• Published 23rd Nov 2014
  • 15,653 Views, 847 Comments

(Mis)taken Identity - MythrilMoth



Twilight Sparkle investigates the strange events at Canterlot High School.

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Sunset Calls For Backup

"Where IS she? I TOLD her not to take too long!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed.

"Pinkie, it's only been like...six or seven minutes," Rainbow Dash said. "She probably had to like, take a dump or something."

"Rainbow Dash!" Rarity scolded. "Honestly..."

"Just give her time, Pinkie," Fluttershy said. "It's not like we're in any kind of hurry..."

Rarity's phone rang. "It's Sunset Shimmer," she said as she looked at the screen. Answering it, she began, "Sunset Shimmer, dear, we were just wondering..." She broke off. "Oh. Yes. I...see. Yes, of course. No, don't...alright. I'll tell the others. Good...good luck with that." She looked around at her friends. "Sunset Shimmer is...indisposed," she said delicately, grimacing.

"What, she's got the squirts?" Rainbow asked.

"No, but she did mention cramps, and..." Rarity turned faintly green. "Well, we all know how that is."

"Oh yeah," Applejack said.

"Uh-huh," Rainbow said, wincing.

"Boy, tell me about it," Pinkie said. "So...we're just gonna go without her?"

"It seems that way..."

As the girls left, Pinkie Pie looked up at the sky. "Funny, I could've sworn Sunset Shimmer's period wasn't due for like, another eight days..."

"And how do you know that?" Rainbow asked.

Pinkie giggled. "Silly! I know when all of you have your periods. I keep track!"

"Oh...my. I...don't know how to feel about that," Fluttershy said.

"Ah'm gonna pretend Ah never heard that," Applejack muttered.

* * * * *

Twilight raised a questioning eyebrow at Sunset Shimmer.

"Sorry," Sunset said. "My friends were expecting me. I...I don't want them to have to deal with...you yet."

"'Deal with me'?" Twilight asked archly.

"Oh...no, no!" Sunset said, waving her hands placatingly. "I just meant..." She sighed. "I don't think they're ready to..." She shook her head.

"Right," Twilight said. "Make no mistake, I intend to question each member of the Rainbooms thoroughly. But I wanted to start with you, because you're supposed to be dead." She folded her arms. "So...care to explain that?"

"Uhh...maybe somewhere other than the school bathroom?" Sunset suggested. "Besides, you...really don't wanna be seen around CHS."

Twilight frowned. "Sure." She covered her face back up, and the two girls left. "So," Twilight asked quietly as they walked down the hall, "why exactly don't I want to be seen here?"

"Everyone would think you're the other Twilight," Sunset said. "Especially Flash Sentry, and that...would be awkward."

"Flash Sentry?"

"The other Twilight's crush," Sunset said. "Mutual crush."

"Oh. Yes, that would be awkward."

"So, uhh..." Sunset shifted. "You like pizza?"

* * * * *

Sunset and Twilight sat at a dimly-lit pizza parlor several blocks from Canterlot High. It was a place Sunset knew they were unlikely to run into any of her fellow students at this time of day.

"Before anything else, I should...I should probably get a message to Twilight," Sunset said. "I...definitely need her help on this one."

"Oh, I'm absolutely interested in meeting her," Twilight said. "Whoever she really is."

Sunset pulled the journal out of her backpack and laid it on the table, then rummaged around for a pen. Taking a deep breath, she opened the book. Twilight watched with a mild frown. "I thought you were going to text that girl who looks like me, not write in your diary."

Ignoring her, Sunset placed pen to page.

Dear Princess Twilight,

"Princess?" Twilight asked. "You seriously call her that? She won one popularity contest. Months ago."

Shooting Twilight an irritated glare, Sunset continued writing.

We have a problem here. It's nothing like last time, but...the other Twilight Sparkle just showed up. She's investigating you, me, our friends, everything. So far I'm the only one who's seen her, but it's only a matter of time. I can't keep her away from my friends forever. And honestly, she's not very nice.

