wave of relief throughout her back. “I didn’t think I’d be lying in a hole surrounded by cake when I woke up this morning,” she tried to joke with herself. It didn’t help. I also didn’t think I’d be betrayed by Sombra when I woke up this morning, yet here I am. She sighed, her head resting against her backpack. Sleep would have been a welcome commodity had her mind not began to wander. That dream returned. I hadn’t had one since… She tried to remember the last time she dreamt. She tried to remember her other dreams, the ones that didn’t consist of golden flowers and Midnight Sparkle.

She tossed and turned, her forelegs to her chest. The cold was not so bad beneath the cake and cookie, her frozen nose stifled its sniffle. A few shivers went their course before succumbing to a tired day. Her mind tried to race; to follow a path to a different dream. When golden flowers melted into her eyesight, Sunset could only sigh and accept it. Cross-legged, she sat amongst the flowers, plucking one by the stem. Lifting it to her nose, she took a big whiff. It’s better than smelling cake and frosting, she supposed.

There was never any sun or moon in this dream, but it wasn’t like the true night either.

“I was so angry at my father.”

The sudden words sent Sunset jumping up, twisting around on her feet to see the squatting dragoness. “Ember?” she asked, holding her hands out as if to touch the cerulean dragon.

Another set of words came from a different voice, causing another turn for Sunset. “They captured and drained us till we were weary, and now all we have left is our fury.” She was surprised to see the zebra, Zecora, lying on her back with her hooves kicking freely.

“I lost my title, my ruler, and my freedom thanks to you!” This male voice was the only one of the three that spoke to Sunset directly.

“Blueblood? I don’t understand. What are you doing here?” The stallion stared at Sunset as if he was ready to charge.

“That’s right—it’s her fault.” Ember rose, her claws swiping off the tops of the golden flowers.

“She wanted to reform the queen who brought us so much pain! Her words and loyalty were nothing but a feign!” Zecora rolled to one side, crushing some of the flowers, her eyes pierced Sunset’s very being.

“If you had just reformed Nightmare Moon, we wouldn’t have had to resort to stealing her power!” Blueblood began to charge. Sunset had no way to dodge the rampaging unicorn without jumping into the clutches of one of the other angry apparitions.

“This is just a dream! A nightmare!” she yelled, trying to wake herself before the stallion could strike. It was too late, however, as the stallion reached her and knocked the very air out of her lungs. It hurt so bad that it woke her from the dream. Gasping for air, she sucked in cake by accident, which only caused her to choke more. When she tried to rise to spit out the cake, she clonked her forehead on the low hanging cookie she slept beneath.

Holding her forehead with her hooves and coughing violently, she struggled to find the desire to get up and greet the new day. The purple sky was partially visible from her hole, the cake had been shoved so high it made the perfect barrier to the rest of the world. When her choking subsided, she pushed the surplus cake aside and dragged her backpack out by the strap. “What was that about?” she wondered aloud. She rubbed the tears from the corners of her eyes, using the back of her hoof to do so—the underside coated in cake.

In the light of the new morning, her question evaporated—or more accurately, were trampled by several more questions. The half-eaten snacks she’d seen the previous night had just been the prologue to a very long and messy story. An ice cream cone pillar sat on its side in front of her, the bottom completely chewed off. Another pillar sat only a few meters away, leaning so far that it should have fallen ages ago. The pink frosting that covered the cake dirt like grass had all vanished, leaving behind potholes and rough mounds. As Sunset came closer to the downed pillar cone, she found all the ice cream inside had been eaten. Flying over to the lopsided cone, she noted that it too had its ice cream center gone. Someone ate the ice cream but left the cones? Well, that’s just rude. That’s like not eating the crust on the pizza. Who does that?

Sunset hovered in the air to get a better view, her backpack sat dangling in her hooves. Back north is the forest with those weird trees. West, there’s a triple threat of pillars, they look intact. East? She scanned the area to the east. For the most part, random assortments of candy based foliage and natural structures were the only thing she could see. There were also more cones, but they were too far away. South is the only place that’s not like the others. Destruction was the most appropriate word Sunset could have used for the cardinal direction. The forest of gummy trees extended further south, but the only signs that it had were a few measly stumps. The stretch of what seemed like miles laid with abrasions against the cake soil. It was as if a massive battle had occurred, and the winner was a stomach ache.

Heading in the right direction, Sunset flew south. Her mouth was parched, but even if she wanted to drink from a pond of chocolate milk, she was out of luck. The further she flew, the less she found. This is starting to look more like the Badlands I know, she recollected. Nothing but dry earth and pillars. After an hour of flying, another ice cream cone sat downed far in the distance, but that was not what caught Sunset’s eye. Four more pillars of cone sat slanted, leaning against each other at the fat of their rims. For a second, it reminded Sunset of the claw games you’d find in arcades. That was until she saw the smoke elevating from the inside.

Throwing her backpack over her shoulders, she rushed off to see what exactly it was that could create such smoke in this woodless wonderland. I could use some warmth, she groaned, rubbing her cold fur.

She came in on the backside of one of the slanted cones, the ice cream inside had not been eaten. Trotting around the side, she came face to face with a fence made of cheese sticks for the frame and pink taffy stretching across its center. Civilization! Flapping her wings, she hovered to the top, the fence was at least three times her height.

On the inside, she could see teepees and wigwams made from the same taffy material the fences used. Fire pits were outside some of the teepees, though she could not see what exactly they were burning from her distance. The biggest building sat the furthest away from Sunset, a large longhouse that was built on oatmeal cookie stilts. Some of the residents stirred, and she noticed that they were all dragonuts.

A bell echoed out—which was made completely out of chocolate, so it didn’t sound very loud, but it did attract all the residents. The ringing came from the longhouse.

Sunset was too far away to make out the words, but she could hear yelling—and a pink pony was the cause. Pinkie Pie! Even from her distance, she could make out the furry pink body. The mare stood at the entrance to the longhouse, her head was wrapped in some sort of headdress. As she spoke, the dragonuts went to their knees. Oh goodness. What has Pinkie Pie gotten herself into this time?

Returning to her hooves, Sunset walked around the fence until she discovered the main entrance, an open gate. Two dragonuts stood guard. They did not look exactly like the one she previously talked to—these two had bananas for arms and legs and watermelons for heads. These two also carried polearms, which were made of lollipops. The hard candy had been cut in such a way that it actually looked threateningly sharp. “Who are you!?” they yelled in unison, pointing the ends at Sunset.

“My name is Sunset Shimmer. I’m here looking for Pinkie Pie,” she answered, in a generously polite tone.

“Ain’t no one here by that name. Get lost,” the one on the left replied.

“Yeah, uh huh. I just saw her on that big tent structure over there.”

“That ain’t no Pinkie Pie. That’s the queen. Ain’t no pony gonna get close to her. Get lost,” the one on the right replied.

“Yeah. Okay. I’ve had a really rough morning and I am so not in the mood.” With her magic, she sent the two dragonuts slamming melon first into each other. After they fell to the ground, Sunset stepped over the open holes of their doughnut torsos and entered the camp.

She went unnoticed for a moment by the rest of the residents. Their little tribe was shadowed beneath the four cone pillars, and all colors seemed to fade into pink or brown. Passing a wigwam, some of the dragonuts opened the flap, their potato chip eyes gawking at her. They chose not to stop her as she continued past a fire pit. Coal? Sunset ogled. Where are they getting coal? “A pony?” one of the dragonuts inquired. More of the food-body dragons were starting to become aware of the two she left at the gate. Some had even run up to the longhouse, the flaps still waving from when they entered.

The longhouse was the most impressive building by far. As Sunset gazed up at it, she noted that it was about as long as two full-sized buses. The pink taffy that accompanied all the structures of this civilization was more compact; thicker, and it was stretched harder than that of the teepees or wigwams. The cookie stilts matched the flooring and the steps up to the entrance. Smoke rose out from the center of the raised building, and a hole had been dug underneath into the cake in the very same spot.

Trailing up the steps, Sunset was stopped when the flaps opened up, both sides held by an arm from a different dragonut. They were not blocking her path, however, but opening the door for their queen. The pink pony trotted out from the shadows, her headdress still upon her cranium. It was definitely Pinkie Pie. Her dim blue eyes stared down at Sunset with a mighty disgust. The pink of her fur and hair—though she had no mane—was also a shade darker. The headdress she wore was made completely of rock candy aside from the strands of cotton candy that fashioned into feathers. In the shape of a pony skull, its triangular face was sapphire and the eyeholes were ruby. The cotton candy, a shade that would be normally Pinkie’s fur, was at the back pointing up.

“’Ello poppet,” Pinkie Pie greeted, though her fierce expression remained. “What you want?”

Sunset’s brows knitted together as she stared up at the Element of Laughter. “Uh, I was technically looking for you. You’re Pinkie Pie.”

“I am, I am, though I ain’t go by that name no more.”

“I’ve come to get you. I need your help in winning Discord’s game,” Sunset explained.

“Game, aye? Right’o, that’s all well and good but I ain’t goin’ nowhere wit’chu.”

“Why does your voice sound so… chipper?” Sunset tersely asked.

Pinkie Pie sighed and shook her head, the circlet barely moved. “I hate it when ponies show up. They always make fun of us for doing our silly accents,” she spat.

“Can we still call you mum?” asked one of the dragonuts behind her.

“Aye, you two stow it back inner. This one’s a princess. She ain’t no threat,” Pinkie Pie commanded, and the dragonuts wandered back inside. “Come on now,” Pinkie said in a more normal vernacular for Sunset. “Come into the warmth.”

Sunset trotted up the steps into the taffy longhouse. Pinkie had been right, the warmth filled Sunset with a renewed energy. Chairs made out of crackers sat against the furthest wall to the left, the fire pit sat in the middle, and a large coconut table sat to the right with more of the same cracker chairs spun around it. The two dragonuts went and sat beside the door flaps while Pinkie dragged Sunset to the fire pit. “Thank you. My name is Sunset Shimmer.” She held her hooves to the coal, the heat a welcome change.

“Princess Sunset Shimmer? Haven’t heard of you before. There were only three princesses before this all started, weren’t there?” Pinkie Pie removed her headdress, setting it down on the sole chair in front of the fire pit. She then leaned down and picked up a hefty bag. Sunset couldn’t tell what exactly the bag was made of, but she assumed food, and she was more interested in the coal that Pinkie was pulling out from inside. “Two of the princesses are Discord’s playthings. Other one is up north. Why are you asking for my help? Shouldn’t you be needing theirs?”

“They can’t help me. To win Discord’s game, I need all six of the bearers of the Elements of Harmony.”

“Game. Second time you’ve said game. What sort of game? I like games.”

Sunset shrugged. “I’m actually from another world—I come from one where you and five of your friends used the Elements of Harmony to defeat Discord.” This world’s Discord might or might not be that same one, but she doesn’t need to know that yet. “He knows that the bearers can defeat him, so he’s imagined up this little game where I have to go collect you six. He thinks I’m going to give up at some point. Maybe believing in myself is something that he thinks I’ll lose, losing the game altogether.”

“So, collecting these bearers, they can be used to defeat Discord? The world can return to normal?” Pinkie asked.

“That’s right.”

“Then my answer is no.”

“What!? What do you mean no!?”

“Are you kidding? This world was meant for me!” Pinkie Pie lifted a piece of coal out from the bag and took a big bite, her teeth turning black with every crunch. “I love it! I’m queen here!” she said between chews.

“I can tell. You rule a bunch of tents and eat coal. What a fantastic way to live,” Sunset replied, letting her inner voice out.

Pinkie Pie then blew a bubble. “It burns and is bubble gum flavored!” She then spat out the chewed up gum onto the fire, creating a burst of flames. “Mock me all you want. We go where we want, we eat what we want, and we live how we want!” The two dragonuts by the door cheered the sentiment.

“Yeah, you eat other people too, apparently.”

The earth pony grinned, her black teeth a hesitant sight. “Some join us, that’s right. Some don’t. We eat them. You’re here, too, now. You should join us.”

Sunset was taken aback by the honesty. She had assumed the crotchety dragonut was exaggerating, or that Pinkie Pie had just been misunderstood. “You know these are dragons, right? They may look like food, but they’re real people.” She looked to the two dragonuts in the room. “How are you okay with this?”

“We leave the heads. We ain’t savages. Not like we need to eat’er nothin’. Just do it for fun,” answered one of the dragonuts. “They’re free to build up their bodies just like the rest of us. Of course, we’ll eat ‘em again if we get our mitts on ‘em. We will, we will.” The two then displayed a sort of eerie puppetry where one removed their banana arm while the other removed their bread arm. They then switched, attaching it to their strange doughnut bodies, and displayed that they worked just fine.

“Well then…” Sunset rolled her head. “As long as you leave the heads, I suppose that’s fine.” She blinked for a moment, her mind trying to comprehend her own words. “But if you’re happy here, Pinkie Pie, what will happen when you eat up all the food? Won’t you become bored?”

“You seen the Not-So-Bad-Badlands? It’ll take a few lifetimes to get through all of it. And trust me, the way I eat, this lifetime’ll be a short one.” The earth pony threw her head back with laughter, her darkened teeth on full display. The dragonuts hooted and hollered right along with her, but Sunset could only stand still, frozen in an awkward discomfort. These people are insane.

World 5: Chapter 3

“There has got to be some way for me to convince you to help win Discord’s game. Even if you don’t want the world to go back to normal, don’t you want to help some of those that do? All those innocent people who have been suffering. You’re the Element of Laughter, you can’t just turn your back on them,” Sunset pleaded. She was trying everything. Begging, threatening, guilt tripping. None of it seemed to work. “Is there anything you’d rather have than dessert land?”

“Yeah, peace and quiet,” answered Pinkie Pie. She had put back on her headdress, covering her maneless cranium. “Ponies always talk too much, even when they eat. Gives me a headache, which gives me a toothache, and a toothache around here is a real bad problem to have.” She rose from her cracker chair. “And last time I checked, a queen was higher on the totem pole than a princess. So unless your jaw’s thick enough to join us, I suggest you skedaddle.”

Sunset backed up, eyeing the supposed queen. “How’d you become queen of all these dragonuts, anyway?”

“We saw her eatin’ and went, whoa, she can eat!” answered one of the dragonuts. “Made her our queen, we did. Of course, we use’tah be under the chain of a princess. Queen sounds nicer if you ask us.”

“So, if someone else wanted to be queen, all they’d have to do is out eat her?”

The two dragonuts stared at Sunset for a moment before bursting with chipper laughter. “You think you can out eat the queen?” replied the other dragonut. “I once saw mum bite off the bottom of a cone pillar just so she could get at the ice cream innards. She ain’t need no help finishin’ it, no ma’am.”

“Face it, princess,” Pinkie said, “I’m not going anywhere. Your stomach is too lean to challenge me.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right. But winning this means I have to take on challenges I wouldn’t normally take on. Discord knew that when he made this senseless game. So, whatever it takes to get you to come back with me, eating competition or by force, I’ll do it,” Sunset persisted, a full note of firmness in her voice.

The two dragonuts came to the fire pit wringing their banana and bread hands. “Mum, you know we ain’t want no other mums. But not takin’ no challenges makes you look weak, donnit?”

Pinkie Pie sat back down in her seat, the odd sounds of the cracker smooshing was not unlike a regular wickerwork chair. She placed her chin on her front hooves, staring into the flame. “An eating contest? It has never been done before,” she murmured. Her eyes flickered against the heat, the rising smoke bringing tears. A sudden black smile shot up her cheeks. “Alright. I’ll take your challenge, little princess. Which means I get to choose the food.” She looked to her dragonuts. “Cookie Cakes. Have the others ready the plates. It’s time for a Food Fight.”

“Food Fight!” both dragonuts yelled, tearing out of the longhouse.

Of course it’s called Food Fight, Sunset groaned mentally, her regret already seeping to her face.

Pinkie Pie led the alicorn out of the longhouse. The crowd already gathered to see who their queen met. “Food Fight!” chanted several dragonuts, and Sunset could see several more rushing around to get things started.

Tables made from cookie wafers were brought out and taffy sheets were sprawled across them like tablecloths. Sunset and Pinkie Pie each got their own table, and more were added to hold the oncoming onslaught of outrageous cookie cakes. Each one was the size of a large pizza and they were all plain old chocolate chip. When Pinkie Pie sat down, so did Sunset. The piles started stacking up, each holding ten cookie cakes. Once both tables held about eighty, a referee dragonut stood in the center. Her pretzel stick arm rose above her raspberry head as she shifted her eyes between the two ponies. When her arm dropped, that was the signal.

Before Sunset could even finish a quarter of the very first cookie cake, Pinkie Pie had finished her second. It took only a minute for the match’s observers to know exactly who would win. It took less for Sunset to come to the same conclusion. She wasn’t kidding, Sunset thought, finally finishing with her first cookie. “Ref!” Sunset jostled up, raising her hoof to get the referee’s attention. “Excuse me, but are there any rules to this competition? Pinkie Pie didn’t declare any.”

The dragonuts were roused with laughter. “The pony needs rules. Chaos has no rules,” she heard one dragonut say.

“Only one, pony,” the referee answered, “You must eat the cookie cakes. That is all.”

Sunset breathed a sigh of relief, her eyes shifted over to Pinkie Pie who had downed ten of her platters. “Already giving up, Sunset?” Pinkie asked with a mouthful, licking up the crumbs afterward.

“No. Only giving you a chance, that’s all.”

“Is she serious?” one dragonut asked, the laughter of the crowd was becoming an uproar. “She’s lost her marbles.”

Sunset sat back in her seat, her forelegs craned around the back of her head. She began humming to herself, waiting and watching the pink queen grow increasingly nervous. Once Pinkie reached her twenty-first cake, Sunset decided enough was enough. “Oh boy, am I hungry,” Sunset said, loud enough to distract Pinkie Pie. She wanted the Element of Laughter to watch as she made a joke of their competition. “I could sure use a snack. Oh! Look! Cookies!”

With her magic, which she desperately missed, Sunset lifted five of the cookie cakes into the air. Shrinking them to the size of bite-size snacks, she dropped them into her mouth and let out a crunch. “Mmm. Chocolate chip.”

“Hey! That’s cheating!” yelled Pinkie Pie as she dropped one of the cookie cakes, shattering it into pieces.

“Cheating?” Sunset repeated, her own mouth full. “The ref said I only had to eat them. She didn’t say I couldn’t change their size.” She downed another five, and before Pinkie Pie could blow another gasket, Sunset caught up.

“Whoa! Mum’s gettin’ beat by an ol’ smarty pants princess!” yelled a dragonut.

“She ain’t wearin’ no pants, though,” another dragonut replied.

Of course, Sunset wanted her victory to go smoothly, but Pinkie Pie was queen for a reason. With a swift throw of her headdress, Pinkie Pie knocked a leg out from Sunset’s table, toppling the cookie cakes to the ground. “Hey!” Sunset jumped from her seat, the cakes were now in broken pieces. “That was rather rude.” She wanted to sound mad, but her grin betrayed her. “Well, I can just fix that.”

Levitating the table up with all the cookie cakes, Sunset broke off the three other legs and held it with her magic. Without missing a beat, the cookie cakes transformed into their bite-sized counterparts, becoming a far more manageable mass. Sunset sat back down, her nose tilted a haughty height. Pinkie Pie’s anger could be heard from the sounds of her heated chewing. When Sunset glanced over at her, the pink pony had turned a bright red.

This is a piece of cake. Maybe too easy. I don’t want to turn her against me, after all. Sunset stopped her eating and looked at the Element of Laughter. She was about to forfeit when the chocolate bell that had rung earlier in the morning stole the mare’s attention. Dragonuts started to scramble beneath the dulcet tones of the sugary sweet ringing. “What’s going on?” Sunset yelled, spitting out a dollop of chewed cookie cake.

“Now of all times!? She’ll never quit!” Pinkie Pie slammed her table and threw herself from her chair.

Sunset followed but was immediately stopped by a crash through the same open gate she had entered. Her surprise could be surmised as jaw-dropping, she never expected a group of vehicles. Chariots, wagons, and sleds were a common sight—but these monstrous mobile mechanisms were exact to the make of a truck and open roof bus, except they were made of hard candy. It was the same type of candy that the dragonut’s weapons were made of—solid lollipops that often took an hour to get down.

In the first vehicle that tore open the modest tribe’s taffy covered fences stood a golden goddess. “Pinkie Pie, you terror!” the golden warrior roared, her fists in the air. Sunset could see it was a dragonut wearing pure gold armor, a rare sight in a land of food, and molded to fit the doughnut-shaped figure. “I will crush every pony bone in your body and force you to eat nothing but vegetables!” The voice was unmistakable—Princess Ember.

As the dragonuts leapt from the bed of the truck, landing within their armor, Pinkie Pie pushed Sunset toward the longhouse. “Get inside! You need to hide while we deal with this nuisance!” Sunset chose to follow Pinkie Pie’s words, trotting up the steps into the longhouse. Once inside, Pinkie pulled the handle of the fire pit, dumping the contents down a hole underneath, darkening the taffy building. “Stay. Here.” Upon the command’s uttering, Pinkie rushed back out with a war cry echoing loudly. Sunset peered through the cracks of the flaps, eyeing the outside. Princess Ember versus Queen Pinkie Pie. This is the pure chaos Discord’s wanted, I’d hedge my bet. Her eyes ran between the two forces of cannibals and raiders.

Though both sides were dragons, it was clear who the invaders were. Strapped with non-edible equipment to their food bodies, the invaders prevented the cannibalistic tribe from snacking on whatever limb they could get a hold of. Some sets of armor were made of gems or stone while others were wooden or cardboard pads that acted like nothing more than chainmail. The invaders had the advantage of surprise and protective covering, but the hungry clan were far wilder. Swarming like wolves, two or three dragonuts would attack at once, ripping the armor off along with whatever piece of body they could get at. Sunset watched in horror as several were eaten, leaving only the head. One melon was kicked to the side, rolling into the bottom step of the longhouse. “Argh!” it hollered. “Stupid celery spear. I knew I should have stuck with the spiked jawbreaker!” To Sunset’s surprise, the melon tilted one way and then started hopping up and down, rolling off to find parts to rebuild itself.

Well, I suppose this is a safer battle than some of the others I’ve seen. Only way it could be safer is if everyone wore bubble wrap and fought with foam swords like I’ve seen some of the younger students at CHS do.

Refusing to cower in some building, Sunset crouched as low as she could and crawled out and around the side of the encampment. Moving behind the teepees and wigwams, she managed to find cover close enough to view the vehicles. Eyeing them, she noticed something odd. All of it is candy. The wheels, the frames, even the seats on the inside looked to be made of the same stuff lollipops were. The hoods were not popped, she could not see the engines, and there was no noise coming from the insides. Taking a chance as the battle raged in the center of the camp, Sunset crossed the gap and slid underneath the first truck, rolling onto her back. Seeing the underside, she realized why no one heard any rumbling, mechanical noise. They pedal with their feet! She had to laugh at that—remembering a cartoon running the same sort of cars.

As she giggled to herself, a voice yelled, “Come here!” Dragged by her back hooves, her backpack and wings scraped against the ground as she was pulled out from underneath the truck. “You’re a pony just like Pinkie Pie—and an alicorn to boot. You friends with her?”

Sunset stared upside-down into the eye holes of the golden helmet. She could see blue—a very large blueberry—and the butterscotch eyes staring back at her. The muzzle of the dragonut was non-existent, it reminded Sunset of the people beyond the mirror—without a nose, of course. A mouth made of jellybeans, specifically green apple and bubblegum, asked her once more, “Are you friends with Pinkie Pie?”

“Yes,” Sunset answered honestly, only to be immediately slapped in the horn. “Hey!” she yelled. Her hooves went to her horn only to feel the stickiness of caramel cling to her fur. “Aw, this is worse than gum in my hair!”

“Shut up. Now you can’t cast your way out of this.” The golden armored dragonut tossed Sunset by her hooves, slamming her into a birdcage made completely out of jawbreakers. “Any friend of Pinkie Pie will pay for her crimes as well.”

After fumbling onto her shoulder and pushing herself into a less cramped position within the small cage, Sunset noticed Pinkie Pie had been caught as well. She sat in a similar cage next to Sunset, her forelegs bound by licorice cuffs. “I thought I told you to wait in the longhouse. First, you try to challenge me, then you don’t listen. I guess you are a princess if you’re this incompetent,” the pink mare grumbled.

“Sorry. I was just trying to get a closer look.” Sunset glanced back over her shoulder at the rest of the village. The invaders won and had begun gathering heads and stuffing them into crates made of actual wood. “I’m assuming they want you all to pay for eating so many of their people. What will they do with you and me?”

Pinkie Pie refused to answer. When Sunset peeked over at the mare, she noticed that Pinkie Pie would not tear her eyes away from Ember. “All the dragonuts who sided with Pinkie Pie, along with Pinkie Pie herself, will be set before a trial,” Ember answered, her golden arms were crossed. “Of course, the trial is not for whether you all are guilty. You are. The trial is to determine whether or not you will be thrown into our molten pit.”

“M-molten pit?” Sunset repeated. “I’m new to this—uh, area. Could you fill me in on what exactly that is?”

“Sure. It’s a pit in Pepper Rock to the east where melted chocolate swirls constantly and is hot enough to consume pony or dragonut,” answered Ember. “We will finally be rid of this fiend.” She kicked Pinkie Pie’s cage, and the pony instinctively tried to snap at the carrot toes.

“Well that sounds awful.” Sunset scratched the underside of her chin, some of the caramel tangled within the furs. “I need Pinkie Pie to win a game against Discord. Any chance you might reconsider letting me take her off your hands? She won’t bug you anymore, I can assure you of that.”

Ember refused. “Absolutely not. She needs to pay for the number of times I’ve had to roll around and find a suitable body.” Some of the dragonuts under Ember’s command returned from their triumphant battle carrying the imprisoned heads. Sunset could hear the moaning and name calling coming from inside the wooden crates. “That everyone?” Ember asked, and her comrades gave swift nods. “Load them, I want to be to Pepper Rock before the color drains from the sky.”

At the back of the bus, behind the hard candy seats, the dragonuts stuffed the crates filled with heads. Pinkie and Sunset’s cages had been stuffed there as well, sticking to the lollipop-like candy with a buckling crunch. Sunset shifted her weight, but the cage refused to budge. They were packed away like luggage for a summer getaway. Sunset could hear the grunting of dragonuts as they pushed the vehicles back out the broken fence, turning them around to face east. As they began to move forward with a greater speed, Sunset caught a glimpse of the disheveled tribe homes in the growing distance. I suppose they’re easier to rebuild with the vast amount of candy supplies, she guessed with a shrug. But then a different thought crossed her mind. To understand and build with what they’ve been given, it must have taken years to perfect it. How long was that place there? How long have the dragonuts been this way?

When only the four pillar cones were visible, Sunset glanced back to Pinkie Pie who sat frozen in her cage. “Hey. You okay?” The pink mare looked so depressed to Sunset that the thought of Discord’s game sat on the backburner. “I guess you’re done playing queen, huh? Being a leader—it’s not easy.”

But the bald mare sat still. Her mouth was a hard, unmoving line. Only her ears flicked every once in a while. Sunset knew she wouldn’t get any answer from the mare. “If you want, we can escape. The caramel—” Sunset used her magic to melt away the gooey candy “—it doesn’t work to block magic like they seem to believe. Not sure why they thought it would.”

“I don’t need your help to escape.” There was a calmness; a sort of eerie tone to the voice that Sunset noticed. In a sudden strength, the pink mare unhinged her jaw and snapped off the jawbreaker bars as if they were mere uncooked pasta noodles. “I can eat anything,” she said, grinding the hardest of candies like it was nothing. “And I’m going to eat Ember, head and all.” With the grace of a veteran ballerina, the pink mare leapt from the broken bars out the back of the bus.

Sunset wanted to yell “Wait!” but that would have added an unnecessary involvement from the dragonuts. With her magic, she melted the lock and push her cage open. With a lift of her head from behind the crates, she saw that the dragonuts had not seen the pink pony tuck and roll out the back, their minds on their manual pedaling. Turning to the back, Sunset followed in Pinkie’s call to action, throwing herself in a much less graceful finesse. Landing on her right side, she groveled on the ground for a moment, waiting to see if any of the dragonuts noticed. As Pinkie Pie walked past, following the direction of the cars, Sunset wobbled to her hooves. “Where are you going?” she asked. “Why escape just to follow them? We could leave… we could just go.”

“She wants to play a hero,” replied Pinkie Pie. “I’m going to make sure she doesn’t have her happy ending.” Sunset couldn’t see it from the backside of Pinkie, but a huge, disgusting smile wrapped from cheek to cheek.

“Pinkie—” Sunset called and was ignored. “Pinkie!” she repeated twice, then thrice, before trailing after the mare. “Why? Why deal with Ember? Why eat them? I don’t get it. What’s your goal?”

The pink mare did not answer, her trotting remained a meticulously hustled pace.

“Can you do it alone?”

That caught the pink pony’s attention, her marching stopped. “What are you implying?”

Sunset huffed as she stopped in front of the pink mare, her head raised higher than Pinkie’s. “I need you, Pinkie Pie. I can’t leave without you. Winning this game—it’s everything for this world. It’s everything for me. If you want revenge on Ember, as much as I hate the idea, I can help you. You just have to promise to come with me, to help me defeat Discord.”

Everything from Pinkie Pie’s terrible expression to the horrible want for revenge told Sunset that it was wrong. I have no choice, she told herself.

“You haven’t got the background,” Pinkie remarked, eyeing the wings. “Princesses are goodie goodies. Why do I need the help of someone like that?”

“You’re a goodie goodie, Pinkie. You are in my world.”

“Well, this ain’t your world.”

“Being friends transcends worlds, Pinkie Pie. I’ve run into four different versions of you, and I was friends with them too. We are friends,” Sunset explained.

“If we're friends in your world then that just proves my point. Why do I need you? All you’ll do is get in my way or try to stop me. This isn’t your world and I don’t care.” Pinkie Pie threw her head forward with a hungry growl as she continued her trot, heading in the direction of the cars.

Sunset kept up with the pink mare, never stalling behind. “I need you to help me fix this world. So, you’re right, I will probably stop you from destroying Ember. I’d stop her from destroying you, too, though. You and I both saw how many dragonuts she brought, you can’t take them on alone. Your followers couldn’t do it alone. But I can, I’m an alicorn.”

The pink mare understood, but she did not stop. “Alright, I can make you a deal,” she said as she walked. “You don’t get in my way of Ember and once I’m finished with her I’ll help you.”

“Deal.”

“Pinkie Promise?” The pink mare stopped and stared directly into Sunset’s eyes.

“Yeah, though don’t ask me to remember the words. It’s been a while since my last Pinkie Promise,” Sunset replied with a shrug.

Pinkie sighed. “Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye. Now you.” Sunset nodded and repeated the verses with more enthusiasm. “And if you break this promise it’ll be a lot more than just a cupcake,” the pink pony growled.

Sunset tugged nervously on one of her backpack’s straps. This Pinkie’s a real meanie. Her mind wandered for a moment as they walked, trailing back to the previous worlds and their Pinkies. I have to wonder what sort of events this Pinkie has lived. That first world, with the silent Pinkie Pie, was depressing. At the time, I thought it couldn’t get any worse. How wrong I was, about a lot of things. If it had been my Equestria’s Pinkie Pie who went through this, if she had touched the map before I did, how would she have handled all this?

A smile graced her lips as she recalled the Pinkie who stuffed her mouth full of cake, gobbling it down like a baby in a highchair. “What’s Maud like in this world?” Sunset asked, making conversation as they walked.

Pinkie Pie wanted none of it. “The promise has been made. Less talkie more walkie.”

The walkie was not long, though it was far enough for the sun and moon to dip in the sky. The low light made the strawberry frosting look almost grey in color as they reached the furthest mountain in the east. Protruding from the mountain was a rounded cliff where the non-motorized vehicles sat beneath. The dragonuts had already lifted the crates from the back of the topless bus and carried them up the slanted sides. “That’s Pepper Rock?” Sunset wondered aloud as they marched up the stilted surface. “It kind of looks like a toilet bowl.”

“You’ll see the reasoning once we get to the top.”

“What are we going to do with the dragonuts of Ember’s crew? You only made me promise not to interfere with Ember.”

“As long as they don’t get in my way, I don’t care. Ember’s mine.”

Reaching the vehicles, Sunset glanced up at the rounded cliff. She tried to imagine what it looked like with red sand and dry earth, but nothing came to her. Treading carefully as to not make a sound, the two mares went up the same side. Sunset managed to reach the change of incline first where she discovered why exactly it they called it Pepper Rock. That’s the stupidest, most dimwitted pun I’ve seen in the longest time.

On the opposite side from where she stood, near Ember and her crew of dragonuts, sat the terrible pun. It was not a rock in the shape of a pepper or a rock made of peppers, as Sunset originally assumed. Instead, it was a glass container with a metal top about the size of Ember. A large black P sat painted in the middle, and several snowball sized rocks filled it about halfway.

The heads of Pinkie’s crew lined in front of the terrible joke, waiting for their punishment. Though they were several meters away, Sunset could hear the yelling done by the dragonut princess. In front of Ember and her comrades sat the heated pit of chocolate that had been mentioned. Though Sunset could not see the center from where she crouched, the heat emanating from the swirling chocolate forced her to wipe sweat from her brows. When she looked to see how the pink pony faired the heat, she found the mare had disappeared. Like a magic trick, Pinkie somehow reappeared near the dragonuts.

“Pinkie!” Sunset whisper-yelled, but she was too late. Pinkie grabbed one of the dragonuts that allied with Ember and threw him off the edge. He screamed as he fell into the hot pit—but Sunset was fast, perhaps the quickest reaction she’d had since escaping a blast from Midnight Sparkle. Catching him just as his legs dipped into the hot chocolate, Sunset pulled him out with her magic, but the damage had been done. He moaned something about having to find new legs as Sunset laid him down in front of her. She had no time to speak to the dragonut, Pinkie Pie was already fighting with the next. Ember ordered all of her forces to charge toward the glutton.

The rounded surface of the bowl-shaped cliff only allowed for two dragonuts to attempt battle with Pinkie Pie, but even that proved more than enough to deal with the revenge-filled mare. All she could do was dodge the swift attacks of the weapon-made food.

Sunset chose to honor her promise. Tearing over the edge with her hooves, falling down the cliff side they had just trotted up, and then gliding back up to flank the enemy. She didn’t consider them her opponents any more than she considered the changelings or brainwashed crystal ponies to be enemies, but she did her duty. With a slick bolt of magic, she unhinged the ground beneath them and let them fall onto their pedaled candy vehicles. They would be fine, she knew. They had no bones to break. As she recoiled in the air, turning back around, she could see them climbing through the rubble.

The two dragonuts who had gone head-on with the pink mare were stunned by the tremoring ground, leaving an opening for Pinkie Pie to strike one of their pretzel legs off. Sunset dashed down to catch the other leg, sweeping him off the side that did not have the terrifying molten chocolate. She left Pinkie Pie to deal with only one more dragonut.

Pinkie understand somewhere within her bald cranium that Sunset honored her word, as this time she chose to severe the head from the food body before kicking it off into the pit. Of course, she still threw the coconut head with a hefty toss at Sunset, who managed to catch it midair. “Do you have any idea how long I’ve had those toes!?” the head screamed in Sunset’s face. “They were the envy of all dragonuts, and now they’re gone! Thanks a lot, you savage!” Though Sunset wanted to feel bad, she had no time to waste on pity. Pinkie Pie jumped across the gap that Sunset had made, meeting Ember.

The princess dragonut gathered up the heads that her clan had previously lined up, putting them back into a single crate. With a carrot foot pushing against the wooden side, Ember threatened the pink mare to not come any closer.

It was then Sunset noticed the dragonuts who had fallen onto their candy cars were now hovering up the side of the cliff. As Sunset swooped down, mowing over the flyers, she heard Pinkie yell, “Drop ‘em. Makes no difference to me.”

Sunset wasn’t about to let that happen, but her attention divided. “Holy guacamole! That things gonna blow!” one of the dragonuts screamed from below, though it took a second for Sunset to understand what he was talking about. The ground that she had torn from beneath the dragonuts sprung a leak—one that would melt those below. Oh, come on! she internally screamed, gliding down to the set of cars. A small cascade, the hot chocolate splattered the broken ground, melting the hard candy bus like candle wax in an oven. As the leak became three sprouts, Sunset told the dragonuts to leave.

“Why are you helping us now? You’re the one that caused this!” one dragonut yelled, a hammer made of gumdrops sat in his thick marshmallow hand.

Sunset didn’t answer, her mind concentrated on the ever-increasing leak. It was not unlike lava, the thick chocolate texture crept at the pace of a slug. But it was not the crawl that worried Sunset. If I don’t repair that, the whole cliff will fall, creating a hotbed further down below. She threw her eyes over her shoulder, noting that there was nothing but the dragonuts trying to escape. I don’t even know if this stuff will cool like magma does, or just how far the pit goes. Creating a magical hammer, Sunset tore off the candy hood of the truck. Sticking the hood against the spouting liquid, she attempted to smash the edges into the cliff, hoping the chocolate would form its own glue.

While struggling below, she caught a glimpse of the pink mare and golden dragonut. They stood hand to hoof on the edge of the broken gap. The more they moved, the more the shelf loosened. “Can’t you guys fight somewhere else!?” Sunset screamed at them as she held the hood in place with her magic, waiting for the chocolate to set in.

It did not hold. A permanent, messy liquid, the chocolate ate through the hard candy hood and flooded down. When she let go, realizing her failure, the hood fell with the chocolate, creating an even larger gash to drop. Sunset was thankful the dragonuts heeded her advice, but the crate that held the heads of Pinkie’s followers still sat upon the cliff. Knowing she could not stop the chocolate that leaked out like water in the gaps of clutched fingers, Sunset flew to the top. The cliff hadn't stopped cracking, and just as she went to land, the floor fell out from under her, taking the Pepper Rock monument with it. They’ll have to find a new name for this place, she thought as she landed once more, this time making sure her footing was stable.

The bubbling melted chocolate popped and pooled just a few yards away, flowing down the cliff side like paint. Her eyes dared not stare for too long. Her head swiveled between Pinkie and Ember and the crates of dragonut heads. The pony and princess stood in the epicenter of the destruction, the leaks of hot chocolate surrounded them on all sides. Pinkie Pie managed to get the high ground while Ember planted her carrot feet onto the broken ledges that sat lower than the cliff’s edge. “Hey! Help us!” Sunset heard the yells of the dragonut heads, turning her focus to saving them.

“Can you guys roll quickly?” Sunset asked as she stood bipedal, staring into the crate. “Pepper Rock is about to turn into a chocolate sea.”

“You get us out of here and we’ll roll faster than marbles on tilted glass!” one blackberry head yelled.

With a levitation spell, Sunset lifted the crates over the side and slowly lowered them to the canyon floor. The gash drizzled down onto the smashed up cars, but was finding it troublesome to go any further. She carefully tilted the crates and let the dragonuts fall gracelessly. Some hit the ground too hard for Sunset’s liking, but none smashed. As she made sure the crate was empty, watching all the melons, oranges, and apples roll, the cliff began faltering even more.

A rumble quaked, followed by a crack breaking between her hooves. The crack was wide enough for the hot chocolate to begin filtering through, causing Sunset to leap into the air. I hope they’re as quick as they say. There was no stopping the thick liquid now. Even with all her magical strength, Sunset knew she wouldn’t be able to push the chocolate back into the pit and seal it up at the same time. Battle or not, we’ve got to go, Pinkie Pie.

With all the time she’d been given, Pinkie Pie had not yet gotten her revenge. Nor had the dragonut princess defeated the supposed pink fiend. They’d been at a stalemate in their raw power, neither willing to let their determination falter. Even as the ground broke apart around them, the roar of coursing chocolate muffling their howls, neither of them let up. With her hands balled up around Pinkie’s hooves, Ember tried her best to push Pinkie off. Sunset watched from the sky, assuming Pinkie was doing the same thing. But the pink pony was far too forward for such a feat. Sunset remembered all too late Pinkie’s words, “I’m going to eat Ember, head and all!”

The pink mare snapped her teeth between the exposed joint of the golden armor, right where the wrist plate and shoulder pauldron met. Breaking through the brown binding and tearing straight through the candy cane arm, Pinkie seized the advantage. Missing an arm, Ember flung herself backward, trying to escape the ever-closing gap between glutton and food. Her wings remained tucked into her golden armor, preventing her from flying. With a lunge from the pink pony, both girls fell against the edge of the broken cliff, smashing into a jutted piece of cake ground. The jut was the right size, piercing Ember’s torso perfectly. Had she not had a doughnut for a body, it would have been a grisly sight.

Sunset dashed down to catch Pinkie Pie, but the bald mare snatched onto Ember’s legs, peeling the carrots with her teeth. All around the pink pony were flowing globs of chocolate pouring down the unleveled cliffside. “Don’t help her!” Ember commanded Sunset. It did not work, of course. Ember would be unable to halt the alicorn even if she wasn’t missing an arm. But that didn’t stop her from barking and pleading. “She’s a menace! She’s a terror! She’s a—”

“Villain,” Sunset finished Ember’s sentence, her hooves reaching out to pick up the pink mare.

“Yes! If you’re really friends then that makes you a villain too! You pony princesses are supposed to be better than that, aren’t you? Has Discord changed you so much that you’ve forgotten your purpose?”

“My purpose?” Sunset repeated, glancing back at Ember.

“I may not be an alicorn, but I am a princess, and I’ll protect my race with all I have in me. Is that not what we are destined for?”

Sunset looked back at Pinkie Pie, the mare clearly angry. Her eyes were glaring at Sunset with a heated intensity that only amplified the melted chocolate hammering around her. “You’re right. I am a princess. But I don’t stop at just my race. I’ll help anyone. That includes Pinkie Pie, no matter how terrible she is in this world.” Grabbing the mare by the underside of her forelegs, Sunset lifted Pinkie Pie up from the danger. Ember’s legs snapped off as Sunset pulled her toward the opposite, more stable side of the cliff. She saw the hungry gaze that filled the earth pony’s eyes, the bits of raw carrot in the fur around her mouth. “Sometimes, protecting everyone isn’t easy. Sometimes, it’s the hardest thing to do,” Sunset said.

“Thanks for protecting me, Sunset,” Pinkie said, “Seems like you’ve fulfilled your end of our promise.” The pink pony walked to the edge, staring at the maimed dragonut. “Bring her to me. I want to feast upon that sweet blueberry first.”

Doing as she was told, Sunset levitated the dragonut off the jutted cake and pulled her to Pinkie Pie. “I wasn’t talking about protecting you. No. To protect everyone, I’m going to break that promise.”

“If you break a Pinkie Promise, Pinkie breaks you!” Pinkie roared and turned, rearing up on her hooves to strike down the alicorn.

Tearing off Ember’s remaining golden armor in an instant, Sunset snapped it into a muzzle for the earth pony. As the mare tried to remove the metal, a pair of golden cuffs wrapped her front hooves tightly together, then another for the back, leaving her helplessly on the ground. “Sorry, Pinkie Pie, but I wasn’t always a goodie goodie. I know how to lie. I know how to break promises.”

“You’ve done it! Quickly, finish her now!” pleaded Ember.

Sunset shook her head. “I’m sorry for what she’s done to you and your people, Ember. But this is my purpose.”

Carrying both the broken Ember and the ensnared Pinkie Pie down with her magic, Sunset found a spot far enough from the created lakes of melted chocolate. The dragonuts of both sides had remained to watch the fight and came to tend to their side’s leader. “The queen is captive, is she?” a melon head said. “Does that mean us ‘ave to lose the ol’ funny accents?”

“Keep the accents, stop eating each other,” Sunset told the heads before turning to Ember’s crew. “And stop trying to throw each other into molten chocolate pits.” She slumped Ember in front of them on her missing legs. “I’m taking Pinkie Pie with me. Without her, maybe you guys can get along.”

“Thank you. I don’t even know your name,” Ember said as she tried to turn her doughnut around, though it was difficult for her with only one arm.

“I’m Sunset Shimmer, and I’d suggest getting your bodies together because I’m not sure what’ll happen if you don’t once I win Discord’s game.” She glanced back at Pinkie Pie, the mare was clearly not ready for any sort of reform. The necklace will come later. It’s going to be difficult to drag her around caged up like this, but I’ll deal. That’s what Sunset assumed, at least, but this world was full of chaos.

“I cannot believe you actually did it!” The voice was all too familiar to Sunset, but it caused all the dragonuts to look up in panic. “Finding her was one thing—capturing her is so much more impressive!”

The voice eventually found its mouth, the draconequus slithering in around the pink mare. “It only took cheating, getting captured, and lying for you to do so, but you actually managed to do it! Quite impressive. Quite impressive, indeed!”

“Discord? What are you doing here?”

“What do you mean? You are the one who is here!” replied the draconequus.

She looked around, the melted chocolate, dragonuts, and food-related land had disappeared. The crystal table, upside-down buildings and trees, and cotton candy clouds now surrounded them. Before she could ask why he brought her back, Discord unraveled Pinkie Pie’s golden garb and stuffed her into a cage of his own design. It was not unlike a birdcage, though the entire thing was made of cardboard. “Discord! What are you doing? I need her!”

As he levitated the cardboard cage into the air above the crystal table, he turned back to face her. “One down, five to go!” He gave a wide smile as he stared at her. “Wipe that confusion off your face. Did you really want to travel around with someone who would most likely throw you into a pot of boiling chocolate? Come now. Being that naïve will only end in folly.”

“Are you going to do this for all the bearers I find?”

“Of course! I said you had to gather them up. Convincing them to join you, that is one way. I much prefer your lock and key method, however!” He threw his head back in a fit of laughter. “Do not fret. They will not escape while they are here.”

Pinkie Pie had already been quick at work chewing on the cardboard, but even her magical set of chompers stood no chance against Discord’s cage. “See? See as she struggles?” Discord pointed out. “Oh, what wonderful chaos! The Terrible Toothed Trapper has been trapped!”

“How am I supposed to get her Element of Harmony if I can’t bring her with me? She needs to be able to experience laughter!”

“That is not part of the game,” he replied with a wink. “But you shall be rewarded nonetheless. Every gameshow has the hook of a smaller prize, and this game is not unjust in its prizes!” With a quick snap of his fingers, a small wire cage appeared next to him. Inside it were five white plastic balls, each with a number in black. To Sunset, she assumed bingo would be part of this game now, but she wasn’t that lucky. “This is a very simple prize system. I spin the wheel, draw a ball, and then you get to choose whether or not you want that prize! Of course, the game ends should you choose that prize.”

Sunset laughed at the idea. “Sorry, I doubt that a prize could be good enough to shift my focus.”

“Save your mockery until you have seen the prize!” he replied, spinning the cage with his tail. Once he finally stopped, he covered his eyes with his lion’s paw and reached in with his eagle’s claw. Pulling a ball out, he uncovered his eyes and gasped. “How absolutely chaotic! Number one on the first try!” He lifted the ball to her face, a big black number one had been painted on in a shoddy fashion.

“Great. What’s behind curtain number one is what you’re going to say next, aren’t you?”

“No, no, no, no.” With another snap of his fingers, the world shifted. As if moving at the speed of light, everything was a blur. Eventually, it slowed and Sunset found herself in a long hallway. Both walls were covered from floor to ceiling in small, thirteen-inch CRT televisions, all of them displaying snowy, scratchy static. “What do you think, Sunset? Shall we check out one?”

“What is one? What’s with the TVs?”

Grinning, Discord, bounced down the hall. Sunset followed after him but slowed when the TVs started displaying something more than just static. She stopped fully when she saw a place she’d seen before. Crimson tents surrounded by white snow. She looked around for more TVs that had turned into something other than white noise. Another one. Sheep in a dimly lit barn. “Discord, what is this?”

“Welcome, welcome, Sunset Shimmer!” Discord had transformed into his gameshow host persona, a microphone in his hand, a bowtie at his neck. “Each pony you discover will earn you a chance to return to a world previously visited! This time, it is your Crystal War timeline. Take a look down this way, this is what is happening right now!” He pointed at a TV that was knee high.

As she came close, she reflexively revolted at the sight. “Tirek!” The centaur appeared to be laughing, his large size stood over the alicorn Sunburst. In the bubbles behind Tirek sat the bearers of the Elements of Harmony. “How could this happen!?”

“Well, let us see, shall we?” He pointed to another monitor. “Past, present, and future—oh, well, I suppose that future can change if you accept.”

“You’re saying that, if I accept, you’ll send me back to the Crystal War world?”

“That is accurate. You will, of course, be stuck there, as Celestia spoiled earlier.”

“Why? Why help me like this, Discord? I don’t understand.”

“Yes, you do seem to be the type of pony who has trouble understanding.” Discord leaned on one of the tube televisions, a purple mare was shown shouting at a pony with yellow and red hair. “You are always so focused on you.”

Sunset stepped forward. “Excuse me? I have spent the last four worlds trying to help others.”

“No. You spent the last four worlds helping yourself. Especially that last world. You did not even try to defeat Tirek, much less reform him.” Discord yawned as if the conversation was starting to bore him. “You were so focused on fixing your anger issues that you did not stop to think about what you could do to help time.” One of the screens went to static before reviewing the Tree of Harmony.

“That’s because it was impossible to stop him!”

“Yet Sombra did it—with your help.”

“I didn’t mean to help him! I didn’t even know that he wanted to take on Tirek.” She covered her face with her hoof. “I was trying to... I don’t even know anymore.”

“I suppose you had gotten so used to the world beyond the mirror and its lack of magic that a magic-less Equestria must have felt right at home for you. Of course, that does not explain away your reasoning for helping Nightmare Moon in that third world. You even named it after her—Nightmare’s Night. How tragic, really. To be shrouded in darkness like that. You really bumbled your way through that one.”

Sunset gritted her teeth as she tried to think of an answer; to justify her actions.

“In fact, had you chosen to put your feelings aside, both Nightmare Moon and Tirek could have been defeated much like Chrysalis and Sombra.” Discord slithered his way into a TV, a pixelated version of himself sat on the right side of the screen while the four villains he mentioned sat on the left. “Instead of fixing time, you fixed nothing.” With a bolt of electricity, Discord defeated all four of the villains. A champion’s tune echoed out from the speakers.

“I tried my best to find a solution to benefit everyone! Who knows what the Elements of Harmony would have done to Nightmare Moon—to Princess Luna—had I asked the bearers to turn on her. In the previous worlds, Celestia used the Elements to banish her back to the moon. It was only the last world that it had not happened! You can’t blame me for trying to keep everyone on the same side.”

“Your world still lacks a reformed Sombra, Chrysalis, and Tirek. Yet it has me! Meanwhile, none of these last worlds have me around, the renounced villain that I am. And you assume that Tirek, your mentor, was truly on your side? What was it he said right before you were cast out like a wet dog?” Discord’s face popped up on all the screens, his toothy smile was comically evil.

Sunset tried to hide her anger, gulping down her emotion. “He asked if I felt like a hero…”

“No, no, no. Not that!” Discord’s head abruptly erupted from the screens, his voice chorusing amongst the hall. “The thing before that.”

Sunset had heard it, though she tried to deny it. She had been too heartbroken at the jab against her heroism. “He said…” she mumbled. “He said that he should have never trusted ponies. But that was because he assumed I betrayed him! I didn’t! I didn’t know Sombra would do that!”

“If you had been a little more focused on others and not yourself, you might have seen it coming.”

“What’s that supposed to mean!?” she bitterly growled.

“Something to be saved for another time. Now? It is time to choose. Would you like to return to this Crystal War timeline or continue on in our little game?”

She glanced from screen to screen. Sunburst, Celestia, and the bearers were shown at different points in their lives. “They have the Elements of Harmony—they can fix themselves. Sunburst is there too. They don’t need me again. I’ve got to keep moving forward.”

“Always about you,” mocked Discord as he snapped his fingers.

The CRTs blurred into one motion as the world returned to its chaotic nature. Sunset’s eyes adjusted to the light of the purple sky. The caged pink pony had been smacking her cardboard lock while they were gone, but she did not manage to escape. “Discord?” Sunset yelled, and the pink pony stopped. “Where’d you go?”

The draconequus had vanished, leaving her to decide where to head next. As she placed her hooves on the crystal table, verifying Rainbow Dash’s location in Las Discord, Pinkie Pie called to her. “Hey.” Sunset glanced up at the greeting. “Hope you fail,” the pink mare said before disappearing back into her birdcage. Grimacing, Sunset rolled her eyes. Rainbow Dash is next. Hopefully, she’ll be an easier situation to deal with.

World 5: Chapter 4

Flying over the deepest parts of the overturned Everfree Forest, Sunset hoped for an easier journey than that of the trip to the Not-So-Bad-Badlands. Las Discord was not nearly as far, though she’d never been to Las Pegasus during any of the alternate worlds. Of course, she hadn’t flown in any of the previous worlds either. Feeling the coolness of the wind brushing her face as she glided weightlessly above the clouds kept her silent. Speaking was taboo, it would ruin the moment, the sensation. She wanted it to last forever. Free the land from this world, make it nothing but sky so that even while I sleep I may fly.

Sunset did not think of the Crystal War timeline, nor of the Community timeline that was no longer appropriately named. She pushed Discord’s words deep down inside of her, locking them away as she focused on her goal. But even her goal, finding Rainbow Dash, was overshadowed by the quaking feeling in her body. It made her shiver, quiver, and flow like a twisting river. She assumed once, when she was a filly, that she’d make a great flyer. But she couldn't expect flying to take to her like she took to it. A flap of her left wing, curling just right, could make her twist and turn in the opposite direction. She wondered how long it had taken Princess Twilight to get used to flying. A day? A month? Perhaps she was still not used to it.

As the clouds parted beneath her, she could see Las Discord at the end of the world, covered in a deep fog. The sea was the only thing past it. Mountains sat on both sides before the start of the city, and in the middle were vines of large, dark bramble. She was right to choose not to land until she came to the city—Appleloosa remained a valuable lesson. I’m sure I’ll find beads hidden in my backpack till the day I have to throw it away, she remarked. Crossing lower into the atmosphere, Sunset noticed how cold it became. Above the clouds made sense, but now she could see her breath.

The lower she went, the colder she got. That’s when she saw the bramble vines a bit better—they weren’t plants at all, they weren’t even the right color! Dark blue, the thorns that sprouted were icicles, sharper than any needle. The frozen vines covered the road to Las Discord, and they sprouted directly from the city. She thought nothing of the thickened fog until now. It’s just fog caused by the ocean, that’s all, she had reasoned, but now the concern grew. There were no brambles sticking up out from the fog, nor were they splayed across the mountainsides. The land was split into sections, much like how the cutoff between food and beads had occurred. It’s as chaotic as possible, but logical too.

She was afraid of what else remained for her within the northern sections of the world. There was no time to ruminate on the what ifs. Dashing down from the air, she fell into a trot at the expiry of vines. The fog sat only a meter away, yet its chill froze her fur stiff. A glance over her shoulder was all she gave the vined path before pressing forward into the haze.

Her breath wasn’t visible here, though it had every right to be. Trying to clear the shadow fog was impossible. Flapping her wings proved useless. Casting a light spell only seemed to brighten the haze, blinding Sunset in the process. Even a bubble shield proved useless, it fogged up like condensation on a hot window during a mild storm.

Sunset continued forward into this murky mist. Was it a miasma? Was something causing such an impenetrable brume? She had heard that Las Pegasus was a playground of attractions, much like mirror world’s theme parks. In Discord’s world, she assumed it would have been that to the nth degree. Instead, she got a chilling city in the fog. The further she went, the colder it seemed. Her eyes were starting to water just to stay hydrated, ice coated her lids.

The cold wasn’t the only defense Las Discord had from outsiders. Much like the atmosphere above the clouds, air here was scarce. Seeing her breath wasn’t just impossible due to the fog, each exhale was growing further and further apart. Lightheaded and freezing, Sunset had traveled for what felt like miles into the mist, yet she never bumped into anything. “What is this place?” she huffed. Panting and weeping, she felt like she could take no more. With a sense of overwhelming dread crawling up her spine, she tried casting a spell once more. This time it was supposed to be a breath of flames spouting from her horn, a dangerous spell for initiates. Yet no spark emitted. Was it too cold? Sunset knew that was not the cause—the lack of air was the problem. No oxygen, no fire, she grimaced.

With no other option and no refuge in sight, Sunset was forced to turn around. It would be a long walk back to the bramble, and passing out from the lack of oxygen was not a preference she held. Trotting swiftly turned to galloping, but as soon as she began to rush, the fog cleared. The icicle vines sat right in front of her. “How?” she whispered to herself, looking back at the fog. “I traveled at least a mile, maybe two. How am I already back at the front?” A tear trickled down the side of her muzzle and she wiped away the trail.

Her eyes glanced in an arching motion from right to left, then left to right. The motions of the haze were little swirls that repeated, she noticed. She also found that the swirls moved incredibly slowly, like sand in a very tight hourglass, bit by bit.

Tapping into her magical strength, she tried to part the haze, but more fog immediately rolled into the gap.

A hefty sigh left her lips as she wiped her brow, only to find the sweat froze her fur. North is mountains, I’m not sure how far this fog extends in that direction, she contemplated. South will lead me around to the sea. If I remember the map correctly, though, the train tracks come from the north. She debated for a moment before choosing south, trotting past a vine that sat frozen in the air, an icicle pointed down at her. She wondered if there were more of the tendrils inside.

Following the fog revealed nothing of the contents on the inner recesses. Even when she reached the beach, she found nothing of interest, only the mist remained. It was not coming from the ocean, she gathered. The cold air brushed the gaps of her underside feathers, numbing them, a sensation that Sunset did not care for. At this rate, I won’t know when my wings stop till I start to fall. Even the muscles that connected her wings to her back had started to deaden, whereas they’d only been hot from overuse. She dared not stop to rest, not that she could. The fog overlapped with the beach, meeting the sea like a hurricane going in the wrong direction.

The more she flew, the more she realized her mistake. The length of Las Discord was just as bad as the width. Meters turned into miles very quickly. Sunset began to run out of steam only for sanctuary to miraculously appear as if the chaos itself was extending a gracious hand. She breathed a heavy sigh of relief as she floated down to the extended boardwalk.

From the air, she could tell it was a place of rides and amusement. A ferris wheel sat on the furthest edge of the dock with a carousel next to it, both unlit and unused. Mini shops of carny foods lined one side, to which she could see things such as carrot dogs on sticks and deep fried cotton candy.

Reaching the wooden boards that made up the strange pier, she found the place emptied of life. Only dust and sand remained, soaking the shops in the filth. When she reached the carousel, however, she noticed the lack of both. It was not spotless, the sun had bleached the coloring in many places and time had rusted the metal bolts that plugged the poles into the ride. The carousel was on the furthest edge of the pier, the only thing after it was some benches and the railing with deep blue sea below. Sniffing the air, she noticed how it lacked the cold she’d felt, a warm humidity that accompanied beach life, melting her frozen fur.

A quick trot back to the ferris wheel proved the cold had a stopping point—about halfway into the towering roundabout. Half of the wheel remained covered in the dust and sand she’d seen before, the other half was barren. Investigating the grime, she found that it was coarse ice. It wasn’t slick, it moved like sand, and it was not saturated. It was, however, cold to the touch. Pressing the bottom of her hoof into her fur, it took it a bit before the cold receded, and she knew then that it was no ordinary frost.

Her curiosity grew with every cold step past the food stands. The pier had a long stretch before it reached the fog where it was nothing but open benches. The spruce wood had the look of birch, a feint of grey coloring that matched the fog. The world was colorless in this direction, only behind her did the color remain. Even the sea was a lackluster blue, more monochrome in hue.

As she came closer to the mist, Sunset tried to stare into the sluggishly moving twirls of grey air. Any opening, any movement, anything she thought she could seize was immediately met with a reluctance. Even if I get inside, who’s to say I’ll find anything? For all I know, the entire city is gone. It could be a cruel joke from Discord, a city replaced with mist. But how could Dash be living in such a place? Is she even conscious in there? She could be frozen solid. No answers came to Sunset, however. She wasn’t sure how much time passed when she finally gave up cataloging her questions. Trotting in front of the mist from one side of the railing to other, a squeak of the boards startled her.

It was nothing more than the board below her, but the sudden noise broke a silence that she hadn't even noticed. When she stood frozen, sure that it was her making the creak, she realized how deafening the silence truly was. Trotting to the edge and looking over, she watched the water. For the first time since reaching the pier, she looked down at the sea of waves. As if it were a computer uploading data to the internet, the ocean wave slothfully reached the height of its splash, eventually receding back into the sea. Sunset watched the whole process. She watched it twice, then thrice. Each time finding it harder to believe. It’s moving in slow motion!

Racing back to the carousel, her heart pounded as she heard the waves hitting the pier’s posts. Throwing herself to the railing, the humidity striking her muzzle, she saw the waves moving at a normal speed. The sound of the crashing water filled her with relief, along with a set of unanswerable questions. She turned her head back to the fog, the carousel, shops, and ferris wheel all within her peripheral. “I don’t understand,” she said aloud. “Discord? Discord!”

She knew the draconequus was always near, watching somehow and listening to everything—perhaps even her own thoughts.

“Yes, Sunset Shimmer?” the draconequus greeted, causing Sunset to stir in every direction. It wasn’t until she looked back down at the waves that she saw the chaotic creature drifting happily in an inner tube. “You rang?”

“I can’t figure out this city. It’s surrounded by fog, and time is slowed.”

His body snaked out of the inner tube like a dolphin jumping into the air. Floating, he stared down at her. “Ah, Las Discord. My favorite city, if you do not mind my taste. It has been quite the while since I was able to enter, however. Did you see my icy thorns? I created those last time I was here just before I sent one of my playthings into the fog.” He then hung on the railing as he asked, “Would you like to use one of your lifelines?”

She didn’t like the idea of having to resort to trivializing her situation, she preferred to work on it herself. I don’t even use the hints given in those little puzzle game apps I downloaded, she begrudged. “Yes. I would. Hopefully the rest of these cities aren’t as troublesome to just get inside. But I want to ask what lifeline you would suggest I use.”

“Me? Well, that is quite obvious! You should use the one to skip this bearer! Get it out of the way now and you can rack your brain elsewhere!” he answered with a chuckle.

“Thanks for the advice.” She rolled her eyes. “That means I should use one of the other two. Since I don’t have a question—well, I do. I have a million. I just don’t know what the right one would be. Getting the princesses help might be the most beneficial right now.”

He shrugged. “I will offer up this. Utilizing the lifeline for the princesses means that they will be with you until you get this bearer. However, if you should still be stumped and decide to leave, you will lose them. They will not return if you come back, either.”

Sunset leaned from side to side in contemplation. Skipping this seems like the smartest move, but I may need to save the lifeline for something more important later, like Fluttershy. “Alright, Discord. I’ll take that princess lifeline. Maybe utilizing their magic, we can solve this together.”

But the draconequus abruptly exploded in laughter. “Lifeline used! No takesy-backsies!” With a snap of his finger, it was done. “Tootaloo!” Before her very eyes, he was gone.

“Discord?” she called out as she looked around for the princesses. “Don’t jip me, Discord. Where are they?”

“Sunset Shimmer?” Celestia called to the newest alicorn. “What is going on?”

“Oh come on, Discord! You put them in my head? That’s like, the worst place for them.”

“No, young one,” Luna replied, “We are behind you.” Sunset turned to greet the sisters, but she found no one there. “On your back.”

Tucking her chin to her shoulder strap, Sunset looked back at her backpack only to find two strings now tied to the nylon bag. At the end of the strings were two balloons, one white and one dark blue. “Well. At least you aren’t in my head, though this completely negates my hope in using your combined magic to clear the way.”

“Sunset, what exactly is happening? Where are we?” Celestia asked. One side of the balloon held the face of the eldest princess, while the back held her cutie mark.

“Sorry, Celestia. It seems Discord has turned you into balloons. Utilizing your help was one of the lifelines for Discord’s pretentious game. I’m trying to get all the bearers of the Elements of Harmony—this one is Rainbow Dash.” She then went on to explain all the events up to calling Discord on the pier.

“It would seem as though Discord has coerced another into an unwinnable battle,” Luna described, unenthused. “We shall do our best to solve your conundrum. Just try not to run into anything sharp. I fear what might become of us.”

Celestia looked as if she nodded in agreement, but the balloon only twirled on its axis. “Yes. It would be quite the popping surprise, to be sure,” she snickered, causing her sister to glare. “Sorry. Not clowns anymore.”

“Any chance I could use my alicorn magic to transform you two?” Sunset asked.

“Unlikely. That process would take years to learn and eons to master,” answered Celestia. “By then, we would surely have deflated.”

“Then the only option we have is for me to win this game of Discord’s. Any idea on how to get into the fog wall?”

Luna replied, “Bring us closer if you would.”

Sunset did as she was asked. The fog wall remained an unhurried mass of swirls. Pushing to the railing near the mist, she pointed down at the waves, noting how they defied physics by the motion slowing to a grinding pace. Water droplets could be seen springing from the wave that normally would have been unnoticeable by the naked eye. “A particularly unusual sight, sister,” Luna gawked.

“I recognize this fog, too, sister,” Celestia noted. “It’s from Cloudsdale, a mixture meant to make clouds. What is it doing here, where time has been reduced to a crawl?”

“I was hoping one of you might have the answer to that, actually. I’ve wracked my brain trying to find a solution, now our fate is in your hooves.” She glanced back at them, then corrected herself, “Strings. Our fate is in your strings.”

“The answer is obvious, Sunset Shimmer,” said the eldest princess. “After all the magical prowess you showed during your tenure as my student, it seems you’ve forgotten the basics. Simply return to the edge of the constraint and ward yourself against time magic. I should hope you have not forgotten the incantations, at the very least.”

Sunset knew the scolding teacher was right in doing so. “Wards! Of course.” The young alicorn trotted back to the edge of the pier. As she walked, she asked the sisters, “How come you two haven’t attempted any sort of warding against chaos magic? Why not use the Elements of Harmony to turn Discord into stone again?”

“Discord knows of the Elements of Harmony, he has sealed their power from us,” explained Luna. “Though should there be another way to obtain them—your way—then perhaps we still have a chance to correct our mistake of just turning him into stone.”

“Harsh,” Sunset replied under her breath. I might feel the same way, though, had I been trapped for years under Discord’s rule.

“What was the name of the bearer you’ve located?” Luna asked as they reached the end of the pier.

“Pinkie Pie,” answered Sunset. “Discord locked her up as soon as I had her in—” Custody? “—my vicinity. She was quite the hassle to wrangle. Rainbow Dash is proving to be worse. Far worse. Having to use a lifeline this early, let alone at all, makes me feel like I’m already failing.”

Celestia let out a jarring, happy laugh. “Failing? You’ve already got one bearer, one piece of the game. That’s far from failure.”

Sunset had started the process to cast a warding spell but stopped. She nuzzled her head into her shoulder, looking up at the white balloon. “Celestia. Did you ever feel, after I lost your apprenticeship, that I gave up on you?”

The elder alicorn was silent for a moment. “Yes,” she replied eventually. “I did. It was a… stinging revelation.”

“I felt the same way. I felt you gave up on me, casting me out like I was nothing to you,” Sunset said, staring up into the flat, sad eyes of the balloon, only for the moment to be ruined by the balloon twisting around helplessly.

“I cannot begin to understand how you could feel that way, Sunset Shimmer,” Celestia said, her voice was remorseful in tone. “But I do apologize for making you feel that way. I tried to have patience with you, to give you the time you needed to work out whatever problems you had. I hoped that a lack of coddling would allow you to humble yourself. Unfortunately, I was too late to see your lust for power turn you mad. Had I known you felt I was turning against you, perhaps I could have done something to cease that feeling.”

Sunset nodded. “Hey. Hindsight is twenty-twenty. Had I seen how corrupt I was becoming, it might have straightened me out. Maybe it wouldn’t have. I don’t know, honestly.”

“It’s not just hindsight, Sunset,” Celestia’s tone shifted, a pathetic crack to her voice as she spoke. “You betrayed and abandoned me. I’ve had several pupils over time, but you were the one I put so much faith in. I saw so much in you, only to see so much of my sister in you, too.”

Luna intervened, “Jealousy. Hunger for power and pride. Those types of things?” Celestia gave a short nod, her face moving up and down the balloon. Luna smiled. “Had you been around a thousand years prior, you would have made an excellent apprentice to me, Sunset Shimmer.”

“I… guess I never saw it that way. The last Celestia’s never explained it too much like that.” Sunset used her magic to undo the backpack’s zipper, pulling out the memory journal. “The last world’s Celestia, she wrote something down to that effect, though I must admit, I didn’t really get it at the time. She didn’t like me for the longest while, but near the end, she and I came to an understanding. In fact, most of the Celestia’s I’ve met have ended that way.” She flipped through the pages, finding the sentences written down by her friends. She grimaced at Sombra and Tirek’s before turning to Celestia’s. “She said: To the student who made many mistakes, reflection has always been key. But no amount of reflection can compare to the compassion I have for thee.” It was odd seeing those words—she hadn’t shown an ounce of compassion the entire time I was there.

Celestia made no move to speak and Luna remained quiet as well. “You expelled me from Canterlot Castle. You suspended my apprenticeship. I guess, even though you did those things, you could have done worse. If you saw the same sort of thing happening in me that occurred in Luna, then I got lucky. I banished myself beyond the mirror when I could have been banished to the moon.”

“Elegantly worded, Sunset Shimmer,” congratulated Luna. “But I would not say banishment to the moon was worse. I have reconciled. Have you?”

Sunset frowned, hiding it from the two balloons.

“You are not my Sunset Shimmer,” Celestia said, “And mine has not returned from beyond the mirror—wherever that mirror may be at the moment. However, if you were my Sunset, I would be very proud of your change of heart, and would welcome you back with open wings—so long as you admitted to your change.”

“Thank you, Celestia. But every Celestia I’ve met has said the same thing. I hope my own sees the same.” With the words said and the emotions filling her with confidence, Sunset gave one final nod to the two balloons. Employing all her alicorn magic, she whispered the incantation for a warding spell and combined it with the words for time. Her body shivered, feeling the constricting nature of the spell wrap around her. Another spell had to be cast for the two balloons, preventing the time dilation from affecting the sisters. When finished, Sunset trotted forward along the pier with confidence.

As she came to the fog wall she saw the swirling nature of the haze had become invisible. “It looks like you’ve done it, Sunset Shimmer,” Luna said with glee.

“Let’s not throw a party yet. Walking inside, I traveled for what felt like an hour only to return to the front of the fog after a few seconds.” She placed a foreleg through the haze, noticing her first steps lacked the cold that previously manifested. “The lack of air also concerns me. Though, logically speaking, if time were to grind to a halt then the air molecules would be unable to move into my body and vice versa.”

“Astute,” Celestia praised. “This cloud is supposed to be far in the sky, where the lack of oxygen is already disorienting. Even with slow of time unhindered, you should be careful how much you breathe, and where.”

Luna disagreed. “I am more worried about the unknown creatures that might have survived in this nightmare. Surely no ponies are here, aside from your Rainbow Dash friend.”

Sunset wanted to be worried about Rainbow Dash, but after finding Pinkie Pie, she worried more about how changed Rainbow Dash was by Discord’s chaotic magic. Pinkie’s hunger, her gluttony, it transformed her. She was still able to make friends, though, even if they were calling her mum and queen. I wish she could have come with me. Not that I’d enjoy having to constantly watch my back.

As she trotted through the fog, she encountered something not in her previous entry. Grass! Little blades of turf struck the frog of her hoof, causing her to stumble backward. Lowering her head to focus in on the lawn, she noted how an indentation had been set in. Continuing on, following the curb that lined the outside of the grass, she found an orange building that connected itself to the verdure decoration. Trailing along the carroty brick, up to the light blue sign, she eyed the name in big red lettering. Tourist Information.

“A wonderful place to start,” Celestia said, and Luna agreed.

Grimacing as she walked to the glass double doors, Sunset wondered why exactly the tourist information was near the pier. Shouldn’t this be at the entrance? Or by the train station? Are we close to the train station? As the questions raced by, she almost missed the pink pony with swirling eyes within the reflection. Stunned, Sunset contorted her body to look behind her, but the pony was gone. “Did either of you see her?” she asked the two balloons.

“See who?” they both wondered.

There was nothing in the reflection of the glass doors when Sunset looked back at them.

“Never mind. Thought I saw something,” she replied, pushing on the handle. Entering the information center was a change that Sunset immediately noticed. The smog remained outside, very little got in, drifting up to the ceiling and misting the ceiling fans. A curved desk sat on the opposite side of the entrance with a set of shelves behind it and a door-less doorway to the left. Cushy benches sat in a square near the entrance where ponies could read brochures and parchments.

“It’s definitely a ghost town,” Sunset mumbled as she walked to the desk. Paperwork scattered the oak wood. “But the weirdest thing is that it’s still normal. Chaos turned the Badlands into a foodie’s dream. Las Pegasus—or Las Discord—isn’t altered at all. Maybe that’s true chaos? To keep something normal in a dysfunctional world?”

“The immense miasma outside suggests otherwise,” Luna begged to differ.

The open doorway behind the desk led to a break room where staff could enjoy lunch. Sunset noticed a few magnets on the refrigerator, a small two burner stove sat next to it. When she flipped the switch to turn on the overhead light, nothing happened. She flipped it a few times before Celestia interjected, “Just because we move freely does not mean everything else does.”

“Right. I wonder exactly how fast we’re moving. If someone was trapped in this, would we just be a blur?” she asked as she trotted to the fridge, opening to a lightless box. Even in the dim light, she could make out an unopened bottle of water. Lifting it out, she popped the cap off and threw her head back to take a swig. Unfortunately, the water inside made no movement. “What in Equestria? How exactly does this work?”

“Same way that does,” Luna answered, motioning her face toward the floating cap that Sunset had tossed to the counter. It never made it. Once it left her hooves, time returned to its normal abnormality for the plastic lid.

Sunset could feel the little sharp pains in her temples growing. This is giving me a headache. She rotated the open bottle upside-down and left it suspended in air. It did not fall, nor did the water drain from the tap. “If it’s not affected by me, it remains stationary. No—it’s more like if I’m not touching it.”

“A chilling effect, to be sure,” commented Celestia. “Attempt to use your telekinesis. See if you’re able to drag the water out.”

Sure enough, Sunset was able to pull the water from the bottle, quenching her thirst. “Scooping out water like ice cream. For some reason that makes me feel gross. I don’t like any of this. I’ve never seen a time-altering spell this powerful.” She realized her own irony, a mare from another time and place, but did not say anything more to the two balloons. Trotting her way to the front of the center, Luna was the first to point out the words written on the condensation of the glass doors. “Burn the living room, burn the kitchen, burn the bedroom and the bathroom. What is left? I’ve seen this riddle before,” Sunset read aloud to the sisters. “It was scribbled on a wall of ice cream.”

“How ominous,” Luna mocked. “Clearly it would be the basement.”

“What if it’s an apartment where it doesn’t have a basement? What if it’s a castle with more than just those rooms?” countered Celestia.

“Maybe the floor?” Luna suddenly sounded flustered. “Why are we even bothering with a riddle? Shouldn’t we be finding the pony who wrote it? Clearly, it was not here when we entered or we would have seen it—not to mention I spot a drop of water still falling to the ground.”

Sunset saw the time frozen drop of water too. It was on the inside, right where she stood. Glancing around the information center, she could see no one hiding. “We were in the only room, so does that mean they left? How are they traveling around?”

“Enough questions. We won’t know unless we move. I am sensing something unnatural, we should not stay,” said Luna, and Celestia agreed, their non-existent stomachs quivering in Sunset’s ears.

The misty world outside hadn’t changed in the slightest, but Sunset’s eyes were growing accustomed to seeing the buildings within the haze. A red stone pathway led down the avenues where restaurants and galleries formed a shopping center of Las Pegasus culture. Vapor covered the windows, forcing Sunset to wipe it away just to see the inside. She was hoping to see a pony, any pony. Even a monster or two would do, but this dreaded waiting is hitting all those little nerves in my brain that tell my heart to pick up the pace and run.

The shopping centers eventually cornered and Sunset found herself in the center of a group of buildings. She could not see exactly what the tall structures looked exactly like, but she knew they were gaming houses. That’s mostly what Las Pegasus was, after all. Arcades, card games, and live performances, all mixed in around the rides and events that obtruded everywhere. “Hello? Is anyone here? Anyone at all?” Sunset called out, knowing she wouldn’t get a response.

“I don’t think anyone can answer you, even if they could hear you, Sunset,” Celestia replied.

“This doesn’t make any sense. If only I could see more…” she complained, her eyes focusing on the fountain that stopped midstream. Water held still in the air, waiting to strike the fountain’s surface and return to the drain where it would be drawn back up to the spigots. “I didn’t even know this was here until I got right up close to it. I could’ve injured myself really badly.”

“Now that you are unaffected by the slow of unnatural time, perhaps you should actually try clearing this fog,” suggested Luna.

Sunset then interjected, “That may be a waste of time. There’s a terrible blizzard of the Crystal Empire, one that was impossible to deal with without the Crystal Heart.”

“Perhaps for a unicorn,” countered Celestia with a gleeful smile.

It’s worth a shot. At most, I expend a little bit of magic, Sunset gave in. Leaning back, she inhaled then exhaled. Her horn lit up as she attempted to focus on the fog. It was not like any spell she had ever tried. It was neither an expulsion nor suppression, but something entirely new. A little tickle in the back of Sunset’s throat grew the more power she exerted, sweat poured from her brow down the bridge of her muzzle. The air around her suddenly turned hot. “Sunset? Sunset!” Celestia yelled, the two sisters started to shout their worries. Sunset paid them no mind, her spell was going to work. A time ward, some heat, whip it up together and you get…

The hotter it got, the brighter her horn. Heat slapped her focused, pinched face. Once it was finally ready, she unleashed a dome of magic that spread in all directions, reaching the tiptop of the sky. Warm rain began to pelt her fur and the balloons, washing away the cold along with dissipating the relentless fog. A beam of sunlight followed, though it did not affect the city known as Las Discord.

The dome reached heights Sunset did not expect, but the fog hadn't been completely wiped out either. She could still see the wall of grey far off in the distant east, the section that she tried to enter originally. Eyeing it for a moment, it was clear, the fog was moving. It would eventually return to the rest of the city.

“Sunset, you did it!” Celestia sounded surprised. “It was getting hot there for a moment, but that was quite the clever idea. Now we can see if anyone is—”

“Sister! Look!” Luna had been the first to see the paralyzed ponies that sat like gargoyles atop the roofs of buildings. Many were dressed up in the apparel that Las Pegasus was known for. Their facial expressions were all different, however. A wide variety of happiness, sadness, and shock. One even had their forelegs raised as if they were on a rollercoaster.

“That’s terrifying,” Sunset commented, knowing all too well that Rainbow Dash might be one of the many living statues.

Celestia’s eyes widened. “They are all over the place, from roof to roof. They’ve been designed and placed by someone with a sickening sense of humor. Surely this is Discord’s own design, no? A horrifying sign to stop us in our tracks?”

“Discord isn’t trying to stop us. He’s passive in stopping or helping me. No. There is someone here doing this,” Sunset replied.

“Or something,” Luna noted.

Glancing around at the buildings that held the time stopped ponies, Sunset noticed they all led in one direction—the outsized silver ball in front of them. Made completely of mirrors and roughly five stories tall, there was only one way in or out. Though the sun made an appearance, time had not reset itself for the environment, and so the mirrors of the ball building did not reflect the sunlight. Instead, they reflected the fog. Each panel of mirror was the length of Sunset from hoof to horn, and they all were silvery grey blobs of nothing. They’re like my mirror when I take too long of a shower, except I can’t wipe these off.

“Should we go inside?” asked Celestia.

A grimace involuntarily made it to Sunset’s face as she stared at the steel double doors. Sucking down her growing anxiety, she pushed one side with her magic, leaving it open behind her as she walked into the lobby.

Normally, the entrance to the extravagant performance stage and restaurant would be met with guards and staff who would greet any tourists attempting to game, feast, or watch. This was Discord’s world, however.

The lobby’s staff were replaced with ponnequins dressed up in staff attire with eyes and mouths drawn on with crude coloring crayons. “Perhaps the staff was taken and set up outside on a roof?” Luna suggested, both princesses warily staring at the eerie, soulless models. The furniture was also replaced, or more accurately, had been thrown about. As if some sort of tornado had blown through, the lobby had paper, trash, and furniture scattered about. Yet the dressed up models showed no signs of wear and tear.

As Sunset continued into the restaurant where the stage sat for diners to watch as well as eat, one of the sisters shrieked. Due to it being so high-pitched, Sunset was unsure of which it had been, but she would not get to ask. “They moved!?” Celestia gawked, forcing Sunset to turn back around.

The eldest sister had been right, the ponnequins had moved from their positions behind the lobby’s counter. It was not just their bodies that were moved—but their happy smiles now showed a fine line of drawn on teeth—something not previously there when Sunset first looked.

World 5: Chapter 5

Echoing amongst the restaurant was a deep chuckle, low in pitch and high in terror. “You should see the look on your faces!” a voice yelled after the laughing ceased.

The stage lights blared upward to the ceiling, a volley of xylophone keys sounded off behind the heavy crimson curtain. It took Sunset’s attention away from the ponnequins, the noise baffled her senses. She wondered how any sound could be possible. Someone else must’ve known a warding spell. Whatever it was did not sit well in the pit of her stomach, an itching ran up her back as she glanced between the shadowed openings of the curtain. There was nothing there.

Unconsciously, Sunset pedaled backward, eventually bumping her rump into a closed set of doors. Just as she did, the lights shut off. Not just on stage, but the entire restaurant. Not even the dimly lit lobby remained visible, the mirrored door she had left open now sealed. “Who’s there? Do you know why Las Pegasus is like this?” Sunset called out, hoping for a response—and hoping for silence even more.

“Something touched me, sister!” Luna shrieked, followed by the squeaking of the balloons rubbing against one another.

Without a second thought, Sunset lit her horn, filling the showroom with light. The tint of red from every corner made the space feel decrepit. A drowning sensation filled Sunset’s lungs as she glanced over the faint surroundings. The ponnequins disappeared, the curtain had opened, and the restaurant doors had been closed to the lobby. “My word!” shouted Celestia.

It took Sunset far too long to notice, even with Celestia’s outburst, that the seats had filled.

Ponies dressed in all sorts of attires sat with their heads thrown back as if they were laughing. Of course, the laughter never started and never ended so long as time stood still. An eternity of craned heads and bellowing guts. What were they laughing at? What was so amusing to the ponies that time ceased to exist? Sunset would never know.

“Welcome, ladies and gentlecolts!” a voice rang out, the same voice, but Sunset could not tell from what direction it came. “I have been waiting for so long to entertain a guest! I guess you could say—” The lights burst on stage, shining on the bipedal blue-gray pony “—time really has a way of dashing off!”

Sunset smiled. “Rainbow Dash!” It was certainly the pegasus known as Rainbow Dash, though this world’s Dash had been put through a spiny, bejeweled blender. Her mane was rows of spikes, each a different color. Her forelegs were covered in random gems each the size of a tack. Her tail looked more like a morning star than hair. A purple vest sat with a popped up collar around her chest, which her front hooves were gripping as she stood upright, a terrible grin on her face.

The pegasus spoke into the microphone that sat on stage, though it wasn’t working. Her voice boomed enough to echo regardless of the technological malfunction. “I’d say you’re one of my adoring fans—but you’re the first pony to have ventured into Las Rainbow. Everyone here is already my fans, and they’ve got no desire to leave. Isn’t that right everyone?”

“Las Rainbow? I thought this was Las Discord—well, Las Pegasus.” Sunset rubbed the back of her head.

“Discord? Hah!” snarked the pegasus. “Discord wishes he could step into my city! He knows better than to try that again.”

She’s just like Pinkie Pie, Sunset realized. I know where this is going to go—I’ve got to deescalate the situation and ensnare her into helping me before things turn out bad… A list of questions flipped through Sunset’s mind like a rolodex, each more tempting to ask than the last. “Did you slow down time for all these ponies?” she thought to ask—but that only ended with, “Of course I did, and you’re next!” A knot caught itself in her throat when she came to the only question she felt was safest. “Are you putting on a show right now?”

Sunset had rolled through all the possible answers Rainbow Dash could have to such a question. None of them were what Rainbow Dash answered with—proving in a world of chaos that logic was hard to come by. “You are the show.” Not understanding the words, Sunset wanted to ask another question—something vague enough that it would not arouse anger. Of course, for the pegasus who was a cheetah in a world of sloths, Sunset was not quick enough to get another question out. “You’re the first. You get to be my guinea pig, my little lab rat. Of course, before that happens, I think I’ll play with you. I’ve had a long, long, long, long, loooong, long time to wait, so I can wait a bit longer. The rest of the world isn’t going anywhere, after all.”

“So, you’re just another Discord, trying to force me into another game?” Sunset blurted, her mind flustered by the quickness of Dash.

“You might be playing his game, but here it’s all about you. Don’t worry, we’ve got all the time in the world. Isn’t that right folks?” Rainbow grinned as she waved a hoof above her head, to which the crowd of ponies came to life, each of them giggling and guffawing. She then waved it the opposite direction and they stopped; time stopped. “Tonight, Sunset Shimmer will be performing for our entertainment!”

Taken aback, Sunset shouted, “How do you know my name!?”

“It’s all in this journal,” Rainbow Dash replied, a book in one hoof. With a swift gesture, Sunset’s backpack, along with the two balloons tied to the strap, also appeared in her hooves. “You didn’t feel me slipping these off you? Oh me, oh my. I sure hope you’re not slow. Otherwise, my test of speed will be for zilch. You’ll be trapped like all the rest!” An eruption of laughter, which Sunset immediately recognized as evil, leapt from Dash’s throat.

“Sunset!” Celestia and Luna wailed, their balloon bodies bumping wildly into one another.

“Give me my stuff back, Rainbow Dash! That’s not funny!” Sunset commanded, the growl bounding from her lips.

“Really? Because it’s time for you to deal with a plethora of pranks and punchlines! I’m going to hide your backpack and balloons somewhere within Las Rainbow, but unlike Discord, this isn’t for a prize. You’re still going to witness my speed regardless if you’re entertaining or not. At least this way I get to have some fun.” Bowing, Rainbow Dash vanished in the sudden darkness as the stage lights shut off. Sunset relit her horn to see where the pegasus went, only to discover she was now alone.

Thrusting herself outside from the lobby, Sunset found the ponies who stood as gargoyles were gone. “Rainbow Dash? Show yourself! This isn’t funny! Those balloons are Princess Celestia and Princess Luna!” When nobody responded, her mouth pulled to one side in a grimace. Discord must have seen this coming. He knew making them into something small and helpless would feed into whatever Rainbow Dash was planning.

Sunset trotted down the bridges to the fountain, keeping her eyes on the sky. She hoped to spot the pegasus or the balloons, but found nothing. Only the grey wall of fog had moved slightly forward. When she found more of the same, she turned back to the silver ball building. There she found the ponnequins had locked the door. At least, that’s how it looked. Sunset realized that it was only Rainbow Dash moving them around with her quickened speed, and she had moved them here too, along with locking the door. “Rainbow Dash!” Sunset yelled, battering the glass door with the back of her hoof. “You can’t just take all my stuff away and not give me any direction! It’s not fair! Even Discord’s a better host than that!”

As her hoof came off the glass so too did a scrap of paper. After a frustrated pull of her mane, Sunset noticed a swaying movement, a folded parchment unaffected by the slow crawl of time. So she is giving me a direction. What’s this going to be? Levitating the paper off the ground, she found that it was a picture drawn with crayons. That explains the faces, she glared at the ponnequins. In silver, a tall figure made completely of metal sat on the left side. In the middle was a medium-sized brick building with two letters scribbled on in red, which were N and S. A mall, which was indicated by the big blue word MALL, sat on the right. “Three places. Two balloons and a backpack. It’s a treasure hunt. How terrific,” she drolly stated. I’ve got no choice, I guess.

Craning her neck back, she looked up at the sky. The sun and moon could still be seen so long as the fog did not roll in. Walking along the sidewalk, eyeing each building she passed, Sunset felt a twinge of unease. Discord was always watching, always listening. She did not find it discomforting, yet she felt the exact opposite with Rainbow Dash. Have some fun, huh? The pegasus proved to be a harassing force. It was nothing like Sunset expected from the mare. “Rainbow Dash is bullheaded. Arrogance is in her veins. This looming from afar is… different,” she spoke aloud if only to herself. “Pinkie Pie is known to be blunt and sometimes forceful, and that was Pinkie Pie to the max. The situation, the way this world is, I could see her reasoning. Why is Rainbow Dash like this, though? Lonesome madness?”

As her mind boggled around the possible reasons, her body did the work. Trailing around every corner, eyeing each of the buildings, she hoped to find the NS or MALL. Red building, blue building, brick building, and shoe building. There was a wide variety in Las Pegasus. Palm trees had been planted in pots sparingly lining the sidewalk. Had there not been an overwhelming silence, had other ponies been around to pass her by, Sunset might have enjoyed the holiday destination. But the hollowness of the city only pined to whittle away at her sanity, and it would succeed if she let it.

Her search led her closer to the wall of slow-moving fog, but she found the Las Pegasus Northwest Mall. She knew it was the right one by the slathering of blue paint that shaped a circle around the entrance. Hopping over the wet, smeared coloring, she noted Rainbow Dash’s time manipulation stopped the paint. Her speed, she called it. The way she moved her hoof, she controlled the time dilation for those ponies. It didn’t affect me though. Is that what she wants? To break my ward? Staring up at the paint, eyeing the tiny blobs of blue that sat suspended in air, she wondered what she would find within the mall. Celestia? Luna? My backpack?

“Rainbow Dash? You here?” she called to the darkness. The only thing she could see in front of her was the directory for all the stores. No lights were on for any department, and the skylights had been covered to hide the outside glow. Alright, this is creepy. I’ll give her that. Closing the door behind her, Sunset trotted up to the map. Squinting, the names of stores were almost illegible. A party store on level two. That would be an obvious place. Sporting goods, which Rainbow Dash fancies, or the bookstore on level one. All good places to start, but the bookstore is the closest. Her horn lit with power as she forced a channeled arrow to guide her path. It left a nice strip of light as it steered her, illuminating the way.

Walking in the stuffy mall shot a painful memory through her brain, one she had not thought of since it happened. I’ve cried in front of a lot of people. In the cave system beneath Canterlot with the girls—it was warm down there, and I was worried about Princess Twilight. The light was bright enough for Sunset to see the signs above her, along with her reflection within the storefront windows. She couldn’t help but stare at herself. I cried in front of Celestia too, I couldn’t help myself. Not that I haven’t cried in front of her before. I think she liked that, though. It probably made her feel special. I don’t even remember the first time I started refusing to cry in front of her. She frowned at the thought, her reflection painting the same expression.

The spiritual light arrow turned and entered a closed set of doors, disappearing as soon as Sunset reached the store. Her eyes went wide as she saw the amount of books the shop contained. “I hope she didn’t take anything out of my backpack,” she bemoaned, beginning her search. Travel guides, fashion information, history, and a large set of fiction. Nothing here but books. Though she had every right to be sour, Sunset gave a sigh of relief. No sign of my backpack. That means there’s a chance I’ll find Luna or Celestia here.

Another light arrow guiding her along, she passed by more of the mall, noting beauty stores and clothing departments. Nothing too fancy, nice places to get something quick if you’re traveling light. For a moment, she thought to stop and look for something pleasant to wear, but the fashionable ponnequins that displayed different styles stopped her in her tracks. No way am I dealing with more of Rainbow Dash’s pranks, she shivered, turning back to follow the arrow. She dared not look back out of fear of a scare.

Leading up a stalled escalator, the second level was just as poorly lit as the first. Only the light of her magical arrow persisted.

Staring at her lit reflection within the glass of the party store’s windows, Sunset could tell she would not need to continue to the sporting goods department. Dash… she mentally groaned, rubbing her sore eyes at the hundreds of balloons that filled the store. “Celestia? Luna? You here?” she called to the two as she entered the shop, knowing full well one of them would be here.

“Sunset? Sunset Shimmer? Oh, thank goodness, I was unsure what had happened. I seem to be trapped,” the muffled voice yelled. Sunset could tell it was Luna by the straight-edged tone she held as she spoke, as if the situation bothered her but she couldn’t properly express it. “I assume these are my brethren in strings, but with your light, I can be sure. Hello yellows, hello reds. How do you do?” A nervous chuckle followed.

“Red and yellows, huh? Kind of hurts Rainbow Dash’s game when the inanimate object is animate,” Sunset responded. She had not yet pushed into the meat of the store. Paper garland and whoopee cushions covered the floor, preventing easy access to the younger sister. “You just keep speaking, I’ll find you.”

“Keep speaking? Alright. I’ll tell you one thing, when Discord is defeated I plan on making him into a balloon. This sense of helplessness is aggravating, if you do not mind my complaint.”

“Not at all. It’s nice to hear you speak rather plainly. After talking with Nightmare Moon, I discovered you’re a lot more open with your feelings than Celestia.” Creating a snow shovel with her magic, Sunset pushed her way through the garland, whoopee cushions echoed the only protest.

The younger sister scoffed, “You can say that again. She always expects ponies to figure it out by the way she does things or speaks, it's rather infuriating. I’ve been gone for a thousand years, how exactly am I supposed to know these things?”

“Hey, you’re talking to the end all be all of not understanding her passive messages.” Sunset stared upward as she walked, eyeing the direction of the voice. “I spent two-thirds of my life as her student, and I’m still learning things about her now that I had no clue about. I wouldn’t hold it against her, though. You and I aren’t exactly easy to deal with either.”

“Oh, bother no.” The voice came from above Sunset as she closed in on a corner. “Leading up to my banishment, I would say I was quite the incessant individual.” Spotting yellow and red balloons, Sunset shifted through. “Goodness! You found me.”

Pulling on the string, Sunset held down the dark blue balloon. “It’s good to see you again. Now we have to find my backpack and your sister.”

“Where are we?” asked Luna, her eyes spun in circles, eyeing every direction with intrigue.

Sunset held the string in one hoof, trotting out to the darkness of the mall. “Rainbow Dash left me a hint, this was the first place I found. Still need a building with NS on it and a…” Sunset shushed herself. When Luna went to speak, she hushed her too. I know I heard something. She thought it was a whoopee cushion inflating, and when she turned back to the party store she heard it again. It had been a deep, hard clunk, like a wet shoe hitting thick glass.

Clunk.

“Now I know I heard that,” Luna said. “Who goes there?”

That was when the slow, hard-hitting thumps turned quick.

All at once, the back wall partitioning the party store crumbled like a house of cards. Out of the darkness charged an unknown silver glint. Balloons were popped or pushed aside. Sunset had no time to react, the creature sent her over the railing and sailing down to the first floor. Slamming hard on her back, the air had been violently pulled from her lungs. “Sunset!” Luna cried, but Sunset’s ears muffled the calls. While not tragically wounded, the new set of wings softening the blow and pushing into her back, a shockwave still ripped down her spine. Like falling forward with keys in your pocket, the pain felt more severe than it truly was.

She hadn’t gotten a good look at the silver monster, but she could hear the creature making its methodical way to the frozen escalator. Pulling herself to one side, she struggled to her hooves. Pain wracked her back muscles and spine, sending little shivers down her bones. “I think I have a concussion. Thankfully, that means I won’t remember any of this.” Rubbing the back of her head, she used her magic to drag Luna down after she had floated to the rafters.

“Are you alright, Sunset? That was quite a trip—though we don’t have much time to lollygag.” The plastic face watched the silver brute as it rounded the escalators, clumsily stomping its way underneath. “Shall we fight, or more precisely, will you?”

Clunk.

Sunset shriveled as she tried to concentrate on the figure. The darkness of the first floor along with the striking pains that shot like lightning up her spine gave the biped a stronger presence than it truly had. Shaking her head, she chose not to answer Luna by mouth, instead choosing to rush back to the entrance. She could hear the monster and its thunderous clap of metal striking the ground far behind her. Whatever that thing is, it’s as slow as Rainbow Dash is fast. As she barreled outside, she found the fog had returned in spades.

Disappearing into the haze, Sunset found the closest alleyway to throw herself into. She and Luna waited for the crashing brute to force its way out of the glass doors of the mall, but the hefty clunks had dissipated. “What was that thing?” Sunset whispered to Luna. “Was it made by Rainbow Dash?”

“I am uncertain. In the darkness, it was too difficult to see what it looked like. It wore armor, I think,” replied Luna. Sunset kept the dark blue balloon in her hoof, but the pains shooting up her back stifled her want to fly, so she chose to wrap the string around the tendon that connected wing to vertebra. “I thank you for saving me, Sunset, but are you certain you’ll be alright? We should find a place to aid in your recovery, if only for a short while.”

Sunset reached into her hair, dragging out the piece of paper with crayon drawings. Opening it, she showed the fellow alicorn what Rainbow Dash had designed their destinations to be. Luna studied it and said, “A mall for me, I see. This minotaur—is this not what attacked us just now? The metal frame, the horns, the bulky body. It was hard to tell, and this drawing is mediocre at best, but I’d say with certainty that is what attacked us.” Luna had put a name to what Sunset could not. “Yet Celestia was not with this metal taur.”

“That means it had my backpack! It looks like Rainbow Dash wants me to deal with that thing,” she affirmed, more to herself than Luna.

“This Rainbow Dash, she is the bearer of the Element of Loyalty, no?” Luna asked and Sunset nodded in response. “I believe you should deal with her rather than that abnormal metallic behemoth. Peeling the skin off the snake and what not.”

Sunset squinted at the incorrect idiom, though she did not correct the princess. “I agree, actually. But first, we should get Celestia. That means she’ll be at the NS.” Pointing at the building in the middle, Sunset grimaced. “I’m not sure what this place would be, though. Any guess on what NS means?”

“Night shelter,” answered Luna. Sunset was confused by the response, an expression of uncertainty that Luna could see even through the haze. “Do not fret, little one. I know all things relating to the night, and a night shelter makes the most sense. What else would NS mean?”

“Neat store?” Sunset shrugged. “I guess you’re right.” She closed up the parchment and shoved it back into her hair. “We’re not far from the information center. I’ll take us back to see if I can’t find a brochure. Maybe there’ll be something for safe havens, like police stations and what not.”

Luna nodded, or what would account as nodding for the rubber body. “Excellent idea. I’ll keep an eye out for our rears in the hopes of not being blindsided.”

Hurrying, Sunset trotted her way through the smog coated city. She thought to remove the fog with another bout of magic but felt it was not worth her time. The haze had been lightened enough to still see the sky, which grew into a purple radiant spanning the atmosphere. The sun and moon dipped, and though the city where time stood still could see the change, the new darkness had no effect. Time had been stopped when the city was bright, and bright it would stay within the miasma. It was a grim, grey illumination, but the city was illuminated nonetheless.

“What sort of magic is this city under? Is it Discord’s magic or did this Rainbow Dash discover something on her own? Perhaps there is something more than just that,” Luna wondered aloud as Sunset walked. The more they learned of Las Discord, the less Sunset wanted to remain.

It wasn’t until she came to information center that she found herself an invitation. Taped to one of the door handles was a flyer. It read: “Scared? Lost? Afraid? Come to Las Pegasus Night Shelter! A shelter from the hunger and bright lights of Las Pegasus! Just a few blocks from The Clopwell!”At the bottom of the flyer was a decently constructed map with a set of three stars. One was the night shelter, another was the Clopwell—a restaurant and hotel, and the third was the main street of Las Discord. “Looks like Rainbow Dash wants to speed up our discoveries.”

“This gives me an idea, Sunset Shimmer,” Luna whispered. “But it may be best said in a tightly kept room away from prying ears, and after we recover my sister.”

“I think we have the same idea.” Sunset memorized the locations surrounding the night shelter and then tossed the flyer aside. Following the street signs, Sunset easily found the main street, which led directly to the night shelter. She remarked how dismal the shanty shelter looked, what with cardboard boxes toppled and blocking the left side’s alley. The other alley was just as bad, a rusty metal fence caged the side street. White signs painted with red words had been stapled to the fence. No rest for the wicked was one such sign. How little we know was another sign. “Was this like this before or after Discord returned?” she wondered. Half expecting to see some faceless monsters twitching in the darkness within the shelter, Sunset peered in through the windows. Nothing but cots and cans could be seen from where she stood.

“Can you see my sister?” asked Luna, a lilt of anticipation resonating in the way she inquired.

“I do,” Sunset answered. The white balloon was grey in the darkness, much like the fog around them. It had been tied to a stove that sat in the back of the large, single room. “She looks alright, and this place may be worth holding up for a little while.” It had been longer than twenty-four hours from when she last slept—and even then it had been a terrible rest. Her exhausted eyes stared at the cots with a vicious want.

Pulling on the door’s handle, she found the shelter to be unlocked. “Honey, I’m home,” she half-jokingly called, knowing that it might put Celestia in a good mood. Closing the door behind her, she lit her horn and explored the shadowy shelter. The front desk was open to the rest of the room, holding no privacy between patrons. In the back was the kitchen which was only divided by a serving station for food. The only other door besides the entrance was for a bathroom. Sunset expected the white balloon to answer, but the familiar voice did not sound off. “Celestia?”

As she came to the serving counter, she noticed the eldest alicorn had her mouth covered with tape. “Rainbow Dash has sent us into a trap,” Luna alleged with a quiet tone. “Let us keep our voices to a minimum, that metal brute might be right around the corner.”

Sunset knew the fellow alicorn was right. As she rounded the counter, however, they both discovered the trap had not been duplicated. Tripping a wire, the stove clicked on, spouting flames from the burner that sizzled the string. The muffled cries of the eldest alicorn rang out, much louder than they had any right to be. Jumping by instinct, Sunset snapped off the string with her magic before the flames could lap up the twine. After turning off the burner and carefully peeling the tape, Sunset asked, “Are you alright, Celestia?”

“I am now that you’re here,” she said, though her voice shook a little, betraying her true feelings.

“That could have done some serious damage. Rainbow Dash’s pranks are growing into a territory of no return for her,” Sunset said.

“It is as though she is a child in a seat of power,” Luna replied, and the previous student and teacher shared a look.

Sunset took the two balloons and tied them both to a cot. She gathered pillows and blankets from the other makeshift beds as Luna explained what had happened within the mall. Wrapping herself up like a burrito, she stared up at the two balloons as they chatted, and only interrupted to ask if the night shelter was good enough to keep from curious ears. “I suppose it’ll have to do,” Luna replied, eyeing the single room around them.

“An idea? What is it you’ve thought up, dear sister?”

“This Rainbow Dash mare, she is quite the impatient pony. She wants to lead us in a direction, but I would suggest we do the opposite. We meander. We take our time in heading to the paths she wants to point us,” Luna explained as Sunset closed her eyes. She let the two sisters discuss this option, slowly drifting into a silent slumber. The pains in her back had numbed and the adrenaline she felt had suspended, drowsing her body and mind.

She thought of the golden flowers, knowing that the field and gazebo would soon be upon her. She accepted it. There was no fighting. It had become such a common sight when she closed her eyes that it was like moving between rooms. The field of golden flowers often provided her with a better sleep—whenever the field was not nightmarish. Of course, Midnight Sparkle was often the cause for it being a lurid dreamscape. Sunset didn’t understand it, but she was too tired to care.

The flowers never came, however. The two sisters awoke her before the smell could waft into her nostrils, signifying the descent into that dreamy world. “Sunset, please!” the younger sister whisper-yelled, a jump of terror in her voice. “Rainbow Dash has returned that… that thing! I do not know if it knows we are here, but perhaps we should hide.” Sunset didn’t understand at first, her body and brain hadn’t been unconscious for more than a moment, yet the sluggishness came in full force. It wasn’t until she heard the terrible beat that she connected Luna’s words.

Clunk.

A wave of fear washed over her, forcing open her eyes. She bit her lip, darting to look in every direction.

Clunk.

Pulling the covers to her chin, she glanced at the windows past the front desk, hoping to see nothing. Instead, a mound of shadows covered the windows. Her whole body shook as she sat up, though she refused to move from the cot. Just over the counter, Sunset could tell that nothing was moving and the shadows were not ponies, yet the sound remained. “I don’t think you’re going to get your rest, Sunset Shimmer,” Celestia apologetically murmured.

Clunk.

Throwing the blankets off, Sunset rushed to the counter for cover. Eyeing the windows past the paper folders and pens, she couldn’t tell exactly where the sound came from. The closer she got to the front door, the more she worried that the metal minotaur was sneaking up on them. She grimaced, pulling the sister balloons over with her magic. Tying the two to the tendons of her wings, she pushed to the door after ordering them both to remain quiet. Squinting, she shoved her face to the glass. Where is it? The fog was not thick. She could see the building across the street—a pharmacy that still had its sign lit up.

“Where’s it coming from?” she whispered, her breath fogging the glass.

Through the mist, Sunset could see the bipedal creature coming into view from her left. It was wandering to her right down the street. She could see it clear as day, even with the haze. The head of the creature, and in fact the whole body, was covered in a silver metal shell, much like its depiction from Rainbow Dash’s drawing. There were no features to be seen of what was beneath. Rusted brown in places, Sunset noted that the feet were hooves. Luna was right about the horns that stemmed from the top, giving the whole beast the shape of a minotaur. The horned helm had been welded to the breastplate. In fact, there were no seams whatsoever. The piece looked too heavy to be worn by any mortal creature, and too painful. It had to be a minotaur. There was no other race of that shape.

The design was not the only thing Sunset noticed, as the creature dragged a rather long pole where it had not previously. Knotted to the pole were ties. Some were black, some were white, some were red, but they all were the same length. But ties were not the only thing secured to the elongated pole. My backpack! As the metallic goliath turned to go down the street Sunset had followed in, she debated on how to tackle it. “That thing has my backpack, we’ve got to go after it,” Sunset told the two sisters, and both, though unenthusiastically, gave a nod in return.

Holding her breath, Sunset stepped out from the shelter’s sanctuary. The metal minotaur could be heard stomping in the distance, but the fog made it impossible to see its frame. When Sunset looked back at the building, she found the shelter had grown in age by years, somehow. Vines covered the windows, rust coated the fence and sent it careening down to the ground, and thousands of cracks broke the cement sidewalk. “What in Equestria?” Sunset couldn’t believe it. How had things changed so rapidly?

“Rainbow Dash has the power to shift time, but it seems it only goes forward or stops completely,” Celestia commented on the disgraceful presentation. “We have yet to see it reverse. Should that come into play—should she have that ability—it might be best to call in Discord once more.”

“To waste two of her lifelines would be tragic, dear sister,” Luna replied, her balloon face shriveled at Celestia’s words, almost scowling. “I would suggest opposing the idea of chasing the backpack. It would only end in more pain and suffering should it choose to turn to battle.”

Standing in a shadow of doubt, Sunset was puzzled by both paths. To follow would mean a fight, but it’s my backpack. It’s got my journals. I can’t leave those behind. On the other hoof, taking care of Rainbow Dash would allow me an easier time in obtaining my backpack. She soon made up her mind and chose to tread off in the direction of the bipedal stranger. She could no longer hear the sounds of its trot, even as she ran down the street in search of it.

As she moved, the more she noticed. The princesses voiced their concerns about the shifting tone, but Sunset had her own concerns. Still, it didn’t make the changes any less disconcerting. Buildings had become so rundown that some even lost their signs and awnings. Bleached by the sun, a red building she had seen was now salmon in color and a host to spiders and dust. Trash had blown in, though she never felt wind within the time collapsed city. Newspapers held in the sky, crumpled and floating, waiting for the day they could once again touch the earth.

The decay also brought confusion as Sunset’s memories blurred of the surroundings, which only worsened by the fog. Exceptionally lost, Sunset found herself at another fountain. This one was far bigger than the one outside the mirrored ball building and lacked the water needed to run. Glancing in, she found the fountain drowned in bits, most likely ponies’ wishes and wants. As she stared at the hundred or so coins, the world started to activate. “Rainbow Dash knows we are here,” Celestia noted as lights began to brighten. “I do not believe we will get to meander.”

A circus wheel flipped on, the crystals of a triangular tower glowed, and the largest building, with its horse head and hooves, lit up like a sun going supernova. The fog thinned so lightly it didn't even seem like the same haze. “Time’s flipped back on,” Sunset agreed. “Rainbow Dash! Where are you? Come out right now! I’m tired of playing around.”

“Sunset! Behind you!” warned the younger sister.

Clunk.

The metal giant had somehow snuck up behind her, and in the brighter glow of the world, it looked far more frightening than she originally assessed. The helm had no eyes. The metal hands were covered in grey powder, and on one of the legs wrapped a chain like a snake. Dragging the pole of ties, the being seemed focused on Sunset. It was slow moving. That is, until a burst of speed erupted toward Sunset, forcing the alicorn to heave herself into the air. A moment of pain held itself in her brain, but she successfully dodged the creature’s attack which was far more pressing.

Smashing the fountain in a brutal show of strength, which sent coins flying in all directions, the metal creature looked unharmed by its actions. It staggered backward, tripping over the battered bricks, and appeared to refocus its attention. Sunset watched as it stood there, facing the destroyed fountain, wondering what exactly it was trying. “Who are you?” Celestia asked it, and the creature’s neck snapped toward Sunset and the balloons. It raised its pole with a hefty move, swiping the air for her, to which she only narrowly avoided. It swung several times in the location she had been before stopping. It soon honed in on her once more, targeting and swiping at the alicorn. Landing on the other side of the fountain, the beast stopped moving.

Sunset watched it, and it listened for her. Eventually giving up and trotting its way back down the path it came, Sunset held her breath as she listened for its steps. Clunk. Clunk. Clunk.

With a sigh of relief from both of the sisters, Sunset knew they were safe for the time being. That didn’t stop her from dashing to the horse head building. The doors were already open, but instead of leaving them alone, Sunset chose to close and lock them.

“Did Rainbow Dash make that thing?” Sunset asked, more to herself, all while huffing and puffing. “She has the ability to stop time, but I don’t know if she’s capable enough to make that armor. And to do that to another person is just sadistic.” As the words fell from her mouth, she realized how daft they really were. Of course she’s sadistic. She’s keeping all these ponies trapped in her little world, and she’s still hungering for more.

“Sunset Shimmer. Perhaps we should not dally,” Luna suggested, forcing Sunset to turn back to the doors. Past her reflection, she saw that a gathering of ponnequins had formed outside, each with remarkable expressions that sent terror and pain down Sunset’s spine.

“Looks like Celestia’s right, Luna. Your plan won’t work.” Sunset rubbed her eyes, sleep still beckoning her. “Ignoring Rainbow Dash can’t be done if she’s constantly tormenting us into submission. We play into her traps no matter the decision we choose.”

A sudden hooting and hollering garnered the attention of Sunset and the sisters, but as they turned back to the casino, they realized how right Sunset truly was. More of the ponnequins, each with smiling crayon mouths, formed the staff, guests, and entertainment. You know, at this point I’m really glad to have those golden flowers as my recurring nightmare, because these things are going to haunt my dreams forever.

World 5: Chapter 6

A thousand sounds were ringing off within earshot. The lobby, if a single desk facing the entrance could be considered a lobby, led out into a very large gaming den. Slot machines were screaming, releasing bouts of tickets. Games where you hucked balls into holes or hoops were shouting words of encouragement. Arcade machines were pinging and ponging with bright sparkly lights. The overhead speaker system, which normally would have played music, was replaced with numbing white noise.

Stepping down a few short steps into the chaos of lights and sounds, passing the stoic ponnequins, Sunset mired over the plethora of fun activities. A few card tables sat cold in the middle of the very large room where the lifeless copies sat waiting for her to play. She could see a second floor as well which spanned around the casino looking down on the games below, more ponnequins were up here as well. In the center, above the card tables, hung a pristine chandelier. Everything was perfect aside from the eerie dummies. “I dislike this,” Luna mumbled.

“Yes! Yes! Yes!” screamed a voice over the shrilling explosion of one slot machine.

“Someone is unfrozen from time,” stated Celestia, motioning to the voice’s direction.

Sunset ducked close to the ground, putting herself against a card table. “Shh,” she ordered the sisters, knowing full well it might be Rainbow Dash. Leaning around the side, she glanced over the slot machines that stood in rows beneath the stairs that led up to the second floor. Only ponnequins could be seen from her position, their beady, drawn eyes staring at her. Daring to find out who it was, Sunset moved up, slinking against the slot machines’ counters. Eyeing each row she came to, it wasn’t until she reached the final line that she found the mysterious voice. “You?”

“’Ey toots. How you doin’?”

Surrounded by ponnequins with happy smiles that appeared to be cheering him on, the large rat hooted and hollered. Piles of tickets were springing into the rat’s unkempt lap, the machine ringing out his prize like it was going out of style. “How are you even here? How’d you get past the time magic?” Sunset spat her angered questions as she came closer. His dirty claws reached up to his oversized sunglasses, which he was wearing inside for some unknown reason, and pulled them down to show off his bloodshot eyes. That, of course, made Sunset halt her march toward him.

“Who is this, Sunset Shimmer?” Celestia asked, both sisters confused by the presence of such an off-putting looking creature.

“Well, would you look at that. You got yourself some talkin’ balloons. Yet you care about time magic? Hah! What a crazy gal. You think I give two bits about some lousy pony magic? Yeah, next you’re going to ask me if I’ve seen a blue pegasus.”

“Have you seen a blue pegasus named Rainbow—” Sunset stopped herself. “You lousy little…”

“’Ey, ‘ey! Princess. Come on now. Lighten up. You only live once. Here—have a spin on me.” Lifting a bit to the air, his grimy little claws were wrapped around the golden coin.

While the two sisters physically revulsed, Sunset replied, “I don’t want to play. I’m looking for Rainbow Dash.”

“Suit yourself. There’s a whole fountain full of coins. Plenty of games to be had with ‘em too.” The rat pulled his claw back and stuffed the coin into his fur. “You’d be surprised what you can find if you look hard enough.” Swirling the stool, his tail swinging like a limp hose, the rat hopped down and landed on his back legs. Like Discord, the strange animal wobbled bipedal instead of settling for four limbs of transport. Its tail slunk behind it like an overweight dog being dragged by a leash.

“Hey, wait. Have you seen Rainbow Dash? I think she’s the one that’s caused all the problems in this city.”

The rat shot a look over its shoulder, its eyes barely topping the sunglasses. “The only problem in this city is you and me. Neither of us are meant to be this way. Besides, what’s she done to earn your wrath?”

“You’re not the one who was attacked by her big metal minion,” she snottily remarked.

Shrugging, the rat said, “Don’t listen to me then. Suit yourself.” He then waddled away with his tickets in claw.

“That was rather odd,” Luna and Celestia said in unison.

Sunset watched as he disappeared around a row of slot machines, to which she then followed after him only to discover he vanished. “What a jerk. The only problem in this city is you and me,” she scornfully mocked. “Ugh. I feel like I need a shower now.” She shrugged off what the rat said, continuing back into the card table area. The ponnequins’ eyes followed her as she walked, though they did not move. Her brows closed together as she observed the rest of the games area, hoping to find some semblance of Rainbow Dash other than the creepy models she manipulated.

It was then she realized that the dummies would lead her to Dash rather than turn her away. She wants me to find her. She likes this little game of hers, she thinks herself another Discord. Her nose wrinkled sneeringly like a rabbit’s after tasting something bitter. Looking around, she eventually noted that a set of four ponnequins blocked the entrance to the stairs leading up to the second level. Glancing at the separate floor, she studied to see if anything might be out of the ordinary. To her surprise, a veneer of translucent satin floated waveringly on the second floor—as if someone or something had just passed by it.

Taking a step and then launching herself, Sunset flapped to the rails and pulled herself over. Her back still hurt and her wings were bruised, but she made it past the struggle. The pinkness of the translucent veneer turned dark when it combined with the deep blue coloring of the room it guarded. It was a lesser room with a bulky metal door not meant to hold more than three ponies, yet it held four of the white dummies Dash used to scare them.

Pushing the veneer out of the way, Sunset stepped into the blue room and passed the ponnequins with ease. The static sounds overhead were lessened, a twain echoed from the rubber seals around the metal. Pressing an ear to the frame, she heard the sounds of drums too, their rhythmical beat a welcome change. Sunset grabbed the latch and pushed, opening the hunk of metal slowly as to not make a sound.

It led into a stairwell, going both up and down. The guitar rifted above, while the drums thumped below.

With a look down between the rails, Sunset learned they did not go down just one level. Instead, it went into a darkness where she could not see beyond. “Which way should we go?” she questioned the two sisters, echoing the question into the abyss. Both of the sisters suggested going down. Though Sunset wanted to go up, she had asked them for their opinion and felt that ignoring their suggestion would be incredibly rude.

Unfortunately, down proved impassable as she found the lower levels had become filled in a pool of water. “Unless they can swim and see in gross greywater, I don’t think anyone will be coming through here,” she noted, but the drumbeat below was an enigma in and of itself.

“That thumping sounds out of place,” commented Celestia.

Luna replied, “I can’t hear it over that strumming from above. It seems up had been the correct choice.”

Smiling to herself, knowing she had been right, Sunset turned to head back up the steps. That was when the sour tune grew louder. Uncharacteristic of any song, it was as if the drummer was purposefully playing out of tune, a complete lack of cymbals made it extraordinarily off-putting. Sunset had heard the beat before. Is that even a drum? she asked herself, waiting patiently for a change of tempo. But it wasn’t getting faster, only louder.

Celestia must have realized it long before Luna or Sunset, as her words flustered to say, “S-Sunset! Time to go! That’s not what we think it is!”

Sunset’s mouth fell open when she saw the tips of horn prod up from the water. The water itself did not ripple or even move—it was like pudding, moving out of the way in blobs for the big metal body. “You can’t be serious!” Sunset didn’t wait to see the brute manifest out of the water, choosing to rush back up the steps. As she reached the metal door she had entered from, the sounds of a clunky, wet, heavy hoof hitting the cement rang out from below.

