Twilight looked at Princess Twilight, then at Sunset Shimmer, then at Spike. She then looked at her own hooves. "This...this is..." She shook her head. "This is impossible..."
"No, this is magic," Sunset said. "And you'd best open your mind and accept it, because..." She trailed off, looking around. "Uhh...Twilight? Princess Twilight, I mean...where the hay are we?"
"Oh! This is the library in my castle, just outside of Ponyville." She smacked herself in the side of the head with a hoof. "That's right! I forgot to tell you I had the mirror moved here."
Twilight looked at the mirror which stood behind Princess Twilight. The center had a rippling, glowing vortex of energy. Various devices that looked like something a mad scientist might cobble together stood arrayed around the mirror, glowing and puffing and whirring and sparking. "What's all that stuff?" she asked.
"Oh, that?" Princess Twilight asked. "That's what's keeping the portal open. On its own, the portal only opens every thirty moons. The last time it opened was..." She tilted her head, doing some mental math. "About eight moons ago. It opens for a few days, then closes for another thirty moons."
"Wait a minute," Twilight said, suddenly alarmed. "This portal only opens every two and a half years?! So...so if I'm here too long, or..." She paused. "I could get stuck here?!"
"No, no!" Princess Twilight laughed. "Don't worry about that! That's how the portal used to work. I found a way to open it at will." She gestured to the bizarre construct surrounding the mirror. "I designed this apparatus myself. It draws dimensional conduit magic from a secondary source and channels it into the mirror. The secondary magical feed bypasses the temporal limiter, allowing the dimensional conduit to activate at any time, for any duration." She pointed at the book set prominently at the top of the device. "That journal provides the secondary magical feed!"
Twilight blinked slowly, processing this. "You...you're using a book as a battery?"
"Yes!" Princess Twilight said happily, grinning.
Twilight stared from the portal apparatus, to Princess Twilight, an expression of wonder dawning on her face. "You are me," she breathed.
Spike started laughing. Sunset rolled her eyes.
Twilight tried to walk, but her legs shook. "I...I'm really a horse right now..."
"Pony," the others corrected.
"Unicorn, specifically," Sunset said. She frowned. "Hey, what's up with that? Shouldn't she be an exact duplicate of you, Princess?"
Princess Twilight shook her head. "This Twilight hasn't had the experiences I've had. She hasn't made the friends I've made, or discovered the magic of friendship...the magic that made me a princess."
Shakily, Twilight walked up to Princess Twilight...and craned her neck to look up at her. "You're...tall," she said.
Princess Twilight blushed. "I've hit kind of a growth spurt since becoming an alicorn," she said. "Moreso in recent weeks."
"Alicorn?" Twilight asked.
Princess Twilight spread her wings. "Alicorns have the magic of all three pony races, plus their own unique, powerful magic. Oh, and we're immortal." She made a face. "Not really a fan of that last one."
"What's so bad about being immortal?" Sunset asked.
Princess Twilight gave her a sad look. "I can give you five reasons," she said.
"Five...?" Sunset's ears drooped. "Oh."
Princess Twilight's horn glowed, and a reflective magical surface appeared in midair. "Go ahead, Twilight. Take a look at yourself."
Twilight took a few shaky steps, trotting over to the temporary mirror and inspecting herself. "That...is weird," she said.
"You're taking this a lot better than this Twilight did when she went to your world the first time," Spike said. "She screamed her head off!"
Twilight shrugged. "Well...all of you told me this would happen," she said. "Just because I didn't believe it at the time doesn't mean I wasn't listening. I'm freaked out and have a million questions, yes, but...screaming about being turned into a unicorn, however impossible that is, won't accomplish anything."
Princess Twilight wrapped a wing around her. "We'll try to answer all your questions. I promise."
Sunset looked down at herself. "Hey...I've still got my jacket!"
"Oh, I forgot!" Princess Twilight said. "I've been making some minor tweaks to the portal's material transfer protocols." She pulled a face. "The first time I went through that thing I lost my best set of saddlebags."
"Ouch." Sunset's horn lit up, and her phone and wallet floated out of her pockets. "Oh, good, I've even still got this."
Princess Twilight nodded, grinning. "Yep! Although I don't think you'll get reception here."
Sunset laughed. "Probably not. Still, at least I can take some pictures."
