Startling discoveries and partial explanations.

Twilight was crying as she leant back against the wall, avoiding the expensive tapestries that clung to the walls around her. Great heaving sobs came from her chest as she struggled to process what was going on and come down from the adrenaline high. Pinkie Pie wasn't doing much better, hovering over her with a worried expression on her face. Her whole body was tensed up like a coiled spring, nearly invisible tremors shaking her tiny body.

Twilight had lead her to the castle, intent on informing the Princess of what had happened. They had slipped through the darkened hallways like ghosts, avoiding everypony they came across. Even the guards. She had finally broken down a short way from Celestia's private chambers. Not quite able to make the rest of the journey just yet, and knowing she wouldn't be coherent at all if she didn't take a moment.

"Twilight," asked Pinkie in a whisper. "What happened back there?"

Twilight turned her head towards her slowly, almost mechanically. She was struck by the fact that this pony, who she had only just met today, was willing to jump headfirst into danger to save her. A shiver went down her spine as she contemplated what would have happened without her help. Twilight was a magical prodigy, and would one day grow to be a very powerful magic user. But right now, that magical bolt wouldn't have done a thing. Even if she had been able to muster the necessary concentration to fire it.

"Its just, I don't think they were planning to take you to a surprise party," said Pinkie shakily. "If I hadnt been sneaking one last piece of cake... or that pony had noticed me hiding..." Pinkie trailed off, a haunted look in her eyes.

Twilight took a deep breath. "Pinkie," she said with a calm she didn't feel inside. "Its okay. You saved me. We're safe." She reached out and pulled the trembling pony into a hug.

"Shhh, its alright, everything is okay." The hug was a little awkward, but Twilight made due for Pinkie Pie's sake.

After a few more moments she pulled back."We'll bring this up to the Princess, she'll know what to do."

Pinkie forced a smile onto her face. It was a little shaky.

As they closed in on the door to Celestias chambers they could hear raised voices going back and forth before stomping hooves were heard galloping in the direction opposite them. They crept onwards, keeping quiet for reasons they couldn't quite vocalize. The guards usually stationed outside were conspicuously absent and the door was slightly ajar, letting warm light spill into the empty stone corridor.

As they moved closer Twilight began to recognize one of the voices as that of the Princess. She was clearly angry if her tone was anything to go by. "This was the absolute worst time for this to happen Lieutenant. How could you have let this happen?"

"I have nothing to say for myself your highness. I will accept any punishment you deem fit." Peeking in through the door they could see Princess Celestia towering over a guard stallion lowering his head submissively.

Princess Celestia let out a huff, looking the least dignified Twilight had ever seen her. "At least you managed to get away before they could rip the memories from your head. We shouldn't have to worry about a fake replacing her any time soon, but we must find Twilight before they realize the mistake they've made." Celestia paused as she held herself rigidly in place.

Celestia then sagged, the fire seeming to drain out of her completely. She turned away from the stallion prostrating himself at her hooves. "I apologize my little pony," said Celestia as she let out a sigh. "This is not entirely your fault, and I apologize for letting my emotions get the best of me."

As she finished saying that, Pinkie Pie leaned on the door a little too much and found herself tumbling through the door and into the bedroom. Twilight crept in after her, hunching in on herself to avoid Celestia's gaze.

"H-hello Princess," said Twilight timidly. She looked up at the sound of Celestia's gasp to find a full grown Alicorn boring down on her. Before she had time to scramble back she was swept up in a warm feathery embrace. She was held like that for an indeterminable amount of time before being placed back on the ground.

Celestia looked over her with a practiced eye searching for any hint of damage or of anything untoward. She finally let out a sigh of relief and settled back down. "I was very worried Twilight, can you tell me what happened?" asked Celestia in a more collected tone than earlier. Twilight could see that the tension had still not faded from her expression though.

Pinkie Pie who had been standing out of the way during the exchange moved to Twilight's side. She gave a tired wave as an expression of surprise flitted across Celestia's face. "Hello there little one," she looked to Twilight for an explanation.

