A couple of days had passed since the celebration, and trio had adapted well to living in the Castle of Friendship. They would spend most of their time toiling away in the archives, only occasionally going out to get some fresh air or to keep themselves up to date with current events. What they found odd however, was how Princess Twilight kept inviting one of them whenever she left to visit one of her friends.

At first, they didn't mind, they simply thought that the princess was concerned for their wellbeing, so they decided to go along. But as days went by, she started showing signs that there was something else going on.

One morning, Twilight invited Grogar to visit Sweet Apple Acres, he accepted of course, since he wanted to purchase an entire bushel of sour apples to eat. They spent the day helping Applejack dig tree plots, though Twilight went overboard, and she continued digging more holes until close to midnight, Grogar had to escort her back to the castle in his magic on Applejack's request.

In the afternoon of the following day, Twilight asked Midnight if she'd like to go to Carousel Boutique with her, Midnight accepted as she actually didn't get to enter it during her first outing as it was closed. Once they arrived, Twilight insisted that she and Midnight should reorganize Rarity's gem drawers, the two alicorns then went on to spend the whole afternoon inspecting and rearranging the gems. Throughout it all, Midnight noticed that Twilight would almost purposefully misplace a couple of gems, but she shrugged it off and reorganized it herself.

Then on the day after, she asked Cosmos to be a referee for when she raced Rainbow Dash, Cosmos agreed because she wanted to know just how fast Rainbow was, and maybe race her as well. The two of them spent most of the day racing Rainbow Dash, and while Cosmos and Rainbow barely broke a sweat, Twilight was left huffing and puffing by her one hundredth attempt. Cosmos had to carry her back to the castle.

Yesterday, Princess Twilight just left the castle under the pretense of 'getting some fresh air', only to return long after midnight looking like she just crashed into a tree.

In the following morning, the trio was making their way through the dining hall to ask the princess if she was doing well, Sunset was coming along since she was curious, when they entered the room, they were met with the sight of five ponies conversing among themselves and one disheveled princess who was using her pancakes as a makeshift pillow.

Cosmos was the first to speak her mind, "Woah! Princess, you look like wreck!"

The other ponies in the room turned their heads to the newcomers, Cosmos' sudden comment broke them out of conversation.

Twilight stirred and lifted her head, a pancake was stuck on her horn, "Huh? I'm pancake! I mean, awake..." she said tiredly.

Sunset laughed, "Quick! Somebeing take a picture!"

This caused her to receive a glare from every being in the room, Sunset rolled her eyes and huffed, "Oh rain on my parade, will ya?" she snarked.

Applejack sighed and looked to her sleepy friend, "Uh, Twilight? Is there somethin' you wanna tell us?"

Rarity approached her, "You know how much we appreciate all you do for us, and we simply adore having you around, but... we worry you might be..."

"Going bananas?" Cosmos offered.

Rarity rolled her eyes, "I was about to say, 'avoiding something else'," she looked back at her friend's messy coat and mane, "but perhaps you may have a point, Cosmos."

Twilight sighed, "Has it been that obvious? I've been... the thing is... I know it's silly, but... I-I've been avoiding... this place..." she said hesitantly.

The otherworldly visitors looked at each other with concern for a moment, then, Midnight stepped closer to the table, "Princess, please understand that if we are too much of a burden for you, we will gladly move someplace else if it means that you can live comfortably within your own castle."

"W-what?! No! No, Midnight, it's not because of you three, you've actually been very helpful, and Spike likes the extra help. It's just... I know this castle is amazing. But it's just..." she sighed, "it doesn't feel like home..." Twilight admitted.

Rarity giggled, "Oh, is that all? Why, you simply need to decorate, darling. Make this place your own!"

"It's just so daunting! Look how big it is! I-I don't even know where to start!" Twilight said as she dropped her head back on the table.

"Not as big as the archives" Sunset muttered, only to get her saucer swatted by Midnight's wing.

"You can start by letting us do it for you. We will make this the castle of your dreams while you," Rarity pointed at Twilight, "go to the Ponyville spa for some needed rest and relaxation." she looked over Twilight, "I'm saying this with love, but... have you seen yourself in the mirror lately? I've never seen you look this... hm..." Rarity paused, looking for the right word.

"Frazzled?" Fluttershy suggested.

"Look like you got hit by a train?" Sunset added.

"Yes! Fluttershy, that's absolutely the word I was going to use." Rarity said.

