"You dared try to kill my other half? YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE HER FRIEND! HER AUNT!" shouted Blitz in a bloody rage.
"Braver!" AJ hurried over to Braver and could see her barely breathing. Her slime was hardening and glowing a light blue color. "Hold on, Braver. You'll be okay. Everything is going to be okay."
"Mama, no...mommy, don't go...mama, no, no...where are you?" whimpered Braver, crying, and her whole body stopped moving. Soon, she was utterly still, and her body became white.
"BRAVER!" cried out AJ, picking her up. "Braver, hold on! We'll get your mom, Twilight! Don't you die, Braver! DON'T YOU DIE!"
AJ suddenly realized how heavy her body was. As her body became increasingly white, it became transparent. To AJ, it was like lifting a boulder.
"Don't die, please," AJ begged her and tried to move her but couldn't; if she were younger and in her prime, this would have been easier. "TEMPEST! WHERE ARE YOU!?"
"I'm here." groaned Tempest, slowly standing up as she popped out of the water.
"Tempest, thank God you're alright! Braver needs our help; she's..." said AJ, but stopped when she could see Tempest readying herself, as she could see someone behind AJ, who turned and could see Blitz standing there, looking pissed off, and could see her eyes glowing. "Blitz? I'm glad your-"
Suddenly, AJ was forced away from Braver's body, covered in a magical aura, and safely put back on the ground. Tempest's magic caught AJ, and the two could see that Blitz had a blue aura around her, and her chest was glowing.
"You dared try to kill my other half? YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE HER FRIEND! HER AUNT!" shouted Blitz in a bloody rage.
"W-Wait, Blitz. This is a mistake. Brav-" said AJ.
"QUIET!" Blitz screamed as she was suddenly in front of AJ in the blink of an eye and was about to punch her, but Blitz was hit by a magical firework rocket spell and sent flying into the sky, which caused a firework blast and made a loud boom sound.
AJ turned to see that she was saved by Tempest, who had Braver's body with her magic. "We must go! She's enraged and won't listen to us! We need Princess Twilight and Dash right now!"
"I got ya!" shouted AJ, who tried to move out, but Blitz quickly returned as she flew across the night sky like a rainbow comet.
"DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH HER!" shouted Blitz, who appeared before the two, grabbed Tempest by the throat, and flew up in the air, soaring across the sky again.
"Let her go, Blitz!" AJ yelled, who caught Braver's body before she hit the ground. She looked at the sky and could see Tempest blasting off her firework magic, but Blitz wasn't phased by it at all while giving her a pissed-off look.
"LET ME GO; WE DIDN'T HURT HER!" shouted Tempest, using her horn and blasting off her magic, trying to fight back but seeing Blitz heading straight back into town, where she could quickly destroy everything and hurt her if they landed at this speed "NO, NO, PLEASE, DON'T DO THIS, BLITZ!".
"YOU TRIED TO KILL HER! SHE SUFFERS TOO MUCH TO DIE! SHE'S NOT A MONSTER! YOU'RE ALL MONSTERS! AND YOU'LL PAY FOR HURTING HER!" barked Blitz, but she suddenly could feel something coming from the left. She turned to see Dash tackling her, letting Tempest go and teleported away as she fell.
"Calm down!" shouted Dash, letting her go.
"BUT THEY TRIED TO KILLED BRAVER!" shouted Blitz, crying her tears of rage. "I'll make them pay! I KNEW I SHOULDN'T HAVE BELIEVED IN TRUSTING YOU WITH HER!"
"What are you talking about?" asked Dash in confusion.
Blitz suddenly felt a magical energy behind her; she knew Tempest was trying to attack her from behind, but she wouldn't allow that. She quickly spun around and punched Tempest in the face, sending her flying into the town's water fountain, destroying it. But Blitz's eyes went wide as she started to shake with fear and shock. "Mom..." she whispered, as she could see Twilah in the ruins of the fountain, her head bleeding and barely conscious. "No, no, no. I didn't... I'm so sorry, mom!"
"Blitz!" groaned Twilah as she tried to move but couldn't.
"NO, NO, STAY DOWN!" cried Blitz, who tried to fly towards her, but visions of Nightfall appeared in her mind, dead, as she killed her all those years ago, and she started to scream in pain, "NOOOOOO!"
Twilah was about to say something, but Dash quickly flew over to her, removing some rubble from her body. She picked her up and could see her head wound was terrible; she needed medical attention. "You'll be okay, Twilah; stay awake; we'll get help."
"Mom!" cried out Blitz, holding her head and sobbing as Nightfall's death kept replaying in her mind, now seeing what she did to Twilah. Soon, her yelling started to get louder, and everyone in town came out and wondered what was happening.
"What happened!?"
"Did someone get hurt?"
"Who needs medical attention? I'm a nurse."
"What the hay going on!"
"Look, is that Braver?"
Blitz looked down and saw town folks gathering near Braver. As they tried to help her, she quickly flew down, pushed the crowd away, picked up Braver, and held her in her arms.
"Leave her alone! You did this to her!" shouted Blitz.
"But we're only trying to help!" cried one of the ponies.
"Yeah, we know how powerful Braver is; we just wanted to see if she was okay."
"We just got here! She was like this! We would never do something so cruel!"
"You're lying; all of you are lying! You tried to kill her and then lied to my face about it! I should have known better than to trust you all."
"BLITZ!"
Blitz and everyone turned to the sky and saw Dashie and Twilight hovering in the air. Both could see Twilah hurt, and Braver's body turned white and hard. They were going to ask her what happened, but Tempest, with AJ, teleported in front of the twins and teleported them away.
"Blitz!?"
"Braver!?"
Both mothers cried out for their daughters as the four vanished before them.
Dawn held her chest in pain as her sun started to lose its glow, and she fell on her back. The warm water was splashing everywhere, and she was in pain.
"...someone hurt her!? Who would hurt her?" cried out Dawn.
She fought the pain and tried to flip on her stomach, but her legs were in a lot of pain, which made her scream out. She suddenly saw images of a bedroom; it was pretty clean, but there was a mess on the ground. She could see someone lying there as rainbow liquid covered the floor and...
"NO!" she screamed, her eyes watered up and shook her head. "No, no, no! I didn't mean it... I didn't... I didn't mean it. Why? Why am I remembering this now?"
She could see herself sitting on the bed, crying, and someone, like a rainbow ghost, was in front of her, saying something to her, but no words could be heard.
"But I love you!" cried out Past Dawn as her eyes watered up more.
The rainbow ghost walked back and forth like it was saying something, but whatever it said made Dawn sob more and more. The ghost lowered itself to her, but Dawn threw something at the mirror in the room, shattering it and sending glass flying everywhere.
"YOU NEVER LOVED ME!" shouted Past Dawn, breaking down and shaking her whole body.
"Stop, please, no more. Please, no more. I don't want to remember anymore. Make it stop!" Dawn cried out, holding her chest, and her sun started to lose its glow, and blackness started to fill it.
The ghost quickly stood up and backed away, looked like it was saying something, and walked away, but it wasn't aware of Dawn picking up a broken mirror shard and quickly leaping at the ghost, who turned and...
"NO! I didn't mean it!" she closed her eyes, not wanting to see that memory anymore. "I didn't mean it."
