1 - Ancient History

Celestia’s Study, Canterlot - Equestria

18th of Megan, 4,676 RH - 519 years ago

Princess Celestia stood within her den, overlooking the young city of Canterlot. Or rather, the three hundred-year-old city of Canterlot. Young is a relative term.

For the average pony, their grandparent who would be passing on any day now saw the city being built as a foal. For Celestia, the city had begun construction a mere decade ago. Relatively speaking of course. A few centuries are nothing to a pony whose life had already spanned over a millennium.

Today’s sunrise had been a special occasion for Canterlot, for it was the first time the sun shown on the completed city. While the walls, homes, streets, and the plumbing had all been finished long ago the last roof of the last building had finally been tiled with gold. Celestia’s grand vision of Canterlot City, sprawling down the mountainside centered around the old Cathedral turned palace, was at last a reality.

The enormous expense of matching the city’s rooftops to the ancient cathedral delayed the project no more. The sun reflected in a thousand golden mirrors, their light making the Royal Palace seem to glow with a light of its own.

Celestia smiled happily, drinking in the beauty of the ivory and gold city below her. Canterlot could now truly be called an architectural wonder. A place for other monarchs to envy, a mirror to reflect Equestria’s wealth. The glory and prestige of a palace extended to an entire city of one million ponies.

“Your move, Drake,” Celestia said triumphantly to herself.

She was certain she had won her little game of one-upmareship with the draconic nation. If the current Burninator could somehow create a more magnificent wonder of the world, well, she had no idea what she could do. Aside from be impressed.

As it stood, her city was a true marvel of engineering, architecture, thaumaturgy, and art. Truly a creation to be proud of. Unfortunately, Celestia had shame to deal with as well.

Turning away from her bay window with an irritable sigh, Princess Celestia crossed the short distance to her walnut rolltop desk and sat down. She might as well write her apology to Duke Brightmane instead of continuing her procrastination.

Taking her gold-dipped quill in her telekinetic grip Celestia tapped it against her chin in thought, staring into the wood grain of her cherry paneled walls. Composing this letter would be hard. It was one thing to apologize for one’s own actions, but entirely another to have to apologize for those of a vassal.

When you own a mistake, rather than commit it yourself, there is anger to deal with as well as regret. Keeping the venom out of her letter was Celestia’s top priority. As Equestria’s monarch, merely hinting with a vague context that she might take some position or action could have disastrous political outcomes.

Closing her eyes, Celestia sighed in frustration. “Faust’s mane, Cadence… Why did you have to bed his daughter?” she moaned.

It wouldn’t have been so bad if the young mare were not in an arranged marriage. Then she could simply arrange for Lady Cadence and the Duke’s daughter to marry, play it off as some kind of clandestine romance, and appease the family by tieing them closer to the throne.

Unfortunately, the Duke stood to gain several thousand hectares of land from his daughter’s marriage… And Cadence’s affections had not been exactly standard. Or decent.

No matter how much Cadence insisted her ‘partner’ had asked if they could engage in that particular carnal delight, and that she didn’t enjoy the act herself until she had seen the other mare for the first time, Celestia still had to work out what to do politically.

“I told you to forgo romantic interests until everypony was used to a second Alicorn,” Celestia fumed out loud.

Celestia knew that Cadence’s memory wasn’t so poor as to forget the rules after only one month of being an alicorn. She had broken them intentionally. But why?

Standing up, the immortal ruler began to pace her den, hooves clicking against the marble floors rhythmically as she plotted what to do now that the instability created by Cadence’s ascension was worsened.

Recalling Cadence’s insistence that she had not even thought about the act before and had no intention of bedding the mare, Celestia stopped.

“I could pass it off as an attempt at mind control by foreign spies,” she mused briefly.

Celestia often found speaking her thoughts out loud helped her analyse them. Especially when she was stressed.

No, it would never work. She’d already checked for signs of mental control herself and found none. Her own report was already on file, and covering the report up would cast doubt on the story.

“Perhaps,” Celestia mused further, “I could offer some form of compensation to both houses involved in the arranged marriage, getting them to agree to cancel it, and proceed with a wedding between Cadence and whatever the other’s name is?”

The double doors to Celestia’s den flew open with twin thuds, propelled by a bright flash of yellow light. Celestia whirled, startled, ready to fire a thousand spellbolts into what she assumed was an assassin. Only the jingling of a dozen brass bells saved the ‘intruder’s life.

“Celestia! It’s not her fault!” Starswirl exclaimed loudly enough to wake anypony still asleep on this floor of the palace.

The ancient bearded wizard looked worse for wear. His starry cloak and peaked bell-covered hat needed a wash, his gray fur reeked of sweat, his hooves were stained with four colors of ink, and his yellow eyes had heavy bags hanging beneath them.

“Starswirl! I almost shot you,” Celestia exclaimed in a near panic. “If you didn’t have those bells on-”

“Nevermind that triviality,” Starswirl said dismissively as he walked over to Celestia’s desk.

Producing a small pile of notebooks, scrolls, and scrap bits of parchment from beneath his cloak, Starswirl dropped the assorted notes onto their desk and immediately spread them out, sweeping the desk’s surface clean with his magic.

The two ponies had spent more time together than anyone other than Celestia’s long since banished sister could ever understand. Starswirl had practically raised her, even finding a means of prolonging his life to continue teaching his old apprentice after Celestia had ascended and become an Alicorn.

To Celestia, the fast, practically desperate movements Starswirl used while he organized all of the notes into a presentable arrangement could only mean one thing.

“Did we have a breakthrough?” Celestia asked, the wizard’s urgency presumably due to at least having made some progress on their greatest project of this century.

“No! We have hit a dead end,” Starswirl cursed, his inflection turning ‘dead end’ into an expletive.

Celestia's eyes widened in surprise, then narrowed with irritation. “Impossible! We can’t possibly be prevented from finishing a production model. You were able to transform Cadence, your version of the ascension spell works! It has to be duplicatable via enchantment, that’s a basic law of Thaumaturgic Physics!”

“Oh, it’s replicable alright. I have a prototype on my workbench. But this project is over!” Starswirl stated adamantly.

Before Celestia could ask why, the wizard pointed to a scrap of paper on the desk. “This is the part which bypasses the need for a hero’s heart and a keen mind. It’s the root of the problem,” he informed.

Celestia frowned. “We can’t remove that,” she said flatly. “The entire point of this project is to have a brigade of alicorns. You and I know how long Clover spent looking for anypony else besides, L-Lu… My sister and I. We need an elite force to counter the Prench if their Steward does decide to overturn traditions and declare war… You know once they start warring they won’t stop.”

Celestia sat down on the floor, holding her head in her hooves. Her sister had been right. Sometimes violence was unavoidable. “I- We need an army none would ever wish to challenge, Starswirl. How else can we have permanent peace?”

“We’ll have to find another way because this project ends now,” Starswirl said firmly, unswayed by Celestia’s morose mood. “By removing the requirements Clover put into the spell, you create extremely detrimental side effects. It alters the bond between alicorn and element in the worst possible way.”

Celestia frowned oddly. “But you said you foresaw success, that this spell would be finished,” she protested.

“I did… But I have not foreseen when, how, or who would finish it. It is clear now that it is not now, not by this method, and not by me. If I had Clover’s spellbook to reference, perhaps I could. But this spell,” Starswirl said, thumping the cover of the leather book, “is as close as I can get to my wife’s original. And it removes the alicorn’s agency in regards to their element.”

Celestia’s eyes widened. She hadn't expected the wizard to say that. “Come again?”

Starswirl sighed and pointed to a scroll with one hoof. “Look here, this is the segment which amplifies the recipient's special talent, binding it to the closest possible natural force. Notice this part here? The influence flows both ways, too and from the force itself.”

“But how does that ‘remove agency’?” Celestia asked, bending over to read through the spell for herself.

“I’ll explain this to you with a pertinent example for a certain recent scandal,” Starswirl decided. “When Cadence insisted she had no intentions of inserting her hooves into Miss Lilac’s rear, I checked to see if the mental shielding she should have was working correctly. It was, but she still insisted she was compelled to bed Miss Lilac, as she knew that the mare wished to copulate with her greatly, and Cadence felt she could not decline.

“I decided to ask her again under the influence of a truth-seeking spell. Cadence is not lying about being compelled to an irresistible degree. I concluded that since her special talent was helping others find their passions, and since her alicorn amplified talent grants her the ability to sense and influence the bonds of love itself, that something must have gone wrong with the ascension spell.

“And that is exactly what happened! Cadence not only can sense and influence others passions, but she HAS to! You could choose to not raise the sun one morning, Celestia. You can choose to not channel its power to bolster your strength. Cadence cannot, because her very power reaches back through the link and forces her to do what it allows her to.”

Celestia’s jaw dropped in horror. “Are you telling me we’ve destroyed her free will completely!?”

Starswirl shook his head. “No, not completely,” he said with a long sigh. “She can still choose what to eat, where to go, what to say, who to be within a given moment… But she can’t ignore the passions of those around her. Fortunately, it’s only whatever they are the most passionate about, which isn’t always something kink- I mean ‘unseamly’.

“For example, right now she’s been happily chatting with your baker about cake for the last two hours. We both know that Cadence never cared about baking or anything other than physical contests in her life. Your baker’s passion for baking fills Cadence’s mind and she needs to help her improve or fulfill that passion. She’s having the baker give her a crash course in how to make a cake so she can try and help her improve her craft!

“Cadence can’t choose to not share the passions of anypony within her empathic range with as much love as they themselves have for their passion. Gods help us if she gets within empathic range of a serial killer!”

Celestia stood up closing her eyes and hanging her head in a mixture of regret and sympathy.

“Can we change her back?” She asked hopefully.

“No,” Starswirl said hard enough to leave no doubt. “I already tried to find a way. The ascension is irreversible.”

“Is there anything at all we can do? I- I’m not against altering someone's mind to turn them away from evil but this… This is cruel,” Celestia said firmly.

“It is cruel. But fortunately I can do something,” Starswirl agreed. “I have an idea for some small charms to limit her empathic range and allow her to ignore a love of evil. I won't be able to do more than afford her a small measure of self-control. She’ll be free to choose whether or not to help the average pony, but anytime she gets near somepony who exuberantly loves their craft, trade, art, or what have you, they won't be of any help.”

Celestia’s ears perked, hope for her pet project’s continuation rushing into her heart as if a dam had burst. “Could we do something similar for everypony we might-”

“NO!” Starswirl snapped. “I refuse to damage anypony else in this manner. I told you this was a bad idea from the beginning. I’ve only gone along with it because you are right, we do need a better army. But when you pile this atop the other reasons such an army could backfire on us, the project is simply too dangerous to continue.

“I am burning these notes, Celestia. The prototype I constructed is going to be mothballed in my old lab in case for whatever reason we do need them one day. I feel that they will have use in the future, but I am uncertain how, when, or where. But in all other respects, we are done with this… This travesty!”

Celestia closed her eyes and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly along with her crushed dreams.

“Alright, if you think that’s best,” she lamented. “However, you did say you KNOW that spell will be completed. Right?”

Starswirl paused, frowning urgently. “Celestia… Don’t.”

“I want you to take that book, and copy it,” Celestia ordered. “The copy should emphasize the spell is incomplete and detail the problem as best you can manage. You will then give the copy to me and I will keep it for the day when whoever you’ve foreseen finishing the spell correctly is born. You may destroy everything else. Including the original book when you are finished.”

Starswirl sighed slowly. “Celestia… It’s best to drop this entirely. I’m warning you, there are very few possible good outcomes from this action,” Starswirl warned, his arcane foresight screaming warnings at him.

“I won’t use it to create an army,” Celestia promised. “But… I-I need a companion.”

“Luna will not be gone forever,” Starswirl reminded.

“But she may never forgive me… And you still age, one day you will be gone,” Celestia said, doing her best to prevent her heavy heart from showing too much. “I need a friend who can be with me forever, or who knows, perhaps one day I’ll finally want to start a family. I couldn’t ever do that with a mortal.

“I’ll never use this spell to create an army. But if I ever find a suitable champion, or a pony I trust enough to govern a portion of our expanding kingdom, or somepony I love… That’s all I will use it for. You have my word.”

Starswirl sighed slowly, mulling the idea over and using his dimming foresight to examine the outcomes as best he could.

“Very well…” Starswirl decided. “There is one pony I can see who would indeed be a good wife for you-”

“I’m not my sister, Starswirl,” Celestia reminded, raising an eyebrow.

“You’ll feel differently about her,” the wizard guaranteed. “Everypony has an exception to their norm. I once stumbled across a colt I rather fancied in Trottingham. In this case, your feelings for her eventually turn romantic after her husband dies and you are unable to handle seeing her in such dispa-”

“Fine, fine, just… Copy the spell,” Celestia interrupted, shuddering at the thought of being with another mare.

Starswirl smiled mischievously, always loving finding a potential future that would bother somepony he was upset with. It was the wizard's way of getting even, even if the odds were prohibitively high.

“It’s only a possible future, Celestia. Not a guarantee. I need to help Cadence now, you’ll have your book within a week,” Starswirl said, collecting his notes and the old spellbook with his magic before simply leaving without a goodbye as he always did.

“Faust’s blood… What am I going to do now?!” Celestia demanded angrily, returning to her desk to try and come up with a replacement plan for her now impossible Elite Alicorn Guard.

2 - Doppelganger

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Sunset Shimmer - September 6th, 2000 (16 years ago)

Ponyville - Mirror Equis

Ugh, school. I always hated school and just three days into Sophomore year I had no hopes of liking anything about it this year.

Well, except for getting to drive to school. That was cool. I never expected dad to get me a car for my 16th birthday. Sure, it was kind of a crappy car, but that’s better than no car. Especially when you have friends.

In High School, the friend with the car is King. Or Queen in my case.

I never had trouble making friends, or keeping friends. So it wasn’t like I needed to be able to give people rides and run errands to have friends. But it did mean that I could take my best friends to the mall, or camping, or out to the river to do some dirt biking.

There would be plenty of time for fun. After all, my friends didn’t do school work. I did it all. Because school is a waste of fucking time.

You have to do something while the teacher is droning on and on and on about something you learned 4 years ago in middle school. I swear, if I bothered to keep worksheets, I could just change dates on middle school papers and turn them in for the same grade in Highschool.

Did they think we didn’t read, or surf the web, or something? Kids aren't so stupid you need to tell them about the civil war more than once.

Well, okay. Some of us are pretty stupid. But you should make the dumb ones drop out so everyone with half a brain can actually learn things!

Whatever, at least the teachers were dumb too. Read a bunch of your friend's papers, memorize how they write, what words they use, memorize their handwriting, ask them for all essays and worksheets they need to do. Bang that out in the otherwise wasted half hour of each class where the teacher just won't shut up and dispense new information.

Go home, spend about 15 minutes typing up the essays. Hand out work to friends in the morning, everyone gets straight A’s, and we can all go hang out after school and do something useful.

Sure it’s cheating, but it’s not like knowing about ancient Sumeria is going to help you in a career as a programmer. Unless you make video games or something. But still, you could just look that up when you need it.

Why the hell isn’t school teaching things like how to do taxes, how to finance a home, how to get a job, how to start a career. You know, things that will actually matter in life. People say your parents are supposed to teach you that stuff but they don’t. Because they, you know, have jobs.

I sighed in frustration and rolled over, my bed creaking as I moved. If school wasn’t going to teach it, and my parents weren't, I should probably learn it myself.

Reaching over to my nightstand I flipped my laptop open. I loved it a lot. It’s the first thing I bought with money I’d earned from working at the bookstore. That had been a great summer job. Too bad dad got it for me so I didn’t know how you did that…

I’d dropped two grand on my little Toshibi laptop. Kinda not worth it. I should have gotten something from this year instead of last year. Because I’d had to buy an expansion card to make it work with wifi since dad wasn't going to run a cable to my room. Other than that, no complaints!

Good to type on, lightning fast 56k modem built in, the perfect internet surfing machine! Because I could do it under my quilt in bed instead of in the living room at mom’s desktop.

My plain white random hand-me-down furniture filled room might be a bit unappealing to look at, but at least it was mine. I wouldn’t have my mom or siblings looking over my shoulder and asking why I was reading about calculus.

They never believed me when I said I read things because I only had to do it once. Might as well get it out of the way now right? Or at least when no one is available to hang out.

I pressed the power button and my laptop whined to life, chugging along for the few minutes until it finally displayed the desktop. Another perk of a laptop, you can password it, so your parents can't get onto your profile and that means you can have a sexy desktop!

Too bad all I had for a sexy desktop was pictures of my ex. I really didn’t want to look at Lyra posing like the chick from Titanic in her pony costume. It had been hot when we were a thing but… Yeah. Not now.

I wonder if anyone else at school was into that kind of stuff? Probably not. Most teen girls have outgrown their horse phase.

Revisal. At least my parents couldn’t see I’d made a white picture in paint and written ‘sexy desktop!’ in pink in the middle of it...

I hit dial so I could get online and went downstairs to make a sandwich while EOL did its thing. Naturally, that meant I came back with a ham sandwich minutes later only to see that I should go eat at the table then come back again.

I wonder if anyone will ever make the internet work faster? Maybe I could do that. It would probably be hard but whatever. It would pay amazingly well, wouldn’t it?

Deciding to look up how to get a job working on the internet, I finished eating and slowly walked back up to my room. As I pushed my door open, a soft electronic beep came from my laptop. An IM! Yes! Dial-up complete!

Flopping back down on my bed hard enough to make it creak, I squinted at the screen name. Who the hell writes their screen name in five different shades of pink?!

Ponkwomannn apparently. Who-

Ah! Right, Pinkie Pie. I’d met her on the first day of school. New girl, parents owned a mine or something.

With the name solved, I read the message.

Ponkwomannn: How ru online right now?

Unsure what she was talking about I replied, I’m at home. Is something cool going on? I’ll be right over.

A few minutes later, Pinkie replied. Ponkwomannn: Rarity called and said she saw u at Greasy Joes with some guy and wanted to know if u were going out. I saw u were on and wanted to know how because it would be really really really cool to be able to chat with everyone from anywhere!

She must have seen someone who looks like me. Because I’m at home, I don’t even like Joe’s, I answered.

No need to say that I wouldn’t be going out with a guy. Pinkie seemed like the kind to accidently blurt out secrets, and I wanted to keep my friends. And not be probably thrown out by my parents… Ugh, yeah let’s change thought lines here.

Want to go camping this weekend? I asked hopefully. I wanted to take Lyra up to a cool place just out of town, but that’s not happening now. I can still afford the campsite for the weekend though. Do you want to come? You could bring a friend too. My tent sleeps four.

I opened up a browser window and started searching for how you do taxes. Time to stop complaining and read up. I’d managed to find a site that seemed like it might have accurate information when EOL chimed again.

Ponkwomannn: Sorry you two broke up. It was the pony thing, wasn’t it?

I felt my heart have six simultaneous attacks then try and jump out of my throat. Slamming the keyboard in panic I typed out, For the love of god, tell no one! Please! Do you have any idea what would happen if my parents found out?

The reply came instantly.

Ponkwomannn: It’s okay! I only told Rainbow Dash because she’s looking for a girlfriend which is how I know you like girls because she knew you were going out with Lyra who told me you guys broke up when I asked her if she knew anyone else because I couldn’t find you to ask and you weren't online so I couldn’t ask you.

Oh god! How many people knew!? Life ruined!

Ponkwomannn: But was it the pony thing?

I took a deep breath. Pinkie seemed like a socialite. She’d probably know how many people knew. If she already was friends enough with the JV soccer star after three days, and well enough to know she liked girls. A thing I did not know despite being on the team last year too.

No. She wanted to be open with my parents… I answered. [Can we not talk about this? I don’t want people to know. My parents are super religious. They might kill me!

Ponkwomannn: My lips are sealed! Until June 26, 2015 at least. Everything will be okay then! Trust me, I’m a time traveler :D

I couldn’t help but smile. Pinkie had a great sense of humor. That’s why I’d said hi to her in the first place.

LOL. But seriously… Parents are super religious. So yeah. I sent, just to be safe.

I’d managed to get back to reading and made it through a few pages before another beep interrupted me.

Ponkwomannn: Hey, so Rarity called again, and she says it’s definitely you. Like, she called you by name. Why did you lie to me?

I raised an eyebrow. What the fuck? Well, there was an easy way to settle this.

Reaching up to the shelf above my bed I grabbed my webcam, plugged it in the USB port, waited for my laptop to recognize it was plugged in, and then clicked the video chat button.

The camera’s little green light winked on. I waved, picked it up, turned it around my room. Set it back down, then turned it off so dad wouldn’t have to pay for a crapload of bandwidth.

Ponkwomannn: Woah! You are at home! That’s so weird!

I nodded. Remembered that the camera was off, and then went to type again, only for another message to pop up.

Ponkwomannn: Also love your posters! Do you ride horses? Guess I know why you and Lyra were a thing.

I bit my lip to not laugh too hard at her innuendo. I did still like horses, hence why I kept all of the posters I’d bought starting from age seven onwards.

No, I’ve never gotten to ride. But I’d like to. And yeah, it is weird. I guess Rarity’s playing some dumb joke. I finally answered.

Rarity isn’t the joking type. That’s my thing… Think she’s in trouble? Maybe someone's after her and she’s trying to signal for a ride but needs to do it like a spy because they are listening! Pinkie said, jumping to conclusions which total-

Totally made sense.

Rarity was hot, rich, and teased boys a lot. Yeah, someone might be stalking her, and she knew I had a car.

You could be right, I mean, Rarity could have a stalker. Or worse. I’m going to go check it out. BRB, I said, shutting my laptop and rushing downstairs.

As I reached the bottom of the stairs, I nearly bumped into my mom as she came out of the kitchen.

“Woah! Where are you going, missy?” She asked her pink eyes twinkling mischievously. “Did some boy ask you to dinner?”

I shook my head stepping around her. “No! One of my friends might be in trouble, we’re not sure. So I’m going to pick her up from Greasy Joes, to be safe,” I explained.

Mom frowned, thin lips parting slightly. I knew she’d had a pretty bad experience in the 80s involving a stalker. Hopefully, she would understand-

“Be quick, but drive safe. And come straight back when you’re done,” she instructed.

I nodded. “Of course mom, I’d call you if I had a cell phone,” I said picking up my favorite black motorcycle jacket as I turned to leave. “Oh! That’s not a hint or anything. I just meant that, you know, if I had one, I’d call.”

“I know, now go. Pick her up. If there is a problem, come back here. Mister Silver across the street is a detective. It’s safe here,” mom said firmly.

I nodded, called “Back soon!” and headed out to my car.

My old 1987 Yota Camer was a rusty, once blue, now mostly gray, hunk of junk on the outside. But she still ran well, and she was roomie for compact car. Roomy enough to get cozy in the back seat on a camping trip I never got to go on…

Shaking the recent breakup out of my head, I climbed in, started my car up, and pulled out of the driveway.

My house was out in the suburbs, and Greasy Joe's was just a few blocks from the school. It would take five minutes to leave the orderly rows of the same three houses painted different colors and get into the more chaotic downtown. Not a long drive by any means, but it could be made way longer with traffic, and if Rarity was in trouble…

Fortunately, traffic wasn’t too bad. I’d made it out just before the 5 pm traffic rush. Within six minutes I spotted the big fiberglass burger on a stick sign and pulled into the large diner’s parking lot. As I drove up to the chrome sided building, I saw Rarity waiting on a bench by the door.

