Sunset took a deep breath, closed her eyes, then opened just one, carefully.
Yep.
This was still happening.
“You think you can waltz in here all high and mighty and steal my Sunny Bunny?” Midnight Sparkle snarled with an eerie smile, flaring her wings on the battle arena. “Oh, I’m going to put you in your place, Princess!”
“Hah! As if!” The Princess of Friendship pouted and flared her own wings. “You don’t own her! And I’m more than willing to teach you a lesson for thinking so!”
The entire arena was quiet– Some were amused, others were rightfully concerned.
“Girls, more fighting REALLY isn’t necessary!” Sunset tried interfering, but was stopped by a simultaneous double Twilight glare. “S-seriously, we can solve this with diplomacy, and talking it out–”
“A friendship speech isn’t going to solve this one.” Midnight grinned, readying her hands, magic crackling in the air.
“On that, we agree. I’m not letting you take her, demon!” The Princess's horn flared.
Sunset took a moment to acknowledge that if nothing else, having two girls she loved fighting for her affection was undeniably hot– No matter how much she wanted this to be resolved peacefully.
But there was no time for that!
The tension was palpable, the energy was dreadful, like the air could catch fire, until microphone feedback was heard from above.
Interrupting the show, Spike and his counterpart both spoke in unison. “If you two are going to fight, you can’t use magic! That’s the rules!”
The two Twilights stopped in their tracks. Looked at eachother then back at the booth where their Spikes resided.
“Um… Why not?”
Discord couldn’t sit this one out, sweating with concern, he grabbed the microphone, and quickly punctuated. “Because if you do, you’ll likely destroy this realm and everypony in it! You know– Both of your friend groups, your Princesses, Principals, and even your precious Sunset?! Poof??”
With awkward fidgeting, Midnight Sparkle and Twilight Sparkle looked amongst each other.
“...Um… No matter! I can beat you without magic!!” The demon announced before delivering the slowest, wimpiest, most held-back slap anyone had ever seen in the realm between realms that barely grazed the Princess’s face.
“H-hey! You’ll pay for that! Hiya!” The Princess declared, before lightly tapping her opponent with a hoof on the midriff, not even pushing her back..
The entire crowd went into a disappointed hush.
“Girls, please. Um. This? Isn’t necessary.” Sunset spoke with significantly less enthusiasm.
“Ugh. okay, okay… Fine.” Midnight Sparkle sighed with disappointment, as her wings began fizzling out. “Can I have my glasses back, please…?” The once again human Twilight gestured to the crowd.
“Blargh. Now I’m just embarrassed, sorry…!” The Princess groaned. “We need to get in better shape…”
“If self defense lessons are something either of you are interested in, I can easily provide that–” Sunset hopped into the ring, joining them. “But not to beat each other up, okay? I don’t want either of you fighting– Ever.”
Giving her glasses a quick wipe, the human Twilight tried hiding her anxiety. “...We are still at an impasse, though. I don’t agree with Midnight often, but… I don't want you to go, Sunset…!”
“I’m not going anywhere, Sparkles– Seriously, you don't have to worry. I love all of you in the human world!! Really!” She came closer, holding her hands affectionately. “You don’t have to fight for me– No matter how cute and/or hot it is.”
The human replied with a quiet flustered smile, and the Princess had to step in. “...So you’re not coming back to Equestria…? You could do so much here– And I’d like to see you again…!”
“Relax, Princess. C’mon– I love Equestria, I’ve got a mom there–” She smiled warmly, nuzzling the other Twilight affectionately. “And I love seeing you. And, um, your offer to, uh, rule Equestria with you… That’s literally all I could have ever dreamed of.”
“Conflict of interest.” The human crossed her arms with a pout. “An eternal, thousand year rule, doesn’t exactly mesh with a mortal life in another world– Not to mention you don’t have wings. And even if we could, what, are we meant to just share you? Like a piece of meat?”
“You deserve more respect than that!” The princess noted with a confident nod. “If we’re going to consider this, we’ll have to set some ground rules, and definitely plan this out properly.”
“I don’t object to being treated like a piece of meat.” Sunset blurted out instinctively.
Flustered silence.
Two Rainbow Dashes were heard laughing hysterically from their respective stands.
“I’m going to hold you to that, Sunny Bunny– Sorry, that was Midnight. Ahem.” The human breathed out. “We should be pragmatic about this. Maybe make charts–”
“--Oh! And a list!” the Princess’s wings fluttered with excitement. “If we need to set up a calendar, I can–”
The ground below them trembled, and they held each other.
Clearing his throat, Discord spoke into the mic from afar. “Okay, I may have overestimated this realm's capacity for enduring this many beings at once in it. Please get to the emotional conclusion of this little debacle so we can calmly flee this crumbling reality, if you please! Wrap the scene up!”
“Okay, okay…!” Sunset exhaled, then beheld the both of them with affection and reluctance. “...So… You both love me, then?”
Sharing quiet nods, the two murmured simultaneously and flustered. “...I think so.”
“Well, that’s good news, because I love Twilight Sparkle… Whatever form she takes.” Sunset smiled warmly, and hugged the two of them tightly.
The crowd around them shared in “aww’s”, two proud mothers shared their joy on seeing their daughter happy, and the realm began to crumble.
Hastingly, worryingly, Discord snapped his fingers.
“Alright, I hope everypony enjoyed the ride!” The Lord of Chaos affirmed to all of the twenty one visitors of his realm that were now scattered in the grassy field of the Canterlot Palace gardens. “Now, do call me if you have any more trans-dimensional family spats, I would love to sponsor them. My money is on the two Lunas next time!”
“Fat chance, weirdo!” The Vice-Principal declared, while wobbling on her new unicorn legs. “Me and the other me aren’t fighting easily, we’re the best!”
“My human counterpart is correct.” The Princess of the Night regained her grace, and helped her other self stand. “We are not as easy to fall into petty squabbles as our sisters.
“H-hey! We sorted it all out!” The Principal had to deal with similar issues regarding her long, shaky unicorn legs. “And we’re both better for it!”
“That we are, my other self.” Celestia affirmed warmly, helping her counterpart stand. “Forgive us for the inconvenience, the portal to your world is a mere train ride away…!”
“Oh dear. There are too many characters in this scene.” Discord grimaced. “Call me for the finale, will you? I’m invested, but not that invested.” Just like that, he stepped through a portal, and vanished.
“As helpful as ever, that one...” Princess Luna scowled. “Are all of you okay?” She looked behind her, to the dozens of ponies and their doubles.
The crowd let out several groans of confused affirmations.
Two Rarities were confusing which Applejacks were theirs, two Rainbow Dashes immediately began gushing about their wings, Two Pinkies began hopping in perfect unison, and two Fluttershys quietly began sniffing each other.
