Out of This World

Chapters

The Tender Trap
Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered
Fools Rush In
I'm a Fool to Want You
Me and My Shadow
Blame It On My Youth
Lush Life
Can't We Be Friends
Interlude: If My Friends Could See Me Now
I'm Glad There Is You
Born to Be Blue
Let There Be Love
I'm Gonna Live Till I Die
Soon
Thou Swell
Bye Bye Blackbird
Back in Your Own Backyard
Epilogue: I've Gotta Be Me

The Tender Trap

Sunset backed up against the bathroom counter, staring into her own eyes. “What the hell . . .”

The other Sunset advanced onto her, pushing her against the mirror. It was grinning devilishly as it grabbed Sunset’s hand and lifted it into the air. It forced her fingers open and peeled the switchblade Sunset was holding out of her hands, tossing it across the bathroom floor, never once breaking its cold stare.

“You’re a . . . a changeling, aren’t you?” Sunset’s heart started to race. “W-well, look, I don’t want any trouble with you guys. If conquest is what you want, I might actually be able to help you out. I know this world better than anyone else from Equestria.” Sunset tried to smirk, but when looking at herself pulling it off so easily, the motion felt strange and uncomfortable.

The Changeling Sunset hissed out a breath. “What, do you think I’m that dumb?” It was the same tone she had used against Twilight just half an hour ago. The Changeling eyed her carefully—or maybe hungrily was the better word—and examined her up and down. Checking for inconsistencies, maybe?

It was a perfect doppelganger of Sunset, except the eyes held an unsatiable hunger that chilled Sunset to her core. “Hey now, I’m sure if you find me your head honcho we can have a nice chat about how much I can help her out. Every good Queen needs a general, right?”

The Changeling leaned farther onto Sunset, almost pushing on her nose. “You’re delusional.”

Sunset tried to meet her own gaze, putting up a shaky smile. “Okay, well, let’s talk this out. You wouldn’t want to lose a potentially valuable ally, would you?”

The Changeling delivered Sunset a perfect replica of her domineering grin. “You can rot.” It’s eyes began to glow a mystical green, and Sunset could feel magic begin to course out of the Changeling and permeate the air. I haven’t felt this much magic since back in Equestria. The aura flowed around the room and into Sunset’s body, gripping her heart so tightly she felt like she couldn’t breathe.

“What . . . what are you doing to me?” She choked out.

The Changeling began pushing out even more magic into the room. Clearly, it had not been expecting her to have the strength to respond. The efforts of the magic began to take hold on a stronger level, making Sunset’s body sink to the ground like a brick in a pond. The Changeling was completely focused on concentrating its magic into Sunset, but she was unable to muster the strength to resist.

Compared to some of the effects I underwent in my studies this magic isn’t. . . that bad. It feels like a summer’s day, almost. A sandy beach . . . the Princess took me there, once. We had a castle-building competition. She built hers so high it was practically a tower! Afterwards she picked me up in her hooves and flew me over the sea . . . it was so fun, flying. If I could fly again . . .

Sunset’s gaze aimlessly wandered around her bathroom floor. The Changeling stood in front of Sunset, offering one last tantalizing grin. “Sunset Shimmer,” it said, seemingly testing out its tongue. “My name is Sunset Shimmer.”

Sunset looked up at the sound of her name. Hold on . . . I can’t let some bastard replace me if they can’t finish the job!

Sunset knocked herself out of the weak trance and reached out for the Changeling in front of her. It stumbled backward in panic, letting out chitters of desperation.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing to me, huh?” Sunset said. She propped herself up against the kitchen sink and stood back on her feet. “Rule number one of replicating Sunset Shimmer: she’s not going down that easily.”

The Changeling stumbled across the bathroom floor and lunged for the switchblade it threw in the corner. In response Sunset hopped on top of the Changeling and tried to prevent its hand from grabbing on to the knife. She bashed her fists against the back of its head in attempt to confuse the bug.

It grabbed onto the switchblade and began wildly swinging behind its back. Sunset flipped off of it, gaining a few cuts in her clothes.This is bad news. The roles suddenly reversed, Sunset lunged for the bathroom doorway, hoping to make a small escape. The Changeling jumped onto her back and let out an enraged cry.

Fortunately, the bug had not figured out that switchblades were meant to be used as impalers. It began swinging at Sunset’s back, cutting slashes across her leather jacket. At first the blade only scraped against her skin, but the Changeling began to grow more confident, speeding up into a frenzy of cuts that began to draw blood. Sunset let out a small cry.

I should have listened to Twilight . . . The Changeling began to punch Sunset’s head with its free hand, stunning Sunset into a stupor. Taken out by a measly bug . . . God dammit . . .

The Changeling paused its assault and looked at the switchblade. Had Sunset been able to see its face, she would have seen its crazed expression shift upwards in sinister recognition. It lifted the switchblade upwards with two hands, blade pointing directly at Sunset’s heart.

Before the Changeling could plunge the switchblade into her back, a purple blur slammed into it, knocking the Changeling against the wall. The Changeling propped itself up against the wall and began shaking, seemingly caught in a stupor. Sunset used the time to scramble out of the bathroom and into the hallway. She glanced back at the figure in the bathroom.

It was Twilight Sparkle. The gaunt girl was out out of breath and grappling the head of the Changeling. The Changeling was slightly reaching out to her with magic, but not enough to entrance her like Sunset was.

Twilight grabbed the switchblade out of the Changeling’s hands and ran over to Sunset. She stuck her hand out. “Need a hoof?”

Sunset stared wide-eyed at the girl. “I . . . I told you not to follow me.”

Twilight smiled. “Your eyes said otherwise,” She grabbed Sunset’s hand and pulled the girl back up to her feet. “And I’m following orders that overrule you anyways.” She placed the switchblade in Sunset’s hand. “I think that’s yours.”

Sunset nodded, and turned back at the slumped figure in the bathroom. “What did you do to it?”

Twilight pointed at her head. “I gave it a lot of love. A few happy memories with family was enough to overwhelm the drone. It would be like shoving a three-course meal down its throat all at once. It’s only stunned for a minute, though. The only reason that worked was because it was so focused on obtaining your love that it stopped paying attention to how much love it was able to take in at once. Once it gets everything down we’ll have to take care of it.”

Sunset sighed. “That . . . makes sense. I broke through whatever it tried to do to me. It stared flipping out right after that, though.”

Twilight looked at disdain at the creature in the bathroom. “Chrysalis’s changelings only know how to follow her orders. If something goes wrong during an operation, I suppose the logical response would be to just kill the target.”

“Yeah. God, this hurts.” Sunset shifted her jacket and felt each cut across her back tingle in pain. “I’m gonna take care of this asshole while it’s still out.” Sunset walked back into the bathroom and hovered over the imposter Sunset, still focused on feeding on the love Twilight gave out. She raised the switchblade in a similar motion to how the Changeling had just assaulted her. “Sweet dreams. It’s a shame we couldn’t have met under better circumstances.”

Just before Sunset could take out the Changeling, its face recognized the knife, breaking out of its trance. It flashed its whole body green, and turned into a small, dark, verdant wasp. The wasp sped out the bathroom and zipped past Twilight, aiming for Sunset’s door.

“Oh no you don’t!” Sunset yelled. She winded her arm back and threw the switchblade in the bug’s direction. The knife spun through the air as Twilight ducked out of it and the bug’s way. Right as the bug reached the entrance, the blade perfectly connected with the wasp, slicing it in half. It hit the ground with a thud, green blood oozing between its two halves.

Twilight looked back at Sunset. “You . . . you killed it.”

Sunset stood up and dusted herself off. “What, did you expect me to put it in a jar and release it back into the wild? It tried to kill me.”

Twilight sighed. “I suppose, I just . . . prefer kinder methods.”

Sunset walked over to the bug and picked up the two halves, examining the creature. “This is definitely the wasp I saw this morning. In fact, I saw one on my window on the bus . . .” She looked at Twilight. “They tailed us.”

Twilight started to hyperventilate. “Are there more? We can’t face a whole hive!”

Sunset laughed. “Twilight, if Queen Chrysalis wants to send some more drones for me to beat up, I’ll just take them out one by one.”

Twilight glared at her. “That wasn’t really a stomping on your side, Sunset. You should be worried.”

Sunset flushed. “I still won though. I knew I would win.”

“Did you know that you were stuck here for ten years? Or maybe you know that the Princess doesn’t care about you?”

“I didn’t consider the thought before, but ten years doesn’t mean much to me. And she doesn’t care about me. If she did, I’d be visiting a castle in Prance right now, not fighting with a bunch of overglorified copycats.”

Sunset began to feel the wounds on her back shoot up in pain. She moved back to the bathroom. “Well, enough of this. I’m taking a shower.”

Before Sunset could shut the door, Twilight ran up and put a hand on the door. “Wait! I . . . Um . . .”

“Spit it out, Sparkle.”

Twilight looked up nervously. “I don’t really have anywhere to . . . stay tonight?”

Sunset wounds were really starting to itch, and bleed, too, which wasn’t helping her concentration. “If you’ll clean up these cuts for me when I’m done, then . . . you can stay one night. One.”

Twilight smiled. “Thanks Sunset.”

Sunset shut the door behind her, and threw her leather jacket onto the floor. The backside had taken the brunt of the Changeling’s cuts, however a few slices were deep enough to leave bloody scratches across her back.

The searing pain did not dissuade her from taking a scalding hot shower.

Principal Celestia looked at Principal Celestia in a combination of shock and fear. “What are you?”

The other Principal Celestia laughed, contorting her face into a sinister smile that frightened Celestia to her core. “Well well well, here I was expecting to find the rulers of this kingdom, but all I get is two worn-out commoners eating canned spaghetti. How cruel the imbalances of the universe are.”

The other’s voice would have been a perfect replica of Celestia’s were it not for the underlying malice dripping between each word. It sat on Celestia and Luna’s futon, seemingly right at home. Celestia took a step back and clutched the lighter in her hand tighter. “Wh-what did you do to Luna? I’ll call the police . . .”

The other laughed, twisting Celestia’s hearty chuckles from earlier in the morning into a cruel set of cackles. “The police? Oh no, I’m afraid that story will fall apart when she shows up at the station to take you back home.” The other’s whole body flashed a dark, mystical green, and suddenly the figure sitting on the couch was an exact copy of Luna. Her smile was still the same, however. “Sister, I’ve been here the whole time. I’m sorry officers, she’s been very stressed lately.”

Celestia took another step away. “This is. . . impossible. Unexplainable. I’m hallucinating.”

It leaned forward. “No, I am completely real. And, to be honest, I’m wasting my time here right now. You’re useless to me. I can feel your love, you know. Both giving and receiving aspects.”

“What do you mean?” Celestia glanced down at her bag, and the can of wasp spray sitting inside of it. An idea started to form in her mind.

“Your love’s perfectly average, all things considered. Plenty of your students like you, some don’t, your sister loves you. You love most of your students, some more than others, and cherish your sister.” The ersatz Luna stood up and began approaching Celestia. “What’s most interesting though, is that you still crave more. You have enough love in you to last a lifetime, but I can sense that you want the whole world to love you.”

Celestia slid her arm into her bag. “What are you saying? No one can read another’s emotions. You have no idea what I feel.”

It snorted. “Typical. Princess or not, you’re still just a greedy bastard who can’t face herself in the mirror. I bet that hurts even more, huh? Knowing you’ll never be anything but a sad woman who wasted her life feeling like she could be so much more.” Luna flashed a green light and turned back into Celestia. “Well, your personal troubles are no matter to me. I’ll just send a drone in to school to represent you tomorrow and they won’t hold any of your baggage. Thank you, by the way.”

Celestia grasped her hand around the can of wasp spray. “What for?”

“For clearing out that nest on your tree for us. I swear, it’s just the perfect little base of operations. Fit for a Queen like me, even,” She grinned as her eyes flashed green. Celestia felt the pressure in the room lower, but something clenched around her heart, tightening like a bolt.

She clutched her throat, trying to gasp in breaths of air, only to find that she was breathing perfectly normally.

“Let’s have you take a little trip. It’ll be fun.” The Changeling Queen stood up and grabbed Celestia by the shoulders, leading her to the doorway. She tried to move away, but found her legs were in lockstep with the Queen.

. . . What is going on? One minute I’m preparing for dinner, the next thing I know, Luna’s missing and I’m talking with myself, literally. Why couldn’t I have just come home for dinner tonight? Good food, even better company; there are upsides to the simple life, I suppose.

“There you go, keep moving. We’re almost to the door now.”

Maybe someday we should invite some more friends over. Some old students. I’m sure Cadance would love to visit. Then again, who said they couldn’t also be current students? I’d love to share a meal with Sunset . . .

Completely entranced, Celestia reached for the doorknob to exit her house. However, her left hand was still holding the lighter, and her right gripping the wasp can.

What are these doing here? Oh.

Celestia’s gaze drifted over to her duplicate self, who held a slightly annoyed expression. “Move along, now. No time to waste.” Celestia limply raised the lighter and lit it. Her arms felt so weak she could barely hold it above her waist, and luckily the Changeling Queen did not notice the flicker of light. Celestia moved the can of wasp spray behind the flame, and gently pushed on the top, praying there was a small amount left in the can.

It was enough. A spout of flame spat out at Celestia’s imposter, setting her hair ablaze, suit quickly following after.

It screamed and ran back into the house in a frenzy. It flashed green and a giant wasp took the imposter’s place, blindly bashing itself against the walls of Celestia’s house in burning fury. The Queen eventually found a window, and smashed through the glass, speeding away from Celestia’s house in a fireball.

Celestia could still just barely move her body, and the temptation to open the door and walk somewhere unknown was still there. Fortunately the escape of the Queen gave Celestia enough time and distance to resist and knock herself out of the trance. She threw her impromptu flamethrower to the side and stumbled over to her couch, thumping against it with a groan.

“It’s only Thursday,” she lamented.

“Ouch, damn you!” Sunset winced as Twilight dabbled some hydrogen peroxide across the cuts on her back. “Why couldn’t I get someone who understood basic motor functions to help me clean up?” They had taken residence in Sunset’s bathroom, Sunset being tended to by Twilight with a small first-aid kit. Sunset had thrown her jacket and shirt on the bathroom floor.

Twilight sighed and continued to dabble Sunset’s back. “Well, maybe if you taught me about what my physical form even is, then I would adjust faster.”

Sunset stared at herself in the bathroom mirror. “You are a human. Homo sapiens. Descended from apes. Bipedal. There isn’t much left to explain. Sort of like diamond dogs, but with less dog and more monkey.”

Twilight giggled. “You’re very succinct.” She applied another cottonball.

Sunset squirmed away from her. “Don’t get too comfortable with me, Sparkle. I’m collecting my things at school tomorrow and ditching town until this all blows over,you not included. The way I see it, this house isn’t safe any longer. We’ve probably got one safe night here, tops.”

“Well, we can make use of that night if you let me apply this stuff to your wing-bones already.”

“Yeah, okay,” Sunset did a double-take. “Wait, wing-bones?”

Twilight backed away and pointed at her back. “Well, if you’re not going to tell me what they are called, then I will go with my best guess. I’m sure you don’t actually have wings, but from my perspective, what else are two protruding bones on the back made for?”

Sunset deadpanned in Twilight’s direction. “A good rule of thumb for Earth, Twilight, is that nothing is actually related to Equestria. If anything, Equestria is related to Earth. Those are scapulas. They’re holding my shoulder muscles together. I wouldn’t be able to move my shoulders without them.”

Twilight’s mouth formed an oh shape in understanding. “They still need to be cleaned though,” she said.

“Yes, yes, get on with it,” Sunset grumbled.

Twilight searched for some more bandages in the kit. “So . . . how did you do that?”

“Do what?”

“K- . . . kill the Changeling. With the knife, I mean.”

“Oh,” Sunset said, “Well, I’m awfully good at darts. It’s how I first made money on this side of the mirror. I’d enter darts wagers. Turns out that throwing objects through the air is very similar to reaching out with telekinesis, just a lot faster.” Sunset paused. “You’re still hung up about the thing getting sliced?”

Twilight stopped dabbling Sunset’s back. “Yes, I’m still hung up about it! I’ve saved Equestria twice already, and our casualty count was zero. I step over here and something is already dead in an hour!”

Sunset laughed at Twilight’s expense. “Get used to it. I warned you that people aren’t as kind as ponies. They’re like a swarm of piranhas if you can play them right.”

“And do you ‘play them right’?”

“Of course. Do you think I got myself an apartment by appealing to the inner kindness of society?”

Twilight sighed. “Do you have any shame?”

Sunset almost felt pity for Twilight’s innocence. It would be more fun to mess with her, though. “None. You should see how I’ve got the school wrapped around my finger; there’s even a poor guy there who is madly in love with me—”

Sunset shot up out of Twilight’s reach. Flash! She rushed over to her slightly tattered jacket and grabbed the phone out of its pocket. She began dialing Flash’s number.

“Sunset, what are you doing?”

Sunset finished tapping the number in and brought the phone up to her ear. “I’m calling that guy at school, Flash. I was supposed to call him hours ago now.”

The phone continued to ring. God dammit Flash, pick up for once. “And why do you need to call him?”

Sunset quickly looked up and sighed. “If I don’t call him, he’ll call me first. But it has already been a couple hours since he normally would.”

Twilight thought for a second. “Are you suggesting that . . . You are not the only one who was attacked?”

Sunset nodded. “I need to make sure, at least.” The phone didn’t ring, and Flash’s voicemail popped up. Sunset ended the call. “He’s not answering. I’ll try his home phone.”

She dialed the home phone and once again waited for someone to pick up. The phone clicked. " . . . Hello?” It was Flash’s voice.

“Flash! Hey, how are you doing?”

“. . .” Sunset could hear rustling on the other side of the call.

“Flash?”

“Yes?” He responded hurriedly.

“How are you? Are you doing homework right now, or something?”

" . . . Yes, I am.”

“And what is it, might I ask?”

“Um . . . just homework.”

“Do you understand it? Need any help?”

“. . . No, no . . . I’m fine.”

“Alright, Flash. I’ll talk to you tomorrow?”

“Yes, yes. Goodnight,” Flash said. The phone clicked off.

Sunset looked up at Twilight.

“Well?” Twilight said. “Is he safe?”

Sunset moved over to her bed and sat down on it. “They got to him.”

Twilight got up and moved next to her. “How did you know?”

“I asked if he was doing homework, and he said yes, he didn’t need any help. Flash always needs help with his homework. And he puts it off until the day it’s due, sometimes even right before he starts class. A changeling has taken his place. I bet that’s what they wanted to do to me.”

Twilight put a gentle hand on Sunset’s shoulder. “Sunset . . . I’m so sorry about him. . .”

Sunset shrugged her off. “Don’t be. I could care less about Flash. This just means that I need to leave even faster.”

Twilight removed her hand, disappointed. “You don’t have even a little bit of care for him? At all?”

“Look, maybe if it was a normal day and he disappeared without a trace I would give him a sentimental sendoff, but if I stop to think about it I’m probably going to meet the same fate. What are they doing to the students they’ve replaced? There’s the attempt with me, and Flash . . . who else could have had a visitor tonight?”

Twilight tapped her chin. “Chrysalis put everypony into changeling pods back in Equestria. Since they have the ability to shapeshift, and control minds, do you think pod construction may be something they can do, too? Many ponies didn’t have to be forced into pods; they felt so good from the mind control that they paid no attention to where their legs were moving, and walked right in.”

“Shit, you’re probably right,” Sunset acknowledged as she bit her lip, “and now we have no idea where they’ve taken Flash and anyone else. There’s nothing we can do.”

Twilight walked over to the first aid kit they had opened. “Then at least let me finish bandaging you up.”

Sunset sighed. “I suppose,” She moved back over to Twilight, who began wrapping gauze around her back. Sunset was extremely uncomfortable with having Twilight assist her, but doing it herself would have taken longer and been harder. Fortunately Twilight did not know any intimate human actions and was undeterred by Sunset’s top half just being a bra. “If you need something to eat, there is some canned fruit in the pantry,” she murmered.

Twilight’s stomach growled. “I guess I haven’t eaten in quite some time now. Would you like to join me?”

“Hell no,” Sunset turned away.

After bandaging Sunset, Twilight went to the pantry near the small kitchen and pulled out a can of fruit. After Sunset helped her learn how to use a can opener, she dug in with her bare hands. Sunset did not bother to mention that forks were in the drawer next to her.

“Where can I sleep for tonight?” Twilight asked after finishing her meal. “Do you have any blankets?”

Sunset looked around. “You can have the floor.”

“The floor!?”

“Well, I’m not sharing my bed.”

“Don’t you have, like, a small couch or something?”

“When I snagged this apartment I had the choice of getting a flat with a living room or a flat with a nice bathtub. Guess which one I chose.” Sunset walked over to her closet and pulled out two blankets, a spare pillow, and a set of pajamas. “You’ll be fine. There’s plenty of leg room in the hallway.”

Twilight grabbed the blankets. " . . . Well, okay . . .”

They settled down for the night. Despite Twilight’s protests, the minute she laid out her blankets and got into her makeshift bed, she all but passed out from exhaustion.

Sunset didn’t sleep a wink.

Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered

Sunset approached Canterlot High School for what was hopefully the last time. In and out. Before school even starts. She strolled past the opening gates and past the marble statue, beelining for the front door. A quick glance at Celestia’s tree in the courtyard showed that the nest from yesterday had only grown larger; had it been a normal hive, it probably would have not be able to support any more growth. Sunset knew, of course, that the sickening addition would only continue to fester throughout the tree far after she was gone.

Sunset swung the door open and stepped inside. As she walked through the halls to her locker, an tiny sentimentality overcame her. I had so much left to do. So much more to achieve here. She pushed forward, never looking back or responding to any of the students who called out to her.

She arrived at her locker and carefully thumbed in the combination. It opened with a creak and showcased all of the materials she had built up over the past year: textbooks, notebooks, a pencilcase, and few pictures of her “friends” posted on the inside door. However, what she really needed was the book buried in the bottom corner.

Sunset pulled out the dusty tome and examined it. Despite having been shoved at the bottom of a locker for a year and a half, the sun emblazoned on the cover never lost its luster. Sunset flipped through the yellowed pages, scanning a few conversations between her and the Princess.

I guess I was still too close to you, huh? I should have shredded this thing up. The thought of destroying the book made Sunset shiver. As much as she hated Celestia and everything she was connected to, Sunset could not bring herself fully commit to cutting ties.

She unzipped her leather jacket—it was a bit more cut up and dirty than yesterday, but it wasn’t like she was going to be sticking around for long—and shoved the book into a large inside pouch she had sown in. Originally the pouch had been made to hide forbidden items from the staff, but it also had just enough room to fit the old journal.

“Well, it was fun while it lasted,” she muttered to no one.

Sunset sped for the exit and pushed out the glass doors back into the schoolyard. She made her way down the sidewalk, but was quickly distracted by a loud sound coming from the oak tree.

Thump, thump, thump. Thump, thump, thump.

It was surrounded by wasps, all flapping their wings in march tempo. Sunset turned to them and noticed that many had planted themselves on the trunk of the tree, although the majority kept themselves close to the hive.

They were staring at her.

Sunset took a step forward, unaffected by their threat.

A swarm of wasps flew halfway across the yard in her direction.

She changed her mind and took a step backward.

They flew back to the nest.

Sunset blinked. “Well, looks like I’m staying a little bit longer.”

She turned around and went back into the building.

Principal Celestia stared at the mirror in her car as she gave herself a pep talk.

“All right. You can do this. If she’s not there when you walk in, you call the police.” Celestia had intentionally arrived late this morning with the hope that Luna would already be in school. She was not sure which prospect terrified her more: Luna not showing up and going missing, or Luna actually being whatever creature she had encountered last night.

Celestia stepped out of her car door and walked into the building. She took the back entrance directly connected to the main office. She stepped inside and saw the school’s main secretary, Raven, already at work.

“Good morning, Raven,” Celestia said. “Tell me, have you seen Luna today?”

Raven looked up from her computer. “Why, yes, she came in about about half an hour ago. I figured you would have known that, though.”

Celestia faked a laugh. “Well, sometimes even the mornings can get to me—somehow we never cross paths in the same house.” She scanned the room. “I assume she’s in her office?”

“I do not believe she has left, yes.”

Celestia smiled at Raven. “Thank you, I have a few things to discuss with her.” Celestia walked into her office and set her bag down. The two sisters had two separate offices, but they were conjoined by a doorway in a shared wall. Celestia walked over to the door and knocked.

“Come in,” a voice called from inside.

Celestia opened the door and saw Luna sitting at her desk, filling out some paperwork. “Good morning, Luna,” Celestia tried to keep her voice steady, “How are you?”

Luna looked up at her. “I’m quite fine. I was just working on some paperwork.”

Celestia did not want to waste any time. “Ah. Well . . . I hate to intrude, but I have a question I think you might be able to answer.”

“Of course, sister. Anything that you need help with,” she offered a gentle smile.

Celestia moved farther into the room, up to Luna’s desk. “It was about ten years ago now . . . we went on quite a vacation. I was about to recommend the ski resort we stayed at to Miss Inkwell, but I can’t think of its name for the life of me. I just wanted to ask if you remembered, just to make sure.” There’s no way a fake Luna could know this.

“If I recall correctly, that was the Crystal Heart Resort; quite a lovely place for being so cold. Oh, and we went on the trip nine years ago. Age must finally be catching up to you, huh, Celly? Those were quite fond memories.”

Celestia stepped back in shock. She’s . . . real? “Lulu, what happened yesterday? I was so worried.”

Luna furrowed her brow. “What are you talking about?”

“The . . . the attack! You just disappeared for the night!”

“I most certainly did not. We enjoyed some spaghetti together, watched some TV, and then went to bed. I know I drove here a little earlier than usual but I can promise that it was not a whole day early.” She laughed. “Did you have a weird dream, or something?”

Celestia rubbed her eyes. “I . . . must have. Sorry Lulu, maybe the stress is getting to me.”

Luna sighed. “I always tell you to take more breaks if you get like this. I can handle more work. Tell you what: you go back home and take a nap. Anyone can see that you need it. Come back in a few hours when you’re more refreshed. It’s better for both us that way. Okay?”

Celestia weighed her options. Am I really just paranoid? " . . . Okay. I’ll go for a few hours. Thank you, Luna.”

Luna offered a comforting smile. “I only want the best for you, sister.”

Celestia turned from Luna’s desk and walked back out of the office, giving a quick goodbye to Raven. Perhaps the past day has been a bit much. I just cooked up some fantasy that made me worry even more about everything that’s happening. I should probably see a therapist.

Celestia reached her car. I mean, somehow I managed to imagine that Luna was not in the house all night, all the while she was there, got dressed, and drove here—

Wait.

She scanned the staff parking lot.

She ran to the student parking section.

She checked the side street, and even the nearby houses.

Luna’s car wasn’t there.

No matter how hard Celestia looked, it was nowhere to be found. In fact, it was the only car missing from the entire school grounds. Half of a sentence Luna had said rolled around her brain, completely destroying any sense of the tired relief she was feeling.

”I know I drove here a little earlier than usual . . .”

She turned around and stepped back into the building. Perhaps there is some work I can do after all.

Sunset did not pay attention to any of her classwork that morning; most of her time was spent analyzing each student in class. So far she could not tell any differences between human and changeling. Every student she talked to had their mannerisms and memories completely intact, and no one acted strangely. A few people had even asked if she was okay, noting the significantly more damaged jacket she was wearing. Sunset brushed them off quickly so she could continue her search.

Soon, however, the lunch bell rang. Sunset made her way down to the cafeteria, mentally preparing herself for the ensuing conversation. She knew that there was at least one person who was not themself at the school, so walking into the cafeteria felt more like stepping into a lion’s den. Sunset trotted over to her lunch table to find everyone else was already sitting down and eating.

Sunset approached the table, and Flash paused from eating to look up at her.

The rest of the table raised their heads simultaneously, eyeing her down. Ah. I’ve found them. She grabbed a seat, trying to ignore their oppressive gazes.

Flash looked at her, and took a bite of his taco. I might as well try to catch him up.

Sunset put on her best lover’s smile. “Hey Flash,” she said. “I was thinking we could do some guitar lessons again soon. I was hoping I could use that old one you had . . . gosh, which family member of yours used to own that?”

Flash set his food down. “My grandfather’s acoustic? Sorry, I can’t let you use that one. You saw how mad my mom was when she found out I let you borrow it.”

So he has his memories? Sunset’s trick question was completely seen through. It’s not him, though. I know it’s not him. She glanced around the table. Everyone was silently sneaking glances in her direction, but lingering just long enough to make her uncomfortable.

“Sorry, sorry, I just forgot about the whole mess with the guitar. Still, it would be fun to play with you again. Maybe you could drive me down to the park and we could play together, like we did last fall.”

Flash furrowed his brow. “Both you and I know I just got my driver’s license a couple months ago, Sunset. We walked to the park.” Damn. They must have a way of regaining the memories a person they steal. It’s clear they are not the best at replicating personality at first, though. Flash had focused back on his taco.

That’s it!

“You know, Flash,” Sunset said with a grin, “I didn’t think you would be so cruel.”

“What?” Flash said. “I don’t think I’ve been rude to you.”

“Not to me,” Sunset leaned forward, “but to the lunchlady. She put in all that effort to save you a couple hot dogs from yesterday, and you spat in her face by grabbing a taco instead. Wow, Flash, have you any humanity?” Sunset haughtily smirked, never breaking Flash’s gaze. The rest of the table continued to stare at her with straight faces.

He frowned. “I’d like to talk to you. In the hall.”

Shit. I probably shouldn’t have pushed my luck. “About what, if I may ask?”

Flash smiled. “Next friday,” The bastard’s going to make them think he’s asking me out! A few collective oohs went around the table. Even when they’re changelings they’re still morons.

Sunset returned the sentiment. “Well, I guess I’ll be waiting for you, hm?” Sunset stood up and winked, turning to the exit. She cast a quick glance back and saw some kids from the tables around them were giving Flash good lucks and pats on the back. Sunset stepped through cafeteria doorway and closed it behind her.

She promptly broke into a sprint across the school.

This is it. Game over. You just had to push your luck, didn’t you? Now you’re really gone, and from more than just the city.

Before Sunset reached the exit doors, she took a sharp left toward the principal’s office. Sunset rapidly knocked on Celestia’s door. “Princpal! Are you in there?”

Sunset heard footsteps approach the door, and it swung open, revealing a bedraggled Principal Celestia inside. “What can I help you with, Sunset?”

Sunset barged in and slammed the door behind her, locking it. “Last year, three girls and two guys were found tied up inside the janitor’s closet right before the talent show I won. Tell me, who tied them up?”

Celestia was taken aback by her outburst. “They all claimed that it was the ‘ghost of Canterlot High,’ so we could not find any culprit. There were a few rumors about some students, but nothing more.” Celestia gave a tired glare. “Is there something you would like to admit about the incident, perhaps?”

Sunset laughed. “You knew it was me from the beginning, but never bothered to prove it! Good, good!” A fake Celestia would immediately turn me in if I brought that up. The real Celestia was even more confused by Sunset’s admission of guilt, but Sunset did not let her get a word in. “Yesterday, Princpal, you said that I could come to you anytime if I needed help for anything. Well, I’m going to need to cash in that favor a little early.”

Celestia paused. After a few seconds, she rapidly shook her head and sat down at her desk. “Well . . . what do you need?”

Sunset pulled the leather jacket off of her back. She made sure that it had the important items she needed inside: the magic book, her USB, and a couple more fake IDs. She folded it up and tossed the garment onto Celestia’s desk.

“Take this for me,” she said. “Hide it in your office, bring it home, I don’t care. Just don’t let me have it back. I don’t care if I come begging on my knees for it. We never had this conversation, even if I mention it.”

A worried expression crossed Celestia’s face. “Sunset, what is going on?”

“It would be better if you didn’t know.”

Celestia looked at the door conjoining her and Luna’s room. “Does this have to do with people acting strangely? I had quite a visitor last night.”

Sunset’s eyes widened in recognition. She slumped her shoulders. “Just . . . bring the jacket home, then. And don’t look at the stuff I’ve got inside.”

Celestia offered a comforting grin. “I’d never.” She slipped the jacket underneath her desk. “Is there anything else you need?”

Sunset turned to the door. “There’s the Planning Committee meeting after school today, right?”

“Yes.”

She swung it open and stepped through. “Well, I might need a raincheck.”

Sunset closed the door behind her and began flying for the front door. If she took a hard turn the minute she stepped outside, then she might be able to avoid the cursed tree altogether. There was no other option left.

Sunset pushed through the doors into the outside and began running to the right. The tree outside was abuzz with the changelings, all flapping in tandem, mocking her futile attempt at escape. Sunset reached the first corner of the building before someone jumped out and grabbed her.

Sunset thrashed around, headbutting the thing that was constricting her. However, the creature placed a sharp blade up to her throat. Sunset stopped moving when she felt it prickle against her skin. The blade was directly extended from something’s hand. Flash’s hand.

“Well aren’t you a feisty one,” Flash said. “Let’s have a chat, shall we?”

Sunset struggled against the grip for a few seconds longer before giving up. “The poor schmuck impersonating me yesterday was a lot dumber than you. Chrysalis, I presume?”

“Of course it is. You know, you’re quite an interesting girl. Everyone else was dealt with cleanly, but you took my drone out and had the audacity to waltz right back to school the next day.”

Sunset glowered. “It takes a bitch to know one.”

Flash laughed. “Ha! Well, you are quite the special bitch, hm? My drone relayed a quick message to me before you cut snuffed him out. Just one word, actually.”

“And what would that be?”

It leaned in closer to her ear. “Equestrian.”

Sunset tensed up. “I’m not.”

Chrysalis stuck up an eyebrow. “Oh? You know my name and my people, but you’re not an Equestrian? Perhaps, not anymore . . . you wouldn’t mind if I took a quick peek at your love, would you?”

“I would. Piss off.”

“Bold statement for a girl with a knife to her throat. I think I’ll check anyway.” Chrysalis lightly hummed a tune as Sunset felt a small amount of magic swirl around her. “Oh . . . you’re even more interesting now,” Chrysalis said. She flashed forest green and Sunset found that the hand holding the blade to her throat suddenly looked a lot like her own. “Wow,” Chrysalis said in Sunset’s voice. “I should have visited you last night myself.”

“And why would that be?”

“There’s quite the adoration for you around school. Not a single student dislikes you—the majority admire you. The teachers adore you, and you leave a natural charisma that even has community members seemingly entranced by your presence. I can sense a little something else floating in your direction. Of a mystical nature—love from another dimension, perhaps? I suppose you really are Equestrian.”

She’s going to use all of my hard work against me. “Thanks for letting me know. I will find a good use for it without any interference from you.”

Chrysalis mimicked Sunset’s cruel laugh behind her. “But that’s only half the picture, child. You take in plenty of love, but the love you send out—well, how do I say this?”

“What?” Sunset asked.

Chrysalis mockingly sighed. “What a sad little girl you are. Any last shreds of love you have, buried away from the rest of the world. If we threw you into a pod it would be like squeezing a dry lemon. Just an empty pit where your heart is. I’d ask who hurt you, but I don’t particularly care. If you’re not going to take in any love, then I might as well get some use out of it instead.”

Sunset grimaced. “Shut up. You’re just trying to mess with me.”

Chrysalis’s expression shifted into a manic grin. “Am I? You’re an enigma. I can’t decide whether to call you a little devil or a little saint.”

“I don’t care either way. Look, I’m tired of this therapy session. Get the blade off my throat and let me go my own way. I’ll stay out of your hair. If that won’t cut it for you, I could stick around and help you plan out your attack. You need someone with a good lay of the land, right? I can be that girl.”

The blade tightened against her throat. “That’s not how this works. Whether you like it or not, you’re in my way. All you’ve shown me so far today is that you’re damn good at running away. You’re no better than Celestia herself—” Chrysalis paused. “Oh? What’s this now? Did I just sense that little heart of yours pump out some emotion?” Chrysalis leaned into Sunset’s ear. “Princess Celestia. Ah ha! There it is! Just the tiniest little bit of love for her, huh? Either you’re one hell of a patriot, or you’re more than just a common Equestrian.”

“I don’t love her. I never have.”

“Well, your heart says differently. Let me guess: a mare with enough magical knowledge to learn of the existence of the mirror, yet a clearly conflicted relationship with the Princess . . . it’s either going to be a world-renowned magician, a child, or an estranged student. Don’t leave me guessing.”

Sunset swallowed. “Student. She couldn’t understand that I was far beyond what she was teaching me. I could do better, but when I made my move, she cast me out.”

Chrysalis grinned. “Typical Celestia, no? Ever the control freak, yet too afraid to reveal her actual plans. That’s how I realized I could take her down, you know. I snuck into her little cabinet of foreign advisors and put up a few inquiries about my people. Do you know what they said to me? That Celestia was working on it. Well, a load of good that did. They all just sat in a circle like little birds waiting until momma arrived to regurgitate up some food. I don’t blame you for trying to take flight without permission.” She loosened her grip on the blade slightly.

“I couldn’t agree more. It was like everypony had to wait for her to make the first move. As if,” Sunset reponded.

Chrysalis grinned. “You know, I’ve been in quite the similar situation before. Of course, I actually suceeded, but still, I feel what you’re going through.”

Sunset decided to try one more time at peaceful resolution. “So, we get each other, right? How about you let me help you out with taking down this world. You need me more than you think.”

Chrysalis shoved Sunset onto the ground. “You ponies are too damn kind, even in other forms.” A mischievous grin appeared on her face. “I suppose I could give you one assignment.”

Sunset sat up and looked at the mirror of herself. A tiny glimmer of salvation appeared in her mind. “What do you want me to do?”

Chrysalis leaned in closer to Sunset and her eyes flashed green. “I’d like you to take a little walk for me.”

By then it was too late for Sunset; the magic had already invaded her body, and soon the lethargy took over. “No . . . I thought . . .”

Chrysalis copied Sunset’s signature smirk. “Now, I may not get much use out of you in a pod, but you’ve got the best seat in Canterlot High. I want it.” Chrysalis laughed. “If you’re not with me, you’re against me, and you are the farthest thing from an ally I could ever want.” She turned away.

Sunset sprawled out on the ground as she watched her impersonator sway back into the building. A drone flew up next to Chrysalis and, with a green flare, turned into Flash Sentry. Chrysalis grabbed its arm as they neared the entrance. “I can’t believe it took you this long to ask me to the Formal!” She said, turning around to give a final wave to the sunken girl in the courtyard.

Goddamn her! How could she do this to me . . . I need to fight this. I need to . . .

Sunset’s legs stood up and began walking down the cool sidewalk.

I can still stop this! I need to block the flow of magic in my direction!

Sunset’s feet did not alter their course, but her she managed to catch a glimpse of the tree in the corner of her eye. A flood of magic was gushing out, all slamming into her. They must be using their full power to keep me helpless.

Sunset’s feet took her past the statue.

If I just turn a little bit I could make my way through . . . back to Equestria. It’s just a few feet away. A few hooves away, like I used to say.

Her feet would not budge from their destined path.

I used to say things a lot differently . . . kind of like how Twilight talks. Pony vernacular . . . it reminds me of home. Celestia once told me that we didn’t always use the common pony language. However, once the three tribes united, it became a lot easier to refer to everypony as, well, every pony. Huh . . . now that I’m unable to, I finally realize the importance of being able to call out to people. I suppose I took it for granted in the past. When I became Celestia’s student I ran to everyone I knew, shouting “Everypony! Everypony! I’m Princess Celestia’s student!” I was so excited . . .

Sunset’s feet passed the statue and walked out of the gates of the school. She turned left, and continued down on her path to nowhere.

Twilight Sparkle didn’t like to use the word snooping; she much preferred examining in secret. And oh the things to examine in secret, even in an apartment as small as Sunset’s.

She had spent the morning simply opening and closing doors, windows, cabinets, and the fridge, mainly to examine her motor functions and to get a feel of how her muscles operated. However, when she discovered a notepad with a small pen next to it, she realized that there were an infinite number of gadgets in the world that would be considered technological wonders when she returned to Equestria.

If I return to Equestria.

She silenced the nagging voice in her head and continued eyeing a most interesting gizmo on Sunset’s desk. She began scribbling down notes about the laptop—dubiously labeled as the utility electronic pad by Twilight—and tried to figure out how to click on the Sign In button on the screen.

Tapping the monitor didn’t work. Slamming the keys didn’t work. Rubbing her mouth across the keyboard was a poor idea in hindsight.

Eventually, she discovered that the little square at the bottom of the keyboard controlled a tiny icon that allowed her to click on the button. Sunset had an auto-fill password which allowed Twilight to get to the desktop right away. She examined around the computer; an internet browser, a music player, and a few school programs were all that were easily accessible to Twilight.

The only thing she had not examined at this point was the Files tab, mainly because the idea of a digital file database made her so excited that she forced herself to save it for last. She waited until she could not hold back any longer and decided to take the plunge into the directory.

Sunset was very organized in her file separation, and the many pathways were easy for Twilight to slide down. A small thought crossed her mind that she was really invading Sunset’s privacy, but she was going to tell Sunset about it later anyways, so there was not point in just going halfway.

Twilight followed down the School pathway, and quickly found that Sunset kept all of her notes and assignments for each class in her folder; some classes even had their work ordered by unit. She scrolled through Sunset’s class list, reading up on all the unique aspects of the human world that Sunset had noted.

Eventually, Twilight reached the bottom of the list. The last file was different than the others. It was the only one not labeled after a class, but rather the Fall Formal. Twilight entered the file and found that there were various planning documents and designs about the year’s Formal.

At the bottom of that file was another. Attendees.

Inside were hundreds of folders titled with a name, all organized alphabetically. Twilight slowly scrolled through the folder, noting that some names were familiar to her. Sunset had mentioned that there are duplicates between this world and Equestria. She stumbled across a very familiar name.

Applejack.

Twilight clicked on Applejack’s folder and found a document and a few pictures. Twilight opened the document and stared in horror at what she saw.

Name, address, personality, hobbies, friends, likes, dislikes, strengths, weaknesses. Sunset had a full character sheet for the student. What worried Twilight the most, however, was the final category.

Threat Level: Medium to high. Access USB for methods of removal if necessary.

Twilight continued to scroll through, checking hundreds of names and finding similar documents. She opened Fluttershy’s.

Threat Level: Low. Public humiliation will do the trick; access USB for photos.

Principal Celestia’s.

Threat Level: Very High. Either get in her good graces or avoid at all costs.

Right below that was another similar name. Princess Celestia’s.

Threat Level: Ultimate. Run.

Twilight looked on in shock as every single student was itemized, deconstructed, and dealt with in Sunset’s notes. Twilight was not sure of the laws in this land, but she knew that keeping tabs on the whole school could not be completely legal. The invasion of the everyone’s privacy was almost sickening to her.

Does Sunset realize how terrible this is?

Sunset was in absolute bliss.

She continued her mindless stroll through the streets of Canterlot City, but her mental resistance was stifled completely once she left the courtyard. The fog from yesterday had still not let up, but that did not stop Sunset’s legs from knowing the exact path toward her destination. Sunset was reaching the edge of town, surrounded by run-down bars and cracked houses.

It may not be the most nice looking place in the world, but for the people here, I’m sure it’s home. I miss home.

She continued down the old sidewalk before emerging into a large park. Many children were playing on the equipment, with plenty of parents sitting on benches monitoring their young ones. Everyone except Sunset was a bit disgruntled at the weather, but it did not stop them from trying to have a good day. Sunset’s legs began a diagonal cut across the park, straight toward the grove of trees behind it.

I used to play on the swings when I was little. If you used a little extra magic on your way up you could do a full circle. Of course, if you go too slow you’ll just fall headfirst. Still, it was fun.

Sunset reached the sandy playground section and stomped through the sand.

This sand reminds me of the beach. The air feels more open at the beach, like you could just fly for hours and hours. I usually applied a couple spells to do that, but—

Something slammed into Sunset’s back and pushed her to the ground. “What the hell do you think you’re doing here, dressing like that?”

Sunset glanced up and saw an enraged mother glaring down at her. Sunset suddenly felt her temper rise as well. “What do you mean, doing here? This is a public park, isn’t?”

The woman snorted. “For functioning members of society. Not hoodlums like you.”

Sunset stood up and advanced on the woman, anger increasing. “I’ll have you know that I’m practically a saint. Why, I wasn’t the one who just pushed a young girl to the ground for no reason, was I?”

The woman began to start a tirade as Sunset suddenly realized that she had control of her body again. She glanced around the park and noticed that her altercation with the woman was only one of many in the surrounding area. Across the whole park were people violently shouting at one another, all caught up in their personal squabbles. Sunset looked in the sky and saw that the fog was masking a large wave of lime-green magic. A gentle hum filled the air.

On a park bench were three girls completely unfazed by the magic. No, Sunset thought. They’re making it!

Sunset stumbled backward away from the three and hit the ground with a small cry. The girl in the center noticed Sunset’s fear and met her gaze. Despite her large orange hairdo and revealing outfit, her eyes held an ancient quality to them that Sunset had seen in only one other person.

The center girl stood up. “Hey, girls,” she said, “I think we’ve found our little magician. She’s got a taste of Changeling magic in her. Delicious,” she cooed.

Sunset continued to back away from the trio. As they began to advance on her, Sunset got up to her feet and bolted away from the park.

After she could no longer hear the trio’s hum, she stopped to catch her breath. As much as she wanted to applaud her amazing luck by running into the girls and escaping her trance, the thought of another group aware of Equestrian magic chilled her to her core.

What the hell are they?

Author's Note

A new challenger enters the fray this chapter. What side are they on? Are they on a side? I suppose we'll just have to find out.

Thanks for reading! Comments, criticisms and corrections are always welcome.

Fools Rush In

After school ended that day, Principal Celestia prepared herself for the Prom Planning Committee meeting that she held every week. When Celestia started teaching she decided that the best way for the students to have the best after-school dances was to let them plan it; so, she left it up to the kids each year. It would probably be more accurately described as a club—and they worked on more events than just Prom—but Celestia made sure that most of the time she was there as a supervisor rather than an actual planner, and that she was as hands-off as much as possible.

Out of the twelve students in the committee, Sunset Shimmer took the most control. She was practically setting up the meetings herself near the end of last year, and considering that their party attendance had almost doubled, she was doing a spectacular job. Sunset not showing up to the meeting tonight would hinder their progress significantly, especially when it was so close to the Fall Formal.

Sunset will not show up. But she will.

Celestia prayed that what she thought was going to happen would not, but as she approached the small meeting room the group took over after school, a sinking feeling in her stomach spoke otherwise. After lunch that day Celestia had seen Sunset walking in the halls, chatting with her friends like their conversation at lunch had never occurred. However, Sunset was wearing the leather jacket that Celestia currently had stashed under her desk. Part of her wanted to turn around and go home, feigning illness, but she knew that it would only delay the inevitable confrontation with whatever the thing pretending to be Sunset was.

She walked through the empty halls of the school until she reached a general meeting room that the group used each Friday. As she neared the door, it swung open for her, a girl waiting on the other side with a small grin on her face.

It was Sunset. A spike of fear shot through Celestia, but she managed to cover up any shivers. Keep your cool, Celestia. “Hello, Miss Celestia,” Sunset said, stepping to the side to let the principal in. “We’ve gotten started a little bit early.”

Celestia scanned the room and saw the other eleven students were very stoic; each turned and looked at her, smiled, and turned back in near perfect synchronization. " . . . Okay, well, let’s get on the same page, then,” Celestia walked to the front of the small room in front of a whiteboard. “So, the Fall Formal is exactly one week from today. Those of you who were part of the committee last year know that tomorrow we will be going to gather all the decoration supplies we need at the mall. Today we’re solidifying the list of the materials we need and the specifications they require: sizes, colors, amounts, you name it. We still have some leftover items from last year, but we do not have to use them if no one wants to.” Celestia clapped her hands together. “All right, shall we get started?”

Sunset stood up. “I would like to speak for the whole committee. We’ve all been working on some changes to the Formal that we should get out of the way.”

Celestia walked over to a chair and sat down. “Very well, Sunset.”

Sunset offered a slightly edged smile and took center stage. “First off, we’ve decided to change the color scheme to green and black.”

Celestia sat up in her chair, aghast. “Wait, hold on. You convinced everyone two weeks ago that red and gold was the perfect color for the Formal. I mean, changing the scheme is not that big of a deal, but could I at least get a reason why?”

“It’s the symbolism involved,” Sunset explained. “The green represents the summer, but the black is creating a somber accent that undercuts it. Summer is coming to an end; it’s meeting its death, even. We think it’s a lot more poetic than a basic red and yellow scheme, which is really overdone and will not excite the students at all.”

Celestia rubbed her eyes, recognizing that she was in for quite the ordeal tonight. “We already settled on the color scheme. If we are going to change it, I’ll have to call a vote.”

“Okay, Principal.”

Celestia faced the rest of the members. “All in favor of switching the color scheme, raise your hands.”

Every hand raised except Celestia’s.

“Well,” Celestia mumbled, sitting back down, “I guess that’s settled then.”

She looked closer at the other members and it became apparent that none of them were acting like themselves. Sunset’s doing the talking because she’s probably the only one able too. Sunset was still standing in front of the group, waiting for Celestia to acknowledge her again.

“Is there something else we need to get out of the way?”

“Yes,” Sunset said. “We were hoping to change the venue.”

“What?” Celestia exclaimed. “We’ve used the gym for the past fifteen years, and I see no reason to stop now. Where would we even go?”

“Camp Everfree,” Sunset said.

“Camp Everfree.” Celestia restated, nonplussed. “No. Not even a chance.”

Sunset frowned. “Come on, Principal. The camp is hurting for money, and renting out the venue for a night would help them out a lot.”

“No,” Celestia said. “If you had approached me with this idea when the school year started, then maybe, and I mean maybe, we could have done it. But one week away? That’s impossible. There’s too much to account for if we change the venue this late.”

“But Principal Luna said we could do it—”

“Luna is not in charge of our finances, is she?”

Sunset sighed. “All right, let’s at least hold a vote. All in favor raise their hands—”

“No,” Celestia interrupted. “Not another vote. It matters very little if you all want to move there or not. The budget is set, and the location is already expected; you can try again next year. The time to make this decision was weeks ago, not today. I’m overruling all of you.” A small part of her questioned whether or not she would have responded similarly if the real Sunset had proposed the idea. Something bigger is at play here, though.

Sunset humphed and sat back down. “Let’s get started, then.”

Celestia offered her best smile. “Alright. Well, obviously we will need to change the colors of the balloons and streamers . . .”

The meeting continued on for an hour and a half as each supply was listed out and the stock was decided. In previous years, Celestia sat it out and let the kids decide how much they needed, but this year they were always in unanimous agreement. Similar clashes occurred throughout the night between Celestia and Sunset, each conceding or denying about an equal amount of times. Celestia began trying to add compromise into her vetoes, but the kids never responded with any of their own.

As the night winded down, they finished the final few objects on their list.

“Well students, I suppose this concludes everything we need to cover for today. As usual, anyone who would like to come to the mall at ten-thirty tomorrow is welcome, but you do not need to if you cannot make it. See you all then.”

The students left the room in single file, Sunset at the end of the line. Before she completely exited, Celestia called out to her.

“Sunset? Could we talk for a minute?”

Sunset stopped and turned around, an amused expression on her face. “I suppose,” she said.

Celestia walked over to Sunset. “I want you to know that I am not trying to suppress any ideas you have to make the Formal better, but rather that I have to stick to our budget and the limitations the school puts on us. Perhaps we can try something more unique for prom this year,” She put her arm on Sunset’s shoulder. “It just can’t work out right now.”

Sunset bored a chilling stare into Celestia’s eyes. The clock seemed to slow down as the two faced off. “Okay, Principal,” Sunset said coldly. Celestia’s hand began to feel warmer, as if touching Sunset was like touching a scalding iron. “If only you had a little bit more power over the school board, right?”

“Yes, if only.” Celestia nonchalantly yanked her hand off and backed away from Sunset. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Sunset. You know that we’ll meet right outside the entrance.”

Sunset stepped through the doorway and began leaving Celestia’s presence. “See you then.” As Sunset turned the corner out of Celestia’s vision, Celestia heard a voice speak barely above a whisper, in a cruel chuckle.

“How cruel the imbalances of the universe are.”

Celestia paused, the fear that had gripped her heart earlier returning in full force. She sat down on a desk and collected herself for a few minutes, trying to steady her breathing.

Something about the Changeling Queen’s statement deeply shook Celestia to her core. It was like she knew something about Celestia that Celestia did not know herself, some ultimate secret that was the key to her psyche and the explanation to why her life felt so empty whenever the Queen spoke. There’s nothing I can do about it now. She walked to her office, collected her things, and went out to her car.

None of the students were in the parking lot.

None were walking home.

None were waiting for the late bus that arrived in thirty minutes.

Celestia tried to stop her hands shaking all the way home.

Sunset Shimmer slammed her apartment door behind her and sluggishly made her way to the kitchen for some food. Had she been able to best describe her current state, she might have said sensory overload: she felt like her emotions were being tossed between happy, sad, calm, and outraged at any second, and considering her two meetings from earlier, she was not that far off from the truth.

She rummaged through her small fridge until someone cleared their throat behind her. Sunset turned around and saw Twilight Sparkle standing warily in her bedroom doorway. “You’re still here?” Sunset asked. “I told you to leave.” Twilight was the last person Sunset wanted to see right now, and she focused back on the fridge with the hope that Twilight would take her hint.

“You said you would be back before noon. It’s past six. I was scared that something happened.”

Sunset sighed and closed the fridge, lightly limping over to take a seat on her bed. “You didn’t need to be. I can handle myself.”

“But something did happen?” Twilight’s face was etched with worry for some reason Sunset didn’t understand.

Sunset did not meet her gaze. “I . . . ran into some hiccups.”

She recalled the sensation she had felt earlier in the day. At first her mind was fogged up by the bliss of the changelings’ mind control, but soon it became red-hot with anger from the three girls that she encountered. I suppose I’ve equalled out by now. I’m feeling perfectly apathetic.

“What hiccups would those be?” Twilight asked.

“It’s unimportant. Look, I wasn’t joking about staying one night. Get out,” Sunset started, however, a new thought appeared in her mind. “Actually, I don’t care. You can stay.”

“Really?” Twilight asked hopefully.

“Yeah, but I wasn’t joking earlier when I said I was leaving town. This has gone to shit far too fast for both of us. See you,” Sunset grabbed the bag she packed yesterday from her closet and headed for the door.

Twilight reached out and pleaded to Sunset. “Wait, you can’t go!”

“Yes I can. And I will. Goodbye,” Sunset grasped the door handle.

“Wait!” She yelled in desperation. “Don’t you want to take your—your utility electronic pad?”

Sunset turned around, a confused expression on her face. “My what now?”

Twilight shrunk down a bit in embarrassment. “You know, the things with the keys and the screen! It folds . . .” She trailed off meekly.

“My laptop?”

“Yeah, your laptop—that actually makes more sense, now that I think about it.” Twilight took a deep breath. “I know what you’ve done on it.”

“And what would that be?” Sunset let go of the doorknob and began advancing closer to Twilight. Twilight did not flinch this time around, however.

“I read your guest list. Of your attendees.”

Sunset stopped, realizing that she had been found out. “Ah. It doesn’t matter now. All that went down the drain this morning,” Sunset lamented. All of her work over the past year and a half was in that file, but having it all become near meaningless did not feel as devastating as she imagined it would be. If anything, she felt slightly liberated, but that might have been the result of the strange concoction of emotions coursing through her.

Twilight became visibly upset. “That doesn’t change the fact that it’s wrong! You’re stalking the school, Sunset! How long did it even take you to gain all of that information?”

“Do you think I’ve been sitting on my ass for the past year and a half? Know your enemy, Twilight.”

“They’re not your enemy, they’re high school students!”

“And high school students can be real bastards if they want to be. Like a pack of wolves sometimes, I swear.”

Twilight placed her hand on her forehead. “That isn’t a good excuse for why you have planned out exactly how to defeat every single kid. I don’t even know what to say anymore. Do you even care about being a good pony?” She growled.

Sunset stopped, running Twilight’s words through her head. “Was that your issue this whole time?” She laughed, much to Twilight’s confusion. “You thought that I was the final savior of Equestria? Some goddamn knight in shining armor who’s going to swoop in and save everything? News flash, Twilight. The Princess didn’t send you to me because I was the best option; I’m the last option, in her mind, at least.”

“W-what? N-no, I didn’t think you were a savior,” Twilight took a step back.

“Well, good,” Sunset said coldly. “Because I’m not, and I never will be. Not for you, not for Celestia, and not for anypony else besides myself. It’s just how it is. Bye.”

Twilight’s lip quivered. “Why are you like this, Sunset?”

She laughed again. “You haven’t faced real adversity in your life, have you? I mean ever.”

Twilight tried to put on a brave front. “I have. I faced off against Nightmare Moon, the Lord of Chaos-”

“Nonono. That’s not the adversity I’m talking about. I mean the adversity that haunts you for the rest of your life. The kind of adversity that never lets your nerves fully untense, that keeps popping up in everyday life and conversation to tighten its grip around you, that sits at the back of your mind like an anchor, holding you down no matter how hard you want to try and kick yourself back up. You haven’t dealt with the adversity that is always trying to sink you. You’re a goddamn aristocrat who got lucky enough to not have too much of a pompous attitude. I’m not the good person here, but if you think you are, than you’ve fooled yourself far beyond what I thought was capable of a pony.”

Twilight sat down. “B-but . . . if there’s no one good left . . .”

Sunset laughed. “Now you’re figuring it out. Sometimes in life, there doesn’t get to be a good guy. That knight in shining armor is getting their nutrience harvested in a pod, every princess has been taken down to the same level as her subjects, and every common pony is not even realizing that their life has been reduced to nothingness. If you can’t find a hero, Twilight, then either step up yourself, or pony up and get bucked like the rest of your friends. Don’t be a fool.”

Sunset could feel anger coursing through her veins, but she found that it was not really directed at Twilight. If anything, Twilight was the unlucky girl who was caught facing the wrath of Sunset’s anger at something far out of her control, that she could not even put a label on.

Twilight sat down and sighed, tears dotting her eyes. “I . . . I don’t believe you, Sunset. I can’t deny that you’re right . . . and there’s nopony but us, now. There are no good ponies left for the job. I’m . . . useless, without my friends.”

Sunset walked over to Twilight and put a hand on her shoulder. “Then go out and explore this world before it gets taken over. Admit defeat. Equestria, Twilight . . . I know how you feel about it. I felt that once, too. It feels like heaven, in a strange way. There were no problems for anypony to face—none that really matter, at least. It’s why I don’t blame you for never facing hardship; no one you know has either.”

Twilight looked up at her. “If it’s heaven, why won’t you save it?”

“It isn’t exactly Tartarus here, Twilight. It’s more like limbo. It’s Equestria, but watered down with sin and mortality. Life is hard, but it’s so much more rewarding than Equestria to truly thrive here. I’ve only been here a year, but every accomplishment I’ve made, every sin I’ve committed, has been my own. I have actual control here, for better and for worse.”

Twilight turned away again, a small frown appearing on her face. “Sunset, you’re not a good person.”

“Wow, thanks.”

“No one ever said a bad person couldn’t be a hero, though,” she murmured.

Sunset took her arm off of Twilight’s shoulder. “What are you trying to say now?”

Twilight stood up and walked over to Sunset. Suddenly, she jumped forward and gripped Sunset in a crushing hug.

Sunset felt that something pang inside her heart once again, like she was suddenly toppled over by a crushing wave. All she could focus on was the sensation. Her tired body, the aching scars on her back, the scuffs on her legs, all disappeared when met with Twilight’s embrace. A torrent of emotions flowed through her body. When was the last time someone hugged me? Sunset awkwardly raised her arms and placed them on Twilight’s back, unsure of what her intentions were.

“Help me,” Twilight whispered, “And I’ll play your game. You said it’s like purgatory here, right? Then I’ll stop with my morals. I’ll become the most disgraceful student in Equestria if it means that you’ll help me save the day. I need at least one person to work with, otherwise I’ll fail. I know I will. Be my friend, please.”

“You could just go to CHS,” Sunset tried to keep herself from choking up, “You know that there are duplicates there. I’m sure you know some of them.”

“They’ll never believe me. I may be offering to stoop to your lows, but by the end of this, I will show you the magic of friendship.” Twilight leaned farther into Sunset’s shoulder. “You are a bad pony, but you can still be a good person.”

Sunset hesitated. The act of intimacy had completely thrown her off guard, and that was on top of the strange emotions she had forced into her throughout the day. I’m not going to do this, am I? “Will you not hold me back? Let me do my own thing?”

“As long as you teach me why it has to be that way.”

“And will you get the Princess off my case if I help her out?”

“I promise.”

Sunset silently cursed herself. “Then I guess I can help prepare you to take her on.”

Sunset could not see it, but Twilight smiled. “Thank you, Sunset.”

“I’m still on the sidelines, though. I’m not looking to fight her any more than I already have.”

“Fine by me.”

Sunset awkwardly broke out of the hug. “Excuse me . . .” She stepped around Twilight over to her laptop and turned it on. “Well, if you want your best shot against Chrysalis, you’ll have to figure out how she works. I mentioned earlier that you need to know your enemy; the Changelings get a headstart on that because they can literally be their enemy.”

Twilight wiped her eyes, choosing to focus on the new situation. “How do we equal the playing field?”

Sunset clicked on her files tab. “I think there’s a new guest attending the Fall Formal, correct?”

Twilight caught on with a grin. “There is . . . and where might we find this guest, to make sure she is fully prepared?”

“There’s a small field trip to the mall tomorrow. Perhaps we should join them.”