Her sun lost its glow, and once again, her core was black, and rainbow liquid started to ooze out. Her body started to be covered in darkness again—her skin, clothes, everything. She was once again covered in blackness. She could feel herself losing herself once more. She raised her hand to nothing, hoping someone would grab it and save her.
"Please, someone, anyone...save me."
The darkness covered her crying face, and she lowered her head. She slowly looked up, and a white smile appeared on her face.
"No, it wasn't my fault. It was theirs! THEY TOOK HER AWAY FROM ME!" cried Rainbow Sun Dawn, as she started to laugh like a crazed person again.
With a bright flash, Tempest and others found themselves near a campfire site and a cabin.
"Why did you teleport us away? Twilight was right there! She could have helped!" barked AJ towards Tempest, but Tempest only pointed at Blitz, showing AJ that Blitz was having a triggered breakdown, as she was holding Braver's body close to her, covering her mouth and closing her eyes, trying to keep herself together and trying not to lose it.
"We can't risk anyone's life when she's like that. Try to calm her down; I'll start a fire," ordered Tempest as she disappeared into the dark woods. AJ turned back and could see Blitz crying over her sister as her tears were dropping onto her hardened white body.
"...sis...wake up. Don't die, not now." cried Blitz, as she couldn't hold back the tears anymore and hugged Braver tightly. "Don't leave me alone! You all I got left! I hurt my mom...Twilight was right about us. We're still monsters; no matter how much we try to change, we can't. We're bad people."
AJ's ears went low, and he could feel Blitz's pain. She wanted to walk up to her but was scared she might snap.
"We truly should have died that day. Mom was right; we should have been better off dead with our parents," sobbed Blitz, as her wings were spread out and she was ready to fly off but stopped herself as she could feel Braver's hoof on her cheek.
"Blitz." called out a weak Braver.
Blitz opened her teary eyes and saw Braver looking at her, slowly returning to normal. "Braver!" cried Blitz happily as she quickly held her close and repeatedly cried her name.
AJ could only smile and walk away. She sat on a log and looked at them as Braver told Blitz to calm herself and do breathing exercises.
Soon, AJ could see Blitz was finally calm and was forced over by Braver to sit across from her.
"It's okay; Aunty isn't mad. You didn't know what happened. It's okay; no one was harmed. See, I'm okay. So there is no need to freak out. It's okay," Braver whispered, holding Blitz's cheeks and rubbing her forehead against hers, trying to comfort her.
Blitz closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths, like she was told, and finally relaxed as her wings folded, and she lowered her ears.
"I'm sorry. I blitzed it again."
"Don't be. I would have reacted the same way if I had seen my sister like that in front of people she knows. But please, promise me, don't fly off. We need to talk," replied AJ as she tipped her worn-out hat up.
Braver nodded, and Blitz did the same.
"Good! Tempest should be back—ah, there she is!"
Everyone could see Tempest coming out of the woods, levitating some firewood onto the dead campfire, and quickly setting it on fire. With a small spell, the fire became more significant, and she sat beside AJ.
"Thanks, Tempest, darn Weather Ponies keep screwing up the weather. It feels like a fall during the night. Good thing I got my scarf and coat on!" replied AJ, rubbing her orange scarf and pale coat.
"It's pretty much why I'm in this cloak," laughed Tempest, wrapping the cloak tightly around herself.
"Sorry for scaring you, Aunty and Tempest. I had no idea touching that glowing blue slime would cause that to happen," Braver said, looking at them.
"What happened to you?" asked her sister, who was holding on to her, scared of losing her again.
Braver and the others explained what happened, but AJ didn't explain the part where Braver looked like Twilight.
"It felt like I was dying," whispered Braver, as she was leaning against Blitz and could feel her sister's wings wrapped around her. "But when I heard your voice, I just had the energy to wake up."
"Don't you ever do that again, you hear me!" snapped Blitz, her face red and looking like it was about to cry again.
"Sorry, Blitz, I didn't know; I was so mad! I hurt Dawn," whispered Braver, but she looked up at all three and asked, "What is love?"
Tempest, AJ, and Blitz looked at each other, not knowing what to say. Even Tempest was confused, as they didn't understand why she was asking them this question.
"Why are you asking that, Braver?" asked Tempest.
"Well, Dawn got mad at me. She said she loved me," said Braver, to which AJ asked what she said in her reply.
"I told her I love her too like I love everyone! I love her as my greatest friend ever!" replied Braver.
"Ahhh...okay. Well, what she said means something different, Braver," AJ said as she scratched her chin.
Tempest and Blitz sighed, as Braver didn't understand and looked at them, wondering.
"Dawn romantically loves you," answered Tempest.
"She loves you more than a friend, a sister, or a family member. She wants to be with you, always," said Blitz, not wanting to explain it further as she started to blush. "You really don't know what love is?"
Braver was silent and tried to think. Suddenly, everyone could see her crying as she held her chest.
"Is this why my chest is always burning when I'm with her? Why are my wings always acting up? Is this why I can't stop thinking about her whenever I'm not with her?" cried Braver as she looked at Blitz and could see her face was red and smiling at her.
"Yeah, you love her more than a friend. That's what love is," smirks Blitz, petting her sister's head. But she freezes as she and the others can see Braver glowing. Her wings are back up, dancing, and soon hard again with purple and blue sparks. "Sis? What are you doing?"
"I don't know! It happened before with Dawn! When I think about her, I feel so happy, and I get excited!" shouted Braver, as her wings were sparking more, and she was struggling to control them.
"Calm down, Braver," said AJ, fearing what happened at the river would happen again.
"...but I hurt her! I made her cry," whispered Braver as her wings dropped and the sparks vanished.
"...it happens. Everyone hurts each other. That's life." said Tempest, who closed her eyes and crossed her arms. "Even more so when you are just learning about love, you don't know. Don't blame yourself. Dawn will be fine."
"But-"
"No buts!" snapped AJ as she got up, walked over an apple tree, and bucked it hard, dropping apples. "Tempest is right. When you learn more about love, you'll understand what happened and learn from it. Answer her better next time. That's all you can do. Also, I need to talk to your mothers about this! Dash, I can understand, but Twilight? I thought for sure she'd tell you about this. You are growing up; soon, you'll learn about dating, sex, marriage, family, and more. If Twilight didn't give you the talk about love, sex, and relationships, then I'll do it!" AJ gave her niece a warm smile, picking up the apples.
"Talk?" asked Braver as she looked at Tempest and Blitz and could see them blushing.
"Oh boy, you are not ready for that, sis!" giggled Blitz. "Glad I learned about that stuff on the internet."
All three look at Blitz, not understanding what she meant by 'internet' as they don't even know what a computer is.
"Anyway, don't worry. Just talk to her; she'll forgive you," said Blitz, while AJ sat back on the log, stabbed the apple with a stick, and started roasting it over the fire.
Braver shook her head and said with tears in her eyes, "She won't. I hurt her, like how my mother is scared of me." Braver held herself tight as she remembered Twilight's words about how she scares her: "I can't love her. I'm not worth being loved."