“All's well that ends well, then!” Princess Celestia affirmed with a smile. “If you’d like, we could show you the castle a bit; You could even stay for dinner! How does a banquet sound? A feast to celebrate the two united mothers of the same child!”
Sheepishly, her counterpart waved a hoof. “Oh, my sister and I couldn’t impose like that–”
“--Did you say banquet?” Vice-Principal Luna sprinted near them as fast as her inexperienced legs could take her. “We’re staying. I’m staying, I don’t care, it’s not a school night.” She affirmed immediately.
“Forgive my sister’s lack of decorum–” Principal Celestia tried affirming, but was instantly interrupted.
“Um, hello? Free banquet in a magical alternate dimension, not to mention a palace? You’re the weird one for even THINKING of turning this down! Other me?” She called out.
“Present.”
“Show me around. I want to see your place.” Smiling confidently, Vice-Principal Luna stumbled over her own legs and fell face first on the grass. “...And help me walk on these legs, please.”
“Of course, my counterpart.” The Princess of the Night amused herself, showing her other self how to move. “Let us go– I am eager to show you how royalty lives.”
Snickering excitedly, one principal left, while the other remained. “...Excuse my younger sister, she, well, doesn’t get to let loose very often. Our job is… Taxing.”
“Another thing we have in common.” The Princess nodded sagely. “But please. Consider staying, I have much I'd love to show…! And I’m sure Sunset would love to have you here as well…!”
“On one condition.” The Principal smiled deviously. “You visit us sometime, and I get to show you around the school, and have you for dinner with us!”
With an excited smile, the alicorn smiled warmly. “That sounds like a wonderful idea, my counterpart! I would love to explore the inner workings of human education, and see your living condition!”
“It’s… Probably just as good as living in a castle!” She forced an awkward smile, trying not to feel insecure about the apartment that the salary of a public high school Principal could afford. “E-either way. Where did Sunset and her girls run off to?”
The two mothers smiled, and sighed of relief, finding their daughter cuddling with the two Twilights on the grass.
“...And here in Equestria, we call that a cuddle pile.” Sunset affirmed with a smile, finally rising, helping the human move in her new legs, who was assisted by her Princess counterpart.
“It can be used platonically and romantically! Whichever we prefer at the moment!” The Princess smiled. “What do you think?
Laughing nervously, afflicted with a fluster, Twilight nodded. “...Definitely properly utilizes the softness of these hides. And, um, the comfort of our strange body shapes.”
“That means she likes it.” Sunset grinned at the Princess. “I don’t know about you girls, but I’m beat–”
A clumsy flying Rainbow Dash nearly crashed into them guided by her skilled flying counterpart, both giggling to oblivion; Despite the crash, she seemed incredibly excited.
The other ponies seemed to be getting along better, and significantly more relaxed as well– Except for the Pinkies, who were bouncing in perfect sync through the gardens while talking each other’s ears off.
“Hey Twilight!” Spike announced, followed by a quadrupedal counterpart. “I’m going to show my brother here how to eat gems, are you going to be okay?”
“Yes, Spike. We’re going to talk this out politely.” She inhaled, centering herself, trying her best not to start another fight. “...And find a way to share Sunset Shimmer’s affection.”
“Hmpf. Spoken as someone that deserves it less.” Midnight whispered through her vessel.
“Play nice.” Sunset noted.
“I’ll play nice if she plays nice.” The two Twilights mumbled at once.
Adjusting her glasses poorly with a hoof, the human cleared her throat. “And Spike, you better not eat any gems that are too big for you!” She noted to the quadrupedal dragon. “You know how your stomach gets!”
“Heh, relax! We’re in a magical land! If dogs and dragons can talk, I'm sure I won't get a tummy ache. See you later!!” He and his counterpart ran into the halls of the castle, snickering deviously to each other.
After short chuckles, they all let out weary sighs.
“Sunset Shimmer.” The unison motherly tones forced the unicorn to straighten her back instantly, as the two mothers approached with the same concern, yet joy.
“I trust you will ensure that the two Twilights will not burn the palace down with an unnecessary squabble?” The Princess tilted her head with a smile.
“Y-yes! You can count on me!” She chuckled, giving the two rivals a fake stern look.
“Very good. I will see you soon, then– Hopefully, after a consensus has been achieved.” She leaned down, and kissed her daughter on the forehead. “Good luck, my little sun.”
“Thanks, mom.” She smiled warmly back at her mother.
“I will hold you no longer– Your other mother deserves her time too, after all.” Celestia grinned mischievously, backing away so the Principal could step up.
She regarded her daughter with pride, and giddy joy. “You look so cute as a pony– Oh, I wish I had fingers to pinch your cheeks!” Clumsily, she nudged the side of Sunset’s face with a hoof.
“Pff, the sentiment is there! I’m surprised Luna didn’t try it either.” She suppressed a chuckle, reveling on the affection.
“Oh, you know her, she’s more guarded than I am– And I struggle with self control at times like these–” She leaned down and nuzzled her daughter affectionately. “Am I doing this right? Is this how ponies nuzzle?”
“Yeah, you got it, heheh!” Sunset could barely contain her joy.
“I am so proud of you. Now make sure your two girlfriends know how to share, okay? You still have college to go to.” She leaned down, and kissed her daughter on the forehead. “Good luck, sweetie.”
“Thanks, mom.” She smiled warmly back at her mother.
“Okay. We have to be analytical about this. Precise!” Through the comfort of a room she had dedicated to study for many weeks in her life, the Princess of Friendship unveiled a black board, one in which she hastingly sketched a picture of herself, her other self, and Sunset. “...So. We both love Sunset Shimmer. And we both would like to be with her.”
“Ugh. Midnight is asking that you draw her too.” The human groaned, annoyed at her inner demon.
With a shrug, the Princess quickly doodled the closest impression she could to the evil alter ego she did not have. “Right. So. We both love Sunset Shimmer, and we both live in opposing worlds, and neither of us want to leave our world for the other. Right?”
Adjusting her glasses with a clumsy hoof, the other Twilight pondered. “Hm. I suppose time is a variable we can’t really prepare for– Any events could make us change our minds. I, for one, right now, don’t want to leave my world at all. We haven’t even gone to college, after all– I have many possibilities that my future could lead to, and I’d like to explore them. With Sunset.”
“--Let’s face it, you’re probably going to end up being the president.” Sunset chuckled to herself, leaning comfortably on the couch. “That or an mad scientist that takes over the world and enforces friendship with an iron fist.”
“Exactly what the school yearbook predicted for me, hihi...” She contained a snicker, waving a hoof away.
“Well… Regardless!” The Princess cleared her throat. “Sunset also has a life here. One in which she’s royalty, mind you. Not to mention she is the most qualified pony to rule Equestria other than me– Having trained under Celestia even longer than I have.”