The beings in the room then continued to plan for what they'll do for the rest of the day. Spike will take Twilight to the spa, while the rest will help decorate the castle while they're away. This brought forth an idea to Sunset, who then approached Midnight, "You know, for castle, this place is kinda lacking in terms of security. Could use some upgrades." she told Midnight nonchalantly.

Midnight lowered her gaze to her, "What are you planning, exactly?"

Sunset only smirked and wiggled her holographic eyebrows.

Midnight smiled back and sniffed in amusement, "Very well, prepare the materials."

Sunset gave her a mock salute and blipped into her saucer before zooming back into the archives.

Midnight then turned to Grogar and Cosmos with a knowing smile, "My friends, it appears that we have a new project."

Midnight, Grogar, Cosmos, and Sunset were busy outfitting the halls with crystalline and metallic devices when Twilight's friends returned to the castle, they passed the four odd beings and made continued on to the throne room. The four beings paused their work to talk about what they had just witnessed.

"Heartsongs?" Grogar asked with a raised eyebrow.

Midnight nodded slowly, "It appears so, I was also able to detect a rather familiar form of magic emanating from them. It was... orderly, warm, friendly even. It felt benevolent and welcoming. It felt like it was arranged in perfect harmony." she explained.

Cosmos looked at the alicorn in surprise, "You mean..."

"Indeed, it was. They are Harmony's chosen, and I would not be surprised if Princess Twilight is also one. We were wise to accept their hoof in friendship instead of becoming enemies, otherwise we would have been doomed." Midnight continued.

Sunset shook her head, "I would not want to be on the receiving end of a rainbow laser. Ever."

Midnight lit her horn and the leylines on her wings, "Come, let us continue our task."

A few moments later, Midnight asked Sunset to go check up on the throne room while the three continue working, Sunset grumbled but complied anyway. On her way back, she saw Spike approaching the doors as well.

Spike waved his claws, "Oh, hey Sunset! How do my claws look?" he asked while showing them off.

Sunset shook her head, "Don't ask me, I don't even have real limbs."

"But..." he pointed at her holographic legs.

Sunset rolled her eyes, "This," she waved her wings around her form, "is just an avatar, I can pretty much look and sound like whatever I want." she shifted into a copy of Spike, then into Grogar, and then Celestia, before returning, "This is just a custom model I made based on ascended alicorns." she explained.

"The real me is up here," she pointed to the saucer above her, "and in the archives."

"Woah, that's pretty cool!" Spike said excitedly.

"Yeah, I am." Sunset replied smugly.

Spike rolled his eyes and opened the doors to the throne room, what he saw on the other side was... an utter nightmare. The room was filled with haystacks, balloons were placed in random locations, animals of all kinds were scurrying about, there were random pillars decorated with flowers, posters of Wonderbolts placed haphazardly on the walls, soil was spread around here and there. If Discord or Cosmos was here, they'd probably be impressed.

"Sweet Celestia!" was all Spike could say.

Sunset quirked an eyebrow, "I know she raises the sun here, but really?" she muttered.

Rarity noticed them entering, "Oh, Spike, Sunset! Are you all done already?"

"Don't worry, I ordered her the super-deluxe mane blow-out! She'll be a while." he moved closer into the room, "Man, this place looks terrible!" he exclaimed.

The ponies in the room sighed in relief, somepon- dragon finally admitted it.

Sunset looked around the room, "It looks like Cosmos sneezed in here, what did you all do?" she asked.

Rarity raised a hoof, "Well-"

She was suddenly interrupted by the sound of a confetti canon going off, this startled all of Fluttershy's animals, causing them run around the room frantically. This, in turn, set off a chain of destruction all across the room. When two chipmunks started ripping into Rarity's curtains, she had enough.

"EVERYPONY STOP!" Rarity shouted.

Immediately all activity ceased, the animals crashed into each other as they stopped, the room was now in shambles.

"What're we gonna do?!" Rainbow asked frantically.

Rarity turned to Spike, "Spike, you've got to go back to the spa and stall her! Whatever you do, don't let her come home!"

"Like, forever? But we live here!" He said.

"Ah, yes, well, er, maybe you could manage it until... sunset-ish?" Rarity asked while batting her eyelids.

Spike floated up in the air with hearts surrounding him, "Anything for you, Rarity~" he said before floating past Sunset.

Sunset could only stare at him as he left, "What the..." she muttered.

Applejack spoke up, "Okay, we all agree the castle is too cluttered, right? So why doesn't everypony take one o' their own decorations out and we'll see how it looks?"

Sunset approached them, "Or... maybe you could take out all of the decor and start from scratch?" she suggested.

