The front door to Twilight’s house had never filled Sunset with quite so much fear and trepidation as it did in that moment. She froze, staring at the door as Night unlocked it, her heart starting to race. Beside her, Twilight gripped her hand tighter, reminding her that she was there, grounding her in the present and the tangible and the real. “Sunny…”

It was enough to get her legs moving again, stiff and wooden, but her pulse was still galloping along. She followed the family into the living room, where Velvet set down the soft cushion and the cold pack for her on the couch. “Would you like a second one for your back?” she asked gently.

Sunset nodded, more to prolong the inevitable conversation than any desire for the cold surface to numb her back. Right now the throbbing pain grounded her—Hell had not felt like much of anything, looking back, and the illusions that had carried sensations had been fantasies. This was nothing of the sort.

That was, at best, a small comfort.

--We got this, horn-head. Breathe so we don’t pass out.--

Air. That was a thing she needed for living.

The former unicorn forced herself to suck in oxygen to her lungs, trying to focus on that, rather than on the way she was trying to avoid bolting or collapsing. She had to be conscious to explain. To…tell this family the truth that they, more than anyone else in the whole human world, deserved.

Twilight cleared her throat, “Cady…Sunset needs to eat…to replenish her energy. Do we have anything we can heat up for her?”

Eyes lit up in understanding. “I’ll go look. We should probably all eat something while we wait for Shining to get here—he texted me, saying he’s on his way.”

“…Food would be fantastic…” Sunset’s stomach snarled at her.

A wax paper wrapped square was pressed into her hands by Twilight while the adults were in the kitchen to put together something approximating dinner. “Rainbow Dash said to make sure you ate one of these as soon as I could get you to consider food. Something about a mana bar?”

She managed a rough, weak chuckle and tore it open. “That’s…as accurate a term as any,” she said, before devouring it like a starving beast in three bites. The thaumic energy trickled into her, and Sunset turned her senses inward to assess as much as she was able. Her reserves were very low, but they had started to recover far more quickly than she had expected.

For all it and the two more Sun Bites Twilight shoved at her did for her magical energy, it did little to stop the trembling in her hands, or the way her innards could not seem to settle on which feeling they preferred: aching pangs of hunger or the twisting sensation of a fear she couldn't put into words. Every breath threatened to stick in her throat, and icy needles stabbed at her soul.

Twilight noticed. Sunset didn't realize how much she did, until smaller hands were in hers, pouring warmth and something that almost felt like magic into her stiff digits. “...Sunny, look at me please?” she whispered. Blue-green eyes obeyed, pulled to the gentle tone that had kept her sane so many times today, and found herself facing Twilight.

“Sorry…” she choked out.

“No,” Twilight said, squeezing her hands and bringing them close to her chest to kiss the knuckles like Sunset sometimes did for her. “It’s…it’s okay, Sunset. You’re scared. It's…it's okay to be scared. It's okay if you have to stop and breathe, or take a minute to compose yourself, and if you can't talk about something right now because it's…part of that ‘too much’ you talked about before…that’s okay too.” She bit her lip, worried at it with her teeth, then seemed to gather her courage. “Months ago, when I was scared, you promised to be there when I needed you…and you were. Today. I needed you, and you risked everything to help me, to keep that promise…even if anyone would have understood if you couldn't. You came for me, through the worst torture imaginable, and you kept your promise.”

“...I would do it again if I had to,” Sunset breathed, and meant every word.

Twilight blinked back tears. “I know.” She pressed their hands to her chest, over her heart. “I know in a way that goes beyond knowing exactly what you would do for me. What you have done…” Her inhale was shaky, and Sunset mirrored it without intending to. “...And…I know we have things to talk about, but…this is my promise to you. You aren't doing this alone. I’m here. I’m right beside you, to support you and tell you that…you can't get rid of me that easy. Hell couldn't keep us from helping each other, and neither will anyone else. Not another world, not whatever you have to tell us, not whatever reaction my family has. You are my very best friend, Sunset Shimmer, and while I can’t turn that into crazy rainbows and unicorns made of stars, I’m here. You are not alone.”