AJ and Tempest were about to say something, but Blitz spoke as she held her sister. "I hurt my mom, Braver... I was so mad and scared that someone had hurt me. I never hit my mom in anger, but I did, and I didn't mean to. We're not like anyone here. We can't be because we are not normal. We're monsters. At least we have and love each other as family." cried Blitz. "They should see us as that because that's all we can be seen as."
Suddenly, apples hit both sisters, and they could see AJ looking super mad at them.
"Gosh darn it, you two, stop that! You are not monsters. Twilight and Dash told us what they did that night, not only saving our and others' universes but also saving you two. Are you going to spit in the face of your parents and those who saved you?" snapped AJ as she stood up.
Braver and Blitz looked at her, and both said nothing, but AJ could see they disagreed. "Okay, if you believe that, then yell it out loud! Scream it to the world! Tell the world how you think you're a monster! Prove them right with your own words!".
Both sisters stood up and shouted, "WE'RE MONSTERS! WE ARE CREATURES THAT SHOULD BE KILLED!"
"WE DON'T BELONG IN THIS WORLD, AS WE ARE NOT FROM IT!" shouted Blitz.
"WE HAVE POWERS THAT SHOULD BE SEEN AS EVIL AND USED FOR EVIL! WE ARE DANGEROUS TO EVERYONE AROUND US!" shouted Braver.
Both sisters panted as they were out of breath, and AJ just smiled at them, as she could see them holding their chests and crying.
"But why..." said both sisters, sitting back down, trying to stop crying.
"It hurts saying that? It hurts believing that, because deep down, you know it's a lie." AJ smirked. She sat back down and slowly spun her apple over the fire.
"Look, I may not know what you have been through or what you have seen. I won't even begin to try and understand. But I know one thing. I've seen many ponies who have gone through bad things, things they can't forget, and even more that won't let go."
AJ stopped spinning her apple and could see the flames of the fire as it flickered.
"We can't choose who we are, only how we grow. It's hard to get up and keep moving forward. I won't say everyone will accept you; that's not true. Some will see you as a monster, hate or fear you."
Tempest and the twins were going to say something, but AJ gave them a look, and they remained silent.
"But if you keep living, you'll find people who accept you. Who won't see you as a monster? Who will love you, which you have already seen? So stop thinking like that and stop lying to yourselves with this nonsense. Be honest with yourselves. I know it's easier said than done, but try..." AJ said, taking a bite of her roasted apple. "Needs seasoning..."
"But...how?" asked Braver as her tears dried up and she wiped away the rest. "Are we worth being loved by others? Having a place here?" she looked up at the stars and saw the moon.
"Braver?" said Tempest in a sad tone.
Braver looked at her friend, seeing the sadness in her eyes.
"Did you forget what you told me on that day?" said Tempest as she started to tell about the day she met Braver. "On the day we met, I was buying..."
Eight years ago
It was many years after the fall of the Storm King, and Princess Twilight wanted me to stay in Equestria, which I accepted since I didn't have a place to return to. I didn't know any other pony, but I gladly stayed. Princess Twilight even offered me a home in Ponyville, but I declined it, as I wanted to find my place in this land and call it home.
But every place I went, I only met ponies and creatures that hated me, seeing me as the ruthless second in command of the Storm King army. I've seen many places the Storm King destroyed that I helped destroy. The hatred in their eyes, the fear in their voice, and their anger were things I could not ignore. I could tell the ponies and creatures didn't want me in their town, so I moved on to the next... and the next. I couldn't find a place to call home.
It was many years before I returned to Ponyville, but after all those years of seeing hatred for me, I hid myself with my cloak and just wanted to buy some supplies and quickly leave. But...
"How much for this cloak?" asked Tempest, holding up a cloak with a hood, and could see the price on a sign leaning against the cart beside the merchant stall, as her old one was severely worn out and falling apart.
When the merchant stallion saw the price, his ears dropped, and he told her, "That'll be 60 bits." He was scared of the cloakmare.
Tempest pulled out her coin pouch and gave him the money, but she could hear whispers from some nearby Ponies, and they weren't friendly.
"That's the pony who helped that Storm King guy, right?" whispered a stallion.
"Yeah, and she's a unicorn too; I'm not sure what spell she can cast on us with that broken horn." whispered a mare.
"She could kill us, and no one will miss us." whispered another stallion.
Tempest heard enough and was going to say something, but could feel her hoof being tugged on. She looked down and saw a little filly staring at her.
"Can I help you, little one?" asked Tempest, hoping the filly wouldn't be afraid.
The filly looked at her confused, tilting her head and seeing her cloak.
"Are you cold?"
"Um, no. This cloak protects me," Tempest replied, thinking she knew what she was asking.
"Then why are you wearing it?" asked the filly, as her wing was moving and the wind blew, making Tempest's cloak wave a bit. The filly could see the scar on her eye and her broken horn, and Tempest could see her eyes widen as she stepped back.
Tempest had seen that face before, as she had seen it on others, and quickly lowered her hood.
"What is your name, little one?" asked Tempest, getting on a knee and wanting to know the little filly's name.
"B-Breaker," answered Braver, who was still known as Breaker.
"Breaker? That's a unique name." smiled Tempest.
"Thank you, since I break things all the time!" giggled Breaker, excitedly waving her arms up and down.
"Hehe, so what were you doing before?" asked Tempest.
"Seeing all the cool stalls! Mommy said she has a friend she wants to meet, as she heard she was coming to town today!" giggled Breaker.
"Really? Who is it?" asked Tempest, a little curious about who the filly was talking about.
But before Breaker could answer her, Tempest noticed more ponies were talking about her and worried about the filly's safety, as they feared Tempest.
"Breaker, you should run along and find your mommy," said Tempest.
"Oh...okay. Bye-bye!" Breaker waved and ran off.
"Wait, don't!" yelled Tempest, as the other ponies heard her shout and looked at her, but not before the young filly tripped and fell, crashing into a stall, knocking it over and falling on her.
"Oh no, Breaker!" shouted Tempest, who ran towards the stall that the filly crashed into.
"Hey, watch where you're going, kid!" shouted the stallion as he got up and could see his fruit cart knocked over and fruit all over the place.
"Hey. You saw that. She used her magic on the poor kid!" shouted a pony, pointing a hoof at Tempest.
"You saw it. She tried to hurt the kid!" yelled another.
Tempest looked around and could see everyone looking at her and whispering things, and the little filly was on the ground, crying.
"Please, I didn't."
"GET OUT OF OUR TOWN!"
"MONSTER!"
"GET OUT!"
Tempest stood there as she looked around and could see the anger and fear in the ponies and creatures' eyes as they yelled and threw things at her.
"Please, I'm sorry!" cried Tempest, tears going down her face.
"YOU DESERVE NO FORGIVENESS! YOU HAVE NO WORTH HERE! LEAVE BEFORE WE GET THE GUARDS ON YOU!" shouted a mare.
"YEAH, GO DIE IN THE WILDERNESS, WHERE NO ONE CAN SEE YOU! STOP BEING A WASTE AND DIE ALREADY!" yelled another.
Tempest looked down and turned to leave, but she could feel her leg being held. She looked down and saw the little filly holding onto her leg and crying. Tempest closed her eyes, softly pushed the filly off, and walked away.
"NO!" yelled the filly as the crowd watched the unicorn walk away, almost out of sight. She stopped and heard Breaker yelling again.