"Nah, we'll figure this out. Don't worry about us, Sunset, why don'tcha focus on those little doohickeys you were workin' on?" Applejack assured her.

Sunset sighed digitally, "Okay, if you say so." she said before zipping away in her saucer.

"Wait, she can do that?!" Rainbow Dash asked incredulously.

Applejack nodded, "She said she's some kinda 'artificial intelligence' whatever that means. So that pony you saw ain't actually 'her', somehow."

"She did it just this morning, Rainbow. Did you not see?" Rarity asked.

Rainbow turned back to the door, "Huh..."

The four otherworlders were finishing up on their little project when they heard a familiar soft voice echoing through the hallway they were in.

"Who was that?" Cosmos asked as she hung from the ceiling using her stinger.

Midnight fiddled with a hatch that resembled the pillar's heart ornament before she looked back at her upside-down friend, "It sounded like Miss Fluttershy."

"Didn't know she'd be able to do that." Sunset commented. There were beams of energy that came out of her saucer, which were synthesizing small bits of hardware that Midnight picked up with her wings.

Grogar took an odd-looking screwdriver out of a toolbox and floated it over to Cosmos, "Do you think they require assistance? It did sound like they were shouting at each other earlier."

Sunset waved a wing, her gaze was solely focused on the small parts she was making, "They got it handled, Applejack told me we should just focus on this."

They then saw the group of ponies pass by with two shovels, this confused them. The other ponies also stopped and stared back at them.

Sunset stopped her saucer for a moment, "Applejack, what is..." she motioned a hoof at the shovels, "all of this?"

"Well, I got a plan that I think'll be a whole lot better than before." Applejack looked beyond Sunset to the odd contraptions that they were working on, "And what the hay are y'all doin' takin' apart the castle like that?"

Midnight and Cosmos descended, the alicorn waved a wing, "Be at ease, Miss Applejack, while it may look like we a dismantling the castle, this is merely the in-between process of outfitting and imbedding the proper systems and hardware. Once we finish, it would be like we never even tampered with it at all." she assured the ponies.

"Why are you guys doing this anyway?" Rainbow Dash asked.

Cosmos stepped up, "When Rarity said you guys are going to decorate the castle, Sunset mentioned that, for a castle, this place barely has any security. So, we've been working all day implanting the castle with all kinds of security measures." she explained.

"Oooh, neat! What are they?" Pinkie asked.

Grogar put a hoof to his chin, "Various kinds of sensors, surveillance systems, alarms... also a couple of hidden stun and stasis turrets, cloaked guard drones, cloaked sentry automatons, reality anchors, remote-controlled traps, thaumtek shield generators, warding runes and charms, and other magical and technological self-defense mechanisms spread strategically throughout the castle both in and out." he listed.

While the ponies didn't understand most of what he said, they understood enough that it caused them to pause for a moment.

"Um... I'm no expert in security, but don't you think you're going a little... overboard?" Fluttershy hesitantly asked.

Rainbow Dash nodded, "Yeah! I really doubt anypony's gonna try to take over the castle or something." she added.

Sunset waved her hoof dismissively, "Nonsense, any good castle needs at least some form of protection, otherwise it'd just be a bedazzled palace. We're just giving the princess something real high-quality. Trust me, Princess Twilight is gonna feel safer than hadesite in a bank vault after we're done."

Midnight nodded, "We are also certified techno-sorcerers." she said as she conjured four identification cards.

The ponies looked at the cards closely before looking at each other apprehensively.

"Well, if y'all so sure 'bout it..." Applejack said as she rubbed the back of her head.

Cosmos gave her a thumbs up, "Yep, we're sure. Anyway, what's up with the shovels? You haven't really elaborated on that." she said.

Applejack looked back at the shovels she brought, "Oh, we're plannin' on diggin' up the the roots of Golden Oak Library. Y'see, that was where Twilight n' Spike used to live, and well, there were a lotta' memories we had there, I know it kinda sounds silly, but I think-"

Midnight interrupted her with a raised hoof, "Say no more, Miss Applejack, I will lend you two of our arachnoid excavators to aid you all with your project. Sunset?"

Sunset nodded and lit her avatar's horn. Almost instantly, two red portals appeared behind the five ponies, and what came through them were two robotic spider-like machines, both were about four ponies wide and three ponies long, they were dark purple in color, and they had one singular glowing cyan eye in the middle of their heads. They marched up to the ponies in unison as they exited the portals.

They both bowed in front of the assorted creatures.

"What Are Your Commands, Master?" one of them asked in a low, accented, synthetic voice.

