One night, Pinkie Pie stays up late to watch a couple of old horror movies. It should be fun, right? How can a black-and-white feature like "Night of the Changelings" be at all terrifying?

...Very, very terrifying, as a matter of fact. So much so, that the next day at school Pinkie is grappling with the aftermath of horrible nightmares, and the creeping fear that any of her classmates could be a slime-dripping alien bug monster in disguise. Now her friends have to find a way to calm her down, and hopefully do so *before* she goes completely off the deep end.

Shamelessly inspired by the SpongeBob episodes "Krab Borg" and "Fear of a Krabby Patty".

Rated T just for the sake of caution.

When you try and use dark magic to take over Canterlot High, it never ends well.
The Dazzlings lost their powers and were thoroughly embarrassed by Sunset Shimmer, Princess Twilight, and company.

For Sonata, it didn't get much better. Fed up with her inherent ignorance, Adagio takes her frustrations out on Sonata, and kicks her out of the group. With nowhere to go, she winds up wandering the streets. Luckily for her, she wandered into the right place at the right time.

She'll be borrowing someone's kindness for a while.

Will Sonata be able to atone for her mistakes?
Will she be able to make friends?

Author's Note: Originally, I planned to entirely change this. But I realized this provides me with a beautiful opportunity. A chance to explore a world of what-ifs. Sonata being saved by Vinyl after the Battle of the Bands could change the entire timeline from here on out. Let's go.

This story is a sequel to Double Trouble: The Flaws Within

The Crystal Mirror is irrevocably broken and beyond repair.

On this, the paramount minds and Mages of Equestria’s current generation all agree. And the one pony universally understood as having the highest chance of its reconstruction is tragically marooned on the other side of the Portal.

In the human world, Princess Twilight Sparkle has despairingly reached a similar conclusion. Although she might be the preeminent Mage and researcher extraordinaire back in Equestria, this world is a land of technology and machines, a realm of hard science she finds sterile, cold, and forbidding...and one totally unfamiliar. Facing the reality of being permanently stranded, Princess Twilight struggles against despair and depression as she confronts the long, arduous road to acclimatization.

Twilight Sparkle, now in Equestria, faces similar challenges…or would, should she ever thaw enough to interact with her environment. As prickly and standoffish as ever, she defiantly remains independent and autonomous as she struggles to rebuild her former life precisely as before.

Between the intense friendship with Princess Twilight and renewed bond of love with Princess Celestia counterbalanced by extreme guilt over the catastrophe, Sunset Shimmer strives to balance duty versus desire, obligation versus friendship...

Especially as she senses Equestria’s peace and stability―and perhaps even survival―depends on Princess Twilight’s return.

From the ashes of disaster, can hope flower once again?

(Double Trouble takes place the summer after The Battle of The Bands)

Pre-read, edited and critiqued by my friend and fellow equestrian, Toriandthehorse

Artwork by: Yakovlev-vad