Twilight took a deep breath and began to recount what had happened. Pinkie Pie chiming in with details from her side of things. Celestia's face remained impassive throughout the conversation, as she listened intently.

Until Twilight mentioned the being she saw.

"A-and, when I looked back... it was like a light flickering off and I could see a... a creature sitting there. It had holes in its leg, what looked like a black shell, a jagged horn and glowing blue eyes."

Celestia frowned minutely. "Are you sure that's what you saw Twilight? I understand it was very dark at the time and you only looked back for a moment yes?"

Twilight paused, had she been mistaken? But the image was burned so clearly into her head. It seemed so real. She nodded her head determinedly. "I'm sure Princess."

Celestia looked at her for a long moment, face falling back into an impassive expression before she finally sighed. "Guard, leave us."

"At once Princess!" He snapped a salute and made his way out the door. Likely heading back to the barracks to recuperate.

"Do you trust this filly," asked Celestia, nodding her head towards Pinkie Pie.

"With my life Princess." Twilights expression was unwavering.

"Then it would seem I need to tell you both a few things about... Changelings.

It was a few hours later and Twilight had been through the ringer. First Celestia had to be informed of what was going on, then the guards needed to interview her for the official report, Pinkie Pie would have been going through the same, but she hadn't seen her since she was pulled away for a seperate interview.

She was asked to leave out all mention of Changelings.

She was currently sitting in a lounge inside the guards office building. It was near the barracks so a call for help would be answered swiftly. It was much more luxurious than she would have expected from the ever practical guard, but she wasn't complaining as she sunk into the sinfully soft couch.

She could take a moment to appreciate a really comfortable couch right?

The conversation with Celestia had left her feeling drained and more than a little scared. They could take the shape of anyone and drain a ponies love until they were little more than an empty shell. She could tell Celestia didn't want to tell her anything, but she was now a target, as were those close to her most likely. Especially Pinkie...

She had to fight to keep herself from falling asleep though. She didn't have any books to study and she wanted to be there when Pinkie Pie finally showed up again. She was promised half an hour ago that if she was quiet and stayed where she was she would see her shortly. She idly wondered if the slow process of beauracracy was always like this. She had heard more than a few ponies in the castle complaining about it, only the more unsavoury nobles seemed to enjoy the overcomplicated and easy to abuse system.

Her mind drifted off as her eyes slowly unfocused. Her breathing slowed and the tension left her body.

She awoke to a gentle shaking sensation. She struggled to open her eyes as she slowly batted at the hooves interrupting her sleep. "One more minute..." she groaned out, turning onto her side to avoid the waking world for a little longer.

"Twilight." she froze for a moment, something in the tone calling to her. With another groan she got up onto her haunches and started rubbing at her eyes.

After a moment the pink blob in front of her slowly resolved into the image of her newest friend. "Pinkie Pie... what...?"

It should be noted that Twilight was not an early riser. Few ponies could be said to have a harder time waking up in the morning, especially after a hard study session. She might not have been hitting the books, but the nights events certainly were taxing.

Nonetheless, she struggled to shift her focus onto the filly in front of her. "H-how are you doing?" She asked, her mouth opening in an uncontrollable yawn.

Pinkie gave off a nervous giggle. "You know, better. I... I don't really wanna be alone right now. Can we maybe have... a slumber party?" The earnest expression on Pinkie's face guaranteed that Twilight wouldn't have been able to refuse her even if she wanted to.

"Of course Pinkie, it's no trouble." She tried to lighten the mood a little. "I've never been to a slumber party before, think you can give me some tips and tricks from a real party pony?"

She decided that the slowly widening smile on Pinkie's face was a good sign.

A dark figure made their way through the cold streets, running as fast as their legs would carry them. The pounding beat of their hooves on the gravel echoing through the street far too loudly for comfort.