“Look, that is true, and it is really sweet, but…” Sunset sighed, pointing behind her. “...I don’t have wings, Twi. And I might never have them. All evidence points me to not being worthy.”
“Being worthy isn’t a yes or no thing, Sunset…!” The Princess noted warmly. “Look at all the good you’ve done, and all the good you can still do– I strongly believe that you can earn your wings, in this world, or in the other.”
“That’s a nice sentiment, Princess- It is.” She sighed, smiling. “But no wings, no rule. I’d die of old age, and you’d continue alone…!”
“I don’t want to do this alone…!” She muttered a plea.
At that moment, her counterpart understood her other self completely. It was a feeling so incredibly simple, but a feeling that dug deeply.
It was the fear of losing Sunset.
“...Anything could happen. And I agree that Sunset is worthy– She deserves everything.” She pointed out without thinking. “I think that time is also a variable for this. We could simply wait and see, she has surpassed all adversities before her, how many until she earns her wings? Can we chart that out too?”
“That’s not how it works, Sparkles.” The unicorn sighed, shaking her head. “Alicornhood is usually earned by accomplishing some great magical feat.”
“Haven’t you done that ten times over, though…?” She tilted her head with a pout.
“Look, girls, this is adorable, and I get it– But I just came to an epiphany.” Sunset’s ears sprung up, as she grinned widely. “Instead of trying to plan out charts, instead of trying to set up a calendar, how about we live in the present and enjoy ourselves? Twi, I’ll visit Equestria a lot more frequently from now on, so I can help you with your princess duties, makeout whenever you want to, and check on mom!– And other Twilight, we can share dorms in college. Um. Without the other girls. Privately!”
Trying her best to hold back their flusters, the two Twilights looked between each other, then back at Sunset. “...Flying at the seat of our pants, then?Gosh, it’s getting really hard to stop Midnight from pouncing on you right now…”
“Are you sure we shouldn’t plan any itinerary? Something more concrete? I don’t want to risk either of us missing you…!” The Princess noted with a pout.
“You can't put a schedule in life. Well, maybe you both could– But I’d rather not.” She stood from her couch, and leapt atop a table. “I don’t know about you two, but I wanna live in the moment– And this moment is pretty good isn't it? Like c’mon, I've got two moms, and two Twilights that love me! I feel great!! How about we make out in this table?”
Midnight Sparkle manifested, pitch black wings sprouting from her back, her horn and eyes glowing in a blue manner. “LETS FUCKING GOOOOOO–”
“--B-before that, one more thing!” Red as a tomato, the Princess halted them with a wing.
“DON’T YOU DARE TAKE THIS FROM ME, YOU PRISSY PONY!!” Midnight yelled out in incredulity.
“I just want to take a quick moment to ask Harmony what it thinks about Sunset– If it thinks Sunset is worthy!!” She chuckled nervously, blushing. “This is only going to take a moment. I promise. Then we can kiss to our hearts content!”
Midnight, already holding Sunset, groaned in annoyance, but nodded.
With swift magical movements, Twilight manifested her element of harmony, and wore it.
Her eyes glowed, and she went silent.
In mere seconds, another Twilight Sparkle manifested in the room. Made of prismatic magical light, she smiled warmly, and idled atop the table, regarding the room's occupants. “Hello… Allow me to answer a question with another. Why are there two elements of magic in this particular area– And what’s more, why is one darkened?”
“Screw you too.” Midnight Sparkle blew raspberries.
“U-um– Sorry, who are you?” In disbelief, Sunset approached her, regarding this glowing Twilight.
“I am Harmony– Harmony’s emissary, born out of the newly sprouted tree of harmony. It is wonderful to meet you, Empathy, Hope, Valor, Sunset Shimmer.” She stated with a warm smile.
“Oh, I get it. You took the form of the most beautiful mare in Equestria– Makes sense!” Sunset nodded sagely.
Every Twilight in the room flustered– The image of this new Twilight fizzled for a moment, as if with static, as her face reddened and she tilted her head. “...What?”
“You look like Twilight Sparkle. I like that.” Sunset approached her, with a flirtatious grin. “We were just about to have some fun together, how about you join us?”
Again, static, the alicorn in front of her malfunctioned with the suggestion, until she finally spoke. “...I am having trouble maintaining my form here. Please meet me at the tree of harmony in Everfree if you’d like to continue this inquiry. Please. Pretty please.” And just like that, her image faded away.
“Sorry girls.” Sunset smiled mischievously, letting out a chuckle. “But we’re taking a detour.”
“W-we didn’t even get to ask her the question…!” With ears flattened, the Princess pouted. “And now, we don’t even get kissies…!”
“I’m with you. This is an unprecedented and frustrating turn of events.” The human shared the exact same pout. “There’s a dire lack of kisses in the Twilight economy.”
“Relax, I’ll adjust for inflation later.” Sunset snickered, leading the way. “Besides, if harmony is on the fritz, we should check as soon as possible, right? And you wanted to ask if I’m worthy. Your idea, Sparkles.”
“I guess…!” The Princess, once again flustered, pouted, feeling regrets over her decisions.
“So… The tree of harmony, what is it exactly?” The human walked closer, tilting her head analytically.
“Long story. It was planted by heroes of old Equestria and manifested into the elements of Harmony me and my friends wore on occasion– and eventually it took on an identity of its own.”
“Your identity, it seems.” Sunset was already smiling with anticipation. “Can’t imagine why.” She could.
“Hm… Is it similar to the tree we found our geodes in?”
“Yep! But this one doesn’t have an element for me.”
Soon enough, they were before the tree of harmony, in its scintillating, pulsating glory.
“Hello? –Ack!”
She was startled by the Twilight hologram manifesting right before her nearly immediately. “Hello, Sunset Shimmer. It is wonderful to see you again.”
“Likewise, Sparkles. So, come here often?” The unicorn winked and grinned.
What escaped the hologram could only be described as a robotic, but undeniably flustered chuckle. “Hahahahahaha I am bound to this place, just as I am bound to being a force that presides over the existence of every living thing. But I am pleased to be here at this moment.”
“Because I'm here, right?”
“Yes.”
“Oh my gosh she really is flirting with a primordial force of harmony.” The Princess noted with a blush.
“And it’s working.” The human nodded with a similar fluster.
“What can I do for you?” The force of Harmony asked in a tone that almost seemed to be pleading.
Sunset had to take a moment to appreciate the enormity of this force of harmony wanting to please her. With a chuckle, she shrugged. “Twi here was wondering if I was worthy of getting wings. Do you know?”
She replied with a question. “Which answer will result in you complimenting me more?”