Out of the darkness of the night appeared three girls approaching the gates of Canterlot High School.

“Is this the place? I like the gargoyles,” Sonata said. “Or, they’re horses I guess. Horse-goyles? Gargoyses?”

Adagio peered at the building, ignoring Sonata’s questions. “The lights are still on. Looks like my hunch was right. The only people the Changelings could get at,” Adagio raised her hand to her face to try and look at the lit windows better, “were a bunch of simple-minded teenagers.”

“Look at the front yard, morons,” Aria pointed her finger at the hideous hive attached to the tree. “That’s something you’d see in the pits of Tartarus, not a public school.”

Sonata tilted her head. “I thought you said the public school system was Tartarus, Aria.”

“Shut up,” Aria said.

Adagio sauntered up to the tree, a confident sway in her step. “I think you’re on to something Aria. This might even be a Changeling hive. It wouldn’t be too far off to suggest that the Changelings are a bunch of bugs, right? I mean, we’ve squashed them before.”

“Don’t be a dumbass, Adagio. They might be listening already.”

Adagio stepped up to the hive and knocked on it three times. “Hello? Anybody in there? We need to talk to you,” she called.

Sonata stayed a few steps away from Adagio, admiring the hive. “It looks like a big, upside-down castle! Imagine living there!”

“I said shut up Sonata, and get the hell away from there. Wasp stings hurt like hell,” Aria grabbed Sonata and pulled her back. “Let Adagio find out how it feels to get stung until her face is more puffed up than her ass.”

“That would be a lot of puffing,” Sonata remarked.

“Then perhaps I can cast the first sting,” A voice said from behind them. The three girls turned to see the spitting image of the girl that they had run into earlier in the day. “You know, most visitors have the courtesy to knock on the trunk.”

Adagio walked up to the girl. “Well hello there,” she cooed. “I see you’ve taken up residence here.”

“I wouldn’t say residence, but rather, dominance.”

Adagio tapped her chin, mocking deep thought. “Hmm, I don’t know. You see, this is our world,” She advanced on Chrysalis. “Our territory. Consider our arrival as your impromptu eviction notice,” Adagio offered a malicious smile. “Unless you would rather we show you what dominance actually is.”

Chrysalis smiled. “How about we talk about this inside? It’s getting quite cold out, being autumn and all.”

Aria spoke up. “We’re staying right here, you ratty punk. We haven’t forgotten how Changelings work.”

Chrysalis pretended to be offended. “I’ll have you know that I specifically revamped our system. We’re quite different from thousands of years ago, sirens.”

Adagio raced forward and got up in Chrysalis’s face. “Nice try, but we’ve dealt with these tricks longer than you’ve been alive. Either you get out of this world, or—”

Chrysalis’s eyes flashed green. “I think you’ve said enough.” She began channeling her magic into Adagio.

Adagio swatted the magic right out of the air. “Did you really think that would work on us?” She laughed. “We’re older than your grandparents, Changeling. The only way your magic could even get close to our minds is if we were practically comatose. You haven’t even thought that someone stronger than you exists here yet, did you? Weak, arrogant, and too foolish to realize you’re out of your league—that’s all the Changelings have ever been, and you don’t seem to be proving any different.”

Chrysalis raised her hands in the air, but her eyes flamed with anger. “Tell me what you want, and make it quick.”

Aria and Sonata walked up behind Adagio and the trio looked upon her haughtily. “I think we’ve made ourselves clear. Either get out, or we’ll show you what real magic is in this world.”

Chrysalis sighed. “I guess there’s no other way around this, is there?”

“Around what?”

“This.”

Chrysalis slapped Adagio in the face, knocking her to the ground.

Aria jumped forward. “Why, you bitch—” She suddenly tripped over her own feet and fell to the ground as well. Sonata stumbled forward before joining the other two.

Chrysalis chuckled as she stood over the three girls. “Well, that’s settled,” she said nonchalantly.

“What the hell did you do, Changeling?” Adagio asked, squirming away from Chrysalis’s towering figure.

Chrysalis examined her hands. “You know, you shouldn’t get too confident on your ability to swat off my magic. Sure, I didn’t control your mind completely, but I might have made it stop paying attention to a few appendages.”

The Dazzlings struggled to move their arms, only to realize that they had been tied behind their back with thick rope. They lay on the ground in bewilderment as they realized their feet had suffered the same fate. However they somehow say their arms in the corner of their vision. The arms they could see suddenly flashed green and flew away.

“I had my workers take on the shape of your arms in your vision while they tied your real ones behind your back. One of the oldest tricks in the book for anyone who can only somewhat resist Changeling magic. I’m disappointed it was so easy, actually.”

Adagio sat up and glared at Chrysalis. “You don’t understand what you’ve just done, Changeling. This will be your fatal mistake.”

Chrysalis raised an eyebrow and mimicked Sunset’s humored expression. Her eyes still glowed green with fury. “Is that so? No point in taking any more chances then, right?”

The six bugs that had each been impersonating the Dazzlings’ arms flashed green once again into six students from the school. They paired up and grabbed the girls off of the ground, hauling them toward the school building. The Dazzlings shouted and struggled in protest, but they could not do anything with both their arms and legs bound together.

Chrysalis followed behind and began brainstorming out loud. “Where could I put you . . . well, I need to deal with the janitor anyways,” The Dazzlings began humming a song, trying to work their magic upon Chrysalis. She laughed. “All that does is make me hungry,” she mock-pouted.

The Changelings brought them to the Janitor’s Closet and tossed them inside. Each girl slammed against the ground and let out a small cry of pain. “You’re so dead, you bitch,” Aria said.

Chrysalis only smiled wider. “Enjoy your weekend, girls,” she said. She turned to her drones. “Gag them, and make sure there’s no possible way they can get out.”

Chrysalis closed the door shut behind her, and was delighted to realize that it was thick enough to almost completely dampen their screams.

Author's Note

I don't know if I ever mentioned it before, but the wasp I based the Changelings off of is the Warrior Wasp, albeit green instead of their typical blue.

Warrior Wasps flap their wings at the exact same speed and tempo, making it sound like an army is marching when they want to intimidate. This is the form that Changelings take when they are not impersonating a human. I imagine Chrysalis as a sort of Giga-Wasp, almost the size of a cazadore from Fallout (the cazadore was based off of the Tarantula Hawk, but I think that Warrior Wasps have a bit more of an interesting connection to Changelings through their synchronization and color scheme).

Anyways, that was just a fun insight I wanted to share. Comments, criticisms, corrections, and questions are always welcome. See you all in the next chapter!

I'm a Fool to Want You

Sunset and Twilight stood in front of the entrance to the Canterlot City Mall, trying their hardest not to stand out. The busy Saturday crowd heeded no attention to them, luckily. Sunset did not prefer the bustling groups of people, but it was actually going to help them for the day’s mission.

“Wow . . . malls in Equestria are way smaller!” Twilight exclaimed. They entered and began walking through the halls, Sunset leading Twilight down to the party supplies store.

“Yeah, malls are crazy here. Especially on Saturdays,” Sunset remarked. “It’s a hotspot for most highschoolers, too.”

Twilight glanced at her. “Is that why you’re wearing that?”

Sunset looked down at her outfit: a pair of normal jeans and a long-sleeved dark green shirt were far from what she usually wore, and wrapping her hair underneath an old black baseball cap was hopefully enough to avoid recognition from any other students. “The last thing we want today is for somebody to see me running around in two places at once.”

Twilight nodded her head. “You don’t think the Changelings would try anything in public, do you?”

Sunset shrugged. “I’m not sure. I would say no, but we don’t know if they really understand the customs of this society. Everything I ever read about Changelings said that they were extremely reclusive. We’ll have to keep our guard up.”

They stepped on the escalators to the second floor and Twilight’s eyes widened. “This is amazing!” She wobbled slightly, but Sunset grabbed her back before she could fall.

“Careful,” she said. “Try not to cause a scene.”

Twilight gave a sheepish grin and straightened herself out. “This is such an interesting contraption, though. This could be a theme park ride in Equestria!”

They reached the end of the escalator and stepped off. “Imagine what theme parks are like here. It’s the closest feeling the average person can get to flying. Barring airplanes, of course.”

Twilight stared at her. “One: I need to see these theme parks. Two: airplanes? Have those advanced beyond the basic models in Equestria?”

“There’s essentially no magic here,” Sunset explained. “So this world developed industrially, using technology to achieve some of the things ponies can do naturally. Airplanes are our way of flight, however instead of carrying one pony like a pegasus’s wings, they can carry lots at one time. They are also a lot more complicated than the old wooden planes you might be familiar with in Equestria.”

“Ah, I see. So it’s like the cars you mentioned earlier . . . humans have adapted to overcome the obstacles that ponies never faced. Do you know how much research potential there is here? Oh, I’m gonna explode from all of this knowledge!” She squealed.

“Keep it down. We’re almost there.”

As they approached the store, a sickening aura overcame them. “Do you feel that?” Twilight asked.

“Yeah,” Sunset said. “A weak mind-control field maybe? Just enough to keep anyone from walking into the store,” Sunset glanced around. “If we get any closer, they’ll know that it’s us.”

Twilight looked nervously at Sunset. “What do we do, then?”

Sunset checked her surroundings. Benches lined the center of the mall’s hallways as medians between people walking in two different directions. Sunset walked over to an old wooden one and sat down.

“Sunset, this bench isn’t even facing the store. How do you expect us to watch Chrysalis?”

Sunset grinned. “Easy,” She reached into her pocket and pulled out a compact circular face mirror, and flipped it open. “This bench is the perfect angle to look directly into the party store,” She raised the mirror and shifted it back and forth, showing the front of the shop in perfect clarity. “See?”

Twilight sat down next to her. “Why do you have that?”

A blank expression crossed Sunset’s face. “Surely you know what makeup is, right? Even that’s in Equestria.”

“Oh!” Twilight said, recognition flashing across her face. “Yeah, heh, I haven’t spent much time studying cosmetology yet,” she rubbed the back of her head, “that was always more Rarity’s thing.”

“Please, don’t remind me of her.” Sunset and Twilight sat together on the bench, both mainly focused on watching the store. Although they had managed a way to spy without being suspicious, there was not much to actually see in the storefront. The bored cashier twiddled his thumbs up front and there were a few interesting party supplies in the front aisles, but there was no sign of any Changelings.

“So, do we just wait, or . . . ?” Twilight asked.

“Yes. You said you would let me do things my way, right? Well, sometimes things don’t happen right away. The goal is to get a general profile on Chrysalis, not discover any of her secrets.”

“Okay, I’ll wait,” Twilight said.

About ten minutes or so passed, the two huddled up on a bench, waiting for something to appear. The mall was quite busy downstairs, but on the upper level very few people got near the two girls. Sunset was starting to get annoyed by how touchy Twilight was, gripping her arm to get a better view of the storefront.

“Do you know what personal space is?” Sunset asked.

“What? This is perfectly normal for a pony.” Twilight’s eyes never left the mirror.

“Yeah, well, if you haven’t noticed yet, we’re not—”

“Look!” Twilight pointed at the mirror.

On the inside of the store appeared a pink teenage girl pushing a shopping cart full of supplies. Her hair seemed to bounce as she strolled through the front aisles, grabbing everything she could see.

“That’s Pinkie Pie, Sunset! She’s my friend!” Twilight exclaimed.

Sunset sighed. I figured this would happen eventually. ”No, she’s not. That’s a Changeling.”

“But . . . she acts just like her too! You saw how poorly that Changeling impersonated you!”

“Yeah, but that was seconds after meeting me. Pinkie over there has had a couple of days by now. And, Twilight, even if it was Pinkie Pie, would she really be your friend? The people of this world are loosely related to their counterparts at best. Some are wildly different,” Sunset explained.

Twilight’s eyes sunk away from Pinkie and she stared at the ground, trying to fight her quivering lip. ”Okay, Sunset. I understand. Still, I didn’t think Chrysalis would go after my friends so quickly.”

“You said they were element bearers, right? They were probably one of the first on her list," Sunset patted Twilight’s shoulder. “Chin up. We don’t have time to mope right now.”

Twilight looked back up and offered a weak smile to Sunset. “You’re right. They’re not even my friends. No point in getting too attached right now, you know?”

Sunset grinned. “That’s the spirit! Just brush it off and stay focused on why we’re here.”

They continued to look through the mirror, glancing at the people inside. A few more familiar faces showed up: Twilight’s friend Rarity, the school DJ, and even Flash Sentry appeared. Although they looked different, they all followed the exact same movement pattern, browsing up the first aisle and down the next, sometimes grabbing the exact same item as the previous one. It was only around noon when the real subject of interest appeared.

“Sunset, it’s . . . you!” Twilight pointed into the mirror at the reflection of Sunset’s doppelganger. The other Sunset was wearing her typical garb; a blue skirt with the leather jacket underneath, and some high boots to match. She held herself with the same haughty arrogance that Sunset usually used for intimidation at school. Since when did I think of myself as arrogant?

“This is probably our girl. I bet it’s Chrysalis too, even.”

“Look at her movements,” Twilight said. The other Sunset was strolling through the aisles, picking up various supplies. “She’s walking in the opposite direction to all the others. My bet is that it’s Chrysalis.” Twilight continued to focus on the other Sunset in the mirror.

Sunset looked at Twilight, confusion flashing across her face. “Didn’t I just say that?”

“She can’t here you,” a voice said in front of them.

Sunset’s head shot up and she found herself face to face with another version of herself. This is getting a bit too familiar. She turned to Twilight only to find the girl was still watching the Changeling Sunset through the portable mirror, eyes clouded over with a green tint. The real Sunset turned to her second imposter with a glare.

“What did you do to her?” She demanded. The Sunset in front of her laughed, and snapped her fingers in front of Twilight's face.

“It’s the power of suggestion, Sunset,” she waved her hand in front of Twilight’s face but Twilight made no motion of recognition. “All Twilight was thinking about was finding you in the mirror. I showed got one of my Changelings to show her just that, only to pounce when her guard was down. I gave her what she was looking for.”

Sunset glanced at her doppelganger in the mirror. Her eyes were glowing a mystical green and she had slowed down to a halt, simply browsing one aisle. Sunset turned back to Chrysalis in front of her, trying to conceal any fear that flashed across her face.

“What do you want, Chrysalis?” Sunset stood up from the bench and walked over to the railing, glancing down at the first floor. Chrysalis slid up next to her.

“I should ask you the same thing. Not everyone gets out of my mind control that easily.” Chrysalis ran some of her hair—although it was actually Sunset’s, in a sense—through her fingers, idly watching Sunset and the crowd below.

“Not everyone here is a pushover, you know. I’m stronger than you think,” Sunset prayed Chrysalis would not call her bluff. She turned her head away, trying to muster up some confidence.

“So it seems,” Chrysalis said. “You’re not like an average pony, or the average person, for that matter. Look at them down there, Sunset,” Chrysalis pointed at the crowds of teenagers below, “Acting like fools. Wasting their money on trash barely worth a single bit. They can choose what store they want to go to, what color of shirt they want to buy, but it doesn’t make them any more than a mindless drone at the end of the day. They’ll all fall in line when I show up. It’s that false sense of free will that annoys me the most about humans and ponies. At least ponies know that there is something greater than themselves. Humans won’t even resist if we make them think that they still have a choice in the matter. They can't resist.”

Chrysalis sighed as Sunset turned to look at her. “Why are you telling me this?”

“I don’t just want to take over the world for selfish reasons, Sunset. I give humans this over ponies: they will understand once I show them how much better my vision is. You may not think it right now, Sunset, but I’m not doing this out of pure evil. Sometimes it just seems like there has to be a villain; I’m sure you’ve felt that feeling all too well yourself.”

Chrysalis tried to put a hand on Sunset’s shoulder, but she ripped it away with a scowl. “Bullshit. What are you trying to do, Chrysalis? You could have already taken Twilight and I out by now.”

Chrysalis’s mouth turned up in a smirk. “Ah well, reaching out with emotions was never my strong suit. Yesterday you wanted to work for me, right? Well, a few things have come up. I ran into a couple friends last night that led me to believe that there is more to this world than I first imagined. Now, I managed to deal with them on my own, but I have suspicions they may not be the last problem that’s going to appear in my path to victory. I’ll cut to the chase: I will permit you to join the Changelings.”

Sunset looked back at Chrysalis and furrowed her brow. “Why?”

Chrysalis pointed at Sunset’s head. “You broke out of the trance. I don’t know how, but that means you aren’t weak, at the very least. I guess you could say that things have lined up nicely in your favor.”

Sunset swallowed as she thought about the proposition. I just agreed to help Twilight, but the odds are already stacked against us. She glanced over at Twilight, still stuck in place, focused completely on the mirror. If I joined Chrysalis, Twilight would lose completely. I can guarantee myself a nice spot when this is all over. She glanced back at Chrysalis. Chrysalis is untrustworthy though. She might throw me out the second she doesn’t need me.

Chrysalis watched as Sunset struggled to make a decision. “Alright, Sunset,” she said with a smirk. “Never say that I’m not generous. I’ll give you two days; if you don’t have an answer for me, then I’m moving on without you, and the Changelings will show you no mercy.”

Sunset clenched her teeth. “How do I show you I want in, then?”

Chrysalis grinned devilishly. “Simple. Bring me Twilight,” she growled. “The wench almost ruined my plans before they even took off. If you want to join me, then give me Twilight as proof of your loyalty. This shows how serious I am, Sunset. I could take her away this instant, but I’m putting my trust in the fact that you will make the smart decision.”

Sunset leaned against the railing. A part of her just wanted to hand Twilight over right now, not having to deal with the ache of betrayal. Since when did I care about betraying someone?

“Okay, Chrysalis,” Sunset said, “I’ll . . . think about it. I promise you I will have an answer by Monday.”

Chrysalis smiled, but no matter how much she tried to copy Sunset, it felt tainted, like Sunset’s face was rejecting the very essence of Chrysalis’s character. Sunset felt that her own body was going to be infected by Chrysalis's aura just by sharing the same face. “I will see you and Twilight soon then. Don’t let me down.”

Chrysalis flashed green and with a flit of her wings sped back into the party store. The green glow in Twilight’s eyes faded out and she shook her head.

“Sunset? What’s going on? Why are you off the bench?” She rapidly flipped her head back and forth, checking for anyone nearby. I can’t tell her.

“It’s nothing, Twilight,” Sunset said. “I think we’re done for today.”

Twilight stood up, confused. “But we barely saw Chrysalis. Is that really enough to get a good profile?”

“Yes, it should be,” Sunset quickly turned away. “Now, let’s get out of here. The food court is open; maybe you should try some mall food.”

Twilight stepped next to Sunset, suspicion crossing her face. “Sure, I’d love to try some.”

Sunset tried to block out the previous conversation as the two girls made their way down to the food court. They arrived, and after Sunset sat Twilight down and answered all of her questions, they began to look around. Soon enough they came face to face with a myriad of options to choose from. Sunset tried at first to explain what the food was, but eventually decided to let Twilight find something on her own.

After Twilight finally got her food, they sat down at an empty table, Twilight placing her tray in front of her. “Are you sure you don’t want anything?”

Sunset shook her head. “No, I’m not hungry.” I don’t think I could stomach anything even if I wanted to eat with you right now.

“Okay then,” Twilight said as she took a bite into her bacon cheeseburger. “Wow, this is delicious!”

Sunset chuckled. “I’ll tell you what it’s made of after you’re done eating.”

“What?” Twilight asked with a mouthful of burger. “I didn’t catch that.”

Sunset grinned. “Oh, nothing.”

The food court was quite busy at that time of day, so the two did not have to worry about being caught off guard. Despite her recent conversation with Chrysalis, Sunset began to relax. There was something about Twilight that almost calmed her down. She always wore her heart on her sleeve and never had any ill intent toward anyone. She truly is a pony. I get why Celestia chose her, even if I don’t like it.

Part of her couldn’t help but notice that being like this in the food court was similar to some of her time spent with Flash, except Twilight was in his place. She could feel that there was a similarity between the two, but Twilight felt . . . different, in a way. Despite acting like—and looking like—a teenager, Sunset knew that there was an adult underneath it all who had experienced a great amount of pain in the past few weeks. She chose to put on a happy face not as denial to her true situation, but as motivation to get out of it. Somehow, Twilight knew how to break through some of Sunset’s barriers that Flash had been failing at for a year. She would never admit it to Twilight, but she was starting to think that she was not the worst company Sunset could have gotten stuck with.

As Twilight finished up her food, Sunset began to glance around the court, checking to see if any Changeling students were watching her. In the corner of the court near the exit was a figure that caught her eye.

Sunset sat up and looked over at the figure. “Hey Twilight,” Sunset said. “Is that who I think it is?”

Twilight peered at the woman. “Hey, I met her when I first arrived! She said she was Celestia, but not the Princess.”

“Yeah,” Sunset said, standing up. “Let’s go have a chat with her.”

As the two made their way over to Celestia, it became apparent that she was not in high spirits. She was slumped against the table, one hand holding up her head while she used the other to nurse on a cup of coffee. Sunset pulled out a chair and sat down, startling the woman.

“Oh, hello, Sunset,” she said. “Are you all almost done with getting the supplies?”

Sunset frowned. “Come on, Principal. It’s the real me, not the fake one upstairs.”

Celestia sat up and began glancing around. “W-What are you talking about, Sunset? I don’t understand.”

Twilight spoke up. “Hi there! Remember me?”

Principal Celestia stared at the girl, aghast. “You were the one that ran away to look for . . . Sunset,” she said. “I guess you found her,” She turned to Sunset. “Please, tell me what is going on.”

Sunset leaned forward. “There are creatures known as Changelings that are currently invading this world. They impersonate their victims in order to feed off of the love that is sent the victim’s way, while they stick the victim in a pod which feeds off of the love they send out. Their portal to our world is right in front of the school, so we’re their first contact.”

Celestia stared at her, a shocked expression across her face. “How can I believe all this? How do you know all this?”

“I have a history with the other world. And I think you’ve seen enough now to believe it.” Sunset’s expression softened slightly. “It’s tearing you up inside, isn’t it?’

Celestia rubbed her hands through her hair. “When they all went into the store, I . . . I couldn’t bear to stay and chaperone them. It was like my throat was filled with bile, and the only way to breathe again was to get as far away as possible. I know that they wanted me to go too, but I just . . . ugh.”

Sunset frowned. “It’s not their first time interacting with you today, though, is it? Did they try to attack you?”

Tears began to dot Celestia’s eyes. “They did, but I managed to hold one off. Luna . . . she hasn’t been home since Thursday.”

Twilight walked over to Celestia and gave her a short hug. “I’m so sorry. I know how hard it is to see your friends and family fall to them.”

Celestia wiped her eyes. “I know I should be handling this better, but I have just been so blindsided by this. What should we do to stop them?”

“You should do nothing. The more you stay out of this, the better. You already know too much. Submit to their requests and you’ll probably be okay. You brought my jacket home, right?”

The Principal nodded her head. “Yes, it’s in my house. I haven’t done anything with it.”

“Good. I may need some of it's contents if things get worse.” Or if Chrysalis needs more ammunition. Sunset shook her head. “Just don’t cause a scene right now. If you feel like you will be safer, get some pepper spray, or a small taser, maybe. I don’t know what works against Changelings, but it doesn’t hurt to have a backup.”

“I know fire is effective,” Celestia said. “That isn’t very practical, though. I’ll get something when the committee is done today.”

Twilight stepped closer and brought her voice down to a whisper. “We should have a codeword or something, in case we run into each other again.”

Sunset turned to her. “What do you suggest?”

“Something inconspicuous, like a specific question and answer set.”

“Are you excited for the Formal?” Celestia said.

“What?” Sunset asked.

“No, I mean, that should be the question. Are you excited for the Formal?” Celestia took a sip of coffee. “We just need a unique answer.”

“I have no idea,” Twilight said.

“What?” Sunset asked again.

Twilight sighed. “Come on, Sunset. That should be the answer. If the answer is some variation of yes or no, there could be a chance of somepony accidentally getting it right. But everypony has made their minds up by now, so claiming ignorance is our safest bet.”

“Everypony . . . ?” Celestia asked.

“Don’t worry about it,” Sunset said. “Alright, that’s our question and answer. If one of us goes out of sight, the next time we see them we must ask it. If they don’t answer correctly than we know it’s not actually us.”

Celestia sighed and sunk back down onto the table. “I can’t believe this is happening to me.”

“You’re an adult, Celestia. Act like one,” Sunset commented.

“Sunset!” Twilight exclaimed. “Principal Celestia, I’m sorry that you’ve gotten caught in this mess, and I hope it doesn’t get any worse for you than you already have. I don’t know how similar your Luna is to the one I know, but I can almost certainly claim she doesn’t want you to get this distressed while she’s away. Try and stay strong for her, okay?”

Celestia mustered a wan smile. “I didn’t understand some of that, but thank you anyways, Twilight.”

“You’re welcome.” She turned to Sunset and whispered in her ear. “This is really weird, she sounds just like the Princess.”

“Tell me about it,” Sunset murmured.

Suddenly, Celestia shot up and looked behind the girls. “They’re back,” she said.

Sunset flipped her head around to see the other Sunset and her entourage making their way into the cafeteria. “We need to go now, Twilight,” Sunset said as she shot out of her chair.

Twilight kept pace behind her. “Goodbye Celestia, and good luck.”

“The same to you two as well,” Celestia said. She stepped away and began to walk over to her group.

Sunset and Twilight raced out the doors. Fortunately, it seemed like Chrysalis had not noticed them. They hopped on the sidewalk and got on their way back to Sunset’s house.

“What do we do now, Sunset?” Twilight asked.

“We’ll make a few assessments on how to best take them out, and then see if we can form a plan. It’s all we really can do." She tried to cover up how nervous she was feeling. You would feel less dirty if you told her about your conversation. Sunset ignored the voice in her head and continued on.

“Let’s get to it then,” Twilight said. “Also, you never told me what that burger was made out of.”

Sunset gave a nervous chuckle. “Well . . .”

Across town, in the front of Canterlot High School, stood a statue that was also secretly a portal to another world. Very few ponies knew this fact, and even fewer people knew as well. Even those that were aware of the portal’s existence did not truly understand how it functioned; there were only about two in existence who held a semblance of an idea of how to control it.

With a bright flash, a figure popped out of the front of the statue and fell onto the ground. She sat up, wiped her face, and took in her surroundings.

No one was around.

“The book . . .” She got up on two legs with a distant familiarity and closed her eyes, feeling the air surround her. “It must be still here. She would never get rid of it. Where could it be . . .” She listened closely: the birds chirping, a bell pealing from the school, an insect buzzing from some distance away.

Her head turned a sharp left. “There.”

The woman ran off down the street, leaving Canterlot High in the dust.

Author's Note

Just to be clear, there were three Sunsets in the beginning portion of the chapter: Sunset on the bench, the Changeling-Sunset in the store, and Chrysalis-Sunset in front of our two heroines. Gosh, imposters and duplicates and alternate universe selves make everything so funky! Thanks for reading.

Me and My Shadow

Principal Celestia pulled into her driveway with a trunk full of party supplies and a mind spinning with confusion. Once the kids had returned from the store and handed her everything they had bought, she cut their meeting short and let all them make their way back home. After they all left—in one huddled mass, which succeeded in unnerving her—she rushed to a shop in the mall and picked up a few supplies of her own. She was not sure if the taser gun and the pepper spray were going to do anything to the Changelings, but she was not one to take any chances. Before she got out of her car she took the weapons out of their packaging and stuck them in her purse.

Celestia’s visit from the real Sunset only added to the bewilderment she had been feeling. Each time she tried to make sense of the absurd idea of shapeshifters and multiple universes her headache seemed to increase. Part of her could not come to terms with the otherworldly knowledge, because she feared the life she had been building up since a child was ready to topple at any moment. Celestia felt like an ant that realized there will millions of other ant hills that she would never interact with or influence at all. She knew she was being foolish by feeling this way, but she still could not shake the sense of uselessness that pervaded her conscience.

She walked up the steps to her house and stuck her key in the front door, only to realize it was already unlocked. I swear I locked it this morning. Not one for taking any more risks, she grabbed the taser in her purse while she slowly opened the door.

All the lights were still off, and nothing seemed out of the ordinary. She hung up her coat and entered the kitchen. A few fruits on the counter were nearly spoiled, and she realized she had not made any food in the past few days. She made a note to clean up after she was done sweeping the house.

Then she entered the living room and came face to face with herself.

The other Celestia was sitting on a chair in a large regal gown, adorned with golden regalia. When the Principal appeared she stood up and began advancing toward her, an expression of apprehension on her face. “Greetings, Celestia. Please understand that I had no intention of breaking into your house, I just need something—”

A shot of ice-cold fear flooded through Celestia. “Stay back!” The principal yelled, pointing the taser at her imposter. “Don’t take another step!”

The other Celestia raised her hands. “Listen to me. I only need to know where Sunset is.”

The principal took a step away. “I’ll never tell you,” she hesitated, “You . . . you Changeling!”

A shocked expression crossed the other’s face, and she took a step forward. “I believe we have come to a misunderstanding. I am not a—”

Principal Celestia fired the taser at the woman, who crumpled to the ground with a shriek. She took a step back from the figure. “Oh god, what am I going to do? I need to let it out of here!” She ran over to a window and threw it open. “Here you go, Changeling! A method of escape! You can fly away now!”

The Celestia stayed limp on the ground.

“Uhm . . .”

The principal walked over and gently kicked the creature.

“You can change back now. Go . . . "

The woman on the floor groaned. “I’m not a Changeling . . .”

Three knocks landed against the wooden door to the janitors closet.

“May I come in?” A voice called from the other side.

The three girls inside tried to scream through their gags.

Chrysalis opened the door and stepped in. “Oh shut up, will you? You should see how we treat prisoners back in Equestria,” she threatened.

Adagio stopped yelling and glared at Chrysalis, who met it with a haughty smirk.

“I figured I would drop by and chat with you girls just a little bit, since you can’t exactly say no or anything. Now I know it has only been a couple hours since I came to visit you for lunch, but I find you three just so much fun to talk to.”

Chrysalis sat down on the ground across from the three girls. Aria and Sonata followed Adagio’s lead in glaring daggers at her.

“It’s a shame your power is through your voice and not your eyesight. I might actually be siren-food if it were the case.”

Chrysalis examined her fingernails.

“I’m still offended that you couldn’t take me seriously. My family told fairy tales of the sirens to me as a child, how they destroyed whole settlements in an instant and gained enough territory to rival all of ponykind. How the mighty have fallen,” Chrysalis taunted.

“You’ve forgotten what it means to have goals beyond basic survival. You chase the thrill your powers in Equestrian gave you, even if you need to sink to the lowest level imaginable. When you confronted me, you were doomed from the start. You may have been sirens once, but all I see now are three teenagers with a grudge against the world.”

Adagio leaned forward, eyes nearly popping out of her skull. Chrysalis grinned wider.

“Are you angry? Angry that I pointed out your lack of vision? You had no plan when you came to confront me. When I invaded Canterlot, I admit, it did not go entirely as expected. But I still spent weeks planning it all out, weeks watching my people withering away and crying for me to save them, before I even got close to thinking I was ready. But you three heard about my arrival and decided to hop right on over here without any regard for your safety. Every ounce of anger you feel should be at yourselves. I wonder how much that annoys you all, having anger turned onto you for once.”

Chrysalis never broke Adagio’s relentless glare. She rolled her eyes and got onto her feet. “Fine, fine. I’ll take off your gag, just this once.” She walked over to Adagio and ripped the rope out of her mouth. Adagio spat on Chrysalis’s face.

“Fuck you, asshole.”

Chrysalis laughed and wiped it off. “That’s it? That’s all you have to say to me?” She sat back down across from the three girls. “I was hoping I could at least learn a few modern tricks from you ancient creatures. This human world is quite fascinating, and I really don’t have much time to stay as I would like. It’s faster on the other side of the mirror, you see; I bet a couple weeks have passed over there already. Would you like to hear about our success? About what you couldn’t achieve in a thousand years?”

Adagio turned away from Chrysalis’s gaze. “All Changelings have ever been are parasites. What happens when your group on the other side of the mirror runs out of food? I’ve seen it happen to a hive firsthand. Once all the meat is sucked dry you all just hop over to the next group of ponies. But now everyone is meat, and no one is left to repopulate.”

Chrysalis sighed and leaned back against the wall. “Yes, yes, that is quite the issue. But that’s why I’m over here, isn’t it? Haven’t you been surviving off of this world for centuries?”

Adagio stayed silent.

“That’s what I thought. Hypocrisy at its finest. You see, Adagio,” Chrysalis scooted closer, “I did some thinking about this long before I invaded Canterlot, and long before I even knew the existence of this mirror world—something quite unfamiliar to you lot, I’m sure. The Changeling Queen prior to my rule viewed it much like you did: we’re parasites, and therefore must quietly capture our prey from the shadows. Well, I would like to think that it’s more of a symbiotic relationship.”

Adagio almost laughed. “How far is your head up your own ass?”

Chrysalis was unfazed. “Far enough to have confidence in my leadership. Once we establish ground in this world, I will return to Equestria for a period of time. A pony can last about six months in a pod without dying. On month five, we’ll release all of the pods at once. Some ponies start to rebuild, others form rebellion groups, and the majority try and relish their suddenly returned freedom. Pregnancies skyrocket, of course. I might even go as far as pretending to be Princess Celestia to lull them into a false sense of security. But none of them will have realized the true intention of releasing them.”

“And what’s that?”

Chrysalis’s mouth upturned into a wicked grin. “Slowly, reconstruction will grind to a halt. Rebellion groups will no longer feel like keeping up the fight. The ponies will realize that life isn’t as good as they remembered it in the pods. They’ll all have gained an addiction to it without even noticing. So, once everypony has their body re-energized and their love refilled, we take back over. They’ll practically walk right into our hooves!” She leaned back and laughed. “Repeat this ad infinitum, and the ponies get to live a life of bliss while we get to feed to our heart’s content.”

Adagio scowled. “You’re a fucking monster.”

“Am I? Any more than you? Any more than Princess Celestia is a monster to my people? This form I’ve taken, the face I’m using, is she a monster too? I’m only the monster because my world has no place for you,” she growled. “Of course, you never put your eggs in one basket, just in case a few too many people think you’re a monster. That’s why we started this little expedition across the mirror.”

Adagio turned away and refused to respond. After waiting for a minute, Chrysalis placed her hands on her knees and stood up.

“Well,” she said, “It was a good chat. Don’t worry, I won’t keep you all in here forever. Once the Fall Formal is over you are free to do as you like; you could even face me one on one, but it won’t really matter by that point,” Chrysalis grabbed the gag and shoved it back into Adagio’s mouth, ignoring her growls of protest. “Just sit tight until then, Sirens.”

Chrysalis sauntered out of the janitor’s closet and slammed the door behind her, leaving the three sirens to brood in the dimly lit room, seething with anger.

Sunset leaned back in her desk chair and scratched her forehead. “We’re not getting anywhere with this.”

“What else are we supposed to write down? This is your area of expertise,” Twilight responded.

The two were huddled around Sunset’s laptop, eyeing the document she had set up an hour previously. It listed everything they knew about Chrysalis and the Changelings, but it turns out that was actually a pretty short list.

“Wouldn’t it be nice if we could just talk with her without her attempting to take our lives?” Twilight asked.

Sunset winced. Yeah, wouldn’t that be nice. Putting the information that Chrysalis gave Sunset on her character profile would lead to suspicion from Twilight, and she did not want to risk it any further.

Twilight rubbed her chin. “I suppose we should have asked the Principal for some more details about her encounter. She may have had learned something that could have helped us.”

Sunset shook her head. “We’re already stretching for ideas. I think we need to admit,” She stood up from her chair and stretched, “That we’ve got nothing right now.”

Twilight sunk down against the side of Sunset’s bed. Sunset almost thought she looked like a sad puppy. “But . . . you said you knew what to do,” she breathed quietly.

“I said I would help you try and prepare to take her on. Look, my tactics are meant for high schoolers. Kids act vain, moronic, and open every second of the day, and it’s easy to figure out a way to get under their skin with a couple hours of observation. Chrysalis controls a whole goddamn army. The only thing we know about her is she’s got an ego that’s barely big enough for two universes, and she has no qualms with getting what she wants.”

“But what am I supposed to do?”

Sunset flopped onto her bed and sighed, choosing not to look at the hope dying out of Twilight’s eyes. Despite trying her hardest to come up with a plan to defeat Chrysalis, to at least stall her, she found no openings or pathways that actually gave them a shot at victory. “You wouldn’t happen to have the Elements of Harmony on standby, would you?”

Twilight glared at her. “We need real solutions, Sunset. We’re not going to find any magical artifacts over here.”

Sunset sighed.How can I tell her that I’ve got no more tricks left? We’re basically sitting ducks until they overpower us. Neither of us will survive at this rate. Sunset’s eyes shot open as she remembered Chrysalis’s offer. Although . . .

Sunset felt the cuts from Thursday start to sting on her back. She rubbed her hands over her eyes, ignoring the pain. “Maybe we should just wait.”

Twilight turned to her and furrowed her brow. “What do you mean?”

“Let’s just wait it out,” Sunset said, sitting up on her bed. “Chrysalis wants to take my place for a while, so we let her. There’s no point racking our brains if it all of our plans lead to disappointment.” Or worse.

“Surely there has to be more things we can do, Sunset. Don’t tell me that it’s hopeless,” she pleaded.

“It’s not hopeless,”For me, “We just need to take it slow,” Sunset began scratching the scars on her back, wincing from the pain.

Twilight stood up. “I can’t just sit here, Sunset! I need to do something.”

“I get it,” Sunset said, “But if you can’t find a way we can attack one of their weak spots, then I see no reason in losing any more sleep over it.” She glanced at the clock. “It’s getting pretty late. Let’s go to bed, and tomorrow I’ll show you around town to take your mind off of all this. We might need a day to relax and clear our heads anyway.” Sunset grinned, hoping that Twilight could not see the conflict flying around in her head.

Twilight’s expression softened, but her steely gaze held. “There’s something you’re not telling me. You know a way to solve this, don’t you?”

Sunset winced, but played it off as a forlorn sigh. “I really don’t, Twilight. I’m not giving up on you, but really, how much are the two of us going to do right now? We should use the time to acclimate you to the world better, rather than twiddling our thumbs.”

Twilight frowned and turned away. “Fine then. But don’t think I’m forgetting about my mission here. Goodnight,” she said, walking out of Sunset’s bedroom and shutting the door behind her.

“Good . . . night,” Sunset trailed off as Twilight left earshot.

Had it been last week, Sunset felt that she could have thrown Twilight to the wolves without a second thought; however, she now found her mind in a battle against her own empathy. Sunset felt as though her conflict with the Changelings was forcing her to the edge of a cliff, one step away from falling into the depths of Tartarus. Were it not for Twilight’s presence, she would already have taken the plunge without realizing it, caught within the Changelings’ destruction. Is this how I respond to her saving me? By tossing her aside like a bag of trash? Sunset ignored the flare of pain from her back.

It’s for the greater good. If I side with Chrysalis then I might be able to take her on from the inside. It’s the best chance we’ve got.

You’re not looking deep enough into this. You’ve given up to fast because the easy option has been sitting right in front of you the whole time. You’re running away, like you always do.

She layed down on her bed, furiously wiping her eyes.

I’m sorry, Twilight.

The thought struck her as odd; when was the last time she had felt sorry for someone? When did she believe she had the capacity for such emotion? Those sentimental feelings were the thing mucking up this whole issue in the first place.

We’ll have an amazing day tomorrow, Twilight. And if we can’t find a solution still, then . . .

Try as hard as she might, the cuts on her back would not stop scorching her skin.

“So . . . I’m a queen?”

“Princess. It has far better connotations.”

Principal Celestia leaned back in her chair, eyes wide. “Wow, okay. So just to make sure I’m following along and not making things up: you’re a ruler of a land of intelligent ponies who look like the people in this world, which has currently been overthrown by a race of semi-sentient shapeshifters, and now they’re here to do the same for us?”

“More or less,” Princess Celestia said. “But perhaps I should remind you that only appearances and general personalities are the same. I can clearly see that you’re not the monarch of this land, and I’m fairly certain we are not of the same age. What exactly is your occupation, if you do not mind me asking?”

The Principal suddenly felt too small for her suit. “I’m a high school principal . . . another me is ruling a country and I’m just a schoolteacher.” The Principal’s feelings of inadequacy were stopped by the Princess placing her hand in the other’s lap.

“Do not belittle yourself for your type of employment in comparison to mine; I have wanted to be a teacher like you for centuries. I even founded my own school, and although I am headmaster in name, I never truly get the time to honestly teach my students.”

The Princess’s consolation had flown right over the Principal’s head. “Did you say centuries?”

She tilted her head. “I am over one-thousand years old.”

The Principal sunk even lower into her couch. “I’m thirty-nine. I’m thirty-nine while you’ve got hundreds of more years on me.”

“Do not consider yourself too unlucky, Principal. Incredible power needs an equal sacrifice from its wielder.”

“I’m sure it does,” The Principal stood up and walked into the kitchen. She reached into the top drawer and pulled out a bottle of red wine. “Want any?”

“It would be my pleasure,” The Princess responded. The Principal pulled out two glasses, poured, and brought them back to the living room.

She took a gulp. “Why did you come to my house? How did you get in my house?”

“Oh,” The Princess said, pulling a key out of her royal gown, “I found your key under your doormat.”

“How did you know?” She balked.

“It’s where I would have put it,” The Princess took a sip, “And to answer your first question: you have my book.”

Principal Celestia pointed at the bookcase on her living room wall. “Take anything you would like.”

The Princess let out a small chuckle. “No, not that kind of book. It would be easier if I found it myself,” She set her glass down and closed her eyes. The Principal felt the room begin to heat up, like a gentle front of warm air had descended upon her household.

The Princess abruptly opened her eyes, the heat following with it. She moved over to a small closet near the front door and opened it up. Tucked in the corner of the closet was a neatly-folded thick leather jacket. She grabbed the jacket and lifted it up. The Principal stood up and strode over to her.

“Hey, be careful with that. My student entrusted me with it.”

The Princess raised an eyebrow. “Your student?” She unfolded the jacket and unzipped it, reaching her hand in to dig around inside. “Ah, here it is,” she said, pulling the tome out.

The thick journal seemed to glow once Princess Celestia’s hand made contact with it. She opened it up and began flipping through the older pages, a serene smile gracing her face. Seeing the Princess in such a state confirmed to the Principal why she would never earn a royal title; never in her life did Celestia believe she would ever reach the grace that the Princess exuded naturally. As the Princess continued through the book, though, her smile slowly shifted down into a cold line.

“Sunset,” she murmured. “I’m sorry I could not have come sooner.”

Principal Celestia stared at the her. “How do you know Sunset?”

The Princess’s eyes glazed over. “She was my pupil. My friend, I had enjoyed saying back in the day. We had a falling out some time ago; I don’t know the time discrepancies between these two worlds but I hope she has been able to move on in some way. You said she was your student?”

They walked back to the living room, book in tow, and sat back down. “Yes, she is a student at my high school. About two days ago another girl appeared through that statue, looking for her. This morning I ran into the two of them again.”

Princess Celestia’s stature visibly relaxed. “Twilight found her,” she took a breath. “Good. I sent Twilight across the portal almost half a month ago now.”

The Principal furrowed her brow. “It’s been a little over two days here since she actually crossed over.”

“Yes, I see. That would mean that Sunset has only been here for . . .”

“She enrolled in my school at the beginning of the last school year, but I’m not aware how long she was here before that. Long enough to gain solid financial footing and forge an identity, if what you say is true.”

The Princess leaned back, a small expression of pain flashing acrosss her face, quickly covered up but still noticeable to the Principal. “Her wounds are still fresh . . . I should not see her right away, then. Hopefully Twilight can talk some sense into her.”

Principal Celestia frowned. “What happened between you two, Princess? She doesn’t realize that I notice it, but anytime she looks at me she gets angry, almost like I’ve killed her dog or something.”

The Princess would not meet her eyes. “I can’t tell you now. There are more important matters to deal with,” she waved her hand and cleared her throat. “Like what we need to do to stop the Changelings. I have spent the past two weeks traveling across my world, meeting with as many leaders as possible. If we can defeat Chrysalis, I have the support ready to begin reconstruction of Equestria. All we need to do is actually defeat her.”

Principal Celestia took another drink, deciding not to push any further. “Sunset said that I needed to stay out of this as much as possible.”

“She did? I extend the same offer, but I will not need you for anything beyond a chaffeur, if you are willing.”

“I’ll help,” the Principal immediately responded. “I do not want to do the fighting, but I will not miss a chance to learn more about, well, you,” she said.

The Princess’s mouth twitched up into a smirk. “I am glad to hear that. I may have a way to succeed against the Changelings, but I need to gain definite proof before we contact Sunset and Twilight.”

“And what do you need to do?”

The Princess took another sip of wine. “I need to find where they are keeping the bodies. Any ideas?”

The Principal shook her head. “Sadly no. I can only imagine that it would not be too far from the city, though. We can search some potential areas tomorrow, if you would like.”

“Yes,” Princess Celestia said, “I think we should do that.”

The two Celestias settled down for the night, both inquiring about the other’s lives, comparing mannerisms, and keeping their discussions generally cordial. The Principal could not help but have a suspicion that the Princess was purposefully withholding information from her. She’s a centuries-old diplomat. I’ve got nothing on her in conversation, even if we think alike. She let the Princess borrow Luna’s room for the night.

Principal Celestia never slept all night, finding that her reality suddenly held more vividly interesting situations than a dream ever could.

Princess Celestia did not sleep a wink, instead reading her old dusty book with a worn leather jacket held close to her heart.

Author's Note

Did you really think I wasn't going to bring the Big C into this mess? I thought it would be nice surprise. I'll be referring to them as the "Principal" and the "Princess" when in the same scene together. Thanks for reading!

Blame It On My Youth

Principal Celestia slid back into the driver’s seat with a sigh.

“As expected, Quills and Sofas is not housing any undercover changelings. Just a large variety of pens.”

“Did you check underneath the cushions of the futons?” The Princess questioned, more as a acknowledgment of failure than an actual suggestion.

“If I missed any human bodies stuffed inside a small sofa, then our world deserves to get steamrolled.”

The two Celestias sunk into their seats in the parking lot, hope sinking right along with them. It was almost eight o’clock in the evening, and they had searched practically every establishment in Canterlot City to no avail. The Principal was silently grateful that she was good friends with the mayor of the city; otherwise they would have both been stuffed in a jail cell for trespassing by now.

The Principal had gone with her standard dress outfit, opting to appear as if she was supposed to be examining every corner large enough to store a love-sac and the human it held inside. The Princess had forgone the gown she had arrived in and swapped out for a simple t-shirt, jeans, and an old beret that the Principal used to wear, in an attempt to draw as much attention away from herself as possible. The two decided that the Princess would be referred to as Celestia’s older cousin who was visiting from out of town.

“Well, that’s every warehouse, field, and public building in the city. Either they have got the kids stashed in an apartment building, or we need to start searching outside of Canterlot,” the Principal admitted.

“Perhaps . . . the Changelings have never been afraid to travel long distances in the past. I figured that they would want to stay nearby with the limited mobility that this world introduces, but I suppose our only option is to start looking on the outskirts of town.”

The Principal started her car and pulled out of the parking lot. “Where to, then?”

“Is there any farmland nearby?” The Princess rubbed her chin in thought.

“Nothing beyond Sweet Apple Acres, but we searched that area already.”

“How about any forests?”

The Principal pulled onto the main road. “Well, there’s the Everfree Forest up north—”

“Everfree?” The Princess interrupted. “You have an Everfree Forest?”

“Well, yes, we do. Is there something special about it?”

The Princess straightened up in her seat. “Go there immediately. In Equestria, the Everfree is one of the few places in the country which holds enough wild magic to cause massive destruction if it is not contained. I do not want to assume that your world is parallel, but I would not be surprised if the Changelings set up base somewhere inside.”

“That forest did start to give me the creeps as I grew older,” responded the Principal, “I had lots of fun there as a child though. We’re already traveling in that direction, so we should reach the main portion of the forest in about thirty minutes.”

Silence settled inside of the car, as it had repeatedly done throughout the day. It became apparent that despite technically being the same person, the two of them were opposites in things to bond over beyond their current situation. They each brought up meaningless conversation topics occasionally, but awkward silence seemed to pervade all of their time together throughout the day.

“You have a nice car. It’s reminds me of my chariot,” the Princess mentioned.

“Ha! Don’t tell my sister you said that. I’ll never hear the end of it.”

“So you do have Luna in this world? I was going to ask, but it never came up.”

“I . . .” the Principal hesitated, “I last saw her on Thursday morning. I don’t know what has happened to her since then.”

The Princess stared out the window. “I’m sorry. I should have realized.”

“There was nothing you could do. I just hope we can get her back.”

They lapsed into silence once again, the Principal gripping her steering wheel tightly.

The Princess turned to face her.

“It’s my fault.”

“What is?”

“Everything that has happened here. I should have been able to stop it.”

The Principal slowed down the car and glanced over at the Princess. “What are you trying to say?”

“Nothing has gone according to my plan. The Changelings were never supposed to defeat us.”

The Principal shrugged. “I find no point it lamenting it.”

“No, you don’t understand,” she said. “They were never supposed to defeat us. There was no chance that they could succeed. They were never supposed to have any military might. They should have been caught when Chrysalis began sleuthing around Canterlot. I should have stopped her when she confronted me. The Elements of Harmony should have stopped her. If they failed, Cadence and her husband should have stopped her. But for some inexplicable reason, every single plan I had in place fell through, as if fate struck a new whim that involved destroying everything I worked for. That’s why I’m sorry. Because I was so confident that I could stop them, that I never even thought it could possibly get this bad.”

The Principal took in Celestia’s words, making sure she understood most of the Princess’s descriptions. “It sounds like you’re doing something now, though. A new plan to save this world. Is that not enough?”

The Princess responded with a cold chuckle. “Only because I opened the portal to this world.”

The Principal turned to her in shock. “What?”

“When I was released from my pod, I thought escape was the best option. I rigged up a stable connection between the two sides of the portal by using my own copy of Sunset’s journal. Right as I finished it the Changelings pounced on me and forced me to flee,” she explained. “I trotted right into their hooves. I only managed to cut Twilight out of a pod while I was escaping and briefly explain to her what I was trying to do.”

“How did you escape in the first place?”

She hung her head. “Luna missed the whole invasion. I was already stuffed in a pod by the time she realized what had happened, but she cut me out and sacrificed herself so I could escape. And I could not even do the one thing I was supposed to,” she growled.

“Alright,” the Principal pulled over and stopped the car. “Do you think anyone would have done better in your situation?”

“Perhaps they would not have, but I am not the average—”

“Ah ah ah,” she interrupted, “you’re missing the point again. You could have done something, but you failed. You know this. And now you’re taking steps to resolve your mistake. That’s what happens when we make mistakes: we own up to it and make it right. I thought you would know this by now,” she shook her head and turned back to the wheel.

“I . . .” the Princess searched for an adequate rebuttal, but paused. “I have not been in the best mindset as of late.”

The Principal offered a smirk. “I can tell. We can work out your problems later. Now, let’s get to the Everfree.”

“Indeed.”

She started the car and pulled back onto the road, the two lulling into a thankfully more comfortable silence than before. They reached the outskirts of town, forest overtaking the general surroundings from the previous suburbs. Princess Celestia abruptly startled in her seat.

“I can sense magic all around us. This ancient wood . . . it truly does parallel our world’s.”

Soon enough the car was shrouded in the shadows casts from the thick forest.

“Can you feel the magic leading you in any direction? We cannot exactly start cutting through the underbrush.”

The Princess closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. She stayed silent for a few minutes. “The largest gathering of magic is to the west of us. It does not appear to me as being a section of forest, though. Is there a clearing around there?”

“A clearing west of us . . . well, I know the mountains begin over there . . . ?” The Principal opened her mouth in realization. “Of course! Camp Everfree is in that direction!”

“Camp Everfree?”

The Principal clapped her hands together. “It’s a camp that we bring students on a summer trip each year, if the budget allows. The Changelings wanted to make it our venue for the Fall Formal . . . how didn’t I see it sooner?”

The Princess smiled. “It looks like we have our place, then.”

“I might know a few shortcuts to get there,” A strained look crossed her face. “The camp is its own little hole in the forest. If there are any Changelings on patrol there, we have nothing to defend ourselves and no quick method of escape.”

“I suggest we prepare your car for a rapid exit then,” said the Princess.

The two continued through the forest, adjusting their route toward Camp Everfree. Soon enough they reached the grand wooden entrance way.

Unsurprisingly, the camp was empty at this time of year, shrouded within a mixture of lush ferns and yellowing oak trees. Principal Celestia parked the car and stepped out, taking a deep breath. “It’s always good to be back!”

The Princess slid out of the car and followed the Principal through the entrance. “Are you familiar with the layout of the camp?”

“Of course I am,” the Principal exclaimed. “I’ve been visiting here since I was a child. Do you see that stone sundial over there?” She pointed to an object at the center of the courtyard. “Luna and I made that. I still wonder how we managed to carve the stone correctly.”

They walked up to the sundial. The Princess lined herself up and peered at the shadow it cast. “It is accurate. Very well done.”

“. . . Thanks,” she said, slightly unnerved by being complimented by herself. “Let’s split up. I’ll go check the boarding area to see if the current groundskeepers are here right now. You can scan the cafeteria.”

“Please yell if you need me.”

The two parted ways, and the Principal went over to the small cabins which normally housed the two groundskeepers. Hopefully they had left for the winter by now, but if they were still occupying the campgrounds, she probably come up with a good excuse for her presence. I do not know if I will be able to convince them that the Princess is my cousin, though . . .

She thought back upon the Princess’s admission of guilt in the car. As much as she felt that the Princess did feel guilty about what happened, a nagging sense in the back of her mind kept questioning whether she had actually gotten to the root of her problems. The Princess’s confession felt off, like it was not what was truly weighing down her conscience.

She climbed up the steps to the main cabin and knocked on the door. After a few seconds, she heard shuffling from the inside. The door swung open.

“Welcome to Camp Everfree! How can we help you?”

Timber Spruce, a young tanned man with a mop of green hair, stood in front of Celestia with a vacant smile across his face.

“Hello Mister Spruce, it’s great to see you again. You see, I just happened to be in the area and decided I would bring an old relative of mine to view the scenery of the place. I wanted to inform you or Miss Daisy in case you thought someone was sneaking around the camp.”

Timber paused. “Welcome to Camp Everfree! How can we help you?”

“. . . Huh? I’m sorry?”

“Welcome to Camp Everfree! How can we help you?”

The Principal waved a hand in front of Timber’s face. He showed no recognition of her, unflinching. She peered into his unblinking eyes, searching for any sense of cognition. For a split second, she imagined they flashed a green hue.

She bolted down the steps of the house and ran back to the Princess. She was in the cafeteria, examining an old soup pot.

“Princess! You need to see this!”

“What’s the matter?” She asked concernedly.

“Just follow me!” The Principal responded, racing back to the main cabin.

The two reached the front of the steps, only to see that the door had closed again, Timber nowhere to be found. The Principal knocked on the door once more.

This time, a girl with raspberry skin appeared in front of them, also hosting an empty gaze. “Welcome to Camp Everfree! How can we help you?”

“Hello Miss Daisy,” The Principal said. She paused, however.

“Welcome to Camp Everfree! How can we help you?”

The Princess’s brow furrowed.

“Watch this,” she whispered to the Princess. “What is the capital of Australia?”

“Welcome to Camp Everfree! How can we help you?”

The Princess leaned in to the Principals ear. “I wonder if she will even respond to nonsense,” she raised her voice. “How many beans make five?”

“Welcome to Camp Everfree! How can we help you?”

The two slowly backed away from Gloriosa, and when they reached the bottom of the steps, she closed the door behind her without a word of goodbye.

“Well, I think we have found our place,” the Principal commented.

“Yes, indeed. A Changeling would have attacked us immediately, but these two seem harmless. Perhaps the relative isolation of the area has led the Changelings to not waste their energy on converting them into fuel?” The Princess wondered aloud.

“Maybe that’s it,” the Principal said. “At least we know that the Changelings are occupying this area now. We just have to find them.”

They scanned over the camp, but the fog from the previous few days had not completely let up, still obstructing their view. The Principal could still make out the gentle lake a distance away, still somehow glimmering against the setting sun with a luster that almost made it seem like the entrance to another world.

“Want to go for a swim?” The Principal joked. “It looks quite heavenly over there.”

The Princess stepped back. “I am afraid not. I do not trust my coordination in this body yet.”

“Oh well,” the Principal sighed. “I guess that rules out the climbing wall too, or the rock . . . the rock quarry!” She exclaimed.

“The rock quarry?”

“Yes, it fits!” The Principal grinned. “When Luna and I went here, we went exploring around the rock quarry and found an old cave down there full of crystals. We got in so much trouble, but the place was so beautiful. I bet you that’s where Chrysalis is keeping the bodies.”

“Crystals are powerful objects to store magic in. It is worth checking the area.”

They made their way through the patch of trees to get to the rock quarry. The walk was a bit longer than either had hoped for, and the awkward silence overcame them once more. The Principal decided to try and push a conversation through.

“So . . . what’s your relationship with Sunset?”

“I don’t want to talk about that,” The Princess immediately shot down.

So much for making things less awkward. The two lapsed back into silence as they continued onward.

“I just want to know more about her. Now that I know she is not from this world, I would at least like to understand what she is actually like. Who she actually was.”

The Princess sighed. “She was a student of mine. It was more like a mentorship, however. She was—is, I should say—one of the brightest minds in Equestria. She knew it, too.”

The Principal slowed down and leveled herself next to the Princess. “You already told me this last night. Why did she decide to inhabit this world?”

“We had a difference in opinion on where her studies should develop, so I removed her from my tutelage. She decided to visit this world in response.”

“What did she want to study?” The Principal asked.

“Subjects that would improve her political advantage, or introduce new disciplines of magic that had not been touched for centuries. She would have learned them eventually, but she was beginning to ignore the other studies I requested of her in their stead. I had to put my hoof down, or else her education would become far too unbalanced.”

The Principal thought back to Sunset’s academic prowess. “What changed in Canterlot High? Sunset willingly took subjects across the board last year.”

“She had mastered most high school level subjects by middle school. In Equestria, Sunset had more motives than just enjoyment of education to keep herself learning. I doubt she told you about what happened to her parents.”

“They only exist on paper, as far as I am aware.”

“Well, even less than that—” The Princess cut herself off. “No, I shall not say any more. It is not my place.”

The Principal frowed. “Don’t clam up on me now.”

“All you need to know is that she had a complicated home life. I shall not betray her through gossip. It is her story to tell alone.”

“Fine,” she said. “But now you worry about betraying her? Gossip is where you draw the line?” The Principal rebuked. “After not visiting her for a year and a half? After refusing to see her? You have not explained your role in her life, Princess.”

The Princess took a step away. “I may not have handled her perfectly, but she made mistakes that she must live with. I want to make sure she understands how things ended up this way before I visit her—”

“Hold on,” the Principal interrupted, “Judging by the way Sunset looks at me, she despises you. How poor was your handling, truthfully?”

“She would not open herself up to me, and I was not going to tolerate any disrespect toward myself or others, even from my pupil. I tried to help her, I really did.” The Princess’s eyes sunk in, lost in thoughts and memories that had been buried a long time ago.

“So that’s what your character is, then,” growled the Principal, “You’re willing to shoulder the blame for the fall of a nation, but the minute you might have to admit that you could not properly help a little girl with family issues you play the victim. My God, you even have the audacity to blame her for it.”

The Princess glared at her. “She was not a little girl in Equestria. She was an adult, capable of making her own decisions. She pushed the limits on what study was deemed as acceptable, so she suffered the consequences.”

“Maybe she was looking for something more from you. You were probably the closest thing to a strong mother figure she had, from what you told me. She probably wanted to be like you, going out of her way to research politics and whatever special magic you mentioned. I bet you didn’t even bother to reach out to her. No wonder she left to a whole other world; from her perspective, you might as well have sent her there already!”

“Stop pretending like you understand the whole story!” The Princess stomped. “Do you truly believe that I did not try? I have had students before. If Sunset wanted to find a mother in me, I would have let her! Sun and Moon up above, I would have welcomed it! I tried to be a teacher, I tried to be a mother, I tried to be a friend, but she would never let me break through! It was as if she never considered herself worthy enough for my attention, yet got angry if I did not give it to her! I was stuck! I am still stuck!” The Princess turned away and sat herself on the ground, wiping her eyes. “Excuse me,” she croaked out.

The Principal watched in awe as the leader of a whole nation tried not to snivel in front of her. I guess I pushed it a little too far. She gently took a step forward and placed a hand on the Princess’s shoulder.

“Princ—Celestia,” she said quietly, almost a whisper, “What I am about to say may be a projection of my own worries on to Sunset. But I think I might have an idea of why Sunset never opened herself up to you, or at least not fully.”

“What’s that?” She sniffed.

“Sunset is an ambitious girl. You would agree, yes? She wants to have an impact, to be remembered.”

“More or less.”

“You are immortal, Celestia. In three-hundred years from now, will you still remember Sunset? Will you still think of her when you teach another student? Will your life—your endlessly interesting, ever-shifting life—have changed because Sunset was there? I take back saying that she wanted to be like you. No, she studied those disciplines in order to have the most impact upon you. You were supposed to be her vessel towards immortality, one way or another. I—I suppose I have tried to do the same thing, in a way,” The Principal looked up at the forest around them. “Saying that I have fifty years left on this earth is generous. I am not immortal like you. People like Sunset and I, we need some proof that our years will not have been wasted in that regard.”

