Twilight Sparkle POV: Canterlot
As I trotted through the castle a million thoughts raced through my head, deciding to shake them off for the time being, I drew closer to my target. As I stood in front of the grand doors to Celestia's court, my nerves once more found me as my thoughts raced once more, I took a deep breath as I nodded to the guards by the doors, and as they opened the doors I let out the breath I was holding as I entered.
"Ahh, Twilight, what pleasure do I have seeing you here, there isn't another problem with your friends is there?" princess Celestia asked from her throne, as she waved away her guards, so they could speak in private.
"No, not on this side of the mirror at least" I said. "Do you remember the letters I sent you while I was on the other side?"
Celestia went into thought, as recognition dawned on her face she nodded. "I do, you said that Sunset had found a family, mare friend and that she was also in a hospital," she said.
"Yes well" I took a breath before continuing. "She got out about a month ago and has been healing nicely, and now that she's fully healed…" I took another breath, "she's ready to come back to this world to apologise to you for what she did, and for whatever punishment you deem necessary, however she's not coming alone" I finished.
"Oh, is she bringing her mare friend?" Celestia asked.
"Yes, however do you remember what I said about Nightmare?" I asked.
"Yes, she was living in that world and had cleared Sunset's name, if I remember correctly," she said.
"Well she's coming to, to apologise to both you and Luna, however Sunsets adopted family is coming with her, because they believe she needs people in her corner that have been there after she destroyed the school and for emotional support." I said nervously, I really didn't want to clue Celestia in on who exactly was coming with her because if she knew, they would immediately be faced with open hostility, or the elements.
"I see no fault in that logic my prized pupil, friends as you've learned can build you up or break you down, and Sunset needs the family from the other portal, I'll let Luna know." Celestia said seeming to go into deep thought, as she came out of her thoughts she turned back to ask me, "so when will they be coming through the mirror?"
"A week's time, I've already prepared rooms in my castle for them, but there is also some more news for you before I leave, Sunsets adoptive father is actually in a relationship with Nightmare" I said letting my nerves tick away as Celestia just sat on her throne wide eyes.
"Does he know who she is, and what she's done?" She asked, slightly baffled.
"Yes and he said that the last is the past, one can never change it, all they can do is move forward and learn from their mistakes and live for now instead of then and there mistakes" I said, smiling as I remembered how Sunset explained it to me.
"He seems like a very smart stallion" Celestia started, looking inquisitive. "You said family, who else is coming?" She asked me taking me off guard.
"Sunsets father, and his three brothers, Nightmare, and that worlds Fluttershy" I said.
"Really, Sunset managed to ask out that world's Fluttershy?" She asked me.
"Actually that world Fluttershy asked her out" I said sheepishly.
"Now that is interesting," Celestia said. "So what are the names of Sunsets adoptive father and brothers?" She asked me, which is the part I had been dreading since I came here.
I swallowed the lump in my throat and took an exhausted breath as I spoke, "her adoptive father's name is Thanatos Darkstar, her uncle's names are Krieg, Nälänhätä and Zaraza."
"Interesting names to say the least" Celestia said pondering their names. "What special talents?" she asked.
"Well Thanatos is a lawyer, Krieg is a general, Nälänhätä is a botanist and Zaraza is a doctor" I said remembering the story everyone on that world believed to be true though I knew they had the opposite as talents, though it was technically the truth.
"Alright" Celestia said smiling, her warm motherly smile. "Please send me a letter as soon as they arrive my faithful student, me and Luna will want to speak with Nightmare before any of them. But it would still be a good idea to meet all of them" she finished.
"Of course" I said smiling. "I will have Spike, send a letter just as soon as they're all settled, enjoy the rest of your day Princess" I said bowing lightly. As I turned and walked away I heard Celestia say "you as well my faithful student." I smiled the entire way from her throne room to the exit of the castle and as soon as I was outside, I took a deep breath and let it out, not realizing how taxing that small meeting had been in my mentality.
I smiled once more as now I could introduce Sunset to my friends, and hopefully she could make some more she could truly trust. 'Hopefully' I thought, this was all speculation, and as I trotted down the streets of Canterlot, I just let my body guide me to the train station as my thoughts wandered onto how the meeting between the princesses and Nightmare, Death, War, Pestilence, and Famine would truly go.
Finally arriving at my final destination in Canterlot, I cantered up to the ticket booth and paid for one ticket back to Ponyville. I sat waiting on one of the benches inside of the train station, with my thoughts still troubled, I knew I had time before their arrival but I needed to make sure my friends knew as well. Unfortunately I needed to let the princesses know first, so I rushed here without even consulting them. I was jerked out of my runaway thoughts as I heard the shrill whistle of the train as it pulled into the station, deciding it was better to stand and wait now, I waited until finally, the train came to a stop and the doors opened. When they finally did, I stepped into the train after the flow of passengers disembarking, ended and found a nice window seat so I could stare and think as the scenery passed by me in a blur of motion.