Sunset had to contain herself to not burst out laughing, even turning to the other Twilights to revel in the comedic irony of the moment. “Hah– Okay, listen, you’re sweet, adorable, and you picked an excellent identity to display yourself– But I was just passing through out of curiosity don’t sweat it about the wings thing. I found it interesting that there were even more than two twilights, and thought it was worth checking out. ”
“There are more than three, too.” The Spirit of Harmony affirmed, fizzling and unstable, due to the compliments. “Are you procuring more?”
“I am now!” Sunset smiled widely. “Can you point me to the other Twilights?”
“Wait, what do you mean, more than three–” The Princess began, and her human counterpart continued.
“Oh dear. Are we just spending the rest of the day finding more of us for you to smooch? I mean, I’m not against it– It’s just, um, eerily close to one of those animes…”
“If that's okay with you two– Two and a half, yeah!” Sunset grinned. “I’m fired up, you know? Got two loving moms, got two loving Twilights, why no go scouring for more Twis out there? I’m curious, aren’t you?”
“Hm… Sure, we can do this. On one condition.” The Princess raised a hoof. “Kisses now. And more to follow.”
“I second and third that condition.” Her other self adjusted her glasses with an emphatic nod.
“I concur. Kisses please.” The Spirit of Harmony whispered.
Sunset didn’t need any more suggestions. Smiling warmly, she went around the room, delivering each Twilight their respective loving kisses– With the human one kissing for two, and the Spirit of Harmony fizzling out and rematerializing as a reaction to the display of affection.
“Alright, alright. So, more Twilights, huh?” Sunset tilted her head expectantly.
With a flash of light the Spirit of Harmony suddenly manifested closer to its tree, pulsating with life. “A changeling named Chrysalis once visited this cave with imitations of the bearers of the elements of Harmony. She had made copies of their bearers, and intended to steal the elements for her own favor.” It seemed almost like she was smiling. “I punished such hubris instantly– And returned them to the earth from whence they came– But there was a Twilight among them.”
“W-wait, so there’s– An evil Twilight?!” The Princess tilted her head in confusion.
“More evil than me?! I doubt it.” Midnight noted through her vessel.
“You can determine that for yourself– If that is what you’d like.” The spirit once again came closer to Sunset once more, smiling truly.
Sunset turned to the other two Twilights and pouted pleadingly.
“...That pout is too powerful…!” The Princess grimaced, fluttering her wings. “Augh, I have to do anything she wants! She commands me!” She joked to the other Twilight, who chuckled.
“I mean, it’s working on a Spirit of Harmony, no less. The Sunset Smolder™ is powerful. Should we really do this?”
“Awww c’mon, you two! Live a little!” Dropping the smolder, Sunset began snickering. “There’s three to four Twilights here, even if an evil Twilight wanted to do something, well, evil, we could stop her.”
“Usually I’d consider potential repercussions, but considering how Harmony itself stopped this before without us even knowing it, I don’t mind. Whatever gets us closer to kisses time.” The Princess shrugged. “Let’s do this!”
“Say the word, Hope, Empathy, Valor.” The Spirit of Harmony affirmed with a smile.
“Not sure why you’re saying that, but sure. Go for it!”
Prismatic sparkles shone through the air, bouncing off of every surface, blinding those that kept their eyes open.
“Ruined EVERYTHING– Ack–” They heard that familiar voice through the halls of the harmony cave, and the unmistakable squeak of a Twilight falling to the floor.
There was another alicorn Twilight in the room with them now.
“Huh. I see it. Her eyes are a different color, and her fur’s tone is less saturated…” Sunset noted, coming closer.
“What’s the meaning of this– Why are there copies of ME here–” The Anti-Twilight looked around warily, flaring her wings. “And who are you, fiery unicorn?”
The Spirit of Harmony stepped forward, taking a more menacing hue. “What life has been returned to you can be taken away. Respect Sunset Shimmer or I will once more put you in the ground.”
Everyone in the room was taken back– Even Sunset, who kept being surprised at the enamoring of harmony with her.
With a scoff, the Anti-Twilight scowled. “Why did you bring me back, and why is the inferior me here?!” She pointed at the Princess.
Sunset came closer, grinning. “Hey, Sparkles. I’m putting together a team. Of Twilights. Specifically so we can kiss a bunch. Want in?”
There was a silent pause, where the Anti-Twilight was utterly still, taken back, inspecting the unicorn, until a grin manifested in her lips. “Oh, I see what this is. And I'm into it.” She came closer, dragging a hoof across Sunset’s face, inspecting her side to side. “You’ve got yourself a few Twilights, and you want more, unicorn. I like an insatiable mare… You’ll make for a good servant in my empire.”
Pitch black wings manifested out of the human’s back, as she stomped a hoof on the floor, and a crystal horn grew from her own. “Let’s get one thing straight– If there’s a true evil Twilight here, it’s ME.” She leapt forward, and clutched Sunset’s side, dragging her back. “And if Sunset is going to be anyone’s servant, it’s ME!”
“Ohoho, so there’s another evil Twilight here, GOOD.” Anti-Twilight flared her wings with a malicious grin. “You’ll fall in line, like everypony else in this puny world– You’ll all obey ME!”
“Twilights that fight and Twilights that are evil don’t get kisses.” Sunset affirmed without skipping a beat.
The two evil Twilights became incredibly sheepish, pouting, folding their wings close, embarrassed.
“Well, that was easy.” The Princess had to contain herself not to laugh. “Who knew all it took was a Sunset to make an evil Twilight obedient!”
“I did.” Sunset suppressed her laughter, turning to the Anti-Twilight. “Hey, seriously, though, this is your chance for a do-over. I’m not trying to change you or fix you, I just want you to know… I love Twilight Sparkle, whatever form she takes. And it’s nice to meet you.”
Pouting, sheepish, she looked down. “It’s… Nice to meet you too. Sunset Shimmer, was it?”
“That’s right.”
“...Can I get that kiss now?”
“Sure, Sparkles.” Grinning, leaning forward, she gave what this particular Twilight wanted– Something she enjoyed more than she’d ever admit. “Ow! Did you just– Pinch my hair?”
“No.” She lied. “We should get a picture of all of us together when we’re done with this.”
“Okay then. Hey, Harmony Twilight?”
The Spirit of Harmony manifested before her instantly. “Yes, Sunset Shimmer?”
“How many more Twilights are out there?”
“Uncertain to ascertain.” She murmured, her image fizzling out, and the tree behind them pulsating with life. “Considering temporal anomalies, or multiversal inconstants, or simple failed experiments, I may not be able to bring more Twilights here.”
“Ah! Shame. Well, four and a half isn’t so bad–”
The tree of Harmony once again glowed in a prismatic hue, blinding, overwhelming– And just like that– Another Twilight was present in the room.
She was battle scarred– Her mane was messy and adjusted in an almost mohawk fashion– The cuts and bruises were accentuated with an eyepatch, giving her a grizzly look.