Something eased, and Sunset couldn't stop from leaning forward and pulling Twilight into tight hug. She didn't trust herself to speak, but from the way the other girl pressed into the hug, she understood. The…twisting fear wasn't gone, but it retreated enough that her lungs didn't feel like they were fighting for every breath while her pulse pounded in her ears and instinct screamed to run, just run, because eventually she could outrun the danger.

They broke apart so she could devour a fourth Sun Bite, sharing a bit of it with her curious girlfriend. “...It won't hurt you,” she told her quietly. “Princess Twilight was thorough with the ingredients list, and all of it’s safe for human consumption. The thaumic energy in it wont do anything for you, except maybe heal any lingering exposure to the dark magic, just like the tarts Pinkie and I made a while back.”

Her girlfriend hummed. “It's like a fruity granola bar. Good, but I won't take it from you when it sounds like you need it for your magic, right?”

Sunset scarfed down the rest in seconds, feeling more right with every drop of magic returned to her system. “...yeah. I’ve got a lot normally, but I used most of it by the end there.”

It felt even better when she could lean back against a large cold pack and dig into a bowl of a cheesy vegetarian casserole Velvet had made for her and stuck in the freezer. Reheated, the heaping bowl was hot and satiating the hollow in her gut as she inhaled it, and then timidly requested seconds…and thirds. At her side, Twilight seemed quite happy to devour her own bowl of what smelled like a chicken based variant of the dish. Sunset preferred hers, if she was honest, with the array of colorful vegetables that offered a broad spectrum of flavors in every bite. The former unicorn was not ashamed to admit that she made some sounds of enjoyment that made Twilight’s ears turn red.

Shining Armor arrived at the house by the middle of her third helping, and he sank into an armchair Cadence had dragged in from Night’s study. He accepted food from his mother, and a glass of something decidedly alcoholic from his father. “The feds are officially taking jurisdiction,” he told them tiredly. “…I didn't get a lot of details, but they’ve shut down Crystal Prep, interviewed and released most of the remaining students to parent custody. There are nearly sixty students missing, along with the bulk of the teaching staff and all of the administration except the new nurse…they've declared the whole campus a crime scene. They aren't sharing, but Dev said they…they are going to be gutting the place, because they…found a body bricked up in the wall. She thinks they're going to find more.”

His mother let out a horrified sound of dismay and Night Light’s grip on his own beverage went tight. Sunset sagged. “…I…wouldn't be surprised,” she said quietly. “Demons are nasty business, and Sombra claimed to be the King of them. It stands to reason his followers would be the worst of the lot.”

“Sweetheart, what are you talking about?” Velvet asked, the picture of worry and distress.

Sunset set her empty bowl aside and rubbed her face tiredly with both hands. “This…is kind of what I wanted to talk about last week,” she confessed. “And it's…complicated and messy already, before you think about today.” She met their eyes as best she could. “…All I ask is that you…hear me out. I…I’m telling the truth to the best of my ability, but I don't know everything, and I don't know a lot about the other side’s story. Just…pieces I’ve figured out.”

“…I can vouch for her,” Twilight spoke up. “…after what happened today…I…I know how real it is.”

The worry in Velvet’s eyes deepened. “Twily…”

A throat cleared. “I can too, Mom, Dad,” Cadence said tiredly. “…Lu…filled me in on some, and I…saw a lot more with my own eyes. Whatever Sunset is about to tell us…you need to listen, and take it at face value.”

Night seemed contemplative, studying each of his children’s faces, before focusing back on Sunset. “Alright, Sunset. We’re listening, and we’ll do our best to keep an open mind about it. I…can't promise we won't have questions.”

“I’ll…answer what I can, when it comes to that,” the former unicorn promised.

He chuckled, though the sound was more a release of tension than any kind of amusement. “We’ll hold you to that. Now…go ahead.”