"Hey!"

I don't really think I can explain everything without you here to help me. I know you weren't planning to come until later next week, but...please, Twilight, I need you here now.

Your friend forever,
Sunset Shimmer

Sunset closed the book and put her pen away, then took a sip of her soda.

Twilight glared at her. "Okay, you're either wasting my time, playing games with me, or you're crazy."

"Look, you want to know what's going on, right? Trust me when I say this is the only way you're going to find out."

"Trust you? I don't even know you! And what little I do know about you tells me your life is a lie." She picked a piece of pepperoni off of a slice of pizza. "If you're not going to play straight with me, I'm going to have to talk to your friends. And maybe the authorities..."

The book on the table began to glow and vibrate. "Wow, that was fast," Sunset said.

Twilight stared at the book. "What...?"

Sunset opened it and laid it open. Twilight leaned in for a closer look...

I'll be there in an hour. Wait for me at the portal.

Twilight

Twilight stared. "That...that's my handwriting..." She blinked. "That's my handwriting. I didn't...how..."

"Well, we've got an hour to kill," Sunset said. "Might as well finish up our pizza before we head back to CHS."

"I thought you wanted to keep me away from CHS," Twilight said.

"I do," Sunset said simply. "But that's where the portal is."

"Portal?"

"You'll see..."

Twilight shook her head. "Fine," she said sourly. "Now, as long as we're waiting...how about you explain the whole you're-supposed-to-be-dead thing?"

"Yeah, that...kinda won't make sense until you meet Princess Twilight..."

* * * * *

Sunset checked the time on her phone as she and Twilight returned to the Canterlot High School courtyard. "She should be here any minute," she said. She took a seat on the ground near the large horse statue.

"What, we're just going to wait out here?" Twilight asked.

Sunset nodded. "This is where the portal to Equestria is."

"Equestria..." Twilight said. "That's something you mentioned at Sugar Cube Corner, when you were with the other girls..."

Sunset whipped her head around sharply. "You've been spying on us?"

"I was investigating Canterlot High School," Twilight said. "I wasn't spying on you and your friends specifically. It's just dumb luck that I was sitting close enough to overhear that...bizarre conversation you were all having."

Sunset was about to say something, but the base of the statue began to ripple and glow. A girl identical to the one sitting beside her, but dressed quite differently and with a different hairstyle, stepped out of the statue, carrying a small purple dog with floppy green ears.

Twilight's eyes widened. "What...?!"

Sunset stood up and bowed. "Princess," she said.

Princess Twilight Sparkle rolled her eyes. "You don't have to do that, you know..." She trailed off, eyes widening as the other girl stood up. "So there is another me in this world," she said softly.

"Duh, Twilight," Spike said. "Seriously, you didn't think there'd be another you here?"

"I...I guess I didn't..." Princess Twilight walked around the native Twilight, who followed her with stunned eyes. "Now that I think about it though...the first time I was here, Pinkie Pie asked if I had a twin sister in the city..."

"Yeah, that should've been your first clue," Spike said.

Twilight adjusted her glasses, staring at Spike. "A...talking dog? Spike?! You can talk?!"

"And your Spike probably can't," Spike said. "Right?"

"Dogs...dogs don't talk..." Twilight looked as thought she wanted to run away, or faint, or both.

"Yeah, well...I'm not a dog," Spike said.

"The others haven't seen her yet?" Princess Twilight asked.

Sunset Shimmer shook her head. "She approached me when the others weren't around."

"Who...who are you?" Twilight asked Princess Twilight.

"I'm you," Princess Twilight said. "Only I'm not from this world. I'm from Equestria." She looked at Sunset Shimmer. "Have you explained anything to her?"

Sunset shook her head. "Do you think she'd believe me if I did?"

"Probably not," Princess Twilight admitted. She looked around. "Umm...we'd better find someplace private to talk..."

"We can go to my place," Sunset said.