“...Temporal anomaly number hundred and thirty four, um–” She looked around analytically, in a wary, battle stance. “...More of me?!”
“She’s a unicorn! Woah! And, um. What? Wearing spandex?” Sunset tilted her head in confusion.
“A time traveler. I have felt her bouncing across time in our realm on occasion.” The Spirit of Harmony noted casually. “She is merely a visitor.”
“Woah! A Twilinator!” The human noted, amused.
“Strange that she’s still a unicorn– She must have mastered time travel… Irresponsible, but quite interesting!” The Princess pondered.
“Eh. She’s not better than us.” The Anti-Twilight rolled her eyes. “And the eyepatch is a bit much, don’t you think?”
“Okay– I didn’t come here on purpose, and I’m not meant to be seen– Please explain why you dragged me here, Harmony!” The Time traveler pouted, beholding her other selves in confusion.
“Actually, I did.” Sunset stepped forward, cranking up the charm. “We’re looking for more Twilights– Purely for recreational purposes. You look tired, Twilight…! What happened to you…?”
She exhaled, looking down, seemingly exhausted. “I am tired… My home was destroyed long ago– Due to temporal anomalies caused by a mare called Starlight Glimmer. Now I just… Travel across time, fixing temporal anomalies as best as I can, patching up the holes in our existences. It’s… Tiring. I don’t have a home to go back to…”
“You deserve a break too, you know…?” Sunset affirmed lovingly, coming closer. “If you ever want a bit of love, rest and relaxation, you can always come to any time after this– I’ll be waiting for you, okay…?”
The time traveler was taken back, jaw dropped, flustering. “A-are you, um, oh gosh. You’re Sunset Shimmer, right?”
“Sure am! How do you know?”
“N-no reason!Multiversal anomaly number 1… I know I can trust you completely.” She let out a sigh, nodding. “I’ll hold you to this, okay? I never had a chance for this in my own time, and, well…”
“Why not start now?” Sunset grinned, coming closer. “I love Twilight Sparkle, whatever form she takes. Want in on this?”
“...Yes I do. Please?”
Leaning forward, the fiery unicorn kissed her gently, lovingly, and she accepted it, more than willing to admit that this was the first time she could truly rest in many timelines.
“...Thank you, Sunset Shimmer.” She noted, with a weary, pleased smile. “I think I’ll stick around a little longer, just in case, if you don’t mind…?”
“I don’t mind at all.” She whispered lovingly, giving her a kiss on the cheek.
“It’s good to know that there’s another me out there taking care of things!” The Princess stepped forward with a smile. “Thank you for looking after our timeline, other me!”
“You’re welcome!” She smiled, but her face hardened. “Don’t waste this gift. Don’t be like the others.”
“So, the getup, is that mandatory for time travelers, or is it just because it's cool?” The human stepped forward, adjusting her glasses. “Alternate pony me wearing spandex was NOT something I expected to see today.”
“It’s practical and good for stealth.” She shrugged with a sigh.
“And you never got your wings, huh?” The Anti-Twilight mocked. “Too bad, so sad.”
“Don’t need ‘em.” She replied sternly, immediately..
“Oh dear. Another temporal anomaly, incoming.” The Spirit of Harmony backed away, her form shivering. “And it’s mostly not due to me.”
“Mostly?!” The Time traveler frowned, with her horn sparkling, her tail whipping about. “I feel it too, this is a big one.”
“Everypony get ready–” Sunset announced, and all the Twilights entered battle stances. “What even IS happening?”
A portal opened, one made with purple lightning and cosmic energy, right next to the tree of harmony.
Out of it, surprising all of them, stepped forward another Twilight Sparkle– But not like these others.
She was taller. As tall as Celestia, with wings to match, even regalia– And She looked tired. As soon as she opened her eyes, she glanced around in confusion. “Um… Is this the right time?” She observed the many Twilights around her, then shrugged. “...Whatever. It’s a time.”
“Hey! What are you doing here?!” The time traveler asked daringly, stepping forward. “This isn’t your timeline, you don’t belong here– You have a lot more to worry about!”
“Can it, unicorn.” The Queen responded, huffing, annoyed. “My timeline is done, anyways. My world is ruined, I set the sun and moon on autopilot, and now I’m just looking for another place to relax. Unless you want to go through my portal and go kill Opaline, don’t whine at me. I’ll be out of your manes in a second–”
She stopped, with Sunset Shimmer approaching her, gazing at her worryingly. “...Um… Twi, do you know who I am? What happened to you…?”
“S-Sunset Shimmer…!” Queen Twilight muttered, looking up and down at her. “...Why are you here at this time? You should cross the mirror, live out your happy ending there with your Twilight before the gateway is destroyed and it’s too late... Equestria is doomed.”
“Hah! Suck it!” Midnight Sparkle chuckled, pumping a hoof in the air. “We’re the happy ending!”
“Shush! Hold on, if Equestria is doomed, we need to avert it!” The Princess of Friendship flew forward, concernedly addressing her Queenly counterpart. “What’s going to happen to Equestria, and how do we fix it?”
“Oh, I don’t know, what do you think?” Locking her wings close, she snarled angrily. “All of the ‘friends’ of the ‘Princess of Friendship’ die of old age, so you obviously have to rule alone! Soon enough, pony racism comes back, public relations between all creatures goes awry, wars rage, every other creature is driven out of Equestria and you can’t do anything about it– And then you discover that ponies are even becoming racist amongst each other’s subclasses, and that it was an easily supplanted plot caused by an alicorn called Opaline that is butthurt that Celestia bullied her in middle school, And in a fit of rage, you end all magic because it’s clearly facilitating violence and bigotry, and after all of those disasters, Equestria winds up more divided than it was at its FOUNDING! AND IN BETWEEN ALL THAT, THROUGH YEARS AND YEARS OF FAILURES, YOU HAVEN’T EVEN MANAGED TO GET LAID!!!!”
The room went silent.
Shame, fear and hesitation spread among them, as they looked between each other.
Until Anti-Twilight laughed. “Hah! So you suck at your job, and you gave up. Slowclap, failed me.”
“Ugh.” The queen scoffed. “Whatever. Just… Enjoy it while it lasts. I sure wish I had.”
Sunset stopped her, placing a gentle hoof on her chest. “Well, um… Want a kiss for your troubles?”
For a brief moment, the Queen scowled at her.
“...Well of course I do.” She grabbed Sunset Shimmer, kissed her fiercely, then dropped her, nearly causing the unicorn to topple over.
With a pleased exhale, the queen shuddered. “Yep. That’s just what the doctor ordered…!”
“This is an unprecedented level of tampering with time!” The Time Traveler pouted, tapping a hoof on the floor. “You need to go back to whence you came, and deal with your own mistakes!”
“Make me, eyepatch.” The Queen didn’t even bother scowling at her.
