In the Absence of Twilight Sparkle

by MyHobby

Rating: teen
Tags: Starlight Glimmer, Shining Armor, Equestria Girls, Principal Celestia, Sunset Shimmer, Twilight Sparkle (EqG), Alternate Universe, Romance, Thriller
Length: 168222

Twilight Sparkle isn't the only human learning magic, as Sunset discovers when she is invited overseas to visit a school run by Starlight Glimmer. She appears to have good intentions, but Sunset's doubts rise when a magic-powered murderer strikes

Continuity diverges after Rainbow Rocks.

Twilight Sparkle's power over magic has grown since she visited the strange parallel world populated by ponies. She's trained under Sunset Shimmer, learning new spells daily, earning herself greater focus and stronger friendships.

However, magic can be found outside their small circle of friends. Sunset Shimmer is invited overseas to visit a school that is dedicated to teaching humans the mystic arts. The headmistress, Starlight Glimmer, appears to have good intentions, but Sunset's doubts rise as she meets the source of their knowledge: Another visitor from the far reaches of the multiverse.

Meanwhile, Twilight encounters a murder committed through the use of magic. Danger closes in on every side as she unravels the mystery clue by clue. With Shining Armor at her back, and magic flowing through her veins, she's sure she can conquer any challenge.

But the school and the murder are connected, and when the plots converge, Twilight will have to face her greatest challenge yet...

In an infinite multiverse with infinite possibilities, there is a third Twilight Sparkle.

And she's made Sunset Shimmer's home her own.

Rated Teen for

Muchas Smoochas
and
Severe Butt-Whooping

Part of The Heart's Promise Continuity
Lord Mayor Applejack
Fahr Drill
The Unmitigated Disaster
Scootaloo Will Fly!
Nature in the Wild
DayBreak
Lightning Struck Home
In the Absence of Sunset Shimmer
An Equestrian Griffon
If You Weren't Afraid
The Worst Kept Secret
Rhythm and Rhyme
In the Absence of Twilight Sparkle
The High Pariah of Breezy Bastion
The Heart's Promise

Published 2017-03-17 00:20:02 UTC
Last updated 2021-10-09 00:40:22 UTC

New and Old, Fresh and Familiar

Sunset Shimmer stirred as sunlight traced its way across her face. She clutched her covers and pressed her cheek against her pillow, letting out a yawn. She half-considered closing the blinds to more easily get another few minutes of shut-eye, but decided she was lazy enough to ignore the light.

She ran her fingers through her hair and rolled onto her back. Her elbow brushed against skin, drawing her attention to the man beside her. He snored gently, his short, blue whiskers scratching against the sheets pulled up to his chin.

She pressed up against his arm and touched her lips to his cheek. “Hey. Good morning.”

His eyes fluttered open. He looked around cross-eyed for a moment before settling on her. “Hey.” He grinned. “Your hair’s on fire again.”

Sunset let a breath hiss through her nose. “That’s your opening line, huh?”

He tilted his head, reaching up to brush her bangs out of the way. “How’s this: When the sunlight hits you just right, as it crests over yonder hill, a fiery halo surrounds you, shining with holy beauty.”

She raised a single eyebrow.

“Or will ‘You’re hot’ suffice?” he said.

She giggled, resting her hand on his shoulder. “Class act as always, Shiny.”

Shining Armor rolled his free hand behind his head and shut his eyes. “Call me lazy, but I think I’m gonna try and sleep for a few more minutes—”

Thundering footsteps raced down the hallway. A shout like an approaching army hailed. “Mommy, Daddy, Mommy, Daddy, Mommy, Daddy!”

A young boy burst into the bedroom, leaping through the air to land squarely on Shining Armor’s stomach. Shining bolted upright, the wind knocked from him, his eyes bulging.

“Mommy, Daddy!” the boy said. “Family reunion today! We’re going to the family reunion!”

Sunset, at a loss for words, could only gasp the boy’s name. “Sunny!”

Without acknowledging his mother, the boy leaped from the bed and careened through the rest of the house, shouting at the top of his lungs.

Shining Armor rested a hand on his middle and wheezed. “Never mind.”

Sunset threw the covers back and opened the curtain. The suburbs of Canterlot City sprawled before her, shining yellow in the warm summer morning. A few early-morning risers could be seen tending to their gardens, or playing catch in their backyard. Without looking away, she took a ring from her nightstand and slid it over her finger.

Shining Armor wrapped his arms around her waist and lowered his chin to her shoulder. “I think your magic’s getting stronger.”

Sunset leaned against him, twirling the ring between her fingers. “Why’s that?”

Shining Armor’s bright, blue eyes trailed down to her hands. “Because you pulled that thing from across the room without even thinking about it.”

“I didn’t—” She turned to the nightstand, which lay several feet away. Just a little bit farther than her arm could reach. “Huh. I guess teaching Twilight’s paying dividends.”

Shining laughed lightly, his voice warbling. He stared out the window, his eyes unfocused. “Well. Good. It’s something you love.”

“That’s putting it lightly,” Sunset said. She winked at him. “And I’ve got the magical tattoo to prove it.”

Shining’s mouth quirked at the corner. “I have been wanting to take a closer look at that—”

Something heavy and potentially expensive landed with a thud on the far side of the house. Shining choked on his words and made haste through the bedroom door. “Sunny! What’s up, buddy?”

“I didn’t do it!”

Sunset smiled to herself, hugging her elbows and sliding the curtain closed with her magic. She closed the door and set about disrobing. She’d picked her outfit for the day last night; a yellow sundress, light and cool. “We’re gonna have to do something about that fibbing streak.”

The door rattled. “Sunset? Can you give me a shirt?”

Sunset hopped over to the door with a cottony t-shirt in hand. She cracked the door open and held it out until she felt Shining tug it away. “What’s the damage, Shiny?”

“The hibiscus will never play the violin again,” Shining said, “but the vacuum cleaner ’ll get the dirt in a jiff.”

Sunset tapped the door before he could walk away. “Get Sunny dressed, okay? And pack up his swimsuit for the pond.”

“Sure thing. Make sure you bring yours, too.”

Sunset grimaced, biting her lip. “I don’t think I’m swimming today, Shiny.”

“I know you can’t resist dipping your toes in.”

“When you’re right, you’re right.” Sunset pulled the sundress over her head and wriggled through the folds of fabric. “And I know you shouldn’t jump in until you’ve let Granny Smith’s Famous Baked Beans digest for a little while.”

“Noted,” he said as his footsteps receded.

Sunset sat at her small vanity mirror and applied a hint of makeup to her face. Not much, since she didn’t want it to run, but just enough that it brought out her eyes. Much, much easier, she thought, than combing her coat back in Equestria.

She ran over the contents of their kitchen in her mind. Eggs for breakfast? Maybe there were still waffles in the freezer. Farm Flakes cereal would be faster. Were they out of milk again? Shining didn’t like his cereal dry, and Sunny wouldn’t eat it without a spoonful or two of sugar…

A hustle brought her to the kitchen, where Shining sat at the table, the paper in one hand, a mug of coffee gripped in the other. She shook her head when she saw it was murky brown, rather than dark; Shining tried to drown out the taste with cream and sugar again. “You’ve brewed a Café-Mocha Diabetes again, huh?”

Shining smirked over the brim. “I’d have mixed a milkshake if I didn’t need the caffeine.”

“It sounds healthier if you call it a smoothie, Shiny.” She patted his shoulder as she passed. “And there’s probably plenty of caffeine—and real energy—in a banana smoothie.”

“Nanners!” Sunny leaned over the table, dangerously close to getting Oaty-O’s on his shirt. “I wanna have some nanners!”

Sunset came behind the boy, cupping his head between her hands. “Maybe later, Sweetheart. Mommy’s gotta get us ready for the re—”

“Family reunion!” He squirmed in her grip, more from excitement than from dislike of being touched. “Is Apple Bloom gonna be there?”

Shining took a sip to cover his mouth and muffle his words. “Applejack ’d be pissed if she wasn’t.”

Sunset shot her husband a white-hot glare, then turned tender eyes on her son. “Yes, I’m pretty sure Apple Bloom will be there.”

“And Sweetie Belle and Aunt Scootaloo?”

Sunset cracked a smile. “Yes, Aunt Scootaloo and her friend will be there, too.”

“And Nana and Papa?”

“No,” Shining said. “Nana and Papa are home in Micronia. We’ll see them at Hearth’s Warming.”

“Oh.” Sunny’s head shot towards his mother, pulling his ears from her warm touch. “Will Aunt Twilight be there?”

Sunset blew a soft breath through her lips. A glance at Shining told her he was busying himself with cleaning his mug, his mind ostensibly on some other subject. She kissed Sunny on the forehead and walked off to gather essentials for the party. “She’ll come as soon as she can. She’s working really hard right now.”

“Okay.” Sunny gripped the back of his chair. “How soon?”

Sunset smirked to herself. “‘Grown-up’ kinda soon. Sometime after ‘maybe.’”

***

Twilight Sparkle leaned back and took a breath of fresh air. The lab was chilly today, necessitating a sweater beneath her lab coat despite the blazing summer heat outside. She’d been bashing her head against a brick wall all night long. Figuratively, of course, but her head still hurt. She rubbed her hands together to return life to her chilled, rubber-wrapped fingers. She gagged and pulled the gloves off to clean up with hot, soapy water. A sip of Booyah Energy Drink lent some sugar-fueled, caffeinated power to her aching limbs.

The cadaver lay on the table, lifelessly staring at the ceiling. Although staring was difficult, considering the non-existence of its eyes. The poor thing was basically skin and bone, leathery and dry. Perfectly, pristinely, impossibly mummified. Nothing had decayed, not even the internal organs. The moisture had simply disappeared en masse.

Twilight jotted down the thought on a nearby yellow notepad. Normally, when all the moisture in an object evaporated at once, it tended to end in an explosion of steam, destroying whatever had spontaneously combusted. Mummies were created under special conditions, in a dry environment with specific chemicals to preserve the skin, muscles, and bones.

They were not created on the side of the road, fully clothed, with no wounds to be found anywhere on the body.

Twilight swore under her breath. She glanced over her team’s notes to give herself a little more time away from the cadaver. Female; mid-fifties; four foot, eight inches; upper-class judging by the gold wristwatch and pricey shoes; cream-colored skin; almond hair; five fillings; a pin in her knee; three days from retirement.

She scratched that last note off. Black humor didn’t quite seem appropriate.

The only identification she had on her was engraved into the back of the wristwatch; a small inscription that read “Happy Birthday, Ray. From Lesti.” Because nicknames were so very helpful when identifying a mummified body.

Moondancer walked into the room, holding a bundle of paper sheets. “Blood’s work’s back. Looks like she’s AB pos—” The woman paused. She looked over her glasses and touched a finger to her temple. “You look deader than the corpse.”

“Oog.” Twilight Sparkle ran her hands through her hair. They didn’t make it far before getting caught in her hairband. “What time is it?”

“Tomorrow-o’-clock.” Moondancer eased herself around the cadaver to stand at Twilight’s side. “You’ve got the weekend off, right? Get some sleep, Twi.”

“Sleep.” Twilight removed her glasses to rub her eyes. “Sounds wonderful. I’ll get right on that after the family reunion. And my date. And my workout. And… whatever the heck else I’ve decided to cram into the next couple of days.”

Moondancer drummed her fingers on the countertop beside the can of Booyah. “Did you at least schedule time to eat? Something to tide you over until your next caffeine high?”

“Didn’t you hear me?” Twilight Sparkle put on a fresh pair of gloves. She set about the unenviable task of preparing the cadaver for storage. “The family reunion is with the Apples. If I ever leave that house hungry, it’s because somebody sewed my mouth shut. Granny Smith’s a monster with the fryer, Big Mac was born and raised on the grill—and his fireside vegetables are divine—Applejack’s a madwoman when it comes to everything else. I’m gonna have to go on a diet just to maintain my weight after—” Twilight hiccupped. The clock on the wall read ten-o’-clock in the morning. The reunion was starting in… minutes, really. It was an all-day event at the least, all-weekend event at the most. It wasn’t like she wouldn’t get to experience most of it, even if she was a little late, but…

Every moment spent at the lab was time away from people who loved her.

Pace yourself, she thought, handling the tools of the trade with a delicate touch. Only fools rush in. She had time. She had plenty of time. No need to—

A blade fell from her grip. She reach out with sheer instinct and snatched it before it hit the ground. It hovered in midair, glistening with faint purple sparks.

Twilight glanced at Moondancer, who was busy looking over her notes. She hadn’t seen. Twilight breathed a sigh and set the tool next to the others. She flexed her fingers, from which power still flowed in streams of light. A deep breath, in through her nose and out of her mouth, slowed her heart and brought the magic to a standstill.

She was dangerously tired to make a slip-up like that. To use magic so close to a coworker? In a lab, where untamed magic could cause unknown reactions with chemicals? On a sheer blade, which if mishandled could cause serious injury? No, it was time to find a dark corner to curl up in and sleep forever.

Twilight blinked as she rolled the body into its assigned container. A forgotten Jane Doe, her identity completely lost, if only for the moment. A tragedy which had lost its chance for a happy ending.

For the moment, it was no longer Twilight Sparkle’s responsibility.

Twilight cleaned herself off once again. Germ-free and cadaver-bare, she headed for the exit.

Moondancer caught her shoulder. “Sparkle. The Chief wants the results. I’ve still got some cleaning up to do, so—”

“I’ll take care of it.” Twilight grasped the offered sheets of paper. “Dead-tree style, huh? I really wish Carrot would use her email more regularly.”

“I’ve always said she was born in the wrong decade.” Moondancer shot Twilight a mock salute with two fingers. “Godspeed.”

“Yeah, and may your lawn gnomes never fracture.”

Moondancer pursed her lips. “I suppose that’s a blessing I’m willing to take. Except I live in an apartment, leaving lawns and their gnomes a distant dream.”

“Whatever, just—” Twilight waved a useless hand and pushed the door open without another word.

***

Sunset Shimmer tapped her fingers against the steering wheel of her minivan. A captain at the helm of her vessel. A pilot of her starship through the cosmos. A lone soldier against a world of metal and mayhem, in which one wrong move could mean death for them all.

She activated the right turn signal and accelerated to twenty-five miles per hour. A glance in the rear-view mirror told her Sunny was happily scribbling away with his crayons. A muffled sigh from her right told her Shining Armor was having little success at his task.

Shining folded the newspaper in half to keep the windows clear. “Friggin’… Gimme something.”

Sunset suppressed a sigh of her own. “Shiny, save the job search for tomorrow.”

“I will.” Shining Armor plucked the pen from between his lips and circled an article in the want ads. “I swear I won’t even call anybody during the reunion.”

“You know what I mean.” Sunset eased the minivan out of the way of a biker meandering his way down the median. “Take today as a restful, relaxing celebration. Leave tomorrow’s issues for tomorrow. There’s enough stress to go around without you—”

“Sunset.” Shining tapped the paper against the dashboard. He shot her a half-convincing grin. “It’s fine. There’s no stress. I’m not stressed at all. Maybe you’re stressed, but I’m not. Not even a little.”

Sunset gritted her teeth behind tight lips. “You don’t act like it.”

Sunny looked up from his coloring book, a serious frown spoiling his adorable face. She could tell from the shine in his eyes that he was in full absorption mode, completely entranced by his parent’s conversation.

“Honey!”

Sunset slammed on the brakes. She skidded to a stop a few feet away from putting a dent in their neighbor’s car, which was half-pulled out of their driveway. Their neighbor waved at them—with just one finger—and drove off none the worse for the wear.

Shining Armor blew a breath through his lips, giving their neighbor a much friendlier wave. “You okay, Shimmy?”

Sunset gripped the wheel tighter. “Fine.”

“You want me to drive?”

“Not until we get your name on the insurance.”

“Fair’s fair.” Shining Armor pointed to the cars that had stopped behind them. “So, you wanna get rolling?”

Sunset stretched her neck rather than say anything. It was a fairly short drive to Sweet Apple Acres. Just a quick drive, and then she could unwind. Relax. Be among the friends who had become her family.

“Hey.” Shining touched her hand, sending tingles down her arm. “Summer’s not over yet, okay?”

She gave his forearm a squeeze, then sped onward and upward to their destination.

***

Twilight Sparkle squirmed out of the sweater as she stepped into the stuffy offices of Canterlot City Police Department. The air conditioning was acting up again, and the atmosphere of irritation was thick enough to swim through. Everyone who could be on their rounds was out, and the folks who remained… well…

The CCPD’s chief of police, Care Carrot, leaned against her desk as Twilight walked into her office. She fanned herself with a newspaper and grimaced. “Sparkle. Nice sweater. Perfectly seasonal.”

“Thank you, ma’am.” Twilight held out the test results, putting them within grabbing distance of the chief. “Not sure what else we can tell you. No ID tags, no discernable fingerprints, not even an eye color.”

“Awesome.” Care glanced over the bloodwork, found it uninteresting, and tossed it onto her desk. “So that’s one golden watch and a whole lot of dead. Think it was foul play? This sorta thing doesn’t happen by accident.”

“All due respect, this sorta thing doesn’t happen, period.” Twilight shrugged. “I’m heading out for the weekend. Try not to burn the city down while I’m gone.”

Care glanced down at the radio on her hip as it squawked. She blew a raspberry. “Any more days like today and a fire ’d be a nice change of pace. Keep your nose clean.”

Twilight Sparkle resisted the urge to simply tear off her dress shirt as she power walked between desks. She caught snippets of conversations as she walked by, recognizing various cases she was working on. Robberies, car accidents, domestic disputes, missing persons—

“She’s almost five feet tall,” one faintly familiar voice said. “A… pale complexion. Dark brunette hair. Ah… brown eyes. Last time I saw her, she was wearing a white dress—”

Twilight Sparkle halted in her tracks. That was a fairly strong coincidence if it was one. She glanced around for the voice, and was drawn to Officer Caution Tape’s desk, where he was interviewing someone.

“Can ye tell me anything more about Miss Raven?” he asked.

Happy Birthday, Ray. From Lesti. “Ray” checked out, but what did that leave “Lesti”?

Twilight Sparkle rounded a corner and ducked behind an officer. The woman Caution was interviewing came into view, and instantly, Twilight had a name for the face.

Principal Celestia sat with her arms propped on her knees, leaning over as if she was ready to vomit. She rubbed her temple. “I don’t know.”

Twilight Sparkle eased herself to the next desk over. The officer who usually manned it was probably in the restroom or something. She leaned her hands against it nonchalantly as possible, acting for all the world like she was supposed to be there.

“Anybody she’d be with? Local family? Enemies?”

“There was…” Celestia looked up with a chest-deep sigh. “She has no family. She’s never been anything but wonderful. I can’t think of a single person who’d want to hurt her. She’s been travelling for a few years, but I can’t imagine it’s changed anything.”

Caution nodded diplomatically. To Twilight, it seemed he was slightly more suspicious about Raven’s out-of-town activities than Celestia was. “Alright, Miss. Call us if you can think of anything else that might lead us to Miss Raven. And we’ll let you know what we find as soon as we can.”

“Thank you.” Celestia stood up slowly and reached out to shake his hand. “I appreciate the help, Officer Tape.”

Twilight Sparkle took that as the opportune moment to step in. “Excuse me.”

Caution raised an eyebrow. “Sparkle, we were just finishin’ up.”

Celestia’s eyes lit up, if only for an instant. A smile tugged at her lips as she moved her outstretched hand towards Twilight. “Twilight! Twilight Sparkle! How nice to see you! I was wondering if we’d run into each other.”

Twilight took the offered hand and shook gently. “The pleasure’s all mine, Celestia. It’s been a while.”

“Since Sunny’s fourth birthday party, yes.” Celestia’s smile shifted to slightly mischievous. “And I hear you and Sunset have a bit of a celebration ahead of you today, don’t you?”

“That’s for sure—” Twilight caught Caution’s souring disposition in her prereferral vision. Time to move the conversation forward. “I couldn’t help overhearing, and I think… I might have an answer for you.”

Celestia’s smile crumbled. Her eyebrows came together. Her voice, previously strong and chipper, lowered to a harsh whisper. “You do?”

“I think so.” Twilight Sparkle found herself wringing her hands together. “I was wondering… did you and Raven have nicknames for each other? Specifically, Ray and Lesti?”

Celestia was quiet for a long moment. She sat down, her eyes staring at nothing, the very color seeming to drain from her wavy locks. “Oh God.” She swallowed hard, and acknowledged Twilight with a tearful blink. “You found the watch, didn’t you?”

Caution Tape scowled at Twilight. “Sparkle, wot’s—?”

Twilight drew a line across her throat and silenced him with a glare.

Celestia no longer looked sad. Her eyes dried as if on command. Her mouth became a grim line. She folded her hands on her lap and took in a quick, steadying breath. “The watch is gold, with platinum trim, sealed with crystal, engraved with a birthday message from me to her. Th—the only three people who actively used those nicknames are me, my sister, and Raven. The only people still alive, that is.”

She shook her head. “You work in the morgue, don’t you?”

Twilight shook her head. “I’m a forensics lab technician, first and foremost. I mostly run the equipment and leave the… the medical diagnoses to doctors.”

Celestia’s eyebrows raised. “But she’s gone, isn’t she?”

Twilight waved an arm, pointedly ignoring Caution as he turned away in exasperation. “We don’t know that for sure. Someone could have stolen the watch, or—”

“Twilight.” Celestia grabbed her hand. “We are both smart women. We can put two and two together. It’s why you’re here.”

Twilight looked down at her shoes. She felt regret tugging at the corners of her mind. Regret for Celestia’s situation, or for getting involved, she wasn’t sure.

“Was is painless?” Celestia asked. “Please tell me she didn’t suffer.”

Twilight met Celestia where she was. Eye to eye, truth bared, voice steady. “I’m sorry. I don’t know the answer to that.”

Celestia’s mouth twisted. “Can I see her?”

“Absolutely not!” Caution said. He bumped his knuckles against Twilight’s shoulder as she stepped back from Celestia. He took her out of earshot and leaned in close to hiss a whisper. “If Raven is the Jane Doe you’ve got stuffed in the fridge, seein’ her ain’t gonna do Celestia any favors, mentally speakin’. And where do you get the spikenard to push into my Q and A session like that without talkin’ to me first?”

Twilight wanted for all the world to roll her eyes, but kept a professional face. Barely. “I connected the dots on your investigation before you started. You’re welcome.”

“I swear, Sparkle, one of these days—” He stepped to the side to allow another officer to pass between the desks. “—one of these days you’re gonna step on the toes of due process and get yourself in a problem you can’t get out of.”

Maybe one of these days you’ll discover breath mints, Twilight thought. “I’ll keep that in mind, Scotch.”

“Scotch was my father’s name.” Caution bustled back to his desk, leaving Twilight to watch the scene from afar. Celestia glanced at her, but her attention soon fell away as she discussed with Caution regarding the new revelation. Twilight considered sticking around, but she was no longer on the clock, and making Caution miserable was a fool’s errand.

With her sweater slung over her arm, her pistol tucked securely away, and her destination set, Twilight Sparkle left the CCPD for the weekend. She suspected it wasn’t the last she would hear about Celestia and Raven.

But for now, there were more important things to think about.

***

Sunset Shimer rolled up to the farmhouse. She was not the first to arrive, it seemed, as she had to navigate around a veritable parking lot that had spontaneously appeared on Sweet Apple Acres’ front lawn. A long paved path through the grass snaked its way around trees and stopped just short of the first of a few barns. Tractors and plowing equipment had been shifted aside for a photo display. Streamers trailed between branches and rooftops. Balloons hung with care from a giant sign, as tall as a person, which proudly announced the reason for the festivities.

Shining rolled the paper up and tucked it into the glove compartment. Once the engine turned off, laughter and conversation radiated from the farm all around them. He shared a smile with her and set about freeing Sunny from his confinement.

Sunny practically vibrated. “I wanna go swimming!”

“Gotcha, buddy.” Shining laughed as he strained over the back of the seat. “Gimme a sec—”

Sunset Shimmer opened the passenger door, reached over, and unbuckled Sunny with a flick of her fingers. She winked at Shining—“Beat ya to it”—and moved to the side to allow the young boy to bolt into the open air.

Walter and Wilbur, the Apple Family’s most recent batch of puppies, collided with Sunny and nearly knocked him over. The three of them ran around like mad, barking and yipping up a storm. If Sunset didn’t know better, she’d say Sunny was barking louder than the dogs combined.

Shining Armor hugged Sunset from behind and gave her a peck on the cheek. “Is there anything you can’t do effortlessly?”

Sunset laughed in the back of her throat. “Fly.”

She pulled away from her husband, raising an arm to wave at a figure approaching them across the field. “Applejack!”

Applejack whistled, calling Wilbur and Walter to her side. She tipped her hat and returned the wave with a flourish. “Welcome, one an’ all, to the Apple Family reunion! We got games, food, prizes, an’ just plain good company.” She encased Sunset in a hug made of iron, but cushioned with love. “An’ the best part is that Granny Smith finally let me plan another reunion, so you know it’s gonna be good.”

“Uh oh,” Shining said, crossing his arms. “Is fun mandatory again this year?”

“Har-de-har, loudmouth.” Applejack chucked him in the shoulder with enough oomph to lay low a wildcat. “B’sides, I had a lot of help from Pinkie and Cheese. So I can’t take all the credit.”

Sunset led the way towards the reunion proper, located between the farmhouse and the grain barn. “That does explain the streamers.”

“Streamers, nothin’. They were this close to making the pond a giant punch bowl.” Applejack punched a fist in the air and hollered at the top of her lungs. “Soup’s up! Come an’ get it while the gettin’s good!”

A crowd of friends and family, familiar and otherwise, rolled across the lawn. People of every size, shape, color, and walk of life crowded around with smiles to spare. Sunset cast a glance for Sunny in the melee, and was relieved to find him safe in his father’s arms.

In a flash, Sunset was the center of attention for the other most important people in her life. Rainbow Dash leaped up to press down on Sunset’s shoulders. “Sunset! You made it!”

“As if there was any doubt,” Rarity said, giving Sunset a peck on each cheek. “Wild boars couldn’t keep her away.”

Pinkie Pie shoved a plate overflowing with goodies into her hands. “Have you tried the punch? It’s a little underwhelming compared to what it could have been, but—”

Fluttershy grasped Sunset’s hand and giggled. “It’s most definitely a reunion now that you’re here. I can’t tell you how happy I am to see you.”

Applejack parted the ranks with strong, patient hands. “Alright, y’all, you’re gonna smother her b’fore she even has a bite to eat. Give the girl some space.”

Rarity sniffed, holding her nose in the air. “Well, if I must maintain a certain distance from Sunset, then I shall have to settle for spoiling her darling child. Come to Auntie Rarity, dear!”

Sunny was quick to accept. He hugged Rarity’s legs and gave her a wide smile. “Can I have candy, Auntie Rarity?”

Rarity ruffled his reddish hair. “Dearest Sunny, it’s a Pinkie Pie Party at Sweet Apple Acres. You have only yourself to blame for not eating yourself sick.”

“I don’t wanna get sick.”

“I didn’t mean—” Rarity rolled her eyes and nodded to Sunset. “He has a head on his shoulders. I approve.”

Granny Smith’s voice carried over from a table laden with victuals of every kind. “You kids better bust a move on over here! These apples ain’t gonna eat themselves, now, hear? Gotta put some meat on your bones for the games!”

Rainbow Dash crossed her legs and leaned an elbow on Sunset Shimmer’s shoulder. She plucked a bite of monkey bread from the plate and tossed it into her mouth. “I love being an Apple for a day.”

Sunset passed the plate to a slightly-confused Fluttershy. She shielded her eyes from the morning sun, scanning the reunion for others. “Has Twilight gotten here yet? Did you guys see her?”

“Nope!” Pinkie Pie pulled a list from behind her back. It trailed down to her spindly knees. “I can say with utmost certainty that of the guests invited, only thirty-seven have failed to arrive, and twenty of those RSVPed that they couldn’t come. Twilight Sparkle finds herself number sixteen of the unaccounted for.”

Shining Armor scratched his forehead. “I think Twilight’d be proud of that assessment.” He rested a hand lightly on Sunset’s shoulder to get her attention. “I’m gonna grab a few of the guys and see if I can’t drum up a football game. You’ve got Sunny until he’s inevitably swooped up by his adoring public?”

“Too late for that.” Sunny stood by Rarity’s side, who had brought him to Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom. The two young ladies were already cooing over him with reckless abandon, spoiling him with treats from their plates and laughing at his four-year-old skill-level jokes. Sunset slipped her fingers around Shining’s. “Go have fun, and get a touchdown for me. Just don’t get too hurt.”

Sunset paused her scan, landing on a face closer to her heart than most. “Excuse me, please. I need to say hi.”

Pinkie bobbed her head, sending her curls dancing wildly. “We’ll be here!”

Fluttershy passed the plate to Rainbow Dash, who gave up all pretenses of merely nibbling. “You’re going to say hello to Scootaloo?”

“Yeah.” Sunset Shimmer brushed her hair behind her ear with the tips of her fingers. “Wish me luck.”

Applejack nodded. “Godspeed.”

Scootaloo stood in line, waiting her chance to pull meat from the foil trays set along the table. She reached for a rib, thought better of it, and grabbed a few chicken wings instead. An extra dollop of barbeque sauce found its way to her plate, carefully avoiding any chance to soil her leather jacket.

“Hi, Scoots.” Sunset Shimmer took a plate in hand and followed Scootaloo down the buffet. “How’s things?”

“Hm?” Scootaloo glanced up, quirked her mouth to the side, and returned her attention to the food. “Hey, Sunset. Things ’re good. Got that job at Petal Metal’s Garage. Seems like a good fit.”

“Good. I’m glad.” Sunset felt her cheeks heat up. Ribs would absolutely destroy her dress, but that might be a small sacrifice to make. Yes, that seemed a good idea; concern herself with food rather than the person she was talking to. Much more gooder idea. “Are you still taking classes at the community college?”

“Nah. Taking a break. Building up my coffers.” Scootaloo snorted. “I’m gonna need to work for years if I wanna even get close to… eh. You know.”

Scootaloo grinned. She nudged Sunset in the side. “Hey. Almost got my pilot’s license. Just need a little more airtime.”

Sunset breathed a sigh. There was something to grasp at. An actual conversation. “Still taking off from Whistler Fields?”

“Yeah, old man Bunsen still keeps his planes in working order.” Scootaloo looked to the left, then the right. She leaned close and hissed just above the dull roar of the reunion. “Know what? Last time I went up, I totally did a roll.”

Sunset gave her a double-take. “You did not!”

“Totally.”

“Oho ho gosh.” Sunset laughed, shaking her head in incredulity. “Oh gosh, how are you not dead?”

“Because I didn’t tell Mom.” Scootaloo held up a hand, hesitating before touching it to Sunset’s shoulder. “Don’t tell Mom. She’d die, then come back as a zombie to kill me. And then she’d ground me. As a zombie. Please.”

Sunset looked her foster sister in the eye for the first time that day. She nodded slowly, certainly. “Your secret’s safe with me. Just don’t crash next time you do that.”

“I didn’t crash the first time.” Scootaloo pointed at Sunset, then turned away to head for Apple Bloom and Sweetie. “One step closer to the dream, am-I-right?”

“That’s right, Scootaloo.” Sunset Shimmer set her plate down, all but ignored. She hugged her bare arms, wishing for words worth speaking. “Keep following that dream.”

***

Twilight Sparkle followed a familiar road towards the farmland. It was a road she’d driven many times the last six-or-so years, to meet with a special friend. A special friend who grew into something else.

A couple special friends, really. Big Mac lay heavy on her mind, but Sunset as well. It was the place she’d first met the magical woman. It was the first time she’d ever felt home anywhere outside wherever her parents lived at the time. At least, when they weren’t staying at some random army base. That never quite felt like home. Not for her.

Spike had helped. Shining had helped. But things don’t last forever. Shining had joined the military and flown overseas, and Spike…

Twilight drove to the edge of the property. Her little purple car barely made a noise as she took the key from the ignition. Her tires fit neatly into her favorite parking spot. The reunion would be in full swing by this point, but she had another stop to make.

She walked through wet grass. Rain had been strong that year, and even though the sky was blue and cloudless, the ground was still heavy with moisture. Barely a birdsong broke through the stillness of the little plot at the edge of Sweet Apple Acres. Marble memorials dotted the grounds, broken by the occasional taller stone.

She knelt beside one memorial in particular, lying in the outermost portion of the property. A humble little plot with modest plaques. She brushed droplets aside and read the words inscribed therein.

Spike. Beloved dog and fearsome dragon.

She hugged her knees and knelt by the grave for a while. It was peaceful, calming, quiet. A time to empty her mind of the worries of work, or the troubles of tomorrow. Just a little moment spent between friends.

A heavy footstep broke the reverie, but it was not an entirely unpleasant interruption. Twilight Sparkle looked over her shoulder to see a big, tall man, with sandy blond hair and amazing biceps. “Hi, Big Mac. How’d you know to look here?”

“You always stop by and see Spike first.” He reached down to help her to her feet. He practically lifted her off the ground as effortlessly as he might pick up an errant sheet of paper. “I saw your car drive by, and figured I’d greet you before things got too crazy at the party.”

Twilight rested her hands on his chest and leaned close. “Good idea.”

A gentle kiss was shared beneath a lone apple tree in the cemetery. A birdsong serenaded the couple, following them as they walked slowly towards the party, hand-in-hand. Twilight adjusted her glasses with her free hand to push them higher on her nose.

“I’m glad you could come,” Big Mac said. “I know work’s been rough on you, lately.”

“It is kinda terrible.” Twilight blew a long breath through pursed lips. “I had the honor of telling somebody their loved one passed away today.”

Big Mac lowered his eyebrows. “Wanna talk about it?”

“Not now.” Twilight shook her head. Her loose ponytail batted her shoulders. “Not today. Not when we’ve got so much to be happy for.”

Big Mac smiled. It was a small smile, sad at the edges, but sincere. It was a special smile, one that he saved for her and her alone. “I can think of one thing in particular.”

“Oh yeah?” Twilight winced at the tension in her shoulders, but managed to force a curious smile. “Hit me with it.”

“Well,” Big Mac said, “I do know that bein’ with you, and talkin’ to you, and walkin’ beside you… well, that kinda makes me happy all by itself.”

Twilight squeezed his hand. The sounds of the party grew warmer as they approached, beating the heat and humidity for prevalence. Magic tingled at her fingertips. She stuffed the sparkling hand into her pocket to hide it from view. If there was one thing she still lacked skill in, it was controlling her magic despite her emotions. Feeling that light, that spark of friendship, still tended to draw out the deepest part of herself.

Big Mac looked down at her left hand, the one he was still holding. “Kinda tingles.”

Twilight felt her face heat up, but wasn’t going to pull away unless he asked. “Yeah. It’s still taking a while to get used to. I mean, the studies are absolutely fascinating, but it doesn’t remove the fact that it’s still so bizarre. So out of this world…”

She held her free hand up. Pinpricks of light flitted around, dancing between her fingers, tracing shapes in midair. “To think, this power lived in me all these years and I never knew it.”

A spark touched the tip of Big Mac’s nose. He blinked and twitched his nostrils, chuckling from the back of his throat. “You think other people have that power?”

“Maybe.” She shrugged. “Who can say for sure unless they have an encounter with magic?”

“Couldn’t tell yah,” he said. “Ain’t had much sense of it myself, even spendin’ time with you.”

“You’ve got a magic all your own.” Twilight glanced behind, to catch the last glimpse of the cemetery. Spike’s memorial sat beneath the old apple tree, highlighted by the sun. To her front, the party was in full swing, with friends and food and fun awaiting her arrival.

Big Mac cupped the side of her head and laid a kiss atop it. “I love you, Twilight.”

“I love you, too, Mac.”

***

Celestia sat at her computer, her head in her hands. She peered between her fingers to see the screen. The search engine had found her an answer. In zero-point-one-seven seconds, no less, as the data proudly proclaimed.

Ursagryph University, est. 1863 by King Andean Ursagryph as a sanctuary of higher education. Located in the Highborn Isles on the Lake Isle of Inasmuch. Alumni of this university include every member of the Royal Family, from King Periwinkle the Just in times past to our very own Prince Blueblood the Second.

Luna wandered in behind her, munching on a burrito and clutching her robe tight around the chest. “Not thinking of jumping ship again, are you?”

Celestia snorted into her palms. “Luna, if I wanted any other position besides High School Principal, I’d have left decades ago.”

Luna leaned on the back of the office chair. “Oh. Ursagryph University. It’s been a while since I saw that name.”

“No kidding.” Celestia leaned back, offsetting Luna’s balance. “I found Raven.”

“Huh?” Luna grasped Celestia’s shoulder. “Where? Did she go back to the school? Take up a teaching job?”

Celestia’s rough, reddened eyes met Luna’s own. “The police found the watch. She never took that thing off, Luna. They found it on a body.”

The burrito dropped from a limp hand. Luna cupped her mouth, stumbling back. Her eyes flicked to the screen, and shimmered with its light. “Oh. Oh, Celestia, I’m sorry—You’re going to tell him, aren’t you?”

“As soon as I can.” Celestia scrolled down the page until she found a small tab labeled “Contact Us.” A click sent her to a page with email links, street addresses, and a few phone numbers. She picked up the cell phone set beside the computer and punched in the front desk, preceded by the country code. Foreign calls were expensive, she knew, but money was no object. Not to her, and not in this instance.

“Hello, you have reached the front desk of Ursagryph University. How may I direct your call?”

Celestia steeled herself from her core. Her hand gripped the cell phone tight. “I need to speak with a professor there. Would you connect me to Dr. Sombra?”

“I’m afraid Dr. Sombra has taken a holiday.”

Celestia held the mic away from her mouth to groan.

“Would you like me to give him a message?”

“Yes, please.” Celestia’s mouse cursor flitted across the screen and selected a tab marked “Staff.” A long photo appeared, filled with people old and young, proud and disgruntled, familiar and unknown. Near the center, with the senior staff, stood a tall, strong man, held up with a cane. The wrinkles were new, coursing across his face and cracking it with age, but the eyes were the same. The flowing black hair was unchanged as well, if streaked with gray.

She, too, was fighting a losing battle with age as far as gray hair went. She was half-certain she’d be pure white if not for the constant hair color she assailed her head with.

“Please state your message, and I shall give it to Dr. Sombra as soon as he returns.”

“Please tell him… it’s from Celestia.” Celestia sighed. Luna put reassuring hands on her shoulders, even as she leaned forward to listen closer. “Tell him I have… very important news about his sister.”

Endless Possibilities

Evening came to Sweet Apple Acres, but the party did not abate. Classic games like bocce ball, the sack race, and the egg toss competed with each other for prominence. Blindman’s Bluff monopolized the pond. Piñatas were set up for the younger kids all over the farm; that was probably Pinkie Pie’s idea.

Cheese Sandwich snorted as he tried to hold his phone steady. A video displayed on the touch screen, showcasing a variety of wild animals dubbed over with various accents from the Highborn Isles. Two giraffes played the part of a couple in the midst of a lovers’ spat.

Big Macintosh watched from over Cheese’s shoulder, his mouth not quite betraying emotion, but his eyes lighting up all the same. Shining was in hysterics, the video having hit his funny bone juuust right.

Big Mac ran a towel over his head to dry it from his time in the pond. Sunny had challenged him to make a bigger splash than he did. He had obliged with a little help from the tire swing. Applejack had muttered something about knocking all the water out of the pond, but the kids loved the waves. After that, Twilight had challenged him to a race across the water, and had almost beat him. Combine that with a touch football game with Shining, Cheese, and the others, alongside helping set the party up, and Big Mac was just about ready to relax the rest of the day.

He looked across the pond and saw Twilight Sparkle and Sunset Shimmer sitting together. A couple of their other friends were close by, having not yet left for their homes.

A few of them would be back the next day, as their schedules allowed. Most of the out-of-town family would be staying on the farm, nestled into barns or campers or tents. After the most recent growing season, there was plenty of food to go around, and plenty of firewood to cook it over. For just this small moment, nobody had work to do, or places to be, or worries to ponder. Not unless they brought such things for themselves.

“We have fun,” Cheese said, putting his phone away and leaning back against the grass. He opened one eye to look Big Mac’s way. “You know, I woulda had that touchdown if you’d just thrown the ball to me.”

Shining took a breath long enough to finally speak around the titters. “Seriously? Cheese, there’s a reason we gave you the kicker position.”

“Blah blah, it’s touch football. The rules have changed.” Cheese cupped his hands behind his frizzled, curly hair. “I coulda caught it. Maybe.”

Big Mac sat cross-legged and pulled his shirt over his head. The sun set behind Twilight, framing her through the trees. Her beautiful smile outshone the celestial object by several orders of magnitude.

Cheese nudged his knee. “Somebody’s distracted.”

Big Mac chuckled. “It’s not a distraction if it’s the main focus.”

Shining Armor propped his chin up on a fist. He checked on Sunny, who sat a few yards way getting pampered by Granny Smith. Satisfied that his boy was occupied for the moment, he tossed the football Big Mac’s way. “So. You gonna pop the question or what?”

Mac caught the football one-handed. He shook out his hair in an attempt to get himself the least bit presentable. “What question?”

“You know the one.” Shining not-quite-surreptitiously touched the ring on his left hand. “I mean, you guys ’ve been dating for longer than Sunset and I’ve known each other.”

Cheese raised himself to rest on his elbows. “In Mac’s defense, you guys tied the knot in less time than it takes to buy a house.”

Shining Armor twisted in his lawn chair. He took a sip of juice. “When you know, you know, right?”

“I know you know I knew.” Cheese Sandwich tapped the side of his nose. “But there’s more to knowing than knowing who, you know?”

Big Mac gripped the football tight. He tossed it to himself gently, mulling over his response to his friend. “I know a few things. I know Twilight’s more’n I could imagine. More’n I deserve. I know she deserves more’n I can give right now.”

He threw the ball Shining’s way, who snatched it out of the air. “I also know,” Big Mac said, “that the time ain’t right yet.”

Cheese took in a long breath through his nose, quiet-like. He tapped his teeth before finally releasing his thoughts into the wild. “Pinkie and I got married too soon. Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t take it back for all the sassafras in the world, but we were just kids. We hit a lot of roadblocks that we wouldn’t have had to face if we’d just waited a couple years after graduation.”

Shining attempted to spin the football on his finger, but mostly just succeeded in letting it flop to his lap. “You were both self-supporting, though.”

“Not just money troubles.” Cheese ran a hand through his curls. “Nooot just money. Experience more than anything else tells you how to deal with stress. We had next to none. Car troubles, house hunting, living with the Cakes for the first two years… Oh boy that got awkward.”

He lay full in the grass and leaned his head back. He pointed a thin finger towards the makeshift parking lot, where they could see Pinkie hugging Rainbow Dash and Rarity goodbye. “Toooootally worth it.”

Mac rested his elbows on his knees. “Big awkward thing right now: I’m a full-time farmer and she’s a full-time science-magician.”

“So?” Cheese slipped a morsel off of Shining Armor’s plate of goodies. “Move in with her and make her drive you to work every morning. Bright and early.”

Shining Armor moved the plate further away from his friend. “Every relationship has rough patches. You can either smooth them over, or you can stumble endlessly around them.”

Mac gave his friend a sidelong glance. He bobbed his head noncommittally. “We both want the same thing, Shining. We wanna see her happy.”

“Truer words,” Shining said.

***

“So it’s a recurring thing, now?”

Twilight Sparkle held her hand outward, across the water. Purple sparks gently drifted on the wind, dancing across the reflective surface. “It feels like every time I’m even a little bit relaxed or happy, my magic just… lights up. My fingers tingle, pencils start floating around, it’s weird.”

Sunset Shimmer took Twilight’s hand and examined it closely. A little hint of orange light met Twilight’s purple. Flickers of magic power traveled in and around the veins in Twilight’s arm as Sunset’s spell did its work. “We established long ago that magic is intrinsically tied to the mental state of the individual. It drives that intent, the force, the badda-bing badda boom.” Sunset shrugged and intertwined her fingers with Twilight’s. “I dunno. There’s nothing wrong with you. I think your body’s just understanding magic faster than your mind is.”

“Huh?”

“Like, you’re building up the muscle memory before you’ve learned to walk.” Sunset gave her a shallow grin. “That doesn’t explain much, does it?”

Twilight raised her eyebrows. “Does this look like the face of a woman who comprehends?”

“Fine, fine.” Sunset danced her toes in the pond, checking that yes, Sunny was still in the tender care of his adoptive granny. “It’s like your body discovered a new sense. One that has its own load of instincts tied to it. Like, you don’t think about smelling, you just know how to smell. You don’t think about how to see, you just see.”

Twilight wiggled her fingers. A flush of power unknown soared from her heart to her hand, creating an empty bubble of magic energy. “I don’t think about creating a lavender light show…”

“Right.” Sunset raised her hand to showcase a palm alight with flame. “But it takes time to differentiate one smell from another. Or to learn the difference between green and turquoise. It’s the same with magic. Some stuff comes automatically, but most of the finer details come with concentration and education.”

Twilight clenched her hand. A popsicle rose from a nearby cooler and landed deftly in her palm. “Q.E.D.”

“Of course, you’re lucky it only manifests when you’re happy.” Sunset snickered and doused the fire in the pond. “Take it from one who’s been there. If you were super-angry all the time, those sparks would probably more likely kill small birds than tickle my hand.”

Twilight slipped her hand away and rested in it her lap. She swallowed hard, nearly choking on the large piece of ice she’d bitten off. “Yeee… So… might be time to bring up my temper—”

“Just keep from casting spells when you’re angry.” Sunset brushed grass from her thigh as she stood up. She slipped a light coat over her shoulders as cool evening air overpowered the heat of the day. “Just do as best you can.”

“Easy for you to say.” Twilight lay down, spreading her arms out and allowing the magic to dissipate. “I suppose magical tantrums are just part of life in Equestria.”

“More or less,” Sunset said. “But kids generally have less destructive capability than you.”

Twilight sighed. She lay quietly, still and calm. Her heart slowed, and the tingle left her fingertips. “It’s a lot of responsibility.”

“Yeah.” Sunset hugged her stomach. She blew Shining a kiss from across the pond. “But it’s also a lot of fun.”

She grinned. “You know what’s really fun? Teleportation.”

That got Twilight’s attention. She sat up a little, her brow furrowed. “You’re kidding.”

“Nope.”

“You cannot be serious.”

“I’m totally serious.”

“How?” Twilight stood up and grabbed Sunset’s forearm. “You need to tell me. Need.”

“Don’t get too excited. I haven’t been able to do it since I left Equestria.” Sunset waggled a finger. “But I’m figuring it out. I think that if we put our heads together…”

“Two minds working on the same problem!” Twilight Sparkle hopped once, using Sunset’s arm for balance. “Sunset, do you realize what this means?”

Sunset shifted her stance to support the both of them. “That we’d be able to teleport?”

“That we’d be able to teleport!” Twilight slapped her forehead. “Can you just imagine the practical applications? What we could learn about physics and the lack thereof? We are talking literal teleportation, right? The displacement of matter? Crossing distances in the blink of an eye?”

“That’s the only teleportation I know of.”

“This is amazing!” Twilight Sparkle staggered away from her friend, lightheaded and dizzy. The sun dipped towards the horizon, sealing the day and summoning the night. “I can’t… even imagine.”

She snapped her head around, holding out a hand. “You have to explain the theory. We need to get on this as soon as possible! How long have you…” Twilight blinked as reality set in. A crushing weight descended on her chest. “You’ve been trying to figure it out since high school, haven’t you?”

“With improvements every day.” Sunset clasped her hands and glanced away. “I mean, it wasn’t even until recently that I even started practicing magic again. I have you to thank for that.”

Twilight crossed her arms and pouted.

“Look, I can do light shows all day, but…” Sunset gave her an uneasy grin. “This is a high-level spell. It’s not something that gets uncovered in a single day.”

Twilight bobbed her head and hid a smile. “So when you say you’ve been working on it—”

“I’ve been working on the theory since early January.” Sunset tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “It’s been a few months, but, you know. I’ve had other things to worry about.”

Twilight sent her brother a knowing glance. He tossed a football to himself, staring into space, only half an ear on the conversation between Cheese and Mac. “That’s for sure.”

“But! Anyway!” Sunset moved behind Twilight and touched her shoulders. “Long story short, once we understand the theory, you are not to attempt to teleport yourself. The first step is always to teleport inanimate objects first.”

“Sounds like commons sense to me.” Twilight held up a hand, which flashed a pale lavender. She allowed a spell from Sunset to guide her hand, carving intricate motions through the air. “But I’m curious. What happens with a bad teleport?”

“Magical overload’s the most dangerous thing.” Sunset narrowed her eyes in concentration. “Ruptured fairy strings and or blood vessels. Heart failure. If the teleport is performed, but the destination’s wrong, you could end up appearing encased in solid rock. It took three days to dig Litterbug out of the foundations of Celestia’s School.”

“Um.” Twilight felt sweat trickle down her back. “Dead?”

“Nah. Just really, really traumatized.” Sunset snickered. “You’d be surprised how much of the preliminary casting is just a series of failsafes. Personal forcefields, safety areas, good old reality checks. It’s all interwoven so that if anything gets missed, the spell just plain won’t work.”

Twilight scrunched her nose. “That’s awful thoughtful of the spell’s designer.”

“Starswirl never missed a trick.”

“Who?”

“I’ll tell you later.” Sunset released Twilight and took a measured step back. “Right now… voila!”

The etchings in the air burned themselves in Twilight’s mind. She saw the equations, the order of operations, the sheer emotion to be poured into the spell. She understood most of it; the rest would come with practice.

She licked her lips. “This stuff could change the world.”

“Yeah, it could.” Sunset bumped shoulders with Twilight. “So be careful who knows this, alright?”

“Right.” The magic image dissipated with a wave of Twilight’s hand. “So…”

“Yeah.” Sunset grinned down at her friend. She pointed across the pond. “I think I need a s’more. You need a s’more?”

Twilight followed Sunset’s hand to see Mac, Shiny, and Cheese attempting to build a bonfire. Shiny of course was building it in a tent-shape, like his scouts training always told him. Cheese, on the other hand, was quick to provide lighter fluid. While they were arguing, Big Mac was laying the logs in and fanning the weak flame, happy in his own stoic, levelheaded way.

“Yeah. S’mores seem like just the thing to end the evening.”

***

Dr. Sombra’s braced leg clomped against the floor of Ursagryph University. His cane kept balance and time, step by laborious step. Most people said he should just bite the bullet and get a wheelchair, but he couldn’t bear the thought of it. So he walked painfully down the halls, his pride and his well-trained muscles keeping him aloft.

Save for the horrific mess that had once been his knee.

It was an old wound, but one that would affect him to his dying day. Earned during a terrible war. Bit of a redundancy, that, but still. But the holidays always helped. Relaxing in the country. Breathing in the fresh air. Riding the horses that reminded him so much of his younger years…

He had gotten himself a haircut to reflect his younger years as well. Trimmed short and smartly, akin to his days in the military. At the least, it was easier to take care of than the voluminous mane he normally sported. The side burns that led down to his cheeks always gave his students a laugh, but he tolerated the mild disrespect. Just barely.

There was another thing that eased the pain. Something wonderous and magical, yet something he was hesitant to share with the world at large. It was a tiny magic spark that lit deep in his breast and trailed down to the injured limb, soothing as it went.

Magic. Now there was a concept physics professors weren’t known to genuinely entertain thoughts of. Yet there he was, his mind brimming with possibilities and powers. All thanks to one woman.

One woman, and her little community in the countryside.

He doffed his hat and hung it on the rack as he stepped into his office. He gave his personal assistant a nod. “Litterbug, anything to report?”

“Yes, actually.” Litterbug handed him a stack of papers. Possibly the usual ungraded paperwork and various rubbish he received in the mail. “You received a message from overseas earlier this week, and you have an appointment with someone from the Prime Minister’s office.”

The visitor from the Prime Minister’s office was not unheard of, but Fancy Pants usually got in touch with him personally. Strange on its own, but the other matter seemed far more unique. “Overseas? What country, exactly?”

“It was from some province in Libertas.” Litterbug sucked on her lips. “I can’t keep all their territories straight. The information’s all recorded, so…”

Sombra took a seat behind the desk and let some weight off his leg. He supposed he couldn’t expect Litterbug to retain everything. “Very well. When is the appointment?”

“As soon as possible.” Litterbug rubbed her hands together. “He’s sitting in the lobby.”

Sombra clasped both hands on the head of his cane. Curiouser and curiouser. “Let’s not keep him waiting. Send him in.”

“Yes, sir.” She left with a click of her heels on the floor. She was unnerved, that was certain. Sombra suspected she was as curious as he was about the unexpected forced appointment. Unlike her, though, he knew the Prime Minister of the Highborn Isles as a personal friend. He had little to fear.

And yet…

The man who entered Sombra’s office was young. Mid-to-late twenties, at the most. His sharply trimmed beard exuded an aura of control, while his tight, mid-back length ponytail spoke of a freer spirit than Sombra would attribute to a government agent. A noble, perhaps? His snappy, expensive suit said as much, or that he had more money than he knew how to spend. A businessman? All of the above?

Sombra stood and offered his hand to the gentleman. “I am Dr. Sombra, Professor of Physics.”

The man took the hand with a firm shake. “Viscount Dulcimer. Pleasure to meet you.”

A viscount. A non-hereditary title, often granted to companions of high-ranking individuals. Was Dulcimer connected to Fancy Pants in some way other than politics? “Please, take a seat,” Sombra said. “Tell me what brings you to Ursagryph University.”

“I’m actually alumni.” Dulcimer took his chair and propped one leg on the other, smoothly and easily. A bit too familiar, in Sombra’s opinion. “It’s been a few years since I attended. It feels like coming home.”

Sombra raised an eyebrow. Was it hilariously off-subject, or was he leading into something? “What year did you graduate?”

“Two-thousand twelve.”

A number familiar to the school, and to Sombra himself. One of his most troubling students had graduated at that time; none other than Blueblood, Crowned Prince of the Highborn Isles. The teachers reasoned that the only way he could have graduated was help from a dear friend of his, named Hammer.

“Hammer Dulcimer,” Sombra said quietly, yet audibly. “You’re Prince Blueblood’s friend.”

“Practically a retainer, really.” Dulcimer leaned forward, propping his chin up with a hand. “In the classic sense.”

“Of course.”

Dulcimer smiled. “Now that we both know each other, you’re probably hoping I answer the question directly.”

Sombra said nothing, content to merely glare at the viscount.

“Prime Minister Pants and I have been working together a great deal recently.” Dulcimer gestured vaguely with his free hand. “What with King Bluemane’s failing health, Prince Blueblood’s taking on of his duties, the whole ordeal. We’re hoping to pave the road for a smooth transition. Practically, that means keeping tabs on the goings on in the Isles.”

Sombra’s mind flashed to a particular “goings on” that he had been careful to keep under wraps. Had word gotten out? What did Litterbug or his colleagues know? “These are difficult times.”

“And about to get even more difficult.” Dulcimer lowered both feet to the floor, all illusions of comfort and familiarity slipping away. “The word is that you’ve been keeping company with a known subversive. A political activist. An anti-monarchist.”

Sombra tightened his grip on his cane. “Speaking one’s opinion is not illegal.”

“No, of course not.” Dulcimer smiled, tapping a knee. “But we both know that Miss Starlight Glimmer is capable of far more than mere words.” He leaned back, steepling his fingers. “What I don’t know is: Just what is she capable of?”

Dulcimer stood and eased the door shut. He looked at Sombra over his shoulder and held his hands out. “Relax. I’m just here to talk, and it’ll be better if nobody eavesdrops. I know there’s something different going on in the little village you holiday in.” He leaned on Sombra’s desk to bring himself eye-to-eye. “Prime Minister Pants wants to regulate it. Bring it into the fold. Make it taxable.”

Sombra maintained his seat and his gaze. He curled his lip just enough to allow Dulcimer to know that he tread on very dangerous ground. “She would never agree to such a thing.”

“I know.” Dulcimer shook his head lightly. “But also know that if she doesn’t comply, we can shut her down for running a school without a license. She has no credentials. No backing. Just a bunch of very loyal followers. In Fancy Pants’ eyes, it is a very dangerous thing that you’ve made yourself a part of.”

Ah, there was something. He kept maintaining that these were the opinions of Fancy Pants, whereas before, he had regarded their team as “we.” Perhaps he had differing thoughts. “And what do you think, viscount?”

For the first time since he’d arrived, Dulcimer gave him a smile that Sombra saw as genuine. “I want to find out just what this school of yours is teaching. Learn the ins and outs of it. Glean some idea of what you’re all about. Under the guise of studying it for the Prime Minister’s sake, yes, but… well…”

He took the chair once more, a faraway look shimmering behind his eyes. “I’ve always had some intertest in magic. Not the occult, of course, but something more real. Something, I think, you know quite a bit about.” He pointed at Sombra. “It scares Fancy Pants. As does everything he sees as potentially becoming more powerful than he is. And this Starlight Glimmer has real power. Dangerous power.”

Sombra lowered his head a touch. He was right, of course. Starlight Glimmer was not shy about expressing her opinions. She was not shy about her plans to enact change. Good intentions or no, if she was allowed to run unchecked, there could be catastrophe. “And how would you handle things?”

“I want to legitimize the school.” Dulcimer ran a hand over his beard. “Not regulate it, legitimize it. Bring it into the public consciousness as a real source of knowledge and strength.” The smirk resurfaced, chilling Sombra. “Of course, in order to present it the best I could, I would need to educate myself in the very things Miss Glimmer teaches.”

Sombra breathed softly through his nose. “And I am your best way of reaching her.”

“Bingo.” Dulcimer crossed his arms. “Can we make it happen?”

“I will need… time to contact her.”

Dulcimer stood and unlatched the door. Before he went through, he offered his hand. “Take as much time as you need, but no more. Remember, if Fancy Pants isn’t happy, then she’ll end up with a far more direct confrontation with Parliament than she’s ready for.”

Sombra stood and shook. “And you will be without access to magic.”

“Truer words.” Dulcimer waved as he left, leaving Sombra alone in his office.

“Strange times.” Sombra shuffled through his papers, prepping his mind for his conversation with Glimmer. The woman could be difficult, but she may very well see reason. At the least, he could spin it as free advertising.

Message. He still had the message to listen to. He brought his desk phone to his ear and pressed the corresponding key. His generic voicemail said its piece, then a real person began to speak.

It was a dearly cherished voice. Older, yet so very recognizable. A friend of friends. A noble companion.

And oh so very sad.

“Sombra, it’s Celestia.” He gripped the handle tighter, causing the plastic to creak. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry for… not speaking for a long time. For stopping my messages. For… Everything, I guess. And I hate—”

There was a bit of quiet, which he refused to fill with his own speculation. Instead, he listened, and listened intently.

“I’m so sorry,” she said, and it was harder to speak now. “I have terrible news about Raven. She passed away, Sombra. She went missing a few weeks ago, and we found her and—and I need to talk with you about… about funeral arrangements.”

The cane clattered to the floor. Sombra leaned heavily on his desk, cupping his forehead in his free hand. He nearly lost the phone itself, but his sheer willpower kept his ear glued to the speaker.

Raven. His sister. His friend.

“I’m so sorry it took this to finally…” A course correction. A thought suppressed. “Please call me back. My number is five, five, five—”

He wrote the number down quickly, replaying the message to make sure it was absolutely correct. He replayed the message once more to banish thoughts of being mistaken. There was no questioning it.

His sister was gone, and there was nothing he could do. His only family.

His only family save for Celestia.

“Litterbug,” he said, his voice hoarse. “I need to book a flight to Libertas.”

***

Moondancer muttered to herself as she placed a sample in its requisite petri dish. It was true enough—the clothes on the mummified corpse were the same ones she was wearing when she died. And, even though she was clearly dried to the core, all signs pointed to her dying only a day or so before she was found. It was impossible, incomprehensible, unsolvable.

It was right up Twilight Sparkle’s alley. Day in and day out, she had seen Sparkle’s incredible knack for investigating the unknowable and deciphering its idiosyncrasies. She’d seen it ever since their time together at Crystal Prep, learning under the stringent eye of Principal Abacus “The Witch” Cinch.

But, Twilight couldn’t weave her magic if Moondancer didn’t gather the pieces for her. So gather she did, and quickly. Data by the bucketload weaved its way through the computer systems. Samples were used to their fullest potential. Sweat was wiped away, and tools were sterilized.

Still, nothing seemed to fit.

She carefully carried the petri dish from one table to the next, bringing it towards her favorite microscope. The one that took the best pictures, the one that had the smoothest zoom, the one with the happiest “ding” noises. Twilight usually used it because, well, she had definitely earned the right, but she wasn’t here right now. Aside from the microscope, the table was overflowing with various devices and baubles Twilight used. Test tubes, a pocket calendar, electronics Moondancer couldn’t recognize…

As she passed the edge of the table, a crackling noise caught her attention. She glanced over, finding nothing out of the ordinary. Although, considering it was a forensic lab, anything making noise out of turn was just a little strange. She moved again, and the noise returned; something akin to white noise from a disconnected analog television. It rose and fell in pitch as she moved from one side to the other. The noise finally ceased when she took a step back, putting a meter between her and the table.

She set the petri dish down and gently leaned over the table. Finding no crackling, she brought the dish closer. Yep. Just as she thought. Something on the table was reacting to the dish. Or maybe its contents.

There. Right in the middle. A handheld device; some sort of meter with a needle display, like an old voltmeter. When she moved the dish closer, the crackling intensified.

She set the dish down, making sure it was secure, and grasped the meter. The needle bounced up and down, never quite settling on a value. No numbers were on the face, only notches. “Not a very efficient design, Sparkle. You didn’t even label—”

She looked back, adjusting her glasses with a bent wrist. The cadaver lay silently, as it would for the rest of its tenure in the morgue. If the sample had set the device off…

She took careful, measured steps towards the covered corpse. At first there was no reaction, but once she breeched the three-meter mark, the needle bounced. It rose unsteadily as she drew closer, shaking with the fluctuations of whatever it was sensing. When she came alongside the body, the meter reached its limit, its faint crackle having evolved into a high-pitched whine.

Whatever substance the device sensed, the body was utterly awash with it.

“You and your homemade devices, Sparkle.” Moondancer turned the meter end over end, examining screw holes, plastic seams, the rubber grip, and anything else she could get a glimpse of. “As if I didn’t already consider you a mad scientist.”

A mad genius as well. The more she thought, the more she recognized the device—or, at least, its origins. Twilight had made a similar device when the two of them were high schoolers, in that selfsame horror show of an academy. When stories of magical mishaps in a nearby school reached their ears, Twilight had set about trying to understand them. Study them. Record them for the sake of science.

She might have made ground, too, if not for the illness.

Moondancer took careful notes. Where the device started to react in relation to the body. What level the needle read at each interval. What sound it made—just in case it was relevant.

With that done, she returned to the petri dish and continued her earlier experiment. It seemed much less urgent after the encounter with the strange technology. Clearly, whatever Twilight was looking for all those years ago had resurfaced in some strange way. Some strange, dark, murderous way.

Twilight would figure it out. But first, Moondancer needed to gather the pieces. Perhaps, between the two of them, they’d find out what happened and put a stop to it.

With Twilight Sparkle, the impossible just seemed like a stepping stone toward the unimaginable.

Through the Hills and Valleys

The alarm clock sounded, and Twilight Sparkle was having none of it. She reached across the small space between her bed and the nightstand and nearly knocked the lamp from its perch. A wild, blind scramble later, the lamp was upright and the alarm silenced. She lay still for a moment, her ears ringing lightly in the silence.

She rolled onto her back and stared at the plain white ceiling. An arm reached out to her left and slid through the space beside her. She found cold, plain sheets devoid of warmth or life. An empty bedroom surrounded her, which was in turn surrounded by an empty house.

She used to wake up to the sound of Spike barking.

She swore to herself and hauled herself upwards, letting the sheets slide off her body of their own accord. It was her first day back to work after her sweet-yet-short vacation; it would not do to be late. She pulled her pajamas off on the way to the shower and locked the bathroom door out of sheer paranoia. She only allowed herself fifteen minutes for the shampoo, soap, and rinse combo, even if another thirty minutes would have done some good for the stress in her muscles. Perhaps she was due for a longer bath when she got home after work. Yeah, that’d do the trick.

It was as she was toweling off her hair that she realized the thing smelled like “Wet Twilight,” which was only a short step above “Wet Dog” in her opinion. Might have to save the bath for after the laundry was done.

Since the school year was nearing its end, Sunset had temporarily disbanded their little carpool, leaving Twilight to fend for herself. A breakfast bar in her mouth and her wallet in her pocket, she started the car and rolled towards the police station. She cussed at just about every other maniac driver on the road. Even if they didn’t really deserve it. But to heck with it, nobody could hear her regardless.

Typical parking spot, typical muttered greetings to officers, typical avoidance of eye contact with Caution…

Atypical presence of Police Chief Care Carrot in the lab. Similarly strange was that Moondancer stood at her side, a small electronic device in her hands. Twilight slowed, but did not stop, as she pulled off her coat and hung it on a rack. “Hey, guys. What’s up?”

“Good question.” Care raised a hand and took the electronics from Moondancer. “Here’s another: What’s this?”

Twilight’s eyes bugged. Her first instinct was to reach out with her magic and grab it, but she suppressed the notion by clenching her fist. “I—it’s a scanner. Of sorts.”

“Of sorts?” Care looked the thing over. “Whatever it is, it goes crazy whenever we bring it near the cadaver we’ve identified as ‘Raven.’” She grimaced, and her eyes narrowed to smoldering slits. “Or should I say ‘Lady Raven Sombra Relámpago of the Highborn Isles’?”

Twilight Sparkle blushed. She gave Moondancer a pleading look. “It, um, it’s the same deceive I used to track those energy pulses. From… uh… You know—”

“From Canterlot High,” Moondancer said, obviously having figured that much out. “We were tracking pulses from two events, and would have continued had Twilight not fallen ill that year.”

Care scowled. “I knew you never left high school behind, Sparkle, but this is ridiculous.”

Twilight frowned. She crossed her arms over her chest and spread her legs just enough to hold a strong stance. “So what’s the problem? This tells us that the murder and the energy I detected ten years ago are connected.”

“There are two problems.” Care placed the sensor on the table and walked closer to Twilight. “One, that the body has been claimed by a family member—a lord of the Highborn Isles—in order to perform funeral rights. Two…” She stopped just in front of Twilight, her hand on her belt. “The device also goes crazy whenever we try to put it in your locker.”

Twilight became acutely aware that Care was about a head taller than her. Her heart turned to ice in her chest, but she was able to hide any outward signs of worry. “And?”

“If the energy from Canterlot High is connected to the murder,” Moondancer said, “how are you connected?”

Twilight Sparkle gaped at her longtime friend and coworker. She was unable to mask the shake in her voice. “I—I’m a suspect?”

Care placed a hand on Twilight’s shoulder. “The evidence isn’t strong, barely worthy of being called circumstantial, but this is a lead we need to follow. You need to put together whatever alibies you have—with strong witness backing.”

Twilight pulled away and circled around, running fingers through her hair. “Sure. Sure I’ll do that. I—uh—I know I can cover the timeframe we’ve figured out. Just give me a—”

She picked up the scanner and was immediately rewarded by a staticky shriek. She thumbed the power off and dropped it back on the table. She rubbed her arms, blowing a breath between her lips. “Oh God.”

Moondancer pushed her glasses higher up her nose. She wrote something down on her notepad. “They’re gonna question you and send you home, Twilight.” She tapped the pencil against the wooden edge of the clipboard. “I guess you figured out what the source of the energy is?”

Twilight’s face heated up. Moondancer avoided her gaze, content to reread her own words. “Yeah,” Twilight said.

“Good for you,” Moondancer said quietly. “Good for you.”

Twilight stared at Moondancer. Something clicked. Something deep down and dreadful. She and Moondancer—they were going to find magic together. When she had actually found it, she kept it secret to keep her new friends safe. To keep Sunset safe.

Moondancer was forgotten.

Twilight looked away and took a step back. “I can explain.”

“Good,” Care said. “That’s what I was hoping you’d say.”

The Q and A session honestly wasn’t as terrible as Twilight feared. Where was she on the days leading up to finding the body? Work and the farm, with very little in-between. Had she ever met Raven before? No, not in her life. How much contact did she have with Celestia? Basic acquaintances, nothing more.

Then they got to the interesting stuff.

“So,” Caution Tape said, licking the tip of his pen in the process. It didn’t help with the flow of ink, but he had gotten into the habit regardless. “What’s that little doohickey of yours sense?”

Now here was the tricky part, answering without giving Sunset away. Especially since it started to sound ridiculous about the time you mentioned a pony kingdom. “It’s a type of energy I first detected ten years ago during extracurricular activities at the Crystal Academy. Over the years, I’ve deduced it could be classified as a type of radiation. Usually, as far as my research has shown, it is unharmful to humans. Until we found Miss Raven.”

“Really now,” Caution said, his voice giving away the fact that he was keenly uninterested. “Strange radiation.”

Twilight forced herself to nod without throwing a barb.

“Moondancer said—” Caution looked back through his notes to find the specific wording. “—that you had found the source of the radiation you detected.”

“It’s actually generated by living things.” Twilight twiddled her thumbs and glanced at the door. “Generally in small quantities. Emotion and stress can give off the occasional bust of excess energy, but I don’t have statistics for that.”

“What? Like the Essence?” Caution Tape snorted. “Sparkle, this ain’t science fiction.”

“Technically, neither is Space Opera,” she muttered. In a voice Caution could hear, she said, “I only know what I’ve told you. Call it power, call it magic, it’s been used for something tragic and I want to get to the bottom of it. I can’t do that if I’m a suspect.”

“Darn right you can’t.” Caution Tape stood up and rounded the desk. Care moved aside to let him pass, but couldn’t hide the dirty look she gave him. He leaned over Twilight and grinned. “You’re involved with this someway and somehow. And if you’re not tellin’ us everything…” He patted her shoulder. “Lemme be the first to say ‘Oi told yah so.’”

“Ignore him,” Care said, pushing Caution bodily out of her office. “We’re all pretty sure you’re clean. He’s just been antsy since your encounter with the looney-bin reject a couple years ago.”

A twinge of pain and fear ran its way up and down Twilight’s arm—aftershocks from a forty-four caliber pistol. She rubbed the offending appendage and swallowed down the wash of anxiety that flooded her face. “I guess I can’t say I don’t feel the same…”

“It gets better with time.” Care pressed her lips together and held the door for Twilight. “All things do.”

Twilight Sparkle bobbed her head noncommittally and walked out.

“We’ll get you cleared soon enough, Sparkle.” Care waved. “Don’t leave town, though.”

Twilight Sparkle sat down in her car and slammed the door shut. She didn’t start it for a long time, content as she was to perform breathing exercise after breathing exercise. Her heart raced and her nerves danced.

She drove for an hour, meandering around town, avoiding the inevitability of an empty home. A red light beckoned her to stop, and allowed her far too much time to think. She cranked the radio in an effort to drown out the thoughts bludgeoning her brain.

Suspect. Secret keeper. Murderer.

Magic had to stay secret, she reasoned. They needed to keep Sunset Shimmer safe. Out of the public eye. Secure. She couldn’t betray her friend.

Betray like she’d betrayed years of trust from Moondancer, who’d been left by the wayside. Feeling forgotten. Perhaps she was right. Twilight had avoided that conflict by not telling her about magic. Neglected that aspect of her life. Neglected the one bright spot of an awful past.

And murderer… she wasn’t. She’d killed in self-defense and defense of others. That was all. That was all anybody called it.

She shouldn’t be alone. Not right now.

Big Mac and Applejack were working the farm. Harvest was approaching, and they had to work so very hard.

Sunset was in the middle of class. Shining Armor was at a job interview. Rarity had an important meeting about her magazine. Fluttershy had an appointment at the pet clinic. Pinkie Pie was planning a wedding and taking care of the kids. Rainbow Dash was on the air, giving the week’s weather.

But Twilight needed somebody.

The car made its way out of the city towards Sweet Apple Acres—almost of its own accord, like a horse that knew the road home. Twilight looked out over the lush orchards that surrounded the cozy farmhouse, and an immediate sense of longing overtook her. Perhaps, in some small way, a sense of belonging.

She parked in the driveway and stepped out. A barn lay before her, one that housed the various tractors and trailers the Apples owned. She touched a hand to Big Mac’s pickup truck as she passed. In the back of the room, she could hear power tools—probably run by Apple Bloom, acting handyman.

The redhead and her frazzled hairdo popped up from behind a pile of miscellaneous mechanical chicanery. She pushed safety goggles onto her forehead and waved. “Hi, Twi. To… what do we owe the pleasure?”

Twilight hated being speechless. That feeling of having too much to say to say it all. That sensation of not believing the words were worth hearing. The pain of burdening others.

She pushed it down, because it helped nobody. “W—where’s Big Mac?”

Apple Bloom stared at her for a moment that was perhaps too long to be comfortable. She wiggled a finger around in her ear. “Uuuuhhhh… Lookin’ over spreadsheets or some such hogwash. Check the office.”

Twilight Sparkle offered her thanks and headed for the farmhouse. The kitchen door was always unlocked when the family was working outside, so it was a simple matter to make her way in. She half-expected Granny Smith to be bustling about, but it wasn’t anywhere close to time for her to cook a meal.

The office was a small room overflowing with barely-organized paperwork. An older-model laptop chittered away, while the external hard drive blinked merrily. Big Macintosh sat at the desk, his head leaning heavily on his left hand while his right scratched down numbers. He dropped the pen and flexed his fingers, using his left hand to pull ill-fitting glasses from his face. He pinched his nose and heaved a sigh.

She rapped her knuckles on the doorframe. “Knock, knock.”

Mac jolted upright. “Uh.” He stood and rounded the desk, his head tilted. “What brings you here, Twi? I thought you were at work.”

She nodded softly. She tried to speak, but couldn’t find her voice. It was hushed, muted, constricted. She sucked in a breath and was repaid with a sob. Hot tears dribbled down her cheeks.

Mac took a step forward. “Twi, what’s—?”

She met him in the middle and buried her face in his chest. She gripped him tight, feeling for all the world like a shipwreck victim clinging to a lifesaver. He said nothing, content to wrap his arms behind her back and rub gently.

Twilight wept, and she hated herself for it.

***

Sunset Shimmer tapped a pencil absently as she graded math homework. The students were silent as they took their quiz—one of the last of the year. She double-checked that she was using the right answer sheet, then double-checked the answer given. Unfortunately, it all added up to Pumpkin Cake potentially needing remedial courses. It was just plain sad; Pumpkin was one of her brightest students, and one of the most brilliant young ladies she’d ever had the opportunity to meet. It’s just that she didn’t apply herself scholastically.

Contrasted with her twin brother, Pound. He wasn’t quite as quick on the uptake, but he doggedly pursued success until he grasped it in full. Their grades followed an equal and opposite incline, his increasing, hers decreasing.

Maybe she could talk with Pinkie. Her friend was a virtual adoptive aunt to the two kids. Maybe she could speak some wisdom into Pumpkin’s life. At least, when she wasn’t utterly bogged down with four kids of her own, plus a full-time party planner job, plus keeping the household running while Cheese was on business trips, plus—

She refocused on the papers and the pencil in her grasp. She set it down briefly to mark a problem with a red pen, then wrote a quick note as to which section of the chapter needed reviewing. The next down the line was a story problem, one regarding money. Of course it was money. It was always money.

Her mind briefly overheated at the thought of summer’s swift approach. Three months out of work, for all practical purposes. No real income. The library wasn’t accepting applications. Barnyard Bargains was only hiring teenagers part time, not adult women who would bog down the payroll with a need for a living wage. The savings were drying up as assuredly as the days rolled onward, and with Shining still looking for work…

“Mrs. Shimmer?” Pumpkin plopped the finished quiz onto her desk. “I think it was time up a whole minute ago.”

Sunset blinked and removed her hand from the side of her face. Her eye briefly clouded before she readjusted to the light. “Yes, I think you’re right, Pumpkin. Thank you. Please hand in your quizzes, and we’ll call it a day.”

With that, the bell rang as clearly, fervently, and panic-inducing as an alarm klaxon. Doors all over Canterlot High slammed open and released their hordes of students. Sunset’s students were no exception, as her desk was soon overcrowded with completed papers.

She split her attention between the ungraded homework and the soon-to-be-graded papers. Eight hours of school and her day had just begun. Perhaps she could convince Celestia to do all their grading via scantron, starting next year. But alas, not every problem was multiple choice.

The buzzer sounded, and was followed by a voice over the intercom. It was Principal Celestia, and the message was for her. “Sunset Shimmer, please come to the front office. Sunset Shimmer to the office.”

Sunset laid her papers in her briefcase and locked the clasps. No sense tempting students with access to the answer books. She breathed a sigh, smoothed down her dress, and set out at a swift gait.

She hadn’t really talked with Celestia since she’d heard about Raven. It honestly wasn’t really her business—she’d never met Raven in the first place—but she did feel the need to relate some sort of comforting words. Something to offer support.

It would be a fresh wound for Celestia. The funeral was just three days earlier. If Sunset had lost a close friend like that, she’d probably request a week off. She might not have gotten it, but she’d have requested it.

She walked in the opposite direction of most students. The principal’s office wasn’t exactly a popular hangout. It was only slightly less popular than the vice principal’s. Corrections notwithstanding, to Sunset, they were the typical locations for two of the most influential people in Sunset’s life. Dear friends.

Sunset opened the door to the office and stepped in. Celestia sat behind her desk, a smile on her face. That alone was unexpected, but further unexpectedness came from the other visitor to her office.

He was a tall man, perhaps even head and shoulders above the likes of Shining Armor or Big Mac. He was broad at the shoulders, strongly built. His short black hair betrayed a widow’s peak, and his downright archaic sideburns lent an air of ancient history to his personage. His green eyes shone bright from beneath a weighty brow, and his high cheekbones twitched with a smile similar to Celestia’s. He stood in Sunset’s presence and offered a hand.

“Sunset Shimmer,” Celestia said, “I’d like to introduce you to an old friend of mine: Dr. Oscuro Sombra Relámpago.”

“Sombra, please.” The doctor took Sunset’s hand gently. “It is an honor to finally meet you, Mrs. Shimmer.”

“Finally?” Sunset smiled with what she hoped was polite interest, rather than mortal terror. Sombra? That Sombra? The subject of bad jokes, history classes, and foal’s nightmares the world over in Equestria? The one whose atrocities—scientific mutations, national mind-control, regicide-matricide, temporal terrorism—had been unmatched for centuries?

“I first heard of you many years ago,” he replied, “when tales of your magical exploits reached as far as the Highborn Isles.”

Sunset shot Celestia a look. A firm look; one screaming “Please explain this right now!” Celestia responded with a laugh and joined the two of them near the door. “It’s alright, Sunset. I’d say Sombra has known about magic for longer than any of us. Though, I don’t think he really believed it until recently.”

No, Sunset decided. This was not the Sombra of her world. Just like it was not the Celestia, or Luna, or Twilight Sparkle of her world. This was a new person, to be treated as such. Easy, right? “Th—that’s something. Yeah.”

The three of them took a seat around the office. Sunset folded her hands in her lap and regarded the strange visitor. He seemed relaxed, and that might have set her at ease if she hadn’t brought her own issues to the table. Celestia steepled her fingers and coughed to get Sunset’s attention.

“Sombra and I reconnected in the wake of… well, you know about Raven’s passing.” Celestia’s eyes turned down as a great weight sagged her shoulders. She waited for Sunset’s nod before continuing. “During the conversation, we wandered to scholastics. He’s a teacher at Ursagryph University.”

Ursagryph University. That was a name with a lot of power. The single most ostentatious, high-priced money-sink on the planet. Requiring a literal king’s ransom at times. Of course, it got to be that way via a few centuries worth of academic overachievement. Famous the world over.

Just a little outside Sunset Shimmer’s realm of possibility.

“And, of course, how could I resist mentioning one of my brightest students?” Celestia gave her a sheepish smile. “He’s the one who brought up your connection to magic. And he has a proposition I think you’ll find very interesting.”

Sombra leaned forward, and for the first time Sunset noticed the cane he held loosely in his right hand, and the brace around his left leg. He leaned against the cane, which was capped with a gold lion’s head. “I first learned of magic many years ago, before either of you were born, I believe. I was but a child of four, living in the Highborn countryside. We were a small farming village, living simply. Until we received three strange visitors. Three women who spoke of other worlds and magnificent creatures as if they were real. They exhibited strange powers of their own: the ability to turn friends against each other with a mere song.”

Sunset Shimmer felt a shiver run down her spine. “The sirens?”

“They do coincide roughly with the old myth, do they not?” Sombra tapped his cane and shot Celestia a glance. “We seem to agree that the very same creatures confronted you ten years ago and were defeated, yes?”

“Closer to twelve, but sure.” Sunset danced her fingers against each other. “Two of them are dead now, but one of them’s mostly reformed. Kinda.”

Sombra lowered his eyebrows. “Indeed?”

“It’s a long story,” Celestia said quietly.

Sombra held her gaze for a moment, then tapped his cane. “Another time, then. I considered magic to be an invention of childish imagination. Even when I heard of the so-called ‘Canterlot High Hoax,’ I remained steadfast in my belief that it was all misremembered nonsense. That was until I met a most extraordinary lady.”

He smiled and held a hand out, as if offering a trinket of some sort. “Tell me, have you ever heard of Starlight Glimmer?”

Sunset nearly snorted with laughter, but her nerves helped keep it under wraps. “It might be a common name? I don’t think I’ve met the one you’re talking about.”

Sombra leaned back in his seat. “I suppose you wouldn’t keep up with the politics of the Highborn Isles, would you?”

“No, sir.”

“There will hopefully be time to ignore it,” he muttered. He brushed away the faint air of annoyance that flashed across his face. “Starlight Glimmer is a woman much like you. She has discovered magic, and become quite adept at its use. She wishes to share this power with the world, one person at a time.”

Sunset’s heart raced. Words failed her. Teach magic? To people around the world? Was Starlight a genius or crazy?

“Of course, those able to teach magic are a rare breed indeed.” He clasped his hands around the head of his cane, his brow furrowing in concentration. “It is such a new science that any knowledge in the field sets one person so far ahead of the rest. We are in need of instructors who understand the ability. Who respect the power involved.”

Sunset’s stomach churned as the ramifications hit her like a ton of bricks. Or tonne, as far as the Highborn Isles were concerned. Magic, introduced into a world that was very much built without it. A world to which magic was an outlier, to be feared and derided. Lumped in with bloody rituals and heretics to be burned at the stake. Something that was so very real, and so very dangerous in the wrong hands.

“Starlight Glimmer would like to invite you to the Highborn Isles to show you the school she’s built,” he said, breaking through her thoughts. “We are small, but willing to learn. It is her hope that, should you be a good fit, you would join us in sharing magic with all people.”

Something that Sunset Shimmer held so very close to her heart.

She swallowed hard, not quite removing the lump from her throat. Her fingers tingled with possibilities, even as her shoulders tensed with fear. Starlight Glimmer was a loaded name. But then, so was Sombra. Celestia trusted him. But what did she know? How long had they been apart? Celestia for sure hadn’t been to the Highborn Isles since the War of the Straight. What guarantee did she have—?

“Sunset?” Celestia stood up. “May I speak with you alone for a moment?”

Sunset Shimmer nodded, and Sombra stood. He quietly excused himself from the room, leaving the teacher and the principal alone.

Celestia took Sombra’s chair and slid it beside Sunset’s. She faced the younger lady and took her hands in her own. “I know… I know you have misgivings. I do, too.”

“Yesterday I thought magic was a secret.” Sunset raised an eyebrow. “Today I find out there’s a whole school dedicated to it.”

“That’s being pretty generous.” Celestia laughed lightly. “I think they only have about twelve students.”

“That’s a dozen more than I expected.” Sunset squeezed her hands. “You understand why I kept this secret, don’t you? It’s keeping so many people safe. Whether it’s the government, or the press, or the public, everybody would have a reason to hound our friends; or worse. And that’s without magic being spread to people who would misuse it.”

“Any tool can be misused, Sunset.” Celestia touched her hand to Sunset’s cheek. “You of all people know that magic is a two-edged sword.”

“It cuts both ways.” Sunset let out a huff. “It cuts deep.”

Celestia nodded and met Sunset’s eyes. “But you love it.”

“I do.” Sunset gritted her teeth and leaned back in her seat. “That’s what makes this hard.”

Celestia rubbed her forehead. She brushed her long hair over one shoulder. “So… How’s Shining’s job search been going?”

Sunset glanced through the fingers covering her eyes. “He’s got an interview at the auto shop today. It might be his best bet. Why?”

Celestia intertwined her fingers. “I… Well… I don’t want to…” She sniffed quietly, pressing her lips together. “Your financial situation is pretty strained lately.”

Sunset had no reason to deny it. “And how.”

“I… I think this might help.” Celestia tapped a forefinger against her lips. “Sombra has agreed to fund the entire trip to the Highborn Isles. This includes compensation for missed work.”

Sunset lowered her hands to her lap. She frowned.

“When I say compensate…” Celestia shrugged. “I mean he’s going to pay you an amount of money that completely embarrasses my yearly wages.”

Sunset’s ears burned. She imagined it might have been due to her brain overheating.

“You’ll be under no obligation to actually join the school.” Celestia gave Sunset a weak—but not insincere—smile. “You’d just be taking about a month to explore, meet the students and teachers, and find out as much as you can before making your decision.”

The smile gained a modicum of strength. “And I’d be with you the entire way. I’m going to the Highborn Isles whether you’re with me or not.”

Sunset nodded slowly. She wrung her hands together. “I’ll have to talk with Shining about it.”

“Of course.” Celestia got to her feet, and Sunset followed. “Take all the time you need.”

Celestia placed her hand on Sunset’s back. “But I think this’ll be good for you.”

Sunset said her goodbyes to Sombra, retrieved her briefcase, and headed to the minivan. Shining had bummed a ride off of Scootaloo—he was interviewing at the shop where she worked. Sunny was at Pinkie’s, probably fighting with little Cheese Cake over her toys. They’d be collecting together soon, and Shining had promised burgers on the grill that evening.

She had an interesting conversation in her future.

***

Twilight spent the day at the Apples’ residence. Staying close to Big Mac most often, but on the occasions he had to operate some machinery, she stayed in the living room. She sat on the couch in front of the old TV. Granny Smith insisted it was in perfect condition, but most colors seemed to be replaced with yellow and green.

She curled up, her knees to her chest, her arms wrapped around her shins. She peered between her kneecaps at the muted screen. All the better to drown in her thoughts. All the better to worry about alibies and murders and broken trust.

She ran out of tears three hours into the visit. After that, all she was left with was shame. She was stronger than that. To run blubbering to her boyfriend like some waif from a bad TV serial. Puh—lease.

She was supposed to be stronger than that…

Anger boiled in her chest. Anger at herself, her situation, at Moondancer for connecting dots that didn’t belong together. If only she could have just kept her hands to herself!

But that wasn’t fair, was it? Nah. Moondancer didn’t do anything wrong. She was just better at her job than anybody gave her credit for.

Twilight pulled her glasses off and set them on a side table. All the better to bury her face in her knees. All the better to squeeze her own head in an effort to contain an outburst of frustration. She managed to muffled the instinctive curse, but the meaning behind the words was loud and clear.

“Goodness,” a wizened, warm voice said. “I’d wash your mouth out with soap, but I suppose whatever that came from is better thrown to the winds than cooped up inside.”

Shame washed over Twilight Sparkle anew, this time for violating the hospitality of her host. “I’m sorry, Granny Smith. It just… jumped out at me.”

Granny Smith set a small teacup in front of Twilight. The scent of cinnamon floated freely about the room. “Gotcha a nice cuppa apple cider tea. Warmth helps with the nerves. Drink up while the gettin’s good.”

Twilight took the cup gently between her fingers. The ceramic material was still hot. She blew at the liquid before gingerly touching it to her lips. Satisfied that it wasn’t going to melt her face off, she took a ginger sip. “Thank you.”

Granny Smith took a seat on the couch next to her, lowering herself carefully onto the cushion. “Hope you don’t mind if’n I take a load off?”

“Be my guest.” Twilight Sparkle’s voice was weak, droning. “It’s your couch.”

“True ’nough!” Granny rubbed her back. “But it’s your quiet space right now.”

Warmth transferred itself from Granny’s hand to Twilight’s back, mingling with the soothing tea. She sighed and rested her head against her knees, a frown tugging at her mouth. “I’m sorry I cursed. I don’t mean to be disrespectful.”

“Aw, heck. I’d be worried if you didn’t need to get a couple things offa your chest.” Granny sighed through her nose. “You need to scream, scream. You need to cry, cry. You need to cuss… I’ve heard worse. Guaranteed.”

She touched Twilight’s elbow. “I wantcha to know we’ve got a nice cozy guest cot for you to sleep on while you sort out your issues. Applejack’s already movin’ things around in her room for yah.” She gave Twilight a squeeze on the shoulder. “We’re here for you, sweet pea.”

Twilight peered out from behind her knees. “Thanks. I think I’ll take you up on that.”

Granny waited for Twilight to take another sip. “Do yah know what you’re gonna do about it?”

Twilight switched to sitting cross-legged and leaned her forearms on her thighs. “Catalogue my visits. Verify it with firsthand accounts and social media postings. I’m lucky Pinkie’s such a shutterbug. And that I don’t spend much time at home these days.”

“Too busy?”

“It’s too… quiet. And empty.” Twilight twiddled her thumbs, furrowing her forehead. “I don’t… like it there anymore.”

“Well, don’t forget; you’re always welcome at Sweet Apple Acres.” Granny Smith brushed a lock of Twilight’s hair behind her ear. “Just wanted to make sure you knew you were loved.”

Twilight Sparkle leaned forward and wrapped her arms around Granny. “I love you, too, Granny Smith.”

“Ooh.” Granny stood up and made her way carefully to the kitchen. “Soup’s up in about a half-hour. Don’t forget to worsh up.”

Twilight slurped up the last of the tea. She felt a little better, she had to admit. Granny Smith had a way of unpacking the soul and putting it into order. Mostly through her skills in the kitchen, but a mother’s touch went a long way. Even when it wasn’t strictly her mother.

Not having to go back to the cold, empty building she owed payments on was a boon. Maybe if somebody went with her, but… not tonight. A sleepover with Applejack was in the cards. She had thought herself too old for real slumber parties, but here she was. Twenty-eight and bunking on a thirty-year-old friend’s cot.

It felt a little like home. A place to plan her next move.

She needed Sunset. They’d investigated a magic-related murder before. Maybe this time would be similar. Find the real killer and put a stop to them.

There weren’t many magic users in her world. All it would take was them putting their heads together and finding the critical clues that would lead them to the solution. Twilight could use her magic scanner again. Sunset would probably know a list of spells capable of dehydrating a body. Between the two of them, there was nothing to fear.

She’d call her tomorrow and set up a meet time. She’d feel better by then. Ready to get to work.

In the meantime, supper was just about ready.

***

Sunset pulled into the driveway with a smile. Their home lay bright and inviting, the windows glowing from within. She saw Shining jump out of his easy chair and race for the door, opening it before the minivan was even in park. His wide smile said all he needed to say, but Sunset still wanted to hear it aloud.

As soon as she stepped out of the van, he scooped her up and lifted her high. Her joyous shriek was drowned out with his triumphant shout. “I got the job! I start Monday!”

She bent her knees to better take the landing and allowed her husband to pull her tight. She laughed as her cheek brushed against his. She hadn’t seen him like this in a while. A long, long while.

He reached into the van and unbuckled Sunny. The excitement was just enough to pull Sunny’s attention away from his Transformers Rescue Bots toy. Rather than ask a question, he allowed Heatwave to drop into the car seat as his father hoisted him free of the vehicle. “Daddy finally got a job, Sunny! Daddy fixes cars now! Is that awesome or what?”

“You fix cars!” Sunny smiled a toothy grin. “I wanna see!”

“I’ll have to take you sometime later, buddy.” Shining winked at Sunset as they locked up the van. “After Mr. Petal Metal’s decided he likes me enough to keep me around.”

With Sunny in one arm and the other around Sunset, Shining led them towards the house. “The starting wage is pretty good. It should carry us through summer. When you get back to school, we can really start making progress.”

He snorted once they were inside. “Scootaloo’s my supervisor, if you can believe that. The girl’s a real taskmaster. Can’t imagine where she learned that.”

Sunset bit back a groan. It was the truth. Sunset had no small part in Scootaloo’s upbringing. “She’ll keep you in line. Believe me. You’ll known exactly when you’re doing something wrong, and exactly what that is.”

Shining Armor set Sunny on the floor and allowed the boy to roam freely. He headed for his room for some reason or another. Sunset took Shining’s hand before he too could move on. “Hey.”

Shining smiled at her, raising his eyebrows. “Yes, my love?”

“Ha ha.” Sunset swung his hand back and forth. She sucked in a steadying breath. “I found out about something important today, too. Something that could really help us. And not just us.”

Shining jerked his head towards the couch. The two of them sat side-by-side, their knees touching. Sunset kept his hand cradled gently in hers. “A friend of Celestia’s visited this week. He’s from the Highborn Isles. He’s a teacher at a university there.”

Shining nodded. His beautiful blue eyes briefly took on a distant look, remembering something but not quite willing to divulge. He waited for Sunset to continue and squeezed her hand.

“Dr. Sombra is part of a new school in the Highborn Isles…” Sunset gave her husband a lopsided grin. “One that teaches magic.”

Shining’s eyes popped. His jaw dropped open. “Huh?”

“Real magic.” Sunset leaned closer, her voice growing higher against her will. “Like the kind I use. It’s real Equestrian magic, Shiny. And they’re teaching it to people. And—” She swallowed. “—and they want my help. They need my help.”

Shining looked numb. His hand was limp at the least. His eyes took on that distant look again, wavering between the past and the present. “Sunset… that’s wonderful…”

Sunset brought her head a little closer to his. “Why don’t you think so?”

“I… do…” Shining bobbed his head back and forth. “That’s what I said, it’s wonderful. But…”

Sunset closed her eyes and called up the deepest bastions of her patience. “But what, Shining?”

“But…” He brought his eyes to hers, fully in the now, focused on her. “The Highborn Isles are going through a really rocky time right now. The monarchy is teetering and people are protesting. Violently. There’s practically a civil war between the people who want to keep the line of succession going, and those who want their government upheaved. Monarchists and anarchists and all sorts of bad vibes.”

He shook his head. He rubbed the back of her hand in that special way she liked. “When I was in the special forces, we were part of a mission to protect a diplomat and I saw firsthand what it’s like. It wasn’t that long ago, Sunset. I don’t feel safe letting you go over there right now. And… and with the new job, I wouldn’t be able to go with you.”

“W-we’d be out in the country, away from the cities and the violence.” She chewed her lip and crossed her legs. “It’s magic, Shiny. Magic.”

Shining Armor leaned back, staring across the living room with heaviness behind his eyes. He looked at her quietly for a moment.

“Celestia’s going, too, ” she said. “And Dr. Sombra will pay for everything. The flight. Room and board. Meals. And… and lost work.”

Shining tilted his head. “He’s paying you to teach.”

“Yeah. Exactly. Kinda.” Sunset waved a hand. “It’s a no-obligation deal. If I don’t fit, I can just toodle my way back to Libertas and be done with it. If it works…”

She shrugged with lack of anything better to do. “We could change the world for the better.”

Shining Armor leaned forward. He chewed on his forefinger’s nail. “Why don’t you want to keep magic secret anymore?”

“Because it’s a learning environment.” Sunset stood up and paced back and forth across the room. “It’s a chance to teach magic the right way. To teach people how to be safe, how to use it right, what the problems might be. It’s like teaching Twilight. And… if it’s already out in the world, don’t we want it being taught by somebody who knows exactly how dangerous it is? Who has a working knowledge of every form it takes?”

She stopped before him and leaned forwards, her hands on her knees. “They discovered it by themselves, Shiny. This is a huge opportunity to do things right.”

Shining’s lip twitched up at the corner. The ghost of a smile vanished into fog. “You really want this, don’t you?”

Sunset straightened up, hugging herself. “It’s my dream.”

Shining Armor stood as well. He reached around her and pulled her close. He pressed his lips against the top of her head. His voice was small, naught but a whisper. “How can I protect you if you’re not here?”

“Protect Sunny.” She looped her arms around his back, clasping her hands near his waist. “Get yourself back on your feet. Find joy in life. Call me every night. Skychat me; I’ll have my laptop ready whenever I manage to figure out the time change.”

Shining chuckled. “It’s about six hours difference.”

His hands ran up and down her back, a loving, comforting embrace. Comforting for them both, she supposed.

“If you really want to do it,” he said quietly, “I’ll be behind you the whole way.”

A spark lit in her chest. Relief, happiness, excitement; all thundered through her heart. “I love you, Shiny.”

“I love you, too, Sunset.”

Author's Note

Yes, fans of Blueblood's Ascension. His full name is Oscuro Sombra Relámpago. It means what you think it means.

Far and Away

Twilight Sparkle flopped back-first onto the cot provided by the Apple family. Her loose hair splayed out from her head, framing her face. She held her glasses in one hand and stared at the ceiling with intentionally blurry vision. Having an inability to focus on her sight allowed her to clear her mind. It was a refreshing experience, a microcosm of peace in the midst of the mind-numbing day.

Applejack hopped onto her bed and fiddled with her phone. She hunched over with her palm propping her face up as her right hand thumbed the touch screen. “C’n I get you anything? Snack, toothbrush, extra pillows?”

Twilight had brought her toothbrush and paste from her house. She’d grabbed the bare minimum: pajamas, a change of clothes, toiletries and deodorant. She spent as little time as possible in the bare, empty building. “Nah. I’m good.”

Twilight looked the other woman over. In comparison to her own pajama shorts and tank top, Applejack wore full-length flannel pajamas. She furrowed her brow and set her glasses in place. “So… does it get cold up here or what?”

“Huh?” Applejack placed the phone on her nightstand and leaned back against her headboard. “I just generally don’t use my blankets. Flannels feel better anyhow. You don’t gotta worry’ bout the chill. It’s just me bein’ me.”

“Fair enough.” Twilight folded her hands over her stomach. “Did you tell anybody about what’s going on?”

“Nope. Didn’t wanna overreach my bounds.” Applejack half-reached for her phone. “Y’want me to spread the word? I could IM folks for yah.”

“No thanks. I’ll do it. I only want a couple of people worrying about me.” Twilight held her phone in the air and stared at her contacts list. She’d probably add Shining Armor and Sunset. Maybe her parents. Maybe not. “I’m not sure what to say, really. ‘Hey, gang. Got accused of murder. El oh el. Probably going to jail. El em ay oh.’”

“You ain’t goin’ to jail.” Applejack spoke with a certainty that Twilight wished she felt. “On account of you not doing anythin’ wrong.”

“Nothing wrong.” Twilight removed her mother and father from the message recipients. “Yeah. Nothin’ at all.”

Before she could begin composing the message, her phone vibrated and a notification flashed on the screen. It was a call from Sunset Shimmer. Normally a cause for happiness. Now, though? “Huh. Speak of the devil.”

“Beg pardon?”

“Sunset’s calling.” Twilight pressed the green button and held the phone a little closer to her mouth. “Hey, Sunset. You’re on speaker with me and AJ.”

“Oh. Hi, Applejack!”

“Howdy.”

“Listen, Twilight, I have huge news. This day has been wild.”

Twilight Sparkle sighed through her nose, careful to angle her breath away from the receiver. “You don’t know the half of it.”

“You sitting down? ’Cause this is huge.”

Twilight sent a small, weak grin towards Applejack. “I couldn’t be sitting down any harder.”

“Okay. So. I’ve been invited to visit a school that teaches real magic.”

That got Twilight to sit upright. She stared at the phone with her forehead wrinkled, frowning as though Sunset could see her. “Come again? You talking real, real magic? Our kinda magic?”

“Really real magic, Twi.” Sunset’s voice vibrated with sheer excitement. It came through the audio as little pops of static, possibly caused by out-of-control glimmers of emotion-powered magic. “They want me to come and teach, and they’re gonna pay me just for showing up. I’m gonna have… oh gosh…. a whole classroom of people to teach magic to. People with just as much talent and excitement for it as we have. I mean, we don’t know if it’s gonna work out exactly, but if it does…”

“Wow.” Twilight didn’t have any other word for it. It was a bomb dropped into the idea-rich confines of her mind. They weren’t the only ones who had familiarity with magic? Now that she thought about it, of course a world as old as theirs would have plenty of opportunities to discover a natural force over the eons. If people could identify gravity, study the atom, explore the depths of space, why wouldn’t they find magic? To say nothing about the sirens having lived in their world for around a thousand years.

Wait. Hold up. Something was amiss. Twilight pushed her glasses higher up her nose. “Where’s the school?”

“It’s overseas. In the countryside of the Highborn Isles.”

Twilight nearly dropped her phone. Overseas? Across the ocean? In a whole other continent?

Her stomach lurched. Her ears burned as the weight of the revelation settled over her shoulders. She spoke quietly, more to verify what she already feared than to present an interrogative. “When are you leaving?”

“As soon as possible. We got the soonest flight.” There was a slight pause as Sunset weighed the conversation from her end. Her voice took on a lower, concerned tone. “Hey, are you okay?”

“I—” Twilight swallowed her breath. “Is Shining going with you?”

“No, he and Sunny are staying behind. I’m traveling light and fast.” Sunset’s volume shifted as she adjusted her grip on the phone. “Is something wrong, Twilight?”

“It’s… it’s a long story…”

And it was a long story, told through seemingly endless minutes of agonizing reliving. Sunset was mercifully silent throughout the tale, just allowing Twilight to pour her heart out. Applejack rolled to lie on her stomach, her phone held loosely over the edge of the bed. She, too, remained quiet, sitting through the story she’d already heard twice over.

When Twilight finished, there was an extended silence. Sunset breathed at last, followed by a sorrowful sentence. “Twilight, I’m sorry.”

“I just…” Twilight’s throat constricted as a sob threatened to rise from her chest. “I thought you could help.”

“I’m so sorry, I—” Sunset shuffled around. Twilight could hear paper flapping in the background. Her friend was fidgeting on account of having nothing else for her hand to do. “—I want to help you so bad, but… but we need… the paycheck will really help… I can’t… The plane leaves tomorrow.”

But it doesn’t leave today, Twilight thought. You could cancel. You could stay and help me and be a hero to me. The school will still be there, won’t it? If they really wanted you, they’d be willing to wait for you, right?

Out loud, she let out a whisper. “It’s your dream, Sunset. You can’t give that up.”

Sunset Shimmer made a few muffled “thinking” sounds. They grew in volume and frustration with each passing moment. “I think I got an idea. I might not be available, but I know somebody who will be.”

Twilight allowed herself a smile despite herself. “Shining Armor?”

“Yeah, yeah, him too.” Sunset Shimmer’s shuffling switched to tuning pages of a book. “He’s gonna have Sunny, but we have Pinkie watching him while Shiny’s at work. But there’s somebody else who has experience with this sort of thing. I think if we drop her a line, she’ll be able to help out.”

Experience? Twilight’s mouth curled into a light scowl. There was a very short list of people in her immediate circle who had experience with magical murders. One of who’s pure existence played with Twilight’s perception of the universe and her place in it. “You talking about the princess?”

“Exactly.” Sunset Shimmer stood up so fast her chair clattered to the floor. “Shoot! Sorry. Where are you guys? I wanna drop off my old journal and get you in touch with her.”

“Apple Family residence,” Applejack piped up. “Twi’s stayin’ here ’til this whole thing blows over.”

“I’ll be over in fifteen minutes, tops.”

The call ended with Twilight staring at the phone, unsure of what the heck she’d just gotten herself into. It wasn’t like she didn’t get along with her counterpart. It was just… there was that whole “me but not” aspect to get over. She hadn’t quite found a way to parse the thought.

“Huh.” Applejack slid off her bed and slid into her slippers in the same motion. “I ain’t seen the princess since—” She slipped Twilight a glance she wasn’t supposed to notice. “—well, since she visited last.”

“Spike’s funeral? Yeah.” Twilight Sparkle stuck her phone in a loose pocket and followed Applejack out the door. “Me either.”

While they went one way down the hallway, Big Mac walked the other. Applejack gave him a friendly punch in the shoulder. “Off to bed, Mac?”

“A’yup.” His voice hitched when he saw Twilight trailing behind his sister. He gave her a small nod. “G’night, Twi.”