I heard another shrill whistle and a lurch as the train started moving, I sat and listened to the chugging of the engine and the rattling of the cars. When finally the conductor came by for my ticket, which I brandished with a little too much gusto, but I ignored it as I continued watching as we entered the tunnel through Mount Canter. I closed my eyes and just listened to the sounds of the outside world as my thoughts were starting to move much faster than the train, I breathed in slowly through my nose and exhaled through my mouth as I tried calming my thoughts and focused on how I'm going to tell my friends. They would more than likely attempt to use the elements on Nightmare but, I wasn't sure how Thanatos, and his brothers would look once they came through the portal, they could be anything, but what I was hoping for was that not one of them would be an alicorn.
If even just Thanatos was an alicorn it would raise too many questions and alarms about who they truly are. I thought to myself, but then again death is in balance with life, and so long as there is no darkness in his heart he won't be turned to stone, but the other three, they represent powers that could be considered dark but their personalities could be entirely different. As my thoughts passed back and forth I lost track of time and soon enough I heard once more the shrill whistle of the train and heard the grinding of steel on steel as the train slowed near Ponyville's train platform, I opened my eyes and saw my friends waiting for me at the platform and I saw obvious worry in a few of their eyes.
As the train finally stopped, I stood up from my seat and headed for the doors, as they opened letting the small throng of ponies off. As I finally stepped off and away from the train, I walked slowly towards my friends as I read their facial expressions, RD was bored, Pinkie was excited, Rarity and Applejack were both carrying expressions that showed they were waiting for me to explain everything and finally Fluttershy looked nervous. As I finally stopped moving in front of my friends I motioned for them to follow me and they did but not without some chatter.
"So Twi' why'd y'all head on up to see the princess for this time?" Applejack asked.
"Yeah and why do you look so lame?" Rainbow asked.
"Rainbow! That's no way to talk to Twilight. She's obviously had a very hectic two days, let her get us to the castle and I'm sure she'll explain everything" Rarity said.
"Thanks Rarity and I will explain everything at the castle, I'd rather sit down and do it than walk and talk, if you girls don't mind" I said looking back at them. They all nodded and smiled, probably knowing I was a hair's breadth away from snapping. The rest of the walk to my castle was in silence, which I was thankful for, once we arrived we headed straight for the map room.
"Hey Twilight, what are you guys doing?" Starlight asked me as I passed her.
"Headed to the map room, can you get Spike and meet us there?" I asked her.
"Of course, see you girls soon" she said walking away.
"Why'd you tell Starlight to get Spike?" Rainbow asked once we reached the map room.
"Because" I started sitting on my throne at the table, while my friends sat in their respective thrones. "What I have to say involves all of us and will more than likely be the epicenter of new friendship lessons" I finished as we waited for Spike and Starlight, which didn't take too long. I motioned for them to take a seat, once they were sitting I started explaining, "alright so you girls know how I went to the other world and helped defeat Sunset right?" I asked everypony.
I watched as they all nodded before I began again "well she's decided to come back to Equestria to formally apologise and make amends" I said letting what I said sink in.
"So she's coming here? To what take over" Rainbow said snidely. "Ow, what was that for?"
"Because" Applejack started. "Just because she was evil doesn't mean she still is, she was given a chance in that world and it's only fair she gets the same here" she finished.
"Thank you Applejack, however that's not all" I started taking a breath. "Nightmare moon was also in that world and she too changed her ways" I said.
"WHAT!!" The girls and Spike shouted together.
"Yes, Nightmare Moon has changed and is also coming to apologise" I continued staring at all of them. "Sunset's adoptive family is also coming with her as well as her mare friend, because they believe we will be hostile towards her and they believe she will need friendly faces she can recognize. I agreed and so did Celestia, especially after what happened on the other world, her adoptive father and uncle's will be coming one way or the other and they will get the same treatment as everypony else" I finished.
"Okay" Spike started. "So are they going to be staying here?"
"Yes Spike, also Sunset and Nightmare will more than likely want to prove their good now" I started. "So don't be too surprised if they come to any of you for work or to help." I watched as everypony present nodded in understanding, "they will be arriving anytime between now and next week, and when they do I'll let all of you know once there settled.