The flapping of wings sounded from the corridor. The doors burst open. "Hey Twilight, got a minute to fix Tank's harness? It's drifting off to the left..."
The two Twilights and Sunset turned to the blue pegasus who had just breezed into the library. She blinked. "Uhh...Twilight? Why are there two of you?" she asked slowly.
"Oh, hey Rainbow Dash," Princess Twilight said. "This is the Twilight Sparkle from the other world. And you remember Sunset Shimmer, right?"
"Kinda," Rainbow said. She looked at Sunset. "Uhh...'sup?"
"Hey Rainbow Dash," Sunset said awkwardly. "Uhh...good to meet you?"
Rainbow landed. "I thought there wasn't another Twilight over there?" she asked.
Princess Twilight sighed. "There is. I just didn't know because, well...she doesn't go to CHS."
"Which is good for us, because that woulda made things a lot tougher both times," Spike said. There was a sudden flash of emerald green.
Princess Twilight frowned. "Spike? What did you just do?"
"Oh, nothing," Spike said, putting his claws behind his head and looking innocent.
"Uh-huh." Princess Twilight looked at Rainbow. "Can it wait a little while? I've got a little...situation here."
"Sure, no big," Rainbow said. "I'll drop him off with Fluttershy until you can fix the harness."
"I promise I'll get to it as soon as I can. Probably tomorrow." Princess Twilight stroked her chin thoughtfully. "Hey, Rainbow Dash? When you're done dropping Tank off, would you mind coming back here? You could show Sunset Shimmer around Ponyville." She looked at Sunset. "How's that sound?"
Sunset nodded. "Sure. I've never been to Ponyville. Besides, it'll be nice to stretch my hooves, get outside, smell Equestrian air and grass."
"Cool. I'll be back in a few," Rainbow said, flying off again.
"That was...Rainbow Dash?" Twilight asked slowly. "The Rainbow Dash in our world is the captain of several sports teams and plays guitar in the Rainbooms..."
"And the Rainbow Dash here is a pegasus, part of Ponyville's weather team, and a reserve Wonderbolt," Princess Twilight said.
"Weather team?" Twilight asked. "She's a meteorologist?"
Sunset laughed. "Not exactly," she said. "In Equestria, pegasi control the weather."
Twilight's eyes widened. "Weather control? Are you serious?"
"Except for a very few places in our world, all nature is controlled by pony magic in Equestria," Princess Twilight said. "I'll explain it all to you while Sunset Shimmer is out exploring Ponyville."
"A-alright..."
A bright golden flash filled the library. "I came as quickly as I could," a new, mature, musical voice said. "What's the emergency?"
Twilight stared. A majestic white alicorn stood in the middle of the library, angelic wings spread wide. Her horn was exceptionally long, and her pastel hair flowed in a nonexistent breeze.
The blood drained from Sunset Shimmer's face. "Princess Celestia," she whispered thickly.
Princess Twilight gave Spike a measured look, raising an eyebrow. Spike tilted his head at Sunset and grinned sheepishly.
Celestia looked around the room, eyes widening at the sight of two Twilights...then she saw Sunset, and she gasped. "S-Sunset Shimmer?!"
Sunset ducked her head, pawing the crystal floor nervously. "Uhh...so..."
Celestia was upon Sunset in an instant, sweeping her up into a hug. Tears spilled from her ancient, expressive eyes. "I never...I always hoped...oh, thank goodness..."
"Princess...I...I'm so sorry!" Sunset wailed, tears streaming from her eyes as she sunk into Celestia's embrace. "Everything I said and did...the way I acted...I..."
"Shh," Celestia said, stroking the back of Sunset's head with a hoof. "It's alright, Sunset Shimmer. All is forgiven. I...I'm just relieved to see you again."
Princess Twilight sidled over to Spike. "Nice work," she whispered.
Spike smiled. "I thought it was time."
After a long moment, Celestia drew back, examining Sunset. She laughed. "What...what is this you're wearing, my little pony?"
Sunset looked down at her jacket. "What, this? Oh...I've had this ever since I went through the mirror the first time. Twilight's tweaked the portal so stuff like this can pass through safely..." She looked up at Celestia. "You...you're really forgiving me? Just like that?"