The Princess sniffed. “Sunset was never one for figurative language, but she would definitely agree about the immortality part.” The Princess turned back to her. “How do I fix this?”

“You show her the truth,” the Principal said. “Show her that your life has been altered in a significant way because of her existence, and that it will never return to the way it was. Show her that she has someone who cares for her, and will continue to when she stops believing anyone will.

“You said that you always wanted to be a teacher. I have no doubt that you are an amazing educator, but being a teacher takes more than that. Students do not just disappear when they leave your school, when you give them every last bit of your knowledge and wisdom. No, someone—somepony—that is a true teacher never stops when the teaching is over. You treated Sunset like a case to be solved; you knew what was wrong with her—whatever it is—but when she proved unfixable, you tossed her aside. A real teacher does not do that, when they have the power to do otherwise. They keep trying. Even if that student is out of their tutelage. Or even in another world. You showed Sunset that you did not care for her. So show her the opposite.”

Neither spoke for a while, letting the rustle of the trees fill the void between them. The Principal cleared her throat.

The Princess stood up. “Excuse me. That was unbecoming of me,” she apologized.

“Don’t mention it. I hope it’s not treason to speak against royalty in Equestria,” The Principal remarked. “We’re almost where I remember the cave being. I am sure it is not as easy to find the entrance anymore.”

They got back up and found themselves in front of the rock quarry. Although it was quite an open area, lots of brush and vines covered the sides, so any secret openings were not easily discernible. The Principal walked over to a group of hanging vines and split them open, only to find more rock behind them.

“Is there any way to speed this up? It’s getting dark,” asked the Principal.

The Princess furrowed her brow. “I may be able to reach out with magic, but this whole area is already flooded with it. I can try.”

“Please,” The Principal said.

The Princess closed her eyes and let the air focus around her. The Principal once again noted that the area heated up, even though the sun had almost completely set. The Princess guided herself over to an almost completely hidden crevace, and began running her hands along the vines.

“Here,” she said. “I feel a different flow of magic from over here. It generally ebbs and flows, but it feels like sharp pulses in this area.

The Principal walked up next to her and parted the vines, stepping over the brush that covered the floor. “A machete or something would be nice right now,” she commented. However, in between the thick plant life were holes that showed a hollow opening behind them. The Principal broke through and started into the cave.

The Princess stepped in behind her, and the two began strolling through. The walls began to fill with crystals the farther they advanced, glittering and gleaming as if they had been polished just yesterday.

“Chrysalis used a set of crystal mineshafts under Canterlot as her base as well,” said the Princess. “I hope they did not set up as deep into this cave as they did there.”

After a few more minutes of walking, they turned a corner into a larger section of the cave. The Princess stopped and warily leaned against the wall, catching her breath.

“What’s the matter?”

“The amount of magic emanating from farther in is almost overwhelming. I do not believe the Changelings could create this much magic.”

They continued forward. “Perhaps they have been building up magic to store for later?” The Principal asked.

“That’s not how this magic works. If anything, they have been feeding off of the magic here.”

“Ah.”

They turned another corner and found themselves in another large room, however this time the walls were lined with large green sacs.

“Bingo,” said the Principal.

“How many can you count? I see about sixteen.” The amount of pods was actually fairly small, and the two walked up to begin expecting them.

“Yes, about. Look in here,” the Principal pointed at a face inside of a pod. “That’s a student of mine. Flash Sentry.”

Flash was in an upright pod, and looked as if he was peacefully sleeping.

“Why these specific students? Flash did not deserve this.”

“Changelings feed off of love. So these people around you had the most love being sent in their direction,” The Princess responded. She walked across the room, examining some of the other pods. She abruptly stopped. “Principal.”

“Yes?”

The Princess motioned her over with a hand. She was standing over another pod, although her head was turned slightly away, as if she did not want to look at the person inside.

“Who is it? Have they taken people outside of my school or—” The Principal stopped talking as she saw who was in the pod.

Luna was in a sac lying across the floor, still in her work outfit. In contrast to Flash, she was scowling, and her shoulders looked arched in pain.

The Principal clenched her fists.

“Are you okay . . . Celestia?” The Princess placed a hand on her shoulder.

The Principal sat down in front of Luna and placed her hand on top of the pod. Her lip trembled, eyes filling with sorrowful anger. “They should have taken me instead. Why did I get away, but she is stuck in here, barely even living?”

The Princess took her hand off of the Principal’s shoulder and grimaced. She found no words of comfort.

“Why would they do this to you . . .”

“We will save her,” The Princess said, an empty consolation.

The Principal stood up with fiery determination in her eyes. “Princess, do you remember when I said I did not want to get involved with all of this? That I did not want to fight? That I should stay out?”

“I do.”

She clenched her fists. “Not anymore. They brought Luna into this, not me. Anyone who does this to my sister will get their ass kicked off of this goddamn planet. I’m done letting the Changelings walk all over me.”

The Princess offered a comforting smile. “I am glad to hear I have another ally.”

“I do not know how I can help you, but I will try,” she said as she turned back to Luna, taking in her features, trying to remember the happier times they had together.

“Stop, Principal,” the Princess said suddenly. “Every ounce of love you feel for her gets sent right into that pod in front of you. I know it will pain you, but mourning the situation any further will only empower the Changelings. It is a vicious cycle that has trapped many small groups in the past.”

“Let’s leave then,” The Principal covered her eyes from view, but the Princess could still see her tears.

“Very well. I am more confident that my plan is founded on a correct assumption now.”

The two made their way back out of the cave, which was fortunately not terrible to backtrack through. They exited the rock quarry and got back to the main camp. The sun had completely set by that time, and the woods were shrouded in darkness. As they got closer to the front gate, the Princess paused.

“Stop,” she said. “Look between the gates.”

Two sets of glowing green eyes stared back at them.

“Welcome to Camp Everfree!” They said in tandem. “How can we help you?”

Gloriosa and Timber began repeating the phrase over and over again, slightly gaining in volume each time.

“Princess,” The Principal worriedly exclaimed, “I do not think they are just the Changeling’s hostages. They are the alarms!”

They slowly backed away. “Once I say go,” the Princess started, “We run straight through them to the car.”

“And if they try to stop us?” The Principal questioned, still focused on the two teenagers.

“We outrun them.”

The Princess leaned forward and prepared herself, the Principal quickly following suit.

“And . . . go!”

They rushed forward, directly between the two teenagers. Whatever force they had in holding the women back was broken through immediately, and they sped over to their car. The Principal hopped in the driver’s seat and turned on the engine.

“Drive!” Yelled the Princess as she jumped in the back. The Principal threw the car into reverse and spun around, speeding out of the forest. The two camp chaperones were left standing at the front gates, watching them without any attempt at following.

“Did we lose them?” The Principal asked.

“Yes we did. I suggest we head home immediately.”

“You do not need to tell me twice—”

The Principal paused when she glanced back in her side mirror.

“Hey, Princess?”

“Yes?”

“Check the back window.”

The Princess turned herself around. What she saw made her let out a startled cry.

Barely visible in the night, four mystical green blurs were speeding along behind the car, keeping up the chase.

Author's Note

I don't think I have read a story with the Celestia Duo actively working together to this extent before, so I decided to take a crack at it with this one.

I hope there were not any major discrepancies about Camp Everfree that I wrote because I watched the movie so long ago now. Just stake up any differences between this and the movie as my own personal flair.

Thanks for reading!

Lush Life

Sunset and Twilight merrily stepped into the apartment, hands full of plush toys, shopping bags, and boxes of pizza.

“That was amazing!” Twilight laughed. “Fairs are so much more fun in this world.”

“Well,” Sunset smirked, “That’s what’s so great about being human. We create attractions where everybody knows they’re being swindled, but they still go to it anyway! Some people even make it a hobby.”

“There are a few Equestrian types who follow a similar philosophy, though!”

They had spent all Sunday traveling around Canterlot City, Sunset showing Twilight all of the important sights and attractions she could think of. Eventually they noticed that a small fall festival had been going on all weekend and decided to spend the rest of the day experiencing the event.

Sunset had hoped that Twilight would forget about the more important matter at hand. If I go through with it.

“And the history museum . . . oh my gosh! I already have a first draft in my head about the divergences between human and Equestrian society. Yet some historical figures share such similar names with ours . . . I wonder which comes first, does the name build the legacy or the legacy build the name?”

“I would say neither, actually,” Sunset said, placing the pizza boxes on the counter. “People don’t follow ideas like destiny and fate as seriously as ponies. They have no cutie marks, so their fate is not as easily spelled out,” she explained.

“But . . . how do they know what they are supposed to do with their lives?” Twilight wondered.

“Trial and error. In Equestria, the only prerequisites a pony needs to find their calling is existence and a cutie mark. Humans have to figure things out on their own. I kind of like it, actually,” Sunset murmured.

Twilight set her plush animals on the ground and slid up to the counter. “Well, I know what my calling is right now . . . this pizza!” She opened a box with a grin. Like the scientist she was, she examined the pizza carefully, admiring the toppings strewn across the top. Sunset thought that if she had a notepad she would have created a detailed sketch already. She looked up at Sunset, confusion evident on her face. “How do I . . . attack this?”

“You haven’t had pizza before? I thought it was somewhere in Eqeustria,” Sunset snickered.

“No I haven’t, and definitely not with hands . . . it’s my first time.”

Sunset pointed at a slice. “Do you see how it is cut into triangular slices? Grab a slice by the crust with your hands and eat up, starting with the open corner.”

Twilight frowned, tapping her forehead in thought. “How about you show me?”

Sunset stepped back, arms raised in defense. “Hold on a second, I don’t know if—”

“You haven’t eaten all day, Sunset. You must be hungry by now,” Twilight pleaded.

It was at that time when Sunset noticed that she was starving.

Should I? Could I, knowing what I know? What I plan to do?

Warily, she stepped forward and grabbed a slice. She blushed under Twilight’s attention. I haven’t shared a meal in years.

“Like this,” she said, never breaking eye contact. She gently raised the slice to her mouth and took a small bite, savoring the taste on her tongue.

“Ah, I understand now,” Twilight said, grabbing her own slice. She smiled coyly at Sunset as she ate the meal, as if she found the whole situation absurd, both acknowledging and mocking the cultural customs Sunset had gotten used to in the past year and a half. “It’s delightful.” She swallowed and quickly grabbed another piece.

“I’m glad you enjoyed it,” Sunset said, finishing her own piece off.

The two stood in the kitchen for a long time, eating slices of pizza and reveling in each other’s company. Somehow, Sunset managed to forget about everything that had happened over the past few days; however, the wounds on her back never stopped itching. She wanted to mention it to Twilight, but any time they shared a glance she never found the voice to do so.

Once the sun had long past set and the pizza boxes were empty, Sunset beckoned Twilight outside onto the roof of her apartment. They silently climbed up the steps and reached the top, a canvas of stars entering their view. The sun had set without either of them noticing, but the enchantment that the night sky cast made them pay no mind.

Twilight sat down near the edge. “Wow . . .”

“The light pollution here is fairly low for still being in the city.”

Twilight was completely focused on the brilliant stars. “There’s Ursa Major, and Ursa Minor, and, is that . . . um . . .”

Sunset lightly chuckled. “Yes, the constellations are different here. There are similarities, but without the influence of magic, the stars are quite different.”

Twilight grinned sheepishly. “Princess Luna has been experimenting with the constellations too. I’m a bit rusty now.”

Sunset lightly punched her on the shoulder. “Well, let me show you.”

As the night went on, Sunset pointed out to Twilight all of the constellations and star patterns that were unique to the human world. Eventually, Sunset worked through most of the well-known ones and let Twilight make connections to Equestrian mythology and sometimes even Equestrian history. However, Twilight began to grow more uninterested over time, despite Sunset consistently focusing back on the stars.

“Sunset, we need to talk,” she said.

“Look over there first,” Sunset pointed at another area of the sky. “That’s Taurus. I’m pretty sure Taurus exists in Equestria, but the story of Taurus in this world is a lot less literal than over there.”

“Sunset,” Twilight said.

“So it started when Zeus decided to take the form of a bull to basically kidnap this princess—”

“Sunset,” she repeated.

“—and he brings her out into the sea and is like, surprise! I’m the god of the sky! Give me your love! And of course she does, because who refuses a god—”

“Sunset, listen to me.”

“—and . . .” Sunset trailed off with a frown, focusing her gaze on the night sky.

“You have no idea what to do, do you? About Chrysalis. That’s why you’ve been distracting me all day.”

Sunset continued to stare into the stars, not meeting Twilight’s eyes. I can’t tell her. “I just don’t know if there is anything that I can do. There’s nothing that you can rely on me for. I know you said you need your friends, and you need my help, but there’s nothing left for me to offer, besides another trip to the best tourist spots around here.”

Twilight sighed. “Oh Sunset, I know there’s something in you that can help me. You already have, just by working through all of this with me. I cannot continue without your help.”

Sunset turned to meet Twilight’s eyes. “Why won’t you understand that you need to be independent, Twilight? Your friends aren’t here. You need to step up. Don’t rely on me for help. I can’t offer it. I never could.”

Twilight frowned. “I’m not looking for help because I’m uncapable. I need it because friendship is the key to saving Equestria. It always has been. And, Sunset, you’re my friend. I can only step up if you’ll be there with me.”

Sunset let out a painful laugh. “It’s almost funny how much you think you need my help. I’m no friend; I’m a bully who got kicked to the curb. You can argue with me forever, but I’m not the person for the job. I’ve proven that by wasting two days with you now. I’m a . . .” She stopped, tongue stuck in her throat.

Twilight scooted up to Sunset. “You’re a what?”

Sunset swallowed, fear flooding her senses. “I’m a . . . bad person.” Despite having said it for years, it was as if she was admitting it for the first time. I’m going to betray you. I will. There’s nothing that can change that. She had worn the title as a badge of honor for years, but it suddenly felt like she was swallowing poison any time the thought even crossed her mind.

I don’t want to.

“I thought we agreed that you could be better?”

I want to be better.

I don’t want to betray you.

Although she ran the words through her head, they never seemed to click. She did not want to betray Twilight, but she still felt the tug that she had been falling into her whole life.

Just tell her that you don’t want to.

Say it.

“I don’t . . .” She choked. “I . . .”

“What?”

I can’t say it.

Sunset turned away, staring at the cold stone rooftop under her feet. Silence fell between them, increasing the look of worry on Twilight’s face.

After Twilight was certain Sunset was not going to speak up, she scooted closer to her. " . . . What do you believe defines someone’s true nature?” she questioned.

Sunset laid herself down on the rooftop. “When does someone show their true colors, you mean?” She said, silently cursing herself now that her voice was now working perfectly fine. “It’s when . . . when someone is cornered. When their chances of escaping a bad situation are slim. Their final moments. It’s how someone reacts right then, on the brink of despair, that shows their true nature. I have come in contact with that moment more than once, Twilight.”

“And what did you find?”

“Poor results.”

Twilight grabbed Sunset’s shoulders and forced her to stare into her eyes. “That’s the most foolish thing I have heard you say,” she seethed. “I can’t believe you think of yourself that way. Maybe your explanation applies for humans, but I think it’s different for ponies. A pony’s true nature is shown at their peak; their top moment of life; when life never seems like it stops going up. How they act then is what proves who they really are.

“It can’t be somepony’s worst moment that defines them. When I found out about the Changelings, I told my friends about all of it. The bearers of the Elements of Harmony, protectors of the land. But they didn’t believe me. None of us realized it, but that ended up being the lowest point of our friendship. It still is, really. They doubted me, which ended up costing us everything. But do you know what, Sunset? If that was their true nature, that doubt, that betrayal, then the Elements of Harmony should have crumbled to dust. They should have cracked open and shattered across the floor, never to be used by my friends again. So it could not have been their true natures that day.

“So maybe I was wrong, Sunset. Maybe I was wrong when I said that you were a bad pony, but you could be a good person. I’m beginning to think that it’s the other way around. You’re a bad person. But if you come back to Equestria, and start living again, then maybe you can be a good pony.”

Twilight took a deep breath and turned away from Sunset with a huff. Sunset sat there dumbly, astounded at what she had just heard Twilight say.

“I . . . I’m sorry . . .” She choked out.

Twilight stood up and began walking to the staircase. “Good night, Sunset. I will start taking the initiative tomorrow, since you seemed so adamant that I fix this myself. But I will not back down on what I said: I need you, Sunset.” She continued down the steps but turned back just before she disappeared from view. “And I think that you need me, too.”

Sunset continued to lay on the ground as she heard Twilight’s footsteps grow quieter and quieter. She ran the fastest routes to Canterlot High School through her head, in case she really did go through what she was planning tomorrow.

I shouldn’t do this to her.

She didn’t deserve to get stuck with the mess that I am.

The thoughts continued on throughout the night. Fortunately, the cool stone rooftop helped soothe the aching pain that pulsed through her back.

Principal Celestia swerved through another sharp corner in the Everfree forest. “Do you have sight on them again?” She yelled.

Princess Celestia had her head stuck out of the window in the backseat, scanning the dark forest for any unwanted followers. “Not right now!” She yelled back. “I can feel them, though!”

“Shit!”

As they sped through the woods, one or two wasps flew in their direction, as if marking where the car was headed. The Principal was manning the wheel while the Princess made sure that none ever got too close to the vehicle. The exit of the woods and entrance into Canterlot City was approaching fast.

“Where should we go from here?” The Principal shouted, focused on her steering.

“Wherever you think we will shake them off!” The Princess responded.

“Like hell I know where that is!”

A wasp slammed against the front of the car, clutching onto the windshield. The Principal flipped up the wipers and threw it off the side.

“I have a possible solution,” The Princess said, sliding down onto the backseat floor. “But there is a strong chance that it will go wrong.”

“And what is that?” The Principal questioned.

“You will not like what I am going to say!”

“Spit it out!”

The Princess leaned forward so the Principal could hear her clearly. “Let’s not lose the Changelings, but bring more to us! We need to bring all of them to us!”

“Are you kidding me?” She balked. “Do you want to die?”

The Princess, now prone, slid half of her body under the seats. “We will be safe if we stay in the car all night, especially if my suspicions are correct. I can only confirm it with complete certainty if we get every Changeling on our tail.”

The Principal groaned. “You cannot be serious. They will kill you the second they lay eyes on you.”

“Give me your suit,” the Princess demanded.

The Principal pulled off her outside suitcoat and threw it behind her, confusion flashing across her face when she saw the Princess’s position. “What are you planning now?”

“Drive to Canterlot High. We will swap places when we get to the parking lot.” She threw the coat around her shoulders. “Hopefully I can lead the Changelings around the building without cornering myself, or without them finding out that there are two of us for too long. I will clump them together in a swarm and have them chase us all night.”

“So you’re just going to wave your hands at them? ‘Hey, look at me, Princess of Equestria, ready to be devoured!’ Come on!”

“I will not be revealing myself as the Princess immediately. If they knew straight away, I would not even be able to step out of the car.”

The Principal realized she had just given a portion of her suit over to the Princess. “You’re not going to impersonate me,” she said.

“I most certainly am,” replied the Princess. “Chrysalis would never believe that the Princess would walk right into the lion’s den. She will probably try and take control of my mind, but I can fend it off if I realize it is happening. If she realizes that I am more powerful than I let on, however, I have no doubt she will use everything she has available to defeat me.”

“But why do you even want all of the Changelings to be focused on you in the first place?”

“The only way we can know our enemy is if we face off against them. Once I get out—”

“If you get out,” the Principal interrupted.

“If I get out, we will drive around the city until the school day starts. They will not attack in public, so we should stay in populated areas of the city.”

“And then what? What’s the point of making this situation so much more worse?”

“We need to know our enemy, and in this case, the fastest way to learn will be through confrontation,” she explained. “We assess their numbers, their speed, their coordination as a swarm. If my theory is correct, then most if not all of the Changelings will have to assume their roles at the high school by the time school starts tomorrow. After seeing how many pods they have, I am privy to believe that almost every single one is pretending to be another student or staff member. They will have to return. Once they leave, we race to your house and barricade everything.”

“But what makes you believe that they will all return back to the school and not just have a few students take the day off?”

The Princess smirked. “I’ll tell you soon enough.”

“Fine,” the Principal sighed, “If you want to stick your tongue out at them, then go ahead. If I die, though, I expect a golden monument to be built in my honor back in pony-land.”

“Well, we’re in the same situation whether there are four Changelings on us or fourty. And, it would probably be easier just to renovate one my own statues,” she muttered.

“Alright then,” the Principal responded. “Let’s get over to CHS.”

“That is not the only reason I want to travel to the high school, though,” said the Princess.

“And what is the other?”

“Your institution is the first thing anypony from my world sees when they cross over. I would not be surprised to find latent magic in the halls, or even some long-lost artifacts stashed away in forgotten areas. I need to enter the building and do a brief sweep in case there is anything that the Changelings could use against us. We need all the help we can get.”

They sped over to Canterlot High School, and soon the front of the building came into view. The Principal pulled into the parking lot past the now tar-black tree and swooped into the back parking.

“Good luck, Princess,” she said.

“The same to you. Stay quiet.”

The two swapped positions in an instant, the Principal hiding underneath the seats while the Princess stood in front of the front seat trying to imitate her best headmaster demeanor. She stepped out and walked toward the back entrance.

Despite having never been in the building before, the Princess felt an odd sense of deja vu when she stepped inside. The corridors had a striking resemblance to one of the earlier remodels of her school for gifted unicorns. It almost felt homely. She walked through the cafeteria and began feeling the air for any magic.

Outside, Principal Celestia squeezed herself tighter under the seat, cowering from the low buzz that emanated from across the building.

Adagio stretched across the floor of the janitorial closet, repeatedly shifting her arms back and forth behind her. Sonata had noticed on Saturday night that the janitor had a broom with a slightly broken handle at the top, which was just the right size to slip in between the ropes binding their arms together. Chrysalis had completely emptied out the area beyond the larger supplies, so any chance of a faster method did not seem possible.

So there she was, awkwardly trying to cut the ropes off of the arms behind her back with a splintered broom in a pitch-black closet.

It had not been going well. At first Aria and Sonata had tried shouting directions on where they thought Adagio should move her arms, but they contradicted each other in the dark, and soon Chrysalis heard them and came in to taunt them again. Adagio struggled on, though, and she began to feel the ropes around her arms starting to fray. The next time after Chrysalis left the room, she would probably be able to rip her hands free just with brute force. From then on, it was a matter of untying the others and running as far away from the school as possible.

And then they would enact their revenge, of course. No one fucks with the Dazzlings.

In the midst of Adagio’s reverie, a pair of footsteps could be heard running outside the door. Soon, the noise passed them by almost completely.

Adagio turned to Aria, who was staring at her with wide eyes. They both began to scream simultaneously, although their cries were easily muffled by their gags and the door.

After a few seconds of screeching, the sound of footsteps came back to their ears. The footsteps reached the door in front of them, and the Dazzlings cries only increased in intensity.

A figure creaked open the door and turned on the lights, all three girls squinting at the sudden brightness.

“Ah. The Sirens. I almost did not believe it was your magical aura that I sensed.”

Adagio’s eyes adjusted first. Strangely enough, the person in front of her somehow shined brighter than the lights in the room. Adagio squinted at her, only to reel back in shock when she realized who was standing in the doorway.

Dressed in a wrinkled principal uniform stood the Princess of the Sun, regal as ever, gazing upon the Sirens with an expression of cold judgement. The three sirens backed as far away from her as possible.

“Starswirl did dump you three here a long time ago, I suppose. If I recall correctly, he gave you all fifty years to live the rest of your lives. He must have miscalculated.”

Adagio tried to ask for help, but struggled to speak through her gag.

“Do you want me to untie you?” Her visage never faltered from its stone-like seriousness.

The three girls nodded their heads and made noises of approval. The Princess took a step forward, before suddenly shaking her head and retracting her foot.

“I cannot. I have not forgotten what you have done. I may despise the Changelings with my entire being, but I can agree with them that you should never be in a position that holds a single ounce of power. That will only cause pain for us all.”

The sirens tried to take on pleading looks with Celestia, attempting to beg through their gags, but no warmth broke through her frozen demeanor. “I am sorry for you. Perhaps Starswirl was unknowingly cruel, keeping you alive this long. Still, I will not let you get even a chance to harm my ponies.”

The Princess suddenly spun around, glancing back at the hallway she came from. “Good luck to you three.” She turned and ran down the hallway, the opposite direction of which she came. Soon after a swarm of wasps buzzed right past the door as well.

The three sirens looked at one another, tears flowing out their eyes. Their one chance at escape, wasted. Wasted because the only person that would show up was the one person who knew who they were. Adagio cursed Starswirl for the millionth time. She hated him. She hated Chrysalis. She hated Celestia.

Sonata and Adagio leaned against one another in defeat, while Aria stared at the open door in front of them.

The open door.

She started pushing against Adagio, screaming and pointing at the chance for escape. Adagio’s eyes widened in realization, and, with all her might, broke apart the last few strands of her rope that had not been cut off. She untied her legs and pulled the gag out of her mouth.

“That bitch was dumb enough to refuse to help us but forget to close the door!” She laughed. “Alright, you next Aria.”

She quickly untied Aria and the two worked together to get Sonata free as well. After a few seconds to stretch themselves out, Adagio approached the door.

“I bet the Princess is giving us the perfect distraction right now.”

She peered outside into the hallway. It was completely empty.

“Let’s run for it.”

The Dazzlings took off through the halls in an attempt to reach the front exit. However, when they reached the main hallway, they saw the Princess leading a swarm of Changelings behind her right in front of the entrance. They swerved into the gymnasium and saw that there were a few fire exits at the other end.

“There!” She yelled.

Although their footsteps echoed across the whole gym, no one surprised them on their way across. Adagio pushed through the door and out into the night air.

The fire alarm blared, filling their eardrums with its terrible screeching noise. None of them noticed, completely focused on getting as far away from the school as possible.

They headed off into the night, and once thoughts of escape began to settle down, revenge became the main topic of discussion.

They had already created quite a few plans for Chrysalis, but there was now one more pony they had to take care of.

“Well, that’s for a little farther ahead! First we need to get Chrysalis out of the way,” Adagio declared, the three walking down the sidewalk underneath the warm lamplights.

“Where are we going?” Sonata asked her.

Adagio grinned. “I think we should pay a visit to the girl who got us into this mess.”

Princess Celestia hopped into the passengers seat of the car, a cloud of wasps following close behind her.”Drive!” She screamed.

Principal Celestia slid out from underneath the back seat and scrambled up to the front of the vehicle. “On it!”

The golden chariot was being increasingly bombarded with green wasps, all banging their heads against the windows. The Principal threw it into reverse and sped out of the parking lot, the swarm still following close behind them.

“What the hell was that?!” The Principal exclaimed. “What happened to them not realizing who you were immediately?!”

“It turns out that those drones that were following us had better eyesight than I originally thought. They saw that I was not you and ambushed me a few minutes after I entered the building.”

“Great, just great,” The Principal groaned, “Did you at least find anything of value?”

“Well,” The Princess sat up, “Your halls are full of inert magic, I found some research notes from my old mentor Starswirl shoved in an old science classroom, there’s a magical stone in your garden, and there are three sirens tied up and gagged in the janitorial closet.”

The Principal turned to her, nonplussed. “Tell me something I don’t know.”

“Seriously?”

“No, are you kidding me! What the hell is going on? Do you have any proof?”

The Princess shook her head. “Not much. I was able to snag Starswirl’s notes, but everything else was more of a feeling than a confirmation. I ran into the sirens, though. Hopefully they took my hint.”

“Well what a useful outing this was, then. We’ve got a whole army on our tail, and not a damn thing to show of it!”

The Princess grinned. “Wrong you are,” she said. “Try and count every wasp that you can see. I did so when I was running around inside.”

The Principal slowed down and let them catch up to the car. It took her a few minutes to count them all, half-focused on controlling the vehicle. “Thirty-two . . . thirty-three . . . thirty-four. There are thirty-four following us!” She sped up the vehicle.

“Look again. This time check for any wasps that are right next to each other.”

The Principal slowed down again and realized that each wasp attacked the vehicle with a partner by its side. Every single partner was doing the exact same motions as the other, however.

“I see!” Exclaimed the Principal. “It’s a trick!”

“That’s right. Illusion magic, to be exact. Quite well-suited for a Changeling, as it turns out. If each wasp is duplicating itself, then how many are actually chasing us?”

The Principal ran through the numbers in her head. “Seventeen then.”

“Yes. And how many changeling pods were in the cave?”

She shot up in realization. “There were sixteen in the cave! This is what your hunch was, wasn’t it?”

“It was. The Changelings are not as populated as we originally thought they were.”

“Who is the seventeenth, then? Chrysalis?”

“Possibly. Or perhaps there is still one more without anyone to take over. So pay attention.”

“Yes, of course.”

The two moved over to a populated part of town and began waiting out the night.

“Hey, Princess?”

“Yes?”

“I know there’s at least one thing you and Sunset still have in common,” she said.

“And what would that be?”

The Principal grinned. “You’re far more reckless than any sane human being.”

“Well,” responded the Princess, “It’s a good thing that we’re not human, then.”

Author's Note

One of my favorite ideas with this story was how I could try and wrap it around to the events that actually occurred in the EqG movies. I'm not trying to force any ideas, but I think it's fun to right this story almost in a retrospective of the whole show.

Anyways, next chapter is going to have quite the meeting in store for our heroine(s). Stay tuned!

Can't We Be Friends

Sunset’s eyes drifted open the next morning, a cool autumn breeze floating through her window. She sat up and rubbed her eyes. The cuts on her back felt slightly tender, and she felt a jolt of pain when she stretched her arms out. She grimaced and tried to push it to the back of her mind.

When Sunset had returned from the rooftop last night, Twilight insisted that she was no longer going to sleep on the floor, and that Sunset’s bed had more than enough room for the both of them. Because of the vain pity for the girl occupying her mind, she could not find it within herself to refuse, and let the girl share a bed with her for the night. She ignored the implications of that statement and ran to the sink to wash off the blush that had formed on her face.

She got up and began her daily routine. After washing and dressing herself, she sat at the counter, nursing a cup of coffee and nibbling on a piece of toast.

Twilight walked out into the kitchen, still in her borrowed pajamas.

“Good morning,” said Sunset. She looks peaceful.

“Morning,” Twilight responded.

Sunset put a piece of toast in front of her. “Eat up.”

Twilight obliged. The two sat there for a while, eating breakfast and pretending that everything was normal, before Sunset spoke up.

“What would you like to do today?”

Twilight grinned. “I made a twenty-four step list of all the things we can do to prepare for the Changelings. Shows how much you can get done when you burn the midnight oil, eh? I’ll go grab it for you,” she said, running back to Sunset’s room.

She returned with her list and handed over to Sunset. Sunset examined the list.

“Step one: assess all possible responses to the threat in order to find the correct balance between practicality, efficiency, and morality. Okay, not a bad place to start.”

Sunset skimmed through a few more.

“Step seven: examine the anatomy of the wasp to discover any exploitable weak points.” She raised an eyebrow.

“It’s worth a shot,” Twilight shrugged.

“Step ten: perform every summoning ritual known to ponykind.” She raised the other eyebrow.

“I would normally place it farther down the list, but it’s more of a continuous exercise than an task to check off. You can never get too much help, right?” She nervously chuckled when Sunset did not respond, only continuing to read down the list.”

“Step fifteen: contact the government and give them a tip about Chrysalis without mentioning that we are technically illegal aliens. Step twenty: lock Chrysalis in a room for a week until we figure out what to do with her. Step twenty-two: set the town on fire to force an evacuation. Step twenty-four: run and hide, praying that Celestia spares us in the afterlife?! I’ll give you credit for the first ten ideas or so, but this is beyond ridiculous.”

“I know,” Twilight said defeatedly, “I just want to make sure we have a last resort for our last resort.”

Sunset sighed. “Alright then,” she set the list down on the counter and took another swig of coffee. “I guess we can start there somewhere.” Her eyes widened as she realized she almost forgot the most important moment that they day would bring.

Today’s the day that my answer is due.

She glanced up at Twilight, innocently enjoying her breakfast with a smile on her face, as if she was not the same girl who had so sternly scolded Sunset the night before. She’s not innocent, Sunset thought, she’s far from it. She has seen the worst thing happen to her world, and wants to live every moment without any regrets. I can’t blame her.

Especially since I can take away all that she has left.

She turned around and rubbed her eyes. Look her in the eyes and tell her, then. Tell her that you should go to the school, for whatever goddamn reason, and walk her straight toward her demise.

Do that, and then you will at least know what type of person you really are.

Sunset turned to face Twilight and stared directly in her eyes. “Twilight,” she said.

Twilight looked up at her. “Yeah?”

“Why don’t we . . .” She paused one last time.

“What?”

I’m going to do it.

“Why don’t we visit the school today? To examine possible escape routes, or to—”

Three knocks resounded against the door to the apartment.

Sunset stared at the door in shock. Shit. Some higher being must be getting a good laugh at my torment.

“Sunset . . . ?”

She jumped out of her reverie. “Sorry, I’ll um . . . get that, yeah.”

She walked over to the door and grasped the knob, caring very little of who was there, only planning on how quickly she could send them away. It could be the Chrysalis for all I care. At least it will make getting rid of Twilight easier.

She swung it open only to be face to face with the last three girls she wanted to see.

“Well hello again,” Adagio cooed. “How wonderful it is to see you. Ooh, a new friend as well? My my, Sunset.”

Sunset stumbled back onto the floor, fear flashing across her face. “What the hell are you doing here?” She tried to growl out, but it ended up sounding more like a whimper. Behind her, Twilight jumped out of her seat and readied herself for a fight.

“Oh, stop freaking out you two,” Adagio said, stepping into the apartment. Aria and Sonata followed right behind her.

“What do you want?” Twilight growled.

Adagio raised her hands in front of her, her haughty smirk giving away the her mock timidity. “We just want to talk. Make love, not war, and all that other pony crap I hear they peddle nowadays.”

Sunset got back on her feet and stumbled over to Twilight, grabbing her shoulder. “Don’t let them fool you, Twilight,” she said hurriedly, “They attack through anger. I don’t know what they are or how they do it, but I’ve seen how quickly they can turn a whole area from zero to one hundred.” She turned back to the Dazzlings. “How the hell did you find my house?”

Aria laughed. “It turns out that we both hang out in the same social circles. It’s a surprise we haven’t met before, actually. I know the people you scammed to pay for this place. They were more than happy to give me your address,” she said.

Sunset glared at her. “Why, so you could beat the shit out of me for them? Do I need to teach them a lesson again?”

“That’s what I told them I was going to do, but, trust me, we have far less petty things to focus on.”

“Like what?”

Adagio grinned and stepped over to the counter, taking a seat on a stool. “Considering that you are alive right now, we must share a common enemy.”

“And that would be whom?” Twilight asked.

“Why, Queen Chrysalis, of course,” said Adagio.

Twilight and Sunset looked at each other, confused. “How did you find out about Queen Chrysalis?” Sunset questioned.

“It’s all your fault,” pouted Sonata, crossing her arms.

“Be nice now, Sonata,” Adagio said. “She’s not completely wrong though. The Changelings made you walk straight into our feeding ground the other day. Truth be told, we had actually sensed some strange magic coming from this city for over a year now, but you were the one that led us directly to Chrysalis.”

“And what happened then?”

The Sirens awkwardly glanced at one another. “We had a . . . poor moment of hubris, you could say. Chrysalis did not take lightly to our presence.”

Sunset started to laugh. “You walked right into a trap, didn’t you? Wow, and I thought I was doing a poor job!”

“Hey,” Aria glared, “Don’t act like you’re any better, bitch. You’d be changeling food if we hadn’t broken you out of that trance.”

Sunset calmed herself down. “Fair enough.”

“Anyway, we have spent a lot of time with Chrysalis over the past few days,” Adagio continued, “and she was quite fond of you, Sunset. So much so that she’s been doing all of her business with your body. That must be uncomfortable.”

“She has good taste, at least,” Sunset responded.

“I don’t think you’ll like to hear about what that good taste entails for you. Chrysalis didn’t exactly expect us to get out of her little trap, and she let slip more than a few important details through all of her gloating. So, I have a proposition for you: we team up to take her down.”

Twilight and Sunset glanced at one another warily. “And?”

“And what?”

“What’s the catch?” Asked Twilight. “What do you three want out of taking her down?”

Adagio smiled devilishly. “All we want is to see that bitch burn.”

Sunset’s heart started to beat faster. Is this it? Is this my chance at salvation, handed to me at the last moment? Maybe, just maybe, I won’t have to hurt Twilight?

Sunset walked over to a chair and sat down. “Let’s hear it, then.”

Princess and Principal Celestia frantically slammed the door closed behind them and locked it.

“Shut all the doors and windows! Stuff towels underneath the cracks if you have to!” Yelled the Princess, slamming a window shut.

“On it!” replied the Principal.

They rode out the whole night, a swarm of wasps surrounding their car; however, the Princess’s intuition was correct, and they all abruptly stopped the chase once the start of the school day drew near. The two women rushed back to the Principal’s house and rapidly barricaded themselves in.

“Once school lets out again, they will probably send a few back here,” the Princess said, returning to the main living room. “I suggest we wait it out for a few days, and then try and meet up with Sunset and Twilight before the Formal. We best find something to do in the meantime.”

“That sounds simple enough,” The Principal responded, taking a seat on the couch. “The school is probably worried about where I am. Let me call in sick for the next few days.”

“Very well.” The Princess paused. “I suppose that I will start by writing a letter. Do you have a pen?”

“Yes,” the Principal said, handing one over from her suit. “What are you going to write?”

“What I should have written a long time ago,” she responded, standing up and moving over to her current bedroom. She walked back out with Sunset’s journal, and immediately scribbled a long message on a fresh page when she sat down.

Half an hour later, the two women were already bored. The Princess had finished her letter, and the Principal had called in and prepared a task list for “Luna” and the administration for the next few days.

“Who did you write to?” The Principal asked.

“Sunset, of course.” She handed back the pen.

“Ah. Why not use normal paper?”

The Princess shrugged. “This journal was connected to an identical one back in Equestria, but that’s currently powering up the portal between these two worlds. Still, a part of me finds comfort by writing in this journal; it is as if I am communicating with Sunset directly.”

They lapsed into silence.

“Do you miss her?”

Princess Celestia nodded. “More than I miss my whole country. If things could have gone differently, if I had been a normal pony with the lower level of power that you hold, then I . . . I like to imagine that I would have been able to work through things with her. That I could be more to the people around me than a ruler. I could be a pony. That is not what my existence entails, however.” She coughed. “I shall not complain too much, as I’m sure it is not a golden world for you, either.”

The Principal let out a weak chuckle. “It’s funny, because I was thinking the same thing about myself. If I was at your level, that height of heights, then I might finally be able to feel like I achieved all I could. I have always wondered if I can do something more, that I can leave an imprint behind on the world far greater than what I have currently. Even Chrysalis saw through me. And then you show up, and everything I have thought my whole life is essentially confirmed to me. I guess I feel . . . unworthy of even sharing the name and identity of someone like you.”

“That is a foolish notion,” responded the Princess. “You may not be a ruler, or even a person who will change the world, but I, as Celestia, have never prided myself on this meaningless definition of importance you constantly bring up. What I find pride in is not my skill at ruling, or how many people I can manage; it’s my morals, if I can hold myself up to what I say I believe in. It has always been my morals that I focus on, because they are the only thing that I have truly struggled to maintain through my whole life. When I look at myself in the mirror in the morning, I see every success and mistake I have ever made. There have been plenty of each. Yet you are somehow successful, confident, and compassionate to the people around you. I have never been all three. If you are not worthy of existing as Celestia because of your lack of importance, then I am not worthy of existing as her because my importance has destroyed my understanding of a common heart.”

The Principal leaned back in her seat. “So we’re just two inadequate Celestias at the end of the day. Perhaps that’s our defining trait: we can never be enough where we believe it truly matters.”

“Perhaps.”

The Principal stood up and peeked out of her window. “The coast is still clear,” she said. “I think we’re long overdue for a discussion about what plan you’re cooking up. If you want my help, I need more details.”

The Princess smiled. “Of course. Where should I start?”

“Maybe at the whole ‘count the Changelings’ part?”

“Ah,” the Princess responded. “Yes. Well, what did we figure out when we found out Chrysalis has less than twenty Changelings at her disposal?”

The Principal rubbed her chin. “I suppose taking over the whole world with only twenty Changelings is a bit far fetched.”

“Indeed. She needs more reinforcements before initiating her invasion.”

“Won’t she just call in more Changelings from Equestria?” asked the Principal.

“Yes, it would seem so; however, I spent two weeks meeting with every single Equestrian ally in the world and pleading for their help. I currently have the enforcements from Yakyakistan, Griffinstone, Hippogriffia, and Saddle Arabia all creating skirmishes along the border of Equestria in an attempt to force any Changelings in Equestria into battle. If Chrysalis calls them back, they all know to make their way to Canterlot Castle and free Luna and the element bearers. I’m sure Chrysalis expects this from me. This means that she must have something else planned, then . . .”

“. . . Chrysalis is bluffing,” Adagio said. “She goes on and on about how she’s going to annihilate this world, but the truth is, she’s standing on one leg that’s ready to be kicked out underneath her any second. We saw through the illusion magic she uses on her small number of troops almost immediately.”

“Where are her reinforcements, then? Chrysalis won’t invade this world without a strong chance of success,” Twilight asked.

“Right,” Adagio responded, “Once we realized she was bluffing, it became a matter of wondering where her backup was actually going to come from. The thing is, when she was gloating like a madwoman, she would always find a way to wrap things back up to the Fall Formal. That waste of a school event is the lynchpin to her whole plan.”

“But why?” said Sunset. “What does the Fall Formal offer her?”

“Think about who she’s pretending to be, dumbass,” Aria said.

Sunset rubbed her chin. “Well, she’s pretending to be me. I assumed she wants to use my position as the Fall Formal Queen to steal the positive emotions of everyone at the party, and to have in the hottest seat in the house while doing it.”

“Right on,” Adagio responded. “I wonder how much that must hurt, knowing that all your hard work was stolen right under your nose.”

“Watch your mouth,” Sunset growled. “I’m not afraid to teach you some matters, Equestrian or not.”

“Okay, okay,” Adagio waved her hands in dismissal, “I’ll hold back for a little while longer. You’re missing one important part, though; Chrysalis doesn’t just want your position for the best hit of changeling energy. She wants to use your victory as Princess at the Formal as a final boost of power to kick-start the invasion. That tree outside the school has mutated significantly in the past few days—we think she’s loading it full of eggs and intends to use that emotion from your victory to hatch them at once. In one fell swoop she’ll have an army at her side.”

“I thought Changelings only fed on love,” Twilight wondered aloud.

“Normally they only do, but this world calls for desperate measures. The lack of magic is really hurting the Changelings’ ability to conquer. Were this Equestria, they probably wouldn’t even need any magic to ignite the eggs into hatching in the first place. But this world has so little magic, so they’re pretty much relying on scraps to get their army up and running.”

“I get it,” said Sunset, “The Changelings need the respect and admiration I worked so hard in gaining this past year as the key to the ignition of their invasion of this world, right?”

“Right. And we need to take those emotions away from her before she can do so. But Chrysalis is smart; even if we manage to prevent your victory from happening, she may find a way to bounce back . . .”

“. . . Chrysalis plans on using the event your school is hosting as the starting point for her invasion. Teenage emotions are so unstable that she can almost certainly gain enough sustenance to hatch a fresh hive of changelings and start taking over the city. We just have to find a way to stop it,” The Princess explained.

“Could we just delay the event, like pulling the fire alarm, or nullifying Sunset as a competitor in the race?”

“We could,” the Princess said, “but it would only delay Chrysalis. She will find another way eventually, and we may not be lucky enough to predict this next time. We need a solution that can not only prevent Chrysalis from hatching all of the eggs in that tree, but also leave her in a severely disadvantaged state; preferably, we could defeat her completely.”

“Do you have any ideas?” The Principal asked.

“I have a few . . .”

“. . . This is where we come in,” Adagio said. “Chrysalis needs love to fuel herself up, but The Dazzlings are experts in the opposite.”

“That would work!” Twilight exclaimed. “Just steal all of their love before they can absorb it!”

“Not so fast,” Adagio said, “That is not how our magic works. We don’t turn love into hate, we only bring hatred to the surface and amplify it to an extreme degree. Also, the Changelings are immune to our magic. The only thing we can do is essentially take food out of their stomach. It’s a great long term torture tactic, but we need something fast and quick to take advantage of.”

“The other students, then,” Sunset chimed in. “Make all the students at the dance hate each other, use your magic to get them at each other’s throats, and ruin the night completely.”

“That’s what we were thinking,” said Adagio. “Instead of making the Changelings angry, we get everyone around them to feel hatred instead. We’ll spoil their milk so they have nothing to drink. From then on, it’s just a matter of tracking the Queen down . . .”

“. . . Once Chrysalis has lost all of the energy the school dance was going to give her, we need to corner her.”

The Principal leaned forward. “And what do we do to her?”

“Well,” the Princess said, “We show her the error of her ways. The magic of friendship should be extended to her, even if I suspect she will refuse to take its hand . . .”

“. . . Then we smash her fucking face in,” Adagio finished.

“Hey, let’s try diplomacy first!” Twilight scolded.

Aria snorted. “Yeah, we tried that with her. Chit-chat time is over.”

The Sirens continued to bicker with Twilight while Sunset stared blankly forward, not paying attention. It could work. They actually might pull this off. There’s a loose plan to follow now. Loose, but still something.

“Adagio,” Sunset said.

She turned to Sunset. “Yes?”

“How confident are you that your plan will work? How do we know that we can trust you?”

Adagio grinned. “We don’t have everything planned out yet, but if we can pull off just the first part and stop her from abusing the Fall Formal, then we can at least gain more time to face off against her. As for your second question: this world is our sandbox. If Queen Chrysalis wants to come in and start kicking down our castles, then we’re gonna make sure she knows who runs this playground, even if we have to burn it down to set an example.”

An odd relief began to flow through Sunset’s body. There’s another option. I don’t have to do this to Twilight. The Dazzlings swooped in to save her at the very last moment, to stop her from taking the final step over the brink. This must be the plan that succeeds. The timing is too perfect. This is fate! She took in a deep breath, letting the suddenly fresh air of her apartment fill her lungs. Another path! Another option! Another hope!

She stood up and turned to Twilight. “Let’s talk for a minute,” she said, motioning Twilight into the bathroom. Twilight followed behind her, and closed the door when they entered.

Twilight let out a long sigh, placing a hand on her forehead. “I don’t trust them,” she said. “I’ve dealt with this type before. They act cunning and cooperative, but when things go wrong we get tossed under the bus.”

Sunset shrugged. “But their plan works, right? We can prepare for that to happen later.”

“Their plan barely works,” she said. “It’s a plan that seems perfect on paper, but there are too many holes left for it to actually be worth investing in. We don’t even know if what they are saying is true. We don’t even know what they are,” she exclaimed. “I would rather take some more time to explore the options ourselves before we jump right into helping the creatures that quite literally feed on hatred.”

“But that’s exactly what we need right now,” Sunset rebutted. “They can counter the Changelings, and getting them on our side is going to increase our chances of survival tenfold.”

“But what’s the point of surviving if we end up dooming even more people by helping them?”

“What do you mean, ‘what’s the point of surviving?’ That’s been the point this whole time, right? We can’t save Equestria if we’re dead!”

“You’re missing the point,” Twilight frowned. “We can’t save Equestria if our morals are dead as well. This is about fighting for the good of the Equestrian people, and if that means we become collateral damage, then so be it. This isn’t about running away. This about stepping up. We’re fighting just as much of a moral battle as we are a physical one.”

Sunset stared at Twilight, aghast.

“Really? I thought you agreed to follow my morals, to do things my way. Now all of a sudden it’s all about being righteous and taking the high ground? We need to start kicking below the belt, because that’s the only place Chrysalis has left open for us!”

Twilight sighed, her eyebrows lowering into a glare.

“I know that you’re hiding something from me.”

Shit. Sunset stepped back. “What . . . ?”

“I don’t know what it is, but it’s tearing you apart. You keep trying to validate yourself. Please, tell me the truth.”

Sunset sighed. “Look, I’m not hiding anything, I’m just stressed because of all of the shit you’ve thrown into my lap. Of course I’m trying to validate myself with little Miss Perfect breathing down my neck.”

Twilight grit her teeth. “Playground insults stopped working on me after magic kindergarten. Your behavior is erratic, and now you’re on defense since I called you out.”

“I’m not erratic!” Sunset through up her hands in frustration. “What am I doing so strangely, then?”

“You spend every chance you get to degrade yourself. Ever since Saturday, you’ve become visibly uncomfortable whenever we brainstormed ideas on how to stop Chrysalis. You decided it was in our best interest to waste a whole day for a reasoning I probably shouldn’t have gone along with. And now, you immediately jump onto the plan of three girls who are probably magical beasts in Equestria like your life depends on it! For whatever reason, you have completely given up hope on our success.”

Sunset grunted in irritation. “I know a good plan when I see one! This won’t fail!”

Twilight’s glare weakened slightly. “It will, Sunset. And not because it isn’t foolproof, or that the Dazzlings are holding something from us. It’s because you will never be able to truly commit yourself to it. I will tell you this, Sunset: I can’t save anything, or help anyone, if I can’t help you. Celestia entrusted me to find you, and I took it upon myself to show that you can be better than you think you are.”

Blood rushed to Sunset’s head and began pulsing with electrifying anger. “Better than I think I am? I’ve tried to tell you. I know what I am. I’m the girl who . . .” Sunset’s words got stuck her throat.

“Who did what? Something terrible, but in its own unique way, was admirable? Tell me, Sunset. I won’t be too mad, even if it’s wrong. Please, the only way we can succeed is if we are open with one another,” pleaded Twilight. “I want to know why you’re hurting yourself over this.”

Sunset stared at her, still trying to muster the words to speak. " . . . Really?”

Twilight stepped up to her and put both hands on her shoulders, staring into her eyes. “Yes. I promise.”

“I . . . fine,” Sunset’s legs wobbled, but she took a deep breath to steady herself. “I was going to sell you out. On Saturday . . . Chrysalis said that if I gave you to her, I would be safe from her invasion.”

Twilight kept both hands on Sunset, but the gentle smile on her face shifted into an unreadable line.

“I was going to do it,” she continued, “I really was. That’s why I was so broken up last night. I didn’t want to, though. I had a plan, even . . . later down the road, when Chrysalis and I were in good graces, I would cut you and any other important figures out of the pods to stage a last attempt at taking her down. I mean, I didn’t even go through with it. I was planning to, but still . . .”

She sunk to her knees, crumpling on the floor. Twilight said nothing, just impassively staring at her.

“That’s bullshit, I know. But there was no other option, Twilight . . . they ran so many circles around us that you didn’t even notice it . . . today was supposed to be the day I gave Chrysalis my answer. I guess the Dazzlings sort of felt like a beacon of hope, a last salvation, giving me an escape at the final second.”

Twilight continued to stare at her, raising her eyebrows as if she wanted her to continue.

“I . . . I’m sickened with myself. I don’t know the last time I’ve felt that, if I’ve ever felt that. But, here we are. It’s out in the open now, my true self. Going behind your back even after I promise that I can do better. It’s just my destiny, Twilight . . . I’ll always run away. I take the option with the least conflict. It’s easier that way. It means I don’t have to ever accept that I’m just a goddamn coward . . .”

Twilight sunk to the floor, leveling herself with Sunset. She gently reached out her arms, and wrapped them tightly around Sunset’s pitiful form. Sunset gasped as she felt Twilight wrap around her. Despite feeling as if she was in the lowest depth of shame, a burden lifted on her heart. Unlike the false sense of hope she gained from the Sirens’ arrival, Sunset didn’t just feel her stress fall away, but something else took its place: a far nicer feeling, one that she could not find the name for. It felt like the hole in her body had been filled up with a flowing wave, filling in a space that had been empty far prior to Sunset’s trip to this world. She squeezed her eyes shut and unsuccessfully tried to keep tears from flowing down her cheeks.

“I forgive you,” Twilight whispered. “I’m mad . . . even more disappointed. It’s going to take a while for me to let the thought of you doing that go. But I’ve seen you fight this darkness since I met you, Sunset, even if you’ve only just realized it. You’re full of so much potential. Not in an academic sense, like I’m sure everypony told you since you were a filly, but an emotional one. I want to help you reach that, as your friend. Truly.”

Sunset let out a long-held breath, taking in the sweet medicines that were Twilight’s words. They felt empowering; her thoughts cleared, her legs loosened from their soreness, and even the cuts on her back ached less than before. She buried her head in the crook of Twilight’s neck. “Thank you. I want to be your friend. Honestly.”

Twilight smiled. “Then let’s make a promise. No more hiding things from one another. We’re a team from here on out, okay?”

Sunset offered a weak grin in response. “No more secrets. We’ll do this together, as a team.”

A calm settled over the two as they sat on the bathroom floor, sharing an embrace. Sunset marveled at Twilight’s ability to know the perfect response to her problems, even the ones she didn’t understand herself. She was afraid of what Chrysalis had in store for her, but it felt easier knowing that Twilight was going to be behind her, to have her back completely, as long as Sunset had hers. She reluctantly unwrapped her arms around Twilight and stood up, straightening herself out. Twilight did the same.

“Well,” Sunset said, clearing her throat and wiping her eyes, “What are we going to do with the Dazzlings?”

Twilight put a finger to her chin in thought. “I agree with you that it would be foolish not to at least see where their offer leads us. They are probably here to stay whether we like it or not, so we should get them on our side.”

“Morals be damned?” Sunset asked.

“Morals be damned,” Twilight bashfully admitted. “I guess I’ll stay true to my statement last week. If we need to get a little dirty to save the world, then we’ll just make sure it doesn’t get mentioned in the history books.”

“That’s the spirit of a true politician right there!” Sunset laughed. “Let’s rejoin them.”

The two opened the door and stepped back into the living room of the apartment. The Dazzlings were huddled around each other, looking around the apartment.

“Took you long enough,” Adagio grumbled.

“I would say get a room, but you technically did,” said Aria.

“You both look so cute together!” Sonata exclaimed.

Sunset and Twilight awkwardly ignored the last statement and chose to return to their seats at the kitchen counter. “We have come to a decision about whether we want to help you or not,” said Twilight.

“And your answer?” asked Adagio.

“We’ll accept your help.”

The three sirens turned to one another and smiled. “Good,” Adagio said. “Then let’s start working out the finer details of the plan.”

“Actually,” Sunset spoke up, “I may have a way to get over one of your biggest hurdles right away,”

“Which one?” asked Adagio.

“You said that we needed to get rid of as much happiness and love in the school as possible, right?”

“Right, and hopefully replace it with anger and hatred, to play the crowd.”

Sunset grinned. “Well, I might just be able to do that.”

“What do you suggest?”

Sunset stood up and walked over to her computer, flipping open the screen. “I’ve been documenting every student at Canterlot High for over a year now.” She clicked into her Files directory and began moving toward the hidden file that held every profile of each student. She clicked on the Attendees folder. “Here it is,” she said, scrolling though the files of every student’s name.

“That’s creepy,” Sonata said.

Adagio laughed. “It’s good fortune, though! Let me guess, you have some nice dirt on every student?”

“Yep,” Sunset said, leaning back with a smirk. “I got at least one good piece of info on everyone in here.”

“Can I see some?” asked Adagio, leaning closer to the screen.

“Well, most of the good stuff is on my flash drive . . .” She facepalmed. “Shit! I don’t have my USB right now!”

“What? Where is it?”

Sunset slumped in her seat slightly. “I left it with Principal Celestia. We’ll have to go and pick it up from her today if we want to use the stuff that’s really bad.”

“Umm,” Twilight said, “Could somepony explain why having all of this information is a good thing?”

Sunset turned around to face Twilight. “If we want to cause chaos and anger in school, one of the most effective ways is to start exposing the dirty laundry of every kid—especially the stuff that’s between multiple students. We pit everybody against each other, and then Chrysalis’s food source can barely stop itself from starting a school-wide catfight.”

“And how are we going to get everyone’s ‘dirty laundry’ across the whole school fast enough?” Twilight asked.

“That’s easy,” Sunset said. “We use the internet!”

“The internet?”

“Social media, specifically,” explained Sunset. “I can post embarrassing or stories photos on a social media platform, and anyone who is my friend can see what I’m posting. Even if I’m not friends with every student in the whole school, my friends will digitally share the photos with their friends, and soon enough my posts are spread around like the plague.”

“Sunset, that’s terrible!” She gasped, horror flashing across her face. “How fast can this information spread?”

“If we’re lucky, and Sunset’s information-gathering skills are as good as she says they are, then about a day will be enough to get the school in an uproar,” Adagio said.

“Wow . . .” Twilight sat back down. “I don’t like this.”

“Neither do I,” Sunset said. “I spent all my free time gathering this dirt. This plan better work.”

“It will,” said Adagio. “Especially now that we’ve got this addition. Wow, we were lucky to come to you!”

Sunset pulled up her internet browser. “I still have a few pieces of dirt on my main computer, so we could at least get started right away. Which platform to use . . . "

Sunset ran through the list of social media platforms in her head. None were bad options, but she would probably have to post on multiple platforms to pick up enough traction at CHS before the Fall Formal. She suddenly remembered the conversation she had with Flash on Thursday.

“Aha!” She exclaimed. “There’s this new social media website called MyStable; supposedly it’s getting really popular at school.” She typed in the link for the website and signed in with the account she had made last week. “And it allows pictures to be posted on walls, perfect! Now it’s just a matter of finding the right piece of info to post first.”

As Sunset began scrolling through her files, Twilight tapped her on the shoulder. “Sunset, do you really want to use you own account for this? I mean, isn’t that kind of dangerous?”

“Well, I have to. Chrysalis is banking on getting the largest boost of power from impersonating me, so . . . " Sunset paused. I haven’t thought about that. If I go through with this, and we succeed, then my chances of returning to life in this world are almost over. I’ll at least have to leave town. Just as she was about to close the tab, she recalled Twilight’s words from last night.

If you come back to Equestria, and start living again . . .

She shook her head. I couldn’t. The Princess would crucify me. I’m stuck here, whether I like it or not.

I might be able to get Twilight to sway in my favor, though. She turned to Twilight.

“Hey, Twilight?”

“Yes?”

“If things go south for me in this world, will you . . . help me work out a new situation?”

She smiled. “Of course, Sunset. I would love to, no question.”

Sunset returned the smile and turned back to the computer. “All right. I never thought I would be using the fruits of my efforts from the past year this way, but I guess that’s just how it’s going to be.”

“Hold on,” Aria said. “I don’t think you should be posting on your main account.”

“Why not? The more people that hate me, the less love that gets sent Chrysalis’s way.”

“But, if you post slander on your main account, the school will almost certainly try and take action against you immediately. However, an account not connected to your name in any way will be out of the school’s powers beyond simply requesting for the page to be taken down, as long as you don’t devolve into hate speech or such.”

“Okay,” Sunset said, “but wouldn’t it be smart to try and slander my name as much as possible? If the students make me out as the devil, even if they all still love each other, Chrysalis’s plan will be severely weakened from the get-go.”

Aria grinned. “I never said the students didn’t have to know that you were behind it. Make the profile completely obvious that you’re running it. Make the color scheme red and yellow, use a sun as your profile symbol, hell, accidentally ‘let slip’ a few things only you should know. When everyone in school suspects you’re behind it, they’ll hate it even more than if you openly admitted it; now you’re not only destroying the school, but you’re too much of a coward to own up to it. Trust me, it’ll be even more effective if you pretend to be anonymous.”

“Anonymous, huh . . .” Sunset tapped on the New Profile button and began setting it up. After a few minutes, she grinned. “And there we go! I present to you all . . . Anon-A-Miss!”

Much like Aria’s instruction, the profile page quite heavily suggested it was Sunset Shimmer behind the screen. She was already friending as many people in school as possible, and intentionally picking the people in her social circle to be her first ones added. Her profile picture was even an old pic of her cutie mark emblem she had gotten stitched for her when she first arrived in this world. It wouldn’t take long for the students to connect the dots.

“That’s tacky as fuck,” Adagio responded.

“Yeah, I’m pissed off just knowing someone would try and make that their username,” commented Aria.

Sonata smiled. “I think its clever.”

“Thanks,” Sunset said. “I’ll start off with a few tame posts to warm the students up.”

Sunset, Twilight, and the Sirens continued to fill out the Anon-A-Miss page and, after exhausting the tiny supply of info Sunset had stored on her computer, began to go over other parts of their plan. Their cooperation helped many aspects come together quickly. Sunset noticed that Twilight was quite the odd one out in the situation; however, Sunset realized that this was probably going to be her last time to be the school bully she always wanted to be, so she was going to enjoy it as much as possible. If I get to make fun of some vain kids in order to save the world, then you bet your ass I’m going to milk it for all it’s worth.

“Sunset,” Twilight said, “We should go and visit Principal Celestia soon, to recover your things.”

“Yeah,” she nodded, “that would be good. We should stop by the school to see if she’s working today.”

“That isn’t the only reason you want to go, is it?” Twilight asked.

“No,” Sunset grinned devilishly. “I owe someone a response.”

Author's Note

Surprise! It was an Anon-A-Miss fic all along! Mwahaha!

I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Comments, questions, criticisms, and corrections are always welcome. Thanks for reading!

Interlude: If My Friends Could See Me Now

Queen Chrysalis was infuriated. The second she realized that Princess Celestia was alive and had the arrogance to walk right into her school, she sent every single drone she had at the alicorn and forced them to not return until they had brought back the last member of royalty to her.

And yet, for some inexplicable reason, her troops came back empty handed. None of them bothered to mention that the Sirens had hobbled right out the door, either.