Pulling on the door handle, the latch was now locked. “Rainbow Dash!” she yelled, slamming both hooves on the metal. “This isn’t funny!” As she screamed for the terrible blue pegasus, the heavy metal creature made its way up to the steps of her level.

“That thing is exuberantly fast when it wants to be!” Luna screamed as Sunset tore up the steps to the higher floors. “Faster, Sunset! It will catch us!”

Sunset made the mistake of looking over her shoulder only to see the metallic monster prodding up the steps with a quick pace. It used its pole as a cane, hoisting itself like a mountain goat up two steps at a time.

Slamming into the roof’s entrance, Sunset immediately slated the door behind her. With her magic, she locked the door on the other side and broke its latch. “Rainbow Dash!” she heard the younger sister call.

The blue pegasus in question was lounging happily on a beach chair, her hooves strumming an electric guitar. “You made it! Took you long enough. How’d you like Las Rainbow? Really is an amusement park, ain’t it?”

“I’m done playing games, Dash.”

“Oh, this is no game. Not anymore. You’ve got the princesses, your backpack—wait, you didn’t defeat that thing?” Rainbow Dash’s mouth fell wide before turning cynical. “You’re kind of pathetic, aren’t you?”

A swift clunk hit the door.

Sunset ignored it. “Why do all this? What’s the point?”

“Why, you ask? I wanted to show you how fast I can do things, to make changes and deteriorate the world.” Rainbow Dash sat up, setting the guitar at the side of the chair. Before it even touched the ground, the strings broke and the frame rotted. “And, like I already told you, you’re going to be the first to see my speed.”

“I’ve seen your speed first hoof and I’m sick of it. Why me? Why have me witness it? What’s the point?”

Rainbow Dash moved as slow as she could, rising up from the chair like a sloth moving between branches. “I love performing,” she began to monologue, “I wanted to be a Wonderbolt when I was a filly. Now, in this world of chaos, I can be more than just a Wonderbolt.” With the quickness of Discord himself, Rainbow Dash blinked in and out of existence, transforming into a Wonderbolt costume. The rubber legs had been cut in such a way to display her gaudy gem-coated legs. “Now, I can be the Wonderbolt. I can make every pony here look at me, they’re all forced to watch till the end of time. And now that you’re here, a pony who is unaffected by the world I’ve created, you will be the first to truly witness my act. The others—they were a part of it, they didn’t get to see what had turned them all into my frozen toys.”

With lightning-fast speed, Sunset watched as Rainbow Dash disappeared into the night sky, far above the fog that remained within the city. “What is she doing?” Celestia asked though Sunset had no answer. Having only read the term within her correspondence to Princess Twilight, Sunset did not recognize Rainbow Dash’s brilliant display of speed; a sonic rainboom. But this was not the same sort of talent her Equestria’s Rainbow Dash had developed. In a world vigorous with chaotic energies, this Rainbow Dash had gone past the level that a normal sonic rainboom would require.

The glorious melting of rainbow colors within the sky froze Sunset in awe and respect. The fog that surrounded the city vanished in an instant. When Rainbow Dash returned from the display, Sunset wanted to ask what the beautiful showing was meant to do. Her lips had other ideas, however. Mouthing the words, the syllables came in a slow drawl. Had it not been for the time ward she cast on herself, Sunset never would have noticed it. “Yes! It worked!” Rainbow Dash bellowed, pounding on her chest and wrinkling her suit. “You’re the first! The first from the outside world! From outside Las Rainbow! Now I know everyone will succumb to my speed! Even Discord himself!”

Mentally, Sunset knew right away what happened. Physically, it took her a full minute to gasp.

Moving with the speed of a slug, Sunset looked back at the balloons on her back. Both the sisters had succumbed to the strange sort of magic Rainbow Dash developed, their faces contorting from confusion to understanding. In Sunset’s ear, Celestia spoke the words of wisdom that Sunset needed. Had she not used her lifeline to bring the two mares with her, she never would have remembered. “Use the time ward again,” Celestia said, each word piercing Sunset’s ear every half-minute.

Without waste, Sunset stood still and began casting the warding magic, hoping her old mentor was right in suggesting so. As she focused on her spell, the brutish beast of steel tore down the metal door like a rampaging bull, proving he was unaffected by the slowing of time. Rainbow Dash and her maniacal laughter was put on hold. “Oh, look who it is. Discord’s beast,” Rainbow Dash growled. “Chasing around a princess because you can’t find me? How pathetic.”

Discord’s beast? Sunset grimaced, though the expression wouldn’t show until a few seconds later. If Discord sent that beast in, then that would explain why it’s unaffected by Rainbow Dash. He did say he sent a plaything into the fog. Why’s it been attacking me, though? She remained focused on casting her spell, though the act was far from easy.

“I guess my speed still can’t pierce your armor.” With a breakneck pace, Rainbow Dash ran circles around the metal giant. The creature slammed its iron pole in every direction, the ties sailing through the air. “Even if you can’t be slowed, you still can’t catch me either. Which means Discord won’t be able to catch me. It’s time to try my power against the big snake himself.”

While the pegasus laughingly dueled the metal beast, Sunset finished with her spell. It did not affect her right away. Even her horn had yet to light up with the radiance that accompanied magic, though her mind already released the necessary invocation. She had no other option but to watch the blue pegasus poke fun at the angry beast. Keeping him at hoof distance, Rainbow Dash seemed unfazed and unworried about the creature’s advances, it was nothing more than a small cat against a very large mouse.

The pegasus kicked and bucked the silver minotaur to the edge of the roof, laughing all the while at the way it moved and stunted its attacks. The blue mare was so caught up in her taunt that she failed to notice the spell activate. “You did it Sunset!” were the first words echoed once the ward did its business, relinquishing the balloons and Sunset from the slowed motion of Dash’s speed.

“What!?” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, taking her eyes off the metal minotaur. “My speed, it should have slowed you! No one can overcome it! No one has ever overcome it!”

Sunset stared Rainbow Dash directly in the eyes. “You called me the first, Dash. Well, first time for everything.”

With a massive groan, Rainbow Dash started to insult the alicorn only to be cut off mid-sentence by a hard whack from the metal beast’s pole. Grinding against the cement roof, the large monster kept the pegasus from moving. “Get off me!” screamed Rainbow Dash, her hooves trembling as she tried to rise.

“A taste of your own medicine,” Sunset jeered as she watched.

“Look at how the pole is held,” Luna remarked with a cheeky smirk. The iron pole crushed against Rainbow Dash’s right wing at a degree that pressed her left into the roof’s floor.

Celestia’s face lit up with glee. “I see it. Without her wings, her speed is nonexistent.”

Sunset trotted to the pegasus, lifting the backpack off the metal pole. Shrugging it over her shoulders, she stared down at the angry mare. “You’re just like Pinkie Pie. Even if I tried to convince you to help me, you’d just lie and feign your way until you could escape, or hit me at my lowest point. I’m going to have to chain you down so you can’t get away.”

“Why not help me, instead!? You… You could be my assistant! You’ve proven you can break my speed, you could teach me how to better use it! We could take on Discord, together! We could take his little pet down, too!”

The metal beast did not move. It had its prey and wasn’t going to let go. Sent by Discord, huh? Just like me. Why’s he trying to round up the bearers? How long has he been trying to round up this bearer? I bet the latter is the more important question. She scowled at the metal armor of the creature. “Rainbow Dash.”

“What?”

“You’re the Element of Loyalty, yet there was nothing funny about Pinkie Pie. She was serious. So serious it hurt.”

“I don’t get it. Who’s Pinkie Pie?” Rainbow Dash asked, still struggling beneath the pole’s weight.

“Pinkie Pie is the Element of Laughter.”

Rainbow Dash understood. It was written all over her face. “If you don’t help me, I swear I’ll hunt you down. I’ll freeze you and make you into the ugliest statue I’ve ever had the pleasure of dressing up. And when I’m done with you, I’ll drop you in the ocean, just so you can be weighted down for all eternity! You’ll never fly again once I’m done with you!”

Frowning, Sunset acknowledged the truth of the words. With a concentrated laser, she began to cut a strip within the steel, circling around the helm until it made a complete wrap. “Sunset, you can’t be serious!” cried Celestia. “Helping her? She’s clearly lying! There’s no way you can ever trust her.”

“I’m not trusting her. I’m doing the opposite.” The laser sliced off the helm and sent it sailing to the ground. To her surprise, and perhaps Rainbow Dash’s too, the metal creature had no head. Instead, a plethora of tiny, adorable white kittens burst out from the neck hole like lava coasting down a volcano’s mountain. “Kittens? That’s what he put in there!?” Rainbow Dash groaned and groveled.

This was definitely one of Discord’s creations. How did this thing even move? As the kittens wandered in different directions, Sunset took the helm and melted it into a flat scrap of metal. Much like she'd done to Pinkie Pie, Sunset wrapped Rainbow Dash’s wings, tapering off her ability to create the speed she so much desired.

Kicking over the empty shell of the fake minotaur, the pole fell to the ground. “Looks like I have no choice but to concede,” Rainbow Dash said as she struggled to get up, the weight of the metal looked to be a bit much for the hard mare.

“Discord wanted me to capture you so that he can haul you into a cage. Why? I don’t know yet. But if it means stopping you from terrorizing more of the world, so be it. You’re finished, Rainbow Dash,” Sunset scolded the blue pegasus.

“You’d rather help him than me? You princesses sure stick together. Those two on your back have failed us, but you’re still trying to stop him, right? You’re trying to win his little game? If you stop him, all of this will be over. Everything will go back to normal. Isn’t that what you want?”

“Isn’t that what you want, too?” Sunset asked.

A devious grin crossed from cheek to cheek, shadowing the pegasus’s bottom jaw. “This world was meant for someone like me. A performer, a prankster, a speed demon. I love it. Honing my speed, my craft, to the point where not even Discord can stop me, that’s what I want.” Her body shook as she spoke, indicating a thrill from just talking about herself.

Sunset felt sick. First Pinkie Pie, now Rainbow Dash. All of them will be villains. I can see it now. Curse you Discord! Your sick game is only meant to force me to see the worst of my friends. That’s why you were so lenient, that’s why you’ve been so helpful. You want me to give up on helping them. “Discord!” The draconequus’s name burst from her lips, calling for him like a rowdy dog. “I have Rainbow Dash, come pick us up!”

On cue, the chaos king slithered from just out of sight into her cone of vision. “You managed to capture Rainbow Dash, have you?” he asked, his toothy grin seemed more mockingly arrogant than usual.

“Yeah, and I’ll get the others too. That’s what you want, isn’t it?” Sunset barked.

“No, that is what you want, if you intend to win the game. Of course, now you have two.”

“Discord… You cretin,” Rainbow Dash growled at the draconequus. “You only enter my domain when you know I can’t trap you.”

But the skulking trickster only laughed. “My, oh, my. If that is what you think, you are slower than the credit I gave you.” With a quick jab through the air, the draconequus plucked the strings off Sunset’s back. “And you two have made it safely through this nightmarish landscape. How fortunate.”

“It was a nice reprieve from being a clown,” Celestia barked at the spirit of chaos.

“Tired of clowning around?” he scoffed. “I am certain I can find another craft for you.” He then turned back to Sunset. “Time for your end round prize!” With a crack of his knuckles and a snap of his fingers, the roof fell apart.

Sunset blinked and the grey lifted, bringing tears to her eyes as the world turned colorful. Night had come for Equestria, but Discord’s little haven was just as bright as always. Sunset noted the similarity between Las Discord and Ponyville, and she knew Rainbow Dash would never have been a match for the master of chaos. “Where’s Rainbow Dash?” she asked him. “Where’s Celestia and Luna?”

“Were they any help?” he responded with his own question. Another birdcage now floated beside Pinkie Pie’s, though this one held a much faster bird. Of course, it was too small for the blue pegasus to gain any amount of speed that would have benefited her. “Do not worry about them. As if I would let my most precious balloons deflate.” He let out a quick little chuckle. “Want to spin the cage again? It is prize time!”

“I know why you’re doing this, Discord. You want me to capture all the bearers because you can’t.”

For the first time, the draconequus remained silent. Leaning on the crystal table, he crossed his arms and tapped his cheek. “Is that what I am doing? No. No, I do not think that is it.” He hummed to himself and played with his upper lip. “To say that I cannot capture the bearers is so ridiculous that not even my own chaotic personality likes it. Surely you know that, but you are always so focused on yourself.”

Anger flushed Sunset’s cheeks. “That’s the second time you’ve said that. I told you my past in confidence—that does not give you the right to call me egocentric.”

Ignoring the rage, a bingo cage appeared out of nowhere next to the draconequus. “Time to spin! Let us see what number we get next!” Grabbing the handle with his tail, Discord spun and spun, letting the alicorn grow increasingly angry with every twirl. When he finally stopped, he pulled the latch open and covered his eyes. “Lookie, lookie! This is the world you want, is it not? The one you grew so much in.”

Sunset did not see the number on the ball but she knew exactly what world he meant as soon as she saw the televisions blur into the space around her. “Community,” she mouthed, staring up at the dark stallion.

“Not much of a community anymore, is it?”

“No. It isn’t,” Sunset replied, hanging her head.

“What happened after you left, I wonder.” The dark hallway lit up as the channels changed on all the TVs to the same station, a disturbing war between those who were under Sombra’s control and those who were not. “Ironic, no?” His claws ran across one of the screens. “The ones who fight so hard to stop this evil stallion are the same ones who fought so hard against your mentor.”

Sunset could barely stand to watch. Changelings and dragons charged against brainwashed ponies who, unlike the first world, did not wear helmets. The villainous king had more than enough magic to control the minds of ponies without the need of headgear, all thanks to Sunset Shimmer. “Tirek…” Her eyes fluttered over a close up of the centaur bonded in chains on a platform next to Celestia, Luna, and several more whom she knew. “I never meant for any of this to happen.”

“You are always focusing on what you do instead of how you do it.”

Rewinding, the draconequus turned back to the events that played out during Sunset’s time in the strange world. A myriad of failures displayed like a high school presentation: Her immediate decision to give up on finding the bearers after she discovered Twilight Sparkle had left Equestria. Her refusal to press for the Elements of Harmony to be restored to their former glory after discovering it was Tirek who drained them. Was he sincere in saying that he went to Canterlot not to drain the princesses magic? Sunset believed him, and whether he was sincere or not, that was her biggest failure of all. Believing those who had not earned her trust.

“You think you are the only one to not trust me, Sunset?” the Tirek said with a forced laugh pouring through the speakers.

“Shame, is it not?” Discord asked. “If you had not trusted him, perhaps you could have changed the future. If you had been less focused on yourself, you could have changed your future.”

“Discord… I don’t understand.”

“You do not understand? Always about you…”

“No!” Sunset stomped on both forelegs. “It’s not! Do you really believe I’m so focused on myself that I can’t see other people? That I can’t see what is happening right in front of me? I’m not like that!”

Discord looked perplexed. “Really? Could have fooled me. Maybe we should take a look…” He disappeared into the darkness of the hall just as the TVs changed, each displaying various happenings. Sunset couldn’t help but look at them.

One showed her stealing Princess Twilight’s crown. The televisions around it continued the tale with Sunset cornering Fluttershy, enlisting Snips and Snails, and her eventual transformation into the red demon she so often wanted to forget. As she became enraptured with the screens, one set of speakers came on. “But all I've ever done since being here is drive everyone apart. I don't know the first thing about friendship.”

Backing away, Sunset bumped into a second set of televisions displaying another tale. This one of sirens. From holding her knees to her head and whimpering to her friends, to volunteering to show new students around, and eventually discussing her time as Princess Celestia’s student, each TV focused on Sunset. And just like the last set of televisions, one came on with her own voice from the past. “I was just using him to become more popular. Ugh! The old me really was just awful, wasn't she?”

“Discord! Stop this!” Sunset shouted to the darkness.

But it was not Discord who answered. Instead, more TVs displayed moments in Sunset’s life, this one far more recent. “Magic came into this world when I stole Twilight's crown. It's taken a lot for me to earn everyone's trust. If we have to forfeit the games because I can't think of a way to keep it under control...”

A different voice followed: “Oh, Sunset, I'm sure you'll be able to figure things out.”

Then another: “You're the one who helped us understand what was goin' on with the sirens. Remember?”

Sunset’s past voice then said, “I guess. But Twilight was the one who really figured out what we needed to defeat them.”

“Discord, stop this,” Sunset commanded, not wanting to hear the next part.

But she was forced to hear anyway: “But don't you remember, darling? What we needed to defeat them was you.”

“Stop it, Discord! Stop it! Stop it!” Sunset covered her ears.

All the televisions then changed to a rooftop, a red and yellow-haired girl stood atop, staring at the sun. “It seems you have a natural obsession with yourself, even to the point where when you are reformed, you still focus on you.” With Sunset raising her arms to the sky, the televisions stopped. Discord then appeared, wrapping around the still figure. “My past, my past. Oh, woe is my past. In the end, you still focus on you. Always about you...”

A screech echoed from the speakers, turning the televisions into a static, jumbled mess. Even through the white noise, a strangled voice could be heard saying, “Let me show you there's another way... just like someone once did for me.” When the voice ended, so did the televisions. The hall became a black, endless void.

“So, Sunset,” Discord returned from the darkness. “What will it be? Stay and continue my game? Or would you prefer to go back to that wholesome world you corrupted?”

“No! I choose to stay! I want to stay!” Sunset screamed up at him as tears ran down her face.

His face relaxed into a small, apathetic smile. “You want to stay? But what about the atrocities from that previous world? You know they will lose without you, right? That evil King Sombra will rule for a thousand years if you are not there to stop him!”

“I… I… I don’t…” Her head hung for a moment as she tried to determine how she felt. Anger was surging through her, but there was no release. The words finally came to her. “I don’t know.”

The televisions, the darkness, and the hall itself dissipated into the light. The crystal table and cages returned, along with the strange, chaotic world around them. As Sunset sat bowlegged, her face staring at the ground, Discord stood above her expressionless. Eventually, the draconequus lifted his eagle claw and set it on the alicorn’s head, patting the matted hair. “You do not know. You have been through four worlds, and you still have no idea why.” His words sounded sincere, but Sunset could not bear to look at him. Her eyes resigned to stare at the cold earth beneath her.

“Discord... I…”

But Discord cut her off. “I would suggest heading for the Element of Honesty next, as she is the closest. I believe you will have no trouble reaching her with your newly added wings.”

Sunset sat still for a long while, knowing that the draconequus had disappeared to wherever he went when he was not around. She eventually lifted her head to look at the cages, though she was only looking through them. There was no limit of words that could describe how she felt. The confusion fluttered her stomach, thrashing about. The shame that shook her knees, keeping her close to the ground. The frustration pounding at her head, aching her temples. Or perhaps the remorse that clogged her throat, making it difficult to breathe. Nevertheless, it did not matter. She didn’t care about the lesson Discord was trying to pass on her, she didn’t care about the game he was playing.

She only cared about how she felt, and that made her feel truly sick. To know that she was still selfish.

To know Discord was right.

World 5: Chapter 7

The pain that spiked through her spine and wings was still there, though the cold wind helped in numbing the muscles that constantly contracted as she flew. Sunset’s destination wasn’t far; the floating city of Canterlot stuck out like coal amongst eggs. Detached from the mountainside, it held suspended weightlessly, a curious choice most likely done by the spirit of chaos himself. She hoped the activity of finding Applejack would force her mind to ignore what Discord had shown her, to push down the feelings he drudged up.

But it was the flight to Canterlot that gave her the time she needed to repress. A silent voyage that marveled at the gashed earth below. From uprooted trees and buildings and even a lake that flowed up rather than down. All the abnormalities she'd grown accustomed to seeing from the strange world. In this unusual scape of hectic energies, it filled her with a sense of peace. She was not the most abnormal thing by far, whereas the previous worlds only magnified that fact by tenfold.

Even as the city of Canterlot came closer into view, it was clear it was not the same Canterlot she had grown up in. The purple and creamy white buildings with speckles of gold mixed in were all there. That much hadn’t changed. Yet as she entered from above, Sunset could tell an overgrowth of greenery had settled in. Claws of vines wracked windows and sides of buildings, trees had grown and subdued smaller hovels and enveloped towers, and the grass had become so overgrown that no mower would pierce the stalks.

It reminded her of the Castle of the Two Sisters, without the devastation of the structures. For a decayed civilization, the homes held no cracks, no scorch marks, not even a brick was out of place. The roads of marble were the only things that succumbed to the shrubberies takeover, and even then, it was only in certain areas where the road had previously cracked. Who fired the gardener? Sunset wondered, needing the levity.

As she glided to the ground, hoping to find some answers, she instead found life continued on as normal. Compared to the Not-So-Bad-Badlands and Las Discord, it was only the ardent growth that was different from the other Canterlots. Ponies managed their lives as best they could, dull to the masses of plants around them. She watched as a pony trotted out from their home, following the sidewalk, completely ignoring the four-yard high shoots of grass surrounding them. Life goes on. It was then and there she realized that the bearer of the Element of Honesty might be among these creatures of habit, going about her life as if nothing had changed between the shifts of power. Perhaps one of the few bearers that did not succumb to the villainous nature this world had twisted the last two.

Of course, that was until she heard of the trial.

A café, which was covered in thorny vines, sat on the corner of the street. The waiter stepped over the coagulated creeper as if it had always been there, serving tea to the two chatty mares who wore sunhats and fancy gowns. Sunset couldn’t help but listen to the gossiping gals, awestruck by their obliviousness of the unusual world around them. It was from these two that she heard of the trial, a trial for the worst mare in all of Canterlot. Sunset knew it was Applejack. She knew it immediately. The previous two had been villains, why did she feel the need to pretend that Applejack might be different? “Excuse me, where is this trial being held?” she interrupted the loquacious birds.

“Eavesdropping? How rude!” one of the mares gasped, while the other blocked Sunset’s face with her hat. Neither would answer the alicorn, and so she was forced to press on.

Knowing the castle was a place too obvious to hold a trial, she headed there anyway. In a city that operated normally, there was little reason to be apprehensive of possible deceits. The only true trickery was on her for believing that it would be abnormal.

Her thoughts were confirmed as she reached the castle gates, finding a plethora of noble ponies passing through to bear witness to the trial. Grass had shot up several meters high, preventing her from gliding down without notice. Instead, worming her way into the crowd, she attempted to blend past any guards that might find it suspicious that a new princess, who had never been seen prior to Discord’s reign, would suddenly appear. Of course, this deception only aided in her being pushed around by the crowd, forcing her in directions she had no desire to go. As the group collapsed into the ballroom, Sunset tucked her wings beneath her backpack and turned right around for the door. A guard pony decked out in gold was roaming the halls outside, patrolling for whatever danger that supposedly lurked around every corner.

“Excuse me, could you point me in the direction of the trial?” she asked in the most polite voice she could muster, keeping her wings from view.

And the guard pony answered, though not in a way she expected. “Bark bark,” he barked, pointing his spear down the hall. “Bark. Bark bark, woof.”

“Uh, okay.” Sunset stood stunned for a moment, not understanding exactly what had transpired. “Thanks, I guess.” Trotting away from her bewilderment, the guard continued his patrol. She followed his unusual direction and eventually found herself at the throne room, which was allowing in the last of the visitors. Sticking herself on the tail end, she found the entirety of the throne had been converted into a courtroom.

The throne was where the judge sat, along with a smaller seat for witnesses beside it. Two podiums sat in front, while the rest of the room was blocked off by a chest-high fence. Most of the benches were filled, cramming as many ponies as possible. Forced to an edge near the back, Sunset sat close to the corner of the room. Guard ponies ordered everyone to be seated, and Sunset only figured out why once the prosecutor and defendant were brought in.

Applejack. Her heart sunk when she saw the burnt orange mare in chains. Besides being a shade darker and a frown that drooped low, this Applejack looked as normal as normal was for this world. Her hat was the only thing missing. The prosecutor, a greasy stallion in a business suit, spat in the bearer’s direction when both reached their respective podiums. What has she done? Is it as bad as Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash? Worse? She pushed to the edge of her seat, waiting for the trial to begin.

“All rise for the honorable judge,” commanded a pony with a booming voice.

Standing, Sunset stood on the tips of her hooves to see who exactly was presiding over the trial. Her jaw tightened, disturbing her formerly curious expression. That little jerk!? Her face went red with anger, almost losing her cool then and there. She regained her focus as the guard pony barked everyone to sit. There’s no way this’ll be a fair trial. It doesn’t matter what Applejack has done, she doesn’t deserve to be tried by that egregious thing.

“What is on the ol’ agenda for the day, eh?” the judge asked as he shuffled paperwork and straightened his curly white pompadour. The wig certainly didn’t make him look any better. “The people against Applejack for committin’ atrocities against Canterlot, includin’ forgery, theft, griftin’, and the purgin’ of all edible foods. ‘Ey, well then, this seems like an open and shut, y’know?” The judge bellowed with laughter, causing an uproar from the audience. “Alright, alright. Let’s make this fair. How’d’ya plead, toots?” the revolting rat asked.

“Not guilty,” Applejack hollered back, rousing another roar of laughter.

“Uh huh. Whatever you say. Prosecutor?”

“We ask for a guilty verdict, jailed for life,” the greasy stallion replied.

“Granted. Defendant is guilty.” The judge then rang the hammer and stood from his seat.

“That’s not fair!” Sunset stood, blisteringly screaming, causing a commotion of gasps from the ponies around her. Shoving her way to the aisle, Sunset made it to the front only to be stopped by the guards. “This isn’t a fair trial! Applejack has no lawyer, no evidence has been presented, and no witnesses have been called!”

The judge, staring from his seat, pulled down his oversized sunglasses. “Well, what’d’ya know? It’s the little princess that kept ruining my vacations.”

“How’d you even become a judge!?” Sunset snarled.

The rat judge kicked up his unkempt feet, displaying nasty toenails for all to see. “Eight years of law school, baby. I’m the only one qualified to oversee trials while the, eh heh, honorable princesses are indisposed.”

Grimacing, Sunset shook her head. “Well, I’m a princess, so that makes me judge now!”

The whole room recognized Sunset as such. All eyes fell on her and grew wide at the display of wings and horn. Whispers and awed gasps created a litany of sound throughout the room. The rat judge ruffled his body forward, bearing his ugly set of crooked teeth. “Sorry honey, but that ain’t how the court system works round here. Once a judge is on a case, that judge remains.”

“Then I declare a mistrial,” Sunset argued.

“Except the trial is over, a mistrial can only be called during the trial itself,” chimed in the greasy stallion. His dark eyes were peering over her with an awfully immodest glare. “You’re thinking of an appeal. Which, by the way, may only be called on by her lawyer, which she failed to obtain. Nobody wanted to defend her.”

“Then I call for an appeal or a mistrial or whatever y’all say it is,” Applejack shot back. Her whole body turned to face Sunset as she said, “And I want her to be my lawyer.”

Another round of gasps flowed through the crowd of onlookers, which roused the rat judge to slam down his gavel. “Order! Order in this here court!” he commanded. “Alright, alright. You want another trial? So be it. Toots, you accept bein’ her lawyer?”

“I do,” Sunset approved.

“Fine. Suit yourself. We will reconvene in forty-eight hours for the retrial of Applejack of the Apple family. Bail is set at five thousand bits, and I certainly cannot wait to see what little miss princess over there comes up with. Guards, escort Applejack back to her cell.”

As the royal guard took Applejack away, the earth pony stared her sad eyes at Sunset, and the rest of the spectators filtered out. The rat judge was shielded on his way out too, his dark black robe far too big for his stout, short body. “Lawyering for Applejack, huh?” the deep, abrasive voice spoke to Sunset from the podium. “You know she’s going to lose, right? I haven’t lost a case since my apprenticeship.” The greasy stallion came closer, putting his hooves on the fence that separated court and audience. “I wouldn’t mind giving you a few tips and tricks, not that it’ll do you much good. Her case is unwinnable.” He shot her a wink before passing through the gate and exiting out the courtroom.

I do need a few tips, actually. Not from that sleazeball, of course, but it’s not like I know the first thing about being a lawyer. She stilted against the fence, formulating a plan. First things first, I need to talk to Applejack. If anyone can tell me why she’s really on trial it’d be best straight from the defendant’s mouth.

As she wandered back into the hall, she found that the guards had vanished. She didn’t need them, however. The dungeons hadn’t changed in this world, regardless of the floating city’s predicament. The cold, damp stone paved the way to the cells. A single guard was on duty down within this long hall that never changed. Sleeping peacefully, little murmurs of yips and woofs leapt from his lips, leaving Sunset to recognize that all guards would be unintelligible without a translator. If Fluttershy were here, she might be able to help me out. I wonder where in the world she is, I haven’t seen sign or tail of her.

Several cells were empty or held ponies who did not recognize Sunset, nor did she recognize them. Halfway down the corridor, she found the orange pony lying on the rough cot that was strapped to the wall. The Element of Honesty was staring up at the ceiling, perhaps hoping that if she stared long enough she could drill a hole straight through. “Your lawyer has arrived,” Sunset spoke to the earth pony, rousing the mare from her bed. “I’m here to find out everything I need to know about you.”

Hopping off the bed and rushing to the iron bars, Applejack pressed her face to a gap, a smile pursing her lips, plumping her cheeks. “Oh thank goodness. Finally, someone who can grant my bail.”

“Bail? Sorry, I don’t have that kind of money,” Sunset responded, smiling back, albeit awkwardly.

“What?” pouted Applejack, “But you’re a princess. Can’t you tap into some bank account or somethin’? You’ve got to get me out of here! I’m goin’ mad!” She shook the bars and spun her eyes. “They took my hat, they won’t let me get any of my money, and the prison food is worse than strawberries! Sometimes it is strawberries!”

Sunset scratched the back of her head. “I’ll see what I can do, but don’t expect me to promise. This princess thing is a bit new to me. Being a lawyer is too, unfortunately, but I intend to do my best to get you out of this jam.”

The earth pony sighed, sinking her head lower. “I suppose I ain’t got much of a choice but to trust you—wait, did’ya just say you’re new to being a princess?” Her brows shot together as she sternly examined Sunset. “Come to think of it, that Princess Luna’s only came around recently too. Ain’t ever heard of her before she appeared, but Princess Celestia claimed she was her long lost sister. You a, uh, daughter or something?”

“Daughter!?” A sudden flush coated Sunset’s cheeks and muzzle. “No… No, I’m not—it’s not like that. I was a student to Celestia—well, I’m actually not from this Equestria. I’m from another world where Discord doesn’t rule. I need you and five others to win his game.”

“Not that I’m not grateful for help from a princess from another world, but why me? What’s so special about them five others and me?”

“You’re a bearer of the Elements of Harmony, specifically honesty. All six of you are different bearers. In my world, you six are the best of friends. You’ve practically defeated every villain you’ve come against, you’ve made my Equestria safe and peaceful. What’s so special, you ask? Well, you’re my friends—and that’s what makes you special,” answered Sunset, getting lost in the explanation. They are my friends, regardless of what Discord has made them. I’m not going to lose this one. Time to show Discord the power of friendship. “Will you help me?”

“If I say no, are you still going to help me with this trial?”

“Yes. You’re a friend in need. I’m not going to abandon you high and dry if you refuse to help me.” Of course, after I win this trial for you, I’m going to drag you back regardless. Discord thinks I’m selfish, huh? Next time I talk to him, I’m going to give him what for.

Applejack craned her head, rubbing the soft fur of her chin. “Hmm. I’m gonna have to look and see what sort of profit can be made from helpin’ you… but I’m not sayin’ no just yet. I like the flattery, though.” She chuckled. “You think you can win?”

With a shrug, Sunset threw Applejack’s words back at her, “I’m not saying no just yet.”

“Alright. You get me bailed and then we can go over all the details for my case.” Before Sunset could argue about money, Applejack added, “I’ve got a bank account here in Canterlot. Just go there with my signature and tell ‘em you have power of attorney. They’ll give you the money. You got a piece of paper on ya, by chance?”

Pulling a notebook out from her backpack, which she was thankful still had everything after the ordeal with Rainbow Dash, she tore a piece of paper and handed Applejack a pen. Jotting down her name in the worst cursive writing Sunset had ever seen, Applejack also wrote down details to the bank teller. Sealing it before Sunset could see what she'd written, Applejack handed back the rolled up paper. “That should get you the money you need to bail me. If you can be quick about it, I’d really appreciate it. Forty-eight hours ain’t a whole lot of time, even in this world. Though maybe if you take us to Las Discord, I’ve heard that—”

Sunset cut her off, “Las Discord has been… taken care of.” Did capturing Rainbow Dash fix the time dilation? I really should have checked on that before Discord transported us. Whoops. “Forty-eight hours should be plenty enough time, I just need you to focus on remembering where evidence we could utilize is at, along with any witnesses that might be on your side. I don’t know exactly what you’ve done, but it can’t be as bad as some of the things I’ve seen.”

Applejack winced ever so slightly, but it was there, and Sunset saw it. “Yeah, I think I can do that. You just focus on gettin’ me out of here, first.”

Stuffing the note into a side pocket of her backpack, Sunset gave a nod. “I’ll be back within the hour.” She then rushed off, sprinting back down the hall. The guard had yet to wake up, giving her the opportunity to avoid explaining herself. Rushing up to the rest of the castle, she made no move to stop her charge. Though the pains in her wings hadn't faded, she chose to burst into the open air and take flight, heading directly for the bank of Canterlot. If I remember correctly, it’s called Canterlot Treasury and Records, she reminisced as she flew, eyeing the foliage-covered buildings beneath her wings. It might be tough to find.

Though the expanded plant-life made it difficult to parse the buildings apart, the locations had not changed. As such, Sunset set down in the business sector of Canterlot where accountants, lawyers, politicians, and other such lowlifes made their daily demands. Studying each sign, she passed by ponies whose characteristics matched the chaotic life that had been sprung upon them. One pony she trotted by walked backwards and spoke in reverse. Another, this one a pegasus, had been transformed into a robot, or cyborg, or android. Sunset couldn’t tell exactly where the circuitry ended and the flesh began, but she chose not to question it.

In a world of oddities, Sunset started to feel right at home, herself an oddity as well. A feeling she recognized but refused to give into, which was an understandable reaction. The previous world was still a stain that would not be cleansed easily. The seeping of regret every time she thought of the Community timeline was enough to kick the word home right out of her consciousness. Of course, she tried to think of the previous world as little as possible. Like a father subtracting himself from his family to focus on work, Sunset told herself that she was moving forward for the right reasons. What reasons were those, exactly? I don’t know, but next time Discord and I meet, I’m going to ask him, and I don’t care if he lies to me.

Passing by storefronts meant to showcase business related talents, she found the areas that lacked grass still had their walls coated in shrubbery. Roses sprung up against one building, resembling that of a claw mark or a hand grasping from the earth. When Sunset finally made it to the Canterlot Treasury and Records, she found that it'd become a tree. It was not, however, like that of the Golden Oaks Library of Ponyville. Instead, upon entering, she discovered that a redwood had sprouted up from the center of the teller station and stuffed its branches through the skylight and out onto the roof, covering it entirely.

Ponies sat around discussing with accountants their financial plans while others stood in line waiting to deposit or withdraw from one of the teller mares. One of the bankers was dressed up as a clown while another mare's face was upside-down. The third was a little filly, which would have been normal enough for Sunset had she not seen the crab claws for hooves. Choosing the mare with the upside-down face, Sunset stood in line, waiting patiently for the few ponies to finish their transactions.

When it came time for her to greet the teller, Sunset pulled the note from her backpack. “Hi there, I’m here to make a withdraw,” she said as she started to show the paper, but a quick glance forced it back before the banker could see. You idiot!

“Everything alright, ma’am?” the teller asked, her eyebrow pushing down rather than up.

Sunset caught it just in time, the sadistic words written above Applejack’s cursive signature. She’s either trying to get rid of me or she’s really deserving of that cell, she scathingly thought. The note read: “This is a robbery. Give all the money in the vault to me.” Crumpling up the notepaper, Sunset gave a brief, yet very audible groan of disgust. She shook her head and thumped her muzzle, knowing she could never show just the signature to the teller.

“Yes, uh, I’m a princess. I don’t suppose there are funds specifically for princesses, are there?” Sunset asked, hoping for a bit of luck.

“Do you have any proof that you’re a princess?” the mare tonelessly asked.

Sunset pushed her head forward as if she didn’t understand. Extending her wings to full span, she replied, “I have wings and a horn, isn’t that enough proof?”

“No. Do you have any regalia? Any guards?”

Thinking fast, Sunset levitated the journal she had gotten a few worlds ago out from her backpack. “Here’s my regalia,” she replied, showing the backside of the watch that she'd attached to the binding. Hoping to keep the watch face from view, Sunset gave an awkward smile.

“That’s a watch,” the upside-down face replied, clearly unimpressed.

Slapping her forehead, Sunset shoved the journal back into her bag. “Alright, I don’t have any proof. Can I withdraw from my account then?”

“Sure, what’s your name?”

“Sunset Shimmer,” she replied.

“Any identification?”

Her bottom lip curled down as she winced, knowing she had nothing as proof. Wait! My student ID! Opening a pocket within the backpack, Sunset dragged out the photo identification for CHS. Shoving it to the mare, she said, “Sunset Shimmer, right here.”

The teller mare took the ID in both hooves and stared at it. She stared for a long while. “What the heck is this thing?” she eventually said.

“It’s me! Can’t you tell?” Sunset replied, taking the identification’s photo and shoving it next to her face. “Oh, wait.” Right. Not a pony. Whoops. “Alright, I’ve got nothing.”

With a shrug, the teller leaned left and yelled, “Next!”

“Hold on!” Sunset threw a foreleg up, refusing to be pushed aside. “Can I make a withdraw as Princess Celestia?”

A frown extended upright on the upside-down pony’s face. “There’s no way you can seriously be saying that you’re Princess Celestia.”

“You can’t prove I’m not! Look, I’ve got wings and a horn,” she said, flashing them both. “And I’ve got a sun cutie mark.” Shoving her butt on the counter, Sunset slapped the imagery. “Therefore, I am Princess Celestia. Now give me money.”

“Princess Celestia is white.”

“Yeah, but this is Discord’s world now, so I was transformed… and shortened! And I also lost my wavy hair due to a, uh… deltiology incident!”

The upside-down face shook with surprise. “Deltiology? That sounds quite serious. But where’s your sister?”

“Uh, duh.” Sunset jutted her top teeth in a scornful display of mockery. “It’s not nighttime. Why would she be here? I’m not so certain you’re a real citizen of Canterlot if you don’t recognize me or my sister’s habits. Maybe I should rethink my ideology on banishing ponies…”

“Oh, Princess Celestia! What a wonderful surprise it is to have you in our midst,” the teller mare suddenly shouted loud enough for all the bank to hear. “What can I do for you today, princess?”

“I’d like to withdraw five thousand bits, please,” Sunset replied, a smug sense of satisfaction oozing with every word.

“Right away. Anything for you, Princess Celestia.” The teller then rushed off, only to return a minute later with a sack full of golden coins. “Here you are, princess. Will that be all for today?”

Bowing, Sunset replied, “Yes, thank you.” As she began to walk away, she shouted, “I’ll have your efforts duly noted by our merit department and you shall be rewarded as such.” Exiting the bank, Sunset found that she quite like posing as Princess Celestia, even if it was rather obvious she wasn’t.

With the heavy brown sack in hoof, Sunset took the sky, hoisting the bag with both forelegs. It took her a much slower effort to reach the castle with the extreme weight, but upon arrival she was glad that the heaviness remained the only issue. I’ve never even had this much in my bank account, much less on me. I just hope Celestia doesn’t ask me to pay her back. Trotting her way through the castle to the dungeons, she eventually found the guard, still sleeping, and slapped the fat sack down on the table in front of him, causing him to stir. “I’d like to bail Applejack, please.”

Wiping the drool from his lips, the guard barked twice and rose to get the paperwork. After the thirty-minute process of him counting the coins, he gave an affirmative yap. Following him to Applejack’s cell, the guard unlocked the iron bars and pushed open the jail cell. “You did it! I didn’t think you had it in you,” Applejack commended, rushing to hug the alicorn.

But Sunset put a hoof out, stopping the earth pony. “Yeah, and I was lucky enough to outsmart the teller instead of handing her your shoddy note. If I hadn’t noticed, I would be in the cell next to you,” she growled.

“Aw, come on now. You’re a princess, you coulda solved that lickety-split. Not like anyone would’ve stopped you, ain’t no one had the gall to stand up for themselves since Discord took over,” the earth pony remarked with a shrug of her shoulders. “But if you didn’t rob the place then how’d you get the money? I know I sure as shoot didn’t have none.”

“I claimed to be Princess Celestia and the mare behind the counter bought it,” Sunset replied.

“Well that wasn’t very honest of you,” Applejack scolded, her mouth slanting into a hard line. Pushing her brows together, she stared at the alicorn with a judging, cold gaze, which abruptly faded. “I always did say lawyer and liar were two sides of the same coin. Glad you’re on my side, anypony who can pull a scam like that is worth their weight in bits.”

Rolling her eyes, Sunset replied, “Gee, thanks.”

With a hefty tug, Applejack wrapped her foreleg around Sunset’s neck and pulled her close. “Once this trial is over, you’re gonna have to show me how ya did it. I might be good at pulling the wool over somepony’s eyes but I could always use more tricks up my hat.” She thumped the hat that didn’t exist. “You got a place we can discuss the case? ‘Fraid all my spots were raided and turned into trash heaps, the crummy louts.”

“There’s only one place I can think of that’s good enough to go over everything,” Sunset said, tapping her chin.

“Is it on castle grounds? Because I don’t want them thinkin’ I’ve run off,” Applejack replied.

“Well, it’s not in the castle, but it is close enough.”

Shifting to one side, Applejack gave a disappointed sigh. “It’ll have to do, I guess. Better than standing around in this dank place.” With that resoundingly enthusiastic response, Sunset led the apple mare up and out of the castle. Following the marble path between the tall stalks of grass, they came to a stubble of a trail, one that arched the blades of grass, forming a tunnel. Pressing in, they found the other side was exactly where Sunset wanted to be.

Falling apart and soaked in overgrown weeds that sprouted like wildfire from the walls, the quaint tower home was more than enough to give Sunset and Applejack their overdue talk. Unfortunately, the pathway up into the vestibule was blocked by roots which wrapped around the staircase like a smothering snake. “I can fly us up to the door,” Sunset started to say, but was cut off by the earth pony’s hoof.

Applejack pressed both forelegs onto the first root, which disintegrated beneath them, and then continued onto the next. She made no effort to display her ability any more than it took to exert. Tumbling apart, the roots were cleared with ease. “That’s amazing!” Sunset shouted as she followed Applejack up.

“Really? Shucks. I’ve always had a knack for plants and whatnot. You’re the first to think it’s amazin’, though. Everyone else wants me banished ‘cause of it,” the earth pony replied without missing a beat.

Once inside, the two mares trotted up the steps into the library. In Discord’s world, libraries seemed unneeded. Books provided knowledge and logic, and everything the chaotic king was against. A short whistle left Applejack’s lips before she said, “What a place. Ain’t nothin’ like home. You live here?”

“Me? No. Someone important to me did, though,” Sunset replied as she thought of the Twilight from this world. The Crystal Empire. I wonder what I’ll find there. She then rubbed the thoughts from her mind, concentrating on the here and now. “Have a seat,” she said as she levitated a sofa from behind the staircase into the middle of the room. “We need to go over everything and anything that might be important for your trial, starting with why exactly you were arrested.”

“Oh, that? Shoot.” Applejack slammed her rump on the couch, jutting up the sibling cushion. “Where to begin? Well, the main reason was for forgery, which, I’m not sayin’ isn’t fair but I was pretty careful in craftin’ that piece of paper up. Of course, that’s the only thing they know about, all the others they just tacked on, I’d say. Like how it brought up the griftin’ charge, but I think that’s on account to all those cons I pulled, which I guess also leads into the thievin’ I did.” She chuckled and snorted, laughing about it as if it were a comedy act.

“Applejack! That’s a lot of things!” Sunset gawked.

“I’m not even done yet. Don’t forget to close your mouth, don’t want no flies gettin’ in.” She stifled a short chortle. “The real kicker was the whole plant destruction thing. I don’t see it as no big deal, but apparently ponies don’t like it when you destroy all the food in Canterlot so that yours is the only one growing.” Slumping in her seat, she rolled her eyes with an ignorantly dismissive expression. “I don’t think they’d’ve caught on if I hadn’t hiked up my rates. Shoot, nobles were throwing their expensive undergarments just for their daily dose of apples.”

Sunset put a hoof to her forehead and yanked on the strands of mane that hung down. I’ve made a terrible mistake.

World 5: Chapter 8

Sunset trotted down the steps of the tower home, two mugs of newly heated tea levitated in front of her. Reaching the bottom, she swiftly turned to face the sofa, handing off a mug to the bored earth pony. Placing her own mug down on the coffee table she had previously dragged from the upstairs, she took a few of the scraps of notes with her hooves. Okay. We’ve gone over the crimes against her, which she’s fully admitted are all true and have an actual basis. That means we’re going to have to find character witnesses and use loopholes in the prosecution’s testimonies. Doing all that, we might have a chance. There were several law books on the table Sunset had found on the top shelves within the home, all of them would need to be read before the trial began.

The stress of the situation she had placed herself in was becoming unbearable. Night came, darkening the sky in a blackened, endless void, though it was difficult to see from the large window, morning glories covered the outside. Her tired eyes were growing weary with every second she spent jotting down information or glancing at the study guides. “Can’t we blame somepony else? Or feign that I didn’t know I was doin’ it? I mean, how can they even prove that I have the power to do somethin’ like that?”

Sunset sat for a while, waiting for her tea to cool. “That’s not a bad idea. Can you control it? If I were to get a plant right now, could you not destroy it?”

“Well, uh, no,” Applejack replied, a frown crossed her lips. “Unless it’s an apple.”

“Then there’s the evidence you did do it, we won’t be able to deny it.” Sunset sat back against the sofa, feeling the softness sooth her aching back. Taking a sip, she suddenly pushed away the mug. “But if you can’t control it then we can claim that it’s out of your control! You can’t help this world’s curse upon you any more than the guards can help their barking or that one lady with the really weird claws for hooves, which is something that I had dreamed about as a filly and it always worried me that I’d mess up a spell and I’d transform into a crab or something and be unable to—” Sunset ran out of breath.

“Sunset! What in Equestria are you goin’ on about!?”

“What I’m saying—” She paused to wheeze “—is that we can argue that you have no control over this power of yours. You might be a threat to plant life, but it isn’t your fault. That may mean banishment from Canterlot but certainly not jail time.”

Smacking her hooves together, Applejack replied, “That’s great, Sunset! I mean, I already tried to do that but it sounds more impressive coming from you! But I’m not sure they’d banish me. S’not like they have the gall to do so. Only reason I’m here is ‘cause they won’t let ponies leave.”

“How do ponies leave? That rat judge… he leaves. I’ve seen him twice now in two different places. Who is he?”

“You kiddin’? Nopony wants to leave. They fear the outside world, and they have every right to be. It’s a terrifying place. He came from the outside world. I even heard there’s a place up north called the Crystal Empire. I thought about headin’ that way and stealin’ some of those pretty gems, but apparently there’s a pony forcing others into a theater troupe. Ain’t no way I’m gonna be a fancy schmancy performer.”

Sunset rolled her eyes. Right. You just prefer to be a regular actor, conning ponies out of their money. Tapping her hooves together, Sunset took another sip of her tea. “Alright,” she said after she finished, “Explaining your inability to control your ability is just one of many steps. We still need to punch holes in your grifting, thieving, and forging. Do you have any character witnesses we could call who would side with you and tell stories about how good you are?”

“There’s my brother, but he ain’t here in Canterlot.”

“Where is he?”

With a shrug, Applejack replied, “Beats me. Last time I saw him he had a money problem.”

“What kind of problem?” Sunset squinted.

“He wouldn’t lend me any.” Applejack burst into laughter, slapping her knee and spilling her tea.

Sunset tucked her chin to her chest to stifle her short giggle. At least this bearer isn’t trying to hurt me or others, and she’s got a better sense of humor than Pinkie Pie. “Anyone else? Someone other than family would be preferable.”

“Well, sure, but I ain’t have the faintest idea where they might be. Certainly not in Canterlot.”

“Anyone in Canterlot? You’ve got some fellow ne’er-do-wells, I’d imagine.”

A single brow raised on Applejack’s face. “Neigh, thee shant haveth a single soul within thine confines of Canterlot,” she mockingly replied. “I came to Canterlot after Discord took over, mostly ‘cause of what he did to Ponyville. Why he had to settle there, I’ll have to ask him if I ever meet him.”

“If we don’t have any witnesses, it’ll be a short trial.” Sunset took a book in hoof, opening to a page she'd marked. “Though this case doesn’t have a jury, so pleading to the emotional bonds of ponies isn’t exactly necessary. Of course, that only makes this more difficult. Evidence that’s direct will be more of my territory, I’ll have to go and see if any evidence previously entered. It’s the more circumstantial evidence I’m worried about. If they bring on an expert witness who can explain with certainty on how you did these things then my cross-examination of that witness is going to be filled with terrible questions.”

“Why are you so hung up on witnesses?”

“Well, I’m not expecting too much physical evidence, to be honest. I mean, you never confessed, you didn’t attack anyone, and no one ever saw you steal anything. We know these three things. The only thing you claim they found was the forged documents and the fruit stand, and even that is lackluster. The ponies you conned are eyewitnesses at best, but never legitimately saw you steal their money, or they gave it to you willingly. That means it all comes down to witnesses. If I can question the credibility of their accounts, I think we can win this. If we had our own witnesses, we could prep them enough to the point where you’d come out looking more like a victim rather than a villain.”

Applejack sat forward. “You really do sound like a lawyer. If you weren’t a princess, I’d say you were a villain,” she replied, a short, uneasy laugh followed.

“Me? A villain?” Sunset flustered, hiding her muzzle. “Come on. Enough joking around. It’s late—I think. I need to sleep if I’m going to round up evidence tomorrow.”

“We’ve spent most of today doin’ a whole lot of nothing. You sure you can get everything done tomorrow? Anythin’ you need me to do?” Applejack asked.

“I need you to not cause any more trouble and I need you to stay within Canterlot. Can you do those two things for me?”

Applejack tilted her head like a confused dog. “If you wanted me to behave, why’d you bail me out? Seems a little silly if you ask me.” She gave a slow, exaggerated shrug. “I suppose I’ll hit the hay too.” The earth pony then jumped from the sofa and trotted up the steps to the second floor. “Goodnight!”

“Hey wait, why do you—” The earth pony slammed the second-floor bedroom door before Sunset could finish “—get the bed…” Tugging on her eyelids, Sunset rested herself on the sofa, curling into a little ball. What an aggravation. Grabbing at one of the many books, Sunset held it above her face. I’ve got to learn all I can. Applejack’s quite the villain, but she’s the first to actually be friendly with me. I can’t let her slip through my hooves like Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash. Her face fell expressionless. Will it even matter, though? Discord’ll lock her in a cage regardless. What an aggravation.

Pulling the book to her chest, she hadn’t noticed how tired she'd become. A rough night of sleep in the cake dirt, barely a wink in Las Discord, and a day of running around driven by adrenaline only, it was enough to wear a gal out. Yet she still feared sleep, or more accurately, the dream that came with the deep sleep. The golden flowers, the indigo gazebo, the foreboding sky. It was always there whenever sleep rolled around, like a dozen hands reaching out and pulling her down through the ground into another world.

The more she thought about it, the more it became true. She hadn’t realized it but she was no longer just thinking of the golden petals and green stems, she was seeing them. A thousand of the little flowers in every direction.

She was glad that this time it had let her keep her pony self. Returning as a biped only made her miss her friends at CHS more. “This place is supposed to be calm,” she said to the flowers, “Yet I’ve always got a hollow feeling in my chest whenever I’m here, like something cut a hole in me and stole my spirit.”

Brushing the tops of the petals with the frog of her hoof, it almost felt real. This world around her never seemed to change, unlike the timelines that she was only passing through. It held a quaint, ugly feeling that rooted itself in her stomach, like something had happened to someone she cared deeply for. She felt it the first time she had awoken in the dream world, and the second, the third, and even as she stood in the field now, she felt it. She knew something drew her here, but there was never any rhyme or reason. Black pods that shot up from the ground, a thousand copies of her friends, Midnight Sparkle, or a lonely soul crying. It was never exactly the same.

She screamed, cried, begged, ignored, laughed, and sat completely still. None of it had done any good. Yet now, in pony form, she wanted to try all those things again. Was it insanity? To Sunset, it felt like perseveration. The ultimate sensation of repeating the same sort of things only to achieve nothing.

Yet it wasn’t the same. She had seen it herself. Black pods, copies of her friends, Midnight Sparkle, and a lonely soul crying. It was never the same. Just like every timeline she had hopped into, just like every bearer she had met. They weren’t the same. She wasn’t the same pony as when she first mistakenly set foot and hoof in Equestria, touching the crystal table and finding herself in a different time. It may have been the same consequences, the same journeys, and the same outcomes, but it was always different.

Somehow, she found herself standing inside the indigo gazebo, though she couldn't remember walking up the hill. A villain reigns, gather the bearers, and leave through the table. It’s always the same. But it wasn’t, because she had grown past the perseveration. She pushed it aside like an unwanted side dish. Perseverance had replaced perseveration, even when she felt the worst about herself.

Discord had spoken, showing her selfishness, and she knew he was right, she felt he was right. Yet it didn’t stop her. She didn’t care that he was right, and she knew that it was selfish to feel that way.

Tirek had told her she was angry, but was he right? She had been angry. Her anger focused on herself more than anyone else, but that was selfish, wasn’t it? Unlike Tirek, however, Discord didn’t tell her that the feeling was wrong to have or that she should suppress it. Why? Why had he done such a thing to her? Tirek picked at the emotion she put out to protect herself, yet Discord picked at the thing she was protecting.

As she stood in the gazebo, she expected someone or something to make an appearance. To scold her, to belittle her, to tell her she was right in feeling those emotions. She wanted something to happen. If something did, she could use that perseverance that she'd built up, forwarding herself to the next day. To face head on what new challenge would appear.

But this world was never exactly the same, and so, nothing happened.

She was forced to sit alone in the indigo gazebo surrounded by golden flowers. She sat there until she woke up naturally, a single ray of sunlight piercing the batch of morning glories that coated the window. It struck her right in the forehead as if the world said, “Wake up!” And she did.

With a hefty yawn and a stiff crick in her neck, she stretched and groaned. Her mane lapped itself upward, which she pushed down with her magic, sorting it back into place. She could hear the snoring of the earth pony, which was a good sign. Glad she didn’t sneak off in the middle of the night, Sunset thought as she herself was sneaking off. Closing the front door as quietly as possible, she trotted down the outside staircase and made her way through the tunnel of grass.

There were a plethora of things she needed to accomplish before the day’s end. She started by collecting the trial information and any paperwork regarding evidence. When she arrived, she was thankful no evidence had been previously brought in. It didn’t take long for her to be in and out, which meant she had more time to investigate Applejack’s malicious shop. The earth pony had said it was in Restaurant Row, a place she knew intimately. When Sunset arrived, coasting down from the sky and landing in front of the Row, she understood why Applejack was suspect number one.

Closed signs covered all the eateries, some even had their names taken down, choosing to sell rather than go further into the red. In contrast was a single apple stand sitting as a benchmark in the middle of the road. Empty barrels scattered the sides, and Sunset assumed there had been more, though now stripped away by the guard. The only food remaining were a few apple cores. A couple bits sat tucked into a corner of the stand, but no passersby attempted to steal them since the Row was effectively closed. This certainly won’t help our case. She knew what she was doing by setting up here. She wanted to watch as the restaurants closed, to force ponies to come to her.

Sunset made notes of every little thing she could. Having a complete picture was the most important thing. And she knew that also meant digging up information from what the prosecution had gathered. With haste, she returned to the business section of Canterlot, hoping to find the greasy stallion’s office.

It wasn’t difficult. Upon finding the cleanest looking two-story building within the subdivision, she knew it belonged to the prosecutor, who was clearly compensating for his own crummy personality. Luck would be on her side if she played her cards right.

Pushing forward into the office, she was greeted by a tired, old mare. The bags under her eyes could be read like lines in a tree stump, telling Sunset that the mare was ancient. As old as she may have been, she still greeted the alicorn with a youthful tone. “Why hello there miss. How lovely you are. What may I do for you?”

“Hi there. I’m actually looking for—”

“Ohh, are you the princess who took the Applejack defense?” interrupted the old mare. “You are as brave as you are pretty. My son has worked up quite the case against her, you know.”

“Your son?”

As if on cue, the greasy stallion yelled from the second floor, “Hey, ma, you got those records put away yet? I’ve got another task that needs stapling.” When he reached the bottom step, his eyes were filled with surprise. He abruptly pushed out his chest, which stretched his suit. “Well, well. Look who it is. Come for a few tips and tricks already? I figured you couldn’t keep away.”

Sunset kept her jaw shut tight, refusing to show signs of disgust. “Yeah, you could say that.”

“You came to the right stallion.” He was suddenly very close to Sunset, barely a muzzle space between them. “Perhaps we could discuss it over dinner?”

“It’s a little early for dinner,” the mare behind the counter replied. “I can make you two some soup if you’d like.”

“Ma.” The stallion rolled his eyes. “Mind your own business, you old hag.” He then took Sunset by the neck and pulled her in close. “What’d’ya say, hun? It might be an early dinner but I’m sure there’s plenty I could teach you. Who knows? Maybe it’ll run all night if you’re a… fast learner.” The smell of his breath hit Sunset’s nose in such a way that she almost gagged on the spot. It reminded her of the taste from the gel within the changeling pods.

“Sure, dinner sounds great,” she replied. I can’t believe I’m agreeing to this, but I need more information about his suit against Applejack. She eased out of his grip and gave an unsure smile, which she forced herself to hold till he looked away. Following the stallion out, the old mare waved them goodbye, which Sunset felt compelled to wave back. How can this ill-mannered guy come from her? She seems sweet.

The greasy stallion brought her to a restaurant that had remained in business, though it was nowhere near Restaurant Row. On the inside, colors of dark grey, cobalt, and medallion gold mixed together in a melding pot, spouting onto the furniture, walls, and staff in a delicate display. For all her disgust and antipathy of the greasy stallion, she had to admit his tastes were excellent.

It was apparent that he was a regular customer to the establishment as two waiters escorted them to a table far in the back away from other patrons. Sitting down, Sunset felt ashamed as the waiters covered her lap in a cloth napkin.

She hadn’t thought about it previously, but the restaurant brought a memory into her brain she could not ignore. It was there in the CRT televisions as well, a painful moment brought up by Discord’s magic. I was just using him to become popular, the words surfaced. As the greasy stallion said something, she smelled the rancid breath hit her nose again, watering her eyes. No. This isn’t the same. I’m doing this to help Applejack. She frowned. No. That’s not it. I’m doing this for me. And I’m okay with that.

“A pretty thing like you should smile more—though if I was working Applejack’s case, I’d be miserable all the time,” the stallion said before taking a swig of water. His perfectly white teeth flashed as he set down the glass. “She’s going away for a long time. After everything that she did, I’m surprised anyone stuck up for her. Why’d you do it, anyway?”

“She’s a friend,” Sunset responded, though she knew not to tell him of how she knew her. “She’s also a pawn in Discord’s game, as am I. He wants me to collect the bearers of the Elements of Harmony, and Applejack is the Element of Honesty. If I collect them all, the world goes back to normal.” I hope.

“Whoa. That’s a lot to take in.” The greasy stallion sat back in his chair. “You’ve met Discord? Have you been out in the world this entire time?”

“Yes, and technically yes. I’ve been to the Not-So-Bad-Badlands and Las Discord, after I get Applejack out of here I plan on heading to the Crystal Empire, then to Griffonstone. From what I hear, you Canterlot folk haven’t left the city since Discord took over.”

“I was born in Canterlot, I’ve lived here my whole life. I don’t have a reason to leave, especially when I still get attorney cases here and there.” Slouching forward, the stallion set his hoof extended on the table. “But just between you and me, they’re paying me big bits for this case. I mean, can you believe that? You’d have to be an idiot to lose a case against Applejack.”

That’s what I’m hoping for, Sunset thought, though she held a stoic expression. “Win or lose for me, I’m taking Applejack out of here. Winning just means an easier time of escape.”

“Really? She’s that important to this game of Discord’s?”

“Well, yeah. You don’t think reverting the world back to a normal Equestria is important?”

His white grin curled her stomach. “Sure, sure. But we’re fine in Canterlot. Who cares what happens out there? High walls, Discord leaves us alone, and nothing bad ever happens. Well, except for Applejack. She’s the only terror we’ve had since Discord’s takeover.”

“So what were some of the things she did? She wouldn’t tell me everything,” Sunset lied.

“What hasn’t she done?” replied the stallion, his eyes rolling in his skull. “I mean, turning the crops into mush is one thing, but she then denied any knowledge of the act. She tried to fake it by holding an apple in her hoof and claiming she had no power over it, that it wouldn’t rot.”

“Did it rot?”

“No, of course not. Everypony knows she has control over whatever power Discord’s chaos blessed on her. We’ve got a line of eyewitness testimonies putting her at the scene when it was discovered the agricultural center had been destroyed.”

“Really? Did they actually see her using her power? What’s it like?”

The stallion shook his head. “No, but she was seen at the scene of every crime since then, and we’re not sure how she’s been getting apples up here. We’ve flushed her hangout spots and haven’t found any trees. It’s the weirdest thing. If we had, it would be open and closed. No need for a trial or anything.”

Sunset hadn’t realized it but the restaurant did not provide menus. This was because the staff already knew what the greasy stallion liked to eat, and what he liked to see his guests eating. A thin bowl of salad was placed in front of her while the opposing attorney was given a heaping pile of grilled diced potatoes mixed in with roasted asparagus, bell peppers, onions, and garlic, all atop dirty rice. The waiter sprinkled on a soy-based sauce atop the stallion’s delicious looking meal and then added some ground pepper. He then turned to Sunset to offer the pepper as well, but the greasy lawyer immediately shooed him away. “Pepper would add too much kick for a delicate flower.”

She didn’t like the greasy stallion’s display of chauvinism and was growing tired of smelling the rancid breath. Luckily, stuffing his mouth improved the odor, giving her a chance to breath. Taking the smallest bite she could, she chewed and downed before continuing with the gathering of information. “I’m sure you know a lot of ways that crimes like Applejack’s can be defended. Do you often do prosecution or are you mostly defense?”

“Prosecution pays the bits. Defense is more fun. I once aided in getting a mare out of a fine for burglary. She was absolutely guilty, but the guards had made a mess of the scene. Glass had been found outside the window as well as in, and my case went against the claim that the window was broken by my defendant.” He popped a potato into his mouth but continued to talk. “Since glass was outside, I argued the victim had broken the window himself and that my client had heard the noise and decided to investigate. The court bought it.”

“Whoa, impressive.” Sunset tried to sound impressed, though she was more repulsed by his openness to his fabrications. “There was no real evidence found for Applejack, though, right? Just circumstantial? Not to say that isn’t enough, but certainly nothing concrete.”

“She’s a slippery one,” he remarked. “From what I hear, her little hidey-hole had been flushed clean before they arrested her. All the stolen goods were gone, and most of the bits she'd collected. Nothing but the forged documents. It was really odd. The strangest thing was that she didn’t throw up a fight or argue against the accusations, like she wanted to be thrown into the dungeon. Most cases I’ve worked on have the defendant explain how they’re not guilty, but she didn’t say a word till her day in court. To be perfectly honest, I saw no need to gather evidence against her. She seemed to want to be there, so I figured the witnesses and the coinciding proof was enough. And I was right—until you showed up.”

“Sorry about that.” She wasn’t really sorry. “But you said she wanted to be thrown in the dungeon? She didn’t act like that when I met with her. She begged to be bailed out.”

With a mouthful of food, the stallion replied, “Who cares? Won’t matter once tomorrow comes around. I think she was just mad she got caught. Internalizing her anger and whatnot. That’s bad for you, from what I hear. Makes you go a little crazy. She’ll have a long time to express her feelings down in those deep dark cells.”

Staring at the salad, Sunset wondered if she made a mistake in bailing Applejack out of prison. Why would she accept going to the castle dungeons? She acted like she needed to get out of a burning building. A stifling thought then shot through her. Did she suggest sleeping outside of the castle or inside? Was I the one who brought it up or her? She knew the answer. It was Applejack. She wanted to stay close to the castle. Why? She claimed that she didn’t want the guards thinking she ran off. But why would she care what the guards thought when she didn’t resist them arresting her? When she offered no defense?

“You haven’t touched your meal,” the stallion suddenly spoke. “Saving room for dessert, eh? I’m a pretty good sundae maker. Why don’t we head back to my place?”

Sunset stood brusquely, letting her napkin fall to the ground. “Sorry, but you’re really revolting. Luckily, this wasn’t a waste of my time. You just made me realize why exactly Applejack let herself be caught.” Without saying another word, Sunset rushed from the restaurant, the confused greasy stallion shouting slurs after her. There was no more time to waste.

Applejack wanted something within Canterlot Castle. She let herself get arrested. She wanted to be bailed. She wanted to stay within the grounds. All these things are connected. And I’d bet my wings and horn that it has to do with something she’s wanting to steal. But what could make her greed grow so furiously as to plan such a scheme?

There was only one wish Sunset had: to find Applejack still lulling about within the tower home. The sky had grown to an orange vibrant radiance, and the twilight hours would be arriving.

Gliding down from above, Sunset slammed her shoulder into the door, unable to stop the laws of motion. She was not phased, however, pushing up to the stairs and into the library. “Applejack? Applejack!” she shouted. There was no answer.

The upstairs bedroom was empty, the kitchen cold, and the bathroom dark. The earth pony left.

I only asked for one thing Applejack! Cursing her own trusting nature, Sunset pushed back out into the ever limiting light. She wanted to be on castle grounds, that’s gotta mean she wants to be within range of the castle itself. Entering through the back entrance, Sunset was certain the lying mare would be somewhere within the halls. This is going to take forever. I’ve still got to prep her for tomorrow and continue brushing up on the way courts work. Motivated, Sunset began rustling through the rooms with an abhorrent meticulousness that would rival Twilight Sparkle’s book cataloging skills. She wanted to leave no stone untouched.

That is until she came to a room on the second floor where the rat judge was basking in the servitude of the pony staff. “Look what the cat dragged in,” the rat mocked, pulling down his oversized sunglasses. She was getting tired of stumbling upon the unclean, unkempt, and uncouth rat, though she should have known he would be somewhere on castle grounds. She had not expected the pony staff would be so open to serving him. “You here to give up on the trial?”

“No. I’m looking for my client. She seems to have stumbled off somewhere,” she answered.

“Hope she doesn’t get caught doin’ any more crimes. That’d be bad for tomorrow.” The rat chuckled, only to choke on a grape, to which he promptly spat on the floor.

“If I lose tomorrow, you better hope our paths don’t stumble across each other again.” Sunset felt she needed to warn the rat, though it was more threateningly vague than she intended.

“Aw, is the poor pony princess upset? This is why nobody pals around with you. How’d it go with that Rainbow Dash gal? Not well, I’d say, since she ain’t with you.” Pushing back up his glasses, he waved for a staff member to come close, to which one did, dropping another grape into his rotting gullet.

“She—”

“I don’t care,” the rat interrupted, waving his other claw at her. “I’m sure you got a lot of preparing to do for tomorrow, toots. Chop chop.”

As much as Sunset wanted to blow a gasket on the rude little rat, she knew he was right. Rushing on, she let herself cool off by muttering under her breath. She needed to keep a cold demeanor once she found the earth pony, and she couldn’t do that if she remained angry. Bursting her rage on the apple mare would only drive her away.

It took her a while, a long while, to search the upper floors. But it was not within the golden rooms or extravagant galleries that she found the Element of Honesty. It was not until she sunk lower into the storage rooms beneath the first floor that she discovered the mare. Of course, what the mare had found was far more surprising. “Sunset? You found me. That’s a bit of a surprise. How’d you know where to look?”

“I looked everywhere,” she answered, staring at the reflection of the earth pony along with her own. “Why’s that here? Do you even know what that thing is?”

Applejack smiled. “A gateway to another world, one that only opens every thirty moons.”

“It’s dangerous, Applejack. Is this why you wanted to stay within the castle grounds? You wanted to escape to another world?”

“Escape? Sugarcube, this world is meant for me. I love it here! It’s great.” She craned her head back to look directly at the alicorn. “You really think I want to run away? Nah. I just want to steal this thing.”

“Why? What could you possibly have need of it?” she asked, confused.

“You kiddin’? It’d make the perfect little hidin’ spot to lay low for a while. Nopony would know where I was, and nopony could follow me. It’s the perfect tool for a thief, the perfect asset. If I had this thing in my possession, I’d be unstoppable. Even if they raided my hideouts all they’d find is this thing. I’d store all my valuables on the other side.”

“Applejack… Have you been to the other side?”

The earth pony furrowed her brows. “Well, no, not yet. From what I understand, it doesn’t open for another four nights and days. Once it does, though, I’m headin’ through. I’ve got to see what this other world is like. Shoot, there might be even more stuff there that’s worth stealin’.”

Sunset held a puckered lip as she shook her head. “The only stuff worth stealing is in this world. I know that better than anyone.”

World 5: Chapter 9

Sunset couldn’t sleep. She wouldn’t sleep. She wanted to make sure the earth pony remained within the tower home the entire night. The day of the trial was upon them, and she was going to be sure Applejack would be there to see it. Of course, that wasn’t her only reason to remain awake. She hadn’t stopped thinking about the conversation between them as they stood in front of the mirror. She had told Applejack everything. Of the inhabitants, of the school, of her own past. And Applejack accepted it all.

“Well, shoot, why don’t you just go back home? I mean, if you’ve never gone through then how do you truly know it won’t lead back to your own world? Maybe your friends are waiting on the other side,” Applejack had suggested, whether it was helpful or not.

It opened a world of questions that Sunset was unsure she wanted answers for. It may be that it would take me back to CHS, to my friends. Or it may not. This world isn’t just a different world like the mirror version, it’s the same but with a different past. The mirror is completely different, and it would make sense that every timeline has its own version. I have to believe that. If I don’t hold that belief, there’ll be nothing stopping me from trying to enter that mirror in four days. My will to resist isn’t strong enough.

Those thoughts kept her awake. Those thoughts had always been there, but the mirror was always out of reach. Now she had the opportunity to act, but she was unsure if finding out was really what she wanted. Even if it did lead back to her own CHS, she would lose the Equestria she'd grown up in. And if it wasn’t, she would find another monster that she hoped never to face again, other than within the contents of her own memories.

When the light punctured the morning glories, Sunset knew it was time to get up. She had already set everything she needed inside her backpack and categorized her notes alphabetically. She even cleaned herself up, which was more of a morale boost than anything. It made her feel good, the cleanliness drew away the stress and pains.

She waited until Applejack awoke, the trial only a few hours away. Making toast and coffee for both of them, Sunset was able to bear witness to the earth pony’s inability to touch food. “So it affects plants and things made of plants, but not apples? Why not apples?” Sunset asked, sipping her coffee afterward.

“Beats me. ‘Nother thing to ask Discord, I reckon.”

A form of irony, I guess. He likes irony. An apple can’t destroy an apple. Finishing her coffee quickly, Sunset was ready to get to the castle. She wanted to be in the heat of the moment, she needed her mind to be taken off the magic mirror. “You ready to head out?” she asked the earth pony.

“I suppose. How certain are you that we’ll win today? With your magic, we could just teleport that mirror out and be gone from Canterlot before they even know it.”

The greedy temptress pushed the mirror back into Sunset's mind, no matter how much she wanted to be rid of the thoughts. “I think you’re going to have to work on that mirror another time, without my help. It’s just… not something I want to think about.”

Applejack shrugged and stood up. “Suit yourself.” With a quick downing of her coffee, she followed Sunset out of the tower home. The two trotted through the grassy tunnel and stepped into the shadow of the castle. They chose to enter through the back, looping around the long way to avoid the crowd entering the main entrance. When they were sure the spectators were seated, they headed in right behind the greasy stallion. His angered glare aimed at Sunset from his podium, but she chose to ignore it.

The rat judge arrived last. His black robe dragged behind him as he walked. When he climbed the steps to the booth and sat down, he put on his powdered pompadour. “Court is now in session,” he said, slapping his gavel for no other reason than to sound threatening. “This oughta be good. Opening statements, prosecution goes first. Yadda, yadda.”

Opening statements? That’s for jury cases. There’s no jury. Sunset grimaced, feeling the unease already tightening her stomach.

“Thank you, your honor,” the stallion said, stepping in front of his podium. “I see no real reason to have an opening statement. You know all of Applejack’s guilt about as well as I do. Grifting, thieving, forging, and destroying our food source. These are all things she’s done, and today I’m going to prove it with only a hoofful of witnesses. We will be asking for the maximum penalty. That is all, your honor.”

“Defense, openin’ statement,” the rat judge said, unenthused.

Stepping forward, Sunset cleared her throat. “Your honor, I see no reason to have an opening statement either. This court may believe Applejack is guilty, but I have looked thoroughly into the accounts given and I am more than ready to disprove all accusations. To have an opening statement would be a mockery to this court, as this isn’t even a case worth debating. My client is a victim, not a criminal.” She sounded confident. She was confident. She needed everyone in the room to believe her. “That is all, your honor.”

The rat judge acknowledged her with a short hum. “Prosecution had openin’ statement, defense gets first witness. Do you even have a witness, toots?”

“Actually, I do. I call Applejack to the stand.” Everything she had read for defense cases told her never to call your own client to the stand. The prosecution had no right to call her, it was only the defense’s decision. Yet she prepped Applejack, she knew how Applejack could respond, and she made sure Applejack would play the victim.

Trotting up to the witness box, Applejack sat in the plush seat and gave a wide smile. “Proceed, princess,” the rat judge told Sunset.

“Applejack. You have heard the claims against you. Could you reiterate them for us, please?”

Applejack nodded. “Grifting, thievery, forgery, and destroying a food source.”

“And are any of those claims true?” she asked the earth pony.

“Yes.”

The spectators shook with gasps, resounding the room in reverberation. The chatter went on so much that the rat judge was forced to bring down the gavel, ordering the room to be silent. Sunset caught a glimpse of the greasy lawyer, a sly grin on his face, and she knew he was eating it up. “Which of the claims are true, if any?” she asked.

“The, uh, one about destroying the food source, the agricultural center,” answered Applejack.

“But not the others?”

“No.”

“So, why did you destroy the crops? What was your reasoning?” she asked.

“It wasn’t on purpose or anythin’,” Applejack claimed, a sudden lilt came to her voice. “I-I was just visiting to see if I could help improve our crops, to maybe add some more produce that we lacked. That’s… that’s when I discovered…” The earth pony was growing increasingly upset, just like they practiced. “Discord has cursed me with a power that I cannot control. I hadn’t even known I’d done it until later. When I heard about it, I was devastated. I wanted to turn myself in, but I knew it wouldn’t do any good. I resolved to help as best as I knew how.”

Sunset nodded. “So, you only found out later. How and when did you decide to help?”

“A few days after I heard, I set up a booth on Restaurant Row. The shops were all closing down, but hungry ponies were coming there anyway. At first, I was settin’ up for free, giving away my own produce—apples, which Discord cruelly made to be unaffected by my awful power—but that stopped when ponies started takin’ too many. I was forced to set up a cost, which grew over time, tryin’ to keep it to where everypony was fed.”

“So, you weren’t being greedy. Instead, you were generous. You were helpful when no one else was.” Sunset paced the court. “And yet everyone turned against you. Blaming the victim as much as anyone else. You came from Ponyville, correct? That’s where Discord now reigns?”

“That’s right. He tore my home apart. I came to Canterlot to make sure no one else had their homes destroyed like I did.”

“Objection, your honor.” The greasy stallion waved a hoof.

“What is your basis?” replied the judge.

“These questions are leading down a path that has nothing to do with the case. The defense’s case is being based around Applejack’s character, not her actions.”

“I’ll retract my last question, your honor,” Sunset agreed. “Nothing further.” As she returned to her podium, she passed along a smug smirk to the greasy lawyer.

The prosecution was up next, to which the stallion stepped into the open space. “Applejack, you claim you’re a victim, yet you were charged specifically for forgery. That was your original crime, your original arrest stated so. You deny this charge?”

“I do. I went through all the legal channels,” Applejack lied.

“Is there anyone to back up this claim?” he asked.

“Yes. I had it formally signed at the Department of Architecture in front of a notary,” answered Applejack.

“And yet you were asking for permission for a booth to be set up in Restaurant Row, which is not under the jurisdiction of the Department of Architecture, as your notary should have known. Where is your notary now?”

Sunset shouted, “Objection! Leading the witness.”

“Overruled. No notary witnesses have been accounted for. A legitimate question. Please answer, Applejack,” the judge discounted.

But the earth pony shrugged. “I believe she left Canterlot. She was a pegasus after all, and she even said she was heading to Las Pegasus.” Sunset wanted to be sure Applejack said Las Pegasus. She ingrained it into the earth pony’s brain. Canterlot has not been subject to the rest of the world, meaning they don’t know of the problems caused by the bearers. That includes name changes.

“So you’re claiming then that the architecture department should have been aware they had no jurisdiction? Is that what you’re suggesting?” the stallion inquired.

“Objection!” Sunset hollered. “That’s definitely leading the witness.”

With a hefty groan, the judge kicked up his grody feet. “Sustained. Keep the questions direct, prosecution. The dame can’t answer for the actions of others.”

The stallion gave a curt nod. “I’ll continue to the other crimes against you, which you say are all false.” Trotting to the podium, he grabbed a few notes. “Several incoming witnesses claim you fooled them out of bits. That you raised the prices of your goods so high that almost nopony was able to afford them when the cost should have been much lower. Do you deny this?”

“Yes. I was obliged to raise my prices. It was not malicious,” she replied. “As earlier stated.”

“That then means it would be a he said she said so long as there was no proof. Interestingly enough, I have proof that I would like to administer to this court.” Approaching the bench, the stallion handed off paperwork that the judge took and studied. “I somehow found time last night to discuss with a few of my witnesses their sides of the story and get physical proof.” His grimy smirk crossed Sunset’s cone of vision, the smugness radiated as he walked.

“An IOU from Applejack,” the judge stated, holding up the parchment and Applejack’s cursive writing for all to see. “We’ll enter it into the records. Continue.”

“This piece of evidence came from a Wonderbolt by the name of Soarin who is one of the members of my witness team today. Though his intentions were pure, his actions were not. As such, he has asked for a bargain to testify against the defendant.”

The rat judge nodded. “And what was his involvement?”

“He is the one who fettered apples from an outside source made by the defendant in exchange for a piece of her prize. When he came to claim, all he found was that document stating that she would owe him. Her greed clearly knows no bounds.”

Applejack! Why didn’t you tell me about this!? We could have gone over this if you had! We could have bargained with Soarin into helping us rather than that jerk! Sunset’s chest tightened as she listened.

“Do you deny this claim, Applejack?” the prosecution asked.

To Sunset’s surprise, the earth pony had more quick wit than Sunset gave her. “I do. The IOU wasn’t given to Soarin as payment for anythin’,” she answered. “He was one of the few that came to my stand, but I'd run out of apples that day, and so I promised he’d have double the next so long as he was selfless enough to share with the great Wonderbolts. Their shows are a bright light amongst the darkness that Discord has brought down upon us. We are all saddened that their leader has disappeared.”

Applejack! Yes! You clever mare!

The prosecution grimaced, his brows slimming in the direction of Sunset. “No further questions, your honor. My witnesses will be more than enough.”

Crossing down from the booth, Applejack trotted her way to Sunset who gave the earth pony a big hug. “I guess I did good, huh?” Applejack asked as she pulled away. “How are our chances?”

“Far better.” Sunset felt a wave of relief washing over her as the court moved around. The prosecution called next witness. It was one of the members of the agricultural center’s staff. Sunset did not recognize the mare, but the witness held a strong presence. An expert witness, Sunset identified, their only reasoning was to prove how the crime could be committed. As the prosecution finished asking their rather dull questions, Sunset sifted through her notes.

“Cross-examination, defense?” the rat judge asked as the greasy stallion took to his podium.

Sunset trotted up to the bench, leaning against the witness booth. “For the court, could you please state your profession?”

“I am Head of Bio-engineering at the Canterlot Cultivation Center. I make sure all crops are safe for consumption along with developing better sources for our production,” answered the mare with a firmness to her voice that spoke self-confidence.

She was a red and pink mare, short, with a blonde mane. Sunset could see no imperfections on the mare. No upside-down face, no crab claws, and no faulty speech. “And what did you do before Discord altered the world?” she asked.

“Objection!” shouted the prosecution. “How is this relevant?”

“I am verifying her background. Nothing more, nothing less,” she answered.

“Sustained. Continue princess, but this better go somewhere.” The rat judge slumped forward on its claws, staring down at the two mares.

“I was a member of the CCC staff long before Discord took over. His effortless chaos has left Canterlot relatively orderly, allowing many ponies to remain as themselves,” replied the mare.

Sunset shook her head. “No, that’s not right. Everyone in Equestria has been changed in some form or fashion. I’ve seen it first hoof. In fact, I’ve seen several right here in Canterlot. Do you believe it is possible that one of your workers was changed? Perhaps one could have been the cause of the crops destruction. It could have even been you, without you knowing it.”

“I suppose,” the mare answered. “However, Applejack has been proven to have the ability to destroy plant life. I house no such means, nor do any of my staff members.”

“Right. Right. But Applejack’s ability is very quick, whereas it was days between the destruction and her visit.” She glanced over at Applejack. In reality, Applejack returned to destroy the crops in the cover of night. What a pain. “Do you wear gloves?” Sunset asked, turning back to the witness.

“Yes. All of CCC staff are required to wear working gloves.”

Returning to her podium, Sunset withdrew a single glove from her backpack. “Would you be willing to do an experiment?” she asked the mare, and the mare gave a short look to the prosecution. She couldn’t see it, but she knew the stallion wouldn’t dare deny it. The mare nodded and Sunset handed off the glove. “Please put this glove on.”

The mare did as she was instructed, and once finished, Sunset took an apple from her backpack. “Hold this in your gloved hoof, if you would.” And again, the mare followed Sunset’s instruction, holding the apple atop her glove. “Now, if you would, transfer it to your gloveless hoof.” Passing between the two, the apple suddenly went corrupt, rotting to mush in the mare’s hoof.

“What in Equestria!?” the mare flung the decay to the courtroom floor. “How… How did that happen!?”

“By me,” Sunset explained, “Using my own magic, I decomposed the apple.” This trick’s getting some use, she thought, evoking the true night from memory. “I did this, yet I could do this prior to Discord’s rule. Now, explain to me how an earth pony, whose power requires her to touch the plant in question, can go through an entire farm corrupting the crops without anypony noticing?”

“I-I don’t… I don’t have an answer,” the mare stuttered.

“And do you see a horn on my clients head?”

“No.” The red mare shook her head.

Sunset flexed her brows at the greasy stallion. “That’ll be all.” She trotted back to the podium, her own sense of smugness radiating. Shooting a wink at Applejack, the rat judge called for her next witness. “No need, your honor. We have no further witnesses to present. I will gladly discredit any of the prosecution’s, however.”

“You’re gonna have to, haughty princess,” the rat replied. “Dossier says he’s got three total. Speakin’ of which, the prosecution may bring in their next witness.”

The stallion gave a nod and Sunset looked back to see who the next witness would be. Instead, the greasy attorney’s mother came through the door, a roll of parchments were held tight to her chest. “Mother!” the stallion said in a whiny voice as she approached the podium. “I told you never to show up while I’m on the clock!”

“Sorry honey, but Soarin called in sick, something about food poisoning.” Sunset turned to Applejack, and the apple mare grinned evil. Oh geez. “He won’t be able to be a witness today.” She handed off a stack of paperwork. “Oh! I also have something for you, sweetie.” The old mare trotted close to Sunset and lifted a single piece of paper to the alicorn. “Your friend gave me this as I entered. She said it was very important. I’m not sure if it’s part of your case, but I hope it helps. You have a good day, sweetie.”

“You too ma’am,” Sunset replied, smiling graciously. From a friend? Sunset flipped the paper up as the old mare walked away, the stallion still quietly chewing his mother out. “Ma’am!” Sunset abruptly said, jogging to the other podium. “Who did you get this from?”

The old mare puffed her cheeks up in a smile. “Your friend with those silly eyes.” She looked to the back of the courtroom and Sunset traced her gaze. “That one, right there.”

Grimacing, Sunset pushed out the fence gate and passed the spectators. “Who are you!?” she whisper-yelled, staring down her muzzle at the magenta-colored pony. The propeller hat spun with an endless slowness, which was at the same rate as the swirling purple eyes. “What do you want from me? What does this riddle mean?”

The mare stood silently staring back at Sunset, not uttering a word. She held a smile and tilted her head, but other than the slight movement she did not acknowledge Sunset’s questions. Turning her focus to the paper, Sunset read the words aloud for the pony. “Burn the living room, burn the kitchen, burn the bedroom and the bathroom. What is left?” She waited for the magenta girl’s reaction, but nothing ever came.

“’Ey princess, can we get back to this or are you gonna call an early quits? I’ve got like five pedicures to get to and trust me, these babies need it,” hollered the rat judge.

Looking back, Sunset shot a snooty glare to the rat, but when she again faced the magenta pony, the mare had disappeared. She gave a quick look to the left and right to see if anyone noticed, but everyone's eyes were pointed straight ahead. That mare gives me the heebie-jeebies. Trotting back to the podium, Sunset put down the written riddle atop the other notes. “You okay, Sunset? Next witness is up.” Applejack threw a hoof, pointing at the booth.

The second witness, who would have been third, was another mare, one that Sunset recognized almost immediately. That’s one of the waitresses at The Smoked Oat! Keeping her face straight, she glowered through her peripherals at Applejack. What did she do at Restaurant Row besides setting up shop?

“Please state as to why you are called a witness,” the prosecution demanded.

“I’m a witness to Applejack’s shrewd and greedy nature, sir,” the mare replied. “I am a worker at The Smoked Oat, a restaurant in the Row. A few days before she came and set up shop, Applejack came into our restaurant. She said that all the food she received was spoiled or disgusting, and then threatened us and demanded money.”

“And was the food terrible?” asked the greasy stallion.

The witness nodded. “It was. As a server, I put the food in front of her. When she claimed it was rotten, I was the first to see it. The food was rotten, but only after she touched it.”

“Objection! We have already gone over Applejack’s curse. What’s the point of this witness?”

“Overruled. Applejack’s curse ain’t been verified. This testimony might be valuable in debunkin’ it,” replied the rat judge. “Don’t throw a fit just ‘cause ya couldn’t get any witnesses.”

The prosecution gave a nod. “So, Applejack turned the food rotten. Did you see this happen?”

“I did. I saw it with my own three eyes.” The waitress pushed up her mane, displaying a third eye. “She put a hoof directly onto the food—even the food that wasn’t meant to be touched—and made it rot! When I told Mr. Barley, the owner, he went to kick her out. She threatened to turn our entire food stock into dust! She wanted bits as a bribe, claiming that we needed to pay her in order to stay in business. Mr. Barley and my two fellow waitresses are all witnesses.”

“Very good. Defense’s turn, your honor,” the greasy stallion said, returning to his podium.

Sunset stepped onto the courtroom floor. She knew a witness like this might come into play, and thanks to the prosecution’s advice, Sunset knew exactly how to play the mare. “You say you saw her make the food rotten, however, is it possible the food was rotten beforehand and you simply didn’t notice?”

“Well, sure, the first time. Not the second or third. We wasted a lot of good food on her!”

“And the owner, Mr. Barley, he’s a unicorn, correct?”

The mare squinted. “H-how would you know that? I’ve never seen you there.”

You have. “Answer the question, please.”

“Yes. He’s a unicorn.”

“As it was shown earlier, a unicorn has a high chance to rot food. So, would it be possible that Mr. Barley feigned the rotten food?”

“Mr. Barley was so scarred by the incident that he stayed home for three days crying!”

Poor Mr. Barley. He did seem the type to be overtly emotional. “Or perhaps he was at the agricultural center, destroying the crop. But I will not paint Mr. Barley as the criminal, only that it was possible. Possible that any unicorn could do such a thing. Were there any other patrons at the time of Applejack’s dining?”

“No,” the mare said sternly, defensive.

“Of course not. No other patrons to back up your claim, only your establishment, whom could have easily been the cause.” Sunset nodded. “No further questions.” Sunset returned to her podium, her face remained stoic though her heart jumped with glee. We’ve got this in the bag. No evidence, just witnesses. Easily disproved witnesses.

The rat judge slammed down his gavel after the witness exited the booth. “With no other witnesses from either side and no additional evidence, we will now be movin’ into them closin’ arguments. Prosecution first.”

“Your honor,” the greasy stallion began, “We can debate all day on whether or not Applejack knowingly committed these crimes. The fictitious agreement from the architecture department, the stolen bits from the hiked up prices, the destruction of the CCC’s crops. When the defense peeled each apart, they gutted the insides. This was done individually, and individually these things can easily be explained, as the defense has proven.

“However, Applejack having a hoof in each of these things paints a vivid story when placed together. To be complacent in picking these pieces apart would be foolish. The fact remains, the agricultural center was shut down, putting a damper on Restaurant Row, allowing Applejack to open up shop and sell an overpriced fruit with an undocumented forgery. There was no reason to continue this trial when we already knew she was guilty from day one. Applejack planned it all from the start.”

The room murmured their agreements, but Sunset was focused on the rat’s reaction. It hadn’t changed—he was as unenthused about the stallion as he was about Sunset.

When the stallion finished, she got her turn. “My client is the victim. I’ve stated that quite well. She had no way of accessing the agricultural center. She attempted to help starving ponies only to be arrested. She even went through the process, albeit the wrong department, to get her stand set up in an orderly manner, including a paper trail. No criminal wants to leave a paper trail, and my fellow attorney has gone through hoops attempting to prove Applejack is a good criminal. If she was so good, she would know not to leave a paper trail. As such, this was all one big misunderstanding. She should not be jailed, only banished to prevent further plant corruption.”

“Banishment!?” Applejack shouted. “Sunset, I never agreed to that. You know I want to be here! You know why!”

Sunset did not look back at Applejack. That mirror is not worth the trouble, Applejack. Even if I didn’t need your help, I still couldn’t let you go through.

“Order! Order in this here court!” The rat judge slammed down his gavel. “I will now decide the verdict,” he claimed, sitting forward. Sunset returned to her podium and stood beside the angry mare. She watched the rat’s chest slump against his arms, his hands wriggled together. For a moment, he closed his eyes and Sunset thought he fell asleep. When she went to call out to him, he said, “I have decided.” Slamming his gavel down with one loud thump, he rose up in his seat. “Guilty! On all accounts!”

“What!?” Sunset pulled her mane in different directions. “You can’t be serious!”

“Sunset!” Applejack growled. “You’re the worst!”

“Yes, yes, yes!” the greasy stallion cheered. “Never lost, baby! In your face!”

“’Ey, I’m a good judge of character. Also, I know the princess here has been chasin’ after villains. What was that pony’s name? Rainbow Crash? Yeah. Clearly, it all means Applejack is one-hundred percent guilty. Knew it from day one. I just wanted to see how far you’d go, what with that whole heartfelt speech about bein’ a victim. What a joke.” The rat burst into laughter, showing of his grimy, hole-filled teeth. “Escort Applejack here back to the dungeons. In fact, take the princess too. She’s been collectin’ those scoundrels for a reason. Applejack ain’t her first rodeo.”

Sunset slammed down both hooves onto the podium. “I’m collecting them to make this world right again! To beat Discord’s game!”

“To beat his game, or to beat him? ‘Cause those are two different things, toots. Winnin’ a game ain’t gonna do much for this world,” the rat replied. “Not that I care. Guards, take ‘em away.”

Shoving her stuff into her backpack, Sunset threw it over her shoulder. “We’re getting out of here,” she told Applejack, turning to the earth pony. “I need you to agree to help me, right now.”

“Help you? You won’t help me get that mirror! I came here for that and I ain’t leaving without it!”

The guards were closing in, literally barking their orders, surrounding the two. With a quick flash and a lapse in judgment, Sunset teleported herself and Applejack, arriving in the darkened storage room in the pits of Canterlot Castle. “You want this thing? I told you what happened when I went there. I told you what I became! And now you want it just so you can repeat my mistake!? Well, I won’t let you!”

“Then destroy it,” Applejack shouted back. “If you ain’t want anypony usin’ it, destroy it! If you can’t do that, then I’m going to wait here until it opens. Only thing that’s going to stop me is you.” She pushed Sunset’s chest, squaring her eyes at the alicorn.

“Destroy it?” Sunset wasn’t sure she wanted to do that. Even if it doesn’t go back to my CHS, am I really willing to risk that chance? What about the me on the other side? What if I she wants to return and beg for forgiveness? I have no right to deny her that. “No. I’m not going to do that. If you aren’t going to leave this mirror’s side, then I’m going to have to take both of you back with me.” Wrapping her forelegs around the mirror’s sides, she yelled, “Discord! I’ve got Applejack and a bonus! Bring us back!”

“Now Sunset—let’s not be foolish…” Applejack spoke, but was interrupted by the voice of Discord.

“What a pleasant surprise!” he replied. The room changed in an instant. The draconequus floated above the mirror with the earth pony tucked between his arm and body. Petting the mare like a cat, he added, “And you did quite an amazing job defending her. You should have won! I was rooting for you. An interesting choice, though, choosing to stay and defend rather than escape immediately.”

“You’re Discord!? I ought to rough you up for what you did to Ponyville!” the earth pony shouted, struggling to move.

“Do not fret, little pony.” Discord snapped his fingers on his free hand, forcing a birdcage to appear beside the other two. “You get to live here again. And charging rent is not something I do!” He chuckled to himself as he put the mare inside the cage.

Sunset let go of the mirror. She stomped her hooves and grabbed the draconequus with her magic, dragging him down to the earth by his tail. “I am done playing games, Discord! You’re going to start being truthful with me.”

“Using one of your lifelines? Well, it is the weakest one, I suppose.”

“No. This has nothing to do with the game. You’re going to tell me one thing, and you’re going to tell me the truth.”

Discord snapped his tail from her grip with a small shake. He then twisted his body and folded his arms. “You are certainly pushy today. Has something got you mad? I thought you and Applejack were getting along fine. Applejack? What do you think?”

Pawing at the door to the cage, Applejack shot a look down at the draconequus and alicorn. “I don’t think she ever had the intention of lettin’ me choose whether or not I wanted to help her. I think she was gonna drag me back here anyway. If I had that mirror, she would never have been able to get me,” replied the earth pony, glancing over at her supposed prize.

“Yeah, Sunset’s a huge liar. She broke a Pinkie Promise!” Pinkie yelled, thrashing about in her cage like a screaming toddler.

“My, oh my, Sunset. You are growing quite the litter of crazed cats, and they all want one thing it seems.” Discord wrapped around Sunset, his toothy grin going in and out of her peripherals. “Go ahead and ask your question, though I cannot say if I will be honest.”

She threw the question out without hesitation. “Are you my Equestria’s Discord?” She needed to know his intent. If he is my timeline’s Discord, then he’s setting me up for something. If he’s not, I’m taking him down here and now. Forget the Elements of Harmony. Forget the bearers. She was confident in her decision, her desire to defy the draconequus.

However, Discord had other plans. “Am I your Discord? Hmm. That is quite the question. Of course, your focus is still on you. Your Equestria. You seem awfully obsessed with it, yet you have not even tried to go back.”

“I’ve been trying for four worlds now to get home.”

“No. I said Equestria, not your home. You brought your home to me.” He turned his back to her, staring at the oval mirror. Picking at his teeth, he said, “Do you ever get tired of confusing the two? I mean, you are less of a pony than you have ever been, yet you will never truly be one of them. An interesting predicament.”

“Stop dawdling around my question, Discord. I’m tired of your nonsense. You’ve been putting a lot of stock into pushing me toward things and I want to know why. If you are my Discord—great. That at least means you’re trying to help.”

“And if I am not?”

“Then this is the biggest farce I’ve ever been a part of, and I’m tired of it. You’re just another Tirek—another Sombra! Whatever you want the bearers for, it ends here and now unless you tell me.”

Discord tapped the mirror, leaving a speck of drool on the otherwise pristine glass. “You want the bearers so you can leave. They have nothing to do with me. I could not care less about them. They are your goals to help in moving on to the next world. This place is not a prison for you, though you might find that ironic later.”

“You’re lying, Discord! You sent that metal monster in after Rainbow Dash long before I ever got here! And that rat was there presiding over Canterlot for years! You’ve had your big meaty hand in every single thing, regardless of my appearance in your world,” she argued, snarling up at him.

“Time is a mysterious concept, is it not? You should already know the answer. The question is a simple one. Am I or am I not the Discord from your Equestria?” He threw a look over his shoulder, freezing as they made eye contact. “You believe I am not the Discord that the bearers from your world reformed.”

“I don’t. You said that there was only one Discord, but the more I’ve talked to you, the more helpful you’ve been, it’s nothing like the helpfulness Princess Twilight described to me.” She pulled the filled journal out from her backpack, the notes she'd taken for the trial spilled out onto the ground. Flipping through the pages, she lifted a passage to Discord’s face. “None of the worlds I’ve been to have had your vines. Do you know what that means? I’ll answer for you. It means that you were the one that set them to pop in my Equestria. You haven’t been around in any of these timelines. Only a name to be gossiped about. No you? No pop.”

He leaned to one side, shrugging halfheartedly. “That does not justify anything. In fact, it tells the opposite of what you want. I may be the only Discord, and I could have simply been busy here. Those other worlds would have to wait for their turn at chaos.”

“That’s where you’re wrong.” She locked eyes on the mirror. “It's just like the mirror. I don’t know if there really is a different CHS on the other side, it might be mine, but I trust it isn’t. I can feel it in my gut.” She grimaced, glaring back at him. “You’re an embodiment of chaos that doesn’t influence other timelines. Come on. Seriously? Like I’d buy that. I know for a fact that you don’t have the self-control. That means those other worlds have their own Discords to pester with chaos.”

Discord gently scratched is cheek, his long face was visibly impressed. “Really? That is how you came to deduce the multiplicity of me?” He raised his brows and shook his head, placing a cupped hand around his beard. “I mean, you saw the other Discords on the first day you arrived. Not to mention the complete lack of contractions within my vernacular. I feel as though I made it quite obvious. Maybe you have not fully recovered from your bout with Rainbow Dash.” He stepped forward and shook her head. “That brain of yours might still be running at a slower capacity.”

Shoving his hand away, Sunset let out an aggravated exhale. “So, I’m right? You’re not my Equestria’s Discord?”

His tail slapped the birdcage that held Pinkie Pie, spinning her from side to side. “No, I am not your Discord, Sunset Shimmer. Though how you figured it out is… lackluster. I was really hoping for some sort of epiphany. I suppose that will have to wait till later…”

“You’re in my way.” Sunset steadied her stance, pointing her horn at him.

Discord held out his arms, exposing his chest. “Go ahead. Strike me down.” He waited, but Sunset did not falter, nor did she advance. “Believe it or not Sunset, but I am trying to help you. I know what you do not. I know how you will help time, I know what you must face, and I am trying to prepare you for that eventual battle.”

Tilting her horn up, Sunset relaxed ever so slightly. “What battle?” she asked, squinting at him.

“This is the world that was picked.” He underhanded a ball at her, to which she caught with her magic. The number on the small sphere was three. “Let us investigate it, shall we?”

“Discord, no! I don’t want to see any more of these worlds. I’m not going to choose any of them.” The CRTs came into view within the dark hallway, both of which blurred into existence around her. Clicking on one of at a time, the tube TVs displayed all sorts of events from the world of Nightmare Moon. “Come on! Tell me about this battle. Stop giving me something and not telling me what it means! This world can’t even have anything wrong with it. Nightmare Moon was a powerhouse. She’s the reason I saw Tirek as an unbeatable force. Nightmare Moon even has the bearers on her side, what possibly could be a problem for her?”

Sunset ate her words as she caught a glimpse of a white stallion walking up a wedding aisle. She recognized Shining Armor easily, but when he reached the arch and turned to wait for his soon to be wife, Sunset almost fell to the floor. “Applejack!?”

Nightmare Moon presided over the two, ready to unite the strange couple together. But it was not the odd couple that was the ultimate surprise. Not long into the ceremony, Twilight Sparkle burst through the doors with another Applejack. The mare who stood at the archway transformed into a ball of green fire, becoming the dreaded Queen Chrysalis. Sunset watched in horror as the wedding became a warzone. Nightmare Moon attacked the queen of the changelings, their horns locked in battle. Before Sunset could see the conclusion, the television shut off.

“What do you think, Sunset? Of the world you helped?” Discord’s voice wrapped around her mind like a haze of smoke.

“They can fend for themselves. Nightmare Moon beat Tirek, after all. And no matter what you argue, I’m not giving up. If you really are trying to help me then stop with this charade and push me onto the next world,” Sunset shouted, shooting a blast of magic into a few of the TVs, shattering the glass inward. “No more of this. I grow tired of reliving the past.”

“And it is until you fully understand the past that you will continue to relive it. For once you understand that, nothing will stop you.”

“I’ve already got one riddle on my mind—I don’t need yours too. Now I’ll ask again, and you better answer directly or else I’m going to destroy a few more of these.” Summoning a magical sledgehammer, she smashed in a television to verify she was serious. “Discord. What battle were you talking about? Why help me?”

Discord’s face was separated in the televisions, spanning both walls like an abstract painting. “Your friend, Princess Twilight Sparkle, once said—or will say, it is hard to tell which—that pony friendships are important to Equestria. Not just hers, but every single one. That includes the friendships you make. In the past, in the future. In these worlds. They all matter.”

Only one television changed from the pieces of Discord’s face. Upon that glass was Twilight Sparkle as she speaking. “—believe I have the power to spread the magic of friendship across Equestria. That is the role I am meant to have in our world! The role I choose to have! But I didn't defeat Tirek on my own—it took all of us to unlock the chest!”

Princess Celestia was briefly shown before her own dialogue was produced through the speakers. “—is unlikely you are meant to take on this task alone.” The television then shut off, leaving a gap within Discord’s symmetrical face.

“What is your role, Sunset Shimmer?” he asked. “Would you deny the friendships you have made?”

Sunset’s heart hurt as she thought on his words and that of the television. Twilight and the others worked so hard to defeat Tirek. She relied on the friendships she'd made. She even forgave Discord… Yet when I came face to face with Tirek, I denied Rarity and Pinkie Pie the forgiveness after they abandoned me. I gave in to Tirek’s childish charms. It clicked, much like a seatbelt. “Discord.”

“Yes, Sunset Shimmer?”

“It is all about me, isn’t it? My friends, my past. You weren’t scolding me for being selfish, you were telling the truth. It’s all about me. Something wants me here, and it's not just the Tree of Harmony.”

With a burst of laughter, Discord said, “If you truly believe that, say those magical little words, Sunset!”

She did not understand why it was Discord chose to help her, she did not understand much, but she knew that if Twilight trusted him, she would too. “I’ll continue your game, Discord.”

“Always about you…”

“It absolutely is.”

World 5: Chapter 10

Her mind was on Twilight Sparkle the entire flight, she could not help thinking about the princess of friendship. Discord had explained much through the clouded way he spoke, and it was enough for Sunset. She needed no more explanation. His silly game had its reasoning, and though he was not the Discord who Twilight Sparkle had seen reformed, Sunset still believed him. Was this faith going to lead down another path of regret? Would it be like Tirek? Like Sombra? She dared not wonder for long, fearing indecision would rise from uncertainty.

One thing was for certain, Sunset felt assuredly different. Much strife and confusion churned her mind and heart. Turning into a demon or turning into a hero, both brought regret in very different ways. But they also brought something else: experience.

As she flew beyond the floating city of Canterlot, letting the winds take her smoothly, she wondered what this world’s Twilight Sparkle would be like. A villain, most likely. Discord was out to prove something, and though he already had, Sunset knew there would be more. The game would not end once she collected all six bearers. She knew it as truth. She could only hope whatever the draconequus was planning would prove useful.

I’ve met another Discord, different to the one of my Equestria. I’ve met every single villain that Twilight and the girls have ever squared off against. Who would have thought that was even possible? Now, the girls are the villains. I know Discord is the cause of their turn, but I’ve got a good feeling now like everything will work out. It’s that same feeling I felt standing by Twilight, singing at the sirens. This journey's been hard, and it’ll probably get harder, but I’m going to keep that feeling. I’ve got it now, I’m not letting it go. No matter what, I’m in charge.

Her wandering thoughts tepidly centered as she coasted down from above the clouds, eyeing what was to be the location of the Crystal Empire. Unlike Canterlot, which floated upright, the Crystal Empire was supposedly upside-down.

Sunset knew she would be close when she reached the wall of ice that often surrounded the empire in these off-kilter timelines. A blizzard that raged was a good sign the Crystal Heart was in trouble. She'd seen it work twice, in the first world and the previous. Now, she hoped to see it again, the beautiful glow that shined and enlightened the city.

Instead of a twisting nether of ice and cold, she got a circle of fire that surrounded the city.

It was not upside-down, at least, not at this moment in time. The whole of the Crystal Empire rotated like a clock, twirling from its center axis along an angled degree. Sitting vertically, Sunset’s mind boggled as to how the gravity worked. I hope it’s not like a snow globe where turning it upside-down sends all the snow to the bottom. Passing over the crackling flames, sweat dripping from her brow, she touched down on the grass that edged the crater below the floating city. The Crystal Heart’s got to be in use—otherwise, the flames would’ve eaten this place up. Staring up at the now horizontal crystal homes, she wondered if it was even possible to live in such a place. Life goes on, right? The same could be said for Canterlot and the Badlands. But this is getting weird.

The rotating city did not rotate quickly, nor did Sunset want to wait the hours that it would take for the horizontal to turn vertical and vice versa.

Taking flight once more, she headed for the closest crystal building. Aquamarine in color, the half of the home left its living room behind on the rim of the crater. Sunset set to land just below the second story window, yet as soon as she passed the edge, she found herself flying directly into the building on the opposite side of the road. Crashing through the partially cracked door and slamming into a shelf, the world went dark. “Oh, no! Did I just knock out my vision!?” Her voice echoed, reverberating in her ear, which baffled the alicorn. Tapping at her face, she realized a ceramic pot locked itself around her head. With an explosion of magic, the pot disintegrated, leaving a trail of ash as a necklace.

With a gentle push up, Sunset stood on all four hooves, leaving the shelf to topple into her indentation. Expecting to be off-balanced, she found her footing was suitable. Strange. Stepping back outside, she gazed at the sky. No longer did she glance up at a sun and moon, but instead a wall of fire. Turning left, the way she'd come, was now vertical. A third was sky, a third was fire, and a third was the green grass she dropped in on. “This thing has its own gravity?” she gawked, eyeing the rest of the road. Magenta, violet, sapphire, and emerald buildings lined the street, untouched by the upheaval from the world below.

I wonder what else changed. Twilight has to be somewhere in this mess, or the cause.

Sunset dared not fly too far above the roofs for fear of tumbling wildly out of control into the inferno that raged in the distance. Gliding with grace towards the tallest structure, she decided to check on the Crystal Heart, knowing that if it ever was removed, the firestorm would close in on the poor city.

Upon reaching the castle, she noted not a single pony had been seen since arriving, and that didn't change once she got inside. Trotting through the rooms, she recognized some, and found traces of struggles and spats of ire, but no pony. Reaching the throne room, she checked the trapdoor beneath the rug, which remained untouched. “Princess Cadance should be here. Shining Armor too, if they were able to get married.” The barren room did not dishearten her, it only intrigued. A few people have said that the Crystal Empire has a theater. Where would that be? she wondered as she traipsed back outside.

The Crystal Heart sat silent, bright and warm as it ever was. Coming close, she saw her reflection. I’ve got to do something with that mirror. But what? I… this world’s me… might one day have a change of heart. She could come back through of her own accord. I can’t deny that day, yet it certainly isn’t safe to have out in the open. She put a hoof on the Heart and inhaled, seeking an answer.

“Don’t touch that!” a voice yelled, accompanied by a hoof flying and striking Sunset on the side.

Flopping to the ground and rolling to her opposite flank, she watched a pegasus mare pass over. Too high to have hit Sunset, the alicorn's brows shot together in confusion. Throwing a look over her side, Sunset didn't see any other pony. “Who are you!?” Sunset yelled back, but the pegasus had disappeared above the castle.

Rubbing the area she was struck, Sunset did not feel that a bruise would be left. At least somepony else knows what the Heart can do, but I bet that means others also want to remove it. She took one last glance at the Crystal Heart before stepping out from underneath the castle.

The rotation had changed ever so softly, the wall of flames lowered and the sky grew. Sunset attempted to spot the pegasus, wondering just how far she could go without suffering a gravitational pull. Pressing a hoof to her forehead, Sunset shaded her eyes, examining the top of the castle. “Excuse me? Where is everyone?” she shouted, hoping the pegasus would answer.

Only silence replied. Sunset started to feel a repetition, everywhere she went she was met with taciturnity and introversion, regardless of the world. It’s almost comical. Almost. With a few steps, Sunset hopped into the air and flapped her wings, taking a crawl across the crystalline landscape. She knew of one place that would be vocal, she just needed to find it.

Her walk with Princess Cadance proved to be a fruitless memory as this world lacked the areas that Tirek extended, and her recollection of The Crystal War timeline grew slippery. Just how many hours have I put into these worlds? I lacked a calendar for those first two, and the days were kind of a blur. Almost a month? More? Add that to losing so much time in that changeling cocoon.

“Speaking of being a blur, I get that this place is called The Crystal Empire, but all the buildings are too similar. I feel like I’m flying in circles,” she muttered under her breath. “I never noticed how parallel they look. It’s like one of those Saturday morning cartoons that Pinkie Pie made me watch, where when a character is running so fast that the scenery repeats itself. At least Canterlot’s got different venues and flairs, regardless of their constant color scheme. This place definitely needs some individuality. Of course, can’t do that without ponies… Where the blazes is everypony!?”

Besides the pegasus, Sunset found nothing. And unlike Las Discord, there was no fog here hiding statue ponies on rooftops or hindering her eyesight.

Ending right where she began, she swooped down and landed within the town square right outside the castle. She was growing impatient. Standing within the castle’s shadow, Sunset tapped her cheek. Her eyes then trained in on the Crystal Heart.

Hatching an idea, Sunset began to whistle and meander her way towards the artifact. As she stood next to the pedestal, she looked around to see if anyone could be seen. “This isn’t something I want to do,” Sunset bemoaned. “Resorting to such a tactic already? Ah, well.”

With a gentle shove, Sunset pushed the Crystal Heart. And just like before, the pegasus mare came swooping down the underside to slam a hoof into Sunset’s side, knocking her to the ground. But this time the mare also had to save the Heart from falling, giving Sunset a chance. Creating a barrier around each of the openings, Sunset trapped the pegasus.

Rolling on her foreleg and pushing herself up, Sunset groaned heavily, feeling the soreness in her stomach. “That hurts, y’know,” she said aloud. Her eyes wandered upward to look at the pegasus, but to her surprise, the pegasus wasn’t trapped.

“You really think I’d let you trap me that easily? I’m not an idiot.” The voice echoed from beyond Sunset’s barrier. Flapping her wings, the pegasus hovered with her forelegs crossed. Staring directly at the alicorn, the mare said, “Stop messing with the Crystal Heart. I won’t tell you or your leader again.”

“Leader?” Sunset huffed. “I’m my own mare, sorry to burst your bubble. But I’m more than willing to play Discord’s advocate if it means I get answers.” Sunset raised a hoof to the Heart, ready to push it if her problems were not met with solutions.

“You serious? That’s not going to work. Hasn’t your boss taught you anything? Barriers don’t work against my Charm.”

A wave of confusion washed over Sunset. “Your—your what?”

“You don't know? Then..." The pegasus haughtily tilted her muzzle upward. "A Charm is a being subconsciously produced by the owner, kind of like how unicorns cast magic. Except this isn’t just for unicorns. The Puppet Master gave a lot of ponies a Charm, yet I’m still one of the few who refused to obey. See?” She pushed her rump to Sunset’s view, showing the cutie mark had been covered with a six-pointed purple star. “Now, I suggest you leave this area if you know what’s good for you.”

“Listen, I don’t know what's going on, and I’d guess Discord is the Puppet Master, but I’m not working for him. I’m working for myself; I’m trying to collect the bearers of the Elements of Harmony,” Sunset explained, hoping that communication would last long enough to get some answers.

“Discord? Oh please. He’s smart to stay away. If the Puppet Master had him under her strings, we’d all be doomed.”

Sunset stepped away from the Heart and released the barriers, staring at the pegasus without blinking. “What’s your name? I’m… Princess Sunset Shimmer.” She felt good saying it. I recognize that cutie mark.

The turquoise-colored pegasus held no expression change, nor did her hovering cease. “The name’s Lightning Dust. A princess, huh? I’ve never heard of you.” She ran a hoof through her amber mane. “Though I guess that’s normal nowadays. Hadn’t heard of Princess Luna a few years back either. How do I know you’re not just one of the Puppet Master’s designed freaks?”

“Is the Puppet Master a mare with purple fur? Probably has stars for a cutie mark like the one on your flank? A unicorn?”

“Sounds like you already know her…” The pegasus squinted and glanced over the alicorn, uncertainty growing in her movements.

“I actually know her quite well. Well, not in this world I don’t. Her real name is Twilight Sparkle, she’s the bearer of the Element of Magic, and I’ve come to take her back to Ponyville. Most likely by force, as has been the case for some time now,” Sunset explained. She knew not to inch forward as it would drive the mare off.

Lightning Dust hovered to the ground, her eyes wide. “You’re here to cut the Puppet Master’s strings!? Well, geez, sorry about hittin’ you then. If there’s anything I can do, let me know. I’m all for tearing down that arrogant, self-conceited witch.”

“That’s good—because I have no idea where she is. I’ve flown all around this city and only found you—well, barely found you. Trapped you, sort of, mostly. I guess.”

“It’s cool. She spends all of her time tormenting that other princess anyway, over in her little theater. So, uh, do you mind if I ask you a few questions?”

Sunset didn’t refuse. “Go ahead.” Not like I’m in a rush or anything, and this girl is clearly suspicious. Wonder how long she’s been here?

“What’s your favorite color?” asked Lightning Dust.

“…What?”

“Your favorite color. What is it? I need to know more about you before anything happens and you’re replaced.”

“You mean like if I was replaced with a changeling or something?”

Tilting her head forward, the pegasus seemed confused. “Changeling? I don’t know what that is, but no. There’s a lot of different Charms out there, I need to know more about you specifically so that if she appears I’ll know if it’s really you or not.”

Oh, I don’t like that at all. “I guess red and yellow are my favorite colors?”

“What’s your favorite memory?”

“Ice cream with Celestia.”

Lightning Dust’s brow shot up, but that didn’t stop her questions. “What’s your cutie mark mean?”

“I’m good with magic,” Sunset replied.

“The worst food you’ve ever tasted?”

“Deep fried ice cream.”

With a nod, Lightning Dust had it all memorized. “Now I need you to remember these three things about me. I will not be repeating them. I won the Senior Flapper’s Competition three years in a row, I pride myself on independence, and I wanted to be a Wonderbolt when I was a filly. Got it?”

“Got it,” Sunset replied, hoping she did.

“Good. Let’s move. Hopefully, we won’t run into any of her goons so long as we fly.”

With Lightning Dust leading the way, trailing a streak of blue and yellow, Sunset faltered with every attempt to keep up. To her luck, the theater was not far and had been within walking distance. Nevertheless, Lightning Dust slammed down on the street in front of the auditorium, her power unleashing in a thunderous shockwave. Floating like a feather down beside the mare, Sunset carefully settled herself back on the ground, far more graceful than the pegasus.

“This is it. She’s inside,” Lightning Dust said, her voice becoming brash.

“Wait out here. I want to talk to her before things get violent. It might only have a slim chance of working, but Twilight Sparkle is the smartest pony I know. She has to know what’s right and wrong, and I’ve got to drag it out of her.”

Clearly surprised by the show of character, Lightning Dust replied, “Uhm. Yeah, oh—kay. Give it a shot. I’ll be around back ready to bust in should things start going down.” The mare flew off without waiting for a reply.

Alone again, Sunset glanced up at the drama hall. Large in stature with a happy and sad set of pony shaped masks, it looked like it could hold an incredibly immense audience. Taking in a big gulp, Sunset pushed in both doors and came face to face with the lobby. Inside the plush, maroon-colored foyer, she could hear the sounds of a xylophone and tambourine. Pressing her body to the wall, she peered through the door-less entries into the auditorium.

Burgundy seats lined the enormous room from back to stage, though only one seat was taken. On stage, two ponies were tied with strings, moving them like puppets. Sunset immediately recognized them to be Princess Cadance and Shining Armor. “Oh, my love! I love you so much! You are the one for me!” she heard the white stallion yell.

“We will be together forever! I will not let anyone tear us apart!” Princess Cadance replied, stretching her forelegs out.

“Pause!” another voice—the Puppet Master—commanded, and the strings tugged tight. Sunset watched as the single seated pony hung a hoof over the back of the seat next to her. She stared directly at Sunset, and said, “Come on in. The play only started a few moments ago. Have a seat next to me.”

She could tell by the voice that it was Twilight Sparkle, though as she got closer, Sunset could not discern where the pony began and the cloth ended. Black socks, black dress pants, a white button-up shirt with a black coat, and a scarf of purple stripes. Covering her mane and horn was a top hat, black of course. She kept her muzzle covered by the scarf, only her violet eyes could be seen. They stared at Sunset as she walked the aisle, reaching the seat to the left of the unicorn. “What’s your name?”

“Sunset Shimmer,” she answered, plopping down in the seat.

“What a pretty name. Why is it you have come to me, my dear?”

