Seven-Ten Splitby Sexy Pudgy Pinkie PieChaptersSpareA Summer In The StarsMelancholy Of DepartureSpare”Fillies, foals, and gentlecolts, make some noise for Equestria’s greatest -and still only- stunt group; THE WASHOUTS!” A blue-maned unicorn fiddled with a monstrous sound system, the still air vibrating with the shriek of an electric guitar. A wing of pegasi thundered through the overcast sky, blowing a hole in the clouds and bringing a shaft of sunlight down. “It was really cool of Princess Twilight to let us spend Summer Break on this side of the mirror, and to get us tickets to this.” Indigo Zap smiled as she jostled the smaller pegasus next to her, who was gaping skyward. The line of ponies broke apart, six beginning to corkscrew around the seventh in three staggered rings. “Y… Yeah. From what uh, the other me said these guys are like a pony Nitro Circus.” Both Rarities had also seen fit to outfit the visitors for clothing. The nudity taboo had been met with the difficulty of dressing with awkward hooves. Indigo had opted for a dark violet flannel, and Dash for a deep blue hooded tracksuit jacket. Both former humans leaned forward, one to either side of their “chaperone”, the pony Rainbow Dash. “So like, what are they doing?” Their voices were so similar that it seemed like Dash had answered herself when the slightly larger Rainbow tipped her chin back and replied. “A lot of things, actually. They're creating a differential… erm... “ Rainbow waved her hooves vaguely. “collecting a charge. Calling down a lightning strike.” Bluish sparks danced along the lead pony, bouncing between her outstretched forelegs, arcing along her bodysuit and helmet. Dash and Zap shifted uncomfortably on the metal bleachers they sat upon, until Rainbow pointed out the tall rods circling the area. “They're also creating a slip, ah… a gap in wind resistance.” Rainbow nudged her friends and put her hooves over her ears, mouthing a countdown. They followed suit, bracing for whatever was about to happen. Even with muffled ears, the crack of the lightning was nearly deafening. The six ponies abruptly stopped their spin and sped off nearly at right angles, like a disposable sabot ejecting from a silver dart. Rainbow made motions with her hoof, indicating the differential being dumped onto the next ring as each pegasus pair broke off from the pack. When the final pair wheeled off, the lone pegasus in the center was briefly surrounded by a blue-white corona, before tongues of lightning flicked out. Each rod was struck in turn, triggering a row of cannons to fire and causing the sound system to feedback shrilly. The last bolt struck a silver ring set onto a dais dead-center of the arena, and a black-suited form skidded in all four hooves through the middle of it before adopting a trumphant pose. Her teammates alighted on either side as rockets exploded close in the air over them. “That was…” “FUCKING AWESOME!” Rainbow shook her head as the lead pony hopped off the platform and started towards a loose collection of trailers at the edge of the arena, the others starting the next leg of their routine. “Crazy nag rode the lightning. C’mon, I'll take you to go meet her.” Zap stopped dead at the sound of her voice, like the strident tone was a dagger buried deep in her breast. The pony was tall and well-built. Her helmet unlatched and was cast off to reveal a turquoise coat and a mane of tawny gold that stood slicked back and upright in a rakish style. Just like Indigo’s. “Glad you could make it, Dash. I'd hoofbump you, but I still got a bit of charge. Probably shock the hell outta you.” The pony turned, whatever she was going to say next dying on her lips as her jaw hung slack. Two ponies locked eyes, staring into the face of a ghost. Lightning Dust recovered first. Her broad wings whickered like fans of knives as she closed the distance. Rainbow stiffened as the larger pony shoved her, hovering over her. Her voice cracked. “This is a low blow, even for you Dash. What the fuck. You could have had your changeling student pick any disguise to see the show and you pick HER?” Dash carefully tucked one of her smaller hooves over one of Zap’s, noting the way the golden-coated pegasus was beginning to hyperventilate. “N-no, Dusty… it's not like that. There's a mirror, a portal that Twilight's got. The… the place on the other side is… like here but different. She's the real deal.” Lightning Dust landed, and she and Zap took a half-step towards one another. They both reached out gingerly, as if a distorted mirror lay between them and the other would shatter if touched. “D-Diggy.” “D-Dusty.” The moment passed and both ponies raced together and threw forelegs around one another. Both Dashes suddenly felt awkward as they watched the toughest girls they knew break down into ugly sobs, faces hidden in the neck of the other and clinging like they'd be torn apart. “Someone want to explain?” Dash furrowed her brow and pursed her lips. Both ponies spoke at once, a waterlogged rush if babbled