This anger tormented her throughout the next day, forced to play high-school while her plans were falling apart left and right. What was worse was that being stuck in Sunset’s body portrayed her righteous anger like it was a child’s bratty fit. She scowled and ignored the drones around her, buzzing up their lunches like they actually enjoyed human cafeteria food.

“Desynchronize yourselves,” she commanded. “Take some breaths in between, at least.”

The drones began slowing down their consumption, meekly chewing as if they were embarrassed to consuming the food in the first place. Chrysalis continued to glare at them.

“I didn’t whip this nation into shape for you all to eat like you’re the ones who got conquered,” she spat. “How goddamn hard is it for you to act normal?” She paused. “And to do what you’re goddamn told?!”

She glanced around the lunchroom, checking to see if anyone had overheard her outburst. On the contrary, almost every student was on their phone, showing their friends whatever new social media post was all the rage, or something. Pony, ape, whatever, they’re all still animals.

She let out a disgusted sigh and went over all the ways she could be doing something productive in her head. Normally, she would have been off trying to sway as much favor for the Fall Formal as possible, but she had taken the morning off. A visitor would be soon to arrive, and hopefully an answer on her proposition would follow.

She glanced at the clock, noting that it was almost twelve. She better get over here soon. Just as Chrysalis had wished for, the doors of the cafeteria swung open in a thundering display.

Sunset Shimmer strolled through the cafeteria, scanning the area with a haughty smirk on her face. Amid Chrysalis’s confusion at the girl’s strange confidence, Sunset beelined for her old table, meeting Chrysalis’s eyes. The Queen flashed green, turning herself into her natural form. She skittered under the table, making sure that no students saw two doppelganger Sunset’s right next to each other.

“Did you bring the girl?” She hissed from below.

Sunset let out a cocky chuckle. “I’m afraid not.”

“What?”

A litany of emotions rushed through Chrysalis’s head; fortunately, the body of a wasp did wonders on hiding what she was feeling. She watched in disgust as Sunset stood tall, acting as if she finally had the secret to saving the world. You foolish girl. You must think that you have finally found the right path. A well of anger filled up inside her. You failed to understand what I tried to tell you. You fool!

Sunset leaned down, meeting eyes with the creature, an almost manic grin coming across her face.

“I refuse.”

The bug violently twitched before recomposing itself. “Then you may leave. If you are able to.”

Despite Chrysalis’s threat, Sunset only responded with a devilish grin, an expression of triumph on her face. The girl was shaking with anticipation, like some euphoria she had been clawing at for years was finally within her reach. Suddenly, she ran over to another table and hopped on top, spilling the trays and cartons the kids had just been eating out of.

“Students of Canterlot High School!” She announced. The bustling cafeteria quieted down as it noticed the scene Sunset was making.

“It is with great honor that I stand before you today. I would like to remind every student that today is the first day that voting for the Fall Formal Princess begins. Please vote for who you believes deserves the crown!”

A silence pervaded the room. Chrysalis twitched underneath her table.

“But let’s be honest,” she quieted down a little, that smirk on her face glowing with satisfaction, “You’re all going to vote for me anyways. Do I even need to make a case for myself?”

She paused, taking in the confused looks throughout the lunchroom. What is she doing? thought Chrysalis.

“Very well then! Hear my plea, students of CHS! Vote for me, for your own self-respect! Vote for me, who doesn’t want this title because it will be the peak of a short, miserable life, but because it will be the means to the end of a far greater destiny! You waste your vote by placing it in the ballot of a vain, self-absorbed girl with no self-esteem! She does not deserve to win. She does not deserve that validation. She is tainted by evil secrets, by vices that she wishes will never see the light of day. But they will! Sooner or later, it will all come out in the open. That is that fate of us all: true character will always be revealed! Am I wrong?”

She shrugged her shoulders, daring anyone to speak up. No one responded, and after a pause, she pointed a finger at herself.

“But I do not hold any blemishes! There are no secrets of mine that will infest this school. Instead, let me be the exterminator, here to weed out those who do not deserve to hold the title of a Wondercolt. For there is nothing more important than sticking to our morals; as hard as it may be, I know that a true Wondercolt can do so. The first step you Wondercolts can take into proving that you stand for a school of integrity, decency, and honor, is the simplest one, and the one that I will repeat to you until our dream is reached: vote for me! Show the students who you wish to set your standard, to instill your morals, and to be your Princess!”

She took a deep breath, an golden aura of importance enveloping her. Chrysalis was worried that the girl had gone insane or reached enlightenment. Which one would be worse? The raised her arms, sprawling them out to face the student body.

“I will win the crown! I will be your Princess! And most of all, I will be your savior!”

In grandiose fashion, she practically flew down from the table and over to the cafeteria doors, all eyes focused on her. Before she stepped through, she turned back to all the kids who witnessed her spectacle. Yet she only met the eyes of a single wasp, seething underneath a cafeteria table.

“And I will let nothing stand in my way.”

She pushed through doors, leaving everyone in the lunchroom behind. No one dared speak, too shocked to simply ignore the events that had just transpired.

Slowly, Chrysalis noticed, the students picked up their phones again, this time checking them with brows furrowed, all coming to a similar worrisome conclusion. They all showed their screens to each other, rapidly whispering about some topic that Chrysalis was regretfully too far away to make out.

Then, like a bolt of lightning, the emotions of everyone in the cafeteria shifted. The pool of friendship, love and admiration became tainted with a few small drops of anger, mistrust, and vitriol. Even the small amount began to worry Chrysalis, and she felt her drones at the table become significantly more nervous. She realized, to her dismay, that Sunset was suddenly far less popular among the students. Chrysalis spat underneath the table, trying to empty her body of the sudden influx of terrible emotions that were beginning to simmer in the hearts of the students of CHS.

What the hell did she just do?

Author's Note

I hope you liked this little interlude. (Is it really an interlude if it still is necessary for the main story? Eh . . .) I was originally going to put this at the end of last chapter, but decided to switch up the POV to Chrysalis for fun.

Thanks for reading!

I'm Glad There Is You

Sunset closed the cafeteria door behind her and let out a long, painful sigh.

“How did it go?” Twilight asked.

“Well, it . . . went,” she cringed.

“You sounded quite intimidating, if a bit cheesy.”

Sunset groaned and rubbed her eyes. “Oh god, that was so embarrassing. I’m supposed to save the evil monologue for one person at a time, not the whole lunchroom. Did it work, at least?”

Twilight nodded and held up Sunset’s phone. “Anon-A-Miss’s notifications have exploded. Over one hundred people have joined the group we set up.”

“Quiet,” Sunset hushed. “We can’t have anyone overhear us, or everything I just did was a waste of time.”

The two glanced around, and they were fortunately out of earshot. Sunset smiled.

“That’s great to hear, though. Let’s go down to the principal’s office and see if she’s in today.”

“Yeah,” Twilight agreed, “Do you think that she will have your flash drive there?”

“Probably not, but it doesn’t hurt to ask her,” said Sunset.

The two girls walked down the hall toward the principal’s office. Sunset’s heart finally reached a normal tempo, the adrenaline from her speech in the cafeteria wearing off. Twilight had made the suggestion that she try and find a way to push the idea of Sunset being behind the Anon-A-Miss account to the school without completely giving it away.

Cue the egotistical speech, then. It was easy to come up with a public display that would do such a thing, and it also put Chrysalis into a bind on how all the students will treat her for the upcoming days. It was too easy to come up with, she thought.

They reached Principal Celestia’s office and knocked on the door. “Stay hidden, Twilight, in case she isn’t here.”

Twilight nodded and stepped out of view.

A voice, distinctly not the Principal’s, called from inside. “Come in, it’s unlocked.”

Sunset gently opened the door, peeking her head through. “Ah! Principal Luna. How are you?” Sunset put on a weak smile. Shit.

Vice Principal Luna looked up from her desk and smiled. “I am doing quite well, thank you. Is there something you need, Sunset?”

Sunset ignored the emphasis on her name. “I was just wondering if Principal Celestia was in today. I had a few things I needed to tell her about—a few questions about the Fall Formal on Friday.”

“Ah, I’m sorry,” Luna frowned, “but Celestia actually took the next few days off. She was dreadfully sick this morning. I can forward any information to her, if it’s urgent.”

Sunset waved a hand in dismissal. “It isn’t that important. I can wait a few days. Thanks for helping, Vice Principal.”

Whatever changeling was pretending to be the woman, it did not find Sunset’s emphasis funny. “A good day to you, Miss Shimmer.”

Sunset closed the door and turned to Twilight. “I guess we have to go to her house.”

Twilight started toward the door. “Let’s get out of here then. All of these people look too similar to ponies I know, and it’s giving me the heebie-jeebies.”

“Imagine how I felt at first,” Sunset said, following closely behind.

The Dazzlings took a seat in the corner of the diner, eyeing the swath of customers it housed over lunchtime.

“They’re a good bunch,” Adagio commented. “Not nearly enough, of course, but there are some strong folks in the crowd.”

Sonata grabbed a menu and eagerly flipped through it, eyeing all the lunch options. “Ooh! Can we order yet?”

“No, you dunce,” Aria said. “You can’t sing with a throat caked with food.”

“Oh,” Sonata responded sadly, “Okay then.”

Aria turned to Adagio. “So how does it go again? It’s been far too long since we’ve needed to do this.”

Adagio rolled her eyes. “Just follow my lead. Worst case scenario we just shift back into our normal spell.”

“Gotcha,” she responded.

“Well, there’s no point in delaying it any further,” Adagio said. “I know we’re a little out of practice, so let’s consider this a test run.”

The three girls straightened themselves out and harmonized a low hum. A green fog sprung out of thin air, permeating throughout the restaurant. The customers and employees took little notice.

Adagio weaved the melody into a full tune. Sonata and Aria offered harmony, and the once peaceful restaurant heated up, anger quite literally floating through the air. The patrons began arguing with one another, insulting the waitresses, or letting out incensed growls. It was prime feeding ground for the Dazzlings, and they could have had quite the feast if they chose to at any minute.

However, the melody shifted, modulating into a higher key. At first it was shaky, but the sirens regained their footing in enough time to salvage their spell. The fits of anger from the patrons calmed down, all returning to their seats, staring blankly forward. It was then that they whispered out their instructions.

You hate her.

If you saw her right now, you would attack her.

Kill her, even.

The restaurant nodded in agreement. The song drifted into silence, closing off the mystic spell that had overcome the diner.

The patrons were awoken from their reverie, and at most gave a shake of their heads or a confused glance before returning to their food.

“Well, that was a success!” Adagio exclaimed. “We’ve still got it, after all these years.”

Sonata picked the menu back up. “Can we eat now?”

“Sorry Sonata. We’ve got a lot more diners to hit before the day ends,” she said with a wicked grin. “Let’s not waste any more time then, hm?”

The three sirens stood up and made their way toward the door, leaving behind the restaurant, and the first setting of a new trap.

Sunset and Twilight exited the school building and immediately found themselves in front of the last thing they wanted to see. In the center of the courtyard was the same tree that was housing the Changelings, if it were still able to be called a tree. No, at this point, it was a nest. A porous nest which truly did look as if it was filled with changeling eggs, inside and out. Fortunately, they could see no wasps hovering around the area, and with a quick dash across the courtyard and a very wide berth, they circled around the fetid tree completely. No time was wasted to get on the path toward Principal Celestia’s house.

“We really should have gone out the back way. Seeing that on the way in was gross enough,” Twilight said.

“You would think the students would notice it by now,” responded Sunset.

“Chrysalis probably has some sort of illusion magic connected to it. That seems to be her modus operandi.”

“Yeah,” Sunset agreed. “Hopefully we’ve thrown a wrench into that now. All eyes are going to be on her—well, me, I guess—for the next few days.”

A worried expression appeared on Twilight’s face. “This whole Anon-A-Miss thing . . . you know that you’re throwing yourself under the bus here, right? It seems unlike you.”

“Do you have any better ideas?” she spat out. “Chrysalis is making a mockery of the social life I created in that school. If it ends, then it ends on my terms.”

“But,” Twilight said nervously, “That mean’s you can’t stay here. That when this is all over the school will still hate you. You won’t have anywhere to go.”

“I guess, yeah. I’ll just have to return to . . .” The actual consequences suddenly sunk in. “I’ll have to return to Equestria,” she said, dumbfounded.

“I was worried you had not fully thought it out yet,” Twilight said. “I’ll help you, Sunset. A lot of things have happened in the past ten years, but you should be able to catch up quickly.”

Sunset grabbed Twilight’s shoulders and forced her to look into her eyes. “If I go back to Equestria, Twilight . . . I’ll have to face her.”

“I can be there, Sunset,” Twilight said. “I can be on your side. I’ll admit that I didn’t know what you told me about Celestia, but I have a full picture now. I will be there with you when you meet her again.”

“It won’t matter,” she said frantically, “I’ll mess things up. I’m not ready.”

Twilight placed her hands on Sunset’s shoulders, gently lowering them down until their hands were clasped together. “Then work on being ready, Sunset. Show her that you’re a better person. Don’t conform to her, but if she sees that you have handled yourself on your own, then you will have control of the situation. You can’t run away from this forever.”

Sunset sighed. “I’ll . . . try. I’ll think about trying. If things go south . . . I could stay with you, right? For a little while, before I ditch Canterlot and set up a shack in Yakyakistan?”

Twilight giggled. “Of course. Ponyville would love to have you.”

“Ponyville?” Sunset gawked. “That explains everything. You’re a bumpkin.”

“Hey!” Twilight exclaimed. “I was born and raised in Canterlot. Not that there’s anything wrong with Ponyville, either!”

Sunset shrugged. “Whatever you say, as long as I don’t have to eat any strange local cuisine. Like hay, or apples. That’s far too common for me,” she said jokingly.

“Oh, I’ll take you to every restaurant in town to show you how great it is!” Twilight laughed.

“I suppose we could make a day of it,” said Sunset, “As long as you pay.”

“That might be tough; a librarian’s salary doesn’t get you very far outside of Canterlot.”

Sunset chuckled. “I could dig around in my bundle of things for any spare dollars, but I don’t think they will translate to bits very well. Although, if they do, I could really mess with Equestria’s economy. Now you’re putting ideas in my head . . .”

They continued on down the sidewalk, joking about all the things that a librarian and an exile could do in a town like Ponyville. Sunset had not let go of Twilight’s hand, as if she had finally found a refuge amidst all of the calamity that surrounded her. She appreciated Twilight. It had taken her until just then to realize it, but she really did. She appreciated Twilight’s optimism, her determination, the strength she exuded that Sunset could never find, the way she gently brushed a lock of hair behind her ear, how she kept moving forward as if nothing was more important to her than the here and now.

For the first time since Sunset had arrived to this world, and many years before that, a gentle sense of enjoyment stirred within her.

She wanted for nothing.

It almost hurt.

Principal Celestia slumped down into her couch. “So, let’s say, for example, that you’re hosting court and someone—somepony—tries to assassinate you.”

“Such an act of treason has not occurred in three hundred years, but I am following along.”

“Okay, then what’s the sentence? Is it the death penalty? Life imprisonment? Surely you hold consequences for higher crimes.”

Princess Celestia set down her wine glass. “We send them to psychiatric hospitals. They will be restrained, if need be.”

“Really?” The Principal gawked. “What about just a normal murder? Does the victim’s family not want vengeance?”

“Some may, but murder is of such rare occurrence that it becomes a nationwide event, if not hushed by the state—hushed by myself, I should say. Ponies revere their ancestors, and if one dies early for whatever reason, support pours from all across the nation. The pony may become a household name in current events, and they will most certainly be deified.

“However, even if they were not, I could not bring myself to sentence death on one of my ponies. My sister and I are immortal; I cannot enforce something I am unable to experience on another, even if they deserve it. I cannot understand the true consequence that death may hold to a mortal, so we set a law that barred Luna and I from making such a decision. Instead, a deceased pony is remembered and honored for years for their good deeds and beautiful hearts. Most ponies would wish for nothing more after they had left this world than to simply be remembered.”

Principal Celestia tapped her chin in thought. “So what happens to those like you? You immortal beings, so to speak.”

“Banishment,” she said coldly. “Tartarus is the most common place I send them. Once death is removed from the equation, the next best thing is taken away: time. I hold no responsibility to treat beings who wish to destroy my people with respect.”

“That sounds like a slippery slope to me,” the Principal said. “What happens when you or Luna take things a step too far?”

Princess Celestia’s eyes seemed to sink in and cloud over for a split second. “Nothing good.”

“Ah,” the Principal nodded. “When Luna and I were in our senior year of high school we both ran for Class President. I won, with over seventy percent of the vote. She . . . would not speak with me for a year. I assume something similar has happened to you, only on a far greater scale?”

The Princess nodded. “That slippery slope . . . I have fallen down it before. Perhaps when this is all over I should check on some of the beings that have been serving their punishment. If they have changed, or want to change, then I should at least reconsider it. I may not be completely responsible for them, but by enacting a punishment upon them, I suppose I nominate myself for that responsibility.”

The Principal took another absent-minded sip. “I think there’s something else you should be taking responsibility for first.”

The Princess sighed. “I know. I suppose I am simply pushing away fate, by delaying speaking with Sunset for so long.”

“Fate’s got quite the hold on your mind, for whatever reason,” commented the Principal.

“It’s . . . problematic, in Equestria,” the Princess said. “I know you like to describe destiny as an mental concept in this world, but in Equestria, it’s quite real. I have read prophecies and been around long enough to see them come true. Destiny, or Fate, is as much of a force in Equestria as gravity.”

“I wonder if it’s in this world, then,” the Principal said. “I am not sure whether I want it to exist or not.”

“I cannot give you a clear answer,” said the Princess, “I do not feel the force weighing down upon me, if that makes sense. Perhaps slightly, but barely enough to even compare to Equestria. I might feel fate because I am still Equestrian, or because it actually does exist in this world.”

“Good,” the Principal took a drink, “I was worried I was going to have to hear about how ‘free will is a lie’ and all that.”

“No, free will still exists in Equestria as well,” the Princess explained. “I almost believe that destiny has some consciousness to it. Early in my life I could feel when destiny would take hold, when an event or moment in my life was going to alter the future completely. Now, though, I only feel gentle nudges. It is as if fate has broadened its scope to only care about the general beats that must be hit; as long as someone does not stray too far from their intended path, then it will not step in to alter things. That being said, the two weeks before I left Equestria felt similar to centuries past when it felt like we were puppets to fate.”

“And why is that?” The Principal asked.

“Every second I was in Equestria I could feel a sense of dread, that something was wrong. You rarely ever notice when fate is playing around, but it was in the pit of my stomach. It was trying to take control, to make sure everything gets back on track. I thought up the idea to travel to this world, but once I did I almost felt compelled to leave as soon as I could. I am convinced that Chrysalis was never supposed to win; I think she knows it, too. We are in unknown territory.”

“That’s worrying,” commented the Principal.

“Very. Fate has become efficient in the past few hundred years. As much as I pride myself on my governance, I am privy to believe that the reason we have no dangerous crime is because fate no longer sees it as necessary for its goals to be met. People can live until they pass away of old age, and others will never have to face the sin of taking another life. Destiny rarely needs it to advance society in some way anymore.”

“When was the last time something terrible happened, then? When fate could not find a way to meet its goals without causing pain for multiple ponies? Barring immortal beings, of course.” The Principal realized afterword how ridiculous the last sentence sounded coming out of her mouth. When did my life become a fairy tale?

“Well,” the Princess took a deep breath, “the most recent event like that between normal ponies would have to have been about twenty years ago.”

“What was it?”

A nervous expression appeared on her face. “That is the question many ponies tried to answer. We know what happened, but nopony can confidently say that there was any crime committed. We don’t know what happened, in a sense. I cannot tell you.”

The Principal furrowed her brow. “Is it a witness issue? I promise not to go telling ponies from another world that I have an inside scoop on a criminal case, if it sets you at ease.”

“No, it’s not a matter of witnesses . . . magic throws a wrench in many court cases, this one especially. I suppose it started when—”

Three knocks rang out from the front door.

“I’ll get it,” the Principal said, getting onto her feet. She strolled over to the door and leaned into the peephole. “Oh . . .”

“What is the matter?” the Principal asked.

“It’s . . . Twilight and Sunset.”

The Princess jumped up from her seat. “They cannot see me. Sunset must approach me on her own terms.”

“They could be Changelings trying to trick us,” the Principal suggested.

“Find a way to confirm that they are not, and send them away whatever their answer. I will hide in the kitchen.”’

The Principal glanced back at the Princess as she sped out of view. Despite the calm demeanor the Princess tried to maintain, it was obvious to her alternate self that she was worried—terrified, even. Her eyes were frantic, as if searching her surroundings for an escape route, and she fidgeted in her gown like she was possessed by another creature. For whatever reason, Sunset was the Princess’s demon, always weighing over her head and never letting her relax. It felt to the Principal that all of the other troubles the monarch dealt with paled in comparison, since they could rarely get a twitch out of her.

Once the Princess had found refuge out of the way, the Principal creaked open her door, making sure that the her chain door guard was still connected in case they tried to force their way through. She peeked an eye out.

“Hello girls,” she said.

Sunset and Twilight were standing a few feet away from the doorstep, smiling. “Hello!” Twilight said.

What was the codeword? ”It’s good to see you both. Tell me, girls . . . are you both excited for the Fall Formal?”

Sunset smirked. “I have no idea.” She stepped in closer. “It’s good to see you’re okay, Principal.”

The Principal smiled and opened the door slightly wider, enough to stick her head out at the girls. “You as well. What brings you over here today?”

Sunset glanced around and leaned in. “We think we have a way to defeat the Changelings.”

“Oh . . .” the Principal said. “That’s wonderful, Sunset. I have no doubt you can pull off whatever your plan is.”

“Yeah, about that, I’ve got something of mine that I need from you. I don’t really want to explain out here. Could we come inside?”

The Principal nervously frowned, glancing behind her. “I’m not so sure you can, actually . . . I have something going on right now.”

Twilight furrowed her brow. “Something more important than saving the world?”

She shrugged. “Yes . . . ? It’s hard to explain, I just can’t let you in. I doubt the Changelings are spying close enough to hear us whisper to one another, if they are spying at all.”

“What are we interrupting that’s so important?” Sunset asked, an edge of anger in her voice. “If you need to take a few minutes to tidy up, go ahead, but anything you are doing in there is less important than what we have to say.”

“It’s nothing like that,” she said. Stop digging yourself into a hole! “My house is just off limits for . . . student-teacher relationships.”

“We’re dealing with something far more important than social status, here,” Sunset rebuked. “Let us in.”

Twilight leaned in closer to the Principal. “Is something wrong, Principal? Are you being held hostage? Blink three times if the answer is yes.”

“No, no, I just . . . no. I’m sorry.” She started to close the door, but Sunset stuck her hand in between.

“I’m not leaving until you either let us in or explain what the hell is going on,” she growled.

The Principal moved forward, using her body to block the door. “I just cannot let you inside! You’ll understand later, but I have to refuse you,” she said shakily. “I will do whatever you need me to do. I will listen to you out here, I will walk with you to your house if you wish, but you just can’t come in here. Trust me, Sunset. I would not be doing this if it was not for your own good. Come back tomorrow, and we can speak for as long as you need. Just do not come in today—”

“Let them in, Principal.”

Sunset froze. The Principal turned around and gave a defeated look to Princess Celestia, standing directly behind her. The Princess removed the latch on the door and opened it up the whole way. The Principal slid to the side, out of the way of the sudden reunion.

Twilight looked at her mentor in awe, a smile crossing her face. “Princess . . . you’re free . . .”

Whether the Princess heard her or not is uncertain; she and Sunset were completely focused on one another.

Princess Celestia took another step closer. “Sunset.”

Sunset moved her mouth, but no words came out. Instead she gawked at the Princess, unable to comprehend the figure before her.

“Sunset . . . " The Princess glanced to the side, biting her lip. “I am . . . deeply sorry about how I have treated you. It was unbecoming of me, as a teacher, ruler, and a friend. You deserved better than me. I am sorry.”

Sunset refused to speak, eyes locked with the Princess’s.

“It is clear to see that you have thrived in this new environment. That makes me deeply happy; I only wish for you to live your life to its fullest potential. Yet, I am now forcing this terrible burden upon you to fix a mistake that I made. Chrysalis may have divided all of Equestria, but I know that you and Twilight are the best people to reunify. I have complete faith that we can save this world and Equestria together. I trust you, and I want you to know that whatever happens, I will be proud of you.”

She smiled. Sunset twitched.

“I’ve missed you, Sunset Shimmer.”

Silence settled on the doorstep, all of them waiting on Sunset to move. They former student and mentor kept eye contact, as if searching one another for any hint of emotion they were hoping to see.

After a stretch of time, Sunset’s eyes started to water.

At first, it was uncertain if her tears were of a joyous kind or the opposite; her expression remained blank. Twilight placed a hand on her shoulder.

Sunset’s face contorted into a scowl. With one last glare at Celestia, she spun around and ran down the doorstep.

“Sunset! Wait!” Twilight yelled. Sunset did not respond.

Unable to face the Princess any longer, she ran toward wherever her feet would take her.

Born to Be Blue

It started to rain.

Princess Celestia gazed solemnly forward, a somber and tired expression overtaking her regal features. Gravely, she turned around and slunk back into the house. Principal Celestia watched as her doppelganger exuded defeat, unsure of how to respond.

Twilight took a step away from the doorway in attempt to follow after Sunset. However, the Principal jumped forward and grabbed her shoulder, turning her back around.

"Don't," she ordered. Hearing the similarity between the two Celestias' voices, Twilight went rigid with compliance. "Sunset needs time. We need to leave her alone to let her calm down."

"Okay," Twilight said reluctantly, "Then I need to talk with Celestia."

"She may not be in the best spot right now either."

Twilight steeled her gaze and pushed past the Principal into the house. "I'm not going to sit around and do nothing."

Princess Celestia had sunken dejectedly across the couch, absent-mindedly staring forward. Twilight stomped up to her and planted herself directly in front of the monarch.

"Princess," she said, grabbing her attention, "it's great to see that you're here. We know how to stop the Changelings. It would be easier to explain if Sunset was here, but you sort of lost us on that one."

The Princess attempted to regain her composure. "That's wonderful, Twilight. How has it been? With Sunset, I mean."

"It's been great," she responded. "It's amazing to interact with another student of yours. She's shown me so much of this world already. I would have loved to meet her before everything went down, but somepony never bothered to mention anything about her to me."

The Princess sighed, half of a wince crossing her face. "Please, Twilight, I—"

"What did you do to her? What's the difference between her tutelage and mine that gave me the Elements of Harmony and threw her away like yesterday's trash? Why wouldn't you tell me about her?" pleaded Twilight, a raw edge to her voice.

"I have nothing to say. Any explanation I can give you is not worthy enough. I could have countless reasons, but ultimately, it doesn't change anything. I have . . . only recently realized this. I'm sorry to you as well, Twilight, for getting wrapped up in our feud."

"Whatever. I'm not the one who deserves an apology." Twilight turned around and, seeing the Principal in the corner, gave a disappointed look. "And you were supposed to stay out of this. That was the one thing Sunset asked you to do."

The Princess shifted upward onto the couch to speak. "Hold on, Twilight. I roped her in. That blame falls squarely on my shoulders as well."

Twilight gritted her teeth and gave a quick glance back at the Princess. Deciding not to continue, she moved closer to the Principal. "I'll save it for later then. We came here originally to retrieve a few items Sunset handed to you. A jacket with a flash drive inside, I believe. Or something along those lines?"

The Principal nodded. "Yes, we do have that. I will grab it for you."

Princess Celestia stood up. "I have something to give as well." She walked over to the counter and grabbed an old rusty tome with what looked to be her own cutie mark on the front. She went back to Twilight and gently placed it in her hands. "Give this back to Sunset," she said. "I left her a message on the last written page. Only she can read it, but do not force her if she doesn't want to. I cannot in good mind force her to do anything, anymore."

Twilight raised an eyebrow. "Is it a better attempt at an apology?"

"Perhaps," the Princess responded. "Hopefully a more effective one, if what I have been told about how she feels is true."

Principal Celestia walked back over to Twilight. "Here is the jacket, and there is a flash drive hidden in an inside pocket," she said, handing it out to Twilight. She grabbed it and folded it over her shoulder.

The Princess went back to the counter and grabbed an old school notebook, worn from years of study. She set it on top of the journal. "I have something for you, Twilight, as well."

"And what's this?" Twilight asked, peering at the unsuspecting cover.

"A notebook that Starswirl the Bearded wrote in to describe this world. He created this portal, or was at least the one who understood it the most. There are quite a few interesting findings inside."

Despite Twilight's conflicted emotions at the moment, she could never resist the opportunity to read a one-of-a-kind Starswirl the Bearded text, and with as muted a squeal as possible she flipped through the short notebook, taking in the general findings. "So . . . Starswirl theorizes that there is magic in this world?"

"Yes, and I believe he is right. Anytime somepony crosses over, they take a small amount of magic from Equestria with them. It either permeates across the world or concentrates in a specific area. In order for the portal in this world to even function, a small amount of magic must exist to connect to the mirror in Equestria."

"Are there any concentrated areas of magic we know of?"

"Besides the Canterlot High statue, just one," the Princess said wearily, "but Chrysalis has stored all of her bodies there; it's her second home base. Camp Everfree, in the forest east of here, has a rock quarry with a set of caves underneath. The caves are flush with magic. I am not sure if any more areas exist, but if you find another way to access magic in this world, do not hesitate to try."

Twilight pondered the thought. "I have no idea how . . ."

"I know you can find a way, my faithful student."

A twinge of anger appeared Twilight's mind. "Don't call me that," she spat out. It shocked her just as much as Princess Celestia.

" . . . Excuse me?"

"Faithful," she said, indignation rising within her. "I had no idea that you valued that word so much. That every time you titled me 'faithful' you were slighting your other student, even years after she had left your life completely."

The Princess was taken aback. "Surely, Twilight, you understand it's just a saying—"

"Well it doesn't work anymore! Why do you need me to be faithful when you show none of that faith yourself? Where was your faith in Sunset when you banished her out of your castle? Where was your faith in me when I warned you that something was wrong with Cadance? I just . . ." she growled in frustration. "I'm going. If there's anything else you need, then we'll come back to get it, and hopefully you and Sunset can work something out. Until then, I have a friend to console."

Twilight spun away from Celestia and stormed to the door, slamming it shut behind her without a goodbye. Princess Celestia stared on, waiting to see if Twilight would turn around to apologize, to beg for forgiveness, to do anything she had always done since the day they had met.

She never returned.

The Principal walked over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "It will work itself out," she consoled.

"It will do better than that," said the Princess. She turned to the Principal, tears streaming down her cheeks, and smiled. "Now I am certain those too will be able to handle themselves, with or without me." She wiped her eyes. "I just wish it didn't hurt so much."

Sunset stretched out across the rooftop and let the rain wash over her. She was completely drenched already, so there was no point in seeking shelter now.

The afternoon had come and gone, and for no particular reason she found herself on the roof of her apartment. So much for running away.

That was what she was doing, though. Running away.

It was not too far fetched to suggest that she connected this house with running away. She had gravitated toward this part of town when she first arrived in this world, and she could not even fathom living in another area of this world. Maybe it was the perfect distance where she was far enough away to feel free but close enough to never fully escape Equestria's grasp.

Escape, or just another form of prison?

She thumped her fist against the cold rooftop, letting the sound echo into the open air. Her back was killing her; whatever had made it start to feel better throughout the day had disappeared, leaving behind a hot ache that not even the rain could cool. She gazed upon the clouds, wondering if the rain would pick up any more.

She hoped so. More clouds meant less sun.

She wiped her face, flicking off all of the water that had been collecting on it for the past few minutes. All the water on her body made her feel dirty, like she was caked in mud.

Someone was climbing up the steps to the rooftop. Sunset made no effort to lift her head and check.

"There you are!" said Twilight, cresting over the rooftop and racing over to Sunset. She held her bundle of items in hand, shielding them from the rain with Sunset's jacket. "I've been looking for you all afternoon! I guess I should have checked up here earlier."

Sunset closed her eyes, refusing to respond.

"I have some things for you. Here's your jacket, and the flash drive—I grabbed your computer from downstairs if you want to get started on Anon-A-Miss. Your journal . . . the Princess left a note for you," she said nervously.

Sunset lifted her hands into the air, as if calling the rain down upon her.

"Sunset . . . I gave her a good talking to. I tried to show her how you feel. I don't know if I did a good job, but I tried . . . she is sorry."

Sunset sat up and grimaced. "She's not fucking sorry," she spat. "She's a goddamn diplomat. She's sorry because she thinks I can save her ass."

Twilight gave a crestfallen look and stepped closer to her. "Sunset, I understand why you think that, but there has to be a way to make amends—"

"You know how I know that she's not sorry?" she interrupted with a glare. "It's what she said. I trust you. Bullshit. She never trusted me. Not once. I spent the first two years under her tutelage with a magical inhibitor locked to my horn, and she has the gall to say she trusts me."

A perplexed expression crossed Twilight's face. "What? An inhibitor?"

Sunset laughed grimly. "I guess I still haven't told you. When you became the Princess's student, you had a magical surge, right? It's the hidden prerequisite the Princess requires. She needs to know that her student has astronomical potential."

Twilight nodded. "I did, yes."

"And what did the surge entail?" Sunset questioned.

"I was supposed to hatch a dragon egg, and I ended up fully growing it in an instant. I turned my parents into potted plants," she half-laughed. "After everything was fixed, I realized that I got my cutie mark."

"How cute," Sunset said in a bitter voice that had not come out previously in the past week. "What a fun story to tell your friends. Nopony got hurt."

Twilight furrowed her brow in worry. "What happened to you, Sunset?"

"I have no idea," Sunset said. "I don't remember it happening. No one does. Technically, it never happened at all."

"What?"

She brushed her matted hair out of her face and stared directly into Twilight's eyes. "My parents, Twilight. They're gone. Not dead, but gone. My magical surge wiped them from existence."

Twilight took a step back. "That's not possible," she said, dumbfounded. "That's dark magic that would take years of training to accomplish. It's a spell that goes beyond just innate talent; you would need special training to pull it off so quickly."

"I'm not lying," Sunset said, a dour expression flashing across her face as she noticed Twilight's increased distance between her, "They're gone. All that's left are their physical footprints in the world; the places they walked, the money they spent . . . me. I don't know their names, what they looked like, how they treated me, what my legacy is. My grandparents forgot they had children, Twilight, because I couldn't control my magic. That's why she doesn't trust me. I wouldn't either."

"But . . . what about your childhood? How did you survive without parents?"

"It took ponies a month to realize something was wrong. They had a sense of déjà vu, as if there was somepony they needed to see, or that their memories suddenly felt incomplete. Eventually, the royal guard found me huddled alone in my house and discovered that the names on my birth certificate had disappeared.

"One of my parents must have been an important public figure, because even Celestia sensed that something was wrong. I was put on trial for life imprisonment. If I had been an adult, it probably would have been execution. You know how long it has been since a murder in Equestria; I went a step beyond that, according to the law. The Princess always spouted off about how she would never kill anypony, like she expected me to be grateful to her. I just couldn't believe her—I still can't. She would've sent me straight to Tartarus if I I even hinted that I didn't regret doing it. I guess it was inevitable that we would both start off on the wrong hoof."

Twilight sat down next to Sunset, shoulder-to-shoulder. "Wow . . . I'm sorry, I just . . . how did you get out of the trial?"

"It was the Princess. She decided that I had enough power in me to 'redeem myself through study,' so I became her student. The nobility was in an uproar when they found out. They thought I was going to erase her, too, and that the nation would collapse without anypony realizing it."

Twilight frowned, and the two fell into silence, the raindrops filling the empty void.

"Anything you want to ask? Anytime somepony found out when I was filly, I wouldn't be getting any work done for the day."

Twilight gave a worried look. "Well, I'm sorry if this offends you, but . . . aren't you indebted to Princess Celestia? You would be in prison without her right now."

"Hell no," Sunset said. "I would rather be rotting in prison right now, instead of stuck doing this shit. I deserve to spend my life in there. I tried to run away from my destiny, by coming to this world. I'm so far into the thick of things now that backing out and living the easy closed off to me long ago. At the time, I figured that if I can't turn back, I might as well shoot for the stars, but . . . I'm not so sure anymore."

"Sunset . . ." Twilight said disappointingly.

"My tutelage became a bargaining chip, and I was too indebted to realize it. It was either I do everything that the Princess ordered, or face life in prison. She never outright threatened me, no; that was the job of all the nobility breathing down my neck. I was stuck between pleasing the Princess and surviving the scrutiny of everypony else. So I decided to take over the school, and learn how to make ponies do what I want. If I wasn't at the very top in school, then people treated me like I was at the bottom. But while that was going on, I had to balance my relationship with the Princess; I couldn't get too close to her, because the nobility would tear me to shreds, but getting too far away would—well, it would get me exiled to another world like this. I figured becoming an alicorn would solve all of my problems; I would be above it all, and nopony could say otherwise. I tried to tailor my education to better suit that path, but Celestia didn't approve, and I got kicked to the curb."

". . . I'm sorry," Twilight said, trying to comfort her.

"There's no point in feeling bad about it now. When I escaped to this world, I was glad that I could get away from it. My past was behind me for the first time. Or so I thought. When I first came over here, I tried to look for my counterpart on this side of the mirror. I wanted to see if she was . . . more fortunate than I was."

"Was she?"

Sunset shrugged. "I don't exist in this world. I have no idea if my parents exist here or not, but Sunset Shimmer never was born on this planet. I used a few connections to get into contact with the government, and even they had no one named Sunset Shimmer either. Do you know what I think it means?"

Twilight solemnly shook her head. "Don't jump to the worst conclusion, Sunset . . . "

"The worst conclusion seems to be most likely one for me. Either this world's Sunset Shimmer's life is hell, or she never existed either. Who is to say that I only wiped out my parents from one universe? Why wouldn't ripping people out of time rip them all out of time? And when the parents are gone in a world without magic, the child disappears as well. I killed myself, too." She winced, and rubbed her back. "So yeah, I wish that I was rotting in prison right now. Then I could have lived the life I was supposed to, without ever knowing the horrors I committed. The horrors that gave me my cutie mark."

"You're not being fair to yourself," Twilight said. "For all we know, your parents could have been abusing you. It might have been self defense that triggered your magical pulse. And you may have just missed your counterpart in this world. You don't know who your parents were, so maybe they still exist here."

"It doesn't matter either way, Twilight," she responded. "I've been telling myself those excuses for a long time. They ring hollow now. The damage is done, and I've stopped caring about the extent."

The two fell into silence once more. Twilight kept reluctantly stretching out her hand, unsure of how to comfort Sunset. Sunset continued to stare into the clouds.

Twilight sighed. "Sunset, I can't even imagine . . . but I truly believe Celestia wants to make amends with you. If you are at least able to work together with her, we could take down Chrysalis and—"

"I don't care anymore," said Sunset. "Chrysalis can do whatever the hell she wants. Equestria deserves Chrysalis. At least they know what they're getting."

"Sunset, don't be irrational. Think of all of the ponies that are getting hurt by Chrysalis. All of the ponies who might die. Even my friends are under her control—"

"Maybe you should join them," she seethed. "Go on and get a taste of what defeat actually is. Let all of that hope drain out of your body."

Twilight slid back, shocked at her outburst.

"Your friends didn't give a shit about you. They ignored you even while their world was getting taken over. Maybe I should take one from their book. It's not like it matters anyway."

Twilight scrambled to her feet, tears dotting her eyes. "I'll be downstairs," she choked out. "Come talk to me when . . . when you . . ." She never finished her sentence, and ran down the steps, wiping her eyes the whole way.

Sunset knew she shouldn't have said that to Twilight. Yet, her veins boiled with an anger she hadn't felt in a long time. She needed something to take it out on.

The bundle Twilight had left on the ground next to her was starting to get wet; the rain was soaking through her jacket. After removing it, she saw her computer, and the flash drive. The old tome was underneath her computer.

She pushed it off to the side and threw the jacket over it.

Not caring about the rain, she pulled out the computer and inserted the drive.

After letting the computer start up, she pulled up the Anon-A-Miss page and, channeling her fury through her fingertips, went to work.

At some point it had become the middle of the night; the rain weakened, but it still drizzled on the rooftop. Sunset, however, was still completely focused on Anon-A-Miss, making post after post spreading out the dirt she had built up over the past year. The pain in her back was fading, and each post focused on another student made it easier to not think about the Princess, Chrysalis, or Twilight.

Her journal, poking out from under the leather jacket on the ground, glowed against the night sky. She wasn't going to open it. There was nothing Celestia could write that would be worth reading. It's better if we cut our losses here.

Someone clambered up the steps. She prayed that it wasn't Twilight. I can't face her again.

"Well aren't you a sight for sore eyes. What the fuck are you thinking?" Adagio Dazzle called out to her. Sunset looked up and glared.

"What the hell do you want?"

"I want to know why you've blown through a third of all your Anon-A-Miss posts already. I had a busy day today, so keep the explanation brief. What happened to evenly spreading it out?"

Sunset shrugged. "It felt like a better idea."

Adagio gave her a bemused glance and hummed out a small melody, probing Sunset's mood. She leaned back. "Oh, woah! You're pissed."

"Nice deduction, Sherlock."

Adagio laughed. "I get it now. You're venting. I probably should've figured that out just by seeing your girl crying downstairs, but ponies do that a lot, so I wasn't completely certain."

"Are you gonna make me stop?" she asked, a threatening edge to her voice.

"I don't see any need to. I bet school will be real fun tomorrow. They may try to lynch Chrysalis in the hallway. That would be great, actually. Problem solved!" she guffawed.

"Is there anything else you need, then?"

Adagio strolled up closer to her. "No, not really. I just find it so interesting about what ponies are like nowadays. I never get to see them anymore, so your evolution is so fascinating to me."

"What? Hasn't it been only a thousand years or so?"

"Yeah, but lord, judging by you two, you're not even the same species. You know, when we would raid villages back in the day, our magic would make ponies hate each other on another level beyond what you've ever seen. It was an ingenious strategy, actually, because we barely had to do any work. We'd take our fill and leave by the day's end. Those ponies did unspeakable shit to one another; many couldn't handle their own actions once we removed our spell."

"You're disgusting," growled Sunset.

"I'm not to the point yet. The ponies, despite being disgusted with themselves and one another afterwards, still attempted to rebuild. They reforged the friendships that we destroyed. Despite Aria's insistence on having the married couples attempt to murder each other, ponies rarely got divorced after we left town—or, at least, they never followed through the equivalent of divorce back in the day."

"I take it you weren't too fond of that? The kind ponies persevered against the evil demons—what the hell even are you guys, anyways?"

Adagio shook her head and laughed. "We're Sirens. And we actually loved it when ponies would get back together. If ponies could rebuild what we destroyed, we could just come back a few months and do it all over again! That was the beauty of it; the ponies were all so jazzed about living in harmony back then that we got to create a cycle between love and hate, and we benefited from both. I think it became an evolved trait, the strange desire you ponies have for reconciliation. No other species is quite like it; not even humans."

Sunset glared at her. "What are you getting at?"

"Well, you and Twilight act like evidence to the contrary. I'm assuming that our absence as predators made ponies become complacent, and now they're all about hurt feelings and broken friendships, despite having never experienced it in it true form."

"What the fuck are you trying to say about me?"

Adagio smirked and sauntered back over to the staircase. "I'm not saying you can't be mopey or anything; everybody loves to stew once in a while. But, if you think for a second that you've got some curse that makes your suffering all special and extra said, get over it. Don't blow our plan just because you're being a moron."

Sunset gaped at her in shock. "Fuck you."

Adagio laughed and began down the staircase. "Most ponies say buck, in case you've forgotten. It's up to you, Sunset. Pony or human?"

Sunset found herself alone on the rooftop once more.

The journal glowed, its luster brighter than the moon.

There she was, on a rooftop in the same city as the portal to Equestria, stuck on a problem that plagued her life in Equestria, ignoring the ponies she had hurt from Equestria, and messing up the one thing she was doing to actually help Equestria. I could never stop being a pony, no matter how hard I tried, huh?

"Ah, to hell with it," she exclaimed, grabbing the journal and flipping it open to its most recent page. What was there for her was a hastily scrawled letter from the Princess.

Dear Sunset,

I hope this letter finds you well. Chances are we have met up by now, and even greater chances are that our interaction did not go smoothly. I apologize. I have spent the past one thousand years telling ponies what they want to hear. However, we have been distanced for far too long. I do not know what you want to hear, so I will settle for the next best thing.

I must tell you the complete and utter truth.

Your upbringing was one far too unique for most ponies; you may not have realized it, but I saw the struggle in your eyes every day. Shifting between appeasing me, holding your own against your peers, and trying to find who you should be in life when your role models were taken away from you is far more than any pony should handle. I did not do enough to help you. For the longest time, I have believed that the root of our issues came down to mere incompatibility; a foolish assumption based on my misunderstanding of your needs. A new friend enlightened me recently that I need to reevaluate what truly went wrong.

Despite being a master of diplomacy, I always had an issue with communicating with you. I never explained to you what I wanted you to be; I did not know what you were supposed to be. I will not lie: I had suspicions that you were originally going to be an Element of Harmony, the position that Twilight would later come to hold. I was proven wrong by her existence; you were never intended to wield the Elements, and if I every suggested that idea to you, I am sorry. I saw your potential, and wanted you to follow the correct path to fully realize it, whatever it may have been—what it may still be. When I saw you reading up on dark magic, I became angry. I was angry at you, because I thought I was helping you stay away from that sort of magic, and going behind my back was anathema to all of the morals I had tried to instill upon you.

That brings up my second mistake: I never let you become your own pony. You must understand, I was unable to let you spread your wings; you would have been hurt beyond repair. Everypony wanted you gone, and the only way you could stay was if I kept you strictly along the path I created. Forgive me; I am making excuses again. I find it hard to look at ponies on the simplest level sometimes. I never understood how to approach you, even though I understood you were hurting. We both must be able agree that we were never in lockstep with one another.

I was occupied with far too many duties at the time of your tutelage to give you the time you deserved. Were I less busy, and had I less obligations to divert my attention towards, then I may have approached you and we could have found common ground. I did not, however; I'm sure you realized that the tales of Nightmare Moon were not fiction. Luna's return invaded my thoughts every day; I became too tired from worrying, always wondering if she would arrive early, or if I would be unprepared. At first, when I thought you would be the one to return her to me, I focused intently on cultivating you. As time grew on, and fate told me it had other plans, I shifted my attention elsewhere, leaving you behind to struggle. I deemed you beneath the importance of my nation. I cannot honestly say whether it was the right or wrong decision. It was the decision I made, nevertheless.

I know that an apology is not enough to resolve the issues between us. It cannot even be the start. I want to prove to you that I am serious. I have spent a long time thinking of the best way to prove this to you, and my best answer is as follows:

I, Princess Celestia, hereby resign from my position as Diarch of Equestria. Failure to abdicate within the next fifteen Equestrian years will result in an automatic transition of the throne to you, Sunset Shimmer.

Ever since my sister has returned to me, both she and I have wondered if our time to rule has come and passed. My failure to save my country has reinforced this notion; I can no longer have complete faith in myself to serve my ponies. If we manage to defeat Chrysalis, I will not resign immediately; only once the nation has returned to its normal state and an appropriate successor has been appointed to take my place. The Principal has pointed out that Equestria already has the foundation for a federal government ready on a local level; however, I am not sure Equestria can be reformed in such a way like the countries of this world can. Nonetheless, I will find a solution, whether it be finding a new princess, or a new form of government altogether.

I hope this proves to you that I am willing to change. I want to speak with you. Even if our conversation is loud, heated, and angry, and we accomplish nothing. I just wish to see you again, and show you that I care. Because I do.

Yours sincerely,

Celestia

Sunset flipped the tome closed with trembling hands.

A flurry of thoughts entered her mind: how she must be lying, how it was all a sham, how there was no way anypony with a right mind would even allow the option for Sunset to take the throne—but one prevailed above them all.

I need to see Princess Celestia.

She scrambled to her feet, leaving the dejected items on the wet rooftop as she raced for the stairs. She ran down to her floor and rushed into the apartment.

"Twilight!" she called.

A ragged Twilight peeked around the corner, a puffy-eyed glare aimed in her direction. "What?" She said.

"I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. I get it now." She said, a smile growing on her face.

Twilight tilted her head at her. "Um . . . what?"

Sunset laughed. "Forget everything I said earlier. We're gonna kick Chrysalis's ass, but first I need to see the Princess. I'm off!" She spun around and headed for the door, ignoring a very bewildered Twilight's attempts at stopping her.

The rain picked up again as she raced down, but she heeded it no mind. She sped underneath the streetlamps as she gradually made her way through the neighborhood, a fast-paced romp through the town that she had convinced herself was intended to be an exile. It's not, though.

She came upon the entrance to Canterlot High, and that bloated mess of a tree in the front yard.

"Hah," she said to no one in particular, "What a stupid tree. Why the hell would Principal Celestia want that?"

She skipped past the school and continued down the sidewalk. She ran Princess Celestia's abdication through her head again; it was almost beyond comprehension to her, such an out of this world idea. The Princess that Sunset knew would never even think about uttering those words written to her. She wondered if she slipped into another universe right before she opened up the tome.

The Principal's house came into view. She climbed up the doorstep and knocked on the door. It swung open, and Sunset came face to face with a pallid Princess Celestia.

"Sunset . . .?" She asked, a resigned gaze on her face.

Sunset stared into her eyes. "I thought you were a god, you know."

The Princess gave her a confused look. "Am I?"

Sunset let out a small laugh, trying to hold down the smile on her face. "I don't know. But, I think I know this: there's some part of you that's still a stupid, stupid pony. What are you thinking, throwing the throne away?"

The Princess's eyes lit up and she straightened herself out. "I have simply reevaluated what is important to me."

Sunset shook her head in amazement. "Princess, being a ruler is your identity. How can you throw that away? What will be left of you?"

Celestia smiled. "Forgive me if this comes across as preachy, but I will recall an old message I once heard, and told many of my students: there is no point being who you are if you are not who you want to be. Neither of us listened to that at first, though, did we?"

"And who do you want to be?" Sunset asked.

Celestia smiled. Sunset could see a thousand years of love and pain behind her eyes, and she suddenly realized that all of that pain existed not because of her, but for her. Celestia wanted to try again, on somepony else's terms. Maybe, Sunset thought, Maybe I could try again. Just once.

However, before Celestia could open her mouth to speak, two green wasps flew up and stung them both in the neck.

Author's Note

Thanks for reading! Sunset's backstory is the furthest I am going in lore divergence. I don't think it destroys what happened in The Fall of Sunset Shimmer completely (and you may feel free to use parts of it to fill in the blanks), but it certainly places those events within a different context.

Let There Be Love

Twilight Sparkle sat on the bed next to Sunset, currently shifting in her sleep with a pained expression upon her face. She gently brushed the ill girl’s hair out of her face and readjusted the blanket to make sure it covered her completely.

“What do we do now?” she asked.

“Well,” said the Principal, standing in front of the bedside, “we hope she gets better by the time Friday rolls around.”

“It was that wound she got last week,” Twilight cursed herself, “I only changed the bandages once. I should have reminded her that it would get infected.”

“I can bring some medical supplies from my house. She needs the mental rest, too. I don’t know the full story between her and the Princess, but their resolution got snubbed by Chrysalis. The poor girl’s probably under a lot of stress.”

Sunset’s face contorted into a frown, and she whimpered slightly.

“I’ll need those supplies ASAP,” Twilight said, shifting a damp towel on Sunset’s forehead. “I’ll use up what she’s got at home here, first.”

Twilight sat down on the bed and put her hand to her chin in thought. “So they took Princess Celestia to the Everfree?”

“It seems like it,” responded the Principal. “We were unable to even get near her. Chrysalis had every changeling guarding her like precious cargo.”

“Well, she is,” Twilight said. “They’re probably at Camp Everfree by now.”

“There’s no way we could catch up in time, much less do anything to stop them even if we did,” agreed the Principal. “They’ve got the Princess for good,” she added halfheartedly.

Twilight’s eyes sunk in as she pondered on her next move. “Did she use every Changeling to transport Celestia?”

The Principal furrowed her eyebrows. “Well, I didn’t count, but Sunset killed five, and there were over ten there, so probably.”

Twilight jumped up and headed for the door. “Then what are we waiting for?”

“What?” the Principal asked.

“If every Changeling is making their way over to the Everfree, then we’ve got a good half an hour left to take down the tree in front of CHS!”

The Principal started up behind her. “You’re . . . you’re right! Even if there are one or two guarding it, we can take them down! I’ll drive.”

Just before Twilight opened the side door to get in Celestia’s car, she stopped and turned back to the apartment. “I’m not comfortable leaving Sunset, though.”

The Principal gave her a soft look. “There’s nothing we can do for her at this point. She just needs to heal. We’ll grab the supplies from my house after we take out the tree.”

“Okay,” said Twilight reluctantly as she sat down in the car. “Let’s try to be fast. I don’t want to leave her here alone for too long.”

The two started down the road, back out into the early morning air. Although no sunrise was yet to be found, the sky looked a tad lighter, and the chirps of a few birds floated through the air.

“So why did Sunset go see Celestia? She just ran off,” asked Twilight.

The Principal shrugged. “I was in bed when it started. From what I gleaned, the Princess’s letter had something to do with abdication. I think she’s stepping down to show how sorry she is.”

“Abdication?!” exclaimed Twilight. “That’s impossible! Princess Celestia wouldn’t step down from the throne out of nowhere! The power struggle it might cause would be historic!”

The Principal sighed. “Look, I don’t know the finer details, but I think if there’s anybody who can figure out a smooth transition of power, it’s the Princess. Either way, Sunset came to Celestia with the hope of making up their differences.”

“And then she lost Celestia immediately afterward. Oh, Sunset,” worried Twilight, “I can’t even imagine how that felt.”

“I’m worried for her. I’ve seen how Sunset’s been struggling for the past year now, and its only gotten worse these past few days. If we can’t reel her back in, I don’t know if her anger can be contained.”

“She seemed rough,” added Twilight.

The Principal sighed. “I already told you, she . . . killed about five of the Changelings. I know that’s how it is in war, but . . . Sunset never deals in half-measures. If she continues, I’m not sure she’ll care about restraint. I don’t want her legacy to be known as the girl who won through brute force. She’s better than that.”

Twilight closed her eyes in thought. “I’ll take the blame for her. For every Changeling she kills, I will take the blame,” she declared—and reassured to herself.

The Principal did a double-take. “What? Why?”

“Sunset’s been through enough. She doesn’t need another blemish on her history. I’m already a hero of Equestria. If I kill a Changeling, no one will have the gall to challenge my legacy. And, really, if Chrysalis has so few Changelings left to guide her, taking out all of her support may not be the worst idea.”

“Twilight!” The Principal exclaimed, “I thought Equestria was a nation of peace!”

Twilight’s gaze hardened. “I’m a magician, Principal. I study the magic of friendship and its practical application in Equestria. But . . . my horn is gone, and my friends are gone. Chrysalis has turned both of them against me, leaving me with nothing. Until I can get my best weapons back, then the peace will stay disrupted no matter what. Perhaps it’s Sunset’s nature rubbing off on me, but with my whole country on the brink of death, I have no choice but to loosen up the moral high ground, my own legacy be damned. And Sunset knows that, too.”

The Principal nodded. “I suppose I’m just worried Sunset will regret her actions later on.”

They pulled up to Canterlot High School. The courtyard was void of any figures, and there was no sound of buzzing to be heard.

“It looks like we’re good to go. How should we take the tree down, then?” The Principal asked.

Twilight stepped out of the car and walked over to wicked tree. “We could always cut it down with an axe. Or if you have some matches, a fire would do the trick, as long as you think you school won’t get harmed. Of course, we could just find the eggs directly and—oof!” A few meters away from the tree, she abruptly fell to the ground, clutching her head.

The Principal rushed over to her. “What’s the matter?”

“I just ran into something!” Twilight groaned. The Principal glanced at the direction Twilight was headed: there was nothing directly in front of her but air.

“Are you sure?”

Twilight opened her eyes and looked ahead. “But . . . I swear I slammed into something!”

She hopped back up onto her feet and slowly paced forward. Just as she reached the same spot that she fell at, she stuck out her hands. They didn’t push through; whatever was holding them back refused to budge.

“There’s an invisible wall here,” she observed.

“But why?” asked the Principal. “Would it not be more alarming to the students if they suddenly could not get within meters of the tree?”

“This is an illusion spell,” said Twilight. “Most students are being subconsciously swayed away from the tree in the first place. We weren’t affected because our only goal was to get to the tree.”

“Then how do we break out of it?”

Twilight began walking alongside the wall, following it with her hands. “We try and confirm to our minds that it is real. It will be easier if we know what substance the wall is made out of. It doesn’t feel like a magical barrier. . . Gah! I’m used to feeling things with hooves! How should I know what material this is?”

The Principal placed her hands on the wall and rubbed it up and down. “Twilight, this is . . . tree bark.”

Suddenly, the illusion wore off. In front of them appeared a tree of gargantuan size, towering up to the gargoyles on the school building. What was once Celestia’s small tree had grown into a tumor of a Changeling hive, full of entrance holes spiking throughout the tower. The two stumbled backward.

“This isn’t possible . . .” Twilight uttered. “There’s no way they already have the magic to make this.”

The Principal looked for the top. “It’s almost as tall as my school!”

“We need to get out of here Principal! Right away!” Twilight raced over to the car.

“Wait, Twilight! Why?” The Principal followed behind, suddenly nervous at Twilight’s terrified reaction. “What does this mean?”

Twilight jumped in the seat and slammed the door behind her, the Principal following close behind.

“Start the car, and get ready to move as soon as I say so.”

“What is it, Twilight?”

Twilight’s gaze never left the giant hive. “If Chrysalis has enough magic to construct something of that size . . . she has way more Changelings at her disposal than we thought.”

At the end of Twilight’s sentence, the Wondercolt statue flashed, and out flew a single wasp, aiming directly for the top of the hive.

“Drive! If it sees us we’re done for!”

The Principal punched on the gas and sped away as fast as possible.

“That was another Changeling! I thought she only had thirteen left!”

Twilight scowled. “I should have known Chrysalis would play dirty. She’s got more changelings than she has been letting on.”

The Principal clutched the steering wheel tight. “But . . . what about our plan? Will it still work?”

Twilight gravely shook her head. “She wanted us to think that she was underpowered this whole time. Then, when we would confront her at the Fall Formal, she would mop the floor with us. She was tricking us into thinking we had the upper hand, but now she’s got an actual army, and Celestia.”

“What about hatching the eggs, then? If she has more Changelings, why does she need the boost of love from the Fall Formal in the first place?”

Twilight paused in thought. “I don’t know for sure, but if I had to guess, Chrysalis has probably caught on to the magic laying dormant in this world. Maybe when she realized that there was actual potential magic to wield, she decided that it would be smarter to invade quickly instead of a typical slow invasion. Chrysalis isn’t just planning to take over the world; she wants to do it fast.”

“And the more Changelings she has at her disposal, the more she can influence the positive emotions of the children in the school. She’s going to try and get them entranced for her boost of love, Anon-A-Miss be damned.”

Twilight put her face in her hands. “We were so close . . .”

“Don’t give up yet,” said the Principal. “After we get some supplies for Sunset, let’s call up these friends of yours and see if they know what to do. Would Sunset give up this easily?”

Twilight lifted her head back up. “She wouldn’t give up yet. You’re right, Principal. I have to do something. For Sunset. She’s the only friend I have left.”

“That’s the spirit,” said the Principal.

Despite their attempts to cheer one another up, a dull melancholy settled over the car. Twilight went over the night’s events in her head. The Princess, Sunset, all of my friends . . . how did we get here?

She rolled down a window and stuck her head outside, hoping the fresh air would cleanse the bitter taste of defeat in her mouth.

What fate has doomed us so?

Three knocks rang out on the front door, and Twilight rushed over to open it. On the other side were the Dazzlings, clearly annoyed.

“It is five o’clock in the morning,” said Adagio, “and I’ve already been here once tonight. You better have a good reason for this.”

“Chrysalis took Princess Celestia, and she’s got a lot more changelings than we thought.”

Adagio’s eyes widened. “What the hell did Sunset do?” She pushed past Twilight and entered the apartment, giving a quick glance to the Principal at the counter as she beelined for Sunset’s room.

“Hold on Adagio, she’s not—”

Adagio swung open the door and saw Sunset curled up on the bed, completely passed out. She strolled up to the girl and placed her hand on her forehead. “What a dumbass,” she murmured.

“Sunset passed out,” said Twilight. “We think she’s got an infection. The Principal gave some medicine to her, but she still doesn’t want to wake up.”

Adagio turned around and walked into the living room. Twilight followed behind her and stood next to the Principal, facing the glares of three irate sirens. “So what the hell happened?”

The Principal met their gazes with a hollow stare. “Sunset came to see the Princess, but the Changelings used that opportunity to attack. While Sunset was fending off the Changelings, they snuck out the Princess. They’re bringing her to the Everfree now. I should have seen what was coming, but . . .”

“You’re a bunch of fucking morons,” Aria snarled. “All you had to do was lay low until Friday, and you could have sailed to victory. But no, you just had to hand the Changelings the one pony that holds more magic than all of us combined.”

“You’re wrong,” said Twilight. “We just went to the school to see if we could take down the Changelings’ nest while they were focused with the Princess. They’ve been using an illusion spell. It’s far larger than it looks like.”

Adagio furrowed her eyebrows. “Are you saying they have the excess magic to build up their fortifications? But that means . . .”