The ponies were speechless, while Sunset had a amused grin plastered on her avatar's face.

Midnight stepped forward, "Prepare your excavation protocols, help these beings in their task, follow their every command to the tee."

"W-wait, Midnight, what're you doin'?" Applejack asked her uncertainly.

"I am simply giving you all the necessary equipment required for such a task, do not worry, Miss Applejack, while they look quite cumbersome, they are very delicate in extracting brittle or fragile objects." Midnight assured her with a smile.

Applejack looked back at the large robotic spiders; the others seemed a bit skeptical of their presence, but Applejack knew that getting more help than just two shovels will definitely speed up the process and give them more time to finish their project before Twilight came back.

Applejack turned her gaze towards the alicorn with a grateful smile, "Thank ya kindly, Midnight. You uh, really think this'll work? The plan, I mean."

"Only one way to find out, hm?" Midnight said.

Applejack nodded and turned to the machines, "Alright, so, um, y'all just follow us and then help us dig up the roots when we get there."

The two machines flashed their cyan optics briefly, "As You Wish, Master."

Spike and Twilight have been looking for a bed at the mattress store for quite some time. Every time Twilight thought that Spike finally had the bed he wanted, he kept complaining about minor details that would typically be ignored by most, she almost thought he was doing it on purpose.

"How's that one? Too soft? Too hard? Too lumpy?" Twilight asked, clearly getting tired of Spike's antics.

Spike moved around in the bed for a bit before sitting up, "Um... just right! I'll take it!"

Twilight sighed in relief, "Oh, thank goodness! I thought you'd never find the one you liked. Let's find a salespony and get out of here."

Spike nodded, "Sounds good to m-" he glanced at a nearby window and saw five familiar ponies running along the road with two spider-like things following them, "um, uh, d-did you hear that?" he bounced on the bed, causing it to squeak slightly, "Too squeaky, better keep looking!" he said as he hopped off and moved on to another.

Twilight could only groan in exasperation.

When the ponies and machines arrived at the remains of Golden Oak, Applejack started to feel doubtful about her plan, she dropped the shovels on the ground and sighed.

"Maybe my plan won't work after all..." she said dejectedly.

"Of course it will, darling! I can see it! You, Fluttershy and these machines start digging. Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie, you'll come with me, we're going shopping! We'll meet back at the castle." Rarity said confidently.

Feeling the same sense of confidence, the ponies nodded to each other and began to work. Applejack and Fluttershy directed the arachnoids to start digging and dismantling the remains of the tree, they themselves also helped with the more delicate parts. Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie went to purchase a set of memory crystals and supplies needed to decorate the roots.

They all arrived back at the castle and began to work, coincidentally, the otherworlders had just finished their own project and were now helping the ponies continue theirs. With the combined power of nine beings working together, they were able to hang the completed root chandelier with enough time left for the other rooms to be decorated appropriately. All they needed to do now is to wait.

Looking over the fruits of their labor, Applejack smiled and looked over at the assorted creatures, "Good job, everypony! I know for sure Twilight n' Spike are gonna love it!" she said optimistically.

She looked towards Midnight, who was staring at the dangling crystals, "And thank you again, Midnight, your robot-thingies sure helped us a whole lot with the diggin'."

Midnight turned her gaze towards the hatted pony and smiled, "You are very welcome, Miss Applejack. If you ever need to use them again, you can simply ask us any time."

Applejack returned the smile and nodded before getting nudged by Rainbow Dash from the side, "Huh? What is it, Dash?"

She leaned in and whispered something in Applejack's ear, which caused Applejack to look at Midnight again.

"Oh, by the way, Midnight, you know how ya said y'all are from this 'alternate world'? With other versions of us there? Well, y'see, I've been kinda curious, since ya sound a lot like Twilight, you're super smart, and ya got a pretty similar cutie mark, do you think maybe you're the Twilight in your world? I know I'm makin' a wild guess, but..." Applejack asked.

Midnight paused to think, she leaned over to see her own Mark of Destiny and tried to remember any profiles for any being named Twilight Sparkle in the archives, "Hm... that is... quite the possibility. Princess Twilight did mention that her theory was initially based on the fact our voices sounded similar, but she dismissed it as a coincidence. Hold on." she turned to Sunset, who was projecting a video game again, "Sunset, could you please look through the databanks and find a file for one 'Twilight Sparkle'? Search for the one from Tellus specifically."

Sunset paused her game and huffed, "Fine." the eyes of her avatar glowed brightly for a moment and turned back to normal, "Uh... we don't have a file for Tellusian Twilight Sparkle, only for the princess and... you? I get redirected to your file when I try to force it to show." she explained while shrugging her wings.