I liked Rarity. She was cute. The whole ‘refined wealthy lady’ look worked for her. The fact that her designer clothes were fake had a lot of people think of her as a phony, but I happened to know she made all of her stuff herself. By like, literally glancing at a photo from a magazine.

That made her cool to me. It’s why we’d been friends for three years.

The short navy blue skirt and jacket she had on today gave off a ‘business professional’ feel. It went well with her hair, she had it up in a bun instead of left loose and flowing like she usually had it. Maybe she had some formal event to go to later?

Come to think of it, that made it even more strange that she would insist I was here when I wasn’t…

Deciding to fear the worst I pulled up close to the door and rolled down the driver side window.

“Rares, hop in! Quick!” I called urgently.

I felt my stomach turn uneasily when Rarity’s eyes widened in honest shock.

“I- but- But you’re inside!” She stammered, jaw dropping. “I just talked to you!”

“I’ve been home since school got out,” I countered throwing my hands up in frustration. “What the hell is going on?! This isn’t funny, Rarity.”

“Are you playing some kind of, of prank on me?” Rarity asked with suspiciously a haughty huff working it’s way into her voice.

“No, I’m not. Something weird's going on…” I said decisively. “Where am ‘I’ at, inside?”

Rarity paused, looking at me with concern for a moment. “Darling, what’s the most awkward thing I’ve caught you doing?” She asked suspiciously.

“I uh… Why?” I asked frowning.

I damn well knew what it was but I'd rather not say it.

“Because I think you just found out you had a long lost twin or something and are pranking me,” Rarity said, crossing her arms.

Oh for fuck’s sake!

I took a deep breath and quickly said, “You walked in on Lyra and I when she talked me into riding on her back…”

Fortunately she hadn't also talked me into riding on her naked... That would have been way worse to get caught doing.

Rarity nodded to herself. “Yes, well then. ‘You’ are sitting right there,” she said, pointing with one finger to a window two booths down from the door.

I turned to look.

I looked back.

Not my reflection. Me. A me. Same off yellow skin. Same cyan eyes. Same bright red and yellow bacony hair. My usual white V-neck tee!

She looked me in the eyes through the glass and smiled sinisterly. My eyes widened, my heart pounded in my chest.

“Rarity, get in the car!” I yelped.

“What?” Rarity asked, frowning for a moment, then looking uncertain as she noticed the actual fear in my eyes.

“I don't know what this is! Get in the car!” I repeated urgently.

Rarity paused for a moment, looked over at the window, and then bolted for the passenger door. I gunned the engine almost before she shut the door, pulling back out into traffic as quickly as possible.

“What on earth is going on?” Rarity asked fearfully.

“I don’t know! She seriously said she was me?” I asked urgently, changing lanes to try and get behind a bus.

Maybe I could break the line of sight between my car and the diner… Was that important? It seemed important.

“Well, no, but I said ‘Hello, Sunset,’ and she looked up, said ‘hey’, sounded just like you and well, I asked if ‘you’ were going out with what’s his name? Flash! Because well, that’s not exactly something I think you’d do. She told me to go away after looking at me like she had no clue who I was!”

I winced. That was something really hurtful to do to an old friend. “Good call, I wouldn’t do that. Why didn’t you-”

“Go away? Well, I did, sort of. I thought you wanted to pretend you didn’t know me for the date for whatever reason. That was very hurtful,” Rarity continued, interrupting as per usual.

“Yeah, but I didn’t do it. That… Clone me did!” I pointed out.

“I-I know now but still,” she protested. “Whoever she is, she definitely looks a lot like you but um, don’t you think we’re being silly? Surely some people look the same.”

“Yeah,” I agreed after a moment’s thought. “But just… She could have been my twin! And sharing a name too? That’s creepy.”

“You know, that would explain a lot, do you have a twin?” Rarity asked.

She’d mentioned that idea before. Now that I was less creeped out from seeing myself, that seemed like the best explanation.

“I don’t think I do, but I do have three older siblings. It’s possible mom gave a twin up for adoption. We used to be pretty poor… We should ask,” I decided.

Rarity nodded, then realized she hadn’t buckled up yet and quickly buckled her seatbelt.

“Well, this has certainly been a little adventure. Can you drop me off at home, please?” She asked politely.

I shook my head and turned left to get onto 4th Street. The fastest way back home.

“Can’t. Uh, sooo… The way Pinkie explained things made me think you were being stalked by some guy you upset. And I told my mom I thought you were in trouble. So I promised I’d head straight back,” I explained.

“Oh, well thank you, darling. Good to know I can count on you for that sort of thing,” Rarity said turning to look out the window. “Can you give me a ride home after explaining everything’s all right to your mom?”

“Sure, unless you want to hang out,” I offered. “Oh yeah, Pinkie Pie. I asked her if she wanted to go camping this weekend. Want to come too?”

“I might be able to go,” Rarity said thoughtfully. “It’s not some place out in the middle of the woods, right?”

I laughed. “No, it’s a rental campsite. There are bathrooms. Lyra didn’t want to do real camping either.”

“Well, in that case, count me in,” Rarity decided giving me a happy smile. “Oh! You should invite Rainbow, you know the soccer captain?”

“I was on the team too, Rares,” I reminded. “And yeah, Pinkie told me. If she doesn't invite anyone I think I will ask her along… I think you were right with that whole ‘move on’ thing. I don't want to keep dwelling.”

“She seems a little well, boastful. But I don’t think she would give anything away to your parents. And best of all, according to Pinkie, her parents know and are fine with it. They assumed Pinkie was there for a date when she came over,” Rarity said in an attempt to kill time.

“Speaking of relationships, are you and Blueblood still a thing? I heard you guys had a fight at lunch yesterday,” I said to shift the conversation away from myself.

Rarity groaned and rolled her eyes. “Ugh, no. I thought a wealthy family would teach their son a little class and proper manners, apparently not. And yes, I know that’s my sixth two-week relationship! I’m sure I’ll have better luck this year. Do you know anyone who happens to be a proper gentleman?”

“Uh… Thunderlane?” I asked, not really sure if he was the sort of thing Rarity would go for.

But to be fair, it’s not like she knew what she went for either.

“Ugh! No!” Rarity exclaimed, actually gagging. “He once wore the same pair of jeans for three months! His family isn’t poor either. He has more pants, he just didn’t change them! Anyone with that sort of hygiene is off the table.”

“Sooo, that's a no to all guys plus me then?” I teased, flashing Rarity a grin.

“Oh please, you're a bit… Tomboyish, but you still aren't going to be okay with being a dripping grease sponge… Ugh,” Rarity exclaimed with a shiver.

I was tempted to tell her I enjoyed working on my own car. But instead, I decided to give her a beauty tip.

“Did you know the way I get my hair to shimmer like this is by rubbing in used crankcase oil?” I asked.

Rarity smiled and burst out laughing for a few long moments, during which I turned onto the street my house sat on.

“You have the best beauty related jokes, darling,” Rarity giggled.

Heh, one of these days I should show her that trick actually worked. I’d figured it out accidently while working on my dirtbike back in middle school. Knowing that would probably make her head explode.

Pulling up to my irritatingly faded turquoise house, I made sure to park next to the sidewalk, remembering that dad was having a business partner over for dinner tonight. It hurt a little when he asked if I could park so it looked like we didn’t have a junk car in the yard, but I did understand why.

Besides, a rusty car is better than no car.

Deciding to be polite, I quickly shut off my car and hopped out, then vaulted over the hood to open Rarity’s door for her.

“We’ve arrived, Ma’am,” I informed with a mock bow.

Rarity rolled her eyes and climbed out of the car, leaving me to shut the door for her. “Honestly, Sunset, you don’t need to do that.”

“Nah, but I do like your face when I do,” I giggled.

Despite her knowing I didn’t like her as more than a friend, it still bugged Rarity when I treated her as if I were a gentleman. Which I did. Because well, her irritated face is funny.

Rarity turned and walked over to the sidewalk, a flash of red glinting in the corner of my eye as she moved. I turned and looked, as anyone would when noticing a flashing light. A small red, diamond shaped gemstone was stuck on the hem of her skirt behind her left leg.

“Uh, Rarity? Did you put your skirt on backwards?” I asked with a frown.

“... Just who do you think you’re talking to?” Rarity demanded in return, turning and putting her hands on her hips to give me a friendly ‘seriously?’ glare.

“Well, the gem on your skirt is on the back, so you know,” I said with a shrug.

“Gem?” Rarity asked, frowning as she reached down to pull the fabric over and look. “How odd. It must have gotten stuck. Did you leave this in your car?”

She plucked the gem from her skirt and held it up. The red stone seemed to shine with its own pale light. As if a dim LED had been stuck inside it. I'd never seen anything more pretty in my life.

“No, I don’t bedazzle things. But I would if that kind of stone is for sale!” I answered, leaning in to get a better look at the pretty ruby, or whatever it was.

“Well, it has to be. The back is flat and slightly sticky. This definitely fell off someone's… something. I’ll look around, maybe I could find some more and we could do something nice with your old jacket!” Rarity proposed, holding out the gemstone for me. “Here, you hold onto it. I’ll remember what it looks like and if you can get to a craft shop I imagine you'll need it to find more.”

I nodded and took the gemstone, slipping it into my pocket. “Maybe not my jacket, but definitely some jeans. These would look cool on top of the pocket rivets,” I mused. “Come on, let’s let my mom know she can stop panicking.”

The two of us walked up the driveway, onto the porch, and then headed inside. As I opened the door I noticed a pair blue converse ‘boots’ next to the door. Whose were those?

“Mom? We’re back, it’s okay. Just a misunderstanding,” I called.

“In the kitchen, your friend Pinkie stopped by,” Mom called back.

Why would she- Oh. Duh. She wanted to know.

Rarity and I headed into the kitchen to find that she and Pinkie had made something of a mess. If I was judging things right, it looked like some fancy bread was in progress.

“Hi, Sunset! Hi, Rarity!” Pinkie exclaimed eagerly as we walked in. “You totally just vanished and I wanted to make sure everything was okay and I don’t know your phone number but your mom said you don’t have a cellphone, so maybe we could get some walkie talkies or something?”

Blinking at her rambling uh, well, run on sentence. I shrugged. “Um, well I might be able to afford a cell phone next year. But it’s okay, Rarity’s fine. It was just someone who looks a lot like me,” I explained.

Mom turned, using the back of a wooden spoon to push her hair out of her eyes. “Wait, Rarity, you were being stalked by a girl?” She asked in confusion.

“Oh! No, not at all. These two apparently thought I was trying to coyly signal for help, that’s all. I ran into a girl who looks just like Sunset and well, they also share a name apparently. I was confused about how she could be in two places at once. It was all just a big misunderstanding,” Rarity explained sitting down at the table.

“Oh! Well, thank goodness,” Mom sighed in relief. “The last thing I want is for something... Grim to happen to a family friend.”

I nodded and sat down too. “I saw the girl she was talking about,” I informed. “Mom, I don’t have like a lost twin, do I?”

Mom laughed. “Not unless they gave me more morphine than I remember, missy. Long lost twins, I swear that Lyra’s conspiracy theories have started to rub off on you… Come to think of it, I haven't seen her in months. Are you two fighting?”

“She looked exactly like her,” Rarity said honestly, thankfully deflecting the conversation away from Lyra. “Sounded just like her too. Well enough to fool me at least.”

“Mmm, well, these things happen,” Mom said, attending to her and Pinkie’s baking. “I heard a story that back in the day, a Duke stumbled across his exact doppelganger at a bar in the same town he ruled over. You do have a semi-rare color combination, Sunset, but there’s still bound to be a few who resemble you out there. Maybe she was a distant cousin or something.”

I nodded. “Yeah maybe… Still, it’s pretty scary to see yourself,” I said casually. “Soo, I guess Pinkie’s hanging out with you?”

Pinkie nodded. “Yepperooni! Your mom was having a hard time with sourdough, and I know a really good recipe. We can hang out later, this doesn't take long.”

“Cool, still want a ride back home, Rarity?” I asked.

She nodded. “Yes, I have a piano recital later… I… Well, don’t tell my mom but I was sneaking a milkshake at the diner on the way home.”

I smiled and shook my head. “Your secret's safe with me. Mom, Pinkie, you two need anything since I’m going back out?”

“Cranberries,” Mom replied immediately. “There’s forty dollars in my purse, go ahead and use that.”

“Okay, back soon,” I promised, heading out once more.

Dropping Rarity off at her house downtown went by rather uneventfully. We talked about the upcoming camping trip. She teased me about that time I had a crush on a guy because he looked and acted girly and I didn’t know because he had a unisex name. I teased her back about that middle school phase where she tried to make burlap fashionable.

I was home within a half hour, cranberries in hand, and spent the next few hours with Pinkie just hanging out and talking. She wanted to talk to me about Rainbow, clearly playing matchmaker for her, but also genuinely interested in being my friend too.

It took a lot for me to explain she really couldn’t talk about it here. It’s like she just couldn’t understand the concept of hating someone for a preference. Which was fucking awesome and made me kinda start to have a bit of a crush on her, but that was snuffed out by her incessant chattering.

I could be friends with someone who talked at 60 miles per minute, but I don’t think I could deal with dating that.

Eventually, the sun began to set and well, there was only one thing to do.

“Hey, so it’s getting late. You want a ride home?” I asked, not wanting her to have to walk across town or whatever this late at night.

“Well, actually, I was wondering if it would be okay if I stayed the night,” Pinkie asked, spinning around in my desk chair.

“Um, well, normally I don’t mind, but I have to do some homework before bed. There’s stuff due first period tomorrow,” I said with an odd frown.

Not to mention that I was a bit exhausted. But you don’t just tell a friend ‘go away I’m tired’. It's just too rude.

Pinkie frowned, her cotton-candy-hair seeming to frown with her, losing just a little poof.

“Are you sure you want to be alone tonight?” She asked with a tinge of worry.

“Uh, why?” I asked, scooting back on my bed slightly, her response having been more than a little creepy.

“Because, like, what if the you Rarity found is actually an evil version of you from another dimension that’s here to replace you as a part of some sinister plot to take over the world!” Pinkie exclaimed urgently. “You’ll need someone here to make sure you’re safe, and I’m just the girl for the job!”

I rolled my eyes. Dang it, Pinkie! Your sense of humor is funny, but your imagination is a bit far fetched.

“It was just someone who looked like me. I’ll be fine,” I laughed. “Do you need a ride home?”

“Are you sure you’ll be okay?” Pinkie asked hesitantly.

I nodded. “Yeah. It’s okay. If you want to sleep over tomorrow, sure that would be fine. But I got to get this work done before bed and we’d be up all night talking.”

Pinkie sighed and nodded standing up. “A-all right. If you’re sure. You don’t have to worry about the ride. I live just down the street,” she said before giving me a happy smile. “Bye! See you tomorrow… Unless you’re abducted by alien body snatchers!”

Pinkie backed out of my room waving her hands in a silly fashion while whistling the old classic ‘aliens!’ stinger tune from B-movies.

Laughing hard enough at her antics to smack my head into the wall, I waved at her. “Ow! Heh heh, later Pinkie. See you in the morning.”

With Pinkie gone, I fired my laptop back up. There was just enough time to get some reading done before quickly doing everyone’s math worksheets.

I managed to get through the ungodly boring slog that was how to do basic income taxes when my mom’s angry curse echoed up from downstairs.

“Everyone, open up a window. I burned the hell out of this batch,” mom yelled.

Oh, that was just fucking great! I turned around, unlocking and sliding the window over my bed up as high as it would go. And just barely in time too! I only got to feel the cool breeze for a half second before the first few wisps of smoke reached my nose.

“Ah hell!” I heard my brother Blade curse. “What did you do? Cook it in a forge!?”

“The oven got turned up to five hundred somehow,” Mom yelled back. “I’m sorry!”

Ugh… Great. So whatever she’d been baking was actual ash now. Lovely.

I got up, walked over to my door and shut it. Stuffing a towel underneath to plug the gap. Hopefully, that would help keep the smell out.

As I turned around to get back to reading I noticed my alarm clock read nine fifteen. Ugh, great… I had to wake up at about five to get to school on time after picking Rarity up. Her dad couldn’t drive her this week for whatever reason.

I should probably just go to bed now.

Feeling lazy I stripped down to my t-shirt and panties and just sort of rolled under my blanket, closing my laptop as I bundled up. It wasn’t cold enough to warrant pajama pants anyways. It was cold enough to be kinda pleasant, and the air outside still smelled like fresh cut grass.

I must have been more tired than I thought because after just a few minutes I drifted off to sleep.

Something banged against the wall. My eyes peeled open, the noise startling me enough to wake me up slightly. My room was dark, really dark. The moonlight streaming through the window provided barely enough light to see by as I peered around my room to see whatever had woken me up.

Probably a plastic unicorn statue falling off a shelf or something. Whatever. I’ll put it back in the morning.

I would have fallen back to sleep, but the moonlight dimmed. A person’s shadow suddenly cast itself onto the floor, blocking the moonlight.

My eyes flew open in terror. Pinkie had been right!

I opened my mouth to scream, but the intruder was already on the move. The window was right above my bed, I never had a chance to stop her from pushing an oily rag into my mouth. Whatever coated the rag tasted like grape cough syrup, only evil, it had to be a drug!

I thrashed, trying to throw her off me, but she held me down with just as much strength as I could muster. She moved her head slightly as she went to pin me, the moonlight striking her face revealing it to be me! The same me from before.

Oh sweet god no! Pinkie had been right! I was going to spend the rest of my life in some alien zoo!

I screamed around the rag, but it muffled my voice almost completely. And I couldn’t push it out… I was too tired. Why was I so tired?

Oh god! It really was drugged.

“Hey, take it easy. I’m not going to hurt you,” she said to me with a sinister smile. “I don’t know if that would do anything to me… But I am going to make you vanish. Sorry, but I have no choice. There can’t be two of us in this world at once. Somepony would notice.”

Somepony? What the fuck kind of thing was that to say?

I felt my eyes roll backward into my head, and everything went dark.

3 - Transposition

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Sunset Shimmer - September 6th, 2000 (16 years ago)

Ponyville - Mirror Equis

I awoke stiff and sore, feeling like I was being squeezed from all sides, with a pounding headache to go on top of all that. And probably a queasy stomach, why did I feel like I was falling?

Ugh, mom must have screwed up dinner pretty bad. That would explain the nightmare.

I peeled my eyes open, even that simple action feeling sluggish. The world was gray, like my shirt had gotten pulled up over my eyes, tinting everything while letting you see a blurry picture between the fibers. Unfortunately, that trick works best when there is light, and there wasn't any of that to be had.

I groaned and tried to move my hand up to pull my shirt down. It didn’t move.

“Awake huh?” An oily voice said in amusement. “Makes sense. Sleeping potions never affected me for long either.”

I felt my heart skip a beat. It wasn’t a nightmare!

I opened my mouth to scream, or rather, I tried to. Something was lodged in my mouth. The rag? No, not the rag. This was hard and round.

Oh god, she found my toybox!

“Yep, you’re gagged. It’s funny how many small differences there are between us. But we still remain basically the same. I knew you’d have a gag somewhere. Just to be nice, I’ve tried the key to your hair. Pretty sure you can slip these ropes after a while. I know I could. As soon as I’ve dumped you on the other side, feel free to wiggle loose,” she said, my ears clearing enough to hear the sounds of something being scraped over concrete.

I screamed, trying to yell for help, but the gag prevented anything more than a muffled squeak from getting out.

Why the fuck did I let Lyra get me one of these!? I never fucking thought about it being used for anything other than fun! I’m a fucking idiot!

“What? Surprised?” She asked, grunting slightly as she lifted me over something. “This isn’t personal. I’m not evil, I just need you to go away.”

I tried to twist and wrench myself free of her grip, but my arms and legs didn’t want to move much. I could only move maybe a few millimeters. What the hell did she drug me with? Wait, did she say it was a potion?

Oh no no no! Please don’t be some crazy religious cult thing! Please no, please no, please no!

I had to get free! I thrashed as much as I could, but all my movements earned me was a sharp kick to the small of my back.

“Stop that, it’s just making it irritating to drag you… Bucking Tartarus, I should have used my psigem at your house and learned how you operate those autocarrages. Do little things like that slip your mind too?” She asked curiously before laughing. “Right! You’re gagged. Heh… You know, if I didn’t have to stay here long enough to learn how to become an alicorn I would have to pick your brain. Who knows what kind of differences there are between dimensions. I mean, I learned you're a fillyfooler. That’s really bucking weird seeing as how we share identical metaphysical signatures. Because I’m into stallions.”

What. The actual. Fuck.

I was being kidnapped by an insane girl who liked to fuck horses. And spoke like an idiot.

“Makes you wonder how the small differences arise if not everything about you is determined by the metaphysical properties of your being. Or maybe without magic’s influences, people just develop differently. Either way, the Meadowbrook Interpretation is total road apples. You should write a paper on that when you arrive.

“The cash prize could help you get a life for yourself,” she continued. “And you’ll need one of those. You can’t take my place over there, all of my stuff was confiscated. Mostly because Celestia can’t handle the idea of someone else becoming an Alicorn.”

I stopped struggling. Maybe if she thought I was listening to her rant she would let her guard down and I could slip these ropes. Ropes work via friction, meaning struggling was just tightening the knots. Relaxing would be the best escape plan.

I was about to be murdered by an insane person who probably had like, Mission Implausible level latex disguises. I couldn’t afford to make any more mistakes.

“There’s this mirror, you’ll be coming out of it. It’s also a portal,” she ranted insanely. “But when the portal isn’t open, it can show you your future. Celestia showed it to me one day. I’m destined to become an Alicorn, and apparently, she can’t handle that idea. Or at least, that’s what I thought at first. She barred me from going back to Starswirl’s old lab.

“Pretty sure that she’s worried I’ll overthrow her if I get onto her power tier. And frankly, she should be. Limiting her apprentice's power, banished her own sister instead of talking out their problems, building a prison in Tartarus despite the realm literally driving you insane if you stay there too long, that fucking creepy and thankfully outdated tradition of her personal guard being geldings… Not sure how anypony else hasn’t seen what she is under her ‘benevolent goddess’ image.

“So yeah. I come here, and I get my wings. Not sure how yet. It wasn’t merely by traveling here and back again. Which means I need to stay long term. Which is why I’m about to throw you through the portal into my dimension. Sorry, but if there are two of us here, there will be problems. You have a Celestia too, probably some kind of science wizard queen. Can’t let her get suspicious. I don't want to fight two of them.

“So you need to go, for the greater good of an entire world. I’m sure you understand. I’d understand.”

No, I fucking didn’t understand! I didn’t understand one single fucking thing!

“Alright, here we are,” she said ominously.

I felt myself drop, shoulder hitting the ground with a sharp burst of pain. My pained cry was muted by the gag. The stars that exploded in my head cleared my vision a little. I could see that it was night still. The moon was almost directly overhead, I couldn’t help but notice that it was full.

Perfect for whatever mystic bullshit this insane person had for me!

The other me suddenly filled my vision, her lips parting almost like someone cut the smile into her face. Putting a hand on my shoulder, she shoved me onto my side roughly, pushing my face into the gray brick floor I had been dropped onto. Moments later something cold was pressed against the back of my neck.

Fuck! What to do what to do what-

A jolt of electricity raced down my spine, the cold object warming significantly before being withdrawn from my neck. My chest still heaved as I hyperventilated. My heart still hammered in my chest.

Wait, what? Why didn’t she kill me?

I twisted, trying to get another look at my doppelganger. With my vision no longer dim, I was able to see how I was tied up. Extremely well. That’s how. Not only were my wrists and ankles tied separately from each other, but she’d added in ropes over the shoulders, waist, and groin to anchor my arms and legs in position, preventing me from bending my limbs too much by looping ‘guy lines’ through those anchor points.