"Hey, did you see that? The kid is walking towards the cloaked unicorn." whispered a stallion.
"Shouldn't we stop her before the cloaked mare does something to her?" whispered a mare.
Tempest was about to keep moving when she heard the little filly again.
"Wait!"
Tempest didn't stop and would move again until she felt her cloak being pulled.
"Don't go! Please!" cried the little filly as her tears went down her face, and Tempest could see her wings flapping.
"Why do you want me to stay?" asked Tempest, looking at her. She could see the filly crying more as she held onto her.
"B-Because! You were nice to me, so...you must be a good pony!" said Breaker as she continued to cry.
Tempest looked at her and could see she didn't care about her scar, her broken horn, or anything, as the little filly wanted her to stay, but she couldn't, as she could see more ponies approaching them and worried about the little filly's safety.
"Little one, I have to go," said Tempest, as her eyes were watery and her tears were going down her face, and she pulled her cloak away, making the little filly lose her grip.
"YOU AREN'T A MONSTER!" screamed Breaker, shocking everyone and even Tempest.
Everyone stood still, as they didn't say anything, but the little filly did.
"If you were a monster, you would've done something to me, but you didn't! You're a good pony, and..." said Breaker before a colt stepped in and told her how the unicorn destroyed many places, hurt so many people, and almost killed the princess.
"Is...is that true?" asked the filly.
"It is, and I'm sorry for hurting you. For hurting everyone," said Tempest.
"I'm the one who's sorry!" cried Breaker as she turned to the stallions, who were telling her the truth and angry at him. "You're the real monster! You're wrong about her!"
"What do you know, little brat?" shouted the colt.
"She changed! Everyone can change! Why are you keeping the past over her head?" yelled Breaker.
"Why are you defending her? She's nothing but a monster who hurts everyone, just like that storm king did! He used her, and you're protecting her?"
"SHE IS A GOOD PONY!" Breaker screamed as a dark slime shot out of her horn and knocked the colt back, who landed on his back as he lay there.
"W-What was that?"
"Her magic...it's so strong."
"That wasn't magic!" said a unicorn.
Tempest knew where this was going, as the same eyes that looked at her now looked at the young filly.
"Monster! You're a monster!" shouted the hurt stallion.
"GET AWAY FROM US!" screamed a mare.
"GET OUT OF TOWN!" yelled the crowd.
"NO, YOU'RE WRONG!" cried Breaker, as her tears were going down her face.
"No, I'm the monster!" said Tempest, as the little filly was shaking. She could see her looking at her, and the dark ink was still dripping from her horn, as her tears were going down her face. Tempest stepped before Breaker and said, "That was my magic. It was me."
The ponies and creature were quiet and looked at each other, unsure what to say.
"If you want me to leave, then I will. But please, don't blame her," Tempest said before turning to the filly, giving her a soft smile and whispering, "I don't have worth here or anywhere, as I hurt too many good people. I shouldn't be allowed to live, but thank you for showing me kindness. Be good, little one."
The ponies and creature watched the mare walk away and didn't know what to say. They could hear the young filly crying, but soon, the filly shouted again.
Breaker shouted, "I saw a lot of good lives wasted!" making Tempest stop and listen to the filly as everyone else did as well. "That's what Terra said about Brigitte, as she always reminds herself when she sees good people dying for no reason. To her, every death is a waste."
"Stop..." whispered Tempest, not turning around.
"Don't be a waste. Your life has meaning. There's a reason you're alive. There's always something, even when it doesn't feel like there is. Maybe that reason is to help many people—maybe even just one person. It's why I'm here; Terra and the others saw that in me!" cried Breaker.
"I hurt others..."
"And that's okay..."
Tempest and the crowd turned to the filly in shock.
"That's okay? What are you talking about?" asked Tempest as her hood slowly fell off her.
"Because I hurt people too... I was the cause of my sister's pain; I hurt others... I still see their faces. I hurt so many good people. All their lives were wasted because of me." said Breaker as she began to shake.
"What are you talking about?" whispered Tempest, as she could see the pain in the child's eyes—the pain of truly hurting others.
"You're not a waste. You feel regret and shame! You feel guilty! That means you can still move forward! You are not a bad pony anymore!" cried Breaker as she flapped her wings. her tears were going down her face, and her ink substance was leaking again.
Tempest's eyes widened as the little filly stepped forward, so she replied, "But the things I did..." Her hood revealed her eye and its scar.
"Wanda told me not to see the world as it was but as it could be. That's why I want you to have a better future—a dawn for you to see and treasure. A new beginning" said Breaker with a bright smile on her face. Tempest didn't understand what she was saying or how she was smiling, but it made Tempest's heart melt, and she was speechless.
"...no...no! I don't deserve that! I don't have a place to call my own because of the sins I carry on my back!" cried Tempest as her hood started to fall, almost revealing her face.
Breaker didn't know what to say but wanted to tell her the truth: that everyone, even her, could have a better future.
"You sounded like me just now. I thought the same way, but then I found my home! My parents and those who saved me opened my eyes and let me see that I wasn't alone and that they and their friends would always be with me, no matter the odds or the situation; they'd always be there for me. So, you aren't alone in all this. Just ask for help, and you'll see. It may not change everything, but you'll feel better and stronger. Remember that. I will always remember those words that Heat told me." she stood in front of Tempest and could see the hood falling, revealing her face, crying. Breaker touched her hoof and smiled. "Don't be a waste, don't think you are alone, or think you can't change because others won't let you see it, because there are people who care for you. You have a place. Worth to others. To be loved by them."
Tempest looked away, unsure what to say, as tears went down her face. She didn't want to cry, but she could feel her legs were getting weak and was about to collapse. She felt herself being hugged by the little filly.
"Don't give up. Please don't give up on life or yourself because the people that love you won't. I'll never give up on you." cried Breaker as her horn shot out a drop of ink, covering Tempest's broken horn stump and scar. Soon, her broken horn was healed, and it glowed as her magic had its home back. Her scar was gone as well.
"Hey, what's your name?" asked Tempest, wiping her tears.
"Me? My name is Rainboom Breaker!"
Tempest said nothing and looked at the little filly as she smiled.
"Thank you, Rainboom Breaker," said Tempest. Soon, a few ponies and other creatures in the crowd stepped forward and started to apologize.
"Sorry for what we said. We didn't mean any of it."
"I'm sorry for how I treated you. It's just hard to let go."
"We shouldn't have judged you."
Tempest was unsure what to say and felt the little filly's hug. Tempest, giving a soft smile, "It's okay."
"You have a place here!" cheered Breaker. Soon, others said the same thing, and the town came together, cheering.
"You can stay as long as you like."
"We won't judge you anymore. Please, live among us."
Tempest couldn't believe it, as the town was coming together and everyone was asking for forgiveness, but she suddenly heard a familiar voice.
"You always had a place here, Fizzlepop."
Tempest knew who it was; she only told a few ponies her real name. She turned around and could see Twilight walking up to her.
"Princess, I-I-I-I... I'm sorry, I-"
"Fizzlepop, it's fine. I heard everything," said Twilight, cutting her off.
"Everything?" asked Tempest.