Twilight’s first instinct was to leap into the man’s arms, to hold him tight and never let go. With that desire suppressed due to sheer decorum, her next challenge was to suppress a laugh. He cut quite the figure, dressed in loose-fitting cottony pajamas that buttoned up the front. His hair lay at funny angles, teased out of shape by the humidity of an evening shower.

She wrapped her arms around his middle, and he returned the hug without a second thought. “Good night, Mac. Love you.”

“Love you, too, Twi.”

Apple Bloom chose that moment to pop her head out of the bathroom, toothbrush in hand. “If’n I hear any weird noises durin’ the night, I’m gettin’ the hose.”

Big Mac broke out into a coughing fit, releasing Twilight and making his way towards his bedroom. Twilight caught a glimpse of a rare sight: Big Mac blushing as bright red as a firetruck in an apple orchard. Applejack silenced further comment from her little sister with a glare that had been known to churn butter, curdle cheese, and do the laundry all before suppertime. Apple Bloom said her goodnights and closed the door to the bathroom before further threat to life and limb could be made.

Twilight could only roll her eyes, having long been at peace with Bloom’s constant efforts to chaperone. She followed Applejack downstairs to the first floor, where Granny Smith lay asleep on the easy chair. The TV hummed quietly in the background, its faint light flickering with some late-night gameshow. They tiptoed past her and stepped into the cool summer night.

They stood quietly for a while as they waited. Twilight Sparkle rubbed her bare arms as the chill cooled her skin. She sent Applejack a sidelong glance. “So. Did Sunset ever try teaching any of you guys magic?”

“Not really. After a while it just sorta wasn’t a thing in our lives.” Applejack set her hands on her hips and leaned back against the door frame. “Don’t get me wrong, it was pretty neat gettin’ all glowy and savin’ the world and such. But eventually we all got on with our normal lives. Sunset wasn’t too keen on having any evidence that she weren’t from this world.”

“Yeah…” Twilight shrugged. “She never really told me anything about the other world. Not until we both visited it. Now, though…”

“We covered as much as I knew when we met yah. Believe you me, I never really knew anything b’sides we all had double-mint twins in Ponyland.”

“Ponyville.”

“Yeah, s’what I said.”

Twilight and Applejack shared a grin underneath the silvery moon. Applejack yawned and stretched her arms upward. “I’m glad it’s all a little more public nowadays. Helps to understand just what sorta crazy we all got into when we were kids. I almost miss the whole superpowers thing. Almost. I’m a bit simple when it comes to what I really want outta life.”

Twilight took off her glasses and polished them on the edge of her tank top. “What’s your dream?”

“Mostly jus’ ‘take over the farm.’” Applejack looked up at the stars, crossing her arms over her chest. “I figure I’ll work those fields an’ orchards ’til I’m old’n’gray. Like Granny did. Like my parents would’ve.” She nodded firmly at Twilight. “It’s the most satifyin’, fulfillin’, life-affirmin’ thing I ever done. And I can’t imagine doin’ anythin’ else.”

Applejack moved her hand like she wanted to adjust her hat, but found her head bare. She chuffed softly. “How ’bout you? I know you got that magic thing on lockdown.”

“Yeah, that’s a big part of it.” A flash of purple light appeared in the palm of Twilight’s hand, illuminating them brighter than the porch light. “It’s a dream to understand it more and more… I’m in the career I’ve always dreamed of… I’m on track, for the most part…”

Twilight must have been frowning, because Applejack pinched her eyebrows. “But?”

“But? I dunno.” Twilight shrugged and let the magic go out. “It’s hard to dream when you’ve had a day like today.”

Applejack laid a warm hand on her shoulder. “Nothin’ wrong with that. Just heal. And know we’re by your side.”

“Thank you, AJ.” The contact felt good to Twilight. A bright spot in the scum sandwich of a day she’d had. Still, if she allowed herself to remember that Sunset wasn’t going to be around, that joy soured. She pushed the thought from her mind and focused on what she wanted to say to the princess. It was gonna be weird communicating through Sunset’s magic journal—like handwritten text messages. She could probably draw pictures to illustrate her points, but the images rendered would still be completely foreign to a pony. It was time to call upon all her skill at interpersonal communication.

She also made a point to ignore the thought that her and interpersonal communication had a rocky history.

Sunset pulled up in her minivan, still dressed in her teaching outfit, her hair frazzled from what was probably frantic packing. She left the van running as she hustled up the driveway, the journal in hand. She and Twilight shared a quick hug, after which she gave one to Applejack.

“I’m so sorry, Twilight.” Sunset was near tears, wiping her eyes with a wrist. “The timing for this is so garbage. God, I can’t even—I’m sorry.”

She handed the journal to Twilight, who took it gingerly. “I took a sec to send a message ahead of time, just to get the princess up to speed. You can read it and add anything you think is pertinent. I just wanted her to get back to you as soon as she could.”

“That’s fine.” Twilight flipped open to the freshest page and speed-read the transcript, which described both Twilight’s and Sunset’s situations. It was fairly spot-on, with only a couple of spots that would require ironing out. She wasn’t actually under arrest, for one thing. “It’ll… it’ll work out. Somehow.”

As she was speaking, the book vibrated in her arms, shimmering with faint magic. She flipped the page and a message scrawled itself out before her eyes: We’ll be right over.

Twilight read it again. And again. And yet again. Still, she wasn’t sure she understood quite right. “Right over?” To where? To the library? She looked over the end of Sunset’s message and found no such call to action, just a request to help. It couldn’t mean—

Another vibration. Another scrawl on that same page. Tomorrow morning.

Sunset read over Twilight’s shoulder. She gave the page a double-take. “Wha—huh?”

Applejack appeared on the other side and gave it a similarly puzzled look-over. “Guys? Is the princess comin’ here, to this world?”

“It… would seems that way.” Twilight Sparkle looked up at Sunset, unable to feel anything but confusion. “So is she coming to help me, or to see the school?”

“I specifically asked her to help with you.” Sunset paced across the porch, rubbing her hands with every step. “She might just want to be here to help you hands-on. But it also wouldn’t hurt to be closer to the magic school, just to see what it’s all about.”

Applejack raised an eyebrow. “You could just ask her.”

Twilight took the pen from its place clipped to the cover of the book. She scribbled a quick message and, a minute later, received a brief affirmation that the princess was on her way to personally aid Twilight.

“Dang,” Applejack said. “Roll out the red carpet.”

Sunset was visibly relieved, the stress practically steaming off of her. “Oh, thank heavens. I feel so much better knowing she’s gonna be with you. Trust me, Twilight. If there’s one person who knows more about magic than I do, it’s the princess.”

Twilight Sparkle frowned deeply at the journal. She wished she shared Sunset’s ease. As it was, the whole situation just got a whole lot weirder. And more complicated. She didn’t doubt Princess Twilight’s competency, or good heart, or brilliance.

She doubted her own.

“I really need to finish packing,” Sunset said. She gave Twilight and Applejack another hug—the last for a long, long time. She trotted back to the minivan, waving as she went. “I love you guys!”

The engine revved, and she was gone.

Twilight Sparkle pressed the journal to her chest. She watched the van’s taillights vanish into the distance. Her eyes stung anew with unshed tears. She swore aloud, and for once, the Apple family had nothing to say about it. Instead, Applejack took her by the shoulder and led her slowly inside for a night that was sure to be anything but restful.

***

Sunset Shimmer walked through the airport the next day, plenty of time before the sun rose. Shining Armor was beside her, pushing Sunny’s stroller. Her luggage was checked. Her ticket was in hand. Her destination was certain.

Or so she told herself. On the inside, she was more nervous than the first day she’d spent as Princess Celestia’s personal student. Then, an orphan with more magical talent than she knew what to do with. Now, a magical expert in a world that was just discovering the science.

Magic was different in this world she called her home. It was harder to grasp. Tenuous and fleeting. Faint. It required a great deal of focus and even more practice. Could everybody eventually learn how to use it? Maybe. Perhaps people used it without knowing what it really was. At the moment, there was no way to know.

Up ahead, she saw Celestia and Sombra sitting together in the waiting area. The large man and the principal held hands, both smiling as they chatted. It seemed odd to Sunset; Celestia had never mentioned Sombra, but he was clearly a large part of her life. Even now, continents apart and years between them, they were able to reconnect as though they’d never left.

Shining Armor kept his voice low as they approached. “I didn’t know the principal had an SO.”

“You and me both,” Sunset said. “I think they had a relationship thirty years ago.”

“Thirty years?” Shining Armor cracked a grin. “The embers still burn.”

Celestia and Sombra stood at their approach. Sombra bowed his head at Shining. “Captain Armor. It has been some time.”

Shining Armor shifted in his stance, coming alongside the stroller to put himself between Sunny and the doctor. “I’m sorry, I don’t recall having met.”

“It was when you were part of the team to assist Prime Minister Fancy Pants.” Sombra extended a hand, which Shining gripped with a strong squeeze. “I was able to see the Libertas Military in full force when you rescued him from that mob.”

Sunset’s eyebrows rose as her heart dropped. A mob that required foreign military presence? What had she gotten herself into?

“Ah, I’m sorry, I didn’t recognize you with your new hair style.” Shining Armor sent his wife a look that was just bordering on I told you so. “I hope the political climate is a bit better these days.”

“We will be in the Insofar countryside. The… more zealous political unrest is localized on the mainland.” Sombra leaned heavily on his cane, his face a chiseled stone of seriousness. “I promise you, I would not have invited Mrs. Shimmer if I thought there was danger to her wellbeing.”

Celestia slid herself bodily into the conversation as only a practiced social butterfly could. “I would like to remind you that Sunset is no helpless waif. We’ll look out for each other, Shining Armor.”

Sunset intertwined her fingers with Shining’s. They shared a look that both of them knew. They had decided to trust each other, no matter what. It was only for a little while. They could handle it. They’d spent far longer time apart when Shining Armor was an active member of the military. They’d been in far more dangerous situations.

Doubt niggled at the back of Sunset’s mind, but she brushed it off as prefight nerves. “That’s right, Celestia. We’ll look out for each other.”

She knelt down to touch Sunny’s face. The young boy was sleeping, since it was still before five o’clock. She whispered and kissed his cheek. “I love you, Sunny. Be a good boy for Daddy.”

He blinked awake. His eyes searched the strange surroundings until they finally rested on Sunset herself. He tried to ask if they were at the airport, but his sleepy slur came out as a “Wetairpert?”

“Yeah.” She brushed his hair out of his face. “Mommy’s got to go visit another school now. I’ll call you tonight.”

“Wannagotoo.”

“I’m sorry, Sunny.” There was that pain in her chest again. The kind of pain she felt when she spent time with Scootaloo. She hadn’t connected the two before this moment, but there it was. She felt like she was abandoning him. Abandoning him, and Shiny, and Twilight. Like she was screwing them over.

She took a deep breath in. It was fine. She was doing this for the sake of her family, for the sake of the magic students, and for the sake of herself. It wasn’t selfish. It was important. It was world-changing. It was…

It was her boy. He had woken up more, though he was still dizzy. He was too young to truly comprehend what was happening and why, but he still understood that his mommy was leaving. He reached for her, tears already dribbling down his chubby cheeks.

She took his hands in hers and smiled, warm and familiar. “You’re gonna have so much fun with Daddy. And you’re going over to the Pie’s tomorrow to play with Cheese Cake and Cherry Pie. You’ll still see me when we video chat.”

After some time, the call came to board the flight.

Shining Armor bent down to take Sunny from the stroller. He held the boy close with one arm, and wrapped the other around Sunset. They shared a kiss, all too brief, and then parted. He spoke to his son, warm and calm. “Wave goodbye to Mommy, Buddy.”

The three of them waved to each other, and Sunset felt her heart being ripped from her chest. A welcoming pat from Celestia urged her forward. She hesitated at the gate, her breath catching. She turned to catch a glimpse of her husband and son.

“Please don’t hold up the line, ma’am.”

Sunset Shimmer boarded the plane with a nine-hour flight ahead of her. Celestia allowed her to have the window seat, while the far taller Dr. Sombra required the aisle seat. Sunset fastened her seatbelt and pulled open the sliding window. She could see the large window in the airport that faced the airfield. A shape, indistinct yet unmistakable, stood in the midst of the glowing room. She pressed her hand against the glass.

“Gum?” Celestia passed a six-pack of mint gum to her. “It’ll help with the pressure. You’ve never flown before, have you?”

Sunset laughed lightly. “Not in an airplane.”

“It’s terrible.” Celestia leaned against Sombra’s shoulder and closed her eyes. “You’ll be much happier if you can get some shuteye. Get some rest and look forward to the nasty breakfast they serve.”

Sunset didn’t know that she was going to be hungry. Her stomach was all butterflies. A new country. A new continent. A new culture. She didn’t know that she could handle it.

It’ll be fine, she reasoned. She’d completely restructured her life once, and this was a far less permanent and drastic change than that. It was only for a time. Unless she just decided to teach magic for the rest of her life. That was always a possibility. She had to at least consider it, right?

Considering it made her feel ill again.

***

Twilight Sparkle awoke with a start. Her nightmares that night had taken an especially dark turn. Nothing horrifying enough to scare her awake, but enough to drown her in a seemingly endless morass of depression and unease. If she wasn’t drowning, she was racing against the clock to save someone from a looming darkness. Sonata appeared a few times, mocking her with that chilling, broken laugh of hers. Moondancer sat alone in the morgue, stating they couldn’t be friends anymore.

Principal Cinch expressed disappointment at Twilight for forgetting a locker combination. That one confused her more than anything.

It was all so slapdash, so overwhelming, so nonsensically put together. Twilight couldn’t stand to think about it another moment. She sat up in bed to find herself alone in the room. It was already midmorning. Applejack had long ago gotten to work on the farm. The same could probably be said for the other members of the Apple family. Twilight reached over to pull up the shade and let the sunlight in. The farm was peaceful and beautiful, as ever. It calmed her. Let her know that even if her world was crumbling, there was something to hold onto.

A dog’s bark—either Wilber’s or Walter’s—broke into the stillness. Both dogs ran across the field as Granny took them for a walk. The old woman kept up despite her years. Heck, from the smile on her face, Twilight figured she reveled in it.

Seeing no chance to ogle Big Mac from afar, Twilight took a quick shower and got dressed for the day. Since she didn’t need to go into work, she figured it was fine to keep it casual with a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. It was most certainly warm enough this time of summer. Just a chance to chill and prepare for—

The door rattled just as she got finished dressing. So much for relaxing, then. It was already time to face the awkwardness of her mirror from another world. She walked downstairs, being the only one in the house to answer the door. She paused with her hand on the knob, took a steeling breath, and pulled it open.

Nobody met her eye, so logic dictated she look down. She found herself toe-to-toe with a purple dog.

The dog raised a paw and waved. “Hi, Twilight!”

She slammed the door as her mind went on the fritz. It was Spike, in the prime of his life. Purple and green coat. Strong muscles from lots of exercise. A gleefully wagging tail. He wasn’t old, and tired, and worn out like he’d been in the years leading to his death.

The next moment, things clicked into place. He’d spoken. It wasn’t Spike… No, actually, it was. It just wasn’t her Spike. It was the Spike from the other world. The young dragon. He’d come to help her.

Aaaaand she’d just shut the door in his face.

“Sorry,” she said, pulling it open. “Sorry, my mind is just—sorry. I didn’t realize it was you.”

He rubbed the tip of his snout. He looked at her out of the corner of his eye. “Get a lot of talking dogs around these parts?”

“No, just… no.” She rubbed one of her wrists as shame heated her cheeks. “I wasn’t expecting you to come with the princess.”

“Oh, totally. You guys are my friends, too, you know?” He sat on his haunches, gesturing with a paw as he talked. A painful-looking scar split the fur of one shoulder. “Twilight headed to Sunset’s house to talk with Shining Armor. We can get started, though. What do you have so far? Any leads on the culprit?”

I have jack squat, Twilight thought. She stepped away from the door to let Spike in the house. He wiped his paws carefully on the rug before continuing. Twilight noticed that he carried a pair of tiny saddlebags, which held pads of paper and various writing utensils. How he thought he was going to be able to use them with dog paws was beyond her.

“Oh, wait.” Twilight reached for her phone and thumbed through her contacts. “The princess is going to find an empty house. Shining’s at work right now.”

Spike waited patiently for one moment before interjecting. “You know Twilight doesn’t have a phone, right?”

Twilight blew a breath through pursed lips. Duh. “Did she bring her journal?”

“Yeah.”

“I’ll be right back.” She ran up the stairs to Applejack’s bedroom. She pulled the book to her from where it sat on the nightstand, and a pen followed suit. She returned to the entryway to find that Spike had made his way to a couch. He was shuffling through his detached bags, trying and failing to grasp the pens with his paws. She sat next to him and opened the journal to a fresh page. “You, uh, doing okay there?”

“I’ve dealt with useless appendages before.” Spike bit down on a pencil and tried to write for a few brief moments. The lame scribble that resulted almost made Twilight laugh. He spat the pencil out and lolled his tongue. “Yuck.”

Twilight sighed and wrote her quick note to the princess. She leaned back and let out a long breath. It was gonna be a long day.

“Hey.” Spike smiled and put his paw on her chest. “Don’t worry about it. We’ll get through this. I promise.”

Twilight Sparkle froze, her entire body tensing up. She looked at his paw, then looked at his face. “What are you doing?”

“Uh…” He tilted his head, his brow furrowing. “I’m putting my ha—paw on your chest. It’s a sign of friendship in Equestria.” He gave her a half-grin. He knew she wasn’t exactly buying it. “Isn’t it—um—isn’t it a gesture of affection here?”

She gently removed his paw. “Oh yeah. Definitely affection.” She narrowed her eyes at him. “Sexual affection.”

Spike practically leaped off the couch as the color left his face. His ears blazed a bright red. “Oh-kay! Sorry about that! Let’s just pretend it never happened, right?”

Twilight laid her head in her hands. Maybe meeting the princess wouldn’t be as awkward by comparison. Maybe, maybe, maybe. “Whatever you say, Little Spike.”

“Don’t call me L—” Spike cleared his throat, brushed his paw against his snout, and set about cleaning up the mess of pens he’d knocked over. “Probably not the time,” he muttered.

Author's Note

It's so good to be out of the hiatus. Welcome back to the world of Equestria Girls!

Stay safe. Stay smart. Stay on your toes. I wish you all good health.

Imperfect Reflections

Shining Armor wiped his hands with an oil rag in the hopes of getting even the top layer of grime off. The car parts he’d just installed hummed perfectly as the engine ran. Quite the difference from the state it’d been in when it first arrived at the shop. A few more tests and they’d be able to deliver the car back to the customer.

Not bad for his first day.

“Shining!” Scootaloo called him from across the shop floor. “Take a break, you’ve got a visitor!”

He gave the signal to shut the car off and walked towards the lobby. He looked to Scootaloo as he passed. “Who is it?”

“Dunno, but she looks like your sister.” Scootaloo hoisted a hefty toolbox and pulled it towards the car Shining’d finished up. “Got a cousin I don’t know about?”

“We don’t really have cousins.” Shining shrugged. “Only one uncle on my mom’s side, and he never had kids.”

Scootaloo snorted, waving him off. “M’kay. I hear everybody has an evil twin somewhere in the world, and I think we just found Sparkle’s.”

Shining furrowed his brow. Evil Twin? What the heck was Scootaloo talking about? Did it have something to do with Sunset’s home world? Had he just been visited by—? Yup. Shining entered the lobby and picked her out of the crowd immediately.

Twilight Sparkle sat in a chair nearby the entrance. But it wasn’t. For one, she wasn’t wearing glasses, and Twilight had a well-documented hatred of contact lenses. For another, she wore a knee-length dress, which Twilight was loath to wear on even the most formal occasions (save for being a bridesmaid). For yet another, she seemed to be smiling for the sake of it, which was a rare enough occasion for his little sister that it was worth noting.

Last but not least, when she stood up, she stood eye-to-eye with Shining Armor. Twilight was at least two heads shorter than Shining wearing high heels.

Shining moved to offer her a well-greased hand, thought better of it, and settled for a bow at the neck. “Princess Twilight, I presume?”

“That’s me!” The purple gemstone she wore around her neck glimmered lightly as she spoke. “May I just say I’m very glad to be able to see you again. It’s been quite some time.”

That was an understatement. She had shown up in the background of his and Sunset’s wedding, silently supporting her friend. That had been well over five years ago. Long enough for Shining to put alternate universes and their ways out of his mind. “Yeah. I guess you’re here to help with Twilight’s problem?”

“That’s it exactly.” The princess nodded, her smile still bright. “Afterwards, I also plan to follow up on what Sunset thinks about the new magic school, but that’s for another day. I was hoping we could get everybody to meet somewhere so we can plan out our investigation. Any good ideas?”

“Probably the Apple house,” Shining Armor said. “I get out of work at five, so I’ll meet you guys there.”

“Sounds like a plan.” The princess glanced this way and that, then leaned closer to him. “Do you have any leads so far? I might be able to investigate on my way to their house.”

“Not really.” Shining shrugged. “I only just heard about it last night. I don’t even know who the victim is.”

“Fair enough.” For the first time since Shining had met her, irritation sizzled within the princess’ eyes. That was more the Twilight he knew. “There’s gotta be something. Maybe I should stop by the police station.”

Shining felt his breath catch. “Twilight and Sunset have been careful to keep magic away from the station. I don’t think it’s a good idea to—”

“Don’t they already know?” Princess Twilight put her hands on her hips. “If magic is already a known cause, maybe they’ll be able to shed some light on the subject.”

“Yeah…” Shining Armor gritted his teeth behind pursed lips. “Or maybe they’ll get it in their heads that you’re a likely suspect as well.”

Princess Twilight blinked. She rested her forehead in her palm. “Yeah. Yeah, I can see that. I’d rather not go to jail.” She crossed her arms and blew a long breath through her nose. “Alright. Straight to the Apples’ it is. See you later, Shiny.”

“See you…” Shining leaned over to look out the glass door. He saw a man loitering around the sidewalk, but no sign of transportation. “You’re not gonna walk all the way there, are you?”

“Nah, Skyhook’s ordering a taxi.” Princess Twilight’s eyes lit up. “Oh! I didn’t introduce you!” She leaned out the door and waved the man in. “Commander! I need you to meet someone!”

The purple-haired man was a little shorter than the princess, but quite a bit more strongly built. Clearly a man of action. His skin was pale, as though he’d never before seen the sun. His eyes seemed to glow as he entered the relative dark of the auto shop lobby.

“Commander Skyhook is captain of my personal guard.” Princess Twilight placed a hand on Skyhook’s shoulder. “He’ll no doubt be a fantastic asset on the mission.”

“I insisted she bring me,” Skyhook said. “Things are getting more dangerous lately. In all worlds.” The commander narrowed glittering golden eyes at Shining. “You guys don’t have trouble with the Unseelie Court around here, do you?”

“I, uh…” Shining wracked his brain, but the name was unfamiliar. “I’ve never heard of them before.”

“One problem at a time, Skyhook.” Princess Twilight sighed, touching her fingers to her amethyst necklace. “Is that taxi close?”

“About ten more minutes.”

“In that case, I should probably get to work.” Shining Armor nodded to the princess and Skyhook in turn. “It was nice to meet you. I look forward to working with you.”

Skyhook smiled. His canines seemed abnormally large to Shining’s eyes. “Prince Shining Armor is a personal hero of mine. From what I hear, you’re his equal in every sense.”

If Shining had been drinking, he would have showered the two of them. Prince? It took a second for the memory to click. Right; the other Shining Armor was prince of his own kingdom.

Shining Armor could barely take care of his own family, let alone a kingdom.

He plastered a smile on his face and trotted back to his work area. At least working with his hands would take his mind off of things.

***

Sunset Shimmer pulled her baggage from the claim. The sounds of an unfamiliar land surrounded her. They all spoke the same language as her, but the inflections and accent were different. The slang was unfamiliar. They even drove on the opposite side of the road.

Unique scents trailed in from the airport’s food court. Visitors from various nations of the world clustered with their brethren. All around was a bustle that Sunset likened more with Manehattan than anything else.

“You okay, Sunset?” Celestia hoisted her backpack as Sombra struggled with his suitcase. “You look a little lost.”

“Yeah, but who wouldn’t be?” Sunset Shimmer sent a grin Celestia’s way. “It’s not the first time I’ve stepped into a whole new world, you know. I know what not to expect.”

Sombra pointed his cane towards one of the many pathways leading through the airport. “Our ride will be waiting for us that way. I’m anxious to get out of this awful din.”

It was the work of a few moments, but pushing through the crowds still felt like an exercise in patience. A pale, white-haired man approached them and touched a hand to Sombra’s shoulder. “Doctor! I have the car parked in lot B. Follow me, please.”

Once the crowds thinned, and they reached the open air of the car lot, the man fell into step with them and introduced himself. “My name’s Double Diamond. I’m a friend of Starlight Glimmer’s. You’re Sunset Shimmer, right?”

It wasn’t the accent Sunset was expecting from someone from the Highborn Isles. He sounded like a stereotypical surfer dude from some kid’s TV show. “Yep. That’s me.”

“Rad. Glim’s been looking forward to meeting you.” He offered a hand to Celestia, who took it lightly. “And you’re the Doc’s old buddy?”

“Just Celestia, Double Diamond.” Celestia looked ahead to where they were walking. A sad little car awaited them. “Are we… going all the way to the island in that?”

“Nah way.” Double Diamond unlocked the doors manually. “This is a rental. It’s just gonna take us to the harbor. We’ve got a couple new students arriving. We’ll meet them there.”

Sombra gingerly lowered himself into the passenger’s seat. He hoisted his braced leg with a grunt and adjusted his large frame to just barely fit into the rickety car. Sunset sat with her legs crossed and her suitcase on her lap, while Celestia did her best to stuff herself behind Sombra’s seat.

“It’s only a fifteen minute drive,” Double Diamond assured them. “Tops.”

The car sputtered to life. Sunset wrinkled her forehead. If this was the level of finance the school was able to throw around, how did they have the funds to pay her that truly absurd fee Sombra had promised? She’d even checked that morning—they’d already delivered a sum to her via direct deposit. If anybody was flush, it appeared to be someone other than Double Diamond.

The drive through the old city was disorienting, not least of which was due to the traffic flow. Sunset thanked her lucky stars she didn’t have to navigate it herself. Though, if she accepted the position, perhaps she eventually would?

The smell of seaweed and fish flowed into the car as they neared the harbor. Fishing boats moored side-by-side, and a cargo barge could be seen at the mouth of the inlet. The sea was choppy and green, the rocky shore slime-covered, and the sky perpetually overcast. The cool wind tugged at her hair as she extracted herself from the deathtrap that had the audacity to call itself a car. It felt like a call to adventure. A promise of excitement and newness that filled her heart with a steady beat of magic.

“Ahoy!” A woman in a rain jacket waved at them from beside one of the fishing boats. Purple bangs trailed out from beneath her hood. “We’re over here!”

Double Diamond slammed the door and rushed to her side. “Ahoy yourself! We ready to shove off?”

“Soon as you’re ready, Captain!” The two exchanged a quick hug, which the woman ended by giving him a firm pat on the back towards the boat. “The other passengers are getting settled. You handle the boat, I’ll handle the rest.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Double Diamond hoisted himself onboard and set about untying this and that. The flip of a switch ignited the hum of a motor, and the twist of a dial activated the churn of a propeller.

The woman removed her hood and revealed the pale-blue stripe threaded through her hair. “Welcome to the Highborn Isles! I am your host, Starlight Glimmer. It is my greatest pleasure to welcome you, of all people, to our humble little school of magic.”

Sunset Shimmer and Starlight shook hands. Sunset forced herself to overlook the awkwardness of knowing this woman’s pony counterpart—still a strange task even after dozens of similar encounters. “It’s an honor to be invited. After my experiences were labeled ‘The Canterlot High Hoax,’ I was surprised anybody would take this stuff seriously.”

“I, for one, take magic very seriously.” Starlight smiled, but the expression faded as she turned to Sombra. “Was the service nice?”

Sombra sighed. “Beautiful. Raven would have been delighted.”

“I wish I could have come.” Starlight’s cheeks tinged red as she looked down at her shoes. “I should have come.”

Celestia leaned on Sombra’s arm. “You knew Raven as well?”

“She was one of our first students.” She shook her head, rubbing her eyes and turning their attention to the boat. “Sorry. Sorry, this is supposed to be a good time. We carry on! Please watch your step when boarding. It won’t be a long trip, but do make sure your luggage is secure.”

Sunset couldn’t quite place Starlight’s accent either. If she didn’t know better, she’d say she hailed from the Midwest, like herself. Maybe a bit more northy-sounding. A couple of words still had a slight Highborn twinge, so maybe she was just well-practiced in masking her accent.

She hauled her suitcase onboard and nearly tripped immediately. The boat rocked in time with the waves, and every step seemed to throw her center of gravity in a new and strange direction. She steadied her hand against a crane in the middle of the deck. The whole place smelled like fish, only barely covered with a heavy dose of cleaner.

A man in a black turtleneck shirt and sporting a purple goatee came up from the lower deck. He put on a friendly face as he approached Sunset. “Don’t quite have your sea-legs?”

Sunset Shimmer kept herself from sighing and matched his smile. “I don’t sail much, Mr…”

“Viscount Hammer Dulcimer.” He moved with practiced grace across the swaying deck. “Dulcimer to my friends.” He reached a hand for her bag. “May I?”

“Thank you… Dulcimer.” The name rang a bell, but not one she knew the tune of. “I’m Sunset Shimmer.”

“Ah. The magic prodigy from Libertas.” He hefted her suitcase with the same ease he used walking. “I hear you learned magic completely separate from Glimmer’s little operation, correct?”

“That’s right.” Should she specify? Was her world of origin open knowledge among these people? She decided to hedge her bets and keep quiet for the time being. “I’d say I know a thing or two. Are you one of the new students?”

“Exactly.” A quizzical look passed across his face, which was quickly replaced with a more confident one. “I’m a bit of a test market, so to speak. I’m here at the Prime Minister’s behest. To see what exactly this school looks like from the inside.”

Prime Minister? How high up did this conspiracy go? Sunset reminded herself that she dealt with princesses on a daily basis. Surely Prime Ministers and their ilk weren’t much different.

Still, proximity to such power left her uneasy. “Does that mean you’re looking to make the school a bigger thing?”

“Not necessarily. Not yet. We’re just getting started with a whole new science, after all.” He glanced to the left and the right. Sombra and Celestia had disappeared belowdecks, and Starlight was conversing with Double. “I admit, I’m mostly in it for myself. I’ve always had a desire to learn about magic. Real, true magic. The kind that billows up from the heart.”

Sunset nodded. “Sounds like that’s exactly what you’re gonna get.”

“I hope so.” Dulcimer shifted his footing as the ship began to move out to sea. Sunset clung to the crane to avoid being flung to her butt. Dulcimer raised a hand to get Starlight’s attention. “Miss Glimmer! What’s our ETA?”

Starlight Glimmer had the look of someone who lifted a rock and found a dead rat. She plastered a plastic smile across her mouth and spoke to him with strained friendliness. “About two hours, Viscount. Please don’t muss your perfect hair in the interim, m’kay?”

Viscount Dulcimer scratched his goatee as his admittedly-nice ponytail waved in the breeze. He muttered a dark “takes all kinds” and brought Sunset’s luggage belowdecks.

Starlight might have sworn, but it was swallowed up by the wind. She gave Double Diamond a pat on the shoulder and moved towards Sunset. “I want to thank you again. It’s so wonderful to find other people who have discovered magic.”

She stopped at Sunset’s side and stuffed her hands in the pockets of her raincoat. “From the sounds of it, you’ve known about it longer than any of us. We’ve only been able to practice it for about… six, seven years? But you’ve been at it since high school.”

So she didn’t know about Equestria. Good. All things considered, it was for the best. “That’s only a few years longer than you guys. And there was a period of time when I just didn’t practice it at all.”

“Oh?” Starlight furrowed her brow. She looked Sunset from her head to her feet, as if sizing her up. “May I ask why not?”

“I was starting a family at the time.” Sunset shrugged. “Finishing school. I had a lot on my plate, and it seemed like magic didn’t have much impact on my life. I just let it go for a while. But then…” Sunset thought it over. She’d have to do more than abridge, she’d have to sum up. “One of my friends discovered magic, and it reignited my spark. We’ve studied together for the past couple of years. A lot of the old stuff came right back, and the rest never really left.”

Starlight chuckled lightly. “Sunset, having had a taste of magic, I can’t imagine ever letting it go. It’s like breathing for the first time. Discovering a sensation previously hidden. It’s being alive.”

Sunset smiled. She thought back to her and Twilight at the pond, discussing teleportation with their adrenaline pumping and their eyes aglow. “Yeah. There’s no comparison. It’s the best thing.”

Water sprinkled across the deck. Starlight pulled her hood on and moved to stand beside Double Diamond. “I’d recommend getting yourself below, unless you like being soaked down to your pants.”

Sunset looked to her ankles, where the edges of her pant legs had already taken on water. “My pants are always the first thing to get soaked.”

Starlight’s mouth fell open as her eyes popped. She let loose a wheezing laugh and covered her eyes. “I meant your—never mind. Just keep dry, Sunset.”

***

Twilight Sparkle sketched in the air, lavender lines emanating from her fingertips. The equations Sunset had taught her formed one digit at a time. She had burned them in her memory, recalled as easily as she could recall the names of her closest friends. Her memory had always been sharp; a skill which had served her well in her field of choice.

Little Spike looked up from his pile of scrolls. He lounged on a bale of hay as stars began to prick through the light cloud cover. The two of them had migrated to the outdoors in lieu of something productive to do. He had managed to find some middle ground in holding the pen between the toes on his paws. It was a loose grip, but it was enough to get the ink flowing. “Is that a teleportation spell?”

“Yeah. Sunset and I’ve been trying to use it.” Twilight continued to write, sparing him a single glance. “She says the magic is different here, so it’s taken her a while to work it out.”

“Yeah, that stuff is pretty high-level even back in Equestria.” Little Spike’s tail wagged as his eyes followed Twilight’s hand through the air. “I only know of, like, three unicorns who can do it. Well, two unicorns and a couple alicorns.”

“Alicorns…” She mulled the word over in her mouth, as if she was tasting a strange new food. “Like Princess Twilight?”

“Twilight, Celestia, and Luna can do it. I don’t think Cadence ever learned it.” Little Spike rubbed his chin. His wagging tail knocked a scroll off of its perch. “Nuts. The unicorns I know of are Mom, Starlight Glimmer and… I guess Sunset counts. Counted. Something like that.”

“Your mom’s a unicorn?”

“Twilight’s parents raised me, so she’s ‘Mom’ to me.”

Twilight frowned to herself. The complete equation lay in midair, waiting for some sort of ignition. She supposed it would have to be an emotion. Something to put intent into the spell. “Sunset was a pretty powerful unicorn, huh?”

“One of the best.” Little Spike leaped from his bale and walked around, looking at each of Twilight’s symbols. “She even got the drop on Princess Twilight the first time they met. She teleported around Twilight to steal her crown, which held the Element of Magic.”

Twilight swung her hand to one side. The digits spiraled around an invisible axis. “‘Steal?’ Was this back when Sunset was a delinquent?”

“You got it. She planned to raise an army of brainwashed high schoolers to invade Equestria!”

Twilight gave him a sidelong glance. “Are we talking about the same Sunset?”

Little Spike shrugged. “Hard to say. She was pretty swallowed up by her own jealousy back then.” He grinned halfheartedly. “The thing about friendship is that it takes all six Elements to create harmony. If even one Element is missing… it turns into something ugly. Sunset only had Magic—a spark—the stuff that brings friends together. That’s why she was able to build herself up so much, and also why it came crashing down hard.”

Twilight clenched her fist. The symbols glowed alongside her fingernails as magic poured from her heart. “But she found the other Elements.”

“Sure did. Just like Twilight.” Little Spike cleared his throat. “My Twilight. The princess.” He looked over his shoulder to see Applejack walking across the field. “Though it looks like you found them, too.”

“Maybe I did.” Twilight pushed magic into the spell. Sparks covered her body from head-to-toe. She closed her eyes and concentrated. “Occupying two spaces simultaneously. A leap through time that takes no time at all. A bridge with no length.” She stretched her hand out and ignited the spell. “Teleport!”

The magic burst from her in a whoosh of air. The grass danced. The sparkle of light faded.

She remained standing in the exact same place. “Crap.”

Little Spike scratched behind his ear. “Yeah, that’s what usually happens during the first casting of the spell. Give it time and you’ll get it.”

Applejack finished her walk to them with a hasty jog. “If I may ask: What in tarnation?”

“Just practicing a spell.” Twilight sat down on the hay bale. “A spell that just a liiiiitle too advanced for me.”

“Just so long as you don’t turn nothin’ into a frog.” Applejack propped a leg up on the bale and reached down to pet Little Spike’s head. “Shining Armor just got here. The princess was supposed to get here sooner, but I guess she and the taxi driver got into an argument over payment.”

Twilight’s eyebrows shot up. “What?”

“Equestrian bits look an awful lot like play money, is what I’m sayin’.” Applejack pointed a thumb towards the farmhouse. “Big Mac’s drivin’ over to bail them out. Dunno why they didn’t just bum a ride offa us sooner.”

Little Spike covered up a snort by faking a cough. It was almost convincing. “Twi—Princess Twilight didn’t wanna impose. She figures if she’s gonna spend some time in this world, she should start getting used to it.”

Applejack pulled her lips to the side. “There’s a gold buyin’ store downtown if’n you’re strapped for funds.”

“I’ll make a note of it.”

Twilight pulled herself to her feet and walked towards the farmhouse, the others close behind. A quick walk through the kitchen and down the hall brought them to the sitting room, where Shining Armor and Sunny waited. Sunny was already in the middle of a board game he, Apple Bloom, and Granny Smith were playing. Shining met Twilight halfway and embraced her.

Twilight shut her eyes to hold back the sting of fresh tears. “I’m so glad you’re here.”

“Sorry it couldn’t be sooner.” Shining took a step back as they released each other. “We’ll get through this. We’ve been in worse situations.”

Little Spike peered around Twilight’s knee. “Name one.”

Shining Armor looked down. He gave the dog a double-take. “Uh—?”

“Yeah, hi. Name’s Spike. I’m a dragon.” Little Spike patted Shining’s shin as he walked by. “Can we skip the whole ‘oh my golly gosh, a talking dog, I never seen the like’ bit?”

Shining Armor looked at Twilight with bugging eyes, pointing a firm index finger at the scientific anomaly.

Twilight let her shoulders hang limp. “All I can say is try to keep up. We’ll have to backfill the details later. He’s Princess Twilight’s Spike.”

Shining rubbed his forehead. “Is Spike just a universal constant, or what?”

“I don’t really have the data to say one way or the other.”

Sunny’s eyes lit up. He leaped off his seat on the couch and raced for Little Spike. “Hi, doggy!”

“What’s up, Sunny?” Little Spike smiled as he was petted on the head by the young boy. “You’ve gotten big, haven’t you?”

Sunny jolted back like he’d been shocked by lightning. His face took on a very similar expression to what Shining’s had been only seconds before. He looked to his father with a mixture of confusion and requesting reassurance.

Shining’s attempt at smiling reassuringly failed spectacularly. “It’s okay, buddy. Spike is a talking dog. He’s friendly.”

Apple Bloom scratched Little Spike all along his back, prompting his hind leg to thump repeatedly. “An’ he’s cute as a dang button, is what he is!”

Little Spike’s face shimmered with a volcanic blush. He gave the young woman a cheesy sort of smile and cleared his throat. “Ahem. Thank—um—thank you for saying so, Miss Bloom.” He attempted to ease away from her, but Apple Bloom either didn’t notice or ignored it.

The door opened in the next moment, prompting Little Spike to rush across the room. “Twilight! You made it! Just in tim—right on cue. Yeah. As expected.”

Twilight Sparke stood on the far side of the room as the princess entered the house. She was no different from how she appeared two years before, when she’d visited for Big Spike’s funeral. Tall. Graceful. Not a spot or wrinkle to be seen. She walked with an assurance that seemed to say she knew she was the most powerful person in the room.

But, of course, it wasn’t a power she would hold over others. Twilight knew that. It was just a power that Twilight could never hope to match. Compared to the princess, she felt like she was in high school again. Mousy and isolated, with much prettier girls around every corner.

“Hello, everyone!” the princess said. “It’s great to be back. I know we can figure out how to clear Twilight’s name in no time at all.” She moved to the side to allow a pale man to enter. “This is my personal guard, Skyhook. Skyhook, this is the Apple Family. Applejack, Apple Bloom—”

As she continued down the list, Big Mac walked into the house and shut the door behind him. He moved over to Twilight and hugged her from behind. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a brief flash of… some sort of dark emotion from the princess. Anger? Jealousy? She wasn’t certain, and it was gone in an instant.

“That mighta been the strangest car ride I’ve ever been part of,” Mac said.

He slid a hand over her stomach, and she intertwined her fingers with his. “Care to enlighten?”

“Hmm.” He furrowed his forehead and shook his head. “Just relieved to know that you’re still you.”

Twilight quirked an eyebrow. “As opposed to the six-foot-five Empress of Ponyvania?”

“A’yup.”

Princess Twilight approached Twilight Sparkle. She smiled; a bright, genuine thing that would have put her at ease had it been on any other person’s face. “So, Twilight, do we have any leads?”

Twilight glanced at Apple Bloom, then nodded towards Sunny. She got the idea and took the boy into the kitchen to peruse the sweets. With little pitchers and their big ears taken care of, she sat on the couch and spread out Spike’s notes. “The victim was found on the side of the road, fully clothed in what seems to be the outfit she wore at the time of the murder. Her entire body was dehydrated, from the edge of her skin, to her internal organs, to even her blood. Known associates include Principal Celestia and her brother, the Highborn Lord Oscuro Sombra Relámpago.”

Skyhook winced. “Sombra?”

“Yeah.” Twilight leaned an arm on her knee. “Heard of him?”

“You might say that.” Skyhook looked at Little Spike, who chewed on the tip of his pen. “Though, there’s probably no relation.”

“He’s not the first Sombra I’ve heard of,” Little Spike said. “Or even the second. Princess Celestia traveled to another world and found a good King Sombra, and they became good friends.”

Big Mac leaned against the couch back, his lip quirking up in a light sneer. “Whadda ya mean ‘good’ king?”

Princess Twilight took a seat in Granny Smith’s easy chair. “He means that the King Sombra of our world was a tyrant who enslaved another nation. Clearly, he doesn’t share these traits with all the people he shares a name with.”

“Maybe.” Shining Armor paced back and forth, looking over the notes with a perpetual air of confusion. “But could this world’s Sombra be a suspect? Does he seem like the sort of person who could murder his own sister?”

Twilight Sparkle threw her hands out. “I’ve never met him, so I dunno. Can’t exactly talk to Celestia about it, since she’s overseas with Sunset.”

Shining’s eyes lit up. He seemed lighter on his feet as he rounded the corner of the sofa. “What about Luna?”

Twilight narrowed her eyes at her brother. She pushed her glasses further up her nose. “Who?”

“Celestia’s sister. She’s the vice principal at Sunset’s high school.” A smile tugged at his lips as he thought it over. “If we can’t talk with Celestia, maybe Luna’s available.”

Skyhook read over Little Spike’s shoulder as the dog wrote. “If nothing else, we might be able to learn more about who Raven spent her time with.”

“It’s a start.” Twilight rested her elbows on her knees, looking across the room to where the princess sat. She drummed her fingers against her pants. “Any idea what spell could have done this to her?”

Weight settled on Princess Twilight’s brow. She took on a slightly paler pallor, with her face scrunching up as though assailed by a wave of nausea. “I’ve done… research… into the darker arts. This seems like more than simple dehydration, since removing that much liquid should have left some sort of noticeable damage to the skin and organs. Was there any indication that something else was missing?”

Twilight clicked her tongue. “Nothing our instruments can detect. Why’s that?”

“I’ve seen corpses like hers before. In Equestria.” Princess Twilight brought her knuckles together, resting her chin on two fists. “Completely dry. Shriveled and shrunken. Their cells clearly having been alive the previous day. An impossible mummification.” Now the green tinge to her skin was unmistakable. Her expression devolved into a morose grimace. “Their magic had been ripped from their bodies.”

Little Spike offered a leery expression. “Like when Tirek ate magic?”

“No, not quite. Tirek stole the magic built up inside the individual. He devoured magic already produced.” The princess rubbed the corner of her eye. A soft breath brought her equilibrium back into check. “These ponies had their fairy strings forcibly ripped out.”

Applejack glanced between the two Twilights. “What the hey’s a fairy string?”

“Veins carry blood. Fairy strings carry magic.” Princess Twilight sent a spell towards her fingertips. She turned her arm so that the bottom faced Applejack. Golden lines traced their way through her skin, just visible at the surface. “The heart metabolizes it and the fairy strings carry it to whatever body part uses the magic. I’m pretty sure most living creatures have them, with a few notable exceptions. Your technology is just unable to detect them.”

“Wait.” Big Mac spoke slowly, deliberately. “This spell basically pulls veins from your body to kill yah?”

Princess Twilight nodded. “It was invented by King Sombra over a thousand years ago for his wicked experiments. Since then, I’ve only known of one pony evil enough to try it out for themselves. But Viscount Dulcimer’s been dead for more than two years.”

Shining crossed his forearms. “You sure about that?”

“Uh huh.” Princess Twilight’s sigh dragged her further downward. A weight pulled on both her body and soul. “I helped kill him.”

The room became as quiet as a graveyard. Just as cheerful, too.

Shining Armor coughed lightly. “I’ll call Luna and get a meeting set up between her and Twilight. And also Twilight. Tomorrow work for you guys?”

Twilight Sparkle smiled joylessly. “I have no plans otherwise.”

“Ditto,” the princess said.

“In the meantime…” He looked to Applejack with a small, hopeful light in his eyes. “You guys feel like having company for supper?”

“Heck yeah. Wouldn’t dare think otherwise.” Applejack flipped her hat through the air, where it landed perfectly on her head. “Don’t y’all go nowhere, soup ’ll be up in a few.”

***

Sunset Shimmer accepted her suitcase back from Dulcimer and made her way to the upper deck. Their destination loomed close—an isolated island off the east coast of the Highborn Isles mainland. The “countryside” was an assembly of rolling green hills and a lightly-populated forest. Most likely manmade, due to the even clusters the trees grew in. Their rickety fishing boat rolled up to an equally-rickety dock, and was soon tied down and shut off.

Starlight Glimmer leaned over the side of the boat and shouted to somebody onshore. “Skyhook! Get your butt over here! Be a dear and help us unload!”

A pale, rough-faced man pulled his knit cap over his ears. He checked the strength of a nearby knot before leaping onboard and grabbing one of the boxes Double Diamond was stacking near the prow. Dulcimer approached with a friendly grin. “Care for another set of hands?”

“Suit yourself, mister.” Skyhook nodded briefly to Sunset before he disembarked. She returned the greeting in kind, unsure of whether she recognized him or not. The name at the least rang a bell.

Sombra eased himself onshore with careful shuffles. He sat on a wooden crate and set about unbuckling his leg brace.

Sunset stepped onto the deck and felt immediately off balance, as if the entire world was rocking on its axis. Celestia caught her before she could twist an ankle. “Easy does it,” Celestia said. “The first step’s a—”

“Real doozy, I know.” Sunset rested her hand on a wooden pole that anchored the dock. She turned a concerned glance Sombra’s way. “Are you okay, sir?”

He removed the brace fully. His face broke into a wide grin, which seemed at odds with the chiseled wrinkles that made up his visage. “I’m better than fine, Mrs. Shimmer. Watch the magic at work.”

He raised a hand. His fingernails lit up with swirling purple magic. Strands of starlight snaked their way down his leg to his shin. They wrapped themselves around the knee, connecting the upper and lower leg. Before Sunset’s eyes, they hardened to solid crystal. Sombra stood up with no sign of pain or weariness. He bounced from one foot to the other, light as a feather.

A deep, booming chuckle came from the back of his throat. “I haven’t felt this alive in decades.”

Celestia covered her mouth with her hands to suppress her laughter. Her wide gaze flipped between the empty brace and his new crystalline prosthetic. “What is—?”

“This is the sort of magic they teach here.” Sombra took Celestia’s hand and tugged her towards shore. A devilish twinkle gleamed in his eye. “I’ll race you there.”

The two of them took off down the road, Sombra leading the charge, Celestia laughing breathlessly as she fought to keep up.

Starlight Glimmer smiled wide as she knelt down to pick up Sombra’s discarded brace. She slung it over one shoulder, raising an eyebrow at Sunset. “I was gonna give them the grand tour, but maybe I’ll let them have a little privacy.”

Dulcimer bent at the neck to lower himself to Starlight’s eye-level. “Well, worry not. I’m already very impressed with the school, Miss Glimmer.”

The mirth fled from Starlight Glimmer at a speed to rival Sombra’s. “Double Diamond, would you please show the viscount to his room? Thank you.”

Viscount Dulcimer shrugged and allowed himself to be lead away by Double Diamond and Skyhook, all three carrying boxes of supplies.

“I’m afraid I can’t show you to your room just yet,” Starlight said. “There’s somebody here who’s really interested in meeting you.”

Sunset tilted her head. “Someone here knows me?”

“No, I don’t think so.” Starlight tapped her lip and ultimately came up with a shrug. “We’ve all heard about your activities in Canterlot High. Most of us never thought we’d meet you until Sombra suggested bringing you here.”

Starlight held a hand forward and began to walk across the island. A building could be seen from shore; what appeared to be a large metal-sided warehouse. Windows were cut into the sides, revealing what seemed to be two floors. “There she is. The culminations of seven years of work. We were lucky Double Diamond could acquire the old abandoned army base from the war.”

Sunset Shimmer could see a few people walking here and there around the warehouse. One girl practiced spells in the corner while others watched. A couple of young men tossed a frisbee back and forth, guiding it to each other with both raw skill and a hint of magic when the wind took it. Celestia and Sombra crested a nearby hill, with naught but a few scattered helloes to delay their race.

Sunset turned to Starlight as they reached the warehouse. “Which war was that?”

“The war. The Great War.” Starlight held the door open and allowed Sunset to enter. “The last one fought on Highborn soil. I believe both Sombra and Celestia were combatants. It’s how they met.”

Sunset muttered to herself. Try as she might, she still struggled with this world’s history. Events seemed to blur into indecipherable dates, even though their modern history only went back a couple hundred years. Yet Equestria’s thousand-plus year existence still came to mind as naturally as breathing.

The inside had been heavily modified from the one-room warehouse it had once been. The second floor did not encompass the full floor-plan, but acted as a sort of balcony. A series of rooms lined the upper and lower levels of the school, leaving the center open as a makeshift courtyard.

“Our bunks are in the rear. Ladies’ room on the right, mens’ on the left.” Starlight spun with her hands outstretched. “This is our central lecture hall. We’re still a work in progress, unfortunately, but we’ve made great strides!”

Metal stairs led to the second level, which was lined with a metallic, waist-high railing. Steel mesh made up the floor until it reached the rooms, where it became a more foot-friendly sort of surface Sunset couldn’t identify. She and Starlight headed for the back of the warehouse’s upper level, where a few closed doors awaited their arrival.

“It’s my pleasure to introduce you to the woman who taught me magic.” Starlight Glimmer rested her hand on a handle. She gave the door a knock and turned apologetic eyes on Sunset. “She’s a bit short with people. But she warms up quickly once you get to know her.”

Sunset gazed into a dark room as Starlight opened the door. Only the light from outside illuminated the place, and only for a few feet.

Starlight leaned on the door and slapped the hard surface. “Ha! She’s finally here! Didn’t I tell you she’d come?”

Two lights appeared in the back of the room. Like two cats’ eyes shining out of the gloom. A book closed as someone stood up from a chair. As the lights drew closer, Sunset could see that they were indeed eyes, but two that belonged to a human. They lit up from within, charged by a magic spell.

She was a slim figure of a woman, unsure in her strides. Cautious. The book she held was inches thick, and apparently handwritten. Her expression was as uneasy as her gait. That said, there was strength in evidence. Her eyes pierced straight into Sunset’s soul. Searching the deepest parts of herself. Prying into her darkest secrets. Begging to understand.

The face was all too familiar to Sunset Shimmer. She took a step back and nearly stumbled into Starlight. Her mouth went dry as she took in the sight, her mind unbelieving of what her eyes knew to be true.

The woman slid a finger through her bangs and brushed aside the pink stripe tracing its way through her lavender locks. A voice as near and dear to her as could possibly be issued forth from the stranger’s mouth. “Hello, Sunset Shimmer. I am Dr. Twilight Sparkle of Equestria. Perhaps you’ve heard of me?”

The Bygone Days

When Sunset Shimmer said nothing, Dr. Sparkle raised a hand. The lights in the room flickered on. It was a fairly standard-looking school laboratory. Tables with Bunsen burners sat at regular intervals. Laminated posters decorated the walls with various formulas. An old computer with a CRT monitor chittered away at the back of the room. The new Twilight raised an eyebrow and waved Sunset into the room. “Judging by your stunned silence, you have to know something about me.”

“I—” Sunset finally found her voice, though it still sounded froggy. “I’m sorry, why would you think I’d heard of you?”

“Inductive reasoning.” The doctor grabbed an office chair as she passed by and rolled it towards the computer. She sat down and jiggled the mouse. The screen showed a few articles made in the wake of the “Canterlot High Hoax.” “To this point, the only people of this world who have contact with magic have also had contact with those not of this world. Sombra with the Sirens. Starlight with me. You with…” Dr. Twilight swiveled her seat and steepled her fingers. “That is to say, either you come from my world, or you know someone who has.”

Starlight Glimmer looked as confused as Sunset felt. She looked at Sunset Shimmer as though she were a strange alien. Maybe that’s just what she was?

Knowing what she did of the multiversal theory… Sunset was still befuddled. Another Twilight Sparkle? Not from her Equestria nor her current world? That meant that she either came from a heretofore unknown world… Or one that was thought to be sealed off. She found a hard chair and sat down before she could fall down.

Dr. Sparkle folded her arms. “I also see that you believe me. I was half-expecting an argument about the sheer existence of alternate worlds. At least this can expedite the conversation to more constructive things.”

“No, no, I know other worlds exist.” Sunset folded her hands on her lap. She caught herself before she could allow her toe to tap nervously. “I take it your Sunset Shimmer isn’t much of a public figure?”

The doctor raised her eyebrows slightly. “You also know about duplicate personas.” Not a question, but a statement.

“Right.” Sunset glanced at Starlight, who examined the two of them with an intense interest. “I know of at least one other Starlight Glimmer.”

“At least.” Dr. Twilight Sparkle’s eyes glinted with magic—the same magic that caused them to glow in the dark. If Sunset was right, it seemed to be a vision-correcting spell, an alternative to glasses or contact lenses for the magically-gifted. The most advanced forms of the spell allowed the blind to see, but those usually required a relic to work. “Perhaps your surprise is not that you’ve seen me, but that you’ve seen another me?”

Sunset drummed her fingers on her leg. “I think we might be getting off on the wrong foot.”

Dr. Sparkle sighed. She shook her head and brought herself to her feet. “I’m sorry. My curiosity got the better of me. Perhaps real introductions are in order?”

“It might give us a… solid starting point.”

“May I say something?” Starlight asked.

Sunset turned to her. Starlight’s continence was slightly downcast, yet with an air of resignation. Did she have this conversation before?

Starlight folded her hands and brought her index fingers to her lips. “Were you ever going to tell me you already knew me?”

“I don’t know you.” Sunset clenched her jaw as her forehead creased. “I only know somebody who looks like you. You’re two different people.”

Starlight held her gaze for a moment, but eventually nodded. She sat down and folded one leg over the other.

Dr. Twilight gave Starlight a tiny smile and an equally small nod. The smile vanished as she looked up at Sunset. “Perhaps I should go first.”

“If you want,” Sunset said.

The doctor’s fingernails shimmered purple. An illusion spell crafted a facsimile of a unicorn mare out of thin air. “I am a unicorn from a country known as Equestria. Our world does not have a name, but we call our planet ‘Earth.’ Most people do, it seems. I am the personal student to Equestria’s king, Sombra.”

Sunset’s blood ran cold. King? Did this third world contain a timeline where Sombra destroyed the Crystal Empire? And Twilight was his personal student? She desperately hoped her earlier hunch was true. “W-what’s he like?”

The chill in her voice showed. Dr. Twilight tilted her head, but brought no additional attention to it. “He was once a wise, noble king. One who loved his people and fought bitterly for them. In my lifetime, he was the only thing separating us from utter annihilation.” There was a hint of bitterness to her voice. A harshness with the way she delivered the words. There was an old wound, deep down. “He took me in after my parents died. He taught me everything I know of magic. He was… a father to me.”

A pit settled itself in Sunset’s stomach. She had an idea of where this was going. “What happened?”

Dr. Twilight took in a deep breath. She had the appearance of steadying herself, but Sunset saw something else. She was thinking over every single word Sunset said. Picking it apart. Dissecting it to understand things Sunset didn’t realize she was saying. Perhaps this Twilight was learning as much about Sunset as Sunset was learning about her.

“He fought against two alicorns, who were corrupted by a being of dark magic called the Tantabus.” Dr Twilight clenched one of her hands into a tight fist. The illusion of the unicorn shifted to show two horned, winged ponies flying around a dark cloud of power. “He sacrificed himself, taking the Tantabus into himself and allowing them to regain their right minds. The magic drove him mad.”

The illusion flickered until it showed the unicorn again, reading a book at a desk, a lamp illuminating her. “While the alicorns took charge of the world, I alone stayed by his side, seeking a cure.” Dr. Twilight’s eyes looked away from the image for a brief moment. Her expression changed. The confidence and bitterness left her voice, replaced by barely-concealed weariness and unshed tears. “I failed.”

Dr. Sparkle steeled herself. The image vanished, replaced by an intricate, full-length mirror. “Through my research into powerful magic, I was able to discover the existence of other worlds. I learned of Sombra’s own dalliance within them. The mare he loved came from one such place, though they were forced apart by the boundaries between their worlds.” She allowed her hand to drop, and the illusion dissipated. “When he grew too violent to be around… when I feared for my life… I found a portal to this world and forced it open, with no way to follow me, and no way to go back.”

She stretched a hand out to indicate Starlight. “And with Miss Glimmer’s help, I’ve started a new life helping people.”

Sunset nodded slowly. “It must have been hard, deciding to leave your home.”

“It wasn’t home anymore,” Dr. Twilight said, perhaps too quickly. “But… yes, of course.”

Rubbing her hands together, Sunset offered a smile. “It’s kinda weird how similar our stories are. Except I was the one at fault.”

Dr. Twilight Sparkle took to her office chair and bobbed her head. “Perhaps you might elaborate?”

Sunset traced an image in the air. It wasn’t quite as elaborate or lifelike as the doctor’s, but it equated a rough approximation of her pony body. “I am also a unicorn from Equestria. However, I was the personal student to Princess Celestia.”

Dr. Sparkle leaned forward. She frowned, and her eyes would have turned dark had their irises not been consistently glowing. “Princess?”

“I think my Princess Celestia,” Sunset said, “is the mare your King Sombra fell in love with.”

The doctor released a breath Sunset didn’t know she was holding. Dr. Twilight stared at her feet, clasping her hands together. “How do you know?”

“We’ve always called your world the Reflection.” Sunset allowed her sketched illusion to vanish, and turned her full concentration on the other Twilight. “My Celestia came to your Sombra’s aid when your evil versions of Celestia and Luna encroached on his kingdom. He sacrificed himself to save everybody when both worlds neared the point of collapse.”

Dr. Twilight didn’t say anything, but hummed, content to listen.

“And to seal the deal…” Sunset grinned halfheartedly. “I hear you have a Princess Trixie Lulamoon, Virtue of Humility. And Discord calls himself Captain Goodguy.”

The doctor held her head in her hands. “Yes. That’s my world. That son of a—”

Sunset spoke out of the side of her mouth, on instinct. “Twilight…”

“—gun,” Dr. Sparkle finished. She raised her head slowly.

Sunset knew she was blushing, but could do nothing to hide the fact. Old habits had brought her to stop a Twilight Sparkle from cursing as vehemently. She usually only did it to her sister in law.

If Dr. Twilight noticed something was off about the exchange, she didn’t acknowledge it. “Discord was convinced nobody could decipher his secret identity. I think we were too nice to tell him to his face.”

“Probably for the best,” Sunset said with a small voice.

Dr. Twilight Sparkle rolled her hand. “Please continue. How did you find your way to this world?”

Sunset laid it out, as bare-bones as she dared. Her time as Celestia’s student. Her desire to become an alicorn. The wedge she and the princess drove between each other. Her escape through the mirror. Her time at the high school. Her attempted theft of the Element of Magic.

Her redemption. Her friends.

She didn’t mention Princess Twilight or Twilight Sparkle. Not yet. She didn’t give any names. Not until she was sure what kind of person this Twilight was. It would be a difficult thing to take; she knew from experience. She would break it gently during her time at the school.

She suspected it was only a matter of time before she and this Twilight trusted each other.

“I guess that’s it in a nutshell.” Sunset shrugged. “Over a decade later, and I’m a wife, mother, math teacher, and magic aficionado.”

Dr. Twilight sat cross-legged on the office chair’s seat. She pursed her lips. “Did you ever pursue your dream to become an alicorn after that?”

Sunset wasn’t sure how to answer that. She hadn’t really thought about it in a while. Having that taste of power from the Element of Magic… it only resurfaced as a bad memory. A time when she had truly lost herself. The low point in her life. “No. I’m… I’m pretty sure that’s not my path anymore. I screwed up when it counted most. I’ve rededicated my life since then. It’s not…” She shook her head. “I don’t think it would be good for me.”

Dr. Twilight again said nothing to respond. Instead, she artfully shifted the subject. “Well, it’s clear you have a great deal of expertise in magic. It seems we were right to seek you out.” She gave Starlight a sidelong glance. “Wouldn’t you say, Headmistress?”

Starlight had been silent throughout both stories, having clearly already heard Twilight’s, and merely absorbing Sunset’s. Her expression was guarded to not reveal any sort of emotion, and her voice was similarly deadpan. “Yeah, she’s the girl for the job. Funny how we keep running into your old friends.”

“Not necessarily old friends,” Dr. Twilight said. “We’re all different people. Right, Sunset?”

“Yeah, pretty definitively.” Sunset sucked in a steadying breath. “I’m sorry for the deception, but I really want to keep my friends safe. In both worlds. You know?”

“I understand completely. You’re not at fault.” Another sidelong glance flew towards the doctor before Starlight stood. “Why don’t I get you settled, Sunset? Twilight usually takes this time for private study, so we ought to give her space.”

“I appreciate it.” Dr. Twilight Sparkle took her homemade book and set it on her lap. “I’m very glad to have met you, Sunset Shimmer.”

“The—ahem—the pleasure’s all mine, Twilight. Doctor. Twilight.” Sunset cleared her throat, smiled as genuinely as she could, and followed Starlight out the door. A glance behind her won her a smile from Dr. Twilight, and a peek at the cover of the book. Half of the title was obscured, but what she could see said “Grimoire.” A magic tome, obviously. Made sense.

With a flick of her wrist, Dr. Twilight Sparkle closed the door, switched off the light, and began to read in total darkness.

***

Twilight Sparkle hovered near the back of their little procession. Princess Twilight took point, with Little Spike at her heels, while Shining Armor and Big Mac clumped up in the middle. The princess maintained her ever-present friendly smile as she knocked on the door. It was a smile Twilight couldn’t bring herself to match, or even verge upon. Everything in her body told her to crawl into a corner and mope until her coworkers came to take her away to the “big house.”

Big Mac eased himself beside her and rested his arm behind her back. His titanic meat-hook of a hand encased her narrow shoulder like a suit of armor. It was nice to have him nearby. He had so much to do, but here he was, helping her in any way he could. Some of her anxiety faded, though its core remained dark and pulsating.

Vice Principal Luna opened the door. Pensive was the word of the hour as she led the lot of them into her and her sister’s house. It was a fairly simple affair, with few pictures and fewer adornments. The most elaborate decoration seemed to be the lamps placed next to their respective cozy-looking chairs. Twilight did spot what appeared to be a family photo placed on a desk, situated beside an old laptop computer. The subjects of the photo were Luna and Celestia themselves, both in their early twenties, wearing the signature styles of the time.

Twilight gave it a second look. A third woman stood between them, one with a stony face and white hair. A vicious scar ran down her left cheek. Was it their mother?

A series of fabric-cushioned folding chairs had been laid out in a circle. Luna took one for herself, offering the easy-chairs to whoever wanted them. “Sorry I don’t have much else. We don’t have people over all that often.”

Twilight took a chair that slid close to Big Mac’s. Princess Twilight sat beside Luna, while Shining Armor and Little Spike each took one of the nicer chairs. When Luna gave Little Spike a wary glance, he pulled a lint roller from his ever-present bag. “I came prepared. And I’m not shedding. Much.”

“It’s nice to see you again, Principal Luna,” Princess Twilight said. “Thank you for agreeing to this.”

“It’s the least I can do.” Luna covered her mouth with a hand, her eyes taking on a distant look. “For both Celestia’s sake and Raven’s.” She stood up from her seat, her voice taking on a higher pitch as she forced a little congeniality into it. “Hold up. If we’re gonna talk about this load of horsecrap, we might as well have snacks to go with it.”

“Here, here,” Little Spike said, carefully placing a pen in his paw.

Luan returned with a paper plate full of crackers and cheese and set it on a folding table between them. Nobody moved to partake for a good minute.

“To start…” Princess Twilight gave the room a once-over. Like Twilight, she apparently didn’t find anything of interest. “Can you describe your relationship with Raven?”

“Well… we were friends.” Luna crossed her arms as though she felt a chill in the room. “She was mostly Celestia’s friend, honestly, and I was the tagalong. They met during the Great War. You know the one. Celestia was a combat nurse serving the unit Sombra was part of. Those two hit it off pretty well. It wasn’t long after the war the four of us were meeting up and hanging out and stuff.”

Shining Armor nodded. “That was the war my mom fought in. She was one of the first female fighter pilots.”

Luna let out a laugh, staring at the ceiling. “Yeah. So, the years went by and my sister and Sombra parted ways. Their dreams led them to different continents. You know how it is. But Raven came with us. She went on this whole globe-trotting adventure. Celestia and I went with her while she was in Libertas. But when she went south, we parted ways again. She’d show up every once in a while to celebrate a holiday or something.”

She took a cracker from the plate and held it, never bringing it close to her mouth. “Last I heard, she went back home to the Highborn Isles to learn at some sort of spiritual-awakening kind of school. Inner power and that kinda stuff. It’s the one Celestia’s visiting right now.”

That got Twilight’s attention. She raised her head and grabbed the sides of her chair. “The magic school?”

“If you wanna call it ‘magic.’” Luna shrugged, looking more confused than anything. “Look, my experience with magic amounted to making sure my students were safe whenever some freakshow attacked with their sparkly fish powers. I left understanding the stuff up to Sunset Shimmer and Twilight here.” She jerked a thumb in the princess’ direction. “I can accept a talking dog exists, but don’t ask me to explain it.”

Princess Twilight waited for Little Spike to stop writing before asking another question. “Do you know of any other people who associated with Raven?”

“Aside from Sombra, not really.” Luna finally took a bite of the cracker, more to mull over her thoughts than to sate her hunger. “The whole reason she left the Highborn Isles in the first place was so she didn’t have to be around the nobility over there. Not a day went by that she didn’t complain about how dumb Fancy Pants was.”

Shining Armor tilted his head upwards. “The Prime Minister?”

“Probably. I didn’t vote for him.” Luna hunched over with her arms on her knees. “I dunno, guys. She spent more than half her life outside her own home country, and she was only in my life about half that time. I don’t know… know…”

Luna pressed her lips tight. “She contacted us about a month ago. Said she was coming into town again. She wanted to set up a meeting. Then we lost contact for a couple of weeks… and then she was gone.”

Princess Twilight touched a hand to Luna’s shoulder. “Did she say where she wanted to meet?”

“Um…” Luna laughed humorlessly. “I only remember because of how out of place it sounded. There’s this club downtown where apparently all the cool cats hang out. Dunno how kindly they’d take to three women in their fifties getting their groove on.”

“Nobody I know turns away paying customers,” Twilight Sparkle said. “Which club was it?”

Luna bit into another cracker. “Ever heard of the Party Favor?”

“Yeah.” The word came out as a defeated sigh. More than once the place had gotten rowdy enough to have the police escort people home. Thankfully, the activities had never needed Twilight’s involvement, and the infamy was more a running joke than an actual danger. She had never been drawn to the place—crowds, booze, and electronic dance music didn’t exactly entice her or Big Mac—but Caution was known to frequent the joint. “It’s only been open for about five years, so I don’t know how she would have come to choose it.”

She might have been trying to throw somebody off her trail, but Twilight didn’t want to vocalize it. Try as she might to hold it together, Luna was obviously breaking down bit by bit. It stung Twilight’s heart, though she knew she didn’t have the ability to comfort her.

Twilight sighed. She knew so much about the human body, but the human heart still left her altogether helpless.

Princess Twilight spoke softly to the older woman. “It’s okay if you need to take a break.”

“Maybe.” Lunas voice was shaky, and her eyes jumped from face to face. “I don’t know what else I can tell you.”

Shining Armor waved a little to get her attention. “How well do you know Dr. Sombra?”

“Even less than Raven, if you can believe it.” Luna breathed softly as she leaned back. “After their dreams pulled him and my sister apart, what was he to me, really?”

They stayed for another hour, but had little to do but visit. Luna had no more information to give aside from a few phone numbers for Celestia’s cell and Sombra’s workplace. They bid her goodbye, left her alone, and didn’t speak until they were headed back to Sweet Apple Acres.

Shining Armor tapped his fingers against the steering wheel of his and Sunset’s minivan. “Am I right in assuming that was a bust?”

“You kidding me?” Little Spike said from the back seat. “I’ve got ten pages of notes!”

Princess Twilight leaned around from her place riding shotgun. She reached back, and Twilight Sparkle passed up Little Spike’s sheets of paper. The princess looked them over, nodding appreciatively. “I see you’ve also taken note of the club’s name being familiar.”

Big Mac scowled lightly. “The ‘Party Favor’s’ popular in Equestria?”

“Party Favor is the name of one of Starlight Glimmer’s friends back home.” Princess Twilight taped the page with a flickering index finger. “Starlight Glimmer is also the name of the person running the school Raven learned at. It’s an odd coincidence if it is one.”

Twilight leaned her cheek on a closed fist, propped up on her bucket seat’s armrest. “I woulda thought Party Favor was a common name where you come from.”

“Not so common I can’t single it out.” Princess Twilight shuffled the pages absentmindedly as she looked out the window to watch the world roll by. “I think we should take a moment to investigate the Party Favor and see if there’s any connection to Starlight Glimmer. Meanwhile, Sunset Shimmer can be our eyes and ears in the magic school. You said she’s calling you tonight, Shining?”

“Yeah,” he said, turning on his left signal and waiting his turn to go. “A teleconference for Sunny and me. I suppose you’re all invited, too. It’s at noon, six her time.”

“Just a few hours, then. Good.”

Twilight Sparkle felt her face scrunch up of its own accord. The princess’ voice lit up every time the school was brought up. She had a feeling the place was the real reason the princess came to the world, rather than just corresponding via the magic journal. Perhaps it was for the best, if the school had anything to do with the death of Raven.

It made sense, if Twilight thought through it. A bunch of humans given magic power, with no supervision from those aware of its potential. There were bound to be bad eggs in the bunch. Maybe the whole bunch was rotten. Maybe that’s why Raven left them.

Pointless speculation. Until she knew more, there was only conjecture. And conjecture didn’t prove Twilight’s innocence or find the guilty party.

“Hay.”

Twilight Sparkle turned to Little Spike, who rested his paw beside her elbow. He smiled as his tail wagged in an oh-so-familiar way. He spoke quietly. “We’ve got this. With us on your side, there’s nothing you gotta worry about, okay?”

Big Mac’s hand reached across the center aisle and wrapped his fingers around hers. His mouth didn’t quite smile, but his eyes dazzled her with the cool confidence to be found within. “A’yup.”

Twilight’s mind still whirled with painful possibilities, but she couldn’t deny the cozy feeling that warmed the bottom of her heart.

***

“I hate it!”

A shoe zipped across the room to thwack against the far wall. Starlight Glimmer glared at it, her rage prepping the other shoe to fly harder and fiercer. A similarly-disappointing whap greeted the other shoe’s arrival at its sister’s destination.

Double Diamond looked up from the newspaper he was reading. He peered slightly down and to the right, where the shoes had ended their brief flightpath. “Hate what?”

“That brilliant, perfect little mind of hers!” Starlight stripped off her raincoat and left it slumped over the back of a metal folding chair. She stalked across the room to slouch into a rickety office chair that never quite kept its balance. “She’s always thinking in twenty different directions, plotting a dozen different outcomes, and I can’t follow it worth a darn.”

“Yep.” Double Diamond brought the newspaper back up. “The doc’s up to somethin’ again.”

“Inviting Sunset Shimmer wasn’t about getting more teachers, oh no, that’s far too shortsighted for her.” Starlight slapped her palm against the desk, causing Double to jump. “She suspected Sunset was from another world like she was. And she was right.” She spun in her chair and nearly careened to the floor before Double Diamond caught her. “Did she feel the need to share this information with little old me? Noooo, of course not. Why bother to clue in her personal student, confidant, and supporter of her livelihood!”

Double Diamond took a moment to process the information. He ended his musings with a quizzical shrug. “Dr. Sparkle’s always kept her secrets, Starlight. We knew that when she started tutoring us.”

“It keeps happening, Double Dee.” Starlight undid her hair and let it flow over her shoulders. “Chrysalis, Dr. Sombra, Sunset bleeding Shimmer. Every time she seeks out somebody to invite to the school, it’s because she knew their double from her world. I really should have expected it by now.”

“She’s probably just lookin’ for familiar faces, y’know?” Double Diamond folded the paper and set it within her reach. “I don’t really blame her. I know what it’s like to pull up roots. It does things to your heart.”

“Oh and I totally fully support her coping mechanism.” Starlight yanked the newspaper from its place and glanced at the first page. A picture of Crown Prince Blueblood waved to a crowd of spectators. She wanted to rip the offending face from the article. In fact, maybe she would. “I just wish she would open up a little. Talk to me once in a while. I might be able to actually help her if she just…”

Double Diamond gave Starlight a small smirk. “Dr. Sparkle also likes to be the smartest person in the room.”

“God, that woman.” Starlight rolled her eyes and began to skim the article. “I love her to death.”

She frowned when she caught the main headline: King Bluemane passes away. Blueblood to be crowned shortly. She cursed, folded the page over, and presented Blueblood’s handsome mug to Double Diamond. “This moron—this boy in a man’s body—is gonna be the death of the whole ruddy country.”

Double Diamond propped his legs up on the desk and folded his hands behind his head. “You’ve been saying that for years.”

“It’s been true for years.” Starlight clenched her fist. Magic wrapped around the picture of Blueblood and tore it cleanly from the page. She crumpled the paper to pulp and tossed it in a wastebasket. “He’s got no business acumen, he’s got no cause to fight for, he’s just a stud horse for the next generation of pompous halfwits to take charge of our lives.”

She jabbed her pointer finger at a smaller article near the bottom of the page. The headline read: Violent protest leaves three businesses in shambles. “Look at these idiots. Those riots sure as hell aren’t going to move his butt from the throne. Not that our protests ever made a dent.”

Double Diamond sighed through his nose. “Night Glider thought our rallies were important.”

“Yeah.” Starlight Glimmer let the newspaper slump to the desk. She hunched over until her forehead rested on the wood table top. “That’s why she and Party Favor hopped on the first ship to Libertas.”

She rolled the chair across the floor and nearly lost her balance again. “I feel like I’m on a sinking ship and I’m the only one with the mental fortitude to carry a bucket!”

Double Diamond straightened himself out. He opened a jar of hard candy and tossed one to Starlight, while popping another in his mouth. “We knew it wasn’t gonna be easy, when we starting this whole thing. But that’s what the magic’s all about, right? It equalizes people. It’s gonna put people like Blueblood and people like us on the same level. It’s not about blood relations, or being born into privilege, or race, or credo. It’s somethin’ we can all learn.”

He waited a beat, during which Starlight stewed. She knew exactly what he was about to say.

“It’s why I think Dulcimer being here is a good thing.”

“Blech! Dulcimer, Dulcimer, Dulcimer!” Starlight bit down on the hard candy. The crunch could be heard in the next room. “He’s worse than Blueblood! Shoved into power just because he knew the right people—”

“You don’t even know him, Stars.” Double Diamond watched Starlight pace back and forth across the small office like a caged tiger. “I hear he’s a smart businessman. Done good things for the economy. Dr. Sombra said he was the reason Blueblood graduated.”

“And then Blueblood appointed him master of all his business affairs.” Starlight crossed her arms, her feet shoulder-width apart. “Coincidence?”

“Probably not.”

“Definitely not.” Starlight turned away from Double Diamond, seething at the locked door that led to the “courtyard.” “I loathe the thought of teaching that man magic.”

“Hey.” Double Diamond put his hands on her shoulders. The gesture was nice, though it failed to break through her wall of ire. “We wanna give everybody the chance at equality, right? Put everybody on the same level? I think that should include everybody. And you do, too.”

“Presumptuous of you to say so, Double Dee.” Starlight raised her eyebrow at him, her mouth formed into a tiny pout. “Even if you’re right.”

Double Diamond patted her shoulders and took a step back. “Anything else you wanna get inordinately pissed about?”

Sunset kicked her office chair. It spiraled through the room until it collapsed to the floor. “I wish we could have used Sombra’s “grant” for equipment instead of a new teacher.” She blew a raspberry. “But she might not have come without it.”

Double Diamond laughed. “So it’s up to us to get her as sold on the cause as she is on the cash?”

“She strikes me as the earnest sort.” Starlight slipped three hard candies from the jar and bit right into the first one. “How hard can it be?”

***

Dr. Twilight Sparkle exited the dark laboratory, her book tucked underneath her arm. She went to the edge of the walkway and put her hand on the railing. Her students were starting to come indoors for the day. A few were still practicing a spell or two as they made their way to the eating area.

They had made great strides since the day Starlight Glimmer had found her, seven years before. Comparatively great strides. Most had the magic acuity of a first-year student of magic in Equestria. Some, though, like Starlight Glimmer, stood head-and-shoulders above the others. Perhaps part of it was passion. Part of it was the ability for magic to “click” with them. Some of them were still struggling to believe it was even real.

But then, Starlight had quite the gift of persuasion. The rest was in the presentation.

“Excuse me, are you Dr. Twilight Sparkle?”

Dr. Twilight’s ear twitched. In her original body, it would have swiveled to catch the man’s words. In this realm, she was forced to turn her head to look at him. He was one of the new students; one Starlight had warned her to be wary of. He was a handsome man in his late twenties, around her age. A noble not by birth, but by appointment. “Speaking. You are Viscount Dulcimer?”

Dulcimer smiled, stepping closer to her with his hand sliding along the railing. “The one and only. I have to say, it’s an honor to finally meet you.”

She frowned at that. She clutched her book tighter to her chest as she strengthened her grip on the rail. “Very few people know of me before they come here.”

“Perhaps. But I’m not most people.” He stopped a single step away from her. He was taller than her by at least a head, but he had little hope of intimidating her. From the friendly expression he wore, it seemed he had no desire to intimidate her in the first place. “You’ll have to forgive me for doing my research. I’m on official business for the Prime Minister’s office, after all.”

“I’m aware.” Dr. Twilight Sparkle tilted her head back. She added a little intensity to the spell in her eyes. “As is everyone you’ve spoken to for the past few hours. Afraid of your legitimacy coming into question?”

“Alas, you’ve caught me.” Dulcimer’s smile verged more towards a smirk, but his eyes twinkled with genuine mirth. “I’m a slave to my own insecurities.”

For her part, Dr. Twilight kept her face neutral. “Then what do you know?”

“I know that you are actually a foreigner. And that the paper trail that is your existence ends about seven years back.” He glanced around at the warehouse they were in, though only long enough to indicate that it was the subject of his next statement. “I know that this place was the brainchild of Starlight Glimmer and yourself. Coincidentally, your arrival also signified the disappearance of Miss Glimmer from the public eye. She was quite the outspoken individual for a while.”

Dr. Sparkle tapped a finger on the rail. “The years have not softened her stance.”

“So I suspected.” His laugh was dry. Nearly a verbal wince. “Most of all…”

He looked her in the eye. Most people were unnerved by the spell she used in lieu of spectacles. Luminous irises were most often seen as dangerous. Otherworldly. But he seemed quite comfortable. Perhaps he was a good actor. Perhaps he was too dimwitted to understand the implication.

No, she decided. His gaze did not hold the dull glaze of an idiot. Much as he joked about his insecurity, he was certain of his stance. Whatever it might be.

“I know that what you teach here,” he said, his voice warm and quiet, “is real. It is powerful. It is beautiful.” He bowed at the neck, a smooth, practiced motion. “I look forward to learning from you, Dr. Twilight Sparkle. Thank you for this opportunity.”

Energy radiated off the man. A light she had only rarely found in the people of this world. Starlight had it. Sombra had it. Raven once had it. He had the potential to learn magic at an accelerated pace. He had the drive and will to keep at it, practice it to its fullest.

Whatever his ultimate motive was, he was to be the perfect student.

“Very well, Viscount Dulcimer,” she said. “I look forward to instructing you.”

“Just Dulcimer to my friends, Doctor.”

“We’ll see.” Dr. Twilight grasped her book in both hands and began to walk the other direction. “I have an appointment to keep. Please help yourself in the dining hall.”

“Thanks.” He offered her a faux salute. “’Til next we meet.”

She continued along the walkway towards the west wing, where the computer lab was held. She knocked on the door three times before stepping in. A gaunt, thin-faced woman leaned over her monitor, which was a sight more high-end than Dr. Twilight’s personal PC. The woman input a series of keystrokes that were as foreign to the doctor as could possibly be, then turned to face her. The woman’s straight, thinning green hair fell over one eye.

Dr. Twilight Sparkle took a seat beside her. “What can you tell me, Chrysalis?”

Chrysalis cracked her knuckles one by one. She opened a document with a list of names she’d noted down. “Sunset Shimmer keeps off of social media for the most part. Even the profiles of her most active friends are pretty much bereft of information. Everything with her name on it seems to link back to the ‘Canterlot High Hoax.’ I know she’s married, but I still haven’t been able to access her records.”

Dr. Twilight frowned at the notes. She already knew all of that. It was what drew her to this Sunset Shimmer in the first place. “Most people aren’t this difficult to research.”

“Don’t I know it?” Chrysalis returned to the computer and brought up another file. This was an old article from Canterlot City about the high school’s Fall Formal dance. It was barely a paragraph long, but the face in the picture was familiar. It was Sunset Shimmer at age fifteen, wearing a pretty white dress and a crown that she seemed surprised to have earned. “I did find some evidence that she was a foster kid. Her foster parents are named Davenport and Roseluck. Davenport owns some sorta sofa store with a website ten years out of date. It uses JPEGs of all things. I mean, holy crap.”

Dr. Twilight furrowed her brow.

Chrysalis cleared her throat. “Right. Sorry. I forgot you were allergic to technical jargon.”

“I’m unfamiliar with your technology, not opposed to it.” Twilight placed her elbows on the desk and interlaced her fingers. One benefit hands had over hooves was that they offered better brooding poses. “You combed the images of her friends’ social media posts?”

“Pretty thoroughly.” A folder’s worth of pictures sprung up from its minimized position. Two folders labeled PP and RD were tucked into the top left corner, with the rest of the images remaining at the folder’s top level. Chrysalis set the pictures to have large thumbnails, enabling Twilight to see their previews. “I think I deserve some credit for being able to get past the privacy screens.”

Dr. Twilight took the mouse from Chrysalis and used the wheel to scroll through the pictures. “You can do that in your sleep.”

“Yeah, you’re right.” Chrysalis draped a lanky arm over the back of her chair. “It’s just my own special kinda magic.”

One of the pictures caught the doctor’s eye. It had a cowpony hat. A very familiar one. She’d never seen the person wearing it before, but the face’s lines, angles, and expression were unmistakable. “Well, well… Even worlds away, I can’t escape—”

Another picture with the same woman. Beside her stood a large man who barely fit into the frame. His eyes gleamed with a perfect, brilliant green. “Big Mac?”

“Who?” Chrysalis leaned in and let out a laugh when she saw him. “Oh, yeah. Now that’s a sight for sore eyes. He looks like he could fit his hands around my waist.”

Dr. Twilight scrolled back to the top. PP and RD. “Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash?”

“Yeah. How’d you guess?”

Her pulse quickened as she peered through the images. She was able to pick out Pinkie immediately, though she had never seen that level of joy on the mare’s face. Rainbow Dash was even more cocksure of herself, if that was possible. Anger continued to build. Seeing Fluttershy as a veterinarian almost made her throw the mouse across the room.

When she found the woman who was sure to be Rarity, she had to step away from the computer.

“Whoa.” Chrysalis watched her from a distance, a shade of fear falling across her features. “You okay, Doc? Did these girls break your favorite toy, or what?”

Dr. Twilight Sparkle tightened her fists. Sparks of magic shot out of her fingernails. She could tell her face was reddened with blood flow. She forcibly unclenched her teeth. “These… are not the mares I know. I need to remember that.”

She took a deep breath in through her nose, held it for a moment, and then let it flow from her mouth in a continuous stream. She forced the rage from her body and allowed serenity its rightful place. She sat down and continued to scroll, seeking out appearances from Sunset Shimmer.

“Um…” Chrysalis shivered, even though the room was perfectly temperate. “If you need a break, I can grab us some grub from the mess hall—”

“I’m fine.” Dr. Twilight perused onward, guarding herself against further outbursts. “It was a mere slip, and won’t happen again.”

“That’s…” Chrysalis tilted her head. “Good.”

The doctor paused near the bottom of the main folder. She found exactly what she was looking for: A sight that would have caused most hearts to stop dead in their tracks.

Big Mac had his arm around a small woman in her late twenties. She wore glasses over her intelligent lavender eyes. Her hair was held back in a messy bun, but her bright pink stripe still shone through. The face was, of course, an exact mirror to Dr. Twilight’s own.

Chrysalis gave the picture a double-take. She looked at the doctor, then back at the picture, then settled on the doctor. “Wait.”

“I see realization has finally taken hold.” Dr. Twilight leaned back and folded her hands on her lap. “I trust I don’t have to explain this?”

“What—” Chrysalis peered closer at the picture as her jaw dropped. “What the actual hell?”

Dr. Twilight let out a subtle sigh of resignation. “You recall what I said about your mirror counterpart?”

“Goody Two-shoes? Yeah…” Chrysalis’ slight form practically melted onto the desk as she beheld what her mind considered to be an impossibility. “What is she, your evil doppelganger?”

“That remains to be seen.” Dr. Twilight double-clicked the picture to make it viewable at full-screen. It was a grainy phone picture, but the likeness was clear as day. “As does why Sunset Shimmer thought to hide her from me.”

“Might just keep to herself.” Chrysalis swallowed hard, tapping her nails against her knee. “Rare quality in this day and age, but…”

“Moreover…” Dr. Twilight Sparkle rubbed her chin, running her eyes along her duplicate’s body. They seemed a perfect match. “Is this the Twilight Sparkle of this world, or Sunset’s?”

She stood and touched a hand to Chrysalis’ shoulder. “Cross-reference the name Twilight Sparkle with Canterlot City. Also be on the lookout for the names Shining Armor, Twilight Velvet, Night Light… and Spike.”

Chrysalis switched back to the document and typed the names in with incredible speed. “More friends of yours?”

Dr. Twilight gave her a humorless smile. She left the room without another word. What more could be said?

She clutched her book tight, its front cover closest to her heart, and made her way to her special office at the very back of the school. Few people were allowed entry, and only under her supervision. She stepped in, left her book on the counter, and locked the door behind her. She had worked up an appetite after the revelations of the day. It would be good to sit with Starlight and forget some of the stress.

She had nearly slipped up by reading the book when Sunset had arrived. She wouldn’t make that mistake again. If Sunset had seen the full title, there would have been an immediate argument. All of her hopes and dreams could have been placed in jeopardy.

Only those who had studied at the feet of their land’s most powerful mages had even heard of the tome. If Sunset was indeed the student of that reality’s Celestia, then she was privy to a world of information most ponies would be unable to fathom. Including those things that were to be avoided.

Those who knew of the Grimoire Alicorn knew enough to fear it.

Dr. Twilight Sparkle knew quite a bit.

Breaking Bread

Fish and chips. Sunset couldn’t have thought of a more cliché first meal in the Highborn Isles if she tried. Not that she was complaining. The fish was beyond fresh, having been caught just off their island, and the chips had a fantastic crunch. She found herself sitting at a table with a few of the students who had gathered in the hopes of meeting their new magic teacher.

Gloriosa Daisy sat across from her. She was an immigrant from Libertas who had lost her family’s campground when her parents’ loans had proved too steep to pay back in the wake of their deaths. With no direction and less money, she’d put as much distance between her failure and herself as possible. “It was actually my little brother who found this place. Timber found good work at a state park and kept us afloat for a while. I… was depressed for a long time. He thought maybe this could bring me out of it. Give me purpose.”

Sunset watched in awe as a flower bloomed at Gloriosa’s touch. “He was right. This place is amazing. I’m hoping he can come someday. Or maybe I just have to learn enough to teach him.”

The things she saw Gloriosa do were enough to put even the proudest earth pony arbor mages to the test. She had hand-grafted a branch onto a tree in a matter of seconds, with no additional materials needed. The tree had simply accepted the branch. Sunset couldn’t begin to imagine the woman’s power over plant life should she ever make it to Equestria.

Come to think of it, if somebody with this level of magic capability were in Equestria, wouldn’t she have heard about it?

A thought for another time. At the moment, other students were sharing their stories from around the table. A woman named Fleetfoot who had uncovered the ability to fly at high speeds under her own power. A man named Coldstone who could transform portions of his body into unbreakable crystal. A woman named Torch Song who could project her voice as though she had an entire stadium of sound equipment.

Sunset laughed. “You guys are starting to sound like a superhero team.”

“Nah, you want a superhero team,” Coldstone said, pointing at the head table in the dining hall, “you look no further than Headmistress Glimmer and her crew. When Starlight invited me, she did so by lifting my car, my neighbor’s truck, and a nearby minivan with nothing but a thought.”

Torch Song smirked as she lifted a fried potato chip to her mouth. “The hunky guy sitting next to her, Double Diamond, I hear he’s got enough reflexes, agility, and strength you’d think he was bit by a radioactive spider.”

Sunset had seen Starlight’s other close friend, Sugar Belle, when she got food from the kitchen. The woman was moving at speeds the eye couldn’t track, hopping from place to place as she prepared a meal for the whole compound by herself. Hot as the kitchen was, she hadn’t even broken a sweat.

Gloriosa turned to look at the table with something approaching spiritual reverence. “And it’s all thanks to Dr. Twilight.”

Sunset’s smile almost faltered, but she kept up appearances well enough. Every time she thought she could relax, the question of the hour was brought back to the forefront. Twilight Sparkle, MagD; doctor of magic. A graduate of Sombra’s School for Extraordinary Foals and complete master of the science. Sunset would give anything to be a fly on the wall should Dr. Twilight and Princess Twilight ever have a conversation.

And why the heck not? Sunset stuffed a chip in her mouth and mulled over both the salty flavor and her own thoughts. Twilight Sparkle, MagD, already came from a reflection of Equestria. The secret was out, and it was a secret the doctor knew how to keep. She had already surmised that another Twilight existed before Sunset dodged the question with all the grace of a sleeping hippopotamus. Why not confirm it?

Because something seemed off about the doctor, that’s why.

Sunset wasn’t sure if it was her own preexisting notions about Twilight Sparkle as a multiversal entity, but something was different about the doctor. She had the magical prowess and charisma of Princess Twilight, the intensity and shrewdness of the human Twilight, but with another special something rolled into the mix. It wasn’t necessarily a good thing, either. It was anger. Deep-seated, boiling anger, hidden just below the surface.

Sunset recognized it as the same anger she had felt, many years ago. A sense of betrayal. Injustice. A desire for retribution. The only question was who Dr. Twilight wanted revenge against.

It was most likely somebody from her world. Sombra? She had only exhibited remorse when she spoke of him. Trixie? Discord? Neither of the two brought up anything but a wry irritation. Further conversations would be required before Sunset could suss out the source of her ire.

Suss it out and help her grow past it.

Coldstone stood up and reached a hand for her empty plate. “Can I take care of that for you, Teach?”

Sunset glanced at her phone to check the time, which had helpfully updated automatically as she crossed time zones. “Thanks, Coldstone. I lost track of time. I’ve got to call my family really soon.”

Fleetfoot grinned as she hovered four feet above the ground, legs crossed. The air behind her back shimmered with translucent wings. “You said you had a little boy?”

“Sunlight Shields.” Sunset Shimmer felt warmth envelop her heart as she turned her phone towards her eating companions, a picture of her son smiling like his namesake. “Sunny for short.”

Much cooing ensued from Torch, Gloriosa, and Fleetfoot, while Coldstone offered an approving nod and a chuckle. Sunset said her goodbyes and edged towards the other end of the repurposed warehouse, where the women’s quarters were. Starlight’s quick tour of the sleeping area had ended with the door to the showers and pointing out the bunk Sunset would be using for the foreseeable future. It was little more than a fold-out cot, but the comforter was cozy enough. Sunset regretted not bringing pillows from home.

The room was mostly unoccupied, with the students either catching up with each other or performing cleanup in the wake of the meal. One lady could be seen nestled into her bed, one leg bent over a high knee and a phone held above her face. She laughed quietly as she watched some sort of comedy video on a streaming platform.

Sunset got her attention out of politeness. “Hey, mind if I make a call, Miss…?”

“‘Miss’ nothing. Call me Chrysalis.” Chrysalis paused her video and offered a lazy handshake without sitting up. “You the new teacher? Sunset Sunrise or somethin’ like that?”

Sunset nearly snorted at the woman’s careless manner. She accepted the handshake and found Chrysalis’ to be cold and limp. Chrysalis the Tyrant she was not. “Shimmer, actually. Sunset Shimmer. And yes, I’m the prospective teacher.”

“Cool beans. Hope you don’t give too much homework.” Chrysalis returned to her video without a care in the world, though she turned the volume down. “Make all the noise you want. I’m just passing time until lights out.”

Sunset Shimmer took that to be the end of the brief, snappy conversation. She pulled a carryon bag from underneath her cot and unzipped one of the pockets. A small laptop slid out into her hands, which she placed on the cheap bed. She sat beside it and clamshelled it open. She glanced at Chrysalis. “Do you guys have Wi-Fi or are you on data?”

“Look for Ourtown84, password e-q-u-a-l-i, capital T, three.”

“Thanks.” The laptop churned as the screen lit up. Sunset typed her account password without conscious thought. It was the work of a moment to log onto the Wi-Fi network, and another moment to log onto a messenger program.

Sunset began the call and awaited Shining. She plugged a set of earbuds into the computer and wore them, setting the volume lower so that she didn’t burst her own eardrums should an unexpected sound happen. She angled the screen away from Chrysalis on a whim. No sense tempting somebody to snoop, even if it was only accidental.

Shining’s face appeared, then moved back to reveal a few more callers than she expected. She of course saw Sunny on his lap, where the young boy waved gleefully. However, less expected were the talking dog and duplicate Twilight Sparkles on either side.

“Hi Mommy!” Sunny leaned forward to grab Shining’s laptop, but a firm hand on his chest kept him in his place. “We’re at Granny Smith’s!”

A gap appeared in Sunset’s heart. She wanted nothing more than to hold her son close as Shining enveloped the both of them in his strong arms. Her ears burned as she clutched at the cot’s linens. “Hi buddy! I miss you so much! Have you been good for Granny?”

“Yep!”

“Good.” Sunset turned her gaze to Shining. She hated that she couldn’t look him right in the eye—the camera was just that far away from the screen. “How was your first day at work, Shiny?”

“Good enough,” he said, his smile small but sincere. “Scootaloo’s quite the harda—um… tough customer, but still a pretty good boss.”

He shifted in his seat, his eyes going to her image on his screen, which led to him staring at her keyboard. “You guys have a safe flight?”

“It was extremely boring, so I guess that means it was a darn good flight.” Sunset smiled back, but her eyes kept flicking to the stereo Twilights and the singular Spike. “How’s… everybody else doing?”

Princess Twilight waved with a chipper “Hello!” while her Twilight looked down and to the left, clutching the knees of her jeans. “We’ve made some progress in the investigation and found a strange connection. It seems that Raven was a student of the very school you’re now attending.”

The pleasantries were over far sooner than she expected. They were over far, far sooner than they would have been had it just been her, Shining, and Sunny. She considered calling Shining later, just so they could have a moment of privacy. A moment not diluted by—still welcome, but not conducive to intimacy—friends. She leaned forward and placed her elbows on her knees. “Starlight said as much when she and Sombra talked about the funeral. She was frustrated that she couldn’t go. It probably has something to do with legal mumbo-jumbo. She’s kinda reclusive when it comes to Highborn Isles government.”

Princess Twilight nibbled on the tip of her long, straight hair. “Be careful, Sunset. Somebody there might have something to do with the murder. I know you’ve got good intuition, but don’t let your guard down. From what I’ve gathered, the murder was committed using a spell that rips the fairy strings from your body.”

Sunset jerked back, her face aflame as her stomach dropped. “Seriously?”

“Yes. The kind of spell only detailed in something like the Grimoire Alicorn.” Princess Twilight folded her hands on her lap, sending a quick glance at Little Spike, who met her gaze with equal weight. “I have the only copy of the Grimoire that we know of, and it’s been close by my side since the Cloudsdale Incident.”

Little Spike flicked an ear. “I thought we agreed to call it the Battle of Cloudsdale?”

“‘Battle’ implies it wasn’t an act of domestic terrorism.” The princess deflated, leaning against the couch back. “Something for the historians to argue about. In the meantime, while we don’t have any suspects from Equestria I could name—everybody confirmed to know the spell is dead—I’m worried that the school could be a petri dish of sorts for evil wizards.”

Little Spike tapped the pen on his muzzle. “No strong evidence to support it, but keep your eyes peeled for unstable individuals.”

Sunset noticed that Twilight, her Twilight, had kept her gaze off to the side of the computer. Her eyes took on that distant look she got when she felt separated from the conversation, with the edges of her mouth pulled down in a limp frown. “Twilight?”

She didn’t react. The princess was savvy enough to realize that Sunset wasn’t talking to her, and turned to her counterpart. Shining nudged his little sister in the elbow and let Sunny scamper out of view.

Twilight jerked upright, her eyes coming alert. “Huh? What was the question?”

She never thought she’d hear that from Twilight Sparkle, investigator of the unknown and genius to the highest degree. After a moment’s pause, she spoke again. “How are you feeling?”

“It’s whatever.” She shrugged, and a smile without mirth appeared for but an instant. “We’re doing everything we can, right?”

Twilight brought her legs onto the couch and hugged them close to her chest. “What about you? What’s the school like?”

On one hand, Sunset was glad to have both Twilights on hand for the bombshell she was about to drop. On the other… She glanced at Chrysalis from the other side of the room. Her phone still droned on with comedy shows, coupled with occasional shakes of laughter from her body. Sunset leaned closer to the computer and lowered her voice. “For the most part, it’s amazing. More than I could hope for. Starlight is really helping people here. Giving purpose to the depressed. Giving full function to the disabled. Opening up a whole new world for so many people. I’ve seen people here who, even with this world’s weird low magic, could put our finest wizards to shame.”

Princess Twilight leaned forward with great interest, while the other Twilight bobbed her head noncommittally. Shining Armor smiled as she gushed, his pride felt even through the airwaves. Little Spike’s tail wagged as he jotted down notes.

Bombshell dropping in three, two, one. “So… their head teacher, the one who taught Starlight magic, is named Dr. Twilight Sparkle.”

From a certain point of view, it was comical the way the same expression flashed across all of their faces. Quirked eyebrows, pursed lips, in Little Spike’s case a twitch of the nose. The Twilights looked at each other, as if verifying that Sunset had indeed said what they thought she said.

Little Spike sighed, scribbling the note at the bottom of his page. “And with that, I’ve officially filled out my Multiversal Shenanigans Bingo Card.”

Princess Twilight about lifted right off her seat. “Have you met her?”

Sunset pulled an earbud out to make sure there was nobody around to eavesdrop. She didn’t hear anybody… “She’s a pretty exact duplicate for you guys. Right down to sharing height and lens prescription with, ah, not-princess Twilight. The voice is spot-on. She comes from the Reflection universe, where Sombra was king before—”

“Before he took the dark magic into himself.” Princess Twilight rubbed her forehead. “That was ten, eleven years ago. Give or take. We locked off the portal to that world to keep the connection from tearing both our and their world apart.” She looked at Sunset from beneath a heavy brow. “How long has she been in your world?”

“The school’s been around about seven years.”

“And you’ve had no sign of instability? Worldwide earthquakes, things appearing out of thin air, people completely inverting their personalities?

Shining Armor crossed his arms over his chest. “I think we woulda noticed by now.”

“Right, right.” Princess Twilight stood up to pace around the back of the couch, her voice coming in and out of focus. “So whatever connection was made to bring her over is far more solid than Starswirl’s prototype mirror. That, or she closed it behind her. That, or it’s a crystal pool portal like the one Spike and I used to travel here.”

“Still not sure if that thing’s natural or not,” Little Spike added.

“Besides the point.” Princess Twilight’s voice was maybe a little harsher than she meant. She sucked in a breath and blew it out slowly. “Sorry, Spike. No, you’re right…” The princess peered through her fingers at the camera. “You said she’s teaching there? Helping people with magic?”

“Most people ascribe their abilities to her and Starlight.” Sunset Shimmer stifled a yawn. It was only a little after noon back home, but the sun was on its way downward in the Highborn Isles. Jet lag at its finest. “I’ve only met her once, but she seems sincere. I just need more time with her to get a real grasp on what happened to make her want to come to this world.”

Shining nodded lightly. “You’ll figure it out. You’re the expert on that kinda thing.”

“World-jumping?”

“People.” Shining smirked. “I meant people.”

Princess Twilight leaned her palms on the back of the couch. “What are her magical capabilities? Did you see her perform any spells?”

Sunset tilted her hand back and forth. “I saw her perform a pretty flawless illusion spell as she was telling me about herself. Other than that, she has a vision-correcting spell active at all times.”

Princess Twilight let out a murmur. “Never put too much time into illusion magic myself.”

Twilight twiddled her thumbs as she rested her chin on her knees. “Should we talk with her?”

Princess Twilight frowned. “What do you mean?”

“Should we talk with her?” Twilight pushed her glasses up her nose, accidently smudging them on her forehead. “Connect with her? Explain to each other how this whole multiverse thing works?” She waved a hand vaguely towards the laptop. “Show her she’s not alone?”

An uncomfortable silence spread across the call. Little Spike looked to Princess Twilight for an answer, while Shining and Twilight remained on the screen. Sunset had to admit that she still wasn’t sure herself. It might help to put all the cards on the table… or it might screw up everything.

“I want to hold off on it,” Sunset said quietly. More quietly than anything else she’d said up to that point. “There’s something the doctor’s upset at, back in her homeworld. She’s… very angry at whatever happened. I want to learn more about it, and her, before I risk exposing you guys to whatever she’s got pent up inside.”

“Sunset,” Shining said, his face becoming akin to solid stone, “do you feel like you’re in danger?”

“No.” Sunset swallowed hard. She certainly didn’t feel in danger from Dr. Twilight herself. Nor from any of the students she’d met. “No, I think I’m fine. And besides, Twilight, she invited me because she already figured out I was from another world. That’s why she thought I’d be a good teacher here. She just wasn’t sure whether I was from her world or another one.”

Twilight Sparkle tilted her eyes down. “So you’re just not telling her about us.”

“I haven’t mentioned any of you guys. Just Princess Celestia.” A few students started to shuffle their way into the sleeping area. She raised her voice to make it seem like she wasn’t holding a clandestine meeting between members of multiple worlds. “I’m, um, gonna hold off until I get a better read on the situation. Get to know people more, you know?”

She flicked off her view of the other side of the call. “I think I gotta end the call pretty quick. This place is filling up pretty fast, so…”

“Sunny, come say goodbye to Mommy.”

“I love you, Mommy!”

“I love you, too, sweetheart.” Sunset smiled into the camera as well as she could. “I love you all. Be safe out there.”

“We will.” The confident cadence of the voice could only belong to the princess. “Update us on the situation soon. We’ll hopefully have news.”