Fuck. This is exactly how I would tie someone up. Maybe she actually was me.

I was pretty sure that I could get out of this, I’d been tied similarly before. Unfortunately, I didn’t have ten minutes.

“Ah crap, that one was a dud,” she sighed bitterly.

I heard something clink to the ground, the sharp sound making me think of glass. The cold object was jammed into my neck again, and the same jolt of electricity sparked through me, this time making my headache pound worse.

As the thing was withdrawn I managed to roll back over, looking up at my double as she inspected a short elaborately etched brass rod, and took a small purple gemstone out of the far end. The gem glittered and shone with its own light, almost exactly how the ruby from earlier had.

Nodding in satisfaction, and then noticing I had rolled over she flashed me a quick smile and pressed the gemstone against her forehead. The gem sparked, motes of purple light flicking out from it like sparks from a welding torch, only dim instead of retina killing bright.

She gasped and pulled the gem away from herself, tossing it aside like a fucking cut and polished gem was fucking worthless.

Oh and also, what in the flying shitballs was that!? A magic trick? Magnesium or something to spark? Why? That was completely illogical. What else could it possibly-

“Whew! That one worked… Enchanted items don't like to work here. Guess that makes sense. Sorry, I had to use both psi gems, I was planning on giving you a copy of my own memories. It would have helped you out,” she said as she bent down to grab the ropes.

She grunted as she dragged me across what I recognized as the square in front of Canterlot High. What the hell? What kind of place was the school for a dark sacrifice to some kind of evil god?

She glanced at her wrist, which I just noticed had my watch on it. The watch my older brother gave me for Christmas!

“So this is a watch,” she mused. “You guys have interesting designs for them. Thanks for setting its time by an atomic clock. Somepony should invent one of those. It would be really useful for timing. Looks like the portal will close in… Fifty seconds. Time to go.”

I rolled my eyes. What portal? Where was this nut living? It wasn’t here. There was only the dumb horse statue.

“This isn’t permanent, I’ll be heading back as soon as I can work out what I need to ascend. Then you can have your life back,” my psychotic kidnapper said casually as she drug me up to the base of the statue. “I don’t know if I die if you die, and the other side is in an abandoned wizard’s laboratory. Be careful, don't touch anything, okay? See you in thirty full moons, or more. Depending. Bye!”

With extreme care to keep her hands clear of the statue’s base, she violently shoved me forwards. My eyes flew open in terror. She was going to bash my head open on the stat-

The world exploded into color noise, like an old TV set trying to display all the channels at once. Sound, light, smell, touch, all of them became meaningless. Every last part of the world was true chaos, indescribable even as I could see it.

Space had no form, time had no direction. I looked ahead and see myself from behind, the sides, top, bottom, inside and outside. I could see my own brain.

So this is the afterlife. Lovecraft was right.

Order came back to the world like a punch to the face. A split second later I hit an extremely dusty hardwood floor like a follow-up punch to the face.

Pain exploded out from my forehead, unlike anything I had ever felt before. Pure agony completely obliterated my pain scale. The rib I cracked one time was nothing anymore.

My pained screams came out as whimpering sobs. Apparently, sex toys stay with you the afterlife.

Why the hell did this hurt so much!? I hadn’t even fallen that hard and I just hit my forehead. This was serious sci-fi alien bursting out of the chest agony!

Except in my head.

I lay on the floor with my eyes closed as tightly as they went curled into as much of the fetal position as my bonds would allow. Which was surprisingly more than I remembered being able to move. Maybe the pain was so much that I’d snapped a rope with the contraction and didn’t hear it break.

The pain went away after god knows how long. Slowly I opened my eyes, expecting the maelstrom of color and senselessness. Instead, I was in a cave.

Everything was very dark, but a lantern was burning near me. I could see it just beside a large mirror framed with a purple horseshoe decorated with big chunks of light purple crystal.

Wait, that wasn’t a lantern. It wasn’t flickering, the light was steady and… Coming from a floating chunk of quartz inside the glass!?

FUCKING AWESOME! How? And why?

Why being the most important. Why would the afterlife be dark except for a single epic fucking fantasy novel magic lamp? It wouldn’t. That made no sense. Also most religions afterlife don’t have pain.

So I was alive. Okay. That was good.

Did that mean I was tripping balls? She had drugged me. Was there any drug which knocked you out and then caused vivid hallucinations? Not that I could remember.

Was this a coma? No, no, couldn’t be. Every case I knew of they claimed it was just like sleeping. A dream maybe? Nah, my dreams are stupid and never this detailed.

Concussions don’t cause this level of hallucinations either, so that ruled out getting knocked silly by being smashed into marble…

Holy shit. This was real, wasn’t it?

Pinkie had been literally right. An evil version of me had swapped places so she could take over the world. What are the fucking odds of that? Unless… She was in on it!

No, no she’d wanted to stay over and protect me. She knew about it, but was working to counter the other me. And she was new in town… And refused to let me take her home. Holy shit she was from here!

I’d just been in the middle of some kind of interdimensional Terminator movie plot! Except the good guys lost. Maybe I could get back in time to stop it!

No… No, I couldn’t. She said the portal was closing for thirty moons. Meaning twenty-nine point five three times thirty then divided by three sixty-five point two four… Two point four two years!

Fuck. I was stuck here for two and a half years…

But magic was a thing here.

And she said this was a wizard’s lab. Which meant the portal was magic, duh, and that this wizard probably built it. There’s no way you’d put a portal in a lab instead of someplace secure unless you were building one for the first time.

Which meant the wizard would have notes on how this worked. And if this was anything like Oubliettes and Ogres, there would be a basic spellbook and anyone could learn magic by trying hard enough.

I have a perfect memory. I’ll crack this in a week, find out how to open that portal myself, go back home and kick ‘my’ ass! I just had to get free of these ropes first.

Speaking of the ropes, they seemed loose. Not very loose, but just a little bit. One of the knots must have come undone. I could move my upper arms a little. If I could just roll onto my back and then arch my spine…

I rolled over onto my side. The moment felt, odd. I couldn’t place why, and was immediately distracted by the new part of the cave I could see.

The lantern's light didn’t illuminate too much of the cave, but now I could see for sure that it was a lab. The wood floor stretched out into the darkness, and I could just make out a long wooden table covered in dust and old chemistry equipment, as well as a bookshelf behind the table.

Perfect, we would start at that shelf!

I rolled over onto my back, and then arched upwards, rolling my shoulders to let the ropes slide-

Clean off.

What? They shouldn’t have been that slack. Did the rope get cut somehow? Oh god is that what the pain was?! Did I hit something sharp that sheared through the rope and then hit me in the forehead?

I lay back down. With the shoulder straps off I should be able to move my feet up to where I can reach the knot. Remembering that the chest binding would probably still squish my chest and make breathing hard I took a deep breath and sat up.

A pair of hooves stuck out of the far end of the corset tie around my legs.

My mind shut down for a full second, then I shrieked as loudly as I could. The muffled scream managed to echo off the walls.

Why did I have hooves for feet!? Oh no… She drugged me, knocked me out again, and then drugged me again, and cut off my feet then sewed these on!

Tears began to stream down my cheeks as I realized the truth. This was some kind of fucking sex dungeon! This was how they made sure their slaves couldn’t run away! No, no, no, no, no!

I had to get out! I could still crawl. I could do it. I begin to thrash as well as I could, hoping to shake my legs free of the crisscrossing tightly woven ‘net’. If I can just get my f- my legs clear. Wait a second…

Did those hooves move when I thrashed?

I thought about moving my left foot ‘up’. The hoof moved. I moved it down. Left. Right.

It fucking worked!? HOW!? WHY?!

Magic probably. But how did that work? Could I turn them back into feet? Or was this some kind of graft?

I’ll know as soon as I get the ropes off.

I moved my hands up-

Also hooves.

FUCK!

How the hell was I going to get loose now? Also is that fur on my upper arms?

Oh dear god. I’ve been turned into an animal.

Why?

I sat staring at my hand-hooves for a long time. I couldn’t think. I had no basis for reference to anything. I wasn’t even me anymore. I was… I was… What was I? Lots of things have hooves.

At least I was still able to think like a person. But seriously, what am I?

Remembering there was a mirror to my right, I twisted my head to look. A red and yellow maned unicorn looked back at me.

I blinked. It blinked. I nodded. It nodded.

Holy shit, I’m a unicorn! A fucking adorable unicorn! And also kinda sexy too…

God dammit, Lyra! You rubbed off on me.

Also, those ropes will totally come off if I just wiggle my… Uh, horse shoulders? Maybe I should have read those books on horses instead of just tearing the posters out and hanging them up.

Wiggling free of the ropes was a piece of cake. Then again they had been tied when I was a totally different shape. After a few moments, I had myself free, thanks in part to the ropes just slipping off my hooves when I shook them hard.

The question now was how to stand up. How would I move that lantern? It had a handle, and presumably, the other me moved it here.

Wait, if I was a pony in this dimension, was she a pony here? If that were so, did that mean hooves could hold things here? That kind of didn’t make sense, but unicorns are supposed to be magic, and magic is real here, so maybe I could just kind of boop something and pick it up?

I rolled over onto my belly, hoping what I had heard about newborn horses just standing up was true and I could do it by instinct. I willed myself to stand, and sure enough, I stood up.

Haha! It was instinct! Yes! Progress. Progress at controlling a beyond terrifying change to my entire life that I’m just not gonna think about right now.

Positive outlook, Sunset! Ignore the fact you've been kidnapped, stranded, and turned into a unicorn.

Something in the mirror caught my eye. The sun-shaped symbol from my favorite T-shirt was painted onto my hip, for some reason. Was that because I came through the portal wearing the shirt? Like, did it become a part of me?

PLEASE NO! I had been wearing panties with a heart on the crotch!

I twisted to look at my rump in the mirror, but my tail blocked the view of anything but my hips. At least no one could stare at my girl bits.

My tail swished of its own accord. Nope. They totally could. Because that thing moves. The upside, I don’t have a heart stamped on it… Also, my god were my lips plump. Nice!

I wonder if they would stay like that when I turned back. Retaining elements of a prior cursed form is a trope. Maybe it was also a part of reality too.

With a sigh, I walked, or rather, wobbled over to the lantern. I guess instinct only took you so far. Still uncertain on how I could move the lantern, and still unable to use my mouth at all, I reached for the lantern with my right hoof, touching the handling and willing myself to lift it.

I pulled my hoof up, the lantern came with it, the brass handle creaking slightly. I thought about twisting the handle, the lantern swung in response. My hooves worked just like hands, probably with some kind of tactile telekinesis.

COOL! I did a magic!

Did this mean I could take the gag off? I reached up towards my head. My hoof bent far enough to reach the straps, and I could feel the gag almost as well as if I were using a hand. She said she tied the key to my hair, right?

I spent a few seconds searching through my mane for any key. I did not find one… Shit. I’d have to find something to cut leather with. Or maybe the key fell off on the floor some place. I’d have to look around soon. Because I couldn’t take it off myself.

But could I walk with three legs?

I frowned around the ballgag and tried to take a step to the right, so I would face the table.

I pulled it off with no more wobbliness than when I was using four legs. Good! I could do this.

I was a fucking unicorn, but I could do this. The plan remained unchanged. This was just a dimension where everyone was a unicorn. I could deal with that.

…

Lyra is going to be PISSED if I don't bring her here. Wait, if there was another me here, then that means there should logically be another her here too. I wonder if she is into humans?

I could totally introduce them. Heh!

Putting my mind back on track, I walked towards the table. I had to get started on finding out how to make the mirror work. The floorboards creaked and sagged as I walked, clearly old, very old. And given this lab was built inside a cave, probably a little rotten.

Was this just decking so there would be an even floor? I dipped my head down, realizing that my new body was way more flexible than my human one, and peaked between a crack in the floorboards. I could see another floor below me. Not with enough detail to see what was down there, but there were at least five meters of drop between me and the floor below.

Wincing as much as the gag would allow, I stepped as carefully as I could, trying to remember which spots seemed rotten so I wouldn’t step on them. The floor creaked, moaned, and groaned as I navigated the minefield of rotten timbers, moving away from the table sadly.

I had to arc back towards it. That’s where the bookcase was. Right now I was just heading towards a bunch of boxes and piled up jun-

The floor beneath my front hoof gave way with a soft paper crinkling like sound. I pitched forwards, my horse-chest slamming into the floor with a soft whump, my other hoof holding up the lantern was unable to do a damn thing to stop the fall.

The floor immediately gave way and I fell screams muffled amid a cloud of rotten wood.

I fell into something wet with a loud splash. My entire body was instantly on fire. The pain I’d felt in my forehead became a distant memory as every single last inch of my skin screamed in pain. I thrashed, kicking instinctively, my hooves struck something hard. The distorted sound of shattering glass echoed through the definitely-not-water.

I fell again, landing on the broken glass of the ruptured tank. Everything burned with a hellish fury like I’d just fallen into a vat of lye or-

BASE! Find a base! Neutralize the acid! NO! DON’T DO THAT, THEY BURN TOO!

Scrape it off, yes, scrape it off with something!

I opened my eyes, too blinded by pain to be thankful I didn’t get any in my eyes. I was in a crowded room. Mostly book shelves. Some tables. Storage boxes.

Table! Yes, table. Scrape off chemicals. Edge. Good!

I stepped over to the table, screaming around the gag as the mere motion caused agony. Another step. Pale yellow fur fall to the floor, melting even as it dropped through the air.

Another step. Table close. Another step. Blinding pain.

Wait, table edge weird angle! How reach everywhere? Can’t. Need another thing. Not hoof. Hoof organic, dissolve too…

I screamed again, the pain only got worse as time went on. How!? Why!? Why hadn’t my nerves died yet? Please just fucking die!

At least the ball gag kept it from getting into my mouth… Wait, bronze thing on table. What is it?

I squinted, pain making my vision blurry. Horseshoes! Prefect! Metal, scrape off acid, no melt.

I reached for the shimmering brass shoe, stretching my arm-leg out causing millions sharp burning pains to dig into my bubbling skin. Oh dear sweet god it really was lye!

I grabbed the horseshoe. It was far more flat than I expected, more of a piece of thin metal that covered the point of the hoof. Like a slipper rather than a thick shoe. It also had tabs to hold it to the back of a hoof via friction.

Why? Oh duh. Sentient horse people wouldn’t want to nail something to their body.

I jammed my hoof into the shoe, then twisted to scrape my right arm-leg off. The shoe on my hoof glowed a bright yellow. I scarcely noticed the pain. The other four began to glow as well, clattering on the table before sliding off and forcing themselves onto my other hooves.

I didn’t care. Pain. Needed to get off. Going to die. Deal with magic shit lat-

The room flooded with white light, every last nook and cranny of the vast underground lab revealed for a split instance, crystallizing the dust covered mess of artifacts, equipment and bookshelves in my mind before the brilliant light whited out everything around me.

The pain vanished, swept away what felt like a rush of cool water. Looking down I saw my bubbling skin twist and flow, forming scar tissue at an impossible rate. Just as I hoped it would heal over into fresh skin, it stopped leaving behind a twisted, speckled, splotchy burn pattern of various pinks, reds, and peaches. Whatever magic provided the healing was not able to do any more for me.

My shoulders burned with fresh pain followed instantly by a grinding and scraping sound that I also felt as two things exploded from my back. I twisted my head to see two thick bones protruding from my back. Muscle raced up them as I watched in horror, followed by skin.

Scared, splotchy, mutilated skin.

Wings. They were wings. Only without feathers. Because I didn’t have fur any mo-

My wings erupted into flames, but I didn’t feel them burn. In fact, the flames felt cool, soothing even. Within a matter of moments, the fire flowed over the space where feathers would be, and shifted, each lick of flame forming a feather-like shape and then freezing as if turning into a solid.

I felt similar flames form on my head, and tail. As I watched the orange flames on my tail twisted into thin strands, much like hair, and then also froze, turning into a glowing, semi-transparent replacement. A lock of fire-mane fell in front of my eyes, obscuring my vision, but also projecting a small ring of light around me as the blinding white light vanished like a switch had been flipped.

Despite the small part of my mind which said that was metal as fuck, I was terrified beyond all forms of reason.

Mutilated, stranded, and probably cursed… Hi, rock bottem.

All I could do was walk as far away from the pool of acid as I could, then fall over and cry, sobs muffled by the gag.

4 - Friendship

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Mi Amore Cadenza “Cadence” - 17th of Megan, 1000 Solar Era (16 years ago)

Canterlot - Equestria

I hate visiting Canterlot. I hate it with a passion no other pony could ever hope to comprehend. Perhaps a species of empaths could understand the vast ocean of hatred I have for this city and its snobby elitist prudes who are all far too mired in their misguided sense of what is ‘right and proper’ to even consider others points of view, let alone desires.

Is it ironic that the Princess of Love can despise something so totally and completely?

I don't think so. The people of Canterlot, not all, but the majority of her citizens, are the antithesis of true love. There are exceptions, like my dear coltfriend Shining Armor and his family, but the majority are truly vile people on the inside.

I’m not judgmental or sanctimonious. I know their hearts and desires as a matter of fact. I’m the embodiment of love. My empathy is unparalleled, even in myths and legend. I know the hearts and whatever passion is currently held foremost in every person’s mind out to ten meters, two hundred meters if I were to take out the earing used to limit my power’s range.

Whenever I walk the streets of Canterlot, the hearts around me have one thing to say. ‘I must increase my own power.’

The people here are not corrupt enough to be a threat to the nation, they all want to serve Equestria. It’s simply that they all want ever larger slices of the pie. They care nothing for those beneath them save as a means of expressing their power and creating an image of kindness and benevolence. All the while underneath, is a self-centered jerk, drunk on their own self-image. Greedily seizing every chance to gather more for themselves and to put the odd, strange, or bizarre around them in a cage to demonize, so others won't consider their own passions to be despicable.

Every time I return home from visiting Canterlot, I spend hours in the shower trying to get my soul clean.

That was once a true problem for me. I used to absorb and emulate the passions of those around me, whether I wanted to or not. It took Starswirl a decade, but he was able to enchant a small arcanite disk which blocks that compulsion, save for all but the strongest of passions.

The tiny implanted chip restored my free will, but the decade spent serving to aid others in increasing or achieving their passions did leave its mark on me. I knew what my duty to Equestria was ever since the first mare I helped.

It was my job to make a safe place for those with harmless but ‘deviant’ desires to live normal lives which included their tastes openly. Canterlot was the city of nobility, pomp, and so-called ‘polite society’. One day I would have a city of my own, a place of love, openness, and kink.

More specifically, a carefully tailored society with a legal system and culture which allows people to be themselves at all times and not have to wear stupid ‘masks’ just to be respected.

I’d discussed my plans with Shining several times, just to be certain my possible future husband would be okay with me creating what would basically be a city-wide red light district with a culture best described as ‘anti-prudish’. He was, and he understood that such a place is needed.

Those who society spurns but are still good people need a place they feel welcome. I couldn’t handle being around politicians and diplomats. I loved being around normal ponies with strange desires. As such, my path was clear.

It was my destiny to be their princess. To welcome them, lead them, and play alongside them. Not just the kinky people, but everyone with a passion that guides their life and who is spurned for it. They need a place of their own. Away from a culture which shuns them.

Celestia herself agreed with the idea. Her attempts to incorporate me into the Crown as a replacement for her long banished sister failed spectacularly.

Before my ascension to Alicorn thanks to Starswirl’s experiments, I was a warrior. My hooves had once wielded a blade in defense of the Outbuck against tyrants. That side of me never left, nor will it. It’s too deeply rooted in my heart.

The first day I had sat on the lunar throne, a noble had come before me and presented a tax plan so blatantly self-serving and cruel, and who had held such pure greed in his heart, that I killed him on the spot.

Did I regret it? Yes. It was action without thought. Action with noble intentions, but there had been many better solutions.

Needless to say, I was removed from office. My place as part of the crown was reconsidered, and Celestia agreed to allow me to proceed with my plan. On one condition.

It must be some place remote.

In return, I promised to stay out of politics, save for local affairs within my to be established fiefdom. I was more than willing to agree to those terms.

A proper place had not yet been chosen, there were no city-sized chunks of land available within Equestria. At least, not within habitable areas. Celestia’s archmage, Raven, was very certain that the long banished Crystal Empire would be returning any year now. With it would come an artifact which made a city-sized region habitable despite the arctic environment.

Because the Crystal Empire’s territory belonged to Equestria, no other nation would seek to claim it. Because the nation had not been folded into Equestria before vanishing, no noble house had claim to it. It was the Crown’s property.

When it returned, it was to be mine forever.

I could wait a few more years. Until then, I had my life to enjoy at my manor in Calmare. And the occasional visit to Canterlot to either visit Shining Armor who commanded the city’s guard as their Captain, or to talk with Celestia about my ongoing city planning.

This was a city planning visit. After which I would be giving my ‘filly’ a loving hug and a good date night before leaving.

Ah Shining, part of why I love you so much is that feminine side of yours which pops up anytime you relax. Never change, my sweet.

Except for your fear of multi-partner relationships. Please change that. It's hard to be monogamous for you. Worth it to the very last ounce of willpower, but hard.

I reached my destination within the maze-like halls of the Royal Palace, which snapped me out of my thoughts. Celestia’s den, a good place for private meetings.

I knocked on the twin wooden doors, careful to not scratch the elaborately carved sun emblem centered on the arched doors. Those doors were two hundred years older than me, and I was five hundred years old myself. Nothing makes you respect historic relics like being one yourself.

“Come in,” Celestia’s voice called through the doors, muffled slightly by the wood.

I carefully turned the door handle with my magic’s grip, and walked inside, closing it behind me.

“Nice to see you, Celestia,” I greeted, giving her a short curtsy.

“Good to see you too, Cadence,” the not-pink-enough alicorn replied honestly.

Of course, her tone carried a little irritation at my reflexive curtsy. She hated how I never could get past having once been her bodyguard.

“You didn’t have too difficult a time traveling through the city, I hope?” Celestia asked politely, using her magic to pull one of the white-wax wood chairs out from the small tea table she kept in her overly organized and tidy den.

I swear, the only mess allowed was on her desk. And even her in progress notes had a sort of order to their chaos.

I took a seat at the table, admiring Celestia’s gold plated, silver inlay decorated tea set, and holding back a smile as my old friend’s foremost passion shifted to eating an entire cake with tea. She knew that I knew what she wanted to do of course, but her cordial expression didn’t change a single wink. Her dignified mask was flawless after millennia of use.

It saddened me. Nopony should have to hide their true selves just to be respected.

“No worse than usual, but I do have a request for one mare to be sent to my estate,” I informed as she poured us both a cup of tea.

“Oh?” Celestia asked as she sat down and we both picked up our teacups.

I took the first sip, completing the little ceremony so she could enjoy her own tea and biscuit.

“Yes, her name is Moon Dust. A baker living on Prism Lane in Canterlot. I met her in the market on the way here. The poor mare is visibly a nervous wreck, and clearly shunned. Her personal fantasies were exposed by a pony who stole her diary. I’ll keep them private for her sake, but she’s no longer welcome where she lives. I have room for a baker among my staff,” I explained.

Celestia nodded. She understood as well as I did the need for a refuge. Not everypony can get along with everyone after all. “Did you offer her a job already?” She asked.

I nodded. “Yes, and she accepted.”