"Yeah, I was watching the whole time. My daughter is right; you always had a place here with us." Twilight said, giving a smile. "Don't let yourself or others believe you don't. That's why I wanted you to live in Ponyville or near it. You have friends here, people who love you."
"I..."
"Please, Fizzlepop," said Breaker.
Tempest didn't know what to say as tears went down her face. She nodded her head, and Twilight gave her a warm smile. 
Soon, a single tear fell on Twilight's cheek, and she could see Terra, Heat, and Wanda standing alongside Breaker before they disappeared. She blinked again.
"Wait, you had a child!" asked Tempest, in shock.
"Yeah. She was a surprise to us."
"Us? Who is the father?"
Twilight blushed and said, "Well, it's Rainbow Dash."
"...what?" Tempest simply asked as she was the only one who didn't know about this. Others believed it was by magic but never learned the real truth, as Twilight would explain to Tempest later.
"I'll never forget meeting you or your words. No matter how much I tell you, I will forever say it to you. Thank you. You made me realize I have a home here and where I belong." Tempest said as she held her hooves on her chest,
"So, it's my turn to return those words to you. Don't ever give up or think you don't have a place in this world or in others' hearts because you do! You have a home here, and those who care about you will always be with you, no matter the odds or the situation. You aren't alone. It never will be. We love you; we don't care what you truly are. When you fully tell us your past, we'll be here waiting for you. Same with your mother, AJ told me what happened between you two. Princess Twilight was willing to lose her home, the place in your heart, to punish herself and keep herself from hurting you again. She wants you to trust her again; she loves you."
Braver didn't say anything but could hear her mother's words in her head, as her mother was holding her tight and telling her she loved her and was sorry, but she was also remembering something. Her mother was shaking in fear, which caused Braver to shake in fear, thinking her mother was lying and was still scared of her, but...no, her mother was scared of losing her and hurting her again and losing the home in Braver's heart again.
"She does love me, doesn't she? She doesn't think I'm a monster. I'm her daughter. I'm her family." Braver said as tears went down her cheek.
"Yes. she does. I see the love in her eyes when she's near you. You are her world, her baby." said Tempest, smiling and wiping her tears away.
"I love my mom. I love my family!" Braver smiled. "I'll never give up on them. I need to stop forgetting that! I'm smarter than that. Right, Tempest...and you guys..." She saw the three girls who had saved her that day, different versions of her mother, behind Tempest, who was crying and smiling.
"Yes, yes, you are," said Terra, giving her a soldier salute.
"We will always be here for you. You will never be alone again," said Heat, holding her hooves on her chest as bright little flames danced around her.
"When you fall, just get up and try again. That's what matters—not if you can get up, but if you keep getting up. As long as you get back up, then everything is alright," said Wanda, smiling and fixing her glasses.
Soon, all three disappeared into thin air, making Braver wave at them. Tempest was confused, but it didn't matter to her, as she could see her dear friend back being herself. She saw her friend jumping off the log, tripping on a rock, and falling into a thorn bush nearby.
"Ouch! Why does that happen every time?" groaned Braver, getting out of the bush as her ink substance was slowly repairing her and removing the thorns from her body.
Everyone was laughing, but not Blitz, as she hated herself. She thought Braver didn't have a home here or wasn't loved. This was the second time she had to see that she was wrong—dead wrong. Her mom was right, like always.
"I'm a fucking idiot," said Blitz under her breath. "Keep blitzing stuff up."
"Are you okay, sugar cube?" asked Applejack.
"Yeah, just having a bad day. I just saw things go wrong again, and I need to see my mom. I hit her; I'm so freaking grounded!" cried Blitz.
AJ took the last bite of her apple, tossed it away, stood up, and said, "Well, better get going then. We're near Fluttershy's home, not far from Ponyville. Just head east from here."
"Alright, thanks," said Blitz. "Come on, Braver. We need to go home."
"Okay!" cheered Braver, jumping up and down, but she suddenly stopped. I need to tell Dawn how I really feel! I can't wait any longer. I love her."
Tempest had a sad look as she thought to herself, "Oh, Cozy..."
"Wait, wasn't there a reason you wanted us to talk to you, AJ?" asked Blitz as she hovered in the air, her wings flapping.
"Nah, nothing important right now. Later, you two have too much on your plate." smiled AJ, waving at them as Braver joined her sister. "Head home. Tell Twilight and Dash about sex and other things, Braver!"
"I will! Bye, Aunty! Bye, Tempest! I hope we hang out again! Thank you so much!" smiled Braver, and soon she and her twin took off and disappeared into the night sky.
"Are you sure about this? You said Luster Dawn was up to something, and they might need to know," Tempest asked.
"Braver loves her, and it's harder to convince her now than ever," replied AJ, lowering her hat. "That her friend and love might be..."
"...evil? I don't believe it, but how she acts is always odd. She is always looking at Braver and only her. That wasn't friendship. It was an obsession," said Tempest, crossing her arms.
"Yeah, this was my first time truly meeting her. Other times were mostly past and passing moments, such as when Starlight brought it over during the Council of Friendship meeting day. She seemed nice, just quiet. She didn't have much of a reaction to anything, as I thought she was a shy kid. She was always alone until the day she met Braver. It was a year after meeting you. Starlight brought her along, as she wasn't making friends and was always alone like I said. She changed that day, even smiling, as she played with Braver, as it was the first time she played with any pony. They were attached at the hip, as Braver was the only pony she ever opened up to, and it made Starlight and Sunburst happy."
"I'm glad you told me about this. I know how she acted around her; it just never felt right. It also feels sad, as Braver wanted me and the rest of our friends to be friends with Dawn, but Dawn didn't want our friendship. Cozy kept trying for Braver shake." said Tempest
"I still can't believe Braver got through with Cozy, as we couldn't help her, yet Braver did. That girl is something, I tell you what. She is so smart, strong, friendly, and kind. A perfect combination of...Twilight." softly spoke AJ as she remembered Braver turning into Twilight.
"Are you okay?" asked Tempest.
"Oh yeah. Just seeing Twilight within Braver is all; it's like seeing a mirror. Braver is truly her daughter. It makes me proud of her and her strength. She is her mother. That girl is one in a million."
"She really is, and I'm glad she's my friend," smiled Tempest. But tell me the truth, Applejack. What are you hiding? You can trust me."
AJ took off her hat and held it tight. "I'm not sure what I saw, but I'm not sure it's my place to tell you. Twilight and Dash tell us the same things, like the multiverse thing and how Braver is a daughter of another Twilight and Dash, and she needs to save. Twi, Dash, and teaming up with other versions of themselves in doing that. Whatever I saw has to do with her past, I think. Braver will call you and the others when she feels it's the right time to talk about her past. She's a sweetheart and the most caring kid, so let's keep this between us for now."
"Alright, I can respect that," said Tempest.
"Thanks," smiled AJ, putting her hat back on. "Speaking of others, where is Fluttershy? I thought she'd be here early, no?"
"Yes, that's odd. We're neighbors. She should have been here," said Tempest, turning around and seeing her cabin house and the dirt road leading to Fluttershy's house, as she and Tempest lived far from each other.
"I better check on her. I keep getting these odd feelings lately. I'll be back, Tempest." said AJ, starting to trot away, but Tempest stopped her.