Celestia sniffled. "Just like that," she said. "So...are you...are you back to stay?"
Sunset sighed. "No," she said. "I don't belong here anymore. I...my home is in that other world now. My friends are in that other world."
Celestia sighed. "I...I understand," she said. "Still...I had hoped..." She wiped a tear from her eye. "You...you will at least come back to visit more often, I hope?"
Sunset smiled. "Of course."
"Good," Celestia said. "I've..." She swallowed. "Every day since you left, I've...I've regretted driving you away. You're the only daughter I've ever had..."
"DAUGHTER?!" Princess Twilight exclaimed.
Celestia looked over at her. "I...never told you, because that part of the story was...was too painful," she said. "Not long after I met Sunset Shimmer...I adopted her as my daughter. That's...that's why her cutie mark is..." She blinked as the presence of a fourth pony in the room registered. She stared at the unicorn Twilight with glasses who was shifting awkwardly in the corner. She frowned. "Twilight? Is...is there something you'd like to explain?"
Princess Twilight nodded. "Princess Celestia, meet the Twilight Sparkle from the other world," she said.
"I had wondered," Celestia said. "Greetings, Twilight Sparkle. I am Princess Celestia, ruler of Equestria. I...I expect you have a great many questions..."
"Yes I do, Your Highness," Twilight said. "This other Twilight's going to be answering them."
"Of course," Celestia said. She frowned. "Forgive me, Princess Twilight, but...why bring her here?"
"She started investigating Canterlot High School and Princess Twilight," Sunset said. "She ambushed me in the school bathroom. I did the only thing I could think of. I called Princess Twilight for help."
"I see," Celestia said. "I suppose this has all been very confusing for you," she said to Twilight.
"To say the least," Twilight said. "Especially once magic, other dimensions, and talking ponies got involved."
Celestia laughed.
Sunset butted her head against Celestia's chest. "Mom?" she asked. "I'm...I'm going to take a walk around Ponyville with Rainbow Dash while Princess Twilight talks to her double. Do you...would you like...?"
Celestia smiled. "Of course. Shall we wait for her outside, then?"
Sunset nodded, smiling. "A little help with the teleport? I can't aim..."
"Of course," Celestia said, giggling. In a bright flash, the two disappeared.
Twilight stared, eyes wide. "Did she say...teleport?"
Princess Twilight nodded. "It's not a common ability," she said. "I've only known a few unicorns other than myself who could even do it...well, and the Princesses, of course." She sat down. "So...shall we get started?"
Already excited for the next chapter!
Hmm, bold move with the adoption angle. Kinda sudden... and Sunset went from shy and scared to wailing in tears kinda quickly. Probably could have stretched that moment out a bit.
But still, I am digging this even more now! Great job!
I'm actually sorta glad the reunion got taken care of as quickly as it did. Now they can have a long talk on their way about town, smooth things out, catch up...maybe share a cake...
Someone call Aunty Luna! She owes Sunset birthday presents.
Well well well... Aside from the fact that the Sunset from Earth is dead, which is a kinda dark aspect of this story, I'll be looking forward to the next chapters.
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is proof of just how awesome Spike is.
Okay... I know you read that other story of mine by referencing it in the first chapter, but now I'm curious if you've read the Another End and Immortal as well...
And before anyone says it, yes, this is basically a self-promotion in these comments. I'm sorry, but I'm just noticing these.
Honestly, once "Sunset is an orphan" was revealed, I was certain "Mommy Tia" would make an appearance. Seriously, an orphan personal student is only a signature away from being a daughter, and the relationship is already firmly set.
I also feel Luna should show up to give Sunset belated birthday presents.
5305855 I equate it to being similar to the "Buford has life-sized molds of all of us" joke from Phineas and Ferb. Which is also rife with homosexuality references and frequently drops nuclear warheads on the BS&P radar yet still keeps a G rating.
5305698
That there is a contradiction. If every human version she has met up to that point was a near-perfect replica in the aspect of personality with no variation as has been seen, then the more reasonable conclusion would be that SciTwi would also be the same as PriTwi.