“I, uh, need you to win a game?”

“A game? How intriguing. I would assume I am the most important piece, yet a mind is not to be squandered. You’ll have to figure out how to win without me. I am far too entranced with this show. Have you seen it?” Before Sunset could answer, the mare reacted for her, “Of course you haven’t. I wouldn’t let my beautiful choreography be squandered on the wastrels of the rest of Equestria. But a princess? You shall get to see it. I’ve always valued a princess’s opinion, they’re almost on par with me.”

Clapping her hooves together, the play resumed.

“My dear, I must tell you, I am not who I say I am!” Princess Cadance cried out. “I am a monster, a villain, a terrible swindler come to steal you away from your family!”

“I don’t care, I love you! I’ll drop my family for you—we’ll make another, far away, in a city where everything is bright and shining!” the stallion replied.

“Shining Armor!” a voice called out, big and masculine, and filled with power and wisdom. “I have come to save you! The spell this charlatan has cast upon you will be undone!” Coming out from the left side of the stage was a giant stuffed toy, grey with curly hair and polka dot pants. “It is I, Smarty Pants! Face me, villain!” Strings ran up from the toy’s forelegs as it stood bipedal, pointing at the princess.

In retaliation, the princess charged at the toy. “I’ll never let you take him from me! He’s mine! I’m selfish and he’s mine forever! You’ll never see him again!”

But when the princess came within striking distance, the large toy uppercut her with the force of a hurricane’s wind, sending her up into the scaffolding and out of sight. “What’s this? The princess—the monster is gone!” Shining Armor gawked, strings pulling on his lips. “Smarty Pants! You saved me?”

“I did! And now we will return you to your real family, where you belong! Hop on my back, young stallion, and we will be off!” the toy replied, and Shining Armor did as requested. The two then disappeared off stage, and Twilight Sparkle released a round of clapping.

“What a beautiful display!” She rubbed a tear from her eye. “What did you think, Sunset Shimmer? What did you think of the monster that came to tear away the proud knight? What about the dominant, brilliant Smarty Pants? Tell me your thoughts!”

That was awful. “You have some emotional problems to work out in this world, don’t you? This isn’t going to be easy.”

“Did you not like it?”

“I’m not here to judge your fanned fiction of your brother. Not sure why anyone would. No, I’m here to take you back to Discord. You’re the Element of Magic, a bearer of the Elements of Harmony. It’s time to put down the crazy and come back with me,” Sunset curtly explained.

“I already told you. You’ll have to figure out how to win it without me. Since you did not like the play, I must work on it. Nothing I have ever made is a failure, and this certainly won’t be either. If you’re interested, I’ve made plenty of other things. Songs, art, spells, creatures. You can have any of them if you’re appreciative of the craft and my talent, but not me. I am far too busy.”

Sunset rose from her seat. “Spells, huh? You make something called a Charm?”

“Would you like a Charm? All the ponies I’ve given have loved theirs. It’s one of my most proud achievements, and there are many.” Her eyes tilted with her head as if she was examining the very bones that held Sunset together. “What would your Charm be? Come on, give me something. Don’t be shy. I’m good at getting it right.”

“I don’t want a Charm. I’m quite fine with the magic I house, thank you. I’m a princess, after all.” She shook a hoof at Twilight. “I need you specifically, not one of your creations or stories. Beating Discord means something, it means turning this world back to normal. Don’t you want this world to be normal again?”

“No. I quite like it the way it is. This is my little slice of paradise. An entire city sprung up out of nothing, all for me. Now, if you don’t want a Charm, go away. You’re making me cold.” She shivered, crossing her forelegs and slinking back against the seat.

“You can either come back with me peacefully or we can do this the hard way.”

“There’s a third option, which involves you leaving, I suggest you take it,” Twilight replied, her voice growing angry.

“Lightning Dust! Talking’s resolved nothing. Time to light her up!” Sunset yelled out and waited for the backup. She had difficulty dealing with Lightning Dust's Charm, and she guessed Twilight would too.

But the pegasus dealt with her own difficulties. “Uh, that’s not really going to happen,” Lightning Dust called out as she was brought out on stage by Smarty Pants, strings wrapped around her limbs. “She got me, Sunset. She’s gonna get you too! Get out of here while you still can!”

“That third option is off the table, unfortunately. You’ve made this unpleasant. How tragic.” Twilight Sparkle rose from her seat and turned to face Sunset. The glare she held could melt tungsten. “But as I am ever so gracious I will grant you a Charm regardless, and then cast you down with the others. You have earned that respect for simply being a princess.”

As Sunset readied herself, she noticed strings wrapped around her limbs. When she went to remove them with her magic, she found her horn was strung. Before she could put up a fight, the unicorn sent a spell into her eyes, and then only blackness surrounded her vision. Falling to the floor was the last thing she felt as she drew unconscious.

Though it came unexpectedly, she knew that golden flowers would be upon her in a flash. Yet the smell did not pierce her nostrils, the darkened sky did not appear above. Her lucid mind roamed freely in a world that was not the same that she visited every slumber.

She awoke in a bed. Comfortable, she resented her awakening, but confusion led way to curiosity. With a hoof on the crystal headboard, she pushed herself off the side, leaving the silky comforter to tumble to the floor. “Where am I? Where’d Twilight go?” she asked the quaint room, wonder how long she'd been out.

She was upstairs, she could tell by the thumping made by hooves a floor below. As she pressed to the only door within the bedroom, she peered through the lock, seeing the stairs down. It was at the same time the door opened, smacking Sunset in the face. Letting out a pained grunt and holding her eye, Sunset flopped around on the floor. “Oh, sorry, dear. I didn’t know you were there.”

“Who are you?” Sunset asked as she stood, still holding her face. “You’re not Lightning Dust. Are you with Twilight?”

“Me? No. I may be a unicorn but I’m not part of her gang.”

“Gang? Well… who are you?”

“The name’s Sassy Saddles. Lightning Dust told me about you. We’ve just been waiting for you to get up,” the unicorn replied.

“You’re friends with Lightning Dust? What happened? How’d we escape the theater? It feels like it all happened just a few seconds ago…”

The mare named Sassy Saddles frowned. “We weren’t able to save you… in time, unfortunately. You have your Charm. Lightning Dust tried her hardest, but I found you both unconscious outside the theater.” She then pointed to Sunset’s cutie mark, a six-pointed purple star covered her sun. “Just like me,” Sassy added, lifting the black dress she wore to show her covered cutie mark. “She calls it a Charm. It’s given us powers that we normally wouldn’t have.”

“Can’t you undo it? You’re a unicorn.”

“Lightning didn’t tell you much, did she?” Sassy asked, chuckling under her breath.

“No, things happened fast, and she was pretty forceful about remembering things for some reason.”

Sassy nodded with a lying smile on her lips. “She’s reckless but capable. No, when we’re given the Puppet Master’s Charm, we can no longer use our magic. Lightning Dust can’t move or walk on clouds, I can’t levitate objects, and Suri’s got the strength of a house cat.”

“Suri?”

“Suri Polomare. Another of our trio, though I guess now that you’re here helping us that makes us a quartet.” She chuckled again. To Sunset, it was very clear the mare in front of her was miserable. The smile was sickening only because it was a lie. The eyes stared through Sunset wanting something unobtainable. All of it was a mask for the poor unicorn. Before she could ask how long Sassy and the others had been here, Sassy queried her own question, “You’re a princess, but I’ve never heard of you. When did you become a princess?”

“A little over a week ago, if you can believe that.”

“I’ve seen a lot of things that would contradict a lot of what I used to believe. Why were you drawn to the Crystal Empire?”

“Drawn? Lightning Dust didn’t tell you?”

Sassy Saddles frowned, bleak and weak. “She did. Though I assumed she was joking. You… don’t still want to go after the Puppet Master, do you?”

“I have to. She’s a piece of the game that I need to get to win Discord’s challenge. I’ve got three out of six, I’ve come too far to quit now,” Sunset replied, not meaning to sound curt.

“Well, that’s going to start making our votes a tie then. Dust always wants to go after the Puppet Master, but Suri and I know better. We’re resigned to the fate we’ve been cursed with.”

“If you don’t want to deal with her, why not just leave?”

Sassy shook her head, her orange mane staying perfectly in place. “Once you’ve received your Charm, you cannot leave the Crystal Empire. Taking her on is foolhardy, so we make due. We live our lives trying our best to not get caught by one of her ruffians. It’s… difficult, to say the least. But now there’s somepony new to talk to. I bet you’ve got a lot of interesting stories from the outside world.”

“Can’t leave, no magic. Geez. Talk about a bummer.” Sunset sighed and rubbed the bridge of her muzzle. “Well, now that I know what she’s all about with those strings, I’ll be more prepared. I’m going to take her back to Ponyville and have Discord lock her in a cage.”

“Weren’t you listening? What good will any of that do? Locking her in a cage? Taking her back to Ponyville?” The unicorn was just as confused as Sunset.

“All the other bearers that I’ve gotten have their magic contained within their cages. It’s not hard to assume Discord would cut off Twilight’s magic too. Once I figure out how to remove this Charm of hers, I’ll teleport us both back and have him lock her up. Discord and I have a… new understanding, I think. Unspoken, but it’s there. I want the bearers, and Twilight’s a bearer, so I’m not leaving without her.”

Impressed, Sassy said, “Taking down the Puppet Master? Coming from Dust, it always sounded ridiculous, but you actually make me believe it could happen. Maybe it’s just because you’re a princess…” Rubbing her foreleg with the other, she tilted left and right. “I suppose if you need my help, I can, though I think you’ll want to get Suri on board before we agree to anything. Lightning Dust’s already willing, I’m sure. She was so sore about getting caught that she rushed off immediately after waking up.”

“Well, the first thing I need to do is figure out how to remove these Charms. Getting my magic back is all I need to cut her little act short.” Sunset glanced back at her rump and scowled.

“Oh! What is your Charm? Have you figured it out yet?” inquired Sassy.

“My Charm? No, I just woke up. How do I even use it?”

“It’s just like casting magic. You feel it in you, bringing it forth like a spell, but once it’s out, you can use it.” Closing her eyes, Sassy’s fake cutie mark glowed for a moment and called forth her Charm. Appearing like a ghost, the Charm was that of a beautiful white mare covered in gems of different colors. With giant diamonds as forelegs, the Charm gave a little twirl and a wink to Sunset. “This one is mine. I call it Free Fancy. Lightning Dust said that giving them names is stupid, but don’t be shy from thinking one up for yours. It helps with the tedium. Suri calls hers Buttons.”

Wincing with confusion, the alicorn tried to rattle her brain around the mystifying information. Just like magic, huh? Sunset gave it a shot. Focusing inward, she felt her rump get hot as the six-pointed star glowed. Waiting for something to happen, Sassy gasped, forcing Sunset to throw a look over her shoulder.

The Charm appeared in all of its radiance. Above her rump lingered the torso, arms, and head of a golden warrior, blonde hair streaming down its back. With hands instead of hooves, it reminded her of the defender she became to combat Midnight Sparkle. The only mystery was what it did—and why exactly it had a red blindfold covering its eyes.

“How beautiful, Sunset. I’ve never seen a creature like it before. Think it’s strong?”

Smiling, Sunset replied, “Oh, I am quite sure it’s very powerful. It embodies friendship, and there’s nothing stronger than that.”

World 5: Chapter 11

Sunset stood stunned. The manifestation of the Charm was something she recognized—it was her magical transformation! “I’m not really sure how a Charm chooses its design, its subconscious, I think. Suri’s based off her old cutie mark, but Dust’s is based on what she wanted to be when she was a filly. Any idea what yours can do? Mine’s defense.” The Charm on Sassy’s back held up its diamond shields, readying to block Sunset’s attack. “Go ahead, give it a shot.”

The feeling strangely swerved. She could sense the way her Charm moved and the gravity it held. She could almost see through its eyes, had it not been blindfolded. Giving it a shot, as Sassy suggested, Sunset’s Charm struck the shields with all her force. Sassy’s Charm and Sassy brushed back, but neither were injured. Instead, Sunset shook her hoof. “Ah! That hurt.” She hadn’t seen it, but her Charm also rocked the pain from her hand.

“My apologies. Maybe your Charm isn’t a fighter? That’s alright. We’ll figure it out later. Right now, we should go and let Lightning Dust know you’re awake, along with introducing you to Suri Polomare. I’m sure they’ll both be eager to see what type of Charm you have.” A door opening and closing downstairs startled the unicorn. “Oh! I’ll bet that’s Suri. I hope…”

Trotting down, Sunset followed the unicorn and came face to face with an orchid-colored mare with purple hair, which was wrapped upward with a cyan ascot like a crafty headband. “They almost found me!” the mare named Suri Polomare whisper-yelled, grasping Sassy’s shoulders. “Where’s Lightning? We’ve got to move!” The mare then locked eyes with Sunset, letting out a scream.

Sassy pushed a hoof over the mare’s mouth. “Shh! This is Sunset Shimmer—she’s new and on our side.” Throwing her look over her shoulder, Sassy nodded to the alicorn. “We’ll have to move to another hideout. It’s going to be a few blocks away. You alright with following?”

With a shrug, Sunset said, “I think staying out of danger till I can figure out how to revert these Charms would be wise.”

“Revert our Charms?” Suri shot a squinting glare, only to realize the alicorn in front of her was indeed an alicorn. “Oh my! You’re a princess? Things might be on the up and up!”

Shoving her hoof over Suri’s mouth once more, Sassy commanded, “Let’s talk about this later. We need to move.”

Pressing out the back of the crystal home, Sunset was the second out. Sassy Saddles picked up their rear as they passed through grassy yards that desperately needed love and care. Suri took to the sides of buildings, reminding Sunset of Shining Armor as he led them through the battle-hardened empire of the first world. Jumping from alleyway to alleyway, they crossed roads only when necessary.

At one point, Suri opened the door to a building, pushing through to the back door, and then circling around the yard to a set of double doors. They protruded from the ground with garden equipment covering it. Brushing the tools off with one big shove, Suri opened the double doors and commanded, “Get in.”

Sunset did as she was told, trotting down into the darkness with a smidgen of curiosity. Sassy was right behind her, turning on the single light as she entered. After Suri closed the doors, she turned out the light. “No lights! You know she’ll see it. She’s always so thorough.”

“It was her? You ran into her!?” Sassy gawked.

“Yes her! She had the seductress with her. I think they were looking for the Wonderbolt, but they found me! Now hush!” Suri put a hoof to Sassy’s mouth, clearly payback for the earlier treatment.

“Who is her?” Sunset whispered, far lower than the other two. “Wait. Wonderbolt?”

Suri nodded. “Captain Spitfire. She’s not with the Puppet Master—but she’s not to be trusted. Those gang of ruffians want her for her power, and she wants the Puppet Master for…” Suri suddenly went quiet. Pushing a hoof to her mouth, Sassy did the same.

Sunset hadn’t heard it, but the two mares did, and it wasn’t until silence permeated the basement that sounds of trots echoed from above. Dust wafted down from the ceiling, though Sunset only found that out as it coated her eyeball. “Ah!” she yelped, rubbing her eye with the back of her hoof. Her cry caused the hoofs to stop their trot, and though she couldn’t see the other mares, she felt their fear.

The trotting picked up, heading for the backdoor, and then they vanished. A second later and the double doors opened up. “I should have known you would be down here!” a familiar voice yelled from the top step. “You’re supposed to put the stuff back with your Charm, Suri. It’s so obvious that the tools were freshly moved.”

“Lightning Dust!” Suri and Sassy hollered in unison.

“Who else? Come on. We’ve got to get to the castle. I can’t be away from the Crystal Heart for long,” the pegasus replied.

“Wait, how do we know it’s really Lightning Dust?” Sunset questioned, eyeing the mare with her one good eye. The other still leaked tears.

“Trust me, it’s me. But only barely. The Puppet Master’s sharks are out and about, they’re after the captain. If we contain ourselves at the castle, we’ll have a better chance to avoid their conflict, and maybe we’ll get lucky and witness them knock each other out.” She batted her hooves together. “Come on!”

Whispering to the girls next to her, Sunset asked, “Do we trust her?”

Sassy gave a nod. “The captain knows not to use her Charm on Lightning. She’s one of a kind, and we’re pretty good at telling when she’s not herself. No matter how hard she tries, Lightning Dust is Lightning Dust. Reckless, irreplaceable Lightning Dust.”

“I guess you have her in high regard,” Sunset noted, inspired by their fellowship.

“Not really,” Suri interposed. “But you take what you can get. Not like we can find the crystal ponies without her, at least.” Trotting up, the earth pony rolled her eyes at the annoyed pegasus.

With a shrug, Sassy led Sunset up and out. “It’s a pleasure to see you again,” Sunset greeted. “I heard you almost saved me.”

“If Sassy hadn’t found us, we’d end up wherever the crystal ponies are, which wouldn’t have been such a bad thing. But we can do more good out here,” Lightning Dust replied.

“You say that, but we haven’t done any good at all!” Suri shouted, almost exploding, but Sassy got between the two.

“Let’s argue later when we’re not out in the open,” Sassy bid, and the two mares simmered down. The three sets of eyes scanned their surroundings while Sunset glanced each of them over.

Without any more wasted conversation, the quartet rushed off to the castle, cowering within the shadows of the buildings. The entire city drifted to the opposite direction Sunset had seen when she first arrived. The sun and moon had fallen, which would have granted them even more darkness, except for the raging firestorm surrounding the Crystal Empire. Sunset wondered whether it was Discord’s design or something caused by the Twilight of this world. Gritting her teeth, she thought of the prideful unicorn’s arrogant speech patterns.

Maybe there’s a way I can utilize her superiority, much like Luna suggested using Rainbow Dash’s impatience. We never got the chance, but Twilight doesn’t seem to be in any rush to be near me. I wonder if she’s still lulling about in that theater. Her eyes shifted to the rooftops as they came to the underside of the castle. She knew where the theater now sat, and that would be helpful in trapping the unicorn. I’ve got to get my magic back. As intriguing as this Charm is, I doubt it’ll be as useful as my spells.

Pressing through the castle’s rooms, Lightning Dust led them down a hall Sunset recognized. Entering a bedroom that Sunset had not opened since the days of her villainy, Lightning Dust closed the door behind them. Different bedsheets and end table, but relatively the same. To think I’m now trying to help Twilight get her crown instead of taking it. She smiled, but it was cut short by the three mares shooting daggers at one another. “Is this your hideout? It seems odd to hang out in the castle itself,” Sunset said, trying to make conversation and break the tension.

“They won’t look for us here. If anything, they’ll target the Crystal Heart,” Lightning Dust replied. “And if they do, we’ll have a bigger problem on our hooves other than them finding us.”

“Do they target the Heart often?” Sunset asked.

“Not usually, only when they want to strike at us,” replied Sassy. “Since their focus is on the captain, it gives us an opportunity to search for the crystal ponies.”

“You mentioned them before. Where’d they all go?”

Sassy shrugged. Suri was the one to respond, “If we knew that, we would have released them by now. From our understanding, though, they’re still here in the Crystal Empire. The captain, she came to the empire to find someone… she says that pony is still here, but as far as we know, we’re the only ones. We’ve picked up bits of information here and there from those bragger zealots, but other than that, we don’t know anything.”

“I believe that if we find them, we can use them as fodder to take on the Puppet Master. We don’t know if she gave them Charms, or if she just imprisoned them, but what we do know is that she didn’t want them around,” Lightning Dust added. “Speaking of which, I’m going to go make sure the perimeter is secure.” In a dash, the pegasus disappeared.

“I think they’re underground somewhere,” Sassy mumbled. She was staring absentmindedly at her hoof. “Dust’s tried tunneling, but the crystal around here is too dense. There might be a way in through the theater, but it’s not like we can get in through there.”

Sunset knew of a path. I’ll keep my mouth shut about it now. I’d rather not have innocents getting involved and being used as… fodder. Though finding and releasing them might give us a distraction. I’ll need more information before I decide. “What about Twilight’s team? Who does she have working for her?”

“There’s four of them. Minuette, Lemon Hearts, Twinkleshine, and Moondancer. They’re all bad news,” Suri answered. “Moondancer’s the worst. She’s completely loyal to Twilight, and she won’t hesitate to throw the other three under the cart. If you ever see her, just run. It’s not worth it trying to fight. The others are capable, but they don’t stick together, so it’s usually two on one. Since neither me nor Sassy are outstanding fighters, we just manage until we can run away or Lightning Dust shows up.” With a roll of her eyes, she muttered the words, “That featherbrain is a pain.”

“Sunset’s got a Charm. If we can figure it out, maybe it’ll be helpful,” Sassy spoke up. “It doesn’t look like yours, Suri. It’s more like mine and Lightning’s.”

“Speaking of which,” Sunset cut in, “Can you two tell me about how these Charms work? They don’t play on the same rules as magic, that’s for certain. It’s all created by Twilight, right?”

“Given by the Puppet Master, inspired by ourselves.” With a glow of Suri’s six-pointed star, a small creature appeared on the earth pony’s shoulder. With six legs and shaped like a pony, a brown button replaced its head. “This is Buttons. He’s a little guy who packs a big wallop.” Hopping down from Suri, he trotted over to Sunset.

The alicorn watched as he climbed her front leg and disappeared onto her back. “This is your Charm? I’m not sure what I was expecting, but if they can be these little creatures too, that’s going to be a problem.” She felt the Charm wriggling around on her back—specifically in her backpack. “What’s he do?” She shouldn’t have asked.

Like staring too closely at running water, the world became a wave of movement. Some parts were too quick while others too slow. Sunset felt as though everything was moving, which forced her to find the nearest wastebasket.

As she wrapped up expensing her stomach’s contents, she wiped her lips and found that the world stabilized. “Wh-what was that…?” she murmured, glancing back at the earth pony. Her Charm had returned to her shoulder.

“Now you know how we get around so well. Me and Sassy are good at getting out of dire situations.” The earth pony then held up an eraser. “Buttons can infect any object. If you have that object on your person, you’ll start to feel a wave of nausea and then become really sick. Speaking of which—” The earth pony tightened a hoof around her nostrils “—the room’s about to start smelling like a hospital, so maybe I should have warned you first.”

“I’ll take it,” Sassy sighed. “Sunset can show you her Charm while I find a place to hide this.” Taking the wastebasket from underneath Sunset, the unicorn marched out of the room.

“I still don’t know exactly what my Charm can do,” Sunset mentioned as she focused. Her flank grew hot as the Charm appeared. “From what I understand, they all have special properties, right?”

“How beautiful,” remarked Suri. “It definitely has the properties of a fighter, and it’s not like Sassy’s. She’s got a special attack, but those diamonds of hers are a great defense, especially since they shield against other Charm’s attacks. Yours?” She hummed for a moment, scratching her chin as she thought. “It could do some damage.”

Sunset's shoulders tightened and shook her head. “Only damage it has done is to me. Sassy said my Charm isn’t a fighter after she made me hit those shields of hers.”

“Yeah, well, Sassy’s wrong. Hitting those diamonds, anyone, even Lightning, would be hurt. Doesn’t mean you can’t take on other Charms. But those hands—now I’ll bet that’ll help out a lot more than her diamonds. Buttons got six hooves, four to run on, and two to hold stuff. And no one else has any Charms with hands. Maybe that’s your special property, something revolving around that.” Suri finished spitting her ideas just as Sassy returned.

“Figure it out?” the unicorn asked.

“No,” Suri replied. “Hey Sassy, let Sunset try hitting your Charm without blocking.”

Sassy stepped back. “What? No! We don’t know what her Charm could do.”

“Well, it’s not like we can just throw her out to the wolves and let her figure it out on her own,” the earth pony grumbled. “Wait…”

“No!” Sassy shouted back, obviously understanding Suri’s unwise idea.

But instead of arguing, the two mares suddenly stopped. They stared at each other, and Sunset watched as their ears flickered back and forth. “What’s going on?” the alicorn asked, only to be shushed by the two.

With lightning reflexes, both Sassy and Suri jumped backward, landing close to the bed, only for the door to explode into the room. A shattering of wooden shrapnel littered the floor where the two had been standing, dust covering the now open entrance. Two shadows came forward, and as the dust settled, Sunset got her first glimpse of what the Puppet Master’s crew contained. One mare, her stature proud, was a pale beige unicorn, while the other was a cornflower blue, though this unicorn was full of spite and venom. “Not Spitfire, but they’ll do,” the beige mare said, her purple and red mane falling into her eyes.

“It’s her!” Suri growled. “Moondancer.”

“This isn’t good. I guess we’re premiering Sunset’s Charm after all. At least she won’t have to hit me,” Sassy added.

Both the unicorn and the earth pony’s Charms appeared, though neither seemed ready to unleash the first attack. Sunset, still housing her own Charm behind her, stepped forward. The silent, fuming mare with the multicolored blue mane was her focus. Two against three, yet they claim Moondancer is the worst of the bunch. If she’s so bad, she wouldn’t need backup. And it doesn’t look like that mare wants to be here. “Hey, hey. Moondancer,” she called to the proud unicorn.

“You’re that new mare. The princess. You dishonored our master, and for that, you shall pay. I’ll have Twinkleshine come up and collect your unconscious body once I render you inoperable. You’ll be of no threat in the Darkness,” Moondancer claimed, her face remaining calm as she spoke.

“Yeah?” Sunset yawned. “If you think you’re so good, why bring backup? Lightning Dust isn’t around, you’ve got these two cornered, and I’m too new to this. Seems to me like you’re scared you’ll fail.”

“Your backward thinking will not sway me,” Moondancer replied. “These two are more dangerous than you’ll have me believe. I had to throw out my favorite sweater because of that mare.” She pointed at Suri. “I haven’t stopped holding a grudge.”

Sunset nodded, unsure if that was sound reasoning. “Yeah, that makes sense. But what of your friend there? She doesn’t look too happy.”

“That doesn’t matter. Our task was to capture the Wonderbolt, and now we’ll capture you instead,” Moondancer replied, which stirred an angered glance from the mare beside her.

“Really? It seems to matter to her.”

Moondancer’s gaze fell to the blue unicorn who was grimacing. It was unclear who exactly she was upset with, but the scowling worried Moondancer enough for her to step sideways, putting a gap between the two. “Minuette. We’re here for Twilight. Do not forget that.”

“You always say Twilight—” The blue mare lowered her head to the ground, staring up at Moondancer like a snake “—whenever you want us on your side. Yet you always say Puppet Master when you’re ordering us around. I’m getting real sick of taking your orders. You think you’re better than us just because Twilight gave you the best Charm? Is that it?”

That was easier than expected. If tensions are high for Sassy, Suri, and Lightning, I’d hate to be a fly on the wall for Twilight’s gang.

“You know I only do that to guide you in Twilight’s words. We cannot fail her!” Moondancer argued.

Sunset, careful in her quick movements, rushed to the side of Sassy. “How durable is your Charm’s diamonds? Capable enough to fall a few stories?” she asked, whispering in the quietest voice she could manage. Sassy seemed surprised and confused until Sunset nodded to the direction of the closest window. “I can carry Suri.”

Sassy understood though she didn’t say a word. Without a second between speech and action, the unicorn’s Charm burst open the wall that held the window. Sunset was quick in grabbing Suri under her forelegs, dashing out as fast as she could. “Oh my Celestia!” Suri screamed as she kicked her back legs weightlessly in the air. “What about Sassy!? She’s going to plummet to the ground!”

Sunset and Suri watched as they glided down, unable to catch up to the unicorn as her Charm sped shield-first into the street. With an earth-shattering explosion, crystal shards kicked up into the air, creating a cloud around the unicorn’s landing. Reaching the ground, Sunset dropped Suri safely and flew into a jog before stopping in front of the veil. “Sassy!?” Suri called, her voice full of worry.

“That… was… exhilarating!” Sassy burst through the dust haze, a wide smile on her face. “I’ve never done anything like that! I wouldn’t have dreamed I could! How did you know it’d work out, Sunset?”

Sunset scratched her cheek. “Call it a princess’s intuition. It was either bursting out the window or bursting through them.”

“Looks like instead, you’ll be busting through me. Unfortunately, I’m not as easy as a window.” In the shadow of the castle came another unicorn. The mare was a golden grey with pale pink mane, and before Sunset could ask her who she was, she introduced herself, “The name is Twinkleshine, a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Unfortunately, you’re not going anywhere.”

Out of nowhere, Twinkleshine’s Charm appeared behind her. A two-yard tall rectangle mirror, the unicorn stepped out from in front of it. For a split second, Sunset could see herself in the reflection just before Sassy forced her out of the way. A bout of light shot from Sassy’s flank, but only for a moment. Sunset looked at the mare to see what possibly changed. Suri yelled, “Sassy! You’re the worst of us to be mirrored! You should have just let the Charm mirror Sunset. We might have found out what it can do.”

Sunset didn’t understand. It wasn’t until she looked at the unicorn named Twinkleshine that everything pieced together. Behind the pink-haired mare was no longer a large mirror. Instead, a pony speckled with gems and diamond shields for hooves replaced the reflective furniture. It literally mirrored Sassy’s, only this one was black and white. “We don’t know what Sunset’s can do. It could wipe out the world for all we know! Better for her to have mine than the unknowable,” Sassy fired back.

“How precious. I do quite love this Charm, though. It makes me feel powerful,” Twinkleshine said, and like a steamroller, the Charm shot at Sassy with a mighty strength, forcing her own Charm to block. The four diamonds collided, struggling to overpower one another. “Fight me all you want, I’ve just got to hold your attention long enough for Moondancer and Minuette to arrive.”

“Then we’ll have to interrupt your fight,” Sunset said, forcing her Charm to appear.

“Unfortunately, I’m not wearing anything for that little Buttons to infect. And your Charm isn’t at all impressive. I mean, what even is that? It doesn’t look like a pony. How tragic.” Twinkleshine shoved back Sassy’s Charm, and Sassy slid with it. With a few jabs, the two Charms met blow for blow, their diamonds refusing to back down.

Sassy then chimed in, “Go! Get out of here you two! I’ll keep her preoccupied and wait for Lightning Dust!”

With an overabundance of menacing laughter coming from the pink-haired unicorn, all eyes came to her. “Lightning Dust has already been taken care of. Well, not in the general sense, but she’s preoccupied herself.” Throwing a nod in the direction of the Crystal Heart, she pointed out that the pedestal was missing its famous artifact. “Lemon Hearts has got it, and I’m sure Lightning Dust is falling for her charms right about now.”

“They’ve got us cornered! I thought they were going after the captain?” Suri exclaimed.

Sunset shrugged and hung her head forward. “This nonsense is becoming tiresome. I don't like running away either.” With a slow walk forward, her Charm was busy cracking its knuckles. “I’m not sure what my Charm can do, and I’d prefer to have my magic, but if this thing can move you out of my way, then I’m game.” Stopping to the side of the black and white Charm, Sunset glared at Twinkleshine. The unicorn was forced to be close to her copycat Charm as Sassy’s range was minimal. “Hasn’t anyone told you plagiarism is wrong?”

With a quick uppercut between the four diamond shields, Twinkleshine’s Charm was flung backward, breaking the standoff between her and Sassy. Though the Charm took the hit, Twinkleshine was forced to feel the blow as well, as if both were connected, mimicking when Sunset’s Charm struck the diamond shields.

But Sunset saw something else. It was a flash, less than half a second of data, but Sunset witnessed it. That’s what you do!

Twinkleshine retaliated, throwing a blowing right hook at Sunset’s Charm, but she ducked under it without flaw. I saw that coming! With her own retaliation, Sunset’s Charm elbowed the fake Free Fancy, but she did not glimpse the future this time. Turning, the copycat went to pincer Sunset’s Charm, squishing from both sides with the heavy gems. This gave her the opportunity to strike at the fake’s chest, hitting it straight on. With a hit from her fist and not her elbow, Sunset understood.

Limboing out of the way, Sunset’s charm evaded the second oncoming strike. “I’ve figured out what my Charm does!” Sunset yelled to Sassy and Suri. “I’ll have to tell you two once we deal with bootlegger over here.”

Twinkleshine’s Charm tried to retreat into a defensive stance, but Sunset had seen a loophole. Slipping underneath the diamond shields of the black and white fraud, Sunset’s Charm wrapped her arms around a leg and over the head, holding tight. Shifting Twinkleshine’s Charm around, she held it toward Sassy. “She’s open!”

Not hesitating, Free Fancy batted the back of the Charm, avoiding Sunset’s arms as best she could. Twinkleshine, feeling every blow, was forced onto her front knees. When the unicorn finished, Sunset’s Charm let go, letting the copycat fall to the ground. Suri rushed to Sunset and Sassy. “You beat her! You actually did it!” she congratulated. “We’ve never outright won before!”

With a groan, Twinkleshine lisped some words, though none of the trio heard them. “What was that?” Sunset asked, a smug grin on her face. “I couldn’t hear you from down there.” Putting a hoof to her ear, she asked again, “What’d you say?”

“You’ve wasted too much time.” Twinkleshine shot her own villainous smile up from the floor. “They’re here.”

“Oh, ginger snaps,” Suri murmured as they all bore witness to the two unicorns stepping out from the shadow of the castle.

“I’m not too worried anymore. Now I know what Shimmering Justice can do.” Sunset clapped her hooves together, and her Charm mimicked the motion.

Sassy asked, “Shimmering Justice?”

“Yeah, you know. Sunset Shimmer, so Shimmering. And she’s got that blindfold, and justice is blind,” Sunset answered, growing defensive. “You’re going to complain, Free Fancy?”

“How cute, you named it,” Minuette mocked, stepping over Twinkleshine’s body. “Now you’ve grown attached, though, and that’s never a good thing. Especially when you’re about to lose it.” Moondancer remained in the back. It was clear by the smirking attitude of Minuette they had resolved their issues, and with the blue unicorn stepping forward, Sunset knew Moondancer was feigning leadership to Minuette.

Leadership—and responsibility if they fail. This Moondancer… I’ve got to watch out for her.

A voice rang out from nowhere, stunning all the mares in attendance. “I always thought naming our Charms was the most childish thing in Equestria, but Shimmering Justice sounds pretty cool.”

Sunset glanced up, knowing the voice to be Lightning Dash. The pegasus in question held the Crystal Heart tucked under one foreleg, her other pushed arrogantly into her side. “It looks like Lemon Hearts was unable to maintain the affection,” Moondancer commented. “Handle these three, I’ll deal with the pegasus.” Shifting back underneath, Lightning Dust was drawn in, leaving Minuette to fight one on three.

“My pleasure.” Minuette’s Charm appeared behind her, a see-through pony made of glass. Filled with sand in the head, Sunset recognized it as a pony hourglass. “I’ve named mine too, y’know. Perhaps if you beat me, I’ll tell you what it is. Come on girls, what are you waiting for? An invitation? Sorry, we only hand those out for birthday parties.”

Though she wanted to rush forward, Sassy held Sunset back. “Don’t let her hit you or your Charm. If she hits you, it’ll be bad news. She doesn’t affect my shields so stay behind me.” Sassy trotted forward, her Free Fancy hoisting its diamonds in front of it.

Sunset did as instructed, staying directly behind the unicorn. In the distance, she could see Lightning Dust and Moondancer going at it, but as she focused on their action, she was surprised by Sassy’s rump hitting her jaw. With a pummeling plethora of fast-paced punches, the glass Charm was pushing Sassy back. Over and over, the hits were as quick and plentiful as popcorn popping on a stove.

Utilizing the unicorn, Sunset leapt onto Sassy’s back, slamming her Charm’s fist down on the glass cranium as it focused on the shields. Seeing in an instant what the timekeeper was about to do, Sunset dropped to Sassy’s side, blocking the hoof with her forelegs. Standing bipedal, Sunset held still. “Sunset! What did I just tell you!?”

“Sorry! I saw her evading and rounding to strike at you, so I blocked it.” Sunset trotted backward with her back legs, but her forelegs remained stilted. “Why can’t I put my legs down? What’s going on!?”

While Free Fancy blocked Minuette’s attacks, Suri rushed to Sunset’s aid, pulling her away from the fight. “Minuette’s Charm isn’t strong, but it is dangerous,” she explained, “Every hit she puts on you or your Charm will freeze it, locking it into place until the stamps run out.”

“Stamps?” Sunset pushed her head forward to glance at the opposite side of her forelegs, leaning on Suri to do so. Barely seeing the black hourglasses, Sunset noted half the sand had dropped into the bottom of both stamps. “Oh geez. It can freeze your Charm too?” She threw a look behind her and Shimmering Justice waved. Sure, laugh it up.

“Sassy’s shields block all sorts of Charm’s powers, so long as it’s the shields that are hit. You were smart to block it. Otherwise, it would have been her head taking that timeout,” Suri clarified.

Watching as Sassy blocked and evaded the blue unicorn’s strikes, Sunset felt a desperate need to help. Looking back at her Charm, she wondered how far it reach without her. Shimmering Justice seemed to recognize her thought as it looked back at her. Wait, it’s just like a spell! The Charm threw up its brows, barely visible above the blindfold. Let’s see how far this spell can get.

Legs appeared for the first time as Shimmering Justice stepped out from Sunset’s shadow, walking toward the action. “Sunset?” Suri whispered, just as surprised as the alicorn. “Just what is your Charm?”

Grinning, Sunset watched as the Charm appeared from behind Free Fancy’s shields, slamming both fists down on the glass Charm. “How in Equestria!?” Minuette shouted, gawking at the sight as she backpedaled. She didn’t get a moment to retaliate before Shimmering Justice struck again, this time kicking the hourglass pony backward, forcing sand to trickle down from the head into the back legs.

“You think you’re the only one with surprises?” Sunset pushed off Suri and batted her front hooves together. “Twenty seconds. I’m good at math, and that’s how long your Charm’s ability lasts. But I’m not going to need twenty seconds to defeat you. You see, I can see your moves, and I can tell you right now that your glass is about to be shattered. That’s not the only thing I can tell. In fifteen seconds—you’re going to tell me that your Charm’s name is Time’s Up.”

“What!? How did you know that!?” Minuette growled, her face became a shade of angry red.

Dodging both wild strikes from the hourglass pony, Shimmering Justice took hold of the glass neck and suplexed the Charm. For a moment, Sunset thought Minuette would travel with it, yet the blue unicorn only winced. Shifting weight on its right leg, Shimmering Justice turned and batted the Charm twice, breaking the crystal ground beneath. Kicking up with her back legs, Minuette’s Charm turned to face the golden warrior. “You think that’s all I can take!?” barked the mare. Sunset’s Charm then pointed behind Minuette, forcing the mare to turn around.

“You like sneak attacks, don’t you?” Sassy asked as Free Fancy slammed both diamonds into Minuette’s sides, trapping her like two unstoppable elevator doors. “I’m not quite sure what Sunset’s doing, but I like her style.” Minuette groaned as her Charm came to her aid, but Free Fancy squeezed harder, and the hourglass Charm stopped its movements.

Minuette cried out, “Do something! Anything!” The hourglass pony gathered its strength and went to strike from above on Sassy instead of her Charm, but the unicorn let go of the cornered mare and leapt backward. “It’s about time,” she huffed, taking in a massive, much-needed breath.

“You’d think with a Charm like that, you’d be able to get out of anything,” Sunset mocked.

“You think you’re funny?” Minuette shifted her head from side to side, rubbing her waist. “What was that about my Charm’s name? Yeah, it’s Time’s Up, and taking on those two it’d have no problem. You? You’re…” She spat on the floor. “Twinkleshine! Get up and help me! I don’t want to look bad in front of Moondancer!”

Twinkleshine rose from the ground, proving that, even though the blows and strikes looked painful, they really weren’t. No permanent damage remained other than hurt pride. “Yeah, yeah. Quit your whining.” Her mirror returned—but this time it wasn’t pointed at Sunset or Sassy. Instead, it focused on Minuette’s Charm, turning the mirror into a contrasting hourglass pony. “I would usually enjoy seeing the snot kicked out of you, but this little alicorn is a reflection of Equestria’s worst. Let’s see how she deals with two of us.”

Sunset remained stone-faced as her Charm returned to her side. “I’ve got a lot of pent up frustration from a bunch of past experiences traveling through several different worlds, and though Discord’s helped with making sense of everything, I still really just want to take a sledgehammer to that mirror of yours,” Sunset replied as she stared down her muzzle at the duo. “But since I left mine at home, Shimmering Justice’ll just have to do it for me.”

World 5: Chapter 12

“Two of the same Charm is a dangerous combination,” Sunset remarked, glancing between the almost identical Charms. Time’s Up, huh? What’s the mirrored version? Time’s Down? “You can’t block them both and I can’t fight them both,” she told Sassy. “Let’s split them up.”

“Split them up? If you say so,” replied Sassy. Sunset noted how Sassy shook. Whether it was with fear or anticipation, she was unsure.

“You deal with the original, I’ll take care of the fake.” Sunset’s Charm, Shimmering Justice, stepped toward Twinkleshine and her copycat.

The fake Time’s Up shot a hoof directly at Shimmering Justice, initiating a fight. With no time to test her newly acquired range, Sunset rushed forward behind the action, flanking Twinkleshine and preventing her from escaping towards the castle. Twinkleshine didn’t bother reacting to the pony, focusing on both Charms. While Sassy managed the other side, battling Minuette, Sunset would force them apart. “You really shouldn’t leave yourself defenseless,” Twinkleshine laughingly mocked, her disinterested façade dissipated as her Charm turned to face Sunset.

With a quick blow, Shimmering Justice blocked the hit with a balled up fist. Somehow, Sunset’s Charm disappeared and reappeared just in time to guard its master.

An hourglass mark now on her fist, Justice could not extend the fingers. With no time to retaliate, another strike forced a block, striking the same hand’s wrist. Sunset watched as the Charm rotated the elbow but not the hand. It’s specific to limbs, huh? The frozen fist didn’t matter as the arm still moved, striking back at the hourglass pony.

The copycat dodged. “You think you’re so clever, don’t you?” Twinkleshine remarked with a grin. “Sorry dear, but Minuette’s Charm only gets better with time.”

Another strike from the hourglass Charm hit Justice’s leg, freezing it in place. Unable to move, her ability to dodge became entirely reliant on upper body blows.

Instead of focusing on the Charm, Twinkleshine turned to Sunset. “It doesn’t matter what your little Shimmering Justice can do. Every mark from Minuette’s Time’s Up adds a boost of speed. That means, the more stamps you get, the faster it’ll get, and the more I get to attack!” Passing Justice, the copycat Time’s Up flung a hoof at Sunset utilizing all the speed it could muster. With barely a moment to move, Sunset avoided a direct headshot, instead, taking the bout in the shoulder. Unable to use her right foreleg, she trotted backward, keeping the stilted Shimmering Justice between them.

“Striking at the pony rather than the Charm? That’s a low blow. At least Sassy only prevented Minuette from escaping,” Sunset replied. She was breathing heavily, and it wasn’t just because of the quick dodge. If this is just like casting magic that means there’s limits. Range, velocity, circumference, mass. And that means it’ll take a toll on our bodies the more we use them. Being an alicorn, I should be able to last longer than Twinkleshine, and I think she knows that. Targeting me from now on is her best option.

Passing blows and dodges, Shimmering Justice continued to take the hits in her right arm, refusing to let the copycat strike her anywhere else. Every glancing hit, the enemy Charm would swipe at Sunset forcing both parties to change tactics last second. When the time stamp on her wrist and hand ended, Justice flexed the fingers. The Charm feigned another block to the arm only to guard with her open palm, surprising both the copycat and the owner.

With its fingers stretched out around the hoof, time froze for the hand. “Gotcha,” Sunset sneered. “Can’t target me now.”

With a downward elbow, Justice slammed into the mimic, sending a shockwave throughout the mare’s body. However, still holding the hoof locked in hand, Justice then pulled the copycat Charm up and swung it back down onto the ground headfirst. Much like Shimmering Justice, the Charm then disappeared, materializing behind Twinkleshine. However, it did not remain as a copy of Time’s Up.

Twinkleshine held her head, leaning on the mirror. “You’re clever. But nopony is cleverer than the Puppet Master. That’s why she gave me this Charm—I’ll use it to copy yours!”

As the Charm activated, Moondancer appeared, grabbing the mare by the foreleg. “Twinkleshine, forget it!” she yelled, dragging her along. “Minuette, it’s time to go! Let us return to the Darkness!”

“Lightning Dust!?” Sunset yelled, hoping Moondancer wasn’t victorious.

“Let’s go! Into the castle!” Lightning Dust appeared beside Moondancer as though they were buddies. “The underworld creatures are coming!”

Suri threw a look over her shoulder. “What!? Already? We need to hide!”

As Moondancer dragged Twinkleshine away, Minuette followed, but not before yelling, “Next time, you won’t get off so easily!”

“What’s going!?” Sunset panicked, thoroughly confused.

“Are you alright, Sunset? Can you move?” Sassy asked as she came closer. Her eyes went to the hourglass mark on Sunset’s shoulder just as it vanished. “The underworld creatures—more of the Puppet Master’s creations—only come out when the world is upside-down. When we face the crater, shadows will form the city, and they’ll be upon us.”

“Oh goodie. At noon, does a giant come and lift up the city so that we can touch the sun?” Sunset scorned the world, rolling her eyes. “I can move. Lead the way.”

Lightning Dust kicked open the door to the castle. “They’re not smart enough to open doors. If we’re up and out of the way of them, they won’t be able to find us.”

Sunset followed Sassy and Suri in, rushing up the crystal steps. Instead of continuing to the bedrooms, they headed to the top of the castle, hitting the throne room and shutting the doors behind them. “I had her on the ropes!” Lightning Dust chided herself as they entered. “Without her posse, Moondancer is beatable. I know that now!”

Though Lightning Dust glowed with excitement, not everyone in the room shared her enthusiasm. “Well, I’m glad you had a good time,” Suri scoffed. “Meanwhile, I’m now proven to be the most worthless of the group.”

“Oh, get a—” Lightning Dust started to argue, only to have Sassy’s Free Fancy block her.

“Now’s not the time,” Sassy said in a hushed tone.

“Fine.” Trotting to the throne, the pegasus sat down and kicked her legs up, spitting her anger onto the ragged rug.

What a dysfunctional bunch, Sunset thought as she rolled her shoulder. The closest window allowed her to see the shadows flood the city. Though the flames burned brightly, reaching the castle’s elongated form, the buildings below sat trapped behind the shadows. Even the edges of the Crystal Empire were coated in grey and black. She watched the darkened town until something caught her eye. “These… creatures. What exactly are they?” she asked the group.

Suri let out a grumpy grunt, forcing Sassy to sort out an explanation. “We’ve been under the assumption the Puppet Master brought the creatures north and used her magic on them. They’re big and scary, and a lot of them have three heads. They don’t speak our language. The first night was terrifying.”

“It’s terrifying every night!” Lightning Dust argued, throwing her hooves up.

“We’re unsure of what they were before, but one thing’s for certain, they’ll stomp and smash anypony caught out in the darkness,” Suri added.

“If Twilight created them, why aren’t they under her control?” Sunset asked.

Sassy shrugged. “Who says they aren’t? The Puppet Master—sorry, Twilight, she’s not biased about who gets hurt. Her little team we fought today only side with her because they know how powerful she is. They think they can get more power by sticking by her. Or maybe they really believe she’s their friend. I don’t know. What I do know is that Twilight trapped the crystal ponies somewhere. They call it the Darkness. She uses them as a heat source, though I don’t even know if that is true or if those girls are just trying to force us off a trail.”

“They could just be puppets on strings, pointing us in a direction Twilight wants us to go,” Sunset murmured, leaning against the wall. She continued watching as shadow beasts ran down streets and bumbled into buildings. “This certainly puts a hamper on things. Taking Twilight away will hopefully undo the damage she’s done, but the problem is getting to her.”

“Now you’re seeing what we’ve known all this time,” commented Suri. Her eyes were locked on a different window, staring down at something Sunset couldn’t see. Instead of wondering, Sunset came close to the earth pony, eyeing the other part of the city.

In the darkness, the theater was lit up like a bonfire. Well, that’s how they avoid dealing with haunting monsters. “I need to fill you all in on about my Charm. When I tap someone with its fists, I see their next move or actions.”

“Yeah, we kind of figured out the future seeing,” Sassy replied. “What you did with Minuette was amazing!”

“I missed that?” Lightning Dust grumbled, crossing her forelegs. “Next time, one of you gets to deal with Moondancer so I don’t miss all the cool stuff.”

“And that’s another thing.” Sunset shrugged off her backpack and plopped it on the ground. “Suri here complained about not being able to help, yet I’ve got the perfect tool to make her more beneficial.” Lifting out a pack of gum from the same pocket that her ID sat, she handed it off to Suri. “You can turn anything into a trigger, right? Chew a piece, give it to Buttons, and have it stick it in their hair. Boom.”

“Sunset…” Suri took the package, holding it to her chest. “That’s… really smart. I can’t believe we’ve never thought of that.”

Sassy bubbled into the conversation, “And she thought of the jumping out of the castle! We’ve been needing someone like her in our group. She’s got a lot of great ideas.”

“Oh yeah?” Lightning Dust remarked, moving her body off the throne. “A princess is smart, clever, and wise. You’re definitely all of the above, but I’ve never heard of a Princess Sunset Shimmer. I chalked it up to the same reasoning that Princess Luna appeared, but I’m starting to think there’s something more.” The pegasus trotted close to the alicorn, her eyes slanting as she stared with an intensity.

“Yeah? You think that’s weird, wait till I show you this.” Sunset unleashed her Charm, forcing Shimmering Justice to roll the carpet that ran the length of the throne to the doors. Underneath the rug was a trapdoor, one she entered many times now. “Thanks, Shimmering,” she said, winking at her golden Charm.

Turning, Shimmering Justice gave a thumbs up. “The rug is a duchess satin. It is an eight harness weave, which indicates the woven yarn passed over seven times and then succeeds it by going under for the culminating eighth time. This renders it curvilinear and transportable, perfect for lengthy, spacious rugs.”

Sunset stared at the Charm, her mouth wide open. She looked to the others of the room to see if they shared her reaction, and they absolutely did. “The Puppet Master must’ve been really impressed by you Sunset,” Sassy said, “Her Charm is the only other Charm that’s ever spoken. At least, as far as I know.”

“You mean it’s not a normal thing?” Sunset asked as she came close to Justice. “Are you able to communicate properly? Like, what’s your name?”

“Name. A word or set of words used to denote a person, place, or thing,” responded Shimmering Justice, about as well as Sunset expected.

“Well, that’s special.” Sunset studied the Charm. “Just, uh, keep quiet whenever those girls are near, okay?”

Shimmering Justice nodded. “Probability is at one-hundred percent that we will run into them again soon.”

Lightning Dust snickered and said, “It’s got a sense of humor. I think that’s a sense of humor… Maybe not.” She then trotted to the trap door, forgetting her earlier want of an answer. “So what’s this thing then?” she asked, replacing the old question. Shimmering Justice lifted the wood by the handle, allowing the pegasus to glance down into the darkened, looming staircase. “Is this the Darkness? It can’t be. I see light at the bottom.”

The thought of light perturbed Sunset. I don’t remember any light being down there. Only a hidden path and a door of nightmares. She glanced over the side. The pegasus was right. “What is that?”

Pushing the alicorn out of the way, Lightning Dust flapped her wings and glided down. “If you don’t know what it is, that means it’s something new!” she yelled back. Sunset chased after the pegasus, refusing to allow the mare to face whatever oddity this world presented alone.

Shadows of Sombra’s magic were not the shades within this cylinder staircase. These rippling shadows were cast from the opening left by the lack of floor at the bottom of the steps. No door, no secret passage, only the night sky and the fires imprisoning the city.

“I suppose this makes a lot of sense,” Sunset murmured, glancing at the rock, dirt, and crystal that mixed together on the edge. “You think we can escape this way?”

“I’m no chicken, but I’m not going to try it,” replied Dust.

“Right. Leave the princess to do it. How brave.” Sunset flexed her brows mockingly at the floating mare just before letting her wings fold in. She felt the gravity shift—she figured it would, like it had when she first arrived—but she did not expect the way it changed. “Huh,” she murmured, standing firm on a patch of dirt and stone. Her eyes glanced up at the night sky, then to the circular inferno. She stood upside-down, yet right-side up.

Lightning Dust appeared behind her. “Well, here I thought I was gonna get to see you thrown on your butt. Guess the Puppet Master’s barrier extends further.”

“What happens when a pony touches this invisible barrier?”

Snickering, Dust answered, “You could say it’s a shocking experience.”

“There is a ninety percent chance she is referencing electricity,” Shimmering Justice said, appearing behind Sunset before vanishing.

Rolling her eyes, Sunset wanted nothing more from the pegasus. “I’m going to see what’s up—err, down, here. Wait for the girls and let them know we can walk around out here.” She didn’t wait for a response before turning to a direction and starting her trot.

With the city completely facing the ground, the light coated the entirety of the ripped earth. It was as if the slice had been a calculated blade, cutting the soil and stone with a swift, undeterred cut. There was no jutting of the ground or little mounds of rock protruding from the disheveled earth. It reminded Sunset of the smooth lanes of a bowling alley, solid balls gliding down the slick wood. Twilight must’ve been the one to do this. If she’s powerful enough to steal magic and replace it with her own, she’s powerful enough to upheave a city. She grimaced at the notion. To steal magic…

She shivered. Fire burned the world around her, yet she felt cold. The fur beneath her fur stood on edge, bumps of skin raising the back of her neck. Every bearer has become more difficult to capture than the last. Pinkie Pie… she was difficult, then Rainbow Dash amplified it by tenfold. Applejack was tolerable, but Twilight? Her eyes drifted back to the six-pointed star atop her cutie mark. It reminded her of something. Brainwashing helmets.

Her newly forced cutie mark grew hot, and Shimmering Justice appeared, even though it was not Sunset who called for her. “Water consists of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom. It is a liquid, can become a gas and solid, and is both tasteless and odorless.”

Sunset didn’t understand. “Why are you talking about water?”

The Charm then reached out, rubbing its thumb across the tear-stained cheek. A smile appeared, creasing its blindfold as it said, “You are expelling fluids at an alarming rate today. Please cease before dehydration occurs.”

Brushing the back of her hoof against her forehead, Sunset felt her temperature. “I guess I could use a drink. How do you know these things? You’re too helpful to be controlled by Twilight. What exactly are you?”

The Charm remained silent. Sunset could see the eyes moving beneath the blindfold, the little indentations of fluttering moving the tight cloth. It wouldn’t get the chance to answer if it was going to. “Sunset! Where are you?” Lightning Dust beckoned, even though she could very much see the alicorn.

Sassy and Suri trailed behind the leading mare, rushing to Sunset as slowly as possible, both in awe of the new landscape. “Have you found anything?” Lightning asked as she arrived. When Sunset shook her head, the pegasus glided off in a random direction, her eager recklessness bleeding through.

“Can we escape? Can we leave?” Sassy asked as she came close.

“If there’s something here, we’ll find it,” Sunset replied, nodding to the two mares. “Lightning’s off in that direction, we should split up too. Holler if you find something.”

“I’m not sure my voice can carry. Everything might be flat, but this thing is city wide—and curved pretty steep,” Suri complained, her pessimistic attitude returning. But unlike before, she gave a shrug and said, “If we came through an opening then there might be others. I’ll head this way.”

Sassy blinked, turning her surprised face to Sunset before taking off in a third direction.

Alone again, Sunset called forth her Charm. “Just you and me.” Shimmering Justice said nothing in response, but followed its master as Sunset trailed on. “Her magic is keeping this thing stable. If we remove Twilight from power, what will her magic do to this city? Will it collapse?”

That’s when Sunset stopped. “The fire would burn everything in the vicinity, but what’ll happen if the city collapses? Can we even have a hope to get out with our lives?” She looked back at her Charm, hoping for an answer, yet the Charm remained silent. “What if we’re looking at this the wrong way? The crystal ponies should be our focus, because if we let them escape, it’ll just be us. Destroying the city, it won’t matter. This is Discord’s world, after all. Canterlot is in shambles, and Las Pegasus wasn’t much better. Their lives are what is keeping us from dropping this thing like a rock in a pond.”

Shimmering Justice frowned.

“I know we don’t know where the inhabitants are being held.” Sunset paced back and forth, contemplating her own words. “If we knew that, it’d be one step to victory.” She stomped a hoof, frustrated. She closed her eyes for a moment, but as she did, the scrapped stone and soil collapsed beneath her.

A small yelp escaped her lips as she found herself pulled by her hair, Shimmering Justice’s hand wrapped in the strands from her scalp. Her other hand stabled itself to the edge of the earth. Sunset, surprised by the Charm’s quick thought, looked at the empty space beneath her. Opened, a blackened void of darkness held the stones she’d been stepping on, suspending them in the shift between gravity.

“Don’t worry, I got this,” she told her Charm as she held both hooves to the hand. Hovering with her wings, the Charm disappeared, leaving Sunset to glide to the closest floating rock. “It’s… darkness. Is this the Darkness the girls spoke about?” Her eyes glimmered in the reflection of the abyss, dark pools of swirling shadow. Though it was pure black, tears started to water her sockets as if she stared at the sun. With the back of her hoof, she rubbed her eyes. “This has to be it. How powerful is Twilight? Is this what she would become if she turned evil? A destroyer?” A Midnight Sparkle?

"You were right! I didn't understand magic before, but I do now!" The words came from her memory, another Twilight who had strayed from the path of friendship.

“Sunset! Sunset!” voices yelled from above, breaking the past from Sunset’s mind.

Pushing off from the floating pedestal, Sunset rose to the flat curvature of the city. “Careful!” she warned. “I think I found the Darkness.”

“How’d you find it?” Lightning Dust asked as she floated above the pit.

“The ground is unstable. Even the smallest of wallops could collapse more of the remaining earth.”

“Unstable!?” Suri and Sassy had come close to the edge, but their fear of falling into the darkness replaced their curiosity. “If that’s the Darkness then the crystal ponies should be there.”

“Then that’s where we’re heading,” replied Lightning Dust as she tucked her wings against her, falling like a cannonball into the massive void. Passing the floating rocks as if it were no problem, the pegasus would reach the end of the blackened construct in seconds.

“No!” was all Sunset shouted before her panic took over. Racing full force to catch the pegasus, she reached Lightning Dust, but the force of her gravity plunged both Sunset and Dust into the abyss.

Like water from a pool pushing too quickly into a nasal cavity, Sunset sneezed and her eyes watered, feeling liquid coarsely drain down her throat. It didn’t last long. Lightning Dust held onto her forelegs, and the darkness turned purple as she was pulled from the spring. Coughing and wheezing, Sunset held her eyes shut as she took a deep breath of the stagnant air. “Are you alright? You didn’t have to try and save me, you dweeb!” Lightning Dust said, smacking Sunset’s chest, hoping to aid the clearing of her windpipe.

“Really? I’m the dweeb? Your recklessness could have gotten you injured or worse! Who knows what that stuff is?”

“It’s water,” a raspy voice spoke, low and quiet.

Sunset’s anger blinded her to the underworld around her. A purple cavern barely lit enough to see the vague faces staring back at her. “Are you… the crystal ponies?”

“Me?” the raspy mare replied. “The others are, yes, but not me.” Extending a dim yellow hoof, Sunset took it and was pulled to her hooves. “My name is Stormy Flare. Are you a… princess?”

“You’re Stormy Flare!?” Lightning Dust interrupted. “You’re the captain’s mother!”

Sunset’s brows furrowed together. “Captain’s mother? You mean the mare with the Charm you were so worried about?” She turned to the older mare. “So that’s why she’s here. She was looking for her mom!”

“Spitfire is searching for me?” Stormy Flare held a hoof to her chest. “Of all the chaos in the world, I am glad I can still rely on my own daughter. Where is she? Is she with you?”

“No,” Lightning Dust replied with a guttural growl. “She’s not with us. She’d rather be on her own.”

Stormy Flare looked to Sunset who shrugged in return. “Wait!” She remembered Suri and Sassy. “The girls are still up there! They’re probably worried sick about us. Is there another way out of here?”

“I don’t even understand how you managed to get in here. The only way in is through the Tartarus Staircase,” answered Stormy Flare.

Sunset raised a brow to Lightning Dust who answered with her own confusion written all over her face. “Tartarus Staircase?” she asked as she turned her eyes to the prison of the crystal ponies. Hard purple walls of dark crystal encapsulated their existence with a few ever burning blue fires for torches. The entirety from floor to ceiling was the dark purple crystals, which made it very difficult to see the openings to other tunnels. The humidity remained encapsulated within the dark purple rooms, a stuffy air strangling the inhabitants with heat.

Stormy Flare led the two around one such undiscernibly heated path. “I don’t like this place, Sunset,” whispered Lightning as they passed crystal ponies who were sweating and melancholy. “This doesn’t feel like it should be part of the Crystal Empire. It’s all wrong.”

“I agree,” Sunset replied, but said nothing more. Her heart hurt for the exhausted inhabitants. How were they surviving? Why did Twilight do such a despicable thing to such a wholesome group of ponies?

As they reached the Tartarus Staircase, Sunset understood the name. “Cerberus.” Stormy Flare pointed. “He guards the Tartarus Staircase.”

A tall, long, white staircase sat behind a big, black, three-headed dog, and in front of him was a steel fence that went from floor to ceiling. “Cerberus? He looks just like the monsters roaming during the night!” Lightning Dust exclaimed, flapping toward the gate.

“Who are you two, anyway?” Stormy Flare asked.

“I’m Sunset Shimmer. That’s Lightning Dust. We’re trying to stop the Puppet Master.”

“Sunset! Come quick!” Lightning shouted. The pegasus had wrapped her hooves around the steel bars. “I think someone is coming!”

Pushing her muzzle through the bars, Sunset stared up at Cerberus. All three heads were napping peaceful on the lowest of steps. One was drooling while the other two snored. Behind the black beast came a set of shadows. “Get in there!” yelled a voice Sunset recognized. Twinkleshine.

A gate opened within the steel fence, and before Lightning Dust could get through, Twinkleshine shoved in a yellow mare who looked surprisingly similar to Stormy Flare. Closing the gate behind her, Twinkleshine growled, “Next time, you should be more appreciative of the gifts the Puppet Master bestows.”

As the unicorn turned to leave, she spotted Sunset. “Look what the copycat dragged in,” Sunset said in a haughty tone, grinning the smuggest grin she could muster.

“You! How’d you get in here?”

“Does it matter? Isn’t this where you were supposed to put me anyway?”

“You got that right! Have fun with the rest of the nobodies.” Climbing the steps, Twinkleshine bellowed with laughter so loud that it woke one of the heads of Cerberus, only for it to return to its slumber.

Sunset shook her head, smiling to herself. These girls are so delusional that tricking them isn’t even difficult. She hoped to ask Lightning Dust how they might break the bars, but the pegasus was too busy glowering at the newest prisoner, who in turn glowered back.

“You’ve got your mother. Aren’t you proud? All your hard work, you two-bit hack,” Lightning spat.

“You’ve got some nerve thinking you can call me a two-bit hack with a Charm like that. You’re not even a Wonderbolt, and you’re trying to rip off our brand,” Spitfire spat harder.

“Oh, that is it! There’s nowhere for you to run now. I already made you a promise, anyway.” Lightning’s Charm appeared behind her. To Sunset’s surprise, the Charm lacked a pony. Instead, an empty suit of blue and yellow with light azure goggles stood firm. It was as if somepony was invisible, yet their clothing remained visible.

Spitfire snorted. “Promises, promises. You seem to be hung up on garbage like that. If you plan on keeping your promise, you’d better be ready to feel crystal in your teeth.” Unlike Lightning, however, Spitfire did not bring forth her Charm to do battle. Or if she did, it was too small or invisible to the naked eye.

Shimmering Justice stood between the ponies, each of its arms extended in both directions. “We don’t have time for your petty squabbles,” Sunset told them. “Whatever Spitfire did—she was doing it to find her mother. Give up your grudge for now, Lightning Dust. You can resolve your differences once Twilight’s been stopped.”

“If I’d realized all it took to find you was getting locked up, I’d of done it sooner,” Spitfire spoke to her mother. “Are you under the Puppet Master’s spell?” She whipped her rump around. “With her mark, I cannot leave.”

Stormy Flare turned her tail to Spitfire. “No, she never saw me fit. All the crystal ponies are the same way.”

“Then we need to get you and them out of here,” Spitfire replied.

“If I may intervene,” Sunset interjected, pointing to the gate. “How’d Twilight get Cerberus here? I mean, if she removed him from Tartarus then who’s guarding it.”

“Does it matter?” Lightning Dust asked and tucked her chin against her chest, eyeing the beast and the stairs. “What’s the hour?”

“We’re almost right side up. Those monsters will be cowering beneath the underside soon,” Spitfire answered.

“Where does the staircase lead up?” Sunset wondered.

“Right outside the theater. Turns out, they’ve got some sort of mechanism to move the stairs to their terrible auditorium,” Spitfire once again answered.

Lightning Dust suddenly let out an angry tirade of insults against Twilight and her crew, to which Spitfire agreed with every word. As Sunset listened, she thought for a moment of how powerful Cerberus and the other monsters were. Then, a different thought burst her bubble. “Wait, if they return to the bottom of the Crystal Empire, won’t they find the—”

“Run!” Clopping hooves followed the voice that Sunset and Lightning both recognized. “They’re coming!” Sassy yelled to the ponies by the gate. Suri trailed behind with a flock of crystal ponies running from a terrible howl. The melancholy crystal ponies by the walls stood and rushed to the gates as well, becoming a hundred souls crowding Sunset and the other mares.

Shimmering Justice appeared behind the bars as Sunset attempted the knob. Of course, the door was locked, a key needed for both sides. “Probability of demise at thirty percent and rising,” the Charm commented.

Appearing from the tunnel, the monsters howled and drooled, only kept at bay by the crystal ponies who were smart enough to take torches from the walls to create a lit barrier. Each of the beasts looked like a deformed Cerberus, melting in a black pile of ooze. There were no distinguishable features between them, other than purple eyes staring crossly at the flames, cowering in fear of the blue fire.

“Probability of demise now eighty percent,” the Charm once again commented as it continued to twist the knob.

“Kick the door down!” Sunset yelled at her Charm, though the mental thought was there before she spoke the words. With enough weight and the right placement, the Charm lifted a leg and slammed into the lock directly, snapping the inner mechanisms.

As soon as the sound rang out, Cerberus awoke. Its six tired eyes turned to Shimmering Justice. Two mouths foamed while the third growled, each salivating at a tasty treat. Of course, once the gate was open the crystal ponies took no time in waiting. Their fear of Cerberus did not outweigh their fear of the shadow monsters. Rushing up the steps and pushing Cerberus aside, the ponies were a wave of life heading upstairs.

When the room cleared of crystal ponies, Cerberus snapped his head back to the remaining mares. Sunset stood at the gate, allowing Suri, Sassy, and Spitfire with her mom to pass through. The three-headed dog growled at them until its dark, oozing brethren came forward. At the sight of such monsters, even the guard dog turned tail and ran, yelping like a chihuahua. In the lining of dropped torches, the creatures slinked their way through gaps of the dimming lights. Sunset used Shimmering Justice to hold a torch out in front of her, blocking the gate. Backpedalling, Sunset was the last out, Lightning Dust followed the terrified Cerberus.

Closing the gate behind her, Sunset relaxed a little, though Shimmering Justice remained with the torch.

The darkened beasts tore at the bars, chomping at the metal, though their black teeth could not pierce the rods. As Sunset stood and watched in horror, unable to turn away, her fear grew as another monster crawled from the darkness. This one was different than the Cerberus clones. Walking on four legs like the three-headed dog, a torso rose from the body. With two arms and hands, the fluctuating blackness gave little to discern what sort of creature it was, other than beady purple eyes.

Oozing and dripping, the hands reached for the door, pushing on the knob, something the dogs couldn’t do.

Curse you Twilight! Everything you’ve done here is unacceptable. I don’t care if you’re a bearer of harmony. The gloves are coming off for this one. Sunset turned and rushed up the Tartarus Staircase. She could hear the angry howls of the abyss monsters chasing after her. Shimmering Justice remained at her side, floating along with her. “Probability of reaching safe haven zero percent unless speed is enhanced.”

“Gee, thanks for the advice!” Sunset shouted back, though her pace did increase.

Nipping at her hooves, she reached the light and heard the screams of the dark creatures as the light kept them at bay. She immediately heel turned to see if she was truly safe, but the beady eyes of the dissimilar monster stared at her. Is it frowning? The hands wringed in pain as it tried to desperately to move into the light, but to no avail. The horns of the dark beast tipped back, creating a massive shadow in the darkness. The world was safe so long as light remained.

And then the path closed. Lightning Dust flipped the hidden switch that they’d never found, closing the secret way and reconnecting the staircase up to the theater’s entrance. So that’s why we me and Lightning Dust were left in front of the theater. Had we not been found, it wouldn’t have taken them any time at all to throw us in the Darkness.

The huge dog whimpered, pouting at the group of crystal ponies who cowered around it, brushing against the black fur. Sunset noted each pony covered their eyes, hiding it from the light of the burning fires and the mixture of sun and moon above. Even Cerberus tucked a head beneath the others while covering another with a paw.

“I’m getting everyone to the border,” Spitfire told Sassy, though Suri stared at her with contempt. Whatever the captain of the Wonderbolts had done, much of their ragtag group despised the leader for it. Yet Sassy acknowledged the statement and made no move to counter or attack.

“Sunset,” Sassy greeted, turning her focus from the yellow pegasus. “What should we do now?”

Though Sassy did seem the most levelheaded, Sunset felt a twinge of surprise in the question. It was as if the command chain relinquished itself into her hooves. Sunset was in charge. Not Lightning Dust, not Sassy, and not Suri.

“We move on Twilight. Now.” Her head swiveled to stare up at the doors to the theater. “We’re ending this.”

Pushing into the lobby, Sunset led the way, only turning to watch as Spitfire and Stormy Flare led the crystal ponies and Cerberus away. For a moment, she debated on asking the captain of the Wonderbolts if she would stay and aid their fight. When she saw the pegasus hug her mother, she fell against the choice, choosing to leave the unknown mare’s Charm out of the assault.

With her quartet in the theater, Sunset closed the doors. Where are Twilight’s gang? Why haven’t they stopped us? Twinkleshine couldn’t have gotten far.

“They’re here. Time to start the show,” a voice boomed from within the auditorium, forcing Sunset to march forward.

The lone patron sat in the same seat as before, still wrapped in black clothes and a purple scarf. On stage were four ponies, three Sunset recognized, one she knew only by name. “I’ve come to put an end to this, Twilight.”

Patting the seat next to her, Twilight called for the princess. “Come now. We must at least see the dramatic turn between our comrades. I do so enjoy seeing how games turn out. Push them to the stage, if you would. Chess! Checkers! Let us duel.”

Sunset turned to the unlikely group of companions. “Head up on stage. Don’t worry, you won’t lose now that it’s four on four.” Her rump grew hot as Shimmering Justice appeared. As Sassy, Suri, Lighting Dust, and Shimmering Justice made their way up the side of the stage, Sunset sat beside Twilight. Her eyes were not taken from the stage, making sure to always have her Charm in sight. “Four versus four.”

“Amazing thing it is, your Charm,” commented Twilight, her words dripping with sincere rapture.

“You haven’t seen anything yet,” Sunset declared.

“I’ve seen all possible outcomes. I am unbeatable.” Lifting a covered hoof, Twilight pointed to the strings drifting down from the stage. Unbeknownst to those who once called Twilight a friend, the four unicorns became entangled in puppet strings. Not a single mare knew it was happening until the strings tugged their lips into eerie smiles. “I do hope you’re ready.”

Lifting her forelegs, Sunset inclined in the seat, kicking her back hooves up onto the chair in front of her. “Sorry. You haven’t seen anything yet.” Clapping her hooves together, she gave a nod to her Charm.

“Probability of loss is at one-hundred percent,” Shimmering Justice said.

“Your loss, that is.” Sunset turned to Twilight.

All at once, the world went at a blitz. Minuette, the unicorn whose Charm would defy their ability to move, abruptly had her strings snapped off. Twilight threw a hoof to her mouth. “What did you do?” she asked between gags. Minuette, however, ran off stage, her face a putrid green.

A bubble popped from Suri’s mouth right before she hollered, “One down.”

Angering Twinkleshine, her mirror appearing, the stage collapsed along a line, dropping the Charm and the unicorn into the underside. The strings snapped, unable to control the sudden weight and gravity shift. At the forefront stood Sassy, her Free Fancy’s shields smashed in between the floorboards. Though the sight of the choreographed team surprised Twilight, Moondancer and the yellow unicorn named Lemon Hearts both stared up at the broken strings that no longer ensnared Twinkleshine.

“Twilight!” the high-pitched voice screamed with fury. “Are you controlling us!?” Lemon Hearts turned to the seats, stomping an angry hoof.

“I have gifted you power beyond your control. I will use it as I see fit.” As if on cue, Lemon Hearts no longer disagreed. Her whole body moved toward the group of unlikely comrades, though her eyes spoke a different tune. “Two against four? Unlikely odds. Moondancer, even the playing field, if you would.”

Lightning Dust charged forward with her Charm, smashing the strings around Moondancer instead of the pony they controlled. “As much as I dislike you, Moondancer,” Lightning growled, “You’ve got to see she’s just controlling you.”

But Moondancer remained loyal. “She’s my friend. The only one I had for the longest while. I’ll destroy anyone that gets in her way.” While she focused on Lightning, she failed to note Shimmering Justice sneaking up behind her. And without the strings controlling her, Twilight could do nothing but watch as Shimmering took Moondancer in a headlock.

Sunset couldn’t help but smirk, her inner gloating slowly coming outward. As she went to speak, to say something smarmy, Moondancer was dropped to the floor. Somehow, realizing it without Sunset knowing, Shimmering Justice came to her owner’s aid. Disappearing and reappearing.

Instinctually pushing away from the surprising reappearance of her Charm right in front of her, Sunset almost yelped and hiccuped. “Shimmering?” Her eyes dragged up the body of the Charm, finding one arm outstretched above Sunset, blocking a set of puppet strings that fell from the ceiling. It wrapped around Shimmering’s arm like a snake on prey. “Twilight! You cheater!” she snapped, turning to the unicorn.

“What is a raindrop compared to my storm? What is an individual compared to my group? I control all. My unity, my creation, is full of miracles. Can you really deny my gifts?” Twilight replied as a single hoof lifted. To Sunset’s fear, each of the ponies on stage were under the control of the strings.

“You’re worse than Sombra!” Sunset insulted, pushing up from her seat to dogpile the unicorn.

Another hand blocked above Sunset while the alicorn took Twilight by the collar, staring down at the pitiless purple pony. With both hands blocked, however, Shimmering Justice could not stop from another set of puppet strings grabbing hold of Sunset and dragging her off. However, Sunset pulled the purple scarf with her, untangling it from Twilight’s neck. “My scarf!” shouted the unicorn. “I’m so cold! Stop it!” she commanded, her voice full of fear. “You’re not good enough to touch me! I’m better than you, so don’t you dare!”

The strings around Sunset tightened hard, and she felt them wrap around her chest. The screams of her friends, and even her enemies, erupted from the stage. Her eyes turned and saw the puppet strings wrap them in cocoons, much like a spider taking pride in its food.

“Recommending course of action,” Shimmering Justice bellowed above the screams. “Call for help.”

I have no choice, Sunset realized, feeling doom all around her. As Twilight shivered, pulling the scarf around her neck, Sunset called for the one person to stop the madness. “Discord! I want to use a lifeline!”

“Discord?” Twilight scoffed, her mouth covered by the scarf. “You think that he’ll actually come?”

“Oh, without a doubt I will. Sunset Shimmer wants to use a lifeline? I would say it is rare, but it is not. This will be two!” Discord greeted. He slithered around Twilight, replacing her scarf. “What a fantastic show you put on. I wonder what Sunset will use? Want to take bets?”

“She’s cheating, so I’m cheating! I want to completely negate the need to get Twilight! Get her for me!” Sunset screamed, mostly from pain.

Discord grinned. “I knew she was going to choose that one. Are you certain, Sunset? I mean, making me right? I might hold it over your head!” he said with a chuckle.

“You’re not going to do anything, Discord. You stepped hoof in the wrong domain.” Twilight’s Charm unleashed strands in Discord’s direction, the giant doll stepping behind the draconequus. And to Sunset’s surprise, they caught him with ease.

“Discord! Yes, I am certain! What are you doing!?” Sunset beckoned him free.

“I always wanted to try being a marionette, but I do love being the puppeteer.” Snapping the cords like it were nothing, Discord flexed his muscles and cracked his knuckles. With a little whistle, strings wrapped around Twilight, pulling her up out of the chair. Her clothes fell down into the seat as she fought ferociously. “Dance for me! Dance!”

Sunset fell into a seat, landing perfectly beside Shimmering Justice. The others fell on stage as well, resounding thuds echoing the theater. “You can’t do this!” Twilight hollered. “You can’t! I’m invincible!”

“No one is invincible. Not even me,” Discord mocked. “Let me get you a smaller stage.” He let out a hoot, slapping a knee. “Are you ready, Sunset? Oh, of course you are. This place is about to fall back into place anyway. Her magic no longer controls everything. Take a look.” He pointed to the stage.

The six-pointed star disappeared from Suri’s cutie mark, and Buttons disappeared with it. Lightning Dust reached up to tap the hoof of her costumed Charm, only for it to fade. And Sunset knew Shimmering Justice would soon disappear too.

“Water consists of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom,” Shimmering said to Sunset, clasping a hand on the alicorn’s face.

“I don’t know what to say,” Sunset said, knowing tears trickled down her cheek. “I just got to know you.”

“Probability that you will miss me, one-hundred percent.” Justice smiled. “I will miss you too.”

In a golden eruption, the Charm became a thousand butterflies, disappearing all around Sunset. It wasn’t just Shimmering that erupted, but the whole world. The theater fell apart, breaking down like the set of a television show. When the stage crumpled, the crystal map replaced it. Sunset glanced around, rubbing the tears from her eyes. “Suri? Sassy? Discord?” She rose from the ground, pacing in every direction.

“Look what the cat dragged in. Or should I say, betrayer,” Applejack remarked, rousing laughter from Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie.

“Shut it!” Sunset spoke sharply, glancing up at the cages, which now included Twilight Sparkle.

“It’s so warm here,” Twilight said, rubbing her cheeks. “So warm, so humid, so nice. Why wasn’t my city like this? Why could I never make it feel so warm?” She let a breath go and fell backwards, rubbing her spine against the cage.

Before Sunset could answer, she found herself standing in a hallway of darkness. The glowing tube televisions burst the dark away. “My, oh my, Sunset Shimmer. You really had a fight on your hooves! I thought for a second you were going to win, too. Oh well.”

“Discord. You know you don’t need to show me any worlds, right? I’m going to continue in this one. You already convinced me,” Sunset replied.

“Really? Just like that?” Discord mourned. “How tragic. Well, it is not like that other world has anything eventful.” A screen paused on the changeling empire, while another paused on the removal of said empire by the Elements of Harmony. “I mean, the changelings returning and transforming into a force of good to defeat Lord Tirek and King Sombra? How droll.” A third screen paused on the war between bugs and villains.

“Wait what?”

“Nope. You already said it.” The screens shut off. “If we have nothing else, I suppose you better get off to finding that fifth one.”

The screens disappeared as quickly as they appeared. “Actually,” Sunset called out as the world reappeared. She looked up at the cages. “I have a request.”

“A request?” Discord ensnared her just as he’d done to Twilight, wrapping around her frame like a snake. “What sort of request?”

Her eyes turned to the mirror. The mirror. The mirror between CHS and Equestria. “Put this thing somewhere safe. Somewhere out of the way. Somewhere so that, when the girl on the other side comes back, she’ll come back to friendship.” Trotting up to the reflection, she put a hoof on the glass, and the reflection of Shimmering Justice put a hand in the matching spot.

“That is your request? Very well. I suppose you have earned a common courtesy since you have been such a good sport,” Discord replied, snapping his fingers.

Sunset watched as the Charm and mirror disappeared. “Thank you.”

World 5: Chapter 13

Griffonstone, on the map, remained a sanctuary of clothing and fashion. All the trees, mountains, homes, and Sunset assumed, griffons, were transformed into clothing. Like the dragons becoming food, she hoped to find and help the species against Rarity. As with Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Twilight, she knew Rarity would be a villain.

But upon reaching the city, she found no trace of the griffons. Instead, she immediately located Rarity, sitting atop a throne of clothing, laughing manically. She understood then why going to the Not-So-Bad-Badlands first was a terrible idea as Discord had announced. Rarity, unlike some of the bearers, completed her lust for power and had already won. Had I gone north first, perhaps I could’ve stopped her. But then, what of Ember and the dragonuts?

Unlike the other four, however, Sunset took Rarity into custody immediately. Though the unicorn fought, the sudden and abrupt capture ended in Sunset's win. “I have her, Discord,” she spoke aloud, declaring her victory only a few minutes after her arrival. As she waited for the draconequus, she examined the land, eyeing the flannel roads, scarf trees, and homes of sweaters and jeans. “The Red Brick Wall!” a memory yelled as Discord appeared. I wonder if I’ll ever get to meet her again.

“You little miscreant! I’ll break your mind when I get out of here!” Rarity yelled the hollow threat down from above, and the other bearers echoed insults and tantrums.

“Well that was quite an easy feat you pulled off,” Discord commented. He stood straight, staring with a paw playing with his beard. “Of course, if you were to be fooled once, and fooled twice, a third, fourth, and fifth time does not seem likely. Ah, well.” He bent down, becoming eye level with the alicorn. “I suppose I do not need to show you another world, do I? Not like you would have gotten the joke.” A ball appeared on his hand written with a five in black. “Nothing more than a gag, showing you this world and all you have accomplished. Well, no matter. You still have one to go.”

For some reason, though he was quirky and a little rude, Sunset was growing fond of the draconequus and his odd speech pattern. “Rather an unsatisfying win, don’t you think? After the nightmare that was Twilight, I expected Rarity to be the real need of the lifelines.”

“They cannot all be winners, Sunset. Sometimes, sacrifices must be made, letting go for the things that matter,” he replied. “Though there is one to go. Surely you will not give up now, not when you are so close.”

“Except I don’t know where to start. You’ve given little hint as to where Fluttershy is. And since you’re not the Discord from my Equestria, it leads me to believe that—well, to be quite honest, I am unsure as to why you’d separate Fluttershy. Do you Discords share a common bond, caring for Fluttershys regardless of world?”

“Is that a question for a lifeline?” he answered her question with his own.

“No, I already know the answer. It’s not about you.”

With a grunt of rebuke and a flip of his paw, the draconequus turned away. “I will leave you to it then.”

Alone, Sunset stared up at the five cages. Each of the bearers looked down at her with contempt, though the degrees of hatred varied. More so, Pinkie and Rarity, while Twilight’s eyes showed pain as well. Discord called this a game, yet he’s been incredibly helpful all throughout. But with no reference, he’s making Fluttershy the hardest to find. I’m so close, yet so far.

Raising to stand bipedal, Sunset put her hooves on the table, lighting up the map. The five cutie marks centered in Ponyville. Her eyes meandered the cities and landscapes, wondering if the sixth cutie mark remained incredibly small or pinpoint. Yet nothing appeared in the form of pink butterflies. Sticking her face low, Sunset became entranced with scaling every pixel. She lost all the world around her, completely devoted to the map, and ignoring the ugly deformed rat who stood staring across the table at her.

“’Ey, toots.” The terrible greeting startled Sunset so much she slipped from the table, smacking against the ground with her backpack softening the blow. “I see you got that fifth gal lickety-split. I’d of joined you in the Crystal Empire too, but I had better things to do.”

Rising and glaring, the alicorn remained as civil as she could. “You’re lucky you weren’t in the Crystal Empire. I’d have used my Charm’s hands to clean you.” Her eyes shot back to the map, avoiding the bloodshot stare tilting from behind the engulfing sunglasses. “Not to mention you avoided a terrible villain. You and that one girl must’ve known not to go there.”

“Eh? Who? You mean her?”

The rat pointed out the swirly-eyed mute mare standing directly behind Sunset. This, much like the rat’s appearance, startled Sunset enough to slam into the table, her backpack once again softening whatever tumble might have befallen her. “You!” She shot a look between the mute mare and the rat. “I’ve never seen you two in the same place, now that I think about it. Except maybe the courtroom, but I don’t think that counts.”

“Well, in Discord’s chaos, it’s nice to get a break from her,” the rat replied. “Not like she needs me anyway.”

Squinting, Sunset realized it was the first bit of information about the mare she’d received, other than the strange riddle that often appeared with the gal. The riddle! “Burn the living room, burn the kitchen, burn the bedroom and the bathroom. What is left?” Sunset asked herself, repeating the riddle she’d read several times.

“This some sort of trick?” The rat gave a snort, spitting the contents from his mouth. “It’s the fire.” Tumbling onto his front paws, he fell flat on his stomach and laid in front of the two mares.

“There’s no way it’s the fire,” Sunset replied. “Is it fire?” she asked, unsure if the rat wasn’t right.

The swirly-eyed gal didn’t bother moving, the answer incorrect. “If I got the chance, I’d burn you,” Pinkie said in a threatening low tone. She snapped her teeth, much like a cat hunting its prey.

Sunset, of course, ignored her, and the others spoke their own opinions. “The front door,” Rainbow Dash answered next, giving a shrug if it was the wrong answer. “I mean, if you burn everything down all that is left is the walls and doors.”

“If we are talking literally,” Twilight eventually answered, “It could be ash. Charred remains. Mementos, fragments of the past, scorch marks.”

All of the words seemed to have no effect on the silent mare. “Literally my hide,” snarked Applejack. “The question is what’s left? Well, the homeowner! Shoot, she burned all our stuff, and we’re still here. Not sure why we’re helping her anyway.”

“Help.” Sunset thought on the word. For some reason, she pictured Discord. “Help… a lifeline.” The question then popped into her head. “Of course! I could use the lifeline to get him to tell me where Fluttershy is!” She then retracted the statement, “No, wait. He could just tell me Equestria, or on the ground, sky, or some other asinine statement.” Her eyes debated between the rat and mute mare. “It’s funny, actually. I’ve got two riddles and no answers. It’s just like these worlds. How do I get home and what is calling me? Two riddles, no answers.”

“Seems to me like there’s one genetic mutant with all the answers, you’re just not willing to ask,” the rat snidely chastised.

“Because I don’t know what to ask,” Sunset shot back.

“You’ve got a riddle right in front of you and you’re tryin' to figure out what to ask. I'm almost envious of your lack of sense." The rat rolled his eyes, and then muttered, "Geez, I wonder how your mother carried you around as a baby, what with you being so dense.”

Rolling her eyes, Sunset ignored the rat, only for the insult to sink in like a spoon in cereal. “It can’t be that simple?” she asked the mare. “Can it? Could he have planned it like this?” Pacing, she walked away from the table, then back again. “Isn’t he the one who suggested heading for the Not-So-Bad-Badlands? Instead of going north, he wanted me south. Could he have planned it all?”

“Only Discord can plan for a pony from another world,” the rat replied.

To Sunset’s surprise, the five caged mares agreed with the sentiment, all chorusing insults and praise to the chaotic spirit.

Turning to the mare whose riddle appeared as nothing more than this world’s distraction, Sunset noted exactly why it was this mare followed her. “She can’t be found with this map because she isn’t here,” Sunset mumbled, a realization striking through. “Discord. I’d like to use a lifeline, if you please. The last lifeline, for the last bearer of the Elements of Harmony.”

A moment passed before the draconequus floated down from above, two balloons of white and blue in his grasp. “The last, you say? If you truly figured it out, I would be remiss to say it took you so long. So, I will not. A lifeline for one truthful answer, is it not?”

Sunset eyed the balloons. Both were Celestia and Luna, though tape covered their rubber mouths. “You planned it all out, Discord. How could you? How is it you knew everything I’d do, when I’d do it, and how I’d do it?”

“Time is so fickle. Of course, those are three questions, all of which share the same answer. Is that what you wish to use your lifeline on? Knowledge of the how and why of your existence through my ever pressing gauntlet?”

“No. I’ve got a riddle I’d like answered truthfully.”

Leaning an elbow on the terrible rat, squishing the rodent, Discord let out a chuckle. “Very well. You only get one shot.”

“Burn the living room, burn the kitchen, burn the bedroom and the bathroom. What is left?”

Snapping his fingers in the ear of the rat, Discord chuckled again and said, “How should I know? Truth can only be given for answers I know, and I certainly never created a riddle like that.”

“What!?” Sunset lit up in a ball of fury—her mane almost ablaze, removing any yellow coloring.

“Of course, in a world of chaos, the answer may come to those who never thought of it before. In fact, perhaps you already know the answer, and it only takes some more thought to figure it out,” Discord replied.

“I’ve already shot out many answers. Even the girls tried. Nothing I can think of has figured it out.” Sunset pulled her mane. “Burning down a house is the most stupid riddle I’ve ever heard!” Her eyes then snapped to the draconequus. “Wait! Maybe everyone was right. An attic, ash, the fire, the front door, and the homeowner. Burn every room—you still have the house! A home!”

Applauding, Discord gleefully cheered the alicorn. “No matter what burns down, no matter what hurts. Home is what you make of it. Pieces and rooms may get scorched, but you will always have a place to return.” He leaned forward, grinning his toothy smile. “Home is what you are searching for, is it not?”

“It is,” Sunset breathed as she watched the magenta pony with swirly eyes transform. Her coat became yellow, her hair pink, and her face bright.

“You spent a lot of days in other worlds—but it took you that long to figure it out?” the rat spat. “Shoot. All the buildup for Discord to hold your hoof to the answer. I was hoping for more. Well, at least she’s back.” Surprising Sunset, the rat transformed too.

Glancing at his white paws, Angel Bunny seemed just as confused as Sunset. As soon as he saw Fluttershy, however, the bunny raced to greet her, climbing up to her shoulder. “Oh, Angel? How did we get here? Where are we?” The pegasus eyed Sunset, a warm smile creasing her face. “A princess!” It then faded. “Discord! I remember you!”

“That is six of six,” Discord said with a tilt of his head. “Seems like the fun can now begin.” With a snap of his fingers, the five cages released and dropped the villainous five. But his snap altered their appearance. No longer did Pinkie house a cranium of fur, nor Rainbow with her gem-spattered legs. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna also returned to their normal state, though they still were forced to remove the tape from their pony lips. “Congratulations, Sunset Shimmer! Let us give her a big round of applause.”

Looking around, Sunset not only noticed the bearers and the princesses, but also the world. No longer did trees and homes float, or clouds pass with chocolate milk pouring out. Placing her hooves on the table, the map revealed Canterlot sat on a mountain, the Crystal Empire settled nicely in the ground, and Cloudsdale returned to the sky. “Discord? What’s going on?”

“What? How is it you do not understand?” Leaning on his arm with a hand against his cheek, Discord seemed repulsed by the question. “Did you think I was going to leave the world as it was? You already figured it out. I am not the only Discord.”

“And so you are not the Discord of this world,” Celestia continued the train of thought. “That is why you made us as playthings instead of throwing us in Tartarus or somewhere else just as unpleasant.”

“Must you always ruin everything?” he chided the eldest alicorn. “Let her figure it out on her own. She has to learn. It is all about her, after all.”

Sunset stared up at Discord, her brows pushed together as she contemplated everything. It took Discord waving a hand in front of her face for her to finally snap from the collection of thoughts. “What was the point of all this? I thought you were helping me for a while there, but if this isn’t your world, then…”

“With all of my power, Sunset Shimmer, I would like to send you directly to the world that could end all of this.” Placing both hands on his hips, he smiled with a haughty, prideful grin. “Though, more accurately, I am simply setting your friend Princess Twilight Sparkle’s destination. After all, she is the one you are following in the hoofsteps.”

“You can do that!?”

“Of course I can. I would do that now, but I cannot as there is another blocking my power. A person of great threat, I would say. If you were to defeat them, to remove their power, perhaps I could simply snap my fingers and send you along to the world calling you.”

“So it is a world—not the Tree of Harmony—that is calling me?” Sunset examined the words spoken by the draconequus with a fine tooth comb.

Pointing at the table, Discord’s laughter leapt from his throat. “The world, the Tree of Harmony, and the map are one in the same. All of it calls you.” He then side-eyed Celestia. “Seriously, you could have told her that one. Saying the words leaves a bad taste in my mouth.”

“You make it seem as though I know everything about the Tree of Harmony, Discord,” Celestia replied, a coy grin to her lips. “That’s much credit, coming from you. You really aren’t the Discord of our world.”

“Whatever is in my path, it doesn’t matter.” Sunset stood firm in front of Discord, though her eyes looked to the five seated around the table. “Somepony broke time, opening pathways to these other timelines. I’ve made so many friends, so many who I never thought I’d meet. It doesn’t matter who is in my way. I’m going forward. I have to. For them. For my friends at CHS. And for Princess Twilight.”

“I cannot wait to see what you do next!” Discord erupted with a fanaticism that would rival Twilight meeting Star Swirl the Bearded. Clapping his hands together, he and the other princesses watched as Sunset levitated Fluttershy into the remaining chair. She wasted no time, hurrying to defeat whoever blocked her path.

The crumbling ruins of crystal reshaped. As Sunset put her hooves on the table, her eyes lit up with green, reflecting the portal. Winds pulled her mane, lashing it against her face. As she looked upon the six mares who only held expressions of confusion and fear, Sunset knew she’d done the right thing. She then turned her head, eyeing the draconequus and the princesses, only to be surprised when the spirit of chaos already vanished. Where’d he go? I would’ve thought he’d want to see all his hard work be sent off.

With a limp release of her stubborn legs, her body went up and up, entering through the portal.

As many times as she’d done it before, this one was the most different. There was no feeling, no pain, and no voice. There was no one speaking to her, no one insulting her, no one mocking her. What became of such a malevolent voice? Did it truly despise her so much that it now ignored her? Who was behind such a voice? Discord? The monster stopping Discord’s magic? Or perhaps the Tree of Harmony, beckoning her, and now silent once its plan exposed?

Her loose feeling became a mistake as she didn’t even feel the exposure to the new world, falling stiff on the ground. Coming up with dirt in her teeth, she watched the usual scene of Princess Twilight Sparkle and her companion Spike going through their own portal, disappearing from the new world. Though she knew it would happen, a sigh couldn’t help but leave her lips. This is the world, is it? The world where something blocked Discord’s magic? What could it be?

Wiping the dry soil from her lips, her eyes went to the landscape. Almost barren, tree stumps lined fields upon fields aside from the single tree that stood with dark green leaves next to the map. Black smoke frothed from buildings where she could only guess what sort of mechanical menace shredded and cut logs. But her eyes turned to the foreground. The tree unhinged, the last of its kind here in wherever she now was. Two stallions, almost identical in appearance, sat inside a machine that lifted the tree, tearing root and stem. Their handsome features mimicked, clearly twins. Twins who tore the world asunder.

“Discord, where in the world did you send me?” she asked the draconequus, though he was in another world, far from here, unable to answer.

But he did. “I already told you. I wished not to send you here, I wished to send you to the world that beckons you.” The voice shook Sunset, forcing her to turn in every direction. “I am here, Sunset.” Slithering like the odd snake he was, Discord pushed from her backpack around her neck, eventually sitting atop her back.

“Discord? Discord! What? How are you here?”

“If I was not here, you would not be either.” He snorted, lifting a single finger in the direction of the two stallion twins who had exited their terrible vehicle. They trotted toward Sunset and Discord, both ceasing a yard away. “A dimension of chaos, you would have found yourself in, were it not for me. Or perhaps, because of me.”

“What are you talking about, Discord?” Sunset asked.

“Hello, Sunset Shimmer,” Discord said. “A pleasure to defeat you.” Unlike the Discord who sat atop her spine, crushing her backpack, this Discord stood behind the twin stallions. Though they looked alike, one stallion’s upper lip held a red mustache, while the other’s did not. And, like the twins, the Discord who stood behind the stallions also wore a mustache, black as coal.

“This is Discord,” Discord introduced Discord. “You would have found yourself in a chaotic thunderstorm were it not for my magic preventing his own.” It was hard to tell which Discord spoke.

Sunset stood aghast, inexplicably in shock. “This can’t be happening.”

Reaching down with his eagle claw, the Discord who helped her placed it on her shoulder. “I told you once, Sunset Shimmer. Now, perhaps, you will understand the words I say. Listen carefully: If you give up, I win.” Raising his bear paw, he pointed at the opposing Discord. “He is the person of great threat. And unlike myself, there are no lifelines here. I block his power, and he blocks mine.”

World 6: Chapter 1

“Ever since you decided to step back through that portal, we’ve been watching your exploits from the side.” The Discord with the mustache held a different tone, more direct, more curt. He did not appear to have the same jovial nature as the Discord whose game Sunset suffered under.

“We?” Sunset side-eyed the Discord she knew. “What does he mean by that?”

“You’re a bit slow, so I’ll use small words,” the mustached Discord replied. “Somepony going back in time is so chaotic, we can hardly not notice. And when somepony else traverses the worlds between time, well, we can’t help but watch! Of course, the two of us did not dare sit on the sidelines once we saw how pathetic you were. He believes in you, and I don’t. So I’ve made a world trapping you forever!”

The Discord from the previous world nodded. “Since I am deafening his magic, he is also subduing mine. Meaning, neither of us can help nor hinder you. Only the worlds you traverse.”

“Which means I’ve had to rely on outside help. A little bit of time manipulation and practicality can do wonders, especially when you always arrive at the same time in the same place for every world.” The terrible Discord cracked his knuckles and moved aside, letting the two unicorns step forward. “King Sombra, Queen Chrysalis, Nightmare Moon, Lord Tirek. I learned from watching you deal with all of them. You say you’re a good person, but we both know that’s not true. Your conquests, your fiascos. Silly little pony. I’ve learned that what it takes to defeat you is nothing more than a liar, and I’ve found the best liars this world has to offer, setting them up for success.”

“Indeed,” the two pale amber stallions said in unison. “And, boy oh boy, have we spent time working to build up or push down your friends. Spreading them so far apart, they’ll have no chance to connect. The Flim Flam Brothers are unbeatable with Discord on our side!”

The helpful Discord stepped beside Sunset. “The Elements of Harmony can take down the Discord of this world, but unfortunately those two have hidden them. I am uncertain where they placed the Elements.” He then gently placed a hand around her shoulder, squeezing her tight. “My world was to help prepare you for this. Do you feel prepared?”

“No, I get it.” She took a deep breath in through her nose. “You are helping me. You told me last world that you could alter Princess Twilight’s path, which means you’d be altering mine as well. If I defeat this Discord then you still can. Collecting the bearers, getting them their Elements of Harmony, and moving on.”

“There’s no need for you to do any of that,” the terrible Discord replied. “You won’t be making it past this world. They won’t allow you, and neither will I! Welcome to prison, Sunset Shimmer! For crimes against the Elements of Harmony and its bearers, you’re sentenced to life in this world!”

“Crimes!?” Sunset shouted. “What crime—err, I mean, I didn’t mean to—well… That’s just really rude of you to say! I’ve atoned! Reformed! I’m friends with Princess Twilight for Celestia’s sake!”

The terrible Discord rolled his eyes. “Nothing can undo what you’ve done. We are reformed. You are not. You haven’t earned the right. And now you’ve bored me. Enjoy prison life. Don’t try to make too much of a ruckus otherwise you’ll end up in a jail within jail,” he said, chuckling. With a twisting twirl, he disappeared into thin air.

“As Discord mentioned,” one brother said. “We are here to make sure you’re carted off to Tartarus at the first sign you’re up to no good.”

The other then continued, “We also know all about the bearers. Should we suspect any of them side with you, we’ll have them carted off too. We’d have done it before now, but we’re not evil like you!” They chorused their laughter, trotting away before Sunset could edge in an insult or chide their sense of morality.

“I am curious where you will begin,” Discord pondered, scratching his chin. “Regardless, I am with you through this thick and thin. Should you need advice, just remember: I may not be the Discord from your world, but I am your Discord.” He then set a hand on her backpack, transforming himself into the satchel, replacing her sunny logo with his face.

She sighed. “Thank you, Discord. I do appreciate it, but it’s obvious what I have to do. Defeating that Discord will certainly be a chore, but it’s a return to what I did before I entered Tirek’s world.” Sunset refused to smile. “It’s funny, isn’t it? Though I hesitated because of Nightmare Moon, Tirek’s world stopped me from tracking down the bearers altogether. Nightmare Moon and Tirek were almost mirrors in an odd way, their worlds seemingly perfect, but only surface level. I saw too many similarities, and if it hadn’t been that way, if I’d used the Elements of Harmony on Tirek, I would have done the same thing to you in your world. Then… upon coming here…”

“You would have been ripped apart from the fabric of reality,” Discord finished for her, the backpack shifting from his movement.

“Exactly.” She stood still for a moment, catching her mental breath.

“Well? What are you going to do?”

Undoing her straps, she set the backpack down on the dirt. Opening the flap and gagging the draconequus, she lifted out the journal that had caused her so much trouble. “I’m not too worried about being sent to Tartarus, seeing as how I’m an alicorn with a large repertoire of spells. If they’ve been gifted with power by this world’s Discord, they certainly didn’t look it.” She flipped through the pages. “What does stand out to me is that they believed the bearers would easily be converted. It's as though they worked hard to prevent such a thing, but still recognized it could be done. However, if they’ve used literal years to plan for my arrival, as flattering as that is, wouldn’t they have gone through the trouble of marking me as an enemy to everyone?”

“They most likely know how good you are at converting ponies to friendship,” the bag muffledly replied.

“Again, flattering, but there has to be something more.” Sunset scanned the pages, looking for the names. “There’s nothing in here about a Flim and Flam. Not that I can remember, at least. It’d take a while for me to examine every page, but I fear that might mean the worst thing imaginable.”

“Which is?”

“They’re not villains. No plans for world domination or magical theft. Just liars and con-artists. That Discord rattled off the names of all the villains I’ve gone up against. The one who tricked me hardest was the one I thought remained a good pony. He ruined my friendship with Tirek by convincing me he wasn’t the same stallion I fought in that first world. If this Discord wanted someone just like that, why not go a step further and find a pony or two who aren’t true villains? That’s my assumption.”

The bag hopped up and down, snagging the lip back closed. “What a brilliant assumption it is!” he congratulated. “And if you figured that out, perhaps you can use it against them?”

She slid the book into the backpack, Discord gulping it down for her. “I don’t know yet.” The face furrowed on the bag. Sunset leaned down, whispering directly to the bag. “But I do know one thing—they picked the wrong mare to lock up. If I’ve gotten through five other worlds, what makes them think they’re clever enough to stop me?”

“Confident! Always about you, is it not?”

Sunset grinned and nodded at the same time. “If you can, do me a favor and prevent the table from ever being moved,” she requested of him as she wrapped the straps over her shoulders. “It’s my way out of here. I don’t need them messing with it. For now, let’s head off to Canterlot.”

“Canterlot? I am certain you will find it unpleasant,” Discord stated.

She shrugged off the words as she made her way through the deforested woods, heading for the buildings on the horizon. She knew if things were set in stone long before her arrival, then the world too would be drastically different. Ponyville, for example, lacked the pastel color it once held. Browns and hazy yellows blended together. Ponies wandered the streets in tattered clothes with sore eyes and heads hung low. Chatter between owners and buyers remained the only sound emanated between the inhabitants. Not even the foals spoke.

As they came to the train station, Sunset connected the dots. Many workers, and most of the passenger cars, worked to hold logs taken from Ponyville’s surrounding forest. “Is this train heading to Canterlot?” she asked a pony who she assumed was the conductor, as his garb consisted of blue and white.

“Canterlot? That’s a name I haven’t heard in a while. Only my buddy refers to it as that, and I haven’t talked to him since his wedding,” the stallion replied. “I mean, I guess this train is heading there, yeah. Though if you want passage, I’ll have to deny such a request. Us guards are on super strict orders not to allow citizens aboard.”

She squinted at the stallion, his blue hair and tangelo coat sparking a memory. Had she seen him from somewhere? Spathead? Spearhead? Is that what Rainbow called him? “Well, I’m sure you can make an exception for me, right? It’s not every day a princess boards your locomotive.” She flashed her wings, a corny smile widening at him.

He gawked, far longer than she would have liked. “A princess!? I had no idea we had four! R-right this way! Excuse my ignorance, but like, what are you the princess of?” he asked as he motioned her to board the one of two available cars.

“Oh, just the very important—” She then coughed loudly, not so subtly hiding the fact that she held no real title. “I’d like to meet with Princess Celestia. There’s much to discuss.”

“Well, we’re heading in the right direction, Princess…”

“Sunset Shimmer. Princess Sunset Shimmer,” she answered, boarding the train.

“O-of course! I’ll have the train set on its way immediately Princess Sunset Shimmer! No delays!” He closed the door, and she could still hear him say, “Oh geez, I can’t wait to tell the guys hear about this! I met a princess!”

She smiled to herself as she glanced around the musty passenger car, shades blocked the of the windows. Filled with tools and gears, she maneuvered around the clutter and cleared away a dusty spot to sit. Once the train started, the bulb overhead flickered. Annoyed, she shut off the light and lit her horn. Sitting in speechless silence, she listened to the rattling of the tracks. For a moment, she thought to speak to Discord, but a yawn stifled the idea. With the white noise a constant hum, she remained in her own world, drifting into a slumber. She couldn’t stop herself.

Golden flowers. An indigo gazebo. A darkened sky.

Though familiar, the friends or enemies who appeared were often the opposite of reality. The only constant that remained a stagnant, putrid essence within the dreamscape was the one she had defeated. Yet the demon wasn’t alone this time. A gentle hum came in and out of Sunset’s ears, masking the noise of her own breathing.

“Who’s humming?” Sunset asked Midnight Sparkle, knowing it wasn’t the demon.

“This is the last time you and I will meet,” replied the demon, ignoring the question altogether. She sat cross-legged, her elbows against her knee as her hands held her face. The peaceful humming did not reach lower tones or pierce higher tenors.

“Last time? What’s that supposed to mean? I won’t be sleeping anymore? Or won’t be dreaming of this place?”

The demon rolled back, leaning against the railing. “You’re so close. Discord’s been helping you, hasn’t he?” She shrugged. “Don’t worry, he can’t hear you here. No one can. Ever wonder why Nightmare Moon or Princess Luna couldn’t invade this place? It’s a place only for you.”

“You didn’t answer my question.”

“I don’t need to answer anything,” Midnight Sparkle replied, edging forward to tap the pony on the nose, but Sunset revulsed at the hand. “Come now. Have I ever harmed you?” A laugh echoed in the words, subtly fading.

“I’ll be happy to not see this place again.” Sunset glanced at the indigo paint that chipped slightly at the corners. “Every time I come here, there’s something in my stomach that tells me it’s wrong. When I wake up, the feeling is gone.”

Midnight Sparkle frowned, an exhaustive groan erupted from her throat. “To think you’ve come so far. You just want to go home, right?”

Swaying in contemplation, Sunset answered directly, “Of course I want to go home.”

“You let the lessons weigh you down. I told you not to, y’know.”

“It’s hard to remember everything a dream has told me, especially when they’ve been wildly different every time.”

“Reading in dreams is difficult for you, isn’t it?” Midnight Sparkle pointed at the ceiling of the gazebo. “Is that why you’ve never focused on those words?” When Sunset glanced up at the enormous amount of scrawling done to the wood, she was surprised by how right the dream demon was. “Don’t bother starting now,” Midnight said, snapping Sunset’s attention back to her. “As I said, it’s the last time you and I will be meeting. May as well spend it wisely, right?”

Sunset nodded. “There’s something I want to ask you.”

“I know. I’ve been ready for it.”

“You know? But I just thought of it a moment ago!”

Midnight Sparkle shrugged and placed her hands in her lap. “It’s the same question that you’ve been asking a lot. How is this possible?”

The question confused Sunset. “That’s not what I was going to ask—but that’s a better question. How is this possible? Even in lucid dreams, why would I choose to come back here every time I sleep? Why would I bring you to the forefront of my thoughts? I defeated you!”

“Well, I’m not real, but you already know that. I’m just your most recent memory of the world you left. Had things gone differently, you might have met three other girls.” As Midnight Sparkle rose from the gazebo bench, her form changed into a vivid orange, bushy-haired girl with a slender purple top gracing her pale gold skin. “Let’s not dwell on that, however.” The voice didn’t change, remaining that of the Midnight Sparkle.

It then echoed when two other girls appeared behind Sunset, sidling into her peripheral. “The answer to all your questions doesn’t answer the most important thing,” the girl with purple twintails said. “It is possible. It’s all been possible because of you.”

“But I’m not the one who started all this. How is this possible because of me? These worlds have been terrible, are you saying they are all my fault? Even that seems a bit of a stretch coming from my subconscious,” Sunset argued, knowing full well she was right.

“No,” the golden girl replied. “That’s not quite it. You’ve been the witness. A witness to the worst these worlds offered, though they certainly aren’t over yet. These worlds aren’t your fault, but the journey you’ve followed is, and what a journey it has been.” Snapping her fingers, the third girl, one with a blue pigtail, came forward and handed Sunset a book.

Not just any book, however. Sunset recognized it by the hung watch stitched into the binding. Lifting the face to gaze at the broken glass, Sunset saw little of her reflection, and it scared her enough to drop it entirely. Slapping the floor, the book fell open to the middle where an abundance of blank pages sat.

“So empty.” Midnight Sparkle reformed as Sunset eyed the blank contents. “You would think you’d have something interesting to put in here, instead of just quotes from friends you’ve made along the way and names for these worlds you’ve fumbled around in.”

“It’s hard to think of things to place in here. It’s hard to find things worth adding.”

“How long ago did you get this thing? Certainly, not all of it was bad.”

Sunset broke into a defensive stance. “Brainwashed soldiers, changelings, political drama, betrayal, and a terribly annoying game. I’d say every world was the worst at something,” she responded, vindictively.

Midnight Sparkle took the book and held it to her chest, almost like the real Twilight Sparkle hugging her favorite book. “Then perhaps you should reflect on all the good you did and all the wonderful friends you made. That photo—the one of you and Celestia from the ice cream parlor. It’s in here.”

“You mean, like making a scrapbook of all the good?”

“The best of all possible worlds.”

Sunset stood in awe of the supposed demon who wasn’t a demon at all. In every dream—or nightmare, as she called it—she always thought of Midnight Sparkle as the enemy, when it reality, it was just Twilight Sparkle. A dream version, her own subconscious, but always her friend.

“I’m sorry,” Twilight Sparkle said, holding up the book to Sunset. “You need this more than I do.”

The wind picked up, deafening the humming, and Sunset realized her lucid time grew short. “Thank you,” she said, knowing she was only thanking her own brain.

“Try not to burden yourself with all the lessons,” Twilight said as she pushed up her glasses. “You’ll end up like me if you do.”

“You say that as if it’s a bad thing,” Sunset replied, the last words spoken. All at once, a jolt brought Sunset back to the waking world. The train screeched to a halt within the station’s tracks. Drool had seeped onto her chin, to which she carelessly wiped away with the back of her hoof. Wiping the sleep from her eyes, she looked around the darkened, cluttered car.

“A nice lull can do wonders, can it not?” Discord asked. “Though, you do talk in your sleep, if only mumbles. Do you often thank your dreams?”

She did not answer the talking luggage. Her mind went to the book she received all those worlds ago, dragging back several striking memories. The taste of a prisoner’s gel, an ever present darkness, and the coldness of frost on her fur. I’ll write more. I won’t forget. I promise, she told herself as she drew on the light. Stepping to the door of the car, she waited for the train to settle. She didn’t even notice the few guards and staff who had been watching her sleep the entire ride, curious of who she was and where she came from.

The murmurings continued as she stepped out into the open station, gazing up at the almighty city. “Perhaps she is visiting Princess Luna? She needed the sleep, to be certain!” one guard whispered just within earshot of the alicorn, while another noted the size of the strange mare. Sunset paid them no words, her mind focused on the abrupt and noticeable difference hanging over what was once known as Canterlot.

Above the rest of the city, clinging high to the mountaintop, lording over the towers and homes, sat the largest sign Sunset had ever seen. Yet incomplete, she foresaw the name Princessland. Missing the ‘cessland’, it wasn’t hard to piece together the unfinished sign. Smaller logos for shops and streets all figuratively shouted the name in Sunset’s face. The taken wood from Ponyville could be seen carted up the long way, meant to finish said sign.

Cringing at the thoughts that passed from the sight, Sunset quickened her pace up the winding roads, which were recently repaved. Though the city was large, it seemed cramped within this world. Buildings had fresh coats of paint done with the most attention to detail, not a single speck of sun-faded blemish. But for every new coat of paint, there was an additional building. From the streets, Sunset found no alleyways or side paths. No alternate avenues for sneaking about.

As she set upon the main road of Canterlot, something she’d done in several other worlds, she found this one to be far more touristy. A bread shop she recognized now only sold loaves in the shape of princess heads, princess cutie marks, and princess symbols. Another shop, a glassblower, sold stained glass windows made to resemble the trio of princesses. Several vases were also available, each with their little hints of princess—a sun, moon, or heart. The further she went, the more she anxiously feared what the terrible Discord of this world made the princesses into.

Treating them like clowns is one thing. Putting them on show or display for ponies to come and gawk at? That’s too far. That’s degrading. She pressed on to the castle, passing rug shops with colorful displays of the princesses and toy shops with miniature versions of the alicorns.

A sudden fear grasped her, a worried thought of paparazzi. Every step she took drew no attention as nopony noticed the wings hidden beneath her backpack, and she made sure to keep it that way.

Yet, once she reached the gate to the castle, she realized wings would be her only way in. “Seven days without entrance? How are any of us supposed to see the princesses!?” whined a stallion who stood at the gate. As she approached, he and his cohorts turned to her. “Can you believe this? Our weekend trip to Princessland and we don’t even get to see the princesses! What an outrage. Hopefully the villain exhibit is still available. Maybe we can get a refund?”

“A refund on what?” Sunset wondered.

“Uh, duh,” the stallion snorted, flashing his golden ticket. Princessland Admission. “I’d suggest you try and get a refund too.”

“I didn’t get a ticket.” She scratched her head, shrugging at the thought. A ticket to enter Canterlot? I knew the city was snobby, I certainly participated in their stuck up attitude for a while, but it was never this bad.

The stallion looked shocked. “Did you sneak in? How’d you do it? Did you figure out a way past their magic barrier? Stuff yourself on a cart? Have a pegasus fly you a thousand yards above and drop you so you’d land on a pool of pillows?”

“I came on the train,” she honestly replied. The group of ponies became wildly confused. “Is that not something most ponies do?”

“Only the Flim Flam Brothers or the royal guard get to ride the trains to Princessland,” the stallion answered.

“Or the princesses!” chimed in one of the mares of their group.

The others laughed at the mare, mocking her for such a claim. It was Sunset who silenced them. “I suppose that makes sense then. And if the princesses are in there, I’m going in.” Extending her wings, she hovered off the ground before gliding over the gate. Wet cement soaked the newly set walkways, and mud soaked the places where grass once flowed neatly. Reaching the entrance to the castle, she noticed a sign warning of wet paint upon the door. Everything is new.

With her magic, she drew it open and closed behind her. Entering the castle reminded her of the passenger car, clutter and mess for far as the eye could see. Taped off entryways and ladders with tools sitting at the top. Boards upon boards and saws still left cutting into wood. “Looks like renovations are happening. Some spring cleaning, perhaps? Seems like a lot of work,” she murmured to Discord, though the draconequus gave no response.

Her body moved with purpose, trudging to the castle’s throne room without pause. The golden doors were already open, though the room was devoid of life. To her surprise, however, there were three thrones, each as big as the others. Celestia’s was clearly in the middle, denoted by the sun shapes that made up the seat. To the right was Luna’s, the moon her own gift, and the left held Cadance, hearts abound. Princess Cadance doesn’t have a seat here, she stays in the Crystal Empire. I guess that isn’t true for this world. And if that’s the case, then that means no Princess Twilight.

Grimacing, Sunset knew she was right. The princesses were on display. Yet without an opening to the exhibit, where had they gone? Trotting up the castle, she found no one. Not a single pony. No staff making dinner, no workers fixing or improving, and no princesses.

One area, the last she chose to check, held the trio of laughing alicorns. The same place sparked a memory. A slap, her shoe hitting the carpet.

The stained glass windows detailing many triumphs still held the same breathtaking awe for her every time she entered. Another memory hit her, one of a changeling hive at the other end. It chilled her bones, and she wondered what happened to the changeling queen of this world. No better time like the present to find out.

Pressing her body through the crack, she made no noise. Princess Cadance was the first to spot her, her laughter ceasing, turning into a curious grin. Removing her backpack as she walked, Sunset chose to remain silent, slowly pressing her advance till the other princesses noted her existence. Princess Luna did not feign her immediate raise of guard and hostility.

But it was Princess Celestia’s attention Sunset waited for. The oldest and wisest alicorn, the expression she would hold would mean the difference in actions planned by the mare from another world. Happy? Good, things can go smoothly. Sad? Okay, things might go well. Mad? Run for the hills.

The large white mare soaked the sight of Sunset like she soaked in the rays of the sun every morning. A frown on her lips tugged tightly, but not tight enough. A sad look, Sunset knew, coming closer. With a reflex of her wings, Sunset went to speak, but stopped at the sudden smile that abruptly transformed Princess Celestia’s face. “A princess!? Does that mean… you’ve changed, Sunset Shimmer?”

A shiver shook Sunset’s body to the core. “I-I-I—”

With strong, long trots, the white alicorn strode to the mare and bent her neck down, nuzzling the fellow alicorn. Sunset couldn’t believe the simplicity. Was princesshood such a triumph as to forgo the regretful way she acted all those years ago? For Celestia, it apparently was. “You’ve grown, my dear student. I know not how you managed such a feat without my help, but I always believed you had it in you.”

“How is this possible? You’re just forgiving me?” Sunset asked, loving the softness of her old mentor’s fur, dropping her backpack to the floor. “Why? How do you know I didn’t just find some powerful magic and make myself an alicorn?”