"What kind of feeling, Applejack? Tell me."
"I think something bad is coming. Something horrible."
"Do you think it's got to do with Luster Dawn?" asked Tempest.
"No. Not her. Someone else. I just can't put my hoof on it. Just keep an eye out, Tempest. It might be nothing, but just in case. I don't want to scare the others, especially Braver. She's going through enough, " said AJ, galloping off, leaving Tempest alone in the dark.
"Someone else?" thought Tempest.
"She's somewhat wrong. You are right, Tempest," said a cold voice from the darkness as the fire went out.
Tempest looked around but couldn't find anyone, but she knew that voice.
"Dawn?"
Soon, the fire relighted itself, and sitting across from her was Dawn, eating an apple and staring at her with a smile on her face.
"Hello, Tempest. I heard what you said, and I couldn't help but agree. Applejack is wrong but also right."
"How do you know what she said, where you came from, and what you mean? She's right, but also wrong?" asked Tempest, moving away from her.
"I came from the woods to talk to you, and the only reason you couldn't see me was because I didn't want you to. Also, to answer your question," smirked Dawn as the area lit up like the morning dawn. Tempest was shocked to see a 'human' girl with pony ears and on her chest a sun with a black core; it started to ooze out the rainbow liquid. She stood behind Dawn and smiled, "Say hello to another version of me. She goes by Rainbow Sun Dawn."
"Hello." giggled Rainbow Dawn.
"What?" whispered Tempest, sensing the powerful magical energy radiating from her.
"Do it," said Rainbow Dawn, as she gave her power to her pony version, whose horn became a rainbow horn, and blasted it at Tempest, who tried to block it with her magical shield, but it quickly broke it and zapped her head.
"What have you done?" asked Tempest, in pain and shaking slightly.
"I just put you under my spell. You are going to be my puppet, my little slave. You love Braver, right?" smirked Dawn, walking up to her. "Don't worry, we're not going to hurt her. Just break her down to the point where she's not even herself anymore. She doesn't need family or your so-called 'friends.' I'll be her everything. I'll be her everything and her love. The perfect love."
"No!" Tempest could feel the magic mind control filling her mind and hear Dawn's voice telling her what to do and that the only way to stop her was...
"I'm sorry, Braver. I'm so sorry," cried Tempest, aiming her horn at Luster Dawn and her other version, who was laughing as she saw what Tempest was trying.
"Go ahead, it hurt, won't us," smirked Rainbow Dawn, when suddenly, Tempest's magic drained. Causing her eyes wide as she saw 'him' in the far back.
"No, it can't be!" cried Tempest, seeing Tirek, also under Dawn's control, as he stood there, not moving or saying anything.
"Yes, yes, it is. Tirek, the fool, tried to fight back but was no match for us. He was weak, but now his power is mine." chuckled Dawn, using his magic to drain Tempest's magical powers again, weakening her enough for the mind control to take effect faster.
Tempest cried out, "Stop! Don't do this!" shaking as she could see the magic flowing from her horn and into Luster Dawn's horn.
"You don't need to be here. She doesn't and never needed you. Braver has me, and that's all she needs, and you are going to show her that, along with your other friends. Not only will her parents break her, but so will you, the friends she trusted so much. It will hurt her and make her lose her faith, and when that happens, I'll be the one she comes to; I'll be the one and only one she loves. She'll be mine. Now, be a good enslaved person and do as I say." ordered Luster Dawn. Tempest could only cry as her mind no longer belonged to her, as she was still conscious of everything, but her body and mind belonged to Luster Dawn, her master.
"Yes, mistress." softly said Tempest.
"Perfect," chuckled Dawn. "Oh, I can't wait to see Braver's cute, hurting face. It'll be so good, so worth the wait when you break her."
"Yes, mistress." nodded Tempest, as mind-control Tirek joined her, both crying a little.
"Now, let's go; we're missing three others," ordered Dawn, using Tempest magic to create a portal, and walked through it with Tirek and the others.
"What about AJ?" asked Rainbow Dawn
"She's no threat to us right now."
The portal closed, leaving the campfire to die out again as the area was covered in darkness again.
Back in Ponyville and the Sugar Cube Corner kitchen, Twilah's head wound was getting healed by Twilight, but both were worried, as they were too close and feared they might merge, like how Dashie and Dash almost merged.
"Feeling anything?" asked Twilight.
"Just this splitting headache, which is normal, I hope..." replied Twilah.
Dashie was outside, listening and looking for any signs of the twins. Dash was in the kitchen doorway with Pinkie.
"By the way, what happened to you two? You were both gone for so long," asked Twilight, looking Twilah in the eyes, and her heart dropped quickly as Twilah blushed hard. Twilight turned to Dash and saw her looking away, also blushing. "Something happened between you two?"
"What!" shouted Dashie as she leaped into the window.
Pinkie was confused. "Wait, I'm confused. Did you two...?"
"No, no, no!" exclaimed Twilah, blushing. "We didn't do anything except..."
"We hang out at my old place, and we..." said Dash as she explained what happened.
hours ago
Dash landed on the front steps of her cloud house and turned to Twilah, who was flying in front of her. "Welcome to my awesome former crib! I haven't been here since my wedding and moved into the castle with Twi."
"Wow. You actually lived here?" Twilah asked, amazed by the place's rainbows and Rome-themed look.
"Yeah, for many years. This is where I grew up in Ponyville, where I first moved down alone. It was lonely; the only friend I had was Fluttershy. I knew about the others, but we were never friends—just people we knew. It wasn't till Twilight moved here that we became friends!" explained Dash as she opened the door. "Come in inside. Want a tour?"
"Sure!" said Twilah, but she looked worried as she looked at the surface of the clouds.
"What's up?"
"Am I going to fall through the clouds? You can, but can I walk on it? I'm not a pegasus like you." asked Twilah nervously.
Dash laughed as she put her hoof out, making Twilah look at her and say, "Hold my hoof, and you'll see. Don't worry, I'll make sure you won't fall."
"O-okay," nervously said Twilah, taking her hoof and holding it tight as she slowly put her foot on the cloud. She was shocked to see that she was stepping on something hard. "How?"
"Well, in your current form, you can walk on clouds, no problem, but if you become a human, you won't be able to. All wing creatures in my universe can live and walk on clouds." Dash said, taking her hoof away, making Twilah blush a little as she held her hand out like she didn't want the hand-holding to end.
"Really? How? Clouds form when the invisible water vapor in the air condenses into visible water droplets or ice crystals. It's not a solid object like stone, dirt, or metal." said Twilah, slowly walking around in a circle, taking off her flip-flops and confirming it was a hard, solid surface.
Dash only smiled as she watched Twilah walk around her yard, smiling and saying it was fluffy, like stepping on cotton.
Dash could feel her face becoming a little hot, as this reminded her of how Twilight acted the first time, watching her be all excited about walking on clouds.
"How does it stay together, and how is it so strong that a pony could stand and walk on it? Wait, do you have magic or something?" asked Twilah, picking up a cloud and looking at it.
"Kind of? We can control the weather and the clouds and change the shapes, but the cloud itself is just an object, not magic. It's mostly pegasi magic that's in our wings. As long as you have wings, you can be on a cloud, like I said." explained Dash as she let Twilah inside; she could see the giant living room and was amazed by it.