With their attention firmly on her, Sunset had no choice but to start explaining. “For any of what happened today to make sense, you first have to understand where I come from. I’m…not from this world. I was born and grew up in a world we call Equestria. I was the foundling ward of the princess of the sun, an immortal alicorn responsible for the movements of the sun and the moon. I had a particular talent for magic—so much so that I couldn't be safely adopted out to a family, because my surges were…wild and unstable. I grew up under the princess’ care and tutelage and went to a school for those of strong magical gifts…but…I wanted more. I wanted what I couldn’t have, and it made me a bitter, angry monster…and I ran away after fighting with her…through a magical portal in a mirror that opens up based on a conjunction of moon cycles and build up of magic at both ends of the connection.”

She found her hands shaking and gripped her knees to stop them. “That was five and a half years ago. The portal spat me out at the base of the Wondercolt statue at Canterlot High, and by the time I realized I was in a world without magic…I…I was trapped. The portal was closed for thirty moons—roughly two and a half years here.”

Velvet had leaned forward while she talked, watching her with the same intense scrutiny Sunset was used to from Twilight Sparkle. “Sweetheart?” she interrupted the narrative in a soft voice, waiting for Sunset to pause and look fully at her. “If you feel okay answering, I’d like to ask you something.” When she nodded—even though she suspected she knew what the subject would be—Velvet continued her train of thought. Her tone was…off, but the redhead was too worn and emotionally exhausted to pick it apart. “You’ve mentioned your guardian in the past, and you're speaking of wanting more than you were given…can you elaborate…I want to know I’m reading this correctly.”

Marshaling her energy, what fragment she still had, Sunset answered in a dull tone that she struggled to keep from being laden with all the emotions stirred up by Hell’s efforts. “I guess…at the heart of it…I wanted a mom. A family, even if that family was just her and I. To us…family is everything. It's your past, your identity, and your future. It's where you came from, it colors first impressions, and it's part of your reputation. It's something at the core of our culture…and it was the one thing I never had.” Her eyes stared down at her lap, every word like a stone thrown against her. “I wanted her to tell me I belonged to her…that I was more than an obligation and a duty because no one else wanted to deal with me.”

“Oh, Sunset,” Velvet replied, her expression and the noise she made were full of pain. Beside the redhead, Twilight made a similar sound and pressed her face against Sunset’s shoulder. “That was beyond wrong of her,” the woman said.

Night Light, who had remained silent so far, added his thoughts, fingers steepled in front of him. “Velvet is right. If family and belonging to one is so utterly central to a person’s identity in your culture, then for your guardian to deprive you of one is…no less abusive than if she’d denied you of any other essential, like food or shelter.” His brows furrowed, and his forehead was etched with grim lines. “If something about your…abilities…left you in her care with no alternatives, then it was likewise her responsibility to find someone capable of assisting her who could fill the needs she could not…”

Sunset faltered, her own criticisms of Celestia on the lips of the humans around her being aired with so much more intensity than she’d ever given them making her unsure of how to handle this sudden turn. “I…I don't know…if she could have,” she ended up saying. “I…was dangerous…very dangerous…until I was about five or six. My magic could have killed any creature that wasn't the Princess, if she’d left me in the care of others.”

Velvet’s lips thinned. “She had an obligation to try.” Her tone was uncompromising as she condemned Princess Celestia with every word, every sentence. “…sweetheart, you were a child, and she was an adult. It was her responsibility, and her fault, that she failed at these things, not yours, regardless of whatever condition you had. The fact that you were left doubting yourself and felt so alienated that you saw yourself as a monster and felt that running away was your only real option…” She had to stop and draw in a breath to calm herself.

Breathing was a struggle, and Sunset didn't have the air left to talk. At her side, Twilight noticed, and hooked her arm through Sunset’s before taking her hand and squeezing. “Take a minute, Sunny.” Then she addressed her parents. “…I know you mean well, Mom, Dad…but…Sunset’s already had a bunch of stuff pulled up today that messed with her head. I…think this is something to revisit another day, when she’s up to it and not trying to get through this to explain the…horror story we all went through this morning.”