Twilight Sparkle POV: Castle of Friendship
I stood in front of the mirror to the human world, I had just used my magic to turn the portal on. My friends were waiting with me for Sunset and company to step out, and I was wondering exactly when that would happen. As it turns out we didn't have to wait too long as the mirror started to shimmer and ripple, I stood back, motioning for my friends to do the same and as soon as we were out of the way Sunset came from out of the portal. Followed by Nightmare and Fluttershy, and everyponie's jaws dropped collectively as we all saw that world's Fluttershy.
The next per.. I mean pony through was a tall pale white alicorn, he had a pitch black mane and tail, and was wearing a three piece suit, that I'm pretty sure Rarity was swooning over, and his cutie mark was a bone crossed with a scythe. The next out was a griffin, his feathers were a blood red in color, and his fur was a maroon, he had a scar running diagonally across his left eye and I saw a few of the feathers on his wings were missing along with a few other scars that criss crossed his body. The next being out took us all for surprise, because the pony that came through the portal was a changeling, he looked malnourished and his ribs could easily be seen, his eyes were milky white, almost like he was blind, but his mane and tail were a dark grey, his carapace had a dull look to it. The final one through the portal was a zebra, and just like the changeling we were surprised by his look, patches of fur were missing in a few places like it had fallen out, he had red bumps on his neck that looked like it irritated him, I could see a few lumps here and there under his fur or on the patches of his skin and when I looked at his haunches he had a mark that was made by the stripes in his fur and it looked like a syringe over a weird symbol that was a circle, with three other circles coming from the center with a broken circle in the middle.
"Twilight it's great to see you again" I heard Sunset Shimmer say, breaking me out of my thoughts.
"H-hey Sunset, how are you?" I said as I stuttered a little, letting my nerves out.
"I'm great, are these your friends and this world's version of mine?" she asked.
"Y-yeah" I said, swallowing nervously. 'My worst fear just became a reality' I thought to myself as I looked over the alicorn who I was a hundred percent certain was Thanatos.
"Wait! Fluttershy!" I heard Rainbow exclam from behind me.
Our Fluttershy looked at RD confused before she looked right into her doppelganger's eyes. I watched as both Fluttershy's eyes widened as they looked the other over, thankfully that world's Fluttershy was wearing a hooded jacket of some kind so we could still tell them apart.
"Oh my" our Fluttershy said in her normally timid voice.
"Wow, thank God the portal gave me this sweatshirt or we'd never be able to tell the other apart" Sunsets Fluttershy said in a voice that everypony didn't have to strain to hear. "Ok, this'll get weird calling us both Fluttershy" she started, "so you can all call me Flutter" she finished.
I looked back at the girls and Spike and saw all of their jaws were almost on the floor from hearing Flutter talk in what shouldn't have been more than a whisper.
*Ahem* I heard a voice clear from in front of us when I saw it was the alicorn who did it. "I believe introductions are in order" he started, "I am Thanatos Darkstar, Sunsets adoptive father" Thanatos said, making my legs shake.
"I am Krieg," the griffin said, bowing slightly.
The zebra bowed slightly as well as he said "my name is Zaraza."
"And I...am Nälänhätä" the changeling wheezed coughing a bit.
"Good now that introductions are out of the way" Rainbow started, hovering forward angrily. "We can take you to the princesses" she finished.
"What ever for Rainbow?" Rarity asked.
"Yeah, these guys just got here, and I haven't even thrown them a party yet" Pinkie said exuberantly.
"And you're not going to," Rainbow said. "We have Nightmare Moon, a random alicorn, zebra, griffin and a changeling. Plus the pony who stole the element of magic, all of them should be in the dungeons." She finished hovering angrily over Nälänhätä. All of a sudden she started coughing violently, her wings seized up and Nälänhätä stepped to the side as she fell to the ground.
"Are you threatening me child" Nälänhätä said. As we all noticed his horn was lit up in a sickly black aura, "because I will not hesitate to defend myself" he finished cutting his magic off as Rainbow returned back to normal slowly.
"What was that there?" Applejack asked, "what did y'all do to her?"
"I took her strength for a bit" Nälänhätä wheezed. "I'm not a normal changeling..me and my brothers are not from this world and it would do you well...to remember we will not hesitate to defend ourselves."
"Yeah right" Rainbow said as she flew back into the air. "You...will" she never got to finish as her wings went rigid and she crashed into the floor. Zaraza walked up next, his pet rat running around Rainbow as a green smoke came from his mask.
"Nälänhätä was right when he said we will defend ourselves. We hold no ill will towards anyone, but if you keep this up" Zaraze threatened as Krieg walked up.
"You will come out worse for wear" he said, stabbing his sword into the wooden floor of the library causing Rainbow to shake slightly.
"Alright you guys made your point, release your powers, and we can get the Princesses here so we can get this started" I said with a little nervousness in my voice.