"Woah. So cool!" Twilah checked out the cloud furniture and saw many pictures of the Wonderbolts, including a picture of Dash and her old mane style from when she was a filly. "Hey! That's what Braver looks like! It's a one-to-one with your manes!"
"Yep, my parents said the same when I first met Braver," laughed Dash, joining Twilah in looking at it.
"Oh god, was that like? Dashie had to explain to her folks what happened, and they did not believe her until she became you in pony form. They see Blitz as their grandkid now," chuckled Twilah, remembering that day when she and Dashie brought Blitz to Dashie's parents' home.
"They were shocked but quickly understood. They even helped me raise her, which was weird." Dash said, picking up a picture frame from the wall. It was a picture of her folks and Braver in the middle. "They see her as their grandkid, too. They even call her Little Brave, which Braver likes. Even Twilight's parents call her their granddaughter; what about your folks? Bet they also-"
"Blitz never met them." interrupted Twilah, looking a bit sad as she looked at the picture on the wall, which was Twilight's folks.
"O-oh," said Dash, feeling awkward now as he put the picture back on the wall.
"I'm estranged from my folks after how they treated me when I was young. Blitz doesn't need to know about them. She has Dashie's folks. That's all she needs. She doesn't need the toxic family I grew up with. You don't have to say sorry. You didn't know," said Twilah, walking through a hallway and still amazed by the clouds.
Dash realized she needed to be more careful. It was clear that the past still hurt Twilah, and she was trying her best not to think about it. She joined her in the hall, and Twilah couldn't believe how beautiful the bedroom was.
"Wow, it's spacious in here! The clouds make it so soft, too," said Twilah, jumping onto the queen-sized cloud bed and rolling on it.
Dash couldn't help but blush a little, watching Twilah play on the bed and roll around on it. Again, it was like watching Twilight do all the same stuff repeatedly. Dash jumped on the bed, spooking Twilah. "Best cloud bed in all of Equestria! You can have the whole day sleeping in this."
Twilah watched as Dash fell backward, landed on her back, and began to roll around on the bed. Her face became warm as she watched Dash have fun, smiling and laughing.
"Hehe. Wanna join me, Twilah?" giggled Dash, still rolling on the bed, making Twilah's heart beat a little fast as she saw the rainbow mane pony rolling around, laughing and having fun.
"Yeah!" nervously said Twilah, trying her best not to stare at her as she started to roll around on the bed. Both were moving and laughing.
As they rolled around, they accidentally bumped into each other, causing them to stop. Their faces touched as they realized how close they were. Both blushed, looking into each other's eyes.
"Hi..." shyly said Dash.
"H-hi..." nervously replied Twilah.
Their hearts were racing, as they didn't want to move, afraid they would lose their composure.
"So..."
"S-so."
"We should continue with the tour, right?" asked Dash, not moving, as she was afraid of losing herself.
"Y-yeah. We should." nodded Twilah as she sat up and saw Dash struggling with her feelings and worrying about Twilight. "We can check on them if you like," said Twilight
"What?"
"You're worried about them, right? Let's see if they're okay," Twilah said as she used her magic. A hologram screen appeared in front of them, showing Sugar Cube Corner, as whatever was in the sky was tracking Twilight's magical power level.
"What is this?" asked Dash.
"My world is advanced in technology, so this is a hologram, or what you call a projection, and using my magic, I created a magical invisible drone to track Twilight down. Using magic and technology together is great," explained Twilah.
"Are we going to spy on them?" whispered Dash, her ears down, and she was worried and nervous about what was going to happen.
"We're going to make sure nothing is wrong. Come on." smiled Twilah, patting Dash's back.
"A-alright!" replied Dash, watching the screen as the drone entered the shop through an open window and soon found Twilight and Dashie talking.
"I wish I could cook something, you know? Twilah is always doing the cooking. I feel so useless in that department, you know?"
Twilight nodded as she said how Dash does all the cooking. "What's more awful? She was an awful cook, too, but she got better for me and Braver. Before she moved in with me in the castle, Don't give up; if your counterpart can cook, so can you!"
Soon, Dash and Twilah sat there and listened to their lovers, listening to Dashie's pain of being useless and needing to prove herself to Twilah.
"Dashie, you were never useless, but did I make it look like that to you? Did I make you think that?" asked Twilah, her voice full of pain. "God, it makes sense now—all the stuff she was doing, even in bed—she was doing all this because she thought I saw her as useless. Damn it. Why don't I ever see her feelings?"
"Hey, hey. It's alright, Twilah," said Dash, grabbing her hand and wanting her to calm down.
"No, it's not. I've been such a horrible person to her, thinking I'm helping her, but really, I've been hurting her. I never noticed I was putting her down in anything she did, not even realizing people were calling her a trophy wife! What kind of girlfriend does that?" yelled Twilah, as her emotions got the best of her.
"Calm down, please." pleaded Dash.
"Why? So I can be happy that my girlfriend is miserable with herself and feels like she has to earn my love by not being herself! I want her to be herself and love herself, not worry about her flaws, as I will love her, flaws and all." yelled Twilah, standing up and stomping around the bedroom. "She doesn't need to prove herself to me; she just needs to be herself, not change herself, and be who she wants to be, not for me or others!"
"Twilah, please, sit back down," begged Dash, scared, as Twilah was losing herself, as her anger was mixing with her magic, and the room was starting to glow as Twilah's eyes were glowing purple. Before it could get worse, they both began to hear Twilight talk about Dash and how she felt she was trapping Dash into a boring life and making her feel useless. "Twilight, please stop, stop. Don't say that!" cried Dash as she flew up to the screen, touching Twilight, which looked sad. "I might not like the boring life, but it's a good boring life, and I love it. I'm not useless, and I'm happy with you. We're both happy, right?"
Twilah's anger started to vanish as she saw Dash crying.
"Hey, hey. Don't cry, don't cry," said Twilah, pulling her close.
"I-I'm fine. I'm just worried, that's all. Am I giving off the impression that I'm not happy living with her? I am. I'm so happy." sobbed Dash
Twilah held her close, trying her best to calm her down and stop her from crying, but they soon heard the oven dinging on the screen, making them look at it and see Dashie talking.
"Maybe you should stop being a princess? If it's making her unhappy," asked Dashie, looking at the oven.
"I can't give up being a princess, but..." replied Twilight before looking down. "Maybe I should start stepping back and stop being a princess for a bit. Just spend time with my friends and family."
"Really?" said Dashie, surprised that Twilight quickly agreed.
"Well, not yet. I need to talk with her first and make sure we're on the same page," Twilight replied, getting up.
Dash looked away from the live feed and looked around her house, remembering how happy she was that Twilight would live with her and raise Braver here. But then it fell apart, as Twilight couldn't stop being a princess. Deep down, Dash hated how she was a princess; she wanted Twilight for herself.
"I'll love that Twilight. I know it is selfish, but I hate sharing you with Equestria. I want you to be free; I want you to have a life without the crown so we can be a family." whispered Dash
"..." Twilah was silent, not knowing what to say or do, as she saw Dash's pain and sadness, seeing her suffering—until Twilah heard Dashie talking and turning to the screen.