“Bad news. More anomalies incoming.” The Spirit of Harmony noted, looking concerned.
“M-more?!! What’s even causing all these?” Sunset went to her worryingly.
“Well, you wanted more Twilights, so I may have become a beacon for interdimensional travelers temporarily, and well…” With an embarrassed smile, the spirit shrugged. “Would you like me to stop?”
Before Sunset could reply, another portal opened– This one, different.
It had polka dots, dozens of flashing, interconnected colors and strips of light.
“Helloooo other universe! Guess who learned multiversal travel!!?” The Princess of Chaos and Joy, Pinkie Pie, stepped through her portal, bringing her own Sunset Shimmer with her.
The entire room had grimaces of confusion.
This Pinkie Pie had wings and a horn– A twisted, spring-like horn, but she was undeniably an alicorn. Her fur was adorned with Polka dots, and her mane had dozens of colorful strips– Looking at her could cause eyestrain.
Besides her, was a Sunset Shimmer chewing on bubblegum, with a leather jacket and sidecut, adorned with a few party accessories, looking not bored, but calmly amused.
“Aw phooey. Wrong universe again!” Pinkie pouted and sighed. “We’re never gonna find her!”
“Chin up, babe. She’s tough, I’m sure she’s fine.” The Sunset next to her comforted her with a nuzzle.
Pinkie, with a pout, blew raspberries. “I know, but I still want to know, you know?”
“Excuse me!” This world’s Sunset Shimmer raised a hoof. “What the hell are you doing here and who are you, and also hello!”
“Hello, resident Sunset Shimmer!” Bouncing gleefully, Pinkie came closer. “What's with all the Twilights? Are you making a Twili-harem?”
“Just like in the animes…!”
Sunset was caught in disbelief, so the Princess of Chaos kept talking. “You know, I actually thought of doing something like that? Going around worlds, finding Sunset Shimmers, and inviting them to stay at my place? But thanks to a friend of mine, a lot of Sunsets out there are pretty happy! Plus, I got my own, you know?” She smiled, pointing at the other visitor.
“Heya. Too much on your hooves?” The other Sunset winked. “Nice world, man. Ours is a bit busted, but Pinkie’s working on it.”
“She has Discord’s powers…!” Queen Twilight affirmed, pondering to herself. “And she figured out multiversal travel… It shouldn’t be possible– That’s insane.”
“I get that a lot!” Pinkie affirmed, bouncing around. “It was super duper hard! I don’t even know where I’m going! But I can always go back home!”
“Speaking of which, don’t we got dinner with our Twilight soon?” The other Sunset squinted at the sun, far off, hidden past the trees of everfree, near setting.
“Yep! In around an hour, twelve minutes and nine seconds!” The Princess of Chaos affirmed, humming to herself. “But I want to see where this is going, it’s getting interesting!”
“Sorry, I’m still a bit lost– Why are you here– How did you get here?” Sunset grimaced in confusion.
“Oh, your Spirit of Harmony is on the fritz– You should probably do something about that! She’s like, a shining trans-dimensional beacon right now.” Pinkie pondered while observing the tree, then the hologram Twilight. “Girl, you better watch out, I’m one of the better things you could have scooped up from the cosmos! There’s some bad eggs out there, you don’t want unseen forces and multiversal cosmic armies harvesting your Equestria for resources, do you?? There’s a real jerk out there, he’s called–”
“HAH!” Midnight Sparkle scoffed to herself. “You flustered the tree of harmony so much you broke her!”
“Yeah, that’s definitely a Sunset Shimmer move.” The Time Traveler chuckled to herself. “Easy fix, though. Just talk to her!”
Flying closer to her Sunset, the Princess of Friendship nudged her forward. “We better do it quickly, before something else crazy happens.”
Just then, something else crazy happened.
A dark portal with scintillating stars opened, and more than one being stepped through it.
“Greetings, darlings! The legion of Applejack lovers has ARRIVED!” Queen Nightmare Rarity spread her wings and struck a pose. “We have been drawn to your beacon, and sensed that there is not one, but TWO Applejacks in your Equestria at the moment! What a wonderful day! Now, where–”
She paused, squinting, observing how many Twilights were in the room. “...Did we come to the wrong universe? Why are there so many Twilight Sparkles here? Rara! Did you get us lost?!”
“Don’t look at me, Queen Autumn is in charge of directions.” A singer with a dazzling, potent outfit that scintillated like stars shrugged.
“H-hey! It was Rarity’s idea to follow that weirdo beacon! It’s not my fault the Applejack readings were off the charts!” A tall Kirin with a beautiful flaming mane pouted. “I think we just walked in on something weird going on in this universe…?”
“How in Equestria did YOU of all beings master multiversal travel, Rarity?!” The Queen Twilight stepped forward, flabbergasted.
“Oh, I’ve mastered nothing. We just stole it off a nerd in my world. Some loser boy.” She waved a dismissive hoof. “It is not my fault Applejack is so easy to find! You could sense that Farmer musk across universes, you know? Now, if you please, point us towards the nearest Applejack.”
“Rarities are kind of territorial, and there’s two of them here already!” Princess Twilight stood between the newcomers and the tree. “So please, don’t cause any trouble, and go back to where you came from.”
“Oh please. The more Rarities the merrier! Same with Applejacks.” The Queen of shadows giggled to herself. “We are simply passing through to love more Applejacks! We have plenty of mares waiting to cross the portal as well–”
The ground shook, and the tree of harmony shuddered.
Discord stepped into a room from a portal, sweating nervously. “Hi, I don’t usually say this, but Harmony is SHUDDERING and we need to do something about it–” His eyes widened, seeing the many Twilights in the room, the newcomers, and even the Pinkie Pie with his magic. “...Twilight, I’m only going to say this once: What’s happening here is so bad, it's the sort of thing I would do.”
“On it!!” Sunset declared, leaping towards the tree of harmony, and giving it a quick kiss.
Light engulfed the room once more.
“Sunset Shimmer.” Harmony called to her, and she felt it all around her simultaneously, in a sea of stars.
“Hey! Sorry, I got carried away– Can you not have a beacon that is calling for transdimensional attention? Twilight or otherwise! Can’t believe I’m gonna say this, but we have enough Twilights.”
“It is fixed. The apology is mine, for allowing feelings to get the better of me.” The familiar voice responded, with its sound reverberating through the lights around them. “I was too eager to please you.”
“S-sorry! For what it’s worth– I do appreciate all you’ve done, and I love Twilight–”
“--Whatever form she takes.” The voice repeated, rehearsed, pleased. “With what I've learned today, I can’t let this stone unturned.”
“...What do you mean?”
“Feelings, memories, thoughts– But feelings most of all. Time itself, torn asunder– A world fallen into ruin– All because Twilight Sparkle had no being capable of loving her fully through the ages of her rule.” The voice mourned. “And now, I felt that in more than one universe, thanks to our strange visitors…!”