Midnight put a hoof to her chin, "Then I suppose... I am. Huh, to think, I have been living with myself for the last week. But why do we look so different? And our names as well? I know there can be differences in species and origins, such as with Sunset and Trixie, but at the very least, they share many common traits, and their names are the same." she wondered aloud.

"My goodness, really? All this time we've been interacting with an alternate version of our friend. I suppose that's why I feel a sense of familiarity whenever I see you, Midnight. I thought it was simply because you were another purple-coated alicorn." Rarity said with a surprised expression.

Pinkie Pie gasped, "Does that mean you're like sisters?!" she exclaimed.

Cosmos patted her friend on her withers and gave her a smirk, "Hey, you finally got that promotion."

Sunset and Grogar snickered while Midnight rolled her eyes, "Very funny." she said plainly.

Midnight turned to look at the assorted ponies again, she saw Rainbow Dash give Applejack five gold coins but ignored it, "It appears the princess and I may have a discussion in the near future."

The sun was just over the horizon when Twilight and Spike finally returned to the castle, while on their way back the two talked about what their friends had done to the castle.

They both walked into the castle and made their way to the main hallway, "Hello? We're home!" Twilight announced.

They were greeted by a group of nine beings with bright smiles, "Welcome home!" they said together.

They continued towards the throne room; Twilight noticed that everything looks pretty much the same.

"Oh, I uh... love what you've done with the place. You did such a good job of... preserving the integrity of the original design." she commented awkwardly.

Grogar nodded, "Why thank you, princess, I will admit, it was quite a hassle to find and synthesize the crystalline material that shared the same structure and hue, it's good to know we were able to maintain the visage without sacrificing aspects of the system."

The ponies and dragon could only stare at him in confusion, which is an expression he also returned.

Cosmos tapped one of his horns, "I think she's talking about the decor, Grogster."

"Oh."

Spike ran up to the front of the group, "Aw, come on! It looks exactly the same! Do you know how hard it was to keep her from coming back here?!" he asked angrily.

Twilight realized something, "Wait. Keep me from coming back here?"

Rarity laughed nervously, "Well, it took a teensy bit longer than we thought..."

Sunset rolled her eyes, "Should've listened to me..." she muttered.

The group made their way to the throne room, many were excited, while other were quite anxious. When Twilight entered the room, she was met with awe. On the center of the room, right above the Cutie Map, was a giant chandelier that appeared to be made out of roots, on each root were sets of colorful crystals that hung in various lengths, the room appeared brighter now.

The five ponies explained to her how and why they did it, they told her of the symbolism it held and what it meant for them. In the end, they all topped it all off in a group hug, the heartwarming display brought smiles to the otherworldly beings.

Pinkie Pie then invited them all to celebrate with her seven layer what's-that-for mystery surprise cake, Twilight led them all to the dining room. When they entered, Twilight was surprised yet again. The room was now beautifully decorated with flowers, ornate drapes, and another chandelier right at the center. The table itself was filled with confectionaries and a statue of a unicorn right in the middle.

"I couldn't help myself! It was just begging for the personal touch!" Rarity admitted.

"Truth be told, I couldn't either. Your kitchen might have some rustic farm decor, Twilight." Applejack added.

Rainbow Dash rubbed the back of her head, "And there may or may not be some Daring Do posters up in your library."

Fluttershy leaned closer to Twilight, "And some stuffed animals in your bedroom." she said softly.

Midnight stepped up, "We have also outfitted the castle with various security systems to ensure your absolute safety."

"And also, a new theater room for movie nights, remote access to the archives in your library, intercom systems for easy communication across the castle, and other quality of life upgrades." Sunset said while counting using her primary feathers.

Twilight smiled, "Wow, tha-"

She was suddenly interrupted by the sound of another hidden confetti canon going off, which also caused a turret to pop out of the ceiling and blast a yellow stun bolt that barely missed Midnight's horn and passed through the hallway before dissipating.

The Equestrians could only stare in shock at what just happened.

Midnight smiled awkwardly, "Perhaps we might need to make more... calibrations..." she admitted.

Author's Note

Our first canon episode, Twilight's castle is now more fortified than Canterlot Castle itself. You might want to be more careful, Glimmer...

Next Chapter: Holo-Sunset takes over CHS?!

If you want to share ideas on how this story should go, consider commenting!

Corrections and criticisms are more than welcome, I can't improve without those now, can I?
Have a good existence!
:)

"Remembered forever, the land of Equestria"