words choked by tears. “She's” “My” “Big” “Little” “Sister!” A Summer In The Stars The quiet night was ripped apart by giggling and the throaty roar of dirtbike engines. Indigo felt like she was flying as the brush whipped the body of her bike, caressed her legs, her trail jacket whipping behind her like wings. She was happy, carefree. Her big sister best friend had returned from the MotoCross circuit to take her trailriding for her birthday. The reunion had been teary, with Dust kneeling in her road leathers and telling her she was big enough for her own bike. Zap’s heart had stopped and she'd begun denying- there was no way. Dust had taken her out to the garage and there she was- a gleaming turquoise bike only slightly smaller than her big sister’s gold-painted one. A jacket a couple sizes too large for her dropped over her shoulders, smelling like motor oil and gasoline. Dust’s jacket, with the winged skull across the shoulders. Their mother told them to be back by supper and they'd torn off, immediately racing into the heart of Everfree National Park. She was a little scared, the trail they were riding had a steep drop to one side and climbed the embankment of a gorge towards a lookout. She wouldn't show it, as Dust never felt fear and neither should she. “You look good on a bike.” Those words echoed in her head, her smile vanishing as she screamed. She lost control of the bike and slid, picking up a few bruises as she laid her dirtbike down. The jacket kept her safe. Turning back to see what was wrong, Dust never saw what Zap had. Up ahead the trail had washed out. Dust looked like she was flying for half of a terrible second as her wheels tried to run on open air. Rainbow sucked in a breath and stared at her hooves. The sisters were still clinging together, Zap swallowing a knot of emotion before continuing. “I-I found a way down into the gorge and… S-She’d hit a tree. It was a mess. I barely managed to get on the phone with emergency services and… there's nothing they can do if you take a tree branch through the chest.” Rainbow and Dash wordlessly turned to look at Dust. Unsurprisingly, she wasn't nearly as forthcoming with the tale of how her Indigo had met her end. “I'd just gotten back from flight camp. She was… I-It was like you and the squirt, Dash. She followed me everywhere, I was a fucking hero in her eyes. We… We flew Ghastly Gorge.” A turquoise hoof scuffed the carpet of the trailer, golden eyes staring a thousand yards and ten years into the past. “Q-Quarry Eels. Th-there was a rock slide and… a-a boulder fell. I wasn't strong enough to move it.” Both ponies took a deep breath. “I told myself that Dusty would always be with me. I kept that jacket, wore it every damn day for a year. I slept in it. With the smell of gasoline and Morley’s, there wasn't any nightmares… just my big sister holding me. I had to live for her. Walk in her footsteps.” “Something inside me broke. I… That was when you finally won first, Dash. I didn't have a cold, I had Chromatic Diminishment Syndrome. Those hairpin turns I can pull off? I flew Ghastly Gorge every day until my feathers started falling out. I begged the Quarry Eels to snap me up. I wished for a boulder to snuff me out. I wanted to fly faster than that last scream. To become so strong that the world could never hurt me again.” Sitting together, the resemblance really was uncanny. Like a miscolored Xerox or a particularly unskilled Changeling. Indigo was smaller and orange-gold while Dust was larger and turquoise, but otherwise they were identical. Dust was the first to break contact, rising and carefully strapping back into her helmet. “I've gotta get back, they're probably up to the next set in the routine by now.” She paused. “There should be some empty spaces in the front row, you guys should move down. Mean a lot to me.” With a beat of her powerful wings, her hooves left the ground and Indigo watched her leave with an expression of quiet wonder. She fixed Dash and Rainbow with a Look. “We can do that, right? These things actually work?” Rainbow rolled her eyes and gave her wings a flick. “Uh, duh. But I think we should wait until after the show. Flight pointers are kinda a big-sister thing.” Indigo nodded and followed the other two out, but not before pausing to breathe in the air of the trailer her otherworldly sister called home. Different, with a distinct pony scent and with a tang of ozone rather than machine oil, but not very much different than the jacket. They were promised a good show, and it was. Melancholy Of DepartureMuch as the girls from Earth wanted the summer to last forever, it couldn't possibly. They only had a week left before their Senior year of classes started, after all. The Twilights had amused themselves by getting Sunset to move heavy objects and generally fawning over the larger mare, in addition to furthering the understanding of the other in the fields of magic and technology. Applejack had spent the summer practically cloistered at Sweet Apple Acres. Apple