Their breath was coming in heaving gasps and their gait was unsteady. They glanced around frantically for some cover from the brightly lit streets. A few alleyways presented themselves, but before they could make a move they heard thundering hooves and angry shouts coming from behind them.

The figure turned around quickly before giving off a startled hiss and bolting to the side. They made their way through one of the alleys they'd spotted but didn't dare pause with the enemy so close by.

The shouting had woken up more than a few ponies from their rest, and the few that had stayed up late were now poking their heads through their windows to get a better look at what was happening.

One mare gave off a startled shriek as the figure darted past her, scrambling back inside. The guards passed by not long after and they were quickly out of sight.

One pony in particular kept watching long after they'd left, a blank expression coming to their face as they stared into the distance. Eventually they turned away, moving deeper into the house to start writing a very important letter.

Octavia quietly crept out of her room, adjusting the straps of her Cello case to keep it from bouncing around on her back.

She made her way across the hallway, ears flattened to keep out the loud shouting coming from behind one of the doors. It was the work of a few moments to slip past the front door and outside into the crisp winter air.

She glanced both ways before crossing the street, making her way through to a nearby side alley. She picked up the pace considerably once she'd exited out onto one of the larger and more brightly lit streets.

She could hear yelling in the distance but paid it no mind, focused intently on her self imposed task. She nearly faltered when she heard the sound of loud hoofsteps, but they passed by out of sight before she could make a move.

An uneasy expression crossed her face but she decided to ignore her nerves for now and continue on.

It didn't take very long to trace the by now memorized path to Vinyl's house. The store was as brightly lit as the rest of their surroundings, but there was also the soft sound of music emanating from behind the closed door.

It was close to the areas where the Canterlot night life congregated and as such was open longer than most other stores. They would likely still be open for a couple more hours yet.

She walked up to the door, giving it a quick knock before slipping inside. She hunched her shoulders as she pressed forward heading straight to the counter at the end of the room.
Record Scratch could be seen leaning back in her chair, eyes closed and head gently swaying to the beat. As Octavia reached the counter her eyes opened, having heard the bell above the door and accompanying hoof steps making their way closer.

She looked to Octavia with a sad smile, but not a hint of surprise. "Another one of those nights huh?" She asked sympathetically.

"Sorry to intrude, Ma'am." She shuffled in place, averting her gaze.

"You know I've told you before to call me Record," she said with a warm smile. "You're practically family, if you didn't already have one I'd let you call me mom."

Her expression softened and she looked at Octavia with concern in her eyes. "You're always welcome here, I'll say it as many times as you need me to."

Octavia looked up, a light blush covering her cheeks. "Thank you." It was short, but heartfelt.

"Now, I think there's someone you would rather be seeing than an old mare like me. Vinyl should still be up at this hour, Celestia knows I can never get her to rest as long as the shops still open," she said in a cheerier tone. "Up you go, you know the way."

Octavia nodded in understanding, quickly making her way upstairs. She quietly knocked at the door and waited a moment.

A small white filly opened the door with a confused expression on her face. As she took in who was at the door that expression quickly shifted into a look of worry. Octavia was quickly beckoned inside.

Filing in after her gracefully, Octavia settled her Cello carefully up against one of the walls. Vinyl moved back over to her keyboard and Octavia quietly followed, sitting down next to her before leaning into her side.

They stayed like that for a while, Octavia simply letting the music flow around her before finally speaking up.

"Vinyl?" The filly in question looked up to her with a quizzical tilt of the head. "Sorry to be such a bother." Octavia chuckled self depreciatingly.

Vinyl merely shook her head and gave her a small sad smile. Octavia had known her for long enough to hear the words unspoken. I'm not going anywhere.

The door slammed open as Sunset rushed into the room. Luna looked up from her seat on the sofa, a startled look on her face as she nearly dropped her controller. "Sunset?" She asked in a baffled tone of voice.

Sunset grinned at her. "Guess who got the portal working?" She asked in a sing song voice, twirling around as she came into the loungeroom and gracelessly fell into a nearby armchair.