The adults fell silent, and Sunset could almost hear the apologies in that silence despite her view being on her knees and otherwise blocked by the curtain of her hair that had fallen forward. About the time she’d managed to get her breathing under control, Velvet cleared her throat, “Twily makes a valid point. I’m sorry, sweetheart—I got us off on a tangent at a very inopportune time, and delved a little too much into what is clearly a sensitive subject. I didn't mean to add to your stress right now.”

Shaking her head, Sunset pushed the memories and ache down. “It’s…I get it,” she rasped, voice thick. “It's…not new for me, and I’ve…spent a lot of time thinking about my relationship with the Princess since I started coming here. This…you all are the first family…I’ve ever been allowed to see from the inside.” She breathed, matching the action to Twilight’s deliberate and louder-than-normal breaths beside her. “It…means a lot to me that…you care…enough to be angry…on my behalf. Really.”

Then she cleared her throat to dispel some of the tightness. It failed, but she felt more confident, at least. “But…the princess’ actions…didn't make me into a monster, and I didn't realize at the time what I was becoming. That…came later.”

“Last fall, I returned to Equestria when the portal opened, and stole an artifact of untold power from Equestria’s newest princess, a crown that contained the Element of Magic, the most powerful one of the Elements of Harmony…ancient artifacts of indescribable arcane ability that have been used to defend Equestria from the greatest of magical threats since time immemorial. I stole It…and I brought It here, because I figured I could use It here to bypass the nature of It and gain the ability to…change my fate.” Sunset blinked back the tears that were gathering in the corner of her eyes as she recalled the feeling of Magic in her grip, and all the visions that had flashed through her mind as she’d placed It on her head…and then the agony as Its power tore her blackened soul asunder. “I thought I could use it to give me what I wanted…what I craved and desired…what had consumed me until I forgot why I wanted the power in the first place.”

She couldn't look at them, especially not Cadence and Shining. They had seen Sombra’s possession of Twilight, seen a demon’s cruelty at its ugliest. “The Crown…Magic…It…saw through me. Saw me, and how twisted and monstrous I had become. It gave me power…but at a price. I became the monster it found on the outside as well as the inside…” Her eyes stared at her hands, half expecting black talons to burst from the tips at any second. “…when the other students…called me the Demon Queen of Canterlot High, they…weren't exactly joking.”

A sharp intake of breath beside her told her that Twilight had put the pieces together. Of course she would—her Sparky was brilliant, and she’d seen the demon, discovered things about the formal already. This was just the last little step in a puzzle she had been putting together since the night of the formal itself. The way the grip on her hand tightened gave her the courage to glance at the rest of the family.

Cadence was quiet and frowning, as if she was sorting this new piece of information with her experiences and whatever Miss Luna had told her. Her eyes met Sunset’s briefly, and in them was quiet dread—not fear, but the faint glimmer of understanding that she was hoping was wrong.

“…is that how you knew what to do?” Shining asked. “You fought off a possession like that yourself?”

Sunset’s head came up, and she exhaled. “No. I wasn't…I wasn’t possessed by a demon, Shining. I became a demon. No one forced me, nothing possessed me or coerced me, I didn't make any deals with otherworldly forces…” The hand not held by Twilight gripped her leg painfully tight, nails digging into the denim. “I can't blame anyone else for it. Not the princesses, not humanity, not my classmates or even Magic Itself. I…turned myself into a demon all on my own.”

“I…I can’t believe that,” he said, shaking his head in disbelief. “What I saw today was a being of pure evil, with no humanity left in it. I don't care what you might have done, I cannot believe you were anything so twisted and awful as that.”

Swallowing hard, Sunset whispered, “Believe it. Nice people don't become demons. It requires a soul that is so warped, dark, and eaten up with anger and ugliness that it creates the darkest monster in existence. That was me…I was a demon no different than Sombra.”