Bloom was enamored with her, and the summer’s productivity doubled with a second Applejack around. The Rarities had spent roughly a week together, fussing over one another. Once the human Rarity had become acclimated to the use of magic, the pony Rarity had taken the opportunity to spend some time with her family and at her other shops abroad, secure in the knowledge that Carousel Boutique was in good hooves. When the Pinkies met, there was an initial cringing moment where it was feared that the world might end- before they'd greeted one another as old friends. It was rare for either of them to be around somepony or someone who really got them, and they spent their time in characteristic good spirits. Even if the Dashes sometimes mixed them up and kissed the wrong one (or they mixed themselves up as a prank). The Spikes had instantly gotten on like a house afire and had been absolutely inseparable, forming a bond that went further than scale-deep. They were Bros, and would be until the end of time, especially after Spike the Dog had been inducted into the Guy's Night group. The Fluttershies had gotten along well. Too well, given that they were identical, which left everypony around them slightly uncomfortable. The Crystal Prep girls had spent their days doing what some of them hadn't had opportunity or inclination to do in quite some time. To be teenage girls on holiday. Learning the abilities they gained as ponies, picnics in the park, swimming in the lake, exploring the neighboring countryside. Unmotivated by any ambition further than finding what would amuse next- or just spending a quiet rainy evening in the castle’s library between board games they'd found and ones that had been brought from their world. All of them, except for Indigo Zap. The Washouts had spent a week in Ponyville before moving on, with Lightning Dust leaving a list of addresses where mail could reach her and rough dates upon which she'd be in each location. During that week, she’d been attached to Dusty’s hip. The older mare had made a show of measuring Zap against her barrel before pulling a flat box out of her travel trunk. Light and airy lycra instead of the thick kevlar-padded jumpsuit worn during shows. A practice jumpsuit of her very own in a deep sable trimmed with neon green. Washed and pressed, but one of Lightning Dust’s. It wasn't a jacket, but her newly refound sister would be coming home with her, along with stories and pictures as well as souvenirs for their human mother. With Dusty flying wingpony in the suit that clung to every inch, Indigo Zap flew Ghastly Gorge. She flew it until she could fly it cold, blindfolded. She flew it until her muscles screamed and her wings felt like they'd fall off. She flew until she felt her- the other her-, until she could arrive at the other end safe and sound without even a broken sweat. Sometimes things work out. Once it all had been explained, Indigo’s mother had cried and tentative plans had been formed to possibly venture to the other side of the mirror. To see her daughter fully grown and successful in a career she loved, even if she were a pony. And the agreement had to be made- someone, or rather somepony had to miss Indigo as much as Dusty was missed on this side. When school started again for the year, the Crystal Prep girls were seated in the front quad, waiting for school to begin. Joking and reminiscing about their trip beyond the mirror. The sound of a powerful engine and the blat of a glasspacked tailpipe startled them and turned their attention as one to the student lot. The throaty rumble died down as the big black Shadowbolt motorcycle was shut off, and the rider pulled off her helmet. Indigo Zap strode confidently towards them, the loosened Crystal Prep dress code altered further with thick-heeled knee-height boots beneath the regulation pleated skirt, and the boy’s shirt and tie she wore covered by a leather jacket. Spiked along the lapels, studded here and there, with a winged skull patch covering the back. Sugarcoat piped up, raising a brow. “New bike, new jacket? That whole “changing your look to change everybody's perceptions of you” thing doesn't really work. At least not on you.” Indigo fell loosely into the grass near her friends, supporting herself on her hands. “Sup to you too, Sugar. Nah, they're… they used to belong to Lightning Dust. My sister.” As one, the other girls winced a little bit. It wasn't frequently brought up out of respect for their friend, but it was a known fact and none of them were really sure how to react- even with the existence of the other Lightning Dust. Except Lemon Zest, who as always was in her own little world of rock and roll. Indigo started to say something about how it was fine, that the summer had gotten her over a lot, and that she'd gotten her sister back. But she was drowned out by the warning bell for homeroom, and settled for shaking her head with a smirk. Sugarcoat paused at the front doors and Indigo shook her head, waving her on with a flick of her