“Thanks.” Sunset pulled her last earbud out as the call ended from the other end. She sent a quick text Shining’s way—“call you ltr”—and closed the laptop. More greetings came her way as women found their cots and prepared for the evening respite, which she returned in like kind. It would take a bit of time for her to learn everybody’s name, but there weren’t so many people that it seemed impossible. Active though it was, Starlight’s school was a small one.

She hadn’t seen Celestia in a while, though she didn’t much worry for her. Being around Sombra was a far more pressing matter for the principal than hanging around the school.

Sunset sighed as she stretched her legs, both of them having fallen asleep. At least one pair of star-crossed lovers had been reunited.

***

As students entered the sleeping area, Chrysalis paused her playlist and tucked the phone away. From around the same area, she pulled another phone, one with a bit more processing power to it. The laptop’s meager security had cracked without a single word of warning to Sunset. The low encryption of the call had fallen almost as quickly.

The call had been recorded and sent straight to her personal computer upstairs, ready to be examined by her, and later by the doctor.

She’d listened in a little. Not much, but enough to confirm that at least one person on the other end of the connection sounded suspiciously like the doctor herself. Enough to confirm that Sunset and her cronies back home were interested in the murder of Raven.

If Sunset was gonna be snooping into that, she’d have to be watched carefully.

Especially after the second murder went down.

***

“Soup’s up!” Granny Smith said. “That’s subs for everybody, an’ a veggie for the princess an’ Skyhook.”

She gave Little Spike a wary glance, rubbing her chin. “Hmm. Don’t quite feel right givin’ you kibbles an’ bits, come tah think of it.”

“I’ll have whatever Princess Twilight’s having.” Little Spike trotted past Twilight on his way to the dining room. He caught a glimpse of the fully-loaded club sub and gave it a double-take. “On second thought, I’ll have whatever Mac’s having.”

Mac walked in from the kitchen, having just left the fields. He gave Little Spike a nod as he took a seat at the table beside Twilight. “Fella knows what’s good for him.”

Twilight bit into her sandwich as the rest of the family and guests assembled at the table. A significantly smaller than footlong sub had been placed in front of Sunny, catered to his particular penchants. A high concentration of pickles on the side likewise enticed the boy. Apple Bloom sat beside him, helping him eat and attending to him, as she had the entire morning while they were away at Luna’s.

Shining had taken the seat between Twilight and Sunny. “I’ve got good news. A military buddy of mine knows the owner of the Party Favor. He agreed to get us an interview this evening.”

“I’m coming this time,” Skyhook said. When the princess gave him a light glower, he raised a hand. “I’m here to protect you, princess. I’ll stay discreet, I promise.”

“He’s got a point, Twi.” Little Spike pawed briefly at his sandwich before giving up, leaning down, and taking a bite of the ingredients. “You’ve got personal guards for a reason. Accidents can happen in a club.”

“I know, I’m sorry.” Princess Twilight rubbed her temples. “I just… a lot on my mind. I’ve got a lot.” She lifted the sub to her mouth. Before taking a bite, she offered Skyhook an apologetic grin. “I agree. A clubs a bit more dangerous than the vice principal’s house.”

Applejack crunched on an apple slice. “So which of your buddies has deep connections tah the club scene?”

Shining wiped a streak of mayonnaise off of Sunny’s chin. “Flash Sentry.”

The choking gasp from the princess’ side of the table drew eyes immediately, and was subsequently followed by a fine mist spraying from her water cup. Twilight’s glasses took the brunt of the deluge.

Princess Twilight slammed a hand on the table, bringing the other up to wipe her dribbling mouth. “Sorry,” she coughed. “Sorry.”

Twilight Sparkle removed her glasses and pulled a microfiber cloth from her shirt pocket. She wiped down the lenses, taking care to not let them fog up. “Truly doth the blessings of the princess rain down upon me.”

Princess Twilight’s face lit up, from her cheeks, to her ears, to her forehead. “I’m so sorry, Twilight. I—”

“Lemme guess,” Applejack said, cutting in with a wave of her sandwich, a smile at the edge of her lips. “Still carryin’ a torch for that boy?”

Little Spike tried and failed to hide a snort. “Ooh boy.”

Skyhook wisely took a very large bite of his sandwich that would take quite some time to chew.

“We danced when we were both teenagers.” Princess Twilight daubed her napkin over the front of her dress. She very pointedly didn’t look at anybody else at the table. “That was it. We haven’t even spoken since then. It’s been a decade at least.”

Twilight gave Shining a long, dour grimace. “Is that why Flash was acting so weird when you introduced us?”

Shining Armor glanced between the two Twilights with something between utter confusion and growing panic. “I didn’t know anything about the princess, so I didn’t—”

“Shinin’.” Big Mac’s drawl issued from a mouth that rarely cracked a grin, but Twilight could see his eyes glittering with barely-concealed laughter. “Just how many of your old buddies did you introduce Twi to before yah were forced to settle fer me?”

“I’ll…” Shining Armor shrugged and tore a piece off his sub to eat it easier. “I’ll admit there were a couple—”

Twilight felt a smile neatly slide her frown away. Big Mac was anything but “settling,” and the two of them knew it. “Come to think of it, after Flash I met your buddy Soarin from the Crystal Academy.”

Shining winced. “Twilie—”

“And there was the time you and I had dinner with Slab Bulkhead.” She leaned over her shoulder to pat Big Mac’s chest. “Nice guy, but he didn’t know a stethoscope from a spectrometer.”

“I just thought maybe—”

“And there was Wheeljack, and Windcharger, and—”

“Okay.” Shining Armor held his hands up in surrender. “I’ll admit. I meddled.”

“—and Martial Paw and—”

Little Spike let loose with a deep belly laugh, leaning back in his seat with his mouth wide open. Shining Armor and Twilight joined in within a heartbeat. Before long, giggles and chuckles came from everybody at the table. Even Big Mac smiled just enough to let a low chuckle out, reaching out to hold Twilight’s hand. For her part, Princess Twilight only let out a light, polite laugh, but Twilight could see relaxation take hold as the conversation shifted off of her.

“Regardless of the above evidence,” Shining Armor said at last. “I’d say it turned out alright.”

“For once, I’d say you’re right.” Twilight gave Big Mac’s hand a squeeze before they both returned to lunch. She looked up and noticed that the princess had just polished off her sandwich and was waiting for the rest of the table to finish. “So, princess.”

Princess Twilight raised her eyebrows, her mouth a wary line. “Hmm?”

“What do you know about the third Twilight?”

The princess’ shoulders sagged. “About as much as you know. I suspected there might be others out there, but… with no way of finding them…”

She looked to the head of the table, where Granny Smith sat. “May I be excused, Granny? I have an idea.”

“Go right ahead, sugarcube.” Granny Smith gestured to the kitchen door. “Just throw your plate in the trash on the way over.”

Princess Twilight folded her paper plate in half, thanked Granny, and headed for the living room. She returned a moment later with Sunset’s magic journal. “I left my journal with Princess Luna just in case we needed to communicate back and forth. If she’s keeping it close…”

Twilight watched her write a message:

Luna,

I need you to talk with Celestia. I need to know if she ever met a Twilight Sparkle on her trips to the Reflection universe. Sunset met a third Twilight Sparkle whose world matches a description of the world in question. It is imperative that we find all we can about her immediately. Sunset might be in danger.

With Love,
Twilight Sparkle

The princess tapped her pen against the page, leaning her elbows on the table. “Well, all we can do is w—”

The journal buzzed as magic coated its pages. A message scrawled out in concert with the unseen Luna’s pen strokes:

Twilight,

Luckily, I have my sister right here. She says that she did not have much connection with Sombra’s world in modern times, but she did meet his personal student once. She was a very driven and skilled wizard, on her way to rival Starswirl the Bearded in sheer brilliance. Yes, it appears she was a third Twilight Sparkle, and Celestia says she kept it to herself for the same reason she never told us about her relationship with Sombra until it was too late; pride and shame in equal measure.

From what she remembers, there is nothing to suggest that Sunset is in danger, but we agree that time changes people. It is possible Sombra’s turn to darkness may have had adverse effects on the young mare. I am afraid we cannot tell you more from this end.

Advise Sunset to caution. I advise you to the same. Be safe, all of you.

With Love,
Luna

Princess Twilight sighed, retracting her pen’s point and letting it fall on the journal’s spine. She lowered her head to her hands. “Another secret. Oh, Celestia.”

“Yeah,” Little Spike muttered. “Looks like the chickens are coming home to roost again.” He reached over and tugged the journal closer to him. With a little scrambling of his paws, he was able to write out a quick note of his own:

Luna, it’s Spike. Any sign of a third Spike in there? I remember the Reflection world, and I didn’t really like what I saw there. I hate to think of what kind of life a Spike would have had living there.

Luna’s reply was concise:

No sign of any dragons, baby or otherwise. Sorry, Spike.

“Huh.” He passed the journal back, but the princess didn’t react. “Dunno what I was expecting, but not that.”

Twilight Sparkle ran her eyes over the messages a couple of times. She touched a finger to the part where Luna mentioned adverse effects. “So… this other world… You’ve been there?”

When the princess didn’t respond immediately, Little Spike took up the slack. “Yeah. It was kinda a messed up situation for everybody. In our world, Sombra was this massive enslaving monster, but in the Reflection, he was a benevolent ruler. A pretty cool guy all around. On the flipside, Celestia was an absolute freak, willing to sacrifice anybody to get her way. She really screwed their world up, and the people with it. We only later found out it was the influence of some major dark magic mojo, but the facts are the facts. Our Celestia found their Sombra and they hit it off in a big way.”

Princess Twilight rubbed her eyes and spoke with a croak. “They only broke it off when they found out Starswirl’s prototype mirror was imperfect. It was causing imbalance between the world and threatened to shatter both of them.”

“Long story short,” Little Spike said, “to save Celestia’s life, Sombra sacrificed himself by absorbing the evil magic into his own body, setting their Celestia and Luna free. We had to destroy the prototype mirror, and only one fragment of it remains.”

“Remained.” Skyhook leaned his head forward as he let loose weighted words. “I read a report recently that the shard had gone missing, alongside the magic mirror that leads to this world.”

Princess Twilight Sparkle frowned at Twilight, her eyelids heavy. “I guess we could never have the luxury of solving one puzzle at a time, huh?”

Twilight nodded. The princess was worn down in a way that made her think she was looking at a near-perfect reflection of her own agony. The queasy feeling returned to her stomach, in a way that had nothing to do with Granny Smith’s excellent sandwiches. If only Sunset were there! Then they could put there heads together and figure something out, like they did the last time…

Twilight Sparkle blinked. The last time a magical murderer had struck, they figured out a way to detect pathways between worlds. Maybe they could do so again.

“Question.” She adjusted her glasses and crossed one leg over her knee. “Do you have any artifacts from the other world?”

Princess Twilight furrowed her brow, subconsciously twisting her body to a more defensive posture. “Why?”

“Because something from that world might have residual magic from that world…” Twilight rubbed her hands together as a spark of genius surged through her heart. “And I can tune my devices to detect said magic leaking into this world. Therefore, if any portals connect this world to the Reflection—”

“We can note its location.” Princess Twilight’s foot tapped against the round as her mind clicked with the idea. “Skyhook, did the report mention the other artifact going missing as well?”

“Other artifact?” Skyhook shook his head. “No, it only mentioned a mirror shard.”

“Excellent!” Princess Twilight Sparkle scooped up the journal as she stood. She scribbled a sentence or two to Princess Luna and waited a moment. When the book vibrate, she snapped it shut with a decisive nod. “I have just what you’re looking for, Twilight. Tomorrow morning, Celestia herself is going to bring the artifact over and we can use it to find out just where our Twilit friend came from.”

Skyhook jumped up as if he was sitting on an ejector seat. “Celestia’s coming here?”

“It’s her most treasured possession, Commander.” The princess waved her pen in his face. “She’s not letting it out of her sight.”

“But—” Skyhook looked around at the table, but only received a chorus of confused shrugs as a response. “Well I suppose there’s nothing I can say, is there?”

Little Spike patted the guard on the knee. “Trust me, dude. Duck and roll. Bob and weave. It’s the only way to survive these princess types.”

Princess Twilight grinned at Little Spike. “Says the guy who took a volleygun to the chest for his friend.”

Little Spike gave her a rueful smile. “Just one of my many scars.”

Shining Armor took that as his moment to stand as well. “In the meantime, we should get ready for our meeting with Party Favor tonight. We might be able to learn quite a bit from him, too.”

“Absolutely. Everything in its time.” Princess Twilight gave Twilight Sparkle a nod. “The more we know, the better chance we have of clearing your name.”

“That’s what they tell me.” Twilight and Big Mac shared a quick hug before he returned to work. “At least we’ve got a plan now.”

***

Moondancer glowered from her seat beside Caution Tape. It wasn’t that he was bad company. He was just… a lot louder than she was used to. The two of them watched from the windows of his unmarked police cruiser, parked down the street from one of Canterlot City’s most bustling clubs.

“I hope the hunch was right,” she muttered, cradling Twilight Sparkle’s magic detector in her hands. “It doesn’t seem like the sort of place Raven would frequent, knowing what we know.”

“It’s the best the boys down in trackin’ could come up with,” Caution said, more of a series of frustrated grunts than human words. He squinted at the Party Favor, taking a long draught from his thermos of coffee. “Just wish oi were part of the interrogation. Can’t stand stakeouts on the best days.”

“I can’t say I’m overly fond of them either.” Moondancer lifted the magic device and, finding it silent, returned it to her lap. “Sitting around waiting for things to happen isn’t my style.”

She gave Caution a frown. “Are you sure we can’t drive closer? The detector has a limited range—”

“Moony, this is primo stakeout territory right ’ere.”

“Please don’t call me that.”

“Just the right distance tah get a look at the losers goin’ in an’ out of the club, lookin’ for suspicious folks.” He rapped his fingers across his door-side arm rest. “Like your pal, Sparkle.”

“I highly doubt Twilight Sparkle murdered Raven.” Moondancer peered over her spectacles at the officer. “Though I believe she knows more about magic than she let on.”

“You say that…” Caution took a swig from his thermos and swished it around between his teeth. “But she’s killed before. You remember, just two years ago, when she gunned down the perp on the boardwalk.”

Moondancer clutched the magic scanner tight. “She was defending herself and her family, Caution.”

“Yeah. From an old homeless woman who just so happened to be a witness in a recent murder case.” Caution lowered his thermos to his cupholder and gripped the steering wheel. “We only got hers and her sister-in-law’s word on it. The whole thing smelled fishy, and it wasn’t just ’cause of the pier.”

Moondancer sighed. She couldn’t argue with the thought that Twilight Sparkle kept secrets. Not after the revelations of the week. Sure, there could have been something more to the standoff on the boardwalk… but she couldn’t imagine Twilight hiding something malevolent. She remembered Sonata and the victim both had ties to the same magic they’d been hunting. That was about all she knew for certain.

It wasn’t enough to just know that.

“Twilight Sparkle is not a murderer.” Moondancer nodded as decisively as she could. “I have no reason to disbelieve that she had due cause to kill Sonata.”

“But if she would kill for her family once…” Caution Tape narrowed his eyes at Moondancer, wrinkling his nose at an imagine odor. “What if she thought Raven was a threat to them as well?”

Moondancer answered without hesitation. “She would have reported it immediately.”

“Yeah.” Caution Tape chuckled joylessly. “Wish oi had your belief in human decency. You an’ Chief Carrot both. Oi’ve seen what happens to people after they take a life. Takes healin’, yeah, an’ it takes a steady hand tah bring them back. Sparkle ain’t had neither. She’s a cold fish; a standoffish genius type. She weren’t built to take on that kinda stress.”

“Your prejudice is clouding your perception.” Moondancer extended a finger pointedly at The Party Favor. “Keep you thought on the job at hand and keep your voice down.”

Caution grimaced. He patted his firearm, hidden from view, and resumed his part of the stakeout. “When Sparkle breaks, Oi’m gonna be the first to say oi told yah so.”

Draining Memories

Celestia sat on the shore, looking out over the choppy waves surrounding the Isle of Insofar. The rocky crags swallowed the waves before they could reach land, sending a constant mist spraying through the air. It was a sensation, an atmosphere, unmatched in all of Libertas. She looked over at the tall man standing a short distance away, his injured leg perched on a stone. His magic’s healing touch removed the pain and strengthened the joint that had been blow apart by a stray shot. He stared out across the sea, his steel-like face calm and introspective.

She closed her eyes against the brief flash of memory. Screaming. Blood. Death. Her time in the infirmary caring for the injured soldiers left a mark on her. One she didn’t usually feel comfortable admitting. But here, back where she’d experienced the horrors…

She opened her eyes to bring Sombra back in focus. Meeting him was the only good thing about the war. The only good part of living in Hell for years.

But she’d still left.

She frowned and turned back to the open sea. After her little vacation was over, she’d do it all over again. Leave Sombra behind and run back to Libertas. Despite the fact that the spark remained. Despite the fact that now that Raven was dead, they needed each other to heal. Despite the fact that they’d lost enough time already.

“How long are you staying in the Isles?” Sombra asked, his voice just above the surf. He could not read her mind. She’d asked, once she found out the capabilities of the students. Even so, he retained his magnificent ability to read her mood.

His tone of voice was weighted. Nearly as much as her heart was. She didn’t want to face cold reality so soon after being reunited. Nearly thirty years they’d been apart, separated by time and their own life goals. “A month. Maybe two. I’m not sure how long Sunset intends to stay, but at least as long as her.”

The corner of Sombra’s mouth twitched. He turned a knowing glance to her. “Your dream continues to pay dividends.”

She gave him a halfhearted smirk. The sunset regained her focus as it shifted from orange to purple, seagulls calling across the water. “She was nearly the one that got away. Without her friends stepping in…”

Sombra sat on the rock, his back to the sea. He cast a long shadow across the shore as the sun lowered itself behind him. “Do not forget, Celestia. You created the environment that she needed to find herself. You’ve stood by her side over the years. You fostered her growth as much as anybody else. Do not discount your contribution.”

He bowed his head to look at the dirt beneath his shoes. “Do not discredit the beauty of your dream.”

Her smirk fell away the instant his eyes left her. “Nor you yours, Dr. Relámpago.”

He laughed once, in the back of his throat. “Would that more of my success stories were Sunset Shimmer rather than Prince Blueblood.”

He lifted his head ever so slightly to bring her into view. He stood with a slow, agonizing climb to his full height. He offered her a hand, and they both spent a moment getting her to her feet. She pressed a hand against her lower back as it twinged. “Oh, God, I hate getting old.”

Sombra’s strong grip offered her a great deal of support while she braced herself for walking back to the compound. His fingers slid across the soft skin on the back of her hand. He waited until she could stand freely on her own before speaking. “We both have our own kingdoms to attend to, Celestia. But I am glad, if even for this brief period, that we can be together.”

Celestia looked up at him, an easy smile coating the surface of her face. The twinge in her back was outpaced by the one in her heart. She took his hand, and the two of them walked back to the warehouse with a slow, steady pace. “We have done good things. Both of us.”

“Quite.”

“And I have… missed good things…” She gave him a solid nod. “I’m glad we can see each other.”

Sombra’s frown hovered beneath somber eyes. “But?”

But… she had still left. Despite how they both felt, she had still left.

And he hadn’t come after her.

“No buts.” She gave his hand a squeeze. “And no regrets.”

Her words seemed to relax him. They continued on in silence until they reached the school itself, where Sunset Shimmer could be seen speaking on her cell phone. She waved, and Celestia waved back.

They stopped inside the building, in the middle of the central “courtyard.” Sombra bowed his head to her and spoke in a low voice. “Until we meet again, my dear. Tomorrow, perhaps you can learn something of magic.”

“I look forward to it.” They shared a soft, quick embrace, and he headed for the men’s sleeping area. Celestia made as if to go to the women’s area, but paused at the door. She looked to the front, where she could still see Shimmer walking back and forth, probably talking with her husband.

She walked towards Sunset, keeping her distance so as to not pry into the conversation. She waited just on the edge of Sunset’s voice and focused on the crashing waves. Even so, some bits of the conversation seeped through.

“—can’t tell you much more than that so far.” Sunset laughed, though not very heartily. “I don’t really know right now. This could be amazing. World-changing. But only if we do it—Yeah, sure, ‘the Sunset Way.’ Sounds good to me.”

Sunset looked at the sun’s position on the horizon and sighed. “I’ll let you go, Shining. We’ve both got our work cut out for us, huh? Yeah. I love you, too. Kiss Sunny for me. Bye.”

She tucked her phone away and turned to Celestia. “So? Enjoy yourself this evening?”

“I don’t kiss and tell.” Celestia snorted as she moved beside her former student. “Things are good. Feels like nothing’s changed in… in thirty years…”

Sunset furrowed her brow. She caught Celestia’s eye contact and folded her arms over her stomach. “Do you wanna talk about it?”

Celestia’s eyes shot for the horizon and the last glimmer of sunlight. “Talk about what?”

Shimmer shrugged. “Anything. The school, you, Dr. Sombra…”

The principal let out a titter she didn’t quite feel. “I’m too old to be gossiping about my drama like a middle schooler.”

“You’re too young to have given up on figuring yourself out.”

Celestia’s mask of congeniality fell away. The weight in her heart caused her arms to ache. “Am I that easy to read?”

Sunset shook her head. She chanced a glance at the warehouse, which remained silent. She gave Celestia an uneasy grin. “No, you’re not. But I know when you get that easygoing, it’s because you’re hiding something.”

“Remind me never to play poker with you.” Celestia tried to stuff her hands in her pockets, but found them too meager. She settled for resting them on her hips. “I’m just… dealing with thoughts that have simmered beneath the surface until now. I’m forced to focus on them. And I feel like there’s no good answer.” Without giving Sunset enough of a pause to respond, she continued: “How do you and Shining make it work?”

As expected, the question caught Sunset off guard and magicked away whatever clarification she was going to request. Although it was tactically applied to steer the conversation, it was still something she wanted to know. Sunset gathered her thoughts back together in record time. “How do you mean?” she asked.

“He was in Special Forces for years before and during your marriage.” Celestia rubbed her hands together as a chilly wind blew across the sea. “He only resigned, what? Two years ago?”

“Yeah.”

“So how did you make it work with him being so far away for years at a time?” Celestia kicked idly at a loose stone in the path. “He left you alone for so long, with so much on your plate.”

“He didn’t leave me alone.” Sunsets voice was firm and decisive, brooking no argument whatsoever. “I had a whole support network in my friends and his family.” She continued in a much softer voice, and laid a gentle hand on Celestia’s shoulder. “We both had our dreams, Celestia. I wanted to teach the students of Canterlot City, to bring them the same kind of hope that I found. He wanted to defend our country and our security with his life. We knew we’d be pulled apart… but we still wanted each other.” She laughed as a blush touched her cheeks. “Sunny was… a welcome surprise. We both… we both spent some time reexamining our dreams after that.”

Celestia nodded. She examined the stone path, because it hopefully protected her from Sunset’s apparent ability to see into her soul. “So he left the military for Sunny?”

“For Sunny, for me… and for himself.” Sunset frowned towards Libertas, though the curvature of the Earth hid it from view. “After Sunny was kidnapped, he knew things couldn’t be the way they were before.”

“But you stayed at the school.”

“Well, circumstances were in our favor, as far as that’s concerned.” Sunset rubbed her arms to quell the goosebumps. “It helped that it was our only source of income for a while.”

Celestia closed her eyes. A small laugh escaped; a more genuine emotion than she’d allowed for far too long. “That it would.” She peered at Sunset, who looked at her expectantly. “So do you have your new dreams sorted out?”

“We… have a shared dream,” Sunset said. “To give Sunny the best life, the best family, he could possibly hope for.”

Celestia sighed. “And Shining completely gave up on his dream?”

“It wasn’t given up, it was—” Sunset turned around as the front doors of the school opened. “—it was reexamined,” she finished in a rush.

Starlight Glimmer exited the school with another woman close behind her. “Sunset! I’ve been looking for you!”

“Sorry.” Sunset Shimmer waved a hand at the sea. “Just watching the awe-inspiring sunset.”

“No need to apologize.” Starlight looked to Celestia with a smile. “Ah, and you, too, Miss Celestia. You haven’t been formally introduced to our head teacher: Dr. Twilight Sparkle.”

Twilight Sparkle? Was it a common name? Celestia looked down to see a woman with an uncanny resemblance to another Twilight Sparkle she knew; Sunset’s sister-in-law. An odd coincidence if it was one, but she’d seen stranger things where Sunset Shimmer was concerned. “Hello, Dr. Sparkle. A pleasure.”

Dr. Twilight took her hand with a polite shake. Her eyes shimmered in the low light of the evening. Magic, perhaps? “The pleasure is mine, Miss Celestia.”

“Please, just Celestia.” Celestia placed a hand over her heart. “‘Miss’ makes me feel like either a grade schooler or somebody’s granny.”

“Very well, Celestia.” The doctor seemed to have some trouble getting the name out, judging from the way her jaw tightened ever-so-slightly. The doctor then turned to Sunset, and the nearly-invisible tension faded. “I would like to request the both of you attend our first class tomorrow morning. The Awakening.”

“Awakening?” Sunset asked, voicing the question on Celestia’s mind. “What’s that?”

Starlight Glimmer smiled brighter than before. Celestia suspected it was because the joy finally reached her eyes. “Every time we get new students, we gather them together and help them to connect to their innate magic for the first time. I believe you wouldn’t have that in Equestria due to magic simply being part of the upbringing there, but for humans it’s quite helpful to have the proper environment and instruction before magic comes within their grasp.”

Celestia looked down at her open palm. Her skin lay looser over the years. Thinner, too. She couldn’t imagine magic shooting forth from the tips of her fingernails.

But if Sombra could do it… “I suppose you’ll get the chance to teach me after all, Sunset.”

Dr. Twilight’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly. “You haven’t learned magic from her, yet?”

“I never asked for it.” Celestia smiled at the doctor. “But they say you’re never too old to learn.”

“That’s the spirit!” Starlight Glimmer led the four of them back into the school, out of the night chill. “Once you try magic, there’s nothing better.”

Celestia caught a sigh of relief from Sunset. Was it due to the conversation being interrupted, or something else? She couldn’t begin to guess.

Honestly, she was also glad to end the conversation.

***

If Twilight Sparkle had to describe the Party Favor in a word, it would be “stifling.” A mush of bodies, soundwaves, and colors that would have been overwhelming had she been alone. She felt overdressed and underdressed at the same time, wearing her usual button-up shirt and jeans among the silky finery and gaudy revelry of the other patrons. The only one of their group who stood out more than she did was Big Mac, whose red plaid shirt was muted among the glowing neon of the club.

Just ahead, Skyhook seemed to melt into the shadows as he trailed the princess. No one gave him a glance, because there was nothing to focus on. Just another face in the crowd doing whatever he pleased.

Princess Twilight followed close behind Shining Armor as he searched for Flash Sentry. He was taller than most present, aside from Big Mac, but it was still far too easy to get lost in the crowd.

Little Spike waited outside in the car with Applejack—animals weren’t allowed in the Party Favor at all, whether they were magical talking “animals” or not. Applejack remained behind so that at least somebody with a cell phone was on the outside.

Someone who had too much to drink stumbled into Big Mac, who helped the patron to his feet. Muted apologies were exchanged briefly before the man was escorted out by his party. Big Mac found Twilight’s hand and held it tight. He muttered something that she couldn’t catch above the thrum of the music.

“Hey, hey, Shining!”

“Flash!”

Twilight’s attention was drawn to her older brother as he met Flash Sentry near the bar. The two of them clasped hands and exchanged a few words while Twilight was still out of hearing range. She and Mac closed the gap in short order and stood beside Shining.

“It’s been ages, Shining!” Flash’s easygoing smile greeted the rest of them as they gathered around. “Mac, how’s it goin’? Nice to see you again, Twilight.”

With Skyhook remaining incognito, Twilight still detected an omission from his greetings. She turned her head to see the princess hiding behind Shining’s body, her head hunched and her eyes wide. She met Twilight’s gaze with a smile that bordered on panic.

Twilight was saved from making the decision to reveal or conceal when Shining Armor turned his profile to expose the princess to view. “Flash, I don’t suppose you remember Princess Twilight, do you?”

Splashing her with cold water would have shocked her less. The princess froze like a deer staring down an oncoming freight train.

Flash narrowed his eyes as she came into view. “Princess—?” His eyes widened with realization. They widened further as he took in the sight before him. “God, of course! Twilight! It’s been, like, a decade.”

“Twelve years…” Princess Twilight’s voice trailed off into a weak putter. “Actually.”

Flash’s eyes snapped to Twilight, then back to the princess. “So I’m not actually crazy.”

Twilight crossed her arms and shifted her weight to one leg. “No moreso than any of us are.”

He laughed at that. He extended a hand, which the princess shook—despite her knees shaking all the more. “Wow. I almost thought I’d never… Well, it’s cool to see you again. You’re looking like you’re taking care of yourself.”

“You look—yeah.” Princess Twilight chuckled weakly as she absently pawed at her bejeweled necklace. “I’m… I’m doing my best. Taking care of Equestria and doing… research…”

When the princess let his hand go, hers immediately clasped in front of her stomach with a white-knuckle grip. Twilight supposed she could be thankful that the colorful lights of the club’s interior hid the unmitigated reddish discoloration in her face.

“Flaaaash—” Another voice rose above the sound wall of the Party Favor. It was slightly raspy, but undoubtedly full of energy. It was familiar to Twilight in a way that made her stomach twist. “Is this another one of your old girlfriends?”

Her concerns were confirmed when a lady bounded up to Flash Sentry and slipped her arms around his. She balanced on the tips of her feet, as if she was ready to spiral onto the dance floor then and there. The beads on her top sparkled in the light and drew the eye to places Twilight had no intention of looking.

“Old buddies, Zesty.” Flash grinned as he turned to Shining. “Have I introduced any of you to my fiancé, Lemon Zest?”

Lemon Zest’s eyes immediately drew to Twilight. Her mouth popped open as a smile spread like wildfire. “Oh my literal God, Sci-Twi! Is that really you? You haven’t changed a bit!”

Twilight Sparkle frowned at the woman. Considering how long ago high school—the cussable Crystal Prep Academy—actually was, she believed she’d changed quite a bit, thank you very much. “Zest. Hi.”

Lemon Zest grabbed Twilight in a quick, but decidedly unwelcome, embrace. “You’re adorable! Did you guys know Sci-Twi was a super-genius? There wasn’t a single bigger brain in the entire Academy!”

The hug caused the headphones hanging from Lemon’s neck to press against Twilight’s cheek. She gently pushed both the hugger and her accessories aside. “Yep. That’s me. Crystal Prep Academy’s resident mad scientist.”

Lemon Zest gave the princess a double-take. A sly smile crawled across her face as she turned back to Flash. “Oh, and this girl is—”

“A friend from Canterlot High.” Flash Sentry’s easy smile faltered for a brief second. “Twi… Light…”

The princess’ eyes remained wide, her mouth dipping open in a slack-jawed pout. A stuttering “uh-uh-uh” was all she was able to give to the equally speechless Flash.

Twilight stepped in, seeing as how both the princess and Flash were borderline catatonic. “The name Twilight runs in the family.”

“Yeah, I know how that is.” Lemon Zest leaned against Flash again as he resumed his comfortable expression. Her forehead furrowed as she bent closer to Twilight. “So, hey, we kinda didn’t see you a whole lot after you got real sick that one time. Thought you were gonna win us the Acadecathlon. Did you have the flu, or—”

“I’d rather not discuss it, thank you very much.” Twilight’s words surprised her with their venom. Although, she supposed she had no real wish to soften them. Not when looking at one of the Shadowbolts of yesteryear. At least it wasn’t somebody really terrible, like Sour Sweet or Sugarcoat. Just somebody with a little too much energy and not enough respect for personal space… or personal privacy. “I don’t suppose we could save the pleasantries for after we see Party Favor?”

Skyhook appeared at the princess’ side like a ghost out of fog. He whispered in her ear, and she turned towards the door. When Twilight followed her gaze, she saw Officer Caution Tape striding confidently through the crowd, Moondancer scampering on his heels. Moondancer held one of the magic-detecting devices in her right hand, raising it above her head on occasion.

“Skyhook’s right,” the princess said, her voice strained with a light marinade of stress. “We should get to Party Favor before we become the ones answering questions.”

Lemon Zest nodded, her face downcast. “I just had a talk with Night Glider. She said she and Party are ready for us.” She turned on the balls of her feet and walked with Flash towards the back of the club. With a little hustling, the group of them were out of sight, leaving Caution and Moondancer alone in the crowd.

***

Caution rubbed his forehead as he turned this way and that. “Son of a—The hell did she go?”

The needle on the magic detector fluctuated wildly, with little rhyme or reason no matter where Moondancer held it. “No clue. I saw a bunch of them all talking near the bar, but…”

Caution swore with a mouth that would have a sailor faint dead away. “Keep lookin’. She couldn’t ’ave just left.”

“There might be more important things to investigate than Twilight Sparkle.”

Caution looked over his shoulder, his sour mood unfitting for the lively atmosphere. “Such as?”

She turned the detector’s readout towards his face. “Whatever radiation was coating Raven’s body, this whole place is swimming in it.”

***

Twilight found the office to be inexpensively lush, if such a thing were possible. The walls and seats were a vibrant red, though the quality of the threads was a little bare. The desk was mahogany, though perhaps a few decades old, chipped at the edges. Party Favor’s suit was as lively as his club, made up of stripes and colors that would make Pinkie Pie squeal with glee. He was a shorter man, only taller than Twilight due to the towering crown of curls he molded his hair into. He smiled congenially as the lot of them piled into his office.

The woman sitting in the corner was less inviting. She stared at them with dark, suspicious eyes, only softening the heat of her glare when Lemon stepped inside. Threads of her short, white hair stood out of alignment as sweat trickled down her forehead. She and Lemon Zest exchanged kisses on the cheek, after which Twilight’s old schoolmate remained at Night Glider’s side.

“Soooo—” Party Favor leaned an elbow on his desk and grinned at the group. “How do you like the club? Pumpin’ tunes? Tantalizing drink? Magical atmosphere? Eh? Eh?”

The princess cleared her throat and took a seat across the desk. “Yeah. It’s a… very nice place.”

Skyhook rubbed his chin as he took up position next to the door. “Reminds me of the Keen Bean back home.”

“Yeah, that’s an appropriate comparison.” Princess Twilight’s eyes jumped to Flash before she deliberately tore them away. “You know we’re here to talk about Raven?”

“Lady Relámpago, yeah.” Party Favor’s smile revealed itself to be a shallow ditch dug through his face, easily obliterated with a brush of the hand. He sighed and leaned back in his seat. “Yeah. She was gonna stop by sooner or later, but…” His breath hitched, the sigh becoming a low whine. He spoke in a hushed rush. “Dr. Sparkle?”

Night Glider rose from her seat, taking an aggressive stance with one shoulder forward. Her hand disappeared behind her body, possibly grabbing something pain-inflicting.

It took Twilight a second to realize they were referring to her. It took Shining and Big Mac slightly less time, and they moved between her and the interrogees within a breath. Twilight Sparkle took a step towards the door, her hand reaching for the handle.

“No, she’s not. No more than I am.” Princess Twilight spread her empty hands toward each of the club owners. She sought their gaze, one after the other, until both of them had their attention on her. “If you know the doctor, you know that similar people can be found across the boundaries of the multiverse. Dr. Sparkle came from one world, I came from another, and this Twilight is from yours.”

Night Glider brought her hand back into view, unarmed. “Can you prove you’re not the doctor?”

Twilight Sparkle blew a breath through her nose. “Logical loop-de-loops aside, I can pre-tty concretely prove I’m this world’s Twilight.”

Party Favor looked at his friend. “She sounds like the doctor…”

Twilight bent over to look around Big Mac’s arm. She spied Lemon Zest and gave her a sardonic smirk. “You and Indigo stole my gym clothes during the first week of our second year. I later found them frozen stiff in the cafeteria freezer. I believe Indigo’s exact words were ‘We thought you needed to chill out.’”

Lemon’s already very-pink face blazed as bright as a sunburn. “I think she’s the real deal, guys.”

“Aside from that, I’ve got identification, papers back home—” She jerked her thumb at the other people in the room. “—and several witnesses willing to corroborate my claim.”

Party Favor sank back in his seat. He turned to Night Glider and shrugged. She returned the gesture with a grimace. He pushed aside a stack of papers, folded his hands across the desk, and looked to the princess. “What do you wanna know?”

Twilight gave his wild hair a double-take and found it to be sagging more than a little bit. Comical under normal circumstances, but now she just found it distracting. She pulled out a notepad and licked the tip of her pen out of habit. Without Little Spike to serve as minute-taker, the task had fallen to the only one in the room who knew shorthand. With Big Mac’s comforting hand on her shoulder, and the ever-present Shining just off to the side, she felt a little stronger as she took on the trappings of her chosen profession.

Princess Twilight offered Party a sad smile. “Would you start with telling us about your relationship with Miss Relámpago?”

“Woof.” Party Favor let out a weak chuckle. His hands fiddled with something on the desk while he talked. “We were two of the first students the doctor had… Students of magic. We were with Starlight Glimmer when she found Doc. A couple years later, when the school was still young, Raven joined up. We all took some of the duties of teaching her, but the doctor was the one she worked the closest with.”

Night Glider bobbed her head. “Dr. Sparkle took a real shine to Raven. Before any of us knew it, she had pretty much overtook the progress of almost everybody else at the school, except the ‘first class.’ We thought Raven was gonna become a new teacher.”

“But if you knew anything about Raven,” Party Favor interjected, “you knew she had a wanderlust streak a mile wide. Didn’t want to keep in one place too long. I think it shook the doctor up pretty bad.”

“Right?” Night Glider reached down beside the desk and pulled out a bottle of something club-related and poured it into a glass. “I guess you could say we were a mix between student-teacher and coworker. Close enough that we were pretty hyped to meet up with her again when she came to Libertas.”

Princess Twilight nibbled on the tip of her hair. She sent another nigh-missable glance at Flash before continuing. “What brings the two of you to Libertas? I believe you were born and raised in the Highborn Isles?”

Night Glider swished her drink around, taking a tiny sip. “You wanna get into it, or should I?”

Party leaned so far back that Twilight thought he might tip over. “Ugh. Yeah, I guess.” He spun his chair in a gentle circle before stopping himself with a hand on the wall. “Long story short, we just didn’t care for the politics of the Isles. Night Glider, Starlight, and the rest of us tried for years to change… anything. But injustice is still the byword, the social structure is still unbalanced, and Prince Blueblood is still a moron.”

Flash Sentry crossed his arms over his chest. “Score one for President Cadence.”

Night Glider choked on her drink. After clearing her throat with a series of sputtering coughs, she sulked against the wall. “Yeah, yeah. Don’t get cocky, G.I. Joe. After years of fighting for reform, Blueblood was still in line for the throne, and Fancy Pants was still throwing around his power like he owned the place. I… I gave up. I got out.” She shared a look with Party that Twilight suspected held the weight of a conversation. “We got out. Starlight figured we abandoned her. So we ended up burning a couple bridges.”

“Best decision of my life.” Party Favor finally found a smile that went to his eyes. He threw his hands out and swiveled to look at his office. “God, I love free enterprise.”

Night Glider hid a smirk behind a mild growl. “We had free enterprise back in the Isles.”

“Yeah, but the money flows better here.”

Princess Twilight’s shoulders relaxed ever-so-slightly. “So Raven left a while before you guys?”

“Two years, at least,” Party Favor said.

“And you hadn’t met with her since?”

“Nope.” Night Glider stretched her arms skyward and yawned. “First we heard from her was when she sent us that phone call saying she wanted to meet up. I guess she had a bunch of old friends living in the area.”

Princess Twilight tapped her fingers against her knee. “Did Raven have any enemies at the academy? People jealous of her achievements, perhaps?”

“Not that I can think of?” Night Glider scratched the side of her head. “Everybody was pretty cool with her. She even tutored a couple of the newbies before she left. Everybody was sad to see her go… nobody was mad. Not even the doctor.”

The princess clasped her hands together and leaned forward. “Is the doctor normally an angry person?”

“Perpetually irritated.” Party Favor tapped a finger against his lips. “She’s pissed, but she’s usually polite. She seemed more resigned to see Raven go than anything.”

Twilight Sparkle narrowed her eyes at the last note. Before the princess could voice another question, she spoke up. “May I ask why you panicked when I stepped into the room?”

Party Favor and Night Glider exchanged a silent conversation, just as weighty as the last. Party Favor’s foot tapped in time with the rumble of distant music. “Raven left on good terms. We didn’t. Starlight about freaked out when she found out we were leaving. She and the Doc, they’re pretty tight. You hurt Starlight, you’ve gotta go through Twilight.”

“I don’t think she’s been outside the Highborn Isles since she came to our world.” Night Glider hugged herself, turning her eyes downward. “Seeing you… thinking it was her… I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know whether to be afraid or angry or what.”

The princess looked over her shoulder at Twilight. When she saw her counterpart didn’t have anything to add, the princess continued. “Does she seem like a violent person?”

“Violent, nah.” Party Favor grinned at his friend. She did not return the favor. “Machiavellian, maybe. She’s smarter than a roomful of computers, and I really don’t wanna know what sorta schemes that mind can concoct.”

“What?” Night Glider scowled, tilting her head at an inquisitive angle. “You think she’s behind Raven’s death?”

“We’re investigating every possibility.” Princess Twilight leveled her gaze at Night Glider. “And we’ve ruled nothing out.”

Night Glider rolled her eyes. “So we’re under suspicion, too, huh?”

A slight upward twitch of the princess’ eyebrows presented a complete lack of reassurance, feigned or otherwise. “No moreso than anybody else.”

Night Glider accepted a comforting side-hug from Lemon Zest. “Alright. Keep asking the questions so we can get back to work.”

***

Moondancer could do no better than wander aimlessly through the club. The detector’s needle rose and fell, the information as useless as a broken thermometer. She extracted herself from a cluster of bodies and moved closer to the wall. She and a few others held a vantage point to observe the dance floor and nurse drinks. She wasn’t about to drink on the job, and she had a feeling drinking alone in this place wasn’t the safest venture for her.

She spotted Caution Tape a few steps away, still peering over heads in his mission to locate and interrogate Twilight Sparkle. Moondancer grumbled beneath her breath. They were getting nowhere, and were likely to miss Sparkle’s party as they walked right out the front door.

Something changed in the atmosphere. The constant crackle in her hand shifted pitch. She lifted the thaumometer—the name she’d just coined in a fit of brilliance—and observed the display. The needle held steady on the highest measurement the device was capable of.

Just like it’d done when Twilight Sparkle held it.

She shifted it to her left hand. The needle went down. Back to her right, the signal was once again at full strength. She had her back to the wall, so looking down her right shoulder she had a clear view of the other patrons hanging back from the dance floor. The closest one was leaning against the wall, a glass held with both hands. It was an adult woman, mid-twenties, with long, green tresses of unrestrained hair. Her face was plain as could be, with little makeup of any sort being used to enhance her unremarkable features. Not to say she was bad-looking, just… hard to pick out of a crowd.

The same could be said for the rest of her apparel. A striped sweatshirt looked out of place in the Party Favor, just as much as the lack of makeup was an oddity. Loose-fitting jeans were obviously more for comfort than style.

The more Moondancer thought about it, the more she decided the woman should have stuck out like a sore thumb. But here, at the wall, she was barely noticeable.

Caution drew closer. Moondancer caught his attention with a wave of the hand. She jiggled her thaumometer and tilted her head towards the plain woman. Caution pursed his lips and nodded. He approached the woman from one angle as Moondancer took the other.

Caution tipped his hat to the woman. “Miss.”

She raised her head slowly, her eyes half-lidded. The main defining feature, Moondancer decided, was the freckles on her cheeks. “What?”

“The name’s Caution Tape, officer of the CCPD. This here’s moi partner, Moondancer.” He pulled his badge out of his pocket to show the woman, and her eyes widened to full alertness. “Oi’m investigatin’ some suspicious occurrences roundabout these parts. Hopin’ you’d be willin’ to answer a few questions.”

The thaumometer crackled as it got closer to the woman. Moondancer thumbed it off, but not before the woman sent a glance towards it. “Perhaps we could go somewhere more quiet, miss—?”

“Wallflower,” the woman said quietly, her face grim. “Wallflower Blush.”

Moondancer thought she saw the woman’s fingernails glow, but it must have been a trick of the light. Caution led the three of them towards a door to the outside. He nodded to the bouncer as they passed. Moondancer stuffed the thaumometer in her bag.

When Caution turned to begin the questioning, Wallflower interrupted with a raised hand. “Officer, since I was about to leave anyway, could we just walk to my car?”

A renewed gloom descended upon Caution’s demeanor. “It should only take a few minutes.”

Wallflower blew a breath through pursed lips. “Sir, it’s been a really, really long day, and I’d just like to go forget about it, you know? Believe me, being questioned by police isn’t even the roughest thing today.”

Caution rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Awroit, awroit, s’fine. Lead the way, miss.”

“It’s just around the corner.” Wallflower Blush walked around the side of the Party Favor, to the darker portion of the parking lot. Moondancer noted with some dismay that the sun had sunk below the city skyline; it was well past eight. They’d spent the entire day on their silly stakeout and found little to show for it.

Little, that is, save for this strange woman.

“Do you come to the Party Favor frequently?” Caution Tape asked.

“Not really.” Wallflower sent a glance Moondancer’s way. Something caused her cheek to twitch. Moondancer couldn’t know for sure, but she was developing a theory as to what. “Wanted to try something new. Don’t think it worked out.”

“Fair dues, mate.” Caution nodded. “Noticed anythin’ strange around here lately? Anythin’ out of the ordinary?”

Wallflower gave him a side-eye. “Not really.”

A car came into view. Wallflower pulled a set of keys from her pocket and unlocked it from afar. Moondancer knew their time was dwindling. Detaining a woman for setting off untested, unstudied technology would be a hard sell to the higher-ups and any passing reporters. Still, it was their best lead by far.

Maybe, Moondancer thought, they could entice her to stay.

“Excuse me, Wallflower?” Moondancer earned a raised eyebrow and a grimace from Caution, but he held his tongue. “What do you know about magic?”

Wallflower Blush stopped dead in her tracks. She breathed lightly, facing away from the two of them. Her car hummed as the automatic starter kicked in.

Wallflower spun on her heel and stretched her hand towards Moondancer. Her fingernails blazed a brilliant green. Energy shot forth and enveloped Moondancer from head to foot. She stood poleaxed, indefensible. Her life flashed before her eyes. Images of her coworkers at the police station, her high school friendship with Twilight Sparkle, her investigation into crimes the city over.

As she watched, her memories peeled away.

It fell away in streams, one thought at a time. First to go was the afternoon, which vanished into Wallflower’s palm. The thaumometer became nameless and worthless in her sight. The memory of Caution Tape was torn apart, piece by piece, until he was barely an afterthought in Moondancer’s head.

The name “Moony!” was shouted, and she didn’t know who it belonged to or who was shouting it. The city rose around her, large and scary. She knew she wanted her mommy, but she couldn’t bring her image to mind. Where once was a comforting face and warm words was an empty void. She fell to her knees as the glasses fell from her face. The lenses shattered on the concrete.

Twilight. Twilight could save her. She didn’t know who “Twilight” was, but she knew she was important. She was smart. She always knew what to do.

She reached inside her bag for her phone. Instinct drove her, muscle memory filling in gaps where her mind could not. She typed an SOS into her phone and sent it just before she curled up in a helpless, thoughtless lump.

Twilight would figure it out.

She was the best.

It's Like I Don't Exist

Twilight Sparkle’s phone vibrated against her hip. She waited a moment to finish writing her most recent note, something about the date they left the school, then checked the screen for the message. A spike of adrenaline shot through her shoulder as her hand tightened. It was from Moondancer. A queasy feeling roiled around in her stomach. She didn’t think there was much room for friendly words spoken between them at the moment.

The second spike of adrenaline hit her heart as the message itself came into view: SOS OUTSIDE.

“Something’s wrong.” Her voice was shaky in her ears. Her legs moved her towards the door. Moondancer wasn’t one to mess around with stuff like this. She was a straightforward woman. She wore herself practically on her own sleeves. Whatever this was, something was going down right now. “There’s trouble outside.”

Skyhook exchanged a questioning glance with the princess. “What sort of trouble?”

“I don’t know.” Twilight reached behind him to twist the door handle. “Something really bad. Moondancer and Caution are in danger.”

“I’ll come with you,” Night Glider said. When the interrogators turned questioning expressions to her, she shrugged. “What? We don’t allow weapons into the club. We know you’re all unarmed.”

She was right. Twilight had left her forty-four at the Apples’, locked in Big Mac’s gun chest with his rifle and his dad’s old shotgun. Shining’s handgun was at his home. The most any of them were armed with was razor-sharp wit.

Well, Twilight had her magic.

Party Favor pulled a small pistol from a drawer in his desk and set it gently on the top. Night Glider slid it into a concealed holster. She glanced at Flash Sentry. “Unless somebody objects?”

Flash and Shining Armor moved beside the door. Flash gave her a shallow bow. “Armed combatants take point.”

Twilight pushed the door open and made way for Night Glider. Glider moved steadily, deliberately down the hall, with no hesitation to her march. Twilight couldn’t help but note a military precision to her movements, much like she’d seen at various army bases she’d lived on in her early life. Night was certainly a capable individual.

Capable of what, though?

She, Shining, Flash, and Big Mac followed Night Glider, with Skyhook bringing up the rear. The door she led them to was a rear exit for the Party Favor. Night pushed it open and found the alleyway between their building and their neighbor’s empty. She put a finger to her lips, then pointed upward. Magic shone across her back, bathing her in a corona of energy. Two gossamer wings appeared and carried her to the roof.

Flash let out a low whistle. “Maybe I wanna go to their school.”

Twilight heard a scream from around the corner. It sounded like Caution Tape. He was in pain. She slid along the wall of the Party Favor and peered around the corner. She saw the street come into view. The sidewalk held three figures: Caution struggling in hand-to-hand combat with a young woman, and Moondancer lying in a fetal position on the concrete.

The green haired combatant struck Caution in the stomach and twisted his arm behind his back. She kicked the back of his knee to send him to the ground. Even from the distance, Twilight could see magic radiating from the young woman’s fingernails. The woman grasped Caution’s arm with both hands and prepared to twist.

“Hey!” Twilight stepped into full view. Not out of stupidity, but as a calculated response. She could easily slide back out of sight should the woman reach for a firearm, well before she came under attack. In her mind’s eye she pictured Night Glider taking a position on the edge of the roof, away from the assailant’s scrutiny.

Shining Armor hissed something that Twilight couldn’t hear. Big Mac reached for her, but paused before he could expose himself.

The attacker halted before she could break Caution’s arm. Her eyes went wide when she saw Twilight. She dropped Caution and took up a solid, spread-legged stance, her right hand facing forward. The magic on her hand intensified before shooting straight towards Twilight Sparkle, on a bee-line to her eyes.

Twilight sucked in a breath. She had to admit, she wasn’t prepared for this. To see somebody else using magic so casually, in the midst of a fight… The next thought was that she had no idea what the spell was capable of. Would it change her into a newt, or simply blast her to atoms? If she dodged the first strike, would the second be hot on its heels? Did it have tracking capabilities?

She wished more than anything to have access to the teleportation spell.

A mass tackled her in the side and threw her bodily to the ground. The spell passed by overhead, dissipating to nothing as it impacted the brick wall behind her. Skyhook picked himself off of her just as quickly as he’d pushed her out of harm’s way. He sprinted towards the attacker in a heartbeat, his head low and his limbs pumping.

It was the attacker’s turn to be taken aback. She shuffled backwards down the sidewalk, her hands outstretched towards the racing Skyhook.

Flash hopped to Twilight’s side and helped her to her feet. His face twisted in confusion and anger. “Is that… Wallflower?”

Skyhook moved faster than Twilight could keep track of. He rolled beneath another blast of Wallflower’s magic, coming up to strike her in the chin. The punch had little outward effect on the woman. She grasped the collar of his shirt and threw him over a shoulder.

Night Glider landed with her pistol trained on Wallflower’s back. “Hands in the air or I’ll shoot!”

Wallflower was inches from slamming her fist into Skyhook’s nose. She twisted her grip on him to place his body between her and the muzzle of the gun. Her back was to a running car. To one side was the aching but ready Caution, to the other was Shining Armor and Big Mac. Twilight felt her limbs shaking as the standoff continued for a couple of seconds, neither party moving a muscle.

Twilight spent the moment with a glance at Moondancer, who had not moved in the time they’d been outside. Her chest rose and fell, but that was all the evidence that she was still in the land of the living. Whatever Wallflower had done… it looked serious.

“Nobody else has to get hurt,” Night Glider said. “Let the man go.”

Night Glider could only see the woman from head-on. Twilight still had a side-view. She saw one of the woman’s hands hiding behind Skyhook’s back. The fingernails emitted a vibrant green as she gathered magic for a sneak attack.

“Skyhook!” Twilight shouted. “Spell!”

His elbow struck Wallflower in the side of her stomach. He dropped to his knees, sliding out of her grasp. Wallflower’s jaw dropped as she looked straight down the barrel of Night Glider’s pistol.

Wallflower reached behind her back, grasped the edge of the running car’s door, and ripped it right off its hinges.

Night Glider took to the air on wings of gossamer just before the door crashed into her position. Wallflower kicked once, and the blow sent Skyhook skidding like a rock across a pond.

Shining Armor had been charging her, but he stopped when he saw the sheer extent of her strength. He thrust out an arm to hold Big Mac back. “Whoa! Keep your distance!”

Big Mac’s expression of strong determination melted into fear and confusion. “What the hell?”

Both of Wallflower’s hands shone with power. She aimed one at Shining, one at Mac. They were close enough to her that there was no hope of avoiding the attack.

The adrenaline running through Twilight’s body reached its peak. Anger and horror mingled in her heart and boiled to the surface in a shriek. She reached out towards her brother and her boyfriend, to pull them aside, to shield them, to do anything.

She caught the severed car door in her peripheral vision, and knew what to do.

Her fingers burned as she pushed magic through them. She wrapped Mac and Shining in a strong glow, while at the same time grasping the car door. With the same spell, she tugged the men away while propelling the door towards Wallflower. Push and pull. Give and take. The sight of Twilight’s magic caused a quizzical look to pass across Wallflower’s face, just before aluminum contacted skin.

It sounded like a car hitting a dog, and Twilight hated herself for the comparison.

The force of the impact slammed Wallflower into the hood of her car, just as the engine shut itself off. She slumped to the ground, her hair in disarray, her body mostly hidden by the door. Twilight could see the woman’s face through the spider-webbed cracks in the window. She was dazed, not dead.

Twilight lowered her shaking hands to her sides. “Somebody needs to restrain her!”

Caution rushed forward, pulling a pair of handcuffs from his side. He glanced between them and the car’s busted hinges. “Oi… Oi don’t think this’ll do it.”

Flash Sentry lifted the door from Wallflower’s body. Night Glider approached his flank, her pistol trained on Wallflower’s torso. She swallowed hard. “I don’t suppose you have your sidearm handy, officer?”

“Naw, just came outta the club.” Caution rubbed his shoulder and leaned against the hood. He glanced around the gathered faces and lingered on Twilight. “Sparkle.”

Twilight stopped to check that both Mac and Shining were well. They were fine, save for a few bruises and scrapes. Better than the alternative, whatever that was. She pointedly ignored Caution as she sprinted to Moondancer’s side. “Moondancer? Moon? Look at me, Moon.”

She shook Moondancer’s shoulder; she finally opened her eyes and looked at Twilight. Her mouth opened as if to say something, but closed in silence. She looked away from Twilight to stare at the sidewalk.

Twilight touched Moondancer’s hand, but her longtime friend recoiled. “Moondancer? Can you tell me where it hurts? What do you feel? What did she do?”

A whine escaped Moondancer’s throat, but there was little else to even show she was aware. Twilight waved a hand in front of her eyes. Rather than follow the movement, Moondancer shrunk away.

Twilight knelt beside her, her hands balled into fists on her knees. Her breath became shallower and shallower the more her emotions stirred. This wasn’t like Moondancer. This wasn’t like her at all. She was hurt badly. “Somebody please call an ambulance.”

Caution swore beneath his breath and pulled his radio from his belt. He asked headquarters for backup and a ride to the hospital. He noticed Flash Sentry helping Skyhook to sit up, and mentioned they needed two rides.

Twilight reached over to the side and picked Moondancer’s glasses up off the ground. The shattered remains of her lenses had been further crumbled in the scuffle. She rose, her fist tightening around the busted frames. She looked over her shoulder at Wallflower, whose eyes had just managed to uncross. “What,” she said, her voice hoarse, “did you do?”

Wallflower moved as if to stand, but stopped after a glance at Night Glider’s pistol. She remained seated, her brow furrowed. She stared at Twilight Sparkle, but made no move to answer.

Twilight marched towards Wallflower, her voice rising to a shout. “What did you do to her?”

Wallflower winced, but said nothing. She shook her head slightly before lowering it.

Twilight stomped a foot beside Wallflower’s leg. “Answer me!”

“Twilight!” Shining snapped. “Don’t get too close.”

Twilight Sparkle narrowed her eyes at Night Glider. “You know how to use that thing?”

Night Glider maintained her position, keeping Wallflower pinned down with the threat of a trigger pull. After a moment, she answered with a quiet “Yes.”

“Good.” Twilight lowered herself until she was crouched, balancing on the balls of her feet. She tossed the useless glasses towards Wallflower, who allowed them to land on her lap. “Tell me what you did to my friend. Tell me where you learned magic. Tell me who you are or so help me…”

“I know who she is.” Flash Sentry approached. He helped Skyhook walk by allowing the other man to loop an arm over his shoulders. “Wallflower Blush. We went to Canterlot High together. Didn’t know her well, but we had a few class assignments together. She was the photographer for the yearbook in our sophomore and senior years.”

He shrugged. Skyhook could stand on his own, but moving was difficult because of what appeared to be a broken leg. He allowed Skyhook to lean against a street lamp and came closer to Blush. “We went our separate ways after graduation and I haven’t heard from her until now.”

Wallflower glowered at him. “Figures that Flash Sentry of all people would remember me.”

Flash frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“High school was years ago. I’ve moved beyond that.” She brushed a lock of hair out of her eyes. “Ask Sunset Shimmer next time you see her.”

“Maybe I will,” Twilight said, her voice dangerously low. It took all her strength to keep from punching Wallflower right in the face. “But you’re gonna tell me what you did to Moondancer. Right. Now.”

Wallflower scowled. “I don’t have to tell you—”

Twilight held up a hand with her fingernails blazing with lavender light. The glow drew Wallflower’s eye immediately. “Tell me what the spell you were casting does. I’m no slouch with magic, myself. I can cast lightning bolts from my fingers. I can freeze water at a touch. I’m fairly proficient at lighting fires.” Twilight’s frown bared two sets of clenched teeth. “And you’ve seen what I can do with car doors. So tell me. I’ll probably understand it.”

Wallflower slowly shifted her gaze from the unrestrained magic to Twilight’s fiercely burning eyes. She let a soft sight escape her nose. “A memory-erasure spell.”

The bottom dropped out from Twilight’s stomach, and her heart fell into the yawing abyss. “What?”

“I erased her memories. Anything to do with the name Moondancer.” Wallflower Blush’s voice warbled as she spoke. Her eyes kept flicking back to Twilight’s upraised hand. The intensity left her expression, little by little, until fear appeared past the stubborn shell. “Look, it’s just how my spell works—"

“Give it back.” Twilight’s arm ached as magic coursed through it. Sparks flew from her fingertips. Golden lines traced themselves beneath her skin; her fairy strings at work. “Give her every single memory right now.”

“I can’t.” Wallflower inched away from Twilight as much as she could without getting shot. She turned to look at the prone Moondancer. “The memories are locked away in a talisman. I don’t know how to—”

“Give it to me right now!” Twilight thrust out her hand, causing Wallflower to jump. “I’ll save her myself!”

Shining Armor’s hand clapped down on her shoulder. She glared at him, but her expression softened when she saw the concern in his eyes. “The ambulance is almost here,” he said. “She’ll be safer to talk to in jail.”

“With that kinda strength?” Flash muttered.

Twilight lowered her glowing hand. She straightened up to stand beside Shining. “She hurt Moondancer…”

“I know.” Shining hugged her close. “We’ll figure it out. We always—”

Wallflower slammed her fist into the concrete. A crack appeared in the ground, glowing with a sickly green. A chunk of the sidewalk zipped up to crash against the bottom of Night Glider’s gun. Her aim went wide, and the gun fired across the street. Wallflower leaped to her feet and raised her hands to cast her memory-erasure spell on Twilight and Shining both.

Twilight pushed Shining away with one hand and thrust the glowing hand towards Wallflower. She cast a spell on instinct, not conscious of what it was or what it would do. All she knew was that if she didn’t do something, she and Shining would be as good as dead.

Frustration, anger, sorrow, and terror sliced through the air towards Wallflower.

The lavender light enveloped Wallflower from head to toe. Wallflower Blush’s eyes widened as her spell bled throughout the magic cocoon Twilight had constructed. She opened her mouth to scream as she closed her hand to silence her spell, but it was too late. She was irradiated with the memory-erasure spell down to her very bones.

Her eyes glowed a blinding white. Trails of magic, looking for all the world like rolls of film, spooled out of Wallflower’s forehead. She looked on, terrified, as her life flashed before her eyes and then spiraled around her body. The memories vanished somewhere beneath her sweater.

Wallflower fell back against the hood of her car. She slumped to the ground, her eyes wide but comprehending nothing. A small glimmer of awareness returned to her, just as the final memory slithered away. “If they find out, I’m dead.”

She collapsed, the shock of the spell sending her into a deep unconsciousness.

Twilight clasped her hands over her mouth to cut off the scream. Tears welled up in her eyes. Her stomach churned—she was almost certain she was about to puke. Shining caught her before she could fall over. He held her tight as sobs wracked her body.

She’d practically killed Wallflower Blush. If the spell worked like she said, the woman was for all intents and purposes dead.

The whine of sirens pulled her back to the moment. She looked on as a fire engine pulled up to the scene of the battle, followed by a number of patrol cars. Officers jumped out, some checking on injuries, some discussing how to restrain someone with the power Wallflower possessed.

The first ambulance arrived. Firefighters transferred care of the near-catatonic Moondancer to the EMTs, who lashed her to the stretcher and loaded her onboard. The second ambulance loaded Wallflower, while Skyhook insisted he would be able to ride in a car to the hospital for X-rays.

Before the door closed, Twilight heard the EMTs talking. “Take off her necklace so she doesn’t strangle herself.”

Caution Tape brushed off his comparatively minor injuries. “Oi’m fine.” He took a seat on the hood of a nearby police cruiser. He worked to steady his breathing, his hands on his knees. He waited until Twilight met his gaze, then spoke, his voice quiet. “Oi had you wrong, Sparkle.”

Twilight’s foot came down on the fractured remains of Moondancer’s glasses. She all but jumped back, her breath caught in her throat. She couldn’t respond to Caution. Not without blubbering incoherently.

“I’m sorry,” he muttered. He rubbed his face with a meaty hand. “Oi had you wrong… but it might be time for a sit-down, yeah?”

The ambulance carrying Wallflower wailed as it sped away.

Captain Carrot herself stepped out of a cruiser and surveyed the scene. She swore when she saw the severed car door. “What happened here?”

“Oi’ll give yah the full report soon enough.” Caution hoisted himself upright and shuffled to her side. “Long story short, oi think we just caught our key suspect.”

Care Carrot crossed her arms and surveyed the gathered combatants-turned-witnesses. “I hope you all don’t mind answering a few questions?”

The response was a unanimous shake of the head.

***

Twilight Sparkle found herself once again sitting in Captain Carrot’s office, rubbing her hands together and wishing to be anywhere else. They were interviewing people one at a time. Taking things slowly. Methodically. Gradually building a larger picture of what had transpired that evening outside the Party Favor. The club itself had closed its doors for the rest of the week, to the chagrin of the patrons. There wasn’t much Party Favor the man could do to alleviate them.

Knowing what she knew, Twilight could almost exactly guess what each of the interrogees would say about the incident. Flash Sentry would speak about his brief history with Wallflower. Shining would recount the moment-to-moment events of the fight. Big Mac…

She actually didn’t know what Mac would say. The guy looked confused. Troubled. Out of his element in a way Twilight hadn’t seen before. He seemed like, for the first time in his life, he had no foundation to build his worldview upon. None of the cool, quiet confidence she found so attractive in him. He had seen the impossible, and it scared him.

Beyond that, Party Favor and Lemon Zest would have little to add. Party Favor had never met Wallflower, so either she had gone to the school after he left, or she had nothing to do with Starlight’s school.

The same could be said for Night Glider, but her more active role in the fight would give the police something to chew on. Applejack hadn’t been in either the club or the fight, so she was in all honesty not going to provide much info.

Then it came to the princess and Little Spike.

Twilight raised her head as Care walked into the room, Caution right behind her. The captain took to her desk chair and faced Twilight with a frown. The door closed before anybody said a word. “So,” Care said, “magic.”

The only response Twilight could come up with was a weak shrug.

“That’s what I said.” Care glanced at Caution, who took the role of note-taker for the session. “How long have you been studying it?”

“Since high school.” Twilight Sparkle wrung her hands until the skin turned white. “I carried on my studies until I got sick in my sophomore year.”

“What was the illness?”

“Meningitis. Viral Meningitis” Twilight rubbed her forehead as the painful memory crossed her mind. “It… it takes a lot out of you. I didn’t really look into magic again until two years ago. When… when I went to the princess’ world.”

Care tapped her fingers together. “Equestria.”

“Yeah.”

“Frankly,” Caution said, his voice even more gruff than usual, “if oi hadn’t seen what oi saw today, and then met a talkin’ dog, oi probably wouldn’ta believed a word of this.”

“He’s a dragon,” was Twilight’s weak response.

Care leaned back in her seat to stare blankly at the ceiling. She let out a low whistle. “What a day. I can’t even begin to think up a way to report this higher up the chain of command.”

Twilight rested her head in her hands and groaned.

Caution grunted. “How do we report this without gettin’ our badges laughed right off?”

“Right?” Care swung her chair around. She leaned her elbows on the desk and halted her whirl. “So, Her Royal Highness Twilight Sparkle and the gol’-darned talking dog say they might know a way to get both Moondancer’s and Wallflower’s memories back, but they’ll need time. In the meantime, I think… I think we want you guys to continue the investigation.”

“What?” Twilight Sparkle slid to the edge of her seat. “You’re kidding, right? Isn’t there some sorta rule that says I can’t conduct my own investigation or something like that?”

“Look, the fact of the matter is we’re not equipped to deal with magic.” Care pointed her index finger. “You, Twilight Sparkle the perfectly ordinary human being, are the only subject matter expert we have on the force. You and your connection to Ponystan are our only way of making any sense out of this murder case. And from your own words…” The captain raised a sheet of paper she had on her desk; notes from the earlier Q and A session. “Wallflower’s last words were ‘If they find out, I’m dead.’ She wasn’t working alone. If we have any hope of unraveling this conspiracy… it’s in you.”

Twilight rubbed her eye beneath her glasses. “No pressure.”

“We’ll have your back, Sparkle.” Caution blew a light breath through his nose. “You can take that to the bank.”

Care nodded. “You’ll have full use of the forensics lab, and we’ll have a cruiser parked outside the Apple residence at all times. Anything else you need, just talk to me.”

Twilight Sparkle furrowed her brow. Her heart ached, but some distant part of her brain understood this to be a good thing. She wasn’t alone, she reminded herself. She didn’t have to do this solo. She had her family, her friends, and now her coworkers. “Thank you.”

“Thank you.” Care stretched her arm behind her head. “I suggest we all get some sleep, if we can. We’ve got… issues to work out.”

Caution bobbed his head. “I’ll say a prayer for Moony.”

Moondancer. Twilight felt her ears burn hot. If she had just shared magic with Moondancer. Wouldn’t she have been able to fight off Wallflower? She couldn’t shake the thought, no matter how irrational it was.

But that sensation of guilt niggled at her.

***

Dr. Twilight Sparkle’s eyes opened as her phone vibrated beside her cot. She cast a quick spell on her eyes to glean clarity, then checked the contact information of the incoming caller. There was no name, but she had dedicated the number to heart. She silenced the call, slid out of bed, and slipped a robe around her body. She tiptoed towards the outside of the school. From what she could see, nobody else stirred.

The hiss of the sea and the faint mist of crashing waves hailed her exit from the old warehouse. She moved a ways from the door and pressed a button to return the call. The phone rang a few times before the other end picked up. When the call connected, she spoke quietly. “The apple is rotten.”

“The crystal is fractured,” came the coded answer. “Doctor, we have a severe problem.”

Dr. Sparkle let out a hiss as her response. “That’s not what I wanted to hear, Neighsay.”

“Indeed not, but these are the facts.” The man’s voice hissed with static as he let out a breath right on the receiver. “Not only did we not hit the target, but Wallflower was discovered by police officers investigating Raven’s death. She was caught in the open—”

The doctor’s voice rose in volume and venom. “And you didn’t help her?”

“And have us both captured or worse? Risked the entire operation? Given up everything we’re fighting to achieve?” Dr. Sparkle could envision Neighsay’s smug face curling up in a self-righteous scowl. “She fought tooth and nail and was still defeated. I highly doubt my skills would have been of much use in open combat.”

Dr. Twilight Sparkle wanted for all the world to call the man a coward. To berate him, chastise him, cow him. She knew it was useless to do so. He was ultimately correct. With him in police custody, their plan would be set back far too much. Maybe too much to recover. “What happened?”

“She attempted to use her memory-erasure spell on several of the combatants, but was thwarted by…” He hesitated, his voice taking on a degree of uncertainty. “There was another spellcaster at the Party Favor. One who bore an uncanny resemblance to yourself.”

The other Twilight. Perhaps she was indeed from another corner of the multiverse. The raw power and skill required to match Wallflower spell for spell sent a shiver running down the doctor’s back. “I have heard of her. Another refugee from the worlds beyond yours.”

“Alright.” From his tone, the thought did little to ease Neighsay’s discomfort. “This other Twilight used a counterspell which reflected the memory-erasure spell back at Wallflower. She was hit full-force with the effects of her magic. I believe her memory to be completely destroyed.”

Dr. Twilight hissed a curse. “No. Not destroyed. Trapped in that little bauble she discovered in the garden.”

“I see.” Neighsay’s voice lost its nervous edge, replaced with curiosity. “So she might be restored?”

“Only with direct intervention from you.” The doctor leaned against a tree that had grown close to the wall. She stared at the moon as it hovered overhead. It was strange to see it unmarred, even all this time later. “I will send you the details. But—and I cannot stress this enough—your first priority should be to complete the mission. We need those fairy strings, Neighsay.”

“I’m well aware, doctor.” Neighsay’s words came slowly, hesitantly. He was, as always, unwilling to write checks he didn’t know for certain he could cash. “I feel the task will be far more difficult without the assistance of Wallflower’s… physical and magical prowess.”

“You will have to use your own wit and skills.” Dr. Twilight Sparkle gripped her phone tight. She was putting an awful lot of faith in this man. “Understand what this means for the future. For all mankind. You can’t rely on brute strength and memory-erasure for this one.”

“Pioneering has never been a safe, cozy endeavor.” Neighsay grumbled lightly, then spoke with slightly more clarity. “Very well. I shall inform you when the mission is a success.”

The call ended then and there. Dr. Twilight wiped the phone of evidence that the conversation had taken place. She tucked the phone in her robe’s pocket, shut her eyes, and leaned her back against the sturdy tree. She allowed a moment’s respite to ease her nerves. Perhaps they had not waited long enough to strike the second target. Perhaps they had gotten in over their heads. But… she was running out of time on her end, too. They needed three sets of fairy strings, or nothing would come of all they’d accomplished.

“That was an interesting conversation.”

The doctor’s eyes snapped open. They shimmered in the darkness as they sought out the speaker. He was easy enough to pick out, standing plain and unconcerned in the middle of the stone path. “Viscount Dulcimer.”

She didn’t move to show aggression, but she didn’t need to. Power gathered at the edges of her fingertips. She ran a hundred different spells through her mind. Some to incapacitate. Some to injure. Some to kill. She waited for him to speak before passing judgement, but there would be no regret for his passing should it come to that.

“Sorry to bother you, but I’ve been having trouble sleeping.” Viscount Dulcimer winked as he approached. “I suppose it’s excitement for the beginning of the new school year.”

Dr. Twilight lidded her gaze. “What do you want?”

“Knowledge and power in equal measure.” Dulcimer shrugged as he thrust his hands into his pockets. He turned his back to her to face the moon and the silver-soaked shore. “I suppose that’s what we’re all after, isn’t it?”

He smiled, turning his head to one side so that she could just see the edge of his expression. “I particularly liked the part about memory-erasure and untold strength. Will those be on the syllabus, or do I need to apply for an extracurricular activity?”

Dr. Twilight sneered. “What else did you hear?”

His smile grew into a grin. He raised his eyebrows and held his hands at his sides. “I heard you talk about how you’re doing something for the betterment of mankind, of course. Trust me, Twilight, I am in service to the crown. I’m very familiar with doing terrible things for the good of all.”

He paced at a leisurely rate, outwardly unconcerned with whatever the doctor was doing. “For instance, I know that right now, you’re deciding whether or not to kill me and let the sea swallow my lifeless corpse.” He chuckled. “I’d rather not. There’s no reason for us to confront each other. I can keep a secret even from the likes of Starlight Glimmer. Even—” He tapped the side of his nose. “—from the Prime Minister.”

The doctor crossed her arms and pursed her lips. “You are beholden to no one, then.”

“Far from it.” He presented her with a shallow bow. “I am loyal to those who deserve my loyalty. Neither Minister Fancy Pants nor Prince Blueblood have earned my fealty.” He looked up, still bent from his bow. “But you… teach me magic, my lady, and I shall follow you straight into Hell. Give mankind the ability to rise above its wretched state and I shall be by your side all the way. Murder people by the threes or the three-hundreds… I shall be there to pull the trigger.”

Dr. Twilight stepped forward, which forced him to stand upright. “These are not the words of a sane man.”

He scoffed, his hand over his heart. “I am sane by comparison.”

“Compared to what?”

“To the human condition!” Dulcimer laughed as he took a step closer to her. She did not back away. She didn’t dare to show any sign of weakness. “We have had this power buried right beneath our skin for as long as humanity has existed. It took your arrival to cast the scales from our eyes and help us reach our true potential! To usher in the next stage of evolution!” He lowered his head slightly, so that he could look her right in her glowing eyes. He quieted his voice. She could feel his breath on her face. “Future generations will adore you as the one to begin our ascension.”

She didn’t know whether to admire his conviction or despise his zeal. Truly he had magic potential. Verily he had a standard in his heart that flew higher than any flag. He could be useful… if properly handled. If he meant what he said, if he was able to keep such a secret, then he could become a great asset.

If he was not, then she would have to snuff him out like any other threat.

“So tell me,” he said, his smile hiding the depths of his schemes, “beyond sharing magic with the world, beyond saving us from our own meager existence, what is worth the price of the lives you have taken?”

Dr. Twilight Sparkle smiled in return. A more careful smile. Less outwardly friendly and reassuring than secretive and closed off. A smile that she knew said a thousand words to the perceptive viscount. But verbally, she only spoke one:

“Immortality.”

Wants and Needs

Twilight Sparkle undid her ponytail and let her hair sprawl down her back. She stood among the desks that occupied the main office of the Canterlot City Police Department, glancing to and fro, unsure of if she even had a destination. She spotted Party Favor and Night Glider seated at a table with Flash Sentry and Lemon Zest, muttering back and forth.

None of them were much more than acquaintances. Flash was slightly more known to her, being Shining’s longtime friend and fellow soldier, but even he’d only exchanged a few words with her. The four of them seemed to have a close-knit conversation going on. No need to try to break the mold.

Big Mac was outside with Applejack, talking with Shining Armor about… probably the struggle with Wallflower. Probably trying to unload the bombshell that had landed in his perception of the world. Even Shining Armor seemed shaken. Twilight had to admit that she was, too. Even if she had a good baseline for the power that magic provided, what Wallflower was able to accomplish was beyond what even Sunset had shared. Tearing steel and aluminum asunder with a single hand.

She understood what would cause them fear. But she wasn’t sure she had words for them. She wasn’t even sure she had words to comfort herself.

Sunset would know what to say.

Twilight slapped a hand over her face and immediately got fingerprints on her glasses. She took a cloth out of her shirt pocket and wiped them down. Robbed of accurate, clear eyesight, her sense of hearing took precedent. She heard herself talking not too far away. A quick deduction said it was not a recording, but a multiversal duplicate. The princess. She and Little Spike sat at a vacant desk, examining the bauble Wallflower had been wearing around her neck. The one reeking with Equestrian magic.

Moondancer would have loved to study it.

Twilight huffed as she put the glasses on her nose. She was going to be of no use to anyone if every thought of her absent friends sent her into a tizzy. She walked to where the princess was working, set her arms atop the computer monitor, and leaned her head in. When she spoke, her voice was low, so as not to travel. “So. Decided to spill the beans, huh?”

“Not all of them.” The princess used tongs to maneuver the trinket so that her skin didn’t come into contact with it. “I only explained where I come from, and that my world is likely the source of Wallflower Blush’s magic. Night Glider and Party Favor may have mentioned the school, but we have no clear connection.” She lowered a magnifying glass and met Twilight eye for eye. “I never mentioned Sunset. She, at least, gets to keep her anonymity. But if the police have no idea what we’re up against, more people could get seriously hurt.”

Twilight leaned her cheek on the ancient monitor. Its heat, mingled with the general lack of working air conditioning at the station, served to raise a sweat behind her ears. “Do you know what we’re up against?”

“Not exactly.” Princess Twilight tugged a strand of hair to her mouth and started chewing. “Spike and I looked into finding the Equestrian Wallflower—”

Little Spike raised the princess’ magic journal, open to the most recent page. “Recently moved to Our Town to practice gardening, quote, ‘in an environment suited to bringing out the best in everybody’s talents.’”

“—and of course, there’s no link between her and her double’s actions.” An uneven smile cracked the princess’ face in twain. “It’s almost like they’re completely different people living completely different lives in completely different worlds!”

Twilight nudged her glasses up. “Almost.”

“Very nearly so!” Princess Twilight waved at the magic doohickey. “This thing looks familiar, but without access to a library I’m buck outta luck. Up Shifty Creek without a paddle.” She picked up the tongs and gave the relic a prod. “I can see how it’s made. How it functions. It uses mind-altering magic on a very high level. It actively drains memories and contains them within its inner workings… like a cage. But a cage that gradually destroys what’s inside.”

Twilight stood upright, clawing the top of the monitor with a white-knuckled grip. “The memory loss could be permanent?”

“If we don’t open it up, yes.” Princess Twilight bit back a yawn and held a hand in front of her mouth. “’Scuze me. It has a spell process that takes the memories and, for lack of a better term, dissolves their magic and releases it as waste. I haven’t been able to deduce exact timing, but I’d say we have a couple of days at the most.”

Twilight Sparkle could have cracked the monitor if she didn’t let go. She clenched her fists and took a step back. “Can we break it open? Just let all the memories fly free?”

“Not an option. Not with how complex these workings are. The memories would be destroyed if their container collapsed.” The princess tapped the cover of the journal. “I have people working on this back in Equestria. Good people who know their stuff when it comes to magic artifacts. Once I have a counter spell, or a reverse switch, we’ll save Moondancer. I promise.”

Twilight crossed her arms. “Until then, we do nothing?”

“What can we do?” The princess shrugged. “Wallflower can’t be questioned. Princess Celestia is arriving tomorrow. We’ve already burned through all the information we currently have.” Princess Twilight leaned back in her chair. She went a little too far and lost her balance, arms pinwheeling. Twilight reached out and caught the chair in a vibrant shimmer of magic.

The princess kept her expression neutral as Twilight placed her upright. After a moment, she breathed a slight sigh of relief. “Thanks. That was embarrassing.”

“Maybe you need a nap,” Little Spike said. “Or, like, actual sleep, since it’s almost ten.”

“Or maybe I just need to sit in a chair that doesn’t wanna murder me.” The princess used the tongs to lower the artifact into a heavy bag. She leaned her elbows on the desk, her hands curled to approximate her natural hooves, and raised an eyebrow at Twilight. She gestured to a nearby office chair. “So… you’re coming along with your studies.”

Twilight took the offered chair and sat cross-legged. She used her sleeve to wipe sweat from her nose before rolling it further up her arm. “Sunset’s a great teacher. And… I suppose I’m a determined student.”

“I’m not going to obfuscate.” The princess shared a tiny smirk. “In the two years since you came to Equestria, you’ve made leaps and bounds in your capabilities. I’m darn sure I wouldn’t have been able to turn mind-altering magic back in my second year.”

“No…” Twilight pointed at the purple dog beside her. “You were just able to hatch a dragon egg during your entrance exam.”

Little Spike laughed lightly.

“Believe me,” Princess Twilight said, “it wasn’t due to skill or conscious thought. I was riding purely on instinct.”

“So was I.” Twilight picked up an empty manilla folder to fan her face. “You think I wanted to erase Wallflower’s memories? I was just as likely to punch her with magic and smoosh her body all over the sidewalk as anything else.”

“Right. That’s right.” The princess idly rapped her knuckles against the desk. She sent a glance at Little Spike before turning concerned eyes towards Twilight. “Self-control isn’t an easy thing to learn. I think that’s your next step. You’ve uncovered great power. You’ve explored amazing possibilities. Now, you’ve gotta get ahold of yourself.”

Twilight frowned as she looked into her duplicate’s eyes. “I’ve got plenty of self-control. I’m an adult. I don’t just go throwing tantrums everywhere I go.”

“Twilight…” The princess pressed her lips together for a moment. Twilight could practically see her thoughts assembling into organized rows. “There is a difference between self-control and self-suppression. With self-control, one can feel their emotions, acknowledge them, and then refuse to allow them to control their actions. With suppression, you refuse to feel your emotions, tell yourself you shouldn’t have them, and then let them build up pressure in secret.”

She held her hands out, palm up, towards Twilight. “When the pressure becomes too much, you burst, and people get hurt.”

Twilight let her lips curl. She pushed her glasses further up her nose. “You know me so well, huh?”

“No. I barely know you.” Princess Twilight allowed her hands to drop to her lap. “But I know myself. I know that I have had the same trouble. I’ve done some really messed-up things because I didn’t accept help for my problems. People have gotten hurt for sure, and it would have been much worse without my friends bailing me out.”

Twilight snorted. “The perfect Princess Twilight—?”

“I had an issue with mind-altering magic: the Want-It-Need-It spell. A dangerous thing in the hooves of somebody who doesn’t know what they’re doing. And even more dangerous with someone who does know.” The princess’ voice lowered to a near-whisper. “I’m not accusing you of anything. I’m not giving you any responsibility beyond what I’ve had to carry. I just want you to know that whatever problems you face, I’m someone you can talk to about it. Magic-related or otherwise. I’ve been there, too.”

Twilight didn’t doubt it. The princess had clearly seen and experienced much. The scar on her neck proved that, if nothing else. But still… There was something holding Twilight back. Something said she should remain closed off. Hidden. Out of the way. “Thank you… very much for the offer.”

Princess Twilight took a measured breath, gave her duplicate a tight smile and a nod, then turned her attention back to the computer. “In the meantime… data.”

“Yeah.” Twilight glanced at the screen. She already knew every piece of information the princess had written. It had been burned into her memory. “Data.”

Little Spike twisted his weight to swing his chair closer to the princess’. He raised his head over her back. “And everything said between you two remains in confidence. Dragon’s Honor.”

“I appreciate that.” Twilight unspooled her legs and rose, stretching her arms high. “Actually, we should probably head back to the Apples’. Make sure Sunny, Granny, and Bloom are okay.”

“I’m down for that,” Little Spike said.

“Yeah.” Princess Twilight rubbed her eyes with a curled hand. “Yeeeeah. It’s been a full day.”

Twilight moved towards Flash and the others to let them know they were leaving, and instead caught sight of Caution Tape leaving their table. She crossed her arms over her chest, but otherwise showed no outward hostility. He jerked a thumb over his shoulder. “Told ’em we’d send a police escort to bring them home and keep watch. Same goes for you and yours, Sparkle.”

“Probably a good idea.” Twilight bit her lower lip. “Did you hear anything from Moondancer?”

“No updates.” He shoved his hands in his pockets. “Same as b’fore.”

Twilight sighed. She eased herself to the side to give the princess and Little Spike room to maneuver. The bunch of them walked toward the exit and Shining Armor’s minivan, weary and frustrated.

***

“So,” Shining Armor said to the pale man in front of him. “Where’d you get moves like that?”

Commander Skyhook bobbed his head. His body was almost invisible in the low light of the evening. His eyes reflected just a little bit brighter in the lamp light around the Canterlot City Police Department than other people’s. “Princess Twilight travels here occasionally. As Ponyville’s Captain of the Guard, I’ve got to be able to protect her wherever she goes. I lead training sessions on this world every couple of months to keep the guards at an acceptable skill level.”

Big Mac came out of his trance-like stare into the darkness long enough to raise his voice. “Thought your rank was Commander.”

“Commander is a rank. Captain of the Guard is a noble title.” Skyhook let out a chuckle as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “See, my old CO Stonewall gets the same thing, except she’s a Centurion. People were always joking that her first name had to be Lieutenant to round out the impossible rank combination.”

“Centurion?” Shining’s lopsided grin offered a slight relief from the stress constantly permeating his neck. “Now there’s a rank that hasn’t been used around here for a couple thousand years.”

“Of course, a hundred soldiers is small potatoes to me.” Skyhook’s joviality faded ever-so-slightly when he looked at the moon overhead. His expression corrected itself in short order. “If I have anything to say about it, she’ll never live it down that I literally outrank her, even if I technically don’t.”

The door swung open, and Flash Sentry sauntered his way out. He gave Applejack a nod, and she returned it before turning back to her phone and the messages she was exchanging. Flash gave Shining a grin that said he was trying to make the best of things. “Speaking of ranks, I got your old job.”

“Really? Great job!” Shining Armor clapped a hand on Flash’s shoulder. “I had zero doubts, man.”

“It was pretty grueling work trying to fit your oversized shoes. But I managed.” Flash’s smile shrank to next to nothing. “You know I’ve gotta say it.”

Shining’s own smile turned down at the edge. “Yeah. Give it to me straight.”

“There’s still a spot for you on the squad.” Shining must have let something slip past his carefully-guarded expression, because Flash pressed the point. “Even Sunstreaker of all people misses you. We were a real machine under your command, Armor. The best of the best. Something’s missing without you.”

Shining gave Flash’s shoulder an extra squeeze. “You’re still the best without me.”

“That’s beside the point.” Flash Sentry tilted his head back as several people exited the police station at once. He took a step back from Shining on his way to meet them. “Point is, offer’s still on the table. We’re ready when you are.”

“I’ve got different priorities now, Flash.” Shining Armor’s neck stress returned in a wave. He watched as Flash, Flash’s fiancé, and the two owners of the Party Favor climbed into patrol cars to be led back home. He rubbed his face with a hand, letting out a long breath into his palm.

“You miss it too, huh?” Big Mac said. He was sitting on the steps leading up to the station entrance, his forearms on his knees. He looked at Shining from beneath a weighty brow. “Bein’ part of all that?”

Shining Armor stared after the retreating police cars. He placed his hands on his hips and shook his head. “Sometimes.”

Big Mac nodded after the retreating vehicles. “You ever gonna go back?”

“No,” Shining said without thinking. “Sunset and I decided we both wanna be here, in Canterlot City. We’re staying put and giving Sunny and ourselves the stability we never had as kids.”

He didn’t think. He couldn’t think. He wouldn’t dare think about it. Because he was afraid that he would be able to convince himself to change his mind.

He and Sunset were in unity. Of one mind on the subject. It was settled.

Big Mac stood and walked to the minivan as the Twilights approached. He gave Shining a friendly slap on the back. “You’re a good man, Shinin’.”

“Yeah…” Shining Armor muttered to himself as he pulled the keys from his pocket. “A good man.”

***

Twilight Sparkle sat on the couch in the living room. Granny and Apple Bloom had long ago retired to bed. Sunny was sleeping in Big Mac’s room. Princess Twilight had passed out in Applejack’s room, where Applejack herself was getting a good night’s sleep to prepare for work tomorrow. Skyhook was chatting with the police officer who was parked across the street, the both of them keeping watch.

The scratch of Little Spike’s pen could be heard in the kitchen, where he was writing back and forth to somebody in Equestria. He was using Princess Twilight’s magic journal, and his unseen pen pal was apparently using Princess Celestia’s. He laughed softly every so often, when he wasn’t giggling like a lovesick puppy.

Twilight went to the kitchen to get a glass of water. As she poured water into her cup, she thought to ask: “Who’s your friend?”

“Oh, uh—” Little Spike blushed a deep, dark purple. He rubbed the back of his head and laughed again for good measure. “The other Apple Bloom. We, uh… we’re kinda, um… We’re dating.”

“Oh!” Twilight’s head snapped around to look at him. “I didn’t know… dragon and ponies could… um…”

“We can’t, really. We’re still figuring that out.” He tapped his pen against his lips, then scribbled sweet nothings onto the page. “But I love her. No matter how far apart we are.”

Twilight breathed a sigh, glancing out the window into the darkness of near-midnight. “Distance isn’t always physical, huh?”

“Nah, but when it is, it’s really physical.” Little Spike leaned against the table, covering his words with his forelegs. “Something on your mind?”

“You mean besides the murder mystery, the secret school, and the memory mangling?”

“Well if you wanna put it that way—”

“It’s fine.” Twilight drank deep and then placed the cup in the dishwasher. “I think I’d rather just spend these few quiet hours soaking in the stillness of night. Let tomorrow worry about itself.”

“Fair enough. Don’t let me stop you.” Little Spike quietly resumed his near-instantaneous messaging, worlds away from the one he loved. “Good night, Twilight.”

“G’night, Spike.” Twilight went back to the living room couch. She flicked on the TV and perused the available options. The Apples didn’t have much in the way of available channels—public broadcast being the be-all-end-all—but they had a subscription to one streaming service. Twilight idly flipped through the available shows and movies until she settled on a film that she had seen dozens of times. Something to put on and not take up too much focus.

She put her feet on the couch, hugged her knees to her chest, and allowed her glasses to slip lower on her nose.

The rumble of Big Mac’s truck heralded his return, alongside Shining Armor. The two of them had gone for a late-night snack run for old time’s sake. Shining came in first and gave Twilight a gentle pat on the head. He muttered goodnight and headed upstairs to join his son in slumber.

Big Mac came in next, a bag in each arm. Most of what he’d bought found its way into the fridge, but he set a strawberry soda pop next to Little Spike. He then sat beside Twilight Sparkle and set two drinks on the coffee table in front of her. “Got you one of two things, dependin’ on your mood. I got you one of those Booyah energy drinks you like in case you wanna stay awake. Or, I got you a caffeine-free tea if’n you wanna relax some.”

“I’ll take the teas, if you please.” She stretched an arm out and he set the drink in her palm. The faint hint of raspberry felt good against her throat. “Thank you.”

“My pleasure.” Mac slurped what appeared to be a blue slush. He glanced up at the TV. “Darin’ Do?”

“And the Sapphire Stone.” She swirled the drink around in the glass bottle. “Just felt like something familiar.”

They watched in silence for a long while, allowing the familiar fight choreography and accompanying music to keep their attentions locked. Big Mac shifted, and Twilight could tell from his body language that he had something he wanted to say. Maybe he just didn’t know how to say it?

She didn’t know if she should pry.

“Until I get back my five thousand dollars,” Martial Paw said to Daring Do as his bar burned in the background, “you’re gonna get more than you bargained for! I’m your Go—”

“Twi?”

“—mn partner!”

Twilight looked up at the big man. That same expression returned; the one he’d had after witnessing Wallflower’s magic. Uncertainty. Fear. A hint of trepidation. He set his drink on the coffee table and leaned back in the couch. “Can we talk?”

Twilight lowered the movie volume a few notches, shifting the dialogue and orchestra to a mumble. She swiveled towards him, sitting cross-legged and sideways on the couch cushion. “What’s up?”

“I…” He took a soft breath. He rested his right arm on the back of the couch and twisted his torso to better face her. “Twilight, first of all, I want you to know that your magic is beautiful, and what you can do with it is beyond amazing.”

An ache entered Twilight’s heart, atop the negativity already overflowing its coffers. “But?”

“No.” Big Mac shook his head. “No buts about that.”

Twilight pursed her lips. “Buuuut?”

He let out a frustrated huff. “Twilight, I’ve always seen myself as a strong guy. I’ve always seen myself as bein’ able to handle everythin’ life throws at me. Ain’t always true. Needed your help to get through school, need Applejack’s help with farmwork, need Granny Smith for hundreds and hundreds of little things… An’ sometimes I feel like I need your help just to get from day to day. Somethin’ to look forward to… Somethin’ to get outta bed for.”

She felt a rosy glow touch her cheeks. She rested a hand on his, leaning her head against the back of the couch.

His eyes turned down to match his downcast expression as her fingers intertwined with his. “Today I felt helpless. There was nothin’ I could do against… that woman with the magic. I was at her mercy. Completely outmatched. Without you there, we woulda all been dead or near enough.”

His voice lowered until it was a hum in his chest. “I couldn’t do anythin’ to protect you. You had to do the heavy liftin’.”

“But I’m the one who’s been trained in magic.” Twilight Sparkle touched her free hand to his knee. “I’m the one who had the… I don’t know if you can call it knowledge, but the skill to stand up to her. It was my turn to keep you safe.” She smiled despite herself. “You do so much every day, isn’t it alright if I take care of this one little thing?”

“But it ain’t even one little thing.” Big Mac’s fingers pulled her much-smaller hand in until they were palm to palm. “There’s more than just the woman. We’re gonna be facing people just like her, an’ there’s nothin’ I can do about it.”

“It’s not your job to do anything about it.” Twilight pulled his arm gently from the back of the couch and held it close to her heart. “Even if you can’t be on the front lines, matching the enemy spell for spell, that’s not what we need you for. Mac, you’re the strongest person I’ve ever known. Kind, loyal, patient, honest, hardworking. How could I ask for more? You’re…” She dared to look in his gorgeous green eyes, cool and soothing, even if laced with pain. “You’re my safe-place, Mac. Not because you can beat up all the monsters, but because you invited me in. Where it’s warm. Where I can be myself. I…” Whatever was left of her smile fell from her face. Her hand trembled. “Can I be that for you, t-too?”

Big Mac stared at their linked hands. His expression returned to calm, collected normalcy little bit by little bit. “Of course, Twilight.”

She rose to her knees and wrapped her arms around his neck. He returned the embrace tenfold. They held each other in silence, with nothing but the muted murmur from the TV and Little Spike’s pen scratches to break the stillness.

“Also,” she whispered in his ear, “bring a gun next time. That’ll help a little.”

A single, unverbalized laugh shook his body. He pulled away and cupped her cheek with one hand. “Love you, Twi.”

“Love you, too, Mac.”

The two of them sat close beside each other on the couch, sipping their late-night drinks and watching Daring Do with the volume down low. Eventually, long after the two of them had drifted off to sleep, Little Spike covered them with a nearby blanket before heading for bed himself.

***

Shining Armor nudged the blinds aside to look across the street. He could see the cop car parked down the road, watching over them so they could all get a good night’s sleep. He could just make out Skyhook exiting the passenger’s seat and making his way to the farm. The Captain of Princess Twilight’s Guard would spend the evening patrolling the farm from every angle.

Shining remembered pulling all-nighters before. He remembered missions where he and his team were on their own, in the wilderness, with no time to stop and rest for days on end. Constantly in danger. Constantly ready for action.

It wasn’t even that long ago. Sunset and he had decided he would resign two years ago, and a year after that, he’d left the service. He’d come home to his wife and son. Some didn’t understand it, but his friends stood by him. Without the kidnapping scare, he might’ve never left. He might’ve continued on until retirement.

But neither he nor Sunset would have been able to forgive themselves if something happened again.

So they agreed to stay home.

But now he was at home, and she was the one doing great things overseas. He couldn’t help but think about it that way. He didn’t even know if he had that right, or if he was just being selfish. He rubbed his eyes as weariness gnawed at his muscles. Maybe he should mention it to Sunset. Get the feelings on the table in plain view.

Maybe mentioning it would just put undue stress on her when she already had so much to think about.

He chided himself. Wasn’t that the point of marriage? To carry each other’s burdens and thus make them easier to bear? To trust another person so completely that you could bare your entire soul? To have one person you could remove every barrier in the presence of?

He wasn’t ultimately sure.

She probably didn’t want to stay at the school for good. She’d mentioned as much before leaving. Sure, her dream was to learn and teach about magic to anyone who would listen. But his dream had been to be one of the protectors of their country. They’d both mellowed.

Hadn’t they?

“Mommy?”

Shining turned at the sound of his son’s voice. Sunny stirred beneath his super-hero sleeping bag they’d brought from home. Tears poured down the boy’s face as he called for his mother again. Shining moved away from the window and knelt at Sunny’s side.

He rubbed the boy’s forehead. “Daddy’s here, Sunny.”

“I want Mommy.”

“Yeah,” Shining sighed. “Me, too.”

He sat on the floor and rubbed the young boy’s hair. Four years old and so full of life and personality. So sure of what he wanted and how he should get it. “Mommy’s still at the new school. She’ll come home soon. But until then, we get to hang out. Just the two—” He was about to say “the two of us,” but circumstances made that a lie. “—we get to hang out with everybody at Granny Smith’s house.”

“But I want Mommy now.”

“I know.” Shining Armor yawned. He reached down and lifted Sunny in his arms. Sunny was a bit too big to carry around as much, but Shining was a strong man. He held his son tight as an stroke of genius sparked in his mind. “We’re gonna call Mommy every night until she comes home. And… I have an idea.”

“What?”

“When Mommy gets home, why don’t we have a present waiting for her?” Shining smiled at Sunny as the boy’s eyes lost their sorrow and gained a hint of curiosity. “Something special to show her how much we love her? Doesn’t that sound nice?”

“Yeah.”

“So let’s think about what to get her.” He rocked Sunny gently. Even after just a moment, he could see the boy’s eyes grow heavier. “What does she like more than anything else in the world?”

“Um…” The wheels spun in Sunny’s head. “Um…”

Shining wriggled a finger in Sunny’s armpit. “She loves you.”

Sunny shook and laughed, pushing his dad’s hand away. “She loves you, too!”

“That’s right.” Shining smiled wide. Of course she did. What did he have to worry about? “What else?”

“Magic!” Sunny’s little hand was dwarfed by Shining’s, only able to wrap around two of his father’s fingers. “She really likes magic! She’s gonna teach me when I get big enough.”

Sunny was stopped by a sudden yawn. With one hand around Shining’s index and middle fingers, and the other grasping his thumb, his face took on a serious mood. “Are you gonna learn magic, Daddy?”

Shining allowed his son to manipulate and puppet his hand around. He rocked the boy with his other hand, musing on his words. “I don’t know. Probably not.”

Sunny’s brow furrowed. “Why not?”

“I don’t even know if I can.” Shining Armor shrugged. “Maybe Mommy will teach me a little when she comes home.”

Sunny blinked rapidly. The little guy was barely holding on. “That’d… be… cool…”

Shining kissed his forehead and laid him back on the sleep mat. He tucked the sleeping bag around him. “I love you, Sunny.”

“Love you… Daddy…”

Shining Armor looked around the dark room. It was well past midnight. Big Mac hadn’t followed him upstairs. He probably wasn’t coming up at all, content to snooze in Granny Smith’s chair or the couch.

He sighed, pulled off his shirt, and lay down on his own sleep mat. Tomorrow had enough cares of its own. He’d learned early on how to get a good night’s sleep even when the world didn’t make sense.

Another glance at the clock brought his thoughts back to Sunset. She’d be waking up right about now, in her place on the other side of the world.

Shoot. She still needed to be informed about what had happened that night. Now that there was going to be a tense conversation.

But that, like most thoughts that happen just before one succumbs to unconsciousness, would have to wait.

The First Light of Morning

Sunset Shimmer rose before the sunrise. She took the chance to get showered and dressed before almost anybody else even stirred. The night hadn’t been long enough, but a little caffeine would help offset the jetlag. She couldn’t help but be jittery. Excited. Today was what Starlight and Dr. Sparkle had called the “Awakening.” The time when new students would discover their connection to magic in a real way for the first time.

It wasn’t something Sunset remembered experiencing. Her first memories were of learning simple spells with her grandparents. Too soon after, the memories morphed into those made while wandering the streets of Fillydelphia, an urchin with no guardians to speak of. Stealing to survive. She’d never learned the names of her parents or grandparents. She’d never even learned her birth name. Celestia found her and gave her a home and identity.

Both of which she cast aside in the throes of pride and rebellion.

She breathed in the cool morning air, closing her eyes in the first light of dawn. “Don’t worry, Sunny. You’ll never have to know that sort of pain.”

The breath ended in a surprise yawn covered by a hasty hand. When she lowered her arm, she caught sight of the doctor mirroring her movements. The Twilight from the Reflection stumbled her way towards the dining hall, rubbing her glowing eyes with a curled hand. Sunset took the opportunity to catch up to her.

“Good morning, Doctor.”

“Good morning, Sunset. Just Twilight is fine.” Dr. Sparkle glanced at her newfound companion. Sunset could see prominent bags beneath her eyes. “Even the students don’t bother with the title most of the time.”

Sunset nodded, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear. “Is that a full MagD degree?”

“From Sombra’s School for Extraordinary Foals, yes.” The doctor was dressed in a simple button-up shirt and jeans combo, much like Sunset’s Twilight Sparkle would wear. The resemblance was, now more than ever, extremely uncanny. “That school was my life… for most of my life.”

“Same here.” Sunset gave her a lopsided grin. “Short night?”

“Unfortunately… sleep doesn’t come easy to me.” Dr. Twilight chuffed. She waved a hand vaguely towards the food counter. “A bottle of OJ and I’ll be right as rain.”

“Twilight! Sunset!” Starlight Glimmer waved from her seat beside Double Diamond. “Bring your food over here! We’ve got a big day ahead of us!”

“I’d recommend a lot of protein for the day,” Dr. Sparkle said. “Especially if somebody’s Awakening is powerful enough to require teacher intervention. We have vegetarian options if you need them.”

“Not especially.” Sunset felt a touch of heat warm her cheeks. “I fell in love with cheeseburgers about a month after coming here.”

“Fair’s fair for an omnivore.” The doctor passed her a tray, loading her own with a bowl of fruity oatmeal. “In that case, Sugar Belle’s making sausage skillets today. She tells me they come highly recommended.”

“I’ll look into it.” Sunset did just that, greeting the sunny-dispositioned Sugar Belle and receiving a hefty helping of sausage and eggs. She caught up with the doctor soon after, whose own disposition was brightening visibly with each sip of her orange juice.

Once she’d taken her seat, Starlight leaned in over her plate of eggs. “We’ve only got three students Awakening today. Celestia, Truffle Shuffle, and—” She pulled a face. “—Dulcimer. Sombra’s agreed to assist Celestia, and he’s got the chops to pull it off. I’d appreciate it, Twilight, if you would handle Dulcimer’s, if only so I don’t get the urge to twist his ears off. That leaves you with Truffle, Double Dee.”

Dr. Sparkle swallowed a bite of her oatmeal before replying. “Have you perfected the failsafe spell? If not, then you’ll want me observing.”

“I think I’ve got a good handle on it.”

“Failsafe?” Sunset Shimmer gave Dr. Twilight a wide-eyed stare. “That’s a really high-level spell. You got it to work in this world?”

“It takes a lot of concentration.” The doctor rolled her spoon between her fingers, her eyes turning upward in thought. “The emotion required is just short of sheer panic. We’ve only needed to use it a couple of times during Awakenings. Sometimes, the event acts much like a magic spike you see in developing foals. The dam breaks, and magic rushes forth. People usually don’t have enough magic that it’s a problem—”

“But you shoulda seen Sombra’s Awakening,” Double Diamond chuckled. “Crystals everywhere. It took a week to get the school opened back up.”

Sunset frowned as she turned to Starlight. “Um, there’s something you might wanna know about Celestia…”

“I don’t think it’ll be a problem.” Dr. Twilight gave Sunset a small, if confident, smile. “In your world and mine, she is certainly an alicorn. But in this world, she is an unremarkable schoolmarm. Middle-aged and appearing to lack in any sort of magic talent.”

