“Ah… ah can’t give up on getting mah sister back… Celestia, we need to do somethin, anything,” Zap said with tears in her eyes.

“...Well, as we have said there is a way but it would leave the girls in a senseless prison not even Equestria’s enemies are put in, we cannot knowingly-”

“Wait… I have an idea!” Twinkle said popping to her hooves.

“You do?” Spike questioned.

“This is of course theoretical, but… what if we send them through the mirror portal?” Twinkle suggested.

“...Twinkle, while we appreciate the enthusiasm we have no idea what would happen if we did that, it could lead to a situation far worse for those three,” Celestia said.

“Exactly, we don’t know, but would you rather take a chance on this working or not? Think of it, the mirror configures the form of the being based on where their going by matching them to their counterpart, right?” Twinkle said.

“We suppose,” Luna said.

“What if it senses the souls of the CMC in there and separates them? Worst case scenario they finish fusing into one entity,” Twinkle said.

“Twinkle ah’m tryin ta avoid that possibility,” Zap said.

“You’d rather the alternative?” Twinkle asked.

“...”

“We should try, if just to give me a chance to have my sister back,” Charity said.

“...Ok,” Zap conceded “If it means getting AB back ah’m willin to try,” Zap said.

“Then let’s roll!” Twinkle said.

“We shall set up transport back to your castle then,” Luna said.

“Ok!” Twinkle said darting out of the tent.

“We should get things together here, let us move,” Luna said.

“I shall remain here to continue the investigation,” Celestia said.

“Ok,” Charity said using her magic to conjure a magical gurney and Zap put the CMC alicorn on the gurney and they wheeled her out.

“Celly?” Luna asked and Celestia turned towards her “You haven’t told them the full story, is there a reason,” Luna asked.

“...I feel as though what is the past should remain the past, I know not how he’s survived all these years, but I must fix what i’ve broken on my own, I owe him that much,” Celestia said before leaving.

“A habit I wish you’d break,” Luna sighed before following the others to the carriage being set up, The others bringing the alicorn over to the carriage and Zap loaded her in before they got in themselves.

It took some prep and talking between Luna and the guards but they were soon off to Ponyville.

As the group flew back to Ponyville the unconscious alicorn seemed to have alot on her mind.

The CMC floated in a void, they have been there for who knows how long, orbiting a large green sphere.

“How long have we been here again?” Scootaloo asked.

“I dunno,” Sweetie said.

“Ah hope we’ll be out of here soon…” The sphere seemed to warble and tried to pull them in but they just bounced off of it… again.

“It’s like it’s trying to absorb us but it’s not working for some reason…” Scootaloo said.

“Ah’m kinda glad it can’t,” Apple Bloom said.

“What is it?” Apple Bloom asked.

“I dunno,” Scootaloo said.

“Girls, ah think it’s the magic that made Charity, Twinkle and Zap and ah think it can’t merge us for some reason.” Apple Bloom said.

“Then how do we get out of here!?” Scootaloo asked.

“I don’t know! I didn’t know the last time you asked and I don’t know now,” Sweetie said.

“Sorry, I’m just getting antsy,” Scootaloo said.

“We’ll be okay,” Apple Bloom said.

“How do you know?” Scoots said.

“Ah trust mah sister and the others,” AB said.

“M-me too!” Sweetie said.

“I do too, but I hope they hurry before this thing figures it out,” Scoots said as the sphere unsuccessfully tried to absorb them again.

“How…Ah…Me….Too…” The alicorn murmured.

“Hold in there girls, we’re almost there,” Zap whispered.

After the group arrived in Ponyville they immediately exited the carriage and everypony stared in awe of the being they saw.

A new alicorn!

“Outta our way!” Zap called as several ponies tried to get closer to see.

“Royal business,” Luna said as they made their way across the pathway to the castle.

“Make way!” Spike ordered as Roseluck tried to walk past him.

It took time but soon they entered the castle they made their way through the castle as per Twinkle's directions, Zap Apple carrying the CMC the whole way.

Upon making it to the room they needed to go to, they entered the mirror room, approached the mirror and began setting up their workstation.

“Twinkle… ah need yer guarantee this won’t kill them,” Zap demanded.

“I can’t guarantee that something bad won’t happen but I would never suggest it if death was a possibility,” Twinkle said “I will go over there first to see if they are okay when they arrive to make sure,” Twinkle said.

“Ok,” Charity nodded.

“See you on the other side,” Twinkle said before entering the portal.

“.... Luna ah’m worried…” Zap said.

“It is okay, like Twinkle said she wouldn’t have suggested it if she knew death was a possibility, we must trust her,” Charity said.

“Ok,” Zap said.

Twinkle exited the mirror portal as a human and bumped into someone she didn’t expect.

“Ooof!” They both grunted as they fell down.