fingers. When she was certain she was alone, she pulled a book out of her bag that Princess Twilight had given her. The cover was a uniform black, with a lightning bolt painted on the front and stars scattering around the strike. Lightning Dust’s “Cutie Mark”. She snickered internally at the pony-name for a talent symbol. She cracked it open and clicked a pen, closing her eyes for a moment. To my Big Sister, and Best Friend. I wrote to you a lot… after. I guess it's different now, since Princess Twilight says you'll actually be able to write back, if it works right. I hope your book made it to you safely, and I hope you're taking care of yourself. School starts today, and I'm honestly looking forward to it. I never did before, it used to just be another day. Mom’s being typical Mom. After she found out about you she did a complete 180 on Equestria. We're working things out with Princess Twilight to take a trip across during the next break from school. She's got one of your headshots on her nightstand. Or you could drop by! Just write me a note in your copy and I'll come pick you up at the mirror. Anyway, school’s about to start and I gotta dash to homeroom. Please be safe, and look after ~~our your~~ pony Mom for me. You can tell her whatever you want. Seeya around, your best little sister; Indigo Zap. The images on the Omniscio faded, revealing the starfield behind them. Two ponies sat before the window, a low table set with recaff and a platter of cookies between them. The larger, a heliotrope alicorn whose wings blended to a dusky purple at the ends and whose mane and tail were crackling storms of tachyons and Cherenkov radiation, regarded her companion for the space of several timeless seconds. The other was a Nocturne pegasus, tall and slender colored in shades of green. A tiny smirk showed her rather large fangs. “You're a sap.” The batpony drew herself up in mock affront, resting a hoof on her chest. “Me? Never.” Her cheerful octarine eyes regarded her companion thoughtfully. “I merely saw a dimensional pair lay out the challenge of a seven-ten split. I can't help that I flawlessly picked up the spare. More tea?” Starlight Glimmer rolled her eyes and clicked the Omniscio to review another case. “Yes, please, Absinthe.” Author's Note And that's a wrap. This story evolved from another one, the one I originally planned for Oroboro's "Journeys" contest that got killed by the Goliaths striding that battlefield and Scope Creep. It's being worked on, and the stories of the other girls will show up in more detail there.
Spare”Fillies, foals, and gentlecolts, make some noise for Equestria’s greatest -and still only- stunt group; THE WASHOUTS!” A blue-maned unicorn fiddled with a monstrous sound system, the still air vibrating with the shriek of an electric guitar. A wing of pegasi thundered through the overcast sky, blowing a hole in the clouds and bringing a shaft of sunlight down. “It was really cool of Princess Twilight to let us spend Summer Break on this side of the mirror, and to get us tickets to this.” Indigo Zap smiled as she jostled the smaller pegasus next to her, who was gaping skyward. The line of ponies broke apart, six beginning to corkscrew around the seventh in three staggered rings. “Y… Yeah. From what uh, the other me said these guys are like a pony Nitro Circus.” Both Rarities had also seen fit to outfit the visitors for clothing. The nudity taboo had been met with the difficulty of dressing with awkward hooves. Indigo had opted for a dark violet flannel, and Dash for a deep blue hooded tracksuit jacket. Both former humans leaned forward, one to either side of their “chaperone”, the pony Rainbow Dash. “So like, what are they doing?” Their voices were so similar that it seemed like Dash had answered herself when the slightly larger Rainbow tipped her chin back and replied. “A lot of things, actually. They're creating a differential… erm... “ Rainbow waved her hooves vaguely. “collecting a charge. Calling down a lightning strike.” Bluish sparks danced along the lead pony, bouncing between her outstretched forelegs, arcing along her bodysuit and helmet. Dash and Zap shifted uncomfortably on the metal bleachers they sat upon, until Rainbow pointed out the tall rods circling the area. “They're also creating a slip, ah… a gap in wind resistance.” Rainbow nudged her friends and put her hooves over her ears, mouthing a countdown. They followed suit, bracing for whatever was about to happen. Even with muffled ears, the crack of the lightning was nearly deafening. The six ponies abruptly stopped their spin and sped off nearly at right angles, like a disposable sabot ejecting from a silver dart. Rainbow made motions with her hoof, indicating the differential being dumped onto the next ring as each pegasus pair broke off from the pack. When the final pair wheeled off, the lone pegasus in the center was briefly surrounded by a blue-white corona, before tongues of lightning flicked out. Each rod was struck in turn, triggering a row of