Then again, the whole movie-verse if rife with contradictions and plot-holes (Which is one of the reasons I choose not to consider it canon) such as the fact that that the other members of the Mane6 still became best friends, even without the presence of a Twilight to bring them together (Don't deny it, the Gilda episode showed that Pinkie and Rainbow Dash weren't really friends until after Nightmare Moon). Then there are also all the ridiculous coincidences, such as having everyone's human version in the same place except Twilight and Sunset Shimmer's so they don't run into themselves, or the fact that everyone's ages match much closer even though Celestia and Luna were born thousands of years prior to their human counterparts or even anyone in the school. Then there is Sunset being canonly older than Twilight, yet both having sixteen year old bodies. That means that when Sunset came through, she was turned 13 (it was three years, right?) and had time to age up while Twilight was immediately turned 16.
You don't understand the meaning of evil doppelganger do you? If you are to assume something killed a child and replaced it, I doubt you would think said thing was a child itself or even human. Would you put it past an adult changeling to take the form of a child to gather love? SciTwi has already shown she is willing to state ridiculous Sci-Fi explanations for the unknown such as advanced hologram technology, so is it really that far of a leap to believe that beings who have advanced technology wouldn't have sinister motives or the means to replace people? Off the top of my head I can come up with a Sci-Fi rationality to warrant being weary in this situation:
Okay, these two doppelgangers have assumed the identities of two already existing humans, possibly everyone in the school by this point as everyone's lack of reaction to the strange occurrences suggests, and have access to tech far beyond human understanding, ones that make giant rainbow lights and is causing seismic activity. Conclusion: they are a secret organization, aliens, advanced AI's, or all of the above who are working to either slowly replace everyone, have been sent to study us, are building an army right under our noses, or, again, all of the above. I've stumbled upon their operation and they are leading me to their underground base to dispose of the interloper. Run Twilight! RUN!
Never underestimate the conclusions of a crazy person
AWESOME Chapter, I Absolutely LOVED it
5305866 Actually, the only story of yours I've ever read is "World of Ponies", and I read that quite a while after I started working on this. I wrote almost the entire first two chapters of this story on October 28. Chalk it up to great minds thinking like!
5305891
Who said this Twilight's even still in school at all?
I can't wait till next chapter! I bet it will be so great, I hope you're already almost done!
5305904 True. I figured that she was either going to another school (in the city), or was privately tutored. I suppose if she's a real egghead, she might've graduated early, and is taking College courses. All we have to go on is her in a room full of monitoring equipment.
5305904 Cadance doesn't. Because she doesn't exist. She is only in the pony world to sell Pink Princess Celestia toys that where accidently created. So she doesn't exist in EqG. Same with Shining Armor.
No, it's Discord and Sombra I want to know about. EqG doesn't have any villans, all the 'evil' are things from different worlds. So what does EqG's Discord and Sombra do?!..... Discord is probably a lawyer, and Sombra is probably Mayor.
5305898 Exactly!
Now I just need 609 more followers and then some stuff.
This mindfucked me.
The implications.....
The plot holes...
Why didn't principal celestia recognize sunset?
Or did I skip over the explanation?
help me........
5305893 the key difference is experience. Since Human Twi never knew their Celestia or had a Nightmare Moon incident there was no need for Human Twilight to meet the Human mane 5. So Human Twi would be like the pilot Pony Twi.
so the Sunset we know in the EG universe originally came from the FiM universe, what/where is the human duplicate of Sunset? on the other side of town with the human Twilight?
5306080 How would she have recognized a girl that died at age three and wasn't from Canterlot? I think you need to go back and reread the fourth chapter...
5306098 Did you read all five chapters posted so far? It was explained...rather clearly.
5306106 ok, ill get started, but for canon sake, what are the writers gonna explain this?
5306119 Oh, you hadn't even read the story at all yet? Okay. Might wanna do that FIRST then.
I have no idea how to even answer that other question.
This is a fortuitous circumstance! I am so happy this update happened so soon! Much love, Mythril.
I'm worried about how this story is unraveling.
It's just so... "convenient." Story feels extra-fake and super-rushed at moments.
But I trust you.
*buckles seat belt*
I laughed at this perhaps harder than was warranted...
Huh, that was sudden... But not unwelcome! Now let's get ready for Sunset Takes Ponyville: The Movie!