“Unremarkable?” Sunset snorted. “You clearly don’t know Celestia.”

“Be that as it may—” Dr. Sparkle tapped her spoon against her bowl, her eyes taking on the faintest hint of a glower. “—I have a talent for reading other peoples’ magical giftings. She does not have the depths of potential our brightest students have, nor does she seem to have much connection to this world’s faint ambient magic. I suspect she will be one of the slower-progressing students, if she attempts to pursue the field at all.”

“Oh, come on, Twilight.” Sunset noted herself taking on a slightly harsher tone than intended. With her next words, she forcibly put a little more effort into politeness. “You of all people should know that talent isn’t worth much without perseverance. Celestia’s not the type to give up.”

Starlight clapped her hands once in an effort to put a period on their digression. “Well, in the end, it’s up to her to decide. Sunset, I would like you to observe as well. This is…” Her smile grew bright and contagious, genuine excitement building in her voice. “This is without a doubt one of the most exciting things we accomplish here at the magic school. To give people their first taste of real magic is such a gift, to us as well as the students. Real, tangible power. This is what helps remind people of what living really feels like, absent from the idiocy and fear of what people call the ‘real world.’ This is the realest real world, Sunset.”

Sunset kept her face neutral, though she thought Starlight’s words seemed a bit… much. Magic wasn’t a denial of reality, it was simply part of it. “An escape?”

“A rescue.” Starlight grinned at Sunset, wagging an index finger. “I see the doubt in your eyes, but I truly feel that we can change the world for the better here. One person at a time.”

Dr. Sparkle laughed lightly. “She’s right, you know. Starlight can be a little extreme—”

Sunset nearly choked on her eggs.

“—but sometimes it takes someone extreme to make real change.” She stirred her oatmeal, a faint spark in her eye. “I just want a world where people don’t have to trudge through the murk. I want a world where they can stand with their heads held high. Where life isn’t just a series of painful accidents.”

Sunset stewed on that thought for a while. Her life had been one long string of accidents and bad choices. It seemed she couldn’t even commentate on what this Twilight Sparkle said without knowing her situation. Aside from that, how could she say anything without completely understanding her own situation? She could definitely relate. Abandoning Equestria, causing her foster sister Scootaloo to be bullied, briefly becoming a demonic human-alicorn, nearly losing her son to an insane siren…

Sunny.

For some reason, Sunny stood out in her mind. The child she and Shining hadn’t planned on. The one who had changed their lives. “Not all accidents are painful.”

Dr. Twilight Sparkle looked up from her oatmeal. “Beg pardon?”

“Nothing, sorry. Just musing to myself.” Sunset finished chewing a chunk of sausage before continuing. “I’ve made plenty of mistakes in my time. Most of them terrible.” She shrugged. “But not all of them.”

Double Diamond raised an inquisitive, doubtful eyebrow. “Never heard of a positive mistake before.”

“You’ve never met my friends.”

Starlight Glimmer folded her napkin and stood, lifting her tray in the process. “As tantalizing as that hinted backstory was, we’ve got a school to run. I’ll get to work setting up the courtyard. Double Dee, you know what to do. Twilight, help Sunset get settled in.”

Dr. Twilight’s fingernails shone with magic. Her tray and Sunset’s glided across the room, first dumping their garbage, then finding their way to a sink. “By your leave, my liege.”

“Don’t get cute.” Starlight’s smile and wrinkled nose said that her true thoughts were very different from her spoken words. With a wink at Sunset, she said “Today’s gonna be amazing. Trust me.”

Sunset walked side-by-side with the doctor. Bit by bit, more students entered the mess hall as the teachers made their way out. Sunset greeted familiar faces with a hello, and unfamiliar faces with a smile.

“So…” Sunset leaned her head close to the doctor’s. “You gonna teach me how the failsafe spell works?”

“I can show you how it works.” With a raised hand, Dr. Twilight summoned a series of floating, luminous symbols without breaking stride. “The idea of the spell is the same as it is in Equestria. Designed to break apart other spells to their individual components, rendering them harmless. The process is similar, though the charge-up time is longer, due to the lack of ambient magic. It’s the emotion that was the most difficult part of the breakthrough.” Dr. Sparkle furrowed her brow, rubbing her chin with a cupped hand. “You have to push past the intense concern of Equestria to something much more frantic. It only truly goes off correctly if you manipulate yourself into a very desperate mental state.”

“Sounds…” Sunset winced. “Traumatic.”

“High-level spells have always taken a toll on the user.” Before long, Sunset realized that Dr. Twilight was taking her to the lab where they’d first met. They climbed the stairs quickly, the doctor leading the way. “Teleportation, transmogrification, sustainable shields, mass illusions… One requires a strong body and a stronger mind to be adept with them. The climb just gets steeper in this world.” She flashed a glance over her shoulder to Sunset. “I wouldn’t even have shown you if I didn’t know you were a master wizard in your Equestria.”

Master wizard dropout, but the thought was nice. “Have you attempted any of the other high-level spells?”

They reached the top of the stairs and headed towards the rear of the building. Dr. Twilight kept a hand on the railing. “I’ve always been a prodigy when it comes to illusions. Those come pretty easy for me. Transmogrification and teleportation are way, way beyond my current expertise.” A sadness enveloped her for the briefest moment before she brushed it aside with a breath. “Powerful shields have always run in the family. My brother taught me everything I know.”

Sunset Shimmer pressed her lips tight. She thought to speak, thought better of it, then spoke anyway. How could she and Twilight grow closer if she didn’t open up as well? “Shining Armor?”

Dr. Twilight Sparkle paused before the door to the lab. She lowered her head and cupped her hands, intertwining her fingers. “Will you tell me how you know that name?”

Sunset felt her heart sink at the sight. Dr. Twilight’s face came into view as she half-turned towards Sunset, revealing something between heartbreak and resignation. A sense of being half-dead. She’d lost something, and Sunset had a good idea as to what.

“I’m his wife” came to mind. “He’s the father of my child” was also considered. Before she jumped that deep into it, she thought to start relatively small. “He’s a public figure in my Equestria. He was once Canterlot’s Captain of the Guard. Now, he’s the Prince of the Crystal Empire.”

This Twilight remained silent for a moment, apparently waiting for her to continue. When Sunset hesitated too long, she filled the silence. “Do you know any of his family?”

“You might say that.” Sunset brushed a lock of hair behind her ear. “Shining didn’t come to power until I’d already left, but his mom was Captain of the Guard when I was Celestia’s student. I always liked Missus Velvet. Real no-nonsense, but still warm-hearted type.”

Intelligence sparkled in Dr. Twilight’s eyes, belying her frown. “You must know what my next question is.”

“I… yeah. Yeah, I do. Twilight.” Sunset twisted the toe of her shoe against the floor, wondering if it was the right moment to be sharing this information. They were about to enter into a huge part of the school’s operation. Distraction couldn’t be good. “It shouldn’t really surprise you that after I abandoned Equestria, she became Celestia’s only personal student.”

Dr. Twilight bobbed her head. She twisted the door handle and pushed her way in. “So you have kept tabs on your home world.”

“Yes?” Sunset followed her in. Dr. Twilight went right to the desk and collected a pile of papers. Apparently notes she’d taken of the new arrivals, since she saw the names of Truffle Shuffle, Celestia, and Hammer Dulcimer at the tops of the sheets. “Every thirty moons, the walls between our worlds fall away, and we can walk through unhindered at a specific location.” Sunset spread her arms out, turning her head to the ceiling with an exasperated huff. “At least we could until somebody stole the mirror on the Equestrian side. Now it’s sealed off until the relic is recovered.”

“So you have another form of communication with them?”

Sunset’s eyes snapped to the doctor. Had she overshared? Under-shared? The topic was certainly interesting, but if she didn’t miss her guess, Twilight seemed to be zeroing in on one aspect specifically.

“You have to, in order to know what’s going on right now.” Dr. Twilight slid the pages into a manilla folder and tucked it under her arm. “Do you have a way to transfer messages? Or some other communication method?”

Sunset decided to play it cool. She crossed her arms and smiled. “You thinking you wanna visit?”

It was unnerving how much Dr. Twilight’s eyes and her mouth told very different stories about the doctor’s mood. Two different expressions; two different mindsets. The smile was friendly, but it didn’t reach her eyes. It never reached her eyes.

The eyes were endlessly sad. Endlessly cloudy with anger.

“Yes, someday.” Dr. Sparkle waved for Sunset to follow her back to the ground floor. “Everything I’ve heard about your world is wonderful.”

“Oh, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows.” Sunset cracked a grin she didn’t quite feel. The false congeniality in the air was almost overwhelming. “They have their fair share of problems.”

“You should tell me about it sometime.” Dr. Twilight nodded—half to Sunset, half to herself. “When we’re not tied down with schoolwork.”

When they reached the ground floor once again, most of the students had already turned out and were seated or standing along the edges of the indoor courtyard. Sunset waved to Celestia, who had been given a chair in the center of the room alongside Viscount Dulcimer and a newcomer Sunset had briefly seen on the boat ride to the island. Starlight motioned for the teachers, Sunset included, to gather near the entrance doors of the old warehouse.

Starlight took a single step forward and addressed the assembly. “Ladies and gentlemen, the time has come once more to invite new students into the school. These three people are about to experience the most amazing, wonderful thing any of us have ever known for the first time. Because of the awesome power soon to be unleashed, I would like to remind our students to please stay back while the newcomers come to grips with their newfound magic. Trust the teachers to take care of it.”

She smiled at Celestia and Truffle, while pointedly ignoring Dulcimer. “The three of you are about to embark on a journey into mystery. To find your own sense of purpose where society has failed to grant you one. To be more than you ever thought possible. Prepare for your Awakening.”

As Dr. Sombra, Double Diamond, and Dr. Twilight Sparkle stepped forward, Sunset couldn’t shake the niggling feeling that it all felt a little ostentatious for something that she saw as a completely natural, borderline mundane thing. Well, as mundane as magic could ever actually be. Listening to Starlight talk was basically broadcasting Sunset’s internal thoughts about magic… But hearing them spoken out loud, Sunset felt just a little silly.

It was probably just nerves, she told herself. With nothing else for it, she decided to stop overanalyzing things and just enjoy the show.

***

Sombra sat across from Celestia, his face like a statue carved from stone, reeking seriousness. “Are you sure you want to go through with this?”

Celestia laughed nervously. She swiveled her bracelet around her wrist, cutting off a little blood flow as she tightened her grip. “W—well, I thought so. Is there something I don’t know?”

“Just that once you know your own magic, there’s no going back. You’ll never be the same again.” He reached over and took her hands in his. “It’s not a bad thing, no, but it is a vast change. An immediate difference. Are you ready?”

Celestia closed her eyes and took in a deep, steadying breath. She tried to force her limbs to stop trembling, but soon found it to be a fool’s errand. “Yeah. I think so.”

***

Hammer Dulcimer’s eyes brightened when Dr. Twilight took the seat across from him. “Well, well, well, the doctor herself. I almost expected Professor Glimmer to be saddled with my Awakening. You’re looking lovely as always.”

Dr. Twilight sighed through her nose, lightly enough that most people couldn’t see it. However, she figured Dulcimer was just perceptive enough to catch it. “Very few people have an understanding of what you’re about to experience. You’re about to touch upon a part of yourself that has been locked away by this world. Hidden from all but the most astute. It is not something to be taken lightly.”

“I assure you, Doctor,” Dulcimer said, leaning in, “I understand the weight of the situation. It has long been a dream of mine to wield magic, just as it has long been a dream of mine to meet you.”

Dr. Sparkle’s mouth lowered at the corners. “Yes, your clandestine inside information. I’ll admit to being curious about that.”

“It’s more than a job, Doctor.” Dulcimer smiled with a shrug. “It’s a… passion. You’re about to change my life for the better.”

With the feeling that she was about to uncage a tiger, Dr. Twilight Sparkle glanced at Sombra and Double Diamond. Celestia’s Awakening was already underway, and Truffle was full of questions for Diamond. No time like the present. “The first thing you need to do is focus very closely on your heartbeat.”

“Take my pulse?”

“If it helps.” As Dulcimer put his fingers to his wrist, Dr. Twilight sent magic running through her fingertips. “You’ve been here a day, now. You’ve seen some of the classes, you observed the students. If you had never seen magic before coming here, you would now know what it looks like. What it feels like. Do you believe you know it?”

Dulcimer nodded slowly. His normally smiling face took on a more introspective look. “Yes. I believe I do.”

Both of Dr. Twilight’s hands shone with luminous purple. “I am going to charge the air around you with ambient magic. As your heart-rate picks up, I want you to feel that magic, then look within yourself. The more your heart pounds, the more your body is manufacturing its own magic. When it seems its reached it boiling point, I want you to allow it to come out.”

“Allow it?”

“If you push it, you could hurt yourself.” Dr. Twilight closed her eyes and directed her magic. It was not quite ambient, unlike what the other teachers were doing. She was searching his depths even as she guided him upwards. Judging his magic and what might come of it. “Just let it flow. To your hands, to your legs, to whatever part of yourself seems natural. We can work from there.”

There was a strange shape to his magic. Unlike any of the other students. Most of them she could categorize into having the basic abilities of an earth pony, pegasus, or unicorn. Some variation was seen, such as Chrysalis, who very much had the abilities of a changeling. No surprise there. His, though… He had the power of a unicorn, but a talent for something only the most powerful mages and wizards could even attempt.

She opened her eyes. He was breathing heavily. A faint shimmer of magic twinkled from his eyes. His hands trembled as he pressed his fingers against his wrist far harder than was necessary.

“Magic is power incarnate. It is the soul given form.” Dr. Sparkle touched his hand. He nearly flinched away, but all that came of it was a wince. “Do you have the self-control to hold yourself back?”

There, on his fingernails… a spark. As green and brilliant as his eyes. Like flaking snow, first a few, then a flurry danced from his hands. He stared at the miniscule motes of magic with his mouth agape. Dr. Sparkle allowed herself a sense of satisfaction; the Awakening was nearly complete.

In the next moment, though, something changed.

Lightning arced between his fingers. He was attempting to cast a spell before even understanding the mechanics. Anger flashed through Dr. Twilight. “No,” she said. “You have to let the magic flow for now. If you try to push it, you could hurt yourself and those around you.”

She sent a glance to Starlight, who rolled her eyes and began to conjure up the required components to cast the failsafe spell. She wouldn’t actually unleash it until the situation got out of hand, but Dr. Twilight didn’t want to take a chance.

Still, Dulcimer poured magic into his spell. Power flashed between his fingertips as the last of his confidence drained from his face. “T-Twilight…”

“You have to gain control, Dulcimer.” Dr. Twilight grabbed his hands at the wrists. The magic of his spell ran up and down her arms, but didn’t hurt her. It was evidently not a damaging spell, but without knowing exactly what it would do, she didn’t know how to counter it. “Slow your heartbeat. Resist the urge to push it. You have years ahead to learn how to understand magic. Take a breath, and—”

“Stop.” The space between Dulcimer’s hands flashed, and all was still.

Dr. Twilight released him. He slumped over in the chair, but retained the strength to stay seated.

His heavy breathing continued. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry, I couldn’t… I couldn’t stop.” Tears poured down his cheeks. “It was everything I ever wanted.”

It didn’t make sense to Dr. Twilight. The flash hadn’t been the failsafe spell; that would have enveloped the whole room in Starlight’s magic. She glanced at Starlight to see her still in the middle of casting.

Starlight was barely moving.

Dr. Twilight watched for a moment, only to find that Starlight’s actions had moved to a crawl, her embers of magic nearly frozen in midair. The doctor looked around, her head on a swivel. Celestia and Sombra were much the same, their ambient magic a hazy cloud surrounding them. The other students appeared almost completely frozen, including one man who was in mid-stride.

Only the slightest of movements were visible.

She knew that Hammer Dulcimer’s specialty lay with time magic, but to see it used to this effect, this soon after his Awakening?

“I couldn’t stop,” he whispered. “I had to know.”

Dr. Twilight glared at him, her fist clenched. “How did you do this? This is a spell even my teacher wouldn’t have been able to cast. How do you know it?”

Dulcimer shook his head. He smiled to himself. “My grandmother wrote it. Dozens of years ago. She met a strange, elderly traveler who taught her magic before passing away. She could never figure out how to unlock her own magic… but she understood the science of it.” He rubbed his face before gazing wide-eyed around the courtyard. “I had to know… that she wasn’t crazy.”

“Are you crazy?” she snapped. “You could have killed everybody with that stunt!”

Dulcimer pointed at Starlight. “I thought that’s what she was here for.”

“She’s backup!” Dr. Twilight stood up, pushing her chair back with the force. The chair’s fall slowed to a crawl the instant she was no longer in contact with it. “You were literally playing with forces you didn’t understand.”

“If I didn’t understand them,” he said, “how could I have cast the spell?”

She sneered. “Dumb luck?”

He grinned. He unbuttoned his collar and flapped his shirt to cool himself down. “I was prepared, Twilight Sparkle. I had spent years studying that spell. Attempting it myself. When I heard about your school, I thought it might be my chance. My chance to see that life is more than all this.” He waved his hands along the length of his body. “Politics, underhanded dealings, none of it matters because magic is real. I don’t care who sits on the throne, or what the Prime Minister is spewing this week, or any of it.”

He stood up, rising a head taller than her. His grin faded away, replaced with seriousness. “Flattery doesn’t have much of an effect on you, does it?”

Rather than speak, Dr. Twilight crossed her arms.

“Then let me be candid. Fancy Pants wants to shut the whole operation down. Not because Starlight is an anti-monarchist, but because she has real, tangible power.” He slid his hands into his pockets. “I want this place to be open. Not because I want to spread magic and harmony, but because you need this place in order to study magic. To make it more real every day.”

“I don’t need your help.”

“Can you stop a bullet?” Dulcimer raised an eyebrow. “Or a hail of bullets? All that needs to happen is for Fancy Pants to declare this a rebellion in order to make the place a target.” He glanced around at the building. “I’m here for me, and I’m here for you. And that’s enough for me. I’ll do whatever you ask.”

Whatever she asked? He knew so much and was still so clueless. “You can’t possibly know what you’re promising.”

“What could be worse than murder?” He let out a small bark of laughter. “Think of me what you will, but I’ll always be grateful for your teaching.”

“If you want to be a help and not a hinderance, do us all a favor and stay in line.” She jabbed his chest with a firm index finger. “No more stunts. No more dangerous spells without proper conditioning. Are we clear?”

“Absolutely, Twilight.” He pressed his lips together, his brow furrowing. “May I ask how you were able to join me in the spell? It’s only built for one person.”

“End the spell. I can tell it’s draining your reserves.” Dr. Sparkle righted her chair with a glimmer of magic and sat across from him. She gestured for him to take his seat. “We’ll have time to talk later.”

***

Sunset breathed a sigh of relief when the spell building up around Dulcimer flashed and fizzled without effect, except that both his and Dr. Twilight’s chairs scraped a few inches back. Starlight allowed the failsafe spell to die down, uncast. She sent a slightly irritated look Sunset’s way before she continued to observe.

Sunset joined her. A golden glow of magic came from Celestia’s hands, coaxed forth by Sombra’s coaching. She had to admit, she was expecting more from the human equivalent to the most magical alicorn in Equestria… but she remined herself that they were different people. With different skills, aptitudes, and physiology. Princess Celestia was a thousand years old and more, while Principal Celestia was a scant fifty-odd years young. One was ruler of a nation, one was the caretaker of several generations of education.

They wouldn’t have been comparable if they didn’t share a name and voice.

Yet Sunset almost couldn’t help but compare.

She seemed to have the capacity of a young unicorn foal who had never practiced magic. It made sense, of course, but it still boggled Sunset’s mind. Even Truffle Shuffle, a pony who made his living as a secretary back in Equestria, seemed to have magic enough to completely outclass her here.

It was confusing. Enlightening, certainly. Beautiful, of course. But also confusing.

But then she saw Celestia’s face, and she felt she understood a little more. Celestia was beaming. Shimmering like the sun her counterpart raised. The meager magic she had danced between her and Sombra, guided by his hand and hers. She was laughing, and crying, and experiencing something she once thought impossible.

For someone so versed in the magic of friendship to finally see it made manifest… Yeah, Sunset thought, this was what it was all for. This was what made all the hard work and pain worth it. The simple discovery of magic, with the promise of so much more to come.

All of her doubts about the school aside; all of her misgivings about its leadership and location; all the worry surrounding her financial situation; all the fear for Twilight Sparkle’s accusations… It felt a little more manageable here in the midst of so much magic. Seeing joy alight faces, lives changed for the better, and hopes come alive. Regardless of anything else, there was magic here.

And if Sunset Shimmer knew one thing for sure, it was that magic was awesome.

“Looks like they’re wrapping up.” Starlight Glimmer smiled at Sunset, her hands on her hips. “Seems like you saw something you liked.”

“Yeah…” Sunset nodded, a weight leaving her chest. “I think I did.”

***

“Gooooal!” Starlight spun in her office chair, her arms waving in the air. “Two points for team Starlight!”

Dr. Twilight Sparkle sat in the other chair in Starlight’s office, sipping a soda pop through a straw. Her smile might have been sardonic, if there wasn’t a slight playfulness to it. “Somebody’s happy. Did Prince Blueblood put in his letter of resignation?”

“Abdication, Twi.” Starlight paused in her gyrations enough to wag a finger at the doctor. “Not as great as that would be, but close! It looks to me like Sunset Shimmer’s buying in to our ideals. I knew the Awakening would be important, and it looks like it touched her heart. Mission—” She pumped a fist. “Complete!”

“Step one complete,” Dr. Twilight said. “She’s still got a whole life back in Libertas. Not only that, but she’s been uprooted at least one other time in her life. She’s not ready to hop aboard the next plane to collect her family and property and bring them here.”

“Yes, but it’s an important first step.” Starlight sighed as she stretched out, balanced precariously on her chair as it inched along the floor. “Can you just imagine? Two former dwellers of magical lands as teachers in this school? It boggles the mind.”

“It’s unprecedented, I’ll give you that.” Dr. Twilight moved the straw around in her cup to get past the wall of ice to the beverage below. “I don’t know that she’s the be-all-end-all teacher, though.”

“What makes you say that?”

“She’s been out of practice for the better part of ten years. She said so herself.” Dr. Twilight frowned as the drink vanished down the straw, resulting in a brief, loud slurping sound. “Sorry. Until she gets caught up, she’ll be as much a student as she is a teacher.”

“But she understands the mechanics of it. That’s huge.” Starlight’s feet clomped against the floor as she leaned upright. “How many people come to the school with that much foreknowledge?”

“You…” The doctor stirred her ice, waiting for it to melt into something she could resume drinking “Have a point.”

A knock on the door interrupted further comment. Chrysalis poked her head in, her thin hair wafting around her face. “’Scuze me, Teach. Got a report for the doc.”

Dr. Twilight reached out and took a bundle of pages, glanced at them briefly, then tucked them away in her folder. “Thank you, Chrysalis.”

“No prob.” Chrysalis gave them a noncommittal wave before exiting the office.

Starlight glanced at the folder. “Extra-curricular project?”

“Not so much.” Dr. Sparkle briefly patted the report before continuing to stir. “Chrysalis asked for more personal instruction on spell-weaving.”

“Cool. I think she needs it.” Starlight checked the clock, found she had a few minutes before her next class, and pulled a hard candy from the jar. “I can tell she’s got potential for something, but for the life of me I’ve got no clue what. Have you seen her do anything besides basic levitation?”

“No.”

“Dang.” Starlight bit down on the candy and held another towards Dr. Twilight. “Want one?”

“No thanks.” The doctor smiled. “Don’t wanna spoil supper.”

“Fair enough.” Starlight made way for the door. She paused just before she touched the handle. “You see it too, right? Chrysalis’ potential? It’s not just me?”

“Yeah, don’t worry.” Dr. Twilight also stood, tucking her folder out of sight beneath her arm. “She’s got depths even she isn’t aware of. She just needs the proper instruction. Which we’re giving her.”

“Right, right.” Starlight gave Dr. Sparkle a brief hug, which the doctor returned with her free arm. “Honestly, Twi… I don’t know what I’d do without you. Thank you.”

Dr. Twilight Sparkle blinked, pulling away from Starlight and nodding. She gestured to the door. “Shall we?”

The two of them went their separate ways, each headed to a class.

***

Dr. Twilight Sparkle peered at the “report” Chrysalis had prepared. It was a list of names, coupled with a series of email addresses, home addresses, and phone numbers. Information pulled from Sunset Shimmer’s phone and laptop. She skimmed the list, her breath held for what she might find.

Applejack

Apple Bloom

Granny Smith

Shining Armor

Twilight Sparkle

She sucked in a breath. The list went on, but she couldn’t see past those last two names. From the sounds of it, her world’s Shining Armor and Twilight Sparkle were still in Equestria. There would be no reason for them to have phone numbers. Her memory flashed to the picture of a Twilight Sparkle embraced with a Big Mac.

It had to be this world’s Twilight Sparkle. There really was a third Twilight. But Sunset Shimmer wouldn’t mention her. Sunset wouldn’t mention any of these people.

Sunset was afraid of her. Hiding her life and loved ones. Did she suspect something?

On the next page, Chrysalis had scribbled a note: “Got a recording from SS video chat last night on my computer. It’s weird.”

She made a mental note to watch it that evening. Possibly after everyone else was asleep. She was walking a tightrope. If anybody knew what was going on behind the scenes, everything would crumble.

Everything up to and including what Starlight had spent her whole life working towards.

Dr. Twilight Sparkle didn’t have time to regret. She didn’t have time to be sorry. She had to push forward and hope her plans all worked out. She was relying on Chrysalis and Neighsay to do what they did best.

But if they failed, she had only one last course of action.

She flipped to the first page of the report, memorized Twilight Sparkle’s phone number, and put the rest through Starlight Glimmer’s paper shredder.

Master of the Dark Arts

Sunburst lay his scroll flat across the table. Twilight Sparkle stood at his side, looking over the unfamiliar text and penned images of ponies accomplishing various feats. The one pony who most often appeared was a mare with a green coat and reddish mane, cloaked from head-to-tail in a heavy cape and dark hood. The famed Clover the Clever, perhaps? The second greatest wizard known to Equestrian history—personal student of Starswirl the Bearded. While Starswirl was famed for the invention of countless spells, Clover was respected for completing much of his work.

Or so she’d been told on the car ride to the hospital. It was a crude, quick info-dump to catch her up on the bare minimum history had to offer. Just a little something to let her know where the Memory Stone had come from.

Even that left her a little lost. “Soooo… Clover the Cleaver didn’t—”

“Clever,” Sunburst corrected.

“Misspoke. Clover didn’t make the Memory Stone.”

“That’s right, though she was most certainly familiar with its usage.” Sunburst touched his glasses as his eyes scanned the ancient language dotting the scroll. “It was invented by a master of the Dark Arts, who had gained his knowledge from King Sombra himself. An evil wizard known as Archmage Cithara.”

Twilight tapped her foot. “And in your world, Sombra was an evil dictator.”

“That’s correct.”

“And also a powerful mage of… what the hey are the ‘Dark Arts?’” Twilight Sparkle crossed her arms. “Don’t tell me necromancy exists.”

“Not the kind you’d think…” Princess Twilight sat in a nearby chair, reading from a tome Sunburst had brought over. “The Dark Arts include mind-control magic, including emotional manipulation. The use of magic-formed crystals as a weapon. Genetic splicing experiments. Transferring lifeforce from one person to another.” The princess waved a hand at the table. “Theft of memories…”

Twilight looked further down the scroll to see another pony depicted as a pink-coated, purple-haired, wizard-looking son of a gun. “I see. So basically anything that can cause bodily harm?”

“I wouldn’t go that far.” Princess Twilight closed the book and sat up. “A fireball can kill somebody. I know dozens of spells that can be deadly if misused. These Dark Arts in particular have been singled out as cruel and unusual. Warping both the caster and the victim.”

Twilight looked at the Memory Stone, which sat on the table not two feet away. She figured she’d feel more comfortable with a live bomb in the room. “So Clover went after this… Archmage Cithara. What happened?”

Sunburst pointed further along the scroll to get Twilight’s attention. “It says Clover was always several steps behind Cithara because every time she got close, he would use the Memory Stone to wipe her memory. Once she realized this, she began to leave herself notes in order to keep on his trail. Eventually, she chased him all the way through one of Starswirl’s mirrors into an entirely different world. Cithara got away…” He nodded at the stone. “But Clover the Clever captured the stone. After studying it, she realized that it was too dangerous to keep around. She hid it in this world, because she believed that the ambient magic was too low for the local population to figure out how to use it. She thought it lost forever.”

“But then Wallflower Blush found it, and the rest is history.” Twilight Sparkle idly scratched Little Spike’s head. He muttered a bit, but allowed it to continue. “So did Clover leave notes about how it works? Can we save Moondancer?”

Princess Twilight pressed her lips together.

Twilight raised an eyebrow. “Out with it.”

“We do understand it. On an intellectual level.” Princess Twilight tapped the tips of her fingers together. “Unfortunately, neither I nor Sunburst can activate it in this world.”

Twilight frowned. She could see where things were going, but she didn’t want to admit it. “So, Celestia?”

Sunburst cleared his throat, evidently annoyed at her informality. “Princess Celestia is in the same boat as we are. Our bodies aren’t used to working with the low ambient magic in this world.”

Twilight bared her teeth in a shallow grimace. “You can’t possibly—”

“You know it’s the right choice, Twilight,” Little Spike said. “You’re the only one out of the bunch of us who understands magic on both an intellectual and practical level. And Sunset’s halfway across the world.”

“Don’t remind me.” Twilight threaded her fingers through her hair. She stopped at her loose ponytail. “How am I supposed to figure it out? I can’t read that chicken scratch.”

“No,” Sunburst said, adjusting his robe with a confident tug. “But I can. I’ll explain it to you. I work as a teacher for a living, you know.”

“And we know you’re able to learn.” Little Spike smiled, his tail wagging up a storm. “Or have you not been trying to learn how to teleport the past couple of weeks?”

Princess Twilight’s head popped up, her eyes widening. “How’re you doing with that?”

“Terrible. I can’t get in the right mindset.” Twilight winced, peering at an image of the evil mage Cithara using the Memory Stone on Clover. “Speaking of which… what sorta emotion drives the Stone?”

Sunburst glanced at the princess, who nodded. “We think it’s fear. Abject terror, to be precise.”

“Oh, good.” Twilight sighed, rubbing the corners of her eyes. “I was worried it was going to be a difficult emotion to replicate.”

***

Moondancer lay in bed, surrounded by instruments decoding her body’s maladies. The brain waves were slow, unsteady. She had been completely drained. Near lifeless. Her brilliant mind empty of information.

And still, Twilight Sparkle thought it to be her fault. If only she’d been there for Moondancer. If only she’d told her of magic, just a few years sooner. If only…

She had one chance to make it up to her.

She held the Memory Stone in her hands. A terrifying weapon. A deadly instrument. Everything in her soul told her to drop it and run as fast as her legs could carry her. It was evil, designed to cause nothing but pain. It was useless even for self-defense, only able to completely demolish the unsuspecting.

Princess Twilight and Sunburst stood behind her, while Chief Carrot and Caution waited at the door. Twilight breathed slowly as she sought to control herself. She couldn’t hope to use the stone if she couldn’t keep a hold of her own body.

She felt the magic within the stone. Two distinct sources, one Moondancer’s, the other Wallflower’s. Releasing the stone’s grip would set the both of them free.

Courage is doing the right thing even when you’re scared. Twilight held tight to the platitudes she’d been taught in her younger years. They rang hollow these days. Just jump right in, it’ll be over before you know it. It’s never as bad as you imagine it will be.

“T-Twilight Sparkle, Master of the Dark Arts,” she muttered under her breath. “Has a n-nice ring to it.”

Lies. Lies. Terrible, terrible lies.

Sonata Dusk appeared to the right of the hospital bed, cackling with a wet cough. She pulled her shirt aside to reveal the five bullet-holes Twilight had put in her chest. “I can’t help but admire the marksmanship.”

Twilight shrieked and dropped the stone. Little Spike slid on his back to catch the thing with his belly before it could shatter against the ground. Twilight stumbled back against Sunburst, who caught her before she could fall.

When she next opened her eyes, the apparition of Sonata was nowhere to be seen. Not a trace of it anywhere. The princess swung in front of her, looked in each of her eyes, then swore beneath her breath.

“It’s got some sort of protective spell on it,” the princess growled. “Low-level mind-control magic. Looks like a hallucinogen. Did you see something?”

“Oh God, did I see some sh—” Twilight’s eyes snapped to the princess. “Hallucinogen?”

“That’s what I said.”

“Maybe it’s not a protective spell.” Twilight eased away from an awkwardly-blushing Sunburst. She knelt down to stare at the Memory Stone on Little Spike’s chest. “Maybe it’s there to help the spell along.”

Sunburst twirled his goatee with a finger. “Inducing terror in order to help power the spell. Ingenious. And stupidly dangerous, but mostly ingenious.”

Twilight looked down and noticed that Little Spike had his eyes locked on an empty corner of the room. “Spike?”

She grasped the Memory Stone with a telekinetic spell and lifted it out of his paws. He blinked, shaking his head with a sickly look around his muzzle. He rolled to his feet and leaned heavily against Princess Twilight’s leg.

The princess patted the side of his head. “What did you see, Spike?”

“Z—” He cleared his throat. “Zephyr.”

Sunburst frowned. “Fluttershy’s brother?”

“Not Zephyr Breeze, it’s a different—” He waved a paw. “It’s nothing.”

Twilight called the stone back to her hand. Sonata Dusk leaned against her back, breathing in her ear. “Didn’t think you were gonna get rid of me that easy, didja?”

“Sunburst?’ Twilight said.

“Yeah?”

“Show me the spell components right the hell now.”

Sunburst raised his hands. His fingertips glowed bright, and symbols flashed through the air. They swirled in front of Twilight’s vision, mingling with the rictus-like grin of Sonata’s ghoul. Prickles ran up and down her spine, reaching even to the ends of her limbs.

“Tsk, tsk,” Sonata said. “No open-casket funeral for me. Thanks for that, Twily.”

Twilight forced herself to focus on the first step in the spell. She sent magic pumping from her thundering heart to her hands, where her fingernails glistened a brilliant purple. The subtle glow within the Memory Stone shifted hue to match. She felt Moondancer and Wallflower’s memories even more clearly now, both of them struggling for survival within the evil artifact.

“I’m most impressed with how downright cold you were.” Sonata giggled and traced a fingertip across Twilight’s collar bones. “Gunning me down so emotionlessly and ruthlessly. I never had a chance.”

The next three spell components had to be activated in quick succession. Electricity, motion, and a distinct location. The electricity had the most to do with synapses, the neural chemicals, the very thing thoughts were made of. The motion was leading the memories out of the Memory Stone and into their true owners. The location? That was finding exactly where the gaps lay in Moondancer’s mind… and Wallflower’s. It wasn’t too difficult, as the memories had the same shape as the holes they left behind.

Blood leaked from Sonata’s tear ducts as she reached a gaunt hand towards Twilight’s face. “It’s just too bad that, in the end, I took your rutting dog with me!”

“Shut up!” Twilight’s shout jolted everyone present. A final flash shone from the Memory Stone, and then the artifact was dark and silent. Little Spike once again dove to save it before it could shatter against the floor. This time, he was quick to return it to a nearby backpack before it could work its horrific magic on him.

Sonata wasn’t there. Twilight forced herself to believe it. She had been cremated. Buried in a public cemetery. She couldn’t hurt anybody anymore. She opened her eyes and was rewarded with a much more sane view of reality. No hallucinations. No undead sirens prowling her waking moments.

She caught a weak voice rising up from the bed, mingling weariness and uncertainty. “Twilight?”

She walked to the bedside. Moondancer stirred, lifting a hand a few inches only for it to fall to the sheet an instant later. She blinked upward at Twilight, with a look approaching awe shining in her unfocused eyes. “Twilight. As I suspected. I knew you could do it.”

“Moondancer?” Twilight tried and failed to swallow the lump in her throat. “You remember?”

“Yeah.” Moondancer bobbed her head, her eyes squinting to try and sharpen her focus. “I knew you’d be able to fight whatever magic that woman had. Even if it meant…” She lay her head back and stared at the plain white ceiling. “That doesn’t matter. Of course you’d find a way to save me, too.”

Little Spike polished a claw against his fuzzy chest. “With a little help.”

Moondancer blinked at the other visitors. “Who… else is here?”

Caution poked his head into the room, bluster and bravado obscuring the tremble in his voice. “Chief Carrot an’ oi are glad yah pulled through, Moony. Takes more than some offbeat witch to keep Canterlot City’s Finest down!”

Chief Care Carrot rapped her knuckles on the doorframe. “Luckily, Twilight had some out of town friends who were able to help out. A—um—Professor Sunburst, Mr. Spike, and Princess…” She shrugged and gave Twilight a beseeching grimace.

“Her name’s Princess Twilight…” Twilight Sparkle help up her hands to stall Moondancer’s question. “I know things aren’t going to make sense at first. Believe me, I’m still trying to figure it out. But I want you to know…” She sighed, clasping her hands in front of her waist. She looked away from Moondancer’s searching eyes. “This time, I’m not going to leave you behind. Never again. You deserve so much better.”

Moondancer said nothing for a heavy moment.

Twilight took a step back and rubbed a forearm. “I’m going to show you what I’ve found about out magic. We’ll discover it together. Just like we promised.”

Moondancer nodded slowly. “I’ll hold you to that, Sparkle.”

She glanced across the room to the open door. “On that note, Chief Carrot, I no longer thing we have enough evidence to label Twilight Sparkle as a suspect.”

“I’ll take note of that.” Care jerked her head towards the hall. “On that note, Princess, if what you said is true, then Wallflower Blush just had the same sort of wake-up call that Moondancer did.”

“That is correct.” Princess Twilight strode out of the room with a steely gait to her step. Little Spike and Sunburst hurried to catch up, with Twilight and the police officers bringing up the rear. “We should hurry. I trust Skyhook’s skill, and the others, too, but I doubt they have the strength to stand up to someone with the proportional strength of a trained earth pony miner.”

Twilight spared Moondancer a final glance, waving a goodbye. Moondancer waved in return. A tiny knot in Twilight’s back unwound.

It swiftly tangled itself back up a few minutes later as a room with armed guards loomed into view. Skyhook saluted at Princess Twilight’s approach, though he kept his yellow eyes locked on the bed that held their prisoner. A couple of officers Twilight knew settled for a terse nod, their hands hovering around their weapons.

Wallflower Blush lay locked to the bed. The straps that bound her looked absolutely pathetic after seeing her rend aluminum and steel asunder, to put it lightly. She could have snapped every one without even flexing her arms.

Her expression? Equally intimidating. She glared at Skyhook with the intensity of a dragon guarding its hoard. She ignored the doctor as he bustled around the room, sweat beneath his collar.

“—A fractured collar bone, four broken ribs, a dislocated shoulder, a broken wrist, minor internal bleeding.” Dr Fine presented his findings to Care Carrot with a minimum of noise, as if he was afraid of drawing Wallflower’s attention. “And the aforementioned memory loss. She looks like she was hit by a car.”

“She was.” Care raised an eyebrow. “In a manner of speaking.”

“Yes, yes, very funny, hit with a car.” His eyes flicked to Twilight and the princess, his frown deepening by the moment. “But you were correct. At the time you indicated, her brain patterns returned to normal, and she began to gain a heightened awareness. As you can see—” He gestured to the patient with a jerk of his hand. “—she has regained enough mental capacity to hate.”

He passed the full report to Care and gave her a mock salute as he walked down the hall. “In the meantime, the operations were successful. She should be able to answer questions.” He gave the room a final nervous glance. “Once she gets an attorney.”

“Already on it,” Care muttered. “Haven’t heard back from the agency yet. Gotta ask her if she’s got one of her own or if she needs one assigned.”

Wallflower’s death stare swiveled as Twilight entered the room. Hate melted away as Princess Twilight entered next. Her mouth fell open, but she had nothing to say. The only thought she could possibly relate was complete disbelief.

Care Carrot spoke up, “Have you been read your rights?” but Wallflower ignored her, eyes glued to the princess.

“Hello again,” Twilight said. “We’d like to ask you a few questions.”

Wallflower’s mouth snapped shut. She groaned as pain shot through her bandaged body. “Join the club.”

“Have you been read your rights?” Care repeated. She placed her hands on her hips and heaved a sigh. “You’re under arrest for several accounts of assault and battery.”

“An officer told me a minute ago.” Wallflower only spared Care the briefest of glances before returning to scrutinize the princess. Her eyes shifted, as if she were comparing her to Twilight. “Did you get me an attorney yet?”

“We’re… still working on that.”

The corners of the patient’s mouth turned down. “So I don’t have anything to say to you. Who is that?”

She pointed an accusing finger at Princess Twilight. The princess absently pawed her purple gemstone necklace. “I’m a friend of Twilight’s… and currently the owner of the magic artifact you stole.”

“I didn’t steal it.” Wallflower shook her head twice before realizing that doing so put too much pressure on her shoulders. “I’m not talking to anybody until you tell me who you really are.”

Little Spike pulled a pen from his bag to scribble notes. “Maybe she looks a little familiar to you?”

Wallflower’s eyes trailed down. They widened. “Did that dog just talk?”

Little Spike clicked his tongue twice, winking and pointing his pen. “You catch on quick, kid.”

“That’s enough, Spike.” Princess Twilight crossed her arms over her chest. Her attempt at an imperious stance was lost on Twilight, and Wallflower was still focused on Little Spike. “Very well. I am Princess Twilight Sparkle of Equestria, the land your artifact originates from. I am assisting in the investigation into the murder of Lady Raven Sombra Relámpago, and now your attack on the Party Favor Night Club.” She lowered her eyebrows as the names hit Wallflower. “I suspect these two instances are connected.”

Twilight had watched Wallflower when Raven’s name was brought up. It was that name, not references to Equestria or the artifact, that had brought her attention back to the princess. And the lied answer, “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” was unmistakable in the face of the truth.

“And I’m not saying anything until I get my lawyer.” Wallflower glowered. “Or do you people ignore due process when it suits you?”

“We’re booking you to the tune of seven eyewitnesses,” Care Carrot said, rolling her eyes. “Most of whom you assaulted, one of whom is a frickin’ police officer. Due process is gonna do you the most good if you cooperate.”

Wallflower Blush gave her a tight smirk. “I’ll be willing to cooperate. With a lawyer. I’m… short on funds at the moment, so…”

“Yeah, yeah, pro bono.” Care got the princess’ attention with a tap on the shoulder. “Let’s scoot. We’ll have to wait on getting somebody who’s willing to take on an unwinnable case.”

“Is there any chance I could ask you some questions off the record, Miss Blush?” Princess Twilight opened her bag just enough that Wallflower could see the Memory Stone. “I’m awfully curious where you found this.”

Wallflower lowered her eyebrows. “Are you kidding me?”

“All due respect, um, princess—” Chief Carrot walked around Princess Twilight’s side, putting herself ever-so-slightly between her and Wallflower. “Anything said ‘off the record’ just plain can’t be used in court. We’ll be much better off if we just wait for however long it’s gonna take.”

Princess Twilight zipped the bag up and passed it to Little Spike. “We aren’t exactly flush with time, captain.”

“It’s ‘Chief.’”

“Sorry. Right. Sorry.” The princess turned to Twilight with a tilted head, her expression loudly asking for Twilight to bring up some loophole or other.

Twilight had none. She left the room with the others following close behind. When they were out of Wallflower’s earshot, she muttered with a low voice. “We have other leads we can follow. I’ll get my scanners set up with Princess Celestia’s keepsake.”

Care nodded. “Yeah, and we’ve got a few people we can question from the Party Favor. Caution’s gonna take that little magic detector of yours and scout out a few places around the city.”

“He should take Skyhook with him,” Princess Twilight said. “He should have someone on hand who can handle magic if they encounter it.”

“Fair enough.” Care touched a hand to Twilight’s shoulder, looking her in the eye. “You gonna be okay on your own?”

“The princess and Little Spike—"

“Don’t call me Little Spike.”

“—have equipment similar to mine.” Twilight gave the distorted dragon a wry smile. She was rewarded with a roll of his eyes. “They should be able to help me with the set-up.”

“Okay.” Care Carrot crossed her arms and blew a breath through pressed lips. “I guess we all know what we’ve gotta do, then.” She waved a hand to get Caution’s attention. “I just hope one of these leads actually means something, because I’m liable to blow a fuse out here.”

***

Dr. Twilight Sparkle sat across the table from Dulcimer, a cup of tea held lightly in her hand. She studied the man as he added a drizzle of honey to his own cup, his eyes alight with delight as he used his magic to maneuver the dipper. He turned one hand palm up, angling the dipper towards her. “Care for some?”

“No, thank you.” She blew steam from the cup. “I don’t like my tea to be too sweet.”

“Over-doctoring can indeed ruin a great many things.” He set the dipper down and levitated his spoon to smoothly stir his steaming beverage. “It’s often best to keep things… simple. Uncomplicated.”

She took a tender sip of the tea. Still far too hot. “You don’t seem to be an uncomplicated person to me.”

“It all depends on perspective.” He smiled at her, folding his hands beside the teacup. The cup itself rose in the air and hovered just beside his face. “What I want is uncomplicated. Where I come from, now that’s a story.”

Dr. Sparkle almost smirked. She felt much the same way about herself, if she was being honest. “You’ve already said what you want. Power overwhelming.”

“Which leaves my sordid backstory as the greatest mystery of your life?”

“I recognize that it’s important to learn as much about you as possible.” She gave the room another once-over to make sure they were truly alone. They were in her private laboratory, where very few people were ever invited to enter. The door was locked. Listening devices were absent. She could relax, if only on that front. “And see if it lines up with my plans.”

“I guarantee it.” He rubbed his short, purple goatee ever-so-slightly. “Though it seems unfair for me to bare my soul without knowing how you were able to—is ‘override’ the term?—override my spell.”

“I have a talent for deciphering magic spells and workings.” Dr. Twilight took another sip and found the tea a much friendlier experience this time. “When I saw what you were casting, I was able to devise a counter-spell that allowed me to match your perception of time. I subsequently modified it to be an ambient spell, so I will always be immune to your power.”

His smile faded, replaced with a wide-eyed stare that she couldn’t tell was in awe or frustration. “Well. I knew you were a genius, Twilight, but that is quite another thing entirely.”

“Correct.” Dr. Twilight couldn’t truly explain why, even to herself, but for some reason she took a special joy in bamboozling this man, if only in a small way. “Now, I believe it is your turn.”

Dulcimer recovered quickly on the surface. She still saw fire in his eyes, though what they wanted to burn, she couldn’t say. “Have you ever heard of someone named ‘Clover the Clever’?”

Dr. Sparkle frowned. She thought back through the history pages. There was a pony back in Equestria with the name “Clover the Careless,” but they mostly served as a humorous footnote to King Sombra’s founding of the country. “There’s somebody in Parliament named Clover Field…”

“No, no, not her.” He chuckled, waving a dismissive hand. “Clever she may be, but not that clever.” He took a long sip from his teacup, still laughing faintly. “No. The pony I’m referring to was a master wizard. A champion of magic. A hero.”

Dr. Twilight leaned her arms on the table and narrowed her gaze. “A pony, you say?”

“This coming from a visitor from ‘Equestria?’” He produced a bundle of paper from beneath his jacket and floated them over to Dr. Twilight on a glimmer of sparks. “Many, many years ago, she chased a fugitive from her world to this one. I thought originally that her world was yours, but if you’ve never heard of her…”

The paper was old. Aged and yellowed as though it was a hundred years old. The ink depicted the portrait of a middle-aged mare with twin braids, her head covered with a heavy hood. It almost looked like Clover the Careless. Almost.

“The fugitive was named Archmage Cithara, a disciple of a deposed king. Clover sought to end his line, metaphorically.” He gestured for her to look at the second page and onward. “Clover stole the artifacts he had brought with him, but he was able to give her the slip on a boat sailing from Libertas… to the Highborn Isles.”

“Where he met you and your grandmother?”

Dulcimer smirked, shaking his head. “This was way before our time. He wandered the Highborn Isles for years after that, keeping his interactions with society to a minimum. Hiding on remote islands too small to sustain communities.” He leaned back in his chair, pouring himself another cup of tea. “But word spread of a wizard wandering the wilderness, and so a woman sought him out for the same reason I sought you out.”

Dr. Twilight finished her cup and poured herself a second. The hard cakes they had gathered for their little teatime were tough and crusty, a far cry from the pastries she’d enjoyed back in Equestria. “To learn magic from a master.”

“This is where the twist comes in.” Dulcimer tapped the ends of his fingers together, trying and failing to conceal a smile. “The woman and the archmage eventually married and produced heirs. Over the centuries the family persisted, having knowledge of magic but unable to use it properly.”

The pages in Dr. Twilight’s hands eventually began to make sense. As she moved forward through them, the paper and the writing took on more a modern appearance. Every few pages, a new name was listed as the author, starting with Cithara and ending with a woman named Bow Dulcimer. Her page, in particular, laid out in exact detail the theoretical time-stop spell. “Bow was you grandmother.”

“So the evidence says.” Dulcimer bobbed his head in a shallow nod. “So now you know the origin of my knowledge. And since you come from a different world than the famed Clover the Clever, I also know that there is a third world in our little multiverse.”

“Yes,” Dr. Twilight said, studying the other pages for further theoretical spells. Much of it was plain and unambitious, but the spark of inspiration carried on through the ages. “One flowing with ambient magic and endless knowledge.”

“One that, dare I say, I have genetic roots in.” He leaned his elbows on the table, the fire in his eyes having cooled to embers of mischief. “You might say it’s where I truly belong. Perhaps the same can be said for a masterful mage like yourself?”

Dr. Twilight made a fist with one hand, hiding it beneath the table. She betrayed no emotion as she faced Dulcimer, despite the possibilities dancing in her head. “I have work that I’ve yet to complete here.”

Dulcimer grinned, unrestrained as though he were incapable of controlling his glee. “But you’ve been dreaming of this world, haven’t you? This garbage-fire of a world, with its lack of magic and its pollution and its endless war, can’t possibly have been your intended destination when you left your world behind.”

“You assume quite a bit, viscount.”

“Indeed I do.” He tapped his temple. “But I know much more than I assume. I’m right, aren’t I?”

“Coming here wasn’t my first choice.” She crossed one leg over the other and shook her head slowly. “But I can’t say I regret it.”

“No?” Dulcimer stood from his chair. He cupped his chin as he paced back and forth. “But surely you’ve thought of it. Surely you’ve considered it.” He turned to her, popping his mouth open as if something had just occurred to him. She didn’t buy it; he’d been leading up to this point. “Is Sunset Shimmer from your world or Cithara’s?”

When Dr. Twilight didn’t immediately answer, his smile faded in intensity, while his eyes took up the slack. “Surely she knows how to get back.”

The doctor gently stood from her chair and walked to Dulcimer’s side. Her eyes glimmered in the low light, casting aside the weakness in her eyes and showing her the magic that flowed through his fairy strings unabated. She waited to answer until he had completely calmed down, his face neutral, his eyes attentive.

“I am trying to earn her trust enough that she opens up to me.” Dr. Twilight stood tall and firm, her tone sharing the strength of her stance. “I will brook no aggression from you. I don’t know what you’re used to working with as Fancy Pants’ enforcer, but I prefer to take a softer approach.”

A smile tugged at the edge of his mouth. “I didn’t take you for a soft woman, Twilight.”

“I don’t appreciate dirtying my hands.” She put coldness into her voice, hoping it would seal her words as being final. “If you were to harm Sunset in any way, you would ruin everything Starlight’s been building. Even you have to understand how important this school is. To the students. To the entire world. I do plan on leaving this hellhole behind, yes, but only after I do what I can to make it better.”

He chuffed once in the back of his throat. He turned away from her gaze, and she thought she detected a hint of redness on his pink cheeks. “You know Fancy Pants wants to shut this place down, don’t you? It’s why he sent me here. To give him the slightest reason to bring the Highborn Isles government down on your heads.”

“It’s why you were sent.” Dr. Twilight waved her hand, a spell on her fingertips. The dishes and silverware flew through the room to a waiting sink, where they began to wash themselves. “But it’s not why you’re here.”

“Exactly.” Dulcimer gritted his teeth. He rubbed a temple as he stared at memories just out of sight. “I’ll keep the prime minister at bay for as long as I can, but our time is running out. He’ll catch on to me eventually. We have to make preparations now for when that happens.”

“Perhaps.” Dr. Sparkle returned to her seat and pointed to the chair beside her. “What did you have in mind?”

“If you truly want Starlight’s school to survive, she needs to know.” He took the offered place at the table, leaning on an elbow. “They need to find somewhere to escape from Fancy Pants. I think the best way to go about that would be this legendary third reality. This middle earth between your dismal existence and mine.”

Dr. Twilight considered that. Starlight Glimmer would be difficult to convince. Her goals had always revolved around fixing her old world. She might not agree with the thought of retreating to a new one. She was a fighter, with the intent to stand her ground wherever she found herself.

But she couldn’t fight an entire government, even if she’d been trying for years.

“I recommend that we discuss this with Sunset Shimmer,” Dulcimer said after a moment. “If she knows the situation, she might willingly lead the school to safety.”

“I know you’re right.” Dr. Twilight looked away from him, to the rest of the room.

Three glass tubes, each two meters in diameter, stood sentinel in the rear of the room. One was filled with an organic liquid mixture of her own devising, in which hung a series of thread-like golden lines. These threads formed the vague shape of a human, having two arms, two legs, a head, and a torso. A heart beat at the center, functional but no longer truly alive. Fairy strings, stripped from a poor soul back in Libertas.

What remained of Raven.

“There are… things she wouldn’t understand.” Dr. Twilight swallowed hard. “The longer we keep her in the dark, the better. The less she knows, the less she or Starlight will stumble on this.”

“We still need to find a way to travel to her world.” Dulcimer shrugged, glancing at the devices looming at the rear of the room. “How long until you have what you need for the ascension?”

“It depends.” The news that Wallflower had been captured stung her heart and frustrated her mind in equal measures. “It depends on how fast Neighsay works.”

“Time we might not have.” Dulcimer offered her a smile that didn’t seem genuine. There was too much anxiety hidden behind his expression. “Talk to Shimmer.”

Both of Dr. Twilight’s hands clenched beneath the table, out of sight. She forced them to relax and put them on the surface, though she couldn’t help but drum her fingers. “I don’t want to lose them, Dulcimer. Without Sunset and Starlight, there’s no chance for anything to work. Everything I’ve done will be worthless.”

Dulcimer shook his head. He reached out a hand to lay it atop hers. He gave her a gentle squeeze and spoke in a low voice. “I don’t believe in wasting time.”

Dr. Twilight looked at the hand held by his. Her glowing gaze trailed up his arm until she locked eyes with him. She saw the fire again and this time understood why it burned. Passion and determination. A one-track train of thought that rumbled towards a single destination.

She sighed through her nose and pulled her hand away from his. “Neither do I.”

Silence descended between them.

It was eventually broken by Dulcimer, who spoke calmly and succinctly, much to the doctor’s surprise. “Alright. Do you want me present when you speak with Starlight and Sunset?”

“No, I don’t think so.” She cupped her hands on her lap. “They’ll take the news better if they hear it from me.”

“Smart.” Dulcimer cracked a grin. “Alright. Let me know what comes of it. My limited resources are at your beck and call.”

“Thank you, Dulcimer.” A creeping sensation crawled up her back, as if the fairy strings suspended behind her were staring at her. She steepled her fingers and forced herself to focus on the moment, rather than the horizons already crossed. “If we remain careful, we’ll make it through.”

***

Shining Armor looked up from his toolbox at the sound of his name being shouted from across the shop floor, above the rumbling machinery and car engines being tested. The source of the voice was Scootaloo, his supervisor and sister-in-law. He waved to indicate he’d heard, then shut his box.

It was a short walk across the small car-repair shop to the office. As he was about to learn, it was altogether too short.

“When in the blue heck were you going to tell me about the attack?” Scootaloo jabbed her index finger right into his ribs. “I had to hear about it from Apple Bloom! Apple Bloom!”

Shining felt his face heat up by several orders of magnitude. He raised his hands half in surrender and half to ward off further attacks. “Look, Scootaloo, I didn’t mean—”

“When were you going to tell me? You think I don’t care what happens to our family or what?”

“No, that’s not the case!” He sent his gaze to the ceiling, begging for wisdom and mercy in equal measure. “I’m sorry, Scoots. I don’t even really know what the heck is going on, or who gets to know what, or even what to do half the time.”

Scootaloo shook her head, some of the wind taken out of her sails. She tossed her gloves onto her chair and rubbed her face with an oily hand. “‘Who gets to know’? You think I don’t know Sunset has weird magic pony powers? Kinda hard to grow up around her without noticing.”

“Yeah, and I can’t help but notice that we don’t.” He kneaded the back of his neck as the stress of the last few days tied his muscles in knots. Again. “I’m sorry. When Twilight became a suspect in a magic murder case, I went to help her investigate so we could clear her name. What we found was a crazy lady with memory-erasing powers. Now you know as much as I do.”

Scootaloo sat in an old office chair. Her gaze was smoldering, but the ire was no longer directed at Shining. “So you’re saying there’s nothing I can do to help.”

“We aren’t exactly kitted out to handle this sort of thing.”

“Well, I gotta do something!” Scootaloo’s fist—small compared to Shining’s, but still a mighty tool of justice—slammed on the desk. “Even if it’s just ‘shout, scream, and throw stuff at the freak who attack our family!’”

She sat there for a moment, her hand cradling her head. She jerked upright before Shining could fill the silence. “Can I come over today?” she asked, her forehead furrowing. “So I can at least help keep Sunny safe? Please? I just wanna feel like I’m contributing.”

Shining nodded, glad to have something he could give Scootaloo. If not reassurance, then purpose. “Yeah, that would be fine. We’re staying at the Apples’ until this whole thing’s done with. When we’re done with work, we can both head over. I’ll let them know you’re coming.”

“Alright. Good.” She leaned back, her arms limp at her sides. “I’m sorry for giving you a hard time. Not real respectful of me.”

“Just try not to bite my head off and we’ll call it even.” Shining turned for the door to get back to work. He paused before he could grab the handle. “I’ll keep you in the loop, Scootaloo. I promise.”

“Thanks, Chrome Dome.” Scootaloo sorted a few pages of paperwork on her desk. “I’ll hold you to that.”

A Stone's Throw Away

Twilight Sparkle stood before the door of her house, a key in her hands. She hesitated unlocking the building that had sat cold for several days at this point. The windows were dark. Its rooms were silent. She blew a sigh through pursed lips and plunged the key into the hole it was made for.

“Is everything alright, Twilight?”

Twilight glanced back at her companions. Princess Twilight and Suburst were busy pouring over a book he had brought from Equestria. Little Spike was helping Sturm and Drang set up guard positions around the house. The one who had spoken to her was none other than the other princess, the big cheese herself.

Twilight pulled the door open and allowed Celestia to step through. “Um. Well enough. Did I say something…?”

“Not so much said as felt, I think.” Princess Celestia hobbled her way inside, her cane clicking against the hardwood floor of the entryway. “You don’t like this place.”

Twilight’s eyebrows rose of their own accord. “Oh.” She held the door for Little Spike, Sunburst, and Princess Twilight, who made a bee-line towards the basement. Conversely, Celestia waited beside the coatrack, a look of soft concern on her face.

“It’s…” Twilight rubbed the back of her neck. She shut the door behind her, leaving it unlocked to allow Sturm and Drang access to the interior should the need arise. She attempted to meet the High Princess’ eyes, but found them too piercing. Too intimidating. “It’s too empty after losing Spike.”

The strength in Celestia’s eyes was kind, at least. “I understand. It reminds you of him too much.”

Twilight said nothing, content as she was to nod. She led the way to the basement staircase, which Celestia took one painstaking step at a time. Twilight offered a helping hand, but Celestia waved her off.

“It’ll be fine. I’m still learning how to take it easy.” Princess Celestia laughed to herself. “Eternal youth just ain’t what it used to be.”

Twilight glanced across the room to where Princess Twilight and Sunburst were already examining her magic tracker machine. Little Spike sat nearby, perusing a set of printouts that had to be about two years old. “The other me has that, too, right? The youth thing?”

“As far as I know, yes.” Princess Celestia smiled at her protégé. “And so long as she avoids cataclysmic injury, she’ll be able to avoid… all this.” She gestured at her walking stick.

Twilight reached the bottom of the stairs and stood still on the bare concrete floor. “Any idea… how I can get that kinda power?”

“My dear, if I knew how to produce alicorns with any sort of regularity, I’d have an entire gaggle on hand.” Celestia smirked, but the expression faded quickly. “It hasn’t always worked out. But every once in a while, I surprise myself.”

Twilight crossed her arms and rubbed them to shield from the chill of the sunken room. “Was Sunset going to be…?”

When Celestia reached the bottom of the stairs, she lowered herself to sit on them. She gazed at the gemstone on the end of her cane, seeing herself reflected on its many surfaces. “There… was a possibility. Unfortunately, I pushed her towards something she wasn’t ready for.” A sigh as deep as an ocean hissed its way out of her soul. “I failed her in that regard.”

Twilight sucked on her lower lip. She took an uneasy step towards the equipment, lingering by Celestia’s side in the hope she would follow.

“It’s remarkable!” Sunburst said, dragging Twilight’s attention to their conversation. “This is almost exactly a miniaturized version of the magic detectors in your laboratory. Are you certain they were made independently of each other?”

Princess Twilight chewed on a lock of her hair as she looked the sensor over. “This machine is more than a decade old, and Twilight didn’t even meet Sunset until seven years ago, so yes. It’s true that great minds think alike.”

“Great minds think for themselves.” Twilight attempted a lopsided smirk. It felt strange on her face, so she quickly replaced it with a shallow frown. “Let me get the breakers turned on. This thing tends to pull a lot of power.”

It was the work of a moment to prep the machine for use. It chittered and hummed in a familiar fashion, its computer drawing up information from previous scans. The thing was about the size of two full-sized refrigerators side-by-side, and went from the floor almost to the ceiling. It was covered completely in sheet steel, save for where she needed access to screens or the printer. Lights blinked in their merry little way as she flipped a series of switches to the “on” position—which powered the antennae on the roof of her house. She took a cloth to wipe the dust off the main control screen.

Little Spike sat on an office chair, spinning around as he waited for the activation process to finish. “How much sensing range you get with that?”

“A couple hundred miles, depending on how strong I make the signal.” Twilight twisted a dial that caused the machine’s humming to drone even louder. “We won’t do that for very long, unless the princesses are willing to foot my electric bill.”

“I don’t see why not.” Celestia hoisted herself to her feet and hobbled over to a second office chair. “I imagine exchange rates are favorable toward the Equestrian Bit?”

“Far be it from me to question the economic prowess of horsedollars.”

“We put the ‘equine’ in ‘equity.’”

Twilight took a step back from the device, rubbing her chin as she completed the “pre-flight” checklist in her head. “It’s ready for the source of the magic. What is it, exactly?”

Celestia’s hand sat clasped atop her cane. She sat there a moment longer, drawing in a deep breath. She pulled a small piece of paper from a hidden pocket, one with a small bit of string on one end. The opposite end had been torn. She held it towards Twilight. “Please be careful.”

Twilight’s brow furrowed. This was Celestia’s most precious possession? This tiny scrap of paper that looked like it had been chewed on by a dog? She took it gingerly and rotated it in her hands. On one side of the paper, written in scrawling, beautiful calligraphy, was a single word: “Always.”

“In Sombra’s Equestria,” Celestia said, her voice low, “there is a garden. A Wishing Garden. Ponies would go there to tie wishes to trees in the hopes that one day they would come true.” She turned her eyes down to look at the floor. “This one… was Sombra’s.”

Little Spike placed a paw on her lap, giving her a gentle smile of encouragement.

Princess Celestia returned the smile and placed a hand on his back. “Though in Sombra’s case, it was more of a promise.”

Twilight swallowed. The weight of the history between the two immortal rulers was far heavier than the frail slip of paper implied. She pulled a drawer from the side of the scanner, on which sat several disk-shaped sensors. She set the wish upon the sensors and began to twist dials until the scan matched the radiation flowing from the alternate Equestria.

“Well, it has a different signature than Sunset’s journal did, so we’re on the right track.” Twilight retied the band holding her hair in its loose ponytail, pulling a few additional locks out of her eyes. “We’ll have scan data from three hours’ drive in every direction.”

Princess Twilight nodded. “And then, presuming we find something, we’ll be one step closer to solving our mysteries.”

“I’m not one-hundred percent sure about that.” Twilight sat on the office chair Little Spike had vacated. “Even if we find the world Other Twilight is from, there’s no real proof she was involved in any of this.”

“But she has close ties to the victim and people who know the victim.” Princess Twilight paced in front of the machine, tapping her fingers together. “It’s better than the literal nothing we have without interrogating Wallflower.”

“Then why don’t we just talk to her?” Twilight waved a hand at Princess Twilight, rolling her eyes to avoid contact with the princess’. “The secret’s out in regards to the two of us, so what are we actually hiding from?”

“That’s what we’re trying to find out.” Princess Twilight grimaced, electing to watch one of the scanner’s many screens produce information. “It isn’t wise to put our security on the line by sharing with somebody we don’t know.”

Twilight Sparkle sighed and flicked a switch to activate the printer. “Like when you first found out about me?”

Princess Twilight stumbled over her next words, rethinking them before they could be spoken. She tried again, but failed to find the right way to say whatever she was thinking.

Twilight took the opportunity to press. “I just know that I understand how painful it can feel to be left out of the equation. To fail every hidden test of character because I don’t match up with what’s assumed. To go untrusted.” She forcibly unclenched her fist. She slowed her pulse carefully to quiet the magic sparks flying from her fingertips. The tension remained in her shoulders. The sorrow ached in her heart. “It’s just… do we have to put the Other Twilight through the same ordeal? Haven’t we learned how to deal with our doubles just a little bit?”

Princess Twilight’s expression was guarded, but Twilight saw the twinge of guilt in her eyes. She’d seen the expression often enough in the mirror. The princess breathed slowly and took a step towards her duplicate. “I’m sorry. All we know about her is that her former friends are terrified of her. If nothing else, that concerns me.”

Twilight scoffed, but she knew the princess was right… About that one particular thing. “Maybe she needs a friend more than any of us.”

The scanner signaled a hit.

Twilight Sparkle jerked her head towards the screen. “That was a whole lot faster than…” She gripped the sides of the machine and leaned close to the readout. She pressed a button to activate the printer. “It’s way too close for comfort.”

Sunburst tried to catch the paper as the machine spit it out. He fumbled with the scroll-length page as it spooled over in his arms. “I-I’m not sure I understand the data here. Are these hoof-widths or gallops? Or something in-between?”

Little Spike peered at the page as it tumbled to Sunburst’s feet. “Kilometers, I think.”

“Miles,” Twilight said. “We use miles here.”

Sunburst adjusted his glasses, finally losing his fight with the printout and letting it tumble freely. “So when this thing says ‘three’ it means—”

“It’s…” Twilight Sparkle’s eyes met with Princess Twilight’s. “It’s at the high school.”

***

Shining Armor ran his hands under warm water as he washed the day’s grease away. No matter how hard he scrubbed, there remained a dark, muddy coloration, and the smell of gasoline would require a full-body shower to remove. That wasn’t his main concern, though; he had a date with his wife.

Scootaloo called out to him as she passed through the front door of the shop. “Yo! See you at the Apples’.”

“See you there.” Shining Armor judged his hands just clean enough to use the phone. He pulled it from his backpack and sought out a specific contact. It was around five-o’-clock his time, so by his calculations, Sunset was just seeing eleven. It was a little later than he would have liked, but he was far more a beggar than a chooser.

Sunset Shimmer answered, her voice low and more than a little tired. “Hi, Shiny.”

“Hiyah, Sunset.” He double-checked that he was alone in the shop. The owner was locking up the back rooms, so he didn’t have to watch what he said for a while. “Listen, things got pretty bad over here.”

“And you waited until eleven in the frickin’ night to tell me?”

Shining Armor sighed, resisting the urge to rub his eyes with his yet-grubby hands. “Things not going well over there, either?”

“Depends on who you ask.” The phone let out a mechanical hiss as Sunset’s sigh hit the receiver. “The doctor’s an inscrutable mess. What happened with you?”

“Look.” Shining Armor gritted his teeth. “First of all, we’re all okay.”

“Oh God, what happened?”

“We were attacked.” Shining sucked in his lips. “By another magic user.”

“Oh God.” Sunset’s voice grew lower as the sounds of a door closing reached across the ocean. “Is it the murderer? Is Twilight exonerated?”

“It might be, but we haven’t been able to question her.” Shining nodded to the shop’s owner as he passed by. He decided to take the conversation on the road and walked to his car. “Twilight took her out by hitting her with a car door. Your training’s paying off.”

“Do we know who it is?”

Shining stuck the key in the ignition. He set the phone to “speaker” and placed it on the center console. “Flash said her name is Wallflower Blush. He says you went to school with her.”

“I don’t know her.”

“You sure?” Shining gripped the wheel tight. It was a touchy subject to bring up, but for the sake of the investigation… “She sounds like the kinda girl you woulda bullied.”

Sunset let out a muffled noise that might have been a curse. She hemmed and hawed for a couple of seconds. “I still don’t know her. I feel like the name’s familiar, but I can’t—oh no.”

Shining Armor sucked in a breath. “Yeah?”

“Starlight Glimmer gave me a list of former students who’d left.” Sunset’s breath grew short as her words spilled out faster. “Wallflower was one of them.”

Shining Armor realized he was speeding. He hit the brake to bring himself to a more reasonable velocity. “So the school is behind the murder?”

“I can’t say for sure.” A loud crackle came out of the speakers; Sunset must have moved by the shore. “Aside from Raven, the other former students were named Night Glider, Party Favor, and Neighsay. Any of those names ring a bell?”

“Yep.” While waiting at a red light, Shining double-checked that his pistol was indeed safely concealed and within arm’s reach. “We questioned Night Glider and Party Favor yesterday. Never heard of Neighsay, but we might wanna question Wallflower about it.”

“What did the other two say?”

“Nothing much besides that they went to Starlight’s school.” Shining bobbed his head back and forth. “And that apparently Dr. Twilight is a scary woman who they parted on bad terms with.”

“They parted on bad terms with everybody.” Sunset huffed. Shining could hear pebbles and sand crunch beneath her feet. “Next time get a hold of me sooner, Shining. I had a whole text conversation with Twilight and she never even mentioned this.”

“We’re all a little—” Shining rolled his eyes at himself as he missed the turn to leave town. He took the long way, through the commercial district. “—a little frazzled, Sunset.”

“You got attacked by a wizard, Shining.”

“Yeah, it’s one of the reasons I wish you were home, Sunset.” He regretted the words the instant he snapped them, covering his mouth with a hand that was far too late on the uptake. To late to save him from embarrassing himself and irritating his wife.

He could see Sunset’s eyes radiating sass with true imagination-given clarity. “Oh, you’re really going to take that tone with me? Right now? When I’m clear on the other side of the planet?”

“Sunset, please—”

“I seem to recall you saying you’d be behind me the whole way if I came here. Regretting that decision?”

“I’m sorry I said something stupid. You need to calm down so we can—”

“I need to calm down, Mr. Snippy-Pants?” Sunset’s voice rose. Clearly she was alone, or she would have woken up the entire compound. “We’re supposed to be working together, but you can’t be bothered to update me when you’re under attack? What if Sunny was in danger?”

“Sunny should be used to having a parent overseas!”

He saw the words in his head before he spoke them. He had an opportunity to seize them. To chain them up so they could never see the light of day. But in his moment of choice, he chose to speak them.

It was possibly the worst thing he could have said.

“What the—what’s that supposed to mean?”

“I’m sorry, I just—”

“I’m over here because we thought it was the best thing for our family!”

Shining gritted his teeth. “But you’re still going to be the last one to hear about anything because you’re halfway across the world teaching magic.”

“You could at least send a text. Even if it’s in the middle of the night I still want—”

Against his better judgement, against his desire to defuse the argument, against everything decent inside him, he interrupted her. “You’re still not going to be around for people when they need you!”

Shining heard the call disconnect. The sound struck him right in the heart. He slowed the car until he could put it into park. He scooped the phone up and stared at the glowing screen.

He was an idiot. Needlessly harsh, even in the face of the threat they were facing. He should have been kinder. Given the softer answer. Not let his frustration get the better of him.

Now he had to live with the consequences, and the next conversation wasn’t going to be pretty.

***

Sunset roared and kicked a stone into the sea. It hit the surface of the water with a satisfying sploosh.

That conversation… really couldn’t have gone worse. Between the stress of Dr. Twilight’s subterfuge, being reminded of her awful old self, and learning her family had been attacked… She knew she was far too angry to hold a civil conversation. Shining had pushed her buttons, and she’d provoked him to saying more than he knew he wanted to say.

But dang it, she was still mad. Even after years and years of working on it, her temper flared as easily as a fire spell. She brushed the red sparks from her fingertips and flicked through her phone. She wasn’t ready to talk with Shining again. She needed somebody else. Somebody who could sooth her down to a mere simmer, rather than an eruption.

“This is Princess Twilight.”

Sunset gave the phone a double-take. “Sorry. I was trying to contact the other Twilight.”

“Oh! Yes! This is her phone.” Princess Twilight fumbled with the phone. Sunset could hear several other voices nearby. “She’s driving and can’t take the call.”

Sunset breathed a hot sigh through her nose. “Is everybody okay? Nobody got hurt by Wallflower, did they?”

“No, we’re all fine. Better than fine!” Another voice muttered something, and the princess added: “Wasn’t Shining Armor going to fill you in on this?”

“We aren’t—we can’t get a good connection.” Sunset cleared her throat, quenching the flame that was building up on her fist. “Right now. We can’t. I called you as a backup.”

“Gotcha.” Princess Twilight spoke with the other voices. She muttered something about “Speaker?” and Sunset got an earful of dial-tones. “I can’t figure it out. Anyway, Sunset, we’ve made an important discovery!”

Sunset made her way to the rickety old docks and sat on an empty crate. “Those are usually good things.”

“Yes, we have found what we think is a portal to Dr. Twilight’s world! And it’s in the high school!”

Two plus two added up in Sunset’s head. “And you’re headed there now?”

“Precisely!”

Sunset lowered her eyebrows and stared into the starry sky. “And you’re not just interrogating Wallflower becaaaaause?”

“According to your laws, a suspect cannot be interrogated without an attorney present.” Princess Twilight’s audible disgruntlement couldn’t be hidden beneath her chipper tone. “This cannot be waved even in the presence of royalty.”

“Libertas doesn’t have much respect for royalty. Or anybody.”

“Yeah, I’m starting to notice.”

Sunset rubbed her forehead. “So… there’s a portal at the school, and you’re going all the way to another world just to see if you can get dirt on Dr. Twilight?”

“That about sums it up.”

“And there’s no other leads to follow?”

“Not today, at least.” Princess Twilight clicked her tongue, and Sunset thought she heard Little Spike say something in a snarky tone. “The process to find Wallflower Blush a representative looks like a pretty frustrating one, so I might as well be off-world, am I right?”

“But…” Sunset Shimmer flashed back to the stories of two realities colliding, with only one able to survive. “Is it safe to go to the other world?”

“We’ll be using a natural connection. Or, if need be, we can shore it up based on my studies of Starswirl’s mirror portal to this reality.” The phone bumped against something plastic, and the resounding crackle-pop made Sunset wince. “We’ll be fine, Sunset. We’ll keep you updated.”

Sunset Shimmer glanced up at the moored fishing boat. “In the meantime, I just stay here and… teach.”

“Sounds like a plan!” Princess Twilight’s tone shifted to that of someone looking to end a conversation. “We’re coming up on the school, so talk to you later!”

“Talk to you later. Bye.” Sunset ended the call with a tap of her thumb. She stared across the sea and spotted the mainland glowing faintly with evening lights.

She turned around and beheld the darkened school of magic. Her anger faded slightly, replaced by a fearful memory. The last time she found herself in a magical land, her family was in mortal peril. Now, it seemed the very same danger had returned in a new form.

Was she cursed to face separation and fear every time she pursued her greatest desires? Her own heart’s promise to itself? Wasn’t she allowed a little fulfilment? Was it all just her rebellion against Celestia coming back to haunt her?

Shining Armor’s words stung. He had left the military in order to be closer to his family. Closer to Sunny. But it was completely different for Sunset to travel to the Highborn Isles to spend time at Starlight’s magic school.

Wasn’t it?

It wasn’t like she was planning to stay longer than the summer.

Or was she?

Her train of thought continued to Celestia and Sombra. Two star-crossed lovers separated by their dreams. Forced to live a life apart because their chosen paths were incompatible.

She and Shining were different.

Weren’t they?

She knew it was a road they didn’t want to go down. She certainly wasn’t going to start it now. She picked up her phone and opened her instant-messaging app to Shining Armor’s page. She didn’t really know what to say, but she needed to say something. After several long moments of staring at her husband’s picture, she hadn’t even typed a letter.

“‘Don’t let the sun go down on your anger,’ they say.” She scoffed and looked to the dark horizon. “That ship has sailed.”

A familiar voice with an unfamiliar tenor spoke out of the gloom. “Having difficulties with people?”

Sunset Shimmer jumped in place, her eyes snapping to the pair of glowing lavender eyes a few feet away. “Occasionally. We all have rough patches, right?”

“Inevitably.” Dr. Twilight Sparkle stepped closer. Sunset lit a fire in her palm to illuminate her face. “It’s why I’ve sought you out, actually. I’m afraid not everybody appreciates what Starlight is doing here.”

Sunset couldn’t hide the scowl that forced itself onto her face. She stared into the flames on her hand, trying and failing to just let herself be mesmerized by the wobbling tendrils of heat. She had too much on her mind, not the least of which was the doctor herself. “What else is new?”

Dr. Twilight’s eyebrows rose. “If you can let go of your anger at me for just a moment—”

“Please, explain away.” Sunset stuffed her phone in a pocket and waved Dr. Twilight on. “I’m your literal captive audience.”

“Viscount Dulcimer was sent by the Prime Minister to spy on us.” Dr. Twilight Sparkle rubbed her chin as she gazed across the sea. “But he now believes that Prime Minister Fancy Pants has changed his mind and simply wants all of us thrown in prison.”

“Prison!” Sunset bolted to her feet, propelled by the shiver shooting down her back. “On what charges? We’re not committing any crimes! What does he gain from doing something like that?”

“False charges of course. Designed to mesh with Starlight’s past as a political activist.” Dr. Twilight shook her head and switched to rubbing her temples. “We’re isolated on this island. If he comes for us quietly, nobody will know enough to fight his claims. The school will be destroyed along with all the lives within it.” She placed a hand on Sunset’s shoulder, and she didn’t immediately pull away. “As for what he’ll gain? Sole access to Starlight’s studies on the science of magic. He’ll have the power to do whatever he wants without repercussions.”

Sunset covered her mouth with both hands. What had she gotten herself into? An international conspiracy? A power-play in which the tools were literal cosmic forces? The murder mystery back home was starting to look like small potatoes. “We have to fight back. Get this out in the open.”

“And speed up his plans?” Dr. Twilight gave Sunset a look she might give to somebody about to smash their own face with a hammer. “We’re already too late to fight it, Sunset. We need to run, or everything we stand for is getting obliterated.”

“Run where?”

“That’s…” Dr. Twilight spread her hands, a look of plea taking hold of her features. “That’s why we need you, Sunset. Only you can get us far enough away to escape Fancy Pants.” She reached out to take the hand Sunset hadn’t set on fire. “Only you can bring us to your Equestria.”

Sunset blanched. She jerked her hand away, but the doctor held on tight. “I… I don’t think I can. Even if I had the tools—”

“You can use any of my devices. Whatever technology you need, you have at your disposal.” Dr. Twilight stared directly into Sunset’s eyes, her two glowing, magical focal points glaring deep into Sunset’s darkest thoughts. “You’ll never get the chance to reconcile if you don’t help us flee.”

Sunset’s gut swirled with a morass of pain and regret. Just looking into the doctor’s eyes seemed to conjure up thoughts of her worst fears realized. “I…”

“Please, Sunset.”

Sunset sucked in a breath, filled with salty sea air. She let it out in a slow hiss. If nothing else, this was a threat she could face. This was a danger she could overcome. “Alright. I think I have an idea how we can get out of here.”

Dr. Twilight jerked her head back. “Already?”

“Yeah. I just need a few parts to build a makeshift magic scanner.” She set off at a jog towards the school. “And I need your biggest antennae!”

Dr. Twilight Sparkle hung back a bit, then quickly caught up with Sunset Shimmer. “I think we have exactly what you need.”

***

Neighsay sat down for a small dinner at his favorite restaurant in Canterlot City, a diner with plenty of grease in its fryers and plenty of cocoa in its milkshakes. He ordered his usual hamburger and small shake, then turned on his phone to peruse the news apps he’d downloaded. Pushing his way past the usual drivel, he spied a mention of the previous day’s attack at the Party Favor Nightclub.

Details were sparse. Good.

His disposable phone beeped. He slipped it out of its hiding place and answered with a clipped “Yes?”

“It happens tonight or not at all.”

The call ended, but Dr. Twilight’s words rang in his ears. He set the phone back in place slowly, carefully, as though it were a bomb that could explode with the slightest misuse. His fingers tapped against the table as fear mingled with anticipation in his brain.

Part of his job was inevitable. They needed the pegasus fairy strings from somewhere, after all, and only one of Starlight’s former students had the build and magical ability to work.

The other part of his job had, unfortunately, been forced upon him and his partner. He scanned the rest of the news article for information about where the suspect had been taken after the scuffle, and found nothing.

“Pardon me,” he said as the waitress brought him his food. “Might you direct me to the local hospital?”

“You lookin’ for the baby hospital or the heart hospital, hun?”

Neighsay gave the older woman a nonplussed, quirked eyebrow. “The one more likely to treat general injuries.”

“Oh, you’re lookin’ for the one downtown.” The waitress pointed outside one of the diner’s large windows. “Take fourth down to Smith St. and take a right. It’s about two miles down. You can’t miss it.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Cake.” Neighsay wrote a quick note on his phone. “May I say this meal is looking lovely.”

“You can say what you want, buddy!” She waved as she walked back to the cash register.

He picked up a fry and gave it a tender nibble. “Hold on to your hat, Wallflower. I’m on my way.”

***

Twilight Sparkle stood just outside the driver’s seat of Shining Armor’s and Sunset’s minivan. Canterlot High stood before her, proud yet quiet. The day’s classes had ended a few hours ago. Now, only the janitorial staff and Principal Luna herself were around to greet the visitors.

The statue of the school’s mascot, a magnificent mare, stood proudly before the front door. A little ostentatious, perhaps, but quite fitting considering the students that had attended there. It lacked wings or a horn, but it still held the same sense of regality that she felt in the presence of Princess Celestia.

Twilight’s phone beeped, breaking the spell. It was from Big Mac. “Mac and Shiny are on their way. They said not to go anywhere dangerous without them.”

Little Spike snickered. “In my experience, there exists no more harrowing place than a school for children.”

“Teenagers, Spike,” Princess Twilight said with a narrowed gaze. “Teenagers.”

Twilight pulled a handheld magic scanner from her pocket, this one tuned specifically to seek out the magic of the Reflection reality. Even with so many inhabitants of Equestria nearby, this one wouldn’t be going off willy-nilly. She tucked it away as Principal Luna approached.

Principal Luna had been trotting along at a strong power-walk, but slowed as Princess Celestia came into view. “C-Celestia? Wha—?”

Twilight caught the concern on Princess Celestia’s face as she examined a woman who looked a good twenty years older than she. “Luna! You look…” The mask of serenity founds its usual peace and settled into place. “Remarkable.”

“You need to give me the name of your skin cream.” Principal Luna placed a hand on her hip and looked Celestia up and down. “Does your Luna look as young as you do?”

Sunburst leaned over the front of the van, spreading a scroll’s worth of scanner data over the hood. “If you don’t mind answering a few questions; have you noticed any strange occurrences around the school lately?”

“Nothing on the level of the—ahem—‘Canterlot High Hoax.’” Luna gave them a half-smile. “I was hoping you could find something. We’re fresh out of cataclysmic events.”

“That’s why we’re here.” Twilight Sparkle moved towards the front door. She activated her miniature scanner, which crackled faintly. “With your permission?”

“Investigate away.” Luna moved with Celestia as the latter hobbled forward on her cane. “Anything to keep the students out of trouble. I’d rather not face a repeat of the Dazzlings. Or Sunset.”

Celestia gazed around the main lobby, her eyes falling to the photographs and trophies that lined the wall. “This is where Sunset Shimmer works, isn’t it?”

“That’s right. She teaches math.” Luna gestured down a hallway. “I can show you, if you’d like. She says you were her teacher back in your world, right?”

“I… was, yes. A long time ago.” Celestia cracked a grin that didn’t feel genuine to Twilight. “I would love to see her classroom.”

“I’ll keep scanning.” Twilight held her magic device high, but didn’t pick up anything significant. “We should know the instant I find something. I think this’ll be quick.”

Princess Twilight and Little Spike followed Luna and Celestia towards the aforementioned classroom, leaving Sunburst to search alongside Twilight. He held the sheet full of readouts close to his face, pushing his glasses up onto his forehead to get a better look. “From the looks of this graph, the source of the signal was near the center of the school. Any idea what this room could be?”

“I never went here. I’ve barely visited.” Twilight found a simple map of the school on the wall. There were quite a few rooms that could have been considered the “middle” of the school. The cafeteria, the gym, a science lab… “It’ll most likely be on the ground floor. I don’t know many natural cave formations that hover in midair.”

“I… would agree with that assessment.” Sunburst folded the notes carefully. “Perhaps a basement area? The closer we can get to earth, the better.”

Twilight adjusted her glasses so they sit more comfortably on her nose. “Maybe deeper than that. It’s possible the school was built on top of the cavern.”

Sunburst’s mouth popped open with a sudden realization. “But there would still have to be access to the cavern itself in order for the magic to have been detected.”

“Which means we won’t necessarily have to get out the shovels.” Twilight Sparkle started walking towards the gym, urging Sunburst on with a waved hand. “Come on. We can come back for the others when we find something concrete.”

Sunburst hiked up the bottom of hid wizard robes so that he didn’t trip. “Yes, ma’am.”

The gym was devoid of Reflection magic. As was the cafeteria. As was the boiler room in close proximity to both of them. Twilight thanked the janitor who’d let them in, then leaned against the lockers. “Was that a bust? I think that was a bust.”

“There’s a whole lot more school to search.”

“Yeah, I know, but that doesn’t mean I have to be happy about—” She leaned upright as two familiar men approached. “Hi, Shiny. Hi, Mac.”

Shining didn’t look himself. His mouth was pulled down in a frown that reeked of discouragement. It seemed odd on his face. Of everybody in their family, he usually seemed like the most put-together. Maybe it was an act. “Find anything?”

“Not especially.” Twilight reached out to squeeze Big Mac’s hand. “You were a student here. Know any weird nooks and crannies we could look at?”

“As long as you don’t rat me out to Luna.” Big Mac’s eye sparkled, even if his mouth remained a serious straight line. “The guys and I had a couple of hangouts most people stay away from. We used to try and psyche each other out by sayin’ the place was haunted.”

They checked the boys’ locker room first, and found no trace of otherworldly energy. For the sake of completeness, the girls’ locker room was also tried, and also found wanting. The sports equipment storage was similarly disappointing, as were the lab rooms they investigated.

After an hour’s worth of nothing, they reunited with the other group. The ten of them gave each other a collective shrug, their hands literally and figuratively empty.

Twilight glared at her handheld scanner, which had remained dead since they stepped foot in the school. “I’m just about out of ideas. There hasn’t been a trace of magic anywhere.”

Little Spike lifted a paw towards the scanner. “Is there any way to boost the range on that thing?”

“If we had an antenna, sure.” Twilight switched the device off to conserve the least bit of battery power. “But this thing’s just proximity-based. It’ll only tell us if we’re close. It’s already got a range of twenty feet, which is a huge boost from my older model.”

Celestia’s fingers drummed the top of her cane in a fierce rhythm. “So we search every room, one at a time, until we find something.”

Luna snorted and crossed her arms over her chest. “This is a big high school, sister. That could take hours, if not days.”

Princess Twilight had remained silent up to this point. She unclenched the hands she held near her waist and falsified a grin on her face. “Alright then! We’d better hop to it if we don’t wanna watch another hour swirl down the drain!”

Twilight looked over the top of her glasses. She flicked the device on. “Say that again?”

Princess Twilight frowned. “Hop to it?”

“No, the other thing, the drain thing!” Twilight walked towards the janitorial closet and thrust a finger at the princess. “You’re brilliant!”

“Because I don’t wanna waste time, or—” Princess Twilight’s eyes lit up. She moved to follow close behind Twilight. “The drain! Of course! I should have guessed the instant we knew the portal was near the school!”

Luna looked at Celestia, who shared her bemused expression. “Yeah. Sorry, kids. You’ve lost me.”

“The portal’s under the school!” Twilight threw the door open and bent down. A tiny drain sat in the center of the floor, surrounded by damp mops. She held the scanner close. The faint crackle of detected magic sounded like sweet, sweet music to her ears. “In the sewers!”

Little Spike frowned up at Sunburst, his muzzle quirked to one side. “She’s waaaaay too excited for somebody who’s just decided to hop down a toilet.”

Shattered Reflections

Starlight Glimmer sat on her office chair, her head in her hands. She peered through her fingers at Dr. Twilight. “You can’t be serious.”

“Serious as a heart attack.” Dr. Twilight Sparkle paced back and forth in the tiny office. She didn’t have much room to move before invading others’ personal space. “It seems that while you didn’t make much of an impression on the populace, the upper echelons of the hierarchy were all too quick to take notice.”

There were five of them in the office, Starlight and Double Diamond on one side, Dr Twilight and Dulcimer on the other, and Sunset seated between them. The night dragged on into its darkest hours, where neither moon nor sun showed their face. Starlight Glimmer would already have been testy after having been woken in the middle of her rest, but with the added news of the coming invasion…

“You gotta have proof, right?” Double Diamond spoke wisdom into the tense room. “You aren’t just telling us this on a hunch, and we’re not about to take Dulcimer at his word.”

“I’m deeply touched,” Dulcimer said. “But I’m afraid your mistrust is misplaced.”

He produced a phone from his pocket and set it on Starlight’s desk. An audio file was queued up to be played. He gestured her onward. She pressed the play button and sat back.

The unmistakable voice of Prime Minister Fancy Pants flew to her ears. “The riots are getting to be far more than police can realistically handle! It’s gone far past mere protest to complete civic unrest. And for what? Blueblood taking the throne? The royalty haven’t had real political power for years! He couldn’t do more than ‘embarrass’ us on the international front!”

A second voice, this one much less suited for television, answered him. “Appearance matters far more than policy when it comes to politics, sir.”

“Quite right! Which is why I feel my solution to the problem could have long-lasting effects for us all.”

Starlight Glimmer gripped her armrests tight, digging into the fabric with her carefully-manicured nails. He was speaking to a member of parliament, one who held office in her hometown. Another grey-haired narcissist who had more power than he was worth.

Fancy Pants continued: “The fact is that no matter how destructive these riots are, to match them head-on would give their supporters enough ammunition to vilify us in the public eye. What we need is a show of force that does not mark us as villains, but saviors. To show these malcontents that we are not weak, and not even the crowning of Blueblood can change that.”

“You’re suggesting another target? An indirect target?”

“How would the general public feel if they found out that known anti-monarchist Starlight Glimmer was raising a school of militants subversives right on Highborn Isles soil?”

Starlight swore. “We’re not militant!”

“Is she?”

“Appearances matter more than facts, Upper Crust. And I think the populace would feel downright threatened.”

“Take that bullplop and toss it in the sea!” Starlight swung herself around, rolling right up to her jar of hard candy. She popped a watermelon-flavored sweet into her mouth. “I always protested peacefully! Always! I don’t have the stomach for damaging public property, burning mom and pop shops, or throwing bricks through the windows of families! And I’m certainly no f—”

“Starlight,” Sunset muttered.

“—fffriggin’ terrorist!” Starlight Glimmer rolled her eyes. “What do you have against expression?”

Sunset let out a puff of breath. “It hurts my ears.”

“Unfortunately,” Dulcimer said, cutting in with a keen glance, “if Fancy Pants says you are a militant, they will have to believe him. He’s the one they’re going to report on. He’s the one with actual authority in this government.” He shrugged, then crossed his arms. “If he says you’re arming civilians against the crown, who are you to disagree?”

Double Diamond’s already-pale face blanched all the more. “Do we have a time-table?”

“Your freedom is measured in days.” Dulcimer stuffed the phone into its secret pocket. “Not nearly enough time to relocate in an area where Fancy Pants has no influence. Nobody’s going to accept refugees from the Highborn Isles.”

All eyes in the room turned to Sunset Shimmer. She locked eyes with Starlight, her breath caught up in her throat.

“Sunset…” Starlight swallowed hard. “Are you willing to open a door to your world to save the school?”

“Knowing what I know…” Sunset clenched her fists and rested them on her knees. “Yes. We can’t let this place die. It’s not fair. Not to you, not to your students, not to the world. This knowledge has to be protected.”

“Then it’s settled.” Dr. Twilight Sparkle rested a hand on Sunset’s shoulder. “Sunset and I will work to locate a portal. The rest of you need to help the others pack. We’re going to make it. One way or the other.”

Double Diamond narrowed his eyes at Dulcimer who, to Starlight’s mind, seemed far too satisfied for his own good. “Is there anything we can do to help?” Diamond asked.

“I have a list of equipment we need.” Sunset passed him the handwritten page. “It’s going to be rough and makeshift, but self-made is self-assured.”

Dulcimer steepled his fingers. “Shall we, then?”

***

Twilight Sparkle lifted a manhole cover with ease, setting it to the side and peering down into the murky depths. “It doesn’t smell too bad.”

“We’ve barely scratched the surface.” Shining Armor set a bunch of orange cones around the open cover, supplied by Vice Principal Luna. He passed Twilight a heavy flashlight. “Who’s going down?”

“That’ll be me,” Big Mac said, hefting a rope. “Twilight… both Twilight’s, that is. Spike. An’ you.”

“I’m coming, too.” Princess Celestia hobbled close, leaning heavily on her cane. Sturm and Drang brought up the rear, protest in their eyes, but having not quite made it to their lips yet. “At least to see the portal. This is as close to Sombra as I’ve been in over twelve years.”

“I have to advise against it.” Princess Twilight stopped Celestia with a hand upon her cane. “It’s going to get cramped down there, and your maneuverability is reduced.”

Sturm and Drang nodded firmly.

Little Spike trotted past with a wagging tail. “Besides, we’ll be fine. Two super-mages and two of the strongest people around, plus a fire-breathing dragon? We can handle any trouble we find.”

Celestisa shut her eyes. “I have no doubt in your capabilities, Spike. It’s not about that. It’s about… closure.”

“I’m sorry, princess.” Princess Twilight gave Celestia a gentle hug. “Sometimes things go unsaid. I know you’ll get your chance someday, but… right now, we have other concerns.”

“Yeah.” Little Spike descended into the manhole first, a headlamp tied to his forehead. “I doubt we’ll even find Sombra in the first place. He’s probably being held back by the Reflection’s Celestia and Luna. And Captain Goodguy. And the others…”

Princess Celestia closed her eyes with a heavy sigh. She gently pulled away from Princess Twilight’s touch. She turned her back to the manhole and bobbed her head gently. “I see. I understand. You have the right of it. It’s just…”

She turned, and Twilight was taken aback by the devilish gleam in her eye. “You’ll have to catch me, first.”

She spread her hands and blinded everyone with a flash of pure white light. Twilight fell back against Big Mac, who caught her with a strong grip. She held onto his arms tight until the dazedness cleared.

By then, all she saw of Celestia was a trail of sparks leading down into the sewers.

Sunburst’s jaw dropped. “Ulp. There she goes.”

Little Spike rubbed his eyes and peered downward. “Wha—! She just jumped down! How?”

Princess Twilight pushed past Sturm and Drang, gritting her teeth. “Celestia! Get your butt back here right now!”

“Incredible!” Sunburst knelt by the manhole, grasping his glasses so they didn’t slide into the darkness. “When she was visiting other worlds, she must have learned how to harness other forms of magic—!”

“Thank you, Dr. Science!” Twilight Sparkle slung herself over the edge of the roadway, taking the rungs two at a time. Little Spike hurried up so that he wasn’t run over. “If we don’t wanna lose her between worlds, we probably wanna move it!”

“I swear, Celestia!” Princess Twilight shouted. “If I gotta pull your bacon out of the fire because of Sombra again—”

“Less talking.” Shining Armor eased himself down, but not before checking that his pistol was secure in its harness. “More climbing!”

Big Mac checked the safety on his rifle and strapped it to his back. He gave Sunburst, Strum, and Drang a small wave—“Nice tah meet yah.”—and climbed after the others.

As Sturm began his descent, Princess Twilight shouted up. “You two stay here and help Skyhook protect our families! That’s an order!”

Unable to protest without a breach of duty, the two soldiers glanced at each other with dour expressions.

Sunburst turned to see Principal Luna running towards them. He gave her a lopsided grin. “So. Any idea how to replace a manhole cover without pulling a muscle?”

Twilight Sparkle’s legs got soaked up to the shin immediately. The water was stale, but not quite repugnant. She continued to move forward, following the trail of Celestia’s magic-assisted charge. There could be only one place the princess was going. There was only once chance to stop her before she did something they’d all regret. Deep in her heart, she knew there was no way to convince Celestia not to go. Twilight would have done the same if Big Mac was in jeopardy.

The best shot they had to keep her safe was to be by her side.

Before long, they found her dead ahead.

Celestia was breathing heavily, her hand on a wall. She glanced up at the approaching flashlights and headlamps. “I… I can’t get through… I need help.”

“Are you crazy!” Princess Twilight echoing shout was not a question in any sense of the word. “We almost lost you once and the entire kingdom erupted into chaos! Is that what you want? Another Cloudsdale Incident?”

Celestia’s eyes shone with unshed tears as she strained her jaw. “Twilight, please, try to understand.”

“No! I understand perfectly!” Princess Twilight’s finger was inches away from prodding Celestia in the nose. “I should never have let you come to this world in the first place! But noooo, I had to make the mistake of trusting you!”

Little Spike pushed them apart with his forepaws. “Twilight, stop it! You’re just upset and saying things you don’t mean!”

Princess Twilight pushed Little Spike’s head down. “Look at me, Celestia! Look me in the eye and tell me you’re marching right back to Sturm and Drang and staying put!”

“I have to know, Twilight!” Celestia reached out to put her hands on Princess Twilight’s shoulders. “Even if there’s no hope, I have to know for sure! Please, just let me have this—”

Princess Twilight scowled, a dark expression that scared Twilight to the core. Her voice was hushed, yet sharp. “You’ve already risked both our worlds over this fillyhood crush. You wanna do it again?”

Princess Celestia, Diarch of Equestria, hung her head and stepped back from her former student.

Twilight Sparkle glanced down at Little Spike to see him glaring at the younger princess. He let out a huff and walked away, to pace behind Big Mac and Shining.

Twilight sucked in a breath and reached for her counterpart. “Hey.”

“What?” Princess Twilight swung around to bring her white-hot gaze to Twilight.

Twilight flinched, but didn’t back down. “Haven’t you ever wanted something so bad you couldn’t live without it?”

The princess closed her eyes with a sigh. She looked past Twilight and pointed to the wall. “We don’t always get the luxury of prioritizing what we want.”

Twilight turned. The wall was full of cracks and loose bricks. She held up her magic sensor and was rewarded with a crackle of energy. “This is it. This is where the portal is.”

Big Mac gripped the strap of his rifle tight. “So… we can’t bring our firearms on school grounds—”

“By the time we get close enough, we’ll be in a whole other world.” Princess Twilight touched the wall and sent magic to her fingertips. “No good. I can’t budge them.” She turned to Twilight with an expectant look.

Twilight Sparkle nudged her aside with an elbow. None too gently, at that. Princess Twilight threw her hands up and sulked off down the tunnel.

Placing her hands on the wall, Twilight pushed magic deep, deep, deep into the stone. She felt pure lifeforce slide between bricks, encircling loose dirt, reaching forward until she found a hollow spot in the earth. The magic within was odd, yet familiar. Much like the portal to the princess’ Equestria, yet with a resonance all its own. They had for sure found it.

She shuffled the wall in her grasp, edging aside anything that was loose, shoring up anything that could crumble. Sweat trickled down her back as her heart pumped a strong, steady beat. Magic flowed through her body and into her work, gleaming in the tunnel brighter than any flashlight. She sucked in a breath, let half of it out, and shoved with all her might.

The wall came away and transformed into a tunnel straight from the sewer to a dark room, hidden beneath the foundations of Canterlot High.

Twilight Sparkle eyes her handiwork with a sigh of relief. She took a swig from a water bottle Shining passed her. “Everyone… douse your lights.”

Big Mac and Shining Armor raised their eyebrows, but Little Spike complied immediately. The two princesses followed soon after. With a bit of visible reluctance, Shining flicked off his flashlight. For a moment there was darkness, then a warm glow filled the distant room.

“Of course,” Shining whispered into the gloom. “Bioluminescence. Just like the other portal.”

Big Mac stepped forward, taking point as the group moved slowly forward. “Y’sure it’s bio-luminescent? Don’t look like anythin’s alive in there.”

“Unless the portal itself is a living organism.” Twilight Sparkle stepped aside and lifted a hand to indicate the new tunnel. “Princess?”

Princess Twilight took a step, but Twilight stopped her with a shake of her head. “No. I meant Celestia.”

The younger princess crossed her arms. “This is bigger than just us, Twilight.”

“Yeah. It’s got to do with true love.” Twilight matched the princess in her stance, even if she could never match her in stature. She tilted her chin back to look the princess in the eye. “Or at least as close to true love as can exist in the world. Are we or are we not super-wizards capable of protecting a third super-wizard?”

Princess Twilight Sparkle’s eyes lost their hardness, replaced with a deep-seated pain. “You’re making a mistake.”

“You’re not always right.” Twilight brushed her bangs away from her glasses. “And when we get back, we are sitting down and having a long conversation with the doctor.”

“Then I hope we find what we need.” Princess Twilight moved aside so that Celestia could walk towards the glimmering, reflected light.

The pool was nearly identical to the one in the woods, save for perhaps a slightly different shade of blue-green to the water. The crystals shone all around with their warm, inviting power. It was as lovely as it was mysterious. The water tingled at the touch, and reflected perfect images of each of them as they stood around it.

The water rippled out from Twilight’s fingertip. Her mirrored face split to pieces as it was lapped away. “Who goes in first?”

“I will.” Everyone turned to face Little Spike, who knelt before the pool ready to leap. “I can make sure everything’s ship-shape on the other side. Why don’t you follow me, Twilight? Then my Twilight can come in with Celestia.”

Princess Celestia bowed her head respectfully. “That sounds wise, Spike.”

Princess Twilight gave him a shallow nod, her mouth a grim line.

Little Spike gave them a halfhearted grin—“Bottoms up.”—and jumped into the pool. He vanished without a trace.

Twilight’s smile at her brother and boyfriend was a little more sincere, and a little more regretful. “You’re about to experience something so weird, words can’t do it justice. You know, the whole ‘pony’ thing?”

Shining Armor smirked, in that way he smirked before doing something he knew was going to suck. “I’m sure I’ve seen worse.”

Big Mac just stared into the pool with wide eyes.

Twilight Sparkle gave her counterpart a nod, pinched her nose, and jumped in feet-first.

Even having experienced it before, she was unprepared for the bizarreness of it all. She felt her body morph as she fell through a kaleidoscope of impossible colors. The one thing she had over her previous trips was an understanding of magic, and she felt the transmogrification spell work overtime to reconfigure her into a denizen of this strange alternate world. At the same time, she felt her connection with her own magic strengthen. Intensify. Like removing weights from her limbs. She felt lighter than air, and stronger than an ox. She felt like she was breathing clean air for the first time in her life.

The sensation ended as she spilled out of the other side of the pool. She found herself clawing at sandy soil in an effort to pull herself from the water. She couldn’t get a good handhold, because she had no hands. Two hard hooves lay at the end of her forelegs. She forced her four legs to move in concert, the hind legs shoving, and the forelegs scooping. Eventually, she found herself on dry land, the water spilling off of her of its own accord on its way back to the pool.