Twilight abruptly let go of her hand, and Sunset flinched…at least until she felt slim hands on her face, turning her towards the girl beside her. “Sparky…?”

Those hands pulled her down so Twilight could rest their foreheads together. “Not to me, Sunset. Never to me, do you understand?”

“I—”

The other girl hushed her impending negative. “No. I do understand, Sunset. I saw it today. I was there with you.” Her breath was warm on Sunset’s lips. “Do you remember the flowers you painted? What they said?”

“I See you,” she echoed hoarsely.

“Exactly,” Twilight murmured, fingers running through her hair now. “Well today? Today I Saw you. I know, and I understand what you're saying…but I want you to know…Not to me. Okay. Never to me. I See you, and nothing else.”

Letting her eyes slip shut, Sunset focused on the feeling Twilight’s words evoked. Even if no one else saw or really understood the depths of the damage she had done to her own soul…Twilight had been there. Twilight had seen her soul revealed, with all the cracks and scars left behind by her past.

—She did a little more than see us. Don't forget she wasn't opposed to getting frisky while still in Hell. She thinks our tail and wings are sexy. You’re welcome, by the way.—

Nope. Not going there right now. Not in the living room in front of her family. Stop the train, I want to get off.

The voice chuckled tiredly in response, but her other side seemed just as touched by Twilight’s quiet declaration.

“…okay…” she breathed out as little more than a sigh.

Once more the moment of quiet was interrupted, this time by Shining coughing pointedly. “So…is the cat out of the bag finally? Can…we stop pretending to not notice that ‘best friend’ is just a cover? Because…it's kinda hard to keep pretending that I don't know you two are smooching in Twily’s bedroom.”

Twilight groaned. “Did everyone already know?” she asked.

“Hey, in my defense, you really need to learn to close your curtains more,” Shining pointed out. “Or at least…not stand between the window and a light source when you make out at night.”

Taking a deep breath to steady herself, Twilight said in a deceptively calm voice, “Shiny? BBBFF whom I love deeply?”

“Yeeeessss?”

“If you do not want to wake up with your car engine broken down into its requisite components in a cardboard box, I suggest you reconsider your teasing on this subject.” Twilight turned from Sunset to give him a dirty look.

Her brother grimaced. “Right. Shutting up.”

All the same, the moment was broken, and Sunset found herself looking at Twilight’s remaining family, unsure of what she’d find there. Velvet and Night were in the middle of exchanging a look that held hints of meaning she couldn't quite pick apart, but it was Cadence who spoke before they could organize whatever they intended to say. “Whether you're exaggerating or underestimating or operating from a subjective viewpoint or even if it is true in exactly the manner you are talking about…that doesn’t really matter, Sunset,” the pink skinned woman said with conviction. “It doesn’t change the person we know, the person we care about, any more than the existence of magic or another world does. We have watched you struggle and better yourself, and that struggle was very real.”

“Cady is right,” Night agreed. “You have always been honest about yourself, even without telling the details of this story. We did not judge you before, and we don't intend to start now. Everyone makes mistakes, Sunset, even people who seem like they never fail. Sometimes those mistakes are terrible, and we regret them forever. Do you regret the things you did? The actions that took you down a dark path?”

She could see the fireball speeding towards Princess Twilight, again and again. Feel the minds scrabbling against intrusion and violation as she dominated them, her stomach twisting as she relived those awful minutes. “What I did will haunt me for the rest of my life,” she bit out. “And the damage to my soul will never let me forget.”

He nodded solemnly. “Then you have punished yourself far more than anyone else could have…and given that it made you reevaluate and change for the better…then no one here will judge you for it. It's a part of the past, but it can be allowed to stay there.”