5306085
See, that's the thing though, why did everyone else still turn out the same? Obviously something of equivalence must have happened to the HuMane6 to make them the same other than the sonic rainboom or Pinkie would still be depressed and Applejack would have, like, left to live her aunt and uncle permanently. Basically, it just doesn't make sense that SciTwi is the only one in the entire world who apparently didn't turn out like her double... except for Sunset and DeadSet that is; they turned out pretty differently, what with one rotting in the ground and all.
Heck, think of everyone whose lives revolved around serving the princesses, like maids and stuff, what happen to their counterparts? What about the sirens' doubles? If the diamond dogs have freaky human equivalents, and Celestia and Luna still exist despite being much younger than the princesses, why don't the Dazzlings have human doubles alive in the twenty-first century?
Really, I kind of wish Hasbro would have never made these movies; they make my head hurt.
Not perfect but interesting. Have a like and know that ill be waiting for future chapters.
5305984
For the purposes of this fic, it is implied that Shining Armor at least does exist in the Equestria Girls world. Otherwise, EG!Twilight would probably have been a bit more confused when Princess Twilight told her "Shining Armor doesn't count."
5306210 Yeah it does make a head hurt. hence why the fir EQG was badly written. Best guess is some other event caused it or maybe the human Big Mac and Granny smith convince Applejack to stay. They are very much like they would be in Ponyville if Twilight didn't show up.
Blargle blargle headcanon blargle?
Let's see what's next!
5305875
Yup. Kids shows are written by adults and some adult kids show writers understand how painful it is for parents to watch this shit with nothing to appeal to them.
The only issue is that kids don't get it.
That's why FiM is so unique in that it appeals to older viewers without having to do so with references that go right over kids heads.
Yeah, because it's not like she can just make more friends or anything. That would be silly.
I like the premise of this story quite a lot, and the characterization of Human!Twilight is really nice. Also your Pinkie makes me laugh, which is always a good sign.
It does feel... like you... might... be using a few too many... ellipses though. Some are fine, but it causes the story as a whole to feel kind've choppy, at least to me. Just my two bits.
Still, I'm enjoying how this is developing. Tracking.
Peace,
~C
5306210 Think back a bit further. Applejack left home because she wanted to live in the city. In EqG, she's already close to Canterlot, so she probably never wanted to go to Manehatten in the first place. We don't even know if there is a Cloudsdale or Ponyville within the EqG Universe, so it's possible that RD and Fluttershy have lived in Canterlot their entire lives. Rock Farming would be a ridiculous career on Earth, so it's possible that Pinkie's parents chose a less depressing career, and hence, she never needed to see the rainboom event to cheer up.
Keep in mind that the Sirens were banished over 1000 before Equestria Girls. If they had counterparts, it's possible that they're already dead. As for Celestia and Luna, I'm just going to say they either have no connection with their Equestrian counterpart (the name is pure coincidence), or their human selves reincarnate every so often.
TL;DR The setting influences how characters act.
For some reason I was expecting more shenanigans as they tried to keep local!Twilight from finding out about Equestria....
5306210
Probably, but the rainboom seems to have some kind of magical connection. I assume something drew them together in EQG land, but do remember that they all lived in Ponyville for some time (born there?) before Twilight ever showed up. The only person who changed in the equation was Twilight. A good question to ask is why Twilight Sparkle from EQG land doesn't go to CHS. She is like her double, brilliant to a fault. She just doesn't have the same outlets, it's just that certain life changing experiences never happened to her? Perhaps Equestria!Sunset Shimmer/Twilight Sparkle "stole" her defining moment which she would have missed out on without external prodding anyway?
Perhaps the Sirens do not have a normal biological origin and the correspondence is mostly biological for some reason?
* sometimes it makes my head hurt too. The ages and apparent roles in life of the mane six confuse me on both ends of things. If they're in high school in EQG where the heck are their parentst?
5306419
EQG being a non-standard alternate universe, perhaps it is rather closely tied to Equestria, such that there is a counterpart for every pony. I'd personally bet there is a Shining Armor and maybe a Cadence too. Perhaps the Principal and Vice-Principal simply move on somehow, just like how the Sirens don't seem to have anyone wondering why they're immortal.
P.S.
More words, please?
5306419
This just made me realize something; all the mares who didn't live in Equestrian Canterlot, live in human Canterlot while the one mare of the Mane6 that did grow up in Equestrian Canterlot has a human counterpart that did no grow up in her world's equivalent... Odd.