She checked her forty-four caliber handgun. It was safely strapped to her chest, just beneath her jacket. Although, she thought as she peered at her horn, perhaps she had more powerful weapons at her disposal now.

The cave she was in was shallow, with the entrance mere feet away. The sky outside was dark and gloomy, clouds and dust filling the air. She stumbled her first few steps, but soon allowed instinct to take over. “Spike! Spike, where are you?”

Dry grass covered the entrance to the small cave. It crackled as she pushed it aside. “Spike! Are you there? Sp—”

A blood-chilling roar split the air and did its best to stop Twilight’s heart. She spun around and saw a wall of claws and teeth bared and baring down on her. She had time to send a quick spell through her horn, just enough to bat the beast off course. It crumped to the ground and was swallowed up with a cloud of dust.

Twilight skittered backwards as fast as she could, sending more magic to her horn. She kept her eyes on the churning dust, which thrashed and roiled as the beast within got to its feet and let out another horrific roar. The monstrous thing leaped at her once more, glaring at her with blazing, green eyes.

A purple dragon rushed past her and decked the beast across the face with a blow that Twilight felt rattle her bones. Little Spike grappled with the beast, grasping at its jaws and attempting to wrestle it to the ground. “Twilight, run!”

The beast’s horrible roar clawed against Twilight’s ears, and she heard a distinct word: “No!”

Twilight’s mouth fell open as her ears hung limp beside her head. The dust cleared and the beast came into view. Purple and green scales covered its body. Green fire licked from its mouth. Glistening eyes glared daggers of rage. Scars covered every inch of the monster’s body.

Little Spike saw it at the same moment she did. His grip loosened for a critical moment. “Oh no—”

The beast threw him to the ground. It wrapped its claws around his neck and squeezed with all its might. Little Spike clawed with equal force at the frenzied creature’s muscular arms. He tried to choke words out, but nothing could get past the beast’s deadly grip.

Figuring fire wouldn’t affect what was clearly a dragon, Twilight let loose with a cone of ice. She froze the creature’s head solid for a critical moment. Little Spike kicked with his hind legs and flung the beast away. Green fire belched from the beast’s mouth, shattering the ice and vaporizing it in an instant.

Little Spike got to his feet and braced himself for another impact. “We don’t wanna hurt you! W—”

The beast leapt, ready to continue the tussle, but halted in midair. He struggled in the midst of a bubble of solid magic. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw who was holding him.

Princess Twilight Sparkle marched forward, her head low, her horn ablaze. Princess Celestia walked slowly behind her, her walking stick strapped to her back. The younger princess brought the beast close to her. When she spoke, her voice was firm, yet her eyes were—simply and undeniably—sad.

“Please, they told you the truth.” Princess Twilight Sparkle set the beast on the ground, but did not remove the magic seal. “We don’t want to hurt you. Will you trust us just that far… Spike?”

The mirror Spike swiveled his gaze between Princess Twilight and Twilight Sparkle. He looked close at the princess, his eyes narrowing, until realization and sorrow overtook him in equal parts. “You aren’t my Twilight. Neither of you are.”

He raised a claw to point at Celestia. “You, though. You’re his Celestia, aren’t you?”

Celestia put a hoof to her scarred chest. “I don’t know what you mean.”

The other Spike shook his head, his eyes turned downward. “Yes you do.”

Princess Twilight released him from the magic cage. He put a hand to his mouth and shouted. “It’s alright to come out! We’re not in danger!”

Twilight Sparkle jerked her head around as ponies appeared over the crests of the hills that surrounded the cave. They were all dressed in light armor, wrapped in rags, and armed with a variety of homemade spears. She counted ten, twenty, thirty… a chill ran down her spine at the thought of fighting them all.

Even surrounded, Princess Twilight didn’t look concerned. Neither did Little Spike for that matter; he just looked ready for anything. The newly-revealed army drew around them in a circle, until they were practically shoulder-to-shoulder.

One unicorn mare with an orange coat and a pale-green mane stepped forward. Her one good eye, a light shade of pink, glared at them. Judging from the scars on the left side of her face, the black eyepatch wasn’t just for show. “What is your business here?”

Twilight Sparkle’s heart jittered to a stop for a moment. She recognized that voice. “Chief Carrot?”

“I prefer ‘General Care’ around here, actually.” General Care Carrot pulled a face as she looked Twilight up and down. “You sure she’s not the doc, Spike?”

“Yes.” The other Spike’s eyes met Twilight’s. He looked away before she could say anything. “I’d stake my life on it.”

“Not mine, I hope.” General Care gave him a smarmy grin that he didn’t return. With a wave of her spear at the others, she said, “I’ll say it again: What’s your business here?”

Twilight Sparkle cleaned dust off of her glasses with a flicker of magic. “It’s a long story.”

“I’m a patient mare.”

“We’re mostly here about… your Twilight.” Twilight gave her a sheepish grin, one that was about as weak as a toddler’s boxing skills. “The Twilight from your world?”

The other Spike huffed a smoke-filled breath. “I was worried about that.”

Celestia took a step forward and lifted a regal foreleg. “I am also curious about the state of your world in regards to Sombra. May we set up a meeting with your Queen Celestia and Princess Luna?”

One of the soldiers let out a low whistle. General Care looked like she had eaten bad shellfish. “Boy, you guys are really out of touch, huh?”

Princess Twilight rubbed her forehead. “I don’t like the sound of that.”

Little Spike looked to his personal reflection. “Did we come at a bad time?”

“It’s always a bad time.” The other Spike squeezed a fist tight, shutting his eyes against a sand-strewn breeze. “This world is not the same as you left it.”

Splashing came from the cave as two distinct voices screamed in unison, their sense of self having been overturned for perhaps the third time in as many days. The other Spike growled and skidded to a halt, but Celestia reached out a wing.

“Peace, Spike,” she said. “They are more of our number.”

The other Spike’s eyes flashed green in the dim light. Care raised her good eyebrow at Celestia, then sent a questioning shrug to her Spike. He calmed down, and the fire within him went quiet.

Twilight and Little Spike ran into the cave to help Big Mac and Shining Armor get their bearings. Twilight pulled on Big Mac’s foreleg, helping him stumble while trying not to be flattened herself.

“Don’t know what I expected,” he muttered. “Don’t know what the heck I expected.”

Twilight felt a warm, fuzzy feeling in her chest as she looked up to see his familiar, if quite pony, face. “Well, you’ve still got your rugged good looks.”

Little Spike assisted Shining Armor by giving him a shoulder to lean on. Shining wobbled, almost sending both him and Little Spike to the ground. He turned to talk, and got a full view of Twilight and Mac for the first time.

“Ha—Haaaaaaaaaaa!” He nearly doubled over, breathless, his eyes leaking tears. “Oh my G—hahahahaha!”

Big Mac grimaced, Twilight straining to lift his massive hoof. “Tah think I of all folks ’d get self-conscious…”

“I’m sorry—” Shining coughed into what used to be his fist. “It’s just—hehehe—I wasn’t rea—haha—wasn’t ready for it.”

His laughter died when he looked out the cave entrance and found himself faced down by several grim soldiers. He glanced down at his hooves and sucked in his lips. “How’m I supposed to use my pistol with these?”

“You can’t. You’re here for brute strength.” Twilight gave Mac a light shove on the bum that caused him to hobble forward a few tense steps. “Lucky for you, nobody in this world’s invented anything more advanced than a spear.”

“I take a high amount of offense to that,” General Care said. “Now, if you’re all finished invading my country, why don’t we get indoors?”

***

Sunset Shimmer called Twilight’s phone again, once again unable to connect. She sighed and rested her forehead against the doorframe. “They’ve already gone to the other world.”

“Call Luna… or one of your other friends.” Celestia drummed her fingers on her knees, bouncing her leg with nervous energy. “Somebody needs to know what’s going on, Sunset.”

“I know.” Sunset glanced through her contacts. There, Applejack. Sunny was staying at the Apples’. She might be able to get a message around. She pressed the button to call and was rewarded with a familiar ring.

“Hello? Yes, hello?”

The voice was unfamiliar and faint. There was a ruckus as the person on the other end fiddled with the phone. Applejack’s voice spoke, low and frustrated. “No, yah speak into that end and—no, your ear’s on the side of your head now—for gosh sake, just—”

The first person, one with a nasally male voice, came through the speaker loud and clear. “Hello, this is Applejack’s phone! I’m Sunburst, a mage in service to Princess Twilight Sparkle. I assume this is Sunset Shimmer?”

“Um. Yes. This is Sunset Shimmer. Teacher in service… to… Principal Celestia?” Sunset shrugged at Celestia with a mild grimace. “Listen, the situation here has changed. Can you relay a message to the princess?”

“Not at the moment, unfortunately. She left her magic journal back in Equestria.”

“Dang, right.” Sunset Shimmer blew a hot breath through tightly-pressed lips. Magic flames danced before her face before she doused them with a wave of her hand. “The government of the Highborn Isles is going after the school to arrest everybody. I… I’m going to do my best to get everybody here out of their jurisdiction.”

Applejack’s shout of “What!?” was swallowed up by Sunburst’s own.

“The only way to save the school is to take everybody out of the country. Out of the world…” Sunset Shimmer rubbed her forehead. “Get a message to Princess Luna that about fifty people are going to suddenly appear in Equestria.”

Sunburst blathered for a long moment. “Ma’am? Is that wise?”

“Doesn’t matter. It’s our only option right now.” Sunset Shimmer gripped the phone tight. “Tell Sunny and Shiny I love them.”

She hung up.

Sombra walked swiftly through the school’s large central room. He raised a hand to hail Starlight. “Madam! Please, a moment of your time!”

Starlight continued on a beeline towards Sunset. Sombra trailed in her wake. “Wait! Before you do something rash, let me speak with Fancy Pants. He’s my friend! I have to let him know how important this school is. How vital magic is to the world at large. Surely then, he’d—”

“Then he’d know that we know he’s coming!” Starlight whirled on Sombra, and he skidded to a stop. “He’s a politician! They’re all the same! He’s going to squelch any chance he has of word getting out, and right now, that amounts to taking us all into custody. Including you!”

“Yes, my world also lost its sense of joy and freedom a long time ago.” Sombra’s grim expression belied the fire behind his eyes. “That’s why this school is so important! It shows that the gloom and mire of our world is merely a shallow veil over the true vibrance of life, easily pushed aside if one knows how.”

“That ‘gloom and mire’ has the authority of the Royal Guard, Sombra!” Starlight stomped a foot as her fingernails glimmered a bright blue. “That ‘gloom and mire’ is coming for us with arrest warrants! Pretty words aren’t going to stop the school from imploding; only actions can change that!”

She spun further to come face-to-face with Sunset Shimmer. “You ready to start or what?”

Sunset nodded and followed her to the back room of the warehouse, where Dr. Twilight Sparkle’s private laboratory was kept. “Let’s get started on that scanner.”

***

“I vote either ‘Angry Spike’ or ‘Edgy Spike.’”

The group walked through the dusty landscape towards a structure that looked to be comprised of either concrete or solid stone. Twilight Sparkle flicked her ears backward to catch the conversation going on between the two dragons in the party. She couldn’t help but notice that the armed ponies had completely surrounded the new arrivals to the Reflection universe.

The other Spike tilted his filmy ears towards Little Spike. “I’m not sure I understand the necessity of nicknames.”

“That’s what I said, but it really kinda grows on you.” Little Spike waved a claw through the air, gazing off into the murky far-distance. “With all the alternate-universe counterparts running around, we need some way to make sure we mean who we mean, you know?” He gestured to Princess Twilight, then to Twilight herself. “For instance, we now have three different Twilights to deal with!”

The other Spike clicked his tongue. “Yeeeeah, I noticed.”

“So we know we’re talking about my Twilight when we say ‘Princess Twilight,’ and we’re talking about your Twilight when we say ‘Dr. Twilight.’”

“Makes sense, I guess,” the other Spike said with a wince. “What about the third Twilight?”

“Well… exception that proves the rule?”

“That or a statistical anomaly.”

“Fair enough.” Little Spike scratched a dead scale off of his chin. “Back home, whenever she gets brought up, we just sorta call her Sci-Twi.”

Twilight raised an eyebrow. Apt, if a bit twee, as the inhabitants of the Highborn Isles would say.

The other Spike narrowed his eyes. “It’s a bit on-the-nose. And I’m pretty sure all of our Twilights like science.”

Little Spike’s eyes popped wide open. He snapped his fingers with a huff. “Yes, but for her, it’s specifically science over magic.”

“Dude, she froze my head a few minutes ago. Science didn’t do that.” The other Spike placed his claws on his hips. “I’m just saying that if you’re married to this nickname idea, go all the way. Do it right.”

Little Spike quirked his mouth to one side, baring about half of his razor-sharp teeth. “I’m just about ready to call you ‘Pedantic Spike.’”

The other Spike snorted. “Only if you’re willing to be called ‘Half-baked Spike.’”

“I’m already called ‘Little Spike;’ I have no pride left after that.”

“In that case…” The other Spike rubbed his chin in a eerily-similar manner to that of Little Spike. “I’d like to be called ‘Purple Spike.’”

“I’m purple, too!”

“And yet ‘Sci-Twi’ gets a pass?”

Twilight Sparkle turned around and walked backwards to keep the two of them in sight. “Alright, this is getting silly. Spike, what is a characteristic you know of that separates you from Little Spike?”

The other Spike gazed at her with lidded eyes. “That I live in an apocalyptic hellscape where the only law is a thinly-held line of ponies standing between civilization and utter chaos?”

“Definitely Edgy Spike,” Little Spike muttered.

Princess Twilight threw her head back and moaned. “I don’t understand! When we left, King Sombra had taken the evil magic into himself and freed your Celestia and Luna! This place should be a paradise!”

General Care scoffed, turning to the princess with a humorless grin. “What? Is your world a paradise?”

“Well, no, not really.”

“Can’t expect us to be one either. Paradise doesn’t exist in the temporal world we live in, princess.” General Care gritted her teeth and sucked in a breath. “Things went upside-down when you left. Not your fault… You saved both our worlds, so don’t be too down on yourself.”

They arrived at the building, which was guarded by more ponies wrapped in rags like mummies, complete with eye-protecting goggles. The soldier at the door saluted General Care. “General. Sir Spike. Another dust storm is headed our way. We recommend staying inside for the rest of the day.”

“I read you loud and clear, Sturm.” General Care’s one good eye blinked away a smattering of dust. “Looks like you kids get to stay here for a few hours at least. That’ll give us some time to get everybody’s stories sorted.”

Princess Celestia bobbed her head to the mirror-verse Sturm as she passed him by. “Pardon me, but may I ask where Drang might be? I had assumed the two of you would be serving together.”

Sturm sighed. He pushed the goggles up from his eyes, revealing them to be red at the edges. “We were fighting the enemy and got caught in a sudden dust storm. He stayed behind to give us a window to escape.”

Celestia’s ears drooped. The unspoken part of the conversation resounded all the louder. “I’m sorry for your loss, Sturm.”

He gave her a curt nod. “I’m sorry for yours, Your Majesty.”

Water was passed around. Not much, but enough to clear their throats of grime. They circled around a cheap table in the heart of the fortress, though the head seat wasn’t taken by anybody. It seemed reserved for a certain someone Twilight couldn’t guess at.

General Care placed her hooves on the table. “Alright. Who wants to go first? Us or you?”

“If it ain’t too much trouble,” Big Mac said, “I’m havin’ the darndest time just followin’ our side of the story, let alone yours. May I be the first to ask just what in the hey is goin’ on around here?”

“I’ve been in spots like this before.” Shining Armor leaned on the table, his face flinty and immobile. “You guys are fighting a guerrilla war, aren’t you? On the run, low supplies, faced with overwhelming force, with even the weather against you. The question is: Who are you fighting?”

Princess Twilight flapped the dirt from her feathers. “And why can’t we see Celestia or Luna?”

“These questions both have the same answer…” The other Spike pointed northeast, judging by the compass on the table. “Sombra.”

General Care nodded, spreading a map between them with a gleam from her horn. “After King Sombra took the Tantabus into himself, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna sealed him in his castle. Dr. Twilight Sparkle and Spike both remained in the castle to seek a cure for him.”

“We failed,” the other Spike said.

“It’s not your fault, Spike.” General Care placed a warm hoof on his shoulder. “You did nothing wrong.”

“I’m sorry,” Princess Twilight said. “The Tantabus? Isn’t that…” She trailed off without specifying, clearly hoping for the general to fill the void.

General Care looked sick to her stomach. She gave her Spike another pat and eased herself into a chair. “Spike knows more about that than me.”

The other Spike stood up, walked to a shelf, and pulled a scroll from among the dust. “Years ago, Luna was the guardian of dreams. Protecting her people from the dark forces that lurked on the edge of consciousness. But it was too large a job for her to do alone, and so she and Sombra worked together to create a dream guardian, one that could patrol the Dreamworld automatically. Take some of the burden off her…” He laid the scroll in front of Twilight. Most of it was gibberish to her, but she could see that very powerful magic was at play. “Something went wrong. The artificial intelligence in the Tantabus was corrupted by the dark creatures in Dreamland. The Tantabus turned on them. It first infected Celestia, then later Luna.”

“So,” Princess Twilight said, her brow furrowing, “what we’ve been calling ‘evil magic’—”

“Yeah, the Tantabus. It feeds on fear and amplifies it.” The other Spike carefully returned the scroll to its resting place. “Rather than protect the people from Nightmares, it created a link right to them.”

Princess Celestia sat up a little straighter. “And that’s what’s plaguing Sombra right now?”

“That’s why Sombra’s plaguing us!” General Care checked the knot of her ponytail. Finding it satisfactory, she pointed a hoof at Celestia. “The seal on his castle broke, and he killed both Celestia and Luna a few years back. Since then, it’s been up to the Knights of Virtue and the Canterlot Regulars to keep the peace even a little. But we can barely control the sun, and we for sure can’t grow any crops while Sombra’s out there being a horseapple!”

Twilight Sparkle glanced out the door, to where she could just barely see the dust storm rolling in. “No wonder Dr. Twilight wanted to leave.”

A chair snapped in the other Spike’s claws. He looked down at his handiwork, muttered an apology, and walked over to Twilight’s side. “You’ve met the doctor? Actually spoken with her?”

“Kinda?” Twilight eased away from the other Spike until her back was nestled safely against Big Mac’s side. “I talked with her on the phone… We came here to learn more about her.”

General Care’s eye glared a singular, yet fiery, dagger of murderous intent at Twilight. “Where is she?”

“I’m…” Twilight Sparkle’s spine tingled with a fierce sensation of “flee for your life!” “I’m not sure. She’s overseas. Were you… looking for her?”

“Am I looking for the single most-wanted mare in Equestria next to Cadenza the Tyrant?” Care’s voice rose with every word, spittle flying from her mouth. “You’re rutting right I am!”

Twilight’s stomach swam. She gave the outside world one last desperate glance before it was swallowed in dirt and whirlwinds. “Why? What did she do?”

Care stood up so fast that her chair tumbled to the ground. “What didn’t she do?”

“Care!” the other Spike snapped. “Sit down! They don’t know anything!”

General Care flicked her chair upright with a spell and sat down in a huff.

“Twilight…” The other Spike’s voice was soft as he sat on the ground beside her. He reached for her, thought better of it, and let his claws rest on his knees. “My Twilight was the one who broke the seal on the castle. She’s the one who set King Sombra loose on the world.” Tears gleamed in his bright green eyes as he stared straight into hers. “She’s a monster and she needs to be put down.”

Persona Non Grata

Sunset Shimmer stepped into the dark room, and made it in a few steps before Dr. Twilight flicked on the overhead lamps. Many corners of the room were still cloaked in shadows, but many others held blinking lights and a faint yellow glow.

The first thing to draw her eye were the two large vats of glimmering golden liquid, each easily able to hold a human within. A third presumably lay beneath a thick blue tarp. Various monitors produced readouts at the base of each of the glass cylinders. “So… are you canning fruit or brewing alcohol?”

“I’m attempting to synthesize a healing liquid from back home,” Dr. Twilight said, brushing past the vats without a glance. “So far, results have been inconclusive.”

At the back of the room resided a large metal box, dotted with widgets, doohickeys, and lights. Pound for pound, it seemed to be a replica of the magic scanner Twilight had in her home.

The doctor laid her hand on it. “Here it is. My pride and joy. Building this did a lot to help me understand how magic works in your world.” She offered Sunset a small smile. “Well, in our adoptive world.”

Sunset Shimmer flicked the “on” switch, and the device came to life. She began to unspool the copper wire she’d carried on her shoulder. “This looks about right. Like, exactly what we were looking for. I’m almost surprised you didn’t think to modify it with an antenna.”

“Hard to think of everything when you’re the only one thinking.” Dr. Twilight shrugged and took a seat in a nearby office chair. “Anything I can help with?”

“Where’s the main input?”

“Round the back. Check for a loose plate. I always just sent the data to the printer.”

There was just enough space for a Twilight Sparkle to squeeze between the rear wall and the back of the machine. Unfortunately, Sunset Shimmer was just a bit taller and a bit… well, long story short she didn’t quite fit. “I need a hand with this. Not enough room.”

Dr. Twilight rolled her eyes. “Curse of the beanpole.” She hefted herself upright and took the offered end of copper wire. “What’m I doing with this?”

“Dovetail the wires with the copper connectors, then seal them with electric tape.” Sunset Shimmer turned the machine off to prevent any sort of electro-magical disturbances. Dr. Twilight made short work of the task. “Yeah, like that. The connection look secure?”

“As secure as we can manage.” Dr. Twilight brushed a cobweb from her button-up shirt. For a brief second, Sunset caught her staring intently at the vats across the room.

Sunset let her curiosity get the better of herself. She approached the cylinders and reached out a hand. “It’s actually really pretty. Kinda like a lava-lamp—”

Dr. Twilight's hand caught Sunset’s wrist in a firm grip before she could touch the glass. Sunset acted on her first instinct and jerked her hand away, leaving her skin to be scratched by the nails in the doctor’s tightly-bound fist.

Sunset hissed, grasping the scraped skin and seeing a small amount of blood leak out between the cracks.

Dr. Twilight covered her mouth. “Oh, gosh! I’m so sorry! I’ll—I’ll get antiseptic—”

“It’s just a scratch…” Sunset frowned at the minor injury. She heaved a sigh. “Seriously.”

“I’m sorry, I just…” Dr. Twilight glanced at the vat, then rubbed her forehead. “They’re still in a prototype state, and I don’t know how they’ll react to Equestrian magic. I didn’t want you to hurt yourself.”

Sunset shook her head and gave the doctor a tiny smile. She held up her white-and-red-streaked wrist. “Mission accomplished?” She turned away to hide her annoyance. What could she have possibly done to hurt the experiment? “But I’m pretty sure we both have the same magic, Twilight. It’s just that the ambiance is different in this world.”

“I’m sorry. I… I really don’t want to take a chance.” Dr. Twilight rubbed the bridge of her nose. “I’ll try to be more verbal next time.”

“Please. My wrists beg you.” Sunset made her way to the scanner’s main screen and began to dial in the data her Twilight had used to scan for portals to Equestria. With any luck, there’d be one in the vicinity of the Highborn Isles. If not… they’d cross that bridge when they came to it. She tugged her shirt sleeve back to prevent the faint bleeding on her wrist from staining the cuffs. “Now we just wait for the folks on the roof to let us know the connection’s complete.”

“And then…” Dr. Twilight glanced to the ceiling, her glimmering eyes taking on a distant glaze. “Still more waiting.”

“Hurry up and wait. That’s generally how these things work.”

Dr. Twilight sent magic flowing from her fingertips to unspool the copper towards the door to her lab. She tilted her head to urge Sunset to follow her.

Sunset hazarded a guess. “Not a fan of having visitors in your lab?”

“I like to think of it as my private space, so no.” Dr. Twilight Sparkle folded her hands over her stomach and bounced on her heels. “There aren’t many secluded spots on this tiny island.”

“I’ve noticed.” Sunset’s hand went to her phone, situated as it was in her pocket. She wanted more than anything to speak with her Twilight. Or maybe Shining… nah, she wasn’t quite ready. Although, given what was happening around them, it might be her last chance to talk with him for quite some time.

Except that he had gone with Twilight to the other world, on a mission to find out just what was up with the doctor.

The doctor in question lowered her head slightly. “I am sorry for dragging you into this. I thought the school was low-key enough that you’d fly completely under the radar.”

Sunset closed her eyes. Stress leaked down from her shoulders to her fists, congealing as a faint tongue of flame radiating from her hands. She quenched the fire with her next conscious thought. “I knew what I was getting into. I knew the Highborn Isles were in the middle of a really painful time in history. But I came anyway.” She shook her head, staring at her smoldering hands. “I think the allure was too great for my better judgement to kick in.”

Dr. Twilight raised an eyebrow. “You liken it to jumping through the mirror fifteen years ago?”

“Maybe…” Sunset winced as she pushed the painful memories from her sight. “Look, I know I have a habit of jumping from bad situations to worse situations. I’m not even sure how to avoid it. It just seems to follow me. No matter what I do, every time I chase a dream… it ends badly.”

“I know—” Dr. Twilight clicked her tongue. She steeled herself with a shallow breath and plunged ahead. “I know that feeling. It’s the same thing for me. When I was young, I wanted nothing more than to learn at Sombra’s school and become a great mage. I wanted to support my family. Save my brother. Instead, my first spell ended up killing my parents.”

The words struck Sunset right in the heart. “I’m so sorry. I can’t imagine…”

“I was admitted into the school, but under the close watch of King Sombra himself.” Dr. Twilight let out a rueful, baleful laugh. “I was his personal student, but partially to protect the other students from me.” She wiped tears from her eyes. Not large, weeping tears, but more a faint aftershock of an old sorrow. “When your Celestia returned to him, I thought for sure she would help us protect the world from the dark Queen Celestia and Luna. I was wrong then, too. When Sombra sacrificed himself, my entire world turned upside down.” The doctor’s lopsided grin didn’t reach her glowing, tired eyes. “I was honestly trying to get to your world in the first place. Just to find somewhere I belonged. I ended up here instead. Life’s funny like that.”

Sunset bit her lower lip. “I guess we’re very alike in that regard. Both fleeing from a world we thought was unfair. Both seeking paradise and finding… this one.”

“Not quite paradise, but I’ve found good people here.” Dr. Twilight rested a hand on Sunset’s shoulder. “Good people who will stick by me to the bitter end.”

Sunset laughed. “It’d better not be bitter. We’ve worked too hard for this.”

Starlight Glimmer ran up the staircase from the indoor courtyard. She shouted as she neared the back room of the school. “Double Diamond and Skyhook got everything set up! We’re ready to begin the scan!”

Sunset Shimmer swirled around on her heel and marched double-time to the control panel. She activated the pulse, and the machine began its heavy mechanical chug. “Come on, baby, do your stuff.”

Even though it was the dead of night, the students of the school gathered in the courtyard in varying states of either dressed or pajamaed. Starlight ran back to the railed overhang to get a vantage point on them all. She leaned on the guardrail and addressed the students as a whole. “I’m sorry, everyone. I have terrible news. All attendees of this school are soon to be declared enemies of the state.”

The uproar was instantaneous and deafening. Sunset could hear it clearly from Dr. Twilight’s lab. She walked to the door and leaned on the frame, watching the vaguely-familiar faces twist in worry and anger. It took a solid minute for Starlight to regain their attention, but a flashy spell from Dr. Twilight assisted in that.

Starlight’s version of the threat was condensed, but comprehensive enough. After a brief speech, she came to the core conceit. “The only way we can see out of this, getting away with our freedom intact, is to travel to the world that Sunset Shimmer came from fifteen years ago. She knows the leadership there, and they will no doubt offer us safe passage to anywhere we could hope to go.” She took in a shuddering breath, her knuckles going white against the railing. “It’s either go with Sunset, or live in prison for the rest of our lives. You’ve got a few hours to decide. I suggest everybody gets some rest, because we might have to move at a moment’s notice.”

Chrysalis rushed up to Dr. Twilight and touched her arm to get her attention. “Just got a message. You need to look at it.”

The doctor opened her mouth in apparent protest. She glanced between Sunset and the scanner behind them.

Sunset gave her a firm nod. “I’ll watch the scanner. You go ahead and take care of whatever.”

“That’s not…” Dr. Twilight’s cheek twitched. She grasped Chrysalis none-too-gently on the elbow. “Good idea, Sunset. Just… please promise not to touch anything in the lab. I have some very sensitive equipment.”

Sunset flashed a double thumbs-up, grinning like an idiot to showcase a tiny amount of levity. “You got it! Good ol’ dependable me.”

“Alright.” Dr. Twilight cast one final glance into the lab. “I trust you.” She left with Chrysalis, heading to the right side of the second floor and disappearing in the computer lab.

Celestia hiked up the stairs, escaping the rambling, confused crowd to reach Sunset. “So, how’s it going? Can you really get us to another world?”

“That’s what I’m going to find out.” Sunset gave Celestia a grin, one just as plastic as the one she’d given the doctor. “It’ll work out. Sure it’ll work out.”

Celestia gritted her teeth. “You’re not filling me with confidence.”

“It is difficult for one to give something one does not have.” Sombra’s gray-haired visage loomed close to Celestia, his expression as brittle as his clipped tone. “I suspect this is but a last-ditch effort on your part, Mrs. Shimmer.”

“Got it in one, Doc.” Sunset walked into the lab to make sure the device was functioning properly. Celestia and Sombra gave chase. “I’m pretty sure it’s an only-ditch effort, unless either of you can fight an entire nation’s police force?”

Celestia threw her hands out. “What do I look like? The queen?”

“I am surprised the betrayal came from Fancy Pants rather than Dulcimer.” Sombra folded his arms and cupped his chin in one hand, gazing out the door to the lab. He rubbed his goatee gently as he patently ignored both women’s barbed comments. “I have found him to be a dark individual, capable of more than he lets on.” He sighed, turning his cool blue eyes down. “But I thought the opposite of Fancy Pants, and look where we find ourselves.”

Celestia tied her hair out of the way and sat in Dr. Twilight’s office chair. “At least we’ll get off easily. Sunset and I’ll be deported, and you’ve got connections that go all the way up. It’s the rest of these poor people I’m worried about.”

“If Fancy Pants is willing to attack the school while I’m still here…” Sombra narrowed his eyes, his heart nearly visibly breaking. “I am not certain of anything anymore.” He knelt before her, his crystal-coated leg clanking against the floor. “But I do know one thing… Where you go, I go. Where you stay, I stay. I will not leave your side this time, Celestia.”

Celestia pressed her lips tight. “Sombra, I can’t—”

“If my life is truly to change, then I shall change it for the better in this, the last way I am able.” Sombra took her hand in his. “I’ll not make the same mistake twice.”

It took both of Celestia’s hands to match Sombra’s for sheer size. She clutched his close to her chest, looking him in the eye with tears running down her cheeks. “Sombra, I need to be honest.”

“Yes,” he said, his expression unflinching, his voice steady and deep. “You do.”

Celestia stood up and walked away from him. Sunset was left feeling useless as her friend and mentor walked past, not sparing her a glance. She had to focus on watching the monitor and give the two of them what little privacy she could afford.

“Celestia, our dreams were beautiful,” Sombra said. “We’ve helped so many young people find their way. But…” He clenched at the heart of his long jacket, shutting his eyes against the sight of his dear one retreating. “There is nothing in my life that is worth losing you.”

Sunset’s eyes opened wide. Shining’s face sprung to mind immediately. His warm smile. His kind, inviting eyes. His strength of heart. No, she thought. No force of magic in the world would be worth losing him. Part of her wanted to shout this to Celestia, to tell her friend not to lose sight of what truly mattered. But she kept quiet. It was a choice Celestia had to make on her own.

Celestia hugged herself tight as she neared the vats of golden medicine. “Sombra, as much as I… care for you…”

Sombra let a silent moment pass before he spoke. “I love you with all my heart, Celestia. So if you chose to return to your life, I will welcome it all the same as if you stayed with me. It is, after all, your life.”

Celestia gently covered her face with a hand. “Oh, Sombra…” She jolted, her head coming up. She stared at the tarp, her open hand suspended before her head. “What on Earth?”

Sunset groaned under her breath at the broken moment. “Stay away from the experiments. Dr. Twilight doesn’t want anybody contaminating them.”

“Experiments?” Celestia’s tear-stained face turned to Sunset with a look bordering on horror. “Sunset… what is this? It looks… alive.”

Sunset tilted her head to the side. She saw the tarp, but more importantly, she saw a sliver of the cylindrical vat beneath it. A strand of gold, like a gilded threat, trailed through the yellow liquid. She eased herself closer, mesmerized by the graceful dance it performed, like a spiderweb tugged by a breeze. She sucked in a breath. She’d seen something like it before, but only in textbooks.

Equestrian textbooks.

She raised a hand alight with magical power, and used a spell to nudge the tarp aside. It came away easily enough. The strand of golden thread was joined by countless others, all formed vaguely in the shape of a stick figure. At its center was a beating golden heart.

Sunset sucked in a sharp breath, grasping her throat as the rushing air rasped at it. “Oh my God.”

Celestia was joined by Sombra, whose face had grown only more severe. “Sunset?” Celestia said. “What is it?”

“F-fairy strings.” Sunset coughed. She felt light-headed. Fear ran up and down her spine helter-skelter with the thundering beat in her chest. “Fairy strings pulled from a person. A dead person.”

Sombra’s mouth dipped open. “What are you saying?”

Sunset Shimmer turned away from the three tubes, one filled, the others awaiting fresh victims. “When those are pulled from someone’s body, they leave the rest of the person dehydrated; almost mummified. And unmistakably, irreversibly dead.” Sunset happened upon a worse truth than that, her heart threatening to explode into pure fire. Anger seethed at her pores. Fire blazed from her fingernails. “Sombra, the doctor killed your sister.”

Sombra’s cool, stony expression shattered in a volcanic eruption. “She what?”

“Is that what you truly believe?”

The three of them spun to face the woman at the door. Dr. Twilight Sparkle gazed dispassionately at them, her hands behind her back. “If you are truly willing to believe the worst of someone without solid evidence, are you really worth having as friends?”

This time, Sunset couldn’t have extinguished her hands if she had wanted to, so bright was the fire in her heart. “You killed someone to get those fairy strings. You just try and explain the coincidence.”

Dr. Twilight’s eyebrows rose ever-so-slightly. She gave the three of them a sardonic smile. “Hmm. Good point. I really am suspect number one, aren’t I?”

Sombra’s right hand roared with power. A craggy spike fashioned itself into a solid-crystal sword. He swung it overhead, its keen edge on a fast-track to split Dr. Twilight’s head in two.

She took half a step to the left and avoided the strike completely. She flicked two of her shimmering fingers and ripped the sword right out of Sombra’s hand. Her next flick cracked his prosthetic down the middle and sent him tumbling like a bag of rocks to the floor.

Sunset opened her hand wide and sent fire roaring towards the doctor. She was met with a whirlwind that caught the fireball and reformed it into a puff of superheated smoke. While Dr. Twilight cast the attack aside with one hand, her left hand pointed two fingers right at Sunset’s chest.

Lightning coursed through Sunset’s body, blasting her across the room. She hit an invisible wall before she could hit the magic scanner. Dr. Twilight opened her hand palm-up and set Sunset face-first into the ceiling.

With her other hand holding Sombra against the floor, Dr. Twilight smirked at Celestia. “Will that be enough, or do you have something to add, princess?”

Celestia glared pure hatred at Dr. Twilight. “You b—!”

“Ut, ut!” Dr. Twilight glanced at the ceiling. “Sunset has a thing about cursing.” She sighed, flipping Sunset over so that she could look into the other woman’s eyes. “It’s not as bad as you think. Trust me. We have to work together if we want to get these people to safety.”

Sunset spat, but due to the spell, the saliva dripped back up into her own face. “I’m not helping you with anything, murderer!”

Dr. Twilight Sparkle scoffed. “So all these people are going to pay the price because you think I’m a bad person? That’s some kinda justice, sister.”

Sombra’s voice was hoarse with rage as he shouted. “Is that Raven? Is that my sister in your prison?”

Out of the corner of her eye, Sunset saw Celestia edge towards Sombra’s discarded sword. She bent down while the doctor was focused on Sunset and Sombra, grasping the handle in both of her slight hands.

Sunset forced herself not to bring attention to Celestia. She attempted to conjure another fireball, but it was extinguished by the doctor’s powerful spell. “Spill it, Twilight! You murdered Raven, and you tried to murder other people, too! You’re going to fail! We have so many people coming to beat the ever-loving tar out of you—!”

Celestia lunged at Dr. Twilight. The sword went right through her neck.

The doctor flickered, discolored, and vanished in a cloud of sparks as the illusion dissipated.

Celestia gazed in disbelief, looking down at the sword for any sign that she wasn’t crazy. She straightened up at the sound of Dr. Twilight’s voice from the doorway. “Very poor decision, Celestia.”

Principal Celestia gasped as lightning struck her, shattering the sword and sending her convulsing to the ground. Sombra’s scream became all the more venomous.

Dr. Twilight strode in, her hands aglow and her expression irritated. “Alright, now that we’ve all got that out of our systems, why don’t we sit down and have a nice chat?”

Another voice hailed from behind the doctor, belonging to Starlight Glimmer. The headmistress of the school stood gap jawed at the sight of three bodies strewn before the doctor. “Twilight! What the hell is going on?”

Dr. Twilight rolled her eyes. “They attacked me and I subdued them.”

Sunset Shimmer looked to Starlight Glimmer. It was possible she was mixed up in all this, she knew it. But if there was the faintest hope that she wasn’t… it might be their only hope. “She’s a murderer! She’s the one who killed Raven! We have to stop her!”

With her willpower running at its maximum, she sent all the magic she could into her right hand. She used the spell to jolt the tarp from the hidden glass cylinder, revealing the fairy strings. “There’s your evidence! She killed to get those fairy strings!”

“What?” Starlight Glimmer’s voice was small. Helpless. Strangled. She stared at the fairy strings with wide eyes, her hands shaking. “But… but you never left the Isles…”

Sunset felt hope swell in her heart. “She has help! My family’s already been attacked! Help us, please!”

Starlight covered her mouth and stumbled away from the vat of fairy strings. She shook her head and looked pleadingly to the doctor. “Twilight… Twilight, please tell me she’s lying. Tell me it’s not true.”

Dr. Twilight lidded her eyes. “It’s not true. Do you believe me?”

Starlight Glimmer leaned against the wall and slid to the floor. Her tremors grew more frequent as she began to hyperventilate. “Oh God, oh God, oh God…”

The hope in Sunset’s heart died as Starlight Glimmer all but passed out. “You can’t get away with this, Twilight.”

“I have to,” Dr. Twilight said, lowering Sunset to a standing position. She pressed her hand against Sunset’s forehead. “Or all of this will have been for nothing.”

A pulse of magic entered Sunset’s brain, and she fell into pitch-black unconsciousness.

***

Twilight Sparkle’s ears fell back against her head. “A… a monster?”

Edgy Spike bobbed his head noncommittally, even if his tone of voice was just as firm as before. ”She lost everything she valued. She broke Sombra free just to cover her escape from our world.”

“But not before taking my eye.” General Care seethed. “As you can imagine, I’d like to return the favor.”

Edgy Spike lifted his head, his forehead furrowed with worry lines. “When we discovered this portal, we thought we could go after her, but couldn’t get out of the cave on the other side. We’ve been stationed at this outpost to guard this portal in case she ever tried to come back.”

“But why did she leave?” Princess Twilight said, her eyes already studying the map laid out on the table. “From what you’ve said, all of this world’s problems started after she left. It sounds like she just broke Sombra out to spite you.”

Edgy Spike stood up, his back to the princess. He looked over his shoulder with a bleary look to his eyes. “She was already being hunted down for… for the other crimes she committed.”

The sound of lively magic filled the room. When Shining Armor moved to stand up, he was stopped by General Care’s hoof on his shoulder. She took in a deep breath to lower her blood pressure just a titch. “Don’t be alarmed. This is just the boss’ way of getting around these days.”

A spiral of sparkles swirled towards the table’s head, their lights growing brighter by the second. Celestia narrowed her eyes, but soon nodded in understanding. Twilight was left to wait in silence as the new arrival completed their spell.

There was a pop, a flash, and a mare appeared in the chair. Her curly mane was swirled with greens and blues, and she was backed by two translucent wings. Two piercing green eyes were framed by large, round glasses, which were wide enough to nearly touch the curved horn on her forehead. Rather than hair or skin, she was covered from head to cloven hooves in a black, hard chitin.

General Care bowed until her nose touched the ground. “Queen Chrysalis. Welcome back to the border.”

“Thank you, General.” Chrysalis pushed her glasses further up her nose. “I came as soon as I received Spike’s missive. It’s good to see you again, my friend.” She reached out and touched Little Spike’s claw, giving it a gentle, loving rub. “You’re looking lively, Spike! Have you been finding gemstones more easily lately?”

Little Spike found himself at a loss for words, only able to give the queen a limp shrug. He glanced at Edgy Spike and pointed at Chrysalis. “Huh?”

Edgy Spike shuffled up to the queen and gave her a gentle hug. “I think we have some explaining to do.”

Chrysalis looked between Edgy Spike and Little Spike, realization dawning slowly, but assuredly. “I see. Well, I do think introductions are in order.”

She cleared her throat, spread her wings, and adjusted her oversized glasses once more. “I am Queen Chrysalis of the Changelings. We were once a nation bordering Equestria, but have since merged in order to give the displaced Equestrians somewhere to go without the influence of Sombra or Cadenza the Tyrant.” She looked to Celestia with a pained frown. “And you are visitors from another world.”

Edgy Spike bobbed his head. “The one King Sombra often spoke of.”

“I see, then you are his—” Chrysalis clicked her tongue to cut herself off. “Another time, perhaps. The king was a good friend of mine as well, Princess Celestia. I wish things had worked out differently.”

Celestia steeled her jaw. “I believe we can work together to make the world right again.”

“Oh dear.” Queen Chrysalis covered her mouth with a pristine black hoof. “I do wish I shared your certainty. As it is, it is simply taking all we have to keep our people alive.”

Edgy Spike eased close to her. “If I may?” He whispered in her ear, and she listened intently, nodding occasionally. He backed away, his piece said, and Chrysalis pressed her hooves together.

“Perhaps… we can help each other.” Queen Chrysalis glanced at the assembled visitors, briefly focusing on Twilight herself. She shrunk beneath the queen’s gaze. “We both have problems, and we may very well have the solution to each other’s problems.”

Big Mac squirmed in his seat. He muttered in Twilight’s ear. “Not sure I like the sound o’ that.”

Twilight gave him a crooked smile even as her skin crawled.

Princess Twilight spoke up first. “We wanna know as much as possible about Dr. Twilight Sparkle. From what Edgy Spike says, she’s a very dangerous individual. We should make it a priority to hunt her down.”

Chrysalis glanced at her Spike and blinked owlishly. “‘Edgy’ Spike?”

“Long story.” Edgy Spike waved her off and pointed at the map. His claw landed dead-center on the castle at the heart of Equestria. “And we want to seal Sombra back in his castle, until either we cure him, or he just can’t hurt anybody anymore.”

General Care cracked a predatory grin. “You’re proposing an alliance, eh?”

Little Spike looked to his two princesses. “Don’t think we could ask for better than full cooperation. And heck, I know I wanna help these guys out.”

Edgy Spike flexed a scarred bicep. “Heroics. Comes standard with dragon blood.”

“You…” Little Spike snapped his claws at his counterpart. “You get me.”

“Unprepared heroes are dead heroes.” Shining Armor turned to look at Princess Celestia, and completely missed the tears that sparkled in Chrysalis’ eyes. “Do you vouch for these people, Your Majesty?”

“Yes, I knew Queen Chrysalis for many years.” Celestia smiled across the table. “I think it extremely prudent to put our hope in the hooves of the Knight of Love.”

Chrysalis’ fangs scraped her lower lip. “I’m afraid you will not be putting your life in my hooves, but the lives of my people in yours.” She glanced at the window, and saw only endless seas of dust. “If I know these storms, we have several hours until it abates. When it does, this outpost will surely be attacked by the forces of Cadenza the Tyrant. I intend for us to have evacuated by then; we can’t stand against her army.”

“Abandon the outpost?” General Care stomped a hoof. “But we need to guard the portal! It’s why you stationed us here in the first place!”

“The outpost will fall, General. With or without the troops.” Queen Chrysalis touched her horn to Care’s forehead. The General stood her ground for only an instant before returning to her seat. “And I’d rather have you alive than dead.”

“I-I’m sorry,” Care said, fidgeting with her hooves. “I let my anger get the better of me again.”

“Wait.” Little Spike raised a single digit. “That means the portal is going to be closed off to us unless Sombra’s sealed and you can fight back against… um, Cadenza.”

Edgy Spike shrugged. “You could try to sneak out before her army gets here.”

Shining Armor shook his head, pawing ruefully at his pistol. “I don’t think we’re equipped to deal with numbers that could overrun this base.”

“And that sandstorm is deadly,” Celestia said. “We can’t go back just yet. We need to move forward.”

All eyes turned to Princess Twilight. Her mouth was a grim line as she looked over the map, making note of the marked position of their outpost in relation to the castle. She looked to Big Mac, Shining Armor, and Twilight Sparkle. “I’m sorry we ended up dragging you three into this mess. You shouldn’t have to risk life and limb like this.”

Shining Armor raised an eyebrow. “Actually, I’m ex-military. Danger’s pretty much a fact of life.”

“I work with the police force,” Twilight added.

“An’ I…” Big Mac looked between the two of them. “Well, I’m the one dating a wizard. Sorta comes with the territory.”

Princess Twilight gave them a lopsided grin. “Alright, Queen Chrysalis. What’s your plan?”

Queen Chrysalis moved a marker from Northern Equestria to the castle. “Spike?”

“Yes?”

“Yeah?”

Chrysalis closed her eyes and visibly sucked in a breath. “Edgy Spike? Take a message.”

Edgy Spike produced a breath of smoke, swirled his claws within, and reformed it into a pen and paper.

“Tell Princess Lulamoon that we have two alicorns to assist with the spell. Have her meet us at the agreed rendezvous point near the castle gates.”

“Actually,” Princess Twilight said, raising a hoof. “Princess Celestia is kinda—”

“What she means to say is that my power has diminished.” Celestia touched a wing to her former student’s back. “If you require alicorns to seal Sombra, I won’t be able to help.”

“Alright…” Queen Chrysalis glanced at Edgy Spike with a hesitant breath. “The spell only required two alicorns to cast it, correct?”

“It only took Celestia and Luna to cast it last time, yeah.” Edgy Spike scraped his teeth together. “You really wanna use the same spell all over again?”

“It worked.” Queen Chrysalis stood up and walked to the window, folding her delicate wings across her back. “And it will continue to work so long as nobody breaks it again.”

Edgy Spike winced. He rubbed the back of his neck. “You’re right, of course.”

Queen Chrysalis nodded. “Send the message, Spike.”

As he did so, Chrysalis turned back to the table. “The proposal is this: We have a spell that, with the power of two alicorns behind it, can seal Sombra in his castle. Nobody can go in. Nobody can go out. With your help, Princess Twilight, you and Princess Trixie can recreate the spell and cut our troubles in half.”

“Sure thing…” Princess Twilight’s right eye twitched. “Princess Trixie?”

“The Knight of Humility,” General Care said.

“You guys run on irony, or what?”

Queen Chrysalis cleared her throat to regain control of the room. “The problem is that the spell was created by Dr. Twilight Sparkle, and she did not share her notes with anybody. They have been lost to us for quite some time.”

Twilight grimaced, her eyes drawn to the castle that lay before her on the map. “Where are her notes? Are they even in this world?”

“Yeah,” Edgy Spike said. “In her lab. We abandoned it after she set Sombra loose.”

Shining Armor stood up and walked around the back of Twilight’s chair. He put his hooves on her shoulders. “And just where is this laboratory?”

“Where else?” Edgy Spike crossed his arms over the chipped and dented scales on his chest. “The heart of Canterlot Castle.”

Celestia’s eyes grew wide. “Where Sombra lives?”

General Care growled. “Where Sombra haunts the populace each day.”

“We do not need to face him,” Queen Chrysalis said. “In all the time he raged within the confines of the sealing spell, there were two people who he would never, ever hurt. Two people he loved more than life itself, who he lived with for five long years, even in his demented state.”

Twilight Sparkle swallowed hard. Edgy Spike had a familiar look on his face, one that had often appeared on her Spike’s face when he missed her. Whenever she came home at the end of the day, the sadness melted into joy the instant she stepped through the door. Nothing cheered Spike up more than a hug from her.

Edgy Spike looked like he missed his Twilight more than anything.

“It’s Twilight,” she said. “It’s Twilight and Spike. His student and her friend.”

Shining Armor’s hooves grew more heavy against her shoulders. “No.”

Queen Chrysalis bowed at the neck to Twilight. “I’m afraid you do bear an uncanny resemblance to the wayward doctor.”

“I won’t allow it.” Shining Armor trotted around the table to confront the queen face-to-face. “I’m not letting my baby sister infiltrate an enemy stronghold by herself!”

Princess Twilight followed him. She reached out a wing to touch his shoulder. “There’s no way I can write a sealing spell that powerful in a matter of hours. We need the doctor’s notes, or we’re going to—”

“Why can’t you go?” Shining took a step towards the princes, nearly butting noses with her. “Can’t you do some sort of magic trick that makes you look shorter and less… wing-ish?”

“Polymorphing was never my strong suit.” Princess Twilight let out a warm breath and turned her head aside. “If only Luna were here…”

“She won’t be alone, sir.” Edgy Spike stood tall, green flames leaking from the sides of his mouth and his tail waving aggressively behind him. “I’ll protect her with my life. Even Sombra won’t be able to touch her.”

“Shining…” Twilight Sparkle brought a hoof to her big brother’s foreleg. “I don’t think there’s any other way. Not with the world like it is right now.” She flicked an ear to Edgy Spike. “We just gotta go in, grab the notes, and get out, right?”

“Pretty much.”

Big Mac sat at the table, his forelegs in his lap. He rubbed his hooves together as his mouth twisted into a confused frown. “Y’sure there ain’t no other way?” His expression turned dead-serious as he looked Twilight in the eye. “Y’sure you wanna do this?”

Shining Armor gritted his teeth. “Mac, help me out, here!”

“I can make my own decisions, Shiny.” Twilight walked away from him until she reached the queen. She was a head shorter than the changeling, and had to crane her neck to see through her enormous glasses. Still, she managed to match the queen eye to eye. “It looks like we’re stuck with each other.”

Queen Chrysalis raised a regal foreleg and gestured for them to follow her deeper into the fortress. “Thank you for your service. General Care, prepare the evacuation belowground. We’ll need to cave in the tunnels behind us. The rest of you, we’re headed for South Equestria. We have somebody imprisoned there you’ll need to talk with.”

***

The beep of monitors at the hospital faded into the background as Wallflower Blush lay cuffed to her bed. She had long ago grown bored of the limited television channels and their endless reruns of reality survivalist shows. It was hard enough to survive reality without a camera crew, thank you very much.

The door opened, and Wallflower groaned. “Captain Care, I really doubt you’ve found a lawyer at ten-o’-clock at night.”

“Oh, I’m not the captain.” Neighsay walked into the room carrying a heavy, metal briefcase, wearing his usual long overcoat. He rubbed his smartly-trimmed goatee and gave her a sad smile. “And I’m certainly less than a lawyer.”

“Neighsay!” Wallflower clapped her free hand over her mouth. She continued in a quieter voice. “How did you get in? The cops are crawling all over the place.”

“The police can’t catch what they can’t see.” He raised his hands, and the door shut of its own accord. “And they can’t open what I have sealed.”

A crimson glow radiated from the doorhandle; Neighsay’s handiwork. Wallflower lifted her cuffed hand. “Great. Now let’s get out of here.”

Neighsay sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I’m sorry, Wallflower. There’s only one plane ticket back to the Highborn Isles.”

Wallflower’s mouth popped open. She first considered shouting an expletive, but none really came to mind. Only confusion. “What?”

He placed the briefcase on a small, wheeled table and opened it. A jar lay within, filled with glistening, glowing fairy strings. “I harvested Night Glider earlier tonight. Unfortunately, I was forced to kill Party Favor as well.”

Wallflower sighed, some of the tension leaving her back. “Oh. Alright. The job’s done, then.”

Neighsay’s lip curled at the corner. “I’m afraid not.”

“But… but that’s three people.” Wallflower tried to sit up in bed, but her damaged ribs forced her down. “Raven, Night Glider, and Party Favor. Three sets of fairy strings.”

“It has to be three different sets of fairy strings for the spell to work.” Neighsay produced white gloves from the briefcase and slipped them on one finger at a time. “Both Raven and Party Favor had Ethereal magic. Night Glider had Sky magic. We still need Earth magic.” He produced an empty jar from the case and placed it near Wallflower. “You are the only Earth mage of sufficient weight, build, and talent to meet Dr. Twilight Sparkle’s needs.”

“No…” Wallflower struggled against the cuff, but felt a sharp pain within her torso every time she moved. The bandages on her arm came loose as she shuffled away from Neighsay. “No, she promised we’d be the first to ascend when she perfected the spell! She promised we’d have a place—”

“I’m sorry, Wallflower.” Neighsay reached his hands out. “We ran out of time.”

“Stop it!” Wallflower screamed at the top of her lungs. “Somebody help me!”

Neighsay brought one hand to her forehead, and the other touched her chest right over her heart. Her screams grew louder, then were cut off as the spell began.

His eyes glowed. The power radiated from his hair and fingernails. Gilded veins appeared just beneath Wallflower’s skin as magic coursed from her heart throughout her body. With a gasp from Neighsay, the fairy strings rose to the surface.

***

On the other side of the door, Chief Care Carrot oversaw the positioning of a battering ram. “Get the door down!”

Every time the ram contacted, a crimson glow spread out like waves from the impact point, but no damage was evident in the heavy door. “Can’t that thing hit any harder?”

“We’re giving her all she’s got!”

“Keep givin’ her!” Care Carrot spoke into her walkie-talkie. “Any evidence he was even there?”

“Negative, ma’am. Just the two mummified bodies. No sign of a break-in, no alarms tripped.”

It was ridiculously similar to the situation at Party Favor’s home. Every entry they had tried was barred with a crimson glow. Once it faded and allowed them entry, all they found were the sordid results.

“Well, at least we’ll catch him red-handed here.” Care slammed a fist against the wall in time with the mechanical battering-ram’s strikes. “Throw your back into it, you piece of tin.”

There was a flash as the spell over the doorway was extinguished. The ram tore into the door like a strongman through balsa wood. Care shouted for the officers under her command to move, and drew her sidearm. She leaped through the doorway and scanned the room.

The hospital room was empty, save for the mummified corpse handcuffed to the bed.

Chief Care swore. Loudly. “Get our people down a floor! Did we finish locking down the hospital yet?”

Caution still had his pistol trained on the empty room. “Tight as your—”

“If you finish that sentence…” Care Carrot marched through the halls with her officers in hot pursuit. “I doubt it's going to do any good against a guy who can open locks with his mind!”

***

Far below, a short distance away from the parking lot, Neighsay gently hefted the briefcase. Wallflower’s heart and fairy strings were stored beside Night Glider’s, cushioned for the passage overseas. He placed a wide-brimmed hat on his head to block his face from view—it had been close, but no footage of him had been captured.

His plane was leaving in minutes, and would arrive in the Highborn Isles in about twelve hours. Once there, he would deliver his payload to the doctor, and she could commence with her ascension.

And maybe, just maybe, he wouldn’t be the next poor soul on the chopping block.

In the Absence of elkrapS thgiliwT

Queen Chrysalis led them down several flights of stairs; rickety wooden things that had been built around what appeared to have been a quarry in its former life. Tunnels were dug out of the stone walls at regular intervals, propped up by wooden supports. Lanterns lit the way as they passed dozens of rag-adorned soldiers packing up what meager belongings they possessed.

“At one time, the Diamond Dogs created the cave system on their never-ending quest for gems.” Queen Chrysalis lit her horn with a gentle green light and led them down one such tunnel. “Queen Celestia appropriated their home and sent them scattering across the continent. When she was cured of her affliction, the gemstone mines became a source of income and trade for Equestria. Especially with the dragon lands.”

Edgy Spike walked on all fours to keep up with the others. “But good things don’t last around here.”

“I wouldn’t go that far, Spike.” Queen Chrysalis winced, but continued on at a steady pace. “Regardless of their history, they have afforded an excellent method for travel, even when the world above is stricken with sandstorms and the roving armies of the Crystal Tyranny.” She glanced up at the low-hanging ceiling, which Princess Twilight and Celestia had to duck to move beneath. “So long as they can’t find their way down here.”

“Ergo,” Shining Armor said, “collapsing the tunnels.”

Little Spike glanced over his shoulder to watch the quarry recede into the distance. “And taking us further away from our way back.”

Edgy Spike snorted smoke. “If you wanna singlehandedly take on the Crystal Army and a dust storm— ”

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves here.” Little Spike tapped the side of his head. “I wasn’t hatched yesterday. I just wanna keep tabs on, you know, exactly how deep we are in trouble.”

Edgy Spike raised an eyebrow. “Up to your ears, at least.”

They left the tunnel and came out into a much larger cavern. Train tracks had been lain, and a silver cylinder with wheels sat upon them. Queen Chrysalis waved to the ponies attending the transport, who bowed at her arrival.

“Thanks to the Diamond Dogs, we have tunnels all across Equestria.” Chrysalis pouted as she approached the cylinder. “Unfortunately, the tunnels are the fastest method of transportation that isn’t teleportation.” She turned around and pushed her glasses closer to her eyes. “I don’t have the magic reserves to teleport all of you, so we have but one choice.”

Shining Armor glanced over the transport from stem to stern. He saw no windows, no control yokes, not so much as a lock for the door. “Is it safe?”

Edgy Spike snorted as he slid the door to the side. “Not really.”

“It’s not my preferred method of travel, no.” Queen Chrysalis motioned for them to board. “But it is fast, and it keeps us away from prying eyes.”

Shining Armor and Little Spike gave the others a hoof up to climb aboard. With the others loaded, Shining turned back and held out a hoof for Queen Chrysalis. “You coming?”

The queen took his hoof after a moment of hesitation. She stumbled and brought her face maybe a little too close to his. She muttered an apology and shuffled away.

There were several seats strewn about the interior, all bolted to the floor and all containing safety harnesses that looked a little too much like reins for his liking. Twilight and Princess Twilight were using magic to help everybody into their restraints. Edgy Spike was giving Little Spike pointers of how it could be used with a dragon body, while Little Spike bemoaned a lack of custom-made harnesses.

Queen Chrysalis gestured to a seat and picked up the restraints with a horn. “Please, Shining Armor. Allow me.”

Shining Armor sat up with his back to the seat’s thin cushion. The harness snaked its way around his limbs and chest. “Sorry you gotta do this. I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t know unicorn magic if it smacked me in the face.”

“It’s no problem.” Chrysalis’ tongue poked out of the side of her mouth as she concentrated. “I understand that traveling here was a big change for you.”

Shining furrowed his brow. “Have you been across the portal?”

“Only once. Only long enough to see that we couldn’t get out of the cave.” Chrysalis tittered beneath her hoof. “The physiological changes were perplexing, to say the least.”

“Yeah. No kidding.” Shining Armor leaned back as a strap slid over his shoulders. “I’m just glad to have a little practice with hooves, or I’d be even more useless than I already am.”

Chrysalis’ eyebrows rose, but didn’t quite reach above her glasses. “You’ve been to the other Equestria, then?”

“My wife took me there once.” Shining finally caught the pained expression that overtook Chrysalis every time he opened his mouth. It was subtle, but there nonetheless. “We basically just went for a walk. We’re planning on taking a family vacation, but life keeps getting in the way.”

“Wife—” Queen Chrysalis cleared her throat, speaking with a light croak. “I mean… who is your wife?”

“Her name’s Sunset Shimmer. She’s a unicorn from the other Equestria.” Shining gave the queen a small smirk. “Even though she’s lived longer in my world than hers by now. She slipped through the portal when she was fourteen. She considers our world her home, now.” He sighed, glancing out the door to the darkness of the tunnel system. “Lately, though, I’m starting to think she wants to go back.”

“We all get homesick, from time to time.” Chrysalis offered him a sad smile. “I don’t know a Sunset Shimmer, but I do know that the way your eyes light up when you speak of her means that she is a very blessed mare.”

He felt his ears lower. It was a natural movement, controlled as automatically as a smile or a shrug. It still felt strange to him. “I take it… you knew a Shining Armor?”

Queen Chrysalis mirrored his drooping ears. She removed her glasses and wiped them down with a handy cloth. “Once… upon a very long time ago.” With a flash of her horn, she tightened the last of the restraints. “He was taken into slavery by Cadenza the Tyrant… I feel it might have been the first step down Dr. Twilight’s path of pain.” She clutched her cloven hoof to her heart. “I haven’t seen him since. Not for more than twenty years.”

“I’m sorry.” Shining sighed through his nose. “You were close?”

“Betrothed, actually…” Queen Chrysalis stifled a tear with a hoof before it could trickle down her face. “Seeing you, here and now, is actually a little freeing.”

Shining Armor frowned, looking down at his strange hooves. He tapped them together for lack of anything better to do. “I’m sorry. I wish I could help you find him.”

“He’s not likely to still be alive,” Chrysalis said, strapping herself down. “He was a fighter. He wouldn’t just live in slavery for two decades.”

Shining nodded slowly. “I suppose not.” When Chrysalis finished clasping herself to the chair, he added. “May I ask a question about the mission?”

She smiled gently. “Shoot.”

“You’re a changeling, and you have changeling magic…”

Chrysalis’ smile melted as the light in her eyes dimmed. “Why aren’t I disguising myself as the doctor?”

Shining quirked a brow.

“Aside from the fact that I’m the only possible queen of a sovereign nation?”

Shining pulled back one side of his mouth. “Well, when you put it that way—”

“And the fact that even if I felt right sending my subjects in, the anti-changeling wards Dr. Twilight put into place would dispel the transformation spell and reveal them to Sombra?”

“That makes sense.” Shining Armor steeled his jaw and bowed at the neck. “If we’re going to send my baby sister into mortal danger, I want to understand why, Queen Chrysalis.”

Queen Chrysalis’ expression flickered to a pained wince, nearly ready to burst into tears. She sealed the emotion away, replaced with a serene shadow. “Thank you for understanding, Captain Armor.” She looked over her shoulder to Edgy Spike. “Is everyone ready?”

Edgy Spike shot her a mock salute. “Ready and accounted for, Your Majesty.”

The Queen of the Changelings peered out the door to the waiting guards. “Caution, please send us on our way.”

“Cheerio, m’lady.” The guard in question slid the door shut and called to the ponies behind the transport. “Give ’er what-for, lads!”

Three earth ponies trotted up to one end of the silver cylinder. They turned until their backs faced it. Caution lifted a hoof. “Ready! Steady! Buck!”

In unison, the three earth ponies bucked the transport. It shot down the tunnel like an out-of-control rail car, careening through the dark tunnels on its path across Equestria. All within held tight to their straps, a few saying silent prayers.

Shining shut his eyes. He’d been in similarly tight spots before, such as his one time on a submarine (never again!) or moments before a drop into enemy territory. He just had to focus on his pulse. Keep it at a reasonable level. He didn’t have to be in control. He just had to trust the equipment and the people that maintained it.

The transport jolted. The sound of metal tearing scraped at his ears. He heard Chrysalis mutter a faint “Oops.” Big Mac squeaked as he tried desperately to keep his lunch down.

Shining glanced at the queen. “How long did you say this trip was?”

“Um…” Queen Chrysalis’s cheeks lit up with a rosy tinge. “A few hours at most?”

***

Twilight Sparkle’s legs shook as she slumped out of the transport. Every few miles, another set of earth ponies had been needed to keep their momentum from petering out. It had indeed taken several hours. By her calculations, it was already the following morning. Faster than hiking across mountains and a vast wilderness, dodging enemy soldiers and vicious storms, and still she wondered if it wasn’t worth the trade-off. “That teleport spell’s looking dang good right now.”

Edgy Spike helped her to her hooves. He offered a shoulder to lean on as Shining assisted Big Mac. “First time’s always the hardest.” He blinked as her words registered in his mind. “You can teleport?”

“Not exactly. I’ve been practicing.” One of her hind legs felt like jelly, while the other was all pins and needles. Perhaps she hadn’t quite tied her restraints right. “Why? Can your Twilight do it?”

“No, she never got the hang of it.” His forehead wrinkled as he looked down at her, his claw gripping her foreleg lightly. “After the first few failed attempts, she decided to let it drop and focused on strengthening her other spells. Illusions and barriers and stuff like that.”

Twilight pursed her lips. “She the type to give up easily?”

“No.” Edgy Spike’s reply was cold; restrained, yet still holding a small bit of bite. “She’s the type to prioritize.”

Twilight pushed her glasses higher up her nose and gave Princess Twilight a meaningful glance. “Yeah. That sounds more like a Twilight.”

Edgy Spike’s breath hissed softly through his sharp teeth. “I’m sorry. It’s just so weird seeing y—seeing people like her after all this time. I’m just… confused.”

She placed a hoof on his shoulder. She hesitated to say anything, but after a moment, she felt like she had to speak, or the moment would be lost. “It’s okay, Spike. We’re all confused. We’re all hurting. It’s just part of being… well, not human. But it’s part of being alive.”

Edgy Spike raised an eyebrow. “And that’s supposed to make me feel better? Knowing that everybody else’s life sucks, too?”

“No, not really.” Twilight Sparkle shuffled a few steps forward. Between the numbness in her legs and the tingling in her hooves, she was about ready to nose-dive right then and there. “But knowing that you’re not alone, that people understand you and know where you’re coming from, that can help. And even if they can’t possibly feel the same way, if you know they want to help, that’s good, too.”

She took a quick glance around. Most of the others were muttering amongst themselves or out of earshot. She leaned close to Edgy Spike’s ear. “It’s okay to miss your Twilight. It’s okay to love her. That doesn’t make you a bad person.”

Edgy Spike’s eyes widened. He looked at her with a gaping mouth, his lips trembling. “What? How… how did you… how did you even know?”

Twilight shrugged. “I know what it’s like to miss somebody like that. To know they’re never coming back, even though you want nothing more than just that. You know it can never be the same again, but you would give anything for even just a moment.”

He blinked, rubbing steaming tears from his eyes. “She has to be stopped.”

“I know.” Twilight hesitated for a moment, but only a moment. She hugged Edgy Spike around the shoulders, giving him a slight squeeze. “But that doesn’t have to change the fact that you love her. Your feelings are real, Spike. They’re good.” She rested her head against his scaly shoulder. “And by stopping her, you’re helping her the only way you can.”

She and Edgy Spike sat there for a moment, both leaking tears for a similar—yet not quite the same—reason. Twilight looked up at Queen Chrysalis’ approach.

“They’re waiting for us at the surface,” the queen said. “We need to move quickly.”

At some point, Edgy Spike had returned Twilight’s embrace. He released her quickly, standing tall on his hind legs. “Right. We have an appointment to keep.”

Before Twilight could pull away, he whispered in her ear. “Thank you.”

He waddled ahead before she could reply. She and the others kept up a hasty trot as they made their way up through the Southern Equestrian tunnel system. A cool breeze reached her nose, smelling of dust, but feeling much more refreshing than the hours of dark, gloomy tunnels. Cloudy skies waited as they reached the surface. A tinge of red touched the horizon where the sunrise peered into the shadows.

“Sunrise.” Queen Chrysalis muttered. “Good. Princess Trixie’s still as punctual as ever.”

Princess Twilight pulled a face at the mention of the name. Celestia gave her a gentle, if corrective, pat on the back.

Chrysalis turned to the assembled multiversal visitors with a solemn glower. “To the northeast. Towards the mountains. Do you see it?”

Twilight Sparkle eased herself around the other onlookers. She didn’t have the benefit of height that the princesses had, nor the bulk of either Shining Armor or Big Mac. With a rush of air, Mac lifted her onto his back. She let out a small squeak of surprise she was embarrassed to have made, but soon found her footing on his shoulder blades.

There, in the distance, a few hours’ walk beyond the prison, was a massive castle. It was a majestic thing pulled from fairy tales; tall spires, waving flags, romantic balconies, colorful tapestries, and stained-glass windows. It was unlike anything Twilight had ever seen in real life. While Princess Twilight’s castle had been beautifully grown from magic and crystal, this had been built from the ground up by talented architects and years of hard work.

It was mired in shadow. A dark pallor of swirling purple magic surrounded every parapet and archway. Deep red light shimmered from the bowels of the castle. The distant roar of a crazed beast reached her ears, and for a brief instant, she thought she saw a massive monstrous head floating around the tallest tower, hovering like a ghost. It vanished around a pinnacle and was lost to the fog of malice.

Queen Chrysalis broke the castle’s bewitching spell with a sigh. “While we wait for General Care’s and Princess Trixie’s forces to arrive, I will uphold my end of the bargain. Our prison holds several of Dr. Twilight’s… close associates. They will be able to paint a clearer picture of what sort of mare she has become.”

Edgy Spike pointed towards a building a few yards away. It was made of stone bricks, colored like the dust. A high wall surrounded it, topped with something akin to barbed wire. Towers stood at regular intervals, which were manned by unicorns. Shutters were in place to protect the guards in the event of a dust storm. Edgy Spike gritted his many, many dangerous teeth as he gazed upon the structure. “Ladies and gentleponies, welcome to Patience Penitentiary.”

Twilight narrowed her eyes at the prison. She sat on Big Mac’s back and looked down on Edgy Spike. “‘Patience?’”

“You know, like the card game you play by yourself?”

“What? Like solitaire?”

Little Spike scurried up and stood beside his duplicate. “We have a maximum-security prison named Solitaire. We give a deck of cards to every new arrival.”

“There, see?” Edgy Spike clapped a claw on Little Spike’s shoulder. “He gets it.”

“But like…” Twilight tilted her head towards the high brick walls as Mac eased her to the ground. “‘Patience?’ Isn’t that kinda condescending?”

“Not if we give them a deck of cards,” Edgy Spike said. “Then it’s ironic.”

A messenger trotted up to Queen Chrysalis and saluted. “Ma’am, we just received word from General Care. She and her troops are en route and expected to reach here in a half-day’s time from now.”

“Thank you,” she said, dismissing him with a wave. “That gives us a few hours to play with.”

They were ushered into the walls of the prison with barely a word. The guards were on a knife’s edge, shoving Twilight none-too-gently whenever she began to fall behind. Edgy Spike drew to her side and waved them off with a dirty look. He remained by her side until they reached the inner building.

“Urgh.” Edgy Spike shook dust from the edges of his filmy ears. “Wish I could stay outside. I don’t wanna talk to any of them.” He lowered his head so that he could avoid looking her in the eye. “Especially Rarity.”

Twilight’s ears stood up as the hair on her back did the same. She looked around the prison with a newfound morbid fascination. She began to formulate an idea of what might just lay beyond its walls. Rarity at the least, but who else? The other five? Would they share any traits with the ones she knew?

“You aren’t obligated to give them the time of day, Spike.” Chrysalis spread a wing as the door opened. “The rest of you, step lightly.”

Once they had all shuffled inside, one of the guards removed his face wrap. He was a pink-coated unicorn stallion with a purple mane and beard. He might have been handsome if he didn’t seem to be malnourished and unkempt. “Queen Chrysalis, we have been awaiting your arrival. Although, I’m surprised you’ve decided to grace us with your presence.”

“These are strange times.” The queen turned to the princesses with a bow at the neck. “These are our esteemed guests; High Princess Celestia and Princess Twilight from the far side of the mirror.” She pointed her horn to the stallion. “This is our warden, Hammer Dulcimer. One of the most noble ponies I’ve ever met.”

“Please, your majesty,” Dulcimer said, lowering his head. “I don’t believe now is the time for flattery.”

“It’s not flattery if it’s true.” Chrysalis patted the top of his mane. “Please take us to see what’s left of the Mean Six. I’m sure they’ll teach our visitors more than they care to know.”

Dulcimer frowned, but nodded. “For your own safety, I’m going to ask you not to cast spells while you are within these walls. We have wards everywhere to keep the prisoners from hurting others or themselves.”

Twilight eased herself closer to Big Mac until her shoulder was touching his upper leg. “You get many people trying to escape?”

Dulcimer turned downcast eyes towards her. He looked her up and down slowly, his eyes eventually trailing to the massive stallion beside her. “Unfortunately, with the world we live in, many see death as the most viable escape. It’s my job to show them there’s another way.”

“Do not do so at the cost of your own health, Dulcimer.” Chrysalis grasped his chin and twisted his head from side to side, examining his face. “You’ve been giving away your rations again, haven’t you?”

Dulcimer puffed his chest out, even as his cheeks were pressed in by her cloven hooves. “If the prisoners aren’t getting enough food, I’ve failed as their warden.”

“You’ll fail as a living being if—”

“Food is just as scarce outside the prison as inside.” Dulcimer took a step back, gently easing himself out of her grip. “If we’re really trying to reintegrate them into society, such as it is, we need to show that we’re dedicated.”

Queen Chrysalis frowned deeply at the stallion. “Are you so certain they can ever be trusted with freedom?”

“If I don’t believe that,” he replied, “what am I here for?”

As he led them deeper into the prison, Twilight caught sight of Princess Twilight moving to the rear of their little procession, her face aflame with something between confusion and embarrassment. She sent the princess a questioning eyebrow, but it was summarily ignored.

Princess Celestia caught up with the warden and ventured a hoof out to get his attention. “Excuse me,” the princess said, “but if I’m not mistaken, you were Prince Blueblood’s right-hoof pony the last time I was here. How did you end up as the warden?”

Dulcimer offered her a shallow smirk. “Don’t worry about my buddy. He’s holding his own in the east, near the shoreline. It’s just that dependable ponies are hard to come by, so we all tend to wear a few different hats.”

“I see,” she said. “So Blueblood to the east, Princess Trixie to the north, Captain Goodguy to the west…”

“And Chrysalis to the south.” Dulcimer lit his horn and produced a key from beneath his wrappings. He inserted it into a heavy metal door. “The other Knights of Virtue keep mobile, to intercede whenever a threat arises. The Crystal Army, Felaccian Pirates, King Sombra, the list goes on.”

He opened the door, and they entered a large room filled with tables. The mess hall, perhaps. Prisoners in rags and guards in not-much-nicer clothing milled around, most only wearing a wrap around their heads in case of dust on the wind. Several guards were positioned at the center of the room, around a table that held five colorful mares.

Even at a distance, Twilight could pick Pinkie Pie out of a crowd. This Pinkie was an odd duck even compared to her human counterpart; her mane was as curly as ever, but the stone-faced expression she wore was downright grotesque. She had a pile of rocks on the table beside her, which she would occasionally sample from in order to crush said stone between her hooves.

The others grew more familiar as the party drew closer to them. Fluttershy leaned on her hoof, her eyes bored and listless. She balanced a spoon on the tips of her feathers (how in the heck was that physically possible?) tossing it to herself without looking at the utensil. Rainbow Dash sat beside her, grinning like an idiot and rocking back and forth on her stool. Every time she leaned too close to Fluttershy, she was pushed the opposite direction with a rough shove of her off-wing.

Rarity’s normally porcelain… skin? Hair? Her normally porcelain coat was matted and shabby, and her mane was a rat’s nest of unkempt curls. She glanced over her shoulder at the approaching visitors, tossed her head back, and refused to acknowledge them further.

At the center of the menagerie sat an orange-coated, blonde-maned approximation of the strong, steady individual Twilight knew as Applejack. This Applejack, unlike her boyfriend’s sister, seemed to wear her grumpy expression as a daily exercise rather than a momentary outlet. She locked eyes with Twilight and twisted her lips, as if daring Twilight to speak out of turn. She crossed her strong forelegs across her chest and tilted in her chair. “Well, well, if it ain’t Twilight Sparkle… in stereo.”

Fluttershy spared Princess Twilight a glance. “Who’d you have to kill to get those wings?”

Princess Twilight sputtered, her teeth snapping in her haste to reply. “What the heck is that supposed to mean?”

“She’s not the doctor,” Pinkie Pie said, her voice as high-pitched and spritely as ever. Her expression remained as grim as could be, and it gave Twilight a queasy feeling in her stomach. “Guess her big plan was doomed to failure from the start.”

Rainbow Dash threw her head back and groaned to the ceiling. “Bored now! Why do I hafta sit here with you losers? I have wing-ups I could be doing.”

Fluttershy extended a wingtip and watched the spoon spin atop it. “In your cell?”

“Yeah!” Rainbow threw a foreleg out towards the visitors. “I don’t know half of these people, and I don’t wanna. There’s just gonna be more blah, blah, blah, it’s all the doc ever did, and I… Don’t… Care.”

Applejack gritted her teeth behind a newfound nearly-congenial smile she gave to Warden Dulcimer. “Please don’t pay the knucklehead any mind. We’re always pleased as punch to get some fresh air. Ain’t we, girls?”

That last sentence was said with a pint of venom laced into it. The other ponies at the table sat up a little straighter as they replied. “Yes, Applejack.”

Queen Chrysalis tapped a cloven hoof against the ground and spread a wing towards the table. “Honored guests, allow me to introduce you to Applejack, former head of the Apple Crime Family.”

Twilight’s mind encountered a rolling fog as that thought entered her head. “Who the whatnow?”

“Crime family?” Princess Twilight’s voice sounded like it echoed Twilight’s confusion. “What the heck? Applejack?”

Applejack rolled her eyes and placed a ratty, hole-filled hat on her head. “I thought the same thing when I heard two Twilight Sparkles were comin’ to visit. Can we please get past the whole ‘Whoa, alternate universe shenanigans!?’ an’ get to the point?” She snarled at the Changeling Queen. “An’ quit besmirchin’ the name of the Apple Family! We ain’t nothin’ but hardworkin’ business folk.”

Fluttershy sneered beneath her hoof. “With all the folksy small-town charm of a tar-and-feathering.”

Rainbow Dash snorted, which dissolved into sputtered giggles. “See, it’s funny that she said that, because you totally tarred and feathered Zephyr B—”

Rarity kicked Rainbow Dash beneath the table. The pegasus in question yanked her hind leg onto her stool and rubbed the sore spot. “Hoi! What gives? You got some kinda slap-happy bug?”

Rarity hissed her answer through gritted teeth. “I’m trying to prevent you from reopening old wounds, oh gormless one.”

“What are you talkin’ about? I’ve got plenty of gorm! I’m a regular gorm suppository!”

Rarity wilted like a flower in a volcano, her face turning the slightest shade of green. “‘Depository.’ It’s ‘depository,’ dearest.”

“Yeah,” Rainbow Dash said, her snoot in the air. “That’s what I said.”

Fluttershy rolled her eyes. “Whatever.”

Applejack stared directly at Rainbow Dash until she noticed. Dash hid behind Fluttershy, apparently entirely deaf to the fact that her fellow pegasus mare would not in any way stand between her and the object of her fear.

“Those particular assault charges were, if I recall correctly, dropped.” Applejack cast a dim glower at Twilight Sparkle. “On account of there bein’ no witnesses to the alleged crime.”

Twilight Sparkle stepped forward at the same time Princess Twilight did. The two of them glanced at each other, then sat beside each other, across from Applejack herself. Little Spike stood between them, his pen at the ready to take notes.

“Speaking of crimes and the witnesses thereof…” Twilight Sparkle leaned on the table and cast a wary glance at the intimidating aura of Pinkie Pie. “The queen tells me you know a thing or two about Dr. Twilight Sparkle.”

Applejack raised one eyebrow and sent a smarmy smirk Pinkie’s way. “An’ here I thought the two purple pony people just wanted my family’s apple pie recipe! Hot dog, ain’t this just the most Nowheresville conversation you ever did have?”

Pinkie’s stern frown did not budge an inch. “Hilarious, boss.”

“Then let’s bring it home.” Princess Twilight’s voice was taut as a whip. “What is your relation to Dr. Twilight Sparkle? Please be thorough and precise.”

Applejack huffed and leaned back in her chair. “You’re in the business of buttin’ into others’ business. I get it. You wanna know ’bout the crime that got us all thrown in the slammer, right? I doubt you care about bygones from years ago. You just know she’s up to sommat in your world, and you wanna know what that sommat is.”

Twilight hunched her shoulders, adjusting her holster beneath her jacket. “You can let us worry about the context. Just tell us what you can about the doctor.”

“The doc?” Applejack gave them a grimy smile. “Well, just turned out she was a few spokes short of a wagon wheel, if you get my meanin’. We’d been workin’ with her for years. Collecting mechanical knickknacks and doohickies on the down-low—”

Rarity batted at her curls. “Black-market dealings are my speciality.”

“So that she could build some sort of device she didn’t want Spike or Sombra—or anybody at court—to know ’bout.” Applejack reached into her hat and pulled out an old piece of straw that looked maybe a little moldy. She stuck it between her teeth and chewed. “Always figured she was the mad-scientist sort, so I left well enough alone. Got to minimum safe distance, I thought. But then things got weird. She didn’t want no mechanical components no more. Nah. She wanted bodies.”

A slow, small smile crawled across Fluttershy’s face. Like a centipede across a half-eaten grapefruit. “Females. All approximately her body type. One of each tribe. People who wouldn’t be missed.”

Applejack gave Fluttershy a dour onceover. “Had to hire out a contract to this here pony wrangler, if I wanted to see a bit of the money the doc was pumping out. Left a bad taste in my mouth.”

Fluttershy tossed the spoon to her other wing. “But you still hired me.”

“Business is business.” Applejack must have noticed that the sickly feeling in Twilight’s stomach was reaching her facial expression, because she leaned in and stared her directly in the eye. “See, the machine she didn’t want anybody to know about? It sacrificed three lives… in order to make another pony immortal. Thought maybe I could get a piece of that pie, if’n I played my cards right. Turns out I’m a lousy judge of character.”

Rainbow Dash ceased her constant rocking just long enough to thrust a hoof in the air. “But then… kaboom!”

Princess Twilight leaned away from Rainbow Dash just a hair further. “And what do you mean by… ‘kaboom?’”

“She means, dearest,” Rarity said, “that the experiment was an explosive failure.”

Applejack bobbed her head. “A’yup. Blew her right to Hell and back. Probably woulda died if’n Spike there hadn’t pulled her outta the wreckage.” She grinned maliciously as Edgy Spike turned away from the conversation. “Good ol’ dependable Spike.”

“That coulda been the end of the story,” Pinkie Pie said in that chipper voice that didn’t match up at all with her body language. “But Dr. Twilight Sparkle is tenacious.”

Applejack tapped the tabletop. “She rebuilt. Again. And Again. Each time, she had three more bodies. Each time, they ended up exploded to bits. Each time, she tried again with three more victims.” She shook her head slowly. “It does things to yah, treatin’ life like a commodity. Sucks your soul right out. Didn’t even notice what was happening until I actually took a body-count. She’d taken as many lives as any serial killer you might happen to know. More than most. And it was all for nothin’.”

Fluttershy thunked the spoon on the table, as if she intended to stab the tip through the wood. Since the utensil lacked a point, it clattered harmlessly to its side. “Applejack told me not to find any more victims. Didn’t stop what happened next, though.”

Applejack bit her lower lip, somewhere between a fond smile and a suppressed growl. “That Twilight was a crafty sort. When I told her I wasn’t gonna participate in her little murder ritual-slash-suicide attempt anymore, she told me plain to my face she’d been collecting evidence against me for as long as I’d known her. My associates here, too. She said she’d expose me unless I did exactly as she said. I refused.” Applejack spread her hooves out to indicate the mess hall. “So here I am today, tried for my numerous crimes against equinity, while Dr. Twilight’s gone off to another world and escaped justice. Some kinda world we live in, huh?”

Twilight Sparkle bit down on the edge of her hoof. “Do… do you have any idea why her experiments exploded?”

“Ain’t a wizard. Sorry-not-sorry.” Applejack shrugged and crossed her forelegs behind her head. “Anythin’ else you wanna know?”

Princess Twilight nodded. “I wouldn’t mind a list of all the parts the doctor needed for her machine. I suspect Rarity’s receipts are somewhere in evidence?”

Pinkie Pie’s hoof rustled around in her curly mane. “I keep a copy on hand at all times in case of ‘testifying for a lighter sentence’ emergencies.”

Rarity gasped. “Dearest Pinkie Pie! That is my private property!”

“Seized by the crown,” Fluttershy snickered. “Even if nobody can quite agree on who wears the crown.”

Queen Chrysalis pointedly ignored her and retrieved the list from Pinkie Pie. “Does any of this look familiar?”

Princess Twilight only scanned for a moment before pulling a book out of her saddlebags. The cover was a dark leather, and the pages within were older than any building in Libertas. “As I suspected. These are all equivalents for parts from the evil King Sombra’s alicorn device.”

“Being a wizard…” Twilight Sparkle looked over the princess’ shoulder and found nothing but gibberish on the pages. “Can you figure out why the doctor’s experiments failed?”

“With a few days to build models and run calculations, maybe, but…” She looked down at her shorter counterpart. “I don’t think we’ve got that kinda time. We need that sealing spell from the lab.”

Applejack’s eyebrows rose to her bangs. “Her lab? The doctor’s lab? You mean in the castle, where King Sombra’s busy bein’ some sorta lich-ghost-demon-monster? That lab?”

Twilight pressed her lips tight to keep in a hair-curling curse. “Yeah. That lab exactly.”

“Dang, girl.” Applejack looked over her shoulder with a decidedly menacing grin. “Tell King Sombra I said hi!”

There was movement at Little Spike’s side. Rarity leaned against his arm, rubbing her hoof across his chest. “Have I mentioned how I just loooove a stallion in purple? Someone to carry me away from this dreadful place and—”

“Yeee—I have a girlfriend, miss.” Little Spike practically leaped out of her arms and skittered over to Edgy Spike’s side. He shivered, rubbing his arms with his claws. “Holy cow, she just made me feel like I’m covered in earth worms.”

“Know the feeling, bud.” Edgy Spike narrowed his eyes as Rarity was forcefully returned to her chair by guardsponies. “I know the feeling well.”

Twilight Sparkle turned to Princess Twilight with a snort. “As if we didn’t already need to go to the castle. Sounds like everything matches up; using fairy strings to ascend to alicornhood. Just like your Dulcimer.”

Warden Dulcimer nearly choked on his own spittle. “I beg your pardon?”

Princess Celestia rested a calming wing on his back. “Our world had its own Dulcimer, but you needn’t worry about him. He and his deeds have no bearing on you.”

“Yeah. Sorry.” Twilight ducked her head and brushed her bags away from her face. “Too many people sharing the same name around here.”

Princess Twilight took Little Spike’s notes and gave them a once-over. “We should head outside to prepare. We’ve got plans to make and disguises to assume. Seems the rabbit trail that is ‘the mysterious Dr. Twilight Sparkle’ doesn’t end here.”

“Do the mysteries ever end?” Twilight narrowed her eyes at the princess. “What do you mean ‘disguises?’”

***

Shining Armor laid his ears against his head to prevent his little sister’s rage-fueled screeches from rupturing his eardrums. Her words echoed around the prison courtyard, and could probably be heard from across all of Equestria.

“You gotta be kidding me!”

Edgy Spike shuffled his feet in the dust, clasping his claws behind his back. “I’m sorry, but—”

Twilight Sparkle gripped the collar of her shirt tight between her hooves. “I am not going nude into the castle!”

Queen Chrysalis raised a regal foreleg, lending Edgy Spike a vote of support. “Dr. Twilight did not much care for clothes in the first place, and your garb is very obviously not tailor-made for an equine frame.”

“If I’ve said it once,” Twilight Sparkle seethed, “I’ve said it a thousand times! My country has a nudity taboo! I can’t just walk around in the buff! I’d feel like an idiot! I’d be beyond self-conscious!”

“And Sombra would no doubt see through the deception before you so much as had a chance to speak.” Princess Celestia smiled congenially at Twilight. “It is only for a day, at the most. Embarrassment is a small price to pay for seeing this adventure through to the end.”

Shining Armor, his face almost as red as Big Mac’s, tapped his hooves together. “If it helps, Sunset has no trouble walking around nude when she’s a pony.”

“That…” Twilight said slowly, “is because… Sunset Shimmer… is a crazy person! She’d walk around buck-naked in the supermarket if she wouldn’t be arrested for it!”

Princess Twilight let out a loud groan of exasperation. “You’re making a big deal out of nothing, Twilight. Just strip and get it over with.”

“This! Is! Not! Nothing!” Twilight punctuated each word with a stomp of her hooves. “Can’t I at least wear a dress or a cape or something?”

Princess Twilight’s voice lowered to just above a growl. “They explained it very clearly, Twilight. You’ll wear no clothes, remove your ear piercings, and replace your glasses with a vision-enhancing spell. There is no room to barter, no loopholes to find, just you doing your job without complaining.”

Twilight stood as close to eye-to-eye with the princess as possible. “Ex-ca-use me?”

“Everybody here is counting on you, Twilight,” Princess Twilight snapped. “The people who’ve had no hope for years, the countries that haven’t known peace, and us. We’re relying on you just to get home. Let go of your pride and do the right thing.” A sinister slither of a smirk crept across her muzzle. “Today, ‘the right thing’ is to get nekkid.”

Twilight Sparkle bit back a particularly vicious curse. She lit her horn and peeled her jacket away from her shoulders.

Princess Twilight walked away, but not before whispering out of the side of her mouth. “You aren’t always right, either.”

Twilight chucked the jacket with a spell and whacked Princess Twilight right across the face with it. The fabric covered the princess’ head, muting her shriek of surprise.

She undid the top button of her shirt. She glared fiery daggers at the other people scattered around the courtyard. “What is this, a peep show? Turn around, you morons!”

Shining Armor spun around with all due speed, Big Mac trailing just a bit behind. The stallion’s reddish face had grown a tinge of purple in light of recent events. Mac turned to Shining with a thin, flat line of a mouth. “I don’t rightly know what I thought I was gettin’ into when I jumped into that there pool.”

Shining Armor wriggled the edge of his hoof in his ear, hoping to stop the ringing. “Adventure is never quite what you expect. Like life. You just sorta gotta roll with the punches and do your best to keep your head above water.” He noticed that Big Mac’s mouth was moving slowly. If he strained his ears, he could hear him whispering softly. “What are you doing?”

“Countin’ to a hundred.”

“Why’s that?”

“So I don’t think about…” Big Mac’s entire head was practically glowing with inner fire. “So I keep myself occupied on… um…”

Shining Armor’s synapses fired just before Big Mac’s could completely expire. His normally-confident voice faltered ever-so-slightly. “Keeping you mind off the fact that Twilight is—”

“Shining, please.”

A catlike grin banished his bashfulness as he leaned into an opportunity to make Mac squirm. “You’ve been dating for seven years, you know.”

“It ain’t gentlemanly to—”

“I’m just saying, Twilight would probably be open to the thought of wearing a ring.”

“Do you mind—?”

“Waking up next to each other every morning. Long conversations into the night…”

“I swear, if you don’t shut your yap—”

“Just wondering when I’m likely to get a brother-in-law. That’s all.”

“It’ll happen,” Big Mac yelped, “when we’re good an’ ready!”

“Good and ready to what?” Twilight Sparkle said.

Big Mac swung around to face her before he could think better of it. His eyes nearly bugged out of his head. He sat down hard and stuck his nose straight up into the air. “Ain’t no thing, Twi. Just Shining bein’ an idiot. Sorry ’bout lookin’ and such…” His voice trailed off to a whimpered whisper.

Twilight Sparkle held her bundled clothes close to her chest and the underside of her torso. She stared straight at Shining Armor until she could catch his eyes. “Nobody hears about this, you understand?” Her tone was serious. Terminal, even. “Not a soul.”

Shining Armor nodded slowly, in complete and utter fear for his life.

She shuffled her way to Big Mac and put a hoof on his foreleg. “It’s fine, Mac. You didn’t do anything wrong. I’m… not even really ‘naked’ if there’s nothing to see, right?”

“Duh, um…” Big Mac attempted to give her a reassuring sort of loving glance, but his nervous sweat and wide eyes were anything but. “Pretty gurl, a’yup.”

Twilight shut her eyes tight and leaned her forehead against his chest. “Oh, son of a—”

Big Mac puffed his cheeks out as Princess Twilight approached. She attempted to pry the clothes out of Twilight’s deathlike grip, but even with magic at her disposal, it was a harrowing battle. Twilight Sparkle clung to his leg when the clothes were finally handed to Shining for safekeeping.

Big Mac sighed deep within his chest as he hugged his equine-shaped girlfriend. “This had better not awaken somethin’ in me.”

Reflection and Regret

Scootaloo tried the phone again and let it ring a good long while. Sunset wasn’t picking up. She rolled her eyes and dangled her feet in the air.

Granny Smith swatted her socks with a rolled up newspaper. “Y’all’re gonna pop a blood vessel in your brain sittin’ upside down like that.”

“Yes, Granny.” Scootaloo rolled upright and lidded her eyes. She stared across the Apple Family living room at her friends, Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom. “She ain’t pickin’ up. You sure she said noon?”

“Noon our time, yeah.” Apple Bloom kept half an eye on Sunny as he played with Walter. Wilbur was content with having his ears scratched by Sweetie. “It’s only six her time, so I doubt we got much chance of her already bein’ asleep. Keep tryin’.”

Scootaloo pressed the call button once more, this time not even bothering to hold the phone to her ear. “She’s usually a little more available than this.”

“She’s in a whole other country,” Sweetie Belle said, “with a whole new school of magic to explore. If I know anything about Sunset, you just gotta give her time. I’m sure there’re a thousand distractions every day.”

Scootaloo sighed as the phone call ended unanswered. “Distractions from her one chance a day to spend time with her son?”

“We all have moments.” Sweetie shrugged one shoulder. “Enough so that we can forgive others when they have their occasional moments.”

Sunny peered over the coffee table at Scootaloo. “Is mommy calling yet?”

“We’ll get her, kid. Don’t worry about a thing.” Scootaloo’s eyes lit up when the call finally connected. “Sunset! It’s about time! I’ve been calling you for—”

“Hi, Scoot—” The voice on the other end clearly belonged to Sunset, even if it was mired with an undercurrent of stress. “Scoot… aloo. I’m sorry. I’m in the middle of something really important, so I can’t talk long.”

“No kidding?” Scootaloo leaned on her knees and tugged Sunny to the couch. She put Sunset Shimmer on speaker and spoke loud enough for her voice to reach. “You’re on speaker with Sunny and the Crusaders. Granny Smith’s around, too.”

“Oh, um, hi guys!” Sunset Shimmer muttered something unintelligible to somebody she was with, but returned to the conversation within the instant. “Sunny, I just want to tell you that mom is very proud of you and she loves you very much.”

“Love you, too, Mommy!” Sunny reached for the phone, but Scootaloo picked him up and set him on her lap. “I wanna see Mommy on the phone!”

“Maybe another time, Sunny!” Sunset Shimmer laughed, but Scootaloo could tell it wasn’t real. Whatever Sunset was up to, it was dead serious. “Mommy doesn’t look her best right now.”

“Oh.” Sunny reached for the phone again but failed, restrained as he was by Scootaloo’s arms. “Sweetie Belle has a new boyfriend!”

Sweetie Belle blushed as she shared a glance with Apple Bloom. “Little pitchers, huh?”

“Uh…” Sunset Shimmer was quiet for a moment before her brain caught up with Sunny’s News of the Day. “Listen, honey, I have to go. I’ll talk to you tomorrow, okay?”

Scootaloo snatched the phone off the table. “Just one second, Sunset. There’s a lot going on over here that you need to know about.”

“Can it wait until later, Scoot-scootaloo?”

Scootaloo scrunched her nose up as she held the phone out of Sunny’s reach. “What did you just call me?”

“Isn’t that—?” Sunset Shimmer huffed into the mic. “Whatever. I have to go, so—”

Scootaloo gritted her teeth. “Sunset! Shining, Twilight, and Mac all went to the doctor’s world. They wanted me to tell you. They’ll be back as soon as possible. They took Princess… what’s-her-face with them. And the tall lady who looks like Principal Celestia.”

For once, Sunset was dead silent. Scootaloo cleared her throat. “They said they were researching the doctor. So we’re just hanging at the Apple’s right now. They’ve been gone since last night. And…” Scootaloo gently pushed Sunny over to Apple Bloom, who covered his ears. “I’m worried, Sunset. About them, about you… You’re alright, right? You’re rushed, but is there something we should—”

“I’m fine, sis.” Sunset’s voice had grown a little more strained, but was otherwise just as much in a hurry as before. “Don’t worry about me. But—yes, I know—but if you can, tell Shining and Twilight to come home as fast as possible. The world they’re in isn’t safe.”

“Well, no duh.” Scootaloo leaned against the armrest. She felt like she was weighed down with a lead vest. “That’s why they brought the two wizard ladies. But… but you’re safe, right?”

“Yes, Scoo—Yes, I’m safe. And I have to go now.” Sunset took in a deep breath. “I love you, Sunny! Be good and have a good day.”

Apple Bloom lifted her hands just in time for Sunny to hear his mother. “I love you, Mommy!”

Sunset hung up without another word.

“Well.” Sweetie Belle folded her hands on her lap. “Those were not the words of an unburdened woman.”

“She knows I hate that nickname.” Scootaloo tossed the phone onto the coffee table. Sunny scooped it up, but was disappointed to find it locked. “She hasn’t called me that in five years.”

Apple Bloom ruffled Wilber’s ears. “Called you what?”

“‘Scoot-scootaloo.’” Scootaloo rubbed her mop of a hairdo, running her fingers through and grabbing a handful. “She used to tease me with it when I was a kid. She promised she’d never use it again. At least, not to my face.”

Apple Bloom twiddled her thumbs. “Definitely not to your face, but… I saw her text you once, and that’s how she has you listed in her phone.”

“Cool.” Scootaloo took the phone from Sunny to unlock the touch screen so he could play a game. She switched off the internet access so he couldn’t accidently empty her bank account. Not that there was much to empty. Even then, she watched his activity closely. “So it’s always on her mind, and when she got stressed she let it slip out?”

“Near as I can guess.”

“Man.” Scootaloo stood up to stretch. She headed for the kitchen. “Anybody want anything?”

Apple Bloom raised a hand. “I’ll have a soda.”

“Got it.”

As Scootaloo rummaged through the fridge, she felt a cloud of anxiety descend on her shoulders. One half of the family was a half-world away. Another half was cosmically distant. And even when she was worrying about everybody, she still felt the sting of a hurtful name. Try as she might, she couldn’t let it go. “Keep it together, Scoot. It was a slip-up. We’ve both said worse to each other.”

Even with that said, for some reason, it kept playing over again in her mind. It just hadn’t felt like she was talking to Sunset. When she mentioned Shining and Twilight, Sunset had immediately brushed off. It was weird. It was wrong.

Something didn’t click. But there was nobody to tell.

She fired off an email to Shining Armor. With luck, it would register in his phone the instant he got back from the strange alternate world. “Call me when you get back to reality. Sunset’s in trouble.”

***

Sunset awoke to a dull ache in her arms. She opened her eyes slowly, the bright light of Dr. Twilight’s laboratory stabbing her skull in the wake of the sleeping spell. How long had she been out? She could see deep orange light poring from the front door… it was either sunrise or sunset. Either way, it had been long enough that she was scared.

She fought the pain to open her eyes fully. She was indeed still in the lab, with her arms tied up over her head. The rope appeared to be flame-resistant, but could still be melted with a hot enough spell. Hopefully it didn’t come to that, because her skin was much less tolerant of heat. On the far wall, the three fairy-string cylinders stood unconcealed, only one of them containing any strings. Raven’s fairy strings. To her left, Celestia and Sombra were also restrained by rope. Just beyond them, Starlight Glimmer sat in a rickety office chair, staring dumbfounded at the ground.

To her right stood the magic detector, the doctor, and Sunset Shimmer.

Sunset’s eyes widened as the words she tried to utter choked her. Her duplicate held a phone loosely in her hand, speaking quickly and sternly. She hung up and stuffed the phone in her pocket.

Green flames coated the duplicate from the tip of her head to the bottoms of her feet. In a matter of seconds, she had reformed her body into that of Chrysalis. Sunset nearly rolled her eyes at the obviousness of it all. Of course her talent was disguise.

“Who were you talking to?” Sunset yelped. “Give me back my phone!”

The doctor turned away from Chrysalis with a flash of annoyance. She crossed her arms over her chest. She had rolled up her sleeves and untucked her shirt since she’d knocked Sunset out. She seemed to have been doing heavy manual labor, judging by her sheen of sweat. Probably moving the cylinders into their new locations. “Don’t treat me like an idiot, Sunset.”

“Don’t treat me like a—” Sunset seethed as she strained against her bonds. “You make me sick.”

“Can’t be helped.” Dr. Twilight checked her own phone, muttered a curse, then turned back to Chrysalis. “Keep her cell close to you. Celestia’s and Sombra’s, too. If anybody calls, let it go to voicemail. If they continue calling, give them some line about having no time to talk.”

Chrysalis raised an eyebrow. “Do I tell you how to manipulate the forces of nature?” She held up her hands in surrender before Dr. Twilight could snap at her. “Easy, Doc. Sarcasm’s just my way of coping, right? Gimme a break. Nobody’s gonna know.”

“They’d better not.” Dr. Twilight held a printout from the detector up to her face. “Let me know when you spot Neighsay approaching the island. He just texted me to say he arrived in the Highborn Isles.”

“By your leave, fearless leader.” Chrysalis moved at a quick trot towards the door, but was stopped by the white-hot glare Sunset fired her way. She swallowed hard, gave Sunset a halfway-friendly smile, and slid out the door before she could singe.

Dr. Twilight leaned her back against a Fairy String Cylinder. “You’ve been out for fifteen hours. Feel rested?”

“Fifteen—” Sunset Shimmer leaned her head forward and moaned. It was sunset outside, then. She’d missed a whole day. No wonder her throat felt like sandpaper. “Gimme some water before I dehydrate.”

“Your needs were taken care of.” Dr. Twilight flicked her fingers and a water bottle floated towards Sunset. Rather than untie her hands, the doctor let the bottle hover beneath her chin. “Drink up.” While she sipped, the doctor gestured to the magic detector. “We haven’t quite found the portal yet.”

Sunset nearly spit out her precious water. She forced it down with a growl. “What are you really planning, Twilight?”

“To send Starlight’s students to your world to keep them safe.” The doctor glanced at Starlight, who hadn’t moved since Sunset woke up. “I’ve been disingenuous about many things, but all I’ve ever wanted to do was help the school.”

“That’s bull!” Sunset Shimmer tried to get to her feet, but the way she was tied prevented her from sitting up, let alone stand. “If that’s all you wanted, you wouldn’t have murdered Raven.”

“I’ve taken three lives in this world in order to achieve my goals.” Dr. Twilight raised a hand to cast an illusion spell. A pair of wings, a heart, and a horn materialized out of glistening purple magic. “How many teenagers were you planning to mind-wipe when you stole the Element of Magic from your Princess twelve years ago?”

“Spit out all the whataboutisms you want.” Sunset Shimmer set her jaw and sent magic to her fingertips. “The severity of my crimes doesn’t erase yours.”

“But it does make you just a little bit of a hypocrite.” Dr. Twilight extinguished her illusion spell and called her homemade magic tome from across the room. She showed the cover to Sunset, which was written in a carefully-composed handwriting style that reeked of Twilight Sparkle. “Does this title ring a bell?”

Sunset narrowed her eyes. “The Grimoire Alicorn… what’s—” It hit Sunset like a bullet-train to the cerebrum. She’d only seen the tome once, but she’d heard about it. It was a magic research tome from the beginning of Equestria’s history, containing secrets that were otherwise lost to time and hidden by the royalty. It held research conducted by the wicked King Sombra himself, who had detailed his efforts to create an immortal pony. “Oh, God…”

“So you have heard of it.” Dr. Twilight flipped through the pages idly, stopping when she reached a diagram of the Fairy String Cylinders behind her. “I’m going to hazard a guess that you know exactly what the Grimoire Alicorn contains within its pages. Perhaps…” Her glowing eyes bored into Sunset’s as she pursed her lips. “Perhaps this is even the reason you and your teacher parted ways. You said you discovered a way to transform a normal pony into an alicorn, and she refused to help you.”

Sunset Shimmer felt her hands turn icy as the magic died down. “Please, Twilight—”

“So when you could not steal this book, you fled through the mirror, and the rest is history.” Dr. Twilight snapped the book shut and tucked it beneath her arm. “Did you ever find out the method for creating an alicorn?”