With a short chortle, Celestia stepped back and replied, “My little student, what a silly thing to say. You’ve been through those old books a thousand times have you not? Only I and my sister know such a spell, giving it to those with the truest of hearts.” She glanced at Cadance, and the pink alicorn giggled.

“That or a crafty bit of chaos,” Luna bitterly mused, noting one of the stained glass windows that held a certain draconequus.

“Oh, for shame Luna!” scolded Celestia. “You and I both know Discord would never care enough to grant such a gift. No, clearly this mare is not from our world. She comes from another, one where she is in my graces and was transformed by love and kindness.” Her eyes fell on the orange alicorn. “Is it true?”

Sunset remained silent in awe of the brilliant alicorn’s deduction. “Actually, Luna isn’t wrong—”

“Preposterous, dear sister!” Luna exclaimed, cutting off Sunset as she pressed to be beside her sister, Cadance tagging along. “If she is truly from another world, then it can only mean one thing. A bad omen. Why else would she come in secret, a student of yours who lost your favor?” Her eyes shot to Sunset. “If you are from another world, do you come bearing good news?”

Her bewilderment simmered, turning her face sour. “I do not. I come for the Elements of Harmony and the bearers. I come to put an end to Flim and Flam’s rule, along with their leader.”

Princess Celestia tapped her chin, no surprise written on her face, where as her fellow princesses stood in disbelief. “Stop the Flim Flam Brothers and their leader? Would that be Discord, perchance?”

“How’d you know?” Sunset questioned her question.

“A numerous number of villains have come to Equestria looking for power,” Celestia replied, glancing at her younger sister. “Yet those brothers managed to defeat them all with gimmicky tools and machines, including Nightmare Moon. Never did they use the Elements of Harmony, except once. And only then were they placed inside a machine—to defeat a certain draconequus.”

“We have never sensed chaos energy coming from the two, dear sister,” Princess Luna negated the comment. “For them to break my curse so easily with their magical machinery, it wouldn’t have required Discord. Time and planning was all they needed.”

Celestia nodded. “And time is something that they did not have. Who would’ve believed a tale over a thousand years old, let alone build a machine to stop the return of such a villain? Of course, somepony, or two, who might have gotten insider information from other worlds might need less time. For one villain, the odds are understandable, though improbable. For more?” She scoffed and threw a hoof into the air at the notion. “Impossible. Eventually, you and I would be beset. Nightmare Moon herself almost bested me over a thousand years ago, after all.”

“I thought you both agreed that since they stopped Nightmare Moon that their skills to take on others made sense?” Cadance interjected. “They went to the Crystal Empire of their own accord, but the changeling attack—you asked them to deal with it. You trusted their abilities, did you not?”

“And now we know why they’ve been so successful.” Celestia lifted her eyes to the stained glass windows. “They told us their machine, utilizing the Elements of Harmony, could trick Discord into leaving our world. However, I believe now he’s simply hiding, aiding them in their endeavors. He is most certainly the mastermind behind their success, and that rings ever more true coming from Sunset Shimmer.”

“But,” Luna said, “If Discord is helping them, then he has reformed his wicked nature. Why the constant lie? What is he hiding that he does not want us to know? Why do the Flim Flam Brothers unite under his guidance?”

“They unite against me,” Sunset interjected, throwing the three princesses off-guard. “The Discord of this world does not believe I have redeemed my actions. He blocks my path from pressing forward to meet what lies ahead, along with returning to my own world. This world is my prison.”

“There are other worlds then? Not just yours and ours? I thought...” Princess Celestia pondered the idea, her eyes pooling together in wonder. “Not just what lies beyond the magic mirror? I must backpedal myself then. Forgive me Sunset Shimmer, I believed you my Sunset beyond the mirror, possibly rewarded your princesshood after reforming and aiding that strange world. However, if you are an entirely different Sunset, one who gained your power in a different way, then are you from Equestria originally?”

Sunset nodded.

“Then you redeemed yourself in your own world and once again became my student?” Then her eyes staggered, becoming wide. “Or did you never leave my services—eventually becoming the pony I always knew you could be?”

Sunset shook her head. “Neither. In fact, my story doesn’t show me in a good light.” She then took a deep breath and readied her voice to tell of the entirety of her quest. From her entry to steal Princess Twilight’s crown, to the defeat of Midnight Sparkle, and then the world traveling, she bared all. Only once did she stop when the night grew long, which forced Luna to break for her duty of raising the moon. They moved to the lower level, the throne room, allowing a comfortable sitting arrangement for the four.

As she spoke of Discord, she debated on whether to tell them of the draconequus sitting within her backpack. “When coming to his world, he gave me back my magic—and more. Wings. Princesshood. A gift from the gracious lord of chaos. An oddity at the time, I found him helpful, and learned that he was not alone. For your world’s Discord, the one who keeps me here, would’ve torn me to pieces without my helpful Discord.”

“I see. My apologies sister,” Celestia inclined. “You were right. Though, Sunset's Discord seems to be quite the helpful lout. I am curious why he turns against himself, or why our Discord turned against him.”

Luna nodded. “He has turned the Flim Flam Brothers into our supervisors, no doubt. Forcing us to sign their annoying contracts, which will keep us in their city, and mark us with penalties if we don’t.”

“What sort of penalties do you have?” Sunset asked.

“Money. Canterlot would effectively close,” Cadance replied.

Celestia added, “We wouldn’t lose our power or titles, but we’d lose the city. To resort to violence would be unethical. Were we villains, breaking a contract and sliding the Flim Flam Brothers under the rug would be no problem. We are not, however, willing to do such a thing.”

“Especially not when they’ve taken care of Equestria’s enemies,” Cadance included. “They might be lying, stowing Discord away, but they’ve done nothing to name themselves as our enemy.”

“I didn’t come here to round you guys up into defeating them,” Sunset informed the three. “I don’t need your help in stopping them, actually. What I need is support.”

“Even from believing your tale and who you now are, why should we aid their defeat?” questioned Cadance, garnering strange looks from the other two. “Well, somepony has to play the pessimist if Luna won't.”

Sunset sighed, realizing now it was time to bring out their fifth. “Discord. You are the ever-present pessimist, right? May as well come on out.”

Her Discord, unraveling himself from her backpack, slithered up and stood tall. Looming at Celestia’s height, he said with a simple grin, “I did not believe you would announce my presence to them. You are often full of surprises, Sunset.”

"Discord!" Celestia bellowed.

“How do we know you’re not the Discord from our world?” Luna asked, eyeing the draconequus, returning to her known cynicism. “Can you prove such a thing?”

“Not in the slightest!” he replied with a chuckle.

“This Discord helped me, and has proven to be—well,” Sunset paused, a coy smile tugging her lips. “He’s a friend. The one in my Equestria is also friends with the bearers. Fluttershy especially. Even this world’s Discord I believe is an ally. Just, y’know, not my ally.”

“I am quite interested in hearing your plan to defeat the me of this world, Sunset,” Discord commented, eyeing the throne room. “He has done much help, utilizing those brothers. Even this throne looks dashing, though it needs a bit more chaos. So, how are you going to do it?”

Sunset glanced up at the draconequus as he studied the room. “I’m going to do what you prepared me to do.” She turned back to the princesses. “In his world, the bearers were evil—aside from Fluttershy, though certainly Angel Bunny made up for that. So, in this world, it must become the opposite. If this terrible Discord sees me as evil, I shall be evil. I shall take you three down and become the sole princess. This is why I need your help.”

“A ruse?” Luna perplexed. “How would that accomplish defeating Discord?”

“We heard her story, Luna,” Celestia answered. “She collects the bearers and uses them on the evil of the world, or attempts to. Uniting them against Discord, she will feign uniting them against us.”

Discord asked, “Why would any of them fall for such a thing?”

“Because if they believe I am turned evil by Discord, they will go after Discord.”

“I see!” Cadance exclaimed. “You plan on using your Discord to act as though he is the other Discord, turning them against you and him! Lying to them about going after us is just a piece of it!”

Suddenly impressed, Discord also exclaimed, “Marvelous! I did agree to help—and you certainly are using all your resources, Sunset Shimmer!”

Sunset stared up at him. A question shot through her. “Why are you helping me? What did I ever do to earn your aid?”

The happy attitude of Discord fell around him, a look of surprise shrouded his features. As if he had been caught with a paw in the cookie jar, he solemnly inclined his head. “You would ask that, a curious question. You see, it really is a funny story,” he said, gulping down a wave of anxiety. “I am helping fix a mistake of mine.”

World 6: Chapter 2

“I am greatly ashamed to admit this,” Discord began. He teetered back and forth like a nervous child in the principal’s office. Sunset had never seen him like this. “I am of great help. If not for the other me blocking my own power, I could set her friend Princess Twilight Sparkle on the final stretch. In the place they need to reach.” He fidgeted with his hands, clearly debating his next words. “Of course, she is stuck here because of my interference.”

“Interference?” Sunset asked.

“We Discords love watching chaos unfold, and nothing is more amusing than watching a pony interfere with time, dueling an alicorn in the past. Some, such as myself, were more surprised by the third pony, entering through some strange mirror, getting trapped in a different present. Looking into you, watching you unfold in these similar worlds, a few of us could not help but watch you instead. And solely for myself, I wished to be part of your adventure. Inserting myself into your story, I blabbed, and of course the Discord of this world found he could too. Unfortunately, while I wish to help, he wishes to hinder.”

“So, you just wanted to tag along all this time?” Sunset felt she understood.

He took a moment and hung his head. “A mistake of mine. Had I never thought of the idea of intruding, nor blabbed about doing so, the Discord of this world never would have stopped you. Going into the past of this world, changing how things occurred, they are all my fault.”

Celestia and Luna hushed their voices, speaking only to each other. Sunset paid them no mind, however. Her thoughts filled in the blanks of the last world, pieces she missed and misguided assumptions. “That’s why you told me the last world wasn’t your world. You were borrowing it. You invaded it when it was only a stopping point for me.”

“If not for me, I am unsure how the last world and this would have gone,” Discord said with a heavy heart.

“How very dignified of you, Discord,” Cadance complimented. “You’re nothing like the tales I’ve heard from Celestia.”

A sudden embarrassed flush rushed over Celestia’s white cheeks. “Well, to be fair, I was speaking of this world’s Discord. Certainly not this one. Most certainly not.”

Sunset shrugged. “I’m not going to blame you, Discord.”

“And your mercy is exactly why I believe in you, Sunset Shimmer,” Discord replied.

“And we have decided in aiding you, Sunset,” Celestia broke her secret conversation with Luna. “To hear this world is under the mysterious control of Discord only to stop you, it’s not fair. Not to us, and definitely not to the citizens of Equestria. Too long have I believed their lives are their own, their destinies left to fate. Now I have seen that it was only Discord guiding Equestria.”

Both Luna and Cadance bowed in agreement. “You are a strange creature, Discord,” Luna spoke directly to Sunset’s Discord. “And though I have much mistrust, over a thousand years ago you let chaos reign, regardless of world, I still agree with my sister’s sentiment. If you are helping Sunset Shimmer, you are an ally just as much as she is.”

“I suppose pessimism can only go so far.” Cadance tilted her body closer to Celestia. “If you fail, the worst that can happen is you’ll be trapped here. If you succeed, it’ll benefit everypony. I don’t see a reason not to help you. Though I am unsure what we can do.”

“I need you to lie, or to feign believing a lie,” Sunset answered. “If anyone asks, especially Flim and Flam, I am here to help the world. You three must not tell anyone of my secret plan to dethrone you.”

Celestia bowed her head. “We will not, and we will announce to Princessland of your arrival, accepting you as our fourth princess. That should aid in the lie that we suspect nothing of your artificial betrayal.”

“Thank you.” Sunset too inclined her head in a bow. “I need time to return to Ponyville and find the location of all the bearers.”

“Another train ride? Oh goodie. You could have done that earlier,” noted Discord, rolling his eyes in annoyance. He then zoomed like a ribbon in the wind into her backpack, merging himself seamlessly.

“Good fortune to you, Princess Sunset Shimmer,” Luna called, the trio waving goodbye. “Do feel free to return whenever you so desire. It has been a delight!”

“Don’t be a stranger! Again!” Celestia also yelled, her voice could only be described as happy.

Step one complete, Sunset thought as she maneuvered out the way she had entered, stepping into the darkness of the night. “I got enough sleep on the train,” she said to herself, yawning. “But I could always use more. Hopefully I’ll be lucky enough to commandeer another heading back to—” she paused, gawking at the group of ponies who gathered around the gate she had passed over. “What in the world?”

Flashes of lights bombarded her body, and would have blinded her too were she closer. “Princess! New princess!” the crowd was roaring above the camera snaps. “We love you!”

“Word travels fast,” her backpack murmured.

“No way will a crowd this size let me pass and board unscathed,” Sunset whispered her response. “So much for a second nap. Good thing the map area is pretty empty. I’ll just teleport there.” With her mind focusing on one of the few locations she knew would be clear of ponies, she sparked her own flash of light and disappeared from Princessland.

The grass and soil beneath her hooves felt dry and jagged, just as it had from her landing. The moonlit world was clouded in Ponyville, Sunset could barely tell the map sat in front of her. Lifting her front legs up, she was blinded by a different light than the flashes of cameras. The hologram beamed with six cutie marks, painting the colors against her fur. “Shall I make a bed for you atop the table?” Discord chuckled and her straps tugged.

“I’m not that tired,” she replied, lying. “Look at these locations. They’re all scattered. Twilight’s in the Crystal Empire, Applejack’s in some wooded area just southwest of there, Rarity’s in Canterlot… I mean Princessland.” She shook her head, grunting to herself. “Rainbow Dash is in Cloudsdale. At least I won’t need a spell to walk on clouds, being an alicorn after all. Fluttershy is in Manehattan. Not sure why she’d be there in this timeline. At least Pinkie Pie is…” She shut her mouth, a sudden chill ran up her spine.

A crackling noise echoed as the dry grass crunched. Crinkling beneath hooves, the huffing of heavy breathing followed as somepony drew closer. Sunset turned to stare at the unknown pony, waiting for them to draw nearer the light of the map.

As if avoiding the light, the pony stopped just short, their color and figure shadowed. “Hey there, friend. Are you her?” The voice was feminine, and low, as if the figure tried to sound different than their usual tone. “Are you Sunset Shimmer?”

Unsure of who the mare was, Sunset answered honestly, fearing the worst possible reaction if she lied. “I am indeed Princess Sunset Shimmer,” she replied with authority in her words.

“They warned me about you. Said you were evil. Said you’d destroy us all. I’m here to stop you.”

Stepping backward, Sunset’s rump hit the table, feeling suddenly very vulnerable. “And how do you plan on doing that?” she continued to speak with authority, yet it wavered, a crack to her voice. Her eyes narrowed as she tried to focus on the darkness, but the mare came closer. Just as she started to enter the light and Sunset could see the flat mane covering half their face, the light of the map went out.

Thrusting herself bipedal, Sunset slammed both front hooves awkwardly at her sides, holding the table and relighting the map.

Closer than ever, the glow revealed the other half of the mane-covered face. Holding the creepiest smile Sunset had ever seen, it beat the needle teeth Queen Chrysalis once bared at her.

“You’re… You’re Pinkie Pie.”

Blowing up like a balloon, the pink pony gasped in delight. Her hair shot up from the straightness it held, exploding in fluff. “You know who I am too!? Wowie! When they told me how amazing I am, I thought they were just inflating my ego, but if the biggest villain Equestria has ever seen knows who I am, well, I guess they were right all alone!” Hopping to a standing position, her forelegs thrust in between the bipedal Sunset, their muzzles almost touched. “How lucky you are to meet your defeat to such a well-known pony as me!”

With a brow raised, Sunset asked, “And, I’ll ask again Pinkie Pie, how is it you plan on defeating me?”

“I don’t know!” she replied cheerfully.

Intrigued, Sunset asked, “Who told you I’d be here? Who told you I was evil?”

“The Flim Flam Brothers, of course! They said you were here to take over Equestria and destroy the princesses!”

“Th-that’s right!” Sunset swung a hoof, goofily smiling and breaking their awkward, bipedal stance. “You got me! Big bad villain! I’ve already convinced them to like me, too! They believe I’m their friend,” she fulfilled the lie, falling to all fours.

Pinkie Pie let out a gasp. “You’re quick! How could I ever hope to defeat someone so quick at making friends?” She fell to her rump, abruptly lost in thought. It took only a moment though, the mare leapt up in triumph. “I know! I’ll be your friend until all the evil in you is gone! Nobody can resist friendship!”

Does that mean she’ll stop being my friend once I renounce my feigned villainous ways? Sunset wondered, giggling to herself. “So you think it’ll be that simple, huh? Then I guess you’re stuck with me!” This is going surprisingly easy.

Pressing her hooves to her cheeks, Pinkie Pie almost choked on another gasp. “Wowzers! I’ve got a real live friend! And they don’t want to run away screaming… yet! How remarkably opposite to everypony else! The Flim Flam Brothers were right! You really are strange!”

Did she just insult herself and me? “Yes, and I am strange enough to tell you all about my secret, evil plan now that we are, uh, friends.”

“This is going swimmingly! I can’t wait to report back and tell them what I’ve learned!”

Sunset leaned on the pink pony. The glowing cutie marks reflected perfectly in the mare’s eyes, only rippled by the blue of her irises. “Well, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Friends keep each other’s secrets, right?”

Holding an open-mouthed smile, Pinkie Pie stared blankly. It was as though the gears in her head ceased to move; like a computer being introduced to a two when it only dealt with ones and zeros. Pinkie took so long to make any movement that Sunset began to wonder if time froze. I didn’t expect her to take it as a paradox.

“Okay!” the new pal eventually replied, as though she hadn’t skipped a beat in her response.

“Uh, okay?”

“Absolutely! I knew that all along! I wouldn’t have been able to befriend you so quick if I wasn’t amazing at all things friendship!” she answered, snorting and giggling.

“You’re the oddest Pinkie Pie I’ve ever met,” Sunset noted, only to realize she said it aloud.

“Really? You’re the only Princess Sunset Shimmer I’ve ever met.” The way she spoke held no ringing of satire. She wasn’t joking, Sunset understood. Pinkie Pie really was stating she’d never met another Princess Sunset Shimmer. “Now that we’re friends, do you want to come over to my place and hang out? That’s something friends do, right?”

The light of the table dissipated, leaving the two in darkness. “Sure, Pinkie.” Her horn lit dimly. “Lead the way.”

Hopping with joy, Pinkie skipped along past the stumps. She was neither fast nor slow, keeping pace with Sunset without even glancing back at the alicorn. When they reached the rustic abodes of Ponyville, she noticed the bleak light emanating from each of the shuttered windows. Candlelight flickered hesitantly from the homes, no streetlamps were lit. Pinkie led her to a dark, cracked place where the pink and cyan sign read Sugarcube Corner, though the ‘er‘ had faded, leaving only Sugarcube Corn. Inside, Pinkie lit a few candles, allowing Sunset to cease her magic.

“It’s a store. Who works here?” Sunset asked.

“Me. I do!” Pinkie Pie trotted up the stairs to the left of the counter, holding a candle stick in her hair. “It was being vacated by the last owners who were heading to Princessland. They offered it to me for free and I was all like, wowie, there’s nothing better than free. Then I was told I had to tend the counter and pay taxes. I was super lucky. How many other ponies get to pay taxes?” She stopped at the top step. “Though I still don’t know what taxes are. Everypony always just groans or runs away when I ask.”

In a bedroom, Pinkie Pie stopped at the center. Upon entering, Sunset grimaced. The wallpaper sagged at the top, the shutters were bolted closed, and Pinkie stood on a moth eaten rug. “Welcome to my bedroom!” There was no bed. “I’ve never had a friend in my bedroom before. Unless my sisters count as friends. I haven’t spoken to them in a while, though. Not for the lack of trying, mind you. The mailing service hasn’t been running well since our postal department went down, which is pretty funny considering it was also our water services that caused its closure. Now both water and mail are unavailable!”

Sunset squinted. “Why would Ponyville’s water department cause the mail to stop running?”

“Well, water and paper don’t mix unless you’re making papier-mâché! I’m sure I’ve got a joke written down somewhere for just such a moment. Wanna to see it?”

Debating only took a second for Sunset. “Sure. Why not.” Hey, if she likes jokes, getting her the Element of Laughter will be a cake walk.

Lifting the shabby rug exposed a hole bursting with papers where Pinkie dug through, scattering sheets across the floor. “Here it is!” she bellowed, lifting a page into the air. Drawn in crayon, the entire paper stretched with the color blue. Pinkie Pie held a gaping smile, waiting for Sunset to laugh.

Of course, Sunset remained stone-faced, even if she hadn’t meant to. “Wat-er clever joke,” Sunset politely punned, causing a giddy uproar from Pinkie Pie.

Placing the paper back into the hole with the others, Pinkie then replaced the rug and stood exactly where the hole sat. “I should offer you some food and drink! That’s a thing good hosts and friends do!” Rushing out of the room, Sunset remained in the bedless bedroom.

I thought she was about to cry there for a second, she imagined, remembering another Pinkie Pie who invited Sunset into her home. Memory… With her magic, she lifted out a book from her backpack. Flipping through the newer journal, she landed on the last world’s page, which sat only a few pages into the start of the book. I didn’t write that, she realized upon examining the world’s title. It read as Unending Chaos, however, the ‘un’ was scratched over, changing it to Ending Chaos. “Discord…” she whispered, but the draconequus didn’t respond.

Drawing a pen from her bag, she wrote Princessland into the next page, though there was nothing more to add. Glancing at the back of the book, she realized there were many more pages to fill. “Why was my dream telling me to fill this thing? I filled up my friendship journal by talking to both Celestia and Twilight. This would take me years,” she whispered to herself, rolling the pen weightlessly in the air.

She wrote her findings of Princessland like descriptions and statistical information. Pausing, she flipped a few pages back. Most of the words written, whether from The Crystal War, Resistance, or Nightmare’s Night timelines, all read like droll textbooks. It wasn’t until she read the Community’s words, the signatures and encouragements, that she realized her mistake. For a moment, she swore she had scratched out the signature from Sombra, yet it remained uncovered.

“There’s no one more impressive than Sunset Shimmer. No one more talented. No one else I’d like to be with more. She shimmers the sun that is my heart.”

Refusing tears, she moved back to the blank pages. Rewriting The Crystal War, she moved ten pages ahead, then wrote Resistance. She did this for each world. The first few pages would remain as descriptions or facts or interesting notes. The rest was for her. A journal of the good.

She flipped to the Nightmare’s Night pages and wrote down the lovely day with Pinkie Pie. It stuck out in her mind. The interesting restaurants, the speech she gave, the cute chunky pink mare who only wanted to make ponies happy. It didn’t matter if she wrote it in a straight line or if the book was even the right way. She would fill the pages for each timeline, just as the dream suggested.

“Oh! You’re a fan of paper too?” Pinkie Pie gawked, surprising Sunset. The mare held a rusty tray with a glass of murky brown water and some cookies atop. “I collect them, you know! If you ever need some, whether with words or not, feel free to ask! Nobody else cares unless they’re about the princesses.”

Lifting the tray with her magic, Sunset set it on the ground. She then rushed to Pinkie and wrapped her in a hug. “You’re going to make my plan so, so difficult, you know that?”

“Wow! A hug! Does this mean you’re giving up your villainous ways? Only a day in and my friendship is already wearing you down! I knew you had it in you!” Pinkie replied, squirming in the hug. “We really are great friends, aren’t we?”

“Oh, Pinkie. Never change.” They uncoupled, and Sunset returned the book to her backpack.

“I’m not even sure what I would change into, but if you say so!” Pinkie wobbled over to the tray, eyeing the ugly water before lifting it up. “Maybe it’s my amazing hosting skills that have changed your ways? Who knew I’d be amazing at throwing parties still? Though this is a very small party. And there are no balloons. I’m such a good friend that I don’t even need balloons anymore! What a wonderful revelation!”

Sunset shook her head, still smiling. “You mind if I spend the night? Sleeping’s been a rare commodity lately. I had to sleep on the train to Princessland.”

Clapping her hooves together, Pinkie exploded in whinnies. “A sleepover!?” Running out the door, she yelled, “Come on!” Leaving behind the tray of cookies, Sunset followed down the steps. Rounding the counter, she noted Pinkie Pie in the kitchen, still holding the glass of water without a drop spilled. “We can share the bed just like I used to do with my sisters!”

Opening the oven, a blowup mattress unfolded along with stilts and slats. In just under a second the bed filled the space between the counters, complete with pillows and comforters.

“Why do you sleep in the kitchen?” Sunset asked, wary of a trick.

“I don’t know!” Pinkie happily answered before hopping onto the bed.

Sliding off the backpack and setting it on the counter, Sunset carefully climbed onto the inflated mattress. “Hey, Pinkie. I’m planning on traveling tomorrow. Are you going to be alright to travel with me, or are you just going to stay here?”

“Well, I was told to pal around with you until you became a good person. Are you a good person?”

Yes. “No.”

“Then I’ll have to help you try a little harder! Where you go, I go!” Pinkie replied. “Unless it’s somewhere that I can’t go, like the sky. Believe it or not, I cannot fly.”

“Wow. Really?” Sunset snarked, giggling as she rested her head beside Pinkie.

“Really! I’m surprised you didn’t know that about me. I guess this friendship will have to take some more work.” Pinkie shrugged. “Alright, goodnight, Princess Sunset Shimmer!” Clapping her hooves together, the candles did not darken, forcing Sunset to utilize her magic in extinguishing the flames.

Pulling the blanket to her chin, Sunset said, “Just call me Sunset, Pinkie.” But the pink pony already began to snore, her forelegs splayed out in both directions. Sighing, Sunset pulled the blanket over her muzzle and closed her tired eyes. What a day. The sheet felt nice against her fur, and the blanket tucked around her body smoothly, creasing in the pocket of her back. Way better than sleeping in dirt. Her eyes closed, but a sudden pain shot through her brain. She knew sleep would have to wait. Memories. A scrapbook. With a very dim light emanating from her horn, she drew the newer journal and pen from her backpack.

Ending Chaos. A clearer picture of the world remained in her mind as it was the closest in memory. She tried to reflect on all the happiness she could of the world, though despair clouded thoughts. Cheating Pinkie Pie in that eating contest. That was fun. And I’ve got to make a full page—no, two—all about Shimmering Justice.

Sunset worked hard but knew when to quit too, eventually finding the patience to simmer her writing and fall into a slumber. Somehow, she expected the lucidity that often came with her dreams. Her nose muddled the smells, she could almost breathe in the scent of golden flowers. Wind called her, beckoning her to enter the darkened land she grew accustomed to meeting. Yet it passed. She awoke. It was peaceful, yet confusing. The smell lingered as her eyes opened.

Stretching, the cover fell from her shoulders. Her sleepy eyes rolled over the bed and room, finding no pink pony. With a yawn, she called out, “Pinkie Pie? What time is it?”

And the mare answered back, “Noon! Lunch time! My favorite time! Of course, dinner and breakfast are also my favorites. As I always tell my sisters, you can’t have enough favorites! They’re all my favorite sisters! Especially Maud, Limestone, and Marble! They’re my favorite favorites! They’re also my only sisters!”

Noon? Sunset let out another yawn. She wasn’t in a rush, and she realized it. Been a while since I haven’t cared about getting to where I’m going. Discord’s world made me too anxious to wait around in one place for long. This? She stretched like a cat, arching her back and lifting her rump, only for the blowup mattress to sag too much and send her face forward onto the comfy blanket. Bliss!

“Pinkie, are you ready to head off?” Sunset muffledly asked, knowing she was the one who wasn’t.

“I am ready for anything. I am always prepared! I think…”

Rolling to the edge, Sunset hobbled off the bed and dragged her backpack out of the room. Pinkie Pie sat at the counter, staring at the door. “What are you doing?”

“Waiting,” Pinkie replied. “Maybe somepony will come in and order something today!”

“When was the last time you had a customer?”

Pinkie’s head swiveled to face Sunset, followed by two quick blinks. For a second, Sunset believed she hurt the pink pony, but Pinkie replied, “Customer? Why would I have customers?”

“Because you said ponies come in and order things? They’re customers.”

“Oh. Nopony has ever been in here to order anything, though.”

“Then, why do—” Sunset rolled her eyes, placing her face in her hoof. It’s Pinkie Pie. Why does she do anything she does? “Alright. Well, since you’re ready we should be off.”

Pinkie widened her smile. “Where are we going?” she said in a high inflection.

“North. I’m certain the Flim Flam Brothers have gone to Princessland after hearing the commotion of a new princess, so I’d like to stay away from them for now. Getting Twilight is my goal, but stopping and grabbing Applejack first will make things go smoother.” Though if every bearer is like Pinkie, it may be hard to convince them to come along. Some may actually believe I am evil with all their heart, which helps my plan, but doesn’t help in gathering them up. Sunset trotted to the door.

“I don’t know anything about what you’re saying. I like it! Are they going to be friends with us too?” Pinkie asked, following behind.

“That’s what I’m hoping.” The outside smelled of wood shavings and ash, as if someone was burning wiring. Sunset ignored it until it grew stronger the closer they went toward the train station.

A fire within a returning train’s engine melted the iron and put the whole yard on hold. Guards were rushing in every direction while spectators looked upon the fiery spectacle in disbelief. Sunset and Pinkie bumped their way to the front, pushing past a guard. He started to yell just before Sunset whipped her magic around the train’s engine and brushed the fire into smoldering ash.

“You’re that princess! How did you get back here to Ponyville? You weren’t on the train!” It was the same stallion she encountered the previous day, though now black smoke coated his forehead and ran down his muzzle.

“I’m a princess. I have my ways,” she vaguely replied with an assured beam. “I need to go north, to the Crystal Empire. I don’t suppose this is not the train that goes there, is it?”

He shook his head. “No. We don’t have any trains that go there. Why would we? Princessland is the only place to go!” he said, chuckling and coughing up smoke. “I suppose we could procure you a ride, if you’d like.”

Glancing around, Sunset saw everything she needed. “No, that’ll be okay. You don’t mind if I use some of the extra tools around here, do you?”

“Well, they're not really mine to give, but you’re a princess so I can’t say no. I’m legally bound to serve you.” When he chuckled again, spit escaped his mouth and ran some of the black down his chin. Sunset held an unkind, wide-eyed smile and turned away from the sight.

Most of the spectators only stayed around to gawk at Sunset, though she paid them no mind. Pinkie skipped behind her, following along as Sunset gathered the pieces she needed. When Sunset climbed down onto the tracks, Pinkie watched from the platform with the other citizens. Putting four train wheels onto the metal lanes of the track, Sunset tightened planks of wood to the wheels with her magic. It’d be an uncomfortable ride, but she knew teleporting so far to the unfamiliar north would be out of the question.

I suppose we could have just walked, she thought, snapping the wood into place. Or I could have flown, but carrying Pinkie Pie would’ve been too much for that distance. Turning back to the platform, Sunset levitated Pinkie, who giggled with glee, into the makeshift cart. Flapping her wings, Sunset got beside the mare and used her magic to move the wheels. The crowd began to roar and cheer at the small, intriguing achievement as they watched the two trail off on the tracks.

The improper connections hindered Sunset slightly, just enough to keep her magical focus on the cart. Slowly but surely building up the speed required, they hit the outskirts of Ponyville and trailed north. “Great guacamole! You really know how to treat a pal! Here I thought we were walking to wherever we were going, just like how I got to Ponyville. We’ll be there in no time! Are we going to meet more princesses, too?” Pinkie raved, rocking back and forth in the rickety cart.

“It’s hard to focus on anything other than my magic, Pinkie. We’re heading for the Crystal Empire. Try not to break my concentration till we get there.”

“Oh okay.” Pinkie went silent and remained that way for a full minute. “What’s in the Crystal Empire? Crystals? Are we going to get crystals? I heard that crystals are like rocks except not as good for building because when the crystals break they shattered into pieces like glass and that’s really not cool if you think about it.” She then went silent again. “My sisters started rock collections. I started a paper collection. Hey! You should start a scissor collection!”

“Pinkie. Please.”

Covering her mouth, Pinkie replied, “Sorry!” She then turned away. For a while, Sunset believed she would have peace. “We should play a game! I spy! Oh! Oh! I spy something green!”

They entered a great forest that coated both sides of land around the train tracks. The sounds of the unsteady cart must’ve driven any animals away, leaving only tall logs of strong bark and needles of pine or leaves of spruce. Tall grass surrounded every root and trunk, flowers of lavender, cyan, and hazel accompanying the sward. Sunset, with her ultimate wisdom, replied, “Is it trees?”

“Nope!”

“The grass?”

“Wow! Second try! Good guessing! Your turn!”

“I see a pony who is breaking my concentration,” Sunset tasked, knowing the answer would be easy.

Gasping, Pinkie gawked at the world, spinning wildly in both directions. To Sunset’s surprise, Pinkie studied the world for over an hour in silence, trying to find the concentration-breaking pony. Eventually, she did give up. “Well, shoot. You’re a champion at this, Princess Sunset Shimmer! I really can’t find a pony breaking your concentration!”

With a hefty sigh and a roll of her eyes, Sunset replied, “That’s because she’s right in—”

Before Sunset could finish her sentence, an explosion erupted on the track in front of them. Though not of fire or debris, whatever rocked the world emitted smoke, shrouding the rail. Startled by the sound and sight, Sunset’s magical grip slipped and fell, sending the wheels careening off into different directions. The wooden planks slapped together were ripped apart, sending both Sunset and Pinkie skidding on what was left. Following the bumpy ride along the tracks and emerging into the smoky land, Sunset rubbed her head, squinting.

The sounds of screaming echoed, and suddenly a pony erupted through the haze. In a gasmask and overalls, the pony tackled Sunset, sending them both to the ground. Putting her hooves up, she could feel the attacker trying to snag at her backpack straps. Another pony, this one accompanying the same attire, came to aid the first in the theft.

Sunset’s worry shot to Pinkie, though she couldn’t see the mare in the smoke.

Anger rushing her senses, fueled by adrenaline, Sunset burst with magic screaming in her voice. A beam erupted from her horn, knocking her assailants to the ground and clearing the smoke with one fell swoop. She was on her hooves in a second, watching as five others tore off for the tree line. The two that came for her were already on their hooves, debating whether or not to try another assault. Sunset convinced them not to. With a slicing beam, she struck the straps off of one of the thugs, literally catching them with their pants down. As the other ran off, the first hobbled out of their overalls, revealing their cutie mark. Three red apples?

Huffing and puffing, Sunset felt herself exhausted. The long ride left her with little magic, and the angered outburst took whatever remained. She glanced around, calling out for her traveling companion, “Pinkie? Pinkie Pie!”

Amongst the wooden wreckage of boards and dirt, the pink mane popped out. “Golly gosh! Princess Sunset Shimmer, was that the pony interrupting your concentration?” asked Pinkie, earning a terribly exaggerated groan from the alicorn.

World 6: Chapter 3

“How was I supposed to know it was some weird cart? Wheels turning, metal on metal. You heard it too! If you thought it wasn’t a train, why didn’t you stop me? And just one pony too. How’d you fail getting that bag off of her? I rushed in to help you only to lose my only pair of overalls.”

“Eenope. That gal was a princess.”

“What? The smoke get to your head or somethin’? Ain’t no way that was a princess. Too small. I didn’t see no wings neither. Wouldn’t she have just been flying to the Crystal Empire?”

“Eeyup. Saw the wings after pinnin’ her down.”

Sunset stood upon the branches above the two ponies, listening to their discussion. The two had removed their gasmasks, confirming to Sunset exactly who they were. At least now we don’t have to go looking for her, she mused, watching as the two began trotting off. Dropping to the ground, Sunset glanced in the opposite direction. She waved a hoof and Pinkie suddenly appeared beside her, grass and roots coating her pink mane. “Let’s follow them. Quietly.”

Pinkie Pie went to speak, but Sunset threw a hoof over her muzzle. Shaking her head, she trotted onward.

The two assailants were not quiet about their trek through the forest. Even with covered canopies and brush the size of Celestia’s mane, Sunset found no issue in tracking the duo. Leading Pinkie Pie was more of a hassle for the alicorn, eventually succumbing to simply levitating the pink pony behind her.

When the wastrel trees slanted and bent, so too did the shoddy tents of the Apple Family. A very small clearing within the forest held twenty to thirty ponies, most of which had a form of apple on their flank. Each of the ponies greeted the two assailants while Sunset watched from the cover of leaves. The others who were part of the attack on the sloppily-made cart returned before the two, their heavy sighs a sign of relief. Campfires were lit, pins of apples were set to roast, and the chattering of their days echoed in a rabble of inconsistent laughing.

Refusing to lurk any longer, Sunset put on her most furious frown and released Pinkie Pie. Stepping out from the trees, she walked forward, Pinkie trailing behind. Her brows almost touched, her angered face a powerful deterrent to those surprised by the stranger. Some ran into their tents while others rushed to the two deviants that she tracked. Surprised more than fearful, the big red male stepped forward, protecting the orange mare. He didn’t say a word, his common trait, as Sunset stepped toward him.

The more she refused to stop her trot, the more his confidence wavered. His shaking intensified to the point of an earthquake by the time she was no more than a yard away. Yet it was not the stallion that spoke first. Rushing to stand between him and Sunset, the orange pony skidded, blocking the path. “If you want to fight somepony, fight me! I won’t let you harm my brother!” Standing firm, Applejack’s stance showed no signs of cowardice. Her strength and form matched the coolness in her eyes.

“I’m not here for him. I’m here for you,” Sunset replied, and that frightened the confident mare. She stopped in front of Applejack, still displaying her temper across her face. “You’re one of the six I need to change this world. For attacking me, you’re going to make it up by coming with me.”

“Come with you? Change the world?” The earth pony quaked just as her brother did. “H-how could I help do any of that? Look at this place.” She held a hoof to the tents. “This is what remains of the Apple Family. We and a few of those from Ponyville. Out here, living in tents. I couldn’t even hold onto the last bit of home we had in Sweet Apple Acres. None of us could. Our lives in ruin. Why in Equestria would you want somepony like me? Who are you?”

Though her face remained angry, a grin parsed her lips with clenched teeth. If I have to play the part of villain, I may as well play it up. “Pinkie Pie, who told you to tag along with me?”

“The Flim Flam Brothers, of course!” she happily replied.

“The same brothers I plan on removing from power, along with wiping the smudge of Princessland off of Equestria for good.” The words hit their mark too well, both Applejack and her brother trembled in sweaty fear. “It won’t be called Princessland once I’m done with it, as I will be the only princess to rule. Once I remove the princesses and come into power, I’ll throw those brothers into Tartarus.”

“You?” Big Mac, Applejack’s brother, raised his voice.

“I plan on overstepping the other princesses and making this world mine,” she lied. “And Applejack here is going to help me do that.”

“How’d you know my name!?” the earth pony backed up, cozying next to her brother.

“I know many things. Your sister is Apple Bloom, your grandmother is Granny Smith. You’re stubborn. You call friends sugarcube. You always wear your signature brown hat. And, most importantly, you’re the Element of Honesty.”

With a big gulp of air, Applejack wiped her brow with the back of her hoof. “Maybe we should talk inside. Come on, Mac.” She pushed the red stallion into one of the larger tents, and Sunset followed them in, Pinkie at her side.

The slapdash home reminded Sunset of another world. Crimson red, a plethora of pillows, free food. The tent Celestia let them use during The Crystal War was nothing like Applejack and Big Mac’s home aside from the spacious interior. Holes were patched and then undone, tables were cluttered with messy tools or moldy food, and a bed of hay sat in the center, though it spread in every direction with little strands. The flaps of the tent didn’t close, and the tie that would normally wrap them shut didn’t exist. Another pony already stood within the tent, examining potions and tools on a table. Big Mac beckoned her, and in the light, Sunset gawked at the familiar face.

Zecora! The zebra stood with a smile in front of Big Mac, only for it to abruptly fade. “Truly, a princess? At your behest.” She bowed, and as she exited, she courteously lowered her head to Sunset, remaining silent.

Sunset wanted a moment to speak to the zebra. It’s been so long since I met her, in the world of changeling ruin. When she turned, Applejack cut her focus back to the previous conversation. “What’s your name?” the earth pony asked as she stood several body-lengths away from the princess.

“I am Princess Sunset Shimmer. This is Pinkie Pie, another of the ponies I require,” she answered, snapping her eyes to Applejack and lifting a hoof as she introduced the pink pony. “This is very sudden, but you’re going to have to come with me.”

“Come with you where, exactly?”

“All over. I need four more before I can go after the Elements of Harmony.”

“The Elements of whatnow?” Applejack asked.

“Oh! I know what that is!” Pinkie Pie interrupted. “Water, carbon, ammonia, phosphorous, salt—”

Sunset stopped the pink pony. “Not those type of elements, Pinkie. The Elements of Harmony are what we’ll use to rule Princessland and all of Equestria. With them on my side, nothing will stop me from becoming the biggest star in the land, tearing down the princesses and the Flim Flam Brothers. Of course, the six bearers will be well rewarded for their help,” she told them, knowing it would shock them to hear such an evil plan.

Yet Applejack didn’t question it. “You’re not a princess I’ve ever heard of, to be honest. I guess you don’t like livin’ in their shadow, do ya?” she replied. “Taking down Flim and Flam. That’s part of your goal? Shoot. I like the ring to that.”

“Eenope,” Big Mac said, pushing a hoof in front of Applejack.

“No?” Applejack looked up with keen eyes, the green glaring against his red fur. “Mac, all my life I’ve been doing what other ponies have told me to do, expecting something to change. It never does. You know this isn’t the life I wanted. To keep doing what I’m told. By you, by family, and back then, by Granny. Well, if I’m just following commands, I may as well follow a princess.”

The argument was sound and surprising to the stallion. His defense wavered immediately as he removed his hoof. “We’re family, Applejack,” he said in a quiet voice.

“We’ll always be family, but I’ve got to make a name for us again. Maybe the Apples on top. It might help bring Granny back to us. You really want our family livin’ out here wastin’ our time on a train that never comes? I mean, what were we even gonna do if it had been a train? Board it and try some sort of robbery? You know nopony coming from Ponyville to the Crystal Empire has anythin’. We only had the garments on our backs when we headed that way.”

Applejack then turned to Sunset and nodded. “I’ve got a good feeling about you, princess. Never heard of an evil princess before, but I ain’t heard of Princess Luna neither till a few years ago. May as well see where this goes.” Rubbing her foreleg with the other, she tilted her head into her shoulder. “It’s been a while, a long while, since somepony needed me. Somepony who ain’t family. If it means takin’ down those awful twins in the process, I’m in.”

This is going easier than I could have hoped for. Convincing Applejack has always been easy, now that I think about it. Especially in that first world. All it took was showing her the truth. “Then we’ll be leaving now. I have no time to waste being this close to the Crystal Empire. The third is there, and I’d like to bring her into the fold before night arrives.”

“Before night?” Applejack rubbed her chin and glanced at Big Mac. “Think you can get us there, Mac? We do kind of owe her for destroying—” She turned back to Sunset “—whatever that thing was you were riding. Sure wasn’t a train.”

He gave a long, exaggerated sigh. “Eeyup…”

Outside, Sunset noted all the Apple family members gathered around their own tents, watching in anticipation of any retribution given by the princess. Zecora didn’t bother to remain, though whichever tent or direction she’d gone was a mystery.

When it was clear Big Mac was setting up a cart for transport, the Apples returned to their normal chores. Chatter once again rang through the cozy, drifter camp. She glanced around at their terrible tents, which were in disrepair much like Applejack’s. Clothing was strung up to dry, though most of the ponies here wore nothing but ribbons and bows in their manes. Or some overalls. “What a quaint little home, don’t you think Princess Sunset Shimmer?” Pinkie asked. “It reminds me of when I lived with my family on the rock farm, except instead of tents everything was rocks. Rocks are home to all the little crawlers hidden underneath.”

“Are you comparing us to bugs?” Applejack scornfully questioned as she helped Big Mac.

“No, but that’s a marvelous analogy!” Pinkie replied, gleaming a bright smile. “Wowie! You’re going to be a great friend for Princess Sunset Shimmer if you know how to come up with really good analogies! You’ll be even better than my sister Maud, I bet!”

“Uh,” Applejack responded, slack-jawed. Her eyes ran to Sunset who simply shrugged. The conversation petered out with a few short grunts and a roll of eyes. It was only when Big Mac finished with settling the wagon that Applejack spoke again. “Alright. Can you muster all the endurance you’ve got big brother? She wants to be there before nightfall.”

Rocking his head, the big stallion hustled to the front and attached the harness to his body. “Eeyup!”

Sunset helped Pinkie into the wagon while Applejack sat on the front, managing the tied reins that attached to her brother and their cart. Ponies gathered around to watch them off, much like the citizens cheering Pinkie and Sunset’s departure from Ponyville. Though she didn’t know their names, Sunset felt an odd sort of bitterness in her heart. They worked hard to push down the bearers, huh? They did more than that. They pushed down the Apple family, friends of the Apple family, and Ponyville itself. What sort of hero does that for just one mare from another world?

“You’ve already made two friends, Princess Sunset Shimmer! That’s two more than I made before meeting you!”

“We’re not friends,” replied Applejack as the wagon began moving. Lifting her brown hat from underneath the seat, she pushed it back against her golden hair. “Family is all I’ve ever needed. Ain’t never had friends, though we’ve got some ponies who are close with the family. It’s not the same as sharing a family bond, of course.” She waved to her relatives and they waved back, though their faces held strange expressions of confusion.

“Hey! I’ve never had friends either! We should be friends!” Pinkie jumped to the bench to be beside Applejack. “I’m Pinkie Pie and I like baking, sleeping, and long walks on the beach! I also collect paper. Princess Sunset Shimmer collects scissors, you know.”

Applejack responded to Pinkie with laughter, though not unkind. “Well, aren’t’cha just the wildest gal I’ve ever met. I’m a tad paranoid that this little trio will end up in more smoke than when me and Mac first tested Zecora’s smokescreen. At least if it does, I’ll be gone with a strained gut from laughin’.”

“I don’t know what I said was funny, but I’m happy either way!” Pinkie snorted, giggling at the same time.

Sitting in the back, Sunset watched as the two interacted. Though her face held a smile, inside she battled against guilt. Tricking these six isn’t something I’m going to enjoy, but it’ll be worth it if they’re back on the right path. It’s my fault they’re this way, after all. Even if Discord says it’s his, even if he tells me he’s sorry, this is my fault. I stepped through the magic mirror. I tried to help every world. I made myself a target and hurt those around me, even if they’ve never met me. Whatever is in my path, I’ve got to meet it head on. For their sake.

Taking out her newer journal, she brushed over to the pages set for The Crystal War. Though Big Mac plodded swiftly, the trees of the forest blocked the wind from shuffling her pages around. With a chance to write, she did so. What happens here matters, she thought as she wrote down the best memories. I still can’t believe how right she was. Everything I’ve ever done, it’s all crossing over into one reality. I’ll give this world’s Discord points for that. Doesn’t mean I’ll go easy on him, though.

“Princess Sunset Shimmer! You sure write a lot, don’t you? What are you writing about?” Pinkie asked. The pink pony sat with her back to Big Mac, her front hooves tucked between her back legs. Both Applejack and Pinkie stared at Sunset, smiles on their faces.

“You two, actually,” Sunset answered. “Don’t worry, nothing bad. I promise.” She closed the book quickly, the broken watch rattled against the thick binding. “Only things I like get to go in here.”

Pinkie gawked. “Great goosebumps! How am I in there and also out here!? Could you imagine if there were two of me?” Pinkie shook her head. “Wait. Has this joke been made before?” She shrugged and turned back around to the road.

“You two sure know how to put the fun back into dysfunctional,” Applejack said, hooting with every breath.

Sunset couldn’t help but enjoy herself as she listened to the two. She remained quiet the entire ride to the Crystal Empire, other than bursting with laughter at one of Pinkie’s ridiculous responses to Applejack. Even when the northern cold began slowing the strong, red stallion’s gallop, the two bearers remained upbeat, cheering him on. They called this place my prison, yet jail’s never seemed sweeter, Sunset mused, humming to herself a little song. How is this possible? To be so happy, yet so trapped?

Passing the barrier of frozen ground to the nippy grass that surrounded the pure crystalline city, Sunset noted no changes to what she previously knew of the Crystal Empire. Unlike Ponyville and Canterlot, it remained untouched by the changes within the world. Chalking it up to the city only recently reappearing, Sunset understood Discord’s time changing did not affect predestined arrivals, no matter how talented his chaos was. Nightmare Moon and the Crystal Empire. He’d have to go back pretty far for those to change.

A sudden twinge of curiosity struck Sunset, then bloomed into an epiphany like a flower in the morning sun.

If he wanted this place to keep me here forever, why didn’t he just make it exactly like my Equestria? I’d have been none the wiser. I could have entered the mirror, and he could have smashed it. Is it simply his hubris and pride of his power that he believes I have no chance in beating? Am I worth such a trouble? She turned her head slightly, trying to glare down at her backpack. She wanted to ask the draconequus, she wanted answers, though she knew she’d get none. To invite them to witness Discord’s alliance with me would only turn them against me now, she deemed. “The Crystal Empire. Have either of you girls been here?” she asked the two earth ponies.

Applejack indicated she’d not and Pinkie Pie copied the response. Sunset then asked, “We’ll be going all over. Probably won’t return to Ponyville for a long while. I know Pinkie won’t stop following me. Do you have any problems with tagging along, Applejack? Even if things get thick and scary?”

“Thick and scary? Those aren’t just some passing words.” Applejack studied Sunset, dragging out a curious brow above her green eyes. “Flim and Flam deserve a tack in their hats. If you’re the one to give it to them, I’ll stand by you till the deed is done. Even if it means making you our supreme leader, or whatever you’re wanting.”

“Good. I’m glad. The third we’ll be picking up is a pony name Twilight Sparkle. I don’t know what she’s doing in the Crystal Empire, but I hope convincing her won’t be too difficult,” Sunset replied. “I do suspect she’ll be very ecstatic about the princesses. If she is, please don’t inform her of my plans. She might not understand, or would ruin my cover.”

Applejack understood, though her initial reaction showed hesitation. Pinkie, on the other hoof, nodded wildly, clearly misunderstanding the entire command. Sunset let them both keep their own thoughts, returning her eyes to the world around them.

Passing the crystal ponies, chatter rang through the streets as soon as it was discovered an alicorn arrived. Sunset’s face showed interest in the praise and adoration, but it was just a show, her own heart beating its own adoration for her new friends. The ponies cawed and rubbernecked, shouting words of happiness, selfish desires, and anything between. Eventually surrounded by the onlookers, Big Mac was forced to detour directly to the castle where guards waited with open invitation. Sunset didn’t mind the route or the guard. If there’s one place she’ll be, it has to be the castle. It makes sense. Cadance and Shining Armor are married in this world.

“Cadance!” Though she was right, Sunset hadn’t realized what it meant. “Wait, you’re not Cadance.”

The white stallion had reached the wagon at a breakneck speed, almost climbing into the cart upon hearing of her arrival, yet it was not the princess he so wished. “Sorry lover boy, your princess is in another castle,” Sunset told him.

The embarrassment was soon replaced with malcontent. “I received no letter detailing arrival of a princess, let alone one I’ve never seen before,” he said with curious confidence. His whole body seemed to tense, becoming defensive, as if he could see the wolf in sheep’s clothing. “Who are you?”

He doesn't know me? Then unlike Pinkie Pie, Twilight may have no idea who I am. If they only told Pinke, why?

“That’s Princess Sunset Shimmer!” Pinkie Pie told him. “That’s Applejack, and I’m Pinkie Pie! We’re friends with her!”

He looked at the two and his mind seemed to ease. “Friends, huh? Well, I’m sure you must have some good reason to visit our humble city. My wife would claim me remiss if I did not offer pleasantries to a princess and her friends.” Hopping from the cart, the white stallion shouted for the guards to escort the mares. “Oh, and my name is Shining Armor. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Likewise,” Sunset said as she glided from the cart. Not that I haven’t met you a multitude of times now.

Applejack said her goodbyes to her brother who seemed more distraught than his younger sibling. When the stallion sidled the wagon around and trotted on, Applejack followed Sunset and the guards into the castle. “I guess you and your brother are pretty close, huh?” Sunset asked Applejack on their way up.

“Yeah. Ever since Granny took Apple Bloom and ran off to Las Pegasus, it’s just been me and him. It’s a good thing too, though, since she didn’t have to see what we resorted to. Ain’t right what we’ve been doing,” answered Applejack. “I don’t remember whose idea it was to start such a no good, dirty tradition. I think it was Big Mac. Or maybe somepony else?” She then closed her mouth, drifting off to a memory.

“Welcome, Princess Sunset Shimmer,” Shining Armor said as they entered the throne room, waving a hoof to staff. Water was immediately presented for the trio of mares as Shining Armor took to the top steps beside the throne. “I do not mean to be rude, but I will get straight to the point. I do not recognize you, nor have I heard of you prior to this day. Not even from my wife, or our written correspondences, have I heard the name Sunset Shimmer. What is your reason for coming to the Crystal Empire? I mean, my wife hasn’t even returned since she signed her contract. Surely Princessland has everything you desire.”

“I’m here for your sister, actually. I’m collecting ponies for a pet project of mine, and the other princesses hold no counter to my task,” Sunset replied. She did not remain at the door. To prove her prideful stature to that of her friends and to the stallion, she trotted the steps and sat down in the throne. “Surely you know where to find her, correct?”

The brazen action hit its mark, the stallion cowed down in his confidence. “Of course,” he replied, though Sunset was certain that’d be his response regardless of her act. “My parents moved here and she came along when Canterlot became Princessland. She’s been quite the recluse, however. It’s rare for her to want for anything that isn’t related to the princesses. Sometimes, I wonder if she’s showering properly.” The increase of unneeded information was not something Sunset wanted, proving that her display did the trick to the nth degree.

Oh gosh. I hope she doesn’t smell. If she’s a recluse, it may be more difficult to coax her into coming with me. “Princesses,” Sunset repeated, her eyes appraising the stallion. “She likes the princesses?”

Shining Armor shrugged, stepping back from the throne. “Ever since the School for Gifted Unicorns closed down right after accepting her, and the opening of Princessland, she’s been into everything princess related. Sometimes it’s too much, especially when Cadance does send letters to me. I mean, somethings are private, you know?” He then caught himself. “Sorry, Princess Sunset Shimmer. I shouldn’t bore you with my troubles.”

“That’s quite alright,” she replied. “I like that about you.” Just like Shining Armor, she caught herself. “H-having just met you, I mean. I can see why Cadance married you.” Wait no, that’s worse, she caught herself once more, vacating the throne quickly, and returning to the two bearers.

Shining Armor laughed, obviously unobservant of the poor choice in words. “Yeah, well I’m the lucky one. Would you be interest in taking a load off after your trip, or do you wish to meet my sister right away? Cadance likes to take her time, following in Princess Celestia’s shoes. I was only captain for a short while before our marriage, but while I was, Princess Luna seemed quite the opposite.” He smiled wide. “I’m curious of your personality, having never heard of you prior to today.”

“You could say me and Luna are quite in sync.” She smiled back, her head held high. “Please. I’d like to be on our way with your sister in tow as soon as possible, should she be willing.”

“Very well, though I do hope you don’t find it inappropriate of me to write to my wife while you visit with my sister. A bit of instinct coming from my days as a royal guard tells me to check every avenue,” he responded, “I’d like to verify your, well, existence.”

“Not a problem.” You’re the first to question it, actually. Nopony else seem to notice anything other than the wings and horn. To think, this blinding power was what I craved long ago. She frowned, hiding it from Shining Armor and the girls. Now I just want to see my friends again. To be at CHS. Just a little bit further to go. I can feel it.

The white stallion took parchment with ink and quill, levitating the items as he trotted out of the throne room. “My apologies for making you walk such a trifling amount of steps just to head back down. My sister doesn’t live in the castle anymore. She’s staying with my parents in a home just a block away. It was a tedious first few months after their arrival, but the opening of Princessland unleashed a whole can of worms for others more so than myself.”

Sunset nodded, trailing behind. She could hear Applejack grumbling something under her breath about the Flim Flam Brothers, though the low tones made it as though she were chanting a hum. “I take it you are upset with Flim and Flam, Shining Armor?” Sunset asked.

“They saved my wedding, yet they’ve taken my wife from me. Their influence appointed me and Cadance here in the Crystal Empire, only to have her return to Princessland and transform the city into some amusement park. I choose to remain optimistic, if only due to their heroic actions. They’ve never visited the Crystal Empire aside from their defeat of King Sombra with that strange machine of theirs. It’s almost as though they never stay in one place for long, aside from Princessland. It’s odd behavior and skitters my nerves. I do not loathe them, if that is what you are asking. I’d be more than inclined to house them should they ever decide to travel north.” He eyed back at her. “What’s your relation to them?”

“None. I have nothing against them,” she lied. To her surprise, both Pinkie and Applejack kept their mouths shut, to which she would need to thank them later.

He grunted approval. “I’d have assumed not. Cadance is this same way, actually, and she would have a better impression of them than I. She signed their silly contract after all.”

“I’m contractless,” she replied, grinning. “For the time being. That’ll change, I’d imagine.”

As they entered the street, the city guards were busy corralling the few loose citizens who had seen the arrival of the princess. Shining Armor began his letter, unabashed by the local adoring screams. “What is this project? If you don’t mind me asking.”

“It’s a secret. The other princesses know all about it, so if you feel the need to include that in your letter, I trust them to give however much information they choose to send.” Sunset knew they’d not send anything of the sort. Their quietness on the matter was all she was asking for aside from support.

His scribbling ceased as they reached a home of pink rose quartz. He gave two swift knocks and a mare Sunset did not recognize answered the door. “Oh, Shining! What’re you doing here?” the unicorn asked, her blue eyes dragging to the three mares. “Oh my. You’re not bringing more ponies to try and befriend Twilight, are you?”

“No mother,” he replied, rolling his eyes. “This is Princess Sunset Shimmer and her cohorts Applejack and Pinkie Pie. The princess has come to meet with Twilight of her own accord.” He then lifted a hoof to the mother. “Princess, this is my mother, Twilight Velvet.”

Grey fur, blue eyes. Starry cutie mark. Definitely their mother. “Pleasure’s mine.”

“A princess? For Twilight?” Velvet went almost cross-eyed. “I… do come in, please.”

The moderate home was everything Sunset expected. Clean, ornate, not a single coffee stain on any table. A piano with doilies fitted atop, knickknacks covering the shelves. A grandfather clock with sleek golden hands. Pictures of family and a painting of the princesses. “Twilight! Twilight! Come down here this instant! We have guests to meet you!” the panicked mother called, rushing to the staircase that sat opposite the entrance. Sunset watched as the banister wobbled from Velvet’s stomping hooves.

The loud knocks upon the bedroom door stirred the occupant when the yelling had not. “Mom, I don’t want to meet anyone Shining’s brought. I appreciate it but I’m tired of him telling me I need to get out more.”

“They’ve requested you! A princess requested you!”

“A princess!?” The door slammed open, smashing Velvet into the wall. “Well, why didn’t you say so!?” The purple unicorn practically fell down the steps getting to Sunset Shimmer. “H-h-hi there!” she greeted, falling to her knees and skidding them on the carpeting. “I’m…”

“Twilight Sparkle.” Sunset spoke the name so crossly it brought a fearful expression to the young unicorn’s face. Yet it was Sunset who felt the fear in her heart, a painful anguish that she knew only Discord could have concocted. Of all the Twilights she met from all the different worlds, this single mare looked so much like the one who transferred to CHS. Glasses, ponytail, little wafts of mane trailing down her cheeks. Even a straightened pink bow sat around her neck, though that was all she bothered to wear.

“Yo-you’re… not a princess?” Twilight Sparkle stated the question as if it wasn’t a question at all.

With a flex of her wings, Sunset revealed to the unicorn that she indeed held both wings and horn. “I am Princess Sunset Shimmer. I require your assistance with a pet project and would like you to come with me.”

The purple eyes shined like the stars of her cutie mark beneath the glasses. “You need me for something!? Oh, what an honor! I-I’ve never heard of you, though. Do you know Princess Celestia? Will I meet her?”

A small grin tugged at Sunset’s lips. “Celestia was my teacher for a long time, years ago,” she answered, surprising both Twilight Sparkle and Shining Armor. Even Pinkie Pie and Applejack gasped at the revelation. “Things changed. I changed. Now I am here, requesting your help. Will you accompany me, even though you know nothing about me?”

“Of course! Absolutely! I’ll just grab my things!” Rushing back up the stairs, she yelled, “Hi mom, bye mom!” as she entered her room, closing shut the door behind her.

The room fell silent aside from the clattering and wrestling hoofsteps coming from the mare’s bedroom. Yet it wasn’t silent for long. “Student to Princess Celestia, huh? I’ve been captain of the royal guard for years, but I certainly don’t remember a Sunset Shimmer.” He held the rolled parchment in the pit of his foreleg. “Where have you been all this time? Why has Princess Celestia never spoken of you?”

Sunset held a smile to Shining Armor, never letting it falter as she tried to think of the right response. Her eyes drifted to the pictures on the wall. Family photos, some of friends of Shining Armor. One stuck out the most.

In the center sat Twilight Sparkle with a ribbon for first place, alongside the strange contraption she’d created. Around her, however, Sunset recognized the mares. Though they were younger, fillies at best, she recognized their manes and furs. Moondancer, second place. The unicorn wrapped around Twilight’s neck, happier than the first place winner herself. To the left stood Minuette and Twinkleshine, laughter could be heard even in the still image. To the right was third place, Lemon Hearts, a pony whose Charm Sunset never saw. Not that I regret it. A reflective smile came and went on Sunset’s lips.

“Send that letter. Find out for yourself,” she commanded Shining Armor, refusing to face him as she answered.

“It may be a bit before I receive a response. I’m not certain I’d want my sister to travel out of my city with a stranger until I know you are who you say you are,” Shining Armor said, a backbone rising from his previous agreeable responses.

“You may not get that option. I refuse to simply wait around when there are things I must be doing. I’ve got to head to Manehattan and then Cloudsdale. A lot of jaunting tasks need to be filled and rides to be procured.”

“I understand. However, I can provide a train for you, along with your own personal conductor, if you’d be willing to wait,” Shining Armor obligingly offered.

Sunset trotted up the steps, smiling at Twilight Velvet as she came to Twilight Sparkle’s room. “Even back to Canterlot? The last pony I’ll need is there. If you’d do that for me, I’d certainly consider spending a night,” Sunset yelled down to him. She twisted the knob, not even bothering to knock. I’m quite surprised it’s been so easy to convince these three to come with me. Surely the latter three will be more difficult. My luck’s gotta run out eventually.

Shining Armor announced a word, but it was garbled by the sounds of Twilight’s quickened packing. “Oh geez, sorry about the mess. I’m just gathering a few things I need,” the purple unicorn said, greeting Sunset.

“A few?” Sunset marveled at the saddlebags upon saddlebags, each of which was crammed to burst with books, papers, and princess memorabilia. “Trust me Twilight, you won’t need any of that stuff. Just you.”

“B-but… what if I get bored on a long trip. I heard Manehattan and Canterlot—well, Princessland. Haven’t heard Canterlot in a while. Not since we moved. Geez.” Twilight Sparkle squirmed, wriggling her hooves against her cheeks. “Not to mention if we are going to Princessland, I’ve got to bring a camera, money for all the princess collectibles, and all the books I’ve been needing to return to the library there…”

Sunset held her breath, then released it in a longwinded manner. “Trust me, Twilight. I need you and only you.”

“Oh…” The mare went silent. Her eyes darted back and forth. “This is awkward. I-I’ve never been needed before. Or ever. Wh-why do you need someone like me? I know my brother’s a prince and all, but it’s not like I’m royalty.”

“I’ll tell you once were on our way. Just, leave the luggage, alright?”

Twilight stood around awkwardly with puffed up cheeks, silence permeated the air like a thick fog. Eventually, Twilight spoke, “B-but you have a bag.”

“Twilight.”

“Right, right. Yo-you’re the princess here.”

“Come on, Twilight,” Sunset sighed and turned out of the room, unaware of the small sack Twilight tucked over her shoulders, filled to the brim with books.

World 6: Chapter 4

The mountain sorrel and pine forests were traded for the hustle and bustle of city life. Cement skyscrapers replaced the small crystalline homes where only the crystal castle could compare to the heights. Quiet ponies became screams and shouts, only muffled by honks and horns. It’s been a while since I’ve been in this city. Not since that first world. Sunset’s group was the first to appear by train in a long while, and so the commotion they gathered was far more palpable than the welcome in the Crystal Empire. Bright flashes and cries for autographs rung her head like a bell.

Forced to display her magic, Sunset cast a bubble barrier around her band, reflecting dusk and the lowering sun. A night spent within the Crystal Empire left them with a long morning, and the ride dwindled their hours into the next. “This town never sleeps, from what I’ve heard,” Applejack said with a yawn. “Shoot, it’d be supper time back on the farm, then an hour of play before bed.”

Twilight asked, “Where are we heading? You said your f-fourth is somewhere in this city. Do you have any idea where?”

“Not a clue,” Sunset answered. But if I follow in my own hoofsteps, city hall will tell me where she is. “It might take some time to find her, which is why I was eager to get here sooner. I knew we shouldn’t have spent the night.”

“I don’t generally like meeting new p-ponies, just so you know,” added Twilight. “You three seem alright, but this crowd…” The unicorn covered her eyes with a foreleg. “I’m not even properly dressed.”

Pinkie Pie giggled. “I like meeting new ponies! There’s a chance to become friends with each of them!” She waved at the crowd as they continued on their covered path.

“Friends? You sound like my brother. Always on and on about friendship—not like he has many either, mind you. All his friends remained in Princessland, or are still in the guard.” Twilight’s head sunk low. “I don’t get what’s so special about friendship.”

“Me neither,” Applejack spoke up. “Pinkie keeps muttering on about it. Even if I didn’t have a thought in my brain, I’d still be wonderin’ if it didn’t relate to Sunset.”

“Perhaps it relates to her project. Why she’s gathering us?” Twilight curiously inquired.

“Not at all! Princess Sunset Shimmer wishes to take down Flim and Flam and rule over the other princesses!” Pinkie Pie answered without hesitation.

Twilight let out a shocked gasp. “Rule over the other princesses!? Th-that can’t be!”

With a groan, Applejack pulled on her cheeks. “I’m pretty sure Sunset Shimmer told us not to mention that, Pinkie, or did you seriously forget?”

“No, I remember,” answered Pinkie. “She said if Twilight is elastic about the princesses, not to tell her of the secret plan to overthrow the princesses and take over Equestria. Well, I certainly don’t think she’s very stretchy. Look at her! She’s really tense.”

“Ecstatic, Pinkie. Ecstatic!” Sunset hollered over her shoulder.

“No! Yo-you’re serious!?” Twilight stopped, only to be continued forward by the ever moving bubble shield. Sunset chose to not look back, only if it was meant to hide her truer emotion. “I-I-I can’t partake in something like that! Let me out!” The unicorn dropped her bags, pounding on the shield, screaming at the paparazzi photographing her.

“Twilight, stop!” Sunset finally turned with a stern look, only for it to be shot down by surprise.

The purple unicorn burst the shield with her own panicked magic, escaping into the crowd with an astoundingly speedy gallop. “I’ll get her! I’ll get her!” Applejack yelled, chasing after the mare, and also disappearing into the crowd.

As the crowd swarmed Sunset, their words piercing her brain, she could barely make out Pinkie’s words. “Ohh!? Are we running away now!? I can do that! How fun!” The pink pony hopped off in the opposite direction of the first two, unabated by the flocking citizens.

Pecked and prodded, twisted and swallowed, Sunset felt her mane and feathers grabbed and pulled. A stallion took a photo of her eye, while a mare plucked a few strands of tail hair. In a moment of unbridled anger, Sunset’s magic unleashed and pushed a gust of wind from every pore of her body. Cameras fell smashing, papers scattered into the night sky, and ponies hollered in fear. “I am not your plaything!” Sunset spoke in a voice so deep that it sent a chill down her spine. “If you wish to see the spectacle of a princess, go to Princessland. Do not test my power again!”

As she floated back to the ground, ponies rushed to escape her sight and presence. In the end, she was alone, and her friends nowhere to be seen. Well, there goes the ease of finding those three. I knew my luck would run out eventually. Her eyes tilted, turned, and teetered, trying to see a scarce coloring of orange, purple, or pink. Instead, a blinding light once again scorched her vision. “I told you—” Sunset started to yell as she rubbed her eyes.

“My apologies,” a mare called, dipping the camera. “I was wondering what the commotion was. Didn’t want to miss a chance once everyone else vanished, but you’re just a pony.” As the mare came closer, Sunset saw the yellow fur and pink mane. “Not just any pony—but a princess. I’d say it’s an honor, but the fact that I’m seeing a princess outside Princessland leaves me uneasy, if you don’t mind me expressing myself.”

Blinking, Sunset couldn’t believe her odd fluctuation of luck, good or bad. “Fluttershy?”

Gently lifting her oversized, lavender hat back, the pegasus stared through rosy glasses. “You know who I am?” The camera tugged on her neck as she let go, brushing against the brown trench coat that encompassed and sagged around her body. “But I haven’t the slightest clue who you are.” Lifting her hoof, she reached into the coat and dragged a notepad with pencil up from a pocket. Jotting with her mouth, she didn’t take her eyes off the alicorn. “If it’s not too much trouble, could you tell me your name?” she lisped, though every word enunciated perfectly.

“I’m a pony who has been looking for you, actually. My name is Princess Sunset Shimmer—though please, call me Sunset.” She held a smile that slowly faltered. “I would introduce my friends, but they ran off. Now I’ve got to find them again.”

“Lost your friends, huh? I’m more of an animal sleuth, but missing ponies isn’t a far off topic. I can help, if you’d like. But I want to know how you’ve heard of me. I’m not very well established outside of Manehattan,” responded Fluttershy as she tucked her chin into the collar of her coat.

There’s something different about this Fluttershy from the others. Sunset felt herself dissected by the eyes of the pegasus with every passing second. “I can’t answer that question at the moment, I’m afraid.” She wants to help. Is her curiosity enough to keep at my side till I can craft a good enough lie? Telling Twilight she was needed for a project didn’t work out very well, after all. I’d like to rely on my status, but when no one has heard of me that’s kind of hard. “I have to find them before they get into trouble. I’d be more than willing to tell you anything you want to know after I round them up, but right now I really have to find them.”

Trotting away, Sunset hoped that the words were enticing enough, yet when she looked back, the pegasus was gone and the street empty. When she continued, the voice spoke up, “Curious. You looked back to see if I was following you. Your words meant to lure me, correct? To get me to follow you?” Startled, Sunset snapped her head in every direction, eventually turning to the growing night sky.

Like a butterfly, the flapping wings were silent, almost inaudible. “Fluttershy?” Sunset’s brows furrowed.

“Your words feel as though you are hiding something, and your actions prove it. I hope you don’t mind my inquisitive nature in saying so, as it’s not meant to hurt your feelings. I’m so sorry if it does.” Floating back to the ground, Fluttershy followed and stood in front of Sunset, a face as blank as the back of a greeting card.

I don’t like this. Sunset suddenly felt anxious in her stomach. What happened to Fluttershy in this timeline? If I tell her something and she figures it a lie, she might search deeper. If she discovers Discord—if I tell her I’m trying to take down Flim and Flam—if she suspects anything… What am I supposed to say?

“I-I have to go,” Sunset stated, her confidence squished between dread and unease. Trotting off once more, Sunset did look back again, this time out of panic. Indeed, the prying pegasus followed. The mare said nothing, though her face turned stern, almost mean, with her eyebrows pulsed together. Running faster, Sunset began shouting, “Applejack! Twilight! Pinkie! Where are you!?”

Those who were closing up their shops within the town of tall stone stared at the two who ran through streets, shouts and screams coming from one, while the other glowered gloomily. What they might have thought was no consequence to Sunset, as the alicorn took to the sky. She knew she wouldn’t be able to lose Fluttershy, but having the familiarity of Applejack or the ridiculousness of Pinkie Pie by her side would give comfort. “Come on. Come on! Why’d they have to blab? Why’d Twilight have to freak out? This city is massive!”

As the sun faded and the stars grew, the city lit up like a firework. Little dots of orange, purple, and pink forced Sunset to ground for each, only to find they were not the mares she was looking for. And yet Fluttershy kept pace with her, ever silent in her ambitious curiosity.

It wasn’t until Sunset closed in on the train station that she heard the screams and the carts of black and white screeching down every street. A hogtied pony and broken glass littered the stony road, with Applejack standing vigilant. Helpful citizens argued with the earth pony, trying to get her to release the unicorn, yelling at her to cease the unnecessary capture. It was then Sunset realized somepony called for the city guard, the black and white carts holding two of the blue suited officers each.

Setting down beside Applejack, she narrowly avoided glass. “Applejack! You caught her. What happened!?”

“You have any idea how hard it is to capture a unicorn when ya ain’t got no magic?” Applejack yelled her answer with a question of her own, her breath heavy. Her eyes then shot to a yellow pegasus. “I told y’all this ain’t what it looks like! Step back before things get rough!”

Sunset glanced over her shoulder. “No, that’s Fluttershy, the one I was looking for.” Her eyes then darted to Twilight whose mouth sat covered in rope, much like her legs. “I lost Pinkie, and the constabularies are on their way. I saw them from above, and I don’t think they’ll be as kind to me once they hear what Twilight says. We’ve got to think of a plan, and fast!”

Gulping down fear, Applejack turned to the crowd. “Go on! Get! This here is a princess!”

The shouting did nothing. Sunset felt the world closing in, and this time she couldn’t create a barrier, teleport away, or force it all back. The guards pushed through the crowd, Twilight struggled with the rope, and Applejack growled at them all. Sunset looked to Fluttershy, the firm pegasus stared back. Avoiding shards of glass, Sunset went to her. With a whisper, she said, “I’m not from this world.” It was a revealing secret that she dared not let any of the bearers know. Not until time was right.

“What?” Fluttershy’s eyes went wide, almost stretching to the width of the rims of her glasses.

“I need you to keep everything I’m about to tell you a secret. I’m not from this world, I’ve come to defeat the brothers Flim and Flam. They’ve trapped me in this world with the help of a draconequus named Discord. Collecting the six bearers, who include these two and you, will grant us the Elements of Harmony. We can free this world from Discord’s control, but right now, I desperately need your help. I’ve lied to Twilight, and if these officers hear what she says, there is no way I’ll be able to help anyone. I’ll be forced to fight just to avoiding being sent to Tartarus.”

The yellow face stared with a tense ambiguity. How curious was the pegasus? Curious enough to help, at least. “Officer!” Fluttershy called, coming to the one who looked to be the chief. “You’ve arrived just in time.”

“Well if it isn’t our resident pet detective,” the short-nosed stallion chided. “What’d you do this time? I’m growing sick and tired of havin’ to clean up your messes.”

“My apologies sir, however, this isn’t just my mess. That unicorn is a dangerous criminal, bent on stopping this princess from completing her search for another mare. I’m helping her search, however, the princess has nowhere to keep this deranged unicorn in the meantime. She’s gotten loose once. I ask politely for your aid in the matter,” Fluttershy pleaded with an unyielding grip on her voice.

It was clear the chief had history with Fluttershy as he sighed and said, “Princess or not, it’s always you causin’ trouble. You want our help? Fine, but I want you out of my city.”

“Deal,” Fluttershy immediately agreed without a hesitant glance. “But please, make sure you keep the unicorn from speaking. If she speaks, she can cast her evil magic on your officers and escape once more!”

“Yeah, yeah,” he bemoaned and gave an order. Crunching of glass beneath the boots of the officers echoed out as they took Twilight into custody, lifting her into their carts and placing magical wards to prevent her escape. “Now find whoever it is and leave.” He then trotted past Fluttershy, his frown turning into what almost seemed a smile. “Greetings Princess Sunset Shimmer. Word travels fast, and I am happy to help in your investigation.” His frown returned. “Why you chose to have that batty mare help you is beyond me, though.”

Sunset was unsure what to respond with, other than politeness, reiterating Fluttershy’s kindness. “Don’t worry, we’ll be out of your hair in a relatively short manner.”

“You are always welcome in our city. Your captive will be held at the department within city hall until you take your leave. Do feel free to visit again without the pet detective.” He bowed. “Ma’am.” As he passed Fluttershy, he said with a mocking tone, “Detective.”

The crowd and officers dissipated, leaving Sunset, Applejack, and Fluttershy alone with a few janitorial ponies cleaning the shards of glass off the street. “I’m sorry,” Sunset said, coming to Fluttershy.

“Leaving Manehattan will be a chore, but there are other opportunities elsewhere. Maybe I’ll even be able to open up a service in Princessland, being a detective who has now aided a princess, after all.” She almost smiled. “Of course, I’m not sure what good a pet detective will do in a city of money and gaudy souvenirs.” The pegasus was very frank, a difference from the others Sunset did not fail to note.

Sunset nodded. “I’m sorry, regardless. Fluttershy, this is Applejack.”

“Pleasure.” Applejack shook Fluttershy’s hoof, though neither seemed pleased to meet the other.

“Now that this awful business has been cleaned up, you said you had one more to follow who ran off?” Fluttershy asked.

“Pinkie ran off?” Applejack rolled her eyes. “Well, shoot. I thought she was alright with going after Flim and Flam?” Applejack then struck her mouth, realizing her mistake of speaking in front of Fluttershy. “Drat! I’ve got as big a mouth as Pinkie!”

“It is quite alright. I know more than you’d think,” Fluttershy responded. “I’ll keep quiet. Do not worry, Sunset.”

“Oh.” Applejack scratched her cheek, looking between the two. “Wait—what?”

Sunset wanted to laugh, to share in the moment, but the creeping of time ran up her mind like a snaring vine. “Come on,” she commanded. We need to find Pinkie and be gone quickly. If word does travel quickly like the officer said, I have no doubt the brothers will hear of this fiasco. The faster we move the less chance Flim and Flam have to figure out where we’re going next.

Searching for Pinkie Pie in the cold alleys and tall constructs wasn’t much different than her search for the pink mare on the battlefield. Instead, those cold alleys were between crystal homes, and tall obelisks brought on by a dark king could be downed by the earth pony and her sister. Though one thing remained, Sunset was forced to dodge ponies. These were shutterbugs rather than brainwashed soldiers. “It’ll be easier if we split up. Meet at the train station at noon if we don’t bump into each other. One of us is sure to find her. It won’t help if you two are stuck with me, caught by another pony wanting autographs,” she told the two. Both recognized her authority and neither disagreed with her justification.

Sunset took to the sky, hoping to get her own aerial view of the enormity that was Manehattan. Where would Pinkie Pie go? What if she’s hurt or lost or scared? Does she even get scared? She’s loopy enough to never be scared, but this city is ginormous. Sunset gulped down her worries. Air stung her eyes, forcing tears to cut her edges, and only then did she realize how fast she flew. Her trepidation left her little time to scrutinize. Blocks were traveled. Ponies passed. I almost hit the sea, she noted, looking out onto the harbor, a thousand stars reflecting off the water.

As she hit the ground, slowing herself into a trot, she eyed the smaller buildings that were still far taller than anything in Ponyville. Some were hotels meant for sailors or passengers to sleep somewhere that wasn’t above water. Others were shops, already closed for the night. Night. The moon passed quickly, reaching the midway point of the sky and beginning its descent.

She trotted back the way she came, eyeing every lit building.

Eventually, she crossed paths with Applejack once more. “Have you found her?” Sunset asked the orange pony.

“Not to be rude, but, does it look like I’ve got a pink pony next to me?” rebuked Applejack.

“No.” Sunset’s muzzle scrunched up. “Keep looking. Did you go that way? I’ll go that way.” She didn’t wait for Applejack to respond. The further she walked, the more worried she became, eventually turning to yelling for the strange, pink mare.

That only ended with a few ponies throwing potted plants from their windows down at her, following a string of very unpleasant words.

Her heart sank when the light of the buildings no longer were the glow of candles or bulbs, instead the reflection of a sun greeting the land. It burned her eyes to know she’d been awake all night.

She stood in the middle of an intersection, one which held buildings still unaware of the rising sun. “This city is massive. How am I ever supposed to find her?” she whispered to herself, eyeing the sky, wondering if the Element of Laughter had somehow developed flight through her own silly actions.

“Sunset,” she heard the draconequus speak. He was smart, she knew, and would only call when he knew no one important would hear. Yet, now he spoke, to warn her of something. To warn her of someone.

With a turn, her dread was realized. They caught her. “Flim and Flam.” Yet she was alone, no bearers around. Could they prove she was gathering them? Did it matter? “What are you two doing here? Come to make snide remarks again?” She didn’t know which was Flim and which was Flam, and she didn’t care. If Fluttershy, Applejack, or even Pinkie Pie show up now, they’ll surely question if I’ve convinced them to help me. A mean side glance from Applejack or the simple truth from Pinkie is all they’d need to try and lock us both up.

The one with the mustache spoke first: “We talked to the princesses. We were there when they received a letter too.”

Then the one without continued, “Unfortunately, we know when they’re lying. Of course, they don’t know we know, but a simple chaotic spell placed on them prevents their lies from ever reaching our little yellow ears.”

“I figured that much,” Sunset lied, feigning her confidence. “Of course, their lies weren’t for you, but for the bearers.”

“You’re a nuisance. Finding loopholes in our words,” the stallion with the mustache complained.

Flim then said, “Right, dear Flam, right you are. I’m sure you must’ve thought you were so clever, Sunset Shimmer. They won’t side with you if they’re against you, right? Thereby cunningly overcoming our reasoning to send you and them to Tartarus. Drag them around Equestria, possibly hating you for it, all to spite our words.”

“Hey, you said it, not me. You want me to play your little game. Well, technically you two are just pawns. Servants. Subservient, even, to your master,” Sunset mocked, mulling over her next insults.

Flam snarled. Flim shook his head and held his brother back. “We’d send you to Tartarus right now, but Discord believes your little lies won’t work,” Flim stated. “He thinks he’s unbeatable. We aim to keep it that way.”

“I’m a princess. You think you two can take me on?”

“Oh, my, no,” Flam argued with an almost sincere tone. “But putting you in your place is all that we need to do.” With an unrolling of paper, a set of bold words displayed below the largest word. Contract.

“You seriously believe I’d actually sign one of your senseless contracts?” Sunset was baffled. They couldn’t be that naïve, could they?

Laughing, Flim choked on his words, “Who says the contract is for you?”

Flam unrolled the parchment all the way, displaying Princess Celestia’s name in finely blackened, cursive writing. “With this contract we can send her to wherever we feel like. Right now, the castle is under renovation, and so Princessland is effectively princess-less. Nopony would notice if we sent Equestria’s most noble princess to Tartarus. Not for a long while, anyway. Even if they did, nopony could do a thing—except for you, right now.”

Flim unveiled another contract, this one without signature. “Hosting a fourth princess in Princessland will be a chore, but it’ll be worth it to know Discord will be unbeatable. We’ll remain the economic kings of this land under his authority. Call it servitude all you want, I’d rather be rich and under his paw than a poor showpony once more.”

“Send Princess Celestia wherever you like,” Sunset snarled at them, showing her willingness to play by their ethics. “Just remember, wherever you send her won’t be half as bad as where you’re sent when I’m done cleaning up this world.”

The two brothers rolled up the papers. “Very well,” Flim said, “We’ll give you some time to reconsider. But don’t take too long. We’ll be sure to let Princess Celestia know whose fault it is she’s put into this situation.” With that, the two lit their horns and stepped through a swallowing, green void, disappearing just as randomly as they appeared.

“They’re not the worst villains I’ve come across, but I certainly dislike them the most,” Sunset muttered to Discord.

“Really? You dislike them the most? I would have thought…”

“Shush.” She tried to center herself, simmering the boiling blood in her body. Now I know for fact that I was right in rushing us. There’s nothing those two have more of than time and patience. “Pinkie!” she returned to yelling for the pink mare, hoping the gal wasn’t far off.

The stirring of emotions hadn’t done much to ease her worry. When noon came, she knew that the train station was the only place to be. Relief flooded her senses when she saw the pink earth pony standing beside the pegasus in the brown trench coat.

“I found her in the library of all places,” Fluttershy greeted, her glasses removed. “How she got in during the night, I am curious.”

“I’m almost not surprised,” Sunset said, mentioning nothing of the two brothers. “Where’s Applejack?”

“Right here,” responded the earth pony. She was carrying Twilight on her back who was bound in chains given to her by the Manehattan officers. “Sorry I’m late. Canterlot stock always got their fancy jewelry, don’t they?”

Groaning, Twilight spat venom, though her voice stayed muffled by the muzzle of leather wrapped around her mouth.

“Get her on the train,” Sunset told Applejack who did as she bid, Pinkie Pie following giddily behind. “Thanks for your help, Fluttershy.”

“How’d you procure a train?” Fluttershy deflected.

“The screaming one’s brother lent it to us, after some coercing. Came with a skeleton crew, but it’s getting us to where we’re going,” Sunset answered. She then asked her own question, “You’re okay with coming with us, right? I know you’ve been kicked out of Manehattan, but I’m not sure you understand what you’re getting yourself into by coming with us.”

Fluttershy rolled her eyes. “The library has extensive information, actually. The Elements of Harmony? Never has anything been said of bearers to such things. Only of their use against Nightmare Moon, though from my understanding they were used to defeat Discord by the Flim Flam Brothers. To mention such a thing would be crazy, which means you are from a world where we are the bearers. It’s logical, it fits holes. And obviously, there’s some reason you’re lying, why you’re hiding the truth from the others. I can wait for that reasoning, and I am interested in meeting this draconequus. Do not lie to me directly, however. I’ve got a good nose for the truth.”

As she turned to board the train, Sunset stopped her. “How do you have such a nose? Why are you like this? What happened to you?”

That sparked a surprised expression. “What do you mean?”

“You’re shy, indirect, and passive. At least, almost every other world has you that way. You’re polite, too. In this world you’re far more aggressive and direct.”

The blank face returned. Fluttershy’s flat mouth spoke with a calmness, “When I was a filly, a mare I had never seen helped me. She showed me one thing, and one thing only. Being who you need to be to help others is what this world is all about. Ever since then, even though I am normally a shy pony, I choose to help others in the only way I know how. I may be a loner, but others shouldn’t be alone.” She shrugged, the collar of her trench coat brushing her mane. “I was fortunate enough that life led me down a path where I could develop skills needed to help, and the bits to do so.”

The opposite of Applejack, Sunset noted. But like Applejack and Twilight, she hasn’t heard of me from Flim and Flam. Why did they tell Pinkie Pie? “I… Thank you for enlightening me.”

Fluttershy kept a solemn, small mouth as she nodded lightly, taking a moment to stare before she too boarded the train. The smoke of the billowing engine began fuming as the train started its grating engine. Two to go, it seems. Cloudsdale here we come.

World 6: Chapter 5

“I’ve never been to Cloudsdale.”

The puffy, white clouds beneath Sunset’s hooves tingled like the texture of cotton candy. It did not dissolve, nor did she fall through it. For Sunset, a unicorn only dreamed of reaching Cloudsdale by balloon, and even then, they’d be forced to stay within the confines of the ponymade streets. To not abide such rules would end in a plummet, kissing the earth for one final time. Now her wings made it impossible for such a dramatic end, though she wished to share the experience with all her new friends.

Instead, only Fluttershy was able to join her, the curious mare felt no need to wait with Pinkie and Applejack to guard Twilight. “If those two can’t prevent her from escaping, there won’t be much I can do,” the pegasus explained after they exited the train. “My skills are far more suited to searching for Rainbow Dash, though if she’s here, it won’t be hard to find her. She’ll most likely be staying with her parents.”

Sunset lingered on uncertainty of the yellow pegasus. Helpful, yet callous in her words, the Element of Kindness seemed apathetic to the plight of Twilight Sparkle. She did not give a glance at all to the unicorn during the entirety of the train ride. And though they had every car to themselves, Fluttershy remained bound to the seat she chose, refusing to get up until they reached their destination.

Even then, her willingness to be beside Sunset was measured in a gap two ponies could fill without ever bumping shoulders. Sunset wanted to soak in the moment of setting hoof in the cloud city, but Fluttershy trudged forward, forcing the alicorn to keep up. “Is her home far? You know where it’s at, right?” she asked, trying to keep in stride with Fluttershy, and still somehow failing.

“Clouds move, Sunset, but places tend to stay the same. I know what their home looks like and the area. It won’t take as long to locate like your friend did.”

It wasn’t the first time Fluttershy said those words. ‘Your friend’. I know it shouldn’t feel odd, I’ve been through six of these worlds now. Yet every time I hear them say they’re not friends I just want to shake them and scream they are friends. “I hope you’re right. Returning to Princessland will be a chore, but it’ll be the final chore before our big task.”

“I won’t bother asking what that big task is exactly. I’m sure I’ll find that answer soon enough.”

“You don’t have to ask, I’ll tell you. We need to find the Elements of Harmony. That’ll draw Discord out.”

“An outrageous task, to be certain.”

Sunset felt confident in telling Fluttershy most truths, while hiding the biggest secret that carried itself within the nylon of her backpack. Only a few worlds ago, I was so bent out of shape over lying. A sudden creep of fluff ran up her back as she thought of another place in another time. The want to fill her acquired journal with memories strung itself in the forefront of her mind, but was clouded by clouds themselves. She breathed with inspiration, her nostrils flared at the sight of ponies within their fluff, white windows.

One memory stuck out the most, of the last world. That first time flying. It made her feel weak in the knees and strong in the wings.

A pegasus shadowed that memory, a small filly wanting nothing more than an autograph. Fluttershy stopped to glance back and wait for the alicorn who happily signed the paper. Sunset noticed this foal was the only one. Her eyes sprang up to the windows where ponies of all shapes and sizes gawked, but compared to the overpopulation of Manehattan or the tedium of the Crystal Empire, they did not jump from their window sills to rush to her presence. Only the filly.

Even though Sunset preferred the solitude, her mind continued to notice the lack of incidences as she and Fluttershy continued on. Were they afraid of her? That wasn’t quite it. In fact, homes within the cloudy city seemed so dormant that if spiders could fly they’d certainly have webs sprung this high. “This place is empty,” Sunset muttered to herself.

Fluttershy did not hear or did not have an answer, as she remained silent. The more homes they passed, the less Sunset was sure Fluttershy knew where she was going. That is until she spotted a stallion with rainbow hair who stood outside, watering potted flowers that sat around the edging of his home.

“Good morning, Mr. Hothoof.” Fluttershy spoke with a monotone demeanor. “It’s been a while.”

The stallion turned, his green shirt was lightly sprinkled with water droplets and the collar tugged with mud. “Oh, hello there. What can I do for you ladies?” His confused face dropped once Fluttershy removed her hat. “Fluttershy! Well butter my biscuits!” He reached out and wrapped one solid hoof around the yellow mare’s neck, pulling her in close. “Been some time since you’ve come around. How’ve you been?”

Pushing away, Fluttershy answered, “I’ve been good. I’ve come looking for Rainbow Dash. A princess wants to meet her.” She stepped aside, pointing her hat to Sunset. “This is Princess Sunset Shimmer.”

“Pleasure.”

The stallion’s jaw dropped at the same time he sucked in air, almost dragging the cloudy platform they stood upon into his mouth. “A princess!? What an honor!” He bowed once, then twice, before finally staying down the third. “My name is Bow Hothoof, but please don’t be like Fluttershy. You can just call me Bow, if you’d like, princess.”

With a wave of her hoof, she commanded him to stand upright. “That’s quite alright, Bow.”

“Come in, come in!” The stallion rushed to open the door, and though they felt the need to reiterate their reason for being there, politeness pulled them inside. “It’s a shame Windy isn’t home right now. She’d be lovin’ this. A princess, here for our little girl!” He went to the kitchen, not even bothering to ask if they’d like a drink, choosing to prepare them something regardless of their wants. “Dash ain’t been in the right place for the past few years, so I’m surprised you want to meet her. She, uh, isn’t in trouble, is she?”

Fluttershy spoke for Sunset: “Why would Rainbow Dash be in trouble?”

“You haven’t spoken to her in a while?” He came back with two glasses of the clearest water.

“No.”

With a scratch of his cheek, the stallion seemed befuddled by the answer. “Well, after being kicked out of the Wonderbolts, she came home. She’s doing better now, honest! But, for a while there, she wasn’t. Windy wouldn’t like me showing you—but I mean, she’s a princess and you two were best friends for the longest time.” Leaving the water on the table, he trotted, motioning for them to follow through the house.

Down hallways with cloudy ceilings, Bow opened the door to a room preserved in time, along with all the damage ever done to it. “I thought about cleaning it up but Windy insisted we leave it the way it is. My girl is number one at throwing temper tantrums, that’s for sure!”

“She was kicked out of the Wonderbolts?” Sunset echoed as she entered the half-destroyed room. Trophies were snapped in two, first place ribbons ripped to shreds, photos crumpled, and the bed was split down the middle. “If this is what you call a temper tantrum, I’d hate to see your version of rage.” Picking at one crumbled photograph, she found that it contained Spitfire, the captain of the Wonderbolts, and her mother. Rainbow Dash wasn't part of the picture, however, and both mares appeared very upset at whoever snapped the photo.

Bow smiled, almost to himself. “It was… unfortunate, but I think she got it out of her system for a while. She kept going on and on about how she was supposed to only rely on herself, and that friendship was pointless. I don’t know what happened with the Wonderbolts, but she’s way better than any of them. I guess they couldn't handle how awesome my little princess is.”

As Sunset examined all the damage, her eyes suddenly met Fluttershy’s blank stare. It was piercing right through her, as if Sunset wasn’t there at all. The frown the pegasus held wasn’t for anger or sadness. It was something Sunset knew intimately. Regret. “Fluttershy?”

The pegasus snapped back to reality. Her calm demeanor returned. “Where is Rainbow Dash now?”

Bow tugged on his collar. “She’s got her own place on the west side of Cloudsdale. Little home business that I’m sure will hit it big soon. I know she can do anything.” Rushing past the two mares, he went to a wall and pulled down one of the few photographs that remained undestroyed. “I can’t let you two go empty hooved. Here, Fluttershy.” Sunset glanced past the mare’s collar, looking down at the fillyhood friends within the photo.

“Thanks.” Fluttershy stuffed it into her coat. “We’ll be on our way now,” she said, trotting out of the room.

“It was a pleasure meeting you, Bow.” Sunset patted his shoulder. “Thank you for your help.”

“Anything for a princess. I ain’t ever been to Princessland, and to be honest, I’m not even sure how many princesses there are nowadays.” His face crinkled abruptly into shame. “My daughter’s the only princess I’ve ever known. If she’s in trouble, don’t hesitate to let me know, okay? Me and Windy worry about her, but she doesn’t ever tell us anything.” He shook his head. “Sorry, I’m sure a princess has other things to worry about.”

Sunset’s heart sunk. It hurt to think of Rainbow Dash as anything than the loyal, helpful mare she’d always been. “Don’t worry. She’ll be surrounded by friends soon.”

His eyes lit up, and a smile that spoke for him rose higher than any other. She didn’t glance back as she trotted out of the room, following after Fluttershy. She arrived just in time to see Fluttershy exit outside, but something caught her eye. Slanting her eyes at the two glasses of water, a new item hid between them. A photograph of two friends. Sunset frowned, quickly and discreetly levitating the photo from its placement and stuffing it into her backpack. I guess they aren’t friends anymore. This’ll be an interesting meeting, then.

“Are you alright, Fluttershy?” Sunset asked after trailing outside, inching up beside the mare.

“Yes,” she answered without hesitation. “There’s not much on the west side of Cloudsdale, if my memory serves well enough. It won’t be hard to spot her. You hate wasting time, correct? Let’s go.”

Sunset gritted her teeth, barely staying her tongue. She followed the yellow pegasus, knowing full well upsetting the Element of Kindness could lead to the truth being released to the other bearers. “Are your parents here in Cloudsdale? Do you want to see them while we are here?” Sunset asked, trying to lighten the conversation.

“They are, but as I just said, you don’t want to waste time. I do hope you won’t mind my repetition.”

Giving up, Sunset kept quiet as they passed into a district where clouds were separate. Homes and buildings were sparse, forcing them to glide from one to another. Having no idea what any of the shops were for, Sunset tried her best to guess what Cloudsdale made besides clouds and storms and rainbows. Such rudimentary knowledge left her conflicted. The want to learn more of the city, and the want to learn more of Fluttershy’s past. Neither were on the agenda, however.

As fate would have it, her insatiable curiosity would only be drenched with more questions.

Finding the cloud building known as Rainbow Dash’s home was easy. Of metal and glass, the house reminded Sunset of a trailer drug by a truck back in the world beyond the mirror. Atop the metal frame sat a sign of lights. “Rainbow Dash LLC,” Sunset read aloud, though the ‘D’ had long since burnt out.

Fluttershy reached the safety of the cloud first, stepping forward toward the tiny home. As Sunset landed, the mare of their search came bursting out with a smaller stallion tossed to the cloud ground. “Get lost you bum!” she shouted, trotting down the makeshift wooden steps to kick his rump. The stallion was quick enough to take flight before she reached him, passing Sunset on his way to some place friendlier. “Oh, goodie, half time entertainment. What a lucky day for me,” Rainbow Dash said dryly, examining Sunset with a disinterested glare.

The blue pegasus wore nothing but a white tank top, dirty with mud, grease, sweat, and food. Her hair appeared to be so matted that it was clear it hadn’t been combed since she was a filly, if that. “What’s with the getup? The cold too much for you, gal?” Her deep cerise eyes rolled at Fluttershy, not recognizing the face beneath the hat. “If you two are actually lookin’ for me, you’re too late. I’ve got a list of jobs that are paying well, and I don’t like to be interrupted when it comes to making money.”

Removing the hat, Fluttershy stared up at the rude pegasus.

“Fluttershy?” Rainbow Dash’s manner changed like a flip of a coin. Galloping out, she grabbed the yellow pegasus and squeezed her so hard Sunset believed they’d meld together. “You ol’ scaredy cat, coming all the way back up to Cloudsdale. You didn’t fly, did you? Hah! Of course not!”

Pushing hard, Fluttershy managed to wiggle out of Dash’s grip. “Actually, I did on behest of a princess,” she said huffing. “Princess Sunset Shimmer, I’m sure you know who this is.”

With an ounce of spit shot into her hoof, Rainbow Dash slicked back her hair, trotting toward the alicorn. “A princess? Here in Cloudsdale?” She watched as Sunset extended her wings, showing off the gallantry. “Well it’s my lucky day then! Come in, come in!” She shoved the two into her home with no regard for their safety, smashing them into the stained table that wobbled between two torn up plush booths. Sunset felt gum stick itself to one of her back legs, while her front hoof touched something wet and smelly.

“I can throw all my other clients aside for a princess, especially one with lots of bits to spend,” Rainbow Dash greedily said as she went to a cupboard. The home was smaller on the inside than the out due to the clutter of trash and random pieces of sheet metal, weights, surfboards, trophies, and toilet paper rolls strung about. The kitchen sink was filled to the brim, forcing Rainbow Dash to push the faucet to one side just two fill two glasses. As she placed them down on the table, Sunset glanced at the thick liquid which was foggier than the clouds outside. “What can I do you for?”

Sunset looked to Fluttershy, but the mare grew coy and shy, perhaps due to the nostalgia brought on by Rainbow Dash. “I’m here for you, actually,” Sunset told Rainbow.

“Well that’s obvious,” Dash replied in a taunting tone. “Ain’t been to Princessland since it was called Canterlot. If you’re here for me, though, then something’s really gone down.” She grinned, displaying her surprisingly intact and well managed teeth. “My services aren’t cheap, though.”

“I’m not so much interested in hiring you as I am recruiting you,” Sunset responded.

Popping a squat next to Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash kicked her back legs onto the table and threw her front around the back of her neck. “Yeah, and I’m not so much interested in being recruited by you as I am being paid.”

“Rainbow Dash.” The boldness of Fluttershy returned. “Princess Sunset is wanting to challenge the Flim Flam Brothers. She wishes to become the main ruler of Princessland and Equestria. Such a feat would earn a reward.” Fluttershy continued Sunset’s charade perfectly, not including the mention of Discord, which Sunset appreciated.

Rainbow slapped both glasses off the table. They didn’t shatter, proving they weren’t even glass. “Flim and Flam!” Rainbow spoke their names as if they were curses. “Those unibrows get all the glory, meanwhile, I invent and I invest and I’m still here in the same city all my life!” She shot a hoof at Sunset. “Why do you want to take them down? I thought all you princesses worshiped the ground they walked on?”

“Fame, recognition, what’s it matter? If you don’t like them, why not come with us?” Sunset argued.

“Nah,” Rainbow replied as she got up, the mare never sat still. Going over to a pot of dirty brown liquid, she poured herself a bowl as all her mugs were dirty. “Stand on your own four hooves and be the pony you want to be, that way you can help others. Shouldn’t a princess know that?” Taking a sip, she spat it out. “Gah!” she yelped. “It’s cold. I don’t even like coffee, why do I have this?” She dropped it into the sink and splattered the brown liquid all over the faucet. “Point is, you should do it alone. Makes you a better pony. Can’t remember who taught me that, though. I still think they were lying, but it’s not like teamwork ever did me any favors.” Her eyes settled on a crooked photograph strung up by the door.

Sunset followed her eyes, trailing to the picture. Two ponies, much like the one Bow had given Fluttershy, stood together wrapped in friendship. This one, however, showed a pegasus Sunset recognized. One she’d seen only once. Lightning Dust!

While Sunset sat for a moment, her brows drawing close together, she turned to look at Fluttershy. The yellow pegasus stared straight down at the table, her hooves tucked together, her face drowning in regret and sweat. “Be the pony you want to be to help others? You said something similar, didn’t you?” she connected the dots.

The words snapped a panicked expression to Fluttershy’s face.

Rainbow came close. “Yeah… Yeah, it was you that told me that.” The scrappy blue mare turned sour. “Well, you got your life together, didn’t’cha? Did it all by yourself? You got a fancy coat, a pretty hat, and your face ain’t changed from the cute thing it always was. Made for a name for yourself, too, I bet. How’d you do it, huh? Stand on your own four hooves, no help from anyone?”

“I had help. And then I chose to help others instead of myself,” Fluttershy countered, something any other Fluttershy wouldn’t have done.

“Really? You think it’s that easy, huh? Just improve yourself and help others and everything will fall directly into your lap? That’s the type of garbage you’ve been spewing? Shoot, I’ve got a toilet bowl with brighter ideas than that lame notion, it’s sitting right over there next to a blowup snowpony.”

“If you don’t mind me saying, but your ideas were always brash,” Fluttershy said, remaining less calm than before. “You were the one who told me to go fast and that’d help build my confidence, yet when those bullies came around to harass me, you were nowhere to be seen.” She pushed herself up from the booth, getting in Rainbow Dash’s face. “I’m here to help the princess. Not to be insulted.”

“Please,” Rainbow Dash chuckled, though there was no happiness in the laugh. “If I wanted to insult you, I’d talk about the time you cried when you dropped your ice cream.” She then turned to Sunset. “Yeah, licked the scoop right off the cone and it fell straight down through the cloud. Started bawling immediately instead of chasing after it and catching it with her cone like every pegasus in Cloudsdale.” Turning back to Fluttershy, she prodded the yellow pegasus with her hoof. “But I guess me doing it for you isn’t good enough to be counted as friendship. Not like you were ever a friend to me. You were bullied all the time! Missing it once and then boom, not friends anymore. Well good riddance.”

“I became something so you wouldn’t have to help me all the time. Just because somepony else showed me the way, doesn’t mean I didn’t have you as a reason to do it.”

Rainbow Dash pushed past Fluttershy, shoving her against the booth’s end. “Oh, geez, you gonna burst into song and dance now? A little friendship powwow and we’ll be right as rain, is that it? My life’s gonna change now that you’ve dragged some princess I’ve never heard of into my lap?”

“I did it for her, not for you. She needs help and we’ve got to be the ones to give it to her.”

“She ain’t done anything for me, and neither have you. As far as I’m concerned, you both are just like Flim and Flam. Go overthrow them. Go take on the princesses. Do whatever it takes. I don’t care, just beat it before I throw you out too. One pony a day isn’t enough exercise, and I’m feeling spirited.”

Sunset rose from the booth. “It’s not the princesses I’m after. It’s Flim and Flam, and they aren’t alone.”

Fluttershy turned to eye Sunset, an uneasy glance that asked: “Are you sure you want to tell her everything?”

“They’ve got a super powered draconequus who altered the events for this world. His name is Discord, and he’s the reason you’re the way you are. Not Fluttershy. Not Flim and Flam. Discord. He transformed everyone’s lives into what they are just to stop me. So we’re going after him. I need your help to do it.” No going back now. I’ll just have to deal with the consequences later. Telling them all about Discord will smooth things out.

Fluttershy was pleased by the sudden truth, though Rainbow Dash seemed angered by it. “Discord? Draconewhat?” She once again blew by Fluttershy, shoving her out of the way, only to come nose to nose with Sunset. “You mean to tell me someone’s changed my life for the worse? How do you know this?”

“I am not from this world. I come from one where you have friends and family who love you and you care about them,” Sunset explained, “And where you defeat villains, save Equestria, do all these cool and awesome things! Not just sit here… wallowing in your own pride and failure.”

Rainbow raised her head, staring down her muzzle at the princess, though they were the same height. “Either I’m crazy for actually buying that, or you’re crazy for trying to pass that off as truth.” Her eyes twirled to Fluttershy who gave a verifying nod. “Alright,” she said to Sunset. “I’ll play along. Not like I had any customers anyway. Guy I threw out was the first prospective client I’ve had in months. And savin’ the world sounds nice. Will I get reward?”

“I’ll see what I can do,” Sunset lied. “What do you even do, anyway?”

“Odds and ends, random jobs. I’m a jerk of all trades!” she answered.

“You mean jack of all trades,” interjected Fluttershy.

“Yeah, sure.” Rainbow Dash brushed back her messy mane. “Toilet repair, cloud pushin’, tree removal, painting model, garbage disposal, architecture design, dog walker. You know, the usual.”

Sunset internally grimaced. “Well, at least you’re not a criminal.” But Dash threw her head back with laughter, though she refused to answer why exactly she was laughing. With a gulp, Sunset said, “You’ll fit right in with Applejack then.”

“You’re going to fill the others in on Discord, aren’t you?” Fluttershy asked before they headed out, clearly thinking what Sunset already pondered. “If Dash and I know, certainly one of us here won’t be able to keep it secret.”

Dash’s teeth bared. “I ain’t no blabber mouth.”

“No. I’ll tell them. It may get Twilight Sparkle on our side if we open up. Applejack’s opinion won’t change, and Pinkie is… Pinkie,” Sunset reasoned, more to herself than to Fluttershy. “Plus, Flim and Flam already know of my plan in a way. I didn’t tell you, or anyone, but they sought me out in Manehattan while we were searching for Pinkie.” They know every lie the princesses tell them. But what if I lie to the princesses? Maybe I can use that to my advantage later. “So long as you six act as though I am the bad guy, we’ve got ourselves a loophole.”

“Well, your snootiness—” Rainbow grinned “—if you’re taking on Flim and Flam, then you’re going against the princesses too. Not hard to see you as a villain there. What have they ever done that’s bad? Gee, I bet they’d be as sweet as cherry pie compared to you. Might even give a bigger reward for helpin’ them. Not saying I would, but…”

Sunset ignored the sentiment. “You’ll meet them soon enough, I’d imagine. Next stop is Princessland to pick up our final bearer.”

As Sunset and Fluttershy walked out of the dinky home, Rainbow Dash fell in behind. “We’re seriously going to Princessland? Don’t suppose I’d have time to whip up some fake souvenirs to sell while we’re there? Princessland’s a gold mine for that sort of garbage.” As if an accomplishment, she then added, “And I know a thing about trash!”

World 6: Chapter 6

Princessland. A distant memory for one, a dream for others, and a recent entry to a journal for the alicorn who needed one last bearer. She told the other five during their train ride of her lie and how it must be kept secret. I’ve got to plan twice ahead, just as Discord and those brothers have. If they’ve managed to see all my previous moves of the prior worlds, no doubt they’ll have more tricks up their sleeves. Twilight, having calmed down, had the bounds broken from her legs and mouth. “You’re saying the princesses are in trouble? That whole spiel about wanting to take over is just a lie?” the purple unicorn repeated.

“Yes.” Quoting the two stallions, Sunset told of the contracts, of the inability to lie, and of their want to aid Discord. Though she included much in her reveal, her draconequus from another world remained a secret.

“They never told me any of this! Wowie, Princess Sunset Shimmer, you really are a super sleuth! You could teach a thing or two to Fluttershy!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed, rocking back and forth upon her bench.

Pinkie sat between Applejack and Fluttershy, both of which did not mind her antics or her strange speech patterns. Rainbow Dash sat on the furthest bench she could while still able to hear the group over the commotion of the train. “Yeah. She’s great,” Dash mocked. “When we get to Princessland, let’s just wander off and let her find that Charity gal.”

“Rarity,” Twilight corrected. “It’ll take all of us to find her. I-I’d hate to say it, but it’s going to require teamwork. Not to mention I wouldn’t mind looking around the city at the same time, there’s going to be so many things I want to buy!”

Fluttershy then focused the group. “Can we get back on track, if you all wouldn’t mind? Please. We have to discuss the Elements of Harmony. Finding Rarity will be an easy task compared to that.”

“That’s right. I haven’t the foggiest clue where to locate them,” Sunset agreed, leaving out the detail that her own Discord stated he was the one without a clue.

“Now that’s easy,” Twilight snorted, pushing her glasses up as her cheeks pulled them down. “My brother was in charge of moving some very valuable cargo a few years back and I know all about it. I helped keep record of his correspondence with Flim and Flam before I read a few too many letters between him and Princess Cadance… He got pretty upset, but those letters were better than any of my romance novels.”

“Wait, you’re telling me you know where the Elements of Harmony are!?” Sunset lurched toward Twilight who sat beside her, grabbing hold of both shoulders. “We need them!”

Twilight shrank, curling into a ball. “We-well, I-I mean I have a clue on how to find them. They’re locked behind a secret door somewhere. I don’t know where that is, but I do know where all the combinations are to unlock the door. Shining Armor sent one to Griffonstone, one to the Badlands, one to Las Pegasus, one to Ponyville, and the last one was kept in the Crystal Empire.”

“Five in total? Odd number being that there are six elements,” Fluttershy pointed out.

“There’s a sixth lock,” Sunset guessed. “It’ll be wherever they’ve locked up the Elements—which my guess would be Princessland.” With a groan, she slumped into Twilight’s lap. “It’s going to be a nightmare to collect all those pieces, though. Traveling by train is fine, but it feels so slow.”

“You can fly and you can teleport,” spat Rainbow Dash. “You’re really gonna moan about going slow? Just send each of us to the locations you need to go. We will get what you need and come back.” She rolled onto her back, letting her tangled mane fall to the floor. “Clearly, none of you have run a business. It’s really pathetic.”

Pinkie sprung up with her hoof almost slapping Applejack. “I have!”

“What type of business?” Dash asked, suddenly curious.

“I don’t know!” Pinkie smiled back.

“That isn’t a half bad idea.” Sunset slouched back into a seating position. “Making it even faster, I could zone in on each of you and teleport to your location. After grabbing Twilight’s supposed keys, I then teleport us back to Princessland. That’ll speed your returns up. Since there’s only five, Rarity can be our tether to the city.”

Applejack raised a hoof. “I call Las Pegasus.”

“Are we calling places now?” Pinkie twirled her head with a smile of delight. “Can I call my mom? What should I call her? Mother or mommy or mom?”

Shaking her head, Twilight said, “No. No, Pinkie. We’re saying where we want to go. The Crystal Empire m-makes the most sense for me, seeing as how I, uh, uhm, live there.”

“I’ve got a few griffons I owe some money,” Rainbow stated, her grin looked to be a frown from her upside-down face. “I’ll take the Badlands if you don’t mind.”

“I’ll take Griffonstone then,” Fluttershy sighed.

Sunset nodded. “Pinkie lives in Ponyville. Once we find Rarity, I’ll have the conductor take you all to where you need to be. That’ll leave me time to get Rarity up to sped.” She crossed her forelegs, wanting to sprawl backward, but the train was not like the first she borrowed a ride from. The passenger car lacked the comfort of the high class, only simple benches for transportation. “I don’t know what Rarity will be like. She could be a bit rough around the edges or absolutely crazy.”

“Ohhh,” Pinkie gasped. “If she’s crazy, she’ll make for a crazy good friend!”

“Friend?” Rainbow Dash twirled to her stomach and crawled off the bench, trotting slowly to the bench where Pinkie sat. Wrapping both forelegs around the pink pony’s neck, Sunset felt a fear creep up her stomach and into her throat. “You like making friends, huh? You know… I’ll be your friend for some bits.”

Sunset shuddered, noticing Fluttershy felt the same tense feeling. “Bits!? Bits can buy friendship!?” gawked Pinkie. “Does this mean I’ve been friends with the taxpony this entire time? Wow! I had no idea all I needed to make friends was be incredibly rich!”

Both Applejack and Rainbow Dash lit up with laughter. “That’s why I like you, Pinkie. Always spoutin’ the truth,” Applejack said.

“But it’s not the truth,” Sunset interjected, placing a hoof over her heart. “Friendship isn’t about money, or power, or status. It’s about being yourself, showing others your faults and them liking you regardless. Friends are in your heart, not in your wallet.”

Aside from the usual clacking and clattering of the train, the cabin went silent. Another bout of laughter sprang up from Rainbow Dash, startling the other occupants. When she realized that not even Applejack was laughing, she stopped. “Oh, she was being serious. I want to laugh more, but I also don’t like being stared at.” Though she stopped talking, everyone continued to stare up at her. “I said stop staring!” she yelled, causing the group to look in different directions.

Of course, Pinkie continued to look up at Dash, though now her eyes blinked every half a second.

Groaning, Rainbow Dash annexed herself once more to the furthest bench possible. “Let me know when we get to Princessland.” Closing her eyes, she faced away from the group.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Sunset then whispered, “We’ll split up once we reach Princessland to cover more ground. Applejack and Pinkie, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash, and me and Twilight.”

Twilight then leaned in, whispering even quieter than Sunset, “Can we visit the Museum of Villains and Scoundrels?”

“The what?” Sunset asked, unsure if she heard right.

“It’s a museum for all the villains that have been taken down. I haven’t been since they added the Discord exhibit,” replied the unicorn.

“Maybe they have a section for you, Sunset,” Applejack added and chuckled.

The alicorn’s feathers ruffled at the thought. “Very well,” Sunset said through gritted teeth. “I would like to see this villain museum for myself.” If only to ensure I am not there.

Twilight clacked her hooves together while the others laughed. Though it was at her own expense, Sunset was glad to see their common bond growing strong. Each of them could really use each other, more so than any other world it seems. These five haven’t just not been friends, they’ve been friendless. Her mind drew back to the previous worlds, and though she wanted to write her memories, she chose to remain settled within the conversation, regardless of the ridiculousness.

When they reached Princessland, every one aside from Rainbow Dash was feeling a pain in their stomach from too much laughter. The train took them straight to the heart of Princessland, once again avoiding the ticket counter that sat at the main gates. “Alright. Everyone know their directions? Meet up outside the castle before nightfall,” Sunset told them.

Applejack and Pinkie headed south into what remained of the home-based quarter, while Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash took the financial district.

Sunset chose the shopping and entertainment region for the reason that it matched Rarity’s interests. The materialistic mare, if she held the same feelings for clothes and fashion as she did every world, would certainly be in the center of it. Of course, the second reason was nothing more than visiting the villain museum. The Museum of Villains and Scoundrels. It peaked her curiosity so much that she couldn’t stand it. Her body moved faster, barely allowing Twilight Sparkle, who giggled like a filly, to keep up.

“Come on. Come on!” Sunset ushered, eager as a child on Hearth’s Warming.

They passed all sorts of shops displaying the princesses in memorabilia form. Of course, Princess Sunset Shimmer was added to these displays, some more haphazardly than others. Yet no pony noticed the mirroring mare running through the streets. If they did, she and Twilight were gone too quickly for them to praise or beckon.

When they arrived, Sunset stood in awe at the carnival-like way the museum was presented. Built directly into the mountain itself, the entrance sat in one side, and the exit was far on the opposite. Rows upon rows of buildings sat between, with no alleys presenting a path through. Many ponies waited and laughed in line, hoping to see the villains of old in artistic and historic fashions. “You’re a princess, you can get us to the front of the line, right?” Twilight asked, which surprised Sunset.

There was a line!

Wrapping around a chest high velvet rope fence, a line of fifty ponies or more sat waiting patiently to enter the palace of past villains. Sunset did not want to cut, it wasn’t in her nature to do something so rude. Yet this was a side track, a piece of the puzzle that held no reason other than a chance to have some fun with a bearer. She knew she wouldn’t have time to wait, not with the Flim Flam Brothers bearing her trail. “Excuse me,” she said, pushing through the crowd. Ponies grumbled and grouched as she and Twilight pushed to the front of the line.

“Stop right there, no cutting!” she could hear the ticket master say, though they ignored him until they reached his podium. “You’re going to have to return to the back. The Express, VIP, and Princess passes are not recognized for this attraction.”

“What if I don’t have a pass at all?” Sunset asked with a sly grin.

“No pass? Well then how did you even get here?” the stallion gawked, baffled.

“That’s Princess Sunset Shimmer! That’s a princess! That’s a princess!” she heard a filly yell from behind. When she turned, Sunset’s face lit up with surprise as she noted the hat the filly wore. The cap was burnt orange, big blue eyes sat on the lid, and a small set of tassels strung down the back, colored in red and yellow.

The crowd was in a sudden uproar at the thought of meeting a princess, let alone the latest princess. “Th-that’s right!” Sunset hollered, realizing a swarm might overtake her just as it had in Manehattan. “And that’s why I don’t need a pass,” she told the ticket master. “I’d like to enter with my friend.”

