Making her way to Carousel Boutique was a figure wearing a full-head helmet and an outfit that covered all of her skin. Following her secretly was a familiar red bird. She saw Twilight and Spike rush in as they passed by her friends, who were looking at dresses and shoes for the Fall Formal and hid inside a dressing room. Her friends noticed.

“Twilight?” Rachael asked. “Is everything alright?”

“Yes,” Twilight lied as she slumped down. Speaking soft enough so that only Spike could hear her, she said, “Except that everything is not okay… not okay at all. If I don’t get my crown back tonight, I could be away from Equestria for another thirty moons. What am I going to do?”

Spike looked around and made gestures to cover spots on and around the door that his voice could potentially get through. Twilight caught these signals and covered them with various articles of clothing that were on the “return” rack. Once the spots were covered, Spike spoke in a volume that only Twilight could hear. “You have to tell them the truth,” he said. “Let them know what’s really at stake. They can help you figure something out.”

“But, what if they don’t?” Twilight asked. “What if they find out just how different I really am…?”

“These girls followed you because they saw what was in your heart,” Spike said soothingly. “They aren’t going to feel any differently about you when they find out you’re really a pony from Equestria. You always told me that others should be judged by their actions, not how they look or where they’re from. After all, you let me into your life when nopony else would and that’s how I lived as long as I have.”

Twilight took in Spike’s wise words and gradually, she began to feel better. She then affectionately hugged him. “I’m really glad you followed me and decided to stay by my side.”

“I couldn’t leave you if you paid me,” Spike said.

Twilight then took a deep breath, stood up, and she walked out of the dressing room, facing her human friends. She noticed the disguised figure standing by the door nearby, but, shook the distraction from her head.

“Are ya okay?” Ashleigh asked with concern in her voice.

“The Fall Formal isn’t happening tonight,” Twilight explained.

“WHAT?!” Pinkie exclaimed.

“It had to be postponed because Susan, Skip, and Sheldon destroyed Pinkie’s decorations,” Twilight continued.

“Eh, that doesn’t really surprise me,” Pinkie said before realizing what was said. “I mean, WHAT?!”

“But,” Twilight resumed. “The Fall Formal must happen tonight.”

“You seem rather determined,” Rachael commented. “Why?”

Before Twilight had a chance to explain, Pinkie spoke up.

“I think it’s because…” Pinkie said, taking a deep breath. “You’re from another universe and you’re really a pony princess in that universe, and the crown actually has a magical element embedded into it, and it helps to power up other magical elements, and without it, there’s no magic anymore, and if you don’t get the crown back tonight, you’ll be stuck in this world and you won't be able to get back for like a really, really, really long time! Right?”

Twilight, Spike, the disguised figure (though it was hard to tell with her face being covered), and the bird all went slack-jawed at Pinkie’s surprisingly accurate theory while the other humans looked at Pinkie as if she was insane.

“Yeah,” Roxy spoke up, finding the idea hard to believe. “I’m pretty sure that isn’t the reason.”

“No,” Spike said. “She’s pretty much spot-on.”

The other girls were surprised and aghast to hear Spike’s speaking, none more so than Rachael.

“He can talk?!” she gasped.

“That’s right,” Spike said. “Where I come from, I’m not even a dog. I’m actually a fire-breathing dragon.”

Fauna gasped happily. “This is so wonderful!” She then knelt down closer to Spike. “Please, tell me, what are you thinking right now?”

“Before I can answer that,” Spike said. “I have a question of my own. Did you by any chance almost get eaten by a dragon when you were younger and become afraid of them ever since?”

“No,” Fauna explained. “Because I’m afraid dragons don’t really exist. Well, at least not outside of books, tv, movies, comics, or video games. The closest thing I’ve seen to a real dragon is a Komodo dragon and they’re not big enough to fit a human in their mouths.”

“Good to know,” Spike sighed. “So, me being a dragon isn’t an issue for you?”

“Absolutely not,” Fauna answered truthfully. “I read that Japanese and Chinese cultures respect dragons, seeing them as deities that look out for smaller creatures.”

“Those sound like some of the Longryus that I met some time ago,” Spike said.

“Longryus?” Fauna inquired.

“Hold up,” Roxy said. “How do we know this is even real? How do we know we’re not all hallucinating?”

“You’re not hallucinating, Rainbow Dash,” the figure said in a modulated voice. “All of this is true.”

Roxy gasped as she and the other human girls turned to face the costumed figure.

“Whoa!” Roxy exclaimed. “How did we not notice you here? And how do you know my nickname?”

The figure looked from side to side before replying, “Why wouldn’t I know your nickname?” She then removed her helmet to reveal the face of Sunset Shimmer. The human girls weren’t sure it was truly her until she showed them her student ID card.

“Sunset!” the human girls exclaimed happily.

“Where were you all this time?” Roxy asked.

“Susan had been slipping Essence of Lavender in my morning tea,” Sunset explained. “But, after I developed an immunity to it, I decided to hide so that Susan wouldn’t find out. I’m sorry I couldn’t approach any of you.”

“Essence of Lavender?” Rachael asked.

“Essence of Lavender is a potent ingredient in sleeping potions in our world,” Twilight explained. “One drop can knock anyone who consumes it out for eight hours straight. But, if doses aren't taken at least a week apart from each other, the consumer steadily builds a tolerance to it.”

“Princess Celestia taught you well, Twilight,” Sunset said.

“Wait,” Roxy said. “How do you know it’s true?”

Sunset took a deep breath. “Because I come from the same world,” she answered. “Same as Phoebe.”

“The only thing I don’t understand is,” Twilight said to Pinkie. “How did you know that that’s what I was going through?”

“Just a hunch,” Pinkie said with a smile.

Ashleigh was the first to try and make sense of the new information. “So, let me get this straight,” she said. “Y’all n’ Sunset r’ both ponies?”

“Yep,” Sunset nodded.

“You’re both princesses?” Rachael asked.

“No,” Sunset corrected. “Only Twilight’s the princess. Apparently.*”

“And you’re both from another world?” Fauna asked.

“Yes,” Twilight nodded.

“That,” Roxy said. “Actually explains a lot. But, hearing all of this now, I got to say that that is… AWESOME!”

“Ah still don’t completely understand this,” Ashleigh admitted. “But, ah still want ta help ya get the crown, Twi.”

“Sunset,” Rachael asked. “In your world, could Phoebe talk?”

“Not unless you count chirps, tweets, squawks, and other bird noises,” Sunset answered. “Though, she is different in the other world.”

“We can talk about universal differences later,” Pinkie said. “We’ve got to do what we can to clean up the decorations! And this way, I’ll really see your skills in action, Rachael.”

“I’m afraid I can’t help directly, girls,” Sunset lamented. “Susan could see me.”

“You already have, Sunset,” Twilight said. “You were the one to make sure I could run for Princess of the Fall Formal by giving me that Transfer Student ID card and you vouched for me when it came to my story.”

“One thing still puzzles me, though,” Sunset said. “The fact that Susan went through the effort to get a magical relic from another world. Sure, I told her information about my world, which I kept in…” Sunset then had a look of realization on her face. “My research!” She quickly put the helmet back on and made a run for her place.**

“Um,” Fauna said in confusion at Sunset’s sudden departure. “Goodbye?”

“Anyway,” Rachael said. “We should go and see the damage that Susan has done.”

Author's Note

Here's the next chapter.

*Makes sense for Sunset to not fully know that.

**It was at that point that Sunset figured out Susan's plan.

Comments? Questions? Thoughts? You know where to leave them.