Rubbing her face, Sunset leaned back against the numbing cold pack, taking solace in the soothing chill. “If only it were that simple…but it's not. The girls…the five girls that the princess had befriended and recruited to dismantle my hold on CHS…they were the human counterparts of the other five Bearers of the Elements of Harmony, and somehow…still not sure how…When they jumped in to save me from killing the princess, Magic was able to imbue them with that missing power, those missing Elements…and summon the Elements greatest power: The Rainbow of Light.”

Fingers drummed restlessly on her thigh now. “The Rainbow…the best analogy I can give you is that it scoured what was left of my soul, and put it back together…but…there wasn’t…the process had to use some of the demon parts of me in order to make it work. I…wouldn't have lived, otherwise. Those parts…are still here. Cleansed of dark magic and corruption, but…hiding as my darkest urges.”

—Also your horniest ones.—

Not helping.

“That doesn't change that you are one of my children, sweetheart,” Velvet said firmly. “You are a member of this family, and we will not turn you away, no matter what you tell us. I do not care if you are a demon, a mermaid, a sorceress, a dragon, or a five headed talking cat…we love you all the same.”

Night couldn't resist his own joke. “Though, if you start to feel like hoarding gold and breathing fire everywhere, please give us a heads up. I’d like to be able to adjust the insurance accordingly and add the anti-knights package to the home security system.”

Some part of her was floored by the flippant response to the whole ‘being a demon’ thing, but a larger part…wasn't? Instead, that part of her just felt…warm. Happy. So very glad to have this extraordinary group of humans as her friends…and family. “…I…I will…but I think two species transmutation experiences are more than enough for me. Learning to be human was hard enough…and dealing with my other side has been…tumultuous at best.”

“Although…fireproofing might not be a bad idea.” Do we have enough in us for a demonstration?

—A small one. Don't go overboard and we should be okay.—

Sunset brought Twilight’s hand to her lips, pressing them to lavender knuckles and reaching for the emotions she connected with the girls, who had bled for her today, and Twilight, who had fought for their souls and freedom together with her. Her flickering magic reacted with enthusiasm, her exhaustion melting away as that Harmony touched power filled her up and spilled out from her. Pony ears twitched with the sounds of gasps, and she could feel the way her horn conducted that power, allowing her to summon a sphere of free floating, crackling crimson flame that gave off no smoke.

Velvet’s eyes went wide. “Oh my heavens,” she murmured, one hand coming up to her mouth, as Sunset flexed just a little power to reshape the ball of flame into several other shapes—a dragon, an Abyssinian, a gryphon, and finally a unicorn, before she drew the magical energy back into herself. “Real magic…I…never thought I would…” Her lips turned up in a smile. “It's beautiful, Sunset. Your magic.”

The former unicorn rubbed her neck. “I’d give a better demonstration, but between exhaustion and the limits of a human body, that’s kind of the extent of what I can show off. Besides…well…” She gestured at her ears and horn.

Beside her, Twilight made a sound in her throat. “…Sunny?” she asked timidly. “Can…can I touch your ear? It looks so fuzzy and soft…”

Swiveling the appendage towards her girlfriend, Sunset rolled her eyes. “Gently, please? It's still my ear, and they are sensitive. And don't ask about the horn—that’s…um…not something done in polite company.” She pushed her hair back a bit to rub fingers at the base of the curved spiral. “Plus its…even more sensitive than my ears. I d—ooooooooohhhhh….”

Her words turned to mush at the blissfully wonderful feeling of fingers on her ear, running over the thin skin before settling to scritch and rub at the place where it met her scalp. Sunset leaned into it without thought, her whole body just going limp at the feel-good signals being sent to her brain.

—Forget sex. Can Sparky just do this forever?—

Brain pudding. Ask again later. Hooooooo yeeeeeeeah…

“…nset?”

Why had the ear scritchies stopped?

“…unset?”

Making a sound in her throat, the mare tried to coax the stilled fingers to go back to—

“Sunny!”