cannons to fire and causing the sound system to feedback shrilly. The last bolt struck a silver ring set onto a dais dead-center of the arena, and a black-suited form skidded in all four hooves through the middle of it before adopting a trumphant pose. Her teammates alighted on either side as rockets exploded close in the air over them. “That was…” “FUCKING AWESOME!” Rainbow shook her head as the lead pony hopped off the platform and started towards a loose collection of trailers at the edge of the arena, the others starting the next leg of their routine. “Crazy nag rode the lightning. C’mon, I'll take you to go meet her.” Zap stopped dead at the sound of her voice, like the strident tone was a dagger buried deep in her breast. The pony was tall and well-built. Her helmet unlatched and was cast off to reveal a turquoise coat and a mane of tawny gold that stood slicked back and upright in a rakish style. Just like Indigo’s. “Glad you could make it, Dash. I'd hoofbump you, but I still got a bit of charge. Probably shock the hell outta you.” The pony turned, whatever she was going to say next dying on her lips as her jaw hung slack. Two ponies locked eyes, staring into the face of a ghost. Lightning Dust recovered first. Her broad wings whickered like fans of knives as she closed the distance. Rainbow stiffened as the larger pony shoved her, hovering over her. Her voice cracked. “This is a low blow, even for you Dash. What the fuck. You could have had your changeling student pick any disguise to see the show and you pick HER?” Dash carefully tucked one of her smaller hooves over one of Zap’s, noting the way the golden-coated pegasus was beginning to hyperventilate. “N-no, Dusty… it's not like that. There's a mirror, a portal that Twilight's got. The… the place on the other side is… like here but different. She's the real deal.” Lightning Dust landed, and she and Zap took a half-step towards one another. They both reached out gingerly, as if a distorted mirror lay between them and the other would shatter if touched. “D-Diggy.” “D-Dusty.” The moment passed and both ponies raced together and threw forelegs around one another. Both Dashes suddenly felt awkward as they watched the toughest girls they knew break down into ugly sobs, faces hidden in the neck of the other and clinging like they'd be torn apart. “Someone want to explain?” Dash furrowed her brow and pursed her lips. Both ponies spoke at once, a waterlogged rush if babbled words choked by tears. “She's” “My” “Big” “Little” “Sister!”
A Summer In The Stars The quiet night was ripped apart by giggling and the throaty roar of dirtbike engines. Indigo felt like she was flying as the brush whipped the body of her bike, caressed her legs, her trail jacket whipping behind her like wings. She was happy, carefree. Her big sister best friend had returned from the MotoCross circuit to take her trailriding for her birthday. The reunion had been teary, with Dust kneeling in her road leathers and telling her she was big enough for her own bike. Zap’s heart had stopped and she'd begun denying- there was no way. Dust had taken her out to the garage and there she was- a gleaming turquoise bike only slightly smaller than her big sister’s gold-painted one. A jacket a couple sizes too large for her dropped over her shoulders, smelling like motor oil and gasoline. Dust’s jacket, with the winged skull across the shoulders. Their mother told them to be back by supper and they'd torn off, immediately racing into the heart of Everfree National Park. She was a little scared, the trail they were riding had a steep drop to one side and climbed the embankment of a gorge towards a lookout. She wouldn't show it, as Dust never felt fear and neither should she. “You look good on a bike.” Those words echoed in her head, her smile vanishing as she screamed. She lost control of the bike and slid, picking up a few bruises as she laid her dirtbike down. The jacket kept her safe. Turning back to see what was wrong, Dust never saw what Zap had. Up ahead the trail had washed out. Dust looked like she was flying for half of a terrible second as her wheels tried to run on open air. Rainbow sucked in a breath and stared at her hooves. The sisters were still clinging together, Zap swallowing a knot of emotion before continuing. “I-I found a way down into the gorge and… S-She’d hit a tree. It was a mess. I barely managed to get on the phone with emergency services and… there's nothing they can do if you take a tree branch through the chest.” Rainbow and Dash wordlessly turned to look at Dust. Unsurprisingly, she wasn't nearly as forthcoming with the tale of how her Indigo had met her end. “I'd just gotten back from flight camp. She was… I-It was like you and the squirt, Dash. She followed me everywhere, I was a fucking hero in her eyes. We… We flew Ghastly Gorge.” A turquoise hoof scuffed the carpet of the trailer, golden eyes staring a thousand yards and ten years into the past. “Q-Quarry Eels. Th-there was a rock slide and… a-a boulder