“Y-yes… of course,” Sunset whispered. She glanced at Principal Celestia and Dr. Sombra. Both had begun to stir, though were still heavily drowsy, as if they’d been drugged by the doctor’s magic. “I would have never—”

“—Never attempted it? Is that what you were going to say?” Dr. Twilight paced back and forth in front of Sunset, occasionally pointing the tome at her. “Can you honestly tell me that if you ever had a possibility of becoming an alicorn, that you wouldn’t have taken it? You, who stole an artifact of unspeakable power and corrupted it. You, who sought to rule through an army of mind-controlled children. You, who has manipulated and maneuvered your whole life to acquire power.”

“I’m not like that anymore!” Sunset struggled to right herself, and succeeded in raising herself high enough to bend her elbows. Her muscles ached as they were given a slight amount of relief. “I haven’t been for a decade at least. I’ve changed. I’m a better person now.”

“If you had lived my life,” Dr. Twilight hissed, “you would have made the same rutting decisions I have!”

Sunset pressed her lips together. She couldn’t believe that. Not if she wanted to keep her courage.

The doctor took step back from Sunset and pointed at the cylinders, specifically at the floating fairy strings of a dead woman. “This, Sunset, is the cure to any disease! To any disorder! The cure to death itself! This is the power to move the sun and moon! This is the power to destroy monsters, to protect what’s yours! This is the secret to mastering an uncaring universe, rather than lying at its mercy.” She slapped a palm across the tome’s cover. “And you’re trying to tell me you wouldn’t jump at the chance?”

Sunset Shimmer jerked her head to the side to get her hair out of her face. “The cost is too high.”

“Save your platitudes, Sunset.” Dr. Twilight Sparkle’s head twitched at ding from the magical scanner. She walked towards the machine with a slight spring in her step. “This is everything you dreamed and more. Everything you’ve wanted since you were an orphan in Princess Celestia’s care.”

“I grew out of that phase.” Sunset lit her left hand while the doctor’s back was turned. “I have more important things to care about. I have friends to bring me back from the brink. I have a son who I love more than life itself. I have a husband who…” Sunset shut her eyes tight as she heated the coiled rope. “I really don’t deserve.”

A heavy chill descended on her arm. A thin layer of frost coated her hand, quenching her spell and tightening her bonds. She yanked her arms away, but they had nowhere to go to escape the magic.

Dr. Twilight’s cold spell flickered on her fingertips. “The alicorn who lives inside you yet remains. The one who knows that with so much power at your disposal, nobody you love would ever have to fear again. The Sonata’s of this world would be unable to touch you without getting burned.” She tore a page from the printouts coming from her machine. “It’s simple mathematics.”

She walked over to Starlight Glimmer and laid a hand on her shoulder. Starlight flinched, but eventually, slowly, brought her eyes upward.

“Give this to Dulcimer,” Dr. Twilight said. “Have him locate the coordinates on a map. Then, as soon as Neighsay arrives, we’ll have two boats to transport our students to safety.”

Starlight gingerly took the readout. She spared Sunset a single glance before vanishing through the door.

Sunset rubbed her arms together as best she could, just to get her limbs warm enough to not hurt. “Where did you even get that book? There’s only one of them.”

“There’s three of them, actually.” Dr. Twilight drummed her fingers against the cover. “Your old mentor has the original copy in Equestria. She once shared the information with my Sombra, and his copy resides in what remains of my laboratory in the Reflection. Then—” She tapped the title of the tome. “—I created a personal copy to modify as I wished.”

Celestia, still drowsy, hung limp from her bonds. Sombra had fully awakened, and was doing his part to struggle free. It was a loosing battle for the middle-aged man.

Sunset leaned her back against the wall. It was all she could do to gain respite from hanging by a thread. “Why are you telling me all this?”

Dr. Twilight narrowed her eyes, regarding Sunset coldly. A small smirk found its way to her face. “Because after I ascend and become an alicorn, you are next.”

Sunset’s heart skipped a beat as her stomach twisted. “You can’t be serious.”

“Deadly serious.” Dr. Twilight knelt in front of Sunset, balancing on her toes. “You’ve spent too long cowing beneath the expectations and moralization of others. You deserve to rise to become what you were meant to be all along. A brilliant, all-magical alicorn. Nobody appreciates you, and nobody would ever stick their neck out to help you achieve your dreams. They say you need to give up your dreams, that you should temper your expectations. That you should slide yourself into the niche they’ve etched out for you. I reject that notion. I reject the world that murdered my parents, that enslaved my brother, and that left my mentor a crazed animal. The world doesn’t deserve us.”

Dr. Twilight shook her head slowly. “Has your whole life lead to you to being a high school math teacher? Were your years of hard work and dedication just training to be the housewife of a man who can barely hold a job? Did you really give up on being Queen of Equestria to become a mother?”

Sunset shut her eyes under the doctor’s assault. She turned her head away and whispered a hoarse “Go to Hell.”

“Thank you for that well-reasoned rebuttal.” Dr. Twilight stood up and strode towards the doorway. “I’ll be back in a few minutes. By the way, those ropes are enchanted to sound the alarm if the knot is broken.”

Once she had left, Sombra found his voice. “God help us all. She is nothing more than a raving lunatic.”

“That’s where you’re wrong, Dr. Sombra,” Sunset croaked. “She’s not raving. She’s in complete control.”

Celestia winced as she bent at the waist, moaning at a pain in her midsection. Sombra tried to shift closer to her, but was held back by his restraints. “Celestia! Where does it hurt?”

“M—my chest.” Tears poured down Celestia’s cheeks as she looked between Sombra and Sunset. “I think… she broke a rib when she hit me.”

“Curse that woman. Don’t move around; we’ll get you free. ” Sombra looked to Sunset with a furrowed brow. “Do you see any way out of this?”

“God, I’m not even sure how we got into this.” Sunset glanced at her ropes and noticed for the first time the telltale glitter of magic intertwined with its coils. “I don’t think I can break this enchantment, and none of us can take her in a fight.” She chewed on her lower lip as she scanned the depths of her brain for potentially helpful spells. None came to mind. “And we don’t know how many of the students are on her side. Chrysalis at the least.”

Sombra’s expression was a hard grimace, but he looked on the pained Celestia with soft eyes. “What of Starlight Glimmer? I don’t recall much after she entered the room.”

“Marching to the beat of the doctor’s drum.” Sunset scowled at the magic scanner as it chittered away. “She’s not going to help us fight back.”

“Then…” Celestia tried to cough, but stopped herself when the shockwaves jolted her injuries more than she could bare. “Then we’re alone?”

Sunset Shimmer’s heart sank, a painful plummet that left her ears red and her eyes bleary. “I don’t think there’s anybody left to come to the rescue.”

***

Starlight Glimmer stumbled her way through the haphazardly milling crowd. She zeroed in on Double Diamond and bumped a student out of the way. Double Diamond was in the middle of a heated discussion with Dulcimer.

“It doesn’t make any sense to me,” Double said, his hands gesturing towards the unseen mainland. “Why would Fancy Pants send you and not give you a solid timetable?”

“He was leaving it up to me. I think he changed his mind when he found out foreigners were at the school.” Dulcimer brushed Double off and held out a hand towards Starlight. “Aha! It seems we have our destination.”

Double Diamond grabbed the other man’s upper arm. “Maybe you should let me look through the videos—”

“If I were you,” Dulcimer said, his voice low, “I would not touch me.”

Double released him, but only so that he could take the sheet of paper from Starlight. He looked her in the eye, and Starlight felt shame wash over her, from the top of her head to the soles of her feet. “Starlight… What’s going on? You look sick.”

Dulcimer snatched the page out of Double Diamond’s grip. “Probably the stress of the last day’s activities. Once we’re in Equestria, you’ll both find time to relax.” He took out his phone and began to plug in the coordinates.

Double grasped her shoulders and led her away from Dulcimer. He faced her with a frown and a healthy dose of stress seated in his neck. “Stars… What’s going on?”

Starlight Glimmer shook her head, unable to do anything else. “Twilight killed Raven.”

Double Diamond’s eyes grew wide. He opened his mouth to shout. Starlight reached up and clasped a hand over his lips.

“There’s nothing we can do about it,” Starlight said, her voice scratchy and spent. “She’s too powerful. Even if we capture her, what can we do? Hand her over to the authorities? There’s nothing…” She leaned forward and rested her head in the center of his chest. “I’m a fool.”

Double Diamond hugged her, saying nothing.

Starlight’s lips trembled. “I think she already killed Night Glider and Party Favor, too. It’s for that machine she’s been building.” She sighed deep within her chest. “I just wanted to make thing better.”

“We will. We have to.” Double tapped his teeth together. He held her away from his body to make eye-contact again. “First, we gotta get these people to safety. Then we can worry about Twilight. Do you think she’s going to go after anybody else?”

“No. I think she only needed three bodies for the design.” Starlight clasped her fingers around a fold of his shirt and dragged his ear close to her mouth. “When we get out of here, make sure Dr. Sombra, Celestia, and Sunset Shimmer get to come along. Twilight took them prisoner.”

“Leave it to me.” Double Diamond glanced up as Dr. Twilight Sparkle loomed into view on the walkway, on her way to the computer lab. He took a step back from Starlight. “We’ll get through this. All of us.”

Starlight Glimmer curled her lips at him. “Don’t lie.”

“All of us.” He headed for the men’s dorm, casting a bitter glance Dulcimer’s way as he went.

Starlight Glimmer made her way to the mess hall and crumpled onto a bench. With nothing better to do than wait out the night, she rested her head in her hands and tried to hold back tears.

***

Twilight Sparkle stood at the entrance to Canterlot Castle. The air was cold. The wind bit into her skin and flecked sand across her face. A pressure built up at the base of her horn, rumbling and callous. It hailed from the clouds of bitter black smoke that swallowed the castle whole and threatened to blot out what little light remained in the reflected Equestria.

“Whatever you do,” Edgy Spike muttered, “don’t look back.”

She didn’t need to look to know Big Mac and Shining waited on the far side of the castle’s ghost town. They and the others awaited the arrival of Princess Trixie and her army. They, in turn, awaited Twilight’s return with the spell.

Twilight reached up to adjust her glasses, but her hoof met empty air. She had already forgotten that she’d replaced them with the seeing spell. Her eyes glinted in the low light, allowing her to see even into the shadows. And shadows there were, across the entire castle. The entire place reeked of sorrow and regret.

“J-just follow me,” Edgy Spike said at last. He walked through the collapsed doorway and gestured for her to follow. “We’ll be in and out in no time.”

Each step disturbed dust. Each echoed footstep seemed as loud as a brass band. Tapestries had disintegrated into rags that hung from the ceiling alongside cobwebs and rotted paintings. Stained glass windows, once portraying great feats accomplished throughout Equestrian history, had been blown inward, leaving their crystalline remnants scattered across the molding carpet.

The pressure at the base of her horn built, coming to a crescendo each time the monstrous entity that called the castle its home roared.

“There’s so much magic in the castle,” she whispered, barely daring to talk. “I think it’s giving me a headache.”

Edgy Spike lifted aside a heavy oak door that lay across their path. “It saturates this place. Spells bound and broken, malfunctioning wards, and King Sombra himself…” He looked at her with tired eyes. “Once upon a time… this would be a fascinating study project.”

They came to a large, open room that drew they eye to a massive chair on the far wall. The chair itself had seen better days, where the cushion wasn’t torn apart and the legs hadn’t been gnawed through by a frenzied monster. Twilight scuffed her hoof against the once-red carpet. “The throne room?”

“Fits the bill, don’t it?” Edgy Spike walked across the room towards the throne itself. Behind the decayed chair, he opened a small door, just big enough to admit one pony at a time. He squeezed through with a little bit of effort. Twilight found it far easier.

The small passageway eventually met a main hallway going north and south through the castle. When Twilight looked southward, she saw that the ceiling had collapsed into impassable rubble. She followed close behind Edgy Spike, part of her just wanting to rest a hoof on his scales to remind herself she wasn’t alone.

They came to a simple wooden door. When Twilight drew near, she felt magic radiating off of the entrance. These spells of protection had not been broken. Whatever lay behind them had remained pristine in the years since the castle had been abandoned. Edgy Spike grasped the handle and tugged the door open.

It was a cozy study, filled with warm-glowing lamps and a steadily-burning fireplace. Shelves of books covered every wall, stacked up to the limit. Two armchairs sat near the fire, while a work desk had been set against the wall to the right. Ink sat ready and preserved in a small vial, and an array of differently-sized quill pens lay across the desktop.

Twilight took a moment to glance out of the door at the crumpled castle, then back into the inviting study. She shivered and closed the door behind them.

She walked around the coffee table in the center of the room. “Okay. Where do we even begin?”

“Hopefully we’ll just find the spell book in here.” Edgy Spike pulled a book off a shelf and pulled a lever. The shelf slid aside and revealed a much darker, much more decrepit room. “I don’t want to spend too much time in her lab.”

Twilight glanced into the laboratory proper and saw three half-complete cylinders surrounded by scorch marks. Their glass sides had been shattered outward. The control panel was reduced to soot. “The Alicorn Device?”

“Among other things.” Edgy Spike pointed at a scroll sitting on a pedestal at the far side of the lab. “That’s the spell she used to transport between my world and yours. And that—” he pointed to a stain of dry, matted blood on the ground. “—is where she shot out one of Care’s eyes.”

Twilight read the spines of the books lining the walls. She found a section focusing on sealing spells and looked for any books that might be homemade. “Sooo… you know what the spell book looks like?”

“It’s actually a really nice bound volume.” Edgy Spike danced his fingers as he looked over his shoulder. “You know, one with the title in lovely gold leaf—”

“I don’t mean to interrupt.”

Twilight’s ears stood straight up. Her hackles, too. She turned with slow, stiff movements. The voice had been deep, rumbling, yet inquisitive. It felt like a nice voice, one which held a great deal of kindness.

But she knew that had to be a lie. Nobody who lived in this castle knew kindness.

In one of the armchairs, facing the fire and holding a cup of tea in a telekinetic bubble, was a grey-coated unicorn. His long, black mane was adorned with a silver crown. His blue eyes glinted in the light. He turned to Twilight with an easy smile on his lips. “Welcome back, Dr. Twilight Sparkle. It’s been far too long, my most faithful student.”

Echoes of Ruin

Chrysalis looked over the sea and spotted a boat nearing the docks. Neighsay piloted the vessel, which was just large enough to handle the choppy waters. As he pulled alongside the docks, she caught the line he tossed her.

Neighsay placed a briefcase on the dock before helping her tie the boat down. “It’s good to be back in familiar territory. I’ve been getting homesick—”

“I’m not here for small talk,” she snapped. She picked up the case and marched back towards the warehouse. “The doc wants to see you when you get the boat secured. We’re headed out.”

“Already?” Neighsay looked down at the ropes in his hands. He continued to tie down the boat with a huff. “I thought for sure I’d get a day or so. I didn’t expect the doctor to have everything set up for—”

“Hey.”

Neighsay looked up just in time to see a fist speeding its way towards his nose. Before he could react, it crashed into him full-force. He fell to his knees, his vision blurring and his nose bleeding.

“That’s for Wallflower,” Chrysalis said, stalking away.

A strangled curse was all Neighsay had to reply with.

***

Dr. Twilight tapped at a keyboard in the computer lab, using two fingers to type. The information Chrysalis had compiled on Sunset’s family was by no means comprehensive, but it had been enough. Though Sunset kept off social media, Pinkie Pie was not nearly so reclusive. All they’d had to do was compare several sympathetic posts with police records Chrysalis had broken into to know just what Sunset had been going through the past couple of years.

From there, records of Sunset’s history with Twilight, her brother, with the Apples, with everybody… The schools they’d attended, the jobs they’d had… The lives they lived, all brought together on one hard drive.

“Special delivery.”

Dr. Twilight watched Chrysalis enter the dark computer lab and place the briefcase on a nearby desk. The other woman rubbed her right hand absently, staring into space, appearing to be somewhere else.

“So…” The doctor pressed the delete key, eradicating several incriminating files. “Those are the fairy strings.”

“They came at a high price.” Chrysalis had the presence of mind to narrow her focus on Dr. Sparkle. “Neighsay’s on the dock, hopefully bleeding out. He’ll be by in a few minutes.”

“No. We need to move fast.” Dr. Twilight rose from her chair and grasped the briefcase’s handle with a grip like death itself. “Call everybody to the central room. Have Starlight organize us to ship out. We need to get people to the mainland as fast as possible.”

“The mainland?”

“Where the portal is.” Dr. Twilight brushed past her on her way to the door. Chrysalis almost didn’t move out of the way, but a cold hand to the shoulder convinced her. “It’s going to take us at least two trips as it is.”

“I thought you were going to use the device before we shipped out.”

“I’m going to work simultaneously.” Dr. Twilight felt the surface of the meta briefcase with the palm of her hand. So much work and sacrifice had gone into retrieving the fairy strings… It would soon all be worth it. “I’ll take the last boat. After everything is perfect.”

Chrysalis rubbed her upper arms as a shiver ran throughout her body. “And who’s going to stay behind to make sure you don’t barbeque yourself with that machine?”

“It’s going to work, Chrysalis.” Dr. Twilight gave her what she thought to be a warm smile. “I have no doubt in my mind. The calculations have been checked and triple-checked. They match my teacher’s perfectly.” She pulled open the door, but paused as a thought occurred to her. “I’m keeping Sunset Shimmer here to witness the transformation. If she just sees everything finally come together, there’s no way she’ll be able to deny its worth anymore. She’ll be just as onboard as you, or me, or—”

“Wallflower?” The face was expressionless, the voice colorless, but the intent was clear as day.

Dr. Twilight nodded to Chrysalis, clenching one fist. “Yes. As onboard as Wallflower. She was a good friend, but she made a mistake and we all have to suffer because of it.” She patted the briefcase, magic sparking on her fingertips. “We’ll honor her by moving forward.”

She turned to leave, nothing more needing to be said. Chrysalis stopped her with a word. “Wait.”

Dr. Twilight huffed. “Chrysalis, we don’t have time—”

“I’ve been keeping dibs on Dulcimer’s communications.” Chrysalis held up her phone, shaking it like she was dangling keys in front of a kid. “He hasn’t had any contact with Fancy Pants since he came here. Pretty sure this is all a ruse.” Her jaw tightened behind her cheek. “Which would mean Wallflower died for nothing.”

“If that’s true…” Dr. Twilight bobbed her head and quickened her pace. “Dulcimer will get his due. For now, our goals align.”

Chrysalis exited the lab and leaned on the railing overlooking the indoor courtyard. Fire licked at her limbs as her magic briefly overpowered her self-control.

Dr. Twilight reached her private laboratory just as Double Diamond climbed to the top of the staircase to her level. “Doctor! I need to talk with you.”

“I’m busy, and so are you.” Dr. Twilight pointed downstairs to the few milling students who weren’t packing. “Our second boat just arrived. Get our people ready to sail.”

“That’s part of what I need to talk with you about.” He stretched out a hand to lean against the doorframe, halting her progress. “Your ‘prisoners.’ We can’t just leave them behind.”

“I’m staying with Sunset for the moment.” Dr. Twilight hugged the briefcase to her chest. “Do what you want with the other two, so long as they don’t interfere with my project. And so long as they don’t alert the authorities to our presence.” She poked his chest with a finger, and a bubble of telekinetic energy pushed him back a solid foot. “Now if the interruptions can stop, I’m going to begin the process of changing the world.”

Without another word, Double Diamond untied the bonds holding Sombra and Celestia. A hushed word of warning prevented them from reattempting their earlier heroics. A whispered promise was exchanged between Celestia and Sunset, but Dr. Twilight paid it no mind. She was focused on the Alicorn Device. Her pride and joy. The future of all peoples. The only goal worth attaining.

“Sunset Shimmer,” she said, her breath short, “I invite you to witness history.”

***

Twilight Sparkle’s knees shook. All four of them. The pressure in her horn became aggravating as she stared into the glimmering blue eyes of a king she knew to be far too dangerous for comfort.

Her discomfort didn’t seem to affect him. King Sombra leaned around the back of the chair to peer into the depths of the laboratory. “Young Master Spike! Please, come here and let me get a good look at you!”

Edgy Spike tiptoed out of the lab, stuffing a sheet of paper into his bags. He had the look of a man facing certain death. “King Sombra. Y-Your Majesty. Hi.”

“My, how you’ve grown.” Sombra looked back at Twilight, who dared not speak. “The both of you. It does my heart good to see you once again.”

“King Sombra…” Edgy Spike eased himself closer to Twilight, putting his body slightly between Sombra and Twilight. “How… how is this possible? I thought you were possessed—”

“By the dark magic of the Tantabus.” Sombra’s eyes turned downward, and his smile frayed at the edges. “Yes, unfortunately, this is still so. You no doubt saw the monster as you entered the castle.”

Twilight nodded, her throat constricting until she could barely breath.

“I am… unsure how to quantify this… apparition you see before you.” Sombra touched a hoof to his chest. He took a sip of the tea and sighed. “Perhaps I am some final remnant of Sombra’s right mind. Perhaps I am all that remains of the king, stripped of everything save memories. I know not.”

Edgy Spike reached out a claw. The sharp nails slid through Sombra’s body unabated by flesh or sinew. He was merely an image. Or maybe an afterimage, like what remained on an old TV after it was shut off.

“All I know is that I haven’t much time to speak with you before the Tantabus reasserts control,” Sombra said quietly. “I can already feel myself slip back into the darkness. Piece by piece.”

Edgy Spike glanced at Twilight. He narrowed his eyes; he didn’t want her to speak. Twilight shared the sentiment. She wasn’t even sure if she could, much less if she could remain standing in the presence of the king.

“We are still searching for a cure to your condition.” Edgy Spike picked three books off the shelf at random, scanning their inside covers for data on their print date. “Among other things. It’s chaos out there. We felt like it was worth the risk of coming to the castle.”

Sombra’s expression softened further. “I’m afraid it is too late for me, Spike.”

Edgy Spike had a book halfway off a shelf. He turned to the king with a half-baked smile. “What do you mean?”

“I mean that I gave up long ago. After Twilight left.” King Sombra shook his head and reached for Twilight. “Why did you only return after so long, my student?”

Put on the spot, Twilight figured she had to say something. Anything. Something small. Maybe Sombra didn’t know about the doctor’s more horrific experiments? If he didn’t bring them up, she sure as heck didn’t need to. “I—I’m sorry… I lost my way.”

“Haven’t we all?” Sombra stood up, his body blocking most of the light from the fire. He set the teacup on the coffee table, where it vanished into the shadows. “When you left, I lost hope. I grew desperate. I knew that without you, there was only one way to destroy the Tantabus once and for all, so that it would not hurt anybody ever again.”

He took a looming step closer to Twilight, and she took a step back. He outpaced her by far with that single movement. He was taller than Big Mac. Taller than Princess Celestia, even. She looked him right in his blue eyes, once so noble, now clouded over with a grim apathy.

“I tied the magic of the Tantabus, one molecule at a time, to my very body.” Sombra shook his head slowly, his voice seemingly on the verge of tears. “Now, when I die, I shall take the Tantabus and its corrupted power with me.”

“No!” Edgy Spike dropped the books on the coffee table and reached out for the king, even if he could never touch him. “There has to be a way. Twilight’s here, and all we need to do is—”

“No, Spike.” Sombra looked at the young dragon with a sigh like the final breath of a dragon. The castle’s foundations rumbled to match. “Twilight cannot help you. Nothing that I have done can be undone.” His expression darkened as the shadows of the room grew deeper still, as though they had form and substance. “Just as nothing that Twilight herself has done can be undone.”

Twilight’s ears flopped down to the sides of her head. “Oh sh—”

Edgy Spike grasped her shoulders and pulled her behind his back. “What do you mean? She… she hasn’t—”

“Twilight, you knew that anything you could ever want, I would provide.” Sombra’s looming head was as black as night, backlit as it was by the blazing fire behind him. “Why did you think it necessary to turn my greatest shame into a reality?”

Twilight’s ears turned red as blood rushed to her face. “A-actually, that—You see, there’s been a misunderstanding—”

“I knew the process that Celestia showed me was too dangerous to fall into the wrong hands.” Magic leaked from the edges of Sombra’s body, merging with the shadows and deepening them. His expression grew clearer, no longer happy to see them, nor angry. He was sad, mournfully so. He had the appearance of one who had lost something dear to him. Perhaps one who had lost everything. “So I modified the schematics. I changed the Alicorn Device into a bomb.”

His eyes lost their luster completely, becoming pure black holes, sucking in all light. Purple magic swirled in a corona, like magic tears pouring from the corners of his eyes. The pressure in her horn became an excruciating headache, splitting her vision and nearly throwing her to the floor.

“When your laboratory was destroyed the first time, I did not want to believe that you could have done something so heinous.” His legs vanished into the floor, which roiled with shadow and sorrow. “I should have seen the signs. I should have stopped you before you lost yourself completely. Truly, my inaction has cost you your equinity, and it has cost the world one of its greatest scholars.”

He reached out for Edgy Spike with a tentacle-like limb and shoved him away. He opened his mouth wide as he approached Twilight. She shrunk against the coffee table with her hooves held up. “No! Wait! I’m not your Twilight! I’m from another—!”

Green eyes shone from the darkness, enveloping red pupils. His newly grown fangs and the rumble of an earthquake could not conceal the grief in his voice. “I was glad to see you, one last time, before we are both extinguished by our failures. Farewell, Twilight.”

Edgy Spike picked Twilight up and slammed shoulder-first through the door to the study. Shards of black crystal erupted from the ground where she had been standing. He ran as fast as he could with her tucked under one arm, his tail flailing as he booked it for the nearest exit.

Twilight swallowed hard as she realized that the closest exit was the one they’d entered by; the main entrance.

She looked behind them at the unearthly screech of Sombra. The laboratory and study of Dr. Twilight Sparkle erupted into flame, destroying all the information within. Sombra burst forth like a storm cloud through mountains, lightning and crystalline shards in his wake. “No! Twilight must die!”

“We are screwed,” Twilight hissed.

“Just…” Edgy Spike neared the small hallway to the throne room. Smoke poured from his nostrils. “We can figure something out.”

“He’s not listening!”

“I thought—” A steaming tear fell from Edgy Spike’s eye before he wiped it aside. “That’s not the king. He’s gone. He’s been gone for a long time.”

“Spiiiiiike!” Sombra’s shadowy head chased after them with a howl. “Why do you protect her? Release her and you shall live!”

A crystal arrow sang through the air and struck Edgy Spike in the side. It bit deep into his scales, drawing boiling green blood. He cried out in pain and surprise, falling to his knees. He hefted Twilight and threw her through the doorway. “Go! Get out of here!”

Twilight picked herself up despite the bruises, cuts, and scrapes. She didn’t have time for pain. She turned to Edgy Spike, who was nearly swallowed by shadows. She looked him right in the eye and saw her fear reflected. He looked away and closed his eyes, sparing her from watching him succumb to the onset of death.

Her horn blazed a brilliant lavender. She pushed back against the pressure in her skull and threw magic across the room. Sombra’s roar abated for but a moment. The shadows drew back for a blinding instant. She gripped Edgy Spike in a cocoon of magic and dragged him into the hall.

“There’s no way in Hell or Equestria that I’m leaving you here, Spike!” She pulled him to his feet with a glimmer of magic and gave him a shove in the proper direction. “Now move your caboose!”

His jaw fell open. “But—”

“Move it!”

The walls bent inward, as if a massive weight was dragging the castle down. Grit and grime showered them with every step forward, and the grasping tentacles of shadow nipped at their feet. She tripped and fell nose-first into the ground. Edgy Spike hoisted her upright and helped her along until her vision cleared.

The throne room was lined floor-to-ceiling with crystal shards. Massive spires reached the rafters, and smaller patches of spikes lay waiting to cut the limbs off any who passed by. There was no safe passage.

Twilight Sparkle shut her eyes tight and sent magic to her horn. “Come on. Teleport. Teleport!” The equations flashed in her mind. The spell was tuned to perfection. The only thing that remained was the power behind the spell. The emotion. The driving force. The mental state of being required to exist in two places at once. What was it? What could it possibly be!?

Sombra’s unhinged laughter shook her to the core. Maybe the emotion was “blinding terror.” She completed the spell, and there was an eye-searing flash.

She stood in the very same spot she had been a moment ago. She threw her head back with an exasperated scream. She pressed her hooves against Edgy Spike’s chest. “What spell did you sneak into your bag? Was it the sealing spell?”

“N-no.” Edgy Spike passed her the small piece of paper he’d been able to retrieve. “It’s the spell that pierces the fabric of reality. It’s Twilight’s mirror-world transportation spell. The one she used to escape seven years ago.”

Twilight’s ears stood upright. She took the paper in a telekinetic glint. “Alright. So if we can’t think of another way out of this…”

Edgy Spike held a claw to his wound. “You can’t be serious—”

His eyes grew wide. He threw Twilight to the floor as a beam of terror flashed over her head. Sombra’s head appeared in a crystal, screeching in rage. He vanished and reappeared in another part of the room, readying another spell.

Twilight lifted her head and found her heart caught up in her throat for the umpteenth time that day. The paper floated away from her, carried on currents of wind that blew through the broken stained glass windows. She tried to grasp for it, but Edgy Spike pulled her away from a crystalline spear.

It was then that the center of the room caved inward. Stone and silt gave way and became a yawing abyss filled to the brim with Sombra’s crystal teeth. The tremors rumbled throughout the foundations as the entire world seemed to writhe in pain. In short, the castle was coming down.

Edgy Spike held an arm out to prevent Twilight from sliding to her death. He shared a small, unconvincing smile with her. “Well, I think I’m starting to see the wisdom in your idea.”

***

Big Mac gaped as the castle listed to one side, the horrible call of the monster king drawing it towards total collapse. “Shining! We gotta do somethin’!”

Chrysalis snagged his tail with a cloven hoof. She held him back, yanking him to a seated position. “You can’t help her now. The plan failed. It’s up to her to escape.”

“You’re kidding me!” Shining Armor hoisted the bag holding Twilight’s clothes, squaring them on his back in case he needed to bolt for it. “She’s risking her neck for you, and you’re just going to let her die?”

“We all knew the risks!” Queen Chrysalis bit her lower lip as she watched the castle billow with purple smoke. “It’s likely the spell was destroyed long ago. Our hopes of stopping Sombra were just that… hopes.”

Princess Celestia strode forward towards the castle, easing Chrysalis gently off to the side. “Then you misunderstand what hope is, Your Majesty. Hope is not a toothless wish. Hope is a certainty you hold in your heart. Proof that you have your faith because you know it to be true. We have hope in Twilight. We have faith in her and Spike. That is why, in their hour of need, we are going to help them.”

General Care glanced between Celestia and Chrysalis, her eye looking to either one for some sort of command. “Your Majesty… Spike’s still in there, too.”

Little Spike stepped beside Princess Celestia, with Princess Twilight close behind. “We can at least give Sombra something to think about,” he said. “Distract him enough to get the others out.”

“There isn’t going to be a castle to get them out of!” Queen Chrysalis spread her forelegs and wings, trying and failing to stop them from moving forward. “Do you know how many people I love who I’ve had to watch die? No more! Let Cadenza have the blasted kingdom! Let Sombra burn everything to ashes! If we run, we’ll still have each other!”

Big Mac stomped a hoof on the stone road. It was loud enough to make Chrysalis jump. “It ain’t that simple! I can’t live with myself knowin’ I coulda helped Twilight but didn’t! Even if there’s nothin’ I can do, I need to be there for her! And I know I can’t do it alone! We need to face the king!”

Shining Armor looked over General Care’s assembled troops with a hoof raised. “We can’t rest until he’s stopped!”

Little Spike attempted to juke around Chrysalis, but she held him in place with a strong spell. “He’ll keep tearing down your trust!”

Celestia took the changeling queen by the shoulder and waited for her to extinguish her horn. “Harry you and all your people till your kingdom’s naught but dust.”

Princess Twilight took to wing and scanned the layout of the castle, taking note of weak walls and open windows. “We can save them if we hurry and attack him from the north!”

“So it’s time for your decision, folks!” Big Mac bellowed. “It’s time! To! Sally! Fooorth!”

He galloped as fast as his four legs could take him without tripping, Shining and Little Spike hot on his heels. He didn’t know what came over him, but as his heart pounded, as magic flowed through his newfound fairy strings, words and melodied rose to his mouth. They spewed forth, unpremeditated, yet they fit what was in his heart so clearly that he couldn’t help but allow them to sound.

“In the dust
In the night
In the kingdom of a monster
There’s a horror that has
Stabbed us like a knife

“There’s my girl
And her friend
They’re both trapped inside a castle
With a villain who’d
Exterminate their life

“He’s a king
Who was lost to his madness
And his tragedy endlessly stings

“But we’re armed
And we’re mad
And we look pretty rad
For Twilight! Edgy Spike!
Face the king!”

Queen Chrysalis flew overhead, shouting at them at the top of her lungs. “Shining! Shining, please, I can’t let you die again!”

“That wasn’t me!” Shining Armor shook his mane and narrowed his eyes at the castle as they rapidly approached. “I’m not your Shining, Chrysalis. You have to let me help my sister.”

Princess Twilight grasped Chrysalis’ hooves in her own. “Go. Run while you can. Get your people regrouped and ready to fight. We’ll get our friends out.”

General Care hollered to the queen, “Don’t tell me we’re giving up Spike!”

Queen Chrysalis gritted her teeth, looking over the half of an army she had waiting for her. She shut her eyes to block off the tears. “Those of you who want to help Spike, go with them. Those of you who want to live, stay with me.”

General Care took off like a bolt of lightning. “I’m helping Spike!”

“I’ll go!”

“And me!”

Roughly a dozen ponies joined them, a small fraction of their number. The gallop became a stampede as the two princesses, two soldiers, a dragon, and a farmer led the motley crew towards the crumpling castle.

“Whet your blades
Shake your spears
Our hooves rumble like a thunder cloud
We’re following Big Mac to
Certain doom

“After long
Endless war
Joy is scarcer than clean water
We are ready for a really
Big kaboom

“It’s our king
And we miss him so dearly
In memoriam ave we sing

“Here’s our time
Here’s our chance
Take a strong-footed stance
Fight for friendship and romance!”

Big Mac craned his neck to look at the tallest of the rapidly-tilting towers. Eyes of purple, red, and green anger and raw, animal fury blazed at him and his company. “Watch out for his big, floating head!”

Blades of blackhearted crystal erupted from the stone before them, while arrows of pain made manifest rained from above. Princess Twilight cast a covering shield that protected them from the overhead onslaught, while Little Spike broke apart the forest of flesh-rending fangs.

Big Mac slowed only for a moment as he rounded the spines, careful not to touch the dangerous magic.

“I don’t know
How to help
I just know I need to be here
Even if I can’t assist
With anything

“Twilight’s great
She’s the best
Of this fact I can attest
How could I possibly do less?
To face the king!”

Princess Twilight landed beside the north wall of the castle, far to the left of the westward main entrance. She turned around and barked in a booming, magically-assisted voice. “All earth ponies! We need to push this wall in and straighten it out! That means you, Big Mac!”

General Care turned to her troops. “Fritz! Green Tea! Vanilli! Do as the princess says!”

Big Mac joined the other three earth ponies in pressing against the wall. At first, he couldn’t feel the slightest hint that he was doing anything except getting crushed by solid stone. Princess Twilight came alongside him and pressed her own hooves beside his.

“Feel your heartbeat, Mac,” she said. “Feel that magic I’ve already seen you use. You ran a mile in three minutes. That’s the power of an earth pony with his heart on fire.”

When Big Mac looked back, he could see that Shining, Little Spike, and the Princess Celestia were still a ways off, picking through the crystal minefield. When had he even had time to break away? There wasn’t time to think too hard. It was time to feel. To do.

He pushed the wall alongside the princess and the others, and the stone bent to their will. The wall was strengthened. The castle’s collapse was slowed. Princess Twilight glared at the ever-present darkness of Sombra and lit her horn.

“We bought time
Let’s go in
Earth ponies should take the small gate
While the pegasi will enter
On the wing

“Unicorns
Launch your spells
Come on folks, let’s give ’em hell
And help the mission to go well
Let’s face the king!”

Big Mac was the first through the gate, and was met with a veritable wall of black spines. He gave one a solid, magically-assisted kick that shattered it in half. The earth trembled in response. He and the other earth ponies pushed forward as best they could, calling out for Twilight or Edgy Spike.

“Face the king!
Face the king!
Face the king!”

They smashed their way through layer upon layer of solidified magic. If Big Mac strained his ears, he could hear Twilight screaming above the quaking of earth and the roar of a demon. He focused on that sound, pushed towards its source, seeking its owner who he loved so dearly.

He crushed a spike beneath his hooves and skidded to a stop. The castle opened up to a large chamber filled floor-to-ceiling with crystals. The floor had caved in towards the center, giving it the appearance of a leech’s mouth. Up and to the left, he could see Twilight and Edgy Spike picking their way across the edge of the room, dodging spells cast from the horrifying head of Sombra himself.

A second head hovered before Big Mac, similar to the main Sombra head, but lacking definition. Or eyes. “Begone, fools! Lest the Tantabus slay you as well!”

Big Mac skipped past the horrific visage. “Eee’nope.”

Twilight caught sight of him from across the room. She practically leapt for joy. Or maybe she was just terrified that he was there. “Mac! Get outta here!”

“Come towards me!” He reached out a hoof to her. “We’ll lead you outside!”

“I think not!” Sombra’s head lanced fire and fear towards the hallway Big Mac stood in. Mac dove forward, while the other earth ponies retreated as fast as they could. The hall caved in and sealed over with deadly crystal shards.

Princess Twilight Sparkle flew through a hollowed-out window. She fired a kinetic blast at the crystal Sombra was using for an anchor, and sent it crumbling into the yawing pit. Sombra screamed in annoyance and shifted positions, dancing around the alicorn princess and exchanging spells back and forth.

“Mac!” Twilight pointed down, to a position near him. “That paper! Make sure it doesn’t fall into the hole!”

Big Mac scrambled to his feet and made a beeline for the page. He grasped the paper in his teeth, hoping that his saliva wouldn’t make the ink run. He looked back up at Twilight. “Hngeee?”

Not as articulate as he’d hoped, but she seemed to get the message. Edgy Spike grabbed her foreleg and helped her down, tooth by crystalline tooth.

A blade the size of a small house erupted from the wall, aimed straight for Big Mac’s head. He ducked, covering his eyes with his hooves. His pulse increased even more than on his run. He felt frozen, like death was imminent and there was nothing he could do. He peered upwards and saw a hail of arrows sail through the air on a collision-course with his heart.

Princess Celestia landed beside him with her horn alight. She hoisted a slab of crystal between them and the attack, causing the spikes to dribble uselessly into the hole. Little Spike leaped from her back and picked the first crystal off of Mac’s back.

“Be careful of the magic in this room, Big Mac!” Celestia said, angling the shielding slab for another attack. “The Tantabus amplifies fear! Don’t let it control you!”

Big Mac still shook, but he was able to stand without the literal weight of a building on his back. He ran for Twilight’s position just as they became level with each other. She leaped up and grasped his neck in a hug.

“Thank God you’re alright,” she hissed, out of breath. “Where’s Shining?”

Edgy Spike pointed at the window Princess Twilight and Celestia had flown through. “Giving us a way out.”

Shining was perched on the window sill, letting down a rope. It was visibly difficult for him to use his hooves, but he was making the best of it. If Mac strained, he could head General Care shouting orders and encouragement from outside.

Twilight’s voice brought him back to the here and now. “Guys… I think I have an idea to defeat Sombra.”

Princess Celestia shielded them with her slab, dragging another up from the depths with a flash of her horn. “You found the sealing spell?”

“No, it was destroyed.” Twilight shook her head as she gently took the paper from Big Mac’s mouth. She showed the spell written on it to Celestia. “But Edgy Spike was able to find a way to open a portal to my world.”

Big Mac leaned closer. “So we can escape? We can go home?”

“We could…” She nibbled her bottom lip and looked up at her brother. He was far out of earshot. “But then we’d be leaving this world to deal with Sombra alone.”

Celestia lowered her ears as Sombra roared. He nearly blasted Princess Twilight out of the sky, but she responded with a shield that reflected his attack. Celestia winced. “What’s your idea?”

“He’s drawing power from the ambient magic of this castle. Of this whole world.” Twilight Sparkle gave them a grim smile. “What if we took him somewhere that had no ambient magic at all?”

***

“We’ll be back for you,” Principal Celestia had promised.

Sunset Shimmer held tight to that promise. She could hear the second wave of passengers readying themselves for transport to the mainland. The first trip had reportedly taken an hour to make landfall and disembark.

In the meantime, Sunset was forced to watch Dr. Twilight Sparkle prepare.

She opened the briefcase the way an archeologist would open an ancient tomb, with an air of reverence and discovery. Two jars came out, each glowing with the magic of the dead. Dr. Twilight climbed a cylinder and slowly, carefully, opened a jar and released its contents. The silky threads spread out as they bathed in the nutrient-rich fluid. They soon took on the appearance of a simple stick-figure, a head, a heart, and four limbs. She did the same for the second jar, until the Fairy String Triptych was complete.

Dr. Twilight tucked in her shirt and slipped into a black jacket that billowed down to her thighs. She put her hair up in a tight ponytail as she surveyed her work. “Nearly done. Nearly there.”

“You know I’m not going to let you turn me into an alicorn.” Sunset Shimmer fought against her bonds once again, and once again found herself doing little more than bruise her wrists. “I’m going to fight you every step of the way.”

“I don’t care.” Dr. Twilight took in a deep breath. She didn’t look at Sunset; not even for a moment. She was entranced by her own Alicorn Device. “You’ll see I’m right. You just need to witness everything come together.”

“You’re nothing but a murderer.”

“And you’re nothing but a failure. As a student. As a hero. As a pony.” Dr. Twilight finally turned around, and Sunset was surprised to see tears in the doctor’s eyes. “But that’s not the real us. That’s not our true selves. You and I are the same. We’re alicorns in spirit. In our innermost beings. We can finally achieve everything with this one action.” She held a hand to her heart. “When you join me, we’ll prove that we’re more than our failures.”

The doctor rushed off without a chance for Sunset to reply. She activated the control pad for the Alicorn Device, sending a deep thrum throughout the school. Dr. Twilight let out a breath of exhilaration. “It’s priming! It’s working, Sunset! Yes!”

She took a step back to check a monitor. Magic and electricity flowed into the cylinders at a set ratio. “It’ll take a while, but once it’s fully primed, we’ll really see the sparks fly. Please take note of what you see. I’ll be able to record my own experiences, but an outside perspective is invaluable.”

While the doctor worked at her abominable contraption, Sunset spun magic of her own. While she couldn’t cast a counter-spell to the enchantment in her bonds, she had been able to figure out exactly how they worked. That meant, when Dr. Twilight’s attention was elsewhere, she could begin to undo the spell step by step. It was a painstaking process, and she had to stop whenever the doctor glanced her way, but she was making progress. It was just a matter of whether she would be able to finish before the device was primed.

And then, it was a completely different matter what she would do once she was free…

***

Twilight licked her lips as the faces around her became a mixture of puzzled and fearful. She felt much the same, being honest with herself. Didn’t blame them one bit.

Edgy Spike laid a claw on Twilight Sparkle’s shoulder. “There’s no guarantee he’d be vulnerable in your world.”

Little Spike snapped a claw. “But there’s a one-hundred-percent guarantee he’d be weaker there.”

Twilight shrugged, her eyes jumping to the roaring apparition of the fallen king. “Well, we are definitely out of options. It’s that or watch Princess Twilight fight to exhaustion and probably die.”

An earth-shattering crack was sounded as the castle’s tallest tower crumbled, crushing the roof beneath it on its way down. The ground leaped and nearly sent them all tumbling. Shining Armor fell from his perch. He gripped the rope tight and dangled in midair, the only thing keeping him from falling to his death being the grit and determination of Care’s troops outside.

“Shining!” Twilight broke out of the circle and rushed for her brother. “Hold on!”

Even as she ran to help, she felt the eyes of Sombra lock on her. The pressure in her horn built back up to headache-level as he prepared an almighty blast of sheer power. She shut her eyes and focused on her horn, past the pressure to the knowledge she’d stored in her magnificent brain. A shield. One that she’d seen the princess use just a moment ago. It was similar to a few things Sunset had taught her, just enough that if she mixed the spells just so…

Sombra’s bolt reflected off her shield, but she still felt the agony drive deep into her bones. Thankfully it was just a dull ache, rather than complete obliteration, but she knew it had been too close. She reached out with her horn and caught Shining just as his hoof slipped. Celestia, Macintosh, and the Spikes reached her a moment later, securing them beneath Celestia’s makeshift shield.

“If you rush off like that again,” Celestia said, her voice rising, “I cannot guarantee your safety, young Twilight!”

Shining Armor wrapped a foreleg around Twilight’s narrow shoulders. “Well, I’m sure as heck grateful! Do we have a plan?”

Twilight looked up to see that the rope was frayed and useless, having been cut off halfway up the wall. The rest of it was on fire. “I think we’re finally narrowing it down.”

Another tower fell, this once crushing what remained of the front gate and making the hallways impassable.

Edgy Spike touched the side of her face with a gentle claw. He looked her right in the eye with utmost certainty. “Believe in yourself, Twilight. You got this.”

Little Spike leaned against Celestia’s shield as Sombra’s spell sought to rend it asunder. “What he said. Please and thank you.”

Twilight took in a deep breath through the nose and let it slowly out her mouth. She took a few steps forward and held the spell in front of her face. It was lengthy and complex, but it was all made of things she had learned. Mostly basic spells linked together in unexpected, genius ways. All that was needed was a cool head, a big brain, and a buttload of magic.

Twilight lit her horn and began to cast the spell. At first the air shimmered, as if on a hot day. Soon the magic grew thicker, more like smog. A force tugged at her mane, drawing her towards the epicenter, but she stood fast. She threaded additional spells into the mix, like crocheting a sweater. A sweater that crossed the barriers of time and space. The next time she opened her eyes, she saw fractals appear in midair, repeated shapes that copied and combined to form larger versions of themselves. At certain angles, they were reflective, showing different corners of the room as it shook.

Twilight saw herself in a reflection, and nearly shouted when she saw her own human face.

She knew the spell would only last as long as she poured power into it. She opened her mouth and strained her voice to reach the ceiling. “Princess! Drive him into the spell!”

The far wall caved in, sending stone and crystal falling to the ground in equal measure. The rest of the castle crackled as it sought to join the total collapse.

The roof bowed inward. Twilight shut her eyes and ran headlong towards the spell. “It’s now or never! Run!”

A thunderous spell from Princess Twilight struck the demonic presence of Sombra and sent him flying towards the gaping hole in reality. She dove after him, never letting up her assault. Twilight led the charge from the ground, dodging falling rafters and crystal spines alike. Little Spike hitched a ride on Big Mac, while Edgy Spike rode astride Shining Armor. Princess Celestia brought up the rear, clutching her walking cane in a tight telekinetic bubble.

They all entered the spell at the same time, just as the structural integrity of the castle reached zero.

***

Queen Chrysalis stood at the edge of the rubble, looking over what was left of Canterlot Castle. Her army stood behind her, all equally silent.

General Care approached with her dozen troops. She leaned against one of them and limped, her leg having been injured when the castle collapsed. She lifted her head to look at Chrysalis with tears running down her cheeks.

“I…” Queen Chrysalis shook her head slowly, eventually finding her voice through a steadying breath. “I do not feel pressure in my horn. Sombra’s presence is well and truly gone from this world. Whatever they did… it saved us all.”

General Care sat down a few steps from the queen. She ran her bleary eye over the ruins of Canterlot. “There’s no sign of any bodies. Not so much as a splatter.”

Queen Chrysalis gave her a somber nod. “Does this give you hope that they’re alive?”

General Care scratched beneath the strap of her eyepatch, even as she daubed away tears. She sized up the crumpled castle and nodded. “I believe in Spike. And I guess that’s enough.”

Queen Chrysalis looked to the north and spotted a troop of ponies approaching, led by Princess Trixie Lulamoon. The reunion was imminent. She signaled a few ponies to begin setting up camp. “Then I believe it’s time to make the most of the gift they’ve given us. It’s time to take back Equestria.”

The general saluted and hoisted herself on her three good legs. “I’ll be right behind you, Your Majesty. Every step of the way. For Spike.”

Chrysalis raised her head as she lifted a regal foreleg. “For Spike, indeed.”

Author's Note

Big Mac's song is sung to the tune of "The Mob Song" from The Beauty and the Beast.

As a reflection to Pinkie Pie singing a song to the tune of "Belle" in the first story! Eh? Eeeeeeh? :pinkiehappy:

Home Again

Starlight Glimmer found herself on the smaller of the two boats. It was more of a leisure vessel than Double Diamond’s old fishing trawler. As such, it jostled quite a bit more on the open water than she found comfortable. The motor rumbled as a light rain pattered away at her face.

A few confused students sat quietly around the deck of the small boat. Two in particular, Celestia and Sombra, were huddled together, attempting to keep Celestia’s abdominal injuries from getting worse. Starlight clenched a fist as she brought Dr. Twilight’s face to mind.

Could she have seen it coming? Did it even surprise her? She was left wondering if Dr. Twilight was that good a liar or if Starlight herself was so caught up in the magic that she would have accepted lessons from a literal mass murderer. She supposed that in the end, that didn’t matter as much as making things right.

She knelt beside Sombra and spoke in a low, hushed voice that wouldn’t carry as far over the water. “I want to rescue Sunset from that maniac. We can’t just let the doctor get away with what she did.”

“Priorities, madam.” Sombra rested his massive hands on Celestia’s shoulders. “We cannot fight back if we are not in a position to fight. We need to get the injured to safety, and the students out of the hands of the Prime Minister’s men.”

Starlight glanced at the ship’s wheel to see Neighsay piloting the boat. He seemed uninterested in their conversation for the moment, but the instant he thought something was funny, they needed to take him out. Followed by… where was Chrysalis? Starlight winced as she realized the changeling was nestled onboard the other boat. With her powers of disguise, she wouldn’t even know her if she saw her.

“You’re right. And I know none of us can take the doctor in a fight.” Starlight extinguished the spell brewing on her fingertips. “But what if we can save the students and take out the bad guys?”

“We cannot fight a war on three fronts, Miss Glimmer.” Sombra helped Celestia to lie down slowly, keeping things away from her side. The bandages weren’t tight enough. There was no anesthetic. There was no way to help aside from simply being there. “Fancy Pants, the doctor, the portal… Our duty is to save as many people as we can right now. And unfortunately, that means that Sunset Shimmer’s rescue must wait.”

“Please,” Celestia gasped. She reached for her side, but Sombra stopped her hand. “Please, she has a family—”

“We will not abandon her.” Sombra spoke in a low, soothing voice that Starlight had never before heard from the man. “We made that promise, Celestia. I shan’t forget.” He gave Starlight a stare forged from solid steel. “When the moment is right, we strike with all the magic at our disposal. But a premature attack will lead to nothing but destruction. You must trust me.”

“Believe me,” Starlight said, “you’re one of three people I trust right now.”

They made landfall in short order. The previous group was still waiting for them, headed by the devious, devilish Dulcimer. His smirk made Starlight want to claw his face off with her bare hands.

“Welcome, one and all, to the mainland.” Dulcimer gestured to the city with arms wide. The port was located on the edge of the capitol city of the Highborn Isles; Roc. It was an old city, with some architecture dating back a thousand years. The House of Parliament could be seen from the docks, at which some sort of commotion was taking place.

Starlight Glimmer hopped onto dry land and peered at the crowd of people gathered on the steps. It was a few blocks away, but she could still hear a commotion. “Is it a protest? What are they all doing?”

Dulcimer’s smirk elevated into an entirely too smug grin. “I expected the streets to be at their usual bustle, but if everybody’s attention is on Parliament, we’ll be able to sneak out of the city scot-free.” He turned to Starlight with a nod. “It seems that the stars aligned in our favor. Prince Blueblood is finally inheriting his father’s crown today. Protests and riots are sure to follow. I’d call that an effective smokescreen, wouldn’t you?”

Starlight Glimmer sighed deep within her chest. “Maybe it was time to leave the country anyway.”

***

The world exploded in a medley of colors and sounds around Twilight. Gravity was no longer pulling her downward, but every direction at once. Magic flowed around her, but rather than the warm tingle of a ready spell, it was a painful bite pinching its way across her body. It was as if she was traveling through a mirror pool that had gone haywire. She felt her body reformat itself hurriedly and haphazardly, fighting against the forces threatening to toss her into a thousand worlds at once. Her tail vanished. Fingers and toes appeared. Her curled horn became the smooth nails on her hands.

It was painful. Perhaps the most painful thing she’d ever felt. Maybe she’d done the spell wrong. Maybe Edgy Spike was wrong, and she’d merely consigned them all to a slow, bitter end. Perhaps this was the final revenge of Dr. Twilight Sparkle: Death to all who would pursue her.

Through the murk, she saw a hand reach towards her. It was chapped, dry, rough around the edges. Mac. She reached out to grasp it. To pull him closer. At least if this was the end—she couldn’t think about that. They had to get through it. The alternative was too horrible to imagine.

She looked up. Green eyes. The same no matter what shape his face took. Looking at her with the same promise of love that he’d given her every day since they met.

The world stopped screaming.

She lay on top of Mac’s body, her fingers gripping his red-checkerboard shirt tight. He was dizzy, but alive. She let out a laugh of relief and rested her head on his chest.

Then she felt a draft.

Her eye popped wide open as she looked over her shoulder at herself. Yep. Not a thread of clothing. She swore and pushed herself away from Macintosh. Her skin met cold, damp cement as she skuttled away.

The air behind them shimmered and reverberated with mind-numbing fractals of magic, twisting and turning the world around them into impossible shapes. The display jerked and warbled, a spell ready to evaporate the moment the conjuring was complete.

They were in an empty alleyway between two close-knit buildings. She could hear the rumbling of a city not too far away. She hunkered down beside a nearby empty crate to shield herself from view as much as was possible.

Big Mac stirred. He rubbed a hand against his head as he sat up. He moaned and scanned the area. It didn’t take him too long before he saw Twilight. “Hey, Twi—” He choked, possibly on his own tongue.

Twilight blinked; the vision spell had faded once they reached the human world. She wasn’t sure she could recreate the spell without ambient magic, so she had to make due with what fuzzy shapes she was able to make out. She knelt down and crossed her arms in front of her. “Mac. Um… You okay?”

“Eeey—nope.” Big Mac reached up to his neck and began to unbutton his shirt in a hurry.

Twilight’s cheeks turned firetruck-red. “What do you think you’re—?”

“I’m givin’ you my shirt!” He pulled the shirt in question off his back and tossed it her way. She snagged it out of the air and slipped into it as fast as humanly possible. He spent the moment examining the rifle slung across his shoulders.

Twilight groaned; even with the top button secured, Mac’s neck hole was just large enough for her skinny shoulders to be useless in holding the shirt up. “This isn’t going to work.”

“It’s the best we got right now.”

“I might as well be wearing a bed sheet.”

“Yeah, I guess.”

“‘Yeah I guess’? What’s that supposed to mean?”

Big Mac spun around with his lips pressed tight together. He sucked in a deep breath, resting his hands on his hips. “Means I’m sorry I can’t help more. Better than nothin’, right?”

Twilight clutched the shirt tight as she stood up and walked to his side. “Demonstrably.”

He raised an eyebrow.

“Means you proved it right away.” She rested her hand on his white undershirt. “Thanks.” She looked around, and was immediately reminded that her eyesight was terrible. “Can you see where we are? Are we back at the school, or somewhere else?”

“Somewhere else.” Big Mac eyed the portal warily. “Can’t rightly tell where. Can’t recognize—”

The portal rumbled and buzzed as magic collected within its core. Bright light flashed and nearly blinded them. Three figures were ejected from the cacophony. Even with her inhibited eyesight, Twilight could make out Shining Armor and two dogs as they lay on the ground.

Shining Armor peeled his face off of the concrete and looked around, ready to fight. When all he saw was Big Mac and Twilight, he heaved a sigh of relief and pulled himself upright. The two dogs followed on his heels, both sporting Spike’s signature purple and green hair. Shining tossed his duffle bag to Twilight, who almost lost her grip on Mac’s shirt when she caught it.

“Judging by the architecture, we’re in the Highborn Isles.” Shining pointed to Big Mac’s firearm. “And they’ve got rules about foreigners bringing guns into the country.”

Big Mac heaved a sigh. “From what I understand, they got rules about foreigners bringin’ themselves into the country.”

“Like most countries, yes.”

Twilight unzipped the duffle bag and was rewarded with the sight of her clothes. She reached for her glasses first, then followed up with the more delicate items. She lifted a finger and spun it around. “I need a wall, guys. Unless you wanna add ‘streaking’ to the list of felonies and misdemeanors we’re racking up just by being here.”

Shining and Mac put their backs to her while she dressed. Edgy and Little Spike sniffed the air as they looked around. “Have you seen Princess Twilight?” Little Spike asked. “Or Princess Celestia?”

“We only just now woke up. Or landed.” Big Mac shrugged. “Materialized? Coalesced? Appeared?”

Twilight Sparkle opened her mouth for a teasing comment, but paused when the information processed. “Highborn Isles. Where in the Isles?”

Shining Armor’s head snapped towards the road as sounds of an aggressive crowd reached his ears. “None other than the capitol: Roc. The center of commerce, politics, and rioting.”

Twilight swore under her breath. She’d wanted to rob King Sombra of his power, but not by planting him in the middle of a bunch of civilians. “How close are we to where Sunset is staying?”

“Really close. The island is only a couple miles away. If we can get a boat.” Shining Armor’s phone beeped as it regained service. He glanced at it, thumbed through the messages, and snapped a curse. “I think we’re in trouble.” He waved his free hand. “No, scratch that. Scootaloo says Sunset’s in trouble.”

He dialed his wife with the press of the touch pad. The phone rang for a few seconds while Twilight finished dressing. Shining only got to the voice mail.

Twilight sealed the last button on her shirt and pulled her jacket over her chest-mounted pistol. She gave Mac his shirt back with a muttered thanks as she walked to the end of the alley. She saw a group of police officers standing in a line, keeping a crowd away from the road as a motorcade drove past. The main vehicle was a long, black limousine. The windows were shaded too dark to see inside.

“More trouble.” Shining Armor showed Big Mac his phone. “The king of the Isles kicked the bucket. I think that’s his son headed to the cathedral for the coronation.”

A police officer staggered when somebody threw a bottle at their helmeted head. Twilight nibbled her bottom lip as the crowd jeered at the officers and the motorcade. “I don’t think these people like the idea of Blueblood being anointed with oil.”

She lifted the duffle bag beside Big Mac’s rifle and compared the two. The fit would be tight, but it just might make it. “Hide the rifle in here. If we move fast, we might be able to avoid imprisonment for possession.”

The portal flashed again, this time depositing Princess Celestia and her walking stick on the ground. Little Spike and Shining rushed to help her up, with Shining doing most of the work. Little Spike passed her the staff in his mouth, and they moved quickly away from the range of the open fissure in spacetime.

“It’s like an open wound in reality itself,” Princess Celestia said, breathless. “We were never meant to travel like that. Is everybody alright?”

“Everyone looks whole,” Edgy Spike said. “We’re still waiting for the other princess to arrive. And… the king.”

They eyed the portal with trepidation. Shining reached for his pistol, but did not draw it. “How’s the crowd look, Mac?”

Big Mac zipped up the duffle bag with the rifle inside. He held the bag carefully as he peered out of the alley to the city beyond. “Lotsa ruffled feathers. Limo’s comin’ down the street. It’ll pass us in a few.”

The portal shuddered and screeched. Even so, the sound didn’t seem to rise above the fervor of the crowd. A body tumbled from the magic fractals and crumpled at Celestia’s feet. It was Princess Twilight, her purple dress torn and shredded at the fringes. A bloody wound on her shoulder was caused by a black shard of crystal. Bruises and scrapes covered her skin.

Little Spike was by her side immediately. “Twilight! Can you hear me? Say something!”

Celestia knelt and touched a hand to the injured shoulder. Magic went out from her and laced itself into the wound. “I’ve given her a painkilling spell, but we’ll need to do real work before the end of the day. It’s protected from infection for now.”

Twilight locked her eyes on the portal. The magic had turned red as the fractals all pointed near the center. A new magic joined the mix, and a low rumble of a distant scream reached their ears. Shining pointed his pistol at the epicenter. Twilight hesitated to draw her firearm. She suspected magic would be more effective against the crystalline king.

A soot-stained cloud of smoke belched from the portal. The fractals vanished as the spell reached its completion. Darkness coated the alleyway as everyone held their breath.

A man stood slowly, moving smoothly and easily. He was seven feet tall, and seemed to be entirely encased in silvery armor. Two rounded plates covered his pectoral muscles, while two spiked pauldrons sat high on his shoulders. His boots came to sharpened, forked points. His gauntlets each ended in five claws that looked fit to tear through a man’s hide like a fire-poker through marshmallows. His face was concealed in the shadows of a curved helmet, save for the glowing eyes in the center.

Magic leaked from between every chink in his armor.

The man looked at his hand as though he’d never seen it before. Twilight suspected that was indeed the case. Her eyes opened wide as Princess Celestia approached him, her hand outstretched.

“Sombra?” Princess Celestia gripped her walking stick tightly. “Can you hear me?”

His voice was an echoing tine of metal against metal. “Celestia… if you love me…” He reached out a clawed hand. “End this suffering.”

A bolt of magic, dark as night and fierce as a rabid animal, leaped from his fingertips straight towards Princess Celestia’s heart. She countered with a wall of pure sunlight that broke his attack into shards. Crystals staked themselves into the buildings and pavement beside her.

“Get Princess Twilight out of here!” she snapped. “I’ll try to draw Sombra away from—”

Shining Armor’s pistol fired three rounds into the chest of King Sombra. Three holes appeared, but vanished just as quickly as his own magic brought his already shattered body back together. The king roared and charged the small group. He kneed Celestia aside and swept Little Spike away with a flick of his hand. Big Mac pulled Princess Twilight’s body aside before she could be trampled.

Princess Celestia rushed to her feet and entered a headlong charge after the king. Twilight froze, momentarily unsure of what to do. Firearms had no effect, so she and Princess Celestia were the only two people who had a chance of fighting King Sombra. She had to act now, or a lot of people would be hurt.

She followed the princess and the king at a sprint, calling over her shoulder to Shining Armor. “Try to keep people away from Sombra! I’ll help Celestia!”

Shining Armor called after her, but she couldn’t pay him any mind. King Sombra was already in the middle of the protesting crowd, shoving people aside as he fled Princess Celestia. He soon found himself breaking through the police perimeter and into the middle of the street.

Right in front of the motorcade.

Princess Celestia was restrained by the constables. Twilight hung back, trying to seek an alternative route.

The limo’s side window opened. A handsome man with flowing blond hair and a very, very nice suit poked his head out. Another person in the car tried to drag him back in, practically screeching “Your Highness! Please, Prince Blueblood!”

“That’s enough, Fancy Pants.” Prince Blueblood gave his blue bowtie a tug and shouted King Sombra. “Who disrupts my coronation?”

King Sombra’s head tilted to one side. A deep, hissing crackle leaked from the helmet; the laughter of a monster recognizing an easy target. “Coronation, Blueblood? This is bad comedy.”

Blueblood leaned back slightly, his brow furrowing. “Dr. Sombra? Is that you?”

Twilight ditched subtlety when she saw an armored hand glow a sinister purple. She gripped the police officers in two bubbles of telekinetic power and shoved them aside. Princess Celestia shot forward towards the limousine.

King Sombra held his palm towards Blueblood and shouted in a reverberating, metallic voice, “Here’s a hint!”

Princess Celestia stopped in front of Prince Blueblood with both feet planted firmly on the ground. She threw out her hands and blasted magic through the air. The light drizzling rain in front of her came together in a single glob and froze instantly, stopping the deadly magic attack before it could hit its mark. Crystals spotted the surface of the miniature iceberg, the largest of which had nearly split it in two.

King Sombra marched forward, his body leaking magic in a dark cloud behind him. He roared an inarticulate mangled curse as he readied another spell.

“Get back in the limo!” Princess Celestia shouted as she threw the iceberg at her foe. A flick of her wrist and a twinkle from her fingertips shoved Blueblood into his seat where he fell on top of Fancy Pants.

King Sombra laughed as he batted the car-sized chunk of ice away with a fist. “Bow or die!”

Twilight caught the large chunk of ice in another bubble before it could crush several protestors. The crowd had slowly grown from anger to panic as the fight broke out in front of them. The press of bodies was so tight that Twilight was unable to move closer to the road without seriously hurting somebody. Or herself.

“Sombra, try to think rationally!” Princess Celestia drew power from her heart to her fists as she stood between the limo and the monster. “You have no reason to hurt any of these people! Think of your kingdom! Think of m—”

Before she could say another word, the military personnel of the motorcade fired round after round of firepower into King Sombra’s chest. Steel and crystal fragmented as dozens of bullets found their home in the lost king’s body. The armored man crumpled to his knees, before a sizable slug blew a hole right through his head. The limousine sped away down the street, until it slammed into a motorcycle seconds after its owner had dismounted.

With the king’s body lying on the ground, the soldiers turned their arms on Princess Celestia. She held her hands up immediately, but only to begun waving her arms frantically. “He’s not down! Get away from his body!”

Twilight’s eyes slid over to the fallen king. As expected, the alleged corpse had begun to stir. The steel and crystal fragments flew back into place while spent slugs dribbled to the ground at his feet. King Sombra opened his glowing red and green eyes and stretched out a hand to his foes. Rather than words, he let out a feral roar as he launched a spell.

A glistening golden shield surrounded Princess Celestia and the soldiers. The king’s spell refracted off into the sky, where it harmlessly petered out. Princess Celestia’s had glowed to match as she walked towards him, her walking stick held like a short Bo staff. “Sombra! Look at me!”

King Sombra fired off a spell without a second’s hesitation. She deflected it with ease right back at him. It hit him square in the chest and sent him skidding back a few feet. He responded by lifting one of the motorcade’s black cars with two strong, clawed hands. He reeled back to fling it at her.

“I love you, Sombra!” Princess Celestia screamed. “Do you understand?”

The words sent him off-balance. The car’s rear tires hit the ground. He shut his glowing eyes and ripped the hood right off its hinges. “Shut up!”

Twilight caught the hood in a bubble of magic and slammed it into the ground. She felt a tug against her pant leg and looked down. Edgy Spike bit down on her jeans and tugged her towards the edge of the crowd. “Come on, Twilight! He’s gonna kill all of us if we don’t have a plan!”

Shining Armor, Big Mac, and Little Spike ran towards her, Princess Twilight curled up in Big Mac’s arms. Shining shoved people out of the way, shouting “Injury! Outta the way! Injury!”

Princess Twilight opened her eyes and immediately winced in pain. She looked up to see Big Mac carrying her, and Twilight could see her cheeks heating up even from several feet away. She looked around at the mayhem that surrounded her and pulled a face. “I see our situation has improved.”

Mac held onto the duffel bag tight, apparently unsure of whether he should draw his weapon. Twilight grabbed him and her brother both by their shirt sleeves. “You guys need to back off, too. He’s a magic powerhouse, and I don’t know if I can keep you safe.”

The princess looked beyond them to her one-time teacher, who was volleying spells back and forth with King Sombra. She looked down at her fingernails at the paltry sparks she was able to produce. “I can’t even make a telekinetic spell in this world. I don’t have the practice.”

Twilight grabbed her hands. “Are there any spells you can teach me? He’s not so all-powerful that he can tear the city apart. Yet.”

“I don’t know. Nothing I can think of could restrain him. At least, not without alicorn-levels of magic.”

Shining Armor reached for his pistol, but didn’t pull it from its holster. He switched to his phone halfway. “What about Sunset? Somebody needs to let her know about Dr. Twilight right away.”

“I can keep trying her on your phone.” Princess Twilight took the cellphone and fumbled with it, pressing icons here and there without realizing the touch screen was locked. “Once I get through, we can at least know if she’s okay.”

Edgy Spike shook his head, leaning his back against Twilight’s leg. “It’s crazy… even in a world without magic, it would take an army of wizards to defeat King Sombra.”

“Yeah,” Twilight said, a sinking feeling coming to her as she considered how outmatched she and Princess Celestia were. “Where do you suppose we could find one of those?”

***

Starlight Glimmer tried and failed to pick Chrysalis out of the crowd of her students. Neighsay and Dulcimer were thankfully easy to keep track of, but the changeling was a slippery weasel. She kept close to Double Diamond and Sombra, both of whom were helping Celestia to walk.

“The portal is about five miles north,” Dulcimer said. “In the country. I believe they’re located in historic ruins. So be prepared to trespass in government property.”

Double Diamond muttered a dark rumble beneath his breath. “The least of your crimes today.”

Starlight Glimmer stopped in her tracks at the sound of rapid gunfire.

Sombra acted first and took himself to one knee, gently bringing Celestia to the ground. Even as injured as she was, she still took a moment to ignite her magic to defend what she could. “Everybody down!”

The students dove for the ground at various speeds. Dulcimer brought himself alongside Sombra and drew a pistol from beneath his suit jacket. “I doubted the riots would progress this far already.”

“It isn’t the riots. That was a controlled volley.” Sombra narrowed his eyes as he focused on where the first cars of the motorcade could be seen. “The royal guardsmen are defending Prince Blueblood.”

Starlight gasped as a bright flash filled the sky. A bolt of pure magic flung itself into the air and vanished into stardust just beneath the clouds. She wiped rainwater from her brow and pointed. “Look! That… That spell is just like your magic, Sombra!”

“Spell? Impossible.” Dulcimer shook his head and waved her off with the barrel of his gun. “All of your former students have been accounted for.”

“It’s a naturally-occurring thing, Dullard.” Starlight looked over her shoulder at Double Diamond. “It’s only natural that other people would figure it out, right?”

As she turned back, she found herself facing down a stampede of people. Panicking people. They were racing away as one dangerous mass from whatever had caused the magic bolt. “Get up! Get off the ground before we’re trampled!”

Starlight put up a soft shield of magic, one that people were likely to slide around, rather than smack against. She and her students watched the people race past, their eyes wide. Starlight switched gears and looked past them, towards the source of their fear.

She picked him out almost immediately. A monstrously large knight, glowing with magic and fighting the loveliest woman Starlight had ever seen. Her hair flowed with luminous pinks and blues, and her white dress glimmered with rainbows in the light. The soldiers protecting Blueblood’s limousine gathered around the long car and could only watch as the two magical titans battled.

Dulcimer’s jaw dropped. “What on earth is that thing?”

Sombra helped Celestia to her feet, Double Diamond offering his support. The doctor frowned as he observed the woman, his mouth falling open. “Celestia… who does that look like to you?”

Celestia’s eyes widened. She looked at Sombra with a hazy glaze over her eyes. “It couldn’t be… could it?”

Dulcimer turned to a side road and motioned for the students to follow. “If we go around the city limits, we can avoid the stampede altoge—”

“But you can’t ignore the evidence.” Sombra held Celestia close, pointing at the distant battle. “She looks as you did thirty years ago.”

Celestia pressed her lips together, but after a moment’s thought, her eyes lit up. “The portal! Sunset’s world! This might be her Celestia! Or another Celestia from somewhere else in the universe! Then that would make the man…”

Sombra looked down at the brace he’d made for his injured leg, the one fashioned out of crystal. He looked to the monstrous knight, who was coated from head-to-toe with the very same armor. “My God…”

Dulcimer lost all semblance of patience as he gripped Celestia’s arm and tugged her away from the scene. “None of that matters! We need to get to—”

“Look out!”

A car soared through the air, flung by the awesome might of the black knight. Many people scattered, but there was no way they could all clear the oncoming impact. Several people fell to the ground and covered their heads in a vain attempt to survive.

Starlight Glimmer would have none of it. She ripped Dulcimer aside with a wave of her hand, freeing Celestia. She ran into the street as fast as her feet could take her, readying her magic reserves. She reached out with both hands towards the wayward vehicle.

Her spell stopped it in its tracks. She could feel her magic straining in her arms—the thing was dangerously heavy. She looked around frantically for a place to set it down without hurting even more people. She shifted a foot back to brace herself as her grip slipped.

The car grew much lighter. Another spell had joined hers in lifting it. She felt the pressure fade, then vanish entirely. She looked to her right and saw a miraculous sight: Twilight Sparkle, standing beside her, taking a portion of the burden. Twilight looked at her with a hopeful, near-incredulous expression. “You from the magic school?”

Starlight nodded rapidly. “You friends with Sunset Shimmer?”

“Heck yeah I am!”

Double Diamond and a few other students worked to clear an area of people, allowing Twilight and Starlight to set the car down at last. The two of them ran to each other, both speaking at the same time.

“Sunset’s in trouble!”

“Sunset’s in danger!”

“What?”

“Huh?”

“You go first!”

“You start!”

Starlight placed her hands on her hips and heaved a sigh. “Dr. Twilight’s crazy! She’s kidnapped Sunset and chained her up in her laboratory while she uses this weird machine to give herself unlimited power or something.”

“No! Crap!” Twilight ran her hands through her hair, keeping one eye on the magic duel down the road. “That machine’s been rigged to blow! How long do we have?”

“Explode?” Dulcimer muscled his way into the conversation by nudging Starlight back. He tucked his firearm in his jacket and reached for Twilight’s shoulder. “What do you mean ‘rigged—’?”

Big Mac put his hand on one of Dulcimer’s shoulders and gripped tight. “Kindly respect the lady’s space.”

Shining Armor gripped the opposite shoulder. “If you don’t mind.”

Both men were a clear head taller than Dulcimer. He smiled and spread empty hands. “As you request. May I remind you we are short on time—”

Starlight figured it was just best to ignore him at this point. “How do you know it’s going to blow?”

“We had a talk with her former teacher—” Twilight gestured to the monster king. “—who said he designed it to explode if anybody tried to use it. It’s likely to kill them both!”

Shining Armor sucked in a breath. “Please, can you help us get to the island?”

Double Diamond walked up with Principal Celestia and Dr. Sombra. He crossed his arms and gave Starlight a nod. “I think you should go with them. You know how to navigate the school. We’ll use what you’ve taught us and fight back against the rampaging monster over there.” He gave her a grim frown. “And they’ll need all the help they can get to fight Dr. Twilight.”

“I’m going, too,” Dulcimer said from his position between the proverbial rock and hard place. “I’m a decent enough pilot that I can sail the boat back in half the time.”

Double Diamond pointed a finger at him, which glowed with ready magic. “You’d better behave.” He turned to the gathered students. “People! We’ve got a crossroads ahead of us! That monster is going to hurt a lot of people, and we’re the only ones capable of bringing it down! If you still wanna leave, Dulcimer will give you the coordinates! If you wanna stay and fight, follow my lead!”

Coldstone raised a fist. “We’re with you all the way, Double!”

Fleetfoot rose into the air on luminous wings. “We didn’t spend all that time studying to stay cooped up inside! It’s time to show ’em what we’re made of!”

Gloriosa Daisy stomped a foot as her magic connected her with the very earth she stood upon. “I can’t just sit back and watch all these people get hurt. I’m ready to help, sir!”

Sugar Belle eyed Big Mac up and down. She twisted to look at Starlight when she realized she’d been staring too long. “Oh! Yes! Help! I’d be glad to stay!”

“So when do we leave?”

Starlight Glimmer looked down to see a dog with unkempt hair—a beagle, if she knew her breeds right—pawing at Twilight Sparkle’s leg. The voice had come from him. Impossible, perhaps, but that was the kinda day Starlight was having. “You said Dr. Twilight was in danger, right? So we gotta move now!”

Starlight Glimmer, Dulcimer, Twilight, Big Mac, Shining Armor, and Edgy Spike all ran for the harbor, while Double Diamond and the other students moved to face off against King Sombra. She crossed her fingers as her heart raced. She was in a literal race against time to save the life of her new friend. As well as the woman who had taught her everything she loved about life.

Upsetting though the thought was, she prayed for the chance to face Dr. Twilight head-on in battle, rather than merely scrape her corpse off the wall.

***

Sombra moved Celestia along carefully, brushing aside Double’s help. “I can take it from here. The other Celestia is going to need your level head more than I need your solid grip.”

Double Diamond nodded and took off like a lightning bolt.

Sombra took Celestia to the side of the road. He spotted another woman and her dog on the edge of the sidewalk, a safe distance away from the ruckus. She was mashing the screen of her phone, growing with increasing frustration. More to the point, she also shared a resemblance to Dr. Twilight Sparkle, mainly in the hair and facial structure. Perhaps she could help Celestia. He prayed it was so.

“Madam.” Sombra stood a polite distance away, but spoke insistently to catch her attention. “Will you help me?”

The woman glanced at him, confusion and concern flashing across her face. The dog’s eyes widened as its ears stood up. The woman put the phone down and tilted her head. “Is that… Principal Celestia?”

Sombra breathed a sigh of relief. “So you have met her. She has been struck with magic. Please, if there is anything you can do to ease the pain…”

Sombra gave the dog a doubletake when it spoke. “I’m sorry. We don’t have access to magic in this world.”

The woman who looked like Twilight clapped her hands together with a resounding thwack. “You must be from the magic school! Is there any way we can get a message to Sunset Shimmer?”

Dr. Sombra held Celestia close as she groaned in pain. He pointed to the retreating mass of people following Starlight Glimmer. “Your friends and mine are already headed back to the school. Unfortunately, there is no way to reach Sunset without going to her. The doctor has taken her captive.”

The other Twilight winced and put a hand to her wounded shoulder. Sombra’s sharp eye noted a similar injury to her leg. She let the cellphone slip out of her hands to clatter against the ground. “Then it’s up to them. I’m in no shape to move, and Princess Celestia needs to stay to stop Sombra.”

“Blast.” Sombra turned to the battle, which the other students had finally joined. Many worked around the edges to help bystanders find safety, while the sky mages and earth mages harried the fallen king from every angle. “Then… I suppose there is only one thing I can do to protect you, Celestia.”

He set her down beside the other Twilight and gave her a small kiss on the cheek. “Please, stay out of harm’s way.”

“Sombra, please!” Celestia gripped his hand and, for a moment, refused to let go. “What are you going to do?”

Sombra smiled at her. Perhaps the first full-blooded smile he’d had since they’d said goodbye to each other thirty years ago. A smile unfettered by the weight of the years or his decisions. He was able to simply share his love with Celestia at long last. “My dear, I am going to face the dark part of myself. I am going to march up to that wicked knight and beat him to a pulp, to protect you and the other people I love so dearly.”

Celestia squeezed her eyes tight, pushing tears down her cheeks. “But why now?”

Dr. Sombra squeezed her hand and released her. “Because it’s the right thing to do. The difference this time is… is that this time, I’m not giving you up.”

He walked slowly and steadily towards the armored beast throwing shards of crystal at his fellow students. His hands glowed mightily as he coated himself from head to toe in purple, crystalline armor. He felt power surge through his limbs as the magic took hold and made him stronger, faster, more alive than he had been even at his prime. He lowered a three-pronged helmet over his head and summoned a blade of purple crystal as long as a two-handed broadsword. He swung his sword at King Sombra’s head.

The monstrous knight lifted a hand to catch the strike. In his off-hand, he crafted a blade much like Dr. Sombra’s. He swung, and Dr. Sombra deflected with a jerk of his wrist.

And so, the battle was joined.

***

Twilight Sparkle picked Edgy Spike up to place him solidly in the boat. She climbed in herself, balanced by Big Mac’s hand. She took the duffle bag from him and set it on the seat beside her.

“I don’t see what the problem is, Starlight,” Dulcimer said, starting the boat’s motor. “Are you really so paranoid that you think I’m going to betray you at this point?”

“I’m just saying I don’t trust any government goons.” Starlight slipped aboard and began pacing the length of the upper deck. “Least of all you.”

“My ultimate goal is the survival of the school. Including Dr. Twilight.” Dulcimer backed the boat up once the others had made it in and the boat was untied. “I’m sure we can all agree with that.” He glanced up and nodded to one of the passengers. “Shining Armor can vouch for me. Right, Captain? I recall meeting you during your stay as part of the Libertas security detail.”

“Yeah, we’ve met.” Shining Armor frowned, his brow furrowed as he scoured his memory. “Back then you were just Prince Blueblood’s retainer. Viscount now, huh?”

“Duly appointed, though I admit it’s more of an honorary title. I’m still basically the resident ‘gofer.’”

“Yeah, that tracks.” Shining Armor caught Twilight’s attention, tapped the side of his eye, and pointed at Dulcimer. Danger. Watch him closely. “Still, people say you’re the actual power behind Blueblood. Or at least the smarts.”

“With any luck,” Dulcimer said as he aimed for the school’s island, “by the end of today, he’ll have neither.”

Big Mac sat beside Twilight and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She accepted the embrace, but didn’t return it just yet. She had something to look into. She patted the sides of the duffle bag, examining each of the pockets, until she felt something hard. She unzipped the pocket and was rewarded with the sight of a small item wrapped in silk. She peeled the silk away to reveal the dangerous Memory Stone.

She knew even with Sunset, Starlight, and herself working together, they might not be a match for the amoral Dr. Twilight Sparkle. She needed an ace in the hole, even if it was an ace as horrific as this one. She reached into the pocket and gripped the Memory Stone tightly.

Sonata Dusk appeared in a chair facing Twilight’s. Her aged face creaked as she split into a wide grin. “Twilight’s on the warpath again. What’s worse, ultimately? Leaving her a worm-ridden corpse, or a mindless vegetable? Either way, you’re gonna have to look yourself in the eye when you do it.”

Twilight wrapped the Memory Stone up tight and slipped it into her pocket. The instant the stone wasn’t touching her skin, Sonata vanished. She wasn’t real. She was just there to power the stone. She was just an aid to get into the right mindset.

Edgy Spike rested at Twilight’s feet, his entire body shaking with adrenaline. She leaned over to pet him on the head, just out of instinct. He looked up at her, and she saw a nearly overwhelming sorrow in his eyes.

“It’s alright, Spike,” she whispered. “It’ll be over soon. We’ll get through this together.”

Edgy Spike bobbed his head in a light nod. He kept his eyes locked on her, his breath shallow. “Twilight?”

“Yes, Spike?”

“A word of advice.” He lay his head on his front paws. “When the time comes, don’t hesitate. Don’t do what I did.” His eyes closed as the boat revved up to top speed. “Don’t let anybody else get hurt.”

We're Not Special

Double Diamond watched with a slack jaw as Dr. Sombra clashed blades with the monster making a ruckus in the middle of town. A few of the ether mages were still lobbing spells at the foe, distracting him from attacking pedestrians, but most of the crystalline terror’s attention was on the professor. Their blades—Dr. Sombra’s a glistening purple and the enemy’s a glossy black—danced in the midday light. Their inner magic shimmered with the fire in their souls as they matched mettle for mettle.

Double Diamond realized very quickly that if he were to step in, he would be mincemeat pie. Still, he had other things to occupy his time. There was still a horde of people with nowhere to go. There was still the future king and his prime minister hunkered down in their wrecked limo. There was still a strange woman who looked a heck of a lot like Principal Celestia catching her breath near the sidewalk.

There was a news reporter and a cameraman making a beeline right for the duel. “Oh, son of a—”

Double Diamond raced for the reporter in the blink of an eye and reached out his arms so they couldn’t sneak past. “Do you have a death wish? Can’t you see you’re in over your head?”

The reporter held a microphone up to his mouth. “Excuse me, sir! I’m Ace, your ace reporter! Can you tell me anything about the attack on the prince?”

Double put his arms forward in an attempt to herd the woman without touching her. “Look, all I know is that smokey guy tried to kill the prince and we’re trying to save him. If you’ll just—”

“The people you arrived with are exhibiting amazing powers!” The microphone zipped to Ace’s mouth just long enough to catch her words. “What can you tell me about your people and your abilities?”

“They’re not my people—” Double Diamond jerked his head around at the sound of a bone-splitting crackle. A chunk of crystal the size of a man rebounded off of the strange woman’s magic shield and sailed skyward. A sky mage juked around it, shouting for people to look out below.

Double Diamond followed its trajectory and noted that yes, it was headed straight for him. He braced his legs, pushed the reporter and her cameraman back, and tensed every muscle he had. He threw a single punch just as the crystal reached him, fracturing it to bits.

The reporter’s eyes lit up as she turned to the camera. “So as you can see, the Highborn Isles’ real-life superheroes are operating at levels far above that of a normal human—”

“No! Hold on, no!” Double Diamond winced as he rubbed his hand. He might have actually broken it. He’d have to get it checked out as soon as their lives weren’t in jeopardy. “First of all, get away from the seven-foot death knight! Second of all, we’re not special!”

Ace furrowed her brow as she was ushered away by Coldstone and Fleetfoot. “Huh? Did you miss the part where you punched a boulder out of the sky?”

Coldstone gestured towards the sidewalk, indicating the cameraman should follow. “What he means is that there ain’t nothing different about any of us. All of this magic stuff is something everybody can do with a little training.”

“Sure,” Fleetfoot said. “I was just a former jet pilot. Now I fly on my own wings.”

Several earth mages directed the remaining crowd, moving aside debris and busted vehicles to clear a path. Double Diamond put his shoulder to a black SUV and tilted it over to put a barrier between the thickest bulk of people and the continuing fight. “I was a dropout, just getting by. Dr. Sombra over there was one of the most influential people in the country. We both have untapped depths to our magic.”

Double Diamond crossed his arms, heaving a sigh. “If you gotta report on this, do it right. Allegiance doesn’t matter. Race doesn’t matter. Riches or living situation or bloodlines or anything don’t matter. We’ve all got magic in us, and it just takes a little coaxing to make it show itself.”

A sky mage flew down carrying two people in their arms, helping some former protestors off of a nearby roof. A particularly gutsy ether mage shot a flash-bang spell straight into the evil knight’s face, blinding him long enough for Dr. Sombra to gash his knee.

Double Diamond pointed right at the cameraman. “Whatever else you hear today, that’s the most important thing: We’re not special. Anybody can learn. Everybody’s capable of magic.”

Without another word, Double Diamond moved towards the rear of the crowd, where a particular bunch sat holed up behind a particular mound of rubble. He waved to the armed soldiers guarding Prince Blueblood and called out. “Hey! We can help get you guys out of there!”

Fancy Pants stuck his head out of a busted limousine window. “Why the blazes should we trust you? I know who you are, Double Diamond! For all I know, you brought that monster to life yourself!”

“Look, alright—” Double Diamond resisted the urge to throw rocks at the man. “You can stay here and be smug about hating me, or you can follow me and get away from the crystal golem. Your choice.”

Prince Blueblood crawled out of the window next to Fancy’s. “All due respect, Fancy Pants, but I’d rather put my trust in the magical bolder-punching man than your wit. Besides…” He pointed at the purple-clad knight just down the street. “I do tend to trust Professor Sombra with my life. As do you.”

Fancy Pants rubbed the dust from his moustache. “On your head be it, Your Highness.”

“Don’t be daft, Minister Pants.” Blueblood straightened his tie as his bodyguards flanked him. “I’m quite certain both our heads will roll.”

***

Dr. Sombra was outmatched. Even fitted with the finest armor magic was capable of, his squishy human body was still far more vulnerable than the mountain of a man he faced. Princess Celestia knew this to be a fact. Though her heart cried out for another solution, she knew that in order to win the day, she would need to do something she found abominable.

King Sombra kicked the doctor, which caused him to stagger out of measure. With his foe at a distance, the king prepared a bolt of fury to blast his counterpart from the face of the earth. Celestia stepped between them with a magical shield raised. “Sombra! Please tell me you’re still in there!”

A downward slice with his blade was all the answer Princess Celestia would get. She raised her walking stick and his sword bit deep into the wood. She twisted the sword out of his hand and flung it away. She could sense movement behind her; Dr. Sombra was circling around behind the beast.

Princess Celestia gripped her staff with both hands. “This is your last chance! Surrender!”

“I have already surrendered to the pain, Celestia!” He stomped a foot. Crystals erupted from the roadway and nearly skewered both Dr. Sombra and Princess Celestia. “Now end my suffering!”

Celestia twisted her staff until it clicked. She split it apart and drew a long, crystalline blade from beneath its concealing sheath. She menaced King Sombra with her sword, but did not come close enough to strike. “Don’t make me do this!”

King Sombra grasped one of his black spikes and ripped it from the ground. He hefted it like a spear. He struck at Dr. Sombra and hit him in his injured leg, sending him to the ground. He raised his blade again for the killing blow.

In a last-ditch effort, Dr. Sombra sat up and thrust his sword into the underside of the king’s chest. The king was distracted enough to stumble back, allowing the doctor to crawl away on all fours.

King Sombra laughed and lunged after the doctor, but was again halted by the tip of Princess Celestia’s blade. He pulled the blade from his chest and used it to bat her tip away. She stepped forward to pierce, but it was a halfhearted attempt easily rebuffed.

Dr. Sombra stood, but it was clear he was winded. He was moving too sluggishly to continue to fight, but Princess Celestia knew that he wouldn’t retreat. Just like the king, the doctor was too stubborn to fall back.

They would both fight until they were dead.

***

Principal Celestia leaned on a nearby storefront for support. She held a hand to where she was sure she had broken ribs. She jumped as Princess Twilight screamed across the roadway. “What are you waiting for, Celestia? You have a clear shot!”

Princess Twilight winced as she clutched the wound in her shoulder and turned away from the battle. She checked the phone again, but found no messages or calls. Little Spike bit her dress and tugged. “You need to sit down, Twilight! You’re gonna hurt yourself even worse!”

“I need to do something!” Princess Twilight slumped to the sidewalk with a huff. “But I’m even more useless than I was when Sunny was kidnapped.”

“You think you got it bad? I’m a dog!” He sat beside her and scanned the battlefield, his writing utensils discarded by the side of the road. “All I can do is stay by your side and protect you.”

Celestia watched her counterpart and Sombra’s counterpart circle each other. Brief, searching thrusts were made, but no contact could be found between the two of them. Every chance he got, the king broke away from Celestia and attacked Dr. Sombra. Her Sombra. “Neither of them wants to fight each other.”

Princess Twilight looked up at the principal. “What do you mean?”

“Look at them. They’re barely looking at each other.” Celestia blinked a tear from her eye as she gazed at her Sombra hauling himself upright. She turned to Twilight and placed a hand on her good shoulder. “Is there a spell you can teach me? One to let me fight? You might not be able to use it, but I’ve recently discovered magic. Maybe I can make just the slightest difference.”

Princess Twilight touched a hand to Celestia’s. “I’m sorry, but without the ambient magic of Equestria, I don’t have a chance. And with your injuries… You’d hurt yourself far more than you’d hurt the enemy.”

Celestia sighed, wiping rainwater from her forehead. She looked up to the rainclouds overhead, which were thin enough to let light through, but thick enough to cover the city in mist. “There’s got to be something…”

Little Spike pawed at Shining Armor’s phone. He furrowed his brow. “They’ll call once they made landfall, right?”

“I don’t know. It’s not like we made plans.” Princess Twilight balled up a fist and slapped it against the wet sidewalk. “We’re going nowhere. Without ambient magic—”

The sun broke through the clouds. It touched Principal Celestia’s pale skin with its usual warm, tingling sensation. The feeling of vitamins and vigor being pumped directly into her body. Celestia closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. “Amazing. It feels just like magic.” Her eyes shot back open to zero in on King Sombra. “It’s just like magic. It is magic!”

The sun hid behind a cloud. Celestia jumped up and grasped Princess Twilight’s hand. “Twilight! There is ambient magic in this world. It’s just another form of energy! It can be transferred, measured, felt.”

Princess Twilight’s gaze jumped between the principal and the sky. “Collected?”

Celestia found another sunbeam and stood within it. She felt strength return to her limbs. Life return to her muscles. Fervor return to her heart. The pain in her side faded ever so slightly as she focused on the power of the sun flooding her. “There is magic in this world.” She turned to Dr. Sombra with a faint sigh. “If you know where to look for it.”

Dr. Sombra threw the king back with a lance through what should have been his kidney. The crystal king shrugged it off like any other blow. The princess hung back as the doctor and his duplicate circled.

“You’re fighting a losing battle!” Dr. Sombra’s breath was ragged as sweat poured down his face. His breath fogged against the face plate of his helmet. “Why do you carry on? There is nothing to be gained from this!”

King Sombra clutched his head in his claws, letting out a shrieking roar that struck terror into all who heard it. He was past words, now. Past reason. He was little more than an animal lashing out in desperation. What little remained of the old king was so far buried that he couldn’t even manifest a muttered word. He drew power to his claws and lunged at Dr. Sombra. He tackled the doctor and dragged him to the ground, clawing and scraping his nearly-impregnable armor. Even with all the magic at his disposal, cracks formed at the joints.

“Get off him!”

King Sombra looked up, his eyes fogged with purple tendrils of magic. His reddish pupils had faded, replaced by a deep green glow. Principal Celestia approached him with a glowing, outstretched hand. It shone with pure sunlight. “Leave him be!”

King Sombra rose from Dr Sombra’s body with his shoulders hunched. He coiled his legs as drool dribbled from his fanged mouth. Magic lanced its way through his body as he leaped across three lanes of road, his talons ready to shred the principal. Princess Celestia screamed and threw out a hand, but she was too late to stop him.

Principal Celestia closed her hand. A flash lit up the makeshift battlefield. A beam of pure sunlight descended between her and the fallen king.

The pure celestial magic struck the king, forcing him screaming to his knees. The purple miasma surrounding him was cast away by the overwhelming tide of sunlight. The crystal that made up his body cracked and crumbled, until only a skeletal outline remained. His face appeared as the helmet dissolved, looking far too much like the handsome, chiseled face of Dr. Sombra in his younger years. A heart beat firmly in his chest; yet it was cracked and chipped, discolored by the dark magic that made up most of his being.

The glow faded as Celestia’s body was overtaken by exhaustion. The smog returned to the king’s body, building up crystal growths and returning him to his bestial form. King Sombra turned his head to look behind, his eyes pleading with Princess Celestia. “Celestia, my love! You will not get another chance like this… End it!”

The human Celestia’s legs failed her. She sank to the ground mere feet from the king. He clutched his clawed hands to his chest as he was surrounded by the dark magic of the Tantabus. “My power returns! No one is safe! Everyone, flee! Flee for your lives—!”

Princess Celestia’s sword plunged deep into his chest, striking his heart.

Celestia looked up to meet her royal counterpart eye-to-eye. In that moment, she could see straight into her soul. Pain like no other wracked her to the very core. The princess stood still, her hands gripping the hilt of her crystal blade. Her feet sat wide apart, her lunge having achieved its maximum reach. Tears poured from her eyes as she gazed upon the king.

The smoke around King Sombra faded. His eyes lost their sinister green glow. He heaved a sigh as deep as an ocean. “Thank you.”

He fell back into Princess Celestia’s arms. She dropped her sword and caught him. She cradled him as she laid him across the road, and nestled his head in her lap. He kept breathing light, quick breaths. Her hiccupped sobs matched his pace.

King Sombra closed bone-thin claws around Princess Celestia’s fingers. “The sword… you designed it to destroy the Tantabus. The perfect counter-spell.”

Princess Celestia brought his hand to her cheek. Tears trickled down his arm. “I never… I never stopped believing that I could… That one day, I would save you.” She pulled a strip of paper from a pouch. It was tied with a string on one end. She knotted it around his fingers and closed her hand around his. “I’ve brought you so much pain—”

“No.” King Sombra shook his head, his smile faint. “No, you could never bring me pain. Our stolen moments were all that was keeping the fire in my heart from going out.” He brought the paper slip close to his chest and opened his hand. The word “Always” could be seen scrawled across it in careful, loving cursive; a handwriting that matched Principal Celestia’s down to a “T”. “Even now, we have one last stolen moment to share.”

His hands crumbled to small shards of crystal, first just at the tip of his claws, then slowly gaining speed as it carried up his arm. The “Always” slipped through his ribcage to rest on his jittering heart. Princess Celestia’s arms shook as her burden became lighter.

“When I was in the beam of sunlight,” he whispered, “I was shown a vision. We were standing together in a beautiful garden. Just the two of us. No burden of duty hung overhead. No time limit threatened to tear us apart. No cataclysm could hide us from one another. We stood, hoof in hoof, and faced the sunrise.” He smiled at the “Always” resting on his heart. “These threads tied our hooves together, unbroken. I believe that…” His ribcage crumbled to dust. His eyes took on a distant glaze. “I believe that this time will come soon. Until next we meet, I love—”

Princess Celestia knelt in a pile of shards and dust. Her hands cupped the “Always” and caught her tears. She bowed until her forehead touched the ground. Little Spike and Princess Twilight rushed up to her to wrap their arms around her. The three sat in silence as cheers rose from the crowd, safety having been restored to Roc.

Principal Celestia rose to her feet when Dr. Sombra touched a hand to her shoulder. He removed his helmet and allowed it to dissolve into mist. She took his hand in hers and held him tight.

“I haven’t been honest with you,” she said quietly. “I never thought we would be able to work out. I thought that at the end of this visit, we would both quietly return to our own lives. Following the path that our dreams led us down. But…” She touched her palm to his chest. “I also haven’t been honest with myself. I don’t want that to happen. Not after what I’ve seen today. Not after finally finding you again.”

Sombra wrapped his arms around her. She peered over her shoulder to see the princesses kneeling over the lost king. “Stolen moments… No longer stolen. I give you my heart freely. I love you, Sombra.”

“I freely give you my heart as well,” he said, from the depths of his soul. “No more regrets. No more lost memories. From now until always.”

***

Neighsay ran through the city streets. The commotion from the crystal monster may have overtaken the rest of the school, but he was getting the heck out of the Isles. The portal’s location was etched into his memory, just north and to the west of Roc, hidden amongst ancient ruins once inhabited by druids. Most of the structures were destroyed by progress and economic growth, but a scarce few had been preserved by activist groups.

He didn’t so much as reach the outskirts of Roc before he ran into Double Diamond and a crowd of angry magic students.

Double Diamond pointed a finger right at Neighsay’s chest. “That’s him. That’s the man who killed Raven. He and his accomplices also killed Wallflower, Night Glider, and Party Favor.”

A second glance told Neighsay that police officers were also among the students. One officer in particular he recognized as a earth mage from Double Diamond’s advanced class. Coldstone walked forward and pushed his cap back. “Neighsay, I think it’s safe to say that you’re under arrest.”

Sugar Belle lit her fingernails with a ready spell. “I’d suggest you don’t fight it, buddy. We’re not letting you get away.”

Neighsay raised his arms and rested his hands on the back of his head. He knelt down as Coldstone clasped handcuffs around his wrists.

Sugar Belle took a step forward to keep the prisoner in view. “So? Where’s Chrysalis? I thought she was with you.”

“She ran off the instant she sensed trouble.” Neighsay bowed his head. “She’s long gone by now.”

Double Diamond crossed his arms over his chest. “You’re just lucky the gallows are out of style.”

“Believe you me,” Neighsay muttered. “If word gets back to Dr. Sparkle about this, the gallows would be a mercy.”

***

Sunset Shimmer gazed at her bonds with a growing fury. She was nearly through, but that just made the wait even more agonizing. Only a few more layers remained of the binding spell.

Dr. Twilight drummed her fingers as she waited for a bar to load on her readout. When it reached one-hundred percent, her hands danced across a keyboard. She muttered equations to herself while a pen wrote down notes, guided by a telekinetic spell. She turned a dial, and the thrum of magic rose to match.

The tubes glowed as if they were lanterns. The fairy strings within had their own shine, but the two sources of light were bleeding into each other. The thrum became a steady pulse, like three heartbeats strumming in synch.

“Come on, come on… Yes!” Dr. Twilight raced to the leftmost cylinder and tightened a clamp. “No mistakes. Not this time.”

It was now or never. Sunset let magic pour from her fingernails with no thought to stealth. She turned away from the blinding glow, keeping an eye on the doctor. The rope hissed, then tore itself apart as the magic within dissipated. She slumped to the floor, free at last, rubbing the burn marks on her wrists and trying to get blood flowing.

The doctor’s concentration broke, and her pen clattered to the ground. She turned to see Sunset lying on the floor. Her eyes blazed. “Stay back! It’s almost ready!”

Sunset pushed herself to her feet. She stumbled at the sharp pangs of sleeping limbs. “Shut it down, Tw—!”

Dr. Twilight threw a hand out. A dark purple spell exploded from her hand and struck Sunset right in the chest. Sparks of pain wracked her body as she was thrown into the wall. The doctor walked close to her, her hand glowing, still sending magic jetting through Sunset’s body, igniting every nerve. “I said stay back! And stay down! I’m not stopping!”

One last pulse to make sure she stayed on the ground, and the doctor ran back to the council. She flipped switches in a combination that increased the rumble in the air. She gripped the sides of her control console and watched the fairy strings closely. “Observe. The magic I’ve been pumping into the nutrient fluid has been irradiating the fairy strings. When I activate the sequence, the cylinders will open, and the irradiated fairy strings will break down into pure energy. The device will lace the strings into my body, reconfiguring it to match.”

Sunset rolled onto her side, clutching her arms to her chest. “It’s just as likely to turn you to mush!”

Dr. Twilight ignored her and hit a large red button. The threefold heartbeat turned into a frenzied tattoo while the school’s lights dimmed to nothing. Dr. Twilight stepped onto a metal plate between the cylinders and spread her arms out to receive the magic.

Sunset clawed at the wall to bring herself upright. She lurched towards Dr. Twilight with the intent to rip her away from the machine by her hair if necessary. She never got that far.

The readout screen turned red as an alarm blared. Dr. Twilight’s head swiveled around. She screamed in disbelief. “No! Not again!” She ran to the console and flipped the switches to the off position. Nothing changed. “No! I did everything right this time, I’m sure of it! I fixed it!” She punched the control panel with a scream of rage. “I fixed it!”

Cracks appeared on the surface of the cylinders. Magic leaked through like a trickle of water from a dam; promising an oncoming deluge. Sunset stood still, her feet firmly planted, unsure of whether she should run or continue trying to stop the doctor.

Dr. Twilight dropped to the floor and covered her head with her hands. With that, Sunset knew it was too late to run. She pointed her palms towards the Alicorn Device and crafted as strong a barrier as she was capable of. Then she continued to pour magic into it, her heart fit to burst with the magic she was generating. In Equestria, the barrier would have withstood a crashing airship. On Earth, it was far, far weaker.

The Alicorn Device became an eruption of flame and shrapnel.

Sunset grasped the doctor’s body in a bubble and dragged her behind the shield just before the first shockwave hit. Her bones creaked as her magic pushed back against the tide of destruction. Her shoes slid across the floor from the force of the blow. She braced herself and poured yet more magic into the shield. Cracks appeared along its surface as shrapnel threatened to pierce it like buckshot through skin.

The nutrient liquid ignited and created the second shockwave. The fairy strings vaporized in a ball of fire, their magic rendered useless. Heat coated Sunset Shimmer from head to foot. Her clothing blazed. She was sure she was about to inhale flames and die.

“No!”

She couldn’t leave Shining a widower and Sunny motherless. She had to live! She held her breath and fought to quell the flames with a temperature-control spell. She didn’t have the reserves. She didn’t have the skill—not in this world. She needed ambient magic, but it was nowhere to be found.

But didn’t she feel a touch of power beyond the shriek of the catastrophic failure? A glimmer of pure energy? A glimpse of hope?

She opened her eyes and stared through the ash and flame, past her scorched sleeves and her magic barrier, to what remained of the Alicorn Device. The contraption was powered by magic, wasn’t it? Isn’t that what Dr. Twilight had said? It had to be. It had magic flowing into it from a source that the doctor had assembled. The magic battery—the syphon at the center of the cylinders—was cracking and crumbling. It leaked energy into the air. The next blast would either atomize Sunset and the doctor, or be their salvation.

The magic syphon released a sound too loud for Sunset Shimmer to register as it expired. It shone with a light too bright to perceive. It released magic too strong to calculate.

The magic hit her barrier, but rather than repel it, she allowed it to seep through. She reached her arm out to touch the magic with her own. After a moment’s hesitation, she dove in.

Her fairy strings ached as the power surged throughout her body. They traced golden lines across her skin as her heart was filled to bursting with the energy. The fire threatening to devour her body competed with the fires within, each pushing against the other. She did not hold it back. She did not try to expel it. She did not try to control it. Doing any of these things would cause her to blast apart just like the Alicorn Device.

Instead, she let it flow like a river. Into her arms, through her heart, and out her fingertips. She maintained the barrier protecting her and the doctor from shrapnel. She kept up the cooling enchantments on their skin. The spells were amplified by the ambient magic, strengthened and sharpened.

It wasn’t enough to merely stay alive. She had to push back. The Alicorn Device was still in the middle of its detonation. Even with all her abilities and knowledge, Sunset Shimmer couldn’t hold out for much longer. If she couldn’t contain the explosion… could she redirect it?