“Right as we left, a Changeling flew out of the portal. Chrysalis has more Changelings than we both accounted for.”

“Shit,” Adagio said, running her hands through her hair. “She’s been trying to pull one over on us. I bet she’s got a system set up where only one or two cross over to check on her at a time. But once they arrive, she keeps them here, and builds her army. If we let her get that boost of magic from the Formal, her invasion won’t just start rolling. She’ll already have the momentum to take down the city.”

That’s quite an astute observation, Twilight thought suspiciously.

“Now our plan’s really fucked,” said Aria. “If there was just a small group of Changelings, we could have brought out the anger of the children to disrupt their energy source. If Chrysalis is able to create a larger nest and handle supporting her reinforcements, she must have tapped into the magic of this world. She can probably just cast a spell over the school counter to ours and just cancel out the sway of emotion. We may take a few Changelings out of the picture, but she’ll have so many on standby we’ll get swarmed either way.”

Twilight crossed her arms. “So what can we do?”

Sonata approached the other two sirens. “I’ve got an idea!”

The three sirens shared a few glances at one another for a minute, as if Twilight and the Principal were not in the room. Eventually, a grin appeared on Adagio’s face to match Sonata’s, but Aria looked slightly apprehensive.

“We might still be able to salvage this,” said Adagio.

Twilight straightened out. “How? We haven’t been preparing for a fight bigger fight.”

“Well,” Adagio said coyly, “Given the right amount of resources, we three might be able to make up for it. It isn’t the best idea we’ve had, but it seems the most obvious to us.”

“What is it?” asked the Principal. “And what do we need to do?”

“Previously, all we were planning to do was to extract the hatred of the student body to overwhelm the Changelings. We would cut off their main food source, and since there were so few of them, none would be able to fight back. Now, we’ll have to take it a step further. Just to be clear, we have total control over the emotions that we’re creating.”

“It’s a cycle,” Sonata chimed in. “We use some magic to manifest the people’s anger, and then bring the anger back to us to feed on. However, as long as we have enough magic left to continue casting our spell, then the excess magic can be put elsewhere.”

“Right,” said Adagio. “So instead of just angering the students and taking all of their anger back to fuel us again, we’ll send some of the hatred straight into the Changelings around us. Our spells don’t work on Changelings themselves, but since they are creatures that eat emotions, we can place someone else’s bad feelings right into their stomachs.”

Twilight nodded. “I see. And placing anger and hatred into the Changelings is the exact opposite of what they want to eat!”

“Right,” Adagio continued. “They’ll be forced to clean out their system so they have room to absorb love again. It’s like magically throwing up. And if they really do have a source of magic making them stronger, the natural instinct of a worker when in that scenario is to tap into that to regain their magic—like a magic glass of water to clear their throat. But if every single one of them tap into it at the same time, they’ll start taking out more than they can put back in.”

Sonata stood proudly. “And just like that, we can take back control. Problem solved!”

“Hold on just a second,” said Aria. “What these two clucks failed to mention is that it costs a lot of energy to simultaneously work on the student body and then send the only source keeping our spell running to the Changelings. We’ll be using more magic and getting less back. If we don’t have enough magic in our reserves, we’ll run out, and everything will fall apart.”

“How do we stop that from happening?” asked the Principal.

“We’ll need more people, plain and simple,” said Aria. “If we’ve got more students to pull magic from, then we’ll have more magic to use. For this plan to work, you need to pack that gym as tight as possible.”

The Principal scratched her chin in thought. “There are a few things I could do. I suppose I could waive the admission fee, and allow students to bring as many out-of-school friends as they want.”

“Still won’t be enough,” Adagio said curtly. “I’ll need about your whole school plus half if you want us to actually put up a fight.”

“Alright, alright,” said the Principal. “I’ll see if I can convince a merger with another school or something. I’ll get it ready for you by Friday for sure.”

“Good,” said Adagio. “Now, I think that at least puts on the right track. You better hope Sunset gets better fast, otherwise we’re down another player.”

“Okay,” said Twilight. “I feel a little more confident now. Not too much, but there might still be a chance.”

Adagio laughed coldly. “You keep thinking that. This is the last resort option here.” She turned to the Principal. “I suggest you go home and try to enjoy your last moments on this planet. We’ll check in with both of you at least once every day until the Formal. Say goodbye to your family and all that. You’ve been given a gift of foresight; you know that this isn’t going to go well for you. Don’t waste it by thinking you’ve got the better odds.”

“That’s not true,” said the Principal. “We can still do this.”

Adagio shrugged. “Hope doesn’t exist when you’re stuffed in a changeling pod.” She sauntered to the door, the other two following behind. “The world owes you no legacy.”

They left, slamming the door shut behind them. The Principal turned to Twilight with a look of defeat.

“Go home, Principal,” said Twilight. “I can take care of Sunset from here.”

The Principal nodded. “I’ll come back with more medicine tomorrow. You know where to find me.”

“Yeah,” said Twilight.

The Principal put her coat on and walked out the door. As silence settled over the apartment, Twilight could almost make out Sunset whimpering in the bedroom.

“They came up with that plan awfully fast,” she commented to herself.

Principal Celestia stood in front of the last building she wanted to be at in town. Well, second last, if we count my own school. Tuesday had come and gone, and most students had already left Crystal Preparatory Academy. With the incoming dread of having to interact with her again, she wanted to make sure as few students were around as possible.

“It is for the greater good,” she reassured herself. “You have fought bug shapeshifters. Surely you can handle a terrible principal.”

With one last sigh, she started forward through the sterilized halls of the academy, beelining for the head office.

It was quite a ways away, and in the meantime, the Principal went over the goodbye letters she had been forming in her head. Taking the Dazzlings’ advice to heart, she had spent the day at home drafting emails and farewells to people she knew. She prided herself on her ability to sound sentimental without making anyone worry, but she wasn’t too embarrassed about any repercussions she might face. I didn’t write ‘the world’s ending, bye!’ or anything, but it was nice for a little closure. It was such a shame that one of the last people she may be interacting with in person had to be the woman ahead.

She reached the top floor and found the door she was looking for. She did not bother to knock; the person inside knew she was coming.

“Ah, Celestia! How wonderful it is to see you today,” said Principal Cinch, standing up from her desk to meet Celestia halfway. “What brings you to my school on such sudden notice?”

Celestia shook her hand. “It is a pleasure to see you are doing well, Abacus. As for why the sudden appearance, I am afraid I have had a very pressing issue spread like wildfire through my school.”

Cinch returned to her desk and grinned. “Oh? It wouldn’t happen to be this Anon-A-Miss now, would it?”

The Principal took a seat across from her. “So you’ve heard,” she said. “Someone from CHS has been airing the secrets of all my students for a little over a day now, and they do not plan on stopping. From what Luna tells me, the place has gone a bit mad.”

“I hate to sound offensive, but this is the sort of thing expected to happen in a school that allows such unsavory types. Perhaps you need to purge out the students who have started this and those who participated.”

The Principal nodded. “It’s a possibility, but I want to try and find another remedy first. I am here to request your help in the matter.”

Principal Cinch looked almost taken aback by the suggestion. “Are you sure you’re Celestia? You would like me to fix your school?”

“Yes I would,” she said begrudgingly.

“Oh, I have been waiting for this moment my entire career,” Cinch exclaimed. “What ideas do you have? I know how to get those kids in line.”

“Well, I want to escalate as little as necessary, so I don’t need your direct action yet. You’re aware that this Friday is our school’s Fall Formal, correct?”

“I am,” said Cinch, “Although I can’t see why you would still hold it in the midst of such a blemish on your school.”

“I’m hoping that it can be the solution, actually,” said Celestia. “My students need to be reminded of what orderly, competent, and friendly students should act like. If you would be willing to send a group of your students to our dance, just to show my kids how to behave, we might be able to set them back on the right track.”

Cinch grinned maniacally. “So you admit that we are the school that you want to model after?”

Ugh. “I’m afraid I have no choice left to hold a rivalry at the moment.”

With a laugh, Cinch readjusted her glasses and leaned toward Celestia. “Well, Principal, if you wish to show your students how to act correctly, and hopefully become decent contributors to society, I suppose I could not refuse to hand out such a charity. How many students would you like me to send?”

“As many as possible,” said Principal Celestia. “Admission is free of course, and if all goes well, your students will have had a fun night.”

“I will attempt to send any students that are willing. I cannot promise you too many, but I can scrounge up enough to surely set the example,” said Cinch.

Celestia got out of her chair and shook Cinch’s hand. “I have no doubt you can.”

After clearing up how the students would arrive to CHS, and Celestia reassuring Cinch that the Crystal Prep students would not become indoctrinated by the uncouth nature of her own kids, Celestia stepped out of the dimly lit room with a sigh. That was terrible. I just sold out my whole school’s dignity.

She started off back the way she came, still gloomy over her interaction. I’ll have to let the Dazzlings know I still can’t confirm whether they’ll have enough kids on Friday.

Just as she turned the corner, she bumped into a girl, sending both of them falling to the ground.

“Ouch!” Celestia said as got back to her feet. “Are you okay, Miss . . .” Oh, that’s not good.

The lavender girl in front of Celestia placed her glasses back on her head. “I’m sorry, excuse me,” she murmured, clutching her bag as she stepped back up and attempted to dart past Celestia.

“Wait! Twilight!”

The girl turned around. “Umm . . . how do you know my name?”

“I, um, am a good friend of Dean Cadance. I met you when you were a child.” Twilight’s eyes lit up at the mention of Dean Cadence, but Celestia continued before she could get a word in. “Twilight, I don’t have much time, but I need you to listen to me for a second.”

“. . . Sure, I guess.”

“Principal Cinch is going to try and get some students to come to Canterlot High for our Fall Formal. You should find an excuse if she asks you to go. It won’t be your type of night.”

Twilight’s brow furrowed. “Um . . . why? What’s wrong with it?”

“Consider it social interaction taken to the extreme.” The other Twilight shivered at the Principal’s words and, without further comment, quickly sped away.

Celestia turned to head out the building. It’s a small world, she chuckled to herself.

”Well, Sunset? What’s the answer?”

Sunset’s eyes drifted down at the table in front of her. A beautiful glass table, centered in a cast-off side of the Canterlot Gardens, was a unique place to hold one of Princess Celestia and Sunset’s lessons. The Princess generally preferred privacy between the two of them. Sunset clinked her tea onto her saucer as Princess Celestia tapped her hoof in frustration. It was a weekend, and a few ponies were strolling through the gardens, leaving the mentor and student alone for the time being.

“This is not a difficult question, Sunset. You should have been able to answer it months ago. I will rephrase it again for you: what common spell simultaneously vitalizes the constitution of its caster, improves the caster’s skill in the botanical sciences, and strengthens the natural bond between the caster and animals?”

Sunset floated a book of spells in front of her, scanning each page meticulously. “This is a trick question, Princess! I could give you a name for any one of the three abilities, but all three together? It’s just not possible for a common spell to have three such specific enchantments.”

The Princess took a sip of her tea. “It actually has more uses than that, if you would believe it.”

Sunset snapped the book shut and placed it on the table. “Fine. I give up. You win. Enlighten me with your clever answer.”

The Princess smirked behind her teacup. “Well, I admit, this was a bit of a trick question. There is no name for the spell in that book; however, many grade school students would have the answer immediately. This spell is so common that one-third of Equestrians use it every second of the day. It is simply Earth pony biology.”

“What?!” Sunset exclaimed. “That’s not a spell, Princess! That’s just . . . how they are!”

“Incorrect, Sunset,” said the Princess. “The magic circulating through the system of both Earth ponies and pegasi are always casting a spell. Even when a pony is sleeping, they are casting one long, never-ending spell, if just barely.”

Sunset frowned and looked at the table, her cheeks slightly red.

“Don’t be embarrassed, Sunset. I expected you to fail. I hope that this will give you some more perspective for our future studies; you cannot think of magic as centered around unicorns any longer. Plenty of magical fields have no separation between race—most of them have been discovered and led by unicorns simply because of their ease of access through a horn. Earth pony and pegasi magic are just two examples of non-unicorn magic. We will not be studying those, however. Instead, I hope we can look into the intangible magics, such as Friendship and Love. They will be the continuation of your studies for the upcoming months.”

Sunset’s stomach dropped. “Friendship? What is this, kindergarten? Give me a break,” she said, pushing out of her chair. “Why bother with something that doesn’t need a horn when I’ve got one to use?”

“Now now, Sunset,” said the Princess, “You spent a whole year with your horn locked. Surely you can see the potential for magic outside of only one channeling path.”

“Well I’ve got it now, and I don’t plan on getting rid of it,” she snapped.

“And what if your horn is removed?”

Sunset turned back to her. “What? Do you think I’ll let anypony get close enough to remove my horn?”

The Princess took a sip of her tea. “I cannot say, however many powerful magicians have found themselves without access to their horn in the past. If you want a complete education, you cannot let your horn become a crutch. If necessary, we may have to inhibit it to build your strength.”

Sunset’s eyes widened. “Inhibit it . . . again?” Her heart started thumping out of her chest. “No, Princess, I can’t . . . you can’t do that!” She yelled.

The Princess stood up from her chair and worriedly glanced around the garden. “Now, Sunset, there’s no need to cause a scene—”

“Are you going to take my horn? Is this what you’re trying to tell me?” She advanced up to the Princess, propelled by her terror.

“Calm down Sunset, that is not what I meant. Take a deep breath—”

“You can’t do it, Princess,” she said, slumping onto her hind legs, “I’m nothing without my horn, Princess. You can’t . . .”

The Princess stood solemnly in front of her. “This is not the time for a public outburst, Sunset.”

“You can’t . . . please, Princess . . .” she murmured.

A pair of arms wrapped around Sunset’s body. “Shh,” someone whispered. “It’s okay. You’re safe. No one can hurt you.”

Sunset’s eyes blinked open as she took in her surroundings. She was in her bed, wrapped up in a warm blanket. Twilight dug her head into the crook of Sunset’s neck, continuing to whisper consoling words that woke Sunset from her dream.

Her body was burning up. Although she could see and hear her surroundings, a degree of separation was still between her and the rest of the world. Her body would not respond to any attempts at movement without a long delay, and she could barely whisper out a sentence to tell Twilight she was okay.

Twilight squeezed her tighter, almost suffocating. When was the last time I was held like this? She wondered. Twilight’s warmth radiated into her side, and the pain diminished slightly. Was I ever held like this?

Sunset limply lifted her arms and placed them on Twilight’s back. She gasped and turned her head to look at Sunset. Unable to respond, Sunset pressed her hands against Twilight.

“It’s okay, Sunset,” she said, words that felt like the best medicine she’d been given yet, “You’ll be fine. I promise.”

Sunset smiled wanly before her eyes lost their battle with gravity, and she drifted back into sleep.

Principal Celestia strolled into the school office on Wednesday morning and was immediately rushed into a separate room by her secretary, Raven.

“Celestia, something has gone very wrong in the past two days. You need to do something.”

“Okay, okay, Miss Inkwell,” said Celestia, putting up her hands. “Let me hang up my coat first.”

“My apologies,” said Raven, letting Celestia pass. “I mean no offense, but those past two days were not good ones to take off. I have tried to get Luna to act but she won’t even bother looking in the hallway. This Anon-A-Miss is tearing the school apart!”

“Is it, now?” She took off her coat and purse.

“Yes, there were five fights yesterday! If it keeps growing, we might as well hire a full-time police officer!”

“Surely it can’t be that bad,” Celestia said as she went over to the hallway door. “I saw the first batch of posts on Tuesday morning, but have not checked since then. What caused such an uproar?”

“Well, supposedly, Anon-A-Miss is taking submissions from the students and posting them online as well. Everyone is on edge because they think someone is going to sell them out at any second.”

Celestia grabbed the handle and swung it open. “Just how troubled are these students?”

The main hallways were filling up with kids as the buses dropped more off for the morning. Noticeably, far more students were walking alone, or with their head down. There were a few small groups, but none got even close to smiling. After a while of observation, Celestia began to see hidden glares between students, and often larger groups would single out one kid off to the side.

“It’s only this tame because you’re standing right here,” said Raven softly.

“I see,” responded Celestia. “Who do you think this Anon-A-Miss is?”

Raven frowned, a nervous expression on her face. “All of the evidence points to . . . Sunset, Celestia. I know you’ve taken a shine to her, but . . . is it really out of character at all?”

The Principal nodded. “I can’t completely disagree,” she said, hiding a smirk. It’s working.

Almost at the mention of her name, Sunset appeared in the hallway, strolling down with a few of her ‘friends’ surrounding her. At Sunset’s arrival, the small glares that the students passed between each other all focused onto her. Chrysalis, committed to her part as ever, did not even blink at being the center of attention—the center of hatred, more accurately. When she passed Celestia, her group stopped, and she turned to face the Principal.

The two met eye to eye, Sunset establishing a smug grin on her face. Raven stood anxiously next to Celestia, waiting for either one of them to make a move. After an unblinking minute, Celestia gave up.

“We start preparing the gym for the Fall Formal right at the start of the day tomorrow. I can’t wait to see you there, Sunset!”

Chrysalis snorted, a wicked grin crossing her face as she turned around and continued down the hallway.

“See how suspicious that was?” asked Raven as they headed back to the front office. “She’s not even doing a good job at hiding herself.”

“No . . . no she is not.”

Celestia went back to her office, but first she peeked into Luna’s. As she cracked open the door, she saw what should have been her sister sitting at the desk, vacantly gazing forward. I’ll get the real you back, Luna.

“It’s almost time for announcements,” Raven called.

Celestia quickly shut the door without the Luna inside noticing. “Thank you!” she called back as she made her way into the office. Just as she was about to shut her door, she stopped and left it open a crack. Just in case. She sat down at her desk and waited for the morning bell to ring. After it finished pealing throughout the school, she pulled up the intercom and began to speak.

“Good morning students of Canterlot High School! It is a beautiful sunny Wednesday morning. I have just a few short announcements today. First, the Fall Formal is now completely free for admission. We hope that those of you who thought about staying home might decide to show, now! I hope you all decide to come, as we have been working very hard this year to make it the best we can. We are aiming for record turnout! Now, I’ll hand it over to Miss Inkwell to hear how great our soccer team has been playing . . .”

“Please, come in,” Twilight said, ushering three sirens to the kitchen table. “What brings you here today?”

Adagio walked over to the small fridge and glanced inside. “You got anything good in here? I’m starving.”

“Hey,” Twilight huffed, “That’s Sunset’s food. I think she needs it more than you right now.”

Adagio shut the fridge and shrugged. “Whatever. Human food isn’t much of a step up than horse food anyways.”

Sonata sat down at the counter. “We came to check on Sunset.”

“Oh,” said Twilight, “She’s still bedridden. We’ve kept giving her the Principal’s medicine, which seems to be helping slightly. I’ve studied medicine quite a bit, and I still can’t say with certainty that she’ll be alert for the Fall Formal. You can go check on her if you want.”

“I’ve seen types like Sunset before,” said Adagio. “If she’s pissed off, she’ll be up and kicking for the Formal. You might need to help her out a little bit to get there, and Chrysalis is probably going to aim for her first, but she won’t miss an ass-kicking for the world. I’ll let the girl have some of her dignity left, and won’t check in on her right now.” Adagio walked back over to the other sirens, intending to leave.

Twilight bit her lip. “About helping her out . . . could I ask you three a few questions?” she said, crossing her fingers.

Adagio shared a glance with Aria. “It depends on what you want to know.”

Twilight nodded. “I want to know how you three are able to perform magic so easily.”

“That’s a bit personal,” Aria said.

“Why do you want to know?” butted in Sonata.

Twilight eagerly jumped up as she picked up a notebook on the counter. “This is a set of notes from Starswirl the Bearded—” the Sirens flinched at the mention of said name, but Twilight was too absorbed to notice, “—and it says that magic is able to be harnessed in this world. I really want to try and find a way to learn any amount of magic I can for the Formal.”

Adagio ignored Aria’s protest. “Oh, fine. It’s not like you can do anything about it if we tell you.”

“Oh, thank you!” Twilight exclaimed. She pulled out a notepad and stuck a pencil in her mouth, ready to write.

“You know you use your hands, right?” asked Aria.

She took the pencil out. “Yes, but it’s easier this way. I don’t have time to learn deft coordination when the world’s at stake.”

Adagio shrugged. “Whatever makes it work for you, I guess. Now, from what we know, there are a few conditions necessary for magic to be cast in this world. First, there needs to be artifact to channel the magic through.” She lifted up the sanguine necklace from her neck. “This channels our magic through us.”

Twilight stood up and got got close to the pendant as she scribbled a rough picture. “Itsh beautiful.”

“Don’t get any ideas. It’s far less fragile than it looks,” Aria butted in.

“Yes, we have it enchanted directly onto our bodies. It channels our magic, but we still need a way to activate the magic in the first place. For us, we do so through music.”

“Muthic? Why that?” Twilight said as she scribbled down her notes.

“I’ll put it into pony for you. The necklace is like the horn, but the song we sing is the spell. I can’t say this is the only way to cast magic in this world, but it has worked for us so far. We don’t mess with pony magic, or anything that needs a horn at all.”

Twilight took the pen out of her mouth. “So how do I find my own necklace?”

Adagio laughed. “These are for sirens, Twilight. Like I said, you really won’t be able to do anything with this information. You don’t have anything to channel magic through, and you don’t know how to channel your magic in the first place. If you think you can take on Chrysalis by learning magic in this world, you’re sorely mistaken.”

Twilight put the notepad down. “I can still try. Just . . . can you promise me something?”

“What?”

Twilight’s gaze hardened. “If we actually make it through this, you’re not going to use your magic to try anything, are you? We’ll just have everypony go their separate ways. I’m sure the Princess would even be willing to let you live in Equestria if she found out you helped.”

Behind Adagio, Aria and Sonata sneered. Adagio, however, kept her features calm. “What makes you think we’re going to keep a promise, even if we make one?”

“Because there is no other option for you.”

Adagio smirked. “I promise we won’t harm the people in this world. That would go against our nature, anyway. We don’t want to spoil any meat. However,” her smirk turned downward in a cold glare, “make sure you treat us with respect. Keep up that kind of attitude and our deal’s off.”

Twilight nodded and backed away. “Okay. Thank you for teaching me.”

“Well now you know,” said Aria, “so I don’t think there is anything left for us here.”

“If there’s nothing else, then.” Twilight sat down on the couch put the notepad away.

The Sirens made their way to the door. “We’ll see you soon,” Adagio commented. “Good luck with your girlfriend.”

“Hey,” Twilight said, a blush rising on her face, “She’s not my girlfriend.”

A chuckled, a humorous expression crossing her features. “How hard is it for stupid ponies to throw caution to the wind? Even when the end of their civilization is approaching, they still won’t cut out the useless fanfare? Every second you wait is a second you waste. There’s not much time left.”

With a wave goodbye, the three sirens left Twilight alone with her thoughts in the apartment.

She ran to the sink and splashed some water on her face. “There’s no need to freak out, Twilight,” she muttered to herself. “There’s no need to . . . oh, who am I kidding?”

Principal Celestia found herself hanging up black and green streamers in the gym, much to her annoyance. The Changelings can fly! Why can’t we just drop the act so I can get off of this ladder?

The Fall Formal Planning Committee was given one day in advance to get the gym turned into a party area. Setting up the events throughout the year was always the one thing the Committee did during the school day. Celestia tied another balloon onto the wall, constantly checking her stability on the latter to make sure none of her members would have an “accident” that knocked her off-balance.

She glanced down to see Sunset Shimmer—or quite the impersonation, at least—standing at the bottom of the steps, looking up at her.

“Is there something you need, Sunset?” she asked.

The changeling queen snorted. “Just checking in to see how we’re doing, Miss Celestia.”

“Well, I think we are almost done here. You all might even be able to catch the end of second hour if we wrap up quickly.”

“Good,” Sunset said, turning around to continue on the final touches of the gym.

The speed at which Sunset and her “friends” had completed setting up the gym was nothing short of amazing. Each year the small group took at least two-thirds of the day to build the dancefloor, stage, and get all the equipment in. Some years they even needed the day of the Formal to add any finishing touches. However, Sunset’s command over the rest of the students resulted in such a coordinated response that Celestia, typically the fastest one there, was left in the dust. She turned her head around on the ladder and scanned the area below.

In previous years, the Fall Formal always had a distingué atmosphere, an attempt to provide at least one annual dance where the theme was continuous. Once Pinkie Pie joined the ranks last year, that atmosphere shifted into a chaotic mess; perhaps it was what a young child would have considered formal, but it just made Celestia roll her eyes. Still, she was one to prefer the hands-off approach, so she let the party planner have full reign on creating her next masterpiece.

This year, despite Pinkie’s ‘presence’ on the Committee, the tone shifted once again. The Changelings took the green and black color scheme and ran; balloons, streamers, strobe lights, confetti, and near everything that could be colored had a dark hue to it. The result was, in Celestia’s opinion, effectively claustrophobic. It was a sunny day out, but inside the gym she felt like she needed a flashlight. The dance floor, typically an inviting, jovial centerpiece to the Formal, was basked in a violet glow, and the disco ball near the top was almost nonreflective. It may just have been Celestia’s imagination, because everything still worked—something just felt off, like it was shrouded in a gloomy haze.

She climbed down the ladder and made her way over to the stage. Once she reached the top, she cleared her throat and called out to the Committee. “Okay, everyone! Let’s gather around for one second.”

The students simultaneously turned to her and moved to the stage. She let out a nervous chuckle before continuing.

“You’ve all done a fantastic job today. I am certain that we have broken a record on how fast we completed everything! Tomorrow night is going to be one for every student to remember.”

They continued to bore a hole into the Principal with their eyes. Sunset smirked.

“I know all of you heard my announcement yesterday that tuition is free for the Formal. I think everyone in school should be able to see the amazing work you’ve done. In addition, I have decided upon one more thing. Some students from Crystal Preparatory Academy will be participating in the night’s activities as well. I hope you tell the students to welcome them, as well as for our kids to invite anyone they would like as well.”

Celestia noticed Sunset’s eyebrows furrow slightly. Perfect.

“Well, that’s all for now. Let’s wrap this up. Thank you.”

After the students dispersed, Celestia hopped down from the top of the stage. Waiting at the bottom for her was Sunset, a peculiar look upon the girl’s face. She peered at Celestia with a mixture of distaste and intrigue.

“Oh!” Celestia exclaimed. “Just one more thing, students. I have not informed you of the change in performances this year. Now, I know we generally like to give the stage to aspiring musicians within the school system, and that will still be the case this year, but I also have invited a wonderful group to perform live for us.”

Sunset took a step closer to the Principal, still completing her examination. Or intimidation.

“They are a wonderful trio of talented young girls who offered to perform for free,” Celestia said innocently, a smile forming on her lips. “They call themselves The Dazzlings.”

Sunset flinched, her face contorting into a scowl. “Who?” she snarled.

“Do you know them, Sunset? I’m sure they would love to meet a fan.”

Chrysalis rushed up to the Principal, leaning in close. “Just what do you think you’re planning?” she growled.

Celestia refused to back down. “Just a school dance, Sunset. There is no need to cause a scene.”

Chrysalis/Sunset snorted before turning around and heading to the exit. Her drones quickly fell in line behind her. With one last glance of disgust at the Principal, they exited from view. Celestia wiped a bead of sweat off of her brow.

After a few seconds to make sure they were gone, she let out a long sigh. “Phew,” she said aloud. “I’m not cut out for this.”

She glanced around the gym and noticed a few unfinished projects laying on the floor.

“Ah,” she said. “I suppose I should have waited until after they finished their jobs.”

It was eight o’clock at night, and Crystal Preparatory Academy was completely empty. Three Sirens peered into the dark windows, checking to make sure they would not set off any alarm.

“So this is Crystal Prep,” Sonata said. “Fancy!”

“Yes . . .” said Adagio. “I can see why the Principal got them to join the Formal. The only time it’s worth mingling with the commoners is to lord your superiority over them.”

“Are you sure our presence in the building won’t set off their snooty-detectors?” Aria asked dryly.

“I don’t think that will be an issue.” Adagio started forward into Crystal Prep. “Although, you do tempt me to trash up the place. If we do set off an alarm, I say they need a little scare to the institution. We’ll even smash a window on the way out.”

Aria snickered as they examined the insides of the spotless building. “How can we tell the difference between the windows and any other wall when every single one reflects better than a bathroom mirror?”

“Why don’t you give ‘em a whack and find out,” Adagio said, aiming for the staircase.

They made their way through the building, and soon enough were right in front of Principal Cinch’s door. Without a moment’s hesitation, Adagio opened it up and entered.

Principal Cinch glanced up from a document and her face contorted in disgust. “Just who do you think you are, coming her so late at night?” she uttered. “I’ll have you know we’re only a few blocks from the police station, and I have them on hot dial.”

Adagio smiled and offered her hand for a shake. “I’m Adagio. We’re closing up some loose ends on business. Celestia sent us, if you wanted to know.”

Cinch backed down, but still averted her eyes from the gaudy trio. “These are the miscreants that she chooses to send? No wonder her school is down in the dumps. Just what exactly does Miss Celestia need me for?”

“It’s about you sending some students to the Fall Formal tomorrow.”

“Ah,” she said, “I have about twenty students that have committed to going. I hope that is good enough for her, as I cannot force any more to go.”

“Yes you can,” Aria said.

Cinch straightened out in her chair, taken aback. “Excuse me? Do you think I’m going to listen to what three hoodlums have to say?”

“Maybe not,” said Adagio, “but our hoodlum sides aren’t doing the talking.”

Before Cinch could react, Adagio began humming a low tune. The two sirens behind her quickly joined in, surrounding the old principal in a wall of sound. Cinch slumped forward, her eyes taking on a crimson hue. A few seconds later, the girls ceased their dark vocal trio. Adagio leaned forward, slamming her hands down on the desk.

“Now you listen to me,” she growled. “I better see every damn student in this school with an ounce of sociability at the Fall Formal tomorrow. I don’t care how you get them there. Lie to them. Tell them we’re handing out free money, or that it’s a massive orgy. Make sure these kids all decide that the Fall Formal is going to be the greatest night they’ll ever attend. Hell, I would give a speech to the kids myself, but time’s a little short on our end. I don’t give a shit if it ruins your appearance, or your dignity, or whatever dumb shit entitled assholes pride themselves on nowadays. If you don’t get us those kids tomorrow, you won’t have any dignity left when we beat you to a pulp. This isn’t an order from Principal Celestia. This is an order from me. You got that?”

Cinch dumbly nodded, still caught in their enchantment.

“One more thing, Principal,” Adagio leaned in to Cinch’s ear. “Listen to me. You hate her. Everyone in your school hates her. I will signal you when the time comes. Be ready.”

She stepped back and turned to Aria and Sonata. “We’ve gotten real good at this, haven’t we?”

As they strolled out of the room, Adagio snapped her fingers. Principal Cinch startled out of her seat and quickly scanned her office, but the Sirens had already left. With a blink of confusion, she shrugged and went back to her work.

The Sirens stepped out of the building. “What a good show! I can’t wait for tomorrow.”

“It’s certainly going to be fun to see them all squirm,” commented Aria.

“The Changelings or the Equestrians?” Adagio asked.

Aria’s face twisted into a malicious grin. “Both.”

The previous days and events all flowed together into a tangled mess of dreams, nightmares, brief moments of wakefulness, and a surprising amount of pain for Sunset Shimmer. Sometimes she could feel her body being moved around, or when her medication was applied—or forced down her throat—but most of her time was spent rotting in her bed, trying to grasp her surroundings. Anytime she thought she was strong enough to get up she would attempt to call for Twilight, only to weaken and fall back into fitful sleep. By today, though, her wakefulness solidified, and any time Twilight awoke her, she was able to start small conversations with the girl. Despite Sunset’s best attempts to pry, Twilight would not say anything about the plan to defeat the Changelings, claiming that Sunset needed to get better first.

Twilight, ever dedicated to doing whatever she could to help, had somehow managed to pick Sunset up and drop her in the bathtub for a cleaning while she was still passed out. She regained her lucidity at said point, much to her embarrassment.

“Twilight,” she croaked out, startling the girl rubbing a washcloth on her back.

“Sunset!” She exclaimed. “Don’t exert yourself, please.”

Sunset pushed herself up out the tub despite Twilight’s protest. “I don’t need a bath. Get me a towel.”

Twilight hooked her arms under Sunset’s and lifted her up. Once Sunset braced herself on the side of the tub, Twilight grabbed a towel and wrapped it around the girl. “If you’re embarrassed about me cleaning you, you shouldn’t worry. I don’t understand human anatomy, Sunset.” Her face flushed. “No offense, of course, I’m sure you’re quite attractive for another human, and you would be in pony form too, but I just meant that there’s no need to make things awkward at all, especially because I’ve already been helping you for the past few days, and I should probably shut up now.”

Sunset ignored Twilight’s outburst as she attempted to mat down her mess of hair. “Could I get a glass of water?”

“Oh! Of course,” said Twilight, rushing out of the bathroom. Sunset took the time to recollect herself. Despite being soaking wet, she felt better than when she came home back from the Principal’s house. Her body ached all over, but it was a good sore feeling, like her wounds were slowly mending. She wearily lifted her hand and felt where she had been stung on the neck. The wound was closed up.

Perhaps the most noticeable change was the one thing she didn’t notice: the cuts on her back barely ached at all. I guess there was a problem with it after all. The disappearance of the pain brought a small smile to her face.

“Here you go,” Twilight said, handing Sunset a glass of water. Sunset drank it greedily, quenching the thirst she had felt for days. She sat the glass down and met Twilight’s gaze.

“I should get back in bed.”

Twilight wordlessly offered her arm to Sunset, who took hold of it and walked out of the bathroom. Once in her bedroom, Sunset sat up on her bed instead of laying back down.

“How many days has it been since I passed out?” She asked.

Twilight took a seat on the bed next to her, slightly fidgeting in her seat at the mention of time.

“Come on, Twilight,” said Sunset. “You can’t keep me in the dark.”

“It’s . . . Thursday night,” she admitted.

Sunset gasped. “That means . . . the Fall Formal’s tomorrow!”

Twilight refused to meet Sunset’s eyes. “I couldn’t rush you to get better. You’re still not strong enough, anyway. I can go it alone again, if I have to.”

“No, Twilight,” said Sunset, placing a hand on the other girl’s shoulder, “I’ll be ready by tomorrow. I promise.”

“Sunset, you can’t just—”

“If I don’t give this everything I’ve got then there will have been no point in conserving my energy in the first place. It’s all or nothing,” she said. Twilight slumped in her seat.

“I’m just worried about you.”

“I know.” The two lapsed into silence in dimly lit bedroom. Sunset clawed for something in her mind to say. “How’s the plan been going?”

“Not good,” Twilight responded.

“What’s gone wrong? I know we lost Celestia, but we should still be on somewhat of an even playing field.”

Twilight explained the previous revelations they discovered: Chrysalis had tricked them and was funneling changelings onto the Earth, and she had far more power than they prepared for. Their new plan to move forward relied far too much on the Dazzlings to work, but it was all they had.

“Shit,” said Sunset, “I messed everything up again.”

“It’s a bit of a blessing, actually,” responded Twilight. “At least we aren’t walking right into a trap.”

“Yeah.” She paused to think about the situation. “Who’s running Anon-A-Miss?”

Twilight let out a nervous giggle. “Well, um, I am.”

“You are?” Sunset exclaimed.

“I can’t say I’ve done a great job on the performance aspect—nor the technology side, really—but students started sending the account their friends’ secrets to post. The Principal helped me figure out how to form posts and from then on, I had all the content we needed.” Twilight beamed with pride before remembering the context and bashfully withdrawing. “Um, not that I enjoyed it. I felt terrible. The page has been circling around all the schools in the area, and other districts are worried they might experience copycats.”

Sunset made a grunt in amusement. “You scared you might enjoy being a bad girl?”

Twilight flushed. “It’s not that! I can see why somepony would get a sense of schadenfreude out of it, but I know that it’s still wrong. I couldn’t do this for fun, even if I wanted to.”

“At least you kept it running,” said Sunset. “We might still have a shot at this.”

“The Dazzlings didn’t think so. They said we should say our goodbyes.” Twilight’s face darkened at the subject of the sirens. “I don’t trust them, Sunset. They’ve got some trick up their sleeves. I just can’t figure out what they’re planning.”

“I’ve got a solution to them,” Sunset casually declared.

“Really? What is it?”

“We wear earplugs. They can’t do anything if we can’t hear their music,” she said, a gentle laugh escaping her lips.

Twilight giggled. “That might not be a bad idea.”

Sunset probed her mind for the details she remembered before passing out. “I, um, got a little bit delirious near the end there, didn’t I?”

“It’s not your fault.”

“Yeah it is,” said Sunset grimly. “I got too excited and fucked us all over. If I had just used my head we would be doing way better right now.”

Twilight stayed silent, choosing to keep her eyes on the floor.

“I’m sorry for what I said to you, too. I shouldn’t have insulted your friends like that.”

“It’s fine,” Twilight said, her voice lowered to a whisper. “I’m just a bit too attached to them anyway. That’s what happens when you’re an Element, I suppose.” She attempted a laugh, but deflated halfway through. “It just hurt so much because . . . I don’t think you were completely wrong. When you said they didn’t care for me.”

“Oh, Twilight, I was just being angry. It wasn’t true.”

“They still let me down. There were countless moments we could have banded together to stop her, but they didn’t. I . . . I was screwed over, even if I don’t want to admit it.” She sniffed. “I have a question for you.”

“Yeah?”

Twilight turned to Sunset and wiped her eyes. “Are my friends . . . happy, in this world? Without me? Did they ever need me in the first place?”

Sunset sighed.I can’t lie to her. “. . . They’re friends with one another, yes. But that’s just it. Friends in high school that won’t last. I have a plan to break up their group already. It isn’t a fair comparison to your group. Your friends have at least half a decade on these kids. Plus, your group is bound by prophecy! I know it, because I read it.”

Twilight shook her head. “That’s just it. Maybe the prophecy has been fulfilled, and I’m not needed anymore. They can cast me off, just like they did at the wedding.”

Sunset placed an arm around her, bringing her into a half-hug. “There’s no use in worrying about it now. At the very least, you and your friends had something with one another. Your role in defeating them was yours; it can’t be replaced.”

“Can’t it?” She asked.

“What? No,” Sunset responded. “If you really fulfilled the prophecy of Nightmare Moon’s return, then that’s your victory. Nopony else’s.”

“Why couldn’t it have been you?”

A lightning bolt of ice shocked through Sunset’s body. She’s right. Why couldn’t it have been you? Sunset pushed the thought down immediately. “Because . . . well . . .”

“When we first met, you said I took everything from you, and that I didn’t even know it. I guess you’ve had me thinking.”

“That’s not . . .” she struggled, “I was just . . .” For the love of Celestia, stop being a narcissist and comfort her!

“Maybe it didn’t need to be me. Maybe I was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time. I was gifted prior to my enrollment under Celestia, but I certainly wasn’t at the level of the mare I am today. I’m sure there were other unicorns far smarter with more friends than I. But instead, I got it all, and you got thrown to the wayside. I stole your destiny,” she said, slinking out of Sunset’s arm.

“It’s not true,” Sunset said. “It’s just not. It didn’t work out for me. I . . .” she swallowed. “I had my chance, and blew it. I was just angry that you got what I couldn’t have.”

Sunset reached out her hand, but Twilight made no notice of it. Instead, she kept her gaze on the floor, her hair splaying downward in a mess. “I’m not sure I’ve have anything left anyways. We’re even.”

This was one of those moments that, while most ponies would have little issue deciding a correct response, took Sunset a second to decide on what to do. Twilight had been nursing her back to health for days, and Sunset felt as if it was her duty to comfort her, even if she was not sure how.

Since when was it my duty to comfort anyone? What happened to being on my own, doing things my way?

Sunset spotted a tear drop onto Twilight’s lap. The girl hung her head as she tried muffle up the sounds of gentle crying. That incurable ache in Sunset’s heart she had been feeling ever since she met Twilight resurged within her. Sunset knew she had to say something, to comfort the girl, but her lips were sealed, too caught up in the tragic beauty she radiated.

She’s like a princess.

Sunset lunged forward and wrapped her arms around Twilight, startling her. She squeezed her tightly, barely giving Twilight the room to breathe. “It doesn’t matter anymore. You’ve got me.”

Twilight let out a shaky breath. “Huh?”

“Twilight,” she said slowly, “I think you’re the only friend I’ve ever had. I never thought I’d say this, but . . . I can’t throw that away. So if everything you say is true, if fate really has it out for us, then at least we’ll have each other.”

Hugging Twilight, actively choosing to do so, filled Sunset with a warmth she hadn’t felt before. It battered away that strange feeling that spread through her stomach and her heart, and, much to her dismay, she finally realized what it was.

Longing.

Twilight rested her head on Sunset’s shoulder. “What if . . . " she trailed off. “Never mind.”

“It’s okay,” Sunset said. “Say what’s on your mind.”

“It’s silly.”

“It’s your last chance to get anything silly out now, before tomorrow.”

Twilight sighed nervously. “Okay, I just was thinking . . .”

“Yeah?”

“Maybe we should divert our destinies. Together.”

“Huh?”

Twilight smiled demurely. “I mean, if we make it through all this, wouldn’t it be smart to . . . cohabitate, might be the word? You wanted to be an Element of Harmony, and I am one, and even though I didn’t steal it from you I kind of did, which I feel bad about. And since my friendship with my other friends is sort of on the rocks right now—even if we get them out of the pods, they may not want to be my friend anymore—I just thought you were next safest option. No offense, though! I didn’t mean it like I was settling for you or anything. From your perspective, I can see why you would say no, I mean, I’m not the best person to live with—you can ask Spike about that one—and I stay up way too late and don’t leave my study enough. And now I’m rambling again, um . . .” She turned away nervously, attempting to squirm out of Sunset’s grip.

“Are you saying you want to live together? I thought that was already the plan until I got resituated.”

Twilight blushed, unable to meet Sunset’s eyes. “No, I was hoping for . . . more than that,” she whispered.

“Oh,” said Sunset. She paused. “Oh.”

Twilight deflated as she struggled out of the hug. “Oh, okay then, I understand, I thought I would just ask. I just hope we can still be friends—”

“Wait, wait!” exclaimed Sunset. “That’s not what I meant. Oh gosh, that was terrible. I’m sorry.”

Twilight ceased her struggle, but refused to meet Sunset’s eyes. “What is it, then?”

Sunset sighed. “It’s Chrysalis.”

“What about her?”

“Well . . . that’s what she feeds from. If we . . . do that . . . we’re just giving her free ammunition tomorrow.” Twilight still looked heartbroken. There’s no point in hiding it, though. “Maybe . . . afterwards, once this is over?”

Twilight looked up at her, hope in her eyes. “So you . . .”

Sunset offered a tender smile. “Yeah. I’m not exactly sure what I feel, but . . . I’ve never felt this at all before. That must mean something.”

Twilight clasped herself around Sunset tightly, pulling Sunset into her lavender aroma. She suddenly saw underneath the teary mess of the girl, so distraught about everything being taken away from her, and so defeated from already seeing one world lost, a completely genuine soul that could withstand any adversity it faced against. As she gazed into Twilight’s amethyst eyes, she finally understood why she could never wield the Element of Magic.

It wouldn’t have worked for me anyway. Not when somepony like her deserves it so much more.

Twilight pulled out of Sunset’s embrace slightly. “Hey Sunset?” she said, a smile crossing her face.

“Yeah?”

“I’m willing to put us at a bit of a disadvantage tomorrow.”

“Oh?”

Twilight closed her eyes and leaned forward.

Sunset, for perhaps the first time in her life, didn’t bother putting up a fight.

As their lips met, all thoughts of the Changelings, the Fall Formal, and the incoming struggle were lost in the impression of Twilight’s lips upon her mind. Once she came to her senses, that light feeling that had been bugging her heart felt like it opened up and rose out into the night sky.

It almost feels like I’m flying.

Author's Note

The Sci-Twi cameo isn't going to go anywhere, if you were wondering. It was just a loose end I felt needed to be tied up when Crystal Prep got thrown into the picture. I hope you enjoyed the chapter!

I'm Gonna Live Till I Die

It was Friday.

Friday afternoon, specifically, and for a day that held such a looming threat above Sunset’s head, it was actually quite peaceful. She slumped forward in the back seat of the Principal’s car, still feeling under the weather. She had recovered well enough to the point where moving around was bearable, but she still had a nasty headache. At least I’m not bedridden anymore, she thought.

Principal Celestia had been kind enough to offer Sunset and Twilight a ride to Canterlot High School. They had spent the past hour going over everything at Sunset’s apartment with the Dazzlings, but even as Sunset ran the plan through her head, she couldn’t help but poke holes in every step. I’ve got to trust that the Dazzlings are on our side. But . . . it’s like what the Princess told me: ‘I would rather face ten armies marching on Canterlot than turn away from one pony with a knife.’ Sunset paused. She might have been trying to dissuade me from doing that, actually.

“When does the Formal start?” Twilight asked next to her, unable to stop fidgeting in her car seat. Her mind’s probably on overload right now, trying to make sure she’s analyzed every possible outcome. Sunset placed her hand over Twilight’s and offered a gentle smile. Twilight returned the favor and settled down a little.

“A little over an hour and a half from now, at seven,” the Principal said from the front. “Students should start filing in about thirty minutes early. That gives us an hour to set everything up. The Changelings will already be in the gym because of their role on the Committee, so as long as you are careful, it should be simple enough to move around if you stay outside.”

They pulled into CHS. That was awfully quick. As Principal Celestia stopped the car, Sunset slung a bag off of her shoulder and threw it on the seat between her and Twilight.

“Hey Principal?”

“Yes?”

Sunset patted the bag. “Twilight and I put a few things in here in case things go south tonight. My journal, Starswirl’s notes, and a good sack of bits that I brought over from Equestria are probably the most useful things inside. If we fail, your best bet is to go through the portal when the Changelings are distracted. You should come through in the center of Canterlot, our nation’s capital. It’ll be tough to escape from there, but if you get out of the city, it’ll be smooth sailing to reach another country and request asylum. A fair warning: you need to be prepared to use four hooves, and learn to gallop real fast.”

The Principal turned around and scrutinized the bag. “And what about you two?” she asked.

“It’s either Chrysalis or us,” Sunset said.

Twilight nodded. “If we can’t give it our all, then we have no chance of winning.”

“I won’t run away,” the Principal responded. “I probably would not even make it out of Canterlot. I appreciate the thought, Sunset, but I won’t be remembered as the person who lost while kicking and screaming. If we can’t win, then fate says it is so.”

Sunset smiled. “Thank you, Principal.”

The three stepped out of the car, Twilight and Sunset keeping low on the ground to make sure there were no lingering Changelings in the area.

“Alright you two,” the Principal said, “the storage shed is in the back. I’ve put everything you should need in there; try and stay hidden until it’s your time.”

“Thanks again.” Sunset stuck out her hand to the Principal’s. “I can’t say it was always fun, but I’ll miss you. Good luck with the Dazzlings in there.”

The Principal smirked. “Don’t make it sound like we’re saying our final goodbyes.”

“You make it seem like I’m a pessimist or something.”

She laughed. “No, no, if anything you’re quite more amicable recently. What happened to that angry girl I knew just a month ago?”

“She’s still here,” Sunset said, “but she’s had some time to think. That anger . . . I can use it to my advantage. Not to fight against the world, but to help somepony else.” Sunset turned back and glanced at Twilight with a small smile.

“I’m glad to hear that, Sunset.”

Twilight also stepped forward and shook the Principal’s hand. “I can’t say I know you very well, Principal, but I think I would have liked going to your school. Perhaps I’m a bit biased though, being the other Celestia’s student and all.”

“You’re welcome to enroll any time,” the Principal said, another slight chuckle escaping her lips. “And good luck to both of you.” With a wave, she headed into the building from the back entrance, leaving the two girls alone.

Twilight turned to Sunset. “Sunset, I just want you to know, win or lose tonight, that I’m proud of what you’ve done.”

“I haven’t done anything. Not yet, at least,” said Sunset, sticking her hands in her pockets.

“That’s where you’re wrong. I didn’t believe it at first, but The Princess was right in telling me to come to you. She always knew that you could do great things. That you have already done great things. And, if fate wills it, tonight will be the same.”

Sunset blushed, shying away from the praise. “Did I ever tell you that my plan was to steal the Element of Magic? I was going to swipe it right out of your hooves. I figured I was worthy enough that it would just . . . work for me,” she sighed. “It seems so petty, now. Like I was some petulant filly that thought she was playing princess.”

“Don’t say that,” Twilight said, “I’m sure you had a plan that could have been admirable. We’ve scrapped together some sort of defense here, so that’s something.” She paused. “I still would’ve won in the end, though.”

They turned to head to the storage shed, relishing the relaxing atmosphere that would inevitably be short-lived. “Well, I suppose we should go grab our supplies, then,” said Sunset.

“Right,” agreed Twilight. “And, Sunset?”

She turned back around and met Twilight’s gaze.

“You totally would have won the Fall Formal Princess. No doubt about it,” she said, a proud expression on her face.

Sunset laughed as Twilight joined her on her a final walk through the schoolgrounds.

It was ten minutes until seven o’clock, and a long line of students had grown at the entrance to CHS. Principal Celestia welcomed each student as they entered, more of a formality now that she was not taking any payment for attendance. Where are the Dazzlings? She tapped her foot anxiously on the ground, trying to hide her discomfort from the students. They should be on their way soon.

She cast a smile at a new group of kids who strolled up to the building. None of them returned it, their mood already soured before even entering the party. Normally I would think that was a bad thing.

Behind them, another group of students appeared that Celestia did not recognize. They approached Celestia, looks of apprehension evident on their faces.

“This is the Fall Formal, right?” asked an aquamarine girl, peering at Celestia over her orange-rimmed glasses.

“Yes indeed,” said Celestia. “You girls must be coming from Crystal Prep?” she asked.

“Yeah,” said another girl with blue hair and big lightning bolt earrings. “Our principal begged us to go this morning. She even rented out a bus to drive the school here. This better be as good as she says it will be.”

Celestia smiled. Thank you, Cinch! “I promise it will be a great night. Please, come inside. You’ll see the gym after a short walk to the left.”

The girls went in without a word, leaving Celestia back in the cool autumn air. After a few more minutes of welcoming the students from CHS, two buses pulled up to the sidewalk. Celestia nearly squealed with glee as she saw everyone file off and head to the door. If the Dazzlings can’t work with this, then I don’t know what to say. It appeared as if the Fall Formal was going to be a hit, easily breaking the previous turnout record.

Eventually, seven o’clock arrived. Celestia welcomed the final stragglers before leaning against the door with a sigh. I’ve got at least four hundred kids in that gym. But where are the Dazzlings?

Her attention focused on the tree in the center of the courtyard, her little project, and what a monstrosity it had become. Being able to see past the illusion barrier reminded her how grand of an oak it could have been, if given proper care and treatment.

Why did they have to choose that of all things? Now it’s just a broken shell of what it should have been. Part of her was still clinging on to that original hope that something could outlast her influence on the school. However, she resignedly accepted the tree’s fate. It had been destroyed the second the Changelings took root inside of it, and perhaps it was better to let the tree die, and start anew once this was all over.

Celestia was broken from her reverie by the Sirens walking up to the building. The three girls had quite the outfits; it was plain to see they took rockstar glamor very seriously. Decked out in reflective, glittery dresses, an astounding amount of makeup, and with their hairstyles taken to the extreme, she could see why they became the center of attention so easily. They certainly commit to the part, that’s for sure.

“Who’s ready to party?” Adagio said sarcastically. “We’re going to put on quite the show tonight.”

Celestia frowned. “You’re late.”

“Fashionably so,” she responded. “We need to make an entrance, you know. Chrysalis knows we’re showing tonight, but the more we catch her off guard, the better. When do want us on?”

“I’m going to announce the winner of Fall Formal Princess at around seven thirty, so if we get you up there five minutes before, it should do the trick to nullify Chrysalis’s plans,” she said.

“Who won the Princess, anyway?” asked Sonata.

“Who do you think, dumbass?” Aria said. “Chrysalis rigged it for ‘Sunset.’”

“Yes,” the Principal responded, “Sunset won by a hefty margin. Most students voted at the start of the week before Anon-A-Miss existed, so there’s a chance many will have wished to change their vote. Announcing her victory might actually cause even more of an uproar, if we get them in the right mood.”

“That’s the plan,” said Adagio. “Now let’s get out of the cold. These outfits aren’t meant for the winter.”

The Dazzlings sauntered in, Celestia following behind. “It should be about twenty minutes before you go on. You can stay backstage until it’s time. I’ll introduce you to the students for your cue.”

The reached the doors to the gym, and Celestia stopped just before entering. The sirens walked a bit farther to the backstage entrance.

Adagio turned back and offered a cool wave. “Good luck in there, Celestia. You’re going to need it.”

“Thank you,” Celestia said, but just as the Dazzlings entered backstage, she caught a strange glint in Adagio’s eye that sent her mind wondering. What was that about?

Without delaying any more, Principal Celestia pushed open the doors to the gym and entered the Fall Formal.

It was absolutely packed with students. The gloomy lighting and shady decorations made it hard to see everyone, but she could tell from the sound alone that it was a full house. The dance floor was completely full, and pop music was blaring from the speakers up front, barely holding its own against the partying crowd. It appeared to her that most students were enjoying themselves.

Hold on.

On closer inspection, most students were fairly apathetic to the party. A crowd had centered around the punch bowl of bored, disappointed students, and most of the ones that appeared as if they were enjoying themselves were forcing a smile. It was as if everyone recognized the effort the had been put in to set up the dance, but no one was actually feeling it at all. That works for now.

Celestia decided not to move too far from the exit. She needed to make sure that the no one was planning to leave, especially since the crowd near the punch bowl looked to be plotting an exodus. So she leaned against the wall and listened to whatever electro tune was playing from the speakers up front.

“You did a wonderful job setting up tonight, sister.”

Celestia jumped, startled at Luna’s sudden appearance. Her eyes lowered in suspicion. What does she want?

“Ah, well, thank you,” responded Celestia. “It seems to be a hit, haha,” she awkwardly laughed, still concerned about being in so close proximity to a Changeling.

“Do you have the crown backstage?” Luna asked.

“Yes I do. I’ll be bringing it out in about fifteen minutes from now.”

“And we are awarding it to Sunset, correct?”

Ah, Celestia thought, so that’s what she wants. To make sure I won’t try anything funny.

“Of course,” she said, “Why would I award it to someone who didn’t win?”

Luna put on a plastic smile. “Just an unfounded worry of mine.”

Celestia smiled and nodded, choosing not to engage with the changeling any further. Fortunately, the doppelganger Luna was not fond of conversation either, and with its intended mission complete, decided to simply stand next to the Principal as well.

Another glance at the crowd showed that most students were still not feeling it. She peered at one corner of the dance floor, where a large number of Crystal Prep students had congregated. Especially confused, they awkwardly tried to ignore the atmosphere set up by the CHS students.

That same group of Crystal Prep girls from earlier approached Celestia at the door. “I want to leave,” said the girl with the mess of blue hair. “This sucks.”

“I’m afraid I can’t let you out of the gym,” Celestia said, choosing to ignore the insult, “it’s school policy.”

“Huh?” the girl exclaimed. “And what if I need to use the bathroom?”

Celestia pointed to a small door at the corner of the gym. “The boys’ and girls’ locker rooms are over there. There is a restroom connected to the showers, if you need to go.” She kept a straight face as the group stared at her, astounded.

The girl harrumphed and turned back to her friends. “Come on, girls. We’ll make sure everybody on MyStable knows how terrible parties at CHS are.”

As the girls walked away, Celestia felt a small pang in her heart after hearing their insult. I always put my heart and soul into these! It’s not my fault it was hijacked. Then again, were she in their spot, she would be complaining too. It felt oppressing just to stand in the room, and if the students were not too caught up in the bad atmosphere to notice it, they would try and escape out of the Changelings’ influence too.

At the thought of the Changelings in her head, Celestia realized she had not seen Chrysalis at all. She’s not waiting outside, is she? Suddenly nervous, Celestia stepped forward to get a closer look at the crowd. Warily approaching the dance floor, she used her height over the students to her advantage, scanning each visible head in the hopes of seeing Sunset’s red hair. It did not take long for her to find Sunset, as every person around her appeared to be the only ones having a good time. Chrysalis caught her eye and sent a glare Celestia’s way—it didn’t feel very serious, though. If anything, Chrysalis seemed to be more relaxed than Celestia had seen her yesterday. What is she planning?

Abruptly, the crowd cleared way for Sunset and gave the Principal a better view of the changeling in disguise. It appeared as if she was glowing, a golden aura surrounding her in contrast to the dark dance floor and dim lights. Illusion magic? Her short white skirt and amaranth pink bodice complemented Sunset’s amber skin, but the most noticeable part of her dress was the light pink train that flowed out from behind the girl as she walked. Someone should have accidentally stepped on it by now, but for all Celestia knew, it was just an illusion Chrysalis used to make herself stand out. Her fiery hair appeared to flow upward in a gravity-defying combination of scarlet and yellow. What completed her look were the long orange boots that had a small set of wings at the top front edge, and the wall of orange and red eyeshadow that intentionally stuck out at the front of her face. It has to be an illusion. No one looks that angelic normally.

Chrysalis stalked up to her, an almost manic grin on her face. “What a wonderful night, isn’t it, Principal?”

Celestia glanced down at her watch. 7:23. It’s almost go time—no more playing pretend. She steeled her gaze and faced Chrysalis.

“Do you remember what you said to me, when you first came to my house?”

Chrysalis feigned being taken aback. “What do you mean, Principal? I’ve never—”

“Cut it out,” the Principal snarled. “You said that no one would believe me if I reported Luna missing. That you would just impersonate her, and any evidence I had would be baseless.”

“It stands true,” Chrysalis said, dropping the act.

“Well, when you get beaten to a pulp tonight, I hope you know that Sunset will be there to dispel any rumors that suggest I have committed any poor conduct.”

Chrysalis cackled, almost drowned out by the roaring music and crowd. “Now that’s the Celestia I’ve been waiting to see! The Princess must have rubbed off on you a bit; it’s cute, really, when you try to play the big girl.” She stepped closer to the Principal, and when no one was looking, she replaced Sunset’s teal eyes with a dark, mystical green. “When everything you fought for is lost tonight, when you’re surrounded by defeat in every direction—I can’t wait to see the look on your face. There’s nothing more satisfying than seeing a stupid pony realize they wasted their life. It all turns to nothing, Celestia. I hope you can make peace with that fact real soon.” Chrysalis turned around with a sneer and headed back out to the center of the dance floor, her security centering back around her.

Celestia did her best to brush off Chrysalis’s remarks. It’s time. She made her way to the stage, currently occupied by Vinyl Scratch, or at least whatever changeling was impersonating her, mixing sounds on a DJ booth. Celestia climbed up the stairs and motioned for the girl to turn down the music. The changeling decided to be cheeky and pretend that they could not understand the Principal over the DJ’s headphones. Celestia walked over to the booth, grabbed the first power cord she could find, and ripped it out, cutting off the music. If I break something, I’ll pay it back later. She walked over to the microphone at center stage and tapped it a few times.

“Hello everyone! Thank you for coming to this year’s Fall Formal! We have a lot planned for you tonight, including the announcement of the Fall Formal Princess very soon—” the mention of the Fall Formal Princess stirred the crowd, all eyes turning toward Sunset. Chrysalis had slipped back into the role and only offered a smug grin. “—but first, I would like to introduce you all to a wonderful band of girls in the area who offered to perform a special concert just for you tonight. Get ready to rock and roll harder than you ever have before, with The Dazzlings!”

On cue, the three girls appeared onstage, and Celestia stepped aside to offer Adagio the main microphone. Adagio smirked and held out her hand to Celestia. When the Principal shook it, she felt Adagio place two small earplugs in her hand.

“Just in case,” she said, barely audible above the excited crowd.

“Thank you,” the Principal said before heading off the stage. Once she got back to her spot at the entrance, she put in her earplugs and leaned back, ready to enjoy the show. She glanced over at Luna’s imposter. The changeling had become quite agitated at the arrival of the Dazzlings, fidgeting back and forth to get the best view of Sunset out on the floor.

“Don’t worry,” Celestia said, catching the changeling’s attention. “It’ll be just fine.”

Just as Celestia finished speaking, the crowd quieted down to a low murmur. It’s now or never. The Dazzlings closed their eyes and let out a hum, making sure they were in tune. Then, with a smirk and a sway of Adagio’s hips, they began to sing. Their pendants glowed a blinding scarlet, illuminating the stage in a menacing glow.

Celestia would not call herself exactly a fan of the song, but the immediate effect it cast upon the student body supported its effectiveness; literally singing about how the students were under their spell actually worked its magic on them. She was unimpressed, but then again, she was not the target of the spell. The students were oblivious to the enchantment slowly overcoming them, while the disguised changelings on the floor glanced around in rapidly-increasing worry.

Soon, a green mist settled down to the floor, a surprisingly complementary addition to the atmosphere of this Fall Formal. The frowning faces that had made up the majority of the students’ attitudes disappeared, and were replaced with outright anger. Like the flip of a switch, kids started shouting in the faces of their dates, throwing their food on the ground, and pushing one another around. The only people who appeared unaffected by the song were Chrysalis and her Changelings. It became too easy to spot who was a changeling among the crowd, and Celestia nervously noted that there were more than the thirteen-or-so they had originally planned for. Good thing we realized that earlier, or this wouldn’t be going well at all.