“I’ll have a moving company transfer her goods and pay for her train ticket this evening,” Celestia informed before turning a bit more serious. “Now then, about your desire to allow otherwise illegal acts via the use of a ‘consent form’. There are several legal problems with the concept, chief amongst which is there is no basis for what is essentially pardoning a crime in advance.”

“What if we establish the city as a city-state which is a protectorate under the Crown?” I asked. “That way it can have it’s own independent legal system and would only be required to pay tribute via tax revenue, and submit to Equestrian law in times of war or if ordered to by the Crown for emergencies.”

“Yes, but if you did that you would need to run the city’s affairs yourself. You are still very young, and you well... You can’t do political negotiating. I can’t see you managing a government well,” Celestia countered.

Fortunately, I was prepared for this particular argument.

“Actually, my plan is to establish a technocracy with myself as an overseer,” I explained. “The various administers would be appointed by me, but would consist of ponies who share my desire to protect others and provide a means to thrive. I know it sounds like a pipedream but-”

Celestia’s eyes sparkled as she smiled, impressed with the idea. “For anypony except you, it would be. That’s quite brilliant, Cadence. You’d have to find such individuals of course, but you could honestly know if they were right for the job… Let’s flesh out this idea further. If we can smooth out all of the problems with your plan I’ll approve it. However, I want the authority to veto any of the foundational laws for your legal system.”

I thought about it for a minute. Celestia did understand what I was trying to do, and she did have more experience with me at drafting a legal system. She also did regret several decisions made early on…

“It’s a deal,” I agreed, holding out my hoof for a bump.

Celestia rolled her eyes and bumped my hoof, sealing the verbal agreement the Outbuck way.

“You haven't lived there in four hundred and sixty-three years,” she said with an amused but dignified flick of her ears.

“I agreed to lose the accent because nopony could understand a word I said. But the rest sticks with me, Tia,” I replied with a wink.

We discussed the details of my plan over tea for at least three solid hours. I’d spent months working out most of the kinks (figuratively and literally) myself. But Celestia still found a few things to disagree with. Most of them were small errors in ‘social logic’ I didn’t catch, a few were ideas I simply didn't think of, and of course there were things I objected to.

But I trusted her to have my best interests in mind. Princess Celestia had kept a utopia running by herself for almost a millennia now. She knew what she was doing. However…

“No deal! All guards and soldiers MUST be allowed to incorporate fetish gear into their uniforms. There WILL be lifestylers amongst their ranks,” I objected.

“Cadence, foreign diplomats will eventually have to visit. If we don’t allow the occasional diplomatic function, other nations will assume something sinister is going on with your city which the Crown is directly working on, it could lead to war. Citizens can be asked to leave the court for a day, but the guard must be present. They have to be decent,” Celestia countered with a sigh.

“Then we’ll have a prude friendly uniform for those functions. They are announced in advance after all,” I countered.

“Yes, but soldiers are visible to everypony. Photographs of a guarded door in a newspaper will have other governments looking on us poorly for having a city devoted to debauchery. I know, I know, that’s not how you see it, and I do understand the purpose and agree that it would make many miserable ponies happy to have such a place. But our nation’s image is half of what keeps us at peace,” Celestia protested.

Buck! She was right. I chewed my lip as I thought about what I could do to get around this problem.

“What if,” I proposed slowly, ”I create a series of illusions which mask ‘deviant’ behavior from non-residents?”

Celestia frowned. “I’m too busy to help with that. There’s been an… Incident with one of my apprentices.”

“I think I can do it on my own. Or with a little help from another mage at the most,” I said after some thought.

“Very well,” Celestia said with a nod and a sigh. “If you can manage that, then I’ll allow it. But if not, and until you do, the uniforms must be decent in nature.”

I sighed and held out my hoof. “Agreed. Are we finished?”

Celestia bumped my hoof, then nodded. “Yes, that’s all we need to discuss right now.”

“Good… Because what’s wrong with your apprentices? Did Twilight turn her parents into plants again?” I asked hoping to keep from snickering.

I hadn’t seen the little filly in years but- Oh. Wow. I hadn’t seen her in eight years! She was a grown mare now, give or take a month. I should plan a visit, especially since I might be marrying her brother soon.

“No, not Twilight. It was Sunset,” Celestia sighed. “I thought you would have heard, how- Oh yes. You were traveling this morning.”

Ah, right. The downside of taking a train to delay getting to Canterlot as long as possible instead of just teleporting or flying on my own. Missing the day’s news.

She turned to look out her bay window, her ethereal mane blocking any view I had out of it myself.

“I thought she might be ready to begin learning about her destiny. I was wrong,” Celestia lamented. “I showed her the Crystal Mirror three months ago. Not it’s true function, but it’s prophetic reflection. She… She did not take to learning she could become an alicorn one day as I had hoped. This last morning she threatened me, demanding I stop limiting her power and allow her to accend immediately. As in, she threatened to kill me. Her desire for power is too great, I was forced to have her banished from Canterlot.”

My ears fell sadly. “I’m sorry… I know you cared for her greatly,” I sympathized.

That was an understatement. Celestia had personally raised Sunset for the last ten years after her parents had died.

“That’s not the worst of it. The mirror was active as a portal, you recall how we couldn’t shut it fully?” Celestia asked, waiting for me to nod before she continued. “Whatever world we can’t close the portal too, she fled there. I saw her enter myself…”

“You didn’t pursue? Or post a guard to see if she would come back?” I asked uncertainly. “That doesn't sound like you, Celestia.”

“No, I did not,” she sighed. “I’m not exactly in the best of emotional states right now… I did not want to wait in my dead adoptive father's laboratory for my wayward daughter to come home… And I don’t trust my guard to not accidentally disrupt some ancient artifact in his lab. I did post a door guard and have scrying crystals turned to her aura. The lab’s shielded but if she teleports out of it I’ll see her immediately. If she returned, she has not left the lab, and the portal is closed now. She will be there for at least thirty moons.”

I thought for a moment, then nodded slowly to myself. “The mirror showed her as an alicorn, didn’t it?” I asked.

Celestia nodded.

“Then, knowing Sunset, she probably believes the mirror itself is what will transform her. She won't leave it until she is certain that the world on the other side isn’t some sort of, testing ground,” I said as I stood up and wrapped my forelegs around Celestia in a tight hug. “I’m sorry…”

“I can’t repeat this mistake with Twilight,” Celestia said as I embraced her.

“What will you do?” I asked curiously.

“I can’t show her her destiny, she will have to stumble upon it. Or rather, be guided towards it,” Celestia replied, eyes narrowing in intense thought. “I- I can’t go into the laboratory right now. Cadence, could you please find Starswirl’s prophecy about Nightmare Moon’s Return, and the guide to the elements of harmony, and bring them to me? I’ll mix them into Twilight’s next book shipment. She’ll notice the books she didn’t order straight away.”

I let go of Celestia and gave her the most concerned look I could. “Are you kidding me? Twilight’s destined to fight Nightmare Moon?!”

“Yes,” Celestia replied morosely. “Not alone, but she’s the new Element of Magic. I’ve known it for five years now. That she was more than just an extraordinarily powerful mage.”

“Okay, but, you’re doing this literally one day after Sunset… Betrayed you,” I said, frowning as I was forced to cut the emotional wound even deeper.

“That’s why I tried to accelerate Sunset’s ascension by showing her what her potential was,” Celestia groaned. “There are only thirty-three days left.”

I felt my heart skip a beat. “Why didn’t you tell me!? I’ll have my war gear ready in five min-”

“No!” Celestia shouted, her morose face flashing in an instant to deep concern. “We’ve been over this, you are excellent in physical combat. The Nightmare almost killed ME. She would obliterate you in an instant. Her arcane power is overwhelming.

“I can’t risk you in combat against her because if I am killed or captured, somepony will have to lead the resistance. That pony can only be you. Equestria has had an alicorn as a unifying force for so long that I fear without one the tribes will fall apart looking for someone ‘worthy’ of leading them. I know you hate politics, but you led a resistance once before, I trust you can again.”

“Buck,” I swore in a single long sigh. “You’re right. As you command, Your Majesty.”

Nopony said I had to be happy with leaving Celestia unguarded with her sworn enemy returning.

“Sunset would have been comparable in power to me, she could have tipped the scales…” Celestia lamented. “I had hoped she would have ascended long before now but- But that ship wrecked.

“Getting the Elements to new bearers is our only hope now. The Element of Magic will find the other bearers, it is her destiny. I just need to get her started on the path now. Right now. Please.”

“I’ll get the books for you,” I said after a moment of silence. “But for the record, you should l have told me months ago.”

“I’m sorry… I’m too used to keeping you out of politics,” Celestia sighed.

“I forgive you,” I replied sincerely. “Before I go, how certain are you that we can defeat her?”

“If we get the Elements working again, completely. If not… Hopefully, the thousand years has made the difference and I can best her in combat. I know Twilight can succeed, but I don’t know if she will. Even Starswirl couldn’t tell you the exact future, only the most probable one,” Celestia said, slipping back into her stately calm mask.

“I’ll be back with those books as soon as I find them,” I promised.

“I’ll be in court. The nation must run normally, they would only create a chaos which would make it impossible to mount our defense if they knew... Leave the books on my desk, please. Goodbye, Cadence,” Celestia said as she vanished in a golden flash of light.

I left Celestia’s den and traveled through the palace’s white and gold halls to Starswirl’s old lab. It was easy to find. Head down. All the way down. Below the dungeon. Behind the hidden door to the heart of Mount Spurr.

The lab was a leftover from when the Palace had been a Cathedral for the Old Gods. A hidden chamber dedicated to Dusk, the Goddess of Death.

The myths and legends surrounding her always made me nervous to enter the lab. I firmly believed the Old Gods had simply been mages of incredible power. It seemed to me that messing with one of their ‘shrines’ might be a way to resurrect them. But Starswirl had always insisted that ‘Eh, she’s more of a geek. Perfectly harmless as long as you’re not evil.’

He had been born when the religion was still practiced. I trusted him to at least know how to not recreate some sort of undead wizard by accident. And prevent others from doing the same by accident.

I didn’t expect the guards Celestia set to be a pair of knights. Equestria still maintained a few feudal militant orders, but for the most part, Guard Regiments filled all defense and police duty. The two unicorns, invisible behind their burned steel gothic plate armor looked at me through their angular visor slits, almost like statues in a museum.

She must have trusted their battle mage training to contain a rogue Sunset more than a pair of guards ponies.

A good call. I kept telling her that the guard needed more training than law enforcement tactics and basic combat training.

The knights green and blue auras blazed as they dropped their halberd points to bring them in line for battle.

“This area’s off limits, ma’am,” one of them said as firmly as the steel in her armor.

“Good afternoon, Sirs,” I greeted. “Princess Celestia asked me to fetch some books for her. You can stand down.”

The two shared a sidelong glance. The other who had yet to speak saying to his comrade. “Well, it is Cadence.”

“Yeah, but she could have turned traitor too,” the first objected.

I rolled my eyes and focused my power on the two, intentionally looking into their hearts.

“You two are very good ponies, brave, loyal, and smart. You both know that if I wanted in and was a traitor that I would be in right now, and we wouldn’t be having this conversation. Right?” I asked, doing my best to keep my tone factual and non-threatening.

“Or you could try persuasion to get in without raising the alarm,” the lady knight aggressively pointed out.

“Oh my Celestia, Summer! She’s a Princess, she has clearance, she started her business here. Let her in,” the other knight objected.

“What books are you after?” His partner probed quizzically.

“The Elements of Harmony: A Guide Book, and The Mare in the Moon,” I replied immediately.

The Lady knight sighed and raised her halberd. “Alright, it does seem like you are on a specific mission. Go on in… But if you find the traitor in there, be careful. Who knows what old relics are just strewn about the place.”

I nodded as the guards opened the doors for me, the musty smell of a place long abandoned blasting out from the doors in a wave.

“I do. I’ve been here before. I was ‘born’ here, in a way. Funny thing is it was this cluttered when Starswirl was alive too,” I said as I walked inside.

“Ponyfeathers,” the male knight cursed as the doors closed. “I keep forgetting how old she is.”

“Yeah, she looks younger than me. Damn alicorns!” The mare muttered jealously as the doors banged shut.

I smiled to myself. I looked about middle aged if I didn’t use any illusion spells on myself. Normally I kept myself looking more youthful, if only because of my habit of going back to high school every twenty years or so. It was a good way to stay informed of the new things we learned and invented as time went buy.

Also, it got me my colt friend. That was worth dealing with, ugh, twenty-year-olds…

As always, the old lab was dark. Normally there was a lantern on a hook by the door, but it seemed to be missing. Deciding that Sunset must have taken it I cast a simple light spell, tinting the light white for the sake of reading the aging ink on dusty book spines, and walked deeper into the converted cave.

The old floorboards creaked worryingly beneath my hooves as I walked between the seemingly chaotic ‘corridors’ between banks of bookshelves, display cases, and workstations. Thankfully this was the ground floor. Somepony could probably fall through one of the most worn down spots. I’d have to tell Celestia the floors needed to be redone. This was very unsafe.

A bookshelf could fall from an upper floor and crush somepony if things got much worse.

Finding things in Starswirl’s old laboratory was never a simple matter. While he did have signs clearly labeling every section, the arrangement of the sections themselves had no real order to them. I’m sure it had made sense to the old wizard, but to anypony else except for maybe Celestia, you needed to find one of the signs which listed what you were looking for.

In my case, I needed to find the ‘cleaning supplies’ section. It was actually the weapons storage and development section, Starswirl never trusted security enough to clearly label something as ‘Destructive Device Storage: Limit One per Robber’.

I knew it was on the first floor, but where?

Roaming through the maze of old artifacts I couldn’t help but notice some of the items interred in the old lab. A seemingly empty glass jar with a label reading ‘Jar of infinite bees and one wasp’. A small spiky ball beneath a bell shaped glass case labeled ‘Angry spiky ball, do not open’. A small twig broom lashed to the leg off a workbench with a note reading ‘Defective, sweeps dirt evenly across floor instead of into piles.’

A small twenty-sided die labeled as ‘Magic ‘lucky’ die. “Only 20's" enchantment undetectable by ponies!’

THAT CHEATING BASTARD! So that’s how you crushed every last dungeon I made!

Grumbling to myself I moved deeper into the lab, past the weird brass helmet which I’d been screamed at for touching once, and through the ‘worked once then broke’ DIY bookcase door into the back half of the lab.

It had to be here, it wasn’t in the front.

Books on home enchantment maintenance… Upside down wooden mug with a rock on it and a note reading ‘Really big spider. Maybe’... A pretty cool old alchemy workbench-

Ooo! Neighponese erotic potions brewing guide!

I picked the book up and stuffed it into the extradimensional storage pouch hidden under my mane. I always wanted one of these, but imports of Neighponese erotic materials had been banned outright thanks to their age of consent being fifteen instead of our twenty-seven. On the upside, Celestia did say I could borrow books from here. Heh heh.

Shining will LOVE this! I’ll be able to replace that strap on with something more fun and convenient! Ooo maybe it had some special animated restraint spells along with potions! Shining loved using those on me!

No! Bad Cadence! Work now, fun later.

Getting back onto track I continued my search. I managed to find the section dealing with obscure magical creatures, a workstation for testing golems, a bookcase which had something glowing and sobbing behind it, a big silver plated table etched with Tartarian ru-

Wait, glowing sobbing thing? What?!

My eyes narrowed. Sunset. It had to be. If I could restrain her and bring her back to Celestia, maybe they could patch this whole thing up. Especially since she sounded like she was having a total emotional breakdown.

I extended my empathic senses to ‘sweep’ the area around the bookcase and immediately winced. Yeah, that was a total emotional break.

Right, think fast. How best to approach a pony who likely found out she threatened her sort-of mother over nothing? Slowly so as to assess the situation.

I took a nervous breath and steeled myself, just in case she decided to attack me for whatever reason. I was fairly certain I could handle a unicorn, even one with Sunset’s perfect knowledge of every spell book she had ever read. After all, she couldn’t cast every spell she knew.

There’s more to a spell than knowing it.

I slowly walked towards the glow, the sobs getting louder as I approached, but only to a point. They were muted, muffled. Odd, it sounded almost like somepony was gaged.

I reached the bookcase and rounded the corner to see an-

Alicorn! No impossible. Double check, brain!

Horn, pale yellow in color. Rest of body scar tissue, no fur, extremely pretty thanks to the patterns the scars form. Wings which- OH DEAR FAUST SHE WAS ON FI-

Oh, nope. Not on fire. That was merely flame like illusions, forming her feathers, mane, and tail.

Damn girl, you look metal as buck! And very very pretty. I knew I liked scars but I never though I’d like a full body scar pattern. Live and learn.

You are probably in terrible pain though… So that sucks. But are you Sunset?

I quietly stepped around to her left side. The unknown alicorn remained laying on the floor, eyes closed, and shaking with full body sobs. As soon as I got enough of an angle to see her flank, I nodded slowly.

Yes, it was Sunset. That was her cutiemark. Whole and undamaged. Interesting to know that the mark remained despite a burn.

What had happened to her? Was ascending in whatever universe lay on the other side of the portal harmfull? Perhaps. Magic might very well function differently in another universe.

My eyes caught glints of brass and bronze, drawing my attention first to her mouth. She WAS gagged, with a large pink ball gag of all things. Why was that…

The question about the gag evaporated as I noticed the bronze horseshoes on her hooves. Oh no… Starswirl’s prototype for the Alicorn armor. That’s how she was an Alicorn.

The burns, the enchantment must not have worked correctly. Or-

Or that big broken glass tank a few meters away and the melted hole in the floorboards has something to do with it. What section of the lab is this?

I looked away for a split second, searching for a sign. It didn’t take long to find.

‘Disposal’. She’d fallen into a vat of acid…

My heart went out to her. No pony deserved to fall into a vat of acid used to destroy things a wizard deemed dangerous. She must be devastated, how do I console her?

The empathic probe I pushed towards her sank in easily. Too easily, like she had no mental wards at all. Sure her devastated mental state would make it easier for me to look, but there should still be some resistance.

I narrowed my eyes as I concentrated, trying to probe Sunset for her deepest passions, there had to be something I could use to cheer her up.

What the hay is computer programming? And motocross? And Off Roading? And-

My ears fell and eyes widened with dawning horror. This wasn’t the Sunset I knew. Her heart was kinder, less hasty, largely the same yet slightly different. Her passions didn’t align with ‘Sunset’, especially since this mare liked other mares, the Sunset I knew liked colts.

The love for things I didn’t know of. The differences in her heart. The gag. The total emotional hell.

The universe we couldn’t close off was a parallel universe. This was the Sunset who belonged on the other side. Ours had banished her here. She stole this sunset’s life, and now the poor mare lay here mutilated, transformed, and sobbing for an ex-lover’s caring embrace. A lover who-

Her culture would bucking DISOWN FOALS over their choice of LOVER!?

Bullies! Despots! Monsters! It’s one thing to stop talking to them as adults over life choices, but to throw a child out into the cold over something so... So… Trivial!?

They must be the same kind of heartless barbarians as Sangria the Tyrannical! As a young pony, fresh from the herd living with the Amyathits, I could not abide the misery that oppressive regem enforced. As a grown mare I could not allow such suffering to fall upon anyone else.

I could see her people now, imprisoned within a similar system as the ancient Outbuck. Weighed down by corrupt merchants, treated as tools for extracting wealth for one’s self, their culture carefully created to encourage fighting amongst themselves instead of against their evil overlords.

I should gather my forces and launch a Crusade against such evil! Faust did not create us to be miserable.

“FAUST VULT!” I bellowed angrily, wings flaring open to better express my wrath as I let loose with my old war cry.

The other Sunset’s eyes flew open, her ears lay back face contorting with fright, as a fearful squeak escaped her blocked mouth.

No! Calm, calm down. Invading another dimension to literally slap compassion into an entire culture a bad idea. Help this pony instead of doing that!

“Eeep! No, no, no! It’s okay!” I said quickly, closing my wings as I realized what I must look like to the poor terrified mare. “I’m not going to hurt you. I’m going to hurt whoever did this to you. Gagging a mare and locking her in a deathtrap of a place like this… Can you take that gag off? Is it hexed to prevent you from using your magic?”

The Sunset paused, her backward retreat had been awfully wobbly. She didn’t have a broken leg too, did she?

After a moment of fearful recoiling, she nodded and tried to speak around the gag.

“Sorry, but that’s a very well made toy. I can’t hear a thing. May I take it off for you?” I asked slowly walking closer.

She paused for another few moments, then nodded tearstained cheeks shimmering in the light her flame-mane provided. I walked the rest of the way over to her and dismissed my light spell so I could grip the gag telekinetically.

I never really bragged about it, but I’d always been very good with telekinesis. If it wouldn’t have been politically ‘unfair’ for a princess to compete in arcane sports. Otherwise I would have been taking home a good number of medals over the last few decades.

As soon as my Aura engulfed it, I felt the lock, and simply focused my magic on the device, turning the tumbler and pins until it clicked open and I was able to gently pull the toy out of her mou-

Ew… Now that I had it in ‘hoof’ the whole thing was pretty badly eaten up. I could probably have just pulled it off of her head like taffy. The disgust turned to slight embarrassment as I saw the other side of the ball had a girl’s parts stamped into the rubber. It looked like a life-cast too.

“Heh… Now that’s a kinky idea, too bad it was used to torment you,” I lamented as I tossed the gag to the side. “What’s your name? Do you need immediate medical attention?”

“Sunset,” she answered, her voice shaky from crying. “I look like cooked bacon… I need a hospital.”

“I know a little healing magic, let me check you for first aid,” I said as soothingly as I could before lifting her with my telekinesis to check her belly.

I gently poked her skin with a hoof. While scarred, it didn’t seem brittle. Elastic, smooth even. No pebbly texture like you would expect scars to have. It was merely discolored.

“You seem fine,” I said setting her back down. “Who did this to you?”

She paused again, wobbling on her hooves before laying down and curling up, not really looking at me.

“I-um… I did. The me from here. I- I know it sounds insane…” She mumbled, dejectedly assuming I wouldn’t believe her.

“Not at all. There’s a prototype dimensional gate on the second floor and one of our monarchs apprentices threatened to kill her if she didn’t give her more power then ran off through it yesterday,” I said sadly. “You share her cutiemark… but I know you’re not her. I’m empathic. Your hearts are different.”

“Oh. Um… Magic… I- We don’t… We don’t have that,” she said awkwardly.

I could tell that she was unused to not knowing things. But the fact that her world had no magic… Heh.

Heh…

I bit my lip to try and hold back my laughter, but it burst through. “Hahahaha! Oh, my, Celestia! She ran into a magic free universe to try and find out how to become an alicorn! Hahahaha! And she’s trapped there for years!”

The other Sunset scooted away slightly at my outburst.

I turned to her and gave her a genuine smile. “The best part is, she inadvertently made YOU into the thing she wanted to be! Hehehe!” I shook my head slowly, taking a deep breath to try and get the laughs out.

I had to help this poor mare still.

“I don’t think she wanted to fall into lye,” Sunset mumbled into the floor, a few strands of mane falling over her face.

“Well no,” I agreed honestly. “But hey, you’re a demigod now. So that’s something.”

Her ears perked as she looked up at me curiously. “W-what?” She asked.

Woah! What was that emotion? A sort of desperate greedy form of curiosity. I’d never felt it like this before. This was more than mere wonder, this was a drive to learn, assimilate, and utilize new information. An intense emotion, one which carried with it the telltale marks of an evolved species-wide behavior.

Damn! The ponies on the other side evolved to be innovators. Cool!