"It's not bad, not good, but not bad!" smiled Dashie, holding a cupcake she took a bite from.
"See? You did it." Twilight smiled as she tried her own and reacted similarly.
"Thanks." smiled Dashie, as she was so happy.
"I told you, you can do anything," replied Twilight, eating her own.
"Yeah. I can," said Dashie as she looked at the cupcake. "Maybe I don't need to prove to anyone that I'm good enough because I already know I am."
Twilah teared up as she heard Dashie say, " Yes, you are. You are good enough and amazing. You don't have to prove yourself to me, as I love you for you."
Dash saw Twilah tear up, which made her realize that her counterpart was smiling. She was happy that Twilight was helping her.
"That's my Twilight, always helping those in need," softly said Dash, wiping the tears from Twilah's face.
"Yeah," nodded Twilah, smiling.
Dash hugged Twilah, who hugged back. The two of them stayed in each other's arms as the screen went dark.
"We must be honest with each other partners and put everything on the table. We can't keep doing this, or our relationship will fall apart, and I don't want that," said Twilah as they parted ways.
"Yeah. Me neither." nodded Dash.
"But first, let's eat! Seeing them make cupcakes made me hungry," said Twilah, heading out of the room and to the kitchen.
"Sure thing. I can make some food." smiled Dash, following Twilah.
The two spent the rest of the day together, hanging out and talking about what needed to be put on the table when they headed back to talk to their wives. They both talked about what made them happy and what was causing pain, as well as their fears for the future and how they would overcome them with their lovers.
It was a long conversation but a very productive and cathartic one, as the two of them could work out what needed to be said to their lovers.
When the two were finally done, it was nighttime, and they headed off to Ponyville but suddenly saw a rainbow comet.
"That's what happened. Nothing happened between us," explained Dash.
"But why was Twilah blushing?" asked Twilight as she turned to Twilah, who was pouting now.
"You helped Dashie realize she didn't need to prove herself when that should have been me telling her that!" huffed Twilah, her tail twitching.
Twilight and Dashie laugh a little, making Twilah more annoyed.
"Oh, come on, Twilah. That's just cute." giggled Dash, patting Twilah's back.
"No, it's not!" huffed Twilah.
Soon, the room was quiet as they all looked at each other.
"So, putting everything out on the table, huh? Great idea, but let's find our daughters. Something happened to them." said Dashie, with worry in her voice.
"Yeah, what happened to Braver and her body? What you told us, that never happened to her," replied Dash
Pinkie hops on the table and stands before everyone, smiling and waving her hoof. "Whatever happens, I'm sure it's fine. You said Tempest and AJ were with them, right? I'm sure two are helping them, so don't worry."
"What do you think?" asked Twilah, worried.
"Well, if that's true, then we should leave them alone, then?" asked Twilight, unsure.
"Well, maybe we should, but..." started Pinkie, but she stopped as she didn't want to worry them even more. But suddenly, Lil Cheese and Cheese Sandwich entered the kitchen.
"Honey! Everyone! Come outside! There's a rainbow comet in the sky!" shouted Cheese Sandwich.
"Rainbow comet?" said the four as they looked at each other and rushed out the door.
Pinkie and her family follow them.
Once outside, the four of them looked up and saw a bright, beautiful rainbow comet soaring across the night sky, which was getting closer to them.
"It's like that night when everything started..." whispered Twilight, who held Dash's hoof.
"Yeah, but it's not the comet this time. It's Blitz," Twilah said with a smile on her as she held Dashie's hand, they could see Blitz was getting closer while holding her sister's hoof and landing in front of them.
"MOM!" shouted Blitz, who ran up and hugged Twilah. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to hit you! I was just angry and scared! And-"
"It's alright, sweetie. I know you didn't mean to hurt me." smiled Twilah, holding her close and kissing her head.
"I'm glad you're alright, Blitz. You had us worried," said Dashie, hugging her family.
Braver tackle hugged both her parents and nuzzled them.
"Where did you girls go?" asked Twilight, petting Braver.
"And what happened to you?" asked Dash, worried but happy that Braver looked fine now.
Braver let them go and opened her wings, revealing the purple and blue sparks. "I ripped my wings off when they looked like this. It created a weird glowing blue slime. It caused me pain."
"Pain?! Are you okay now?" asked Twilight, checking on her daughter.
"Whatever happened, it felt like she was dying... I could sense her pain, and then I saw her all white and not moving. I thought AJ and Tempest hurt her; I was right in not trusting her well-being in this universe, but I was wrong. Mom, you are right. Sis is loved here, just as I'm loved in our universe. I was being selfish and worried for nothing," replied Blitz, lowering her head in shame.
"It's okay, Blitz. We all do the same thing when it comes to someone we love and care about and seeing them hurt, but why was Braver all white?" said Dashie.
Braver closed her wings, breathed in and out, and faced her parents. "Moms! I'm in love! I love Luster Dawn, and my body is acting weird. Aunty AJ asked me to tell you this, or she'll teach me instead, but...what is 'sex'?"
Blitz's face turned red. She couldn't believe her sister had just asked that in front of their mothers and the town, as they all gathered around to see the rainbow comet landing, which was really her.
"Uh, sis, why did you ask them that here?" asked Blitz, blushing and covering her face with her hands, embarrassed.
"What's wrong with asking that question here? Aunty AJ was clear about telling moms this," asked Braver, confused.
Twilight and Dash were in shock and didn't know how to reply, while the rest of the townsfolk whispered to one another and looked at the family.
"Well, you see, Braver..." said Dashie, clearing her throat. "It's a question that you ask in private. Not in front of people," stuttered Dashie, as she couldn't finish. Twilight slowly had a smile on her face as she summoned kids' books on birds and bees. Dash wasn't happy about that, as she believed Braver was old enough for normal talk, but Twilight disagreed with that.
Braver was just confused as she sat there and watched her parents fight.
"God, this is second-hand embarrassing," said Blitz, wishing she could just run off.
"Speaking of the 'talk', Blitz, we need to talk about that with you as well," Twilah said, looking down at her daughter. This caused Blitz to freeze up and her face to turn red again.
Blitz shouted, "I KNOW HOW SEX WORKS! THE INTERNET SHOWED ME!" and ran off, causing Twilah to be upset, upset that the internet told her daughter about sex before she did.
"WAIT! WHAT KIND OF SEX!? YOU BETTER HAD NOT LOOKED AT ANY WEIRD PORNO ON THE INTERNET, YOUNG LADY!" shouted Twilah, flying after her, leaving a red-faced and flustered Dashie and a giggling Braver, who was reading the books that Dash grabbed and tossed away as she was still fighting with Twilight about how to teach Braver about sex and why her body was acting funny around her crush. All this is happening in front of the town, Pinkie, and her family.
"Oh boy..." whispered Dashie, dying from embarrassment now.
Meanwhile, AJ was trotting along the dirt road, heading towards Fluttershy's place, but suddenly, she could hear voices within the woods and a familiar voice, as that voice was sobbing. AJ quickly headed to where the voices were coming from, hoping no one was hurting Fluttershy or the other person, but she was surprised at what she saw.
AJ was looking down at Fluttershy, sitting on the ground, trying to calm another human woman, but that woman's voice and looks were just like...
"Trixie?"
end of chapter 8