Snorting in surprise at the sharp reprimand and the pinch to her shoulder, Sunset shot back into an upright position, brain fog clearing. “Ponyfeathers! I’m sorry…I…” She realized there was drool on her face and she wiped it off hurriedly. “Sorry! Um…maybe don't do that again right now…it…wow…Suddenly I get why Spike likes that so much…”. In the corner of the couch, Spike raised his head to look at her knowingly, winked, and then dropped his head back to go back to his nap.

Cady giggled. “Soooo,” she asked slyly, “are we to file ear scratches under the same category of intimacy that you equated horn touching…or is everyone going to get a chance to scratch your adorable ears?”

That made her face burn with flustered embarrassment. “Uhhh…the first, I think…”

“Damn—they are super fluffy and I have the incredible urge to pet them.”

Sunset shrugged awkwardly. “Sorry…I’m sure Spike would be cool with being a substitute for ear scratches?”

A low woof came from the other side of the couch.

“See?”

Velvet had watched the exchange curiously. “Are social grooming and extensive physical affection part of your culture normally, or are your people more reserved?”

Blowing air out her nostrils slowly, Sunset waggled a hand loosely. “That's…kind of a loaded question with a complex answer. I think our affection is mostly just…different than human affection, for the most part. Different body plan, different taboos, and a three-to-one female heavy gender ratio with a lack of dimorphism means we kind of evolved a lot different to humans. We have a measure of communal grooming out of necessity—when you don't have hands and your body is not capable of contorting itself into a pretzel, some areas you just can't reach unless you're a unicorn with magic. At the same time, spas have been a really popular alternative for centuries; even in small towns, ponies usually have at least one spa they can go to, usually that specialize in the more difficult grooming aspects. It'd be really hard to file your own hooves without the magic to hold a rasp, and I can't imagine trying to brush my own tail without telekinesis and a full body mirr—um…why are you all looking at me like that?”

The grin on Cadence’s face was positively gleeful and more than a touch evil. “You’re a unicorn?!”

“Oh, by Nightmare Moon’s shadowy backside, not this again. Yes, I’m a unicorn pony, but the portal transition makes us into humans because we can’t survive in a low magic environment.”

Cady turned that expression toward Velvet. “Hey, Mom…do you remember when Twily was five?”

Eyes lighting up, Velvet began to laugh brightly. “Oh! I do! She was so adamant about her project!” She set her drink down on the side table, and got up. “In fact, I still have the pictures.”

At Sunset’s side, Twilight suddenly went stiff. “…oh no…Mom, no, please don't!”

“It's too late, Twily,” her dad chuckled. “She’s already gone to get it.”

Whining, Twilight hid her face in Sunset’s shoulder, mumbling into the fabric, leaving Sunset to look at the remaining family members in confusion. Even Shining was hiding a laugh behind his hand, and Cadence looked ready to burst. “See,” Cady finally explained, “when Twily was five years old, Shining and I would spend a lot of time with her on weekends and over the summer. We watched a lot of movies and introduced her to books and stories and hobbies we liked…but…she had trouble making friends with other kids.”

Sunset nodded. “Yeah…we’ve talked about that some.”

“I figured…but I know she hasn't told you this one. After a binge of fantasy movies that summer, and a rough start to her kindergarten year, Twily decided that if she couldn't make friends with other children, she would catch a fantasy creature and make it her friend. Except she had to go about it scientifically, of course. After all, she couldn't just look up in a book what a magical unicorn might like to eat.”

Pony ears pricked forward at the word ‘unicorn.’ She knew about human legends, but… “Wait. She…tried to catch a unicorn?”

Cady grinned at her. “In the backyard,” she confirmed. “For a whole year.”

“Sparky,” Sunset chuckled. “Really?”

Cheeks reddened from mortification, Twilight peeked up at her. “…I was lonely,” she admitted in a tiny voice. “I was different and the other kids didn't like me. I thought…maybe something like a unicorn, a creature that was…also different…would understand, and…maybe want to be my friend.”