She stretched out her arms, and the barrier stretched out to match. She circled it around the burning machine. She pressed inward, compressing the violent decompression through sheer force of will. The third shockwave hit the instant she completed her barrier. The pressure built up more and more as she held it back. She could feel the bones in her forearms tremble, threatening to break.

She reached up to the metal ceiling and peeled it away with a wave of her hand and a single-minded determination. She lifted both arms to the sky and pushed with all her magical might. The orb of fire and steel rose into the air as the magic barrier crumbled. With a shout that could be heard across the island, Sunset released the machine in midair. Flames danced across the sky and bathed her in their glow as the Alicorn Device erupted with the force of a sonic boom.

The aftershocks echoed into the distance, and silence reasserted itself with a hiss from the sea.

***

Twilight Sparkle leaped to her feet as the horizon blazed with fire. “No!”

Starlight Glimmer jumped at the sound, her eyes wide. “Are we too late?”

“I refuse to believe that!” Shining Armor leapt from the boat to the docks. He began to tied the lines, securing the vessel. “Come on! We might still be able to help them!”

Viscount Dulcimer shut the engines down as the others clambered out of the vessel. Twilight Sparkle and Shining Armor led the charge towards the school, with Edgy Spike hot on their heels. Starlight hung back just enough to keep an eye on Dulcimer. Big Mac hung back just enough to keep an eye on both of them.

Twilight closed her eyes and poured her whole heart into racing for the school. “Please be okay. Sunset, please be alive.”

***

Sunset sank to her knees, too sore to stand. Burns coated her body and left her smelling of smoke. But the burns were light, as if she’d merely spent too long in the sun. Her clothes were darkened, but mostly intact. Her hair danced in front of her eyes, shimmering with a sunlit glow.

As a matter of fact, her whole body shone with an inner power. Her skin appeared golden. Her fingernails reflected with a mirror-like quality. She could see her own face in them, radiating magic like a candle emits light. She stood up slowly, examining her body as she went. Her aches and pains faded into the background. It wasn’t just some sort of illusion; she was literally overflowing with magic.

But it didn’t hurt. She didn’t feel the usual weight of magic exhaustion. She didn’t feel like her fairy strings were about to burst. She was as alive as she could possibly be.

“How is that possible?”

The doctor cowered against the wall, staring up at her with wide, glowing eyes. She hugged herself tight as she stared at the woman who had just saved her life. “How could you possibly control that much magic? How have you not been vaporized?”

Sunset looked at her palm. Flames licked at her, but did not burn. They were lit from her own heartbeat. “I suppose I’ve been starving for magic for so long… I didn’t try to control it, Twilight. I could never control it. I just let it flow through me. I used my body as a conduit.”

“It should still have…” The doctor trailed off and turned to the charred hole in the floor where the Alicorn Device once stood. “It was supposed to work this time.”

Sunset felt the fire in her heart burn hot. She clenched a fist in an effort to hold back the blaze. “You… you said that you’d tried this before. In your world, right?”

Dr. Twilight paid her no mind. She sat with her knees pulled up to her chest, her arms wrapped around her legs. She looked at nothing, her eyes glazed over.

“How many people have you killed, Twilight?” Sunset snapped her fingers in the doctor’s face. “How many?”

“It doesn’t matter.” Dr. Twilight rested her chin on her knees. “It never mattered at all. Did it?”

“You listen to me,” Sunset snapped. “It stops here and now!”

Dr. Twilight broke out of her reverie. She cast a dim glare at Sunset Shimmer, curling a lip. “You can’t deny it, Sunset. If you lived my life, you would have come to the same conclusions. Performed the same atrocities. You can stand there all high and mighty—”

“Shut up! You just shut up for a second!” Sunset pointed a finger at Dr. Twilight’s chest. Fire flared out from her back like wings. “I did live your life, Twilight! I lived it beat for beat!”

“You don’t know the half of—”

“We were both orphaned at a young age!” Sunset slapped a palm against her chest. “We watched our parents die right in front of us! You know what that can do to a child, Twilight. It hurt. It hurt so much.” She knelt down in front of the doctor, meeting her eye-to-eye. “But we were rescued by a noble pony who loved us with all their heart. Who worked tirelessly to make sure we had a chance for a good life.” Sunset swallowed the lump in her throat. She could almost see Princess Celestia’s smile right in front of her. “But we learned of the secret to immortality, and it became our obsession. It drove us to hours of study and endless isolation. When we found out what it would cost, we were both horrified…”

Dr. Twilight pressed her lips tight and snarled. “But we eventually decided it was worth the price.”

“Yes!” Sunset reached out to cup the doctor’s shoulder. Dr. Twilight squirmed away. “Yes, but we were wrong, and we knew it!”

Sunset’s hands glowed, and Dr. Twilight was forced to sit still. She struggled, but only for a moment before settling down to listen.

“When our teachers found out,” Sunset sighed, “they shut it down immediately. Before it could progress too far. Before we could become murderers.” She looked at her reflection in her thumbnail. Echoes of a monster still waited on the wings of her visage, etched into her wrinkles over the course of several years. “While you continued the experiment in secret, I rebelled openly. I left the world entirely. I was planning to find my path here, harvesting fairy strings and achieving immortality, but the world lacked magic. I thought it dead.” She wiped sweat from her forehead. “I thought myself dead.”

Sunset Shimmer stood up and cast an illusion spell. Her body was colored a deep blood red. Her teeth became fangs. Her fiery wings degenerated into draconic webs. “I stole the Element of Magic and sought to continue my ascension. I was stopped.” She narrowed her eyes, now marred by split pupils. “You were stopped too, weren’t you? By King Sombra, or by your friends…”

“Yes,” Dr. Twilight hissed. “It’s why I ran. It’s why I came to this world.”

“You were given an opportunity to turn away from your mistakes.” Sunset’s illusion melted away, and she forced the crawling feeling of guilt to fade with it. “You were presented with a new life, new friends, and a new hope. We both were, Twilight.” She lowered herself to Dr. Twilight’s level, down on one knee. “I took that chance. You didn’t.”

Dr. Twilight sucked in a breath. Was it anger? Was it a sob? Sunset couldn’t tell. “So that makes you better than me?”

“No.” Sunset took in a gentle breath to steady herself. “It makes me the same as you.”

She reached out a shimmering hand. The flames turned to a mist of blue, to match her eyes. “I know what can lead a person to do what you’ve done. I know what can lead them away from it. Neither of us can run from the consequences of our actions… but I can stand by your side as you push forward. If you start down this path, it will be difficult, arduous. You will reach the breaking point again and again. But I promise to be with you through it. Turn yourself in, admit your mistakes, and life can finally begin.”

She smiled at the doctor, even as her heart ached. “Your problems are not unique, Twilight. Many people have fought the same fight as you, and they’ve won. We’re not special. I can help you break away from this cycle of pain. Take my—”

Dr. Twilight slapped her hand away.

Sunset watched Dr. Twilight curl up against the wall, turning her face away. The doctor shut her eyes and covered her head with her hands. They sat in silence for a breath.

“Go back home,” Dr Twilight whispered, “to your child.”

Sunset Shimmer stood up. She looked down on the small doctor with a tearful frown. “You’re going to pay for your crimes. With my help or without, it’s your choice.”

“Sunset!” A deep, familiar voice echoed from the courtyard. “Sunset, can you hear me?”

Sunset’s ears prickled as her heartbeat reached a feverous pitch. That voice… her favorite in all the world. In any world. She ran out of the room to the walkway and clasped her hands on the railing.

She saw her husband front and center in a procession through the courtyard. His smiling face beamed up at her as relief flooded every facet of his body. Twilight Sparkle skidded to a stop alongside him, grasping his arm for support. She laughed as her eyes met Sunset’s. A vaguely-familiar dog wagged his tail as he stared wide-eyed at the second-floor of the school.

Sunset leaned her weight on the rail and allowed her body to finally relax, even if just a little bit. She didn’t know how it had come to be, but they had been reunited. She could question the blessing later. For now, she could feel real joy.

A sharp pain jabbed her back. A harsh pressure built up in her gut. It felt as though her legs went to sleep in a fraction of a second. She wobbled, her balance having left her. She felt lightheaded. She furrowed her brow as Shining screamed. Strange, he didn’t seem to be making a sound.

She looked down to see a shard of black crystal jutting out of her stomach. Blood collected on the walkway beneath her feet. The floor rose to meet her.

She turned her head to see Dr. Twilight Sparkle standing in the doorway. She had her hand outstretched. A sinister lavender glow flowed around her as she poured hatred into the spell.

The edges of Sunset Shimmer’s vision faded to white, before she was overcome by a blanket of darkness.

Id, Ego, Superego

Twilight Sparkle’s hands tightened around Shining’s sleeve as her heart burst. She watched as Sunset Shimmer slowly lost her balance and toppled, a spear of dark magic lanced through her midsection. Sunset’s hand slipped from the railing as she crumpled to the balcony’s steel mesh floor.

She let out a sigh as her eyes closed.

Twilight looked past her fallen friend to see a dark reflection of herself. The doctor stood in the doorway of her laboratory, her hand outstretched towards Sunset. Purple smoke leaked from the corners of her eyes. Her glowing irises blazed with hatred for the woman.

Immediately, Twilight’s blood boiled.

This woman… no… this monster had the gall to attack her best friend. This thing, this creature that had taken so many lives and hurt so many people, had finally brought her trail of destruction to Twilight Sparkle’s doorstep. In that moment, Twilight found that she had never known true hatred until she saw Dr. Twilight Sparkle face-to-face. She had never before wanted so much to hurt another being. To damage them. To make them feel pain.

Dr. Twilight looked up, and their eyes met. The smoke dissipated as the doctor’s rage faded into confusion, then to a startled realization. She turned away and ran as fast as she could to the west side of the building.

Twilight didn’t take note of Shining Armor screaming Sunset’s name. She didn’t notice as the others raced up the eastern staircase to reach Sunset quicker. She laser-focused on the fleeing doctor. She felt her heart pump a seemingly endless supply of magic through her body, reaching her fingertips and sizzling with sheer power. Equations flashed through her mind as she called up a spell she’d been working on. One that she understood in every way, save for the emotion that powered it.

Rage. Pure, blinding rage. That was the secret to teleportation. That was the only emotion she knew of that could unleash such unrelenting, unrealistic power to throw the laws of physics to their knees and allow her to be in two places at once, just for an instant.

In that moment, she was both in the courtyard looking up at the all-but-slain Sunset, and on the walkway with her hand outstretched towards the doctor. She called her forty-four handgun to her palm and fired seven rounds right at Dr. Twilight’s torso, saving three in the magazine to finish her off.

It was with a scream of pure desperation that Dr. Twilight released a wave of dark crystals at Twilight Sparkle. The black spikes disrupted the trajectory of the slugs—fracturing in the process, but leaving the doctor unscathed. Her next spell gripped the firearm in a bubble of lavender magic. With a twist of her wrist, she disassembled the forty-four to its base components right out of Twilight’s hands.

Twilight opened her fingers and let the useless gun parts tumble to the courtyard below. She ignited her rage into another teleport that placed her right behind the doctor. She put her hands to either side of the doctor’s head, encircled it with magic, and squeezed with all her might.

Dr. Twilight lifted her hands to the sky and released a rain of lightning. A bolt struck Twilight in the shoulder and forced her to relax her grip. She stumbled back as the doctor ran into the computer lab.

Twilight checked her shoulder. A second-degree burn was in the making. It would slow her down. She didn’t care, ultimately. She wasn’t going to stop. Not until the doctor knew her pain. Not until she could bleed the fiend dry.

Twilight Sparkle ran into the computer lab, while a malnourished beagle ran as fast as he could up the stairs.

***

Shining Armor skidded to a halt, scuffing his knees on the steel mesh. He grasped Sunset’s shoulder and turned her over, keeping her back and neck straight. He didn’t know if the crystal spear had damaged the spinal cord. He didn’t want to make it worse. Still, he needed to get her body away from the edge of the balcony immediately. His hands were already stained with his wife’s blood. He stared at the crystals jutting out from her midriff with a sharp pang of hopelessness.

Starlight Glimmer knelt beside him. Her expression mirrored Shining’s desperation. She reached for the crystal and touched a finger to it. She yelped and snatched her hand away from the magical weapon, screaming profanity at the top of her lungs. She spread her fingers and gaped at her palm as black fangs of dark magic grew out from beneath her skin. “Oh God, it’s spreading! Don’t touch it!”

Dulcimer and Big Mac came to a stop a few feet away. The viscount stared after the doctor, stuffing his pistol into its concealed holster. He turned his attention to Sunset and grimaced. “Is there anything we can do? A magic malady should have a magic cure.”

Shining clutched his fists and rested them against his legs. He ripped off a sleeve and bunched it around the wound, careful to keep the crystal away from his skin. He was unable to stanch the wound. “She’s lost a lot of blood. More every second.” Before his eyes, the crystal gained another spire, widening the injury. “Sunset would know what to do.”

“Maybe Twilight, too.” Big Mac took his phone from his pocket and pressed the call button. “The princess, that is.”

The call reached out to Shining Armor’s cell phone, several miles away in Roc. The answer was quick, but still seemed to take ages to come. “Big Mac? Is that you? King Sombra’s dead—”

“Princess, we’ve got a problem.” Big Mac switched on his camera phone and pointed it towards Sunset.

Shining heard the princess gasp. It was not a hopeful gasp. “Please tell us there’s something we can do,” he said. “Anything.”

“No… no, no, no, no…” The princess’ voice trembled. Big Mac knelt beside Shining, holding the phone so that he could see the screen. The princess paced back and forth, running a hand through her hair. “The crystals. Are they getting bigger?”

Shining Armor swallowed hard. “Yeah.”

Princess Twilight bit back a muttered “Horseapples.” She peered into the camera’s screen with her eyes darting back and forth across Sunset’s body. “It’s Sombra’s crystal weapon. It swallows up the magic in your body and solidifies it into those spikes… It’s like a fast-acting cancer.” Her sob was rendered as static by the weak connection. “I don’t think we have enough time to help.”

Starlight Glimmer grasped her wrist with a renewed sense of horror. Her injured hand shook as more tiny spires broke through her fingertips.

“Wait.”

The three of them turned back to Viscount Dulcimer. He looked down at Sunset with a furrowed brow, pursing his lips. “Wait. What if you had time? All the time in the world?”

“Then I could teach somebody the counter-spell.” Princess Twilight narrowed her eyes as Big Mac tilted the phone so she could see the viscount. “Why do you ask?”

Dulcimer’s mouth quirked upward at the corner. He gave Starlight a knowing glance as he spoke. “Well, it just so happens that my personal special talent is the slowing down of time. More precisely, slowing down the perception of time’s passing.”

Princess Twilight’s expression twisted into something bordering on both fury and mystification. “Dulcimer? Hammer Dulcimer?”

Dulcimer’s smirk reached maturation. “So we’ve met, after a fashion.”

Big Mac rested a hand on his rifle. “She said she killed somebody named Dulcimer.”

The smirk vanished without a second’s hesitation. “In that case, I vote to forego the mistakes of my predecessor and save this young woman’s life. Any objections?”

“No,” Starlight said, “but I’ve got a question: Who’s going to cast the counter-spell?”

Dulcimer shook his head. “I’m going to have my magic busy breaking reality, unfortunately.”

Shining pointed at Starlight. “It’s gotta be—”

“Have you seen my hand?” She waved at him, the dark, growing crystals on full display. “It’s going to get even worse if I start casting spells. It’s gotta be you. You’re the only ether mage here.”

Shining Armor threw his hands outward. “I don’t know the first thing about magic! I didn’t even cast spells in the doctor’s world!”

He stood and turned away from Sunset, touching his fingers to his temples. He shook his head as he paced. “Twilight’s the magical one. She’s the one with the talent and the know-how. I’m not like her or Sunset. I can’t grasp magic! I don’t have what it takes!”

“Shining!”

The voice was his sister’s, even if the visual didn’t quite match up. The face of the princess on the phone stared at him through the pixelated touch screen. She bored into his soul, even across the miles. “Listen to yourself. This is Sunset we’re talking about. You promised to stay by her side, sickness and health, right?”

Shining stared straight at his wife. Her skin had grown paler as the minutes dragged on. His puny attempt at first aid had amounted to nothing. “Twilight… I’m a normal man among gods. I don’t have any part in your world.”

“Shut up this instant!” Princess Twilight shook the phone on her end, which only served to make her image blurrier. “Those aren’t the words of Shining Armor; husband, father, and soldier! Those are the words of a bruised ego! Step outside your own lost dreams and look at what you’re really capable of!”

Lost dreams? That stung, as the truth often did. Shining looked down at his reddened hands, which had only ever felt the touch of magic from his wife’s hands.

“Your wife is a master-class wizard, Shining.” Princess Twilight’s voice echoed across the courtyard as her fervor reached a fever pitch. “Your son inherited that power. Your sister learned that power.” She pointed at him with a fingernail sparkling with energy. “And you have that power, too! It lurks deep inside you. It always has. Seeking an outlet. Can you feel it? Can you feel your heart wanting something so much it feels like it will reach out and take it on its own? That magic you feel in Sunset’s presence isn’t just hers, Shining! It’s yours!”

Shining Armor spread his fingers. He knelt beside Sunset and reached a hand out. “I don’t… could it be?”

“It’s a resonance, Shining! Whenever you’re together, you give strength to each other!”

He touched a hand to his wife’s shoulder. Her life ebbed away right before his eyes. He reached out to brush his fingers against her cheek. “I’m not going to say goodbye.”

“Hell yeah, you’re not!” Princess Twilight punched the air. “You feel the love, now let it loose!”

Shining Armor shut his eyes. He focused on his heartbeat, just like Sunset had explained to him. The energy pulsated. His arm shook as he clenched his fist.

“Her magic is yours!”

He opened his hand, and a flash of magenta light glistened in the midst of his fingers. Big Mac clasped a hand to his shoulder. Shining and his friend looked at each other with slacked jaws, which soon morphed into disbelieving laughter.

Shining Armor took the phone from Big Mac. He held his magic-charged hand up to the camera. “Okay. What’s the next step, princess?”

“The next step,” she said with a hint of steel to her voice, “is to rely on Dulcimer.”

***

Twilight practically ripped the door off its hinges as she pushed through to the computer lab. She scanned the rows of old computer monitors for any sign of her counterpart. She felt energy course through her body, pumping from her heart with the ferocity of a waterfall. There! Ducking behind a desk! She pointed her hand and released a furious gout of flame that consumed the doctor completely.

A chair clattered to the other side of her. She turned and saw the doctor leap over a table and hide beneath it. She sent another blast at her second target, striking it dead-center and tearing it to pieces.

But then she saw another doctor. And another. And yet another! There seemed to be dozens of replicas of the woman scrambling around the computer lab, all fleeing from Twilight, all moving of their own accord. One duplicate turned back to Twilight and raised its hands, summoning power to a spell Twilight didn’t recognize. Another readied a different spell, one utilizing fire. A third peered from behind a bookshelf, her eyes leaking trails of purple smoke.

Were they all real? Were none of them real? Could even a fake attack still hurt?

Twilight decided she didn’t care. “Coward!” She released a bolt of electricity and struck the duplicate in front of her. The doctor screeched briefly, then flickered and vanished in a cloud of lavender sparks. They were just illusion spells, far beyond the crayon-drawings Sunset had taught her to do. They were nearly lifelike.

A sizzling-hot strand of energy struck her in the back and wrapped around her right arm. It was like a cord made from an oven’s heating coils. It burned through her coat and made its way to her flesh. She teleported out of the grip and spun to face her attacker. An afterimage was all that remained as the coil sizzled into nothingness on the ground. A block of ice narrowly missed her head—unless it was an illusion meant to distract her? She stepped into the ice’s trajectory just before a computer monitor sailed through where her head had been.

The illusory Dr. Twilight Sparkles spoke as one. “Let us leave, Twilight. We’ll vanish from your life forever.”

“Like you vanished from your Equestria?” Twilight snapped. “Like you vanished from the magic school? Leaving a trail of bodies and broken people behind you? I’ve been to your home, Twilight! I saw King Sombra turn the castle inside out!” She constructed a spell between her hands, piecing it together through what she knew of simple telekinesis. “I’m gonna do the same thing to you!”

She released the spell in a wave, and every table in the room flipped over. Only one of the Twilights was able to react in time, ducking beneath one of the projectiles and cushioning herself with a shield spell. The rest of the duplicates vanished in a cascade of sparks.

Twilight reached out and grasped the real doctor’s body in a bubble. She dragged her foe through the air, taking care to smash her legs against an overturned table on the way. The doctor reached out and released two strands of superheated magic, which anchored her to the floor. Twilight grunted as the battle became a tug-of-war, her magic pulling against the doctor’s cords. The hot spools of energy cut through the floor tiles as she was gradually overpowered by Twilight’s fury.

Dr. Twilight’s eyes narrowed. She released her grip. She shot forward; Twilight’s spell no longer had resistance. She encased herself in a shield and bounced against the floor, landing on her two feet on the rebound.

Twilight ducked beneath a superheated whipcrack. She scrambled back as the doctor swung the spell at her again and again.

“You could have left me alone!”

A strike cut into her leg. She pushed against the doctor, but her magic was redirected with a wave of her hand.

“I could have finally been happy!”

Twilight attempted to cool the air, draw the heat out to extinguish the whip, but the doctor just added more fuel to the fire.

“I could have finally known peace!”

The whip struck Twilight across the face, slicing her glasses in half. Blood trickled from her eyebrow. She fell to the floor, clutching her forehead and screaming. Her anger did not abate; it grew. It burned like a pyre on a hill, visible for all to see. The doctor’s face was blurry without her prescription, but she didn’t need to see clearly to hate.

The sound of claws on metal came from the door. Edgy Spike splayed his paws in front of him. He called out at the top of his lungs. “Twilight, no!”

Dr. Twilight dropped the whip. It vanished into thin air. She scowled at the dog, her breath coming fast and hot as adrenaline wracked her body. “Spike? What—?” She looked down at the collapsed Twilight. “You came here with her to stop me.”

Edgy Spike winced, looking away for a brief second before imploring her with watery eyes. “Don’t do this, Twilight. We can go back together. You and me. You don’t have to fight like this anymore.”

Twilight balled her hand into a fist and drew magic to it. She let the spell build friction until it became the makings of a fireball the size of her head. Without a word, she extended her hand towards the doctor.

But the doctor was one step ahead. She, too, had drawn magic to her hand. Rather than cast a spell, she held it in, let it build pressure. She pressed her thumb against her middle finger and aimed her index finger at Twilight’s torso.

The doctor looked at Edgy Spike and smirked. “You’ve always been a bad liar, Spike.”

She snapped her fingers, and the room exploded with the force of a sonic boom. The magnificent air pressure hit Twilight full in the chest and launched her out of the room, over the railing of the balcony. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Edgy Spike sailing alongside her.

Her body was bruised by the concussive blast, but that was minor in comparison to what the fall would do to her and Edgy Spike. She would break her neck, and that was the best-case scenario. The drop would kill her with utmost certainty.

Unless she made it shorter.

She gripped Edgy Spike with a spell and tucked him against her chest. She surrounded them both with a thin shield—all that Sunset had been able to teach her—and teleported to the floor. They hit hard, bouncing and rolling across the courtyard until they hit the far wall.

Twilight lay still. She wasn’t sure if the pains in her body were bruises, breaks, or sprains. But her mom had always told her that pain meant she was alive. She took that to be a good thing.

Edgy Spike sobbed as he shook against her. He lay curled up, his eyes shut with unspeakable pain. “I just… wanted to see her again…”

Dr. Twilight Sparkle’s footsteps clattered against the stairs as she hurried down, on a fast march towards the exit of the school. She didn’t spare a glance at the carnage she had just wrought. She never looked back at the bloody body of Sunset Shimmer. She never even heard Edgy Spike’s whimpers.

Twilight Sparkle summoned the anger in the depth of her heart. She stood up despite the agony and stepped into the center of the courtyard. She twisted her fingers and encased the doors in a spell that prevented them from opening. The doctor tried the door, then turned to face her counterpart.

The doctor crossed her arms. “You escaping this battle alive is becoming more and more unlikely.”

“You had a mentor who loved you.” Twilight took a step towards the doctor. “You had unbelievable magical power. You had friends who would stand beside you, even now.” She shook her head as her stomach churned. “It may not feel like it, but when you were growing up, you had everything I’ve ever wanted. Everything I never knew until Sunset.”

Dr. Twilight let out a single, derisive laugh. “You had your family. Your pain is nothing—”

“My parents who were always traveling, too deep in their work to spare me a moment? My brother who was too young to take care of me?” Twilight smiled, but it was a flat, plastic smile. Like the kind she plastered to her face in years past. “You had everything I ever wanted, and you treated it like trash. Garbage. You treated people like pawns and friendship like rubbish. The whole world is yours to toy with.”

Her skin glowed from beneath as her fairy strings were overloaded. She felt her vision correct itself with a glistening aura around her eyes. Pain melted away as she focused entirely on the person in front of her. As she plotted how she might repay that person for what she’d done.

“Every last thing I ever wanted.” Twilight Sparkle’s plastic smile shattered into a grimace. “And you squandered it!”

Magic surrounded the doctor. She lit her hands and formed a shield, but Twilight didn’t hit her with anything. She just squeezed. She increased the pressure bit by bit, centimeter by centimeter.

“And now, you’re trying to take away what little I have left.” Twilight all but floated over to the doctor’s side, the magic within her adding a lightness to her steps. “So tell you what I’m gonna do: I’m gonna repay you by taking away the only thing you’ve ever really cared about.”

Dr. Twilight Sparkle furrowed her brow. Her eyes widened when she saw Twilight pull the Memory Stone out of a pocket. “You wouldn’t—!”

Twilight hurled her arm like a baseball pitcher and sent the doctor careening across the courtyard. Dr. Twilight tumbled through a door and crashed against the cots set up for the dormitories. Twilight lit the air with flame and sent a blaze through the door. The blast vaporized several beds and caused the others to catch fire.

Edgy Spike sat up. One of his eyes was swollen shut. “Twilight. Don’t. You have to regain control. Please.”

“Don’t worry, Spike.” Twilight grinned at him and let out a giggle that sounded off, even to her own ears. “I’m more in-control than I’ve ever been in my entire life.”

***

“It isn’t going to be easy.”

“No crap.” It took all of Shining Armor’s focus to keep the magic in his palm from vanishing. He looked over his shoulder at Dulcimer. “You sure this is gonna work?”

“She’ll know the exact moment I activate the spell.” Dulcimer’s fingernails glowed with a light akin to a welder’s torch; bright enough to damage the eyes if you looked right at it. “I have enough trust in one Twilight’s abilities to trust another’s.”

“Considering who your Twilight is,” Princess Twilight said, “that isn’t comforting.”

“We’re wasting time.” Shining gave Big Mac one last look. “If anything happens—”

The building shook with the force of a sonic boom. Shining caught sight of his little sister skidding across the floor, the dog in her arms. The doctor could be seen walking out of the room, retying her hair in the wake of the blast.

Big Mac shouldered his rifle. “I’m gonna help her.”

Starlight Glimmer stood up, but leaned on the railing when she grew woozy. “There’s no way you can face that woman. You saw what she did to Twilight’s gun—”

“I’m gonna help.” Big Mac shouldered his way past Starlight, but not before helping her ease to the ground. He gave Shining a nod. “Save Sunset.” He rushed away, not looking back.

“Alright, Twilight.” Symbols and diagrams surrounded Dulcimer’s hands, looking for all the world like the numbers on a clock. “When the international clock marks the hour.”

Shining’s free hand gripped Sunset’s. It had only been a couple of minutes since she’d been hurt. It felt like months. There was still breath hissing through her nose. There was still blood pumping through her heart. There was still hope.

Dulcimer gritted his teeth. He turned his hands over. “Stop.”

A wave of magic washed over Shining Armor, and the world grew still. A drop of blood hung in midair. Sunset’s breath stopped midway, her lungs not quite fully expanded. Shining released her hand, and it failed to drop.

“For the record,” Dulcimer said, his voice strained. “This is very difficult.”

“Right.” Shining looked at his phone. The image didn’t change. “Princess? Can you hear me?”

There was a brief, yet all-too-long pause. “Yes,” she replied, her voice distorted to a robotic degree. “Communication might be difficult with all this magical interference.”

“We’ll deal.” Shining looked down at his mortal foe: the crystalline shards growing out of Sunset’s torso. “Walk me through this.”

“The spell eats magic.” Princess Twilight’s picture moved a single pixel, then turned unrecognizable. “You need to draw it out with a magic that burns brighter than Sunset’s ambient magic. It doesn’t need to have more power than her, but it needs to be more intense. Even if it’s just at a single point.”

Shining Armor extended a finger. He held it over the tallest spire. Magic congregated on that fingernail. It was slow going, and he didn’t really trust himself to not touch the black crystal. “So I just… hold my hand over it?”

“We’re going to try to get it to spread itself too thin.” Princess Twilight Sparkle muttered to herself, then spoke fully into the phone. “Slowly, as it grows, you’re going to move your hand away from it. Once the crystal is smaller than her wounds, it can come out without hurting anything more than it already has. Then you’ll grab it with your magic and pull it out smoothly.”

Shining Armor jerked his hand away when the crystal grew another tiny spike. Even with time slowed to a crawl, the weaponized crystal was moving too fast for comfort. “It’s still growing.”

“It’s not growing, it’s resizing.” Princess Twilight almost spoke too quickly for Shining to follow. “It hasn’t had enough time to consume more magic. It’ll grow if it feeds, but so long as you’re pulling it away, it’ll never have that chance.”

A game of keep away. Tricking it to lurch greedily towards a higher concentration of magic. Shining had to be up to it. There was no other option. He couldn’t let the doctor’s anger rob Sunset of life.

“You’re my dream, Sunset,” he whispered. “Don’t ever let me forget that. You changed my life the day we met. For the better. Whatever else comes our way, whatever trial or opportunities we face, we’ll face it together.”

His heart beat, and his magic grew brighter. More tendrils of crystal appeared inside of a second, lunging for his fingers. If he looked closer, he could see the central spire thinning out, losing its structure.

“I’m sorry I forgot for so long. I only focused on leaving the military. I thought I had to give up my dream to live for what mattered most in my life. But you’re not the other dream. You’re not the replacement. You’re the missing piece of the puzzle. You showed me the bridge I needed to cross to become the man I could be. I haven’t given anything up; I’ve become more of my best self.”

Like a clawed hand, the crystal reached for him. It reformed and remade itself into a nest of razor-sharp spines that promised to bite into him, rake his skin away, tear into his joints and marrow. Meanwhile, the wound in Sunset’s midriff bled more freely, but the crystal wasn’t causing more damage. The wound was no longer going deeper. The damage was no longer exacerbating.

“It’s the same for you, isn’t it?” Shining blinked back tears. “You didn’t give up magic to come here. To be with me. To have Sunny. It’s just another step on your journey. Your dream was to experience all that magic had to offer, and the realization of that dream… is your life with us.”

The crystal was a collection of loosely-connected spikes that leaned haphazardly against each other. They looked like iron filings on the tip of a magnet. Their connection was so weak, and their structure so off-balance, Shining knew it had to be the time.

“I love you, Sunset,” he said, clutching her hand once more. “I can’t wait to see where our dreams take us next.”

He yanked his hand away, and the crystal chased after it. He caught it in a telekinetic bubble. It began to eat at his magic immediately, but he was ready. He chucked the crystal against a wall, where it shattered to a thousand-thousand-thousand pieces, becoming naught but dust. Capable of harming no one.

He stuffed his rags against the wound and pressed as hard as he could. It immediately soaked through. “She’s still in danger! She needs a hospital!”

Dulcimer breathed out a long, long sigh. “Go.” He fell to his knees, clutching his chest as sweat poured down his brow. “That was… harder than I expected.”

Starlight Glimmer’s eyes popped as time resumed its normal pace. She looked from Sunset to Dulcimer, her jaw slacked. “It worked? It worked!”

Dulcimer pulled a phone from his pocket and dialed. He got an immediate response. “Yes, we have a woman here with a large gut wound. Looks to have been run through. Yes, my current location. Send the helicopter immediately. Be careful—” He peered over the side of the balcony to see the two Twilights having a tense conversation. “We have a violent person on the premises.” He put the phone down and leaned against the railing. “The good news is that we’ll have medical help in a matter of minutes. The bad news…” He gestured at the nearly-colorless Sunset. “I don’t know what they’ll be able to do for her.”

Princess Twilight spoke up from the phone. “Bring her to Equestria.”

Shining Armor brough the phone to his face. “What?”

“Double Diamond says there’s a portal to Equestria right outside the city. Celestia and I can keep her alive until we reach a hospital, and then they’ll take care of her.”

Even if he was exhausted, it didn’t stop Dulcimer’s eyes from lighting up. “I can show the pilot how to get to the portal. Meet us there, and we’ll be able to make quick work of this injury.”

Shining Armor nodded. He squeezed his wife’s hand, stanching her wound as well as he could. “Do you hear that, Sunset? Help is on the way. Don’t give up yet!”

***

Twilight Sparkle glided into the burning female dorm room. The fire had spread to the walls. She smiled. Perhaps she could bring the whole place down on the doctor’s head.

She caught the sound of coughing. Smoke inhalation. A start on the path to asphyxiation. Music to her ears. She raised a hand and ignited her magic to part the smoke. There, lying in the collapsed remains of a cot, was the doctor herself. Blood trickled from the woman’s nose. Her eyes were unfocused, and no longer had their magical glow. She looked up as Twilight approached with pure fear etching itself across her face.

“What’s the matter?” Twilight said, her heart beating at a speed fit to power a motorboat. “Never had to face somebody on equal footing with you? Always picking on people weaker than you? People who’d never do you harm, of course! If King Sombra was smart, he would have banished you to the depths of the ocean!”

She took the Memory Stone in her hand. Fear traced itself through her veins. Afterimages of Sonata Dusk stalked their way throughout the burning room, cackling and screaming while the sound of gunfire echoed in Twilight’s memory. She pushed the panic aside, taking no note of it while still allowing it to feed her magic. “You only care about yourself, so it stands to reason that if I take your sense of self away… nobody else gets hurt. I do that and you’re nothing but a vegetable, rotting away in a cell. Braindead.”

Sonata clawed at her back, sending prickles down her spine. She shook the Memory Stone at the bleeding doctor. “And even that’s better than you deserve!”

Sonata patted Twilight’s cheek. “Come on, Twilight. You know you just wanna shoot her and get it over with. It’s worked out for you so far. Look at me! Pure worm-food. This gal? Why should she be any different? I killed Spike, and this dummy just did the exact same thing to Sunset.”

The glowing aura around Twilight’s eyes intensified. She pushed past the illusory Sonata and thrust the Memory Stone towards her. Magic flowed through the runes and pathways of the artifact. Tendrils of thieving magic reached out for the doctor, ready to rip any sense of “Twilight Sparkle” from her mind.

The tendrils reached the doctor, and found no memories to steal. The illusion spell faded to purple sparks.

A hand, this one as real as Twilight’s own, clasped around her wrist. Magic pulsed through its veins, lending it increased strength. The doctor twisted Twilight’s arm around and grasped her throat with her other hand. The doctor gritted her teeth as she sent electric shocks throughout Twilights body.

“You idiot!” Dr. Twilight Sparkle kicked one of Twilight’s legs out from underneath her. Thrown off-balance, she hung in the doctor’s grasp. “You have no idea what you’re doing, do you? Nothing but a child playing with fire!”

She spun and tossed Twilight into a burning bed. She lunged to get ahold of the Memory Stone, straddling Twilight and holding her down. The cot’s weak joints collapsed, sending them both to the floor. Twilight took the opportunity to toss the doctor off of her, but lost her grip on the Stone. It slid across the floor, out of arm’s reach.

Both the doctor and the technician reached for the stone. Both enveloped it in their magic. Both pulled with all their might.

Edgy Spike ran into the room. He stood just behind the Memory Stone and barked at the both of them. “Twilight! You need to stop before one of you gets killed! I couldn’t live with myself if—”

“Shut up!” The doctor blasted him away with a burst of hot air. She got to her feet and glared at Twilight with eyes like a demon, reflecting the heat around her. A feeling like cold steel wrapped around Twilight’s throat, pressing her against the collapsed cot.

With Twilight’s concentration weakened, the doctor called the Stone to her hand. She paused for a critical moment, disoriented by whatever nightmare haunted her dreams. She recovered and took aim at the immobilized Twilight Sparkle, her smile appearing bright and triumphant.

Edgy Spike bit her leg as hard as he could. He jerked his head, tearing at her clothes and the skin beneath. His shout of “Let her go!” was muffled, but the intent was clear.

Dr. Twilight stuck him with a bolt of electricity. She kicked him away. She ignited the Memory Stone and released its tendrils towards him.

He spat blood and closed his eyes. “I love you, Twi—”

The magic hit him, and at once the screaming started. Twilight watched as every memory the poor boy had was drained from his soul. It leaked from his head like film reels from a camera and was absorbed into the Memory Stone. He lay still and quiet, his body barely moving as he breathed.

Dr. Twilight limped on her injured leg, but soon turned to face Twilight. She closed her hand into a fist, and the pain in Twilight’s throat grew tighter. She grasped at her throat and realized that the cot’s metal skeleton had contorted around her.

The doctor shrugged. “Sunset would have made a beautiful alicorn, really. A genius in her own time, backed by the power of the sun and moon. That moon belonged to you too, you know. The two of you, untouchable and omnipotent.”

She pointed the Memory Stone at Twilight’s head and ignited the spell. “But you know me so well, don’t you? Oh, your pain is so much more unbearable than mine. Idiot! If you had lived my life, you would have made the exact same decisions.” She let out a humorless laugh. “I told Sunset the same thing, before I put her out of her misery.”

At that moment, with Edgy Spike lying quietly a few feet away, and herself deprived of oxygen, she remembered something the princess had said:

“There is a difference between self-control and self-suppression. With self-control, one can feel their emotions, acknowledge them, and then refuse to allow them to control their actions. With suppression, you refuse to feel your emotions, tell yourself you shouldn’t have them, and then let them build up pressure in secret.” She held her hands out, palm up, towards Twilight. “When the pressure becomes too much, you burst, and people get hurt.”

Twilight let her lips curl. She pushed her glasses further up her nose. “You know me so well, huh?”

“No. I barely know you.” Princess Twilight allowed her hands to drop to her lap. “But I know myself. I know that I have had the same trouble. I’ve done some really messed-up things because I didn’t accept help for my problems. People have gotten hurt for sure, and it would have been much worse without my friends bailing me out.”

The edges of Twilight’s vision began to fade into whiteness. Still, she pushed magic to her fingertips. It was a spell she had cast before, though then it had been created in the spur of the moment, backed by pure panic. Now, it was backed by determination. She would not allow this person to win. She would not let this be the end. She would not lose herself.

And this time, she would not lose Spike.

“You know me so well.”

“No,” Twilight croaked, “I don’t know you. But I know myself.”

A shimmer of green surrounded the doctor. Her triumphant smirk became a scowl of confusion. She glanced down at the Memory Stone and watched as the tendrils of magic turned back from the shield enveloping her body. Her eyes, their irises shimmering with magic, widened in a sudden panic. “No.” The spell encasing the doctor grew more opaque as the seconds passed, and the tendrils sought their new target. “No! No, wait, please! Stop!”

She dropped the Memory Stone, but Twilight caught it in a strong, soft bubble of magic. She teleported out of the tangled-up cot and stood in front of the doctor, meeting her eye-to-eye.

Tears sprung into the doctor’s eyes. “Help me.”

The tendrils connected with her temples. Dr. Twilight hunched over as horrendous screams burst from the depths of her heart. The memories flashed past, furiously unloading her entire life’s experience in the blink of her eye. Her body shook as if she was vomiting uncontrollably. She clawed at her hair and pulled it out of the tight ponytail she’d kept it in. She didn’t so much collapse as fold to the floor, assuming a fetal position. Drool pooled around her mouth as she wept mindlessly.

Twilight called the Memory Stone to her hand. Sonata stood on the far side of the doctor’s body, smiling like a child with too much candy. “Nice one, Twilie. Braindead and soon to be dead-dead. You handled the situation better than I could’ve hoped for.”

Twilight looked at the Stone in her hands. She turned to the whimpering Edgy Spike, who cried like a confused dog. “If I free Spike’s memories, I free hers.”

“So kill her first. Duh.” Sonata leaned against a cot consumed with flames. “Double-tap to the head oughta do it.”

Twilight sighed as she knelt beside the dog. She petted his side with a trembling hand. “Even after all she’s done, he still loves her. He loves her enough to fight for her. Or against her.”

“And look where it got him.”

“Yeah. But he’s still got me to help him.” Twilight touched a hand to her heart. “Princess Twilight told me if I bottled my feelings up, they’d eventually explode, and people would get hurt. I think… I think I understand.”

She turned the Memory Stone over in her hands. “This rage, this agony, it’s the same thing Dr. Twilight felt when her parents died. When her brother was kidnapped. When her experiments failed again and again. She let it poison her. Soak into the core of her being. Turn her into that thing.” She gestured at the shaking form of the doctor. “If I lose control, I might go down that exact same path. Abandon Shining and Big Mac. Reject my friends because ‘they don’t understand.’” She sighed and glanced at Sonata. “Because that’s all that spite is good for; creating more anger and causing more pain.”

She closed her eyes and focused on her heartbeat. She felt through the corridors and cracks in the Memory Stone, seeking out the stolen memories. “And so it becomes a cycle. That’s all the doctor’s life has been; an uncontrollable cycle. Pain to more pain. It stops now.”

She unspooled the memories and separated them into two halves; Edgy Spike’s and the doctor’s. She let them flow on currents of magic, each seeking out the heart they belonged to. The green light of the Stone’s magic competed with the red light of the room ablaze.

Edgy Spike gasped as light returned to his eyes. He looked up at Twilight and met her gaze. He reached a paw out and touched her forearm.

“Welcome back, Spike.” Twilight gave his side a rub and stood up. She watched as the doctor stirred, shifting her weight as she decided whether or not she could stand.

Sonata Dusk crossed her arms and sneered. “She’s sure as hell not going to break the cycle.”

Twilight shook her head. She charged a spell with a burst of energy, then released it into the depths of the empty Memory Stone. The walls of the artifact cracked as energy blitzed through it on a path as sure as a tidal wave’s. The magical device crackled, then crumbled to stone shards as Twilight split it in half.

Sonata vanished as quickly as she came, nothing more than a misremembered figment of Twilight’s imagination.

Twilight brushed her hand against her jeans, shaking away the stone dust. She approached the doctor with her fingernails glowing with power. “I hear that use of the memory stone can leave you slightly disoriented.”

Dr. Twilight clutched her head and moaned. She toppled over as if she wasn’t quite sure which way was up. She looked at Twilight with the air of someone both drunk and hungover at the same time. “Aren’t you going to kill me?”

“Not unless you give me no choice.” Twilight knelt down and touched a fingertip to the side of the doctor’s head. “Have a good night, doc.”

Dr. Twilight slumped over, passed out from exhaustion and Twilight’s relaxation spell.

Heavy footsteps thundered to the door of the dormitory. Big Mac poked his head in, looking left and right for any sign of the person he loved. “Twilight! Twi, you in here?”

“Over here!” Twilight looked around and finally noticed that the fire had gotten wildly out of control. Even at her full power, she wasn’t going to be able to put it out. “H-hit the fire alarm! There’s sprinklers in here, right?”

He found the lever and alarms rang throughout the building. He rushed into the room and took immediate stock of the situation. “I’ll carry the crazy woman out. You get Spike.”

She scooped the dragon-come-dog into her arms and held him close. She sprinted for the exit with her boyfriend close behind her. She wasn’t sure the sprinklers were going to do much good; the fire was blazing hot, and the smoke was growing thick.

“And Twilight—!”

Twilight looked over her shoulder, only slowing her momentum slightly. Big Mac’s beautiful green eyes radiated comfort down on her, filling her heart to the limit.

“Shining helped Sunset. We’re takin’ her to Equestria right now. She’s got a chance.”

With renewed vigor, they broke out into the indoor courtyard. Through the front doors, Twilight could see a helicopter waiting for them. Shining climbed aboard with Starlight, and the faintest hint of Sunset lying in a stretcher was just behind them. The race for the helicopter was won by all, and they were soon sailing across the skies towards the mainland.

Twilight sat beside Big Mac, some distance away from the paramedics desperately trying to keep Sunset alive. They held each other’s hand, palm to palm, and tried to breathe.

Shattered but Not Broken

Sunset Shimmer blinked awake. Her body ached, save for a numbness in her lower torso. She tried to reach a hand downward, but found herself unable to move her arms. She was restrained, gently tied down with straps. She opened her mouth to cry out, but her throat was parched. She was able to let out nothing more than a faint croak.

“Sunset? It’s okay. I’m right here. You’re safe.”

Sunset Shimmer felt too sore to turn her neck. She settled for peering out of the corner of her eye. She found herself looking into a pair of familiar blue eyes, full of warmth and strength. Whatever else had happened, at least she was reunited with the one her soul loved.

“It’s alright.” Shining reached a hoof out to rest against her shoulder. “The mirror Twilight’s been captured. You’re gonna get healed up right as rain before you know it.”

Sunset furrowed her brow. She looked down at her hand and found that she lacked the usual five fingers and a palm. Rather, it had been replaced with an orange hoof. She was in Equestria? That had to mean that the portal had worked. They must have taken her to treat an injury that her world had no method of fighting. How bad had it been?

The answer came in the form of the rolls of gauze wrapped around her torso. That was why she’d been restrained; so she couldn’t hurt herself further by accident. Dr. Sparkle had truly, truly wanted her dead.

A current of magic carried a cup up to her lips. A straw hovered just above her mouth. “You thirsty? Want a drink of water? Drink slowly.”

She accepted the drink with a small sip. Ever bone in her body cried out to guzzle it down, but she held back. No use throwing up just after waking up. Or worse. “Thank… you…”

The magic and the pony using it clicked together in her mind. “Shiny? Magic?”

Shining Armor set the cup gently on the bed’s side-table. “Thanks to you. Looks like I’ve got a handle on this—” The cup leapt from his grip and tumbled to the floor. “—whole… magic… thing. Yeah.”

Sunset looked over the gauze tapestry decorating her body. She attempted to wiggle her hind hooves and was rewarded with a jiggle of her blanket. “Can’t feel my body.”

“That would be the painkillers at work.” Shining got to his hooves and clomped towards the door. “I’m gonna go tell the doc you’re awake. I’ll be right back, okay?”

“Okay.” Sunset closed her eyes. She wondered if they would untie her. Surely now that she was awake, she’d require fewer precautions against further injury. Hopefully.

She opened her eyes to get a look at the room. It was a Canterlot hospital, judging from the skyline out her window. She could just see the towers of the castle in the distance, overlooking the stone buildings that made up the mountainous city. A pang of homesickness hit her out of nowhere. It had been so long—more than a decade—since she’d seen it. Though she’d been found in Fillydelphia, she’d always seen Canterlot as her childhood home.

She’d just crossed a bridge that had been burned to cinders. Did she truly deserve the chance to see it again, after what she’d done? Dr. Twilight could never return home after her deeds, how could Sunset be any different?

One of Canterlot General’s most prolific doctors came in to give her a rundown of her injuries. They were severe, to use a gross understatement. Organs damaged or destroyed, skin torn away, horrendous blood loss. As advanced as modern-day medicine was back home, this was a list that spelled certain doom for most people. But, with a quick transportation to Equestria and the existence of a time-slowing spell, she’d lived long enough to reach the operating table. As it was, the nerve damage was extensive, and it would take months to regrow the muscle tissue. She was down one kidney, and her intestines had needed quite a bit of work done. Luckily, the other organs had been high enough to avoid being attacked by the dark spikes.

“I’m going to recommend at least a month of bed rest with a constant ambrosia drip. Your recovery will last more than a year after that.” Dr. Fine lowered his clipboard and gave Shining Armor a sidelong glance. “There is… one other matter, but I was told to allow others to share the news with you.”

Sunset sighed through her nose. “Yah got me… worried, doc.”

“I wouldn’t worry.” He smiled at her, adjusting his glasses to rub at tired eyes. “You are indeed in good hooves, Lady Shimmer. Though you had a tremendous trial, quick-thinking and skilled magic pulled you through to the other side. Safe and sound.” He stood up and made his way towards the door. “I’ll be back soon to track your progress. In the meantime, there are many ponies eager to see you for themselves.” He jabbed a pencil in Shining Armor’s direction. “Make sure they don’t wear her out.”

Sunset reached her hoof out to touch Shining Armor’s. She nearly burst into tears when she saw four familiar faces walk through the door. Twilight Sparkle and Principal Celestia came in first. Just behind them was—

“Mommy!”

Sunny rode on Scootaloo’s back as she took cautious steps into the room. He leaped off his perch and rushed to the bedside, nearly knocking Twilight and Principal Celestia off their hooves.

Scootaloo was unmistakably her Scootaloo. She wore her signature black leather coat, and her short mane was held back by a thin band. She looked pensively at Sunset, holding back a wince as she examined her foster sister.

Celestia appeared as a white-coated, pink-maned, middle-aged unicorn. If Sunset thought about it, it made sense. Her Celestia was no ageless superpony, but a woman who had seen much of the world and lived through many a hardship. The expression on her face was nonetheless serene, unfettered by fears of tomorrow. She was content to experience a happy moment with her protégé, the danger having passed.

Shining reached down to scoop up his son, though better of it, and lit his horn to help the younger unicorn reach the bedside. “Be careful, Sunny. Mommy’s really sore.”

Sunset didn’t think it was possible for her son to get any more adorable. Yet here was the little guy right at her bedside, his oversized pony eyes glistening with curiosity and concern. She leaned over to touch her nose against his. “Hello, Sunny. Have you been good for Daddy while Mommy’s been away?”

“Yep.”

“Good. Did you miss me?”

“Uhuh.”

She kissed his forehead and touched a hoof to her cheek. “I missed you, too. I love you.”

“Love you, Mommy.” Shining brought Sunny back so that the young colt could sit against his chest. The boy’s eyes never stopped moving as he studied his surroundings. “Do we live here, now?”

“For a little while.” Sunset gave Twilight and the others a slightly morose smile. “Just until Mommy’s better.” She took another sip of water with Shining’s help. Her throat was still sore, but at least it hurt less to breath. She peered at Twilight Sparkle, who took a seat on the opposite side of the bed. The little unicorn mare daubed her eyes behind her glasses, nearly knocking them from their perch atop her nose. “I’m sorry.”

“Sorry?” Twilight blinked the last of the moisture away. She looked tired. As tired as Sunset felt. “For what?”

“Ab—” Sunset shut her eyes tight against the oncoming sting. “Abandoning you.”

Twilight touched a hoof to her foreleg. “Sunset—”

“I left you… and Shiny… when you needed me…” Sunset Shimmer shook her head slightly. “I should have stayed… until your name was cleared. I was… selfish.” Sunset rubbed her friend’s leg with a soft sway of her hoof. “But you never left me… even when I was a world away.”

Twilight pressed her lips tight. She looked away for a second, but soon returned her gaze. “I won’t lie; I felt that way at the beginning. But I understand how much magic means to you. You had to take the opp—”

“Magic is nothing without my family.” Sunset turned to Shining Armor, seeking solace in his beautiful blue eyes, though she thought she didn’t deserve it. “I should never have left you.”

“While we’re apologizing…” Shining Armor passed Sunny to Scootaloo so that he could lean against Sunset’s bed. “I’m sorry for… for being jealous of you. For not seeing that magic was for everybody, not just a select few. For believing I could never stand at your side. I love you, and I want support you. As equals.”

He clutched her hoof between his two, his eyes locked to hers. “Together, we’re more magical than we could ever be apart. So we’re going to work together until we fulfill both our dreams. I mean… if you want to.”

“I can’t hold your dreams against you, Sunset,” Twilight said. “I just hope that from now on… we can achieve them together.”

Sunset watched Scootaloo play with Sunny, keeping the boy occupied during the tearful moment. She bit back a sob. “I don’t deserve you guys.”

“‘Getting what we don’t deserve’ counts as a blessing in my mind.” Principal Celestia eased herself into a chair, getting a load off of her four legs. “Something to be thankful for, not to bemoan. You have to make the most of what life gives you, good and bad.”

“I’m with Miss Celestia on that one, Sunset.” Scootaloo flapped her wings and carried Sunny upward. She hovered over the rest of the ponies present, letting the young boy dangle securely in her grip. “I’m pretty sure if most people got what they deserved, they’d spontaneously combust before they hit age twenty. Myself included.” She flashed a mischievous smirk Sunset’s way. “Yourself especially.”

Sunset had to catch her breath, so she settled for giving her little sister a smirk. After a few deep breaths, she turned back to Shining. “You all came here just to be with me?”

“Well…” Shining Armor bounced Sunny on his knee. “It isn’t just us…”

Celestia bobbed her head. “Princess Celestia is giving everyone in the school asylum in Equestria until we can be sure the Highborn authorities won’t imprison them just for existing.”

Twilight stared at Sunset’s bandages for a long time. “There are a lot of people who owe you their lives, Sunset. I think… you needed to go to the school. For them.”

A knock at the door prevented her from continuing. Starlight poked her head in and waved a hoof. “Just wanted to say ‘hi,’ now that you’re awake. You-know-who is on her way.”

“Right.” Shining Armor picked Sunny up and set him on his back. “We’re gonna get lunch real quick. You okay with another visitor, or do you wanna sleep?”

“I think… I’m fine.” Sunset frowned at Starlight Glimmer. “Who’s ‘you-know-who’?”

Starlight glanced back into the hallway and gritted her teeth, tapping a hoof nervously. “Um. Yeah. The princess.”

Sunset blinked. “Which princess?”

Principal Celestia rose from her chair and touched the edge of Sunset’s blanket. “My counterpart.”

Sunset’s ears fell to the sides of her head. If she looked past Starlight Glimmer, she could just see a white pony speaking with a purple pony in the hall beyond. She swallowed hard, then accepted Shining’s help getting another sip. “I… I don’t know.”

Shining and Celestia shared a glance. Shining turned his beautiful, caring eyes on her.

“Shiny…” Sunset Shimmer tugged her blanket up to her neck. The instinct to sit up was quickly defeated by the reality of her injuries. “I haven’t seen her in fifteen years. Not since I first left.”

Shining’s eyes trailed away. He took in a deep breath. “Will you trust me when I say that I think you need to hear what she has to say?”

Sunset stared at the small glimpse she could get of the princess through the open door. The only thing she could feel was trepidation. “I…”

“She loves you, Sunset,” Principal Celestia said, the smile fading from her face. “At least give her the opportunity to say goodbye properly.”

Sunset winced as the wind left her sails. There was no way to argue that point. Not without accepting that she was a coward. “Yeah. You’re right. This isn’t about me.”

“Yes it is.”

All heads turned to the doorway, where Princess Celestia stood tall. Her once-regal, ethereal mane had been reduced to a lesser, yet still glistening pink hue. The scar on her chest was pronounced, even beneath the regalia she wore around her neck. She was much older than Sunset remembered; worn and tired in her eyes.

And yet, when she walked, it was with a smooth, easy glide. Her presence was overbearing, nearly stifling, but only until one drew close enough to see that it was a warm, protective aura that surrounded her. The tiredness of her eyes could not overcome the serenity of her expression, nor the softness of her voice.

“This is most certainly about you, my most promising student.”

Sunset Shimmer was vaguely aware that everybody else had left the room. That didn’t seem important. Even if the room was crowded to overflowing, she would only have been able to stare at the princess.

Celestia took a seat beside the bed. She looked over Sunset’s body. Pain flashed across her face as she noted the bandages. “I’m… sorry… that we… that I…” She blinked as tears pooled in her eyes. “If only I knew then what I know now.”

Sunset felt a knot form in her throat. “Then we wouldn’t be where we are.”

Celestia sighed. She nodded slowly, allowing her wings to spread ever-so-slightly, possibly to cool her back. “I… I don’t truly wish to speak about those days right now. It is a time long since passed, full of decisions that have already been made.”

Sunset Shimmer crossed her forelegs atop her blanket. “We’ve already figured out what we both did wrong.”

“Yes. Yes, I believe you’re right.”

“Then what did you want to talk about?”

Celestia looked on Sunset with a familiar expression. It was the one she would use when teaching all those years ago. Mouth mostly level with a slight upturn on the edges. Eyebrows raised, framing bright, attentive vision. Ears tilted forward to catch every word.

“You have accomplished so much more than I could have hoped for.”

Sunset shook her head, wincing at the ache in her neck. “You intended for me to lead the Bearers of the Elements. You wanted me to save your sister from the darkness she’d fallen into. I wasn’t there for you, or her.”

“That does not matter.” Celestia’s voice rose ever so slightly, taking on a corrective tone. Turning Sunset’s train of thought aside as easily as she’d turned aside a fourteen-year-old filly’s. “No matter what has or hasn’t happened here, on this side of the mirror, what matters is what happened on your side. You have grown so much these fifteen years. You have overcome the greatest challenge any of us face…” Celestia touched a wingtip to Sunset’s cheek. “Your own shadow; your worst self. Your pride, and arrogance, and anger. You cast them aside in the name of friendship. Of love. You have grown, and inspired so much growth in others. You have created a family around you, pulling people from all walks of life together to live their best.”

Sunset couldn’t meet Celestia’s eyes. A gentle touch brought her back to see the tears pouring down her teacher’s cheeks.

“You have brought magic to a world that had none. To lives that had nothing. You have changed their world for the better, just by being a friend. Sunset, how could I wish that you had stayed with me, when you have become so much more than I could have hoped for?” Celestia took in a shaky breath, riddled with sobs. “The best part of you has nothing to do with me. You were right; I could only stifle you.” It was the princess’ turn to look away. “You have even taught me how to better myself. I dread the thought of what I would have put Twilight through, had you not rebelled. Had you not shown me that I hadn’t changed since the days I pushed Luna towards Nightmare Moon.”

“But I was wrong.” Sunset’s chest ached with the very thought of her old self. “I wanted to hurt people. You only stopped me from becoming a monster.”

“I stopped you, yes, but then did nothing to help you.” A smile that Sunset wasn’t convinced of spread across Celestia’s face. “But Twilight did help you. And you rose. You overcame. You succeeded.” She pressed a kiss to Sunset’s forehead and held it there for a long moment. “I just wish… no. I don’t wish anything different. Your accomplishments are your own, and I am…” Celestia wiped her eyes and cleared her throat, fighting to steady her voice. “I am so very, very proud of you, my most…” There was a laugh, and perhaps it was a bit more genuine. “My most absent student.”

Her eyes fell upon the orange-coated unicorn, taking on a distant, unfocused gaze. “When I heard you had befriended Twilight all those years ago, I was so happy that you had found yourself. But I was a coward. I waited for you to contact me, and decided if you didn’t, then we were better off apart. But now, when we’re so close? I couldn’t abandon you a third time. I had to make sure you knew how very special you are, and how much I love you.”

Sunset’s dam burst. She reached out to Celestia and hugged her foreleg close. “I love you, too, Celestia! I carry your lessons with me everywhere I go! The best part of me does come from you! Without your foundation, your love, I wouldn’t… I wouldn’t be me.”

Celestia’s tears returned as she brought her wings around her former student’s body, drawing her gently into a protective embrace. The two wept for a moment, mourning bygones and celebrating the present. Celestia kissed her forehead again, then leaned close to her ear to whisper. “There is one more thing, Sunset Shimmer.”

The motion of leaning forward freed Sunset’s back from the confines of the sheets. Though her midsection was still securely strapped down, her back from the shoulder-blades up was free to move. As she moved, an unfamiliar sensation tickled her coat. Celestia’s embrace was temporarily forgotten as Sunset jerked her head around to look at what was causing the discomfort.

Two orange wings, their feathers a bit mussed from having been slept on, stared right back at Sunset.

Celestia coughed, covering her mouth with a hoof. “I… um… I was leading up to that.”

Sunset Shimmer’s eyes opened wide. “You wha huh?”

“You see, Sunset Shimmer, you are quite far from being my student.” Celestia laughed once before having to wipe more tears. “I hesitate to even call you a peer. You are already so much more than I’ve ever aspired to.”

Sunset’s breath caught in her throat. Her head felt like it was in a haze. She had to be dreaming, right? Well, no, if the dull pain in every other part of her body was to be believed. “How did this happen?”

“When you saved Dr. Twilight from the explosion, it seems.” Celestia’s eyes twinkled with pure joy, and this time, her smile could have only been straight from the heart. “After the stolen fairy strings and the Alicorn Device were fully consumed by flame, you took the remaining magic in the air and channeled it through your body, showing skill and determination that few others have matched over the course of history. This ‘River of Magic’ technique you’ve invented seems to have had beneficial effects on you.”

Sunset Shimmer spread her wings. It was strange to acquire a new set of limbs, to say the least. She wanted to immediately leap off the bed and soar through the clouds. To test her newfound strength of limb on unsuspecting boulders. To explore the new limits of her magic. “Oh my God.”

“I suspect that your ascension was also part of how you survived the doctor’s attack.” Celestia sighed as she waved a hoof at Sunset’s wound. “Something I thank the Creator for every hour.”

Sunset Shimmer lay back against the pillow, her mind racing. This was everything she’d ever wanted in her young life. Everything she’d given up on. Everything she’d thought lost.

But it wasn’t everything she held dear. Not yet.

“Princess Celestia?”

Celestia frowned, and her cheek twitched in an unhidden reaction. “You have no reason to call me Princess, Sunset. I am not your liege. You are the princess here.”

“Princess Celestia.” Sunset Shimmer gave her old teacher a tight-lipped smile and narrowed her eyes. “When I recover from my injuries, would you do me the honor of teaching me about my new abilities?”

Celestia’s mouth fell open. She stuttered for a bit. “Would—Wouldn’t Twilight be a better instructor—?”

“Twilight’s already helped me.” Sunset Shimmer touched a hoof to Celestia’s foreleg. “I want to learn from you. One last lesson plan.”

Celestia couldn’t answer. She lay her head down on Sunset’s bed and allowed the tears to flow. Sunset draped a foreleg over Celestia’s shoulders and held her as close as she could.

“One last chance,” Sunset whispered, “to be a family again.”

The two of them rested in quiet solitude until the others had finished with lunch. Sunset decided that more healing had taken place during those few precious minutes than all the rest of her life.

***

Twilight Sparkle walked through Canterlot Castle in an awed daze. The architecture, the masonry, the tapestries… every inch was coated in a thick layer of artistry. This was the stuff of fairy tales, even moreso than Ponyville’s Castle. She gaped as she gawked at a stained glass window that held a perfect representation—considering the medium—of Celestia’s visage.

Shattered pieces of glass brought back into a cohesive whole.

Edgy Spike walked beside her, his face tinged with something between nostalgia and remorse. “Sombra’s castle looked a lot like this, before everything happened. It was the only inviting place in Equestria. It was where we… where I could feel safe from the Evil Celestia and Luna.” He looked ahead to their destination: a heavy wooden door at the end of the hallway. “Now it’s gone.”

Twilight nodded understanding. She pictured the cold, empty house back in Canterlot City that she still owed money on. “Is there anywhere you can go?”

“I can stick with Queen Chrysalis and Care. Like I always did.” Edgy Spike folded his hands behind his pale purple back. His scales had begun to glisten the more he stayed in Princess Twilight’s Equestria, with Little Spike helping him maintain a more healthy diet for a dragon. The scars, however, didn’t fade. As the color returned to his scales, the scars only became more pronounced. Much like the new scars she’d seen in Little Spike’s arms. “Things are gonna change now that Celestia, Luna, and Sombra are all dead. The only enemy left is Tyrant Cadenza and her army. Well, and whoever wants to invade from across the sea now that we’re an easier target.”

“When do you go back?”

“As soon as Chrysalis does.”

As they came close to the door, Twilight heard argument. The voice of Princess Celestia battled it out with the voice of Queen Chrysalis from the Reflection.

“Please try to see reason,” Queen Chrysalis said. “Keeping her alive is dangerous. She could break out at a moment’s notice and cause her brand of pain and suffering all over again. People like her are the reason the death penalty was invented! She is remorseless, callous, and violent.”

Princess Celestia’s counterargument was immediate and passionate. “She is no different from the many others who were thought lost and yet have found new life. My own sister would have been headed for death row had I not abolished capital punishment.”

“Do you really think a thousand years in the moon would improve the doctor’s outlook on life?”

The guards flanking the door opened it at Edgy Spike’s beaconing. He and Twilight slid inside and kept to the wall. The room within was small and dark, save for the lamp over the single table.

Celestia and Chrysalis sat opposite from the doctor. Their attention was not on her, but on each other. Their argument continued, neither budging an inch. The doctor’s eyes followed Twilight, sending chills down her spine.

The doctor was chained. Four times around her legs, and once around her neck. Magic siphons surrounded her on every side, and her collar was made from a magic-absorbing alloy. Since she could no longer use her vision-correcting spell, she had been given a pair of spectacles much like Twilight’s. She didn’t wear any clothes, so the six-sided star cutie mark was plainly visible. Her mane and tail had been trimmed short to prevent her from hiding anything… and to prevent her from injuring herself.

Queen Chrysalis broke off from her argument to polish her glasses. In the process, she finally noticed Edgy Spike. “Spike? What are you doing here?”

“I have some things to say to Twi—to the doctor.” He folded his hands behind his back. “I was told I could have a moment alone with her.”

Queen Chrysalis frowned at Celestia. “Promised, you say?”

Princess Celestia nodded. “I told him he deserved a moment, if nothing else.”

“The we’ll leave you to it.” Queen Chrysalis flicked her tail as she stood. She made her way to the exit with her wings spread wide. “Come, Celestia. Twilight.”

“Please stay, Twilight,” Edgy Spike said. He stopped her with a claw to the back. “I’d like it if I had a friend in the room.”

The hardness in Chrysalis’ expression melted away. “Friend?” She sighed through her nose. “Yes, I suppose a friend would be helpful. We’ll see you in a few minutes.”

When the princess and the queen had vanished, Edgy Spike and Twilight took their chairs. Edgy Spike stared at the doctor for a long, quiet moment. He scratched a scar on his shoulder and pulled loose a dead scale.

The doctor’s expression grew even darker the longer the silence lasted. After enough time had passed, she snapped at him. “What? What is it? What do you want, Spike?”

Edgy Spike breathed a small plume of smoke through his nostrils. “I wanted to thank you, Twilight.”

“Thank me?” The doctor’s face split in half with a gnarled grimace. “For what? I’ve done nothing but hurt you, apparently. Enough so that you traveled to an entirely new world just to spit in my face.”

“That’s the thing.” Edgy Spike looked down at the table. Twilight rested a hoof on his shoulder. “I would have stayed with you, Twi.” He breathed a small sob and reached up to touch Twilight Sparkle’s foreleg. “Even through the murders, the monstrosities, the twisted science, I would have stood by you. I loved you that much, Twilight. So much that I would have given up my own sense of self just to stay by your side, because I put so much of my worth into what you thought of me.”

Dr. Twilight sat speechless, content to glare daggers of ire at the dragon.

“But you decided to hurt me.” Edgy Spike brought his eyes up to look straight into the doctor’s soul. “You shot out Care’s eye and left her bleeding on the floor. You ran from me and left me behind when you abandoned King Sombra. When I came looking for you, you stole my memories and tried to kill me and my new friend.” He smiled, a halfhearted expression fueled by disappointment in himself. “So thank you for hurting me. If you hadn’t, I would have stayed with you to the end. But now I can look at you and see you for who you really are. And I have something better waiting for me.”

Dr. Twilight Sparkle bared her teeth in a gnarled, soundless growl. “You would have left me eventually.”

Edgy Spike nodded slowly, weakly. “You know, I hope so. I really hope so.”

He pushed his chair back, stood up, and left the room.

Twilight Sparkle remained seated across from her doppelganger. She regarded the doctor with cold eyes. “Not even going to respond to that, are you?”

“His words are meaningless.” Dr. Twilight Sparkle matched her chilly look with a heartless glare. “As are yours.”

“If we find meaning in the words and you do not,” Twilight said, “then which of us lives a wasted life?”

Dr. Twilight raised her eyebrows. “Platitudes can’t change my mind, Twilight. I’ve heard them all before. I’ve discredited them all before. Life is a series of painful events, and you can’t change that.”

“Yes I can.” Twilight clomped a hoof against the table top. “Yes I have. You tried to drag my family through the muck, but all it resulted in is you imprisoned and Sunset ascending. She really did get everything you ever wanted. Without stooping to your level.” She crossed her forelegs. “You might have, too, if you had treated people like people instead of things.”

“Seven years!” Dr. Twilight snapped, spittle flying. “I spent seven years of my life creating the school with Starlight, and you’re gonna say I didn’t treat people like people? You’re gonna say I didn’t give them hope, a purpose, and power unimaginable? I brought magic to a dead world, Twilight. I did something good and notable with my life. What have you done aside from shooting a homeless woman and dragging my good name through the muck?”

Twilight Sparkle pressed her lips together. She tried to look deeper into the doctor’s eyes, to see past the anger and betrayal to something else. Something good, or sad, or lonely. But those feelings were buried long ago. She leaned forward slightly and lowered her voice so that only she and the doctor could hear. “I’ve done very little, but I have loved and been loved in return. That, Dr. Sparkle, is what you lack.”

She stood up. There was no reasoning with her, and there was nothing else she needed to get off her chest. Anything else the doctor would say was nothing but hot air.

“I’m going to get out, you know.” Dr. Twilight jangled her chains as Twilight walked swiftly to the door. “I’m going to achieve ascension. When I do, I’m going to destroy your life.”

Twilight Sparkle raised an eyebrow and looked over her shoulder. “Knowing me? Knowing Sunset? Knowing all the people we call family?” She gritted her teeth in a dangerous smile. “Good rutting luck, doc.”

She slammed the door behind her and walked towards where Edgy Spike waited. He was still listening to Celestia and Chrysalis, though the argument seemed to have petered out. She sat beside him and nudged him in the shoulder. “So what are they doing with her?”

Edgy Spike shook his head. “She can’t be imprisoned in her original world because of the spell that can bring her to Sunset’s world. She can’t be held in the human world because they don’t have the technology to handle magical inmates just yet. So she’s staying in Princess Celestia’s care. They’re taking her to Solitaire.”

“The Maximum-Security prison for mortals.” Twilight Sparkle fidgeted with her shirt’s buttons as she drummed up the courage to say what she’d been planning all day. “Princess Twilight mentioned it a couple times. I guess that’s that. You still headed with Queen Chrysalis?”

“Yeah.” Edgy Spike shrugged and walked on all fours to follow the rulers as they walked towards the dining hall.

Twilight Sparkle fell into step beside him. She bumped his shoulder with hers. “Do you feel uncomfortable going back right now?”

“A little, but it’s not like I have any other prospects right now.”

Twilight Sparkle seized all the courage in her chest and let it out at once. “You could stay at my place, if you want. It’d be a good time to get away from the places that have painful memories for you and… and it’s been really quiet since… since…”

Edgy Spike stopped in his tracks. He sat down and looked to her with a soft frown. “Since your Spike died?”

Twilight Sparkle fell silent as a lump formed in her throat. She took a deep breath and sat beneath a glistening stained glass window. “Yeah.”

Edgy Spike scooted over to her side. The queen and the princess were long gone, so the two of them sat in silence. They looked up and both saw a stained glass portrait of Princess Twilight Sparkle on the far wall.

At the princess’ side was a purple-scaled dragon.

“It seems our lives are reflections of each other, having lost someone very special.” Edgy Spike held out a claw to compare its sheen with Little Spike’s. “I just wish my Twilight was as noble as your Spike. Heck, I wish I was as noble as your Spike.”

Twilight bobbed her head and considered the wings on her counterpart. “But you are as loyal as he was. He disobeyed me in order to do what he thought was right. In doing so, he saved my life.” Twilight turned to Edgy Spike and blinked away unshed tears. “Maybe one day you can save your Twilight.”

“She’s already made her decision.” Edgy Spike stood up and held a hand out to her. “And I’ve made mine. I’ll stay with you for a little while. We’ll help each other get back on our feet. I do need to go back home eventually, but… just eventually.”

Twilight took the hand and allowed him to help her stand. “Thank you, Spike. I think I need the friendship as much as you do.”

Edgy Spike hugged her. It was quick, but it was warm. He gave her a slight, small glimmer of a smile. “Don’t we all?”

The two of them walked side-by-side to the dining hall, where the others were waiting. It was time to settle down for a cozy evening with friends, food, and comfort.

Author's Note

Two chapters left, one to conclude, and one to detail the aftermath.

Crossing the Threshold

In the gardens of Canterlot Castle, Starlight Glimmer watched in awe as her students attended an Equestrian kindergarten class, their attention piqued and their minds utterly blown. To these full-grown adults, the information was like learning how to walk after a lifetime on their knees. Cutie marks had appeared on several of them. A few had begun motions to remain full Equestrian citizens. Others wished to show their families what they’d learned.

Starlight Glimmer found herself torn. She wished to stay as much as any of them, but her life was on a different trajectory at the moment. As wonderful as magic was, this world was not her home. She had work to do back in the human world. Work that—as was rapidly becoming clear—only she could do.

Princess Celestia smiled as she watched the class. She leaned close to Starlight’s ear to whisper. “Look how they take to magic as if it’s part of their nature. You’ve done well in teaching them.”

“It’s the air in your world.” Starlight closed her eyes and focused on her horn. She could feel ambient magic practically dancing around her. Pouring from her and into her. Threading through every living thing. “It’s like taking the training weights off.”

“I think, in time, your world can become like ours.” Celestia glanced towards the sun, her wings spreading to catch a few warm rays. “As you grow to understand magic, you’ll better understand how to find it. It’s already all around you… just hidden.”

Starlight leaned back and rested her head against her chair. “There’s a lot of work left over in my world, I guess. Almost doesn’t feel worth it to go back.”

“It’s a good thing for you to return.” Princess Celestia sipped from a small bottle of strawberry fizz. “You can finally confront your demons and put them to rest.”

Starlight sighed. She clomped her front hooves together for lack of anything else to do with them. “All I wanted was to level the playing field a bit. Bring something to the table that excluded no one. Uncover something that united everyone and showed that we’re all the same flesh and bones.” She let out a huff of hot air and shook her head. “I doubt it’ll take.”

“It won’t. Not the way you want.” Celestia’s eyes took on a distant look as she searched the boundless depths of her memory. “I’ve tried to maintain equality between the ponies for a thousand years, now. Magic can be a great equalizer, but it can also tear people apart. Just like any difference.” She reached out to touch Starlight’s hoof with a wingtip. “It’s not a cure-all. People will split over the three types of magic. They will split over skill levels, and depth of knowledge. Those with more talent will hold it over the amateurs. Those who can afford training will outpace those who cannot. Those who struggle will resent those who do not.”

Starlight’s heart dropped. She supposed she’d already realized that. “So there’s no hope?”

“Would I fight for a thousand years for something hopeless?” Celestia shrugged. “Perhaps. But any movement forward, no matter how small, is important. It is something to be celebrated. You have a good heart, Starlight. Don’t let them take it away from you.”

Starlight frowned deeply, dreading the coming lifetime of complications ahead of her. She lowered her face to her hooves and moaned. It was a tiny, defeated sound.

“However, that being said…” Celestia raised an eyebrow. “There are ways to mitigate fissures. At least immediate ones. I suspect you’ve been considering a few?”

Starlight pressed her lips together. “Just the one…”

One of the castle’s exterior doors opened. Hammer Dulcimer strode through, flanked on one side by Double Diamond, and on the other by Princess Twilight Sparkle. The human-turned-pony viscount bowed before Princess Celestia with a flourish that ended when he lost his balance and planted his nose in the grass. He lifted his head and covered his embarrassment with a smile. A slimy smile, in Starlight’s opinion. “Princess Celestia, Bringer of the Dawn, I come bearing a message from the Prime Minister of the Highborn Isles.”

Starlight decided to make her disgust known by blessing the viscount with an open-mouthed gag. “Oh yeah? What’d he say?”

Dulcimer, to his credit, proceeded as if he hadn’t noticed Starlight’s lack of manners. “Fancy Pants has requested to meet with Starlight Glimmer directly, to present her with a mutually-beneficial proposition. A proposition that he says will allow the school to continue its operations.”

Starlight Glimmer snorted. She gave the High Princess a grim smile. “Alright. Looks like it’s time to hear what the grand poohbah has to say.”

***

Starlight Glimmer stood before the entrance to Fancy Pants’ office, waiting alongside Double Diamond. Her students remained in Equestria, awaiting word on whether they could return home, or if Shining Armor’s third option would be preferable.

“You’ll do fine,” Double said, moving out of the way so that she could pace.

“Like heck.” She rubbed one of her arms. Her outfit was the height of formality; a pencil skirt, button up blouse, her hair done up in a bun, and so many more things she didn’t bother to consider. It was uncomfortable. It was stifling. It was exactly what she hated about the Isles’ leadership: stuffiness without substance. “I spent years protesting their policies, but the instant I decide to focus on something good, Parliament finally decides ‘oh, now that’s unacceptable!’”

She closed her eyes and thought back to the conversation she’d had with Princess Celestia, back in the other world. It seemed that a thousand years lent a person endless wisdom. Though even the height of wisdom wasn’t right every time…

“You said it yourself—”

Double Diamond’s voice brought her back to the moment. She snapped her head towards him as her reverie crumbled. “Wha?”

Double Diamond gave her a cavalier smile. It seemed sincere. “You said it yourself. Everybody deserves to learn about magic. Now it’s time to put your words into action.”

The door opened. Dulcimer stepped out and bowed at the waist. “You are permitted to enter, Starlight Glimmer. Alone.”

Double Diamond gave her a thumbs-up. He sat down in the waiting chair, looking for all the world like he wasn’t going to leave the instant the door closed.

Starlight Glimmer tramped her way into the office, anger fueling her steps. Years of preparation had finally led her to an opportunity for her voice to actually be heard by her opponents. If she had one thing to be thankful to the doctor for, it was this moment.

A pain of sorrow gave her pause, but only for a moment. This was not the doctor’s moment. It was hers.

Dulcimer pulled back a large, red-upholstered chair for her to sit in. He proceeded to stand beside the massive desk, which was made up of an expensive and probably-endangered species of wood. Behind the desk, beyond the sea of paperwork and computers and general atmosphere of authority, was the current Prime Minister of the Highborn Isles. He smiled congenially at her; obviously a practiced expression he was able to summon on the spot.

Fancy Pants spoke before she could formulate a sentence. “Starlight Glimmer, it seems we are in your debt. The quick action of your students saved my life, the life of the crown prince, and many of our people. We thank you for your part in overcoming the otherworldly monster.”

Starlight Glimmer kept silent. She gripped the armrests with a vicelike hold. She was certain she could snap the wood if she wished.

“As such, Parliament—represented by myself, of course—would like to extend an invitation.” Fancy Pants cupped his hands and leaned forward. “Rather than shut your school down for operating without a license, we would like to grant you a license effective retroactively to the moment you began collecting students. We would supply you with monetary resources, grant programs, more effective infrastructure, and all the other benefits a state-sponsored school receives. We will, in essence, legitimize you and allow you to reach more people than ever before.”

Starlight Gimmer returned his smile; hers was a crusty, teeth-grating affair. “What’s the catch?”

Fancy Pants paused for a critical moment. He continued on without delay—audacity being the lesser part of cowardice. “Once your curriculum has been reviewed by the board of education, you shall be free to teach the students as best you see fit. You will report directly to me, though your teachers will have their own agents of the crown who will be responsible for them—”

“There it is!” Starlight Glimmer said, causing Fancy to jump. Dulcimer moved towards her, but stopped just beside her chair. “There’s the catch, you old goat! You’ll allow our school to exist, but only if you have complete control of it, and the students, and magic in general!”

Fancy Pants glared at Dulcimer, who pretended not to notice. “Young lady, you would do well to show a little respect. You are indeed lucky to have made it this far, considering your life’s work seems to have been to undermine Parliament’s authority.”

Starlight Glimmer lit her hand. The phone flew out of Dulcimer’s pocket and hovered just out of Minister Pants’ reach. Fancy Pants’ own unmistakable voice echoed around the room in an electronic hiss.

“What we need is a show of force that does not mark us as villains, but saviors. To show these malcontents that we are not weak, and not even the crowning of Blueblood can change that.”

“You’re suggesting another target? An indirect target?”

“How would the general public feel if they found out that known anti-monarchist Starlight Glimmer was raising a school of militants subversives right on Highborn Isles soil?”

“Is she?”

“Appearances matter more than facts, Upper Crust. And I think the populace would feel downright threatened.”

Starlight Glimmer tossed the phone back to Dulcimer, who caught it deftly. “So which is it, Prime Minister? Are you going to support us or imprison us? It doesn’t matter, because either way, you have sole access to all the secrets of magic.”

Fancy Pants stood to his feet, sputtering. “How did you—where did—Dulcimer, explain this!”

Starlight leaned forward in her seat, her smile increasing with equal parts sincerity and smugness. “Here’s my counter-offer, Prime Minister. You keep your political tripe out of my business, and I make sure that the whole world learns about the wonders of magic.”

Fancy Pants slammed a mug against his desktop. “I’ll have you arrested if you dare to continue your school’s existence.”

“You think the school’s the only way I can share magic?” Starlight Glimmer bared her teeth at the Prime Minister like a cat eating a rat. “Everything I know about magic is freely available on the internet, as of…” She checked the wall clock. “Two hours ago. Anybody can learn magic now, and you’ll never see a cent of it.”

An aide opened the door to the office and scurried up to the fuming Fancy Pants. She tapped his shoulder as sweat beaded on her forehead. “Sir? You may wish to end this meeting with Miss Glimmer prematurely.”

“What?”

“It seems that the Secret Investigative Services have a warrant for your arrest.” The aide cleared her throat with a squeak. “Conspiracy, wrongful imprisonment, bribery…”

As the aide droned on with the list of crimes, Fancy Pants glared down at Starlight Glimmer. Realization shone in his eyes as he snapped towards Dulcimer. “Hammer Dulcimer, you are fired.”

“On the contrary, Prime Minister.” Dulcimer walked towards the door with Starlight Glimmer in tow. “I think I feel a promotion coming on.”

Starlight Glimmer flashed the soon-to-be-former prime minister a two-handed rude gesture. She exited through the doorway to find the hallway devoid of Double Diamond.

He was waiting in Starlight’s getaway vehicle.

Starlight hopped as she pulled off her high-heeled shoes. She intended to run for the exit. “I’ll admit, Dulcimer. I had you wrong. I thought for sure you were nothing but trouble.”

“You should trust your first impression, Miss Glimmer.” Dulcimer shut the door as the shouting from Fancy Pants reached a crescendo. “I am plenty of trouble. For instance, I knew of the doctor’s intentions but did nothing to stop her. In fact, had I not lied to her and accelerated Fancy Pants’ timetable, she might still be our ally.” He gave her a smirk and rubbed his goatee. “Even now, I’m only assisting you because it benefits me greatly.” He laughed at her sour frown. “I appreciate the compliment regardless of its deservedness. But you have somewhere else to be right now, don’t you?”

Starlight scowled as she sped off down the hallway. “In that case, I hope I don’t see your stupid face ever again!”

“Likewise, Miss Glimmer.” Dulcimer steeled himself and pushed the door open once more, reentering the chaos of a meeting gone awry. “I have what I came for.”

Starlight nearly knocked five people over on her way to the car. She hopped into the back seat behind Double Diamond and slapped him on the back. “Drive!”

Double Diamond pulled smoothly into traffic and headed for the outskirts of the city. “We might just get away without muss or fuss. I’m guessing Parliament has more important things on its mind than a couple of unlicensed educators.”

Starlight grinned wide. “Like maybe appointing the next Prime Minister?” She leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes as a sudden realization struck her. “Oh God. That’s why Dulcimer was helping us, isn’t it? He has his eyes on the Prime Minister’s seat.”

“Does that change the fact that we needed his help?”

“Not really, it’s just…” Starlight threw her hands up. She glanced behind them to see that—for all appearances—they had no pursuers. “Whatever. We aren’t staying in the Isles regardless. Have we heard anything back from Shining Armor?”

“President Cadenza of Libertas and Princess Celestia of Equestria have just signed the treaty. We’re free to set up the Equestrian Embassy outside Peoplesburg.” Double Diamond reached a warm hand towards Starlight. “Do we need to pick up anything at the school?”

Starlight Glimmer sighed, undoing her hair and allowing it to fall loose. She took the hand and gave it a squeeze. “No. It’s all gone. Everything burned down after Twilight and the doctor’s little ‘tête-à-tête.’”

Double Diamond raised his eyebrows, looking at Starlight through the rearview mirror. “Better to start over fresh?”

“Not completely fresh.” She gave him a smile; the most genuine smile she’d given anybody for the past few years. “We’re just going to continue where we left off.”

A while later, they arrived at their destination. They snuck past the guards that had been placed around an aged, weather-worn castle. It was the work of a moment to once again reach the portal to Equestria. The two of them stood hand-in-hand beside the enchanted pool, their faces illuminated by the unknowably powerful magic.

The two of them leaped in and left the Highborn Iles behind. But only for the time being. Only until they could be welcomed back home.

***

“This is treason, Dulcimer!” Fancy Pants struggled with the agents who had handcuffed him. They led him out of the office with a series of shoves. “I’ll have your head!”

“Understood, Prime Minister.” Dulcimer took a seat in Fancy Pants’ chair, smiling as the politician was hefted out of sight. “I’ll see you at the hearings.”

The door slammed shut and left Dulcimer alone with the aide.

Green fire lit up the room as the aide was incinerated from within. The clothes and skin around her body burned away into ash and cinders. After a brief conflagration, all that was left was the dark, smug visage of Chrysalis. Her gaunt face cracked into a sickly grin while she took the chair opposite Dulcimer. “What a load of bull.”

Dulcimer looked her over. She sat with the worst posture he’d ever seen in his life, legs dangling over the armrest while she thumbed at her phone.

“You did good work today,” Dulcimer said after a beat. “I appreciate your help in discovering that recording… on a device other than my personal phone.”

“Yeah, it was just sitting on the internet where anybody could find it.” She smirked but didn’t look away from her screen. “Wonder how it got there?”

Dulcimer chuckled. “Hackers and leakers are a terrible scourge on the world at the moment. We may never find the culprits.”

Chrysalis smirked as she drained information from a variety of nearby cellphones. “Darn right.”

“I have to wonder…” Dulcimer touched a stack of papers on the desk, perusing them for any useful information. “In a year or so, once I have King Blueblood pardon you, will you have any reason to stick around? I could make it worth your while to work for me rather than scrounge around the dark alleys of the world for chump change.”

“Yeah, that sounds good. I like it around here.” Chrysalis finally put her phone down and fixed Dulcimer with a penetrating glare. “Between you and me… In terms of life goals, I prefer ‘Becoming Prime Minister through questionably-legal means’ to ‘Becoming a god through human sacrifice.’”

Dulcimer nodded. “Not a fan of the doctor’s methods?”

“She scared the hell out of me.” Chrysalis stood up and sat on his desk, resting a hand on the various missing-persons reports that Dr. Twilight had a hand in creating. “I find your brand of subterfuge much more… palatable.”

Dulcimer leaned his elbow on the desk and handed her a bundle of paper containing new identification, an apartment number, and marching orders. “In that case, welcome to the fold, Agent Emerald.”

***

Time passed. Days turned into weeks and into months. Sunset Shimmer’s recovery proceeded faster than the doctors had expected. But then, what did they expect, dealing with alicorn anatomy?

Twilight Sparkle stood in front of a new-ish building on the outskirts of Canterlot City. It felt good to have fingers and toes again, after spending so much time in Equestria. She went through her mental checklist once again, possibly for the fiftieth time that hour. Everything needed to be perfect. Everything!

Edgy Spike… her Spike… tugged at her sleeve with his teeth. “You’ve got that wild look in your eyes again. Chill.”

“I refuse.” Twilight waved down Big Mac as he passed. He was carrying a crate of drinks to the tables waiting nearby. “Mac! Got a second?”

His eyes sparkled as he set the drinks in their place. “For you, Twi, all the time in the—”

“Does Granny Smith have enough help in the kitchen?”

The sparkle in his eyes died down for only a second before it regained its luster. He reached out and drew her close in a tight hug. “Yes, Twi, just like the other five times yah asked.”

Twilight attempted to slip out of the embrace, but Big Mac held on just a bit longer. “Mac—”

“You’re doin’ fine, Twi.” Mac released her and returned to his job setting up. “We’ve got your back.”

“We’ve got minutes before Sunset gets here! Minutes!” Twilight realized too late that she was shouting into the void. She lowered the index finger she was pointing at the clouds. “Spike, have you done all your tasks?”

Spike scratched behind his ear. “About two hours ago. Like I told you.”

“Something is going to go catastrophically wrong, I just know it!”

Spike rolled his eyes. “At this point, I’m counting on it, if only for your peace of mind.”

Starlight Glimmer and Moondancer walked side-by-side out of the building, carrying a series of tables in a bubble of magic together. Moondancer waved to get Twilight’s attention. “Where do you want these?”

“Set them up in the grass. Line them up for the buffet.” Twilight Sparkle checked her phone for the time. Just as she pulled it out of its holster, a text message flashed across the screen. “They’re just a couple minutes away! Are the chairs set up yet?”

Big Mac rested his arms around her shoulders. “A’yep.”

“Tables set?”

“Ahuh.”

“Plates and silverware?”

“Sure thing.”

“Drinks?”

“Y’all just watched me set them down.”

Twilight leaned her head against his chest as her stomach did flips. “What would I do without you?”

Spike’s face remained stoic, but he couldn’t hide the wag of his tail. “Spontaneously combust?”

Granny Smith exited the building next, leading a great procession of people carrying trays of food. Principal Celestia and her sister Luna bustled close behind, while a few people later, Dr. Sombra brought up the rear. They carefully set the food in a row on the tables, arranged hot-to-cold.

Dr. Sombra tipped his hat to Twilight—“Miss Sparkle.”—and took Principal Celestia’s hand in his. The two of them took a step back to gaze upon the building, satisfaction evident in their smiles.

Twilight also took a moment to process the gravity of what they’d accomplished together. The sign out front labeled the building as the “Canterlot Academy of Magic.” Completely funded by Dr. Sombra’s family treasury. Fully staffed by alumni from Starlight’s school overseas. Independent from controlling authorities thanks to Shining Armor’s negotiations with the government. They would operate as a public service, so long as they remained transparent about what they were teaching.

Magic was too new to this world for laws to have been written. Too new for courts to have interpreted these laws. Their school was to be a testing ground, heavily scrutinized. Many nations were watching closely. Many people expected them to fail.

But with Starlight, Sombra, and Celestia working together? How could they possibly fail?

Shining and Sunset’s minivan rolled into the parking lot to uproarious cheers from the students. The woman herself stepped out, moving under her own power at long last. She and Shining unhooked Sunny from his car seat together, and she carried her young son over to the people who owed her their freedom. Many hands were shaken, and many hugs were given.

The celebration of the grand opening of the Canterlot Magic Academy went into full swing, and lasted many hours into the evening. Sunset kept busy meeting the new students, reconnecting with the old, and being bombarded by questions about the other world. Twilight Sparkle kept busy being the best host she could be, making sure everybody walked away from the buffet satisfied.

Most of the students had moved into a series of dormitories built near the academy. They filtered back to their apartments as the evening progressed. Scootaloo and Applejack had taken Sunny back to the Apple farm to sleep. Principal Luna had returned home to prepare for her own students the next day. As the sun set over the horizon, Twilight found that only a small core group of teachers and family remained: Starlight, Double Diamond, Celestia, Sombra, Shining, Sunset, Granny, Big Mac, Spike, and herself.

Sunset Shimmer held Celestia’s hand in her own, marveling at the ring on the principal’s finger. “It’s beautiful! Have you guys set a date yet?”

“Altogether not soon enough,” Sombra said with a chuckle. “But after so many years without a compromise… to finally join together to help youngsters learn to better themselves is a joy unlike any other.”

Granny Smith’s wrinkled face curled into a grin. “When Papaw Apple popped the question, I pert near burst right outta my skin. Right bundle of nerves I was!” She sent a wink Big Mac’s way, though Twilight was unsure what it meant. “Best dang decision I ever did make, an’ no mistake.”

Starlight Glimmer kicked back in her folding chair and stretched with a yawn. “Yep. Good, good, mushy stuff all around I’m sure. But…” She folded her arms behind her head and peered at Sunset with one eye. “Are you sure you’re up to teaching full-time? We’re still just running on donations. We aren’t even sure how to move the school towards a for-profit model yet.”

“Thankfully, that check you used to lure me to the Highborn Isles cleared.” Sunset Shimmer folded her hands on her lap, smiling at Shining Armor. “We should be good for a while, with Shining finally working full-time again.”

Shining Armor smiled back at her as he picked at a plate of leftovers from the party. “Turns out military brass is interested in applied magic, and they’re willing to fund research into defensive tactics. They’re even willing to set up a local chapter so I can stay close to the family.”

Starlight glanced at Shining with lidded eyes. “Yeah, sure does feel great to know that magic is already being used for war.”

Shining tapped a fork against his plate. “You’re the one who leaked magic textbooks onto the internet. We’re still reacting to that right now. Training police, fire, and medical on magic is a start, but we also now live in a world where missiles can be guided by a spell rather than a computer.”

Double Diamond tapped his fingers together. “He’s got a point—”

Starlight Glimmer stood up and took her plate to the garbage. “Fine, like I can change anything about it now. It’s not like I can stop you if I wanted to.”

“If it makes you feel any better…” Shining Armor leaned on the table, his face growing serious. “It’s just me, Flash, and my old team doing what we’ve always done, just with magic assisting us now. And what we do is protect people. Dr. Sombra can attest to that.”

“Indeed,” Dr. Sombra said, “of all the soldiers I’ve met in my life, Shining ranks very highly among those I’d trust with magic.”

“Fair dues,” Starlight muttered. She proceeded to commence cleanup, gathering garbage and stuffing it in the bin to distance herself from the conversation.

The rest of them joined in on cleanup once Shining had finished his plate. Spells were used to light up the lawn and parking lot as they cleared away the remains of the day. Even Granny Smith was able to use her newfound earth pony strength to carry away all the tables with one trip to the storage closet.

The group dwindled once again. Celestia and Sombra headed home. Double Diamond and Starlight returned to their rooms inside the school. Big Mac and Shining Armor chatted while Spike and Granny Smith napped inside the minivan. Sunset and Twilight finally had a moment alone.

“So,” Sunset said, her hand holding Twilight’s, “have you tried the spell since that night?”

Teleportation. The ability to be in two places simultaneously. The ability to bend the laws of physics until they were only a joke.

“No.” Twilight slipped her hand away from Sunset’s. She took a seat on the steps in front of the academy. “I discovered the source of its power, and it’s too much for me. Pure hatred. Untamed fury. Rage personified. That’s not something you can tap into on command, not without carrying some serious issues in your back pocket.” She folded her arms atop her knees and peered over the top of her glasses. “In some ways, I think the only way I’d ever be able to teleport is if something horrible happened to my family. So… ”

Sunset’s physical changes were minor in the human world. Slightly taller. Slightly more muscular—and she was already a fit individual. Her eyes contained a slight glimmer of inner fire that had once been merely metaphorical. Now, though, it seemed like Sunset’s very soul seemed ready to ignite the hearts of those around her.

Twilight felt very small beside the woman.

“I saw…” Twilight squeezed her hands together. “I saw those same exact emotions in the doctor… and I realized I’d become just like her if I didn’t stop.”

Sunset sat beside her, her brow furrowed in concentration. She lifted a glowing finger and wrote the spell out in midair. Step by step, line to line, equation after equation. At the center, she wrote the word “anger,” connecting it to several parts of the sequence with arrows. She stared at it, her mouth a grim line. “I suppose it would require a very powerful emotion. Something as dangerous as the spell itself.”

Twilight Sparkle sighed through her nose. She tried to bring magic to her fingertips, but only succeeded in igniting a single spark. “I wish that I’d never figured it out at all.”

“Come on, Twilight.” Sunset touched her friend’s forearm. “You did something most people still think is impossible. That’s amazing—”

“It is impossible.” Twilight removed her glasses and rubbed her eyes. “It’s impossible without breaking something important.”

Sunset fell silent. She turned back to her spellwork and let her eyes run around the glowing schematics.

Twilight waved a hand and wiped away the word “anger,” leaving the spell incomplete. “This dream isn’t worth the price I’d have to pay. Not when I have so much else I want to live for.” She looked up at Sunset Shimmer, her folded glasses hanging loose in her grip. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry I can’t complete your work.”

Sunset bobbed her head lightly. She lowered her arm and allowed the spell to dissolve into dust. “No. You’re right, Twi. There are some dreams we should never entertain in the first place. There are some dreams that we learn too late the toll they take to accomplish. We should always count the cost and measure it against what we’re willing to pay. I’m sorry for pushing you to this one.” Sunset Shimmer rested an arm on her raised knee. “I’ve risked so much this year. Relationships, livelihoods, my own life… And it’s only because of you guys that things didn’t turn out horribly.”

She turned around to look at the school. Only a few windows were still lit where Starlight and Double Diamond were still cleaning up. The sign itself had gone dark once the party ended. The culmination of years of work; a dream given form. The legacy of so many great teachers.

“I guess…” Sunset shrugged. “I guess I’m just thankful for the chance to be part of this. To be part of your life.”

Twilight put her glasses back on, and the world fell back into focus. She leaned close to Sunset and wrapped her in a firm hug. “Teleportation isn’t the only spell in existence. We don’t need to focus on one little aspect of magic. There’s a whole world out there, and a lifetime to learn about it.”

She held back a stuttering breath as Sunset returned the embrace. She shut her eyes and cherished the long-awaited moment where the two friends could once again meet eye-to-eye.

They sat together for a while after that, chatting about nothing in particular. Before too long, the night was so late that they had to part ways. Sunset and Shining took Granny back to the farm, while Mac drove Twilight and Spike back to her house. It was a quiet drive, as most drives with Big Mac were. It was comfortable. It was cozy. It was oh-so familiar. Twilight found herself smiling as the tension of the day left her body. The moon was bright overhead, illuminating the passing streets in a rich silver glow.

She must have fallen asleep, because the next thing she noticed was Big Mac’s hand on her shoulder. “We’re here.”

Spike yawned and limped absentmindedly towards the front door. Twilight stretched with a yawn from the depths of her soul. She turned to her boyfriend and quietly looked at the quiet man.

Big Mac opened his mouth to favor her with a smile.

“Stop that. It’s unnatural on you.” She reached up and touched his cheek with a gentle hand. “You never smile with your mouth. Only with your eyes.” The corner of her mouth turned upward. “You have a beautiful smile.”

His mouth returned to its usual neutral position, but his eyes didn’t sparkle in their signature way. Not just yet. “I’ve just… I’ve been thinkin’ a lot lately.”

“Of course. You’re a smart person.” Twilight’s hand next found Mac’s and held it. “What’ve you been thinking about?”

“That… that…” He looked away for a beat, then returned to her, his eyes having finally found that certain green glimmer that made her heart melt and her legs turn to jelly. “We ain’t had a lot of time just you an’ me lately. Wanna fix that?”

“Yeah.” Twilight leaned a little closer to him. “What’d you have in mind?”

“Short term, howsabout we have lunch together tomorrow?”

“Sounds good to me.” She let out a tiny laugh. “I haven’t thanked you yet for rescuing me back in the Reflection. I hear you led the charge. And… you sang?”

“Well, with the magic an’ all, I felt somethin’ come over me.” He shook his head lightly. “Probably wouldn’t be able to recreate it.”

Twilight glanced up to see Spike enter the house, a knowing smirk on his muzzle. She sat on her knees to raise herself up high enough to kiss Big Mac. “I love you, Mac.”

“Love you too, Twilight.” He looked like he wanted to say something else, but let whatever it was remain hidden for the moment. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“See you tomorrow.” She climbed out of the truck and paused with her hand on the door. “I’m paying for lunch and you can’t stop me.”

“Now just a—!” She cut him off when she closed the door and hurried towards the house. She waved goodbye, disappearing inside in the next moment.

***

Big Mac pulled into the driveway of the Sweet Apple Acres farmhouse. He sat there with the engine running for a moment, leaning against the steering wheel. His headlights illuminated the red barn door, where the tractor was continually undergoing various forms of maintenance. The farmhouse was dark, save for a small light on the porch that welcomed him home.

He pulled a small box out of his pocket and flipped the top open. A small ring lay inside, glinting with a silvery sheen. There was only one person on his mind.

He nodded to himself, the decision already long since made. Tomorrow was the day. Seven years in the making.

He shut the truck off and walked inside, his footsteps a tad bit lighter than normal.

***

Starlight Glimmer stared at the photograph sitting on the school’s welcome desk. Six people stood around each other, most smiling, some too serious for their own good. It was herself, Double Diamond, Sugar Belle, Party Favor, Night Glider, and Dr. Twilight Sparkle.

Party Favor and Night Glider were dead. The doctor was imprisoned for life in another world because of it. Starlight buried her head in her hands and heaved a breath from her chest.

Double Diamond glanced over her shoulder on his way through the foyer. “Are we sure we want Dr. Sparkle to be the first thing new students see?”

Starlight lowered her hands and shrugged. “It’s the only photo we have of the first five students together. Like it or not… Twilight brought us magic. We have to admit that to ourselves.”

Double Diamond stood beside her, his face somber. He picked up the picture frame and tilted it so that the glare from the overhead lights didn’t obscure the faces. “She did. I guess even a broken clock is right twice a day.”

“So we live with our history.” Starlight nodded. “And we move on from it.”

Diamond set the photo down facing the front door. He gave her a small smile. “She brought it to us, but you brought it to the world. I see that as a very good thing, Starlight.”

“We’ll see.” Starlight set off for her dorm room at a swift clip. “In the meantime, I need to sleep. Tomorrow’s the first day of the rest of our lives, and I’d like to be prepared.” She paused at a fork in the hallway. She looked over her shoulder before she stepped out of sight. “And Double Dee… thank you for sticking with me.”

“I wouldn’t miss a moment of this.”

***

Twilight Sparkle stood a short distance away from the portal to the reflection. It glistened within the cavern, illuminating everything around it with a ghostly, ethereal sheen. She walked closer to it to peer into its depths.

Spike was already at the edge, a few belongings fastened to his torso in a dog-sized backpack. He looked up to her with a smile. “Thank you for letting me stay with you.”

“I’m glad—I’m glad we could do it.” Twilight knelt down so that she could sit at the water’s edge. “It was a—” She swallowed the lump in her throat. “—It was wonderful to have you. To make the house seem a little less empty. I’ll miss you.”

“It’s just until the war’s over,” he said, resting a paw on her shoulder. “Once my Equestria is free, and Tyrant Cadenza is defeated, thing’ll change. Our words’ll be closer, and that’ll start with us.” He winked. “Make sure Starlight keeps that teaching position open for me.”

“Yessir.” Twilight attempted a smile, but it faded away like dust in the wind. “Stay safe, Spike.”

“Are you kidding? I’m a fire-breathing, scale-armored, invincible dragon.” He let out a tiny laugh—something that had become remarkably frequent the past few months. “Now that there’s an end in sight for all the fighting, for all the evil… Now that there’s something awesome to fight for… There’s no way I’m going down that easily.”

He took a step back, tossed her a salute, and fell backwards into the pool.

Twilight dusted herself off. She strode into the sewers, nodding to the guards along the way. They were military, part of a joint venture between Libertas and the Reflection to keep the connection between the worlds secure. She recognized Shining’s old friend Ironhide but couldn’t place the other. He was probably a loaner from Queen Chrysalis the Loving. The sewer itself was no longer a odorous, filthy affair, but was clean and maintained as an official neutral ground.

She couldn’t stop her heart from sinking as she drove to work. She’d said goodbye to Spike yet again. She felt that gap reappear in her life. It wasn’t quite the same this time—he wasn’t the same person as Big Spike, and he wasn’t gone for good—but the sting still existed.

“They need me, Twilight. Just as much as we need each other.”

She wiped her eyes beneath her glasses, handily smudging the lenses. She knew he was right. She knew it was important for him to return, just as much as it was important for her to return to work. They each had their own lives.

Thankfully, these unique lives had managed to intersect.

She pulled into her usual parking spot and sucked in a huge breath. The world had changed, but crime had not. The police had not. They just had to learn to deal with a magic-enhanced society.

With Twilight as their foremost expert.