With the biggest smile, the stallion nodded his head so hard Sunset worried he’d slam face first into his podium. “Of course, of course! The last group just finished, feel free to head in right away, Princess Sunset Shimmer! It’s an honor!”

After trotting up the steps and closing the door behind them, Twilight let out a giggle, which turned into an anxious laugh. “I can’t believe I’m here with a real princess. A-and you called me your friend! Do… Do you think they’ll start making merchandise of me? Oh gosh, I think I’m going to hyperventilate!”

“Calm down,” Sunset laughed, wrapping a hoof around Twilight. “I was shocked they’ve already gotten my design. I only made a quick appearance. I wonder if Celestia and Luna have anything to do with it. They did want to help.”

“Oh! Oh! It’s starting!” Twilight deflected.

A grand door opened to a dark room. As they entered, lights popped on, and a voice came over the loud speakers sitting in the upper corners of the room. Feminine and very rehearsed, Sunset understood it was a recording and not somepony watching them. “Welcome guests, to the Museum of Villains and Scoundrels. We would like to take a moment to honor the princesses and their heroes before allowing you to proceed into the rest of the viewing.”

A long red rug spanned from the entrance to another door atop a checker patterned floor. To the left sat three marvelous paintings, each of the princesses, while the right wall held one single painting, far bigger than the three combined. Flim and Flam, Sunset grumbled. Though each painting was magnificent in their own right, it was clear the artist worked the longest on the brothers. The voice over then said, “Flim and Flam have worked their entire lives in service of the princesses, and in honor of their sacrifices, the princesses have expanded the city to better suffice the brothers. The relationship between these two heroes and the princesses has never been brighter.”

The next door opened to another dark room, and Twilight pressed in with Sunset at her heel.

When the lights flipped on, Sunset wasn’t surprised to see who was first in the museum’s catalog. The feminine voice continued in this room. “Their first defeat of a famous villain ended in the opposite of tragedy, for without Flim and Flam’s help, we would be without one of our most beloved princesses, Princess Luna.”

Much like the first, the two sides of the room were separated by a long rug running from entry to the next set of doors. A giant painting of the mare in the moon sat as the center piece upon the right wall. Little pedestals with surrounding glass held recreations of the Elements of Harmony. Pictures, photographs, and artists’ renderings of Nightmare Moon decorated the walls between.

Yet the left side of the room was different. A machine sat in the middle with velvet ropes preventing ponies from touching the dull grey technology. While Twilight examined the model Elements of Harmony, Sunset gawked at the machine. Thrice her height and obtuse in shape, she examined the epitaph. The Machine to Defeat Nightmare Moon, she read. How unoriginal.

The voice over returned. “Nightmare Moon wanted nothing more than to have ponies play and dance in her beloved night, yet that was the time when ponies chose to sleep, ignoring her celestial gift. For this, she felt the shadow of her sister as the cause. Through no fault of her own, Princess Celestia was forced to banish her dear sister, sacrificing a thousand years of sisterly bonding. Upon her return, the brothers Flim and Flam were more than prepared to challenge the mighty villainess. Having done their research, Princess Celestia was enthused and surprised at their understanding nature. She accepted their offer, drawing in Nightmare Moon and allowing their ingenious invention to remove her self-afflicted curse.”

Sunset noted the blueprints on the wall behind the machine. Her eyes ran over equations and formulas. Some would work, some would not. Some weren’t even part of the same sort of science. If Discord helped them, then certainly it was him—not Flim and Flam and their machine—that broke Luna away from her Nightmare Moon form. Though he messed with this world’s events, he’s not all bad. So why does he believe I am? She grimaced, finding no answer to the reasoning.

“The doors opening!” Twilight beckoned. “I love Princess Luna, but Celestia will always be my favorite.” She then threw her hooves, covering her mouth. “Yo-you won’t tell her I said that, will you?”

“Of course not,” Sunset replied as she hastened to catch the mare. “Though I wonder where I rank on your list.”

The next room was fairly small in stature, yet it did not surprise her. “Discord!” Twilight screamed the name with glee. “I know we’re supposed to dislike him and whatnot, but I haven’t been here since they added him to their roster. O-oh, I’m so excited!”

“Discord played a very minor role in the stepping stone for the brothers Flim and Flam,” the voice began. “Upon his defeat, the brothers were gifted the rights to challenge any villain that came to Equestria. The princesses saw their role in not just returning Nightmare Moon to her former glory, but their ability in bargaining away such a terrible creature.”

“They’re really going hard on Discord. Guess that makes sense,” Sunset noted. “Don’t want to imply they work together, after all.”

“Shh!” Twilight growled. “I’m trying to listen!”

A bit of squeaking came over the loudspeaker. “So, Discord, do you agree to our proposal?” Flam spoke.

“I do!” answered another, though Sunset knew it was not the voice of Discord. A false reenactment to throw off any trail of suspension some may have of the brothers. “I shall leave Equestria alone for all of eternity. You two are shrewd businessponies!”

The feminine voice returned from static. “The brothers Flim and Flam made the ultimate bargain with the Chaos King. In return for his departure from Equestria, they made a deal to be the harbingers of chaos. Tricking the draconequus, their deal was struck. However, a loophole in such a contract allowed the brothers to only house one single day of chaos a year. Chaos Day has been widely celebrated ever since. Only forty-eight more moons till the next Chaos Day! Be sure to check out the gift shop for your very own cotton candy cloud costume!”

“Chaos Day? Is that real?” Sunset asked Twilight. “Like Nightmare Night?”

“Exactly like Nightmare Night!” Twilight replied, heading further into the large room.

Though it was smaller than both the first and second, it remained the same in design. The left side of the room held the supposed machine that utilized the Elements of Harmony to prevent Discord’s chaos. What a crafty idea. Even I’d believe it if I came from this world.

The center of the room held a marble statue of the draconequus. He stood straight, his arms stretched up and out, as if he were a big ‘Y’. “Sunset! Sunset! Get a picture of me!” Twilight threw a camera to Sunset who barely avoided being knocked square in the eye.

“Where’d you get a camera?” Sunset asked, examining the lens. “Wait—did you steal this from Fluttershy?”

“N-no! I borrowed it with permission, thank you,” defended Twilight, a hurt expression on her face. “I’m not Rainbow Dash.”

“Right. Not even this Rainbow Dash is really Rainbow Dash.” Sunset held the camera to her eye, looking through at the grinning unicorn next to the statue. “Say draconequus!”

The camera flashed and out spat a picture. As Sunset took it and waved the self-developing film, her eyes turned to the right side of the room. A throne as tall as the statue with two antlers at the top sat as another photo opportunity. “Do you want a picture? I-I know you might not like him, but it’s a once in a lifetime chance!” Twilight asked as she took the developing photo.

“A picture? On Discord’s throne? A picture is absolutely worth it,” Sunset decided, knowing it’d be a great addition to her journal.

Upon sitting on the throne, she gave a big smile. Twilight lifted the camera, and as the flash lit from the bulb, Sunset saw the statue move. Her mouth fell agape with surprise as she was blinded by the light. Rubbing her eyes, Twilight rushed to the throne. “What type of face was that, Sunset?” Twilight mocked, removing and shaking the undeveloped photograph. “O-oh, wait, I get it. Something chaotic for the Chaos King! You’re so clever.”

When she reopened her eyes, the statue hadn’t moved. “Yeah, something like that.” Sunset took the photo and couldn’t help but smile. Alright. He got me there. Placing it in her backpack, she could hear a muffled laugh.

“Come on! The next section’s open!” Twilight raced through the open door to the next darkened room.

Sunset hopped off the throne. “You know, when you first mentioned a museum of villains, I’m not sure why I expected something more sinister. This is really nice, even if it is an ode to all the nightmares I’ve come across.” She pressed into the dark room. “Who’ll this be? I hope it’s not Sombra, though I wouldn’t mind seeing him encased in a crystal statue again.”

The lights flashed on and Sunset ate her words. Much larger in size than the last, the room was filled to the brim with pods, green goo, and grey banners. Hundreds of blue, shimmering eyes stared and surrounded the duo. “Why would he be encased in a crystal statue?” Twilight responded, ultimately confused by the shocked expression Sunset held.

“Predicting the inevitable attacks on Equestria,” the voice over spoke, “the brothers Flim and Flam prepared for every foreseeable event possible. As such, monsters that ate love and magic were high on their priority list. Little did the queen of changelings know, Flim and Flam held a device that protected against their natural ability to camouflage as other ponies. When Queen Chrysalis entered the city and attempted to kidnap and take the place of Princess Cadance prior to her marriage, she was stopped and her army of changelings stunned in the process.”

“A thousand times a day I hear that spiel.”

Sunset turned, her heart racing. On the left side of the room, a throne of bone white held the largest of changelings. The queen. “And a thousand times a day I want to break the pony who spoke those words. I’ve never met her, but if I ever got the chance, she’d have her love drained so quickly her heart might never be able to produce any more.” Standing up, the queen trotted down the steps, bearing her needle teeth at the alicorn.

“For first time visitors, do not fret. The Museum of Villains and Scoundrels houses technology making the occupants supremely docile,” the voice answered any question before Sunset could ask Twilight. “These changelings cannot steal love, nor can they exit from this chamber, all thanks to the brothers Flim and Flam.”

“Yes,” Queen Chrysalis said in a throaty voice. Every word reverberated against her vocal chords. “The brothers Flim and Flam. Those scoundrels themselves. Liars. Connivers. A curse upon this world.” Her eyes pierced Sunset with the intensity of green flame. “And I hate anyone who supports them. Including miserable, revolting princesses.” She snarled, saliva running down her teeth and slapping Sunset in the face.

Twilight snorted, giggling. “I-I can’t believe Queen Chrysalis is talking to you! She’s never talked to me before. She never talks to anyone, from what I’ve heard.”

“How is this possible?” Sunset asked, her eyes refusing to stray from Chrysalis. “Aren’t we in danger?”

“No, of course not!” Twilight was surprised by the question. “The inhabitants can’t touch us otherwise they’ll be shocked.” Twilight reached out and tugged on a drone, and the drone screeched in terror as electricity swept through its body. “See? Flim and Flam are pretty clever! Other than the, y’know, Discord stuff, I can’t see why you’d dislike them.”

Queen Chrysalis bent eye level with the alicorn, her teeth snapping closed. “You dislike Flim and Flam? I’ve never seen you before. You’ve never been here.” The teeth chattered with hunger. “Something about you makes me angry.”

“Anger’s a good emotion to have,” Sunset replied. She felt herself take a step back and couldn’t stop herself.

Yet the motion was a poor choice, along with the reply. “Anger’s all I have!” Both of the queen’s forelegs shot forward, knocking and pinning Sunset to the ground. Then queen lit up like a firework in blue streaks of lightning, yet she stayed on Sunset like a boulder, screaming with pain at the same time.

Sunset tried to launch a blast of magic, but nothing shot forward, not even a fizzle. She eventually managed to squeeze from the queen’s grasp, falling into a group of surrounding changelings and shocking them enough for the group to spread thin. “What was that!?” Sunset growled at both the queen and Twilight. “I couldn’t stop her! I couldn’t use my magic!”

“Well, duh,” Twilight said with a knowing, mocking glance. “If our magic was allowed, some foolhardy jock would pick on the inhabitants. Maybe even release them.” The next door opened. “Come on!”

Sunset huffed and puffed as she circled the changeling queen, keeping her back to the open door as she backpedaled. “I’ll hunt you all down one day,” Queen Chrysalis growled, groveling on the floor. “I’ll keep you in small cocoons and let all my kin feast on your love for the rest of your miserable lives. Do you hear me? You’ll know the torment we’ve suffered tenfold!”

“I already do,” Sunset huffed and turned to the door, trailing beside the unicorn. As she passed through the two rooms, Twilight lit up in a ball of electricity. “Twilight!” Sunset screamed, only to witness the purple unicorn transform back into a changeling.

And Twilight laughed. “Happens every time!” she called from the darkness. “That’s the gag they pull for spectators.” The door behind closed once Sunset stood clear. “I’ve never seen Queen Chrysalis do that though. Are you alright? I should’ve warned you, but the museum is also, we-well, a zoo, too.”

Sunset came closer, breathing heavily. “I don’t like this anymore Twilight. We should just hurry along and get back to finding Rarity.”

“Hurry along? But we just got to my favorite villain!” Twilight swooned. “Such a historic figure. I love reading about him!”

“Favorite? Him? There’s more?” Sunset unexpectedly felt a heat, her brow dripping with sweat. “Who? Who’s your favorite?”

In a rough, deep voice, a stallion spoke with age in his voice. “Is he friend or is he foe?” The lights did not shoot on, but instead slowly undimmed, revealing the red and black centaur who sat atop a throne of wood and satin. “I can assure you, I am no friend.”

Shelves filled the room, each lined to burst with books and tomes. The throne fit the centaur’s small body length, a book in his skinny hand that he closed, standing to greet the watchers. His age was astounding. Without magic, he appeared to be thousands upon thousands of years old. Sunset recognized something more. Though his appearance wasn’t like the buff, macho centaur she first met in the fourth world, it mirrored the appearance forced upon him when she left.

“No. No, no!” Sunset spluttered, backpedaling. “Please, no.” She couldn’t stop the sudden tears. “Not you. Sombra, Discord, Nightmare Moon. Anyone but you.” She fell to her rump, watching as the world grew big around the centaur, his statue budding as he came closer. His beady eyes fell from his crumpled snout on her like a dropping vase hitting marble.

The voice came on. “Lord Tirek was defeated long ago by Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. Recently, a mix up with Tartarus’s loyal guard dog, Cerberus, allowed Lord Tirek to escape. Except, the centaur had been fooled. Flim and Flam had already started work on their fabulous villain exhibit. Moving Lord Tirek would be a chore if they told him of their intentions, and so the two brothers devised a clever plan to lead him directly here where they successfully trapped him.”

“Ingenious of them, I’d say,” Lord Tirek commented, his nose ring jiggled when he spoke. “Of course, should their little machine ever fail, I’m in the heart of the city where unicorn magic is abundant, along with three of the most prominent ponies right next door. Alicorn magic always tastes the best. Yet, it seems there are just three no longer.”

He tugged on his beard as Sunset attempted to further distance herself. “This can’t be happening.” Covering her ears with her hooves, she shut her eyes, slamming them like doors. “I don’t want to be here!”

But he only grinned. “Have I done something to upset you? I’ve been locked away for far too long, but you seem to have some knowledge of me. A historian, perhaps? Maybe a descendant who has heard often the tale of my lust for pony magic?” His smile soured long and wide, curling the already wrinkly face. “Or are you a mare simply out of time?”

Sunset squinted, eyeing the centaur carefully, though tears made it increasingly difficult. “Why is that last choice more accurate than it should be?” she wondered aloud, and with reason.

“I hear many a thing within my captivity. From spectators, staff, and my neighbors,” Lord Tirek replied as he came closer. “Years have passed, and the brother unicorns have ignored my presence all while discussing things with their draconequus pet.”

“Draconequus?” Twilight croaked. “Discord, right? You’ve seen him?”

“Indeed. When night falls and all the tours cease, they pass through into the next room. They ignore me, and I choose to refrain from speaking to them. Of course, the words they say are never started and never completed. Only when notes are slid between my fellow prisoners do I hear a mostly complete tale.”

Sunset understood. “Flim and Flam, they’ve visited since I’ve entered this world? You’ve heard them speak of me?”

Reaching down, he cupped her mane and did not get shocked, feeling the texture of her hair within the medians of his fingers. “I know many things, and would be grateful to tell such details in exchange for a favor.”

With a slap, the hand fell to electricity. “Never trust a pony, Tirek. Favors can often be one-sided.”

The centaur held his hand with the other, the jolt forcing him to backpedal ever so slightly. “True. Though my favor would benefit us both. From my understanding, those terrible brothers pine for you to be locked within your own room of this zoo. If you were to feed me the magic I crave, perhaps we both can get what we want.”

“To help you would make me the most foolish mare in this world,” Sunset replied. “I already was, once. Fooled by a clever stallion.” She turned, trotting to the next door as it opened. “Come, Twilight. Let’s see how clever he is in this world.”

Unlike the darkness of the last room, the corners were lit with brilliant pastel crystals. When the lights flickered on and the door behind them closed, Sunset was shocked at how much the room looked like the throne within the Crystal Castle. “Former King Sombra was defeated by his own hubris,” the voice over began, but was immediately dimmed to a low, almost inaudible hum.

“I quite hate listening to such drivel day in and day out,” King Sombra said as he closed a panel, placing the painting he removed back over the metal box. “It’s especially painful when I know of a certain tourist coming to see me. How long have I waited for this chance ever since I first saw them working on that safe.”

His appearance did not match the brawny, majestic stallion Sunset once traveled with. His long red cape, the circlet above his horn, and the lack of glasses made him a mirror of the first world’s Sombra. For a moment, she expected him to rise from the ground atop a crystal platform. To howl with laughter and look down upon those he deemed unworthy.

Sunset didn’t say anything to the stallion. She hated being in his presence, much like with Tirek, though for very different reasons. It was Twilight who echoed the first words. “You can mess with things within the museum? S-S-Sunset! He shouldn’t be able to do th-that!”

“Do not fuss you simple minded mare,” he said, condescendingly. With a tap of his horn, his magic fizzled to the floor. “I am unable to cast, much like you, and much like the rest of the guests within Flim and Flam’s special observatory. Of course, I know the most of what they house, and would be willing to exchange such information for a favor.”

“Nice try, but Tirek just tried the same garbage and I wasn’t falling for it then. Certainly not falling for it from you, not after what you did.”

“And I’m certain Tirek’s favor was unreasonable, as are most brash things he suggests.” The stallion let out a laugh, and then said, “No, don’t look so concerned. I had my ear to the door, listening in.” He then trotted to the largest painting that sat on the opposite side of the room, behind the large replica throne. With a push of a button, the latch undid and he pushed the painting to one side. “You see, I give one piece of information for free. The next I’ll require a favor.”

Eyeing the metal square, it stood as large as three Celestias lined from horn to hoof. “What’s that?” Sunset asked, though on mildly curious.

“Inside this safe is another safe, then another. Six locks in total, all to get at the treasure inside. If you want to know exactly what that treasure is, you’ll need to do my favor.” His smug grin was full of self-satisfaction.

Sunset rolled her eyes. Six locks require six keys. They’re there. “The Elements of Harmony.”

She felt good to see his bubble burst, but it lasted only a second. “Ah, you I like. A fitting queen, if you ever turned evil.”

“It’s sometimes debatable that she’s not,” Twilight murmured, referencing the lie Sunset spun.

“But,” he continued, “I have a second tidbit that you may be interested in.” He then pointed up to the set of numbers that sat attached to the door beneath the handle. “For I know the combination to this lock, and only this lock.”

Trotting toward the ruined king, Sunset did not blink as she stared him down. “This pony, my friend, is called Twilight Sparkle. She suggests I am evil. Once, I was. I’ve never forgotten how terrible I was. I did many evil things.” Wrenching her hoof so close to his face, she didn’t hesitate to crack a smile. “Things that might even scare the great King Sombra. Things I’m still willing to do to other ponies who are just as terrible. So, tell me the combination and I won’t shock you to Tartarus and back.”

“Sunset, that won’t—” Twilight tried to interject, but the stallion let out a burst of laughter that overshadowed her words.

With a pull, the stallion grabbed the hoof and brushed it against his cheek. “The crystal ponies visited often in the past, notions of revenge in their heads. A thousand shocks later and the electricity was removed from my containment, especially thanks to my good behavior.” He gently kissed her hoof, causing her to lurch backward. “So, how about that favor?” he said with a devious grin.

Her anger snarled and released in a look of scorn. Her entire body felt weighted, forcing her head lower than the stallion, peering up at him. A snort of frustration and she relaxed, though the intensity in her muscles did not. “I won’t release you.”

“I don’t expect you to.” King Sombra turned and glanced up at the lock. “You see, revenge is a strong fuel. In my hours of life spent here, I sought revenge, planned, and succumbed to rage. I even spoke with Tirek who shared my enthusiasm. In a way, you could say he and I came to an understanding in our grief.”

“You and Tirek?” Sunset almost collapsed at the thought.

“In a way, you could say we mirror Flim and Flam. To suggest Tirek has a manner about him that puts fear in ponies is an understatement. I am quite jealous. Yet he and I understand one thing. The thing that keeps us going—his fervor and mine—we want to see Flim and Flam fall. To rip their unearthly demon of chaos from his hidden throne. Knowing they’re defeated, hearing the speakers change their tune on the two brothers, it would sing volumes in our hearts.”

Sunset’s eyebrow rose, questioning the black stallion. “You want me to do the thing I was already trying to do? What’s the catch?”

“No catch. Tirek would like to feed on their magic, yet having them added to their own little zoo, well, I think that’d be a better taste than all the magic in the world.”

“You can try to play coy all you want, but you betrayed me once. Don’t think I’ll let you fool me a second time,” Sunset mocked.

“I have no doubt you’d defeat me with your anger alone. I am not a fool, either. No tricks! To help aid someone sharing my goal, there’s no reason to betray a corroborator.”

Exhaling air through her nose, Sunset held a frown. “I will defeat Flim and Flam and their Lord of Chaos. However, I am not sure I even believe the Elements of Harmony are behind these doors. It could be a trick played on you, fooling a fool.”

He grinned, a smile that sent chills down Sunset’s back. It reminded her of the day he cheated her, sending her through the table map’s portal, and afflicting the world she hoped to help. “You’re right to be skeptical, but those six little stones are resting assuredly beyond this safe. I’ve seen them. Red, blue, orange. A six-pointed star. Should you find the other combinations, return and I shall give you the code.”

“N-not to be wary, but,” Twilight spoke, her voice barely rising from her throat. “Cou-couldn’t you just ask for more if we return with all the other combinations? We’ll b-be under his hoof if he doesn’t tell us now.”

“Better for me not to tell you now in case they decide to change it later, to which you then call me a liar,” he argued. And though he was right, Sunset hated it.

“Fine.” Sunset trotted back down to Twilight and headed for the closed door. “We will return soon enough, Sombra. And if you’re lying to us, if you don’t know the code, I’ll make sure your magic is fed to Tirek.” With the threat held, she tugged on the exit and the doors pushed open, allowing her to leave, Twilight by her side.

As they crossed into a lighted room with clear glass windows to the left, a mare rose to greet them. Dark hair and red glasses surrounded the bored expression. Her nametag in cursive held the name ‘Raven’. Upon realizing who the ponies were, the boredom on the mare vanished. “Princess Sunset Shimmer! What an honor! I do hope you liked the tour.”

“I didn’t,” Sunset replied, turning to glower. Her face then went numb as she glanced past the velvet rope barrier surrounding Raven. To the right were a set of controls atop a metal panel, one of Flim and Flam’s patented machines. The biggest and boldest of the levers, however, caught her eye. “I didn’t like it. I loved it,” she then corrected herself, knowing not to share her anger on somepony who was nothing more than a bystander. Where had she learned such a lesson?

“Oh, wonderful! Please feel free to check out the gift shop!” the mare said, pointing to the glass windows. “I am certain they’d be willing to give you whatever you like for free, seeing as how you are a princess!”

“Free!?” Twilight scampered through the opening between the glass frames, leaving Sunset to catch up.

But Sunset took her time. Her thoughts were complex. To think, we found the Elements of Harmony before we found Rarity! All thanks to Twilight. Those two brothers and their Discord, they think they’re so clever, hiding it within Sombra’s prison. I bet they believed it ironic, that I’d never go there, or never return once I found it housed Sombra.

When she entered the gift shop, Twilight was picking out tons of merchandise. But Sunset shook her head, and Twilight dropped all that she gathered. “Just one, maybe? Th-they’ve got a Discord plushie! And a Discord lamp!”

Though the dolls were cute and the painted artwork marvelous, it all sat in Sunset’s stomach like a ten pound ball. She stared up at the toys of Lord Tirek and King Sombra, who sat side by side. Button eyes and manes of yarn, her head swam with the thoughts of the two. Two worlds ago they were secret enemies, now look at them. Sharing emotions, almost as if they were...

She sucked in her lips, her mouth growing small as she contemplated her thoughts. “Sunset! Something’s going on outside!” Twilight snapped her from her memories, leaving behind the dolls and keychains with names written upon them.

Outside, ponies surrounded a stage, much the same size that once held a group of Charm users. Open to the air, the sun sat far in the background, creating a glow for the raised platform. On the stage stood an alicorn with white fur. Her horn was short and her wings were stitched. She rose from the ground like a fat mallard barely making it out of the water. The mane flowed down as gravity pulled the glitter from the strands. The cyan and pink hues seemed so dark that they did not flow properly, though it was clear from the roots that somepony had taken the time and energy to attempt doing so.

“I raise the sun every morn, and I lower it for my sister every eve,” the white alicorn spoke loud and proud, gracing everypony near with a beautiful lilting voice. “But nigh is the time for neither sunset nor sunrise. The time is nigh…” The stage lit up with fireworks as stallions burst from behind the curtain. They wore what appeared to be royal guard armor, though the metal lacked any sort of defense. “For dance!”

The white alicorn fell to the stage in one big drop, exploding in a cloud of rainbow glitter. When the cloud faded, the alicorn was wrapped in a dress of purple that contoured to her body, fluttering every curve.

Ponies erupted with cheer as more crowd gathered—and Sunset was thankful this time it was not for her. As she came closer with Twilight, hiding within the crowd of spectators, Sunset heard their chants. It was quiet, the music boomed and the tapping of dancing hooves rang out, but the cheer was there. Covering her ears, Sunset tried to focus on the words instead of the song.

“Clarity! Flairity! Marrity! Charity!” Sunset listened, then it hit her. Dark mane, spectacular costume, white mare. “Rarity! Rarity! Rarity!”

World 6: Chapter 7

The crowd grew and grew, though Sunset could only join the amusement. The white mare was putting on quite a show dressed like Princess Celestia. Her silky smooth voice sang well, sending a quiver and tremor down Sunset’s back as the music accented the vocals. Flashes of cameras were going off, then suddenly the backboard of the stage lit up. Filling the curtain from corner to corner with Rarity’s face, the production ramped up quickly. Utilizing unicorn magic, two stands with film reel recorders sat on both sides of the stage, taking in Rarity’s picturesque performance and displaying it back behind her.

Sunset marveled at the impressive performance, her thoughts and emotions dulling in a curious wonder. “This is really well done,” she said, leaning to Twilight.

Twilight, however, did not respond. The purple unicorn stood somewhere else in the crowd, while a light blue unicorn stood by Sunset. “A wonderful music performance, yes, though it could use some magic,” the mare replied, surprising Sunset.

When her focus turned from the stage, so too did the mare’s. Both now shocked by the other, they stood with mouths agape. Trixie? What in Equestria is she doing here? Sunset wondered, noting the lavender cape and wizard hat atop the pony’s person. Before she could depart to find Twilight instead, Trixie gasped and rushed further into the crowd. That was odd.

Finding Twilight, Sunset took the unicorn by the shoulder. “There you are. We need to sneak behind the stage to meet Rarity when she gets done.”

A scream then went off, over the music, surpassing Twilight’s response. Both mares glanced up at the screen, surprised by the change of face behind Rarity’s performance. The orange mare gawked, then turned to the film projector, which flared against the lights. Feeling hooves unexpectedly cling to her, ponies turned with creepily happy expressions, noting who Sunset was. With a burst of speed, Sunset jumped into the air and flapped her wings, preventing her from falling back to the hungry crowd.

Of course, the pegasi were more than happy to hop into the air with her, grabbing onto her legs. “Let go!” she hollered, her face sending daggers when her words did not. Shaking loose, she barely managed to regain control over her wings before an explosion of magic erupted around her.

Floating up higher, she covered her head as another sailed behind her, launching her forward toward the stage. Upon opening her eyes, she saw a third burst of magic. All three came from the fake alicorn who was still dancing and singing, as if her performance would remain unaffected.

With a brush of speed, Sunset dodged the lob, hurling herself to the stage with a skid and tumble. The background stallions quickly rushed out of the way as Rarity maintained eye contact with the alicorn. Impressively, Rarity continued her dance, as if it were part of the show.

“What was that for!?” Sunset growled at the white mare, but the music overshadowed her words. As she drew closer, not realizing Rarity couldn’t hear over the song, the fake alicorn twirled and managed to pass Sunset. With her out front, Sunset was forced to dodge another volley of magical bolts the size of marbles. Like Rarity, Sunset danced out of the way of each shot, throwing her head back in an amazing display of narrow dodging. The balls of magic exploded above the crowd, setting the spectators ablaze with excitement, while only inspiring Rarity’s anger.

Completely out of sync, Sunset tried to duplicate Rarity’s routine. When Rarity noticed, the mare tensed up, slowing her patterns for Sunset to catch up. It gave Sunset time to get closer and ask why she was being attacked. Hearing the question, Rarity answered, pushing a hoof over her microphone first. “Nopony is going to overshadow my act! Not even a princess! I’m going to use you to improve it. And you better, or else your princess fame will be short lived!”

Threatened and worried, Sunset struck a pose, forcing Rarity to do the same. With an opportunity to think, Sunset realized following Rarity’s routine would be the best option of getting her on their side. When Rarity began moving again, Sunset did the same, trying her best to copy.

Doing the opposite of Rarity’s moves did wonders for the crowd who believed it was all part of the act, while copying the poised movements and failing only threw their belief off kilter. The music turned into a solo, diminishing the need for a singer, and allowing Rarity to completely focus on moving with Sunset symmetrically.

But Sunset still couldn’t keep up. The unicorn had practiced and practiced, memorizing the dance down perfectly. There was no way Sunset could match that sort of dedication. Instead of falling into a disgraceful display, Sunset snapped her head toward Rarity and began mimicking older parts of the dance she saw from the crowd. Rarity quickly countered, though her face was full of anger. Sunset danced closer and closer, eventually standing shoulder to shoulder. It was close enough for her to see the white horn begin to light her horn from infuriation.

Instead of allowing Rarity to continue, Sunset grabbed Rarity by her foreleg, lifting her into a dance on back hooves. Something from my world will put your show as number one! Sunset wrapped one hoof around Rarity’s back while the other held a hoof. Immediately, the crowd went insane. It wasn’t the act Rarity wanted, but it wouldn’t fail so long as Sunset had anything to say about it. Of course, being Rarity’s act, Rarity demanded dominance.

When the two twisted to twirl, Rarity went. When it came time for another, Sunset was forced to twirl abruptly, barely making it back to the white unicorn. Slapping a hoof back to the purple dress, Sunset held on tight this time, while the fake alicorn tugged on the straps of the backpack. Rarity was on a whole other level, yet Sunset didn’t refuse the challenge. Jostling back and forth for control only lit the crowd like wildfire.

Fireworks went off overhead as the two twisted outward at the same time, neither meaning to. Skidding to a stop, Rarity’s singing returned and Sunset knew the song would soon end. With a brush of her hair and a hoof to her hip, Sunset stood upright with her eyes closed, waiting for Rarity to charge back.

As if sensing the cue, Rarity returned, slithering in the silky dress around Sunset, brushing her forelegs, back, and tail. Removing the hoof from her mane, Sunset grabbed the back of the dress and dragged the mare upright. She then hoisted Rarity’s forelegs out front, blocking the crowd's view of Sunset aside from her head. At once, they danced together, as if they were one pony with two heads, Rarity being the main pony. Surprised, Rarity allowed Sunset her way, following in the hoofsteps, regardless of the awkward, bipedal stance.

When the final crescendo came and Rarity reached the peak of her song, Sunset pushed the fake wings out from the unicorn’s back. The crowd was inspired by the beauty, causing Rarity to falter ever so slightly. Only when Sunset let her own wings release, much larger than the fakes, did the crowd burst with their awestruck applause. It was not the finishing move, however, as Sunset lifted the unicorn into the air. Only a few yards off the stage, they twirled together, twisting to face one another, and landing dead center.

They stared deep into each other’s eyes as Rarity spoke the last note instead of singing it. Combined with the music ending, the crowd going wild, and the booms of fireworks, Sunset felt almost deaf to the world. Her breath was mixing with Rarity’s own as their chests heaved up and down, brushing one another. Sunset couldn’t help but smile down at Rarity, hoping her addition to the act didn’t subvert the unicorn’s desire for her own fame.

Yet Rarity’s eyes spoke a different feeling. Lidded and staring, there was a sparkle in them that trickled in the pools of blue. Her breathing faded as her lips tightened and pushed together, the purple lipstick glistening against the white fur. Sunset wanted to speak, to greet her more formally, but when she saw the fluttered gaze Rarity held, her mind grew confused. She expected anger, or at the very least, a thank you. Her brain unraveled itself once she saw the mare alluringly bite down on her purple lip. Sunset almost dropped her then and there, but quickly pulled Rarity to her hooves and backpedaled a step.

Rose bouquets rapidly littered the stage, forcing Sunset and Rarity to take a bow as the crowd’s thunderous show of appreciation filled the orange sky. Their performance had gone on for so long that Sunset’s knees were buckling beneath her exhaustion. Rarity motioned for Sunset to follow as she tucked in between the stage’s closing curtain.

Off from the stage, wooden steps curled into an alleyway with no entrance to any roads. Instead, it held one door into the building behind the platform, to which Rarity opened, revealing a gallery of extreme costumes and glorious dresses. Stallions were undressing from their armor, which was more apparent than ever that they weren’t metal, but instead plastic. Several of them congratulated Rarity, while others praised Sunset’s random addition to the performance.

A room with Rarity written upon the door was left open to the side of the costume collection. Dragging Sunset in, Rarity sealed the room, instantly worrying the alicorn. “Sorry about interfering with your performance,” Sunset apologized. “I mean, I wanted to meet you, but not like that.”

“You wanted to meet me?” Rarity breathed. Her eyelashes flowed like sheets drying in a calm breeze as she sauntered closer. “A wonderful princess like you, wanting me? What a forward mare you are. I like that.”

Impassive to whatever underlining tones Rarity sent, Sunset gave a happy nod. “You’re the last pony I need. Twilight’s probably wondering where I went, and I’m sure we can gather the other four fairly quickly.”

“Four? Twilight?” Rarity’s expression fell flat. “What exactly are you wanting from me?”

No point in going with the original lie. The others already know. “You’re a bearer of the Elements of Harmony. I need your help in defeating Discord. He’s trapped me in this world.”

“This world?” asked Rarity, her posture sharing her puzzled expression.

Guess Pinkie is the only one they told. “Flim and Flam supposedly defeated Discord, but they didn't. He changed the events for this world, destroying the natural balance, and then boosted Flim and Flam to an authoritative power. All just so he could get at me,” Sunset answered.

Rarity sent a hoof to her mouth as she giggled, a slight bit of blush flaming her cheeks. “Does everyone want to get at you? I could see why.” A knock came to the door, souring Rarity’s giddy look. “Who is it?”

“Darling, do you really have to ask?” a male voice questioned her question.

Unlocking and opening the door, Rarity kissed the stallion on both cheeks, to which replied in same. “What a marvelous showing you put on tonight. If I’d known you were going to recruit a real life princess to our performance, I would’ve put flyers in the south side of Princessland too.” The stallion appeared with another mare behind him who remained silent and shy, completely out of the conversation.

By both demeanor and the stallion’s voice, Sunset realized exactly who they were. Coming close, she smiled as she spoke. “How’s the best masseuse in Canterlot doing?”

Charmer’s eyes went wide as he blushed worse than Rarity. “Masseuse?” his voice accentuated the word. “You know of my work? But how? I haven’t worked for the public since before…” He suddenly bowed, his forehead almost striking the floor. “My apologies, Princess Sunset Shimmer. A rare compliment you have given me this day, I should not question where it comes from.”

But Sunset could only laugh. “It’s a different time for all of us, I’d say.”

“Too true.” He lifted his head at her command. “But the real reason I intrude is that there were some ne’er-do-wells at our door claiming they know the princess. I shooed them off immediately, do not trouble yourself. The famous always attract those who would lie.”

“I’m certain you’re right, but my friend was in the crowd, so it may not be such a lie,” Sunset replied, passing around Charmer and his mute companion. Berrice! Sunset patted the mare, a shock of surprise striking like lightning across the silent gal. The stallion performers were clearing out, their performance for the day finished. She followed several of them to the front of the odd, homey domicile.

The front door rattled from the outside, blocked by two mares. Both Sunset recognized. Small world, she mused. One mare, an earth pony, while the other was a unicorn. “Don’t worry, we’ve got it blocked. I’ve got no idea how they figured out this is the front entrance,” the unicorn said.

“Well, it’s not like this building is in front of a giant stage or anything,” the earth pony snottily remarked.

“Sassy Saddles, Suri Polomare. You two can move aside.”

Both the mares perked up, surprised by their names suddenly called by a mare, an alicorn, they’d never met. Of course, they did as asked, moving from the door. Tilting the knob, Sunset opened to the ever dimming light, and was greeted by the five bearers she brought to Princessland. These five also included an onslaught of fans of the show, but with her magic, Sunset separated the two groups, dragging in her friends.

“We love you Princess Sunset Shimmer!” They could hear screams of delight from the other side after the door closed, along with the return of scratching and knocking.

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “See, this is why I don’t associate with the rich and famous. They attract a weird crowd.”

“Yes. I’m sure that’s the reason,” Twilight mocked as she pushed her glasses further up her muzzle.

“How’d everyone know where to find me?” Sunset asked.

With a snort, Twilight giggled wildly. “Well, after seeing those fireworks and Rarity’s fantastic display of magic, it made me realize that I could launch a sort of magical flare. N-now, I know what you’re thinking, what type of flare could I send out to attract the others? Well, my brother was in the guard, so I’ve learned a bit about how to make specific ones. I decided on a flare in the shape of your face! I’d been working on something similar for Princess Celestia, who is easily the hardest to shape, what with her good looks, long flowing mane with multicolored stripes, and the biggest of horns and wings. She certainly is the… more... difficult…” With all eyes on her, she slowly went quiet. “S-sorry, I was rambling, wasn’t I?”

“Only a lot!” Pinkie replied honestly. “It was quite impressive!”

Pushing on her glasses, Twilight hid her embarrassment with her hoof. “Re-regardless, you put on a wonderful performance, princess.”

“My, my. You really weren’t kidding about your entourage.” Rarity came from the back with Charmer at her side, the commotion striking both their curiosities. Sassy, Suri, and Berrice all crowded in the background, refusing to get close enough to the supposed greatness that princesses brought. “Are these your servants?”

“No, Rarity, these are the ponies I was talking about,” Sunset corrected sternly. “They’re my friends.”

Charmer and Rarity glanced at each other as if the word was foreign to them both. The stallion then pointed to the door, which still echoed scratches and knocks. “My dear Rarity, your performance has roused far more fans than usual. Perhaps it best if you escape before they knock the door down.” He then went to Sunset pointing at the bags beneath her eyes. “Look at this beauty. You’ve worn her down!”

“Well, we could use a place to stay. The castle really isn’t within our grasp,” Sunset replied.

Rarity’s grin went wide. “I’d love it if you would join me at my place, princess.”

“Awesome! The girls will probably want to sleep before they head off and—” Sunset started, only to be cut off by Rarity.

“Oh. They’ll be joining us?” She hummed, a flash of disappointment crossing her glittered face. “I don’t think my home is big enough. It’s barely enough for me and my gowns.”

“But, ah!” Charmer exclaimed, surprising Sunset with his sudden expressive loudness. “You can use my place! I rarely return there as it is.” Lifting a hoof into his flowing mane, he pulled out a yellow key and tossed it to Rarity. “We cannot disappoint a princess, now can we?”

Applejack giggled and prodded Sunset on the rump. “He’s a real charmer, ain’t he?” she stated, clearly attempting to embarrass Sunset.

Of course, that backfired when he replied, “Why, yes, that is my name.” Extending a hoof, he gave a glorious smile, causing Applejack to blush.

A flash glinted Sunset’s brain with a cozy bath, steam hitting the ceiling as hooves graced her back. The stallion spoke and Applejack answered. But with the recent memory of the museum so close in her mind, she couldn’t help realize that both Applejack and Sombra had betrayed her, though the betrayals were on very different degrees. For some reason, it sent a smile to her lips instead of a frown.

Breaking away from her past, Sunset announced she’d like to leave as soon as possible.

Rarity, though reluctant to bring the five other mares Sunset called ‘friends’, lead the group out a second backroom. With night coming soon, they managed to steady their hooves away from crowds and tourists. It was a difficult journey, only made worse by the flowing purple dress Rarity wore, which stood out from the beige and cream walls of the city, along with the fake white wings and dyed mane.

Princessland’s changes also put them in a predicament. Without Rarity as their guide, they’d have been lucky to come across the sole alleyways and backstreets that still remained within the city. And without the five surrounding Sunset, hiding her color and cutie mark, she undoubtedly would’ve been seen from a street away.

When they made it without incident, they found the home sat on the second floor above a shop. The store below looked to be an old massage parlor, which was being transformed into a clothing store, with many of the aged massage chairs sitting out upon the curb. Up wooden stairs in the back, Rarity unlocked the moderate home and immediately went to work closing the blinds and curtains.

Rainbow Dash threw herself on the couch, to which Applejack sat on the opposite end. Pinkie searched the fridge and cabinets, though Sunset could only guess if she was looking for paper or food. Twilight and Fluttershy stood by the door, one more awkward than the other. “Well. I suppose I should stay here too. If the crowds spot me as I am, they’ll want to know all about you,” Rarity mentioned, glancing at Sunset with a pouting smile.

“That’s fine. Hey, girls,” she said loudly to the five. “Get some rest. You all leave in the morning.” The command did not fall flat, though if she weren’t a princess she feared it would have. “I’ll explain everything to you, Rarity. Hopefully you won’t freak out like somepony else.” She shot a look to Twilight who nervously waved a hoof before disappearing down a hall to the bedrooms.

Only Rainbow Dash remained, sitting still on the couch with her forelegs behind her neck and her back legs firmly planted on the edge. “I’ve probably got the longest traveling to do. I’ll sleep on the train. Or I won’t. I don’t care. Ain’t gonna be hard to find what we’re looking for in the Badlands. Nothing out there unless it’s written in rock and sand.”

Sunset held her tongue, thinking of the group of dragons who cautiously hid within a pillar of red earth. She wondered what became of Princess Ember within this chaotic world. “Actually,” Rarity cut off Sunset’s memory with a flick of her hoof. “The Badlands became overrun with dragons. Haven’t you heard? Those Flim and Flam brothers bought their services. Now I think they dig for gems or something, and the dragons get a nice little profit for their hard work.”

“I just can’t wait to smash them down to the little colts they are,” Rainbow sneered, turning her head toward the couch cushions.

Me too, Rainbow Dash. Though Discord is more the source of their influence. Taking him down, everything will fall like a chain of dominos. Let’s just hope we’re the ones starting the chain and not on the receiving end.

Rarity came close to Sunset and took her by the hoof, dragging her back outside. “I didn’t want to say anything in front of the mare as she might take this the wrong way,” she said after the door shut, her voice hushed against the silencing night. “Flim and Flam are not… well, foes for anyone. Aside from building that annoying museum so close to zoning range of the theater, they’re good stallions.” She then waited for a moment, believing Sunset would speak. When Sunset held still, Rarity continued, “You spoke earlier of them and this Discord. And me a… I’m not sure what you called it.”

“They’ve changed the past to benefit themselves. All the villains they’ve defeated have been lies. They accomplished those things through Discord’s unique ability to see into other timelines. I wouldn’t even be upset with him for that since somepony else already altered the past, but he did it to maliciously keep me here, imprisoning me.”

“You?” Rarity gaped, and even in the dim light, Sunset could see the anger boiling on the pony. “How dare they! What right do they have to keep you? Keep you…” The confusion then replaced the anger. “Wait. Timelines? I’m sorry. This is much too elaborate.”

Sunset almost forgot what it was like trying to convince a pony of the existence of other worlds. Memories flooded her senses. “That’s why we’re here. We’re looking for two ponies that will help us defeat him and put this timeline back on track,” Sunset pleaded to the mayor of Manehattan, all those worlds ago.

And the mayor reacted as any normal pony would. “Timeline?”

Rarity then fell against the banister, exaggerating her abashed demeanor. “I can’t believe that I was not only jealous of a princess from another world, I also tried to shoot her down! What an unbelievable fool I’ve been today!”

“I probably wouldn’t have come to the stage if you hadn’t, then we wouldn’t have shared that amazing performance. I’ve sung before, but never danced so well,” Sunset replied, hoping to cheer the awkward situation.

“Well, my magical blasts are part of the show, though I didn’t necessarily need to aim them at you,” she said, simpering before covering her muzzle with a hoof. “I was quite jealous for those first few seconds. Of course, now I’m more jealous of those mares you’ve been traveling with. They’re leaving tomorrow, though. Are you as well? Am I? I would be honored to travel by your side.” Rarity then snuck closer. “Perhaps telling me of these other worlds will bring us closer.”

Sunset attempted to continue a feigned obliviousness to the wordy intent. “We devised a decent plan to have all five depart to where we think the combinations are at for the safe holding the Elements of Harmony. Once they arrive, I’ll teleport to each one of them to aid in the recovery. After finding a combination, I’ll teleport the bearer and me back to you. You play a crucial role as our anchor.”

“Your anchor!” Rarity swooned. “How romantic!”

Sunset’s lips tightened as her eyes went broad, her cheeks puffing out in an expression that only her thoughts could justly sum up. I have made a terrible mistake.

“Once they’re gone in the morning, I have to go alone to see the other princesses. I’ve got some information for them.” Well, more accurately, I’m going to lie to them. I’m going to lie hard. If Flim and Flam ask them again what it is I’m up to, they’ll receive a lie of a lie. That should buy us some time.

“Ho ho!” the unicorn exclaimed with a happy sigh. “Then, after that, you’ll return and it’ll be just the two of us, correct?” She didn’t wait for a reply. “I must prepare an ensemble for tomorrow! I do hope Charmer still has those outfits I loaned him.” Rarity went inside while Sunset stood alone on the secluded deck, choosing to remain outside for a moment. With a deep breath, miring the night sky, she let herself reflect.

A sudden wave of clenched anxiety hit her, releasing like sweat. For a moment, she stopped breathing, still seeing the centaur and dark stallion in her memory. Both portrayed sweetness and care. For some reason, however, the picture erupted. Not only were they within her mind’s eye, but the girls of CHS too. They stood together. Then the bearers of these worlds were added. Why are those two included? They’re not bearers. They’re not friends. It hit her. Like an egg shattered and dropped into a frying pan, it struck a pained heat in her mind and heart. Tears trickled down her muzzle.

It had been inside all day and night, and all the previous days too. The need, the feeling, the choking. It was happy as much as it was sad for Sunset. As the tears hit the wood beneath her hooves, she felt her bag stir. A clammy hand stretched and brushed her cheek. “What is wrong, Sunset Shimmer?” she heard the draconequus ask, quietly.

“I want to go home,” she answered, struggling to say the words through sniffles, trying to suck air in without snorting. “You have no idea how happy these six make me. Every world I am filled with memories. Good ones, bad ones. It’s all so sad.”

“Sad?” He did not understand.

“All these wonderful memories, Discord. They’re with friends that I’ll never see again. When I do return home. When I finally see my friends at CHS. When I hug their necks, tell them they matter to me. They won’t remember any of this, because it didn’t happen to them. I’ll never be able to say, hey remember when that one time? They won’t. Only I’ll have those memories. I think I know these six even better than they know themselves now. And my heart aches because I truly wish they’d been here, going through these worlds with me. I know that sounds selfish, but those girls mean the world to me. To share this journey with them would have been magical.”

“You will see them again. I am certain of it!” he replied, unsure if he should use such a boisterous voice when so close to ponies.

“I know. That’s what keeps me going. There are worlds out there where nothing changed for them at CHS. They never had the friendship they’ve got in mine. I’m lucky and undeserving. I’ve said it before Discord, but whatever is calling me, I’ll meet it head on. To get back to them.”

Discord stroked her mane as he spoke, “This is why I believe in you. I have seen this side. Your fire. Your passion. Joining you is a lot smarter than challenging you.” He chuckled ever so softly. “You did not even have to lie to these six to get them on your side. They are willing to be here even after the truth sprouted. Forgiveness for your lie even seems to be an instant success. A rare feat for a fib.” Returning to the bag, the draconequus went silent.

Forgiveness? Why wouldn’t they forgive me? I’m their friend. Another thought struck her heart as she turned up to the night sky. Forgiveness. Frowning, she wiped the tears from her eyes, making sure none of the watery stains could be seen.

Upon reentering the home, Sunset saw Rainbow Dash staring at her from the couch. The pegasus looked like she wanted to speak, but her hesitation grew and she rolled to one side instead, tucking her face into the cushions. The other bearers were asleep, though Sunset felt no need. Her mind was filled with memories. And so, finding a nice quiet corner, she lavished the chance to sit and write.

Morning came eventually, but not after a thousand words were jotted down for each of the worlds. She wanted everything. The good, the bad, but mostly the good. She included thoughts of the neat magic she encountered, even going as far to jot down the formula of the worst spell used on her. Under Princessland, she included the photo of Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, along with the picture of herself in Discord’s throne. She wrote of Rarity’s performance. She even included how she felt. A sadness, pining for friends, and thanking the ones she made.

Sunset bowed in gratitude for each of the bearers before they left the next morning. She’d be unable to see them off without being spotted, and so she said her goodbyes within Charmer’s domicile. “Remember. Tomorrow morning. I’ll be visiting Applejack first, but I’ll try to get to all of you in the same day. We’ll need to move fast so Flim and Flam don’t figure out what we’re up to. If I haven’t gotten to you yet, try to do some digging. See what you can churn up.”

The five seemed to share all the same emotion, little smiles tugging at their lips. There was excitement in the air, and for once, Sunset believed that they’d be friends soon enough. She hated the idea of separating them, yet it seemed like the only reasonable decision. In her heart, the idea of getting to spend time with each left her giddy. She beamed at them as they left, repeatedly thanking them until the door was shut and she was alone with her anchor.

Rarity clapped her hooves together, just as excitedly as the other bearers, though for a much different reason. No longer in a purple dress, her wings were removed and the dye washed clean. Now, instead, crimson streaks brushed upward from her roots, turning her hair into a fiery mulberry coloring. It was definitely a jarring change from the previous day. “Now that we’re alone, perhaps you’d like to get to know each other better.”

“I already know a lot about you,” Sunset answered absentmindedly, completely forgetting the way Rarity acted the previous night. Her thoughts still on the journal she’d been filling.

“Oh, darling,” she replied with a suave grin. “You haven’t seen anything yet. Let me grab the peach mango tea that Charmer keeps cooled. Nothing quite says relaxing like a bit of tea.”

“You’ll have to wait till I get back.” Sunset opened the door, staring back at the distraught unicorn. “Don’t worry. I won’t be gone long. Just a quick surprise visit to some very special princesses.” Leaving quickly, her wings jutted against the wooden railing and beige wall as she trotted down the steps. Upon reaching the street, she took off, hitting the sky and circling to the castle.

Whether ponies saw her or not, she didn’t care. The castle was off limits to anyone but the workers and princesses, and the workers would never be allowed to finish so long as Flim and Flam deemed it so. Even the guards were rare, as she found the doors remained defenseless. Traversing the castle, it wasn’t hard to locate the voices among the silence within the fortress.

They smiled at her appearance, the trio princesses stood in front of their thrones. “We’ve heard quite the tales of your ventures, Sunset Shimmer!” Princess Luna congratulated warmly. “I do hope our support has been helpful in your journey.”

“I’d be lying if I said it hasn’t,” Sunset replied. “Thank you so much. I’ve almost got what I need. I just came back to see how you three were doing.” She eyed her old mentor, the tall white alicorn. “I was threatened by Flim and Flam while in Manehattan. They seem to have bought your lies,” she told them, lying to their faces.

“Really? Wonderful!” Cadance cheered. “Shining Armor sent word of your arrival. I put his mind at ease, I feel.”

Sunset nodded. “I collected all the bearers just to send them out again. I’ve sent them each to areas where I think they’ll be in tune with the environment.” Her lies increased. “I plan on getting them each their necklace, just as I had done in the first world, by showing them their Element. Once I’m finished, I plan on returning to Princessland and waiting here with you three till they arrive, just to take them down once and for all. Of course—don’t tell them any of this.” She winked, though her slyness was more for herself. “Tell them I failed and sent the bearers off. Or something of the sort.”

“A brilliant plan, Sunset!” Celestia shared in the high spirits. “And fear not. We will tell them only lies if they return.” Then, the great alicorn turned distraught. Inclining her head, she sighed, her regret seeping from her breath. “They claimed they could utilize the Elements of Harmony through their machines—and until you showed up, that was a fact I would’ve continued believing. Had I known it was a lie, simply to remove the Elements of Harmony from our grasp, I never would’ve let those two have them.”

“At least it’s good to know they didn’t actually unleash the divine power of the Elements of Harmony. I’d be in a lot of trouble if they had.”

Celestia dismissively waved a hoof. “To have the Elements of Harmony be used on you, well, that’d be the end of the world, I’d say.”

To hear such kind words from the mentor she missed so dearly, Sunset felt like crying again. She held it together, however, if only until she no longer stood in their presence.

World 6: Chapter 9

Sunset returned, her clothing still sat strung about the floor. If Rarity awoke during the night, she hadn’t wandered into the living room. The day washed in through the blinds of the window, starting the morning within the city. Sunset knew it was time. Five combinations, all in one day. Can it be done? Upon waking Rarity, however, the unicorn suggested the disguise be worn. “Okay,” Sunset said, “It’ll help hide from every fan who wants an autograph, at least.” Drawing the clothing, she wore it like a costume, tipping the ball cap forward. “Thanks, Rarity. I won’t be gone long, hopefully.”

“Don’t fret, I’ll be your anchor,” Rarity told her with a giddy laugh and a slight blush, waving a handkerchief as if Sunset was leaving by ship. With a nod, Sunset focused on her magic. Her mind rushed to the thought of Applejack, picturing the earth pony. With all the alicorn magic within her, her horn erupted and sent her spluttering across Equestria in almost an instant.

Reappearing, Sunset was amazed by the sight of the earth pony. Snoring unaware atop filled black trash bags and other refuse, Applejack slept like a moving log, her brown signature hat covering her face. “A-Applejack?” Sunset called, tapping the mare with a gentleness. The petite alleyway made her voice echo, but the shouting and city noise deafened the greeting almost immediately. With a less gentle shove, the snoring popped and the dazed earth pony lifted her weary head.

“Well howdy there, princess,” Applejack said, fanning a yawn. Backhoofing the sleep from her eyes, she stood and toppled off her garbage bed.

“Why were you sleeping on trash?”

The mare stared at Sunset, her brow slowly raising with an inquisitiveness. “You, uh, didn’t give us any money for a hotel. And I didn’t think you’d appreciate me thievin’ some bits from the strangers of this city.”

Sunset’s mouth collapsed, growing small as she realized her mistake. “Oh.”

“Don’t worry now,” Applejack said, relieving the embarrassment. “I’ve been used to sleepin’ outdoors, and these things, though they’re a might wet, were still more comfortable. Been ages since I slept in a bed.” Stretching, Sunset heard the bones pop along Applejack’s back.

“Did you find anything out? Heard any gossip on where we might find the combination?”

“Yeah, the one place that makes the most sense,” Applejack answered and chuckled. “Flim Flam’s Gaming Resort Club. The FFGRC.” The words almost sounded rehearsed. “Ain’t no sense in hiding something they find valuable in any place other than home to those two jerks.”

Sunset nodded. “Worth a shot. Care to lead the way?”

“Sure, and while we walk you can tell me who dressed you.”

“What do you mean?” Sunset asked, hurt and defensive.

Reaching for Sunset’s neck, Applejack played with the tag that jutted from the shirt’s collar. “Shirt’s inside out, hat’s tilted so it ain’t even keepin’ the sun from your eyes, and your fly’s open.”

A pink hue crossed Sunset’s face, forcing her to hide the embarrassment from the mare. With a quick change and mending, Sunset made sure her clothes were situated properly. “Okay. Anything else?”

“Yeah, you may want to stick close. This town is pretty big and full of ponies,” Applejack stated as she walked out of the alley, Sunset following at her side. “It’s a good thing you chose me to head here. These ponies’ll steal your life savings if they got the opportunity. No surprise Flim and Flam love it so much. This place was their reference for startin’ up Princessland, except without all us ruffians to scare away the money spenders.”

“Been here before, then?” she asked Applejack.

“Nah,” replied Applejack with a shake of her head. “Used to get postcards from Granny. She’s still here, Apple Bloom too.” The mare went quiet for a moment, though her expression betrayed her want to speak.

Sunset didn’t press further, however. “Maybe we’ll see them while we’re here.”

Applejack gave a nod and returned to her silence as they made their way through the city. Flashes of lights from the amusement rides and screams of delight from the foals who rode them surrounded the two. Ponies let out exaggerated laughter, bellowing out their words as if they wanted everyone to hear them. Cameras lit up as others took memories, Sunset and Applejack even caught in the background of a few. But for the alicorn, this was nothing like the place she visited in her Discord’s world.

Cold, misty, and empty. Only the bodies of those frozen in time remained, all thanks to Rainbow Dash. When Discord set that world right, what did those mares and stallions see? A flash before confusion? It didn’t sit right with her, that much time lost, yet she too was losing time. Every world I visit I begin at the same date. If I don’t return home before long, I’ll be an old mare still in high school. The thought shivered her spine, though the sun warmed her face. The air was humid, making it difficult to remain trapped underneath the layers of clothes, the want to be free escalating.

Pulling on her collar, they passed several unique buildings, some of which Sunset recognized from her traverse through the fog. “Are we close?” she asked, sweltering against the heat.

On the other side of a fountain, crossing bridges, Applejack pointed up at a huge horse head. Sunset’s heart sunk as she recognized the outline. “Flim and Flam bought a lot of places, but this here FFGRC is somethin’ they cherish. Really matches their egos, don’t it?” Applejack snickered as she pressed on.

The lobby held no ponnequins with marker-made faces. A cool breeze swiftly relieved Sunset's unbearable heat. Ponies bustled busily in, much like outside. A desk mare of amethyst coloring sat behind the counter with some files. As they drew closer, Sunset saw the nametag ‘Berryshine’, and the mare welcomed them warmly. “Hey there lady,” Applejack greeted back. “We’re here lookin’ for a passcode or somethin’ that’ll crack a vault back in Princessland that only Flim and Flam should know.”

Sunset froze, her face cracking a nervous smile. With a quick covering of the earth pony’s mouth, Sunset whispered, “What are you doing? That’s not something you should tell everyone!”

Pushing the hoof off, Applejack shrugged. “Just being honest.”

“Now is not the time to act out your Element of Harmony,” Sunset chided.

“Honesty’s my Element?”

The mare behind the counter interjected, “Oh, you two must be one of those Flim Flam Fanatics that came down from Princessland! We’ve set up a parlor room for the FFF right behind our gaming section.”

With a smug grin, Applejack stared back at Sunset as the mare led the two through the clicking and clacking of noisy games. “Not the time to be honest, huh?”

Sunset ignored the comment, her eyes dragging to each stool, looking for a skinny, long tail that attached itself to a talking rat. When they entered the double doors into the gallery, other ponies were lined up against tables and booths, buying, exchanging, and discussing all sorts of things related to the Flim Flam duo. Both Applejack and Sunset held a face of disgust at the scene. “Since the museum was built by them, I hadn’t thought anything of it. But ponies actually believe their lies, I guess,” Sunset mumbled to herself.

“I believe the head of your FFF group is right over there. Have a pleasant stay, and thank you for using FFGRC for your convention,” Berryshine said before taking her leave.

“Getting real tired of all these acronyms,” Sunset murmured to Applejack. Then, to poke fun, she said, “Ain’t that right, AJ?” With a smirk, she turned to the orange gal, but the mare did not look back. “Applejack?” Her eyes followed Applejack’s, eventually falling on the head of the FFF.

Wrinkles upon wrinkles, the pale green mare stood prominent above others, all of which wore hats with Flim Flam logos and buttons tapered to the front. When the crowd around the mare began dispersing, the green mare’s eyes met Applejack’s, to which the bearer trotted forward. Sunset followed, only if to witness whatever might transpire. “Granny. You really switched over to their side? Even after Sweet Apple Acres? Our family, everypony—they’re all livin’ in tents while you’re here organizing fanfare for those two varmints!?”

Coming close, Granny Smith laid a hoof upon her granddaughter’s shoulder, then caressed her cheek. A smile crossed her cheeks, creasing the many wrinkles, only to turn sour as she grabbed the bearer by the neck and unleashed a flurry of mane rubs atop her head, forcing Applejack's hat to fall. “You think you can travel all this way to talk to me like that?” she hollered, almost losing her false teeth. Then, with a whisper Sunset only barely heard, Granny said, “As if I’d really support those two hooligans.”

Pulling free, Applejack rubbed the sore spot of her head. “Really? Then, why exactly are yah here?”

“Sometimes, Applejack, when you want somethin’ done you gotta do it yourself. You need to put on a mask and tell ponies what they want to hear. You’d’ve known that if you spent more time listenin’ to me after I sold the farm. Thievin’ ain’t just about takin’ valuables. You can make a difference in ponies’ lives if you steal the right things and give ‘em to those who need ‘em.”

Steal from the rich give to the poor? Sunset considered. Sounds like a fairy tale.

“Am… Am I getting a lecture on how to be a better thief right now?” Applejack asked, her eyes darting between Sunset and Granny. “This can’t be real.”

“Wait, so you’re the one turned the Apples into thieves?” Sunset asked.

Applejack gasped, her eyes blew wide. “That’s right! It was you!”

Her shout startled the ponies around, forcing Granny to grab her granddaughter by the muzzle. “Keep your voices down. You’re gonna blow my cover. I’ve got Apple Bloom workin’ a job over at the Cheference in order to discover the whereabouts of the Flim Flam Secret Vault, or FFSV for short.”

With a roll of her eyes, Sunset groaned. More acronyms. “If it’s a secret place, I’m sure that’s where they’ve locked away one of the combinations. Putting a key under lock and key would make sense for those two, seeing as how this is supposedly a prison within a prison for me.”

Granny glared up at Sunset. “Who is this, Applejack? Why do they know so much about you?”

“Don’t mind the disguise. I’m also wearing a mask,” Sunset said, lifting a hoof. “Princess Sunset Shimmer.”

“Well, I’ll be a rock’s second-cousin!” Grabbing the hoof, Granny unleashed a volley of waggles that made Sunset feel numb all the way up to her shoulder. “A real princess. You’ve been the talk lately. Even ‘round here.”

“Good thing I’m discreet then. Having a mob follow me around makes it a little hard to search for secret vaults.”

Granny Smith grunted and nodded. “Figured you ain’t come all this way to see me, Applejack,” she said, though her tone wasn’t upset. “This here princess wants the vault, huh? You helpin’ her?” The question was directed to Applejack, yet Sunset answered, explaining in short detail her need for what lies beyond the safes within Princessland’s museum. Granny, however, did not need convincing of such things. Her only interest remained in the princess. “So why's it you, a princess, want to stick a pea in their mattress?”

“They’re in my way.”

The words surprised Granny Smith, the ominous undertone struck her with confusion and concern. But Applejack’s gentle nod, understanding what Sunset meant, relaxed the old mare, if only slightly. “Well, if Applejack trusts you, I ain’t got nothing to worry about.” Ponies began shuffling about more frequently, interrupting the conversation. “Listen you two. Head on over to the Cheference and find Apple Bloom. She’s got details for the score she's been plannin’.”

“Score?” Sunset repeated.

“Well, shoot. Now I know why you stopped sending postcards, Granny. You’ve been real busy.” Applejack went to her grandmother, hugging her, while Sunset watched with unease. If the next words said from either of these two are mob or boss, I’m out.

“Now get out o’ here you little rascals. Maybe after this we can convince the whole Apple tree to smuggle faked crystal into Princessland,” Granny said, laughing, though Sunset only wondered if it was really a joke.

Returning to the rest of the gaming portion of the FFGRC, Sunset watched as lights and noises went off for one of the machines, spitting out tickets like a broken fountain. The pony who sat in front of said machine was overjoyed with the prize. Sunset smiled, glad somepony found fortune in such a frivolous atmosphere. However, her eyes caught past the winning mare. Applejack stood beside her and spoke, but her concentration blocked the words. The pony who caught her stare was in a black suit with dark shades covering their eyes. Their mane was gone, whether or not it was shaved off on purpose remained a mystery.

Sunset waltzed forward, away from Applejack, though the mare quickly caught up. Her eyes remained in the direction of the shady stallion, trailing their way to the lobby and desk. The desk mare Berryshine sat behind the counter, talking to a carbon copy of the first shady stallion, though the fur color distinguished the two. “Head back into the convention, see if Granny Smith can’t get you your own clothes. It doesn’t take a sleuth like Fluttershy to know when something is up.”

Though Applejack didn’t understand, the sternness of Sunset’s tone made her unquestioning of the command. Once the convention doors closed, Sunset meandered between the slots and pachinko machines, past the ski ball launchers, and underneath the pegasi dart boards. A few of the stallions in black suits wandered from an opening elevator, though they didn’t pay much attention to the disguised alicorn.

If Applejack doesn’t come out disguised, they might have gotten to her. I should’ve realized Flim and Flam would know what I was up to. Even if they don’t know I’m after their little safe combinations, they’ll still know after talking to the princesses that I’m after the Elements of Harmony. I suppose the next time they show their faces, they’ll mention that. She attempted to stand nonchalantly next to a card game, watching the dealer shuffle the deck with his magic. In her peripherals, she also watched the elevators. They’re only thinking that I’m doing the same thing I did in that first world, helping the bearers get their necklaces. If they see me fail, they might laugh and quit paying so close attention.

The elevator opened once more, one stallion in black held the door for another who entered, switching places. Her eyes fell to the cards on the table, all of them were flipped on their faces, presenting their backs, which held red diamond designs with Flim and Flam in the center. She grimaced, annoyed at their perfect jawlines and their show tune outfits. Her thoughts changed to the Apple family. Apple Bloom being mixed up in all this, it can’t be safe for such a young filly. Her eyes went to the dealer. “Sorry, where can I get some grub?”

He rattled off some names within the resort, eventually mentioning Cheference. “Yeah, that one,” she said, stopping him. He indicated the direction, to which she offhandedly thanked him before heading off. Passing underneath escalators, little stops of shops and places to exchange tickets were parked to the sides. Crowds gathered around, though more ponies stood at her place of interest. The Cheference, she eyed the sign with big, bold, screaming letters.

To her surprise, she found the stallion she previously sought. “Mr. Barley?”

The restaurant was an allegory for too much free time. From books, magazines, and even theater, the dining room was packed wall to wall with references. Her eyes had settled on Mr. Barley, but not before reading a quote. “Snakes? Why’d it have to be snakes?” cited from a Daring Do book. Her eyes went to other memorable moments, yet she couldn’t recall the allusions. Were they mentioning things from this world, or had she truly been gone for too long? Her mouth flexed her thoughts as she bit her lip.

The counter was in the shape of a pizza guitar, though no pizza was baked within the ovens. “Howdy there, ma’am.” Mr. Barley, though a jovial, more modernistic stallion in the other worlds, did not share his counterpart’s clothing style. With a white ten gallon hat and a vest wrapping around his shoulders and chest, his mustache was shortened to a mere cut above his lip. “I’ll assume a lil’ lady like yerself ain’t ever been to these parts. Have yerself a seat and our waitress’ll be right with y’all,” he said with the worst country accent Sunset ever heard.

Choosing to follow the advice of the owner and cook, Sunset sat alone at a table, watching the stallion wander back into the kitchen. Her eyes went to the three waitresses who took orders from other guests, each dressed in silly outfits. The pink mare was dressed in blue armor and laced in black clothing, representing the moon queen, Nightmare Moon. The yellow mare wore an explorers outfit, matching the poster of Daring Do on a far wall. It was then the third came toward Sunset.

She recognized her, though not the costume she wore. Apple Bloom. She could tell it was the filly, even with her face painted white and thick, black, scraggily fur covering her from neck to hoof. Instead of the trademark red bow adorning her head, a white and red hat the size of a stack of pancakes sat flumped over. “Hello there lady. Is this your first time visiting the Cheference?” Her voice held no trace of country origin, almost mimicking the lady at the front desk.

Sunset had to look down at Apple Bloom to answer. “Yes, it is.”

“Awesome! Then you might be interested in the orange eggs and yam, or the rat tail spaghetti. Trust me, they taste better than they sound.”

“Well, I’m not really looking for a bite to eat, Apple Bloom,” Sunset replied.

The hat slumped forward, blocking the confused look on Apple Bloom’s face. As she pushed it back up, she reverted to her farmer accent. “Come again? How’d ya know my name?” Her white face scrunched up with scrutiny.

Leaning close, Sunset titled her head and whispered, “I’m looking for a certain vault that somepony’s grandmother may or may not have suggested their granddaughter know about.” Sunset pulled back her smile as she returned to stare down at the surprised filly.

The little mare did not react the way Sunset expected, however. “Everybody panic!” With the strength of a yak, Apple Bloom chucked her writing utensils into the air, ran to the counter, did a double flip, and disappeared. In her place, a flashing red light and a buzzer sprung forth, causing the guests of the Cheference to run frantically out of the restaurant. The other two waitresses escaped to the kitchen, wailing their own cries for help.

As suddenly as the panic started, the flashing red stopped and the buzzer was cut off. Mr. Barley appeared at the register with a stern look as he eyed the empty establishment, besides Sunset. “Where’s everybody going? Bingo?” He then laughed to himself, perhaps the only one to understand his reference. “Ah, I crack myself up.” His eyes then went to Apple Bloom. With a heft, he lifted the filly to the counter. “Why did you press the emergency button? There is no Flim and Flam here.”

Sunset rose, returning to the counter. “You have an entire button dedicated to those two? Well, maybe it’s more than coincidence that you’re running a restaurant in a place they own rather than Canterlot—or should I say, Princessland,” she remarked.

Removing his hat and placing glasses atop the bridge of his nose, he looked down at Sunset. “Have we met before?”

You could say that. Pulling up her shirt, her wings stretched from beneath her backpack. With her magic, she levitated the ball cap, dragging strands of mane and displaying her horn. “I’m sure you’ve heard of me. It may not be publicly known, but Flim and Flam aren’t on my good side. So, if you’ve set alarms for those two, you and I might have something in common.”

Mr. Barley’s face lit up before turning to the little filly. “You weren’t kidding! I knew it was the right thing to do, hiring you. Now a princess shows up, wanting in on the action.” He spoke as if it weren’t the first time hearing distasteful words of Flim and Flam.

It’s like they combined every world into one. Ponies love Flim and Flam, they helped save the world, at least, on the surface. Just like Tirek. Just like Nightmare Moon. She smoothed her t-shirt, releasing the creases with the back of her hoof, still maintaining eye contact with the filly and stallion. “I’m not sure what you two have gotten up to, but I need to know where this vault of theirs is.” Sunset then spoke directly to Apple Bloom: “Your sister is helping me.”

“Applejack?” Apple Bloom questioned, as if awakening from a dream. “Applejack’s here? But Granny—she always said the other Apples didn’t want to take on Flim and Flam. They were too busy stealin’ from nobodies and kindhearted ponies. If she’s here, if she’s helping you, does that mean…”

A terrifying scream echoed throughout the restaurant as the red glow of the light lit up Sunset’s vision. Mr. Barley reached for Apple Bloom, grabbing her by the waist and pulling her back down behind the counter. Turning to see what spooked the jumpy stallion, Sunset witnessed the single brother in the burning red glow of terror strut toward her. Did he hear the two? Did he know about her search for the vault?

Sunset grit her teeth. If she could clench her knuckles, they would’ve been white from the strain. Even in the red light, she could see the green of his eyes staring down his muzzle, all the way to his mustache, right below the set of freckles. Freckles? With a flick of her magic, Sunset pressed the button behind the counter, turning the red pony orange. “Applejack? You scared the blazes out of me.”

“You have no idea how ridiculous I feel,” Applejack said, drolly. “Best Granny could do on short notice.”

“Applejack?” Apple Bloom peered up from the counter, her nostrils protruding on the edge. “Is that really you?”

“Apple Bloom?”

Sunset stepped aside to let the two sisters embrace, though Apple Bloom needed to remain on the counter for her forelegs to wrap around the neck of the older sibling. “Is Mac with you too?”

Applejack shook her head. “No, I’m here ‘cause of Sunset Shimmer. Big Mac wanted no part of this, and I don’t blame him.” She swiveled to Sunset. “I don’t know what you saw or heard, but your senses are as keen as my dog Winona’s. There are these ponies—big studs in black suits—that seemed like they recognized me. They went high alert, storming into the convention room. I barely made it out right before then.”

“Oh no! Granny!” Apple Bloom wailed with fear.

“She’ll be fine.” Applejack waved the fear away. “Tough as nails.” Placing a hoof on the little sister’s shoulder, she smiled and her fake mustache flexed. “She told us that you know where Flim and Flam’s vault is.”

Mr. Barley eyed the mares from behind Apple Bloom. “Perhaps it is time for your scheme, little one. Your grandmother may have been against it, too dangerous for you and I, but that was when it was two. A third and forth, especially an alicorn—now that’s a spice your recipe needs.”

“Scheme?” Applejack sounded unsure.

“I’ve been tryin’ to get my cutie mark in everything I know, Applejack,” Apple Bloom confided, lowering her head. “Nothing’s worked. I was thinkin’ vault cracker might be the one, but Granny won’t let me do my plan. I know it’ll work. I just know it. If you’re here—maybe you can fill Granny’s spot. And with a princess, I’m a thousand percent sure we can get started!”

“You know I’m all about helpin’ you sis.” Applejack’s green stare turned to Sunset. “But I ain’t the one runnin’ this rodeo. Sunset? Thoughts?”

Sunset lingered in silence for a moment, perplexed. “You want my thoughts? My thought is we should hear her out. Can’t say no if I don’t know what her little plan is.” Apple Bloom stared at her with starry eyes, and Sunset knew she gained another admirer.

“Alright, alright, it goes like this,” Apple Bloom began, hopping off the counter. With a push of a second button, the marble within the counter flipped and revealed a hidden agenda. Surprised, Sunset then remembered where she stood and assumed it came from something else. Eyeing the discreet planner, poorly drawn pictures caught Sunset’s imagination. “There’s an architect that stays within FFGRC. He was originally commissioned by Flim and Flam to build the vault, however, after its creation he became unable to leave. He’s under constant watch by security, those stallions in black.”

Apple Bloom’s hoof dragged to the exaggerated crayon pony. “Earth pony. Short. He has a compulsive behavior. His routine is like clockwork, always appearing at the same places day in and day out. Whether or not he likes his forced residential sentence, he chooses to visit the Cheference daily due to the lack of security we get. It allows him the peace of mind of talking freely, which is how we found out he’s the architect. He always has a briefcase on him. Like, all the time. It’s locked to him. Inside, we know that it has the location and how to enter the vault, but we’ve been needing a unicorn who can get it away from him. Somepony who doesn’t have to get close, and who can replace it with a fake without gettin' noticed. Mr. Barley can’t do it, he has to been seen by the architect using his magic elsewhere.”

“Magic is my specialty,” Sunset replied. “And I have experience stealing things quietly. I like this plan so far. When does he arrive, and are we one hundred percent certain that the vault’s location is within his briefcase?”

“Absolutely!” Apple Bloom gleefully answered. “Well… the location, at least. How to crack into it is a completely other step, but—” Her hoof tapped some of the future designs, all done in crayon, for traps that might lie within the vault “—we’ve prepared for water traps, fire traps, spikes, laser, taxes, and guards. The architect’ll arrive before the supper crowd, usually around sunset.”

Sunset let out a long-winded sigh. “That late, huh?” She turned to Applejack. “If you can handle getting things set up here for his arrival, I can go meet up with one of the other bearers. I’ll be back before sundown, so you can fill me in on whatever is necessary.”

With a nod, Applejack said, “Shoot, this’ll be a breeze. I’m shocked at how thought out this is, Apple Bloom. This might really be your cutie mark. Not that I ain’t disappointed it won’t be an apple, but now I understand why Granny brought you along.”

Apple Bloom’s face once again lit up. “Really!?” she swooned. “My own cutie mark!”

“Alright,” Sunset chuckled. “I’ll be back. Try not to get into any trouble—or at least wait until I get back.”

Upon closing her eyes, she thought of the pink party mare and Ponyville. She listened to the two sisters for a moment before her focus turned inward. Beneath her cap, her horn lit and teleported her across Equestria. Opening her eyes, she found herself staring at a dark wall. Turning, her shadow’s head turned with her. Recognizing the poorly outfitted room as Pinkie’s bedroom without the bed, Sunset eyed the floor, wondering if Pinkie sat below with the papers she collected.

Gazing between the floorboards, Sunset called the mare. Beckoning repeatedly attained no answer. Where is she? Trotting out the door, she went downstairs. Light poured in through the shoddy shutters, yet they displayed no pink mare. Did I get my teleportation wrong? Her brows furrowed as she once again closed her eyes, focusing, and releasing the magic within her. And once again, she found herself staring at a dark wall, her shadow dancing against it. “Alright, something’s going on. Did Flim and Flam take her? Am I just focusing too much on her place? What’s going on?”

A sudden sound of low laughter echoed, causing Sunset to stir, eyeing the room with keenness. “Pinkie? Where are you?” She turned to the floor, giving a closer look to the darkened storeroom below. “Pinkie?”

“Behind you,” a whisper spoke, startling Sunset.

Spinning with a quick, though ungraceful turn, Sunset stared at the blank wall. The same wall she’d been teleporting to. “Wait, Pinkie Pie?” The wall turned slightly, displaying half the pink mare’s face. It wasn’t wall at all. “Is this all you’ve done since returning home?” Sunset asked, glaring at the painted mare. Matching the wall perfectly on one side, Pinkie didn’t look at all out of place until the pink side revealed itself.

“Yeah huh!” Pinkie replied, her smile a half pale beige, half pink. “Isn’t it neato?”

“Pinkie. You were supposed to be searching for wherever Flim and Flam left their password to the Elements of Harmony. Why have you just been coating yourself in—” Sunset examined the liquid closer, huffing the supposed paint “—wait is this white chocolate? You’re going to be a platter for ants. How did you even manage this by yourself?”

“With careful planning and excellent coordination! Now I am ready to infiltrate all of Ponyville in search of the passcode!” responded Pinkie, taking a hoof and running it through her fur. She then shoved it in her mouth, sucking off the warm, gooey chocolate.

Sunset grunted in disgust and shook her head. “Pinkie… You don’t have sneak in anywhere, you were just supposed to ask around.”

“What? Ask around?” Pinkie stared at the gap between Sunset’s eyes, clearly unsure which eye to look into and choosing neither. “Well now you tell me! I’ve just been baking things.” Skipping to the door, the pink mare was down the stairs before Sunset could stop her, pushing her pink fur into the kitchen.

Taking a clean towel, Sunset wiped off the white chocolate, pulling it as best she could with her magic. Once finished, though she was out of breath, Sunset dragged Pinkie outside, pointing at the tallest building within the town. The town hall’s roof, though dilapidated, stood like a beacon. The colors had faded overtime, and nopony seemed interested in repainting. "There, Pinkie. There."

“We’re going to visit the mayor?” Pinkie asked. “Of course! The mayor! She’ll have all the answers! You’re so smart, Princess Sunset Shimmer.”

A little sigh left Sunset’s lips as she entered the town hall unannounced. The main room was colder than the outside world, sending a slight chill up Sunset’s shirted back. As Pinkie closed the entrance, Sunset called for whoever would answer. When no one did, Sunset went to the nearest opening, a cracked door with a pouring of light. Eyeing through the short gap, she noted how many filing cabinets were open and empty. A desk sat to the side of them in the middle of the room, a pony behind it. Little lilts and hums came from the mare, though it took more than a second for Sunset to recognize the face.

When she did, she pushed through the door. “Not of Manehattan, but of Ponyville. Mayor Mare.”

The light brown mare glanced up from the desk, her hooves holding a single parchment. “A visitor? Rare these days. What brings you in? If it’s about the broken pipe, it’ll have to wait. That and the mailing service. Anything with water or mail, just, don’t bother.” Her tired eyes rolled helplessly as her head shook, though they shot to Sunset with a sudden interest. Her mouth moved a word, but as Pinkie entered, her face shot with surprise. “Pinkie? Is this mare with you? I don’t recognize her.”

“Hello Mayor Mare!” Pinkie saluted, and did not say anything else until the mayor reluctantly saluted back. “This here is my friend Princess Sunset Shimmer. She is looking for a password.”

Sunset turned to glare at the pink mare, but the dull-witted expression left her feeling it was hopeless to do so. Turning back to the mayor, Sunset lifted her cap. “That’s right. I’m Princess Sunset Shimmer,” she said with a grating smile. “It was supposed to be a secret, but it seems somepony doesn’t know what disguise means.”

“Princess Sunset Shimmer, I am quite sure that the mayor knows what disguise means. She is a very, very smart mare,” Pinkie responded without skipping a beat.

Mayor Mare rose from her chair and rounded the desk. “A real princess, here in our little town?” Bowing, she then said, “What an honor. Though I believe what you seek you already have.” While still bowing, the mayor shot a hoof to the empty cabinets. “All of our paperwork was given to Pinkie Pie as she—well, to be perfectly honest, she would have collected it regardless. It seemed easier and more convenient to allow her to guard such trivial documents.”

Raising up the mayor, Sunset then realized her search would be tiresome. “So, you wouldn’t have any documents relating to Flim and Flam?”

“Oh! I had no idea they were requesting it so soon,” replied Mayor Mare, stunning Sunset.

Her shoulders tensed at the thought. Are they aware of what I’m doing? So soon? She gritted her teeth.

“It’s only been a month, but they seemed so lax about it, I suppose I really should’ve gotten to it sooner,” the mayor then added.

Sunset’s relief exploded as she visibly relaxed. “You don’t have it? Pinkie’s got it?” She turned to the pink mare. “Why didn’t you just tell me that?”

Pinkie’s unsure stare met Sunset’s own. “I didn’t know I did. You think I read every paper I collect? How strange you are, Princess Sunset Shimmer.”

Rolling her eyes, Sunset thanked the mayor, leaving the town hall and returning to what was known as Sugar Cube Corner. Though annoyed, she also felt relief, having one piece of the puzzle. Regardless that it was trapped in the confines of so much paperwork, Sunset cheered herself. Even as she stared deep into the pit beneath the floorboards at the thousands of papers and parchments, reprieve washed over her. A hefty sigh left her lips as she began lifting the stacks up into the bedless bedroom.

One by one, Pinkie examined each page. “Wow! There are fancy words written on these!” she exclaimed. It was charming, until she said it for the umpteenth time.

Sunset’s teeth clenched. It would take hours for them both to find whatever may be the password to Flim and Flam’s safes. Heading back down stairs, she opened the door and examined the sky, eyeing the sun’s presence to see how late in the day it’d become. “Not even close to sundown,” she said only to herself. She was glad, for a moment, before the smoke emanated out the door just above her. How odd, she thought, if only to quickly realize the smoke came from inside the house.

With a churn of her stomach and a turn of her head, she followed the smoke to the kitchen where a fire stormed and raged. The bed that unraveled from the oven was the cause, and Sunset immediately thought of a riddle. Burn the kitchen! With a quick spell, she knocked the faucet off the sink, hoping to release an unstable burst of water that, with her magic, she could turn stable and toward the growing inferno.

However, no water erupted. “The water department! No water!” she cursed, remembering the mailing department. As seconds passed, the flames grew higher, lapping at the ceiling—and the pink pony’s papers.

Instead of running, Sunset teleported upstairs to Pinkie. “You and your ridiculous bed!” she yelled before taking hold of all the papers and the pink mare with her magic. “Why do you have to be so difficult!?” Ignoring the mare’s response, Sunset focused on Rarity. The anchor, the linchpin to their whole plan, Sunset aimed her teleport to Princessland. Not only did she bring herself, but every piece of paper and their owner.

In one flash, Charmer’s living room flooded.

Like a pool, each mare reached the surface of the papers one at a time. “Rarity? Rarity!” She called, swimming to the unicorn. “Sorry about the mess. Had to act fast. Somepony decided it necessary to leave the oven on the bed.”

“The bed?” Rarity said, perplexed. “I wanted to be your anchor, not your paper weight.”

World 6: Chapter 10

The piles were neatly organized, though stacks lined the walls of the kitchen, blocking the door to the outside. “Well, I suppose my keen eye can easily locate whatever is within these papers,” Rarity replied to Sunset’s request. Within the files upon files lay the key to one of the many safes holding the Elements of Harmony. “And with, uh, Pinkie here, perhaps the work will go twice as fast.”

Sunset had cooled from her earlier rage, her frustration toward the pink mare subdued. “Thanks, Rarity.” She then went to Pinkie Pie who laid upside-down staring at a random page. “I’m sorry about your house, Pinkie.”

“Don’t worry, Princess Sunset Shimmer. It was free, and I have no concept of money,” replied Pinkie with a gleeful, innocent smile.

“Oh. Well, alright, as long as you’re not beat up over it, I guess.” Sunset scratched the back of her head, contemplating exactly what went through the pink pony’s mind. “I’ll be back. I’m off to the Crystal Empire since I’ve got time before helping Applejack. Just toss the pages out that you don’t need.”

Leaving the two bearers to their tedium, Sunset thought of the purple unicorn, the crystal architecture, and the frozen north. Disappearing and reappearing, she found herself staring at a white, burly chest. Her eyes shot up to meet the stallion who happened to be the sibling of the mare she wanted. Close enough, I guess, she mused as she backpedaled. “Hello, Shining Armor. Where’s Twilight?”

Her head swiveled to his sides, realizing they stood within the throne room. “R-right here, Sunset,” Twilight spoke and Sunset turned. Only, Twilight did not stand alone. “A f-friend decided t-to wait for you.”

Grimacing, Sunset dared show her true feelings toward Flim. She recognized him due to his lack of mustache, yet his brother was nowhere in sight. Seeing the two split worried her more than she would admit. “I see.”

“Come, Twilight.” Shining Armor led his sister from the throne room, leaving Sunset alone with the single twin.

“Just you? Where’s your brother?” Sunset inquired, though her curiosity remained feigned.

“Princessland, overseeing our plans to turn Tartarus into a single jail for a special pony. We’ve been preparing it for a long time, a lot of resources have gone into it. Even removed the previous guest. It’ll be all worth it once we put you there,” replied the stallion with an ever smug grin. “Nice disguise, by the way.”

Standing defensively, Sunset stared down her nose at the twin. “Tartarus isn’t big enough to contain me. Neither is Equestria. Your Discord should’ve known that.”

“He’s rather unreliable when it comes to the dull necessities of life,” Flim acknowledged. “But that’s why he picked us. We’re good at planning. And we’re even smarter than you’d want to give us credit for.” He too stood defensively, surprising Sunset, as his power couldn’t match hers. “Come now. Telling the princesses a lie and telling them to lie about it? As if we wouldn’t immediately understand what you were doing.”

“So you realized it.”

“We were there when your Discord told you he didn’t know where the Elements of Harmony are, which means they aren’t in the Tree of Harmony. Did you really think that we’d be foolish enough to believe you’d try to get them their Elements just as you did in that first world? They’ve watched you! Of course they’d know the Tree of Harmony can only give the Elements if they’re located within the tree itself. Our Discord fed us all the loopholes and we plugged them good. You can’t be so dense to believe we’d fall for it..”

But Sunset stood stunned. Can this be? Am I that foolish? How did I not realize that? Her mistake was written all of her face, her mouth agape and eyes wide. She didn’t even see the stallion anymore, only her own incompetence. Of course the Elements need to be in the tree! Why did I slip up? How is this possible? This is just like gaining Twilight’s crown all over again!

Flim noticed the expression change and the voiceless huffing of air from the alicorn. “Or, maybe you are.” His brows shot up with his own stunned look. “Huh. Perhaps I shouldn’t have said anything. We assumed you were smart… that it was…” He paused, pressing a hoof to his chin. “How can Discord truly be worried about this sham of a princess?” he muttered in a low voice.

When the stallion left, Sunset didn’t notice. Her own failure and obliviousness kept her mind enraptured in her failing pride. Once she became aware of the world, Flim no longer in her presence, she shook off the humiliation. “I guess I should be happy they think I’m brainless and that my plans are in ruin, but I can’t believe I overlooked that detail. I can’t slip up again.”

“It all worked out,” the backpack whispered. “Just adds to the fact that I am glad to have backed you.”

“Thanks for the pep talk. Doesn’t make me feel any less foolish, but at least I’ve bought some more time.”

Heading out into the hall, Twilight was waiting patiently with crystal guards at her side. The distraught face dissipated as soon as she saw Sunset. “You’re okay! I can’t believe it!” Hugging tightly, Twilight’s tears fell into Sunset’s hair. “I was so worried. When I arrived, I th-thought Shining Armor rolled out the red carpet for me. Turns out it was for Flim. I’m not sure how much he told Shining, but my brother refuses to aid you.” Her sadness returned. “I’m s-sorry. I haven’t had much time to search.”

“Are you kidding? Flim just made me realize something,” Sunset said as she pulled Twilight into the throne room, closing the doors. Alone, she smiled. “I’ve been trying my hardest to pull things together, but relying on friends is how everything has always worked out. Friendship is the key, Twilight. We’ll find their password, we can do it. As friends.”

Pushing her hooves to her cheeks, Twilight giggled, wrinkling her nose and pushing her glasses upward. “I can’t believe I-I’m friends with a princess!” A look of surprise abruptly passed over her face. “Oh! But I did manage to get a good starting point. When Shining Armor stopped allowing me to read over messages from Flim and Flam, he gave some of the older letters to a…” She paused. “He’s like some sort of wizard? Historian?” Her face scrunched up. “I-I don’t know. His name is Sunburst.”

“Sunburst!?” Sunset erupted. Of course it’d have to be Sunburst! Well, won’t he be surprised when I’m the one with the wings this time around? The thought made her giggle. “Very well, Twilight. And very good! Lead on.”

Trailing out of the castle, Twilight led them with ease to Sunburst’s crystal home. Thanks to Sunset’s disguise, no crystal pony bothered stopping them for autographs, allowing their journey to be short. The sun barely stood past noon.

When the stallion answered, he recognized Twilight and invited both mares in. The strange way he lived surprised Sunset. It reminded her of another. Books piled in every direction, on and on each other, much like the papers she left with Rarity and Pinkie. The only place where books refrained from being stacked was the kitchen sink. “Anything for the prince’s sister,” he commented. “Who is your friend, by the way?”

“Sunset Shimmer,” Sunset replied, purposely avoiding the declaration of her title.

Yet Sunburst recognized the name regardless. “Princess Sunset Shimmer?” His eyes scanned over her and the disguise she bore. “As in, new princess, soon to be added to the litany of princesses in Princessland, Princess Sunset Shimmer?”

“Soon to be added is a hilarious concept,” Sunset muttered to Twilight. “Yes, that’s right,” she spoke to Sunburst, removing her hat with her magic. “Can’t have every pony in the Crystal Empire come chasing me down for an autograph, after all.”

“What an honor!” Sunburst threw himself to the floor, almost knocking a stack of books over on top of him in the process. “What can I do for you, princess?”

“I’m here to collect a specific item given to Shining Armor by the brothers Flim and Flam,” she replied, using the earlier information from Mayor Mare. “Twilight here believes you’d have information on its location, since she no longer mitigates Shining Armor’s messages.”

The stallion cleared his throat. “Shining Armor did have a need for a pony who would keep up with the communications of Princessland, but I only receive old messages. Shining Armor holds all new letters. Something about not wanting another romance novel commissioned in his name?”

Twilight’s face went red with blush. “We-we’re actually looking for an old message. It’d have been a while back.”

Stroking his beard, Sunburst paced as he thought on the subject. “An old message? Relating to Flim and Flam? I think a month ago Shining Armor came for such a letter. Though I do not remember why or what its purpose was.”

“Shining Armor has it? I’m not so certain he’ll give it up, Sunset,” Twilight mentioned.

“Actually, he can’t,” Sunburst replied. “He burnt it as soon as I gave it to him.”

“He burnt it? Why would he do that?” Sunset shot a look to Twilight who struggled with the puzzle. “If it had the combination on it then…” It suddenly clicked. “Not all of them are combinations.”

Twilight squinted. “You mean a key? That makes s-sense! Why would every lock be the same?”

“I’m not sure what you two are talking about,” Sunburst replied.

“It’s not a problem. You’ve been a big help.” Sunset bowed to the stallion and quickly pulled Twilight out of the home. “Come on. Back to the castle. I know exactly where those two would’ve commanded Shining Armor to put it.”

“Really?” Twilight hustled to match Sunset’s pace. “How?”

“They’ve got a sick sense of humor, I’ve found.”

Into the castle and up the steps, they huffed and puffed upon arriving in the throne room. “Shining Armor isn’t here. Are we looking for him?” Twilight asked.

“No. It’s here.” Removing the carpet, Sunset showed the unicorn a secret passage, blocked by a single trap door.

“This has been here? Since when?” Twilight gawked, her eyes studying the wood and iron. “My brother knows about this? He never filled me in.” She shot a look to Sunset. “How did you know about it?”

“It’s always here. How many times have I traveled down here? How many times have—” She stopped as her magic struggled to pull up the door. Glancing at the side, she realized someone locked it. “Seriously?” Zapping off the iron padlock, she swung the door upward. “If that doesn’t speak volumes about being on the right track, I’m not sure what does.” Stepping down into the stairway, she looked back up at Twilight who remained in shock. “Well? Come on, slowpoke.”

Trotting down into the dimly lit underground, Twilight slowly accompanied the alicorn. “What is this place? How’d you know it was here?”

“I’ve been here before, like I said. To stop Sombra. To stop changelings. To stop yo—” She cut herself off before she spoke the words. Lips tightly sealed, she glanced back at the purple mare who was stammering down the steps worse than her stammered speech. “You alright?”

“It’s hard to see the steps when my gla-glasses keep shooting down my nose,” Twilight responded, her hoof holding the gap between the lenses.

With a smile, Sunset turned and looked up at Twilight. “Then we’ll take a faster route. I know I shouldn’t be expending my magic wastefully, but you have no idea what it’s like being an alicorn.” She realized her mistake. “Well, you don’t, but you do…”

“Sunset? You’re acting strange. What are you talking about?”

Shaking her head, Sunset said, “Nevermind.” Lifting the t-shirt from her back, she extended her wings from beneath the backpack. Taking Twilight within her magical grasp, Sunset levitated the mare behind her as she jumped. Gliding like a graceful feather, Twilight screamed at the prospect of falling. The purple unicorn screamed even more when Sunset’s hat flew off, hitting her in the face and blinding her to the fall. Upon reaching the bottom, Sunset set Twilight on the ground and removed the blinder. “Twilight!” she yelled over the continuous screaming. Placing the cap into the unicorn’s mouth, Sunset silenced Twilight. “We’re here.”

Muffled, Twilight asked where here was.

The dark crystal walls hung in a silence once the echoes ceased. No hums. No slight coldness. Only a single door of dark purple wood and a spruce green border. “How could I forget about this door? Last time Sombra took care of it,” Sunset noted. “We’ll need to go back up and I’ll just have to take us flying.” Taking the hat from the unicorn’s mouth, Sunset began her trek back up the steps.

“There’s no way I-I’m going to float anywhere!” Rushing to the door, Twilight pulled it open. “If it’s beyond here then there’s no sense in—”

While Twilight was unaware of the danger, nor quick enough to shield her eyes, Sunset knew of the terror. Pulling down the bill, Sunset went to the door and slammed it shut. “Twilight, are you alright!?”

Blinking, tears swelled at the edges of her purple lids. “I-I saw…”

Sunset didn’t let her finish. Embracing, she held Twilight, whispering soothing words. She’d seen the atrocities first hoof, and she only imagined what sort of terrible nightmare Twilight experienced within the fraction of a moment. “Close your eyes,” she told Twilight. Both mares held tightly as Sunset reopened the door, trotting backwards through the gap, and closing the door behind them. “It’s safe. I’ve got you.”

“Whoa!” Twilight yelped upon opening her eyes. Light blanketed the walls around them, reflecting against the crystal pillar and stairs. “Sunset, this is impressive. I never knew any of this was here. That door, this? It’s all new!”

“Yeah, and if you don’t want me to carry you we need to start climbing. It’s quite the journey with no time to rest.” Pacing herself, she began the trot up the steps. “Hopefully I’m right. They’ve been notably toying with my past experiences. Whether that’s Discord’s doing or the brothers, I’m not sure, but it’s becoming creepy.”

“Did you ever run into any other Discord in any of the worlds you traversed?” Twilight asked as she followed, her trot slower than Sunset’s.

Easing her steps, Sunset stopped and glanced over her shoulder. “Only one,” she answered. Refusing to allow any other inquiry of the draconequus, she swiftly changed the conversation. “It’s funny. I’ve only met you five times, while the other bearers I’ve met six. In a world ruled by a magic eater, you ran away with your magic, out of Equestria. I thought it was a mistake, but it turns out you were probably the smartest pony there.”

“Run away? That’s awfully cowardly, yet you’re commending it? Why?”

“Empathy, Twilight,” she replied, continuing her trot. “I’m a lot of things. I can be brash and careless, even a little stubborn at times. But I understand how ponies feel. Sometimes too well. Maybe it’s why I was chosen to aid you six over and over. That Twilight Sparkle did the smartest thing she could do, and I understand why she did it.” She taught me something and she’ll never even know.

“Well, at least you’re humble. That’s good,” Twilight said sincerely, though a hint of curiosity still loomed in her voice. “Is your world’s Princess Celestia like ours?”

Sunset shrugged. “I don’t honestly know. I haven’t talked to her in a little while. A long while.” Too long. “I think I know what I’ll say when I see her next, though. I’ve had plenty of time to plan it out.” I was your sarcastic little pupil. No, no. That won’t do. I was your snide little pupil who betrayed and abandoned you. Yeah, that works better.

“Princess Celestia is fantastic. She’s my favorite princess, you know. I was almost her pupil once. Imagine, me at Princess Celestia’s side. Th-that’d be a dream come true!”

“You and every other Twilight mirror that dream.”

Reaching the top, Sunset opened another hatch. Crystal walls coated the observation deck, removing the righteous view of the Crystal Empire. “Guess we couldn’t have reached it from the outside,” Sunset noted, eyeing the intricate design. “Looks like they went through a lot of work to make this place look as if it was supposed to be hidden all along. Makes sense. The Crystal Heart was once here.” Judging the pedestal, Sunset greeted the hidden treasure.

“Why would they hide it in a place they knew you’d find it?” asked Twilight.

“I wonder that too. They’ve been doing it a lot. Perhaps in their infinite wisdom, they thought it some sort of comedy to hide their keys in the places that scorn me. Places I’d like to not visit repeatedly. Or it could even be a trap...”

Drawing closer to the pedestal, Sunset noticed that in the Crystal Heart’s place sat a diamond key. Long and slender, it reminded her of old antique doors where one could pry through the keyhole mischievously. Lifting the key with her magic, Sunset expected a trap to spring. Her heart stopped its pumping, hushing itself so that she may hear a faint clicking or tapping within the silence. Nothing came.

Returning to Twilight’s side, her eyes remained locked on the diamond key. “This was too easy. Like capturing Rarity easy,” Sunset told her.

“Capturing Rarity?” Twilight squinted at the statement.

“I’m growing ever suspicious of Discord,” Sunset said, ignoring the query. “It reminds me of the time in a world I visited where me and my friend snuck into Canterlot Castle and attempted to free Princess Celestia. We were against the changelings. The surprising ease ended in a duel against the changeling queen, she’d been waiting for us. It’s hard not to concern myself with the small details after all the things I’ve been through.”

Twilight held no real answer, only a stammering sentence that provided Sunset with no encouragement. “M-maybe you s-shouldn’t worry so much since yo-you’re a princess.”

Breathing in, a befuddled memory of a distasteful goo stringing down her throat rose from her senses. She choked on it for a moment, suddenly coughing. “Enough of that,” Sunset said, wiping tears that came with the gagging. “Since there is nothing left, we’ll return to Rarity.” Twilight offered no rebuttal. In a moment they were gone, leaving the memory and the Crystal Empire behind.

Upon their arrival to Charmer’s home, a stack of papers exploded around them. The first noise heard was a throttled groan of frustration. “Darling,” Rarity greeted, sternly yet civil. “You must be careful upon your entrances. Another inch and you could’ve pushed a pile into another and started a domino effect.” Twirling her own magic, Rarity collected the paperwork.

“Sorry about that,” Sunset said as she helped restack the pile. “I’ve brought someone who can help, though. And a key, which should be given to the pony who helped find it.” Turning to Twilight, Sunset levitated the key to her person. “Keep it safe until everyone is back together, alright?”

Though it wasn’t much of a request, it clearly meant the world to Twilight. Her face held the largest smile that could rival any of Pinkie Pie’s. “A-absolutely!” Holding it to her chest, Twilight swaddled it in her forelegs like a baby. “What’s with the papers?”

“Help Rarity and Pinkie. Somewhere in here is a passcode to one of the safes. I’ve got to catch up with the next bearer.”

“You can start by going over Pinkie’s already checked work, Twilight,” Rarity commanded. “While enthusiastic, I’m not even sure she knows what we’re looking for.” Then, under her breath, she said, “Or maybe she doesn’t know how to read?”

Sunset’s eyes wandered until she spotted the pink mare who laid on her back with her tongue dangling from her mouth. Though the blue pupils stared up at the paper she held, they did not move, as though she didn’t read the words. As if feeling Sunset’s eyes, Pinkie suddenly shot a look toward the alicorn. “Hi Princess Sunset Shimmer!” she hollered, splattering the paper with saliva from her slavering tongue.

Sunset smiled and teleported away before the pink pony could run to her and knock over even more piles. Things were progressing at a smooth rate, and Sunset only worried what might have overcome the yellow pegasus. Yet when she arrived in the city of Griffonstone, she realized her mistake. This Fluttershy was not like any other Fluttershy. Calm, confident, and a level of solidarity that rivaled the brooding, angsty teens who hung below the bleachers at CHS.

Her trench coat wrapped tightly around her chest, Sunset could even see the indentations of her notepad and pencil. The hat she once wore was now nowhere to be seen, the pink mane dripping down her shoulders. It did not cover her face, much like every other Fluttershy would’ve allowed. “Sunset.” A flex of her brow showed relief. “Things are going well, I assume?”

“And why do you assume that?” Sunset asked.

“You’ve already reached me, and I haven’t discovered a clue as to where this code could be.”

“That’s awfully smug of you,” Sunset noted, glancing over the pegasus. “You wanted to find the code before I got to you, right?”

“That was my hope.” Fluttershy kicked the ground, a dirt clump rolling along. “Griffonstone, the city of griffons, yet everyone ignores me.” She then lifted her hoof, pointing to the busy griffon workers repairing a dilapidated sign outside a store front.

Sunset’s eyes spun in her skull as she became entranced with the architecture. The city, thriving in a golden era of prosperity, bustled with ponies and griffons. Her only other interaction with the town remained as a fashionable, ten minute memory. Though not as large as Manehattan or the Crystal Empire, Ponyville would weep in the shadow of this Griffonstone.

“All the griffons are busy. Cashiers and store owners kicked me out, construction workers only whistle in response to my questions, and even the children simply stare up at me with silent expressions,” Fluttershy recalled.

Though Fluttershy searched for an answer that might be within Sunset, the alicorn gave no response. Sunset remained tight lipped as she walked further into the city, eyeing the tall buildings made from thick tree trunks. They were like the apartments of Manehattan. Several floors, several occupants. “Excuse me. We’re looking for help,” Sunset beckoned a griffon who matched her height, but as she came closer the griffon went the opposite way. “Well, that was rude.”

“I told you.” Fluttershy’s face scrunched up, either hurt by the alicorn’s disbelief or the griffon’s arrogance.

Glancing around, Sunset noticed that she and Fluttershy were the only two ponies who the griffons ignored. Floral patterned shirts and straw hats made up the fashion of ponies who stood around taking pictures. Some exuberated awe, eyeing the structures or feasting upon delicious-looking treats. She tapped her nose, noting how some griffons led ponies through the streets, lifting their claws to buildings and avenues.

“Fluttershy, you’ve got your camera, right?”

Lifting it hidden from her neck, Fluttershy handed off the camera. “I assume you’ve come up with something?”

Upon finding the closest griffon, Sunset held the camera in her magic, close to her face. “Excuse me. I’m a bit lost.”

To Fluttershy’s surprise, he turned to Sunset with a hard smile on his beak. Leaning on his broom, he pointed at Sunset. “Lost? You tourists usually are. What is it you’re looking for?”

“I’m trying to find the biggest attraction Griffonstone has to offer, and maybe a guide to the local events,” Sunset stated.

“Biggest attraction? That’d be our castle. It’s hard to miss. Right up this main road. Can’t miss it. Even has an information booth right outside.” Then, making small talk, he added, “I’m not sure why they never moved it closer to the train station. You ponies make Griffonstone out to be some confusing mess of homes and trees. Meanwhile, Manehattan is just one tall grey blob.”

Sunset chuckled, glancing back at the stone-faced Fluttershy. “Yeah, that’s Manehattan. Thanks for your help!”

Trotting back to the pegasus, Fluttershy said, “I already went to the castle. Griffons ignored me there too.” Her eyebrows furrowed. “I suppose they won’t now, of course. A tourist, huh?”

“Come on, super sleuth.” Sunset tipped the lid of her cap, grinning beneath its shadow.

Passing slate-colored trees, golden stalks of hay lining roofs, Sunset gawked at the plethora of griffons. Young children with bushy tails chased toys in the street, while old, wrinkly elders chatted with each other, talking of the good ol’ days. Of course, those good ol’ days were the present to them. Yet still, even with the beautiful architecture, Sunset did not see the griffon she hoped to find.

Upon reaching the tourist booth, they found the griffon in charge at lunch, leaving the post abandoned. “We may as well just head inside the castle,” Fluttershy stated. “Maybe we can hitch on the back of someone else’s guide.”

“Good thinking.”

Into the castle of hard, dark grey stone, the shapes seemed out of place compared to the rest of Griffonstone. Smaller than any pony castle, the throne room was the center piece upon entry, with little offshoot rooms to the left and right. By some luck, a griffon in a fancy robe led a group of ponies back to the entrance as Sunset and Fluttershy entered. “That concludes our tour,” she said. “Thank you for visiting Castle Griffonstone.” Turning, the griffon frowned at the two newest tourists. “I’m sorry, but the next tour won’t be for another hour.”

“Another hour?” Sunset groaned. “I don’t suppose you could answer a few questions, even if you’re not giving a tour?”

“Questions? Ponies always have questions. I must decline, or else I won’t get lunch.” The griffon then held a claw to them, as if to say talk to the claw.

“Even as tourists we don’t get a guide,” Sunset murmured, if only to Fluttershy.

But the pegasus tapped her shoulder. Pointing at a griffon in the corner who nonchalantly flipped a bit, Fluttershy suggested, “Let’s ask her.” Without waiting for Sunset, she trotted over to the griffon.

If Fluttershy had waited, she might have seen the surprise and glee on the alicorn’s face. “The Red Brick Wall!” the memory shouted, echoing in Sunset’s mind as she followed the pegasus. Her eyes stared at the sharp beak, the eyes shadowed beneath the eve of the staircase who trailed above the griffon. Brown and white, Gilda appeared out of place with the castle of grey and red. Even the purple streaks in her white feathers did not match the surroundings. While other griffons wore robes, gowns, or suits, she wore a grin, though Sunset envisioned her in dark blue armor.

“Tourists, eh?” Gilda spoke to Fluttershy, though she eyed Sunset and the camera. “Yeah, I can give you a tour. Ten bits.”

When Fluttershy looked to Sunset for money, the alicorn came up short. “Listen, if I’d known I needed a fortune to bed and clothe you bearers, I’d have asked the princesses for money,” she whispered out of earshot of the griffon.

Rolling her eyes, Fluttershy produced the coins and shot them to Gilda’s palm. “Tour, please.”

Gilda counted the bits, even taking a bite out of one. When she finished, she grinned and pointed at the steps up to the throne. “That’s the king’s throne.” She then pointed to the far door. “That’s the entrance.” Then in two other directions, she said, “There’s the kitchen and there’s the bedrooms.” Falling to all fours, she saluted the two. “Thanks for the bits! Tours over.”

“You can’t be serious,” Sunset practically shouted, throwing her hooves up. “Can you believe this, Fluttershy?” She wasn't this rude during Nightmare's Night!

“Absolutely.” Fluttershy’s smile confused the alicorn. “I know how to deal with this.”

Shooting up an eyebrow, Sunset watched as the pegasus took more of her bits from her pockets. Fluttershy chased Gilda to the door, blocking the exit. “I don’t mean to be rude, but we were hoping for an extra super special tour. You know, to the super special secret?” Dropping a wingful of bits into the griffon’s palms, Fluttershy gave a convincing smile.

“Oh, so you’re one of those historian buff tourists. My lucky day,” Gilda said, greedily taking the bits, not even leaving any on the floor. “Secret passage is behind the throne, levers on the back. Since the tour guides are on break, you should have no problems entering. Just remember to be out before the hour is over. Wouldn’t want you to be locked in there.” Pushing past Fluttershy, Gilda took her bits, laughing herself out into the sunlight.

When Fluttershy returned to Sunset, throwing a nod to the throne, Sunset said, “I do hope you know what you’re doing, Fluttershy. That looked like a lot of money.”

“You add a lot to your repertoire when you've started your own detective agency. Even if it's just pets. Bribery for more information, a useful talent," Fluttershy answered, waving off the loss.

The two trotted up the winding, grey-blue staircase up to the throne. Golden fodder strung the seat with a yellow back. Eyeing the gap between the seat and the wall, Sunset wondered where exactly the secret passage would open. Gilda proved true, however, and Sunset found the lever behind the throne. Pushing it down, a clicking rang out, followed by the snapping of gears. The wall on the far side, between the gap, lowered and valued the darkness which it kept locked away.

Gliding across, Fluttershy made it first, then Sunset. When they were both on the other side, Sunset snapped the lever back into place with her magic. “What are you doing? We’ll be trapped!” Fluttershy erupted, sending echoes within the darkened passage.

“Trapped?” Sunset lit her horn. “You’re going to be trapped in here with an alicorn who has teleported six times today, all across Equestria?”

Hiding her face from the light, Fluttershy meekly mumbled a response. Leading into the tunnel first, Sunset followed the pegasus, eventually discovering an antechamber with a single treasure in the middle. The lights flipped on, allowing Sunset to cool her magic. “Is this part of the safes?” Fluttershy asked, quieter than any of her other questions.

The piece of golden treasure stood like a beacon amongst the blue-grey walls of the antechamber. The dome shape of the room loomed in awe of the beauty. “Guess they really don’t want anyone to steal this thing,” Sunset said, eyeing the artifact. “I’m not so sure this thing is a key, but it might hold it somewhere.” Tilting the treasure, she examined the bottom, then the orb in the center.

Like a flame atop a golden claw, the metal twirled in a spiral around an orb of multiple colors. Every few seconds the pink hue would become cyan, then grey, then a plethora of other pastels. It reminded Sunset of Celestia’s mane and the wondrous shape it held. “We shouldn’t take the whole thing, should we?” Fluttershy asked, and as if on cue, the secret passage once again opened.

“They’re in there!” they heard Gilda yell. “Get ‘em, officers!”

In the shadows, large body griffons with spears could be seen coming through the passage, charging to meet Sunset and Fluttershy head on. “It’s time to go!” Sunset told Fluttershy, taking hold of the entire trophy.

In a blink, both the pegasus and the alicorn stood with the trophy, an explosion of papers all around them.

“Sunset!” both the unicorns of the room chorused.

“Girls!” Sunset exclaimed, surprised by the angered reactions. She eyed the many papers still left in searching, and the many more littering the floor. “Well, I guess first place goes to me for most dramatic entrances,” she said, holding up the trophy.

World 6: Chapter 11

“You’re in charge. Figure it out,” Sunset told Fluttershy just before another teleport. Though the question of whether or not the trophy really was a key remained in the air.

The sun grew lower with each passing minute, the thought of returning to Applejack remained on Sunset’s mind. She chose Rainbow Dash, hoping the pegasus would be an easy stop. Yet with the sun’s dwindling presence, the red sand and dirt of the Badlands turned dark beneath her hooves. Even darker were the caves dug into the tall pillar that stood before Sunset. No ice cream this time around, she thought, a moment of hunger passing through her stomach.

“These are my gems! I found them lying in a cart!” the rainbow pony yelled, snapping Sunset back to reality.

A nest of dragons stood before the pegasus, each with crossed arms and scornful faces. At the forefront, a cerulean dragoness, and at her sides, a red dragon and a brown dragon. “Garble, Growler,” the dragoness beckoned with a snap of her fingers. Both the red and the brown dragons trotted toward Rainbow Dash, forcing the pegasus to drop the gems in her hooves.

“You want a fight, huh? I’ve been needing a good workout,” Rainbow Dash said with a puff of her chest, the white tank top she wore somehow more dirty than before.

“After all the napping, Rainbow Dash, I’d have expected you to be a lump of lard.” Sunset trotted between the two dragons and the pegasus. Lifting her hat from her head, she tucked it beneath her backpack. “Good work finding the dragons. You even found the one I was hoping to see again,” she spoke directly to Dash, though her eyes held themselves on the two named Garble and Growler. “Princess Ember! A word, if you please.”

Pushing between the two dragons, Ember held a defensive stance to the alicorn. “Who are you? Another thief like the pegasus? If you know who I am, you must also know I am the authority here.”

“You’re forthcoming with information, aren’t you?” Lifting her t-shirt, the orange wings fluttered to full grace. “I’ve got authority here, princess to princess.”

With both hands on her hips, Ember leaned backward, grimacing at the alicorn. “Oh goodie. A Flim Flam stooge. What is it you want, princess?”

“I sent my helper to the Badlands in search of a key or code to a Flim Flam vault,” Sunset told honestly, surprising Rainbow Dash. “I’ve been collecting their combinations and keys while they remain busy with other tasks.”

Garble, the red dragon, stepped backward. “Oh no! They’re here for the crystal!” he spat, backpedaling further until he fell to his rump.

“Keep quiet, you fool!” Ember turned, raising a fist to the dragon.

“Looks like I’m not the only one stealing gems,” Rainbow mocked, attempting to gather the stones she left on the ground. Sunset blocked her, however, keeping their focus on the task.

“We didn’t steal it,” Ember replied with a snarl, smoke emanating from her nostrils. “Someone ate it.”

Sunset, with brows tossed up, blinked twice. “Excuse me?” she questioned, as if the notion was lost on her.

“Fine! I ate it, whatever! Go back and tell them to make a new one if they want it so bad. It’s not like we don’t have the plans for it.” When Sunset continued to stare, the cerulean dragoness unhinged, turning her back to the mares. “Growler, what are you waiting for? Go grab the plans! Lazy skink.”

Rushing into the cave, the brown dragon returned with a parchment, which was partially scorched. Unraveling past the broken wax of the seal, Growler handed it to Sunset. In a detailed drawing, apples sat eaten in a curved line. Like the phasing of the moon, the left two apples held bites taken out, varying in the amount from more eaten to less eaten. The right side mirrored the left, the opposite in contrast, while the center held one full apple. Notes on the paper suggested it be made entirely of gemstone, specifically, red crystal.

“Very well.” Rolling the parchment, Sunset looked up to the dragons. “I’ll need a bag of red gems, big red gems. Provide that and Flim and Flam won’t have to hear about your appetite.”

“Good thinking, Sunset,” Rainbow whispered. “With the gems, we can just buy ourselves into the safe.”

Sunset's frigid face turned to Dash, staring at the pegasus with restraint. Turning back to the dragons, Sunset said, “The bigger the gems the better. The dimensions show it as fairly lengthy.”

Grunting, Ember acknowledged the words. Following her forces into their mine, Sunset waited with Rainbow Dash outside. She glanced over the mine carts, which were bursting with emeralds, rubies, sapphires, topaz, and diamonds. Rainbow too stared at the contents, her mouth failing to keep the drool of want inside her gums. “Good work finding the dragons, Dash,” Sunset congratulated the pegasus, though it was neither a happy nor angry tone. “I’m glad I got here in time. Wouldn’t want to replace all your feathers and fur.”

“Oh please. I’d have been wearing scale armor in the next hour if you took any longer,” replied Dash, a smugness in her smile. “Would’ve made the costume gal jealous.”

“I’ll give you that. Of course, now we’ve got to find someone to design this crystal key.” Sunset unraveled the paper, eyeing the illustration once more. “This might take some time, though I'm glad to have it so easily. A trade off.” Her eyes shot to the sun, the horizon turning orange. “However, I’ll have to worry about it after I help Applejack.”

“How many codes we got?” Rainbow Dash asked, leaning heavily on the alicorn. Her eyes studied the drawing, though there was no sign of care within the bored pupils.

“Technically, I think three. Four, if you count this parchment.”

Shrugging, the pegasus steadied herself even more on the alicorn. “Glad my jobs done then.” With a yawn, she stretched, almost striking Sunset in the back of the head. “Here comes the lizards.”

Out of the cave and into the light, two heavy brown bags dropped to the ground in front of Sunset. “Take them and be gone. Flim and Flam can count this as their piece of the payment, too,” Ember said, her hands at her sides, a firmness in her body.

“That’s fine with me.” Levitating the bags, Sunset pushed Rainbow Dash back to a standing position. “Thanks for your help, Princess Ember.” The dragoness huffed, but if she had a rebuttal, the two mares wouldn’t hear it.

Unlike the previous times, Sunset teleported Rainbow Dash and the hefty sacks to the outside railing. However, stacks upon stacks of paper exploded around them, leaving trails and messes on the ground and steps below. “Sunset!” Rarity yelled from inside, tossing the door open to get to the alicorn. “Why are you like this?”

“Alright, this time it's your fault!” Sunset argued, dropping the sacks to help reform the piles.