Also, Where do you think human Sweet Apple Acre's is? Not in the city, so maybe the outskirts. I bet AJ is one of those people who have to take the bus really far every morning to get to school.
Also, also, maybe Pinkie's family are geologists or miners or some other rock-based job.
I feel like we're practically writing the story for the author at this point; pointing out plot-holes and subsequently filling them for his convenience.
I like the story, but:
This whole idea of "Twilight is immortal and that sucks" is a ridiculous piece of fanon.
First, Twilight might not be immortal, and even if she is she probably won't outlive her friends (We have no evidence Twi is immortal, and the only other pony we know that became an Alicorn is Cadence, who is shown to have aged since becoming an Alicorn. There's also the "Twilight won't outlive her friends" tweet.)
Second, Twilight wouldn't see immortality as a bad thing, even if her friends died and she lived on. She is the Princess of Friendship, she can make new friends, and continue making friends for centuries! She'd be sad that her friends die, but they would have died anyways, even if she wasn't immortal! Twilight might have outlived the other Mane 6 even if she was mortal. And she'd certainly be able to get over her grief eventually. No one mourns their friends for a thousand years, no matter how close they were.
5306525 there's also cases where anything gifted by the elements of harmony are considered immortal. Mlp is too confusing.
Eh. I'm personally more of a fan of the hocrux immortality theory. The alicorns are only immortal because they all have their magic intertwined with a long-lasting object. The mane six and the royal sisters have their cutie marks tattooed on the tree of harmony, Cadence's cutie mark is the Crystal heart, and sombra found a magical form of longetivity as well. (Think about it. It's also object based, but it's a much larger object.)
Also, Twilight's friends would die anyway, with herself experiencing about half of their deaths, if she was not immortal, so I don't really see the point. If your immortal, you get to watch all your friends die and then continue living, but if you're not immortal, you get to watch all your friends die and then just wait for death while you can barely move or think clearly.
Then again, this is the first time Twilight's ever made friends, so she's probably avoiding thinking about that.
5306560
At any rate, Immortality is a positive in all but one instance:
Becoming Trapped. If an immortal becomes trapped somewhere they can never escape from, they're pretty much screwed. Of course, since Twilight has magic, that limits the ways she could be trapped to only a few ways, like being turned to stone, or drained of magic and then banished to the moon.
Imagine the pain of being stuck somewhere FOREVER.
5306611
That had to have sucked for Discord. And to have the threat of being turned to stone--basically shoved back into solitary confinement indefinitely--waved around every time he didn't act exactly like everyone else wanted...
Seriously, almost nobody realizes how bad solitary confinement can be: it's said to be the worst form of torture. (Brains actually shrink when given everything but information.)
holy crap this is amazing.
You, dear person, had beaten me at creating two fics in one fic. I love this story and would love to see it continue.
As for the "immortal Twilight" dilemma I'm seeing, I'd like to point out that it will devastate Twilight in the event she outlives the rest of the group because they are her first real friends she had. The 6 are more like family than just friends. Twilight will be upset and maybe she will make new friends, but no pony could possibly replace them.
As for the " Cadence is an alicorn and she is still growing up like a regular pony" thing, I'd like to point out that Celestial and Luna were probably foals before they grew into the two princesses we know today. Perhaps Cadence and Twilight need to continue growing and then the immortality kicks in.
Oh, and welcome back to Equestria Sunset!
A fave and track earned from me. This is a truly outstanding story! Hope to see this updated on a regular basis if possible.
Ah, another MythrilMoth EQG fic on my favorite list. Definitely enjoying this one, seeing as Thirty Moons is on a hiatus.
5306525 Agreed. Other than the immortality trope, I'm enjoying this story very much.
Good stuff as always, MythrilMoth.
By the time I was halfway through the story (I saw it on the front page, and didn't check the author's name) I was convinced I recognized the writing. By the time I got to the end, I knew it was you. You've got a distinctive style that I've gotten used to over the years on the FFML.
I've been wanting to write this story myself (or at least something very similar) but you beat me to it. Good take on it though. Aside from the Celestia adopting Sunset thing... (it's a bit out of left field for me, honestly), I couldn't fault any of your plot choices so far.
Looking forward to more.