She caught a glimpse at Chrysalis in the center of the crowd. She still emanated a cool, slightly cocky attitude, despite the utter chaos around her. She’s just faking composure right now. She knows her time is almost up. The Dazzlings continued to sing their hearts out onstage, letting the crowd simmer in anger. Celestia became thankful that she had chosen a spot near the exit as she saw the first few students begin to start hitting one another.

It pained her to see all of her students partake in the abrupt riot. There was a time, just weeks ago, where she truly considered herself to be doing the right thing for the school; one short week later and any goodwill she thought the students shared had been obliterated into pieces. Perhaps I have been trying too hard after all. When push came to shove, every student buckled. I guess I would, too.

Celestia’s ear focused back on The Dazzlings, the three singers modulating into a lower key. It’s starting! That green mist that had settled to the bottom of the floor kicked up, flying into the air, forming swirly green trails in its wake. Celestia watched as one trail dived for a changeling near Chrysalis, who happened to hold the form of poor Flash Sentry. The green trail rushed into the changeling’s mouth, and it immediately clutched its throat, a shocked expression on its face. It sunk down onto its knees, its chest heaving in and out as if it was coughing, but nothing was coming out. The changeling stopped clutching its throat and reached up, clawing for air. After a few more moments of what looked like torture, the green trail spat back out the Changeling’s mouth, and the creature sunk to the ground, exhausted. Just as Celestia began to think that the Dazzlings might have killed the bug, it jumped back up, whatever magic it needed to fuel itself arriving in full force. It almost certainly was more magic than the changeling needed. It worked! If the sirens kept it up, the changelings would start to burn through any excess magic they had to spare. Celestia almost jumped for joy when she saw more trails flowing into more changelings, easily visible because of their inability to be affected by the Dazzlings’ enchantment. We might have a chance!

However, at the center of the riot, with a clear circle of space around her, stood Chrysalis. Unlike the rest of the changelings in utter panic, she still appeared completely calm. She’s not just calm . . . she’s cocky! Celestia caught Chrysalis’s gaze, and the changeling queen cast at haughty smile in her direction. Why isn’t she worried? Chrysalis’s grin grew wider. Celestia watched in confusion as the queen sprawled out her hands, raising them up as if reaching for ceiling. What is she doing? Completely oblivious to the suffering of her own kind around her, she simply started to laugh, her cackles roaring over the rioting crowd. Just as Celestia decided she needed to call out to the Dazzlings to warn them, Chrysalis’s eyes glowed a bright green, and she snapped her finger.

Then everything went dark.

Celestia could still hear the Dazzling’s singing—although, it had come to halt at the coinciding time she lost her vision—as well as the angered shouts and rustles of students fighting on the floor. Yet, her vision was completely gone, and judging by the suddenly shaky tone of the Dazzlings, there vision was as well. Panic set in; she blindly stumbled forward, reaching out for anything she could clutch on to. Once she found a solid wall, she clung to the side like her life depended on it.

What is this? A flurry of thoughts overloaded her mind. A power outage? A blinding spell? Some secret changeling technique?

“Celestia!” called out someone from upstage. It sounded like Aria. The other two sirens were starting a duet in an attempt to still hold control over the gym. “What’s going on?”

“I don’t know!” she called back. “We’ve lost our vision!”

“If we can’t see,” Aria yelled shakily, “then we don’t know where to direct the magic! We don’t have enough innate sense to differentiate between human and changeling without sight, especially through that mix on the floor! We’re just wasting it!”

Oh no, Celestia thought, this was her plan all along. Dread set in. I have to figure out what this is. If she had the power to do this at will, she could have destroyed us by now. It has to be something planned in advance— her train of thought was interrupted by a sound digging into her ear.

Something was buzzing. It must be a changeling spell! Another illusion? At the thought of an illusion, Celestia realized that the whole theme of the dance was to be as dark and hard to see as possible. That’s it!

“Dazzlings!” She called out. “They’re using an illusion spell! The gym is already dark, so they’re exaggerating that idea in your mind! You have to break the illusion in your heads!”

“How?!” Sonata called, taking her turn away from the song. “We don’t deal with illusion magic well!”

“Just . . . imagine that you can still see! Envision the crowd, the disco ball, the food bar! See it in your mind, and it might come back to your vision!” As Celestia spoke those words aloud, she began to see a faint picture come back into sight. “It’s working for me! Just try!”

A dim picture of the gym reappeared in Celestia’s eyesight, and she could make out the blurry mass on the dance floor. Come on . . . After another minute of concentration, she had a clear picture of the gym once again. She moved a short ways away from her spot at the wall to get closer to the Dazzlings.

“I’ve got it!” she called. “How are you up there?”

“It’s dim,” said Adagio in the mic, “but I’m starting to see again.” She rejoined her chorus, focusing on channeling the energy they lost back into the music.

Celestia used her regained eyesight to examine the crowd. Everything looked similar to before, except the dance floor held quite a few students who had tripped over one another in a blind stumble. What was the point of that? What did she do while we could not see?

The Dazzlings picked the music back up in full force, fortunately no longer affected by Chrysalis’s attack. Their amulets glowed brighter as the green mist picked back up, and they restarted their method of picking out the changelings among the crowd. However, they were not sending their magic anywhere across the dance floor.

Where are the changelings? The smoky tendrils floated aimlessly through the air, uncertain on who its target was supposed to be.

Chrysalis cackled again from the center of the dance floor. “Did you think I would just let my soldiers stand there and take it? No, you’ll have to work harder than that!”

The Dazzlings’ trio grew shaky once more, the strain of harvesting too much energy without anywhere to send it audible in their voices. Celestia scanned the crowd, looking for any tell that could give away the changelings’ position. Near the Crystal Prep corner, she noticed that one group of six was actually three duplicates of the same two people.

“They’re blending in with the crowd!” she called to the Dazzlings. “Try and find any look-alikes! At least one of them must be a Changeling!”

“We can’t risk wasting magic on the real person!” Aria called back. “You need to point out which ones are changelings for us!”

Chrysalis continued to laugh as she watched their display unfold. “That won’t be enough! But good luck trying, Principal!”

With one last glance at the Dazzlings, the Principal rushed onto the dance floor, looking at each student and searching for any multiples. She examined the Crystal Prep group, the one where two looked like a group of six, but paused. How do I tell them apart?

“Dazzlings! Do the students react to outside forces when within your enchantment?”

“They will not react to anything outside of the spell if it is relatively unobtrusive!” Adagio responded.

“Got it!” The Celestia reached up and gently tapped one girl in the face. She didn’t flinch, completely focused on the argument with the girl across from her. She went to the next two duplicates and pushed a little harder. Although they stayed committed to the role, she noticed a small twitch when she touched both of them. “These two here!” She called out. She turned to the two girls the other Changelings were pretend-arguing with and pushed them as well. Both also flinched. “And their partners here!”

The green tendrils reached down and snagged up the four Changelings, suffocating them with magic.

And so it continued, Celestia rushing across the dance floor, slapping, pushing, and poking students to figure out who was a fake so the Dazzlings could pounce. Celestia noted that, even at the breakneck pace she was moving at, the Dazzlings’ amulets were dimming, their once blinding glow now lowered to the dimness of a lightbulb. All the while, Chrysalis stood arrogantly in the center, untouched by the struggle around her.

“How does it feel, Principal! Your ace in the hole was completely negated by simply hiding my Changelings! I didn’t even need to fight back!”

Celestia paused to turn to her. “We’re not done yet, Chrysalis!”

Chrysalis huffed and straightened out her posture. “No, I think this sad show has gone on for long enough. It’s time I show you what I’ve been waiting for.” Chrysalis’s eye glowed a bright green hue as she glowered at the Principal.

Suddenly, a buzzing sound completely overwhelmed the sirens onstage. Even with her earplugs in, Celestia clutched her hands around her ears to shield herself. Chrysalis cackled once more, and Celestia felt herself overtaken by dizziness. Is the room pressure dropping? The Dazzlings magic was no longer audible, completely blocked out by the buzzing. Their amulets were draining fast. The rioting students suddenly stopped one after another, instead offering a hand to help the person they were pummeling back up. In mere minutes, their amulets had lost all of their light, left as dim as any normal stone. The three sirens sunk defeatedly to the ground onstage, unable to sing any longer. No!

Celestia felt a sense of calm wash over her. Having dealt with the Changelings’ spell before, she knew how easy it was to fall into their trap, especially when she was completely surrounded. She grasped her arm and twisted it as hard as she could, making sure the pain never completely wore off. She prayed that the pain combined with her earplugs would be enough to stop herself from falling into the changelings’ spell.

The students had now gone completely still, ordered evenly on the dance floor, with identical, blank smiles on all of their faces. It was hard to resist joining the pleasant atmosphere the changelings created, but Celestia held strong, reminding herself that her emotions were under her own control. She ran onstage up to the Dazzlings.

“What happened?” she asked.

“They overwhelmed us,” said Adagio. “We were barely holding on, so when Chrysalis started to cast her love spell, it negated all the power we were putting out. It drained us up in an instant.”

The room had gone deathly silent, except for the light chuckle of Chrysalis in the crowd. “Well, here we are. I’m glad to see that you’ve taken stage already, Miss Celestia.”

“Excuse me?” Celestia said.

Chrysalis grinned. “It’s a little past seven-thirty. Don’t you think it’s about time to announce the Fall Formal Princess?”

Luna walked up to the microphone, a small wooden chest in her hands. She popped open the top to reveal the Fall Formal crown sitting atop a plush pillow.

“Come on, Principal,” Chrysalis called from the crowd, “we don’t have all night.”

Aghast, Celestia stood up and walked over to the microphone. She glanced back at the Dazzlings, who gave her a pleading look. I can’t do this . . .

“Get on with it!”

I don’t have a choice.

Celestia sighed and took a deep breath. “Um . . . first off, I would like to say how wonderful everything looks tonight. You all did a magnificent job of pulling things together, and . . . I would like to thank everyone for showing up, including the amazing students from Crystal Preparatory Academy.” She paused, noting Chrysalis’s expression, growing more impatient by the second. I need to stop this! A thought popped into her mind.

“I’m sure all of you at CHS have spent the past few days worrying about this mysterious Anon-A-Miss, who has launched the most damaging cyberbullying campaign in this school’s history.” Chrysalis’s face contorted into a frown. “I would like to announce that we have found who is behind the account, and have enough evidence to condemn the student. The Anon-A-Miss account is being run by none other than Sunset Shimmer.”

The Principal expected to hear gasps, or to see at least one person in shock at the revelation, but no one even moved. The only sound was Chrysalis, clapping her hands, a mockingly bashful expression on her face.

“Sorry, everybody! My bad! I promise to be better next time, I swear!” Her expression soured as she turned back to Celestia. “Now hurry up.”

Celestia looked on in shock. “Do none of you students care at all? Didn’t she make your lives miserable for the past week, and do damage that will hurt your future? You should be chasing her out of the building!”

The happy faces of the student body collectively shifted into frowns. “Don’t you see, Principal,” said Chrysalis, “that they love me? Well, they love Sunset, but it still applies here. There’s nothing you can do now. Award me the crown and accept defeat peacefully.”

Celestia glanced at the Dazzlings, frozen in defeat. I can’t give up now . . .

Celestia turned to Luna and reluctantly picked the crown up off of its pillow. “Um . . . without further ado, I would like to announce the winner of this year’s Fall Formal crown.”

She eyed the crown, twisting it over in her hands. This is it, then. Once I hand this to her, she can exploit the kids enough to hatch her eggs. I tried my hardest, Luna. I’m sorry. She stared out into the crowd of students, all annoyed that Celestia was stalling at handing Sunset the crown. “Come on already!” Chrysalis yelled.

The students followed suit and began jeering at the Principal. Someone threw a cup of soda on stage, hitting Celestia’s legs. Soon, plenty of students began to throw items onstage, hitting against Celestia, Luna, and the Dazzlings all over. She’s got them completely under control. They’ll do anything for her. Sunset’s words from earlier in the evening drifted back into her mind.

That anger . . . I can use it to my advantage. Not to fight against the world, but to help somepony else.

That’s it! she thought. Celestia turned to the three sirens. “Dazzlings!” she whispered. The three girls turned to her. “Look at the crowd!”

The three Sirens shielded their faces from the incoming pieces of food. “What about it?” asked Adagio. “They hate us.”

“Exactly! They’re angry because of how much they love Chrysalis!”

Adagio’s eyes widened in realization. “But that means . . .”

The Principal smirked. “Watch this.”

She turned to the microphone, and, ignoring the barrage of food, straightened herself out, a confident smile appearing on her face. “The person who gained the most votes to be this year’s Fall Formal Princess was Sunset Shimmer.” The students erupted in applause. Chrysalis cackled as she walked up to the front of the stage, the crowd making way for her as it screamed and danced in happiness.

Just as Chrysalis made it to the top steps and up to Celestia, reveling in the flood of love she was receiving, the Principal took the crown in her hands and snapped it in half against her knee. “But nobody gets it this year! I’m disappointed in all of you! This school has turned into an absolute mess! It’s disgraceful!” Immediately the crown roared in anger, stomping their feet on the ground in disapproval.

Chrysalis rushed up to the Principal and grabbed her by her collar. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” she snarled.

The Principal pushed her off. “Get off of me! You’re a disgrace to Sunset’s name.”

“Give me the crown, you bastard,” the changeling queen growled as the Principal couldn’t contain her snickering.

Celestia tossed the two halves in front of Chrysalis. “It’s all yours. Take it.”

Chrysalis picked up the two halves, putting on a faux sorrowful expression to rile up the crowd. They grew louder, enraged at the mistreatment of the Fall Formal Queen. “Are you stupid?” she said to Celestia. “Look how much they love me.”

Celestia grinned. “Whether it’s out of love or hate, those students down below are still angry as all hell. And really, that’s all we need.”

The Principal stepped to the side, giving Chrysalis a better view of the Dazzlings. Their pendants were glowing a blinding red light. Before Chrysalis could stop them, they began to sing.

“Stop the spell!” she screamed at her changelings. “It’s helping them! Stop the goddamn spell!” But it was too late. The sirens had taken the frenzy the students had gotten worked up into and shifted it to their own advantage. The changelings stopping their spell just made it easier for the Dazzlings to reclaim control. Quickly, the sirens shifted back into their lower key and sent green tendrils of smoke out to the Changelings in the crowd, now easily findable due to their sudden state of panic.

Chrysalis jumped off of the stage and into the dance floor. “Come here, changelings! Surround me!” Instead of the crowd giving way to her like previously, the enraged group trampled over Chrysalis, ripping the train of her dress. She tripped and fell, and the students, no longer aware of her presence, accidentally stomped all over her.

Celestia saw the queen disappear in a flash of green, and the wasp flew out of the dance floor toward the gym exit. All of her changelings followed behind her. However, that just made it easier for the sirens to catch them, and they focused all of that mist onto the group, stopping them dead in their tracks. Just as Chrysalis reached the exit, she transformed back into Sunset, throwing her bruised and battered body against the door to escape. None of the changelings made it through behind her.

Chrysalis stumbled out of the dance hall, seething in anger. “God dammit! Dammit!” She rushed down the main hallway to the front entrance of the school, leaving the Fall Formal behind. She stumbled out the doors into the cool night air. The sky was a hazy orange, the sun almost completely set. She rushed over to her hive, that monstrous tree, in the front yard.

The towering hive slowly diminished back into a normal-sized tree, shrinking in front of her eyes. The Dazzlings had succeeded in removing her excess magic, and now she was on even ground, with only her current magic inside of her to use. She ran over to a small fist-sized hole in the side and peered in. The eggs lining the inside walls were still unharmed, and she let out a sigh of relief.

“Do not worry, little ones,” she cooed. “You will be hatched by the end of tonight.”

“I can see you, Chrysalis!” someone called out. Chrysalis peeked around the tree to see Sunset Shimmer standing in front of the mirror portal, a sledgehammer gripped in her hands. “Come on out.”

Chrysalis stepped out from behind the tree and slowly approached Sunset, keeping a good few meters away. “Well Sunset, how nice it is to see you,” she said mockingly, “I’m glad to see you’re feeling better.”

“And you look fantastic. Is that my dress you’re wearing?” Sunset asked.

“Ah, yes, one of my drones saw this design in another student’s house. Did you blackmail Rarity, perhaps?”

Sunset snorted. “I prefer to use the term forced commission. It’s good to know I would have looked great in it.”

“Thanks for the compliment.” Chrysalis took a careful step forward, and Sunset reflexively tensed her arms, lifting the sledgehammer up. “Ooh, a little nervous, are we?” she taunted. “How about you let me pass you through that portal?”

Sunset adjusted her grip. “You’re not going through this portal, Chrysalis. You’re gonna surrender, right here and now. I saw the tree shrink down; you’re out of magic. Certainly not enough to take the world over. Give it up.”

Chrysalis took another step forward. “And what exactly are you going to do if I don’t bend to your will?”

Sunset raised the sledgehammer. “I’ll break this portal into pieces. I’ve already sent Twilight over to the other side—she’s breaking Princess Luna and the bearers of the Elements out of their pods as we speak. I’ll trap you and I here forever.”

Chrysalis’s humorous grin lowered into contemplative expression. “Would you really? From what I can sense, you’ve gotten quite chummy with your old pony pals. I would think you want to be less human, if anything. But are you sure you’re ready to make that decision for yourself?” She lifted her hand, and with a flash of green it turned into a hoof. “What are you, Sunset: human or pony?” She shifted the hoof back into a hand, and back to the hoof, continuing a back-and-forth motion in an attempt to unnerve Sunset. The girl growled and shifted position to have a better angle at the portal.

“I’m neither, and both,” Sunset said. “I’m not playing along with your mind games any longer. This is about something bigger than me. I’ll take us both down if I need to in any world, and in any form.”

Chrysalis gasped. “I’m shocked! You’ve finally grown up, turned into a responsible adult. You’re all selfless and yucky. You still haven’t outgrown one trait, though: overconfidence.” She continued her approach, the distance between her and Sunset closing in.

“Stay back!” Sunset cried. “I’ll break this!”

Chrysalis laughed. “Give it a shot! You see, Sunset, I’m not a moron. I’ve got guards placed on the other side of that portal. Anypony who decides to travel to Equestria is immediately captured and imprisoned. If you really have Twilight over there, then she’s being stuffed into a sack right now.”

“You’re bluffing.”

“Hah! The gall of some ponies!” The distance between them shortened to less than a meter. Sunset raised the sledgehammer and smirked.

“Let’s find out who’s lying, then.” With a grunt, Sunset swung the sledgehammer down onto the top of the statue. In a lightning flash, Chrysalis turned into a wasp and darted for Sunset, slamming into her stomach. Sunset fell to the ground, dropping the hammer onto the pavement before it could make contact.

Chrysalis wasted no time and turned back into Sunset’s form. She began to punch Sunset relentlessly, letting out all of her pent up rage through her fists. Sunset tried to shield her face, but it was to no avail.

“You, stupid, bitch!” Chrysalis cried, a punch timed with each word. “I had everything! Tonight was supposed to be a fucking cakewalk!” Sunset let the barrage of fists continue to land against her face, unable to get a word in. “You’re nobody! Celestia’s trash, tossed aside once she realized you were worth nothing! Even this dumpster fire of a world is too good for you!”

As Chrysalis continued her fit of rage, Sunset slid her hand into her jean pocket and pulled out a small switchblade. Just as Chrysalis winded up for her next hit, Sunset unflipped it and swiped it at Chrysalis, slicing her arm.

“Gah!” screamed Chrysalis as she flinched backward, clutching her arm. Sunset used the opening to push Chrysalis off of her and stumble to her feet. “Goddamn you!”

Sunset raised her fists and tensed her muscles as Chrysalis wiped the blood off of her hands. “Come on,” she said, stopping to spit some blood out of her mouth, “let’s do this fair.”

Chrysalis cackled maniacally. “Fair?! No chance in Tartarus!” She darted forward in wasp form before transforming back right in front of Sunset, this time swinging her fist with her built up momentum. It clocked Sunset in the jaw, and she stumbled back in a daze. Chrysalis kept pressure, advancing on Sunset and punching her in the same spot.

“Shit!” Sunset yelled as Chrysalis came in for a third hit. She weakly dodged out of the way and sent a fist flying at Chrysalis’s face, but right before it connected, Chrysalis turned into a wasp, and she only hit the air. She fell backward onto her chest, slamming into the ground with a groan. However, instead of continuing her assault, Chrysalis turned around and flew over to the portal.

“I think that’s enough of that. I’ll go and grab a quick pick-me-up from Equestria, if you wouldn’t mind,” she said, stepping forward to the portal.

“No!” Sunset yelled, jumping to her feet. She ran over to Chrysalis, and clutched Chrysalis’s leg before she went completely through, yanking her back into Earth. Chrysalis dizzily stumbled onto the ground.

“No!” the changeling queen screamed. She flew over to Sunset, and pushed her to the ground, this time choosing a barrage of kicks against her stomach in a frenzy of hatred. Sunset groaned after each hit, but still didn’t bother resisting. “Why won’t you let me win?!”

Sunset started to chuckle, spitting out more blood in between the heaves of her chest. She considered herself tough, but if Chrysalis kept up her attack, Sunset realized she was going to pass out. “Oh, man . . . heh . . . you’re one stupid bug . . .”

Chrysalis stopped kicking, instead choosing to restrain Sunset down and lean in closer, relieving Sunset slightly. “What are you hiding?” Chrysalis asked as Sunset regained her senses.

Sunset laughed louder, wincing and clutching her chest. “It’s just . . . you get so caught up in yourself . . . that your eyes lose sight of the prize.”

Chrysalis stopped, a puzzled expression on her face. Amidst silence between the two of them, she heard a sound from across the courtyard. Her eyes widened.

Thunk. Thunk. Thunk.

The changeling queen darted over to her hive and saw the last thing she wanted to see: Twilight Sparkle, chopping away at the tree with an axe. She was almost completely through, and after a few more chops, a solid push would take the tree down completely, and all her eggs with it. She heard Sunset laughing like a madwoman near the mirror portal.

It wasn’t too late, however. She rushed over to Twilight and pushed her to the ground, just as the girl was about to put a final swing into the side. She pinned Twilight on the ground and offered a devilish smile.

“Well, Twilight, how nice it is to see you after all this time. Tell me, how does it feel to watch two worlds burn?”

Twilight spat in her face. “That’s for Cadance and Shining Armor.”

Chrysalis laughed, wiping the spit off of her face. “I’ll send the message. I see now; Sunset was just the distraction. It’s a shame she didn’t give you enough time to finish the job, isn’t at? After all, now she’s too far away to save you. You fucked it all up.” Twilight glared daggers at the queen. However, the close proximity between the two allowed Chrysalis to sense the love inside of Twilight. She smiled coyly. “Tell me, Twilight, how pretty do I look in this dress?”

“You’re hideous,” Twilight snarled. Chrysalis did a quick look back to make sure Sunset wasn’t on her feet. The other girl was still trying to pull herself off the ground. She turned back to Twilight, barely suppressing a manic grin.

“How could you say that about Sunset’s form? I can feel it, you know.”

“What?” Twilight said.

“Your love,” she responded, “and I think it might be quite tasty. Would you mind if I borrowed some?” Chrysalis’s eyes flashed green, and, casting a quick spell over Twilight, she leaned in and kissed her on the lips.

Sunset had stood up and was stumbling over to them when she saw what Chrysalis was doing. “No!” she shouted, breaking into a sprint. The tree, almost completely cut, started to close its cuts back up. All of Chrysalis’s bruises and the cut on her arm faded away; she appeared completely rejuvenated. Sunset slammed into the changeling, pushing her off of Twilight.

Chrysalis pulled herself off of the ground. “Now that feels good! Who needs to go to Equestria when there’s an Equestrian on tap right here, eh?” Sunset rushed over to Twilight and began trying to break her out of Chrysalis’s trance, shaking her up and down. “Oh, give it up for a bit. I poured all of my energy into that spell. It sure paid off though!” She cackled again as she got up to her feet.

“What the hell did you do?” growled Sunset.

“Oh, nothing much. I just sapped her dry. And boy, did she have a lot of love to give! You’ve got a catch there, Sunset.”

Sunset stepped off of Twilight and advanced toward Chrysalis. “I’ll kill you.”

“It sure would be interesting to see you try that,” she said. “In fact, all this excess magic is making me jittery. I think I might indulge for once.” She flashed green and began a transformation that stopped Sunset in horror.

A pair of sanguine wings sprouted from her back, and her skin tone darkened to match. Sunset stumbled backward as the imposter turned her own body into the form of a demon, with sharp fangs, pointed ears, and pitch black sclera. Her previously white and pink dress became a torn mess of fire and black, and she sprouted a tail of similar design. Chrysalis cackled madly, and with two beats of her wings, flew up into the air.

“It appears fate is still on my side tonight, Sunset! How cruel the universes must seem to you!”

Principal Celestia stood in astonishment onstage as the riot played out below her. It . . . it worked! She jumped up with a whoop of joy and turned to the Dazzlings, who were singing through beaming smiles.

“We did it!” she exclaimed. “They didn’t know what hit them!” Relief washed over Celestia once the recognition that her job was over settled in.

Luna, if Twilight and Sunset can pull this thing off, I might just believe that magic is a good thing. She walked offstage, and realizing how thirsty she was, moved over to the food bar to grab a drink. She weaved past a group of students in a heated argument, and sidestepped two kids grappling at each other in a physical struggle. Once she reached the food bar she found the punch bowl was nearly empty, but she scooped out just enough to quench her thirst. Of course, they still need to pull this off. I should go out and help them.

She glanced at the corner of room where all of the changeling drones had been rounded up; the Dazzlings kept a steady stream of anger flowing into their bodies, and most were laying limp on the ground, all too weary to put up a fight. It was almost pitiful, seeing the supposed conquerors of Equestria reduced to a few such a sad sight. I guess the Dazzlings really did have the power after all.

She decided to make her way back onstage and see if the Dazzlings would want to go help the girls outside. In order to cross the room, the easiest path back was straight through the dance floor. Celestia steeled herself and trudged in, ready to push through the bickering students if necessary. When she reached the center and got a closer look, it became apparent they were doing far more than just arguing.

One student was tugging at another’s hair, flipping the poor girl’s head around. Another had gotten their neighbor on the ground, and was stomping on child relentlessly. She turned around and saw that the two people who had just been in a verbal argument had begun to strangle one another. She slightly lowered her head down, careful not to get trampled, and examined the floor. Pools of blood became easily visible against the reflective lights. This is getting out of control!

She rushed back onstage and up to the Dazzlings. “You need to stop this!” she cried. “The students have started to fight one another. They’re getting hurt!”

Adagio turned to her. “That’s sort of what anger does. If you want us to finish the job, we need to continue riling them up.”

“I didn’t sign up to see a bloodbath!” exclaimed the Principal. “I’m still responsible for these students! The changelings have been defeated—we can stop now.”

Adagio shrugged. “We’re seeing this through. Consider it the price you have to pay to save the world.” She turned back and rejoined the chorus.

A fit of determination overcame the Principal. She walked over to the microphone and yanked it out of its stand, leaving Adagio without any projection. “Enough!” she yelled into the mic.

Everyone was too caught up in their struggle against the other students to even acknowledge her announcement.

“Stop this at once! I demand that you stop!”

Adagio walked over to her, a scowl on her face. “That’s not gonna work.”

“What do I have to do, then?” she seethed. “This is too far, Adagio.”

Adagio motioned her hand toward the microphone. “I’ll make it stop if you give me the mic. Honestly.”

Celestia furrowed her brow at the siren’s comment, but she knew that getting the riot to stop was more important. “Here,” she said, handing over the mic.

Adagio turned back and walked to her spot on the stage. “Alright, girls! I say its time we show Earth what a real party is!”

On cue, the two singing Dazzlings modulated back up into their original key. However, instead of winding the song down, their singing grew more intense, and Adagio joined in, bringing them up into a higher octave. The change in sound immediately had an effect on the crowd. Celestia watched as all of the students stopped fighting and turned to the Dazzlings, seemingly entranced by their new song. Relief washed over her as the stopped attacking one another.

Hold on . . . what’s with their eyes?

On closer inspection, every student’s eyes had changed color, glowing bright red. Not only had they stopped fighting one another, their faces turned into blank expressions, a few with a slight frown, and they lined themselves up on the dance floor. It’s just like what Chrysalis was doing.

Adagio cleared her throat, and offered a haughty glance in the Principal’s direction. She raised her hand, and the two sirens behind her stopped singing. The room fell silent once more, a strange tension hanging in the air.

“Hello students of Canterlot High School, Crystal Preparatory Academy, and all of those of you around the city who can hear me in your heads right now. I am Adagio Dazzle. However, I am asking you to be your leader. We are united by a mission that has quite literally crossed over multiple universes, generations, and lifetimes.

“That mission will be completed tonight. But it will not be easy to succeed. All of your fear, your kindness, your cowardice, must be removed if we wish to truly save this world. The only things I need from you are your anger and your determination. Let it rise to the surface, like a bubble ready to pop. You will need to give this your all. I know you can.

“What is our goal, you ask? To reclaim what is rightfully mine. To cast vengeance upon those who have wronged us in the past. And, most importantly, to regain control of this world, which has been led so far astray. All of this starts tonight! And it starts with one simple action, one swift blow that any one of you can deliver, if your hearts and souls are dedicated to my cause!”

The crowd below roared with excitement as Adagio continued. Celestia backed away from the sirens.

“Your goal tonight is simple . . . I’m sure many of you already know what I’m going to say, because you have been thinking it, imagining it, and reveling in it for weeks now. It is an accomplishment far overdue, but that just means we must get it done as soon as possible.”

A smirk appeared on Adagio’s face, as the crowd erupted in eager shouts and anticipatory noises. She stared at the Principal, and her smirk opened up into a malicious grin.

“You must kill Princess Celestia!”

The crowd roared in approval.

“You hate Princess Celestia!”

They stomped their feet on the ground in ecstasy.

“If you see Princess Celestia right now, you will attack her!”

They whooped and hollered, shouting obscenities at the top of their lungs.

“And I repeat: you will kill her!”

The Principal watched in horror as the Dazzlings continued to rile up the crowd. She ran over to Adagio and grabbed onto her shoulders. “What is this, Adagio?! What are you doing?”

Adagio turned to her, and Celestia came face to face with a pair of ancient, evil eyes. “We’re taking compensation for our help tonight.”

“Why Princess Celestia? What did she do to you?”

Adagio didn’t answer. Instead, she pushed Celestia off of her and turned back to the crowd. “What are we waiting for?! Everyone, head to the Everfree Forest! Camp Everfree is our goal! And remember: if you see Celestia, you murder her!”

At Adagio’s final call, the whooping and hollering reached a crescendo, and Celestia threw her hands over her ears. A second glance at the crowd showed they were doing more than just hollering out loud; they were yelling and shouting at the Principal.

The Principal slunk back as every student in the room eyed her with malicious gazes. “Why are they looking at me, Adagio? I’m not the Princess!”

Adagio shrugged. “We didn’t have the time to explain that there was more than one Celestia in this world. Sorry.” She walked over to the Principal and guided her to the doorway. “Consider this our last gift to you: I’ll hold this group off for ten seconds. Run.”

The Principal glanced back from the doorway at every student, eagerly watching her, waiting to pounce on the sirens’ command. She turned heel and dashed out of the school as fast as her legs could carry her.

“Since when could you grow wings?” growled Sunset from below as Chrysalis soared higher into the air, going up past the top floor of the school.

“Since I’ve got far too much energy and nothing to lose! I just need enough power, and I can transform into anything!”

“Then why the hell are you so fixated on fucking up my body?”

Chrysalis’s laugh boomed through the courtyard. “There are few bodies that I can use that allow me to do so much evil without losing any love,” she said. “I could have killed another student and the teachers would have asked if I was hurt! You built up the perfect reputation. This,” she twirled in the air, showing off her demon form, “Is all you!”

“Bullshit it is,” Sunset yelled from the ground. “Get down here and face me. I may not be able to fly, but I can still kick your ass.”

“If you wish!” Chrysalis said, swooping down directly at Sunset. She picked the girl up by her jacket and lifted her into the air. Soaring up to the top level of the school, she reveled in seeing Sunset flail her legs wildly in the sky. Just as Chrysalis reached the peak of her flight, she dropped Sunset from her arms.

Sunset’s mind flooded with terror and she let out a loud scream. Right before she hit the ground, Chrysalis swiped her back up, stopping her fatal momentum. With an evil cackle, she immediately dropped Sunset afterward, who rolled onto the ground with a heavy thud. She landed against the side of the Wondercolts statue and groaned.

“The next time I decide to pick you up, I won’t be so kind, Sunset! And I’m not giving any second chances!”

Sunset got back onto her feet and brushed herself off. “Then what the hell are you waiting for?”

Chrysalis landed in front of the portal, a few feet away from Sunset. “I have some reinforcements scheduled to arrive any minute now. I think I’ll wait it out by toying with you a little more. It’ll be fun to revel in your slow death.” She rushed forward and jumped at Sunset, angling her knee to slam directly into her stomach. All of Sunset’s air released from her lungs, and she fell backward onto the ground. “You sure can take a beating!” Chrysalis exclaimed, a chuckle escaping her lips at Sunset’s misery.

Sunset sucked in more air before sitting back up. “Humanity isn’t as kind as Equestrians are. I’ve had to learn.”

Chrysalis’s chuckle evolved into a full-on guffaw. “Perhaps. Or maybe the ponies hide it better.”

Sunset got back onto her feet again, and raised her fists at the changeling queen. Splaying out her arms tauntingly, Chrysalis beckoned her closer.

“Come on! One free shot, Sunset. Consider it your last chance.”

“Fuck you.”

Chrysalis smirked. “Words aren’t going to kill me. Perhaps you would like to try hugging me to death next?”

Sunset raced forward with a roar, swinging her fist at the demon. Chrysalis sidestepped and used Sunset’s momentum to push her to the ground. She landed against the concrete and let out another groan of pain.

“Ha! That’s everything you have, then? How pitiful. There was a moment when I thought you could actually be something, Sunset. All of that potential, thrown away the minute momma bird came back and said she would actually feed you this time—” Chrysalis was interrupted by something latching onto her back. Sunset turned her head to see Twilight clutching onto the demon’s wings, wrapping her whole body around Chrysalis in an airtight hug.

“This one’s from Equestria!” she yelled as Chrysalis shook herself back and forth.

“Get the hell off of me, you disgusting mule!” She clawed at Twilight behind her back, but even as she dug into Twilight’s skin, the girl wouldn’t let go.

“Sunset! Right next to you!”

Sunset glanced to her left, and saw the sledgehammer she had dropped next to the portal. Realizing Twilight’s intentions, she weakly grasped the top of the handle, picking it up with every ounce of strength she had left. She slid back up onto her feet.

Chrysalis, still not paying attention due to Twilight’s attack, lifted her head at just the right angle for Sunset to swing. The head of the sledge slammed into Chrysalis’s face with a crunch, and she screamed in agony.

“You miserable excuse of an ape—” Sunset clocked her again.

“Ugh, you fucking—” Sunset continued her flurry of barrages, and Twilight used Chrysalis’s stunned seconds to detach herself from the queen. With one final roar, Sunset knocked Chrysalis onto the ground, who fell backward with a thud.

“And that was from Earth!” Sunset yelled as she dropped the sledgehammer on the ground. Chrysalis didn’t respond, still passed out, her face bloodied and bruised from the sudden beating.

Twilight rushed to Sunset’s side, worry evident on her face. She had a few deep scratches on her back, but was more or less okay. Sunset examined herself, and found that she had taken the most damage. Twilight was averting her eyes from Sunset’s face. I must look terrible right now.

“What happened, Sunset? Why does Chrysalis look like . . . demon you?”

Sunset set her hands on her knees and panted for breath. “She . . . got a boost of power, from you . . . and she wanted to piss me off. It’s fine, now. She got too cocky.”

Twilight placed a hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what happened, I just . . .”

“That’s just want Chrysalis does to win. I won’t make a big deal out of it. Are you okay?”

Twilight nodded. “I’m lightheaded, probably from being drained. You, um . . .”

Sunset tried to chuckle, but winced in pain, clutching her chest. “Yeah, I guess I’m not too hot. I’m probably going to pass out soon.”

“We should deal with her quick then. What are you going to do?”

Sunset wiped her brow and moved to pick the sledge back up. “I’m . . . going to kill her. She’s a parasite.” She glanced back at Twilight. “Go restart cutting down the tree. This might not be pretty.”

“Do you want to kill her?”

Sunset stared down at Chrysalis body. " . . . No. No, I don’t. I don’t want to at all.” She turned to Twilight. “But is there another way out? Will she ever see reason?”

Twilight didn’t say anything.

“Then I have no choice.”

“Okay, Sunset,” said Twilight. “I won’t stop you. I’ll start cutting down the tree again.”

As Twilight moved back over to the tree and grabbed the axe, Sunset stepped in front Chrysalis’s body, lining herself up for a blow to the chest. She wasn’t sure she would be able to stomach hitting the head directly. “Consider this farewell, Chrysalis. May fate have mercy on your soul.”

Just as Sunset raised the sledge, however, Chrysalis’s eyes darted open, and she launched herself forward, grabbing Sunset by the neck. She cackled with glee as she soared into the air, taking Sunset along for the ride.

“Easiest trick in the book! Did you really think a few blows to the head was enough to knock me out? I’m invincible! I have defied fate! I am victorious!” She rose higher and higher into the air, letting Sunset’s legs dangle, relishing the view of her futile search for footing. Once she reached the height equal to the top of level of the school, she grinned, and stared into Sunset’s helpless eyes. “Goodbye, Sunset! Perhaps you’ll finally get some peace in Tartarus!”

“Twilight!” Sunset screamed. Chrysalis, at hearing the girl’s name, glanced in her direction for a split-second.

Twilight, who had previously tried to cut down the tree the normal way, had failed to notice the fist-shaped hole on the side, as it was just a bit out of her reach. However, this time, Twilight had caught sight of it on her walk back, and immediately began attempting to jam the felling axe through the hole.

“NO!” screamed Chrysalis, and without thinking, she darted down as fast as her wings would carry her, aiming straight for the tree. She was still clutching on to Sunset with her grip, and she dropped the girl a few feet before the ground. Twilight saw the advancing demon and quickly ducked behind the tree, dislodging the axe from the hole.

Chrysalis slammed into its side, unable to stop her momentum. Sunset rolled toward the mirror portal, cutting herself on the hard concrete. She landed just in front of the mirror’s entrance, and had to fight to keep consciousness.

Both the changeling queen and Sunset were groaning on the ground in pain over the fall. Twilight, seeing an opportunity, walked out from behind the tree, and raised the axe over Chrysalis. Just as the axe fell, Chrysalis instinctively rolled out of the way to avoid it.

She was not fast enough. Chrysalis’s wing got caught by the axe, and a small hole was torn through it. She screamed in pain.

Sunset got back onto her feet and stumbled over to Chrysalis, wiping dirt out of her face. “No more, Chrysalis! There’s nothing left for you to do!”

Chrysalis’s eyes widened as Twilight raised the axe again, ready to strike. Behind her, Sunset was advancing, and had almost reached her. In a panic, the queen flashed, turning back into a small wasp, and darted toward the mirror portal.

Sunset had a head start, already waiting only a meter away from the portal. As the queen wasp passed Sunset, the girl reached out her hand and clutched the bug tightly. There was still a chance for Chrysalis; with another green flash, she turned back into the demon Sunset, turning Sunset’s full-body clutch into only a grasp on Chryalis’s leg. She started to trudge forward, vowing to enter through the portal no matter what. Sunset only had enough energy to hang on and let herself get dragged forward, fearful of what would happen if the changeling queen made it through.

“Don’t try it, Chrysalis!” Sunset screamed. Chrysalis was one step away from the portal.

“Too bad, Sunset! Let’s go back home!” Sunset grabbed on to Chrysalis’s other leg. She glanced behind and saw Twilight running up to grab on as well. She was too late; the changeling queen cackled as she found the energy to lift another leg forward.

Chrysalis stepped into the mirror portal.

A prismatic vortex assaulted Sunset’s senses as she was dragged inside. Her sense of balance was lost, replaced with a nauseating vertigo. In what seemed like hours, but was only less than a second, Sunset felt her body corkscrew into a mash between pony and human, Chrysalis undergoing a similar transformation in front of her. The only thing she could ground herself to was her grip on Chrysalis’s leg, but even that was not helping much. Just as Sunset thought she was going to empty her lunch, her momentum was completely negated by something grabbing onto her own leg, letting her dangle in the center of the portal with Chrysalis.

She tilted her head back and saw a purple arm sticking through the portal, gripping Sunset’s leg tightly. Twilight anchored herself on the other side! Sunset turned back to face Chrysalis’s form, the two now stuck dangling between two worlds.

“Let go of me!” Chrysalis shouted, her voice alternating between a typical changeling hiss and the throaty buzz of a wasp. Her yell echoed off into infinity, bouncing against the boundless walls of the portal until it was too quiet to hear. Sunset managed to focus her vision forward and saw that Chrysalis was quite literally swapping between a changeling and a wasp every second, like flipping a switch. Both the changeling and the wasp were of equal size, and Chrysalis did not appear to recognize the change.

“Never!” Sunset realized that her own body was undergoing a similar transformation, a constant blink between pony and human. As she shouted at Chrysalis, she felt both her mouth and her snout call out simultaneously.

Chrysalis flapped both of her wings, trying to inch herself forward out the other end of the portal. Sunset yanked her backwards, relying on Twilight’s grip to just barely contain the struggling changeling. The queen turned around and kicked out her hoof. Sunset dodged out of the way.

I need to pull her back in, Sunset thought to herself. But how?

Chrysalis stopped struggling and instead starting shaking her leg, attempting to fling Sunset off. “How does it feel to be a pony again, Sunset? Is it like returning to a childhood bedroom after years away from home? Or maybe its tearing open all of the scars you thought had scabbed over by now . . .”

Chrysalis’s words gave Sunset an idea. I have my horn! She angled her head downward, pointing it directly at Chrysalis. If I just get the timing right, and wait until I’m in my pony form . . . She waited for a few minutes, internalizing the pattern of swapping between human and pony. Chrysalis’s eyes widened as she realized what Sunset was planning.

“No you don’t!” she screamed, renewing her struggle to escape Sunset’s grip, destroying the mare’s concentration in the process. Still, Sunset kept up the attempt, searching her body for any leftover magic to bring to the surface. Chrysalis wiggled her foreleg slightly out of Sunset’s grip, and it renewed her efforts tenfold. “Let me go!”

Sunset tried to fire a spell to no avail. She had spent far too much time in the human world, and her body had gotten used to living with little to no magic. She was holding on to Chrysalis by a fingertip, just by the edge of her hoof, and her grip was weakening.

“Please!” Sunset called out in frustration. “Please! Just one spell! I’ll take anything! I don’t deserve it, but it isn’t for me! Just this once! Give me one shot!”

“Give up, Sunset!” Chrysalis yelled. “You are no savior! Submit, and give Equestria up! It has never extended its hoof to you before, not when you were in need. Let it go! Release your grip, and see Equestria fall as you have always wanted!”

“No!” she screamed. “I won’t!”

“Equestria will never forgive you, Sunset! Take vengeance, and release your hand!”

“Never! It doesn’t matter! Equestria can send me to Tartarus, trap me on the moon, encase me in stone, I don’t care! Because I forgive them!” Her grip weakened. “I forgive every single pony who wronged me, even if they never do so to me!”

“You stupid horse!” Chrysalis roared, yanking her leg almost completely out of Sunset’s grip. “When will you see that they do not care for you! They are not creatures of peace! What you have done will forever be reprehensible in their eyes!”

“Then I will show them otherwise! Every pony is capable of harmony. Every being can live in harmony! But to truly love with abandon, we all must be willing to forgive!”

Just before Chrysalis’s leg fell out of her grasp, Sunset’s eyes glowed a blinding white light. Her body flooded with magic, even though her horn wasn’t activated. She could feel herself floating outside of her own body, while simultaneously inside as well.

Let me go, she heard Chrysalis say. No, she felt Chrysalis say. She could feel Chrysalis’s fear, her panic at trying to escape, and her hatred toward Sunset. Sunset reached forward and grabbed back on to her leg with an iron grip.

Don’t resist, Sunset spoke to her. Chrysalis stopped struggling, and turned back to look at Sunset, her pupils shrunken down to tiny dots.

Your magic is surging, thought Chrysalis, and Sunset could feel the terror coursing through the changeling’s veins.

The last time my magic surged, I erased two ponies from existence.

Chrysalis’s terror evolved into full-on panic as she turned back around began stretching out toward the other side of the vortex. Let me out let me out let me out—

Do not worry, Chrysalis. I will not do the same to you. Even you do not deserve such a fate. I can hear your thoughts, feel your emotions, and view your memories. Last time, I had a magical surge in order to destroy the life I had been given. This time, I will protect it. Sunset felt like her cutie mark had been rediscovered all over again, like she had been filled with an endless energy that affirmed her every action as the correct choice.

Then what are you going to do to me?

That is up for you to decide.

Why?

Because even you are capable of great things, Chrysalis. Stand down now, and I will not hurt you. I promise.

Never! she felt Chrysalis wearily struggle against her grip.

Then I must direct my magic at you, and let fate take control. I do not wish to do so. I will give you one more chance.

I would rather die than become as docile as a pony. I will never forgive you!

Then Harmony shall decide.

Without any hesitation, Sunset aimed her horn and shot a spell as bright as the Sun at Chrysalis, zipping right through her abdomen. With a terrified gasp, Chrysalis’s whole body went limp, stuck floating in the air between the two worlds. Sunset turned to Twilight’s hoof, still clinging on from outside the portal, and tapped it three times.

Twilight, receiving Sunset’s signal, pulled as hard as she could from the other side of the portal. She had braced herself against the adjacent wall of the Wondercolts statue, and yanked the two creatures back onto Earth. Both fell onto the ground in front of the portal, unconscious.

“Sunset!” screamed Twilight, grasping girl in her hands. She grabbed Sunset’s shoulders and shook her up and down, startling her awake. Sunset sat up and groaned in pain.

“Ah,” she said, rubbing her head, “What happened?”

“You and Chrysalis were in the portal,” Twilight said. “What happened?”

She furrowed her brow. “I was holding on to her, trying to cast a spell, and then . . . nothing,” she said.

“I was out here the whole time,” Twilight responded, “so I don’t know either.”

A faint chuckle emanated from a few feet away from them. Chrysalis, back in Sunset’s demon form, was laying on her back, clutching her stomach. Sunset shot up and raced over to her. “This ends now, Chrysalis!”

All Chrysalis could respond with was a defeated sigh. “It’s already over, Sunset. I can’t move.”

“What?” Twilight stood up and went to Sunset’s side, curiously eyeing the fallen Changeling Queen.

“I’m going to die,” Chrysalis said. “You had a magic surge inside of the portal. I suppose the correct thing to say is that ‘fate took over.’ I don’t expect you would remember such a thing immediately.”

Sunset gaped in shock. “A magic surge . . . but what did I do?”

“You’ll regain memory of it soon enough, I’m sure,” she said with a rasp, “but more specifically, you did this.” Chrysalis took her hands and waved them over a spot on her dress, right above her stomach. With a green flash, the small patch of clothes disappeared to reveal what was underneath.

Chrysalis’s scarlet skin was broken up by a few pieces of stone popping out, like small gray islands in a sea of red. She tapped one stone with a finger, letting the two girls hear it knock. They watched as the diameter of each piece slowly but steadily increased, covering more of her stomach each second. “I’m turning into stone. The Princesses were supposedly better at making this punishment fast and ugly, but you botched it, even with destiny working for you.”

“W-what did I do wrong?”

“From what I know, the spell is only supposed to cover the outer layer and preserve the inside of the victim. You, for whatever reason, started on me from the inside out. I’m going to die.”

“She’s lying, Sunset,” said Twilight. “Don’t get any closer.”

Chrysalis snorted. “If I was bluffing at this point, you both would be dead by now.”

A sinking feeling entered Sunset’s stomach. “I’m . . . I’m sorry. I . . . I’ll help put you out of your misery, if you wish.”

“No,” Chrysalis breathed. “It’s a . . . changeling tradition, having a slow death. In fact, when a Queen is killed, the assassin is required to converse with them until they take their last breath. Of course, the usual assassin of a Queen is her own daughter, but . . .”

Sunset sat down next to Chrysalis. She pulled out her switchblade and flipped it open. “I could cut out the stone to stop the spread.”

“No, no . . . just hear what I have to say. You went on a whole spiel about forgiveness inside the portal . . . I think its my turn.” Chrysalis’s voice lowered to a whisper.

Sunset leaned her ear in closer. “Alright—”

The front doors of Canterlot High School swung open, slamming against the sides of the building. Principal Celestia rushed out in panic. When she saw the two girls standing over Chrysalis, she darted over to them.

“Sunset!” she yelled, glancing back at the front doors. “We need to leave! Right now!”

Sunset, Twilight, and Chrysalis stared incredulously at the woman. When the Principal caught sight of her car parked by the side of the building, she jumped in and started the engine, pulling up to the sidewalk. “Get in!”

Then, Sunset noticed the houses lining the streets around CHS. People were stepping out onto the street in an aimless wander, their glowing red eyes accompanying dark scowls on their faces. However, when a few people from closer houses noticed Principal Celestia, they turned and began sauntering toward the woman, their faces turning even darker.

The doors to CHS swung open once more, and this time Adagio, Aria, and Sonata exited the building, a crowd of students following behind them. They stopped a good distance away from Sunset, and turned around to the crowd.

“I will remind you once again,” Adagio announced, “your mission is to find Princess Celestia and kill her!”

Sunset and Twilight gasped.

“What are you doing?” Sunset yelled from across the courtyard.

“I thought we had a deal!” added Twilight.

Adagio let out a sinister laugh, eyeing the girls with a look of haughty superiority. “Did you seriously believe our word? We helped you out, and now we’re taking our payment,” she said.

“Why did you help us, then?” asked Twilight.

“Because you’re just two pawns who think they’re queens!” she exclaimed. “This was never about you! Chrysalis thought it was, and look what happened to her!” She motioned to Chrysalis on the ground. “Serves you right, bitch,” she muttered. “Everything we’ve done has been between us and Celestia. I think Sunset would understand our sentiment, no?”

Sunset clenched her fists. “How dare you?” she growled.

Adagio only responded with another laugh. “Well, ta-ta, Sunset! If you be a good little pony, we might let you stay alive to see both of your worlds destroyed!” Adagio and the other sirens waved goodbye, turning to the right and leading the crowd off the campus. Sunset heard the sound of buses huffing down the street, and soon four pulled into the parking lot. “Everybody in!” Adagio called. “Next stop: Camp Everfree!”

Sunset turned to Twilight, equal looks of despair on both their faces. Chrysalis groaned on the ground in what seemed to be an attempt at a bitter chuckle.

“Hah. . . that’s just how the game is played, Sunset. You live and learn. Or you don’t.”

The Principal slammed the horn of the car twice, reminding the girls of where they needed to be. Twilight rushed over and jumped into the backseat, ready to head to the Everfree.

Sunset eyed Chrysalis on the ground. “I’m going to have to leave you here.”

Chrysalis grinned maniacally. “This isn’t over for me, Sunset. You can leave, but I will reach you. You’re going to look me in the eyes as I die, whether you want to or not.”

“I’m sorry,” Sunset said, turning away and heading for the car. She hopped into the backseat next to Twilight. “Let’s go.”

They sped off just as the Dazzlings began filling up their buses.

“What the hell are we going to do now?” yelled the Principal as she punched on the gas.

Sunset leaned back in the seat, taking a moment to rest her aching body. “We have to get to Camp Everfree first,” she said. “The Princess is waiting.”

Soon

“Are you sure you understood what I meant, Principal,” Sunset said as they walked out to the oak tree in the front schoolyard, “when I said I would help you with anything?”

Truth be told, Sunset was secretly furious that the first thing Principal Celestia would entrust her with during the new school year was to help her with the upkeep of a tree that had barely gotten enough funding to get planted in the first place. Yet as they strolled out to the front campus, Sunset had no choice but to carry a stepladder for the principal and bear with it. She had hoped the duties she had volunteered herself for would have been of the more managerial kind, though.

“Would you rather I offer you some paperwork, Sunset?” Celestia chuckled. They reached the base of the small tree and Sunset unfolded the small stepladder. “Nothing like budgeting at seven-thirty in the morning, right?”

“I wouldn’t mind that, actually,” Sunset commented as she planted the ladder at the base of the trunk. If I’ve learned anything about this world, the more damning legal info on your enemies, the better. “We shouldn’t do a job meant for a groundskeeper.”

“And who’s to say that you will never be a groundskeeper? If I recall, you have not listed what you plan to do after high school yet,” Celestia stepped on to the ladder and began inspecting the hornet’s nest that was the intended target of their expedition.

“Yeah, me, a groundskeeper,” Sunset snorted. “Watch me trim these hedges with my A Plus in Calculus.” Sunset would have been offended, but she had already reached that point when she arrived at school early. The principal may not be the Princess, but her mannerisms were just similar enough to bring Sunset’s blood to a simmer. It was only the thought of her eventual domination that let her conceal how much she wanted to kick the step ladder from under the woman’s feet. Just a glance to Sunset’s right was the portal that brought her to this world, and it was a good reminder of who she really wanted to torment. Sunset tried to save some of her energy for the real Princess.

Celestia frowned and stepped back down the ladder. “You know better than anyone that your hedge designs would be the most sought-after in the neighborhood. See if you can twist the ladder a few degrees left for me. I don’t want to spray this nest at a poor angle.”

There was no point in continuing the question of Sunset’s future; there would not be one for her on this side of the mirror. It had been about a year and a half since she appeared in Canterlot City, and all of that time had been devoted to plotting her eventual coup: gaining the trust and admiration from the entire student body and staff was the easiest way to keep her secret ambitions away from dangerous eyes, and it would prove the perfect shield once she started to take what was hers by some dirtier methods. One of the current trust-gaining exercises she was testing out was offering any aid to Principal Celestia possible. Somehow that translated to dealing with a godforsaken hornet nest before Sunset’s coffee had fully kicked her body into gear.

Sunset shifted. “Attacking a hornet nest before we’ve even started the school day is not the best idea. Can’t we do this after school?” She had gotten awfully good at phrasing criticism as questions over the years.

“It’s going to get foggy in the afternoon, and stay that way for a while longer. I know we are not fully protected, but if this is not taken care of now, it will be stuck here for the next week or so. Would you like a swarm of hornets to show up next Friday?” Celestia was, of course, referring to the Fall Formal next week.

It was Sunset’s second Fall Formal, and she felt the pressure of each approaching day. Once Sunset inevitably won Princess, she was going to begin pushing her limits on how far she could control the student body. She had made sure to take control of the Planning Committee so the night was decided in her favor from the start. A surprise wasp attack would not be welcome.

Celestia glared at the nest as she stomped up the ladder. “This is also a personal matter. I have put too much time, money, and effort into growing this tree, and I am not about to let a bunch of bugs claim it as their own.” She put on a frown of exaggerated indignation, which still caused Sunset to shy away, “No, if today is not enough to finish them, I will come back tomorrow with another can. I must protect my students from them!” She dropped the act and smiled down at Sunset from the top step. “That is, only if someone will be there to keep the ladder steady.”

Sunset returned the smile, ignoring the bile that rose up her throat when receiving a look so similar to her former mentor. “Of course, Ms. Celestia,” Your shitty tree won’t even make it through the winter. “Shall we?”

“We shall. Be prepared to run away.” Celestia climbed up the ladder, aerosol can of wasp spray primed and ready to fire. The actual wasp nest looked typical for its kind: gray, round, and layered with a small hole sticking out of the bottom for entrance and exit. Sunset saw Celestia wobble slightly on the top step.

“Maybe you should take your heels off first?” Although it would have been enjoyable to see Celestia slip, Sunset didn’t feel like helping with an incident report.

Celestia barely acknowledged Sunset’s question, her gaze focused on the nest. She pulled both heels off before returning to position, shaking the can in preparation. She extended it up to the hive’s entrance and released the spray for a solid ten seconds.

Sunset was practically already running before anything had happened. She had encountered wasps before, and one encounter was too many. Sweat trickled down her brow as Celestia inched back down the ladder.

Nothing came out of the nest. Celestia slowly stepped down the last step before motioning Sunset farther back with a flick of her wrist. They stood still, gazes never faltering in the direction of the ticking time bomb that was almost certainly going to blow.

After a excruciatingly long amount of time, nothing appeared. Celestia wiped her brow, and laughed. “Well, it looks like we made a mountain of a mole hill! Or maybe a wasp nest of a beehive, considering—”

An army of yellow hornets bolted out of the small hole, gunning for Sunset and Celestia. Sunset backed away quickly before turning around into a sprint. She spared a glance behind her to see that the principal had not done the same. Celestia fell backward onto the ground, and threw up her arms in a weak attempt to shield off the bees. “Aw, shit!” Sunset turned around and ran back to Celestia.

“Stay away, Sunset! I’ll be fine!” A hornet zoomed forward and stung Celestia’s forearm, eliciting a small gasp of shock from the teacher. Sunset ignored her warnings and grabbed Celstia by the shoulder in an attempt to drag her away. If this were any other situation I would be leaving her to rot. A flurry of hornets began to fly toward them as Sunset toppled on her back. The hornets were quickly outpacing the two’s backward stumble. Sunset noticed a few students in the corner of her eye who must have just arrived for the day. She shot panicked glances their direction, hoping the message got across. It was not fast enough, however. The swarm caught up, and Sunset shielded her face from the oncoming barrage of stings.

Things finally start turning my way, and now I’ll have made a fool of myself in front of the school. I can’t win Princess with a face full of bee stings. This is why I need to stick to my plans—I have control and I don’t have to deal with shitty principals and trees and random outings on someone else’s whim. I'd already be flying through the sky with my own pair of wings, able to dodge and weave away from any stings from any—where are the stings?

Sunset peeked an eye open. The hornets had stopped in midair and turned away from the two. Suddenly, the swarm flew off to the left of Sunset, completely off the school grounds. Celestia was unharmed as well, albeit shocked by the hornets’ fickle nature. “What . . .”

The two sat up and saw that many students had crowded around to see what had happened. I am so going to spin this into the greatest story ever. Sunset immediately jumped to action, fussing over the principal and making sure her one sting didn’t hurt. She pointed at a random student and told them to grab the school nurse. While they waited for the nurse, Sunset helped Celestia up. The principal brushed off her clothing and sighed. “That wasn’t supposed to happen,” she murmured.

Sunset turned to the crowd. “Alright folks, nothing to see here! I’m just helping Ms. Celestia out. Go on with your day.” She smirked.

The crowd began to disperse as the nurse ran up to the two. Celestia waved her away, too no avail. “It’s nothing, really. I’m fine, " The nurse made Celestia explain what happened and bandaged up the sting on her forearm. The gave a quick warning to Celestia and walked away.

Sunset and Principal Celestia found themselves alone again. The bell to start the day had rang a few minutes prior. The two began walking to the building. “Well, Ms. Celestia? I think we know how much worse that should have gone.”

Celestia winced. “Sunset, it was irresponsible of me to put you in that situation. I should have thought of any potential injury that could have come to you, but I misjudged the severity of what we were dealing with, ” She sighed. “Do you know why I wanted to be the one to fix the tree?”

“Enlighten me.” If this turns into a lesson I’m going to scream.

Celestia reached the front door to the building and inspected herself in the reflection of the glass. “Oh dear. I look like quite the mess already, with my pants covered in dirt and all. I think I must seem more like a burnt-out teacher than a principal."

"Everyone here knows what happened, Principal," Sunset said. "We all know the work you put in, and no one will judge you for not always looking your best." There are a lot of other things to judge, though.

"Yes, but you have spent time with me, and know more about my personality. To a stranger, I am presented as a mess. Wouldn't it be nice if anyone could see our whole selves at first glance? Not just our physical qualities, though; the intangible, abstract features—like motivation, intelligence, emotion—they make us us just as much as the shape of our muscles and the color of our skin. Maybe an acute observer could see some of those things through the eyes or the smile, but most spend their lives never getting a good look at themselves, outside and in.”

God dammit. “Okay, sure. Wrap around to how this relates to a tree.”

“Well, if we cannot see our inner selves in the mirror, perhaps there is another way. By investing those aspects of our lives into something else, to see that grow and change because of our actions, I think we might get a better glimpse at who we really are. It’s why I have been the sole caretaker of the tree. If it withers and dies this winter, it means that I do not have the fortitude to survive hardship, and that my sustainity, my fervor for life, is not as strong as I believe it to be. But if it lives, and continues to grow years and years after I’m gone, then others will be able to look in my mirror and see what truly made me special, without ever seeing my face at all. The wasp nest put that future in jeopardy, so I felt personally obligated to get rid of it.”

Sunset scowled. “Don’t let your ego get to your head, principal. It’s not even your own tree. The school had it installed. Also, your whole job is to teach students. Have you ever even thought about using your occupation as a mirror," Sunset spat, "or maybe using something that couldn’t get destroyed by a thunderstorm?”

Celestia gave one of those smiles that made Sunset’s veins course with electric anger; it was like she knew something that Sunset didn’t, but felt no need to clue her in. “I have.”

Sunset took a deep breath, hoping her face wasn’t as red as she felt it was. The principal always knew how to get on her nerves. She could not tell if her heart was thumping so loud that it could be heard across the school, or if a march was commencing on the school grounds. At a second glance, there was no way her heart was beating that loud, or that steadily. She looked at Celestia, who was peering back at the tree.

“Do you hear that?” Sunset asked. A swarm of hornets was returning to the nest from the direction of the Canterlot High Statue. However, unlike the yellow hornets from before, they were glossy black, with a dark, mystical green sheen on their wings. Every single wasp flew in the same rhythm, their total wingbeats performing a cadence of sound that never seemed to fall out of tempo. They swarmed the tree and filed into the nest one by one, thump, thump, thump.