“At least these were ones we already went through.” Rarity eyed the giant bags, noting the indentations of sharp, jagged edges protruding from the cloth. “I hope you haven’t brought more things for us to search through. We still haven’t located Pinkie’s combination.”

“No. I’m going to need something else for Rainbow Dash’s key.” Pushing in the sacks, Sunset set them by the door away from the piles of papers. With still many stacks to go, Sunset eyed the pink pony as she remained in the same spot she’d been when Sunset left. Her eyes stared blankly at the page held in her hooves, her tongue dangling dryly out her mouth. “It seems the dragons had the key, a designed ornament to be placed in a slot. But their leader ate it.” Unrolling the parchment, Sunset handed it off to Rarity.

Rainbow Dash trotted past, jumping and landing on the couch, causing Twilight to tumble to one side, losing the papers she levitated. “It was super easy, too. Shoot, I bet none of the other combinations or keys or whatever have been as easy.”

“Well, we still don’t have it, Dash,” Sunset corrected. “We’ve got to find somepony who can craft the design in such a way that it matches the specifications. It certainly won’t get done today. I was really hoping it would've.” Undoing the rope that bound the sacks tight, a few of the smaller red gemstones fell to the floor. “Right now, in this room, we have four objects to unlock the safes. The Crystal Empire key, that statue thing we got from Griffonstone, Pinkie’s paper combination, and a gemstone recreation. Three of those, well, we might not even be able to use right away.”

“Sombra has the first combination,” Twilight added. “What about Applejack’s?”

Slapping a hoof to her horn, Sunset yelped. “Applejack! I’ve got to meet up with her soon to start the beginning of their little theft.” Her eyes turned to the gems. “Maybe I can find someone in Princessland who knows how to cut precious stones into shapes.”

“My sister knows how to do that!” yelled Pinkie from the floor, her tongue spitting saliva onto her paper. “Maud collects rocks.”

“It could take weeks to get her a message, then weeks to get a message in return,” Twilight stated, and Sunset remembered the Ponyville post system. “Even then, she might not be able to make it right away.”

Fluttershy, who remained quiet the entire interaction, her whole world resolved to finding the mystery of the Griffonstone trophy, suddenly snapped back to reality. “There’s somepony who could get a message in an hour. Somepony in this room.”

“What?” Sunset’s brows furrowed. “Fluttershy, if you’re talking about me, I don’t know where Maud Pie is. I can’t just teleport randomly. It’s why I’ve been using you all as focus points. One miscalculation and I might end up at the bottom of the sea, in the belly of a whale.”

The yellow pegasus shook her head, a hoof lifting from the trophy. She pointed to the only other pegasus in the room. “Rainbow Dash can get there. She could be there in an hour.”

Rainbow Dash, who feigned her snoring the second she laid down on the couch, shot up with a piercing glare. “And just what makes you think I can do that, Fluttershy?”

“Out of everyone I’ve ever met, you’re the fastest pegasus I know. If anypony can, you can,” argued Fluttershy.

As if the challenge backfired, Rainbow Dash threw herself to the ground, barreling toward Fluttershy until they were a nose apart. “I’m the fastest!? You seriously still think that? Or do you think I’m going to fall for your reverse psychosis?”

"Psychology," corrected Twilight.

“Dash…” Sunset tried to intervene.

“No, Sunset. Rainbow Dash is a lot of terrible things,” Fluttershy put a hoof up, blocking all intervention. “She’s a conniving mare who resents her life and those around her. I saw it in your eyes, Dash. You’ve failed all your life, ever since the academy. What? Didn’t think I’d hear about you leaving the Wonderbolts? Or did they kick you out? Last I heard through our moms was a certain temper tantrum over being picked for second place.”

An unease spread through those not within the conflict. Sunset’s eyes followed Rainbow’s hoof as it wrapped around the base of the artifact. With her magic, she went to lightly pull it away from the two, yet Rainbow’s angered strength lifted it into the air. Smashing it on the ground, the golden metal split in two, snapping off the colorful orb in the center. Bouncing against the vinyl floor, it landed like an egg before anyone knew what happened. “That’s my life, Fluttershy!” She threw both hooves at the trophy. “My. Life!” Taking Fluttershy’s lapel and pulling her to the destroyed scene, Rainbow Dash forced her to have a good look.

“You’re the fastest to anger, too,” Fluttershy mocked from the floor, adding more salt to the wound.

The fire in her eyes became too much for the small living room, forcing Sunset to spread the two apart with her magic. “Fluttershy, what’s gotten into you?” she asked, surprised by the insult. Defending Rainbow Dash hadn’t been her first thought, yet the rudeness felt too personal.

“She can do it, Sunset,” Fluttershy said as she fixed her trench coat. “She’s fast. She even almost completed her special move once. But she’s scared. Scared of failure. Scared that she isn’t who she knows she can be.”

“Shut up!” Rainbow Dash spat venom. “If you’re so smart, shouldn’t you have figured out how to use that trophy as a key!?”

Twilight interrupted, a gasp leaving her throat. “I think she did!” Levitating the splattered orb from the carpet, the inner juices dripped onto the rug. Among the glittery goo held a key, not much bigger than the one found in the Crystal Empire. “Amazing,” she said, examining the multicolored frame. Unlike a regular key, this one looked like a paper clip, only with the end being in the shape of a key. Glitter coated the surface, creating a vibrant rainbow like Dash's mane.

“Fluttershy, did you know that was in there?” Sunset asked.

“She’s the only one fast enough,” Fluttershy side-stepped the question. “She’s the only one who can get there with the haste you want, Sunset. If the Flim Flam Brothers know you’re after the keys, you won’t have much time to finish gathering them up.”

Turning to Rainbow Dash, Sunset saw the sudden compliment and surprising victory settle with confusion spreading across her face. The pegasus hesitated with her words, the loudest silence Sunset had ever heard. Eventually, Dash stated, “I don’t know where this Maud Pie is.” Sunset could barely believe the stubborn pegasus succumbed to Fluttershy's harsh, yet gracious words.

“I do!” Pinkie Pie, who remained blissfully unaware of the arguing, perked up from across the room. “She’s at my home, on the rock farm!”

“Think you can fly with Pinkie on your back?” Sunset asked, then added, “And without dropping her—on purpose.”

Rainbow Dash grunted at the thought, then debated, eventually nodding. “Yeah. I can do that. I can’t take those bags with me, though. What am I supposed to do once we reach her?”

“I’ll check in on you two after I’ve met up with Applejack again.” She took the design of the crystal object, giving it to the blue pegasus. "Let her look it over till I get there." Sunset opened the door for the two, letting Rainbow Dash out first. When Pinkie passed by, she handed off the piece of paper she’d been reading. “What’s this?”

“I dunno, I’m not allowed to read it,” Pinkie replied, bouncing onto Rainbow Dash’s back. Within a moment, the blue pegasus blurred into the atmosphere, sending the stacks of papers outside all across the ground and steps.

A bout of fury erupted from Rarity’s lips. “Is this some sort of joke!?” she yelled, once again picking up the papers.

“Rarity, don’t worry about it. Do whatever you want with them and the rest.” Sunset turned the paper given to her by Pinkie Pie. On the sheet read ‘For Flim and Flam’s eyes only’. In big bold letters were three secret code words meant for the safe. “She found it hours ago and couldn’t tell us because it wasn’t for her eyes,” Sunset said. Never change Pinkie. Never change.

“That’s three!” Twilight hollered, accepting the paper graciously. Fluttershy hopped at the chance to also see the code words, eyeing the bold text. “I can’t believe it. We might actually pull this off.”

“Well, three isn’t six,” Rarity argued, but her tune changed for the better, perhaps due to the fact that she no longer had to deal with reading inconsequential letters. “Halfway. More so, if you were right in trusting King Sombra, and in Pinkie’s suggestion. Shouldn't you be heading along for Applejack, deary?”

“Applejack!” Sunset remembered, shouting the name. In a flash, she reappeared in the Cheference, knocking over a platter held by the smaller Apple mare.

Landing on her rump, the filly shouted, “What the hay!?”

“Apple Bloom!”

The filly’s costume had changed. Dressed as a bat pony, her cardboard wings slanted by the sudden fall. Her plastic teeth fell to the floor with her shout, along with the food she carried. “Sorry about that,” Sunset said, lifting the filly to her hooves. She then turned to the patron and apologized to them as well.

“Not a problem, Sunset,” Applejack replied. Her own disguise now resembled a more natural ensemble, matching the basic disguise Sunset wore. “You’re here a bit early, but that’s a good thing. Take a seat.”

“Don’t mind me, I’ll just clean up this mess,” Apple Bloom said in a very condescending tone.

“Sorry,” Sunset repeated in a whisper as she climbed into the seat. Across from her, Applejack looked surprisingly different. The Las Pegasus fashion of a sideways ball cap, kicked up collar, and two chains didn’t match the style of the country mare at all. That’s probably a good thing. Makes it harder for Flim and Flam to recognize her. “Got everything put together already?”

Underneath the empty or half-eaten plates of food sat a briefcase, which Applejack revealed subtly to the alicorn, making no word of it to the openness of the Cheference. She nodded to a poster of Dr. Caballeron, a Daring Do villain. In the poster sat two identical gemstones, with a tagline suggesting one be fake. It wasn’t hard to connect the dots. “How long do we have?” Sunset asked.

“A little while,” Applejack replied, shoving the last bite of a hay burger into her mouth. While chewing, she added, “Everything’s a go.”

“So, what’s the plan?”

Leaning in, Applejack tapped the plate atop the case. “Architect will be here soon. The Cheference will be emptied besides you and me. Apple Bloom will sit him furthest from the door, facing Mr. Barley. I will take a plate up to Mr. Barley, claiming bad service, getting the attention of the architect. While Mr. Barley uses his magic to examine my food, you’ll be the one exchanging the briefcases.” She then pointed to the handle that barely stuck out from underneath. “They’re connected by cuffs. One to him, one to the case. You need to use your magic to somehow exchange them without being noticed. Is it possible?”

“Teleporting the case away and exchanging it would be the simplest choice. If the weight isn’t the same, however, he’ll notice immediately,” Sunset argued. “Too heavy, he won’t be able to lift it. Too light, he’ll check to see if it’s been tampered with.” It’s funny. I thought about how to craft Twilight’s crown for several months. Studied tabloid images, read about gem working and metalcraft, and utilized a little of my own special magic. Nothing more than fake quartz and painted iron. If I had time and leisure to practice, perhaps I could’ve crafted that apple crystal design myself. It'll be good to see Maud again, though.

“Apple Bloom filled ours to brim, so once you get it, take as many or as few as needed out and trade them.”

“What about the architect’s guards? Won’t they be watching?”

“They’ll be waiting outside. If he yells, they’ll come rushing in. Otherwise, Mr. Barley has said they’ll stay outside maintaining the perimeter. That’s good for us!”

Sunset nodded, understanding the plan perfectly. “And now we wait?”

“And now we wait.”

Sitting in the chair, Sunset studied the restaurant. Served with a cold drink, Apple Bloom shot a wink and a sly smile, causing Sunset to grin. It’s like one of those movies my Rainbow Dash loves. Let’s just hope no wacky hijinks unfolds and it turns out Mr. Barley is working for Flim and Flam, getting us all arrested. “We’ve got three of six,” she told Applejack as time passed. “Four if Pinkie’s sister can replicate one. Five, if you count the middle space of bingo as a free space.”

“Granny does, I sure do. So that’s four or five? This is the last one?” She grimaced. “Was really hopin’ all the weight didn’t fall on my shoulders.”

“Don’t sweat it. If anything, it’s on mine. After all, I’ve got to be the one to—” Sunset shut her mouth tight upon the sight of two burly stallions in black. Between them stood a short, stout, silver stallion with grey slicked hair. His glasses, which Rainbow Dash would undoubtedly call dorky, increased his eye size by three. Upon his hoof sat a cuff with a chain, the other end wrapped around the handle of a briefcase. “It’s go time.”

On cue, Apple Bloom returned with freshly hot plates of food for both mares. She then went to the architect, greeting him warmly. “We’ve got a special table for you today, sir. Barely any customers. We’re happy to have your patronage.”

The stallion, in a hushed, stuttered tone, thanked the filly and followed her to a table. As he took his seat, he set his briefcase next to the chair, the chain long enough to reach without being moved by his eating. Waiting for Applejack’s cue, they took their time in letting the stallion order. When she felt the time was right, Applejack rose, her plate in hoof. “You call this service? I’ve had warmer meals on the side of the road!” She threw the plate on the counter, causing Apple Bloom to skitter to the back.

Sunset stared at the doorway, watching the shadows of the two guards. In her peripherals, she saw the architect gawk at the dramatic scene, his focus entirely on Applejack.

When Mr. Barley came forward, lifting the plate with his magic, Sunset knew time was limited. With her magic, she levitated both the chain and the briefcase an inch off the ground. I could undo the lock with my magic, it might take some time, but it’d be less noticeable. Better to just teleport and replace it. The locked briefcase vanished, reappearing in Sunset’s hooves. She quietly set it aside, feeling the load with her own body. Perfect weight.

While still holding the cuff steady, she also levitated the plates, only slightly, and teleported the briefcase from underneath. When all was right, she lowered the fake briefcase gently, allowing the cuff to cease any vibration within the metal first, eventually allowing her magic to release. She then moved the real briefcase back onto the table, sliding it underneath the plates.

She didn’t make a noise. No call to let the others know everything went right. Nothing.

Applejack got another, hotter plate of prepared food, and returned to the table. She set it down atop the old plates, digging in as if she had been truly upset about the mistreatment. Sunset watched as the earth pony shoveled the food down. “You’re a real mess, sometimes,” Sunset commented, watching the condiments splash onto the table.

“Ah. Free food, though,” Applejack replied with a mouthful.

“Excuse me.”

Applejack, still holding a mouth full of food, stopped chewing. Her eyes went wide as the stallion stood beside their table. Sunset held her breath, though her face spoke of disinterest. “Yeah?” she answered, leaving Applejack to continue her chewing.

“Have you ever heard of wards?” the stallion asked.

Wards? Spell wards? “No. What’s that?” she feigned, not a crack or split in her tone or face.

“It’s a magical set of spells that can do specific things,” he replied, lifting the briefcase onto their table. “My case here, it’s got a ward on it that alerts me whenever magic is cast upon its surface. I may be a simple earth pony, but a stinging down my spine is clear as day.”

We’ve been caught. I knew I should’ve focused on undoing the lock instead! Her eyes darted to the counter. Press the button, Barley. Press the button!

“Now, now. Even if I hadn’t recognized you the instant I came in, I might have been a bit surprised by the lack of ponies. This place isn't packed most of the time, but it's got routine customers. I knew something was up.”

Applejack stared at the stallion, her food already swallowed. “You ain’t screamed yet.”

“I have been waiting for somepony to steal that briefcase for years,” he replied as he adjusted his glasses. “Years of waiting to be free. Hoping, wishing that somepony would be brave enough to try a break in of Flim and Flam’s vault. Once it happened, I wouldn’t be important anymore. I could be a regular pony again.”

“Yo-you mean, you want us to steal it?” Sunset asked. She removed the plates, revealing the stallion’s suitcase beneath. “Why?”

“They trapped me here. By contract. So long as no one breaks in, I’ll be here.” Uncuffing himself from the suitcase, he wrapped a hoof around the indentation left over. “I’ve thought about giving it away. Flim and Flam’s guards wouldn’t allow it, or they’d know, and I’d be in a worse place for breaking the contract than I am now.” Pulling his briefcase to the table, he undid the number key lock and snapped up the briefcase. “Please. Please tell me you’re going to break into the vault. I need to know you’re going to. I’d almost run out of hope of ever being free.”

Every muscle in Sunset’s body became taut with anger. They are villains. It doesn’t matter if they aren’t stealing magic, or brainwashing ponies, or even creating eternal darkness. They still mistreat ponies. That’s what villains do. Placing a hoof on the stallion’s bony shoulder, she stared deep into his eyes, past the thick glasses. “I promise.”

His smile lifted his cheeks and pushed up his glasses. After fixing the rims, he put back on the cuff and took the fake briefcase. Without even eating, he exited the restaurant, the two guards falling in line at his sides. If either were suspicious, their body language spoke no mistrust.

“I can’t believe how easy that was,” Applejack said with an exhale, relief drying the sweat that drenched her face. “Makes me think this next part won’t be.” Flipping up the case, thick paper folded thrice sat on top. Underneath were thin textbooks and notebooks, along with some business cards in a side pocket tucked neatly together by order of name. “This’ll be a lot to go over.”

“It doesn’t matter. We can do it.” Sunset stared at the work ahead, knowing it’d take them another day. “And if it requires more, we’ll get the other bearers involved. This is for the Elements of Harmony. This is for every pony in Equestria. We can do it. We're friends.”

World 6: Chapter 12

“Don’t say it. Don’t you say it!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, holding a hoof to Sunset.

“Fluttershy was right,” Sunset replied.

With a furious growl leaping from her throat, Rainbow Dash threw her hooves in the air. “Why is it you princesses never do as you’re told?” Pacing in front of the stony home, the pegasus let out a snarl, glaring heavily at the alicorn. In the moonlight, Sunset could see the few beads of sweat still dripping from the rainbow mane. She went as fast as possible. For us.

“Pinkie already inside?”

“Yeah. Talking with her family.”

“Why are you out here?”

“Because it’s her family. I got her here. It’s her job to see the follow through.”

“You’re trusting Pinkie on that?” Sunset squinted.

“No. You trusted Pinkie with that.”

“But I gave you the design.”

Rainbow Dash shrugged, eventually succumbing to her own laziness. She sat on her rump, forelegs behind her neck, leaning on the home near the front door. “Then I guess we’re both in Pinkie’s hooves. If she can’t convince her sister to do it—or if her sister just can’t do it—then we better find somepony who can. If Flim and Flam happen to ask those lizards, they’ll find out what we’re after.”

“There’s a list of people who know. The architect, Mayor Mare, Princess Ember, Sunburst. It’s why we don’t have time to waste.” Sunset’s eyes shot to the sky, the moon only just starting its rise. “It’s also why I’m letting Applejack and Apple Bloom sort the schematics for the vault. It’s why I let you and Pinkie manage this while I was over there.”

Pointing at the sacks of gems Sunset had brought, Rainbow Dash said, “You’ve got faith in Pinkie’s sister, huh?”

They took down an obelisk together. They broke Princess Cadance from her crystal prison. I just wrote about it in my journal for The Crystal War. How smart and kind Maud Pie was to aid in getting Pinkie’s Element. She’ll be doing it again if she can get this done. Her unrest grew quick, forcing a knock to the door of the Pie household.

To her surprise, a flat-maned Pinkie Pie answered. Behind her, sitting at their dining room table, was the entirety of the Pie family. “Pinkie? It’s Sunset.”

“Come in, Sunset,” Pinkie said in a quiet voice. Sunset? Not Princess Sunset Shimmer?

“So, thou thine princess,” the only stallion at the table greeted as he rose. “I’d like to favor thou for bringing thy little girl home.” He trotted around to stand in front of her, sticking out his light brown hoof to shake. “She’s been lost for so long, I almost gave up hope on never seeing her again.” The way he spoke resembled the same monotone, dry voice as Maud Pie, yet his vernacular suited something from a Hearth’s Warming play.

Refusing the shake, Sunset stared at the father. “I’m s-sorry, I think I’m not understanding you right. Did Pinkie not explain what we need?”

“Yes, she explained her fascination with paper. We were all impressed with her ability to draw, I suppose it comes with her strange cutie mark,” he remarked, his face of stone, showing no impression. “Of course, we’re rock farmers, not gem farmers, so I assume the city lights and silly notions of Princessland deluded her senses.”

“She explained?” Slack-jawed, Sunset turned to the pink pony. “Pinkie. Pinkie?” Her eyes studied the mare. “Pinkie,” she repeated the name several times, unsure what to make of the situation.

“Don’t worry, she’s always been quiet,” the father stood by his daughter and wrapped a hoof around her. A small smile leapt to her lips, only to falter when she noticed the stare on Sunset. “We’ll have a tighter leash on her to prevent wanderings again. Thou hasn’t an idea how worried we’ve been over the years.” He tightened his grip in a side hug. “She sent postcards, but eventually they ceased altogether.”

Ponyville’s mailing service. “Listen, sir. She’s not here to stay, I need her. She’s my friend.”

“Friends with a princess?” Though his eyebrows shot up to suggest he was surprised, nothing else changed on his face. “Well, we’ve never been to Princessland, nor have we heard of a fourth princess before. Pinkamena Diane Pie, friend of a princess. It brings a tear to my eye.” There were, however, no tears shed.

“I sent her here because she told me her sister, Maud Pie, could recreate the drawing by the exact dimensions. I’ve brought the gems.” She stared at the father, hoping to see some sort of faltering or curiousness. “If she can do it, she can have whatever is left over after making it,” she said, hoping to entice the family.

Maud Pie rose, bringing the parchment to Sunset Shimmer. “What makes you think I can work gems?”

Because I’ve seen you break through Sombra’s crystals. Because I’ve seen Pinkie shatter rocks into pebbles. “Because Pinkie believes in you, and I believe in Pinkie.”

The resolute eyes gazed deep into Sunset, as if to study the words, the movements, and her thoughts. Eventually, the grey mare did speak, but not with words. A small smile creased her cheeks. She then trotted out the door, returning with the two sacks of heavy gems, though she didn’t struggle carrying either. “I can have it done by morning, if Pinkie will help.”

Their father eyed Maud, giving an appreciative nod. “Thou are welcome to stay, princess. I’m certain Pinkie would also like visits from thou as often as possible.”

Even if it meant losing Maud Pie, Sunset couldn’t allow their father’s dictation of the pink mare. “Pinkie can’t stay forever,” she told him, and this time his face gave a surprising reflex. “She can be here till Maud completes the object, but I’ll need her back in Princessland afterward. She has friends there, besides me, and we all need her.” Hugging the mare, Sunset didn’t allow another word from the stallion. “She’s very important to us.”

A sudden poof of hair smacked Sunset in the face. “Princess Sunset Shimmer! I am important? To you? Wowie!” The voice sprang and deafened Sunset’s ears, though she didn’t mind.

Her father showed an expressive annoyance at the sudden outburst. Sunset expected a foul turn for the stallion, yet instead he patted the fluffy mane. “If thou is in charge of her,” he said, his sullen frown turning into the same sort of smile Maud held. “I won’t disallow it. A father must be protective of his flock, though this little bird has the strangest of wings. She still needs to spread them. It will be good to ask of her residence, of Ponyville.”

“I’ll allow her to fill you in on all that,” Sunset said, remembering the fire. Backpedaling to the door, she held a fake smile, waving goodbye. With her magic, she shut the door and turned to the sleeping Rainbow Dash. “Wake up. Time to go.” She tapped the pegasus, then shoved her when it was clear tapping resolved nothing. Neither worked, of course.

The rainbow mare woke upon the blinding light being blared in her eyes. The sudden stares of four ponies around her startled her into falling off the table she laid upon. “Heavy sleeper, huh?” Applejack stated, laughing at the panic of the pegasus. As Rainbow Dash gathered herself, Applejack added, "Guess things are going well."

“How’s the plan going?” Sunset asked, reorganizing the paperwork after Rainbow Dash’s tumble.

“Terrible!” Mr. Barley replied, though Apple Bloom and Applejack held the opposite reaction.

“It’s going to be a lot of work,” corrected the filly. “We’re going to need more than just us four for this. Who is the blue gal?”

Holding onto the table, Rainbow Dash examined the darkened room. Aside from the overhead light, nothing else illuminated the closed area. Shelves of cans and produce lined the walls. “Name’s Rainbow Dash. Where we at?”

“Storage room for the Cheference,” answered Applejack. “You’re in Las Pegasus. Everythin’ went well for that one key?”

“How should I know?” Rainbow rubbed her temple, blinking at the terrible light.

Sunset rolled her eyes. “It’s going. This one is the big one, especially if it needs more than the four of us. Have you three formulated a plan? How many will we need?” All three shrugged their shoulders, surprising Sunset. “Well, what have you been doing?”

“Studyin’ these here designs ain’t easy, Sunset,” Applejack countered, pointing at the line drawings and flipping through each set of maps for the FFGRC. “It’s a massive place. The vault, I was hoping, would’ve been deep underground. It’s not.” She pointed to the top, the nose of the horse head building. “It’s here, and it’s surrounded by the ritziest rooms available. It’s like a museum for the high class, those willin’ to spend hundreds of thousands of bits just for one night!”

“Hundreds of thousands!? My type of crowd!” Rainbow Dash shouted, salivating at the thought of so much money. “Look at these designs!” She smoothed some of the deeper maps, removing creases. “Vent ducts, water piping, and electrical platforms. Elevators! Staircases! They’ve got a layout for every single one!”

“You can read them?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Duh,” snapped Dash. “Who can’t? The pony who made this must’ve been such an egghead. Going through so many steps, they intricately designed their own problems.” Pushing further into the maps, she pointed to the designs of the vault. “They even went into details on every trap blocking their treasure house. Lasers, alarms, even the locking mechanism for sticking those inside!”

Sunset’s eyes narrowed as she searched her thoughts. “Dash… Could you plan this heist?”

“Me? Probably.” She let go of the maps, teetering from side to side. “They’re right, though. We’ll need more than these three. All the bearers will have to be here.”

“I’ll need one to stay behind in Princessland,” Sunset disputed. “Rarity’s doing a good job as an anchor. She can stay there.”

“No, we’ll need her. She’s the only one of us with any of that froufrou nonsense.”

Hurt, Sunset wanted to flex her wings, though the shirt she wore blocked such a showing. “Very well. Twilight, then? She can guard all the keys and combinations while we work on this.”

“No. I’m going to need everyone. Why do you still need an anchor? You’ve got that one guy’s house on lock-down. Does it really strain alicorn magic that much to focus on anything other than a person?” Rainbow Dash argued, staring with a mocking, curious grin.

“After all I’ve been doing? Yeah. It does. I’ve been using my magic all day, nonstop, with no rest. Even as an alicorn, I need sleep.”

“Then go get some. We can work out the plan. Since we’ll need Pinkie, we won’t be able to start it till the morning anyway.”

Sunset tilted her head back to stare deeply at the pegasus. “I thought you were asleep.”

“I’m a light sleeper.” Rainbow shrugged, rolling her shoulders and faking a yawn.

“Why don't I believe that?" Sunset murmured, loud enough to crack a few smiles from the other conspirators. She then sighed. I guess I’ve got no choice. "I’ll be back in the morning, then.”

Saying their goodbyes, Sunset vanished. She expected another explosion of papers upon her arrival, but all the stacks now sat outside, removed by the unicorns. The trio of mares sat at the kitchen table, sipping on whatever drink Rarity served from Charmer’s cabinets. The three keys sat between them, one of paper, one of metal, and one of crystal. Each of them greeted Sunset in their own special way. Rarity, of course, rose and hugged the alicorn, inviting her to sit close beside.

“How’s it going?” Twilight asked. “Did Pinkie’s sister agree?”

“They might have it done by morning if it goes well,” Sunset replied after nodding. “But our job isn’t over. We’re going to break into the vault in Las Pegasus tomorrow morning, after I pick up Pinkie. It’s going to take all of us.”

“All of us?” they asked in unison, surprised by the revelation.

Taking the three keys off the table, Sunset stuffed them into her backpack. “Tomorrow, we’re going to get the Elements of Harmony. We’ll take down Discord and the Flim Flam Brothers all at once.”

“We’re with you, Sunset,” Fluttershy said, and Twilight nodded.

“All together. Just like the bearers of Sunset’s world. As friends,” Rarity stated, staring at Sunset.

“As friends.” Sunset rose from her seat. “And this friend needs a lot of sleep before that happens.” Removing her hat, she pushed down the hall. “Wake me if I’m still asleep too late in the morning.” Closing the bedroom door, she threw the hat down and removed her backpack. “Tomorrow, Discord,” she whispered. “Tomorrow, you’ll be able to send me to Twilight.”

In a hushed tone, the draconequus laughed. “I am eager to see how this all unfolds. You have put much trust in these six.”

“I always will,” she replied as she threw herself onto the bed. The shirt and shorts hung on the edge, eventually falling off as the alicorn tossed and turned in her sleep. She did not dream. Not of golden flowers or dark skies. Not of an indigo gazebo. Her dreamscape was blank, a black, endless void with no imagination. She awoke twice during the night, her own conscious thoughts wondering about what the day would bring. Each time she woke, she covered herself with the blanket and drifted off again, yet still no fresh scent, nor empty sky.

Her mind wandered until the time came for a knock to the door. She knew what it meant, and what surprise she’d have for the bearers of this world. To beat this world’s Discord, I’ve got to do it. She rose, not bothering to dress, and strapped the backpack to her shoulders. “Feels good to go out disguiseless again.” She followed Twilight to the kitchen. “I’ve got to pick up Pinkie Pie first. Is everyone ready?”

As if they hadn't left the table all night, the three stood prepared. “We’re with you,” Fluttershy answered.

Reaching the Pie farmstead, they found Maud Pie finishing the crystal piece, Pinkie asleep on the floor. Wherever the other Pies had gone remained a mystery. However, their kitchen looked like a mine shaft. The table was coated in tiny pickaxes, chisels, and other instruments for shaping gems and rocks. “Is it ready?” Sunset asked, eyeing the phases of apples. “It won’t break if I stick it in my backpack, will it?”

“These are corundum, they’re strong.” As if to show the strength, Maud dropped it to the ground. The piece didn’t shatter. “Just don’t drop a bowling ball on it. If you wanted that, you should’ve brought me pure carbon.” She then held a tiny grin. “Now about my payment."

Sunset repulsed at the thought of paying. "W-what is it you want?"

Maud pointed a hoof to Pinkie. "To make her happy. If you can do that, then that's enough." She paused. "The only other pony I've ever heard her talk so adamantly about is me. She didn't stop talking about you. Her smile is payment enough as it is."

Rushing to the expressionless mare, Sunset embraced the Pie sister in a hug. "Thank you." Releasing and levitating the ornate piece into her backpack, Sunset tightened the strap. “You’re a lifesaver.” She then turned to the sleeping pink pony. “Come on sleepyhead. Time to do the impossible.”

Maud then tapped the table, getting Sunset’s attention. “Keep her safe.”

Helping the exhausted earth pony, Sunset met Maud’s stare. “I’ll do my best, but I can’t Pinkie Promise that.” Turning to the three other bearers who stood in the doorway, she gave a nod. “We’ll all do our best.” With another cast, they disappeared, reappearing in the darkened room of the Cheference. Mr. Barley was nowhere to be seen, only another sleeping duo, drooling atop their hard work. “Girls?”

Applejack and Rainbow Dash snapped awake, though only Applejack wiped her mouth from the saliva. “Sunset? We good to go?” she asked, backhoofing the sleep from her eyes.

“You better be,” Rainbow Dash said, yawning. “Because we are. Plans are already in motion.”

“Shouldn’t we have gone over the plan before you did anything?” Fluttershy chided first.

“Who was even in charge of this plan? Sunset Shimmer was with us,” Twilight added.

Rainbow Dash glanced to Applejack. “Me and Applejack came up with it. It needs the seven of us. Apple Bloom is already out front of the FFGRC, waiting for the signal.”

“FFGRC?” Rarity asked.

“It’s where we’re at now,” Applejack answered. “Let’s go over the plan. Keep your questions till the end.” While she moved paperwork and cleared the space, Rainbow Dash held the main map they used to draw on. Pinning it to a shelf, she set cans on top of the paper to keep it from falling.

“We’re going in as three groups,” started Dash. “Sunset, Rarity, and Fluttershy is group one. Applejack and Twilight are group two. Me and Pinkie are group three. Group one, you’re going straight through to the vault. All you have to do is take the elevator up to the very last floor available. Getting off, guards will stop you. They’ll have to see your authority as a princess, but they won’t allow Rarity and Fluttershy in. You two will have to be disguised as princesses. In fact, you’re going to have to strut your stuff all throughout the FFGRC beforehand, otherwise nopony will recognize you as such.

Meanwhile, Applejack and Twilight are going through the secret path through the ducts. It’s going to be straightforward, all the way until ten levels below the vault where they’ll need to start breaking the girders. Applejack’s got the layout memorized, but she can’t cut through beams or remove screws like a unicorn with magic as her specialty. We're going to make the whole thing fall.” She lifted up the schematic, showing group two’s path. “While they’re making their way through those branches, I’m going to be blowing circuits and cutting wires to the rest of the building. Pinkie, she likes paper, right? Well, she’s going to flood every bathroom in this place with toilet paper.” Her eyes shot to Pinkie. “You can do that, right?”

“Absolutely-positively-undoubtedly!” Pinkie replied with glee.

“Rainbow Dash, this is a lot of work. Why are we doing all this?” Twilight asked as she adjusted her glasses, examining the route.

“The vault—” Rainbow lifted up to the final map of schematics, showing the vault “—is impenetrable. Apple Bloom is outside setting up a smoke screen that’ll go off when the nose hits the ground. The vault itself is on a security system. I cut the power, security system goes on backup power. Pinkie’s flood prevents them from turning back on the power as they might electrocute somepony. Meanwhile, Twilight and Applejack remove the girders beneath the nose will cause it to loosen, break off from the building, crash into Apple Bloom’s position, creating a smoke screen.

“However, there’s two entrances to the vault. One is open, available to those ritzy mares and stallions to view Flim and Flam’s valuables, while the other is what we’re targeting. That first entrance will be on lock-down when the power is out, locking Sunset inside. There’s a third procedure in place, a unit of power inside the vault. It only turns on once the first two safeties are off. From my understanding of these schematics, it’s an internal fire system. It’ll ignite everything in the vault as soon as it’s dropped.”

“Why drop it at all?”

“Dropping it isn’t the issue, it’s just how we’ll cut the secondary power off. When secondary is off, it’s Sunset’s job to open the vault before the fire ignites. It’s on a timer. You have exactly one minute.”

Sunset nodded, understanding her position. “We get one shot at this, huh? What’s Rarity and Fluttershy doing?”

“They’ll be on the outside of the vault. After I cut the electricity, FFGRC special guards from the top ten floors are supposed to rush to protect it, while the ones lower are supposed to rush to investigate the issue. Those special guards can and will get into the vault to get all occupants out. It’s going to be Fluttershy and Rarity’s job to stop them.”

“I don’t usually like getting my hooves dirty,” Fluttershy mentioned. “But we’re past that point.”

“I’ll do whatever I can for Sunset,” added Rarity, giving the alicorn a coy wink. “Though if you wanted costumes, you should have told us before we came here. I’ve got all my supplies back in Princessland.”

“My lil’ sister works here,” Applejack replied. “This place, the Cheference, has all kinds of costumes. Princess included. You two’ll look perfect, trust me.”

Sunset was speechless. They actually did it. They’re working together better than any of the other bearers. This team, we might pull this off. “Then let’s do this.”

“As friends,” Twilight said, placing her hoof in the middle of the table.

“As friends!” Pinkie threw her hoof in, followed by Rarity and Fluttershy.

“What are you four doing?” Rainbow Dash grimaced at them, a stern look across her brow.

“We’re not just a team, Dash,” Applejack said, chuckling. “We’re friends. We’ll have each other’s backs.” Placing her orange hoof in, she shared the moment. “Come on, pal.”

Rainbow Dash grunted in disgust at the thought, yet she threw her hoof in all the same.

“As friends.” Sunset put her hoof on top, and they broke. “Let’s get to work.”

Trailing out of the room, they were met by Mr. Barley who led Rarity and Fluttershy into a costume room, side of the kitchen. Applejack and Twilight waved goodbye to Sunset as they crept out into the gaming area in search of their closet to escape into the maintenance ducts. “Good luck, Princess Sunset Shimmer! Who knew the Flim Flam Brothers would be so right about you?” Pinkie said as she bounced off with Rainbow Dash.

“Right about me? Wonder if she’s talking about my cleverness or evilness,” Sunset mumbled to herself as she waited. That or maybe my ability to convert them. Everything is going surprisingly easy. We’ve just got this last hurtle and we’re there. For some reason, the idea of ease stuck out to her. “Getting Rarity was easy, but Discord planned it that way, didn’t he?” She threw a look over her shoulder at the backpack. “Didn’t you?” she whispered.

The backpack moved, but didn’t respond. The answer as to why came as two alicorns, one yellow, one white, appeared from the restaurant. “A trio of alicorns? I guess if we really wanted to give Celestia, Luna, and Cadance a vacation, we’d have the appropriate attire,” Sunset said, noting the wings on Rarity looked better than the unicorn’s the day they met.

“Who would have guessed my own product would’ve ended up here?” Rarity mentioned, showing the tag to Sunset. “Had I known these were here, I wouldn’t have passed my designs off to Sassy and Suri. These wings would’ve been absolutely perfect for the show!”

“I feel rather silly.” Fluttershy’s horn was held by a slender, transparent string. It barely matched the tint of her fur. “And I don’t know how well I like being without my coat.” She held one foreleg with the other, her brown trench coat no longer strapped to her chest. Keeping her camera, however, she looked like an alicorn on holiday.

“I’ll make you a new one, once we’re done, darling,” Rarity replied. “One with more pockets, maybe even an attachment to keep your hat from blowing away.”

Sunset smiled at the two. “We’re going to need to make a show of ourselves. Let me teleport outside to Apple Bloom, we can make a grand entrance.”

Leaving the Cheference, the morning sun hit them with a humidity that split the ends of Fluttershy’s hair. “Let’s not be out here for long, shall we?” Rarity suggested, her worry of her own hair forcing an anxious expression. “Look, there’s a filly outside. Applejack’s sister?”

“That’s right.” Sunset trotted forward toward the shadow of the FFGRC, the horse head loomed above. Rainbow Dash was on the roof in the last world, now let’s hope her plan can help this world. Passing Apple Bloom, the filly winked as they trotted into the center. The mare behind the counter was not the same as the previous day, allowing Sunset to pass freely into the lobby. Guests all gathered around at the sight, but stallions dressed in black suits recognized the buildup and did their duty to break away the crowd.

Eyeing the second level balcony, a split second of blue blurs rushed into the stairwell. Dash is getting into place. We better hurry, don't want to be outside the vault when the fun starts. Tourists shouted Sunset's name, clamoring for her look and approval, as well as shouting curious questions at the two feigned alicorns at her side. Leading Rarity and Fluttershy to the elevator, two of the shady guards barreled out, almost sprinting into the three. At the sight of Sunset, however, they quickly let them pass. There was a third stallion already in the elevator, and upon their arrival, he asked, “Floor?”

“The very top,” Sunset answered.

An eyebrow stretched from behind his dark sunglasses, barely reaching over the edge. Regardless of his surprise, he did as instructed, hitting the very top button. Up and up they went. Sunset felt her stomach tingle with the movements, the sudden lurch and the slow stopping as they hit the final floor.

Upon opening of the doors, Sunset, Rarity and Fluttershy stepped out into the hall of silk. Open rooms with the most expensive food, artwork, and celebrities gathered within. Of course, it all was blocked by three large stallion in black suits. These three were far larger than any of the others, almost matching Princess Luna’s height. They all stared through their dark glasses down at the trio of alicorns, though their faces held no emotion. “This level is for maximum guest passes. Present your pass,” the middle claimed, holding out a hoof to accept said tickets.

“We’re princesses. We don’t need passes,” Sunset replied, her smugness dripping in every word.

“Prove it.” The stallions to the left and right came forward, readying to escort the trio back down the elevator.

With a flex of her wings and the removal of the sunglasses on the middle stallion, she proved her alicornhood. Placing the glasses on her muzzle, she smiled. “Flim and Flam want me to sign their contract, so I invited a few of my fellow princesses from my home. If they’re impressed with the fine quality of treatment, maybe the three of us will be the newest additions to Princessland.”

Both stallions stopped and looked to the middle for approval. His small eyes did not match the stature, making them look even smaller in their sockets. “We’ll verify that with them. For now, your status checks out. Welcome to the lounge.” The three moved past the guards into the halls, eyeing celebrities who immediately noticed the alicorns.

Some rushed up, wanting autographs and answers for who they were. “Everypony knows of Princess Sunset Shimmer,” one snooty mare yelled to another. “It’s about time we get more like her! A size matching the rest of us! Princesses that the commoners will flood to Princessland for!”

Another trailed close to the trio, daring to ask, "Are you really princesses?"

Sunset looked back to Rarity and Fluttershy. “Yep. These two can answer any questions you’ll have. Pardon me.” Pressing forward, Sunset moved past the crowd and reached the vault. It sat at the end of the long hall, surrounded by lesser artwork and sculptures. Even a thick fountain stood spewing water in front of the entrance—Flim and Flam the obvious designers, as it held their resemblance. The vault was surround by thick, white walls and sturdy glass, the metal door alone was a yard tall and as wide as a cart. Other ponies were inside, examining the better of the treasure available for the rich to view. One more vault door sat on the inner wall.

Scrutinizing the room, Sunset studied the white walls, the treasure on the pedestals, and the ponies who stood inside. No guards in here. A sign above spoke of not touching, and Sunset assumed a lock-down would be procedure if something were to be moved. The few ponies inside marveled at the sight of Sunset, her wings and horn a priceless artifact that rivaled any large gem or stunning painting the vault held.

“When will Princessland open the castle gates again?” one occupant asked.

“Who cares?” Sunset nonchalantly replied. “Hopefully when it’s called Canterlot again. Could you all vacate the vault, please?” Without waiting for a reply, Sunset used her magic to push the guests back onto the hall floor. “And now I wait.” Standing in front of the door, she made sure no pony would enter again. Many of the celebrities and rich ponies trotted close, but she shooed them away with a flick of her hoof and a disinterested look. Then, she went blind.

World 6: Chapter 13

Red metal filled Sunset's eyes, the door closed short of her muzzle. When she turned, the treasure of the room now secured itself with metal bars guarding each pedestal. Lasers blocked the second vault door, preventing access without igniting the contents of the next room. Rushing to the thick windows, she stared out at the panic of celebrities rushing from the vault. Though the vault was red, the rooms relating to the high class were dimly lit with white lights. Fluttershy and Rarity stood as guards, blocking any big stallion in black from approaching.

She watched for a moment as a group of the black suits forced the inoperable elevator open. Some were drenched with water, slipping slightly as they rushed to protect the vault. While Rarity used her magic to block them from getting close, Fluttershy closed the flank by blinding them with her camera’s flash. In the dim white light, the flashing proved more effective than Rarity’s magic. “Good work girls. Just hold off a bit longer.” Sunset examined the vault, waiting for the inevitable fall.

Her eyes gazed over the lasers, eyeing the way they shot from tubes into opposing tubes. Tripping one will activate the security inside, I imagine. Opening the vault, it’ll come outward, hitting these lasers. She stared for a long moment, the world remained deaf. Any sort of assault going on outside or below remained lost to Sunset, a soundproof room. If this place doesn’t have a crack, I could use my magic to burn the oxygen out. When the secondary door opens, the fire won’t be able to start. She hummed for a moment, debating. “I won’t be able to breathe, and if I do it too soon I might pass out. Do it too late, I won’t remove it in time.”

Pacing, she waited, eyeing the glass. Rarity and Fluttershy stood as a good team against the guards, though without electricity, it forced the stallions to climb the stairwell, leaving the two mares with a blockade against the door. “Wait,” Sunset realized, “Can’t I just teleport straight into the vault? It’s not like the museum, there’s nothing stopping my magic.” As she turned to face the door, the lights of vault once again cut off.

Her whole body shifted, sending her into the ceiling, then floor. Forced to grab onto the bars of one treasure, light poured in through the glass as the vault struck cement, shaking her to the bone. Her teeth chattered as the sun burnt through the thick glass. White clouds immediately coated the outside, blocking the blue sky from view.

Dropping to the floor, which now was the secondary vault, the lasers were off, allowing Sunset to open the metal door with her magic. Uninhibited by locks and security, the vault door hefted upward, taking all of Sunset’s concentration.

When it finally passed enough to allow her to jump in, she chose to do so. Letting the door fall behind her. In the darkness, Sunset lit her horn. Hanging from a pedestal on the wall, which would have been the floor, sat a coiled parchment. “That’s got to be it! A parchment with codes!”

From the ceiling, which was now the opposing wall, came a blast of fire, striking at the paper. With her magic, Sunset wrapped the fire and the flamethrower in a barrier, preventing the flames from striking the sheet. “Good thing Rainbow Dash had the foresight to plan all this.”

To her surprise, however, another flamethrower set off, forcing another cast of a barrier. A third then joined in, and eventually the base of the pedestal ignited, trailing up. “Enough of this!” While all the barriers remained, Sunset glided up and took the paper in her mouth, ripping it from the claw. Dropping to the floor, she released her magic and teleported out at the same time, leaving the inner vault to burn. She reappeared at the top, where the first door closed on her face. “Time to go!” she yelled out at the smoke, though her voice was inhibited by the parchment.

Above her, she could see the metal horse head, though it now lacked the nose, leaving only a jaw with leaking pipes. Much like she did on the train tracks, Sunset removed the smoke with a spell, sending a beam of light into the sky. Though it was daytime, all the ponies around could see its glow. When the smoke cleared, Applejack and Twilight stood in front of the vault with Rainbow Dash and Pinkie. A few burly stallions laid on the ground behind them. Gliding down, Sunset yelled, “Where’s Rarity and Fluttershy? I’ve got the final key!”

Following Sunset’s glide, the shadow hit behind the alicorn. “We’re here!” Rarity hollered from her seat upon Fluttershy’s back, her forelegs wrapped around the mare’s neck. “What a spectacular showing! I didn’t think it would work.”

“Yeah, yeah, pleasantries and congratulations later.” Sunset cut the conversation short, observing more guards exiting the entrance to the FFGRC. They slipped and slid from the water, and the opening of the door unleashed an inch high flood. “Group up. We’re leaving.”

Forming a quick circle, Applejack didn’t have time to say her goodbyes to Apple Bloom. They were already transported to Charmer’s home.

To their surprise and much more his, they found the owner bewildered and shocked, staring at the guests. “Oh goodness!” the stallion hollered, running and hugging Rarity. “Thank Celestia you are alright! I was afraid they’d gotten to you!”

“Who? Who’s after us?” Sunset asked, though her eyes shot to the room. The table now sat broken in two, the couch torn to shreds, and all the cabinets were open. The front door’s handle no longer sat on the door itself, which only remained cracked to the outside world.

“Flim and Flam. They’ve got the whole of Princessland on lockdown. We were supposed to return to our homes, yet I found mine completely trashed! There were these awfully strong stallions in black suits trampling amongst my lovely carpets!” Charmer answered, almost fainting into Rarity’s forelegs. “A dreadful nightmare! They must be looking for you. What is it you’ve been doing, my shining star?”

Rarity patted the stallion, holding him steady. “No time for answers, darling. We must be going.”

“Yo-you can’t be serious! They’ll catch you for certain! You'll be the only ones on the street!"

“Good.” Sunset stepped towards the door. “Let’s show them not to mess with the Elements of Harmony!” Levitating the stolen codes into her backpack, she verified the other four keys remained. Hope that thing is still intact, she thought, staring at the ruby red.

Rushing outside, the six bearers hot on her tail, they galloped through the incredibly few alleys up to the biggest street. A few guards noticed their presence, forcing Sunset to equip a barrier around them as they ran. “This is so much fun, Princess Sunset Shimmer! Can we play I spy again?” Pinkie Pie asked as the gift shop for the villain museum came into view.

“Sure, Pinkie,” Sunset answered. “I spy an explosion happening.”

“An explosion?” Rainbow Dash asked, eager in the word.

Releasing the bubble for a moment, a beam of magic shot from Sunset’s horn, blasting open the closed gift shop, setting the inside ablaze. Jumping over the broken entrance, Sunset rushed past the burning dolls of Discord, and slammed into the next set of glass doors. Rushing to the control panel, Sunset flipped one of the levers. “Go! Go now!” she yelled, waiting for each bearer to cross the threshold. When they were all in, Sunset flipped the biggest lever and followed them inside. She left the door open behind them. “Alright. Now we’ve got to get all these things in without magic,” she told them, pulling her backpack off.

Hovering off the ground, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash pushed the painting Twilight pointed out. On the inside sat the first safe of many.

“You’ve done it?” a stallion called, coming close to the commotion.

As Sunset dumped the keys from her backpack one at a time, she looked up at the dark king. “We did,” she lisped, holding one of the papers in her mouth.

“Are you sure he’ll give the first combination?” Rarity asked aloud, staring at Sombra with anticipation and fear.

“It seems you’re in a rush, I’d hate to delay you.” Sombra grinned, staring at each of the seven. For a moment, Sunset worried he wouldn’t give the code, but she knew he would. “Seven, sixteen, thirteen,” he freely gave the combination. “Do be hasty. Wouldn't want you to lose on my behalf.”

Fluttershy moved one set of numbers while Rainbow did the other two. When the numbers fit, a snap and a mechanism unhinged. With her teeth, Applejack pulled the safe open, revealing a smaller door on the inside. “Crystal key!” the orange pony yelled.

Hopping onto the platform, Twilight shoved the key into the slot. With the help of Applejack, the two pushed open the door, slamming it into back of the first. Inside revealed an even smaller wall, this one with an indentation. “Apples!” Lifting the gemstone object, Pinkie pressed it against the slot. “Uh oh!”

“Uh oh?” Rainbow Dash bellowed. “What do you mean uh oh!?”

“Don’t you worry now! My sister is great at cutting rocks. I’m sure it’s the door’s fault,” Pinkie replied. They all stared up at the pink mare, slack-jawed and impatient. “I’ve got this!” Repeatedly jamming the art piece into the slot did nothing.

“Flip it around?” Fluttershy asked.

“I tried that!” Pinkie replied, giggling and snorting. She did as Fluttershy suggested, however, and slammed it against the indentation. “See?” She then turned it back around and shoved it into place, fitting perfectly into the slot. “Wowie! I guess repeating it over and over really did work!” With the gem in place, the safe pulled upward, revealing the fourth door.

Taking the glittery key, Fluttershy stuck it in and the mechanism snapped forward. Though it was easy, like the crystal key, everyone held their breath, worried another mix up like Pinkie’s would stall them. When the door brushed open, this time opening opposite, the next safe became the size of a foal. On this lock sat three word puzzles.

Sunset rushed forward. Holding both Pinkie’s paper and the one from Las Pegasus, she glanced between the two. Both, however, held three words. Of course they’d make me waste time trying to figure out which is which. Moving the first letter of the first word down, she found both held the letters required. Pinkie’s paper held the words ‘Flim Flam Rule’, while the Las Pegasus parchment had ‘Discord Always Wins’. They’re certainly full of themselves, but what’s the point of having two word puzzles when this safe only has four letters per word?

Opening the first safe, the second was revealed to be the same size, just a second door, much like their vaults. She quickly entered the second, rotating each letter with her hoof. “Discord Always Wins?” Twilight remarked. “A bit on the nose, don’t you think?”

Snapping open, Sunset pulled handle. The bearers gathered around, surprised by the contents behind the sixth lock. While they cheered, Sunset stood slack-jawed. I knew this was too easy. All of it. She put her hooves around the case and withdrew the box. Beneath the glass sat five tetragonal gemstones, and one six-pointed magenta star.

Sunset trotted her way to the center of the room and released the latch. She threw the star to Twilight. “That one is yours. I know it for certain. Each of these others?” She flexed her brows and shook her head.

Yet when the purple unicorn touched the stone, her eyes lit up. A white light poured from the star, wrapping around her mane, forming a crown atop her head. When the light ceased, golden metal protected the star. “Sunset! You’ve done it!” Twilight gawked, feeling the crown with her hooves.

Snapping her focus to the other bearers. “Touch them. Touch them!” she commanded. “Find which one is yours! Now!”

Taking each of the gems, the bearers traded and studied, hoping to find theirs. Rarity was the first of the five, her neck entangled with the golden hem of the amulet. At the center of the gold sat her purple gemstone, matching her cutie mark. “Generosity!” she hollered.

Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy found theirs at the same time. The light glowing from her eyes knocked the false horn from Fluttershy’s head, dropping it to the ground. When the radiance ceased, a necklace of gold and pink sat on her throat. “Way to go!” Rainbow Dash held her hoof up for Fluttershy to bump, her own necklace sat against her white tank top. Fluttershy, with no reluctance, bumped the hoof and giggled.

When Applejack traded her gem to Pinkie, the pink mare’s eyes grew bright. Applejack snagged her own and both fell into the insatiable white glimmering. All six mares now stood radiant in the Elements’ shine. “We’ve done it. I can’t believe it!” Sunset said, cheering on the light. “All six of the Elements of Harmony—we can do it! We can defeat Discord!”

“So you seem to think.”

“Always the clever one.”

At the entrance of the room, Sombra had stepped aside for the brothers. Their corny blue and white outfits were prim and pressed for this occasion, as if they expected the day to arrive all along. “Dear brother of mine, she never even stopped to think if what she was doing was right,” Flam said.

“Right, you are so right, my dear brother,” Flim agreed, pointing to the six bearers. “By gosh. I knew she was dense, but to really think we'd be so easily fooled! Well, she did want the bearers to target Discord, even if it meant betraying, lying, and turning them against her. I think now it's time for that opportunity!”

Sunset stood in front of the bearers, blocking Flim and Flam. “As if I’ll let you take them from me. They’re my friends.”

“Not anymore.” A third voice sprang from behind the bearers, forcing Sunset to turn back.

“Discord!” one of the bearers shouted.

“The one and only!” Discord chuckled. “Though, Sunset should know that isn’t true.” He stared down his nose, past his mustache at the bearers. “Thank you for gathering these six and getting them their Elements. Was Pinkie helpful? I figured she would be. Having watched you go through so many worlds, I knew it'd be impossible to not have you befriend them. So why not do the opposite and throw some glue right in there at the beginning? Without you, Sunset, none of this would have been possible.” With a simple snap of his fingers, the eyes of the bearers became blue. Swirling with magic, their jaws fell slack. “And just like that, they’re mine now.”

“You can’t do that!” Sunset argued, and her own Discord erupted from her backpack. “Discord, I thought you were blocking his magic!?”

“I am!” he replied. “But only against you and your otherworldly map. This is his world, his bearers, after all.”

Sunset gritted her teeth, if only to keep her smile at bay.

“Did you think hosting the Elements of Harmony in here would prevent magic?” the terrible Discord asked. “Magic may be prevented in this museum, but this is my world, as I said. A wonderful compliment from myself.” He bowed to himself, though Sunset’s Discord held back his appreciation for the snide sarcasm. “Now it is time for you to be imprisoned, Sunset Shimmer. Discord always wins! I think a lovely stone statue would be absolutely chaotic!” Snapping his fingers once more, the bearers pushed together, readying the Elements of Harmony to be used on Sunset Shimmer.

But the alicorn refused.

The terrible Discord did not move his head or legs, simply contorting his slender body out of the way of the beam. The magical blast shattered the door behind him, breaking it into a thousand pieces. Discord, however, only laughed at the attempt. “Really? That’s all you’ve got? I would’ve thought all the preparations you did last world would’ve helped. I must be slipping. Well, not me. But—oh, you get the joke by now.”

“No, Discord, I get the joke. And I realized a while ago that you planned everything. Just the same as my Discord planned everything in the last world too.” She eyed up at her Discord, giving a cunning smile. Her Discord stared down, surprised by the menacing look. “I am the most foolish person in the world, Discord.” She turned back to the terrible draconequus. “Just not this world.”

An eruption of laughter leapt from the terrible Discord’s throat. “Marvelous speech dear. Now goodbye.” He readied a snap of his fingers to command the bearers to use the Elements of Harmony on Sunset.

“D-Discord!” one of the brothers yelled, though Sunset couldn’t tell which. “She used magic!”

The draconequus stood unflinching, as if he didn’t care or understand. A perplexed brow shot up his face, eyeing the two twin stallions with contempt. An anger flashed within his pupils, a clear resentment of the two interrupting his dramatic victory. He almost shrugged off the words, continuing with his plan, all the way up until he heard the steady breathing from behind him.

As soon as he turned, the soul-sucking mouth opened wide, tearing the terrible Discord’s magic straight from his core. Limp went the draconequus's body, flailing to the ground like a wet noodle. Growing ten sizes in an instant, the door between ripped even further apart as Lord Tirek regained his full strength. Without Discord's magic, the bearers snapped from their mindlessness, only to be forced to flee from the falling ceiling. “T-Tirek’s got his magic!?” Twilight screamed, rushing to Sunset’s side. “What happened!?”

“No! No! You undid the lever!” Flim and Flam yelled in unison. “This can’t be happening! You’re going to ruin everything!”

Sunset turned to the two stallions, the smuggest smile creasing her face. “You already did.”

In an instant, the two brothers were entrapped in crystals, much like a Princess Cadance Sunset once helped free. With a gap between the two unicorns, the dark king waltzed through, his eyes on Sunset Shimmer. A fanged, evil grin bore itself as he came close, the bearers cowering in fear around the alicorn. “Thank you, Sunset.” His eyes drifted to the centaur who busily tore down the other wall, freeing the changelings. “Go on, get out of here before Tirek decides he wants an alicorn snack.”

Sunset nodded, appreciative.

“Leave? We can’t leave! Tirek’s loose! Sombra’s right there! We have the Elements of Harmony! Let’s use them,” argued Rainbow Dash. “Discord’s right here too!” She threw her hooves up to the draconequus who lacked a mustache.

“You’re right, Dash. You’ve got the Elements of Harmony,” Sunset replied.

In an instant, the world transformed into a bright, empty field with stumps and dead grass. At the side stood a crystalline table and broken chairs. “Sunset?” Discord inquired, surprise written all over his face.

“This is my Discord. He's been helping me against this world's Discord." She turned, eyeing the confused expressions. "I got you the Elements of Harmony, it’ll be your job to use them,” Sunset told the six. “But only after I’m gone.”

Cries and shouts rang out from the bearers, each just as surprised as Discord. “Sunset, you can’t be serious!” Fluttershy wailed, her face wrinkled with pain. “All of this, releasing Lord Tirek and King Sombra—the changelings too—just to leave us?”

“I knew Discord planned everything. When everything became too easy, my suspicions were confirmed. The only way to have beat him meant following Princess Luna’s advice. He pointed me in directions, forced me to hurry along, and would’ve grown impatient had I meandered.” Sunset glanced at her Discord. “He wanted to lead me down the path of those first worlds. Gather the bearers, Elements, defeat the villain. He had watched me, just like you did, Discord, and he knew which paths I would want to follow. So I did. Just not the path he was expecting. After all, why would I want to relive my biggest mistake in this journey?”

“You remained a step ahead of him this entire time?” Discord asked, in awe of her brilliance.

“And now I’m going to do the one thing he never expected, the one thing I don’t want to do. I’m going to run away. Without his magic, use yours and set my course for Princess Twilight Sparkle.”

“You absolute genius!” Grabbing her beneath her forelegs and hoisting her into the air, Discord twirled on one leg. “This is the reason! This is why I backed you! Why I believed in you! You are the only one to outwit even me! And I know you will do great things in the future.”

Sunset couldn’t help but laugh, her mane getting in her eyes. “I’ve been running away for a long time, Discord. It's time to run towards what's been calling me.”

"If this is truly it, you are saying goodbye to me, to the bearers, and to something else." Reaching behind Sunset's backpack, Discord set down the unicorn. With his other hand, he snapped his fingers. “There you go, pathway is unlocked. You won’t be needing these anymore.” Retracting his hand, two wings sat between his knuckles.

With a glance over her shoulder, she moved to extend her wings, but the backpack didn’t move. A terrible withdraw leftover of nerves tingled her mind. “I figured as much.” She looked to the bearers, then specifically to Twilight. “You’re the only real princess here. Sorry I've been lying this whole time, but I've been so desperate to meet up with that version of you again.” Without their approval, Sunset levitated each of the bearers into their seats. And with a leap onto the table, she looked up to the sky.

“Sunset, you can’t seriously be leaving like this, can you!?” Twilight yelled. “After all we’ve been through?”

“Relax, Twilight.” Rarity nodded her head. “I don’t appreciate being lied to, but Sunset’s given us more than the Elements of Harmony. She’s given us friendship.” She stared up at the now unicorn. “I’ll miss you, Sunset. I do wish we'd gotten more time to spend together.”

“I’ll miss you too, Not-Princess Sunset Shimmer!” Pinkie exclaimed, her Element jiggling against her neck.

"You'll never be forgotten," Fluttershy commended.

Rainbow Dash kicked back in her chair. "I usually charge to clean up other ponies' messes, but since we're friends, I'll make an exception."

“Don’t worry about us,” Applejack added. “We can take on anything. As friends.”

Sunset felt the tears float up into the opening portal. “I know you can. I wouldn’t be leaving if I didn’t believe that.” She then turned to the draconequus. “Keep watching, Discord. This story isn’t over yet.” As her backpack levitated, so did her mane. Eventually, her whole body succumbed to the weightlessness, entering the green portal.

A terrible shout rang out, startling Sunset for a moment.

Her eyes closed, and she felt herself twirl. It almost felt like flying, but she knew she wasn’t. She couldn’t be flying. She hadn’t earned the right to have wings. After all, she unleashed three terrible villains onto Equestria, right in the heart of Canterlot, all at once. She still felt good, however. That is, until the voice screamed in her ear.

“The fate of all of Equestria hangs in the balance!” the feminine voice yelled.

“It does!” The voice wasn’t the same, but it was a mare’s tone. Not only that, Sunset recognized it. Twilight?

“Spare me your overblown ego! No group of friends, not even Princess Twilight’s is that important!” the first voice replied.

“I don’t know how important other ponies’ friendships are to the future, but I can show you what the world is like without mine!” Princess Twilight avowed.

Opening her eyes, Sunset saw the change, as if two paths broke at one point. In front of her, the split pushed, and she fell with it. Discord! You did it! As she tumbled wildly, the voices once again rang out. She heard Princess Twilight’s explanation, her talk of time travel, and how the pony named Starlight Glimmer had affected time. The voice of Twilight filled Sunset with sorrow, as if whatever was happening between the two really pained the purple alicorn. Twilight. I’m coming!

The portal ripped open. Unlike every time prior, Sunset landed on her hooves, facing the backside of Princess Twilight. Yet it remained the same in other ways, as Sunset arrived too late. “You want to know what happened to me!? I’ll show you!” Starlight Glimmer yelled, casting her magic on the table, and taking Princess Twilight and Spike the Dragon with her.

Sunset rushed to the table, knowing her interference would be impossible, much like every other entrance. She still made an attempt, watching as the trio disappeared. They did not leave the same way Princess Twilight always exited—up and through the same sort of portal that took Sunset. Instead, they left through the map, disappearing into the contents of another time.

Of course, even if she had stopped Starlight Glimmer, reaching Twilight in time, her guard would've slipped. The world around her took her breath away, leaving only dust in her lungs.

The decayed trees. The ashen earth. The darkened sky. Wind poured against her mane, blowing it into her eyes. Everything stood as a dull grey or brown. Out of all the worlds she'd been to, this one frightened her.

The worst of all possible worlds.

Final World: Chapter 1

Sunset Shimmer stared at the carnivorous emptiness. The scarred land. Helpless and dry. Empty, yet foreboding. What was the time of day? Was it even day? No moon, no sun, no stars. Had this world wiped out such celestial bodies? What villain had been so evil to destroy the sky, the planet, and all life? The change was jarring. From the frivolous nature of Discord, to this. Every world stood as a paradise compared to the nature of this timeline.

The only thing that remained was the crystal table, a map for Sunset to use. Even the map, however, looked dejected. The crystal reflected grey and brown, much like the world. Nothing sparkled. Nothing shined. Not even Sunset’s own fur remained orange. The dust kicked up by such pushy wind saw to that within a few seconds. A quiet storm in the distance.

A wave of nausea pushed her to the map, the slight queasy feeling came from the shattered world. Where do I even start? she wondered, placing both hooves on the table. Her eyes strained against the sudden brightness of the light. The hologram displayed the world, much like it did every world, but this wasn’t Equestria. Not from what she could tell.

Mountains as tall as the one that held Canterlot stood in places they shouldn’t. A vast sea cut the world further into the east than it should’ve ever reached. The frozen north sunk and lifted in certain section. Worst of all, not a single city existed. The mountains of Canterlot were gone. Ponyville vanished. The Crystal Empire held no semblance of any crystals. Manehattan, Appleloosa, Las Pegasus. Even the Badlands was no more. The entire world had become bad lands.

It wasn’t hot like the Badlands, nor cold other than the chill of the wind striking at Sunset’s wingless back. She stared, waiting for the cutie marks of the bearers to appear. And, much to her surprise, all six cutie marks lit up in the same exact spot. The Tree of Harmony remained silent, leaving Sunset with only the bearers. Does that mean the Tree of Harmony doesn’t have the Elements of Harmony? Like the Resistance timeline? Her brow furrowed at the thought.

She turned her eyes to the sky. “This thing always appears in the same spot, close to Ponyville. There’s no Ponyville here. No sun. No moon. How will I tell which direction to go in?” The cutie marks were north, miles upon miles north. Far beyond the strange emptiness and the new mountains, opposite the storm. To her advantage, the tallest mountain stood just south of the marks. This strange landform was too tall and too south to match the mountain of Canterlot, it may have even been further south than Sunset and the map. “I’ve never been more confused looking at this thing.”

Her eyes then shot to the chairs, hoping to use the cutie marks on the back of the crumbling seats and her own memory to piece together the directions. The chairs weren’t there, however. “Where are they?” Sunset circled the table, finding no trace of crystal seats. “What is wrong with this place!? Discord? Discord!” She’d become so used to calling for the draconequus’s help, yet no Discord answered. Gritting her teeth, she begged for her wings back, knowing the traversal of such a horrible place would be mind-numbingly backbreaking.

Instead of choosing a direction and getting lost, Sunset chose to sit and wait. Removing her backpack, she leaned against the table, ducking her head underneath the underside. She waited. She wanted a change in the sky, something to reveal the light of the brownness as the sun or moon. Watching, she sat like a statue. An hour passed, or perhaps two. Doing nothing proved fruitless without the ability to tell time, yet even as it did pass, nothing changed. A tint of brownish-orange perforated the darkened sky on every horizon, but never collapsed or altered.

“Forget this!” Sunset threw her backpack over her shoulders, chose a direction, and marched. The dark knolls in the distance suggested a northward direction, the only real object in any distance. Unrelenting in her trot, she crossed the distance, feeling as though meters became miles. The more she walked, the less she made ground. It was as though the hills never grew, like they walked ahead of her, filing their own saunter.

Walking until she could walk no more, Sunset collapsed. Falling to the ground, the wind rattled her brain and played with her mane. When she felt well again, she walked. Hours and hours passed, she collapsed, falling to the ground with a panting breath. Her eyes closed, only for a moment, and when they reopened, she found herself covered in ash and dust. Shaking off the steady debris, she continued her conquest, forcing herself to make for the knolls.

Eventually, the sight grew bigger, if only by little increments. Compared to the moon or sun, they would be considered a filly to the celestial bodies. The sun would collapse on the knolls, feast upon the soil. Even so, Sunset could not reach the knolls any more than the nonexistent sun. The brown light which emanated in all directions remained ever-present, showing no signs of fading. The darkened sky loomed above, squishing the tint beneath its weight.

After collapsing from exhaustion for another time, she hung her head, letting it fall into the dirt. Sleep took her this time, and she was certain her body knew it was the early morning, long after the midnight hour. Her body shook with a start when she awoke, her lips cracked from the wind, and dirt shaved against her skin. She thirst for clean water, or any water, yet she would find none. Spitting a mouthful of ash and saliva onto the ground, she tried to wipe her lips with the underside of her foreleg, hoping to remove the crust of dust.

Her travel continued, only for a moment, before she realized a dot on the horizon sparked up. Is that the strange mountain? Her eyes lit at the thought, the misaligned shape matched the map. Utilizing her little strength, she forced a gallop. And with her magic, she teleported, if only a few meters in front of her. Repeating the process over and over, she made quicker progress.

When she tired, she told herself to keep going. I’ve got to find them. All six. I’ve got to find out what happened. The slender mountain grew, and the knolls too. Soon, she found herself passing the knolls, leaving them farther east than the strange, goofy mountain. Rest became a necessity, and her body felt the toll once she could almost see the base. She didn’t give up, however. Without her magic, she closed her eyes, allowing her body to move sightlessly. Her mind closed, simply going through the motions.

She opened them after a long while, the flatland of this world let no rocks cross her path, and even the occasional scorched bark of what would’ve been a tree remained out of her way. Her eyes fell on the base of the slender mountain. With the knolls to the east, she trotted to the right side, reaching the tall, unworldly structure.

It was far skinnier than the mountain of Canterlot, far taller than any of the Badland’s plateaus, and far harder than any building within Manehattan. The mountain superseded the known limitations of the world. It did not falter, it did not succumb to the pressures of gravity. Worst of all, it proved no clouds blocked the atmosphere. Sunset could see the tiptop, even from her position so close to its base. It touched the blackened sky, and held no white snow to drip down in the form of water.

Grimacing, yet eerily moodless, Sunset gave no words to the strange edifice. Her trot continued after a rest against its base, the wind dulled by the supreme height. Hunger called her, thirst pained her. She would have neither. Discord, you were supposed to prepare me. Maybe it’s not your fault, though. How could anyone be prepared for this? As she rest her eyes, hearing her own heartbeat, she dozed off. A short nap. Not long enough to regain her strength, yet just enough for her body to be able to move.

Her mind ached like an ever-imposing helmet, dragging her neck down with weights. The lower she kept her head, however, the less the wind could send dirt into her face. The occasional dusty tornado would sweep around her, whipping her hair back and forth, though its only reason for being was to annoy her.

Traveling further and further away from the strange, slender mountain, time was lost on her. No longer did she stop for a break, her body moving on its own. Her thoughts, once of worry and of want, now remained a constant empty breeze. The gust pushed against her brain like it did her face. A white noise in an otherwise deaf world. What would a world with no one in make as a noise if not wind?

For miles and miles, nothing sat in the distance. She had been going the right direction, she knew that now, yet no other landmarks stood in her path. The bearers were this way, somehow. In the land of nothingness, they were here. She just needed to continue forward.

Her body did need rest, though it did not falter and fall any longer, instead it slowed her trot. Sunset didn’t notice, her mind blank. Her focus remained on her breathing, and the want for food and water. The more she pined for the necessities of life, the worse she felt. Her bones ached, her muscles quaked, and her heartbeat rose in her ears.

When the world blurred, she closed her eyes. And for the first time in her travels, she stumbled and fell. She expected a scorched tree, one barely as tall as her, or a jagged rock, not the first she’d seen. Instead, her body was entangled with a pair of sticks. One sat a diagonal horizontal, wrapped to a vertical that stuck itself in the ground. The sight confused her. It was neither tree nor rock.

Her eyes shot up to the scene before her. A dozen of the markers sat before her. Most only held one vertical stick sitting slanted from the shredded earth. There was one that stuck out to her above all others, however. Three rows down, she trotted. A single vertical stick shot out from the ground, though the base remained covered. She lifted the object with her hoof, watching as the dust and ash fell from the faded hat. A hat Sunset recognized.

“No.” She didn’t have the energy to cry, nor the fluids to do so. She wanted to cry, she knew the hat. She’d seen the earth pony wear it, and the only girl at CHS to wear the same thing day in and day out. “No, please.”

Sunset had found the place where the six cutie marks sat.

Staring over the other markers, she knew what it meant. She understood now why the world was so bleak. Holding the hat tight, she squeezed so hard the fabric tore in half, leaving her with just a slice of the rim. The other half blew into the distance, carried by the unending wind. And though she felt she had no tears to cry, dots began to stain the remaining cloth she held. Her eyes closed. She wanted to give herself to sleep, to awaken in a world that wasn’t this terrible, awful nightmare.

But a noise struck her, forcing open her eyes. It wasn’t the wind, and it wasn’t her. A noise so odd she couldn’t help but stand and look. What she found was less expected than the markers.

A row up and three across, a metal tube peered. A lens protruded from the end of the tube as it turned in the dirt, eyeing the barren world. When it reached Sunset it stopped moving, as if it were just as surprised as her. The movement and shape reminded her of a telescope, yet not nearly as large, and it certainly wouldn’t be used on any stars.

Getting off her rump, she used her remaining strength to wallow toward the out of place device, only for it to sink back into the soil. “No. Don’t go,” she begged, her voice shallow and meek. When she arrived, she found the metal only a few inches deep, unmoving. Tapping it with a hoof did nothing.

Then, without warning, a hole opened behind the marker, shaking the earth and forcing Sunset to the ground. With urgency, she crawled to the hole, only to find it empty aside from a metal sheet. She stared blankly at the metal, wondering what it did. Whether it was delirium or a moment of clarity, she felt the sudden need to drop onto it. The coldness of the sheet metal felt good on her fur. Adding to the surprise of seeing such a strange object, a second metal slab covered her, blackening her world. With no strength to light her horn, she waited, and not long either.

Below her, the world rumbled and moved, the metal with it. It was dark for a while, and when brightness came, it blinded her. Taking a while to adjust, she held her hooves over her eyes, trying to gain a picture of what stood behind the glass. Glass? She put a hoof against the texture, feeling the glass pull as the metal she sat upon lowered.

As her sight fully adjusted, she saw beyond the glass. A world of white metal, ponies, and green grasses. Am I dreaming? Is this for real? She sat up, a renewed strength by the oddity. She watched ponies trotting with each other until the darkness returned. It only took a moment, however, as the platform reached its destination.

And who was first pony she saw in this strange world? Princess Twilight Sparkle.

“How is this possible?” Sunset asked, once again seeing Princess Twilight Sparkle.

Falling forward, she slammed her jaw on the ground. The pain combined with her hunger, thirst, and headache forced a bout of blindness. She struggled to get up, barely hearing the purple alicorn shout to other ponies in the room. “Get her some help! Get her a doctor!”

Her mind secluded itself with its thoughts, giving Sunset none to ruminate on. It wasn’t until her eyes fluttered open that the first thought crossed her mind. Where am I? She stared up at the ceiling. How long was I out? Craning her head, she looked down at her body. A tube ran to her foreleg, taped to her fur. Liquid drained through the transparency, flooding her with rehabilitating life essence. A white sheet covered her lower half. Is this a hospital? Was that world even real?

Twisting her neck, her eyes found a small, grey end table sitting next to a plush chair. Her backpack sat unopened, though out of reach. Using her magic, she lifted the bag, only for it to fall to the ground halfway to the bed. She let out a pained grunt, exhaling her disgust.

Either hearing the sound or coincidentally entering at the right time, a mare with a white cap yelped. Her surprise at Sunset’s alertness caused her to drop the clipboard she held. “Doctor! Doctor! She’s awake! Get the princess!” the nurse yelled as she fled the room.

Though she felt weak, Sunset refused to sit and wait for a doctor or princess. Princess? The title confused her. Princess Twilight Sparkle? The one I saw? Ripping the tube and tape from her foreleg, she threw her back legs to one side. When she went to stand, she fell to the ground atop her backpack.

“Here, doctor,” she heard the nurse say. “She’s awake—wait, where did she go?” Trailing around the bed, she saw the debilitated unicorn. “Oh goodness.”

Both the stallion doctor and the mare nurse pulled Sunset up, sitting her in the chair rather than the bed. “Why is it unicorns often struggle the hardest to stay and maintain their health?” the doctor grumbled, taking the backpack off the floor. Setting it beside her on the end table, he removed the stethoscope from his neck. “Can you tell me your name, you brash mare?”

Sunset went to speak, but a sudden burst of coughing leapt from her throat, splatting the stallion with saliva. As he wiped the spittle, the nurse said, “I’ll make sure Princess Twilight gets the news.”

Wanting to repeat the name, Sunset reached for the nurse. “What is your name, dear?” the stallion inquired as he listened to her heart. “A sun cutie mark is a rare sight, and a pony on the surface even rarer. We have so many questions. I’m sure the princess will want to know everything about you when she arrives.”

As he pressed his hooves to her throat, feeling for any contractions, Sunset let out another bout of coughs. This time she put her own foreleg over her mouth, preventing another moment of awkwardness between her and the unknown doctor. “Where am I?” she asked, though her voice remained fainter than that of a whisper.

He frowned, staring down his muzzle at her. “Where are you?” he repeated, uncertain if that was her question. “You’re in our hospital. Well, more accurately, you’re in Equestria.” He scratched his beard as he went silent.

It wasn’t long before the nurse returned. With her appeared the purple mare Sunset searched so long to find. “Twilight…” Sunset mouthed, the name escaping any decibel.

Kneeling down, Princess Twilight Sparkle took Sunset’s hoof in hers. “My name is Twilight Sparkle. I’m the leader of Equestria. Who are you?” she asked, her eyes full of life and wonder.

Taking a moment to breathe, Sunset gulped down the contents of her mouth, hoping to clear her throat. “Sunset,” she replied, barely getting the word out. “Shimmer,” she finished, though much lower than the first.

The doctor grunted and the nurse shook her head, both not understanding. “Sunset Shimmer?” Twilight inquired. “Is that right? Did I get that right?”

A light nod was all Sunset responded with.

“You are the first pony we’ve seen on the surface world in many years. You are welcome in New Equestria, but we are very, very curious to hear about you, to hear where you came from.” Twilight stood up. “Please, take your time to rest. When you feel up to it, we will talk more.” She then shot a look to the doctor and they both trailed out of the room.

The nurse lifted Sunset, helping guide her to the bed. “I’ll bring you some water,” she said after pulling the blanket over the unicorn.

Sitting again, alone and comfortable, Sunset stared up at the ceiling. The tan room was nothing like the surface world. The ponies held no ash on their fur, or dirt on their hooves. Did I really travel so far beneath the land to a civilization hidden below the desolation? When the nurse returned, Sunset sucked down the cup, begging for another. “F-food,” she whispered, and the nurse agreed.

After scarfing down the smallest helping Sunset had ever seen, she drank another cup and fell into a deep sleep. She tossed and turned without the tubes connecting to her foreleg, kicking the blanket off when the heat became unbearable. When she eventually awoke, the light overhead was off, and the crack of the door beamed with little glow.

Her magic flipped the switch, a feat that she pined for beyond the mirror. The glow of bulbs reminded her of CHS, the ever-present hum a constant ringing.

Though her body still ached for rest, she refused. I’m done resting. My mind is ready. Climbing from the bed, she pulled the backpack with her teeth and trotted to the door. A few steps in and she found her mind more ready than her body. Steadying herself against the frame, both straps went around her shoulders, though neither cooperated at first. Once finished, she stared into the hall, looking both ways. Several other doors remained open and dark. On one end sat a dead end with a painting of pink tulips, while the other held the desk for the nurse. The same nurse who’d helped her sat quietly reading behind the counter.

Creeping down the hall, she tried her best to sneak up on the nurse. I still don’t know who these ponies are, or what happened, but I’ve got to get to Princess Twilight. She’ll explain everything. “Ex-excuse me,” Sunset said in a hushed voice, though not entirely on purpose.

The nurse slammed her book shut, her eyes as wide as a searching owl. “You’re awake! And up!” she huffed, holding her chest as if to steady her breathing. “I should get the doctor, or ring the princess.” Her hoof went to the intercom that sat on the counter.

“I’d like to go and see Princess Twilight, actually.”

Staring up at Sunset, her eyes wavered. “I can't just let you leave. How about a compromise? Go sit on a bench and I’ll get her down here. She’ll decide what to do with you from there.”

With a gentle nod, Sunset agreed. The benches in question sat opposite the nurse station with big double doors ahead. Sitting down, she stared at the hall leading out. She waited patiently for Twilight to pass through the doors. It was the only way in and out, though the windows within showed only shadows and dimly lit white panels.

When the double doors burst open, Sunset couldn’t help but laugh. In slippers, a soft woolly cyan robe, and a sleep mask around her neck, Twilight appeared as if the world Sunset went through didn’t exist. “You’re awake! And up!” Twilight greeted. Her head then swiveled to the nurse, her eyes questioning. “She’s up?” The nurse shrugged a response, clearly just as surprised as the alicorn.

“Twilight,” Sunset quietly greeted, smiling up at the alicorn. She struggled to stand, leaning heavily on Twilight who offered the support. “D-do you… know me?”

Gritting her teeth in a vain attempt to neither smile nor frown. “I-I can’t say I’ve ever met a Sunset Shimmer.”

Not my Princess Twilight. Sunset nodded. At least it’s a distinction. “Can we talk?”

“Sure, let’s get you back to your—”

“No,” Sunset breathed. “I am tired. So tired. I am especially tired of lying in bed.”

Twilight chuckled, understanding the soft words. “Very well. You may hold onto me. Come, my room is not far from the elevator.”

Wrapping a leg around the alicorn’s neck, Sunset clung steadily, feeling the softness of the robe brush against her. The strong scent of flowers wafted against her nostrils, Twilight’s mane dripping against her cheek. With her magic, Twilight held the double doors open. A second hall lead them down past shadows into a light filled observatory. When they passed from the darkness, Sunset stopped, standing in awe of the center. “Welcome to Equestria. Well, New Equestria.” Twilight pointed from ground level to ceiling, a span of a mile high, with rails guarding over two dozen floors. “This is us.”

The center spanned a length as large as the gym within CHS, from wall to wall. This wasn't a sleek maple wood court, however. With few trees and many rows of flowers, it sparked creativity and life. An indoor park, Sunset understood. They continued from the view, stepping toward a darkened wall. The path led around in a big circle, each floor the same, all creating one tall cylinder. They didn’t follow their floor for long, reaching the elevator Twilight spoke of.

Unlike the one that carried Sunset down into Equestria, this one stood taller, more cylindrical, and lacked glass shielding. Sunset stood off from Twilight, leaning on the rails of the elevator, staring as they went up. “Where is everypony?” she whispered.

“Asleep.” She pointed to the darkness between the floors, where the lights above remained off. “I know. It’s hard to tell, isn’t it? It’ll take some getting used to.” When the elevator stopped, Twilight took Sunset by the foreleg, dragging her to the nearest door. Above, in bold, read the text ‘Princess Twilight’.

Pressing her hoof on the pad to the side of the door, a mechanism snapped, pushing the door slightly. With her magic, Twilight did the rest, helping Sunset into the modest apartment. Leaving Sunset to walk herself to the single sofa, Twilight shut the door, giving them both privacy. “This is your home?” her voice croaked, almost sounding strangled and foreign to the unicorn.

“It is. A luxurious space, I know, but we had the room,” Twilight replied. The living room and kitchen were one space, separated only by a counter with stools lining the living room's side. A second door stood offshoot from the counter, with a single drawer dresser beside. The beige sofa sat opposite, a simple stag-colored coffee table sitting in front. The alicorn brought a cup to the kitchen faucet and filled it to the brim. “Here, this’ll help.”

Resting her rump, Sunset leaned on the arm of the sofa, taking the water in both hooves rather than magic. She pushed it to her lips, letting it trickle slowly down her throat. Another sip, she swirled it around in her mouth, hoping to cut the dryness root and stem. A wheeze, and she swallowed. “Thank you,” she said with clarity, though her voice still as low as any Fluttershy. “You have your wings, but you are not my Twilight.”

“My Twilight?” the alicorn stood over her. Taking the cup from Sunset, she set it on the coffee table. Several books were to the side, some for notes while others were for studying. “Sunset Shimmer, I have so many questions.” Trotting around the stout table, she went to the other side of the sofa. Climbing next to the orange unicorn, she dared not get too close. “And I’m certain you have many questions for me. I’d be lying if I said I’d not like to go first.”

Sunset’s eyes held on Twilight, following the alicorn’s movements. “My voice,” she spoke gently, “It’ll come back.”

“Right, right.” Twilight leaned back, her own face filled with wrinkles of confusion. She stared at her hooves, obviously trying her best to not create an awkward setting for Sunset. “I’m not sure where I can begin. How far in history do I start? A year ago? The building of Equestria? New Equestria, I mean.” She apologized with a shake of her head. “We call this Equestria. This place, it’s all that’s left. We're all that's left.”

“What happened?” Sunset breathed.

“That’s a question we still ask ourselves.” Twilight stared blankly at the coffee table, her eyes shiftless. “One day, a terrible monster came. Ponies… went away. I tried to stop it. All of ponykind tried to fight back. And in the end, we lost. Our first loss. Our only loss. The world changed, and it’s still out there.”

Sunset glanced down at Twilight’s back, eyeing the cyan robe. With a lift of her hoof, she spooked the alicorn. “S-sorry.” Sunset patted the area where the purple wings sat. “Princess,” Sunset affirmed, only to end with a coughing fit.

Twilight padded Sunset’s chest, hoping to expel whatever phlegm remained. Lifting the cup, she aided in smoothing the fit, hushing Sunset at the same time. “How about a game? I ask a question and you nod your head if it’s a yes. If it’s a no, you shake it opposite. That way you won’t have to speak too much.”

Sipping slowly on the water, Sunset nodded.

Twilight stood and crossed the room, standing beside the dresser. She removed her robe and kicked off her slippers. Opening the other door, she threw her clothes into the darkness, and Sunset could barely make out the shape of a mattress. “Alright. I’m going to start pretty far back, okay? I’m going to go to before everything happened.” Twilight closed the door and returned to stand in front of the coffee table. “Do you know who Princess Celestia is?”

Sunset nodded at the obvious question.

“Princess Luna?”

Sunset nodded again.

“You know who I am, of course. Do you know the tale of Nightmare Moon?” Sunset nodded. “Do you know what the Elements of Harmony are?” To Twilight’s surprise, Sunset nodded at the question. “Really? Alright, if you know all that, then do you know of the bearers? The bearers of the Elements of Harmony?”

And once again, Twilight was surprised by the nod, the understanding eyes staring at her. “Alright.” Twilight regained her breath, allowing time to formulate more questions. “You said my Twilight. Do you know another Twilight?”

Nodding, Sunset wanted to speak, to say the many she knew, but her voice only moaned. “Don’t try to speak,” Twilight hushed. “Are you… from another world?”

When Sunset nodded, the alicorn fell to the ground, her mind twisting at the answer. “Another world. I can’t believe it. When they said they saw somepony on the surface, I thought there might have been another sanctuary in this awful world. But, a whole different world from ours?” She held her head. “Is it peaceful there?”

Sunset stared, unsure how to answer. Finally, after much debate, she nodded. A few tears pooled at her lids, which she quickly wiped with the back of her hoof. “You and the other bearers,” Sunset said, and as Twilight tried to hush her, she declined. “You s-six. Defeated. Villains.” It was a burden to speak, but she felt the need to say it. To comfort the alicorn. “Peaceful.” She nodded.

“How?” Twilight asked, no longer skewing her questions to yes or no answers.

With her hooves, Sunset mimed above her head, forming at the center of her horn and trailing down the sides. “A crown,” Twilight understood. “The Element of Magic, my Element.” Sunset nodded.

They stood and sat in silence for a while, both contemplating their words, their questions, and their answers. “We stopped them here, too.” Twilight closed her eyes, her own memories on her mind. “Nightmare Moon. We were there for the changeling invasion, for King Sombra’s return. We even took on Discord—though he later became our friend. All that we had done, we still failed in stopping the horrible monster who wiped our world away.”

“Who?” Sunset whispered.

“The worst of them all,” answered Twilight. “It has no name, we would refuse to speak it even if it did. Its power, unimaginable. Far greater than anything we faced before. To even speak of it—” She shivered, wrapping her forelegs around her body “—I fear we would bring its wrath down upon us.”

Sitting up, Sunset dropped from the couch. She took the cup in her magic and swallowed the rest. Her throat hurt to speak, but she would push herself to try. “Where are the bearers?” she asked, coming close enough to Twilight for the words to be almost audible.

“Asleep,” she answered, just as a knock came to the door. The alicorn’s eyes shot to the clock on the stove. “Though not for long.”

Sunset remained in place. She waited to see past Twilight, wondering who would’ve knocked at the early hour. “Is she here?” the voice spoke, a feminine voice, one that Sunset even recognized.

“She is. She knows me,” Twilight answered, her voice quiet, as if she tried to hide the words. The silence of the apartment made it impossible, however. “She might know you too.” Stepping aside, Twilight allowed the earth pony inside her home.

Sunset trotted forward, almost tripping over herself, just to land against the burnt orange mare. Wrapping her in a hug, the mare let out a gasp of surprise. “I guess she sure does know me, Twi.” Sunset felt the brush of a hoof along the back of her neck. “But I ain’t ever seen her.” Letting go, Sunset backed up, eyeing the freckles that wrinkled along the perplexed face. “The name is Applejack,” the mare greeted. “Bet you already knew that, though.”

“This is Sunset Shimmer,” Twilight introduced, coming between the two. “I was just trying to figure out how much she knew. She is not… from our world. I was hoping to go over our history with her, trying to find out what she does and doesn’t know.”

“Why not just take her to level five?” Applejack asked, as if the question need not be asked.

“She’s too weak to talk let alone walk,” Twilight replied, also as if the question not be needed at all.

“I want to go,” Sunset said, her voice a whisper. "I'd like to see more."

Applejack threw a hoof to the unicorn. “She’s been sleepin’ for six days. You really think she ain’t gonna want to put some tracks to the ground? Shoot, it’ll be the first time somepony new gets to see the tributes.”

Looking between the two, Twilight’s mouth scrunched tightly. “I-I suppose. On one condition.” She turned to Applejack instead of Sunset. “You go to the infirmary and get a wheelchair, then meet us down there. If she feels weak or might faint, it’ll be good to have a comfortable way for her to rest. Not to mention carrying her around is a little awkward.”

Grinning and chuckling, Applejack gave in. “I’ll see about getting some of others up too. Does she know all of us?” Sunset nodded. “Well, alright then. I’ll see y’all down there.”

After the earth pony departed, leaving the two alone, Sunset borrowed another cup of water. Lightly coughing, she felt her throat, pressing against it with her hoof. She heaved and croaked, then turned to the alicorn. “I’m ready,” she said, hoarsely.

They took the elevator down this time, only a few short levels. Sunset could see the early birds stirring beneath, meandering in the garden below the fake morning light. Some ponies on the lower floors waved to Twilight, and she waved back. "How've you lived?" Sunset inquired.

"We've got farms and recreation, homes for all, and plenty of space for extras. It took a lot of work, but we've managed."

"It sounds like you've thrived," Sunset replied, a croak to her words.

"We've survived," Twilight corrected. "It took a lot of work. I've been writing our entire history here in New Equestria, though it's nowhere finished."

When the elevator stopped, Sunset allowed herself to be held by the alicorn, trotting down the circular path to an open doorway. It repeated the same structure as the outside, she could see both the left and right sides of the room curved and opened to other rooms that also curved, completing the circle, though walls separated each room.

In this first room, the entrance to the gallery, there was only one object. A tall painting, and the contents larger than life. “We tried to stop the horrible monster, and the Elements failed us. We retreated, hoping to regain our strength for a second battle. Before we could, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna went to stop it with their own strength. We wished them well.”

On a blue background, the two painted sisters hung suspended in the shape of an oval. White trailing blue, blue trailing white. The sun and moon between them, sharing the space eternally. “And we never saw them again,” Twilight continued.

Sunset struggled with the thought. How could the Elements have failed? How could Celestia? “How?” she asked.

“That thing, it is too powerful. After Celestia and Luna left, it came for us all. It went on a rampage, destroying everything it came across,” Twilight answered.

“Ponyville? The Crystal Empire?” Sunset croaked, her voice strained. “C-Canterlot?”

Twilight stared up at the painting, her eyes unflinching. “Those are names I haven’t heard in a long time,” she mourned, a memory striking deep within the recesses of her mind. “Canterlot? You’ve been to Canterlot before?” Sunset nodded. “What did you think of it this time around?”

Sunset’s brows furrowed at the question. She tilted her head, indicating she didn’t understand. And this time, Twilight nodded. “You were up there. You found our landmark. You found where Canterlot once stood. Those markers.”

Falling to her rump, Sunset felt hooves hold her steady. “There, there,” the alicorn whispered.

There was nothing for miles and miles. Just a flat world. How could that be Canterlot? She shrugged the tears from her eyes, pushing away from the comfort of the alicorn. “More,” she commanded, pushing right. She held the wall until Twilight pulled her close, allowing Sunset to steady and walk at a quicker pace.

The next room, though smaller than the first, continued the curve. In the middle, a short pedestal held a container. Wrapped in glass, six gemstones laid in golden borders, a comforting plush bed beneath them. “We’ve kept the Elements of Harmony, even after their failure,” Twilight said. “Our failure,” she corrected. “The Tree of Harmony is gone, and so perhaps the magic with it. We are unsure. So we hide and prosper down in the dirt and earth. Perhaps one day I can figure out why they did not defeat the monster.”

These six stones were the ones Sunset recognized most of all. A cyan balloon. A pink butterfly. A purple diamond. A red thunderbolt. An orange apple. And one crown, a six-pointed magenta star at the center. “But… but friendship,” Sunset choked, her words falling from her mouth.

“We once thought that, were the Elements destroyed, we’d be powerless. But even though we house them, even though they appear fine, they still didn't work. The magic within them might be lost.” Twilight shook her head, staring at both her reflection in the glass, and at her own Element. “I had hoped we could band together, to use our own friendship as the key to defeating the monster. But something stopped us, broke us, and threw us back. We forced ourselves into hiding, hoping and helping anypony lucky enough to find us, sharing in a world we’d build. A world hidden.”

Twilight pulled Sunset away from the stones, though the unicorn had no desire to leave. Her mind still tried to fit everything into place. How is this possible? Why would this be the place I've been called? She continued to stare at the Elements of Harmony as they trotted to the next room.

“Oh, no. I thought we’d finally gotten her to sleep in her own bed!” Setting Sunset against the frame of the entryway, Twilight rushed to the yellow pony sleeping on the cold, metal floor. “Fluttershy,” the alicorn greeted, attempting to wake the pegasus. “Wake up. You were past this. What happened?”

Sunset watched the pegasus yawn and lean into Twilight’s grip, though she did not smile up at the alicorn. “I’m sorry Twilight. With a-all the commotion of a new pony, I guess I… I just walked here in my sleep.”

Turning her eyes to another tall painting, Sunset stared at the beauty. It matched the majesty of the first, though for a person Sunset never believed would’ve received such a wondrous treatment. In a pose he would never stand, with a heroic smile on his toothy face, the draconequus stood firm. His arms were tucked behind his back, he stared nobly up and to the right, as if to catch his good side. “Ah! Fluttershy!” a voice yelled.

Applejack raced past Sunset, leaving the wheelchair beside the unicorn. “I thought we were past this!” she hollered, rushing to Twilight’s aid.

“I know, I know,” Fluttershy meekly replied. When her eyes met Applejack’s they distanced themselves, falling to the ground. A second passed, and the pegasus realized she’d seen more. Flipping up her head, staring past the pink mane that covered half her face, she looked to Sunset. “Is that... is that her?”

Sitting down in the wheelchair, Sunset waited for the three to come close. “Fluttershy,” she said when they greeted her, though her voice shared in the pegasus's quietness.

“You know me?” Fluttershy gaped with eyes as large as goggles. “Have we met?”

“In another world, it seems,” Twilight answered, confusing the pegasus. “I will have to explain later, Fluttershy, once I find out more. We’ll need to hold a meeting.” She turned to Applejack. “Get her back to her room and let the others know to meet for lunch.” Trotting around the chair, Twilight used her magic to push as she rolled Sunset into the center.

“It was a pleasure to meet you,” Fluttershy said her goodbye, exiting the way they’d come with Applejack at her side.

When the two were alone, Twilight pointed up at the painting. “Do you know Discord?” Twilight inquired, and Sunset nodded. “He… He was good.” She held her face away from Sunset, her own eyes locked to the art. “Fluttershy misses him. When we built this cenotaph, she was the one who asked for a room dedicated to him. She even told the painters what he looked like, though he never stood so stoically.”

“Discord…” Sunset’s heart hurt.

“We all miss him,” Twilight added. “After the painters finished, Fluttershy spoke to him. To the painting, I mean. She spoke like he could really answer.” She then went silent, letting the words pass over Sunset.

For a while, they didn’t speak, and eventually the alicorn trotted behind Sunset’s chair, wheeling her on to the next room. She stopped just short, barely allowing Sunset to see the inside behind the doorframe. “Sunset. This next room, I… I’m not sure you should see it.”

Looking over her shoulder, Sunset stared at the grave face. “Please,” she whispered.

Choking back tears, Twilight let the unicorn have her way. Wheeling in slowly, she had no words for the wall. Only a simple phrase did she utter: “We don't know where these ponies are. All we can do is hope they’re safe.”

The chair went to a complete stop in front of the wall. A thousand photos were taped from border to border, almost on top of each other. Wheeling herself closer, Sunset marveled at the photographs, wondering who some of the ponies were. When she looked back at Twilight, the alicorn stared at the ground, a few stray tears running down her muzzle.

Sunset searched for a moment before finding a subsection, but she wasn’t ready for the sight. A newspaper clipping held Shining Armor and Princess Cadance at their wedding. Cut from a larger photo, Twilight Velvet and her husband were taped beside it. She then noticed others she recognized. Moondancer? Twinkleshine? And then she found one that surprised her the most. The one that hurt the most.

She turned back to Twilight, and in her scratchy voice, she spoke the name. “Spike?”

Slinking back at the name, Twilight had no answer.

Returning to the pictures, Sunset searched through each of the faces. Gilda. Zecora. Trixie. The water she'd drank only fueled her tears, dripping onto the chair beneath her four hooves. Mr. Barley! She found Pinkie Pie’s family, though she only recently met the ones more than just Maud. In the photograph, she could see the pink forelegs wrapped around the three sisters, though Pinkie had been cut out, making room for the rest of the photos around it. “Maud…” To the left, she recognized the Apple family, but she couldn’t bear any more faces.

“Who are you to us? How do you know so many ponies?” Twilight asked.

“We’re friends,” Sunset answered. “Best friends.”

Wheeling Sunset out, Twilight had no other questions. Sunset did, but kept them locked within her mind, her heart hurt too much to deal with the thoughts. “Can I go back to bed now?” she asked, the only question she wanted answered.

“Of course.”

There were no other words spoken until Twilight had pushed the chair into Sunset’s hospital room. She helped the unicorn out of her backpack, and asked, “What do you have in there?”

“You didn’t look?” Sunset wondered as she closed her eyes, leaning against the comfy pillow.

Twilight let go a short laugh. “No. It wouldn’t have been right to learn about you that way. And since you say we’re friends, I’m glad I avoided the temptation.”

“I’d say you’re the first Twilight to do so,” Sunset hoarsely remarked.

The purple muzzle scrunched below confused, furrowed brows. “I’ll let you rest,” Twilight replied, letting the comment go.

Alone, Sunset flicked the lights off with her magic. When she first awoke, she wanted nothing more than to get up and see what strange world this New Equestria had become. To hear how they lived. To see what awaited her. Now, all she wanted was rest. To forget everything she’d learned. To wallow in misery.

Sleep comforted her, wrapping her in a thoughtless state, only to be ruined by a desperate shuffle. Her eyes popped open, the light of the hall peered in, though her room succumbed to dark. She eyed a silhouette near the end table and chair. In a quick lash, she shut the door with her magic and flipped on the lights. “Rainbow Dash?” She spoke low, her voice growing in its strength.

The blue pegasus leapt like a cat, startled and surprised, latching to the ceiling with her hooves. Sunset’s backpack sat open, on its side, in the chair. “I-I’m sorry!” Rainbow Dash yelled, only to cover her mouth, more surprised at how loud she replied.

Lifting up the backpack, Sunset examined the book Rainbow Dash studied. It was the book given to her all those worlds ago, the scrapbook of her memories between these less than terrible worlds. “I should’ve expected one of you to snoop eventually,” Sunset said, though not harshly. She couldn't stay mad at the blue mare.

Rainbow Dash hovered to the ground, standing at the bedside. “I’m really sorry. Twilight just kept saying she has no information on you, that you’re a mystery. I-I was hoping I could discover something.”

“Where are they now?”

“In another meeting. I got tired of the lack of answers and waiting.” Her mouth fell to a hard line. “Who are you? Not just your name.” The pegasus leaned on the bed, both forelegs pressing against Sunset’s side. “Why are you here? Where'd you come from?”

Why am I here? Discord, why is this the final stop? How am I supposed to help time? What am I supposed to do? These same questions had been running through her mind as she slept. Now, the queries stared at her with cerise eyes. “I’m here to…” she paused, thinking hard for a moment. “I am here to… defeat your villain. To put an end to their tyranny.” Her whole body shook at the thought of returning to the surface. “I am here to save your world,” she said in a strangled voice.

The pegasus retreated, falling into the seat. Her eyes were blank, as if she too were a thousand miles away. “How? How will you do it?”

“With you. With the others,” Sunset answered. “As friends.”

Rainbow Dash’s lips fell apart in awe of the response. “Are you strong enough to walk?” She looked to the wheelchair that sat near the door in the corner. “Do you need me to get that?”

Throwing off the blanket, Sunset pulled the backpack over her shoulders. “I’m better. Take me to their meeting, if it’s still going on.”

This Rainbow Dash appeared excited at the thought. It was clear the pegasus wanted answers, and Sunset held herself well, ready to answer them. They travelled down the halls of the hospital, out into the cylindrical shape of their small world, onto the elevator, and up a few levels. Dash spouted questions, though Sunset answered none of them. They passed ponies, none of which Sunset recognized, and they all stared with sunken jaws. Pressing into a room of grey and white, Sunset stood before the other five bearers. A table and chairs that didn't resemble the map and its chairs seated these five. "You're awake?" Twilight gawked. "Rainbow? Did you wake her?"

“This is her? Sunset Shimmer?” Rarity spoke, eyeing the mare with a coolness. “Doesn’t look very otherworldly to me.”

“She says she’s here to stop our monster. To fix our world,” Rainbow Dash replied, perking up the entire room up.

“She said that?” Twilight questioned, rising from her seat. “Why didn’t you say it earlier?”

Sunset motioned to her throat. “Hard to say much earlier. I'm ready now," she said, still throaty. "I come from another world where you six defend Equestria, the real Equestria, from villains. In that world, a pony named Starlight Glimmer ripped time apart, creating openings to these other timelines. I was caught in the middle, stuck traveling between these broken worlds. In the last couple, I found out that something needs me here. I’m not sure what I can do, other than face this monster of yours head on, just as I’ve tried to do in every world.”

“What happened in these other worlds?” Fluttershy asked, and her body shook.

“Some were better than others, but all of them weren’t as bad as this. There was a war with King Sombra. One had Nightmare Moon as the ruler. I even…” she stopped, thinking of the draconequus who truly was her friend. “It all put me here. It led up to this moment, to this world.”

“What makes you think you can stop it?” Pinkie said, her voice deep, her stare dark. “We tried. We failed! Who are you to say you can stop it?”

But Sunset responded with a shrug. “I’m not sure. I don’t know who this monster is. I do know, I’m here for a reason, and I’m going to try. I can’t do it alone, however. I’ve never been able to do it alone. Someone has always helped me. That’s why I need you six, now more than ever.”

“Listen to her! She’s the first pony to actually want to try something!” Rainbow Dash bellowed, slamming both hooves on the table. “We have to try!”

“Dash is right. Maybe this is what we’ve been waitin’ for. A chance. If there’s a mare here from another world, wantin’ to help us, why shouldn’t we try?” Applejack agreed.

Rarity shook her head. “Shouldn’t we be trying to figure out how to access her world instead?” she brought the question into their minds. “If we can evacuate New Equestria, bringing it to her world, we can once again have a life not trapped in metal cubicles.”

“You can’t,” Sunset answered. “Only I have ever been able to teleport between these worlds.” Myself, and Discord. But he isn’t here. “I didn’t even want to come here. I’ve been trying to get home for so long. Helping you rid your world of this monster, it might get me there. I want to bring peace to you all and me.”

“That’s convenient,” Pinkie remarked. “Can’t go to her world. Only affects her. Why is it I’m the one playing the cynic here!?”

“Because I think the rest of us want to believe,” Twilight said. “Our hope dwindles, but has never disintegrated. We still pine for a world filled with laughter. Maybe Sunset Shimmer can give us that.”

Pinkie frowned, her eyes fell to the table. “I don’t want to play cynic anymore. I want hope too.”

“Lend me your strength, then,” Sunset commanded. “You don’t know me, but you’ll have to trust me. Gather food and water. Take me to your villain.” She turned to Twilight. “And bring the Elements of Harmony.”

The bearers looked to each other. Their faces remained unsure, uncertain of the dangerous road ahead. “I will not ask anyone to come that doesn’t want to,” Twilight said as she stood by Sunset. “She knowns ponies I wouldn’t expect her to know. She cried for Discord. She knows us. I for one will allow her request. I will take her west.”

“I’m in,” Rainbow Dash immediately replied, and clapped her hooves together in one solid smack.

“I ain’t allowin’ Twilight and Dash to go alone,” Applejack said, throwing her figurative hat into the group.

“We go as a team.” Rarity nodded. “I do wish there were other options, though.”

“This is the only option,” Pinkie replied. “Hope and laughter. To rid the world of that monster. I’ll join, and maybe we really can do this thing.”

Fluttershy remained as the last. “Well, I’d certainly hate to be the one who didn’t go to protect her friends. N-not that I think there’s much I can do.” She rose from her seat. “For Discord, I'll join.”

When all was said and done, with the supplies gathered on their backs and the Elements on their necks, they rose from the earth on the metal platform. The wind had ceased for the time being, and Sunset was glad for that. Her eyes fell on the horizon, the darkened sky ever-present, and the brown-orange hue sitting beneath. Nothing changed, though she’d hoped for this world to be nothing more than a nightmare. That it was all really one big prank.

Twilight led the way, and Sunset fell in at her side. The alicorn knew the cardinal directions, even without a compass or sun to guide the way. “The monster has remained in the same spot for the last few years. We’ve had scouts check in every once in a while, verifying its existence. We’re not sure what it is, or where it came from, but it’s awful. Mean, too,” Twilight described as they walked.

When the wind picked up, the alicorn was forced to lower her crown, fearing it’d be blown away. The necklaces around the throats of the other bearers cradled against their chests. Each of them had saddlebags packed with food and water for the journey there and back, though none wore clothing to prevent the gale. Even for shelter, they brought no supplies, worried it’d slow them down.

“I journeyed far from the south, from where Ponyville should’ve been,” she told them, explaining in detail the slender mountain, taller than any she’d ever seen.

“The world is… different,” Pinkie remarked.

“That mountain, it’s pretty far south. Further than where Ponyville should’ve been. Are you certain that’s where you started?” Twilight asked, concurring with Pinkie.

Sunset nodded. “It’s the same place I always start. It’s outside Ponyville, where trees would grow or be cut down. Where the Everfree could flourish if left unchecked by caretakers.”

The alicorn frowned at the thought. “It's hard to explain, but we often feel this world shifts. Like, not only did the Elements of Harmony lose, but harmony was lost as a concept. Now, nothing makes sense other than our little habitat.”

“Sorry,” Sunset replied, understanding the severity they've lived under.

“Darling, you don’t need to apologize,” Rarity replied. “It’s not your fault. We’ve all had long to grieve. You just got here. We lived through it. I can’t imagine how you’re dealing with it all.”

"Seeing six other worlds of villains in control, it's hard to say I'm dealing relatively well. In fact, I'm not sure if I'm just saying that to lie to myself," Sunset said, humbly.

They continued talking, wondering about Sunset’s world. The gusts of wind soon silenced them as Sunset couldn’t strain her voice over the shrieking breeze. Atop the ashen earth they trudged, only stopping for rest when they all uttered complaints. Sharing bread and water, they wrapped themselves in a circle with their backs to the wind, enjoying the moment of reprieve from the cutting flurries. Though the gusty current chilled them, their trot kept them warm, and when they grew cold from their resting they understood the need to continue.

When first Sunset marched north, she’d collapsed many times, her body needing sleep. Now, Pinkie stood as the voice of reason, beckoning them to gather round and let their weary eyes close. They slept facing each other, their hooves tucked beneath their stomachs, their bags blocking their rumps. The wind blew over them as if they were a rock, and though only a few truly slept, they all rose ready, greeting the new day.

Time didn’t change, nor did the darkened sky. “If there is no sun, no moon, why do we not walk blindly west?” Sunset asked after they continued in their trek.

“This isn’t our Equestria anymore, Sunset,” Twilight replied. “This isn’t our world. Whatever strange occurrences happen, we are just witnesses. I believe the monster who took everything from us also has the power to change anything they like. It's a theory, though. Like I said before, this world seems like it shifts.”

Sunset feared what they’d find once they reached their nightmarish monster. She imagined a combination of King Sombra, Lord Tirek, Discord, and Queen Chrysalis. Ten legs, four arms, six horns. Tall as that mountain. The ability to pluck the stars right out of the sky and eat them. Picturing the amalgamation, she shivered, and her senses told her to go back.

“Look!” Rainbow Dash rushed forward to a stick. When the group reached the pegasus, Sunset saw it wasn’t just any stick but a long, rusty metal bar. “What’s rebar doing here?” Sunset asked, noting the faded ribbon flapping in the breeze, tied to the top.

“I'm not sure what rebar is, but the ribbon's a marking for our scouts,” Rarity replied. “Dreadful idea, I do admit. I’m unsure what I was thinking in suggesting we leave ribbons for guides. This poor thing’s ripped to shred by the wind!”

“We’re on the right track,” Twilight added. “It won’t be far now. We should rest here. We’re going to need it.”

Though Sunset ached to continue, the bearers wanted food and water. She didn’t argue, her own memory of the journey from map to New Equestria still fresh in her mind. Six days. Traversing these worlds, I really will be an old mare in high school if I don’t find a way home soon. She imagined herself as Granny Smith, sitting beside Fluttershy, asking the teacher to repeat themselves every few minutes. The thought sent a shiver down her spine, accompanied by a hefty breeze.

When the journey continued, silence became their companion. They had no more words to share, each lost in their own mind. They didn’t even notice when the winds stopped, creating an even greater silence as they came within distance of a hill. Shorter than the ones Sunset first saw upon entering this horrible land, they edged closer and closer, shortening the distance in less time than she expected.

Soon, they found themselves at the base. The steep incline rolled with brittle dirt, a texture of sand preventing an easy climb. When Rainbow Dash suggested going around, Sunset refused. One hoof in front of the other, she aimed for the top. Both Rainbow and Fluttershy glided up the hill, marveling at the world on the other side. They didn’t argue against Sunset’s climb, and she found out why when she too reached the lip.

The barren world was lit with a golden array against the darkened sky. As the other bearers trailed in behind Sunset, they too marveled at the unbeknownst change of landscape. "This is new. No scout ever reported this," Twilight commented.

Though the soil was still ashen grey, the sky still bleak, and the world a dusty brown, it was offset by hundreds of thousands of golden petals. The same golden flowers Sunset often dreamed of after entering these terrible series of worlds. Her eyes fell hard on the centerpiece, the same structure that haunted the flowers. In the middle of the field of gold stood a short mound, and atop the mound stood an indigo gazebo.

“Stay here, and keep your Elements on you,” Sunset commanded. Sliding down the hill, she skidded into the flowers. Traipsing through the field, brushing the stems against her hooves, they felt real. Maybe I’m still in the hospital. This is all just a dream.

She could hear her heart beat as she edged ever closer to the gazebo. Movement between the beams looked familiar, forcing her to increase her pace. She slowed when she reached the mound, climbing carefully up the indigo steps. It has to be a dream. It has to be! She expected a memory from her recent past, the Twilight Sparkle from Crystal Prep. It has to be Midnight Sparkle. She invaded my dreams, she called me here. Maybe she wants revenge for stopping my own world’s Twilight.

But when she stepped into the shadow of the gazebo, the monster turned and she realized it was not the demon she expected. This one, with red and yellow hair that mimicked a burning fire, stared with cyan eyes down at the unicorn. A fanged smile pulled back the brilliant crimson skin of her cheeks. And atop her fiery head sat a crown centered by a six-pointed magenta star.

Final World: Chapter 2

“How is this possible?” Sunset Shimmer asked, though it wasn't the pony who uttered the words.

The pony version stared up at the demon. “That’s what I’m wondering,” she replied, holding a hoof to her mouth. “You’re what’s been calling me? You’re what I’ve been dreaming of all this time? Everything has led up to you? To me?” Her mind snapped at the thought. “All about me. It’s… It’s always been about me.”

With a reflexive claw bursting out, the demon took Sunset by the foreleg, pulling their faces close. “Who are you!?” she asked, her black sclera swallowing the blue iris.

“I’m you,” Sunset answered, pulling away. As the claw let out, she fell to her rump, continuing her slack-jawed stare. “How are you here? How are you… that form?”

The revelation surprised the demon just as much as the pony. “You can’t be from beyond the mirror, can you?” she murmured, her fingers stroked her cheek. Then, her brows shot together with a grimace sewing her lips. “It was destroyed. Repaired, maybe? Couldn’t be.”

“Mirror? Then—” Sunset’s eyes darted past the gazebo’s frame, out into the darkened land. Her thoughts of the destruction, the torment, and the suffering caused to Equestria riddled her heart. She let out a mournful groan. “It was you. You caused all this.” Her whole body shook. “I caused all this.” Falling forward, she covered her head with her hooves. “I-I’m the worst.”

Crossing her arms, the demon stood with a look of displeasure slanted across her face. “Are you from another world?”

Sunset’s eyes shot up, meeting the demon’s glare. “How’d you do it? Did you steal it from Principal Celestia? Did you win it from Princess Twilight? How? Tell me!”

Bending over, the demon snarled at the pathetic pony. “Are you from another world?” she repeated, more curtly this time.

“Yes,” Sunset soundlessly answered. “I come from a world where you—” She hesitated on the word, brushing back tears “—where I was defeated. Where I was stopped. Friendship bested me, and yet you, here you are, in all terrible, glorious power.”

“Can you bring me to your world?” The eyes took pity. “I’ve grown bored of this empty one. The thought of aiding myself, both of us ruling over another world, pleases me greatly. Perhaps then we can create more than just golden flowers and dust.” Extending a claw, the demon expected Sunset to take it.

But Sunset slapped it away. “I’d never allow you in my world. You’re a monster!” The wall of photos flashed in her mind. “More than a monster! You’re the worst! You're nothing but a blight!” She then lowered her head. “And I thought I was done facing you. I thought I’d only see you in my dreams.”

“You came to my world, found me, and you had no intentions of requesting my help?” The demon let her claw slip through Sunset’s mane, feeling the strands. In an abrupt tug, the demon pulled Sunset up by her hair, forcing the pony to stare into her eyes. “You made a mistake coming here.” In her other claw, a ball of blue and black formed, edging itself closer to Sunset’s face.

And for a moment, Sunset felt herself slip into regret. Her stomach quaked in a shallow pool of anxiousness. The need to give up. To let go. Is this fate? Destiny? I got Twilight here. I saw her take off with that other pony, Starlight Glimmer. Maybe this is where my journey ends. Maybe this is what I deserve. Her body went lax in the grip as she grew into acceptance. Only one question held itself in her mind. “How did you do it?” she asked, her eyes staring up at the six-pointed magenta star.

The demon ceased her magic, a curious crease in her eyebrows. She remained holding Sunset in her tight grip, the strands of hair wrapped around her knuckles. “I spent weeks,” she answered, hesitating on the right words. “I used tabloids. Pictures. Recreations. I did everything I could to recreate the Element of Magic, used by that awful Princess of Friendship. And in doing so, I replaced it. Returning to the world beyond the mirror, I was gifted immeasurable power.” She did not grin, nor hide her displeasure. Only an expression of resolute pity remained. “And with the power I gained, I ruled.”

The answer sparked another question for the pony. “Is this ruling?” She lifted her hooves to her sides, displaying the destroyed world beyond the golden flowers.

“It was, once. I controlled that world beyond the mirror, and when I grew bored of it, I brought my minions through. An army to swarm the land,” the demon answered, her claw drifted and extended toward the flowers.

“Then how did it end up like this?” Sunset asked. “We wanted to rule. I wanted to be…”

“Princess Celestia,” answered the demon, surprising Sunset. “She knew of the mirror. When she became aware of my presence, she came to the mirror, smashing it, preventing my return to that world. In my rage, my fury, my wrath—I took her world.”

“You obliterated her world. Your world. This was your home!” Sunset cried, her own rage boiling up. Grasping the claw that dug into her mane, she struggled against the grip. “This was our home! We grew up in Equestria. How could you do this!?”

Dropping the pony, the demon took a step back. “I didn’t want to. They left me no choice!”

“You always had a choice,” Sunset whispered, slamming her hoof into the wooden ground. “When Princess Twilight went through the mirror, you could’ve given back the crown. You could’ve let everything go. You could’ve made friends with the girls of that world! Like I did!”

Scratching her neck, the demon tilted her head in confusion. She hesitated for a moment, her black and blue eyes studying the pony. “Princess Twilight. That was her name.” She nodded. “I remember her. She never even knew I took her crown.”

“How is that possible?” Sunset asked, shocked.

“What do you mean?”

“She found out in mine,” Sunset said, then recalled the events. “I unlocked the doors, treaded like a long shadow through the castle, all my hard work and planning culminated in that one event. Opening Twilight’s door, I went to her end table. I took her crown. I almost knocked over a lamp—but I didn’t let it hit the ground. It wasn’t until…” Sunset realized where the past changed for the two. “It wasn’t until I tripped, awakening both Spike and Twilight. She saw me with her crown. She chased me through the mirror.” Her eyes went to the demon’s, staring up with sudden clarity. “None of that happened for you, did it?”

The demon held a breath in her chest, releasing it to speak. “I knocked over the lamp, it didn’t hit the ground. I replaced the crown. And then I returned beyond the mirror, with them none the wiser.”

“Sorry it had to be this way, princess,” Sunset repeated the words she first spoke to Twilight. “That never happened for you. You did what I tried, and you succeeded.”

“Are you jealous?” the demon smirked.

“No. The opposite,” Sunset answered, honestly. “You never found the comfort of friendship I did. You never discovered your own voice, and the forgiveness of those we turned.”