“You’re an alicorn,” I explained. “You have the traits of all three pony kinds. A unicorn’s magic, an Earth Pony’s connection to nature, strength, and stamina. The flight and weather control powers of a pegasus. We’re artificial demigods, created through very complicated magic a very long time ago to unite and protect Equestria. There’s only three of us alive today. Counting you. That makes you very special.”

She frowned and turned one hoof to stare at the horseshoe on her right forehoof. “But I’m not… This happened when I put this shoe on to scrape the lye off. If I take them off then, won’t I turn back?” She asked curiously.

I coughed. “Um, no… I um… I was here when those were made. I’m the template. See? The shoes do the work, but even if you did take them off later, you’d remain as you are.”

“Oh,” she replied, then curiously tried to pull the shoe off her hoof. “I can’t… It won't move. At all.”

“These were never finished… They may have fused to your hooves. No one ever tested them. The project was scrapped,” I explained. “Before you ask why… Are you feeling any overwhelming compulsion to do a particular thing? Alicorns are… We’re bound to a force of nature. Unfortunately, for us, we’re influenced by that force too. We’ll need to know if you say, are bound to the concept of death and-”

“No, no nothing like that,” Sunset said quickly, eyes widening in terror. “I… I just want to… Huh… I want to bring warmth, comfort, and… Life?”

“Given your metal as buck mane of motherbucking fire, that probably means you have fire. Lucky you!” I said with a happy smile.

Sunset flinched, looking away from me as I smiled. “D-don’t flatter me… I know I’m… I’m mutilated.”

“Oh, stop it! You’re pretty!” I blurted out of pure reflex.

Sunset flashed me an angry look. “Don’t lie to me! I’ve had the worst day of my life! I don’t need to be lied to!”

I felt my ears droop sadly. Sunset’s face melted from angry to sympathetic.

“Oh geez I’m sorry!” She yelped. “You look like a dog that got kicked!"

“I like scars,” I said honestly. “They tell a story about a pony, and they add some variety to your coat. I used to have some very nice scar art cut into me, but that healed up when I ascended. I’ve missed it ever since. It’s an Outbuck thing. I had a flower and vine pattern all over my body, each part commemorating part of my life. We use scars as a sort of language, everypony knew who I was, and what I did.

“I never thought I’d find scarring as extensive as yours to be pretty, until now. You are like a piece of marble or wood. The colors form interesting shapes and patterns. Others might, okay, others WILL disagree. But I think you are very pretty, and I can feel your heart, you’re a good pony, kind, caring, and driven. If my coltfriend was okay with multiple partners, I would already be planning how to ask you on a date once you're mentally stable again.”

“Uuuuhhh…” Sunset said slowly, eyes wide with alarm.

I blushed and cleared my throat. “I-I’m sorry. I’m the ‘Princess of Love’. I kind of have to express my affection, further others passions… That sort of thing,” I giggled.

“Oh. So like, because you’re an alicorn and bound to love… Okay, yeah that makes sense,” she decided. Then her ears flattened slightly. “Wait, does that mean you love everything?”

I shook my head. “No. I despise prudes, those who harm others intentionally, politicians, the selfish and greedy… Love isn’t all sex, cuddles, kink, and passion. If I feel something threatening to harm others, I’m compelled to destroy them. Nothing bucks with Cadence’s family.”

“So… You’re the whole package then. Does that mean I’m going to have to burn everything flammable? Because I kind of feel like well, that could be dangerous… But I would like a fire… I’m cold,” Sunset admitted with a whimper.

My heart went out to the poor mare. She didn’t even know what magic was. But her mere existence as an Alicorn, and as Sunset, meant if I told Celestia about her she would be forced into the most brutal arcane training of her life as a means of trying to combat the Nightmare.

She didn’t need that. She needed a hug, and some cocoa, and a cuddle, and love.

Stupid monogamy! I could fix her and make her whole again if it wasn’t for you being so afraid that being with others would take me from you, Shining! Ugh, why can’t you understand how my love works?

What to do? I had to do something… She needed help. I couldn’t let her just stay here.

I had only one option. I had to take her home and hide her. But how to conceal an Alicorn’s arcane signature from Celesta? The lab was warded enough to hide her here bu-

The mask! The mask Starswirl designed to supplement invisibility spells. It had to be with the books, it was a weapon type artifact.

“No, no you won't have to do that. It sounds more like you’re expressing fire’s symbolic traits. If it’s a problem, we will deal with that later,” I soothed. “Now please stand up. You’re in a land that’s a sea of political chaos right now, and I’m the only mare who really gets to be away from it.

“I’ll help you get started with life here. But you need to follow me, okay? I have to get some books here, and there’s a mask in here too. It’s a simple undecorated porcelain mask. We need it so that you can’t be found magically when you leave the warded laboratory area.

“If anypony learns you’re an alicorn, well… Um… You’ll be drawn into politics almost instantly. It’s a culture thing. Alicorns are in charge of something.”

Sunset winced and stood up. “I-I really don't want that. Like, at all. So um, lead on? And what do you rule?”

“Nothing yet,” I admitted. “But as soon as land is available, Celestia’s allowing me to make a city for um- You know, I won't lie or dance around the truth with you. I’m going to be ruling a city-state expressly for people into kinky shit so they have a safe haven to live openly and feel welcome in.”

“Fitting,” Sunset mused.

“Quite! I’m sure a mare like you can see the reasons-”

She nodded. “Yes. A lot. My… My parents would kill me if-”

“Please don’t mention that!” I exclaimed urgently. “I- I sensed that emphatically earlier. That’s what made me angry. I sort of started planning a crusade to your dimension to purge the wicked… I um, I don't want to do that. Seriously… Abandoning a foal just because they like the same sex! Barbaric.”

I spat, disgusted with that very concept.

“I think you’ll find we ponies are far more civilized. We only abandon each other for decent kinks,” I said rolling my eyes. “Which is what I’m fixing. Seriously, if a pony wants to be used as furniture for others, let them. If those mares like to be tied up publicly and used, whatever! I fail to see the big deal if the area is foal free. It doesn't hurt anyone and all that kind of stuff is fun!

“Uh… Right, back on topic. We should get you out of here. Can you stay quiet in a hotel room for a day? I can turn you invisible until we reach my estate. It will be safe to find a more prominent disguise there.”

“Yes but, um, how about you teach me how to make myself invisible? And also basic magic?” Sunset asked hopefully.

“Sure! I’d love to spend more time with a pretty mare like you,” I tested flirtatiously.

A little flirting should be okay with Shiny. He understood I had to do somethings. … We’ll talk about her later. Assuming she starts to like me.

“But for now, come on. I need to get those books and we need to find you that mask,” I said, turning to walk deeper into the lab. ‘Stick close, it’s not safe in here.”

Sunset snickered. “You don’t fucking say,” she said snarkily. “Good thing I have a friend to help now.”

“Just a friend?” I teased.

“Wait, you ACTUALLY think I look pretty?” She asked in shock.

I nodded. “Yes.”

“Uh… Look, humans don’t just… Meet and then form relationships like that. We take time,” she said slowly. “But um… Look, now's not the time. Let’s stick a pin in this, and come back to it when I’m not on an emotional fucking roller coaster, okay? I’m kinda fucking stuck in an alien world, in a totally different body, and all my family and friends are- Oh god… She won't hurt them, will she?”

Wincing at the angry outburst I’d provoked. I shook my head. “No, I don't think she will hurt them. She’s not a sadist. She just doesn't know when to leave something alone… As for the other thing, Sunset. Friends it is. I won't say anything about it ever again, you can build that bridge if you ever want to. I only want you to be happy,” I said honestly.

Closing my eyes, I cast another light spell, illuminating the maze-like laboratory enough to see everything clearly. “Come on, let’s get out of here. I never liked this old cave.”

“Is it because it’s a huge death trap?” Sunset muttered.

“Yeah, but also because it’s where I was forced to learn mathematics,” I added.

I shuddered at the memory of Starswirl’s trans-temporal multiplicative tables. Sunset gently set a hoof on my left shoulder.

“I feel you. I hate school too. Where are we going?” She asked.

“No clue, it’s somewhere on this floor. Stick close. Don’t touch anything. But feel free to talk. I imagine you have a million questions,” I offered walking down the corridor in search of the next sign post.

“Oh, you have NO idea,” Sunset exclaimed as she followed along behind me.

I smiled happily. This dusty old cave wasn’t so bad with somepony else with me. It’s funny how the old saying, friendship is magic, is both figurative and literal at once.

“Try me,” I said, turning and giving her a smile before at last heading into the bowels of the abandoned laboratory.

5 - Home

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Sunset Shimmer - 19th of Megan, 1000 Solar Era (16 years ago)

Calmare Manner - Equestria

Twenty six minutes. That’s how long I had to ask questions while Cadence and I looked through the lab. That’s not a lot of time to cover anything in detail. I thought it would take longer to find two books in this mess, but no. She used to work there or something.

Fortunately I started with the basic questions. What basic questions? Well last year in science class we had to do an assignment where we wrote a paper about what questions we would ask an alien species to learn the most useful things about their species and culture.

Who knew a random paper assigned by a lazy paycheck casher would come in handy?

Regardless, I now knew that:

• This species was called ‘Ponies’. They are polymorphic with three subtypes, Unicorn, Pegasi, and Earth. Each type has innate unique magical abilities. (I also learned what the fuck to call my new body parts.)

• There are many other sapient species on this planet other than ponies. Ponies are the most common lifeforms.

• Ponies spook easily because they are not the top of the food chain.

• Ponies live for around three hundred years!
• I was in an Empire called Equestria that ruled a third of the known world via protectorates and territories. And I should call it a Kingdom because the immortal sun goddess in charge dislikes the term ‘Empire’.

• Despite the immortal sun goddess in charge, this was not a theocracy.

• There were small religions here and there, but it was mostly secular.

• Despite Cadence’s objections, Princess Celestia physically moved the sun at will, and therefore is a sun god à la Greek mythology.
• Unlike Greek gods, Celestia was nice, and didn’t fuck with mortals for fun. Good.
• Pony culture was focused on community to an insane degree. Their economy was a sort of socialist-capitalist patchwork that would never work for humans, but most ponies genuinely want to help others they live near.

• Probably due to being descended from a herd based species.

• Ponies are insanely egalitarian.

• While a town is a community that cares for each other, different towns come into conflict easily. They had lots of city versus city wars untill sports came along to help with rivalries.
• Do not refer to a town as a herd! Herds are a term for polyamorous families.

The most interesting thing I learned is that ponies freak the fuck out at the thought of having a normal length life span. Cadence had asked me how long humans live when I flipped out about her just being like ‘oh by the way, our old people are older than your country is’, and then proceeded to have a mini panic attack when I answered ‘Eh, about eighty years.’

Apparently she couldn’t conceive of how to get anything done or make anything of yourself in that little time. I would have laughed, but well, neither did I. Of course the most interesting thing about their long lives was well…

If I had been born a pony, I would just now have stopped being a little kid. Cadence had flipped out when I said I was sixteen, since she flirted with me and all. Apparently the pony body I was in looked around thirty. I had a good laugh at that, which made her mad until I said back home I was two years away from being an adult.

With that fun little misconception cleared up, I now knew I could pretend to be twenty eight! At least so ponies would treat me like an adult.

Unfortunately, right now, I wasn’t going to be interacting with anyone. Er, anypony… Oh, yes:

• Equestrian Ponies speak Equish. It has weird linguistic mechanisms. Like designating species of a group you refer to.
• Magic portals apparently teach you languages. (Or they speak our language… Or it changes language. Note: Investigate portal mechanics.)

I regretted pressing for the details when Cadence said no one could know I was an alicorn. Apparently a big threat from a long time ago was returning soon, and despite not knowing any magic, I had a TON of ‘capacity’. So if Celestia found out I existed, she would put me through a fast track program to teach me as much combat magic as possible and press me into military service.

She wasn’t normally like that at all, but yeah… Nation ending threat. Apparently there was a pretty solid plan B with a good chance of working, but well, when I played civilization, I used every resource I had together at once. Because you don’t just make a checklist of plans and execute them in order when you can guarantee victory through sheer firepower.

But I also played a lot of RPGs. Functionality wise, right now I was an NPC. And you don't send someone without class levels to fight the big bad guy at the top of Mount Pain. I was not qualified for that.

I also really really didn’t want to become a part of an alien war. Fortunately, Cadence was here to help and had a plan.

The first part of the plan had worked flawlessly. Get me a mask that would help me stay hidden from arcane senses and scrying that happened to be in the lab, turn me invisible, and smuggle me back to Cadence’s estate.

Smuggling me back had been hell. I’d spent about thirty hours invisible from then until now. It’s extremely hard to not brush up against someone when you can’t see where your shoulder, side, leg, or well, anything is. It’s also a pain in the ass to walk anywhere.

Are you going to bang your knee into that suitcase on the train? You don’t know! Invisibility: The game of stepping in gross stuff and hitting shit with your shins.

On another note:

• Ponies are technologically advanced. Roughly as much as we were. Without taking into account magic.

• Despite this, they didn’t seem to have personal computers.

• They did have some electronics, like radios, and apparently magnetic tape mainframes.

• Ponies didn’t do cars, or personal transports. Anypony can pull a large wagon, and run for hours at about forty kilometers per hour. They didn’t need anything other than mass/long range transit. Especially pegasi.

• Taking magical items into account, they were decades ahead of us.

Oh, and their trains were AWESOME. I’d never ridden on a train that wasn’t loud, uncomfortable, and smelly. Pony trains were literal works of art. Each one decorated differently, hoof built to be comfortable, smooth riding, and fast.

They also had kick ass looking dining services! Which I didn’t get to eat because I was invisible… And technically not a passenger but a stowaway. Also eating would give away my presence.

And Calmare was over a day’s train ride away…

Fortunately, Cadence had booked a sleeper car which meant she could sneak something from a restaurant car back for me at night (Apparently even Princesses are not allowed to take food out of a dining car…). While Cadence had gotten me something to eat for dinner, and I was just too hungry to even look at it. Or taste it. My first experience with alien food, and I couldn’t remember it at all. Except that it had NOT been enough food for me. Just enough to get rid of the hunger pangs.

By the time we had arrived at Calmare, I was starving again. But the hellish trip of starvation still wasn’t over! Her estate was a full hour’s walk out of town…

At least the countryside was pretty to look at. The city was right on the shore of a huge inland sea, everything to the west was shining waters. Everything else rolling fields, meadows, and lots of nice trees. The perfect place to go camping at.

I had plenty of time to grow bored looking at the scenery though. I may like the outdoors. But I also like FOOD.

With the long walk into the countryside, I sort of expected Cadence’s house to be an elaborate estate. You know, a place you would look at and go, ‘Yeah, that’s a princess’s house’.

Cadence lived in a gray stone manor style house with a small lawn. It was square, and had flat features with only decorative stonework on the corner bits as any real sort of decoration. Also it was kind of boxy, had three floors, some very nice windows, and a small detached workshop or garage. Honestly, it looked just like a larger house you might own if you made a hundred grand a year.

Less ‘my toilet is solid gold’, more ‘I make a good living and turned an old fort into a house, but I don't know what paint is’. I had not expected that.

Thankfully, the inside was WAY better. Her home was decorated like a kick ass hotel that you’d see in a movie. Light hardwood flooring polished to a shine and matched with dark wood paneling which ran up half the wall, and was topped with smooth paint. Nice rugs everywhere, forming paths with their really cool woven patterns. Paintings everywhere as well, not overdone, but enough to make each room look nicer by breaking up the flatness of the walls and adding in color.

To tell the truth though, I liked her lamps best. I’m a sucker for fucking awesome floating chunks of magically glowing rock. Put one in a little brass wall sconce and well… I wanted some. A lot.

Another thing I didn’t expect was how friendly her servants were. I mean, I expected her to have servants. Just not for them to give her a friendly wave when they saw her along with a genuinely happy smile and say, ‘Welcome back, Cadie!’. Like, all fifteen of the ponies we passed on the way to her bedroom did.

Except one who said mistress and gave her a playful wink. But that was even less expected.

“Okay… I need to know,” I whispered softly. “Why do all of them like you so much? Do you have zoloft as part of your payroll or something?”

Cadence smiled and shook her head, waiting for a few seconds before replying. During those seconds she stopped walking and opened a door with a spell. A bedroom door.

A BIG bedroom door.

It had to be her room, I knew even before she trotted inside and took off her saddlebags. It was large, spacious, decorated unlike the rest of the house with a super plush pink carpet which dipped and bent like it had a full six inches of foam beneath it. The walls were painted black, and highlighted with a sort of airbrushed very dark blue and a little glitter. It made her room look sort of like the night sky, and contrasted very nicely with her white furniture and the bright sky blue blanket on her bed.

I really liked her bed. I’d never seen a circular poster bed before. Much less a bed that looked like it was designed to fit eight… People… With… Sixteen posts with hardware mounts...

She totaly had a sexy dungon for a bedroom.

Shoving my envy down into the back of my mind, I followed Cadence into her bedroom just before she shut the door.

“Did you get in before I closed the door?” Cadence asked hopefully.

“Wait, you can’t see me? But you made me invisible!” I protested.

She giggled, “Nope! I can’t. Now, to answer your question… I’m omniamorous. I love everyone who treats me kindly. Most of my servants have been with me for a hundred years, we’re all one big family here. I’ve probably taken half of them out on a date, and even the one’s I haven’t we do game nights as a group, sometimes I take everypony on a trip someplace. I booked a cruise for us last year, that was nice.

“The whole dedicated coltfriend thing is new for me. I’ve never been like that. But Shining Armor is a very special stallion. He- Well, if you ever meet somepony who loves you as much as you love them, and you love others like I do, well, they are worth any sacrifice for. Fortunately everypony here I was with has been okay for the last seven years. They still have each other.”

“Oh… You guys are very different from humans. We kinda do just one partner, and it’s sort of illegal to have more than one spouse,” I said mostly to fill the air while I processed just how different his was from what I was used to.

Cadence frowned and nodded. “Yes… Herds are uncommon for us too. But only because of social pressures dating back about three thousand years. Historically they were the norm, and I’ve found that very few ponies who try to be a part of one dislike it. I’m pretty sure it’s what our natural way of living is. But times change. Hopefully one day they change again so ponies like me don’t get shunned…

“If you don’t like our arrangement, please keep quiet about it while you are here. My house is a welcoming place, Understand?”

I nodded, realized she couldn’t see me, and answered. “I’m okay with it. I’m not going to tell other people how to enjoy themselves. But I don't think I would like to do that kind of thing myself. That’s all.”

Cadence nodded, smiling with relief. “Good! Good… We can get you used to my family’s lifestyle later. Right now, it’s time we work out your cover identity.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Cover identity?”

“Right! You don’t want to be invisible forever, do you?” Cadence asked trotting over to her desk to look through some papers. “We’ll get you a name, work out an illusion spell for you to wear around, throw in a dash of transformation magic to hide your wings, and everypony will think you’re a normal unicorn.”

“Um, that seems illegal,” I pointed out nervously.

Cadence snorted. “This is a port town with a ship dock and an airfield. We process plenty of immigrants. Guess what my official duty is? Assess and approve unusual individuals seeking to immigrate. Extra powerful unicorns, griffons, suncats, dragons, anything that is naturally dangerous, I have to make sure isn’t a threat to anypony before they are allowed in.

“You’re a very powerful unicorn, and you’re from another nation. I know you don’t have any intentions of say, lighting an entire city on fire at once, so I hereby officially approve your verbal application for citizenship. Boom! Legal.”

I smirked for a moment, shaking my head side to side. “I kind of forgot that you’re a princess.”

Cadence giggled. “I know, I don’t act like it, do I? Right… I don't seem to have any of the ID paperwork here. I’ll have to get some from my office downstairs. But before I go, just real quick, what do you think of this idea?

“Sunset is a common enough name, even internationally, so we can keep it as your given name. I’m thinking we’ll say you're from Mareland, it’s a distant country, they speak Equish, and your accent sounds close enough. It’s also culturally similar to what you’ve told me humans are like. Sound good?”

“I know absolutely nothing about your world. So I’ll just go with your opinion,” I answered flatly.

“Right… Well, don’t worry! You share our Sunset’s memory, and I have a library here. A regular one, my mage’s library is in the workshop. As soon as we get you an identity and I introduce you to my staff as a new hire, somone who can be close to me a lot. Say...a bodyguard, I’ll get you a key and you can read all you like!” Cadence informed cheerfully. “Wait here just a minute. I need to get the paperwork.”

“Alright,” I said with a sigh as Cadence turned and opened her doors to leave.

“Don’t worry, you’ll be visible again soon!” She promised as she slipped out into the hall and closed the door behind her.

Ah well, I could put up with being like this for a few more minutes. The fun had worn off but at least Cadence’s bedroom was a safe place to be. Nopony would come in here.

FUCK! I should have asked her to bring food! Sooo hungry...

A minute of silence later, the bedroom’s dark maple double doors creaked open, a metal clinking sound accompanying their opening. I turned my head, expecting Cadence to have returned. Instead a pony I’d never seen before entered, dragging a small metal cart loaded up with a bunch of breakfast baked goods and some bottles of probably wine through the doors via her mouth.

I froze, not wanting to make a sound, and simply watched the mare enter.

I knew she was a mare, because I really still wasn’t over the fact that ponies were a sapient people who had clothing as optional. She also had piercings that held her bits closed, which meant watching her back up combined with the silver sparkles of her barbells kind of made not noticing her gender impossible.

It was going to take a LOT of time to get used to this...

Since I couldn’t look away from her incase she moved and bumped or brushed against me, I decided to look at any other part of her.

She was easily the most, umm, plump pony I had seen so far. She looked like someone had wrapped her in soft foam, but also sculpted it to look well, good. She was chubby, bordering on fat, but in a pretty way. I’d never really seen a body built like that before and it was just a little weird.

The mare didn’t have a horn or wings, which meant she was an Earth Pony. Cadence said they did have magic, but it was usually subtle and passive, enhancing the world around them in some way, with dozens of different categories of ‘things’ their magic could potentially do. From enhancing nearby plant life, to charming animals, to even causing specific minerals to form in the ground really fast.

I wondered what she could do.

She had light gray fur, which wasn't too clean, patches of what I think was flouer, a few soot smudges peppering her coat, and also her light peach colored hair. Er, mane. Her mane made me extremely jealous, even if I could ever get back my old hair, her’s was silky, flowing, and just sort of dropped into a graceful style which I could tell needed no maintenance. She just got to have lovely long flowing locks in that old movie starlet style.

The next thing I noticed as she closed the doors was her cutie mark. I guessed the magic which formed the picture scaled the mark if the body grew, because the image of a round loaf of bread covered with a shimmery gray topping didn’t seem stretched or distorted by her plush curvy flank. I also noticed she had rather large… Teats?

Whatever they were properly called, I knew that horses only got them just after having babies. She was a new mom! That was so cool! I wonder if pony babies look adorable? The adults have a lot of cat-like qualities after all.

Oh my gosh what if baby ponies play inboxes!?

As she returned to her cart I got a look at her eyes. They were a nice shade of sky blue, but she had the eyes of a retail employee. Dulled and downcast. What was wrong? Working here couldn’t be that bad… Could it?

The mare pushed her cart to the small table situated in the bay window and began to set a small but fancy looking breakfast plate. I couldn’t identify half of the various baked goods, but I did see several crescents, a few buns, and some hash browns. Each of the meals eight parts looked completely delicious, the cook’s skill definitely showed here.

My mouth watering from the mixture of aromas which had slowly but steadily filled the room, I briefly considered sneaking to the cart and sealing a roll or something, but was distracted by the mare speaking.