She could feel her lips turn up into a soft smile, and it was her turn to make Twilight face her fully. “Hey…maybe it took a lot longer than you thought…but you weren't wrong,” the unicorn in a human form offered playfully. “Being your friend has been the most magnificent thing that has ever happened to this unicorn…and I do understand, because…” She shrugged. “Nopony wanted to be my friend when I was a filly either. First because I was a nopony, then because I was explosive…literally. I wasn't joking about setting my classmates on fire.”

Twilight wiped away embarrassed tears, and giggled a little. “I guess…I guess I did catch a unicorn after all. My hypothesis wasn’t in error. I just had the wrong bait.”

“What exactly did you try as bait, because…you’d be surprised at what I’ve eaten. Don't ever set hayfries in front of me unless you want a very round pony, because I can eat my weight in those. Especially if they're from Lucky’s.”

Sheepish, Twilight answered, “Flowers, mostly. I thought grass was a bit mundane.”

Sunset hummed. “A good choice,” she responded sagely. “I mean fresh grass shoots in early spring are an amazing thing—they make a wonderful salad if you pair it with some of the previous winters nuts and bits of dried fruit, but I could tell you stories about this one mare who sold flowers drizzled in honey and then rolled in things like fruit, nuts, or even chocolate shavings. She used to have these chocolate and almond daffodils…bright moonlight, I could eat those all day.”

“…aren’t daffodils toxic to equines?”

A snort escaped her. “I told…wait. Was that you or a fake you that I told about the fact that your horses are weak?”

The answer was lost as Velvet bustled back in, carrying a photo album. “I found it!” she told them cheerfully, much to Twilight’s dismay.

With a smirk, the redhead held out her hands. “Can I see? I want to see the mighty unicorn hunt of the ages.” She ignored the pout and mock glare sent her way by her companion.

“Of course, sweetheart, that's why I brought it out.” Velvet held the now open book out to her, and Sunset took it carefully.

On the left half of the two page spread were photographs of a very small Twilight setting up her “experiment,” including a larger one of the dark haired child in a lab coat that must have belonged to her father, with a cardboard box full of bright flowers in her hands. The box was labeled with a child’s handwriting as “Unicorn Bait”, and the glasses on Twilight’s face made already enormous purple eyes look even larger above a toothy smile. “You,” she told her girlfriend, “were adorable. You still are, but this is almost too cute for words. We would have been a lethal pair at this age, the two of us. I was all fluffy curly fur and a chubby body at that age.”

Twilight let out a flustered squeak. Sunset nuzzled her hair briefly. “Sadly, I’m not sure there are many photos of me as a foal.” Then her eyes went back to the book, and went wide as she read the two pieces of paper on the right side. “…Sparky…did you seriously apply for—and somehow acquire—a legitimate, honest to goodness unicorn license from Canterlot City Hall!?”

“Um…yes…?”

“A license that does not state an expiration date and still has an official seal and signature from the appropriate government official…thus making this entirely legal and binding document?”

“…yes?”

Night cleared his throat. “Well, I suppose that means we have to keep you now, Sunset. The law says so.”

She narrowed her eyes. “I’m not sure how I feel about this.”

Cadence smirked. “Well, it's not that different from a marriage license—you just still get to file your taxes separately.”

“Cady!” Twilight squawked.

Author's Note

So, funny story about this. I have been planning the "Twilight's Great Unicorn Hunt" thing since back in like...chapter 12. I've done lots to hint at it. The plan was always to have this adorable and hilarious reveal courtesy of the family.

And then, about halfway through the story, someone who knew about my plans linked me the image of the little girl's letter to the county she lived in asking if it was legal to have a pet unicorn, and the response from some sweet and kind hearted county clerk who basically gave her a unicorn license with special unicorn care instructions.

In that moment, I realized, that was exactly the kind of thing a tiny human Twilight would have done--because its the responsible thing to do and its the RULES. Pets have licenses.

So yeah, been planning this one a while, hope it made everyone smile.

Meanwhile, the big reveal talk begins. Its huge and scary and emotionally intense...

but this particular piper was always going to have to be paid.

Onward to the last, my friends!