“Friendship?” spat the demon. “Now you sound like Celestia. If you tried to steal the crown, then you were kicked from her apprenticeship, right? You wanted power. How is it that you became such a crybaby wimp? Did failing hit you so hard you turned your back on what we always wanted? Power? To be something?”

Sunset shook her head. “No, I found the power we craved. Through a stronger magical force, I changed. I became someone else. Someone exposed to friendship and the feelings it brings. The power of friendship trumps any demon's ill-begotten magic. Nothing is stronger.”

“And where are your friends now?” snarled the demon, her teeth bearing down with saliva.

“They’re in my home, beyond the mirror,” she answered, then added, “They’re in the six worlds I left behind, too. And, they’re right there. Up on that hill. In every world I’ve visited, I found them. And they are what we’ve longed for, Sunset.” She held her hoof to the demon. “Your power is nothing compared to friendship. Even the worst person can change. You’ve just got to try.” Eyeing the crown, she nodded in its direction. “Give me the crown, let my friends fix this world. Let me fix you.”

Grabbing the crown with her claws, the demon replied, “I don’t need fixing.” Tossing the crown beyond the indigo gazebo, it landed in the field of flowers, disappearing between the golden petals. “This is who I am. Forever.” Holding both arms up, she extended her wings to full grace. “I am Sunset Shimmer, ruler over this pathetic world. Nothing can change that. Not even friendship. I am... infinite.”

The demon sat down on the bench, facing Sunset. “Unless you decide to change your tune and join me, explaining how you entered my world, I suggest you leave. Since you're me, I'll give you this one chance. That's it. If you choose to stay, I can't say what will happen.” She then twirled, putting her back to the unicorn, facing out at the golden flowers. She leaned on her elbows, her claws pressing against her face. “Unlike you, I got everything I wanted.”

Sunset took a single step back from the demon, unsure of what to say or do. Her eyes drifted between the beams of the gazebo, gazing upon the field of golden flowers. She tried to remember every dream in this place. The amount melded together like melting wax, only distant memories remained. Bits and pieces. A dragon. Crying. Multiples of friends.

Taking another reflexive step back, she hit the steps and took a tumble. If the demon cared, she showed no signs. The black and blue eyes didn't even turn to the unicorn on her back, let alone gasp at the silly sight.

Darkened skies. Golden flowers. An indigo gazebo. This is why Princess Luna and Nightmare Moon could never enter this place—it wasn’t in their worlds. Rolling to one side, she eyed the still demon. Is it her power that connects me here? Could it be her? If she wielded an Element of Harmony for so long, perhaps the Tree of Harmony recognized the wearer.

As she stood, she remembered something from the last she’d dreamt of this place. Her eyes shot up at the writing, the inscriptions scrawled into the wood like paranoid ramblings.

Indentations of words reminded her of the way she’d written inside the journal that started all her problems. Sideways, upside-down, barely in order. She filled the journal so much she needed a new one, and this demon did the same. Except the demon used the gazebo's ceiling as her book.

Trotting back into the center of the gazebo, Sunset craned her head, getting the biggest of the paragraphs in view. In a whisper she read the words. “I did everything right! This world is mine, Celestia is out of the way, and there’s nopony around who can stop me. There’s nopony anywhere. I’m finally happy. No need to socialize. No need to go out and make friends. Celestia was wrong about everything. She wanted to help time and time again, but the only helpful thing she ever did was banishing me from her apprenticeship. Now look at me. I’m not just her equal, I’m her better!”

As Sunset read through the other scrawlings, something struck her as odd. “What’s with the flowers?” she asked the demon.

Without turning to face Sunset, the demon answered, “Didn’t I tell you to leave?”

“I-I will, I just… wanted to know. The flowers are out of place. And why the gazebo? Where did you get it?”

A long, exaggerated sigh left the demon’s lips, though she remained facing the outside. With a firm grip on the handrail, she snapped off a portion in her mighty grip. Turning it to ash, she held it cupped in her palms. “You’re standing in the Tree of Harmony,” she answered. In surprise, the demon let fall the ash. Her whole body steadied itself against the broken railing. Rising, she turned and kneed the bench she sat on, flipping it upside-down. “You dare cast magic at me!? I felt nothing but a tickle, but that doesn’t mean I didn't understand the meaning behind such an attack!”

Sunset’s horn remained lit, another magical blast ready to be cast. “You. You! You hurt my friends, you hurt their families. You destroyed the world! The whole reason I’ve gone through these worlds—the thing I thought called to me—it’s the Tree of Harmony. The very thing you’ve been standing in, moaning and crying, humming and laughing. All of it! The tree hasn’t been calling to me. It’s pure coincidence that I’m here. Stepping through the mirror, getting caught in the crossfire. It would've cried for anyone. It used your words to beckon for help!”

“What are you even talking about!?” the demon yelled, stomping a foot.

“Fate. Destiny. It doesn’t matter what brought me here. Maybe Discord foresaw everything, maybe he planned it this way. But now I understand what he meant. My crimes against the Elements of Harmony—the Element of Magic itself—it led here to you. To me. All of it, it’s always been about me, even if I was someone else.” Sunset unleashed another blast of magic, blocked by the demon. “All those lessons I learned, I let them burden me. I felt the weight on my shoulders, but it was because I’ve got something to protect that I let it fall on me.”

“I destroyed everything in this world!” The demon let out a rippling wave of magic, forcing Sunset to bubble a shield. The wave followed around the bubble like a flowing river hitting a large stone, reconnecting and breaking the flooring behind the unicorn. “There is nothing left to protect!”

“You ruined this world, and now I’ve told you I’m from a different one. How long before you decide you want to visit it? Even if I left right now, I know how smart we are. It wouldn’t take you much to figure out how, and you’ve got more than enough magic to do it,” Sunset replied. “But it doesn't matter if you think you're infinite. I’ll defeat you myself. And if I lose, at least I'll go down with my head held high. That's more than you can ever say!”

Releasing her bubble shield, Sunset snapped the wood of the gazebo around the demon's hands. Of course, it didn’t work. The demon snapped the magical cuffs like it was nothing. And in turn the demon shot another blast of magic, black and blue. With a deflection from her horn, Sunset too proved it was nothing. “You really think you can beat me?” the demon asked. Lifting her hands up, an explosion of light erupted from the palms, striking the ceiling of the gazebo. In a bright, rainbow-colored explosion, the roof was no more. Only a few beams remained, along with the handrail and flooring. The darkened sky loomed over them as dust settled.

“I don’t care.” Sunset stared at the demon. “All the magic in the world can’t beat friendship.”

The demon snarled. “If that were true—why’d they lose?” She pointed at the ridge; the bearers.

Sunset threw a look over her shoulder, the six stood in disbelief. Their hesitation to help apparent even from the distance.

“Even without the full set of the Elements of Harmony, shouldn’t friendship have won over?” mocked the demon.

“You’re right,” Sunset breathed. “I… They should’ve won. Why didn’t they?” she whispered to herself.

“We heard the stories. Nightmare Moon, Discord, her rise to princesshood. Even their help with those changelings and the Crystal Empire. We heard it all. But I won. I defeated them. I struck down their frivolous power and cast them aside. The princesses. Discord. Anyone who got in my way.” The demon then raised a claw at the six. “But I’m not perfect. It seems I missed a few. Have no fear. In my garden of magic, they'll be home with me.”

With a piercing scream, Sunset grabbed hold of the demon’s arm with her magic, forcing it up just as the blast rang out. The beam sailed above the field of golden flowers, to the hill, and just over the heads of the six. Terrified, Sunset turned to see the destruction, but the bearers were fine. In their fear, however, the six backpedaled out of sight, rushing down the hill and leaving Sunset alone.

A burst of rage swept through the unicorn. “I’ve had enough of demons!” She ripped the boards of the gazebo up from the floor, creating a wooden prison around the monster. It appeared to be a birdcage, much too small for the statue of the creature.

In an instant, the frame was shattered. “You’ll have to try harder than that! Let me show you what years of magic abuse can do to a girl.” Raising her hands, the demon extended a dark field around her. Sunset, unsure of the spell, leapt from the gazebo and took several more steps backward into the golden flowers. The energy transformed the wooden frame, decaying it. Cracked and faded, the paint peeled away and the boards snapped. As the ripple of energy grew, it reached the flowers, turning the golden petals grey. The plants shriveled like raisins, becoming nothing more than stalks, and eventually drying out to the point of dust.

Undeterred by the spell's apparent everlasting growth, Sunset placed a barrier around herself. With all of her magic focused on the shield, she trudged through the demon’s wicked magic. Even with all her magic defending her from the decaying spell, her trotting slowed. The magic tore away at the shield like an onion, ripping the unicorn's magic at an alarming rate. Nevertheless, Sunset pushed forward, her own repertoire of spells at her disposal.

“What are you doing? Do you believe I’ll stop!?” the demon bellowed with laughter. “The closer you come, the worse it'll wear you down, and eventually it’ll reach you. I won’t stop even if it does. My power will extend beyond the flowers, beyond the emptiness. It’ll reach those six and everything else in this world! Nothing will ever interrupt me again!”

“So be it,” Sunset replied, startling the demon. As she reached the center of the broken gazebo, she morphed her barrier, surrounding them both in the spell. The decay broke, disallowed from touching the afflicted outside world. “Keep going. Wither me as much as you want. We'll see who can withstand whose magic longer."

The demon continued her rotten spell, if only affecting Sunset and herself. She studied the unicorn, surprised by the unaltered fur and body of the pony. “How are you avoiding my magic!?”

“We mastered that decay spell! I blocked it with a ward spell. I’m very familiar with both, you see,” Sunset answered. “My cutie mark is magic related, remember? You'd think you'd remember that, being you.”

“But my power extends far beyond your control! I can last for eons, while your magic will dwindle in hours! Do you really want to stay trapped in a bubble in your final moments?”

“You’re right. You can last for eons. You’ve spent time in this world, building up your magic, your strength, and your vigor. But I’ve gone through many worlds. I’ve witnessed a variety of spells, adding several to my collection. And there’s one that makes me really, really mad. It was once used on me by someone I trusted, and now I’m going to use it on me again.”

With the demon’s abundance of magic, there was barely any notice other than the obvious pull of magic into Sunset’s horn. “What are you doing?” the demon asked, her focus remaining on the decay, unable to feel the tap of energy.

“Siphoning your magic. Now I too can last for eons,” Sunset answered with a smug grin.

“Siphoning!?” The word struck the demon worse than the magic. “How did you learn to do that!?”

“I found other avenues.” Sunset increased her draining rate, feeling the power surge through her body. “You can thank Midnight Sparkle for the idea, though you have no idea who that even is. She’s the one who told me to go back through and recount my memories. Filling a scrapbook, as it were. And it’s definitely hard to forget the spell that left me filled with so much regret. A painful memory, but it’s going to lead to a good result.”

Dropping her hands, the decay ended. The demon growled and raised a claw to Sunset. “I’ll give you something to regret!”

Sunset released the barrier and reeled out of slam’s range. The boards broke beneath the claw, and the other lurched for the unicorn. Ducking out of the way, a few strands of mane fell, cut by the sharpness of the demon’s nails. “Stop moving!” the demon beckoned as she sent a strike into the flooring. Claw marks ripped the boards from the ground and sucked the wind out of the air. “This is my world! I deserve to be the only Sunset Shimmer! It's mine!”

“No! You deserve to bear witness to all the pain and suffering you caused!” Sunset pitched back, staggering out of the way of flying debris, and almost tripping down the steps of the gazebo.

“I have! I've seen it all! I caused it all!” The demon lunged forward, slamming her palms on the handrails shouldering the entrance. Her wings surrounded her arms, making her appear as though she were a dark red cocoon, blocking the entrance to the gazebo. “It was my magic. Do you really think I don’t know what I did? The destruction I caused!” A laughter broke the words, a terrible giggle that turned into a moaning cry.

The abrupt change startled Sunset. For a moment, and only a moment, she let her guard slip. A costly mistake.

With her ultimate magic, the demon wrought the world between asunder. Like a snap of reality, Sunset became pulled toward the demon, dragging her to the ferocious claws. Clamping both shoulders in her clawed grip, the demon stared deep into Sunset’s eyes, a grin creasing the pale crimson cheeks. “You and I both know we’re good liars, but you still fell for it. You're mine.”

“And I also know every good lie has some truth built in,” Sunset replied, staring into the deep pools of blue demurred by the blackness of the eyes. Upon closer inspection, she noted the tears unable to dry on the demon’s cheeks, refusing to evaporate no matter how long passed. Within the terrible grip, Sunset felt a presence in her heart. Not quite a link, nor rejection. “We were angry for a long time. We wanted to stand on the top, to look down on Celestia. Is this really what we wanted? To show her how right she was?”

“Don’t start acting like you know me!” the demon spat, her grip tightening in her anger.

“But I do know you! I am you! Or, at least, a different version of you.” Sunset hung her head. “We wanted to rule, I remember so clearly. How could you let this happen? Didn’t you want to be somepony who others could look upon and see beauty and majesty? Is this really what I transformed into? Darkness?”

“You think your words are going to make me lower my guard, but they won’t. We are different! You’ve had friendship for years, while I’ve had… I’ve had no one!” Suddenly dropping the unicorn, the demon leaned back, a single step on cracked boards. “No one to talk to, no one to share with.” When the words hit their magical mark in her mind, the demon realized her mistake in the openness. “Not that I care! Who needs friends when I’ve got me?”

Sunset felt the change. Not just in the demon, but in herself. The Elements of Harmony. I always worried about what their choice of dealing with villains would be. Some deserved their punishment, of stone and crystal, while others only needed a second chance, like Princess Luna. “What do you do for fun?” she asked, thinking of the Element of Laughter.

“Fun?” repeated the demon. “Why do you care?” She readied herself to be attacked by the unicorn, her own black and blue magic forming in the palms of her hands.

I once posed this question to another. If I turned into an evil demon, would they do everything in their power to turn me back to good? Her answer was yes, and yet here I am, thinking that nothing but the worst for myself. Maybe it’s not too late. Maybe with all that magic in her, maybe we can still create something for the ponies in New Equestria. Maybe reshape reality. I’ve got to try, right? For myself, for them.

“I care about a lot of things,” Sunset answered. “Shouldn’t that include myself?”

The demon snarled and threw her hands up, readying a strike. “Do you think I’m a fool? As if I’d ease my defense for you to blindside me.”

“But we’re different,” Sunset threw the demon’s words in her face. “I can’t promise I won’t attack you again, but I can promise to warn you before I do.”

The notion struck the demon, turning the sour glower into searching confusion. “Promises can be broken,” she said, defensively.

“Then a Pinkie Promise is in order,” Sunset said, almost grinning.

“A what?”

Attempting to remember the words, Sunset answered, “Cross my heart, hope to cry, stick a muffin in my eye!” She mimicked the actions with her hooves. “It’s something a friend taught me.”

“If that’s what friendship is, I’m glad to have no part.” The demon stood on edge, though her magic retreated. She stared down her nose at the unicorn, holding herself as if she were waiting for an ambush.

“If you lack friendship, what do you do for fun?” Sunset came close, trotting around the broken floorboards, twisting the demon to one of the stable benches. “You can’t seriously be studying magic still, or dusty old tomes.”

The demon sat on the floor, refusing to sit on the benches too close to the pony. She folded into herself, crossing her arms and hugging her legs. “I do what we've always done. I imagine scenarios. What ifs, and how things could’ve played out differently. Retaking conversations I’ve had and playing them into something else.” She then turned her head to the gazebo’s entrance. “I also made a bunch of flowers when I grew tired of molding the Tree of Harmony.” She ran a claw against the wood. “It’s not even crystal anymore. I don’t remember the coloring.”

“I didn’t think we had any knack at cultivating a garden,” Sunset eyed past the broken beam, staring out into the field of decayed plants.

“With unlimited magic, I can change anything into anything else.” Her scowl returned. “I know what you’re doing, you’re trying to buttery me up.” Her wings extended and wrapped around her, shrouding her in darkness like the shell of an egg. “You want to find a way to use my power against me, is that it? To find my weakness?”

Sunset held a smile. “I already know your weakness. I’m you, remember? I’m the defeated version of you, at least. And I know what defeated me.”

The scowl broke. Confusion warped the crimson face. “I… am grateful to talk to someone again, at least.”

“You’re the first me I’ve met in any of these worlds. I may as well make the most of it. Not like I’ve ever been one to talk to myself.” She chuckled, and the demon, though creepily, laughed along.

“It’s not fair if you’re the only one asking questions,” the demon said. “How many worlds have you been through?”

Sunset tapped her chin. “Not counting my CHS and Equestria, six in total. No—seven, this world’s the seventh,” she answered with a single nod.

“And not a single version of us?”

“There was only one time I found the mirror,” Sunset answered before realizing the mistake. “Hey! That’s a second question. If we’re going to bounce off each other, then it’s my turn.” A grin wrapped Sunset’s cheeks when the demon nodded in agreement. “If there’s not much you do for fun, what about magic? With all that unlimited power, there’s got to be something you’ve always wanted to do and try. I can think of a few myself.”

The demon tucked further into herself, inclining her forehead against her arms. “Our cutie mark is the sun. Would it not be fun to control such a thing? To control all the stars in the sky? To bend them to our will? With unlimited power, with the strength of a billion alicorns, why would I stop at bending them to my will? They serve no purpose to loom above me, acting high and mighty, and so they served no purpose at all.”

Grimacing, Sunset felt a twinge of anger in her heart, but she cooled herself by letting the words permeate in silence. When her rage simmered, she acknowledged the answer. “Your turn.”

“Did you make amends with Celestia?” the demon asked, not bothering to raise her head.

“No,” Sunset answered honestly.

The answer surprised the demon, shooting her head up. “No? B-but you’re different! Surely you’re in her good graces!” The pain on the demon’s face, the expression of regret, it hurt Sunset more than the words.

“When I return to my Equestria, I plan on making amends. Though, I can’t say it’ll be right away.”

“Why not!?”

Sunset let the extra question slip by, choosing to answer the demon’s panic. “I’ve spent so long in these worlds, fighting off monsters and atrocities. I really just want to return home. To CHS. To my friends.”

Crawling like a child, the demon came close to Sunset, eyeing up at the unicorn. “You mean you don’t even live in Equestria? You live beyond the mirror? And you have friends there? How? Why? What good are they?”

“I’ve thought about returning to Equestria, but I couldn’t stand leaving them behind. They’re the whole reason I am who I am. Without them, I’d just be you—no offense.” Sunset closed her eyes, picturing the girls at CHS. “I miss them so much. I’ve been away for so long. All I pine for is returning home and wrapping them in hugs.”

The demon sat on her knees and looked away, refusing to meet Sunset’s gaze once the unicorn reopened her eyes. “Sorry. How many questions was that? I asked way too many.”

“Let’s say two,” Sunset giggled, patting the seat beside her. “I’ve got them off the top of my head.” When the demon rose, clambering against the shredded railing and turning to sit next to Sunset, she acknowledged the inquiry. “Alright. Starters, can you create anything you want? And if so, could you undo all of this?”

The demon squinted, squishing the cyan pupils. “Undo it all? Why ask that? You think I’ll just undo all the suffering I caused?”

“I’m not asking if you would, but if you could.”

Demonstrating her power, the demon fixed the boards of the floor with her magic. “I’m not going to undo everything,” she answered hastily, as though she already tried and succeeded. “If I was going to do that, don’t you think I’d just fix the mirror and go back through? Rule a world with life where no magic exists but my own?”

“I suppose that’s true. You could do that. You could’ve opened a path to any other world, couldn’t you? Why haven't you?”

This time, it was the demon who allowed Sunset the extra question. “I never really thought about going to other worlds, not until you arrived. We really only wanted to rule over our Equestria, right? Even if I turned it into ash, it’s still… home.” She held her stomach. “They deserved it for treating me so poorly. This whole world should’ve been mine, it’s their fault they made me turn it into this,” she added in a hushed tone.

Sunset sat in silence, allowing the demon to ruminate. Something she knew they both did, and tried to avoid.

“I don’t get hungry or tired.” The demon side-eyed Sunset, biting her lower lip as she thought of more to say. “I don’t even know how long the world has been like this. When everything is the same, and nothing changes, it could’ve been months, years, even centuries. How do I know I haven’t diluted time, too?”

“This is far worse than what Starlight Glimmer did,” Sunset offhandedly remarked, forgetting her place in the conversation.

“Who is that?”

“She’s the one who bore the connections between all these worlds. Her messing with time took my Princess Twilight out of her reality and stuck her in another, one with an altered past. One without the bearers uniting.”

“They united here, though.”

“In the six previous, they didn’t. They never knew each other. They lived their lives without friendship, for the most part,” Sunset replied. “When I left the last world, Discord helped in shifting the path that Princess Twilight was on, putting us here, putting me where I supposedly needed to be.”

The demon’s face wrinkled at the name. “Even Discord helped you?”

“In my Equestria, Discord is friends with the bearers. He’s reformed.”

“Discord reformed? Is that why he—” The demon paused, a memory rippling in her eyes, drawing thoughts to the forefront of her mind. “I see now.” She inclined her head, the flame-like beehive unaltered by the sudden movement, not a strand out of place. “I know we’ve fallen out of order, but I think I only have one more question to ask.”

Sunset stared with worry, the expression held by the demon sent a chill down Sunset’s spine. The idea of a final question made her anxious. “Shoot,” she replied, hoping it wasn’t as dramatic as she thought, wishing her mind exaggerated the inquiry.

“How do you travel between worlds?” The demon brought her face close to Sunset, the coldness of her breath struck Sunset’s muzzle. “I don’t care to leave, to be honest. If I wanted to—I could, no doubt, as you've said—go someplace where an ancient castle looms. With history beyond my own. An olden place dwindling in historic euphoria.”

Debating on whether or not to answer, Sunset remained silent for a long moment. A question of her own suddenly sprung up from the idea. “I don’t mind sharing, actually. I think it might even bring a solution to my problem.” Her heart pumped harder, sudden jitters wrapped her legs like jelly in a bath. “Let me start from the beginning, when I first entered through the mirror.”

The demon leaned back, placing her arm around Sunset atop the chipped handrail. She sat close to the unicorn, completely enraptured by the idea of a story. An unheard tale transcending time.

“Princess Twilight discovered a while ago how to keep the mirror open at all times. I decided to sneak a trip in for an afternoon. Upon my arrival, I found a map in her castle and disturbing noises. Placing my hooves atop the surface, I was whisked away to a world where King Sombra ruled. He’d taken control of the Crystal Empire, made his army battle against Celestia’s, and he wasn’t losing. Not until I arrived. The bearers took him on with my help, we stopped his reign of terror, bringing peace to the Crystal Empire and Equestria once again. With the bearers finally united, we returned to the map, which accompanied me in all these worlds, and I sat them down on their seats. A portal opened. I moved on to the next, attempting to do the same things again.”

“You did that in five worlds after that? How many villains did they face?” the demon asked.

“Well.” Sunset waved a hoof, diminishing the success. “I really only helped in the first two worlds. The second, Equestria lost. The battle won by the changelings. Ponies were kept in cocoons, serving as love for the twisted creatures. They’re hard to explain, but they were kicked out of Equestria by the Elements of Harmony. That was the last time I won. After that, things changed.”

The demon leaned away from the unicorn, a wince tugged her mouth and pressed her fangs against her lips. “You, uh, only won twice? Seven worlds and five loses?”

Waving another dismissive hoof, Sunset rolled her eyes. “Quit interrupting me. Gosh, is this how Celestia felt when we were under her?” To her surprise, the demon giggled. The giggle turned into a bout of laughter that Sunset joined, both sharing a moment to settle. “The third world, I actually got along quite well with the ruler. You would've liked her.

“Nightmare Moon returned, and Celestia let her win. In that world, darkness shrouded the land. A true night. Ponies still thrived, even basked in the moon. Nightmare Moon enlisted me to help the bearers gain the Elements of Harmony, and I tried my best. The thing was, a secret plot to take over the government blocked my plans to defeat her. I aided in keeping Nightmare Moon in power, I helped connect them to their Elements, and I even brought Princess Celestia back from the moon, rekindling the sisterly bond between the two. And then I just… left.”

“That doesn’t sound like you lost.”

Sunset grimaced. “Are you kidding? Nightmare Moon still ruled. Not Princess Luna, but Nightmare Moon! A land of eternal darkness! How can you say that?”

“You tried your best, didn’t you?”

“Yeah, and lost. I ran away.”

With downtrodden eyes, the demon said, “I ran away once. To a place beyond a mirror. Except before I ran, I didn’t fix anything. I didn’t even try. I just ran and ran, hoping and swearing vengeance.”

“Even if you count that as a draw, the fourth world I lost. Hard.” Sunset craned her head back, resting it against the demon’s arm and the railing. Her eyes shot to the darkened sky above. “Lord Tirek ruled, sort of. He’d become the guardian for Equestria’s citizens, if you can believe that. He stole all the magic in the world, leaving only a little for the princesses to do their duties. He even tried bringing in other creatures into Equestria to build a thriving community. He defeated King Sombra, and he and I even became friends. I was friends with both of them!

“And then, trying ever so hard to return to my Equestria, to help Princess Twilight stop Starlight Glimmer, I made the mistake of trusting the wrong stallion. Sombra betrayed me, stole all the magic from Tirek, and threw me onto the next world. With nopony to stop him, I’m unsure of what became of the world. I can only hope they’re alright.”

“I don't know who this Lord Tirek is, but I can't imagine it's any worse than this world,” the demon replied.

Sunset shot her head forward, staring at the ashen hills beyond the golden flowers. “I guess you’re right.”

“You guess?” The demon jolted in defense. “Were you not just claiming how I was the worst?”

The corners of Sunset's mouth tugged up as she glanced at the demon. “It’s funny. Discord knew I’d face you. He’d known all along. He prepared me for this, though in the end, it really didn’t help. Nothing prepared me for this world; for you. He’s both the fifth and sixth worlds, though they’re technically different Discords.”

“Different Discords? That should’ve been acknowledgement enough of multiple versions of yourself.” The demon snorted as if the notion would’ve crossed her mind immediately.

Sunset shrugged, her backpack brushed against the wooden frame below the railing. “I knew it was a possibility. There was a mirror in the fifth world. The Applejack there found it. I thought to destroy it, maybe I should've now that I've seen what you've done. It just didn't feel right to. Like, there's always a chance for a change of heart. Right? Discord himself is proof of that. For winning his game, he became my ally. He helped me in the sixth world, dealing with the alternate version of himself and his two twin minions.”

“So, you won Discord’s game. Aside from that world where you were betrayed, that’s four wins.”

“Why are you keeping score?” Sunset asked.

“And if you won the sixth world, which clearly you did since you’re here, then that makes five wins,” deflected the demon. “That’s five wins versus my one.”

Rolling her eyes, Sunset pushed away from the demon. “You lost. This world isn’t a win. It’s just… mutually assured destruction.” The demon stared with a rising contempt. “We had dreams once. Goals. What do you have now? A plot of land with a garden of regret and a gazebo of ruination. Come on. That’s a loss.” Sunset clapped her hooves together, as if wanting a fight.

“Now that you’re here, I finally have someone to talk to. It’s not a complete loss. We can stay and play and chat forever.” The demon outstretched an arm, taking hold of Sunset’s hoof. “I’ll make it to where we’re together for eternity. You won’t have to worry.”

Placing her other hoof over the hand, Sunset shook her head. “I can’t stay. I’m going to return home, to my CHS.”

“How? You think those six will really return to the map of this world? Send you on your way? Even knowing they’d be stuck here?”

“It wouldn't be right to drag them that far, but I wouldn't need to. Sombra held enough magic to force the portal to open, to break the seal and move me on. That’s why I wanted to explain all this to you.” Taking the hand in both hooves, Sunset held it to her chest. “You’re a demon. You’re the worst of the worst. But no one ever gave you a second chance. Breaking the spell on the map that Starlight Glimmer caused, maybe it’ll reset everything. Maybe these worlds will disappear, or the events of the past will be reset and this time will be normalized. I can’t say for certain, but I don’t have the magic to try.”

The blackness of the demon’s eyes fell to the expanding width of cyan, her mouth agape. “But I can. You’re saying you want me to undo everything? To relinquish all that I've done and start over? But will I know what I've done? Will I still be the spiteful little mare who wanted nothing more than to be a princess? Or will I be this thing?” The demon glanced down at the crimson skin of her arms. "Will I be me?"

“I don't know. I don't have the answer. But we won’t know unless we try.”

Removing the hand, the demon held it to her own chest. “Why should I try? What makes you think I even deserve a second chance? Would you give Sombra a second chance?”

The question hung like a suspended party favor, twisting slowly and reflecting the light of her heart. Though hesitation tugged at her lips, Sunset’s mind went to the Sombra she met within Princessland. They weren’t the same, the two Sombras. But just as they were different, so too were these two Sunsets. “I would. If I returned to that world, I’d do everything in my power to defeat him. To strike him down. And, afterward, I’d beg him to be my friend. I’d forgive him, just like I was forgiven. Just like I forgive you.”

“Even after all I’ve done? I’ve done terrible things, Sunset. I still hear cries, sometimes not my own. How could anyone forgive that? How could anyone do something so difficult?”

“It’s okay.” Sunset pulled the demon close, wrapping herself in a hug. “I’ve done terrible things too. We’re not so different.”

“If I fix your map, if I break whatever spell resonates within, will I still exist? Will this world become something else?” the demon asked.

Releasing the demon, Sunset met the cyan eyes. “Sunset Shimmer,” she spoke to the demon, “I don’t want you to just break the spell. I want you to come with me to my world. I want you to renounce your evil ways and share in the friendships I’ve made. Only then will you understand your terrible mistake, just like I did.”

“You have no idea how truly I want that to happen,” the demon replied, a bout of tears striking her crimson skin and brushing down her cheeks. “I can’t do that, though. Even if you think I’m worthy, I’m not. I’d rather be here, or perhaps in my world within the mirror." She paused, hesitation shifting her eyes. "But if I can fix the problem caused by ponies in your world, I’d like to try.” She rose up from the bench. “If I’m going to rule the world, I want it to be at least because I did it on my own. Not because some interloper altered the past.”

Rolling her eyes, Sunset held a smile. “I suppose that’s good enough. Maybe on the way to the map I can convince you to reconsider. I mean, the girls and I met both Princess Twilight and the Twilight of that world already. Having two Sunsets would definitely mean an easier time of homework.” Sunset rose to stand next to her demon self.

“See, that’s a good reason to not go back. Dealing with homework,” replied the demon, a slight chuckle followed.

“The only thing you’re going to be dealing with is Tartarus, demon.”

The sudden, unforgiving words struck the two Sunsets with panic and concern. Their eyes drifted around the broken gazebo, eventually landing on the group of six who stood within an undecayed portion of the golden flowers. The Princess Twilight of this world had the Element of Magic atop her head, to which she kicked off with her magic. Levitating the real Element of Magic, she placed it atop her head, glaring at the two with a feverish intensity. “It’s time to put you into stone and turn you into pebbles!” she yelled. “Girls! Let us use the Elements of Harmony! Once and for all!”

Before Sunset could beckon a word, plead for sanctuary, or offer a rebuttal, the six rose in a white light. The Elements connected, their power forming. However, the demon didn’t hold back either. Unleash a slashing bolt of energy across the six, the black and blue magic struck the bearers. Like a mosquito attempting to feed upon a diamond, the energy fell apart all at once. “No!” Sunset yelled as the light exploded upward in a beautiful display of rainbow color. It rose and rose and then fell and fell, riding itself toward the gazebo. Toward the demon.

In a moment of fear, dread, and obtained knowledge, Sunset knew what would become of the demon who now had become her friend. Without a second thought, Sunset pushed the demon out of the way of the oncoming blast. Though it meant sacrificing herself, she accepted her fate.

As the rainbow light struck her, she felt pride. Not for herself, but for her friends. No matter the world, no matter the time, they always connected. They worked hard to defeat whatever villain fought against friendship. And as her body turned to stone, becoming a statue no different than others she'd seen, she held a proud smile. She was a hero, if only to herself.

World 10

“Easy for you to say. Magic turned you into something beautiful. The last time I tried to use it, it turned me into a monster. I'm just so afraid it's gonna happen again,” the Twilight Sparkle with glasses explained.

Sunset Shimmer stepped closer as she became lost in a memory. “Yes, last time I turned into something amazing, but I've let magic turn me into a monster, too. So if anyone understands what you're going through, it's me. I can help you, Twilight. And the rest—“

“She really does understand, does she not?” one Discord said to the other. They watched together as Twilight Sparkle and Sunset Shimmer argued, trees and tents around the girls with a lake not far off. It was all shown by the little television screen in the dark, drab place they enjoyed congregating. “You have to admit it. She has grown,” he said in his formal, strange pronunciations.

The other Discord frowned, his thin black mustache stretching down. “I won't disagree. She kicked me to the curb and did what I believed impossible. But whenever a bit of chaos gets thrown into the mix, the impossible becomes improbable.”

The first Discord blinked, and then swiveled his head away from the screen to face his companion. “You do not mean to say our interference led to the possible—what would have once been impossible—do you?”

“I do.” The mustached snapped his fingers together and a few other television screens illuminated, each inlaid side by side. The glow brightened the two Discord's faces, pushing back the darkness from around them. “Seven worlds. More, had you not interfered. Without you, seven doubles—triples almost! Without you? No me! No world of chaos, no Princessland.” The screens showed moments of victory for Sunset Shimmer in each of the worlds. A scattered board game. A broken mirror. A destroyed book. All touches by the unicorn's presence.

“And that is a bad thing?” the formal Discord asked. “She restored one of us, and we gained something more. If what you say is impossible, then surely our interference is for the best. Of course, we can never know—alas, pointless to discuss.”

The mustached Discord sneered and nodded. “But who knows what we could've witnessed? So many worlds lost—so many stories snuffed out from our viewing pleasure!” He grew hot, but his temper subsided with haste. There was no point in getting angry with yourself. “I suppose it's true. Sunset Shimmer did more than just save one of us and that world. Her own actions will ripple across the strings that tie these universes together." He then crossed his arms and gave a snort. "Still. Those worlds might have been interesting."

Another voice from behind them interjected. “If you want a look, why not just see what they're up to? Surely they must have something worthwhile—even a short glimpse.”

The two Discords looked at each other. “View a world in the line that Sunset didn't go to?” the formal questioned.

“Skipped by Sunset, true. But altered from her own,” the voice mentioned. "Then you two could try to imagine what it would've been like had Sunset gone at all."

"A brilliant idea!" The mustached Discord pulled out the remote and hit a few buttons. "Let's choose one at random—this one! I wonder what's wrong with it that could've led to Sunset's miserable failure."

"Or her wild success!" the formal argued while wringing his hands in delight.

The two Discords became entranced with the new world, and the voice stifled a laugh. "Glad I could help."

The wooden balcony sat two stories above the side entrance, its overhang shadowed the guard standing below. Plastic morning glories of violet and blue hung over the railing. They didn't come close to the guard's pink plume that sat atop his golden helmet. His outfit, the color, everything about him—Twilight Sparkle recognized him as a member of the royal guard. But he was alone, and she could see everything.

It might have been night but Twilight knew the building wouldn't be empty. It'd have working ponies almost as numerous as the day. Not that day existed any more. The Everglow Shield that surrounded Canterlot stood as reminder of that—a dome of lilac colored glow that was never truly bright enough to match what used to be the sun. Most ponies needed lamp light to see, but Twilight wasn’t such a normal pony. She used to be pupil to Princess Celestia. Spells and incantations were her domain. Of course, that was a lifetime ago. Things would never have gotten this bad had Celestia not disappeared.

But her mentor's teachings had not gone to waste. An enchantment on her eyes—night vision—allowed Twilight to see the door, guard, balcony, morning glories, and paint chips, all as though the sun still rose. She did this all without being seen by the guard. Darkness shrouded her and her alley, and the jet black outfit she wore made her invisible in the void. There would be no way he could see her—but hearing a creak of boards was different. The balcony had its own doorway into the building, but two stories up wasn’t enough distance for the sound to be lost. How observant would he be?

She wanted to be a ghost. Get in, get out, no one the wiser. If she knocked out the guard, if she got spotted, or if she roused suspicion of a possible intruder, an investigation would be called. But if a box or two went missing, the blame might fall on a worker or guard—not an outside thief. They wouldn’t post more guards for that, only search the workers more than they already did. A smuggler is a rich businesspony’s first thought when there’s never mention of a break-in.

This wasn’t Twilight’s first rodeo either, but she had never been to this building. This warehouse was a new addition, purchased for the sole purpose of storing the famous Flim and Flam Goldlight. The fuel was created by the twin brothers, and stood as the most valuable substance in the world—or what was left of the world. All life depended on Goldlight. Not only did the brothers sell it to plantations—which they also owned shares in—they also sold it commercially, to be used in their own metallic inventions.

Goldlight had become a status symbol. A storefront that had bulbs coursing with the glowing unnatural liquid were seen as well-to-do, while those in candlelight—or worse, unicorn magic—were seen as lowly. Serfs, peasants, or those that simply did not make enough bits in their craft could not afford the luxury. Homes of nobility had long since replaced their candlesticks with the bulbs on strings. Canterlot Castle was always lit up, no matter the hour, with the golden glow. A display of dominance.

Twilight frowned at the idea of the castle. She did not desire to be anywhere near the two twin brothers, though she had heard they rarely visited anymore. Some proof to that was here. This moderate building, newly acquired, was several districts away from the castle—and their other warehouses. They had to be expanding, maybe planning to hoard some Goldlight to raise prices. Their mysterious golden glowing liquid was valuable enough to have guards at every warehouse and factory that housed the stuff.

But the reason didn't matter. She needed the Goldlight. Just enough for a month or two. And it would be now or never. The guard looked half asleep.

With a teleportation spell, Twilight landed perfectly on the wooden balcony. She couldn't move, however, for fear that the boards might creak. If they did, the sound alone might cause the guard to investigate. Instead, she was going to perform a second teleportation by viewing the inside through the keyhole. She dared not teleport directly into the factory without knowing the layout, that might end up with her teleporting into a vat of the golden fuel. Yet now she found herself at an impasse, staring at the door that didn't have a keyhole.

She knew of two directions she could take—open the door where the hinges might squeak, or teleport inside blindly and possibly alert a worker. Of course, there was a third option. She glanced over her shoulder back at the darkness of the alleyway. Biting her lip, she knew she couldn't turn back now. Well, she could, but wouldn't. Others were counting on her.

A moment passed of silent contemplation before she turned the knob with her magic and found the door unlocked. She held her breath, waiting for it to creak. When she could see just enough in, she teleported inside and then, at a snail's pace, closed the door. With a sigh of relief, she found herself in the manager's lounge. Beige wallpaper was still being placed on two of the walls, and the bulbs overhead lacked the golden liquid. A burgundy loveseat made of vinyl sat with a short, curved coffee table in front of it. The only other entrance to the room sat east, just left of the loveseat, and a large window ran the north wall, stopping when it reached near the door. The glow of Goldlight passing through the window's obnoxious aluminum blinds was the only light in this upper room.

Looking out, she expected several night workers. Loaders, unloaders, movers. Instead, lit by a few of the overhead lamps of Goldlight, she found a round table sitting on the factory floor. Her face had to be pressed against the glass just to see them as they sat right below the overhang of the lounge. Five ponies—their uniforms matched Flim and Flam colors—were sitting around playing with cards.

"Lazy louts," she silently mouthed. She could not hear them—which made sense, the room would be fairly soundproof. Higher ups always made it a point to keep their conversations hushed as to avoid business deals going south. She'd been in Canterlot all her life—before and after the Great Upheaval, as somepony foreign might ask. Touching hooves with the upper class had its perks, though her parents knew that more so.

But soundproofing alone wasn't the only reason she could not hear the jovial conversation below. Twilight crept to the second door. This one had a keyhole, to which she used to scan the second room. Another table, this one longer and filled with papers, sat in the center of the room. A door, which she assumed led down into the factory, sat next to another large window to the left. This one had pink and gold curtains that were closed. Those colors were of the royalty, which meant Flim and Flam had adapted them to their own style without shame.

Twilight couldn't see anyone inside, but she couldn't see all of the room. There was a blind spot, just to the right of the door. After twisting the latch and turning the knob, she opened it enough to peer in. Tall stacks of cardboard boxes sat against the wall and pushed from it—a tell-tale sign of someone moving in. They made a large curve, taking up that corner of the room entirely.

Without bothering to close the door behind her, Twilight entered the room and skipped to the papers covering the table. She would take a few, for fun, in the hopes of disturbing the peace among the workers. She'd done things like this before in the other factories and warehouses. If it was only Goldlight that went missing then a burglar would surely be the cause—but a stick of gum? A pen? Work boots, a small amount of bits, or a box of labels? It was safe to say she wasn't the only one taking these things, and the higher ups couldn't force mandatory searches for things like pens. At least, not without a revolt and strike from the workers. To use royal guards for that would be scandalous.

But these weren't empty sheets of parchment and a few scribbled notes. Twilight had hit a figurative motherlode in terms of knowledge. These scraps of paper were the plans for how to make a diluted version of Goldlight. Twilight couldn't believe her luck. She didn't even know what she was looking at—but this was better than Goldlight. For years she had tried to come up with a way to replicate the fuel, and now here it was, being diluted for a cheaper product. The entire manufacturing process—except for a mysterious secret ingredient. A bit of paraffin mixed with a few drops of quicksilver, some corn starch, golden food coloring, and an unknown spell marked as 'F&F'.

"Of course. They own the mines and farms, no doubt they've got the best wizards," Twilight mumbled. "But that isn't difficult. I could replicate it and try a few spells." The documents showed how to mix the quicksilver in and lessen the starch and paraffin to create a brighter glow that wouldn't last as long—driving up the need to buy more. "I should copy this." She glanced around for a spare paper, which she found with a pencil underneath a few scraps.

As she wrote down the ingredients and committed them to memory in case it was lost, she remembered to keep tabs on the party below. Turning back to the door she'd come through, Twilight looked through to see if the lights were still on. When she saw they were, she crept to the curtains and looked out. A metal catwalk with stair walkway led down to the storehouse floor from the door next to the curtains. The five at the table were still slacking off.

But a sudden groan sent her reeling away from the window, the curtains still swaying from her sudden movement.

It hadn't come from the window, and her bump against the table rattled the pencil she'd been using straight off. "What was that?" a voice asked—and it came from the room.

Twilight turned to the only other objects aside from the table. The stacks of cardboard boxes weren't just stacks pushing out from the wall—they were a barrier to completely hide a pony behind it. Not just any pony either. A disheveled, exhausted looking, unicorn—and one half of the twin brothers. "Flim!" Twilight wanted to bellow, but held her tongue. She could see him perfectly, but she knew he couldn't see her. Not yet. Not with the lights still out—but he was a unicorn.

His horn lit, catching her in shock. "Who—" he started to yell, still rubbing sleep from his eyes.

Things tumbled out of control in an instant. Twilight sent the table with all the documents at the brother, who sent it reeling back at her. Through the window it went, which Twilight narrowly avoided, shattering the glass and rousing the workers below. The short bout of tennis allowed her a moment to run to the door, slamming and locking it behind her. She didn't wait for him to teleport in if he could. She rushed and threw open the balcony's door, leaping into the night and teleporting to the alleyway.

Twilight didn't look back. She ran, teleported, and ran some more. There was no way she'd allow herself to be caught now. The ingredients were locked in her mind—she was the only one who could break the brothers' monopoly, the very thing that dominated control of the remaining cities of Equestria. Everyone she loved could live permanent, healthy lives with her new knowledge. She just had to make it back.

Those that were awake at this late hour saw nothing but a black blur pass them, though most only heard her hoofsteps. She ran to the one place she relied on. A place that made her feel safe—the same place that needed Goldlight more than ever. A short turn, she went down an alley and past several old shops that had long been up for sale. Then through the yard where some of Old Shortbeard’s prized petunias drew eyes during the working hours. Hopping a short chain link fence, Twilight then trotted through the playground to the back entrance of her school. Her former school—and current employer.

With two rough knocks of her hoof, she waited for the stallion to answer. Principal Loyal. Young, handsome, and would be a complete failure if not for Twilight. Of course, she knew that and never said as much, because she assumed he knew it too. But if he was nothing, he did at least live up to his name. “Twilight?” he whispered from behind the door as the sound of locks being undone echoed.

When it opened, Twilight rushed inside past him. “Close the door and come quickly,” she said to him in the darkness of the kitchen. She didn’t wait for him to respond. Twilight headed past the pantry and out into the cafeteria where colts and fillies would sit for lunch during working hours. Once in the great entry hall, she looked to the front door, making sure it was locked. All the lights were out except a few candles on the upstairs balcony. They couldn’t waste Goldlight frivolously—not yet, at least.

“Twilight?” Loyal came up behind her, his horn lit. “Where’s the tanks? Did you manage to get any?”

“Better,” she said, turning to face him. “Anyone else here? You made sure the school was empty, right?”

“Of course. Rosethorn was here a few hours ago but I sent her packing. I gave her the whole spiel about how the School for Gifted Unicorns needs professional teachers, and that teachers who get a good sleep are often the most professional. She ate it right up and then—“

Twilight walked away as he droned on, heading over to the big staircase that sat against the right wall. There were classrooms upstairs, but it was beneath the staircase she wanted. A small door under the banister, the broom closet, held a second door on the inside. This one led down with a small set of stairs into a grey stone basement. She didn’t bother lighting candles since her night vision spell still held, but Loyal lit a few as he followed.

The room was smaller than any of the classrooms, but would hold if the students needed a place to hide. And it was the perfect place to keep the school’s Goldlight—though there was so little of that now. The castle hadn’t brought in their latest supply, and the last few of Twilight's thefts were less than extraordinary. Only a few tanks still held, along with some extra glass tubes to hold the liquid.

Without waiting, Twilight crossed the small room to the far side, passing by the single log pillar that pushed against the wooden rafters. A counter sat on the far side, junk, extra loose components for spells, and learning instruments littered the space. It also held all of Twilight’s notes. She quickly pushed the used papers aside and took an empty sheet. With ink and quill, she jotted down the recipe.

“What are you doing?” Loyal asked, coming up behind her with a candlestick levitating at his side.

“I got something better than Goldlight. I got their recipe, Loyal,” Twilight replied as she turned to look at him, a smile on her face. “I know how to make Goldlight—all except for their secret spell.”

Loyal’s face split in two with an open mouth grin. “Twilight!” He hugged her tight, and then shook her from side to side. “That’s amazing! That’s stupendous!”

“It wasn’t easy—I was seen. And I’m not sure what their spell is exactly.”

“Well it’s a shame we don’t have some of the brightest young minds here in Equestria available to do research or anything!” he sarcastically said a second before bursting into laughter. “Oh, I can’t believe it! I wouldn’t have thought I’d see the day. To think—wait, you said you were seen? Seen by who—“ A sudden knock upstairs cut him off.

Twilight squinted and gritted her teeth. “There’s no way. They couldn't know.”

He looked to the stairs, then to her. “I’ll see who it is—you get changed. And wait here.” Loyal then trotted up and out of the basement.

Twilight went back to her notes, quickly duplicating them into a second piece of paper and stuffing them into a random book. With it done, she could hear voices coming from the great hall. Refusing to wait, Twilight stepped like a cat up the steps as she removed her outfit. With a creep and crawl to the closest’s door, she scanned entry hall. “—We have a report of a blackened figure running through a yard near here,” she heard a stallion say to Loyal. She could see the pink plume of a helmet above Loyal’s head.

“Old Shortbeard,” she whispered to herself. “I’ll make sure that mean fool has a few of his petunias go missing over the coming weeks.” She couldn’t stop herself from getting a tad angry—it wasn’t the first time Old Shortbeard had been troublesome to the school. Loyal could deal with the guards just fine, though. But as she went to head back down, she made the mistake of knocking her stealthy outfit into one of the brooms. It hit a wall, then the corner before settling, each time making an echoing thud.

“Is there anyone else with you, principal?” she heard the guard ask.

“Uh, yes—“ Loyal replied, and she knew she was in trouble.

As she rushed back down the steps, she could barely make out the guard asking to send in another officer. With haste, Twilight looked for a place to hide her outfit, but the basement had no closets of its own. She could teleport away—but it may look suspicious now that Loyal admitted to not being alone. Looking to the ceiling, Twilight noticed the rafters above had a little space between them and the ceiling. Without debate, she levitated the clothes up and left them there—one of the legs barely dangling down against the wooden beam.

A sigh of relief left her, to which she sucked back up when a voice called from above. “Anyone down there?” a stallion called, though not the same one at the door.

“Y-yes?” she replied, trying to think of what she could say or what reason she would have for being here so late into sleeping hours.

The guard’s metal boots rang out like gongs as he stomped his slow way down the steps. “I saw the candlelight and the open door—are you alone? Miss?”

Twilight couldn’t believe her eyes. This was the guard? A fortunate turn of events! “Shining Armor!?”

“Twily?” he replied as he was hit with an embrace from his little sister. “I knew you worked here but I didn’t think you’d be here so late at night. What are you doing here?”

“Me!?” She pushed away from him, staring up with all the anger she could muster. “What are you doing here? In Canterlot? I thought you weren’t ever coming back.”

His eyes fell away from hers. “Captain Nightwish—the captain over Manehattan—said he was tired of looking at how miserable I was. So it was either be reposted to Canterlot or be removed from the guard. Can’t say I didn’t debate the latter.”

“You big jerk! Have you told mom and dad you’re back? No—I know you didn’t. They would’ve told me if you had!” She turned away from him, facing the counter on the opposite wall. “Does Cadance know you’re back in Canterlot? She was pretty hurt when you resigned from being captain and fled to Manehattan.”

“I didn’t flee, Twilight.” He stepped passed her into the room, trotting up to the pillar in the center. With a single motion of his head, he scanned the countertop. “You know why I had to leave. I couldn’t be here anymore. Everyday was just another day that I felt like a failure. Even in Manehattan, every time I look up I’m reminded of how I failed. I couldn’t take it. And I couldn’t tell myself to remain, not even for Cadance.”

Twilight didn’t respond. She just stood, staring at the ground behind her brother. It was hard to think of what to say. Her fear, her panic, her excitement, they all fought to make her feel a certain way. He then asked, “Have you talked to her?”

“We meet at least once a week—well, actually it’s been less lately. She’s been having to deal with more. I’ve tried getting her to add more staff. It’s hard for her doing it all by herself.” A sudden glint caught her eye. Right behind Shining Armor’s left back leg, a little shard of glass. She shot a look up at the outfit, but couldn’t make out if it had fallen before or after he had entered.

“Has she said anything about me?” he asked as he turned back to her.

She snapped her head down, meeting his eyes before they had even turned their gaze to her. “Of course! She misses you. We all miss you.” With a few big steps, she reached and pushed him away from under the rafter and the outfit. “She’d be delighted to know you’re back in Canterlot.” His eyes fell dull, his mouth a hard line. “It wasn’t your fault, Shining,” she said, suddenly hot.

The surprising heat snapped his attention to her. “Twilight—I couldn’t protect her. I was—“

“No! You don’t get to come back to Canterlot, to come back into my life, and keep blaming yourself! How do you think I felt? I was her pupil—if there was anyone who should’ve known anything—it was me! I’ve moved past my guilt. There’s no changing the past, Shining. Stop blaming yourself for something that was out of your control!”

Shining Armor’s eyebrows had shot up, the look of shock spreading across his face. When her rant finished, and his shock dissipated, a smile pushed up his thick cheekbones. “I guess I have been a way for a long time. I don’t remember my little sister having the guts to yell at her BBBFF.” His eyes then fell back into sadness. “Maybe you can move on, Twily. But I was meant to protect her. I failed to do my duty. And because I failed, now the world has to live in darkness, only protected by—“ He motioned to the tanks of Goldlight.

She wanted to get mad again, but his face said it wouldn’t work. “I’m glad you’re back in Canterlot, Shining. You should see Cadance again. She’d be really happy to see you. And we should get together soon, and not just at my work.”

“Speaking of which,” he started to say, his eyebrows shooting up. “Candlelight. Cozy little room here. Only you and that principal here tonight. Odd.”

Twilight squinted at him, her mind racing to the outfit and the recipe. “Odd? What do you mean?” she said, trying her best to sound innocent.

“Is he nice?” he asked. “Quite handsome. Since I’m back in Canterlot, maybe I should start keeping an eye on him.” She studied him suspiciously. “Especially since you’re here. After hours. Alone.” He grinned. “Well, not alone, since he’s here.”

Her face lit up in a heat. “Yo-you aren’t seriously implying—“ She threw her head back in a haughty tilt. “I am just here trying to make sure our supply of Goldlight is well maintained for tomorrow. He and I—it’s not like—stop snickering, Shining Armor!”

He held a hoof to his mouth, letting his laughter subside. “Speaking of which, you wouldn’t have heard anyone breaking into that new Flim Flam warehouse, would you? We got reports of a suspicious pony running this way. We’re checking the area.”

She blinked. “New warehouse?” she asked. Her life consisted around avoiding anything Flim Flam related—she was a teacher and nothing more. Only her love of books was more well known. “In Canterlot? I don’t know. Me and Loyal have been down here for a while—Shining Armor, stop giving me that look or I’ll tell mom and dad! Then you’ll really want to leave Canterlot again!”

“Tell mom and dad?” He fluttered his eyelashes. “Wouldn’t that be an interesting thing to tell them? I’ll bet they’d love to hear all about how I found you tonight. A definite interest for them, I’d say.”

Twilight squawked an outburst before going even more red. “Get out of here!” She pushed against him, shoving him toward the stairs. “You haven’t lost your touch at being super annoying!” He then moved on his own and she fell away from him, almost losing her balance.

“Alright, alright. Twily, I’ve got to get back to the lieutenant. I’ll make sure to see mom and dad. Don’t stay out too late now. Wouldn’t want the kids to show up to something unexpected in the morning,” he shouted down from the broom closet. His laughing could be heard in the entry hall, and eventually silence permeated the air.

She waited for Loyal instead of going up to check to see if they had gone. Minutes passed. The young principal eventually bustled down the stairs with a candle in his magical grasp. “That was lucky, Twilight! Did you know that guard? When he came down, I was worried—”

“That was my brother,” she said, and a sigh parted her lips.

“Brother! Was he suspicious?”

“No. But we better call it a night. The recipe can wait.” She put a hoof on Loyal’s shoulder, giving him a smile. He was handsome, but the dumbfounded look on his face was more common than she liked. Leaving him, she took the front entrance instead of the kitchen exit, though she looked both ways down the street. Shining Armor and the other guard were gone, and she wasn’t sure which direction. But she didn’t plan to head home. Not yet.

Seeing her brother stirred memories. Ancient memories. “A white alicorn,” her heart whispered, and Twilight stared up at the glowing castle. Her mind brought her up the roads to the marble walls. Guards were around, but she passed by them with only a few teleports. They wouldn’t appreciate someone stalking around the grounds this late into the sleeping hour—even if she was friends with the princess.

And they didn’t need to know that she often came here, teleporting up story after story. Up to a balcony overlooking Canterlot. It didn’t really matter which one. She’d stood on them all, side by side with her teacher. A lesson here, a special moment there. She could even see now, standing on one such balcony, the warehouse she’d stolen from. “Funny how we all changed. A good little student then, now what am I?”

She crossed her forelegs over the railing and just stood. Some parts of the city never stopped glowing, even at such late hours. And the Everglow Shield was ever present in its dim lilac glow. But in a calm way, the sleeping hours were better than working. Ponies didn’t chatter on this late, and the cries and calls in the market had ceased a while ago.

It was so silent that the swish swish of a frilly dress was audible long before it ever came close to the balcony’s doorway. But Twilight didn’t care who it was. If they knew who she was, they wouldn’t turn her away, and that was only if they asked.

“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t know anypony was out here,” the mare in the dress called.

If it wasn’t the princess, it was a guest. And a guest wouldn’t know if Twilight was meant to be there or not. “They never do,” Twilight murmured to herself. “It’s fine,” she replied to the mare without looking at who she was.

“Do you mind if I join you? I need some fresh air,” the mare asked, though she didn’t wait for Twilight to tell her no. The mare crept up beside Twilight, resting one of their forelegs on the railing. “Who are you?” she asked.

With a quick look, Twilight saw that the white unicorn was in a deep purple dress that didn’t touch the ground. The skirt was two tone, and all together looked decently made. Not that she cared much about the fashion of nobles. “Twilight,” was all she replied before turning back to the city.

“I’m Rarity,” the white mare replied. “Are you guest of Princess Cadance too? Come for the upcoming gala? It’s a wonderful thing, is it not? Princess Cadance reintroducing a gala. The world does need some excitement again.”

“Mhm,” Twilight replied as she debated jumping over the railing.

“Did you ever get to go to the Grand Galloping Gala back when—“ the mare paused.

The sudden stop irked Twilight. If the mare was going to bother her, the least she could do was finish her sentence. With a quick glance, she caught the mare staring at Twilight’s rump. “What are you—“ Twilight went hot in the face, the memory of Shining mocking her with Loyal still fresh in her mind. Now this mare was staring at her?

“Oh!” The mare snapped out of it. “I’m sorry. Your cutie mark. You said your name was Twilight. Are you the Twilight Sparkle?”

“How do you know who I am just by my cutie mark?” Twilight almost growled. What was this mare’s name? Rarity?

Rarity looked abashed. “I’ve made a rather big mistake, haven’t I? Please don’t tell Princess Cadance I’ve told you—she wants me to make a dress for you as well. For the gala. It was supposed to be a surprise, but apparently you were going to accompany her.”

“Cadance said that?” Twilight’s anger left her like a paper bag blown by wind. “I didn’t think—I mean, we’re friends, but I—“

“Friends with the princess?” Rarity went starry-eyed. “I am so envious! A simple dress maker like me, here in Canterlot, getting to make dresses for such important ponies!”

“I’m not important,” Twilight said, though she knew it wouldn’t be taken for anything other than modesty.

Rarity scooted closer, her face wide with a smile of white teeth. “How is it you know Princess Cadance? Are you close?”

“Yes, though I was closer with the last princess.” As soon as she said the words, she wanted to suck them back in and smash her face straight into the nearest wall.

Just as she had known it would, the mare blew up in a whirlwind of questions and glee. “You know Princess Celestia? You’re the pupil, aren’t you!? I’ve heard of you, and now the things Princess Cadance was saying make sense! And now here I am, invading your privacy in the middle of the night!” The mare suddenly went quiet, much to Twilight’s surprise. She even stepped a few steps away. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to get excited, I do hope you’ll forgive me.”

Twilight stared in shock. “There’s nothing to forgive,” she replied, now truly modest. This mare was certainly not from Canterlot. No noble stock would've apologized to the lost pupil—except maybe if they were within earshot of Princess Cadance.

There was silence for a moment. “If you want, I’ll go,” Rarity eventually said.

“No, it’s fine. I’m not actually staying in the castle. I just needed some space—not to say having one pony here is uncomfortable or anything,” Twilight replied, and quickly shut her mouth before she embarrassed herself.

And there was more silence before Rarity once again broke it. “If you don’t mind, can I ask the question? I’m sure you get it asked a lot already, so it’s alright if you say no.”

“What question?” Twilight’s brows furrowed at the thought. “Oh.” They fell apart before her mouth became tight. “That question.” She held her tongue for a moment. “No. I don’t know where Celestia went.”

“Right, right.” Rarity too held her tongue.

This time Twilight broke the silence. “If I did, we wouldn’t be in this mess.” She motioned from left to right across the sky. No sun, no moon, and no stars. Just pitch black. Of course, she didn’t look for long. Her eyes trained back to the city.

“I’m sorry. I’m sure you get that asked a lot. I understand the princess does too. But where do you think she went? I always thought she grew tired of being in Equestria and returned to the sun, taking the moon and stars with her as she traveled the cosmos,” Rarity described. Twilight shot a look at the mare that made the white fur turn bright red with embarrassment. “Just a filly thought, I know!”

“I have no idea where she could have gone, or why the sun and moon and stars are gone with her. I hope wherever she is that she’s safe. And that she knows we miss her.”

Rarity gave a nod. Twilight could see the white mare in her peripheral vision staring out past the city, but she didn’t want to look out there. She kept her own eyes trained down at the school, or her parents, or even the warehouse she had been just a little while ago. It didn’t matter what she looked at, she knew the question was coming.

“What do you think it’s like out there?” Rarity asked, the worst question anypony could ask.

Twilight shuddered. The thought curdled her stomach. Most ponies had no idea what was beyond the Everglow Shields. They didn’t want to, or they couldn’t take the knowledge. But most of the time, ponies couldn’t see. They’d see the void, the pitch black darkness that surrounded the Everglow Shield, and assumed the world was still out there. Still waiting to be reclaimed. After all, the train tracks that ran to Manehattan or Ponyville, which were surrounded by their own tube-like shielding, proved the world still existed.

But Twilight knew the truth. She looked, once, with her night vision. The sight had sent her vomiting. Now, Rarity, this random dressmaker had asked the question she knew the answer to. Her eyes unsteadily raised from the city, past it, and past the city’s shielding. Out into the darkness, she could see it clearly. She could see where the land, their world, Equestria, stopped. And where the emptiness started.

Rainbow Dash glanced down at her watch, barely believing the time. “Really? Already?” She looked up at Applejack. “I’m still full of energy, too. I’m gonna have trouble sleeping tonight!”

"If you're lookin' for more work—" Applejack closed the back of the wagon before turning to face Rainbow Dash "—then you can pull the cart to the barn. Doing that by yourself should wear you out 'fore bed." The earth pony looked sweaty in the glow of Goldlight, but Rainbow Dash wasn't hot at all.

"If I do that, your lazy brother will have done nothing all day!" she remarked, throwing her hooves into the air. With a knowing look, she grinned at Applejack, and then eyed the corner of the cart.

Applejack rested on one of the rear wheels, throwing a look over her shoulder. "You got a real point there, Dash."

The red stallion raised his head, a rope dangling between his teeth. He pulled hard, tightening the harness on his back, and then let go. "Eenope," was all he said. With an ease in his stride, he and the cart began moving, forcing Applejack to jump back from the wheel. The mare grunted, and Rainbow Dash thought she saw a sly little smile on the stallion's face.

When they were alone, Rainbow Dash said, "Well, if we're stopping, I'll just practice some of my sweet speed tricks before bed." She planned to rush up and meet the top of the Everglow Shield. Before she could, Applejack asked a question. "Dinner?" Rainbow Dash repeated. "It has been a while since you invited me over."

"That sounds like you've been expectin' it," Applejack replied, a suspicious eyebrow raising as she spoke. "Almost as if payin' you wasn't enough."

Rainbow Dash felt her face grow hot. "I am pretty awesome at my job—it's the least you could do," she doubled down.

Applejack's serious glare went on for what seemed like minutes before it all broke into laughter. "That better be coincidence, Granny said the exact same thing. I ain't known you to eavesdrop either."

"You might want to check in with Apple Bloom for that," Rainbow said with a shrug. "But sure, I'll be there."

"Good. I'll have a little talk with her and once it's ready she can come get you." Applejack turned toward the Apple farmhouse that sat in the distance. "I'm sure she'll want to see you perform a few tricks—so don't show off too long. Granny might make you both eat it cold if you're late." She laughed as she walked away.

Rainbow Dash waved a hoof. "I won't be late!" she yelled before dashing into the air. There wasn't much room between the farmland and shield to practice the moves she used to, but the routines still felt good to do. And if she wanted to, she could go further toward Ponyville where the Everglow Shield was higher.

The Apple's farmland stretched a good deal towards Ponyville too. The fields were lit up with Goldlight bulbs, though they'd be turned off soon for the sleeping hours. The orchard where the Apple family grew their main produce had already gone dark. Applejack had explained something about how the trees still knew the seasons, even if winter never came to Ponyville. But that didn't really matter to Rainbow Dash. She was just the hired help, not needing to know more.

Performing tricks wasn't her plan, though. Rainbow Dash landed with hooves against the magical shield, flapping her wings to keep steady while upside-down. She watched as Applejack went home, into the farmhouse that she shared with her siblings and grandmother. When the door shut, Dash bolted as quietly to the barn as she could, piercing the second floor window with a loop and twirl. She landed with grace on the upstairs loft, a few bags of carrots and hay bales still scattered around. Creeping to the edge in the rough thatch, Rainbow Dash tried to not make a sound.

She didn't want to lose the element of surprise. The red stallion was unsaddling the harness, having already backed in their cart. One of the doors to the barn had fallen back shut, leaving the Goldlight outside to pierce the single opening. He hadn't plugged in the socket for the barn's bulbs either, most likely believing he could do everything in the dark. And Rainbow Dash knew he could—the dark made it better to sneak anyway.

When he released himself and prepared to walk out of the barn, Rainbow Dash struck. A full speed bolt straight onto his back. She tumbled on top of him for a moment as they both slid toward the doorway. He grunted, gasping for air—she must've knocked the wind out of him. "Ra-Rainbow," he said, breathlessly.

"That's for leaving so quickly," she told him as she stood up. He didn't move for a moment, and so she took the opportunity to look down at him. "What's the matter? Do I take your breath away?"

He sucked in air, and then groaned. "Eeyup," he said with the little bit of breath he could muster, a smile cutting his big cheeks in half.

"You don't need to breathe anyway." As she looked at him, his face upside-down, she then bent down and kissed him. He didn't seem shocked this time—maybe he was finally growing used to it. "I suppose this is closer to my place," she said once she broke away. "I'd just prefer to not be seen hauling it away, and the barn makes that harder."

As if he'd never been hit at all, the stallion jumped to his hooves and rushed to the cart. In a swift motion, he pulled out a barrel and brought it over to Dash. "I-I could bring it over for you, if you wanted me to," he said with the softest of voices.

Rainbow Dash tried to hold a straight face, but her brows shot up in surprise. "You want to come over to my place, huh? I was wondering when you were going to start coming out of your shell for me." She then took the barrel from him, and felt the lightness of its contents. "But because you decided to run off, I had to stick around with Applejack. She invited me to dinner tonight—so I think we'll be seeing each other a lot tonight. Especially if your granny has us sing those corny old songs again." As she talked, Dash lifted the lid off to examine the contents. "Mac—is this the one?" It was only half full on the apples, just like last time, and barely any vegetables or hay.

"Uh, eeyup," he stuttered. "We-we're not growin' the amount we're needin'. And so it's harder to fudge the amounts. I'm tryin' my best to get you extra but—"

Rainbow Dash cut him off with a hoof over his lips. "Mac, Mac. Hush. It's okay." She then wrapped her other hoof around the back of his neck, pulling the stallion close. "Tell you what—if another one of these is lost tomorrow night, then you might just need to come find it yourself. And you might just need to search my place." She grinned, and she could almost see him get redder, if that were possible. He gave a nod, and she sealed it with another kiss.

"Big Mac!" a sudden voice yelled, and they quickly broke their kiss apart. "Big Mac! Hurry up! I need help with supper!" It was Applejack, yelling from their home. "Don't make me send Apple Bloom out for you."

"You better go. I'll see you soon." Rainbow Dash slapped him on the back and he rushed off home. She waited for a moment, letting the smile slip from her face as she glanced at the lesser barrel. She thought for a moment of trading it with another one of the more full barrels, but time was against her. "Granny Smith and her hospitality," Rainbow cursed.

When the coast was clear, she hefted it onto her back and rushed outside, around the back of the barn. She couldn't see if anyone was out—not that they should be since this was the Apple family farm. But carrying the barrel on her back still filled her with paranoia. When she reached her home—a converted tree house that Applejack's younger sister, Apple Bloom used to use—she set the barrel down. After grabbing the rope ties from one of the tree's limbs, she hoisted it around the barrel and carried it up into the air. Most ponies didn't look up, and the Apple's were no exception. What was even up anymore, other than the Everglow Shield?

She did manage to not go completely into the Everglow's glimmering purple light as she passed through the darkened orchard. This was the path she normally took—around the outskirts, along the shield's wall where it connected to earth. She followed the little golden rods that stuck up and trailed the shield like a wall's baseboard. It stretched all the way around Ponyville and the Apple's farm, and the train station had its own—though it connected to Ponyville's. But that was the opposite direction.

Further on the way she went, away from the Apple farm, toward Ponyville, there was a small gap between. No one went here, no one wanted to end up here.

Shoddy tents and scraggy fire pits, this was nothing if not the worst part of the Ponyville zone. It was where those rejected by society went—or more accurately, cursed by society. But it was where Rainbow Dash brought the barrel, to the center of a camp on the edge, where even those cursed didn't want to be near. Dash knew the reason—most of those here were ponies, but the ones she came to see weren't.

"There she is!" one of the feathered vagrants hollered. "Rainbow Stash herself!"

The griffons all gathered around as Rainbow Dash undid the rope. They cheered and joked, grinning their beaks in delight at the barrel's presence. "Can't stay long fellas, where's Gilda? She here?"

"Where else would I go?"

The biggest tent—and perhaps the patchiest and ugliest—had a flap open up. A brown griffon with white face sauntered out, still wearing the flannel shirt she'd stolen from some boutique in Ponyville. "You sure took your sweet time. You said you'd be by yesterday," Gilda scolded, her face stoic as she trotted past a fire barrel. Her tail whipped as she walked.

"Better late than never," Dash replied. "It's something about winter or whatever. Plants know their stuff. I try not to listen to all that farm lingo."

"Really?" Gilda asked, but her voice made it clear she didn't really want to know. With her golden claws, she lifted up the lid and peered into the darkness of the barrel's contents. "Late and less. Maybe you don't listen to me either. When I said we needed more than last time, I meant more than last time!" As to prove her point, she slammed the barrel over, and the contents didn't even spill out onto the ground.

"I just told you. They aren't making enough. It happens every year or something. I don't know. Ration it out—I'm trying to make sure I get more tomorrow," Dash replied, trying her best to not grow angry.

Gilda clamped her claw around Dash's mouth. "I'm getting tired of the excuses, Dash. If you're late tomorrow, we might just have to come up there and borrow some ourselves."

Rainbow Dash slapped the claw away. "I'm the one doing all the work, Gilda!" She threw her hooves to the group of griffons growing around them. "If it wasn't for me, you'd be getting nothing in the first place. I'm trying my best—and I ration my own food, so you can do that too!"

"You're only there because of me!" Gilda bellowed, her beak inches from Rainbow Dash's eyes. "Or have you forgotten what I did for you? Already ready to leave your pal out in the cold while you sit on a happy little farm?" As if she needed to reiterate a point, she began unbuttoning her shirt.

"Gilda, you don't—"

"Look, Dash!" Gilda cut her off. Rainbow Dash didn't want to look, but the large griffon grabbed her jaw and made her. "Don't you forget it this time!" she remarked, and Dash couldn't look away. The missing feathers on her shoulder—the mark of skin after branding. In the shape of a circle with a line through it—feathers, fur, hair, it didn't grow back at that spot. Not once the Lifter's Mark was placed on the offender's shoulder. "Maybe we should let the guard know what's going on, then you can join us out here. Double what you planned tomorrow, and no less."

"Double!?" she gulped, but Gilda's eyes narrowed. "I-I'll try, for you." Rainbow Dash was let go, and she quickly leapt back away from the griffons. "I'll have more tomorrow. I haven't forgotten. I'll make sure of it," she told them in a voice so shallow. She didn't want to be reminded of the past anymore, but she owed Gilda more than anyone in whatever was left of the world.

"Good. We'll be waiting. Now go back to your happy little farm. We wouldn't want them—" Gilda stopped short, still buttoning back up her shirt. "Well, what do we have here?"

Looking up at Gilda, Dash then followed the griffon's gaze to behind Dash. In the darkness, barely seen by the flames of the encampment, she could see a little filly. "Rainbow Dash? Is this where you go?" asked a voice Dash recognized.

"Apple Bloom? What are you doing here?" Rainbow Dash asked, almost rushing to the filly, but a couple griffons gripped her shoulders. She looked back at them, struggling, before turning her eyes back to the filly. Gilda was already there at the filly, tugging on the big pink bow.

"One of the Apples, Dash?" Gilda asked, and did not need an answer. "Come on in, little gal. Our fires are warm." She pulled the obviously anxious filly further into the light. "Any friend of Rainbow Dash is a friend to all of us here. Isn't that right, Dash? We're friends, after all."

Rainbow Dash felt her stomach tighten, and her knees tried to buckle. "Gilda, just let her go. Apple Bloom! Go home. I'll be back at the farm soon."

"What's the rush, Stash?" one of the griffons that held her asked.

Gilda led the filly to the fire. "See? Nice and warm. Wouldn't want you to get cold, a little filly like you." She raised a claw to the fire as if examining it for the first time. "It's a rare tool out here, but I bet it's pretty common where you live, isn't it?" Apple Bloom started to answer, but Gilda cut her off. "It's a powerful tool, too. Strong enough to leave a mark on you." Gilda then sat down, keeping a claw planted on Apple Bloom's shoulder.

"Gilda! Let her go home now! Or else our deal is off, forever!" Rainbow Dash yelled with as much strength she could muster.

"Oh, Dash. Wouldn't it be something to keep her here, though?" Gilda asked Rainbow Dash before turning to Apple Bloom. "Do you know what a ransom is, little girl?" She said it with such a sickening sweet smile.

"Is it like handsome?" Apple Bloom asked, the look of worry crossing her face.

"Stop it, Gilda, or we're through being friends! I won't let you do anything to her!" Rainbow Dash growled, and struggled free from the griffons around her. She did not charge forward, however. Not with Apple Bloom so close to Gilda.

Gilda stared at Rainbow Dash for a moment with an almost sad expression. Rainbow Dash had never known Gilda to have such a look. "Fine, fine," she finally said, and patted the filly. "Run on home little apple." Rainbow watched as Apple Bloom looked at the griffons, then at her, before taking off into the darkness in the direction of home.

With a sigh of relief, Rainbow Dash bowed her head. "Thanks. For a second there I thought you were going to—" The sound of Gilda snapping her claws cut Rainbow off. Three griffons grappled her, grabbing Dash by her shoulders, neck, and wings. "Gilda! What are you doing?"

But Gilda wasn't looking back at Rainbow Dash. She sat in front of the fire, her arms now crossed, staring into the flames. "Looks like our friendship has taken us as far as its going to go. I should pay you back, make you suffer like I have." She put one of her claws over the shoulder that held the mark. "But I know you wouldn't really learn a lesson—and to be honest, I don't want to see you out here." Standing, Gilda then took a few steps toward her tent. When she reached the flaps, she called back to the griffons surrounding Rainbow Dash. "Break her wings."

The sign slapped against the window, now indicating the store was closed in big red letters. Some of the other shops down Canterlot’s main road had already locked up. Pinkie Pie could still see their last customers trailing off with their baked goods in paper bags. She could also see herself in the reflection of the glass—cold blue eyes staring back at her with a sharp glare. A voice called and she turned away to answer. “I can do it, don’t you worry!” she yelled in reply.

“Thank you, Pinkie!” It was Mr. Cake. She was still surprised that he hadn’t opted into closing the store early. His wife grew more incapable of helping as the weeks progressed, the pregnancy was taking its toll. But Pinkie made herself more and more available as time went on. She knew she would even be running the store once the baby was born, if only for a short while.

After locking the front entrance, she made her way to the kitchen and took the bag of trash to the backdoor. It was the last thing to do and then she could head to bed. Upon opening the door, she was reminded again that this wasn’t like Ponyville. Sure, she still worked—and lived—with the Cakes, but this was Canterlot. Buildings sat so close together like books on a shelf. The alleyway she stepped into wasn’t even enough for three ponies to walk side by side, if two, and certainly not Mrs. Cake and another pony—not with how big she’d grown.

The thought of somepony growing up in such conditions confused Pinkie. It was so foreign to how she’d grown, on a rock farm, in the open space, with the sun still high and the moon still blue. When stars sat overhead at the sleeping hours, and not the purple glow of that protective shield. What was it even protecting them from?

She hadn’t realized it but she had just been standing there, staring up at the Everglow Shield. It wasn’t until a trashcan being knocked over that she felt the fool for such reminiscing. Setting the trash bag down, she then stepped into the darkness of the alley. “Hello?” she called, hoping for no answer. The can that had fallen had to be theirs—the other shops all kept theirs by their doors. She regretted not fighting Mr. Cake on keeping their can closer, and regretted calling out even more.

Reaching up above the doorway, Pinkie knew there was a cord to turn on the Goldlight bulb but she didn’t want to take her eyes off the trashcan. Then her heart shot into her throat as she saw movement, only for panic to subside. “Oh! Well, hi there little guy!” It was nothing but a raccoon—one of the rare, few animals inside the domes. “Are you hungry? Trash is no place for you!” More confident, she looked up and pulled on the cord. With the light on, Pinkie stiffened. The raccoon wasn’t alone.

Behind the knocked over can laid a shaking, cowering yellow pegasus with pink hair trailing down the sides of her cheeks. She had her hooves covering her head, perhaps hoping the darkness and the trashcan had hid her well. “Excuse me?” Pinkie called, unsure of what to do. “Are you—are you alright? Do you need help?”

The yellow pegasus didn’t move. Pinkie looked down both ways of the alley before leaving the steps of the bake shop. The raccoon didn’t move, only stared in horror as she came close. “I’m not going to hurt you or yell,” Pinkie said, still staring down at the pony. She could see the rib cage through the fur—the poor mare must’ve been starving for a while. But the way the pony had her hooves up, Pinkie could see both shoulders. It was always keen to look and see if the Lifter’s Mark was on a shoulder before you helped, otherwise you might end up with the same mark. But this mare was without, and she hadn’t resorted to stealing either. Unless you count stealing from trash—which the authorities might, but Pinkie didn’t.

“Hey, you hungry? You’re not going to find anything in there. My boss is pregnant, we don’t throw out a thing,” Pinkie explained, hoping a joke might ease the pegasus.

It did work, for the most part. The pony didn’t stop shaking, but she did remove her hooves from her head, and she even looked up at Pinkie. “My name is Pinkie Pie. What’s yours?” The pony shuddered and looked away, and that’s when Pinkie noticed the raccoon hadn’t run off from her presence. “And what’s your friend’s name?”

The yellow mare finally answered that question. “C-Cherub. I-I’m Flu-Fluttersh-shy.”

Pinkie placed her hoof down for Cherub. “What a fitting name! Look at how cute you are,” she replied, and Cherub allowed a few scratches before it turned into gentle pats. “I’m Pinkie Pie. If you two are hungry, I was about to make myself dinner. I’d be delighted to have some guests join me.”

The two looked at each other, and Fluttershy sat up almost instantly. The prospect of food was obvious for such a malnourished pony, yet Cherub didn’t look the same. If the two had been together for a while, Fluttershy must be incredibly kind. “Come on,” Pinke said as she invited them in.

She couldn’t help but feel more and more sorry for them as she listened to Fluttershy’s tale over dinner. The poor mare had gulped down three bowls of broth before Pinkie could finish her first. With the food finished, Fluttershy opened up. “Coming from Cloudsdale? That must’ve been rough,” Pinkie said, wondering what had happened to the cloudy city. She remembered that the pegasi had abandoned it, the darkness overpowering their world. The Everglow Shields couldn’t surround it before the world became uninhabitable. It was like that for most places.

“I’m not sure where my parents and brother are,” Fluttershy said, her voice cracked as she spoke.

“You’ve just been out here all this time? No job?” Pinkie asked.

Fluttershy shook her head. “All I’m ever good with is animals. And it’s not—they’re not really—there’s not many—”

Fluttershy continued talking about her life for many hours, and Pinkie didn’t stop her. It was tragic, yet so interesting. Something new to the mundane. And not so different from Pinkie’s journey, aside from finding the Cakes. She didn’t realize how late it got until Mrs. Cake came down to the kitchen. The big mare almost bellowed at the sight of a raccoon in a bakery’s kitchen.

But Pinkie saw a use in Fluttershy. She convinced Mr. and Mrs. Cake to hire Fluttershy, freeing up the two Cakes to worry about the upcoming birth. Pinkie even offered Fluttershy to move in with her—it wasn’t much different than being back on the rock farm, sharing a single space with her sisters. And Cherub was allowed to stay so long as he remained upstairs during working hours. The prissy nobles of Canterlot would riot at the thought of a raccoon being anywhere near food.

Weeks passed. Fluttershy slowly got the hang of baking and managing the cash register. There weren’t any big orders to fulfill, and so there was little to worry over. Fluttershy grew healthier looking too. She’d needed to wear an apron for a while as her ribs shocked customers, but now they no longer stared at her gaunt face. It wasn’t often that she managed the cash register though. Her shyness often took over, and Pinkie would keep her in the back baking. It wasn’t a bad trade off either. Fluttershy had a brilliant idea to make cookies in the shapes of animals, and foals loved that sort of thing.

Business was surprisingly booming. Revenue was up, and Fluttershy hadn’t even accepted payment. “Food and shelter is payment enough right now, especially with a baby on the way,” she would say every time it was brought up.

And when the baby was truly on the way, responsibility fell on Pinkie in a way she hadn’t expected to happen so suddenly. “I’m getting her to the hospital, Pinkie,” Mr. Cake had said. “I need you to take what’s in the safe to the bank tomorrow. You’ll have to take your wage out before you do, but I trust you can handle that. The code is—”

Just like that, she was in charge. They trusted her with their money, their business, and their home. She didn’t want to fail them, yet she knew she would. She didn't hesitate. With the Cakes gone, she opened the safe and pulled out the large bag of bits, dragging it to her room. Fluttershy and Cherub were there, reading and cuddling as they had grown accustom to doing during sleeping hours. “What is that?” Fluttershy asked, and Cherub got up to come help Pinkie pull it in.

“Listen Fluttershy, you can’t keep saying you won’t accept payment.” Pinkie undid the strap and scooped several hooffuls of coins out. “I’m giving you three hundred bits, and you won’t turn it down or else I’ll make you clean the entire kitchen. I don’t want to hear anything but ‘I accept’ or ‘thank you, Pinkie Pie’, you got it?”

“Pinkie, I—thank you. Three hundred bits? That’s—I mean, that’s—”

“It’s about what I’ve made this year,” Pinkie interrupted. “You’ve worked so hard. Learning new skills, not giving up. I don’t even have to do most of my work anymore because I know you’ll already have it started. This isn’t just about earning your wage, this is a thank you gift to you. I don’t think we would’ve managed without you.” Fluttershy jumped from her bed and ran to hug Pinkie. Cherub squeezed in too, and they all got teary-eyed. They all had grown so close, so quickly.

A few days passed after that, but the tears had not settled for Pinkie. She’d ordered Fluttershy to go get more ingredients, knowing the Cakes would return while she was gone. Once they were home, Pinkie cried into their shoulders, apologizing profusely. She told them she had tried to figure out what had happened, that she could only point a hoof at the pony she invited in, and that there was no other explanation. “She must’ve been listening when you gave me the combination. It’s all my fault,” Pinkie told them, crying over the new twins they’d brought home.

They were disappointed. For the Cakes, thousands of bits had been stolen. And the one to blame was obvious—the bottom feeder living off their kindness. When Fluttershy returned with the ingredients, the guards were already there, waiting to make an arrest. Fluttershy cried out, wondering why she was being arrested, and what she had done wrong.

One of the guards, a white stallion, had come down the steps right as Fluttershy was put in cuffs. “This is all we’ve found. She must’ve moved the rest into her own account, sent it somewhere, or spent it,” he said, tossing the bag of bits on the counter. Mr. Cake opened the bag and counted out the contents.

Pinkie knew the amount and wasn’t surprised. “Three hundred bits,” Mr. Cake sighed. “There were thousands.”

“It wasn’t me!” Fluttershy bellowed, and Cherub tried his best to chew off the cuffs.

The newborn twins started crying, and Mrs. Cake took them upstairs. “Let’s get her out of here,” the white stallion said, and the guards pulled Fluttershy out the back. Pinkie watched them go, and Cherub stayed behind for a moment, a look of anger and resentment in his eyes, before he darted out after the pegasus.

“I’m so sorry, Mr. Cake. I was the one who invited her in. It’s all my fault,” Pinkie cried, resting her head on the ground.

“No, no, Pinkie,” Mr. Cake soothed. He picked her up by her shoulders. “It’s not your fault that you were kind. Some ponies just aren’t right in the head, that’s all. She did good work, and business was booming. We’ll get plenty of customers still, and we’ve still got her ideas.” He then pulled the sack of three hundred closer. “It’s not like we’re hurting for money. We’ll survive. But I want you to take this.”

“I couldn’t—not after everything—”

“I won’t hear that. I’m not going to punish you for the good that’s in your heart.” Mr. Cake shoved the bag into her hooves. “If you still feel bad, I won’t mind it if you take diaper duty for awhile,” he said with a chuckle. “I’m not looking forward to that.”

Pinkie held the coins in both hooves, tears still in her eyes. She gave a nod. “Whatever you need, I’ll be there. I’ll work twice as much if I have to.”

“I don’t think anything I can say will stop you, unfortunately,” he replied with a tired smile. The sound of a crying baby rang out from above. “Take the night off, Pinkie. Right now we’ve got other things to focus on.”

She nodded and watched him trot up the stairs. When he was gone, she crept up to her room. The empty bed next to hers would have to go, or she could push them together for a bigger one. That debate had been on her mind for the last couple days. She hadn’t decided. If she did choose to do so, she'd have to replace the mattress—the guards had undone a few seams looking for the supposed stolen bits.

They wouldn’t have found it. Not on that side of the room.

After closing and locking her door, she went to the closet and pulled several clothes down. The wall behind, inside the closet, was brick and mortar. Unmovable to the naked eye. Yet they weren’t made of the same stone as the rest of the wall. She’d been around rocks for too long to not know how to create a false brick. She moved them aside with ease, opening to a cubbyhole the size of a filly.

There wasn’t much room here anymore. Stolen jewelry sat in one corner. Letters of correspondences sat in another. In the middle sat sacks and sacks of bits—though none was larger than the one freshly removed from the Cakes’ safe. She added the three hundred back to it before tying it closed.

Before she sealed back the fake wall, she noticed the open letter she’d forgotten to close. Taking it out, Pinkie decided that she would need to respond sooner now that they’d gotten plenty of bits. “Where had they gone?” she quietly asked herself as she reread. She tried to imagine it in Limestone’s voice, but it’d been so long since she’d seen her sister. Maud’s voice was easier to remember. She pined to see them again.

When she got to the end of the letter, she couldn’t help but smile. “We’ll be free one day. We’ll break the shields like the rocks back on the farm,” she mouthed Limestone’s words. “Unite the Lifters.”

Pinkie stopped, and frowned to herself. She thought of Fluttershy, and how she soon would be marked. “Sending another your way, girls. Maybe she’ll hate me. But they’re all going to hate us for what happens.”

“What an incredibly dark world,” the mustached Discord dryly said. “Both figuratively and literally. I wonder what happened? I'm not so sure I want to imagine Sunset Shimmer fixing that world. To be honest, I'm not sure I want to think about that world ever again.”

“I am glad I interfered, I would not have wanted to see her here,” the formal Discord replied. “Truly, my mistake, but a mistake turned blessing. A shame, though. I would have been interested in seeing how it could have been fixed. We will never know.” The mustached Discord nodded, and both cupped their hands over their respective chins.

Daydream Shimmer sat lounging on a cloth beach chair, though she hadn't seen the beach in a long while. It was comfortable to sit in and relax, and to read over the journal she'd kept. Of course, the only light in their darkness came from the televisions—and they complained whenever she created a lamp or light. But she had read and reread the journal several times already. It'd been a while since she went and saw Sunset Shimmer, yet the memory was still fond in her mind—that nice little picnic. Reading Sunset's previous thoughts filled the emptiness her presence lacked.

But Daydream was growing tired of watching the two Discords watch Sunset. At first, she thought them creepy. Then, she found herself doing it too. It wasn't hard to remove the thought that she was Sunset Shimmer too, she hadn't been Sunset Shimmer in a long, long time. And watching another version of herself—well, it was interesting! How would she do things differently? It was often a question she would ask the other Sunset Shimmers. She met and talked with them—the ones from the worlds that Sunset had passed through, chasing after Princess Twilight. In a way, she gained more magic, more power from meeting herself.

The strength was almost indescribable. It was like a connection that tapped the very source of magic through alternate worlds. It wasn't that she had a lot of magic—it was as though she was all the magic of her world. And connecting with these other Sunset Shimmers brokered a stream of magic she could pull from of that world. She knew better than anyone what that sort of power meant in the wrong hands. Meeting more of herself—it meant a greater strength. Strength she could use to stop someone like her from destroying an entire world. A shield against a storm.

And these two knuckleheads were getting in her way of meeting more of herself. Neither of them truly understood what more they could do. It must've been the reason they interfered in the first place—not thinking of repercussions, or the changes they could actually make if they tried. But if they could see the worlds Sunset Shimmer had meant to go, that meant she could go there too. That meant more Sunsets she could meet.

Not only that—if these universes were broken into by Starlight Glimmer's spell, did that mean Sunset's world could also be from another pony's time altering spell? How far did it go back? And just how many Sunset Shimmers did that mean she could meet? How many worlds could be tapped into?

"If those two could find another world—a prime universe—where Starlight and Twilight fought in the past, then that's another multitude of Sunsets I could meet," she muttered to herself. The two Discords didn't appear to be too pleased with the world they found. It did look awfully disturbing. She needed a way to explain to them what she wanted them to find. "But how? They're so corny they might not want to find something so serious."

For a moment, Daydream watched as the Discords flipped through worlds on the television. "Wait—corny?" She blinked, and in a quick jolt, stood from her seat and pranced over to the two. "If you find imagining boring, why not play a more active role?"

The mustached Discord glanced back at her. "We're not going to these worlds ourselves," he said with a sneer. This one was the more serious of the two, yet he refused to lend a helping hand.

"I'm not talking about you two—I'm not even talking about me. I know you two don't care what I do. But I came up with a thought that might get us both something we want," she told them. The mustached Discord held an expressionless face, but the formal turned in an instant, gaping with glee. "Do you two like corn?" she asked, and the other Discord's glee turned into confusion. "You two are looking through other worlds like you're peeling kernels off a corncob. That or you switch back to the cob—Sunset Shimmer—and watch her go through boring school life."

"Where are you going with this?" the mustached asked—now he was definitely interested.

"Well, if there's kernels, then there's cobs, then there's stalks. Why not look at a different cob, on the same stalk, to see if two Discords didn't interfere. Or better yet—one where Sunset Shimmer never got sucked into Starlight's spell."

The two looked at each other, and for a moment she thought they'd burst out laughing. "Tune in to a different—cob, as you put it—and watch another set of worlds? It'd be the same thing we're doing now. There's no difference."

Daydream gave a nod. "Sure. That's true—but let's say you decided to play that active role I was mentioning. Push someone into the past that wasn't meant to be there. Don't send yourself, or me. Don't even send a Sunset Shimmer, since her purpose will just repeat. Where's the fun in that? But why not change the instrument from a guitar to a piano? The song will play differently. You get your entertainment, I get more Sunsets to communicate with."

"And what if the Discord from that world refuses? Or does not like the fact that we are helping ponies? We are not in the habit of making enemies of ourselves. There are Discords out there who—well, that certainly do not know a Fluttershy, for a lighter way to put it," the formal Discord explained.

"Right, but you two have something that Discord lacks." Pointing a thumb at herself, she grinned. “Your shield. Isn't that why you haven't kicked me out of here?”

"Yes, but it is impossible," the formal Discord snorted, and almost turned back to the televisions.

The mustached tilted his head slightly before raising a finger and shaking it at the other Discord. “Not impossible. Improbable. We could find a cob, one that mirrors Sunset's original.”

"And if whoever you send failed to make it through to the end, just find another cob and start again," Daydream added. "More entertainment, right?"

The two stared at each other for a long while, not saying anything. She thought they were having some sort of silent conversation with their eyes, or perhaps they communicated in a way she was not included in. Eventually, they snapped from the wordless discussion and looked right at her. “Daydream Shimmer, that is absolutely brilliant!” the formal Discord shouted, hugging her. He was always a bit more clingy with her—she guessed that was because he and Sunset had grown close during their time together.

“That is quite the resounding plan.” The mustached Discord tapped his chin, a thoughtful expression on his face. “We should hold a meeting of chaos for that idea. Not just cobs and stalks—beyond them. So far out, and so much chaos to gather in one place! Not all of us would agree to this little perusing of entertainment. However! It does beg the question.”

“What question?” she asked, unsure of what it could be.

The two Discords gazed through her, staring at something beyond. “Who could we send?”

Author's Note

~~Quite the terrifying world, eh? It's a shame Sunset Shimmer never went there, or perhaps it's a good thing. Her little heart might not have taken so many additional worlds. But it does present a new opportunity. Who could handle dealing with these worlds aside from her? If you would be obliged, I have a Google Form (requires a Google/YouTube account) that is available to be filled out. It's some technical questions and inquiries about a sequel.~~

~~I will leave this form open for three months, closing it on August 31st (of 2021). At that point, this little note will be deleted, and I shall begin the process of writing a sequel. I believe that will be enough time for me to collect the information I desire.~~

Questionnaire has completed! Thanks to those who participated! :twilightsmile:

This additional chapter concludes Sunset Shimmer's journey for good. However, her story is not over. If you would like to follow my canonical continuation of this world's Sunset Shimmer, feel free to check out The Alicorn Problem, which will have its own sequels, where she will take part.

For everything else, thank you for reading this story, and thank you for taking part in the creative process.

World 1: Chapter 1

The school halls petered out students. Many rushed to get to their lockers and grab their things. The chatter among the schoolmates overshadowed echoes of shoes squeaking against vinyl floors. The voices died down as quickly as they came. Their excitement for the day’s end pushed them to the exits—but not all were eager to leave. One such girl with ketchup and mustard-colored hair lingered behind. She insisted on spending as much time as possible with her new friend. “Thanks for the tour today,” Twilight Sparkle said as she pushed her purple bangs back, books firmly in her other hand.

The lingering girl smiled and slumped against a green metal locker. “Hey, I’m just glad they allowed you to transfer here,” she replied. “I’m also glad they put your locker right next to mine.” She twisted the knob on the lock before dialing in its combination.

Twilight Sparkle used her free hand to fiddle with her own locker. The combination lock popped off and she pulled the frigid metal door open. The books went on top of other, more substantial books till the locker was filled. She grabbed her backpack from the hook in the back and closed the door. Finished, her eyes wandered to her new friend who had suddenly become quiet. Past the slightly curly locks of red and yellow, Twilight peered at the pages being struck by a light touch of ink. Her new friend must've felt Twilight's eyes as she twirled to face her.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to pry,” Twilight immediately apologized.

“Don’t worry about it. Just finishing up a little message to a friend of mine. I let her know everything turned out alright.” She slapped the book closed and placed it into the small pocket on her backpack. After pulling the bag over her shoulder, she shut her locker and turned back to Twilight. “All done! Ready?”

As they walked, Twilight couldn’t help but let the curiosity get to her. “When you said message to a friend and let her know, what did you mean?”

A few strands of hair fell forward as the girl halted in her tracks. “Right!” she suddenly shouted. “I suppose I better tell you about the other you from the world I come from. Same reason people keep getting you mixed up with someone else.”

Twilight pushed her glasses back into place. “Right. The pony world. There’s another me there? And you know her?”

“It’s kind of a long story. She’s the one who taught me the value of friendship. My journal allows me to communicate with her, but she hasn’t been answering for a while. I wanted to give her a little update. We kind of called on her help during the games.”

“Two of me.” Twilight shook her head in disbelief. “Could you imagine two of me running around at the same time? That’d be insanity.”

“Hey, she’d be useful when it comes time for homework.” The girl pushed on the door and held it for Twilight. The sun hung low in the orange sky, casting shadows and dimming everything in the courtyard—especially the tall marble statue. A group of five lingered around the statue's base. “Hey, there are the girls!”

Twilight paced down the Canterlot High steps and turned back as she reached the bottom. “Aren’t you coming, Sunset?” she asked the girl from another world.

Sunset Shimmer waved to the five friends she cherished before her attention turned to the purple-haired girl with glasses. “I’m just going to hang out here for a little while, Twilight,” she answered. “I’ll see you tomorrow!” Twilight nodded before heading for the girls. “Don’t forget,” Sunset yelled. “Picnic tomorrow! In front of the statue!”

“I won’t!” Twilight yelled back before meeting up with the five.

Sunset watched from the top of the steps as the six disappeared around the corner of the high school. A slight breeze fell into the courtyard as she sat down. She kicked her legs out onto the steps beneath her and leaned to one side. After pulling off her backpack, which scraped against the concrete, she placed it beside her. It slumped forward, weighed down by the journal that peeked out from the smallest pocket. Her eyes wandered down the spine of the brown book—skimming over the golden, symmetrically etched bindings. Sunset pulled it into her lap and stared at the red and yellow sun burned into the front of the journal.

Her eyes darted between pages as she flipped through the first few. She soaked in every memory, triumph, or plea that had been carved in her delicate handwriting. As she glossed over each page, a sudden gust caused the pages to ruffle and shift all the way to the final pages of the journal. She pushed her hair from her face and looked down. The words and sentences packed the page to the brim, leaving little room. She quickly turned back a few pages. Questions and responses between her and the pony princesses filled each. She asked herself, “How’d it get so full, so fast?” Her eyes must've been quicker than her brain as she found herself staring at the statue in the courtyard. As she sat, chewing her bottom lip and pondering, a brilliant idea eventually formed in her head.

It brought a gleeful grin to her face once she thought of the great idea. “Just a short, simple pop in! Say hello, grab a replacement, and then head home for dinner! It'll be awesome. Not a bad idea at all, right?” she told to herself, boosting her confidence with every word she uttered. It didn’t matter what she said though, her mind was already set. She shoved the journal back into the nylon backpack and zipped it up tight. Her reflection grew as she jogged up to the backside of the statue. A single finger gently stroked the marble mirror, and a rippling effect responded in kind—her reflection bended in every wave.

She sucked in air through her nose and released it through her mouth. Her heart pumped faster with every second she hesitated. Reaching out, she pushed both hands against the watery marble and felt her whole body fall in. Her physique ached, twisted, and contorted.

When her eyes opened, strands of red and yellow hair blocked her vision. She pushed them aside with her hoof, which was no longer a hand, and got a good view of the blue crystalline library she stood within. “Wow. So this is the castle she got,” she thought aloud. Her eyes wandered around the shelves of books that cluttered the room. “Not bad. Not bad at all.” With her backpack still on her back, she pushed open the room’s single door and stepped out into a brightly lit hall. It was a long hallway with more entries than she wanted to count. She wouldn’t have to, however.

A gasp rang out, followed by a voice. “Hey! You’re Sunset Shimmer!”

Sunset’s head swiveled to meet the eyes of a familiar pink pony. “And you’re most definitely Pinkie Pie.”

The pink-haired, pink-furred pony stood bipedal and pushed a cart with a frosted, three-layered chocolate cake. “It’s a pleasure to meetcha!” greeted Pinkie. Another gasp followed as she screamed, “I’m going to have to bake another welcoming cake!”

“Another welcoming cake? Who’s this one for?” Sunset asked, pointing to the pink frosting.

“Twilight and Spike! They should've gotten home today. They were in Canterlot,” she answered. “They’re in for a double surprise now that you’re here!”

Sunset placed a hoof to her mouth as she giggled. “Where is Twilight now?” As she finished her question, the sounds of heavy gusts and thunder echoed down the corridor. “What was that!?”

Pinkie shrugged with disinterest before pushing the cart down the hall. Sunset kept a few paces back, and listened intently on every creak, squeak, and trot made within the hallway. A draft came and went as they walked, followed by a yelling of words. Sunset could only make out the last sentence. “Don’t touch that!” The words felt confusing without context, but the meaning was soon inferred as the bellowing winds and thundering echoes rattled the hall once more. In an instant, just like before, it stopped.

Pushing open the doors with her cart, Pinkie rolled into the brightly lit room. She gave another shrug before biting down and taking a chunk out of the cake. Sunset rushed in behind her and asked, “No, seriously, what was that?”

After swallowing the contents in her mouth, Pinkie turned her chocolate covered face to Sunset. “Probably a time-traveling portal opening up and pulling somepony into the past,” she answered before grabbing hold of the cart. “I’mma go bake another cake!” she added and began wheeling the cart backward.

Sunset shook her head and grinned as the doors closed. “Never change, Pinkie. Never change.” Her attention turned to the room she stood in—a circular table sat directly in the center. A set of chairs stood around the table, each marked with a different cutie mark. Curious, Sunset trotted over to the empty table. Her eyebrows narrowed as she examined it in great depth. “I wonder if this is the table with the map she wrote about,” she murmured as she tried to see her reflection in the crystal. She rose up to get a better look and placed both forelegs onto the table's edge.

Her hooves touching the flat surface must've triggered the map's appearance, as it reacted by displaying all of Equestria within its circular border. A twinge of delight appeared in a smile. Her eyes glittered against the world she had previously called home. But it wasn’t the only thing that triggered. Without warning, strong gusts of wind pulled her off her hooves and into the air. She let out a shriek as her eyes bolted up at the newly opened portal. Lightning shot from its edges and the sounds of ticking echoed within her eardrums. While her body levitated, she struggled to reach out and grab hold of the table. The portal was too strong, however, and pulled her into itself before disappearing altogether.

Though her body didn’t ache, or twist, or even contort, it didn’t feel like a joyous trot through the park either. Instead, Sunset started sweating worse than a run on the hottest day of summer, even though the weatherman said it was windy and winter wear was needed. She was drenched from hoof to brow as the portal sent her through the unknown. Out of fear, she shut her eyes. Inside the tumbling dimension, a voice rang out. A voice unfamiliar. “You are about to find out,” that stranger said, an eerie tone accompanying the ominous words.

As quickly as it began, the magical ride ended by spitting Sunset out onto a patch of rough grass. Her jaw skid against the dirt as her eyes spun uncontrollably. The gusts hadn’t stopped, however, and that drew her attention. Just as she arrived, a purple-furred alicorn left through the portal. “Twilight!” Sunset yelled, spitting out grass, dirt, and saliva. The bellowing wind overshadowed her words—the alicorn didn’t even acknowledge Sunset’s presence before the portal closed.

Sunset scrambled to the map as she stared at where the portal had been. Her eyes shifted between the busted chairs, damaged table, and cloudless sky. Sky, the word repeated endlessly in her mind. Like a closing mousetrap, it clicked within her brain. “Where’s the castle?” she asked no one. Broken bits of crystal from the chairs crunched beneath her hooves as she rose up bipedal against the edge of the table. Just like before, the map triggered, but something was different. The Crystal Empire extended farther south as though it flooded the snow. What dam stopped it?

As she studied the new surroundings, six lights abruptly formed over specific areas, followed by a seventh, brighter light. These lights flickered and swirled before turning into six very familiar patterns. The seventh, however, revealed itself to be a tree. “Cutie marks!” Sunset said as she examined the colorful lights. One in Ponyville, a set of three apples. Two in the east, in Manehattan—a set of diamonds and a set of butterflies. And three in the north, close to the Crystal Empire. These last three held a set of balloons, a cloud with rainbow lightning, and one of a purple star.

It wasn’t the cutie marks that confused Sunset but the white tree, south of Ponyville. The tree was out of place compared to everything around it. A forest encircled the white tree with bits of stone nearby rising up between the jungle like some sort of castle. A sign? A message, perhaps?

Sunset stepped back from the table, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. The strong odor of copper stung her nostrils and burnt her nose hair. Once centered, she opened her eyes. She felt right—for a moment.

Then the screaming came.

Then the pleading for answers came.

Sunset eventually centered herself once more, this time focusing on the world. “Oh—kay. Castle is gone, weird crystals shot up from the Crystal Empire, and these cutie marks are strung about almost randomly. There’s got to be something here to help me discern what happened.” She strained a hoof across the table and tapped the apples. “From Canterlot, this is Ponyville. Twilight’s castle is in Ponyville, so assuming the map remained in the same place while the castle vanished, it’s safe to assume I’m in Ponyville.” The closest cutie mark was right outside of town—the apples. She knew exactly who it'd be, or at the very least, she hoped she knew.

Without many options, she trotted toward the horizon, hoping to find the apple pony and gain some answers.

What Sunset found instead was a deserted town demolished by time. She'd be fortunate to find any pony in such a place. There were wooden buildings with cracks and boarded up windows, tiles missing from roofs, and the ground was bare of any grass. It wasn’t like the tales told through short descriptions within the journal from Twilight. “Roads of smiling faces eager to greet you,” she remembered. Her muzzle wrinkled as she became more and more disgruntled. She eyed every ugly building with a leer of confusion. “This has to be one elaborate prank. It just has to be.”

As she crossed over into the orchard, Sunset noticed the dreadful-looking apple trees that mirrored the state of Ponyville. The apples themselves looked pleasant enough, but the smoky air emitted over the orchard made everything unappetizing. She assumed Sweet Apple Acres brimmed with lush, leafy green trees, fields of fodder and flowers, and barns a shade of red that would make an apple jealous. Instead, the main barn was one big factory spewing out product and smoke like rain pouring from dark clouds.

One thing remained the same—an apple doesn't fall far from the tree. The same went for the Apple family. The orange earth pony didn't notice Sunset’s arrival, but Sunset noticed her, along with the cafeteria worker outfit she wore. Applejack's golden mane hid underneath a netted cap, while expressionless, dark beige clothes wrapped around her as if they were suffocating the happiness from her body. “Applejack?” Sunset called out, unsure if it was the Element of Honesty.

The green eyes raised from her task to meet Sunset’s. “Why does everypony seem to know my name today?” Applejack responded as though disgruntled by some past event.

“Hey there, I’m Sunset Shimmer. You probably don’t remember me too much but I’m the one that stole Twilight’s crown that one time.” Sunset extended a hoof, hoping for a pleasant greeting. “It’s kind of weird meeting you, again.”

An eyebrow raised as Applejack stared back. “Twilight? You mean the crazy mare who just passed through here a lil’ while ago? Check on the outskirts of town. There’s some weird map thing she brought in from another world or whatever.”

Sunset’s planted her ignored hoof on the ground as she slumped forward. “Crazy mare? Weird map thing? You’re surely pulling my leg!” She nervously laughed. “Don’t you go on adventures following the map’s destinations? And Twilight! She’s your friend! R-Right?”

“Yeah, she mentioned somethin’ about friendship, but apparently she’s from some other world where we aren’t at war with King Sombra. She must’ve been livin’ under a rock… or telling the truth. I don’t rightly know, or care.” Applejack turned away from Sunset and trotted towards the smoky barn, but Sunset followed behind.

“King Sombra? War? But Sombra’s gone. The Crystal Empire—”

“Gone?” Applejack halted and swiftly turned back to Sunset with eyes scornful and pained. “Are you from that there other time too? Do I have to be worried ‘bout a hundred other ponies askin’ me these questions? I’ve got a lot of important work to do, I don’t need a queue formin’ and interruptin’ my schedule. Just because y’all ain’t got a war goin’ on doesn’t mean we can just halt production for your sake.”

The words spoken by Applejack resonated within Sunset, and she finally understood that it wasn’t a prank she was dealing with, but something more. “You’ve got to help me! Do you know how Twilight left? What else did she say!?” Sunset rounded off her questions, thrusting her face closer to Applejack’s with every inquiry.

Before answering, Applejack pushed Sunset back from her personal space. “Why don’t you just go ask her yourself? I’m sure she’s still by the table.”

“No! She disappeared into the same type of portal I came through. I’ve got no way of contacting her or finding out how to leave,” Sunset replied and stomped the rough, barren earth. “Did she say why she was here? Anything at all?”

“Well, she did mention about some pony going into the past and changin’ things with that map of hers. I think she said Starlight Glammer? Slimmer? Somethin’ like that.” Applejack paused, and then asked, “Another friend of yours? Or ours? Or whatever.”

“Not a name I’ve heard. Did she say anything about why your cutie mark shows up on the map?”

“My cutie mark? No. My cutie mark wasn’t on it when she dragged me up there to look. I was amazed to see such a thing. The way she talked, I just assumed she lived under a rock or somethin’.”

“What about a white tree?”

“White tree?” Applejack snorted. “Now you really got me thinkin’ you hit your head. I ain’t ever seen a tree colored white in this here part of Equestria. Except whenever it snows.”

“It’s true!” Sunset argued, her voice cracking and making her sound like a filly throwing a tantrum. “C’mon, I’ll show you!”

Applejack groaned and lowered her head. “Fine, just don’t drag me by the hooves like the last crazy unicorn.”

The grimy air and castle’s disappearance made more sense. It wasn’t a prank, not in the ordinary sense, and not meant for Sunset. She hoped the cutie marks and tree upon the lit map would give some semblance or rationale to all the events. Unfortunately, the cutie marks and the strange white tree had disappeared. “It was here, I swear it!” Sunset tried to convince herself more than Applejack. “You were right there, and Twilight’s cutie mark was there!” She stretched her foreleg before planting both hooves on the table.

As soon as her hooves touched the crystal surface, lights formed and shined before displaying the six cutie marks and the white tree she described. “Well, I’ll be a dragon’s fairy godmother! You were tellin’ the truth, that is my mark. And that’s definitely the cutie mark your friend Twilight had, though how she got up north so fast is beyond me. She must be one powerful alicorn.”

“Twilight, my friend, she left through a portal. I saw her leave with my own two eyes! No, this must belong to this world’s Twilight.” She shook her head. “Another Twilight, just like the one from Crystal Prep,” she murmured before pointing to the south. “And what about this tree? It might be something!”

“I don’t really know what to tell you,” replied Applejack as she scratched a bit underneath her hairnet. “But whatever it means, I’m sure you’ll figure it out. I’ve gotta get back. Those carts won’t load themselves.”

“Wait!” Sunset moved in front of Applejack. “You’ve lived in these parts your whole life, right? You’ve surely been down into this forested area. Could you lead me to this tree? It’s been a long, long while since I lived in Equestria, and even longer since I visited anywhere south of Canterlot,” Sunset begged, almost groveling at Applejack’s hooves.

“You want me to guide you down into the Everfree Forest? If you hadn’t shown me my cutie mark, I’d be thinkin’ you’re a few eggs short of a full carton right about now. Even so, there ain’t no way you’re gettin’ me to go down there. That place is filled with some of Equestria’s worst creatures, even some of which would keep King Sombra himself up at night just thinkin’ about them.”

“Applejack, please. You’re part of this, I just know it. Maybe it has something to do with you being an Element of Harmony, maybe not, but we won’t know unless you take us there. It might be my only way home. Please.” If everything she’s said is true, I’ve got to figure out a way home. The tree has to be it, she assumed. I need you Applejack. Not just for your help, but because you’re a friend. Her eyes continued to beg the earth pony for help.

Applejack paused a few steps from the table and Sunset. She didn’t move or say anything for a good long bit. When she finally did, she asked, “Element of Harmony? What’s that?” That’s when Sunset saw it—the glimmer of curiosity within those big, green, apple-loving eyes.

“Twilight didn’t tell you while she was here? You, her, and four others are all Elements of Harmony—you’re the Element of Honesty. Nopony is more honest than you!” Sunset pushed, hoping to intrigue the earth pony just enough.

“Honesty?” repeated Applejack, “Honesty…” She looked to the ground, then the table, then back to Sunset. “That crazy alicorn—”

“—Twilight.”

“Yeah, Twilight. She said we defeated King Sombra in y’all’s timeline. Is that there part of them Element whatever?”

Sunset nodded. “If you can take me to that white tree then I believe I can prove you're the Element of Honesty. I just know it. Perhaps it might even reveal a few answers as to why I’m even here, or it could get me home.”

“Listen, I’ll help you find this here tree. But if nothin’ seems to come of it, can you promise to leave me alone afterward? The farm is hard enough to maintain without all these interruptions.”

“If this tree has nothing to do with you or me, I promise you’ll never have to speak to me again,” Sunset lied. Regardless if she didn’t talk to this Applejack again, she wouldn’t stop herself from talking to her own Applejack. “However, if I’m right, we might be able to save your world and get me home.” Especially get me home…

Applejack smiled for the first time since Sunset met her. “Smack two apple trees with one buck! I like the way you think—uh, Sunset, was it?”

“That’s right, Sunset Shimmer,” she replied, extending her hoof again. This time Applejack welcomed the friendly shake.

They didn’t stand around long before heading off to the Everfree Forest. Applejack recalled the area where the tree on the map sat. She detailed the Castle of the Two Sisters that sat relatively close. As they traveled to the edge of the forest and into the overgrown woods, Applejack told the story of how her sister, Apple Bloom, once traversed the treacherous landscape all the way to the old castle. “It was all because of a truth or dare game played by some of her school friends,” she explained. “They were lookin’ for some monster or somethin’. Instead, she found the castle. I found her snoozin’ on the old throne that sat there, covered in dust and spiders. I was so worried and exhausted. Wound up snoozin’ along with her.”

As Applejack retold her sister’s adventure, the story reminded Sunset of a similar event Twilight had described in the journal. She made a mental note to check it out once they found a moment to stop, then continued to listen as Applejack brought up other stories. “Whoa. I’m going to have to tell my Applejack these anecdotes once I get back to my own timeline,” Sunset remarked once Applejack concluded her tales. “She’ll get a kick out of it. Though I imagine I’ll have to explain a little bit more about the pony mannerisms first.”

“So, you don’t really live in this world in your own timeline? That’s why you introduced yourself thinking I was—well, actually, now I’m gettin’ confused again.”

Sunset giggled and nodded. “That’s right. I live in an alternate universe—a bipedal world—that can only be entered through a magical mirror. That means two Applejacks. Now, if I can figure out how I got here, there might be three. Just think of all the farm work you’d get done with three of you.”

“Honestly, if I hadn’t seen my cutie mark on the map, I’d have you run out of Ponyville for how crazy that sounds. I mean, could you imagine three of me? That’d be a stubborn bunch, I tell you what.”

Sunset gave another nod, and said, “What irks me is how it all changed. If my Twilight told you that another pony went into the past and changed something, shouldn’t I have been changed with it? How'd I get mixed up in something like this? I don’t even know how Twilight pulled a thing like this off. Though, it explains why she never answered the journal’s call.”

“Yeah, I’m not exactly keen on bein’ a science project for you,” Applejack hastened to say as she pushed a fern leaf out of the way. “So, if you could fix it and then not do it again, I would be mighty thankful.”

I’d hate to try and explain multiverse theory to her, Sunset mused. Applejack isn’t exactly in the honor roll at CHS. Lost in thought, a sudden pull of her tail slammed her to her rump. “Hey! Watch it!” she hollered, throwing a stink eye over her shoulder.

“I was watchin’. You weren’t,” Applejack attested and pointed in front of Sunset.

Sunset turned her head back around and then shifted her weight away from the terrifying drop into the empty ravine. “S-see? This is why I needed a guide,” she said as she clung to Applejack.

Quick to regain her composure, Sunset leaned over the edge of the ravine and peered down. A river long since empty, not even a liberal coating of mud remained for the divide. Overgrowth sprung up on both sides of the vacant river, and left little visibility for any pony traipsing through the lush jungle. Applejack pointed to the far side—the Castle of the Two Sisters was barely visible beneath the canopy of tree limbs and bulky vines. A bridge had once been used to traverse the olden river now hung flat against the sides of the gorge.

“I don’t see high nor low of some white tree, and I don’t think we’re crossing here,” Applejack commented as she peered down the empty crevice. “Might be a farce.”

Sunset ignored the earth pony as she caught glimpse of a faint glow near the wall with the bridge. The sight struck a chord within—her eyes wouldn’t drift from it. Her heart raced as she snapped off, trotting down the cliff side along a rickety, rocky path. Applejack followed hot on her tail and called her name every few seconds, but Sunset did not listen. Gravel brushed against her hooves as Sunset made her way across the bottom of the ravine toward the glow of the cave. The sight of strange lights turned Applejack silent. Sunset knew, however, what stood inside didn’t want to be seen by anypony but her and Applejack.

The Tree of Harmony glowed bright white within the cavern. The grey-blue crystals that made up the tree only seemed like reflections of shimmering pure white light. As Sunset stepped forward, Applejack at her side, the Tree of Harmony finished what appeared as a cry for help. The incandescent light faded and reduced to a small glow at five branches. Sunset had seen the design somewhere, she knew the white tree on the map looked oddly familiar.

She tossed her backpack to the ground and pulled it open before levitating out her journal. “You really weren’t lying,” Applejack murmured. Sunset looked up from the book for a moment, turning the pages at the same time. She didn’t answer Applejack—her own questions silenced her voice. While Sunset searched through the pages, eventually finding what she was looking for—a rather shoddy drawing done by Princess Twilight—Applejack moved forward toward the tree. “You weren’t lying. You were telling the truth,” Applejack repeated. After finding the image and the title of the tree, Sunset looked up with glee, but her mouth fell agape as Applejack drew close to the trunk. “The honest truth.”

The horribly bright light returned. Not from the tree, but from Applejack. Held by magic from the Elements of Harmony, Applejack levitated off the ground with white rays flowing from the sockets of her eyes. Wind flooded the cave, throwing the pages of Sunset’s journal and shaking the crystal branches. The white light suddenly twisted and formed around Applejack’s neck. Then it was gone. In its place, a gold-hemmed necklace with a brilliantly carved orange apple hung in the center. Applejack floated to the ground like a delicate feather as her hairnet fell from all the excitement. Her blonde mane brandished against the radiance of the golden necklace.

“Applejack!” Sunset rushed to the earth pony. “Are you okay? How’d you do that? What just happened!?”

Applejack wasn’t just looking vibrant, she sounded it too. “I-I’m not entirely sure. Once I realized you weren’t lyin’ about everythin’… it just sort of clicked.”

“Clicked?” repeated Sunset, perplexed. “What like… like a seatbelt?”

“A seat—what?”

Sunset tapped the amulet, and said, “Never mind that. I find it odd that the tree granted you this. It doesn’t look like the Elements are in this tree in the first place, though.” Her eyes glazed over as she studied all the branches of the great crystal tree. The shapes were there—but grey and disenchanted. It was as though they'd been used up, or gone into a magical coma. “Where did it get the Element in the first place?” she asked as she went back to the journal.