“W-well… I am trying to impress her,” she said softly to herself.

Intrigued, I watched as she trotted to her cart, retrieved a small silver pitcher of milk and set it beside the beautifully plated bread-only breakfast which I was certain couldn’t be all that healthy for a pony, but in that good way which makes the food even more appealing. She took a moment to adjust the pitcher’s position, nodded in satisfaction, then reached up into her mane and slipped a small circular silver box from a little pouch woven into her mane.

AH HA! That’s where everypony had been keeping their little coin purses!

I couldn’t help but notice the box was labeled ‘moon dust’ as she popped open the container and sprinkled a tiny amount of a gray powder over the almost reflective shiny puffy rolls, giving each a very light dusting.

Shit. Cadence had suggested a body guard as my cover identity. I had no idea what had just been put onto her food. I should probably start doing that whole guarding thing now.

“Excuse me,” I said making the poor mare yelp and jump a full meter into the air, tail raising in alarm.

In her fright she dropped the silver box. I dove forwards on instinct, managing to land on my belly and catch the falling box before it flipped.

Holy crap! Hooves did work just like hands!

The mare landed and spun around, looking all around the room. “W-who's there!? I’m j-just delivering her highness’s breakfast.”

“Down here, you dropped your tin,” I said. “What is it?”

The mare looked down, seeing from her perspective what must have been the tin box floating in the air. The poor thing would think I was a ghost or some-

“Oh! D-do all the guards use invisibility charms?” She asked curiously, the fear leaving her voice in one long happy sigh.

Right! Magic. A common thing here.

“I don’t know, I’m not a guard,” I said, eyes widening in alarm as I just blurted out the truth to the cute pudgy mare.

“Oh, um… Then why are you invisible in the Princess’s bedroom?” She asked, eyes narrowing accusingly.

“I’m a guest, she didn’t want anypony to see me come in,” I said equally as honest. “Why can’t I lie to you?! Is that magic? Also seriously, you didn’t just poison her food, did you?”

Her eyes widened in surprise. “Poison!? Oh no! No! Absolutely not! I’d never hurt anypony with food internationally. I know that gray isn’t a very appealing color for a seasoning, or even a common one. This is moon dust, it’s a rare spice, I might be the only pony in this city who can make it.

“The recipe is very old, wasn’t written down very often, and it takes a lot of skill to bake it. My parents changed my name to Moon Dust after I got my cutiemark for making it… We’re a family of bakers so it was a big deal.”

“Bake it? How do you bake a spice?” I asked, one eyebrow raising with intrigue.

“Well, technically it’s a dried sourdough bread ground into very fine powder,” Dust elaborated. “The bacteria culture that flavors the sourdough is nothing special, it’s rather bland in fact. But once the loaf of bread dries out, the evaporating water leaves behind a very very tasty bit of stale bread which you can grind up into a spice.”

“That’s pretty cool,” I admitted. “But the whole I can’t lie to you thing… Why?”

She frowned grumpily. “Why did you try to lie?”

“Because Cadence doesn't want anypony knowing I’m here…” I sighed, ears drooping dejectedly. Not that she could see them.

Her ears perked slightly before a blush crossed her cheeks somehow showing through her fur. “O-Oh! That's right Princess Cadence has a special somepony. I’m so sorry, I understand being discrete. I-I had problems from ponies knowing certain things,” she admitted tapping her hooves together nervously. “Oh, um, the lying thing. It’s a charm I had cast on me. It makes a bubble of Truth Telling arround me for a few meters. I um, I wanted to confront a pony about s-stealing my diary and to know for sure if he took it or not.

“The charm should wear off in a day or two. S-sorry.”

Moon reached out and took the box of spice as she finished speaking. Taking a second to return it to the pouch concealed in her mane.

Oh. Well, that was different I guess. I mean, it sucked being forced to have to tell the truth like this, but if I was living in a world where you could just buy a ‘force people to tell the truth’ spell, I was going to have to learn to live with it. I could limit myself to half truths if I had to.

“It’s okay. Just, not too many questions about me please,” I asked, pausing for a moment to think it over before apprehensively asking, “Why did some jerk steal your diary?”

Moon Dust flinched at the question, taking a step back before stopping, taking a deep breath and slowly letting it out. “No, no… The Princess said her staff is supposed to be open and welcoming. Y-you won’t judge me, right?” She asked, looking almost into my face.

Would I? Well frankly, no. Who the fuck was I to judge a society I knew nothing about, made up of a species I only just barely new even the basics about? Besides, I definitely did things they would find weird. I was the alien here.

I shook my head no.

Moon blinked, then smiled a little, her eyes shining for a brief moment that banished the down and depressed look they held. “I heard rustling, you just shook your head while invisible didn’t you?”

I blinked, and then slapped a hoof against my forehead, the sound of brass clicking against ceramic ringing loudly through the room. Immediately after the clink, a sharp jolt of pain down my horn as my shod hoof clipped the base of my horn. “OW! Yes…”

“Oh my goodness! Are you okay?” Moon asked immediately dropping to her knees and actually managing to find my head to gently hold it and feel along my face.

Or rather my mask.

Moon winced and stopped moving her hoof over the mask, but left it on me. “Is this a mask or are you um, well, badly-”

I sighed. I didn’t want to talk about it, but that charm was there. And she said she would be open with me in return, and I did want to know about her diary. “Yes and yes… I… I got burned yesterday. Really bad. Magical healing didn’t fix it right. Kinda hoping fur grows back.”

“Oh you poor dear,” moon exclaimed with legitimate concern. “I’m so sorry. D-do you need someone to talk to?”

“Yeah, But I’d rather not talk about it… What’s the deal with your diary?” I asked again.

Moon let go of my mask and sat down properly, looking at my face now that she knew where I was properly. “W-well,” she began. “I keep a diary like a lot of ponies do, but I sort of record much more in mine that others. I like to sort out my thoughts, not just write about the day's’ events. I’ve kept the same diary since I was fifteen, getting more pages added to it when needed. So my whole life and all my um, personal feelings are in the book.

“I used to have a rival baker, his name was Whole Wheat. Canterlot is a big city all about impressing people. It makes competition way to fierce and I was stupid for moving there to try and make a name for myself… So um, yes. Whole Wheat had a bakery across the street from me, and while I thought we would have a friendly competition like the baker's back home… He set out to destroy my life.”

“That’s awful,” I interrupted. “Guys like that give the rest of them a bad name.”

“I don’t think so. His family, yes, but not all stallions,” Moon disagreed. “He was just a bully, but a really effective one. At first he only undercut my prices, worked out special deals with suppliers so I got worse ingredients, and ran negative ads against my bakery… I could deal with that… But them um, he started to realize that he could use some things I love against me.”

I cringed, teeth scraping on one another. “Oh no! He didn’t hurt your kids did he?”

Moon shook her head. “N-no… I um- I don’t have any foals. I almost did but, she died. Birth complications,” she said slowly, staring sadly into the floor for a moment.

My eyes widened in horror as I realized what I must have made the poor girl relive. I reached out and pulled her into a close hug, marveling at how soft she was before letting her go.

“I’m so sorry! That has to hurt a lot… Uh, if it helps you feel better, you feel exactly like a plush toy,” I said, hoping that would not be insulting.

She smiled happily at me, blushing lightly as she definitely took it as a compliment. “Thank you, It’s always nice when somepony likes the padding besides me. Um, as for the other thing, it’s alright. That was twenty years ago. I’m over her death, but I-I don’t want to relive those memories… I think about things in detail when I talk about them,” she lamented, ears drooping even more.

“See, since I’d carried her to term, I had started making milk. Have you ever had a foal? You sound old enough to have had one, maybe. Um, it’s kind of annoying at first when you start producing. You have to drain yourself, or you get very sore and start to drip.

“A-as it happens… I- I like being milked. It feels nice, and it made me feel a little happy even with the loss of my little filly. It helped me get through that dark time in my life, and I started to really like it, so I decided to keep doing it. I bought potions to keep me lactating, and donated my milk to a program to help new mothers who can’t make their own. I still do, if I don’t use it for something myself. But um, yeah… That’s sort of a fetish of mine. And it is recorded in my diary. Which Whole Wheat stole.

“He’d gotten suspicious about me, wondering why I was still making milk after three years. He figured it was a sex thing, semi correctly, and started to spread rumors. Canterlot ponies aren't accepting of any deviations from proper behavior, as it happens. So um, I had to deny his claims. Because my business dried up within days.

“But then he stole my diary, and suddenly had proof. And also knew everything else about me that’s not normal. Then went on a full marketing campaign with all of that. Making the entire city think I’m a psychotic fetishist who wants to encase herself permanently in latex and uses her own dairy produce exclusively…”

“Do you?” I asked, slightly curious.

She shook her head. “No. I um, I have for a few ponies... But they knew! Because we were friends and they knew I make very good cream. Better than a cow’s according to them, which I choose to take as a compliment. I’d never force anypony to eat something like that unknowingly! All my baked goods use the normal ingredients, unless the menu says otherwise.”

I had been a little grossed out until Moon mentioned cows. Cadence had said that there were more sapient species here than just ponies.

If cows were also people here, (and if ponies, deer, buffalo, and elk were people, I had to assume cows were too) then all dairy products came from a person. Which meant she was just doing something her ‘race’ normally didn’t do and getting demonized for it.

Fucking racist pricks are everywhere apparently!

“Well, that guy was a fucking asshole,” I decided, narrowing my eyes bitterly. “I’m sorry that happened to you. But you’re working here now, right? So things have to have gotten better.”

“Oh yes!” Moon exclaimed happily, smiling again. “I-I really hope I can keep this job. Cadence just walked up out of nowhere and asked me if I felt welcome in Canterlot and well… After telling her everything I told you she gave me a job here. I think I just used up all my luck for the year.

“So um, how about you tell me a little about yourself? It’s only fair, that was very personal. Oh! But you don’t have to tell me your name or anything!”

I thought for a few minutes about what I could say. She was right, it was only fair. She’d told me a deeply personal story.

“W-well, alright. I don’t have any tragic backstory though,” I said in an attempt to be playful only to droop down in despair at the sudden realization. “Oh, no, never mind. I do now.”

“You don’t have to talk about the you know what,” Moon said kindly.

“Yeah… Still, kind of filling up brain space at the moment. It’s hard to think of something I like right now. Everything’s gone to hell for me. I’ve lost my family, friends, and they could be in danger, and I have no way of going back home!” I said, exploding into a tidal wave of despair.

Moon’s ears drooped sympathetically as she wrapped her forelegs around me in a tight hug.

“There there, It will be alright you have- Wings?” Moon exclaimed in surprise.

“Uh, yes,” I answered worriedly.

It’s not like I could deny having them! She had her hooves on them…

“But you have a horn,” she objected, moving one hoof up to gently feel for my horn. Her hoof brushed against my horn a moment later. To my surprise, that felt a little nice, sort of like the feeling of a silk shirt.

Oh! It had nerve endings. So THAT'S why it hurt like hell to fall face first on the floor yesterday. Noted!

“You’re an alicorn!” Moon Dust yelped in stunned surprise while I was distracted by my realization.

Fuck! I couldn’t say no, she knew, and also she had that dumb spell go-

The doors creaked open again, Cadence trotting through them, some papers held in her magical grip.

“Okay, I have the immigration forms, and-” Cadence paused, looking at Moon with an odd puzzled expression.

“There’s an invisible alicorn in your room!” Moon exclaimed urgently.

Cadence groaned, reaching up to rub a hoof over her eyes and nose in distress. “Ten minutes, Sunset. I was gone for ten minutes!”

“I um- I thought she poisoned your food. So I confronted her,” I mumbled awkwardly, realizing just how badly I fucked up.

“Did you?” Cadence asked seriously.

“N-no ma’am! It was seasoning. But it’s not a common looking seasoning! Anypony could make a mistake even- Oh my gosh! Are you like, Princess Celestia’s daughter?” Moon asked me, still too stunned to let go.

“No,” I answered immediately. “Uh, she also kind of has an anti-lieing charm on her.”

Cadence slapped a hoof to her forehead again. Her long slender horn flashed bright blue, an equal flash flaring across Moon Dust’s body for a brief instant.

“And now she doesn't,” Cadence grumbled. “No offense meant, Dust. But not every pony appreciates that sort of magic in casual use. Additionally, selling that charm is illegal. Using it is too unless you are an officer of the law, but using it is a very minor crime. I’ll pardon you this once, but only because most ponies assume spells being sold are legal and you have a good heart.”

“I didn’t know! I’m sorry, uh, Three Ten Lance Lane, that’s the shop…” Dust mumbled awkwardly. “I- I’ll go!”

“Oh no you won’t!” Cadence said, shaking her head firmly. “This is Sunset, no, not Celestia’s student, they just share a name. She’s here from Marelund, there was a problem and she can’t go home. She’s going to be living here now.

“But since she’s an alicorn, and that’s a very big deal for us in Equestria, I’m helping her hide that part of her identity so she can be treated normally. She’s not royalty, she’s a normal pony. But you know how you’re acting right now? Do you want everypony reacting like that to you?”

“Um, n-no,” Dust stammered.

“Then you know why you can’t tell anypony at all about this, right? I know for a fact you know what it’s like to have your own secrets revealed. You won’t do that to Sunset, will you?” Cadence asked while giving her a serious and very ‘leaderly’ staredown.

“N-no! Of course not, ma’am!” Dust agreed with a squeak.

I felt the need to stand up for the poor mare, it wasn’t her fault I’d been an idiot.

“Um, Cadence. It’s my fault she found me. You don’t need to be this hard on her,” I said defensively. “And you shouldn’t punish her for something I did.”

Moon Dust gave me an appreciative squeeze then let go, standing up and morosely walking to her cart. Presumably to pack it up to leave.

Cadence’s face softened immediately. “Did I come across like I was going to do that?” Cadence asked with a frown. “Moon, I’m not going to punish you, or fire you. You did nothing wrong. It’s just very important that nopony else know about Sunset as anything other than a unicorn.”

Moon stopped her morose walk and turned to stare at Cadence in relief. “R-really? I’m not fired?” She asked incredulously.

“No, you’re not. I told you that you are welcome here. A single incident on your first day isn’t going to change that. But since you know about Sunset, I’m adding something to your job description,” Cadence informed with a firm voice.

Moon’s ears fell.

“Please don’t-” I began.

“You’ll be helping Sunset get used to Equestria, as her friend,” Cadence said teasingly. “I can’t always be here for her after all. We may as well make you knowing about her into a good thing.”

Dust and I sighed in relief.

“I think I can handle that duty, Ma’am,” Dust giggled, a smile coming to her face as she understood she wasn’t in trouble.

Thank god for that! I would have felt even worse if my getting banished here fucked up someone else's life too. And I could definitely use a friend.

And also her secrets for having an epic mane of win.

“Um, if she’s going to be my friend, can she help work out an illusion for me to use?” I asked hopefully.

Dust tilted her head to the left, a frown parting her lips. “Illusion? Can’t you just hide your wings and horn with a transformation spell?”

Then her eyes widened. “Oh no! You mentioned you got burned, I thought it was just your face… how bad is it?”

I bit my lip, tail swishing nervously. “I- I fell into a vat of lye. Like, all the way in…” I stammered.

“The only natural color left on her is her horn,” Cadence added sadly. “She’ll be needing a full body illusion spell as a prosthesis.”

Moon’s ears fell so far down they vanished into her mane. “That’s horrible! You shouldn’t be just laying on the floor like that! You need cuddles, and cocoa, and, and, other nice things!” She exclaimed.

“Cocoa does sound nice, I’m starving,” I admitted.

“When did you last eat?” Moon asked instantly.

“I had something on the train but that was a snack, not a meal so… More than a day,” I replied irritably.

Moon shot Cadence an accusatory look. “She has a proper meal before we do anything about her looks! I’ll be right back with another place setting for you, and some cocoa. Sun, would you like fresh cream with the cocoa, or plain?”

Mmmm… Whipped cream and cocoa!

“Can it be whipped cream?” I asked hopefully.

Moon nodded, “Yes. Easily. This place’s kitchen is amazing! I’ve been hoping for an excuse to use the flash cooler. Hehe! Back in a few!” She said happily before zipping out the door.

Cadence coughed lightly after the doors banged shut. “Um, Sunset. I sort of hire… Interesting ponies. You are aware that by ‘fresh’ she probably means ‘hers’, right?”

OH!

I grimaced, realizing she was probably right. But then again. “Well, I mean, cows can talk here, right?” I asked.

“Sure, a few can write too,” Cadence informed.

Okay, so cows were people then. Which meant I’d have to get used to dairy being a thing people produced, or give up dairy…

Fuck giving up dairy. I’d have to give up beef while I was here, because I wasn’t going to eat a person. I wasn’t going to give up both my favorite food groups.

Which meant it would be racist to not try Moon’s milk… Fuck.

Right, well, I’d do it. If I didn’t like it I could just say so and that would be that.

“So her’s is not that different then, right?” I asked. “I mean, there’s going to be weirder things I’ll have to get used to eating. Like um- Grass I guess.”

Cadence's eyes dilated slightly. “Grass? Bleh! Not unless it's a survival situation you won’t. But well, you are right. I am sure we will have some foods that are strange to you. Ever try fried hay?”

“Um, no…” I said slowly, my stomach turning at the mere thought of eating that. “But yeah… If it tastes bad I’ll just ask her to not do it again. I don't want to make a big deal about everything that’s weird to me now.”

“That’s very mature of you,” Cadence commended. “I think you’ll fit in here well.”

“Yeah, I guess so,” I said simply.

As I waited for Moon to return, I wondered if that would be a good thing.

While we waited, Cadence and I went through the paperwork. I would be Sunset Breeze, a 28 year old mare from Heartstrings, Marelund. Why the fuck there was a city there named after my Ex I will never know, but it was a name I wouldn’t forget.

The rest of my identity was simple as possible. Unicorn, female, student, immigrating for political reasons, here on a work visa. That’s where we got to a small change from the original plan.

“I don’t think a bodyguard will work,” Cadence mused as we stared at the paperwork.

I snorted. “You don’t say…”

“Yeah. That was just my first thought,” she admitted with a smile. “There are not many household jobs you could have which would authorise you to be with me at anytime and anyplace. Which we need so I can keep an eye on you as needed. Hmm… How are you with remembering the details of a-”

Cadence paused, blinked and she remembered who she was talking too, and then laughed. “Sorry! Um, my point is that you could be my Chambermaid as well.”

“What like, clean stuff?” I asked hesitantly.

“Yes, sometimes,” Cadence replied with a nod. “But the position is more along the lines of keeping my personal quarters tidy, working as an assistant by keeping my schedule for me, and being my companion. That’s not a sexual companion, that’s the old definition. A confidant, advisor, a friend. It would allow you to go wherever I happened to be, and also to act in my name in certain cases. Such as getting into the Canterlot Library for me, or picking up my mail from a post office.”

“Oh. So like, a general life assistant? That doesn't sound too bad. But shouldn’t you already have one?” I asked curiously.

Cadence nodded. “I did. The last one died several decades ago. He was a very sweet old stallion… I’ve missed him too much to replace him but well, now’s the time.”

“Oh, well then I’ll take the job,” I decided after a moment’s thought. Only then asking, “Wait, do I get paid?”

“Yes, you do. It’s a salary, fixed by Royal Decree. I’ll explain money to you later. You should have enough to pursue any hobby you may like, and your room and board will be provided. Naturaly. It’s a live in job. Welcome aboard!” Cadence said with a smile, holding out one hoof.

Ah, right. They don’t have hands, so they would likely bump hooves to seal a deal.

“Thanks for the job!” I said, reaching out to give her a hoof bump.

Cadence blinked as a smile parted her lips. “I expected you to shake. I think I like you as a friend already.”

“I thought you like, liked me,” I questioned, frowning uncertainly.

“I do. But like I mentioned, I find everypony I like attractive, and on top of that you are pretty. But as previously discussed, I’m not going to make any advances. That's up to you. And also, Shining would have to agree… Darn. Ah well. Would you like an overview of my house rules? You’re underage, but the emancipated minor status I’m giving you so you can take the job means you are legally allowed to give consent. Which may be relevant for you.”

I felt my eyes widen slightly. “Um, why?”

“Because you might like somepony here and decide to have some fun. Duh,” Cadence said with an eye roll. “The rules are as follows: No matter what, finish your daily chores, but you may take a break when you wish for whatever you wish. So long as you finish I don’t care what else you do ‘on shift’. Never belittle or insult somepony for their passions and tastes.

“Consent must be given for everything, if you do anything to anyone without them saying it’s okay, you’re going to the dungeon, and not the fun one. That said, if you have permission, go nuts.

“Other than that, house resources are for everyone, house facilities are for everyone. Clean up after yourself and restock if you use the last of something.

“Oh! Fair warning, Tradewind and Garden Grove are the gardeners. If they invite you to use the ‘garden shower’, say no unless you are into the bathroom related kinks.”

“Ew!” I exclaimed with a wince.

I made a note to avoid those two for as long as humanly possible.

“Agreed,” Cadence said with a shudder. “But even if I don’t like something, I do have a whole ‘welcome everyone’ thing. They do have to ask permission, but I feel compelled to give newcomers a heads up on their particular tastes. So it’s not a surprise.”

The creaking doors interrupted Cadence, prompting us to both look over to see Moon return with a small tray balanced on her back.

“On a less gross note, absolutely DO say yes if my librarian Spring Breeze asks if you’d like to relax. She gets off on giving others massages, and she’s THE BEST at it, ever! I don’t know how they aren't her special talent,” Cadence finished.

“Um, does that go for me too?” Moon asked hopefully.

“Of course!” Cadence said with a happy grin. “Don’t you remember from when I told you about the house rules?”

Moon blushed and looked down. “Um, no… You just said that Miss Brook will want to use me as a pillow. Hehe.”

I giggled. “To be fair, with how soft you are, I kind of want to use you as a pillow,” I agreed.

“R-really?! Sure! Any time you want!” Moon exclaimed eagerly as she slid the tray she had been carrying onto the table.

Oh, um… Well, okay then.

While I remained baffled by her enthusiasm, Moon cleared her throat and pointed to the two mugs she had just set down along with the tray.

“I um, I made one with my own milk, just incase you want to try it. The one on the left is cows. I’ll have which ever you don’t want,” Moon offered before taking the plate from the serving tray and moving to the cart she had pushed in earlier to fill it up.

I bit my lip, unsure which one I should take. On one hoof, there was cow’s milk based cream. On the other, hers. She’d trusted me a lot by telling me she liked to do this kind of thing, but said she served it to her friends, meaning neither she nor they saw it as a sexual thing.

Meaning it would be rude to refuse a friendly gesture. And again, either way it came from a person.

“I- I’ll try yours. You won't be offended if I don’t like it will you?” I asked hesitantly.

Moon shook her head. “Of course not. Not everypony likes sweet milk.”

Steeling myself, I stepped over to the table, took a short breath, picked up the mug, and tentatively licked the dollop of whipped cream atop the cocoa.

I felt my eyes dilate immediately as the delicious creamy, sugary flavor immediately made me forget everything weighing me down.

“Oh my god!” I gasped, almost dropping the mug in shocked delight. “This is amazing!”

Cows. Screw them! This was like the milk left after eating cornflakes, if both the milk and the cornflakes came from heaven.

“Can I try?” Cadence asked, licking her lips greedily, my reverent tone having caught her interest.

“That’s hers, I can make you some later. It’s no trouble,” Moon promised, setting a full plate in front of me.