"The... portal?" Luna asked in a confused tone before her expression cleared. "Oh... Oh! Really!?" She asked, an excited smile growing on her face.

"Mhm." Sunset replied with a smug expression firmly in place. "Express portal right back to Equestria at any time I like, and yes, we can all go to magical horseland together." Sunset said with a roll of her eyes.

Before Luna could say anything further they both heard the sound of a car pulling into the driveway. After what sounded like a might struggle with the doorknob they bore witness to a very flustered Celestia edging her way into the doorway with two huge grocery bags in her arms. "Little help here?" She asked with a hint of desperation in her voice.

They both rushed to grab the bags before any unfortunate incidents could occur. After packing things away they ended up settling in for a discussion around the dining room table.

"Alright, now that Sunset has gotten the portal working," Celestia began with a proud smile on her face. "We need to have a discussion about when she's going and what she wants to do when she gets there."

Luna nodded sagely, looking at Sunset seriously. "We also need to talk about whether or not you want to stay here with us or move to Equestria in the event that you still have a place there." Celestia went to speak up, but Luna quickly cut her off. "Tia, we both know that Sunset will always be welcome here, but it is something we need to discuss."

She took a deep breath before continuing. "I've been listening to Sunset whenever she's taken the time to talk about her homeworld." Luna nodded at a worried looking Sunset. "I can read between the lines. Her special talent is magic and while we might not have an analogue in this world, I understand enough to know that she'll never really feel as happy as she could be without it."

Sunset went to speak up but was also cut off by Luna. "I know you've gone a long time without it, I know you're too strong to be brought down so easily. But if you don't have to go without it, we don't want you to hurt yourself like that for our sakes."

Sunset sagged in her seat, a troubled expression settling on her face. "I don't want to leave you two." She said sadly.

"And you won't have to." Celestia was quick to assure her.

"But we do need to look into your options. Using magic here is almost impossible without advanced machinery or ancient artifacts from what you've told us." Luna continued. "There might be a solution, I can't say for sure, I'm just the vice principal of a high school. But what I do know is that I want you to be happy. Even if that means you will only be visiting us occasionally."

There was silence for awhile as no one was quite sure what to say.

It was Sunset who spoke up first. "Before I came here, I didn't really know what it was like to have a family." said Sunset. "It was completely unfamiliar to me, and a big part of the reason I was never able to make any real friends even before I was known as the Princess's personal protege."

She let out a sigh. "I can't go back to being alone like that, having you two with me, and the friends I've made on this world... it's not something I can ever give up. Even if it means never using magic again, I think I could accept not going back if it meant I could stay with you."

"I didn't start this project because I wanted to leave you, I did it because I've realized that I need closure. I need to talk to the Princess, I need to tell her what was going through my head and ask for forgiveness. Until I do that I don't think I'll ever be able to move past it." She leaned forward, pressing her face into her hands. "It's something I need to do."

Both sisters exchanged a look before moving their chairs next to Sunset and enveloping her in a hug. "It's going to be okay, little sun," said Celestia quietly. "We'll work through this together, no matter what it takes. There's always a third option for the ones truly willing to work for it."

Sunset let out a chuckle that sounded just a little off. "I hope so, but I'm more worried about how the Princess is going to react to be honest."

"It will be okay Sunset. If she's anything like me, and she should be. I'm sure she'll understand and forgive you. Everyone makes mistakes, but we do our best to fix them and then we move on." said Celestia comfortingly.

Luna chimes in at this point. "Take it from someone with regrets of their own. Sometimes the most important person you need to seek forgiveness from is yourself."

""And I'm sure you'll be looking forward to seeing little Twilight as well yes?" Celestia asked in a teasing tone. "I'm sure she would say the same, from what you've told us she seems quite taken with you." She chuckled warmly before falling quiet once again.

They held onto each other for a while before retiring to the loungeroom. They ended up ordering out and spent the rest of the night playing video games. Luna trounced them with ease, but it was a good night anyway.