“I’m not rightly sure, but I think maybe the tree knew me. Could be because of some time travellin’ thingamabob caused by you and that Twilight Sparkle. Could’ve been because I touched the map that it recognized me.”

“I don’t think it’s any of those things,” Sunset replied. She then lifted the page that held the sloppy drawing of the tree into Applejack’s view. “This whole passage is of you—err, the other you—placing all six Elements of Harmony back into the tree. Not taking them. This tree,” she said, pointing up. “Those grey shapes. I can't tell if this Tree of Harmony has the Elements, but maybe just by having you stand in front of it signaled something. I'm unsure.”

“So, you think that because I stood in front of the tree, which may or may not have the Elements, it decided to give me my Element anyway?”

“Uh huh,” replied Sunset.

“And havin’ realized that you were tellin’ the truth a few seconds before gainin’ this fancy necklace, regardless of being in front of the Tree of Harmony, has nothing to do with it?”

Sunset attempted to grab for the collar of her shirt that wasn’t really there. “Well, when you put it like that, I suppose it might make more sense.” A single brow raised on Applejack’s face. “Okay, okay. You make a lot of sense. I suppose that means—” A hesitant pause came as a bit of movement caught her eye. At first, it looked like the darkness of the cave played tricks against the light, but it couldn’t be when it happened twice in a row.

The branches had moved.

Not some, not all, but just enough to spell the word ‘help’ and ‘time’.

“Y’know, I might be biased because it may or may not have given me a pretty neat necklace, but I think you should do what the magical tree says,” encouraged Applejack, who also noticed the words.

Sunset tried to scour the journal for anymore information. “The tree is connected to the map. That would explain why the map is still here.” She chewed on her bottom lip while trying to discern whatever the map could be telling her. “I suppose, if it meant returning the Elements to each of the six bearers, then that might be helping.” Her eyes met the earth pony’s. “And if your theory is correct, then just getting them to see their own Element might be the key to what we need to do to unlock their necklaces.”

“And then we could defeat King Sombra! Get you home too!” Applejack stomped her hooves like a giddy filly. “Who are these other Elements, anyway?” she asked.

“I’ll name them with their Element. Twilight Sparkle, of course, is the Element of Magic. Rainbow Dash is the Element of Loyalty, Rarity is the Element of Generosity, Fluttershy is the Element of Kindness, and finally, Pinkie Pie is the Element of Laughter. Huh. Wonder if that last one will give us any trouble?”

“And I, of course, am Honesty. But, what are you?”

“Me?” Sunset pointed to herself, unsure of the question. “I’m not an Element.”

“Oh.”

The accusing tone made Sunset wonder if Applejack believed she'd be a perfect seventh Element. And what it would be if she had been.

Once she placed the journal back in her bag, Sunset zipped it closed and hoisted it onto her back. “I guess this means we’ll be heading off to find the others. It may not be fair, but you are needed for this. I know that you had duties to fulfill and all, but—”

“Ah,” Applejack interrupted with a gentle voice and wave of her hoof. “You don’t need to convince me to help. A magical necklace is more than enough proof for my eyes. Even if this was all some elaborate prank, I don’t think anypony would be callous enough to waste their time, what with the war efforts goin’ on. And, well, it’s been a long time since somepony has told me I’m needed for something bigger than cannin’ apples.” She smiled with a certain wistfulness that Sunset noted and nodded.

Sunset could feel her chest swell with pride. An odd feeling since she was already friends with an Applejack, but this one was different. Applejack didn’t know her, she didn’t know the awful thing Sunset had done or of her redemption within Canterlot High School. It was a fresh start for her and this new pony. Would it be the same for the others? For Twilight? Perhaps, even her old teacher? Would that old teacher still know her?

The words ‘help’ and ‘time’ lingered in her thoughts as they traveled back up the cliff and through the forest. Twilight had told this Applejack of a pony who messed with time, and it made sense that the Tree of Harmony would want it corrected. She could help fix this timeline, but how would she get home? After Sombra was defeated? After the Elements of Harmony returned to the bearers? To the tree, maybe? The cloud of questions weighed her down, though she didn’t want Applejack to see her anxious fears.

“So, do you need to tell your family before we head off? I’ve got to consult the map and mark down where the others are at before we blindly tread into unknown waters,” Sunset explained.

“I suppose it would be the right thing to do,” Applejack answered as they reached the edge of the Everfree Forest. “It won’t take me long. Catch you at the map, friend?”

“Alright.” Sunset giggled. “I’ll see you in a bit.”

Hastily, Sunset jogged back to the map. She knew Applejack wouldn’t take long, and she needed more than just the locations of the other Elements. Upon reaching the map, she tossed her backpack to the ground and ruffled through the contents before yanking out a pen and paper with her magic. Her eyes darted between the table and the paper as she outlined Equestria. Every crystal column, city, and river between them and the Crystal Empire was copied. As she finished the rough sketch, Applejack called out to her. She didn’t look up from her drawing, a simple wave acknowledged the mare.

“That’s some talent you’ve got there,” Applejack feigned as she peered over Sunset’s shoulder.

“I used to make star maps when I was a filly. Later on, I did my own map of Canterlot. Some things you never forget how to do,” she replied as she scribbled down the point for each cutie mark. Though off compared to the map on the table, she could only do so much using an ink pen on school paper. It wasn’t meant to be highly detailed, Sunset knew. However, measuring Applejack's expression disheartened Sunset. It’s been a while since I’ve used magic to write or draw. I already miss my hands. What a disaster this has become—all for a replacement journal.

“I figure we could head for Manehattan first. I know Rarity, she used to live here in Ponyville. Grabbing her and—” Applejack pointed at the butterflies “—whoever this is—we can then take a boat up to here.” A small town sat to the east of some crystals but seemed to be a route to the Crystal Empire. “From that there trail, we could head for the other three.”

Sunset nodded. “Good plan. I don’t suppose we’d be lucky enough to have a train heading up that way, would we?” she asked, lifting her head from her map to look at the earth pony. She hadn’t noticed Applejack had removed her work clothes and let her hair flow around her bare shoulders. The blonde mane sat prettily against the gold necklace, and a brown knapsack hung from hip to hip.

“Already way ahead of you. Got us two tickets,” Applejack gloated, holding up the pair in glorious triumph.

Sunset folded the paper in half and then another half before shoving her skewed map into her backpack along with the pen. “Then we’re all set.”

It was only a half an hour wait at the Ponyville train station. Sunset calculated it was no worse than taking a bus on the interstate whenever Rarity dragged them to the mall. Of course, the crowded train cars were drastically opposite to the varying emptiness of the public bus. Ponies of all shapes, sizes, and ages filled each car, all headed somewhere, but most likely their reasoning was the same. To help with the war effort. The green cushions on top of the benches were more comfortable than a bus’s seats, however.

Seeing ponies again jarred Sunset as much as being in the altered timeline. Lockers, lunch, school reports, gym class. The mirror's world seemed so comforting compared to her time studying under Celestia. “Without Sombra, what became of the Crystal Empire in your timeline?” Applejack asked, snapping Sunset from her deep stupor.

“Oh, uh—well, it became an ordinary city. I couldn’t really tell you much of what happened after I left to live in the world beyond the mirror though,” Sunset answered to the best of her abilities.

“So, why’d you leave?”

Sunset took a deep breath, her eyes widened and then softened as she contemplated a way to shorten her story. “I used to be a student under Princess Celestia. I got mad over time, felt I wasn’t learning. Then, one day, I discovered something she kept hidden. A mirror to another world. I just started living there, I took control. I felt… powerful.” She looked around the train car—at each of the ponies who sat with their own worries and thoughts. “Things didn’t end on good terms with Princess Celestia. I’ve never gotten the chance to apologize to her for the way I acted.”

“Well, shoot. Celestia’s leadin’ the war effort. You’ve got time.” Applejack bumped her shoulder into Sunset’s and snorted a chuckle.

Sunset's brow pulled together at the very notion. “I hope we don’t run into her. I can’t imagine it as anything but an awkward reunion.” The image of Celestia flashed in her mind’s eye. Of course, she might not even know who I am if this timeline has changed so much, she alleged. It would be better that way.

Author's Note

Hey there reader,

This is just the first of many chapters to come for this story, and I just wanted to personally thank you for reading it! Whether you continue reading this or move on to something else, thank you for giving it a chance. It means a lot to me.
:twilightsmile:

World 2: Chapter 4

Creak creak creak. Stop. Creak creak creak. Another stop. That’s how it had been for the last few hours. Sunset’s legs cramped worse than her time in the cocoon. From behind the ragged multicolored curtain that covered Rarity’s cart, Sunset got to see more of Canterlot Castle. “I’ll let you out in my quarters,” Rarity had told her at the time, but it had been morning when they last spoke. Sunset had to remain as quiet as a mouse’s heart, never knowing where they were or when a changeling might be near. She would peek out from behind the curtain flaps every once in a while, the cloth was a dark purple, green, and blue, and only became slightly transparent against bright light. Thankfully, the changelings loved the dark, and the castle was kept pitch black at all hours of the day. The only light that ever shone was the sun flowing through the windows within the outer halls.

Very rarely Rarity would reach in for a cleaning tool and bump up against Sunset. After the third time, Sunset made sure to remain unstartled, having yelped the first two times. No one had been around to hear it, but Rarity batted her with a sponge regardless. There was nopony in the world who was taking more of a risk than Rarity—she had the most to lose. “Cleaning isn’t elaborately lavish, but it beats being in a pod,” she said once while making her rounds.

Still, Rarity’s job required her to clean the entirety of Canterlot Castle’s cocoons. There were more not within the castle, meant to feed the lower ranked changelings, but Rarity had said those weren’t her concern. At one point during her routine, Rarity took her cleaning cart outside along the veranda of the castle. With no changelings in view, Sunset took a moment to feast her eyes on the city of Canterlot, and wondered how much had changed.

The purple roofs now held a shade of black matching a changeling’s carapace. The cream gold of the walls were now a white so colorless they almost looked like pillars of chalk. This was the new hive—the new home to the changelings. Of course, the worst part was that some of the buildings had significant, green additions stuck onto their sides like some sort of wasp nest. The most prominent green cocoon-like structure was on the side of one of the towers of the castle, almost spanning the length and matching the width.

It made her remember one of the many times she visited the mirror Applejack’s farm. Out there, wasps weren’t as common, but that was because they had a different type of wasp called mud daubers. Though they didn’t sting people, Sunset found them far more terrifying than regular wasps, as they kept paralyzed spiders within their flute-like nests as food for their larvae. They’re just like the changelings, except here we ponies are the spiders, she deduced, and a chill ran down her spine.

Of course, mud daubers didn’t steal an entire city and hoist their flags upon the walls. Some flags were green with black stripes, and others were black with the image of blue bug-like eyes in the center. Sunset had seen a new banner as well, a white tapestry with a tilted black crown in the middle. She didn’t know what that meant, but there were so few of them that she didn’t give it a second thought.

When they crossed back into the interior of the castle, Rarity took them down a passage with rows of windows. Changelings were stationed all within the hall but ignored Rarity and her creaking, squeaking cart. Sometimes Sunset would hear them talk to one another, usually about feeding or sleeping. Once, she had listened to a changeling say “Settlers”, but she hadn’t heard the context. They eventually passed the open doors of the throne room, giving Sunset a quick peek. She could see two pods, though neither faced the door.

Queen Chrysalis was not in the throne room. It was not until they passed into a hallway adjacent to their own that she discovered the queen. Sunset peeked through the curtain's gap and could see a chain of ponies led beside Chrysalis. “It was good of you to lead us straight to them. With these last ponies in pods, our control of Equestria is complete,” Queen Chrysalis said to a changeling next to her. “Go down to the feeding hall and pick out a pod as a nice reward, we’ll have someone bring it to your quarters.” The changeling thanked his queen, and Sunset recognized the voice. “Oh—but don’t pick the one with red and yellow hair—she’s special.”

It was then Sunset saw her, and her gasp would have been audible had she not covered her mouth. Zecora! The zebra was a captive. Sunset then put two and two together upon realizing where she heard the changeling’s voice. The outpost. The gatekeeper! We locked them in cages and their own pods, but they weren’t knocked out. They heard me! They heard me tell everypony to head to the Castle of the Two Sisters. It’s all my fault!

“Not so high and mighty now, are you Zecora?” Queen Chrysalis pushed the zebra to her side, and bellowed a brutish laugh before turning away. Sunset wanted to tear out from the cart and throw Chrysalis in a pod just so she could see what it was like—and she almost did. Her anger pounded at her like a drum, aching to be set free. No. No! Calm. It was too soon to strike, Sunset knew, centering her thoughts. Her front hooves shook so much that she was forced to lay atop them.

And then the creaking stopped. Queen Chrysalis began walking down the hall toward Rarity, forcing the servile unicorn to stop, kneel, and wait. Queen Chrysalis didn’t even give Rarity a second look much less a first, she passed by with a haughty step and a bug-like skittering. The queen exited the castle, and vanished against the setting sun.

Rarity returned to her duties by entering another hall with another extraordinary amount of pods, just like the one Sunset escaped. Thankfully, it was the last hall for the day. As Rarity cleaned, Sunset sat and thought about the choices she had made and things she had said. With Zecora captured, there’s no safe haven outside. Is there anything else I’ve said aloud beside the other worlds, the Elements of Harmony, and Zecora? What else have I blabbed about? There’s got to be something I’m missing. She could feel something missing, she could feel it in her gut. Chrysalis has my backpack and my journal. She must know all the names of my friends, right?

“Psst,” Sunset beckoned Rarity when she could see no changeling around. The pods Rarity cleaned were silent or had nopony in them—making it an opportune time to speak. The white unicorn quickly scampered to the cart and leaned her head in.

“What is it?” whispered Rarity, her sweaty brow was glistening in the green light.

“Start calling yourself a different name. Whenever someone asks, someone you don’t know, tell them something else.”

“O-okay? Something else? I’ll try to remember that. Is there a reason for me to do so?”

Before Sunset could answer, the hallway suddenly erupted in a clatter of hooves. Rarity moseyed her cart to one side and returned to the washing of pods. A dozen changelings were examining each of the pods, carefully eyeing over each one. Queen Chrysalis was right behind them—growling and scowling at the same time. “Make sure they’re here,” Queen Chrysalis commanded with a shrillness in her voice that would make an Ursa Major cower. “I can’t believe you let those two escape.”

“I-I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!” a changeling replied as he followed behind the queen. It was the same changeling Sunset had locked in her pod after he released her. “She tricked me, I swear it!”

“And you didn’t stop to think that you should get help? To come get me!?” Queen Chrysalis snapped, saliva flying from her mouth.

“I-I did, but the other one—the blue one—she convinced me to try and keep her alive!”

The queen turned and stomped, which sent the changeling skittering. “Alive!? She’s worthless! We know who the six Element bearers are—we need them! YOU lost the blue one! I’ll have you working outpost duty north of the Crystal Empire for the next thirty years once we get it built!” Chrysalis then swung around and spotted Rarity who was bowing and waiting for them to pass. “You there, unicorn. What’s your name?”

Sunset almost chuckled. That’s some Pinkie level happenstance. Applejack would’ve blown her top.

“My name is—” Rarity hesitated as she lifted her gaze to look at the queen. “C-Charity. Charity Belle,” she answered skittishly.

Queen Chrysalis snarled and turned away, following after the group of changelings as they searched the hall. “Find her! Find them all!” she yelled. “I want guards posted on these three here. Night and day. No breaks between shifts! She’ll come for them, I guarantee it!” Her words echoed down the hall even as the changelings and their queen disappeared into the darkness.

And as if nothing even happened, Rarity returned to cleaning the faces of the pods. When she continued down the hall, they found the three friends Sunset had brought with her. Applejack and Fluttershy sat across from each other on the bottom row while Pinkie Pie sat one above and three to the left of Fluttershy. True to her word, Chrysalis had placed two guards to watch over the three Elements. When Rarity attempted to clean the pods, the changelings motioned her away, and she did as instructed.

It was another hour before Rarity finished. By then the sun set, and the lights of Canterlot were popping up with green and grey hues. The castle remained as dark as ever. Even the steps up the palace to the other floors remained barely lit, though it did not make things tougher for Rarity who knew the routine. The only struggle she came across was levitating the cleaning cart up the steps—something made more difficult by the weight of an extra pony. Luckily, the floor Rarity stayed on was meant for the servant ponies. Changelings avoided the floor like a plague—the workers were off limits as food.

There were several doors to several rooms along this corridor, but none of these were Rarity’s. The corridor eventually circled in on itself, along with an offshoot to another, smaller hallway. Sunset recognized some of the names on these doors within the small passage. Things like ‘Butler’s pantry’, ‘Equipment room’, and ‘Janitorial Closet’. Rarity stopped at the latter and reached down underneath the curtain of her cart, grabbing a key in one of the compartments. For a moment, Sunset saw the tan walls and burgundy rug of the hall, seemingly unchanged from what the original inhabitants had put forth. With a mechanical snap, Rarity opened the door and rolled in her cart before shutting the door behind her.

After lighting a few candles, Rarity said, “Okay, you can come out.”

The room was drab for a Rarity, regardless of the world. A petite oak bed with grey polyester sheets, a half-metal end table with a missing drawer, a bookcase with nothing on it other than candles and cleaning supplies, and a patched-up curtain covering a window. There were also hooks on the wall meant for cleaning supplies, but Sunset guessed that had to do more with the room’s original purpose. Rarity’s bookcase sat at the foot of the bed with the window next to it. This wasn’t a room meant for sleeping or living, but that’s what the changelings had made it into.

Rarity moved the cart to be beside the door, so it would be out of the way, though it still took up a large portion of the room. There was so little space that Sunset was forced to sit on the bed. When she got closer to the window, she noticed that it wasn’t actually meant to be a window. The wall had been carved into and then re-bricked. There was just a slight gap where moonlight could enter through. When Sunset peered through the hole, Rarity said, “They—they covered that with bricks after my first escape. I wasn’t really trying to escape—I just wanted to see the stars better. That’s when they started making me empty my pockets after breakfast.”

“Are you sure it’s alright for me to be here? Will the guards come looking in here?” Sunset asked after listening to Rarity’s rationalization.

“It should be alright—for now. Maybe just the night, though I’d imagine you’d want to do most of what you’re planning during the night. The Hive is less active during that time.”

Sunset raised a brow. “The Hive?”

“Oh!” Rarity covered her mouth and turned away embarrassed. “It-it’s been so long since I’ve talked to a pony. Canterlot. Canterlot is less active.”

“The Hive,” Sunset repeated. “There’s still so much I don’t know about this world. If you don’t mind, I’d like for you to tell me everything you know about Canterlot.” Sunset patted the bed, and Rarity sat down next to her. “But first, I’d like to thank you for helping me. I know you didn’t have to, but it was very generous.” She hoped her words would cause a spark, but nothing happened.

Rarity shied away from the compliment, her cheeks glowing red. She didn’t look much like the Rarity from the last world—her hair was long, just as long as Fluttershy’s, though Rarity’s was tied in a strict ponytail to keep her bangs from her eyes. She bore no makeup, though Sunset assumed that was because the changelings didn’t let her have any. Besides the blue jumpsuit, she wore bright yellow rubber gloves that now sat on her cart. The biggest change in looks were the bags beneath her sunken eyes, only making her face look smaller, more drawn together.

“I should also tell you everything about me,” Sunset stated. “I’m from another world, another Equestria, where you and five others bear the Elements of Harmony and use them to defeat your enemies. Enemies like Chrysalis. The blue pegasus that was across from me is one—and the three pods that they didn’t let you clean are the others,” she shortened the explanation the best she could. “There’s still one other that I have yet to see.”

“I’m willing to help if Queen Chrysalis gets tossed in the dungeons. But-but I don’t wish to bet on a losing side.” Rarity pushed a hoof to her bottom lip, pressing it down. “If you catch my meaning.” Her eyes shifted from the floor to Sunset and back again.

“Don’t worry, we won’t lose. You won’t have to do anything until we are ready to strike on Chrysalis. Rainbow Dash, that’s the blue pegasus, I’ve already instructed to hide until I call on her. You need to go about your duties until I can figure out how to draw out the Elements of Harmony,” Sunset replied, tapping her chin. “And I have to find this world’s Twilight Sparkle.”

“T-Twi-Twilight!? Twilight Sparkle?” Rarity pressed a hoof to her chest, her mouth fell open. “You can’t possibly hope to convince her!”

Sunset tilted her head. “You know Twilight? Is she here?”

Rarity wrapped her hooves around Sunset’s foreleg, and said, “She’s planning something. I’ve talked to her a few times—well, mostly just listened. She’s smart, clever, and she’s going to do something to break Queen Chrysalis. I’m not sure how, but I feel it whenever I see her. If she’s the sixth Element, then you need to go and stop her, because what she’s doing will break any plans you come up with.” Rarity squirmed. “Twilight Sparkle is the head of egg management for the changelings.”

A weight was on Sunset’s chest, leaving her breathless and flush. She shook her head. “S-sorry, I must have misunderstood. You said she’s the head of egg management? As in a nursery worker? For the changelings?” Why would Twilight help make more changelings?

“The big tower that’s part of the castle—the one with the largest of the cocoons—that’s the Hatchery. They’ve slowly ceased the need to create more changelings, and now that the war is over and they’ve won, they won’t need to make more. They won’t need Twilight Sparkle. And she knows that. I can see it in her eyes every morning when we break our fast.”

The idea of hatching more changelings left a bad taste in Sunset’s mouth, or perhaps some gel still lingered on her gums. Regardless, Sunset knew where she needed to go. If Twilight was genuinely hatching another plan to defeat the changelings, Sunset wanted in on it. “Is there a way I can meet with her alone? Where’s her room?”

Rarity thought about it for a moment. “In the morning I have to go down and join the other workers. We break our fast in silence, but Twilight is there, and she always leaves first. We eat in the old barracks. The cleaning crew is allowed to wander the castle unguarded, and I think Twilight is too, but the barracks remain guarded, and there will be patrols now that you’ve escaped,” Rarity explained.

“Okay. In the morning, I’ll follow discreetly behind you. I should be able to sneak around and wait to follow Twilight to the Hatchery.” Sunset wrapped a foreleg around one of Rarity’s. “I promise you, if things go south they’ll never know you helped me. Just keep to yourself and don’t try anything, alright?” This made the second pony she told she didn’t want help from, and she meant it just as much as the first. In the back of her mind, she knew they would help her. She wanted their help, to journey beside them just like they had done in the blizzardy north. Digging through snow and passing through alleyways. But this world was vastly different, and it called for different tactics.

“I appreciate it,” Rarity replied, her lips trembled around the words. “We should get some rest, dawn is fast approaching.” She crawled up to the headboard and pushed down the top layer of sheets. Sunset did the same, and took the spot closer to the window. When they both were snug beneath the covers, Rarity leaned to her end table and blew out the candle. Darkness didn't completely coat them. A small amount of moonlight peered through the hole in the wall, past the gap in the curtains. It was a full moon, magnificent in its nightly glow.

Sunset stared at it for a while, unable to sleep. She had been sleeping for too long in the cocoon, and now she ached to stretch and move. The bed reminded her of the pod, it was small and cramped for one pony, let alone two. “If you don’t mind me asking,” Sunset whispered, “How’d you get a job as the changeling’s cleaning crew?”

The sheets pushed for a moment as Rarity rolled to face Sunset, her blue eyes barely visible in the darkness. “Well,” she said, breathing heavily on Sunset. She smelled of sweat and olives, and she was warm to the touch. “I was in Canterlot on a business trip, trying to make a name for myself. When the changelings took over, they captured me and started segregating us ponies by our races. The unicorns got offered special tasks. Cleaning, cooking, interpreting, and of course Twilight’s job. The earth ponies got the worst tasks—managing food for all the other ponies to eat, along with carpentry and whatnot. I’m not sure what the pegasi were for, there weren’t many here in Canterlot at the time of the wedding.”

“So you were just picked at random?”

“I volunteered as soon as I saw the cocoons. To be honest, I had never heard of changelings before that day. Their fangs and eyes scared me deeply, and I knew I didn’t want to be food. I hope you don’t think of me as a coward.”

Sunset neighed. “I don’t. To be honest, I might have done the same thing had I been in your position. They’re pretty terrifying.” More terrifying than being brainwashed. “Do you know why Twilight was picked for her role?”

“I’d imagine it was because she’s Princess Celestia’s pupil, or was before the changelings came.” Rarity shifted under the cover, rolling back the other way. “You’ll have to ask her tomorrow if you get the chance.”

The Element of Magic was Princess Celestia’s student in this timeline, just like in my own, making this world closer to the original than the last. Yet still, Sunset could not piece together what had been the cause of so much change. Starlight Glimmer. Who are you and what have you done? She did not know the name, and that worried her more than if she had. Maybe she’s a student of Twilight’s who found a powerful spell? I can’t be the only person she advises on friendship, after all.

She stared at the ceiling for hours, wondering and attempting to process everything that had happened. She did not feel tired or sore anymore, nor did she feel anxious. The slumbering white unicorn next to her forced Sunset to remain quiet, even though she desperately wanted to voice her thoughts to somepony. I need my backpack back. I’ve got to start writing this stuff down. There was so much to remember, so much she knew she had already forgotten. The ponies she met were the only things she would not forget, not be able to forget. Zecora, I’m so sorry. Before long, the darkness shifted and blurred as tears soaked her cheeks.

After she rolled her head against the pillow, drying her stained fur, she attempted to close her eyes to sleep. The sun came rolling into the sky not long after, and cut through the broken gap and patchwork curtain, preventing her from reaching dreamland. Sunset didn’t mind, though. She was glad to see the natural light. The slumbering white unicorn eventually stirred awake. When she saw Sunset, her eyes bulged, but then she must've remembered the night before. “G-good morning,” Rarity greeted. Nothing was truly good in this world, but Sunset found pleasure in the words.

Sunset watched as Rarity prepared for the day. The blue jumpsuit wasn't clean, but Rarity put it on regardless. That led to a disgusting thought. If she doesn’t wash her clothes, then— Sunset was quick to vacate the bed after that. “I’ll be back for my cart as soon as breakfast is over. You won’t be here, will you?” Rarity asked once she was finished, which Sunset shook her head in response. “Alright then. Be sure to let me know when you have your Elements of Harmony, I would enjoy watching as you take down Queen Chrysalis.”

“We will be taking down Chrysalis,” Sunset corrected. “If I need your help again, can I count on you?”

“I-I’m not so—” Rarity paused, her chin trembled beneath the frown of her lips. The light of the sun shadowed her eyes, but the frown faltered, and suddenly she was smiling. “Yes,” she said, breathing deep through her nose. “Yes, you can.”

Sunset knew she could, but it was nice to hear the words said aloud. Rarity left shortly after, leaving Sunset alone in the cramped room. She didn’t stay long. No sounds were echoing in the hallway outside, giving her the courage to leave. She went down the way they had come, and peered around every corner before checking her flank every few seconds. The castle’s passages were long and tedious to traverse, and the darkness left her struggling to remember where she had already gone. When she heard the sounds of metal on metal ringing from beyond a guarded doorway, she knew she found the barracks. Sconces were lit within the room, though Sunset dared not get close enough to peer inside, choosing to hide and wait.

From within the shadows, she studied the scowling changeling guards in their darkened green armor. Their eyes were bright regardless of where the light was coming from, a myriad of deep blue, much like any other changeling. Just as Rarity had said, the first pony who finished was a unicorn with purple fur. The changelings ignored the mare as she exited the barracks, and for a second Sunset saw the lavender star on the unicorn’s flank. That’s her, she recognized, though from the front the unicorn was unrecognizable to Sunset.

The purple unicorn turned and went down the hallway opposite from Sunset. She trotted to the other end and up a flight of stairs. Sunset teleported to the other side while also keeping her horn’s light hidden as best she could. She traipsed up the stony, grey steps, chasing after the shadow of the unicorn, always following a silent step behind. They walked and walked, all the way to the top. In her mind, Sunset was losing the layout of the castle. If I go back to that hall, I should be able to get to Rarity’s room, she figured, and hoped it to be true.

When she reached the final flight of stairs, she stepped up to a large doorway where she found it was unguarded. Beyond the door, the purple unicorn was already halfway down the enormous hall. Stained glass flooded the hall with a host of vibrant colors, though most of it was green, black, and white. When the purple unicorn reached the end of the hall and entered through a set of royal purple doors, Sunset knew it was safe to walk the stretch.

She took her time studying the glasswork as she passed. She knew exactly where this was. I’ve been here countless times. Greeting Princess Celestia, talking with her, studying magic with her. None of these windows show any of what I remember. One looked like the day of the wedding between Princess Cadance and Shining Armor, though it only had the two ponies as small figures, and they cried in the corner. The defeat of Princess Celestia was next, Queen Chrysalis standing over the white alicorn. Sunset crossed over many more, each detailing the war being had, until she came to the final one. There were still many other windows in front of her, but they remained blank, meant to canvas the coming victories for the changelings.

The one she stopped at was still in the works. It held the changeling queen in all her might, a black crown much like the gold one Celestia wore sat atop her green, seaweed-like hair. Four places were depicted around her. Cloudsdale, Ponyville, the Crystal Empire, and a place Sunset did not recognize. Each had changelings working. Some tilling land, some building furniture, and some just smiling. “Why would Chrysalis need to fill Equestria with changelings when she has all the ponies here in Canterlot? Does she plan to act as though the changelings were the original inhabitants?” she whispered her thoughts, hoping that saying it aloud would give weight to the reason. It didn’t make sense to her, but nothing in this world made sense.

When she came to the purple door, Sunset was cautious to open it. Inside, all she saw was green. Green everything. The floor, the walls, everything except for the dark grey metal stairs leading up to other levels of the Hatchery. The cocoon looked massive on the outside and was even larger up close. There were no guards on the main floor or up on the catwalks, and so Sunset let herself in, closing the doors as quietly as she could behind her.

The Hatchery was magnificent, she’d give the changelings that. Three levels with catwalks leading between them. The walls that weren’t directly attached to the stone of the castle were instead green hexagons that looked like honeycombs. Some of these honeycombs held white light while others were dark and empty. When Sunset came closer, she realized that the ones with light held tiny white ball-shaped webbing, and she remembered why this place was named the Hatchery. The hexagons that held light were few and far between, but the cocoon was massive enough to hold a thousand or two if need be. I guess if Chrysalis started losing her war she could have quickly brought up new reinforcements, Sunset assumed, letting out a groan of disgust.

“Who goes there?” a voice echoed down at Sunset with a vitriol that rivaled Chrysalis’s. Before Sunset could answer or even draw her eyes to the voice, a pony appeared before her in a magical burst. “You should not be here,” the pony claimed, slamming their hooves on Sunset’s shoulders like a battering ram.

“T-Twilight?” Sunset squinted at the mare that stood in front of her. It was hard to believe it truly was Twilight. Her mane was gone—shaved to the roots of her skull. A few magenta streaks between the darkened purple scalp were all that remained. She wore a brown vest that looked to have a million different pockets, and dark green shoes pressed against her hooves so hard that her skin and fur rolled over the sides. Her tail wasn’t long, but compared to her head, it wasn’t short either. One of her front teeth looked chipped, and her eyes were as sunken in as craters on the moon. By comparison, Twilight looked the worst of any pony Sunset had seen within this world.

“How do you know my name?” Twilight scowled. “Are you a changeling?” She didn’t give Sunset a chance to answer. A spell emitted from her horn, trapping Sunset in a bubble.

Sunset felt strangled for a moment as she gasped for air. “S-stop!” she yelled, but then she lit up like a full moon. The bubble popped, and Sunset fell to the ground gasping for air. “Wh—” she coughed and wheezed, trying to speak. “Wh-what was that for?” she spat her angry question.

“I had to make sure you weren’t a changeling in disguise. They try to trick me, to trick all of us.” Twilight’s jaw clenched as she looked around the room. “What are you doing here?” she asked, turning back to Sunset. “Are you here to cause mischief? I can’t let you. Not now. I’m close, so close. I need everything calm. They can’t look in here.”

“No, no.” Sunset pushed herself from the floor. “I was looking for you.” She glanced Twilight over once more, the unicorn fiddled with her clothing and scratched at her forelegs. She’s unstable, Sunset concluded. I should pick my words carefully as not to alarm her. “I’m from another world,” she started to say, realizing immediately those were not the right words. Twilight gave a strange look but didn’t speak or mock her, so Sunset continued. “My world was altered by a pony going into the past. She changed it, and spawned completely different worlds. This is one of those alternate universes.”

“Multiverse theory,” Twilight replied, a slight twitch in her eye as she spoke.

“Right.” Sunset had almost forgotten how smart Twilight was—regardless of the world. Twilight from Crystal Prep beat me during the Friendship Games, she remembered. At least I was right, having two Twilight’s would make homework a breeze. She shook her head and continued. “The world I come from is not at war with Chrysalis or her changelings. You and five others defeated her and other villains with the Elements of Harmony.” It was easier to claim the bearers had defeated Chrysalis, the semantics were only slowing her down.

Twilight backed away slowly, still staring with her sunken eyes. “The Elements of Harmony?” She tilted her head back and forth for a moment, as though contemplating something and muttering to herself. “That could work,” she mumbled. “Come. Come now.” She teleported up to the catwalk on the third level, and Sunset quickly followed. Twilight led Sunset along the outer platform, examining the hexagons along the wall. She eventually stopped and turned to Sunset. “I’ll show you something, but you can never speak of it even if you’re caught. Do you understand?”

Sunset meekly nodded.

“I’m only showing you this because you sound crazy,” Twilight said. “Nopony believes a crazy pony,” she mumbled to herself with a scowl. Her horn lit up with magic, and a hexagon opened. Sunset expected a baby changeling to be inside with soft, white webbing and big blue eyes. She had been half right. Inside was a white sticky ball like the other hexagons, except Twilight opened this one.

A device the size of Twilight’s eye sat inside, silver and slender. It was the shape of a cube with holes on every side. Wires protruded from the top, and inside were even more wires and circuits. “I stripped copper from their weapons and armor, took rubber from my own shoes,” Twilight said as she opened one of her vest’s pockets, pulling out tweezers. She pulled back the latch at the top of the cube to get a better view of the inside. “It’s missing a power source. It runs on magic, but my magic isn’t strong enough. Alicorn magic would be more than sufficient—but that option is improbable.”

Is this what Rarity felt? “What’s it do?” Sunset inquired.

A giddy, menacing giggle leapt from Twilight. “It does what they’ve been doing to us for years. It drains their love,” replied Twilight, spittle flying as she spoke. “It takes it all, draining and leaving their bodies as magic-less husks. They’ll be powerless. It’ll hit all of the Hive, and when it does, we’ll stomp on them like the bugs they are.” A clenched jaw formed the scariest smirk Sunset had ever seen.

Sunset pulled her head back as she grimaced internally. Either they’ve given up, or they’ve got a desire to destroy. Fight or flight. The way Twilight acted was as disgusting as her plan, but Sunset couldn’t bring herself to speak her mind. Instead, she told Twilight of the ability to expel the changelings from Canterlot with the Elements of Harmony. That or turn them to stone. Even that’s better than making them turn into weak husks.

“The Elements of Harmony—yes. Yes! I can use that as a power source.” Twilight ignored Sunset’s idea, focusing on her own instead. “Do you know where I can find them? Tell me!” she demanded.

A weak sound left Sunset’s throat as she tried to stall for an answer, but she didn’t have to. The doors of the Hatchery suddenly burst open, the clattering of hooves and flapping wings spilled into the nursery. “Twilight! Twilight Sparkle!” the queen yelled, calling the purple unicorn’s name with a guttural growl.

Twilight turned as white as Celestia. “They can’t see you!” was all she said, and then Sunset found herself standing in a dark room.

It was a few inches larger than Rarity’s had been, with all the same commodities. There was no window in this room, however, and the bookcase was in pieces. Of course, the most curious part was not the decorations or furniture, but the small cube that came along with her. She dared not light her horn to look at it for fear that the light would pierce the cracks of the door. Instead, she cautiously peeked underneath the door frame, her face to the floor as she attempted to see the unseen.

The outside was shrouded in the same darkness that coated the rest of the castle, which gave little help in determining where she was. This must be Twilight’s room, she assumed. Or somewhere Twilight will come to find me. I’ll just have to stay put to find out. If worse comes to worse, I can teleport myself back to Rarity’s room, or perhaps the Hatchery now that I’ve seen what it looks like. Her eyes then turned back to the slender cube of silver, wondering what to do with it. I cannot let her use this. I wouldn’t wish that fate on anypony, not even the changelings. Not to mention it might work on more than just the changelings. Sunset had no desire to have her magic completely drained.

She took the cube and tied a knot of hair around the inner wires, which kept it safely hidden in her mane. “At least Twilight will have to save me if she wants her gadget back,” she assumed as she crawled onto the bed. It was plush and comfy. She curled up into a ball, much like a dog, keeping her forelegs tucked beneath her chest. She hadn’t felt tired the night before, but the running, stalking, and plotting started to take its toll. Her eyes felt heavy, but even after she closed them, she did not sleep. She would not let herself rest. With an ear open, she waited, and hoped to be found by a mane-less purple unicorn in a brown vest.

Her assumption proved true. The hours that passed made her anxious, but hope kept her going. With a loud clunk, the lock turned and the knob wobbled. Sunset did not attempt to hide or feign away, knowing her fate would be sealed if it wasn’t Twilight on the other side.

At first, Sunset was relieved to see the purple unicorn, but she was less so. Twilight slammed her hooves into Sunset’s chest, and pushed her against the edge of the bed. Sparks of energy turned Sunset into a glowing cascade of light, the room turned white. “So you are still you. Good, good.” Twilight released her grip and the light faded. “Always be suspicious. Even of me. Especially of me. Never know when they’ll send someone to trick you, or me, whichever.”

Sunset rubbed her chest, still aching from the pod’s cramped enclosure. “R-right,” she coughed. “What happened with Chrysalis? Why are you free?” That’s when Sunset noticed the bag atop Twilight’s back. “Hey!” she said, swiping at the vinyl. “That’s mine!”

Twilight recoiled from the swipe. “So you’re the escapee.” She shrugged her shoulder, freeing the strap of the backpack. “The queen requested I look over some of your belongings, though it’s mostly just scraps of paper and writing tools. I’m not sure what she expects me to find—or why she asked me to do it.”

“She might be hoping that you can figure out the Elements of Harmony,” replied Sunset. “Your name is written all over my journal to Princess Twilight, after all” She unzipped the backpack and poured the contents onto the floor. Her eyes quickly darted over the three books. One was a worn notebook with a bent binding, another was an extra unused notebook, and the third was a mathematics book she meant to study the night she ended up in these terrible worlds. Unfortunately, none of these three were the journal she meant to replace. “Where is it!?” She examined each of the literary objects twice, then thrice.

Twilight levitated all the objects into the air, including the pens and pencils that dribbled out as well. “The queen still has it. She said I might look it over soon. At first, I thought she meant to scold me or throw me in a pod, somehow having sensed your presence there. She knows that the Hatchery will soon go empty, and my work will be complete. Perhaps she plans to make me her pupil, just like how I had been to Princess Celestia all those years ago.” She shrugged.

“Well, she knows about the other worlds. Perhaps that’s true—perhaps she will use you to open the portal. She overheard a conversation of mine where I spoke of the world I came from and how you six can help me return to it,” answered Sunset. “She wants to harvest other worlds—and meet herself.” The thought was chilling. Two Chrysalis’s.

Twilight tossed the backpack onto her bed, her dull eyes examining the room. “Where is it?” she asked, prodding the bed. “Where’s my bomb?”

The word was as terrifying as it was serious. “I’ve got it,” Sunset answered, “but I can’t let you use it.”

Twilight’s lips curled, her eyes sharpened. “There’s no other option.” Her voice was stern but calm.

“Yes, there is.” Sunset stood firmly in front of Twilight, almost face to face and chest to chest due to their packed surroundings. “You want to use the Elements of Harmony as a source of energy but they can be used for so much more, and in a kinder, gentler way. But turning them into vegetables for you to crush—that’s not right.”

“Kinder? Gentler? Not right!?” Twilight snapped, spit slapping Sunset’s muzzle. “You haven’t witnessed the horrors I have! The monsters that rule our sacred land left it scarred and wrought with destruction. They don’t deserve mercy. They deserve to be torn from this world in the same way they tore us from ours!”

“The horrors you’ve seen?” repeated Sunset, her thoughts of the last world and the brainwashing helmets. “This world is awful, the changelings are awful, but it could be so much worse. An existence where you’re still you is better than losing yourself. You exist, Twilight.” She took Twilight by the shoulder. “You matter. What happens here matters. To you, to the others, and to me. You can’t fight fire with fire because you’ll be burning the whole world down in the process.”

Twilight slapped away Sunset’s hoof. “Don’t lecture me. I’ll have all the changelings be turned to stone before I let them escape punishment.”

There had been another that turned to stone, then to crystal. Sunset had rejoiced on that day along with her friends. She was glad to see the king punished, but that had been one evil stallion among hundreds of mind-controlled ponies. Turning the changelings to stone would be dooming the entire race. Could she live with that, regardless of how awful the changelings were? I was given a second chance after my power was taken away, she recalled. Her face saddened when she realized she was comparing herself to the changelings, again.

“I’m sorry, but I’ve got to try and find another way.”

Twilight scowled. She did that a lot in the short amount of time Sunset had known her. “I don’t care what world you come from or what you think you know,” Twilight replied, stepping in front of the door. “There is no better way. There’s only one way this can end, and that’s with the changelings’ defeat.”

What do I think I know? Sunset perplexed. What if this is the right way, the only way? “In my world, there was a better way. Your brother and Princess Cadance defeated the changelings with love, banishing the changelings from Equestria. They never returned. We can do the same thing with the Elements of Harmony!”

A sarcastic chuckle came from Twilight as if she found something amusing in Sunset’s words. “I was there, you know. I was at the wedding. My brother was tired and drained, but I believed Cadance’s words. I believed Queen Chrysalis truly was my foalsitter, not finding anything wrong with the way she acted. She was the perfect Cadance, every lie she told making me believe more and more that she truly was her. It wasn’t until retrospection that I saw the mistakes, the differences in attitude, the falsities, having ignored them all. My brother was happy, and that’s all that mattered to me.”

“In the last world I visited, Prin—ahem, a stallion named Sunburst saw through Chrysalis’s disguise and helped defeat the changelings.”

“Who?” Twilight’s eyebrow raised, and then her eyes widened. “Wait, last world?” she repeated, glancing over Sunset with disbelief written all over her face. “How many other worlds have you visited?”

“Well,” Sunset said ambiguously, “Quite a few, technically.” She paused for a moment to witness Twilight’s wide-mouthed expression. “This world and the last world aren’t supposed to exist, but they do thanks to a pony named Starlight Glimmer. Then there’s my world, where Equestria is fine. And then the world beyond the mirror, where I actually live.”

Twilight fidgeted with one of her many pockets, eventually taking out a notepad and pencil. “I-I see. So multiverse theory isn’t just a theory anymore. You’re living proof.”

The idea of millions or billions of other universes scared Sunset more than she was willing to admit, especially since she had already been to the two worst worlds possible. “I suppose I am. Though CHS's world isn’t a tear from some point in the past, it’s a completely different reality.” She scratched her cheek.

“I don’t know what this CHS is that you speak of, but it sounds angsty.” Twilight shook her head. “My point still stands. If you’re here, then you can take us to a different world. Instead of fighting the changelings, we could just leave.”

Fight or flight. “The portal I came through doesn’t affect anyone but me. I clung to Princess Twilight’s table while those around it didn’t even feel a hint of wind.”

“P-Princess Twilight?” repeated Twilight. “You’ve said that before. I-is that—who I think it is?”

It was becoming easier to tell her friends apart, but the names were still the same. This Twilight looked vastly different, she could have been called Twilight Snorkel and Sunset wouldn’t have batted an eye. But to this Twilight, she was still the only Twilight Sparkle. “That’s right. Princess Twilight Sparkle, with wings and everything. I’d bow to you, but I don’t bow to anyone in a vest that ugly.”

Twilight looked hurt for a moment. “What’s wrong with my vest?” she said defensively, but the sneer on Sunset’s face made her do a double take. “W-well, I suppose for a princess—”

“You’ve spoken to Rarity, right? I’m surprised she let you dress like that. The changelings will pay for having worn down this world’s best fashionista.”

“So that’s how you knew where to find me.”

“That’s right,” replied Sunset. “And now I need to know where to find the Elements of Harmony. I was trying to find out from Celestia before—well, I don’t think I’m going to get a second chance.”

“Princess Celestia? You saw her? Spoke to her? How is she?” Twilight squealed her questions, almost sounding like a child asking about a celebrity.

The green pod that Celestia sat in was similar to the one Sunset escaped from, and the aching pains that came with it could only be worse for the large alicorn. “She needs our help, but the only way to help her is to defeat Chrysalis. In my world, Celestia had left the Elements in the Castle of the Two Sisters. In the last world, she used them to defeat Nightmare Moon and then returned them to the Tree of Harmony.”

“And in this world she kept them, didn’t she? She told me of her battle with Discord, I kept a record of almost everything she told me.”

“That’s right.”

Twilight rubbed her mane-less head, brushing against the magenta streak that remained. “Hmm. If I had to make a guess, then they’d be in her room. Kept in a box somewhere. But—” There was more that Twilight was going to say, but she hesitated, and Sunset noticed.

“Please, you’ve got to tell me everything. We need the Elements of Harmony.”

Twilight backed away. “I’ll help you as long as you give me back my changeling bomb. I won’t use it, but if things go south for this plan of yours, I need to know there’s a backup.”

That seemed like a fair trade to Sunset. The tiny silver cube slipped from the entanglement of Sunset’s mane as she unwrapped the knot that tied around it. “In the mane? Clever idea,” Twilight noted, brushing over the coolness of her scalp once more.

“It’s just something I picked up from a friend.” Sunset tried to picture the Pinkie Pie of this world, covered in green paint, but all she could envision was the Pinkie at CHS. Her bright smile, the little curl of her bangs, and her enthusiastic attitude. She wondered what her friends were doing. Had they gone looking for her? Stumbled into the mirror and found their pony counterparts? Were they on their own world-saving adventure?

Sunset handed over the cube, and with a quick throttle of magic, the cube collapsed to become flat. Twilight then shoved the remains inside one of her many pockets. “Alright. As I said, the Elements of Harmony are most likely in Princess Celestia’s room. Except it’s not her room anymore,” Twilight said, “It’s Chrysalis’s.”

World 5: Chapter 1

Using a rubber chicken, Sunset patted her cheeks dry. She sat there long enough, wallowing in self-pity. There was nothing she could do now for the world that felt too much like home. They’ll stop him, she thought passively. She did not hate Sombra for what he did, though she had every right to. She was definitely miserable though, the sorriest sad sack in—whatever world this happened to be. As she tried to rise to find out just what this world held for her, the platform that seated the pile of rubber chickens began to move. She fell backward into the pile, red and yellow blinding her vision.

Lower and lower, sinking deep into the pile, she found it hard to breathe. She pushed as hard as she could until it started to feel like swimming. Gasping for air, she reached the surface, only to fall out of the pile and slam face first into the ground. As she pulled her face from the dirt—which was actually dark chocolate—she looked back up to see the platform was upside-down. The rubber chickens did not fall like she did, however, and her mind tried to rationalize the reasoning. Did Sombra mess up? This definitely isn’t my world, but whose is it? She scoured the area, noting the upside-down buildings, the trees of cotton candy, and the lakes of purple soda.

Pushing herself to her hooves, Sunset trotted over to the closest lake. She stared at her reflection, her dull, colorless pupils staring back at her. A few drops of tears rippled the lake, to which she immediately rubbed away. When she looked back at the lake, she saw that another pony stared at her. It startled her so much that she fell on her back, crunching her backpack beneath her weight. She rolled to one side, the effects of the magic forcefully drained from her unsuspecting body were still taking their toll. Trotting away from the lake turned into jogging then galloping. The rubber chickens lined her path, falling from the platform, and revealing the crystal table underneath. Unfortunately, the platform was floating away at a rapid pace.

Sunset wouldn’t be able to catch it. Not because she wasn’t fast enough, no, but because the floor had turned into melted marshmallows. Gross, she intelligently described. Shaking her front hooves, Sunset rose to stand bipedal.

Waddling much like she did beyond the mirror, Sunset walked across the sticky ground. In the distance, she could see the road, a regular, ordinary looking road. One back hoof in front of the other, she marched through the marshmallow swamp, passing cattails that were literally cat tails, and lily pads that were square and blue. Stepping onto the road, she found that it was not a normal road after all. What a wonderful surprise! her sarcasm dripped.

The road was crushed up saltine crackers. She did not stick her front hooves down into the mess, though the stickiness of her back hooves made it incredibly difficult to walk. She followed the path, each step harder than the last, until she came to a hill. Struggling up the upward slope was like attempting to get dogs to meow. Though, in this world, that was certainly a possibility.

When she reached the top and glanced at the distance, she saw two clown mares being chased by a creature on a unicycle. It was such an odd sight that Sunset had no comment; she was completely speechless. “Whoa. I’m speechless,” she said, speechlessly.

Carefully making her way to the spectacle, she realized that the two mares were Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. A big red clown nose sat at the end of both their muzzles. Honking his horn as he chased after them, the magnificent creature bellowed with laughter. Sunset did not recognize the amazing figure that cycled in front of her, nor did she know why the two princesses partook in such a confusing display. The road shifted into a more malleable walkway, allowing Sunset to fall to all four legs—it would be pretty difficult to unicycle on crushed up saltine crackers, after all. The cycler didn’t notice Sunset’s approach, but Celestia and Luna did. They both stopped, causing the cyclist to tumble forward, slamming his butt to the ground in front of them.

“Oof,” he groaned. “Now you two have really done it. I will make you eat pea porridge for weeks as punishment! Then I will let you suffer it out in the Not-So-Bad-Badlands.” He stood, pushing his crown from his eyes, and then glanced at the mare with no magic. “What? You two stopped for her?” He turned and looked at them. “You knew the rules. No stopping until I said so!”

Celestia didn’t seem to acknowledge the creature’s command. “Sunset,” she mouthed silently.

“Oh, so you do know her?” Turning to face Sunset, he casually walked toward her, his eyes so focused. “A student of yours? Pah! That was so long ago. You do not have any students any more. Forget this one.” He waved his hands at the unicorn, shooing her. “Go on. Get out of here. No audiences without a VIP pass. Well, except for her.” He thumbed to a pony standing upside-down on a platform, her swirly eyes and magenta coat were not something Sunset recognized.

“What?” Sunset replied. “Who are you? What is this place?”

The creature looked on confused. “Well, how incredibly rude!” he shouted, crossing his arms. “It is impolite to ask who someone is before introducing yourself!”

“I’m, uh, Sunset Shimmer,” she replied.

“Uh Sunset Shimmer?” he mocked.

“Sunset,” she replied, more firmly.

“Sunset.” He smiled. “Perhaps we have not met. I am Discord.” He lowered his hand for her to shake and she did so without fail. Of course, that ended with the oldest trick in the book, a zapper in the palm of his claw. The creature named Discord let out the loudest of guffaws, his head falling backward from laughter.

Her hair frazzled, but other than the immediate shock, Sunset was fine. She shook her head and stepped back, glancing over the creature named Discord. “You’re Discord?” she repeated. The creature wore a crown and a cape but she could see all of him. One green scaly leg, one cloven hoof leg. One lion paw, one eagle claw. One batwing, one pegasus wing. One deer antler, one goat horn. And one, the only one Sunset could see, horse head. “Yeah, you’re definitely Discord. Not sure what I expected from all the stories Twilight told me. I’m guessing this is your world, which means Sombra was not nice enough to send me home.” She sighed, the sting of the last timeline still stuck to her like a bramble.

“So you have heard of me.” He glanced her over, which is when he noticed something odd. Of course, there were many things odd in his world, but this one even shocked him. “You are magic-less!” He coiled down to become eye level, staring deep into her grey eyes. “I certainly did not do that. I have done a lot of things but I would never be so rude.” Leaning from side to side, the scepter he held was whacking against his outer thigh. “We certainly cannot have that, can we? You are special. A very special gal. This is chaotic. Pure chaos. An undefined, unknown, anomaly! Ohhh, it has got me so giddy!”

“Actually, I’m just from another world. I’ve been traveling through so many worlds now, it’s getting hard to tell what’s different.” She glanced around at the upside-down buildings and floating platforms. “Well, not too hard, I guess.”

“Another world, you say? So many worlds, you say? Traveling through them, you say?” He leaned on his lion’s paw, staring at her. “Well, why not say so sooner?” He snapped his fingers on his other hand and Sunset felt a sudden boost in power.

Her eyes glowed for a moment as she hiccupped, surprised by the magic pouring through her body. She shuttered once the feeling passed. “My magic is back!” she gawked, a happy smile coming to her lips.

“Oops,” Discord said. “Looks like I overdid it.” He reached behind Sunset’s mane and pulled on something.

At first touch, Sunset wasn’t sure what he was pulling on. She glanced over her shoulder, noticing where the paw sat. Underneath my backpack? She then leaned forward and shrugged the bag off her shoulders. That’s when she felt the full breadth of her new wings. “An alicorn!?” Celestia shouted. Sunset had almost forgotten that the two sisters were standing only a few yards away, but she was just as surprised as they were.

“I have wings!?” She extended them to full glory. A few quick flaps and she found that she could hover, though her skill certainly lacked any sort of finesse. “Discord… Thank you. I don’t know what to say. Wait till Twilight sees this!” Her face reflexed at the thought. What will she think of me when I tell her what happened? Gloominess returned to the new alicorn, her head hung low like the largest apple on a tree branch. “I’m not sure I deserve it, though.”

“Oh you most certainly do not,” he replied. Sunset hadn’t noticed that the spirit of chaos stole her backpack, a plethora of school supplies dwindled in the air. “Books, books, and more books. How boring!” His eye drifted over the book that Sunset had been given now three worlds ago. “Community? How awfully tragic of a name. Lots of… signatures? Yet I do not see mine on here. Let us just fix that!”

“No!” Sunset yelled, yanking the book out of Discord's hands. “That was the last world. I keep them separate for reading purposes later. I don’t need them jumbled,” she explained as she opened to the page that held the encouragements. She couldn’t bear to look at Sombra’s or Tirek’s, but the next page was blank. “I don’t have a name for this world yet. I know it’s not my home because Princess Twilight left as soon as I entered, so I’ll have to name it something relating to you.”

Discord’s face popped up in the blank page, startling Sunset so bad that she dropped it on the ground. “Discord’s Playground!” the face yelled. Discord himself appeared on her shoulders, his snake-like body coiling around her. “Chaos Reigns?” he suggested.

Princess Luna threw in her own suggestion: “Abomination Station.”

“That’s good rhyming,” praised Princess Celestia.

“You are no fun,” spat Discord’s face.

With her newly obtained magic, Sunset lifted the book and shut it, taking all of her things and fitting them back into her school bag. “I’ll come up with one later. For now,” she paused. What do I do now? She glanced up at Discord, his patchwork face smiling down at her. “To be honest, I’m a bit lost, Discord. In the first few worlds I visited, I was so adamant in defeating the big villain and saving Equestria. But, after the last world, I’m not even sure if I am a hero—or if I want to be. I stopped Chrysalis and saved the changelings, but Sombra blindsided me with his betrayal.”

“Sombra? King Sombra?” Princess Luna remarked. “You were… friends with King Sombra?”

Beating on his thin chest, Discord countered, “I am the only king here, remember that!” He pointed up at his bulky crown, which comically tilted forward to cover his eyes.

“Oh geez,” Sunset shuddered. “Let me start at the beginning. This may take a while.”

And it certainly did, especially with every question asked by the spirit of chaos. She had started with the mirror, then spoke of the portal, then of the first world, moving slowly to the third. Princess Luna remarked with glee of the Nightmare’s Night timeline. When Sunset continued to the Community timeline, the two princesses were in tears by the end of it. Even Discord had cut his cackling and puns. “And that’s my story so far. He sent me through the portal to this world, now I have to figure out where I go from here,” she explained. “Do I go find the table, gather the girls, defeat Discord, and move on? The worlds aren’t infinite, after all. But on the other hoof, I know firsthand Discord can be reformed. He is in my Equestria.”

“Of course I can, and of course I am!” he replied in his happy-go-lucky voice. “After all, there is only one Discord!” As soon as the words left his mouth, Sunset thought she saw two Discord’s appear behind him. One held a finger to their lips while the other shook his head and waved his hands.

“I seriously doubt you’re the same guy from my timeline,” Sunset responded. “I mean, you wouldn’t betray Fluttershy. From everything Princess Twilight told me, you and her are best friends. Besides, if you are the same Discord, you should know who Princess Twilight is.”

He snapped his fingers and a scroll appeared in his lion’s paw. “Of course I know who Princess Twilight is!” He unraveled the parchment, a cartoony stick horse sat pathetically drawn on the inside. Its shape was fat, it had a horn and wings, and the cutie mark of a star, though it looked more like a smudge to Sunset.

As she examined the drawing, she grimaced. Would it be offensive to say it kind of looks like Twilight? “Well, I’m not sure that’s good enough of a picture, Discord. I mean, if you are him, why are you here torturing this world?”

“A draconequus of my caliber requires as much chaos as possible! If I cannot create chaos in one world, creating chaos in another does not seem like such a big deal, now does it?” he replied, confident in his answer.

“Draconequus?” Sunset had forgotten that was Discord’s species. “Right. But what would Fluttershy say if she knew?”

He waved a hand in the air, dismissing the idea. “She will never find out. Fluttershy? More like Flutterwho?”

“Well, except for the fact that she’s going to find out when I tell her once I get back to my world,” Sunset replied, a shake of her head.

“Who says you are going anywhere?” His voice was dark, his eyes peered down at her with venom.

But it only made Sunset laugh. “Are you kidding? I’ve been through four worlds now where villains have said the same exact thing. I’ve been trapped in cocoons, battled brainwashed armies, stopped a coup, and overcame my own anger. If you think for a second that you’re able to stop me, you have another thing coming.”

He shriveled backward, his hand pulling on his goat beard. “That is quite the list of accomplishments. A palpable threat if I have ever heard one. Though threatening a friend is not the smartest of ideas. Especially not when I have two of the world’s most powerful princesses in existence running around as clowns.”

“I’m not in the mood to play games, Discord. I’ve just been through a lot. If you don’t want me to tell Fluttershy, you better work with me. First things first, fix this world so it’s not chaotic. Secondly, bring all the bearers to me. Thirdly, I need that crystal table,” she demanded with a firmness in her voice that she obtained during the last world.

The draconequus looked appalled. Had he met his match? No, Discord was one of a kind. “You are just going to move on? Head for the next world and hope to catch up with Princess Twilight? That is quite a cowardly thing to do. I would have expected you to ask me to send you back a world to stop your rampaging friend.” His words struck its intended chord, just as he planned.

“You can do that? You can send me back? I could stop Sombra!?” She almost wanted to cry again.

“Of course, sending you back a world would quite possibly mean you might be trapped there. Forever.” He let out a little chuckle. “I am quite certain you would be trapped there, in fact.”

She raised a brow at him. “Why would that be?”

“If he can send you there, he can trap you there,” Princess Celestia answered for the draconequus.

Her answer infuriated him. “You spoiled it! Alright, that is it! Timeout for you two.” He snapped his fingers and the two princesses were sealed in a steel cage which floated up into the sky and out of sight. “Spoilsports, those two. Never letting me have any fun.”

“So, if you sent me back, you’d trap me there. But I could stop Sombra.” Discord could not believe his ears. Was Sunset actually contemplating his deal? Did the previous world mean so much to her that she’d sacrifice saving time itself?

He wrung his hands together, grinning maliciously at the new alicorn. “Of course you could, but I cannot allow you to just choose. I would not be Discord if I just gave you a choice and left it up for you to decide!” He waggled a finger at her. “No, no, no! You must play a game first! Oh, stop with the frowning face. Have some fun before you run!”

“I don’t want to have fun, Discord. I just want to stop Sombra.”

“But would fixing time not stop Sombra, too?” he asked before floating around her. His body shifted into a different form, his cane, crown, and cape were gone. Now, Discord had taken the form of King Sombra, though his face remained his own goofy face. “I mean, surely these worlds will be gone once you fix everything. Unless of course, these worlds existed before you. That would mean you are the one who caused so much trouble. Were you a problem child, Sunset Shimmer?”

“Stop it, Discord. I don’t like that,” she growled.

“Oh, but by all means.” His form changed again, this time taking on the form of Lord Tirek. The centaur body was like Tirek’s, but the upper torso remained looking like Discord. “When someone does something you do not like—you get angry. Upset. Furious. What would your previous mentor say?”

“You don’t even like Tirek. He betrayed you in my world.” She squinted. “What do you care what he’d say? You wouldn’t.” She stopped and thought about what the draconequus was saying. She took the time to think, copying her old ex-friend. “Wait. Why bring up these worlds existing before my arrival? If this is your playground, then you’d already know they exist without me.”

He grinned, his body shifting back to his normal, abnormal self. “It has got you curious, I can see it in your eyes. The wonder, the imagination. You are going to be my new plaything.” He clapped his hands excitedly. “Oh, what fun!” Pulling on his arm as if it were a sleeve, the draconequus lifted his hand and snapped his fingers.

Sunset fell onto her rump, a plastic faculty seat beneath her. She looked back and then forward, surprised by the school desk that sat in front of her. The whole world turned into a classroom, the lights were out, and a projector shined on the whiteboard. “Quiet down. Quiet down!” Principal Discord snapped his baton against his desk. “Today, we are going to be learning about the rules of the game. What game is that you might be asking?” The projector flipped a slide, displaying the crystal table. “It is a very simple game, even slow learners like Sunset Shimmer should be able to play along.”

His baton slapped the whiteboard where the image of the crystal table sat. “All you have to do is find your friends. That is all! Nothing more, nothing less! Gather them up and you win!” The projector’s slide flipped again, this time displaying Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. “I will even give you lifelines! Three should be enough to make you a millionaire. What was that? Oh, right, the prize is not money. Silly me!” He chuckled and the slides changed again, this time showing off three areas. Sunset only recognized Canterlot and the Crystal Empire, though they were definitely altered. “What are these three lifelines, you might be asking yourself? Call on the princesses is one, of course.”

“Another one, which I am very generous is allowing, is to completely negate the need to obtain one of your friends.” The draconequus crossed his arms, the baton tapping his shoulder. “That one is a bit overpowered, but what can I do?” The slides flipped, revealing a picture of Discord in nothing but a towel, brushing his teeth in some bathroom. “Ah, but this third lifeline is my favorite! Ask Discord! You can use this to ask me anything and I will have no choice but to answer honestly!”

Sunset suddenly jolted up a hoof, it was as if she never left CHS.

“Yes, Sunset?”

“Not that I really want to play your stupid little game, Discord, but why exactly are you giving me lifelines?” she asked.

“Well, it would not be very fair if I let you play without some sort of help. Even the hardest of games have tips and tricks! And this is certainly going to be difficult.” He grinned, his snaggletooth biting down on his bottom lip. The projector suddenly sped up its pictures, the slides displaying all sorts of horrendous environments. Lava pools, rusty tools, snake pits, poisonous gas, spinning blades, falling logs, large dogs, icy roads, strange toads, and tax collectors all appeared in the set of pictures. “What peril you will face!”

The projector shut off rather suddenly and the lights came on. “And what do I win for this game? I gather the bearers and I can use them to defeat you. Why would you want that? What’s in it for you?” she asked him.

“A showing! A spectacle! Participation! Oh, how I love good television. You will certainly be an excellent performer. Everyone in the world will be watching you! Your hardships, your victories, even those nervous breakdowns where you stuff your face with ice cream! We will be watching it all!” She hadn’t noticed, but cameras appeared in the room that was no longer a classroom. Instead, she sat at a school desk on a stage in front of a crowd of Discords. “You asked what I want from it all—I want you to win, of course! If you give up, I win!” He applauded himself and the crowd went wild.

“Well, I don’t see any other choice. You’re not going to send me back to stop Sombra, moving forward is my only option.” Not that I even thought about returning to that world before you opened your big mouth, she begrudgingly thought. “Where’s the table?” The audience laughed when she asked the question, and Discord refused to answer. “Where is the table?” she repeated her question, rousing even more laughter.

She looked around the room. There was nothing above her, nothing behind her, nothing in front of her. It wasn’t until she looked down below her school desk that she noticed she was sitting atop the crystal table. The audience became full laugh track mode by then, causing a bit of red embarrassment to crawl across Sunset’s muzzle. Throwing the chairs off the table, she climbed down and watched as the map of Equestria sprouted up.

“Lookie here folks!” Discord said, pointing to the hologram. Another Discord, this time portraying a cameraman, came close to zoom in. “She’s got an entire map to go through to find her friends. No trains, planes, or automobiles to help her here! I would give up right here, right now if I was in her horseshoes!”

Sunset ignored the draconequus. Pulling out the notebook from her backpack, she quickly sketched down the map as best she could. The Crystal Empire floated upside-down, though looked relatively the same. Canterlot floated too, this time right side up, and Sunset knew there was more to it than just that. When the cutie marks of her friends appeared, Sunset jotted their locations down. Pinkie Pie was in the Badlands, or the Not-So-Bad-Badlands, as Discord earlier named. Rarity was in Griffonstone, a place Sunset recognized by location only as the actual hologram displayed giant pants. She grimaced when she found Rainbow Dash in Las Pegasus, a city whose giant name sat on the side of a mountain—though it was now Las Discord in this world. More than that, she could only tell that it looked a bit more like Cloudsdale than Las Pegasus, and that Cloudsdale was missing altogether.

Twilight Sparkle was in the Crystal Empire. Applejack sat in Canterlot. But for some reason, the only one missing from the map happened to be Fluttershy. Maybe this is my world’s Discord I’m dealing with. Hiding Fluttershy away sounds like something he’d do. That was when Sunset noticed the Tree of Harmony sprout up on the map. Looks like Celestia placed the Elements of Harmony back into it in this world. That’s good to know. “Where is Fluttershy?” she asked the host of the show.

“Already using one of your lifelines!?” Discord sat up, the biggest grin sat on his face.

“No, but I assumed you were going to play fair. If I can’t find her then it’s not fair. Getting to her was supposed to be the challenge, wasn’t it?” she argued.

“If I played fair, I would not be here! Your little map shows every piece of Equestria. Clearly, she is not in Equestria! You will just have to resort to some good ol’ detective work to find the friend you seek.”

Sunset sighed—she was already growing tired of dealing with the draconequus and his crazy personality. I’ve been here for a whole three seconds and he’s getting on my nerves. I suppose it’s not really his fault, though. I bet this would be a whole lot more fun if I hadn’t… She stopped herself from thinking of the dark stallion. “Alright, Discord. Any advice on where to go first?” she asked, deciding to play along.

“Your closest friends are in Canterlot or the Not-So-Bad-Badlands. It would be quite troublesome to have to go north and then turn around and head back south,” he replied, honest advice which sounded too genuine from the draconequus’s mouth. “We are here in Discordville, aptly named after mwah,” he chuckled, and then continued, “It is smack dab in the middle between the two, and Las Discord is close too.”

“Not-So-Bad-Badlands sounds rather nice,” Sunset remarked, more to herself than Discord. “I’ll go there first.”

“You heard it here first, folks! She listened to me and is going to the Not-So-Bad-Badlands! What a terrible idea that is! Let us all give her a big round applause for the massive undertaking she is about to take on!” the host Discord shouted, and the audience clapped their hands in circles. The studio abruptly melted away, and Sunset was left alone with the crystal table. She glanced around, expecting Discord to appear suddenly, but the draconequus was gone.

The world returned to its jumbled mess once more with upside-down houses, cotton candy trees, and patchwork roads. When she glanced to the sky, she realized both the sun and moon were high. There was no way of telling which way was north or south. “This isn’t going to be easy,” she said to herself, gulping down her concern. Shifting her backpack around, her wings managed to extend to full width, allowing Sunset to take flight. A few test flaps and she felt confident in her abilities. Taking a running start, she managed to get off the ground only inches before a lake of purple soda appeared. Gliding was easier than flapping, but gliding didn’t help in going up. The tips of her hooves sunk into the colorful liquid, stressing her more as she tried to gain elevation.

It took her a few good hard flails to soar higher into the sky, which only caused her to get mixed up with the floating platforms of dirt, trees, and homes. Grinding her shoulder into one, she bounced off and landed with her hooves against another. With a big push, she flapped her wings and rushed out of the floating minefield. The sky was clearer out of Discordville, but the Not-So-Bad-Badlands were quite the distance.

Her new wings did not have the strength built into them just yet, nor did her stomach have the steel needed to fly so high above the ground. I did say I wanted to fly—wait, no more flight jokes! I promised! Her whole body shuddered as the air grew cold, forcing her to a lower elevation. She didn’t know exactly where she went, but the forest that would have been the Everfree disappeared. Valleys and dry hills replaced the floating jungle scenery. The coldness of the sky was replaced with a nice, warm sensation the lower she went. Passing over an ordinary, water-filled lake, Sunset chose to stop and get a drink. Of course, stopping was a difficult process for someone not accustomed to flying—but Sunset didn’t think of that until it was too late.

Skidding on her knees, she slammed jaw first into the ground. She sat up with a mouthful of little plastic beads. Spitting them out, she inched forward to the lake, pressing her muzzle into the cooling waters. Of course, the water turned out to be more plastic beads. After pulling her head out of the water, she spat out the beads and ruffled the ones that stuck in her mane. Glancing around, nothing in the distance looked like it was made of the plastic beads, but up close was a different story. Her eyes drew to the closest object, a bright green cactus with a pink flower budding on one side, it sat on the opposite side of the ‘lake’.

Each step felt weird to Sunset, the beads were like sand except nowhere near as soft. When she came closer to the cactus, it too was made of the plastic beads that surrounded her. She groaned. Well, there goes any hope for cactus water like in those old western movies. Even the needles on the cactus were beads. Pressing her hoof into the side of the cactus moved the beads out of the way, eventually sawing the top half off, which promptly fell to the ground and exploded in a shower of the green beads.

She decided to keep moving on hoof, which proved to be a mistake. It gave her time to think of past regrets, an activity she avoided like the plague. Sombra. How could you? You spent so long buttering me up just to turn on me. Was any of it real? For some reason, Flash Sentry suddenly appeared in her mind’s eye. She thought about him for a second, which turned into a minute, and then a few dozen. I only used him and then tossed him aside like a piece of garbage. Like Sombra did. That wasn’t very nice. I should apologize to him when I get back, though I don’t how he would react to starting over, to being friends. She then thought of Princess Twilight, the mare Flash had shown affection for. I wonder if he’s ever going to move on from her. It’s not like she was able to come back to help out at the Friendship Games. She’s got her own villain problems.

In the far distance, after a long walk, Sunset stumbled across a town that she never expected to visit. Appleloosa. She recognized it was Appleloosa thanks to the big sign that stood as entrance into the pokey town—which was also made of beads. In fact, the whole town was made of the plastic artsy baubles. The frames for buildings, the stationary carts that sat full of supplies, even the glass for windows was made of transparent beads. The pony citizens were also made of beads—a surprising revelation to Sunset. More surprising when one of the citizens came up to her, greeted her, and she poked their nose.

“M-my nose!” he yelled, holding the spot that had been his nose—which only aided in more of his muzzle beads falling off. “Ahhh!” he screamed, and those around him started to scream as his body fell to the ground.

“Oh my gosh, oh my gosh! I’m so sorry!” Sunset yelled, still holding the nose beads. She quickly threw them away as she backed off from the puddle of plastic that had just been a stallion.

“Monster!” a mare yelled, covering the eyes of a young colt. Both were, of course, made of plastic beads.

Some of the other citizens saw what happened and ran to their homes, only to return with pitchforks and torches. Yes, the fire on the torches were also somehow beads. A sight that frightened Sunset more than it intrigued her. She chose not to wait around to see if the plastic beads could burn her. Taking to the sky, she flapped her wings to get as far away as she could. She was at least heading south, Appleloosa was her confirmation.

However, as she hit the sky, she found that the clouds had changed. When she tried to pass through one, it was like hitting a wall. Plastic beads rattled down around her, falling to the earth below. Pushing her way back out, she noted that all the clouds were beads—and more importantly, they were starting to bunch together. Wasting no time, she soared below the tightening atmosphere, steering clear of the plastic clouds. Some turned grey, which worried her, but they were in her direct path to the Not-So-Bad-Badlands, so she chose to head straight under.

A terrible mistake.

Being pelted with rain was one thing, being pelted with a constant barrage of a hundred plastic beads was another. Hitting her fur like hail, each the size of a pea, Sunset immediately regretted her decision to fly south. Of course, she certainly regretted it once the actual hail started. Cold balls of plastic beads shattered over her body like geodes being opened by a miner. As she sailed lower, it only made the pain worse, the beads now had time and distance to fall an even greater height. The rolling plains that surrounded Appleloosa provided no cover.

She dealt with the pain for as long as she could, but eventuality succumbed. Passing out in the sky was obviously not the right option, nor would it have been her first choice if a choice was given. With another clunk of bead hail against her cranium, she felt the world go dark.

“Sunset,” a voice called to her. “Sunset.”

Opening her eyes, she saw the underside of golden petals. “Sunset. S-Sunset.”

“Sunset,” voices spoke her name.

Raising her head, she felt with her hand on the place she’d been struck—no lumps came to dreamland, though there certainly would be once she reached the waking world. “Why do I still dream of this place?” she wondered out loud. “I thought this place was part of my self-conscious. I’ve beaten my anger issues. Just because I’m upset about what happened doesn’t mean I should be coming back here.”

“Sunset,” a voice said.

“What? What!?” she shouted, her anger seething through—clearly the issues were still a work in progress.

“Look out, Sunset.”

That was when she opened her eyes, waking to the world that fast approached. She tried to turn, tried to put her shoulder into it, but it was far too late. She tensed up for what she thought was solid, brown earth. Instead, the ground splashed in an unexpected surprise. Rushing to the surface, the chocolate milk stung her eyes, a hefty gulp made itself into her lungs. She coughed and hacked after emerging from the depths. With the back of her hooves, she rubbed her sockets, crying out the milk that swept around her lids. Upon opening her eyes, she saw the river of chocolate milk sat running down the mountain of strawberry cake. In the distance were pillars of ice cream cones, sprinkles splattered the caked ground. Candy corn and chewy gummies sprung up like trees.

With her newly returned magic, Sunset teleported to the side of the river, shaking off the chocolate milk. Of course, that didn’t stop the frosting from clinging to the underside of her hooves. “Well, this is certainly better than bead country,” she remarked as she followed the river down the mountain.

She reached the Not-So-Bad-Badlands.

The Badlands had been a desert, the heat an unbearable deterrent for anyone who wanted to make accommodations of the brutal area. In Discord’s world, the Badlands had become a dessert, the cold a bearable enticement for anyone who wanted to quench their sweet tooth. There were plenty of creatures whose entire mouths were filled with nothing but sharp teeth meant for sweets. And they weren’t interested in sharing.

World 6: Chapter 8

After returning from her visit to the princesses, Sunset found Rarity trying on some of the ensembles from Charmer's store below the home. With no desire to join in the costume changes, the alicorn sat staring up at the ceiling from the chaffing couch. Like the hair of a shaved head, she wondered how Rainbow had slept on such an uncomfortable thing. Now I get why Charmer doesn’t stay often.

Her eyes traced the room. There was no artwork or hobbyist collections. No potted plants, and certainly no table decorations. It was as barren and unimaginative as she would’ve expected from someone like Maud Pie. Rolling to one side, Sunset felt herself slip into a slumber. It was a short nap, not long enough to dream, though that hadn’t stopped the darkened world before. Yet the bizarre dreamscape stayed away as if Sunset'd become diseased. She didn’t mind, though. Her unconscious thoughts brought images of those she’d met through these terrible worlds.

But something awoke her with a start, shooting her straight up. “Sorry, I didn’t know you were asleep,” Rarity said as she stood above her, an outfit of navy blue wrapped around her chest. However, Sunset hadn’t even heard the fashionable mare. There was a sinister feeling that crept through her mind that couldn’t be disparaged, like a claw made of embers, but it was lost as soon as she awoke.

“It’s fine,” Sunset replied. “What are you doing today?” Her eyes glanced to the blinds covering the windows, the sun already setting. “Well, tonight. How long was I out?”

“I’m not sure. But tonight will be fun! You. Me. Delicious gourmet dining at several different establishments on Restaurant Row. It’ll be a treat!” Rarity teetered with excitement, a sparkle in her blue eyes.

“I can’t go anywhere, Rarity. Ponies recognize me now.”

Like a toddler, Sunset was abruptly and brutally assaulted with clothing, covering her torso and rear with a striped shirt and jeans, a backwards ball cap thrown atop her mane. Her wings fluttered helpless trapped beneath the t-shirt like a bug fearfully jumping within a glass container. “Come now, no one will recognize either of us.” Pulling her by the hoof, Rarity dragged the alicorn to the door.

“Wait!” Sunset pulled back, glancing around the room. When she spotted her backpack, she levitated it to her, tossing it over her shoulders.

“Darling, must you take that thing everywhere?”

“It matches my outfit,” Sunset thoughtless excused, refusing to leave the bag or the draconequus alone.

Though a want for rebuttal fell on her lips, Rarity made no effort to argue. Trudging down and out into the city, Princessland was closing down for the night aside from the eatery venues. Lights shut off within window shops, street lamps were being lit, and the cooing of praises for the moon’s glow were being sent off. Though Sunset found it idealistic, she wondered if her own Equestria shared in the same sort of closing ceremonies. How long had it been since she set hoof in Canterlot?

A shiver went down her spine, though the clothes she wore were quite warming, if not a little tight. On Restaurant Row, Rarity knew all the perfect stops, though Sunset knew them well too. Their names were foreign, but their designs and signs were much the same. Sunset couldn’t help but revel in the unicorn’s conversation as they walked. Her heart warmed with the thought of her Rarity at CHS, along with those she’d met through her journey.

She smiled whenever Rarity spoke, whether the discussion be of her performing, her clothing, or her life. And she smiled more whenever Rarity noticed the grin, a blush blurring itself within her white face. “It seems you’re quite comfortable with your life here in Princessland,” Sunset noted, having to shout over the chatter of the Row’s busy street.

“Quite so! My business was bought out in Ponyville—I used to live there, you know. Picturesque town, tragic in a sort of small, depressing way. The suitors never revealed their intentions for my home and shop, yet they offered quite the spending currency. More than enough, more than the building's worth. With it, I was able to open a shop within Princessland,” she stated with pride, only for it to falter. “Of course, I let the shop eventually close, though I chose to remain in Princessland.”

“Why? What happened?”

“I became an actress and singer, darling. I have no time to sew and celebrate fashion, not when I wear it for my audience. Though I do often give my designs to somepony else, so that they may make my costumes for the stage life. The girls, Sassy Saddles and Suri Polomare, are quite good at their jobs. I couldn’t have asked for better assistants. Though I must acknowledge my own skill as well.”

“You seem to have done quite well for yourself.” Sunset’s brows furrowed as she abruptly saddened. “While you’ve done well, much like Fluttershy, others have fallen. Rainbow Dash and Applejack, they’ve fallen so hard it’s appalling. Whenever I think of what Flim and Flam has done to them, it makes me so mad. Having been through different worlds, it shouldn’t bring out any anger in me. There was one world where you were stuck in a boring life managing the Castle of the Two Sisters. Applejack, however, was set for life in every way imaginable.”

“Applejack. She was the orange gal, correct? You know, I’d seen here before. To think the six of us are all friends in another world is odd, yet it can’t be so odd if I recognized her. Our paths wouldn’t have crossed in some way if it weren’t fate.”

“Fate.” Sunset couldn’t help but laugh at the thought. “The worlds I’ve been through have made me question such a thing. Especially this one. Discord, stepping through realities, seeing into things, and then reverse engineering his own prison world for me. Truly, if fate exists, it has a chaos to it that only Discord could love.”

Rarity seemed perturbed, yet enthralled by the worlds, her head tilted as she listened. “Dear, that’s destiny, not fate.”

Yet Sunset did not understand the difference.

This time it was Rarity who laughed. “Destiny is the past being read, taking it into account when moving forward on the future. We shape our destinies, and their results shape us. You shaped your destiny, mingling against this Discord, just as he is shaping his own. He foresaw his own future from past events and chose to change the timeline to benefit him. Of course, no matter how much he changed it, things can always go against him. Fate on the other hoof, is what we receive when we do nothing. Becoming stagnant, letting life take us where we go, and wrapping us in the thread where we cannot read the past or future. Our fate changed because of you, and perhaps, in your hooves, we six bearers can take hold of our destinies."

“I’d agree with you, but I’m not so sure you’re right. After all I’ve been through, can I really say I'm in control? Something calls to me, but what? Fate?”

Rarity removed the conversation from their lips, returning to a more pleasant theme. It wasn’t long before they found the first restaurant on Rarity’s list. The Prince’s Mark, a restaurant Sunset had never seen, was one such place Rarity remarked as pleasant. Inside, tourists gathered and marveled at a prince who, prior to the creation of Princessland, would’ve been welcome inside castle grounds. “It must be hard being a prince in Princessland,” Rarity remarked, pointing at Prince Blueblood as they sat down. “Everypony wants to see the princesses, never the prince. I believe that’s why Princess Cadance’s husband stays in the Crystal Empire.”

The blonde stallion was surrounded by females, all wanting pictures, and the stallion was happy to oblige. For a moment, Sunset thought to get a picture as well, but Twilight had already returned Fluttershy’s camera. "Those mares seem more than inclined to see him."

"Yes, but if you were revealed, he'd be tossed aside. Such is his fate," she remarked, not even realizing the sudden return of the previous conversation.

Continuing on after a small meal at The Prince's Mark, they traveled down further into the Row. Though the unicorn tried her best to drag Sunset past it, The Smoked Oat remained in the same spot it always sat. But upon entering, Sunset wasn’t greeted by a chubby stallion with three pretty serving girls. Instead, one greasy stallion appeared with the shrill shriek of an older mare following behind. “Yes, mother,” he returned a reply before greeting Sunset and Rarity.

Though Rarity entered, Sunset couldn’t. Her legs wouldn’t move forward. “It’s you.” She shuddered at the memory, the greasy stallion standing across from her.

“My apologies, madam, we are not usually like this,” he said, beads of sweat running down his forehead as the sounds of slamming pots rang out.

“Who are they? What do they want? Hey! Answer me when I’m talking to you!” the mare screamed, much like a siren wailing in the night.

“I’m finding out, mother dearest,” he replied, his voice cracking under the pressure.

Sunset hurt for the stallion. This was his life in a world without pure chaos. That quiet mare, she was a nice old lady. She called me pretty. And he was her son, the rude lawyer. “I-I’m sorry.” She back pedaled onto the street, forcing Rarity to also retreat. “This wasn’t the place I was looking for.”

Bursting off, Sunset felt her stomach slosh her meal from side to side, eventually causing her to stop and huff. Calm and panting, Rarity caught up easily without need of vigor and haste. “Are you alright, Sunset? What was that about?”

“Have you ever mistreated someone, Rarity?”

The question came out of nowhere to the unicorn, her face of surprised concern. She stood in the street with the lamp lights flickering off her blue eyes, studying Sunset. “I don’t know,” she said, having no real answer. “I’ve never thought about it. I’ve gotten upset at others before, who hasn’t? Mistreated? I don’t… I don’t know.”

“I have. So many times.” Why is he hitting me harder than the others? That rude stallion deserved it in Discord’s world. But it doesn’t feel right to think that. She then remembered, the stallion reminded her of another that she once wronged for fame and popularity. “I may be a princess, Rarity, but I still make mistakes.” Out of nowhere, the word ‘forgiveness’ popped into her mind. “Come on. Take me back to the hideout. I don’t feel like being out anymore.”

Though it was clear Rarity didn’t understand, she did as told, taking Sunset by the foreleg and leading her to Charmer’s home. Upon their arrival, Sunset set her backpack on the table, stripping off the disguise and leaving them on the floor. She didn’t even acknowledge Rarity’s worried expression as she passed her, climbing onto the couch and laying with her muzzle tucked to the back.

“Ar-are you certain you would not prefer the bed, Sunset?”

“No. I’d like to be alone right now.”

The unicorn nodded, unsure if solitude was the right thing to give the otherworldly alicorn. But Rarity once again followed instructions, trotting off to one of the bedrooms. Sunset didn’t sleep for the longest time. Instead, sitting in silence, she gleamed a thoughtful contemplation. The night grew long, the moon passing over gently. And still sleep did not come.

Ruminating over her unfortunate past filled her heart with sudden courageousness. She leapt from the couch, dragging her backpack with her magic, and quietly opened and closed the front door. Trotting down the steps, when she reached the street she took flight. Her thoughts guided her. Sadness, overwhelming grief, filled her heart. An anxious shiver rocked her body as though every muscle told her not to. Not to go. Anywhere but there.

Reaching the stage, she set down. Teleporting through the gift shop with ease, nopony was around to stop her. Not that they would. Her eyes examined the levers. Though the biggest she’d seen, which controlled something magical, she now found the doors as well. Flipping the exit and the first door past it, she went inside.

Upon entering the brightened replica room of the Crystal Castle’s throne, Sunset did not say a word to Sombra who was awake with a surprising start. He bemoaned the intrusion, yet clambered to his hooves, following her all the way to the door, stopping just short. “You’re not here about the Elements of Harmony?” he asked, though she did not respond.

“Tirek,” she shouted, instead calling for the centaur.

Rolling out of his plethora of pillows that made up his bed, the centaur lifted the sleep mask from his eyes, and glared down his nose at the alicorn. Pushing himself to a standing position, he smoothed the wrinkles from his pajamas, which were covered in small yellow ducks, and held a pink teddy bear in his other arm. Adjusting his night cap, he trotted slowly, frowning all the while. “You have disturbed my slumber, in the dead of night, with no witnesses and no friends by your side. Why? Your fear from before—have you come for revenge? Come to grab hold of me, electrifying my body till this zoo lacks one less frightening monster?”

She shook her head, her mind held no thoughts of revenge. “I’ve come to forgive you.”

“Forgive me?” Tirek stood in awe. Even Sombra let out a short, surprised gasp.

“I thought that, after defeating the sirens, I was redeemed. I became a hero, just like my friends are. I joined them, feeling truly part of whatever made them so special. I was happy with myself.” Her eyes met his beady stare. “But you showed me something. I still grieved for the terrible things I did, the betrayals I committed, the breakups I caused. And I thought that anger was deep inside me, pushing my actions and my faults. Until I met you.”

“So you are from another world,” he said, no longer skeptical.

“I met you and I felt it. I felt your anger. At the time, I thought it was my own. Why would you be angry? You had control over everything. You were above even the princesses. You claimed I was filled with anger, and that you knew how to help me. You were right. I was filled with anger. Your anger. I empathized with you. Too much empathy, I now understand. You tried to help me, when you only helped yourself. You convinced me what I felt was anger, when it really was grief.”

“Grief. Anger. What’s the difference? Both fuel a vengeful desire.”

“You taught me to study others, to see what really hid beneath their façade of an appearance. Their underlying emotions and intentions. Yet not once did I dare use that sort of knowledge on you. The one person who regretted their actions the most. You expressed that on the day Sombra betrayed us both.”

Sombra let out a cry from the door. “Me!? Preposterous!”

“You said to me you shouldn’t have trusted ponies. I thought that it meant you were truly evil. That you hated me, and all other ponies. That you were just pretending to be my friend all along.” Tears pooled around the edges of her eyes, blurring her vision. “But that wasn’t it. You truly did trust ponies, you cared for them. You knew what you were doing was wrong, but couldn’t find a way to break the cycle of hatred. You wanted power, to rule. But you wanted friendship too. That’s the one thing you couldn’t get. A stronger magic than anything you could ever take. It’s why you always came around with a basket of bread and a couple cups of coffee after stealing magic.

“You wanted ponies to like you. Over a thousand years ago, you wanted something similar. You wanted ponies to fear you. To steal their magic and rule over Equestria. And a thousand years later, you got your wish, and you felt regret. It’s why I empathized with you. I have much to regret. It’s why I let you tell me I was wrong, when instead, you were wrong. About everything. About so much that it hurts me to think about.”

The centaur stood like a statue. His face held a blank slate of emotion, yet his body betrayed him, shaking beneath the ducky pajamas. “And you’ve come to tell me this, why?” he asked, his voice remained strong.

“I should have tried harder to sway you from the path you were on. I could have done more. I’ve been trying to do more ever since dealing with the changelings. I always come up short. But I also realized long ago that everyone matters. Everyone! Even you. Even Sombra. Maybe I can’t help those who don’t want to be helped, but that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t try first. That’s why I forgive you, for everything you did, no matter how terrible. You deserve it, because if it was me in your position, I’d want forgiveness too. And I do.”

Sunset bowed her head to the floor. “I ask your forgiveness, Lord Tirek. I was your student. I was your helper. I was the angry little mare who threatened to end your peaceful reign. But most of all, I was the one pony who could have been a true friend, your only real friend, and I failed.”

Having listened to her words, Tirek let loose a long winded sigh. “Pony words are always so dramatic. I cannot be forgiven any more than I can forgive you. I may be Lord Tirek, but I am not the Lord Tirek you wish to say those words to. Those actions are not my own, nor are your reactions to mine.” He raised a hand and pointed to the door. “Now, if there is nothing more, please leave.” Returning to the pillows, the centaur searched for his sleep mask.

Sunset’s head hung low as she walked to the door, passing through to Sombra’s chamber. She said nothing to him as she headed for the exit.

“Aren’t you going to ask me to forgive you?” the dark stallion asked, stopping her in her tracks.

“You forgive me?” she almost growled the words, turning back to face him.

“Tirek’s right.” He came close to the alicorn. “We’re not the ones who did those things. We’re… I’m not the one who betrayed you.”

“I-I know,” she replied.

Sombra then breathed in, preparing himself. With an exhale, he said, “No princess has ever walked these halls. None. Not Celestia, Luna, nor the one who took over my kingdom. You are the first, even if you aren’t regal, or even from this world. At the very least, that means you’re better than them.”

“What’s your point?” Sunset didn’t understand.

“I could lie and say I don’t want to leave. That I don’t want to seize the Crystal Empire for myself and all of Equestria. You’d see right through it. There’s no changing who I am. Not in this world, at least. Those brothers have brought a pining for revenge that may never go away. Yet you, the one princess to ever visit this glorified menagerie, are the only one to have seen us in our most powerful states. You want to befriend everyone. To make the world right. To be forgiven for failing the thing you hold dear: friendship.”

“Why should I ask for forgiveness?” she asked, repeating her question.

“Because you’re wrong. Lord Tirek did obtain friendship. Not in your worlds, but this one.”

Her eyes turned back to the centaur who stood at the door. A nod motioned his head ever so slightly. “Who? Who is he friends with?” she asked, turning back to Sombra.

“Me,” the dark stallion replied.

She wanted to feel the coldness of his words, to see deep into his being and know that the word was false. A lie. A deceit to bring her from the righteous path. However, she felt no such thing. Only regret, much as she had once seen within a different Tirek. They’re friends? In that world, Community, they were secret enemies. Tirek believed Sombra would betray them all, and he did. They were pleasant on the surface. Here, in this zoo, it’s the opposite. They show no breaks in their want for destruction, and through that, they found friendship. She shook her head, almost crying.

The stallion who lied to her, the stallion who betrayed her. She wanted him to be nothing more than a terror to be brought down by friendship. How was it imaginable that even horrible Sombra could make a friend? Only in the most awful of worlds possible could it have happened. A world ruled by a secret dictator and his two pets. A world meant to be an ironic prison for the mare from another time. A world twisted by Discord. These two villains who had done the most harm to Sunset were now true friends, just like she wanted those worlds ago.

Snagging Sombra by the shoulder, she embraced him, holding him tight in a hug.

“When you said you were the adventurous type, I’m glad you meant it. I rarely leave my house most days, I won’t pass this little voyage up just because of a risky bridge,” she remembered, and the way he smiled as they crossed the downed tree.

“I betrayed someone close to me once. I was hungry for power and threw him to the side,” Sunset said, still holding the hug. “Just like you did.”

“I did that? How did I do it?” he asked.

Sunset released him, backing away. “Better that you don’t know. Wouldn’t want a repeat demonstration.”

Sombra flexed a smile. “Clever.” He moved aside, letting her head for the door. “Were we good friends?” he asked before she could exit.

She turned back, eyeing the dark stallion. It was hard to see past the circlet, the robed cape, and the evil eyes, but it was there. A pony Sunset chased, a friend in the darkness. The purple outline reflected itself in her imagination, the wings overlapping the cape. A six-pointed star implanted itself in a crown, covering the silver circlet. “The best,” she replied.

With a flick of the levers, the doors shut. Sunset was alone in the darkness, a little bit of starlight reflecting through the glass of the gift shop and the souvenirs inside. Before she teleported through to the outside, she stared at her reflection, watching the stains that creased below her eyes.

Discord ruffled the backpack. “Still missing your friends from the world beyond the mirror?”

“More than ever. They forgave me when no one else would.”

Final World: Chapter 3

No warmth radiated from the unending white. In every direction the world coated itself in the soft glow like snow. Bright, yet dim enough for Sunset to snap open her eyes and not be blinded. “Where am I?” she howled in one breath, throwing her neck forward. Rising to her hooves, she found herself covered in the glow of white. Once she stood, however, the flakes of light fell from her fur, dissipating into thin air. “Is this a dream? Or am I…” She thought for a moment, back to what had happened. A chill went down her spine, though no wind brushed her back.

She twirled for a moment. Every direction remained the same. “Is this what it’s like? Is this what the Elements do?” Falling to her rump, she hung her head. “Perhaps this is what I deserve for my crimes against the Elements of Harmony. If I hadn’t tripped, my Equestria would be no different.”

“Your biggest crime is thinking the Elements of Harmony are just stones in a tree,” a voice spoke, familiar in its tone. “The Elements are more than the necklaces or drawings on a chalkboard, they’re the bearers. They’re the friendships. And though their friendships may be tested, they will never be broken.”

Sunset lifted her head and craned her neck, staring over her shoulder at the mare. “Twilight? Is that really you?”

“You were broken, once.” The purple mare trotted close, coming alongside Sunset. She sat down to Sunset’s left side, and Sunset noted the lack of purple wings on her back. “A lot of bad things happen that sometimes we can’t control. But if we went back and picked the best options for every decision, wouldn’t that lead to a boring life? There’d certainly be no laughter.”

“Twilight…” Sunset stared at the mare who stared ahead. “What happened to me?”

“You wanted something, and you weren’t given it.” Lifting a hoof, the unicorn opened a memory. A square of light told the past, showing an event Sunset recognized. “An angry mare, running to a world of mystery, and leaving behind those who cared for her.”

In the light of the past, Sunset saw herself entering through the center of the courtyard. The mirror rippled to the world of Equestria, eventually stilling itself. Standing on two legs, the Sunset of the past traversed the steps in the dead of night, reaching her reflection. She stared at herself, the bipedal creature, and placed a hand on the glass. Pain and hurt, two expressions written all over her face, became shadowed with another. One not of sorrow or regret, but of wrath. Divine indignation. A look purely devoted to retribution.

“When you look at yourself, what do you see?” Twilight asked.

“A self-conceited monster,” Sunset honestly replied without hesitation.

“And yet, this being is closer in mindset to this filly than to you.” A flick of her hoof and the memory changed. In a parlor in Canterlot, two sat alone with the owner, enjoying sundaes of ice cream. They bunched together for a picture, the white alicorn wrapping a wing around her favorite student. “What do you see from this pony?”

“A naïve little filly who discovered she was meant to be something great, only to let it go to her head,” Sunset once again replied honestly.

“And what was that something? Are you great? Or are you a pathetic little pony with no friends and no mentor?”

Sunset snapped her eyes to Twilight, only to find she now stared at herself. “What in Equestria!?” she shouted, and her breath struck the copycat, causing the fake to stir like smoke.

“You’re the worst, you know that? You could’ve been the greatest pony to exist.” Though the body rotated like a waft of steam, the head twirling in the air away from the neck, the voice remained. “You could’ve been better than Celestia!”

Though disturbed, Sunset didn’t shriek or budge. The statement only baffled her. “Why would I want to be better than Celestia?” And when the question was asked, the orange smoke cleared, dissolving the copycat.

“You’re already better than me,” another familiar voice said, causing Sunset to turn her head to the right. The white alicorn sat beside her, staring at the memory. The squares grew, detailing more of Sunset’s past. “I sent my sister away for a thousand years, trapping her on the moon. It ruined my heart to see somepony so great fall so far. I saw potential in you to become better than me, to succeed me. You failed, but your mistake led to a greater resolve.”

Five friends stood around the sixth, hugging the girl with red and yellow hair. “We all make mistakes,” Sunset stated, trying to ease the grief of the alicorn.

“If I hadn’t let you go, you never would’ve become one of two,” Celestia pointed out. The memory rewound to play two sides of the same coin. One where Sunset tripped over Spike, while the other went around the basket. “If I hadn’t removed you from my apprenticeship, you never would’ve become the monster who destroyed Equestria. Nor would you have become their savior. I’m proud of you.”

“You’re proud of me? What have I done to earn it?”

In the memory, Sunset rose to the challenge of the sirens, singing her own song with the help of her friends. Another memory accompanied the first, turning Sunset into a glimmering beauty that defeated Midnight Sparkle. “You let my lessons weigh you down. Everything I ever taught you only burdened your mind, turning you into a prideful, spiteful monster. And though it swallowed you whole, you rose above it once you lost that conceited nature.”

“But I wasn’t trying to lose it. I didn’t know there was a better way at the time. You tried to show me, and I failed to heed your teachings.”

“When you were defeated, you could’ve let yourself fall into those burdens, you could’ve felt grief for failing to become great. Instead, you became great by rising up and accepting friendship from the one who defeated you. You changed the world, as I knew you would. And when the world needed forgiveness for forsaking one such bearer, you understood and shared the feelings of another.” Raising a hoof, the alicorn placed it on Sunset’s shoulder. “You always wanted to be more than what you are not. Is that such a bad thing? Striving to be better, being charismatic, being friendly. You hold so much potential, and you’re only starting to blossom. How could I not be proud?”

“And what about the me who destroyed Equestria? The one who destroyed Equestria?” Sunset asked. “Are you proud of her too?”

And just like before, when her breath reached the alicorn’s body, the swirls of smoke dissipated. She watched as the alicorn faded, the white fading into white, becoming like snow that never fell. When the glow no longer shined, her eyes turned back to the memory. Surprise lit her face as she now stared out from the top of CHS. With the sunset in the distance, the memories gone with the whiteness, she remembered a day like this.

“My past is not today,” she heard a voice all too familiar. Far more familiar than the others. “Singing about it doesn’t make it true.”

Sitting with her knees tucked to her chest, Sunset Shimmer crossed her arms around her legs, hugging herself. A black jacket sat in front of her, wrinkled into a creased ball. Turning her eyes, she met the pony Sunset’s stare. “You know what I mean?” the girl asked.

Sunset nodded. “More than anyone.”

Taking a hand from her knee, she held it for the pony, who in turn set her hoof in the palm. “Do you remember why we came up here?” the girl asked.

“Stepping up those steps, crossing the roof. I couldn’t avoid bursting into song, but it wasn’t why I came up here. The girls, they treated me so nicely after I was defeated, and they’ve been that way ever since.” Sunset felt the fingers close around her hoof. “I came up here to reflect. To think. And perhaps, in one of these different timelines, I made a different choice. Maybe the right choice. You know what I mean?”

And Sunset nodded. “More than anyone.”

Both sat in silence. One with hooves, the other with hands. The sun slowly lowered into the horizon, creating a purple sky of stars and lit houses.

“It’s hard having friends, isn’t it?”

Neither of the Sunsets asked the question, causing them both to stir. Another Sunset sat to the right of the pony, though this one didn’t resemble either. Instead, demon wings wrapped around her body, leaving her fiery hair atop a sad expression the only thing in view. Though the shock of seeing such a disfigured demon would’ve once surprised both Sunsets, neither shook with worry. “Or is it easy, and that’s what makes it hard?” asked the demon.

“Is it prideful to say that making friends comes naturally to us?” the pony asked.

“Maybe. Though it’s not unreasonable. We’ve been good at everything. Depending on the world. From magic. To friendship. To destruction. Think there’s a world where we remained in Princess Celestia’s graces and stayed on as her apprentice?” the girl wondered.

“Who’s to say you ever stopped?”

The three sitting together looked up at the edge of the roof. Leaning against the railing, a fourth Sunset Shimmer stood with her back to them. “Just because you don’t talk to her anymore, or aren’t around her, doesn’t mean you’ve ever stopped being her apprentice. We learned so much from Twilight, and she learned from Celestia. She gave us the tools, we’ve been putting them to use in our own special ways.” When she turned, the three were a contrast of sadness compared to her wonderful smile. With her arms at her sides, below a vest of charcoal black, she studied each of them. The future Sunset Shimmer staring at the past.

“But how am I supposed to repent?” the pony asked.

“How are we supposed to move forward?” the girl added.

“How do I forgive myself?” the demon doubted.

“We already know the answer.” The future Sunset lifted a hand and pointed to a fifth. “We’ve known it all along.”

To the right of the future Sunset Shimmer leaned a creature they all recognized, though only the pony had encountered such a being. “It’s difficult seeing the past. Knowing what has happened, you can only hope to move on and do better the next time.” Shimmering Justice did not speak like the strange, informational robot she once was. The red blindfold still covered her eyes. “We leave a piece of ourselves in everything we do. Destruction. Anger. Casualties. A cost that no one can afford, for a world no longer inhabited. But is it not justice to say that though we leave pieces, we also gain pieces? From others? From emotions? From life? Love? Friendship?”

“It’s not that easy. Sometimes those pieces are sad,” the girl argued.

“Sometimes others cause even more stress, filling us up with anger till we drown in it,” the demon snarled.

“I’d smash a thousand mirrors to keep my friends from getting the painful pieces of me! I’d never want anyone to feel like this. Not even my worst enemies!” the pony screamed.

“Your worst enemy already feels that way.” The final voice announced. Rising up from below their sight, the golden warrior of friendship beamed as marvelous as she did the day she defeated Midnight Sparkle. With arms outstretched, she placed a hand on both the future Sunset Shimmer and Shimmering Justice. The trio looked down not with sorrow, but respect. “You have always been your worst enemy. Just look at what you’ve done in these worlds you’ve visited.”

Shimmering Justice stretched a hand out to the demon. “You mistrusted Discord, even though he only ever believed in you. You doubted yourself. And you doubted everything you learned.”

The future Sunset raised a hand to the girl, beckoning a joining. “You tried your best to help your friends gather themselves to defeat Nightmare Moon. But your own desires clouded your judgement. You wanted things to go one way, and when you knew it was impossible, you fell on an easier task.”

“I didn’t want the changelings to be kicked out of Equestria. How is it fair they had such an awful queen?” the demon asked as she rose, relaxing her webbed wings. She placed her hand atop Shimmering Justice’s, interlocking their fingers. “But I never once thought to let my friends choose for themselves. I knew I was right, but it was their friendship who turned me from the path of destruction.” Lifting her hand to the pony, she waited. “I should’ve trusted them more.”

The girl rose next, leaning forward to accept the hand from the future. “I thought I finally understood that terrible Discord’s game. After being told everything was about me, I accepted it. I strode forward into the face of danger, throwing my friends to the wolves.” Wrapping their palms together, the girl looked to the pony and lifted her other hand. “Any patience I had I threw out the window, fearing for my own sanctuary.”

“In that fourth world,” the golden beauty began, her hands cupping both Shimmering Justice’s free hand and the future Sunset’s. “You felt such pain. Such guilt. Such sorrow. Now, you realized your mistake and you understand. Don’t you? After everything you did, you found the answer to the question. You failed to look inside Tirek and see more than what was on the surface. But more importantly, you failed to look inside yourself. The question. What was the question?”

And in unison, all except for the pony asked: “How is this possible?”

“Those six have touched so many lives. They’ve touched mine in ways I can’t even imagine. Can the answer really be that simple?” Lifting one hoof, the pony placed it in the girl’s hand. “Has it been staring me in the face this entire time? Was it always so easy?” Lifting the other, she stood bipedal and placed her other hoof in the demon’s hand. “She said it right to my face, and it’s been staring back at me in every world.”

“How is this possible?” the five repeated.

“It’s possible because of us,” Sunset Shimmer answered. “We matter.”

One by one, the five exploded into golden light, surrounding the pony in a different color until they all formed a rainbow.

“I matter.”

As soon as she spoke the words, her mind went blank. The light filled her eyes and numbed her body. In an instant, the feelings rushed to her senses and snapped her thoughts from the nothingness. Only her friends remained in her mind as the stone fell from her face. Shattering against the power of the friendship, her body returned in a glowing light.

Sunset Shimmer rose from the gazebo without wings, floating above the destruction. Her mane and tail had grown exceptionally long. In a strand that hung and circled around her face, she could see a streak of pure gold between the yellow and red. On her hooves, her cutie mark multiplied and rounded, glowing as bright as the rest of her.

Yet beyond herself, she stared down at another, much like her, yet different. The demon.

The six bearers stood defending themselves from the angry ranting of the demon. Blast after blast of magic struck the six, Princess Twilight’s barrier faltering. “You took my only friend!” the demon shouted, clawing at the barrier like a wild animal trapped in a cage.

“No. You took away your friends. You did this yourself,” Sunset told the demon.

The happiness on the demon’s face to hear Sunset speak turned sour at the sight of strange power surrounding her. “You escaped? What happened? Why are you like that? How is this—”

“Possible?” Sunset finished. “We are who we are by our actions.”

With a lift of her hoof, the gazebo reformed. Not into another gazebo, but into the Tree of Harmony. It then uprooted itself, standing with its roots tucked into dirty soil. Levitating off the ground like it were something from Discord’s world, Sunset pointed at the tree. “This isn’t right. You. Me. Them. It’s time it does.”

Another swing of her hoof and the ashen hills became soaked in green grass, spreading down to the golden flowers. As they brushed over the area the demon stood, she hovered above the change, an angry, startled look in her eyes. “What do you think you’re doing? This is my world! I made it this way! Stop changing it!”

“Change is inevitable. You will never have peace of mind if you leave it like this. Accept it, and move on.”

Clapping her hooves together, Sunset brought down the sky, removing the darkness of the clouds and returning the stars. “No!” the demon shrieked, sending a blast of magic in Sunset’s direction. However, the unicorn didn’t need to block. The magic struck against her and dissipated like dust. “What!?” bellowed the demon.

The sky turned bright and blue as the sun rose to the center. Trees popped up within the golden flowers. And for miles and miles, grass returned to the world. Sunset Shimmer returned those lost within the magic of the demon’s power. The cities. The ponies. The animals. Equestria. She did it by herself, though she was never alone. She would never be alone.

“I command you to stop!” the demon yelled, this time shooting several blasts of magic at the unicorn.

“You have so much magic in you,” Sunset told the demon. “It’d be impossible now to remove it from you. Not without destroying you in the process. You’ve spent too long with the Element of Magic, cursed by your own reluctance.” Powering her horn, she stared down at the demon. “I once wanted the power to do things my way, and now I have such power. As such, I say, why should you be removed from so much magic? Why, instead, should you not be given more magic? The magic... of friendship.” Releasing her horn’s unlimited power, she sent the beam to the demon.

But the demon refused, putting up her hands with her own magic. “No! I won’t be defeated! I am infinite! I am the greatest power the world has ever seen!”

“No. You’re not,” Sunset replied. “Not anymore.” Her magic increased, striking harder against the demon’s, and eventually increasing to the point of surrounding the retaliation.

Unable to stop the magic, the demon fell to the power. And when the damage was done, Sunset Shimmer fell too. Landing on her hooves, the power given to her by the Spirit of Harmony faded from her body. Gifted to another who could truly do good with it, just as she had done.

“Sunset Shimmer!” Pinkie Pie yelled as the six bearers rushed away from the glowing demon.

“I can’t believe you’re alright! I’m so sorry! We weren’t trying to hit you,” Twilight said after they arrived, her face filled with worry.

“It’s alright,” Sunset replied, hugging the princess. “I think everything will be alright, but first you need to do something for me.”

“What's that?” Twilight asked.

Pointing a hoof at the floating Tree of Harmony, Sunset said, “Return the Elements of Harmony.” Then, she put the hoof to Twilight’s chest. “It’s not the stones that defeat villains. It’s your friendship. The power is inside you, just like how it’s always been inside me.” Her eyes fell to the glowing mass surrounded by golden flowers. “And just like how it’s inside her.”

The light striking from the demon slowly faded, revealing the crimson skin and demon wings were no more. Instead, the girl hovered in golden radiance. A white dress clung to her torso and fell to her feet. Pure light rippled from her back in the form of wings, and from her forehead pointed a horn of white. She’d become the golden warrior of friendship, but would never be a pony again.

“But…” Daydream Shimmer held her head, white wristbands brushing her hair. “But I don’t know the first thing about friendship. What am I supposed to do now?”

While the bearers returned the Elements, Sunset went to the being of light. “I know six girls who’d like to be your friend.” She threw her head over her shoulder, watching as each of the gemstones returned to the Tree of Harmony.

“But all I’ve ever done was destroy their lives. How can they ever hope to forgive me?”

“I forgave myself,” Sunset answered. “They will too. Even if it takes time.”

When the gemstones fell into the sockets, the Tree of Harmony lit like a beacon, a rainbow bursting through the air. Like a call for assistance, the light brought another, one that Sunset recognized. Setting down where the gazebo once sat, surrounded by golden flowers, the crystal table lit up with a hologram. A map of Equestria, the true Equestria, displayed in all its glory. Canterlot, the Crystal Empire, and Ponyville were returned.

“Come on. Let me show you something.” Taking Daydream Shimmer by the hand, she led her to the table and the six bearers. Each of them glared angrily at the strange, biped creature who could only give a downtrodden response. “Look at this. Look at all these places.” She waved a hoof over Equestria.

“Sunset, what are you doing?” Twilight asked. “Isn’t she the one? Didn’t she destroy Equestria? Why does she look so different?”

“She did. I did. You see, she is me.” She looked up at Daydream Shimmer. “And now she’s going to prevent Equestria from being destroyed ever again.”

Daydream Shimmer took a step back, aghast at the thought. “How can I do that?”

“Through the power of friendship, anything is possible. Don’t you see that? And there’s one friend out there who needs us more than anything. Help her. We need to save her.”

Twilight looked between the two Sunsets. “Who? Who still needs help?”

Sunset smiled at Twilight. “You. I’ve been trying to help you for so long, and now I can. With her help. She’s the only one who can.”

With a nod of understanding, Daydream strode forward, staring down at the beautiful crystal map. “I’ll try my best.” Placing one hand onto the surface, she let the light of horn fold a stream against the crystal. Turning into water, it spread out across the world and filled the map in glorious golden light. When the entirety of the table fell to the shimmering glow, the center opened. “Is this it? Is this what you want? They could create another, if they wanted to, you know.”

From the center echoed ticking and screeching. A gust of wind sucked and pulled, but turned eventually, spouting out instead of sucking in. And then, from the green of the portal, popped out a parchment. Torn right down the middle. As the portal closed, it fell on the map. “You have so much magic, and so many friends here. They’re all with us, from every timeline. Break the spell, and prevent the table from being the conduit,” Sunset said.

“I understand.” Lifting a hand, Daydream Shimmer took the scroll and let her horn erupt in a glow. In its magic, the table lit with a blue light, and the parchment erupted into a blue fiery blaze, sprinkling its ashes across the world.

“What in Equestria just happened?” Applejack asked.

“No longer will the map be used to travel to the past and alter the present,” Sunset claimed. “Now, there’s just one final piece left.” Patting the table, she looked up at Daydream. “I need to finally return to my world. I’ve been gone for so long, and they haven’t the slightest clue.”

“You said I could come with you. Can I still?” Daydream asked.

But Sunset shook her head. “My friends are always welcome to be your friends too, but you’ve got a bit of a mess to clean up before then.”

Daydream looked back to the six, their eyes curious, losing their anger slowly. “You’re right.” She knelt, raising a hand to Twilight. “I’ve got a lot to make up for. Will you six show me the way?”

“After all the years we’ve been stuck underground,” Rarity chimed in, “You think we’re just going to accept your apology and move on?”

“Even if everyone we love has returned, and Equestria is safe, what makes you think you can just turn on a hoof and be good?” Rainbow Dash shot in with her own thoughts.

“Because she needs help,” Fluttershy countered. “And we don’t turn our back on those that need us.”

“Especially not friends,” Twilight added, though she stared at Sunset.

Daydream looked to Sunset, her eyes filled with surprise. “Just like that? Isn’t that too easy?” she asked the unicorn.

“Are you kidding?” Sunset spat, her brows furrowed, though her mouth smiled. “Forgiving someone is the hardest thing to do. But that’s why I’ve got faith in them. They’re willing to forgive me, even when I wasn’t willing to forgive myself.” Leaning against the crystal table, she shrugged off her backpack. “And once you feel ready, you should go beyond the mirror and help the world you left behind. I know five girls there who aren’t friends that could really use someone like you.”

Placing a hand on her forehead, Daydream hid her embarrassment. “There’s so much I need to do. I’ve ruined so many lives. Where do I even start?”

“With these six.” Sunset then levitated a journal out from her back. “From the ones in front of you, to the ones beyond the mirror, and to the ones in the worlds created by Starlight Glimmer. These worlds will exist forever thanks to her, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. That just means more chances for friendship to exist. What’s so wrong with that?”

Taking the journal, Daydream flipped open the pages, and the broken watch jiggled from the binding. “There’s quite a few. How long will each world take?”

But Sunset chuckled. “It doesn’t matter how long it takes. Trust me. Take your time. Smell the flowers. It’s what I should’ve done.”

“And now you’re going too.” Daydream lifted a hand to the table. “I’ll never forget you.”

“She’s leaving?” Twilight asked, pressing a hoof on Sunset. “You’re leaving? Now? Back to your world? But I still have so many questions to ask you! Not just about her, but about our world, your world, and everything!”

“I’m going home,” Sunset replied, placing her hoof atop Twilight’s. “You’ve got some good friends here who will always help you find the answers. Trust me. You’re going to do so many great things. I’ve seen it happen six times over. There’s nothing you can’t do. The power of friendship isn’t in a crown, it’s in you. You just gotta let it out.”

Embracing Sunset, Twilight hugged the mare from another world as Daydream opened the portal home. The gusts of wind dragged Sunset from the embrace and into the air, swallowing her whole. Her last sight was that of the princesses coming close to the seven, Discord at their side. And when the portal closed, she no longer heard just the ticking sounds, the feeling of being drawn, or the pressure of the magic. She heard only her friends.

“Uh, what’s she doing here?” she heard Applejack ask.

To which Twilight responded, “Actually, it’s kind of a long story.”

“A long story doesn’t even begin to describe it.” Sunset hovered onto the table, standing on the surface behind Twilight, Starlight Glimmer, and Spike. “But it was worth everything.”

“Sunset Shimmer?” Twilight gawked, staring up at the unicorn. “How is this possible?”

“Anything is possible through friendship,” she stated as she climbed down the table. As she passed Starlight Glimmer, a true smile hung on her lips. When she reached the five at the door way, she spoke directly to them. “Try not to be too hard on her. Forgiveness isn’t easy, but I’m pretty sure she’ll be on the right track if she’s got you as teachers. I know I am.”

Passing between them, Sunset followed the hall to the open door. Against a bookcase, surrounded in mechanical contraptions, sat the mirror to another world. She met her reflection and pushed through. The rippling swirled around her, and she felt herself fall to her knees.

Kissing the ground, she stared up at the school, tears pouring down her cheeks. “I’m home.”

“Oh, yeah. This is definitely what I needed.” Twilight watched as Fluttershy tickled Spike, rubbing the dog’s belly. “A nice weekend, sitting with good friends, and all the belly rubs a dog could want,” Spike said.

“Well, I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself,” Twilight replied, rubbing his ear.

“I’m glad too,” Sunset said with a mouthful of sandwich. Though the alternate universes weighed on her mind, she kept them secret, knowing she’d be able to tell her friends all about them one day. For now, a picnic in front of the school against the courtyard’s statue was a well-earned reprieve. “Who’s a good boy?”

Spike laughed and snorted. “Uh, duh. It’s me.”

“That’s right!” Fluttershy continued to rub his belly, giggling all the while.

As they sat, enjoying each other’s company, a sudden rift erupted from the statue. Bursting out from the rippling mirror, Twilight Sparkle surprised the six. “I’m so sorry I didn’t get here sooner. I didn’t get your messages until just now because I was caught in this time travel loop, and honestly, it’s the strangest thing that’s ever happened to me!” She caught her breath, only to realize she now stared across at another version of herself. “Make that the second strangest.”

“You think that’s strange?” Sunset greeted, placing a hand on the princess’s shoulder. “Boy do I have a story to tell you. And, funnily enough, it also contains meeting other versions of you.”

“Huh?” Princess Twilight gaped, her mouth slacked open. “You and the map...”

“Speaking of which. I don’t suppose you could make another journal? I’m kinda running out of pages in the one I have.”

“Journal? Uh. Ye-yeah, sure.” Her eyes remained locked on herself. “I’ll get on that as soon as possible.” She then turned away from the alternate version of herself, readying to return to Equestria.

But just as she went to step through, another being rippled through the mirror, smashing into the princess and knocking her to the ground. Sunset stared at the being, just as surprised as Princess Twilight. “How in the world!?” Sunset’s voice cracked.

“Oh, good. I was hoping to catch you when you weren’t busy,” Daydream Shimmer stood over Princess Twilight. She then eyed the two separate Twilights and the group of shocked friends. “Though, if this is a bad time, we can always come back.”

"We?" Princess Twilight asked, sharing Sunset's confusion. Of course, their confusion didn't last long as several more girls with red and yellow hair rippled through the portal mirror, almost stampeding over each other, until the entirety of the picnic blanket sat covered in Sunset Shimmers.