The next three minutes vanished in a blur of food. I honestly couldn’t recall a single thing except for the details of all the delicious bready and hashbrowny goodness on the three plates I managed to eat. One moment there was food, the next I snapped out of my stupor to hear Moon Dust scolding Cadence for not sneaking more food-

“Even if they would have thrown you off the train!”

“I can’t teleport two ponies…” Cadence admitted, kicking the floor in embarrassment.

“I’m back,” I announced. “And full. I needed that. A lot.”

Cadence cleared her throat. “Good! Let’s get started on your appearance… Do you mind if I make you visible with Moon here?”

I nodded, blushed at the fact I didn’t verbally replay AGAIN, and then said. “Yes. I mean, go ahead… Moon, you won’t-”

“I promise I won't,” she replied immediately.

Cadence’s horn shimmered for a few moments. I felt myself tingle, and looking down I could see myself ‘fade in’ so to speak. I heard Moon gasp, and looked back up to see her covering her mouth with a hoof wide eyed and horrified.

I felt my ears droop. I should l have expected her to see me as a mon-

Moon darted across the room and wrapped me in a tight hug. “Let’s fix this. How about a nice pastel color? Maybe a purple for your fur?” She suggested.

We spent a half hour working on weaving a series of illusions, seeing what I liked. I expected Cadence to get tired of trying all of the little diffrent variations. Trying out all of our ideas didn’t seem to even make her blink. Even when I jokingly said we should try giving me some pale blue fire for fur to match what my magic naturally did.

In the end we settled on Moon’s original idea of Pastel colors. I had a pale washed out purple coat, a medium length straight pearl colored mane, and we kept my eyes unchanged, because the cyane went very well with the other colors.

We kept my cutiemark the same, but changed the colors to light blue and a pale yellow. Cadence assured me that was different enough to work as a disguise and if my mark was unrelated to my talent that would be, well, in human terms, like walking around with an AK-fourty-seven on your back.

A sign of being a threat.

The illusion itself was very appealing. I expected it to just fool vision. It also provided a sense of touch, and smell. I was normal again… Well, aside from being a short horse.

“I’ll need to learn how to do this so I don’t have to make you do it every morning, or whatever,” I said to Cadence as I checked myself out in the mirror.

“Illusion’s a fun school of magic. I’ll be happy to teach you,” Cadence agreed happily. “That will last for a week though.”

“Since we’re doing illusions, can we see how I would look shiny and hot pink?” Moon asked hopefully.

Cadence snickered. “Not right now. I have to file these papers. Are you sure you like this look, Sunset?”

I nodded. “Yeah. This looks good. I can see Sunset Breeze going far looking like this,” I said with a satisfied nod.

6 - Dear Diary

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Sunset Shimmer - 24th of Megan, 0 EoH (15 years ago)

Dear Diary,

Moon Dust has convinced me to keep a diary. Yeah, even after what happened with hers. I’m smart though. I’m writing mine in an arcane ink which is only visible to authorized readers.

I don't think I’m going to write very often in these. I remember everything perfectly. So this will be more of a place to focus my thoughts. A sort of meditation aid.

That’s important for magic. Turns out it's mostly meditation. No words, unless you make up a mnemonic device to help you cast something tricky. On the upside, when Cadence started teaching me today, we learned that I’m pretty damn good with controlling fire. That seems to be my special talent, moving energy around.

This means I’ll be good with Evocation, but I still want to learn Illusion first. I need to be able to maintain my looks. Also, I’d like to tweak a few things. If I have to go to a formal dance, it would be cool to just quickly make a dress appear on me. That way I could just sit around in my underpants and chill instead of getting ready for multiple hours.

Oh yeah. Ponies don't do clothes normally. That is still weird to me. Getting kind of numb to it though.

-Sunset Shimmer

Sunset Shimmer - 3rd of Solarus, 0 EoH (15 years ago)

Dear Diary,

I’m pretty bad at keeping a diary… It’s been over a month...

I forgot to record mastering the very basics of magic. Light, telekinesis, warming and cooling small things. Nothing big, nothing permanent. All just stuff I can do while concentrating.

So that’s cool.

What’s not cool is no one told me that shit was going to hit the fan so hardcore this month! The only reason I remembered to write in this thing is that whole ancient evil coming back thing happened, and scared the piss out of me. I thought they meant an enemy Warlord was going to invade, not “Oh yeah, see that pattern of craters on the moon? Those aren't craters. That’s the Sun God's ancient Nemesis, a demon made of living nightmares that possessed her sister, is going to pop in, wreck everyone’s shit, make the night last for multiple days, and then sit on your couch and demand to know just what the fuck you’re going to do about it.”

I made the right call on not fighting that. Maybe 10 years from now when I’m a proper wizard I could do something to help. Right now? Lol no…

That is some fucking Cthulhu grade cosmic horror right there...

Fortunately, somepony did help. Six actually, and they helped fucking hardcore! I kind of wish I lived in Ponyville so I could meet real life fantasy heroes. Like, literally. They unearthed an ancient arcane super weapon, stormed the old castle in the Eldritch Woods, slew the big bad guy, and saved the damsel in distress.

That’s right. They apparently killed a demon without hurting the creature it was possessing.

Damn! And the bullshit is they don’t get like a million bucks a year each for that. Though getting knighted is pretty cool I guess.

At least I did something a little heroic too. Moon Dust freaked out hardcore when the sun literally vanished from the sky. Her mom read her some creepy as fuck bedtime stories or something. I managed to keep her calm and safe feeling via cuddles. I didn’t like them much as a human, but as a pony they are nice.

-Sunset Shimmer

Sunset Shimmer - 20th of Harvesttide, 0 EoH (15 years ago)

Dear Diary,

Yeah yeah, it’s been… Shit! Seven months. Okay, yeah, remember to do this more. It’s not helping, but hey when I get back home I’ll have something to share with my friends.

If I get back home…

Brighter note, I started to learn Illusion magic! It’s slow going, but I’ve learned how to conjure transparent simple solid shapes in any color I want! I read all of the spellbooks I could find, naturally, but just knowing a spell doesn't mean you can cast it.

You need to forge a personal connection to the magic, and also know how to guide the variables to make the magic do as you want. So each spell you read is only about half the information. The rest you need to make yourself.

Cadence assures me it gets easier with each spell you know. She’s at the point where she can learn a new spell and cast it on her second try.

That only took her five hundred years… So yay…

-Sunset Shimmer

P.S.

Asked Cadence what it was like to live longer than normal. Apparently, she feels like she’s been in her prime for her entire life. Oh and;

HOLY FUCKING SHIT! ALL ALICORNS ARE IMMORTAL! I’M IMMORTAL! I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH INFINITE TIME!

AHHHHHHHHH!

P.P.S.

Existential crisis pushed aside by Moon Dust asking me if I wanted to go to a Nightmare Night Carnival with her. Apparently, it’s pony Halloween today! I think for a costume I’ll wrap myself in fire and make it cold and nonspreading. That’s surprisingly easy for me.

P.P.P.S.

There are O&O nerds amongst ponykind! I was recognized as a Fire Elemental! I even won the best costume prize. But it was just some big plush bunny with a witches hat and a matching cape. Like, big enough to curl up and sleep on. I gave it to Moon, she seemed to really like it.

Sunset Shimmer - 21st of Harvesttide, 0 EoH (15 years ago)

Dear Diary,

I’m not sure, but I think last night was a date. I’m not sure how I feel about that.

-Sunset Shimmer

P.S.

Nope, apparently that’s just how she is with her best friends. Kinda sad it wasn’t a date now that I know it wasn’t one. Not too much though. Okay, a pretty good amount...

Sunset Shimmer - 1st of Chillfrost, 0 EoH (15 years ago)

Dear Diary,

Today is a pretty cool holiday. Ponies celebrate the first day of winter by having a whole flock of pegasi comes in and literally make winter happen. It was the coolest thing I've ever seen in my life!

I spent hours after they literally brought in winter practicing mimicking them with illusion magic to rewatch my memories of it. I wasn’t able to do much more than make it look like it was snowing indoors. While it sounds lame, Cadence is pretty proud of my progress seeing as how I started from absolutely nothing just a few months ago.

I think that’s a good sign that I’m starting to catch up to, say, a fifth grader. Lol!

At least Moon liked my fake snow.

-Sunset

P.S.

It’s a ‘flight’ of pegasi, not a flock. In related news, pony slaps HURT! (Note: Pony racial slurs are: Mudpony, Songbird, and… None for unicorns that anypony would tell me.)

Sunset Shimmer - 25th of Lunar Dusk, 0 EoH (15 years ago)

Dear Diary,

I’m a terrible person!

There’s a pony Christmas, and I fucked it up big time. I had three weeks to know it was coming and bought Cadence and Moon Dust gifts. But ONLY them.

I had no idea how... Communal everypony here is. I barely interact with anypony else, but everyone EVERYONE got me a gift. All twenty nine of them... Even if it was only a small bag of candy.

But the worst part? They understood and forgave me for not doing the same for them…

Ponies are so much nicer than humans. I’m going to have to spend more time with everyone. And next year I’ll need to be sure to get everyone something they really like. Because most of my gifts were useful things.

God, I feel like the worst asshole at an asshole convention.

Fortunately, Cadence loved the little snow globe I had made for her. It’s surprisingly cheap to hire craftsponies to make things for you. The snow globe has a little scene of her and her coltfriend cuddling atop a snowy hill having a picnic.

She got me a semi-rare illusion spell book dealing with personal ‘body suit’ illusions. Which are what I’m using as my prosthetic. It’s pretty cool. Once I master tactile feedback with my illusions I’ll be using a lot of it!

I got Moon something I know she would like. It took a little work to find out how to tell if their historical texts are authentic or not, but I was able to get a compilation of ‘Classical Era Baked Goods’ recipe book for Moon. She’s really into recovering and modernizing older recipes.

Moon knitted me a quilt. She knitted me a motherfucking quilt! It looks like a normal patchwork quilt! You need to touch it to feel the knit! She made it from scratch! With HOOVES FOR HANDS! She’s the best friend ever! ♥

-Sunset

Sunset Shimmer - 22nd of Lunar Dusk, 2 EoH (15 years ago)

Dear Diary,

I’ve finally finished learning Illusion magic! To the point of a foal who finished primary school…

But that’s still pretty cool! I can finally take my memories and ‘project’ them for others as a flat image. I can’t do three-dimensional yet, but that’s fine! Sight, sound, and smell all present in one image. Behold! I have become smell-o-vision!

Cadence is fairly certain that I should be caught up within another year or two and ready to go and get an actual fucking degree! That sounds pretty fucking sweet!

I um… I sort of used this to see my old friends again. I had the idea to try and draw them as ponies. Regardless Moon Dust walked into my room while I was doing it.

So yeah, had to fill her in completely. Cadence doesn't know yet. I’m not sure we’ll tell her. I don’t want Moon getting into trouble. She’s too fluffy to be in trouble. Also, I’d miss her hot cocoa.

On a related note, my room now has a bar lock for the door. No more random ponies walking in. Especially not while I play back movies for Moon and I to watch.

-Sunset

P.S.

The pony Calendar is confusing. They apparently change the ‘zero date’ on any major important event. After Princess Luna was freed last year, everypony started calling it ‘the Zeroth Year of the Era of Harmony’ but it was actually the thousandth year of the Solar Era, and for whatever reason the official date keeping method is actually to set the previous era’s prior year and the current era’s current year as the 0 EoH, making the year I just lived through the 1 EoH.

Apparently, everypony knew about the 0th year (used for record keeping management apparently) but didn’t know how it was implemented because nopony has lived through one in a thousand years. So I have been writing the date wrong this whole time. It’s the 2nd year of the Era, not the 1st.

Stupid count from zero method… Organic lifeforms are not computers! There is never a reason to start a count with zero!

Side note: This universe's Twilight is just as geeky as mine. She got so irritated at everyone doing the date wrong she went on national radio to give a three-hour lecture on the history behind the Era system and what year it currently was.

Moon and I skipped out after 4 minutes to go play O&O. It’s way cooler when as an actual mage IRL, I can just make terrain appear at will. Never used to like DMing before.

Sunset Shimmer - 18th of Megan, 2 EoH (15 years ago)

Dear Diary,

Hard day today. I’ve been here for a full year now. I think Cadence knew I’d be having a hard time today. Unfortunately, she was called into Canterlot for political stuff. Which meant that as her Chambermaid I had to go with her.

I’ve gone to other cities with her before, but never Canterlot. She would leave me at home. Unfortunately, she couldn’t this time. There was some sort of big fancy ass party thing and as her Chambermaid, I would be expected to attend.

Stupid fucking Grand Galloping Gala… Your name is dumb and you should feel dumb!

The stupid thing is, that I’ll have to come BACK here next month for Cadence’s wedding. At least that will leave me with something to be distracted by. Cadence and Shining make a great couple, adorable as hell to watch.

I thought that since Shining Armor was a Commander that he would be all tough and manly and hard-boiled military warrior poet!

Lol, nope! He’s a total geek, but the fun kind. He found Moon, Amber, Breeze, and I playing O&O when he came for a visit, forgot he was there to visit his marefriend and rolled up a Paladin. "Hey, girls! Where's Cadie at- Oh Cool! Is that Ravenloft? What level are we playing?"

Cadence came down and played too after a while, but she’s not fun to play with. She’ll sit there and argue that a certain kind of strike with a given weapon should kill outright rather than knock down hit points a bit… (But I can’t blame her too much, she did grow up using a pike and a rapier.)

Aside from being a total geek, he’s also mega girly. Not like, gay. But definitely, acts like an actual girl. Not a stereotype. Then paired with Cadence’s more guy-ish personality they make a fun pair to be around thanks to their inverted rolls. It makes me smile.

-Sunset

Sunset Shimmer - 10th of Plantation, 2 EoH (15 years ago)

Dear Diary,

I am starting to learn martial arts. I can completely understand why lots of people like guns. Never did before, but now that I’ve literally been in the middle of a fucking drop pod launched assault, by what might as fucking well have been Traitor Marines… Yeah, weapon skill needed.

By martial arts, I don’t mean like, how to punch people. No, fuck that. Ponies still use actual martial arts. Enchanted armor sometimes needs a good hand tool to crack open. So I’m learning how to use a warhammer and shield.

Apparently, ponies can stand up and walk biped style, it’s just a thing you need to practice and not really comfortable for long periods. At least I know why they make weapons which make no sense at all for a quadruped to use now.

Since Queen Chrysalis wasn’t killed, I’m going to be seeing what spells if any can detect changeling magic. This isn’t happening to her again. Maybe I can find a friendly changeling to let me watch them shift until I can tell what their aura’s look like.

-Sunset

P.S.

Only writing this down because of the arcane ink.

Turns out that Cadence knew changelings existed prior to the invasion. Because she grew up as ‘livestock’ in a changeling hive. That sounds terrible, but it’s not. It just means your job is creating positive emotional energy for your bug friends to eat, and they pay you in food, shelter, and security.

And while it might seem a bit racist, their coloration does tell you where they are from. Or at least, what hive they were born and raised in. Because their coloring is like ant coloring. Meaning we really only need to watch out for dark blue ones. Because that’s the hive which attacked.

She gave us all a really long lecture on how Chrysalis is not typical of a changeling Queen, nor were her followers normal for the species. Not that all hives are pacifists, but rather they don’t normally go and openly assault places. Instead they prefer stealth, and while they will take ponies to their hives, they normally only take volunteers.

She proved that they are peaceful by well, asking one to demorph. Turns out the maid Lemon Grass is a changeling, a green one. She is literally the single most kind and caring pony I know, and always goes out of her way to make other’s happy. Which means she’s a typical changeling. That’s how they are.

Because they eat love. Literally. They consume emotional energy. And to quote Lemon, “Hurting a pony is like cutting down an apple tree to get at the apples. You always make more love, meaning more food later. Your hate is poisonous to eat. None of us will hurt anypony if we don't need to, to protect ourselves.”

So yeah. Not a hostile species. They were just a warring group. Who are probably insane.

The sad thing is, that Chrysalis apparently learned of the wedding by intercepting an invitation Cadence had sent to her old hive’s Queen, hoping to see her again after the half millennia. They used to be best friends.

P.P.S.

Apparently changelings can shapeshift into literally anything they like within a certain size range. Lemon just became a lot more popular with everypony here. I wonder if she can get fat from being over stuffed?

Sunset Shimmer - 13th of Midsummer, 2 EoH (15 years ago)

Dear Diary,

I have named this year, “Year of Serious Shit Going Down”. Because motherfucking Sauron bamfped back into reality after a long ass vacation. Okay, not literally… But ancient evil dark lord who has a big pointy tower and manifests as a cloud of energy seeking an artifact to reconstitute themselves. That’s totally Sauron.

He got his ass exploded. Long with everything else.

I wasn’t there when it happened, but Cadence struck the final blow along with some help from a baby dragon, that Twilight raised apparently. Because she did all of the hard work by all accounts.

Apparently Twilight and this world’s versions of my old friends are the motherfucking Companions of the Hall! Not that anyone here has read a Salvadore novel… Also, I think any universe's Rarity would slap me for thinking of her as Wulfgar.

I miss people getting my references.

Upside, Cadence dibbsed the spoils for her pet project of Kinksville. I don’t care what she wants to call it. That’s its name as far as I’m concerned. The concept used to squick me a bit, but after a year and a half or so of living here… Eh, not so much.

-Sunset

Sunset Shimmer - 5th of harvestide, 2 EoH (15 years ago)

Dear Diary,

Everypony is getting ready to move from Cadence’s Estate to the Crystal Spire. It’s apparently safe now, and aside from the renovations Cadence has planned it’s okay to move into. Also, Celestia wants to show the nation that the place is safe and show the ‘spoils’ off to their nations so she’s decided that the ‘Crystal Empire’ will host their version of the Olympics.

It’s only a nationwide competition between Equestria’s provinces, but it still sounds really cool! I wanted to compete but I realized they don’t do Motorcross here…

Anyways, we have about a year to get this place from ‘Shabby primitive village around a tower’ to something that’s respectable to look at.

Well, I say we… But I’ll be in Trottingham for most of the time. Cadence got a teleport grid setup for getting construction supplies to the Spire (until a rail line can be built because teleporting things is really energy intensive). Which means I can start getting a degree as an Illusionist. Because apparently I’m all caught up for magic in terms of my age!

I get to start college on my birthday!

Speaking of my birthday, I finally took Moon Dust up on that offer of using her as a pillow. Mostly because she kept pestering me to snuggle. I am now convinced she’s actually a golem made of memory foam and essence of softness. That isn't fat. It's downy stuffing!

-Sunset

Sunset Shimmer - 25th of Lunar Dusk, 2 EoH (15 years ago)

Dear Diary,

HAHA! I remembered to get EVERYPONY something this time! Victory! Victory for Sunset!

And for the loss to accompany the victory, everypony saved up what they would have spent on me, pooled it, and dragged me to Trottingham… To an adult store. Because somepony realized that, A) I’m legally allowed to go to one now, B) none of them knew what I was into, and C) Moon told them I didn’t have any toys.

Traitor!

Anywho, all of the staff know what I’m into now and it’s super embarrassing… But I think I’m starting to understand Cadence’s entire goal. It would be really cool if I didn’t have to be embarrassed that others knew. A place where nopony judged you, and a culture where sex would be just another hobby to talk about, does have it’s appeal.

Also, potions are sex toys here. Which makes sense when you have a magical society. What surprised me is how extensive the things the potions can do are. I mean, it makes sense to have a potion of ‘endurance’, but I did not expect things like the ‘potion of elasticity’. And then there were temporary mutations for all kinds of things up to and including changing your sex!

I might have to try a few out sometime. I need a new thing. I don’t exactly like being restrained anymore and vanilla is boring.

-Sunset

P.S.

Training goes well. I’ve gotten to be okay enough to start freeform sparring with some of Cadence’s more crappy guards.

I've also been flying through Trottingham University’s illusion program. Ponies don't base college on years, but on the work you finish. At this rate, I should have a degree inside of another few months!

Sunset Shimmer - 23rd of First Bloom, 3 EoH (14 years ago)

Dear Diary,

I got referred by the Dean to the Mage’s Library. I thought that meant I got special access to books. NOPE! It means I did well enough to be considered a genius, and therefore get to join like, the foremost wizard school on Equis. Or at least the oldest.

If I pass the entrance exam at least. Which funnily enough is just the process for getting a library card. They wound up making what amounts to a secondary education degree worth of tests to make sure that only people who should handle their books and artifacts get access.

Over the years that became a proper education program.

It will be cool if I get in, because I can already do a lot of cool shit. I’ve finally been able to make a bodysuit as convincing as Cadence can, so I can upkeep myself now! And trying out new looks is really fun!

It’s also super fun to use that with my friends. Forget just making the game table’s terrain and animating everypony’s figures and the monsters, attacks and all that! Now everypony can be ‘in costume’ while playing. Roleplaying improves a LOT when everyone’s dressed up.

For Moon’s birthday today, I made her fur look and feel like a latex skin for a few hours. And I FINALLY understand why she likes that. She literally becomes a smooth, super soft thing you want to cuddle the shit out of. Like a literal plush pony. I think her actual kink is provoking others into snuggles by being irresistibly cuddly.

I’m down for that >.>

-Sunset

Sunset Shimmer - 15th of Megan, 3 EoH (13 years ago)

Calmare Manner - Equestria

“Sunset!” Moon exclaimed in mock indignation. “This ink is only half dry! Did you just write down every last one of these diary entries except the first one?”

I coughed into my hoof. “Um, maybe?”

“This is three entire years of entries!” She protested holding up my diary with a pouty expression. “What about all of the memories? You can’t possibly remember them all.”

“I do,” I sighed. “I remember every last word ever said to me, and can cross reference them by date, and time too, if I happen to know what time it was when the speaker was talking… I don’t forget things.

“I mean, sure, stuff slips my mind. I may not remember something right at a given moment, but if I try to recall anything I have ever known, I’ll remember it.

“I’m mostly keeping this thing because having a written record is good if I want to tell others my own story. And since I can remember exactly how I felt on a given day well… I just sort of made up each entry as it would have been.”

“What’s the first thing I said to you and when?” Moon asked with a suspicious glare.

I hummed and rested my chin on my hoof for a moment letting myself ‘rewind’.

“The first thing you said to me was ‘Who's there!? I’m just delivering her highness’s breakfast.’ and you said it at around ten in the morning on the nineteenth of Megan, in the year one thousand of the Solar Era,” I reported. “Huh, that’s almost exactly three years ago now.”

Moon shook her head incredulously, her peach mane going all floofy with her motion. “I’ll never understand how you can do that.”

I shrugged. “Well hey, doctors back home couldn’t explain it either. So don’t worry about it.”

Moon nodded and then flipped through my diary entries, reading through them at a fairly quick pace. I’d asked her to tell me how good my writing was. I was a bit embarrassed to show it to anypony else…

“W-Wait! You were sad that we didn’t have a date that Nightmare Night?” She asked with a frown.

“Yes, a little. I was not really… Stable back then. Emotional roller coaster and whatnot,” I explained.

Please don’t ask if-

“Want to actually go on a date this Nightmare Night?” Moon asked playfully.

Or maybe seriously? Her tone was hard to decipher.

“Aren't you like, fifty? I mean, you’re a few decades older than me,” I said, hoping to use her reaction as a gauge to understand.

Moon’s face pulled to the left in a gesture both hurt and confused. “So what? Lots of couples have age gaps of a full century. What’s a few decades?” She demanded.

Oh! So she did like me! I smiled as a few butterflies danced in my stomach.