“Huh?” Twinkle said looking to see Flash.

“Twinkle?” Flash said getting up and helping her up.

“Oh hey Flash, what are you doing here?” Twinkle asked looking a little nervous.

“I was… just in the neighborhood and…” Flash looked like he was finding an excuse but Twinkle remembered what she came here for.

“Wait a minute, we need to focus, Flash I’ll need your help,” Twinkle said.

“Why? What’s going on?” Flash asked.

“Long story short we’re expecting either the CMC or a new alicorn,” Twinkle said.

“...A new alicorn? Like you?” Flash questioned.

“No time, just stand back,” Twinkle said turning towards the mirror.

“Ok,” Flash said acknowledging something serious is going on.

“Alright, Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, please come out alright, if not then… I’m sorry,” Charity said nervously.

“Alright, let’s do this,” Zap said before picking up the Alicorn off of the magical gurney and she helped her to her hooves and gently pushed her into the mirror.

A minute of bated breath passed before Zap broke the silence. “AB? Scoots?” Zap asked.

“Sweetie, please be okay,” Charity begged, Luna just looked on with a serious look on her face, hoping for a positive outcome.

The CMC sat in limbo for who knows how long, just as they were going to attempt conversation again suddenly they felt a pull…

“Huh? Do you guys feel that?” Scootaloo asked.

“Yeah… what is that?” Sweetie said before their orbiting of the green sphere suddenly sped up and they began to panic.

“What’s happening!?” Apple Bloom cried before they suddenly felt something being pulled from them,

Magic, and the magic seemed to be pulled into the sphere before the sphere condensed and exploded outward and the three were sent flying screaming.

The two humans watched the portal warily for a minute or so, before it began to warble.

“Something is happening!” Twinkle said.

“I’m not sure what but I’m here to help if you need it,” Flash said.

“Thank you Flash,” Twinkle said before the portal started to give a green glow.

“Wait… that’s new,” Twinkle said before suddenly three beings shot out of the portal and impacted the two.

“AH!” Twinkle and Flash said as they tumbled across the ground and wound up in a pile-up.

After a few moments of lying there they managed to untangle themselves from the pile-up.

“Oooh….” The group groaned as they sat up and looked at eachother and gasped in surprise.

“We’re back!” Scootaloo cheered.

“Ah’m so glad!” AB hugged Sweetie Belle who was cheering as well…. before noticing they were human.

“Huh? What happened to us?” Sweetie asked.

“Great, having small wings was bad enough, but no wings?” Scootaloo sighed.

“I think we’re those human things Twilight told us about,” Apple Bloom.

“GIRLS!” Twinkle hugged the three in one big hug.

“AHH!” The three cried as Twinkle hugged them, after getting over the shock they hugged her back.

“Um… I still don’t get what’s happening,” Flash admitted.

“Don’t worry, I’ll explain it next time, come on,” Twinkle said helping them up.

“Where’s my hooves… this is hard,” Scootaloo complained.

“It feels weird to not have a horn,” Sweetie admitted.

“It’ll all be fixed, come on, let’s get back to your sisters,” Twinkle said ushering them back into the portal.

“Hold on, there’s… something I need to tell you,” Flash said trying to catch up to Twinkle.

“Huh?” Twinkle turned around but Scootaloo who was leaning on Twinkle for balance tripped when Twinkle turned around and she hit the ground in front of Flash who wound up tripping on her and he wound up accidentally tackling Twinkle into the portal.

“WHOOAA!” They cried as they fell in, save for Scootaloo, who got up and realized what happened.

“Ooops…” Scootaloo muttered before stumbling her way into the portal after them.

“This is taking too long, ah’m goin in there,” Zap said getting ready to enter the portal before it began warbling again.

“Wait! Stand back!” Luna said and Zap stood back as four figures tumbled through the portal.

“Ooof!” Sweetie and AB cried.

‘Ouchie!” Twinkle and Flash grunted.

“Girls!” Zap cried running forward and helping Twinkle and Flash off of Sweetie and AB.

“Where’s Scoota-” only for Scootaloo to tumble through the portal and onto the two fillies as well.

“OOF!” The two fillies grunted as she landed on top of them.

“AAH!” Scootaloo cried as she landed on them.

“Scootaloo! AB! Sweetie!” Zap cried as she helped them up “Ah was so worried, ah-.... What the hay?” Zap questioned as she saw something different about them.

“Glad to be back… why are you guys staring at us like that?” Scootaloo asked.

“Yer… yer…” Zap said looking like she’s having trouble sayin it.

“Spit it out, what’s going on, did we come out looking different? What changed?” Sweetie began to panic.

“It cannot be,” Luna said as she approached.