“...Is there anything you can do…? To fix this, I mean. What might happen?”
“I believe I just did.” The voice muttered. “Look behind you.”
Sunset’s eyes, the closest she had to eyes, in this formless, shapeless abyss of light, moved behind her.
Two enormous, glowing wings now rested on her back.
And she could feel it even now, her newly formed connection to the cosmos.
“I, um, uh, what?”
“You asked before if you were worthy.” The voice came closer, lovingly, pleadingly. “The truth is, only time could tell if your choices would lead you down this path– In our world, it was quite likely. You are capable of so much good, endless gifts, boundless joys, if simply life directed you into certain paths– And you’ve intertwined yourself with harmony in one world already…!”
“...So you’re just giving me this as a freebie…? Because I might do good with it?”
“I am ahead of the curve, Sunset Shimmer. And I am so, so thankful to have gained the information that allowed me to be so.” The voice did the closest it could to chuckle. “I could have waited and hoped for you to do a deed, sooner or later, that would grant you this– A deed you were quite likely to achieve, in this world. Or… I could give you this gift now– And cherish all you can do with it already.”
“It feels– It doesn’t feel real, is all. It’s hard to… It’s hard to feel.”
“I cannot show you what I have seen, or what I have felt, thanks to our visitors and their pleas.” Harmony whispered, shuddering. “But I assure you. A Sunset Shimmer with wings is capable of incredible, unfathomable good– For much more than one world.”
“...You’re not telling me I need to stay in Equestria, right? Because I won’t– Not yet, at least.”
“I would not dream of telling you what to do–” The voice backed away, the stars dimmed. “Because I know you will follow your heart, and our world will be thankful for it.”
“Heh. Damn right… Thanks. For the record… You’re not just giving me this because you like me, right? With all the, um. Kissing stuff I literally just did today.”
Harmony fell silent for a moment.
“Hello…?”
“...It is not entirely the reason?”
“O-okay, wow, you know what? I’m not looking further into this– Just thank you, thank you very much.”
“It is I who is thankful. Please… Go forth, and do what you do best.” The lights pulsated, reverberated. “And love Twilight Sparkle…!”
“...Whatever form she takes. Heh… One more kiss for the road?”
The light of Harmony enveloped the newly ascended Sunset Shimmer, and through this transcendent experience, they did a lot more than just kiss.
“...I killed the Discord in my world with the help of a friend– I killed him, and slurped up his powers like with a silly straw!” Pinkie declared with a manic look, floating above them. “I did it because he was a selfish, vile, repulsive monster that tortured everypony I had ever loved for giggles! You want to know what I am, Discord?! I’M THE POINT IN WHICH HARMONY AND CHAOS MEET AND HAVE BABIES, BITCH!!!”
Waving a white flag, cowering behind the princess of friendship, Discord sheepishly raised his hand. “Um. Parlay? I’m one of the good ones?”
“One of the good ones? Really?” Pinkie tilted her head with a manic smile. “What, do you just sometimes torment the people that believe you can do better? Do you only occasionally cause world-ending trouble because you thought it’d be funny!?!”
“Ugh, she does have a point.” The Princess groaned. “I haven’t forgotten the Legion of Doom incident, Discord. We could have lost everything, all because you wanted to have fun and ‘maybe’ teach me a lesson”
“I’m reformed! We’re all friends here!” He raised his hands in surrender. “W-wow, I really shouldn’t have come back for the finale.”
“Aww, how cute, breaking the fourth wall!” The Princess of Chaos rolled her eyes. “Respect the readers, you jerk!!”
“Hello? Where are the nearest Applejacks?! We are getting impatient!!” Nightmare Rarity complained, stomping a hoof on the floor.
“Ugh, maybe fighting Opaline would be better than this.” Queen Twilight leaned on the wall of the cave, completely devoid of energy.
“I don’t even know where to start here.” The Time Traveler groaned, looking around frantically. “Multiversal anomalies are beyond me…!”
“Everypony calm down, please, no fighting!” Princess Twilight raised her wings. “Hey, look Pinkie, as much as I understand why you’d want to slap Discord around, we can’t really afford to have chaos bearers fighting, and in the cave of harmony, no less!!”
“I’ll play nice if he plays nice.” Pinkie Pie’s mane flared, polka dots flying out of it.
“Relax, babe.” Her Sunset grinned, nuzzling her. “He pissed his pants already, heh.”
“I assure you, were I wearing pants, I would be soiling them.” Discord crossed his arms, nodding in agreement.
A light filled the room, blinding its occupants, and Sunset Shimmer was spat out of the tree of Harmony, sliding across the floor of the cave.
Grumbling a bit, she tried standing, and everyone in the room could now see clearly– She now had wings.
“Bwuh?” She muttered, blinking a few times.
“S-sunset?!” The Princess immediately flew to her side, accompanied by a few of the Twilights. “Y-y-you– Wings?! Aaaah!”
Dazed, barely off the floor, Sunset blurted out weakly. “Bwuh…… I think I just made love to the tree of harmony…?”
“And you DIDN'T invite us?!” Midnight Sparkle pouted. “S-sorry, sorry, bad Midnight, bad.” She adjusted her glasses, clearing her throat. “T-this is good news, right? The wings, um, how exactly–”
“No time.” Sunset affirmed, standing, spreading her wings, her eyes glowing. “Pinkie! Discord! Let’s wrap this up, shall we? Everypony form an orderly line so we can see you off back to your world and/or time!”
“I suppose we may as well be the first in line. What a fluke this turned out to be.” Nightmare Rarity stepped forward, with her two companions in tow.
“Eh, as long as the Rarities here are cherishing their Applejacks, it’ll be fine!” Autumn noted with a smile. “We need to get back to our own, anyways.”
“So you three are just… Applejack love inspectors?” Sunset grimaced in confusion.
“That’s a pretty good summary of it, yeah.” Rara chuckled, handing out a CD disk. “Here’s my latest single, ‘interdimensional love’. Autographed and everything. Enjoy!”
Sunset took it with a smile– The cover was a kaleidoscope of what could only be described as an orgy of a farmer with a few dozen beautiful mares.
“Go on, then. We all have Applejacks to go back to!” Nightmare Rarity opened a portal behind them.
“Um. No we don’t?” The Princess noted.
“Tough luck, darling!”The Queen giggled, before hopping inside her portal with her friends.
Discord clapped. “Excellent! Now Pinkie, you go, scoot, shoo!”
“Oh, I’m going to be the last one out of here.” She grinned manically. “Just because you’re scared.”
“Queen Twilight.” Sunset noted somberly. “...Please come over here.”
With a resigned sigh, the alicorn stepped forward. “...You want to send me back, then? Back to my doomed reality.”