“Wait, you’re happy after I said that?” Moon asked, her eyes softened in understanding. “Oh, I see! That was a test. You could have just asked you silly filly. Yes. I like you. Y-you’re just really nice and I like spending time with you.”

Goddamn it! I swear she intentionally stuttered sometimes just to be adorable... It worked.

“I like you too,” I admitted with a smile. “Though, that age gap is a thing for me. You have a lot more life experience than I do. Are you sure you want a brand new adult in your life?”

Moon laughed, and nuzzled my left cheek in a way I wouldn’t believe was just ‘a thing friends do’ three years ago. (Ponies are way more affectionate than a human would ever assume.)

“You’re already in my life, silly! Sure you do a few ‘young pony’ things still, but you’ll grow and mature. Hopefully not too much, though!” She giggled happily. “I wouldn’t mind adding ‘adult fun’ to the list of things we do together.”

I tilted my head to one side, frowning slightly. “Wait, you just want to be friends with benefits?” I asked.

I felt my heart sink a little. I wanted more than that!

Moon raised an eyebrow. “Sun, I was being coy… As long as we have an open relationship, I would love to be your marefriend,” she said with a smile.

“Why open?” I asked. I wasn’t upset, just curious, and it carried in my tone.

“W-well… I sort of disagree with the idea of sexual monogamy being good,” she admitted. “If I demanded you be attracted to me and only me, that’s kind of selfish. If I really loved you I would be okay with you doing anything you liked, and trust you to always come back to our bed at night and love me just as much as you always have. Or invite me along if you think I’d have fun too!”

“Huh,” I mused frowning in thought. “You know, I’ve never heard anyone put it like that before… I can see your point, but I still like the idea of someone being there for me. You know?”

“So do I,” Moon agreed with a happy blush. “But how does agreeing that sex with others is okay change that?”

“It just feels a bit odd,” I admitted, ears drooping. “Do you like anyone else here? Is that the problem?”

“Not yet,” she admitted, ears drooping slightly. “But I probably will one day… And I-I love you right now. I don’t want some stupid decision I make some day to break us apart. I’d like to spend years with you as a family… And It’s conceivable that one day you might find somepony else you like too. Or have a few drinks one day and have a little fun with say, Lemon Grass-”

“Lemon Grass!?” I objected with a laugh. “Why Lemon Grass?”

“First name I thought of when I thought about a pony here who drinks,” Moon said with a bashful grin. “Um, my point is if we have an open relationship, and it’s okay for each of us to have sex outside of with each other, but NOT to date anypony else-”

“Oh!” I said smiling immediately. “That’s different! I thought you just wanted well, friendship plus screwing.”

“No! I just want it to be okay to have a little fun with other ponies is all. That way we won't feel well… Cheated. But no dates, romantic gestures for, or sleeping with them, and I mean literal sleeping. Romance is for us only,” she declared with an uncharacteristically steely tone in her voice.

I frowned, squirming slightly as I thought it over. I did like her, she was fun, we got along great but… Was that enough to base a relationship around? No.

I sighed, tail and ears drooping. “I’m sorry, Moon… But humans need a certain level of exclusivity. And sex is kind of a big deal for us.”

“W-well what if we reserve one thing for just us each?” Moon proposed fearfully. “Like um… Only you get to drink from ‘the tap’?”

My ears perked at her suggestion. I’d actually gone to a dairy farm a few years ago, and sure enough, cows were people. Just people who lived in a very young civilization which had only produced stone age technology before ponies integrated into their nation a thousand years ago.

Amazingly, the Cows kept their culture intact. The ponies simply protected them in exchange for milk because bovine food caught on with the young Equestria and all of it uses milk. Overall the ‘farm’ had reminded me of an Indian reservation but without the suck.

After learning that, I’d been comfortable with Moon enjoying herself. Especially since hers was way better tasting than store bought brands. Eating or drinking it wasn’t a sexual thing at all, it was basically just like having a cow for a friend. That was a paradigm shift to make, but I’d made it.

On the other hand, actually nursing from Moon would DEFINITELY be sexual. And also pretty fucking hot… I’d seen how she twitched and cooed happily from a pump. A mouth would definitely feel better. Yes.

“That would definitely work,” I admitted with a shy blush.

“Yay!” Moon exclaimed happily darting forwards to wrap me in a tight hug. “Sooo what do I get to do with you that nopony else can?”

Oh shit! That’s right I had to be fair. And that meant picking something I liked as much as she liked milk.

Putting some thought into it and cleared my throat. “Uh, well, I used to be into bondage buuuut yeah… I’m still looking for new things. Though, I have been having a lot of fun with elastic potions and seeing what can fit,” I admitted, blushing a deep red.

“Oh! So you like bigger toys, or lots at once? I used to enjoy that sort of thing before… W-well you know,” Moon giggled, but her eyes flashed sadly.

I did know. But I didn’t want to think about how her foal died exactly right now. Guh, too late! How can it even get going sideway to get stuck?

“Yeah, I do,” I agreed quickly. “Mostly because those portions fascinate me. I wonder if you could brew one strong enough to actually get someone's head in there.”

“Now that I think about it, that does sounds fun! Can I have that?” Moon asked lovingly, gently mushing her plump belly against my left flank.

“S-sure!” I stammered awkwardly. “I mean if we can find a potion good enough, and somepony else to show us how to safely-”

Moon laughed. “Stuffing things into you in general, silly!”

“Oh! Yes,” I agreed with a laugh. “So… We’re marefriends now?”

Moon shook her head and leaned in to kiss me. I met her halfway, expecting a sloppy french kiss. Instead, she gave me a simple tender loving kiss then hugged me tightly to herself.

I sank into her like a mattress. It was awesome!

“Now we are,” She sighed happily before letting go of me.

“I guess I should move my things into your room. Or do you want to move into mine?” I asked.

“Your room is bigger,” Moon decided after a second of thought. “Oh um, slightly personal question… I’ve always been a plump filly, but um, this is as low as I can get. S-Sort of been dieting for years to slim down and catch someone's eye… W-would you mind if I ate how I like?”

I frowned. “There aren't’ any health risks, are there?”

Moon’s cheeks brightened with a pink blush. “Oh no! I can’t get more than about twice as chubby as this depth wise. Actually fat or obese is just something my body won't do. I’ve tried, because apparently, a high BMI improves milk flavor. My metabolism is weird… I’ll sort of just stay there if I stop skipping everything but breakfast and tea.”

Honestly, I liked her plumpness. I never thought I would be into that kind of girl, none of the ones back home had been on my ‘team’ so I never considered it.

“Love, stop skipping meals, that’s bad,” I scolded. “I’m sure you’ll look lovely like-”

I focused on my magic, quickly forming a spell to cast an illusion on her to see what she would look like.

“- uhhhhh…” I trailed off as my spell took effect.

Moon’s ears drooped morosely. “I-I’m not too heavy for you, am I?” She asked with a sad whimper.

She looked like a plushie! An adorable pony shaped plushie! All the extra weight did was make her look fluffier.

“Never skip meals again!” I said, canceling my spell and pulling her in for another kiss with my forelegs

My bedroom door burst open! The familiar silhouette of Cadence filling the doorway as if fired into it from a shotgun.

“Sunset! I have new- Awwwwww!” Cadence urgent exclamation turned into a loving coo the second she caught the two of us with her held in my ‘arms’.

“You guys finally got together! Yay!” Cadence giggled happily while the two of us blushed.

To my amazement slash horror, she zipped over to the two of us and picked us up in a bear hug before plopping us back down!

Awkward levels maximum! HELP!

“It’s just like I imagined!” She beamed lovingly. “You’re an adorable coup- oh…”

“Oh? What’s ‘oh?’” I asked, frowning as I took in her tonal whiplash from elated to devastated.

Cadence’s ears fell sadly. “T-this isn’t the best time…”

“No, what is it?” Moon asked with equal fear and curiosity as me.

Cadence sighed and scuffed the floor with one hoof. “Well… It’s been three years. The po- Um, Sunset can go home if she wants.”

The portal? Oh! Oh… I felt my guts twist into an uncomfortable knot.

“She knows,” I admitted at last.

Cadence’s eyes softened. “I figured she would by now.”

Moon looked pleadingly into my eyes. I could see it, she needed me to stay with her. Maybe she would come with me if I asked?

Then, like a bolt of lightning from a clear sky, the fact of the matter hit me.

“Why would I go to a world where I’m NOT a wizard with a sexy girlfriend?” I asked myself aloud.

“Well, it’s your home. You have to miss a few people. I know it’s been a long time but are you really attached to this world so much that you’d abandon your own?” Cadence asked quizzically.

A good question. I pursed my lips in thought. Mulling over each factor until I had a satisfying answer.

“Well, let’s see. Back home I was a teen just starting to work out my life. In the last three years here, I’ve learned fucking magic. Gotten a pretty good job, have a home of my own, and am three tests away from gaining access to a prestigious community of Wizards,” I said decisively. “I didn’t really have a life back home. I had a family, and friends, but not a life of my own. Not really. If I go home, I’ve lost the life I’ve made for myself… And while I still would like to punch the other me in her teeth, I don’t think I need to do that.”

Moon hugged me tightly. “Thank you… Um, but… You should probably go visit your friends and your parents.”

I returned her hug and nodded. “I probably should,” I agreed.

Cadence hummed. “That could be difficult. Celestia has sent Twilight through the mirror to search for your counterpart. And the mirror has been moved into her throne room so it can be watched safely while it’s open. I could sneak you in without a problem. But coming back… The spell would stop working on the other side and you would be visible when you returned.”

Fuck!

“Well, I guess I’ll just wait another three years to visit home, then,” I decided.

“Are you sure you’ll be fine what that?” Cadence asked hesitantly.

I nodded and gave Moon a loving kiss. “I have a great pillow, I’ll be okay,” I said affectionately.

“Alright. If you change your mind, let me know,” Cadence said with an oddly relieved voice. “Now… Would you two like some privacy, or can I watch?” She asked mischievously.

I immediately blushed a deep shade of pink.

“M-maybe some other time,” I stammered.

Cadence grinned and gave the two of us a wink. “Just playing, girls. You two have fun! Let me know if you need a bigger bed in here and I’ll see what I can do,” she offered as she left the room, closing the door behind her gently.

“Not in the mood anymore?” Moon asked me awkwardly.

“Not really…” I confirmed. “I could still go for snuggles though. And then lunch. You need to start eating lunch. And dinner.”

“And you?” Moon teased.

“Also, yes,” I giggled.

I gently pulled her onto my bed, and snuggled up against her side, resting my head on her shoulder. “Now be a good pillow and pull that blanket over us, sexy.”

I mmmed happily as she pulled the quilt she’d made me years ago over the two of us. Yeah, I’d have to be brain damaged to want to leave this behind.

I had a great life for myself here. I wasn't about to just up and leave.

7 - Letter Home

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Canterlot High, Ponyville - Mirrior Equestria

October 12th, 2014 - 13 years ago

“Lyra! Hey! Lyra!” Pinkie Pie shouted as she sprinted down the packed hallway towards the minty haired girl, dragging Rarity by her wrist.

“Oof!” Rarity gasped as she slammed into someone's back unable to apologized before her excitable friend dragged her along the hall.

Hearing her name, Lyra paused and turned around, only to be immediately grabbed by Pinkie pie.

“Hey! Hands off!” Lyra protested as Pinkie dragged them both down the hall.

“Sorry no time to waste! It’s only empty for five minutes before lunch and it’s six minutes before lunch!” Pinkie under explained, dragging both other girls down the hall into the school’s west wing.

“Pinkie! I demand to know where you are taking us!” Rarity protested as her friend drug her as well as Lyra into the empty AV classroom.

Letting go of her friends, Pinkie shut the door and slipped off her backpack, setting it down on a desk.

“Okay! It’s safe to talk now,” Pinkie said with a smile. “I have a letter for all three of us! But it says ‘your eyes only’, see?”

Pinkie produced a small slightly battered dark wooden box from her bag. The box was bound shut by a red and yellow ribbon, and stamped with a wax seal which had been chipped and scratched by someone stepping on it, judging by the nike swoosh impressed into the wax. A small slip of parchment stuck under the wax, while muddy read:

To Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Lyra Heartstrings. Your eyes only. Unauthorized handlers will be shocked.

Lyra frowned slightly, leaning in to look at the box. Her conspiracy theorist's mind already whirling through the possibilities. “Well, this explains you dragging us someplace private. Where did you get this?” She asked suspiciously.

“Flash gave it to me,” Pinkie answered. “He said he stepped on it near the statue yesterday and it shocked the crap out of him. Like, zappy shocked. You know, tazery.”

“Well, the label does warn about that… And it didn’t shock you?” Rarity asked curiously.

“Nope! But we need to open this. The jocks hang out in here during lunch but it’s the only teacher-free classroom right now,” Pinkie said as she broke the seal and opened the small box.

The box revealed itself to be a scroll case, lined with blue velvet and also holding a small leather pouch. The scroll was labeled ‘For everyone, from Sunset’, and the pouch was labeled ‘for Lyra’.

The three girls gathered around the desk, and with a nod to each other picked up the scroll together, and unrolled it.

Dear Pinkie, Rarity, and Lyra,
Hi. It’s me. Sunset. Your Sunset, not the one who took my place.

“This would be more of a shock if yesterday hadn’t happened,” Lyra snarked.

“Shh! I’m reading!” Rarity hissed.

Her best friend had been missing for a year, rather than having changed into a monstrous bitch like she had assumed for so long. Nothing was getting in her way of learning where she had been.

I’m writing to let you know that I’m safe. I’m also happy. How happy? Well… In the three year’s I’ve been gone, I’ve made a life for myself here and I am sorry, but I won't be coming back. I’ll visit of course, but I won’t be moving back to our world.
Why not? Because I have become an actual fucking wizard, as in, I can cast actual fuckmothering spells that actually do things!
On its own, this would be a pretty good reason for me to stay here. Offense not meant, but magic doesn't work back home (But I remember that enchanted items do. So I’ve attached gifts), and over here I can be the coolest DM ever using only the magic they teach to high schoolers.
But I also have a girlfriend here. Her name is Moon Dust, and she’s just the best! I’ve included a photo of her in this scroll. Yes, in the scroll. Pinkie, cover Lyra’s mouth. Rarity, take your thumb, and slide it down the parchment beneath this sentence.

Pinkie nodded and firmly clamped her hands over Lyra’s mouth. Rarity tilted her head in confusion. Lyra mmphed loudly in protest, eyes narrowing in protest.

Pinkie suddenly erupted into giggles. Shaking as something tickled her. “Quick! Do it! She’s licking my hand! I can’t keep this up! Hehehe!”

Rarity slid her thumb down along the parchment. A few sparks of cyan magic traced along the page as she slipped a small color photograph out of a hidden pocket dimension within the parchment.

“Oh!” Rarity yelped, dropping the photo in surprise.

“... We just saw a magic duel last night and that surprises you?” Pinkie asked flatly.

“W-well it happened right at my fingertips! And normally blue sparks are going to electrocute you,” Rarity said as she picked up the photo and turned it rightside up to reveal…

A photograph of a pony-like creature, with a flatter face, a smaller muzzle, forward facing eyes. Everything one might expect in a sapient civilization building species evolved from equines. Except still quadruped.

The gray pony with her peach colored mane smiled at the camera offering a friendly wave from where she stood in the middle of a small, homey room with a bed meant for two and some rather shiny walls made from dark purple crystal.

Lyra squeed so loudly that Pinkie’s hand only barely managed to contain any sound.

Forcing Pinkie’s hand away from her mouth she bent down to look at the picture as closely as possible. “I knew it! I knew that the other world Twilight came from had to have sentient ponies! YES! I was right! SUCK IT DAD! HA! Who needs to be mentally evaluated now!?” She shouted exuberantly.

“Shhh! There’s more to read,” Rarity hissed. “We’ll get found reading this and who knows what might happen!”

I’m sorry for your ears, girls.
Yes, Lyra. Everyone here is a pony. You were right. There IS an alternate dimension filled with pony people that’s a reflection of our world. And they are totally adorable! Most are skinnier than Moon, she’s a big plush girl. Even cooler is if you cross through the portal, you get transformed into a pony yourself, or a human, depending on the world you’re going to.
I’d show you a photo of me, but I can’t. You couldn’t handle it. The portal on this side is set into a mirror which used to be in an abandoned wizard’s lab. There was an accident, and I was very badly burned.
It’s okay, I’m fine now. But I don't want to share my actual appearance with you, so here the illusion spell I’m using as a prosthesis. Rarity, do the thing.

Rarity slid her thumb along the parchment again, retrieving another photograph. The three girls clustered around it, inspecting the picture closely.

“She branded herself with her t-shirt's logo?” Pinkie questioned, tilting her head.

“That is a very nice blue… I don't think a pony would look good in yellow but I wonder why she didn’t go by her old looks,” Rarity mused.

Lyra’s lips pulled down into a small frown. She could see Sunset’s face shape behind the fur , muzzle and different colors. “Why do you have to have a new girlfriend?” She lamented with a wistful sigh. “God damn… You’re fucking lucky, Moon.”

The other two girls turned to give her a weird look.

Lyra blushed and kicked one foot along the floor. “I- Um, I’m kinda a furry… I like horses… She’s five times hotter now.”

“Oh,” Rarity said biting her lip awkwardly before turning back to the letter.

I’ve got a good job. I work for Princess Cadence as her Chambermaid. It’s not too hard of work, it pays well and I like my ‘boss’. She’s more of a friend/family member though. Her whole palace staff are like one big family.
She’s also totally running this place like a furry RP chatroom. Lyra knows what I mean, ask her. TLDR; Cadence is sort of basically a goddess of love, leaning to the sexy part of love. (But she’s married and currently monogamous. Weird huh?)
So yeah. I’m a wizard, I got a girl, a job, and a slightly squicky at first home that really grows on you after a while. I’m doing really well for myself here.
I’m not leaving. But, I can totally visit, probably. If not… Well, you girls can come visit me!
How? The portal to get here is inside the base of the statue in front of Canterlot High. It opens once every thirty Equestrian moons. Unfortunately there is a time discrepancy between the worlds. If somepony or someone uses the portal, time synchronises for a while, but then gets out of step again.
I know that Twilight visited, to retrieve an incredibly powerful magical artifact. I know when she returned and departed. This box arrived on the second day she was there. For you that’s probably one day after an angry new girl started ripping the place up and demanding money return her crown. There was probably a vicious fight between her and ‘me’. Use that date for your calculations.
If someone from this side comes through, the portal will open at midnight on your side in exactly thirty five months and twenty days from midnight of the second day Twilight was there. It will remain open for three days.
If no one from this side crosses, the portal will open for you in exactly seven years one hundred and fifty five days and twenty three hours from midnight of the second day Twilight was there. It will remain open for three days.
Beneath the pouch for Lyra is another pouch. It contains five hundred Bits (Pony money), that is enough for three train tickets from anywhere in Equestria to anywhere else. Get a ticket to the Crystal Spire in the Crystal Empire. That’s where I live.

“YES!” Lyra hissed happily. “I am so there!”

Pinkie winced, “We only have two more minutes, we need to finish!”

The three hurriedly went back to the letter.

Worried about getting in trouble for being caught wherever the portal is and getting in trouble because say, it’s on a military base? Don’t be. Pinkie, Rarity, you two are literally nation saving heros over here. Nopony will question your presence anywhere. Lyra, from what I could find out, your counterpart is best freinds with a mare named Vinyl Scratch, her dad is a Count. Just say you’re looking for Count Damsire Scârţâi to give him a message from her and nopony will think twice about it. Ponies are very trusting… But don’t abuse that. They can be vicious if needed, and you don’t want to spend the rest of your life as a ferret or a sentient dildo because you pissed off a wizard.
This section is for Lyra. Hi Lyra. Yes, I’m in your dream world. I’m sorry you are not here with me.
Do the photo retrieving thing Rarity did.

Lyra quickly slipped the picture out of the parchment as instructed and gasped. The photo was of a smaller, skinny, mare. She had a bright yellow coat, accented with a black mane tied into a ponytail, and a pair of chocolate brown eyes. She was beaming the biggest smile ever into the camera, and holding up a worn paperback book.

Lyra blinked in confusion at the title. ‘The Human Memoirs by Meep the Changeling. Emerald Books ltd’.

“Wut?” Lyra asked of reality.

This is Lemon Grass. She stumbled onto me writing this letter and since I have to keep her quiet I agreed to introduce her to a human girl who is into girls, if possible. She’s nice, but a bit annoying. To me. Personally I think you two could be friends.
Guess what? Humans are mythical creatures here. I’m not joking. She totally wants to meet one. I also know for a fact that she’s into that thing you like but I wouldn’t do with you because I found it gross. You’re welcome.
She’s also not actually a pony. She’s a species called a ‘changeling’. She can literally shapeshift into anything you want. What limitations? Just size and time spent practicing, apparently. I saw her turn into a motorcycle once. She turned on, and like, worked. It was fucking awesome!
The pouch for you contains three things. First is a small green gemstone set into a brass plate. If Cadence is right, setting the pad someplace where the gem collects sunlight should keep it charged. If you put the other items on top of it it should repower them, and keep them working despite the very very week thaumaturgic field.
The other item is a dragonfire quill. You’ll need to use ink with it. But if it can work across dimensions (and nothing says they shouldn’t work across dimensions), it’s tuned to send messages to Lemon. You can also send stuff to me with it, just tell her to give it to me.
To use it, write a letter with it, and then burn the letter. Once Lemon gets something she’ll have your ‘number’ and can reply. Yes, you could have a pony pen pal if this works.
(Sorry girls I could only afford the one… They are pricy.)
The last item is a small choker necklace set with a green gem. I can’t do transformation spells yet, but I’m almost at a Doctorate level with Illusion spells. The necklace, when tapped will make you look like you would as a pony.
WARNING! It’s just illusion. None of your physical properties change. You won't gain strength, magic, or anything. You’ll just LOOK like a pony. It’s a magic costume that provides sight, sound, smell, and taste. That’s it.
For everyone else, under the false bottom of this box are some potions. They are all labeled, and do fun things! I’ve been having a blast trying them myself. I’ve included one of my favorites for each of you. They are labeled with green dots. Ones with permanent effects are labeled with an orange dot. I’ve included an antidote for each permanent potion.
I’ve also included two other things in that compartment. You’ll need to charge these with Lyra’s solar collector. Pinkie, I got you the ring. It’s ment for a unicorn’s horn but will slip onto a finger just fine. The ring will warm up cold food that’s meant to be hot so long as you’re touching it. It will also cool down cold food and drinks you touch.
Rarity, the diamond earring is yours. I imagine you’ll never take it off and may in fact get it soldered on so you can’t lose it or get rid of it without cutting it off. Why? Because it repels dirt and grime. Ponies use them to keep their coats clean so showering doesn't have to be a daily thing. It takes HOURS to dry fur. And washing your coat uses an assload of shampoo. Put that earring in, and you and your clothing can’t get dirty until it runs out of charge.
Anyways, I need to ship this. I miss you all and will try very hard to visit the next time the portal is open. If I can’t, come see me when you can! Please bring as much steak as possible… Cows are sapient here too and while rabbit is tasty I miss beef.
Miss you,
Sunset

Lyra picked up the bag with her name on it gingerly, opened it, and fished out the necklace, slipping it on immediately.

“This never comes off again ever,” she whispered happily.

“Well, I think it’s clear that we all need to visit Sunset,” Rarity said firmly. “Let’s all swear that no matter what happens, we will come back here in seven years and go through that portal. Agreed?”

“Agreed!” The other two girls said as one.

They sealed the pact with a handshake. It would not be broken.

The End