“And it looks like I could not even get rid of the wasps. Well, that’s what I get for picking a tree from the Everfree. You know, they say there’s bad voodoo in that forest, ” Celestia concluded.

“Yeah, tell the school to keep a wide berth. Those didn’t look like the same hornets.” Then again, a few hornet swarms might do some of these students some good.

Celestia opened the door for Sunset, and they stepped inside. “That is something to worry about for another day. Sunset, you helped me today, despite your own worries which, in hindsight, were completely justified. If you need anything from me in return, anytime, then just ask. I will be more than happy to help you.” She started to move to her office. “Now get on to class. I’ll see you at the Formal Committee meeting tomorrow, Sunset!”

Sunset gave her best attempt at a sincere smile. “Thanks Miss Celestia, that means a lot. And of course, see you there!” Sunset turned around to go to her first class of the day. Her smile molded into a devilish grin when she recalled Celestia’s offer.

Jackpot.

The lunch bell rang, and Sunset took a few extra moments to leave the classroom behind everyone else. The more people that could see her, the better. With a swagger in her step and a smirk on her face she made her way down to the cafeteria. Between each of her classes in the morning, multiple people would stop in the hallway to chat with her, and many asked how the events before school actually went down. Lunchtime proved to be even more fruitful in spreading her version of what happened.

The wonder of a few well-placed rumors allowed Sunset to shift the story from: The principal and I almost got attacked by hornets to: The principal got attacked, but I saved her before things got really bad. Some kids went as far as thanking her or congratulating her. They’re treating me like a saint. If they took a second to actually think about it, I wouldn’t be able to take advantage of them so easily.

It may have seemed to the other students that she was enjoying the extra burst of attention in the morning—and she was, definitely—but it was actually her overactive imagination at play. Her hand slipped into the left pocket of her leather jacket and clasped around her favorite device since entering the human world: a small USB flash drive. It was the perfect blackmail container, and when she figured out how to use it, she began compiling the secrets of every student in the school. It wasn’t too hard for most of them. If the Queen Bee wanted to be your friend, a few small secrets were no big deal. After the Formal, however, those secrets would slowly start to trickle out about people who stood in her way. She almost shivered with anticipation just imagining how the same people who currently admired her would soon be stuck under her thumb.

Sunset entered the cafeteria and walked over to her table full of nobodies who had convinced themselves that they were somebodies. Their vanity makes me sick. She would not let any other type of person get as close to her, though; conceited kids were the easiest to take control of. They won’t even realize that I’ve made them my pawns as long as I convince them that they’re closer to a knight. She sat down at the table and began to engage in pleasantries with the names and faces she would only remember when she needed something from them. Shortly following Sunset was the only member of the table who did not fit the typical label.

“Sunset, you’re not gonna believe this, but the lunch-lady just said she would save me a couple leftover hot dogs so I could eat them tomorrow too!” Flash Sentry sat down and dug in to his two hot dogs. He was, in Sunset’s mind, a moron. However, the moron rivaled her influence in school, especially over the boys. Instead of crushing him, she decided to string the guy along until he was practically melting in her arms. They were not officially dating—Sunset gagged almost every time she had to say that—but Sunset was planning to ask him to the Fall Formal as more than friends sometime this week.

Flash continued to stuff his face with cafeteria hot dogs as Sunset responded. “Wow, Flash, how much did you pay her this time?”

He feigned shock, mouth still full of chewed-up bun. “I’ll have you know it was out of the kindness of her heart. Speaking of acts of kindness . . .” Flash swallowed, “I heard you got into a bit of a situation earlier today.”

Sunset connected the dots. “Oh, this morning? Well, lets just say that we might have needed Luna to take over for the day if I wasn’t there.” She might have needed to even if I was, but he doesn’t need to know that.

Flash laughed. “That’s my girl! Thursday morning and she’s already saving the principal!” Sunset winced as he slapped her on the back, hoping that none of the mustard on his hand found a new home on her coat. “You know, I could tell something had you feeling good today. I’d love to see that more often,” He threw an infatuated gaze at her that would probably have been considered cute between young lovers, but it just made her feel like taking a bath.

Flash suddenly pulled out his phone and snapped a picture, startling Sunset. “What are you doing, Flash?”

He flipped his phone around. “I’m adding a picture of you to my album on MyStable!”

Sunset blinked. “MyStable?” Her one weakness was her lack of understanding of technology. Flash was the closest thing to a confidant in that regard—she played off her lack of knowledge as a cute quirk—so every time some new media platform showed up, he would introduce her to it. Usually she was weeks behind everyone else, much to her displeasure.

“You haven’t heard of MyStable yet? It’s like Facehoof except there’s way more stuff to do on it. You need to make an account. Nearly everybody in school’s got one already.” He began shoveling french fries in his mouth.

“I guess I'll make an account tonight then,” Sunset answered. Another social media platform, huh. Another way to take care of some students, then. She began to drown out Flash’s childish ramblings as she plotted a new pathway of control. Flash offered her an apple slice out of the corner of her eye. She refused.

Sunset was the only person in the school who, as far as any of the students knew, did not eat lunch, ever. The principal actually worried that she had no money to eat with and introduced her to the lunch program the school had, but Sunset still refused. The Princess had always told her that sharing a meal was one of the most humbling and respectful acts somepony could easily perform to forge a friendship. The thought of lowering herself to the level of meager children was unthinkable to Sunset, so she only ate when no one was around. It wasn’t like she needed any energy for the schoolwork, anyway.

Still, Flash tried to offer her food, to console her, to spend time with her, and to be the compassionate boyfriend that every girl desired, but he would never truly understand Sunset. He wore his naivete on his sleeve; he could pretend to be a young adult as much as he wanted, but he was only as mature as his childlike glee when he got an extra hot dog from the lunch-lady. She almost thought there was a part of him that recognized that fact, but he was too hopeless and in love to try and grow up. That was fine by her; if he was too inexperienced to realize she was a red flag, then she might as well take advantage of it.

Sunset stood up. “I’ll send you a friend request after school today, Flash. Talk to you later tonight?”

He flashed a smile. “You bet!”

Sunset strolled out of the cafeteria, not bothering to say any more.

The final school bell rang, and Sunset raced out the school doors onto the front campus. As usual, she found herself in the middle of the crowd, full of students ready to head home for the day.

As she passed the tree that had caused her so much trouble this morning, she noticed that something had changed to the wasp nest. It had stayed about the same size, but the edges had grown rougher, and a few more holes dotted across the surface. The larger bottom hole was starting to form into a point like a tiny stalactite. The muted gray of the nest in the morning had taken on a slightly green complexion, as if it was starting to sicken. Most students were giving the tree a wide berth, she included.

Principal Celestia was standing in front of the Canterlot High Statue—if the portal was open, Sunset could have probably pushed her in—and saying goodbyes to many of the students in front of her. Sunset swerved around and walked out of her vision, hoping not to get caught in a conversation.

Sunset managed to get around her and reach her bus, but not before Celestia offered a wave and a smile in her direction. She returned the sentiment with a weak smile before stepping onto the bus and grabbing a seat in the back. As usual, she made it very clear that no one was allowed to sit next to her, even if the bus was completely full. It had been hard to reach the level of solitude at first when so many people liked her, but she found that casting a certain aura of aloof importance was enough to make no one feel worthy of sitting next to her.

She began to let her mind drift over her day, recounting all the ways she had advanced her goals, and what she needed to plan on doing tomorrow. As long as she stuck to her plan and prepared for any interferences, Equestria was practically hers already.

As she stared out the window, a wasp landed right in front of her on the other side of the glass. It scampered off to the side, almost like it was peeking at Sunset while in a game of hide and seek. While she had convinced herself that the wasps were black at their first arrival , on closer inspection, its wings, abdomen, and thorax were all shaded a dark, mystical green. It was also three times the size of the hornets from before. The bug did not seem to want to engage her , and there was a glass window in between the two, so she decided to ignore it and hope it would fly off when the bus began to move.

Outside, Principal Celestia was still saying goodbye to the students before the buses took off. Suddenly, something slammed into her legs. Fortunately she managed step off to the side before she received any damage, and she spun around to see what had bumped into her.

A high school girl had fallen on the ground in front of the statue, right where she was standing. The only possible way she could have gotten the momentum to hit Celestia was if she had somehow hopped over the rearing horse, but that was near impossible for someone of the girl’s stature.

Celestia leaned down and helped her up on to wobbly legs. “Are you okay?” She got a closer look at the girl and saw that her limbs were almost on the verge of going limp; her muscles were nonexistent. Her lavender skin was abnormally pallid, but most of it was covered up by a purple skirt with long boots up to her knees. Still, the girl seemed full of more energy than she thought was possible in such a frail body. The girl panted faster as she spun around, taking in her surroundings, running her hands across her body like she was patting herself down. She eventually looked up at Celestia and began hyperventilating again.

“P-P-Princess?” The girl asked.

Celestia frowned. “I think you might be confused. Take a minute to calm down. I think you mean, principal?”

The girl’s face contorted as she began mumbling to herself. Celestia could not pick up most of it, but it seemed to be gibberish that she would not have understood anyway. She seemed to reach a conclusion until she scrunched up in confusion once again. After a quarter of a minute the girl snapped out of her reverie and stared up at Celestia.

“Who are you?”

Celestia blinked. “I’m the principal of this school,” she motioned to the building, “and I think you fell on the ground too hard. Come inside and we’ll look at you in the nurse’s office.” Celestia was beginning to actually think a hospital trip was in order.

The girl backed up. “No, no, nonono. I need to go.” She stepped out of the way of Celestia before dropping back onto the ground. Celestia jumped forwards to pick her back up until she saw that the girl was crawling forward on all fours.

“Um, if you can’t stand, I really do need to take you to the nurse’s office.” The girl looked back at Celestia before glancing around the campus wide-eyed at all the bipedal students.

“Everypony’s on . . . two legs?” She stepped up and began her best at imitating the students while Celestia tried to decide if she should laugh or start dialing 911.

The girl continued to flounder around before Celestia walked up to her. “Is there something you need here? Let me help you.” The girl paused, and nearly fell back down before catching herself on Celestia’s arm.

“Sunset Shimmer. I need to see a mare called Sunset Shimmer,” she pleaded, “as fast as possible.”

Celestia straightened the haggard girl out and got her back on her feet. “Well, Sunset just got on the school bus. I’m sorry, but only students are allowed on the bus. You will have to wait until she is off of it.”

The girl glanced at the row of school buses. “Which one?”

Celestia looked over at Sunset’s bus. “I can’t tell you that.”

The girl got back down on all fours. “No, but your eyes can. Sorry! ” She immediately set off in a gallop toward the school bus. Celestia tried to catch up, but it was too late. Just as the girl got back on her feet and stumbled up the steps, the door closed behind her and the buses began to file out of the schoolyard.

Celestia sighed in defeat. “Well, at least a girl who can barely walk won’t cause too much trouble.” She rested her head in her palms. “I’m not going to hear the end of this one.”

The lavender girl had swooped into the bus and gave a nervous nod to the driver. She tried to walk into the aisle, but she found that her leg movements from before were much too long and awkward to successfully navigate the small space. She scanned the bus and saw that only one seat was open in the far back, next to a girl facing the window. Clutching the sides of each booth, she slowly pushed herself through the bus, blushing and turning her head away from the snickers and humored gazes of the students she passed along the way.

Sunset heard a commotion at the front of the bus only to see the girl lumbering down the aisle to her seat. She cast a glare in the girl’s direction, but it only made her move faster. Despite Sunset clearly showing a lack of interest in sharing her spot, the girl reached the seat and slumped down next to Sunset with a groan.

Sunset stared at the girl who had the guts to sit next to her, trying to quell the twitching of her eye. She must be new. Everyone knows to respect my space. The girl turned to Sunset and offered a wan, shaky smile. “Hi there! My name is Twilight Sparkle, ” She threw out her hand in what looked to be an attempt at a handshake, except she had balled her fist up to the point where her knuckles were white.

Sunset humphed and turned back to the window, showing more interest in the wasp on the other side, which had decided to cling on for the bus ride.

Twilight tried again. “Sorry, I was just wondering if you knew a mare on here named Sunset Shimmer? I have some important stuff to talk about with her.” Great. Another poor girl that thinks I’ll magically make her popular. I almost wish I could; it’d make it a lot easier to scheme.

“Don’t know her,” Sunset curtly responded as Twilight frowned and sat back down on the bus. Sunset pulled out her phone and began checking her Facehoof. That reminds me. I need to make a MyStable account. Sunset found the app and began downloading it. She glanced at Twilight Sparkle, who was peering at Sunset’s phone, wide-eyed, like it was a magical artifact. “Is there something you need to say?”

The girl jumped up, and gave a sheepish grin. “Well, if you don’t mind me asking, what . . . Is it?”

Sunset looked down. “Cellphone.”

“Oh . . . Okay.”

The bus ride continued on as Sunset neared her stop. She had set up her MyStable account and began adding friends to her page; her list was filling up rapidly, and some people had already friended her back. Flash sent her the picture he took at lunchtime: she didn’t look half-bad.

He threw a stupidly flirtatious message alongside it: New supermodel: Sunset Shimmer??????

Suddenly, Twilight let out a gasp.

Sunset flipped around and saw that Twilight had been peeking over her shoulder at her MyStable user page. Shit. “You lied to me,” she choked out, “You’re Sunset Shimmer.”

The bus lurched to a halt. Sunset grabbed her bag and jumped up. “Oops, looks like its my stop. See you another time, I suppose.” She stepped over Twilight’s legs before racing up the aisle. Twilight got up to follow her, but her lack of energy and uncoordination had her rapidly falling behind Sunset.

“Hold on a minute! I need your help!” She called.

“Well, you’ll have to ask for it when I’m at school. I’ve got more important things to deal with.” Sunset stepped off the bus and onto sidewalk. She began a brisk walk in the direction of her apartment. The bright day from before had suddenly darkened; clouds filled the sky, and a light fog began to drift into Sunset’s vision.

Twilight got down from the last step of the bus and fell on to the ground. The school bus started up again and drove off to its next stop, leaving the two behind in a cloud of exhaust.

“Sunset, wait!”

She did not bother to respond.

“Sunset, I need your help! Equestria will fall!”

She stopped, and turned around. “What did you just say?”

Twilight Sparkle got up to her knees, unable to look Sunset in the eye. “Equestria, Sunset. It’s been taken over. Princess Celestia has been overthrown . . . she sent me to find you.”

Sunset gaped at the girl. “What . . .”

“We are the only two Equestrians who aren’t stuck in a changeling pod.” Twilight steeled herself and stood up, staring into Sunset’s eyes. “I need your help.”

Author's Note

Thanks for reading. I've had this idea bouncing around my head for a long while. Comments, criticisms, and corrections are always welcome!

Thou Swell

Sunset threw her head back and laughed.

Twilight looked on in shock as the cackles Sunset let out trickled down to a low chuckle. She clutched her side as she caught her breath.

“What, do think I’m that dumb? You’re just gonna waltz on over and tell me the Princess is gone and that you need my help? The portal opens every thirty moons without any pony with tampering it. And who’s the only person who has the knowledge to open it early?”

Twilight frowned. “Sunset, I’m not tricking you. Why would the Princess send a mare who can barely walk to apprehend you? If she was coming to get you, don’t you think she would get the strongest people available to try and find you?”

Sunset squinted her eyes at Twilight. " . . . Okay, I’ll humor you,” she said. Her eyes lit up in amusement again. “So they finally got to the old hag, eh? I would’ve preferred to be there myself to see it happen, but,” she sucked in some more air, “letting my imagination run wild is a lot more fun.” Sunset’s grin died down a little. “I guess I’ll have to change my plans a bit,” she said.

Twilight stared at her, aghast. “Do you not care at all? Equestria’s doomed, Sunset. I can’t stop this alone.”

Sunset shrugged. “Well, I guess you’ll have to try, ‘cause I’m not helping.” She walked through the foggy haze back to the bus stop and sat on a waiting bench. “If I were you, I’d count my blessings, cut my losses, and get the hell outta town. Welcome to Earth! It’s like Equestria except everyone’s uncomfortable and quick to violence!”

Twilight took a seat next to her and fidgeted. “But . . . your friends, family? They’re all captured. The Changelings will suck them dry of all their love, magic, and energy!” Twilight pointed to her to her arms and legs. “Look what happened to me. I was only in a pod for a few hours!”

Sunset sighed. “Sorry Twilight—your world, your problem. Let’s just say that when I came here I cut my losses and counted my blessings. You’ve got enough energy in you to keep on. I know a nice sushi shop that would like a cute girl like you; I don’t remember the conversion rates between bits and dollars, but trust me when I say a starting wage of twelve-fifty an hour could be a lot worse considering you’re an illegal alien.”

Twilight frowned. “At least let me tell you what happened, Sunset. Isn’t there a part of you that wants to know?”

Sunset pondered the thought for a few minutes. On one hand, she wanted to hear about Princess Celestia’s demise, and the immense satisfaction it would entail. On the other hand, she getting just the story would rope her in a little bit, which was the opposite of what she wanted. If Celestia was overthrown, I suppose it means I have a new ruler to deal with. Maybe I could lead a resistance group, and take back over in Celestia’s name—wouldn’t that be the cruelest irony for her! “Alright, tell me what happened, and especially who did it.”

Twilight sat up and cleared her throat. “It started at the Canterlot wedding between Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and Shining Armor—”

“Isn’t she a little young for that?”

Twilight scowled. “What? No. Anyways, the wedding became an attempt at a coup d’etat from the Changelings, led by Queen Chrysalis. She mind-controlled Shining Armor and took Cadence’s place. I figured out what was going on and managed to call her out at the last minute, but it spiraled out of control. Chrysalis overpowered Celestia, and all of the Changelings swarmed the streets. We tried to get the Elements, but we couldn’t get there in time. My friends . . . I . . .” Twilight trailed off.

A brief panic overcame Sunset. The Elements . . . please don’t let that mean what I think it does. “I don’t have all day. You can cry later,” Sunset said.

Twilight sniffed. “Okay, they, um, captured all of us at the wedding and threw us into pods. Me, Princess Celestia, my friends, everypony. I don’t remember how long I was in there, but the Princess said it was only a few hours. It turns out that she pulled me out; Luna had missed the reception, and when she found out what happened, she got the Princess out before getting captured herself. The Princess then opened my container and gave me the instructions to find you.”

Sunset swallowed. “What did she say?”

“That she had an old student who lived on the other side of the mirror. She thought you could help, and that I needed to find you as fast as possible. She was going to go with me, but the Changelings caught up to us. She told me to go to the portal while she stayed behind and dealt with them. So I ran as fast as possible and ended up here.

“The palace is full of pods, Sunset. I looked out some of the windows, and the streets are lined with ponies, slowly having their energy drained from them. I don’t know how much longer they can last. I need to do something, but we need your help.”

Sunset put her thumb to her chin. Changelings, huh. Well, most of the plan can still work, and it guarantees me the love of the people if I succeed. I’m not doing it with Twilight, though. “Well, that’s a great story, but I’m still not gonna help. I don’t even know if it’s true, and there isn’t anything in it for me at all. Celestia can’t come crawling to me when she needs help; if she can’t show her face around here then I don’t see the point in helping her.”

Twilight sighed. “How can I get you to understand how bad this is, Sunset? When I was in the pod, I—I didn’t want to leave. It’s like paradise, reliving your best memories over and over again. You’re turned into a willing power source. Nopony will manage to break free on their own. Somepony from the outside must come in and help. I need . . . a friend, for this. I can’t do anything without my friends.”

Sunset stood up from the bench. “I don’t know how I’m going to drill this into your head, but I am not going to help. I’ve gotten by just fine without any friends for a long while now, and I don’t plan on changing that any time soon. Now tell Celestia to either accept that she lost and stop bugging me about it, or that this is a goddamn cruel trick to try and bring me back to Equestria.”

Twilight scooted up to Sunset and almost comically raised her hands up to beg. “Sunset, please, the Princess said you both departed on bad terms. Can you let go after ten years? We need your—”

“Hold on, ten years?”

Twilight leaned back, confused. “Well, as far as I know, yes. How long do think you’ve been here?”

“I’ve been here a year and a half!” Sunset began to enter another panic; if Twilight wasn’t lying, then Celestia had probably forgotten about her by now, or had enough time to adequately prepare for Sunset’s intended takeover. I can’t let this happen; I’ll have missed too much! “No, I don’t believe you. This is another one of Celestia’s tricks, isn’t it?”

Twilight furrowed her brow. “Why would I lie to you? I’m telling the truth, as much to my knowledge.”

Shit, I need a way to figure out if she’s lying. Sunset scanned her brain for any way to confidently vet the girl’s statement. Ah-ha! She smirked. “Okay, Twilight, if you’re from ten years in the future, then tell me this: probably a year or two ago, did something big happen to the government? Maybe a new addition to the family, perhaps?”

When Sunset had first arrived at Canterlot High she was quite confused as to the fact that Principal Celestia had a sister, but she made the connection to the tale of Nightmare Moon and assumed that her return would actually occur on the thousandth Summer Sun Celebration. It was the perfect test for Twilight, because not a single Equestrian would not know about something at least strange happening that night, and she seemed fairly close to the Princess as well.

Twilight grinned. “Nightmare Moon returned!” Shit. “My friends and I used the Elements of Harmony to purge Nightmare Moon of her evil and return Princess Luna to Equestria.” I’m screwed. “I hold the Element of Magic, being Princess Celestia’s student and all.”

Sunset stared back at Twilight, stonefaced. She promptly got up from the bench, and without any word of goodbye, ran away as fast as her legs could carry her.

Celestia walked out to her car as she continued her phone call.

“Look, Luna, there isn’t much we can do at this point. The bus driver already told me he let both of them off. I will make sure Sunset shows up to school tomorrow, and talk with her then.”

“Okay,” Luna’s voice buzzed over the phone, “but we need to remember that someone a lot worse could have gotten on just as easily.”

“Yes, I think we’ll have a talk with all of the bus drivers tomorrow. See you at home, Lulu,” Celestia said.

“See you then. I’m already starting supper.”

“I cannot wait! Goodbye,” She said, and hung up. Celestia had needed to stay late in order to make sure nothing went wrong on Sunset’s bus ride. She was brainstorming ideas to come up with a good way to remind the bus drivers about letting only their students on, but she couldn’t help but be embarrassed at her own inability to keep the girl off. I essentially pointed her in the right direction! I should not have made that mistake on a normal day.

Celestia reached her car and tucked her phone in her pocket, swapping it out for her car keys. Celestia kept her small bronze sedan in perfect condition, so much so that Luna joked it was Celestia’s own personal chariot. She slipped inside, and gently closed the car door behind her. She set her bag down on the passenger seat, the can of wasp spray she used in the morning sticking out to remind her just how much of a failure the morning’s venture was.

I hope Sunset’s doing okay. Celestia couldn’t help but feel an affinity toward Sunset, and she found herself wanting to help the girl with her troubles. Sunset thought that Celestia could not see how much anger Sunset held for her and the student body, but Celestia had seen it enough times in students in the past. The only difference that intrigued Celestia so much was that most students let their anger overwhelm them; Sunset seemed to be quite the opposite, scoring the top of her class, almost like it was motivating her.

The shroud of mystery around Sunset also contributed to Celestia’s intrigue. She never showed up for any parent-teacher conferences, and her address was a small apartment in a dilapidated section of town. Celestia and Luna were almost certain she was an orphan, but somehow she had parents able to sign any forms and she was never lacking for money. But, as long as Sunset was hostile to everyone she met—the students had mistaken her haughty superiority to be a cool-girl vibe, funny enough—Celestia would never see her grow her wings and into the girl she thought Sunset could be.

Although, that girl was looking for her. She realized afterwards that the girl reminded her of a child her niece once babysat, however the last time Celestia saw the girl, she was completely healthy, and completely devoted to study. She would certainly not want to associate herself with a girl like Sunset, who, although extremely smart, was significantly more interested in the social aspect of high school.

Celestia pulled out of the parking lot, and immediately slowed down and turned on her lights. She had not noticed the fog roll in since the afternoon, and now that it was almost five, it was starting to drench the town, clouds of gray hanging overhead. She missed the sunny weather of the morning.

Inside her pocket, her phone buzzed.

She quickly glanced down at it and saw that Luna was calling her again. What now, I wonder? She slowed down some more and pulled the phone up to her ear. “Hello, Luna?”

“Hey, Celestia, I just wanted you to know to be careful when you pull into the garage.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Why’s that?”

“Well, it’s just this wasp,” Celestia heard sounds of shuffling from the other end, “that has been clinging to each window I walk by for the past fifteen minutes or so. It may try to take a go at you when you get home.”

More wasps? It’s getting late in fall already. “Okay, is it a yellow wasp? I think I can handle just one.”

Celestia heard Luna step forward to the window. “No, no, it’s huge. Like, a third of the window huge. It’s green, too; quite an interesting creature actually—”

Luna hung up. What is she up to now? Celestia stuffed the phone back in her pocket and put her eyes back on the road. The small description of the wasp brought back the memory of this morning, when the new swarm entered the old hive. It couldn’t be the same one, could it? Do wasps fly that far from a nest? And, the swarm we saw today had big wasps, for sure, but none of the ones I saw were a third of a window big.

Celestia sighed. Today was shaping up to be full of nuisances that she could just not avoid. Deep breaths, Celestia. Think about tending to the tree. She continued to drive through the foggy city, at what was beginning to feel like a snail’s pace.

Her phone rang again.

Celestia snatched the phone back out of her pocket. “What is it now, Luna? I’m driving right now,” she said.

“Hey, sorry Celestia. I was talking to you, right?”

“. . . Yes?” She answered.

“It was about the bug I saw, right? Or what was for dinner, maybe?”

Celestia smiled, bemused. “Did you hit your head or something? You were going on about the wasp.”

“Oh, haha, yeah, I was looking at it when I accidentally tripped. Happens to the best of us, y’know?”

" . . . Yes, I suppose.”

“So, anyways, the wasp flew off the window and went away when I fell. You’re good to come on home.”

“Okay, thanks Lulu. I’m hanging up now.”

“Goodbye.”

Celestia hung up the phone and put it back in her pocket, hopefully for the last time. She liked to think her sister was not a klutz, but she had a knack for proving the opposite sometimes. She continued to drive home, her car cutting through the fog inch by inch. Dinner better be ready by the time I get in the garage.

“Stop following me!” Sunset yelled at the figure behind her as she ran down the sidewalk. “If I wanted to talk, I would!”

Twilight Sparkle stumbled forward. “Just listen to me! I have nopony else to turn to!”

Sunset did not respond. One foot after another, and soon, I’ll be back at my house.

“What do I need to do to make you stop and listen!”

“Nothing! You can rot!”

A litany of emotions flurried through Sunset as she continued her escape. My whole plan, ruined, because some naive girl had to get the Element of Magic first. Sunset had intended to use the Element of Magic once it was rediscovered to reinstate herself as a national hero. She certainly was not lacking in the magic department, so all she had to do was get to it first. Instead, she got bested by her replacement, who would be more accurately described as the Princess’s favorite sycophant. God dammit! If this world hadn’t screwed me over, I would be flying at the top of Equestria right now.

A devilish idea appeared in Sunset’s mind. She stopped running and turned to face Twilight Sparkle, who was quickly approaching her through the fog. “Stop there, Twilight!”

Twilight stopped, gasping for air. “Will you please listen to me?”

Sunset smirked. “All right. I’ll help you out,” Twilight looked up, a hopeful expression on her face, " But, only if you get me the Element of Magic you claim to possess. Give it to me, and I’ll fix up Equestria lickety-split.” And do a few extra things, too.

Twilight fell to the ground and teared up. “I . . . don’t have it. We couldn’t get to the Elements in time, and Equestria fell because of it.”

Sunset hissed in some air. “Ooh, well that’s too bad. I guess you’ll have to find someone else to bother then. All you’ve given me so far is a sob story.”

“W-wait! I can help explain things to you!” She stood up. “You mentioned that you thought you were on this side of the mirror for a year and a half, but ten years have passed on our side. Celestia told me that the mirror opened once every thirty Moons, however a Moon is not an accurate unit of measurement. Starswirl the Bearded was known to be extremely technical and precise when he was in control of the Sun and Moon—I’ve seen his log notes, some of the most interesting bits of history, trust me—but upon Celestia and Luna’s acquisition, the exact specifications began to vary. Prior to Nightmare Moon’s return, Princess Celestia began to increase the amount of Moons in order for astronomers to wrap up documenting the Mare in the Moon’s face; she didn’t phrase it that way, of course—she said she wanted to ‘liven the night up a bit’ to me back then—but the intentions became clear once Luna returned. Plus, when Luna returned, she began going through pretty much one Moon a night in order to help the citizens of Equestria adjust to her arrival. So, you most likely were going to be following a one-to-one ratio of time between both sides of the mirror, but the time period you chose to leave during was inopportune.” She gasped for air. “That’s all hypothetically speaking, of course.”

Sunset stared at her, barely taking in the wall of words Twilight spewed out. “So you’re one of those students. Let me ask you something, Twilight. Have you ever, and I mean ever, not believed something Celestia has said?”

Twilight tilted her head. “Why shouldn’t I? She’s been completely right so far.”

Sunset threw up her hands and turned away again. “I rest my case.”

“H-hold on a minute!” Said Twilight as she caught up to Sunset. “What are you trying to say?”

“I’m trying to say that you’re not her student, you’re her goddamn pet,” Sunset snarled. “Of course she’d give the Elements to you. Heaven forbid she chooses somepony with free will, who won’t let herself get stepped on every minute of the day! Well, look where that ended up for her.”

“Hey!” Twilight said angrily. “I’m not a pet! Celestia trusts my judgement!”

“You know what I think, Twilight?” Sunset approached her, and got right up to her face. “I think Celestia sent you here, not to get my help, but to try and rub in my face how much better off Equestria is without me. If you had the Element of Magic on you right now, I bet you’d have already turned me to stone. You’re just a coward who accepts her role in Celestia’s little game and only thinks for herself when the Princess isn’t around.”

“But Equestria isn’t better off without you!” Twilight exasperated. “That’s what I’ve been trying to say this whole time! Celestia wants you back to help save the country.”

Sunset laughed in her face. “You’re delusional. If you didn’t think she was God you’d immediately see what she plans to do to me. Well, perhaps I can be the messiah that will set you head straight.” She leaned in, almost touching Twilight’s nose. “Celestia probably went insane from old age hundreds of years before either of us were born. She’s a goddamn sociopath.”

“Well, do you know what I think, Sunset?” Twilight buckled under Sunset’s advancement, but she showed no fear on her face. “I think you’re the sociopath. I’ve know you for twenty—no, fifteen—minutes now, and you’ve shown enough to fit the label by the book. You show no empathy to your family or friends, you’ve tried to manipulate me out of the Element of Magic, you have been completely callous and arrogant, and you’ve assumed that I’m here to hurt you, despite me begging on my knees for your help.”

“I think you need to shut up,” Sunset growled.

Twilight nearly fell over, but she grabbed onto Sunsets shoulders in a final effort to stay balanced. “Tell me, Sunset, did you leave Celestia because she wasn’t treating you like an equal, or because you’re uncapable of expressing any love for another pony?”

Sunset threw Twilight off of her shoulders onto the sidewalk. “You can call me a sociopath, but at least I don’t have the genocide of an entire nation resting on my shoulders. Imagine how your friends feel, your other bearers, knowing that all you managed to do was give them the slowest death possible.” Twilight looked up at Sunset in shock. “Some friend you are. You know, there are plenty of duplicate ponies from the other side of the mirror in this world. Maybe you could find them and live a facade of the life you’re never getting back. From what you’ve told me, though, you’ll probably get them killed by the second week.”

Twilight sunk to the ground, tears welling in her eyes. “Why . . . why won’t you understand that I don’t want to trick you?”

Sunset laughed. “Trick me? You’ve already ruined everything for me and I didn’t even fucking know it!”

Sunset stormed off to her house, occasionally glancing behind her to see if the girl would continue chase. Twilight, did not keep up chase, however; she bore holes into the sidewalk, and tried to wipe the tears out of her eyes.

Out of the foggy haze appeared Celestia and Luna’s house. The large white two-story home held plenty of space for the two sisters to cohabitate. Celestia pulled into the garage and stopped her car. She had checked the windows of the house as she pulled in to make sure the pesky wasp Luna mentioned had decided not to return. Nothing was there though, so she grabbed her bag, stepped out of the car, and walked into the anteroom.

“Luna! I’m home!” Celestia hung her jacket on the hook next to the door, and took off her shoes. “Is that spaghetti I smell?”

Celestia walked into the living room, but Luna was not there. All the lights were off in the house, and all the windows closed. “Luna? Hello?” She must be in the shower. I thought I told her to focus on the food when she cooked.Celestia sauntered into the kitchen and saw that a plate of spaghetti was already sitting out on the table for her.

I should light a few candles to make sure the whole house won’t smell like spaghetti all night. Celestia walked over to a kitchen drawer and pulled out a lighter. She moved over to the candles on the counter and began lighting them, only to hear a cough from the living room. “Luna? Is that you?”

“Yes. I was . . . in the shower.”

Celestia lit the last candle. “Oh, alright,” she walked back into the living room, lighter in hand. “Thanks for already plating the spaghetti. Once I put my bag down—”

Celestia paused as she saw the woman sitting on the couch.

It was as if Celestia was looking into a mirror, but the mirror was wickedly grinning back.

Sunset slammed the door to her apartment behind her, and sunk onto the floor against the wall. Shit. I might as well pack my bags. Pissing off the current student of Princess Celestia was not what she planned to do, and if there was even the slightest chance that Celestia was still kicking, a world of hell was going to reach her soon. Hopping the next train sounded like a safer option all around.

There was an inkling suspicion in the back of Sunset’s mind that Twilight was telling the truth and not blowing it out of proportion. If Celestia was truly gone, then abusing the power vacuum would not be the worst idea. But if I jump too early, I'll get ousted immediately. Sunset had only heard about Changelings from books she read in the Royal Library, and they were described as ground-dwelling, reclusive creatures, not the imperialists Twilight built them up to be. She was awfully hurt when I insulted her friends. Maybe it is true?

A small pang of something hit her chest when she recalled the insults she threw at Twilight. I've still got it, at least. Hurting Twilight did not give her the satisfaction that she usually got when she flexed power over another student. It felt less like killing a bug and more like kicking a puppy. Well, no more time to dwell, I suppose. She stood up.

Her apartment was very small, just a bedroom, bathroom, and a kitchen/hallway, but it had been enough to keep her going since she arrived, and considering that she obtained it illegally, there was no real basis to complain. She walked into her bedroom and crawled under her bed, searching for a small suitcase she carried her bare essentials in: passports, ID’s, spare cash, and a few personal trinkets.

“New York City always sounded kind of fun,” she muttered to herself. “Or maybe Chicago, I’d love to compare and contrast it with Chicoltgo. Although, someplace with really high altitudes might be fun. A hut on Mount Whitney?”

Her hand grasped the handle of her suitcase and she dragged it out. Three outfits, plus the one she was wearing, would be enough to get by. She got up and began raiding her dresser for her best clothes.

Across the small hallway in her house, a bump came from the bathroom. Sunset ignored it and continued collecting her outfits. Everything she chose was chosen to mix nicely with the leather jacket, but that also meaned a lot of her shirts and pants had holes or were thin, which would not be good for a trip across the country.

A clatter came from the bathroom again.

Is it the Royal Guard? I led them right to me, didn’t I? Sunset searched the top drawer of her dresser and pulled out a small switchblade. She creeped closer to the bathroom door and placed her ear against the old wood.

It was silent. With careful trepidation, she inched the door open and peered inside.

No one was there.

“Phew,” Sunset said, relieved. “Might as well get my toothbrush while I’m here.” Sunset began rummaging around the drawers in the sink to find all of the hygienic products she needed. She glanced up at the mirror and peered at herself.

This is how my time at Canterlot High ends, huh? I’ll just disappear, completely forgotten by the end of this year. Maybe I’ll focus on taking over this world; there might be more luck for me over here.

Sunset’s eyes started to get unfocused as she stared at herself in the mirror. The past year and a half, wasted. She continued to look at her double vision in the mirror, feeling another pang of the same emotion from earlier. Look at me, completely worthless the minute everything falls apart. Maybe it might be better just to turn myself in to—

Sunset gawked at her double figure in the mirror. Are my eyes fooling me, or am I grinning?

She turned around and came face to face with herself.

Author's Note

Thanks for reading the second chapter. Comments and criticisms are always welcome.

Bye Bye Blackbird

Sunset slapped her hand against her neck, grasping the bug tightly and ripping it off of her. Immediately she felt her neck stiffen, fire flooding her senses. The wasp squirmed in her hand in a futile attempt at escape. Not now.

She crushed it.

Why now? Why can’t I get a moment of peace?

She tried to ignore the sting in her neck and glanced at where Celestia was. The princess must have stumbled over to the floor, the sting catching her off guard. She was slumped against the wall, her face frozen in shock. Although her vision was blurry, Sunset could make out a small wasp still clinging on to Celestia’s neck, as if it was sucking the life out of her.

She let out a cry and ran over to Celestia, ripping the Changeling off of her neck. She tossed it on the floor and stomped down on it. Celestia did not get up off of the floor, and on closer inspection, her eyes had glazed over. They’ve got her in a trance. Sunset let out another startled cry, flipping her head back and forth to make sure no other Changeling’s found them, or any were trying to do the same to her.

Principal Celestia rushed into the living room, still in her nightgown. “What’s going on?” She yelled. Once she saw Sunset leaning over the Princess’s body, she rushed over and felt the Princess for a pulse.

“She’s okay,” the Principal said, “just passed out.” She glanced at Sunset. “It’s Chrysalis, isn’t it?”

“Y-yeah,” Sunset choked out.

“Shut the door. I’ll go grab a first aid kit and some weapons.”

Sunset pushed herself back onto her feet, and turned to the door. Her mind was blank; all the thoughts in her mind were overtaken and consumed by the sting emanating from her neck, or from the rage that boiled inside of her. I didn’t get to say it. Just when I thought I could.

Still swaying on her feet, she pushed her body into the doorframe to close it shut.

A pale hand stuck in between just before she closed it, blocking her.

“Not so fast,” she heard herself say from the other side. An imposter Sunset stuck her head in, pushing the real Sunset back onto the ground in the process. “I’ve been waiting a couple days for this opportunity.”

Sunset stumbled backward across the floor. “What the hell do you want?”

“Compensation,” snarled Chrysalis, “for the funny little trip Celestia took to my hive, and for your funny little speech at lunch yesterday. But, I have far better things to do than take you out myself. Ta-ta,” she said, stepping out with a flash of green.

Sunset got up onto her feet and slammed the door shut. “Principal!” She called weakly. “We have a problem!”

Principal Celestia came running out of the bathroom, a first aid kit in hand. “What is it?” She asked hurriedly.

“Chrysalis just showed up, and she’s mad. Ah,” Sunset winced, rubbing her neck, “We need to defend ourselves before any more Changelings come.”

The Principal nodded. “Alright. I was about to get some weapons before you called me. They could already be inside of the house now.”

Sunset rushed over to the kitchen. “I’ll grab a knife until then.”

“Oh, there’s no need for that. I’ve got far better weapons upstairs,” said the Principal.

“What?” Sunset’s brow furrowed. “I need something until we get there, then.”

The Principal walked over and grabbed her hand. “Don’t take the knives. We’ll go get some weapons together. Just so we don’t split up,” she said, bringing Sunset across the living room with her grip.

Sunset followed blindly behind her as she tried to process everything that was going on. “Wait, we need to help the Princess!” Sunset exclaimed, breaking out of her grip and running back over to the Princess, still propped against the wall, unconscious.

The Principal rushed after her. “She’s not as important right now. We need to defend ourselves!”

As Sunset made her way back over to Princess Celestia, the pounding in her ears dulled for a second as she heard something from the corner of the house.

Someone was banging against a door, yelling for her. Realization struck as she the woman behind stood idly waiting.

Sunset turned to Principal Celestia. “Perhaps we should grab some weapons first,” she said calmly.

“Good,” said the Principal. Sunset stood up and followed behind the Principal once again. However, just as they reached the kitchen, she threw herself over to the stove and grabbed a knife. Just as the Principal turned around to call out to her she swiped across the Principal’s arm.

With a hiss, the Principal flashed green and flew away to another part of the house, a small trail of green blood behind her.

Sunset sped as fast as she could over to the bathroom, which had been locked and barred shut with a chair. She removed the chair and swung the door open to see the real Principal Celestia inside. “Oh thank goodness, Sunset!” she exclaimed. “A Changeling just locked me in here!”

Sunset leaned against the wall. “I know. She almost got me, too, if I hadn’t heard you.”

“Thank the lord for that. I have some weapons here,” she said, handing Sunset a taser. “I’m going to see if pepper spray works against them.”

“Well, sharp blades do the trick for sure,” Sunset said, examining the taser in her hands. “I squashed two of them. I just injured another, but it flew away. Chrysalis had enough time to get more inside, for sure.”

The Principal stepped out of the bathroom and made her way down the hallway. “The Princess and I counted sixteen changelings in total, not including Chrysalis. So that’s three out of the picture. Definitely two.”

The made their way to the living room. “Crack a window open,” said Sunset. “They can already get in here, and flight seems like a common response to injury. Let’s give them the easy way out.”

“On it,” she replied.

While the Principal opened a window in the living room, Sunset ran over to the unconscious Celestia and dragged her out of the doorway, bracing her against the back of the living room couch. I can’t move her very far, but at least no changelings will trip on her. She grasped her small knife from the kitchen, and met the Principal in the living room.

“If we stay right next to each other, they cannot trick us again,” suggested the Principal.

“My thought’s exactly,” Sunset said, leaning back to back with the Principal. “So we’ve got three down. We need to get to sixteen or so, then? This isn’t going to be fun.”

“Sixteen if we’re lucky. And, if we need to kill . . . try not get torturous.”

Sunset let out a deep sigh. “Why am I the only one who has to play by the rules? Fate’s working against me now. I’m done playing games.”

“I beg you to reconsider,” the Principal said.

However, two bugs interrupted their conversation and flew in from the window, pincers aimed and ready to attack. Sunset slashed at one with the knife, while the Principal unloaded the can of pepper spray on the other. The Changeling that received the dose of pepper spray buzzed and flew straight for the window, right back out into the night air. When Sunset sliced through her bug, it vanished into thin air.

“What—” Sunset exclaimed before she felt another stinger in her shoulder. Principal Celestia spun around and blasted the can at the bug, which immediately popped out of Sunset’s shoulder and flew blindly out the window. “Gah,” groaned Sunset, “Why the hell are they just leaving?”

“Consider it a blessing,” the Principal responded.

Five down, Sunset thought to herself.

So began a pattern of barrages against the teacher and student in which the wasps charged directly at them before flying out the window at the first hint of injury.

Sunset swatted one down with the knife.

Six.

The Principal, catching on to the simple method of execution, began shooting the pepper spray out in short bursts. “Got one!” She called.

Seven.

One Changeling tried a new method. It rushed in like the rest of them, but a meter before it reached Sunset, it flashed green and turned into a replica of her in an attempt to tackle her to the ground. Fortunately, Sunset had equipped the taser in her off-hand, and jabbed it into the Changeling’s stomach. It flew right back out the window.

Eight. Why the hell aren’t they putting up a fight?

Just as the thought entered her mind, another copy of herself appeared right in her face and grabbed her, slamming her against the ground. She blindly waved the taser above her back, but nothing connected. “Help!” She cried out.

The Principal turned around and kicked her foot out at the imposter, sending it sprawling against the floor. Just as Sunset got up and rushed forward at it, it turned into a bug and flew out the window.

Nine. She stumbled on her feet, catching herself before she fell. That one hurt.

Just as Sunset lined up with the Principal again, a bug transformed into a replica of the Principal and charged at the older woman. She aimed right into the Changelings eyes and unloaded the rest of the can. The Changeling, momentarily confused, swapped back into a wasp and flew into the ground in front of Sunset’s feet. Sunset quickly stomped down on it, turning it into a puddle of goo.

Ten.

“Hey,” the Principal said, “I don’t know if that was called for.”

“I won’t torture them,” Sunset responded, “but they don’t get to destroy my life without consequence. Not anymore.”

The Principal shook her head in disappointment before she tossed the can of pepper spray to the side. “I’m going to grab something from the kitchen. Stay safe for a few seconds.”

“Hurry,” Sunset said.

Just as the Principal left her side, another Changeling flew in and attempted to sting her. However, the exhilaration of the last kill let her mind enter a zone of rage-fueled precision, and with a quick swipe, the bug split in two and toppled to the ground.

Eleven.

She lowered the knife back down, only to notice that her arm wasn’t moving. She stared closely at it, and flexed her muscles upward. Although she could feel it moving, her eyes suggested it was locked to her side.

Not one for taking chances, she used her other hand to bluntly smash against her arm. With a green flash, a Changeling flew off of it and out the window, giving her arm visible control again.

Twelve . . . what even was that?

The Principal ran back into the room empty-handed. “Sorry about the wait. How many did we take out?”

Sunset let out a small laugh. “Where’s the thing you were supposed to grab? Fool me once, shame on you . . .” She swung out the knife and, right before it made contact with the Principal’s skin, the Changeling reverted and flew out the window.

Thirteen.

The actual Principal came back into the room with a flyswatter in hand.

“Do you think that’s going to do anything?” Sunset asked.

“Well, they are clearly not trying to deal lots of damage. I’ll leave the tougher ones to you.”

“Gee, thanks,” said Sunset.

Despite Sunset’s remarks, the next Changeling that flew in aimed directly for the Principal, and she swatted it down with ease.

“See?” She said. “I knew it would work.”

Fourteen, then.

Sunset glanced over at the Princess, still lying next to the couch, unconscious. One wasp was skittering across her head, it’s stinger ready to pierce. Sunset rushed over to the Princess’s body and, when the Changeling noticed another person in front of it, it shifted its attention to her, flying off of the Princess’s head. Sunset cut through it easily with the knife.

Fifteen. They’re awfully slow for being wasps.

Sunset turned around to see two Principal Celestia’s rolling around on the floor, both grabbing at each other and hitting one another with dual flyswatters. Of course, Sunset thought.

She grasped the knife in her right hand, the taser in her left, and walked over to the pile. One Principal was clawing at the other’s back while the other swatted her head with a flyswatter directly on top of her.

“Sunset!” Exclaimed the Principal on top. “I’m the real one! Remember last Monday, with the tree? I fell over and you helped me back up. Please, listen to me!”

The one below shouted up at Sunset, “She’s just stalling Sunset! I have no idea about how I feel about the Fall Formal! It’s not me!”

“Take your knife and stab her already!” said the one on top.

“Nice try,” said Sunset as she jabbed her taser toward the top Principal. At the touch of Sunset’s taser, the final imposter Celestia reverted to its original form and bolted out the window. The Principal sat up and dusted herself off.

“Thank you, Sunset. I knew I could trust you.”

Sixteen. Thank Celestia, it’s over.

Sunset let out a painful sound of agreement. “Yeah, there’s no way a real person would risk getting stabbed. Not when you handed me a taser as a better option. It had to be the other you.” A weak groan escaped her lips. “That’s got to be all of them, right?”

“Sixteen plus Chrysalis makes seventeen. I believe we’re finished. How many did you . . . you know, kill?”

Sunset rubbed her neck. “Five, I think? I’m a little frazzled right now.” She turned around and saw Princess Celestia’s form still on the ground next to the couch. Her last bit of adrenaline pushed her over to the Princess’s side, slipping the small knife into her pocket. Just in case.

“I’m not sure that the Princess will appreciate you killing that many, Sunset,” reprimanded the Principal. “She does not seem like the type to wish for unnecessary violence.”

Sunset’s lip trembled as she looked over the Princess. “I don’t care anymore. It’s all bullshit anyways. Just . . . I’ve done worse than squash a few bugs before. Maybe I shouldn’t, or whatever, but . . . I won’t stand back when Chrysalis plays dirty.” She focused her attention back onto the Princess.

Considering the onslaught that Sunset and the Principal had just been through, the Princess looked immaculate. The Changelings must have figured the conscious targets were more important.

She quickly dropped on her knees to the floor next to the Princess. The pain from the sting on her neck and shoulder, the cuts across her back, and the exertion of the attack had worn her out completely. The Principal dashed over with a glass of water from the sink.

“Drink this,” she said, handing Sunset the glass. Sunset gulped it down greedily and set the glass on the floor next to her.

“What the hell was that all about, anyway?” She wondered aloud.

The Principal leaned over to the Princess and checked for a pulse again. “I’m not sure. The Princess is alright, though. If anything, I think that was too easy.”

“Yeah,” Sunset agreed. “I still got my ass kicked.”

The Principal brushed herself off. “Any competent commander wouldn’t send in their troops one by one. They should have swarmed us. You’re lucky you only got away with an ass-kicking. I may not understand much about Equestria, but battle tactics on this level should be universal.”

Sunset scratched her chin. “Now that you mention it, they all just flew away once we landed a single blow. Maybe she only wanted to tire us out? Or send a warning?”

“Yeah, but that still seems unnecessary. I’m relatively unscathed.”

Sunset snorted. “Well, you’re . . . you. She clearly was going for me.”

The Principal motioned to the Princess. “Why does the Princess look so pristine, then? Surely she’s a higher target.”

“Well, she’s a sun god,” Sunset said with a frown. “She looks pretty normal, from an Equestrian perspective.”

The Principal sighed. “We’re not in Equestria, though. Let’s just ask her. I’m not exactly certain on how to wake up someone that’s passed out, but I’ll try.”

The Principal grabbed the Princess’s shoulders and shook her back and forth. With a gasp, her eyes shot open.

“What’s going on?” The Princess exclaimed. Her eyes flew around the room as if she was confused about her surroundings.

The Principal stopped shaking her and held her in place. “Calm down, Princess. We just took down some Changelings. They knocked you out.”

The Princess opened her mouth in realization. “Well, my apologies for being unable to contribute to your defense. I hope neither of you are too badly hurt.”

Sunset let out a painful chuckle. “A little late for that one.”

Brushing herself off, the Princess got onto her feet and walked over to the living room. The Principal followed after her.

“Are you hurt at all, Princess? You were looking rough in the beginning there.”

The Princess abruptly grabbed her head and winced. “Ah, well, I may have hurt my head a bit. We don’t have much time to dwell on injuries at the moment, though? Surely we have to plan a counter-attack.”

Sunset furrowed her eyebrows. “A counter-attack? We still need to figure out why they attacked in the first place.” Sunset pushed herself up and onto her feet with a wince. “Do you have an idea of how we could successfully pull off a counter-attack, though?”

The Princess sat down on the couch. “Perhaps. Your observation is correct, however. We must establish a motive for this attack. Perhaps this was an attack out of anger for our small excursion to her school the other night.”

“That could be,” the Principal responded. “It seemed like we riled her up.”

“Well,” said the Princess, “We must escalate, then. The only solution here is to respond in kind.”

Sunset limped over to Princess, and stared at her, a perplexed expression on her face. “You want to go on the offensive? You?”

The Princess’s mouth turned down into a grey line. “It is no longer the time to play games.”

Sunset laughed, but it caught her off-balance. She grabbed the side of a chair for support. “You, though? The one who won’t act until everything has already gone to shit? Who decides her morning routine off of popular opinion? You didn’t even get me a birthday present in fear of ‘expressing favoritism’ but now you want to jump the gun and start fighting back?”

The Princess glared intensely. “I am learning from my mistakes. I have failed the nation once already. I cannot let it happen again.”

“So everything you told me was a lie?” Sunset spat out. “All of that talk about abdication and starting over was just politics?”

A worried look flashed across the Princess’s face before she immediately regained composure. “I, well, am just . . . I must be a bit off-center because of the Changelings’ assault. Excuse me, Sunset.” She stood up and walked over to the bathroom.

“Hold on,” said Sunset, limping over to the Princess. Something’s not right. She subtly reached her hand into her pocket, grasping the knife. “Show me your neck.”

“My neck? No,” she said coldly, and continued to walk away. The Principal stood up and rushed over and blocked the bathroom door.

“Hold on, Princess.” She glanced over at Sunset, a look of concern on her face. Sunset, motioned her head down to her hand, clutching the switchblade. The Principal’s eyes widened.

“Let us see your neck, Princess. It will be easier to treat your wasp sting there with multiple people on hand.”

The Princess’s eyes darted back and forth. “I am asking you politely to step aside and let me into the bathroom.”

Sunset sighed. “Fine, then.”

With a quick swipe, she thrust the switchblade out and slashed Celestia’s arm. The Princess suddenly flashed green and, wasting no time, flew straight out the window into the early morning air.

Sunset looked at the Principal, aghast. A few tears sprouted in her eyes. “I thought you said there were sixteen.”

“I’m sorry, Sunset,” the Principal said. “Celestia and I miscounted. The seventeenth changeling must not have been Chrysalis.”

Sunset vigorously wiped her eyes. “We were the distraction, then,” she choked out. “It didn’t matter what happened, as long as we were here. So they could take her,” she spat.

The Principal solemnly nodded. Suddenly, she sped away from the bathroom door and over to the door to her garage. “There’s no time to sit around, then. They can’t have taken her too far away. We might still be able to get her back!”

Sunset’s eyes widened as a small flicker of hope renewed itself. She hobbled right behind the Principal out the door into the garage. The Principal slid into the front seat and started the car, while Sunset grabbed shotgun and winced when she sat down.

The car pulled out the garage, only lit up by the early morning streetlamps.

“They must be taking her to Camp Everfree,” the Principal said, heading in that direction.

“Why’s that?” Sunset asked.

“The Princess and I scouted out the area. We found all the student’s in the caves underneath a rock quarry. The Princess said that the area was filled with magic. She thinks the magic is fueling their pods.”

Sunset rubbed her neck. “If they get someone like the Princess down there, in a pod . . . the amount of love they could harvest might be too much for us to stop. She might be able to hatch all of her Changelings early.”

“Or secure the Everfree as a stronghold,” the Principal suggested.

“Let’s just hope that love cannot travel through the mirror, otherwise she may have the admiration of a whole nation in her arsenal.” The two continued down the residential streets, scanning the sides for any sight of movement. “What if they’re taking her through a bunch of backyards?” Sunset asked.

“I don’t know what we’ll do, then.”

As they made their way closer to the center of the city, Canterlot High School appeared into view. Sunset jumped up in her seat.

“Look! Right in front of CHS!”

Slowly walking past CHS was a worn Princess Celestia, eyes clouded over and green. Her gait made it seem like she was walking at a snail’s pace, but she had already made it a far distance across town.

“Let’s drive up to her and toss her into the side seat,” said the Principal. “We can work on getting her out of the trance later.”

However, as they drove up closer, a loud buzzing rang through the air. With a flash of green, an identical copy of Celestia began marching alongside the Princess. Then, two more appeared. A flurry of transformations followed, and the Princess was completely surrounded with identical copies of herself, all shielding her from the car that was attempting to approach.

“What the hell?” Sunset gawked. She felt more anger flood her body as she realized what Chrysalis was doing. She turned to the Principal. “Stop the car.”

“Don’t do anything foolish, Sunset,” she said.

“I won’t, just stop the car.”

The Principal obliged and Sunset pushed herself out onto the street. She climbed under a streetlamp and raised her hands up to her mouth.

“Hey!” She called.

The Celestia at the tail-end of the cluster turned around, flashed a wicked grin, and waved.

“If you think this was a victory, you’re mistaken! You fucked up big time, Chrysalis! Now I’m pissed! Now I’m—”

The Celestia at the end of the line transformed into Sunset. She looked like a mess: her eyes were bloodshot and teary, her coat and hair soaking wet, and she was swaying back on forth like she would topple any minute. Sunset looked down at herself in horror.

“You need to understand, Sunset!” Her own voice called out to her. “This game was never about you. Your selfishness led to Celestia’s demise. You can try as hard as you like, but as long as fate wills it, you will never succeed! You’ll never earn the wings you once so desperately craved, nor the love that Celestia and Twilight foolishly try to hand to you! I’ll take it away, as is my destiny. You’re just a pawn who has convinced herself she’s a princess!” Chrysalis morphed back into the ersatz Celestia and rejoined the huddle, not even letting Sunset respond.

Fury rolled through Sunset’s veins. She growled and stormed back to the car, throwing herself in the seat. “Drive,” she commanded.

The Principal started the car and drove past the cluster of Celestias, leaving them behind. “Where to now?”

“My house. We need to tell Twilight what’s happened.”

The Principal nodded and drove silently. Sunset sulked in the corner, her frustration overtaking the pain in her mind. Slowly, as the initial anger fell off, she felt the itch of her back and sting on her neck settle in.

“Hey, Principal Celestia?”

“Yes, Sunset?”

“I don’t know if I’ll ever get to spend another day at school with you, so I figure I’ll tell you now. Your reasoning for planting that tree was the dumbest shit I’ve heard come out of your mouth. I just wanted to make that clear, in no uncertain terms.”

The Principal chuckled. “I do regret planting it, now.”

“’Truly looking at yourself in the mirror’ my ass,” Sunset scoffed. “Look at what that got you.”

“Look at what it got all of us,” responded the Principal. “I know you’re angry, and hurt, and I can’t possibly understand what you’re going through, but I know that if there is anyone who can get themselves out of this, it’s you. Don’t give up now just because Chrysalis blocked you from reconciling with Celestia. You’re so much better than that. I know that Celestia is hoping for you to save her, to finally have a proper talk. I am her, after all.”

Sunset let out a grunt of frustration. “You’re not Celestia. Not my Celestia.”

“I’m not trying to be. I am your friend,” she said.

They lapsed into silence until Sunset’s apartment came into view. “Here,” she said, hopping out of the car.

She hobbled into the building and up the stairs, pushing through the front door. “Twilight!” she yelled.

Twilight rushed out of her room and saw Sunset, a haggard display in comparison to just an hour ago. “Oh my gosh, Sunset! What happened to you?”

Sunset propped herself against the kitchen counter. “They ambushed us, Twilight. The changelings have the Princess. They’ve taken her to the Everfree forest.”

Twilight looked on in shock as the Principal entered the room behind Sunset. She offered Twilight a grim nod.

“Then . . . what are we going to do?” she asked.

“I . . . I don’t know . . .”

Suddenly, a wave of nausea overcame Sunset. Her back felt like it had burst into flame, and was scorching her veins. She stumbled forward and let out a muffled cry. Twilight grabbed her by the shoulders.

“Sunset, are you okay?”

The words hit her ears, but they sounded distant, and the color drained out of her vision. She tried to choke out a word of help, but could only look on at Twilight’s concerned face.

With a last grasp at Twilight’s dress, she dropped to the floor and fainted.

Back in Your Own Backyard

Canterlot City descended into absolute chaos.

“On your left!”

The Principal narrowly swerved around another car, one of the many that were beelining at them in an attempt to take them off of the road. Sunset and Twilight kept watch on the sides, ready to warn the driver if any other civilians decided to charge at the car again. Although it at first seemed like they were going to reach the Everfree before the Dazzlings, they were halted at every turn. The sirens’ buses passed them a few minutes prior.

“I knew we shouldn’t have trusted them!” growled Twilight, staring at the growing mass behind them that relentlessly shuffled toward their general direction. “They were going to abuse their power from the start!”

“What else could we do?” Sunset retorted. “It was either her or Chrysalis!”

The Principal suddenly slammed on the brakes, lurching the two forward. “Sorry!” she exclaimed, watching another car—aiming for the front this time—whizz past them. “That was too close.”

Twilight and Sunset sat themselves back up on the seat, this time deciding to throw their seatbelts on. Sunset grasped the bag she had left in the car earlier and opened it up, pilfering through in the hopes that she had packed something useful for this situation.

“Twilight,” she said, pulling an old notebook out of the bag, “do you think Starswirl the Bearded had anything on the Dazzlings?”

“I didn’t see anything in my first three reads, but I could scan it again. Starswirl was known to hide secret messages in his works.” Sunset handed the notebook over to Twilight, who quickly started flipping through, her attention completely focused on the reading. Sunset peered into the bag, looking for anything else. Just my journal and a sack of bits . . . that’s all that’s left. She glanced back outside and saw that the crowd around them was thinning out, and no one could reach their vehicle as easily.

She zipped up the bag and slung it around her shoulder, opting to keep it with her. “If we mess up at Camp Everfree, then I say we swing back around to CHS and try to escape to Equestria,” she suggested. The Principal shook her head.

“Do you really think we could get back through the crowd? Camp Everfree is a dead end. We’ll die trying.”

“It’s either die trying, or die.”

“I’ve heard enough about death tonight already,” the Principal grumbled. The car finally pulled out onto the highway leading into the Everfree forest. However, as they traveled farther along, the current of vehicles on the road increased. The Principal had been weaving between the cars in an attempt to gain speed, but it was starting to get to the point where there was no room to budge ahead at all. The Dazzlings’ spell had caused a mass pilgrimage to the camp, and the large quantity of vehicles heading in the same direction almost instantly slowed them to a crawl.

“What do we do?” wondered Sunset aloud.

“I’m going to drive as far as I can, and then we’ll need to go on foot,” the Principal said, making a tight pass around another car. Fortunately, most of the people driving their vehicles were too enchanted to go at a fast speed, so she wasn’t in much danger if they actually crashed.

Sunset sat back down in her seat and closed her eyes, letting her head rest for a second. She felt absolutely terrible, and she could feel her face start to swell up from the beating she had taken. She readjusted her leather jacket around her shoulders; it was spattered in a mixture of Chrysalis’s and her own blood. Her short moment of rest became an opening for another wave of nausea. “I don’t know if I’ll be able to walk all the way to Camp Everfree, Principal,” she said weakly.