fell. I wasn't strong enough to move it.” Both ponies took a deep breath. “I told myself that Dusty would always be with me. I kept that jacket, wore it every damn day for a year. I slept in it. With the smell of gasoline and Morley’s, there wasn't any nightmares… just my big sister holding me. I had to live for her. Walk in her footsteps.” “Something inside me broke. I… That was when you finally won first, Dash. I didn't have a cold, I had Chromatic Diminishment Syndrome. Those hairpin turns I can pull off? I flew Ghastly Gorge every day until my feathers started falling out. I begged the Quarry Eels to snap me up. I wished for a boulder to snuff me out. I wanted to fly faster than that last scream. To become so strong that the world could never hurt me again.” Sitting together, the resemblance really was uncanny. Like a miscolored Xerox or a particularly unskilled Changeling. Indigo was smaller and orange-gold while Dust was larger and turquoise, but otherwise they were identical. Dust was the first to break contact, rising and carefully strapping back into her helmet. “I've gotta get back, they're probably up to the next set in the routine by now.” She paused. “There should be some empty spaces in the front row, you guys should move down. Mean a lot to me.” With a beat of her powerful wings, her hooves left the ground and Indigo watched her leave with an expression of quiet wonder. She fixed Dash and Rainbow with a Look. “We can do that, right? These things actually work?” Rainbow rolled her eyes and gave her wings a flick. “Uh, duh. But I think we should wait until after the show. Flight pointers are kinda a big-sister thing.” Indigo nodded and followed the other two out, but not before pausing to breathe in the air of the trailer her otherworldly sister called home. Different, with a distinct pony scent and with a tang of ozone rather than machine oil, but not very much different than the jacket. They were promised a good show, and it was.
Melancholy Of DepartureMuch as the girls from Earth wanted the summer to last forever, it couldn't possibly. They only had a week left before their Senior year of classes started, after all. The Twilights had amused themselves by getting Sunset to move heavy objects and generally fawning over the larger mare, in addition to furthering the understanding of the other in the fields of magic and technology. Applejack had spent the summer practically cloistered at Sweet Apple Acres. Apple Bloom was enamored with her, and the summer’s productivity doubled with a second Applejack around. The Rarities had spent roughly a week together, fussing over one another. Once the human Rarity had become acclimated to the use of magic, the pony Rarity had taken the opportunity to spend some time with her family and at her other shops abroad, secure in the knowledge that Carousel Boutique was in good hooves. When the Pinkies met, there was an initial cringing moment where it was feared that the world might end- before they'd greeted one another as old friends. It was rare for either of them to be around somepony or someone who really got them, and they spent their time in characteristic good spirits. Even if the Dashes sometimes mixed them up and kissed the wrong one (or they mixed themselves up as a prank). The Spikes had instantly gotten on like a house afire and had been absolutely inseparable, forming a bond that went further than scale-deep. They were Bros, and would be until the end of time, especially after Spike the Dog had been inducted into the Guy's Night group. The Fluttershies had gotten along well. Too well, given that they were identical, which left everypony around them slightly uncomfortable. The Crystal Prep girls had spent their days doing what some of them hadn't had opportunity or inclination to do in quite some time. To be teenage girls on holiday. Learning the abilities they gained as ponies, picnics in the park, swimming in the lake, exploring the neighboring countryside. Unmotivated by any ambition further than finding what would amuse next- or just spending a quiet rainy evening in the castle’s library between board games they'd found and ones that had been brought from their world. All of them, except for Indigo Zap. The Washouts had spent a week in Ponyville before moving on, with Lightning Dust leaving a list of addresses where mail could reach her and rough dates upon which she'd be in each location. During that week, she’d been attached to Dusty’s hip. The older mare had made a show of measuring Zap against her barrel before pulling a flat box out of her travel trunk. Light and airy lycra instead of the thick kevlar-padded jumpsuit worn during shows. A practice jumpsuit of her very own in a deep sable trimmed with neon green. Washed and pressed, but one of Lightning Dust’s. It wasn't a jacket, but her newly refound sister would be coming home with her, along with stories and pictures as well as souvenirs for their human mother. With Dusty flying wingpony in the suit that clung to every