Caution tipped his hat to her as she entered. She set her coat on the rack and returned his silent greeting. She walked through the office exchanging greetings with the officers as she went. Her journey hit its midpoint at Chief Carrot’s office.

Chief Care stood as she entered. “Well, well, well; looks like I’ve got access to a certified wizard, now.”

“Moondancer tells me things have gotten pretty crazy while I’ve been on break.” Twilight Sparkle folded her hands behind her back. “Magic is a… very versatile tool.”

“Kinda like a crowbar, yeah.” Chief Care pointed towards the back of the office. “I need you to start helping Moondancer right away. We’re already dealing with the impossible; someone appeared to be in two places at once. Luckily, you’re used to dealing with the ludicrous.”

“Yes, ma’am”

It was a quick jaunt to the lab. Moondancer nodded to Twilight as she walked in. “Sparkle. It’s good to have you back.”

“It’s good to be back.” Twilight smiled at her friend, who sat at her desk with her hands sparkling with magic. She performed a delicate experiment with far greater precision than her hands could allow. “Did we make any progress with the Minuette case?”

“Looks like stolen identity,” Moondancer replied. “She was nowhere near the site of the thefts. The individual seen on security cameras appears to be using some sort of illusion spell.”

“Possibly a changeling, then.” Twilight Sparkle opened up a spellbook on loan from Equestria, courtesy of Princess Twilight. “Time to find out if they can replicate fingerprints and DNA samples.”

The two of them worked through the day, studying magic together just like they had years before. This time, Twilight had magic and friendship on her side. Since her parents had moved away and left her in Shining Armor’s care, since spending three years beneath Abacus Cinch’s clawed hands, since losing Big Spike, she had felt incomplete.

But now, for the first time in a long time, she felt like she wasn’t alone. She felt connected. She felt supported.

Twilight Sparkle felt alive, and she was very much looking forward to sharing that life.

The Aftermath

The Third Sunset

Tyrant Cadenza’s Crystal Empire in the Reflection was a sprawling landscape of mountains and ice, torn apart by howling winds and fierce magic spells allowed to run rampant. It was a land uncontrolled by pegasus weather teams, full of wild storms that would devastate towns and the few forests that could survive in the otherwise lifeless country. The citizens were forced to work in the crystal mines, bleeding the land dry of whatever magic they were able to dredge up.

Such an “empire” could not be sustained indefinitely, its workers crushed to dust with each passing day. So it was that Tyrant Cadenza raided the southernmost corners of the empire’s territory for ponies and changelings to bend to her will, to replenish the fallen ranks. They were transported northward to the mines via a hastily-constructed rail system. The rickety iron tracks led powerful locomotives and their living cargo across the unforgiving wastes towards certain doom.

So it was that a train struggled to heft itself northward. The coal was dangerously low, thanks to an clerical error. A clerical error orchestrated by one unicorn in particular. This unicorn rode with the captives, for all appearances another one of the poor souls who would meet their ends beneath Cadenza’s iron horseshoe.

Due to the scarcity of the coal, the train could not move at full speed. In fact, the speed was just slow enough to be overtaken by a certain airship.

The unicorn watched the guards carefully as they argued with each other. Each one saw fit to blame each and every one of the others for their low supplies. If she looked to the rear of the prison car, she could see a few guards remain utterly silent. These quiet ponies were the victims of Cadenza’s mind-altering magics. Their wills had so utterly deteriorated under her thrall that they were incapable of acting without a command.

In essence, these ponies were also captives. The unicorn intended to treat them accordingly.

One of the guards slapped a captive across the ears. Not because they had been disruptive, but because the guard was frustrated. “Keep your mouths shut! If we run outta coal, we’ll just have to burn a couple of you idiots! We’ll start with the noisy ones!”

The temperature had noticeably dropped. They were within the Empire now. It was time to either do or die.

A thump on the roof—four pairs of hooves making landfall—was the unicorn’s signal to move. With a flash of her horn, the chains around her legs fell away. She stood up and faced the guards at the front of the train car, her body obscured by a ratty brown cloak.

“Horseapples! Who didn’t lock her down?” one of the guards shouted. Knives flipped out of his front greaves, which he promptly menaced her with. “Lay down, you gutless dobbin, or I’ll make you gutless.”

Her horn lit up with a glorious blue. She released the spell and sent him head-over-dock across the car. He crumpled in a heap of broken bones and bruised ego.

She pulled the hood back to reveal a mane of yellow and red. Her orange coat stood out like a beacon amid the dreary confines of the train car. “Heyah, dweebs. I’m Sunset Shimmer. You might have heard of me.”

The guards froze for a long moment, taking stock of their new opponent. One of them sneered. “Sunset Shimmer’s a myth, so that makes you a pretender. You shoulda stayed in Equestria with the rest of Queen Chrysalis’ brood.”

“Chrysalis? Yeah, right.” Sunset Shimmer bared her teeth in a dangerous grimace. “You’re just jumping to die in ignorance, ain’tcha?”

The guard flagged down the near-mindless zombies in the back of the car. “Dumb muscle! Take her down!”

The brutes charged, none of them capable of formulating strategies other than “kill on sight.” Sunset met the first one with a hind kick to the neck, which sent him to the floor to trip up the other two. She unlatched the chains of the prisoners around her and used them to hogtie the hapless thugs.

One of the currently-conscious guards was a unicorn. He fired a loose bundle of flame her way, which she easily dispelled with a wave of cold. The remaining guards clumped together, their teeth grinding, ready to launch a desperate joint assault her way.

The sides of the train car crumbled inward. Two ponies swung into the car and immediately began to beat the guards senseless. One was a small earth pony mare who hit harder than her slight frame would imply. The other was a strong-bodied pegasus mare who hefted two of the guards out of the car with a flap of her wings.

The pegasus grumbled at Sunset Shimmer once the fight was over. “You coulda told us what the heck car you were in. We had to deal with three groups of soldiers. Three!”

“They’d better be—” Sunset paused as the small earth pony hugged her tight. “—nice to see you, too, Coco. Those guards had better be in serious hurt, or I’m not sure we can take them all at once.”

“Me and Lightning showed them the error of their ways,” Coco Pommel said.

Lightning Dust moved swiftly to unchain the rest of the prisoners, while securing the roughed-up guards with the very same bonds. “So, spill it. Did you find out if this whole venture was worth it?”

Coco turned her nose up. “Even if all we do is free these prisoners, we’ve still struck a blow for—”

Sunset Shimmer stopped her with a raised hoof. “It’s not just the prisoners this time. He is on this train. Right now.”

Lightning Dust’s pugnacious face melted into a vaguely giggly squeal. “Oh heck yes, we are good.”

“And of the three of us, I’m the only one who can take him on.” Sunset Shimmer pulled her hood back up and walked towards the front of the car. Her cloak was whipped to and fro by the winds rushing into the train car through the holes her friends had made. “You two make sure the captives are safe. I’m headed for the engine.”

Coco Pommel wiped a smudge of dirt from her muzzle, which only served to rub it into her pale coat. “But Sunset… it’s the Black Knight. The Tyrant’s Iron Right Hoof. No one’s ever bested him alone.”

“No one’s ever bested him period,” Lightning Dust helpfully supplied.

“Get the prisoners to safety.” Sunset Shimmer grinned at them as she ducked into the next car. “If I’m still alive in ten minutes, I’ll allow you to come to my rescue.”

She made her way quickly through the mess car and two other cars, all full of the soldiers Coco and Lightning had either beaten senseless or lifeless. Just ahead was the observation car—the most opulent car in the train. If the Black Knight wasn’t aboard that, he was most likely on the engine itself, directing the defense of the train. She blasted a hole in the door and stepped through the smoking wreckage.

There, sitting at a table drinking tea, was the Black Knight himself. His armor was designed as much for intimidation as it was for protection. He was covered from head-to-tail with rounded, bell-shaped metal, painted as black as a moonless night. The darkness was crowned with a full-length cape of crimson silk. The only part of his body that was visible was his mouth, and only barely so. Just enough to see that beneath the shadows and menace, his coat was pure white.

Sunset Shimmer squared her legs and lit her horn until it glowed a similarly-pure white. “Well, if it isn’t Cadenza’s Grand High Edgelord. You gonna come quietly, or do I have to break your face first?”

“This posturing is highly tedious, Miss Shimmer.” The Black Knight smirked as he sipped at his tiny cup of tea. “Oh yes, I know who you are. Tales of your exploits have reached as far as—”

She launched a fireball directly at his head. A shield of magic appeared around him, diffusing the spell.

“I wasn’t finished talking,” he said.

Her next spell destroyed the table and chair right out from under him. He leaped away from the splintering wood, pulling lances from a quiver on his back. He guided the lances with his magic towards her. She jerked her limbs away from the points, but found herself locked in a makeshift cage of the weapons.

The Black Knight tromped towards her. His armor made movement slow, but a target that was so heavily protected didn’t need to be agile. His horn shone lavender as he lifted an axe from his back—one lacking a handle, made exclusively for unicorn wizards. He leveled its edge at Sunset’s neck. “You should have scrambled back to Queen Chrysalis like all the others. You’re fighting a war you can’t win alone.”

Sunset scowled, glaring at the axe as it hovered all too close. “I don’t give a darn about Chrysalis and her kingdom. They’re too reliant on alicorns to save them. It’s why the whole kingdom fell apart the instant Sombra went nuts. It’s why they’ve been the poorest kingdom in the world ever since Queen Celestia started grabbing power. Hang ‘em.” She narrowed her eyes at him. His face hovered mere inches away from hers. “I’m here for a free Crystal Empire, safe from the likes of you, Cadenza, and Chrysalis. No more alicorns. No more magic superweapons. We’re the Crystal Resistance, and we’re not standing for your stupid, cockamamie schemes for world domination.”

The Black Knight gritted his teeth. “You think to sway me with mere words, Shimmer?”

“Nah.” Sunset Shimmer’s expression instantly morphed to a cheeky grin, her eyelids lowered in condescension. “I just figured you were so used to lapping up rhetoric, you wouldn’t notice when I used mine to distract you.”

The Black Knight swung the axe, but Sunset was nowhere to be seen. All that was left of her was a shower of glimmering blue embers. He swung around, bringing the axe with him, to see the tail end of her teleport. She stood at the far end of the observation car, her horn casting an absolutely massive spell.

“My advice?” she said. “Think happy thoughts.”

She released the spell, which exploded outward in a bubble large enough to envelop the entire train. The floor jolted beneath them, but Sunset was ready for it. She danced with the shift of gravity as the Black Knight crumbled to his knees and slid against the wall. She looked out the window and saw the landscape shift. The barren planes retreated as the clouds descended. If she looked down, she could see the railroad track vanish towards the horizon as the train left it far behind.

The train flew through the air. Its momentum carried it forward, while Sunset’s magic defied gravity.

The axe soared through the car, seeking Sunset’s neck. The Black Knight balanced himself in a corner, one leg on the floor and three others touching the walls. “Interesting maneuver, Sunset. I would say this was an impossible feat of magic. But I have little time for impossibilities.”

Sunset ducked beneath the axe and skirted the edge of the car, looking for a clean shot at the knight. “And I’ve got little time for tiny minds.”

She glanced out the far window and saw a sight that would bemuse most ponies; her crew’s so-called “airship.” It was an ornate carriage, like one built for the aristocracy, decorated with flowing lines of woodwork and pastel paints. It wheels spun in midair, and its yoke hung limp from the front of the cart. Above the carriage itself, holding the whole thing aloft, was a large cloth envelope filled with lighter-than-air gasses. A propeller spun from the rear of the craft, pushing the whole abomination of science forward.

At the front, a begoggled, brown-coated earth pony stallion struggled with a steering rod as he attempted to move the ridiculous dirigible closer. He threw her a salute that nearly sent the craft into a nosedive.

“That really might be the worst invention I’ve ever seen.” Sunset refocused on the Black Knight, who was no longer acting as the aggressor. Judging by his low stance, his gritted teeth, and his swiveling head, he was looking for an escape route. “What’s the matter, Gloomy Gus? Didn’t foresee a ramshackle bunch of losers taking you down?”

The Black Knight growled as he called his axe and javelins to his side. “You’ve won the train, that much is certain. But you assume that I’m willing to be taken alive.” He swung his weapons with all his might and tore a hole in the side of the car. He stood at the edge of a lethal plummet and coiled his legs to jump.

“No!” Sunset grabbed him with a sudden, strong spell and yanked him across the observation car. He tumbled head over tail and rolled to a stop at her feet. She fired a bolt of magic and finally connected with the massive, enraged knight. His helmet splintered into several pieces as he took the attack full in the face.

A two-toned blue mane spilled out of his armor. Gleaming blue eyes, once full of hope and confidence, now lay poisoned with anger and spite. Sunset looked into those beautiful eyes for a moment, searching for something familiar, yet finding nothing. “Shining Armor. It’s been a while.”

“Go to hell.”

“I hoped that you were one of the ponies under Cadenza’s thrall. Mind-controlled and twisted. But I guess not.” Sunset Shimmer began to craft a spell that would hopefully knock the Black Knight out until they could get somewhere secure. “You’re just as hateful as Cadenza.”

Shining Armor kicked himself to his feet and hit Sunset Shimmer in the side of the head with an iron-shod hoof. Her vision exploded into a sea of stars, and the spell died on the tip of her horn. The train rattled as something came loose around the caboose. The floor came away from the observation car, leaving both her and Shining to backpedal away from each other.

A hook sailed through the window beside Sunset’s face. A pegasus mare hung out of the carriage and waved at her, holding a grapple gun. She pointed to the rope tying the ship and the train together. Sunset couldn’t hear her, but the panic in her voice was clear: The whole train was collapsing.

Sunset grasped the hook and unlatched it from the wood wall of the car. She flashed a faux salute to Shining Armor, the Black Knight. The grapple hook and line tore her out of the car and left her dangling in midair as the train crashed back into the tracks, coming apart at the seams and bursting as the steam engine ruptured.

“Dude,” the mustard-yellow pegasus mare said, “that was awesome.”

“Thanks, Daring.” Sunset shook her head as Daring Do, author of the Bravely Blue series, winched her up to the copilot’s seat. She hefted herself aboard the airship and strapped herself down beside the earth pony stallion. “I couldn’t save him, Time.”

“I’m sorry about Shining, Sunset.” Time Turner brushed his wildly-curly mane out of his eyes and perused the flaming wreckage below. “Still, at least we bally well don’t need to worry about the Black Knight from here on out.”

“Are you kidding?” Sunset Shimmer rolled her eyes as they pivoted around to the rear. She could see the freed prisoners waiting for them on the caboose that had detached from the train, the one car that had kept its buoyancy. Coco and Lightning could just be made out near the front of the car, shouting for the airship to tow them. “The Black Knight is inexorable. He’ll return before long. Madder than ever. Even a train crash couldn’t stop the legendary Shining Armor…”

If she had looked down, she would have seen lavender-hued spellwork tear holes in the mangled corpse of the train. A white-coated, armored figure exited, looked back up at the fleeing airship, and then proceeded to march a long, slow journey back to the heart of the Crystal Empire.

Sunset Shimmer clasped her hooves in front of her mouth. “We did manage to figure out one new thing.”

Time Turner gripped the steering rod tight as turbulence rocked the misshapen airship. Daring popped out of the forward-facing window to lend him a hoof. “Indeed? What’s that?”

“The next time I see Shining Armor,” Sunset Shimmer said, her voice quiet against the biting wind, “I’m going to kill him.”

***

Two Hearts Becoming One

Twilight Sparkle clutched her bouquet with a death-grip as she stood in the church’s nursery. It had been temporarily refashioned into a dressing room for her and her bridesmaids. She sucked in a deep breath that got stopped up halfway and released in a series of coughs. Her mother, Twilight Velvet, hovered around her, giving her last-minute touches of makeup and making sure her hair was done up just so.

Princess Twilight Sparkle watched from a short distance away, helping Sunset get her dress in order. She pulled a face, but hid it from most of the room. “They haven’t said two words to each other since they met.”

“That’s just how Twilight and her mom interact,” Sunset said, her voice a low whisper covered up with a sound-dampening spell. “There was… there was a falling out around the time Twi started high school. A split. Velvet moved for her job, Twilight got to go to the school she wanted.” Sunset hiked up the hem of her dress so that Princess Twilight could adjust her slip. “So even when Cinch got abusive, she couldn’t leave, because then she’d have to admit her mom was right.”

“Not sure that’s exactly how it works, but…” Princess Twilight stood to her full height, which—since the ascension—was now only an inch or so taller than Sunset. “I was a teenager once, so I understand how life can look at that age.”

Twilight and her mother shared a hug, then Velvet headed for her starting position. Night Light remained behind so that he could walk Twilight down the aisle. He offered his daughter a smile, which she was just able to return despite her nerves.

Shining Armor poked his head into the room. “Five minutes. Everybody ready?”

Twilight was only able to offer a strangled, wordless query.

Sunset stepped forward to lay a hand on her friend’s bare shoulder. “That means ‘yes, but no, but yes.’”

Princess Twilight bobbed her head to Twilight and Night Light. She walked past them to head out into the sanctuary. “I’d better get my seat and find Little Spike.”

“Don’t call me Little Spike,” Little Spike said from across the pews.

Edgy Spike bit down on Sunny’s dress shirt to prevent the boy from wandering away. “Hey, Ring Bearer! You gotta be ready to scoot when the music starts!”

“I know,” Sunny said, having not heard what Edgy Spike said. He proceeded to go after the nursery toys that had been tucked against the wall to make room for the wedding party.

Princess Twilight found Little Spike, who was seated near the back watching the DJ work with the sound equipment. He seemed quite interested in the workings of the devices, but broke away when the princess approached. The two of them sat in the rear of the church, being the two guests most distant from the bride or groom. Connected only by unique circumstances and similar genetics.

Well, that and a touch of friendship.

Princess Twilight frowned as she looked at the altar, where Shining Armor was conversing with Big Macintosh. The Apple was looking very dapper in a tuxedo, very similar to the one the pony Big Mac had worn to his wedding back in Equestria. Unlike the pony at his nuptial, this Mac seemed as cool as a cucumber. At least outwardly.

Little Spike nudged her in the arm. “Twilight. Smile.”

“Huh?” Princess Twilight touched her face and breathed a sigh. “I was frowning again.”

“It’s a wedding, Twi. Lighten up.” Little Spike thought a bit more, then let his expression soften. “You’ll get your chance one of these days.”

“It’s not just jealousy, Spike. Not anymore.” Princess Twilight lowered her voice until she was sure only Little Spike could hear, and even he was having difficulty picking up her words. “I’m just… resigned at this point. I don’t think I’ll ever find someone willing to put up with… this.”

Little Spike raised an inquisitive eyebrow. “Said the alicorn renowned for her beauty, wisdom, knowledge, and friendship.”

“That’s not all of me, though.” She turned her eyes to the nursery door, where the bridesmaids and groomsmen could be seen getting ready to march. It was no surprise to anybody that Sunset Shimmer was the Maid of Honor and Shining Armor was the Best Man. The human counterparts of the Element Bearers were matched alongside several of Big Mac’s buddies, with special care to make sure Pinkie and Cheese Sandwich walked together. “On the inside, I’m still the nerdy, bookish shut-in who doesn’t know how to interact with people.”

“Do you really believe that?” Little Spike looked at her back. The objects in question were rendered invisible by the magic of the world, but his intent came through all the same. “You’re gonna flap your wings and claim you haven’t mastered interpersonal interaction? You’re princess of what, exactly?”

“Oh, shut up. I mean that I still haven’t… ‘mastered’ certain ancillary interactions.”

Little Spike furrowed his brow. “It could also be that you use words like ‘ancillary’ unironically.” When Princess Twilight slumped in her pew, Little Spike reached up to rest a paw on her shoulder. “Look, if you really want a boyfriend, you just gotta put yourself out there. Meet people. Stir the feelings a little and see what sorta result you get. You’re already incalculably awesome, so I don’t think wallowing in self-doubt is gonna help you improve as a person.” He shrugged. “Not everybody is as lucky as me and Apple Bloom, getting stuck in a blizzard together. Scootaloo just thought of Rumble as a friend until he asked her out.”

Princess Twilight smirked. “So you’re saying I should let the Everfree Forest run out of control…”

“Or, you know, the less extreme option of ‘ask a friend out.’”

She rolled her eyes and lightly bumped Little Spike in the side. “I’m not exactly swimming in unattached guy friends.”

“At a guess—” Little Spike raised his floppy ears and squinted as he probed the depths of his mind for the first name to pop into existence. “I dunno. Commander Skyhook?”

“I’m not illegally dating one of my personal guards, Spike.”

“Yeah, yeah, fair. If I wanted to be funny, I could say Featherweight…”

She closed her eyes tight. “I’d rather you not.”

“Alright.” Little Spike’s eyes lit up. He moved his paw to mimic snapping his fingers. “Oh wow, why didn’t I think of it before? What about Sunburst?”

Princess Twilight pulled a face that she was glad Sunburst couldn’t see. “Sunburst? Pretty sure he’s still carrying a torch for Starlight.”

“Are you kidding? The guy’s eyeballs practically pop out of his skull whenever you walk in the room. You’d think he just discovered the lost sarcophagus of Cappuccino the Decaffeinated. And he’s always inviting you antiquing and you guys talk for hours at a time about history and—”

Little Spike was interrupted by a change in music. Big Mac guided Granny Smith to the front seat, handing her a new box of tissues as he went. He did the same for Twilight Velvet a moment later. Once Mac was on the altar, Edgy Spike led Sunny down the straight and narrow, while Cheese Cake, Pinkie’s second-youngest, tossed flowers to and fro. The groomsmen and bridesmaids made their way up the center aisle, all decked out in finery fit to steal the breath from one’s mouth.

Then, Twilight Sparkle appeared. Dressed in glistening white. Radiance personified. Her smile somehow outshone even the glittering, Rarity-crafted dress, once she got a glimpse of Macintosh waiting for her. She nearly stumbled, but her father offered a stronger arm than his spindly limbs would have suggested. Everyone in the room stood; each face beaming, and a fair few leaking liquid pride.

The music swelled as she reached the steps to the altar and stood across from Big Mac. The two of them stared into each other’s eyes, holding hands as the minister performed the ceremony. Sunny fought a sudden onset of shyness, but a little cajoling brought him and the rings he held to the waiting bride and groom. The two metal bands, the symbols of an unbreakable bond, found their waiting hands.

“…for as long as you both shall live?”

Princess Twilight breathed a soft sigh through her nose. “Yeah. There’s that, too.”

“Hm?”

She glanced down to see Little Spike looking up at her, his brow furrowed, his cheeks glistening with shed tears. She shook her head in an effort to dispel his concern, but she figured she only redirected it. She resigned herself to watching the rest of the wedding in silence.

“I do.”

“I do.”

“It is my great pleasure to present to you for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Macintosh Apple! You may kiss the bride!”

Twilight leaped at Big Mac with a level of passion rarely seen from the small woman. The groom himself took it in stride, lifting her and spinning her around effortlessly. The two met in a kiss that left the entire church cheering and applauding.

As the happy couple left out the front door on their way to the waiting limo, their family and well-wishers showered them with a cloud of bubbles. Their evening would be spent at the reception, with food, drink, and dancing aplenty—all with a signature Apple Family flair. All their friends and family were invited to stay with the celebration as long as they could.

Princess Twilight, of course, joined in with all of it, giving as good as she got with Little Spike at her side. The fun and friends eased her concern, and she was able to fully immerse herself in the atmosphere of joy.

‘You know,’ she thought to herself, ‘Sunburst’s coat does have a nice shade of orange to it…’

***

The Fairy God-Killer

The maximum-security prison known as Solitaire lay just off the coast of Equestria. The building itself was submerged in the sea, nine levels deep. Only the top floor and the roof were open to the elements. A storm constantly prevented ships of any sort from getting close, unless they were carrying a new prisoner to their appointed confinement. The full compliment of guardsponies, the ready arsenal of magic weapons, and the harsh conditions combined to form a nearly impregnable fortress.

Dr. Twilight Sparkle stared at her reflection. Her mane and tail were continually cut short by the staff. Her horn was constantly sealed with a band made from a magic-absorbing metal. She had lost weight while in prison, finding no real reason to keep herself healthy. Every day was a dim routine, with no chance for escape making itself known.

She rested her forehead against her reflection and sighed. Everything she’d worked for had come to ruin.

“Doctor?”

Her ears twitched at the sound of a voice. It wasn’t one she recognized. It didn’t sound female, which caused her senses to switch to high alert. She was in the female wing of the prison; there shouldn’t be anyone else around. The voice sounded… warbly. Shaky. As if it was either having trouble breathing, or holding back excitement.

She spun around, peering into all corners of the washroom. No one else was even close. Not even a guard. That was uncharacteristic of this time of day all on its own. She was truly alone in here.

“Doctor, please turn to the mirror.”

She turned slowly back to the mirror. Her reflection had disappeared, replaced instead with another’s visage. He was unknown to her. “Who are you? What do you want?”

He was a short earth pony stallion, grey of coat and black of mane. He wore a crisply-ironed business suit, and a red tie stood out like a bloodstain against the otherwise dark-colored uniform. A black boater hat sat atop his head, which he removed in an elegant bow. “I do very much apologize for the intrusion, Doctor. I’m afraid this is my—well, you see—this is the first I’ve been able to access Solitaire for quite some time.”

Dr. Twilight Sparkle’s eyes darkened. “This will be the last time you ever access it unless you explain just who you are and what you’re doing here.”

The pony in the mirror smiled, bearing several teeth. A friendly sort of smile. “Yes, most very amusing.” He set the boater hat on his head and adjusted it so that it sat squarely. “You may call me Jeuk.”

Dr. Twilight’s brow wrinkled. “Like an egg yolk?”

“No, no, Jeuk, like—” Jeuk cleared his throat and reaffirmed his smile with a tiny, almost giggling laugh. “It’s a foreign name, forgive me.” Before she could ask him to elaborate, he stepped back from the mirror’s surface—wherever he was—and pulled a table into view. He sat on the opposite side of the table and rested his forelegs on it. “You see, Dr. Sparkle, I am no mere pony. I am a fairy. A fae creature of the Unseelie Court.”

The doctor rolled her eyes and flicked what was left of her tail. “I am a mare of science. I don’t believe in fairies.”

Jeuk nodded swiftly, his smile growing bigger. “Ah, quite, quite right. You have, of course, expanded your mind beyond the insignificant spiritual matters of the universe and dedicated yourself to the material. What you can touch, taste, and measure. Excellent work. Most very excellent work.”

She scowled at the pony in the reflection. “Enough of this nonsense. What are you really?”

“As I said before, I am a fairy of the Unseelie Court.” Jeuk tilted his head to the side. His gray eyes looked slightly beyond the doctor to the other side of the washroom. “A prince among them, actually. And to prove it to you, allow me to introduce my affectionate nephew, Merimna.”

Dr. Twilight felt a chill befall the air. She turned to where Jeuk indicated and found herself face-to-face with a decaying skull.

The creature—whatever it was—appeared to have the body of a pony. Albeit one who had spent several years rotting in a grave. Its bare ribcage hissed as it breathed. Its tattered clothing hung loose. A frayed noose dangled from its neck. It bowed its head, and hid its horrifying face beneath its wide-brimmed hat. Its voice was a hissing, toneless whisper. “My lady. A pleasure to meet you.”

The doctor felt her heart stop briefly. Just long enough to process that the vision before her was not an illusion, hallucination, or dream. That gnarled husk of a fairy was indeed in the same room as her.

“Now then,” Jeuk said, laying three glass cups on the table, “have we accepted reality, dear Dr. Sparkle?”

“Ehm…” Dr. Twilight took a step away from Merimna and turned her newly-sharpened gaze to the mirror. “I’m listening.”

“Most amusing. Most very amusing.” Jeuk giggled, leaning heavily on the table. “We know you seek ascension to alicornhood. A noble goal in and of itself. We have watched as you try again, and again, and again, but to no avail.” He placed a hoof over his heart and tilted his head forward. “But now, at long last, we are finally in a position to help you. To bring you that which you desire most.”

Dr. Twilight sent a quick glance Merimna’s way to make sure he hadn’t moved. “What’s the catch?”

“I’m sure that when you see the full story, you’ll understand that the catch… is really no different from the very thing you want.” Jeuk’s friendly smile cracked at the seams, revealing hints of sharp teeth and dangerous intentions. “Once you have acquired your destiny, you will no doubt seek revenge against those who hurt you. Those who called you monster. Who cast you out and locked you in here to waste your days dying… slowly. Princess Celestia… Twilight Sparkle… Spike…”

The doctor’s stomach churned with rage at the mere sound of their names. “What proof do you have… that you can even help me achieve ascension?”

“Proof? Not proof, so much as information.” Jeuk spread the cups across his table in equal intervals. “You are familiar enough with the recipe to create an alicorn. Here we have the three vats, in which—” He dropped a thread of golden string into each cup. “—you would place the Fairy Strings. One from each tribe, from ponies who share a similar physiology to you. So… slight of frame.”

Dr. Sparkle licked her lips to hopefully moisten them. Unfortunately, her encounter with the skeletal fairy had left her mouth bone-dry. “Yes, and then submerge them in ambrosia to keep the Fairy Strings healthy. I’ve done it many times, but it always backfires.”

“Ah. Ahaha.” Jeuk’s twisted little smile grew until it crackled across his entire face. “This is because your precious King Sombra, who loved you so dearly and taught you so well, lied to you.”

“As I’ve gathered.” She moved closer to the mirror without realizing it. She reached out to touch the reflection as Jeuk filled each cup with a golden liquid to simulate ambrosia. “He reconfigured the Alicorn Device to become a bomb to prevent me from ascending. But then what’s missing? What did he leave out? What’s the last tiny piece of the puzzle to make alicornhood possible?”

“It’s just a small matter. A tiny little thing.” Jeuk reached beneath his suit jacket and produced a glistening horseshoe-sized object. He held it out to her so that she could observe every curve, every divot, every element of the object. “In order to create an alicorn, one must have the blood of a golden apple.”

The doctor met his eyes. “Those, too, are said to be mythical.”

“As mythical as a fairy, I suppose?” Jeuk produced a knife and sliced across the skin of the golden apple. Three drops fell into the three cups, after which he tossed the apple into the void behind him. “The world is a massive, wonderful place, Dr. Twilight Sparkle. If you would allow it, I should like to invite you to join my conquest of it. To wreck havok on those who denied you your rightful place. To allow you the opportunity to touch the sun and have it fall beneath you whim. To truly, literally, become a god!”

With his final word, he slammed the tip of the blade into the tabletop. His friendly-sort-of-smile returned, as pleasant as if he were waiting her table at a restaurant. “So what will it be, Doctor? Remain here wallowing in your own filth as you fade away to skin and bone? Or, will you rise up and become everything you always dreamed of?”

If Dr. Twilight was honest with herself, the decision was already made long ago. Way back when she first set out to complete the experiment. Back when she took the lives of those first three ponies. Still, there was business to conduct. “Well, I would consider it, if I knew more about the Unseelie Court’s operations and what your ultimate goal is.”

“Oh, but of course.” Jeuk favored her with a shallow bow. “Merimna here will be happy to discuss the specifics with you.” He slid the table away, and left himself alone staring out of the mirror. “I don’t expect your answer right away. Take time to ponder on it. Think about the future. Consider the past. Anything to prevent yourself from considering your ignoble present.” He drew close, and Dr. Twilight found herself unable to look away from the granite-grey eyes, cold as death itself. “I’m sure that you will realize before long that of all the eras you inhabit, the present is by far the least important.”

Dr. Twilight nodded, backing away from the aberrant reflection. “Yes. I suppose I will.”

He removed his hat and held it over his heart. “Very well then. Perhaps the next time we meet, you shall be no mere doctor, but a princess. Or perhaps, Queen Twilight Sparkle.”

“The twilight is long over, Jeuk.” She tapped the lock on her horn. It sizzled as a magic spell died upon it. “They’ve seen fit to beat the last of the light out of me.”

“Ah, I understand full well, Doctor.” He smirked, replacing the hat and straightening his tie. “It is a very pony thing to change one’s name when embarking on a new stage in one’s life. Most amusing. Most very amusing.” He raised his eyebrows and looked the doctor up and down. “To whom do I owe the pleasure, then?”

The doctor gritted her teeth, holding back a scream as she focused on the faces she hated most. The faces of those who she had no doubt would kneel begging and weeping for mercy when she revealed her true power. When she finally, finally, finally, ascended to become that which she was born to be.

“Please,” she said, “call me Midnight.”

Author's Note

Thank you very much for reading this story. I hope you've enjoyed yourself across the... four years it's taken to finish. I really appreciate all the people who've kept with it through thick and thin.

And with that, this was the last story I needed to complete before I began the final chapter in The Heart's Promise Continuity! Keep an ear to the ground for when that finally appears on the site! I hope to see you there.

Part of The Heart's Promise Continuity
Lord Mayor Applejack
Fahr Drill
The Unmitigated Disaster
Scootaloo Will Fly!
Nature in the Wild
DayBreak
Lightning Struck Home
In the Absence of Sunset Shimmer
An Equestrian Griffon
If You Weren't Afraid
The Worst Kept Secret
Rhythm and Rhyme
In the Absence of Twilight Sparkle
The High Pariah of Breezy Bastion

In Memoriam

Fog covered the streets of Canterlot. Gargoyles and grotesques hung from gnarled architecture, their jaws open wide in a bevy of silent screams. Rain dripped from the corners of rooftops to soak the scarred pavement below. Thunder rumbled.

But the thunder did not hail from the dim overcast.

Blazing light flashed from the windows of Sombra’s School for Extraordinary Foals. Wind whipped within the auditorium, scattering papers and ash. Magic poured in great waves towards a small cart, which held a single egg. Incalculable powers raged. Lightning flashed and fire sparked. Force with the power to shatter bone spilled from a small filly, one who had not yet chosen a cutie mark.

She stared at the egg, which refused to yield until cracks formed along its surface. She needed the egg to hatch. Everything counted on that egg hatching.

She couldn’t stop. Not even if she wanted to. The floodgates had been opened by that final push; that last desperate plea to succeed in her test. She would prove that she was good enough, if only the egg would hatch.

A scream jolted into her ears and crawled down her spine. She twisted her head away from the cart, just for an instant. She saw her mother and father, clothed in what rags they were able to gather for the momentous occasion. They were so proud of her for making it this far. They, too, needed her to succeed. Maybe even more than she needed it.

She frowned. They weren’t cheering her on. They were screaming in fear. Shouting that she should stop. Pleading with her to pull it back. She couldn’t. She was so close to hatching the egg. So close to making them proud again. The magic blazed forth, uncontrolled save for the guiding need buried deep in her chest.

Another shout, almost unheard in the dreadful din surrounding her. This one came from the bleachers, voiced by one of her judges. He raced towards her, his horn aglow, motioning for her to stop.

He wanted to shut her down! No! He couldn’t!

She shoved with all her might to ward him off. He vanished in a cloud of red-hot smoke.

Her heart caught in her throat. He was gone. Gone-gone. Super-gone. Nothing remained but a pile of ash. She didn’t mean to. She didn’t want to.

She ran to the egg and placed her hooves upon the cart. If only she hatched it, everything would be okay. Everything would be better. They’d live in the palace. They’d eat nice food. They’d be able to bring her brother back home. Tears streamed down her face as she begged with all her heart for the egg to hatch.

The metal seats of the bleachers rusted and crumbled. The windows shattered outward as the wind seeped out. Magilights popped, one by one, as they were stressed beyond their limits.

Somepony called her name. Screamed for her to stop. She wouldn’t, and she told them as much.

The next wave of magic from her horn turned skin and bone to wood.

Her ears shot up as the voice registered far too late. Her father had told her to stop. Her father, who had always encouraged her. Who had always said that if you worked hard enough, you could do anything. Her father who had told her never to give up, or else she’d turn out like he did. He didn’t want her to end up like him. He wanted better for her.

She turned around, and saw two potted plants where her parents once stood. Their leaves turned brown and died, drifting down and disintegrating before they reached the ground. The wood hollowed before her eyes, drying like driftwood on the shore.

She shook her head. She could save them. If she just wanted it hard enough, she could save them. Fix them. She pulled magic from the egg and shot it towards the plants. If she could do it, she could undo it, right?

A booming voice, somewhere between rage and terror, stuck her to the core. She gazed at the newcomer, who dwarfed her utterly in his looming shadow.

King Sombra stood over her, his broad shoulders as wide as a carriage. His blue locks spilled from beneath his silvery crown, and his shining breastplate reflected the lavender light of her spells. Kind blue eyes, wide with adrenaline, stared at her. Through her, to something deep inside her soul.

His voice, normally so even-keeled and friendly, rang strained and insistent in her ears. King Sombra, the ruler of Equestria, the one she hoped to impress most of all, who inspired her in everything he did, who had no equal in all the land, told her she should not succeed.

Her response was immediate, passionate, and unbridled.

The egg centered in her focus. She saw the small cracks running through its surface. The jagged lined that offered a small peek at the new life inside. She thrust her magic into those imperfections and ripped the shell apart. She felt the newborn’s first breath, heard the cry of a baby, experienced every ounce of hunger and fear and want.

Behind her, the plants withered away.

Sombra called, but she couldn’t hear it. She’d succeeded. She’d hatched the egg. She looked upon the baby dragon she’d birthed. He was beautiful. Purple scaled that shimmered like her magic. Green eyes to match his soft belly. A cute little tail that wriggled as he pleaded for food in the only way he knew how.

She had won.

Sombra gripped her, but released just as quickly. Her body burned his hoof with the barest of contact. He told her to stop. He told her it was over.

She tried. She tried to reign in the magic that was swelling from her horn, decimating the auditorium, wreaking havoc throughout the school. She found the tide could not be stopped. Like a hole in a dam, every moment just brought more and more magic.

She gasped. Her parents! She still had to fix them! She still had to heal them! She swung around, called to them, but found no answer.

They were gone. No more. Vanished into thin air.

Tears and snot mingled as she wept. They had to be okay. She had won. She had passed the test. They needed to be there to see it. They needed to be proud of her. They needed to know they were right about her.

She looked up at Sombra. He had to be able to bring them back. He was the most powerful wizard in Equestria. Maybe the world. He would know what to do.

His eyes softened as the skin around them grew tight. He opened his mouth, but said nothing. He sighed and bowed his head.

He touched his horn to hers, and everything went black.

***

Twilight Sparkle thrust her hands into her jacket pockets. She slid down in her seat as her brother’s car jolted over a pothole. Buildings and trees flashed by, barely serving as landmarks as Shining Armor sped towards their destination. “I have got to stop letting you talk me into these things.”

Shining didn’t take his eyes off the road. He still found the presence of mind to raise an eyebrow and smirk. “What? And leave you to your own devices? I don’t think the world could survive a Twilight Sparkle with free-time.”

Twilight groaned under her breath as Canterlot University rolled into view. The school bustled at any hour of the day, but especially at midmorning. Cars lined up outside the college, dropping off students, picking them up, or just waiting in line for the parking lot. Someone had gotten into an accident on the far side of the lot, and several students were gathered around, hashing out phone numbers and calling up security.

“Strangely enough,” Shining Armor said, “attendance at the driver’s class is at an all-time low.”

“Was that supposed to be a joke?” Twilight slid a hand out of her pocket long enough to push her glasses higher up her nose. “Please tell me that wasn’t your A-game. I would die of embarrassment if that was the best you could do.”

“I was being astonishingly sincere.” Shining put the shifter into park. He waved a hand to the front doors of the college, offering his little sister a smile. “Have a good time, Twily.”

Twilight sighed and glanced at the bustling crowds rolling through the gates. People of every imaginable size, shape, and color were present. Shouting, roughhousing, texting, anything and everything that wasn’t educationally productive.

“I’m not tutor material, Shiny.” Twilight pushed the car door open. She slipped an arm behind the seat to grab her way-too-heavy backpack. “I don’t like people enough.”

“Hey.” Shining Armor put a warm hand on her shoulder. He favored her with a reassuring grin that only seemed to be a little synthetic. “You’re an awesome person, with more knowledge to share than most people will learn in a lifetime. Big Mac is a good friend of mine. I’m sure you’ll get along just fine.”

“Yeah,” Twilight said, rolling her eyes and getting to her feet. “Because the first thing I think of when I wanna get academic is your old football buddies.”

She leveled a finger at him before he could respond. “And if you’re not here to pick me up at three-o’-clock sharp, I will sic Spike on you.”

“I love you, too, Twily.” Shining laughed as she slammed his car door shut. She stood at the curb to watch him speed away. He gave the accident a wide berth, took a left out of the lot, and was gone.

She was stranded. Nowhere to go but forward.

She blew a quick raspberry at her absent brother and marched into Canterlot U.

It was a mercifully short walk to Collegiate Hall. Down a flight of stairs just inside the entrance. To the right of the rowdy Student Union. Past a wall of posters proclaiming the wonders of extracurricular activities, reporting abuse, and safe sex. Through a pair of glass doors designed expertly to keep out the noise.

Collegiate Hall was usually fairly peaceful, when it wasn’t being used for blood drives or the occasional public presentation. It was an open room, with one wall made entirely out of windows facing the college’s inner courtyard. Round tables were scattered around, each holding a variety of seats and a wider variety of students. Tutors mingled with their charges, textbooks and notepads scattered everywhere.

One table, on the other hand, was empty save for its single occupant. He leaned heavily on his elbows, his head in his hands. He wore a button-up, red plaid shirt, and faded jeans. His sleeves were rolled up above his elbows, showcasing incredible biceps.

Twilight Sparkle blinked and shook her head. She gave the room a once-over; everybody else seemed to be engaged in conversation. Through process of elimination, she supposed the young man had to be the one she’d been hired to tutor. She gave herself a steadying, bracing breath, and approached the table.

She thrust a hand towards him, trying with all her might to not sound bored or disinterested or anything else people were known to call her. “Macintosh Apple?”

His head shot up like he’d sat on a bee. He rose to his feet and pulled his lips back in a friendly sort of grimace. “You must be Miss Twilight. I, um, I’m mighty grateful you’ve agreed to help me.”

It was a second later he seemed to realize she wanted to shake his hand. He took hers with a light grip, cradling her fingers as if he was afraid to break them. He slipped away and cleared his throat, pulling out the chair beside his and motioning to it. “I saved you a seat, ma’am.”

She took the chair, jerking her jacket down to sit more comfortably across her torso. She blew a soft breath between pressed lips, letting her eyes roam around the table. A trigonometry textbook sat front and center, surrounded on all sides by graph paper and pages of notes. Chicken scratch scrawled beside drawings. Homework was marked in red. A used scantron served as a bookmark, hiding its results from view.

Twilight pulled her mouth to the side. “It looks like you’re fighting a war.”

“Feels like a war. All these fancy mathematics.” Big Mac picked up a pencil covered in teeth marks. He glanced her way with tired eyes, but snapped away the instant he thought she noticed. “Shining says you’re a genius, though. Maybe you can help?”

“That’s why I’m here.” Twilight forced a smile and adjusted her glasses. “Where would you like to start?”

“Sine, cosine, tangent. The unholy trinity.” Big Mac flipped through his trig textbook, wincing as every new topic loomed into view. Twilight leaned close to watch the subjects fly by. His hands shook slightly as the page turned over, just enough to make him hesitate.

He paused on the first page of the subject. He gathered a pile of paper to his left and pointed at the numerous red marks. “All these sine calculations are mucked up. Workin’ on these A squared, B squared, C squared triangles gets my thoughts in a jumble. I get that C’s the longest side, but how’m I supposed to know the difference between A and B?”

Twilight sucked in her lower lip. Her cheeks tinged the slightest shade of red as the response popped up. “A is the shortest side of the triangle. Always.”

His eyebrows shot up. “Really?”

“Pretty sure, yeah.” She crossed her arms to lean on the table, tempted to just let her forehead rest against them. She shifted in her seat as she awaited a long, long tutoring session. “Oh boy.”

Big Mac stared at his paper. It crinkled between his fingers before dropping to the floor. “I don’t got time for this.”

A spark shot though Twilight’s nerves, first taking the form of embarrassment, then a flare of anger, then settling on a slew of confusion. She managed to stutter a response, “I—I beg your pardon?”

Big Mac’s mouth dropped open as he raised his hands. He blathered for a solid few seconds. “I didn’t… I mean, I’m sorry, I was—

He pinched his nose and leaned his elbow against the table. “I’m sorry. I am thankful you’re willin’ to help. I just… I don’t got time to keep makin’ stupid mistakes like this. I got a farm to run. Family to feed. I’m four years goin’ for an associates degree, for cryin’ out loud.”

Twilight swallowed. She leaned back in her chair and folded her hands across her lap. Her heart sank at the sight of the man; tired, worn out, just looking for help.

And what else was she there for? “What’s your major?”

He turned his eyes to her. They were bright green, she realized with a start. She didn’t quite know why that detail seemed so important to her, but darned if they weren’t the greenest eyes she’d ever seen.

“Associates in Agribusiness,” he said. He tapped his pencil against the textbook, his forehead wrinkling slightly as the gears in his head turned back. “My family’s owned the farm at the edge of town for three generations, now. Pretty as a picture. Got corn, got cows, but mostly we got the best dang apple farm this side of Peopleburg. We felt that if we wanted the farm to keep up with the times, I needed some solid secondary schoolin’. Been takin’ a couple classes every semester, paying for it a little at a time. It’s slow goin’.”

Big Mac’s voice took on an easy, smooth drawl as he spoke about his farm. Dripping pride with every word.

“What about you?” He nudged the textbook away, scowling at the glorified pile of wood pulp. “What’s your major? Rocket scientist? The way Shining talks, you’d think you were gonna build a base on Mars.”

She snorted. “Probably not this lifetime. I’m studying forensics. I wanna join the police department, help them solve cases, discover the mysteries of the world. Do some good.”

She unclasped her hands, becoming aware of just how tightly she’d been holding them. “I… I think I’d like to start with helping you put—put two and two together.”

Big Mac brushed his sandy bangs back. “I guess we can’t spend the whole time just talkin’.” His eyes sparkled, even if the smile didn’t quite reach his mouth. “Shame, that.”

Twilight, on the other hand, felt free to smile wide. “Why don’t we go through what you’re learning right now, and see what you need the most work on.”

***

Sunset Shimmer all but dragged a bag of groceries up to the farmhouse. The stifling summer heat penetrated right through her t-shirt and threatened to start up a monster-grade sweat. She stuck her tongue out at the thought. There was too much to do for her to be slowed down by biology. Balanced precariously on the porch, she raised a hand to rap at the doorway.

Applejack answered not a second too soon. She reached down and took the bag with an easy, smooth motion. “Glad you’re here, sugarcube! Got a heck of a time roundin’ up the food, but looks like we’ll be A-Okay from here on out.”

“Please let me in the air conditioning,” Sunset said as moisture beaded on her nose. “Please, please let me in the air conditioning.”

Applejack stepped aside and let her friend rush into the house. She chuckled and shut the swelter outside. “Good thing y’ got here quick as you did. Turns out we got a couple extra places at the table today. Big Mac’s bringin’ his new girlfriend.”

Sunset Shimmer jerked her head around and followed Applejack into the kitchen. She pulled a few vegetables from the bag and started dicing them into a salad bowl. “Girlfriend? What, did his shyness finally implode the universe? Who’s the lucky gal?”

“Heck if I know; he ain’t mentioned her name.” Applejack lifted the lid on a pot of corn cobs, relishing the smell. “If he did, I wasn’t listenin’ on account of him dronin’ on and on and on about it.”

Sunset shrugged, never slowing in her preparations. “You said there were a couple new places, right?”

“A’yup.” Applejack slid the window open and whistled. “Mac! Get your butt over here and put the steaks on the grill! We got mouths to feed!”

Applejack counted down on her fingers. “We got Mac’s new girlfriend and her brother. One of Mac’s college buddies. The two of ’em don’t got nobody to spend Memorial Day with, on account of their folks bein’ out of state. Mac asked Granny if he could invite them, an’ she gave her blessin’.”

Big Mac lumbered in and grasped the plate of steaks, seasoned to perfection. He gave Sunset a nod—“ma’am”—and zipped back out to the blistering heat.

Sunset sent Applejack a wry grin. “And there was such a great cry in all of Canterlot City, such as never has been or ever will be again.”

Applejack waved a spatula at her. “If y’all wanted to ride that particular bandwagon, y’ ought to have made mention a little earlier than now.”

Sunset tore leaves from a head of lettuce and filled the salad bowl to the brim. She set about tossing it, adding her diced veggies as the meal demanded. “Not gonna lie. Feeling just a liiiiitle bit jealous of ol’ what’s-her-face. Guess that’s the luck of the draw, though.”

She covered the salad and slipped it into the fridge, giving it some small protection from the summer heat. “It’s not like I have the time, though. The professors have me working overtime for this degree.”

Applejack raised an eyebrow. “Thought you were already the master of all things academic.”

“There’s more to teaching than teaching, AJ.” Sunset paced around the kitchen, slipping a handful of fresh pea pods into her hand and crunching down on them. “There’s how to teach, there’s how to treat the kids, how to deal with hard cases, when to discipline, why to discipline. I think I’m going crazy.”

She smiled, leaning against the counter and flipping a pea into her mouth. “More than anything, my respect for Celestia’s grown time a billion.”

“God bless yah, is all I say.” Applejack pulled a pie from the oven, which radiated with pure—nearly physical—deliciousness. “Had a hard enough time raisin’ Apple Bloom without dealin’ with a dozen more just like her.”

“It’ll be taxing, yeah.” Sunset rolled the last pea pod though her fingers as she looked out the back window. She took a decisive bite. “Gotta believe it’s worth it, though.”

Applejack slapped an oven-mitted hand across Sunset’s back. “That’s the spirit, sugarcube! It’s like Granny always says, y’ can’t till a field without plowin’ a lot of m—”

The timer on the stove interrupted her with a whistle. Applejack rolled her eyes and hopped over. “A’right, a’right, I hear yah. Mash potatoes coming right—”

The doorbell chose that moment to ring its merry little jingle. Applejack’s face scrunched up in the sort of light scowl that she reserved for naughty puppies. “Sarsaparilla! Sunset, would you be a pal and go let them in? It’s probably the guys I was talkin’ about. Just stall ’em till I get there.”

Sunset flashed a faux salute. “Aye, aye, Cap’n.”

It was a quick walk through the living room to the front door, past a meticulously arranged sitting area and a decade-old television. She checked that her shirt was covering her stomach, ran her fingers through her hair, and pulled the door open.

She was met with a bespectacled—but otherwise keenly familiar—face. She blinked. “Twilight Sparkle? What are you—?”

Twilight jerked her head back. She narrowed her eyes and looked Sunset up and down. “Have we met?”

“Uh.” Sunset choked, her twitching gaze examining this new, strange Twilight Sparkle with a slacked jaw. “Haven’t we…?”

Twilight wrung her hands, a frown overtaking her features. “Pretty sure we haven’t, Miss…?”

“I am…” Sunset took a breath to steel herself. It was too early for multiversal shenanigans. These were multiversal shenanigans, right? It had to be. Unless Twilight had somehow gotten wammied by Discord, or they were playing the dumbest April Fools prank in the history of foolishness…

She was face-to-face with the human Twilight Sparkle. The alternate-universe version. The mirror twin.

It was then she brought herself back to reality and focused on the other girl. Existential crises be darned, she was still playing temporary host to a potential new friend. “My name’s Twilight Shimmer! I—er—Sunset Sparkle! Gak—” Smooth move, Sunset, she thought to herself. Smooth. “I’m sorry. It’s been a long day. My name’s Sunset Shimmer.”

“You clearly know mine.” Twilight Sparkle hesitated before offering a hand. “It’s… nice to meet you?”

Sunset smiled warm as she took Twilight’s hand and shook firmly. “It is very nice to meet you. I’m really sorry for jumping at you like that. I think the heat’s getting to us.”

Twilight Sparkle glanced up as she stepped inside the house. She rubbed her elbow, shuffling around with tiny steps, just taking in the room. “I’ll drink to that.”

Sunset drummed her fingers across her shorts. She snapped her fingers as she stumbled upon a topic. “So, Applejack’s in the kitchen, Apple Bloom’s keeping the dogs out of trouble, Granny Smith and Big Mac are out back grilling. So… I guess you can pick your poison.”

Twilight snorted. “Arsenic.”

“Touché.”

Twilight smiled. She pressed her hands against the back of the couch, taking some of the weight off her feet. “Actually, I’d like to meet everybody and then make sure Spike’s doing okay with the dogs.”

Sunset Shimmer choked on her spit for the second time in as many minutes. “Spike?”

“My beagle.” Twilight slipped her hands into her pockets and shrugged, perusing the family portraits that seemed to cover every available surface. “My brother Shining is swinging him around to the barn until it gets cooler out.”

And with that, Sunset was three for three. “Shining Armor?”

Twilight reached up to twist a strand of hair around her finger, wry amusement dripping from her words. “Wow. I guess Big Mac can’t shut up about us, huh?”

“Come on, Twilight,” Sunset said, as dry as possible. “We all know that Big Mac’s fatal flaw is his blabber mouth.”

They shared a quiet laugh together in the cool living room. Sunset motioned for Twilight to follow her.

“So, hey,” Twilight said. “May I ask how you’re related to the Apples?”

“I’m not, actually.” Sunset rubbed the back of her neck, leading her way into the kitchen. “I’m an old friend of the family, just staying with them until I can get back on my feet.”

“Stayin’ with us sometimes.” Applejack stood over the pot of mashed potatoes, treating it with a signature Apple Family recipe. “When you ain’t stayin’ with Pinkie Pie, or Rainbow Dash, or Rares.”

“Applejack.” Sunset stood with her legs ramrod straight and her hands cupped behind her back. “I’d like to introduce you to our new friend, Twilight Sparkle.”

“Come again?” Applejack glanced over her shoulder. She appeared to nearly twist her neck around when she gave Twilight a double-take. “Great Caesar’s Ghost!”

Twilight’s eyebrows came together. “Is this just how you guys say hello?”

Applejack widened her eyes at Sunset, who mouthed “yes.” Applejack grinned with all her sparkling clean teeth, in a smile that was just shy of sending small children into years of therapy. “Yeah, sure as shootin’. I’m just real excited to meet you, Miss Sparkle. I… I think Big Mac’s lookin’ forward to seein’ you, so I won’t keep you, none. We’ll have plenty of time to talk durin’ supper. Yep.”

Twilight’s mouth jerked up, as if she just remembered that she was supposed to be happy to be there. “I know better than to get in the chef’s way when they’re at work so…” She pointed past Applejack towards the back door. “Sure as… shooting?”

“A’yup.” Applejack gave her a none-too-gentle nudge towards the stifling outdoors. “Pleased to make your acquaintance; lookin’ forward to that talk.”

Twilight Sparkle bobbed her head and slipped out the door.

Applejack’s smile melted away in an instant. “What in the name of Aunt Mildew’s Super Duper No Kids Allowed Special Cider was that?”

Sunset Shimmer waved her hands in front of her face. “No. No, no, no. You don’t get to say anything, Miss ‘I Can’t be Bothered to Listen to my Brother Talk.’ No. Now’s not the time to be upset—”

Applejack crossed her arms over her chest. “You’re doin’ a bang-up job of that yourself.”

Sunset clenched her fists. She lowered her hands slowly to her sides. “Touché. Okay. As weird as this is, it’s not the time to freak out. It’s… She’s pretty clearly this world’s version of Twilight Sparkle. So… So I guess this just about confirms it.”

Applejack glanced out the window and caught sight of Twilight Sparkle embracing Big Mac. She grumbled, her mouth scrunching like she’d eaten something sour. “Confirms what, exactly? What are we dealing with, here?”

“We’re dealing with the fact that everybody has a double, somewhere.” Sunset placed her hands on the rim of the sink to stand beside Applejack. She chewed her tongue behind a closed mouth, mulling over the very thought of it. “This Twilight… She doesn’t know any of us. She doesn’t realize the history we have with her double. She doesn’t even realize she has a double.”

“Hokey Peat.” Applejack slid the curtain closed and went about setting the table. “Sunset… Sunset, I don’t think that’s a secret we can keep. Not if she’s gonna be so close to Macintosh.”

“No, we can’t keep it.” Sunset Shimmer sighed. “We shouldn’t keep it.”

She snapped her fingers. She rested her hands on Applejack’s shoulders and gave her a friendly squeeze. “Tonight, we treat her like anybody else when we meet a new friend. Later, we’ll have a meeting with the other girls and get some input from the princess. We’ll figure this out together, like we always have.”

“Well…” Applejack slapped a friendly hand across Sunset’s shoulder as she passed. “I expect any plan you think up’s gonna be a good one. I’ll try an’ be civil, but…”

She hoisted the potatoes and gravy, moving them to their proper spots on the table. “But land sakes it’s hard to be friendly when you’re hidin’ somethin’. I can’t lie to her face like that.”

“It’s not a lie.” Sunset winked, jabbing a finger Applejack’s way. “It’s a truth not yet told.”

Applejack clicked her tongue and rolled her eyes. “Whatever you say, Sunset.”

***

Spike hopped onto Twilight Sparkle’s lap as her laugh rang out across the farmyard. The gathering had moved outside the moment the sun went down, bringing with it a cool, refreshing night sky. Stars danced overhead as the bonfire crackled within their open circle of friendship. Sunset found the laugh infectious and joined in.

Twilight removed her glasses to wipe tears from her eyes. “Oh my gosh, Sunset. How did you get out of that one?”

Sunset giggled. “I didn’t. I spent the next three days cleaning the laboratory, the next four weeks in detention, and Green Sleeves still hasn’t forgiven me.”

Applejack tipped her hat back to better frame her satisfied smirk. “Serves you right for dragging Pinkie into that mess. Vice Principal Luna couldn’t sit for a month. “

Twilight slipped her hand into Big Mac’s and bumped her shoulder against him. She used her free hand to scratch Spike behind the ears, which he responded to with a frantically-wagging tail.

Shining Armor stuck a stir-stick into the fire to turn over the coals. “So you were the troublemaker at your school, huh?”

Sunset folded her hands atop her knees and rocked back. “I prefer to think of it as ‘chemically expressive.’ Science has always been the cause of, and the solution to, all my problems.”

Shining nodded to his sister. “You and Twilight, both. I think if you two joined forces, the world would not soon forget it.”

Sunset held herself up imperiously, thrusting one shoulder forward and flinging one arm back. “What say you, Twilight Sparkle? Shall we take control and show the world its new masters? Shall we once again reveal that science is the one true master, the pathway to greatness? Shall we reign as its Overlords of Science?”

Twilight snarled, growling at the back of her throat. “Only if I my title is Sultaness of Supreme Sciences. And I get to live in Buckingpork Palace.”

“It is decided,” Sunset said. “The rest of you may be our flunkies.”

“Well,” Granny Smith said, “if’n you can hold off on the world domination rigmarole for a night, I think it’s pert near time to break out the s’mores.”

Apple Bloom shot up from the log she was using as a seat. “I’ll help you get the marshmallows and chocolate, Granny!”

“Best hop to it, then!” Granny Smith walked with her youngest granddaughter back to the farmhouse. “The rest of you sit tight and don’t let the fire go out.”

Sunset stifled a yawn. She looked over to Applejack, who was lying back and resting her head against a log turned sideways. “I think I’m gonna do a little stargazing. Keep the fire warm without me, will yah?”

Applejack nodded. “Mind you don’t scare the cattle.”

Sunset Shimmer walked away from the light, into the gentle glow of the silvery moon. The apple trees bloomed across the orchard, their pink flowers muted, yet still discernible among the shadows. Overhead, a milky tapestry spread across the infinite vastness of space, spanning a million worlds.

One of those worlds was hers, she supposed. But not the one she called home.

She held a hand to her chest and felt power prickle at her fingertips. A flame appeared from thin air, swirling around her index finger. She held the hand to the sky, adding her light to the stars, hoping for some sort of inspiration. Some sort of direction.

A branch snapped behind her. She extinguished the flame and hid the hand from sight. When she turned, she could still see the campfire burning against the silhouette of the farmhouse. Another shadow stood between the fire and her, with broad shoulders and blue hair.

“I’m sorry,” Shining Armor said. “I know you wanna be alone, but… I just wanted to say thank you.”

“No. No, not alone.” Sunset turned back to the sky, stuffing her hands in her pockets. After so long at the campfire, the air felt especially chilly in her shorts and t-shirt. “I spent way too long being alone, and I didn’t like it. I just wanted… a quiet moment. A moment of solace.”

She motioned for him to stand beside her and continued to watch the sky. “I just like to look at the stars every now and then. It makes the world feel bigger. Full of possibilities.”

It finally registered, what he said. “Thank you for what?”

Shining looked down at her, looping his thumbs through his belt loops in an effort to appear nonchalant. “For being so friendly with my sister. I… I’ve never seen her open up to someone this fast before. You’ve just met her and it feels like you already care a lot about her.”

“Oh. Well.” Sunset hugged herself to warm her arms against her palms. “I guess… Honestly, she reminds me of someone I care about very much.”

Shining raised his eyebrows. “So you’re saying it just comes naturally?”

“To a point.” Sunset tilted her head towards the farmhouse. “I am pretty good at making friends.”

“Hadn’t noticed,” he said with a laugh. “But still, thank you for letting her in. I’ve been… trying to get her to open up for years. Figures the instant I let her go and do her own thing, she’s making friends left and right and… Heh. Her and Big Mac. There’s a real pair.”

“I dunno, Shining.” She wagged a finger at him. “From what I’ve been hearing, it was you who orchestrated their meeting. Seems this whole thing is your fault.”

Shining tilted his head back to stare at the stars. “Yeah. My old girlfriend was a real matchmaker. Some of her worse habits wore off on me.”

Sunset rolled her eyes, hiding her smile by sweeping a glance over the orchard. An owl hooted in the darkness, showing that even the most empty corners of the world held life.

“What about you?” he asked. “What’s your story? How’d you go from being the terror of Canterlot High to somebody who makes friends so easily?”

A shiver ran down her spine, not so much from the cold air as chilling memories. “Being a troublemaker comes at a price. I burned a few bridges. Hurt a lot of people. There are relationships you can’t get back, after all that.”

The lightness in Shining’s voice flattened out, lowering to a whispered treble. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t feel bad,” she said quietly. “It was a learning experience I had to go through, or I wouldn’t be here. I decided I never wanted to miss the chance to make a new friend. I never wanted to lose another relationship. Not with anybody.”

She smiled a sad sort of smile at him, tilting her head to the side, flashing him a wink. “My past does not define me, ‘cause my past is not today.”

Crickets chirped across the field, playing nature’s concerto. “I like that,” he said after a moment. “I like that sort of conviction.”

Apple Bloom’s cry of “S’mores!” carried across the farmyard, jolting them out of their conversation. Sunset jerked her head towards the fire, and Shining nodded.

“I’m glad we’ve met you,” he said, falling into step beside her. “I look forward to getting to know the Sunset Shimmer of today.”

Sunset giggled at the back of her throat. “I look forward to getting to know the mysterious entities known as ‘Twilight Sparkle’ and ‘Shining Armor.’”

“Either way”—Shining Armor took the stir-stick in hand to prep his corner of the bonfire—“it’ll be an adventure.”

***

Twilight Sparkle leaned against the door as Shining drove them to their home on the edge of Canterlot City. She rubbed her eyes to remove the lingering sting of the smoke. A yawn rolled up from her chest as she finally felt the effects of the day’s activities.

“I’m proud of you,” Shining said.

“For what?”

“For coming this far. For growing this much. You really seemed happy, tonight.”

Twilight roiled her arm behind the seat. She felt Spike’s breath brush her palms as he slept. “They were so genuine. I can’t really think of another word for it. Big Mac, his grandma, his sisters… Sunset. They’re really, genuinely nice.”

Shining sighed, sharing a genuine smile of his own. “I think they could be lifelong friends, if we let them be.”

“Friends…” Twilight Sparkle scratched Spike’s chin, making him mumble quietly. “And maybe also answers.”

“Answers?”

“High school. Remember all those strange readings I found?”

“On your little homemade seismograph thing?”

“It’s not a seismograph, it’s a—nevermind. The source of all those energies revolved around Canterlot High, and each event centered around one name. One name that kept coming up again and again.”

Shining’s forehead wrinkled. He took his eyes off the road for the briefest of seconds, taking a look at his grinning little sister.

“Sunset Shimmer,” she said. “I think we’re going to learn a lot from each other.”

***

Rain fell in buckets from the sky, drenching the landscape from the rooftops to the cellars. Three figures walked into the streets, exiting a smoky little hole-in-the-wall tavern. Yellowed street lamps dotted the highways and byways of Griffon Rock, contrasting heavily with the pink neon sign above the door; a wine glass that had seen better days.

The three of them huddled beneath the awning, all glancing around for their designated driver. One ran his hands through his curly mop of hair, a little wobbly on his feet. “Why is he always late? We told him we were done.”

“Because he can’t always just drop what he’s doing.” A short woman at his side socked him in the shoulder. “His life doesn’t revolve around you, Party Favor.”

The third person behind them groaned, pressing a hand to her forehead and nudging back her beret. “I’m not drunk enough for you two to be arguing like this.”

“I am,” Party Favor said. “If life has to suck so much, why shouldn’t I share it with the world?”

“Because nobody cares.” The short, pudgy woman sat down, heedless of the rainwater soaking into her pants. “Stick your face in a rain barrel and put yourself out of our misery.”

“Knock it off, you two.” The beret-clad lady waved a hand into the street, catching the attention of a car speeding towards them. “You’re not gonna be sober for the rally tomorrow if you keep railing on each other now. Night Glider is counting on us to—”

“So what?” Party Favor threw his hands out, getting inside the taller woman’s personal space. “Sugar Belle will bake a few brownies, I’ll cut out a few signs, you’ll make a big, stupid speech, and nothing will change. Because nothing ever changes!”

He stalked off towards the car, pulling a hood tight over his face. “And getting punch-drunk every Friday isn’t helping anymore.”

The shorter woman moaned from her seat on the sidewalk. She looked up with reddened eyes. “What are we doing here if we can’t make a difference?”

“We can too make a difference, Sugar Belle.” The taller of the two reached down to hoist her friend to her feet. “We’re gonna strike a blow for equality, or my name isn’t Starlight Glimmer!”

A flash of lavender light crackled from a nearby alleyway, brushing raindrops aside. A steady, droning buzz reached their ears and struck straight at their hearts. The hair on Starlight Glimmer’s forearms stood on end, and static hummed through her wavy hairdo. She glanced at the car to see that Party Favor and the driver, Double Diamond, were also staring at the strange phenomenon.

It wasn’t just her, then. She wasn’t going crazy.

Her heart beat stronger, faster, but more erratically. Something warm touched her fingertips, but when she looked, there was nothing there. She flexed her hands and walked slowly, step-by-step, towards the light.

“Starlight!” Double Diamond stuck his head out the window of his rusted beater. “What are you doing? That could be dangerous!”

“But it’s not,” Starlight said, her voice echoing in her ears, as if she was under water. “It calls me. It calls out to me. Don’t you feel it?”

“No!” Double Diamond jumped out of his car and raced to her side. He grabbed her elbow, his breath coming hot. “Don’t go. We’ll call the constable. Get the authorities on it—”

“The authorities?” Starlight Glimmer scoffed. “Are you listening to yourself, DD? What are they going to do?”

“Keep you from getting yourself killed.”

“I’m not going to get killed.” Starlight’s head swam. She yanked her arm from his grasp and strode forward with sure steps. “It calls to me. It needs me. Almost as much as I need it.”

Double Diamond looked to Sugar Belle and Party Favor. Not finding a response in their dumbfounded expressions, he reached out to Starlight. “But what is it?”

Starlight Glimmer stopped at the entrance of the alley. The air was filled with lavender particles, drifting like dust in a sunbeam. The brick walls of the adjacent buildings shimmered and flickered, broken by ever-shifting fractals of glass-like reflections. Raindrops fell to either side of the alleyway as the all-encompassing, drawing voice pushed them back.

Starlight reached her hand into the cacophony of sound and sight. Power surged through her nerves. Light flashed through her blood. Life tore its way through her bones. She felt something soft, something warm, and took hold of it.

The alley exploded in blinding white. Starlight was knocked to her rump, but otherwise unscathed.

She looked up, and saw a young woman, near her age, lying naked on the cold pavement. The rain was faint, but still bone-chilling. She pulled the coat from her back and rushed to the woman’s side. “Oh my God, are you okay? Double Diamond! Call an ambulance! There’s someone here and she looks hurt—!”

The woman raised her head with a start and threw her hand out. “Don’t touch me!”

Starlight felt like she’d been punched in the chest. By a professional boxer. Who was taking steroids. And had a serious grudge against berets.

Her back hit the far wall and knocked the air from her lungs. She gasped for breath even as her eyes found the source of her injuries.

The woman from the alley held a hand out, glowing with the brightest, most beautiful purple Starlight had ever seen. Energies similar to before swirled about the woman, surging around her, through her, from her. Power incalculable. Power unimaginable.

Starlight held her coat out, moving inch by inch to get closer to the stranger. “Please. I just want to help you. How are you… what is that?”

The woman’s damp, straight hair clung to her shoulders. Her chest heaved with every shallow breath she took. She looked down, befuddlement coloring her features. She ran her free hand across her body, as if surprised by it. Confused by it. Disgusted by it. “It’s… it’s magic. Why won’t my magic work?”

“Magic? It’s really magic?” Starlight edged ever closer, then came to a stop an arm’s-length away. She held the coat out. “Please, take my coat. It’ll keep you from catching your death of cold.”

The woman stared her in the eyes. The stranger’s eyes were striking, piercing, filled with the same magic that poured from her fingertips. She snatched the coat away and wrapped it around her body, shivering violently as the air within rose to her body temperature.

Starlight sat on her knees, barely daring to breath in the presence of the magical creature. “Where did you learn to do that? How can you?”

“I… learned back home. In a faraway country.” The stranger’s eyes snapped down the alleyway, towards the others who watched with wide eyes. “Who are they?”

“They’re friends.” Starlight spoke in her warmest, gentlest voice. She contained her drive, her excitement, with all the strength she had. “We’re all friends. We want to help you.”

The stranger gritted her teeth, glaring at the ground. She hissed out a pained breath before whispering, “Who are you and where am I?”

“I’m Starlight Glimmer.” Starlight lowered her head to look into those eyes again, the ones she was convinced could divine the soul. “This is Griffon Rock, a city in the Highborn Isles. Where do you come from? What’s your name?”

When the stranger didn’t answer, Starlight finally allowed herself the question she wanted to ask most. “Can you teach me to use magic?”

The stranger lowered her eyebrows, curled her lip. Starlight spoke as quickly as possible before she ran out of breath. “I’ve felt it my entire life, since I was a child. It calls to me. It sings to me. I’ve wanted it more than anything, and I never even knew what it was until now. Tell me you can teach me, and I’ll give you anything you want. I’ll do anything!”

Starlight reached out to grasp the woman’s hand. She recoiled at the touch, but Starlight refused to let go. “Please. Please say you’ll teach me. I don’t know where else to go.”

Their eyes met, and Starlight felt her insides scramble under the scrutiny of the stranger. Those eyes that were filled with light, yet seemed so dark and judging. She held her breath until it felt like she would puke.

“I can teach you.”

Tears collected in Starlight’s eyes. “Thank you. Thank you so much.”

She gestured to the group milling around at the edge of the street. “Please… please come with us. We’ll take you to a place you can get a warm bed and a decent meal. We’ll—uh—we’re here to help you, Miss… Who are you?”

The stranger looked over the group with the same examining glare she gave Starlight. She wobbled on her surprisingly muscular legs, before they gave out altogether. She leaned against Starlight for support, her face softening, weariness overtaking it. She pulled the coat tight and let out a slow, sad sigh.

“I am Twilight Sparkle.”

Facts Revealed, Truth Concealed

“Different people seem to have different aptitudes for different magic.” Starlight Glimmer led to way to a grove of trees some ways around the island. “Twilight tells me that in your respective worlds, your people have three tribes, divided by physical attributes, correct?”

Sunset Shimmer nodded. “Unicorns, pegasi, and earth ponies.”

“Ponies.” Starlight rolled her eyes with a small smile. “Magic must be a helluva advantage if ponies are the dominant species in your world.”

“Wouldn’t say ‘dominant.’ There are other sapient races. Lots of them.” Sunset looked ahead and saw a few people milling around inside the tree line. Some sat on benches, but most appeared to be expecting Starlight’s arrival. “So the people here seem to have the same divergences?”

“Those exactly. Twilight can pick up almost instantly whether somebody has an affinity to what she calls Ether magic, Sky magic, and Earth magic.” Starlight shielded her eyes with a hand. “Aaaaand—yep! Your buddy Celestia fits nicely in with the other Ethereals.”

As more people came into clarity, Starlight’s mood soured at the fringes. “Aaaaaand so is Dulcimer. God help me.”

Sunset Shimmer looked back at the compound, where she could see other students arrayed around the front door. “And Double Diamond teaches the earth ponies?”

“Earth mages, yeah.”

“Who’s your resident p—Sky mage?”

Starlight grimaced fully this time. She ran a hand over her face and stood still on the path. “It was my friend Night Glider, until she left. Twilight’s standing in for her until another Sky mage becomes knowledgeable enough… and wants to stay.”

Sunset frowned, cupping her hands behind her back. “Have you had many students leave?”

“Not many.” A sardonic grin spread across Starlight’s face as she glanced towards the waiting students. “I’m still able to count our… eh… ‘dropouts’ on one hand. Raven, Night Glider, Party Favor, Wallflower Blush, and Neighsay.”

Sunset was almost sure that two of those names belonged to members of the pony Starlight’s one-time cult. Almost. Wallflower didn’t ring a bell, but Neighsay was a prominent leader in the Equestrian education system. She’d even met him once or twice at galas. He didn’t seem like the type of person to leave a school like this.

At least, his pony alternative-reality duplicate didn’t. Different people. Even twelve years after investigating the ins and outs of parallel worlds, Sunset occasionally caught herself forgetting that critical detail.

Starlight continued, having composed herself enough to let her anger die down to mild irritation. “Wallflower and Neighsay only left a couple of months ago. Not a huge tragedy, but it irritates me. They never mentioned being dissatisfied with their progress or my teaching. Haven’t answered my calls. Haven’t provided a forwarding address. Haven’t the human decency to drop a line or a how-do-you-do.”

Sunset shrugged. “You can’t really control who walks in and out of your life.”

“No, but it’d be nice to find out why.” Starlight tossed a light sneer towards the ocean before moving them forward towards the waiting class. “If only to get closure.”

“Closure’s a rare and valuable thing,” Sunset muttered.

Starlight’s tutelage covered a broad range of topics, never hovering too long on any one. A refresher of the three elements of spellcasting (math, crochet, and intent), explaining that the body metabolized sugar into magic, the basic stuff. The lesson was clearly meant to fill in the knowledge gaps for the newer students. After that’s he split people into groups which, judging by their observable skills, were divided by how advanced their knowledge was.

Though Sombra was clearly a highly skilled mage, he remained with the newer students. More precisely, he remained with Celestia. Sunset sat in on her practice, observing her attempts to levitate simple objects. She was still a bit clumsy—that is, extremely accident prone—but then, she had only just discovered magic that morning.

This proved to confuse Sunset when she looked over the other new student’s progress and found him to have the careful certainty of someone with years of experience. He was already adept at lifting several object simultaneously, and moving them independently. He looked up and saw her watching him. “Impressed, Professor?”

“I’m not a professor. I’m just a teacher.” Sunset sat on a rock beside him, trying and failing to not look mystified at his apparent magic genius. “It’s rare for a mage to go from unaware to proficient in three hours, Sir.”

“Dulcimer is fine, Mrs. Shimmer.” Several small rocks orbited around each other in intricate patterns. “Perhaps I just have a knack for it.”

“Sunset!”

Sunset Shimmer looked up to see Celestia giggling as she drew illusory images in midair. “I’m a skywriter!”

Sunset only spared Dulcimer another brief glance as she moved onward to her friend. Something about the man itched at the back of her memory. Try as she might, it was still impossible to place him… and there was something sinister about him.

But, again, maybe she was just conflating this Dulcimer with some half-remembered pony she hardly knew.

Focusing on Celestia brought a smile to her face. The woman was scribbling nonsense in the air, wide-eyed and excited as she tested out the limits of her newfound abilities. It was a little like watching Sunny play with finger-paints. Adorable and heartwarming.

Sombra was a few feet away, conversing with Starlight. They’d have a few minutes alone.

Celestia shook her head as the magic faded into an afterimage. “I can’t believe… I just had no idea, Sunset.”

Sunset sighed. “I’m sorry for keeping it from you.”

“Bullplop, you didn’t keep anything from me.” Celestia touched a hand to Sunset’s. “I just… never knew it would be this easy. Or this wonderful.”

“And I didn’t even know you could do it.” Sunset sat side-by-side with Celestia so she could watch the other students work. “I never even guessed.”

Celestia smirked and patted Sunset’s shoulder. “You have that look in your eyes.”

“What look?”

“The focused one that says you’ve got a goal in mind.” Celestia winked and resumed her idle scribbles. “May I ask what?”

Sunset joined Celestia’s small-scale skywriting. She drew a picture of a unicorn, then wiped away the horn to give the pony a set of wings. “Not sure, actually. I guess I’m just considering what I’ve been missing out on all this time.”

“Oh?”

“Like… magic isn’t limited to people who come from Equestria…” She raised an eyebrow and swirled a finger through the pegasus, causing it to become a glittering smear in midair. “And it’s not limited to people who’ve visited it.” As the image vanished, a flame lit on the tip of her pointer finger and hissed as it danced around her hand. “I think we can teach literally everybody.”

She pressed her lips together and quenched the fire in a closed fist. “Even if I can’t join the school here, maybe I can start a new one back home?”

Celestia laughed lightly as she looked over her shimmering fingernails. “Trust me when I say running a school is quite an undertaking.”

“Oh, I know.” Sunset took a proverbial backseat as Celestia resumed attempting to lift a hand-sized stone. “I probably wouldn’t even start until after Sunny was grown up.”

“Hmm.” Celestia turned her eyes to the sky as if a thought had just occurred to her. “But you will be teaching Sunny.”

“Well, yeah.”

“And you’re already teaching Twilight Sparkle.”

“Sure.”

Celestia grinned wide. “Sounds to me like you’ve already started.”

“Well, fair enough.” Sunset crossed her arms. “Nothing wrong with starting small.”

“Nothing wrong at all!”

***

Dr. Twilight Sparkle dismissed her students for lunch. If she was right about Sunset’s hometown, they were exactly six hours behind the Highborn Isles. She slipped a hand into her pockets to check, for the third time in the last fifteen minutes, that her phone was still there.

She had to make the call. Otherwise, she’d be unable to focus on anything else for the rest of the week. She needed to be sharp.

But what if…

What if the human Twilight told others about the call? What if Sunset, Starlight, literally anybody found out about it? How would she explain how she found the number? It was a breach of trust few would be comfortable forgiving… Unless she lied about how she came across the number.

That’s all she would say; that she’d found the number while researching the Canterlot High Hoax. That she’d stumbled across the existence of the other Twilights while trying to discover a way to contact Sunset herself.

It was almost not a lie. She could tell it convincingly enough.

She stepped into her personal laboratory in the rear of the old warehouse. The one she kept dark. The spell that corrected her vision also allowed her a bit of night-vision. Here, she could be completely concealed.

She sat in a chair beside a large glass tube and dialed, her breath held.

***

The first thing Twilight Sparkle noticed when she awoke was that she was very, very warm. It felt nice, and she saw absolutely no reason to leave her blanket.

The second thing she noticed was that she’d left her glasses on all night, and they were askew on her face, which was pressed up against the source of her warmth. The cold metal and the hard plastic felt uncomfortable for the drowsy sleeper.

The third thing she noticed was that the warmth came from a very tall, very muscular source. Her first thought was to pull away, but it was quickly overturned by a desire to remain exactly where she was forever. Big Mac muttered in his sleep, her head lying against the back of the couch.

It was only after all of that had filtered through her head that she noticed what had initially woken her up: Her vibrating cellphone. She had forgotten to turn the sound back on after they’d gone to the Party Favor. Good thing, too, or Big Mac might have decided to wake up as well. And worse, he might have left to get ready for work. Twilight stifled a yawn and looked at whoever was calling before sunrise.

She didn’t recognize the number. She rolled her eyes and silenced the call, letting the phone drop to the cushion beside her.

The phone vibrated again. The same number showed up. This time, Twilight noted that it was an out-of-country call. Weird. Sunset would normally just call with her cellphone… unless something had gone wrong. Twilight gave Big Mac’s unending warmth and comfort one last look, then slowly extracted herself from the blanket. She left him snoozing on the couch while she took the phone into the kitchen.

She took a swig of water and pressed the answer button. She tried not to sound like she’d just woken up, but she sounded groggy even to herself. “Hello?”

“Is this Twilight Sparkle?”

Twilight leaned a palm against the tabletop. If she allowed herself to be paranoid, it already sounded like a scam. “Speaking.”

“Okay. Good.” There was a deep breath on the other end. “I am Dr. Twilight Sparkle of Equestria.”

A jolt ran down Twilight’s back, waking her up in a hurry. “Er… you mean—?”

“Please don’t tell anybody we’re talking,” the other Twilight said in a rush. “Sunset doesn’t know I have your number.”

Twilight narrowed her eyes. “Why doesn’t she know?”

“Because for some reason, she doesn’t want me to know about you.” An exasperated huff came from the speaker. “She keeps dodging around the question.”

To Twilight’s dismay, the first reaction she thought of was “Welcome to being friends with Sunset,” but she refrained from speaking it. Instead, she went for a slightly more aggressive “Yeah. It’s almost like she doesn’t want to reveal details of her life to a complete stranger.”

Her answer was silence. She was about ready to speak again, when the doctor finally continued. “I suppose it’s fair, and there would be no harm to it if…”

Twilight scrunched her mouth to the side. “If you didn’t already know about me.”

“That exactly.”

“Well…” Twilight pulled a chair from the table and took a seat. She hissed as the cold wood of the chair touched the bare skin of her legs. “Okay then. Hi, I’m Twilight Sparkle. We have the same name and hair. Nice to meet you.”

A small chuckle made its way across the ocean. “I see you’ve made peace with the concept?”

Twilight laughed, quietly enough to not disturb the rest of the house. “My brother married a pony from another dimension. I’m pretty well armored against mind-blowing possibilities.”

She leaned her elbows against the table and frowned at the clock. Maybe Applejack and Big Mac had decided to get a late start today after the previous night’s excitement. She thought they’d be up by now. She supposed she couldn’t put it past them. She was dog-tired, too. “So, how’d you make your way to this world?”

The doctor sighed. “Accident, mostly. I was trying to get away from King Sombra, my teacher, when he went mad. The mirror to this world was my only escape.”

Twilight took a gentle sip from her cup. “Sombra sounds like a really chill guy.”

“He was. A long time ago.” There was a shuffling sound from the other end of the line. “Can I ask you a few questions?”

“You can ask them, sure.” Twilight went over in her mind what was appropriate to share. Probably not addresses, not that this other Twilight couldn’t get them some other way. Probably not intimate details of Sunset’s life, even though she was certain Sunset had been flashing Sunny’s picture around to anybody who would look. If she kept it general, what could it hurt? “I can’t really promise to answer them, though.”

“Understandable.” A tapping sound came from Dr. Twilight’s side, like she was drumming her fingers. “Your brother is Shining Armor, correct?”

“Yeah.”

“And you said he was married to Sunset Shimmer?”

Twilight winced. Half-asleep slip-up. “Yeah, I did.”

“Is he… happy?”

Twilight’s forehead creased. “What do you mean? Career, life, currently?”

“Just anything.” Dr. Twilight’s voice grew slightly weaker. “My older brother was taken as a slave when I was very young. I searched for years, but never learned what happened to him. I just… want a little peace. I wanna know there’s a chance he’s okay, here if nothing else.”

Twilight’s heart dropped. The thought of Shining Armor as a slave was ridiculous to her. He would fight to the death for his freedom.

Maybe Dr. Twilight’s had, too.

“You know they’re different people, right?” Twilight said after a moment. “Whatever happens to your Shining Armor has nothing to do with—”

“I know. I know you’re right.” If Twilight read it correctly, the doctor’s voice was verging on tears. “Just please, give me this.”

Twilight frowned deeply. She pushed her glasses onto her forehead to rub the corners of her eyes. “Shining is fine, here. He’s happily married to Sunset. He’s the proud father of Sunny. He spent most of his life in the military, but recently decided to pursue a civilian career to be closer to his family. He is happy, Doctor. He’s so happy.”

“Thank you.” Dr. Twilight cleared her throat. “And… do you know a person by the name of Spike?”

Twilight’s eyebrows shot up. “My dog?”

“Uh—” Dr. Twilight’s voice could not have been more confused. “What are you talking about?”

“I knew a Spike. He was my dog.” Twilight found that it was her turn to feel loss to the very core. She set her glasses down on the table so that she could rest her forehead in her palm. “He was my best friend for a long time. He died… two years ago. He sacrificed himself to save me, and Sunset, and Sunny.”

“That… does sound like Spike.”

“Yeah.” Twilight let out a chuff as she considered the other Twilights she knew. “I take it your Spike was a dragon?”

“Yes. A dear companion for many years.” The voice had gone flat, having switched to a rote recitation of facts. Twilight couldn’t read an emotion. Granted, that was difficult enough for her face-to-face, let alone over the phone, but the difference was marked. “Sadly, he was left behind when I escaped.”

Twilight nodded out of instinct, despite neither of them being able to see each other. “I’m sorry. It’s gotta be hard, leaving all that behind.”

“Yeah. It was.” The squeak of a chair punctuated that sentence and started the next. “I need to get back to my students, but may I ask you one last question?”

“Shoot.”

“Have you ever been to Sunset’s world?”

Twilight’s hand gripped her phone tight. Was it safe to tell the truth? Was it smart to lie? Dr. Twilight was technically a suspect, but… how was that possible? Did they really think she was masterminding a continent-hopping murder conspiracy? Then again, if anybody could pull it off, a Twilight Sparkle could.

She couldn’t not answer, because that would be the exact same as a firm “yes.” And she couldn’t wait to answer any longer, or—

“You don’t have to answer. I understand your hesitation,” the doctor said. “I hope we can talk again soon. Good bye, Twilight Sparkle.”

The doctor hung up.

Twilight stared at the phone for a good minute. She was way too keyed up to go back to sleep now.

The sounds of Applejack and Apple Bloom getting ready upstairs played as a background to the sleep-deprived buzzing in her head. She sent a quick text Sunset’s way—Dr. Twilight called me. We talked about her Shiny and my Spike. Try not to be mad when you confront her about it.—and slid her glasses back on her nose.

Apple Bloom walked into the kitchen looking as chipper as ever. “Howdy, Twi. What’re y’all doin’ up?” She poured herself a bowl of cereal and dumped a heaping dose of sugar on it.

“Got a call.” Twilight yawned and accepted the bowl Apple Bloom passed her. “Not sure what to do about it.”

The phone vibrated. Twilight grimaced at the message from Sunset: K let me know if she calls again

Apple Bloom frowned. “More bad news?”

“I dunno yet.” Twilight took two bites of the dry cereal before she realized she hadn’t put milk in it. She rectified that right away. “I dunno what any of this means.”

Apple Bloom tilted her head. “Anythin’ I can help with?”

“I’m not even sure what I should do.” Twilight stirred her cereal until it started to get soggy. “Thank you for the offer, though.”

Apple Bloom smiled, though to Twilight’s eyes it seemed to be a weak one. “What’re sisters for, anyhow?”

Twilight’s smile was equally weak, but no less sincere.

***

Sunset Shimmer wasn’t sure how to feel besides confused. How had Dr. Twilight got a hold of the number? How had she even known Twilight existed? Maybe she was just frustrated at how little the two of them had communicated over the past couple days. On one hand, they hardly knew each other. On the other… they hardly knew each other.

She stuffed the phone in her pocket. Celestia stood up and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Trouble?”

“I don’t know.” Sunset brushed her hand through her red-yellow streaked hair. “I need to have a talk with the doctor.”

“She’s on the southwest side of the island,” Dulcimer said as he walked past. “With the Sky students.”

“Thanks.” Sunset tapped Starlight’s shoulder. “Mind if I go have a talk with Dr. Sparkle?”

“Um. Not at all.” Starlight Glimmer muttered an apology to Sombra and broke away from her conversation with him. “Is something the matter?”

Sunset waved her phone. “She’s apparently been calling my family back home. I’d like to find out why.”

Starlight looked as if Sunset had sprouted a second and third head while she watched. She shook her head as her brow furrowed. “What? How… why would she…?”

“Like I said, I’d like to find out.” Sunset Shimmer walked down the southwestern pathway, peering at the tops of the trees to follow the glow of magic. “We don’t exactly broadcast our existence.”

Starlight started after Sunset, but paused ever-so-briefly to speak with Sombra. “Doctor, would you see to the class? Thanks.” She moved on before waiting for his reply.

“I’m sure it wasn’t meant to be underhanded.” Starlight’s easy jog caught up to Sunset immediately. “We were looking into the Hoax for ages before Sombra actually stumbled across you. Maybe she just found your family member’s number?”

“This person had nothing to do with the Hoax. I’d never even met them until seven years ago.” Sunset took a deep breath in. If Dr. Twilight had a reasonable explanation, then there was really nothing to be mad about. Just like she’d searched for the other Sunset Shimmer, so too she practically expected a Twilight to look for her counterparts.

But if she’d been digging through her family’s personal information… Sunset wasn’t sure what she’d say.

Dr. Twilight Sparkle turned at their approach, her expression souring in an instant. Her shimmering eyes turned upward as she spoke to a student. “Fleetfoot, would you keep an eye on everybody? I might be a minute.” She couldn’t help a smirk. “The Sparkle family is honest to a fault as usual.”

The sight of so many grown men and women fluttering around on transparent wings was… comical, to say the least. Pegasi looked majestic in flight, but humans were obviously not physically built for the sort of aerial acrobatics they were performing. Even the smoothest maneuver looked awkward when the person’s legs pinwheeled through the air.

Sunset crossed her arms and got right to the point. “How did you get Twilight’s number?”

Starlight Glimmer gave Sunset a double-take. “Wait, what?”

“She doesn’t put it online, she barely gives it to her family and friends, let alone her coworkers.” Sunset forced herself to take another deep breath. “She doesn’t even use it to back up her email, so unless you give me a good excuse, I have to assume you stole it.”

“I found it while studying the Canterlot High Hoax—”

“She was never part of the Hoax.”

“How could she have stolen it?” Starlight Glimmer said incredulously. “We’re on the other side of the bleeding world!”

“Please, ladies.” Dr. Twilight held up her hands in half-surrender, half-imploring. “I got the number the same way anybody would: Calling around. I never touched your belongings, Sunset, if that’s what you’re implying. I just—” She clicked her tongue and let her hands drop to her sides. “I just want some sort of closure.”

Before Sunset could speak, Dr. Twilight held a hand towards her. “And I certainly,” the doctor said, “wasn’t going to get answers from you any time soon, so please forgive me for taking a risk like this.”

Sunset Shimmer bit back a harsher remark and replaced it with “I’m trying to be cautious about my family’s safety.”

“So I’ll just go over what I know.” Dr. Twilight’s voice lowered to a hissed whisper as she took a step closer to Sunset. “I know that I’m the third Twilight you’ve known. I know that you’ve visited your old home recently. And I know that…” She sucked in a breath, her forward charge hitting a stumbling block. “I know that Shining Armor’s your husband. He’s okay here.”

She shut her eyes, cutting off the ever-present glow. For that moment, she looked exactly like the Twilight Sparkle back home. “Just knowing that… it’s such a relief, Sunset. It’s so soothing to know that in at least one world, things turned out okay.”

She opened her eyes, and the illusion distorted. But only slightly. “I’m sorry I went behind your back. I just needed to know. So very, very badly.”

So, Sunset thought, she had lost her Shining Armor. Her older brother. Apparently, her anchor to peace. The thought of Shining Armor not being there for her—with her—shook Sunset to the core. The very concept sent shivers down her spine and bats fluttering through her stomach. She could understand wanting closure. Even if it was just vicarious.

Was that what she was so angry about? Maybe, and yet, maybe not.

But it still didn’t answer how she’d found the phone number. It didn’t answer why she felt it necessary to contact Twilight behind Sunset’s back. It didn’t answer whatever else she was hiding behind a smokescreen of empathy.

“I understand that,” Sunset said. “I understand wanting closure. Or maybe just comfort.” She didn’t know whether or not to press the source of the number. It seemed like the doctor was going to simply clamp down on the obvious lie. That alone made Sunset Shimmer nervous. “And I’m trying to be more open. It just doesn’t come naturally.”

“Back up a bit…” Starlight Glimmer looked back and forth between the two former ponies. “Three Twilights? There are more of you?”

“There is one Twilight from Sunset’s world…” Dr. Twilight gave her friend a small smile. “And there is one from your world.”

Starlight looked like she wanted to speak, but didn’t know how to proceed without resorting to profanity. Lots and lots of profanity. “I need a drink before you drive me crazy.”

“You get used to it eventually,” Sunset mumbled.

Sunset Shimmer found the doctor looking at her expectantly, awaiting her final word on the subject. Sunset could do little more than sigh. “I obviously have no reason for or ability to prevent you from talking to the other Twilight. And I suppose I can only marvel at your abilities as a private investigator. I’m just… sorry I made you feel like you had to take those measures.”

Dr. Twilight bobbed her head. “I’m sorry for making things awkward. I hope you know I truly wasn’t trying to be malicious.”

“Yeah, I know.” Sunset brushed a lock of hair out of her face as an errant wind swirled it around. “I guess we need to get back to our classes.”

And so they did, with Sunset returning with Starlight, and Dr. Twilight remaining with the pegasi. It didn’t sit right with her, despite the doctor’s words. Or maybe because of the doctor’s words. It was still hard to know what to feel, what to expect, what to think.

There was still something very important that she was missing. But she had no idea how to figure it out.

***

It was a quiet ride out to the mirror pool that led back to the princess’ Equestria. It was several miles outside Canterlot City, out past Peopleburg and halfway to Caramelton. The trees were thick by the road, part of the forest that surrounded the Rich Enterprises Camp Resort. They were acres away from the resort itself, so there was little chance of anybody stumbling on the cave that held the magic pool.

But two years ago, Twilight had found it with Spike and Sunset’s help. Two years ago, she had traveled to a new world full of magic, dragons, and sirens.

She had been invited back, but she’d never taken up the offer. Even now, it was going to be nothing more than a brush with this strange alternate world. Sometimes she wondered why she’d declined to visit.

Her thoughts always ended up going back to Spike.

It hurt to go back.

Shining Armor parked the minivan at the edge of the woods. It was only him, Twilight, Princess Twilight, and Little Spike. They needed at least three extra seats for Princess Celestia and her two hoof-picked guards. Skyhook was loath to remain at the Apple Farm, but he contented himself with making sure their home base was secure.

They proceeded through the forest carefully. Exposed roots and mossy rocks peppered the dirt trail leading back to the cave, and one trip could turn into a trip to the hospital. Shining moved easiest, having been trained to navigate far worse terrain. When the princess stumbled, he easily caught her by the hand and helped her lean against a tree.

They came to a valley. The last time Twilight had been there, it was in the middle of a rainstorm. The hills had been slick with mud and treacherous to traverse. It was still steep, here in the morning sunshine, but the dry dirt and angled trees made for much better footholds.

Shining helped Little Spike descend without getting his purple coat dirtier than necessary. “So, you guys walked all the way from here to Canterlot City?”

“It wasn’t too bad,” Little Spike said. His legs wobbled as he perched between two sturdy trees. “Just about a half-day’s walk, and we got here early in the morning. Blame Twilight for not hiring a cab.”

“We ordered a cab once we got to the city.” Princess Twilight dropped one foot down on a rock to test her footing. The rock came loose and tumbled to the ground below. She settled for sliding on her thigh along the hillside. “We only had so much of this world’s money from our last visit. You’d think people would be more willing to take pure gold as payment.”

Twilight looked upon the princess’ bits in a new light. “Just how pure is it?”

“At least twenty karats. Why?”

Wow, Twilight thought as her pulse quickened, Gold Fever kicks into gear real quick. “Uh… no particular reason.”

They reached the bottom of the valley without too much struggling. Twilight pressed forward, pushing aside the bushes and dangling vines that concealed the entrance to the mirror pool. Once inside, she switched on her flashlight and beckoned the others forward.

The cave was deep enough that they had to walk for a minute or two before they could reach the back, where it opened up to a sizable cavern. A few stalactites dotted the edges of the ceiling, dripping ichor to the insects and slugs that populated the hollowed earth. The mirror pool lay before them, flat and clear, not a ripple to be seen.

Twilight switched off her flashlight, and the room changed. Where before it was dark save for her light, now it was awash with luminescent gemstones that lay at the bottom and sides of the pool. The warm pink and orange glow invited Twilight to jump in and splash around for the sheer joy of it.

Before she could process this sudden desire, Little Spike stepped forward. “I’ll let them know we’re here.” He made a leaping dive into the pool. The splashing water mingled with the sparkle of magic as both swallowed him up. A few ripples later, there was no sign of him.

“Holy cow.” Shining gazed wide-eyed at the cavern, the pool, anything else that could catch his eye. “How is this even possible? How has nobody found this place?”

“We did find it,” Twilight said with a smirk. “We just never told anybody.”

The pool churned. Twilight thought she saw the scales of a dragon for a brief moment, but they quickly shifted to the damp hair of an adult dog.

“Princess Celestia ’ll be over in a minute,” Little Spike said. “And we’ve got good news for the memory stone!”

Princess Twilight knelt down beside Little Spike. “News they couldn’t just send to me with the journal?”

He shrugged noncommittally. The water in his fur seemed to seep away back to the pool of its own accord. He was dry in seconds. “Apparently.”

Two tall, strong-built men rose from the pool first. They saluted Princess Twilight the instant they were on dry ground. “Princess, Royal Guards Sturm and Drang, reporting for duty.”

“We’ll be reporting to directly Commander Skyhook, but we are also at your complete disposal.”

“Thank you, gentlecolts.” Princess Twilight Sparkle gestured for them to stand to the side and looked back to the pool.

Shining Armor leaned close to Twilight’s ear. “Complete disposal? Why’d they make her sound like some sort of evil empress?”

“I think Equestria’s a little…” Twilight grimaced as she thought it through. “Backwards when it comes to politics. It’s an absolute monarchy… or tetrarchy, I guess.”

Little Spike cleared his throat near Twilight’s knee. “It’s not an absolute tetrarchy. There are plenty of rules and checks and balances and mandates that the princesses all have to follow.”

Twilight raised an inquisitive eyebrow. “But the princesses are indisputably the highest power?”

“Well, kinda, but—”

She patted Little Spike’s head. “That’ll do, Spike. That’ll do.”

He rolled his eyes. “It’s a little more nuanced than that.”

The pool stirred. All eyes turned to watch the next person emerge.

She was recognizably Celestia, at least to Twilight’s eyes, but… she wasn’t. She was somehow both older and younger than the Celestia from Sunset’s school. Her face was smooth and pristinely porcelain, but the bags under her eyes made her look like she hadn’t slept in a decade. Her arms were clearly strong and able, yet her posture was hunched, like she was dragging a stone behind her. Her limp belied the youthful look to her body, and the cane she leaned on looked akin to some wizard’s magic staff.

Simultaneously the very picture of grace and beauty, while also appearing to be the epitome of weariness and wear.

Princess Twilight’s eyes lit up, if only to cover the sudden look of concern that washed over her face. She stepped forward to help Princess Celestia from the pool. “Celestia! Welcome! Thank you so much for agreeing to help.”

Princess Celestia’s free hand took Princess Twilight’s, while she levered the cane against the crystals to pry herself out of the enchanted water. “Of course, Twilight. I could do no less.” She smiled serenely at both Shining Armor and Twilight Sparkle. “A friend of Sunset’s, and a friend of Twilight’s, is most certainly a friend of mine.”

Twilight had to admit, even seeing how old Princess Celestia acted, she still cut a startlingly impressive appearance. She was taller than even Shining Armor, thin and lithe, with a sureness in her voice that caused Twilight to stand up a little straighter. Her dress was pulled from a fairy tale, glimmering and glistening with sparkles and interweaving colors. Gold decorated her wrists, neck, and forehead. Her hair was long and flowing, pink-hued but with subtle hints of other colors.

The cane caught Twilight’s eyes and held her attention hostage. It was shoulder-height compared to Twilight, made from a dark, twisting wood. At the top, in front of the handle, a green gemstone glittered with inner fire.

Twilight pointed at the cane. She sounded like a small child, even to her own ears, but curiosity has a way of taking charge. “Is that a wizard’s staff?”

Princess Celestia’s brow furrowed briefly, before being replaced by a tittering laugh. “I’m afraid not, Miss Sparkle. It’s just a walking stick. However…” She twisted the handle and caused the cane to come apart. A long, transparent purple blade slid from beneath the wood. “I do have a means of defending myself.”

Another splash from the pool served to distract Twilight away from the awe-inspiring woman. It was a man with fiery orange hair and a blue robe that went down to his ankles. The robe seemed to be the source of his struggles as he attempted to reach the edge of the pool. “Ah! Can I—hugh!—can I get some help here, please? Maybe a little?”

Twilight stood at the edge of the water and reached her hand towards him. He took it with a grateful smile and used the opportunity to get a better foothold. The water fell from his robes as he emerged from the pool, turning what was a hefty burden into a flowing, lightweight mage’s uniform.

His goatee turned fuzzy and unruly as it dried far too swiftly. He fiddled with it a moment before eventually just giving up and leaving well enough alone. He held a scroll close to his chest and gave Twilight a big smile. “Princess Twilight, I must say it’s so nice to be able to work with you again! This research project has been fascinating, as the adventures of Clover the Clever often are. It’s been too long! Um—”

He searched the folds of his robe for a second before eventually coming up with what seemed to be a newspaper ad. “If we have time in the next couple of weeks, there’s a new curio shop that opened up just south of Fillydelphia. It’s been a long time since we had the opportunity to go antiquing, and I hear this one’s just drenched in history!”

Twilight pressed her lips tight. She felt bad popping this guy’s bubble of enthusiasm, but— “Iiiii’m not the princess, actually.”

“Oh…” The man’s eyes widened. “Oh, excuse me, Miss Sparkle! How rude of me to… assume?” He shook his head and took a step back. He nearly tumbled back into the pool, but was saved by Twilight grabbing the edge of his cloak. “Ahem. Thank you. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Sunburst, history teacher and magic tutor at Princess Celestia’s School for Extraordinary Unicorns.”

“And a good friend,” Princess Twilight said as she stepped beside them. There was no hiding the mischievous smirk on her face. “Sunburst here was studying the memory stone while we were sleeping.”

Sunburst pulled a pair of glasses from his sleeve and slid them onto his nose. His eyes widened as he looked up at Princess Twilight. “Oh. Oh! Yes, I can see the difference. I was going to ask when you’d started wearing glasses.”

Twilight crossed her arms as she spoke to the princess. “Contact lenses?”

“Nope.” With her hands spread, Princess Twilight subtly led the three of them away from the edge of the mirror pool. Sunburst nearly tripped over his robe on the first step. “After I ascended and became an alicorn, I just didn’t need them anymore. And I got wings. And I got taller. But mostly my eyes corrected.”

Twilight’s eyes widened. “Where can I sign up for that little package deal?”

Sunburst hunched his shoulders as he glanced at the princess. “Invent a new kind of magic and it just sorta happens. Apparently.”

“I’m not sure that’s the case,” Princess Twilight said. “Starswirl’s invented hundreds of new kinds of magic and he’s still just a unicorn.”

Sunburst nodded, his hand finding his frizzy goatee and stroking it gently. “I see. So it was more the specific spell you completed than it was simply discovering new magic?”

“That’s my current proposition, but unless we get more empirical data, it’s only—”

“Excuse me.”

The conversation died in an instant as all eyes turned to Princess Celestia. She leaned against the damp wall, her cane held loosely in her hands, her guards on either side of her. “I believe we should move quickly. There is a great deal at stake.”

Little Spike waved from the cavern entrance. “Right. The memory stone’s waiting at Canterlot City hospital. You got the goods, Sunburst?”

Sunburst patted the scroll he was holding with a deathly-strong grip. “Got it all right here.”

Shining Armor spoke up, glancing between the two princesses. “I was only expecting three more people. We don’t have enough seats for one trip.”

“It’s cool, Shiny,” Little Spike said. “I’ll sit on the floor. Just… try not to drive too crazy.”

Twilight Sparkle breathed a sigh. Things were looking up on this side of the ocean. For once. “Hold on, Moondancer. Help is on the way.”