“There’s no other option. We’ll carry you, if we need to.”

Twilight flipped the other end of the notebook closed. “Nope, I can’t find any hidden meanings about the sirens. It’s all just observations on various Equestrian magic he encounters, and some personal notes in between.”

“What did he talk about in his logs?”

“Nothing out of the ordinary for Starswirl,” she said. “How amazing this magic is, and how groundbreaking of a discovery it is. There was one passage, where he seemed awfully homesick—I suppose even Starswirl started to miss his friends after a while. Still, I can’t find a single mention of how to actually harness magic in this world, or how to stop a creature like the siren from lording over the populace.”

“Damn it,” Sunset lamented. “I guess we’ll just have to get to the Princess first, somehow.”

As Twilight handed Sunset the notebook to put back in her bag, the car lurched to a halt once more. The road was completely jammed, cars stalled all the way down the road. Everyone had stepped out at this point, and they could see multiple people staggering toward the camp. “This is as far as we can go,” the Principal announced.

“How far away is it?” asked Twilight.

“I would say it’s only a short walk, but it still won’t be fun. Let’s get on, then.”

“Wait, Principal,” said Sunset. “If they see your face, we’ll get mauled. Cover your head with your coat, or something,” she suggested.

“Right,” said the Principal, slipping off her coat and tossing it over her head, covering her hair as well. “But you two need to lead me, then.”

Sunset pushed herself out of the car, her bag slung around her shoulder, walked over to the Principal, and grasped her arm. “I’ll try and lead you, put I can’t promise I won’t give out somewhere in between.”

“Thank you,” the Principal said from underneath the jacket.

Twilight went to Sunset’s side to help keep her steady and they started their trek to Camp Everfree. None of the people around them seemed to notice the Principal, all too focused on entering the camp. They weaved through the cars without issue, and after what seemed like an eternity of walking, they could see the entrance coming into view. Just before it, though, Sunset noticed three parked buses right in front of the line.

“The Dazzlings are already here,” she said.

“Damn,” exclaimed the Principal. “I never took my foot off of the gas! Well, only when I wasn’t breaking,” she murmured.

Twilight rubbed her chin in thought. “They’ve probably searched a good portion of the camp by now. Even if it took a while to get everyone here, they’ve had a big head start.”

They entered the camp, but their walk was far from over. The front gates were flush with people, and one wrong move would reveal the Principal’s identity. “Be careful,” Sunset said to her. “The Dazzlings could be anywhere.” Above the crowd, Sunset could almost make out the distant, crystal-like lake, glimmering against the setting sun. “Where should we head?”

“The rock quarry,” the Principal whispered.

The three started off in the quarry’s direction, and, thankfully, away from the angry crowd. There were still plenty of people aimlessly wandering near them, but at least Sunset felt like she could breathe.

Twilight abruptly let go of Sunset’s arm, freezing in place.

“What is it?” Sunset asked, stopping the Principal as well.

Twilight pointed back from the direction they came, her jaws gaping wide. “Look, over there . . . from the entrance’s direction.”

Sunset squinted her eyes to differentiate between the people behind, but it was too far away. “Where?”

“Low on the ground.”

Sunset’s eyes widened as she saw the figure slowly inching toward them. It was a duplicate of herself, still in the form of a demon, its right leg and left arm frozen in stone. The changeling queen’s whole body had gone completely rigid, and she was laying on her back, somehow sliding across the ground as if she was being carried by a conveyor belt. On closer inspection, Sunset saw a thin line of wasps underneath Chrysalis, bracing her against their backs and skittering forward, like a crowd of ants carrying a big leaf.

“What is it?” the Principal asked, still unable to see.

“It’s Chrysalis,” said Sunset. “She got over here, somehow.”

“I thought she was taken care of.”

“Me too. Shit!”

“Then we best get a move on,” the Principal said, starting forward at a faster pace. The two girls turned away and got back to leading her to the quarry.

“Where’s the entrance to the cave, Principal?” asked Twilight.

“It’s behind a thick set of vines. I should be able to peek underneath this jacket and point out the general area to you.”

“Alright,” said Sunset. “We’re almost here, just one more corner to turn.”

As the rock quarry came into view, it became apparent that navigating it would be an issue. The two girls stopped the Principal.

“What is it now?” she questioned.

“We got beat to it again,” Twilight uttered.

The rock quarry was filled to the brim with angry citizens, stalking around the area in the hopes of finding the entrance to the cave. It was only a short matter of time before someone stumbled upon the correct spot.

“Principal,” Sunset said, “you’re going to need to point out to us where the entrance is, because once we’re down there, one glimpse of your face will end us.”

The Principal shifted the jacket over her head to expose one eye, and she peered at the quarry, searching for any sign of where she had previously entered. “There,” she said, pointing at a spot on the left side of the quarry. “Do you see that patch of vines? They should have a cut in between them. I can’t say that’s the exact spot, but I know the Princess brought me somewhere around there.”

“Then lets get over there, quick,” hurried Sunset. Once the Principal had gotten her face covered again, they started off in the entrance’s direction.

Just before entering into the pit of people, Sunset scanned the crowd, and saw the three sirens at the right side of the quarry. She breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that at this rate they would still make it inside of the cave first. They began their descent, wading through the sea of enraged bodies.

“This is disgusting,” the Principal muttered, gripping her impromptu mask close to her face.

“Shush,” said Twilight, “They might recognize Celestia’s voice.”

Sunset glanced behind her and saw that Chrysalis was still skittering along, slowly catching up to them. The queen entered the rock quarry and, due to her low level on the ground, disappeared underneath all of the shuffling feet.

“We need to hurry,” Sunset exclaimed. A wave of nausea overcame her once more, and she clutched her head, pausing to suck in air.

“Are you okay, Sunset?” asked Twilight, worriedly placing a hand on her shoulder.

“Yeah, yeah,” Sunset coughed, starting forward again. “I’m fine.”

They reached the left wall of the quarry, fortunately not gaining the attention of any unwanted passerbys. The three started pushing against the rock wall, feeling along the side in search of the entrance or a break in the vines. They were nearing the section the Principal had pointed out when Sunset heard someone call behind them.

“Sunset!” yelled Chrysalis. “I’m not done with you yet! My reinforcements arrived, and they were more than happy to carry me to you!”

A few angry people in the crowd were startled out of their search. Chrysalis heeded no attention to them, skittering closer to the trio.

“Tell her to be quiet,” the Principal snapped. “She’ll give us away!”

“Sunset . . . " she called again.

“Alright,” Sunset said, trying to keep her voice as quiet as possible. “What is it?”

“Come over here,” she croaked.

“No.”

The crowd around them had now shifted their attention to the three women and Chrysalis, all watching the scene unfold with slight intrigue.

“That’s not an option, Sunset,” she announced, her voice growing louder. “I need to speak with you.”

A few people took notice of Principal Celestia, still covering her face with her jacket. Murmurs ran through the crowd, and the faces around them shifted into deep frowns.

“I can’t right now,” Sunset hissed.

“I would put it off if I had the time,” responded Chrysalis.

Someone in front of Celestia grabbed her jacket and yanked it off of her head, revealing her face to the crowd. Outraged gasps dispersed throughout the quarry, and soon every eye in the quarry was focused on the Principal. It was then that they noticed the people had not come unarmed; several were carrying knives, bats, boards, and there were even a few guns that had just been raised in anticipation.

The Dazzlings, startled by the shift in the crowd’s attention, immediately saw the group across the quarry. Everyone had gone deathly quiet, waiting for their command. Adagio’s mouth turned upward into a sly grin, and she shrugged her shoulders. “Well, everyone! What are we waiting for? Attack!”

The crowd roared with fury and jumped toward them. Principal Celestia shielded her face, and with a look of utter terror, sunk down onto the ground. Twilight and Sunset followed suit, attempting to shield themselves as much as possible. Sunset collapsed out of exhaustion, her body giving up when faced with the prospect of the attack they were about to receive.

Except the assault never reached them. When Sunset peeked an eye open, she found that the enraged citizens were focusing their rage on indescribable masses littering the grounds around them. None had even bothered to reach for the real Principal Celestia.

Sunset shook herself off and weakly got on to her feet. She poked the other two. “Hey, they’re not after us.”

Twilight removed her arms from her face. “What? What’s going on?”

Even with the Principal’s face exposed, no one attacked her. She got up and walked over to one of the masses on the ground. “You two need to see this.”

Each mass was a copy of Princess Celestia, dressed in her royal garb. The citizens surrounded each mass, kicking, beating, and destroying each duplicate Celestia. None of the masses made a sound, and each had a blank face as it was beaten. Sunset turned away, unable to look any longer.

“Sunset,” she heard someone whisper underneath her. It was Chrysalis, whose stone curse was now creeping up her torso. “Let’s make a final deal. Not between Sunset and Chrysalis. Between all Equestrians and all Changelings.”

“What do you want?”

“Those Celestias are the last of my reinforcements, Sunset,” she wheezed, “and I’ll give them to you and your friends. They’ll buy you enough time to make it into the cave. But in return, you need to come with me. I need to speak with you.”

“No,” Sunset said.

“I hope you’ll forgive me for taking you away from them just for a short bit. Forgiveness appears to be your thing, so that gives me better chances.” She snorted. “Twilight and the other Celestia will be fine. Fate is on your side. But I need to preserve my species, Sunset . . . I’m not asking.”

Sunset turned back to Twilight and Principal Celestia who were nervously clinging to the wall, already starting back on finding the entrance. Were it not for Chrysalis’s intervention, they would all be in place of each bruised mass. She felt her whole body ache all over, the the thought of rushing through the cave made her whole stomach ache. “. . . Fine. Let me talk to Twilight.”

She walked over to the girl and slung her bag off of her back, handing it to her.

“Here,” Sunset said, “Just in case you need Starswirl’s notes.”

“What are you doing?” Twilight asked. “What’s going on?”

“It’s Chrysalis. She’s buying you two time to get to Celestia. But I need to go with her.”

“Why?” asked Twilight.

“Diplomacy, I think? But I don’t have a choice, whatever it may be.”

Twilight’s eyes widened in panic. “I can’t do this alone, Sunset. Not without my friends. Not without you.”

Sunset smiled reassuringly. “Yes you can. If anyone can do it, it’s you. The Principal’s here, too.”

Her lip quivered. “Are you sure you can’t come?”

“I think I would be dead weight anyways. Chrysalis got me good back at the school. I’ll try to come back as fast as I can, though. I promise.”

“What am I supposed to do if the Dazzlings catch up to us?”

“Ask the Princess, if you get to her first. Just . . . trust yourself. I believe in you.”

Twilight reached out and reluctantly took Sunset’s bag, slinging it around her shoulder. As they stared into each other’s eyes, Twilight’s started to well up, and the riot around them disappeared for just a moment.

“Good luck, Twilight Sparkle,” Sunset said. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” said Twilight. Without another word, she turned back to the effort of finding the entrance with the Principal. Sunset wiped her eyes and sniffed lightly.

“Thanks for the boost,” Chrysalis called from behind her. “There’s nothing that tastes quite the same as young love and budding romance. I think you just gave me a few extra minutes of life, heh.”

Sunset turned around to the demon and frowned. “Now what do you want?” she growled.

“First, I would like if you could pick me up. The bugs can’t carry me if they’re saving your friends.”

Sunset reached down and grasped Chrysalis’s right arm, the one not frozen in stone. She swung Chrysalis onto her feet, who wrapped her arm around Sunset’s shoulder. “Where to?” asked Sunset.

“The best place to go out that’s nearby . . . the lake, I suppose. Let’s go there.”

They started their slow hobble out of the quarry, taking a few minutes to find a rhythm. Sunset noticed she was more or less dragging along the changeling queen. I suppose it will only get harder, she thought.

“Tell me what this is about, Chrysalis.”

Chrysalis snorted. “You’re so blunt. Give me a minute to get all my thoughts straight. What I really need you to do is listen. I’ve got a lot to say, and I need you to understand it well.”

“You want me to humor you?”

“I suppose, but it’s quite important. I may need to work my way toward what I’m trying to say, though, so maybe you could humor me for a little while. My mind is all over the place right now.”

“I can tell.”

“Don’t piss me off even more. I’m still enraged at you for doing this to me. I’m so ashamed of what I’m about to say.” She sighed. “My species’ main goal underneath my rule was to conquer. We . . . failed. The second goal was simply to survive. And that’s what I’m doing now, talking to you. I’m ensuring that they survive.”

They made their way out of the quarry pit, and started walking along the trail to the center of the camp.

“If you are truly a mare of forgiveness, as you so boldly claimed to me within the mirror portal, then I need you to forgive the changeling race. Not me, though. I seek no forgiveness from you. However, it is in my subjects’ best interest to be forgiven by Equestria. So I am going to take all of the blame for everything that has happened, if it ensures their survival. And I will do so proudly.”

“So you want me as your witness?” asked Sunset.

“Yes, consider it official if you’d like. There will be no more Changeling Queen after I am gone, whether you agree to my conditions or not. After my death, the changelings will be far too fractured to ever consolidate once more. But I’m dying, so let my era die with me. Forgive everyone else, even if the changelings resist such an idea.”

Her shoulders grew stiff, which made carrying her far more difficult.

“Not so long ago, I was in your spot, Sunset. I had just defeated the current queen—I got a good shot on her, right through the lung—and sat down to speak with her as she died. You see, Sunset, I actually did what you were too much of a coward to do: I killed the princess. I usurped the throne. And I’m proud of it. Just as proud as my mother was when she killed hers, and so on. In fact, me dying to you has broken tradition. I hope you’re happy.

“But, as my mother was growing weaker in front of me, choking, sputtering out her last breaths, she underwent some strange delirium. Instead of telling me how to rule, what to look out for, all she did was grasp at me with her weak hooves, mumbling nonsense words like a madpony. I leaned down to her ear, and do you know what she said? She said she loved me. Hah! I couldn’t believe it.

“Then something started happening to her. The black chitin on her hooves disappeared, replaced with this bright white texture, and the holes in her legs filled themselves in. She wouldn’t stop smiling, even though she was choking on her own blood. It was like some disease, inching up her skin, turning her into some goddamn zombie. What was I supposed to do but panic, when seeing my own kind being destroyed right in front of me? Before it consumed her, I grabbed her head in my hands and snapped her neck. I’m still a little sad I had to cut our conversation short, but it is what it is.”

They approached the camp square, moving past the clusters of people who were heading toward the quarry.

“Truthfully, I hated my mother. She was another queen in a line of queens who wouldn’t do anything. Anytime I asked her, ‘How are we going to solve our dwindling food supply?’ ‘What’s our plan in case Equestria wages war against us?’ she would smile at me, like I was some buffoon, and say, ‘Everything is in fate’s hands.’ Bullshit! She was weak, and too much of a coward to admit it.

“When I took control, I made sure I was the opposite of her. I erased her from all of our records, and forbid any changelings from speaking the names of our past leaders. I took matters into my own hooves. And it worked. I turned things around. She never really interacted with fate a day in her life; she never grappled with it like I have. Because fate wanted the Changelings to sit down and let themselves die. They weren’t needed anymore. And as long as the Changelings weren’t making a splash, then fate didn’t give us a second glance. I changed that. Every single person in my kingdom doubted me; after announcing my plan to invade the Canterlot Wedding, they protested me. But when the time came to act, against every negative feeling in every bone of my body, I pulled through. And then some.

“My biggest enemy wasn’t Equestria, or humanity, or anyone, really. It was the destiny of the Changelings, and our dwindling relevance in the modern ecosystem. I’m not foolish, Sunset; I can see that changelings are parasitic by nature. All we do is take—that’s not always a good thing, unless you’re at the very top. If the changelings wanted to survive, then we needed to be the tertiary predator. I took our weakness, our out-of-date method of harvesting love, and turned it into our biggest strength. I revolutionized how a changeling could feed through mass invasions, and because of that, we swept Equestria. How’s that for a big ‘Fuck you,’ eh?

“I could feel that what I was doing was ‘wrong,’ morally-speaking. After a certain point, those alarm bells start ringing in your head, you start doubting yourself, you wonder if you’re doing the right thing—well, let me tell you this, Sunset. That sense of morality, whether you’re good, bad, or somewhere in between? It’s all bullshit. It’s just fate either giving you a pat on the back for doing what it wants, or a kick in the rear to get back onto the rails. Once I realized this, it became a lot easier to invade. Who the hell cares how I got into control, I still did! Oh no, I violated frienship! I wasn’t humane! It doesn’t matter! I fucking won!

“Even right now, I feel scared. That sense of dread, creeping up my spine; It’s destiny again, telling me that I’m not supposed to go here, that my time was supposed to be weeks ago or years into the future. But screw them! I’m going to die, right here, whether it was meant to be or not! I’m in control! I’m . . .” she trailed off, heaving for air.

They reached the center square, and once the lake came into view, Sunset felt their speed increase. Even though she was turning to stone, Chrysalis somehow began dragging Sunset, like a raging bull, out to the water. She noticed that Chrysalis’s arm had turned into stone while still wrapped around Sunset’s shoulder.

“No one just refuses a god, Sunset. If you consider Celestia to be one, then perhaps you and I are the few who can say they did. You’re the closest I’ve ever seen a pony get to becoming a god. When I faced against you in that portal, I wanted to give in, to accept the hand that fate wanted to deal me. But I wouldn’t let it court me, let it give me the comfort and peace of mind to know that everything would fix itself in the end, some way, somehow.”

Chrysalis dropped down low into the water, bending her torso, both of her legs stuck rigid.

“I wanted to play the game of the immortals. To have influence, and real power. But I’m just never meant to keep it. At the start, I thought we were doomed; I’m not sure whether that was me or fate talking, but it doesn’t change the fact that even I was wary of my own ambition. But I did it anyway. Not just one world, but two! How many creatures in how many universes can say that!?

“And now, fate tries to play off my victory, to pretend that it was all part of the plan. But it won’t trick me! Things will return to normal, I’m sure, but it won’t be the normal everyone originally thought, because of me. Even if every memory of my existence is wiped off of these worlds, if my name is scribbled out of every history book, what I have done, what I have impacted, will be tangible. It will be real, and no pony can say otherwise.”

She sloshed farther into the water, staring up at the last thin sliver of sun on the horizon.

“The events inside of the mirror portal, Sunset . . . have they returned to your memories?” she asked.

“. . . slightly.”

“Then surely you remember what it felt like, filling up with all that magic? How it felt to reach the level of a god?”

Sunset swallowed nervously. “I do.”

“Did it feel good?”

“. . . yes,” she admitted.

Chrysalis heaved, a raspy chuckle escaping her throat. “I hope you savored it. For just that moment, you wielded the power of Harmony. But now that it’s over, you won’t get it back. Your potential has been locked back away inside of you; your purpose has been served. The power you wielded will become nothing more than a longing daydream you’ll reminisce about every day for the rest of your life. You’ll never be a princess, Sunset.”

“What are you saying?” asked Sunset. “I didn’t think I was one in the first place.”

“That sort of power you wielded didn’t come from inside you. That was something else sending it your way. You were in the right place at the right time, and Harmony gave you an extra boost to make sure things went smoothly. To make sure that I was destroyed. And only just barely did you convince it to do so.” She laughed. “Did you think something like that would give you wings? That someone like you could ever get wings? No, you failed that test the day you were born, and every day since. Today was just a fluke.” She chuckled lightly. “Actually, I think I might have a solution.”

The queen’s scapula had frozen into stone, leaving her wings brittle. Suddenly, the changeling found enough impetus to propel herself forward, and with a little help from her magic, tore the wings off of her body. In their place was a long cut across the top of her back, and were it not for the mix of blood and stone, Sunset might have noticed its similarity to her own injury just a week prior.

Chrysalis screamed in pain, the water around her becoming tainted with a bright red hue of blood. However, her screams of pain morphed into a twisted, satisfied cackle. Sunset just stood still in horror, clutching on to the pair of torn wings.

“There are those wings you always wanted, Sunset! It’s the best you’re ever going to get!”

Chrysalis froze on the ground, her arms, legs, and torso all encased in stone. Sunset walked over to her side and sat down next to her, lifting her head out of the water so she didn’t drown. The stone was creeping up her neck, inch by inch.

“That’s the cruelest thing, really, falling in love with something that you’ll never be able to obtain. We both wanted real power. And we got it, too. But it always gets taken away just when you think you might like it. The way I see it, being capable of so much love, so much desire for something, is the cruelest gift of the universe—from any universe. Because sooner or later, you’re not going to get an equal amount of satisfaction back. And then all of that passion turns into hate, and your life becomes tainted forever. It saddens me when that happens to a pony. I lose a good meal out of it.”

She wheezed in and let out a ragged, choking breath.

My mouth froze over, Sunset. Don’t break physical contact with me. I know you can hear my thoughts.

Sunset glanced down and saw that the Changeling was now completely encased in stone. For whatever reason, clutching her head allowed Sunset to hear her.

It appears that my time is up. I put up a hell of a fight, though.

I’ll repeat: the changeling race needs to survive beyond me. There are countless tribes scattered across Equestria, and when you return—and I’m sure you will, Sunset, for fate is now on your side—promise me that you will not hurt them.

Promise me that you will forgive them.

That imbalance in the universe that I have felt since all of this began—it’s being restored. Ah, well.

Sunset? Do you promise?

Sunset?

She waited to hear Chrysalis say anything more. All that was left was the sound of the waves crashing against her stone figure, beginning to erode her away. As the last sliver of sunlight disappeared, Sunset caught a glimpse of Chrysalis’s final expression. She was scowling.

Sunset untangled herself from the statue and let it sink down onto the lake’s floor.

Chrysalis’s last question echoed in her head. “Do I promise?” she asked herself.

“I . . .”

Twilight Sparkle pushed on a thick wall of vines, and her hand slid right through. She almost tripped forward and stumbled into the entrance of the cave.

“Over here, Principal!” she called. The Principal rushed over, weaving between the mutilated bodies of her imposters, and pushed into the vines as well.

“This is it!” she exclaimed. “I think I remember most of the route there.”

The two started down into the crystal caves at a breakneck pace. While still running, Twilight opened up Sunset’s bag and pulled out Starswirl’s notes. She flipped through the pages as they ran, her head darting up and down to keep herself from losing her footing.

“Come on, Starswirl! Give me something to latch on to!”

The Principal led her down a sharp turn. “Maybe if we cut the Princess out right away, she can help us!”

Twilight almost tripped on a jagged rock, but caught herself just in time. “And then do what? We don’t even know if it’s possible to beat them in the first place!”

“Oh Twilight,” they heard Adagio’s voice echo across the cave walls, “thanks for showing us the way in. I hope you don’t mind that we’re bringing a few extra guests . . .”

“Go to Tartarus!” she yelled back. She lowered her voice and turned to the Principal. “Is there any other exit for the cave?”

“I don’t know,” she panted, “but I don’t think we can just grab the Princess and run. We’ll get trampled immediately.”

Twilight heaved a frustrated groan. “Then we need to get to her quick!”

Fortunately, the Principal remembered the path correctly. After another turn of a corner, they found themselves in a large opening, its crystal walls lined with green sacs.

“This is it!” the Principal exclaimed, darting inside. “We need to find the Princess’s pod!”

The two began peering inside each sac in search of Celestia’s features. After half a minute of frantic searching, the Principal jumped up.

“I’ve got her right here! Quick, Twilight, I need something sharp!”

Twilight placed her hands in her pockets. “I don’t have anything.” She searched Sunset’s bag. “Nothing. I know Sunset had a small blade, but that’s probably still on her. Horseapples!”

The Principal rolled up her sleeves. “No point in wasting time, then.” She plunged her hands into the sac, clutching on two sides in attempt to tear them apart by force. “This is really slippery!”

“Here, let me help,” said Twilight. She put Starswirl’s book back in the bag and ran over to the sac, plunging her hands in as well. The two opened a small tear near the Princess’s head, and soon they made a hole large enough to pull her through. Once exposed to the open cave, the Princess gasped for air, coughing up all of the fluid that the sac had put inside of her. The Principal pulled her up onto her back and leaned her against the wall.

“. . . where’s Sunset?” the Princess murmured.

“She’s not here right now, Princess. We need to get you out of here, and fast.”

The Princess erupted into another coughing fit. “. . . It’s the Dazzlings, isn’t it? They want me in the ground.”

“Yeah. But we can still find a way to stop them!”

The Princess wiped some of the muck out of her eyes and off of her face. “You’re correct, Twilight . . . use the journal . . .”

Twilight jumped up excitedly. “Yes! Starswirl’s journal! I’ve got it right here. I knew there was something special about it!” She opened up the bag, and reached for the notebook.

“No,” the Princess heaved, “not Starswirl’s journal. Sunset’s journal,” she emphasized.

“W-what?” Twilight spluttered. “But how?”

Twilight’s question was interrupted by an echoing stampede entering the opening of the cave.

“Well look what we have here!” Adagio sauntered into the center of the room, the other two sirens right behind. She spun around, examining all the sacs lining the walls, and whistled in appreciation. “The changelings put in some work.”

Twilight spun around and faced the three sirens. “What do you want?” she growled.

Adagio snorted. “You know exactly what we’re here for. Just step out of the way, and let us claim our prize.”

“And then what?” Twilight said, trying to steel herself against the growing crowd still filing in to the cave. “What happens after you kill her?”

“What do you think? We take over this world, and then Equestria. But this time, you four pests will be out of the way.”

The Princess coughed. “The journal, Twilight . . . it’s a magical artifact. . .”

Twilight reached into Sunset’s bag, and pulled out the journal. Clutching it in both hands, she shakily lifted it up and showed it off to the Dazzlings. “I won’t let you do anything to hurt Celestia! I have this!”

A humorous expression crossed Adagio’s face. “And what are you going to do with that? Hit me?”

“I’m . . .”

The Dazzlings erupted in laughter. “Wow, you really thought pointing a fancy book at us would do any good!”

“Twilight . . .” the Princess called, “it’s all you need to cast a spell.”

Twilight gaped at the book in her hands. “But . . . how do I use it?”

Adagio started approaching her, slowly over the sacs to cross the room. “No stupid little book holds enough Equestrian magic to take us down, even if you somehow manage to channel energy through it. Good job,” she started clapping her hands, letting the sound beat off the crystal walls, “you’ve backed yourself into a corner. Now get out of my way.”

As Adagio closed in, Twilight flipped through the book, using her last urgent moments to take in as much information as she could. She read the start of Sunset and Celestia’s communications, the awkward speech of two acquaintances, eventually evolve into professional, yet familiar patterns. Near the end of the first half, some of their letters became more intimate, both foregoing their formalities and writing to one another like friends. When Adagio was two meters away, she reached the second half, and saw their letters grow sparse, and a return to formal speak. Then, she saw Sunset’s letters grow angry, passive aggressive and rude, with Celestia consistently trying to quell Sunset’s emotions. And finally, the letters from Sunset ceased, replaced only with long pleadings from Celestia, begging for Sunset to respond, to come home. Adagio grabbed her and pushed her onto the ground.

“Ha! How’s that, Princess? Your last student got too absorbed in a book to save your sorry ass!” as Adagio approached the Princess, she pulled a knife out of her pocket. “Well, how would you like it? A quick slit of the throat, or should I let you bleed? I would have liked to use magic to do the deed, but humans are so much more efficient at murder.”

Twilight sat back up and tried to grab Adagio, but the Princess called to her first.

“Don’t stop reading, Twilight! The Elements of Harmony . . . you can use them.”

“What?” Against her instinct, Twilight stopped and picked the journal back up. It had landed on the most recent page: Celestia’s handwritten letter to Sunset. Just as Adagio was about to grab the Princess, she read the final line, and understood.

I just wish to see you again, and show you that I care. Because I do.

“STOP!” Twilight ordered Adagio, and out of complete shock, the siren did. “Get back here.” Twilight grabbed Adagio and pushed her to the ground.

“Why you—” Adagio swung the knife at Twilight, but the girl dodged out of the way.

“This book does hold enough magic to take you down. To take all three of you down, and then some. And do you know why?” She turned to look at the three sirens, staring at her with confused gazes. Adagio got back up off the ground and tried to swing again. Twilight easily dodged, a new vigor found within her. She glanced back at the two Celestias; despite the Princess’s ragged appearance, a large smile adorned her face.

“It’s because this book holds more than just Equestrian magic. This book is filled to the brim with the magic that transcends all places, times, worlds, and universes. It holds the magic of friendship.”

Adagio stopped, her face turning upward into a bemused grin. “What? You’re really going to go on about that? When all of your friends are stuffed in some sack in a universe away? You, Twilight, have completely lost any magic of friendship left in this world.” She wiped her brow. “Phew. I was worried you actually had something there for a second. I guess I’ll just get back to the Princess, then.”

Twilight only grinned in response. “But that’s what you aren’t getting, Adagio! This journal showed me what I failed to see. My friends are a whole universe away, but that doesn’t matter! They may not be with me in body, but they have been here the whole time, in spirit. They are a part of me, just as much as I am a part of them.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” Adagio said, now rushing toward Celestia.

“And we may be in a small argument right now, but you know what? We’ll reconcile! Sunset and Celestia did, and they spent years apart. And I know that if my friends were here right now, even if they hated me, they wouldn’t hesitate in joining me to blast you three off into space!”

Adagio grabbed the Princess off of the ground as Twilight lifted the book up into the air. “Elements of Harmony! I may not have you within my hands, or resting upon my head, but listen to me now! Let me be your vessel!”

“Enough of this shit,” Adagio said, raising the knife to stab Celestia. However, a purple aura surrounded her, and she couldn’t move her arm an inch. Twilight’s eyes glowed, filling the dark cavern with a blinding light. The ground shook, and everyone lost their balance. Twilight, however, floated into the air.

“The magic contained within my soul is able to reunite with those who helped me become the pony I am today, across all bounds of existence!”

The sirens stared at her in a mixture of confusion and rage. Unable to regain their footing, they crawled over to one another and huddled together.

“NO!” Adagio screamed. “You don’t know how to cast magic! There’s no way you could learn this quickly!”

“You’re wrong, Adagio! I’ve been studying this magic for years now! I don’t need a horn to use it; I never have! The Elements of Harmony have been in this world the entire time, all around us! Including in me!”

One wall of the cavern busted open and a small orange shard flew out. It traveled over to Twilight and began to hover around her. Twilight beamed at it.

“Honesty! Applejack, you helped me stay true to myself, and never question where my morals stood!”

Another flew in, of yellow color.

“Kindness! Fluttershy, when I saw how much Sunset was hurting, I knew that the only way to break through was to show her true kindness, and to never waver once when doing so!”

Bright pink.

“Laughter! Pinkie Pie, you taught me to never give up hope! Even when everything had gone wrong, I knew I needed to put on a smile!”

White, with a tint of blue.

“Generosity! Rarity, I could never look at you again if I didn’t pour my heart and soul into saving the people of this world! Even with nothing left, I gave everything I had!”

Cyan.

“Loyalty! Rainbow Dash, even when I was the only one left, I stayed true to my cause, and never let myself be tempted by the other side!”

And, surprisingly, a new color flew in. Scarlet.

“Forgiveness! Sunset Shimmer, you may not have realized it yet, but I am honored to call you a true friend. When there was no pony left to save me, you showed me that the only way to keep moving forward was to forgive myself. I’m proud to have helped you become the mare you were always meant to be.”

Finally, deep purple entered, completing the halo around Twilight.

“Magic!”

She gazed down at the Dazzlings, trembling beneath her in fear.

“You may be able to play with humanity’s emotions, but you are too shallow yourselves to ever have a chance at taking over the world. You were given the option to live peaceful lives, but your desire for power made you greedy ignorant! Your magic is no longer of any world. It is of a forgotten, dark time! Instead, all worlds now empower the one magic that unites us all: The Magic of Friendship!”

A blinding rainbow of light shot out of Twilight’s body, ricocheting across the cave walls and engulfing every person inside. The Dazzlings let out a terrified scream.

Their voices cracked.

Sunset limped through the water, trying to reach the shore. Just as she got out of the surf, the dark night erupted in a blinding flash of color, spewing out from the quarry in all directions. She watched in awe as the lasers of rainbow came in contact with every enchanted person on the beach, zipping between their heads and breaking each one out of their rage-fueled stupor. Her breath quickened in excitement.

“Y-yes!” she exclaimed. “Twilight!”

With a newfound energy, she rushed out of the waves and toward the quarry. On her way, she passed all the citizens of Canterlot City, confusedly brushing one another off, wandering to find their loved ones, or returning to their vehicles. She entered the quarry, pushing against the crowd all trying to escape and find a way out of the cramped space. She scanned the ground for the duplicate Celestias, but only saw the corpses of small green wasps on the ground in their place.

It was easy to find the entrance to the cave due to the flood of people fleeing from its claustrophobic interior. Looking like a madman to them for sure, Sunset raced inside with a whoop of glee. All she had to do was follow the path of the retreating crowd, and she found herself inside the opening where the Changelings held their pods.

The Dazzlings were laying on the cool ground, passed out. The pendants around their necks had shattered, the clasps fallen to the floor and the gems crumbled to dust. Twilight had leaned against the cave’s side, panting for breath. She was eyeing a set of geodes in her hands, turning them over in a close inspection. The Principal was helping somebody up, who looked awfully similar to—

“Princess!” Sunset yelled, rushing forward and tackling her to the ground in a hug.

The Princess yelped in shock, but didn’t resist to Sunset’s embrace. She reached her hands around the girl and returned the favor. “Sunset,” she said shakily, “It is good to see you.”

“Never again,” murmured Sunset into Celestia’s shoulder.

“Never what?”

“I’m never leaving again. Whether you like it or not.”

The Princess heaved a weak sigh, a gentle smile appearing on her face.. “I’m glad to hear that, Sunset. More glad than I have been in a long, long time.”

Sunset grinned. “Me too.”

The Princess backed out of the hug, but still kept Sunset close. “Did you defeat Chrysalis?”

“Ah, yes,” Sunset said. “She was . . . glad to have left a mark on history.”

“Of that I have no doubt. And what of the changeling race?”

“Chrysalis’s reinforcements are dead. As for the ones in Equestria, well, they’ll have quite a shock coming to them soon.”

The Princess laughed. “I suppose they will.”

“Chrysalis takes all responsibility for any harm done. She wanted us to forgive the rest of them.”

“Interesting,” said the Princess. “And what do you think we should do, Sunset?”

“Well, I . . .”

The Principal cleared her throat above them. “I hate to interrupt, but there are still quite a few people that need to be cut out of their sacs. Sunset, do you have a blade on hand at all?”

Sunset and the Princess released from their hug and the girl reached into her jacket, pulling out a switchblade. “Is this good enough? I was going to use it as a final resort against Chrysalis, but I didn’t really need it.”

“It will do,” said the Principal, starting off to the lined wall.

The Princess offered another smile at Sunset. “I think there’s someone you still have to talk to.” She gestured over at Twilight.

“Ah! Of course,” Sunset responded, getting up and moving over to Twilight. “Hey,” she said lightly.

Twilight jumped out of her thorough examination of the geodes, startled at Sunset’s appearance. “You’re okay, Sunset!”

Sunset found herself in another tight hug. “Yes, yes, I made it just fine,” she said, petting Twilight’s head.

“What did Chrysalis want from you?”

“She wanted to make sure the changelings wouldn’t be destroyed with her. She took full responsibility for the invasion.”

“Really? It’s going to be tough for some Equestrians to see that way.”

“Yeah . . .” Sunset drifted off into silence.

“What else did she say?”

She sighed. “Chrysalis didn’t admit it, but . . . I don’t think she wanted to go alone.”

Twilight nodded solemnly. “Oh. Perhaps there was some pony in her after all.”

Sunset motioned at the geodes Sunset had been holding. “What are those?”

Twilight giggled. “Well, they’re the Elements of Harmony, sort of.”

“What?” exclaimed Sunset. “But there’s no one around to wield them, except you.”

“They’re the Elements of Harmony, but they’re not, at the same time. They work differently, for whatever reason. And now, after using them once, it seems I drained all of the magic that was stored in them.”

“Huh,” Sunset said, counting the pieces. “Five, six, seven? I thought there were six Elements?”

Twilight smiled, reaching for the scarlet geode. “This one’s yours.”

Sunset’s mouth opened wide. “M-mine? But . . . I don’t even know your friends . . .”

Twilight shrugged. “Like I said, they’re the Elements, but not.” She folded the geode into Sunset’s hand. “Anyways, it seems like a one time use. I can’t feel any magic within them, so my guess is that they are not an actual source of magic like the real Elements. They were probably just powered up by the bits of magic that leaked through. I used all of it up.”

Sunset stuck the geode in her pocket. “I . . . don’t think I deserve an Element. Not even half of one.”

Twilight shrugged, a grin forming on her face. “Why don’t you work hard to fill the spot, then?”

“I see,” Sunset responded, “You’re trying to trap me by giving me an Element! Nice try, but I’m no fool.”

“Too late,” Twilight said. “You’re stuck with me now. Magical rules and all that.”

Sunset laughed. “Hey, Twilight?”

“Yes?”

“I knew you could do it.”

Twilight tensed up in surprise. “I . . . I did, didn’t I? I hadn’t thought about that.”

Sunset scooted closer to her and cupped her cheek. “It’s just one more achievement for you to be proud of.”

She blushed at the contact, instinctively leaning in. “I couldn’t have done it without you. Your journal helped me realize that I could still access the Elements of Harmony. Or, whatever they were.”

Sunset leaned in closer, feeling Twilight’s breath tickle her lips. “You can’t pass this victory off to me. Although, I wouldn’t mind a small reward, if you’re willing.”

A few drops of water dotted the corner of Twilight’s eyes as she gazed at Sunset. “Thanks for believing in me.”

“Thanks for giving me somepony to believe in.” Sunset kissed her deeply, losing herself once more.

As the pair continued their intimate session, the two Celestia’s were focused on extracting as many people as possible from the pods.

“Alright, on three,” the Principal said, reaching her hands into a hole she had cut in one sac. On the count, she and the Princess hoisted the student up and out of the pod, dropping them on the floor. This particular student was Flash Sentry, who coughed and spat out all of the muck before taking in his surroundings.

“Wha . . . What’s going on?” he asked.

“You’ve been out of commission for a while, Flash,” said the Principal. “Don’t worry, though, you should be fine; we’ll get everyone here to a hospital soon.”

He rubbed his forehead. “Aw, man . . . last thing I remember, I was at home, and then this bug appeared in my window and started chasing me. Oh . . .” he croaked. “Is Sunset alright?”

“Why don’t you ask her,” the Principal snickered.

Flash turned to see Sunset, still deep in her kiss with Twilight. " . . . uh . . .”

The Principal patted Flash on the shoulder. “Better luck next time, Flash.”

“. . . god dammit.”

The Princess tapped the Principal’s shoulder. “I think the next one we should open is over there.” She pointed to a pod across the room.

“What?” the Principal asked. “Why not just open them single file?”

The Princess smirked. “I think you might want this one open early.”

She led the woman over to the sac, and once the Principal caught sight of it, she let out a cry. She rushed over and cut the sac open. “Luna!” she yelled.

Before the Princess could catch up, the Principal had already pulled Luna out of the sac and was clutching the woman to her chest. Luna coughed, wiping her eyes. “Huh . . .?”

“Luna,” the Principal cooed, “I’m here. You’re okay.”

“What happened?” she rasped.

“A lot.”

The Princess walked over and took the switchblade out of the Principal’s hand. The woman mouthed a thanks, too choked up to pronounce any more. The Princess nodded and started on the next sac.

“Luna . . .” she whispered. “I’m not going to lose you again. It’s happened too many times already.”

Luna wrapped her arms around the Principal. “Thank you, sister.”

Twilight and Sunset had ended their embrace, and gotten up to collect all the items in Sunset’s bag that had been blown around in the explosion. Sunset had scooped up the geodes and was about to slip them into her bag when she felt someone watching her. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw someone peeking inside at the raggedy group.

“Hello?” Sunset said, calling out to figure. She walked over, and came face to face with a girl about her age, with a light pink skin color.

“Hello,” the girl said, her eyes focused on the geodes in Sunset’s hand.

“And you are?” Sunset asked.

“Oh, I’m Gloriosa Daisy,” she said. “I’m the caretaker for Camp Everfree at the moment.”

“Ah,” Sunset said. “Sorry for the disruption, if it means anything.”

“Oh, I understand,” said Gloriosa, still focused on the gems.

“Hmm . . . Do you know what these are?” Sunset held up the geodes, startling the girl.

“Oh no, no I don’t,” she said. “I’m sorry, I’m just spacing out. The damage that the camp took tonight, from what I have seen, is probably too much for us to cover. I’m trying to figure out how to repay for the damages.”

“Oh gosh, I’m sorry,” Sunset said, “I think you might have a solid case to get some reimbursements from the city. I mean, nearly everyone in town was here; no one can say it didn’t happen. If you can, try and take it to court. Hell, you could probably get some nice cash out of it.”

Gloriosa’s face lightened. “You know, you’re right. I might have an option there!”

“Don’t mention it,” Sunset said. “Oh, and when you get back outside, try and get some firemen down here. Someone could have easily gotten lost.”

“Of course,” Gloriosa responded. “I’ll be off then.”

“Goodbye.” Sunset turned back to Twilight and strolled over to her. “Anything else strewn around?”

“Nope. Let’s go help the Celestias in opening all of these pods, then.”

Just as they walked over to the two, the Dazzlings started to stir.

“Everyone!” Sunset called. “They’re waking up.”

The Princess, the Principal, Twilight, and Sunset all moved over to the Dazzlings as the three sirens returned to consciousness. When they recognized that they were surrounded, they tried to sing a song, but their voices cracked again, unable to create any harmony. After realizing they had no escape, they shrunk away from the four, clutching each other tightly.

“What should we do with them?” asked Sunset.

“I say the Princess decides,” said Twilight. “She was the one they were after.”

The Princess leaned in toward the Dazzlings. “Well? What do you have to say for yourselves?”

Adagio scowled, getting close to the Princess’s face. “You’re a monster. None of them may have heard what you told us, but we did. You would have left us at Chrysalis’s mercy, had you not been stupid enough to leave our door open.”

Celestia smirked. “Did you think I would be clumsy enough to do so accidentally? I was trying to get you out of there.”

The three sirens looked confused. “But . . . why did you tell us the opposite?” questioned Sonata.

“Did you think you were first faithless immortals I’ve had to deal with? Sometimes, the most efficient way to direct somepony is to tell them to do the opposite.”

“You . . . bitch,” Aria seethed.

The Princess frowned. “Even if what I said may be grounded in reality, it was still rude of me to do so. So, I’ll make it up to you now. I will not punish you.”

“What?” exclaimed the three people behind her and the three sirens in front of her collectively.

“Your pendants are destroyed. You have lost your last connection to Equestrian magic. I will be closing down the portal to Equestria.” She pointed at Adagio’s heart. “If you haven’t realized it yet, you’re completely human. In one hundred years time, you will die. So start living.”

The Princess stood up and walked away, leaving the flabbergasted sirens behind them.

“Is there any reason for you to still sit there?” she said. “Get out of here, before I change my mind.”

The Dazzlings got onto their feet and sped out of the cave, not letting out a peep.

Celestia turned to the other three and smiled. “The matter is settled.”

“That was something,” stated Sunset, aghast. “Was it true, Celestia? Are they actually human?”

“As long as they don’t get their hands on any more Equestrian magic, then yes.”

Twilight rubbed her chin. “Does this mean . . . we won? We saved Equestria?”

A smile crept up on Sunset’s face. “And Earth, too.”

“As far as I can see,” said the Principal.

“Hold on. We’ve got one more thing left to do,” the Princess interrupted.

“What’s that?” asked Twilight.

“We need to open the rest of these pods!”

And so the night continued on, and what a busy night it was. After making sure that every person who had been kidnapped made their way out of the cave, the five—Sunset, Twilight, the Princess, the Principal, and Vice Principal Luna—started helping direct all of the students back to their homes or families. Once the traffic had cleared up and the police arrived on the scene—officially, this time—the four dodged any questioning and sped out of the camp as fast as they could. The Principal swung through Sunset’s apartment to let her grab her things. Once they got back to Canterlot High School, the Princess swept the area for any lingering magic, and Sunset collected the last of her items from her locker.

But eventually, as the sun rose into the sky to begin a new day, Twilight, Sunset, Principal Celestia, and Princess Celestia found themselves in front of where it all started: the Wondercolts statue.

Sunset gave a light wave to the Principal. “It really is goodbye this time.”

“So it is,” the woman said. “Good luck in Equestria. I’m sure that your world will find quite a use for you. Also, you might want to get yourself checked in to a hospital,” she said, worrying over Sunset’s increasingly bruised face.

“Oh, once we get across the portal, I’ll have the two greatest magicians of the modern era next to me. Hopefully they can spare a second to patch me up,” she said, turning to Twilight.

“Oh! Of course. It might take a second after being a human for so long, though,” Twilight said sheepishly.

“Thanks.” Sunset turned back to the Principal. “What are you going to do now?”

The Principal scratched the back of her head, looking slightly abashed. “Luna is inside drafting our letters of resignation. I don’t think we can explain away this one to the school board.”

“I’m sorry,” said Sunset, “I know how much you valued teaching, and leaving an impact on the students. If it means anything at all, I think what you were doing was good.”

The Principal smiled. “Thank you. But, I don’t feel like that really matters to me anymore. I guess I actually did something that feels . . . earned.”

The Princess walked up to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. “You have done something most people—nay, most ponies as well—have never been able. You deserve to live your best life after all of this. But . . . I need to ask you one more favor.”

“What do you need, Princess?” she asked without hesitation.

The Princess pulled out a hand-sized stone and presented it to the Principal. It was etched on the front with a few intricate patterns and swirls, and the Principal saw what looked to be an eye in the center. “Remember that magical artifact I found in your garden? It turns out this was an old friend of mine’s. It’s a memory stone.”

“A memory stone?” Twilight asked, approaching the object to get a closer look.

“It can add, erase, or alter memories,” the Princess explained. “I would like to take it with me, but since we’re cutting off all magic between these two worlds anyway, I thought I would offer you the option to use up the rest of its power, Principal.”

“But . . . how do I even use it?”

“I sketched a quick instruction manual for you and left it on your desk. If you want, you could convince the whole town that you and Luna had nothing to do with anything that happened tonight. They will just gloss over any memories or thoughts that contradict what you change.”

“I . . . I’ll take it. If I can’t figure out how to make it work, I will destroy it for you. Is that fair?”

“Very,” the Princess said, handing the stone over, “Actually, I ask that you destroy it after you are done using it. Magic can corrupt, even when placed in the best of hands.”

“Trust me,” she responded, eyeing the stone in her hands, “I’ll be more than happy to never think about magic for the rest of my life.”

The Princess wrapped her arms around the Principal in a hug. “Thank you for your help,” she whispered. “You’ve done what I never could.”

“You’re wrong,” the Principal responded, “I only did what I thought somepony like you would do.”

The broke the hug and the Princess rejoined the other two girls.

“Principal,” spoke up Sunset, “if you can get that stone to work, could you do something for me as well?”

“Sure, it’s the least I could do,” she said.

Sunset frowned. “I don’t like it, but I need you to erase all memory of me in this world. Just . . . make them all think I was a transfer student who left very quickly.”

Twilight grabbed her hand. “Why do you want to do that? I thought you would want to be remembered.”

“No, I’ll be fine.” Sunset smiled at her. “I was never supposed to be in this world in the first place. I’m okay with it moving on without me.”

The Principal placed the stone in her coat pocket. “Consider it done, then.”

Twilight, Sunset, and the Princess shared one last glance among one another. “Is that all for us?” the Princess asked.

“I guess so,” said Sunset, picking up her one duffel bag off of the ground. “It’s time to go home.”

“Goodbye, you three,” the Principal said.

“See you later, Principal.” Sunset started off in the direction of the portal.

“It was nice to meet you!” Twilight approached Sunset’s side.

“Goodbye, Celestia. Give Luna my condolences.” Princess Celestia turned and found Sunset’s other side, catching up with the other two.

“So . . .” said Twilight, “we return, we cut off magic to this world, and then get everypony out of their pods. Then what?”

“We rebuild,” said Sunset.

“And it will be quite a reconstruction. What are you planning to do once we return, Sunset? You know, we happen to be in need of a groundskeeper for the castle at the moment.”

“Ha!” Sunset laughed. “That’s a good one. I’ll flee to Yakyakistan before you get me as the castle groundskeeper.”

“It was just an offer,” the Princess jested.

“We’ve already got plans,” Twilight said. “She’s going to stay with me in Ponyville, at least until she gets settled. Until all of Equestria gets settled, really.”

“Oh? I can’t wait to hear about the ruckus you two cause down there. They’re going to need a bigger hospital.”

They approached the portal, and the Princess was the first to jump in. Twilight followed after her. Just before Sunset entered back into Equestria, she turned back and gazed across the schoolyard. The dawn, although almost identical to Celestia’s, was still different, heralded by the natural forces of this universe that no one could bend to their will. She saw that tree in the courtyard, once used as the hive for a whole army, now returned to its former state. Principal Celestia was standing with a content smile on her face, waving goodbye.

Sunset returned the wave and, with a dip into the boundary between two universes, the three Equestrians were completely, undeniably, and finally out of this world for good.

Epilogue: I've Gotta Be Me

Canterlot City quieted down in the weeks that followed. It was as if everyone pretended the night didn’t exist; all disputes had been settled quickly, and most wanted to just forgive and forget. The lack of casualties and general embarrassment of the populace made all too eager to sweep it under the rug. With the help of a certain stone that altered the memories of the night, all of the remnants of the Fall Formal were virtually erased from the public consciousness.

Almost all of them.

Principal Celestia swung the axe with a grunt, cutting inch by inch into the side of the tree. She was almost done; soon enough, one good push would send the former hive onto the ground for good. I planted this thing, so you better believe that I’m taking it down, too. She swung the axe again, lodging it into the side.

Playing lumberjack was not what the Principal felt like doing at midnight before a school day, but she needed to get it done. Any time she passed the tree in the morning or throughout the day, she couldn’t help but think about everything that occurred. About the other Celestia, the wasps, and Sunset. She was the only one who remembered it all. As much as she valued her memory, though, part of her wanted to be able to forget.

She swung again. Once, she had truly thought the tree was going to become something beyond itself, looming over CHS far into the future. But it had been tainted. No longer could she let such a dream grow, when its roots were mixed with an evil of alien construction.

Still, each swing felt like she was chopping her own dreams down, bit by bit.

She knew it was foolish—from the second she bought the thing, a nagging voice in the back of her mind said it was a waste of time—but the tree still meant something to her. Because she had built it up in her mind that this little tree really mattered, and that it made her matter as well.

She swung once more. One more chop after this, and she could yell timber.

“Celly? What are you doing? It’s freezing out here.”

The Principal glanced up and saw Luna had pulled up to the courtyard, still in her pajamas. She set the axe down, taking a deep breath. “You’re supposed to be in bed,” she panted.

“I thought you were up to something, and I was right,” said Luna, stepping out of her car and folding her arms. “What are you doing to the tree?”

The Principal motioned at the axe. “I’m cuttting it down.”

“What?” Luna exclaimed. “But . . . what about all of that stuff you talked about? About your legacy, and how other people will see you in the future. Are you giving up?”

Celestia wiped some sweat off her brow. “No . . . I’ve just found what really matters to me.” She looked at Luna and smiled. “This tree isn’t who I want to be. It’s far from it.”

Luna exhaled, amused at Celestia’s strange change of heart. “Well, I guess I can’t stop you.”

Celestia murmured thanks before picking the axe back up and prepping for a final swing. “Stand back, please.” With one thrust, she lodged the axe inside, chipping away just enough to teeter the tree past its edge, and it fell to the ground with a loud crash. She wiped off her hands. “There.”

“Now, what are we going to do with it?” Luna asked.

Celestia shrugged in response. “I say we leave it here, blame it on vandals tomorrow, and get someone to officially pick it up later.”

Luna laughed. “Are you sure you’re okay, Celly? This isn’t like you.”

Celestia walked over and wrapped Luna in a hug. “No, it isn’t. But I’ve been thinking a lot recently, and it’s time I focus on what’s really important to me.”

“And what’s that?”

She pulled out of the hug, simply offering a coy smile in response, as if she knew something that no one else did. She strolled over to her car, and just before she hopped in, turned back to Luna. “What do you say we go and get some cheap food somewhere? Right now, on me.”

“What?” Luna said again, flabbergasted. “Where’s that coming from? I mean, sure, I’d love to, but . . . what?”

Celestia chuckled. “Consider it an act of love. Earthling style,” she added.

Luna shook her head, holding back a snicker. “You really are off your rocker.”

Celestia only grinned in response. She shut her door and pulled out of the parking lot. Luna followed soon after.

While it can be said that Canterlot City quieted down after the events that night, Principal Celestia found her weariness had disappeared, leaving her more excited to live than in a long time. How could she rest when there was so much to do? So much love to spread? So much time to remind everyone that they matter?

Maybe there was some tree out there that could have accurately captured her feelings for her to plant, but ultimately, she didn’t want to trivialize something so important. She had seen first-hand how fast love could turn to hate, rendering any of her satisfaction at the symbolism of such a plant useless. She needed to get out there herself, and make sure things were done right.

But it was going to take time, because she was only one woman with a lot of love to give. Despite her regal name, she was nobody special. Just Celestia. The average, normal, and contented one. The one who could completely focus on spreading joy, who could sit down with a child and have a heart-to-heart, who would never be quite as successful or important as she had hoped, but who became all the more fulfilled because of it.

And nothing felt better than to say that.

A whole universe away, spring was in bloom, and a party was in full swing. After Equestria had gotten back to a sense of normalcy, somepony pointed out that Princess Cadence and Shining Armor had never been officially joined in holy matrimony. So, once spring arrived, everypony wanted to host a celebration, not only of the Prince and Princess’s love, but of Equestria’s triumph over the changelings. It was a party of grand proportion, and they made sure there were no extra, unwanted guests this time around.

Except one, of course.

Sunset Shimmer levitated a small cup of punch up to her mouth, sipping away in the corner of the dance hall. Royal weddings, and royal parties in general, were not her cup of tea. It was nice to see Cadance again, but certainly not nice enough to bug her on her wedding day, and she couldn’t hog Twilight all to herself now that five other friends were in the picture.

The other Element Bearers were great, actually. They were quite accepting of her, more so when they found out she saved the world and became a sort of half-element. It took Sunset longer to adjust to them, still used to their naïve counterparts across the mirror. She watched all six of the girls boogie on the dance floor, having the time of their lives no matter how good they actually were at dancing.

“I see you’re still not one for parties,” a voice said next to her. She turned to Princess Celestia, joining Sunset in her awkward stance next to the punch bowl. “I’m not either, at least, when they don’t revolve around me.”

Sunset snorted. “So you managed to escape the crowd of nobles, huh? You know, if you went on that dance floor right now, you could make all the headlines about you tomorrow.”

“Do you think I could play off my bad dancing as an ancient dance of good fortune?”

“Ooh, I didn’t think about that. You could spin it any way you wanted in the papers.” The two found comfort in the awkward mirth they shared, as had been quite common for the past few months.

“Speaking of the papers, Sunset, they’re quite receptive toward your reconstruction plan. They’ve started to call it the Sunset Shimmer Plan, believe it or not.”

“Oh, the ‘Shimmer Plan,’ good,” Sunset said mockingly. “Now I get all the credit and all the blame.”

“Don’t make it sound like such a terrible thing. They’re still trying to figure out where you came up with all your reforms. I wanted to know too, actually. I do not recall covering the correct ways to handle a national recovery initiative within your studies. You offered ideas that would not have even been in the curriculum, if I have to be honest.”

Sunset put on a smug grin, however it was undercut by the obvious humor she found in the situation. “Has student surpassed the master, after all this time? Maybe I should keep it to myself so I can have a leg up on you.”

“Don’t get too cocky now,” Celestia jested, “or I’ll make you go dance to pop music with Twilight.” They glanced at the dance floor and saw Twilight flailing wildly, knocking and bumping into anypony within a close radius.

Sunset shivered. “I’ve learned my lesson there. I had bruises for a week.”

“Perhaps you could try and give her lessons,” the Princess suggested.

“I have, for slow dancing, actually. Just basic steps, of course.” She paused. “Well, about the national recovery. When I first arrived on Earth, I forced myself to catch up on world history. It turns out they’ve got quite a penchant for getting into wars over there.”

“Ah,” said Celestia, “and thus they needed to rebuild.”

“Right,” Sunset responded. “I studied some reconstruction plans and agendas meticulously for a while.”

“Why?” the Princess asked.

“Well . . .” a blush rose to her cheeks. “If I took over the world by force I needed to know how to correctly rebuild infrastructure,” she stammered out.

Celestia laughed. “I appreciate the admission.” She settled down and took another sip of punch. “I thought your plan was very impressive. I’m proud.”

“Aw, thanks,” Sunset responded, “it was nothing. Although, if you wanted to commission me a fancy glass mural, I wouldn’t complain.”

Celestia levitated a glass of punch to her mouth. “I’m not sure anything you did would translate well onto a painting.”

“I can think of at least one moment. Inside the mirror portal?”

Celestia nearly spat out her drink. “Ah, so you remember? I figured your memory would have been erased.”

“Chrysalis helped jog my memory. Do you know what happened to me, Celestia?”

Celestia sighed. “I vowed to be more honest with you, so I will try. You were handed . . . potential, to be something more. I say this warily, but if you so choose—under the right circumstances—you could . . .”

“I could what?”

“I think you know.”

Sunset nodded. “Chrysalis said that I couldn’t . . . ascend.”

“Chrysalis was also quite spiteful. Let’s not discuss this right now. I don’t want you to make a rushed decision. It’s better for everypony if you think long and carefully.”

“Okay.” She took another sip.

Silence settled between the two once more. Sunset scanned the Princess’s features; it had been ten years, but somehow, she looked lighter, almost to the point of being a new pony. Of course she does, Sunset thought, she’s got Luna back, the world is on the up, and . . . I’m back, too.

“Hey, Celestia?”

“Yes, Sunset?”

“What are . . . we, anymore? Mentor and student? Colleagues? Friends?” She paused to swallow nervously. “Mother and daughter?”

Celestia, once a mare who may have fretted for days to find the perfect answer to said question, simply shrugged. “How about ‘Celestia and Sunset’?”

Sunset felt a smile creeping up her face. “If we say ‘Sunset and Celestia’ it’s a deal.”

“I concede,” Celestia said, stretching out a foreleg and pulling Sunset in for a quick hug.

Both of their eyes drifted to the dance floor, and onto the one mare out there that both of them were quite attached to. Twilight had become far more mature after they had returned to Equestria, and although it seemed that Sunset would be taking credit for the reconstruction, Twilight had done just as much as she had in returning everything to normal. Sunset’s expression softened as she gazed at the mare on the dance floor. She wasn’t able to see a life on this side of the mirror without Twilight anymore.

“You know, Celestia, I . . . I don’t think I want the wings. Or to be a princess.”

Celestia stared at her, aghast. “Sunset, I . . . you’re a strong mare to refuse such an offer.”

Sunset smiled, a unique sense of pride filling her as she watched Twilight on the dance floor. “If there’s any pony who deserves to be a princess . . . it’s her.”

“I’m glad you agree,” said Celestia.

“Yeah . . .” Sunset shot up, doing a double take. “Wait, what? Actually?”

“Don’t get too excited now,” she said, “But, things will start to change soon enough. You may want to take a short vacation if I ever send Twilight an uncompleted spell of Starswirl the Bearded’s to solve.”

“I’ll keep it noted,” she remarked. “I shouldn’t tell her this, right?”

“No, of course not. It would be a shame to spoil for her what she gets to do next. Also, she’s looking at you.”

“Huh?” asked Sunset.

“Twilight. She’s looking at you.”

A large crowd of ponies were fleeing off of the dance floor or splitting into groups of two. Twilight stood near the edge, giving Sunset a slight wave. The DJ threw on a slow tune, and the bright lights dimmed down into a sets of warm, slow rays swathing across the dance floor. Sunset took her cup and levitated it over to the wastebin.

“A couples tune,” Celestia said. “She’s waiting for you. Good luck.”

“Thanks,” Sunset said, strolling over to Twilight on the edge of the dance floor.

“Hey,” the lavender mare said.

“Hey.”

Off to the side of the dance floor, Sunset noticed five ponies eagerly watching the two, unsubtly motioning her to get on with it.

“May I lead?” she said, grasping Twilight’s hooves and leading her on to the dance floor.

It was simple, just basic steps back and forth, but it was all Twilight was comfortable with. Sunset leaned her head to Twilight’s side, her mouth able to whisper right into her ear.

“How about this for a change? Just a normal party.”

“Yeah,” Twilight whispered back. “It’s good to be back home.”

“What a nice feeling.”

“Truly.”

Sunset tried spice up the dance a bit, spinning Twilight around. It sort of worked.

“You have no idea what you’re doing, do you?” she asked Twilight.

“Not a bit,” she said. “And you?”

“Me neither. I’m a scholar, not a dancer.”

“I couldn’t agree more.”

Yet as the two danced across the floor, a sense of satisfaction and tranquility drifted over them, giving them the respite they had long desired.

The Canterlot Wedding.

The Fall Formal.

They were failures, at least of their original intention. But now, after winter had come and gone, Harmony smiled down on Equestria, and gave a brief solace to those who wished for it the most.

Everything’s back on track, Sunset thought. Mostly.

As her hooves glided across the floor, she realized that, even though it may not have been exactly how she planned, or how she wanted, she may have found her wings after all.

So Sunset flew.

Author's Note

Thank you for reading Out of This World. If you would like to hear my retrospective on the story, check out my blog post here.

Happy Hearths Warming.