“A wise mare taught me that there’s always something worth fighting for– And that your friends never leave you.” Sunset smiled warmly, coming closer. “There’s always something worth fighting for, isn't there…?”
“Not alone.” She muttered, shaking her head. “It’s out of my hooves now… Somepony else will come along.”
“It doesn’t mean you have to run away…!” The newly ascended alicorn smiled warmly, yet, with pity. “...You can find something new to fight for…?”
“Heh…” The queen sighed, leaning down, and after kissing Sunset slowly, muttered breathlessly. “I should have made my move on you back then. What a waste…!”
“Too slow.” The human Twilight grinned, giggling. “I beat you to it.”
“Don’t waste it.” The Queen exhaled, moving back. “Alright then. I’m ready. Send me back.”
“Pinkie, Discord, Twi–” Sunset orchestrated seamlessly. “Together. With all of us, it should be a sinch, right?”
“Okidoki on a choky!” Pinkie nodded emphatically.
“Only one way to find out!” Discord readied a snapping finger.
Together, two chaos bearers and multiple alicorns united their powers as one– And the Queen vanished, back to whence she came.
“Okay, up next, the time traveler!” Sunset noted with a smile. “You ready?”
“Don’t worry, don’t worry, I know where the door is.” She smiled wearily. “I’d like to visit you every once in a while, if that’s okay…?”
“I’ll be waiting.” Smiling warmly, Sunset kissed her.
“See you around, Princess Sunset.” She grinned, and with her horn sparkling in unusual ways, after a bow, she disappeared in a flash.
“Okay, Pinkie, are you up next?”
The Pink Pony gave the Lord of Chaos a side glare, and after huffing, leapt forward. “Yeah, I think I’ll be going now, me and my babygirl!” She affirmed, with her Sunset joining her side. “I really like your wings, Sunset! …You can do so much good with those– So much, you don’t even know…!” She then giggled, and shook her head. “But you don’t need wings to be Sunset Shimmer.”
“Y-yeah. Thanks, Pink. I’ll do my best.” She chuckled wearily, smiling fully.
“For the record.” The other Sunset raised an eyebrow. “If I want wings, all I have to do is…” She pointed at the tree of harmony, and made suggestive gestures.
“H-hah! No, not exactly.”
“Don’t worry, babygirl!!” Pinkie grabbed hold of her Sunset, and nuzzled her closely. “I’ll get you those wings even if it disturbs harmony back home!!”
“Thanks babe.” She nuzzled back, and they even kissed, then tumbled to the floor, then began kissing some more.
Discord coughed, trying to break this up.
The two in question kept making out on the floor.
“Get a room, jeez.” Discord muttered.
Pinkie stood upright instantly and laughed. “Fluttershy is never going to fuck you, by the way!”
“Wait, wha–”
“Okay, let’s wrap this up.” Sunset chuckled, coming closer. “See you around!”
“Yeah. I’ll see ya, Sunset!” She noted with glee, leaning forward and kissing her– Which Sunset was only halfway surprised by.
“...Haven’t you got a me to kiss already?” She tilted her head, with a chuckle.
“You can never have too much Sunset Shimmer!” Doing a skip and a hop, she joined her own, and her horn went alight with polka dots and chaos magic. “See you around!”
And just like that, through a strange warping portal, she and her Sunset were gone.
Discord let out an immense sigh of relief. “PHEW! That was close. She was terrifying! This is why there’s only one chaos bearer per dimension, you know? Sheesh! I’m done, call me for the next chapter if you need me– Maybe in the sequel.” Snapping his fingers, he made a door, and hastingly stepped through it.
Silence spread through the room, as there were only two Twilights remaining in it once more.
“...Okay. Harmony?” Sunset looked worryingly towards the tree.
“I’m still here, Sunset. I’ll always be here.” Her holographic form manifested again, smiling like she always did. “Anytime you need me, you can call… And now, you are a part of me too.”
“T-thanks, by the way.” Clumsily, the newly ascended alicorn spread her wings. “...For these. I’ll do my best with them.”
“I know you will. Now kiss, please.” She pleaded.
With a smile, Sunset obeyed, and the lights reverberated through the area, until the holographic form vanished.
“...This has got to be the weirdest adventure I’ve ever been on.” The Princess of Friendship noted. “Can we even call this an adventure?”
The other Twilight adjusted her glasses. “I don’t think Sunset humping her way to earning alicornhood can be called an adventure.”
Letting out an enormous sigh, Sunset sat down, looking back at her wings. “...Juuuust realized that I’ll have to explain these to my moms.”
In a mix of euphoria and trying to contain her happiness, the Princess leapt forward and hugged Sunset Shimmer. “I knew you could do it, I knew it, I knew it…!”
“You did it, Sunset…!” The human affirmed. “...So, what does this mean for us exactly…? What’s next?”
“What's next for us?” She grinned, moving forward. “Dinner.”
Author's Note
Well, that wasn't Twilights fighting! That was just... A TWILIHAREM *gets shot*
Okay I hope you all enjoyed this insanity, I just wanted to write something absolutely batshit for once. I did do a lot of references to one of my other fics, Shimmerverse, but hey, I hope it was still comprehensible. I wasn't just going to rethread the same ground as the previous fic, heheh.
Live footage of how the fight would have gone. The bullet would have bounced off out of the Princess's horn, broken scitwis wrist, and they would both fall to the ground lol
No but srsly, the moment you take magic off of the equation, the twis arent gonna just fight lmao. Here comes a friendship speech.
The cover was originally gonna have a few dozen Twilights on it, but I realized it'd be funnier to do false advertizing!
I did consider some other twilights to be added in this, stuff like the power ponies twi, or smth like moondancer, but I'm satisfied with the selection as is heh.
If you're wondering who the hell was that Pinkie Pie that just showed up, well, um, read Shimmerverse lmao.
Also I have to say. "Sunset Shimmer fucked the Tree of Harmony" has got to be the funniest thing I've ever come up with. I know it might seem bit cheap to just give her wings, specially if you haven't read Shimmerverse to get a bit more context, but honestly, if harmony, whos already into Sunset, sees that a Sunset with wings in another universe did tremendous good? Yeah she's gonna nip that in the bud.
I'll admit that I don't really care if this is all canon or not to Shimmerverse, the Applejack Lovers for example were literally just there for me to have goofs and gafs lmao.
And I think what makes or doesn't make someone worthy is definitely finnicky in the show anyway, Twilight did it by solving a single spell she herself messed up, despite having beaten insane magical foes before and after. Sunset Shimmer did some incredible magical feats too! I feel like in the main show she was fast tracked to maybe earning wings, but honestly, only if she was ever gonna be relevant on FIM
...Which she wasnt. Tragically
Sunset Shimmer... Oh god what is she doing to that tree, oh my--