“Alright, ah’m about ready ta panic, what are ya all… wait, what’s on mah back?” Apple Bloom felt her back and felt something that wasn’t there before… wings…

“Huh?” Apple Bloom then saw something she somehow didn’t notice on her forehead… a horn…

“What the hay?...” AB said before turning to look at her friends and saw the same thing with them…

Twinkle got up looking dizzy “Ugh, you okay Flash… Holy moly…” Twinkle said before pointing at the three “Your Alicorns!?” Twinkle cried.

“We’re what?!” Scootaloo felt her head and found a horn, Sweetie looked at her back and saw wings.

“.....OMG!” Sweetie cried.

They then turned to eachother and began jumping for joy.

“WE’RE ALICORNS! WE’RE ALICORNS! WE’RE ALICORNS! WE’RE ALICORNS! WE’RE ALICORNS! WE’RE ALICORNS!” The three fillies cheered.

“You three!” Luna called.

“Huh?” The CMC turned to Luna “How…How did this happen?” Luna asked.

“Well,” Twinkle entered lecture mode and began while everypony turned to her “It’s possible that the theory that they would separate through the mirror was right, but it seems that the magic caused them to ascend as a result of diffusing from an alicorn, and more importantly that means-”

“Oooh… what happened?” Flash said sitting up and looking up at the group and his jaw dropped.

“Oh… forgot that he came through the mirror too,” Twinkle said.

“What the heck? What’s going-” Flash looked confused at all the pony-like beings in front of him before Twinkle grabbed his hands and made him look at her.

“Flash… this is the pony world and I’m Twinkle, remember the pictures I showed you of my world?” Twinkle said.

“Yeah,” Flash said.

“Well… you might not want to look at yourself for the moment…” Twinkle said.

“Why-” Flash against her word looked down at himself and gaped when he saw hooves where his feet were, fur where his bare skin was and looking behind he saw… wings?...

Flash passed out.

“...Understandable,” Luna sighed knowing a human would find it harder to take to a pony body than the other way around.

“Twinkle ya sure you can’t just put him back through the portal?” Zap questioned as Twinkle levitated him into her bed.

“No, my Twinkle sense is telling me to let him stay the night, something tells me I should,” Twinkle said.

“Twinkle ah can tell yer lying, what’s the real reason?” Zap said.

“...I don’t want him to go,” Twinkle said.

“He’s got a life on the otherside of the mirror, ya can’t keep him here forever,” Zap said.

“I know, but… he can visit right?” Twinkle said looking at the stallion.

“That’s fer him to decide,” Zap said.

“...Your right… I… want to stay with him for now,” Twinkle said.

“Ok, ah’m gonna go see how the others are doing,” Zap said before leaving.

Twinkle looked at Flash and laid down in the bed with him, but no covers yet… that’d be intrusive.

Zap entered the lobby area and immediately had to duck as Sweetie Belle swooped over her head.

“Sorry!” Sweetie called as she flew through the air.

“Girls get down!” Luna called.

“Don’t know how to land,” AB replied.

“My wings are big enough at long last! I can actually fly!” Scootaloo cheered.

Luna sighed “This is why I never had children…” Luna said.

“They seem ta be enjoyin themselves, why not let them?” Zap asked.

“I wish to communicate to them why we need to take their sudden ascension more seriously,” Luna said.

“Let them enjoy being alicorns for now, their kids,” Zap waved it off.

“...Very well, but tell them after they're done that I must talk to them,” Luna said and then walked away.

Zap chuckled as she saw her sisters and Sweetie enjoying themselves, as did Charity from a balcony.

“NonoNO!” A tired looking Shining Armor threw yet another scroll at the wall.

“Shining, we’ve been at it for days, it may be time to consider-” Sunburst tried but Shining slammed his hand down on the table.

“DON’T finish that sentence, Twilight wouldn’t give up on me, and I won’t let that pony take her place,” Shining said.

“Shining, you need rest, at least take a break,” Sunburst pleaded.

“Not happening, you can take a break, but I’m not,” Shining said.

“Flurry Heart misses her dad, I should know since I have had to babysit her while helping you,” Sunburst said.

“...” Shining looked a little conflicted at the thought of his daughter but he hardened his resolve thinking of Twilight “Just leave,” Shining Armor said.

“But-”

“LEAVE!” Shining Armor shouted and Sunburst sighed.

“I hope you snap out of it eventually…” Sunburst turned and left the room, Shining Armor lowered his head a few tears fell.

“I promised to protect you Twilight… I have to keep trying,” Shining Armor said.

…”Then why not have some proper help?” A voice echoed in the room and Shining jumped a little.

“Whose there? Sunburst?” Shining Armor looked up and saw a figure exiting the darkness of a corner.

“Let’s talk… business,” Dusk Heart said with a smile.

Author's Note

What does Dusk Heart want with Shining? Something tells me the plot with thicken.

I hope this chapter didn't seem rushed but things will get better as time goes on.