inch, Indigo Zap flew Ghastly Gorge. She flew it until she could fly it cold, blindfolded. She flew it until her muscles screamed and her wings felt like they'd fall off. She flew until she felt her- the other her-, until she could arrive at the other end safe and sound without even a broken sweat. Sometimes things work out. Once it all had been explained, Indigo’s mother had cried and tentative plans had been formed to possibly venture to the other side of the mirror. To see her daughter fully grown and successful in a career she loved, even if she were a pony. And the agreement had to be made- someone, or rather somepony had to miss Indigo as much as Dusty was missed on this side. When school started again for the year, the Crystal Prep girls were seated in the front quad, waiting for school to begin. Joking and reminiscing about their trip beyond the mirror. The sound of a powerful engine and the blat of a glasspacked tailpipe startled them and turned their attention as one to the student lot. The throaty rumble died down as the big black Shadowbolt motorcycle was shut off, and the rider pulled off her helmet. Indigo Zap strode confidently towards them, the loosened Crystal Prep dress code altered further with thick-heeled knee-height boots beneath the regulation pleated skirt, and the boy’s shirt and tie she wore covered by a leather jacket. Spiked along the lapels, studded here and there, with a winged skull patch covering the back. Sugarcoat piped up, raising a brow. “New bike, new jacket? That whole “changing your look to change everybody's perceptions of you” thing doesn't really work. At least not on you.” Indigo fell loosely into the grass near her friends, supporting herself on her hands. “Sup to you too, Sugar. Nah, they're… they used to belong to Lightning Dust. My sister.” As one, the other girls winced a little bit. It wasn't frequently brought up out of respect for their friend, but it was a known fact and none of them were really sure how to react- even with the existence of the other Lightning Dust. Except Lemon Zest, who as always was in her own little world of rock and roll. Indigo started to say something about how it was fine, that the summer had gotten her over a lot, and that she'd gotten her sister back. But she was drowned out by the warning bell for homeroom, and settled for shaking her head with a smirk. Sugarcoat paused at the front doors and Indigo shook her head, waving her on with a flick of her fingers. When she was certain she was alone, she pulled a book out of her bag that Princess Twilight had given her. The cover was a uniform black, with a lightning bolt painted on the front and stars scattering around the strike. Lightning Dust’s “Cutie Mark”. She snickered internally at the pony-name for a talent symbol. She cracked it open and clicked a pen, closing her eyes for a moment. To my Big Sister, and Best Friend. I wrote to you a lot… after. I guess it's different now, since Princess Twilight says you'll actually be able to write back, if it works right. I hope your book made it to you safely, and I hope you're taking care of yourself. School starts today, and I'm honestly looking forward to it. I never did before, it used to just be another day. Mom’s being typical Mom. After she found out about you she did a complete 180 on Equestria. We're working things out with Princess Twilight to take a trip across during the next break from school. She's got one of your headshots on her nightstand. Or you could drop by! Just write me a note in your copy and I'll come pick you up at the mirror. Anyway, school’s about to start and I gotta dash to homeroom. Please be safe, and look after ~~our your~~ pony Mom for me. You can tell her whatever you want. Seeya around, your best little sister; Indigo Zap. The images on the Omniscio faded, revealing the starfield behind them. Two ponies sat before the window, a low table set with recaff and a platter of cookies between them. The larger, a heliotrope alicorn whose wings blended to a dusky purple at the ends and whose mane and tail were crackling storms of tachyons and Cherenkov radiation, regarded her companion for the space of several timeless seconds. The other was a Nocturne pegasus, tall and slender colored in shades of green. A tiny smirk showed her rather large fangs. “You're a sap.” The batpony drew herself up in mock affront, resting a hoof on her chest. “Me? Never.” Her cheerful octarine eyes regarded her companion thoughtfully. “I merely saw a dimensional pair lay out the challenge of a seven-ten split. I can't help that I flawlessly picked up the spare. More tea?” Starlight Glimmer rolled her eyes and clicked the Omniscio to review another case. “Yes, please, Absinthe.” Author's Note And that's a wrap. This story evolved from another one, the one I originally planned for Oroboro's "Journeys" contest that got killed by the Goliaths striding that battlefield and Scope Creep. It's being worked on, and the stories of the other girls will show up in more detail there.
